Falls church News-Press

Index Editorial..................2 Letters.....2, 6, 40-41 Comment........10-13 Community News & Notes..............14-15 Business News & Notes...................16 Sports.............22-25 Calendar.........34-35 Roger Ebert....42-43 Press Pass..........45

Restaurant Spotlight ............................46 Sodoku................49 Comics.................49 Crossword...........49 Classified Ads......50 Business & Services Directory..............51 Weekly Focus .52-53 Critter Corner.......54 Business Listing..55

Surprising observers throughout the region, the City of Falls Church adopted its coming fiscal year budget Monday by a unanimous vote that raised the residential real estate tax by a mere two cents. The $76,427,560 Fiscal Year ’09 budget fully funds the School Board request and will actually cost the average taxpayer in Falls Church $174 less than a year ago.

Credit for the eased impact on City taxpayers goes to the development of large scale mixed use projects in the com-

mercial corridors of the City, which in the past two years has offset what would otherwise have been a 14 cent increase in the residential tax rate.

As it is, the tax rate will increase from $1.01 to $1.03 per $100 assessed valuation.

As a result, Falls Church’s tax impact on its citizens will be less than for any other jurisdiction in the region, as neighboring Arlington and Fairfax Counties limited real estate increases to three cents, but then added a burden of an added 10 and 11 cents, respectively, on commercial real estate.

They utilized the new abil-

ity to tax commercial land at a higher rate than residential, provided Virginia jurisdictions for the first time this year by the state legislature. Falls Church chose not to exercise that option in its new budget out of concern for the impact on the many smaller businesses in the City who would bear the brunt of such an increase.

The precipitous decline in the growth of residential real estate values, upon which many consider Falls Church to be overly dependent, was expected to create a far more difficult situation

Five former mayors of the City of Falls Church, in two letters to the News-Press published in this edition, joined six members of the current City Council, including the current mayor, to urge voters to vote “No” on the charter-change referendum on the City’s municipal election ballot Tuesday.

This overwhelming demonstration of opposition to the ballot measure by some of the City’s most respected and venerable leaders came as evidence of last-minute mailings and heated appeals escalated from both sides in the days leading up to the May 6 election.

Focus on the referendum is rivaling the attention paid to the seven candidates seeking to fill three open City Council seats who are on the ballot Tuesday, and four candidates seeking to fill three School Board seats.

Incumbents Mayor Robin Gardner and Vice Mayor Lindy Hockenberry are seeking reelection to third City Council terms. The four other candidates are Lawrence Webb, aligned with the incumbents as backed by the Citizens for a Better City (CBC), along with Nader Baroukh, Ed Hillegas, Margaret Housen and Patrice Lepczyk.

For the School Board, Incumbent Joan Wodiska is aligned with fellow CBCbacked candidates Charlotte Hyland and Kim Maller, while Incumbent Kieran Sharpe, running as an independent this time after winning CBC backing in previous elections, is the fourth candidate.

The reason for the importance placed on the referendum is because, according to its

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May 1 - 7, 2008

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you, dear reader, are taking the trouble to look at this editorial, we urge you to put a little extra effort, as well, into getting to the polls at some point between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. this Tuesday, May 6.

Moreover, we urge you to put some serious thought toward our recommendations for this election. We’ve been covering Falls Church in depth and non-stop for over 17 years, so we feel we’re qualified to give good advice on how to vote Tuesday to ensure the best outcome for you, your family, and your community. We recommend: 1. On the Charter-Change Referendum: Vote “No.” If it were to pass, the kind of diverse and reasoned mixed use development that has already saved over 12 cents on your residential real estate tax rate would grind to a halt. It would be a legalistic straight jacket, tying the hands of local government, and the regional development community would turn and run away. It would signal to them a community hostile to the realities of the market and deluded to think it can dictate that developers can or cannot do without regard for the market. Developers avoid such “la-la land” places like the plague. The referendum’s supporters say it is a “reaction” to too much development, which means it is reactionary. Rule by reaction is no way to practice good government.

Even its one supporter on the Falls Church City Council, an attorney, conceded Monday if he’d been able to write it, he’d done it differently. If it passed, real estate taxes would soar, schools would become second-rate, and the City’s capacity for sustainable self-determination would be thrown into serious jeopardy. We are emphatic urging a “No” vote on this ill-conceived referendum.

2. For the City Council, Re-Elect the Incumbents, Mayor Robin Gardner and Vice Mayor Lindy Hockenberry. They’ve served two terms effectively and deserve a third, capitalizing on their accumulated experience and success keeping City costs down and quality up.

3. For the City Council, Elect Lawrence Webb. Webb has taken, by far, the most interest in attending Council meetings, work sessions, and public events. Three candidates, Ed Hillegas, Margaret Housen and Patrice Lepczyzk have been no-shows at the same events, including at candidate forums and debates, and have done nothing to suggest they have the qualifications or dedication to serve. Nader Barouck, despite no prior service in the City, has engaged his opponents and might otherwise be qualified except that he’s an adamant supporter of the referendum, which disqualifies him in our judgment.

4. For School Board, Re-Elect the Incumbents, Joan Wodiska and Kieran Sharpe. Both the others, Kim Maller and Charlotte Hyland, are qualified. We give the edge to Maller.

May 1 - 7, 2008

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May 1 - 7, 2008

“Do you support the current course of development in Falls Church?”

• Yes • No

opponents, its impact if passed will be to bring to a grinding halt the kind of new mixed-use development projects that have already begun to alleviate the fiscal pressures on City taxpayers. Case in point for them is the just-adopted new budget that fully funds the Schools while actually costing the average residential taxpayer less than a year ago. Taxes from the new developments made a major difference (see story, elsewhere this edition).

If passed, the referendum would call for a change in the city charter to strictly limit mixed-use development to a minimum of 60 percent commercial and a maximum of 40 percent residential, subject to ratification by the state legislature next year. According to experts, there is no other jurisdiction in the region that has such a rigid limitation in its charter.

Support for the referendum, which was placed on the

ballot with 500 signatures in March, received a boost this week from venerable City activist Lou Olom, who reversed his adamant opposition to a similar referendum in 2002 to issue a widely-circulated letter addressed to “Parents of Falls Church Public School Children” supporting its passage this time.

It was similar to a letter submitted to the News-Press published in last week’s edition.

But the claim made in the Olom letter, that supporting the referendum would help ensure a smaller school system, was challenged by School Board chair Craig Cheney in comments to the News-Press yesterday.

“No matter what happens with enrollment growth, we need new facilities either way and will be able to accommodate any new growth without difficulty as a result,” Cheney said. “We are already preparing for that, including new facilities and demographic studies to assess our future needs.”

To date, he noted, enrollment growth has come almost entire-

ly from single family homes and not from new mixed-use projects in the City’s commercial corridors.

Olom had a very different slant on all this in 2002, when he opposed a similar anti-mixed use ballot referendum in a column in the October 24 edition of the News-Press that year.

Olom opposed the referendum then in defense of the school system. He wrote, “Interrupting this process by political appeals to the state legislature is not, in my opinion, the Falls Church Way. There are plenty of available resources for dissatisfied citizens to promote their views publicly without embroiling the legislature in local issues.” He called for the referendum then to be “crushed.”

Reacting to Olom’s current letter, Ira Jekowsky, president of Falls Church Citizens for a Prosperous Tomorrow, told the News-Press, “With all due respect to Mr. Olom, it seems clear to me that the best thing Continued on Page 38

• Don’t know/Don’t care

Vote on-line at www.FCNP.com Results of Last Week’s Question: “Do you think placing a Hilton Hotel next to St. James School presents a problem?”

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

May 1 - 7, 2008

Continued from Page 1

for the City budget than what materialized, with the new mixed use projects, some completed and some under construction, credited with saving the day.

In regional jurisdictions also hard-hit by the real estate crisis, the impact on local tax rates

With Falls Church City Attorney Roy Thorpe leaving after 12 years of service, the Falls Church City Council voted to retain Assistant Fairfax County Attorney John Everett Foster to fill the slot as of June 2.

Foster is a graduate of the University of Virginia and the U.Va. School of Law, graduating in 1992. He has held his post with Fairfax County since 1999 after a seven-year stint with the firm of Buonassissi, Henning, Campbell and

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was far more severe. The City of Leesburg, for example, was compelled to adopt a whopping 35 cent increase, from 97 cents to $1.32.

Falls Church’s new budget, which goes into effect on July 1, provided the School Board’s full $30,117,600 request. While some non-classroom positions were eliminated by the schools, classroom sizes were maintained

Moffet.

Meanwhile, Thorpe, who announced his intention to retire last summer, has chosen to fill out his contract through June 2 utilizing accumulated vacation time as he transitions to country living near Culpepper.

So, Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields announced the City has retained the temporary legal services of P. David Tarter, a specialist in real estate development and land use with

and despite some increase in enrollment, vital new programs were added for the fall, including foreign language classes and the extension of the rigorous International Baccalaureate curriculum to the elementary grades.

New programs added on the City operations side included a one-time cost of $482,373 for the re-implementation of the “photo red light” program in the City, reauthorized by the state legislature last year. However, $427,500 of that cost is expected to be offset by tickets issued as a result of the program in the first year.

Also, the City added funds for a new professional project manager position to oversee the $317 million City Center South development approved by the City Council in February, but the funds for that will be provided entirely by the project developer.

Programs for mentoring atrisk youth and measuring energy use to reduce greenhouse emissions were also new programs funded modestly in the new budget.

Graffiti/Damage to Property, Curry’s Auto Service, 105 Falls Ave., between December 1, 2007 and April 22, unknown person(s) wrote graffiti on a white shed belonging to the establishment.

Drunkenness, 900 blk. April 23, 4:11 p.m., police arrested a male, 42, of Manassas, VA for DIP. Destruction of Property, George Mason Square Parking Garage, 105 W Broad St., April 24, between 1:00 p.m. and 5:09 p.m., unknown person(s) scratched and dented the driver side of a silver Volkswagen.

Drunkenness, 200 blk. N Washington St., April 25, 10:57 p.m., police arrested a male, 26, of

Gaithersburg, MD for DIP. Drunkenness, 200 blk. N Washington St., April 25, 11:05 p.m., police arrested a male, 25, of Springfield, VA for DIP. Fraud, 6700 blk. Wilson Blvd., April 26, 10:37 a.m., unknown person(s) managed to obtain a replacement credit card for a victim’s active credit card.

The suspect(s) has used the credit card in several establishments.

Drunkenness, 7Eleven, 110 N West St., April 27, 3:59 a.m., police arrested a male, 45, of Reston, VA for DIP. Driving under the Influence, 6600 blk. Wilson Blvd., April 28, 3:06 a.m., police arrested a male, 54, of Winchester, VA for DUI (2nd offense) and No Operator’s License.

Larceny from Vehicle, 6600 blk.

Wilson Blvd., April 28, between 2:00 a.m., and 6:30 p.m., unknown person(s) stole a Morales Bass Guitar from the back seat of a vehicle.

Fraud, 7Eleven, 201 S Washington St., between March 22 and April 27, unknown person(s) used victim’s credit card number to make unauthorized purchases.

Eight work sessions and three public hearings went into this year’s budget deliberations by the City Council since City Manager Wyatt Shields made his budget recommendations in early March. The result was that the Council was able to shave a penny (worth $366,000) of the tax rate below what Shields originally recommended.

That was accomplished despite reductions in state contributions to the budget and

other factors reducing income projections by $280,000 below Shields’ estimates.

“This budget was great work for everyone, starting with the School Board,” said Council member David Chavern.

His remarks were echoed by all others on the Council, all of whom also cautioned about tougher challenges ahead as the City faces the need for new school facilities and upgrades of existing municipal structures.

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May 1 - 7, 2008

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included the reverence for education that has prompted us to support taxes and bond issues which have produced our 2.2 square mile gem and draws families seeking our advantages.

I sense a current of sentiment waiting for us old fogies to shuffle off. Although it’s a long time since my children went through the school system, I feel just as strongly in my support, and willingly pay for the current generation to have these advantages.

My fear is that we are coming full circle to what prompted us to action in 1959 to vote in a new council to counter the prevailing real estate forces; our Citizens for a Better Council subsequently became Citizens for a Better City. If we now become another little canyon city, we may find we have killed that silly goose that laid the golden eggs, and families may no longer seek to settle here.

I am voting for the referendum, declaring myself “a habitual shadowy power-seeker making mischief.”

Vesta S. Downer Falls Church

Editor, Pursuit of mixed-use development over the past eight years has been a boon to our City.

It has reversed the decline of our commercial property tax base and is responsible for at least a 10 cents reduction on our personal property tax rate.

In other words, the mixed-use developments completed and underway enabled the newly approved tax rate to be $1.03 instead of $1.13 or more. That means this year’s drop in taxes of $174 for the average single family home would, absent the mixed-use projects, have been an increase of at least $425.

That means that the average homeowner in the City has saved at least $600 this year due to the mixed-use development.

Once the currently approved projects are completed, this tax savings will easily double and likely triple the current $600 savings.

These projects are beginning to give our City a critical mass.

We won’t have to leave the City to shop and dine adding to the success of our local busi-

ness community which will provide even more tax income for our City and Schools. In fact, seniors and empty nesters upon selling their homes now have the option to stay in the City --- and many have --- including my family.

Contrary to unfounded assertions, these projects have added even fewer than estimated children to our school’s population. In addition, proffers form these projects are helping to pay school construction loans, adding to the affordable housing inventory, and supporting park and open space opportunities and more.

Finally, the referendum, if passed, will prevent future market opportunities and according to urban planning experts likely eliminate any future development offers. That is unfortunately very short-sighted. A similar referendum was attempted a few years ago. If it had passed we’d still have the vacant ADCOM site, an empty Red Lobster, and a desolate duck pin bowling center, -- or they would have been replaced by more fast food joints, strip malls, and maybe even another palm reader. The current mixed-use developments are clearly providing a brighter future for us all.

Dan Gardner, Former Mayor, Falls Church

Editor, I have followed with interest the recent letters debating the pace of condominium construction in Falls Church and whether overbuilding is occurring. I was alarmed by John Kennedy’s statement in a Letter to the Editor last week that a slow condo market is already forcing developers to convert unsold condos to rental units. If true, this could indicate a glut in the condo market with negative consequences for everything from school populations to real estate prices to general business environment. That glut would exist even before more units are added with the newly-approved City Center complex.

Sadly, I have learned that Kennedy is correct – new condos are indeed being converted to rentals. This concerns me and makes me wonder whether the City’s development strategy is headed in the right direction.

I found it surprising that we had not heard more about this issue and wondered whether it had been discussed by the City Council. Interestingly, YouTube has video of the recent City

Council candidate debate, which included Mayor Gardner and Vice Mayor Hockenberry, two members of the current Council who are up for reelection this year. When Mrs. Gardner and Mrs. Hockenberry faced a question about this very issue, they seemed unconcerned about the condo conversions and rejected the notion that overbuilding is occurring. Mrs. Hockenberry even stated, “The developers, when they bring a project, know that it’s going to work, or they would not be investing in it.”

I replayed the video several times to ensure I heard her correctly. The question posed to the candidates dealt with a situation in which developers have clearly miscalculated the chances of success, yet the Vice Mayor asserted that developers don’t make mistakes. In my view, that is a very alarming attitude.

Now, I understand why all the yard signs are popping up for independent candidates like Nader Baroukh. I consider myself pro-development, but I strongly disagree with the attitude of the Mayor and Vice Mayor -- one cannot simply rely on a developer to “know it’s going to work.” Someone must scrutinize development proposals with a fine-toothed comb and ask what will happen if More Letters on Page 40

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Providence Players’ ‘Steel Magnolias’ Opens This Friday The new theatre at the James Lee Community Center on Annandale Road between Rt. 29 and Rt. 50, just beyond the Falls Church City limits, will again be the venue for a lively production by the Providence Players theatre troupe. This time, Robert Harling’s rousing play, “Steel Magnolias,� will be the production, running from this Friday, May 2, through Saturday, May 17. The performances will be on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. with two Sunday matinees, May 4 and 11, at 2 p.m. For tickets and info, check www.providenceplayers.org, contact providenceplayers@cox.net, or call (703) 425-6782. Tickets are $15 for adults, and $12 for students and adults over 62.

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11th District Congressional Hopefuls Assemble Sunday

Cystic Fibrosis Walk Kick-Off Event This Sunday The eighth annual Cystic Fibrosis Walk in Falls Church kicks off with a party this Sunday, May 4, at the American Legion Hall, 400 N. Oak, from 3:30 - 6 p.m., featuring music by the acclaimed George Mason High School band, Basmati, and their guest band, High Minded. Door prizes will be given and the public is invited.

On Friday, May 16, a tongue-in-cheeck Mr. and Mrs. Mason pageant will be held at GMHS, and the walk will occur Saturday, May 17, at the F.C. Community Center starting at 9 a.m. Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the U.S. and 70,000 worldwide. In the 1950s, few children with cystic fibrosis lived to attend elementary school. Today, advances in research and medical treatments have enhanced life for children and adults with the disease, who can now be expected to live into their 30s, 40s and beyond.

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All four candidates seeking the Democratic nomination to run for the 11th Congressional District seat being vacated by Rep. Tom Davis are expected to assemble at a non-contentious brunch hosted by the Virginia Partisans Gay and Lesbian Club this Sunday, May 4, at 11 a.m. in Annandale. Former U.S. Rep. Leslie Byrne, Fairfax County Board Chair Gerry Connolly, Lori Alexander and Iraq War Veteran Doug Denneny will all be present to make brief remarks and talk with constituents.

The public is invited to attend the event, a fundraiser for the club’s political action committee, with a minimum suggested contribution of $25. The PAC intends to donate the money raised to the winner of the June 10 Democratic primary. The event will be held at the home of Terry Mansberger, 7800 Antiopi St., Annandale near Gallows Road and I-495. RSVPs are encouraged to terrymansberger@cox.net. The 11th District is ranked by pundits the “third most likely congressional district in the U.S. to switch from Republican to Democratic representation in 2008.� In related developments, Connolly announced he’s been endorsed by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400, one of the area’s largest and most active unions. Denneny announced he’s been endorsed by the Council for a Livable World’s Veterans Alliance for Security and Democracy. Byrne will seek the endorsement of the Progressive Democrats of America this Saturday.

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Local Actor Competes in D.C. 48-Hour Film Project This weekend, the annual Washington, D.C., Regional 48-Hour Film Project will be held, with over 100 teams of filmmakers starting Friday night with 48 hours to develop a script, determine a setting, film a story and edit for a final seven-minute film product due Sunday night. Falls Church actor Miles Butler, a sophomore at George Mason High School, will compete with a team including actors from the Synetic Theatreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s production of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Macbeth,â&#x20AC;? which won numerous Helen Hayes Awards, including for Outstanding Resident Play, at ceremonies in D.C. Monday. Butler had a significant role in that play. The completed films will be shown, and winners announced, at the American Film Institute in Silver Spring on Thursday, May 8.

Only 1,000 of 5,000 F.C. School Census Forms Returned The Falls Church City Schools reported that only 1,000 of 5,000 â&#x20AC;&#x153;census of childrenâ&#x20AC;? forms mailed to City residents have been returned to date. Officials noted these forms are vital to receive the Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fair share of state sales tax revenues. All families with children up to age 19 are urged to respond, whether their children are in public or private schools, are home schooled, or away in the military or college.

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Battling a case of nerves isn’t that unusual on the first day of a new job. However, battling rapid, rain-forest river currents just to make it to the office is.

Such was the harrowing, if exciting, case of 25-yearold Falls Church native Chris Geurtsen when he marched to his new post as newspaper editor in Port Villa on the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu.

Fording the chest-high waters of the river in his flip-flops was just the start of his commute. Ahead of him lie three similar bodies of water and the storms of the rainy season, which had already spun off cyclones throughout the region, weren’t making things any easier. Suddenly the bumper-to-bumper Beltway doesn’t sound like such a bad commute, no?

But this was the path Geurtsen chose for himself.

After graduating William and

May 1 - 7, 2008

Mary in 2005 with bachelor degrees in both history and economics, he decided to leave his internship with the World Bank, and a potential full-time position, to join the Peace Corps. Dispatched to Vanuatu, Geurtsen, a former News-Press staffer, now enjoys a simpler life, where communication with friends and family in the United States is a rarity.

Correspondences with close ones are often few and far between, which makes his mother Karin’s anxious moments far more frequent, however to this point the stories he does share are almost always memorable.

Such was the aforementioned tale of his first day as editor of the newspaper distributed among local Peace Corps volunteers.

“He had just been given a solar panel and a tele-radio in order to report back to the office at Port Villa and he had called to find out about closings during Easter weekend,” Karin relays

FALLS CHURCH’S CHRIS GEURTSEN stands atop a mountain overlooking the Pacific Ocean on Vanuatu. (Photo: Courtesy Karin Geurtsen) the tale. “Somebody else got on the radio and was like ‘Chris, you’ve just been made editor of the paper and the work starts tomorrow so you need to get here.’ Well, that’s not an easy

thing.”

So, it was through — not over — the river and off to work he went, encountering obstacles along the way.

“He had thrown his stuff in

his backpack and was almost totally soaked as soon as he went out. He walked through the first river and there were no trucks anywhere,” Karin says.

Hitchhiking riverside rides

May 1 - 7, 2008

with truckers is the most common way of getting around on what few roads are on the island.

With no truckers in sight through the stormy winds, Chris pushed on through three additional rivers, backpack overhead.

“Right after the last river, a truck finally picked him up ... he asked the driver to take him to the airport and was told that the bridge to the airport had just been washed out the day before,” said Karin.

The driver agreed to take Chris at least as far as where the bridge had collapsed. On arrival, Chris was greeted by two large bamboo trees that had been laid down side by side across the ravine, which he managed to cross barefoot, and got a ride to the airport with a trucker on the opposite side of the river. He made it to the plane just 10 minutes before its scheduled departure.

“Then it left an hour and a half late, which is typical,” Karin said.

This hard-to-believe nature trek is just one of the most recent narratives Chris’ family members have read about in his handwritten letters. Karin recalled many more, in which she already had in a storytelling layout inside a packed scrapbook of photos and emails. Each glance at a new photo brought another smile across the face

Page 9

of a mother whose maternally instinctive worries had eventually been overshadowed by the admiration for a son who is helping others less fortunate.

Volunteer work had long been a part of Chris’ life growing up, from youth group activities to time spent at local soup kitchens. His mother looks back now at these as tell-tale signs of the Peace Corps connection.

“You know, he’s always had a big heart growing up. He had this quality of kindness towards others. In that way, that factor really did relate to his decision to join; he was a great kid,” said Karin. “I thought it was the perfect time for him to do this.”

Newspaper editor isn’t the only job on Chris’s plate.

Volunteering as an Agro-enterprise adviser in Vanuatu, Chris helps local farmers revamp their crops in order to thrive, giving additional marketing advice on how to make their crops more profitable. While working for others can be fulfilling, volunteering is not without its highs and lows. After finding himself discouraged when no one showed up for a scheduled vanilla bean workshop, Chris’s spirits were lifted by a full house of women who came to hear his advice on how to manage and budget their family funds.

“You know one day he’s

asking himself ‘Why am I doing this again?’ and then another he’s saying to himself, ‘Ah, now I know,’” said Karin. “So, I think he lives with that contrast.”

One of two sons, Chris is brother to 17-year-old Matt Geurtsen, on the verge of graduating from George Mason High School. Matt recalls being a bit taken aback the first time he heard his older brother would be traveling overseas to assist with Vanuatu’s crop economy, but sees it as an act of selflessness he’s not sure he could make himself.

“I was kind of surprised when I found out Chris was going to join,” said Matt. “He had an internship at the World Bank and he seemed like he was having fun there, so for me, it kind of came out of the blue, but I was pretty proud of him.”

With a three-week delivery time for letters each way, Chris’s mom and brother both agree that the lack of instant communication with Chris is probably the hardest part.

“It’s handwritten letters, it’s not phone. There’s no Instant Messaging, there’s no e-mail, unless he’s on the main island,” said Karin.

Karin gets through the weeks in between by sometimes stocking her purse full of post-it notes scribbled with talking points she

wants to cover with her son during their next scheduled phone conversation, yet doesn’t allow this potentially trying measure to keep her from remembering what her son is really giving to the people of Vanuatu.

“Knowing that he’s doing

something positive for other people, I mean it’s an experience that will always affect him — to learn a different language and live in a place where the materialism isn’t there — it’s a privilege to experience that, to live it,” said Karin.

Page 10

May 1 - 7, 2008

Fifty-five years ago, 80 percent of American television viewers, young and old, tuned in to see Milton Berle on Tuesday nights. Tens of millions, rich and poor, worked together at Elks Lodges and Rotary Clubs. Millions more, rural and urban, read generalinterest magazines like Look and Life. In those days, the owner of the local bank lived in the same town as the grocery clerk, and their boys might play on the same basketball team. Only 7 percent of adult Americans had a college degree.

But that’s all changed. In the decades since, some social divides, mostly involving ethnicity, have narrowed. But others, mostly involving education, have widened. Today there is a mass educated class. The college educated and non-college educated are likely to live in different towns. They have radically different divorce rates and starkly different ways of raising their children. The non-college educated not only earn less, they smoke more, grow more obese and die sooner.

Retailers, home builders and TV executives identify and reinforce these lifestyle clusters. There are more niche offerings and fewer common experiences.

The ensuing segmentation has reshaped politics. We’re used to the ideological divide between Red and Blue America. This year’s election has revealed a deep cultural gap within the Democratic Party, separating what Stuart Rothenberg calls the two Democratic parties.

In state after state (Wisconsin being the outlier), Barack Obama has won densely populated, well-educated areas. Hillary Clinton has won less-populated, less-educated areas. For example, Obama has won roughly 70 percent of the most-educated counties in the primary states. Clinton has won 90 percent of the least-educated counties. In state after state, Obama has won a few urban and inner-ring suburban counties. Clinton has won nearly everywhere else.

This social divide has overshadowed regional differences. Sixty-year-old, working-class Catholics vote the same, whether they live in Fresno, Scranton, Nashua or Orlando.

The divide has even overshadowed campaigning.

Surely the most interesting feature of the Democratic race is how unimportant political events are. The candidates can spend tens of millions of dollars on advertising, but they are not able to sway their opponent’s voters to their side. They can win a stunning victory, but the momentum doesn’t carry over from state to

state. They can make horrific gaffes, deliver brilliant speeches, turn in good or bad debate performances, but these things do not alter the race.

In Pennsylvania, Obama did everything conceivable to win over Clinton’s working-class voters. The effort was a failure. The great uniter failed to unite.

In this election, persuasion isn’t important. Social identity is everything. Demography is king.

Over the years, different theories have emerged to describe the educated/less-educated divide.

Conservatives have gravitated toward the culture war narrative, dividing the country between the wholesome masses and the decadent cultural elites.

Some liberals believe income inequality drives everything. They wait for an uprising of economic populism. Other liberals divide the country morally, between the enlightened urbanites and the racist rednecks who will never vote for a black man.

None of these theories really fit the facts. It’s more accurate to say that the country has simply drifted apart into different subcultures. There’s no great hostility between the cultures. Americans have a fuzzy sense of where the boundaries lie. But people in different niches have developed different unconscious maps of reality. They have developed different communal understandings of what constitutes a good leader, of what sort of world they live in. They have developed different communal definitions, which they can’t even articulate, of what they mean by liberty, security and virtue. Demographic groups have begun to function like tribes or cultures.

We can all play the parlor game of trying to figure out why Obama, a Harvard Law grad, resonates with the more educated while Clinton, a Yale Law grad, resonates with the less educated. I’d throw in that Obama’s offer of a secular crusade hits a nerve among his fellow bobos, while Clinton’s talk of fighting and resilience plays well down market.

But these theories only scratch the surface. The mental maps people in different cultures form are infinitely complex and poorly understood even by those who hold them. People pick up millions of subtle signals from body language, word choice, facial expressions, policy positions and biographical details. Efforts to rebrand a candidate to appeal to down-market voters are inevitably crude and counterproductive.

Even if you take away the ideological differences between the parties, you are still left with profound social gulfs within the parties. There’s poignancy to that. The upscale liberals who revere Obama have spent their lives championing equality and opposing privilege. But they’ve smashed the old WASP social hierarchy only to create a new educational one.

WASHINGTON -- The American people have heard President Bush and his spokespersons say many times that the U.S. government does not engage in torture.

Whether Bush was believed or not is another story -- especially in light of the photographic evidence of the abuse of prisoners in Abu Ghraib, the prison near Baghdad. It’s understood that many of the photos are too sadistically graphic to be made public.

Still, the official U.S. denials of torture continued until earlier this month when Bush acknowledged in an interview with ABC-TV that he knew about and approved “enhanced interrogation” of detainees, including “waterboarding” or simulated drowning.

“As a matter of fact,” Bush added, “I told the country we did that. And I told them it was legal.

We had legal opinions that enabled us to do it.”

The president added, “I didn’t have any problems at all trying to find out what Khalid Sheik Mohammed knew.”

“He was the person who ordered the suicide attack -- I mean, the 9-11 attacks,” Bush said.

“And back then, there was all kind of concern about people saying, ‘Well, the administration is not connecting the dots.’ You might remember those -- that period.” Bush said.

Bush also said in the interview that he had been aware of several meetings his national security advisers held to discuss “enhanced interrogation” methods.

Surely this president is also aware of the U.S. commitment to international treaties barring “cruel and inhumane” treatment of prisoners.

What is startling is that he feels no remorse about the cruel image he has created for America -- and the damage done to its credibility and probity.

In referring to the legality of torture, Bush apparently was thinking of a 2002-2003 memo Continued on Page 54

As the designated political heir of a deeply unpopular president -- according to Gallup, President Bush has the highest disapproval rating recorded in 70 years of polling -- John McCain should have little hope of winning in November. In fact, however, current polls show him roughly tied with either Democrat.

In part this may reflect the Democrats’ problems. For the most part, however, it probably reflects the perception, eagerly propagated by McCain’s many admirers in the news media, that he’s very different from Bush -- a responsible guy, a straight talker.

But is this perception at all true? During the 2000 campaign people said much the same thing about Bush; those of us who looked hard at his policy proposals, especially on taxes, saw the shape of things to come.

And a look at what McCain says about taxes shows the same combination of irresponsibility and double-talk that, back in 2000, foreshadowed the character of the Bush administration.

The McCain tax plan contains three main elements.

McCain proposes making almost all of the Bush tax cuts, which are currently scheduled to expire at the end of 2010, permanent. (He proposes reinstating the inheritance tax, albeit at a very low rate.)

Second, he wants to eliminate the alternative minimum tax, which was originally created to prevent the wealthy from exploiting tax loopholes, but has begun to hit the upper middle class.

Third, he wants to sharply reduce tax rates on corporate profits.

According to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, the overall effect of the McCain tax plan would be to reduce federal revenue by more than $5 trillion over 10 years. That’s a lot of revenue loss -- enough to pose big problems for the government’s solvency.

But before I get to that, let’s look at what I found truly revealing: the McCain campaign’s response to the Tax Policy Center’s assessment. The response, written by Douglas Holtz-Eakin, the former head of the Congressional Budget Office, criticizes the center for adopting “unrealistic congressional budgeting conventions.”

What’s that about?

Well, Congress “scores” tax legislation by comparing estimates of the revenue that would be collected if the legislation passed with estimates of the revenue that would be collected under current law.

In this case that means comparing the McCain plan with what would happen if the Bush tax cuts expired on schedule.

Holtz-Eakin wants the McCain plan compared, instead, with “current policy” -- which he says means maintaining tax rates at today’s levels.

But here’s the thing: the reason the Bush tax cuts are set to expire is that the Bush administration engaged in a game of deception. It put an expiration date on the tax cuts, which it never intended to honor, as a way to hide those tax cuts’ true cost.

The McCain campaign wants us to accept the success of that deception as a fact of life. Holtz-Eakin is saying, in effect, “We’re not engaged in any new irresponsibility -- we’re just perpetuating the Bush administration’s irresponsibility. That doesn’t count.”

It’s the sort of fiscal double-talk that has been a Bush administration hallmark. In any case, it offers no answer to the principal point raised by the Tax Policy Center analysis, which has nothing to do with scoring: the McCain tax plan would leave the federal government with far too little revenue to cover its expenses, leading to huge budget deficits unless there were deep cuts in spending.

And McCain has said nothing realistic about how he would close the giant budget gap his tax cuts would produce -- a gap so large that eliminating it would require cutting Social Security benefits by three-quarters, eliminating Medicare, or something equivalently drastic. Talking, as Holtz-Eakin does, about fighting waste and reforming procurement doesn’t cut it.

McCain isn’t unique in making promises he can’t pay for -- the same can be said, to some extent, of the Democratic candidates. But McCain’s plan is far more irresponsible than anything the Democrats are proposing, and the difference in degree is so large as to be a difference in kind. McCain’s budget talk simply doesn’t make sense.

So what are McCain’s real intentions?

If truth be told, the McCain tax plan doesn’t seem to embody any coherent policy agenda. Instead, it looks like a giant exercise in pandering -- an attempt to mollify the GOP’s right wing, and never mind if it makes any sense.

The impression that McCain’s tax talk is all about pandering is reinforced by his proposal for a summer gas tax holiday -- a measure that would, in fact, do little to help consumers, although it would boost oil industry profits.

More and more, McCain sounds like a man who will say anything to become president.

May 1 - 7, 2008

Tuesday was the saddest day in America in a very long time.

The nation’s core values were not attacked by some foreign enemy, but from within. Virulent racism suddenly reared its ugly head, unbridled and unbound, roaring through the nation’s most powerful media institutions to rip the Rev. Jeremiah Wright asunder and to compel his brother Afro-American, a man who would be president, into a public spectacle of compliance and subservient denial. It was a lynching.

The attacks on Wright’s remarks made at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Monday were racist on their face because they tore his comments out of context and assailed them for their tone and language. But the tone and word choices were distinctively of an Afro-American cultural mode, the mode of the Black Church preacher who speaks in the tone of defiance to embolden his downtrodden people and offer them hope through strength.

Therefore, the attacks on Wright were attacks on Afro-American culture, and thus were prima facie racist, much as Rev. Wright correctly charged that the earlier political exploitation of sound bites from some of his sermons were taken out of context as attacks, ultimately, on the Black Church.

The Washington Post went ballistic, much as it used to do against former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry, who was in the audience to hear Wright Monday. The Post had no fewer than three news articles, an editorial and three commentaries on Wright Tuesday, all expressing a menacing revulsion for what he allegedly said.

TV commentators felt the license to be even more angry. CNN’s foolish Jack Cafferty rained personal insults down on Wright that would have cost any commentator his job had there been any restraints on racist commentaries that day. But there weren’t.

I was present to hear the Rev. Wright’s now-universally-reviled remarks at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Monday. I was naïve enough to walk away from his speech thinking he’d laid his earlier sound bite problems to rest, because he was downright eloquent, in an Afro-American preacher way, laying out the core principles of what he called Black Liberation Theology. Those core principles, as he articulated them, are liberation, transformation and reconciliation, and are all three inclusive of all races, religions and social strata. His were not words of hate, but reconciliation.

Following the meeting I told a circle of friends from different religious and church traditions that I thought had they heard Wright speak, there would not be a single thing he said that they’d disagree with.

To demonstrate not only what Wright really said, but to counter it against the hysteria generated by the major media, I wrote an account of his National Press Club speech accompanying this column in the Falls Church News-Press entitled, “Rev. Wright Puts Sound Bites Into Theology Context.”

It is safe to say that the major media reacted, first of all, to Wright’s defiant tone and his unwillingness to be humble, bowed or apologetic. But defiance and standing tall under fire are at the heart of the Black Church’s preaching tradition.

Next, they reacted to terminology that they could pull out of context and say, “See there!” They ignored any of his nuances, his claims that he was quoting others when he was shown in earlier sound bites, including about September 11, the source of the HIV virus, and of the nature of his relationship to Louis Farrakhan. They did not acknowledge their own ignorance in attributing one claim against him that belonged against Jimmy Carter, instead.

When he said that it is the Bible, not him, that affirmed the notion of reaping what one has sewn, said in the context of terrorism, he was not saying anything different than do all opponents of the Iraq war, who argue that the U.S. invasion invited al Qaeda into Iraq to bring its terror against U.S. citizens. It’s the identical notion, but when it comes from someone who has already been branded controversial and incendiary, delivered in an Afro-American preacher tone, it becomes an outrage.

Who would argue that no one should ever say anything negative about the U.S. government? But when Rev. Wright did, in his own colorful way, it not only goes like a wild fire on YouTube, but could change the outcome of the U.S. presidential election.

Americans, at least those who know better, should be deeply ashamed for the racist orgy Tuesday.

Page 11

WASHINGTON -- Barack Obama has spent his life, and campaign, trying not to be the Angry Black Man. Early on, he wrote in “Dreams From My Father,” he discerned the benefits of playing against the ‘60s stereotype of black militancy.

“I learned to slip back and forth between my black and white worlds,” he said. “One of those tricks I had learned: People were satisfied so long as you were courteous and smiled and made no sudden moves. They were more than satisfied; they were relieved -- such a pleasant surprise to find a well-mannered young black man who didn’t seem angry all the time.”

Obama and his aides often brag about his Zen-like serenity. “I’ve learned that I have what I believe is the right temperament for the presidency, which is I don’t get too high when I’m high and I don’t get too low when I’m low,” he told Chris Wallace of “Fox News Sunday.”

The next morning, he was hurtled into the worst political crises of his life. On Tuesday, the Sort Of Angry Black Man appeared, reluctantly spurred into action by a Really Angry Black Man. Speaking to reporters in the heart of tobacco country in Winston-Salem, N.C., the poor guy looked as if he were dying for a smoke. “When I say I find these comments appalling, I mean it,” Obama said. “It contradicts everything I am about and who I am.” He said that the riffs of the man he prayed with before his announcement speech gave “comfort to those who prey on hate.”

Obama, of course, will only ratchet up the skepticism of those who don’t understand why he stayed in the church for 20 years if his belief system is so diametrically opposed to Wright’s.

He’s back on the tricky path he faced as a child, navigating between two racial cultures.

At Trinity, he may have ignored what he should have heard because he was trying to assimilate to black culture. Now, he may be outraged by what he belatedly heard because he’s trying to relate to the white lunch-pail set.

Having been deserted at age 2 by his father, Obama has now been deserted by the father-figure in his church, the man who inspired him to become a Christian, married him, dedicated his house, baptized his children, gave him the title of his second book and theme for his presidential run and worked on his campaign.

At the very moment when his fate hangs in the balance, when he is trying to persuade white working-class voters that he is not an exotic

stranger with radical ties, the vainglorious Wright kicks him in the stomach.

In a narcissistic explosion that would impress Bill Clinton, the preacher dragged Obama into the ‘60s maelstrom that he had pledged to be an antidote to.

In two days worth of solipsistic rants, the man of faith committed at least four of the seven deadly sins -- wrath, envy, pride and greed (book and lecture fees?) -- while grandiosely claiming he was defending the black church.

He was certainly sore at Obama for distancing himself after being helped in getting started in Chicago politics. But he was also clearly envious that Obama has been hailed by his flock as the halo-wearing Redeemer of America’s hope.

If Obama was going to co-opt his role as charismatic evangelist, why couldn’t he morph into a spinning politician? Obama’s anger, an unused muscle, had to be stoked by his advisers, who pressed him with drooping poll numbers and the video of Wright at the National Press Club. He again heard the preacher turning Farrakhan into an American idol, and his flamethrowing assertions that the U.S. government had infected blacks with the AIDS virus and had brought terrorist attacks on itself by practicing terrorism abroad.

But in the end, it was Wright showing “disrespect” by implying that he was a phony that sparked Obama’s slow-burning temper. “What I think particularly angered me,” he said, “was his suggestion somehow that my previous denunciation of his remarks was somehow political posturing.”

For some, Obama didn’t offer enough outrage.

“He talks about Rev. Wright violating his core beliefs as if he is detailing why he doesn’t like cheesecake or cream cheese,” said one Hillary Democrat. “He’s more passionate about basketball.”

The Illinois senator doesn’t pay attention to the mythic nature of campaigns, but if he did, he would recognize the narrative of the classic hero myth: The young hero ventures out on an adventure to seek a golden fleece or an Oval Office; he has to kill monsters and face hurdles before he returns home, knocks off his father and assumes the throne.

Tuesday was more than a Sister Souljah moment; it was a painful form of political patricide. “I did not vet my pastor before I decided to run for the presidency,” Obama said.

In a campaign that’s all about who’s vetted, maybe he should have.

Page 12

When I first came out in 1988, if two young gay people met, the reaction often was, “You too! I thought I was alone.” As my 20-year high school reunion approaches, I witnessed an identical response in a seminal New York Times Magazine cover story. At a coffee shop in Boston, two gay men, Aaron and George, met for the first time.

“I thought I was the only one.” “Me too!” they exclaimed.

What differed was that these two young men were relieved to meet because they were legally divorced and had not met peers who had experienced similar situations. While we have a long journey towards full equality ahead of us, it is a dramatically different world than the one I came out in.

In fact, more than 700 gay men 29 or younger have married in Massachusetts through last June, the latest date for which statistics are available. While Massachusetts is still the only state that allows samesex marriages, gay men who are my age, 37, never dreamt these unions would occur in our lifetime.

Indeed, much of our social culture was built around men cheating on their wives. The rest stops, parks and bathhouses were all geared toward the “quickie.” If a gay man did not get home in time for dinner with his family, he’d find that his goose was cooked. The double lives and hypocrisy forced on gay men by a repressive society took an awesome psychological toll.

The gay bars in the 1970s-90’s were geared for men in their 30’s-50’s who were often living a belated adolescence. Anyone who has seen a half-naked 50-year-old man at a circuit dance party twirling a glow stick with a pacifier in his mouth knows what I am talking about.

I sometimes hardly recognize the gay community’s social scene. When I first came out, many gay bars had a back room, which was a dark crevice where men furtively had sex. Today, a dark room likely means a gay couples’ row house den with mood lighting. Contemporary gay bars have largely gone from seedy to chic and – for better or worse - often attracting many straight people.

An older friend of mine who visited Boston half-jokingly complained, “There’s something morally wrong with a city where it’s easier to marry a boyfriend than find a gay bar.”

His observation was spot on. Boston Globe writer Robert David Sullivan told National Public Radio this week that he noticed the number of gay bars in Boston had been cut in half in recent years.

Massachusetts is not the only place the gay social scene has been transformed. Fortune Magazine named gay bars as one of the 10 businesses it thinks is facing extinction. It joined a list of has-beens that includes record stores and crop dusting.

Additionally, overt street cruising is out of fashion and demure glances have largely replaced outright ogling.

The decline in the public sex culture and gay bars can be attributed, in part, to the rise of the Internet. However, a larger trend, captured by the Times magazine article, is at work. A good portion of men in their mid 20’s have been out of the closet for more than a decade. (They were barely in) Having had a normal adolescence, they are already burnt out on gay bars and ready to start families.

A couple of weeks ago, I visited Washington and met up with the friends I used to party with in the mid to late 90’s. Today, they are all in long-term relationships and in bed by the time they used to wake up from their disco naps.

The changes in the gay social scene have happened so fast that they are sometimes difficult to comprehend. It’s as if someone slipped a roofie into the GLBT community’s mimosa and while we slept Rudy Giuliani swooped down in drag and cleaned up our Times Square.

Sometimes, I fondly reminisce about the good old days. Then, I recall that that the endless party was a product of our oppression. The storied “days” were actually really late nights – and as I get older, I want to be up on Sunday morning in time to watch “Meet the Press.”

Caught between the wild party and wedding party generations, the rapid pace of change can seem unsettling, yet reassuring.

“Am I the only one who feels this way?”

“You, too! Thank, God.” 

May 1 - 7, 2008

This is National Volunteer Week (Apr. 27 - May 3), an annual celebration established by presidential executive order in 1974 that recognizes volunteers and the contributions they make to our communities.

This year’s theme: “Volunteer to Change the World.”

In keeping with that focus, I introduced legislation Monday to make it easier for federal employees to do community service, particularly service that requires travel such as helping with disaster relief in places like New Orleans and the Mississippi Delta.

It’s a concept that innovators in the private sector are already on to, providing paid time to allow for community service. The bill would let civil servants use two sick days per year for qualified community service. Qualified community service means work for organizations that participate in the Combined Federal Campaign, the world’s largest and most successful annual workplace charity campaign, or organizations ok’d by the Office of Personnel Management.

Studies have shown that volunteerism boosts morale, productivity and personal health.

Volunteering also teaches communication and leadership skills that result in better-trained workers.

Nationwide, one-third of large U.S. companies have formal time-off policies in support of employee volunteer involvement, according to the Business for Social Responsibility. Over 40 percent of small businesses

Virginia’s 8th Congressional District Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives

also offer a similar benefit.

Examples of private companies offering employee leave to perform community service include: CDW, Wegmans, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, Toro Company, Xcel Energy and Wells Fargo. Wegmans and CDW have been rated by Fortune Magazine as two of the “100 Best

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Companies to Work For.” This legislation is about providing our civil service with a benefit on par with what these top firms use to make their workplaces some of the most desirable in the U.S. It’s a recruitment and retention tool, but also a way to develop a happier, healthier and more highly skilled workforce.

It’s a win for the government because happier workers mean better workers. It’s a win for our civil servants because volunteerism brings both emotional and career development benefits. And it’s a win for our society at-large, as we help lift up people in need through community service.

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May 1 - 7, 2008

Page 13

Springtime is celebration time for many Mason District residents and organizations. Congratulations are in order for: • Glen Forest Elementary School in Bailey’s Crossroads, which celebrated its 50th Anniversary on April 18. Hundreds of students, parents, and family members gathered in the school gym for speeches, music, and stories about Glen Forest through the years. Tama Eliff, who attended Glen Forest as a child and now is on the staff there, responded to some questions from students: there was a playground but it wasn’t as varied when she was a student; there were no computers; and the gym didn’t exist then, either!

• The League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area celebrated its 60th Anniversary at George Mason Regional Library in April. Longtime League members provided a history of Fairfax County through the years. When the Fairfax Chapter started in 1948, most of the area was rural, with many dairy farms still in existence.

You had to pay a poll tax to be eligible to vote, and schools were segregated. Seven Corners Shopping Center had not yet been built, and George Mason University wasn’t even a gleam in the founders’ eyes. The League’s anniversary will be observed with displays at several public libraries during the next several months.

• The annual Volunteer Fairfax awards for exceptional volunteer service were handed out at a breakfast ceremony last week attended by hundreds of volunteers of all ages. Each magisterial district selected a “Community Champion” who is dedicated to improving life in the county and beyond. I was pleased to select Bel Air resident Mary Weaver as Mason District’s “Community Champion.” Mary is active in her civic associ-

ation’s Neighborhood Watch, and is a Volunteer in Police Service (VIPS) at the Mason District Police Station.

Throughout the year, she assists with data entry, research, outreach and community event coordination. But it is around the holiday season that Mary really shines – as Mrs. Claus to help with the Police Department’s “Santa’s Ride” toy collection effort. Congratulations, Mary, and thank you for your efforts on behalf of our community.

There are many opportunities to volunteer, and one of the most popular events will happen this Saturday when the sixth annual Culmore Cleanup kicks off at 9 a.m. at the Woodrow Wilson Library, 6101 Knollwood Drive in Falls Church. Volunteers should report to the library to receive trash bags, a specially designed Tshirt, gloves, and be assigned to a team. Volunteers from local businesses, churches and nonprofits will be joined by local residents to clean up trash and other debris along Route 7 and Patrick Henry Drive, all the way to Columbia Pike. Following the cleanup, scheduled to last until noon, participants will return to the library for pizza and door prizes.

The cleanup is organized by Alternative House, Bailey’s Beautification Alliance, Culmore Family Resource Center, Dar Al Hijrah Islamic Center, the Woodrow Wilson Library, and my office.

Sponsors include the Rotary Club of Bailey’s Crossroads, Security One Bank, Pollo Campero, and Wachovia Bank. Staff from the Hidden Oaks Nature Center will host a wildlife presentation for the volunteers. To pre-register for the cleanup, please call the library at 703/820-8774.

Supervisor Penny Gross may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov 

Our Man in Arlington

Jean and I spent last weekend in Williamsburg attending the 50th reunion of William and Mary’s Class of 1958. It was Jean’s class, not mine, but it was a great weekend nonetheless.

Central to the experience was the reunion with Jean’s Chi Omega sorority sisters. In her senior year, there were fifteen women living in the Chi house, thirichard O teen of whom, Barton including Jean, showed up for the reunion. They have remained close, though they are spread all over the United States from Washington State to Savannah, Georgia. They never stopped talking, even about politics. Jean was pleased and surprised at the many who are voting Democratic this year.

The first official event was the Friday evening reception in the Alumni Center, where we had many drinks and genuine Virginia ham biscuits. Thus we began almost non-stop eating and drinking from early in the morning to late in the evening from Friday afternoon to Monday lunch. William and Mary people know how to entertain!

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After a Saturday breakfast, we boarded buses for a tour of the campus, a revelation to many of the Class of 1958, when the campus was much smaller.

Jean’s last two years of studies were spent in the then new Phi Beta Kappa Hall, which housed the Theatre Arts Department, and was at the outer edge of the campus. It’s now in the middle.

One of the most beautiful campuses in the country, it was at its most exquisite in its spring glory.

Next was a gala luncheon with the interim president of William and Mary and the presentation of the Class Gift to the University. The room broke into cheers and applause when a check in excess of $11.4 million was unveiled on the stage. In addition, a large new building is under construction for business majors and conventions, donated by a ’58 alum.

The evening ended with a reception at the historic Sir Christopher Wren Building and dinner at the University Center, where we dined and danced until the wee hours.

On Sunday, breakfast again, followed by a very impressive

ceremony inducting the Class of 1958 into the Olde Guarde, an organization of graduates of fifty or more years. The class was dressed in university regalia and each member walked up to the stage to receive a beautiful gold medallion on a green and gold ribbon. The William and Mary choir sang “Shenandoah” and the William and Mary Alma Mater. The program was opened and closed with the presentation of the colors by the Queen’s Honor Guard, dressed in smashing kilts.

Sunday evening the class of ’58 met for the first time with the other members of the Olde Guard for dinner under a tent behind the Alumni House.

There were representatives of the classes of 1953, 1948, and 1944, all introduced.

We ended our visit with a trip to the original Jamestowne Village, an experience in itself, and lunch with my cousin who lives there. I recommend a similar weekend, even if you are not a William and Mary Alum.

Richard Barton may be emailed at rbarton@towervillas.com 

Last week’s However, the Reconvened and Senate Republicans special sessions refused to vote for resulted in a number the Republican of notable accomdelegate’s sisplishments for ter. Along with the 2008 General some Democratic Assembly. abstentions, that The budget was meant that she did

By Mary adopted with the not receive the Governor’s amend- Margaret Whipple required 21 votes ments, most of in the Senate, which were acceptand was therefore ed. In the end, we not named to the produced an ausbench. tere budget that In a fit of pique, meets financial projections the House of Delegates voted but nevertheless, by reduc- to reconsider the vote on the ing funding in some areas, other three judges and then accomplishes full funding of held up their appointments K-12 education, supports a as well. As Senator Mamie major reform of mental health Locke from Hampton said, programs; provides 600 new “I don’t understand why the mental retardation waiver other three highly qualified slots, expands preschool edu- candidates were sacrificed on cation; adds natural resource the altar of nepotism.” She funding; and funds foster care said the House Republicans initiatives. “could have cared less about A $1.5 billion bond bill the other three candidates.” was approved that will fund The candidates were all construction of buildings on female and included two our college campuses, mental African-Americans, appointhealth facilities, dams, state ments that would have brought parks and correctional insti- more diversity to the bench. tutions. The projects can be Of course the Senate started soon, providing jobs Republicans had an axe of and an economic stimulus in their own to grind. They were these challenging times. angry that the Republican Many judges were appoint- delegate who wanted his sised, but some were not, and ter appointed was the same therein lies a story that was person who had campaigned generally not well reported actively against an incumin our area. There was no bent Republican Senator last agreement on the appoint- year in a primary election. ment to the prestigious and The Senator lost the primary powerful State Corporation and the Democrats picked up Commission so that will be that seat in November, givleft to the Governor. ing them the control of the The more interesting tale Senate. is the appointment of judges In any case, the intraparty in Virginia Beach, Norfolk feud has meant that a number and Hampton. Because the of well-qualified people were Republicans in Virginia caught in the crossfire. The Beach, who have become used Governor will fill the seats on to making all the appoint- an interim basis, but next winments, did not get their choice ter the General Assembly will in one judgeship, they held up have to ratify the appointthe appointments of all the ments. It is possible a number judgeships in Norfolk. of the nominees will not wish Then one of the Republican to be appointed under those delegates wanted his sister circumstances for they could to be appointed a judge in leave good jobs for what Hampton. After lengthy might be only a temporary negotiations an agreement appointment. was reached that his sister would be nominated along  Senator Mary Margaret with three others for the four Whipple may be emailed at available seats. district31@sov.state.va.us

Page 14

May 1 - 7, 2008

FC Arts Gallery Exhibit Opening Falls Church Arts, looking to expand the art culture of Falls Church with its Da Vinci Passport series of arts events, is celebrating the opening of its latest gallery, Perspectivo: Unexpected Views of Nature.

The exhibit features over 60 works by more than 30 members of the organization, celebrating the moment when art resonates with the audience to create a different view of nature. The gallery opens on Friday, May 2, from 6 – 8 p.m. at the Falls Church Arts Gallery (111 Park Ave., Falls Church), with the show running until May 30. For more information,

visit www.fallschurcharts.org.

Governor’s Awards Deadline The deadline for nominations for the 2008 Governor’s Awards in the Arts is rapidly approaching, arriving on May 15, 2008. You can find the nomination form on the Commission website at www. arts.virgina.gov.

Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund The Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund, a fund dedicated to the children of U.S. service members who have been killed or permanently dis-

abled in a mission or a training accident, recently announced the opening of their application period for the upcoming academic year. In order to be eligible, the applicant must be a high school senior, high school graduate, or registered as a full-time undergraduate student and under the age of 26. For more information, visit www. fascholarhip.com or call 800475-6620. The deadline for the 2008-2009 scholarship is July 18, 2008.

‘Nuts About The Nats’ Debut Falls Church resident Charlie Brotman, the former Washington Senators PA

CITY EMPLOYEES AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY gathered April 28 to celebrate the newly reconfigured main level of City Hall’s East Wing. The improvements make the building more accessible and able to meet the growing needs of residents, businesses, and staff.

Ribbon cutters, pictured left to right: Treasurer Cathy Kaye, Commissioner of the Revenue Tom Clinton, City Council Member David Snyder, City Council Member Hal Lippman, and Mayor Robin Gardner. (Photo: Courtesy City of Falls Church)

announcer, decided to bring his talents to the songwriting world, writing “Nuts About The Nats” for the Washington Nationals. During a homestand from April 7-13, the Nationals debuted the song.

Brotman is CEO of Brotman, Winter Fried Communications and has been associated with Washington-area baseball teams for a half-century, serving as an announcer at Griffith Stadium and RFK Stadium.

Athenaeum Gallery (201 Prince St., Alexandria) on Friday, May 2 from 5 – 7 p.m. Hausler’s work explores the relationship between advertising and medicine. The Antenaeum is open every Thursday through Sunday, noon – 4 p.m. Free.

For more information, visit www.nvfaa.org or call 703548-0035.

Laurel Hausler: Rackets & Remedies

In the interest of spreading the arts in Falls Church, Stacy’s Coffee Parlor (709 W. Broad St., Falls Church) is lending a helping hand by honoring the winners of the second annual Kokolopori Student Art Contest on Friday, May 2 at 7 p.m. Their art depicts what they imagine life to be like in Falls

The Falls Church Arts group isn’t the only organization opening a gallery this week, with the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association (NVFAA) opening the exhibition Laurel Hausler: Rackets & Remedies in the

Student Art Contest Winners To Be Honored

MIKE NIGRO, WINNER OF THE 2007 NICE GUYS AWARDS, stands with Nancy Davis, Acacia senior vice president on April 16 when Acacia Federal kicked off the fourth annual Nice Guys Awards. Nominations can be made at www.

NiceGuysAwards.com until July 16. Nigro is the CEO of Project Performance Corporation in McLean. (Photo: Courtesy Dawn Dicker)

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May 1 - 7, 2008

Church’s sister city, Kokolopori, and the surrounding rainforest in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Falls Church Arts judged the works, which will be displayed at Stacy’s throughout the month of May. Volunteer Program Orientations For adults looking to become involved with volunteer opportunities, Volunteer Fairfax has the answer. The volunteer organization is sponsoring a program titled Volunteers for Change, a volunteer program for adults filled with events on weekday evenings and weekends to fit busy schedules. A one-time orientation at Volunteer Fairfax’s office (10530 Page Ave., Fairfax) is mandatory, with orientations being held on Sunday, May 4 from 2 – 3 p.m. and Wednesday, May 7 from 6:30 – 7: 30 p.m.

After orientation, volunteers are free to choose from any of more than 45 monthly community service projects throughout Northern Virginia. For more information, contact Annie Duffield at 703246-3895.

Page 15

Meals on Wheels Drivers Needed The Fairfax Area Agency on Aging is looking for volunteers for its Meals on Wheels program to help deliver meals Monday – Friday to older adults in the Falls Church and Bailey’s Crossroads communities. The job involves delivering meals during lunchtime. Volunteers can deliver meals on a weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or substitute basis, with mileage reimbursement available. The Meals on Wheels program is also searching for a driver coordinator for the Bailey’s Crossroads route.

For more information, please call the Fairfax AAA Volunteer Intake Line at 703-324-5406; TTY 703-449-1186 or e-mail dfsaaavolunteer@fairfaxcounty. gov.

VPIS Annual Attic Treasure Sale The Village Preservation and Improvement Society is holding its 41st Annual Attic Treasure Sale on Saturday, May 3 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m at

FALLS CHURCH REPRESENTATION at the annual dinner of the White House Correspondents Association in Washington, D.C., last Saturday night included (left to right) Fox News’ Molly Hennenberg, a graduate of George Mason High School, and the Falls Church News-Press’ Owner-Editor Nicholas F. Benton and Managing Editor Jody Fellows. (Photo: News-Press)

the Falls Church Community Center (223 Little Falls St., Falls Church). Proceeds go to benefit the Neighborhood Tree Program, Concerts in the Park, and Falls Church’s four community gardens. There will be live music by Andrew Acosta.

For more information, visit www.vpis.org.

Virginians Help Establish Church Policy The United Methodist Church is holding a national conference in Fort Worth, Texas from April 23 – May 2 to write church law and establish budgets and policies for the denomination for the next four years. Out of the 992 delegates selected for the conference, 30 will be representatives from Virginia, including Falls Church resident Rev. Ileana Rosario, who serves as the Virginia Conference Director of Hispanic/Latino Ministries. The Virginia delegation is the largest U.S. delegation to attend the conference. The delegates will be

considering over 1,500 pieces of legislation over the 10-day General Conference.

Falls Church Home and Garden Tour Always cruise by those nice homes in Falls Church, wondering what they would look like inside? The Falls Church Elementary PTA understands and hopes to help with its Second Home and Garden Tour on Sunday, May 4 from 12 – 4 p.m. Two of the homes on the tour, located at 306 N. Cherry St. and 305 N. Oak St. will have volunteers from the Victorian Society in Falls Church to educate tour members about the homes and the area. The tour kicks off at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School (601 S. Oak St., Falls Church) at noon, where participants will receive their official programs. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 on the day of the event, with proceeds benefiting outdoor classrooms at Mt. Daniel and Thomas Jefferson Elementary Schools. Ticket

forms are available at www. fallschurchpta.org/hgtour.

Mason Grad Honored as ‘Good Guy’ Chad O’Hara, a rising senior at the University of Virginia and a 2005 graduate of George Mason High School, was recently chosen as the recipient of the Gus Bladgen Room on The Lawn (nicknamed the “Good Guy Room”). The selection committee focused on good moral character, commitment to serving the University community and concern and care for fellow students as criteria for applicants.

O’Hara is currently involved with Prospect House, serving youth and older residents in the Charlottesville community, tutoring Charlottesville youth, and the “Edge,” the Middle School Ministry at St. Thomas the Aquinas Catholic Church in Charlottesville. Students are nominated for the “Good Guy Room” by other students. Over 100 nominations were received this year.

CITY OF FALLS CHURCH’S Clerk, Kathy Buschow (center), was named the “Clerk of the Year” at the annual meeting of the Virginia Municipal Clerks Association in Staunton, Virginia last week. Accompanying her on the trip to receive the award were (left to right): Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields, Assistant City Manager Cindy Mester, Vice Mayor Lindy Hockenberry and to the right of Buschow, Mayor Robin Gardner, Barry Buschow and Deputy Clerk Veronica Ratliff. (Photo: News-Press)

Stifel & Capra “Art & Ornament for your Wonderful Life”

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OPEN during the City Home & Garden Tour; stop in!

Always: Mon – Sat 10am to 2pm 210 Little Falls Street, Falls Church

703-407-0770 www.StifelandCapra.com Local Art - Vintage Treasures-Artisan Jewelry-Unique Gifts-Home

Page 16

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May 1 - 7, 2008

The Falls Church City Economic Development Authority hosted a panel discussion with area planning and development experts which addressed the City Charter Change Referendum that will appear on City ballots next week. The session, which was open to business leaders and the general public, addressed market conditions, development trends and the like. Information on that discussion is available on the City’s website at www.fallschurchva.gov/Content/Agendas/DevelopmentForum042308.pdf.

It can also be seen on FC Cable access on Monday, April 28 at 9:30 a.m., Tuesday April 29 at 9 p.m., Friday, May 2 at noon, and Sunday May 4 at 10 a.m. *** Organic Doggie Kitchen’s “Doggie Happy Hour” will take place from 6 – 8 p.m. on Friday, May 2 in conjunction with FIRSTfriday of Falls Church. This event was postponed from its original April 4 date due to weather. It will take place in the parking lot of Art and Frame of Falls Church located at 111 Park Avenue. For more information about the Doggie Happy Hour and the host of business sponsored FIRSTfriday events and specials, visit www.firstfridayoffallschurch.com. *** Curves of Falls Church is hosting a grand reopening on Sunday, May 11, 2008 at 240 W. Broad Street. In recognition of the reopening, new owner, Kathy Hamor, who has revamped the workout facility, is offering new members a $100 discount off of the service fee on Friday and Saturday, May 9 and 10. Additionally, the first 25 people to join will receive a certificate for a free manicure. For more information about Curves, visit www.curvescomplete.com. For more information about the grand reopening, call 703-536-0140. *** Elevation Burger, an organic burger concept owned and operated in Falls Church by Hans and April Hess, has signed three multiunit franchising deals, bringing 12 new units to New Jersey, Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia. These three deals are in addition to the five corporate stores that Elevation Burger plans to open in the D.C. area by 2010. Franchisee Back Deck LLC expects to open five new units throughout New Jersey by 2013 with the first to open in early 2009. Two additional franchisee’s plan to open seven units in Crystal City, Old Town Alexandria, Shirlington, Kingstown, Arlington, and around George Washington University. Both franchisees expect to open their first unit by the end of 2008 or early January 2009. Elevation Burger cooks their fresh fries in olive oil, offers two kinds of veggie burgers and uses only 100 percent organic, grass fed, free range meat. The original Elevation Burger is located at 442 S. Washington Street in Falls Church. For more information visit www.elevationburger.com. *** David and Leslie Hutchinson, operators of the Robeks Fruit Smoothies & Healthy Eats in Falls Church, Herndon and Sterling, opened a new Robeks in the Tysons Corner area earlier this week. The new location is at 8359 Leesburg Pike in the Tysons Square Shopping Center near the intersection of Rt. 7 and Rt. 123. Grand Opening activities are planned for Thursday, May 8 and Saturday, May 10 -- noon to 3 p.m. both days. The general public is invited to attend the events which will feature free smoothies, food samples, giveaways and more. The couple will open their fifth Robeks store this summer in Reston. For more information visit www.robeks.com. *** K3 Solutions LLC has been accepted by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI), a Federally funded research and development center operated by Carnegie Mellon University, as a Partner authorized to provide CMMI appraisal and training services. K3 Solutions is officially licensed by the SEI to deliver the Introduction to CMMI v 1.2 training course and offer SCAMPI appraisal services. These will be offered alongside K3 Solutions’ suite of process management capabilities focusing on process improvement consulting services to our Federal and commercial clients.

K3 Solutions is a small woman-owned full service management and information technology consulting firm providing a wide array of services including proposal management, process management, project management and software engineering and support services to Federal and commercial clients. For more information about K3 Solutions, visit www.k3-solutions.com. *** Sweetwater Tavern recently claimed a silver medal in the Brewers Association (BA) World Beer Cup 2008, a global beer competition that evaluates beers from around the world and recognizes the most outstanding beers being produced in the world today. Gold, silver and bronze medals in the competition’s 91 beer-style categories were awarded April 19, 2008 during the World Beer Cup Gala Awards Ceremony and Dinner in San Diego, CA. Sweetwater Tavern was recognized in the British Style Imperial Stout category for its High Desert Imperial Stout, which also won a silver medal in the same category in the 2004 World Beer Cup as well as a silver medal in the Great American Beer Festival® in 2001. Sweetwater Tavern is a restaurant/microbrewery located in Centreville, Merrifield and Sterling. Visit www.

WorldBeerCup.org for World Beer Cup 2008 information. *** Sponsors are being sought by the Falls Church Lions Club and The Unity Club for their annual fundraising golf tournaments. The Lions Club event will take place Monday May 12 at Algonkian Regional Park Golf Course. The Unity club event will take place Monday, June 16, 2008 at Forest Greens Golf Club. For more information about these popular golf tournaments, visit www.fallschurchlions.org and/or www.unityclub.com.  The Business News & Notes section is compiled by Sally Cole, Executive Director of Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at sally@ fallschurchchamber.org

May 1 - 7, 2008

manufacturer is even pondering seat-less planes in which passengers are strapped to boards during the flight.

Ten or 15 years from now, air travel is likely to be significantly reduced; will be patronized by business travelers or the very wealthy; and will be limited to trans-oceanic or longdistance flights between major population centers.

Consolidation of the major airlines and the demise of the smaller regional carriers has already started. After a number of rounds of consolidation, we will be down to only a handful of national or multi-national airlines probably subsidized by governments on “national security” grounds.

While the demise of inexpensive discretionary air travel has ramifications for many industries, in the first instance tourism is likely to be hit the hardest.

Ignoring for the minute the likely effects of $4 or $5 gasoline in California this summer, Las Vegas reports that nearly half of its tourists arrive by air.

To make matters worse, resort operators have recently spent billions upgrading their facilities to the $300 a night places that are less likely to attract drive up customers. The same pattern can be repeated at airdependent tourist attractions all over the world.

There is still a remarkable amount of denial in the airline business. This week Airbus released a forecast showing that the number of large commercial aircraft will grow from 15,000 to 33,000 in the next 20 years and that the number of passengers will triple.

If there is to be a long-term future for air travel, it is unlikely to be with liquid fuel powered turbines driving heavier than air devices. The U.S. Air Force is currently embarked on a campaign to con4.28.08-SC-93.Chevy.qx vince the Congress 4/24/2008 - 5:42:07 PM to buy it a multibillion dollar facility to convert coal to jet fuel and a couple of airlines are busy demonstrating that their planes will run on biofuels.

While limited use of coal to liquid fuel or biofuels for aircraft may see limited use, neither of these replacements is likely to produce enough affordable fuel to keep Airbus’s 33,000 large transport jets in the air 20 years from now.

Over the longer run, the development of hydrogen powered aircraft might prove feasible or perhaps lighter-than-air dirigibles might be developed to the point where they can move people and goods efficiently over long distances. In any case, the day of the ubiquitous kerosene-powered jet transport which revolutionized travel for many of us in the second half of the 20th century is likely to be shorter than most realize.  Tom Whipple is a retired NOTE:analyst BLACK and has government RULE PRINTS been following the peak oil issue for several years.

4.062"

7"

cretionary travel before the year is out. In short, airplanes simply can’t make money while charging affordable fares at current, much less prospective, fuel prices. The era of 500 mph travel for most people is nearly over.

There is no obvious way out of this dilemma unless there is a major breakthrough in the efficiency of aircraft. Fares will continue to rise. Flights will be cut. Smaller cities will lose their air service. Shorter trips will be eliminated as being too expensive. More seats are likely to be squeezed on planes and one

©T&CO. 2008

In recent weeks, airlines around the world have been reporting substantial losses, declaring bankruptcy or completely shutting down. So far the losses have been mostly of small airlines, but many of the large ones have started to thrash around for merger partners. At $3.71 a gallon, jet fuel is now the single largest expense an airline faces.

In 2000, the airlines fuel bill was $14 billion. It is now pushing $60 billion and climbing.

Southwest, the most profitable carrier, recently announced that this year’s fuel bill will be $500 million more than last year and equal to 2007 profits.

During the first quarter of 2008 American airlines lost $328 million; Delta lost $274 million; United lost $537 million; Continental $80 million; Northwest $191 million; and US Airways $236 million. Only Southwest Airlines, which did a better job of hedging its fuel than the others, made a profit.

It is clear we are going to see major changes in air travel shortly.

For some time now, airlines have been eliminating frills, raising prices, filling the planes and effecting whatever other economies come to mind. After the summer flying season ends next September, many airlines are planning to retire 5-10 percent of their least efficient aircraft, thereby reducing their flight schedules by a similar amount.

Knowledgeable observers are expressing doubts these moves will be enough. People are starting to talk about $200 oil which implies that airline fuel costs will double again. Newer aircraft are more efficient, but the improvements are nowhere near what is necessary to keep up with surging fuel costs and, as Continental Airlines concluded this week, there is not enough financial benefit in a merger to keep up with costs.

Airlines are continuing to raise fares -- the average ticket is up 10 percent over last year -- but at some price point the airlines will drive away discretionary travel and they will be left with only essential business and personal travel that is unlikely to fill many planes. On top of the fuel prices is the current economic downturn which is likely to start impacting dis-

Page 17

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May 1 - 7, 2008

<517E5 ?6 G?=5> F?D5BC ?6 61<<C 38EB38 D85 61<<C 38EB38 >5GC @B5CC

The League of Women Voters®

spRinG 2008 VOteRs’ Guide LOCAL eLeCtiOn On tuesdAy, MAy 6, 2008 pOLLs Open 6:00 A.M. tO 7:00 p.M. ABOut tHis Guide

The League of Women Voters of Falls Church is cooperating with The Falls Church News Press to produce this Voters’ Guide to assist citizens in the City of Falls Church choose candidates for election to the City Council and School Board. Registered voters who live within the City of Falls Church are eligible to vote at the following polling places: Ward One Ward Two Ward Three Ward Four Ward Five

Thomas Jefferson School 601 South Oak Street Oakwood Apartments 501 Roosevelt Boulevard Scout House 128 South Spring Street Falls Church Community Center 223 Little Falls Street American Legion Post 400 North Oak Street

Polling places are accessible to persons with disabilities.

The polls will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The League of Women Voters of Falls Church sent

a questionnaire to all candidates whose names were qualified to appear on the May 6, 2008 ballot. Biographies and responses to the questions appear as written by the candidates and are not edited except to comply with Voters’ Guide style and stipulated word limitations. A “//” at the end of the biography and/or responses indicates that the word limit was exceeded. The candidates’ original responses are on file with the League of Women Voters of Falls Church.

Candidates are listed in the order in which they will appear on the ballot.

The League of Women Voters of Falls Church is a nonpartisan organization whose purpose is to promote political responsibility through informed and active participation in government. The League of Women Voters does not support any political party or candidate.

For additional information on the Spring 2008 Voters’ Guide, or the League of Women Voters of Falls Church, please visit www.lwvfallschurch.org.

For additional information on the May 6, 2008 election, voter registration, or where to vote, contact the Falls Church Registrar of Voters at 703-248-5085 or visit www. fallschurchva.gov.

identiFiCAtiOn ReQuiRed tO VOte

All voters are required to present identification at the polls. PLEASE BRING YOUR IDENTIFICATION WHEN YOU COME TO VOTE ON TUESDAY, MAY 6, 2008.

Acceptable forms of identification can be any ONE of the following: r r r r r

r

Virginia voter identification card Original Social Security card Valid Virginia driver’s license Military identification Identification issued to you by a government agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia, one of the Commonwealth’s political subdivisions, or the United States Valid employee identification card containing your photo and issued by your employer in the ordinary course of the employer’s business

If you do not have an acceptable form of identification you must complete an Affirmation of Identity form BEFORE you can vote.

City OF FALLs CHuRCH City COunCiL tHe OFFiCe

In formulating decisions and policy, the Council members act as a group.

elected at-large for staggered four-year terms; elections are held in May of even-numbered years for three or four members.

BiOGRApHy And QuestiOns

SALARY: $9200.00 per year, as of July 1, 2008 DUTIES: The City Council enacts ordinances and resolutions,

BIOGRAPHY: Background provided by each candidate.

approves City budgets, sets tax rates, and establishes policy.

If Falls Church voters and the Virginia General Assembly ap-

TERM: The City Council is comprised of seven members who are

THE QUESTIONS

prove the proposed amendment to the City charter as provided in the May REFERENDUM, how do you think the City will be affected?

Why do you think the recently approved City Center PROJECT has generated so much controversy?

What do you think is the biggest CHALLENGE facing the City in the next four years, and how would you address it?

CAndidAtes FOR tHe City OF FALLs CHuRCH City COunCiL – Vote for not More than three (3)

Nader Baroukh Challenger

BIOGRAPHY: I am a senior attorney with management responsibilities at the Department of Homeland Security and a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law. I recently served on the City’s Major Design Team for the City Center Project. I am a Board Member of the Winter Hill Community Association.

REFERENDUM: Our City must expand its tax base in order to maintain its independence and exceptional schools. While the Special Exception ordinance can be an important tool in promoting commercial development, it has not been used appropriately. The criteria used to grant Special Exceptions do not set clear economic development guidelines. This has led to artificially inflated values in properties, because own-

Robin S. Gardner Incumbent

BIOGRAPHY: Mayor, City of Falls Church 2006 – present; City Councilmember 2000-2006; Strategic Account Manager, GTSI; MA, the George Washington University; BA, Ithaca College; Member, Falls Church City PTA; Member, Falls Church Housing Corporation; Resident of Falls Church since 1996; married with 6 year old twins attending Mt. Daniel Elementary School.

REFERENDUM: Approval of the ill-advised Charter change would limit the City Council’s ability to bring the best development into the City. We would lose the flexibility and tools that attract creative development.

ers realize that the current majority of Council will approve almost any project, including those that are disproportionately residential and add significant new public service costs.

The referendum provides clear guidance to the Council, developers, and landowners that if a project is to be approved for commercially zoned land, it must be balanced and provide a more diverse source of revenue.

PROJECT: The notion of a “true” city center was supported by many citizens. However, the approved project misses the mark. It fails to deliver on many of the principles provided in “Street-Works,” which had wide community support. The approved project has fundamental problems and does not meet the City’s own expectations. Moreover, the Council missed a historic opportunity to leverage the two acres it owned to create a “public square” or “commons,” which was strongly Attractive, revenue-generating development would not come to the City. We would be resigned to by-right buildings, such as strip malls, fast food franchises, palm readers and check cashing stores on our major corridors. Property values would go down and residents’ tax bills would go up.

PROJECT: Change is difficult, as are transitions. The citizens of Falls Church do not have a single vision of what a City Center or a great place should look like; there are many different ideas. With discussion and debate on these ideas comes disagreement. But the sharing of opinions also helps build consensus. That’s what the City Center South project represents. It is the product of a deliberative process that was inclusive, open, and lengthy. It is a good first step toward giving

supported by the public, or to get a better project.

CHALLENGE: It is critical that the City’s commercially zoned land be used predominately for commercial purposes. A healthy city tax-base target is 50% commercial/50% residential. Despite mammoth new developer-friendly projects that threaten our neighborhoods and add significant new public service costs, commercial properties only comprise approximately 25% of the City’s total tax assessments. We must follow a development strategy that both retains a sense of proportion and is economically sustainable. Rather than simply responding to what developers bring to the table, our City must pursue developments that preserve the City’s many unique qualities.

CONTACT:

www.friendsofnaderbaroukh.com

Falls Church a true, appealing downtown.

CHALLENGE: We are a community that is moving forward. We recognize that to retain our independence – something that our City fought for more than 50 years ago – we need to maintain strong neighborhoods, strong schools, and an active and prosperous business sector that can help ensure a healthy, reliable stream of revenue. I welcome the challenge of working to protect the things that define who we are — things such as the Farmers Market, the Memorial Day parade, and the Concerts in the Park. We need to incorporate the feelings and consider the needs of all generations in our community to sustain our “village” – the place we call home.

CONTACT: rgm101693@aol.com

CANDIDATES FOR THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH CITY COUNCIL - CONTINUED ON NExT PAGE

May 1 - 7, 2008

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CANDIDATES FOR THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH CITY COUNCIL – CONTINUED Vote for Not More than Three (3)

E. B. “Ed” Hillegass Challenger

BIOGRAPHY: Tidewater Community College, Associate in Science; George Mason University, one year, IT/Marketing; Member, Sons Of The American Revolution; member, United States Marine Corps League; member, Knights of Columbus, EDW Council #2473; past chairman of Security, St. James Bazaar; coach, AAU Baseball; coach, Arlington Babe Ruth Baseball; coach, Arlington Girls Softball.

REFERENDUM: The proposed amendment if passed will have a positive impact on our residential customers. By placing more and more residential units on commercially zoned property, the existing city council has continued to narrow the revenue base by placing

M. R. “Lindy” Hockenberry Incumbent

BIOGRAPHY: Falls Church City School Teacher, Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, George Mason Middle School, 1969-2000; Long-term substitute, GMMS, Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School, 2000-present; Falls Church City Council, 2000-present; Vice Mayor, 2006-present; B.S. Spalding University, M.A. George Mason University REFERENDUM: The City Charter is our most important document of governance; changing it is not a matter to be taken lightly. The Charter change proposal on the May 6 ballot is nearly identical to the one that was overwhelmingly rejected by the City’s voters in

Margaret W. Housen Challenger

BIOGRAPHY: I have been a resident of the City for almost two years and was employed by the City in the Engineering Department for 27 months. This experience gives me a unique position to look at the challenges the City faces in the immediate future and to plan for the future.

REFERENDUM: With a 60 percent commercial occupancy, this will bring a great deal more money to the City coffers and lower tax rates for City Residents.

It will also keep school enrollment down and classrooms small. Overall, the effect on the City will be excellent.

Patrice A. Lepczyk Challenger

BIOGRAPHY: I have enjoyed living in the city of Falls Church for the past eight years. I am a military veteran and have performed freelance work for the Government and commercial venues. I hold a Master’s degree from the American University with an undergraduate degree from George Washington University.

REFERENDUM: I will be voting against the referendum in May, as it would be unlikely to have any positive effect for the City’s future. The underlying motivation for further restricting the number of residential units in mixed used projects may be to hold back increases in school enrollment that could affect the insular nature of our population.

Lawrence L. Webb Challenger

BIOGRAPHY: Assistant Dean of Admissions, University of Mary Washington; BA Mass Communications, Shenandoah University; Graduate Certificate Public Management, Shenandoah University; Member: Parks and Recreation Board, Village Preservation and Improvement Society, Falls Church City Democratic Committee, Citizens for a Better City, Falls Church Arts, Department of Correctional Education Board REFERENDUM: The proposed Charter change is a bad idea. If voters and the General Assembly were to approve it — and I hope that won’t happen — it would handcuff the City’s ability to attract the type of quality businesses that we want and need on our commer-

more of the tax burden on the homeowner.

PROJECT: The City Center project is nothing more than a downtown redevelopment that does not encompass a true City Center feel that will draw people from neighboring communities. Once again the city council has proposed a greater percentage (over 60%) of commercially owned property towards building residential units. We need a greater percentage of this property to be occupied by businesses (national chains) that will generate positive revenue for our city and increase the stop ability of people shopping in our City.

CHALLENGE: The biggest challenge facing our City in the next four years will be our Capital Improvement Plan. As I said earlier the existing city council has created a narrowing of the revenues that our city presently collects. I equate this to a person receiving a decrease

in their paycheck and instead of cutting back on city obligations (debt) this same person keeps spending as if nothing has occurred. As homeowners we make our decisions based off of the income we bring in. Then we adjust to make sure that we pay our obligations and buy the essentials that we need. Last but not least hopefully we have some money left over (savings) for a rainy day fund so we can pay for major renovations or appliances that may go. Our city council needs to build a lasting development plan for the City by retaining and attracting strong businesses to secure a reliable and stable foundation for future growth and increasing revenues.

CONTACT: www.friendsofedhillegass.com

2002. If passed, it would essentially shut down future development in the City, killing our efforts to expand our revenue base and ease the tax burden on homeowners. Our business community would be put at risk and much needed revenues would greatly decline. As a result, the future of our independent City and our excellent school system would be in jeopardy.

PROJECT: Change is often difficult. The revitalization of our downtown is a complicated, multi-faceted, task, and it is no surprise that not everyone agrees on the best way to proceed. I do believe that whenever a significant new development is proposed, we tend to hear most often from those who disagree with it. As I campaign door-to-door, I hear a huge amount of enthusiasm and support for creating a great City Center. I

hope that everyone will get involved in the final design decisions on City Center South, and help ensure that it becomes a vital and exciting part of our City.

CHALLENGE: Our biggest challenge is ensuring the future economic stability of our independent City and protecting our school system. Wise economic development decisions are essential for our City’s future economic growth. In order to broaden our tax base, we must work to help our business community flourish and grow. Also, we must strive to meet the affordable housing needs for our City’s work force and our senior citizens who want to remain in their City. To accomplish this, strong leadership will be needed to guide the City of Falls Church through the next four years.

CONTACT: www.votefallschurch.org

PROJECT: Because it produces limited short term gain in revenue for all its density and unknown long term service and school responsibilities. The City Manager initially claimed $4.7 million for the City Center Project and now the claim is less than half of that. At this point, the City has only a Letter of Intent from Harris Tweeter and no commitment at all from a hotel. The City needs firm commitments, e.g., a signed contract from commercial entities CHALLENGE: Traffic, parking, meeting school needs and moderating taxes for both residents and business.

Lowering taxes, at this time, can only be accomplished

by City Hall tightening its belt with fewer employees.

Traffic is not going to abate whatever the price of gasoline and this contributes to the lack of parking. One

answer is to build a real municipal lot such as City of Alexandria has instead of the one now planned mainly for the hotel. The City has some good restaurants but the difficulty of finding a place to park keeps potential customers away.

CONTACT: mwho_22106@yahoo.com

PROJECT: A monolithic building complex possessing little aesthetic appeal would mostly be attractive to a developer with the primary focus on capital return.

The City may not have received sufficient concessions in exchange for ceding rights and variances such as exceeding height limits, which also allowed additional residential units in this development adding to citizens’ concerns that an influx of families would adversely affect the City’s services and resources. Although this development will bring in very much needed resources for the city, the negotiating of the packaging may have been stronger.

CHALLENGE: All jurisdictions are facing universal fiscal challenges. Just as families must live on a budget so should the City manage its resources without simply resorting to raising citizens’ taxes. We have the added

requirement that must preserve our autonomy and independence that distinguishes the city of Falls Church from our neighbors, yet not lag behind any of the other local communities in our quality public services and the sophistication required for this special cosmopolitan vicinity. We already have these advantages along with the strong community capable to formulate innovative means for long term perspectives. The Art District Designation could be one such possible future boon, but income increasing and cost cutting ideas for the City will always face some opposition and it is important for such burdens to be distributed fairly and not purposely target the most vulnerable in our community.

CONTACT: pal4cc@gmail.com

cial corridors. Good businesses won’t want to come to a community where practically every new proposal would be subject to a vote of the entire population. I like the current process of letting citizens and elected officials carefully examine development proposals, and work to tailor them to Falls Church’s needs. That’s much better than a simplistic, take-it-or-leave it referendum.

PROJECT: Change is always very hard for some to accept, even change that will have a strongly positive influence on the City. Creating a vibrant new downtown for Falls Church is an ambitious goal, one that naturally is going to generate a degree of controversy.

When working with developers, it’s important for the City to drive a hard bargain and hold them to their promises. On Council, I promise to do that.

CHALLENGE: The biggest challenge we face is maintaining our City’s independence and protecting our superior school system in these tough economic times. If elected, I will work closely with the City Manager and my fellow Council members to look for savings in department budgets and hold the line on municipal spending. The Council must continue to work with the School Board to make sure our school system has the resources it needs to attract and keep good teachers and prepare our students to compete in the global economy.

CONTACT: www.votefallschurch.org

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May 1 - 7, 2008

CiTY OF FALLs CHURCH sCHOOL BOARD THe OFFiCes TERM: The Falls Church City School Board is comprised of seven members who serve four-year terms.

SALARY: $1200.00 per year DutieS: The School Board’s primary responsibilities are to set policy for the

THE QUESTIONS

school division, approve the annual budget, develop a strategic plan and hire a superintendent to operate the school division in accordance with board policy.

What do you see as the single most important CHALLENGE facing our schools in the next two years?

BIOGRAPHY: Background provided by

How would you describe the ROLE of the School Board in relation to the City Council?

BiOGRAPHY AND QUesTiONs

each candidate.

How would you work with the schoolaffiliated ORGANIZATIONS (PTAs, the Athletic and Band Boosters, and the Falls Church Education Foundation) to ensure communication and information sharing?

CANDiDATes FOR THe CiTY OF FALLs CHURCH sCHOOL BOARD – Vote for Not More than Three (3)

Charlotte V. Hyland Challenger

BIOGRAPHY: BA, University of Colorado. Freelance editor. Ten-year Falls Church resident. Married with three children who attend GM, MEH, and TJ. Past and current newsletter editor, elementary PTA and GM PTSA; PTA vice president and recording secretary; chair, various committees. My children are involved in sports, student government, band, and theater.

CHALLENGE: All students of all abilities should receive a great education in Falls Church City schools, and if I am elected, a goal of mine is to ensure that that remains the case. One way to do that is to retain small class sizes, particularly in the elementary grades, so

Kimberley J. Maller Challenger

BIOGRAPHY: Kim has lived in Falls Church City for twelve years. Kim has three young children. Her two oldest attend our City Schools, her youngest is in preschool. Kim is an active member of both School and Community organizations. Kim graduated from UCSB and managed College Bookstores for several years.

CHALLENGE: Our biggest challenge is how can a small, independent city offer a world-class education to all of its public school students? We must be innovative: The new IB Program for the Primary years and for the Middle Years will help us to continue our tradition of curriculum excellence. Most of our school budget goes

Kieran Sharpe Incumbent

BIOGRAPHY: Attorney, litigation and financial services regulation, Howrey LLP. JD American University, BA Political Science, Albright College. School Board Member 1998-2008. City Council Member 1994 -98. Boards of Fairfax Partnership for Youth, Homestretch, Inc. and Falls Church Education Foundation. Coach for youth basketball, baseball and soccer. Married, two children: GMHS grads.

CHALLENGE: We must teach all our students the skills and knowledge helpful for success in a global economy as well the values for exercising responsible citizenship. The full range of students, from the most gifted to the least, will face stiff competition for places in higher educa-

Joan E. Wodiska Incumbent

BIOGRAPHY: Elected in 2004, Joan Wodiska is a mother and valued member of the School Board. Joan is the Board Liaison on Special Education, ESOL, and Family Life. She also leads education for the National Governors Association, and is the Chair of the Northeastern Region of the Virginia School Boards Association.

CHALLENGE: Despite budget pressures, the School Board must figure out a way to accelerate innovation and continually improve our schools. Our schools must equip every student with the critical thinking and traditional hard skills to be successful in the global economy.

ROLE: Teamwork, transparency, and a shared vision are the key components of a successful partnership between the School Board and City Council. While each body plays a unique, autonomous, and defined role to strengthen our City and schools, we must and do work together. I’ve worked hard to help ensure a collegial and productive relationship between the School Board

our teachers are able to really know all students and attend to their needs appropriately. Having students of all abilities in our classrooms has always been a strong attribute of our schools, but it does require that teachers are able to differentiate among all the distinct types of students. With the proper training and support, our teachers have been able to maintain diverse classrooms. I want to make sure that continues.

ROLE: The School Board and the City Council should work together creatively to keep our schools top-notch.

The Board should support the Council’s ongoing efforts to promote economic redevelopment, which is generating the new tax revenue we need to keep our teacher’s salaries competitive with neighboring jurisdictions.

The Board must be very careful with every tax dollar spent. Budget discipline gives the Council and the community confidence that the Board is spending wisely to hire and retain excellent teachers and staff, to develop a learning program that challenges students of all abilities.

ORGANIZATIONS: I am currently a member of all the organizations mentioned, and as a School Board member I would regularly attend their meetings and the events they sponsor to keep informed of their various activities. I would encourage members of these organizations to attend School Board meetings to share information.

CONTACT: www.votefallschurch.org

to personnel costs, but high-quality teachers are essential to our students’ success. The School Board must continue to look at each tax dollar spent and make sure that each student receives a first-class education. These steps are essential for our students and in doing so, our real estate values will remain as strong as possible during these years of economic uncertainty.

ROLE: The School Board is the steward of the schools.

The Board is responsible for the care and management of the schools and for asking City Council for funds needed to keep our schools excellent. The Board is also responsible for making sure all of our students get a topnotch education and that tax dollars spent on educating our students are wisely spent.

The Board must have good communication with

the City Council on any school issues that may have a broader community concern. These issues may include future capital expenses and community service needs.

ORGANIZATIONS: I would make sure all of these school-affiliated organizations have a web site linked to the FCCPS web site. Interested parents and members of the community would be able to easily find out about these organizations and how they can get involved. We already have a School Board liaison to each of these school-affiliated organizations who reports information back at School Board meetings. I would continue to work closely with these organizations and continue to attend every meeting I can.

CONTACT: www.votefallschurch.org

tion and the job market. Teachers are the most important component in equipping students for economic success and good citizenship, so providing the pay and benefits to attract and retain the best among them is a top priority.

Sufficient time to learn is an equally key factor. Our calendar is the shortest of any district in our area and much shorter than in many other countries. So that our students have the best opportunity for success in the global arena, we should find ways for students to have more time with teachers and use time more effectively.

ROLE: The School Board provides policy and strategic direction for K-12 education, such school-related or community services as day care and rental of school buildings for community activities. In its relations with Council, it should strongly advocacy for world-class education and present convincing assurance of efficient and effective

management. Also, it should dialogue with the Council and community to clearly understand what resources are available and act in a fiscally responsible way. Further, to assure equitable access for low-income and other vulnerable residents, the board should work with parent advisory groups and others to understand what subsidy or other accommodation these residents may need and then incorporate that in its advocacy with Council.

ORGANIZATIONS: To ensure good communications with PTAs and other school-affiliated organizations, I would work with fellow Board members to implement a systematic communications policy, frequently interact with these organizations’ leaders and members, listen, and be responsive to their ideas and concerns.

CONTACT: kjsharpe@starpower.net

and Council. This year’s smooth budget process is a testament to the Board’s commitment to work cooperatively and collaboratively with Council.

ORGANIZATIONS: Community engagement is essential to our schools’ success. Yet, the School Board can’t rely on a single method, strategy, or language to engage the community. The Board must use the web, email, newspaper, personal visits, phone calls, newsletters, BoardDocs, and other effective methods to communicate.

As a Board liaison to several school groups, I continually sought input and advice, shared information in a clear, transparent, and consistent manner, and ensured that community views were represented in the Board’s deliberations. Additionally, I helped re-write the school district’s mission statement to acknowledge the critical importance of community involvement. As part of that work, I also helped formulate specific goals to prioritize and enhance communication and information sharing. This work is ongoing. With your support, I hope to further improve this critical area.

CONTACT: www.votefallschurch.org

PROPOseD CHARTeR AMeNDMeNT – VOTe Yes OR NO QUESTION: Should the City of Falls Church amend the City Charter as follows?

The City Council may approve a project, including a pending project, for construction on commercially-zoned property only if at least sixty (60) percent of the total project’s square footage will be used for commercial or retail purposes. The City Council may not, by special exception or other approval, allow more than forty (40) percent of such a project’s square footage to be used for residential purposes.

May 1 - 7, 2008

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Page 22

Stuart High football, as you know it, is dead.

After a one-win season in 2005, the Raiders were already on life support, sporting a record of 5-64 since the start of the new millennium. The program fully flatlined in 2006 and 2007, when the Raiders never once experienced the thrill of victory and carted a 24-game losing streak into this offseason. After a stretch like that, the spirit summoning slogan of “wait ‘til next year” must hold the same level of encouragement as it would for a death row inmate.

It was time for a change. It was time to move on.

So, the defeatist attitudes, the lopsided losses, all the bad vibes that have hung on this program like Jacob Marley’s chains, they are all gone now, buried in a box under the corner of the high school’s football field. That was the not-so-subtle symbolism behind the funeral procession held by recently re-hired Stuart Head Football Coach Roy Ferri and his team last Friday.

Into the coffin went the old game films, old uniforms and equipment, with nine players driving down nails to seal it shut.

They sang as they carried it.

Eager to exorcise the demons of three straight seasons that yielded only one lousy win, the players/pallbearers transported the coffin to the freshly dug, football-field grave and lowered it in. “Na, na, na, na. Na, na, na, na. Hey, hey, hey. Good-bye.”

But now the end must serve as a beginning, and Ferri and his team have only the hard part ahead of them. Next season’s opponents won’t be as cooperative as that casket after all.

There are some that would equate motivational tactics at Stuart to little more than a shallow gesture, akin, perhaps, to uttering a few words of encouragement to a snowball hurled down into the devil’s domain.

Ferri doesn’t see it that way.

Ferri believes that Stuart can not only compete in the National District, but eventually claim its title. He’s seen it before in fact.

After an 0-10 season, and a mock funeral much like Friday’s, the Raiders won the district in 1992.

Ferri wants to return the Raiders to prominence, and he won’t make excuses for failure to achieve it.

The standard set of explanations for Stuart’s shortcomings center around the small, diverse and transient student body that makes it difficult to develop a program over the long term. Having been around the school for 20 years, Ferri doesn’t buy into it. He says that nothing about the school’s

May 1 - 7, 2008

make-up has changed over that time that would prohibit Stuart from winning consistently. He’s seen the school’s successes, which included a run to the state semifinals in 1989, when NFL running back Charlie Garner played for the team. He knows failure is not a required accessory of the Raider uniform.

“We don’t suck because we’re Stuart, we suck because we don’t squeeze a down block,” Ferri says Tuesday in his office. “Let’s quit crying and do something about it.”

Ferri says he’s confident his team can turn things around, and it’s a believable claim.

Why else would he leave his assistant coaching post at Centreville and four consecutive years of winning teams?

Given the program’s losing reputation, there are some that would view Ferri as a masochist.

After all, you’d have to enjoy pain to take over a team who lost, on average, by 32 points each time they took the field last season. Ferri does not enjoy pain, but he does embrace it.

In his garage, he stores every second-place trophy his teams have ever won, mostly from his work as a track coach. Mounted on the wall behind his desk in the Stuart football office is a collection of newspaper clippings.

The most prominent of them screams, “Ferri Out As Head Coach” in a font size so large you’d instead expect it to read “Allies Land in Normandy.”

“You’re damn right there’s a chip on my shoulder,” says Ferri, who was fired in 2000 after his first tenure as Stuart’s head coach.

“We’ve become the district’s whipping boys. We’ve got to get that chip back as a team.”

Before that though, Ferri still has to familiarize himself with it.

As he schemes for future success, his current roster board is littered with nicknames for players he doesn’t know. At the moment, the task of resurrecting the football program lies on the shoulders of “Short Dude,” “Big Head” and “TGI,” a player so named for his employment at T.G.I. Friday’s.

Ferri knows it won’t be a roster of all-stars, but he also knows it won’t be a roster that anticipates a loss before kickoff. There may not be a return to the top for the Raiders this season. There may not even be a winning record. But with a sad past dead and buried, come Fall, Ferri is confident that he and his team will finally be able to breathe a little life back into Stuart High football.  Mike Hume may be emailed at mhume@fcnp.com.

A 5-1 rout of rival Clarke County High School highlighted another undefeated week for the George Mason High School boys varsity soccer team. After downing the Eagles on Friday, the Mustangs carried off their sixth-straight district win with a 3-0 victory over Manassas Park on Tuesday.

Senior Tim Brooks scored his first goal of the season in the third minute of the match against Clarke last Friday and sophomore Andrew Arias scored the eventual match-winner 24 minutes later, as the Mustangs jumped on the Eagles from the outset. Sophomore Nick Smirniotopoulos struck again for Mason just prior to halftime and the Mustangs never looked back from there.

Junior Anthony Andrianarison and senior Matt Gresko each beat the Clarke keeper in the second half to comfortably coast to the win.

Senior Antonio Randrianasolo notched a pair of assists.

On Tuesday night, sophomore Alex Casteuble put the Mustangs on the board around the 13-minute mark. It seemed the floodgates were destined to open shortly thereafter, but a volley by sophomore Teddy Rueckert couldn’t quite sneak under the crossbar, ricocheting tantalizingly into the air until it was finally controlled by the Cougar keeper.

Manassas kept Mason to a lone goal for 20 minutes, but couldn’t consistently possess the ball. The Mustangs continued to

administer pressure and finally the Cougar back line cracked, yielding a second goal with 7:36 remaining in the half. After winning the race to a lead pass in the left side of the goal box, Smirniotopoulos snuck it under the charging goalie to provide his team with a two-goal cushion.

A flourish by the Cougars in Mason’s side of the field nearly put the score at 2-1 with two minutes remaining before halftime, however the Mustangs’ senior Tim Brooks turned aside a ball that seemed bound for the back of the net, steering it aside until freshman keeper Tyler Back and the rest of the Mason defense could recover.

Senior Andres Ramos accounted for the match’s final goal midway through a second

The J.E.B. Stuart boys varsity tennis team is set to cruise to the National District title this season, flaunts an unblemished record of 10-0 and features one of the top youth tennis players in the country — and head coach Matt Hills is worried.

The path to the team’s current perch has been easy, a little too easy in Hill’s eyes.

What Hills is focused on, more than the remaining scheduled games against Edison, Washington-Lee and the National District Tournament on May 5, is a looming potential meeting with an accomplished squad from Fairfax in the opening round of the Northern Regional Tournament. Hills fears that his team, who has grown accustomed to winning, has not grown accustomed to battling to earn

half in which the Mustangs were similarly dominant.

Mason was without the services of senior Antonio Randrianasolo, who missed school on Tuesday. Iwanicki believed he would be back for Wednesday night’s game against Robinson High School. Results of that match were not available at press time.

Heading into the game against the highly-regarded Robinson program, Mason’s record stood at 7-2 overall, and 6-0 in the Bull Run District. Mason remains the only unbeaten team in the district, with every other team owning at least two losses thus far.

The Mustangs have not lost a game since dropping an 20 decision to AA powerhouse Potomac Falls on April 7.

them.

“I’ve been scared of this all year,” Hills said. “If we face Fairfax in the first round, they will be a better team than we’ve faced all season long. It could be a 5-4 game and our doubles games are going to be important when they haven’t been all year.”

The reason the Raiders’ doubles matches have been meaningless is because Stuart has crushed its competition in 2008. Over the course of the season, the Raiders have just dropped one individual match, posting a collective record of 89-1.

Hills’ team has cruised due to a combination of a weak field of district competition and an influx of epic talent. The Raiders have warmly welcomed transfers sophomore Abdul Al-Hogbani, currently third on Continued on Page 25

May 1 - 7, 2008

On Saturday the varsity track teams at George Mason High School participated in their second invitational meet of the season, competing against much larger AAA and AA schools at the Freedom Invitational in Woodbridge, Va. The challenging meet was just another instance of how Mason coach Bianca White has front-loaded the Mustangs’ schedule, helping her squad improve as they face-off against the top runners in the Northern Virginia area.

On the girls’ side, Mason was led by sophomore Chantal Thomas, who finished in a four-way tie for first in the high jump and also took sixth out of a field of 20 in the 100m hurdles. In the same event, fellow Mustang Karina Robarge, a senior, finished third in a time of 16.63. Thomas and Robarge took third and fourth, respectively, in the 300m hurdles, finishing .35 seconds apart from each other.

Junior Melissa Benn con-

Page 23

tinued her improvement in the field events, as well, finishing 14th and 10th in the shot put and discus, respectively.

Sophomore Chantel Bailey took seventh in the 100m dash and fourth in the 400m dash to round out the impressive meet for the ladies.

Senior Susanna Sullivan, a Notre Dame signee, has sat out the past couple of weeks with a knee injury, but is on pace to return come district time.

For the boys, senior Will Douthitt finished 11th in the 3200m run, while Chas Bowling took 13th in the 110m hurdles and 12th in the 300m hurdles. With the absence of senior Josh Jenkins due to injury, the Mustangs have struggled to put up points.

However, the emergence of senior Matt Geurtsen (18th in the shot put and discus) should aid in district play.

On May 3, the Mustangs will participate in the Caroline High School Invitational, before traveling to Rappahannock on May 7 for a Bull Run showdown with the Panthers.

Mason High Girls Tennis The Mason girls tennis team, after winning three of their last four matches and upsetting Freedom High School last Tuesday with some clutch play from their doubles teams, played host to National Cathedral last Thursday. The Mason girls squeaked out another tough victory, winning 5-4 over the visiting team. Michelle Repper dominated with an 8-0 victory in singles to lead the charge for the Lady Mustangs, while Annie Zweighaft celebrated her birthday with an 8-5 win over an extremely tough opponent. The doubles once again proved key, as the top two Mustang doubles teams notched victories to move the Lady Mustangs into the “W” column. Repper and Zweighaft played at the No. 1 spot, winning 8-5, while Claire Sedmak and Claire Prybulka won at No. 2 by the same score. After six early losses, the Lady Mustangs are fighting their way back to .500 with a 5-7 record to date. Their next game is Thursday, May 1 at home against Stone Ridge County Day. McLean High Crew The McLean Crew team is picking up momentum while the Virginia State Championships rapidly approach, judging by their performance at the

Starting their second rotation through the Bull Run district, the George Mason High School varsity girls soccer team rolled over Manassas Park last Tuesday, 10-0, to remain undefeated at 5-0. However, a familiar face remains twice on their schedule, as the Mustangs still have to face defending state runner-up Clarke County twice in the next two weeks.

In addition to blasting the Cougars on Tuesday, Mason took down Strasburg last Friday, 8-0. The Mustangs have not scored fewer than eight goals in any district game this season, and have only allowed one.

Senior Olivia Scott, who has committed to play at Division III Messiah next fall, led the offensive assault over Manassas with two goals and one assist.

Junior Mayssa Chehata put up similarly impressive numbers, putting two past the Cougar keeper and adding one assist.

Coach Jennifer Parsons’ team entered the season with three goalies but, with the ball normally played on the complete opposite side of the field, the Mustangs have

stuck with a platoon of junior Caitlin Sickler and senior Rebecca Jackson in the net.

The other goalie, senior Lauren Jekowsky, demonstrated some of Mason’s incredible versatility, as she came out into the field for the Manassas game, scoring two goals.

Midfield freshmen Violet Miller and Elle Silverman continued their strong district campaign, scoring one apiece, while senior captain Rachel Kazman, sophomore forward Karen Hamill and junior Virginia Fresne tacked on the final goals.

“We have been playing very good soccer lately. The girls have been growing together very well,” said Parsons.

“We’ve had a couple major injuries, which have been tough, but the depth of this team has definitely shown in the last couple games.”

The injuries referred to were suffered in the past couple of weeks, with senior Stephanie Pinch tearing her ACL last week against Rappahannock and junior Madeline Nooter going down with a broken ankle.

Despite the personnel losses, the Mason record remained untarnished as they romped over host Strasburg, 8-0. The

Charlie Butt Regatta held on Saturday.

The boys-eight team came in a close second to Yorktown in the finals, while the boys freshman eight finally pulled it together on the Potomac for their first victory. The boys first four and boys second eight each won third place in their races. The girls team also found some success, as the girls first four and girls fourth/novice eight won first place in their respective races. The girls lightweight eight took second place home, while the girls lightweight four earned fourth. The McLean lady scullers won third in the girls double and took first in the girls quad races.

for fourth place overall, giving them a chance to host a district playoff game.

McLean High Boys Lacrosse

George C. Marshall Volleyball

After stumbling in the middle portion of the season, the Highlander lacrosse squad looks to put the pieces together heading into the playoffs.

After pulling out of a four-game losing streak against Marshall on their Senior Night, the Highlanders conquered Stone Bridge, winning 16-10.

Alex Russomanno tallied four goals and one assist night, while senior attack Steve Blumenthal added four of his own and junior attack Brad Mason added a hat trick. The win pulled their season record to 7-5-1 heading into the Liberty District Tournament and pulled the Highlanders into a three-way tie

George C. Marshall announced Chris Ann Becki as the new coach of their varsity volleyball squad on Wednesday, April 30. She is currently finishing her second club season with Virginia Elite Volleyball Club and spent two years with Washington-Lee High School in Arlington. Becki was recruited to play volleyball for Marymount University in Arlington.

Mason High JV Softball There was a lot to cheer about at George Mason High School on Friday, as the Mustangs JV softball team accom-

Rams, in just their first year ever fielding a girls varsity soccer team, was no match for the experienced Mustangs.

Scott, Miller and sophomore Kelley Frank each had two goals, while Scott added one assist. Chehata and Hamill shared the same stat line, each of whom had one goal and two assists on the night. Junior Kim Kenny rounded out the attack with one assist. In goal, Jekowsky and Jackson locked down what few opportunities the Ram forwards could muster, sharing the shutout.

On Friday, the Mustangs will take on Madison County at home, in what will serve as a tune-up for the showdown with Clarke on Monday. The Mountaineers are the only Bull Run team thus far to score a goal against Mason.

It seems to be a two-horse race in the Bull Run, as Mason (6-3-1 overall) and Clarke County (8-2) will square off next Monday in Berryville in a battle of the 5-0 district teams.

The rivals faced each other four times last year, with the Eagles taking every contest.

However, with the revamped offense, Parsons is excited about her team’s chances going into Monday’s contest.

plished what has not been achieved in the past eight seasons of softball, they beat Clarke County Eagles.

Mason trailed the Eagles by two runs early, but the Mustang bats caught fire in the second inning, scoring seven runs.

Pitcher Krista Kelly, struck out nine, including two batters to end the game.

Mason claimed the game thanks in part to some gritty defense, including a notable effort from Anna Horneman, who was hit with a bat in her catching hand but rose above the pain to make a critical out when she tracked down a wild pitch and was able to get it back to Kelly who made the tag at home. Sarah Langford (first base), Rachel Bell (centerfield), Priscilla Torres (shortstop) and Hannah Gann (third base) all made crucial plays in the field to nail down the win for Mason.

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May 1 - 7, 2008

Myles Cobb attacks a loose ball against Arlington last Saturday. The U11 Boys team won this game, 10-2 to remain in first place at 6-0 overall. (Photo: Courtesy Mark Johansen)

On Saturday, the Falls Church Youth Lacrosse League’s U11 Boys traveled to Wakefield High School and defeated a very physical Arlington team, 10 -2, to notch their sixth win, remaining undefeated. The offense was overwhelming behind four goals from Eriksen Johansen, three from Brandon Ward and one apiece from Jackson Cogar, Sean Fitzgerald and Jack Hennessey. The team showed excellent teamwork, as seven of the goals were off of assists, three from Johansen and one each from Myles Cobb, Jacob Litton, Fitzgerald and Hennessey.

The team controlled possession of the ball, led by four groundballs by Johansen, Cogar and Fitzgerald.

Also on Saturday, the U13 Boys traveled to Springfield and after spotting them three goals in the first quarter, stormed back to win 5-4.

Austin Nooter led the scoring with three goals followed

by Sean Cormany with two.

The defense stepped up to the challenge behind the cat-like quickness of goalie Keenan Glahn, who stopped numerous close shots. Getting control of the face-off was a problem in the first half, until John Glover took over in the second and won most of his

face-offs, which were critical to the team’s victory.

On Sunday, the U11 Girls traveled to Stafford and won 9-3 to improve their record to 3-2. In the first half, Stafford controlled the ball and took a 3-2 lead, although Falls Church had several shots that came close to scoring.

Falls Church stormed back in the second half and won the game 9-3. Rae Mondragon led the second-half defense, while goaltenders Maria Torregrosa and Caroline Duffett made some quality saves. Tia Dahl led the scoring with three goals. Also scoring were Samie Boryan, Claire Saunders, Claire Tourkin, Maddie Hof and Caroline Kerrigan.

Also on Sunday, the U13 Girls traveled to Prince William, and while they lost 15-4, they showed great improvement in the second half. Brooke Strong and Haley Zullo performed well in goal in the defeat.

This weekend, the U11 Boys will face their toughest competition as they travel to Fort Hunt to play the other undefeated team in their division. The U13 Boys have two away games at Springfield and then Prince William. The U13 Girls travel to Alexandria, while the U11 Girls will host Alexandria at George Mason High School’s Moore Cadillac Stadium.

The Mason boys lacrosse team has put the sting of a midseason loss to Broad Run behind them, as they continued building on their incredible season with another win on Thursday, bringing their season record to an outstanding 10-1.

The Mustangs welcomed the visiting Freedom High School last Thursday, unleashing an offensive salvo during a 17-5 romp. The offense, led by sophomore Mike Duning and junior Josh Brew, built up a huge lead early in the game after surrendering the first goal of the game.

Senior goalie Ewan Oglethorpe and junior goalie Tim Koning both played well in the net, shutting down whatever the Mustang defense couldn’t contain. Seniors Sean Mondragon and Russell Intermaggio, along with sophomore Ben Stewart, caused a number of defensive turnovers, allowing for easy shot opportunities for the Mustangs.

The Mustangs were scheduled to play Loudoun County High School on Monday night in a district matchup, but poor weather postponed the game to Saturday, May 3 at 3 p.m. The Mason boys next take on Briar Woods at home Thursday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m.

fashion, 13-7. Freshman sensation Abby Johansen, sophomore Courtney Ready and junior Sally Blakemore, all midfielders, blasted Freedom with quick scores to open an early lead, which the Mason defense maintained throughout the first half.

Entering the second half, the Lady Mustangs led 5-2, a lead they wouldn’t relinquish for the rest of the game. Johansen, Ready, Blakemore and sophomore Christina Perez each added goals in the second half. Senior goalie Emily Perry locked down the net, contributing 14 saves on the night. Ready’s impact wasn’t just felt on the back of the Freedom goal — she also helped the Mustang cause by getting the most groundballs in the game.

On Monday, the Mason girls came back to their home field to celebrate Senior Night

against district rival Loudoun County. Seniors Allie Atkeson and Hannah Baumgardner — who are both headed to Mary Washington in the fall — and Emily Perry — who will attend Oberlin in the fall — were honored. In a rematch from earlier this year, where the Mustangs lost 10-5 to Loudoun County, the Mason girls played remarkably improved defense throughout the game, especially in the first half. However, the Raiders started breaking through in the second half, as they ended up winning, 11-8. Ready had her second straight brilliant game, leading the team with four goals, while sophomore Gwen Edwards scored three and Atkeson and Johansen each added one.

The Mustangs next face Briar Woods Thursday, May 1 at 7:15 p.m. at home.

Mason Girls Lacrosse Splits 2 Games The Lady Mustangs started the week at .500 and ended the week similarly, after splitting their two games to Freedom High School on Thursday and Loudoun County High School on Monday.

Last Thursday, the Mason girls traveled to Freedom for their fifth district game of the season, winning in convincing

The Mason High varsity baseball team scraped out a pivotal win over district opponent Rappahannock on Wednesday, April 23, the first of two Bull Run District wins that week.

Mason sophomore Brian Lubnow went the full seven innings, striking out five and allowing just five hits to earn the shutout. It was Lubnow’s second victory of the season.

For all of Lubnow’s prowess on the pitcher’s mound, it looked like his teammates may hang him out to dry. The

MASON HIGH FRESHMAN defender Lexi Dahl guards an attacker during the Mustangs’ win over Freedom last Thursday.

(Photo: Courtesy Jane Johansen)

Mustangs failed to push any runners across until the sixth inning, when Evans Mandes plated Lonnie Millard. Lubnow then helped himself out, driving in Alex Prewitt. The two runs were all Lubnow needed.

There were no such offensive shortcomings on Friday, April 25, when the Mustangs exploded for 14 runs against Clarke County. The damage could have been even worse had the game not been called on account of darkness, making the 14-5 score final.

Prewitt led the Mustangs with a perfect day at the plate, going 4-for-4. Mason blew out to an 11-0 lead after three

innings and never looked back.

The lone shortfall for the week was a 7-4 loss to Potomac School on Saturday. Potomac rallied from a 4-3 deficit in the sixth inning to slip past Mason, who left the bases loaded to end the game.

Millard paced the Mustangs at the plate with a 3-for-4 afternoon.

Tuesday’s road game against Manassas Park was rained out and rescheduled for May 7.

The Mustangs take the field Friday at home against Madison County for a 5 p.m. game, then welcome Strasburg on Tuesday, May 5 at the same time.

May 1 - 7, 2008

A Express vs. Mudcats — The Express played exceptionally well as they shut out the Mudcats 8-0.

The offense was led by Armando Marquez, who hit a solid double while going 3-for-3 with an RBI, and Jacob Lusk, who also banged out three hits on three trips to the plate with an RBI. Also contributing were Cooper McGuire, Coleman Blakeley, Patrick Lenihan and Aaron Klein, each going 2-for-2 on the day.

The standout performance on defense came from Kevin Gaston, who contributed to five defensive outs — three of which were unassisted. The Mudcat bats were led by Claire Joseph (2-for-2), along with Jay Nesson, Katherine Striker and James Gogal, each of whom had hits.

Raptors vs. Muck Dogs — For the third time in as many games, the Raptors squeaked by with a one-run victory when they edged the Muck Dogs, 1211, on April 26. The Muck Dogs led for the first two-and-half innings, but after the Raptors’ C.T. Dodge fielded all three outs in the third, the Raptors’ bats came alive, led by sluggers Peter McComb and Alexander Savinski. However, the Muck Dogs matched the Raptors run for run, and the game was tied 11-11 in the bottom of the fifth when Nick Haddock blasted home the winning run.

Raptors vs. Bees — Led

by Ethan Crawford and Joey

Page 25

Handley, the Bees scored 10 unanswered runs against the napping Raptors on April 23.

However, the Raptors woke up in time to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth and bring home the winning run in the fifth. The Raptors’ comeback was led by the swinging bats of Quinn Lipetz and brothers Khavren and Dylan Hoyer.

AA Sand Gnats vs. Rockhounds — The Sand Gnats beat the Rockhounds, 10-6, on Saturday, April 26, at Jefferson Village Park. Rockhound Jack Goggin struck out three and got two key hits, including a triple.

Peter Byman also struck out three and got a single. Louis Klarfeld got two key hits for the Rockhounds. For the Sand Gnats, Sam Whitaker struck out four and got a key single. Carter May struck out two and got two hits. Garrett Gibson got two hits, including an RBI double, and Raphael Laurito got a key hit and scored twice.

Storm vs. River Dogs — In a closely fought contest on April 26, the Storm held the River Dogs scoreless in the last inning to hold on to a 6-5 lead in a tough early season rematch, having lost to the River Dogs the first time they met. Noah Galvin had an excellent pitching game, with four strikeouts and an infield pop-up snag in the first and second innings. Rapid fire singles by Tommy Ritter, Anthony

Cantanio, David Gartner and Lucas Hertzog combined with steady team running production led a strong five-run third inning. The River Dogs’ three up/three down pitching by Nick Lillis in the bottom of the fifth challenged the Storm’s resolve, but first baseman Tommy Ritter fielded two outs in a row to end the top of the fifth, setting up for the sixth inning shut-down that clinched the game.

AAA Mets vs. Cardinals — An unassisted double play by Jonathon Hoyns of the Mets was the highlight of this game on April 26, helping to give the Mets a 14-10 win. The double play was early in the game.

Hoyns, playing at first, caught a pop fly and tagged the first base runner for the dramatic play.

Other highlights included a number of exciting plays from both teams. The Cards started the action with two breathtaking catches in a row. Logan Nesson snagged a high pop to second base and Matthew Livingston repeated the feat at shortstop.

Hoyns’ double-play in the second helped slow the Card’s early lead. A string of Mets hits in the third inning by Sam Madison, Nathaniel Scheinman, Harry Slonim, Nicholas Armour and Johnny Peterson put the Mets ahead by two runs. Despite some great hits by the Cards and excellent defense, including an impressive catch deep in centerfield by Thomas Betto, the Cards were unable to regain their early lead.

Majors Cubs vs. Red Sox — The April 21 late night game at Westgate Park proved to be worth staying for, as the Cubs’ Ryan Leonard singled up the middle to score Jacob Eye from third base for the game-wining run in the bottom of the

Stuart Tennis Continued from Page 22

Daniel Donovan, 12, a member of the Falls Church Kiwanis Little League, walks with Washington Nationals Coach Tim Tolman to turn in the lineup card at the start of last Saturday’s game against the Cubs. Donovan, who coincidentally plays Little League for the Nationals, was selected for the honor as part of a promotion through the big league team’s fan club. (Photo: Courtesy Steve Selby)

the Stuart ladder, and professional tennis prospect sophomore Justin Shane. Shane, the Raiders’ No. 1 singles player, is currently ranked No. 2 in the 16 and under division for the Mid-Atlantic region, and is No. 34 nationally for that same age group.

“He pretty much kills anyone he plays,” Hills said of his top player. “It’s almost not fair.

His technique is almost perfect and he never looks like he’s struggling, never looks like he’s frustrated. He’s just one

sixth inning and an 8-7 Cubs victory. Wesley Coupard, after singling, scored the game-tying run, aided by singles by Eye and Daniel Anderson. The Red Sox never quit, moving ahead of the Cubs twice during the game with timely hitting from outfielder Beau Butts, pitcher Richard Marsh, first baseman Lucas Cherry and catcher Sam Selby, who closed the evening with two doubles and a triple.

The game was close early as the Red Sox’ Marsh used five strikeouts to silence the Cubs’ bats, until key hits by Ben Torpey and David McAllister got them on the board. The Cubs’ pitchers threw well also, as Leonard finished with nine strikeouts and Daniel Schlitt closed with four over two innings. Both pitchers were bolstered by a great job behind the plate from Cubs catcher Vincent Kanyan.

Yankees vs. Nationals — The Yankees took a close pitch-

ing contest over the Nationals on Saturday, April 26, 4-3.

The Nationals struck the first blow in the top of the first, posting two runs when Ethan Anderson notched one of only two Nationals’ hits on the day.

Yankees’ hurler JP DeFranco settled down to hold the Nats close and struck out seven over the first four innings. The Nats added a run in the top of the fourth.

The Yankees were quiet until their half of that inning, leveraging a couple of walks with singles from Paul Abbraciameto and Jon Strader to score three and tie the game. The Yankees added the go-ahead run in the fifth on a single by Anthony Wagner and a double by DeFranco. The Nationals made things exciting in the top of the sixth, facing relief pitcher Strader. They loaded the bases before DeFranco, who had moved to centerfield, snagged Andrew Williamson’s deep line drive for the final out.

of those kids that woke up with the tennis gene.”

Hills stresses that his squad’s success has not entirely centered around Shane, though that much is obvious from the roundly lopsided match results. The rest of the team is comprised of Daniel Santos (No. 2), Dee Jay Bletso (No. 4), Soham Banerjee (No. 5), Deniz Babaoglu (No. 6) and doubles specialist Chris Goslin. Hills believes that he will need significant contributions from all of them if his team is to match up with Fairfax and prevail.

The Raiders still have to navigate the rest of their schedule before reaching the region-

als, however. Stuart continued its push Wednesday against Edison. Results were not available at press time.

The Raiders close out their regular season Thursday, May 1, on the road against Washington-Lee. On Tuesday, April 29, the team faced down Wakefield and again claimed a flawless 90 victory, though the match had some tense individual matches, including at No. 3 doubles.

Bletso and Goslin would need a tie-breaker to defeat their opponents, 9-8 (7-5).

It may be ironic, but perhaps that close call will help Hills rest a little easier regarding the Raiders’ post-season chances.

Page 26

Young Writers Excel in DuPont Essay Contest Local high school-aged writers competed and succeeded recently in the DuPont Essay Contest. Emily Goldfein, a freshman at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST), has been named a finalist in the junior division for her essay, “The Sea Cucumber: The Key to Human Limb and Organ Regeneration.”

Goldfein wasn’t the only one to shine. Receiving honorable mentions for the junior division were Brent Baumgartner and Kyungwoo Chae of Liberty Middle School. Winning honorable mentions in the senior division were Joe Dolan and Kelly Snow of West Springfield High School, and Elena Roeva of TJHSST. More than 11,000 entries were received for the DuPont Essay Challenge for 2008.

Big Wins at State Science & Engineering Fair Sappho Gilbert, a student at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST), was awarded Best of Fair in the 2008 Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair. Gilbert’s entry, “Survivin: Anti-Apoptotic Prognostic Tool in ESFT,” also won first place in the Medicine and Health Sciences category.

Also from TJHSST, Varun Bansal took first place in Environmental Sciences for “Atomic absorption spectrometric analysis of arsenic contamination in Microstegium vimineum from the Potomac River (U.S.) and the Gomti River (India).”

Wins for TJHSST didn’t end there. Joy Lee and Sumit Malik continued to represent for the science and tech school, winning first place in the Team Category for “Optimization of Sustained Power Generation in Marine Sediment Microbial Photovoltaic Cells.”

Westfield also made a splash.

Zoe Tippi of Westfield High School took home first place in Animal Sciences for her “Geographical Location Effects on Tyto alba Pellets” presentation. Tippi’s Westfield High peer Anthony Mehalic won first place in Behavioral and Social Sciences for “Formulae of Formulation.”

Only one student placed first in Environmental Management from Hayfield Secondary School, making Samantha Dodbele the star for her work on

May 1 - 7, 2008

“The Microbial Bioconversion of Soy Isoflavone through Varying Strains of Saprophytic Bacteria.”

‘Angels’ Take Marshall Stage “City of Angels” will be performed by the Marshall High School theater department on May 1, 2, and 3 at 7:30 p.m., and on May 4 at 3 p.m. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and Best Score, the story follows a screenwriter as he attempts to write a screenplay about a private detective. As he writes, the scenes come alive in black and white, accompanied by jazz and swing music. Tickets can be purchased in advance at www.theatreatmarshall.org or at the door.

Nursery Rhymes Alive at Hayfield

Come

The musical fairytale comedy “Lemonade” will be performed by first grade students at Hayfield Elementary School on Friday, May 2, at 1:45 p.m. “Chicken Little,” the “Three Little Pigs,” “Humpty Dumpty,” the “Cat with a fiddle,” “Little Bo Peep,” “Little Boy Blue,” and a host of other characters are having a bad day. With the help of cheerful Mother Goose, they learn how to make the best out of life’s ups and downs.

June will recognize Kilmer Middle School, alongside 59 other schools, for its exemplary commitment to their comprehensive school counseling program. Kilmer will be given the Recognized American School Counselor Association Model Program honor. The school was commended for its efforts to serve all students and for demonstrating how effective school counseling programs can make a difference in students’ lives.

Young Poet Takes the State

STUDENTS FROM OAKCREST School in McLean pose for a photo after successfully completing a Math-A-Thon benefiting St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. The students complete problems in special workbooks provided by Six Flags Theme Parks. Six Flags provides free passes to students who raise $40 or more for the charity. (Photo: Courtesy Christine White)

Wolftrap Elementary School student Cia Markrigiorgos is already making her mark in the literary world with her poetry.

Markrigiorgos won the state competition for poetry in her age group in the 13th annual River of Words Environmental Poetry and Art Contest, sponsored by the Library of Congress Center for the Book.

The contest is a naturebased science, art and poetry program created to promote watershed awareness, literacy and the arts.

signed a Partners in Education agreement. Students from Hospitality Management, Culinary Arts, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration, and Landscape Design and Turf Management took a behindthe-scenes tour of the club’s facilities after the partnership was formalized.

Students from Edison Academy’s career and technical education programs will be job shadowing and interning with staff members at the country club as part of the partnership agreement.

Edison and Belle Haven Team Up

‘Smart Kids’ Play it Safe at Mount Vernon

Edison Academy and Belle Haven Country Club have

The Smart Kids-Safe Choices program came to

Mount Vernon Woods Elementary School last Saturday. The program aimed to help students in grades 4-6 learn skills to avoid gang activity, peacefully resolve conflicts, and become aware of the consequences of their choices while encouraging them to get involved in special interest hobbies and other healthy activities.

Included in the workshop was a presentation by the Fairfax County Police Department on avoiding gangs, preventing bullying and cyber bullying, building skills and promoting self-discipline and self-confidence, and they held a mock court on teens and the law. Parents were also able to attend the workshop with their children.

Gates Family Sees Potential in HS Student Local minority students have been honored by a foundation sponsored by one of America’s richest families.

Annandale High School senior Rahiba Noor has been named a Gates Millennium Scholar through a program sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

This foundation promotes academic excellence and provides an opportunity for outstanding minority students with significant financial need to reach their highest potential. Noor is among 1,000 students in the country to receive the award.

Winners are chosen based on leadership, community service and academic achievements.

Another Annandale senior, Daniel Kwon, was recognized as a Gates Millennium Scholar finalist.

Kilmer Has Winning Counseling Program An annual conference in late

Runners Left the starting line at the sound of the gun for the fourth annual Vienna Elementary 5K Race and 1 mile Fun Run/Walk last Sunday, April 27. The race’s goal every year is to motivate students and their families to adhere to a healthy lifestyle and improve their overall level of fitness. Proceeds fund activities and improvements for Vienna Elementary School. (Photo: Richard Larkin)

May 1 - 7, 2008

On the heels of celebration, just following her 16th birthday on August 11, 2003, Gwynora “Nora” Hemphill was diagnosed with liver cancer. Despite her trials with chemotherapy, multiple surgeries and the weight and hair loss that came with the cancer treatments, Hemphill, a student at George Mason High School at the time, impressively retained a positive attitude. Instead of focusing on herself and falling victim to pity, Hemphill turned her concentration outward to her community, helping others in need until she passed away in May of 2006.

To honor Hemphill and remember her devotion to helping others, the idea of Nora’s Garden was born. And now the Senior Courtyard at George Mason High School will become the home of a beautiful patch of flora. The purpose of Nora’s Garden is to create

Page 27

“a place to laugh, dream and hope.”

The non-profit organization Nora’s Garden, Inc. hopes to “provide a perennially beautiful spot, available to every student.” The association was established for the construction and continued maintenance of Nora’s Garden, enabling it to be a place of growth and a harbor for students now and in the future.

Many individuals contributed to the garden project in unique ways, such as The Board of Directors for Nora’s Garden — Mason High Principal Bob Snee, Bob Nissen, the Maintenance Supervisor at George Mason High School, longtime City of Falls Church residents Susan Maynard and Katie Emmons, as well as retired English teacher and former Senior Class Advisor for 2005, Michael Hoover, one of Nora’s former instructors.

Also playing an important role is Dana Cazan, who’s from the student body at George

Mason. Cazan is the Senior Class Liaison and Editor of Lasso Online, covering stories of student volunteers donating their time to work in the garden and reporting monetary pledges. Hemphill’s father, Tom Hemphill contributed as well by designing the garden’s stone patio, bench and fountain pedestal.

A planting day will be held at the garden on May 10 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. with the official dedication ceremony tentatively scheduled for June 1,

at 4 p.m.

The effort and outreach of those involved was epitomized

by Nora’s life. Just over a year after being diagnosed with cancer, Hemphill organized a fundraiser to benefit the Leukemia Lymphoma Society in September of 2004, successfully raising $4,700. With this money, she sponsored fouryear-old Leah Holdcraft, supporting the child in her own fight with the disease and participating in the annual Light the Night Walk, which raised

money for cancer research and aid.

Just as the garden thrives, so does little Leah Holdcraft.

Leah received a bone marrow transplant three months before her fourth birthday and is now a precocious eight-yearold. Leah’s mother, Carrie Holdcraft, will always remember Hemphill and her involvement with her daughter and the Light the Night Walk team.

“Nora was a very special girl and we were so blessed in the short time we knew her,” says

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May 1 - 7, 2008

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The acclaimed drama department at Marshall High School in Falls Church rolls out its latest musical comedy production, “City of Angels,” beginning tonight, May 1, at 7:30 p.m. Performances will also be Friday and Saturday night and Sunday at 2 p.m. at the school’s auditorium at 7731 Leesburg Pike.

Directed by Marshall’s Valerie Karasek, “City of Angels” is an intricate and funny story that follows screenwriter Stine as he attempts to write and peddle a screenplay about his “tough guy” private detective character Stone. As Stine writes, his scenes come alive in black and white, looking like an old 1940s film. The theatre magic shows the contrasting change from real life in color to the movie world of black and white, creating alternate realities, utilizing lighting effects on numerous 12foot screens add to the intense excitement behind the scene changes in and out of the real and movie world.

“City of Angels” won Best Musical and Best Score Tony

May 1 - 7, 2008

Awards. It was composed by the Cy Coleman, the venerable Broadway composer who also wrote “Sweet Charity.” His “City of Angels” songs embody the pure essence of the jazz sound. In the Marshall production this weekend, trombones and trumpets from the orches-

tra capture the elements of the sultry jazz numbers and high spirited six-part harmony swing tunes.

Key performers include Aeneas Hemphill as Stone, Kiran Kestenbaum as Alaura, Mina Noorbakhsh as Gabby, Ben Witman as Stine, Ellen Chapin as Donna, as well as Oria Conway and Robin Crigler.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for seniors and older adults. Tickets can be purchased at www.theatreatmarshall.org.

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Page 32

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, pastor for 36 years of a Southside Chicago church that grew from 87 members in 1972 to 8,000 under his leadership, spoke to a sold-out audience at the National Press Club Monday morning, receiving three thundering standing ovations while seeking to establish a context for the series of controversial video snippets from his sermons that have drawn national attention this spring.

The former pastor to presidential candidate Barack Obama outlined three features of what he called “black liberation theology” that grew out of hundreds of years of an on-going Christian religious tradition carried on by Afro-Americans living under conditions of brutal slavery, repression and discrimination.

He called it “the prophetic tradition of the black church.”

Saying he felt the repeated use of the “sound bites” taken out of context constituted an attack on the tradition of the black church more than on him, personally, justifying his need for a clarification.

He elaborated on the three themes of liberation, transformation and reconciliation, issuing from the 61st chapter of the Old Testament book of Isaiah, where the prophet wrote that he’d been anointed “to preach good tidings unto the meek…to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.” It is the same text that the Gospel of Luke reported was the inaugural message of Jesus’ ministry.

This “prophetic” theology, he said, “was done from the underside…not from the top down or from a set of teachings that undergirded imperialism.” Instead, it was “from

May 1 - 7, 2008

the bottom up, the thoughts and understandings of God, the faith, religion and the Bible from those whose lives were ground under, mangled and destroyed by the ruling classes or the oppressors…It started from the vantage point of the oppressed.”

Wright added that, “In biblical history, there’s not one word in the Bible, between Genesis and Revelation, that was not written under one of six different kinds of oppression: Egyptian oppression, Assyrian oppression, Persian oppression, Greek oppression, Roman oppression, Babylonian oppression.”

He stressed this theology was preached in black churches in the days of chattel slavery “to set free those who were held in bondage, spiritually, psychologically and sometimes physically,” but he added its theme of liberation also sought to set slaveholders free “from the notion they could define other human beings or confine a soul set free by the power of the gospel…to set free misguided and miseducated Americans from the notion that they were actually superior to other Americans based on the color of their skin.”

This prophetic preaching today, he said, seeks “to set African-Americans and all other Americans free from the misconceived notion that different means deficient.”

In addition to a theology of liberation, it is also a theology of transformation, he said. “Do not try to understand the content of the passage (of Isaiah 61) in the context of a sound bite,” he stated, “What you see is God’s desire for a radical change in a social order that’s gone sour.”

“God’s desire is for positive change, transformation; real change, not cosmetic change, transformation…change that makes a permanent differ-

REV. JEREMIAH WRIGHT At National Press Club ence, transformation…changed lives, changed minds, changed laws, changed social order and changed hearts in a changed world,” he expounded. “This principle of transformation is at the heart of the prophetic theology of the black church.”

This prophetic theology, he added, “is ultimately a theology of reconciliation.”

“God does not desire for us, as children of God, to be at war with each other, to see each other as superior or inferior, to hate each other, abuse each other, misuse each other, define each other or put each other down,” he said. “The black church’s role in the fight for equality and justice from the 1700s up until 2008 has always had as its core the non-negotiable doctrine of reconciliation, children of God repenting for past sins against each other.”

“Reconciliation means we embrace our individual rich histories, all of them. We retain who we are, as persons of different cultures, while acknowledging that those of other cultures are not superior or inferior to us; they are just different from us. We root out any teaching of superiority, inferiority, hatred or prejudice,” he concluded.

“We recognize for the first

time in modern history, in the West, that the other who stands before us with a different color of skin, a different texture of hair, different music, different preaching styles and different dance moves; that other is one of God’s children just as we are, no better, no worse, prone to error and in need of forgiveness just as we are.”

During the question period, the Rev. Wright responded to concerns for the content of the widely-aired video snippets.

He said the comment following 9/11 about “chickens coming home to roost” was a quote from the ambassador from Iraq, adding that the Bible also says, in effect, “You cannot do terrorism on other people and expect it never to come back to you.”

About being patriotic, he said, “I served six years in the military. Does that make me patriotic? How many years did Cheney serve?”

On his comments about Louis Farrakhan, he said the new clips came from 20 years ago, when Farrakhan criticized Zionism, not Judaism. “He was talking about the same thing United Nations resolutions say…that President Carter’s being vilified for and Bishop Tutu’s being vilified for.”

He said that he and Farrakhan “don’t agree on everything,” but said that he can’t be ignored.

How many people “can get a million people together on the Mall?,” he asked. “When Louis Farrakhan speaks, it’s like E.F. Hutton speaks. All black America listens. Whether they agree with him or not, they listen.”

Asked whether he felt “that America is still condemned in the eyes of God,” he said: “God doesn’t bless everything.

God condemns some things.

And d-e-m-n, demn, is where we get the word, ‘damn.’ God damns some practices. There is no excuse for the things

that the government, not the American people, have done.

That doesn’t make me not like America, or unpatriotic.”

Asked about a sound bite where he spoke of the government’s culpability in the invention of the HIV virus as a means of genocide against people of color, he replied that he was reporting to his congregation about the contents of the books, “Emerging Viruses, AIDS and Ebola,” and “Medical Apartheid.”

He then added that Saddam Hussein got most of the biological weapons he once had from the U.S. “Any time a government can put together biological warfare to kill people and then get angry when those people use what we sold them, yes, I believe we are capable.”

Asked if he thinks “God loves the white racist in the same way he loves the oppressed black American,” Rev. Wright quoted John 3:16 from the Bible. “For God loved the whole world – world is white, black, Iraqi, Darfurian, Sudanese, Zulu, Kosha. God loves all of God’s children, because all of God’s children are make in God’s image.

Asked if he thinks Islam is “a way to salvation,” he replied, “Jesus also said, ‘Other sheep have I who are not of this fold.’”

He cited the diversity in his own church membership, and the role of the 1.2 million-member United Church of Christ, the denomination he and his church are affiliated with, and its long history of struggles against slavery and in founding hundreds of educational institutions for freed slaves, including Howard University in Washington, D.C. That denomination’s membership is overwhelmingly Caucasian, and always has been even in its greatest struggles to free slaves and fight for racial equality.

May 1 - 7, 2008

D

an Reilly’s memorable first “set of wheels” was not a car. In 1974, in Brooklyn, NY, he custom made his own skateboard out of roller skate wheels and a 2x4 piece of plywood. At the age of 12, this was just the beginning of a ride that would lead to his life long interest in skateboarding and eventually to his self declared title, “Skateboard Historian.”

“Before commercial ones, kids would make their own skateboards by sawing a skate in half,” says Reilly. “You would go to the top of a hill and let it take you down — slow and bumpy,” he laughs.

A year after building his own skateboard, Reilly saw his first issue of Skateboarder magazine and was “hooked.”

“I saved my allowance from all of my chores, piece by piece, until I got the skateboard I wanted,” he adds, noting that his opinion changed over time about the premier skateboard.

He altered his board to suit his tastes, always saving his own money and remodeling it himself.

It was tough to get new wheels and boards coming from a working class family. He saved money he earned shoveling snow, and doing “tough chores” which would bring in $5. It took time to earn the best board, but then it was even more treasured.

“If I had to save six weeks’ allowance to get a certain set of wheels, they were beautiful and precious,” he reminisces. “They looked like jewels.”

The passion, obvious in nostalgic memories like that one, has

Page 33

never abated for the 46-year-old Arlington resident and former school teacher. Today, Reilly maintains his self-appointed status as a “skateboard historian” by sharing the sport’s past with others. He will hold a free skateboard seminar, open to the public, on Saturday, May 3, at 2 p.m. at Powhatan Skateboard Park in Arlington.

Reilly can trace skateboarding from its roots in the 1950s, when California surfers created the skateboard just as Reilly did, with roller skates and pieces of collected boards. They skated when the surf wasn’t right, or after surfing, since skateboarding was the best way to recreate the feeling of riding a wave.

In the 1960s, companies such as Makaha and Hobie started to mass produce boards, and the first skateboard contest was held in Hermosa Beach, Calif. in 1963. But just as the sports momentum began to build, injuries forced it to a halt in 1965.

“No one wore safety equipment,” says Reilly. “Boys will be boys, and there were broken bones.”

Skateboarding was outlawed in many areas, and declared unsafe. Boards were shelved and didn’t reappear until the 1970s with improvements.

In 1972, a soft wheel was introduced and by 1973 this urethane wheel, made by Cadillac and widely used in roller rinks

at the time, was mass distributed. Tricks were done on flat ground and empty concrete swimming pools became popular skate parks.

“Surfboard companies advertised skateboards in Surfer magazine,” Reilly notes. This boosted popularity, as did Skateboarder magazine, which Reilly personally collected for years. He made notes in the margins as he compiled his “wish list” of boards and parts.

He still has the old magazines, with notes, today.

As the technology improved, Reilly’s list evolved with it.

Faster boards appeared in 1975, resulting from sealed bearings

packed in grease, made by Road Rider. In 1976, Kryptonics created the resilient wheel. In 1977, more than 30 companies were producing skateboards with wider “trucks,” the part that holds the wheels, and better steering mechanisms.

By the end of the decade, big contests were being held, Skateboarder magazine was bursting with ads and companies were fueled by the money they were making. The first two skateboard parks appeared, one in Carlsbad, Calif., and one in Tomoka Moon Forest, Fla.

With the increasing popularity of the sport and the improving technology, some elements, such as tricks, began to evolve. “[For a while] the coolest thing you could do was called ‘hanging 3’,” smiles Reilly.

“You would hang three wheels over the top edge of the pool.”

Reilly noted that the move took a lot of practice, as did learning how to ride up the wall of the pool, but soon those tricks were left in the dust.

“Out in California, the ‘ariel’ was invented,” Reilly recounts.

“You would get enough speed to pop out of the edge of the pool into the air and time it so you would go back on the board.

This was done by the professionals in the magazines — none of my friends could do it.” However, he noted with surprise that he saw a kid perform an ariel the other day at Arlington’s P o w h a t a n Skateboard Park.

The 1980s, saw the skateboarding industry screech to a halt with the age of lawsuits, closing all skateboard parks.

New street skating started. The wholesome surfer look turned negative and the image was replaced by that of city kids skating on park benches and the steps and railings of government buildings. There were rarely any helmets worn.

At the end of the 1980s, parks started to open again and helmets were being worn, fences posted “skate at your own risk” signs, in

addition to posting requirements for the use of helmets, elbow and knee pads. By the mid 1990s, street-style skating had made a comeback, and that has continued to the present day.

Reilly is happy that the sport is now popular again. In addition to being fun, skateboarding taught him valuable life lessons, such as how to save money to achieve goals, and how to be part of a team. He learned to work together with his skater friends collecting wood and building ramps, and although now he is more of a collector and historian than an actual skater, Reilly does occasionally do tricks for his 17-year-old son and his friends.

“Skateboarding taught me the laws of the jungle,” he explains, referring to the ways of the world.

Those social graces have served him well in his teaching career which took him throughout the globe from Rome to Saipan. After retiring from teaching, Reilly is pursuing a master’s in literacy at George Mason University. In his spare time, Reilly gives free educational programs on the history of skateboarding like the one scheduled for May 3. He plans to display his more than 50 skateboards and issues of Skateboarder magazine dating back to the 1960s.

His current hobby is searching eBay for old skateboards.

The first time he realized there were collector boards available, he again felt the thrill first found in his youth.

“Wow. One hundred boards popped up,” Reilly says of his first eBay search. “I was so happy — just like when I was a kid.”

Page 34

May 1 - 7, 2008

Send community event submissions to the News-Press by e-mail at calendar@fcnp.com; fax 703-532-3396; or by regular mail to 450 West Broad Street #321, Falls Church, VA 22046. Please include any photos or artwork with submissions. Deadline is Monday at noon for each week’s edition.

Community Events THURSDAY, MAY 1 Story Hour. Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. Mon. – Thurs. 10:30 a.m. 703-2485077 (TTY 711).

Northern Virginia Center Education Night. Learn about the business programs and graduate education offered at the University of Virginia.

Northern Virginia Center (7054 Haycock Rd., Falls Church).

Education program sessions begin at 5 p.m., business program sessions begin at 6 p.m. Free event and parking.

703-536-1105.

NARFE Meeting. Del. Bob Hull & Supervisor Penny Gross will report on the VA legislative session. Mason District Government Center (6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale).

Free. 10 a.m. 703-978-3812.

Rotary Club Dinner Meeting.

Dr. Robert Cosby of the D.C. Health Department will speak about healthcare challenges, specifically for the disabled.

Harvest Moon Restaurant (7260 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). $10. 6:30 p.m.

Visitors welcome. For more information, call 703-329-6839.

FRIDAY, MAY 2 Perspectivo: Unexpected Views about Nature Art Show.

Members of Falls Church Arts exhibit their interpretations of the world of nature in an entirely different way. Falls Church Art Gallery (111 Park Ave., Vienna). Free to public.

6-8 p.m. 703-534-4202.

information, call 703-288-9505.

Capital Hospice Memorial Plant Sale. Sale includes perennials, annuals, shrubs, trees and bulbs.

Halquist Memorial Impatient Center (4715 N. 15th St., Arlington). Free. 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

703-820-1311.

SUNDAY, MAY 4 Four-Minute Dating. Speed dating every Sunday night hosted by Professionals in the City. Stacy’s Coffee Parlor (709 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 7:30 p.m. 703-538-6266.

SATURDAY, MAY 3 Farmers’ Market in Falls Church.

Falls Church City Hall (300 Park Ave., Falls Church). 9 a.m.

– noon.

Home and Garden Tour.

Sponsored by the Falls Church Elementary PTA. Proceeds benefit outdoor classrooms in Mt. Vernon and Thomas Jefferson Elementary. Starts at Thomas Jefferson (601 S. Oak St., Falls Church) at noon, lasts until 4 p.m. $20 in advance, $25 day of. Tickets are available online at www.fallschurchpta. org/hgtour.

MOD Arts Gallery Fine Arts Sale.

Featuring the works of Michael Clark Fox, Eric Vanlaer and Diane Brunner. MOD Arts Gallery (201 Pennsylvania Ave., Falls Church).

10 a.m. - 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.modarts. org.

Mr. Brain the Clown. Children’s entertainment, featuring clown show, balloon figures and face painting. Palladium Civic Green Place (1445 Laughlin Ave., McLean). Free. 1-4 p.m. For more

TUESDAY, MAY 6 Falls Church Garden Club Talk. John Peter Thompson, Chairman of the Board,

&

Marc Maron. From “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and “The Late Show with David Letterman.”

The Improv (1140 Connecticut Ave. NW, D.C.). $15. 8:30 p.m. 202-3933939.

FRIDAY, MAY 2

U.S. Air Force Band Duo. Technical Sergeant Brett Edward Miller on French Horn, accompanied by pianist Eliza Ching, both from the United States Air Force Band.

Kennedy Center (2700 F St. NW, Washington, D.C.). Free. 6 p.m. 202-467-4600.

SATURDAY, MAY 3 21st Annual Evening of Comedy. Featuring Will Durst, Bob Somerby and Jan McInnis.

A night of stand-up comedy.

The Barns at Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd., Vienna). $22. Two shows at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

703-255-1900.

SUNDAY, MAY 4

Kennedy Center Spring Gala.

Kennedy Center Honorees Martin Scorcese and Steven Spielberg host a celebration of music on the big screen.

Kennedy Center (2700 F St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $20 $83. 8:30 p.m. 202-467-4600.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7 Open Mic Night. Sign up at the door. Stacy’s Coffee Parlor (709 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 703-538-6266.

THURSDAY, MAY 8 Story Hour. Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. Mon. – Thurs. 10:30 a.m. 703-2485077 (TTY 711).

Rotary Club Dinner Meeting. Dr. Charles Errico, Assistant Dean and history professor at George Mason University, speaks about the Roosevelt-Truman wartime presidency. Harvest Moon Restaurant (7260 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). $10. 6:30 p.m. Visitors welcome. For more information, call 703-3296839.

T

Theater Fine Arts THURSDAY, MAY 1

Behnke Nurseries, talks about “Revamping the Garden for Low Maintenance.” Falls Church Community Center (223 Little Falls St., Falls Church). 7:30 p.m. Free. 703-248-5077.

TUESDAY, MAY 6 Start to Finish Graduation Showcase. Hosted by Matt Kazam. Stand-up comedians show what they’ve learned after four weeks at the D.C. Improv Comedy School. The Improv (1140 Connecticut Ave. NW, D.C.). $10. Doors at 7 p.m., Showtime at 8 p.m. For more information, call 202393-3939.

THURSDAY, MAY 8

Al Madrigal. From “Comedy Central Presents” and CBS’s “Welcome to the Captain.” The Improv (1140 Connecticut Ave. NW, D.C.). $15. 8:30 p.m.

202-393-3939.

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The State Theatre 220 N. Washington St., F.C. Thursday, May 1, 7:30 p.m.

I

t was 11 years ago when three young boys belted out one of the cheeriest songs of the era. “Mmmbop!” swept the nation’s airwaves and putting a little pep in everyone’s step. Even the most jaundiced cynic couldn’t sincerely poopoo it. Well, since then those boys, the brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zack Hanson, have never rivaled that achievement from the standpoint of universal popularity. But they’ve held together, preferring the nurturing of support from uber-loyal young fans who’ve grown up with them to the usual trappings of celebrity and fame.

They’re now, and probably will be for a long time, seasoned and accomplished musicians performing original work.

Moreover, they’re raising money for the African relief, as they will when they lead fans in a walk around Falls Church from the State Theatre at 3 p.m. today. Join them if you can.

May 1 - 7, 2008

Page 35

live_music&nightlife THURSDAY, MAY 1 L��� J���. Sign of the Whale (7279 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). For more information, call 703-5731616.

H�����. With Steven Kellogg & The Sixers and Kate Voegle. Indie/Rock/Pop. The State Theatre (220 N. Washington St., Falls Church). $33 advance, $35 day of. Doors 7 p.m., Showtime 8:30 p.m. For more information, call 703-573-1616.

D���� W���. With Sandra McCracken. Acoustic Folk/Rock.

Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 in advance, $18 at door. 7:30 p.m. For more information, call 703-255-1566.

J��� M�C�������. Folk. The Barns at Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd., Vienna). $18. 8 p.m. For more information, call 703-255-1900.

FRIDAY, MAY 2 N����� F�������. With Jessie Baylin. Rock/Alternative/Acoustic. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10. 8 p.m. For more information, call 703-255-1566.

T�� E������� B�� ��� J���� B���.

With Bob Hume, Stanley Raby, Dennis Hash and Steve Shartel.

Classic Rock. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls

Church). 9 p.m. No cover. For more information, call 703-2419504.

information, call 703-534-0095.

D�� H���� ��� ��� H�� L����.

Folk Jazz. The Barns at Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd., Vienna). $22. 8 p.m. For more information, call 703-255-1900.

S���� �� ��� L��. With Christopher Willits and Hammock. Classical/Minimalist. IOTA Club & Cafe (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $14. 8:30 p.m. For more information, call 703-522-8430.

MONDAY, MAY 5

SATURDAY, MAY 3 L�������. AC/DC Tribute Band. The State Theater (220 N. Washington St., Falls Church). $10. Doors open 7 p.m., Showtime 9 p.m.

For more information, call 703573-1616.

B��� B��� V����. Blues. Bangkok Blues (926 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 7 - 9:30 p.m. For more information, call 703-534-0095.

B���� B���� � B���� ��� B�������. Progressive Rock. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15. 6 p.m. For more information, call 703-255-1566.

SUNDAY, MAY 4 M��� O����. From The Jayhawks.

Americana. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $14. 8:30 p.m. For more information, call 703-255-1566.

B���� J��. With Jeff Carmella.

Bangkok Blues (926 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 7 p.m. For more

T�� D���-E�� D������� � T�� JV A������� � B��� ��� B�������. Rock. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10. 7:30 p.m. For more information, call 703-255-1566.

M������ R��� V�. T�� S����� S����. Rock. IOTA Club & Cafe (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $14. 8:30 p.m. For more information, call 703-522-8430.

TUESDAY, MAY 6 I�������. Classic Rock. Bangkok Blues (926 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 7:30-11 p.m. For more information, call 703-534-0095.

J��������� S��� CD R������. For “Streams of Consciousness.”

Acoustic/Folk. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10. 8 p.m. For more information, call 703-255-1566.

Rock. The State Theater (220 N. Washington St., Falls Church). $22. Doors open 7 p.m., Showtime 8:30 p.m. For more information, call 703-573-1616.

K��� C��� (F������� G����� S����). Bangkok Blues (926 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 7:30 - 11 p.m. For more information, call 703-534-0095.

A�����������. A unique blend of heavy metal and cellos. 9:30 Club (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $15. 7:30 p.m. For more information, call 202-265-0930.

THURSDAY, MAY 8 L��� J���. Sign of the Whale (7279 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). For more information, call 703-5731616.

W���� J������. With special guest Brooks Williams. Rockabilly/Rock/Country. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 in advance, $18 at the door. 7:30 p.m. For more information, call 703-255-1566.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7 O�������. Latin/World/Spanish

P������� A����...

It just doesn’t get any better than a good ol’ dose of Virginia history. Especially when that history is surrounded by bottles and bottles of booze. This Saturday and Sunday, James Madison’s historic Montpelier residence will host the annual Montpelier Wine Festival, showcasing wines from Virginia’s finest vineyards. Twenty wineries in all will be offering up samples, and for the foodies, a series of demonstrations will school you on cooking with wine techniques. While you’re knockin’ back the sauce, don’t forget you’re there for history too. With a Revolutionary War encampment, horse and carriage rides, tours of the mansion, hot air balloon, oxen and barrel train rides, history buffs and kids will find it just as intoxicating.

What: Montpelier Wine Festival When: Sat-Sun, May 3-4, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. (5 p.m. on Sun) Where: James Madison’s Montpelier, 11407 Constitution Highway, Montpelier Station, VA 22957 Tickets: $14 in advance ($20 at door). Ages 13-20 are $5 See www.montpelierwinefestival for more info

Saturday, May 10 — Aladdin’s Lamp Celebrates Mother’s Day. Stories include “Mama’s Little Duckling” by Marjorie Blain and “Mommy Do You Love Me?” by Jeanne Willis. Ages 2 1/2 - 6.

Aladdin’s Lamp (2499 N. Harrison St., Arlington). Free to public. 11 a.m. 703-241-8281.

Saturday, May 17 — Civil War Day. A living-history event depicting the Falls Church homefront during the Civil War. Cherry Hill Park (312 Park Ave., Falls Church). Free to public. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 703248-5171 (TTY 711).

C������� S���������� Be sure to include time, location, cost of admission, contact person and any other pertinent information. Event listings will be edited for content and space limitations.

Please include any photos or artwork with submissions. Deadline is Monday at noon for the current week’s edition.

Email: calendar@fcnp.com Fax: 703-532-3396; Attn: FCNP Calendar Mail: 450 West Broad Street, #321, Falls Church, VA 22046

Page 36

May 1 - 7, 2008

Mason High’s IB Art Students Show Off

STUDENTS FROM GEORGE MASON HIGH SCHOOL’S IB ART class exhibited their handiwork last Thursday night at a show held in the school’s auditorium. The work spanned the spectrum of artistic media. (Photos: Bob Morrison, Bonne Briar Productions, LLC)

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May 1 - 7, 2008

Page 37

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Page 38

May 1 - 7, 2008

Continued from Page 4

we can do to make sure our citizens’ voices are heard and to ensure funding of our schools is to vote ‘no’ on the referendum.”

In their letter, Former Falls Church Mayors Carol DeLong (who served as mayor from 1980-1988), Betty Blystone (1988-1990), Brian O’Connor (1992-1994) and Jeff Tarbert (1994-1996) argue that the referendum, if passed, “would restrict the ability of citizens and their elected representatives to make decisions,” imposing “an arbitrary ratio, developed not through open discussion or formal actions taken in public sessions, but a figure plucked out of the air by a few people.”

In a separate letter from Former Mayor Dan Gardner (2000-2006), says that the referendum, if passed, “Will prevent future market opportunities and according to urban planning experts, likely eliminate any future development offers.”

Current Mayor Robin Gardner (2006-present) joined City Council colleagues Hockenberry, Dan Maller, Hal Lippman and David Chavern to pass a resolution Monday opposing the referendum, while Councilman Dan Sze called the referendum “totally junk” and urged a “no” vote, even as he abstained from the formal vote, and only David Snyder voted the other way.

Polls in Falls Church will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Tuesday, May 6.

I won’t

I’ll qualify

Don’t guess whether you qualify for the EITC. Know.

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assumptions prove incorrect. I had assumed, that someone was the City Council. Now I’m not so sure.

Dana Edwards Falls Church

Editor, You hit the nail on the head in your editorial last week, “Disqualifying No Shows.” I am astonished that Margaret Housen and Patrice Lepczyzk would show such disdain for the citizens who will be casting their votes on May 6th. And, in the case of Ed Hillegass, he was a no show for both debates! I assume my reactions to this are not atypical – it makes me question these candidates’ sincerity of purpose, level of commitment, and basic grasp of what it takes to be an elected representative.

As a current member of the City Council, I can testify that there is a tremendous amount of responsibility that goes with the job and these candidates’ behavior in this most important

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May 1 - 7, 2008

facet of the campaign process makes me very doubtful that they are either aware of and/or care about it. Indeed, in this and many other similar aspects, they appear to be “stealth” candidates who are trying to fly below the radar to avoid public scrutiny of their views and positions on the issues.

Along these lines, it is also important to note that candidates Hillegass, Housen, and Lepczyzk, as well as Nader Baroukh, were no shows in perhaps the most important item of the City’s business, the annual budget process. As this letter is written, I have not seen any of them at the dozens of work sessions and public meetings on this year’s Budget. While incumbents Mayor Gardner and Vice Mayor Hockenberry have been there as a normal part of their duties, to his credit their CBC campaign colleague, Lawrence Webb, has been at virtually all such sessions and meetings.

How can these no-show candidates know what they’re talking about on the issues facing our City without an understanding of our government’s operations, as evidenced in the monthslong process where the Budget is examined and discussed in detail?

On May 6 I urge the voters of Falls Church to carefully weigh these stealth candidates’ no show attributes in deciding who can best represent them over the next four years.

Hal Lippman Falls Church City Council

Editor, When we moved from Brooklyn, N.Y., my wife and I bought our house in the City of Falls Church in 1972 and raised our two children here. We put the crowds, noise, and traffic of Brooklyn living behind us, even though we’re still fond of Brooklyn. With the Nation’s Capital only seven miles away, Brown’s Hardware and the State Theatre were enough of a “downtown” for us! If we had wanted urban living, Old Town Alexandria or Georgetown might have been in the running, but the village atmosphere of F. C., now held in such contempt by developers, attracted us here as much as the schools.

With condos built right up to the curb on Broad Street and more development generating more and more traffic, it’s beginning to look a lot like Brooklyn.

That’s why we’re voting “Yes” on the referendum issue May 6.

Gerald M. Bastarache Falls Church

Editor, At the April 23 Economic

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Development Authority (EDA) forum on the charter change referendum, a panel of development, real estate and planning experts confirmed what the EDA knows to be true from past market studies the EDA has commissioned. One panel member summed it up: Falls Church competes with Tyson’s Corner, which is more attractive for commercial businesses because of the proximity of the Beltway and all of the amenities, and with Arlington, which has a great urban environment and lots of residents for critical mass. Businesses are attracted to areas that have significant retail and residents.

As the Chairman of the EDA, I do not support or oppose mixed–use or any particular type of development. The mixed-use projects in Falls Church bring buying power and critical residential mass experts point out we need to become competitive and provide businesses with reasons to locate here. These developments have generated more taxes and far fewer students then predicted.

The charter change mandates a standard of 60% commercial for each project. Panel experts pointed out that no other jurisdiction in the area has a similar requirement. Past mandates in other jurisdictions have failed.

The charter change requirement is so restrictive that City Council could not approve projects citizens might want, such as StreetWorks or Shirlington.

Both are 60% residential. The charter change sets an inflexible course that undercuts the ability of city leaders to negotiate appropriate developments.

Developers can invest their money wherever they want. We need to give them reasons to come here. Panelists made it clear that the referendum would likely convince them to go elsewhere.

I am voting “no” on the charter change. I am also voting for candidates who oppose the charter change. I do not support candidates who state their opinions as facts, offer no specific solutions and bring no expertise. For information from the experts on our development potential and good ways to meet it, watch the EDA Forum rebroadcast on Friday May 2 at noon and Sunday May 4 at 10 am.

Edward Saltzberg, Chairman F.C. City Economic Development Authority

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Editor, We just saw the City’s projections on our school’s capacities. Mt. Daniel is expected to

reach capacity in 2011, Thomas Jefferson and George Mason in 2012, and Mary Ellen Henderson in 2015.

And yet they’re adding even more residential units to the City! How can these new projects not add more children to the system? The City of Falls Church is known for it’s great schools. Why wouldn’t people with children want to move here? We did…. So how can the City Council say that the creation of all this new housing will not have an impact on our schools?

It appears that the City Council is making assumptions that don’t reflect reality.

They have us out on a limb with all the new residential construction and our schools could gain many more students in a short period of time.

What’s their plan when that happens and how are we going to afford it?

Mark & Jennifer Resta Falls Church

Editor, Let’s put an end to a myth that is circulating that the Falls Church City Public Schools cannot maintain its quality and handle added school enrollment. In February, all seven members of the School Board signed a letter making three key points relative to the City Center Project: 1. The School Board and Council have worked closely for several years to understand and manage any enrollment increases that may come from City development; 2. The Schools can handle all planned increases in enrollment in the coming several years. This is because we already built one needed new school and expanded another to respond to the ongoing increased enrollment that was occurring regardless of new development; and 3. We eventually need new facilities regardless of any future enrollment increases. We have very old buildings in two locations (George Mason and Thomas Jefferson) and further investment in the infrastructure in either location is no longer cost effective. New infrastructure will be needed even if enrollment stays the same. In response, the Board has initiated a community-wide planning effort to make sure these critical decisions about what to build have thorough financial analysis to support eventual recommendations.

Among the current School Board members, we have nearly

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May 1 - 7, 2008

50 years of cumulative School Board service in Falls Church and other jurisdictions. We spend many hundreds of hours each year talking about and addressing issues with current school quality, future educational excellence, and cost-effective facilities for the future. This is what you elected us to do.

As Chair of the current School Board for the past two years, I can state with great certainty that our ability to meet these high expectations is not threatened by the development that is proposed; in fact, the mixeduse development provides the resources to continue the mission we believe in so passionately.

I believe that I speak for all of the Board in this position and urge you to consider it on Election Day, both in terms of the referendum and those City Council and School Board candidates that understand these facts.

Craig Cheney, Chair Falls Church School Board

Editor, I read with admiration the letter in the paper from the George Mason H.S. senior who was concerned by a blog that has been airing uncivil and derogatory comments about the City elections, candidates and several citizens. I have seen this blog and it is indeed troubling, and particularly when you find that Mayor Gardner’s husband is the blog’s editor/author. It is pretty discouraging when a public official is associated (albeit by marriage) with such a low-level, mud-slinging and divisive publication.

C. Smith Via the Internet

Editor, I am writing to encourage Falls Church voters to support a dynamic candidate to join the Falls Church City Council: Lawrence Webb.

Lawrence was one of the first people I got to know after moving to Falls Church, and I have been impressed by his community service (three years as a member of the Parks and Recreation Board); his commitment to education, including working as a higher education administrator for the past seven years; and by his personal qualities - calm, confident, and forward-looking. He has dedicated himself to learning about the

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issues that our important to our community, including housing, transportation, education, and economic development. As a City Council member, Lawrence will bring new, energetic, and positive leadership for the challenges facing our community. I hope others in Falls Church will join me in voting for Lawrence in City elections this coming Tuesday, May 6.

Peg Willingham Falls Church

Editor, Next Tuesday, we urge you to vote for Robin Gardner, Lindy Hockenberry and Lawrence Webb.

They offer a positive vision for Falls Church’s future, plus leadership and a record of success in strengthening the City’s tax base and its widely admired public school system.

Mayor Gardner and Vice Mayor Hockenberry have demonstrated unique abilities in seeking consensus and in making tough decisions for the welfare of the whole city.

Lawrence Webb is clearly the standout among the nonincumbents seeking your vote.

His energetic and positive role in City affairs and his background in higher education will bring a fresh perspective to the Council. particularly in its efforts to ensure that Falls Church remains a national leader in public education.

Gardner, Hockenberry and Webb deserve your support.

Senator Mary Margaret Whipple, Delegate Jim Scott

Editor, In order to continue the excellence of the Falls Church City Public Schools, we must elect School Board members with experience and strong leadership qualities. Kieran Sharpe brings strong leadership qualities and many years of experience as a School Board member. Joan Wodiska brings a unique blend of experience as a School Board member and knowledge of education.

Charlotte Hyland brings years of hands-on experience from various PTA positions, where she has demonstrated strong leadership qualities.

I endorse Kieran Sharpe, Joan Wodiska and Charlotte Hyland for School Board.

Cecily Shea Falls Church

Editor, As current Vice-Chair of the School Board, I am writing (along with the Chair) to endorse Joan Wodiska for re-election to the School Board next Tuesday.

Joan has demonstrated tremendous leadership in her role the last four years and her deep knowledge of educational issues, ability to work with diverse groups of parents, and leadership within the Virginia School Boards Association make her a critical resource for the School Board during the next four years.

As the schools continue to face change, we need experienced leaders who also can maintain strong relations with the community and the City Council.

I encourage all Falls Church City residents to vote for Joan on May 6.

Ron Peppe Falls Church

Editor, As a 25-year resident of Falls Church, I have seen a lot of things happened here in the City. I went to both the League of Woman Voters and the Chamber of Commerce debates and listened to what the candidates said. I find it mystifying how Mayor Gardner and Vice Mayor Hockenberry can honestly say they have helped all the families, in Virginia Village who are losing their homes because of the Atlantic Reality City Center Project.

At the first debate, I asked the following questions on affordable housing here in the City. “In Virginia Village there are four multi-residence homes, totaling 16 apartments, true affordable housing. Because of the City Center project, the tenants were notified via a note attached to their doors that they had to move out. Money was offered to them, but only after residents complained. Where in Falls Church can they move to and pay the same amount of rent? What are you doing to ensure that these families can continue to live in the City?”

The Mayor and Vice Mayor both indicated that they are giving the residents of Virginia Village top priority and relocating to “comparable or better” housing. The Mayor said they have gone above and beyond to help them. The Vice Mayor said Human Resources were working very closely with them. They indicated that they have helped relocate a couple of families

already. Ms. Lepczyk (running for Council) indicated the families were given $5,000 for moving expenses. Neither the Mayor nor Vice Mayor corrected her on this. Money has not been given to any of them yet.

The so called top priority meeting defined by the Mayor and Vice Mayor was a handout of a sheet of paper telling residents where they might find homes for rent. This was a list of places for them to call, most not in the city, with no guarantee of finding a “comparable” place to live.

Only one resident in that community has been helped. Why were no others offered help?

Pam Callison Falls Church

Editor, I’d like comment on last week’s article regarding the F.C. Planning Commission hearing for the proposed hotel at 706 W. Broad Street. For the most part, I felt the article was accurate and fair in reporting a number of the concerns of St. James parents.

A few clarifications are in order though. The proposed hotel is a 110 room Hilton Garden Inn which will be a franchise of Hilton Hotels. My understanding that it will not be owned by the Hilton Corporation but by a franchisee. St. James school is both

an elementary and middle school with grades running from K-8.

The St. James Parent Teach Organization supplied over 30 pages of comments containing our specific objections to the Planning Commission at the 21 April Public Hearing. The complete document may be found on the St. James School website at www.saintjamesschool.org under the “Construction Updates” link.

Tom Matecki, President St. James PTO

Editor, Hi this is a student from Saint James School. I would like to say a new hotel near the school is a horrible idea because the huge cranes that are working next to our playground could easily fall and kill or hurt one of the children.

Now, because of the cranes we cannot play on our playground only our B-lot which is not fun. Also the kids who go to daycare, which I do, want to get out of school and have all of the stress out of their hands want to go play, but we can’t. Even the poor little kindergartners have to play with the scary (to them) 3rd & 4th graders. We have to put “prohibited area” tape all around the playground now.

Kitty L. Via the Internet

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The delightful and wellcrafted “Iron Man,” based on the Marvel Comics franchise, is one of the smartest superhero films to come down the pike in some time.

Robert Downey Jr. again reveals why he is one of the best actors of his generation -allowing himself simultaneously to be playful and poignant as he adds enormous depth to the title role.

Unlike so many previous big-screen incarnations of a Marvel icon, Downey has carved out his own interpretation of Tony Stark/Iron Man, and yet he delivers on the established premise of the character

-- so as not to disappoint Iron Man’s legions of fans.

Of course, we don’t see the actor as Iron Man until about a half-hour into the film, when Tony Stark becomes the supercharged flying agent of destructive power -- used for good to

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vanquish evil.

That process helps deliver a contemporary anti-war message. But thanks to the movie’s packaging as a superhero romp, director Jon Favreau pulls off his pacifist statement in a way that’s bound to be more successful than any number of recent films touching on Mideast warfare or terrorism.

As we first meet Stark, he’s living a flamboyant, arrogant, over-the-top lifestyle. Heir to a jillionaire American arms manufacturing fortune, he also happens to be a genius inventor in his own right. On a trip to Afghanistan to demonstrate his latest uber-weapon for U.S. forces, Stark is kidnapped by terrorists presumably modeled after Taliban-style revolutionaries.

After imprisoning Stark in a deep cave, the anti-American terrorist leader tells him he can win his freedom in exchange for developing a powerful rocket for them. Oh, yes, and our hero is also connected to a bomb to discourage any thought of escape while a weird kind of electronic disc implanted in his chest keeps him alive.

Instead of crafting a bombbearing missile for his captors, he builds a somewhat crude -- yet effective -- metal suit, infused with all kinds of powerful weapons and propellants, created to facilitate his escape.

He makes quite the explosive departure from deep within their mountain fortress, in just one of many spectacular examples of artful special effects used in this film.

When he returns to America, where he’s hailed as a hero, Stark sets out to change his company’s direction from military procurement to global improvement.

That sets him on a collision course with Obadiah Stane (played by a shaved-headed Jeff Bridges), Stark’s father’s protege who nurtured the young Tony and helped build the family firm into the world’s most powerful “agent of death.”

Almost unrecognizable in the

May 1 - 7, 2008

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Mini Movie Reviews

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ade of Honor (Romantic comedy, PG-13, 101 minutes).

Despite the charm of Patrick Dempsey and Michelle Monaghan, this formulaic, stale comedy is really nothing more than a rehash of “My Best Friend’s Wedding.” This time, Dempsey tackles the Julia Roberts role as the best friend who suddenly realizes he’s losing his true soul mate to another. Rating: Two stars. (Bill Zwecker)

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expecting from such a film -- more disturbing, analytical and morose. This is not a “political” film nor yet another screed about the Bush administration or the war in Iraq. It is driven simply, powerfully, by the desire to understand those photographs taken at Abu Ghraib. The central questions of the film are: Why do these photos exist, why were they taken,and what reality do they reflect? What do we think about these people? These also are the questions at the heart of many of Morris’ films, all the way back to his first, “Gates of Heaven” (1978).

Roland (Macaulay Culkin ), Mary (Jena Malone), Rating: Three and) (left a half stars.

tandard Operating and Cassandra (Eva Amurri) in United Artists' comedy Procedure (Documentary, "Saved!" © 2004 - United Artists - All Rights Reserved R, 121 minutes). Errol Morris’ hen She Found Me “Standard Operating Procedure,” (Romance, R, 100 minutes). based on the infamous prison torThere are many nice moments ture photographs from Abu Ghraib, in this film by Oscar-winning actress is completely unlike anything I was Helen Hunt, who not only stars, but

Robert Downey, Jr. stars as billionaire industrialist Tony Stark aka Iron Man in “Iron Man.”(Photo: © 2008

Paramount Pictures)

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role, Bridges gives a deliciously evil performance and holds his own against Downey’s screendominating presence.

The same can be said for Gwyneth Paltrow as Stark’s loyal and ever-efficient assistant Pepper Potts. She exudes a subtle sensuality -- that becomes far less subtle as the movie rolls on -- but she also adds some terrific twists of humor, often communicated with only a glance, wink or head toss.

Favreau rates big kudos for his direction, hitting all the right notes of pacing and impact.

But in the end, it all comes down to Downey. It’s pure fun

to watch him having a ball with this role. This supremely gifted actor will make several generations of filmgoers very happy. His fit form and edgy humor will appeal to younger audiences; the opportunity to watch an actor of a certain age (he just turned 43) also will make a lot of older moviegoers smile. There’s something nicely reassuring about watching a superhero who isn’t in his teens or early 20s.

“Iron Man” is simply great escapism. It completely deserves to be the first major blockbuster of the summer.

 Bill Zwecker is a columnist for The Chicago Sun-Times.

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also makes her directorial debut and carries a screenwriting credit. But too many subtle inconsistencies keep those moments from connecting to anything long enough to hold the film together. April (Hunt) is adopted, a status that has defined her life, so much so that all she can think about is bearing a child of her own. At 39 her biological clock is ticking, and to make matters worse, her boy-man husband, Ben (Matthew Broderick), leaves her after less than a year of marriage. Enter Frank (Colin Firth), a damaged love interest, and Bernice (Bette Midler), April’s birth mother, and a complicated, emotional mess ensues. Rating: Two and a half stars.

(Teresa Budasi)

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’M NOT THERE (Biography, R, 135 m., 2007). An attempt to consider the contradictions of Bob Dylan by building itself upon contradictions. Todd Haynes’ approach is to use six actors to play facets of the Dylan image. This way each Dylan is consistent on his own terms, and the life as a whole need not hold together.

Cate Blanchett is uncanny as the Dylan of the “Don’t Look Back” period, Christian Bale is the young Village folksinger, and Heath Ledger, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere and Ben Whislaw play other aspects of the legend. Wall-to-wall with Dylan songs, performed by himself and others, and more fascinating the more you care about Dylan. Not for those who don’t.

Rating: Three and a half stars.

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HE GOLDEN COMPASS (Fantasy, PG-13, 114 m., 2007). A darker, deeper fantasy epic than the “Rings” trilogy, “The Chronicles of Narnia” or the Potter films, offering more complex villains and posing more intriguing questions. As a visual experience, superb. As an escapist fantasy, challenging. With gifted newcomer Dakota Blue Richards, a 12-year-old who won the role in competition with 10,000 others. Also starring Daniel Craig, Nicole Kidman, Sam Elliott. Rating: Four stars.

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HE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY (Drama, PG-13, 112 m., 2007). The story of Jean-Dominique Bauby, a French fashion editor, who after a stroke could move only his left eyelid and used it to dictate, one blink at a time, a memoir. Julian Schnabel’s wonderful film looks out through his eye, sees what he sees, remembers and imagines, and is filled with life and color -- not nearly as depressing as it sounds. With a supporting cast of

Continued on Page 44

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Mini Reviews Continued from Page 42 warm and loving women, and Max von Sydow as his wise old father.

Rating: Four stars.

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HARLIE WILSON’S WAR (Political comedy, R, 97 m., 2007). Based on a true story.

Tom Hanks as a hard-drinking Texas congressman who, at the urging of a Houston socialite (Julia Roberts), uses his congressional subcommittee to arrange a secret $1 billion arms deal between Israel and Afghan freedom fighters, with Pakistan as the intermediary. That results in the defeat of the Russians, and the beginning of the end of the Cold War. Philip Seymour Hoffman is droll and funny as a rogue CIA man who becomes Charlie’s partner in deception. A smart, funny, wicked political comedy by Mike Nichols, written by Aaron (“West Wing”) Sorkin. Rating: Three stars.

May 1 - 7, 2008

es. Rating: Three and a half stars.

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HE ORPHANAGE (Thriller, R, 106 m., 2007). Raised as a girl in an orphanage, Laura (Belen Rueda) returns as an adult to buy it and run it as a hospital for needful children. Married with a young son, she begins to have disturbing ideas and visions, and her son sees ghosts, or maybe they’re not ghosts. A superior psychological thriller by Juan Antonio Bayona, produced by Guillermo del Toro (“Pan’s Labyrinth”) and depending not on shock but on a sense of mounting dread. Rating: Three and a half stars.

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UNO (Comedy, PG-13, 92 m., 2007). Very smart, very funny and then very touching; it begins with the pacing of a screwball comedy and ends as a portrait of characters we have come to love. Ellen Page in an Oscar-worthy performance as a pregnant 16-year-old who decides to keep the child. With J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney wonderful as her parents, older and wiser than most parents in teenage comedies. And Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman as the would-be adoptive parents, and Michael Cera, shyly winning as Juno’s boyfriend. Screenplay by Diablo Cody, directed by Jason Reitman; the best movie of 2007. Rating: Four stars.

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LOVERFIELD (Horror, PG13, 80 m., 2008). Six yuppies flee from a towering monster that is destroying Manhattan; one of them carries a video camera, and the entire movie is shot “queasy-cam” style. Undeniably scary, especially in the first 45 minutes when we don’t know quite what is causing the crisis.

Produced by J.J. Abrams, creator of TV’s “Lost.” Rating: Three stars.

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HE SAVAGES (Drama, R, 113 m., 2007). The time has come for Wendy and Jon Savage (Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman) to relocate their aged father (Philip Bosco) from his retirement home to a nursing home. The process is difficult, opens old wounds and yet is not without humor. Dad is a hostile curmudgeon who doesn’t make it easier. The performances depend on nuance, and writer-director Tamara Jenkins is quietly insistent that we observe little moments and dropped words and exchanged glanc-

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©Barbara Morgan, from “Martha Graham: Sixteen Dances in Photographs” by Barbara Morgan.

For more information about the importance of arts education, please contact

www.AmericansForTheArts.org.

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NOTE TO PUB: DO NOT PRINT INFO BELOW, FOR I.D. ONLY. NO ALTERING OF AD COUNCIL PSAS. Americans for the Arts - Newspaper 4 1/4 x 7 B&W AFAWV1-N-05217-K “Martha Graham” , localizable 85 line screen

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May 1 - 7, 2008

Page 45

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There’s something about air travel that gives Stephen Kellogg pause. When the wheels lift off, so does his mind soaring off into self-reflection. Maybe it’s the proximity to the heavens, or the turbulence that imparts a trepidation that every sip from his mini-Coke can might be his last. Whatever it is, there is something about planes that prompts Kellogg to ponder his life.

Such was the case on a flight to Florida.

As the plane bumped and bounced amid pockets of turbulence, he came to the conclusion that he was not satisfied with his music to that point. Sure, it was successful, enticing listeners from across the country with their tunes, spending hundreds of days on the road for what felt more like a vacation than an actual job. But to this point, Kellogg felt that they hadn’t left anything ... lasting.

“On that plane ride I thought, we gotta make an album where we say everything we can think of that we want to leave our family and our friends,” Kellogg says. “We can’t take time for granted and just sing about things that we might think are kinda cool or are just a lark. We gotta say what we want everybody to know since, you know, in case things had gone differently. I got a little scared because I hadn’t recorded a record that was the message I wanted to leave my wife and my parents and my buddies and all that.”

That changed with Glassjaw Boxer, the third, and latest, LP by Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers (who go by the handles of Kit and Boots). While the album still embodies the whimsical feel found on the band’s previous records, it is tempered by a more serious tone. As Kellogg puts it, “We traded nostalgia for brutal honesty.”

Boxer provides a more personal feel than previous albums, with Kellogg sing-

ing more directly about the people and events of his life. But despite that, or perhaps because of it, the work could be their most relatable yet.

On “Fourth of July,” Kellogg croons of memories from his earlier days, before breaking into a chorus of “And this, this is my life / on the Fourth of July / It isn’t much, but at least it’s mine.” Amid scenes of missed opportunities, frequent failures and romances gone awry, Kellogg sucks you in with sympathy, an effect that Kellogg did not entirely foresee when he began writing the album.

“It’s sort of an indulgent thing to do, [writing so personally], and I always shied away from it because I thought no one else was going to relate,” Kellogg says.

“I think it’s a lot easier,” he continues, speaking of writing honestly. “When you’re writing with an aim in mind, or if you’re writing something that you’re not totally sure about, it’s a little more ‘is this cool, isn’t this cool?’ You kinda go testing things out.”

While the inspiration for the honest and personal lyrics may have largely come from a perspective-inducing plane ride, Kellogg also notes that it was a performance by John Prine in Telluride, Colo., that made him comfortable with an altered approach to his music.

“I was just sitting there at his concert and had tears streaming down my cheeks.

It was as good as anything I’d ever seen and he’s just up there just him and his guitar,” Kellogg recalls. “Just watched his show and I got a sense of peace. Like, it’s okay, just because we’re entertainers doesn’t mean we have to be entertaining every second. So it was a subtlety that hasn’t been in our music before. That’s something that’s come into our music over the past two years. It was the more intimate moments and the way he was able to draw from that was very different. We’d always been a kind of jump-around-the-stage act, but I feel like we’ve gotten stronger with a few more of the chances we’ve taken.”

Though more serious than with their previous albums, Kellogg and the Sixers have still retained their slightly silly nature. (“It wasn’t like we were in the studio saying, ‘C’mon man, play the drums right because we could all die tomorrow,’” Kellogg jests.) And when the band plays live at The State Theatre May 1, both the silly and the sentimental sides of the Sixers are sure to be on display.

• Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers appear in support of Hanson on May 1 at the State Theatre. Tickets are $33 in advance and $35 on the day of the show. For more information on the band, visit www.stephenkellogg.com.

Page 46

May 1 - 7, 2008

Anthony’s Restaurant 309 W. Broad St., Falls Church • 703-5320100 •Type of Food: Greek, American & Italian Cuisine • Features: Breakfast (Sat & Sun Only) • Hours: Mon-Thurs -10 am - 11 pm, Fri - 10 am -12 am, Sat - 8 am - 12 am, Sun - 8 am - 10 pm

Argia’s Restaurant 124 N. Washington St., Falls Church • 703-5341033 • www.argias.com • Type of Food: Italian • Washingtonian’s 100 Very Best Restaurants, Zagat Rated, Full Bar, No Reservations • Hours: Lunch: Mon - Sat 11:30 am - 5 pm; Dinner: Mon - Thur 5 - 9:30 pm, Fri & Sat 5 - 10:30 pm, Sun 5 - 9 pm.

Bubba’s BBQ & Catering 7810-F Lee Hwy, Falls Church • 703-560-8570 • Type of Food: American/Family, Salads w/ Meat & Ribs • Features: Best BBQ East of Mississippi • Hours: Mon-Sat- 11 am - 9pm

Celebrity delly 7263-A Arlington Blvd. (Loehmann’s Plaza), Falls Church • 703-573-9002 • Type of Food: Delicatessen • Features: Catering, Sandwiches, Submarines, Soups & Salads • Hours: Mon-Fri - 9 am - 9 pm, Sat - 8 am - 9 pm, Sun - 8 am - 4 pm

Chicken Corner 2816 Graham Rd., Falls Church (Next to Magruder's) • 703-573-0112 • Type of Food: Peruvian Pollo • Features: Rotisserie Chicken, subs, salads, fresh fish • Hours: Mon-Thu - 10:30 a.m. - 9 pm - 9 pm, Fri-Sat - 10 am - 930 pm.

Frozen Dairy Bar & Boardwalk Pizza 6641 Arlington Blvd. (Sleepy Hollow Shopping Center), Falls Church • 703-534-4200 • Type of Food: Ice Cream and Pizza Parlor • Features: Catering, Homemade Frozen Custard, Pizza Subs. • Hours: Sun-Thur - 11 am - 10 pm, Fri & Sat - 11 am - Midnight

Harvest Moon Restaurant and Lounge 7260 Arlington Blvd. (Graham Center across from Loehmann’s Plaza), Falls Church • 703573-6000 • www.harvestmoon.com • Type of Food: Chinese • Features: Lunch / dinner buffets, banquet facilities up to 700 people • Hours: 11:30 a.m. - 9 p.m. daily.

Hoang’s Grill and Sushi Bar 502 W. Broad St., Falls Church • 703-536-7777 • Type of Food: Pan-Asian • Features: Single and Mingle Thursday Nights. • Hours: MonThurs 11 am - 10 pm, Fri-Sat 11 am - 10:30 pm, Sun - 11:30 am - 9:30 pm

Ireland’s Four Provinces 105 W. Broad St., Falls Church • www.4psfallschurch.com • 703-534-8999 • Type of Food: Irish • Features: Full Bar, Live Entertainment, Sunday Brunch • Hours: Daily - 11 am – 2 am

Koi Koi 450 W. Broad St., Ste. 117, Falls Church • 703-237-0101 • Type of Food: Japanese • Features: Sushi, Sashimi, Grill BBQ, Party Platters • Hours: Mon.–Thur. - 11 am – 10 p.m.; Fri. 11 a.m. - 11 p.m., Sat.: Noon - 11 p.m., Sun. 4 - 10 p.m.

Ledo Pizza Restaurant & Pub 7510 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church • 703-8475336 • Type of Food: Pizza & Pasta, American/ Family • Features: Full Bar, Wine Menu, 5 TV’s-Sports • Hours: Mon-Thur - 11 am-10 pm; Fri-Sat - 11 am-11 pm; Sun - 12-10 pm

The Original Pancake House 370 West Broad Street, Falls Church • 703891-0148 • www.originalpancakehouse.com • Type of Food: American/Family • Features: Breakfast, Weekday Specials - Breakfast & Lunch • Hours: 7 am - 3 pm Daily

Red Hot & Blue 169 Hillwood Ave., (Hillwood Square), Falls Church • 703-538-6466 • Type of Food: Memphis Style Bar-b-que • Features: Full Service Catering and Delivery • Hours: Sun. - Thu. 11 am - 9 pm, Fri. & Sat. 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Robeks 1063 W. Broad St., (West End Plaza), Falls Church • 703-538-4111 • www.robeks.com • Type of Food: Smoothies, Juices, Wraps & Salads • Features: Catering • Hours: Mon. - Fri. 6 am - 9 pm, Sat. & Sun. 8 am - 9 pm.

Sign of the Whale 7279 Arlington Blvd. (Loehmann’s Plaza), Falls Church • 703-573-1616 • Type of Food: American • Features: Seafood Night and Steak Night • Hours: 11:30 am - 2 am, 7 days a week

Sunflower Vegetarian Restaurant 6304 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church • 703-2373888; 2153 Chain Bridge Rd., Vienna • 703319-3888 • www.crystalsunflower.com • Type of Food: 99% vegan • Features: Japanese, Chinese, Continental • Hours: Mon-Sat 11:30 am - 10 pm; Sun 12 pm - 10 pm.

Sweet Rice Thai Restaurant 1113 W. Broad St. (next to Don Beyer Volvo), Falls Church • 703-241-8582 • Type of Food: Thai Cuisine • Features: Free delivery ($15 min., limited area) • Hours: Mon. - Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Dinner 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.; Fri. 11:30 am - 11 p.m.; Sat. Noon - 11 p.m.; Sun. Noon - 10 p.m.

Velocity Five 8111 Lee Hwy. (Merrifield Plaza, Lee Hwy. and Gallows Rd.), Falls Church • www.velocityfiverestaurant.com • 703-207-9464 • Type of Food: American Grille • Features: 50 HD TVs, Private Banquet Rooms, DJ after 9:30 p.m. • Hours: Sun-Mon - 11 a.m. - 2 a.m.

Falls Church News-Press Restaurant Guide Rates: $350 for 3 Months • $600 for 6 Months • $1000 for 1 Year

COZY UP TO CUZCO to enjoy some fine Peruvian cuisine and the company of a friendly staff. (Photo: News-Press)

By Natalie Bedell One of the best things about this region of Virginia is being able to have authentic cultural cuisine at your fingertips without needing a passport. I have never been to Peru, but if the food there is anything reminiscent of that which I had at Fairfax’s Cuzco Restaurant, then consider my bags packed.

Owned and operated by a family of Peruvian immigrants, the menu at Cuzco speaks with a keen sense of South American flavors that bring comfort food from their home to your belly.

Greeted by a dance floor, and a bar just as inviting, fine dining tables draped in white linen scattered the restaurant’s floor. Paintings and photography of Peruvian cities and coastlines served as visual backdrops to the Spanish music being played throughout the dining room. If that’s not enough, a live pianist drops by for dining entertainment every Thursday and Friday evening, to liven up the dance floor a bit.

Better than any traditional salsa opener, Cuzco starts every patron out with a bowl of fried corn kernels sprinkled with salt and pepper. The taste is a mix somewhere in between popcorn and tortilla chips that makes a delightful companion while menu browsing. True to the cuisine’s diversity, Cuzco’s selection offers anything from grilled favorites to pasta, incorporating Peruvian staples like potatoes, rice and fish.

A popular choice for many of their catered events, Cuzco’s Aji de Gallina Dip ($6) is served with restaurant-style tortilla chips. Shredded chicken in a thick yellow pepper sauce offers a creamy spice factor tamed by its crunchy component. The genius pairings didn’t stop there. The Jambalaya Creamy Pasta ($12.95) is a plentiful amount of sautéed chicken, shrimp and andouille sausage, with tomatoes and scallions, atop penne pasta with a slightly spicy — but not overpowering — creamy creole sauce. The shrimp and Cajun-inspired sauce was the perfect treat to celebrate the coming of summer weather and fresh seafood.

For a more traditional entrée, try the Lomo Saltado ($12.95). Described as “one of Peru’s signature dishes,” these strips of marinated beef came cooked in pisco liquor and soy sauce with tomatoes, onions and potatoes. It’s served over long basmati rice in amounts suitable for some rather scrumptious leftovers with an unforgettable taste.

Harder to forget than the taste of the food was the service. From a waitress who single-handedly killed a bumble bee that had found its way through the door to our waiter who had the most sincere delight in knowing we enjoyed our meal, the service at Cuzco’s was like finding yourself among old friends. Our waiter was more than happy to describe scenes depicted in the wall hangings, giving us background about Peru and a culture, it was clear, he was very fond of. This weekend, take a break from your go-to, same-old stomping grounds where they already know your name. Live a little and experience authentic Peruvian cuisine among friends. No passport required.

Cuzco Restaurant 10801 Fairfax Blvd.

Fairfax, VA 703-865-8150 Mon. – Wed. & Sat.: 11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Thurs. – Fri.: 11 a.m. – midnight

May 1 - 7, 2008

Page 47

The Harvest Moon Restaurant ... a bright... lig on the dining n landscape off Northern Virginia - Joan Horwitt - Washing n ton Post Banquet Facilities (up to 700 people)

Harvest Moon Restaurant & Lounge

GGLQJV Ć Bus usiness L Luncheons or DiQQHUV Ć OrAny Oc Extensive Menu Free Delivery within 3 mile radius, $10 minim

n

We will be open for lunch on Sunday, May 4 th at 2 PM for the Falls Church PTA Home and Garden Tour, and for Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 11th at noon.

SUPER DAILY LUNCH & DINNER BUFFETS

Lunch Dinner Mon-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm Mon-Fri 5pm-9pm Adults - $7.25 Adults - $8.95 Kids (2-10) - $3.50 Kids (2-10) - $4.50 Sat. & Sun. 11:30-9pm Adults - $8.95 Kids - $4.50

124 N. Washington St. Falls Church, VA By the intersections or Rts. 7 & 29 Free Parking in Rear (703) 534-1033

703-573-6000

www.ha w rvestmoonrestaurant.com (Graham Center across from Loehmann¶s Plaza) 7260 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church, V VA 22042

Your family will flip over our Praline Pancakes.!

10% F a m i l y Discount M o t h e r ’s D a y Sun, May 11, 11 am-10pm

Served six to a plate, dusted with powdered sugar and more pieces of praline sprinkled on top. We finish with a drizzle of Butterschotch syrup. How delicious and decadent?

FEEL GOOD:

You can help us help others on Thursday, May 15th.

Just dine with us and we will donate 15% of your meal to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Free

450 W. Broad St, Suite 117 Falls Church, VA 22046 Tel: 703-237-0101 Fax: 703-237-7774

The Jewel of Japanese Cuisine Highly Regarded and Skilled Sushi Chef Sushi•Sashimi•Rolls•Grill B.B.Q Tempura • Udon • Party Platters

New Hours: Mon-Thurs: 11am-10pm Fri: 11am-11pm Sat: 12pm-11pm Sun: 4pm-10pm

Parking Availab le

!

The First Name in Pancakes 7700 Wisconsin Ave. Bethesda, MD 301-986-0285

12224 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 301-468-0886

370 West Broad St. Falls Church,VA 703-891-0148

Also weekdays: free Wi-Fi at selected locations and a new Senior Menu!

Select from 7 different flavored Cold Sake

Bread & Kabob Middle Eastern Cuisine Healthy, Nutritious, Low Fat, No Preservatives

Catering Available Small to Large Parties All Foods are served With Rice or Bread From Our Clay Ovens

Free

Appetizer With Dinner With this Coupon 5/31/08

Buy 1 Entree Get 2 n d E n t r e e 1/2 Price Equal or Lesser value 5/31/08

3407-B Payne Street Falls Church VA 22041

Tel: 703-845-2900

Voted ‘Best Pizza’ - WashingtonPost.com

Restaurant & Pub

Tysons Station Shopping Center 7510 Leesburg Pike Falls Church, Va

703-847-5336 Hours

Mon-Thurs: 11 am-10 pm Fri-Sat: 11 am - 11 pm Sun: Noon - 10 pm

Have your group gathering here.

We take reservations for fundraisers, sports teams, office parties, birthday parties and community events.

Catering Available

Open hours: 10h00 AM - 11h00 PM Friday & Saturday : 10h30 - Midnight 6799 Wilson Blvd. 11 • Falls Church, VA. 22044 (Saigom Garden) Tel: (703) 538-7575 • www.vietBistro.com

Vietnamese & Asian Cuisine MANY OF WASHINGTON'S BEST RESTAURANTS WASHINGTONIAN MAGAZINE AND WASHINGTON POST REVIEWED

Page 48

AUSTIN, Texas -- The shimmering concoction in the martini glass had a dreamy, pale green color. But what exactly was it? Perhaps the cucumber rose perched on the rim offered a clue. Was it a martini made with Hendrick’s Gin, which is made with cucumber and rose petals?

No, the first taste was too light to be gin or any other hard liquor, with the alcohol almost as elusive as the twinkle of light in the drink itself.

The Ecco Modo, as it was called, proved to be one of a series of winetails, or winebased mixed drinks, that New York mixologist Alex Ott is helping popularize. He poured several during a sunset cruise around Town Lake as part of the recent Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival.

In the case of the Ecco Modo, the color came from muddled cucumber, the kick from pinot grigio and the sparkle from both spring water and an edible glitter called Luster Dust.

Winetails are growing in popularity, as bartenders and cocktail makers are using them in a number of lively styles.

The makers of inexpensive wines, such as Italy’s Ecco Domani, which hired Ott as a consultant, and Australia’s Yellow Tail, are creating growing archives of recipes with winetails that cater to every taste.

Ott used pinot grigio with cucumber juice in one drink, watermelon juice in another. He added merlot to a third drink; it started out like a caipirinha in that it used muddled lime, but it ended up resembling sangria, perhaps the most renowned winetail of all.

Are there any rules to follow when making a winetail?

Watch the citrus juice, Ott said. Wine can be highly acidic, and the acid from a lemon or, more especially, a lime could make the wine bitter as a result. So, start small at first and don’t let the wine and lime juice sit together too long before serving.

“With the exception of citrus, the rules are pretty much the same,” he said.

Most other winetails, such as his watermelon-based Ecco Freddo, can be made hours in advance, in case you are making enough for a party later.

If you’re wondering where to start, Ott suggested trying your favorite cocktail recipes and making a few substitutions.

That’s what he did with the Ecco Modo, which is a variation on a drink Ott has made over the years. The original uses vanilla-flavored vodka; the new version makes up for that by adding a dash of vanilla to the wine mix.

Why would you make a winetail instead of a cocktail? One reason is because wine has far less alcohol, so you’re less likely to get drunk on them as you would on drinks made with vodka, gin or rum, Ott said. Mixing the wine with fruit juice further cuts the alcohol.

Be careful: Some winetails also call for hard liquor, so know what you’re drinking before diving in.

Ott knows his way around a bar. He won the title of master mixologist in America three years in a row, and he can layer flavors in a drink the same way chefs build their food.

His drinks were a hit with many on the boat. One woman compared the Ecco Froddo to an adult agua fresca because it was like watermelon with a kick.

“I see winetails as the next evolution in mixed drinks,” Ott has said, “with wine-lovers and cocktail fanatics alike embracing them.”

ECCO FREDDO Muddle a slice of watermelon with 1 teaspoon sugar. Add 1 ounce pineapple juice and 2 1/2 ounces pinot grigio. Pour with ice into a shaker and shake vigorously. Pour into a highball glass. Garnish with a thin slice of watermelon.

Makes 1 drink.

Source: Alex Ott/Ecco Domani POMEGRANATE PEACH Shake 1 ounce peach vodka, 1 ounce pomegranate syrup and 2 ounces lemon juice in an ice-filled shaker. Strain into a chilled martini glass or highball glass with ice. Top with extra dry sparkling wine. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Makes 1 drink.

Source: Yellow Tail

May 1 - 7, 2008

I recently spent two weeks doing commentary for the new Asian Pacific Poker Tour. The quality of play was surprisingly good but I did notice that many players tended to misplay small pairs before the flop.

There are few steadfast rules in poker but general rules abound. Here’s one general rule that applies to No Limit Hold’em tournaments: Avoid playing coin flip situations for all of your chips.

An example of a coin flip situation is when one player has a pocket pair while the other has two overcards, like pocket sixes against 10-J, or the classic confrontation between pocket queens and A-K. Even though the pair would typically be a small favorite in these races, it would be a mistake to overstate their value. And while pocket sixes would be a favorite over the seemingly more powerful A-K, that same hand would be a huge underdog to any higher pair.

You can never be certain whether your opponent has a hand like A-K or pocket jacks before the flop, so take the cautious route and avoid playing big pots with small pocket pairs. It doesn’t make sense to risk all of your chips when the most likely best case scenario is a 50/50-ish coin flip against two overcards, and the worst case is competing as a 4-to-1 underdog.

Despite the fact that pocket sixes are a heads-up favorite against Big Slick, I’d feel more comfortable playing big pots with the A-K. That’s because in the best case, A-K would be a substantial favorite over an opponent who didn’t start with a pair. In the absolute worst case, an opponent might have pocket aces or kings.

That, however, would be very unlikely since I already hold one of each card. In all other situations, my A-K would only be a small underdog against other pairs.

So, you can play a bit more aggressively with a hand like A-K before the flop. If another player comes in for a raise, consider reraising all-in. It’s unlikely that you’ll be up against pocket aces or kings, you’ll be a big favorite against A-Q, and even if your opponent calls the reraise, there’s still a reasonable chance that you’ll be in a winnable race against a smaller pair. That’s not all that bad.

Keep in mind, though, playing small pocket pairs can be

dangerous. Yes, you might occasionally decide to reraise all-in before the flop, especially if you sense that your opponent is bluffing.

Your overall prospects to win, however, just aren’t very good.

The only time to consider that play is when there’s a reasonable chance that your opponent would fold before the flop.

That probably won’t happen, though, if he’s already committed a large percentage of his chips. Similarly, if your all-in reraise would only cost him a few extra chips, you can be pretty certain that he’ll make the call.

Here’s the bottom line: Avoid confrontations when playing small pocket pairs.

Don’t call large bets or all-in bets. The only time to consider calling an all-in bet with a small pocket pair is when your opponent is severely short-stacked and the call won’t do too much

damage to your stack.

Now, if you’re the one playing on a short stack and another player has raised the pot in front of you, it’s reasonable to fold your small pocket pair. However, if you’re the first player to enter the pot, don’t hesitate to move all-in.

Be aggressive in this situation because you’ll have a chance to win the blinds and antes without having to see a flop. Even if you do get called, you’ll often find yourself in a winnable race to the finish.  Visit www.cardsharkmedia. com/book.html for information about Daniel Negreanu’s new book, Hold’em Wisdom for All Players. © 2008 Card Shark Media. All rights reserved.

Gretchen Kuhrmann, Artistic Director

AN EVENING OF FUN, FOOD, AND MUSIC! Saturday, May 3, 2008 GALA SILENT AUCTION – 6:30 pm ĒCHOS in concert – 8 pm Select vocal chamber ensemble sings selections from Mendelssohn and Brahms to “You are the New Day” and “Ode to a Toad”

Falls Church Presbyterian Church 225 E. Broad St., Falls Church, VA Tickets/info: www.choralis.org, 703 237-2499

May 1 - 7, 2008

Page 49

Level: 1 3

2 4

SOLUTION TO LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE

5/4/08

© 2008 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.

ACROSS 1. Year Claudius I was born 6. Hook or Cook: Abbr.

10. Itch 14. Calendario page 15. Herr’s home 16. Poker holding 17. Battling 18. Rombauer of cookery 19. Pull a few strings?

20. “Huh?” 23. Notre Dame’s Parseghian 24. Quick refresher 25. Nouveau ____ 28. Succeeded 30. “Huh?” 33. Golf’s “Slammin’ Sammy” 34. Fab Four film 35. NFL gains 36. “Huh?” 40. Functioned as 43. Thomas ____ Edison 44. Parotitis, familiarly 48. “Huh?” 51. New Jersey college until 1995 52. Incline 53. That woman 54. Opposite of FF 55. “Huh?” 60. “That’s ____ need!”

62. Kick out 63. Dish 64. Dish 65. 404, in old Rome 66. Specialized fisherman 67. Like JFK or LAX 68. Some boy toys 69. Enjoys a whodunit, say

Down 1. They often have strings attached 2. Enron’s name before it was discovered the word meant “intestines” 3. Historic London prison 4. Petting zoo sound 5. 16th-century Spanish explorer who reached the Rio Grande 6. Tweet 7. Org. for boomers, now 8. Fast feline 9. Former Russian royalty

THE QUIGMANS Buddy Hickerson

1

2

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4

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10. Able 11. Lewd 1.

Year Claudius I e.g. was born 12.

Beefeater, 6.

Hook or Cook: Abbr.

13.

Prior to 21.Itch Former Mideast polit.

10. union 14.

Calendario page 22. OB/GYNs, e.g.

15. Herr's home 26. Suffered from 16.

27.Poker Sci-fiholding invaders 17.

Battling 29. Univ. body 30.Rombauer Lift with of effort 18. cookery 31.

Olympian Korbut 19. Pull a few strings?

32. New Deal org.

20. "Huh?" 34. Navigator’s position 23.

Parseghian 37.Notre WestDame's of Hollywood 24. refresher 38.Quick Not suitable 39.Nouveau Frat letters 25. ____ 40. Director Craven 28. Succeeded 41. Rose of Guns N’ Across

© 2008 David Levinson Wilk

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk

crossword / By David Levinson Wilk

Roses 42. Give a mean look to 45. Sweet Sicilian wine 46. Like a tuxedo shirt 47. Diane and Tom 49. Like some battles 50. Blue expanse 51. Road reversal, slangily 53. Modern wall hangings 56. Clock sound 57. Bro 58. “Love ____ the air” 59. 1997 Peter Fonda title role 60. “Who ____ to argue?”

61. Novelist Deighton

30. "Huh?"

Last Thursday’s 33. Golf's "Slammin' Sammy" Puzzle Solved 34.

J Fab E Four T film S

N E I M A C L I M I T E O D T R E W A N R E G I S T I L E F T S D C C I Z U O A K F R O S T E H I S S T E A L H O O K E D O A N N E H M E S S

O L D A G E A N D S O D E

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

R O O F

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nick knack

© 2008 N. F. Benton

Page 50

May 1 - 7, 2008

Announcements

For Rent

ATTIC TREASURE SALE

ROOM FOR RENT in F.C

Saturday, May 3th, 10am - 1pm. Donations accepted Friday May 2nd 9am - 9pm at Falls Church Community Center. Benefits activites of Village Preservation + Improvement Society See www. vpis.org

2 rooms available w/ access to laundry and cooking 703-638-9094/703-241-1543

Services BRICK & STONE RESTORATION

For Sale COMPUTER

Call us for brick, stone, steps, walkways, patios and all types of repairs and installation. Powerwashing & sealing too. Jeff Cadle 703/698-1390

COPIER SUPER SALE

Experienced childcare provider provides quality care for your infant in F.C. home. (703) 241-0605.

Free Internet Education Event! Set includes tutorials $199 703-212-9174 Award Winning Ricoh,Copiers, Fax and Printers at 50% off List Price. New and Rebuilt Call Washington Photocopy 703-560-3900.

FALLS CHURCH CITY

3-4 Bd Rms 2 bath, Fin. Basement. Appt Only 703538-6698. $550,000 - Motivated Seller

MOVING SALE

Indoors. May 4th 9-1. 7312 Woodley Pl, 22046.

Well sell everything.

Mulch Top Soil Wood Chips

Free delivery. 703-623-0101

NEW DOUBLE CRYPT - ABOVE GROUND

National Memorial Park. Reg. $6600. $5250. 630-443-3460

Bargain

YARD SALE

Saturday May 5th. 1214 Ellison St. Falls Church.

Household items, toys, books, toddler boy clothes.

YARD SALES

28 families. Great Variety. 8-noon Saturday. 3338 Hemlock Dr. F.C. <Gallows & Beltway>

Help Wanted DRIVERS: LOCAL CDL-A

Career Training. Swift Transportation Trains and Employs! Dedicated, Regional & OTR Fleets.

800-397-2423

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Marketing (Falls Church, VA) sought by Capitol Services, Inc. to direct analysis, dvlpmt & implmtn of mktg strategies to expand into Int’l Markets for Co’s Event Planning svcs. Req. BA in Communications or related field + 5 yrs exp in event planning. Fax resume to H.R. 703-584-2461. EOE

PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER

Are you interested in a 30 hour per week position with flexible hours? This is a job which may be shared by two people. Would you like to spend most of your workday outdoors? Would you like to help the citizens of Falls Church by ensuring that parking regulations are being enforced? Then the job of Parking Enforcement Officer may be right for you. For more info, review the Parking Enforcement Officer Recruitment Announcement under Employment at www.fallschurchva.gov Contact Mary Gonda at 703-248-5006 for additional questions

PART-TIME OFFICE ASSISTANT

Hours Monday to Friday 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM. Must be detailed oriented, reliable, accurate, punctual, good communicator and organized. Proficiency with Microsoft Office; willing to train the right candidate 703-573-3029.

PLANT LOVERS

FT/PT needed to maintain plants inside lobbies, offices, hotels. Must have reliable transportation.

Exp. Pref. Call 1-800-635-8530

GET

NOTICED! in the News-Press

CHILD CARE

COMPUTER TRAINING

www.object-us.com Introductory Courses $250.00.

Programming, Systems Analysis, Management & Web Development Objectech, Inc Call:703.362.9716

Project

DIGITAL TRANSFERS

Record and tapes to CD. Home videos to DVD. WWW.SAVEITONCD.COM 703-263-9212

FATHER & SON CONSTRCTION CO.

No Job to small *Brick & Block *Concrete *Stone & Marble *Carpentry *Painting *Plaster *Landscaping *Trimming/Edging *Raking *Cleaning *Tile Workd

Call Gary 703-849=1813 or Cell 703-582-5815 Located in Falls Church.

GEORGE’S SMALL ENGINE REPAIR

Also lawn mower and tractor for sale. 571-2120712

GIT RID OF IT

For Removal of Junk, Trash, Yard Debris, Appliances, Furniture & Estate clean-ups. Call 703-533-0094/

HOUSE CLEANING SERVICE

Available 7 days a week. Week, biweekly, monthly or one time. Good references in Falls Church City.

10 years experience. For further information call me at 703-848-8322. Senior discount, Ask: Susy.

House Cleaning Service. Low rates.

Good references. Call Dolores 571/2321091.

HOUSE SITTING

Need someone to watch your house/pets/plants while you’re on vacation? GMHS 2006 grad available for reasonable rates. Call Dan 703-862-3888

MARIAS HOUSE CLEANING

Good References & experience, 703-395-5971 or 703-231-4135

MORALES LANDSCAPE & LAWN CARE

Spring Clean - Up, Mulching, seeding & many others. Call David (o) 703-502-3990 or (c) 571221-4330

Public Notice CBIRT PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE Wednesday, 7 May 2008 – 9 AM City Hall – Planning Conference Room (G-04) The City’s Chesapeake Bay Interdisciplinary Review Team (CBIRT) will review the following project for compliance with the Chesapeake Bay Protection Ordinance’s (CBPO) General Performance Criteria to ensure that the development disturbs the environment and water quality as little as possible.

Application CB08-09, Proposal to construct a deck at the back of an existing singlefamily home within the Chesapeake Bay Resource Protection Area (RPA) The CBIRT will not review aesthetics, construction scheduling, massing, or functionality. Concerns other than CBPO General Performance Criteria should be directed to the appropriate City staff prior to the meeting.

classads@fcnp.com

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF ARLINGTON In Re: CM08-123 Order

IT APPEARING to the court that a Petition has been filed requesting the Court to order a referendum to be held pursuant to Va. Code Ann. §24.2682 in the City of Falls Church on the question of “ Should the City of Falls Church amend the City Charter as follows: The Council may approve a project, including a pending project, for construction on commerically-zoned property only if at least sixty (60) percent of the total project’s square footage will be used for commercial or retail purposes. The City Council may not, by special exception or other approval, allow more than forty (40) percent of such a project’s square footage to be used for residential purposes.”

And it having been certified to the court by the General Registrar of the City of Falls Church that such a petition has been signed by registered voters equal to or greater than ten (10) percent of the largest number of votes cast in any general or primary election held in the city during the past five (5) years; it is therefore ADJUDGED, ORDERED and DECREED that the general election to be held on May 6, 2008, a Tuesday that is a least sixty days following the entry of this order, the qualified voters of the City of Falls Church on the following question to be printed on the ballot: Should the City of Falls Church amend the City Charter as follows: The City Council may approve a project, including a pending project, for construction on commericially-zoned property only if at least sixty (60) percent of the total project’s square footage will be used for commerical or retail purposes. The City Council may not, by special exception or other approval, allow more than forty (40) percent of such a project’s square footage to be used for residential purposes.

Yes_______ No_______ The Clerk of the Court shall cause notice of the referendum to be published once a week for (3) consecutive weeks prior to the election in the Falls Church News-Press, a newspaper having general circulation in the City of Falls Church and a copy of the notice shall be posted during the same on the door of the City of Falls Church Courthouse.

The Clerk of the Court shall send a copy of the Order to the State Board of Elections and the Secretary of the Electoral Board of the City of Falls Church. The election shall be held and the results shall be certified as provided in §24.2-684 of the Code of Virginia.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the following ordinance and resolution were given first reading on March 10, 2008, and referred to the Planning Commission and other boards and commission. The second reading and a public hearing scheduled for April 28, 2008 has been postponed to MAY 27, 2008.

(TO8-06) An Ordinance to Amend the Official Zoning District Map of the City of Falls Church, Virginia, by Rezoning Approximately 0.68 Acres of Land from T-1, Transitional District to B-1, Limited Business District for the properties with the Real Property Code Numbers 51-131-020, 51-131-021, 51-131-022, 51-131-023, and 51-131-029 by Jefferson Park LLC. (TR8-18) A Resolution to Grant a Special Exception for Commercial Height Bonus for Approximately 1.12 Acres of Land With the Real Property Code Numbers 51-131006, 51-131-007, 51-131-020, 51-131-021, 51-131-022, 51-131-023, and 51-131-029 by Jefferson Park LLC. All public hearings will be held in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia. Copies of legislation may be obtained from the City Clerk’s office (703248-5014) or at cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov.

This location is fully accessible to persons with physical disabilities. Special services or assistance to persons with disabilities may be requested in advance. To speak at a public hearing, fill out a speaker slip and give it to the Clerk at the left front table.

Speakers will be called forward by the Mayor at the appropriate time.

KATHLEEN CLARKEN BUSCHOW CITY CLERK

News-Press Classifieds

$20 for up to 20 words 50¢ each additional word Add a box - $10

Deadline: 2 p.m. Tuesdays

(two days before publication)

Fill out our Classified Ad form online at www.fcnp.com Phone: 703-532-3267 • Fax: 703-342-0352 E-Mail: classads@fcnp.com Mail: 450 W. Broad St. #321, Falls Church, VA 22046

NEW RATES BEGINNING MAY 1

Please include payment (check or money order) with your ad or call us to arrange payment by credit card.

For public & legal notices, please email legalads@fcnp.com

The Falls Church News-Press accepts no financial responsibility for typographical errors in advertisements. Advertising which has minor discrepancies such as misspelling or small type transposition, but which do not affect the ability of the reader to respond to the ad will be considered substantially correct and full payment is required. The Falls Church

PUBLIC NOTICE Volunteers who live in the City of Falls Church are needed to serve on the boards and commissions listed below. Call the City Clerk, Kathleen Buschow (703-248-5014, or e-mail cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov) for an application form or more information.

Requests for reappointments must also be made through the City Clerk. Applications are being accepted until the end of the month. Vacancies that have been advertised for more than one month may be filled during each subsequent month before month’s end.

Architectural Advisory Board City Employee Review Board Environmental Services Council Girls’ Home Advisory Board Historic Architecture Review Board Historical Commission Human Services Advisory Council Library Board of Trustees Planning Commission Private School & Day Care Facility Board Retirement Board Senior Citizens Commission Citizens’ Advisory Committee on Transportation Tree Commission Zoning Ordinance Advisory Committee Regional Boards/Commissions: Fairfax Area Commission on Aging Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board Health Systems Agency of Northern Virginia Long Term Care Coordinating Council Workforce Investment Board

Attention: new Classified Ad Rates Classified Ad Rates Beginning May 1: Classified Ad: $20 for up to 20 words (First two words of each ad are bold and all caps)

Each additional word: 50¢ per word Bold a Word: $1 per word Add a Box Around Ad: $10 Call 703-532-3267 and ask for Danielle for more info

classads@fcnp.com

AUCTION Lender ForecLosures May 9 202

t -FF )JHIXBZ $FOUSFWJMMF 7"

203

Condo Offices D-202/3 Starts @ 12:01 pm

t $PMVNCJB 1JLF 'BMMT $IVSDI 7" Condo Office, Suite 100 Starts @ 2:31 pm

Photos & more info online

tBrokers Protected!

atlanticREmarketing.com

866.908.3668

William J. Summs: VA/AF # 619

May 1 - 7, 2008

Page 51

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Walsh & Assoc.

PC Attorneys

COMPUTER REPAIR

•Injury cases & Death cases •Medical/Legal malpractice •Breach of contract •Commerical/Insurance • Car accidents Free Consultation 703-448-0073 Hablamos Español 703-798-3448

XI

XII

703-496-7807

ROOFING

DOORS

SIDING & TRIM

GUTTERS

WINDOWS

REPAIRS

703-560-7663

HOME IMPROVEMENT James Roofing & Home Improvements Roof Replacements Rubber Roofs • Flat Roofs Leak Specialists • Roof Coatings Chimney • Repair Facia&Soffit Decks Built&Repaired • Coatings Wood Repair • Drywall Repair Gutters • Siding • Ext.&Int. Painting 24 hr. Emergency Service

II III

VIII

IIII VII

VI

V

•JERRY DONNELLY • FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA

• (703) 536-6731

H&R MORTGAGE Do You Have AdjustableRate MORTGAGE?

Refinance to a safe 30 yr fixed Get $350 Free Appraisal (valid on Buy or Refi)

Tax Smart Mortgage Solutions WWW.MORTGAGE1040.COM

703-448-3508

Low Rates for Residential Mortgages

We scrub & Fix Your Credit FREE

(703) 937-7096

Purchase or Refinance

256 N Washington St Free Consultation

M.D. PAINTING AND DECORATING CO.

• Interior • Exterior • Dry Wall Repair • Wallpaper Removal and Paint• • Deck & Wood Pressure Wash and Sealant• • Reasonable Prices • Small and Big Jobs• • Good Quality • Painting and Finishing• • Licensed and Insured• Call for Free Estimate Cell: (703) 966-2954

Specializing in custom firplaces, patios, walkways, walls, driveways.

Small and large repairs.

Free estimates Licensed and insured.

Low! Low! Rates

www.motternmasonry.com

We Scrub Credit for FREE

JOSEPH HOME IMPROVEMENT Drywall • Paint Exterior / Interior, Bath & Kitchen Remodeling, Basements, Handyman, Moving, Clean Garage, All kinds of hauling

(703) 237-0222 HOT INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY! Find out how you can take advantage of the current real estate market. Call Now!

703-868-5999

CGA IMMIGRATION ASSOCIATES Family and Employment Based Immigration Petitions Skyline Plaza Falls Church

703.578.3556

Shaun R. Murphy REALTOR®, Licensed in VA, MD & DC www.ShaunRMurphy.com Remax Allegiance

Benton & Potter, P.C. www.bentonpotter.com

Government contract law, all areas of business and corporate law.

In Falls Church 703-992-9255, in D.C. 202-416-1660

Joseph

Licensed Work

Cell 703-507-5005 Tel 703-507-8300

Repair, Remodeling, New, 20 years experience For New and Remodeling Free Estimates Call

(571) 214-3006

Make a Joyful Splash!

(571) 330-3705

Driveways • Steps Sidewalks • Patios Small Jobs Welcome

Licensed and Insured. Free Estimates.

With Personal Service

JEFF L. CADLE

Local brick n’ stone mason installing patios, walkways, steps, chimneys, etc.

Specializing in repairs. Local references.

Free Estimates.

703-698-1390

Insured

Licensed

LAWN & GARDEN

Interior - Exterior Commerical & Residential

Seven Brothers Landscaping Service

Free Esimate!

Good Prices! Expert Job!

Call Singh: 703-835-1101 (cell)

NOTICED!

OTHER SERVICES

J. NINA PLUMBING

Skyline Painting Painting • Power Washing, Drywall Repair • Carpentry Work and more

GET

Mike’s Carpet Cleaning 5 Rooms deep cleaned only $98 •Stretching•Mold Remediation •Oriental Rugs•Upholstery•Pet Problems • 24 Hour Emergency Water Damage We Clean the White House!

Call Mike 703-978-2270

MOTTERN MASONRY DESIGN

All work guaranteed.

703-496-7491

H&R MORTGAGE

CLEANING SERVICES

Licensed Free Estimates 703-593-3383

ShinerRoofing.com/FallsChurch

I

X IX

QUALITY REPAIR

VA License #2705 023803

• Affordable Rates • Certified Technicians

www.fastteks.com

FALLS CHURCH

HOME IMPROVEMENT Since 1981

REMODELING & ADDITION, CERAMIC, TILE, FINISHED CARPENTRY, CROWN MOLDING, CHAIRS, DECK RAILS, STAIR, WINDOWS, DOORS, CONCRETE, SIDEWALKS, DRIVEWAYS, BRICK INSTALLED & REPAIRED

Spring Cleanup, mulching, mowing, edging, trimming.

Residential & Commercial Tree Service & Snow Removal

with

Eileen Levy Create unique art masterpieces using acrylics, water-based oils, pencils and an innovative variety of tools and brushes.

Held at 111 Park Avenue Falls Church on Tuesday Evenings from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm Cost: $90 On-going monthly enrollment Enroll on-line at www.creativecauldron.org Or call 571-239-5288

FOOD & DINING

Ledo Pizza Caterers Tysons Station • 7510 Leesburg Pike Falls Church, VA

(703) 847-5336

Pizza • Pasta • Wings • Subs • Salads • Desserts

703-241-4990

Spring Special •Yard Cleanup •Mulching • Edging • Trimming • Pruning • Planting & Removal • Lawn Care • Power Washing • Deck • Siding • Painting • Hardscapes • Other repair services

Free Estimates

703-508-3976 or 703-323-9251

Weaver Enterprises

Phone # Cell Number

703-848-8322 703-901-2431

in the News-Press

Jack Murray postampg@gmail.com 703-920-0028

Postage Stamp Gardens for town homes and city dwellings

Design • Installation • Maintenance

703-532-3267 Ask about our specials!

703-532-3267

THE NEWS-PRESS BUSINESS & SERVICE DIRECTORY CALL 703-532-3267 TO ADVERTISE TODAY!

703-532-3267 TO ADVERTISE!

Ask about our specials!

Business & Service Directory 1 x 1” Ad 3 mo. = $220 • 6 mo. = $400 • 1 yr. = $725 1 x 1.5” Ad 3 mo. = $330 • 6 mo. = $600 • 1 yr. = $1100 1 x 2” Ad 3 mo. = $440 • 6 mo. = $800 • 1 yr. = $1450

1 x 2” 1 x 1.5” 1 x 1”

Page 52

May 1 - 7, 2008

Mayor Robin S. Gardner . . . . . . . . . .

Vice Mayor M. R. Lindy Hockenberry . . . .

City Council David C. Chavern . . . . . . . . . .

Harold Lippman. . . . . . . . . . .

Daniel Maller . . . . . . . . . . . . .

David F. Snyder. . . . . . . . . . . .

Daniel X. Sze . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

City Manager Wyatt Shields. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Home Page <www.fallschurchva.gov> * Indicates TTY 711 Accessibility

city calendar

MAY 1

2 3

5

6

7

8

The Week

703-534-8644 703-241-0934 703-538-2398 703-237-9089 703-731-8433 703-241-0419 703-538-5986 703-248-5004*

State Income Tax Returns Due (Individual & Corporate) Business Tangible Personal Property Tax Returns Due First Quarter 2008 State Estimated Income Tax Due, Voucher #1 (Paid in Commissioner’s Office) Story Hour, 10:30 a.m.

Book Discussion Group, 7:30 p.m.

North Washington Streetscape Workshop, 7:30 p.m.

FIRSTfriday Event Farmers Market, 8 a.m.-Noon Voter Registration Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. for Absentee Voting Attic Treasures Sale, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Yard Waste, Bundled Brush, & Special Collections Story Hour, 10:30 a.m.

City Council Work Session, 7:30 p.m.

Planning Commission, 7:45 p.m.

City Council and School Board Election, Polls Open 6 a.m.-7 p.m.

Senior Book Discussion Group, 10:30 a.m.

Story Hour, 10:30 a.m.

Economic Development Authority, 6:30 p.m.

General District Court in Session Story Hour, 7 p.m.

Falls Church Cable Access Board, 7 p.m.

Recreation & Parks Advisory Board, 7 p.m.

Architectural Advisory Board, 7:45 p.m.

Story Hour, 10:30 a.m.

Retirement Board, 5:30 p.m.

Aurora House Citizens’ Advisory Committee, 7:30 p.m.

Citywide Election May 6 The City of Falls Church election for City Council and School Board is on Tuesday, May 6. Voters will select three of seven candidates on the ballot for City Council and three of four on the ballot for School Board. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

In-person absentee voting is currently available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Voter Registration Office, City Hall, Suite 101 East, 300 Park Ave. The office will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday, May 3. This is the last day for absentee voting. For additional information, call the Voter Registration Office at 703-248-5085 (TTY 711).

provided as a public service by the city of falls church

Questions or Comments? City of Falls Church, Harry E.Wells Building, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church,VA 22046 703-248-5003 (TTY 711) The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act.This document will be made available in alternate format upon request. Call 703-248-5003 (TTY 711).

Council Approves FY09 Budget That Fully Funds Schools and Reduces General Government Spending Invests in Education, Public Safety, Youth Services, and the Environment The Falls Church City Council approved the Fiscal Year 2009 Operating Budget and Capital Improvements Program at their April 28 regular meeting, with a twocent real estate property tax increase.

FY09 runs from July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009.

The $76,427,560 FY 2009 budget maintains the City’s financial security and high-quality services. The budget includes a 0.3 percent decline in government operating expenses and a 3.7 percent increase in the transfer to schools over FY 2008.

The Budget sets the real estate rate at $1.03 per $100 of assessed value, up two-cents from FY 2008. However, due to declines in property assessments, the median tax bill for single family homeowners will decline by $174. While the tax bill for the average homeowner will decline next year, new construction and growth in the value of commercial real estate will yield an increase of 3.5 percent in overall property tax revenue. All other tax rates remain unchanged.

The Water and Sewer Funds are balanced within estimated revenues with no rate change for the third consecutive year. The water rate will remain at $3.03 per thousand gallons in FY 2009 and the sewer rate will remain at $5.91 per thousand gallons.

at $30,117,600, demonstrating their commitment to providing academic excellence and the recruitment and retention of preeminent teachers.

(Vision Principal: World Class Public Schools.)

Photo Red. Funding is provided to implement a red light camera program through the Police Department.

First-year costs are $482,373, of which $427,500 is estimated to be offset by ticket revenues. A new Police Sergeant position will oversee the Photo Red program and manage compliance with state accreditation standards. This position is offset by de-funding an administrative position, and is funded by new revenues generated by red light violations.

(Vision Principle: Neighborhood Preservation.)

City Center Project Manager. A developer proffer of $125,000 will fund a new professional Project Manager position to oversee the City Center South development. (Vision Principle: Special Place.)

Mentoring At-Risk Youth. The Budget provides $22,500 for a new volunteerbased youth mentoring program, in partnership with the Virginia Tech Center next to George Mason High School. (Vision Principle: Word Class Government and Public Outreach.)

The Budget maintains support for vital City services and meets several new community needs based on the Council Vision Statement and Strategic Work Plan. Highlights include:

Environment. The Budget provides $20,000 to comprehensively measure the City’s overall energy use; enabling the City to track its efforts to reduce greenhouse emissions and reduce operating expenses. (Vision Principle: Environmental Harmony.)

Full Public School Funding. The Council continued its strong commitment to the Falls Church City Public Schools, which are ranked among the best in the nation. The Council fully funded the School Board’s request

Visit www.fallschurchva.gov for more information. Copies of the final budget and capital improvements program will be available at www.fallschurchva.gov in the coming weeks.

Tell Us What You Think of the City’s New Web Site Visit www.fallschurchva.gov today and let us know what you think of the new site. Please take a moment to complete a 10-question survey to help guide further improvements to the site. If you would like to join a community-based focus group to provide feedback on the site, e-mail ngobbo@fallschurchva.gov or call 703-248-5003 (TTY 711). Additional questions and comments may be directed to publicinfo@fallschurchva.gov.

Get Your Free Credit Report Register for the City’s Online Newsletter at www.fallschurchva.gov

Register to Receive Emergency Alerts

Do you know what your number is? Is it 550, 640, or even 750? Find out at a Financial Education Workshop on Tuesday, May 20 at the following times and locations: Noon-1 p.m. Community Center (223 Little Falls St.) 7-8 p.m.

Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave.) The workshops are sponsored by the City of Falls Church Housing and Human Services and Human Resources divisions and the Employees Advisory Council; and conducted by Money Management International, a nonprofit organization. Workshops are free but advance registration is required. Call 703-248-5005 (TTY 711) by May 16 to reserve your space.

FOR THE WEEK of

Classes and Events Special Events

Property Yard Open House Saturday, May 17, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

Rain Date May 31 Property Yard, 7100 Gordon Road The Falls Church City Department of Environmental Services invites you to bring the kids and check out the equipment used by our staff and see some fun demonstrations. There will be refreshments and door prizes.Have your picture taken on equipment!

For more information,call 703-248-5081 (TTY 711).

Civil War Day at Cherry Hill Park Saturday, May 17, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Cherry Hill Park, 312 Park Ave. History comes alive as reenactors portray civilians and soldiers on the Falls Church homefront during the Civil War. Drilling and firing demonstrations, living history presentations,Civil War music concert, box lunches,bus tour of historic sites,and free tours of the Civil War era farmhouse are some of the featured activities at this annual event.Free admission.

Call 703-248-5171 (TTY 711) for more information.

and business organizations, live stage entertainment, a Don Beyer Volvo 3K Fun Run, and more!

Growing Green Lectures

Pruning Basics Thursday, May 1, 7-8:30 p.m.

Community Center, 223 Little Falls St. Topics will include pruning goals,methods,timing, and tools.Call 703-248-5077 (TTY 711) to register for this free lecture.

Wildflower Guide Thursday, May 15, 7:30-9 p.m.

Community Center, 223 Little Falls St. This class will introduce participants to the Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide by Lawrence Newcomb and will address how to “key out” unknown plants. Call 703-248-5077 (TTY 711) to register for this free lecture.

For a complete listing of events, camps, and classes, visit www.fallschurchva.gov.

Memorial Day Festival and Parade Monday, May 26, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

City Hall Grounds, 300 Park Ave. Celebrate Memorial Day in the City of Falls Church with amusement rides, arts and crafts, food, civic

City of Falls Church Farmers Market Every Saturday from 8 a.m. - Noon

North Washington Street Transportation Meeting The City of Falls Church will hold a kickoff meeting for the North Washington Street streetscape project, and we invite you to join us. The City plans to develop a pedestrian-friendly streetscape design for the North Washington Street corridor, which extends from West Broad Street to the Arlington County line. Primary goals for the streetscape in this area include filtering and reducing stormwater runoff from the street and adjacent properties, as well as creating a lively and walkable street-level environment.

In order to identify key opportunities and challenges in the study area and also to listen to your ideas for the streetscape design, the City will host a workshop to bring together residents, business owners, City staff, the consulting team, and other interested stakeholders. Please join us on Thursday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m. in the City Hall Training Center, 300 Park Ave. Enter City Hall through the Police Department, go up to the G Corridor, and the Training Center will be on your right.

For more information, contact Wendy Block Sanford at 703-248-5041 (TTY 711) or wblocksanford@fallschurchva.gov.

Submit Comments on the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite Report The Planning Division is seeking comments on a draft Diagnosis/Annotated Outline for the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite Project. The report is part of a comprehensive review, update, and rewrite of the City’s zoning ordinance to make it more clear, concise, current, creative, flexible, and comprehensive.

Comments must be submitted in writing to Principal Planner Gary Fuller by May 21, 2008. Visit www.fallschurchva.gov for more information and a copy of the report. Copies are also available in the reference section at the Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave.) and in the Planning Division office (300 Park Ave.). For more information, contact Gary Fuller at 703-2485039 (TTY 711) or gfuller@fallschurchva.gov.

MRS Library Annual User Survey The Mary Riley Styles Public Library wants to know what you think of its services, circulation materials, staff, and how it can serve you better.

Please take a few minutes to complete their 2008 User Survey, which can be found at www.falls-church.lib.va.us.

All responses are anonymous. Results will be posted on the Library’s bulletin board and Web site.

Falls Church Recreation & Parks Division 223 Little Falls Street Falls Church, VA 22046 703-248-5077* Phone Numbers Open Gym/Weather Hotline 703-248-5125* Special Events Hotline 703-248-5178* Fax 703-536-5125 Senior Center 703-248-5020*/21* Community Center Hours Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Friday 8 a.m. - Midnight Saturday 8:30 a.m. - Midnight Sunday Noon - 6 p.m.

Open Gym Hours Open Gym hours are updated on a bi-weekly basis and are also posted on the Open Gym Hotline, 703-248-5125*. All hours are subject to change. * Indicates TTY 711 Accessibility

May 1 - 7, 2008

Page 53

ly Focus

Chairman: Craig Cheney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Vice Chairman: Ronald Peppe II . . . . . . . . . .

School Board Rosaura Aguerrebere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Kathryn Chandler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Susan Kearney. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Kieran Sharpe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Joan Wodiska. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Superintendent: Dr. Lois Berlin . . . . . . . . . . .

government and the falls church city public schools

may 1-7, 2008

For more news about the Falls Church City Public Schools visit: www.fccps.org

Falls Church Students Commemorate Arbor Day Students at Mount Daniel and Thomas Jefferson elementary schools commemorate the annual celebration of trees in a big way each year.

This year, activities included tree plantings, ceremonies and a tour of environmental projects around the schools.

At Mount Daniel, students enjoyed meeting Birdsey Northrop (portrayed by Timothy O’Connell), the force behind the first Arbor Day in Virginia in 1892, celebrated here in Falls Church. Students also sang songs in celebration of trees.

Thomas Jefferson’s ecology club members guided students through several stations around the school, including the Reagan Stream Valley Garden, the 2nd grade wing rain garden and the butterfly garden. At right, Falls Church senior urban forester Jeremy Edwards introduces students to the sassafras, the city’s tree of the year.

You’re Invited!

Join the Falls Church City Public Schools in recognizing this year’s top faculty and staff members.

More than one dozen FCCPS employees will be recognized during a reception on Thursday, May 8th at 5:00 p.m. at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School. This year’s honorees include Jed Frei, 2008 Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher award winner and nominees; Kathy Poff, 2008 Support Staff Employee of the Year award winner and nominees; and Trudy Taylor, 2008 Distinguished Educational Leadership Award winner. The event is free of charge and open to the public.

FCC-TV Spotlight: Army Newswatch Tune in to Falls Church Community Television (FCC-TV) to watch Army Newswatch. From the offices in the Pentagon to the Soldiers in the field, Army Newswatch showcases the Army. Meet the future and learn from the past as the U.S. Army executes its missions in support of the nation. You can watch Army Newswatch on FCC-TV at the following times: • Every morning at 6:30am • Thursdays at 9am & 6:30pm • Sundays at 1pm & 7pm FCC-TV airs on Cox Channel 12, Verizon FiOS Channel 35 and RCN Channel 2. For a complete schedule of the variety of community programs on FCC-TV, visit www.fcctv.net.

Historical properties and modern-day homes are on the 2008 Falls Church Elementary PTA Home & Garden Tour this Sunday, May 4th from noon to 4:00 p.m. The annual fundraising project helps support the outdoor classrooms at Mount Daniel and Thomas Jefferson Elementary schools.

The self-guided tour will include historical homes along with remodeled homes and new construction that are all carefully selected to reflect our community’s hometown identity and its commitment to high quality residential life. In addition to various architectural styles, the tour will reflect a variety of interior decorating and landscaping designs with distinct and innovative character.

DATES ARE SubjEcT To chAngE Testing now–5/23 – K-3 PALS Testing (MD/TJ) now–5/30 – AP & IB Testing (GM) 5/5-23 – SOL, MC, and CSH (TJ/MEH/GM) May 1

4:15 p.m. Stone Ridge Country @ Mason (G Tennis) 5:00 p.m. Freedom @ Mason (Softball) 7:00 p.m. Rising 5th Grade Parent Night (MEH) 7:15 p.m. Mason @ Briar Woods (G Lacrosse)

Day-of-event ticket sales will begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday, May 4 at the Thomas Jefferson Elementary School Gymnasium located at 601 S. Oak Street in the City of Falls Church. Tickets are $25.

7:30 p.m. Briar Woods @ Mason (B Lacrosse)

The Falls Church Elementary PTA wishes to thank Falls Church Cabinetry, Moore Architects, Cox Communications, Terra Landscape and Design and Pie-Tanza Restaurant for their support.

2

Three Falls Church City Public Schools bus drivers swept the top spots in the 2008 Northern Virginia School Bus Road-e-o.

Charmaine Barr, Lori Audi and Bobby Eppard placed first, second, and third in the competition against drivers from Manassas City, Manassas Park and Arlington public schools.

The FCCPS winners of the 2008 Northern Drivers completed a series of chal- Virginia School Bus Road-e-o are (l to r) lenges to test their competence in Bobby Eppard, 3rd place, Charmaine Barr, the daily tasks a bus driver faces; 1st place, and Lori Audi, 2nd place. pre-trip preparation, cul-de-sac turning, parallel parking, railroad crossing and student loading. The goal of the competition is to allow school bus drivers to demonstrate their safe driving skills, as well as to foster public awareness of the services provided by school bus drivers.

Forensic Chemistry Textbook Under Review School division administrators and the George Mason High School Science Department are currently reviewing textbooks for the new forensic chemistry curriculum. The following textbook has been recommended for an elective course.

The public is invited to review it and provide comments for the department’s consideration:

Mark Middendorf and Michael Dolgas

Preschool Children Screenings Wednesday A Child Find Day is held at Mt. Daniel throughout the school year on the first Wednesday of each month from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Parents may have their children screened for suspected delays in speech/language, fine and/or gross motor skills, cognitive abilities and daily living skills. Those children identified as eligible may receive special education services through Falls Church City Public Schools.

Child Find is an opportunity for children with special needs to receive early intervention services. Parents who have concerns regarding the development of their preschool age child (two years old by September 30, 2007) may contact Danielle Clark, Child Find Coordinator, at 703-248-5659 to discuss their concerns and schedule an appointment for the next Child Find Day, Wednesday, May 7th.

4:30 p.m. Episcopal @ Mason (B Tennis) 5:00 p.m. Madison Co. @ Mason (Baseball)

FCCPS Drivers Sweep School Bus Road-e-o

The textbook will be on display now through May 9th at the Falls Church City Public Schools Central Office, 803 W. Broad Street, Suite 320.

School content published in The Weekly Focus is written and edited by the Falls Church City Public Schools. For more information, contact the Falls Church City Public Schools Communications Office. Phone: (703) 248-5699 Fax: (703) 248-5613.

SCHOOL CALENDAR

For more information and to reserve tickets, visit www.fallschurchpta.org/ hgtour.

BIE Partner of the Week School involvement: Title sponsor of the upcoming Falls Church PTA Home & Garden Tour.

Why Mark & Michael are BIE partners: “We feel the tour gives us an excellent opportunity to support the local community and schools while reaching the strong home renovation market here in Falls Church City and surrounding areas.”

For more information about sharing your expertise through the BIE Partnership, visit www.fccps.org or contact Marybeth Connelly at connellym@fccps.org.

703-536-8638 703-536-7564 703-532-0321 703-536-3130 703-533-1248 703-248-5601*

* Indicates TTY 711 Accessibility

PTA Home & Garden Tour Sunday

Forensic Science: An Introduction by Richard Saferstein, Prentice Hall Publishing, 2008

Falls Church Cabinetry

703-237-6931 703-534-4951

5:30 p.m. Mason @ Madison Co. (B Soccer) 7:00 p.m. Madison Co. @ Mason (G Soccer) 3

10:00 a.m. Mason @ Caroline (Track)

4

12:00 p.m. PTA Home and Garden Tour

5–9

Teacher Appreciation Week

5

5:00 p.m. Madison Co. @ Mason (Softball) 5:30 p.m. Strasburg @ Mason (G Soccer) 7:00 p.m. Special Education Advisory Comm (TJ) 7:30 p.m. Band Boosters (GM)

6

5:00 p.m. Strasburg @ Mason (Baseball/Softball) 7:00 p.m. Mason @ Strasburg (B Soccer)

7

5:00 p.m. Art Show (MD) 5:00 p.m. Mason @ Rappahannock (Track) 5:00 p.m. Clarke Co. @ Mason (G Tennis) 5:30 p.m. Park View @ Mason (G Soccer) 7:30 p.m. PTSA (GM)

8

5:00 p.m. Agnes Meyer & Support Staff Award Reception (MEH) 6:30 p.m. Family Literacy Night (MD) 7:30 p.m. JV Show (GM)

(MD) Mt. Daniel Elementary (TJ) Thomas Jefferson Elementary (MEH) Mary Ellen Henderson Middle (GM) George Mason High Check the FCCPS Web site for more calendar information. www.fccps.org

May 1 - 7, 2008

Page 54

BACK IN THE DAY dog. lazy ick qu The fox sly p e d j u m the over dog. lazy is the w No for all time cows od go me to to coaid of the pastheir Now ture.

15 s Yearo Ag

time is the all for cows good me to to coaid of the pastheir Now ture. time is the all for cows good me to to coaid of the their.

15 & 10 YEARS AGO Falls Church News-Press Vol III, No. 7 • May 6, 1993

‘After 20 Years, BSKB Law Firm Finishes Move Out Of Falls Church’ “What had been Falls Church’s second largest private sector employer has completed its move outside the city.”

“The law firm of Birch, Stewart, Kolasch and Birch (BSKB), with its 105 employees, ended a 20-year residency in Falls Church by wrapping up its move to a new site at Route 50 and Gallows Road late last month.”

Helen Thomas Continued from Page 10

written by John Yoo, a Justice Department official, who argued that military interrogators could subject detainees to harsh treatment as long as it didn’t cause “death, organ failure or permanent damage.” The memo was later rescinded.

Bush who has insisted “we do not torture” also recently vetoed legislation that explicitly banned torture. And Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., whose whole political persona has been defined by the fact that he had been tortured while a prisoner of war during the Vietnam era, supported Bush’s veto.

For both Bush and McCain, I recall the words of Joseph Welch, the special counselor for the Army during the 1954 Army-McCarthy hearings when Welch asked Sen. Joseph McCarthy, R-Wis.: “Sir, have you no sense of decency?”

We expected the usual cast of characters including Vice President Dick Cheney to be in on the sinister torture-planning sessions.

But it came as a shock that Gen. Colin Powell, then Secretary of State, sat in on the meetings and went along with the planning. Powell had

IN THE

NEWS-P PREESS

Falls Church News-Press Vol IX, No. 8 • May 6, 1998

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

CRITTER CORNER 10 Year s Ago

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

‘A TALL ORDER’ “Seven Foot, Eight inch professional basketball player and star of the movie “My Giant” George Muresan, was the guest of Falls Church News-Press owner Nicholas Benton at the 85th annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, D.C., last Saturday.”

“Muresan, formerly with the Washington Wizards, closed out his season with the New Jersery Nets.”

been on record warning against U.S. torture policies on the basis that if we mistreat our prisoners, foreign countries will feel no qualms about abusing American captives in wartime.

Once revered for his integrity, Powell has lost his halo.

Now we have this week’s testimony of Air Force Col. Morris Davis, a former chief prosecutor, who took the witness stand at Guantanamo Bay on behalf of a prisoner. Davis told how top Pentagon officials had pressured him on sensitive prosecutorial decisions for political reasons. He said he was told that the charges against well-known detainees “could have real strategic value” and that there could be no acquittals.

Davis also testified that Brig. Gen. Thomas W.

Hartmann reversed a decision he had made and insisted that prosecutors proceed with evidence they had obtained through waterboarding and other methods of torture.

Davis also testified he was told to speed up the cases to give the system legitimacy before a new president takes over in January.

Is Congress so cowed that it accepts the statements of a president who has little regard for the truth?

Is there no lawmaker who is appalled about the tarnishing of our image in world opinion? And where are the voices of the other presidential candidates who will inherit the Bush legacy of torture?

Why the silence?

I count on the American people to refuse to be shamed any more.

LOUNGING AROUND the house like a professional, Bruiser spends many days and nights relaxing on the sofa, high upon his cushy throne. From this lofty vantage point, Bruiser can spy the smallest tasty crumb dropped on the floor by his owners or be easily reached by passing humans for a little walk-by ear scratching. His humans know where to find him, so he need not get up when they call out his name. By now they know better than to even try that game. The television isn’t far away and on occasion he spends his lazy mornings sprawled out in comfort, watching Animal Planet. Bruiser dreams about taking on the big cats out in the wild, and of course, winning the battle with ease.

If you would like to see your pet here, e-mail us at crittercorner@fcnp.com or send a picture and short description to Falls Church News-Press c/o Critter Corner, 450 W. Broad St., Suite 321, Falls Church, VA 22046.

0DNH <RXU 3HW D 6WDU Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be!

© 2008 Hearst Newspapers

Your area. Your news.

Your schools. Your sports.

Your nightlife. Your “critters.”

Your timeframe.

See the News-Press any time you want.

www.fcnp.com

Snap a pic of your critter and email it to: CRITTERCORNER@FCNP.COM OR mail it to Critter Corner c/o Falls Church News-Press 450 W. Broad Street #321 Falls Church, Va 22046

Critter

Corner

Visit Us Online www.fcnp.com

News•Photos•Online Polls•Sports and More

May 1 - 7, 2008

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Accounting

Diener & Associates, CPA. . . . . . . . . 241-8807 Demeo PLLC, CPA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 931-0815 Eric C. Johnson, CPA, PC . . . . . . . . 538-2394 Mark Sullivan, CPA . . . . . . . . . . . 571-214-4511 Hahn & Associates, PC, CPAs . . . . . 533-3777

ANTIQUES & cOLLECTIBLES

Falls Church Antique Company . . . . 241-7074 Antique Annex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241-9642

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Attorneys

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Sunrise of Falls Church . . . . . . . . . . . 534-2700 Bose Law Firm: Former Police . . . . . 926-3900 Mark F. Werblood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534-9300 Phillip J. Walsh & Associates, P.C. . . 448-0073 John A. Boneta & Associates . . . . . . 536-6166 Janine S. Benton, Esq. . . . . . . . . . . . .992-9255

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Automotive

Amsoil Dealer 526099 . . . . . . . . . 580-748-0055 VA Auto Repair (Wittstatts) . . . . . . . . 533-3000 Beyer Volvo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237-5000

banking

Burke & Herbert Bank & Trust Co. . . 519-1634 BB&T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241-3505 Acacia Federal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 506-8100

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beauty

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book Binding

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BUSINESS SERVICES

Universal Beauty Supply & Salon . . . 534-7926

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Cleaning Services

Pressure Washing/Deck, Siding . . . . 980-0225 Maid Brigade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 823-1922 Carpets, Ducts, Windows . . . . . . . . . 823-1922

Clock repair

Falls Church Clockworks . . . . . . . . . . 536-6731

Computer services

home care

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home improvement

Alba Construction, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . 204-0733

Counseling

Carol S. Miller, LCSW . . . . . . . . . . . . 395-4980 Josette Millman, APRN . . . . . . . . . . . 855-0396

Dentists

Drs. William Dougherty, Julie D. Tran 532-3300 Drs. Mark A. Miller, Melanie R. Love . . 241-2911 Dr. Mike McCombs, Orthodontist . . . . 820-1011 Dr. Nimisha V. Patel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533-1993

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VA Outdoor Power Equipment . . . . . 207-2000 Ace Tool & Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 532-5600

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Eyewear

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FLorists

Point of View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237-6500 Galleria Florist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536-0770 Falls Church Florist, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . 533-1333

SS Business Brokerage . . . . . . . . . . 830-9526 Jon Rizalvo, PAYCHEX . . . . . 698-6910 x27045

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Furniture

Antique & Contemporary Restoration 241-8255

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carpet CLEANING

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Gifts

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catering

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Graphic design

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chiropractor

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health & FItness

Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536-0140

Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be!

NED Painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533-7457 James Roofing & Home Improvement 593-3383 Joseph Home Improvement . . . . . . . 507-5005 Skyline Painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 835-1101 FC Heating & Air Service . . . . . . . . . 534-0630 M.D. Painting & Decorating Co. . . . . 966-2954 DAST Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 898-8318 Shiner Roofing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 560-7663 J & S Painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448-1171 The Vinyl Touch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 793-3111

immigration services

CGA Immigration Associates, Inc. . . . 578-3556

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interior design

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jewelry

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lawn & garden

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music

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pet services

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physical therapy

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Plumbing

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Political Parties

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real estate

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tailor

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Travel

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Tutors

design2follow llc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534-1610 www.ofallthebeads.com . . . . . . . . . . . 901-3738 Weaver Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323-9351 Postage Stamp Gardens . . . . . . . . . . 629-8698 Seven Brothers Landscaping . . . . . . 241-4990 Under the Sun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534-1061 Lawn Care Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . 691-2351

masonry massage

Massage & Hair Removal . . . . . . . 571-282-4522 Healthy by Intention, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . 534-1321 Sheraton Premiere Women’s Massage 403-9328

medical

Dr Gordon Theisz, Family Medicine . 533-7555 The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy . . . 536-4042

Nationwide/Bob Pierce Agency . . . . . 241-7847 State Farm Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . 237-5105

Mottern Masonry Design . . . . . . . 571-212-1711 Jeff L. Cadle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 698-1390

Stifel & Capra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407-0770 What Works Design Group, LLC . . . . 864-2303

Human Touch Home Health . . . . . . . 531-0540

insurance

Art and Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534-4202

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Miniatures from the Attic . . . . . . . . . . . 237-0066

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Equipment REntal/Sale

Framing

Dr. Raymond Solano, drsolano.com . 536-4366

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Construction

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B.D.G. Design Catering . . . . . . . . . . . 237-2964

Hobbies & Collectibles

Systems Management Technology . 891-1491 x14 Fast Teks On-Site Computer Srvcs . . 496-7807

BCR Binders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534-9181

Mike’s Carpet Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . 978-2270

Sacred Well Yoga and Healing . . . . . 989-8316 n

Academy of Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 938-8054 Columbia Institute - Fine Arts . . . . . . 534-2508 Foxes Music Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533-7393 Dog Trainer - Nicole Kibler . . . . . . . . 593-6340 Falls Church Animal Hospital . . . . . . . .532-6121 Theracare Wellness Center . . . . . . . 560-4300 J. Nina Plumbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 571-214-3006 Falls Church Democratic Committee 534-8644 Merelyn Kaye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .790-9090x218 www.helpfulmortgage.us . . . . . . . . . . 237-0222 Casey O’Neal - ReMax . . . . . . . . . . . 824-4196 Rosemary Hayes Jones . . . . . . . . . . .790-1990 H&R Mortgage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237-0222 Leslie Hutchison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .675-2188 www.Mortgage1040.com . . . . . . . . . . 448-3508 The Young Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .356-8800 Shaun Murphy, Realtor . . . . . . . . . . 868-5999 www.TheJeffersonatBallston.com . . . 741-7562 Susan Fauber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395-8741 Tailor Lee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534-8886 All Travel & Cruises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 970-4091 Your Computer Tutor . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204-2821 Huntington Learning Center . . . . . . . 379-8810

Visit Us Online

Snap a pic of your critter and email it to: CRITTERCORNER@FCNP.COM OR mail it to Critter Corner c/o Falls Church News-Press 450 W. Broad Street #321 Falls Church, Va 22046

www.fcnp.com News•Photos•Online Polls•Sports and More

Page 56

May 1 - 7, 2008

Two Open Sunday 1-4

Sunny, mint condition gem 10 minute walk of WFC Metro! HW floors, large LR with FP, Sep DR, 22 foot updated kit, with table space. Five BR’s, 3 new Baths, great lower level Rec Rm w/ au-pair/in-law suite & full kitchenette, full bath, and huge LR/BR combo. 2 car gar. lovely landscaped 18,000 sf yard, comprised of three 40X150 foot lots. Priced $899,000 Dir: From Tysons Corners E on Broad St, L on Haycock, R on Highland to 2328

Merelyn Kaye Selling Falls Church Since 1970

Life Member, NVAR TopProducer Member 20+ Million Dollar Sales Club Top 1/2% of all Agents Nationwide

3 BR, 2 Bath Pine Springs Contemporary on beautifully landscaped private lot.. Spacious LR w/FP & beamed ceiling. Dining area has sliding glass door to deck and private rear yard Updated kitchen. Rec Room has glass block wall, FP. HW floors, large storage/laundry/work room, garage, natural wood ceilings throughout, and more! $499,000 Dir: 7 Corners: W on Rt 7, L on Wash St, L on Fairmont, R on Woodberry, L on Pine Spring

Home 241-2577 Office 790-9090 X218 Mobile 362-1112

Just Google “Merelyn” For Your Real Estate Needs

1320 Old Chain Bridge Road McLean, Virginia 22101