May 3 – 9, 2018
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Once again this year, as in 2016, Falls Church’s small but potent digital technology innovator, Viget, will be in the middle of orchestrating a clever interactive stunt on national TV during the Kentucky Derby involving millions of viewers. SEE STORY, PAGE 5
Deadline Arrives, But Report Delayed On Who Has Bid for West F.C. Project Compliance Check Sets Back Public Notification a Day
BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
This July, 30 players are being recruited for a U.S. Blind Hockey Association national team and Falls Church resident Kevin Brown is one of them. SEE STORY, PAGES 15
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On Friday, Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee released a report based on their cursory investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. SEE PAGE 14
M������ G���� S����� T��� C�����, T����� R��� The climb towards an 11th straight state title continued this week for George Mason High School’s girls soccer team as it tied Clarke County before delivering an 8-0 thumping to Rappahannock. SEE SPORTS, PAGE 16
INDEX Editorial.................6 Letters...................6 News & Notes10–11 Comment ........ 12-14 Calendar .......18–19
Classified Ads .....20 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword ..........21 Critter Corner......22 Business News ...23
ON WALL STREET in New York City Monday to meet with representatives of three bond rating agencies about the City of Falls Church’s plans to �loat bonds for its new high school, City Hall and library projects were (left to right) Chief Financial Of�icer Kiran Bawa, Mayor David Tarter and City Manager Wyatt Shields. (P����: C������� C��� �� F���� C�����)
The first big, breathtaking moment in the City of Falls Church’s effort to push forward into the 21st century with a new high school and other vital infrastructure improvements came on Tuesday, when the deadline hit at 5 p.m. for the submission by private developers of their initial plans and concepts for the 10 acres at the City-owned West Falls Church property on the northwest corner of W. Broad and Haycock Road. According to News-Press sources, as of that deadline, approximately a half dozen proposals were submitted. But the City is unwilling to either confirm that or give any details about the submissions, pending the completion of an initial compliance review by the City’s procurement office. In a communique from the City’s Public Information Officer Susan Finarelli, any information concerning the submissions was not due to be available until around noon today (Thursday, May 3). The original plan was to provide the initial information to the public by noon Wednesday. But Finarelli said, “Our purchasing manager is going through each proposal to make sure there are no issues.” But, she added, “Issues have been found, and that/ those company/companies have until noon tomorrow to give the City the correction(s).” Until then, she said, “I can’t release the number of proposals received nor the company names.” One participant who made a submission spoke with the NewsPress yesterday, Ed Novak of
Continued on Page 4
PAGE 2 | MAY 3 - 9, 2018
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PAGE 4 | MAY 3 - 9, 2018
•CELEBRATE•
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CELEBRATING ALL MOTHERS! Whether by birth or by choice, your story begins with her. She is a miracle on earth, gifted to you. She is your teacher, your comforter, your confidante. She is your champion, your cheerleader, your rock. Her lap is your haven. Her arms are your fortress. Her heart is your lifeline. She is your Mom, your HERO. Today and always, we celebrate her. Join us for brunch in honor of the woman whose love helped shape who you are today.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
No Word Yet on West End Development Bids Continued from Page 1
Nova-Habitat, an important developer in the City involved in a number of projects to date, is responsible for a senior housing component of a submission made by Republic Properties, which had been a bidder earlier in the process two years ago before an initial approach to the process was abandoned. He said Republic’s bid this time is “more proactive in terms of architecture, site plan flexibility and other features,” and he said he’s optimistic. The City has bent over backwards in the process to date to be as transparent with the public as possible. According to City manager Wyatt Shields, full redacted versions of each proposal will be posted to the City’s website within two weeks. Only proprietary information will be excluded. The plan is to “down-select” from the initial group of submissions by mid-June, to provide a more detailed “request for proposals” to the down-selected group by then, and to set October as the deadline for the final selection of an economic development partner. The process is being worked in tandem with decisions toward the selection of a final developer to build the new George Mason High School on two dozen of the 34 acres at the site. There has already been a “down selection” in that process, with a final choice set to come in late July. The Campus Coordinating Committee composed of leaders of the City’s government and City Public Schools, plus others, crammed into the School Board’s conference room early last Friday
morning to compare notes. At the time, the group was introduced to a number of members of the Schools’ new consulting partners, the firm of Brailsford and Dunlavey, which will serve as the new “owner’s representatives” in the high school construction process. There, City Manager Wyatt Shields laid out plans to seek a $15.7 million grant from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority for major upgrades to the W. Broad at Haycock Road intersection, making it more pedestrian-friendly and safer for high school and middle school students to navigate. The upgrades will be required regardless, pending the economic development of 10 acres right there, and the only question will be where the funds will come from. Shields spearheaded the threeperson team that went to Wall Street this Monday to meet with representatives of three bond rating agencies concerning the City’s plans to float $23.1 million in bonds for this year’s first stage of its capital plan that will total $145 million in the next few years. Shields was accompanied by Falls Church Mayor David Tarter and Chief Financial Officer Kiran Bawa. “The team shared that the City has been planning these capital investments for years, currently has an available fund balance well above policy goals, has well-funded pensions and other post-employment benefits, and a stable and growing local economy,” Finarelli told the News-Press. The City expects to hear back from the ratings agencies later this spring, she added.
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
MAY 3 - 9, 2018 | PAGE 5
Neigh, Neigh! F.C’s Viget Makes Brooch Gallop in Derby Coverage
BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
Once again this year, as in 2016, Viget, a small but potent digital technology innovator company based downtown in the City of Falls Church will be in the middle of orchestrating a clever interactive stunt on national TV during the Kentucky Derby involving millions of viewers. It involves the frisky, tweetpowered race horse brooch that NBC-TV color commentator Johnny Weir will be wearing on his lapel during the broadcast this Saturday afternoon. Viewers can make the horse on the brooch gallop simply by posting on Twitter using the hashtag, #WatchMeNeighNeigh, or by mentioning Weir’s Twitter handles @JohnnyGWeir or @ JohnnysHorse in their tweets. The more tweets, the faster the little sequined horse will gallop for all the world to see on national TV. “We’ve added some additional bling to the horse this time,” Brian Williams, a City resident, Planning Commissioner and
the company’s CEO who works out of its headquarters a few floors above the Ireland’s Four Provinces restaurant at Broad and Washington. “Compared to when we were first involved with this in 2016, there will also be more pre-promotion this time and expect a larger audience to participate.” More than 300 decorative jewels have also been added to the brooch this year. It will begin to be showcased on the NBC Sports social media sites and Weir’s own accounts on Saturday morning ahead of the coverage of the big Churchill Downs race late in the afternoon. Coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. and the main event race begins at 6:46 p.m. Last time, in 2016, according to Viget, more than 4,000 tweets (155 a minute during peak times) made the brooch glow and move. According to an NBC Sports Group spokesman as reported in AdWeek magazine, Viget “really brings a great expertise in robotics and some of the software side. Once we came up with this outlandish idea, it’s really been
a great collaborative effort.” We i r ’s the perfect announcer to showcase this, NBC’s Dan Palla said. “He is so wonderfully original and a standout piece of our coverage.” Weir was widely praised for his coverage of the Winter Olympics earlier this year, among other things showcasing his original fashion and accessories. Williams said this year’s brooch was designed and manufactured at Viget’s Boulder, Colorado, offices, using 3D-printing devices. He said that in addition to the added “bling,” the brooch is boosted by an improved power source that will be pinned to Weir’s lapel from behind the brooch. The Falls Church connection extends to Weir, himself, too.
Beginning in October 2012, for over a year, the three-time U.S. figure skating champion and two time Olympian competitor wrote an exclusive weekly column for the Falls Church News-Press.
NEIGH, NEIGH! This brooch designed by Falls Church’s Viget out�it will race and neigh during the telecast of the Kentucky Derby this Saturday. (P����: C������� V����)
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The Wisdom of Cooperation
Comes the news that the chief honchos of all three “DMV” (District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia) jurisdictions constituting the five or six million living in what is also known as the Greater Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area, have gotten their heads together to forge a united front in the effort to woo Amazon to locate a gargantuan second national headquarters, known as HQ2, in these parts. In an editorial in The Washington Post this week, the Amazon “sweepstakes” has helped to produce “a long-discussed but widely unexpected agreement among the two states and the city (of Washington D.C.) to juice their collective subsidy” to Metro and extending that “spirit of cooperation among the region’s three top elected officials...even further.” The three, the editorial reports, “presented a united front” to Amazon. “If one of our jurisdictions earns the honor of being selected for HQ2, we all win,” wrote the three in a letter to Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO. “We are partners, dedicated to shaping a better future for our Greater Washington region.” We’d like to know more about who was the driving force behind this, as it marks a radical change of approach to just about everything, as much as it makes obviously good sense. One can only imagine what it would be like if this same cooperative and collaborative approach was applied to other things in the region, such as, oh say, the development of the properties around the West Falls Church Metro station! How differently would the parties involved — the City of Falls Church, Fairfax County, WMATA and some key private sector players — if someone had the big idea of applying the same approach to that area, instead of having everyone move ahead with a paranoid secrecy and a bullying, ganging-up approach. The City of Falls Church has by far, to its credit, been the most open and transparent in its development intentions for what it controls in that area. Fairfax County and WMATA, whether in collusion or separately, have been far less so. Then there are the entities such as the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech graduate center, Federal Realty that owns the Giant shopping center, and Beyer Automotive, which has assembled 20 acres of properties there, too. If the effort had been put into bringing all these together, then there could be plans for some 80 acres of development. That would be enough to bid on the HQ2 project, for heaven’s sake! It could realistically be one of the biggest developments in this booming region. But alas, that’s apparently never going to happen for less than exemplary reasons, the same, in reverse, as has led to the new spirit of DMV cooperation. Most of the individual properties are seen by their owners as the “One Ring” so fiercely coveted and fought over in the “Lord of the Rings,” each claiming their plots as their “Precious”....to the detriment of us all.
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Danger in Criminalizing Groups in a Community
Editor, Isn’t it time? Recently, a manager at a local Falls Church City coffee shop where children gather after school accused three high school boys of damaging property and spilling coffee. They denied the accusations. She told them that she had called the police and that they were banned from the establishment. The students – two of whom are boys of color – panicked and, perhaps foolishly, left the res-
taurant and ran away. The policeman caught up with them and called their parents to explain that the boys were not in trouble, but that the police could not intervene if the establishment wanted to ban the boys. No parent wants to get a call from the police. These boys - particularly those of color - were lucky that the officer was professional and thoughtful. Falls Church has a fair and competent police force. We cannot say the same for
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the establishment. Corporate management responded slowly. The local manager, an African-American woman, eventually called the parents. She explained that it is not store policy to call the police and she had never called the police on children before. She said another group of “kids” had broken a door but because she knew the parents, she thought they would discipline their children. She claimed she did not know what else to do. When asked about the “ban,” she mentioned a surveillance camera, and that should the boys return to the popular after school location, they could be arrested. In the wake of racist incidents, from Starbucks in Philadelphia to this local gathering spot, we
are struck by the thoughtlessness and danger of criminalizing select groups in the community that a business serves – and profits from. Must parents worry about the safety of their children at a community hangout? Or should they assume that their children – as in other, more explicitly hostile communities – will be criminalized? Together, we can build a community in which all our members are respected and, in these divisive times, are kept safe. Tinner Hill is ready to become part of the solution. Are you ready to join with us? It is time. Alex Boston President, For the Board of the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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MAY 3 – 9, 2018 | PAGE 7
Falls Church Home to Launch of New Diplomacy TV Series B� C���� L�����-T���
I’ve always wondered why Falls Church is known as “The Little City.” It reminds of the “Little Engine That Could,” and Falls Church City is so much more than a place that “could”—it’s a place that “does.” And does it big. A case in point is the new “Diplomacy At Risk!” TV series with the first six episodes produced here in Falls Church City. Led by our visionary Senior Executive Producers Diana and Stephen Watkins, an experienced public television producer and diplomat duo, our team of Executive Producers Janice Bay, Bob Loftur-Thun and myself, produced these episodes to help educate Americans about the value of U.S. diplomacy. Bob and I got involved because living here in the City, we not only had the chance to give our daughters a world class education, we also could give them a world view and experiences that are global and generous, instead of narrow and nationalist. Founders of Falls Church City’s International Baccalaureate program may not have realized it would make the City so attractive to U.S. State Department families, and that could make our small town such a global village, but it did. Because of this, our daughters had good friends growing up who had lived in Egypt, Japan, Thailand, Kenya, Haiti and Belgium, to name just a
few places. As sad as it was to see friends often come and go, it made their world here in Falls Church City so much bigger. Our youngest, Hayley, had a friend whose father was stationed at the U.S. Embassy in Haiti, so she had the chance to live in Haiti for a summer and work
“These bright, talented millennials had never heard of the U.S. State Department.” with Father Rick Frechette, the 2012 Opus Prize laureate, an international humanitarian award of $1 million, which recognizes unsung heroes conquering the world’s most persistent social problems. In his hospital, she worked with seriously ill children who had been abandoned by their parents. The next summer she traveled to Kenya with a friend whose mother works for the World Bank, and got to volunteer in Kibera Slum in Nairobi, the largest urban slum in Africa. Just a few weeks ago, as she returned from her second trip to Ecuador, she got a call from a George Mason High School alumnus and friend asking if she wanted to go to Shanghai, and of course she said “yes!”
But when Hayley went to back to Virginia Commonwealth University and mentioned she had friends whose families were in the State Department, some VCU friends didn’t know what the State Department was. These bright, talented millennials had never heard of the U.S. State Department. That was when I decided to sign on to help this “Diplomacy At Risk!” effort. As news headlines focus on conflicts in Syria and Afghanistan, the possibility of talks with N. Korea, and Russian interference in elections, the U.S. State Department faces proposed substantial budget cuts for FY19 and vacancies that threaten the strength of U.S. diplomacy. Over 60 percent of top-ranking diplomats have left the State Department in the past year. Diplomacy saves lives and jobs every day. Yet many Americans do not know what diplomacy is or why it is important. This team led by the Watkins launched the “Diplomacy at Risk!” TV series to sound the alarm and encourage Americans to get engaged and voice their support for U.S. diplomacy. This series highlights top diplomats’ personal stories and decades of experience to showcase the role diplomacy plays in preventing wars, keeping the peace, fostering trade, preventing pandemics, and protecting Americans at home and abroad. Even though it often receives much less
attention and funding than defense, intelligence, immigration, and national security efforts, diplomacy saves lives and jobs for Americans. Episodes focus on national security, jobs and business, global health, and human rights. They feature panels and one-on-one interviews, and highlight key roles diplomats play in negotiating and resolving our nation’s core international challenges. Each episode drills down in-depth to address urgent U.S. economic and national security issues. Given the City’s unique identity, it is fitting these first episodes were produced at Falls Church Community Television through the Falls Church City Cable Access Corporation. The first episode premiered on April 26, and other episodes will air on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. on FCCTV, RCN 2, Cox 11, Verizon 35. Episodes will be available on public access TV channels viewable around the world, as well as on other local public access TV stations in the Metro D.C. area, and on the YouTube channel Diplomacy At Risk. Check it out at www. DiplomacyAtRisk.org It turns out “The Little City” has been the perfect place to launch another big idea, and leverage the brainpower and international reach of this big hearted place. As it grows beyond this initial effort to a broader scope and wider audiences, let’s hope the “Diplomacy At Risk!” TV series can create a big impact!
Q������� �� ��� W��� Are you encouraged by the amount of responses Falls Church received for the West End Development RFP? • Yes • No
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NEWS BRIEFS On-Street Parking Planned for N. Maple About a dozen new public parking spaces are being planned by the City of Falls Church along the first two blocks of N. Maple Street on the west side of the road and a few along Park Avenue west of N. Maple, the City’s Economic Development Authority was told at its meeting Tuesday night. The added spaces will be added simply by removing the existing centerline on the street, said Becky Witsman of the City’s Economic Development Office. The plan is also intended to assuage concerns that a pocket park planned for the 100 block of West Broad will take up valuable parking spaces. With the on-street option, there will be a net increase of 15 parking slots, according to Kim Callahan of the City’s public works department in charge of planning for the pocket park, whose final approval is due to come before the F.C. City Council in late July.
F.C. Pit Stop for Ride to Work Day May 18 The City of Falls Church will host an official pit stop for the 2018 Bike to Work Day, held this year on Friday. May 18. Over 18,000 area commuters are expected to bike that day, celebrating bicycling as a “clean, fun, and healthy way to get to work.” Falls Church will host one of over 100 pit stops throughout D.C., Maryland, and Virginia with refreshments and raffles. Between 6:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., cyclists can stop by the City’s pit stop at the intersection of the W&OD Trail at Little Falls Street to enjoy free food, beverages, demonstrations, and a chance to win bicycle swag. All who register in advance will receive a free t-shirt at the pit stop of their choice. For more information and to register, visit www.biketoworkmetrodc.org.
Fairfax Union Employees Hail New County Budget Members of the Fairfax County Government Employees Union of the SEIU yesterday issued a statement applauding the passage of the Fairfax County FY 2019 budget, praising county supervisors who passed the budget with an 8-2 vote. The budget’s investments in public services for local families and small businesses, and in the workforce that provides those services, was applauded. “This budget invests in our community and in our workforce. This is a good budget for both millennials and baby boomers, for both local families and small businesses,” said FCGEU President Tammie Wondong, who has worked for the county for nearly 30 years. “This budget is a big step forward in ensuring that all working people can thrive in our community.”
Del. Lopez Hails DACA Ruling Virginia State Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-Culmore) yesterday applauded the decision by U.S. District District Court Judge John Bates to order the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to accept new applications and renewals for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. According to the Judge’s decision, DHS has 90 days to provide a legal rationale for ending the DACA program and must accept new applications and renewal applications during that time. “I’m overjoyed to hear that the Department of Homeland Security has been ordered to begin accepting new applications for the DACA program,” said Del. Lopez. “DACA has been a lifeline for so many young people who know themselves as Americans and who have known no other home but the United States. The end of the program was a huge blow to the hopes of many of those Dreamers who wanted nothing more than to live, study, and work in the nation they call home. Now that the legality of the cancellation of the program is in question, I hope a deal can be crafted that will allow Dreamers to stay in the United States permanently.” This is the third federal judge who has rebuked attempts to end DACA, but the first to order DHS to accept new applications, Lopez noted.
Arconic Moves Offices to N. Virginia Arconic Inc., a Fortune 500 company specializing in lightweight metals production, is moving its headquarters to Fairfax County. The exact location of the new office is yet to be determined, according to the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, but the move will bring 50 jobs to the region. The Virginia Economic Development Partnership and FCEDA worked to secure the relocation of the company from New York City. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam approved a $750,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to incentivize the relocation. Northam joined Arconic Vice President Daniel Cruise and officials from Fairfax County at the Tower Club in Tysons on Monday afternoon to announce the move.
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Mason’s ‘Metamorphoses’ Does Ancient Poem Justice BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
The student team who shared talents and resources with the professional staff of the George Mason High School theater arts department made a big splash, in fact a number of them, in its delightful production of the ancient Roman poet Ovid’s “Metamorphoses” at the GMHS auditorium last weekend. In another first for the school, the multi-talented technical director John Ballou crafted nothing short of a modestly-sized manmade lake off the front of the stage for the production, as called for in the script of the play based on the first century AD Ovid’s epic poem. The original work, which had a profound impact on western culture with Dante and the rise of the Renaissance, is composed of 15 books and over 250 myths, and in the modern theatrical version by Mary Zimmerman is condensed to an hour and a half of mythic and philosophically-profound vignettes of magical transformations that provided the context for the predominantly toga-clad Mason High student actors to romp and fully exercise their considerable
talents. Following a cosmology-centered introduction, the real fun started with senior Michael Curtin’s big cannonball-like plunge into the “lake” that, despite setting off a few front rows of audience seating as a precaution, nonetheless splashed some drops onto some (like me) seated in front. That was part of the myth about King Midas (Will Langan) who accidentally turns his own daughter (Grace Tarpgaard) into solid gold, and into a lengthy journey off stage to reverse the consequence of his greedy excess. And we’re off! In total, 11 episodes are presented, and among the many highlights were the outcome of Erysichthon’s (Miles Jackson) compulsive Hunger (Emily Ives) and the amazingly skilled Vertumnus (Kevin Hong’s) highlyenergetic but frustrated wooing of Pomona (Zoe Cunniffe). All in all, episodes were of how love is lost and gained while heroes and heroines return from death and sometimes go back again all the while transforming into flora, fauna, the elderly or the young. Familiar myths included Midas, Narcissus, Orpheus and
Eurydice and Phaeton. Kudos to all. It was an amazing show that included costume design by Delaney Theisz and an original score by Adam Hinden and Nick Fellows. Listing the entire cast would be daunting. A few included Michael Curtin (Silenus and Phaeton), Will Langan (Midas), Morgan O’Keefe (Bacchus), Charlie Boland (Ceyx and Eros), Megan Hayes (Alcyone), Elizabeth Reid (Aphrodite), Miles Jackson (Erysichthon, Apollo, Philemon), Emily Ives (Hunger), Angela Dilao (Ceres and Psyche), and Kevin Hong (Vertumnus) with apologies for others not included here. But, oh, that lake (or, pool, if you prefer)! Director Shawn Northrip, who brought out the best in his large cast, told the News-Press, “The script specifies the need for a pool, although the licensing company, I’ve heard, allows people to do it without the pool. When I thought about doing the show, I considered other options: fog or haze, light effects, a ball pit, but ultimately anything else felt wrong. I mentioned it to our awesomely supportive principal Matt Hills, who kept his streak encouraging me to go for
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THE POOL CENTRAL to the play was cleverly constructed by Mason’s technical director John Ballou (P����: C���� S��) it, although I’m not sure he realized what I actually meant until he saw the pool in place. Following his approval, I checked in with out technical director, the talented John Ballou, who made it a reality.” Northrip continued, “Meanwhile, the cast set about to rehearse the play, and even they did not quite appreciate how it would work until the first time we had what I called a “wet rehearsal.” Michael Curtin did the first big water effect. He fearlessly tossed himself into the water and soaked me. The cheers from the cast were incredible. By the end of that rehearsal, we all could tell we were working on something really cool and unique.”
Northrip explained, “The pool itself was basically a large, reinforced wooden box that was lined with carpets. Inside, we placed a heavy duty pond liner and Mr. Ballou had to special-order. The crew folded it meticulously to fit the stairs and frame. We pumped water in and out daily so we could scrub and disinfect the pool. We kept the water right around 100 degrees so the cast was very comfortable in it.” He added, “The crew built a tiny hiding place under the platform that allowed an actor, Charlie Boland, to swim out of sight and appear to hold his breath for an unreasonably long amount of time. His re-emergence after 10 minutes elicited gasps from the audience.”
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
News-Press
Community News & Notes
FALLS CHURCH REPRESENTED at the White House Correspondents’ Association annual dinner last weekend, with (left to right) Jeff Weaver, owner of Victory Comics and Bernie Sanders for President campaign manager in 2016, News-Press owner Nicholas Benton and News-Press Managing Editor Jody Fellows. (Photo: NewsPress)
Spring Celebration & Plant Sale Set for Sunday On Sunday, May 6 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., the Glencarlyn Branch Library Community Garden, (300 S. Kensington St., Arlington) will be hosting its Spring Celebration and Plant Sale. The event will feature a wide range of plants cultivated at the garden, as well as native plants from Hill House Nursery and blooming plants and herbs from Country Gardens. Logs inoculated with mushroom spores, compost tea, local honey and other nature related products will also be for sale in time for Mother’s Day. Master Gardeners will be available to help with plant selection and garden-related questions. Free. For more information, call
703-228-6414 or email either mgarlalex@gmail.com or glencarlynlibrarygarden@gmail.com.
New TV Series Focusing on Diplomacy Premieres A new TV series, “Diplomacy At Risk!” debuted on April 26 and features some of America’s most respected diplomats with a pilot episode providing an overview of how diplomacy keeps Americans safe both at home and abroad. The premiere introduces moderator Ronald Neumann, former ambassador to Afghanistan, Bahrain and Algeria, and current president of the American Academy of Diplomacy. Neumann and his father, ambassador Robert G. Neumann, are the only father and son besides
REVEREND LAURA MARTIN (center) of Rock Spring Congregational United Church of Christ in Arlington presides over a pub theology discussion that took place at Argia’s on April 18. The low-key forum allowed residents to discuss the purpose of religion, theology and role of religious institutions in social issues. (Photo: Courtesy Laura Martin)
John Adams and his son John Quincy Adams to serve in diplomatic posts abroad. In this episode, Neumann interviews fellow ambassador Peter Romero, rear admiral Michael Smith and ambassador Edward Marks about why diplomacy is so important to national security and the everyday lives of Americans. The goal of the series is to educate and engage U.S. voters in hopes of getting viewers to be more active in communicating with their Congressional representatives to support full funding budget and filling of the U.S. State Department’s vacant posts with experienced, professional U.S. diplomats. The U.S. does not yet have ambassadors in five of the 10 countries that made Foreign Policy magazine’s list of
“10 Conflicts to Watch” in 2018. Over 45 of 188 ambassador positions are vacant, even in hot spots like South Korea and Venezuela, and with key military partners like Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the European Union. As ambassador Romero quotes ambassador Marks saying, “Diplomacy doesn’t stop because the United States is disengaged. Diplomacy continues, and other people fill the vacuum of the United States’ withdrawal... believe me, they are not going to have your interests, my interests, any Americans’ interest in mind, and it’s not going to look pretty.” Visit DiplomacyAtRisk.org or the Facebook page “Diplomacy At Risk” to learn more. The series is being produced at Falls Church Community Television studios in Falls Church.
Local Post-Grads Awarded New Academic Distinctions Two local siblings have just finished significant milestones in their post graduate careers. In December 2017, Seth Ensign, George Mason class of 2008, was awarded his PhD in Chemistry from University of Illinois. He is currently in a post-doc position at Goodyear in Akron, Ohio. In April 2018, Aleeya Ensign, George Mason class of 2011, was awarded her MA in Counseling from Northwestern University. She is currently a counselor in Boston, Massachusetts.
Longfellow Orchestra Invited to Prestigious Show The
Longfellow
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Chamber Orchestra has been selected to perform at the 72nd annual Midwest Clinic International Band, Orchestra, and Music Conference in December. This is the first time the Longfellow orchestra program has been recognized internationally. Out of 225 applications for the year 2018, only three middle school string orchestra groups were invited. It’s been more than 10 years since any performing group from Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has been invited, and more than 30 years since a String Orchestra group from FCPS was selected to perform at this clinic. This is the highest recognition that band and orchestra can receive internationally.
McLean Governing Board Election Slated for May 19 On Saturday, May 19, the McLean Community Center’s (MCC) annual Governing Board elections will take place on McLean Day 2018. Residents of Dranesville Small District 1A can cast their votes from 10:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. at Lewinsville Park (1659 Chain Bridge Rd., McLean). The board sets policy and provides general oversight for all programs of the Center and its facilities, including the Robert Ames Alden Theatre and the Old Firehouse Teen Center. Three adult positions and two youth positions are open this year. The adult candidates who receive the three-highest vote counts will serve three-year terms. Youth candidates, one from the McLean High School boundary area and one from the Langley High School boundary area, will serve one-year terms. Youth candidates do not have to attend these schools to serve on the board. Adult candidates are as follows: Maria Foderaro-Guertin, Carole Herrick, Terri
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Markwart and Raj Mehra Langley High School boundary area candidates — Brian Kim and Megan Markwart McLean High School boundary area candidates — Serena Aurora, Lauren Herzberg and Kimya Shirazi. Write-in Candidates are allowed. Write-in candidates must receive at least 10 votes from 10 residents of the Center’s tax district to have their votes counted. For youth write-in candidates, the 10 votes must come from teens who live within the same high school boundary area as the candidate. Absentee ballots are available. A resident may request an absentee ballot package by phone (703-790-0123, TTY: 711) or email (elections@mcleancenter. org), or may pick one up at three of MCC’s sites: Administrative Offices, at 6631 Old Dominion Dr.; Class Program/Registration Office, at 6645 Old Dominion Dr.; or The Old Firehouse Teen Center, 1440 Chain Bridge Rd. Completed absentee voting affidavits and ballots must be received at one of the three sites by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 16.
Local Resident Joins American Angus Assoc. Quinn Alice Dawes of Falls Church is a new junior member of the American Angus Association, reports Allen Moczygemba, CEO of the national organization with headquarters in Saint Joseph, Missouri. Junior members of the Association are eligible to register cattle in the American Angus Association, participate in programs conducted by the National Junior Angus Association and take part in Association-sponsored shows and other national and regional events. The American Angus Association is the largest beef breed association in the world, with more than 25,000 active adult
KEN KOZLOFF, a volunteer from Providence RECenter, was named RSVP Volunteer of the Year at Volunteer Fairfax’s annual countywide volunteer recognition and awards breakfast in Spring�ield on April 27. Kozloff is seen here teaching an adapted aquatics class. (P����: C������� R�� P����) and junior members.
Amadeus Concerts Hosts Mother’s Day Performance This all-star ensemble brings a Mother’s Day performance with the bright and brassy sounds of Broadway on Sunday, May 13 at 4 p.m. at Saint Luke Catholic Church (7001 Georgetown Pike, McLean). Artistic director Phil Snedecor brings his arrangements in the distinctive Radio City style. Tickets are $35 and may be purchased at the door or online at amadeusconcerts.com. Students 17 and under and active military
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are admitted free of charge. A pre-concert lecture by Music Director A. Scott Wood will begin at 3:15 p.m., 45 minutes prior to the start of the concert. A reception will follow the concert.
Variety of Vendors to Participate in McLean Day Crepes, empanadas, lobster, halal gyros, pizza, hot dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches, funnel cakes, shaved ice and ice cream are just a few of the many food offerings to be found at McLean Day 2018. Patrons can pick up a snack, a
full, nutritious meal and delicious desserts while at the event. The festival will be held from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 19, at Lewinsville Park (1659 Chain Bridge Rd., McLean) McLean Day is produced by the McLean Community Center. Admission is free. The vendors are as follows — Crepe Love, LLC; Empanadas de Mendoza; Oasis Concessions; Red Hook Lobster Pound; McLean Rotary Club; Ride Concession Trailers; Scoops 2U; Tasty Kebab Gyro, Inc. and The Big Cheese. For more information, visit mcleancenter.org/specialevents.
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A Penny for Your Thoughts
News of Greater Falls Church By Supervisor Penny Gross
Multi-modal is today’s phrase used to describe the menu of options available for transportation — roadways, mass transit, light rail, sidewalks, bike lanes, trails — all public improvements that answer the needs of the community to get from one place to another, whether on foot, or some sort of vehicular transportation. The 20th century’s demand for improved roads to accommodate the automobile turned old market roads and cowpaths into high speed, and congested, highways. The mid-century interstate system made limited access travel commonplace, for work and for play. Left behind, perhaps, was the desire for slower-paced, more local connections that offered opportunities to leave one’s four-wheeled vehicle in the driveway, in favor of walking or biking. Building and improving walkways and trails has been a major focus of my time in office. The trail and pedestrian bridge on Columbia Pike across from the Lake Barcroft dam took three years to fund and design, and greatly improves safety over the Holmes Run chasm. Walkways along Little River Turnpike, when finally connected, will allow pedestrians to walk from Lincolnia all the way to the library and downtown Annandale. Walkways along Route 7 from the Alexandria border to Seven Corners have been upgraded with signals and accessible ramps, funded by a county transportation bond approved by the voters. Perhaps I am most proud of the pedestrian bridge spanning Route 50 at Seven Corners, which first was promised in the 1980s by former Supervisor Tom Davis. Working with VDOT, the shopping center owners, and the community, I spearheaded construction of the bridge in 2009, eliminating fatalities from pedestrianvehicle crashes on Route 50 near Patrick Henry Drive. Finally, a project is underway to provide a safer
walking (and biking) route along Sleepy Hollow Road. More than 20 years ago, young mothers often asked me for walkways along Sleepy Hollow Road so they could take their young children in strollers for errands, exercise, and enjoyment. It was a reasonable ask, but not easy to answer. Those children are college age now, and there still are few pedestrian connections along the well-travelled road that is one of the few direct routes between Columbia Pike and Leesburg Pike. Safe and attractive walkways are important amenities for any neighborhood, and I will continue to work with county transportation staff and the community to reduce the negative impacts of the walkway, including a narrower footprint that keeps more trees and vegetation intact. Property owners, who believe their assessments are not equitable in comparison with similar properties or exceeds fair market value, may appeal directly to the Board of Equalization (BOE) until June 1, 2018. BOE appeals forms are available at www. fairfaxcounty.gov/boe, or by calling 703-324-4891. The BOE is a separate entity from the Fairfax County Department of Tax Administration (DTA). Residents, who missed the DTA assessments appeal deadline of May 1, 2018, may file an administrative appeal with DTA in 2019 for the 2018 year, and other years that still are open under the statute of limitations. Information about filing an administrative appeal with DTA after May 1, 2018 is available at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/taxes/real-estate/ assessment-appeals, or by calling DTA staff at 703222-8234; TTY 711. For information about other tax-related assistance, visit the DTA website at www. fairfaxcounty.gov/taxes. Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Senator Dick Saslaw’s
Richmond Report The most essential responsibility entrusted to state legislators is to be good stewards of public funds. State funds to operate government come from the citizens and should be prudently spent on infrastructure and other core services that enhance our quality of life. This past March, the General Assembly dropped the ball and left the Capitol without a spending plan. Have the last two months been the healing salve to get this job done? On May 14, the Senate will reconvene in Richmond once again to take up the task of putting a biennial budget in place. The “great divide” (to expand Medicaid or not) between the House of Delegates and the Senate has yet to be resolved. In that abyss lies the fate of hundreds of thousands of Virginians who may be one illness away from financial ruin or one illness away from a death sentence. Access to healthcare in our society should be a fundamental right – it should not be a perk for the fortunate. We are fighting an opioid addiction in this country. In 2016, more than 1,200 Virginians lost their lives to these insidious drugs and left devastated families in their wake. Virginia’s signature Medicaid initiative for addressing substance abuse and opioid addiction has seen positive outcomes during the past year. More than 16,600 Medicaid members received treatment. Prescriptions for opioid pain medications for Medicaid members declined by nearly 33 percent. More importantly, hospital ER visits by Medicaid members due to opioid use also declined by nearly a third. This program is producing the return on investment we need for curbing the problem of substance abuse and addiction. For years, the Deeds commission on mental health has looked to address the growing crisis in the Commonwealth. The uncertainty of funding places limits on healthcare providers and advancing progress on this issue. Funding the placement for individuals with mental health is a huge challenge. A mere $3.75 million has been proposed for increasing bed space in mental health facilities. My guess is that you may know someone (be it family or friend) who is dealing with the ramifications of limited treatment options and the cost associated with treatment.
The consequences of not committing to a budget will soon spill over to local government. Many localities are marking up their budgets in the dark. This affects funding for public education, higher education, public safety, veterans returning to civilian life, and other important issues like investing in our environment and the future. Earth Day 2018 saw renewed respect for the environmental concerns. We know the environment is an issue we cannot neglect here in Virginia. This past session, the defeat of HB 1270 was an important step in moving forward with state based clean power. The Trump Administration refuses to take action to reduce carbon pollution and address climate change, thus it’s more important than ever that Virginia move forward with our own clean power plan to mitigate the impacts of climate change in Virginia. The grid modernization bill was also an important step in the right direction for clean power and energy efficiency. There is a $1 billion investment in energy efficiency over the next decade that will help reduce energy consumption and bring down electricity bills. Furthermore, for the first time ever Virginia has made a substantial (5,000 megawatts – enough to power half of Virginia’s homes) commitment to clean, renewable solar and wind power. I was also proud to support the Hanger/Deeds bills that gave Virginia’s DEQ more authority to protect our waterways and require permits during the construction of natural gas pipelines. Finally, it should not be lost on us that there were several other environmental victories this session, such as successful bills encouraging tree preservation, protecting the Chesapeake Bay, and making it easier to put in electric vehicle charging stations and place solar panels on schools. We head back to Richmond on May 14. It’s time to roll up our sleeves, leave the rhetoric at the door and get back to the business voters sent us to do – carefully craft a biennial budget that includes Medicaid expansion and keeps the needs of Virginians as a top priority. Senator Saslaw represents the 35th District in the Virginia State Senate. He may be emailed at district35@senate.virginia.gov.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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Our Man in Arlington By Charlie Clark
A FAMILY OF FOUR SPENDS $1500 A YEAR ON FOOD THEY DON’T EAT
County police on April 20 posted a request for tips from the public to help catch an armed suspect in an attempted rape near Arlington Mill. The next day, using a description assembled from witnesses, surveillance units spotted Jermaine Johnson fleeing a residence, and he was arrested and charged. That’s quick crime-solving. Other local cases end up tougher however, and drag on for decades. You can see a list of Arlington’s 21 languishing cold cases on the police website (police.arlingtonva.us/cold-cases/). The details of cases going back to 1970 — victim, crime, location, suspect descriptions — are inconsistent and frustratingly vague. But each represents life-altering heartbreak for victims and families. Consider: • Paul Zeller, a 24-year-old Iraq war veteran, was murdered on June 30, 2006, while walking near Pentagon Row shopping center. He was shot on the street after leaving a store. Witnesses heard shots and called 911. • Vu Huynh was shot to death March 23, 1997, in the parking lot of Hi Cue Billiards on S. George Mason Drive. The suspect was an Asian male dressed in black, perhaps a member of the Laos Bloods or Dragon Fly gang. • Dorothy Townsend was found asphyxiated on Jan. 21, 1975, at the 2500 block of Jefferson Davis Highway. Police were notified when she did not return to her
shift as a concessions stand clerk. The robbery suspect was later described as a black male, 20-25 years old. For some cases, I’ve gathered additional information from news clips and police. Just after midnight on June 11, 1992, at the Roy Rogers restaurant at Lee Highway and N. George Mason Drive (now Capital One Bank), an unidentified person entered. He stabbed Sanford Swift, a 42-month employee, then made off with money from the register. Swift’s body was discovered next morning by co-workers. No signs of forced entry, Arlington Det. Greg Brewer told The Washington Post. Years later, Roy Rogers employees still discuss their shock, I was told recently by one of them, Norman Leppert, who sent police suggestions for witnesses in the neighborhood. Another for which I can add details involved State Department security specialist John Herse. In the early 1970s, he helped tracking down fugitives such as LSD advocate Timothy Leary and financier Robert Vesco. On Aug. 14, 1974, Herse was walking with his wife from Tom Sarris’s Orleans House Restaurant in Rosslyn when three black males approached them from behind and pushed Herse to the ground. One suspect shot him dead. Robbery was not the likely motive, given the $500 left in Herse’s wallet. In 2010, a retired FBI profiler was mulling the case, according to documents published on
C i t y o f Fa l l s C h u r c h
CRIME REPORT Week of Apr. 23 - 29, 2018 Drinking in Public, 200 blk S Washington St, Apr 23, 12:44 AM, a male, 60, of no fixed address, was issued a summons for Drinking in Public. Unauthorized Use, 455 S Maple Ave (Pearson Square), Apr 23, 2:41 AM, an incident of unauthorized use of a vehicle by a known suspect was reported. A warrant was obtained and is pending service. Drunk in Public, S Washington St/Annandale Rd, Apr 23, 7:56 PM, a male, 60, of no fixed address, was arrested for being Drunk in Public. Drug Violation, 320 N Washington St (Madison Park), Apr 24, 8:44 PM, a male, 26, of Arlington, VA, was issued a summons for Possession of
Marijuana. Drug Violation, 100 blk Rowell Ct, Apr 25, 9:24 AM, a male, 23, of Leesburg, VA, was issued a summons for Possession of Marijuana. Drunk in Public, 300 blk W Broad St, Apr 25, 6:01 PM, a male, 54, of Falls Church, was arrested for being Drunk in Public and issued a summons for Drinking in Public. Drug Violation, 1000 blk N Roosevelt St, Apr 25, 7:12 AM, a male, 25, of Baltimore, MD, was issued a summons for Possession of Marijuana, 2nd offense. Larceny, 6795 Wilson Blvd (Eden Center), Apr 26, 3:15 PM, suspect, described as an Asian female, asked if she could hold one of four 8-week old Shih Tzu
MAY 3 – 9, 2018 | PAGE 13 Wikileaks. A private intelligence company had interviewed Mrs. Herse. “The wife believes the shooter fired with a degree of discipline (two hands on the gun),” the documents noted. She later suspected a black radical author she saw on television who resembled one assailant. Arlington police lack a separate budget for cold cases, according to spokeswoman Ashley Savage. The work falls within the Homicide/Robbery Unit and the budget of its Criminal Investigations Section. The cold case list has remained steady in recent years, Savage added. Only one — the 1971 shooting death of Hugh Howard in his parents’ home on South Eads St., was recently removed after the suspect died. If you have helpful info, call the ACPD Tip Line at 703-2284242. *** John McNair, tour guide at the new Civil War visitors center at Fort C.F. Smith, was kind enough on April 21 to stay open past the weekend 2 p.m. closing. That allowed the tardy a quick peek at the interactive soldier roster, the tintype portraits, recovered shell casings, clay pipes and belt buckles from the fort built in 1863 among the string across Arlington that protected Washington from southern threats. Also on display at the hike-able park just off Spout Run: recreated union uniforms and period tents, plus a shelf of the Time-Life Books Civil War series and an 1895 multi-volume collection of Civil War correspondence. puppies being held by victim. While victim was distracted, suspect disappeared with the puppy. Investigation continues. Tampering with Auto, 400 blk W Rosemary Ln, Apr 27, 12:36 AM, witnesses observed an individual rummaging through a parked car. A male, 18, of Falls Church, was arrested for Tampering With Auto. Smoking Violations, 6757 Wilson Blvd #15 (H2O Cafe), Apr 27, 1:14 PM, a male, 44, of Falls Church, VA, was issued a summons for Smoking in a Restaurant. Driving Under the Influence, 100 blk N Lee St, Apr 27, 7:18 PM, a male, 25, of Lanham, MD, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence. OTHER Apr 24, 05:30 AM, a male, 55, of Centreville, VA, was arrested by Leesburg PD, on a City of Falls Church Felony warrant for Failure to Return Bailed Vehicle.
PAGE 14 | MAY 3 – 9, 2018
NATI O NA L
No Moral Equivalency
Last Saturday was a devastating day for legitimate journalism, and thus for democracy. In Afghanistan, nine journalists were killed in a terrorist bombing that the Taliban took credit for and that targeted them. That’s the most journalists to be killed in a single incident since 2001. In the U.S., journalism, and with it, democracy, took another blow to the chin, as well. No, it wasn’t what happened at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C., but what President Trump said about journalists at his rally in Washington, Michigan. Trump’s attack on the press as “fake news liberals who hate me” was taken in stride by the media and politicians on both sides of the political divide Saturday because it FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS was nowhere near the worst that he’s had to say about them, and that, ladies and gentlemen, is a very big problem. The nation has become so immune to these egregious insults and attacks by the president that they barely get a rise out of anyone by now, so we’re getting that much closer to losing our democracy to tyranny. When the president of the United States talks like Trump does, the nation is in grave peril, heading down the same road as the democracies in Europe following the first and second world wars, when fascist, Nazi and communist authoritarian tyrannies usurped them the same way that democracies back in ancient Greece and Rome suffered such fates. So, let’s establish this: there was absolutely no moral equivalency between Trump, what he said Saturday and on countless other occasions, and what the comedian Michelle Wolf said at the White House Correspondents’ dinner that same night. One is the president of the United States. The other is a highly intelligent and brave woman. One is a chronic liar chipping away at the nation’s moral sensibilities taking methodical steps with the help of an elected legion of sycophants in his own party to subvert our democracy. The other was tasked with standing up all by herself in front of 3,000 highly judgmental Washington establishment types, armed with nothing but the weapon of humor. She didn’t hold back, making the media and the Washington establishment, those right in front of her, as uncomfortable as the oh-sodelicate Sarah Sanders, the president’s professional liar-to-the-press. In typical fashion, Wolf’s outraged critics, ranging from aggressive political enemies to frightened, mewling cowards angered by whomever they perceive to threaten their comfort, jumped all over her. They used the age-old tactic of distorting her words to twist them into a vicious personal attack, in this case of Sanders’ appearance, which they were not. She did not say that Sanders’ “burns fat and then uses the ash to create a perfect smokey eye.” The word was “facts,” not “fat,” an attack on her lying ways as an official representative of the president, not her appearance. And so forth. The genuinely sad retreat by WHCA president Margaret Talev in a statement issued later the same night, bemoaning Wolf’s monologue for being “unfortunately...not in the spirit of...our common commitment to a vigorous and free press while honoring civility, great reporting and scholarship winners, not to divide people.” The wide array of reactions to her speech, ranging from appeasing to resisting Trump, corresponded to what transpired in the periods leading up to tyrannical usurpations of democracies since World War I. In his insightful short book, “On Tyranny, Twelve Lessons From the Twentieth Century,” Timothy Snyder cites parallels between what is happening in the U.S. under Trump and what happened in Germany, Italy, Russia and Eastern Europe in the last 100 years. In resistance, “actual journalism is edgy and difficult,” he writes. “Researching and writing is hard work that requires time and money: traveling, interviewing, maintaining relationships with sources, researching written records, verifying everything, writing and revising drafts, all on a tight and unforgiving schedule...Give credit to those who do all of that for a living...The work of people who adhere to journalistic ethics is of a different quality than the work of those who do not.” Mindful of this, mourning the assaults of last Saturday, let’s redouble our fight for democracy. Nicholas Benton may be emailed at nfbenton@fcnp.com.
Nicholas F. Benton
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Trump Not Part of Russia Investigation
On Friday, Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee released a report based on their cursory investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Full of shoddy rationalizations and evasions, it purported to show that America’s intelligence community failed to use “proper analytic tradecraft” in concluding that Russia wanted to help elect Donald Trump, and that there is no evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia. Its real message was that, for Republicans in Congress determined to protect this president, evidence is irrelevant. Consider just one bit of spin about the Trump campaign’s clandestine Russia connections. During the presidential transition, Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Michael Flynn, who had been named national security adviser, tried to set up a back channel to the Kremlin through the Russian Embassy, in an apparent attempt to evade U.S. intelligence monitoring. The majority report treats this, amazingly, as NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE exculpatory: “Possible Russian efforts to set up a ‘back channel’ with Trump associates after the election suggest the absence of collusion during the campaign, since the communication associated with collusion would have rendered such a ‘back channel’ unnecessary.” This makes no sense — new developments would require new communications. But making sense isn’t the point; the report’s function is to obscure reality, not illuminate it. In reality, as the meticulous Democratic response to the Republican report makes clear, there’s already overwhelming evidence of the Trump campaign’s collusion with Russia. But as details of Trump’s Russia connections have dribbled out over the last year and a half, each revelation has led to a familiar, numbing cycle of shock, impotent anger and, finally, resignation. Try to remember, if you can, how astonishing it was on Jan. 6, 2017, when America’s intelligence community made public its finding that Russia had intervened in our election to help Trump. Imagine if we’d known then just a fraction of what we know now, like the November 2015 email exchange between Felix Sater, a Trump associate and convicted felon with ties to Russian organized crime, and Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, recently the subject of an FBI raid. Sater boasted, “Buddy, our boy can become president of the U.S.A. and we can engineer it. I will get all of Putin’s team to buy in on this.” We still don’t know what Sater meant by this. Republicans have shown a staggering lack of interest in finding out. Imagine if, as we were learning about Russian measures last January, we’d also found out about
Michelle Goldberg
Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort’s offer to deliver briefings to a Russian oligarch to whom he was deeply in debt. And if we’d known that one Trump campaign adviser, George Papadopoulos, had been in frequent communication with someone who claimed to be from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and that the FBI suspected another campaign adviser, Carter Page, of being a Russian agent. What if we’d also known that Republican operative Paul Erickson wrote to a senior Trump campaign official about the “back channel” to the Kremlin he’d been cultivating through the National Rifle Association, and that Donald Trump Jr. met with Erickson’s Russian contact at the NRA’s 2016 convention? I can’t help thinking that it would be harder to explain away the Trump campaign’s treachery if we’d been forced to reckon with it all at once. Since the election, there have been so many revelations about Trump’s Russia ties that it’s impossible to keep track. “I sometimes wish that we would have just found out about the June 9 meeting, and that would have been it,” Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, told me. He was speaking, of course, about the Trump Tower meeting between a Russian delegation and leaders of the Trump campaign, ostensibly arranged so the Russians could deliver dirt on Hillary Clinton as “part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump,” as an email to Trump Jr. put it. “I do fear that when you stack evidence on top of evidence on top of evidence, somehow more becomes less,” Swalwell said. “In this case we find out more and more every day.” Finding out more doesn’t matter because most elected Republicans have developed a paranoid loathing for the law enforcement and intelligence agencies they once revered. A toxic fog of denial has descended over much of the country. We’ve been bludgeoned, through a combination of Republican bullying and stultifying conventional wisdom, into treating Trump’s legitimacy as self-evident. When intelligence agency veterans — including James Comey, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former CIA Director John Brennan — speak out with alarm about Trump, the media debates their propriety, while Republicans frame their contempt for the president as evidence of a deep-state conspiracy. When a brave comedian, Michelle Wolf, jeered at the administration’s indecency at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, the Washington establishment had a fainting fit at the violation of its safe space. Under Trump, the central battle in our culture is between truth and power. The truth hidden among the propaganda in the House Intelligence Committee’s majority report is that power is winning.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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MAY 3 – 9, 2018 | PAGE 15
Blind Hockey Team Doesn’t Let Lack of Vision Impair Their Game by Orrin Konheim
Falls Church News-Press
At the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Ballston, most people who pass by the westernmost ice rink en route to see the Capitals scrimmaging on Sunday mornings might be astonished to know they’ve just witnessed blind people playing hockey. “The biggest misconception is that they cannot play hockey fullspeed without help. Ninety-nine percent of the game is the same,” said Nick Albicocco, who coaches the all-blind hockey team, the Washington Wheelers. “The puck is larger and makes noise and the goal is two feet shorter…. That’s about it” Although the adapted version of hockey was officially founded in 1972 in Toronto, the sport has only made great strides in the U.S. very recently with the U.S. Blind Hockey Association (of which the Wheelers are one of eight city teams) only having formed in 2015. This July, 30 players are being recruited for a national team under the U.S. Hockey Association and Falls Church resident Kevin Brown is among the five players selected to represent the Wheelers. “Kevin’s a great example of how this sport inspires the blind community to come out and try something new and push their boundaries every week,” Albicocco said. “”He found us after playing other sports, and now he’s one of the best players in the country.” Brown, a West Springfield native, has been legally blind since grade school due to a condition known as cone rod dystrophy which has caused degenerating eyesight at various levels throughout most of his life. Despite this, Brown was able to excel at school sports such as baseball, track and field and basketball. “Pole vault was probably the hardest thing,” he recalled. “You count your steps. I just needed to know [how far] off I was from my mark.” In all these sports, Brown and other athletes rely on rapidly analyzing the environment with little visual cues. In turn, the format of blind hockey accommodates that with a puck that makes noise and slight rule modifications. For example, at least one pass must be made in the attacking half of the rink before scoring to allow the goalie and defense to better track the puck. For Brown, there has been an
HEAD COACH NICK ALBICOCCO (far right) looks on as members of the Washington Wheelers blind hockey team run through some drills in the neutral zone at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Ballston. Outside of a larger, noisier puck, a goal that is two feet shorter and a rule that every possession in a team’s offensive zone must have one pass in it to allow defending players to detect where the puck is, the Wheelers essentially play the same brand of hockey that millions of Americans (and our northern neighbors) have come to love. (Photo: Orrin Konheim) added challenge. He went from legally blind to losing his vision entirely in the early months of 2017 when his disease started massively degenerating. It’s to the point where he says he lost 10 percent of his vision every day. At this stage, the only thing that registers for him visually are differences in light. “[This] has given me a new sense of purpose,” said Brown. “It gives me something to motivate me, it inspires me to continue to push myself and [there is] a great cast of characters from the coaches to the volunteers.” Part of the process for the coaches is to accommodate people at all stages of disability and work with their strengths. Because the rules require a certain ratio of blind to legally blind people at various levels to maintain fair competition, the coaches have to keep tabs on their players’ conditions. This is how they are able to know that Brown’s 19-year-old teammate Caleigh Griffiths is also
degenerating rapidly and will soon lose her vision. Griffiths is illustrative of the wide variety of circumstances the Wheelers bring with them. She has been playing hockey since age 5. “Being born with it doesn’t make that much of a difference because I’ve been preparing my whole life,” she said. Others like Ken Silberman have been blind since birth. Silberman is at a beginners’ stage where he is being guided on the ice by others and it will take him several steps before he will join the main scrimmages. He has never seen hockey but he was intrigued by the sport because he grew up in Philadelphia and followed the Flyers’ success in the 1970s. Albicocco is assisted by two coaches and Brown notes that the team’s morale is helped by Albicocco’s hockey buddies who regularly visit. Albicocco noted the generosity in support from the Capitals and mentioned team
coach Barry Trotz has stopped by the locker room every couple months to give them an occasional pep talk. In interviews, Brown is quick to talk about the influence of his family. He credits them as well as his broader support circle for his tenacity both in and out of the rink. Growing up, he and his sister Sandra were both affected by the same condition, which is passed through a recessive gene. “My parents did well in raising me and giving me the tools. Thankfully they’re both still alive,” said Brown. In addition to his parents, he counts on support from his brother James (the only sibling without vision problems), his wife Eileen and his children Jack and Henry. Brown plans to attend the U.S. Blind Hockey team tryout at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado in July. With his full-time job at the
Treasury Department, raising two kids and coaching sports at the Falls Church community center, he has a busy schedule. “I’ll certainly do it at this stage, but it’s based on the level of commitment required,” said Brown. At the same time, Brown knows this is an opportunity to grow what he sees as a sport with great promise. Blind hockey is one of six different disciplines of disabled hockey recognized under the U.S. Hockey Association but the goal is to expand the sport into eight countries (it’s currently only played in the U.S. and Canada) so that the sport can apply to be part of the Paralympic Games. Brown is eager to be a part of expanding the movement. “There’s not that many sports you can play that have this level of speed and interaction,” said Brown. “It’s exciting. I’m in a unique position to have that opportunity and I hope it’s done in an effective way so that I can create a path for future generations.”
PAGE 16 | MAY 3 - 9, 2018
This Week in Sports
SENIOR MIDFIELDER CLAIRE HISCOTT is one of many contributors to Mason’s girls lacrosse team’s perfect 10-0 record roughly two months into the season. With a second straight Class 4 state title in their sights, the Mustangs haven’t shown any signs of slowing down, outscoring opponents 165-59 throughout the year as they barrel toward the postseason. (Photo: Courtesy Dee Dee Zigler)
SPO RTS
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Mason Girls Preserve District Edge by Matt Delaney
Falls Church News-Press
The climb towards an 11th straight Class 2 state title continued this week for George Mason High School’s girls soccer team as it tied Clarke County High School 3-3 before delivering an 8-0 thumping to Rappahannock County High School. Mason (6-3-1) had a confident return to Bull Run District competition just under a month ago and have yet to experience a loss against their familiar foes. However, the tie against Clarke County last Friday was not ideal to head coach George Bitadze or the Mustangs “Clarke County made us pay for our mistakes. Some of the other [Bull Run] teams will hesitate and not jump on our mistakes right away, but Clarke County did and it put us behind at halftime,” Bitadze said. “We were able to come back in the second half, but I still am not happy about the tie.” The Eagles – one of the Mustangs’ longest standing rivals across all sports – were sharp from the opening draw. They outworked and out-executed Mason and, just as Bitadze said, they
LAURA WHITAKER and Mason’s defense blocked out Clarke County’s scoring chances in the second half. (Photo: Carol Sly) pounced on scoring opportunities instinctively. After three tallies eluded the Mustangs back line and senior goalkeeper Laura Whitaker by the half, Mason had to change its approach. The final 40 minutes had a noticeable new tone. Mason reaffirmed their competitive will by beating back Clarke County’s advances while capitalizing on their own by wearing down the Eagles with approaches from the wing and through the middle. When the final whistle blew, Mason knotted the score up at 3-3 but ran out of time to before they could capitalize on a tie-breaking
push. There was far less drama in the Mustangs’ game against Rappahannock County Tuesday night. A slew of offsides penalties halted any scoring, save for midfielder Victoria Rund’s lone goal, in the first half. But from the 45th to the 53rd minutes, junior Maura Mann and seniors Jessie Beddow and Sophie Matton knocked in their shots to bring Mason to a 6-0 advantage. Rund finished with a hat trick. Mason will square off against Strasburg High School tomorrow on the road.
Mustangs Continue Ascent Back to States
by Matt Delaney
Falls Church News-Press
MASON’S BOYS LACROSSE TEAM has turned a new leaf in their own season by staying well above a .500 winloss record. Currently sitting at 7-4 after back-to-back losses to Dominion High School and Loudoun County High School, the program has taken its licks the past couple years under head coach Marc Mesmer and the experience is finally starting to pay off. The Mustangs have thwarted higher classified opponents both talented and tough and appear on the upswing in Class 4. (Photo: Carol Sly)
George Mason High School’s boys soccer team maintained its undefeated momentum as it rolled through Clarke County High School, 6-0, and Rappahannock County High School 10-0. It’s barely a surprise that Mason (10-0-1) has returned to its previous championship form that’s guided the team to six Class 2 state titles in the past nine years. But the speed and near immediacy of their rediscovered prowess is what is leaving observers wondering – with mostly the same group of players from last year’s regional-opening exit – how a team that couldn’t tally a goal in its biggest game a season ago is suddenly ending games 20 minutes early with perceivable ease. “This is the deepest team we’ve ever had,” Mason head coach Frank Spinello said following Mason’s win over Madison County last week. “We have a ton of guys on the bench that we call reinforcements that can be inserted into any line up and perform. It’s really pleasing to see as a coach.” A hardy roster was advantageous against Clarke County on
April 27. While it took until the 24th minute for Mason to get on the board with sophomore midfielder Cole Hellert’s long distance chip-in, the Mustangs only built on the lead from there. Sophomore forward Alex Kryazhev drew a penalty in the box in the 62nd minute to set up senior midfielder Carlos Mercado’s penalty kick to go up 2-0. Mercado knocked in two more goals in nine minutes before sophomore midfielder Corwin Miller and freshman forward Smith Kraft tallied the final two scores. The win over Rappahannock County on Tuesday night was a
business-as-usual affair for the Mustangs. Earlier in April, Mason trampled the visiting Panthers for a 24-0 win before the game was called off at the 60 minute mark. This time around, the Mustangs weren’t as aggressive, opting for a mere 10-0 win with Mercado contributing three goals, junior midfielder Nick Wells with two while senior defender Tim Andrianarison, sophomore midfielder Zorhan Boston, junior forward Detsl Antezana along with Kraft and Miller each with goals. The Mustangs will host Strasburg High School tomorrow night.
SOPHOMORE MIDFIELDER Maddox Kong wins a 50-50 ball against a Clarke County defender. (Photo: Carol Sly)
LO CA L
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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MAY 3 – 9, 2018 | PAGE 17
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CHARMAINE BARR was surprised last week with the announcement that she was named Falls Church City Public Schools’ Support Staff of the Year award. Barr, who’s been an FCCPS bus driver for the past 26 years, has a had a landmark year as she was also one a few bus drivers nationwide to lend input to Kate McMullan’s children’s book, “I’m Smart!” that was published last year. (P����: FCCPS P����/C���� S��)
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S����� N��� � N���� Boesen Placed on Dean’s List For Robotics Competition
a Language/Literacy program and math materials.
Congratulations go to Erik Boesen for winning the Dean’s List award at the FIRST Robotics World Championship tournament last weekend in Detroit, Michigan. Boesen was one of five winners receiving this recognition from all the students who were nominated from around the world. The George Mason High School team represented FIRST Chesapeake at Worlds for the third year in a row.
F.C. Schools’ Celebration of Excellence Set for May 10
TJ’s TOPS Program Concludes Another Successful Year The Tigers OPeration Success (TOPS) program ended in a celebration last week. Over 60 students in the LIEP Program at Thomas Jefferson Elementary attended along with their parents. The students received a certificate and a stuffed Tiger for successful completion of the program. TOPS runs from January – April. Students stay after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays receiving language, literacy and numeracy instruction. Las week’s event included refreshments and time for parents, staff and students to socialize and celebrate together. TOPS is partially funded by the Falls Church Education Foundation (FCEF) whose generous donation provides for snacks, books for students to take home, enrichment field trips,
Interested students, parents and community members are encouraged to join the celebration of Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year nominees, as well as Business in Education (BIE) Partners in Education on Thursday, May 10 at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School (7130 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church). The reception begins at 4:15 p.m. and the recognition will follow at 5 p.m. This celebration is guaranteed to bring laughter and tears, as staff, students and parents share words of appreciation for some of Falls Church City Public Schools’ finest. All are welcome.
Local Businesses Recognized For Commitment to Schools The Business in Education Partnership (BIE) announced the recognition of seven community partners in appreciation of their ongoing commitment to working in partnership with Falls Church City Public School (FCCPS) teachers, students and parents. They are listed as follows: The Virginia School Board Association Business Honor Roll — Hilton Garden Inn Falls Church; Todd Hitt, Kiddar Capital
CEO and Markon Solutions Falls Church Honored Partners — Dexter Industries; Envision Experience; Plaka Grill and “Rookie of the Year,” The Kensington Falls Church Businesses will be honored as a part of the FCCPS Celebration of Excellence held on Thursday, May 10 at 4:15 p.m. at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School (7130 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church).
Model UN Team Ends Year With Strong Final Conference The Mary Ellen Henderson MIddle School and George Mason High School Model UN teams participated in their last conference of the season with their group of delegates competing in nine different committees. They were debating issues ranging from drug trafficking in the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN) to disease and food scarcity in Jamestown, 1619. Congratulations go to Estelle Timar-Wilcox who won an Honorable Mention for her portrayal of the Director of the Catalan Health Service in a simulated Catalan Independence Conference and to Meghan Murphy who won the coveted Best Delegate gavel for her portrayal of Senator Lindsey Graham in a mock Department of Health and Human Services Committee meeting.
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PAGE 18 | MAY 3 – 9, 2018
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
FALLS CHURCHCALENDAR COMMUNITYEVENTS THURSDAY, MAY 3 Teen Volunteer Orientation. Required for new volunteers interested in earning service hours at the library this spring either for classroom or club requirements. For teens in grades 7-12, registration and volunteer application required upon entry to the event. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 6 – 6:30 p.m Call 703-248-5034 or contact teen volunteer coordinator Laura Miller at juv@fallschurchva.gov. Thursday Evening Book Group. The Thursday Evening Book Discussion Group meets on the 1st Thursday evening of each month in the library’s conference room. This month’s book is “The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt’s New World” by Andrea Wulf. Light refreshments are served. All are welcome.
Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. 703-248-5034.
FRIDAY, MAY 4 Encore Chorale Spring Concert. OSAP and Encore Creativity for older adults present a free concert by the original Langston-Brown Encore Chorale joined by the chorales of Alexandria, Potomac and Goodwin House Baileys Crossroads. Encore Chorale is the nation’s largest choral program for older adults, and the singers will celebrate Leonard Bernstein’s 100th anniversary with selections from “West Side Story” as well as other popular choral favorites. Founder and Artistic Director Jeanne Kelly will conduct assisted by Associate Artistic Director Jeff Dokken, Conductor Brian Gendron and pianist Maribeth Gowen. The concert is free and no tickets are required. Celebrate Arlington’s senior singers. 7 – 8 p.m. For more information on the concert’s location, contact DPR@
arlingtonva.us
SATURDAY, MAY 5 Farmer’s Market. The awardwinning market returns every Saturday to the City Hall parking lot, filled with fresh, local produce, meat, dairy, flowers & plants, honey, chocolates, gifts, music and much more. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Falls Church). 8 a.m. – noon.
MONDAY, MAY 7 Preschool Storytime. Stories and fun for children ages 0-5. No registration required; drop-in. All storytimes at the library are followed by playtime with the Early Literacy Center toys. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 10:30 – 11 a.m. 703-2485034. Playtime with the Early Literacy Center. Explore educational and manipulative items (aka toys) to teach early literacy through play.
Ages birth to 5 years. No registration required. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. 703248-5034. ESL Conversation Group. A general conversation group (for adults) learning English as their second language. Meets every Monday at regularly scheduled time. No registration required. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 7 – 8 p.m. 703-248-5034.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 9 Great Books Discussion. A “Great Books” discussion concentrating on literary classics (both traditional and modern) meeting on the second and fourth Tuesday most months. This Tuesday’s book is “Nuns at Luncheon” by Aldous Huxley. Open to all and no registration required. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. 703248-5034.
THEATER&ARTS FRIDAY, MAY 4
“Witch.” From the dawn of time, women have been demonized, feared and objectified whenever their power challenged the traditional order. Weaving a thread from the Salem Witch trials through modern day politics, this world premiere musical examines the complex and compelling stories of women who’ve been labeled as witches throughout the centuries. Building on a year of strong productions, both visionaries Matt Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith bring their new work to the stage with music by Conner and book and lyrics by Smith. Creative Cauldron (410 S. Maple Ave., Falls Church). $30. 8 p.m. creativecauldron.org.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY SATURDAY, MAY 5 2 “Girlfriend.” “Girlfriend” is a vibrant and tender coming of age musical duet from when flannel was the height of fashion and mix tapes were the language of love. It’s 1993 in small-town Nebraska during the summer between high school and whatever comes next. College-bound jock Mike
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and self-assured but aimless Will find themselves drawn to each other. Their rush of first-time love, full of excitement, confusion and passion, is captured by the power-pop precision and frayed guitar emotion of Matthew Sweet’s alternative rock album “Girlfriend.” Signature Theatre (4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington). $40. 8 p.m. sigtheatre.org. “Fly By Night.” A star-crossed prophecy. A lot of music. Just not a lot of light. In this darkly comic rock-fable, a melancholy sandwich maker’s humdrum life is intersected by two entrancing sisters. A sweeping ode to young love set against the backdrop of the northeast blackout of 1965, “Fly By Night” is a tale about making your way and discovering hope in a world beset by darkness. 1st Stage Theatre (1524 Spring Hill Rd., Tysons). $33. 8 p.m.1ststagetysons.com.
SUNDAY, MAY 6 “Vietgone.” In this high-octane comedy, Nguyen recreates (and kinda makes up) his parents’ reluctant courtship: Fresh from Saigon, they meet in an Arkansas refugee relocation camp in 1975. With pop culture, a live band, and plenty of funk-rock-punk-n-roll, “Vietgone” follows these new Americans through a bewildering land. A story full of lust and heartache, cowboys and motorcycles from a screenwriter for Marvel Studios. Studio Theatre (1501 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.) $40. 2:30 p.m. studiotheatre.org.
LIVEMUSIC THURSDAY, MAY 3 Mark Kilkeary & Danny Barrett. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-532-9283. Britton James. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 6:30 p.m. 703-237-8333. Madeleine Peyroux with Carsie Blanton. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $50.50. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500. Stealing Oceans feat. Mutual Groove + Ben Hardesty: A
CA L E NDA R
MAY 3 – 9, 2018 | PAGE 19
ConnerStrong Foundation Benefit Show. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10 – $20. 8 p.m. 703-255-1566. Strung Like a Horse with Two Ton Twig. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). $10 - $13. 8:30 p.m. 703-237-0300. David Kitchen Band. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-2419504.
FRIDAY, MAY 4 Dan Wolff. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-5329283. Happy Hour: Steve & Jess Duo. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703241-9504. The Whispers. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $75. 7:30 p.m. 703549-7500. Jean’s TV, American Rock. Cafe Kindred (450 N. Washington St., Falls Church). 8 p.m. 571-3272215 An Evening With TFDI feat. Tony Lucca, Jay Nash and Matt Duke. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $20 – $22. 8 p.m. 703255-1566. Max Weinberg’s Jukebox (encore performance the following night at the same time). Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd. Vienna). $50 – $175. 8 p.m. 703-255-1900. Blind Melon. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). $25. 8 p.m. 703-2370300. Shartel and Hume. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9:15 p.m. 703-241-9504. Drive to Clarity. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 10 p.m. 703-237-8333.
SATURDAY, MAY 5 Jumpin’ Jupiter Live and In Concert. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-241-9504.
DRIVEN TO CLARITY will be at Dogwood Tavern in Falls Church on Friday. (Photo: DrivenToClarity.com)
Son Flavor. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-5329283. Cinco De Mayo feat. Dr. Robinson’s Fiasco + Irresponsible + Fullscreen + Tobin James + The Pocket Band. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10 – $20. 7 p.m. 703-255-1566. Liz Spring Built 4 Comfort & The Crimestoppers. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9 p.m. 703-241-9504. Judge Smith. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 10 p.m. 703-237-8333.
SUNDAY, MAY 6 3rd Annual Beach Fest. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 12:30 p.m. 703-532-9283. Andrew Acosta Bluegrass. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd.,
Falls Church). 1 p.m. 703-2419504. The Music School at Jammin Java’s “Main Stage Open Mic Showcase.” Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). 1 p.m. 703-255-1566. Billy Coulter Band. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-241-9504. An Evening With Clay Cook. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $20. 7:30 p.m. 703255-1566. Linwood Taylor & Skyla Burnell. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504.
MONDAY, MAY 7 Unwed Sailor + Early Day Miners Perform Live and In Concert. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $12 – $25. 7:30 p.m. 703255-1566.
This Wilderness, Collapsing +. Galaxy Hut (2711 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $5. 9 p.m.
TUESDAY, MAY 8 The Mother Hips with Leon III. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $25. 7:30 p.m. 703255-1566. Matt Kelly and Swang Bang. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-2419504.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 9 Peter Case with Paul Luc. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $20. 7 p.m. 703-255-1566. Bobby Lee. Cafe Kindred (450 N. Washington St., Falls Church). 7 p.m. 571-327-2215 Bob Hume and Martha Capone. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Arlington). 8:30 p.m. 703522-8340.
Calendar Submissions Email: calendar@fcnp.com | Mail: Falls Church News-Press, Attn: Calendar, 200 Little Falls St., #508, Falls Church, VA 22046 Be sure to include time, location, cost of admission, contact person and any other pertinent information. Event listings will be edited for content and space limitations. Please include any photos or artwork with submissions. Deadline is Monday at noon for the current week’s edition.
PAGE 20 | MAY 3 - 9, 2018
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Public Notice ABC LICENSE SETTLE DOWN EAST BREWING COMPANY LLC, Trading as: SETTLE DOWN EASY BREWING COMPANY, 2822 Fairfax Drive, Falls Church, Virginia 22042.2804. The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Brewery and Keg (500-10,000 barrels) license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. James Boykin, Manager. NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.
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Information on the above applications is available for review at:
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ABC LICENSE YAQI FOOD SERVICES MF, LLC, Trading as: Little Dipper, 2985 District Avenue, Suite 185 Fairfax, Virginia 22031-1541. The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a BEER AND WINE ON PREMISES, MIXED BEVERAGE ON PREMISES license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. Haisha Zhou, Officer. NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.
PUBLIC NOTICE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS PUBLIC HEARING
Zoning Office 400 N. Washington, Suite 101 Falls Church, VA. 703-248-5015 (option 1) zoning@fallschurchva.gov This location is fully accessible to persons with physical disabilities and special services or assistance may be requested in advance. (TTY 711)
New Business Special Use Permit application U1579-16 by Sellaperumage Ruth Shaw, applicant and owner, for an extension to a Special Use Permit, granted on April 14, 2016 to continue to operate an existing home daycare without expiration, on premises known as 1004 N. Roosevelt, RPC #53-212-011 of the Falls Church Real Property Records,
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VOLUNTEERS PUBLIC NOTICE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA Volunteers who live in the City of Falls Church are needed to serve on the boards and commissions listed below. Contact the City Clerk’s Office (703-248-5014, cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov, or www.fallschurchva.gov/BC) for an application form or more information. Positions advertised for more than one month may be filled during each subsequent month. Architectural Advisory Board Arts and Humanities Council of Falls Church Board of Building Code and Fire Prevention Code Appeals Environmental Sustainability Council Historical Commission Human Services Advisory Board Library Board of Trustees Regional Boards/Commissions: Fairfax Area Disability Services Board Northern Virginia Community College Board
The Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) of the City of Falls Church, Virginia will hold a public hearing on May 17, 2018 at 7:30 PM in the Community Center, Teen Center, located at 223 Little Falls Street, for consideration of the following item: Old Business Variance application V1600-18 by Roy Wingrove, applicant and owner, for a variance to Section 48-238(3)(a) to allow (1) a front yard setback of 22 feet instead of 30 feet, and (2) a rear yard setback of 20 feet instead of 22.15 feet, and a variance to Section 48-1102(b)(2)(c) to allow a height of 28.5 feet instead of 25 feet for the purpose of constructing a 2.5 story addition on premises known as 107 Jackson Street, RPC #52-501-040 of the Falls Church Real Property Records, zoned R-1A, Low Density Residential.
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We are pledged to the letter andspirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap. All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.” This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-8530. Toll free call (888) 551-3247. For the hearing impaired call (804) 367-9753.
A RTS&E NTE RTA I NME NT
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Crossword
ACROSS
By David Levinson Wilk 1
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© 2017 David Levinson Wilk
Across
1. Have a great night at the comedy club 5. Attack vigorously 11. Layover locale, perhaps 14. Love letters? 15. Amateur 16. Opposite of "Dep." on a flight board 17. Really get the grit off some fruit? 19. Slugger's stat 20. Triumph 21. Gardener, at times 22. "Thirteen" actress ____ Rachel Wood 23. Healthy routine of some reef material? 27. Tries to rip open 30. What egg whites aren't 31. "Four little letters, three billion little people": Stephen Colbert 32. ____ facto 33. "Why, can you possibly mean me?!" 36. It's been left on 17-, 23-, 49- and 58-Across 41. 18%, maybe 42. Like someone whose photographs are all selfies 43. Wallach and Whitney 44. Signs of things to come 46. Address 49. Snacker's discarded item in ancient Peru? 52. Two-time NBA All-Star Vandeweghe 53. Cambodia's Phnom ____ 54. "So THAT'S it!" 57. Bridal bio word 58. Like a TV lover uninterested in cutting the cord? 62. Leaf-peeping mo.
STRANGE BREW
1. Have a great night at the comedy club
MAY 3 – 9, 2018 | PAGE 21
63. Grande with the 2014 hit song "Love Me Harder" 64. Atypical 65. Director Craven who said "Horror films don't create fear. They release it" 66. Benghazi native 67. Singer with the 1988 album "Y Kant Tori Read"
29. Causes of sudden altitude drops 32. Charged particle 34. Doing the job 35. "Don't take ____ seriously!" 37. Pizza ____ 38. Half of Mork's goodbye 39. ____ bump 40. Authentic 45. It follows Avril in Paris 46. "For Your Eyes Only" singer Easton 47. Author 48. K-12 49. "Tell me about it!" 50. Whitney Houston, to Dionne Warwick 51. Spread out 54. Driver of "Girls" 55. "My ____!" 56. Drinks at sidewalk stands 58. Baseball's Ripken 59. Jackie's second husband 60. A little kid might drool over it 61. Org. from which George H.W. Bush resigned his membership in 1995
DOWN
1. Annual Austin, Texas music/film festival named for its loc. in the U.S. 2. Centers of activity 3. Neural conductor 4. Whom Uncle Sam wants 5. Sweater material 6. Angry with 7. Traffic problem 8. Fruit Ninja, e.g. 9. Red state? 10. Part of UCLA 11. 2014 U.S. postage stamp honoree depicted with the colors of the gay pride flag 12. Kind of legend or sprawl 13. Pickler's need 18. They precede sigmas 22. Room in an apt. big enough to accommodate a dining table, in real estate ads 23. Animal always spelled out in Scrabble? 24. Syringe, for short 25. Ned who, in 2015, became the manager with the most victories in Kansas City Royals history 26. Icky stuff 27. Diplomat's asset 28. Actor Morales who plays Elian Gonzalez's dad in a 2000 TV movie
JOHN DEERING
5. Attack vigorously
T S T O R M
Sudoku Level:
11. Layover locale, perhaps
G A R A G E S
1
2
3
Last Thursday’s Solution
A B O V E P A R
M O T O R O L A
O K A Y E D
T O R S O S
E R S Y D E E C O N H O N C O D C H S S A B I N S O A R P O L E P J E S I W B R I W I L A P T
P A T S Y
O F F D U N C E
E E D Y M E R O L E M U D A M C A R P A S T H E D S R O I N B O S E H L C G E M H O R A D S I
R O O M I E
U N T I E D
S O C A N I
A L L W R O N G
Y O U D A M A N
S E S T E T S
By The Mepham Group 4
14. Love letters? 15. Amateur 16. Opposite of "Dep." on a flight board 17. Really get the grit off some fruit? 19. Slugger's stat 20. Triumph
1
21. Gardener, at times 22. "Thirteen" actress ____ Rachel Wood 23. Healthy routine of some reef material? 27. Tries to rip open
LOOSE PARTS
DAVE BLAZEK
30. What egg whites aren't 31. "Four little letters, three billion little people": Stephen Colbert NICK KNACK
1
© 2018 N.F. Benton
Solution to last Sunday’s puzzle
5/6/18
Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk.
© 2018 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.
PAGE 22 | MAY 3 – 9, 2018
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LO CA L
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
BACK IN THE DAY
20 & 10 Years Ago in the News-Press Falls Church News-Press Vol. VIII, No. 9 • May 14, 1998
Virginia Tech & City Schools Forge Historic ‘Technology Learning Center’ In a historic precedent for relations between institutions of secondary and higher education in Virginia, a partnership has been forged between Virginia Polytechnic University and the Falls Church Public Schools that will result in a quantum leap forward in educational opportunities for students of both. The use of Virginia Tech funds and George Mason Middle/High School facilities has resulted in a unique institutional marriage at the high school.
Falls Church News-Press Vol. XVIII, No. 10 • May 8, 2008
Critter Corner It is now the time fo r all good to go cows to aid of the p a s their ture . * * * Throw * * Pour it up. it up
10 Year s Ago
It is now the time fo r all good to go cows to aid of the p a s their ture . * * * Throw * * Pour it up. it up
F.C. Makes Virgnia History by Electing Gay Afro-American Virginia history was made in the Falls Church city election Tuesday. By being elected to the City Council, Lawrence Webb has become the first openly gay Afro-American elected official in the history of the commonwealth. Webb, 33, an assistant dean of admissions at Mary Washington University, ran on a slate endorsed by the City’s venerable civic organization, the Citizens for a Better City, along with incumbent mayor Robin Gardner.
86 million Americans
SABRINA (6) and Jinny (5) are a mother and daughter who live with Anne Clark in Arlington. The girls were adopted from The Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation in May of 2013, when Jinny was not even three months old. Since that time, Jinny has gotten taller and Sabrina has gotten wider. They are very sweet and very spoiled. Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be! Send in your Critter Corner submissions to crittercorner@fcnp.com. #BeUnderstood
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ALGUNOS NIÑOS TIENEN PROBLEMAS PARA ENTENDER LO QUE LEEN. ALGUNOS PADRES TIENEN PROBLEMAS PARA ENTENDER A SUS HIJOS. Las dificultades de aprendizaje y de atención pueden lucir diferentes para los padres que para los niños. Es por eso que existe Understood, un recurso gratuito en línea con respuestas, consejos y herramientas para ayudar a su hijo a salir adelante. Aclare sus dudas en understood.org.
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
LO CA L
Fa l l s C h u r c h
MAY 3 – 9, 2018 | PAGE 23
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F.C. Schools Announce 2018 Business & Community Partner Honorees
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Falls Church City Public Schools have announced their 2018 business and community partner honorees. The Hilton Garden Inn Falls Church, Kiddar Capital CEO Todd Hitt and Markon Solutions will receive statewide recognition through the Virginia School Boards Association Business Honor Roll while Dexter Industries, Envision Experience and Plaka Grill will be named honored partners and The Kensington Falls Church will be recognized with the Rookie of the Year award. All seven honorees join a distinguished list of partners who have been recognized since 2009. They will be honored as part of the FCCPS Celebration of Excellence on Thursday, May 10 from 4:15 – 6 p.m. at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School. For more information about becoming involved with the Falls Church City Schools, contact Marybeth Connelly, FCCPS Community Outreach Director, at connellym@fccps.org.
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Jhoon Rhee, Tae Kwon Do Grandmaster, Dies at Age 86 Grandmaster Jhoon Rhee, founder of Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do, died Monday, April 30 at the age of 86. A 10th-degree black belt, Jhoon Rhee opened his first taekwondo school in 1962 and opened another 10 schools within the next two decades. Rhee, who has been credited with popularizing taekwondo in the United States, made his studios famous with the “Nobody Bothers Me” ad campaign that aired through the 70s and 80s. Rhee was friends with Bruce Lee and Muhammad Ali. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, May 8 at McLean Bible Church at 8925 Leesburg Pike in Vienna. Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do is located in the Falls Plaza Shopping Center at 1136 W. Broad Street in Falls Church. For more information, visit www.jhoonrheetkd.com.
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Dancing Mind Celebrates 10th Year with Open House Dancing Mind is celebrating its 10 year anniversary with an open house on Saturday, May 5 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Dancing Mind will be offering free classes in yoga, fitness, nutrition, and wellness. Owned and operated by Paula Baake, the award winning yoga and fitness studio is located at 929 W. Broad Street in Falls Church. For a schedule of classes or more information, visit www.dancingmind.com.
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Center for Spiritual Enlightenment Focusing on Good Sleep May 6 The Center for Spiritual Enlightenment is hosting Getting a Good Night’s Sleep Workshop with Caren Clark-Stone and Carol Baker on Sunday, May 6 from 1 – 3 p.m. The event will address body rhythms, sleep cycles, causes of sleep problems, sleep interventions, breathing methods, and sleep hygiene. The Center for Spiritual Enlightenment is located at 222 N. Washington Street in Falls Church. For more information, visit www.thecse.org.
Workshop at Blue Nectar Yoga Set for Sunday Mary Kearns will facilitate Reaching New Heights: Simple Methods for Raising Your Vibration with Your Stellar Self on Sunday, May 6 from 1 – 3 p.m. at Blue Nectar Yoga. The interactive workshop will use movement, meditation, mindfulness techniques, and practical exercises to help reduce stress and feel your best mind, body, and spirit. Blue Nectar Yoga is located at 513 W. Broad Street. For more information, visit www.bluenectaryoga.com.
Orangetheory Officially Welcomed into City Orangetheory Fitness celebrated the opening of its new Falls Church location on Friday, April 20 with an official ribbon cutting ceremony featuring Orangetheory Falls Church’s owner George Leppert, studio manager Chris Michael, staff and patrons along with Falls Church officials Mayor David Tarter, Vice Mayor Marybeth Connelly, Council Member Phil Duncan, Council Member Letty Hardi, and members of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce including former Chamber board chair Gary LaPorta, Chartis Federal’s Brian Creswick, Body Dynamics’ Gwynn Hegyi and Ashley Templer, Sisler Stone’s Steve Sisler, and Chamber staff Sally Cole and Cathy Soltys. The new heart-rate based circuit training program is located at 510 S. Washington Street in Falls Church. For more information, visit falls-church.orangetheoryfitness.com. Business News & Notes is compiled by Sally Cole, Executive Director of Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at sally@fallschurchchamber.org.
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PAGE 24 | MAY 3 - 9, 2018
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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R C ST R R ealty™ Group
McLean - Timberly South!
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Call ROCK STAR Realty when buying or selling your home ~ 703-867-8674
FOR SALE
NEW PRICE!
Open Sun 2-4
Falls Church City
Rare opportunity to own in one of McLean’s most sought-after neighborhoods, Timberly South! Minutes to downtown McLean, Tysons and Metro, this spacious all brick colonial features five bedrooms and four and a half baths! The community features sidewalks, acres of common ground and great access to bike path and walking trails! Priced at $1,200,000.
1007 Kennedy St, Falls Church City
Steps to Dining/Shopping
2,948 sq ft
4 bedrooms
4.5 bathrooms
$ $849,900
2,888 sq ft
4 bedrooms/3 baths
NEW PRICE!
FC City Schools
COMING SOON
Open Sun 2-4
Falls Church City
3753 Tennis Ct, Falls Church $ $979,000 6 bedrooms
5,829 sq ft
Mins to EFC Metro
2,692 sq ft
5.5 bathrooms
4 bedrooms
2.5 bathrooms
703-867-8674
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