FCNP 4-1-2021 by Falls Church News-Press

April 1 – 7, 2021

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FOU N D E D 1991 • VOL. XXXI N O. 7

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F.C. Projects Helped Bring Down Tax Rate By 9¢

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New Report Details Benefits of Development BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

An explosive new report from the City of Falls Church Economic Development Office has found the City’s top eight mixed use projects constructed since 2001 have brought net tax revenues of $4,086,853 into the City’s coffers to relieve the burden on residential real estate taxpayers. The number adds up to almost nine cents on the real estate tax rate. The City’s Becky Witsman made the report to the monthly meeting of the City Council’s Economic Development Committee which met online March 25. The net annual yields (after costs were excluded) are $1.190,000 for 301 West Broad, $1.150,000 for the Spectrum, $719,000 for the Byron, $684,000 for the Broadway, $457,000 for the 455 at Tinner Hill, $186,000 for the Read Building, $106,000 for Northgate and a net loss of $406,000 for Pearson Square.

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TREES AND FLOWERS have been blooming all over Falls Church. Check out more spring sights on page 11. (P��: N��-P��)

News-Press Celebrates 30th as F.C. City’s Lone News Voice

BY MATT DELANEY

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

Every story is only as good as its narrator. People need to trust a narrator’s ability to chronicle events, while also relying on them to advocate for its main character

so audiences become invested in the journey. For 30 years, the mighty Falls Church News-Press has informed residents in the City of Falls Church on topics both heavy and light. And during it all, the iconoclastic Nicholas F. Benton has shepherded

readers through the City’s evolution from a sleepy village inside the Beltway to a plucky municipality intent on modernizing. If you ask the paper’s founder and editor-in-chief how he got into journalism, his opener will (almost) always be that he was “born with

printer’s ink in my veins.” Starting with his tyke-sized reporting on family happenings in the Benton Star to his young adult days as an outspoken figure of the gay rights movement, you learn quickly that

Continued on Page 4

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With coronavirus vaccinations available and a sense that the pandemic may be winding down over the next several months, many churches in Falls Church are opening their doors again to on-location indoor and outdoor services. SEE STORY, PAGE 3

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As more and more Falls Church residents are getting inoculated against Covid-19, people are breathing a sigh of relief. However, many local residents feel they are not out of the woods just yet given what’s still not known about the tramissability of the virus post-vaccination. See Story, page 13

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The broader Barcroft neighborhood (with its school) owes its name to Dr. John Woolverton Barcroft (1817-95), a physician and technological innovator whose legacy is in the fields of energy and water supply Arlington shares with Fairfax County. See Column, page 13

INDEX

Editorial............................................... 6 Letters................................................. 6 Comment ................................ 7,12,13 News & Notes.............................10-11 Crime Report .................................... 12 Business News ................................. 15 Calendar .....................................16-17 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword ......... 19 Classified Ads .............................20-21 Critter Corner.................................... 22

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F.C. Churches Welcome People Back For Covid-Safe Easter Sunday Services by Mark Dreisonstok

Falls Church News-Press

With vaccinations and a sense that the pandemic may be winding down over the next several months, many churches in Falls Church are opening their doors again to on-location indoor and outdoor services. For those who look forward to Easter and what this crucial holiday on the church calendar represents, this is cause for rejoicing. “Every year there is Easter joy,” said Father Denis Donahue at St. Philip’s Catholic Church in greater Falls Church. “This year the joy will be heightened by having more people present.” St. Philips is offering five services on Easter Sunday, including two outdoors: English at 10 a.m. and Spanish at 2 p.m. Two of the indoor services (8 a.m. and 4 p.m.) will stream live on Facebook. St. Philip’s has been building up its Sunday Mass attendance over time, with in-

person services starting as early as last June. Masks and social distancing are required for all inperson services, whether indoor or outdoors. Worshipers may also find the bilingual Easter Vigil Service on Saturday evening of interest, although Donahue expressed concern that with social distancing requirements, the church building may not be able to accommodate all those who would like to attend the indoor portions of the liturgy. Meanwhile, at St. James Catholic Church, Very Reverend Paul Scalia told the News-Press plans have been made to hold Easter Sunday services in the large gymnasium of the Church’s school. Two masses have been added, as many people are expected. As elsewhere, there is social distancing and parishioners are required to wear masks. Falls Church Episcopal Church, the church which named the Falls Church community,

was founded in 1733, and with a building dating back to 1769, is very excited about its on-location Easter Sunday services as the Eucharist is an essential portion of each Episcopal service. “We have reached a point in the pandemic where we believe it is safe to gather and worship outdoors now. Moving outdoors, we can worship outside together,” Reverend Andy Anderson said. “This is what people really long for, even while still wearing masks and keeping proper distance. They also long to receive the Eucharist, which we are offering in one kind (no sharing the common cup of blessed wine) and the wafers for Communion are offered in individual wax paper containers.” For those who nonetheless feel uncomfortable with large gatherings, the Episcopal Church offers an on-line option for those who are not ready to get out or to

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APRIL 1 – 7, 2021 | PAGE 3

FALLS CHURCH PRESBYTERIAN will hold a sunrise service in Frady Park at 7 a.m., with a service in its parking lot being held at 11 a.m. (Photo: Courtesy Falls Church Presbyterian)

A FREE, DRIVE-THRU FAMILY EVENT!

Breakfast with the

Easter Bunny! Saturday, April 3 9 - 10:30 am Your kids can safely visit with the Easter Bunny without ever getting out of the car.

Easter at St. Philip Catholic Church

Kids can also enjoy breakfast to go (one per child) compliments of your friends at Chesterbrook!

Easter Sunday Masses 8 am (Live on Facebook) 10 am (Outside, weather permitting) 12 Noon

RSVPs are appreciated, but not required.

Call 703-531-0781 or email RSVP@cri-va.org. chesterbrookres.org 2030 Westmoreland Street A Caring Assisted Living Retirement Community

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Coordinated Services Management, Inc.—Professional Management of Retirement Communities since 1981.

7500 Saint Philips Court, Falls Church

Easter Vigil Mass Saturday 8:30 pm (bilingual)

Misas de Domingo de las Pascuas, Español 2 pm (Afuera en Campo, Si el tiempo lo permite) 4 pm (Vivir en Facebook) See the full Holy Week schedule at: stphilipsparish.com

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Earning Credibility with Readers Remains News-Press’ #1 Mission

Continued from Page 1

Benton’s line is more an economical summary of his life than it is a cliche. But the calling to newspapers went beyond the material realm. To Benton, they were the medium where he could champion the values he found noble. In the City, that was improving its schools by way of economic development. “You can’t claim you want good schools, and not care for the way in which they’re funded. That was a big problem Falls Church had until I showed up,” said Benton, who has used his editorial platform to push for development since its founding in March 1991. “You had the school people on one side and you had the business community on the other side, and they hated each other...I wasn’t pro-business for the sake of being pro-business, I was pro-business for the sake of paying for the schools.” As the president of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce for two years, for example, Benton got the board to agree to sign on to

TODAY’S CURRENT News-Press staff, featuring (from left to right): Delivery Manager Julio Idrobo, News Editor Matt Delaney, Copy Editor Ted White, Advertising Manager Nick Gatz and Accounts & operations run by Melissa Morse. Benton is seated. (Photo: News-Press) the school’s budget — an unprecedented move for that time. Those moments when Benton withstood

the current of popular opinion laid the foundation for the developments that now line Broad Street

and will eventually anchor both ends of Falls Church. Enriching the schools may have

originated as a passion project for Benton, but it also became a source of talent for the paper’s budding staff. Michael Hoover was then an English teacher and adviser to George Mason High School’s student newspaper, The Lasso. When Benton asked Hoover if he knew any students who might be a good fit for his operation, Hoover also threw his hat in the ring, suggesting he could serve as a more experienced journalist to complement Benton. After he penned a guest commentary in the inaugural edition, setting off a contentious dialogue in the paper’s pages over subsequent issues, readers suggested Hoover name his column “Ground Zero” since it heated up controversy. “I accepted their suggestion because, to me, the name meant that everything of substance that happened in the school setting was precisely where everything that happened mattered,” Hoover wrote to the News-Press. “Quite simply, education was Ground Zero for

Continued on Page 14

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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Past 20 Years of Development Saves Each Taxpayer Nearly $700 Annually

Continued from Page 1

All the projects have been approved and constructed since 2001, the final approval for the first one, The Broadway, coming in September 2001, the night before the 9/11 attacks. The unique case of Pearson Square was explained as due to the large rental units there appealing to families with school aged children, with 70 percent of the units, originally built to be condos but converted to rentals at the developers’ request during the last Great Recession. It was noted that 122 of the 229 pupils in the local schools who live in the eight projects come from Pearson Square. F.C. Councilman Phil Duncan, the chair of the committee, noted that the contribution of the eight projects adds up to a savings of $600-$700 annually for the average City residential taxpayer. The City Council is currently debating the tax rate for the coming fiscal year, having voted this

Monday to set the advertised rate a penny-and-a-half lower than the current rate of $1.355. Pending more details on the contribution the City will get from the federal $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, which may be as high as $13 million, the rate could go even lower by the time the City’s FY22 budget is adopted in late April. Duncan noted, in a comment to the News-Press, that the total student count from all eight buildings is only 229 pupils in the City’s public schools. “That’s just nine percent of the school system’s total enrollment of some 2,500. It is a myth that new mixed-use development in Falls Church has flooded the schools with kids. It has not. The numbers prove that,” Duncan said. He added, “In addition, the new mixed-use buildings are home to some of the City’s most popular retail businesses and restaurants, such as Harris-Teeter, Target, Penzey’s, Solace Outpost, Moby Dick’s, and Cafe Kindred, with more new choices coming

soon, including Cuates Grill in the Broadway.” Council member Letty Hardi added at last week’s meeting that the impact of new people in the City is vital for supporting local businesses. As far as commercial development goes, which some critics have said is way too low a percentage of overall new developments in the City, Hardi’s comment reflects a new way of thinking about it. Namely, it is people, not bricks and mortar in themselves, that contribute to commercial development yields. In other words, there can be lots of retail storefronts, but if they are not supported by a strong enough population base, they will struggle and may fail. Therefore, the growth in the City’s population from about 9,500 30 years ago to an estimated 15,300 today is its best engine for economic and tax revenue yield growth. It is a trend that is not about to slow down, either, given the fact that in the development pipeline are

new projects with large-scale residential components, including the Broad and Washington project and the revived Atlantic Realty project, catty-corner from each other right at the City’s central interaction of Broad (Rt. 7) and Washington (Rt. 29), the Founder’s Row 2 at the current site of the abandoned Rite Aid on West Broad, and the granddaddy of them all, the almost 10 acre Falls Church Gateway project at the City’s west end, set to go onto the location of the old George

APRIL 1 – 7, 2021 | PAGE 5

Mason High School, which with the completion of a new $120 million campus, is now slated for demolition in May. All the new proposed projects plan for the vast majority of their residential units to be small, studio and one bedroom apartments, because that’s what the market will bear in this area. They will tend to become homes to relatively few children of school age. Duncan was

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Status Update on Monday, March 29 City of Falls Church Date

Vaccine Data

Doses Administered

Fully Vaccinated

Monday, March 29

6,185

2,151

Monday, March 22

5,252

1,878

Monday, February 22

3,237

1,144

Monday, January 25

1,077

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

PAGE 6 | APRIL 1 – 7, 2021 

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E D I TO R I A L

Baseball and Democracy

This wonderful day, April 1, is not just any day, it is Opening Day, Opening Day for Major League Baseball, made even more precious because of last year’s Covid-19 postponement. Not every American is a baseball lover, but enough of us are that this is on the level of an unofficial national holiday, until recent years vastly superior to any Superbowl Sunday. This is a special occasion where our editor writes in the first person: “My first encounter with baseball was not pretty. I was at a big tryout day at about age 10 (a late starter, our family just moved from a tiny fishing village). My mom bought me the cheapest left handed glove they sold at the only store in town with a sporting goods department. The first drill in the tryouts was to catch a flyball. We all stood in a line and one by one ran out for our turn. In my case, I scoped out the flight of the ball perfectly, but forgot how to apply my new glove. The ball hit me right in the forehead. “I would not let that stop me. My one achievement that first year was that I was the only kid on my team to show up for every single game. I don’t think I got a single hit, however. I persisted. I went on to play in high school and junior college, where I was named the team’s MVP, then got a full scholarship for my last two years in college. I was offered and declined a pro contract (it came at the expense of nixing college play in those days). But because of the scholarship, I always say that, ’Baseball was very, very good to me.’ “I say this to help establish my credentials as I express my misgivings for the plight of the sport today. Baseball has been incredibly resilient even with the introduction of free agency, the steroids scandals and the stain they brought to the integrity of the sport. Lately, however, there seems to be a movement driven from outside the game to impose new values on it, reflected in the elevation of a new statistic, the so-called “OPS” (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage), being preferred by growing numbers to the traditional batting average metric. “The problem is that it elevates muscle over skill, wowing an occasional long ball over the skill of hitting the ball solidly enough for 150 to 200 or so hits a major league season. “The talent of hitting the ball well is something that does not require muscle over all else, but equalizes the sport for all comers. Today’s power over skill obsession is threatening to ruin the sport’s uniquely democratizing element, that anybody can be a good player without regard to physical attributes. It’s what made the sport something that was possible for me, a scrawny kid at the time, to excel in, and to help me earn a college degree.”

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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Fairfax Co.’s McKay Misstates Facts On New Affordable Units Editor, Fairfax County Board of Supervisor’s Chairman Jeff McKay did not deserve your laudatory comments in last week’s editorial. The fee to apply for an accessory living unit (ALU) permit is $435, not $16,000. In fact, the next day, after his alternative facts were corrected, McKay was forced to walk back that political spin when he explained that $16,000 figure might include “fees for plats and for posting public notice, as well as hired professionals, including legal representation, before appearing for a Board of Zoning Appeals hearing. Those costs together were what I was referencing as being financially unobtainable for most people.” Most applicants spend nowhere near that. Mr. McKay dismissed the 70 people who testified at the Board hearing as a small fraction of County residents. In fact, we represented civic and homeowner associations that added up to many thousands of households who opposed removing citizens from the land use process, which ZMOD did for interior ALUs. In addition, there is no basis for assuming that ALUs would be affordable housing. While it’s doubtful that homeowners would charge their grandparents to live in their basement, most ALUs are predicted to be market rate, based on their size and location. Despite your assumption, no multifamily housing developers testified against them.

You urged the City to follow Fairfax County’s autocratic example. It would be a shame for the City to follow Fairfax County down a path that dismisses its citizens from public notice and participation as easily as the Fairfax Board of Supervisors did. We all support finding solutions to the affordable housing crisis, but not at the expense of our homes in single-family neighborhoods — the largest investment many of us have ever made — where infrastructure and environmental issues may outweigh the benefits of ALUs when the neighbors are excluded from the public process. Please get the facts. Adrienne Whyte Via the internet

Mr. Brown’s Park Embodies The Spirit Of Falls Church City

Editor, This week, as Spring comes to Falls Church, I thought it would be nice to take a break from critique to share something splendid I saw last night. As I was driving down Broad Street, I saw Mr. Brown’s Park and the block around it filled with dozens of happy neighbors. (Don’t worry: They were social distancing, with masks!) The park, which turns a year-and-a-half old this week, is a perfect embodiment of the spirit of Falls Church: love of tiny pockets of nature and community, respect for hometown heroes like Mr. Brown, and joy in little things. I am so grateful for all the dedicated folks who helped make Mr. Brown’s Park a reality. Here’s to more projects like it! Pete Davis Falls Church

[ LETTERS ]

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.

Got Beef? Send us a letter and let us know what you think. The deadline for Letters to the Editor is 5 p.m. Monday each week of publication Letters should be 350 words or less. Email letters@fcnp.com Fax 703-342-0347 Mail or drop off Letters to the Editor, c/o Falls Church News-Press, 105 N. Virginia Ave., #310, Falls Church, VA 22046

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APRIL 1– 7, 2021 | PAGE 7

Another Virtual Holy Week Doesn’t Diminish Christ’s Return B� D�� K��

“Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed!” These are the words that will be used throughout our community as persons attend Easter worship services on April 4. Some churches will have in-person worship, some will have drive-in, or outdoor, worship, and others will have online worship. The leadership of Dulin Church and I have decided that we will have our Easter worship services, as well as Holy Week, virtually. It is all about health and safety. Dulin’s last in-person worship service was March 8, 2020. Since then, we have provided a weekly, authentic and purely online worship service. The response has been excellent. People from all over our community, nation, and world view our worship services. The average weekly in-person attendance of 200 has doubled to an online attendance of 400. We have been able to reach a new demographic of people who seek to know about the ministry of Jesus Christ. Being a United Methodist Church, we are part of a global connectional church. We have a multi-layered bureaucratic system which places restrictions on worship. Each United Methodist Church in the Virginia Conference creates protocols for worship using a Technical Assistance Manual (27 pages, single spaced) giving guidance on creating a Healthy Church Team, as well as requirements for Childcare, Drive-in worship, in-person indoor and outdoor, non-worship gatherings, Holy Communion, and congre-

gational singing. This protocol for worship is then sent to denomination officials for approval. While initially I called this Technical Assistance Manual “onerous,” over time I have simply called it “overwhelming.” Through a series of revisions, we have moved

“Dulin’s last inperson worship service was March 8, 2020. Since then, we have provided a weekly, authentic and purely online worship service. The response has been excellent.” from a 2.0 technical manual to 2.2. Dulin Church has opted that we would like to see the guidelines for worship be closer to 3.0, the new normal, before we have in-person worship. Online worship is manageable for us. In-person, or outdoor worship creates more layers of responsibility in terms of safety and health. Health reasons are part of the decision to not have an in-person Easter worship service.

For me, it’s personal. In United Methodist clergy circles, there are signs of fatigue and exhaustion, and many clergy have lost the ability to keep a sustainable pace. There have been increases in requests for leave of absence, increases in mental and physical illnesses, and more early retirements. I am doing my very best to keep a sustainable pace of holding together all of the responsibilities of pastoring a church, while at the same time allowing myself the proper self-care. Online worship is manageable for me at this time. The second reason is safety. There are risks of infection. We are required to report any infections from persons attending worship services to various health and denominational officials. Contact tracing occurs. Remedial actions must be taken to insure a safe building and grounds. There are fears of surges of infection due to people being in closer proximity due to warmer weather and spring break of schools. Only 16 percent of Virginians have been fully vaccinated. I am not among that group. Yes, in-person Easter worship provides a sense of community, but at the same time, social distancing, wearing masks, no singing, registration and seating of participants, Covid-19 variants and surges as well as getting the building ready is a monumental task. In outdoor worship, participants are at the mercy of the weather, creating additional planning logistics. Maundy Thursday and Easter liturgies include the sacrament of Holy Communion. That raises its own logistical

issues. We at Dulin Church will provide three services during Holy Week. Thursday will be a zoom worship service with three other United Methodist Churches in the area. Good Friday will feature an online worship service where Dulin disciples offer reflections on the Seven Last Words of Christ. Easter will be an online/virtual worship service recorded earlier in our sanctuary. Join us at dulinchurch.org! So this Easter Sunday, Dulin disciples and guests will worship online/virtually. We will have a virtual choir complete with instrumentalists and vocalists. We will sing to the rafters in our homes. Families will sit next to each other. We will not wear masks. We will view a baptism and welcome a new disciple. We will hear preaching about the disciples and Mary at the tomb of Jesus. Holy Communion will take place. Worshippers will give electronically to support Dulin Church ministries. While Dulin disciples and guests will miss each other’s presence, we will all feel the power of the presence of Christ in our homes and whatever virtual location we choose to worship- safely and authentically. Eventually restrictions will lift, and we look forward to worshipping in-person as well as virtually. Digital church is here to stay. Whatever format of worship churches use on Easter, we all will proclaim the same message, “Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed!” And that, my friends, is the Good News! Dave Kirkland is the pastor at Dulin United Methodist Church

Q�� W�� Are you pleased with how much development has helped reduce F.C.’s tax rate? • Yes

• No

• Not sure

Visit www.FCNP.com to cast your vote

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Last Week’s Question: What are your feelings on Virginia repealing the death penalty?

61% Approve 31% Disapprove 8% Indifferent FCNP On-Line polls are surveys, not scientiﬁc polls.

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

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Health Guide

To Your Good Health with Dr. Keith Roach: Strategies To Reduce Risk of Colon Cancer DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 70 years old. I seem to be getting more polyps (which are removed). In the past five years, I have gone from one diverticulum to extensive diverticulosis throughout my entire colon. I try to have a highfiber diet and use psyllium in my oatmeal daily. What more can I do? Eliminate red meat entirely and go vegan? — J.D. ANSWER: Polyps in the colon confer a higher risk of colon cancer, and the more polyps a person has, the more frequently they should be screened, preferably with colonoscopy. There are some lifestyle changes most people can make to reduce the risk of polyps and of colon cancer. Regular exercise and eating plenty of fruits and vegetables are clearly shown to reduce colon cancer risk. Fiber has long been thought to be protective, but the results of trials have been contra-

dictory. Among the many other possible protections to colon cancer, aspirin probably has the most benefit, but aspirin has other risks as well. People at high risk for colon cancer should discuss the use of aspirin with their doctors. *** DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband and I are both 72 and of normal weight. I have fought high cholesterol and triglycerides for many years and have taken various statins for a long time. My triglycerides still trend high, but my other numbers are now normal. My husband eats a ton of processed meats, all the fat he wants and drinks three to five beers per day. His lipid panel results came back today, and his total cholesterol is 167, his LDL is 90, his HDL is 71, and his triglycerides are 29! He has never been on statin drugs. His only med is lisinopril for slightly high blood pressure.

What I am concerned about is a CT scan done as part of a study we participated in. My husband’s results have mentioned calcification of heart arteries over the years, and the most recent says he has “SEVERE calcification of coronary arteries.” I want him to go to a cardiologist, but his family doc says that this is not a problem and as long as he keeps his blood pressure low, he can live a long time with this. He is satisfied with that answer. I’m really anxious to hear your thoughts about him needing to see a specialist. I hope you will be able to shed some light on the calcification and the reason why it happens with such good cholesterol readings. — D.B. ANSWER: There are several important lessons in your story. The most important is that a poordiet increases the risk for heart disease even in a person with normal or good cholesterol results.

APRIL 1 – 7, 2021 | PAGE 8

Of people with a heart attack, 21 percent had cholesterol levels that would not trigger treatment with a statin drug. I suspect, but can’t be sure, that your husband has blockages in his coronary arteries; the severe calcification of the coronary arteries is an indicator that it is very likely. I would add my recommendation to yours that your husband see a cardiologist. He has a LOT of work to do at improving his diet, he is drinking

more alcohol than recommended and because of the coronary artery calcification, I suspect his new cardiologist would be strongly considering medication treatment to reduce heart disease risk. Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual questions, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@ med.cornell.edu.

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NEWS BRIEFS Benton’s Statement on FCNP 30th Anniversary

F.C. Schools: All In-Person Classes Begin Tuesday

On the Falls Church News-Press’ 30th anniversary last weekend, founder, owner and editor-in-chief Nicholas F. Benton issued the following statement: “Last Sunday, March 28, marked the 30th anniversary of the consecutive weekly publication of Falls Church’s independent, locally-owned newspaper of record, the Falls Church News-Press. How well I remember the first edition coming off the press that was then distributed to every household in the City on March 28, 1991. Now, 1,560 weeks later, the unbroken string of weekly editions being circulated to every household in the City and more is still intact. Throughout that time, we’ve provided the City with an instrument for the publication of official notices, local businesses with an affordable and targeted resource for advertising and the public overall with reliable and credible access to news of the City, the region and its citizens, as well as opportunities for dialogue and engagement. We are very proud of our achievement to date and hope others are too. In addition to all the other things the number 30 symbolizes, it is also the time-worn sign-off marking the end of a news story in its draft form before being typeset. It marked the end for them, but not for us.”

The Falls Church City Schools will be the first in Virginia to go to all in-person class instruction beginning next Tuesday, April 6. Grades K-5 will resume full-day, five-daya-week in-person instruction beginning April 6th. Parents can opt to keep their child in the virtual model. Grades 6-12 will return to full-day, inperson instruction on April 6. Parents can opt to send their students to school for four days in-person and one-day asynchronous. According to the City Schools, after April 6, any moves back to virtual will be based on the need to “pause” isolated groups to allow for contact tracing or other similar issues. FCCPS will make these decisions in collaboration with the Fairfax Health Department. It was noted that all schools can be moved into Virtual Instruction by the Office of the Governor or the Virginia Department of Education and will not reopen until the order is lifted and data supports reopening. In all cases, temporary pauses where students will return to virtual learning due to Covid-19 positive results for students or staff may occur for classrooms or entire schools. Decisions to close a classroom/school/program will be made by the Central Office and Schoolbased Administration in consultation with the Fairfax Health Department. FCCPS monitors the implementation of the “5 Key Mitigation Strategies” for the third CDC Core K-12 Indicator. The data are regarding the wearing of masks, hand hygiene, social distancing, cleaning/disinfecting, and contact tracing. Mitigation “walkthroughs” will be conducted every seven days, moving to a 14-day cycle as appropriate after that. A team of staff trained in the process conduct “walkthroughs.” Each school will conduct internal monitoring observations as appropriate based upon the needs of the individual building. All data will be collected in the FCCPS School Level Observation Tool Google Form and shared with building leadership upon completion.

Rep. Don Beyer Hails FCNP 30th Anniversary U.S. Rep. Donald S. Beyer Jr., who represents the 8th District of Virginia that includes the City of Falls Church and before getting elected to public office was a Falls Church businessman and was a president of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce, issued the following statement on the occasion of the Falls Church News-Press’ 30th anniversary this week: “I am so grateful for the mighty Falls Church News Press’ 30 years of informing, inspiring, and uniting the community of Falls Church. The gift of a local newspaper is to create a shared history and identity — and Nick Benton and the FCNP have done this with astonishing steadfastness and excellence. 30 is the Pearl wedding anniversary, remembered by sticks on the 30th birthday, the total number of major and minor keys in Western tonal music, and the age at which you can become a U.S. Senator. 30 pieces of silver, zinc’s atomic number, and the sum of the first four squares. I am rooting for another entire generation of the Falls Church News Press, the first draft of our exceptional history.”

All 3 F.C. Constitutional Officers Qualify for Ballot The Falls Church City Voter Registrar has affirmed that all three incumbent Constitutional officers serving the City of Falls Church, including Commissioner of the Revenue Tom Clinton, Treasurer Jody Acosta and Sheriff Met Caye, have qualified for the June 6 Democratic primary ballot, as well as State Del. Marcus Simon.

APRIL 1 – 7, 2021 | PAGE 9

Summer Camp

Language Immersion Summer Camp Falls Church Spanish, French, Mandarin Programs for Children 2 1/2 to 8 years of age Fun, Safe Outdoor and Indoor activities Weekly Options June 21 - August 20

communikids.com 703-534-2221

We are OPEN and ready to safely serve your dental needs! Currently accepting new patients

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PAGE 10 | APRIL 1 – 7, 2021

News-Press

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Community News & Notes

Marshall, McLean Students Place in DECA Contest Sixteen students from local high schools either placed in or were event winners at the Virginia DECA State Leadership Conference held virtually March 3-7. DECA is a career and technical student organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs to be college and career ready. These students earned the right to compete at the virtual DECA International Career Development Conference April 12 – May 6. Marshall High School students — Nadia Malik, 3rd

place, Entrepreneurship Series; Spencer Nash, finalist, Finance Operations Research; Lily Weaver, finalist, Innovation Plan; Joseph Long, finalist, Principles of Business Management and Admin and Jordan Aulestia, finalist, Principles of Finance. McLean High School students — Jason Chadwick & Jay Shin, 1st place, Marketing Management Team Decision Making; Julie Bodet & Maggie Womack, finalist, Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making; Eren Parla & Amit Rajesh, finalist, Financial Services Team Decision Making; Gabe DeLeonardis, final-

ist, Personal Financial Literacy Event; Max Blacksten, finalist, Principles of Business Management and Admin; Min Soo Kim, finalist, Principles of Finance and Kara Bremser & Sasha Zeltser, finalist, Travel & Tourism Marketing Team.

True Food in Reston Hosting Job Fair All Next Week True Food Kitchen’s newest restaurant at Reston Town Center (located specifically at 1901 Democracy Dr., Reston) is opening on April 28, and is hosting the final week of its job fair at its new location from April 5 – 10, from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

True Food plans to hire 100 team members, including servers, bartenders, hosts/esses, chefs, cooks, dishwashers and more. True Food said its benefits include competitive salaries, restaurant discounts, professional mentorship and growth opportunities. For more information, visit truefoodkitchen.com/reston. To apply online, visit truefoodkitchen.com/careers.

F.C. City Competes In Local Fitness Challenge The City of Falls Church, along with Fairfax City and the Town of Vienna, are hosting the

first Mayors’ Fitness Challenge, which kicks off April 3 and goes until May 29. The three municipalities are coming together to get citizens involved in a healthy competition to determine the Most Fit City/Town of 2021. Interested participants can walk, bike, hike, practice yoga, play in the park — there are multiple opportunities to take part in the event. Participants are encouraged to round up their family, friends and co-workers who live in these areas to join in on the fun. (Due to Covid-19, event organizers recommend individual workouts, or with those in a family/bubble, or outdoor workouts following

STRIDING INTO FIRST were the Mustangs’ boys cross country team against BLOODIED AND MUDDIED were members of the Mustangs’ girls cross country Manassas Park High School and Warren County High School on March 24, with the team during their race against Manassas Park & Warren County last week, where boys individual runners taking the top six places. (Photo: Carol Sly) they placed second behind Warren County. (Photo: Carol Sly)

Send Us Your News & Notes!

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

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

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

APRIL 1 – 7, 2021 | PAGE 11

SPRING SCENES are inescapable throughout the City of Falls Church this time of year. After a unseasonably cool — and let’s admit it, emotionally dreary — Spring 2020, warm weather arrived early this year and has infused a burst of color into the City. (P��: N��-P��) physical distancing guidelines). During this eight week competition, everyone will participate by keeping track of their minutes of physical activity, which will be tallied up at the end by each jurisdiction to see who will be named “Most Fit Community.” Pre-registration is required, but there is no deadline to register. Participants can register at any time during the competition at the following links: Fairfax City — apm.activecommunities.com/.../Activity_ Search/13790 City of Falls Church — f a l l s c h u r c h v a . g o v / r e g i s t e r, Activity Number: 230001-1 Town of Vienna — viennava.gov/index.aspx?NID=545, Activity Number: 453701-A1

All participants are encouraged to practice social distancing and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines while exercising outside of the home. For additional resources and suggestions visit cdc.gov/physicalactivity/how-to-be-physically-active-while-social-distancing.

McLean Student Wins VA Journalist of the Year McLean High School senior Marina Qu has been named the 2021 Virginia Journalist of the Year by the Virginia Association of Journalism Teachers and Advisers. Qu serves as editor-in-chief of The Highlander newsmagazine and The Tartan literary magazine; she has been on both publi-

cations’ staff for three years. In her Journalist of the Year portfolio, Qu wrote, “Our role as student-journalists did not diminish in spite of the global emergency that was unfolding— our responsibilities were heightened. We overcame challenges that we didn’t know we would ever face. And we did it against all odds.” Qu will compete for the Journalism Education Association’s national Journalist of the Year award, to be announced in April.

Online Class on Composting Techniques for Gardens Interested participants can learn the basic composting tools and techniques they need to turn their yard and kitchen waste

Seeking friendly and motivated individuals to add their skills to our staff for Full-Time Retail Deli/Grocery Customer Service Call Cliff to set an interview time. Email resume to info@germangourmet.com, or fax to 703-379-6117

German Gourmet 5838 Columbia Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041 703-379-8080 www.germangourmet.com

into black gold for their garden online on April 2 from 10 – 11:30 a.m. Extension Master Gardener Beth Buffington will explain how local gardeners can combine these skills with no till gardening to develop rich organic soil throughout their garden while reducing water runoff and soil erosion. Free. RSVP at mgnv.org/events to receive a link to participate.

Providence Players Opens New Virtual Show April 9 Providence Players of Fairfax is releasing their latest pro-

duction, a virtual show titled “Boredom, Fear and Wine,” which will run from April 9 – 11. To watch the one-act, 15 minute play is free, but donations are strongly encouraged. The play is about how when you’re stuck at home during a global pandemic, everything happens online — even therapy. Harper is suffering, and can’t reconcile feelings about the terrifying disease with the monotony of lockdown. Jess tries to be a sympathetic ear, but the session goes off the rails. Visit providenceplayers.org for more information.

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A Penny for Your Thoughts

News of Greater Falls Church By Supervisor Penny Gross

In 1978, about 600,000 people lived in Fairfax County, which still was considered a “bedroom” community to the Nation’s Capital. In 1978, the Board of Supervisors also adopted a “new” Zoning Ordinance (ZO) for Fairfax County. In the intervening years, piecemeal amendments ballooned the Zoning Ordinance to more than 1,200 pages, with numerous redundancies and sections that sometimes disagreed with each other. It was not user-friendly. A new, modern Zoning Ordinance was needed, one that could be adapted to electronic formats, and that was easier to use and understand by the general public, as well as county staff. Recognizing the unwieldy nature of the nearly 40-year-old ordinance, in the spring of 2017, the Board of Supervisors approved initiation of the first phase known as zMOD, or Zoning Ordinance Modernization. Using consultant services, county staff began addressing the “clunkiness” of the previous ordinance, using more charts, tables, and hyperlinks (the original ordinance had text only, and lots of it), and added flexibility to accommodate the interests of today’s residents. For instance, when a new business using trampolines for fun and exercise wanted to open in a retail shopping center, the Comprehensive Plan did not identify trampoline exercise as a permissible retail use, so the application was denied. Commercial trampoline exercise didn’t even exist when the earlier Zoning Ordinance was adopted, so the Comprehensive Plan first had to be amended to allow such uses, followed by the public process for a Rezoning or Special Exception to approve the use. The entire process, in both time and money, was lengthy and exasperating, and demonstrated why modernization was needed. In our diverse community, uses needed to be combined into more generic terms to accommodate emerging trends, rather than specifying by name of activity. The zMOD project modernized land uses — electric vehicle charging stations, small makers’ space, and distribution hubs, for example — and their regulations, which were rewritten in plain language, rather than legalese. During 2018 and 2019, the Board of Supervisors endorsed portions of the modernization language and regulations, and released the consolidated Zoning Ordinance in June 2020; additional revisions were released last November. Outreach included more than 100 public meetings, 65 of which were held prepandemic. Not surprisingly, participation increased during the later on-line meetings. Websites, videos, surveys,

THE MORE YOU UNDERSTAND HER WORLD, THE MORE POSSIBILITIES YOU SEE. For Julia’s family, early screening for autism made a lifetime of difference. Find out more at ScreenForAutism.org

newsletters, and social media were among the many outreach methods used. Hundreds of uses are included in the new Zoning Ordinance, but three items garnered the most comment at both the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors public hearings — accessory living units (ALUs), homebased businesses (HBB), and flag size. ALU standards had not changed since 1983, when a Special Permit was required, and someone on the property had to be 55-plus in age or disabled. The Board’s approval of zMOD removed the age or disability requirement, but retained the restriction of no more than two people. An administrative permit is required, as is an additional designated parking space. No space, no permit. ALUs are only allowed with single-family detached dwellings. There are more than 9000 HBBs, including music teachers, dance studios, and tutors, registered in Fairfax County. The existing allowance for up to four students at a time, and eight in a day for teaching activities, was retained, but a Special Permit will be required for other HBB owners wishing to have customers in the home. The Board also lowered the Special Permit application fee and, if the home is served by well or septic, the applicant must obtain Health Department approval prior to issuance of a permit. The Board quickly disposed of restrictions on flag size — for any flag — but retained the current limit of three flags per lot, whether national, college, political, or seasonal. So-called small “garden flags” are not, and have not been, restricted in number. Flagpole heights above 25 feet may need approval from the Board of Zoning Appeals. Following four years of work with county staff and the community, zMOD was adopted on March 23 by a vote of seven yeas and three nays. Follow-on motions included a county staff review of the new provisions within 18 months, and establishment of a voluntary process to connect Housing Choice Voucher participants, as well as older adults and persons with disabilities, who might be potential tenants, with ALU homeowners. The newly modernized Zoning Ordinance takes effect on July 1, 2021. Log on to fairfaxcounty.gov and type zMOD into the search box for more information.  Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.

C � � � � � F� � � � C � � � � �

CRIME REPORT Week of March 22 – 28, 2021 Embezzlement, 300 blk W Broad St, March 25, 12:37 AM, a male, 25, of Falls Church, VA was arrested for embezzle-

WWW.FCNP.COM

ment. Assault, 300 blk W Broad St, March 28, 9:29 AM, incident of an assault was reported. Investigation is ongoing. Drug/Narcotic Violation, No valid OL, False ID to LEO South Cherry Street/ Flagmaker Ct, March 28,10:56 PM, a female, 23, of Falls Church, was arresedt for possession of narcotics, no operator’s License and providing false identification to Law enforcement officer.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Senator Dick Saslaw’s

Richmond Report The worldwide pandemic continues to dictate how we operate as a society, rebuild our economy, and define our quality of life. Since taking office, President Biden has stepped up the supply of vaccine throughout the nation. In Virginia, we continue a very aggressive “shots in arms” campaign in every corner of the Commonwealth. The effort has been methodical, following CDC guidelines with a strategic coordination of supply and distribution. A little more than 16 percent of Virginians are now fully vaccinated. Additionally, well over 2 million more Virginians have received their first dose of the vaccine. The goal is to resume a more familiar lifestyle within the next couple of months. Unequivocally, this is attainable. I am happy to share that most residents within the 35th Senate District have been eagerly signing up and receiving the Covid-19 vaccine. This has moved our kids back into their best learning environment (physical classrooms) and has many of the hardest hit service industries starting to emerge from the “pandemic winter”. The warmer weather holds the promise of renewed support for restaurants and their staff. At the same time, I am concerned that opposition remains to receiving a life-altering vaccine. I found it disturbing that nearly 40 percent of nursing home workers chose not to receive the vaccine. The upside of inoculating the elderly is now the reopening of visitation for loved ones that have been isolated for nearly a year. After a long dry spell, we are now seeing an uptick in travel, another industry devastated by Covid-19. All of these steps to resuming our lifestyles carries a potential for spreading the infection. I encourage you to remain diligent. Follow the safest protocols when out and about. Covid-19 is still very much entrenched in our world. It is important to note that new variants continue to emerge and are still claiming victims. It has been nearly one month since we concluded the 2021 Special Session I, which followed a thirty-day regular session of the General Assembly. During those 46 days, we operated outside the Capitol, making it a year that we have not conducted business as we traditionally have done. Despite bill introduction limits,

over 900 bills passed both Chambers. The Governor has been reviewing these measures and will complete his work by midnight on March 31. In my opinion, the most consequential pieces of legislation focused on rebuilding our economy, criminal justice reform, and public education. To that end, we abolished the death penalty; created educational opportunities for low- and middle-income individuals with the G3 Program (Get skilled, Get a job, Give back); and prioritized getting kids back into school. We also made large investments in bringing broadband into underserved areas in Virginia. That includes Northern Virginia. As previously reported, I secured $10 million for the City of Falls Church/ VT initiative. The good news of additional federal funds coming into Virginia finds us with yet another reason to be called back into Special Session. Further, we have taken steps to expand the Court of Appeals. The initiative calls for an additional six judges to be appointed. Filling these seats along with balancing our budget will likely be the scope of the next Special Session. No date has been set but it is widely believed we will meet again in early summer. Governor Northam and Transportation Secretary Shannon Valentine were joined by U.S. Transportation Sec’y Pete Buttigieg in Alexandria to announce big news for rail in Virginia. We have finalized agreements with Amtrak, CSX, and Virginia Railway Express, launching a $3.7 billion investment to expand and improve passenger, commuter, and freight rail in Virginia and create a vital connection in America’s national rail network between the Northeast and Southeast corridors. This is significant and promises to facilitate commutes, efficiently move goods, reduce pollution and provide relief to rail workers. It is rather disturbing to note actions by the Governor of Georgia that purposely seek to suppress voter participation. Just like the pandemic, it is taking some time for the country to move on from the previous administration. In Virginia, we chose to expand and ensure access to voting for those eligible. In my opinion, the only fraud that happened in the presidential election of 2020 was perpetrated by false accusations from the loser.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Birx’s Confession: It Was Mass Murder

Of all the extraordinary headlines competing for attention this week — the excruciating video and verbal evidence being presented in the trial of George Floyd’s murderer, the amazing gains in the Covid-19 vaccine mobilization, new GOP voter suppression efforts nationwide, moves to end the filibuster in Congress, the impact of President Biden’s American Recovery Act and new $3 trillion infrastructure plan that he rolled out just yesterday in Pittsburgh — the item that cut to the quick most for me was the confession of former Trump “coronavirus response coordinator” Dr. Deborah Birx in an exclusive CNN interview that will air this weekend. According to a CNN release in advance of the documentary, that first airs this Sunday night at 9 p.m. EDT, FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS “Birx saw it (the response to the pandemic) most starkly, stating that the vast majority of America's deaths could have been prevented, a painful interpretation of the last year for a nation still trying to come to terms with the ongoing loss of (over 550,000 to date) lives.” CNN’s advance release of a video clip of Birx’s remarks showed her saying that the first 100,000 deaths from Covid-19, when it first began ravaging the nation a year ago, were probably unavoidable because no one was prepared for the first surge. After that, she said, mitigation efforts could have prevented most of the rest of the deaths. In Birx’s words, "I look at it this way. The first time we have an excuse," Birx says. "There were about a hundred thousand deaths that came from that original surge. All of the rest of them, in my mind, could have been mitigated or decreased substantially." She was saying that 450,000 deaths of American citizens were preventable. Is everyone too emotionally numb by now to process what this means? President Trump’s crimes are considered mostly in terms of financial misdeeds and, of course, a gross attempt to undermine America’s democratic institutions. He also turned lying into an acceptable behavior for politicians, and went overboard trying to discredit the role of a legitimate free press. Oh yes, and he is also accused of being a Russian agent, the agent of a hostile foreign power operating right in the White House at the highest level. But no one has accused him of the mass murder of American citizens. So far. The fact is, however, the blame for the 450,000 preventable deaths that Birx attested to has to go right to the top, right to Trump himself, and his dissembling and his misguidance of the American people. We all saw him engage in overt attempts to treat the whole pandemic as a political attack on him personally. He made no secret of his desire to want to limit testing, for example, because the more tests the more positive results and that would make him look bad. Then, he dwelled for months on a totally bogus solution, the use of the agent, hydroxychloroquine, which was proven to be of no benefit, whatsoever, and then, last April, he came into the press briefing room to tout the ingestion of bleach and other common disinfectants, which led to some deaths. More sadly, later that same day, Birx was quoted on Fox News defending Trump by saying his remarks were “not sarcasm, but as part of a deliberate, if unorthodox, thought process,” according to the Washington Post. “When he gets new information he likes to talk that through out loud and really have that dialogue, and so that’s what dialogue he was having,” Birx said on Fox News Channel, as reported by the Post. So one cannot exonerate Birx or other Trump officials. It is good that there is a formal Justice Department investigation now getting underway into attempts by government officials to impose partisan political demands over scientific data in the highest circles in the past year that could result in criminal charges. Still, the bottom line is that 450,000 deaths of Americans is a stunning earth-shattering figure, especially when a top health expert engaged in the process says almost all of them could have been avoided. Trump is guilty of mass murder because he had access to knowing better.  Nicholas Benton may be emailed at nfbenton@fcnp.com.

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APRIL 1 – 7, 2021 | PAGE 13

Nicholas F. Benton

A f t e r Appomattox, Barcroft returned to what is now Arlington and took over the land along Four Mile Run (near the Pike and S. Dinwiddie St.), where George Washington Parke Custis, creator of Arlington House, had built a wood and stone mill back in 1836. (It was the site of a Civil War skirmish you can read about on a sign near today’s Arlington Mill Community Center.) Barcroft built a home nearby with a view of the District. Using Custis’ foundations and his own quarry, Barcroft in 1880 built his flour mill and mill race on that site, said to be powered by the largest (36-foot) mill wheel on the East Coast. He rented it to professional millers, and it was used both for grains and as a sawmill reflecting Barcroft’s interest in carpentry. The nearby rail lines aided transport of products. Before the mill burned down in the 1920s (and the site became an ice plant), it served for decades as a stimulus to the commuter neighborhood’s commercial development, stretching well into Bailey’s Crossroads. In the 20th century, Fairfaxians gave his name to Lake Barcroft, after it was created by construction in 1915 of the dam that assured the water supply for the City of Alexandria. Lake Barcroft, of course, is today a thriving suburban subdivision, the lake a favorite for recreators. Barcroft died in Northern Virginia in 1895. But he and his

Our Man in Arlington By Charlie Clark

Our minds on baseball, few of us who’ve suited up to play on the diamonds at Barcroft Park gave much thought to the facility’s namesake. In later life, I can compensate. The broader Barcroft neighborhood (with its school) owes its name to Dr. John Woolverton Barcroft (1817-95), a physician and technological innovator whose legacy is in the fields of energy and water supply Arlington shares with Fairfax County. Thanks to good neighborhood histories (and descendant memoirs), we learn that Barcroft, born in Kingwood, New Jersey, graduated from Lafayette College in Pennsylvania before earning his medical degree at Philadelphia’s Jefferson Medical College (now Thomas Jefferson University). He married Lucinda Bray in 1844. Restless in his Jersey medical practice, Barcroft came to our area in 1849 — right before the railroad came through — to join his father in Fairfax. In the area now at Holmes Run at Columbia Pike, he constructed a home and a mill while continuing to practice medicine. That joint career lasted until the Civil War. The Union Army, in retreat after its second shellacking at Bull Run in 1862, ransacked his mill. That sent Barcroft, a man “of strong Union sentiments,” back to his New Jersey and Pennsylvania havens until the smoke had cleared.

wife are buried in York County, Pa., according to the Barcroft School and Civic League’s account by descendent Sjana Barcroft-Hundt. His name lives on, the civic association says, as a frequent write-in on the ballots during local elections. Arlington’s Barcroft Shopping Center on Columbia Pike was so-named in 1949. The ballpark, built as Arlington Little League got going in the early 1950s, was known in that decade as Four Mile Run Park. As it emerged as an institution enjoyed by Arlingtonians countywide, the ballpark was renamed for the proud neighborhood that honors the multi-talented Dr. Barcroft. *** Among the most practical local adjustments to pandemic life was this January’s transfer of the “Plot Against Hunger” program. Launched in 2007 by the nowover-stretched Arlington Food Assistance Center, that effort to steer home-grown produce to the needy is now run by gardeners with the nonprofit Friends of Urban Agriculture. Those volunteer experts partner with Virginia Cooperative Extension, Marymount University and some 40 churches, schools, libraries and community gardens for distribution. Their March 13 – 20 kickoff campaign at several locations included giving away garden kits and live demonstrations (socially distanced) of techniques such as crop planting and repotting of seedlings. President Robin Broder tells me it was a huge success.

PAGE 14 | APRIL 1 – 7, 2021

News-Press 30th Continued from Page 4

everything.” The column would be rebranded as “Against the Wind” following the events on 9/11, and Hoover would continue it for another six years after that. The former teacher wasn’t the only gem Benton received from the local school system. The founder’s top lieutenant in Jody Fellows was one of the students who worked at the paper in high school, and would later return after graduating college in 2001. While Fellows admitted that the News-Press was simply a tweener job to keep him occupied post-grad, he was drawn to the versatile demands that came with putting the paper together each week. He would go on to be the managing editor for 19 years, leaving just last May. Starting out as an Associate Editor, Fellows reflected on how Benton had sole control over the layout each week, on top of writing all the stories, leaving time for plenty of shenanigans — such as intense games of Backwall, or when hormones steered one staffer to print a picture of an actress...and consequently jammed up the printer for 20 minutes. But as the digital age came about in the mid-2000s and physically pasting the paper onto sheets was superseded by programs such as Adobe InDesign, Fellows’ role grew. Part of that was because, for as forward-thinking as Benton was in terms of enacting his ideals, the paper’s top editor stubbornly clung

LO CA L to outdated technology. Fellows points to Benton using WordPerfect 5.1 (which has thankfully been replaced by Google Docs) and how he had an AOL email address (which is regrettably still around) as prime examples. Still, those bugaboos couldn’t tamp down his love for actually creating something; a love that readers noticed and the paper’s many rivals could never match. “At the end of the day, you have a product. You have something that’s tangible that you can hold, and you can say, ‘Hey, we made this,’” Fellows said. “It was always really cool having my hands involved in that process and being able to do as much as I could.” Advertising Manager Nick Gatz was another key cog in the NewsPress’ future who would come along during the paper’s digital transformation. A print designer who now makes ads for advertising clients in house, the market was competitive for jobs of that type in 2007 when Gatz joined straight out of George Mason University. And why wouldn’t they be? The newspaper industry was humming along. The News-Press was regularly churning out 40-plus page papers, with upwards of 70-ish pages during special issues. A tiny tabloid-style publication that scratched out small issues for the City alone steadily grew during its first decade and a half to where it had a circulation of over 40,000. As Benton put it (mostly tonguein-cheek), the News-Press was the second most prominent paper in the Washington, D.C. region behind only the Washington Post.

That was until the Great Recession set off a perfect storm of adversity. The housing bubble’s collapse took the paper’s top advertisers — realtors — off the market. On top of that, the ascension of social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter were cannibalizing the purpose of local news. An economic crisis and a paradigm shift in information doomed tens of thousands of newspapers across the country. The News-Press wasn’t immune to this fallout. A slow drip of shrinking page layouts and dwindling staff tempered the paper’s ambitions over the following years. As small papers in nearby Arlington, McLean and Herndon all vanished, Falls Church’s own paper held on despite “sketchy times,” in the words of Benton. That involved going into debt with the paper’s printer, who was sympathetic to the hardships the mighty News-Press was enduring. Yet eventually, they did start to feel the ground firm up beneath them again. And that’s because the hyper-local coverage and appeal of the paper kept it relevant. “It’s providing a vehicle for small businesses to get their message out to the community, and that’s why it’s always been such a good thing,” Gatz said. “It’s something that you can believe in as opposed to just padding the pocket of a CEO.” So, what’s the take away from this paper’s lifetime? Hoover said it only lasted this long because someone as hardheaded and dedicated to journalism as Benton could’ve pulled it off. Fellows, meanwhile, believed that

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

BENTON ACCEPTS THE Falls Church Chamber of Commerce’s “Business of the Year” Award in December of 1991, just nine months after the paper published its first issue. (P��: N��-P��) Benton’s commitment to local journalism has come full circle, with there being a revived interest in local news following over a decade of gutting it. The answer is much simpler to Benton himself, though. He found that audience, and he got them to care for the main character in the way that all journalists need to: with a reputation for telling the truth. “The people that everybody ignores in Falls Church — even to this day, people at City Hall — are all the people that are getting the paper...“It’s the people that you don’t hear from that are reading the

paper every week,” Benton said. “They don’t tell you they’re reading the paper every week, but they’re thoughtful people, they’re educated people, and you’re making sense to them — that’s the challenge. “You have to win the argument in your editorials and your coverage and [with your] focus on the paper,” he continued. “You can’t say things without any credibility. People give you credibility because you’ve earned it. And I always look to the people who are reading the paper that you’ve never heard from are not the ones banging on the door at City Hall.”

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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Stepping Stones • Natural Flagstone • Pavers • Veneers • Gravel • Sand • Bagged Mulch Delivery Available!

Body Dynamics Inc. Holds Webinar on Women’s Strength Training Body Dynamics Inc. is hosting a free webinar on Women’s Strength Training on Friday, April 2 at noon. Attendees will receive an overview of the benefits of strength training for women and classes available for introductory and intermediate strength classes and a sample workout for each level. Body Dynamics is a physical therapy and wellness center offering integrated physical therapy, clinical massage, personal training, nutrition, counseling, and neurobiofeedback. For more information, visit https:// bodydynamicsinc.com.

The Greater Washington Board of Trade Hosts Call on Reopening The Greater Washington Board of Trade is hosting “Briefing Call: Key Considerations for Reopening Your Workplace” on Wednesday, April 7 from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. This webinar will include information about vaccine availability and timelines, human resources best practices, and fluctuating transportation demands to help business manage workplaces through the next 6 to 12 months. For more information, visit www.bot.org.

Falls Church Chamber of Commerce Hosting Free Networking Breakfast

7139 Lee Highway Falls Church, VA 22046 (703) 532.0169

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The Falls Church Chamber of Commerce is hosting a free networking breakfast on Thursday, April 8 at 9 a.m. This is an informal event with no program, no agenda, and no cost. All businesses are invited and welcome to attend to meet fellow business leaders and local decision makers. Attendees are encouraged to pick up breakfast from a local restaurant to enjoy during the Zoom gathering. For more information or to register, visit the calendar at www.FallsChurchChamber.org.

EYA Development Acquires 8.3 Acres From Federal Realty. EYA Development acquired 8.3 acres, almost half, of the western portion of the Graham Park Plaza, for $20.25 million from Federal Realty. The section of the shopping center, formerly known as Loehmann’s Plaza, and anchored by Loehmann’s will be redeveloped into a mixed use townhome community which will include new parks and façade improvements to portions of the shopping center. EYA, the lead developer of the West Falls Church Economic Development project by the new high school, will build 177 townhomes, including 22 affordable dwelling units. Federal Realty, which also owns Falls Plaza, retains the 10.3 acres anchored by a Giant supermarket and home to other retail and restaurants including Celebrity Delly. Graham Park is located at 7263 Arlington Blvd., less than a mile inside the Capital Beltway. The renovation project should not affect existing businesses on the Giant supermarket side of the shopping center. The gas station is a separate parcel that will remain while the McDonald’s and PNC Bank pads will remain intact. For more information, visit www.eya.com and www.federalrealty.com.  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.

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FALLS CHURCHCALENDAR LOCALEVENTS THURSDAY, APRIL 1 News-Press “Spot of the Week.” Interested readers and supporters of the Falls Church NewsPress can join the staff at a restaurant in or around the City of Falls Church to celebrate the paper’s weekly publication. Learn how to become a member of the News-Press, get a chance to purchase one of the paper’s books, “The Front Page: The First Five Years: 1991 – 1996” or just get to know members of the staff better. This week the NewsPress will be at Sfizi Cafe (800 W. Broad Street, Falls Church) from 6 – 8 p.m.

SATURDAY, APRIL 3 Falls Church Farmers Market. The Falls Church Farmers Market runs every Saturday, where attend-

ees will find fresh, local produce, meat, dairy, flowers & plants, honey, music and more. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Falls Church) 9 a.m. – noon. For more information, visit the Calendar item’s page at fallschurchva.gov/547/ Farmers-Market-To-Go.

SUNDAY, APRIL 4 Early Bird Gets The Worm Campfire. Families can gather at Long Branch Nature Center for the Early Bird Campfire. The group will learn, tell stories and do other fun things. Fire and sticks will be provided; attendees should bring their own s’mores supplies. Register adults and youth by contacting Bobbi Farley bfarley@arlingtonva. us. 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Long Branch Nature Center at Glencarlyn Park (625 S. Carlin Springs Rd., Arlington). Bird Walk for Beginners. Interested participants can join

an Arlington Parks naturalist as the group goes into the field to learn how to identify birds using sight and sound while observing them in their natural habitat as well as how to use the app called Merlin. Registration required children and adults; children must be accompanied by a registered adult. To register, contact 703-2284747. Long Branch Nature Center at Glencarlyn Park (625 S. Carlin Springs Rd., Arlington). Noon – 1 p.m.

there are benches for rest along the way. Families. Register children and adults; children must be accompanied by a registered adult. To register, contact 703-2284747. Long Branch Nature Center at Glencarlyn Park (625 S Carlin Springs Rd., Arlington). 1:30 – 3 p.m.

Adapted Nature Hike — Long Branch Nature Center. All are welcome to join the Arlington Parks staff and other participants on a leisurely-paced hike through a park. The forested trails will be accessible, smooth and shaded for a fun hike to explore and examine whatever we discover. Restrooms & water fountains inside accessible buildings, and paved trails are mostly in the shade, but not flat (there are inclines/hills), though

Online Preschool Story Time. Those who are interested can join the Mary Riley Styles Library staff live on the library’s Facebook page for a virtual fun time of stories, songs and rhymes. For ages 0-5. Visit facebook.com/mrspl to join in on the activities. 10:30 – 11 a.m.

VIRTUALEVENTS THURSDAY, APRIL 1

New Yorker Discussion Group. If any residents enjoy The New Yorker but wish they had some-

one to chat about it with, they are encouraged to drop into Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s monthly New Yorker Discussion Group to share their thoughts on what they’ve read in a variety of articles. This month’s article of focus is still to be determined. This discussion will be held online. Email Pete Sullivan at psullivan@ fallschurchva.gov for a Zoom invitation or more information. 2 – 3 p.m.

MONDAY, APRIL 5 ESOL Conversation Group (online). Interested participants can practice their English with a weekly ESOL conversation group. This program meets online via Zoom. To request a Zoom invite, email Marshall Webster at mwebster@fallschurchva.gov. 7 – 8:30 p.m. City Council Work Session (online). City Council work sessions are held the first and third Monday of the month, with the exception of August and December when only one meeting is held. These meetings are open to the public and are conducted to allow Council Members

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to discuss upcoming legislation and policy issues; the public is not generally invited to speak. All participating members of the City Council will be present at this meeting through electronic means. All members of the public may view this electronic meeting via www.fallschurchva.gov/ CouncilMeetings. The meeting may also be viewed on FCCTV (Cox 11, RCN 2, Verizon 35). Video will be available after the meeting both online and on FCCTV. The virtual meeting will be held pursuant to and in compliance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, Section 2.2-3708.2 and state and local legislation adopted to allow for continued government operation during the COVID-19 declared emergency. 7:30 – 11 p.m.

THEATER&ARTS VIRTUAL Daniel J. Watts’ “The Jam: Only Child” (online). In Daniel J. Watts’ “The Jam: Only Child,” a nod to his great-grandmother’s plentiful recipe and the spirited spontaneity of jazz, 2020 Tony Award nominee Daniel J. Watts (Hamilton, Ike Turner in “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) recounts his life as the only child of a single mother. From the fierce growing pains of boyhood innocence to the awkwardness of teenage years to a proud Black man, Daniel digs through his memory’s attic in a powerful and playful story of metamorphosis. Bursting with lyricism, dynamic tap dance, and heart, this delectable treat is a little bit savory, a little bit sweet, and a little bit sticky — but it’s all good. $35. Sigtheatre.org. “Simply Sondheim” (online). Created specifically for Signature Theatre with special permission from Sondheim himself, this jam-packed revue features over 30 songs from the composer’s canon. The quintessential “Finishing the Hat,” “Another Hundred People,” “Losing My Mind” and “The Worst Pies in London” meet lesser known

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gems including “Country House,” “Saturday Night” and “Goodbye for Now” and are fused with new orchestrations by longtime Sondheim collaborator Jonathan Tunick. Presented by Signature Theater via On Demand Streaming. $35. sigtheatre.org. “Distance Frequencies” (online). A lost letter reveals a hidden alliance. A familiar fragrance revives ancient memories. What unseen history does each corner of a city hold? How far away do you have to be to get to now? If you stand in just the right spot and listen closely, you can hear the past… and maybe even the future. “Distance Frequencies” harnesses the power of the built and the natural world to create a visceral piece of immersive storytelling. Each month participants will receive a map and instructions to travel to a new curated location in the DC area. Along with the map, they’ll receive a box of artifacts to bring with them. They may go any time, alone or with quarantinemates of their choice. Whenever they arrive, they’ll open their box and explore the story elements inside–letters, music, souvenirs, or photos. From October through April, each box reveals a new location and a new chapter in the ongoing story. The experience culminates in a full production of a site-specific show in July with outdoor, distanced (or whatever the world requires) performances. $50 – $150. Rorschachtheatre. com. “The Work of Adrienne Kennedy: Inspiration & Influence” (online). Hailed as “American theatre’s greatest and least compromising experimentalist” (New York Times), Adrienne Kennedy is one of the most prolific and widely studied living playwrights. Since bursting onto the scene in 1964 with “Funnyhouse of a Negro,” Kennedy’s enthralling lyrical dramas have influenced generations of storytellers, from Suzan-Lori Parks to Robert O’Hara, Shonda Rhimes to Jeremy O. Harris. Despite her outsized influence, three Obie Awards, and induction into the Theater Hall of Fame, Kennedy is not a household name. This festival is a celebra-

TIM HARMON (right) will be at Falls Church Distillers on Thursday. (Courtesy Photo) tion of why she should be. $60. Roundhousetheatre.org.

LIVEMUSIC THURSDAY, APRIL 1 Tim Harmon — Solo Looping. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-858-9186. Jokes on Tap — 9 Year Anniversary (Indoors + Distanced). Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10 – $15. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566. The Shrapnels. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). 7:30 p.m. 703237-0300. Gene Noble with Karen Linette Live and In Concert. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $29.50. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500.

FRIDAY, APRIL 2 Steve Smith Blues Trio. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-858-9186.

Little Lawnmowers (with Arielle Oyster company serving fresh seafood). Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-8589186.

Danger Bird (Neil Young Tribute) — Outdoor Concert. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). 6:30 p.m. 703-255-1566.

Anthony Brown & group therAPy. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $35. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500.

Karl Stoll and The Danger Zone. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). 7:30 p.m. 703-237-0300.

SUNDAY, APRIL 4

John Kadlecik Solo Acousti’Lectric. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $25. 7:30 p.m. 703549-7500.

SATURDAY, APRIL 3 Born Cross-Eyed (Grateful Dead Tribute) — Outdoor Concert. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). 6 p.m. 703-255-1566.

Cosmic Karl’s Drum Circle Open Mic. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 5 p.m. 703-858-9186. No Part of Nuthin’. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-2370300.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7 The Gravel Road Band. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-237-0300.

Calendar Submissions Email: calendar@fcnp.com | Mail: Falls Church News-Press, Attn: Calendar, 105 N. Virginia Ave., #310, 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.

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Mix of Outdoor & Indoors Services Make Up Festive Easter Weekend Continued from Page 3

those who cannot worship synchronously. There will thus be a livestream service which will be available on the church’s YouTube Channel anytime afterwards. The church is also offering a 5 p.m. Maundy Service Eucharist outdoors and an online Maundy Thursday interactive experience at home with sharing a meal, washing each others’ feet (in imitation of Jesus) with household members, and blessings over bread, other food, wine, or grape juice, also to include music and reflection. Registration is required for those attending the outdoor in-person services. “We are really excited people are feeling more confident to come out and be at services together again,” said Samantha Wright, communications director for Columbia Baptist Church. Similar to most area churches, Columbia Baptist’s services went virtual in March 2020. Since last Fall, in addition to virtual services, the church has been hosting small groups of

AN EASTER SERVICE at Falls Church Episcopal that took place before the Covid-19 pandemic. The church has moved this year’s service outdoors for safety reasons. (Photo: Courtesy Falls Church Episcopal) in-person worshipers, requiring registration, maintaining six feet of social distancing at all times, and requiring masks. This Sunday, however, Columbia is welcoming a larger number of worshipers for in-

person Easter Sunday services — all in compliance with the Governor’s latest Amended Executive Order. The reservation system of the church assists with groupings needed to maintain proper

social distance. While not quite returning to a more casual prepandemic church attendance, the gradual resumption of in-person services will make it a happy Easter for many. Lastly, Falls Church

Presbyterian Church, founded nearly 150 years ago in 1873 and still located in its original (though now expanded) building, is celebrating Easter with in-person services. One such service will take place with members bringing folding chairs and setting them up at a social distance in the parking lot, whereas the other will be in scenic Frady Park across the street. Masks and distance will also be required for the Frady Park sunrise service. The sunrise service in Frady Park is at 7 a.m. The parking lot service is at 11 a.m. In the past, Falls Church Presbyterian has drawn crowds of worshipers for Easter Sunday congregating in the hundreds. Easter Sunday 2021 will be a special day, as it is the first such gathering at the Church in more than a year. Regardless of one’s faith or confession, with each Easter comes spring, brighter days, and hope, and thus these services will mean more than usual as hopes for the end of this pandemic increase the advent of vaccines and new possibilities for social gatherings in 2021.

Coming Thursday, April 22nd The 2021 Summer Camp Guide in the Falls Church News-Press. This very popular special section has been used by families in Falls Church, Arlington, McLean and throughout Northern Virginia for years as they make summer camp plans for their children. Make sure your camp is included in this widely read publication.

703-532-3267 • mmorse@fcnp.com

Week of 3/29/21 - 4/4/21

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Crossword

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APRIL 1 - 7, 2021 | PAGE 19

by Margie E. Burke

The Weekly Crossword ACROSS 1 Urban pollutant 5 "Silly" birds 10 Spic-and-___ 14 Burglar's take 15 Northern helpers 16 Window glass 17 Forerunner 19 Aware 20 Moore of Bond fame 21 Play host 23 Serve a summons on 25 Board partner 26 Not the former 29 Quick bite to eat 32 Take for granted 35 Cartoon chipmunk 37 Old TV knob 38 Amorphous sci-fi villain 39 Melancholy verse 41 Cracker spread 42 Slice (off) 43 Barber's job 44 Weasel's cousin 46 Community spirit 48 Spot on a horse 50 October stone 52 Doctor's signboard 56 Afraid of being shot? 60 Title for von Trapp 61 Unknown author, briefly 62 Persevere 64 Like a desert 65 Seaweedwrapped fare 66 Church area 67 Washstand item 68 Beginning stage 69 Wanton look DOWN 1 Astute 2 House of a lord

by Margie E. Burke

35 39

41 44

47 50

29 36

52 58

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 18 22 24 27 28 30 31 32 33 34

Expenditures School singers "___ whiz!" Firstborn In a dead heat Put in the mail Fragrant compound Perfect Summer suit accessory One opposed Night light? Type of cheese Kennedy matriarch Do the driving Fluid accumulation Maid's cloth Adorable Eager Fit to serve Vegas coin-eater Second-year student

36 40 41 43 45 47 49

54 Despicable one 55 Sign above a door 56 Four six-packs 57 From the start 58 Leave speechless 59 Blow off steam? 63 Hobbyist's buy

Kind of node Pot cover Before birth Autocrat Cover story? First act Analyst's concern 51 Calf catcher 53 Feel blindly

Sudoku

Level 1 2 3 4

Answers to Last Week's Crossword: B A M M

A R I A

S T I C K

L E M O N

D I S C O U R A G E

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S E T F A R E A R A S S M I T H I S C A N S H A K E H O S E A R E S C T C U D E B K M A N T P A R T I O U T T R V E L T E D E

E V E R

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Solution to last Sunday’s puzzle

NICK KNACK

STRANGE BREW

By The Mepham Group

3/21/21

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk. © 2021 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

JOHN DEERING

PAGE 20 | APRIL 1 - 7, 2021 HELP WANTED Help Wanted Maintains the overall appearance of cemetery, mausoleum and/or funeral home locations, which may include: maintenance and grounds keeping, locating grave sites, digging graves, installing crypt faces,conducting interments, entombments and inurnments, and simple repairs and maintenance tasks. JOB RESPONSIBILITIES - Cuts grass, maintains lawn, trims around trees, walkways and memorial markers, lays sod, moves and removes flowers to and from chapel and graveside - Clears debris and maintains drives and walkways which may require snow removal depending on location - Erects tents, canopies and arranges chairs for graveside ceremony - Assists with setup for openings and closings for interments, entombments and inurnments - Arranges chapel for services - Prepares crypts for entombments - Under supervision, may operate backhoe to dig graves without damage to surrounding vaults, markers or monuments - Installs grave markers, bronze memorials, crypt faces, etc. - Maintains and repairs existing markers and other cemetery features - Maintains, services, cleans and properly stores equipment - General maintenance of vehicles - Cleans and maintains facility to include performing minor repairs, painting, etc. - Observe safety rules and ensure compliance with the operating procedures of corporate, federal, state and local regulations, including OSHA regulations and Safety and Environmental guidelines. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS Education - High school education or equivalent or relevant work experience Experience - Minimum 6 months of relevant experience Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: - Ability to operate hand-held tools and equipment, including, but not limited to a shovel, pick, rake, sledge hammer, lawn mower, weed trimmer and leaf blower - Ability to accurately use measuring devices (i.e. tape measure, yard-stick, etc.) - Ability to walk and stand for long periods of time - Ability to lift up to 150 with equipment assistance - Ability to push and pull up to 300 lbs. - Ability to communicate effectively with associates, contractor personnel and client families - Ability to work in extreme weather conditions - Ability to adapt to changing work schedules and multi-tasking - Basic computer skills to enable retrieving and responding to email Communications Please contact: Larry Milligan Larry.Milligan@ dignitymemorial.com or 540-467-0401

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA The ordinances referenced below were given first reading on March 22, 2021. Public hearings are scheduled for Monday, April 12, 2021 and Monday April 26, 2021, with second reading and final Council action scheduled for Monday, April 26, 2021 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matters may be heard.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

C L AS S I F I E DS (TO21-04) ORDINANCE FIXING AND DETERMINING THE BUDGET OF EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2022: GENERAL FUND; SCHOOL OPERATING FUND; SCHOOL COMMUNITY SERVICE FUND; SCHOOL FOOD SERVICE FUND; CABLE ACCESS FUND; SEWER FUND; AND STORMWATER FUND The proposed budget includes: $106,001,174 for the General Fund revenues and expenditures. $4,490,000 for the Sewer Fund revenues and expenditures. $1,708,000 for the Stormwater Fund revenues and expenditures. $53,620,529 for the School Operating Fund revenues and expenditures. $2,330,700 for the School Community Service Fund revenues and expenditures. $1,025,357 for the School Food Service Fund revenues and expenditures. $217,496 for the Cable Access Fund revenues and expenditures. (TO21-05) ORDINANCE FIXING AND DETERMINING THE FY2022-FY2027 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM BUDGET AND APPROPRIATING EXPENDITURE AND REVENUE FUNDS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2022 Total proposed CIP appropriations for FY22 are $7,685,924, offset by $3,249,000 in grants and other outside revenues. (TO21-06) ORDINANCE SETTING THE RATE OF TAX LEVY ON REAL ESTATE FOR TAX YEAR 2022 AND ON PERSONAL PROPERTY, MACHINERY AND TOOLS AND ALL OTHER PROPERTY SEGREGATED BY LAW FOR LOCAL TAXATION IN THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH VIRGINIA FOR TAX YEAR 2021 The proposed real estate tax rate for the tax year beginning July 1, 2021 is: $1.34 upon each $100.00 of assessed value of real estate in the City of Falls Church, which is a decrease in the current tax rate. This is the “Lowered Rate Necessary to Offset Increased Assessment” as defined by state law. The proposed tax rate for tangible personal property, and machinery and tools, and all other property segregated by law for the tax year beginning January 1, 2021 is: $5.00 upon each $100.00 of assessed value on tangible personal property, and machinery and tools, and all other property segregated by law for local taxation within the City, including the property separately classified by Section 58.1-3500 et seq. of the Code of Virginia except such personal property as is exempted; and except that pursuant to Section 58.1-2606 of the Code of Virginia, a portion of assessed value of tangible personal property of public service corporations shall be taxed at the real estate rate. (TO21-07) ORDINANCE TO SET THE STORMWATER UTILITY BILLING UNIT RATE IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER 42, ARTICLE VII OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA AS OF JULY 1, 2021 Under the legal authority granted by VA § 15.2-2114, an increase to the City stormwater utility unit billing rate from $18.36 per 200 square feet of impervious surface (billing unit) to $18.72 per billing unit annually is proposed, effective July 1, 2021, which would constitute an increase of 2% per billing unit. Public hearings will be held electronically. To speak on a public hearing item, complete a speaker form at www.fallschurchva.gov/

PublicComment before noon on the day of the Council meeting. Following submission of the form, you will receive emailed instructions to join the virtual Council meeting. Written public hearing comments may be sent until noon on the day of the meeting to cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov. Council members will attend the meeting through electronic means and members of the public may view the meeting at www.fallschurchva.gov/CouncilMeetings and on FCCTV (Cox 11, RCN 2, Verizon 35). Video will be available after the meeting both online and on FCCTV. For copies of legislation, contact the City Clerk’s office at (703-248-5014) or cityclerk@fallschurchva. gov. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5014 (TTY 711). CELESTE HEATH, CITY CLERK

PUBLIC NOTICE Variance application V1621-21 by Sajeel Ahmed, applicant and owner, for a variance to Section 48-238(3)a., to allow (1) a front setback of 25.4 feet instead of 30 feet along the South Oak Street frontage, and (2) a front setback of 15 feet instead of 30 feet along the Timber Lane frontage, and a variance to Section 48-1102(e)(1)c. to allow a porch to extend 3.5 feet into the setback established by this variance application for the purpose of reconstructing a fire damaged single family home on existing foundations on premises known as 400 South Oak Street, RPC #52-206-064 of the Falls Church Real Property Records, zoned R-1A, Low Density Residential Variance application V1622-21 by Nisha Thirumurthy, applicant and owner, for a variance to Section 48-238(3)a., to allow (1) a front setback of 26.1 feet instead of 30 feet, and (2) a side setback of 9.1 feet instead of 12 feet, for the purpose of constructing a second story addition on premises known as 702 Berry Street, RPC #53-124-013 of the Falls Church Real Property Records, zoned R-1A, Low Density Residential Public hearing on the above matter is scheduled for April 15, 2021, 7:30 PM, or as soon thereafter as the item may be heard. All participating members of Board of Zoning Appeals will be present at this meeting through electronic means. Public comment and questions may be submitted to zoning@ fallschurchva.gov until 4:30 pm on April 15, 2021. Virtual meeting link, agenda and application materials will be available the week prior to the scheduled hearing at: http://www. fallschurchva.gov/BZA Information on the above application is also available for review upon request to staff at zoning@fallschurchva.gov. 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 (Alternate) Aurora House Citizens’ Advisory Committee Board of Equalization Board of Zoning Appeals (Alternate) City Employee Review Board Historic Architectural Review Board Library Board of Trustees Towing Advisory Board (Towing Representative) Regional Boards/Commissions Advisory Social Services Board

Fairfax Area Commission on Aging Fairfax Area Disability Services Board Long Term Care Coordinating Council NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA Public hearing and final City Council action is scheduled for the following on Monday, April 12, 2021 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard. (TR21-05) RESOLUTION TO AMEND CHAPTER 3 OF THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH’S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO ADD “ENRICHING FALLS CHURCH: PUBLIC ART SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY CHARACTER, APPEARANCE, AND DESIGN CHAPTER OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN” The ordinance referenced below was given first reading on March 8, 2021. Public hearing, second reading, and final City Council action is scheduled for Monday, April 12, 2021 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard. (TO21-03) ORDINANCE TO ESTABLISH AN ARTS AND CULTURAL DISTRICT IN THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH IN THE AREA SHOWN ON THE MAP ENTITLED ARTS AND CULTURAL DISTRICT Public hearings will be held electronically. To speak on a public hearing item, complete a speaker form at www.fallschurchva.gov/ PublicComment before noon on the day of the Council meeting. Following submission of the form, you will receive emailed instructions to join the virtual Council meeting. Written public hearing comments may be sent until noon on the day of the meeting to cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov. Council members will attend the meeting through electronic means and members of the public may view the meeting at www.fallschurchva. gov/CouncilMeetings and on FCCTV (Cox 11, RCN 2, Verizon 35). Video will be available after the meeting both online and on FCCTV. For copies of legislation, contact the City Clerk’s office at (703-248-5014) or cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5014 (TTY 711). CELESTE HEATH, CITY CLERK PUBLIC NOTICE PLANNING COMMISSION On April 7, 2021, at 7:30 p.m., the City of Falls Church Planning Commission will hold a virtual public meeting to consider the following items and recommendations to City Council: (TR20-29) RESOLUTION TO GRANT SPECIAL EXCEPTION ENTITLEMENT AMENDMENT FOR A MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT WITH A BUILDING HEIGHT UP TO FIFTEEN (15) STORIES ON APPROXIMATELY 9.78 ACRES OF LAND LOCATED AT 7124 LEESBURG PIKE (PORTIONS OF REAL PROPERTY CODE NUMBERS 51221-007, -008) ON APPLICATION BY FALLS CHURCH GATEWAY PARTNERS (TR20-30) RESOLUTION TO GRANT SPECIAL EXCEPTION SITE PLAN (SEC. 48-488.B(3)) FOR A MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT WITH A BUILDING HEIGHT UP TO FIFTEEN (15) STORIES ON APPROXIMATELY 8.83 ACRES OF LAND LOCATED AT 7124 LEESBURG PIKE (PORTIONS OF REAL PROPERTY CODE NUMBERS 51-221-007, -008) ON APPLICATION

BY FALLS CHURCH GATEWAY PARTNERS (TR21-07) RESOLUTION APPROVING THE ACQUISITION OF APPROXIMATELY 0.33 ACRES OF LAND FROM THE FALLS CHURCH CITY SCHOOL BOARD TO THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH (BEING A PORTION OF REAL PROPERTY CODE NUMBER 51-221-008) LOCATED AT 7124 LEESBURG PIKE AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ACCEPT A DEED OF CONVEYANCE, AND EXECUTE THE DEED OF RESUBDIVISION AND SUCH OTHER DOCUMENTS AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO COMPLETE THE TRANSACTION The application materials for the above items may be viewed on the City’s web site: http:// www.fallschurchva.gov/WFC The Planning Commission will also consider approval of the following subdivision application: SUBDIVISION (LOT LINE ADJUSTMENT) PLAT APPLICATION (MUNIS #2019-0322), FOR APPROXIMATELY 34.65 ACRES OF PROPERTIES OWNED BY THE FALLS CHURCH CITY SCHOOL BOARD AND CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, 7124 LEEBSURG PIKE (REAL PROPERTY CODE NUMBERS 51-221-007, AND -008). The public hearing will be held electronically. Meeting agenda and materials will be available on the following page prior to the public meeting: www.fallschurchva.gov/PC. Public comments will be accepted electronically only until the end of the public hearing. Please submit comments to plan@fallschurchva. gov. All participating members of Planning Commission will be present at this meeting through electronic means; and all members of the public are welcome to view the meeting at www.fallschurchva.gov/PC and on FCCTV (Cox 11, RCN 2, Verizon 35). The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5040 (TTY 711).

ABC NOTICE Greek Eats LLC, Trading as: Plaka Grill, 1216 W Broad Street, Falls Church, VA 22046. The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Wine & Beer On/Off Premises. Peter Drosos, President of Greek Eats LLC. NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM HELP WANTED Vacancies 2021-2022: Director of Human Resources, Coordinator of Federal Programs, Instructional Technology and Innovation Specialist, Elementary Education, Middle Education, Special Education, School Psychologist, Biology, English As A Second Language, Chemistry/Physics, Mathematics, English, Health & Medical Science, Electronics/Robotics. APPLICATION PROCEDURE: To apply, please visit our website at www.pecps.k12.va.us and complete the online application Prince Edward County Public Schools, Farmville, Virginia 23901 (434) 3152100 (EOE)

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PAGE 22 | APRIL 1 – 7, 2021

LO CA L

BACK IN THE DAY

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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25 � 10 Y�� A�� N��-P�� Falls Church News-Press Vol. VI, No. 4 • March 28, 1996

Falls Church News-Press Vol. XXI, No.5 • March 31,, 2011

Council Votes to Consider Hikes in Meals, Cigarette & Personal property Taxes

Dr. Toni Jones Named New School Superintendent of F.C. City System

In an effort to ease the burden of a project 10.59 percent, one-year tax hike on real estate owners here, the Falls Church City Council voted at its meeting Monday night to explore the feasibility of increasing the City’s personal property, meals and cigarette taxes.

The Falls Church City School Board announced today the appointment of Dr. Toni Jones, currently the chief academic officer for the Deer Creek Public Schools in Oklahoma, as the new superintendent of the Falls Church school system after an extensive nationwide search.

Development Continued from Page 5

careful to add the unit mixes have been determined by the developers, and not by the City. Council member Ross Litkenhous commented that “unit mix and size make a big difference.” Falls Church developer Bob Young added that he thinks other recently constructed new projects without residential components in the City’s commercial corridors, such as the all-commercial Flower Building at 800 W. Broad (where the U.S. Post Office is located), the Kensington Assisted Living site at 700 W. Broad and the Hilton

Garden Inn at 706 W. Broad should be included in the data, as they, as well, have added significantly to the City’s tax base without offsetting costs to the City for services. They also have all gone up since 2001. Moreover, in all, the new projects have replaced heavily underutilized and relatively low tax yield old uses, like abandoned art supply store, abandoned gas station, free standing fast food establishment (Burger King) and restaurant with a way too big parking lot (Red Lobster). Moreover, the pandemic has not slowed the construction of the one project currently going up, the Founder’s Row at the corner of W. Broad and N. West St.

The good news on that front is that its Mill Creek developers are very near to scoring a replacement movie theater chain to go onto the site following the bankruptcy of an earlier chain that had inked a contract to go there. Jim Snyder, the City’s chief planning officer, said the City is in relatively very good shape with a low commercial space vacancy rate of 6 percent in the mixed use buildings. New retailers such as Tropical Smoothie, Pho Vietnamese, Cuates Grill (at the former Locker Room site in The Broadway) and Five Guys (at the former Einstein’s Bagel site) are set to open in the near future.

MEET GINGER! Ginger the gerbil loves to eat sunflower seeds and to chew on cardboard tubes. Ginger’s birthday was on Feb. 26, so happy belated birthday Ginger! Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be! Send in your Critter Corner submissions to crittercorner@fcnp.com.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

APRIL 1 - 7, 2021 | PAGE 23

Where to Pick Up The • 7 Eleven (Box), 3019 Annandale Rd • Amazing Smiles, 444 W Broad St – D • Anthony’s Restaurant, 3000 Annandale Rd. • Audacious Aleworks, 110 E Fairfax St. • Ballston Quarter (Box) 4238 Wilson Blvd. • BB&T Bank, 225 W Broad St. • Bentley’s Restaurant, 6654 Arlington Blvd • Bikenetic, 201 W Jefferson St. • Bowl America, 140 S Maple Ave. • Clarendon Blvd & Courthouse Rd. Bus Stop (Box) • Broad Falls Apartments, 809 W Broad St. • Broadway Apt (in mailroom), 500 W Broad St. • Brown’s Hardware, 100 W Broad St. • Burke & Herbert Bank, 225 West Broad St. • Byron Apartments, 513 W Broad St. • Timberlane Condos Bus Stop, 7368 Lee Hwy • Lee Hwy/ Hollywood Rd. Bus Stop • Café Kindred, 450 N Washington St. • Celebrity Delly – Graham Park Plaza, 7263A Arlington Blvd. • Clarendon Metro, 3021 Wilson Blvd. • Clay Café Studios, 101 N Maple Ave. • Clare & Don’s Beach Shack, 130 N Washington St. • Courthouse Parking Lot, 2100 Wilson Blvd. • CVS, 1150 W Broad St. • CVS (Box), 134 W Broad St. • CVS (Box), 6404 N Williamsburg Blvd. • Falls Church Distillers, 442 S A. Washington St. • Across from Dar Al Hijrah Islamic Center (Box), Route 7 & Rio Dr. • Differences Hair Designer, 8122 Arlington Blvd. • Dogwood Tavern, 132 W. Broad St. • Don Beyer Volvo, 1231 W Broad St. • East Falls Church Metro (Box), 2001 N. Sycamore St • Einstein Bros. Bagels, 913 W Broad St. • El Tio Restaurant, 7630 Lee Hwy. • Elevation Burger (Box), 442 S. Washington St. • Exxon Gas Station, 400 W Broad St. • Fairfax Auto Parts, 431 S Maple Ave. • Falls Church Animal Hospital, 1249 W Broad St. • Falls Church City Government, 300 Park Ave. • Falls Church City Public Schools, 150 S. Washington Street, Suite 400 • Falls Church City Public Utilities, Gordon Rd. • Falls Church Community Center, 223 Little Falls St. • Falls Church News-Press, 105 N. Virginia Ave. Suite #310 • Falls Green Apartments (formerly Oakwood), 501 N. Roosevelt Blvd. • Flippin’ Pizza, 800 W Broad St. • Floyd’s 99 Barbershop, 8296 Glass Alley, Fairfax • Foxcraft Design Group, 110 Great Falls St • Galleria Florist, 248 W. Broad Street • George Mason & Wilson Blvd (Box), 5015 Wilson Blvd • George Mason High School, 7124 Leesburg Pike • Giant – Graham Park Plaza, 7235 Arlington Blvd. • Giant Food, 1230 W Broad St. • Goodwin House, 3440 South Jefferson St. • Grand Hunan Restaurant, 5845 Washington Blvd. • Harris Teeter, 301 W Broad St. • Hillwood Cleaners, 165 Hillwood Ave. • Hilton Garden Inn, 706 W Broad St. • Idylwood Towers Condominium, 2300 & 2311 Pimmit Dr. • Indian Spices, 1067_B W Broad St. • Inns Virginia Hotel, 421 W. Broad St. • Ireland’s Four Provinces, 105 W Broad St. • Joe’s Place Pizza & Pasta, 5555 Lee Hwy. • Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do, 1136 W Broad St. • Kensington Falls Church, 700 W Broad St. • Lazy Mikes Deli, 7049 Leesburg Pike • Ledo Pizza, 7510 Leesburg Pike • Liberty Barbecue, 370 W Broad St. • Lil City Creamery, 114 W Broad St. • Lincoln At Tinner Hill Apartments, 455 S. Maple Ave. • Long Foster Realtors, 6299 Castle Rd. • Madison Apartments, 600 N Roosevelt Blvd. • Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School, 7130 Leesburg Pike • Merrill House Apartments, 210 E Fairfax St. • Metro Diner, 4711 Lee Hwy. • Metro Dunn Loring, Gallows Rd & Belleforest Dr. • Mr Tire Auto, 105 Falls Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046 • Moby Dick House of Kabob, 444 W. Broad St. • Munson Hill Apartments, 6729 Leesburg Pike • N Virginia Av & W Broad St (Box), 105 N Virginia Ave. • N. Washington & E. Columbia St., 106 E Columbia St. • Neighborhood Barbershop, 417 W Broad St #103 • Northern Virginia Center, 7054 Haycock Rd.• Northgate Apartments (lobby), 450 N Washington St. • Northside Social, 205 Park Ave. • Original Pancake House, 7395 Lee Hwy. • Park Towers Condos, 200 N. Maple Ave. • Peach Tree Towers, 2042 Peach Orchard Dr. • Pearson Square Apartments, 410 S. Maple Ave. • Pete’s Barber Shop, 5847 Washington Blvd. • Pho 88 Restaurant, 232 W Broad St. • Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library, 7700 Leesburg Pike • Pizzeria Orso (Tax Analysts building), 400 S. Maple Ave. • PNC Bank, 402 W. Broad St. • Point of View, 701 W. Broad St. • Professional Building, 313 Park Ave. • Providence Recreation Center, 7525 Marc Dr. • Quick Copy, 417 W. Broad St. • Rare Bird Coffee Roasters, 230 W. Broad St. • Read Apartments, 402 W Broad St. • Re/Max West End, 710 W Broad St • Roosevelt Towers, 500 N Roosevelt Blvd.• Safeway, 5101 Wilson Blvd. • Safeway, 2500 N Harrison St. • Safeway – Route 29, 7397 Lee Hwy.• Sfizi Café, 800 W Broad St. • Silver Diner, 3200 Wilson Blvd. • Sislers Stone, 7139 Lee Hwy. • Smokey’s Garage, 1105 W Broad St. • Sonic Car Wash, 1050 W Broad St. • The Spectrum, 444 W. Broad St.• Spectrum Cleaners, 444 W Broad St. • Stratford Motor Lodge, 300 W. Broad St.• Sunrise of Falls Church, 330 N. Washington St. • Super A Market, 2800 Graham Rd. • Target, 500 S Washington St. • Target – Skyline Mall (Box), 5107 Leesburg Pike • West Broad Building, 301 W Broad St. • Thomas Jefferson Library, 7415 Arlington Blvd. • Towne Place Suites – Marriot, 205 Hillwood Ave. • Unity Club, 116-B W Broad St. • UPS Store Seven Corners, 6312 Seven Corners Ctr. • US Post Office, 2045 Wilson Blvd. • Virginia Hospital Center (Box), 1701 N George Mason Dr. • Virginia Hospital Center ER (inside), 1702 N George Mason Dr • Virginia Tech, Courthouse 7054 Haycock Rd. • Washington & S. Broad St. (Box) 101 W Broad St. • West Lee Apartments, 2200 N Westmoreland • Wendy’s – Bus Stop, 7391 Lee Hwy.• West Falls Church Metro (Box) 7040 Haycock Rd. • Woodrow Wilson Community Library, 6101 Knollwood Dr.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

PAGE 24 | APRIL 1 - 7, 2021

Our digital doors are open this Easter Sunday for an inspirational hour of worship, connection and prayer. Virtual Sanctuary Choir

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Pastor Dave Kirkland

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Brandon Mock, Director of Music Ministries

Dulin Church Welcomes You To Our Easter Online Worship.

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