May 14 – 20, 2020
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FOU N D E D 1991 • V OL. X XX NO. 13
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F.C. Mayor Helps Delay N. Virginia Re-Opening Tarter Voices Region’s Consensus on Closings BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
Falls Church Mayor David Tarter was a prominent representative of the Northern Virginia region participating remotely in the press conference of Virginia Governor Ralph Northam Wednesday afternoon, speaking on behalf of the region’s request for a two-week delay in the implementation of the governor’s Phase 1 reopening strategy for the state as a whole that’s set to begin Friday. The request was granted by the governor, and the counties and cities comprising the Northern Virginia region will not commence with Phase 1 before May 29, while the rest of the state will cautiously begin opening this Friday. Tarter, speaking as mayor of Falls Church but also as the chair of the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, kicked off live video feed presentations from regional leaders, including the chairs of
Continued on Page 5
CITY OF FALLS CHURCH MAYOR David Tarter (left, on video monitor) spoke during Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s (right) news conference Wednesday to inform express that Northern Virginia’s local leaders were interested in prolonging its current Phase Zero to keep businesses closed until at least May 29. (P����: C������� G�������’� O����� �� V�������)
Site Plan Submission Set for F.C.’s West End Development Project BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
Whither the West End Development Project, the ambitious effort to densely develop the 9.7 acres upon which the soon-tobe-replaced George Mason High School footprint stands? With all else going on, where does this plan stand?
With the impressive new $120 million Mason High construction proceeding apace adjacent where this is supposed to go, and still on time for completion and occupancy by this December, the plan to demolish the old school next January and to clear the space for the big new economic development project is continuing apace, as it turns out.
It will only be a couple of weeks before City Hall will be treated to a completed, revised and submitted “special exception site plan,” the document that details the whole project, including its two phases, with specifics on building designs and public space amenities. An initial effort at previewing the warehouse-like building design
plans being unveiled before a joint meeting of the Falls Church City Council, Planning Commission and Economic Development Authority last December was met with mixed reviews at best. The quasi-dystopian look did not, a number of participants suggested, jibe with the inherent opti-
Continued on Page 4
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Falls Church police this week arrested the man allegedly responsible for a string of incidents over the past few weeks. He allegedly either followed or chased after women on both the W&OD Trail and through residential neighborhoods.
Health practitioners agree that a daily walk is essential to warding off the novel cornavirus’ side effect of cabin fever. This two-mile walk featuring wooded pathways to historical landmarks and the city’s downtown district encompasses all Falls Church has to offer.
INDEX Editorial............................................... 6 Letters.......................................... 6, 19 News & Notes............................10–11 Comment ............................... 7,12–13 Calendar ........................................... 14 Business News ................................. 15 Classified Ads ................................... 16 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword ......... 17 Critter Corner.................................... 18 Crime Report .................................... 18
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
PAGE 2 | MAY 14 - 20, 2020
BECOME A MEMBER OF THE NEWS-PRESS & HELP US KEEP COMMUNITY JOURNALISM ALIVE & WELL IN THE LITTLE CITY. Since 1991, the News-Press has been on a mission to provide independent and honest journalism to the Falls Church community. We recognize and appreciate the support the City, its businesses and residents have shown us for the past 29 years. Now, we need your help to con�nue with our mission. If you find value in our work and believe the News-Press contributes to the be�erment of the Falls Church community, please consider becoming a member today and help us keep you informed on all the happenings — big and small — in The Li�le City. Never before has the fight to ensure a free press been more important.
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PAGE 4 | MAY 14 – 20, 2020
West End Developer Says Site’s New Plans Feature ‘Quite Different’ Look
Continued from Page 1
mism and renaissance feel of being part of a wider educational campus that will not only have the new high school next to it, but also an expanded Virginia Tech property, also being planned now, as well. In an interview with the NewsPress last week, Evan Goldman of EYA and Robin Bettarel of Hoffman, representatives of two of the three entities working together on the plan (Regency being the third), said that the architecture on the site has been revised to be “quite different,” as the new site plan will reveal when it is submitted in a couple of weeks. But the big questions surround the viability of the project in the face of the extraordinary events that have occurred since December, the Covid-19 pandemic and the shutdown of the economy starting in early March. Given the dependency on revenues from the project to pay for the new high school being built,
its viability in this new environment is a matter of no small concern for City officials, much less the developers themselves. But Goldman and Bettarel expressed confidence in their News-Press interview that everything will be OK, since it is going to be four years before their project is completed and open for business. There is less concern for the residential components of the project than for the retail and especially the office space component. Perhaps with this in mind, the developers want in their new site plan to move the office building in Phase 1 closer to Route 7 to face more directly onto that corridor. They’ve presented the idea to some City staff, which is how it got before the City Council for some discussion two weeks ago. The problem is that adjusting the position of the building will impact the parking space that was planned to be shared with the high school.
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“This project is like a puzzle in that if you move one piece and you then have to move all the others to get everything to fit right,” Goldman said. He said he is confident that the minor change to their plan will meet with approval from the City Council, which, of course, is concerned that the project performs well. One impact of the building position change is that the wide, open commons space that will run the width of the project from Route 7 with the idea of coming through the Virginia Tech site to lead directly to the West Falls Church Metro station will be moved 20 feet east. “There will still be a lot of demand for our space,” Betterel said, noting that whatever else, “the housing shortage crisis will not be going away.” Goldman added that “we fully intend to hold up to our end of the bargain” for the ambitious project — it will include a hotel, a performance space, a senior housing
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
building, residential condos, rentals and micro-units, retail, restaurants, a major grocery store and open space — despite the interruption that the current pandemic has caused. If need be, he said, “This is far enough off that we will be able to take stock and figure out how to adapt to take advantage of the market. It will happen.” The developers have asked City Hall to assemble a small group of influential leaders to preview the site plan before its formal submission and to offer suggestions on some of its elements sometime in the next couple of weeks.
COVID-19 UPDATE In the last week, starting from Thursday, May 7 and going until Wednesday, May 13, the Virginia Department of Health has updated its coronavirus data for the City of Falls Church to include 39 total cases (+3 from last week), including nine hospitalized and 4 deaths (no change from last week). The Fairfax Health District, which the City is a part of, has 6,755 total cases (+1,639 from last week), including 1,015 hospitalized (+169) and 269 deaths (+51).
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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MAY 14 – 20, 2020 | PAGE 5
Head of Chamber, EDA to Join F.C.’s Reopening Working Group Continued from Page 1
Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Arlington, Prince William counties and the mayor of Alexandria. They were all broadcast onto a large video screen at the governor’s thrice-weekly live press conference in Richmond. Mayor Tarter’s remote video presentation originated at the Falls Church City Hall. In his remarks, Tarter cited the extraordinary level of consensus and cooperation among the regional entities in collectively seeking the delay based on the fact that the area has not yet been able to meet the five criteria set by the governor as preconditions for entering Phase 1. They are a 14-day downward trend of positive cases as a percentage of those tested, a 14-day downward trend in hospitalizations, assurances of adequate hospital beds and personal protective equipment supplies and an increase in testing and tracing capabilities. Tarter said, “Our public health directors have kept us
informed about the coronavirus data and advised us on the best measures to keep our citizens safe, and we have come together as a region to provide a unified response.” He added, “We thank Gov. Northam for his willingness to listen and act on our behalf, recognizing that one size does not fit all when it comes to the complex work of saving lives and livelihood.” In a telephone interview with the News-Press after the press conference, Tarter said reaching such a solid consensus among regional leaders was the outgrowth of lengthy twice-weekly phone conferences led by the NVRC that often included over 40 officials and key staff persons on the call. Northam acknowledged the unity in issuing his Executive Order excluding the Northern Virginia region from tomorrow’s Phase 1 opening elsewhere in the state, and said it was also out of consideration for the efforts of the region working with the leaders of the District of Columbia and Maryland to “be on the
same page” with respect to a wider regional response. Neither Washington, D.C. or Maryland have yet indicated a timetable for loosening strict efforts to contain the virus. Tarter told the News-Press that the regional conference calls will continue and data will be evaluated as the current twoweek extension period proceeds toward the end of the month. Decisions among the regional leaders will be made as the May 29 deadline approaches based on progress on the governor’s five criteria as to whether the region can be moved from Phase Zero to Phase 1 at that time. Phase 1 policies that are delayed here include an ability for restaurants to serve customers on site at a 50 percent capacity in outdoor dining spaces, houses of worship and retail businesses to allow attendance up to 50 percent of capacity, salons and barber shops insuring social distancing practices, with facemasks required for personnel in restaurants and salons. These would come with bans on assemblies of more than 10
persons and none of all that will be permitted in this region for another two weeks at least. But City of Falls Church officials reiterated the City’s policy of enthusiastically encouraging local residents to avail themselves of the “Grab and Go” capabilities of 58 different restaurants in the City to prepare food for pickup or delivery, and for Small Business Saturday initiatives to include gift cards, curbside pickups and the fact the Farmers Market will be open for pickup of fresh produce, meat and dairy by pre-order. Northam announced yesterday that plans are afoot to expand testing capabilities in the state, including the involvement of Walmart and other drug stores and pharmacies as locations for tests available to the public. Meanwhile, the deadline is this Friday for small businesses in the City to apply for microgrants courtesy of the City’s Economic Development Authority. As for the City’s preparations for the now-delayed Phase 1 opening, city manager Wyatt
Shields told the City Council Monday that he’s adding both Sally Cole, executive director of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce and Bob Young, chair of the Economic Development Authority, to his reopening implementation working group, which is currently composed solely of City staff. Shields added that the City’s Department of Recreation and Parks is developing “virtual” Community Center events as well as events for Cherry Hill Park, and the temporary digs of the Mary Riley Styles Public Library is enjoying a major increase in requests for new library cards. A decision is expected by June 1 on whether any summer camps will be held, contingent on the region’s ability to move into Phase 2 of the governor’s reopening plans in time. Shields also urged citizens to resist the temptation to overburden the City’s recycling centers with non-recyclable items. There has been a surge that officials assume is related to stay-at-home house cleanings.
PAGE 6 | MAY 14 – 20, 2020
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E D I TO R I A L
Thank You, Jody Fellows!
When called upon to comment on what departing managing editor Jody Fellows has meant to the Falls Church News-Press over the past 24 years of the paper’s 30 years’ existence this week, Jody’s last with us, our editor was left to express, “Words can’t express…” But words are our business, so we shall try. As Jody has written so eloquently in social media posts on the subject of his imminent departure from here, he’s a true native son of Falls Church. He went through the entire K-12 school system here, and that was extended in a seamless way to his career at the News-Press when he was recruited to work part time at the end of his senior year. He came at the recommendation of another George Mason High School student recruited for his tech savvy, his friend Lucas Hardi. (We couldn’t afford full time employees back then and relied on smart high school students frequently recommended by English teacher Michael Hoover, who wrote a weekly column for us in those years). Not surprisingly in terms of the big picture, Hoover’s amazing legacy of 30+ years at Mason has been taken up by his successor, current English teacher Peter Laub, who was another News-Press high school part-timer who, like Jody, wound up working a couple of years full time here after college. Jody worked here every summer and during holiday breaks as he made his way through the West Virginia University, and after he graduated, he accepted a full-time job here in the spring of 2001, the first ever offered after 10 years by our founder and editor. The long-and-short is that Jody did not disappoint. He trained himself in every aspect of doing a local weekly community newspaper, running the gamut from operating the messy and cumbersome hot waxer (when the layouts were cut and pasted onto paper sheets) to mastering online layout techniques. Even more importantly, he became an invaluable collaborator in the management of the whole operation, including in the hiring and mentoring of staff members. Over his years here, he married and has had three bright and cheery children supported by his News-Press employment. (Coincidentally, his high school friend Lucas has also had three children, all boys to Jody’s all girls, and has contributed a highly regarded City Council member, his wife Letty, too). All of this is so very Falls Church. We remain a small hometown newspaper, but we are the “mighty” Falls Church News-Press, and with the indispensable contribution of Jody Fellows, increasingly highly regarded in the region, if for no other reason than that we’ve survived through the terrible downsizing of newspapers generally, including in this region. All Falls Church is going to miss the contributions of Jody Fellows. We ask our readers to join us in expressing a deep appreciation for what he’s done, along with sincerest best wishes for his life and family going forward.
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Thank You Falls Church for Keeping Farmers Market Open Editor, My husband and I own Black Rock Orchard in Lineboro, Maryland. We have been coming to the Falls Church Farmers Market to sell our fruit for more than 25 years. The market has a loyal following. Falls Church customers have shown up in the past to see us through trials of bad weather, poor crops or worker
shortages. The Covid virus presented an unanticipated challenge. When Howard Herman told us that the market would have to close unless it changed into a preorder Grab and Go system, we were desperately unprepared. Some of our markets suddenly closed while others opened to a much smaller base of customers.
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It didn’t seem possible to redesign our business model so quickly. A farmers market depends on customers coming for person to person contact with farmers, browsing displays, and hanging out with family and friends. Online sales are the antithesis to customer service. We trusted Howard Herman and frankly, we were glad to have a goal. We bagged up our apples and organized an online store. We expected the difficulty to be the customer response, not the computer technology. What happened next should not have been so surprising. We
received an outpouring of online orders, more than we could process efficiently. The Falls Church customers showed us that they cared enough about buying local produce to stand in line twice, once to get into market and again while I searched for their names on my preorder list. Each week, they reorder again. Each week, Howard Herman shows up at 6:30 a.m. wearing shorts (and a mask). He sets a good example. It is reassuring to see him there each week in such a different market atmosphere. It
Letters Continued on Page 19
CO MME NT
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
MAY 14 – 20, 2020 | PAGE 7
G � � � � C � � � � � �� �� A Poem To Help Make Sense of These Uncertain Times B� D������ T�����
We are commemorating another (sliding) 50 year mark of historical events. Anyone alive from JFK in 1963, to Kent State in 1970, feels “today” rhymes with “then.” We are in an existential epic at this same time. Mute everyday, stalled, communications between us not quite a call to arms. There is a City on a Hill, somewhere, to each of us. I hope my perspective will speak to you here and there. Activism is not defeated! Our well-honed tools: Ingenuity, aspiration, patriotism and engagement must be unpacked out loud. Our cause-oriented generation of 75 million souls may seem dormant. But as Lawrence O’Donnell has said, “We are not going to go out quietly.” After you read my poen, “Ohio Girls” I hope it makes it easier to understand how and when we found our voice. Ohio Girls Ask Not, ringing, my heart beating sad. Goodbye Ohio, Goodbye Daddy. Ask Not, he said. I pledge Allegiance… Oh beautiful for purple skies… A Torch passed, from my Father, then my President, to me. A Perrysburg Girl, of 1949 Boomer Mere Millions. Ideas reigned without a drop. A Cold War far away said “Hide Under Your Desks.” Our third grade Fear imprinted young. Twenty small bodies, folded in
half…foreshortened like Tintoretto’s. Ask Not rings over me, now 14. It’s fall outside, raining. A normal Freshman Day. No? Wait! A wrong turn, where am I? Underneath the high round clock in my cafeteria, between engagements with Reality,
“Our cause-oriented generation of 75 million souls may seem dormant. But as Lawrence O’Donnell has said, ‘We are not going to go out quietly.’” were solid stone walls, bland, institutional, without affect. Transom windows trimmed in green, supervised. High above me, to the left of the clock, a dark voice of Authority, said Otherworldly words. It mushed me against the wall I leaned on. Dear Life! Ask Not! I promised! Standing sickened, afraid, faint, weak… slowly I felt my way along…hand over hand, like a bucket brigade without water. I clung til safety. “The Shot Heard ‘Round the World!” How did I get home that day? Inside, our black and white TV emitted calm sounds.
Only instead, it was oozing like The Blob. It was coming to smother me. A shared national Trauma, a shock, too big to be familiar, felt foreign, monstrous, Dear Uncle Walter, he looks up for the time. “The President has died at 1 p.m. in Dallas, 2 p.m. Eastern.” He looks down, takes off his thick black glasses, wipes his tears, putting them back on quickly, as if he snapped out of a reverie. As if blocking his tears would make him less than our Giant. Death in our weather, storms in our veins, 57 noisy, beckoning years, going strong. We mourned as one with our country, strewn about on our floors, glued to JFK’s funeral. Lincoln’s riderless Black Jack did his honors, stirrups’ boots facing backward, a riveting ceremony unfolded in downtown Washington. John-John saluting as his young Daddy passes…I cry Daddyless, in pain, in honor of our President. We held on, endured, for his sake, til he, too, stood a man and died. Paul Simon sat in the dark in his tub. “Hello Darkness My Old Friend”.…in mournful death knell tones. Always too many reasons to protest; they were dropping like bombs. Our marches, our Martin, our Bobby, our beaux and brothers..no rest til we fix. No rest til they hear: “Thank God Almighty, I’m Free at Last..!” Batons to our heads in Chicago, we say a little prayer. We protest. We walk to Woodstock, we walk to school. Escalation.
Peace without Honor, their mantra. End it, end it. My Lai, Cambodia. Did they still think we were kidding? My Asian prom date had a high number, so his friends drove him to a flight to Europe. By 1970, we were 21, and still we marched. It was our consciousness coast to coast. Another grassy knoll breathed beneath us, an eerie undercurrent. Ask Not! Wait! Mary’s screaming, kneeling questions, heard ‘round the world, God, why?! A mere Ohio Girl, a visitor, the dead lying still before her. Insane, dishonorable war. Brought to Ohio, on a stop around the world. Mary’s open face was snapped up into a Pulitzer, where no sounds need apply. Murdered, we say, just like Over There. A Greek chorus of the Furies, still on the stage of our memories…Is it possible, the tragedy, the fallen Prince, was only seven years ago? Kent State was America’s last straw. Our troubled waters, our gangplanks, our Stairways to Heaven. Edvard Munch, the painter of “The Scream,” forewarned us, in color and dread. His fine brushstroke, laying thin colors of alienation and fear, lives again in Mary’s face. His pain of another wartime finds us anew. I Ask Not, still. Daddy’s hole in my heart moved over, making room for my fallen Hero. Dorothy Teipel is a resident of the City of Falls Church
Q������� �� ��� W��� Do you support Gov. Ralph Northam’s decision to delay N. Virginia’s opening? • Yes
• No
Last Week’s Question: Should eligible Falls Church businesses reopen on May 15?
52% Need more time
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The News-Press welcomes readers to send in submissions in the form of Letters to the Editor & Guest Commentaries. Letters to the Editor should be no more than 350 words and writers are limited to one appearance every four weeks. Guest Commentaries should be no more than 800 words and writers are limited to one appearance every four months. Because of space constraints, not all submissions will be published. All submissions to the News-Press should be original, unpublished content. We reserve the right to edit submissions for length, grammar and accuracy. All submissions should include writer’s name, address, phone and e-mail address if available.
PAGE 8 | MAY 14 - 20, 2020
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Fa l l s C h u r c h
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
NEWS BRIEFS F.C. Pitches for 2 Transportation Grants Tonight Two projects in Falls Church that the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) could award grants for tonight are the subject of a push for public support in F.C., including a strong letter of support voted unanimously by the F.C. School Board at its meeting Tuesday insofar as the projects impact student safety. Both projects, the West Falls Church Connection to W&OD Trail and the Downtown Falls Church Multimodal Improvements, also support economic growth, expand the City’s transportation network, and reduce congestion, according to F.C. City officials. In addition to letters and phone calls, citizens can sign up to provide in-person testimony at tonight’s virtual meeting of the NVTA beginning at 6:55 p.m. tonight.
Arrest Made in W&OD Trail Harassment Case Falls Church police this week arrested the man allegedly responsible for a string of incidents over the past few weeks. He allegedly either followed or chased after women on both the W&OD Trail and through residential neighborhoods. Lamar Dontae McCarthy, a 23- year-old from Stafford, was charged with assault for his latest instance on Saturday, authorities said. Police said a woman called them from the Grove Avenue crossing of the W&OD Trail that day to report that McCarthy had chased after her. According to the police, the woman stated that she saw a man in a red hooded sweatshirt suddenly stop his vehicle and begin sprinting at her. The woman changed direction several times to try and elude the man, police said, but McCarthy continued to chase her. Police said that she eventually ran to her home and called the authorities, where she gave a description of McCarthy and his vehicle. Officers said they located and pulled over McCarthy in the car described. He confirmed the incident on the trail and was arrested, per the police. The police said they confirmed that McCarthy was also involved in two previous cases in the City of Falls Church, such as the May 4 incident previously reported in the News-Press where the suspect was described as wearing a red hoodie. “I admire the bravery of this woman who did everything right,” Falls Church Chief of Police Mary Gavin said via a news release. “She was aware of her surroundings, she acted quickly to evade a dangerous assault, and she found a safe place to call the police immediately. I am also proud of the quick-acting officers who found the suspect in his vehicle and made the arrest.”
F.C. School Board Copes With Shrunken Budget The Falls Church School Board took a final look at revisions to a once-promising budget that now has been hit by the Coved-19 global pandemic. In total, FY2021 revenues are projected to be $2.4 million lower than the Board’s original advertised budget. The City Council is scheduled to adopt its budget on May 26th, with the school board finalizing its plan in a special meeting on May 28th.
Del. Simon Wins 2 Major Appointments The Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates Eileen Filler-Corn has appointed Falls Church Delegate Marcus Simon to the Virginia Code Commission and Virginia Housing Commission effective this week, it was announced. Simon will serve as one of two House members on the Code Commission and one of five on the Housing Commission for the remainder of his current term in the House. “I’m grateful to the speaker for her confidence in me, and look forward to the opportunity to contribute to the important legislative and policy work these commissions do throughout the year,” said Simon in a statement. “Our 60 and 45 day legislative sessions are far too short to take deep dives on important issues. Legislative commissions exist to allow us to take on some of the stickier, and wonkier, issues that don’t always make for splashy headlines. The legislative session we just finished was historic by any measure, and there is even more to come. I’m excited to be a part of the conversation.” Comprising 11 members, the Virginia Housing Commission is tasked with addressing the issue of affordable housing in Virginia.
GMHS Student Video Hails Pandemic Heroes “The Polka Caprice” by Jaroslay Cimera is performed on a “Music of the Heart” YouTube video channel by George Mason High School students Alec Autor on trombone and Jenny Kong on piano in dedication to the Coved-19 pandemic’s essential workers. The YouTube channel was created by the Mason student musicians dedicating their performances to heroes of the pandemic in Falls Church.
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Community News & Notes McLean Center Cancels Summer Events, Camps
CH-CH-CH-CH-CHANGES. The lives of George Mason High School seniors are making tremendous steps forward, and under once-in-a-lifetime circumstances to boot. The coronavirus pandemic has forced them to have a virtual graduation instead of the traditional one at DAR Constitution Hall. To accommodate that, the graduates picked up their caps and gowns in drive-thru fashion last Friday in order to celebrate their achievement in appropriate style. (Photo: J. Michael Whalen)
AT THE TYSONS STATION SHOPPING CENTER on Leesburg Pike, Trader Joe’s is adding 2,000 more feet of retail space, taking over what used to be a sportswear shop next door, and adding more stockroom and break room space to the rear. (Photo: Patricia Leslie)
To help keep the community healthy and to comply with Virginia Governor Northam’s executive orders to help prevent the spread of Covid-19, the McLean Community Center (MCC) Governing Board, in cooperation with MCC staff recommendations, has decided to cancel many of the center’s summer programs and events, including the already-canceled McLean Day (scheduled for Saturday, May 16) and the July 4th Fireworks Celebration held at Langley High School. MCC also is canceling its full-day summer camps, including Camp McLean and The Old Firehouse Summer Camp Trips, and is providing all patrons who have registered for camps a full refund. Without the ability to hire staff, prepare activities and meet licensing requirements, the center is unable to offer these programs. MCC has chosen to announce this decision now to allow patrons and their families the opportunity to make alternative summer plans. MCC Executive Director George Sachs said, “Depending on the health of our community, we may be able to offer a limited number of special activities in late summer. We will be offering, at no-cost, two- or three-day virtual activities during the time when we would have been holding camps.” The center plans to send patrons an update on its alternative summer programs and offerings as soon as details and information are available. Patrons and residents also can look for updates on the center’s website (www.mcleancenter.org) and social media platforms. For more information, call the center at 703-790-0123, TTY: 711, or visit the website, www.mclean-
center.org. For Old Firehouse activities, call 703-448-8336. For The Alden Box Office, call 703790-9223.
Summer Academy Classes Offered at Mason High George Mason High School students have the opportunity to select from a variety of Hybrid (Hy-C) courses for new credit, credit recovery or continuation for sessions offered through the Summer Academy. Parents can register students for new credit courses using the 2020 Summer Academy gm.fccps.org/o/gmhs/ page/2020-summer-academy. Registration closes at the end of the school day, Thursday, May 21st. Parents will be sent an email to confirm their student’s registration once registration closes.
Mason Senior Named Semifinalist in Nat’l Program Colter Adams, a graduating senior at George Mason High School, has been named one of 621 semifinalists in the 2020 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. The semifinalists were selected from nearly 5,600 candidates expected to graduate from U.S. high schools in the year 2020. Inclusion in the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, now in its 56th year, is one of the highest honors bestowed upon graduating high school seniors. Scholars are selected on the basis of superior academic and artistic achievements, leadership qualities, strong character and involvement in community and school activities. A distinguished panel of educators have reviewed these submissions and selected 621 semifinalists. The Commission on Presidential Scholars, a group of up to 32 eminent citizens appointed by the President, will select the final-
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The News-Press is always on the lookout for photos & items for Community News & Notes, School News & Notes and other sections of the paper. If you graduate, get married, get engaged, get an award, start a club, eat a club, tie your shoes, have a birthday, have a party, host an event or anything else you think is worth being mentioned in the News-Press, write it up and send it to us! If you have a photo, even better! Because of the amount of submissions we receive, we cannot guarantee all submissions will be published, but we’ll try our best!
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ists, and the U.S. Department of Education will announce the Scholars in May. Scholars will be invited to Washington, DC, for several days in June to receive the Presidential Scholar Medallion at a recognition ceremony and to participate in events and activities. For more information about the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, parents and students can call the U.S. Presidential Scholars Office at 507.931.8345, or send an e-mail to PSP@scholarshipamerica.org.
Local Merit Scholarship Winners Announced National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced this year’s National Merit $2500 Scholarship winners. The 2,500 Merit Scholar designees were chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 outstanding Finalists in the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program. National Merit $2500 Scholarship winners are the Finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors. These scholars were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who appraised a substantial amount of information submitted by both the Finalists and their high schools: the academic record, including difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®); contributions and leadership in school and com-
MAY 14 – 20, 2020 | PAGE 11
munity activities; an essay written by the Finalist; and a recommendation written by a high school official. Below are the winners from local areas Falls Church — Sabrina J. Cai (Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology) and Niharika Singhvi (George Mason High School) McLean — Charlotte C. Gidley (Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, Maryland), Joshua M. Gong (TJHSST), Jeffrey Pei (Langley High School), Katherine Rose Plaza (Potomac School), Emily Wang (TJHSST), Karina C. Wugang (Langley High School) and Richard Zhan (TJHSST).
Beech Tree Elementary Parent Helps with Masks When Beech Tree Elementary School mom Van Nguyen heard about the shortage of medical face masks, she began using her sewing skills to help out. Her original goal was to make 20 face masks, but after posting about her project on social media, she received requests from local medical professionals to make more. Beech Tree fifth grader Caroline heard about Nguyen’s project and decided to put her own sewing skills to the test. Caroline, taught by her mother, Elizabeth, and YouTube tutorials, began sewing when school was first shut down on March 13. Her initial project was a gift for Beech Tree’s music teacher, who is expecting a baby. Caroline said she began making face maskes when she was trying to help provide needed supplies to local physicians. Nguyen is grateful for donations she has received to purchase
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THE WOMAN’S CLUB OF MCLEAN donated $5,000 to the McLean Volunteer Fire Department. In gratitude, Volunteer Department President Kay Hartgrove noted that the funds “will be used to provide high-quality fire, rescue, emergency services, and life safety education to the McLean community.” From left (while social distancing): President of the McLean Volunteer Fire Department Kay Hartgrove, McLean Woman’s Club president Cecilia Glembocki, and club members and officers Karen Moore and Kay Burnell. (P����: C������� L���� S�������) filters for the face masks. She has personally made 20. Caroline has completed three face masks and has 30 more in production.
Area Students Shine in Art & Writing Contest Eighteen Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) students
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earned 19 national medals in the 2020 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards program. National medalists will be celebrated at an award ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City in June. Select national award-winning work will be included in an exhibition in New York, as well as a traveling exhibition over the com-
ing year. Locally, Colin Page of Falls Church High School won a gold medal in video game design. Other winners from nearby schools were Miranda Kashynski from Justice High School and Eve Lowery, also from FCHS, who both won silver medals in digital art.
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A Penny for Your Thoughts
News of Greater Falls Church By Supervisor Penny Gross
“To re-open, or not to re-open” may be a poor paraphrase of Hamlet, but it definitely seems to be the question of the week, or perhaps the month. It’s been 10 weeks since Fairfax County schools closed; 10 weeks since life changed for most Northern Virginia residents, and 10 weeks since many got their most recent haircut (or dye job)! Ten weeks with little or no traffic, 10 weeks of cleaner air, and 10 weeks of wondering “how much longer will this go on?” Whether as parents of students, or via Zoom conferences for work or keeping in touch with distant family and friends, nearly everyone is figuring out distance learning, how to mute and unmute microphones, and especially how to arrange the camera to avoid looking at nostrils and ceilings. After one virtual meeting, I asked a participant about the curious wall hanging behind him. He confessed it was a virtual backdrop, not actual artwork. I so want to believe that the bookcases and art shown in virtual meetings reflect the real tastes and personalities of participants, not just virtual props selected to impress. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam is balancing the “Hamlet” question with the scientific data provided by the Virginia Department of Health and local health departments. At the same time, there is pressure from some to re-open right away, despite what the metrics tell him. He provided a blueprint for easing of the public health restrictions already in place: a downward trend of positive tests over a 14-day period; a similar downward trend in hospitalizations over 14 days: enough hospital beds and intensive care capacity; an increasing and sustainable supply of personal protective equipment (PPE); and increased testing and contact tracing. In Northern Virginia, the Health Directors indicated that they are either unable to assess those metrics, or the metrics, as outlined, are unmet. Based on that assessment, the Health Directors said that Northern Virginia has not met the criteria for moving into Phase One tomorrow. That is why several Northern Virginia leaders, whose jurisdictions account for 70 percent of the Commonwealth’s positive Covid-19 cases, asked the governor to consider their perspectives on any re-
opening decisions he must make. Northern Virginia is the economic engine of the Commonwealth, but that engine has been mostly off-line for months. Re-opening is not as simple as putting the key in the ignition, and returning to daily life as it was before Covid-19. It must be phased, unhurried, and with appropriate PPE. Most importantly, it must be safe, and adhere to the outlined metrics. Northern Virginia isn’t there yet. More time is needed, and governor Northam announced on Tuesday that Northern Virginia localities can delay implementation of Phase One until midnight on Thursday, May 28. Hunger is a significant outgrowth of Covid-19. For many of our neighbors, especially those who may not qualify for unemployment benefits, job loss intensifies what already was a delicate balance of paying rent and putting food on the table. An extra “Stuff the Bus” food drive is underway, to fill the shelves of 10 local nonprofits’ food pantries. On Saturday, May 16, and Tuesday, May 19, Fastran buses will be parked at county facilities, not grocery stores, to collect donations of nonperishable foods. From 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. each day, buses will be at the Mason District Governmental Center, 6507 Columbia Pike in Annandale, the Woodrow Wilson Library, 6101 Knollwood Drive in Falls Church, and the James Lee Community Center, 2855 Annandale Road, also in Falls Church. Please be as generous as your means will allow. As noted last week, the purple dumpsters for glass recycling have returned to service. Handy hint: take your glass for recycling when you bring nonperishable foods to Stuff the Bus at the Mason District Governmental Center. Sadly, a casualty of Covid-19 appears to be at least some of the free summer concerts in the parks. The Fairfax County Park Authority announced the cancellation of all concerts scheduled for June, and will reassess conditions to determine if the July and August concerts can be held. Stay safe, and healthy. Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
From the Front Row: Kaye Kory’s
Richmond Report As many of you are aware, I have been working on criminal justice reform, particularly as it relates to incarcerated women, for several years. The number of women incarcerated across the country has risen significantly in the last 25 years at a pace twice that rate of men. The number continues to climb while the number of incarcerated men has held steady or declined. In a 2019 report released by the ACLU, 231,000 women were incarcerated in the U.S., making our country first in the world in incarcerating women. Eighty percent of these women are mothers, and most are primary caretakers of their children. There are over 5 million children in the U.S. whose mothers are incarcerated. Our prison system, here in Virginia, and across the country, was not built to accommodate women and hasn’t changed very much even as the numbers of women inmates has increased substantially. Just before the last session began I met with a group of recently-released women who wanted to talk to me about the conditions they had experienced while imprisoned. The list of grievances they presented to me was long and detailed. At one point in our conversation I told them that the issues they presented seemed to be overwhelming and asked where I should start. To a women, they said “make menstrual products free and available upon request”. I took a minute to recover from learning that imprisoned women had to pay for menstrual products; but then agreed to file a bill mandating free menstrual products in prisons and jails in Virginia.
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Thanks to my aggressive educational campaign, HB83 passed the House unanimously. Sadly, not unanimous in the Senate, but it did pass. I soon learned that Virginia was the first state in the nation to mandate menstrual products to be provided at no cost! This year I followed up with HB1648 which mandated specific health support for pregnant inmates and specific training of the correctional officers assigned to work with them. I am pleased to be able to say that this bill passed and will become effective July 1st this year. When Covid-19 descended upon us, I realized that pregnant inmates, as well as other vulnerable prisoners, would need special protection from the coronavirus. I wrote to the governor on April 15 requesting actions that would provide this protection from medical co-pays in prison to early release to widespread testing in correctional facilities. I did not receive a response, but the governor did add language to a Budget Amendment that would allow the Department of Corrections to develop a plan of early release to protect the health of vulnerable prisoners. We passed this Amendment on April 22 at the Reconvene session. I have read the procedures developed and to my dismay, there was no mention of pregnancy or of primary caretaker warranting special attention during this health emergency. I think that more legislation is needed. Delegate Kory represents the 38th District in the Virginia House of Delegates. She may be emailed at DelKKory@house. virginia.gov.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
GOP Death Cult Unleashes the Virus
Tuesday’s remarkable three-and-a-half hour hearing that featured Dr. Anthony Fauci and other public health experts before the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee set in stark relief three currents in American politics today involved in determining the future of the nation now in its most dangerous crisis since the Civil War, the Covid-19 pandemic. On one of the three sides were Fauci and his public health allies along with key Democratic senators on the committee. Fauci spoke forcefully warning against the deadly threat of reopening the U.S. economy too soon, as is currently beginning to happen in states all across the land even as the cases of the highly-conFALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS tagious and deadly virus continue to grow and the number of deaths in the U.S. rises past 80,000. On the second side present at the hearing were an array of other senators, including many Republicans, who were honestly trying to grasp what was being said and how to evaluate an appropriate response. They included Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, among others. On the third side was the GOP Death Cult, which was represented by only one senator, Rand Paul of Kentucky, but whose point of view reflected that of President Trump and other key GOP lawmakers. Actually, there are only two other hard core Death Cult U.S. senators, and they were not on the committee and therefore not in the hearing. They are Sen. Mitch McConnell, like Paul also from Kentucky, and Sen. Lindsey Graham from South Carolina. There are numerous more Death Cult members in the House of Representatives and in high level public offices at the state level. In the hearing Paul argued for the Swedish approach, which has taken no measures to contain the virus in the name of generating a so-called “herd immunity” that, in theory, leads to the dying out of the pandemic when enough people are exposed to the virus and recover, developing at least a temporary immunity through the formation of antibodies that naturally arise in the body to fight off the infection. The Swedish approach is, it could be argued, a social experiment designed to see how well a society could tolerate the explosive loss of life that surely resulted, although the lives lost tended to be restricted to those most vulnerable, including the elderly and those with preexisting conditions that weakened their systems such that the virus could overwhelm and kill them. This radical “survival of the fittest” policy is little better than fascist euthansia, but since it is couched in bogus health science terms, it is accepted by too many unthinking people. No wonder Paul touted this approach at the Senate hearing, and said it should be applied to children, as well, so that schools should reopen without delay this fall even though, Fauci warned, strange new manifestations of serious illness resulting from the virus have begun to show up in children. It is not sensationalist hyperbole that lies behind coining the term “Death Cult,” but a frightening reality that has come to grip America thanks to Trump and Fox News controllers. It is also not extreme to call it a foreign intelligence operation run by the Russians that succeeded in getting their Manchurian Candidate puppet placed in the White House accompanied by his Red Sparrow spouse. Russian psychological warfare is an outgrowth of an extreme form of nihilist, anti-science prejudice that gained a toe-hold in Western culture in the last sixty years. Our current predicament was foretold on Trump’s first day in office when his sorry press secretary insisted that black was white, that millions had attended the inaugural, before a stunned White House press corps. That was the cult in full force on Day One, and it has only gotten worse from there. The Russians cultivated this particular form of “gaslighting” (a softer term than “brainwashing”) in their creation of scores of mind-altering cults from the 1950s through the 1970s, including the Jim Jones Death Cult in Jonestown where over 900 committed mass suicide. The GOP Death Cult still runs roughshod over science, promoting Lysol as a cure and unleashing the virus as thousands of Americans bow. Nicholas Benton may be emailed at nfbenton@fcnp.com.
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Nicholas F. Benton
Our Man in Arlington By Charlie Clark
Come with me on a virtual tour of Arlington’s secret passageways. Scattered across our sainted subdivisions are nook and cranny straight-aways with no names. They’re not on most maps. You sort of have to know them to take advantage; locals prefer it that way. My neighbor John Mingus pointed one out. If you venture between houses at N. 27th and Kensington streets, you find a paved, fenced-off passageway in a no man’s land. It allows strollers to travel from the Yorktown neighborhood to the Rock Spring neighborhood in seconds flat. (You also behold one homeowner’s nice Native American-style carved tree.) In Rock Spring, you’ll find another woodsy walkway interrupting N. George Mason Dr. between Yorktown Blvd. and Little Falls St. It is well maintained, with two footbridges, but no signs. At Lee Highway near George Mason Dr. I spotted the residential footpath alongside the radio tower. I discovered the secret path in Arlingtonwood the hard way. Years ago for a meeting at Chain Bridge, I stupidly walked down the hill of Old Glebe Rd. to reach the spit of land next to the trafficy bridge. Danger, no sidewalks! Only later I learned of safer passage at the 4000 block of N. Randolph St., marked as part of a bike path. I asked Ritch Viola, bicycle
and pedestrian programs manager in Arlington’s Environmental Services Department, how these passageways evolved. Perhaps developers, in different eras and with separate subdivisions, carved out residential lots with some leftover strips? Then homeowners teamed up to formalize the short cuts? “Each one probably has its own story,” Viola said. Sometimes, a builder is “asked to set aside a public easement of five or 10- feet owned by the county or shared privately. In some cases it’s formal, to create a short-cut so kids can walk to school. We look for opportunities.” With his help, I ventured to other “secret passageways.” In Arlington Forest, I found an off-the-beaten track fenced-off pathway at Second Rd. and N. Wakefield St. I hit another at S. Edgewood between 16th and 17th sts. off Walter Reed Dr. This unmarked cement pathway crosses half a dozen properties, a wooden fence on one side, a chain-link on the other. On the high-elevation Arlington Ridge Rd., behind the Hume School, lies a set of stairs familiar to Arlington Historical Society members and residents of Aurora Hills. These (and another further north) were built in response to neighbors’ demand for easy access to new shopping down below in Crystal City. It didn’t take long to find the stairs terminus at S. 19th and Lynn sts. The most recent passageway is
private, Viola noted. Across from the East Falls Church Metro, at N. Roosevelt and 19th sts., sits a new cluster of nine craftsman homes on land carved from woods along I-66. “We requested a path to help residents but did not get a public easement,” he said. “They didn’t want to invite the public in.” So the stairs up from the street lead to a black fence and gate with combination lock. Viola acknowledged that some new signage might better publicize these convenient passageways. “It would be nice to have a map.” There’s one more secret path, near my home. A break in a chain link fence gives neighborhood kids a shortcut to school through private yards. I’d print the location, but I’m out of space…. *** Goodwill Industries posts a British-imperial-type sign at its Glebe Rd. and Route 50 location: “Stay calm and go to Goodwill.” Only not now. The D.C. regional HQ’s website announced May 6 that because of the coronavirus, donation storage is full and stores are closed indefinitely. On an upbeat note, the Arlington Chorale, forced by the crisis to curtail its concert season for the first time in 50 years, launched an online auction. The May 11 – 17 Facebook event will benefit the chorale and 20 local businesses. Finally, when I took 7th-grade French in 1966, who’d have thought that 54 years later — during a pandemic — I’d be congratulating my teacher on a negative virus test?
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
FALLS CHURCHCALENDAR In response to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic affecting the globe and policies enacted to avoid social gatherings, the News-Press will publish a list of virtual events weekly in lieu of its regular listings. If you have a virtual event you’d like to see listed, please email calendar@fcnp.com. Deadline is 5 p.m. Monday weekly.
CITYEVENTS SATURDAY, MAY 16 Falls Church Farmers Market To Go. The Falls Church Farmers Market has converted to a preorder, to-go event. All orders must be placed in advance of Saturday’s market which will be open from 8 a.m. – noon for pre-order pickup only in front of City Hall (300 Park Ave.). A list of participating
vendors and information on preordering can be found at fallschurchva.gov/547/Farmers-MarketTo-Go.
VIRTUALEVENTS THURSDAY, MAY 14 Online Preschool Story Time. Those who are interested can join the Mary Riley Styles Library staff live on the library’s Facebook page for a virtual fun time of stories, songs and rhymes. For ages 0-5. Visit facebook.com/mrspl to join in on the activities. 10:30 – 11 a.m. Thursday Evening Book Discussion Group. The Thursday Evening Book Discussion Group, which normally meets on the first Thursday evening of each month in the library’s conference room, will be switching to an online
discussion via Zoom. This meeting’s book will be “The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains” by Nicholas Carr. Visit fallschurchva.gov/LibraryAtHome for details. 7 – 8 p.m.
FRIDAY, MAY 15 Foraging for Wild Edibles. Interested attendees can find edibles in the local area, including in its more urban parts, by foraging in wild (and not so wild) areas. Online class offered by Extension Master Gardeners. Free. RSVP to attend at mgnv.org/events/ to receive the link to participate.10 – 11:30 a.m.
MONDAY, MAY 18 City Council Work Session (Virtual). Work Sessions are conducted to allow Council Members to discuss upcoming legislation and policy issues; the public is
not generally invited to speak. The public is welcome to attend the virtual meeting, which will be held pursuant to and in compliance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, Section 2.23708.2 and state and local legislation adopted to allow for continued government operation during the Covid-19 declared emergency. Public comment will be accepted via email at cityclerk@ fallschurchva.gov and added to the record of the next regular meeting. Visit fallschurchva.gov/ CouncilMeetings to observe the session. 7:30 – 11:30 p.m.
DAILY Creative Cauldron Online Classes. The City of Falls Church theater company Creative Cauldron is now offering a variety of interactive classes and activities for children taught by the theater’s artists. Kids will be moving, creating
and socializing during the activities. Those who are interested can enroll online at creativecauldron. org/workshops.htm or email the theater at info@creativecauldron. org to get started. There are classes for adults as well.
Maritime Aquarium. In response to the Covid-19 closures, the Maritime Aquarium will be streaming some of its educational programs each week. That includes All About Sea Turtles, Shark Safari and Fish Tales. Families and individuals are welcome to take part in these livestreaming programs. All programs require advance reservations to receive the needed link. Visit maritimeaquarium.org/virtualprograms to register for classes. Museo Galileo. Students and teachers can all take a virtual trip to Museo Galileo and learn about one of the world’s most famous astronomers, physicists and engineers and all aspects of his life. Galileo is known as the “father of the scientific method” that is used so often in school science classrooms. To check out the museum, visit catalogue.museogalileo.it.
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MAY 14 – 20, 2020 | PAGE 15
B������� N��� � N���� Deadline for Small Business Microgrants Tomorrow at 11:30 p.m. The deadline to apply for the City of Falls Church Economic Development Authority’s Small Business Microgrants is 11:30 p.m. on Friday, May 15. Fifty businesses, selected at random from those that meet the eligibility requirements, will receive grants of $5,000 through this program. Pending the number of eligible applicants, a second tranche with additional funds may be made available. For information about the program, visit www.ChooseFallsChurch. org or contact Economic Development Head Becky Witsman at BWitsman@FallsChurchVA. gov. THE BRIDGE over Tripps Run is the walk’s midway point. (P����: C���������� J����)
Free Webinar on Best Practices for Businesses During Covid-19 Emily Halm Jenkins, Esq. will present Best Practices for Businesses During Covid-19, a free webinar on Tuesday, May 19 at noon. Jenkins is a small business attorney with The Geller Law Group and Vice Chair of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She will share lessons learned by her clients and provide tips on keeping employees motivated, strategies to boost visibility, and advice on navigating issues that may arise with landlords, vendors, and contractors. This webinar is hosted by the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce and is free and open to all businesses in the greater Falls Church community. Registration is required and the purchase of lunch for take-out or delivery prior to the event is encouraged. For more information or to register, visit the events calendar at www.FallsChurchChamber.org.
Falls Church Company Nominated for Stella Award Falls Church-based CSI DMC has been nominated to receive the Stella Award for Best DMC (destination management company) in all regions of the U.S. Northstar Meetings Group’s Stella Awards honor hotels, convention centers, DMCs, CVBs/DMOs, conference centers, airlines and cruise lines with the Stella Awards. CSI DMC’s nomination highlights its dedicated team of event professionals for exceptional events. Its performance as a top 25 DMC has been defined by its customized approach to each client, strategic partnerships, event designs, and threading destination authenticity throughout each client’s experience. Finalists in each category are determined by industry professionals during an open, online voting period through May 15, 2020, while winners will be selected by an expert panel of judges overseen by the editors of Northstar Meetings Group’s leading brands, Meetings & Conventions and Successful Meetings. Winners will be announced in November, 2020. For more information visit www.csi-dmc.com and www.stellaawards.secure-platform.com/a/.
Creative Cauldron Introduces Community Theater Saturday The Creative Caudron will be hosting a free virtual community theater event on Saturday, May 16, from 7 – 8 p.m. That could include singing a favorite show tune, sharing a verse of their own poetry or literature, showing off drawing skills and performing a juggling routine. Those who are interested are encouraged to send their submission to Creative Cauldron’s Dropbox folder or via email. Audience members must RSVP as well. To send a submission or to RSVP, go to creativecauldron.org/community-cauldron.html. Business News & Notes is compiled by Sally Cole, Executive Director of Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at sally@fallschurchchamber.org.
A Walk to Beat the Virus Blues BY CHRISTOPHER JONES
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
Health practitioners agree that a daily walk is essential to warding off the novel cornavirus’ side effect of cabin fever striking all who endure the pandemic right now. A variety of scenic walking routes are found within the City of Falls Church, but this twomiler featuring wooded pathways to historical landmarks and the city’s downtown district encompasses all Falls Church has to offer. “Some outdoor time every day,” is advised by the doctors at Falls Church’s Northern Virginia Pediatrics, “as fresh air and exercise are good for our bodies, minds, and souls, especially when the coronavirus pandemic is limiting so many other aspects of our lives.” Starting from the Falls Church Community Center, a short stroll through the trails running under the nearby Virginia Pine canopy provides a view of Cherry Hill Park and its 1845 Greek Revival manor house. Venturing out of the park’s southwest corner, walkers can go down Virginia Avenue and make a right onto West Broad Street. A rich history accompanies this tree-lined corridor. Originating from Native American pathways, this byway, now the main thoroughfare of the Little City, saw the very first pioneer settlers to what would become the Village of Falls Church as early as 1699. In the present tense, many restaurants are advertising “Grab and Go” provisions for those that are burnt out on cooking. Howard E. Herman Stream Valley Park’s new entrance right off the main drag features a grand gateway and large brickwork compass dial on the next walking stop. The park is the City’s most up-to-date, having just completed renovations toward the end of 2019. Understory plantings provided by community volunteers can be seen nearby as walkers approach the stream as well as public art installations of local artist Marc Robarge (with student volunteers), blending natural and sculptural elements to surprise passersby. A short detour over the pedestrian bridge of Tripps Run, past Thomas Jefferson Elementary School is the upper portion of
Cavalier Trail Park. And a quick glance across South Washington Street is a familiar site in Victory Comics. By now the walk is well on its way to the recommended minimum of an hour outside by professionals such as Falls Church Wellness Center counselor Jessica MacNair. But while some could have taken MacNair’s advice “not to trap themselves inside unnecessarily,” they may not be eager to finish off seeing some of the City’s best sights. Going up S. Washington St walkers will come across the Tinner Hill Civil Rights Monument honoring the 1918 founding of the first rural branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). A history of the local civil rights movement is embedded in the brick sidewalk and is near the Tinner Hill Historic Site, the home of the Tinner family where descendant Joseph Tinner became the first president of the Falls Church branch of the NAACP and, along with Dr. Edwin Bancroft Henderson, helped defeat early attempts at segregation. Up the street from Foxes Music is a Mt. Rushmore mural featuring Elvis Presley before coming upon one Virginia’s most interesting treasures, The Falls Church Episcopal. With the original structure built in 1734, this Anglican church, one of the country’s oldest, became a landmark and the City’s eventual namesake, serving travellers to the Potomac’s ‘Little Falls’ (hence its name.) In the 1760s, vestrymen of the church included George Washington and George Mason and it was the site of a public reading of the Declaration of Independence in July 1776. Continuing to walk up S. Washington St. a few blocks, you return to the heart of the City at the intersections of Broad and Washington Streets. A left on Broad and walkers will come upon Mr. Brown’s Park which was remodeled last year and named in honor of Hugh Brown, the longtime owner of Brown’s Hardware, the City’s oldest business, founded in 1883. Turn right at Little Falls Street. In a few blocks is the starting point at the Community Center. Hopefully, those who did embark on this trip found it a healthy and contemplative walk through the Little City.
PAGE 16 | MAY 14 - 20, 2020
TAXATION IN THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH VIRGINIA FOR TAX YEAR 2020
ONLINE AUCTION ALERT – CON-
The proposed real estate tax rate for the tax year beginning July 1, 2020 is:
ATTN. AUCTIONEERS: Advertise your upcoming auctions statewide and in other states. Affordable Print and Digital Solutions reaching your target audiences. Call this paper or Landon Clark at Virginia Press Services 804-521-7576, landonc@vpa.net
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$1.355 upon each $100.00 of assessed value of real estate in the City of Falls Church. The proposed tax rate for tangible personal property, and machinery and tools, and all other property segregated by law for the tax year beginning January 1, 2020 is: $5.00 upon each $100.00 of assessed value on tangible personal property, and machinery and tools, and all other property segregated by law for local taxation within the City, including the property separately classified by Section 58.1-3500 et seq. of the Code of Virginia except such personal property as is exempted; and except that pursuant to Section 58.1-2606 of the Code of Virginia, a portion of assessed value of tangible personal property of public service corporations shall be taxed at the real estate rate.
Public hearings will be held electronically at www.fallschurchva.gov/CouncilMeetings. Unless the Governor’s state of emergency is lifted, public comments will be accepted only electronically at cityclerk@fallschurchva. gov, until the end of the public hearing, or by voicemail at (703) 248-5014 until 3 p.m. on the day of the public hearing. Council members will attend the meeting through electronic means and members of the public may view the meeting at www.fallschurchva. gov/CouncilMeetings and on FCCTV (Cox 11, RCN 2, Verizon 35). Video will be available after the meeting both online and on FCCTV. For copies of legislation, contact the City Clerk’s office at (703-248-5014) or cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5014 (TTY 711). CELESTE HEATH, CITY CLERK
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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA The ordinances referenced below were given first reading on April 27, 2020. Public hearings are scheduled for Monday, May 11 and Tuesday, May 26, 2020, with second reading and final Council action scheduled for Tuesday, May 26, 2020 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matters may be heard. (TO20-05) ORDINANCE FIXING AND DETERMINING THE BUDGET OF EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2021: GENERAL FUND; SCHOOL OPERATING FUND; SCHOOL COMMUNITY SERVICE FUND; SCHOOL FOOD SERVICE FUND; CABLE ACCESS FUND; SEWER FUND; AND STORMWATER FUND (TO20-07) ORDINANCE SETTING THE RATE OF TAX LEVY ON REAL ESTATE FOR TAX YEAR 2021 AND ON PERSONAL PROPERTY, MACHINERY AND TOOLS AND ALL OTHER PROPERTY SEGREGATED BY LAW FOR LOCAL
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We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap. All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.” This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-8530. Toll free call (888) 551-3247. For the hearing impaired call (804) 367-9753.
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KIDS LOVE SCALLIWAG By Eileen Levy
OK we’ll see Where they roam, But you can’t bring A squirrel home!
A RTS&E NTE RTA I NME NT
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Crossword
ACROSS
By David Levinson Wilk 1
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1. Medulla’s place 6. Webster and Wyle 11. Acad. or coll. 14. Singer John with the 1984 #1 hit “Missing You” 15. Bone: Prefix 16. The Astros, on scoreboards 17. Peter Mayle’s “____ in Provence” 18. Doctors who see a lot of head cases? 20. Bigwig 21. TV host Meredith 23. Religious subgroup 24. Polish, as text 26. Little songbird 27. “I Got Rhythm” singer Merman 28. Beethoven’s “Appassionata,” e.g. 30. On land 31. Fled 35. Shares on Twitter, briefly 36. Forgetful people ... or this puzzle’s theme 39. Sign before Virgo 40. Ones in disbelief? 41. Sports standout 43. Stifled 47. Uncles and nephews, e.g. 48. LL Cool J’s “Going Back to ____” 51. Simplicity
STRANGE BREW
52. Spanish for “those” 53. “Li’l Abner” cartoonist 55. “Yee-____!” 56. Batting around ideas 58. China’s Zhou ____ 60. Vowels at the end of a children’s song 61. Young lover of theater 62. New Balance competitor 63. ____ Spiegel 64. Personal assts. keep track of them 65. Psychologically manipulate
DOWN 1. What an EEG reads 2. Exchange vows at the altar 3. Men’s wear accessory 4. Texter’s “When are you coming?” 5. “Jeopardy!” creator Griffin 6. Super-easy decision 7. Davis of “Do the Right Thing” 8. Take ____ for the worse 9. Queen on Olympus 10. Lose crunchiness, as breakfast cereal 11. Force (into) 12. Arena events 13. Scams 19. Bk. before Job 22. “Count me in!” 25. Reid of “Sharknado” 27. Property in a will
JOHN DEERING
Sudoku
MAY 14 - 20, 2020 | PAGE 17
29. Volga region natives 30. Blimp 32. Dismissive interjection 33. Miner’s haul 34. Triple Crown stat 36. Ethiopia’s Haile ____ 37. Copy machine part 38. ____ of Capri 39. Not too smart 42. Banco de MÈxico money 44. Mexico’s national flower 45. Asimov and Newton 46. Fairly recent 48. The tropics, for one 49. Pimply 50. Nigeria’s largest city 53. Wildly 54. Nitwit 57. B&O and others: Abbr. 59. Sydney’s state: Abbr.
Last Thursday’s Solution D O J O S E M O J I
O V A L S S I N U S
G U N I T
A L A N M O B O O O N R A T E
G M E M N E G J A U I T C I E L N E Y O
C D E F
P E R M T R I O A R C H A A R C I N U A R T N T I A I D I T O C K H T H E E E I M A Y E X I D E N
B A J D A A Y J T E O N D A R Y E B S A T Y
A H E M O R B I T I R M A
D E T A I N E E S
P R A D T A M E S A S
O S A M A
A L T E R
C L O N E
L Y N D A
By The Mepham Group
Level 1 2 3 4
Solution to last Sunday’s puzzle
NICK KNACK
© 2020 N.F. Benton
5/17/20
Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk. © 2020 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.
PAGE 18 | MAY 14 - 20, 2020
LO CA L
BACK IN THE DAY
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Critter Corner
25 & 10 Years Ago in the News-Press Falls Church News-Press Vol. V, No. 8 • May 11, 1995
Falls Church News-Press Vol. XX, No. 11 • May 13, 2010
Council May Invite Full Commercial Plan for Whittier
F.C. City Hall Scrambles, Beats Deadline for $2 Million Grant
The latest draft request for proposal (RFP) for development of the 9.6 acre Whittier School site presented the Falls Church City Council Monday night includes a statement welcoming “a high degree of commercial development or all commercial development with appropriate buffering, and, possibly, integrated with the Tower Square development on the property.”
The City of Falls Church filed an official proposal for the utilization of $2 million in federal stimu lus dollars this week for purposes of the construction of a “multimodal transportation center” at the intersection of S. Washington St. and Hillwood Ave. But it was hardly easy. The painful budget was adopted on April 26 and the following week incumbency took a beating in the City Council election.
C i t y o f Fa l l s C h u r c h
CRIME REPORT Week of May 4 – 10, 2020 Driving Under the Influence, 100 blk N Cherry St, May 5, 3:15 AM, following a traffic stop, a male 33, of Lorton, VA, was arrested for driving under the influence, possession of THC oil, and Possession of marijuana. Tamper with Auto, 800 blk W Broad St, Between May 1 and May 3, unknown suspect(s) tampered with an unattended auto.
Fraud, 500 blk Roosevelt Blvd, Between Jan 1 and May 6, unknown suspect(s) used individual’s information to fraudulently open an account. Identity Theft, 700 blk Timber Ln, May 7, 4:35 PM, officers were informed of an ongoing identity theft case in which suspect(s) fraudulently used a victim’s information to open an account. Larceny from Vehicle, 900 blk Park Ave, between May 6 and May
8, unknown suspect(s) took items of value from a vehicle. Prescription Fraud, 100 blk W Broad St, May 9 10:25 AM, an individual attempted to use a fraudulent prescription to obtain medication. Destruction of Property, 600 blk Fulton Ave, between May 7 and May 9, unknown suspect(s) damaged an unattended vehicle. Assault, 300 blk Grove Ave, May 9, 2:50 PM, following a call for service, a male, 23, of Stafford, VA, was arrested for assault. Shoplifting, 1100 blk W Broad St, March 4 10:05 PM, an unknown male suspect took items of value. Vist Us at fcnp.com
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Alzheimer’s.
alz.org/ourstories
The Yound Family is excited to introduce Charlie, aka Charlotte Layla, their awesome one-year-old Lost Dog rescue pup. She is kind, loving and adores her family. Charlie’s an early riser who excels at counter surfing, digging holes, eating bones (and everything else) and most of all snuggling with her sisters Samantha (9), Lily (8) and mom and dad. Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be! Send in your Critter Corner submissions to crittercorner@fcnp.com.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
LO CA L
Esteemed Physician Tom Connally Dies Respected Washington physician N. Thomas Connally, Jr. died of heart failure on April 2, 2020, at his home in Arlington, surrounded by family. As an internist in private practice he was known for extraordinary diagnostic skills, a kind and thoughtful manner and tireless devotion to his patients. Dr. Connally cared for many prominent figures in Washington, including Supreme Court Justices and numerous members of Congress. When Justice William O. Douglas suffered a stroke in the Bahamas in 1974, President Ford sent Dr. Connally by jet to attend to the Justice and bring him home. After retiring from private practice, Dr. Connally was a volunteer at the Arlington Free Clinic, where he served as Medical Director from 20052010. He continued to see patients and review charts at the Free Clinic until 2018. Born in 1936 in Norfolk, Virginia, Tom Connally graduated from Maury High School and earned his BA and MD at the University of Virginia. As an undergraduate he was Student Council President, President of Zeta Psi Fraternity and a member of numerous honorary and social groups. That included The Raven Society, the IMP Society, and the Eli Banana Ribbon Society.
Dr. Connally served in the U.S. Public Health Service at the National Institutes of Health in the mid ‘60s. He then completed his medical residency at the University of Virginia Hospital, serving as Chief Resident in his final year. Named the American Society of Internal Medicine’s Young Internist of the Year for 1975-76, Dr. Connally served on ASIM’s Board of Trustees from 19781984. He also served a term as Chief of Medicine at Sibley Memorial Hospital and on the clinical faculty at the Georgetown University Medical School. In 2001, his book “The Third Third,” a manual on healthy living in later life, was published. Devoted to the University of Virginia, Dr. Connally was appointed by Virginia Governors Gerald L. Baliles and L. Douglas Wilder to two terms on the UVA Board of Visitors. Grateful patients endowed a professorship at the UVA Medical School in his honor, The N. Thomas Connally Professorship in Clinical Excellence. Following the organization’s tradition, Dr. Connally’s membership in UVA’s secret Seven Society was revealed upon his death. Active in Democratic politics, Dr. Connally was a precinct captain in Arlington and a delegate
to the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Dr. Connally also served on the Board of Directors of CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, and he taught courses in medicine and health care policy to area seniors through Arlington’s Encore Learning. In 2010, he and Mrs. Connally, a community leader and former member of the Virginia House of Delegates, shared the James B. Hunter Human Rights Award, given to those in the Arlington community that promote human rights. Dr. Connally loved learning, history, travel, good stories, bad jokes, his country home in Hume, Virginia, and his family. He is survived by his wife Judy; son N. Thomas Connally, III (Patricia) of Arlington; daughter Anne C. Regan (Sean) of Herndon; and daughter Katherine W. Connally of San Francisco; as well as his beloved grandchildren, Owen, Clare and Charlie Connally, and Miles and Nate Regan. In lieu of flowers, the family asks those to please consider a donation to the Arlington Free Clinic in Dr. Connally’s memory by visiting arlingtonfreeclinic. org/get-involved/donate. A memorial service will be arranged and announced when it is safe for friends and family to gather.
Longtime Teacher Suhasini ‘Sue’ John Dies Suhasini “Sue” John passed away peacefully on May 8, 2020, surrounded by her loving husband Sukumar (Babu) and her three children: Vineet Gordhandas, Sushmita Gordhandas, and Karishma John. Suhasini means “ever-smiling” in Hindi — and even after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016, Sue never stopped sharing her radiant smile with the world. Known as Mrs. John to most, Sue dedicated her life to children. After moving to Falls Church from India in 1992, she conducted classes for young children for over 25 years in the City’s public schools, founding her own play school, On the Right Track, in 2003. Mrs. John shared her warmth with so many of the community’s children over the years.
She had a gift for drawing out the talents of — and instilling a sense of pride in — her students. Sue possessed a unique sense of wonder for nature and animals. She treated all pets as family, always taking time to greet any dog she met with the treats she kept in her pocket. She never failed to notice the goodness in the world and reflected that goodness with every opportunity. Sue was loving, thoughtful, and exemplified kindness in all that she did. She will be missed beyond measure, but her memory will spark joy and laughter for all who knew her. A celebration of Sue’s life will be held at a time when we can all come together. In lieu of flowers or gifts, the
SUHASINI JOHN family asks that an act of kindness be completed in Sue’s honor. or that donations be made to Alex’s Lemonade Stand: alexslemonade. org/mypage/2114590
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MAY 14 – 20, 2020 | PAGE 19
TO LETTERS THE EDITOR Continued from Page 6
can’t be easy for him. Last week, one customer brought me a fried egg sandwich and another brought me a mask she sewed herself. She noticed my glasses fogging up the week before. In this nervous period, when we depend on staying away from each other, The Falls Church Farmers Market is a community jewel and a sign of hope. Thank you. Emily Zaas Lineboro, Maryland
NY Gov. Cuomo Is Not Virus Hero He’s Made Out To Be Editor, Some friendly advice for Nicholas Benton, along with anyone else who is opposed to President Trump’s efforts to carefully reopen the economy, via a governor who they feel is doing a better job: Find a better choice than New York’s Governor
Cuomo. Since the crisis started, Governor Cuomo has left open the petri dishes known as the subway system, ghoulishly forced retirement homes to accept coronavirus patients, and when asked about people whose livelihoods are being destroyed, he simply sniffed that they should “get a job as an essential worker.” But if you’re more concerned with actual results versus partisan politics, a better place to look would be what Governor Noem has done in South Dakota. Hopefully Governor Northam is taking notes. Jeff Walyus Arlington
[ LETTERS ] Send us a letter and let us know what you think. Email: letters@fcnp.com Mail: Letters to the Editor, c/o Falls Church News-Press, 105 N. Virginia Avenue #310, Falls Church, VA 22046
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
PAGE 20 | MAY 14 - 20, 2020
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