April 21 - 27, 2022
Fa lls Chur c h, V i r g i ni a • ww w. fc np. c om • Fr ee
Fou n d e d 1991 • Vol. X X XII No. 10
The City of Falls Church’s Independent, Locally-Owned Newspaper of Record, Serving N. Virginia
Even Deeper Tax Rate Cut Mulled by F.C. Council
Under The Gingko Tree
Final FY23 Budget May Cut Rate Above 8¢ by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
There appear to be no major obstacles to the Falls Church City Council’s move to prepare its final version of its Fiscal Year 2023 budget at its public business meeting this coming Monday. But that doesn’t mean there still might not be some significant modifications to the version recommended by City Manager Wyatt Shields last month. As Shields proposed, the budget will fully fund the School Board’s request and offer significant salary boosts for City employees while slashing the real estate tax rate by a whopping 8.5 cents from its current $1.32 per $100 assessed valuation to $1.235 to partially, at least, offset the 11.4 percent hike in overall assessments that the City’s new assessor visited upon everyone in February. But based on discussions
Continued on Page 3
THE LATE FALLS CHURCH Councilman Dan Sze was honored at a ceremony delayed by the pandemic since his passing in July 2020 at the F.C. City Hall Monday that included the dedication of a ginkgo tree planted on City Hall grounds in his honor. Sze’s wife, Elizabeth, appears in the center of this photo in a red coat. See Editorial, Page 6. (Photo: News-Press).
Making Everyday Earth Day in Falls Church by Sandra Tarpinian and Amy Crumpton Special to the News-Press
The first celebration of Earth Day, two generations ago on April 22, 1970, was a global mobilization to demand environmental protections for the planet’s air, soils, waters, and threatened species. The
stakes were high then and fiftytwo years later the stakes appear even higher as we face the climate crisis, loss of species biodiversity, unremitting environmental injustice, and anxiety over the future. Earth Day also honors the many ways that communities care for their local environments. Here in the City of
Falls Church, community environmental stewardship has a rich history of partnerships among volunteers, local non-profit community organizations, and City government. The initiatives described here are by no means an exhaustive list of organized environmental activities in our City.
Since the 1970s, citizen participation has been integral to the success of the City of Falls Church as a leader in reduction, recycling, and yard waste collection programs. Annually, hundreds of volunteers partici-
Continued on Page 4
Inside This Week Falls Church Education Section: Spring 2022
Celebrating Easter in The Little City
See Education Section, Pages 10 — 14
See Photos, Page 15
The Little City and surrounding areas are full of wonderful learning opportunities, including both public and private schools as well as educational and more. Find out more in the Spring Education Section.
The Easter Bunny made his way to Falls Church last weekend for the City’s annual Easter Egg Hunt. Children gathered with their caregivers at Cherry Hill Park on Saturday to look for eggs.
Index
Comment...................................... 5,7,8 Editorial................................................ 6 Letters.................................................. 6 Crime Report....................................... 8 News & Notes..............................16,17 Calendar......................................18,19 Classified Ads.................................... 20 Education Section.................... 11—14 Critter Corner..................................... 22 Business News.................................. 23
PAGE 2 | APRIL 21 - 27, 2022
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
APRIL 21 - 27, 2022 | PAGE 3
City Council May Cut Rate Even More for FY23 Budget
Continued from Page 1
among Council members at this past Monday’s virtual work session, if anything the tax rate may be cut even further and no one on the Council appeared to have an appetite for the introduction of a new “Commercial and Industrial” tax on commercial interests included in Shields’ plan that would generate about $420,000 in added revenue. The Shields plan would introduce this new businessspecific tax for the first time in the Little City, even though almost all other jurisdictions in the state have implemented it since it was first permitted by the state with a local option to opt in or out and to set the rate. In order to sustain a robust pro-economic development profile that has contributed to the booming real estate value growth rate here, the Council has routinely ruled out the implementation of a “C and I” tax, and despite Shield’s recommendation, will probably do so this year as well. The new tax proposal did
SOLD!
not go over well when Shields made a special presentation on it to the executive board of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce last week, and the City’s Economic Development Authority (EDA) came out strongly against it as well. Echoing the comments of others on the City Council, Council member Caroline Lian said “the timing is off” for introducing the new tax this year, as its impact will undoubtedly pass through to the many small businesses that have been struggling through the two-year pandemic. Council member Phil Duncan added, “It sends the wrong signal for small businesses, and Vice Mayor Letty Hardi agreed that action on such a new tax should be delayed. Councilman Marybeth Connelly said the new tax idea “came out of the blue” this spring, and underscored that the EDA opposed it. Duncan spoke out about the need for the City to adopt a $15 per hour minimum pay rate for City employees, noting that some are reportedly getting only $11 per hour here now. In that
context, he also called for a mid-year evaluation of inflation impacts on the economy and asked about the status of the funds allocated for advertising, specifically in the News-Press, in the last year. A strong sentiment among Council members was also expressed for more money to go to tax relief for the elderly and infirm. Duncan said that more funds to help keep people in their existing homes is important not just as a meritorious public service, but also because it will deter the conversion of residential properties into mega-mansions that hinder, among other things, stormwater mitigation efforts. City Treasurer Jody Acosta said the current plan is to allow tax deferrals for up to $110,000 of annual income, the highest rate in the region. It was also noted that funding for road repaving in the City is, at $50,000. woefully short of need. Added funds would shrink the rate of repaving from having all streets done from every 80 years to every 50 years. But that
Free Shredding Event April 23rd from 9am-12pm
is far less than the standard rate of once every 20 years, it was pointed out. However, Public Works chief Zack Bradley said there is only so much his staff is capable to doing despite what funding may be available. It was proposed to lower the car tax (personal property tax) rate to offset the current explosion in assessed values for vehicles, including used ones, in the City, probably best done by reducing the overall personal property tax rate. The addition of a full time equivalent employee to the Mary Riley Styles Public Library was mulled, and $100,000 for more speed cameras aimed at catching those speeding in vehicles on City streets. More money for sidewalk improvements and bike lanes were also discussed. Attention was paid to the fact the City is awash in cash, with unassigned fund balance numbers topping 17 percent (the very top end of the 12 to 17 percent range as outlined
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Haycock Elementary School
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in City policy documents) of total annual revenues and with capital reserves and other factors ballooning that number to almost 30 percent. That number, which could even be closer to 40 percent with additional funds still due to be added, including as-yet undesignated federal pandemic-related American Relief Plan funds and developer property lease payments, puts the City “way, way above targets,” said Hardi, and is “very healthy.” That includes a $4 million payment due imminently from the West End Gateway Partners, developers of the City’s massive 10 acre west end mixed use project, to proceed with their plans. Such high levels of reserves is what Council members like Duncan point to in suggesting that the real estate tax rate could be cut even further, by as much as an additional four cents, he intimated. The final version of the FY23 budget is due to be adopted at the City Council’s May 2 meeting.
111 E. Jefferson St, Falls Church City
Delightful cottage, originally built in 1919 and expanded to create a wonderful 3 bed/2 ba home on over 1/4 acre lot w/attached garage. Great opportunity to add your creative touches!Less than a mile to EFC Metro and steps to restaurants, bike trail, State Theatre,Cherry Hill Park and all that Falls Church City has to offer. Priced at $895,000
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100 Dulany Place, Falls Church City
Stunning 5 bd/4.5 bath home on quiet cul de sac mins from downtown FCC and Oak Street Elem. Welcoming front porch w/ mature landscaping and flowing floor plan to delight the most discriminate buyer. Over 4500 sq ft, 3 finished levels, 2 car attached garage. Offered at $1,675,000
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Beautiful brick townhome just steps from Columbia Pike corridor and moments to DC. End Unit with lots of light, 3 bd/3.5 bath and fantastic yard backing to green space. Offered at $895,000 710 W Broad St Falls Church, VA 22046 703-596-5303
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PAGE 4 | APRIL 21 - 27, 2022
Celebrating Earth Day in the Little City Continued from Page 1
pate in the Spring Community CleanUp and Recycling Extravaganza events. The City was the first in Virginia to offer residents curbside compost collection, and community compost bins near the Community Center. Additionally, the City offers workshops to learn how to compost yard waste and a Recycle Coach app that guides you on proper disposal of an array of items. See fallschurchva. gov/Recycle. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning to renewable energy are key goals in the suite of Green Power Programs for City residents to consider ranging from adopting geothermal or solar power, updating with energy efficient appliances, to checking on your home energy loss with a thermal imaging camera (available for loan from Mary Riley Styles Library). While not everyone can afford an electric vehicle, biking as a safe and practical carbon-free transportation choice is being realized in the City, led by the volunteer coalition Bike Falls Church (bikefallschurch.org) that welcomes new members. See fallschurchva.gov/GreenPower.
With a changing climate, many of you may be suffering from stormwater problems around your homes. Homeowners who want to manage the excess water on their properties can get help through the RainSmart Program, a joint initiative with the City and VPIS. The program partially reimburses homeowners for installing rain barrels, rain gardens, and conservation landscapes that replace lawn with mulched beds of native trees, shrubs, and other plants. To apply go to vpis.org/environment/ rainsmart-program. As a Tree City, USA since 1978, our community is aware that maintaining a sufficient tree canopy is critical for controlling stormwater, sequestering carbon, reducing pollution, and cooling the environment. In 2000, the City and the Village Preservation and Improvement Society (VPIS; vpis.org) founded the Neighborhood Tree Program to plant trees up to 15 feet from the curb on residential properties. Homeowners may select from a list of native tree species and a volunteer with the program can offer help in choosing the right tree. To request a tree, go to fallschurchva.gov/NTP. Did you know that our City is
a certified Community Wildlife Habitat with the National Wildlife Federation (NWF)? Since 2005, numerous homeowners have created backyard wildlife habitats on their properties, providing food, water, shelter, and nesting sites for pollinators and migrating birds and butterflies. The NWF requires the City to recertify each year to assure that our environmental programs, community education, and new homeowner backyard certifications continue. Join the program by certifying your back yard as a wildlife habitat at nwf. org/Garden-for-Wildlife/Certify. Getting out into our beautiful parks is a great family activity. Each Spring and Fall since 2006, the Habitat Restoration Team, a collaborative effort among residents, Virginia Master Naturalists, Scouts, and other community groups, removes invasive plants and installs native plants in City parks. The invasive plant identification skills you gain allow you to identify and remove these problem plants in your own yard. To volunteer, go to fallschurchva.gov/ Volunteer. Young students who join Operation EarthWatch (est. 1993) become environmental leaders and educators throughout our communi-
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
LOCAL KIDS planting in Cherry Hill Park. (C������� P����). ty, sites.google.com/view/operationearthwatch/. Engaging environmental issues from where you live, work, and play is essential. Equally critical is to participate in the meetings of the City’s Boards and Commissions who need your creativity and energy to move ideas into action (i.e., Environmental Sustainability Council, Urban Forestry Commission, Recreation and Parks Advisory Board, Citizens Advisory Council on Transportation). For those able to commit more time, find open Board and Commission positions at fallschurchva.gov/ Apply.
Volunteering to care for our local environment has been a spirited civic duty for so long for so many in our City. We feel privileged to be part of this community’s ever expanding environmental alliance. Sandra Tarpinian (shoptarp@ gmail.com) and Amy Crumpton (amy.c.crumpton@gmail.com) are members of the Habitat Restoration Task Group, part of the City of Falls Church Environmental Sustainability Council. Sandy leads the effort to certify the City as a Community Wildlife Habitat with the National Wildlife Federation. Amy also serves as the Chair of the City’s Urban Forestry Commission.
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Commentary
APRIL 21 - 27, 2022 | PAGE 5
Free Advice for Putin: ‘Make Peace, You Fool’ Thomas L. Friedman NEW YORK TIMES
As Vladimir Putin embarks on his plan B — a massive military operation to try to grab at least a small bite of eastern Ukraine to justify his misbegotten war — I thought: Who could give him the best advice right now? I settled on one of America’s premier teachers of grand strategy, John Arquilla, who recently retired as a distinguished professor of defense analysis at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. When I called Arquilla and asked him what he’d tell Putin today, he didn’t hesitate: “I would say, ‘Make peace, you fool.’” This is also known as the first rule of holes: When you’re in one, stop digging. Arquilla did not pluck his phrasing from thin air. After the D-Day landings on Normandy on June 6, 1944, it became quickly obvious that the Germans could not contain the Allies’ beachhead. So after a German counterattack near Caen failed on July 1, the top German commander on that front, Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, phoned Berlin to report the debacle to the army chief of staff, Wilhelm Keitel, who then asked him, “What shall we do?” — to which von Rundstedt famously replied, “Make peace, you fools! What else can you do?” The next day, von Rundstedt was removed — not unlike what Putin has just done, bringing in a new senior general, one who helped crush the opposition movement in Syria with unrestrained brutality — to run phase two of his war. This did not work for the Germans, and without making any predictions, Arquilla explained why he believed that Putin’s army, too, could meet very stiff resistance from the undermanned and underarmed Ukrainians in this new phase. It starts, he argued, with all that is new in this UkraineRussia war: “In many respects, this war is our era’s Spanish Civil War. In that war, many weapons — like Stuka dive
bombers and Panzer tanks — were tested out by the Germans, and the allies learned things as well, before World War II. The same is being done in Ukraine when it comes to next-generation warfare.” Arquilla recently published a book on next-gen warfare, “Bitskrieg: The New Challenge of Cyberwarfare.” “In that book, I outlined the three new rules of war, all of which I am seeing being employed by the Ukrainians,” he explained. “The first is that many and small beats large and heavy. The Ukrainians are operating in squad-level units armed with smart weapons, and these are able to disrupt far larger formations and attack slow-moving, loud helicopters and such. So even though they’re outnumbered by the Russians, the Ukrainians have many, many more units of action — usually between eight and 10 soldiers in size.” Arquilla said that these small Ukrainian units armed with precision-guided smart weapons like killer drones, anti-aircraft weapons and light antitank weapons “can take out the Russians’ much larger and more heavily armed tank units.” The second rule of modern warfare playing out in Ukraine, he said, “is that finding always beats flanking. If you can locate the enemy first, you can take him out. And especially if the enemy is made up of a few large units, like a 40-mile-long convoy of tanks and armored personnel carriers, you’re going to hammer the hell out of them with your small squads, without having to outflank them with an equal-sized force.” I asked Arquilla why the Ukrainians are so good at finding. (I assume they are getting some reconnaissance help from NATO.) “The Ukrainians are making very good use of small drones, particularly those Turkish drones, which are tremendous,” said Arquilla. But it’s their human sensors — the informal Ukrainian observer corps — that are devastating the Russians. Grandmas with
Continued on Page 7
Our Man in Arlington By Charlie Clark
Might handing cash to struggling neighbors pay for itself in later prosperity? The Arlington Community Foundation is spearheading a realworld test of the proposition, with cooperation from the county’s Department of Human Services. As described last month at the Arlington Committee of 100, the experiment with a “guaranteed income” or “unconditional cash” might seem a socialistic challenge to common sense. But it would put Arlington in some good company around the region and the country. “Arlington is at a crossroads,” said Anne Vor der Bruegge, the foundation’s director of grants and initiatives. In our pandemic-worsened “affordability crisis,” the lowestincome are “rapidly being displaced,” she said. Entry-level office cleaners, restaurant workers and health aides “cannot afford to live here.” Virginia Hospital Center workers who reside in, say, Manassas, who perform vital tasks like sterilizing surgical equipment, pass by two competing hospitals during their commute. The cash movement is “not only a moral mandate but an economic imperative.” Average annual income in Arlington for a family of four is $129,000, the foundation reports. But 25,000 Arlingtonians in 10,000 households, 11 percent of our population (largely people of color) take in only $38,700. They must scramble to cover daily and unforeseen expenses, experiencing poverty “as a full-time job,” Vor der Bruegge said.
Complicating the challenge is the “benefits cliff effect.” If the poor manage even a minor pay raise, they end up losing out due to declining eligibility for existing government entitlements in health care, food, child care, transportation and housing. Current anti-poverty programs “are not flexible enough and can’t anticipate all that gets in the way” for low-income families, said Brian Marroquín, a program officer and National Urban Fellow at the foundation. He recalled sadness during his own upbringing in the Buckingham community when neighbors were forced to move as they were priced out. A guaranteed income, he said, would be a “culture shift” that means “trusting people as experts in own lives.” Cash would give them a chance to “take a breather, meet long-term goals, get out from under debt and make ends meet.” Data show that “people work more, not less” with unconditional cash. Programs are in effect in Stockton, Calif., and Jackson, Miss., the speakers noted, with pilots coming in the District, Fairfax and Alexandria. Since its launch last September, Arlington’s program has randomly selected 175 out of a planned 200 households who make 30 percent of area median income. Each will get $500 in cash monthly for 18 months. By law, the project is funded only privately (the Kresge Foundation). The Arlington foundation receives advisory help from the Urban Institute and safety-net nonprofits to provide “wrap-around”
support such as career and financial counseling. Arlington DHS is “amazingly committed to reducing bureaucratic hurdles,” added Vor der Bruegge. “When you invest in parents, you invest in kids.” There has been surprisingly “little pushback” from critics along lines of fears that recipients will misuse the money on drugs, she said. When I asked former county board member John Vihstadt for comment, he said, “I was skeptical at first. But with persistent poverty being such an intractable problem in a land of plenty, we need to try innovative approaches. I’m eager to see results of the pilot. For the long term, however, there is no substitute for quality education through strong public schools to lift people up.” *** I was surprised to hear an historical rumor from an old classmate from the Bellevue Forest neighborhood. Apparently many grew up believing that President Warren G. Harding, in the early 1920s, trysted with mistress Nan Britton just down the street. The site would be Glenmore (built 1910), called “The Glass House” in modern times. I scanned Nan Britton’s 1927 memoir about her affair with Harding, but found no mention of an Arlington rendezvous. Current owner Gail Raiman forwarded me a history of the home compiled by tenants in 1971. It suggested such familiar tales of Harding— infamous also for the Teapot Dome scandale—are “probably untrue.”
PAGE 6 | APRIL 21 - 27. 2022
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E D I TO R I A L
Remembering Dan Sze
Postponed from the July 2020 time of his death due to the Covid19 pandemic, a special ceremony honoring the late Falls Church City Councilman Dan Sze was held at the F.C. City Hall Monday featuring remarks by Mayor David Tarter, City Manager Wyatt Shields and others. The event, attended by Sze’s wife Elizabeth and family members, began in the lobby of the newly-renovated City Hall that Sze played a major role in preparing, being held in front of a bronze plaque dedicated to the 2019 completed renovation that included Sze’s name, along with fellow Council member Letty Hardi, also inscribed in Chinese script. Next to that plaque is a marker of the environmentally-sensitive LEED certification for which the building qualified. The second part of the event involved folks moving out to a green patch on City Hall grounds where a newly-planted ginkgo tree was dedicated with a small plaque to honor Councilman Sze’s achievements and legacy. In remarks remembering Sze, Mayor Tarter said that Sze “was a true Renaissance man: Ivy League educated, a trained architect who served in the U.S. foreign service. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of what seemed like everything but especially technology. He had a keen intellect and wasn’t afraid to think big. He had an easy laugh but did not suffer fools lightly.” The mayor added, “He was a strident supporter of the environment but also had probably the largest collection of ‘muscle cars’ in the City and he loved to drive them around, quickly, especially his BMW and one of the greatest American cars ever made, the 1967 Shelby GT500 Cobra Mustang. I think that I have just got the color back in my knuckles.” Tarter added, “Dan was a passionate supporter of the City. He served on the Economic Development Authority, was vice chair of the Board of Zoning Appeals, on the executive committee of the Citizens for a Better City. He covered just about all the letters the City has to offer. He served on the City Council for 10 years and he was a regional and state leader, chaired the Council of Governments and Virginia Municipal League committees and was respected all over. “In Arlington, flags were flown at half-mast on his passing. It is especially fitting that we are in front of the LEED plaque as he was a tireless advocate for the environment. He almost single-handedly raised the bar on environmental issues here in the City. Just a few years ago we were talking about whether the Mt. Daniel Elementary School addition could be LEED accredited, and we now have a net zero ready high school almost complete. Through his leadership, new projects are now LEED Gold, among the highest number in the region including with vehicle recharging stations and provision for solar panels on roofs of new projects and LED street lights. We give thanks for Dan and his service to our community. We miss him dearly.”
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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Beyer Secures $5 Million for District Editor, I read with interest the (April 7, 2022) News Briefs highlighting the $5 Million in Area Infrastructure Funds Secured by Rep. Beyer. Rep. Beyer is simply doing his job and by conventional political standards he is doing it well as the representative of his Congressional district. Securing federal funds for such worthy projects as the Glencarlyn Park Pedestrian Bridge to Body Worn Cameras for the Alexandria Police Department to traffic and safety solutions from Belle Haven to Alexandria is laudable. BUT and there should be a but when the federal gross national debt has surpassed $30 trillion for the first time. But why does a taxpayer in Dayton, Ohio or Peoria, Illinois pay for the Glencarlyn Park Pedestrian Bridge or any other of these local projects? Local projects should be paid for locally and not by the federal government. The issue of reducing spending receives short shrift these days by both parties as the desire to spend to garner public support far outweighs the importance of decreasing the national debt. We are on a fiscal collision course that no one wants to talk about or even debate. Next time Rep. Beyer secures federal funds for local projects, the News Press can take the initiative to assess the pros and cons of increasing the national debt.
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Debby Smyth Testimonial
Editor, Thank you for printing the testimonial for Debby Smyth which I have learned was done so wonderfully by Gail Opitz, her companion for the past 32 years. Debby and Gail were companion residents in Winter Hill and both were known widely in our community as friendly, helpful and understanding neighbors. Together they were considered the axis around which the community of Winter Hill revolved. Toward the end of the article, Gail mentioned that Debby’s last endeavor was that as an editor of a memoir, and I am pleased to say that the memoir is mine and is being done as a dedication to four-year twin grandchildren. Debby’s contribution as editor was incalculable and, in fact, she became a collaborator of the work. I have assured Gail that the very first copy of the book when published will be given to Gail and dedicated to Debby. Conley Ricker Falls Church
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P������� 3. Do not let the news columns reflect editorial comment.
At a time of divisive politics in Washington, the national debt can and should be a bipartisan issue that helps unite the parties to find solutions. That is, if our representatives are truly concerned about the health and welfare of their constituents.
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Editor’s Essay
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APRIL 21 - 27, 2022 | PAGE 7
Trump & the Ukraine Invasion Beg Big Questions of Faith Nicholas F. Benton FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
On consecutive days in the same commentary section column space this week, two of the Washington Post’s premier columnists devoted their efforts to pressing questions on religious faith issues. E.J. Dionne Jr.’s on Monday was entitled, “Faith’s Liberating Promise, A Reminder of This Season.” Michael Gerson’s Tuesday was entitled, “God Is Here, Even Amid the Horrors of War That Test Faith.” Gerson, a former speechwriter for Former President G. W. Bush, has often touched on faith issues in his twice-weekly col-
umn, though not as totally devoted to the topic as this week, while Dionne seldom goes there. The confluence of them both this week corresponds to an observable uptick of words on such things from reasonable voices, including the Falls Church News-Press editorial last week, “The Reality of Evil.” Needless to say that’s in contrast to the usual Trumpian right wing snake oil charlatans and posers in the name of religion, the Franklin Grahams (not to be confused with his less disingenuous father, Billy Graham), “God Wants You to Be Rich” Joel Osteens of the land and their ilk. Some argue that it is impolitic to criticize someone’s religion, no matter what it is. Does that standard apply to members of the Charles Manson cult? No, to the extent such matters are part of a person’s public profile, then it is fair game, a necessary game. The inspired early church’s St. Augustine built his whole massive corpus of works, addressing
the final collapse of the Roman Empire by arming many with means to endure the centuries of the subsequent Dark Ages, on scathing critiques of “heretical” versions of faith. The current spate of esteemed commentaries on faith issues comes in the face of the accelerated decline of interest or participation in organized religion. But it comes as a number of factors have arisen (not necessarily a reference to Easter) in the most recent period that, one might say, represents yet another opportunity for the faithful to advance their efforts. It’s a formidable list of all the factors that call humanity’s fate into question in this period, not the least of which is the intimidating prospect of what the awesome James Webb telescope that, when it goes fully operational this summer, will reveal from our universe’s earliest days and many more clues on whether or not among intelligent species we are alone.
Other obvious factors include the impact of the blight on America’s purpose and morality by the most deeply foul U.S. presidential administration ever, the Covid-19 pandemic, the opioid epidemic, the implications of the fact that the birthrate in the U.S. has now dipped into the negative, and the shocking display of pure evil represented by the current invasion of Ukraine by Putin’s Russia. If faith, in the manner of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s ministry, will rise up to speak honestly and prophetically amid these factors, then it can quickly become truly relevant and forceful once again. Such faith does not fly in the face of scientific fact, but speaks to ongoing mysteries and the ultimate abiding purpose of our otherwise little lives within the cosmos. Institutions, as being collective calls to action on behalf of a better, more just and compassionate world, are seen as indispensable
not only to a wider culture overall but to each and every individual human life therein. Prayer, for example, is to be seen more as collective comforting and visioning. Jesus’ most poignant prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, asks for nothing but “daily bread” except that the faithful also seek to “be delivered from evil,” a very timeless and contemporary wish. Evil, that which strives for separation among loved ones, pain and death, does exist, as we see graphically in Ukraine today. So the yearning for the good must necessarily also exist, with prayer as a heartfelt conviction that evil be vanquished and good prevail. Where does God exist in a story cited by Gerson from the late Elie Wiesel’s “Night” about the Holocaust? A boy being hung, struggling as he dangled for a half hour, elicited cries from onlookers, “Where is God?” The answer is that God is in the asking of that question.
Commentary
Free Advice for Putin: ‘Make Peace, You Fool’ Continued from Page 5
iPhones can trump satellites. “The Ukrainian observer corps is made up of babushkas and kids and anyone else who has got a smartphone,” he said. “And they’ve been calling in the locations of where the Russian units are and where they’re moving. And so the Ukrainian forces have this big edge in finding the Russians in this big country, and that is giving their small units with smart weapons” real-time, actionable intelligence. The third rule of new-age warfare playing out in Ukraine, said Arquilla, is that “swarming always beats surging.” He explained: “War is not just a numbers game anymore. You don’t need big numbers to swarm the opponent with a lot of small smart weapons. I am sure you’ve seen some of the videos of these Russian tanks and columns, where suddenly one tank gets taken out at the front and then another at the rear, so the Russians can’t maneuver, and then they just get picked off.” Since this is the next phase of warfare and the Russians are not stupid, they will surely adjust in
phase two, no? The Russians will continue to use some massive bombardments, Arquilla argued, “and they’ll be even less restrained about doing so in eastern Ukraine than they have been in its western territory. But rubble makes conquest harder. Recall Stalingrad.” The Nazis bombed Stalingrad, Russia, into the Stone Age in World War II but then had to try to move through the rubble in small units to secure it and could not do so. So look for the Russians to adjust some tactics. “The Russians have shown an ability to learn and adapt,” said Arquilla. “In the first winter war against the Finns — 1939 to 1940 — the same sort of thing happened to the Russians when they first invaded Finland. They got clobbered by the Finns using these small-team tactics. The Russians then fell back, they reorganized, and then they came back in a little smarter way and eventually overwhelmed the opponent. My understanding is that the Russians have actually been activating more of their naval infantry units, which are used to operating in smaller teams.” So expect them to be more
infantry-heavy and less tank-heavy in the next phase. That said, he added, the Ukrainians “still should have the edge in terms of the finding issue, and they’re already habituated to operating in these very small units. The Russians are much more centralized. One of the reasons they’ve had so many generals get killed is that at the tactical level, they don’t have people who are empowered to make those quick decisions in a firefight; only general officers can, so they had to come down close to the front and do things that lieutenants and sergeants in the American military routinely do.” One of the more intriguing aspects of the conflict in Ukraine is the apparent lack of cyberwarfare from Russia. “The Russians did employ cyberspace-based attack tools to disrupt Ukrainian command and control, yet it had little overall effect because of the very decentralized operations of Ukraine’s regular and militia defense forces,” explained Arquilla. At the same time, the Russians appear loath to launch a big cyberattack against infrastructure in the United States and against the other
NATO countries aiding Ukraine, out of a fear that doing so now would enable NATO to learn about Russia’s most advanced cybertools and build defenses against them. Russia needs to save its cyberweapons for a big war with the West. So, observed Arquilla, “it may be that when it comes to strategic cyberwarfare, the prospect on all sides of facing mutual assured disruption may actually produce a kind of cyberdeterrence.” As for Russia’s vaunted air superiority, said Arquilla, “we have already seen how vulnerable their jets and helicopters are to Stingers. This won’t change in the next phase of the war.” In sum, said Arquilla, “I am not saying that the Russians are going to be driven out of eastern Ukraine. I am trying to answer the question: Why have the Ukrainians done so very well? And it’s because they have applied all these new rules of modern warfare.” And since they will surely continue to do so, it augurs a long, terrible, mutually destructive new round of warfare in which neither side is likely to be able to administer a knockout blow. After that, who
knows? I still hope Putin the fool will eventually seek a dirty, face-saving deal, involving a Russian withdrawal, some kind of independent status for the more pro-Russian eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk and no Ukrainian membership in NATO but giving Ukraine a green light to join the European Union, along with security guarantees against another Russian invasion. May it happen soon. “The longer the fighting goes on, the tougher the Ukrainian resistance — thanks to the ways of war they are pioneering — the more the risk of escalation grows,” said Arquilla. “But Putin has cowed Russian civil society into submission. And the Russian military, so embarrassed by their relatively poor performance, is unlikely to turn on him. Thus, he probably thinks he’s not under time pressure to de-escalate.” And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how little wars become big wars. “I recently reread Barbara Tuchman’s ‘The Guns of August’” — about how the great powers stumbled into World War I — said Arquilla. “It’s a cautionary tale that remains relevant.”
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PAGE 8 | APRIL 21 - 27, 2022
A Penny for Your Thoughts
News of Greater Falls Church By Supervisor Penny Gross
Another step in the annual county budget process was completed last week, as the Board of Supervisors held three sessions of public hearings about the proposed FY 2023 budget. At the end of the third night of testimony, slightly more than 200 residents and groups had made their thoughts known, via in-person, phone call-in, and video submissions. The last two formats were attributable to the pandemic emergency of the past two years, but worked so well that the Board extended them to all public hearings. As in many past years, budget testimony could be separated into a couple of “buckets” – those who advocated for spending more on county programs – affordable housing, parks, the arts, libraries, human services – and those who decried spending, wanted fewer programs, and a tax rate cut. Some of the testimony came from residents who speak about the budget every year; others were first-time participants, like the young woman who said that she always had lived in the shadows – as a woman, a mother, and a first-generation immigrant. County programs, she said, helped her move out of the shadows and find new purpose, and now she is assisting others to do the same. By the time she finished her three-minute statement, the entire audience had joined in applause. Other memorable presentations included a family with several children who scripted a video about affordable housing, a young musician who performed a Bach cello composition, and Fairfax County’s first poet laureate. T-shirts were the attire for some speakers, as park advocates were clad in pale green, union members in purple; housing advocates wore nametags in the shape of little houses. Two dozen speakers, nearly all wearing a small lapel microphone in front of a plain beige backdrop, submitted brief videos asking for reduced spending and tax cuts. This was my 27th year for budget hearings, but the very first time I chaired them. Board chairman Jeff McKay, who also chairs the Budget
Committee, was recuperating from Covid-19 (he’s doing well now), so it fell to me, as Board vice chairman, to conduct all three nights of hearings. The primary difference may be that, as chairman, 100 percent of your time must be focused on the agenda, the speaker, and the time clock. No side conversations or extraneous matters. Just focus, focus, focus. The Board will finalize amendments to the proposed budget at budget “mark-up” on Tuesday, April 26. Mark-up likely will include a three-cent reduction in the tax rate, from the advertised rate of $1.14 to $1.11, for which I have advocated since County Executive Bryan Hill presented his budget in February. Increased funding for affordable housing, non-profit contracts, and natural resources management also are likely to be addressed. The FY 2023 budget will be adopted on May 10; the new budget becomes effective on July 1, 2022. On Monday, Paxton Van Lines collected the final 14 crates of coats, blankets, socks, and gloves donated for Ukrainian relief at the Mason District Governmental Center. During the six weeks or so of the donation drive, a total of 40 crates (each approximately three feet square) were collected at the site. Donations were generous and overwhelming, necessitating multiple pickups by Paxton, something not anticipated at the beginning of the drive. It is estimated that the donations from all local government offices will fill three semi trailers from top to bottom. The donations will be shipped to Ukrainian relief agencies via Maersk vessels. The relief drive was organized by the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, and involved all local Northern Virginia governments. Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.
C i t y o f Fa l l s C h u r c h
C RI M E R E PO RT Week of April 11 - 17, 2022
of Falls Church, was arrested for Drunk in Public.
Fraud, S Washington St, Apr 11, 2:36 PM, an incident of fraud was reported.
Fraud, W Broad St, Apr 12, 7:14 PM, an incident of fraud was reported.
Drunk in Public, Rowell Ct, Apr 11, 4:38 PM, a female, 48, of the City
Driving Under the Influence, Hillwood Ave, Apr 13, 3:27 AM,
www.FCNP.com
a male, 27, of Falls Church, VA, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence. Larceny, Wilson Blvd, Apr 16, 6:06 PM, an male, 49, of Alexandria, VA, was arrested for Credit Card Larceny and Petit Larceny.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Delegate Marcus Simon’s
Richmond Report Last week, Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed 26 popular bi-partisan bills that passed with the support of the conservative Republican led House of Delegates and the Democratic-controlled State Senate. He also amended 114 more bills, some in ways that suggest he’ll eventually veto them as well. To put this in perspective, former Virginia Governors have been much more circumspect in using their veto power — McDonnell vetoed zero bills during his first year in office, McAuliffe vetoed 10, and Northam vetoed 18. What stood out more than the numbers, though, were the complete and utter lack of justification for the Governor’s actions, aside from petty personal politics. Our rookie Governor signed versions of several bills carried by House members then vetoed identical measures with Senator Adam Ebbin’s name on the Chief Patron line. Senator Ebbin, a 19-year veteran legislator who has never had a bill vetoed, chairs the Senate Privileges & Elections Committee and oversaw the opposition to the Governor’s attempt to appoint Andrew Wheeler as the Secretary of Natural Resources. But maybe that’s just a coincidence. Of the 26 bills the Governor vetoed so far, 18 of them originally passed the House with more than two-thirds of the members voting in favor of them. And six of the 26 vetoed bills passed the House unanimously. You might be thinking that the new Governor wasn’t thinking about the numbers or the patrons. Perhaps he was motivated by strongly held political convictions, or a desire to adhere to some core principals. Maybe, but a number of the vetoed bills would have helped Virginians most in need, including bills to enhance consumer protections and more. So, it’s possible he really doesn’t think consumers, the unemployed, or those living in substandard housing need help from the government. That doesn’t really explain the Governor’s decision to amend a bill I carried with Senator Saslaw on behalf of the City of Falls Church. At the request of the City Council, I introduced a charter bill, HB 339, to allow all city residents, regardless of whether they were qualified voters in the city, the opportunity to fully engage in civic life as
members of boards, authorities, and commissions. The bill passed the House and the Senate unanimously, so it was not one we expected to see on the list of bills with Governor’s recommendations. In addition to requesting language clarifying that only city residents legal in the United States would be eligible for service (the majority of the people affected are actually military and state department families who maintain a voting address at their “home of record” as well as recent immigrants not yet naturalized) the governor added a reenactment clause. This is essentially the same thing as vetoing the legislation as this means that the bill would have to be reintroduced during the 2023 Session and pass the General assembly a second time. The Governor’s vetoes and recommendations will be considered and acted on by the General Assembly the last week of April, in what would normally be the last legislative action of the year, at least as far as the entire General Assembly getting together was concerned. Unfortunately, the 2022 General Assembly Session adjourned Sine Die on Saturday, March 12th without a budget and without taking final action on 40 or so other pieces of legislation. When the Session began in early January, I talked then about the glacial pace that was set -—bills took too long to get assigned to committees and the committees didn’t start meeting in earnest until the 2nd and 3rd weeks of session. Although this isn’t the first time the regular session has ended without a final budget, it certainly could have been avoided if we had kept a more robust schedule. It also would have helped if the Governor and the House Republican leadership had planned to create any semblance of a bipartisan budget compromise. It is unclear when we will be called back for Special Session 1 to finish the budget. However, the General Assembly will address all the vetoes and recommendations at the Reconvene Session on April 27th. You can review the full list of vetoed bills and bills with recommendations on lis.Virginia.gov. Delegate Simon represents the 53rd District in the Virginia House of Delegates. He may be emailed at DelMSimon@house.virginia.gov
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Fa l l s C h u r c h
NEWS BRIEFS F.C. Chamber Told ‘Upskilling’ May Solve Employment Shortage In remarks to the monthly luncheon of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce Tuesday, Tucker Plumlee of the Labor Market Research Group of the Northern Virginia Community College system (NVCC) told those gathered that the trends which have emerged post-Covid, with the term “Great Resignation” coined, find it increasingly difficult for employers to hire and retain employees. He suggested that one solution might involve “upskilling,” meaning that the traditional criteria for hiring including college degrees and so forth may be eased, with new criteria substituting for formal degrees. With inflation at its highest since the early 1980s, he indicated that wage growth may not be able to keep up, even as employers may seek new options for hiring, such as remote work options, flexible work hours and greater health care benefits.
F.C. Environmental Seminar Available at CBC Website A virtual webinar on environmental priorities sponsored jointly by the Falls Church Citizens for a Better City (CBC) and League of Women Voters of Falls Church that was held this Tuesday can we accessed online at the CBC’s website, fallschurchcbc.net, The event featured Kate Walker, Environmental Programs Director for the City of Falls Church, and Tim Stevens, F.C. Planning Commission member and former chair of the F.C. Environmental Sustainability Council.
Beyer Hails U.S. Safety In Space Initiative Tuesday, U.S. Vice President and National Space Council Chair Kamala Harris visited the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California where she announced the U.S. commitment “not to conduct destructive, direct-ascent antisatellite (ASAT) missile testing.” Vice President Harris also announced that the United States is seeking to establish this commitment as a new international norm for responsible behavior in space, and called on other nations to follow suit and to work together toward establishing this
international norm. “We applaud Vice President Harris for announcing this important step in the United States’ commitment to the safety, stability, and sustainability of the space environment,” said Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas and Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics Chairman Don Beyer of Falls Church. “As we stated after the reckless Russian ASAT test last Fall, ensuring the safety of the space environment must be a shared commitment, if any and all nations are to continue to pursue exploration, discovery, commerce, and other important missions in outer space. Being a leader is modeling the behavior we seek others to emulate, and we commend the Biden-Harris Administration’s leadership in working toward establishing international norms for responsible and peaceful behavior in space,” Beyer said.
Warner, Kaine Applaud Biden’s Cameroon Protected Status Tuesday, Virginia’s two U.S. Senators, Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine issued the following statement on the Biden administration’s decision to issue a Temporary Protected Status designation for Cameroon: “We are pleased to see the Biden administration recognize the humanitarian crisis threatening the people of Cameroon. This TPS designation will ensure that Cameroonians already living in the U.S. are not forced to return to a nation torn by unrelenting violence,” they said in a joint statement. Warner and Kaine have been strong advocates for the TPS program. In November, they joined a number of their colleagues in calling on the administration to provide protections to Cameroonians fleeing violence. Established by the U.S. Congress through the Immigration Act of 1990, TPS is a temporary, renewable program that provides relief from deportation and access to a work permit for foreign nationals from certain countries who are unable to return safely to their home country due to natural disasters, armed conflicts, or other extraordinary conditions.
APRIL 21 - 27, 2022 | PAGE 9
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
More Pandemic Fallout: The Chronically Absent Student
Jacey Fortin NEW YORK TIMES
After the coronavirus pandemic pushed his classes online in the spring of 2020, Isaac Mosley, now 18, got used to spending his time outside of school. Isaac, a public school student in Waco, Texas, finished his sophomore year remotely. During his junior year, he worked at a lumber company, where he discovered that he could still be counted as present at school if he carved out some time to check in online. When he became a senior last fall, his high school fully resumed in-person learning. But Isaac kept working, earning money to support himself and his family while racking up dozens of missed school days and hundreds of missed classes. Isaac is one of millions of public school students across the United States who is considered chronically absent — often defined as missing 10 percent of the days in a school year, whether the absences are excused or not.
“Chronic absence has skyrocketed” during the pandemic, said Hedy Chang, the director of Attendance Works, a national group that promotes solutions to chronic absenteeism, which has been linked to weaker academic performance and can predict whether a student is more likely to drop out before finishing high school. Rates of absenteeism can be hard to compare nationally because schools do not report the data in the same way, nor on the same timetable. But according to a December report from the consulting firm McKinsey & Co., which defined chronic absenteeism as missing 15 school days per year, the percentage of students who were on track to be chronically absent was about 22 percent — more than double the rate of chronically absent students before the pandemic. “While absenteeism rates for high-income students are leveling off, rates for low-income students have continued to worsen since the spring,” the report added. “What we know,” Chang said, “is that chronic absence is exac-
erbating existing inequities.” For school districts, attendance is a knotty problem. Showing up to class is fundamental to learning, but schools have little control over absences and solving the problem is not easy. Chronic absenteeism can stem from a variety of issues including instability at home, work obligations or illness. Now, unsettled by the continuing shock waves of a pandemic, even more students appear to be falling through the cracks. And district employees — stretched increasingly thin by understaffing and absences of their own — are grasping for creative ways to lure students back. Some are offering night classes. Others are giving gift cards for groceries. At least one has eaten insects. When McDonough Middle School in Hartford, Connecticut, held a pep rally to encourage student attendance last month, about 16 percent of the school’s students were marked absent. That meant 51 children missed their chance to see the basketball free-throw contest in the gymna-
sium and the spirited dance-off between two sixth-grade teachers. Still, it was not a bad turnout for a district where more than 40 percent of the students have been chronically absent this year. In Connecticut, state data shows that chronic absenteeism soared during the pandemic, especially for Black, Latino and Native American students. This year in Hartford, where children of color make up a vast majority of the student body, the pandemic has disrupted years of effort to push that figure down, said Leslie Torres-Rodriguez, the superintendent of Hartford Public Schools. “You feel that in the hallways,” she said. “You hear teachers saying to students: ‘I’ve missed you. Where have you been?’” The district collected data on students’ reasons for absences and found that the most common included illnesses and quarantines, whether Covid-related or not; transportation difficulties, sometimes exacerbated by safety concerns or bad weather; suspensions over students’ behavior; and appointments outside of
school, for example with doctors or social workers. “We look at the barriers,” said Marjorie Rice, the principal of McDonough. “What we can remove, we remove.” That work falls not only to teachers and administrators, but also to teams of district employees with tongue-twister titles like Student Engagement Specialist, or SES, Family and Community Support Service Provider, or FCSSP, and Pupil Personnel Worker, or PPW. Michelle Martinez, an FCSSP at McDonough, said parents regularly called and texted her for help with everything from food to shelter to transportation. She works with students, too, and has performed eye-popping antics at pep rallies in order to encourage attendance. Last year, Martinez ate a chocolate-covered cricket. This year, she ate a salted one. The stunts were worth it, she said, if they brought more children to school. “With attendance not being Continued on Page 11
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APRIL 21 - 27, 2022 | PAGE 11
Anxieties Have Been Compounded By EconomicPressures
Continued from Page 10
where we want it to be, we have to go that extra step,” said Ashley Jackson, an SES who often leads the pep rallies. She added, “They know, at the end of the month, if I have perfect attendance, I get to see Ms. Martinez eat a bug.” In Washington County, Maryland, the rate of public school students who were chronically absent rose to about 38 percent during the first semester of this school year — more than double the rate from a comparable time period before the pandemic. The absences appear to have been driven in part by depression and anxiety among students, cases of which skyrocketed during the pandemic and are now overwhelming health care providers, according to Jeremy Jakoby, the district’s director of student services. “Kids aren’t showing up as much as they used to,” said Leilani Ciampo, 14, a high school freshman in Washington County. Some students, she said, have
jobs during the day, while others have simply fallen out of the habit of coming to class after months of online learning. “And some of them get Covid,” she added. That was what happened to Leilani, who was absent more than two dozen times during her freshman year, largely because of quarantines. She missed a fun experiment in her chemistry lab — classmates later told her they had watched compounds catch fire, making flames in fantastic colors — and she was not there when her English class worked its way through “Romeo and Juliet.” Isolated in her bedroom and getting class notes online, Leilani stumbled through the Shakespearean tragedy. Now, she is scrambling to pull up her scores in time to pass English this year. “I’m really worried about it,” she said. Students’ anxieties have only been compounded by economic pressures, said Emily Jones, a PPW in Washington County whose work involves helping
families find ways to cover food, utility bills or other expenses. “A lot of families I’m working with, it’s all hands on deck,” she said. “You have kids working jobs the minute they’re able to get a work permit.” In Dayton, Ohio, where attendance rates dipped below 85 percent this year, the school district has offered $25 and $40 gift cards to encourage attendance. “The gift cards may help families put gas in their vehicles, buy groceries or assist in other ways that will lead to students attending school more often,” said the superintendent, Elizabeth Lolli. And in Waco, the district is allowing some students this year to take evening classes to accommodate their work schedules. Last fall, when Isaac realized he was on track to fail his senior year, he decided to give regular school another shot. “I made a promise to myself and to my parents that I was going to graduate,” he said. But being in the classroom felt weird, he said. His classmates did not know who he was,
and he was terribly behind on his coursework. During the spring semester, administrators suggested he try the night school program. Now, Isaac works at a restaurant during the day and attends school in the evenings under the guidance of his teacher, Julie Richardson, who instructs about 20 students each evening. “We were able to get Isaac to
come back,” Richardson said. “But others — they get lost, and that’s very, very frustrating.” With so many absences, Isaac is still not sure whether he will graduate on time. But he is hopeful. “I just got to keep my pace and keep going,” he said. By Jacey Fortin © 2022 The New York Times
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Fa l l s C h u r c h
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
School News & Notes Student Talent on Stage Benefits Prom The Junior Class brought back, from its Covid hiatus, the annual Junior Variety (JV) Show. The event raises funds to defray the costs of the Jr/Sr Prom. On Thursday night before break, the audience was delighted with 15 performances by over 50 students that included heavy metal, jazz, original compositions, dance, and more. The two student emcees kept the show moving and the audience laughing. It was a fun night for many, helping to fund a special night for even more.
Face Masks Remain Optional at FCCPS Over Spring Break, the Covid-19 Community Level for Falls Church moved back into the medium category. Masking remains optional for all students and staff. Please note the following information for both students and staff: Masking recommended for those at high risk and immunocompromised. Masking is optional for all. No mask monitoring by staff. People with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with Covid-19 will follow health guidance for masking.
Upcoming College & Career Dates Thursday, April 21, 11:30 a.m. — 1:30 p.m: Military Paths Day — Representatives from different military branches will be available during lunch blocks to talk with students about career opportunities, including enlisting right out of high school or pursuing an officer path through ROTC or attending a military academy. Friday, April 22: Final application deadline for the last two scholarships that the Falls Church Education Foundation stewards: Kathleen Halayko Scholarship (due 4/22/22) — $1,000
awarded to one senior who has attended FCCPS from K-12 and exemplifies Kathy Halayko’s spirit of kindness and generosity J. Roger and Patricia A. Wollenberg Scholarship (due 4/22/22) — A full scholarship awarded to a senior to attend a Virginia public 4-year college or university. Links for more details on these scholarships can be found in Tuesday’s edition of the Morning Announcements. Wednesday, April 27, 7 — 7:30 p.m.: “Secrets to Great College Applications and Essays,” — Get a jump on your college essays this spring. They’re one of the most essential and timeintensive parts of the application process. Staff from Prompt will share their knowledge with Meridian High School families during a 30-minute virtual webinar. Reserve your spot via the link in Tuesday’s edition of the Morning Announcements. Wednesday, May 4: Meridian High School Elevate Day- As a spin-off of College Signing Day, May 4 will be Elevate Day at MHS. A chance to celebrate all paths seniors will take next year. Seniors are encouraged to wear tshirts that connect to the next step in their journey.
Learning Lounge Open to 6th and 7th Graders At the After School Learning Lounge (ASLL), students can study, complete school work or seek academic assistance from a peer tutor or a teacher. Previously the ASLL was only available for grades 8-12, but after Spring Break, it will be available for grades 6-12. Here are the details: When: After school Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 3:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. No ASLL on early release days. Most Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. No ASLL on holiday weekends. Where: In the Meridian High School Library. It is on the second floor, to the right of the Mustang Mug. How: Students can sign up using the link in Tuesday’s edition of the Morning Announce-
THE MHS GUITAR CLASS recorded Green Day’s “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” at N38 Studios on Wednesday, April 6. Members also performed at the JV Show on April 7th. The group has plans for coffee houses and performances in the community. (Photo: FCCPS) ments. Teachers can also sign up if they feel like a student needs support.
Upcoming School Board ‘Office Hours’ FCCPS School Board Chair Laura Downs and Vice-Chair Tate Gould will be holding “office hours” at Cuates Grill (502 West Broad) on Monday, April 25 from 6— 8 p.m. Parents, students, teachers, staff, and community members may drop by (no registration required) to ask questions and offer feedback in a casual environment. As this will not be a private setting, community members who prefer to have a private exchange with the School Board can locate members’ email addresses at: https:// www.fccps.org/page/schoolboard
Joint PTA Event Tuesday, April 26 The FCEPTA, MEHMS PTA, and MHS PTSA have invited Dr. William Stixrud and Ned Johnson, authors of the national best-seller, “The SelfDriven Child,” to discuss their new book,” “What Do You Say? Talking with Kids to Build Motivation, Stress Tolerance, and a Happy Home” to speak on Tuesday, April 26 at 7:00 p.m. at MHS. Their presentation will focus on how to communicate with
kids in a way that supports the autonomy and self-drive that are so important for healthy development. Although informed by extensive research, this talk will emphasize practical communication strategies for building a solid emotional connection with our kids, communicating healthy (versus toxic) expectations, fostering intrinsic motivation, and helping kids find their reasons to change when they’re struggling. Because communication is most challenging when things are not going well, the presentation will emphasize how to get “buy-in” before we share our experience and advice, how to change the energy when it feels like we’re trying to force our kids, and how to manage conversations when emotions run high.
Don Beyer Visited 4th Grade Class In Ms. Lisa Allan’s 4th grade class, the students learn about the state and federal government as part of their “How We Organize Ourselves” Unit of Inquiry. As part of their Virginia Studies, the class invited US Congressman Don Beyer to talk to the class about how and why he got involved with the government. The kids were so excited to meet him and ask him questions! Many of the students made quick connections with him because they are from State Department or Foreign Service families. One of the students drew a picture of him during his visit, and she gave it to him as a gift.
A few questions from the students: “What is the best part about being a congressman? “Being able to help people and be a change-maker.” “Do you remember when you first started to have an interest in politics?” “Yes! I was in the 5th grade, and John F. Kennedy was just elected President. I knew back then that I wanted to help people, especially people in my community.”
Meridian Gets New Art Displays The halls and meeting areas at Meridian High School have new pedestals to display 3D student art — thanks to a grant from the Falls Church Education Foundation. The artwork created by students in Mr. Kenny George’s Design-2 class is made on the equipment also funded by an FCEF grant — the Makerbot Method X. This new model 3D printer represents a significant advancement in the technology, which allows Mr. George to integrate it into his more advanced curriculum; where accuracy, repeatability, and durability are key to the success of a prototype. The Makerbot Method X is the first affordable model to provide speed, accuracy, and the ability to print in more durable materials. Up until recently, consumer-grade 3D printers did not offer this.
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Meridian High Talent on Display at School Fundraiser
DOES ANYBODY doubt that there is a ton of student talent at Falls Church’s Meridian High School? If you attended last week’s Junior Variety Show you would have no doubts now! (photos: FCCPS SCHOOLS)
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F.C. Education Foundation Thanks Community for Support
by Debbie Hiscott
As we reflect on the last two years and the path forward, we are so grateful for the community of Falls Church, the collaboration and support, and the resilience of the schools, teachers and staff. The last opportunity we had to share about the Falls Church Education Foundation (FCEF) and our mission in the Falls Church News Press, in spring 2020, we wrote about missing out on many City of Falls Church festivities due to this “new” thing called Covid. From prom to end-of-year school picnics to graduation – and even the Falls Church City Memorial Day parade – the pandemic put so many plans on hold and made our traditions look incredibly different. We know none of these events were more important than looking out for one another and keeping each other safe and healthy. That didn’t keep us from missing each of these traditions all the same. We are happy that, two years later, over 750+ celebrated the Recreation and Parks egg hunt this past weekend, and there are plans in place for an Arbor Day celebration on May 23rd and for the Memorial Day parade as well. Tucked in between those two dates is another annual tradition we are happy to revive—The
Falls Church Education Foundation Gala! The annual Falls Church Education Foundation Gala and Auction is another event on that growing list of things that Will happen this year, and it’s historically one of my favorites. It is appropriately themed “Together Again.” We hope you’ll join us in this celebratory event on Friday, May 20th at 6:30 p.m. at the Washington Golf & Country Club. Sure, it is a ton of work for us and an entire crew of volunteers. By the end of the event, the volunteers, our families and we are all exhausted. But seeing all those friends and neighbors, supportive business leaders, stalwart elected officials, incredible teachers and administrators all glammed up and turning out for a common cause again – to raise critical funds that support our schools, educators, and students – makes it all worthwhile. Every single year. Each year, funds raised at the gala are the engine which drive FCEF’s support of our school community. The Foundation’s ongoing programs support equity of access (food, technology, school supplies, basic necessities and emergency shelter and medical care), ESOL and Special Education programs that ensure all
of our students are given the best foundation from which to learn. Funding also supports our two main grant programs — our Advanced Training Grants for staff professional development opportunities and our Super Grants which expand and extend the learning environment for students and staff, PK-12. Funds raised from this event also support our FCCPS staff recognition awards like the FCEF Teacher of the Year (congrats to Meridian High School’s math teacher extraordinaire, Jen Jayson, for being the 2022 recipient!). You can find photos of Ms. Jayson and other award winners in the FCCPS ad on page 13. And we admit it: we love handing out those checks to the hardest working teachers in the nation. After all they have done to keep things rolling over the past few years, it was fabulous to recognize them in person. The teachers who are nominated for the awards, and their dates, join us to be recognized at the annual gala. FCEF also stewards over 22 scholarships for students, providing critical support for career development and post-secondary education. Scholarships recognize excellence on a variety of dimensions including citizenship, arts, community service, and academic achievement.
As directed by donors, many scholarships focus on particular groups within the high school population including graduates from ESOL and Special Education programs, students planning to attend vocational school or community college, first generation college attendees, students who are immigrants or from immigrant families, and students who plan to focus on arts or education in college. This year we are very honored to have added a new scholarship in memory of our beloved friend and neighbor, Anna Hennessey, a 2015 GMHS graduate. The Anna Hennessey Scholarship for Service Learning is intended to recognize and reward a student who has demonstrated dedication to service to our greater community. Fortunately for the City of Falls Church, we have many candidates. During the pandemic, we were proud to have not only continued our traditional programs, but also to have created new programs which leveraged generous community support to address specific pandemic-related needs. We expanded our Family Assistance Fund program, generating hundreds of thousands of dollars in total to support local families, providing food security
and many types of emergency assistance. We have secured over $50,000 in grants to support wellness programs for our staff, students and parents (please watch for a future article in the FCNP for additional photos and details of our March Wellness grants). We know it is not really the fancy party and the dazzling outfits that make our gala and auction so special. It’s the sense of community and caring and acknowledgement that the hard work was worth it. Even in this crazy time, our friends, neighbors and businesses are coming together and doing what they can to keep our schools strong. And although it’s not just about the party, we do hope you will plan to join us on the dance floor on May 20th and contribute to the event that directly supports our teachers, our students and our community. To learn more about the work of the Foundation and our events, please check out www.fcedf.org and follow us at @FCEFoundation on Twitter, Falls Church Education Foundation on Facebook and/or fcefoundation on Instagram. Debbie Hiscott, Executive Director. Suzanne Hladky, Director of Development. Falls Church Education Foundation.
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APRIL 21 - 27, 2022 | PAGE 15
Easter Eggs Didn’t Stand a Chance Last Weekend
EGGS AND AT LEAST one bunny drew hordes of Easter celebrant kiddies to Cherry Hill Park last weekend for a festive annual hunt.. It was a great time had by all (except maybe for whomever it was that got stuck with the duty of enduring that hot bunny outfit! (photos: Gary Mester)
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News-Press
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Community News & Notes Girl Scouts’ New Dark Sky Patch at Riverbend Park The Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital (GSCNC) has introduced a new patch called the Dark Sky Patch, designed to help Girl Scouts learn about the importance of dark skies and how they can protect this important ecological resource. They will have a chance to learn about light pollution, how to reduce it, and share their findings with others. This program is the first of its kind offered by the Fairfax County Park Authority and is sponsored by the Fairfax County Park Foundation. The Dark Sky Patch Program is the kickoff event to celebrate the start of International Dark Sky Awareness Week, running from Apr. 22 — 30. The Dark Sky Patch program costs $14 per scout and includes the patch upon program completion. The program will take place Saturday, Apr. 23, 2022, from 7 — 9 p.m. More information about International Dark Sky Awareness Week can be found at idsw.darksky.org. Riverbend Park, the site of the program, is located at 8700 Potomac Hills St, Great Falls, VA. For more information, call Jordan Libera at 703-759-9018 or email jordan. libera@fairfaxcounty.gov.
F.C. Area AAUW Book Sale End of the Month The Falls Church Area American Association of University Women will host a used book sale at the end of the month on Friday, Apr. 29 from 9 a.m. — 9 p.m. and Saturday, Apr. 30, from 9 a.m. — 4 p.m. at the Falls Church Community Center, located at 223 Little Falls St, off Route 7. The sale will feature thousands of books, including a huge selection of hardback, paperback, fiction, and non-fiction for a variety of interests. Most books are priced at $4 or less. Donations for the sale ended Apr. 9 due to an overwhelming amount of books; the donation box at the Community Center has since been removed.
The sale will benefit scholarship and grant programs for women, including local F.C. high school girls. For more information visit fallschurcharea-va. aauw.net/booksale or call 703637-4488.
Democratic Primary Early Voting Begins May 6 Early voting for the Democratic Primary for the U.S. House of Representatives 8th District starts May 6; the Primary is set to take place June 21. The candidates are Victoria I. Virasingh and Donald S. Beyer, Jr. The Republican Party does not have a primary this year. Voters who have applied for a permanent by-mail ballot and indicated the Democratic Party should receive a ballot. Call the Voter Registration office at 703248-5085 or email vote@fallschurchva.gov with questions or concerns. Visit elections.virginia.gov for more information.
“Into the Woods” opens at Creative Cauldron May 5 Written by James Lapine, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, “Into the Woods” intertwines the various stories and characters from Grimm fairy tales into a tangled adventure featuring Cinderella and Jack, from “Jack and the Beanstalk.” This Creative Cauldron production of the play is sponsored by Mark F. Werblood Esq., Attorney at Law. All patrons must wear masks; social distancing between parties and proof of vaccination or negative Covid-19 test within 24 hours of the performance is required for everyone ages 5 and above. “Into the Woods” will run from Thursday, May 5 — Saturday, May 7, beginning at 7:30 p.m. There will be two shows on Sunday, May 8, at 2 and 7 p.m. Visit creativecauldron. org/into-the-woods.html for more information.
NOVA Nightsky’s Production of “Proof” Opens Apr. 29 “Proof,” a 2000 play by American playwright David Auburn, centering on Catherine, the daughter of a recently-
BOREK-G, located at 315 S. Maple Ave, finally had its official-ribbon cutting ceremony a few weeks ago. Several special guests stopped by, among them Falls Church City Mayor David Tarter. The local eatery and market had to put their opening ceremony on hold due to Covid, but have since become a culinary staple of the community. (Courtesy Photo ) deceased mathematical genius, and her struggles to cope with his legacy and her own anxieties. NOVA Nightsky will premiere its production of “Proof” on Friday, Apr. 29, at 7:30 p.m. NOVA Nightsky is located at 1057 W. Broad St, Falls Church. Email novanightskytheater@gmail. com or visit novanightskytheater.com for more information. The play will run through Apr. 30 and will return for a second run, from May 6 — 7.
The SCC Welcomes Back Author Julie Lythcott-Haims Former Stanford dean and New York Times best-selling author Julie Lythcott-Haims will share her perspectives and tips on parenting from 7 — 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Apr. 26 at Temple Rodef Shalom (2100 Westmoreland St, Falls Church). The focus of Julie’s talk, “Throw Out the Checklisted Childhood: Tips and Strategies for Raising Successful Kids,” combines the insight from her first book “How to Raise an Adult” and her findings from her latest book “Your Turn: How to be an Adult.” Drawing on research, conversations with admissions officers,
educators, and employers, and on her own insights as a mother and as a student dean, Julie highlights the ways in which overparenting harms children, their stressed-out parents, and society at large. Empathizing with the parental hopes and, especially, fears that lead to overhelping, Julie offers practical strategies that underline the importance of allowing children to make their own mistakes and develop the resilience, resourcefulness, and inner determination necessary for success. This event is free to the public and is recommended for parents and young adults. Space is limited and registration is required. To register and for more information, visit mcleanscc.org. This program will be livestreamed for those unable to attend. The Safe Community Coalition (SCC) is a group of community volunteers whose mission is to educate and empower youth and families to make responsible choices about their mental and physical health and safety.
Local BSA Troop 1996 Recent Eagle Scout Projects DS Metal Works, a custom metal fabrication and welding
shop founded in 1945 in Falls Church, hosted eight Scouts from BSA Troop 1996 in its workshop on Gordon Rd. for a half-day Metalworking Merit Badge program in Dec. of last year, teaching the Scouts all the aspects of metalworking, from design through fabrication. The Scouts then fabricated metal brackets for a Gaga Ball pit which was installed earlier this year at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School (MEHMS) located at 105 Mustang Alley, Falls Church. The project, from the fabrication of the metal brackets during the metalworking workshop to the installation of the Gaga pit last month, utilized the work of 17 Scouts, nearly all FCCPS students. Overall, this project represents a combined total of 106 planning and service hours. Jameson Craig, a Troop 1996 Scout, was able to complete his Eagle Project with the help of his fellow Scouts. In addition to the brackets, the Scouts were also taught sheet metal work which enabled them to create neckerchief slides unique to their troop. BSA Troop 1996 meets at 7:30 p.m. every Monday night during the school year at MEHMS. For more information about Troop 1996, visit troop1996.
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com or follow them on facebook. com/scoutsbsatroop1996. DS Metal Works, master metalists and environmental specialists since 1945, provides custom fabrication and materials for projects both large and small, personal and commercial. DS Metal Works also operates a fully-functional welding shop, mobile welding services, on-site fabrication repairs and installation.
Kensington Bake Sale in Support of Ukraine The Kensington of Falls Church (located at 700 W. Broad St, Falls Church) has been fundraising for Chef Jose Andres’ World Central Kitchen (WCK), a global non-profit group that is currently focused on providing direct aid to the people of Ukraine. The fundraising will continue until Apr. 30. Call 703-672-1352 or email event organizer Kayla Peters (kpeters@kensingtonsl. com) for more information. Visit thekensingtonfallschurch. com to make a donation and help the Kensington reach their goal of $25,000. Those who donate can RSVP for a box of Ukrainian Honey cookies as a “thank-you” for the much-needed support.
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Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is Apr. 30
visit mrspl.librarycalendar.com or call 703-248-5030.
Saturday, Apr. 30, from 10 a.m. — 2 p.m., residents will be able to drop off any expired, unused, or unwanted pills and patches free and anonymously. No liquids, needles or sharps allowed. For more information, visit the DEA Take Back Day website at takebackday.dea.gov. The event will take place outside the Police entrance to City Hall at 300 Park Ave, Falls Church — across the street from the Community Center.
Falls Church Women’s History Walk
Upcoming Discussion Groups at Mary Riley Styles Mary Riley Styles Public Library, located at 120 N Virginia Ave, Falls Church, hosts a variety of discussion groups. Running through the month of Apr. and into May, the following groups will take place (solely online, through Zoom): The Tuesday Morning Book Club will take place Apr. 26, at 10:30 a.m. The book is “His Truth is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope” by Jon Meacham. A Mystery Book Discussion will take place May 25 at 7 p.m. The book is “The ThirtyNine Steps” by John Buchan. For more information and to register,
The Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation, Falls Church Elected Women, and the Falls Church Women’s History Group will host a Women’s History Walk on Sunday, May 2, from 11 a.m. — 2 p.m., for a loop through the City, starting at one of three locations: City Hall, the Tinner Hill Historic Site, or Big Chimneys Park, and stopping along historic markers, community group displays, “HerStory” stations, and other points of interest.
F.C. Arts All Member Show Open Until May 8 One hundred nineteen artists are currently being featured in the 2022 All Member Show at the Falls Church Arts gallery, until May 8. The show highlights the work of emerging and established member artists from F.C. Arts and encompasses an extensive range of media. The F.C. Arts gallery is located at 700 B West Broad St (Route 7), Falls Church, open Wednesdays — Saturdays from 11 a.m. — 6 p.m. and on Sundays
from 11 a.m. — 2 p.m. Masks and social distancing are required. F.C. Arts works to support artists and art education in the community since its inception in 2003. For more information, visit fallschurcharts.org.
Solarize VA Helps Residents Utilize Solar Power Adding solar power to a home has become easier and more affordable, due in part to initiatives like Solarize NOVA, a program that reduces the cost and complexity of going solar by providing a one-stop shop for education and installation. Interested participants can also sign up to join an upcoming virtual information session; registration is free and requires no commitment until you sign a contract with an installer. More information is available to all community members at solarizeva.org.
Falls Church Arbor Day Celebration This Saturday Please join the City of Falls Church, Falls Church Public Schools, VPIS, the Virginia Department of Forestry, and the community to gather in-person for the first time in two years to
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celebrate Arbor Day in the City of Falls Church. We will plant a yellowwood tree, the tree of the year selected by the Urban Forestry Commission.This event will take place at Jessie Thackrey Preschool located at 201 N Cherry St. on Saturday, April 23 from 12 — 1 p.m. For more details on this event, visitfallschurchva.gov/ calendar.aspx or contact the City arborist at cprince@fallschurchva. gov.
Outdoor Makers’ Market at Botanologica Botanologica is hosting an Outdoor Makers’ Market on Sunday April 24th from 11-4pm. This free community event will be held in the front parking lot of the little pink house-shop at 817 West Broad Street, Falls Church. More than 15 markers and local artists will be participating Rare Bird Coffee Roasters will provide coffee and treats! Botanologica will be open during the market hours as well. Limited parking is available in the rear lot so please consider walking or riding your bike. The rain date will be the following Sunday, May 1. Please follow Botanologica on Facebook and Instagram for additional information and updates.
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FALLS CHURCH CALENDAR LOCALEVENTS THURSDAY, APRIL 21 Armchair Travel: Madagascar. Mary Riley Styles Public Library will host an exploration of Madagascar as part of a program hosted jointly with the Falls Church Senior Center. 703)-248-5035. 223 Little Falls St, Falls Church. 10 — 11:15 a.m. Walk-in Tech Clinic. A tech tutor is available every Thursday at Thomas Jefferson Library to help visitors with issues and questions. 703-5731060. (7415 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church). 10 — 11 a.m. F.C. Fiber Artists. Those interested in knitting and crocheting are invited to a weekly knitting group at Mary Riley Styles Public Library. 703-248-5030 (120 N. Virginia Ave) 10 a.m. — 12 p.m. Ukulele Thursday. Thomas Jefferson Library invites families to a morning of stories and music. Geared towards children up to 5 years of age. (7415 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church). 10:30 — 11 a.m. 2022 F.C. Arts All Member Show (On-going). Running through Sunday, May 8, visitors will find a variety of art created by 119 Falls Church Arts Gallery artists. Visit fallschurcharts.org for more information. (700 W. Broad St, Falls Church, VA.) Wednesday — Saturday, 11 a.m. — 6 p.m., Sunday, 11 a.m. — 4 p.m. Pastel & Gouache: Mixed Media Painting. Those interested in mixed media painting are invited for an afternoon session with instructor Richard Levine at the F.C. Art Gallery. Visit fallschurcharts.org to register. (700 W. Broad St, Falls Church.) 1 — 3 p.m. Quinn’s Auction Galleries: Ethnographic Arts Auction (Online). Featuring an assortment of African, Southeast Asian, PreColumbian, and Oceanic figures,
masks, and utilitarian objects. Email corrie.brady@quinnsauction.com for more information. Bidding will take place online at hibid.com/catalog/360815. 2 — 4 p.m. District Trivia. Trivia at Clare and Don’s. 703-532-9283. (130 N. Washington St, Falls Church). 7 p.m. Solace Outpost Trivia. Trivia every Tuesday and Thursday. First place and second place teams win gift cards. 571-378-1469. (444 W. Broad St, Falls Church). 7 — 9 p.m.
FRIDAY, APRIL 22 Davis Mansion Tours (On-going). Davis Mansion provides guests with a first-person look at history. Registration required; tours offered weekly on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday at 10 and 11 a.m. as well as 1, 2, and 3 p.m. Visit insidenovatix.com or call 703-777-2414 for information. (17269 Southern Planter Lane, Leesburg, VA 20176.) DMV to Go. The DMV will visit Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library to help attendees renew their license, get a real ID, and more. Register at librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov. (7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church.) 10 a.m. — 4 p.m. Home School Program: Life on a 19th Century Farm. Children will be able to tour the farmhouse and barn to learn how technology of the day made life easier for 19th century farmers. Call the Community Center at 703-248-5027 to register. Cherry Hill Historic House and Farm (312 Park Ave, Falls Church). 10 — 11:30 a.m. Sensory Storytime. A quieter, sensory-friendly storytime presented by Thomas Jefferson Library. Ages 1 — 3. Register online at librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov. (7415 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church). 10:30 — 11:30 a.m. Earth Day Pop Art Workshop. In celebration of Earth Day, collage artist Michael Albert will present his
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“Modern Pop Art Experience” workshop at Mary Riley Styles Public Library, helping attendees create art out of recycled cereal boxes. 703-248-5368. (120 N. Virginia Ave, Falls Church.) 12 — 2 p.m. Bulbasaur Planters. Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library will be providing Pokemon-themed planters for visitors ages 8 — 12 (with parent or guardian). Register online at librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov. (7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church.) 4:30 — 5:30 p.m. Teen Advisory Board. High school students meet weekly to volunteer and get involved in library programming and services. Best suited for teens ages 14 — 18. Thomas Jefferson Library (7415 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church). 4:30 — 5 :30 p.m.
SATURDAY, APRIL 23 Falls Church Farmers Market. Every Saturday, visitors will find fresh, local produce, meat, dairy, flowers, honey, and more. Covid guidelines will be observed. (300 Park Ave, Falls Church). 8 a.m. — 12 p.m. Cherry Hill Open House Tours. Free tours available at the farmhouse, taking place every Saturday, now through Oct. Cherry Hill Farmhouse (312 Park Ave, Falls Church, VA). 10 a.m. — 12 p.m. F.C. Arbor Day Celebration. Hosted by Falls Church, F.C. Public Schools, VPIS, and the VA Department of Forestry, visitors will be able to take part in the Arbor Day planting of a yellowwood tree. Jessie Thackrey Preschool (201 N Cherry St, Falls Church). 12 — 1 p.m. 4th Annual Spring OysterFEST. Settle Down Easy will host its 4th Annual Spring OysterFEST with over 4,000 oysters shucked fresh. Visit settledowneasybrewing.com/calendar/ for more information. (2822 Fallfax Dr, Falls Church). 12 — 8 p.m. GIVE Tutoring. Free tutoring for children in kindergarten — 6th
THE FARALLON RECORDER QUARTET brings the music of the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque and Modern Eras to today’s audiences. They will appear this Saturday at Saint George’s Episcopal Church. (Photo: farallonrecorderquartet.com.) provided by GIVE, a student-run non-profit organization. Thomas Jefferson Library (7415 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church). 12 — 2 p.m. Learn Vietnamese. Participants will learn and practice Vietnamese with a native speaker. Walk-ins welcome. Thomas Jefferson Library (7415 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church). 12 — 1 p.m. Wine Tasting Saturdays. Dominion Wine & Beer hosts wine tasting every Saturday, conducted by an industry professional. Call 703-5333030 for information. (107 Rowell Ct, Falls Church.) 1 p.m. — 4 p.m. Girl Scout Program: Detectives (Junior). Girl Scouts will learn about coded messages used in the Civil War, study fingerprinting, and the art of forgery. Register by calling the F.C. Community Center at 703-2485027. Cherry Hill Farmhouse (312 Park Ave, Falls Church). 2 — 4 p.m. Turn of Phrase: A Conversation Between a Poet and Bassist. Poetry reading by Heather Grant, accompanied by Chris Kosky on bass. Register online at librarycalendar. fairfaxcounty.gov. Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library (7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church). 2 — 3 p.m. Teens Create: Erasure Poetry. In celebration of National Poetry Month, teens will learn the history of erasure poetry and create their own. Thomas Jefferson Library (7415 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church). 2:30 — 3:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, APRIL 24 McLean Chocolate Festival. Celebrating all-things-chocolate, you’ll have the opportunity to sample, admire, and purchase a big variety of chocolatey confections. Plus, enjoy demonstrations and live entertainment throughout the day. (1234 Ingleside Ave, McLean) 11 a.m. — 5 p.m. Backyard Composting Workshop. Attendees will learn about leaf mulching, yard waste composting, and more To register, email Master Gardener Sandra Tapinian at (shoptarp@gmail.com). Cherry Hill Park Pavilion (312 Park Ave.) 2 — 4 p.m.
MONDAY, APRIL 25 Virtual Event: Parkinson's Foundation Communication Club. Hosted by the Kensington, the Parkinson’s Communication Club takes place every Monday, led by Susan I. Wranik, Board Certified Speech-Language Pathologist. The Club helps attendees practice speaking louder and clearer. Email Kayla Peters (kpeters@kensingtonsl.com) for information. 3 — 4 p.m. Read to the Dog. Visitors can read aloud to Raven, a trained therapy dog. For all ages. Register at librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov or by calling 703-790-8088. Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library (7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church). 4:15 — 4:30 p.m. Maker Mondays. Kids will be build with Legos, Keva Planks, Squigz,
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Mega Magnets, Gears, and more. Materials provided by Thomas Jefferson Library (7415 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church). 5 — 6 p.m. ESOL Conversation Group. Online group for those looking to practice English. Email Marshall Webster (mwebster@fallschurchva.gov) for a Zoom invite. 7 — 8:30 p.m.
City Council Meeting. The City Council meets the second and fourth Monday of the month with the exception of Aug. and Dec. The public is welcome to address the Council on any topic during the comment period. Sign up to speak at fallschurchva.gov/publiccomment. Video will be available online at fallschurchva.gov/councilmeetings or on FCCTV (Cox 11, RCN 2, Verizon 35). For more information, email cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov or call 703-248-5014. City Council Chambers (300 Park Ave, Main Level, Falls Church). 7:30 — 11 p.m.
TUESDAY, APRIL 26
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27
Early Release Wednesday: Dried Flower Butterflies. Mary Riley Styles Public Library celebrates Spring with a dried flowers activity. Geared towards children in K — 5th grade. Register at mrspl.librarycalendar. com. 703-248-5030. (120 N. Virginia Ave, Falls Church.) 3:30 — 4:30 p.m.
LIVEMUSIC THURSDAY, APRIL 21 Tom Russell. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $30. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566. Sol Roots Band. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-241-9504.
FRIDAY, APRIL 22 Shartel & Hume Happy Hour. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-241-9504.
Tuesday Morning Book Club. For April, the club will focus on “His Truth is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope” by Jon Meacham. Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave, Falls Church). 703-248-5237. 10:30 a.m.
Brook Yoder. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack (130 N Washington St., Falls Church). 5:30 p.m. 703-532-9283.
Basic Computer & Internet Skills. Visitors will learn computer and internet skills with Thomas Jefferson Library volunteers. (7415 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church). 1 — 2 p.m.
The Nighthawks. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $20. 8 p.m. 703-255-1566.
Booktalk for Book Lovers (Online). Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library’s monthly Book Lovers group will focus on “The Exiles” by Christina Baker Kline for the month of Apr. Register at librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov. 7 — 8 p.m. Great Books Discussion. The group will discuss “Interpreter of Maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri. Online, via Zoom. Contact Marshall Webster (mwebster@fallschurchva.gov) for a Zoom invite. 7 — 8:45 p.m. Chamber Networking Mixer. Networking event at Galleria Florist (248 W. Broad St, Falls Church). Visit fallschurchchamber.org for more information. 5:30 — 7 p.m. Trivia at Audacious Aleworks. The winning team will receive a gift card and entry into online championships. 571-303-0177. (110 E Fairfax St, Falls Church). 7 — 9 p.m. Trivia Night at Casual Pint. Weekly trivia. 703-286-0995. (6410 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 7 — 8 p.m.
Gerry Timlin. Ireland’s Four Provinces (105 W Broad St., Falls Church). 6:30 p.m. 703-534-8999.
The Farallon Recorder Quartet. Saint George’s Episcopal Church (915 N. Oakland, Arlington, VA). $35. 8 p.m. 703-525-8286. Kreekwater Band. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504. Mitchell Norton. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 9:30 p.m. 703-237-8333.
SATURDAY, APRIL 23 Skinnier Wallace. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-241-9504. Dan & Chuck. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack (130 N Washington St., Falls Church). 5:30 p.m. 703-532-9283. Veronneau: Blue Tapestry. Creative Cauldron (410 South Maple Ave, Falls Church). $30. 7:30 p.m. 703436-9948. Badfish with Dale and the ZDubs. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). $25. 8 p.m. 703-237-0300.
CA L E NDA R Roomful of Blues. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $30. 8 p.m. 703-255-1566. The Rockits. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504. Mars Rodeo. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 9:30 p.m. 703-237-8333.
APRIL 21 - 27, 2022 | PAGE 19
FCNP Featured Event
Earth Day
Friday, April 22nd
SUNDAY, APRIL 24 John Walkers: Big Birthday Party. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church). 3 p.m. 703-241-9504. The American Youth Philharmonic Percussion Ensemble. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). 7 p.m. 703-255-1566. JV’s Country Show. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-241-9504.
TUESDAY, APRIL 26 Open Mic with Vernon Santmyer. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-241-9504. Traditional Irish Music. Ireland’s Four Provinces (105 W Broad St., Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-534-8999.
THEATER&ARTS FRIDAY, APRIL 22 $5 Comedy Night. Comedy Night returns to the State Theatre, featuring some of the DMV area’s best comedians. Attendees must be 18+ or accompanied by an adult. Proof of Covid-19 vaccination required. Visit thestatetheatre.com or call 703-237-0300 for more information. The State Theatre is located at 220 N Washington St, Falls Church. Performances begin at 8:30 p.m.
TUESDAY, APRIL 26 The Upstairs Department. This character-driven play centers on Luke who, after an illness, awakens with the power to speak with the dead. He and his skeptic sister set out to test his paranormal talent at the Lily Dale Spiritualist community, where their discoveries end up summoning more than just the afterlife. Running through June 12, with performances on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 and 7 p.m. (4200 Campbell Ave, Arlington, VA.) Call 703-820-9771 or visit sigtheatre.org for more information and tickets.
EARTH DAY is celebrated every year on April 22. Born out of a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California, and carried forward today by the Earth Day Network, the holiday was set up to raise awareness of and support for environmental protection. Arbor Day, always observed on the last Friday in Apr., is another popular holiday with a similar goal of encouraging people to contribute to the sustainability of the environment by planting trees and other plants. Earth Day is celebrated in more than 193 countries, including the United Kingdom, Spain, and Ukraine. Locally, the Little City will plant a yellowwood tree on Saturday, April 23, in observance of Arbor Day. (Photo: "Mary Riley Styles Public Library, Local History Collection)
PAGE 20 | APRIL 21 - 27 , 2022
PUBLIC NOTICE
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA The ordinance referenced below was given first reading on April 11, 2022. Public hearing, second reading, and final consideration is scheduled for Monday, April 25, 2022 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard. (TO22-10) ORDINANCE TO AMEND REENACT AND RECODIFY CHAPTER 40, “TAXATION”, TO ADD SECTIONS 40-215—40-223, TO ESTABLISH A CLASSIFICATION AND TAXATION OF CERTAIN COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY This proposed ordinance would establish a new Commercial and Industrial real estate tax (C&I Tax). The tax rate would be set by City Council under separate ordinance (TO22-06). The ordinances referenced below were given first reading on April 11, 2022. Public hearings are scheduled for Monday, April 25, 2022 and Monday, May 2, 2022, with second reading and final Council action scheduled for Monday, May 2, 2022 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matters may be heard. (TO22-04) ORDINANCE FIXING AND DETERMINING THE BUDGET OF EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2023: 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: • $112,644,523 for the General Fund revenues and expenditures. • $4,552,000 for the Sewer Fund revenues and expenditures. • $1,739,500 for the Stormwater Fund revenues and expenditures. • $57,817,889 for the School Operating Fund revenues and expenditures. • $2,310,700 for the School Community Service Fund revenues and expenditures. • $1,105,200 for the School Food Service Fund revenues and expenditures. • $238,294 for the Cable Access Fund revenues and expenditures. (TO22-05) ORDINANCE FIXING AND DETERMINING THE FY2023-FY2028 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM BUDGET AND APPROPRIATING EXPENDITURE AND REVENUE FUNDS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2023 Total proposed CIP appropriations for FY2023 are $20,680,607 for the General Government, Schools, Special Transportation, Sanitary Sewer, and Stormwater. The projects are to be funded with $2,784,000 in pay-asyou-go and capital reserves, $2,644,837 in debt, $1,500,000 in availability fees, and $13,626,770 in grants; $125,000 is currently unfunded. (TO22-06) ORDINANCE SETTING THE RATE OF TAX LEVY ON REAL ESTATE FOR TAX YEAR 2023 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 2022 The proposed real estate tax rate for the tax year beginning July 1, 2022 is: • $1.235 upon each $100.00 of assessed value of real estate in the City of Falls Church, which is a $0.085 (6.44%) decrease
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
C L AS S I F I E DS in the current tax rate. The proposed commercial and industrial real estate tax rate as defined under Section 40215 of the Code of the City of Falls Church for the tax year beginning July 1, 2022 is: • $0.05 upon each $100 of assessed value of commercial and industrial real estate in the City of Falls Church. This is a new tax that will fund eligible transportation improvements. 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, 2022 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. (TO22-07) ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 42, “UTILITIES,” TO REVISE SEWER RATES AND FEES AS OF JULY 1, 2022 Under the legal authority granted by VA §15.22119, an increase to the City sewer commodity rate from $$9.87 per thousand gallons of water billed (billing unit) to $10.17 is proposed, effective July 1, 2022, which would constitute an increase of 3% per billing unit. (TO22-08) 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, 2022 Under the legal authority granted by VA § 15.2-2114, an increase to the City stormwater utility unit billing rate from $18.72 per 200 square feet of impervious surface (billing unit) to $19.28 per billing unit annually is proposed, effective July 1, 2022, which would constitute an increase of 3% per billing unit. All public hearings will be held in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia. For copies of legislation, contact the City Clerk’s office at (703-248-5014) or cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov or visit www. fallschurchva.gov/councilmeetings. Public comments may also be sent to 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
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BACK IN THE DAY
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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Falls Church News-Press Vol. XXII, No. 8 • April 19, 2012
Council Unanimous in Selection of Hector Rivera as New City Manager
F.C. Council Poised to OK Budget Hitting All Desired Policy Goals
With enthusiastic expressions of their unianimous support, members of the Falls Church City Council introduced their selection for City Manager yesterday at a Community Center press conference. Rivera comes to the post with 26 years of experience in public administration.
At its final work session last Monday before voting on its Fiscal Year 2013 budget, a majority of the Falls Church City Council reaffirmed its budget objectives of fully funding the School Board request, restoring the fund balance to two months worth of annual revenues.
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Fa l l s C h u r c h Business News & Notes
APRIL 21 - 27, 2022 | PAGE 23
Faces of Falls Church
Space workforce pledge The Northern Virginia-based space company leaders Tom Wilson, President, Space Systems, Northrop Grumman (Falls Church); John Serafini, CEO, HawkEye 360; and Roy Azevedo, president, Raytheon Intelligence & Space were among the 26 signatories to a “Space Workforce 2030” pledge. This is a commitment to annual data reporting, regular meetings to exchange best practices and a commitment to work with universities to increase the number of diverse and underrepresented students graduating and ready to join the space industry. Additional signatories included leaders of companies based elsewhere in Northern Virginia.
Dogfish Head Alehouse to Close The news of Dogfish Head Alehouse in Seven Corners closing on May 15 made the rounds in social media. Whereas Dogfish Head survived the worst of the pandemic, losing 75 percent of its business in the first three months, it won’t survive the new rent increase. Joe Hospital, co-owner of the three Dogfish Head locations reported that Saul Centers raised the rent to a level at which the business could not continue and attempts to renegotiate the lease renewal failed. The latest challenge is soaring food costs by at least two digits, but others like chicken wings and fresh produce are up 100 percent.
Northern Virginia Transportation Seeks Public Comment on Projects The Northern Virginia Transportation (NVTA) wants feedback from the public on the list of 26 candidate projects for regional funding submitted by nine Northern Virginia jurisdictions and localities, one of which is in Falls Church. This is part of the FY22-27 Six Year Program and the descriptions, maps, analyses and FAQs are available at thenovaauthority.org/fy2022-2027-six-year-program . The public comment period runs April 15 – May 22, 2022. Comments are limited to one submission per person with name, email address and/or phone number, zip code and project name or Application ID via: Email: SYPcomment@TheNoVAAuthority.org, Online: thenovaauthority.org/syp-comment, Voicemail: 571-354-0065, Mail: Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, 3040 Williams Drive, Suite 200, Fairfax, VA 22031, Public Hearing: Remote via Zoom, or NVTA’s Offices, 3040 Williams Drive, Suite 200, Fairfax, VA 22031 on May 12, 2022, at 7 p.m. ET Business News & Notes is compiled by Elise Neil Bengtson, Executive Director
of the Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at elise@ fallschcurchchamber.org.
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I BUMPED INTO LEE while she was sitting in the window of her own restaurant, Lee’s Thai Food at 312B S. Washington Street. I popped in and was blown away at the scope of the menu, all of which she can make herself. A native of Laos, Lee comes from a family where the restaurant business is in the blood. (Photo: J. Michael Whalen)
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PAGE 24 | APRIL 21 - 27, 2022
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455 combined horsepower* & 523 lb-ft combined torque
One Pedal Driving delivers a smoother, more intuitive driving experience.
*improved range and horsepower are applicable to Model Year 2022 Extended Range Recharge vehicle powertrains. EPA estimated range is 28 MPG city/ 27 MPG Highway/ 66 MPGe combined. Your actual range will vary for many reasons, including but not limited to, driving conditions, how and where you drive, how you maintain your vehicle, battery-package/condition, and other factors. See www.fueleconomy.gov.
Beyer Volvo Cars
beyervolvocarsfallschurch.com • 703.237.5000
Falls Church • Winchester • Dulles
ROCK STAR Realty ... ROCK STAR Service
We have buyers!
TM
COMING SOON! 275 Gundry Dr, Falls Church City 3 Bedroooms 2 Full & 2 Half Bathrooms
We have buyers looking in Falls Church between 800k-1.6m. If you want to sell now or in the near future please call Karin or Merelyn -703-626-3257.
Finished Lower Level Walk to Shops & Dining!
FOR RENT!
207 Pennsylvania Ave, Falls Church City Lower Level 1 Bedroom + Den
Spacious & Bright 1,000+ sq ft
1Bathroom
Walk to Shops & Dining
CALL 703-867-TORI
703-626-3257 merelyn@kayes.com
2111 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201
Tori@ROCKSTARRealtyGroup.com ROCKSTARRealtyGroup.com REALTOR®
EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY
© 2022 Tori McKinney, LLC
