The Reach

by Brian Reach

It Really Isn’t Just Me

A recent survey of just over 1,000 LGBTQ+ American adults, conducted just last month, shows that queer people are really feeling the hate right now.

Survey results showed that eight percent of Trans and six percent of Black Americans have already fled their homes in response to hate legislation in their state, as have nine percent of all LGBTQ+ respondents over the age of 65 and eight percent of those aged 18-24.

A full 25% of all LGBTQ+ adults surveyed believe the country has become much less safe for the LGBTQ+ community, with another 22% saying they felt somewhat less safe.

Of Democratic respondents within the poll (yes, there are queer conservatives) 79 percent said the Democratic Party should be doing more to protect the LGBTQ+ community.

This is a Reminder

This is a reminder that LGBTQ+ people rely on votes from their straight allies in order to retain our legal protections (it’s math).

This is a reminder that, just months ago here in Virginia, a host of anti-LGBTQ+ bills mirroring the same ones causing people to flee in fear were introduced by Republicans in the legislature.

This is a reminder that Virginia is one Senate seat away from a GOP supermajority that would, in swift order, result in Virginia becoming as dangerous a place for queer people as Florida.

This is a reminder that a primary is currently underway, ends this Tuesday, June 20, and includes Little City residents choosing new representation in the Virginia Senate.

This is a reminder that one Senate candidate on the ballot to represent us, “incumbent” Sen. Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax), has been deliberately silent on LGBTQ+ issues... at least as far as this writer can tell, his last public comments on his personal beliefs were when he said he did not personally believe in gay marriage, still believed it was a sin, and even said he didn’t believe in Civil Unions.

This is a reminder that if somebody believes being gay is a sin, it means they think we’re faking it (or should be expected to just enter into miserable heterosexual marriages out of fear for our lives?). There really isn’t any other logical alternative; if you believe that, you fundamentally think we’re some sort of “wicked.”

This is a reminder that Petersen refuses to say if his beliefs have changed since voting for HB751 in 2004, which referenced a nowreversed Supreme Court finding that “A husband without a wife, or a wife without a husband, is unknown to the law,” and said that 2003 rulings overturning antisodomy laws and legalizing gay marriage in Massachussetts “failed to consider the beneficial health effects of heterosexual marriage, as contrasted to the life-shortening and health compromising consequences of homosexual behavior, and this to the detriment of all citizens regardless of their sexual orientation or inclination.”

This is a reminder that Petersen has made substantial donations to the campaigns or nonprofits of every elected Democrat voicing their support for him, while the rest of the party remains silent. For details, vpap.org has all the receipts.

This is a reminder that silence is dangerous when others are loud.

This is a Warning

This is a warning that Petersen had no problem finding words in opposition to LGBTQ+ rights when the Republicans were in charge.

This is a warning that Petersen did, in fact, vote his personal homophobic beliefs into actual Virginia law, which caused actual harm to actual LGBTQ+ people.

This is a warning that Petersen pushes for religious exemptions for laws in almost all scenarios.

This is a warning that Petersen, after voting to retain a law allow ing the legal marrying of preg nant girls age 15 and under, said “Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but if someone gets pregnant and they want to be married when the child is born, not being able to do that of their own volition.... was a bit overly aggressive.”

This is a warning that a preg nancy under age 15 is evidence of statutory rape, and that rewarding their abusers with marriage instead of charging them with a crime is often, for the girl, a lifelong prison sentence.

This is a warning that Petersen’s church led fourteen others to leave the denomination for an unofficial Nigerian Anglican Church whose leader believed homosexuals should be jailed. The same church that led the attemp to legally usurp Falls Church Episcopal on behalf of homophobic defectors, all in response to the Episcopal Church’s decision to consecrate bishop Gene Robinson, a gay man.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA

A public hearing and final City Council action on the following is scheduled for Monday, June 26, 2023 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard.

(TR23-15) RESOLUTION TO ADOPT THE EAST END SMALL AREA PLAN AS A GUIDING DOCUMENT IN DECISION MAKING FOR PLANNING, ZONING, AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, CITY REGULATIONS, AND POLICIES

All public hearings will be held in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia. Remote participation information at www.fallschurchva.gov/publiccomment. Comments may also be sent to cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov. For copies of legislation, contact the City Clerk’s office at (703-248-5014) or cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov or visit www. fallschurchva.gov/councilmeetings. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5014 (TTY 711).

CELESTE HEATH, CITY CLERK

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA

The following was given first reading at the June 12, 2023 City Council meeting. A public hearing, second reading, and final City Council action is scheduled for Monday, June 26, 2023 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard.

(TO23-10) ORDINANCE TO AMEND ORDINANCES 2024, 2045, 2056, AND 2058 REGARDING THE BUDGET OF EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023 FOR THE GENERAL FUND, THE SCHOOL OPERATING FUND, SCHOOL COMMUNITY SERVICES FUND, THE CABLE ACCESS FUND, AND THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM FUNDS

This amendment to the FY2023 Budget would appropriate tax incentive and rent revenues from the West Falls Church development to tax revenue and capital reserves and opioid litigation settlement funds to the budget, transfer previously appropriated funds between departments, and allocate grants and contingency funds.

All public hearings will be held in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia. Remote participation information at www.fallschurchva.gov/publiccomment. Comments may also be sent to cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov. For copies of legislation, contact the City Clerk’s office at (703-248-5014) or cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov or visit www. fallschurchva.gov/councilmeetings. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5014 (TTY 711).

CELESTE HEATH, CITY CLERK

PUBLIC NOTICE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA HISTORIC ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD

PUBLIC HEARING

The City of Falls Church Historic Architectural Review Board will hold a public hearing on Thursday, June 22, 2023 at 7:00 PM in City Hall’s Dogwood Room (first floor), 300 Park Ave, Falls Church, VA 22043 to consider the following:

PROPOSED DEMO/DECONSTRUCTION OF 1011 FOWLER ST BARN: The proposal is to deconstruct the barn and garage on Lot 2B and sell or donate the materials.

Information or copies of the proposed alteration can be viewed at the Community Planning and Economic Development Services (CPEDS) counter at City Hall, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, VA, Monday through Friday (9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). You may contact the Planning Division at plan@fallschurchva.gov with any questions or concerns. This location is fully accessible to persons with physical disabilities and special services or assistance may be requested in advance. (TTY 711)

ABC NOTICE

Empire Grocery LLC trading as Centro Market, 2930 Patrick Henry Drive, Unit E, Falls Church 22044, Fairfax County. The above establishment is applying to the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Authority for a Retail Off Premises Wine and Beer License. Geetottam Sainju, Member Empire Grocery LLC. Date notice posted at establishment: 5/28/2023. 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

Help Wanted

Senior Project Manager (Falls Church, VA) F/T - Plan, direct, or coord activities of economic growth (macro-fiscal reform, macro-fin’l reform, SME dvlpmt, Workforce Dvlpmt, Sustainable Livelihoods, etc.) prgms in mainly conflict & postconflict countries. Oversee the prgms & organization’s budget & policies regarding participant involvement, prgm reqmts, & benefits. Provide compliance support & oversight to procurement activities & project operations, coord logistics & reporting as needed, & ensure adherence to our fin’l mgmt systems, & compliance w/ contracts & relevant USAID, EU, FCDO & other client rules & regs. Perform comprehensive data collation & analysis activities from relevant int’l organization’s data sources. Bach deg in Public Policy, Poli Sci, or Public Admin or closely rltd degrees reqd. Email resume to The Pragma Corporation, Attn: Jennifer Lao, Recruiter at: recruitment@ pragmacorp.com

For Sale

National Mem. Park/King David Mem Gardens 7482 Lee Hwy, Falls Church Va. 22042. 703-560-4400 Lot 698 sites 2,3 and 4 Block X value $14,995.00 ea. Will sell all three for $20,000.00 or $6995.00 ea. Call Art: 540-850-1181

Unbelievable Deal!National Memorial King David Memorial Cemetery. Two choice desirable sites Block T Lot 471 spaces 3 & 4. Beautiful area below the Living Cross at the Fountains. Selling for an unbelievable price $3,000. Valued at $8,495 each. Call George @ 843-650-999

Auctions

ATTN. AUCTIONEERS: Advertise your upcoming auctions statewide and in other states. Affordable Print and Digital Solutions reaching your target audiences. Call this paper or Landon Clark at Virginia Press Services 804-521-7576, landonc@vpa.net

Home Improvement

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DIVORCE-Uncontested, $475+$86 court cost. WILLS-$295.00. No court appearance. Estimated completion time twenty-one days. Hilton Oliver, Attorney (Facebook). 757-490-0126. Se Habla Espanol. BBB Member. https://hiltonoliverattorneyva.com.

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NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF A FILING BY VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY OF ITS INTEGRATED RESOURCE PLAN CASE NO. PUR-2023-00066

On May 1, 2023, Virginia Electric and Power Company (“Dominion” or “Company”) filed with the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”) the Company’s 2023 Integrated Resource Plan (“IRP”) pursuant to § 56-599 of the Code of Virginia (“Code”).

An IRP, as defined by § 56-597 of the Code, is “a document developed by an electric utility that provides a forecast of its load obligations and a plan to meet those obligations by supply side and demand side resources over the ensuing 15 years to promote reasonable prices, reliable service, energy independence, and environmental responsibility.” Pursuant to § 56-599 D of the Code, the Commission determines whether an IRP is reasonable and in the public interest.

Dominion states that it serves approximately 2.7 million electric customers in Virginia and North Carolina and that the Company’s combined service territory in these two states covers approximately 30,000 square miles. As indicated in its IRP, Dominion is a member of PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (“PJM”), a regional transmission organization in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The Company states that the IRP was prepared for its service territories in Virginia and North Carolina, which are both within the PJM region.

According to the Company, the IRP encompasses the 15-year planning period from 2024 to 2038, using 2023 as the base year, and is meant for use as a longterm planning document based on a “snapshot in time” of current technologies, market information, and projections.

Dominion states in its filing that the Company’s IRP addresses the 2023 PJM Load Forecast, which includes a significant increase in the expected peak and energy demand in the Dominion Energy Zone over the planning period, with annual peak and energy load growth of nearly 5% and 7% respectively over the next decade. According to Dominion, the increase is driven primarily by data centers and, to a lesser extent, electrification in both the Company’s service territory and in other service areas within the Dominion Energy Zone.

Dominion states that its IRP presents five alternative plans (“Alternative Plans”) to meet customers’ needs in the future under different scenarios, which were designed using constraint-based least-cost planning techniques and proven technologies. The Company states that all Alternative Plans utilize the load forecast prepared by PJM; assume a capacity factor for solar resources based on the lower of the design capacity factor or the three-year average of the Company’s existing solar facilities in Virginia; and assumes that Virginia exits the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (“RGGI”) before January 1, 2024. The Company also presents sensitivities on all Alternative Plans that show the higher cost to customers if Virginia remains in the RGGI.

The Commission entered an Order for Notice and Hearing that, among other things, scheduled public hearings on Dominion’s IRP. On September 18, 2023, at 10 a.m., the assigned Hearing Examiner will hold a telephonic hearing, with no witness present in the Commission’s courtroom, for the purpose of receiving the testimony of public witnesses. On or before September 12, 2023, any person desiring to offer testimony as a public witness shall provide to the Commission (a) your name, and (b) the telephone number that you wish the Commission to call during the hearing to receive your testimony. This information may be provided to the Commission in three ways: (i) by filling out a form on the Commission’s website at scc.virginia.gov/pages/Webcasting; (ii) by completing and emailing the PDF version of this form to SCCInfo@scc.virginia.gov; or (iii) by calling (804) 371-9141. This public witness hearing will be webcast at scc.virginia.gov/ pages/Webcasting

Beginning at 10 a.m. on September 18, 2023, the Hearing Examiner will telephone sequentially each person who has signed up to testify as provided above.

On September 19, 2023, at 10 a.m., in the Commission’s second floor courtroom located in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, a hearing will be convened to receive testimony and evidence from the Company, any respondents, and the Commission’s Staff.

To promote administrative efficiency and timely service of filings upon participants, the Commission has directed the electronic filing of testimony and pleadings, unless they contain confidential information, and required electronic service on parties to this proceeding.

An electronic copy of the Company’s IRP may be obtained, at no charge, by requesting it in writing from Nicole M. Allaband, Esquire, McGuireWoods LLP, Gateway Plaza, 800 East Canal Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or nallaband@mcguirewoods.com. Interested persons may also download unofficial copies of the IRP and other documents from the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/pages/Case-Information

On or before September 12, 2023, any interested person may submit comments on the IRP electronically by following the instructions on the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/casecomments/Submit-Public-Comments. Those unable, as a practical matter, to submit comments electronically may file such comments by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2118. All comments shall refer to Case No. PUR-2023-00066.

On or before July 14, 2023, any person or entity wishing to participate as a respondent in this proceeding may do so by filing a notice of participation with the Clerk of the Commission at: scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling. Those unable, as a practical matter, to file a notice of participation electronically may file such notice by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. Such notice of participation shall include the email addresses of such parties or their counsel, if available. A copy of the notice of participation as a respondent must also be sent to counsel for the Company. Pursuant to 5 VAC 5-20-80

B, Participation as a respondent, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice, any notice of participation shall set forth: (i) a precise statement of the interest of the respondent; (ii) a statement of the specific action sought to the extent known; and (iii) the factual and legal basis for the action. Any organization, corporation or government body participating as a respondent must be represented by counsel as required by Rule 5 VAC 5-20-30, Counsel, of the Rules of Practice. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2023-00066.

On or before August 8, 2023, each respondent may file with the Clerk of the Commission, at scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling, any testimony and exhibits by which the respondent expects to establish its case. Any respondent unable, as a practical matter, to file testimony and exhibits electronically may file such by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. Each witness’s testimony shall include a summary not to exceed one page. All testimony and exhibits shall be served on the Staff, the Company, and all other respondents simultaneous with its filing. In all filings, the respondent shall comply with the Rules of Practice, including 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service, and 5 VAC 5-20-240, Prepared testimony and exhibits. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2023-00066.

Any documents filed in paper form with the Office of the Clerk of the Commission in this docket may use both sides of the paper. In all other respects, except as modified by the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, all filings shall comply fully with the requirements of 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice.

The Commission’s Rules of Practice, Dominion’s IRP, the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, and other documents filed in this case may be viewed on the Commission’s website at: scc.virginia.gov/pages/Case-Information