Falls Church News-Press 2-11-2021 by Falls Church News-Press

February 11 – 17, 2021

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Unanimous Vote Supports 10+% Affordable Housing

Council Backs Subsidized Housing at Whole Foods Site

BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

By a unanimous 7-0 vote Monday, the Falls Church City Council approved an historic measure ensuring that over 10 percent of all the 339 residential rental units to be built at the just-approved Broad and Washington large scale mixed use project will be offered at subsidized affordable rates. Never before in the City or the region has such a high percentage of total units in a major project been designated as available “affordably,” which is to say at rates affordable to individuals or households earning between 40 and 80 percent of the annual median income for the region. It marks the first concrete step to provide such housing in over a decade in Falls Church since the

defeat of a measure to build a multiple-unit affordable housing project failed to win a critical Council vote in 2011. Monday’s novel unanimous vote was capped with an “icing on the cake,” a move to add a single additional unit, at the initiative of Councilman Phil Duncan, to push the number of affordable units from 33 to 34, bringing them officially over 10 percent of the 339 total units planned for the project. Funding to cover the cost will come from the Insight Property developers of the overall project as part of their voluntary concessions offered in exchange for the Council’s approval of zoning and other modifications required to get the project OK’d. “Too many to name deserve a

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HANGMAN’S PLAQUE IS NO MORE. The plaque was quietly removed by City of Falls Church officials recently, stemming from complaints from last summer that it celebrated the killing of Union soldiers during the Civil War. (P��: N��-P��)

Ruiz-Bolanos Chosen as Interim Member of F.C. School Board BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

The Falls Church City Public School Board Tuesday night appointed Sonia Ruiz-Bolanos, a parent-activist with the system’s English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and the City-

wide Family Resource Center and board member of the Falls Church Education Foundation, by a 6-1 vote. The vote was one of a number of important issues the board dealt with Tuesday, including the status of classroom education as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to

rage, and some worrisome developments due to the resumption of indoor inter-school sports competitions. With her appointment, RuizBolanos fills a seat on the board vacated by the resignation of board member Lawrence Webb in January. She will serve in the position until

the end of 2021, pending the outcome of an election in November to fill the seat for a full four-year term. Ruiz-Bolanos was one of 11 Falls Church citizens who submitted a request to receive the appointment. No other person was publicly nominated Monday. Board member Phil Reitinger said he felt the most

important criteria “is a demonstrated record of commitment” to the system’s work, though he said it was “a very close question.” Board member Shawna Russell said that she felt appointing someone with a more contrarian point of view to the current board’s majority might prove valuable, and she voted no on the appointment of Ruiz-

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SEE STORY, PAGE 2

SEE STORY, PAGE 15

Virginia’s General Assembly is on the verge of passing a bill that allows middle and high schoolers to take an absence in order to stay civically involved, and Marshall High’s Matthew Savage is largely to thank for taking the Fairfax County policy statewide.

Sandwiched between retailers in the Falls Plaza Shopping Center is a little takeout spot, Tasty Dumpling, a Chinese, Asian and AsianFusion restaurant where customers can get delicious pork, shrimp, beef and chicken onedish meals to-go.

P�� B�� C�� T�� W�� B�� Preservation Biscuit Company is hosting a pop-up event at Settle Down Easy Brewing Company in Falls Church on Saturday, Jan. 23 from noon – 2 p.m., while supplies last. The event will feature miniature versions of Preservation’s biscuits and more SEE BUSINESS NEWS, PAGE 19

INDEX

Editorial............................................... 6 Letters................................................. 6 Comment ................................ 7,12,13 News & Notes................................... 10 Crime Report .................................... 12 Calendar ........................................... 14 Classified Ads ................................... 16 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword ......... 17 Critter Corner.................................... 18 Business News ................................. 19

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Marshall High Junior Leads Statewide Effort to Allow Student Civic Absences BY MATT DELANEY

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

Virginia’s General Assembly is on the verge of passing a bill that allows middle and high schoolers to take an absence in order to stay civically involved, and one Marshall High student is largely to thank. Matthew Savage is the chair of the Virginia Young Democrats Teen Caucus who wanted to make it easier for students to get involved in government activities, and not just make it an avenue for those most passionate about it (like him). So while the state’s legislature convened for a special session last summer, the idea dawned on the Marshall High junior — why not take the idea of the permitted partial day absence adopted by Fairfax County’s school system and give that opportunity to the whole state? After getting Delegate Sam Rasoul (D-Roanoke) to get behind HB 1940, big names start-

ed to follow. Democratic gubernatorial hopeful in Sen. Jennifer McClellan (D-Richmond) and Lieutenant Governor hopeful in Del. Haya Ayala (D-Richmond) supported the bill, as did Fairfax County’s Democratic Committee and the Democratic Party of Virginia Central Committee, making the two-month process of clearing both the state’s house of delegates and senate a formality before it becomes established law. “It has energized students to get involved in politics,” Savage said. “And it goes beyond the classroom experience that you hear so many political leaders and teachers talk about all the time. It’s about learning outside of the classroom, and there’s been no downside to it in terms of attendance since accreditation ratings have been the same for the past three years.” To be clear, there’s no evidence to suggest that Fairfax County students abuse the new privilege because it’s not hawk-

ishly tracked by the school system itself. Lucy Caldwell, a spokeswoman for Fairfax schools, said that they don’t have a precise number of how many civic-related absences have been taken over the past year since “there are many factors that weigh in and count as ‘pre-approved absences’ in advance and they are not broken out in this way.” Although Caldwell added that, anecdotally, principals only say positive things about the policy and they haven’t reported any instances of abuse, even if the Covid-19 pandemic’s message of staying at home has likely put a cap on the enthusiasm some students had previously. “So far, this seems to have been a helpful way for students to learn and be involved in their communities,” Caldwell said. “Many students learn hands-on, and when they see the results of their work, it can have a very positive and long-lasting impact on them.”

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MISSING SCHOOL for protests may have been how the policy originally came about in Fairfax County, but Matthew Savage hopes it can be used for getting involved in local and state politics as opposed to just demonstrations. (P��: J. M�� W��) Given that support for greater civic engagement originated from one side of the aisle, it could seem like the legislation is primarily intended to serve the youth of one party. But Savage talked about how the Teenage Republican Federation of Virginia joined the advocacy for the bill as well when other major Democratic politicians

were signing on. The Washington Post reported earlier this month that the bipartisan interest was a large part of the reason why Delegate Glenn Davis (R-Virginia Beach) backed HB 1940. Per the Post’s reporting, that was even as other party delegates, such as G. John Avoli

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Interim Member’s Background With English Language Learners Made Her Ideal Choice

Continued from Page 1

Bolanos. Others pointed out, however, that Ruiz-Bolanos represents a diverse position on the board given her work with ESOL students, in particular. In another development, Superintendent Dr. Peter Noonan reiterated that Feb. 23 will be the target date for the reintroduction of hybrid teaching throughout the system and all seniors will be invited on that date to visit the new high school. That date will mark the full immunity of every member of the system’s teaching and support staff, and and as such will make the F.C. school system the first in the region to reopen to classroom teaching. The second shots provided to all teachers and staff are set for next Monday, Feb. 15, even though it is the Presidents Day holiday. Because of the potential for side effects associated with the second vaccine dose, all school buildings will be closed next Tuesday, Feb. 16 and all students, includ-

ing Cohort 1 students, will access asynchronous learning. It will be an independent asynchronous student workday, when students will learn at their own pace, on their own schedule. All vaccinations received by Feb.16 will be fully effective by Feb. 23. Noonan said that the resumption of classes — though on a hybrid basis until its efficacy can be assured — will bring with it the same kinds of problems the beginning of any new school year would involve, and he was pleased to report that it would include 100 percent participation of teachers and staff. “I am a believer in learning by doing,” he said, “and right now we don’t know what will happen.” While Virginia Gov. Northam set March 15 as a deadline for the reintroduction of hybrid teaching, Noonan stressed that there has still been no support from the state or regional levels on how to go about safely doing this. “We all want a full-time return

to classrooms,” he said, “But effective mitigation efforts must be in place to ensure social distancing, maskings and hand sanitizing.” Addressing mental health issues arising from the extraordinary circumstances of the past year, and lags in academics must also be addressed. Social distancing will also require ensuring there is enough space in the classrooms. The priority will be to provide full-time in classroom teaching for kindergarten, first, second and third grades. “We must work diligently to bring them back as fast as possible,” he said. He also said that “there has been no big drop in math scores here on aggregate.” Board member Susan Dimock addressed the impact on Covid19 spread in the current indoor sports competitions that resumed last month. She cited a wrestling event in Florida that led to many new infections and even the death of one person from the virus. If a student tests positive from

Jenn Burns

F.C. SCHOOL BOARD members discuss their reasoning for choosing Sonia Ruiz-Bolanos to �ill the seat vacated by former member Lawrence Webb following his resignation in January (S��: N��-P��) such an event, how many others will have to go into quarantine and for how long, she asked. Noonan said that the exposure in these sports will be contained to “very small pods” and when sports move outdoors this spring there will be less likelihood of spread. “This is not a satisfactory answer,” he confessed, “and I apologize.” The high school’s student representative on the board, Elizabeth Snyder, said that there have been some cases of acquiring the virus

at the school linked to the athletic competitions, and also of its spread at the school. “Some student athletes reached out to me in December expressing their concerns about this, and their concerns were well founded based on what we’ve seen in the past few weeks,” she said. Noonan expressed the frustration he’s felt from encountering parents who preface everything with the sentiment, “Can’t we just get open, please?”

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FEBRUARY 11 – 17, 2021 | PAGE 5

Entire 10% of Aﬀordable Units at Downtown Project are Permanent

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share of the credit for this big step forward for the City,” said Councilman Duncan. He cited, “Current and former members of the Housing Commission, City Housing and Human Services staff, the editorial page of the Falls Church News-Press, and past and present City Council members and Planning Commissioners who kept the fire burning for affordable housing as we worked our way through meeting multiple other needs for our citizens, including improvements at all five City schools, and at City Hall, the Library, and our parks.” Duncan added, “We’re seen the story unfold over the years: the early 2000s vision of a downtown dedicated affordable housing building (with parking deck) on the City parking lot — promoted by former Vice Mayor (and Chamber of Commerce chair) Steve Rogers and the Falls Church Housing Corporation’s Carol Jackson — was thwarted. Then there were other similar attempts, including an affordable housing building at West End Park, and of

course the Wilden proposal, which in 2011 had federal and state backing but could not clear the City Council of that day.” He added, “But after many years and much persistent hard work by many, the vision of a truly bold effort on affordable housing finally finds form in the Broad and Washington mixed-use project, with fully 10 percent of the building’s 339 units designated permanently as affordable — for people whose incomes range from 40 to 80 percent of area median income.” Duncan continued, “Helping workers in our local businesses afford to live closer to their jobs is good for economic development, and good for the environment, and it makes Falls Church a complete community, more diverse in terms of income and age. I’m grateful for the opportunity to join the Council’s unanimous vote Monday for a more caring community.” As important as the “double digit” threshold, the City Planning Chief Jim Snyder noted, is the fact that the affordable units will remain as such in perpetuity, and

not for a finite period of time, as has been the case with all the previous such designated units in other mixed-use properties. The added units at the Broad and Washington project will be a mix of utility units and two bedroom units, the housing types most sought after by persons needing affordable housing. Falls Church Mayor David Tarter said, “I am very excited about this project. It raises the bar for affordable housing throughout the region.” In another development at Monday’s City Council meeting, trying to draw an equitable line between the interests of residential homeowners and struggling local businesses in the age of the pandemic, the Falls Church City Council voted to adopt a new noise ordinance by a unanimous vote, but which may be subject to modifications prior to a final approval late this month. The key components are a 10 p.m. deadline for live music emanating from retail establishments, and a decibel level limited to 65 at a 75-foot distance for up to three daytime hours.

Status Update on Monday, February 8 City of Falls Church Date

Cases Hospitalizations Deaths # Cases per 100,000 People

Monday, February 8 Thursday, February 4 Monday, February 1 Monday, January 25 Monday, January 18 Monday, January 11 Monday, December 28 Monday, December 21 Monday, December 14 Monday, December 7 Monday, November 30 Monday, November 23

315 288 290 274 246 208 170 153 142 122 103 90

20 18 19 18 18 18 16 16 16 15 14 14

7 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6* 7

2,132.4 1,949.6 1,963.2 1,854.9 1,665.3 1,408.1 1,150.8 1,035.7 961.3 825.9 697.3 609.3

*NOTE: This data point decreased as the Virginia Department of Health found that the individuals lived in the Fairfax County part of Falls Church, not the City of Falls Church.

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PAGE 6 | FEBRUARY 11 – 17, 2021 

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E D I TO R I A L

3 Big Pluses Of 2020

Before talking about the epochal potentials of the fresh start year of 2021, there are few things that need to be recalled about 2020 to offset the almost unanimous sentiment that it was the worst year ever. Yes, it featured yet one more year of the worst president in U.S. history, and it featured the worst pandemic in at least a century that will claim, before it is done, almost as many U.S. citizen lives as were lost in the Civil War. Then there were all the collateral woes coming from the necessary shutting down of the economy, the mental health consequences for families forced to suffer way too much time in close quarters and at-home-only learning for the young. None of these things should be taken lightly to be sure, but 2020 also provided three uncommon longer-term causes for hope and optimism about our species, our culture and democratic institutions. The first was the fact that a number of effective vaccines were developed in a truly-lightening-fast manner. Consider that still, after 40 years (since the deadly HIV virus was first manifested in 1981), there is still no vaccine for the virus that causes AIDS. We are now taking it for granted that we have numerous variants of life saving vaccines that will protect the vast majority of humanity from this latest worst-casescenario (as in airborne) deadly virus. But alas, everybody is focusing attention on difficulties getting them distributed fast enough. One would think that there would be such overwhelming gratitude that our scientists have, so almost miraculously, brought us these species-saving vaccines that folks would be toning down their griping that they’re not all getting it sooner. The second was the steadfast commitment of most dominant cultures of the world to defend first the most vulnerable among us, and not just toss them out as useless. This has also been taken for granted, but is far from an automatic. There has been almost no objection that even with scarcity of supplies and treatments, society’s most vulnerable citizens should be at the head of the line for the best treatments possible. Only when there were simply not enough supplies did the ultimate horrors of triage arise as a potential recourse, not as an abandonment of the vulnerable, but as choices among them, The cruel policy of withholding treatment in favor of advancing a “herd immunity,” was tried only in Sweden in the early days of the pandemic, and when it was realized how this was singling out the elderly to die first was it abandoned as a very bad idea. The third was the gargantuan achievement of the population unseating a sitting president determined to hold onto his office by any means. It was no easy achievement, indeed, and it included holding control of the House and taking control of the Senate. It cannot be overstated how difficult and monumental an achievement this was.

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F.C. Schools Need To Clue Us In On 2021 Graduation Format Editor, FCCPS should already have alternate graduation ceremony plans in place for the Class of 2021. If so, what are they? And if so, announce it publicly and prominently. If FCCPS hasn’t already begun planning for graduation then preparations need to begin immediately. Acting now can ensure some sort of formal graduation ceremony for seniors and families. I’m not talking about merely

a car parade like in 2020. It was better than nothing, but Covid-19’s onset in March 2020 and restrictions left no time to plan an alternative graduation. I support holding the car parade again but not as the lone alternative. I think it should become a permanent tradition and not merely a consolation prize during a pandemic. If it can’t be an all-in-one (entire Class of 2021) ceremony, you can apply the hybrid schooling model to

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graduation. Break the seniors into smaller groups and hold identical ceremonies over time so students and their family can attend, for example 40-50 students over 5 days. Having multiple graduations is better than no graduation at all. Stream each day so classmates and others who can’t attend in person, grandparents and other family, can watch days they want. You can hold graduation outdoors on MS-HS property to avoid indoor restrictions. It increases the odds of a larger number of seniors and family gathering outdoors than indoors. It also increases the odds of a traditional-style graduation if an all-in-one ceremony isn’t possible.

Another alternative to plan for is it might be possible to hold graduation in the new HS gym — again, in hybrid fashion. It’d be a great way to open and celebrate the new school. Thank you to FCCPS and the School Board’s time and attention to this once in a lifetime matter. Please develop as many alternative graduation options as possible so the Class of 2021 has some type of formal graduation ceremony. Again, if there are alternatives, share them as this has been a possibility to consider since at least June 2020. Don’t deny another senior class the chance to walk down the aisle. Dave Rifkin Falls Church

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FEBRUARY 11 – 17, 2021 | PAGE 7

No Plan for a Full-Time, Return to School Is Failing Our Students B� C�� M��

What is trust? One builds trust with friends, family, and the community via ongoing positive experiences and by exhibiting competency, dependability, and integrity. On the topic of schools, we presently see much less trust in our community than any of us can collectively remember. That loss is a direct reflection of school leadership, and while it will be instructive and imperative at a later time to understand how we arrived here, at this critical point, the focus needs to be on how to fix the issue and get our children back in school full-time. The evidence is mounting rapidly that our children are in emotional distress and falling behind in learning. The rates of anxiety and depression in our community are increasing dramatically, requiring medications like Prozac at record levels. As parents, we can see that our children, from Pre-K to seniors, are losing motivation for learning and becoming increasingly wary and distrustful of educational institutions in general. Despite the heroic efforts of our teachers, the lack of social interaction and the hours in front of screens have resulted in daily tears and frustration, especially for our younger children. Equally dangerous though is the apathy for virtual learning that older children are experiencing. There is no technological tool that can replicate the meaningful dialogue, opportunity for socialization, and ability to differentiate instruction that the classroom provides. The greatest growth occurs when

children are together in the same room. And the hard truth is that our area public schools are significantly behind much of the rest of the country, and certainly the world, in serving our children’s need for in-person education. Our Governor publicly recog-

“We must quickly right the ship and put a clear plan for full-time instruction in place now. Our children are paying the high price for our collective inaction.” nized this fact in his statements just this past week, specifically stating that we must move with urgency to “prevent irreparable learning loss and psychological damage...” A number of studies demonstrate the low prevalence of in-school transmission of Covid-19 for young kids, and this has been evidenced in the private schools within our own city boundaries that have remained open. As Dr. Amesh Adalja from Johns Hopkins points out, “The default has to be to keep schools open. This is something that we’ve kind of made the wrong calculation on from the very beginning and we know we’re causing harm to children and we have data and science on

our side that schools can be open safely.’ In light of this, a team of committed parents recently formed Falls Church City Parents 4 Schools (FCCP4S). This group is dedicated to advocating for the quick return of full-time in-person schooling based on science and the experience of thousands of schools around the world that have done so successfully. We aim to help the school administration in every way possible and to clear any obstructions to that goal. Our children must be the schools’ #1 priority, and the plans and decisions of leadership must reflect this. Waiting until fall to make this a reality is not acceptable, especially with so many districts back to school full-time across the nation. Our Superintendent and School Board had important jobs to do over the past year in the midst of challenging circumstances. Last spring, the agile and efficient shift to virtual learning was a blessing for all and showed true leadership. Entering the fall, it was reasonable to argue that uncertainty and health concerns should still prevail. As we now enter our 12th month — with other public systems leading and research coming in — our Superintendent and Board are largely failing on the tasks at-hand. We must quickly right the ship and put a clear plan for full-time instruction in place now. Our children are paying the high price for our collective inaction. FCCP4S applauds the move to bring children back in a hybrid model on Feb. 22, and we hope there is not yet another change to

this decision, as frequent past mis-starts have impacted trust between parents and schools. However, concurrent planning must be in place to bring students back full-time. The questions that need to be answered transparently include: 1) What, if any, are the true impediments to children returning full time? 2) How can we comply with CDC recommendations for bringing students back? 3) What do our exceptional teachers need in order to teach in-person during this challenging time? 4) What budgetary adjustments need to be made to help accomplish having our kids in school full-time? And 5) How can the Administration utilize the talents within the community to help address the above questions, as well as address the fears, medical concerns, logistical issues, and financial burdens this requires? As Nelson Mandela said, “It always seems impossible until it is done.” Let’s put our collective minds together to solve these impediments. Falls Church City has an exceptional educational record and has been a more nimble and independent-thinking school district in the past. However, the past few months have been chaotic for students, parents, and teachers alike, and the trust in the system and leadership has been shaken. The time is here to push forward with transparency, accountability, and innovation to give our students what they deserve…the best. Courtney Mooney is a Falls Church City Parent, a Medical Diagnostic Professional and a Steering Committee Lead for FCCP4S

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Last Week’s Question: Would an increase in affordable units for the Whole Foods project benefit F.C. City?

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

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021 | PAGE 9

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

C�� N�� N�� Friendship Preschool Holds Fundraiser at Flippin’ Pizza Friendship Preschool is holding a fundraiser at Flippin’ Pizza (800 W. Broad St., Falls Church) on Feb. 17 from 4 – 9 p.m. and a portion of the proceeds will go toward purchasing air filters and other items so it can keep students and staff Covid19-safe in its classrooms. Friendship Preschool is a part of Friendship United Methodist Church, which is located in the greater Falls Church area.

F.C. High Academy Holds Open House Tonight Falls Church Academy — a Governor’s Health Sciences Academy — will hold its annual open house to be held virtually on Thursday, Feb. 11, from 6:30 – 8 p.m. A Blackboard Collaborate Ultra (BBCU) link for the program will be posted on the academy website no later than 6:15 p.m. on the day of the event. Prospective students and parents are encouraged to learn about the exciting health and human service courses offered to Fairfax County Public Schools high school students for the 2021-22 school year.

Registration for these classes has already begun through student’s base school counselors. Course offerings include: American Sign Language; Biotechnology Foundations; Criminal Justice 1 and 2; Dental Careers 1 and 2; Emergency Medical Technician; Exploring the Language of Medicine – Exploring Health Sciences; Health Informatics; Intro to Nursing; Medical Assistant; Patient Care Technician; Pharmacy Technician 1 and 2; Practical Nursing and Vietnamese. More information about the Academy is available on its website (fallschurchacademy.fcps.edu), or prospective attendees can contact Bill McGreevy, Academy Administrator, at wcmcgreevy@fcps.edu.

Multiple F.C. Band Students Earn District Honors Fourteen high school band musicians from the City of Falls Church’s unnamed high school successfully auditioned into the District X Honor Band. The audition consisted of all major and chromatic scales, performing a complicated etude and sight-reading virtually. Students competed in a large pool of Fairfax

5TH GRADE AMBASSADORS of Thomas Jefferson Elementary School’s GIVE Day Club hosted a Pet Food Drive around Falls Church City during the last weekend in January. The staff and furry friends at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, which helps Falls Church and Arlington residents keep their pets fed, were overjoyed by pet food donated — the 5th graders filled 5 SUVs with pet food. (P��: C�� C�� H��)

County and Alexandria City schools. Congratulations go to David Lehrer — tenor saxophone; Ryan Vagoun — baritone saxophone; Alec Autor — trombone; Joe Carpenter — clarinet; Sine Anderson — clarinet; Caroline Toyryla — clarinet; Sam Swetnam — euphonium; Sophia

Urbom — violin. Additional District honor band students are: Abby O’Regan — percussion; Carlos Ortiz — trumpet; Elisabeth Snyder — flute; Megan Carpenter — clarinet; Megan Mann — french horn; Nick Teply — trumpet and Tony Tomljanovich — trumpet.

Congratulations also go to Carpenter, Toyryla, Swetnam and Urbom, who received top placements in district ensembles and are now eligible to audition for State Band and Orchestra. Students will audition online between Feb. 26 and March 1.

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!

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FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021 | PAGE 11

Falls Church City Parents for Schools (FCCP4S) is committed to advocating for the return to full-time, in-person education for the children of families who seek it. Guidance from the CDC, the Virginia Department of Health, and other medical and scientiﬁc groups continues to show that in-person education must be a priority for our children and can be done safely. • Falls Church City will have a fully vaccinated school workforce as of mid-February • We know how to minimize transmission risks • Scientiﬁc studies on school transmission continue to show little risk from in-person instruction • The mental and emotional impact of virtual learning on our children is unacceptable and cannot continue

Join the growing chorus of parents, students, and concerned citizens at www.fccp4s.com info@fccp4s.com “The default has to be to keep schools open. This is something that we’ve kind of made the wrong calculation on from the very beginning and we know we’re causing harm to children and we have data and science on our side that schools can be open safely, so I think that has to be something that we continue to do. Schools should be the ﬁrst to open and the last to close as the CDC director has said.” Dr Amesh Adalja, Johns Hopkins

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

A Penny for Your Thoughts

News of Greater Falls Church By Supervisor Penny Gross

Availability of vaccines against coronavirus continues to be a significant topic of conversation in Northern Virginia. The Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC) collects data weekly about vaccinations across the Commonwealth, with a focus on Northern Virginia jurisdictions. According to the NVRC report, 29,000 Fairfax residents have been fully vaccinated, and nearly 100,000 have received at least one dose of the two-dose regimen. That’s an enormous increase from the week prior, indicating that, when additional doses are allocated by the Commonwealth, those vaccines are going into arms promptly. Even with the increased activity, only 10 percent of the Northern Virginia population over age 16 has gotten the first shot; there still are tens-of-thousands of people, who registered for Phase 1b, waiting for a call to schedule an appointment. It appears that patience, and lots of it, remains a virtue! The Mason District Police Station is getting a new commander. Captain Shawn Adcock will take command on Saturday, succeeding popular Captain Brooke Wright, whose new assignment is at police headquarters. Captain Wright’s fouryear tenure at the Mason Station includes a stint as assistant commander before becoming station commander. Captain Shawn Adcock, born and raised in Northern Virginia, was assigned most recently to the Mount Vernon police district. I look forward to working with Captain Adcock, who will continue the traditional CAC community meetings, virtually, on the first Tuesday of each month. One of the areas patrolled by the Mason Police Station officers is Lake Barcroft, site of a private lake and the well-known dam that can be seen when driving along Columbia Pike. What you don’t see is the constant monitoring and upkeep of the dam by the Lake Barcroft Watershed Improvement District (WID). There was heavy

activity on the water and the beaches of Lake Barcroft last year, but the dam always comes first for WID staff. An example of the extra effort by WID staff occurred on Christmas Eve, when fierce rains (sorry, no White Christmas for Santa) required WID staff to come back to the compound at 11:30 p.m. The rain had set off electronic signals of high levels of water flow, exceeding the 20 percent level at which warning signals are transmitted to Fairfax County and Alexandria Emergency Management authorities. The lake outfalls to Holmes Run and, eventually, Cameron Run and the Potomac River. The signal system was implemented years ago to avoid potential damage to life and property downstream when more intense and more frequent storms may be experienced. WID staff adjusted and monitored the activity controls at the dam until Christmas morning, when the emergency passed. In most cases, the Lake Barcroft dam is engineered to operate automatically, using technology and engineering to maintain prescribed water levels. Sometimes, however, weather patterns require staff oversight, perhaps characterized by that catch-all phrase “other duties as assigned.” Last Christmas Eve, rather than “visions of sugar plums’’ or last-minute gift-wrapping, WID staff was keeping thousands of residents safe from potential life-threatening stormwater. WID Trustees Chairman Alan Pisarski noted the WID staff work ethic that is dedicated to addressing the community’s needs, not just in the recreational summertime, but even on a dark, cold, and wet, Christmas Eve. That’s a steadfast commitment!  Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

January 6 & Its Fascist Roots

So former Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, in maybe a move to cast off his party the yoke of Trump, said this week as the impeachment trial of Donald Trump kicked off, that all the Republican lawmakers under his sway should “vote their conscience” on whether or not to find Trump guilty. As one acerbic MSNBC commentator quipped, “He sent those lawmakers scurrying to their Google search engines to find a definition for the word, ‘conscience’.” A good one. For the record, the lead Webster’s Dictionary definition of the term is, “The sense or consciousness of the moral goodness or blameworthiness of one’s own conduct, intentions, or character together with a feeling of obligation to do right or be good.” FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS That’s a bit more than I myself expected to find looking there, but it is, of course, on point. “The moral goodness or blameworthiness of one’s own conduct” coupled with “a feeling or obligation to do right.” The very concepts of such things as “moral goodness” or of the “obligation to do right” have been discarded for most of the last 40 years — since assassinations of four great domestic leaders, President John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. in the decade of the 1960s — and rendered “old fashioned,” or even ruling class tools of the people’s oppression. Dr. King’s famous phrase from his 1963 March on Washington speech, that in the Promised Land “a man will be judged not by the color of his skin, but the strength of his character,” was buried in a social paradigm shift introduced in the late 1960s and early 1970s. As with all such changes, their rise to prevalence took time. This time it blossomed during the Nixon era, and was accompanied by Nixon’s socalled “detente” with Moscow that resulted in the handing over of many American inner cities to an influx of Russian mafiosi, more thuggish and cruel than their Italian mob counterparts. Among the targets of this shift was what remained of the American Left and the labor union movement. On another level in the same period, positive influences from the counterculture and anti-Vietnam War ferment of the 1960s was overwhelmed by a massive rise in the acceptance and proliferation of pornography aimed at degrading women, primarily, and thereby stranging the women’s movement to equality. The best ideas of the women’s movement and the civil rights movement went largely underground in the face of this counterinsurgency that, among other things, brought Reagan into the White House and over the course of his eight years in the White House, brought a whole new ethos to Washington, a combination of libertarianism and hard right brutality. Reagan’s quick action to break the air traffic controllers’ strike was decisive and epoch-changing. Greed, both personal and corporate, and unbridled exploitation in its execution, became the norm, with the movie, “Wall Street,” in 1987 hailing the concept, “Greed is good,” having completely crushed the 1963 Dr. King notion of “I have a dream.” Accompanying this shift was the well-orchestrated rise of nihilist and postmodern cultural equivalents, promoted through the proliferation of the works of Foucault and others. This introduced the postmodern concept of rejecting science, reason and truth that was spread through the culture by way of popular instruments of sitcom TV shows and movies with nihilist themes. People were fed what they were supposed to like and the scions of culture always aimed for the lowest common denominator in feeding mindless “bread and circuses” (as in ancient Rome) to the hedonist masses. I should not be putting this in the past tense, because it continues to be true, as anyone can see who studies the content of modern popular lyrics or motion picture themes. The key thing about the fascist movement worldwide is that it is virulently anti-democratic. In service to ruling masters in various cultures, its minions are driven by false promises of glory to smash and destroy true democratic institutions of the people. No wonder the architects of January 6 and their coup d’etat plans. There is no more powerful institution of democracy in the world than the United States of America, notwithstanding its shortcomings. None greater.  Nicholas Benton may be emailed at nfbenton@fcnp.com.

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FEBRUARY 11 – 17, 2021 | PAGE 13

Nicholas F. Benton

Our Man in Arlington By Charlie Clark

The bridge work is nearly done. And come early March no one can say our car-dominated community doesn’t invest in bicyclists and pedestrians. The state-funded W&OD Trail bridge, under construction since 2019 to span Lee Highway at the Arlington-Falls Church border, is nearing completion only three-four months behind schedule. Longer and more imposing than one might envision on a bicycle path, the bridge supervised by the Virginia Transportation Department is conceived as “separating trail users from motorists at the signalized intersection of Lee Highway and Fairfax Drive.” It is aimed at enhancing safety for 1,500 trail users and commuters on weekdays and more than 2,000 recreators on weekends, as noted by Eric Balliet, a transportation spokesman for Arlington County, which was a nominal partner. “By separating cyclists and drivers, the bridge also helps improve operations at nearby intersections on Lee Highway.” Who footed the bill? The $6 million price tag is part of the state’s larger I-66 Eastbound Widening project, a multimodal effort to expand travel options, notes Justin McNaull, a senior program manager for contractor ATCS, on behalf of VDOT. The structure called simply

the W&OD Trail Bridge is underbudget, he adds, though delays were caused by the use of nonstandard railing posts and panels. Still left to show is the landscaping (watch for a tree glen of Ginkgo, Northern Red Oak, Loblolly Pine, American Holly, Green Hawthorn, Downey Serviceberry and Eastern Red Cedar). Another coordinating partner, NOVA Parks, is preparing signage to explain the nearby vestige from our region’s railroad days, the Benjamin Elliott coal trestle. (A sign commemorating the East Falls Church rail station is already up.) The regional nonprofit “is working to eliminate at-grade crossings of streets along the W&OD Trail,” said board member Michael Nardolilli. “Avoiding dangerous conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians/bicyclists is money well spent. Community input led to the sleek design of the bridge, which will include LED lights that NOVA Parks will maintain.” Phil Duncan, council member for the other nominal partner, Falls Church City, was impressed with the speed of the project’s conception and completion. “Its design is pleasingly simple, uncluttered, and sort of looks from the ground like the Disneyland monorail ought to be running on it,” he said. “And although the Falls Church City line is a little further down S. Washington St., the bridge will come to be known as the unofficial

line of demarcation between the City and Arlington.” *** An impressive profile of early 1970s county leader Joe Wholey was published last month by the nonprofit Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing, which Wholey helped found in 1989. The profile titled “Living a Life of Purpose and Vision” marked the 50th anniversary of Wholey’s successful run for the county board (my friends campaigned for him during his earlier run in 1968). The Pentagon “whiz kid” was active in Arlingtonians for a Better County and instrumental in planning the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor at a time when Arlington was actually losing population to suburbs further out. *** Vaccine incentives: Anyone skeptical of the need or safety of the Covid vaccines might consider vaccinepledge.org. Arlington resident Lucas Jennings, who creates software to combat fraud for Capital One, created the website at which anyone can sign on to “support the health and wellbeing of the public” and commit to necessary precautions to prevent the spread of Covid-19. That means taking the medicine. More than 165 have signed. “We’re also working to compile and share information, including interviews with experts explaining the importance of vaccination,” Jennings says, “as well as how to sign up in your state.”

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FALLS CHURCH

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

CALENDAR LOCALEVENTS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13 Falls Church Farmers Market. The Falls Church Farmers Market runs every Saturday, where attendees will find fresh, local produce, meat, dairy, flowers & plants, honey, music and more. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Falls Church) 9 a.m. – noon. For more information, visit fallschurchva. gov/547/Farmers-Market-To-Go.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14 Winter Hike for Teens. For teens ages 12 to 17. Drop-off program. Interested adolescents can join other teens for a hike to the Potomac River and back. The group will cross the stream, hike over boulders and explore the woods along Gulf Branch all the way to the Potomac. It could be cold and icy, so participants should remember to dress warm and wear sturdy shoes. Registration required. To register, call 703-228-4747. Gulf Branch Nature Center & Park (3608 North Military Rd., Arlington) 1 – 3 p.m.

VIRTUALEVENTS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11 Thursday Evening Book Group (Online). The Thursday Evening Book Discussion Group normally meets on the second Thursday evening of each month in the library’s conference room. This month’s book is “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents” by Isabel Wilkerson. This discussion will be held online. To request a Zoom invite, email Marshall Webster at mwebster@fallschurchva.gov. 7:30 – 8:30 p.m.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15 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). Video will be available after the meeting both online and on FCCTV. 7:30 – 11 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17 Mandala Design Workshop (online). Interested participants can join artist and designer Margie Jervis of Creative Cauldron in this creative art workshop on Zoom where they can discover and create the Mandala form in this guided drawing experience. Jervis’ approach is based on connecting the building blocks of nature’s own pattern design to visual art concepts. This hands on, no-artexperience-required class, is a way for participants to immerse themselves in beautiful nature-inspired designs. To receive the Zoom invitation, email Pete Sullivan at psullivan@fallschurchva.gov. 7 p.m.

THEATER&ARTS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12 “Passport to the World of Music” Live Streaming Series. Creative Cauldron returns with two performances this weekend as a part of its virtual “Passport to the World of Music’’ series. On Friday, Feb. 12, Abbey Lincoln Tribute, with a group of musicians honoring the famed female vocalist, and on Saturday, Feb. 13, Raymi will bring the music of the Andes to Falls Church. All Tickets are $15; both concerts will be live-streamed

KENTUCKY AVENUE will be performing at Jammin’ Java on Saturday. (Photo: JamminJava.Com) 7:30 p.m. on their respective show dates. Visit creativecauldron.org for tickets and information.

LIVEMUSIC THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11 Anthony “Swamp Dog” Clark. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). 5 p.m. 703-237-0300. Tim Harmon Solo Looping. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-858-9186. Honky Tonk Casanovas. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 7:30 p.m. 703-2419504. Cup O’Jokes — A Special Blend of Comedy (Indoors + Distanced). Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). 7:30 p.m. 703-2551566.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12 Broke Superstars. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4:30 p.m. 703-2419504. Steve Smith Blues Trio. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-858-9186. A Song & A Slice: Terra Firma (Indoors + Distanced). Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10 – $15. 7:30 p.m. 703-2551566. Judy Collins: A Return to Her Legendary 1964 Concert. Presented by Wolf Trap. $40. 8 p.m. 703-255-1900.

Bob Agnew & Friends. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 5 p.m. 703-858-9186. A Song & A Slice: Kentucky Avenue (Indoors + Distanced). Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566. Skinny Wallace Band. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-241-9504.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14 19th Street Band. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). 2 p.m. 703-2370300.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13

Josh Allen Band. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4:30 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.

Grateful Jams. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 5 p.m. 703-858-9186.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

R E STAUR A NT SPOTLI GHT

Asian-Fusion Cuisine at Tasty Dumpling is a Delight

by Patricia Leslie

Falls Church News-Press

Sandwiched between retailers in the Falls Plaza Shopping Center is a little takeout spot Tasty Dumpling. It’s not a dessert café (as it sounded to me from its name) but a Chinese, Asian, and Asian-Fusion restaurant where customers can get delicious pork, shrimp, beef and chicken one-dish meals. From a customer’s perspective, the place was ultra-spotless, that we clean freaks — which, let’s face it, most of us are these days — are keen to note when visiting any retailer but especially eating establishments. Tasty’s best-seller is the pan fried bao ($14.50), according to Jason Zhu, one of the restaurant partners and the chef. The dish comes with beef, noodles, ginger and onions and, once tasted, becomes easy to understand why it’s ranked number one. The pieces were crunchy and juicy mixed together inside a little warm bun, with subtle flavor. I generally try to steer clear of beef but found no evidence of any overt flavors in the dish. Soy sauce comes on the side. When ordering at most restaurants, I plead with the wait staffs, “Please, no spicy,” and “No spicy” is what they promise, but SPICY is what they bring! These places need some lessons from Zhu, who promised me “No spicy” and that’s just what I got. Although I liked the bao lots, all those calories from the little buns made me wince, notably when combined with the mango smoothie ($4) I could not resist. Whoa! I was exceeding my daily intake allowance (which I may or may not surpass a bit more than I should anyway), but since this was my first Tasty visit, I excused myself and ordered on. I ordered the dumplings steamed instead of fried. It was a tough decision to choose between the shrimp and chicken but I finally decided on the basil chicken ($14.50) with carrots, cabbage, green onions and ginger, the latter, not a favorite of mine but Zhu assured me the ginger was not overpowering, and he was right. The tastes blended marvelously and I loved every bite I could eat. Then it became a bit too much for one meal and I took home the leftovers in welcome containers of recycled materials.

FEBRUARY 11 – 17, 2021 | PAGE 15

Even on the cold wintry day I ordered the mango smoothie which exceeded my taste buds’ receptors where the fresh, spirited drink landed. It was the best mango smoothie I’ve ever slurped and made me happy, just seeing the bright color. It was sunshine in a cup. Just writing about it now makes my taste buds long for Tasty’s mango which Linda Lang, another partner, said was made with fresh mango and ice. (Calories? No sugar, no worries!) Also on the menu are vegetable dumplings (including kimchi, kale and “spicy” tofu), pork dumplings and beef dumplings, each at $14.50. Lang said. Tasty may add rice later. Due to Covid-19, salads are off the menu now, but the edamame I ordered ($3) was an excellent substitute and reminded me of shelling and eating raw peanuts (which is a good way to get children to eat their “greens,” if your children are anything like mine were. A mom has to have her “tricks!”). The food was all made to order, fresh on the spot, which took about 15 minutes and well worth the wait. For Covid-19 reasons, indoor dining is prohibited. Chairs and tables are pushed to the sides and stacked, but weatherhardy customers can find seating under colorful umbrellas right outside. It’s tempting to call the restaurant Tasty Dumplings, plural, but the name is just one Dumpling, please (although the orders of dumplings come with 12 pieces each, except the pan fried bao which is eight). Since its opening about a year ago, six out of 10 Yelp reviewers give Tasty four stars or higher. The next time I go, it’s all about tasty and taste and to heck with watching calories. I’ll try the shrimp dumplings, please, fried, with a side of mango smoothie. Order contact-free 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday) seven days a week from one of the online delivery services, which charge a bit more than ordering direct from the restaurant and picking up. • This article is the part of the “Restaurant Spotlight” series, which will feature one local restaurant and its menu each month. To suggest that your restaurant be covered, contact Matt Delaney, News Editor at mdelaney@fcnp.com

A CUSTOMER ORDERS inside the spotless and relentlessly cleaned Tasty Dumpling restaurant, located in Falls Plaza Shopping Center. Some of the offerings at Tasty Dumpling include (clockwise, starting at top): pan fried bao — the restaurant’s most popular dish — edamame and basil chicken dumplings (Photos: Patricia Leslie)

PAGE 16 | FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021 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

HELP WANTED DENTAL ASSISTANT: General Dentist Office, Falls Church, VA, near West FC Metro. Willing to train right candidate. Hours: Full or Part-time hours available (around children’s schedule). Email resume with salary requirements to: jobs122@yahoo.com. DENTAL RECEPTIONIST General Dentist Office, Falls Church, VA, near West F. C. Metro. Hours: Full or Part-time hours available (around children’s schedule). Email resume with salary requirements to: jobs122@yahoo.com.

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. Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 15% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-877-614-6667 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.

Public Notice PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE PLANNING COMMISSION NOTICE: The meeting for which this agenda has been posted will be held pursuant to and in compliance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, Section 2.2-3708.2 and state and local legislation adopted to allow for continued government operation during the COVID-19 declared emergency. All participating members of Planning Commission will be present at this meeting through electronic means; and all members of the

C L AS S I F I E DS

public are welcome to view the meeting at www.fallschurchva.gov/PC and on FCCTV (Cox 11, RCN 2, Verizon 35).

ERENCE CONSIDERATIONS OF SMALL AREA PLAN GUIDANCE, WALKABILITY, AND STREETSCAPE

On Wednesday, February 17, 2020, at 7:30 p.m., the City of Falls Church Planning Commission will hold a virtual public hearing and meeting. Public comments will be accepted electronically only until the end of the public hearing. Please submit comments to plan@fallschurchva.gov. The Planning Commission will consider the following item and recommendation to City Council:

The ordinance referenced below was given first reading on February 8, 2021. Public hearing, second reading, and final City Council action is scheduled for Monday, February 22, 2021 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard.

(TR21-02) RESOLUTION TO AMEND RESOLUTION 2018-37 TO CHANGE THE APPROVED VOLUNTARY CONCESSIONS, COMMUNITY BENEFITS, TERMS AND CONDITIONS, DATED AUGUST 10, 2018 TO PROVIDE FOR ESCROW SECURITY FOR THE THEATRE USE INSTEAD OF WITHHOLDING RESIDENTIAL CERTIFICATES OF OCCUPANCY FOR THE PROJECT KNOWN AS “FOUNDERS ROW” ON APPLICATION BY MILL CREEK RESIDENTIAL TRUST (FOUNDERS ROW HOLDING, LLC) Meeting agenda and materials will be available on the following page prior to the public meeting: http://www.fallschurchva.gov/PC. The application materials for the Founders Row (Theater Condition) proposed special exception amendment is available on the project webpage: http://www.fallschurchva. gov/foundersrow This location is fully accessible to persons with physical disabilities and special services or assistance may be requested in advance. (TTY 711)

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA Public hearing and final City Council action is scheduled for the following on Monday, February 22, 2021 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard. (TR21-02) RESOLUTION TO AMEND RESOLUTION 2018-37 TO CHANGE THE APPROVED VOLUNTARY CONCESSIONS, COMMUNITY BENEFITS, TERMS AND CONDITIONS, DATED AUGUST 10, 2018 TO PROVIDE FOR ESCROW SECURITY FOR THE THEATRE USE INSTEAD OF WITHHOLDING RESIDENTIAL CERTIFICATES OF OCCUPANCY FOR THE PROJECT KNOWN AS “FOUNDERS ROW” ON APPLICATION BY MILL CREEK RESIDENTIAL TRUST (FOUNDERS ROW HOLDING, LLC) The ordinance referenced below was given first reading on December 14, 2020. Public hearing, second reading, and final City Council action is scheduled for Monday, February 22, 2021 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard. (TO20-26) ORDINANCE TO AMEND, REENACT, AND RECODIFY CHAPTER 48, “ZONING,” ARTICLE II, “ADMINISTRATION,” DIVISION 3, “AMENDMENTS,” SEC. 48-90, “SPECIAL EXCEPTION” TO EDIT THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY CRITERIA TO PROVIDE FLEXIBILITY BY ALLOWING CONSIDERATION OF PROJECTS THAT PROVIDE NEWER, BUT NOT NECESSARILY ADDITIONAL, COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, REDUCE THE PERCENTAGE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING NECESSARY FOR EXEMPTION FROM OTHER REQUIREMENTS, AND TO SPECIFICALLY REF-

(TO21-02) ORDINANCE TO AMEND ORDINANCES 2009, 2012, 2016, AND 2018 REGARDING THE BUDGET OF EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021 FOR THE GENERAL FUND, STORMWATER FUND, AND THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM FUNDS This budget amendment addresses additional spending in FY2021 due to the COVID19 pandemic by using CARES Funding and other grants and donations; appropriates refunded bond proceeds and interest income; and provides for the acceleration of construction of a portion of a stormwater project. 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 CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA FALLS CHURCH CITY SCHOOL BOARD PUBLIC HEARING The Falls Church City School Board will hold a virtual Public Hearing on Tuesday, February 23, 2021, at 7:00 p.m. to receive views of citizens with the school division on the School Board’s proposed budget. Please send written statements to School Board Clerk Marty Gadell at gadellm@ fccps.org. Public Comments received by 10:00 a.m. on the day of the meeting will be posted on Board Docs prior to the meeting. Individuals wishing to make public comment virtually (during Public Comment via Zoom) must register in advance by emailing School Board Clerk Marty Gadell at gadellm@fccps.org with their name, address, contact information, and topic no later than 5:00 p.m. EST the day prior to the meeting.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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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) 367-8530. Toll free call (888) 551-3247. For the hearing impaired call (804) 367-9753.

KIDS LOVE SCALLIWAG By Eileen Levy Lovely way of keeping fit Not too hard, this is it!

A RTS&E NTE RTA I NME NT

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Crossword

ACROSS

By David Levinson Wilk 1

25 31 35

26 32

39 43

41 44 47 53

56 60

24 30

48 54

55 58

1. Welcome sight? 4. Waves, say 10. “Fiddle-faddle!” 15. Fury 16. “Throw the football to me!” 17. Several ages, in geology 18. Home of the Braves: Abbr. 19. Language from which “tattoo” comes 20. Of poor quality, in modern slang 21. Warning! This Judy Garland film contains violence 24. Introductory drawing class 25. Ambulance driver, for short 26. One staying in a lot? 27. Org. that encourages flossing 30. Persons 32. “Ad Astra per ____” (Kansas’ motto) 34. Women’s ____ 35. Emails discreetly 37. “Zip your lip!” 38. ____-K 39. Warning! This Rob Lowe/Demi Moore film contains some nudity 42. TV series that spawned an exhibit at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry 43. Show no modesty 44. Saucony competitor 45. Falsity 46. “Trying to sneak ____ past Hank Aaron is like trying to sneak the sunrise past a rooster”: Joe Adcock

STRANGE BREW

FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021 | PAGE 17

48. Like Keebler workers 51. Fluffy trio? 52. Pulled off 53. German poet Hartmann von ____ 55. Prefix with -graphic 56. Warning! This Russell Crowe film contains mild language 59. Show on which Key and Peele got their start 62. Bartender’s stock 63. Birthday card number 64. Earth tone 65. Actress Ryder 66. ____ Alcindor (Kareem AbdulJabbar’s birth name) 67. Water sources 68. Bothers 69. Actors Helms and Harris

Down 1. Mazda two-seaters 2. Prefix with -scopic 3. BBC production with Tinky Winky and Laa-Laa 4. “Absolutely, amigo!” 5. Floor 6. Kind of joke 7. Game show? 8. Noggin 9. Having clean hands 10. Disparaging 11. Very clumsy person, in slang 12. Sweetie 13. Relative of “Aargh!” 14. “____ me?” 22. Radioer’s word after “Roger”

JOHN DEERING

Sudoku

23. Cereal usually served hot 27. Leading lady? 28. Gossip 29. 1860s White House nickname 31. Gets in way over one’s head? 33. Couldn’t possibly worry about anymore 36. Drop by 39. “Yeah, right” 40. Authoritatively stated 41. Radner of the original “SNL” cast 42. The Cavs, on scoreboards 47. ____ rancheros 49. Projected onto a screen 50. “Haven’t heard a thing” 54. Colleague of Sonia 56. PC key under Shift 57. Oscar winner Kazan 58. Future attorney’s hurdle, for short 59. Cut 60. Crackerjack 61. FedEx rival Last Thursday’s Solution P S H A O P E R M I N U T R L A B Y E L A V A L I S L I T Y K O S G L A C B I G O S V E N P I L E Y A Y S

W A T E E L O Y T T L O U D R I E X E T S

D E R M I S

O P I U M

D D E E C E

E S P A E R I V E E A R I C V A R I C O N I O S A

E R D P O R I C O T T C H C H A E R S S O E T R H O L N O S N

C H A L K Y

C O N K E D

R A P V I D E O

D S T U D E N T

E S S A Y S

E L M R D S

By The Mepham Group

Level 1 2 3 4

Solution to last Sunday’s puzzle

NICK KNACK

1/31/21

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. © 2021 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

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PAGE 18 | FEBRUARY 11 – 17, 2020

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. 46 • February 8, 1996

Falls Church News-Press Vol. XX, No. 50 • February 10,, 2011

Assessments Here Show Biggest Land Value Junp Since ‘70s

F.C. Budget Squeeze Vexes Council, School Board Vote Set Next Tuesday

Falls Church real estate tax assessments rose an average of 4.13 percent this year, higher than for Arlington and probably higher than for Fairfax County. The land (as opposed to building) component of the hike increased a whopping average of 12.8 percent, the highest one year jump since the 1970s, according to Falls Church assessor Bill DeLanoy

Facing what one among them called a “budget Armageddon” of projected revenue shortfalls for the City of Falls Church in the coming five years, the Falls Church City Council mulled giant leaps in its sewer rate and setbacks in take home pay for City and school employees at its work session Monday night.

Civic Absences

Continued from Page 2

(R-Staunton), felt that making this law go over the heads of local school boards was in violation of conservative governing principles. “When Davis spoke to counter a Republican that was opposed to it, he said that if we leave this to the discretion of school boards, that there would be liberal bias to it,” Savage recounted, while clarifying that he didn’t agree with that point but appreciated Davis’ support nonetheless. The bill passed through the House by a 62-37 margin, receiving support from seven Republicans. As of Feb. 5, it is slated to be taken up in the General Assembly’s Special Session 1, which will focus on Education and Health. The desire for high school-

ers in particular to become more involved spiked after students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School became nationally known for their activism after a mass shooting at their Parkland, Florida campus. But that was a different time, when their message of gun control was going against a president who was a full-throated supporter of the Second Amendment. With the lack of a polarizing figure such as former President Donald Trump on the political scene — whose election even inspired a then-7th grade Savage to begin paying more attention to politics — it’s fair to wonder if student activism will remain as passionate. Savage, however, doesn’t see the “civic or political engagement” language used in the bill as a code word for “protests only.” In fact, he said one area that he and the young Republicans agreed on is how diversely the

bill should be interpreted. They wanted the prospective law to be more about meeting with legislators, going to school board meetings or even meeting the Board of Supervisors in Fairfax County or the Falls Church City Council to talk about issues that are important to teenagers. It was never about just attending a protest, but getting a first hand view of how local government and state government operate, in Savage’s mind. It’s likely he’ll get to see how that plays out before he graduates.

Scott: We have lived here since 92, had 2 amazing kids and 2 trees fall on our houses, but I love you!

Sue

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

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

safercar.gov/TheRightSeat

STANLEY NEEDS ATTENTION. Maybe he just needs his humans to fill his toy up with peanut butter or some other goodie so he can go back to doing his own thing, or maybe he wants some scritches, but he clearly he wants to be noticed. 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

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FEBRUARY 11 – 17, 2021 | PAGE 19

N�� B�� CVS to Begin Vaccinating at Little River Turnpike Location The City of Falls Church’s Covid Update online news source announced Tuesday that only one CVS Pharmacy location in the Fairfax Health Department’s jurisdiction including Falls Church will begin distributing the Covid-19 vaccine next week. The location being prepared to do so in the City is not included as yet. The NewsPress apologizes for creating a different impression last week. The program is a collaboration between the federal government, states and territories, and 21 national pharmacy partners and independent pharmacy networks to increase access to Covid-19 vaccination across the United States. CVS will be the only participating pharmacy in Virginia as part of the initial program launch, and the CVS on Little River Turnpike in Annandale will be the only location available in the Fairfax Health District (City of Falls Church, Fairfax County, and the towns within Fairfax County) for now. In total, 26 CVS pharmacies will offer vaccines statewide. CVS uses its own scheduling system that will not select people from Fairfax Health’s existing waitlist. So, citizens who have already registered to get a vaccine appointment from Fairfax Health Department and are able to get one at CVS or from another provider first should email ffxcovid@fairfaxcounty.gov to be removed from the county’s waitlist and persons eligible to be vaccinated can sign up to schedule an appointment from CVS on its website. Appointments will begin on Friday, Feb. 12 and vaccine supplies are expected to be limited.

City of F.C. 2nd in State For Average Tax Refunds City of Falls Church residents enjoyed the second largest tax refunds on average of any jurisdiction in Virginia, according to a report from the SmartAsset finan-

cial advisor firm and spokesman Steve Sabato reported Tuesday. The study divided the total amount of money refunded by the IRS to residents and the number of refunds distributed in each county. They set the total against average tax amounts owed. Goochland County scored the highest net index score, the City of Falls Church was second (average tax amount refunded being $3,523), followed by Abermarle, Loudoun, Fairfax counties and Charlottesville City.

Connolly’s Virtual St. Patrick’s Day Fete Set for March 17 The pandemic will cause modifications, but Rep. Gerry Connolly’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Fête is on for March 17 as a virtual event, it was announced this week. The annual event will include as always a straw poll for statewide offices in 2021. In a statement, Connolly said, “While we aren’t able to be together in person, we can still celebrate our 2020 victories and organize for 2021 and 2022 from the comfort of our own homes. Nothing about this past year has been normal, and a Zoom Fete will join the list of firsts for me, but I am just as thrilled to celebrate the Holiest Day of the year virtually.”

Gov. Northam Hails Votes To Abolish Capital Punishment Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam issued the following statement last week after the Senate of Virginia voted on legislation sponsored by Senator Scott Surovell to ban capital punishment in the Commonwealth, which passed by 21 to 17 margin. “Today’s vote in the Virginia Senate is a tremendous step toward ending the death penalty in our Commonwealth,” Northam said. “Virginia has executed more people than any other state. The practice is fundamentally inequitable. It is inhumane. It is ineffective.

And we know that in some cases, people on death row have been found innocent.” He added, “It’s time for Virginia to join 22 other states and abolish the death penalty. I applaud every Senator who cast a courageous vote today, and I look forward to signing this bill into law.” On last Friday, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of the Diocese of Arlington and Bishop Barry C. Knestout of the Diocese of Richmond issued the following statement on passage of death penalty abolition legislation: “We welcome today’s vote by the Virginia House of Delegates to abolish the death penalty, as well as the vote by the Virginia Senate to do so earlier this week. In the words of Pope Francis, ‘Nowadays the death penalty is unacceptable, however grave the crime of the convicted person. It is an offence to the inviolability of life and to the dignity of the human person; it likewise contradicts God’s plan for individuals and society, and his merciful justice.’”

Tea with Mrs. B Hosts Valentine Themed Events Tea with Mrs. B is hosting a series of Valentine themed events for children through the weekend. On Friday, Feb. 12, a St. Valentine’s Virtual Tea Party will be offered at 4 pm. The Tea Party will include a tea service with a lesson in calligraphy, an art that, like tea, dates back thousands of years. A variety of to-go options are available for the virtual event. St. Valentine’s Day Tea Parties with small groups will be held live on Saturday, Feb. 13 at 10 a.m. and noon, and on Sunday, Feb. 14 at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. For more information, or for tickets, visit www.teawithmrsb.com.

FC Chamber of Commerce Hosting Networking Luncheon The Falls Church Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Networking Luncheon with a presentation by

THE CVS PHARMACY along W. Broad Street now has a testing booth in its parking lot. (P��: N��-P��) Anna Tarter on Instagram. The presentation will include Instagram basics, Instagram as a promotional tool for businesses, and a Live Local Instagram campaign to encourage Falls Church youth to support the local business community. The Falls Church Chamber of Commerce promotes local business interests to foster economic prosperity and civic well-being in the greater Falls Church area. For more information, visit the calendar at www.FallsChurchChamber. org.

Body Dynamics, Inc. Offering 2 Free Virtual Classes Body Dynamics, Inc. is offering two free virtual classes over the next week sponsored by The Kensington Falls Church. On Thursday, Feb. 11 from 2 – 2:30 p.m. Recharge in 20 with Jorge Villalobos is designed for working professionals to introduce light activity and stretch to reduce the negative impact of sitting in a work environment. Tai Chi with Jen Gamboa will be held Onn Thursday, Feb. 18 from 2 – 2:30 p.m. and focus on a series of central movements and ideas designed to teach a person to be aware of their body and to maintain balance physically and internally. Go to the events page at www.theKensingtonFallsChurch.com to register or contact Body Dynamics at 703527-9557 or frontdesk@bodydynamicsinc.com.

FC Arts Plein Air Festival Artworks for Sale Online Falls Church Arts Plein Air Festival Artworks Show and Sale

is online through Monday, Feb. 15. The show features 29 works from 12 of the talented artists who participated in the Eleventh Annual Falls Church Arts “Scenes in the City” Plein Air Festival competition on Oct. 17, 2020. The artworks are outdoor scenes painted around the city the previous week as well as some created during a three-hour competition that morning. For more information and a link to the exhibit, visit www. fallschurcharts.org.

ROCK STAR Realty Group Expands, Adds New Agents Tori McKinney and Rob Denza, ROCK STAR Realty Group, KW Metro Center, have expanded their group and added Realtors Chris Madison, Linda Chandler, Pat Giannelli, and Terri Tornell as their newest ROCK STARS. ROCK STAR Realty Group is a top producing, award winning residential real estate company. The group was founded by McKinney who is a former music producer, a 10-year Falls Church Housing Commissioner, a 20-year public school volunteer, a 15 year Falls Church Chamber of Commerce supporter, a member of the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation Board of Directors, and the Executive Producer of the Tinner Hill Music Festival. For more information, visit www. ROCKSTARRealtyGroup.com.  Business News in this section

is compiled by Sally Cole, Executive Director of Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at sally@ fallschurchchamber.org.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

PAGE 20 | FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2021

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Falls Church News-Press 2-11-2021

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