Falls Church News-Press 5-18-2023

Mayor Tarter

Re-Election

This Fall

by Nicholas F. Benton Falls Church News-Press

Following the blockbuster announcement last week that fourterm City of Falls Church Mayor David Tarter will not seek re-election this fall, the pace has quickened among candidates filing before a June 20 deadline to make it onto the November ballot for City Council and School Board in the Little City.

June 20 is also the date for the Democratic primary in Falls Church that is pitting two candidates for both State Senate and Commonwealth Attorney against one another, and brisk advanced voting has already begun for that one.

But it’s the fall election in Falls Church that will draw the most attention, especially as Mayor Tarter has announced he will not seek another term and the health status of another veteran on the Council that had been expected to run, Phil Duncan, makes his status uncertain right now. Vice Mayor Letty Hardi is expected to seek a third four-year term.

As well, two leading members of

The Finest Of Form

by John Brett Falls Church News-Press

The drama department of Falls Church’s Meridian High School was acknowledged this week for its outstanding production of the comedy, “The Love Doctor,” by garnering

Summer Arts Preview

Take a look at what’s going on around the DC Metro area this summer. We have you covered on the area concerts, art exhibits, theater shows and festivals.

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a whopping seven nominations, including Best Play, for the prestigious National Capital Area Cappie Awards.

The play, written by 17th century French playwright Moliere, captivated audiences at three sold out performances in March with its wit

and over the top humor, It showcased the talent and creativity of Meridian’s theater department led by drama instructor Shawn Northrip.

The nominations included:

•Meridian High School’s “The

Love Doctor” production was nominated for Best Play.

•Matthew Bloss-Baum was nominated for the Lead Actor in a Male Role.

What Does it Take to Run for O ice in Falls Church City?

The City needs great candidates for the City Council and School Board elections this November. Are you thinking about running? Would you like to know more about what it takes?

The Falls Church League of Women Voters is hosting an informal discussion session with guest speakers who have run for o ce in the City of Falls Church: Vice Mayor Letty Hardi (who ran for the City Council in 2015 and 2019) and School Board Vice Chair Tate Gould (who ran for School Board in 2021). We will also hear from the O ce of Elections, either David Bjerke or Stacey Pilson.

Free, Informal Discussion

Want to learn how to run a campaign?

Conference Room to Find Out!

This ad funded by League of Women Voters Falls Church Education Fund

Falls Church NEWS BRIEFS

Juvenile Arrested in 2 Sexual Assault Cases

On Thursday, May 11, City of Falls Church Police arrested a juvenile in connection with two sexual assault cases. Following a two-month investigation into the report of a serious incident occurring outside school hours on the Falls Church City Public Schools (FCCPS) Secondary Campus, charges were filed on Thursday, May 11, 2023, against a juvenile for aggravated sexual assault and rape.

The accused student was expelled upon report of the incident to school officials, and an investigation by City Police promptly commenced. The investigation gave detectives probable cause to believe that the accused had also sexually assaulted a second juvenile female off campus outside of school hours, approximately one month earlier.

No further details were provided due to the accused’s juvenile status and the ongoing law enforcement process. Identifying information on the juvenile victims is also being withheld.

In a statement, FCCPS Superintendent Dr. Peter Noonan said, “This is a terrible situation and our work now is to support the girls, their families, and the community. Because this is an ongoing legal matter I cannot comment; However, safety and security of our schools top priority.”

2 Rep. Connelly Staffers Assaulted in His Office

U.S. Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-Fairfax) released a statement Monday afternoon after two staffers were sent to the hospital following an attack on his district office in the City of Fairfax.

“This morning, an individual entered my District Office armed with a baseball bat and asked for me before committing an act of violence against two members of my staff.” the release read, “The individual is in police custody and both members of my team were transferred to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.”

Fairfax City Police confirmed via Twitter that two staff members were being treated after an assault on the office on Main St.

Libertarian Candidate Announces Campaign

The race for Virginia House of Delegates District 13 just got more interesting with the entry of third-party candidate Dave Crance. Dave, a long-time resident of the Falls Church area and the district, has decided to step forward and offer himself as an alternative to the two major parties in seeking the Libertarian Parties’ nomination.

“I am running for Virginia House of

Delegates District 13 as a Libertarian to provide an option other than the two-party system and their focus on special interests” Dave said. “I want to bring a fresh perspective to the legislature and ensure that the voices of the people in this district are heard above and before National Party Politics.”

Crance is Regional Manager in the hospitality industry with oversight of a portfolio of hotels from Maryland into Florida. He has been actively involved in youth sports as both a coach and level coordinator. He has donated time to veteran causes as a member of the Falls Church VFW, GFCVC, and American legion.

Dave is passionate about veteran causes having served as a paratrooper through two separate combat actions. With the VFW he has and continues to serve as chaplain with a focus on their youth scholarships, teacher of the year awards, educational engagement, and local outreach. Dave has been a long-time member of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce

Warner, Kaine Announce Funding For 3 Virginia Airports

This week, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $6,710,000 in federal funding for three Virginia airports. The funding was awarded through the Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration’s Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) Airport Improvement Program (AIP).

“Virginia’s airports serve thousands of flyers every day and we thrilled to deliver funding that will make travel through Virginia safer, more convenient, and more accessible for all,” the Senators said. “This funding will allow our Commonwealth’s airports to start important maintenance and planning projects that will help meet their communities’ needs for years to come.”

The funding is distributed as follows: $5,000,000 for Ronald Reagan Washington International Airport in Arlington, VA for the construction of a taxiway, $1,350,000 for Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport in Newport News, Va. for to fund an update to the Airport Master Plan, $360,000 for Winchester Regional Airport in Winchester, VA for the construction of a taxiway.

Sens. Warner and Kaine have championed continued investment in Virginia’s airports in order to make travel easier across the Commonwealth. Last month, the Senators announced over $1 million in funding for Luray Caverns Airport in Luray, Virginia courtesy of the AIP. Earlier this year, Sens. Warner and Kaine announced over $29 million in federal funding for improvements to three Virginia airports.

Tarter Won’t Run This Fall in Consequential Election for Little City

contributions into local campaigns.”

the Falls Church School Board, current chair Laura Downs and Dr. Susan Dimmock, have already announced they will not seek reelection.

Given the June 20 filing deadline, it is not too soon for issues around the November election to be gaining traction, as exemplified by meetings this week. First, the League of Women Voters is hosting two opportunities for interested candidates to learn more about the electoral process in Falls Church, one this Wednesday and another Sunday, May 21, at 2 p.m. at the Mary Riley Styles Public Library.

This Wednesday, a meeting was scheduled by Falls Church’s Citizens for a Better City (CBC) to which a wide array of civic groups were invited at the American Legion Hall to, as CBCChair Hal Lippman put it, “ensure that our City does not fall prey” to “an alarming trend that has developed around us and across the country to inject national politics and political

“We are reaching out to find out if we have common ground on this issue,” Lippman wrote, “And if we do, to ask that you join with us in bringing it to the attention of the entire community.”

According to Falls Church Voter Registrar David Bjerke, so far two candidates have filed for the fall City Council races, Erin Flynn and Justine Underhill. Flynn is a board member, along with her husband Charlie Lord, of the Village Preservation and Improvement Society. Underhill is a founding member of the five-citizen group that earlier this month announced the formation of Falls Church Forward.

In an interview with the News-Press about his decision not to run again this fall, Mayor Tarter said that with his three children now all in or about to begin college, and all now in Europe over the summer, “it is time to do something new,” although he will not waver in his commitment to the City for the remainder of this term, which runs through December.

“This will mark the end of 17 years of civic engagement in Falls Church,” he noted, which began with his appointment to the Economic Development Authority.

He called the decision “bittersweet” because, he said, “I love it here and will miss it a lot” when he’s not showing up for City Council meetings every Monday. He said he’s proud of his role in what Falls Church has been able to accomplish during his tenure.

The entirety of Mayor Tarter’s statement last week is reprinted here:

Statement of Mayor David Tarter

Today, I am announcing that I will not seek reelection to the Falls Church City Council. Serving the City of Falls Church as Mayor has indeed been my great honor and privilege. Although I was born and raised in Northern Virginia, it took coming to Falls Church to find home. The City, its schools and community have been good to me and my family. I, in turn,

have tried to return the favor.

As my time as Mayor draws to its conclusion, I reflect on some of our important accomplishments, like constructing our long-sought, $120 million Meridian high school, renovating our library, city hall, and the rest of our schools, obtaining our first triple AAA bond rating from all of the rating agencies, purchasing new park land, and significant investments in affordable housing, traffic calming, sidewalks, storm water and other critical infrastructure — all the while preserving the City’s small-town charm.

I have sought to use my professional experience as a commercial real estate attorney to better Falls Church through smart redevelopment of our commercial corridors. These efforts began a decade ago with small area plans, which reimagined our commercial areas to be more walkable, vibrant, and economically successful.

Subsequent projects include West Falls, a half-billion dollars of place-making, mixeduse development next to the high school, a walkable Harris

Teeter in the heart of the City, a flagship Whole Foods that will soon anchor our downtown crossroads, and the first movie theater in town in decades, set to open next summer.

These projects and others have created new energy and vitality in our downtown, and walkable destinations. They provided affordable housing, environmentally sustainable design, outdoor dining, more inviting sidewalks and streetscape, and a subsidized home for our community theater. Along the way, they have put the City on a successful and sustainable financial footing, allowing us to lower our tax rate 12 cents over the past few years and laying the groundwork for further reductions. These efforts will continue to bear fruit for many years.

As a small place, it has always been critical for Falls Church to get along with our neighbors and I have sought to further these important relationships. In addition to my mayoral duties, I am proud to have served with my regional colleagues as President of the Metropolitan

Continued on Page 21

Meridian HS’ Spring Romp Nets 7 Cappies Nominations

• Hugo Ratheau is nominated as a Supporting Actor in a Male Role.

• In the Comic Actor in a Female Role category, Isabel Pierce has been recognized for her comedic prowess and ability to deliver humorous lines with impeccable timing.

• Paxton Hebblethwaite also received a well-deserved nomination for his performance as a Featured Actor in a Male Role.

• Will Albaugh delivered a remarkable performance as “Queen” in a female role and is nominated in the Featured Actor in a Female Role category.

Continued from Page 1 1

• Carlos Ortiz is recognized in the category of Creativity for his exceptional music composition and orchestration.

• The Cappie Awards celebrate excellence in high school theater, recognizing talented individuals and outstanding productions across the Washington Capital region.

• Meridian High School’s nominations “are a testament to the dedication, hard work, and extraordinary talent of the students involved.”

• The upcoming annual Cappie Awards ceremony will be held Monday, June 12th, at the John F. Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall.

MERIDIAN HIGH SCHOOL’S production of the comedy “The Love Doctor” has garnered seven nominations for the 2023 Cappie Awards. Nominations include Best Play, Matthew Bloss-Baum for lead actor in a male role, Hugo Ratheau for supporting actor in a male role, Isabel Pierce for her comedic prowess, Paxton Hebblethwaite for featured actor in a Male Role, Will Albaugh for featured actor in a female role and Carlos Ortiz for his creativity in his music composition and orchestration.

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Our Species At a Crossroads And Wisdom Must Prevail

Nicholas F. Benton

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

“With so many things coming back in style, I can’t wait until morals, respect and intelligence become a trend again.” – Actor Denzel Washington.

I have commented more than once about the decline in these traits among the American people defining the period between Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington, D.C. in 1963 and the “Greed is Good” speech of the main character in the 1987 movie, “Wall Street.”

Both speeches reflected the prevailing mores of their era, and the contrast between the short two dozen years between 1963 and the rise of the civil rights movement and what had become the dominant national sentiment was by 1987, nearing the completion of Reagan’s second term, was stunning.

As one with seminary training, graduating cum laude from the Pacific School of Religion in 1969, and by virtue of being gay when it was still a huge stigma but at the same time a great challenge as defined by Dr. King, being marginalized in many ways, I had a unique vantage point and perspective from which, on a day to day basis, to witness first hand this national descent from high-minded idealism to crude selfishness.

America was built on the former, and has seen its very existence threatened by the latter. Denzel Washington is right, Unless there is a reversion to morals, respect and intelligence in this period just ahead, we will not make it, either as a democracy, as a nation or as a species.

I am sure that as our exploration of the wider universe of which we are a part proceeds, among the many shocking things we will find are planets that once hosted intelligent life, but that for one reason or another, saw that life fail.

I contend that we will find it was not just one issue, like an inability to respond to the challenge of climate change, for example, that was responsible, but the fail-

ure of an overall disposition of a social order to step up and push forward the very essential features of socialization in the face of rising pressures to fracture it in the name of self-centered greed and avarice.

In his important 2020 book, “Wiser, the Scientific Roots of Wisdom, Compassion and What Makes Us Good,” author Dilip Jeste writes on the value of wisdom over mere intelligence or the pursuit of happiness. “We all know wise people,” he writes. “They’re smart. Intelligence is an integral part of wisdom. But they are also warmhearted and compassionate.

“They are sophisticated, not simply or only in terms of academics or business, but in the ways of the world and of people. They are open-minded. They listen and make others feel heard. They are reflective, unselfish, and problem focused. They are willing to act on on their beliefs and convictions, to do what is right, first or alone.

“Wise people become trusted advisers because they possess characteristic sagacity, happiness and a calm demeanor we can rely on. They seem to instinctively know how to handle the personal problems that others find overwhelming. Wise people stand still and resolute amid chaos and uncertainty. They are different. And the rest of us would like to be more like them.

“Many of the wise people you know are probably old or at least older. Wisdom and advanced age seem synonymous. Consider the great works of legend and literature: Moses, Helen Keller and Toni Morrison, Gandalf, Aubus Dumbledore and Yoda (who undoubtedly picked up a few things over his 900 year life).”

While for some this is grounds for refuting the notion that age, in itself, is a disqualifier, whether it is President Biden or any number of octogenarian rock stars from the 1960s or 1970s, or, as I wrote last week, grandmothers.

With the wild contrast today between the audacious selfserving immortality of Trump, on the one hand, and the challenges the Webb telescope implies for us as a species, on the other, our very survival depends on making the right decisions on which vector we will choose to take on the ride into our shared future. So, all aboard!

Our Man in Arlington

By Charlie Clark

Not all baseball fans study history, and not all history scholars follow baseball.

But Johnathan Thomas, exlocal Little Leaguer and acting historian of the Washington Golf and Country Club, united the camps on May 11, treating fans to yesteryear tales from the diamonds of Arlington.

Thomas took a 21st century approach to his presentation sponsored by the Arlington Historical Society at Marymount University—giving pee-wee league veterans such as I the chance as adults to look back with more savvy.

Drawing on his personal collection along with scrapbooks from coaches, the nostalgist from a multi-generation Arlington family showcased photos of early 20th-century black semi-pro teams—the Virginia Black Sox, the Arlington Athletics and the Green Valley Quick Steps. They played African-American squads from Georgetown, Anacostia and Annapolis on Peyton Field near today’s Green Valley. (It wasn’t until 1946 that Arlington County purchased the recently renovated Jennie Dean Park on that site, and integration of school and youth leagues came in 1961.)

After Arlington left Alexandria County in 1920, as Thomas confirmed via clippings, Judge William Gloth was first chairman of white adult teams organized during a 1922 Clarendon Carnival baseball night, a festival and game planned between the Arlington Athletic Club and D.C.’s Rex Athletic Club. Arlington schools,

beginning with Cherrydale, began fielding teams in 1923.

It would be a while before hometown boys made the majors, but Culpepper, Va., native Eppa Rixey Jr., nephew of Admiral Presley Rixey––whose land both the country club and Marymount stand today—pitched for the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies from 1912-33. Once Washington-Lee (now Liberty) High School opened in 1925, an array of future pro players cycled through. The “first W-L superstar” was George McQuinn, ’27, who went onto play first base for the St. Louis Browns before founding McQuinn’s Sporting Goods in Clarendon. W-L’s class of ’38 included star athlete Forrest Tucker, who got sidetracked into acting, and multi-sport star Vince Kirchner ’41, who was drafted in the minor leagues.

The speaker seemed most impressed with W-L ’66 grad Clay Kirby, who, after terrifying batters in both Little League and high school, pitched powerfully for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals. Thomas showed his baseball card, along with a rare one of his next-door neighbor, Jay Franklin, my 12-year-old Arlington All-Star teammate in 1965 (moved to Vienna when I-66 was built), who was tapped for a three-game “cup of coffee” pitching for the Padres in 1971.

Highlights for me were the Little Major League memories, which Thomas documented as launching in 1951 at “Four Mile Run Play Field”—now Barcroft Park. Give credit to the spon-

sors—McQuinn’s, Arlington Kiwanis, Arlington, Arlington Motors, M.T. Broyhill & Sons, Yeatman’s Hardware and Red Shield (Salvation Army). Thomas’ props included his own Arlington Trust shirt. Also shown on all-star teams were Italian Store owner Bobby Tramonte (in 1966) and the speaker’s brother Harry Thomas (1967). The speaker showed a beautiful photo of my brother Tom riding the bench as a nine-yearold for Optimist Club in 1961 at Bluemont Park.

I asked whether he could give credit, after all these decades, to moms and dads who gave of themselves driving us to practice and games. Mrs. Thomas, who had four sons, he replied, counted 87 games she attended in a single year.

***

The Wakefield High School Education Foundation will induct seven alums to its Hall of Fame June 12. Watch for Dave Bautista, ’88, world champion professional wrestler and Hollywood actor; Robert Carpenter, ’63, pioneer in healthcare and biotech industries, National Medal of Technology winner; Tonya Chapman, ’84, Arlington police officer who became city manager of Portsmouth, Va.; Portia Clark, ’77, Nauck (now Green Valley) community leader and history activist; Ronald Heinemann, ’57, Hampden-Sydney College U.S. history professor who wrote on the Depression and New Deal in Virginia; Karen Loucks Rinedollar, ’81, founded Project Linus to distribute handmade blankets to the needy; and Nancy Rexroth, ’64, photographic art pioneer displayed at Corcoran Gallery and Library of Congress.

How Serious Is The Housing Crisis?

Attendees at Tuesday’s monthly luncheon of the Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce at the Italian Cafe may have come away a little queasy this time, but they can rest assured that it had nothing to do with the always tasty and reliable food. A message of self-described “doom and gloom” by the speaker, Dr. Keith Waters of Dr. Stephen Fuller’s Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University was more likely the culprit.

Indeed, Dr. Waters, young and affable on the outside as a mentee of the legendary Dr. Fuller, dished out a troubling bouillabaisse of sobering data about the economic trends now operational for our area that he intended, he said, to be downright disturbing. It was like that TV ad on Type 2 diabetes, dark, bleak and foreboding with the announcer saying, “Too much? That’s the point!”

While the numbers on jobs, housing, employment, economic growth and the rest show the region trending below the national average, with Northern Virginia faring better than elsewhere in this region and Falls Church, even as a tiny blip in the regional numbers, still better than what’s around it. But while Dr. Waters deliberately had no specific formula for fixing everything, it didn’t take much for him to alight upon affordable housing as a main culprit.

It seems that people around here simply refuse to admit that the issue –affordable housing – is anything serious more than an appeal to generosity, something which for less-generous souls is little more than a nuisance. But as the nation reboots after the Covid-19 pandemic, and a wide array of new technologies are being introduced with the potential to reshape a lot of our habits, the issue of housing is directly linked to regional viability and prospects for success.

Clearly, folks generally just don’t want to admit that the problem is nearly as serious as it actually is, especially in terms of projecting economic winners and losers over the few years immediately ahead of us. If we’re going to have to get used to a little crowding, then so be it. Falls Church has a way to go yet before encountering the kind of crowding experienced in Hong Kong (now, that’s quote to scream over.) It is not worth trying to convince people that density is their friend, unless they can see it not only as a virtue, but in contrast to what they will be subjected to if housing needs are not met.

What’s happening with the homeless crisis in America now is a crisis of the first order. We hold that everyone has a right to a roof over their head and maybe it needs to be a campaign rallying cry somewhere. Serious efforts to step up to this crisis is the least we should expect.

In the meantime, it is a source of deep shame that our nation has allowed this crisis to come as far as it has already.

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L etters to E ditor

It’s about the North Maple and Great Falls intersection.

Editor,

Some drivers routinely don’t even slow down at the 4-way Stop sign, they just dash through it at 40 mph. I live in the 300 block of N Maple and I often cross there, as pedestrian, more than once a day.

In the past couple of years I was almost hit at least 7 or 8 times. Now, as a “veteran survivor” of N Maple/Great Falls, I cross very carefully. Still, earlier today, I was almost ran over, again. What about unsuspecting, casual pedestrians, unaware of the danger?

This is not about parking too close to a fire hydrant or expired registration. It’s about human lives. This is a disaster waiting to happen.

Is it so difficult to enforce speed limits and basic traffic rules in our little city?

Simeon Savov Falls Church

Recycling Confusion

Editor,

A recent article in the NewsPress discussed recycling in Falls Church (“An Earth Day Refresher on Recycling in the Little City,” April 20). While the article included some useful information, it neglected to highlight significant confusion between what the city says about recyclable plastics and information posted on the recycling contractor’s website (American Disposal Services, ADS). On its site, ADS states the following regarding what plastics can be recycled: “Plastic: PET #1 plastic containers and bottles, HDPE #2 natural and colored containers and bottles, and all wide mouth plastics labeled #5.” In one section of the city’s recycling site, the following appears: “All plastic bottles, jars, tubs, trays and containers with #1-7 on the bottom are accepted.” However, in

the leaflet distributed by the city, takeout containers (synonymous with “trays”) are said to be not recyclable, despite the fact that almost all are #1 or #2 in recycling terminology, and also in that leaflet tubs are not even mentioned. Takeout food containers (excluding those that are styrofoam) and tubs comprise a significant portion of potentially recyclable plastic items. The city’s recycling contact person has said that the city does not use the numbering system because ADS cannot recycle certain items regardless of their recycling number, but when I questioned an ADS representative I was told that I should go by its website information that does use the numbering system. Perhaps the News-Press could do a second article on recycling that explains more clearly what is acceptable and what is not.

David Mccloud

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Summer Arts

Preview: Pages 7 - 9

Creative Cauldron Refashions Audrey Hepburn in ‘Audrey: The New Musical’

by Mark Dreisonstok

Creative Cauldron’s excellent production “Audrey” brings classic Hollywood to Falls Church!

Aficionados of the films of classic Hollywood will love the “Audrey”

The New Musical,” now on stage at Creative Cauldron of Falls Church.

Directed adroitly by Laura Conners Hull, the show centers on the life and film career of famed movie actress Audrey Hepburn.

The show is structured as a series of crosscuts between Audrey’s early life of deprivation and turmoil in the Netherlands under Nazi occupation and her later life of Hollywood luxury, glamor, and success. Scenes and backgrounds are drawn from some of most celebrated Hepburn films, including “Roman Holiday,” Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” “Charade,” and “My Fair Lady.”

Central to the success of this production is Rebecca Ballinger in the title role. She not only resembles the legendary film star in physical appearance, but also imitates Hepburn’s continentally-flavored British accent

and mannerisms. Audrey’s relationship with her Hollywood actor husband Mel Ferrar (Santiago Alfonzo) is covered in detail, pivoting around Ferrar’s ability to encourage Audrey as well as complications in the relationship, often connected to the differing priorities of husband and wife.

The song “My Husband Doesn’t Run,” sung passionately by actress Ballinger, conveys Audrey’s take on this relationship. We also meet many of her famous co-stars, including Gregory Peck (Garrett Mathews), William Holden (Ricky Drummond), and Humphrey Bogart (Patrick Mahoney). While less effort is made to represent these Hollywood legends in terms of appearance or voice, this serves to focus our attention on Audrey Hepburn herself. The sets similarly lean towards the minimal, although slides and videos of cast members are used to impresive effect to broaden the visual scope of the show.

“Audrey” does especially well in recreating the star’s dresses, gowns, and costumes from classic Hepburn films. Indeed, legendary Academy

Award-winning costume designer Edith Head, who designed Audrey’s clothes for many of her films, is a major character of the play, portrayed convincingly by Biaca Lipford. This aspect of the play acknowledges the often-underappreciated role of costume designers in the creation of a Hollywood legend. The fabulous fashions recreated for this production include Audrey’s dolce vita aroundtown outfit from “Roman Holiday” and the gorgeous Victorian costumes from “My Fair Lady.”

The choreography of Morgan Arravillaga is excellent, notably in the recreation of the dance scene from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (complete with the main character wearing her iconic black dress and holding her long cigarette holder as she dances). We note here that choreographer Arravillaga is also outstanding in her role as the teenage Audrey, especially in a scene in which the future movie star assists the Dutch resistance to Nazi occupation at great personal risk.

The show’s music provides ambience (as in background music

suggesting the Hepburn comedy spy thriller “Charade”) and, more often, advances the plot and underscores character motivations.

“Fifth Avenue,” in the “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” sequence of the production, is particularly good in both regards. Santiago Alfonza, as Mel Ferrar, is memorable for his standout singing performance of the production in his piece “If.”

Owing to Audrey Hepburn’s fascinating life during a pivotal time of

twentieth-century history as well as to her humanitarian work, we think the production will be of interest beyond that of vintage film buffs. The show, based on the book, lyrics, and music of Danielle E. Moore, runs through June 4. For more information, please visit: www. creativecauldron.org Masks are required. Note: As printed programs are not provided, theatre patrons are encouraged to download programs at Audrey Program (canva.com)

RECREATING AUDREY HEPBURN’S “Roman Holiday” film shoot in “Audrey: The New Musical.”. (Photo: William Gallagher.)

Summer Arts Round-Up: Shows, Concerts, Art & Festivals

Sweat

Shows

Creative Cauldron

Audrey

A “Bold New Works” regional premiere for Creative Cauldron, “Audrey” reexamines the life of a legend through song, dance, and the technicolor lens of her most iconic screen performances. Directed by Laura Connors Hull, the production will be performed until June 4th. Purchase tickets at app.arts-people. com/index.php?show=140282.

NOVA Nightsky

Community Theater

Holy Toledo

Summarized as a “farcical telling of a true history or a true telling of a farcical history,” NOVA Nightsky Community Theater will be performing the comedy “Holy Toledo” on June 22 — 24 and June 29 — July 1 at Vienna Baptist Church (541 Marshall Road SW, Vienna). Purchase tickets atnovanightskytheater.com/box-office

The Providence Players of Fairfax

Don’t Dress for Dinner

The Providence Players of Fairfax will be performing “Don’t Dress for Dinner,”

a two-act play about a romantic weekend gone awry filled with hilarious confusion and improvisation. It will be showing from June 11 — 24. Purchase tickets at providenceplayers.org/about-us/ production-history/2022-2023-season/ dont-dress-for-dinner/

Passing Strange

Ford’s Theatre

One Destiny

Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

John F.

The Lion King

More than 100 million people around the world have experienced the phenomenon of Disney’s “The Lion King,” and now one can, too, when Washington, D.C.’s best-loved musical returns to the Kennedy Center. Shown at the Opera House at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts from June 22nd – July 29. Purchase tickets at kennedycenter.org/whats-on/explore-by-genre/ theater/2022-2023/lion-king/.

Signature Theatre Sweeney Todd

Returned to London following a wrongful banishment, barber Sweeney Todd’s thirst for vengeance against the corrupt judge who sent him away leads him on a murderous spree. Aided by his downstairs neighbor, baker Mrs. Lovett, the two concoct an unappetizing scheme as they terrorize the city. Currently showing at Signature Theatre until July 9th. Purchase tickets at sigtheatre.org/ events/202223/sweeney-todd/

A young man discovers his musical calling and sets off for Europe, leaving behind his mother and comfortable suburban life. In his rebellion filled with sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, he yearns for something in life that he thinks can only be found in art. Currently showing at Signature Theatre until June 18th. Purchase tickets at sigtheatre.org/ events/202223/passing-strange/. Alden Theatre at McLean

Community Center

American Idiot

McLean Community Players returns to The Alden for 2023, with a production of Green Day’s “American Idiot.” The two-time Tony Award-winning hit musical boldly goes where the American musical has never gone before as three friends try to find meaning in a post 9/11 world. Showing at the Alden Theatre from July 21 — 30. Purchase tickets at ci.ovationtix.com/31195/production/1161782

Capital One Hall

Swan Lake

The Ravel Dance Company will present the classical masterpiece “Swan Lake” at the Main Theater at Capital One Hall. This is a timeless love story that mixes magic, tragedy and romance. Performed on June 8th. Purchase tickets at ticketmaster.com/event/15005E671E8A5FB4

Learn about President Lincoln’s assassination through a one act-play from two men who were there. Actor Harry Hawk and Ford’s Theatre co-owner Harry Ford revisit the events of April 14, 1865. Performed until July 11. Purchase tickets at fords.org/visit-us/ one-destiny-a-one-act-play/

Synetic Theater

Cyrano de Bergerac

Cyrano has a larger-than-life personality….and a nose to match. This timeless tale features mistaken identities, breath-taking sword fights, unrequited love and acts of heroism. Performed from July 14 — August 13. Purchase tickets at synetictheater. my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/

Keegan Theatre

Seussical: The Musical

A fantastical, magical, musical extravaganza for all ages, “Seussical: The Musical” lovingly brings to life all the favorite Dr. Seuss characters, including Horton the Elephant, The Cat in the Hat, Gertrude McFuzz, lazy Mayzie and a little boy with a big imagination — Jojo. Performed from June 17 — July 22. Purchase tickets at keegantheatre.com/portfolio/seussical-the-musical/

Filled with warm humor and tremendous heart, “Sweat” tells the story of a group of friends who have spent their lives sharing drinks, secrets, and laughs while working together on the factory floor. Performed from August 19 — September 16. Purchase tickets at keegantheatre.com/portfolio/sweat/

Little Theatre of Alexandria

Freaky Friday

When a mom and her teenage daughter magically swap bodies, they have just one day to put things right again before the big wedding. Freaky Friday, a new musical based on the celebrated novel by Mary Rodgers and the two hit Disney movies. Performed from July 22 — August 12. Purchase tickets at thelittletheatre.com/performances/

The National Theater

Hadestown

Winner of eight Tony Awards in 2019 (including Best Musical), “Hadestown” is a vibrant musical experience that blends two mythic tales into a hair-raising voyage into the underworld. Performed from June 6 — 18. Purchase tickets at https:// www.broadwayatthenation al.com/ show/hadestown/

FCNP.COM | FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

Concerts

Signature Theatre

Broadway in the Park: June 16

Tickets: sigtheatre.org/events/202223/ broadway-in-the-park/ The Alden Theatre at McLean Community Center

Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington’s Potomac Fever: June 25. Celebration

PRIDE Month at McLean Central Park Admission is free.

National Gallery of Art

Jazz in the Garden Concerts: Join the National Gallery of Art in the Sculpture Garden every Friday from May 19 — August 4. Register atnga.gov/calendar/concerts/jazz-in-the-garden.html

Concerts in the Park:

June 22 —August 3, Live music Thursday night starting at 7 p.m. in Cherry Hill Park

Wolf Trap

A Large lineup of well known artists. wolftrap.org/calendar.aspx

The State Theatre

An array of summer concerts. thestatetheatre.com/events/ upcoming_events.xml

Lincoln Theatre

Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington D.C. will be saluting country music-legend Dolly Parton on June 3 — June 4.

SUMMER ARTS PREVIEW

Galleries/ Exhibitions

Falls Church Arts

Eighty-eight artists with last names from L-Z will be featured in the second part of the All Member Show at the Falls Church Arts gallery from May 27, 2023 – June 25, 2023

Festivals/ Events

Tinner Hill Music Festival: 29th Annual charity event that celebrates & honors the African American legacy: June 10. Tickets: ateventbrite.com/e/ tinner-hill-music-festival-2023tickets-476125493167.

Mosaic Pride Parade: Mosaic’s 2nd Annual Pride Parade: June 3. mosaicdistrict.com/events/event/ mosaic-pride-parade/?event_id=9603

Greek Festival: Saint Katherine’s

Greek Orthodox Church

Annual Spring Festival on June 2 — 4. Come out to enjoy food, pastries, music and dancing. saint-katherines.org/

Capital Pride Parade: Celebrate with the LGBTQ+ community: June 10

Eighty-eight artists with last names from L-Z will be featured in the second part of the All Member Show at the Falls Church Arts gallery from May 27, 2023 – June 25, 2023. An opening reception will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, May 27. The reception is open to the public.

Pictured is “Waiting for Capone,” Richard McMurry ( photo: Richard McMurry )

Join McLean Community Center’s Celebration of PRIDE

Month and honor the beauty in all people. GMCW’s 14-voice harmony pop ensemble will sing a fun mix of contemporary pop, crowd favorites and Broadway songs—all without a single instrument. Performed at McLean Central Park on June 25. Admission is free. (Courtesy: Gay Men’s Chorus of washington DC)

Tinner Hill Music Festival: The 29th Annual Tinner Hill Music Festival brings culturally rich live music and arts to the City of Falls Church to create a sensational festival experience. It will be held on June 10. (Photo:

Greek Festival: Saint Katherine’s Greek Orthodox Church. Annual Spring Festival on June 2 — 4. Come out to enjoy food, pastries, music and dancing. (Photo: John Goranitis)

Meridian Artist-In-Residence Creates Installations and Community

After twenty-four years in Falls Church City Public Schools, retired art teacher Marc Robarge wasn’t done just yet. This January, he returned to Meridian High School as the district’s first artistin-residence.

The residency came about when current art teachers Christina Leigh and Sarah Gurgo proposed the idea for a Falls Church Education Foundation Teacher Grant, which principal Valerie Hardy lauded as “truly revolutionary.” They chose Robarge, who had retired in June 2022, to be the recipient of the grant.

“I’m grateful to be valued as an artist,” Robarge said.

He set out building a curriculum that would center the districts’ values and invite collaboration across the school community.

Robarge has conducted workshops with each homeroom class and held multiple staff workshops to create the design for the flagship

work, Through the Looking Glass.

The piece, a ceramic installation that takes inspiration from microscopic spores, bird murmurations and Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” will be completed this summer.

“There is a strong connection to nature throughout,” Robarge said of the installation.

This week, Robarge and a team of twenty students have been installing a mural in the 5th floor

collaborative space, dubbed the ‘airport lounge.’ The mural fits in with the floor’s yellow theme and is a “rhythmic, flowing piece.”

Robarge designed the residency to have students involved every step of the way. Leigh and Gurgo’s IB art students have contributed to the installations, as have non-art students who just wanted to volunteer their time.

He says funding from the NCEF and the support of Meridian

Falls Church School News & Notes

Oak Street Odyssey of the Mind Needs Help

A team of Oak Street Elementary 3rd and 4th graders has advanced to the World Finals of Odyssey of the Mind, an academic problem-solving and creativity competition, for the first time in almost twenty years. They will represent FCCPS in East Lansing, Michigan, at Michigan State University from May 24-27, 2023. Please help their team offset the $3000 competition registration cost and get them to Worlds with their GoFundMe page: www. gofundme.com/f/oak-street-teamto-odyssey-of-the-mind-worlds.

Meridian Childhood Cancer Fundraiser

Susan Rotherham, a junior at Meridian, is hosting the “Ice Skate Against Childhood Cancer” fundraiser event on Friday, May 19. Thanks to the generous FCCPS community, the event was a huge success last year, raising over $2,500 to support families in their fights against

pediatric cancer. The turnout from Meridian students and families was a big part of the success.

MHS IB Music Featured on Vermont Radio

Four Meridian IB Music composers’ electronic music were featured on Vermont Radio, on Thursday, May 9th, from 5:00 to 5:30 pm in a radio broadcast called Big Heavy World. IB music students created electronic music pieces using digital audio workstation software and sound design as part of their curriculum.

School Board Chairs to Host Office Hours

FCCPS School Board Chair

Laura Downs and Vice-Chair Tate Gould will hold “office hours” at Harvey’s (513 W Broad St) on Wednesday, May 24 from 6:00-8:00 pm. Parents, students, teachers, staff, and community members may drop by (no registration required) to ask questions and offer feedback in a casual environment. As this will

not be a private setting, community members who prefer to have a private exchange with the School Board can locate members’ email addresses at: https://www.fccps.org/ page/school-board.

Dozens Recognized at Celebration of Excellence

Monday afternoon, after a reception with elegant food provided by FCCPS Food Services, the presentations began at the Learning Stairs at Meridian HS. Recognitions started with a large group of teachers and staff who had received a wide variety of awards and honors this year. The FCEF recognitions for nominees and the awards for the winners followed with Dee Dee Etheridge and Michael Gilroy honored as Support Staff of the Year; Technology specialist Steve Knight recognized as Professional Specialist of the Year, and the event culminated with the FCEF Teacher of the Year award to Mt Daniel’s first-grade teacher, Julia Noble. A friendly crowd of peers, family, nominators, and friends were on hand to share in the celebrations.

administration has made his work possible, and given life to the bare walls of the newly built school.

“Everyone always wanted art installations in the school,” Robarge said.

While Robarge was creating Through the Looking Glass, two English teachers alerted him to a John Updike poem that uses bird murmuration imagery to convey connection with nature, with the concluding line of the

poem referencing a scarf.

“Scarf-like flow was one of my initial inspirations for the installation so I thought it was perfect,” he says. “I wanted this to be a cross curricular project.” Hardy says Robarge’s return has been “wonderful for our school community.”

“Every single piece of feedback we have received has been overwhelmingly positive,” she said.

IB Leaders Visit Belvedere

Belvedere Elementary School received a visit from top leaders of the International Baccalaureate program last week. Members of the IB Board, including Director General of the IB, were in town to celebrate the opening of its new North American headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Belvedere has participated in the Primary Years Program (PYP) for eleven years. Principal Cecilia Vanderhye said, “the visit allowed school staff to provide a window into an American, Title I PYP public [school].”

The IB is an international aca-

demic program in over 5,600 schools across 159 countries that promotes inquiry based learning to create a better, more peaceful world.

Coffee Cart at MHS Teaches Life Skills

The Meridian Education for Employment class offers a mobile Coffee Cart to staff and students. This activity is to help their investigation into budgeting and workrelated experiences. On Mondays or Tuesdays, they deliver coffee, tea, and hot chocolate to classrooms that have pre-ordered a beverage. They charge $1.50 for the drinks, and Rare Bird donates coffee.

Meridian High School participated in the national Trex Film Recycling Challenge from December through April 15. Meridian collected almost 300 pounds of plastic film. (Photo: Carrie Pollack)

Robarge works on cermacic pieces for the murmuration installation. (courtesy: Marc Robarge)

by Catherine Kane Falls Church News-Press

Commentary: Mental Health & Access to Treatment Matters

by Ashley Summers Dominon & Stone Springs Hospitals

Mental health is part of overall health. Mental health conditions cause changes in thoughts, feelings and moods. Your mental health can affect many areas of your life including: home, work, school, relationships with others, sleep, appetite, decision making and may worsen other medical problems. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in every five adults in the U.S experiences a mental health condition. One in every five children ages 13-18 have or will have a serious mental health condition.

It’s a problem that Dominion Hospital hopes their programs will start to chip away at. Dominion Hospital, the only

include a 24/7 inpatient program, partial hospitalization program (PHP) and an intensive outpatient program (IOP). In addition to Intersect, the dual diagnosis substance abuse program, they are also affiliated with Reflections Eating Disorders Center.

“Early intervention leads to better outcomes, better functioning, and better lives” says, Dr. Gary Litovitz, Chief Medical Officer of Dominion Hospital.

Dr. Litovitz works tirelessly alongside Dominion hospital staff, as they like to call it “team Dominion,” to keep an individual safe and ultimately save their life. Given the increasing mental health needs in our community they are constantly working to see how to better serve our mental health community needs.

ing unnecessary mental health emergency department visits. Additionally, they offer online scheduling where an individual can schedule a no-cost assessment on a day/time that is most convenient for their schedule. Having sufficient healthcare access helps individuals proactively manage their health challenges, leading to positive long-term health outcomes. In the U.S., healthcare access is a public health issue as many Americans lack the physical or financial resources to receive the healthcare services they need. Accessing mental healthcare is especially difficult due to lingering social stigmas and scarcity of services. To breakdown these barriers, Dominion Hospital is one of many HCA psychiatric hospitals around the country which are committed to a collaborative care model where they can work together with community partners to provide individuals with direct access to care.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health,

you can call them directly to discuss programs, care and treatment at 703-536-7000. If you are a provider, please call the

direct admission line at 571-4252164. Or, if you wish to schedule a no cost assessment please visit www.dominionhospital.com

Community News & Notes

Bike Everywhere Weekend to Raise Awareness

“Bike & Walk Everywhere Weekend” will build on Bike to Work Day in Falls Church City, with the same spirit of raising awareness and excitement around trying biking or walking for transportation. Bike Falls Church lining up exciting destinations on the weekend of May 19 through May 21 — public spots like Bike to School Friday and Bike to the Market Saturday, places of worship, and many local businesses. There are a few more days to add other destinations, if one knows an organization that might want to participate.

Bike Falls Church will share the map of destinations, social media hashtag, and other info with participants closer to the weekend. This is a Bike Falls Church piloted event that they hope the City will take on in future years, making it an official part of realizing the goals of Mobility for All Modes in the City’s Comprehensive Plan and the Bike Master Plan. They hope locals take the chance to get on a bike to visit a local business or other destination.

F.C. Resident Fulfills Dream With Mobile Flooring Brand

Falls Church resident Owen Sullivan recently became a franchise owner with Floor Coverings International, the brand that’s con-

sistently ranked No. 1 in the mobile flooring category, visiting customers’ homes in a Mobile Flooring Showroom stocked with thousands of flooring samples from top manufacturers. Having recently launched operations, Floor Coverings International of Tysons Corner serves customers throughout North Arlington, McLean, Falls Church, and Vienna Floor Coverings International is a business built on relationships to provide its customers with the very best in-home flooring experience in North America. Its proven business model has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs thrive in a business that is simple-to-run and easy to scale. Floor Coverings International further separates itself from the competition through its customer experience, made up of several simple and integrated steps that exceed customers’ expectations.

For more information, visit https://nwdca.floorcoveringsinternational.com/ or call 703-214-9175.

Third Annual “Mental Health Action Day” Coming to DC

The third annual Mental Health Action Day – a day to shift the culture of mental health from awareness to action – will encourage and empower people around the world to dedicate one hour to a mental health action for themselves, their loved ones, or their community.

Founded in 2021 by MTV Entertainment Studios and TaskForce, the movement for #MentalHealthAction is now nearly 2,000 organizations strong including YouTube, Snapchat, Indianapolis Colts, NAMI, and the National Council. This year’s call to action will drive people to take one hour to take a mental health action that works for them.

The event will take place on Thursday, May 18.

City Council Raises Awareness on Asian Community and More

The City Council issued proclamations this week recognizing Asian American and Pacific Islander Month, Public Service Recognition Week and Mental Health Awareness Month. Each proclamation seeks to uplift members of the community. By recognizing the rich heritage of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, honoring the work of our public servants and supporting mental health awareness, acceptance and resources, the City welcomes all to celebrate the value of a diverse community.

Read the full proclamations on the City website (fallschurchva.gov/ Archive.aspx?).

F.C. Arts Presents “Excellence in Arts” Scholarship

With a stated mission to “ensure

the arts are an essential part of the cultural environment,” Falls Church Arts has since inception focused on the visual arts, bringing exhibition opportunities and the chance to learn, share, and grow.

Their Excellence in Art Scholarship is a new offering meant to recognize and encourage those who display an early dedication to making art. In 2023, they are offering $1,000 scholarships to as many as three students.

A student is eligible to apply for this $1,000 scholarship if the student meets all of the following criteria: Exhibits excellence and creativity in the visual arts fields of drawing, painting, photography, mixed media, or sculpture; is in the final academic year of their secondary education at a Northern Virginia high school and plans to attend an accredited postsecondary institution and further their artistic pursuits there. Special consideration will be given to applicants whose art work and activities have benefited other students, their school or members of the community.

For additional information, contact: Maureen Budetti (mrbudetti@ gmail.com) 202-288-9291 or Marty Behr (behrmarty29@gmail.com) 703-975-0762.

Memorial Day Parade and Festival Schedule

The Recreation and Parks

Department is gearing up for their 41st Annual City of Falls Church Memorial Day event. This community tradition will include a Memorial Day Ceremony hosted by the Falls Church Veterans Council, a 3K Fun Run, civic, merchant, crafter, food vendors, live music, kids entertainment, and a parade.

On Monday, May 29, starting at 9:00 a.m. the Beyer Auto Group 3K Fun Run will begin at Great Falls Street at Little Falls Street Rollerblades.

The festival will be held from 9:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m. Children’s rides and amusements will be present, as well as vendor booths with food and crafts for sale.

From 9:00 a.m. — 2:00 p.m., there will be music on the main stage, with the Coozies performing at 9:15 a.m. and the City of Falls Church Concert Band performing at 12:30 p.m.

From 10:00 a.m. — 2:00 p.m., tours of the Cherry Hill Farmhouse will be provided. At 11:00 a.m., the Memorial Day ceremony will be held at the Veteran’s Memorial outside the Community Center. The Keynote Speaker will be State Senator Chap Petersen.

Finally at 2:00 p.m., the parade will be led by Grand Marshal Rebecca Tax.

A RECEPTION FOR THE MANY Falls Church City Public School award and honor recipients was held last week at Meridian High. They included Dee Dee Etheridge and Michael Gilroy honored as Support Staff of the Year, Steve Knight as Professional Specialist of the Year and the Falls Church Education Foundation’s Teacher of the Year, Mt. Daniel first grade teacher Julia Noble. (FCCPS photo)

HONORED AS THE LATEST recipient of the Steve Sprague Memorial Housing Champion Award for Affordable Housing Advocacy at the meeting of the F.C. Housing Commission last week at City Hall was Ron Brousseau, shown here flanked by Housing Commission chair Meredith Andeson and Hannah Jordan. (News-Press photo)

THIS WEEK IN THE LITTLE CITY

THURSDAY MAY 18

Arts and Humanities Council Meeting

Arts and Humanities Council meeting. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Dogwood A-B, Falls Church), 9:30 a.m. — 11:00 a.m.

Hidden No More

Students from eight academic institutions present their capstone projects in Hidden No More: Outstanding Vocal Artists You Need

To Know through two musical programs highlighting talented youth and uncovering the history of overlooked African American classical artists. Free with registration at nmaahc.si.edu/events National Museum of African American History and Culture (1400 Constitution Ave. NW, Heritage Hall, Washington, DC), 11:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m.

Protect Yourself from Fraud and Identity Theft

In this session, an AARP expert will share an inside look at how scammers think, how to safeguard against identity theft and fraud, first-hand accounts from victims, and what to do if you or someone you know has been a victim. Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Upper Floor Conf. Rm., Falls Church), 2:00 p.m. — 3:30 p.m.

Human Services Advisory Council Meeting

Human Services Advisory Council meeting. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Dogwood A-B, Falls Church), 6:30 p.m. — 7:30 p.m.

ALLIED FORCES FOUNDATION FUNDRAISER

With a friendly competition hosted by Jazzercise & Falls Church Athletics, a raffle hosted by Old Glory Rugby Team, and featuring Veteran-owned and operated Honor Brewing. 10 percent of total day sales goes to Allied Forces Foundation. Harvey’s (513 W. Broad St., Falls Church), 4:00 p.m. — 7:30 p.m.

Envir. Sustainability Council Meeting

With Energy Transition Subcommittee meeting. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Dogwood A-B, Falls Church), 7:30 p.m. — 9:30 p.m.

FRIDAY MAY 19

Bike To Work Day 2023

The annual Bike to Work Day, held by Commuter Connections and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, will feature 100 pit stops for commuters with food, beverages, and giveaways. Three pit stops will be located in Falls Church: W&OD Trail & Grove Ave, 6101 Knollwood Dr, and 2001 N Sycamore St. Participants are encouraged to register at biketoworkmetrodc. org/register. Everywhere (Anywhere, All Over, USA), All Day

Used Book Sale & Attic Treasures Bazaar

The F.C. chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) is holding a used book sale in conjunction with the Village Preservation and Improvement Society (VPIS). Book sale profits fund scholarships for local high school girls and grants to local organizations helping educate girls. Falls Church Community Center (223 Little Falls St., Kenneth R. Burnett Bldg., Falls Church), 10:00 a.m. — 8:00 p.m.

Perchfest Spring Festival

Free and open to the public. Enjoy putt putt in the sky, live music, community vendors, lawn games and inflatables, appearances by local personalities, and a morning fitness class. Guests are recommended to register in advance and make a donation to support charity partner Lucky Dog Animal Rescue. The Perch @ Capitol One Center (1805 Capital One Dr., Tysons, VA), 11:00 a.m.

SATURDAY MAY 20

McLean Day 2023

Need fun? Bring your friends and family and celebrate McLean’s biggest annual festival. This event draws approximately 10,000+ patrons throughout the day. Enjoy music, games, balloon animals, a petting zoo, amusements, sponsors, exhibitors, gourmet food trucks, large and small carnival rides and much more! Ride tickets can be pre-pur-

chased online and are also sold onsite. Lewinsville Park (1659 Chain Bridge Rd., McLean, VA), 11:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m.

AAPI Heritage Festival

Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Festival, with over ten organizations with specific Asian heritages and customs participating to recognize and honor AAPI contributions to history, culture, and achievement in the United States, and the diversity of our multicultural society, leadership, and collaboration. James Lee Community Center (2855 Annandale Rd., Falls Church), 11:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m.

BrewWorks Festival

In addition to sampling microbrews, wine, and spirits, participants can enjoy delicious food and lawn games while listening to local bands throughout the day. A variety of food trucks will be on campus, and the art galleries, artist studios, gift shop, and Lucy Burns Museum will be open to explore during the event. Workhouse Arts Center (9518 Workhouse Way, Lorton, VA), 12:00 p.m. — 7:00 p.m.

Elena La Fulana

Elena La Fulana, a Latin Grammy-nominated instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and leader of the DC-based bilingual Latin-folk band Elena & Los Fulanos, will perform a free concert at Founder’s Row. There will also be local restaurants, lawn games, kids games and a pop-up bar. Founder’s Row (109 Founders Ave., Falls Church), 5:00 p.m. — 7:00 p.m.

SUNDAY MAY 21

Old Town Festival of Speed & Style

This free festival features more than 100 rare and incredible supercars, racing cars and high-performance vehicles on display to see up-close. A fashion celebration will also be held to complement the “style” of the spectacular vehicles, with live music and sponsor activations making it a fun event for the entire family. Old Town Alexandria (King St. and Market Sq., Alexandria, VA), 10:00 a.m. — 3:00 p.m.

Learn How To Run For Office

F.C. needs great candidates for the City Council and School Board elections this November. Are you thinking about running? Would you like to know more about what it takes? The F.C. League of Women Voters hosts an informal discussion session with Vice Mayor Letti Hardi and FCCPS School Board Vice Chair Tate Gould. Mary Riley Styles Lubrary (120 N. Virginia Ave., Upper Floor Conf. Rm., Falls Church), 2:00 p.m. — 3:00 p.m.

Carmina & Illuminare

Vocal ensembles Carmina (mixed choir) and Illuminare (women’s ensemble) return to the Odeon Chamber Music Series. Guest instrumentalists revisit some of their favorite music from the past 25 years to celebrate retiring Founder and Director Dr.Vera Kochanowsky. St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church (3241 Brush Dr., Falls Church), 4:00 p.m.

Sunrise Sunset Drag Bingo

“Hostess with the Mostess” Evita Peroxide, is back again for Drag Bingo! Join Evita and a wonderful cast of DMV artists/entertainers for a fun and entertaining evening filled with games galore! This show is “rated PG” and family friendly. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack (130 N. Washington St., Falls Church), 6:00 p.m. — 8:30 p.m.

Wolf’s Blues Jam

Wolf’s Blue Jam performs. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church), 8:00 p.m.

MONDAY MAY 22

City Council Meeting

The City Council meets the second and fourth Monday each month, except August and December when one meeting is held. The public is welcome to sign up to speak during the public comment period at fallschurchva.gov/publiccomment. Attend in-person, view online at fallschurchva.gov/CouncilMeetings, or watch on FCCTV (Cox 11, RCN 2, Verizon 35). Video will be available after the meeting both online and on FCCTV. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Dogwood A-B, Falls Church), 7:30 p.m. — 11:00 p.m.

TUESDAY MAY 23

Government Operations Committee Meeting

City Council Government Operations Committee meeting. City Hall (300 ParkAve., DogwoodA-B, Falls Church), 12:00 p.m. — 1:00 p.m.

WEDNESDAY MAY 24

Ask the Council Session

The public is welcome to attend this session to meet with Council members and ask questions in an informal setting. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Oak Room, Falls Church), 9:00 a.m. — 10:00 a.m.

GET AN UP-CLOSE look at 100+ incredible vehicles, Sunday at the Old Town Festival of Speed & Style in Alexandria. (Courtesy Photo)

Mustangs Prepare for Spring Playoffs

by Ryan McCafferty

With the postseason now just around the corner, Meridian High School’s various athletics programs had another full slate of action this past week. Here is how they fared.

Baseball enjoyed a strong week, highlighted by a 25-1 walloping of Manassas Park on Senior Night on Tuesday. The night before that they beat Skyline at home in an exciting 5-4 comeback, but were unable to keep their win streak going as they fell at Brentsville on Friday. Their

record is now 13-5, and they’ll conclude their regular season this week as they play at Skyline on Tuesday and then host William Monroe on Thursday.

Softball alternated between losses and wins, falling 1-7 to Skyline at home on Monday and then beating Manassas Park 11-0 on Tuesday, which was their Senior Night as well. They finished the week losing 2-12 at Brentsville on Friday, dropping to 10-6-1 on the year as they’ll finish out this week with the same schedule as baseball, at Skyline on

Tuesday and then hosting Monroe on Thursday.

Boys’ soccer dominated at Skyline on Monday, winning 15-0, before coming home to tie Manassas Park 2-2 on Tuesday night. They then defeated Brentsville 6-2 on the road on Friday to improve to 11-3-1, and have only one regular season game remaining, playing Skyline again on Tuesday on their home turf. The girls, meanwhile, went 2-1 this week with back-to-back road wins at Skyline and Manassas Park on Monday and Tuesday, winning 7-0

and 11-0

respectively. They would lose at home to Brentsville on Friday, though, getting shut out 0-4. They’ll host Skyline on Tuesday as part of a doubleheader with the boys, with one last chance to improve upon their 9-3-2 record before the playoffs begin.

On the lacrosse field, the boys fell 5-11 to Kettle Run at home on Monday, but then went out and destroyed Eastern View on the road on Wednesday to the tune of 19-1, moving to 9-5 for the year. Their regular season is over, and they’ll await their playoff opponent on Thursday for what should be a home game. Meanwhile the girls won

both of their games against Kettle Run and Eastern View, improving to 10-3, though neither of the scores were made available. They’ll play at James Monroe on Monday and then host Liberty-Bealeton on Wednesday to close out their regular season.

Finally, girls’ tennis has suddenly caught fire to close out their season, sweeping their three matchups of Warren County (8-1 on Monday), Skyline (9-0 on Tuesday), and Brentsville (7-2 on Friday), all at home. That brings their record to 8-7 as they go above .500 for the first time this year, and also marks the end of their regular season as they hope to carry the momentum forward.

George Mason Patriots Softball To Play at #8 Duke in NCAA Regional

by Nick Gatz

George Mason University’s dream softball season continued in dramatic fashion as the Patriots took home the A10 conference tournament title this past Saturday. They now find themselves in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. Their title clinching win came in a do or die winner take all game as they were able to come storming back in the 10th inning with a 6-3 win. This was the third time in 2 days Mason had squared off against the Ramblers of Loyola Chicago.

Mason entered the Tournament as the 4 seed while Loyola Chicago came into the game as the 2 seed. Mason won the regular season series 2 games to 1 in Fairfax. This time they were tasked with knocking off the Ramblers again for the 2nd time in as many days. College softball plays a double elimination style tournament to determine their Champion.

Mason defeated Loyola 3-0 on Friday and then lost on an extra

inning go ahead 2 run shot that cleared the fence. GMU fell 3-2 Saturday morning in the bottom of the 8th inning as they were one pitch away from being crowned champs.

In the Afternoon recap, Mason and Loyola sent their #2 pitchers to the mound. It was junior Carly Cooper on the mound for the Patriots to duel it out with Rambler sophomore Andie Broniewicz. Both teams’ aces had pitched a lot of innings over the course of the tournament.

Mason got on the board early by plating 3 runs but as we had found out all weekend, the Ramblers weren’t going to go away easy. In the Bottom of the 6th, Mason needing only 4 more outs it was the Ramblers who were able to load the Bases.

Mason would then turn to star A10 pitcher of the year Aly Rayle out of the pen to get the last out in the 6th, she was unable to get the last out before giving up a hit that allowed the 2nd and tying run to cross the plate. The game would go extras.

Both teams went scoreless in the 7th, 8th, and 9th innings. It was in the top of the 10th inning when Mason sent Nichole Bechtel to the plate

with 2 on that the redshirt junior was able to come up with a clutch 2 run scoring double to put Mason up 5-3. Elyssa DeRosa added an RBI single that plated Logan Pickford and gave mason a 6-3 lead as they headed to the bottom of the 10th.

Rayle came back in her 4th inning of relief to slam the door shut and lead the Patriots to victory.

The win gives 5th year Head Coach Justin Walker his first conference title! When talking with Walker, the News-Press asked how they were going about preparing for this weekend’s games. He emphasized rest and letting the girls finish up their schoolwork as many were going through finals.

Justin praised the team’s hard work, dedication and experience as the reasons for this years success. He went on to say their goal was to win series, not being so focused on every game. They were able to win six out of their first seven A10 series of the year. This paid dividends as the girls were prepared for the weekend and didn’t let a loss hold them down.

With senior leadership and experience around the diamond the

Kiwanis Little League Host Fundraiser

by Erika Toman

The Falls Church Kiwanis Little League hosted their annual playerled fundraiser this past week and the players surpassed their goal by raising over $50k for the league. With over 500 children participating in the Hit-A-Thon throughout the week, it was a true community effort. The culmination of their efforts was celebrated Saturday night at the third annual Hit-A-Thon championship and Adult Home Run Derby under the lights at Westgate Elementary’s Art Eagle ballfield.

The Hit-A-Thon championship featured all of the top home run hitters from the Majors teams. Stepping up to the plate were Thomas Corcoran, Xander Wagner, James Gremminger, Liam Horgan, Sam Crean, Nate Landers, Aiden Ortiz, Kovas Plummer, Landon Tucker, Luca Pipia, Jack Mullin, and Teddy Greiner, all vying for the title of Hit-A-Thon Champion. The competition went down to the wire with Plummer edging out Ortiz by a final count of 6 – 5.

The Juniors division featured FCKLL players currently play-

ing in high school. FCKLL alumnus Owen Growney (Senior at Marshall High School) was the big winner of the night with 6 home runs in the final round. His teammate Nathan Lake (Sophomore at Marshall High School) finished as runner-up with 4 home runs in the championship round.

Patriots have found their success.

While their season is not done and regardless of what happens this weekend in Durham, N.C. where they will face the national seeded Duke Blue Devils, the 2023 season will go down in the history books.

Justin hopes this title will help in recruiting and building the program as they look to be a leader in the DMV region.

If you would like to tune into this weekend’s pool play, the Patriots game will be aired on ESPN+ Friday, May 19th at noon. Tickets are available through the George Mason Athletic Ticket Office at am.ticketmaster.com/ gmu/23ncaasb for JUST $10. You can also contact Taylor Bosket, tbosket@gmu.edu or 703-993-4112.

For the adults division, Lauren Hoeck took home the trophy as the Women’s Hit-A-Thon grand champion, with Maureen Queler as runner-up. In the adult home run derby, Anthony Verdi reclaimed the title he first won in 2021. On his heels the entire time, Victor Waldron had an incredible showing and took

GEORGE MASON SOFTBALL captures their first A10 title. (Photo: George Mason Athletics )

Falls Church News-Press

home the runner-up trophy.

MAJORS HIT A THON FINALISTS. (photo: Fred Keel)

A Penny for Your Thoughts News of Greater Falls Church

By Supervisor Penny Gross

Volunteers are not paid –not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless! That was the sentiment at the Volunteer Fairfax Community Champions award ceremony last week as 10 community champions were honored for their service, ranging from children’s issues and food pantries to parks and the environment. Each Community Champion was nominated by their district Supervisor. It was my pleasure to nominate Mark Tonkovic, who lives in the Culmore/Bailey’s Crossroads community as Mason District’s 2023 Community Champion.

Mark grew up in his Culmore/Bailey’s Crossroads community, and moved back to his childhood home as his parents aged. He is a natural steward of his community, and is known affectionately as the “mayor.” Mark keeps a watchful eye on his neighbors, assisting with everything from computer glitches to solving parking problems. Mark never hesitates to assist others who may not have the means, the language ability, or the knowledge to seek assistance from local or state government agencies. When over-parking on neighborhood streets presented access issues for his elderly neighbors, Mark went to work on expanding the existing Culmore Residential Permit Parking District (RPPD), to include several streets in Aura Heights. He spent several years working with neighbors along both sides of the roads until they met all of the RPPD acceptance requirements.

When aggressive driving and stop sign violations became a daily occurrence in his neighborhood, Mark collaborated with local police enforcement to stem it, improving pedestrian safety, especially for youth walking to school. And now he has volunteered to collect signatures for a new project to install additional streetlights for safety. Mark is an example of a “hyperlocal” community champion, who stayed in the area where

he grew up, and continues to be a dedicated volunteer and steward in and for his community.

Congratulations, Mark! Volunteer opportunities abound in this region. The Volunteer Fairfax online portal has 63,000 people signed up for service, who will be deployed as needs and skills are identified for the best match. It may be a few hours on one day, or the volunteer opportunity may expand into a daily, weekly, or monthly routine of service. Commitment, enthusiasm and dependability are key; the tasks may be in the parks, working with children or adults, combatting food insecurity, helping with small home repairs for the elderly, or administrative tasks. You name it; Volunteer Fairfax has it! Email VolsRUs@volunteerfairfax.org for more information. You also can contact local schools, faith communities, and nonprofit organizations on your own to find a volunteer opportunity uniquely suited to your talents and skills. Or, like Mark Tonkovic, you can assist your neighbors without even leaving home. Remember, volunteers are priceless!

For those who saw the video of the horrifying near-fatal crash on the Fairfax County Parkway last week, there is good news. The officer is doing fine, although his cruiser isn’t, and the youthful driver and passengers are recovering, although the powerful BMW was totalled. The Police Department’s “50 Means 50” campaign, a crackdown on reckless driving, ran from May 8 to 15, 2023 in all police districts and, in just one week, yielded 890 traffic summonses and 163 warning tickets, which means that there were more than 1000 speeding violations observed by police officers. A good reminder to all – 50 means 50!

 Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.

Delegate Marcus Simon’s Richmond Report

As the parent of two very young adults who are coming of age at a time when social media is often their primary source of news about current events, I’ve had to spend a lot of effort teaching my kids how to be smart and discerning consumers of quality information. How to tell facts from fiction and identify intentional disinformation campaigns.

Unfortunately, that skill set doesn’t seem to be a prerequisite for employment in Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s Administration.

Officials are increasingly relying on fact-free notions from the depths of social media and the internet to shape policy, endangering our democracy and undermining the credibility of our decisionmaking processes.

Most recently, Virginia Elections Commissioner Susan Beals quietly announced the state’s withdrawal from the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC). Founded in 2012, ERIC aims to ensure accurate voter rolls, enhance voter registration accessibility, improve efficiency, and reduce election costs. Sadly, ERIC has become a target of conspiracy theories propagated by the same groups responsible for baselessly perpetuating “The Big Lie” that Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election, which was supposedly stolen from him. Succumbing to pressure from MAGA election deniers, states like Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, West Virginia, and Texas have recently severed ties with ERIC, and Virginia is now following suit.

During a press conference, I accused Governor Youngkin of directing Beals to withdraw from ERIC based on unfounded conspiracy theories surrounding its governance and allegations of external manipulation or influence.

When confronted with my assertions, the Governor’s spokesperson chose not to deny them, a silence that speaks volumes.

If Youngkin refuses to reject conspiracy theories, he proves himself unfit for the role of governor.

Joined by Senate Caucus Chair Mamie Locke and House Minority Leader Don Scott at the press conference, I also emphasized the legal

implications of withdrawing from ERIC and condemned the ongoing conspiracy theories perpetuated by the Virginia GOP.

Virginia law mandates the comparison of voter registration data with neighboring states as a critical measure to ensure accuracy. However, abandoning ERIC would necessitate the creation of an entirely new system and somehow coordinating with neighboring states in time for future elections. This alternative approach involves negotiating individual agreements with each state, leading to less accuracy and consuming valuable time. Unsurprisingly, this follows the Republican pattern of undermining the election system, only to shift blame and assert that the system itself failed when issues arise.

Moreover, Beals’ resignation letter citing increased costs as the primary reason for withdrawal strains credulity.

Mere months before pulling Virginia out of ERIC, Beals sang the program’s praises in her annual report to the Chairs of House and Senate Privileges and Elections Committees, noting:

“The ERIC program membership fee from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022 was $37, 644. The data quality from the ERIC program is significantly better than other interstate exchange programs and any program that ELECT could operate in-house with existing resources. The ERIC membership costs are less than the costs incurred if ELECT were required to create and manage an in-house program resulting in the same quality of data.”

It is evident that collaborative programs like ERIC are cost-effec-

tive, as expenses are shared among multiple states. Venturing down this path alone would undoubtedly burden Virginia with significantly higher costs.

Republicans in Virginia have repeatedly made baseless claims of voter fraud but have failed to produce any evidence to support their assertions. Nonetheless, they persist in pushing legislation that aims to hinder people’s voting rights, particularly those who are likely to vote for Democrats. It is a clear attempt to suppress the vote and disenfranchise voters.

The 2020 election was not stolen. It stood as one of the most secure elections in American history, devoid of widespread voter fraud or any evidence of manipulated votes impacting the outcome. The claims of voter fraud propagated by Republicans are simply false.

The decision of the Virginia GOP to withdraw from the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) serves as a smokescreen. ERIC, a nonpartisan organization, provides technical assistance to states in improving their election systems. There is no evidence linking ERIC to voter fraud, and withdrawing from the organization will not enhance election security.

The Virginia GOP’s decision to withdraw from ERIC stems from baseless conspiracy theories regarding voter fraud. These theories lack supporting evidence and should not guide policymaking.

The right to vote is the bedrock of our democracy. We must safeguard this right and ensure ease of access for all. The Virginia GOP’s attempts to suppress the right to vote are a threat to our democracy, and we must stand up to them.

Senate Hopeful Salim: Unconventional Women's Health Advocate

by Brian Reach Falls Church News-Press

Saddam Salim was an unusual person to find discussing a hysterectomy with doctors as a 17-year old, but after four years of advocating for his mother, he had become a bit of an expert –and her life was on the line.

Born in Bangladesh, the Salim family was displaced by extreme flooding in 1998 that left 75 percent of the country under water, and in 2000 moved to the U.S. seeking a better life. Just one year later, an eviction from their first home in D.C. left Salim and his family watching as their belongings, which had been removed to the street, were picked through by strangers – displaced again to make room for luxury condos. Taken in by a family friend, the Salims lived in basements in Falls Church waiting for affordable housing.

When he was just 14, Salim’s mother started getting sick. In Bangladesh, discussing women’s health was so taboo that “unwell” was a common diagnosis for reproductive ailments, and it was seen as unacceptable for women to expose themselves to male doctors. During a time when the infant mortality rate was nearly ten percent, she had no access to a hospital and gave birth to three children from home, receiving no postnatal care. As the primary English speaker in the family, Salim became his mother’s voice when discussing her health with medical staff.

“For her it was tough to tell her kids, ‘here’s what I think I have’ when it comes to my pain, but I also need your help.” recalled Salim, who says he had to research and learn about reproductive health in order to navigate the healthcare system on her behalf. Raised Muslim, the conversation did not come naturally. “In a community like ours, a boy or a man does not talk about reproductive rights or the female anatomy… it’s a private thing, but for me to help her I had to.”

Despite his advocacy, for years doctors refused to take his mother’s pain seriously, simply prescribing some painkillers and sending them back home. “Her pain became so severe that we had to take her to the hospi -

tal every other week.” recalled Salim.

Finally, they encountered a nurse with knowledge of reproductive issues going undiagnosed in minority communities, especially after overseas births, who recommended a series of tests. After the better part of the year, she was diagnosed with endometriosis, a condition where the endometrial cells that line the uterus grow elsewhere in the body, where they cannot be shed during menstruation and become trapped, causing extreme pain.

Though rarely fatal, undiagnosed endometriosis can result in life-threatening side effects, and after years of suffering, his mother’s case was severe enough to require a hysterectomy. Salim, who was nearing the end of High School, had to explain everything to his mother, who with the help of community healthcare was able to have a successful surgery and is now living pain-free.

Salim excelled in school, was the President of his senior class at Falls Church High School, and received multiple college acceptance letters, including a nearly full-ride scholarship to Roanoke College. Between his mother’s recovery and the extensive medical bills, however, Salim opted to stay local, attending Northern Virginia Community College and then George Mason University, where he received a master’s degree in public administration, with a concentration in public and non-profit finance.

Over the course of a nearly three-hour interview, Salim spoke with unusual competence on reproductive rights for a thirty-something male without children of his own. It makes sense – he basically gave his little sister ‘the talk’ and spent his teen years discussing his mother’s uterus – but is especially remarkable in contrast to most other male politicians who, even if staunchly prochoice, typically shy away from the subject. “It was embarrassing…. going through these awkward things… but I think that because of that, my family is very strong, and we can say things that other families may not be able to.” As a result, Salim says his family has helped others in their com -

munity to self-advocate, and understands the need to normalize discussing reproductive health.

“Not only did I have to translate, I also had to look up all the bills, and explain what the bills were for,” said Salim, who said that navigating the billing for the procedure was especially eye-opening. “That’s when I learned that access to care is important. Access to care in the right communities; having health community centers throughout the district matters.”

Salim says his reproductive rights priorities include guaranteed access to reproductive healthcare, medically accurate sex education in public schools, fighting TRAP laws and excessive restrictions aimed at shutting down abortion care, expanding access to community-based care, bringing back Governor Northam’s 2019 initiative to combat maternal mortality and the racial disparity in outcomes in the Commonwealth –and speaking out fearlessly and visibly on behalf of reproductive rights.

Salim was recently endorsed by Repro Rising Virginia, which has endorsed in only seven Virginia Senate races thus far this year. At the event celebrating the Repro Rising Virginia

endorsements and scorecard, Salim was the only male on stage. “I felt comfortable… a lot of male legislators feel uncomfortable, even other ones who are highly rated or endorsed.”

Salim ended the conversation with what this writer will call “big feminist energy,” making the case for how male politicians, including his opponent, often fall short of his bold and unmoving advocacy for women’s reproductive care.

“A lot of politicians say [abortion] is between a person and their doctor, then just walk away. I’ve seen many many many do that. I get it. It’s going to be uncomfortable. But at the same time, if we’re not making people uncomfortable about having this conversation, if we’re not having the conversation or going to the protest, all going out to the mall expressing ourselves, then why am I even getting involved, you know?

“I’d be no different than somebody else just saying it for lip service. So they can go ahead and say that, but I say at the same time let’s guarantee access, let’s back that up. The difference between me and my opponent is that I’ll go out and say yes, it’s between a person and their doctor, but we also need to protect and give equal

access to the things they need.”

Early voting has already begun for the primary, for which the News-Press has endorsed Salim for Senate District 37. Registered Little City voters may cast their ballot at City Hall from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday through June 17 or on either of the two Saturdays before Election Day (June 12 and 19), or at their polling place on Election Day June 20.

THREE GENERATIONS OF the family of Virginia Senate hopeful Saddam Azlan Salim’s family gather around the dining room table. (Photo: Ty Begley, Z2B Media)

Falls Church Business News & Notes

Andworx Wins Government Contractor of the Year Award

Andworx, a City of Falls Church-based technology company, was awarded the Small and Emerging Contractors Advisory Forum (SECAF) 2023 Government Contractor of the Year Award (Under $7.5M Revenue Category) at the 15th Annual SECAF Awards Gala on May 4, 2023. The following week on May 9, 2023, Andworx was named to Inc. Magazine’s annual Best Workplaces list for 2023 and ranks among the highest scoring employers in categories of On the Rise and Prosperous and Thriving. Andworx focuses on people and relationships and uses technology to drive innovation and transformation for customers.

Taco Rock on Newstands

The May issue of Southern Living named Taco Rock, and particularly the newest location in Falls Church, a top place to enjoy tacos. It cited Chef and operator Mike Cordero for outstanding classic tacos like carne asada as well as specialties like grouper. Congratulations on the coverage!

Register for The Arc’s 45th Corporate Team Challenge

The Arc of Northern Virginia’s Corporate and Community Team Challenge on Sunday, June 4 brings together companies and community groups to raise important funds to sustain and strengthen its vital programs, services, and advocacy for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). For 44 years, this has been Northern Virginia’s premier corporate and community challenge foot race and the area’s only team based race with teams of 5-7 runners, with a 5K timed race and a 2K walk and roll. Non-runners may also walk together in-person as a team. Reach out to your coworkers, family, friends, school group, Scout troop, book club or bible study group, recruit your team, REGISTER, and start training! Team Challenge builds teamwork, cooperation, and camaraderie, while showing support for people with IDD.

Blue Print Business Plan Workshop

The SBDC is offering a four-hour online workshop on Thursday, May 25, 9:00 a.m. –– 1:00 p.m. on developing a business plan and the financial forecasting of a business plan. Participants should be prepared to begin working on their business plan during the class. The session will start by opening a Microsoft Word or Google Doc for participants to add information throughout the workshop. By the end of the workshop, everyone will have completed a rough draft of a portion of the business plan and have a clear direction for the areas needing more research and additional information for a complete plan. Key takeaways include research tools, business plan components, business concept, a financial plan and supporting documents. The University of Mary Washington SBDC facilitates the session led by Angela Kelly, an Early Venture Business Consultant in the Small Business Development Center. The link will be shared upon registration at https://clients.virginiasbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=140430024.

New Cybersecurity Certificate Program

Northern Virginia Community College and Google have announced a partnership which offers a fast-track cybersecurity certificate program. This can be completed in under six months as an online part-time study program. Residents may participate through the Virginia Ready Initiative, a nonprofit created in response to the pandemic to retrain employees to work in areas of high demand. Google’s cybersecurity certificate program prepares students for entry-level roles and offers a connection to employers with more than 150 companies including American Express, T-Mobile, and Walmart which hire from certificate programs.

 Business News & Notes is compiled by Elise Neil Bengtson, Executive Director of the Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at elise@ fallschurchchamber.org.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Rivals Clash Over Staff Loyalty

by Charlie Clark

In challenging his former boss for the Commonwealth’s Attorney job, Josh Katcher for months has argued that the incumbent’s office is in a “free fall” shedding of disgruntled staff attorneys. This week brought a rebuttal from two deputies of incumbent Parisa DehghaniTafti who defended her in May 15 comments to the Arlington Patch. https://patch.com/virginia/ clarendon/s/ioi6k/top-prosecutors-in-arlington-question-candidates-reform-credentials?utm_ source=local-update&utm_ medium=email&utm_ campaign=alert

“Over the course of these last three-and-a-half years, we have put together a good team that we are building and expanding on,”

said Jeff Overand, chief deputy commonwealth’s attorney for Arlington and Falls Church. Nassir Aboreden, deputy commonwealth’s attorney in charge of the special victims unit, told Patch he believes the office has made major progress since DehghaniTafti took office in January 2020.

“The team we have now are people who really care about the mission, really care about the community, and they’re people who are really good at their jobs,” said Aboreden, who has experience in a earlier prosecutor’s office in Loudoun County. There have been attorneys “who haven’t been on board” with Dehghani-Tafti’s restorative justice agenda. “And that’s okay. That’s normal when you try to shake up a system as much as we

have,” he said.

The incumbent also drew support from the chief in the Office of the Public Defender for Arlington and Falls Church, Brad Haywood. “Parisa is doing it the right way,” Haywood told Patch. “I think Arlington has the potential to be a template or a paragon for reformoriented prosecution elsewhere. I feel like she’s in the best shape she has been in terms of her office leadership.”

Asked to respond, Katcher told the News-Press: “When it comes to turnover in her office, lack of crime data, or botched cases, Ms. Tafti and her supporters seem to be willing to blame everyone but herself. As Commonwealth’s Attorney, I won’t be passing blame around; the buck stops with me.

This is another desperate attempt by Ms. Tafti to distract from the issues and her record.”

Dehghani-Tafti told the NewsPress that she did not instruct her staffers to speak to the Patch.

The candidates clashed earlier over relations between police and the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office, debating May 9 at the Arlington County Civic Federation.

Dehghani-Tafti complained that “the police are catching fewer people. The greatest deterrent to crime is the certainty of getting caught. We can’t prosecute cases that don’t come to us,” she said, as reported by the Gazette-Leader. She said she has a “healthy” relationship with police leaders and rank-and-file, suggesting that

Katcher is “too cozy” with them.

“You can’t play the oversight role you’re supposed to play if you’re that close to the police department,” she said.

Katcher characterized his opponent as wearing “animosity” toward police almost as a “badge of honor.” Why would police take time to round up offenders of certain crimes when it has been made clear that the prosecutor’s office wouldn’t move forward with them? he asked. “Arlington is going to be a target because we are affluent and we are near a jurisdictional line. There are certain kinds of crimes we cannot afford to be a soft target on – drug dealing, carjacking and other types of violence that’s going to be brought into our county.”

Statements From the 4 Candidates on F.C. Ballot Next Month

My name is Saddam Azlan Salim and I am running for Senate because we deserve a real Democrat for Virginia’s future. I want to start by telling you my story ––a story that I think represents the values I cherish as a Democrat and why I fight for the issues that matter to us all. When my family immigrated to the US, we found ourselves homeless and struggling within a year. It was Fairfax County and its affordable housing program that took us in and saved us. Soon after, my parents were able to get care from Fairfax County’s affordable healthcare clinics to help them get treatment for longstanding health issues. I attended public school and university here, like Falls Church High School, Northern Virginia Community College and GMU where I eventually got a Bachelors and Masters Degree. All of these things were made possible because of policies and values that Democrats have fought for –– affordable housing, affordable healthcare, and public education. When Democrats invest into policies like these, it produces people like me. I am running to reinvest in these programs and ensure they are even better for future generations.

Continued on Page 19

Dear Falls Church City voter:

Last June, after the redistricting maps came out, I began knocking on doors in the Little City. I started on Poplar Drive and kept going until I reached the end of East Columbia. Along the way, I talked to hundreds of City residents on their front porch or in their front yard.

Politics is a service business. In 1998, I started as a Fairfax City Councilman the same way – knocking on doors as if I was on a job interview. And I was.

I’ve been in public office for 25 years, representing neighborhoods from the western edge of Fairfax County to now the border of Arlington. I’ve risen to a senior position in the Virginia Senate. During that time, Northern Virginia has changed significantly – demographically and politically. But the key to representation has stayed the same: it’s knowing a community and speaking for it.

The 2023 Democratic primary differs from my early elections when I was a Democratic challenger running against Republican incumbents. I now spend time defending my own record, which I’m happy to do. For example, in 2021, I led the fight to reopen schools and our state economy

Continued on Page 19

I am Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, and I have been the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Arlington and the City of Falls Church since 2020.

Four years ago, despite being a very progressive jurisdiction, our Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office was one of the most regressive. We had no mental health court, no restorative justice program, and no conviction review unit; the office was seeking the death penalty and asking for cash bail; our drug court was being underused; and resources were wasted prosecuting thousands of marijuana possession cases, disproportionately against people of color.

In my first term, I have turned the office around, and we now lead the nation on criminal justice reform. I helped create a mental health docket to divert people towards treatment. I created a restorative justice program, which increases victim satisfaction and decreases recidivism. I created a conviction review unit to look into wrongful convictions. I immediately implemented policies against seeking the death penalty or asking for cash bail. I quadrupled the number of people in drug court. I stopped prosecuting marijuana possession and worked with the legislature to legalize it. I did all of this while increasing trial conviction rates for

Continued on Page 19

“Real Reform, Real Justice” is not a campaign slogan. It’s my commitment to this community to truly deliver on the promise of 21st century reform prosecution. That commitment reemphasizes the centrality of justice for victims. It means only engaging in just prosecutions of the accused. And it resolves to always remain focused on just and equitable outcomes for the convicted.

I started in the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney 12 years ago as an unpaid intern and rose to the rank of Deputy under the incumbent. I have tried over 50 jury trials and have practiced in all of the courts in our jurisdiction. As a Deputy, I was specifically entrusted to supervise and train the largest team of attorneys. For the past 3 years, I have had a front row seat to the incumbent’s leadership, and I can tell you with clear-eyed certainty that we are failing to deliver on the promise of reform.

The incumbent and I are both Democrats committed to reform. Abolishing cash bail, supporting diversion for those struggling with substance abuse and mental illness, supporting Drug Court and the Behavioral Health Docket–all of those are rightly woven into the fabric of our local system. We both support Red Flag laws, ending the death penalty, and decriminalizing marijuana. However, only one of us

Continued on Page 19

Saddam Azlan Salim Democrate for Virginia Senate District 37

Chap Petersen Democrate for Virginia Senate District 37

Josh Katcher Commonwealth’s Attonery Arlington/Falls Church

Parisa Dehghani-Tafti Commonwealth’s Attonery Arlington/Falls Church

Continued: Statements From 4 Candidate in Upcoming Election

Saddam Azlan Salim

Continued from Page 18

Unfortunately, our current senator sides against important Democratic values all too often. He voted against the proposed 2020 assault weapons and many other key gun violence prevention measures. He sued Fairfax County over the removal of a Confederate monument and wrote a letter to Fairfax City on his Senate letterhead protesting the change of Confederate street names. He even went on a MAGA-aligned radio show and implied that Covid-19 related school closures were worse than Jim Crow. He has opposed important anti-discrimination legislation that would have helped people of color and the LGBTQIA+ community. These are not the values of our region.

If I am elected I will be a fighter for gun violence prevention, affordable housing, reproductive rights, and for Virginia’s future. I want to make sure we have an assault weapons ban, that we remove obstacles to help create the workforce housing this region needs, that we are out in our communities standing up for reproductive rights and our LGBTQIA+ community, that we address climate change with a clean energy plan and we create more opportunities for criminal justice reform, racial justice and looking forward, rather than backwards. You can learn more about my campaign and the issues I’m fighting for at SalimForSenate.com

I hope I can count on your support in the June 20th Democratic Primary. I also want to thank Falls Church for all it has done for me –– I was given a home here, an education

Chap Petersen

Continued from Page 18

when others wanted to keep them shut down. I’m proud of that unique record.

But elections are about the future, not the past. Here’s the future I see for Falls Church City and the greater Commonwealth:

Education: Our system of education has become stagnant. Too much emphasis is on testing – not enough on learning. My first big idea is to use our community college system to train the next generation of workers, by (i) making classes free and (ii) focusing them on training for understaffed professions such as computer programmer, electrician or mechanic. My second big idea is to “reinvent” high school, or at least senior year, by getting students out of the classroom and into the community, serving internships at work sites where they can pick up practical life skills. These changes will prepare our children for a 21st century economy.

Environment: As Chair of the Senate Natural Resources Committee, I successfully championed historic legislation to promote renewable energy and fight climate change. We are not going back – but we can also do more. My first big idea is to use our state laws and tax system to preserve scarce resources like water and farmland – not let them be eaten up by industrial data centers. My second big idea is to spur competition in our electrical grid, so that small producers can generate solar or wind power and sell it for a profit. That is the fastest way to transition to an all-renewable system.

Business: Our American economy is built on small business. My first big idea is simply to let small businesses flourish, free from high taxes and unreasonable regulations. We must keep Virginia as an open and inclusive community, but also one that is friendly to business. My second big idea is to accelerate occupational training, again through our community colleges.

Finally, a word about civil liberties. I believe a woman has a right to make her own health decisions, without interference from the state. I believe that LGBTQ families and children have a right to live in peace. I believe that reasonable gun control should be a state policy, balanced with the constitutional protections we have for all criminal laws. My voting record reflects these principles.

I’ve been honored to meet many of you over the past year and I humbly ask for your vote.

Parisa Dehghani-Tafti

violent felonies and keeping our community one of the safest in the country.

Reform isn’t hypothetical to me, and it’s not just a slogan. I’ve actually done it. And I see the difference it is making in people’s lives every day. It’s why I am running for re-election.

It’s for the first person to graduate from our new mental health docket. This woman suffered from late onset of mental illness and got caught up in the system by committing petty crimes. Instead of sending her to jail, we used the mental health docket, where she worked with a peer counselor, engaged in cognitive behavioral therapy, and began taking appropriate medications. After successfully graduating, she obtained stable housing and work, and has been doing well. She has even returned to celebrate others’ graduations from the program.

It’s for Lundy Khoy, a woman whose conviction was vacated with the help of my conviction review unit. Ms. Khoy is a refugee who came to the United States as a toddler. When she was a teenager, she was charged with a nonviolent drug crime. Her lawyer advised her to plead guilty, and incorrectly told her it would not impact her immigration status. Years later, she found herself facing deportation proceedings as a result of this conviction. My conviction review unit concluded she had received unconstitutionally bad advice from her lawyer, and helped get her conviction vacated. She is now a US citizen.

It’s for the victims we’ve helped by working to settle their difficult cold cases. It’s for the people who have gotten sober and graduated from drug court since I expanded its use. It’s for the people who have not lost their housing, custody of their children, or their jobs simply because they did not have the money to pay bail to get out of jail pending trial.

Every day, when I am knocking on doors in the rain or recharging with pistachios between work and a community event, when I am doing the work I was elected to do, I think of each one of these people and the many others like them. And I keep on going. I hope that when you vote on June 20th (or earlier), you’ll think of them too. We have made extraordinary strides in the last 3.5 years, and we’re just getting started. Let’s protect progress.

Katcher

has the relevant experience as a prosecutor to ensure that our shared philosophy becomes a reality.

As the Commonwealth’s Attorney, it’s not enough to have good intentions. Experience is crucial. You can’t lead a small office of prosecutors to do something you’ve never done before. The incumbent, despite being in office for 3 ½ years, still has not personally prosecuted a single case–not one—and proudly states that she has no intention to do so.

In the past 18 months, 14 lawyers have quit. They left because they felt unsupported and disrespected. Morale in the office has been at rock bottom for months, because those who remain see an office in free fall.

The incumbent loudly claims successes in diversion, yet there is no way to verify these successes. She claims that she takes violent crime seriously–again, there is no way to verify if that’s true. Her campaign in 2019 accused the office of being a “black box” of data, and that a hallmark of her administration would be data transparency. Yet, her office has not publicly posted any data. None.

Transparency should be a requirement of our elected leaders. It allows our community to decide for itself whether our officials are actually upholding election promises. In order to restore trust in the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney, I will release crime data within my first 12 months, regardless of whether it’s politically advantageous to do so. Reality and the truth are more important than politics.

This election is about choosing a leader that has the right judgment. Diversion efforts cannot come at the expense of public safety. It takes informed experience to make the difficult judgment calls about cases that can be diverted entirely, which individuals need more services and support on their path away from the system, and which cases need to be prosecuted.

Real Reform and Real Justice happen in the courtroom, not on social media and not at political events. You can’t do either with an office in free fall. Unless and until we can right the ship, we will never be able to truly deliver on the promise of reform prosecution. I do not want a failed execution to be misinterpreted as a failed philosophy.

Let’s show the whole country how 21st century prosecution should look.

PUBLIC NOTICE

VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE

Final day of registration is Tuesday, May 30th for the June 20th, 2023 Democratic Party

Primary Election. Sample Ballots can be found online: http://www.fallschurchva.gov/vote

All citizens, including those who are currently 17 years old, who will turn 18 years old by the November 7, 2023 General Election are eligible to register and vote in the primary.

Online Voter Registration and early/absentee ballot by mail applications: http://www.vote. virginia.gov/

Deadline for applications submitted online via the Virginia Department of Election website is 11:59 pm on May 30, 2023. Only applicants with a DMV ID like a driver’s license can submit an application electronically and these applications may also be untimely if missing material information. Please note: those applications filled out online that are required to be printed and delivered to the registrar should be treated as regular mailed in applications and need to be postmarked by May 30, 2023, to meet the deadline. The 5:00 p.m. deadline on May 30, 2023, applies if any of these are submitted in-person at the registrar’s office.

The deadline for mailed in applications remains that they be postmarked by May 30, 2023.

Early/Absentee Voting for the City of Falls

Church

In-Person early voting began in May at our office at City Hall, 300 Park Ave, and will continue through Saturday, June 17, 2023. During that time, residents wishing to vote early can do so 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Friday.

We are also open the following additional hours.

Saturday, June 10th: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wednesday, June 14th: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Saturday, June 17th: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

We are closed for the Memorial Day Holiday on May 29th.

The City will observe Juneteenth on Monday, June 19th and City Hall will be closed except our office will be open from 8am to 2pm for Emergency Voting.

Vote By Mail: The deadline for an absentee ballot by mail is Friday, June 9th but we don’t recommend that you wait that long.

Election Day Reminders for the City of Falls Church

Ward 2 will now vote at the Community Center with Ward 3. Falls Green Apartments is no longer a Polling Place.

Residents are reminded that on Election Day, street parking is available on both sides of Little Falls Street by the Community Center and on Oak, Seaton, Fellows, Parker, Timber, and Jackson near Oak Street Elementary School (formerly Thomas Jefferson Elementary School). Additional details, can be found online at www.fallschurchva.gov/Vote. Contact the Registrar’s office at 703-248-5085 (TTY 711) or vote@fallschurchva.gov for more information.

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AUCTIONS

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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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 hereb y informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 3678530. Toll free call (888) 5513247. For the hearing impaired call (804) 367-9753.

The Weekly Diplomatic Reach

by Brian Reach Falls Church News-Press

Connolly Office Staffers Attacked

Two female staffers in the district office of U.S. Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-Fairfax) were attacked on Monday by a man wielding a metal baseball bat. The man, who Fairfax City police identified as 49-year old Xuan-Kha Tran Pham of Fairfax, allegedly suffers from schizophrenia and had stopped taking his medication for months.

The two staffers, an intern on her first day and Connolly’s Outreach Director, were released from the hospital on Monday. The Outreach Director was hit several times on the head before the staffers were able to flee to an office and hide until police arrived, while Pham proceeded to cause significant damage to the main office.

Falls Church Needs Candidates!

On Wednesday the F.C. League of Women Voters held its first of two events seeking candidates for City Council and School Board for the November election, for which the deadline to run is June 30th. The events feature Vice Mayor Letti Hardi, who is seeking a third term on the Council this fall, and FCCPS School Board Vice Chair Tate Gould, who was elected in 2021.

The second event will be held on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at Mary Riley Styles Public Library. The event is free and informal, and a great opportunity for an excellent community citizen to get involved!

DeSantis Goes Nuclear on Trans Rights

On Wednesday, which is also the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia, Republican Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis signed a hostile slate of legislation targeting the LGBTQ+ community. He did so while calling Florida a “refuge of sanity and a citadel of normalcy,” just two days after a Floriday man was arrested after speeding off from a Denny’s with a struck bystander clinging to the roof of his vehicle after attempting to ditch his bill, and just two weeks after it was reported that a Florida teacher is under investigation after running a “Fight Club” for students.

In Florida, it is now illegal to discuss gender identity or sexual orientation in schools through age 18; or use a bathroom that doesn’t correspond with your “reproductive purpose” of either “producing eggs” or “producing sperm;” or perform drag anywhere a minor might see; or allow your transgender child to seek any sort of support. That last part is especially troubling, as similar legislation in Texas has resulted in Child Protective Services opening investigations into at least five families with a trans child.

For most readers, this will seem a bit surreal, but here’s what’s happening right around the corner: parents of trans kids are having to prepare custodial guardianship paperwork so that, if they are arrested, their children are legally evacuated out of Virginia and into D.C. or another state with “Rainbow Wall” legislation that, amongst other things, protects parents/guardians from extradition to states with hateful laws targeting the LGBTQ+ community.

But Virginia isn’t like Florida or Texas, right?

Y’all, think again. Virginia is one single Senate seat flip away from a Republican supermajority, and similar legislation was introduced in the Commonwealth.

Virginia Exits ERIC

Last Thursday Virginia quietly became the eighth state under Republican control to pull out of ERIC (Election Registration Information Center), a secure, bipartisan

system that helps fight voter fraud.

“Conspiracy theories are gaining ground in Governor Glenn Youngkin’s administration, and this should be cause for concern.” said Del. Marcus Simon (D-Falls Church). “Whether he orders Commissioner Beals to leave ERIC because of something he raed on Twitter or because he saw Ron DeSantis do it is irrelevant. Virginia’s ability to make sure every eligible voter, and only eligible voters, have an opportunity to vote has now been compromised.”

Kaine to visit Eden Center

On Friday, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) will be visiting small business owners in F.C.’s Eden Center, then participating in a roundtable at Banh Cuon Saigon with local AAPI community leaders in honor of AAPI Heritage Month, which celebrates the historical and cultural contributions of Asian American and Pascific Islanders to the U.S.

Salim Scores Major Union Endorsements

On Wednesday IAFF Fairfax County, the largest firefighters union in the Commonwealth, endorsed Saddam Salim over one of the issues on which he and his opponent, “incumbent” Chap Petersen (who is also seeking to represent Falls Church for the first time), most visibly disagree.

“Saddam is in favor of getting rid of the so-called ‘right to work’ law that is designed to weaken unions and reduce wages. Chap Petrsen strongly supports the ‘right to work’ law.” said IAFF Local 2608 President Robert Young. “We cannot support a candidate that refuses to support a repeal of right to work. All labor organizations seek to see this relic removed that is designed to suppress workers’ rights and ability to earn a living wage.”

Petersen has repeatedly defended his support for “right to work”, also known as “right to fire,” “license to discriminate,” “the union buster,” and “at-will employment.”

Salim was also endorsed by D.C. metropolitan area chapter of IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers), with Petersen’s collective bargaining position cited as the primary reason. “Saddam Salim will bring a young, progressive voice to the Virginia Senate. He is a community leader who believes in collective bargaining, whereas Chap Petersen opposed collective bargaining rights for state employees.”

Salim also received his second endorsement from a departing member of the Virginia Legislature. The endorsement from Kathleen Murphy (D-Vienna), who cited his positions on gun violence in a statement released Tuesday.

“We need someone who will stand up for gun safety. Saddam is that man. He will be a strong voice for gun safety as your Virginia State Senator and the vote we need to pass these important laws.” said Murphy, likely a reference to Sen. Petersen’s opposition to an assault weapons ban, among other things.

Early Voting Reminder

About 200 City residents have already voted in the Democratic Primary. City residents, regardless of the Ward they reside in, may early vote at City Hall, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. through June 17. There will also be Saturday voting the two weekends prior to June 20, when voters will go to their normal polling place.

Early voting is an excellent way to check ‘civic duty’ off your ‘to-do’ list. Democrats, don’t let Virginia turn into Texas or Florida, please! Signed, this gay writer.

Tarter’s Statement, Not Seeking Re-Election

Continued from Page 3

Washington Council of Governments and as Chair of the Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC).

My tenure as Chair of NVRC coincided with one of our great challenges – the Covid pandemic. From the start of the crisis, we coordinated the region’s response efforts, adopted best practices and advocated for the interests of Northern Virginia’s 2.5 million residents.

These efforts helped safeguard public health, supported struggling small businesses, and kept our residents informed. They also brought out the best in our neighbors and our community. The advocacy resulted in unprecedented funding and resources from the state and federal government that allowed the City to rebound quickly from the worst of Covid. These investments will continue to benefit Falls Church for years to come.

All in all, I have spent nearly

17 years in civic involvement in Falls Church – first as Chair of the Economic Development Authority, then interim City Attorney, and finally City Councilman and Mayor.

My children are now away in college and it is time for a new adventure.

Falls Church has, hands down, the best quality of life of anywhere I have lived. Its small town feel and a great sense of community are hard to come by in this day and age. Our schools are excellent and our government is small and responsive. People are friendly and welcoming. Long term relationships, shared experiences and community values bring us together. There are so many people who quietly do so much to make Falls Church a special, welcoming place and I have had the pleasure of working with many of them. It has truly been gratifying to see this community up close as a part of your local government. Thank you all for the experience and honor of a lifetime.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS USE AMERICAN SPELLING

C ritter C orner

NEW DOG ON THE BLOCK! I’m Nigel, a 2-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. You can find me chasing birds in Berman Park or people-watching in my front yard. Nice to meet you! My parents are Dora and Charlie.

Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be! Send in your Critter Corner submissions to crittercorner@fcnp.com.

City of Falls Church CRIME REPORT

Stolen Auto, W Broad, May 8, 1:43 AM, responding to a commercial alarm, officers arrested a male, 22, of Washington, DC, for Stolen Auto. He was also in possession of property stolen from a City of Falls Church business as well as property stolen from businesses located in another jurisdiction.

Commercial Burglary, Gordon Rd, May 8, 5:53 AM, using information obtained from the Stolen Auto incident described above, officers discovered that a nearby business had been entered through an opened window and several locked interior doors had been kicked open and valuables taken.

Stolen Auto, N Washington St, May

8, 1:30 PM, unknown suspect, described as a male, entered the unlocked door of a business and took keys to two vehicles. Only one vehicle was taken and it was recovered later the same day in Dumfries, VA.

Vandalism to Vehicle, Haycock Rd, between 6:30 PM, May 8 and 8:45 AM, May 9, unknown suspect(s), slashed the two rear tires of a Toyota Highlander.

Vandalism to Vehicle, Haycock Rd, between 7:00 PM, May 8 and 8:20 AM, May 9, unknown suspect(s), slashed the front right tire of a Ford F-150.

Trespass, Wilson Blvd, May 9, 8:42 PM, a male, 52, of Ft. Belvoir, VA, was issued a summons for trespassing.

Trespass, Wilson Blvd, May 9, 9:03 PM, a male, 42, of Woodbridge, VA, was issued a summons for trespassing.

Fraud, E Jefferson St, May 10, 3:48 PM, an incident of fraud was reported.

Destruction of Property, W Broad St, May 11, 6:41 PM, unknown suspect broke the window of a business after speaking with an employee. Suspect described as a black female wearing a black hoodie, white tank top, blue jeans, black shoes.

Vandalism to Vehicle, Founders Ave, between 4:30 PM, May 11 and 8:20 AM, May 12, unknown suspect(s) smashed the passenger front window of a Honda CRV. Nothing was taken from the vehicle.

Shoplifting, S Washington St, May 11

12:30 PM, a male, 29, of Oxon Hill, MD, was issued a summons for shoplifting.

Shoplifting, S Washington St, May 12, 11:37 AM, a black male, 29, of Oxon Hill, MD, was issued a summons for shoplifting.

Shoplifting, W Broad St, May 12 3:24 PM, unknown suspect took an item of value without paying. Suspect described as a young male wearing a green tie-dye hoodie. Fled scene on a bicycle.

Shoplifting, W Broad St, May 12, 3:49 PM, unknown suspect took an item of value without paying. Suspect described as male, possibly a teenager, with dirty blonde hair, wearing blue jeans, a tie-dye hoodie and riding a red BMX style bike. Last known direction of travel was south bound on S West street.

Trespass, Wilson Blvd, May 12, 6:50 PM, an Asian male, 52, of Ft. Belvoir, VA, was issued a summons for trespassing. Trespass, Wilson Blvd, May 12, 7:14 PM, an Asian female, 38, of no fixed address, was issued a summons for trespassing.

Possess Drug Paraphernalia, Wilson Blvd, May 12, 10:33 PM, a male, 52, of Ft. Belvoir, VA, was arrested for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Trespass.

Vandalism to Vehicle, Lincoln Ave, between 1 AM and 7 AM on May 13, unknown suspect(s) slashed 3 tires on a Hyundai Elantra.

Trespass, Wilson Blvd, May 14, 4:12 PM, a male, 58, of Springfield, VA was arrested for Trespass

A History of Bicycling in Falls Church City

by Andrew Olesen

In honor of National Bike Month, let’s explore the history of bicycling in Falls Church City, locally and in a national and global context. Biking and walking help make Falls Church a friendlier, more sustainable, and more livable City. But ours is a tale of two cities, one that has been a national leader on the cutting edge of such sustainable and healthful practices for its residents and one that is playing catchup to places like Arlington, DC, and Fairfax. By understanding the history of biking, we can help the City shape policies for a more sustainable future.

The “safety bicycle” we know today was invented in 1887. Falls Church presumably saw some of the bicycle craze that swept the US in the late 1800s and benefited from the advocacy of early bicyclists calling for the paving of roadways. By the 1920s the automobile became the future of transportation and bicycles started to be seen as children’s toys or transportation for those who could not afford to drive.

Changes in the 1960s and 1970s shaped Falls Church City and bicycling nationwide. The growing popularity of cars was causing a record number of deaths of people walking and biking (including many children). The same trend was occurring in Denmark and the Netherlands, where people reacted to this “child murder” with a national effort to create safe, separated places for people of all ages and abilities to safely ride and walk. The US dealt with the problem by making it even more difficult to bike and walk, passing laws that changed roadways from shared spaces to the exclusive domain of cars. In 1968, the W&OD Railway was closed to make way for I-66 and more cars. The railroad’s closure allowed activists to push for one of the first rails-to-trails projects in the US. A trial section of the W&OD Trail opened in 1974 in Falls Church City. The Village Preservation and Improvement Society turned out to support this cutting-edge new trail by sponsoring plantings along the trail in 1976-77. The full W&OD Trail was completed in 1988 thanks to its popularity in the City. The W&OD was well-timed: the 1970s saw a growing focus on exercise and the environment which led to a boom in the popularity of

bicycling. US bicycle sales shifted towards adults again and bicycles outsold cars.

The national bike boom of the 1970s faded, the City’s population shrank from its 1970 peak, and there was a quiet period in the 1980s. In 1987, when the City announced a plan to widen sidewalks on Broad Street to revitalize the area, resident Craig Day gathered advocates to push for a W&OD bridge over Broad Street. The W&OD’s popularity had become dangerous where it crossed Broad Street. Signs tried to re-route trail users to the light at West Street, but people preferred the direct route. Some criticized the proposed bridge for its impact on views and the idea that it would allow bicycle riders to speed through the City rather than have to stop, and perhaps shop. The local advocates prevailed and the bridge was completed in 1992. It was later named Citizens’ Bridge, as “a testament to smalltown government.”

Changes in the City accelerated in the 21st century, with population growth above the 1970 peak turning a suburban village into a place with more urban density. Changes also came to the national view on safe bicycling. In 1974, John Forester had published “Effective Cycling,” which became the guide for bicycle infrastructure. Its theory was “vehicular cycling” which stated that bicycle riders should act like cars, mix with traffic, and did not need special bike lanes. Vehicular cycling claimed that drivers could be taught to drive safely and people could be made confident enough to ride their bikes on main roads. Engineers and planners were taught this in their professional education. Federal design guidelines, based on vehicular cycling, made it nearly impossible to build bicycle infrastructure that is common in Europe. However, vehicular cycling didn’t work. Only a small portion of people, 3-5 percent and mostly men, are brave/foolish and excited enough about bicycling to ride this way… or see bicycling as the only means of reliable transportation they can afford.

This changed in the 2010s, when New York City and Portland partnered with the Dutch and Danes on how to increase bicycle use in their cities. They ignored the federal guidance and built bike lanes that were separated

from traffic – protected bike lanes. People started riding. Those people on bikes stopped at local businesses far more often than drivers did. New York and Portland went on building more protected bike lanes and low-stress bicycle boulevards. They imported the Vision Zero concept from Sweden. Vision Zero is based on the idea that people will make mistakes, so the way to make roads safer and more welcoming is mainly with design. The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) codified what New York and Portland had built so other cities could follow suit. NACTO and bicycle advocates abandoned “vehicular cycling” in favor of “all ages and abilities”.

With a densifying City and an increased regional and national awareness of the untapped potential in walking and biking, Falls Church kicked off a bike/pedestrian planning process in 2010. The plan was going to remove obstacles in sidewalks, add missing sidewalks, build a bicycle lane network, and establish safe routes to school. This planning marked a shift in thinking of bicycles as a toy for Saturday recreation on the W&OD to a mode of transportation to cultivate. After two years of work, the plan did not get off the ground. Concerns about removing all on-street parking on Lincoln Avenue and Hillwood Avenue grew into strong resistance to the plan. With emotions running high, the plan was abandoned rather than modified though the thinking provided a foundation for later work.

The 2014 Mobility for All Modes chapter of the City’s Comprehensive Plan emphasized the City’s goals for supporting bicycling and walking for transportation while holding car traffic steady. This led to the creation of a Bicycle Master Plan in 2016. Key to its passing was a late-breaking addition to prioritize car parking. The 2010s saw a flurry of improvements to the City’s bike infrastructure – a long way from “all ages and abilities” but progress, nonetheless. In 2014, the Economic Development Authority sponsored the addition of bicycle wayfinding signs to link the W&OD to downtown and “sharrows” painted on the street. In 2017, bike lanes were painted on Hillwood Avenue, S. Maple Street, and Roosevelt Boulevard. In 2019, the City brought the

Capital Bikeshare program to the City and has continued to grow the number of bikeshare docks available. The City Council invited shared electric scooter operators into the City, but no scooter operators took the offer.

Thanks to this investment and national trends, bicycle commuting in the City grew from 0.2 percent of commuters in 2011 to 1.6 percent by 2019. Even more importantly, bike commuting grew from zero women in the Census count to 0.5 percent. Worldwide, low female representation in bicycling tends to indicate that streets are perceived as unsafe. During this time, an increasing portion of residents started to work from home and work from jobs in Falls Church City. If half of those who lived and worked in the City biked to work, this would be one of the leading US cities for bike commuting. 2020 and the pandemic scrambled commuting in general, including biking, which is often a “last mile” solution to get to the metro or bus. However, interest in bicycling for recreation soared in 2020-21 as a Covid-safe activity.

Since Covid, bicycle safety improvements have gained momentum in the City. The

long-planned Dual Trails on the W&OD were completed by NOVA Parks in 2021 – another first for the region and a worldclass bike facility. They are likely to be replicated in Arlington. Matching crosswalks are coming in 2024. Bike Falls Church was founded in late 2021 to advocate for bike/walk infrastructure and help build a bike friendly culture.

The City added “sharrows” to the bike route on West Columbia St. in 2021 and repainted them on Park Ave. in 2022, though the effectiveness of “sharrows” is increasingly in doubt globally. Virginia passed new bicycle laws in 2021 allowing bicycle riders to ride two abreast and cars to change lanes when passing people on bicycles. The future of bicycling in Falls Church City will be what we make it. We host a world-class bicycle path. Will we continue to be content with a few sharrows on our local roads, or could our two-square-mile City become a place where the majority of kids can enjoy the freedom and exercise of riding to school, where retirees feel they can walk or bike to appointments on Broad Street or Tinner Hill, and where families on the W&OD don’t just ride through this City but stop off

A MURAL AT MERIDIAN HIGH SCHOOL shows some historic Bike scenes from the old school. (Photo: Courtesy of Meridian High School)

Paid for and authorized by Chap Petersen for State Senate