Falls Church News-Press 3-7-2019 by Falls Church News-Press

M a rc h 7 – 1 3 , 2 0 1 9

Fa lls Chur c h, V i r g i ni a • ww w. fc np. c om • Fr ee

Fou n d e d 1991 • Vol. X XIX N o. 3

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

Inside This Week F.C. Traffic Signal Still Down After 1 Year In early March 2018, high winds toppled the traffic singal at the intersection of Annandale Rd. and Hillwood Ave in Falls Church. One year later, the City has yet to permanently replace the felled pole. See page 8

Providence Players Gets Intimate with ‘Oleanna’ For the heavy subject matter of the David Mamet play “Oleanna,” the Providence Players of Fairfax has opted for a more intimate setting.

Saslaw Wins Bipartisan Backing For Anti-Gerrymandering Reform Breaking Ground

Saslaw, Barker Law Has Panel Forge Redistricting Lines

by Nicholas F. Benton

Falls Church News-Press

Commerce board of directors were also present as the meeting marked the kickoff of a compressed schedule of six briefings to groups of City boards and commissions to review and comment on the application before it comes back to the City Council for a final OK on May 28.

A major new development that unfolded in the last day of the Virginia legislative session last week has vastly improved chances for fairer voter representation in the commonwealth in coming elections. State Sen. Dick Saslaw, a Democrat whose district represents the City of Falls Church, was a key player in winning overwhelming passage of a bipartisan redistricting Constitutional amendment law that stands to revolutionize the way districts are drawn for both federal congressional and state legislative races in Virginia. Saslaw and State Sen. George Barker visited the office of the News-Press this week to explain the new law, SJ360, which sets up a bipartisan commission to redraw district lines following the results of the 2020 federal census. The redistricting exercise is done every 10 years in the wake of census results and has, until now, been in the hands of whichever party was in the majority in the state legislature. As such, it has been an invitation to “gerrymandering,” the drawing of often contorted district lines to maximize the advantage for one party or the other. As Saslaw and Barker explained here, it was the major gains made by upstart Democrats in the Virginia legislature, picking up 15 delegate seats in 2017 due in part to a strong reaction to the Trump presidency,

Continued on Page 4

Continued on Page 5

See page 17

Torrent Announces Run for Saslaw’s Seat

Karen Torrent, a 30-year resident of the greater Falls Church area, filed paperwork last Thursday to enter the race for the Democratic nomination for Virginia’s 35th Senate District. See News Briefs, page 9

Goochland Tops Mason In State Tourney The Mustangs fared well through three quarters of their state quarterfinal game last Friday. Unfortunately, the fourth quarter told a much different story. See Sports, page 14

FALLS CHURCH A-LISTERS abounded at the ceremonial groundbreaking for the 4.3-acre Founders Row mixed-use development Monday, joining Mill Creek developer representatives to mark the historic occasion. Members of the F.C. City Council and staff were in force in the festivities. The project at W. Broad and N. West streets will include an eightscreen movie theater, residences, restaurants and a central public plaza. (Photo: News-Press)

F.C.’s EDA Gives Thumbs Up To West End; Young Elected

by Nicholas F. Benton

Falls Church News-Press

Index

Editorial................ 6 Letters..............6, 8 News & Notes.10–11 Comment...... 12–13 Sports................ 14 Calendar...... 18–19

Classified Ads.... 20 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword......... 21 Crime Report..... 22 Critter Corner..... 22 Business News.. 23

At a marathon meeting Tuesday night, the Falls Church Economic Development Authority voted unanimously to endorse the “special exception entitlement” application of the Falls Church Gateway Partners to proceed with

a dense economic development of 10.3 acres of land at the current site of George Mason High School at the City’s far west end. In the group’s other major action, it elected local resident and developer Bob Young as its new chairman. Members of the F.C. Human Services Advisory Council and seven members of the Chamber of

PAGE 2 | MARCH 7 -13, 2019

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

JD Sold More Homes Last Year in Falls Church Than Any Other Agent!

MARCH 7 -13, 2019 | PAGE 3

*OPEN* SUN 3/10 2-4pm!

$1,249,000

5848 Hilldon Street, McLean

JD CALLANDER

*AMAZING* 4BR/3BA all brick home in sought-after Chesterbrook neighborhood! This home features stunning addition w/ great rm, vaulted ceilings, & MBR w/ en suite BA; updated kit & BAs; finished LL rec room w/ frpl walks-out to the fenced back yard w/ private, treed views!

Top 1% of Realtors Nationwide

#1 Agent, COMPANYWIDE

$1,199,000

1017 Parker Street, Falls Church City

*STUNNING* 4BR/4.5 BA home on 3 levels in Falls Church City! Wonderful open floorplan w/gourmet kitchen; hdwd floors throughout; double French doors leading to flagstone patio & beautifully manicured, large level yard; chic master BR w/ gorgeous en suite BA!

*OPEN* SUN 3/10 2-4pm!

$1,114,900

6406 Washington Blvd

*BEAUTIFUL* 4BR/3 BA colonial in sought-after Arlington location! Lightfilled home with stylish gourmet kitchen; sunny fam room; lovely manicured yard!

*OPEN* SUN 3/10 2-4pm!

703.606.7901

JD@newNOVAhome.com www.newNOVAhome.com

McLean HS McLean HS Pyramid! Pyramid! # 1 Listing Agent #1 Selling Agent 1583 Forest Villa Lane, McLean 2019 Powhatan Street, Falls Church #1 Total Volume *FABULOUS* 5BR/3.5BA home on 3 levels in sought-after Falls Church *WONDERFUL* 4BR/2.5BA home in desired McLean location! This home This home features family room w/ wood burning frpl; eat-in kit w/ bay features sunny, window-filled eat-in kit w/ granite counters, breakfast bar, & stainless #1 Total Transactions location! window & new stainless steel appliances; hardwood floors throughout main & steel appliances; gleaming hdwd floors on the main & upper levels; family w/ gas Weichert/Dolley Madison Office

upper levels; fresh paint; 2 car garage; spacious lower level rec room!

frpl; 2 car garage; fully finished LL w/ rec room & walk-up to manicured lawn!

Call Me Today for a Free Analysis of Your Home’s Value!

Weichert 1313 Dolley Madison Blvd McLean, VA 22101 703-760-8880

Spring Market is Heating Up! on

o gS

128 N Fairfax St.

Beautiful Dutch Colonial in Broadmont neighborhood of Falls Church City on 1/4+ acre lot. 6BR/3.5BA, main level features Hardwood Floors, Updated Kitchen/Dining combo w/ Island, formal Living room & Family room addition overlooking backyard. Close to Downtown FCC & EFC Metro (orange & silver line). Offered at $1,200,000 r de

ntr

i om

t Sa

Open Sunday 2-4pm

403 Tapawingo Rd, Vienna

Beautiful Craftsman in the Heart of Vienna Woods 4BR/4.5BA with open floor plan featuring two story entryway, stone fireplace, and main level master bedroom. Must See inside to appreciate the elegance of the stunning finishes throughout. 1/3 Acre lot w/ huge fenced flat backyard, carport & separate 2 car garage. Offered at $1,169,900.

r de

ntr

1308 Tracy Place, Falls Church City

Must See! Beautifully maintained colonial on pretty tree-lined street featuring three finished levels with light-filled addition. This lovely home has 3 beds/2.5 baths and a finished walk out lower level leading out to a beautiful yard. Moments to metro and downtown Falls Church City! Offered at $875,000

Zillow Review

Highly Likely to Recommend 411 Midvale St., Falls Church City Charming Cape in Falls Church City. 4BR/2BA w/ tons of natural light & beautiful Hardwoods in sought after Broadmont neighborhood. Offered at $999,900.

Gundry Drive

Cherry Hill Townhouses 3 BR, 2 full bath, 2 half bath, End Townhouse w/ extra large backyard area near soon to be renovated Big Chimneys Park in Falls Church City. Call for details.

410 Sherrow Ave., Falls Church City NEW BUILD - 7BR/5BA w/ rear deck & private fenced yard only 3-4 blocks from Downtown area 3 level Designer Craftsman Home w/ 4,000+ sq ft of living space & 2 car garage in heart of Falls Church City. Offered at $1,339,900

If you are looking to Buy, Sell, or Rent in 2019 call Chris for a no obligation consultation.

Chris Earman

Member NVAR Multi-Million Dollar Sales Club Residential Top Producer

(703) 628-4541 | Chris@EarmanRealEstate.com 703-760-8880 ~ Falls Church/McLean

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

REALTOR

Under Contract

Louise Molton was an excellent choice for us - she shepherded us through a contingent offer, getting our house ready for sale in a few short weeks. … She always gave us as much time as we needed to feel comfortable about the process, and really brought our stress level down on doing this with four young children in tow! Plus she has very good taste and a good eye, so she was an excellent resource in terms of staging our house for sale and getting the best price. I could not recommend her more highly. ~ Rachel B

707 E Broad St., Falls Church City

Great opportunity for a buyer to renovate & expand or build new on this tree top lot in Broadmont overlooking the historic Tallwood property. Featuring 3 beds/3 baths and an oversized lot with 1+ car garage. Property being sold As-Is. Walk to EFC Metro! Showings by appointment only. Offered at $599,000

Louise Molton & are seeking Full & Youth Size Used Acoustic Guitars Thank you to this awesome community! 4 more guitars were donated this past week (17 total), now we just need 13 more by May 31st! I am offering free guitar lessons to the Homestretch and Bridges to Independence community — we have 22 students and it’s growing!! Make a difference in a kid’s life! Call me for details. WBMF is a 501(c)(3) Virginia non-profit. All donations tax-deductible.

Louise Molton

Falls Church City Resident Phone: 703 244-1992 louise@moltonrealestate.com

Each Office Independently Owned and Operated

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

REALTOR

710 W Broad St Falls Church, VA 22046 703-596-5303

LO CA L

PAGE 4 | MARCH 7 – 13, 2019

EDA OKs West End Exception Continued from Page 1

The Council gave a 6-0 vote in favor of the special exception, known as SEE, just last week. With his election Tuesday, Young replaced Mike Novotny as chair of the EDA and Erik Pelton was voted the new vice-chair. This coming Monday, the City Council will hear the presentation of City Manager Wyatt Shields’ proposed budget for the coming fiscal year. The budget will include intact the School Board request that came from that board’s unanimous vote last month, and the news that revenue growth, as reflected in assessments of real estate in the City, has been higher than expected. That higher-thanexpected number, according to the City assessor, brought in real estate values at a 3.35 percent growth rate, increasing the overall revenue growth rate at 2.5 percent, above even the two percent projected last fall. Once the Council receives Shields’ report Monday, it will propose a preliminary tax rate, subject to deliberations and public hear-

ings that will continue until April 29, which is the date at which the Council is expected to adopt the Fiscal Year 2020 (July 2019 to June 2020) operating budget. Last night, the Falls Church Gateway Partners’ SEE was due to be presented to a meeting of the Village Preservation and Improvement (VPIS), the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, and the Arts and Humanities Council. Tonight, it is slated to be presented to the Historic Architectural Advisory Board and the Historical Commission, next Monday to the Library Board of Trustees, Housing Commission and Citizens Advisory Board on Transportation, next Tuesday to the School Board and next Wednesday to the Planning Commission, Environmental Sustainability Council, the Tree Commission and Architectural Advisory Board. At Tuesday’s EDA meeting, Evan Goldman of the Gateway Partners’ EYA group, made the primary presentation at the meeting held in the offices of Viget in downtown Falls Church. In addition to the EDA, Chamber of Commerce

and HSAC groups, an array of citizens, including City Council members Phil Duncan and Letty Hardi and the Planning Commission’s Lindy Hockenberry were present. The City’s Carly Aubrey made an initial presentation on behalf of the project. Goldman reiterated that the project, slated to begin upon the completion of the new high school in December 2020, will call for, at this point, 1.4 million square feet of construction for a “floor to area ratio” of 3.7. The project will be roughly 40 percent commercial and 60 percent residential, with potentially over 1,000 new living units. Buildings will be six to 15 stories in height, with no solid decisions on that at this point. Project elements include an anchor supermarket, senior housing, hotel, entertainment venue, structured parking garage and centerpiece “central plaza” promenade in its first phase. Goldman stressed the importance of creating Type A office space in the first phase of the project, to attract its share of that market in a region where Tysons is currently where new businesses may be more likely to locate. This means thatT:9.75” more parking than

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

usual may be required, he said. It is also key that the array of retail components of the site come on line roughly simultaneously to achieve the desired “placemaking” for the site. He said that expected net revenues from the project will be in the range of $4.2 to $4.7 million per year. He said the site is “one of the last ones of its type available inside the beltway,” and that with its proximity to Virginia Tech, it will be more “family oriented” than other urban contexts. He said at the present time there’s a sense that a preference for brick in design and construction holds. Aubrey said that a meeting of representatives of Virginia Tech, the Rushmark (chosen to develop the Virginia Tech site) and the City is slated for March 22 to coordinate their efforts, and that on March 19, Fairfax County has slated a public meeting of stakeholders about the development potential of the combined Falls Church, Virginia Tech and WMATA (West Falls Church Metro station) sites. For the Falls Church City Council, other matters brought before it Monday included the following:

The Council was advised by members of the Mary Riley Styles Library Board of Trustees at its work session Monday that cost estimates for the planned renovation and expansion of the facility could be more than $1.2 million. Applying a voluntary concession contribution from the Founders Row development and other resources could reduce the shortfall to $660,000. The project remains over six months away from acquiring a “guaranteed maximum price” from developers. Among the data presented to the Falls Church City Council by consultants developing the demographic chapter of the City’s comprehensive plan at Monday’s work session, the F.C. Council learned that the City’s population can be expected to top 15,000 by the beginning of the next decade, that the impact of the Amazon H2Q location in the region will require an addition of 160 new dwellings in the City by 2025, and demand for considerable gains in small “workforce” housing units in the coming period. Overall, there is a housing shortfall facing the region that will rise to 120,000 by 2015, according to Lisa Sturtevant of the Alexandria-based LSA.

Give your money a raise Make your money work harder by earning higher interest rates. Talk to a banker for more details. Offer expires March 22, 2019.

Platinum Savings Account

2.10%

Fixed Rate CD

2.60%

Annual Percentage Yield for 12 months1

Enjoy a special interest rate for 12 months with new money deposits of at least $25,000 and a minimum daily account balance of $25,000 or more.

Annual Percentage Yield for 11 months2

Guaranteed fixed rate with new money deposits of at least $25,000 for an 11-month term.

1. To qualify for this offer, you must have a new or existing Platinum Savings account and enroll the account in this offer between 01/21/2019 and 03/22/2019. This offer is subject to change at any time, without notice. This offer is available only to Platinum Savings customers in the following states: CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NJ, NY, SC and VA. In order to earn the Special Interest Rate of 2.08% (Special Rate), you must deposit $25,000 in new money (from sources outside of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., or its affiliates) to the enrolled savings account and maintain a minimum daily account balance of $25,000 throughout the term of this offer. The corresponding Annual Percentage Yield (APY) for this offer is 2.10%. The Special Rate will be applied to the enrolled savings account for a period of 12 months, starting on the date the account is enrolled in the offer. However, for any day during that 12 month period that the daily account balance is less than the $25,000 minimum, the Special Rate will not apply and the interest rate will revert to the standard interest rate applicable to your Platinum Savings account. As of 12/10/2018, the standard interest rate and APY for a Platinum Savings account in CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NJ, NY, SC and VA with an account balance of $0.01 to $99,999.99 is 0.03% (0.03% APY) and with an account balance of $100,000 and above is 0.05% (0.05% APY). Each tier shown reflects the current minimum daily collected balance required to obtain the applicable APY. Interest is compounded daily and paid monthly. The amount of interest earned is based on the daily collected balances in the account. Upon the expiration of the 12 month promotional period, standard interest rates apply. Minimum to open a Platinum Savings account is $25. A monthly service fee of $12 applies in any month the account falls below a $3,500 minimum daily balance. Fees may reduce earnings. Interest rates are variable and subject to change without notice. Wells Fargo may limit the amount you deposit to a Platinum Savings account to an aggregate of $1 million. Offer not available to Private Banking, Wealth, Business Banking or Wholesale customers. 2. Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is effective for accounts opened between 01/21/2019 and 03/22/2019. The 11-month New Dollar CD special requires a minimum of $25,000 brought to Wells Fargo from sources outside of Wells Fargo Bank N.A., or its affiliates to earn the advertised APY. Public Funds and Wholesale accounts are not eligible for this offer. APY assumes interest remains on deposit until maturity. Interest is compounded daily. Payment of interest on CDs is based on term: For terms less than 12 months (365 days), interest may be paid monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or at maturity (the end of the term). For terms of 12 months or more, interest may be paid monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. A fee for early withdrawal will be imposed and could reduce earnings on this account. Special Rates are applicable to the initial term of the CD only. At maturity, the Special Rate CD will automatically renew for a term of 6 months, at the interest rate and APY in effect for CDs on renewal date not subject to a Special Rate, unless the Bank has notified you otherwise. Due to the new money requirement, accounts may only be opened at your local branch. Wells Fargo reserves the right to modify or discontinue the offer at any time without notice. Offer cannot be combined with any other consumer deposit offer. Minimum new money deposit requirement of at least $25,000 is for this offer only and cannot be transferred to another account to qualify for any other consumer deposit offer. If you wish to take advantage of another consumer deposit offer requiring a minimum new money deposit, you will be required to do so with another new money deposit as stated in the offer requirements and qualifications. Offer cannot be reproduced, purchased, sold, transferred, or traded. 3. The Portfolio by Wells Fargo program has a $30 monthly service fee, which can be avoided when you have one of the following qualifying balances: $25,000 or more in qualifying linked bank deposit accounts (checking, savings, CDs, FDIC-insured IRAs) or $50,000 or more in any combination of qualifying linked banking, brokerage (available through Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC) and credit balances (including 10% of mortgage balances, certain mortgages not eligible). If the Portfolio by Wells Fargo relationship is terminated, the bonus interest rate on all eligible savings accounts, and discounts or fee waivers on other products and services, will discontinue and revert to the Bank’s then-current applicable rate or fee. For bonus interest rates on time accounts, this change will occur upon renewal. If the Portfolio by Wells Fargo relationship is terminated, the remaining unlinked Wells Fargo Portfolio Checking or Wells Fargo Prime Checking account will be converted to another checking product or closed. © 2019 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Investment and Insurance Products: Deposit products offered by Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. Are not Insured by FDIC or any Federal Government Agency May Lose Value Are not a Deposits of or Guaranteed by a Bank NMLSR ID 399801

P3002_BB_Phase 1_19_East 1_2.1_9.75x5.5.indd

Saved at

12-17-2018 5:52 PM

Job info Job Client Media Type Live Trim Bleed Pubs

from

SFW-RichGarbarino (2)

Approvals BDSF-P00002772 Wells Fargo Newsprint None 9.75” x 5.5” None None

EAST

Printed At

Garbarino, Rich / Garbarino, Rich

Fonts & Images Art Director Copywriter Account Mgr Studio Artist Proofreader

Notes

Katie Burleson Alicia Pagano Michella Ore Rich Garbarino None

Fonts Myriad Pro (Bold, Regular, Italic, Semibold, Bold Italic), Archer (Book) Images WF logo-highlight-cmyk.ai (30.47%) Inks Cyan,

Magenta,

Yellow,

Black

None

T:5.5”

Both accounts are FDIC-insured up to the maximum allowable limit. Platinum Savings offer available in CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NJ, NY, SC and VA. Fixed Rate CD offer available in AL, AZ, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NJ, NM, NV, NY, PA, SC and VA. Portfolio by Wells Fargo® customers are eligible to receive an additional interest rate bonus on these accounts.3

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Redistricting Continued from Page 1

which served as a relevant backdrop to the last minute negotiations that resulted in the new law passed in the final day of the legislative session last month. That election leveled the playing field for the two parties in Richmond, and has left the majority Republicans with such a slim advantage now that they can feel the potential for losing control of one or both houses in the elections later this year. Thus, the Republicans were brought to the table to favor equitable redistricting reform because of the perceived potential of having Democrats in power when the time to do the 2021 redistricting will come to pass. The Saslaw-Barker plan, which passed the state senate 40-0 and the house of delegates 86-14, and now goes to the desk of Gov. Ralph Northam, was favored over the plan advocated by the OneVirginia2021 lobbying effort because it included representation on the bipartisan board from elected officials of both parties, Saslaw said. The plan sounds convoluted in

how it would operate, but that’s only because of the pains to which it goes to be as balanced and fair as possible. For it to become the operative law of the commonwealth, the measure, once signed by Northam, will need to pass the legislature, following November’s legislative election, again next year, be signed by the governor again. That will qualify it for the statewide general election ballot in November 2020. If it passes then, it will be in force as an amendment to the state constitution as the redistricting exercise begins that will occur with the completion of the census, starting in February 2021. So, indeed, this complicated process truly required the last minute action by the Saslaw and Barker in the state legislature last month in order to be operative in determining who will be elected to Virginia U.S. congressional and state legislative races for more than the next entire decade, until the 2030 census. It is expected that if this November’s elections keep the two parties close to sharing control in Richmond that both parties will be backing the redistricting plan in next year’s legislative vote and in the subsequent general referendum in November 2020. It

LO CA L remains an added incentive for robust voter participation in this year’s state legislative races. The plan calls for a bipartisan commission of 16 members, eight legislators and eight citizens. The eight legislators will consist of four from the house and four from the senate, and two from each party in each group. The eight citizens on the body will be chosen by a group of five retired judges, two from each party plus one, selected from a pool of 16 citizens selected by an equal number of Democratic and Republican legislators. In order for a plan to win support of the commission, it would need to be backed by six out of eight among the legislators and citizens, alike. Once a plan is approved by the commission, it would then go to the legislature for “up or down” votes (no modifications). If it were to fail to win approval, the commission would have five days to modify the plan for a second vote. The matter would go to the state supreme court only if the legislature failed a second time to approve it. The organizers of the OneVirginia2021 group have embraced the plan, according to Saslaw, and will be supporting its adoption, since it passed. “Yes, this did come as a surprise

MARCH 7 – 13, 2019 | PAGE 5

STATE SENATORS Dick Saslaw (left) and George Barker (right) visited the office of the News-Press Tuesday to explain the landmark legislation they achieved for bipartisan redistricting in Richmond last week. (Photo: News-Press) at the last minute in Richmond,” Saslaw said. It was the very last action that the state legislature took in the session, and it will allow the process to move forward to a truly monumental development to end gerrymandering and ensure fairness in elections and legislative representation in the future in Virginia. Saslaw said that the massive but failed efforts to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in the legislative session only

underscored how significant the passage of the redistricting reform law was. Despite their hair-thin residual majorities in both houses, the Republicans would not soften on the ERA ratification, even as it is largely symbolic by this point. They appeared willing to absorb whatever the political fallout could be from their resolve to oppose the ERA, but seem more concerned for the powerful practical consequences of the redistricting process.

1 1 2 5 W. B r o a d S t . , F a l l s C h u r c h , V A

$195PER MONTH $0 DOWN!

2019 KIA

24 MONTH LEASE 12,000 MILES/YEAR*

SORENTO

Stock# 6972C. MSRP: $19,255. On approved credit. Must finance through KIA Motors Finance. $3525 due at signing - includes VA tax, tag, freight, acquisition fee and processing fee of $699. $0.00 security deposit required. Offer Expires 4/4/2019

PAGE 6 | MARCH 7 – 13, 2019 

One of the Nation’s Foremost Weekly Newspapers, Serving N. Virginia

(Published Weekly by Benton Communications, Inc.)

FOUNDED IN 1991

Vol. XXIX, No. 3 March 7 – 13, 2019 • City of Falls Church ‘Business of the Year’ 1991 & 2001 • • Certified by the Commonwealth of Virginia to Publish Official Legal Notices • • Member, Virginia Press Association •

N�� F. B�� O�� E��-I�-C�� .��

J�� F�� M��

��.��

M�� D�� N�� E��

��.��

N�� G�� A�� S�� A�� .��

H�� W�� C��

��.��

C�� C��, T�� W�� C�� T�� W�� C�� E�� J�� I�� C�� M�� .��

T� C�� N��-P�� : 703-532-3267 ��: 703-342-0347 ��: ��.�� .�� .�� .�� .��

WWW.FCNP.COM The Falls Church News-Press is published weekly on Thursdays and is distributed free of charge throughout the City of Falls Church and the Greater Falls Church area. Offices are at 200 Little Falls St., #508, Falls Church, VA 22046. Reproduction of this publication in whole or part is prohibited except with the written permission of the publisher. ©2019 Benton Communications Inc. The News-Press is printed on recycled paper.

E��

E D I TO R I A L

As for the F.C. Tax Rate

Following the unanimous vote by the Falls Church City Council to give a preliminary OK to the “special exception entitlement” (SEE) for the Falls Church Gateway Partners’ plan to develop the 10.3 acres of the City’s West End, a blizzard of a half-dozen meetings to review and recommend the submission began being held this Tuesday night, planned to wrap up next Wednesday before coming back to the City Council for a final OK in May. Also, in the context of all the frenzied but reasonable activities going on now to prepare the George Mason High School site for its imminent transformation slated to begin when school lets out in June, the City’s normal operational business is also proceeding apace, with the presentation of City Manager Wyatt Shield’s proposed budget for the coming fiscal year set to be presented to the City Council this coming Monday night. Despite all the activity swirling around the City now, including the pending completion of the City Hall expansion and renovation (although put out to the end of April now), the wrestling over higher than expected costs associated with the library renovation, the groundbreaking and Route 7 disruptions associated with the launch of the 4.3-acre Founders Row project, completion of the Mt. Daniel school renovation, acquisition of the Fellows Tract adjacent the Thomas Jefferson School, and more, this spring’s budget round is not expected to be controversial, as it has already been signalled that it is very unlikely Shields will ask for any real estate tax rate increase for the coming fiscal year. At $1.355 per $100 assessed valuation, the City’s real estate tax rate is now far more competitive than a passing glance at the regional tax rates might suggest. In Fairfax County, for example, there are a plethora of “tax overlay districts” and added charges that pile up on property owners to bring its real rate to well over $1.40 per $100. Still, whatever pressure may be on the city manager and City Council concerning this coming year’s budget is more likely to take the form of looking to actually lower the rate by, perhaps, up to a penny. That being said, there is much more buzz around town now about affordable and workforce housing than there has been in over a decade. Yes. if there is any extra money in the City coffers, it ought to go to fixing pressing unmet needs, and not to a tax cut, not right now. With the West End project and Founders Row projects coming in line in the next half dozen years, the tax revenues generated by them will not only pay 100 percent for the new high school, but should allow a very healthy drop in real estate taxes. But in the meantime, the City needs to pay (in terms of dollars) far more attention to diversity-affirming housing affordability than it has to date.

L��

How Much Community Will F.C. Sacrifice?

Editor, Sometimes a quick skim of a local paper says a lot about a town’s values. Articles in the Feb 21-27 issue of the News-Press (“FC Demographic Bombshell: Households with Kids Down,” “FC School Board Adopts Noonan Plan; City Income to Beat Outlook,” and the editorial “An Un-Boring Falls Church”) all carry the not-so-sub-

tle hint that families with children should live elsewhere. Kids are expensive, and that’s not what the City wants to spend more money on apparently. Rather, everyone can “relax” that new real estate taxes on mixed-use condo developments won’t be eaten up by growth in the school aged population “for which the City must provide educational and other services.”

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

P�� 1. Keep the news clean and fair.

2. Play no favorites, never mix business and editorial policy. 3. Do not let the news columns reflect editorial comment. 4. Publish the news that is public property without fear or favor of friend or foe. 5. Accept no charity and ask no favors.

6. Give “value received” for every dollar you take in. 7. Make the paper show profit if you can, but above all keep it clean, fearless and fair.

ADVERTISE IN THE

The News-Press is delivered to every household and many businesses in the City of Falls Church (22046), and to many homes and businesses (but not all) in the adjacent 22041, 22042, 22043, 22044 and 22205 zip codes. Its total circulation of 10,000 per issue is greater than any other newspaper in the distribution area, including dailies. For complete advertising information, call us or check out our web site.

Call 532-3267 x2274 or visit www.FCNP.com

All original and some syndicated content is accessible via the Falls Church News-Press online site, www.FCNP.com. FCNP.com also includes photos, stories, ads and more not appearing in the print edition.

For information on online advertising, please contact Nick Gatz at 703-532-3267 or ngatz@fcnp.com. ONLINE

How dreary. Kids are part of “old, sleepy” Falls Church; the editor salivates at the thought of “young, smart, energetic…and well-enoughoff interesting folks” who will make the town “veritably alive and kicking with opportunity.” Predictably the Little City is “lagging in racial and ethnic diversity,” as more non-Hispanic whites pour into the unique, hip market with its micro housing units. And what about the 21 percent growth in Falls Church residences where people live alone? Singles can always add non-human occupants, known as pets, which don’t need to be educated. At least the editor owns up that town policies have “resulted

in the unique decline in households with children.” How much community will you sacrifice for opportunity, Falls Church? Susan Gates Vienna

LGBTQ Space at State Theatre is Step In Right Direction

Editor, I was reading the article about the new LGBTQ space opening up

Letters Continued on Page 8

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

G � � � � C � � � � � ��

CO MME NT

MARCH 7 – 13, 2019 | PAGE 7

Time to Bring New Energy, Vision & Experience to 35th District B� K�� E. T��

My name is Karen Elena Torrent and I am seeking the Democratic nomination for State Senate to bring long overdue and desperately needed new energy, vision, and experience to the people of the 35th District and Virginia. One of the greatest risks to Virginia’s people, economy and environment is climate change. Yet Richmond does nothing and Dominion Power, a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, has invested our money mostly in public relations. It’s called “greenwashing.” Dominion’s inaction goes beyond negligent—it limits Virginia’s ability to compete for 21st century energy and economic opportunities. My focus as senator will be to put Virginia on a more sustainable path through clean economy and clean transportation solutions. I’ve been a resident of Falls Church for 30 years and a dedicated public servant who has served as a U.S. Department of Justice environmental prosecutor and a Congressional committee staff counsel. Most of all, I am a citizen advocate — passionate and progressive, but also pragmatic about getting things done. Not with rhetoric or social media buzz, but bringing experience and taking action in a smart and sensible way. Taking action for people is not just in my resume, it’s in my blood. Maybe because I’m a first-generation

American, as my parents came here from Argentina and Scotland. As many children of arrivers do, I have a special appreciation for America as the land of opportunity, and a wish to bring that opportunity to everyone.

“As many children of arrivers do, I have a special appreciation for America as the land of opportunity, and a wish to bring that opportunity to everyone.” As a woman, a Latina and most of all, an American, I know how to stand up for what’s right. So watch out, Dominion Power: I’m coming to fight your old-school political power in Richmond that puts old-school politicians in your pocket. I’ll fight the powers that let Dominion rip off consumers, hold back modern energy sources, and keep Virginia and our economy in the energy dark ages. Nobody in this race has more experience with climate, energy and the environment than I bring.

• I was the independent citizen who stood up before Virginia’s high court to demand that Dominion give back billions of dollars in overcharges they owed customers, money they were able to keep by pulling the teeth from the citizen watchdog, the State Corporation Commission. • As a clean energy attorney, I have been involved with renewable businesses in Virginia that create clean energy jobs, provide consumers with clean energy choices at lower energy costs, and reduce pollution through the adoption of innovative technologies. • I have the legislative experience at both the state and federal levels to transition Virginia’s power and transportation sectors to a sustainable path while boosting our economy, bettering the environment, and protecting our health. As a counsel on the U.S. Senate Energy and Commerce Committee, I helped draft and get passed the landmark 2007 law that boosted the efficiency of buildings and products from cars to appliances to lightbulbs. • As a Justice Department prosecutor, I bought federal cases against major corporate polluters to protect human health, welfare, and the quality of our water and air. Fighting for the people of the 35th district and all Virginians inspires me to run. But I’m also inspired by a dare. When I was making the consumer case before the Virginia Supreme Court to

unfreeze the high Dominion electric rates that were ripping off consumers, one of the justices told me, “If you do not like legislators who pass rate-freeze bills, then you need to elect people who will not do that.” I thought, ok — I’ll run. Even though I have a lot of hard-tested political experience, I’m nothing like the old-school politician. There’s nothing oldschool about me. From my political experience and by nature, I’m a bridge builder—bridging old political divides, bridging policy differences, bridging the best part of Virginia’s past to build a better future, and bringing new solutions to our Old Dominion. Here’s my promise: On first day of the 2020 legislative session, I will introduce a bill to modernize Virginia’s utility regulatory framework, provide Virginians with clean and affordable energy choices, and put Virginia on a path to decarbonize our economy and protect our environment and health. I can’t wait to bring fresh vision, ideas, experience and leadership to Richmond for a brighter, cleaner, safer, more energysecure future for the 35th district and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Karen E. Torrent is a candidate in the Democratic primary to represent Virginia’s 35th Senate District.

Q�� W�� Should the City of Falls Church cut the real estate tax rate by a penny? • Yes

• No

• It should raise the rate

• Not sure

Visit www.FCNP.com to cast your vote

Last Week’s Question:

Does Falls Church need another grocery store in the new West End development?

FCNP On-Line polls are surveys, not scientiﬁc polls.

[WRITE FOR THE PRESS] 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.

Email: letters@fcnp.com | Mail: Letters to the Editor, Falls Church News-Press, 200 Little Falls St., #508, Falls Church 22046 | Fax: 703.340.0347

PAGE 8 | MARCH 7 - 13, 2019

LO CA L

LETTERS Continued from Page 6

Annandale-Hillwood Traﬃc Signal S�ll Not Fixed 1 Year A�er Falling It’s been more than a year since the traffic signal at the intersection of Annandale Rd. and Hillwood Ave. in Falls Church toppled over in high winds one afternoon and the City has yet to permanently replace the felled pole. A temporary signal, blocking access to the sidewalk at the corner of the street, has been in place at the intersection since March 7 of last year. Initially, the City told the News-Press it would take about 15 weeks to get a new, permanent set of poles in place but four months later in July with no fix in place, the News-Press was told it would take another two months. After the one year anniversary of the downed signal came and went last Saturday, the News-Press again reached out for an update. On Monday, a City spokesperson said the poles for the signal are being delivered this week and the new light should be up and fully functional within four weeks. When asked about the delay, the spokesperson blamed the hold up on “reprioritizing after staff turnover” and said the project is now back on track. – Jody Fellows

at the State Theatre and I think that it is a great way to show the progression the Falls Church community is making. As a society, what our priorities are is what we focus on. Prioritizing the safety and comfortability of all those in society is a great thing to focus on when it comes to the LGBTQ community specifically. It allows for participation and more community involvement, and further emphasizes the value our community places on inclusion and making everyone feel welcome. The LGBTQ community is a group that many places want to keep in the shadows and is a taboo topic to discuss, but with Falls Church opening up a place for this specific community to be seen in the light is a step in the right direction. Sarah Naeher Falls Church

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Exploring Reactions To ‘Virginia Way’ Commentary

Editor, The recent guest editorial by Yasmine Taeb got some impassioned reactions, as well as impassioned reactions to them. Maybe it’s best to stop and look at what was actually said? Taeb’s initial editorial basically branded Virginia as a longstanding home for racism, essentially calling for discarding any leader not embracing the New Virginia Way. Surprisingly, some longtime Virginians found her attacks on their home state to be offensive, even if they could have been stated better. Valerie Arnakis’ response that Taeb has no roots here was unfair — how long must someone live in a place before being allowed to want to run for office? While James Cunningham does a good job of pointing out that Taeb’s basically calling for trashing our current system, he applies the unfortunate term of “carpetbagger.” I can’t tell when Taeb moved to Virginia, but the fact that she’s been involved in Virginia politics since 2014 suggest that

she’s lived here for at least four years and is not a carpetbagger. The responses to these letters also raised valid points — Joyce Migdall did a good job of pointing out Taeb’s accomplishments, while Monique Alcala simply took an even more accusatory tone than Taeb’s initial post. Ironically, part of Alcala’s argument was made by citing support from Don “Better to back a bigot than have a Republican in office” Beyer. And sadly, both simply dismissed the disagreement with Taeb’s views as xenophobia and calling for censorship. While I disagree with Taeb’s vision for Virginia, her work ethic and commitment to Virginia’s future are not an issue. Likewise, interpreting her remarks as disdain for the commonwealth and disagreement with that vision is not some form of bigotry that needs to be silenced. Maybe a better path forward would be for Virginia Democrats and journalists to put as much constant pressure on the racism of our Governor and Attorney General and the #MeToo problems of our Lt. Governor as if they were Republicans. Jeff Walyus Arlington

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

LO CA L

Fa l l s C h u r c h

NEWS BRIEFS

MARCH 7 - 13, 2019 | PAGE 9

DOWNSIZING? We can help.

Join us Wednesday, March 20 at the Washington Golf & Country Club for a free breakfast seminar where we will introduce you to experts, resources, and strategies that can help you simplify your life and your move. Event runs from 10:30am to 1:30pm. Space is limited — RSVP required. Sponsored by Dick Nathan and Cody Chance of Long & Foster.

Beyer Meets Nayib Bukele in El Salvador U.S. Rep. Donald S. Beyer Jr., who represents the 8th District of Virginia that includes the City of Falls Church, described his enthusiasm meeting the new, young presidentelect of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, in an exclusive interview to the News-Press this week. Beyer joined a small group of other U.S. congressmen in a brief tour of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, and said that although there are “terribly difficult conditions,” he nonetheless retained a sense of optimism. There are an estimated 195,000 El Salvadorans in the U.S. now, including thousands in his district, Beyer noted, but the rate of emigration to the U.S. has slowed to a record 40-year low. That’s because people don’t emigrate unless conditions are simply too bad and a sense of no hope where they are, Beyer said. Now there are concerted efforts to root out corruption, violence and poverty in the region. In El Salvador, the popular young president is contrasted to two previous leaders now in prison. With the help of the U.S. FBI and CIA, the influence of the MS-13 and 18th Street gangs has been blunted, one having been fueled by emigration from L.A. in the U.S. There are over 350 gang units in El Salvador that have been targeted, and efforts include setting up community policing and expanding the education of youth. Currently, the young spend only three years in school in El Salvador, and addressing that problem is key to the country’s future, Beyer said.

Torrent Announces Primary Run for Saslaw’s Seat Karen Torrent, a 30-year resident of the greater Falls Church area, filed paperwork last Thursday to enter the race for the Democratic nomination for Virginia’s 35th Senate District. Torrent is an environmental issues attorney who led an effort against a Dominion Power rate freeze that Saslaw supported two years ago. Torrent becomes the third candidate in the race for the upcoming June 11 primary, joining the incumbent State Sen. Dick Saslaw and challenger Yasmine Taeb.

Mason High Graduate Dies in Alexandria Matthew Watson, a 2002 graduate of George Mason High School in Falls Church, died Wednesday after an altercation in Alexandria, according to a police report. Fairfax County police said that Watson, 36, sustained life threatening injuries during an altercation near the Beacon Hill apartments on Wednesday, Feb. 21. Officers responded to the 6600 block of Tower Drive for a report of an unresponsive man who was later identified as Watson of Alexandria. He was taken to an area hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Fairfax County detectives have identified the other person involved, who is believed to have been known to Watson. The circumstances of the altercation are still being investigated. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has conducted an autopsy but has not yet ruled on cause and manner of death. Police say criminal responsibility will be determined pending further investigation and consultation with the Office of the Commonwealth Attorney.

VPIS Grants Offered for Stormwater Abatement The Falls Church Village Preservation and Improvement Society is making grants to City of Falls Church residents for projects to reduce stormwater runoff, it was announced this week. Grants are available for projects to install rain gardens or conservation landscapes and for purchase of rain barrels to store rain water. The grants are part of the RainSmart program implemented by VPIS with support from the City of Falls Church. The program is intended to help City residents implement practices, such as rain barrels and rain gardens, that help rainwater soak into the ground on-site to prevent flooding and protect water quality locally and in the wider Chesapeake Bay watershed. The program also includes public information and outreach programs to promote stormwater management. An easy step that local residents can take to manage stormwater is to install rain barrels to catch runoff from roofs. Under the RainSmart program, City residents can apply for grant funds for up to two rain barrels with a limit of $50 for each barrel. Some residents may want to use this grant at rain barrel workshops in the region sponsored by the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District. Workshops are scheduled for March 10 and 30, April 5 and 6, and May 25.

Come and bring your questions! Our panelists will include:

Bill Fralin, Esq., Elder Law Attorney • Phil Grisdela, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage • Jay Eskovitz, Key Title • Russ Adams, RGS Title • Lynn Tenbrink, Goodwin House • Tim Wesling and Carol May, Wesling Financial Planning Services • Patsieann Misiti, Seniors Living Well, LLC • Dan Sheehan, Olympia Moving & Storage • Karen Corbett Sanders, Four Sales, Ltd. For details and to reserve your place, please call Dick Nathan at (703) 284-9318 or email dick.nathan@longandfoster.com Long & Foster Realtors // 4600 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA 22207 // (703) 522-0500 // Dick Nathan Real Estate, LLC

JOIN US TO LEARN MORE ABOUT A TREATMENT FOR

MULTIPLE MYELOMA Register for this no-cost educational program to hear about a treatment option for multiple myeloma by calling

1-844-247-1641 or visit myelomaevent.com Sponsored by Takeda Oncology

WHEN:

Tuesday, March 12, 2019 Registration: 5:30 PM Program Start: 6:00 PM

WHERE:

The Westin Tysons Corner 7801 Leesburg Pike Falls Church, VA 22043

FEATURING:

David Vesole, M.D., PhD, John Theurer Cancer Center at HUMC & a Patient Ambassador Friends and family are welcome!

Complimentary parking validation and light fare provided. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2018 Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. All rights reserved. 05/18 MAT-US-IXA-18-00225

PAGE 10 | MARCH 7 – 13, 2019

LO CA L

News-Press

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Community News & Notes Celebration Services For Gary LaPorta

DOMINION ENERGY awarded a grant to the Creative Cauldron in order for it to continue its efforts in the fine arts. (From left to right) Council members Letty Hardi and Phil Duncan, Vice Mayor Marybeth Connelly, Mayor David Tarter, Creative Cauldron Board Member Marty Meserve, Dominion Energy’s Scott Reamy, Creative Cauldron Founder and Producing Director Laura Connors Hull and Creative Cauldron Board Members Sharon Van Duizend and Elizabeth Meade. (Photo: Courtesy Chuck Penn, Sr./Dominion Energy)

MEMBERS OF THE Falls Church City Council and police and sheriff departments joined their counterparts from Fairfax City and the George Mason University police to celebrate the completion of renovation and expansion efforts at the Fairfax City-based Firearms Training Center. Falls Church contributed its fair share of resources to the project, which its public safety officers will use routinely. The facility “is dedicated to the brave women and men of our police forces who walk toward danger to protect the peace.” (Courtesy Photo)

The celebration service for Gary LaPorta will take place at the Falls Church Episcopal (115 E. Fairfax St., Falls Church) from 10:30 a.m. – noon on Saturday, March 9. Guests are asked to wear blue at the service as that was Gary’s favorite color and he would not want everyone in black. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made to Creative Cauldron. If anyone wishes to send a condolence card to his daughter it can be mailed to Connie Warnock at 1162 Hales Ford Road, Moneta, VA 24121. Refreshments will be served afterwards.

of the cost of a project or $1,500, whichever is less. Grants are also available for landscape conservation projects that have stormwater benefits. Funds for both rain barrel and rain garden grants are limited. Applications for rain barrels will be considered on a continuing basis until available funds for the year are committed. Applications for rain gardens and conservation landscapes require some initial design and are due by May 3. Applications will be considered and funded giving priority to projects with the greatest stormwater benefits to the community. Applications received after the due date will be considered if funds are available.

Applications for Stormwater Runoff Grants Now Available

Center for Spiritual Living Holds Concert this Saturday

The Falls Church Village Preservation and Improvement Society (VPIS) is making grants to City of Falls Church residents for projects to reduce stormwater runoff. Grants are available for projects to install rain gardens or conservation landscapes and for purchase of rain barrels to store rain water. The grants are part of the RainSmart Program implemented by VPIS with support from the City of Falls Church. The Program is intended to help City of Falls Church residents implement practices, such as rain barrels and rain gardens, that help rainwater soak into the ground on-site to prevent flooding and protect water quality locally and in the wider Chesapeake Bay watershed. Under the RainSmart Program, City residents can apply for grant funds for up to two rain barrels with a limit of $50 for each barrel. Workshops are scheduled for March 10 and 30, April 5 and 6, and May 25. Under the RainSmart Program, City residents can apply for grant funds to cover up to 50 percent

In celebration of 100 years of Science of Mind, the Celebration Center for Spiritual Living (2840 Graham Rd., Falls Church), is having a music concert on Saturday, March 9 from 7:30 – 9 p.m. Free parking is widely available for those interested in attending. A few of the performers are: Amy Conley, Soul Pajamas, Jim and Ashley Cash of Woven Green, Nina Gibson and LeAnne Gioeli. Tickets are $20 and are on sale now. For more information and to reserve tickets, call Michael Zawadzki at 571-318-1722.

Medicaid Application Event on March 12 As of Jan. 1, many residents who were previously denied or never applied for Medicaid are now eligible for free health coverage through expanded funding for the state. An estimated 42 percent of eligible Virginia residents have not yet taken advantage of the newly expanded coverage. That is why, on March 12, Virginia residents throughout the region are invited to an event where they

Send Us Your News & Notes!

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

Community News & Notes: newsandnotes@fcnp.com | School News & Notes: schoolnews@fcnp.com Mail: News & Notes, Falls Church News-Press, 200 Little Falls St. #508, Falls Church, VA 22046

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

LO CA L

TINNER HILL HERITAGE FOUNDATION’S Ed Henderson speaks to a crowd of people at Mary Riley Styles Library last Thursday about the history of eminent domain and its usage to disenfranchise African-Americans in the City (P��: N��-P��)

can apply for coverage on the spot. The free event, sponsored by Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS), will take place at the Innovation Hall Building at George Mason University’s Fairfax Campus (4699 Mattaponi River Ln., Fairfax). Interpreters will be on hand to assist residents who speak Spanish and other languages. The Medicaid Application event is free and open to all Virginia residents, who are encouraged to sign up for twohour appointments at 10 a.m., noon or 2 p.m. To register, call 571-748-2616 (and leave your name, date of birth, session time preference and phone number) or email apphelp@nvfs.org. Eligible

enrollees include: legal Virginia residents who are not already in or eligible for Medicare; individuals not born in the U.S. who meet LPR (lawful permanent resident) status of a minimum of five years with a 10-year work history; and those who meet income requirements, which vary depending on household size. Residents are asked to bring the following information to the March 12 event: Social Security numbers or document numbers for any legal immigrants who need insurance, employer or income information for everyone in your family (for example, from paystubs, W2 forms or wage and tax statements), policy numbers for any current health insurance, and

MARCH 7 – 13, 2019 | PAGE 11

GATHERING FOR FIRSTfriday of Falls Church honoring cancer survivor and former Mini Page illustrator Wendy Daily (second from right), for about 35 years she was the illustrator/artist for the Mini Page — a children’s educational newspaper which in its hey day was carried by over 500 newspapers throughout the US and overseas. Daley did the mini spies, dot to dots and all the illustrations for each issue 52 weeks of the year. (P��: C�� T�� G��)

information about any job-related health insurance available to your family.

Memorial Service for Jeffrey Bandy Set for Saturday Jeffrey Michael Bandy enrolled in Falls Church City Public Schools at the age of 4 and would attend for the next 15 years. As a 2018 graduate of George Mason High School, he was still attending classes in the LifeSkills program when he passed away at his home on February 24. Memorial services are set for 9 a.m. Saturday, March 9, at the Falls Church Presbyterian Church (225 E. Broad St., Falls Church). Contributions may

be made to support the Jeffrey Bandy Memorial Music Program stewarded by the Falls Church Education Foundation. Checks, payable to FCEF, may be mailed to 800 W Broad St., Suite 203, Falls Church, VA 22046 or donations may be made online in Jeffrey’s memory. To read Bandy’s complete obituary

Final Tally from OHOP Fundraiser for Library The final day of February also concluded Library Lover’s month. In support of Mary Riley Styles Library, the Original Pancake House (7395 Lee Highway, Falls Church) donated 15 percent of its proceeds to MRSPL Foundation.

The Original Pancake House raised $265 in support of the Library as a part of its fundraiser, which will be used to fund special projects and to build a longterm endowment for the library’s future.

Old Firehouse Center Goes To See ‘Captain Marvel’ The Old Firehouse Center (1440 Chain Bridge Rd., McLean) will take teens to view the new Marvel film, “Captain Marvel,” on March 8 from 4 – 11 p.m. Prior to the film, the group will eat at a hibachi restaurant. Movie tickets and dinner are included in price — $45 for non-members and $35 for Old Firehouse members.

PAGE 12 | MARCH 7 – 13, 2019

CO MME NT

A Penny for Your Thoughts

News of Greater Falls Church By Supervisor Penny Gross

March came in like a lion, adding fuel to arguments about climate change and its effects locally, nationally, and globally. At the National Association of Counties (NACo) annual legislative conference last weekend, local officials discussed the challenges of climate change. Interest in the subject was high, necessitating adding room at the Resilient Counties luncheon that featured guest speakers from the NOAA Climate Program Office, and Broward County, Florida. In parts of western Nevada, formerly dry lakebeds are flooding because of intense rainfall, affecting structures and land values. Farther west, California counties have lost hundreds of thousands of acres to wildfires. Thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed, and when the rains came, mud flows destroyed much of what was left. In fact, the luncheon chairman revealed that he and his family had been rescued by emergency personnel just two days before he came to Washington, as his home in Sonoma County was flooded by the Russian River. In the Midwest, tornadoes have a similar destructive effect, with little or no advance notice, and in fragile southern Florida, population growth has impaired the availability of drinking water. Hurricanes and blizzards pummel the East Coast, and extreme temperatures sometimes freeze the Great Lakes, affecting commerce and shipping lanes. No specific solutions were presented by the resilience panel, but the overarching recommendation was plan, plan, plan. Federal, state, and local programs and policies must be updated constantly, especially as staffing changes and new relationships are developed. Some of those relationships led to the development of Fairfax County’s recently released Community Emergency Response Guide, full of helpful information for residents and businesses. It may be accessed

online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/emergencymanagement/cerg. The guide is the result of more than a year of work with first responder and emergency management personnel, and provides information about how you can make your own emergency plan, and what to do when county assistance may not be available. Climate change and weather emergencies are not going away, so preparedness is crucial to survival — yours and your neighbors’. County parks are a lot more entertaining than emergency preparedness, and a fun new program just started in Mason District, which boasts a nature center, a horticultural center, a recreation center, an amphitheatre, and a golf course, plus a rentable historic house and a bevy of parks with ballfields, tennis courts, and playgrounds. From March 1 through August 19, the Fairfax County Park Authority invites families to explore many of our parks with a new activity, Follow the Beadin’ Path. Pick up an activity sheet at any of four staffed sites – Hidden Oaks Nature Center, Green Spring Gardens, Providence RECenter, or Pinecrest Golf Course (www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/beadinpath) — and visit selected parks to answer questions. Return to one of the four sites to collect a special whimsical bead to add to a necklace cord for each correct answer. After answering at least five questions, return your flier to one of the four sites to receive a prize packet. A full color map of the parks in Mason District will help guide you to future explorations. Join a naturalist for a kickoff event on the new interpretive trail at Mason District Park on Saturday, March 16, at 11 a.m. It’s fun for the whole family, and free, too!  Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Senator Dick Saslaw’s

Richmond Report The 2019 legislative session officially ended nearly two weeks ago. We will gather in Richmond again on April 3 for the reconvene session. I have the privilege of serving the 35th District as well as serving as a senior member on the Senate Finance Committee and as a budget conferee for close to 10 years. Legislators must be good stewards of the tax revenues that come from hardworking Virginians. I am proud of the sound fiscal policy that’s been a cornerstone of every budget I’ve placed my stamp of approval on. On a personal note, as a small business owner I know what it’s like to have to make payroll while at the same time supporting a family and prioritizing household spending decisions. One important topic of concern this session was conforming Virginia’s Tax Code to the federal government’s in the aftermath of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA). It was critical for us to amend the biennial budget closing out FY 2019 and lay out the spending plan for FY 2020. Tax conformity identifies the state’s adoption of the federal definitions of income and adjusted income for both individuals and businesses. This then produces the revenue basis for building a balanced budget. Different perspectives within the majority party in both chambers led to a delayed enactment of the policy that included deductible adjustments as well as refunds for Virginians. Under the TCJA, top income earners were the ultimate winners. With a resolution on the 2018 conformity issue, Virginians now have a consistent and concise model for filing their state taxes. Because of this policy decision, individuals can expect up to a $110 refund and married couples $220. Further, the Virginia Tax Department received the green light to start processing 2018 returns that had been filed beginning in late January. Clearly identifying revenues, budget negotiators from the House and Senate began the process of prioritizing critical investments for the Commonwealth’s economic wellbeing. Virginia continues its steady recovery from its dependence on federal spending. The new Virginia economy is more diverse and a collaboration between business and

education is the source for workforce development. The amended budget now before the Governor included key deposits in the rainyday fund ($262.9 million) for this year and future years. Additionally, the revenue cash reserve deposits will ensure Virginia’s AAA bond rating, maximizing the Commonwealth’s ability to amortize its long-term bond projects. Economic development investments put Virginia on the map as the place to do business in our global economy. While Northern Virginia is the economic engine, the Commonwealth is best served when all parts are lifted up. Investing $15 million to accelerate broadband expansion in rural and unserved areas will have far reaching results. An additional $2 million to develop business ready sites and building will attract more high paying jobs and capital investments throughout the state. Another aspect of the environment found in this budget is a large investment in water quality improvement. Mitigating stormwater issues, $10 million is earmarked along with $25 million for Alexandria’s combined sewer overflow project, which addresses long term problems in the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. The Commonwealth is facing a serious teacher shortage. Current compensation levels place Virginia in the lower tiers of the national pay scale. We have funded 5 percent pay raises for the educators who are tasked with developing our most precious natural resource, Virginia’s children. We added additional funds for the At Risk Add On, a program that addresses the many issues surrounding economic disparity and diverse student populations. With these and many other stressors, we are providing funds for a reduced counselor to student ratio in our schools. This is a tiny overview of critical investments. Virginians can be proud of how their tax dollars are being spent. Putting this column together required thousands of hours from staff, legislators and the public. I supported this budget and stand by the priorities in it.  Senator Saslaw represents the 35th District in the Virginia State Senate. He may be emailed at district35@senate.virginia.gov.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

CO MME NT

MARCH 7 – 13, 2019 | PAGE 13

50th Anniversary of The Stonewall Riots

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York which is generally recognized as the critical inflexion point in the launching of the “gay liberation revolution” which has led to an extraordinary expansion of public acceptance and legal protections for persons who identify themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, “queer” or questioning (hence, LGBTQ). As one who was “there” as an activist in the earliest days of the movement, although I was in San Francisco, a long way away, where the impact of the three-day June 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York’s Greenwich Village was not directly FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS felt or deemed particularly significant at first, I’m considerably more than an eyewitness to events then and since. In this anniversary year, with so many celebrations planned to mark the occasion, I am working on my own contribution to the history in the form of a new book of collected writings from that era, tentatively entitled, “My Gay Activist Days in San Francisco, 1969-1972” (watch this space for further news on publication plans and dates). Especially over the course of the past decade, I’ve been able to assemble copies of some of the more relevant old writings. A naturalborn journalist since early childhood, my “coming out” as a naturalborn gay person was as a prolific writer in the counterculture newspapers of that era, including the Berkeley Barb, the Berkeley Tribe, the Gay Sunshine, and my own publication, The Effeminist. I wrote the first editorial in the first-ever edition of Gay Sunshine, the first and most vibrant gay newspaper in the Bay Area. I also orchestrated the “People’s Alternative” gay meeting space in a time when there were so few (existing gay gathering places, like the White Horse, the bar right across the street in Berkeley, were very closely monitored and constrained by the police). Two of the most relevant pamphlets I authored and circulated in that era were entitled, “God and My Gay Soul” (I was just graduating with a masters degree and honors from the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, a graduate theological seminary affiliated with the progressive United Church of Christ) and the more colorfully titled and salient, “Sexism, Racism and White Faggots in Sodomist Amerika.” Going back over these pamphlets, and many of the articles I wrote in the area’s countercultural newspapers, I’ve been struck by how relevant my views were in today’s terms and how consistently I have maintained the same core values over these subsequent 50 years. There was more than one dip or turn in these years, including some bad decisions on my part. It was also the era of the most horrid epoch in the LGBTQ history, the AIDS epidemic that led to the deaths of over 600,000 LGBTQ persons in the U.S. between 1981 and 1996. But for me, I eventually stabilized my life, founding a progressive general interest community newspaper inside the Washington, D.C. beltway that is now in its 29th year of consecutive weekly publication. Still, after all this time, affirming the inherent value of all, including LGBTQ persons, especially in the context of the need to overthrow the root of social oppression in our culture, male supremacy, has continued to be maintained by me as my, so to speak, moral compass. I still hold that the feminist cause (my short-lived newspaper from 1971, The Effeminist, was subtitled “Gay Men in the Feminist Revolution”) must be at the heart of all struggles for social justice and equality. My published collection of 100 essays originally published between 2010 and 2012 in the Washington, D.C. gay magazine, Metro Weekly, entitled, “Extraordinary Hearts, Reclaiming Gay Sensibility’s Central Role in the Progress of Civilization” (Lethe Press, 2013) affirmed this perspective, too. Society constantly faces the challenge of a reversion to darker times. The national Methodist Church decision to deny LGBTQ clergy and marriages is only the latest example, and so is the recent decline in the numbers of safe places for our “tribe” to gather and interact. So the 50th anniversary is an important occasion for remembrance and revitalization.  Nicholas Benton may be emailed at nfbenton@fcnp.com.

Nicholas F. Benton

Our Man in Arlington By Charlie Clark

One family’s housing crisis was resolved last week in some 13 minutes. By auction. About 50 gathered March 1 at the Wisemiller home at Sycamore and N. 27th sts. to witness the rapid-fire transfer of property. The rambler built in 1949 had sat idle with a home-made “For Sale” sign for more than a year in the hope of attracting $600,000plus offer. Pressed with expenses of Mrs. Wisemiller and a son in assisted living, the family turned to Damewood Auctioneers. I was not there simply by chance. I grew up with a Wisemiller daughter, and I interviewed Mrs. Wisemiller 15 years ago on the formerly controversial “Monster House” that looms across the street. Builder friends had told me the small fixer-upper she occupied for 50 years might be a tough sell. Its odd-shaped corner lot and proximity to sloping land alongside the historic Birch-Payne cemetery made it less than ideal for new construction. But the marketing pros got busy. “Rare offering inside the Beltway boasts an amazing location,” read the literature released before showings began in February. “Buy NOW before the Amazon rush.” Six minutes before 11 a.m. auction time on that chilly Friday, John Nicholls of the Nicholls Auction Marketing Group gave the final alert to visitors examining the interior.

We a r i n g Bluetooth earphones and a microphone, Nicholls recited procedural details he touted as “totally transparent.” Bidding would start at $300,000. Participants must have $25,000 in earnest money ready, balance due in 30 days. There would be a 10 percent add-on as a buyer’s premium. The “as is” sale will be a “contingency-free purchase,” Nicholls said — no delays for an inspection, walk-through or appraisal. “If you need financing, do not bid,” he advised. “If there is 1 percent doubt in your mind, I suggest you do not bid.” The actual auction “won’t take but two to two-and-a-half minutes. Do not expect breaks or recess.” The winner will come in the house and sign, within minutes, the contract that has been on website. “This property is going to convey today.” The auctioneer sympathetically noted the Wisemillers’ “need to provide for their mother’s future care.” He acknowledged the house did not contain the three bedrooms noted in tax records, but only two, following a bathroom expansion. And a recent burst pipe, “beyond our control,” ruined the heater and required removal of sheet rock and flooring. “Bid early, bid often,” Nicholls concluded. The estimated 40 bidders present and online, I was told by Brian Damewood, included both homebuilders and families hoping to move in. “For the winner,” he said, “it’s a numbers game.”

A few minutes after 11, Nicholls began rattling in traditional auctioneer’s cadence. An assistant held up fingers to clarify where the hand-motioned bids stood: $350,000, past $400,000, past $500,000, plateauing at $540,000. With the premium, the sale price was $594,000. Applause. The buyer was Paramount Investments LLC of Fairfax, represented by Zach Baltimore. After signing the papers, he told me his firm likely would remodel. But he didn’t rule out a teardown. “You have to work fast,” the auctioneer told me. “If you can talk ‘em into it, someone else can talk ’em out of it.” Wisemiller family members, observing discretely from their van, were given one last chance to remove personal belongings. The daughter choked up. Finally, they claim an inheritance and care for Mom. *** I witnessed breakfast-eers of the Kiwanis Club of Arlington on Feb. 27 present a $1,000 grant to the Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network. There to express gratitude at Knights of Columbus was A-SPAN Board Chair Mike Garcia. The nonprofit’s just-completed, federally required count (not yet published) showed 232 homeless people in Arlington, 30 chronically so. Its Courthousearea shelter (capacity of 80 wintertime) is currently housing 70. The Kiwanis check, Garcia added, will also help stabilize other families at risk of losing their housing.

SPO RTS

PAGE 14 | MARCH 7 – 13, 2019

Uneven 4th Quarter Ends Mason’s Season in State Quarterfinals, 60-47 by Matt Delaney

Falls Church News-Press

George Mason High School sophomore guard Deven Martino spun out of a trap, drove to the rim and hit a scoop layup that ping-ponged off both sides of the rim before sinking right at the buzzer. The only problem was Martino’s bucket concluded the third quarter; the fourth would tell a much different story for the Mustangs in their 60-47 loss to Region A champions Goochland High School in the Class 2 state quarterfinal. “Once they took the lead, you felt the momentum completely switch,” Mason head coach Chris Capannola said. “We just needed a bucket to calm things down and I don’t think we ever got it…It just snowballs from that point.” The final eight minutes saw Mason’s (18-9) moxie evaporate into the air at Richmond’s Godwin High School and rain down upon a Goochland team that looked rejuvenated after three wonky quarters. A short jumper along the baseline by the Bulldogs pushed them ahead 41-40 and gave them their first lead since being up 12-6 with three minutes to go in the first quarter. The Mustangs would trail for the rest of the game despite having opportunities to overcome the deficit. Goochland’s go-ahead bucket came at the 6:21 mark, but the Bulldogs weren’t exceptionally dominant in the possessions that followed. They continued to chuck deep threes, committed a charge on one offensive series and were stripped on another. But the Mustangs, caged in by foul trouble on defense and full-court pressure on offense, became harried. “Their pressure rattled us a bit. We didn’t have an answer right away. We missed a few layups and they hit a few free throws,” senior guard Max Ashton said. “The lead just ballooned at the end and it kind of deflated us.” Mason searched for a haymaking headshot in the form of a three-pointer instead of working body blows inside the paint to reestablish its hold in the game. Three out of four possessions following Goochland’s lead-taking jumper, Martino and Ashton hoisted up threes. It was Martino’s second attempt — a wide open look

in the left corner — and its unsettling clang off the iron that articulated Mason’s waning chance of advancing to the Mustang faithful. Ashton strided in for a layup to bring Mason within one at 43-42. Capannola sensed his team was reeling but opted to wait for one more bucket before calling a timeout. However, a fruitful trip to the line and a three-point play by the Bulldogs put the region champs up 48-42 with 3:01 to go. At that point a Goochland crowd that had been rowdy throughout became rambunctious and hard for the Mustangs to block out. “We don’t play in front crowds like this anywhere — ever. It caused us to freeze up,” Capannola added. “It doesn’t have to be much, just a little bit, but it was just enough for them to get the lead and that was about the end of it.” Ashton agreed that the crowd messed with Mason’s communication on the court, but didn’t feel the atmosphere dampened the Mustangs’ confidence as much as the inability find the twine did. Prior to the forgettable fourth quarter, Mason was having its performance of the season. After keeping their footing from Goochland’s early surge to go up 12-6, the Mustangs took command. Ashton hit a straightaway three the next possession, senior forward Seid Lejlic had a putback bucket and sophomore guard Robert Asel converted a three point play to follow. Senior forward Hollman Smith also put a miss back in the rack and Ashton hit a mid-range jumper from the free throw line as the first quarter clock expired to end on a 12-2 run. Coming into the second up 18-14, the Mustangs didn’t relax. The Bulldogs leveled the contest at 18 when Ashton and Martino guided a 7-0 run to retake control. Goochland bounced back again to get within one at 25-24, but Ashton’s post-up two and another mid-range jumper pushed the game to its 29-24 halftime score. A floater from Martino and an elbow three from Smith stretched Mason’s lead to 33-26 with four minutes to go in the third. The margin remained at seven when Martino’s layup underneath had the Mustangs up 38-31, until a short 6-0 Bulldog run was stopped by Martino’s end-of-third buzzer

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

beater. The end of the season marked the end of an era for Mason in more ways than one. Ashton and Smith both scored over 1,000 points this season, with Ashton becoming the school’s all-time leading scorer in the process. The time to reflect came two games too early, but the gravitas of his individual accomplishments wasn’t lost on him. “It was really cool to leave my mark like that and having an undefeated Bull Run season. It was a great season with these guys and I’m just fortunate to play with them,” Ashton said. Following the game, Capannola made his retirement from Mason’s program official after nearly 20 years at the helm. He was glad he got to end his tenure with this crew and has faith the team will be in good hands with the players coming up. Capannola added it was time for someone else to run the program and see what they can do.

A COMBINATION OF intensified pressure on offense (top) and foul trouble on defense gave the Mustangs little room to operate comfortably throughout the second half. The contest had a different feel early on though as senior guard Max Ashton and the rest of Mustangs were hot in the first half, with Ashton scoring 13 of his 16 points in the game during the first two quarters. (Photos: Carol Sly)

LO CA L

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

DR. SEUSS’ BIRTHDAY on March 2 marked annual Read Across America day for Jessie Thackrey Preschool, Mount Daniel Elementary and Thomas Jefferson Elementary students. While Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and 2 visited the preschool students, guest readers dropped into the elementary schools, such as this gentleman at TJ. (Photo: FCCPS Photo/Rob Carey)

Fa l l s C h u r c h

School News & Notes Mason’s Robotics Team Takes 2nd at District Event The George Mason High School Robotics Team #1418 were finalists at the Chesapeake District Event in Haymarket Virginia this weekend. The team lost the playoff championship by one point in the last two matches after winning the first final match by the high score of the entire weekend. All of the stats are detailed on the Blue Alliance site. Currently, Mason’s team is ranked 7th out of 127 teams in the district, and Mason brought home the trophy for Excellence in Engineering for the first time in the fifteen years of robotics. The next competition will be held at Oxon Hill High School on March 22 – 24.

Mason’s Mock Trial Team Wins State Championship This past weekend, the George Mason High School Mock Trial team competed in Virginia’s State Championships at William & Mary Law School. After five grueling rounds, the team emerged victorious with a win in the final match against defend-

ing state champion, Dominion Christian School. Mason became the first public school in six years to win the Virginia state championship, earning the right to represent Virginia in the Mock Trial National Championships in Athens, Georgia in May. Both Evelyn Duross and James Weichert won individual top attorney awards and Fiona Howard won an individual award for the top witness. The mock trial teams girls include Duross, Howard, Sarah Valley, Maryn Hiscott and Katherine Freeman, and the boys include Ishan Bhalla and Weichert.

Keenan, Snyder Recognized At Speech Metrofinals On Feb. 23, senior Grace Keenan and sophomore Elizabeth Snyder won awards at the annual tri-state Speech Metrofinals. They both qualify for the National Catholic Foreign League tournament in May in Milwaukee. Keenan placed first among Virginia competitors in two Speech categories, and tournament-wide, she placed second in Dramatic Performance and fourth in Original Oratory. Snyder

placed third, tournament-wide, in Declamation.

Personal Project Showcase Comes to Mason March 13 This year the George Mason High School (7124 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church) International Dinner and Personal Project Showcase will be held on Wednesday, March 13, beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the Mustang Café and both gyms. The dinner is a potluck event hosted annually by Mason’s International Club and sponsored by the Parent-Teacher-Student Association and ESOL/World Language staff. All are welcome to the celebration of Falls Church’s diverse community, sharing an array of ethnic foods and entertainment with an international flair. Following dinner, the MYP Personal Project Showcase shares sophomores’ Personal Projects, a culmination of the IB Middle Years Programme. Family and community members are encouraged to view the wide variety of student work in the gyms and to talk with the 10th graders about their ideas and results.

MARCH 7 – 13, 2019 | PAGE 15

LO CA L

PAGE 16 | MARCH 7 – 13, 2019

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Mason Alum Turned Millionaire Shares Story with F.C. by Matt Delaney

Falls Church News-Press

What’s the price of freedom to you? To most, we assume it’s dedicating our lives to a meansto-an-end job in order to incrementally save money until we can — finally — backload our golden years with our passions. Flipping that narrative on its head is Falls Church native and creator of the personal finance, investment and entrepreneurship community Millennial Money, Grant Sabatier. His new book “Financial Freedom: A Proven Path to All the Money You’ll Ever Need” and speaking tour passing through his alma mater George Mason High School (‘03) intends to show people how to take control of money, and more importantly, win their freedom on their terms. Sabatier never cut his teeth on the trading floor of Wall Street or went to the Wharton School of business, so what makes him a reliable source on finance? It’s because he defied the orthodoxy of financial gurus and achieved what most people dream of in a fraction of the time. He was 24 years old, recently canned from a job and had nary three bucks to his name. In that moment (while fighting cravings for a Chipotle burrito) Sabatier set two seemingly unrealistic goals: to save $1 million and retire as early as possible. The first step on that journey was reflecting on all the knowledge he had learned about money in his life. “I looked out into the world and saw everyone was so stressed about money — family, friends and just society in general,” Sabatier said. “I made a list of all the things we’ve all been taught about money, but the lessons were either so old school or just wrong, the main one being ‘Time is money.’ To me, money is infinite, but you can never get back your time.” With the clarity of what he prioritized in-hand, Sabatier set out to use money to free up his time rather than give up the latter for the former. He learned to run mobile ad campaigns through Google, got a job out in Chicago and soon enough was making $300,000 sales to clients. Sabatier eventually took the experience he attained to start his own digital marketing firm, his first of many businesses. All along he was ingesting every

book he could find on finance (which he claimed to be over 300) and sorting through all the “scammy” wealth and investment seminars that he feels most Americans get suckered into. Sabatier identified two main antagonists while embarking on his path. One was the conventional wisdom of the finance industry. To him, its advice to save five to 10 percent of your annual income is a signature lie that convinces people slow and steady is the only way to build up a retirement fund. The other, he believes, is our consumerist, and often glamourheavy, culture that treats shopping as a leisure activity and pushes the idea that financial freedom is having $5 million just lying around. So Sabatier chose to cut against those trends. He opted to live frugally by saving nearly 80 percent of his annual income while spending less than $20,000 year, most of which went into new investments. He even took it further than most by driving an $800 Nissan Maxima and renting a less-thanstellar apartment in a safe(ish) neighborhood that his girlfriend chose to steer clear from. The trials helped Sabatier develop seven phases of financial freedom that he thinks can give people a framework to orient their lives by, just like it did for him in the five year period where he went from $2.26 in his bank account to $1.25 million — figure out where you are and where you want to go (clarity), earn enough money to cover your expenses (self-sufficiency), escape living paycheck to paycheck (breathing room), accrue six months of living expenses and paid off bad debt (stability) and then accrue two years of living expenses saved (flexibility), make enough money from investments so work becomes optional (financial independence) and when you have more money than you’ll ever need (abundant wealth). Amid all these phases are investment strategies, advice on side hustles and, yes, learning to be frugal without sacrificing what expenditures are most precious to a person. It was when Sabatier started penning his step-by-step guide to acting out these stages in his blog that he came to understand the literal information on how to make money was secondary to the greater meaning the money possessed. “One of the first reader emails I got said, ‘You helped me save $13,000 in a year and saved my

WHEN HE’S NOT filling concert halls discussing his financial strategies (top), Grant Sabatier spends his leisure time his money affords him by traveling and playing guitar, all while donning man-bun in true millennial fashion. (Photo: Courtesy Lou Ann Sabatier/Sabatier Consulting) marriage. Thank you for everything and keep doing what you’re doing,’” Sabatier added. “It gave me a such a joy helping people like that. I didn’t have a mission or a purpose, and all of sudden my purpose in life just showed up. Since 2016, I’ve dedicated my life to traveling the world, teaching people how to save and invest money and just commit to this process.” There was one final obstacle that Sabatier had to overcome: himself. The 34-year-old stresses that all money spent symbolizes a tradeoff in time, so spend it on what makes you happy — whether that’s artisanal coffee or takeout food. But Sabatier had become so addicted to making money he forgot that the things that made him happiest were free. He admits that he lost his late 20s and a few friends because he failed to realize

the freedom he craved so badly was already within his grasp. Still, that obsession gave Sabatier the ability and stature to communicate with people about how to remove their scarcity mindset with money. So he does feel the tradeoff, however costly and exhausting, worked itself out. Removing that obsessive, and often, anxious lens is the main lesson he looks to bring to Mason on Friday. To Sabatier, teaching the tactics about saving and making money is simple — it just requires follow-through on the adherents’ end. But showing students that fretting over grades and SATs inculcates stress as their life’s default mode is the hard part. Similar to how investments compound over time in a positive fashion, stress starting from an early age does so negatively. And controlling that stress is a key

in helping people find out what makes them happy. Once adulthood rolls around, money is one of those stressors that gets in the way of self-discovery. “Most people don’t know what makes them happy, so money gives them the time and space to figure that out,” Sabatier said. “You can always go back to that crappy job, but in 10 years it might be too late to do some of the things you’ve always wanted. A lot of people are richer than they realize, it’s just hard to see when you feel stuck by the constraints of a lifestyle you feel you’re supposed to live or job you think you have to have.” Sabatier’s book tour stop will be at Capitol City Brewing Company (1100 New York Ave NW, Washington, D.C.) tomorrow from 7 – 10 p.m. His visit to Mason is to be announced.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

A RTS&E NTE RTA I NME NT

MARCH 7 – 13, 2019 | PAGE 17

AMANDA RANOWSKY and Christopher Crockett will animate the two-person ensemble in “Oleanna” at the Italian Café. The play uses the cultural backdrop of the sexual assault allegations levied against Brett Kavanaugh during his Supreme Court confirmation hearing to illustrate the murky territory that relationships between men and women can wade into. (Photos: Courtesy Chip Gertzog/Providence Players of Fairfax)

Providence Players Take ‘Oleanna’ to the Small Stage by Orrin Konheim

Falls Church News-Press

For the heavy subject matter of the David Mamet play “Oleanna,” the Providence Players of Fairfax has opted for a more intimate setting at the Italian Café. “We wanted to stretch ourselves artistically, and take on new material that may not quite fit with our mainstage offerings,” said Providence Players president Jayne Victor through press materials. The play, about a professor named John (Christopher Crockett) on the verge of tenure and a student named Carol (Amanda Ranowsky) who accuses him of sexual harassment, is something that the Providence Players board felt the production would be better in a more intimate environment. “There is no stage, simply a desk and a few chairs in the middle of the room, with chairs in the round. We wanted to keep the set simple and exposed — we are really putting these interactions between John and Carol under a microscope and inviting

the audience to get up close and personal with the characters,” said “Oleanna” director Julia Janson, who notes that there will only be three feet between the front row and the performance area. The playwright and screenwriter David Mamet has a long history of tackling uncomfortable topics whether the façade of upright politicians (“Wag the Dog”), the cruelty of capitalism (“Glengarry Glenn Ross”), minefields of relationships with respect to class (“Sexual Perversity in Chicago”) and the legal impunity of big corporations (“The Verdict”). Mamet originally wrote a draft of this play about sexual politics but decided to complete it when the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court confirmation hearings in 1991 and accusations of sexual harassment by Anita Hill made the topic even more salient. According to Janson, the Brett Kavanaugh hearing and the Christine Blasey Ford testimony this past September was the main catalyst for the decision to stage this play because of it’s highly relevant to the cultural and political environment.

Janson notes that like our present society in the wake of many of the latest political scandals, the play is intended to produce and highlight a lot of mixed opinions. “[The play] takes an ambiguous situation and puts it in front of the audience. Despite the same thing happening in front of 40 audience members, I can guarantee that people will see the situation very differently,” said Janson. “We view through the world through our own experiences so there are people who will say that what John does is completely innocent but there are other people who will say that’s creepy and that’s based on their life experiences.” Janson sees a theme of the play as “preconception being dangerous.” Looking at the interactions between Carol and John, she said, “There are so many moments in the show where we see this potential off-ramp to conflict if they only just talked.” The hope, according to Janson, is that “We will show that this is an uncomfortable discussion with no capital ‘W’ wrong or no capital

‘R’ right.” For actress Amanda Ranowsky, who has been with Providence Players for eight years, being part of a two-person ensemble is an exciting opportunity to stretch. “It’s a really wonderful challenge. This is probably the meatiest role I’ve had to date,” she said. Ranowsky previously worked with co-star Christopher Crockett and Janson on “August Maine.” Additionally, Crockett and Janson are married and rehearsed this play in their living room. In keeping with the intimacy of the atmosphere, there wasn’t a great deal of technical work needed for this play nor was it desired. “We gave careful thought to the set pieces and props that are there to realistically create the tiny world of John’s office, but the team agreed that any tech past that would have served to be more distracting than beneficial,” said Janson. This is the first Providence Players production to be held in this black box format but it doesn’t mean anything’s changing. “The company is still staying very much on brand for mainstay

productions. By doing it in its separate venue, we are allowing a branch, where we can do some of these more controversial shows in a smaller more intimate setting,” said Janson. Although the play is being presented in a restaurant, the Providence Players wants to make clear that this is not dinner theater. Audience members are invited to order dinner beforehand or after the show and will be allowed to have beverages during the play but dining options won’t be available during the course of the play itself. Rather, the arrangement exists because of the existing relationship between The Italian Café and Providence Players. The restaurant has sponsored Providence Players productions, catered their cast parties and is often where board meetings are held. The room will seat 40 people and tickets will be $10. The play will be performed over two weekends, running from March 7 – 16 at 8 p.m. The Italian Café is located at 7161 Lee Highway, Falls Church.

CA L E NDA R

PAGE 18 | MARCH 7 – 13, 2019

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

FALLS CHURCHCALENDAR COMMUNITYEVENTS THURSDAY, MARCH 7 New Yorker Discussion Group. Any residents who enjoy reading The New Yorker and wish they had someone to chat about it with are encouraged to drop into the monthly New Yorker Discussion Group to share their thoughts on what they’ve read in a variety of articles. Attendees can pick up the article at the senior center or at the circulation desk of the Mary Riley Styles Public Library. Senior Center @ Community Center (223 Little Falls St., Falls Church). 2 – 3 p.m. Teen Volunteer Orientation. Required for new volunteers interested in earning service hours at the library this winter. For teens in grades 7-12, registration and volunteer application required.

Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 6 – 6:30 p.m. 703-248-5034.

FRIDAY, MARCH 8 Arm Chair Travel: Israel & Palestine. Attendees can join the group to watch a video about a different part of the world. No registration required. This program is sponsored by the Senior Center & Mary Riley Styles Public Library. Teen Center @ Community Center (223 Little Falls St., Falls Church). 10 – 11 a.m. DMV 2 Go Bus. The full-service DMV2Go bus will be in front of City Hall this Friday. Find out more about the full-service DMV 2 Go and select-service DMV Connect by visiting fallschurchva.gov/1359/DMV-2-Go-DMVConnect. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Falls Church). 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. 703248-5450.

SATURDAY, MARCH 9 Farmer’s Market. The year-round market is filled with fresh, local produce, meat, dairy, plants, honey, music and more. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Falls Church). 9 a.m. – noon. 703-248-5034. Celtic Music Concert. Interested residents can enjoy an evening of acoustic Irish music by Mitchelstown in the intimate atmosphere of the farmhouse parlor. Ages 18 and up. Cost is $15 / $20 day of. Register online through the City of Falls Church Recreation and Parks Depart or call 703-248-5027 (Registration Code 250725-A). Cherry Hill Farmhouse (312 Park Ave., Falls Church). 8 – 10 p.m.

MONDAY, MARCH 11 Preschool Storytime. Stories and fun for ages 0-5. Drop-in. All sto-

rytimes are followed by playtime with the Early Literacy Center toys. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 10:30 – 11 a.m. 703-248-5034. Playtime with Early Literacy Center Toys. Explore educational and manipulative items (aka toys) to teach early literacy through play. Recommended for ages birth to 5 years. No registration required — drop-ins welcome and encouraged. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 11 a.m. – noon. 703-2485034. ESL Conversation Group. A general conversation group (for adults) learning English as their second language meets every Monday. No registration required — dropins welcome and encouraged. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 7 – 8:30 p.m. 703-248-5034.

THEATER&ARTS

FRIDAY, MARCH 8 “Ain’t Misbehavin’.” Step into Harlem for a swinging, dancing celebration of big band and the songs of Thomas “Fats” Waller. This sultry Tony Award®winning musical tribute features all of Waller’s beloved tunes including “The Joint is Jumpin’,” “Honeysuckle Rose,” “Handful of Keys” and more. A cast of Signature favorites including Nova Y. Payton (“Jelly’s Last Jam”), Kevin McAllister (“Titanic”) and Iyona Blake (“Titanic”) strut the stage while “Jelly’s Last Jam’s” Mark G. Meadows tickles the ivories. Signature Theatre (420 Campbell Ave., Arlington) $65 – $74. 8:30 p.m. sigtheatre.com.

SATURDAY, MARCH 9 “Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.” Three women — an art restorer, her nurse and their military captor — are trapped in a ravaged museum during a catastrophic hundred years war. Tasked with restoring

#FCRESTAURANTWEEK

Restaurant Specials & More Details at FCRestaurantWeek.com

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

a damaged Rembrandt painting, the women find common shreds of humanity as they try to save a small symbol of beauty in their broken world. Signature Theatre (420 Campbell Ave., Arlington). $40 – $89. 7 p.m. sigtheatre.com.

Salami. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $12 – $25. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566.

“Thunder Knocking on the Door.” This bluesy show is an intoxicating musical fable filled with humor, heart and the extraordinary music of three-time Grammy award winner Keb’Mo’. In a small Alabama town, a mysterious Blues guitarplaying stranger named Marvell Thunder arrives at the door of the Dupree family and brings a challenge for the offspring of late Jaguar Dupree, the only man who ever outplayed him in a “cutting contest.” Thunder offers Glory Dupree, Jaguar’s blind daughter, a Faustian bargain: if he wins the contest he gets Jaguar’s guitar, and if she wins she gets her sight back. Creative Cauldron (410 S. Maple Ave., Falls Church). $32. 7:30 p.m. creativecauldron.org.

FRIDAY, MARCH 8

SUNDAY, MARCH 10 “Admissions.” Bill and Sherri are the white, progressive-and-proud headmaster and dean of admissions at Hillcrest, a mid-tier New Hampshire boarding school. Over the last fifteen years, they’ve worked to diversify the school’s mostly white population. But when their high-achieving son Charlie’s Ivy League dreams are jeopardized, the family’s reaction blasts open a deep rift between their public values and private decisions. Studio Theatre (1501 14th St. NW Washington, D.C.) $20 – $101. 8 p.m. studiotheatreorg.

LIVEMUSIC THURSDAY, MARCH 7 Brad Rhodes. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 6:30 p.m. 703-237-8333. The DC Moth StorySLAM. The Miracle Theatre (535 8th St. SE Washington, D.C.). $15. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566. Alice Phoebe Lou with L.A.

CA L E NDA R

MARCH 7 – 13, 2019 | PAGE 19

Thrillbilly’s. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504.

Happy Hour: Acoustic Soul. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-2419504. The Fabulous Dialtones’ Winter’s Almost Over Party with Steve Everett. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10 – $25. 8 p.m. 703-255-1566. The Montrose Trio. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd. Vienna). $40. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1900. Patty Reese. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington St. A, Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-8589186. Love is Love featuring DJs Ca$hy & Cruz with Samwell. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). $20. 9:30 p.m. 703237-0300.

THE MONTROSE TRIO will be at Wolf Trap tomorrow. (Photo: Shayne Gray)

Jimi Smooth & The Hit Time. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9:30 p.m. 703-2419504.

Laura & Linda Benanti: The Story Goes On. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd. Vienna). $40 – $45. 8 p.m. 703-255-1900.

Dan N’ Friends. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 10 p.m. 703-237-8333.

Broken Arrow — A Tribute to Neil Young. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). $18 – $22. 9 p.m. 703237-0300.

SATURDAY, MARCH 9 Accidental Charm. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-2419504. Lenny Burridge. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-532-9283.

Cactus Liquors. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9 p.m. 703-241-9504. DJ Janella Abidar. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington St. A, Falls Church). 10 p.m. 703858-9186.

SUNDAY, MARCH 10

MONDAY, MARCH 11

Dixieland Direct Live. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 1 p.m. 703-2419504.

The Bachelor Boys Band + Sound Society Band. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $12 – $25. 8 p.m. 703-255-1566.

Josh Allen Band Live. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-2419504.

TUESDAY, MARCH 12

Open Mic with Bob Sheppard. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington St. A, Falls Church). 5 p.m. 703-858-9186.

The Kennedys. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $20. 6:30 p.m. 703-255-1566.

Unity: A 311 Day Tribute with Tobin James. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10 – $22. 9:30 p.m. 703-255-1566.

Matthew Mayes & John Meyer of Jupiter Coyote with Dave Phenicie & The Keepers (with members of Blue Miracle). Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $18. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566.

Warehouse Descendants. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington St. A, Falls Church). 7 p.m. 703-858-9186.

Andrew Burleson Duo Live. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 10 p.m. 703237-8333.

The Bob Band (Bob Dylan Show). JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504.

The Choir feat. Michael Roe + The Throes. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $20. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566. Majestic: Drag Show. Diva Lounge (6763 Wilson Blvd., Falls Church). 10 p.m. 571-234-2045.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13 Habib Koité and Bassekou Kouyate. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd. Vienna). $45 – $55. 8 p.m. 703-255-1900. Open Mic with Bob & Martha. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Arlington). 8:30 p.m. 703522-8340.

Calendar Submissions Email: calendar@fcnp.com | Mail: Falls Church News-Press, Attn: Calendar, 200 Little Falls St., #508, Falls Church, VA 22046

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

PAGE 20 | MARCH 7 -13, 2019

CLEANING SERVICES

House Cleaning Service

A CLEANING SERVICE

Available 7 days a week Weekly - By Weekly - Monthly or by Time Move Out - Move In • 14 years Experience Good References • Senior Discount For Further Information: Call Susy • Cell (703) 901-0596

Licensed, Bonded and Insured since 1985 www.acleaningserviceinc.com

ACCT/TAX SERVICES

Robert Beatson II 4201 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Apt 3086 Washington, DC 20016

HOME IMPROVEMENT

OTHER SERVICES The Law Firm Of Janine S. Benton

703-892-8648

Over 30 years of providing cleaning services to NOVA, DC and MD Best Cleaning Company Award winner 2011-2017 If you like our service, please leave a review on Google or Yelp. If you have concerns about our service, please give me the opportunity to address it.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Couselors & Attorneys At Law

Give your Home a new look!! Affordable, Kitchen & Bathroom-Remodeling Home Additions Design & Build Licensed and Insured 703-638-8863 www.usandygroup.com

Attorney/Accountant, Former IRS Attorney All Federal, State, Local & Foreign Taxes Admitted to DC, MD, VA & NY Bars 703-798-3590 or 301-340-2951

Janine S. Benton, Esq jb@jbentonlaw.com

We Assist: government contractors small & large businesses

Tel: 703.217.2632 Fax: 703.832.3236 400 Maple Ave., So., Suite 210, Falls Church, Virginia 22046

Gay Studies Best Seller Nicholas Benton

Extraordinary Hearts Reclaiming Gay Sensibility's Central Role in the Progress of Civilization

www.beatsonlaw.com

RBeatsonatty@netscape.net

fcnp.com

Larry Kramer wrote: "A vital moral book about who we are and who we should be. I admire it and its author enormously." Order it from Amazon

classads@fcnp.com classads@fcnp.com C L AS S I F I E DS Miscellaneous

Public Notice

Education/Career Training

HOMEOWNERS WANTED! Kayak Pools looking for Demo Homesites to display new maintenance free Kayak Pools. Save thousands of $$. Unique opportunity! 100% ﬁnancing available. 1-888-788-5464

PUBLIC NOTICE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA

AIRLINES ARE AIRLINES – Get FAA approved hands on Aviation training. Financial aid for qualiﬁed students - Career placement assistance. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance SCHEV certiﬁed 877-204- 4130

For Sale ATTN. REALTORS:

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

Help Wanted/Drivers NEED CDL DRIVERS? Advertise your JOB OPENINGS statewide or in other states. Aﬀordable Print and Digital Solutions to reach truck drivers. Call Landon Clark at Virginia Press Services 804-5217576, landonc@vpa.net

Announcements THE RAINSMART PROGRAM an-

nounces grants for rain barrels and rain gardens to manage stormwater in the City of Falls Church. For more information see the Village Preservation and Improvement Society (VPIS) website: http://www.vpis.org/ environment/rainsmart-program/

Services DIVORCE-Uncontested, $395+$86 court

cost. No court appearance. Estimated completion time twenty-one days. Hilton Oliver, Attorney (Facebook). 757-490-0126 Se Habla Espanol. BBB Member. https:// hiltonoliverattorneyva.com.

classads@fcnp.com

VOLUNTEERS who live in the City of Falls Church are needed to serve on the boards and commissions listed below. Contact the City Clerk’s Office (703-248-5014, cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov, or www.fallschurchva.gov/BC) for an application form or more information. Positions advertised for more than one month may be ﬁlled during each subsequent month. Architectural Advisory Board Arts and Humanities Council of Falls Church Board of Building Code and Fire Prevention Code Appeals Board of Zoning Appeals Environmental Sustainability Council Historical Commission Retirement Board Tree Commission Regional Boards/Commissions Fairfax Area Commission on Aging

Auction ATTN. AUCTIONEERS: Advertise your

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 hereby 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) 551-3247. For the hearing impaired call (804) 367-9753.

classads@fcnp.com

upcoming auctions statewide or 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.ne

FORMER MARTIN’S GROCERY – Liquidation Auction! Online Bidding for A/C Units, Shelving, Displays, Safes, Lighting and more. Items Located: Midlothian, VA. Sale ends Tuesday, March 12 at 1 p.m. Learn more at www.Motleys.com or call 1-877-MOTLEYS.

fcnp.com

VISIT US ONLINE

www.fcnp.com News•Photos•Online Polls E-Issuu•Twitter•Sports and More

A RTS&E NTE RTA I NME NT

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Crossword

ACROSS

By David Levinson Wilk 1

14 17

22 26 29

Across

1. Easter staples 5. Unbroken mount 10. Roe source 14. Rescue mission, briefly 15. Sound 16. Health plan prefix 17. Sushi menu item named after Hamlet’s friend? 19. ____ mater 20. Roman 1,002 21. Get wind of 22. Sweet ‘un 24. They go from town to town: Abbr. 25. Magic, on a sports ticker 26. “Hey, spin for me!”? 27. “____ Rides Again” (1939 western) 29. Takes evening courses? 30. Shape of a plunging neckline 31. Singles network logo with a partly outlined Star of David 32. Ascend 33. What “Talk to the hand!” is an example of 34. Something thrown by Sean Lennon’s mom? 37. “____ on Fire” (2012 Alicia Keys hit) 40. “Time ____ the essence” 41. Copacetic 45. “Right you ___!” 46. Actress Lena of “Chocolat” 47. “Hmm, guess so” 48. Coffee brand named after a 40’s-50’s New York Yankee? 50. “Rhythm ____ Dancer” (1992

STRANGE BREW

1. Easter staples

MARCH 7 – 13, 2019 | PAGE 21

hit by Snap!) 51. Word with black or photo 52. Befuddled 53. Seriously uptight 54. Luau accessory 55. Sacagawea dollar, e.g. 56. Bad beginning ... or this puzzle’s theme 59. Of little ____ use 60. Aconcagua’s range 61. “Absolutely, amigo!” 62. Home in the forest 63. Certain econ class 64. Sources of vitamin C

DOWN

1. 1993 hit with the lyric “Keep playin’ that song all night” 2. Like pariahs 3. ____ Mayer, Yahoo! CEO beginning in 2012 4. Subj. for Bill Nye 5. Establishment that makes a lot of dough? 6. Like most of Maine 7. Dumpster emanation 8. It’s nothing, really 9. First sketch of an episode of “Saturday Night Live,” typically 10. Intelligent 11. Extremely, informally 12. Thinks highly of 13. Feinstein and Wiest 18. Dance: Prefix 23. Vienna’s land: Abbr. 26. ____ Islam, singer formerly known as Cat Stevens 28. “Gotta run,” in a text

JOHN DEERING

Sudoku

29. Nurse 32. Former TV partner of Barbara, Joy and Elisabeth 33. Word with coffee or gift 35. About 2.2 pounds 36. Cellist Pablo 37. Judy Garland, e.g. 38. Hematite, e.g. 39. Puts back on, as weight 42. It’s pitched by a pitcher 43. Bad-mouth 44. “Indeed so” 46. Spanish body part whose name in English is also a palindrome 47. Parent’s emphatic words after “Because” 49. “Otherwise ...” 50. Tattoo artist 53. “High Voltage” band 57. ____ hunch 58. PreCheck org. Last Thursday’s Solution E M O J I S O N A R P I E R S M U P E N N R E R E A D P H I L M I I S M P E Y T L A M P A U L M C O N M E L O P N I A D E A W Y O R E D

B R O D Y

C A R O M

C K O I O N C A G E D

A S H O E

C I G N A

E D S E A N

S H U O L S H A O N S O N O N N I O A S N E Y

R E E L L M A C R T O U T P E O P F G O O L G O R

H E I G L

O N E A L

A F N G T S

L E U T E S

By The Mepham Group

Level 1 2 3 4

5. Unbroken mount 10. Roe source 14. Rescue mission, briefly 15. Sound 16. Health plan prefix 17. Sushi menu item named after Hamlet's friend? 19. ____ mater 20. Roman 1,002

21. Get wind of 22. Sweet 'un 24. They go from town to town: Abbr. 25. Magic, on a sports ticker 26. "Hey, spin for me!"?

NICK KNACK

Solution to last Sunday’s puzzle

3/10/19

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk. © 2019 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

LO CA L

PAGE 22 | MARCH 7 – 13, 2019

dog. lazy ick qu The fox sly p e d j u m the over dog. lazy is the Now for all time cows good co me to aid to the the ir of t u r e . pas

20 s Yearo Ag

is the Now for all time cows good co me to aid to the the ir of t u r e . p a s is the Now for all time cows good me to to coaid of the their.

BACK IN THE DAY

20 � 10 Y�� A�� N��-P��

Falls Church News-Press Vol. VIII, No. 52 • March 11, 1999

Major Crime Down 11% in City; But Juvenile Misdemeanors Rise Sharply For the second straight year, major crime is down by a significant amount in the City of Falls Church, according to the annual report of the Falls Church Police Department released by Chief Robert Murray last week. Arrests for “Part 1 Offenses,” including murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, larceny, auto theft and arson dipped 11.6% in 1998 below 1997 totals.

It is now the time fo r all good to go cows to aid of the p a s their ture . * * * Throw * * Pour it up. it up

Falls Church News-Press Vol. XIX, No. 2 • March 12, 2009

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

C�� C�� 10 Year s Ago

It is now the time fo r all good to go cows to aid of the the ir pas ture . * * * Throw * * Pour it up. it up

Lay Offs, Wage Freezes, Bus Dumped in F.C. Budget plan For the first time in the almost 60 year history of the independent City of Falls Church, its budget for the coming fiscal year will not only be less than the year before, down by 5.7 percent, but will involve the elimination of jobs, a wage freeze for all City employees, and possibly termination of a local bus system. On top of this, an increase in the residential real estate tax is also in the cards.

FLORA (right) is good friends with Buddy (left), who was featured in Critter Corner last month. Flora and Buddy hang together in the neighborhood. They are the best of pals. Flora and Buddy go for walks together and share the front stoop on sunny days. They look forward to seeing each other everyday. Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be! Send in your Critter Corner submissions to crittercorner@fcnp.com.

C � � � � � F� � � � C � � � � �

CRIME REPORT Week of Feb. 25 – March 3, 2019

6:00am GET BATH READY FOR DAD 6:30am PACK LUNCH FOR THE

KIDS 10:00am GIVE DAD HIS MEDICINE 1:00pm FOLD EVERYONE’S LAUNDRY 2:00pm SORT DAD’S BILLS 3:30pm PICK UP THE KIDS 4:20pm TAKE DAD OUT FOR FRESH AIR 5:30pm REMEMBER

THE DAYS WHEN DAD TOOK CARE OF ME 6:00pm MAKE DINNER 8:00pm HELP DAD TO BED 11:00pm FINALLY GO TO SLEEP

Only those who care for others know what it’s really like to care for others. That’s why AARP created a community with experts and other caregivers to help us better care for ourselves and for the ones we love.

aarp.org/caregiving or call 1-877-333-5885

Destruction of Property, 500 Roosevelt Blvd (Roosevelt Towers parking lot), between 8:00 PM on Feb 24 and 4:30 PM on Feb 25, unknown suspect(s) damaged the door frame of a burgundy Toyota. Narcotics Violation, 600 blk S Washington St, Feb 27, 10:15 AM, police stopped a vehicle for traffic violations. A female, 30, of Falls Church was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Marijuana. Destruction of Property, 111 Park

Ave (Action Music Store), between 8:15 PM on Feb 26 and 11:00 AM on Feb 27, unknown suspect(s) damaged the front door of the business. Investigation continues. Hit and Run, 500 blk W Broad St, between 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM on Mar 1, a fire hydrant was struck by an unknown vehicle which failed to stop at the scene. Simple Assault, 217 Gordon Rd, Mar 3, 8:37 PM, police were notified of an assault which had occurred earlier. The parties were identified, and declined to press charges.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

LO CA L

F� � � � C � � � � �

MARCH 7 – 13, 2019 | PAGE 23

B�� N�� N�� Tom Dolan Swim School Grand Opening This Sunday The Tom Dolan Swim School is hosting a grand opening on Sunday, March 10 from 1 – 3 p.m. at its new location in Falls Church. Attendees are invited to swim, learn about water safety, try on Tom Dolan’s Olympic medals, get autographed photos, and enjoy face painting, arts and crafts, and balloon animals. The new swim school is located at 6112 Arlington Boulevard. For more information, visit www.tomdolanswimschool.com.

Nutritional Workshop at Advantage Trainers Tonight For more information or to register, visit www.advantagetrainers.com. Advantage Trainers is owned and operated by Eliot Corwin and is located at 100 A E. Fairfax Street in Falls Church.

Dogfish Head Alehouse Donating Proceeds to Sleepy Hollow Elementary Dogfish Head Alehouse in Falls Church is donating 15 percent of proceeds to Sleepy Hollow Elementary School on Tuesday, March 12 from 11:30 a.m. – 11 p.m. Dogfish Head Alehouse is located in Seven Corners Shopping Center at 6220 Leesburg Pike. For more information, visit www.dogfishalehouse.com.

Local Businesses Contribute to Mason High Raffle Ireland’s Four Provinces, Original Pancake House, Clare & Don’s Beach Shack and Lazy Mike’s have all contributed raffle prizes to the George Mason High School International Dinner & Personal Project Showcase on March 13. The dinner and raffle will take place from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. and the Personal Project Showcase is scheduled from 7 – 8 p.m. The public is invited to attend. For more information, visit www.gm.fccps.org.

F.C. Chamber Networking Breakfast at F.C. Pancake House March 14 The Falls Church Chamber of Commerce is hosting an informal networking breakfast on Thursday, March 14 from 8 – 9 a.m. at the Original Pancake House. The event is open to anyone interested in meeting local business leaders and learning more about the Chamber. The event is free and reservations are not required. Attendees will be responsible for their own checks. For more information, visit www.FallsChurchChamber.org. The Original Pancake House is located at 7395 Lee Highway in Falls Church.

Seven Corners Office Towers Sold for $38 Million BoundTrain Real Estate has purchased the two commercial office towers located at 6400 and 6402 Arlington Boulevard for more than $38 million. The two 13-story buildings in the Seven Corners commercial district include more than 410,000 square feet of commercial space, 73 percent of which is currently leased. BoundTrain is a private real estate investment firm, founded by Michael A. Klein in 2018. The firm plans to complete renovations to the common indoor and outdoor areas and will introduce spec suites. NKF’s Jeff Tarae, Dominic Orcino and Nina Moses have been hired to lease the buildings with marketing efforts led by Regional DC Marketing Director, Alicia Karr. BoundTrain has retained Transwestern to manage the property.

Mindfullness Event at F.C. Arts Gallery Set for Sunday Leadership coach and experienced mindfulness instructor Caroline Beloe is hosting A Taste of Mindfulness on Sunday, March 10 from 4 – 6 p.m. The event, in celebration of International Women’s Day, will address mindful snacking, pebble meditation, and mindful breathing space. Tickets are $20 per person, $30 per couple. The event will take place at Falls Church Arts Gallery, 700-B W. Broad Street in Falls Church. For reservations, email carolinebeloe@gmail.com or call 703-677-7149.  Business News & Notes is compiled by Sally Cole, Executive Director of Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at sally@fallschurchchamber.org.

39 Days to Tax Day

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

PAGE 24 | MARCH 7 - 13, 2019

MARCH SALES EVENT

2 0 1 9 V O LV O

XC90

$549 P E R M O N T H $0 DOWN

36 MONTH LEASE 7,500 MILES/YEAR*

T6 MOMENTUM AWD

donbeyer volvo.com | 703.762.2165 Stock #12121B. MSRP: $60,130. $0 down payment. 36-month lease and 7,500 miles/year. Plus taxes, tags, acquisition fee of $995 and Dealer Processing fee of $699. On approved credit only. Must qualify through Volvo Cars Financial Services. Not all customers will qualify. Pricing assumes Volvo/Saab loyalty incentive. Offer expires 4/4/2019.

For Sale in Arlington

ROCK STAR Realty ... ROCK STAR Service

Call ROCK STAR Realty Group when buying or selling your home: 703-867-8674

FOR SALE Open Sun 2-4

107 Hillier St, Falls Church City

603 N West St., Falls Church City

5,061 sq ft

FCC Schools

Minutes to METRO

FCC Schools

4 bedrooms

4 full & 1 half bath

5 bedrooms

4 full & 1 half bath

COMING SOON Nestled on 1/4 acre lot in sought after Lee Heights! Light filled new home by A&N Builders with quality and style high-end kitchen with family room opening to private yard with lovely tree views. Large dining room. Upper level has four bedrooms, four baths, laundry and office area. Wood floors on main and upper levels. Walkout daylight lower level rec room, bedroom, full bath and storage. Schools are Taylor, Williamsburg and Yorktown High School. 2315 N Vernon Street, Arlington, VA 22207. Priced at $1,899,000 2802 Lee Oaks Pl. #303, Falls Church

REALTOR

Steps to Shopping/Dining

Walk to Elem. School

2 bedrooms

2 bathrooms

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

703-867-8674

Tori@ToriRocksRealEstate.com ToriRocksRealEstate.com 2101 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201