Falls Church News-Press 12-31-2020 by Falls Church News-Press

December 31, 2020 – January 6, 2021

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Canceled Watch Night Ends 2020 With a Whimper No Celebration Means No Remembrance for Barb Cram

BY MATT DELANEY

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

A Barb Cram-sized hole will be especially felt as the annual Watch Night New Year’s Eve celebration was called off due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Cram, who was somewhat of a volunteer folk hero in the City before she died in June, was the maven behind the free event each year. But one of Watch Night’s staple organizers, Keith Thurston, announced they would not go through with their year-end festivities in mid-December. “The annual Watch Night Falls Church celebration will not occur this year in deference to our frontline health care workers, who are risking all, and asking us to not create a super-spreader Covid-19 event,” Thurston wrote. “With an occasion such as our public New Year’s Eve celebration, with no entry gates it is very difficult to have a limited event, and reduced attendance, as much as we would have liked that. This will be the first time in the event’s 22-year history that it will not be taking place for Falls Church residents and regional neighbors to join in the fun. According to Shaun Van Steyn, another event volunteer

and member of Falls Church Arts, this was something that was predicted as far back as the spring. Van Steyn said that in his private conversations with Cram, she knew her worsening health was terminal well in advance. Still, the two talked about the news of the rapidly spreading coronavirus in February — not even two months after the previous Watch Night had been pulled off — and decided that they would be in wait-and-see mode about how to handle the celebration. When Cram did pass, Van Steyn said that Falls Church Arts had already decided that their involvement would be too much to handle at that time. Considering that so many people come from all over the Northern Virginia area to attend the event, it was deemed too big of a legal risk for all the organizers involved. “We could’ve put it on, but supposing we did do it, and then we get a whole bunch of people getting [sick], then they’re going to sue the City or Falls Church Arts. Someone will get sued; we’re in America,” Van Steyn said. The volunteers never seriously considered doing the event virtu-

Continued on Page 5

THERE WON’T BE THE PARTY DOWNTOWN like there has been during Watch Nights in years past, such as this scene that rang in 2019. The lack of a celebration is another reminder of the absence of chief organizer Barb Cram, who died in June. (P��: J. M�� W��)

Webb Talks F.C. Career, Name Change in Final Interview BY MATT DELANEY

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

School Board member Lawrence Webb’s surprise announcement that he would be resigning from his position a month ago has prompted a farewell tour of sorts in the News-

Press pages, including a Guest Commentary penned by him a few weeks back. But Webb, who moved from Arlington to the City of Falls Church in 2005 and has been in public office for 12 of his 15 years here, has been a part of some major decisions.

From helping get the City’s local election season changed to the fall during his lone City Council term to being a prominent voice on the recent decision to change the names of George Mason High School and

Continued on Page 4

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George Mason High band teacher Mary Jo West was selected for the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms this year because of the worldly, sophisticated program that she has built through technical rigor and a family spirit she has cultivated among her pupils. See Story, page 8

B�� Y�� W�� I�� CBC “S�� A��” City of Falls Church developer and chair of the Falls Church Economic Development Authority won the Citizens for a Better City’s first-ever “Shoutout Award” for leading the EDA’s effort to distribute microgrants to Falls Church businesses that were suffering from the Covid-19 pandemic. See News & Notes, page 9

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There is one week left — with a deadline of Jan. 7, 2021 — to order a “Legacy Grove Brick” for installation at the new high school. The bricks in the current George Mason High School Pathway will be moved to the Legacy Grove. See Community News & Notes, page 10

INDEX

Editorial............................................... 6 Letters................................................. 6 Comment ................................ 7,12,13 News & Notes............................. 10,11 Calendar ........................................... 14 Business News ................................. 15 Classified Ads ................................... 16 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword ......... 17 Crime Report .................................... 18 Critter Corner.................................... 18

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PAGE 2 | DECEMBER 31, 2020 – JANUARY 6, 2021

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF PETITION FOR APPROVAL OF A RATE ADJUSTMENT CLAUSE, DESIGNATED RIDER RGGI, BY VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY D/B/A DOMINION ENERGY VIRGINIA CASE NO. PUR-2020-00169 •Virginia Electric and Power Company d/b/a Dominion Energy Virginia (“Dominion”) has applied for approval of a rate adjustment clause, designated Rider RGGI, to recover costs related to the purchase of allowances through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative market-based trading program for carbon dioxide emissions. •Dominion requests approval of a revenue requirement of $168,260,000 for Rider RGGI for the rate year beginning August 1, 2021, through July 31, 2022. According to Dominion, this amount would increase a typical residential customer’s bill using 1,000 kilowatt hours per month by $2.39. •Due to the ongoing public health emergency related to the spread of the coronavirus, or COVID-19, the State Corporation Commission will hold a telephonic hearing in this case on April 27, 2021, to receive public witness testimony. •The Commission will hold an evidentiary hearing in this case on April 28, 2021. •Further information about this case is available on the SCC website at: scc.virginia.gov/pages/Case-Information. On November 9, 2020, Virginia Electric and Power Company (“Dominion” or “Company”) filed with the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”) a petition (“Petition”) for approval of a rate adjustment clause, designated Rider RGGI, pursuant to § 56 585.1 A 5 e of the Code of Virginia (“Code”). Through its Petition, Dominion seeks to recover projected and actual costs related to the purchase of allowances through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (“RGGI”) market-based trading program for carbon dioxide (“CO2”) emissions. In May 2019, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (“DEQ”) issued a final rule establishing a state carbon regulation program linked to RGGI (the “DEQ Carbon Rule” or “Rule”). During its 2020 Regular Session, the General Assembly passed the Clean Energy and Community Flood and Preparedness Act, which authorized Virginia to become a full participant of RGGI and authorized DEQ to implement the Rule. With the passage of this legislation, DEQ revised the DEQ Carbon Rule to clarify that the Commonwealth will join RGGI in 2021. The Rule will cap CO2 emissions for Virginia at 27.1 million short tons for calendar year 2021 and decrease the emissions cap annually to achieve a level of 19.6 million short tons in 2030. Emission sources subject to the Rule will be required to obtain and surrender a CO2 emission allowance for every short ton of CO2 emitted during a control period through participation in the RGGI allowance auction program. The Company states that it owns regulated emissions sources, and therefore must comply with the Rule. Code § 56-585.1 A 5 e permits a utility to seek approval of a rate adjustment clause for recovery of “[p]rojected and actual costs of projects that the Commission finds to be necessary ... to comply with state or federal environmental laws or regulations applicable to generation facilities used to serve the utility’s native load obligations, including the costs of allowances purchased through a market-based trading program for carbon dioxide emissions. The Commission shall approve such a petition if it finds that such costs are necessary to comply with such environmental laws or regulations.” In its Petition, Dominion states that it will initially require approximately 19,000,000 CO2 allowances per year to cover CO2 emissions from its Virginia-based generation fleet, or approximately 29,000,000 CO2 allowances for the rate year of August 1, 2021 through July 31, 2022 (“Rate Year”). The Company states that it intends to follow a programmatic approach by purchasing most of its required allowances in the RGGI quarterly auction, using the secondary market to fulfill any deficiencies. The Company states that it assumed a weighted average price of $6.84 per allowance. In this proceeding, the Company seeks approval of a total revenue requirement of $168,260,000 for the Rate Year. The Company asserts it proposes to use an energy allocation factor to allocate costs to the Virginia jurisdiction and the development of a uniform charge per kilowatt hour (“kWh”) applicable to all bundled service customers in the Virginia jurisdiction. If the proposed Rider RGGI for the Rate Year is approved, the impact on customer bills would depend on the customer’s rate schedule and usage. According to Dominion, implementation of its proposed Rider RGGI on August 1, 2021, would increase the bill of a residential customer using 1,000 kWh per month by approximately $2.39. Interested persons are encouraged to review the Petition and supporting documents for the details of these and other proposals. TAKE NOTICE that the Commission may apportion revenues among customer classes and/or design rates in a manner differing from that shown in the Petition and supporting documents and thus may adopt rates that differ from those appearing in the Company’s Petition and supporting documents. The Commission entered an Order for Notice and Hearing in this proceeding that, among other things, scheduled public hearings on Dominion’s Petition. On April 27, 2021, at 10 a.m., the Commission will hold a telephonic hearing, with no witness present in the Commission’s courtroom, for the purpose of receiving the testimony of public witnesses. On or before April 22, 2021, any person desiring to offer testimony as a public witness shall provide to the Commission (a) your name, and (b) the telephone number that you wish the Commission to call during the hearing to receive your testimony. This information may be provided to the Commission in three ways: (i) by filling out a form on the Commission’s website at scc.virginia.gov/pages/Webcasting; (ii) by completing and emailing the PDF version of this form to SCCInfo@scc.virginia.gov; or (iii) by calling (804) 371-9141. This public witness hearing will be webcast at scc.virginia.gov/pages/Webcasting. On April 28, 2021, at 10 a.m., either in the Commission’s second floor courtroom located in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or by electronic means, the Commission will convene a hearing to receive testimony and evidence related to the Petition from the Company, any respondents, and the Commission’s Staff. Further details on this hearing will be provided by subsequent Commission Order or Hearing Examiner’s Ruling. The Commission has taken judicial notice of the ongoing public health emergency related to the spread of the coronavirus, or COVID-19, and the declarations of emergency issued at both the state and federal levels. In accordance therewith, all pleadings, briefs, or other documents required to be served in this matter should be submitted electronically to the extent authorized by 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (“Rules of Practice”). Confidential and Extraordinarily Sensitive information shall not be submitted electronically and should comply with 5 VAC 5-20-170, Confidential information, of the Rules of Practice. For the duration of the COVID-19 emergency, any person seeking to hand deliver and physically file or submit any pleading or other document shall contact the Clerk’s Office Document Control Center at (804) 371-9838 to arrange the delivery. Pursuant to 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice, the Commission has directed that service on parties and the Commission’s Staff in this matter shall be accomplished by electronic means. Please refer to the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing for further instructions concerning Confidential or Extraordinarily Sensitive Information. An electronic copy of the Company’s Petition may be obtained by submitting a written request to counsel for the Company, Elaine S. Ryan, Esquire, McGuireWoods LLP, Gateway Plaza, 800 East Canal Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or eryan@mcguirewoods.com. On or before April 20, 2021, any interested person may file comments on the Petition by following the instructions found on the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/casecomments/Submit-Public-Comments. All comments shall refer to Case No. PUR-2020-00169. On or before February 2, 2021, any person or entity wishing to participate as a respondent in this proceeding may do so by filing a notice of participation with the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2118, or by filing electronically at scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling/. Such notice of participation shall include the email addresses of such parties or their counsel. The respondent simultaneously shall serve a copy of the notice of participation on counsel to the Company. Pursuant to Rule 5 VAC 5-20-80 B, Participation as a respondent, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice, any notice of participation shall set forth: (i) a precise statement of the interest of the respondent; (ii) a statement of the specific action sought to the extent then known; and (iii) the factual and legal basis for the action. Any organization, corporation, or government body participating as a respondent must be represented by counsel as required by Rule 5 VAC 5-20-30, Counsel, of the Rules of Practice. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2020-00169. On or before March 2, 2021, each respondent may file with the Clerk of the Commission at the address above or electronically at scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling/, and serve on the Commission’s Staff, the Company, and all other respondents, any testimony and exhibits by which the respondent expects to establish its case, and each witness’s testimony shall include a summary not to exceed one page. In all filings, respondents shall comply with the Commission’s Rules of Practice, including 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service; and 5 VAC 5-20-240, Prepared testimony and exhibits. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2020-00169. Any documents filed in paper form with the Office of the Clerk of the Commission in this docket may use both sides of the paper. In all other respects, except as modified by the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, all filings shall comply fully with the requirements of 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice. The Company’s Petition, the Commission’s Rules of Practice and the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing may be viewed at: scc.virginia.gov/pages/Case-Information. VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY

DECEMBER 31, 2020 - JANUARY 6, 2021 | PAGE 3

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PAGE 4 | DECEMBER 31, 2020 – JANUARY 6, 2021

No Regrets From Webb on Voting Against Affordable Housing Project

Continued from Page 1

Thomas Jefferson Elementary School on the school board, Webb has helped shape the Little City into what it is today. The News-Press had one final interview with Webb, where he talked about those decisions as well as his thoughts on the schools’ reopening plan and what is coming next for him personally. This interview has been edited for length and clarity News-Press: What was your political history like in Arlington and what was it about Falls Church that appealed to you? Webb: I was involved within the Democratic Committee in Arlington where I had been politically involved behind the scenes for a number of years. Since I was a younger kid, I’ve worked on different campaigns, so it was that kind of thing. Moving to Falls Church gave me the opportunities to get more politically involved in running for office because it is slightly easier process to stay involved in a

place the size of Falls Church versus Arlington, where there’s such a long line of folks looking to run for office who have been there, at that point, way longer than me. So moving to Falls Church, it just became a little bit of a natural, easier opportunity to get involved. N-P: You ran for City Council in 2008, just three years after moving to Falls Church. How were you able to get so much support for your campaign as a relative newcomer to the City? Webb: When I decided to run for City Council, I was already friends with some heavy hitters in Falls Church’s political scene thanks to my work for Arlington’s Democratic Committee. They were the folks who helped me understand how the process works. They also were very helpful with advice and gave me encouragement about how to get involved. In particular, it was talking with Ed Strait, who was a former City Council member himself years ago. And Edna Frady, who was just all around involved in a lot of things

in Falls Church, so they were two folks I reached out to. I also began asking questions of some of the folks who were already on City Council, including former Mayor Robin Gardener and former Vice Mayor Lindy Hockenberry. I shared my interest in wanting to run, and then it was going through the [Citizens for a Better City] process because, back in 2008, the CBC was the be-all, endall to getting elected to office for the City Council and the School Board at that time. N-P: What were your greatest legislative accomplishments while you were on the City Council? Webb: I would say probably one of the biggest things that I was involved with on council, and I will say it was controversial, but it was something that I saw as instrumental in increasing participation in City elections was changing the City’s election season from May to November. In a community like Falls Church, we are always one of the top jurisdictions in the state in terms of turnout for the November

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

elections we held. However, when May came around for our local elections, you had maybe 2,000 people or so showing up to vote. In my opinion, that’s where the rubber hits the road for everything that has the most impact on folks at the local levels. From picking up your trash to educating your kids in the schools are all at the local level. And not very many people were taking that into consideration with the election schedule. It was a small group of folks who decided who was going to be on the City Council and or School Board when the elections were held in May versus the bigger, more inclusive group of folks who showed up in

November to cast their votes. Falls Church, being as educated as it is, they always knew who were running for the state and or federal office during fall elections, and they proved to be just as informed when people participated once the new schedule was implemented. I take that as an accomplishment for me, because if it was something that people in the city had just been used to and didn’t want it to change. But looking at it, I think it needed to change because it opened the door for more people to take part in municipal elections. N-P: You were the decisive vote

Continued on Page 19

Status Update on Wednesday, August 5 City of Falls Church Date Cases Hospitalizations Deaths # Cases per 100,000 People Monday, December 28 170 16 6 1,150.8 Wednesday, December 23 159 16 6 1,076.4 Monday, December 21 153 16 6 1,035.7 Thursday, December 17 146 16 6 988.4 Monday, December 14 142 16 6 961.3 Thursday, December 10 134 16 6 907.1 Monday, December 7 122 15 6 825.9 Thursday, December 3 112 15 6 758.2 Monday, November 30 103 14 6 697.3 Wednesday, November 25 97 14 7 656.2 Monday, November 23 90 14 7 609.3

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West Falls Church Project Proposed Agreement Amendments Friday, January 8 Noon to 1:30 p.m. Join the MS Teams Virtual Meeting: www.fallschurchva.gov/TownHall City staff and representatives of the developer will give a 15 minute presentation then answer questions from the audience. Questions may be sent in advance to townhall@fallschurchva.gov. Video of the event will be available later on the project website, www.fallschurchva.gov/WFC.

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DECEMBER 31, 2020 – JANUARY 6, 2021 | PAGE 5

Head of F.C.’s Public Works, Robert Goﬀ, Also Misses Final Watch Night

Continued from Page 1

ally either, Van Steyn said. He went on to say that it would have been too time-consuming and a huge challenge technically, but wasn’t sure how the event would translate in that format. Cram’s death compounds the sadness of the event for longtime City of Falls Church Superintendent of Public Works, Robert Goff. The News-Press reported last year that 2021’s Watch Night was going to be Goff’s last, so he was going to use the event this year to gauge how his successors would pull off its set up. Now, Goff mourns the fact that he and all the other attendees won’t be able to remember Cram during the marquee night. “I’m disappointed because we really wanted to celebrate the life of Barb Cram,” Goff said. “What [the public works department] was going to do was have a banner made. And hopefully, we were going to have it hanging below the Watch Night star, but unfortunately that didn’t work out.”

CONVERTING WATCH NIGHT’S ENTERTAINMENT, shown here, into a virtual format was brie�ly debated by organizers, but they felt it wouldn’t translate well. (P��: J. M�� W��) Even with the cancellation, Goff said that he had his team do several dry runs on their side of the Watch Night preparations. To

him, the hardest part is squaring away all the logistics — making sure road closures, such as the major artery in Route 7, are done

in accordance with the Virginia Department of Transportation’s standards, as well as hauling all the equipment and hooking up

the electricity into the event’s downtown site is done in a safe and efficient manner. Planning for the event starts weeks in advance, and Goff enjoys watching his crew prepare for an occasion of that scale by using the patchwork of skills they pick up on other jobs around the City. But outside of his on-thejob excitement, he also takes a lot of joy in seeing how much his old teachers, such as Lindy Hockenberry and Harry Shovlin, adore Watch Night. “I like to see teachers that taught me throughout my high school and see the appreciation that they have that we’re out there on our time, away from our families, to make the event happen,” Goff said. What’s next for Goff? When the News-Press got ahold of him, he was en route to meet the builders of his new home in Delaware just 15 minutes away from the beach. He’ll retire in just under six months — or five months and 29 days to be exact. But it’s not like he’s keeping track.

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E D I TO R I A L

Repudiate Trumpist Nihilism & Hate

Even though, thank heavens, it looks more and more likely that Donald Trump will be escorted from the White House in the next couple of weeks, the unspeakable horrors his tenure there has inflicted on us all is just now unleashing its worst. After almost a year, the Covid-19 pandemic is now bursting the nation’s capacity to provide basic treatment, and battlefield “triage” decisions about who, waiting in overcrowded hospital corridors, will live and who will die is going to become an ugly part of our culture. According to our best healthcare sources here, the next two weeks are going to be the worst for the spread, the illness and the death toll associated with this pandemic. After that, it is hoped that the countereffect of the vaccines being administered will begin to mitigate some of the worst. But the advice to our readers and anyone paying attention is to remain especially vigilant for the next period. Frankly, if you wear a mask in all public settings you should be OK. That’s not a promise, but if you don’t mask up with gusto you are definitely subjecting yourself to much higher risk scenarios. But even so, in this most advanced, well-heeled nation on earth we are beginning to see decisions being made to deliberately withhold life-saving treatments to countless of our citizens simply because there is not enough to go around. Senior citizens who have contributed their entire lives to the vast resources this most powerful nation has accumulated are now listening to doctors and nurses telling them they can’t receive medical treatment for a life-threatening illness. And while Trump golfs away his last days as president, taking no regard for the rising tide of pain and death being heaped upon us all, even more dreadful to fathom is that he will leave upon his departure a robust, living political movement attached to his madness, which will live on to plague and torment our society for years to come. Is there a vaccine against this? Are we doomed to see the hard-fought freedoms and weal our best citizens have struggled to pass onto us for over 250 years now crumbling before our very eyes? Is democracy destined to fail? Are the hordes of hell going to overrun our institutions with their crazed racism and xenophobia? The answer is not yet known. All we can promise is that there is a pressing need to fight, to win the ideological war in favor of democracy and universal human dignity against everything that has called Trump and Trumpism into being. We have hope that love and compassion prevail over the frustration, nihilism and hate that have been encouraged in our culture the last half century. We must root out the nihilism and selfish self-centeredness of postmodern cynics who now permeate our films, our literature, our diet of TV drivel and that can invade our hearts, too.

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Delegate Simon Should Push For Teens To Pre-Register As Voters Editor, As a resident of Virginia’s 53rd House of Delegates District, I was excited to hear about Delegate Marcus Simon’s appointment as Chairman of the House Privileges and Elections Committee. Del. Simon has an excellent opportunity to build off the work made in 2020 to expand access to the ballot booth, and he should use his influence to pass Majority Whip

Delegate Alfonso Lopez’s bill to allow 16-year-olds to pre-register to vote. I write as Chair of the Virginia Young Democrats Teen Caucus, which represents 400 Virginia teen Democrats across 27 high school clubs in the Commonwealth. The Teen Caucus wholeheartedly supports allowing voter pre-registration at age 16 because it would simplify the voter registration process

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and increase youth participation in the politics. This bill would allow young people who are not yet old enough to vote to complete a preregistration form and be automatically added to voter rolls when they do become eligible to vote. In the weeks before the deadline to register to vote in the 2020 election, I had countless people ask me how they could help register high school first-time voters. Instead of scrambling at the last minute to register high school students, Virginia should allow these students to preregister to vote at age 16. Matthew Savage Falls Church

[ LETTERS ] Send us a letter and let us know what you think. Email letters@fcnp.com Fax 703-342-0347 Mail Letters to the Editor, c/o Falls Church News-Press, 105 N. Virginia Avenue #310, Falls Church, VA 22046

CO MME NT

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DECEMBER 31, 2020 – JANUARY 6, 2021 | PAGE 7

G � � � � C � � � � � �� Let’s Conclude the Hardship of 2020 On a Hopeful Note B� R��. D�� B��, J�.

In a world already experiencing tumultuous flux, most of us just lived through the most significant change year of our lives. Scores of books will be written about 2020; history, science, politics, technology, and more. Let me offer the three coronavirus phenomena that seem most important to me. First, the pandemic destroyed our illusion that most Americans live prosperous, secure lives. The underlying inequities in income, wealth, and job opportunities became transparent. The Census Bureau survey in early December found 17 percent of households with children did not have enough to eat that week. If you are Black or Hispanic in America, you are nearly three times as likely to die of Covid-19, according to the CDC. An estimated 11 million Americans are overdue on their rent, many of whom face eviction. The virus eliminated more than ten million jobs, many of them permanently. Despite the initial bold Congressional CARES Act in April (and without the even more necessary May 15 relief bill which the Senate never acted upon), many Americans still live one paycheck or unemployment compensation check away from homelessness and hunger. Unsurprisingly, official measures of depression and anxiety are at historical highs. Opioid deaths accelerated throughout the year. 2020 also brought home, powerfully,

that while few of us wants to be characterized as racists, systemic racism is grounded in our history, culture, and economy. We can only change this and move forward if we acknowledge this with integrity. Second, our citizens are more divided

“And let’s celebrate the goodness we see in each other. It is everywhere, if we open our eyes. And can be everywhere, if we remember to build respect and kindness into every interaction we have...Happy New Year!” than ever before. I do not want to believe that the 74 million people who voted for our current president approve of his character. So much is written about the causes of our polarization: rural vs. urban, educated vs. less educated; working class vs. upper middle class; the thriving vs. the left-behind. I choose to believe that across our whole culture, there are profound values upon which we agree: love of family,

integrity, responsibility, work ethic, compassion, charity, and more. Yes, these will be expressed in different political ideas, and we should thrive with that dialogue. Upsetting is the anger, the exaggeration, and the fearfulness that beset too many of us. I am dismayed by the silent complicity of my Republican House friends with the outrages of the departing president. But I do respect many of them. The work of the years ahead must be learning to listen to each other; not to bash each other with debate points we cannot hear, but to let our lives be our argument, searching for ways forward together. As New Jersey philosopher Bruce Springsteen put it, “The great challenge of adulthood is holding on to your idealism after you lose your innocence.” Third, we have seen extraordinary examples of goodness in each other through the course of 20 million coronavirus infections and more than 330,000 deaths (with too many more deaths ahead in the pandemic). Our frontline workers are superhumanly heroic. Our scientists work 100+ hour weeks on vaccines and treatments. Food bank volunteers abound. Most of us are conscientious about physical distancing and wearing masks. We have adjusted our lives overnight, and found new ways to work, to communicate, and to take care of each other. This pandemic has brought tragedy to myriad families, and destroyed our economy for

the time being. But it has also reminded us that we do belong to strong, loving communities, still capable of reason, science, progress, and deep humanity. So, “where do we go from here?” Let’s begin by addressing the root causes of poverty: a minimum wage income is insufficient to rent a two-bedroom apartment in any county in the US. Health care remains unaffordable for tens of millions of our citizens. The next generation cannot afford the higher education most new jobs require; and if they borrow the tuition, the debt burden forces the postponement of marriage, children, and a home of their own. Let’s continue by renewing our commitment to dialogue. We need to keep talking, having conversations, public and private, about how we go forward together. The American Public Square movement, nascent in Kansas City, is a good example. We don’t have to agree on everything, or anything, but we can understand each other better, and that changes us. And let’s celebrate the goodness we see in each other. It is everywhere, if we open our eyes. And can be everywhere, if we remember to build respect and kindness into every interaction we have. Let’s make 2021 not just a year of vaccinations and economic recovery, but also a time of civic and personal renewal. Happy New Year! U.S. Congressman Don Beyer, Jr. represents Virginia’s 8th Congressional District

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

EXPOSING HER STUDENTS to a variety of professional atmospheres has been a focus of Mary Jo West’s (right picture — center, crouching) music curriculum. That includes taking guitar class students to Falls Church’s own 38 North studios and bringing members of the jazz ensemble to perform community concerts throughout Falls Church. (Photos: Courtesy Mary Jo West)

Musical Excellence & Cooperative Classroom Earns West Her Fulbright by Orrin Konheim

Falls Church News-Press

George Mason High School band teacher Mary Jo West was selected for the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms this year because of the worldly, sophisticated program that she has built through technical rigor and a family spirit she has cultivated among her pupils. Her selection allows her travel to France sometime after May 2021. “We feel so lucky to have Mary Jo. She brings such dedication and talent and has influenced thousands over the years,” said Falls Church City Public Schools Community Outreach Director Marybeth Connelly. West is in her 24th year with the school system. The program is sponsored by the U. S. State Department and the J. William Fulbright Scholar Board with the intention of promoting best educational practices across the globe. Fulbright Scholars traditionally participate in workshops, travel to foreign countries and create educational guides that serve as a resource to their local communities. West is one of approximately 71 scholars selected this year.

As a teacher, West has been consciously striving for global music education. She began her career teaching in Japan and is currently collaborating with a band in Morocco during the Covid-19 pandemic. Among her proudest accomplishments, she has worked as an examiner, curriculum developer and workshop leader for the IB music program since being invited to Cardiff, Wales, 20 years ago to participate in a workshop. “The Fulbright program is about teaching in a global classroom. Global competency is teaching students to investigate the world, communicate effectively and take meaningful action. When it’s applied to the classroom, it’s been very powerful,“ said West. Teaching students the fundamentals of both IB and standard music curriculum has helped West develop a reputation throughout the community as one of the hardest working members of Mason’s faculty. “I would observe on the bus [during the band’s annual Spring trip] that she would spend hours working with students on their IB music performance. She gives so much of herself,” said band

booster president Ari Autor. Autor’s son, Alec, currently plays trombone at Mason. Autor’s older son, Christian, is a junior at Trinity College in Connecticut where he minors in music as a trumpeter. He has also been selected to play at the Sydney Opera House. Autor credits West for not only her excellence as a band instructor, but also as a program director. One thing West does frequently is host clinics where professionals come in and give the students guidance. Both Autor and Mason saxophonist Kieran Cummings note that she’s equally supportive of kids for whether they plan to pursue music after high school or not. Culkin says she’s more focused on them achieving great stuff in the present. “She puts her entire heart into whatever we’re working on. Whether it’s a final concert or playing for the elementary school, Mrs. West knows that wherever we play, we can play our best,” said Culkin. While West’s program doesn’t have chairs (a hierarchical system that ranks players), she prides herself on the fact that the band plays a repertoire with a grading of six at district assessments

which is the most advanced setting of the sheet music. Autor describes the band as a “family spirit” rather than one of competition. “When I think of my superstars, they pay their dues,” said West. “At the end of every single year I felt like I had grown so much as a percussionist. Every year, the music challenged me in new ways that ended up making me a better musician,” said Mason percussionist Henrik Baum. Unlike many area high schools, the Mason’s band does not have a marching season. Part of the reason, according to West, is that it allows more people to be in band while being able to play fall sports. To make up for it, they do a lot of concerts out in the community. In a typical year, various incarnations of the school’s music program will perform at the Falls Church Arts Center, the community center for senior citizens, Treefest at the Four Provinces, the Falls Church News-Press Holiday Party and the elementary schools. “She’s always willing to bring joy through music to the members of our community. She gives stu-

dents an opportunity to share their talents and she gives the community an opportunity to appreciate this fine music department,” said Connelly. “It’s one of the most important parts of playing in a band as it gives us a goal to work towards that doesn’t have as much pressure as, say, our spring concert or band assessment. It’s also really nice to give back to the community, as I know a lot of what helps fund our band program comes from them,” said Cummings. The Fulbright Award is one of many that West has picked up. She has also picked up accolades from the Grammy Awards and the Washington Post. She was named one of the ten finalists for the Teacher of the Year award in 2014 by the Grammy Foundation and she was named an Agnes Meyer Teacher of the Year in 2006 by the Post. At the end of the day, however, West said “I really can’t say what impact the awards have on the way the students see me” “I continue to teach, continue to learn and be inspired. That’s what it’s about, conveying a passion for learning, striving for excellence and caring deeply about each other,” she said.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Fa l l s C h u r c h

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NEWS BRIEFS F.C. School Board Seeks Applicants to Submit by Jan. 15 The Falls Church City School Board is seeking applications from qualified individuals to fulfill the term of School Board member Lawrence Webb, who will resign effective January 4, 2021. Applications may be submitted by qualified voters in the City of Falls Church who are not employed by the School Board. The appointee will serve from the date of appointment until December 31, 2021. Application letters must be submitted to School Board Clerk Marty Gadell no later than Friday, January 15, 2021. Letters should indicate the applicant’s interest in the position, state why they are applying, and describe their qualifications. All letters received by the deadline will be posted publicly. The Board will hold a public hearing on January 26, 2021, to hear from interested parties and consider applications received. The Board anticipates a final vote on February 9, 2021, to appoint an applicant to fulfill the unexpired term through December 31, 2021. Interested persons may contact the School Board Chair and/or Vice-Chair with questions about the process.

DECEMBER 31 - JANUARY 6, 2021 | PAGE 9

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Health Officials Await Word on Next Phases of Vaccinations

Fairfax County Health Department officials, responsible for administering the Pfizer and Moderna Covid19 vaccines to Fairfax County, the City of Falls Church and Alexandria have told the News-Press that there is as yet no word on when vaccine distribution regimen will extend beyond so-called Group 1A to Groups 1B and 1C, according to the protocol set up by the Centers for Disease Control’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Colin Brody of the Fairfax department said as 4,181 Group 1A persons in the county and City had been vaccinated with the first of two shots as of Dec. 28, “It will be a few more weeks” before the vaccines become available to a wider group. Group 1A is constituted of healthcare and long-term care facility residents, and Group 1B is expanded to include all persons over 75, first responders (firefighters and police), corrections officers, food and agricultural workers, U.S. Postal Service workers, manufacturing workers, grocery store workers, public transit workers, and those who work in the education sector and child care workers. Group 1C, third in line for the vaccine, includes persons aged 65 to 74, persons aged 16-64 with medical conditions that increase the risk for severe illness, essential workers in transportation and logistics, water and wastewater, food service, shelter and housing (such as construction), finance (such as bank tellers), information technology and communications, energy, legal, media, public safety (as in engineers) and public health workers. Examples of healthcare personnel include emergency medical service personnel, nurses and nursing assistants, physicians, technicians, therapists, dentists, dental hygienists and assistants, phlebotomists, pharmacists, students and trainees, contractual staff, dietary and food services staff, environmental services staff and administrative staff.

Saslaw, Simon Virtual Town Hall Set Jan. 6

With the onset of the next Virginia legislative session in Richmond, Falls Church’s State Sen. Dick Saslaw and State Del. Marcus Simon, as Democrats now holding majorities in both houses (Saslaw being Senate majority leader), will host a virtual town hall with constituents next Wednesday, January 6, via Zoom at 7 p.m. The link is shorturl.at/fouD1, meeting 812-2023-2629, passcode 065492.

VDOT Study Proposes Safety Changes on Shreve Road Shreve Road in Fairfax County that runs from Lee Highway (Route 29) to Leesburg Pike (Route 7), where it becomes Haycock Road, was the subject of a VDOT study evaluating safety conditions along the 2.3-mile corridor completed this month. The study was conducted to understand the short- and long-term improvements being implemented by all stakeholders, define corridor challenges and opportunities, develop potential multimodal solutions to address safety and mobility needs, evaluate the effectiveness of these solutions, identify potential funding sources, and prioritize improvements where appropriate. The study was led by VDOT, as the agency responsible for managing the roadway, and Kittelson and Associates, Inc. with Lardner/Klein Landscape Architects (the Study Team) in consultation with the City of Falls Church, Fairfax County, NOVA Parks, and the Shreve Road Community Working Group. VDOT has not committed to implementing any of the recommendations. Nonetheless, they include Short Term measures such as adding pedestrian beacons to W&OD Trail crossings, incorporation of pedestrian medians at Fairwood Lane into the “Safe Routes to School” project, the addition and upgrades to Shreve Road pedestrian connections and the installation of optical speed bars and vegetation management. Recommended long term solutions include the advancement of a roundabout alternative near Shrevewood Elementary, advancement of a chicane design at Pioneer Lane, the coordination of potential bicycle speed treatments for the W&OD Trail, the development of a neighborhood gateway near Route 29, the consideration of an urban cross-section between Route 7 and Gordons Road and a revisit of mini-roundabouts at Pinecastle Road and Buckelew Drive.

Since 1991, the News-Press has been on a mission to provide independent and honest journalism to the Falls Church community. We recognize and appreciate the support the City, its businesses and residents have shown us for the past 29 years. Now, we need your help to continue with our mission. If you ﬁnd value in our work and believe the News-Press contributes to the betterment of the Falls Church community, please consider becoming a member today and help us keep you informed on all the happenings — big and small — in The Little City. Never before has the ﬁght to ensure a free press been more important.

Visit FCNP.com/members to become a member of the News-Press today

PAGE 10 | DECEMBER 31, 2020 – JANUARY 6, 2021

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News-Press

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Community News & Notes

THE JEFFERSON VILLAGE CIVIC ASSOCIATION concluded its Holiday Decorations contest this past week. The home pictured here on Madison Lane won the “Fun Zone” award, or the house that made the best use of inflatables in its decorations. For the full list of winners and their pictures, check out fcnp.com. (Photo: Courtesy Jefferson Village Civic Association)

TALK ABOUT A CHRISTMAS PRESENT. Local resident Ken York finished up his “Santa Truck” just in time to gift it to himself for the holidays. We at the News-Press aren’t the hippest operation, but we definitely know that is Mater from the Disney animated movie series, “Cars.” Well done, Ken! (Photo: Courtesy Ken York)

Cunningham Park Students Take ‘Trip’ To National Zoo The pandemic halted all field trips since mid-March, but kindergarten teachers at Cunningham Park Elementary got creative so their students would still experi-

ence a visit to the National Zoo. The annual field trip corresponds with the kindergarten unit on animals. Kindergarten teachers accessed the National Zoo online so the students could take a virtual field trip to see all the animals.

The Smithsonian Institution saw the school’s tweet about the virtual field trip and decided to feature the school in the Smithsonian newsletter as part of an article on their distance learning resources. Teachers were excited to share their virtual activities to benefit other online learners.

F.C. Irish Dance Academy Cleans Up at Competition In December, the Falls Church-based McGrath Morgan Academy of Irish Dance sent

33 dancers to the Oireachtas, a regional championship where about 2,000 dancers from the southern United States compete for day-of recognition as well as to qualify for upcoming national and world competitions. Five McGrath Morgan dancers — Ciara Foley, Gabby Brown, Aisling Reynolds, Meghann Mullarkey and Sophia Rankin — brought home first place trophies. Thirteen McGrath Morgan dancers qualified to compete in the world championships, which will be held in Dublin, Ireland in

the spring. An additional nine dancers qualified to compete at the North American championships this summer in Phoenix.

Last Week to Order Legacy Bricks at New School There is one week left to order a “Legacy Grove Brick” for installation at the new high school. The bricks in the current George Mason High School Pathway will be moved to the Legacy Grove. Those interested can order a personalized brick to recognize a

Send Us Your News & Notes!

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

Community News & Notes: newsandnotes@fcnp.com | School News & Notes: schoolnews@fcnp.com Mail: News & Notes, Falls Church News-Press, 105 N. Virginia Ave #310, Falls Church, VA 22046

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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DECEMBER 31, 2020 – JANUARY 6, 2021 | PAGE 11

CHRISTMAS CAROLERS made their way to Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads earlier in December to entertain a socially distanced crowd with holiday tunes at the senior living community’s Knoll Gardens. (P��: C�� G�� H�� B��’� C��) teacher, student, team or memory by visiting this link (fccps.org/o/ FCCPS/page/bie-brick-pathwayat-gmhs--2?). All orders are due by Thursday, Jan. 7.

Boys & Girls State SelfNomination Forms Due Jan. 15 Virginia Boys and Girls State are summer leadership action programs designed to develop a working knowledge of government structure. George Mason High School students may self-nominate by filling out the necessary forms for either the boys or girls programs. Sheri Mural, Mason’s college

and career specialist, will share applications with the American Legion. All student self-nomination forms are due Friday, Jan. 15. The programs are being planned for in-person with an eye toward possible adjustments due to the pandemic and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Boys State at Radford University — self-nomination form (docs.google.com/forms/d/ e/1FAIpQLSdGu6MUAMccM8x wMGEkRPt3PhgfGrRJcwXG2cE 2V24DH_E-bA/viewform). Girls State at Longwood University — self-nomination form (docs.google.com/forms/d/ e/1FAIpQLSder7f7FANpJFfbeDP

xcTR57QFEeGGh3YXqHNPo9U dW7-AISw/viewform)

F.C. Ed. Foundation Thanks Mason Class of 2020 The Falls Church Education Foundation extends its thanks to George Mason High School’s Class of 2020 for their generous gift of $5,000 to the Family Assistance Fund. The needs in the community that are met by the fund have grown during the pandemic. The foundation thanks the alumni for recognizing this and making such a powerful donation. Those who are interested in donating can visit fcedf.org for more information.

AISLING REYNOLDS was one of the students from the McGrath Morgan Academy of Irish Dance who won �irst place in her category. You can read more about the competition in the news item on page 10. (P��: C�� M�G�� M�� A�� I�� D��)

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PAGE 12 | DECEMBER 31, 2020 – JANUARY 6, 2020

A Penny for Your Thoughts

Prepare for unexpected power outages with a Generac home standby generator

News of Greater Falls Church By Supervisor Penny Gross

Virginia’s dark history as the seat of the Confederacy is well-known and well-documented; Fairfax County’s role in the conflict is lesser known, but Confederate names linger in street and place designations. Last summer, the Board of Supervisors asked the Fairfax County History Commission to undertake a review of Confederate place names in the county, and report to the board before the end of the calendar year. Earlier this month, the 536-page report was completed and presented to the board. The report is a fascinating history lesson, as the commission identified 26,552 street and place names in the county. The commission narrowed its focus to 650 well-known Confederate officers and locally well-known Confederates, and filtered street and place names for matches. Those matches then were researched for possible Confederate connections. The report found only 157 “assets” with confirmed Confederate-associated names; 14 of those were located in Mason District. Beauregard, Bragg, and North Chambliss Streets originated in the City of Alexandria and extend into the eastern edge of Mason District. Those street names were selected long ago by the Alexandria City Council, not Fairfax County. John Marr Drive, a roadway constructed in the mid-1960s in downtown Annandale, most likely was named for John Quincy Marr, reputed to be the first Confederate soldier killed in the Civil War at Fairfax Courthouse. A monument to Marr there was removed earlier this fall. As far as can be determined, John Marr had no connection to Annandale. In the Broyhill Crest subdivision, also in Annandale, six street names commemorate Confederate generals: Early Street, Ewell Street, Longstreet Court, Pickett Court, Rodes Court, and Stuart Court. That neighborhood was constructed in the early 1950s, but the History Commission could not find any confirmation that the use of Confederate names was intentional. The extensive report is a fascinating encapsulation of the development of many neighborhoods. In each magisterial district, the names are identified

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

alphabetically, with the filter name based on military records and even pension rolls and burial data. Each entry has corresponding notes about the finding, usually with no Confederate connection that could be identified. For instance, many names are Green or include Green as part of the name. Of the seven “Green” street names in Mason District, none were found to have Confederate linkages. The same was true for “Hill”-related names. In some cases, the entry was found to be a “common family name” in Fairfax County — Farr, Fitzhugh, Hummer, Lee, Slade — with no definitive documentation about a role in the Confederacy. The report can be accessed on-line at fairfaxcounty.gov/history-commission/ sites/history-commission/files/assets/documents/ confederate-names-committee/confederate-namesinventory-report.pdf. The Commission also made recommendations about next steps: 1) adopt a process to engage the public in open dialogue through public meetings and community gatherings. That would be followed by a period of deliberation leading to definitive action, and 2) archive all the project research at the Virginia Room in the City of Fairfax Regional Library, which has an extensive collection of Fairfax County history and documentation. The first two roadways identified for consideration of a name change are Lee Highway (Route 29) and Lee-Jackson Memorial Highway (Route 50 west of Fairfax City); both roadways traverse multiple magisterial districts, although not in Mason District. Announcement of public meetings is expected in the early part of the new year. There are many opinions about changing the Confederacy-connected names of familiar locations, and those certainly will be on display at public hearings and community meetings. However, one thing we all can agree on is – have a Happy and Healthy 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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Not About Our Planet Alone

You think we’ve got problems with Trump and the pandemic? Try the fact, reported this week in a University of Insubria study in Italy, that “an ancient black hole as heavy as a billion suns and pointed right at us” has been discovered. This is something called a “blazar” that is “powered by a bright black hole that can blast a hole right through galaxy clusters.” Granted, it is 13 billion light years away. But what if it’s supposed to matter to us? What if we’re in a cosmic race with implications for the entire universe in all its mind-boggling vastness? Far beyond our capacity to fully grasp, what if the human mind — that capacFALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS ity we all possess on this tiny orb, this third rock from the sun — constitutes one most advanced substance in the cosmos equipped to prevent its own ultimate destruction? Black holes, of course, are not well known and have been the subject of serious study for recent decades. But it would not be wrong to conceive of them in metaphorical terms, as part of a universe-wide titanic battle between the forces of light and life, on the one side, and destruction, death and utter darkness on the other. Perhaps science as far as it has been developed to date is simply not yet capable of getting a cogent conceptualization around this. Perhaps we come up against the limits of science and must resort to intuition, to poetic expression, to a kind of theogony to even talk about this. Well, this is the season for that sort of thing, a season for looking upward into the sky, to see a star, maybe a convergence of known celestial orbs, but something which points beyond the circumstances and solutions of this earthly life. It seems like the hardest thing to explain may be the most obvious and self-evident: that is, one’s own consciousness and capacity to think and reflect on with respect to everything else we can perceive. The most obvious thing we all share — our consciousness — is something we have the hardest time putting into the context of this observable universe. The laws of science with respect to the material universe we study and observe are simply not big enough to include one’s own consciousness. Which is real, our consciousness or the objective universe out there? How, really, can they both be real? So, as incalculable as the appreciation of the wider universe may be to us, so is our most immediate self-awareness of what’s happening in behind our eyes, in our heads. From the standpoint of macro-thinking, maybe there is more in our religious traditions than perhaps we’re likely to concede. Try this, just try it. We find ourselves alive in this universe seeking guidance on how to grasp it and to proceed. We find ourselves with some ancient written record of what’s gone on before. The dominant one in the West is the Abrahamic tradition, that is, derived from the legecy of Abraham, resulting in the subsequently evolved traditions of Judaism, Islam and Christianity. The most decisive reality accounting for the strand of Abraham was the command of cosmic messaging to reject the sacrifice of his son, Isaac. Originally compelled to sacrifice his son in a manner amazingly common in those days because it symbolized the willingness to sacrifice sons to the battlefield to advance the all-too earthbound goal of temporal gain. Without this radical rejection of this mode of tribal advancement, there is no Abrahamic continuity. So, the survival of our species is rooted in rejection of fathers sacrificing their sons, as in wars of conquest. Needless to say, this is the onset of a tradition that was way too often ignored and violated. But think about it. Viewing Abraham’s sparing his own son as a paradigm to reject war, and in fact, patriarchy, functions as the possible beginning of a pathway preparing us for winning the cosmic battle against death and darkness. Our planet’s survival is not just about our planet, alone. Our planet hosts us, self-conscious beings operating at the cutting edge of our cosmos’ consciousness, and tasked with the survival of all the universe as we know it.

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DECEMBER 31, 2020 – JANUARY 6, 2021 | PAGE 13

Nicholas F. Benton

 Nicholas Benton may be emailed at nfbenton@fcnp.com.

Our Man in Arlington By Charlie Clark

Growing up near Chain Bridge in the Rivercrest neighborhood, I grew accustomed to missing key lines of dialog in TV shows because a noisy airplane roared above the nearby Potomac. On today’s Potomac-side, folks in Arlington and neighboring Montgomery County, Maryland, are no longer so tolerant. The two counties in 2019 joined in a study of airplane noise to be delivered in the coming months to the Federal Aviation Administration. Seems the federal government’s long-delayed switch to the NextGen system of digitized aircraft and air traffic control has increased the volume and frequency of flights at Reagan National over a region where environmental consciousness has risen. A preview was offered at the Dec. 15 meeting of the Arlington Civic Federation. Richard Roisman, Arlington’s Regional Transportation Planning Program Coordinator, said the study by the consulting firm ABCx2 is examining possible route changes, increased fines for violations and design of quieter aircraft. The hope, he said, is “for a more equitable distribution of noise” to better protect schools, historic sites and open spaces. The county’s actions, led by Rep. Don Beyer and county board liaisons Libby Garvey and Matt de Ferranti, have included an unsuccessful protest letter to the FAA seeking to head off new DCA departure protocols that kicked in last Jan. 1. “These flight procedures are

being advanced with minimal community engagement, no environmental review, and no analysis of the impact on historic resources, in violation of long-standing federal policies, and procedures, and quite possibly in violation of federal law,” wrote then-board Chair Christian Dorsey. The federal authorities comprise an alphabet soup that includes the FAA, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and the Secret Service, working with the North of Airport Committee of the Community Working Group (whew!). Airport managers acknowledge the problem. “A key strategy for limiting aircraft noise exposure over the broader region is to maximize aircraft movements over water and minimize aircraft movements over more densely populated communities,” read their December statement. “The FAA issues arrival and departure procedures that comply with the region’s prohibited airspace restrictions, to generally position aircraft over the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers, when air traffic and weather conditions permit. Some communities adjacent to the river corridors will still experience aircraft noise.” The Arlington-Montgomery study includes a survey based on 1,640 responses from residents (two-thirds of them in Maryland), but which looped in folks in zip codes 22209 (Rosslyn), 22219 (Fort Myer) and 22002 (Crystal City) who have lived in the area 10 years or more. Forty percent agreed the new density of flights

has increased noise over the past five years and has become “highly disruptive to daily life.” Biggest offenders are the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 single-aisle airliners, Roisman said, though the good news is that the pandemic has accelerated their phase-out. Being discussed separately with Beyer is the issue of helicopter noise, which, Roisman noted, is complicated by the “sheer number of agencies” that use them. With a key meeting with airport staff planned for Jan. 28, the working group hopes to move to phases of community engagement, advocacy and implementation, then wrap up by summertime, Roisman said. “There will be give and take, and we may not get all we want, but overall, lowering noise will be a win for everyone.” Last summer our book club met in the backyard of friends who live near the Potomac. We could hear most — but not all — of the conversation. *** Would you believe me if I claimed my face decorated a record album that sold thousands of copies across North America? It’s true, after a fashion. In 1980 I was a chief researcher for Time-Life Books in Alexandria. For the music series “Giants of Jazz,” designer Anne Masters needed an authentic guitar player to pose — using correct fingering — for artist Jack Pardue to render the cover in pastels. So, that’s me uncredited on “The Guitarists” LP box set (gripsweat.com/item/161935861655/ giants-of-jazz-the-guitarists1980-time-life-records-3-12lpbox-set.) I recently played all four discs to bask again in my “fame.”

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

CALENDAR LOCALEVENTS SATURDAY, JANUARY 2 Silent Witness Against Domestic Violence. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, domestic violence is on the rise and some shelters have been forced to turn away those in need. Black and Native women are at greater risk and research suggests that transgender people face high rates of intimate partner violence. The Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation and the Social Justice Committee of Falls Church and Vicinity will hold a demonstration in support of domestive violence victims. Wear a mask. Bring a sign. Practice social distancing during the demonstration. Rain or shine. Noon – 1 p.m.

VIRTUALEVENTS THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31 New Year’s Eve Party Poppers Art (online). Interested children can learn through play while the group creates New Year’s Eve Party Poppers — the perfect way to ring in the new year. Suggested supplies include: Toilet paper roll; tissue paper; glitter or confetti; ribbon; scissors; markers and double-sided tape. For ages 3 – 10. Participants can join the Arlington Parks staff every weekday for activities based on a monthly theme in this ongoing virtual series by visiting Arlington County Recreation, Youth & Family Programs Facebook page (facebook.com/ ArlYouthandFamilies). 3 – 3:15 p.m.

MONDAY, JANUARY 4 Camp-side Coloring (online). Interested attendees can join a Union soldier at Fort C.F. Smith Park’s virtual campsite and coloring station for this pop-in program hosted by Arlington Parks. For ages 4 to 9. Each week, the

group will be coloring pictures that show different parts of Union soldier life in Arlington. When a participant registers, they will receive a scan of that week’s coloring sheet. Feel free to print and color by hand, or open the file in a paint application. The staff will email participants a link to Microsoft Teams before the program start time. Participants should have their device ready to go prior to the start of the program. Registration required. To register, contact 703-228-4747. 10 – 11 a.m. City Council Work Session (online). City Council work sessions are held the first and third Monday of the month, with the exception of August and December when only one meeting is held. These meetings are open to the public and are conducted to allow Council Members to discuss upcoming legislation and policy issues; the public is not generally invited to speak. All participating members of the City Council will be present at this meeting through electronic means. All members of the public may view this electronic meeting via www.fallschurchva. gov/CouncilMeetings. The meeting may also be viewed on FCCTV (Cox 11, RCN 2, Verizon 35). This meeting follows all state emergency laws. Video will be available after the meeting online. 7:30 – 11 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6 Town Hall hosted by Senator Saslaw and Delegate Simon. Interested attendees can join Virginia State Senator Dick Saslaw and Delegate Marcus Simon for a preview of the upcoming legislative session, which begins on Jan. 13. Those attending can submit questions and comments in advance by going to surveymonkey.com/r/77BXBFF. To join the meeting, the Zoom Link is shorturl.at/fouD1. The meeting ID number is 812 2723 2659 and the passcode is 065492.

WILLEM DICKE will be performing at O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub & restaurant in Arlington on Thursday. (Photo: Facebook.com/WillemDickeMusic) For more information, call 571327-0053 or email Del. Simon at info@marcussimon.com.

80’s Party with DJ D. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $30 – $40. 8 p.m. 703-255-1566.

LIVEMUSIC

Lucinda Williams Livestream Series — Lu’s Jukebox. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). 8 p.m. 703-5497500.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31 Nowhere Men: An Acoustic Tribute to The Beatles. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). 7 p.m. 703-2370300. An Irish New Year’s Eve Celebration featuring music from Willem Dicke (followed by an Irish toast). O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub & Restaurant (3207 Washington Blvd., Arlington). 7 p.m. 703- 812-0939.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1 Pajama Party featuring Jehovah’s Favorite Choir, Stealing Liberty and Tim Harmon Solo Set with Elevation Burger and Fize Star serving as guest food vendors. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). Noon. 703-858-9186.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 2

Josh Allen Band New Year’s Eve Show. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 7 p.m. 703-241-9504.

Joe Keyes & The Late Bloomer Band. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). 5 p.m. 703-237-0300.

New Years Eve Flashback to The

Eaglemania. The Birchmere (3701

Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $39.50. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500. A Song & A Slice (Indoors + Distanced!): Back to The 90’s. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $8 – $15. 7:30 p.m. 703255-1566.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 3 Wolf Trap Holiday Sing-A-Long From Home with “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band (virtual streaming). Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd. Vienna). 703-2551900. Cosmic Karl’s Drum Circle Open Mic at the Still. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 5 p.m. 703-858-9186. 80s Night with More More More Live and In Concert. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). 5 p.m. 703-2370300.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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State Theatre Hosts Free Outdoor Concert on New Year’s Eve The State Theatre is hosting a free outdoor concert featuring Nowhere Men, An Acoustic Tribute to the Beatles, on New Year’s Eve, Thursday, Dec. 31. Doors to the show will open at 4 p.m.; the show itself will start at 7 p.m. Seating is limited so early arrivals are encouraged. The show, and The State Theatre’s online fundraising auction, will both end at 9 p.m. The auction, which includes concert posters, experiences, laser engraved items, t-shirts, and items donated by other local businesses, will help the popular music venue continue to operate. To view the auction site, go to 32auctions. com/StatetheatreVA or visit The State Theatre’s Facebook Page. For more information about upcoming shows scheduled to take place at 220 N. Washington Street in Falls Church, visit thestatetheatre.com.

Body Dynamics Inc. Announces January’s Virtual Class Schedule Body Dynamics Inc. has announced its January schedule of free virtual classes sponsored by The Kensington Falls Church. The classes are offered on Thursdays at 2 p.m. Tai Chi with Jen Gamboa will be offered Jan. 7, Building Better Bones Dance with Grace Ball will be held Jan. 14, Stretch with Ashley Ching is scheduled for Jan. 21, and Cardio with Barbara Benson will take place Jan. 28. For more information about these classes and others offered by Body Dynamics, visit bodydynamicsinc.com.

DECEMBER 31, 2020 - JANUARY 6, 2021 | PAGE 15

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Breakout Games Closes W. Broad Location Breakout Games–Washington DC has closed its doors at 1073 W. Broad Street. The West End Plaza business hosted escape room experiences since its Falls Church opening the spring of 2017. Cyber Raccoon Escape Room is still open, for private events only, at 7201 Lee Highway in Falls Church. For more information about Breakout Games online escape rooms or other locations visit breakoutgames.com. For more information about Cyber Raccoon Escape Room, visit dcescaperoom.com.

AN ORGANIZED HOME IS A HAPPY HOME

Falls Church Chamber Publishes Year-End Nonprofit Giving Guide The Falls Church Chamber of Commerce has published a Year-End Giving Guide of its nonprofit members to help generate donations by the end of 2020. Nonprofit organizations have been hit especially hard during the pandemic as fundraising events have been cancelled while the need for services has increased. To access the Guide, along with links to more information for each of the causes, visit FallsChurchChamber.org or look for the link on the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce Page on Facebook.

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PAGE 16 | DECEMBER 31, 2020 - JANUARY 6, 2021

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CLASSI F I E DS

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

HOME IMPROVEMENT Vinyl Replacement Windows Starting at $235* Installed w/Free Trim Wrap Call 804-739-8207 Siding, Roofing, Gutters and More! GENERAC Standby Generators. The weather is increasingly unpredictable. Be prepared for power outages. FREE 7-year extended warranty ($695 value!) Schedule your FREE in-home assessment today. Call 1-877-636-0738 Special financing for qualified customers. ATTN. CONTRACTORS: Advertise your business statewide and in other states. Affordable Print and Digital Solutions to reach Homeowners. Call Landon Clark at Virginia Press Services 804-521-7576, landonc@vpa.net

REAL ESTATE ATTN. REALTORS: Advertise your listings regionally or statewide. Affordable Print and Digital Solutions that get results! Call Landon Clark at Virginia Press Services 804-521-7576, landonc@vpa.net

SERVICES DIVORCE-Uncontested, $395+$86 court cost. WILLS $195.00. No court appearance. Estimated completion time twenty-one days. Hilton Oliver, Attorney (Facebook). 757-490-0126. Se Habla Espanol. BBB Member. https://hiltonoliverattorneyva.com.

WANTED TO BUY FREON WANTED: We pay $$$ for cylinders and cans. R12 R500 R11 R113 R114.Convenient. Certified Professionals. Call 312313-9671 or visit RefrigerantFinders.com

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA The ordinances referenced below were given first reading on November 23, 2020. Public hearings, second readings, and final City Council action is scheduled for Monday, January 11, 2021 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard. (TO20-21) ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 8, ARTICLE VI, OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, “PRIVATE SCHOOLS, SPECIAL SCHOOLS AND HOME CHILD CARE FACILITIES TO REQUIRE CONSENT FOR BACKGROUND CHECKS (TO20-23) ORDINANCE TO AMEND, REENACT AND RECODIFY FALLS CHURCH CITY CODE CHAPTER 38, SUBDIVISIONS, TO PROVIDE STANDARDS FOR VERTICAL SUBDIVISIONS OF PROPERTY (TO20-24) ORDINANCE TO AMEND AR-

TICLE IV, DIVISION 10, “B-2 CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT”, SEC. 48-488. “SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS” TO ADD PROVISIONS FOR CONSIDERATION OF USES NOT OTHERWISE PERMITTED BY-RIGHT FOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS ON SITES DESIGNATED AS SPECIAL REVITALIZATION DISTRICT FOR EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGNATED FOR MIXED-USE ON THE FUTURE LAND USE PLAN MAP Public hearing and final City Council action is scheduled for the following on Monday, January 11, 2021 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard. (TR20-53) RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE AN AMENDMENT TO THE JUNE 12, 2019 COMPREHENSIVE AGREEMENT WITH FALLS CHURCH GATEWAY PARTNERS FOR THE WEST FALLS CHURCH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECT ON TERMS TO BE PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL ON JANUARY 4, 2020, AND IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE FORM PRESENTED TO COUNCIL Public hearings will be held electronically. To speak on a public hearing item, complete a speaker form at www.fallschurchva.gov/ PublicComment before noon on the day of the Council meeting. Following submission of the form, you will receive emailed instructions to join the virtual Council meeting. Written public hearing comments may be sent until noon on the day of the meeting to cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov. Council members will attend the meeting through electronic means and members of the public may view the meeting at www.fallschurchva. gov/CouncilMeetings. Video will be available after the meeting both online and on FCCTV. For copies of legislation, contact the City Clerk’s office at (703-248-5014) or cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5014 (TTY 711). CELESTE HEATH, CITY CLERK

PUBLIC NOTICE Variance application V1618-20 by FCGP Development LLC, applicant, for variances to Section 48-933 to allow 1) the stacking of parking spaces and 2) placement of columns less than three (3) feet from the drive aisle within a parking garage, for the purpose of constructing a parking garage and residential condominium on premises known as 7124 Leesburg Pike, RPC #52221-006 of the Falls Church Real Property Records, zoned B-2, Central Business. This item was continued at the December 17, 2020 BZA meeting. Public hearing on the above matter is scheduled for January 14, 2021, 7:30 PM, or as soon thereafter as the item may be heard. All participating members of Board of Zoning Appeals will be present at this meeting through electronic means. The BZA will also consider administrative items including 2021 annual calendar, Rules and Procedures, and election of officers. All members of the public may view the meeting virtually. Public comment and questions may be submitted to zoning@fallschurchva. gov until 7:00 pm on January 14, 2021. Virtual meeting link, agenda and application materials will be available the week prior to the scheduled hearing at: http://www. fallschurchva.gov/BZA Information on the above application is also

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available for review upon request to staff at zoning@fallschurchva.gov.

ABC NOTICE Captain Saigon INC trading as Captain Saigon, 6799 Wilson Blvd Unit 5 Falls Church Virginia 22044. The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Wine and Beer On Premises, Mixed Beverage Restaurant license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. Sang Lee / Owner. NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.

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We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap. All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.” This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereb y informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 3678530. Toll free call (888) 5513247. For the hearing impaired call (804) 367-9753.

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KIDS LOVE SCALLIWAG By Eileen Levy A lovely day For us to walk & talk

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Crossword

ACROSS

By David Levinson Wilk 1

33 36

44 50

1. Stems (from) 7. War vet’s affliction, for short 11. Co. money manager 14. Close again 15. Biblical twin 16. Kylo ____ of “The Force Awakens” 17. Israeli tourist attraction on the Dead Sea 18. Outfit in Caesar’s senate 19. #MeToo ____ 20. Something a person might pick up at the airport 23. More grim 24. ____ in xylophone 25. Rat-____ 27. Fresh ____ daisy 28. Bauxite, e.g. 32. Eurasian duck 34. Sierra Nevada, for one 35. Or so: Abbr. 36. No. 2 38. ____-dieu 39. Tritt who sang “T-R-O-U-BL-E” 42. Crestfallen 43. ____ Nui (Easter Island) 47. Capital city about 50 miles south of Portland on the Willamette river 50. Cul-de-____ 51. Symbol of life in ancient Egypt 52. Partner of shock 53. Up and about 55. Classic infomercial line ...

STRANGE BREW

DECEMBER 31, 2020 - JANUARY 6, 2021 | PAGE 17

or something said when looking closely at 20-, 28- or 47-Across 59. “Cool” amount of money 60. Clarinetist’s need 61. Islamic law 62. 2001 Will Smith title role 63. Treat you might bite or lick 64. “The Imitation Game” subject 65. Mag. staffers 66. “Aw, hell!” 67. Mar

Down 1. Forces afloat 2. Winslow Homer’s painting style 3. Emmy-nominated lead actress of HBO’s “Insecure” 4. Finger wagger’s cry 5. Pulitzer winner Welty 6. Symbol in the middle of a Scrabble board 7. Honeybunch or snookums, e.g. 8. Oscar-winning foreign film of 2005 set in South Africa 9. It’s a long story 10. Like some people’s citizenships 11. God, with “the” 12. Mondale’s 1984 running mate 13. “____ scale from 1 to 10 ...” 21. Jump for joy 22. Tent tenant 26. ____-Mex 29. Rope in a Wild West show 30. “Taxi” character Elaine 31. Longtime inits. in newswires

JOHN DEERING

Sudoku

33. Greet from afar 37. Dweller in a virtual “City” 38. One going off on somebody? 39. Org. that offers Precheck enrollment 40. Enjoyed unfettered freedom 41. High-pH substances 42. Attached, as a patch 44. Queens neighborhood in which “All in the Family” was set 45. Match-up 46. Land 48. Radio ____ (“Do the Right Thing” character) 49. New Hampshire city home to Daniel Webster College 54. Sycophant’s quality 56. Walked (on) 57. Prefix with byte 58. Abbr. on many a cornerstone 59. Sallie ____ (student loan offerer) Last Thursday’s Solution A T O B A I W A H A N D M W E T O I L O V T V S E T I C S A W I S O N I W H A M I A G O F R A T T E T E

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NICK KNACK

12/20/20

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. © 2020 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

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BACK IN THE DAY

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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25 � 10 Y�� A�� N��-P�� Falls Church News-Press Vol. V, No. 41 • December 28, 1995 Scully Will Vote on Whittier, After All Contrary to reports in last week’s NewsPress, Falls Church City Council member Jane Scully will vote on the final sale of the 9.6-acre Whittier Site, despite recusing herself to date from votes on the ranking of five bids on the site because her sister-inlaw is on one of the development groups. Scully clarified her statement in a letter to the News-Press, which is printed on Page 2 .

Falls Church News-Press Vol. XX, No. 44 • Decmber 30,, 2010 New Court Filing Demands Refunds For All Fairfax Users of F.C. Water In a “writ of mandamus” petition filed in Fairfax Circuit Court Tuesday, an attorney representing three Fairfax County apartment users of City of Falls Church water called on the court to compel Falls Church’s Commissioner of the Revenue to initiate an immediate refund of alleged overcharges by F.C. Water to all of its users.

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CRIME REPORT Week of December 21 – 27, 2020 Aggravated Assault- 500 blk Great Falls Street. December 21, 430pm, while walking in the area of Great Falls Street and Lincoln Avenue, a juvenile female was struck with an unknown projectile in the upper left shoulder area. The projectile left a mark on her shoulder area. Aggravated Assault- 500 blk Great Falls Street. December 22, 215pm, a female who was walking on the sidewalk of 500 blk of Great Falls Street was struck by an unknown projectile on her upper back causing extreme pain. The projectile left a small red mark in the middle of her upper back. Aggravated Assault- 500 blk Great Falls Street, December 22, 359pm, two females who were walking on the sidewalk of 500 blk of Great Falls Street were struck by an unknown object that caused a sharp pain. One was struck in the upper left leg area and the other one was struck in lower right foot. Both sustained a red mark where the object made an impact. Fraud, 1000 blk E Broad St. December 22, 617pm, a citizen was swindled of large amount via fraudulent wire transfer.

Larceny from Motor Vehicle6700 blk Wilson Blvd. December 22, at the early evening hours, unknown suspect (s) unlawfully entered a parked vehicle and stole items of value. The involved vehicle was parked unsecured. Drug/Narcotic Violation, 300 blk Riley Street. December 23, 0634am. A light blue backpack was found abandoned which contained some illegal drugs inside of it. Backpack along with the drugs were taken into police custody. Simple Assault- 500 blk Great Falls Street. December 22, 215pm. An unknown projectile struck a female victim who was walking on the sidewalk of 500 blk of Great Falls Street. The projectile made contact on victims left shoulder area but did not leave any marks/injury. Robbery- 6700 blk Wilson Blvd. December 22, 930pm. An unknown male approached a female who was sitting in her vehicle, brandished a firearm and demanded money. Female opened her wallet and the suspect quickly grabbed $300 and fled on foot. Victim reported this crime a day later. Assault- 400 blk S Washington Street. December 23, 1047pm, two male victims were assaulted by two unknown male suspects..

Assault- 300 blk Hillwood Ave. December 24, 0001am, a male victim was assaulted by three unknown male suspects. The victim sustained minor injuries and declined medical attention. Larceny from Motor Vehicle6700 blk Wilson Blvd. December 24. Between 1200-1230pm. An unknown suspect (s) smashed the passenger side window of a parked vehicle and stole a purse containing $120 in cash and multiple credit cards. Shoplifting- 1100 blk W Broad St. December 24, 216pm, an unknown suspect entered a business and stole multiple times of value and left the store on foot. Simple Assault, Drunk in Public100 blk S Washington Street. December 24, 411pm, a male, 63, of Falls Church, VA, was arrested for assault and drunk in public. Drunk in Public- 1200 blk W Broad St. December 25, 202pm, a 46 year old female of Reston, VA was arrested for appearing drunk in public. Larceny- 100 blk E Broad Street. December 26, 144pm. A women’s bike; black in color with an orange stripe that was left unsecured in front of a business, was stolen by an unknown suspect. Shoplifting- 500 blk S Washington St. December 27, 550pm, in several different occasions, two unknown suspects concealed several high priced merchandise in a backpack and left the business without paying.

THANKS to the volunteers at A Forever Home Rescue Foundation (aforeverhome.org), this puppy Lucy traveled all the way from Mississippi to her forever home in Falls Church with the Reynolds family. Now Lucy spends her days exploring the streets of Broadmont, chasing squirrels, chewing everything in site and receiving countless belly rubs. Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be! Send in your Critter Corner submissions to crittercorner@fcnp.com.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Webb Interview Continued from Page 4

in the Council’s decision to nix a planned affordable housing development for seniors called the Weldon along S. Washington Street during your time serving. What was your thinking with that vote? Webb: That was a very difficult decision to make. And I say that as someone who is a huge supporter of affordable housing. In a perfect world, I would have been supportive of that. But when the shoe was on the other foot, and you’re getting the information from your city manager and your budget folks who are telling you that the money being asked of us is more than we had originally been slated for, it’s going to put us in an awkward situation financially. I had to look at the bigger picture of everything, which was that the decision was being made in the middle of one of the worst financial crises that the country had been through in 2008. We were laying people off and were cutting services left and right. So for me to have voted for something that was potentially going to cost people their jobs, even if it’s something I undoubtedly support on a personal level, I just couldn’t ignore the bigger picture. If I could choose to potentially save someone’s job or potentially help fund the school system, I’m gonna do that, and that’s what I did. Ultimately, I knew that was going to be a vote that was going to be controversial. I will say — that one vote was the one thing that may have cost me reelection to the City Council in 2012. However, I do not sit back and regret that vote at all. Not one bit. And now Falls Church has come roaring back from those economic challenges, so I don’t look back on those tough decisions because it was the right thing to do at the time. N-P: What were you thinking during that brief period while you were out of politics? Did you contemplate not getting back in, or were you immediately eyeing to get on the school board? Webb: I was immediately looking to get back in. At first, I thought I was going to run for City Council again. But I changed my mind because my professional world is working in higher education at the college level. I thought I could make a more effective impact in the school world. And in all honesty, I feel I have made that impact after being elected to the school board in 2013. N-P: In a similar vein to when I asked you about the City Council, what was your greatest accomplishment while serving on the school board?

Webb: I’d say I had two major accomplishments. The first was restoring faith in the school board. When I became school board chair in 2017, residents had lost confidence in the school board and the school system. They were questioning decisions we were making, and in all of my time of being involved in the City’s political world, that just had never happened — especially with the school board. But people were questioning the leadership of our chair and vice chair on the school board, and truth be told, they were probably questioning the superintendent more than anything back then. I believe it was because they were seeing the school board’s budget requests get cut fairly significantly. Even during tough economic times, that had never been the case in Falls Church. So to go from fairly healthy increases during the recession to taking almost a million dollar cut during the economic recovery, that says a lot about the support for the schools at that time. Getting the right fiscal support for the schools again showed how I helped reaffirm that faith in the Falls Church’s schools. And the second one is the brand new school we’re about to open up. That project had been in the works for the past decade, particularly how we were going to fund it. But being a part of getting the referendum passed to providing input on what the school was going to look like, those were definitely major accomplishments during my time in public office. I just hope we can have a grand opening sometime in January, depending on Covid protocols. N-P: How do you feel the school board handled the school name change decisions earlier this month? Webb: I would say we handled that situation as best we could. I will say for myself, that conversation had been talked about several times before it became a formal discussion that was a part of the board’s agenda. And I didn’t want to have that conversation. I knew how controversial it would be. I saw what happened in Fairfax with changing J.E.B. Stuart to Justice High School, and then when Arlington changed Washington-Lee to Washington-Liberty High School, it definitely can show how divided the community is on certain topics. But with all that happened over the summer, I thought that now, we had to at least have that conversation. We should let the people that have their say on it and then we’ll go from there. Personally, I started off as neutral on changing the names. But as time went on, I thought changing the name of George Mason was appropriate but was open to keeping Thomas Jefferson. And then as I did more research on Jefferson’s life,

LO CA L and especially when we received a letter from a citizen who talked about how she took her child out of the school system for a couple of years and sent to private schools because her child was uncomfortable going to a school named after Jefferson, I began to come around to the idea of changing the name. There were other things, too, such as, before my time on the board, the school’s held a colonial day where kids of color were instructed to play certain roles because of the color of their skin versus any other reason. That was a practice that went on for way too long. I have a fundamental disagreement with those who say we are white-washing history, too. Thomas Jefferson will always be a founding father and will be in every history book that’s out there. But bringing more attention to African-American experience in our history is something we should strive for. Changing the names is going to be something that will reverberate throughout the City, especially since it is an election year coming up. I know some folks who will potentially run for school board because of the decision to remove Mason and Jefferson’s names. But at the end of the day, I will defend that decision because it was the right thing to do. N-P: Do you think the way the board treated the survey added any friction to the name change process? Webb: Oh, it did, 100 percent. To me, that was expected. From the conversations folks were having with us to the emails and other comments we got on the board, I knew the survey was likely going to be in favor of keeping the names. I was just shocked at the level of disparity that came with the survey — that over a two-to-one margin of people wanted to keep the names. But the bottom line to me is that there’s never a point where it’s acceptable to own someone else. I understand to some degree the main argument made to keep the names — that they were founding fathers, so you’d have to look at them differently because they were a product of their time. And am I going to acknowledge the great things they did to create a country that I fundamentally love? Absolutely. However, it doesn’t change the fact that they mistreated the slaves who were just as foundational in helping physically build parts of this country, including in our nation’s capitol of Washington, D.C. N-P: Do you think the way the survey was treated by the school board could create some distrust in how it handles the public’s input on decisions going forward? Webb: I don’t think so, being that the input of the community always plays a role in our decisions. It’s not

DECEMBER 31, 2020 – JANUARY 6, 2021 | PAGE 19

LAWRENCE WEBB (second from right) at the annual Jim Scott Labor Day Memorial BBQ. (P��: N��-P��) always taken in survey form like we did with this name change decision, but community input is something that I think is valued in Falls Church and has been in many instances since I’ve been on the board. In particular, what’s going on right now with the pandemic and how to bring students back. I think citizens have had a fairly decent amount of input on that. And we will also be seeking the community’s input for what the new schools should be called. I think the board will continue to take citizen input on things. Will it always be the deciding factor in its decisions? Not necessarily, but the community’s voice adds value to what we do and have done over the years. N-P: Two-part question on reopening the schools: One, do you think the schools are ready to reopen? And two, how do you think they should go about doing it? Webb: I think we’re getting there in regards to reopening. I don’t think we’re there right now — with numbers where they are after both the Thanksgiving holiday, and where they could go after we wrap up the Christmas and New Year’s holiday — but I think a plan is in place to actually go to our hybrid model that we had initially planned to do before the numbers kind of exploded. I was a big proponent of bringing back our special needs and English language learner students, which we did in October. But again, as numbers and data started to go the other direction, we had to cut back on that. It’s tough, too, because I know those students needed in-person instruction the most, and sometimes working remotely is not something that works well for them. However, we’re definitely getting there. We just have to look at the data before we make a final call of what we will do. And as for how we reopen, we should be gradually bringing back groups. Starting there again, are the special needs and English language learners

first, and then we go into that elementary group, and then going into the middle and high school students. But I still think as of right now, until we get better data and as more people are getting vaccinated, I do think it still needs to be a hybrid where students are not all back in school at one time. I know it’s a tough time for all the students. Personally, I wouldn’t have thrived if I had to go through school purely online. These months since last March when we shut down have been some of the most challenging times that the school board has gone through because we know there’s no right or wrong answer. Some people want to reopen the schools immediately, and others want to stay virtual until the virus threat is all but eradicated. It’s hard to find the middle ground of what’s safe and effective, but I sympathize with the students because I know they want to go back as soon as they can. I couldn’t imagine doing this online myself. N-P: So what are your plans for the next phase of your life? Webb: I’m moving to Springfield, in the Saratoga area. It was just a great time for my partner Clifton and I to buy. I’m looking for other opportunities, and I will eventually find ways to get involved in the area. It’s tough right now to do so with the pandemic going on. Thankfully, I do know some of the people in the political establishment in Fairfax County because of my involvement over the years, so that will be helpful. But I don’t see foresee running for elective office soon. I am going to look into potentially finding opportunities on boards and commissions because that’s just who I am. Though I won’t say I’ll never run for elected office again. I just know it will be a little bit down the road because I’ll have to get used to a new community. Being in tight-knit Falls Church for more than a decade, it will take some adjusting.

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