Falls Church News-Press 6-23-2022 by Falls Church News-Press

June 23 - 29, 2022

Fa lls Chur c h, V i r g i ni a • ww w. fc np. c om • Fr ee

Fou n d e d 1991 • Vol. X X XII No. 19

The City of Falls Church’s Independent, Locally-Owned Newspaper of Record, Serving N. Virginia

Beyer Wins By 82% In F.C.

Supporting The LGBTQ+ Community

To Lead Delegation on Tour of Fusion Outfit by Nicholas F. Benton

Falls Church News-Press

U.S. Rep. Donald S. Beyer Jr. handled a Democratic Party primary challenge in this Tuesday’s election, appreciative that he carried the City of Falls Church by the widest margin in his entire 8th Congressional District. With 82 percent of the vote against his sole opponent, his margin in F.C. was the widest in his district that he won, overall, with 74 percent of the vote. Also, as his race was the sole item on the ballot this Tuesday, he said he was also impressed that the voter turnout in F.C., at 14 percent of active voters, was also the highest in his district. In total, in Falls Church’s three voting precincts, Beyer defeated first time candidate Victoria Virasingh by a margin of 1,201 to 249. The race was the only Democratic primary contest in the Northern Virginia region. With the win, Beyer will face in November Republican challenger Karina Lipsman, chosen at a district convention last month

Continued on Page 3

AN EXISTING CROSSWALK NEAR CITY HALL was spruced up last week by a handful of young, community-oriented volunteers with the dual goal of making the crosswalk more visible in order to help increase pedestrian safety and to show support for all LGBTQ+ people in the area. Vice Mayor Letty Hardi, who has been pushing for more community art in the Little City, explained that the crosswalk will help underscore that Falls Church is a “welcoming place for all.” A comment from the City stated that the project serves to “commemorate Pride Month,” providing a “cheerful and meaningful rainbow crosswalk” for Falls Church pedestrians. (Courtesy photo.)

Falls Church 2nd in the Country for Healthiest Jurisdiction

by Nicholas F. Benton

Falls Church News-Press

It wasn’t two months ago that the News-Press reported on its front page that the City of Falls Church had been rated No. 1 in

all of Virginia for being “the healthiest locality in Virginia” and for “underlying factors that influence health,” according to a survey by the University of Wisconsin Population Health

Institute circulated by the Virginia Department of Health. Now comes a new survey, even bigger than the last one because it covers the entire U.S. of A. and not “just” Virginia.

CVS Health and the U.S. News and World Report announced yesterday that the City of Falls Church is ranked second among

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Inside This Week Falls Church Home & Garden Section for Spring 2022 Inside

Outdoor Amenities Help Homeowners Unwind Post-Covid

See Page 11

See Page 12

Hydroponics, a type of soilless gardening that can be carried out both indoors and out, is a salient option for those who are interested in taking up gardening but have little to no space.

According to a recent report provided by the International Casual Furnishings Association, 90 percent of Americans with outdoor living spaces have been taking greater advantage of these amenities.

Index

Comment...................................... 5,7,8 Editorial................................................ 6 Letters.................................................. 6 Crime Report....................................... 8 Sports................................................10 School News & Notes.......................10 Business News.................................. 15 News & Notes............................ 16,17 Calendar......................................18,19 Critter Corner..................................... 22

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

NVAR Chief Updates F.C. Chamber on Hot Market BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

The red-hot regional residential real estate market may be slowing, due to the Federal Reserve’s action raising interest rates, but it is still on fire, the chief executive of the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors and its 14,000 members told the monthly luncheon of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce Tuesday. Ryan T. McLaughlin, NVAR’s young chief executive with seven years under his belt in his current job, painted a still-rosy picture for this region, including Falls Church, in the home sales market. The average price for a home in the City of Falls Church is still topping a million, which was true briefly for the entire region while other locales have seen a small leveling off. The NVAR data is evaluated in concert with George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis. Overall regionally, the residential real estate market is booming at a $51.8 billion level, responsible for 325,0000 jobs and $2.1 billion in tax revenues to locales, including Falls Church, where it is the largest single contributor to its $100 million school and cityside annual budget. Overall, McLaughlin told the Italian Cafe luncheon, real estate activity accounts for 17 percent of the regional economy, where factors such as the wider economy, mortgage rates, inventory and supply and affordability are the biggest determinants of its health. At Tuesday’s luncheon, McLaughlin’s talk was augmented by remarks from the audience by prominent local realtors Tori McKinney of the Rock Star Realtors group and Alison Miller of Keller Williams told anecdotal stories on the local market conditions and Julie Andre of the U.N. Federal Credit Union remarked on ways to pursue lower mortgage interest rates. McLaughlin said that while total and average sales rates are down from last year, the unusual circumstances of the last two pandemic years are not good indicators of longer

term trends, but that comparing the current market to 2019, one gets the picture of solid growth in values. The factors are still there for a strong demand market that include income strength, with millennials ranging in ages from just out of college to about 40 driving the market the hardest now. Moreover, the wider impact of a stable federal government, a tech sector that is seeing major new players here, following in the footsteps of Amazon’s second headquarters to Raytheon and Boeing, there has been a relatively high resiliency factor here contributing to the ongoing low unemployment rate (2.4 percent). Median home sales numbers are up 5.7 percent to an all time high, and in the context of this, and with 40 percent of homes in the region occupied by persons and families speaking languages “other than English,” McLaughlin said, the regional NVAR organization is also heavily involved with diversity and affordability initiatives. Over 150 NVAR members were signed up for a tour of the Black History museum in D.C. yesterday. The organization is currently served by a Black president, Reggie Copeland, and McLaughlin said his group is closely involved in discussions with regional jurisdictions such as Arlington County, where discussions of the underserved “missing middle” and affordable housing initiatives are underway. He said his group hopes to embrace a wide variety of new housing initiatives. In the Arlington case, “missing middle” conversations include zoning changes that could allow for single family home lots to be subdivided to account for up to eight dwelling units. That would include the offer of the sale of “tiny homes” by Amazon, and takes into account the $2 billion contributed by Amazon to its Home Equity Fund that is already making those resources available throughout the region. That fund is dedicated to providing below-market loans and grants to preserve and create more than 20,000 affordable homes.

RYAN MCLAUGHLIN of the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors (left) spoke with F.C. Chamber member Frank Dillow before speaking to the Chamber Tuesday . (P��: N��-P��).

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Beyer Sweeps to Easy Primary Win; To Visit Fusion Lab

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and noted for calling for the arrest of the Biden administration’s chief health official, Anthony Fauci. High profile races in the region this week involved Republicans seeking to unseat two Democratic congressmen considered potentially vulnerable in this November’s midterm election. State Sen. Jen Kiggans won over three opponents in Virginia Beach for the right to face Rep. Elaine Luria in November and Prince William County Board Supervisor Yesli Vega prevailed over five challengers for the right to face off against Rep. Abigail Spanberger. Beyer told the News-Press yesterday that this race was the most fun he’s had since he began running for public office 40 years ago, because “it was entirely a grass roots undertaking” that did not rely on TV ads. He said he made over 3,000 calls and knocked on a like number of doors to engage his constituents directly. “I set out to generate support from among the people who actually make democracy work,” he said. “This is my formula to win in November everywhere. It is to engage people face to face in conversations. This isn’t hard, it is just difficult because it

takes effort, blood, sweat and tears.” His approach to Trump supporters, for example, he said is “to listen, not talk and to ask questions based on what they say, to learn why they understand things the way they do. It is called ‘guided discovery,’” he said. As chair of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, he’ll be leading a delegation on a tour of the Commonwealth Fusion company in New England next week, which, he said, “Is one of two or three companies with the best shot at achieving fusion energy.” “If we get fusion energy, then the issue of climate change will become a thing of the past. It will become man’s most exciting achievement since fire.” Beyer is serving his fourth term as the U.S. Representative from Virginia’s 8th District, representing Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church and parts of Fairfax County. He serves as the Chairman of Congress’ Joint Economic Committee, on the House Committee on Ways and Means, and on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, where he chairs the Space Subcommittee. He is a Co-Chair of the New Democrat Coalition’s Climate Change Task Force.

He was the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia from 1990 — 1998, and was Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein under President Obama. Rep. Beyer’s signature work as lieutenant governor included advocacy for Virginians with disabilities and ensuring protections for Virginia’s most vulnerable populations as the Commonwealth reformed its welfare system in the mid-1990s. Rep. Beyer was Virginia’s Democratic nominee for governor in 1997. After leaving office, Rep. Beyer spent fourteen years as chair of Jobs for Virginia Graduates, a highly successful high school dropout prevention program, and was active for a decade on the board of the D.C. Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. As Chair of the Virginia Economic Recovery Commission, he helped pass permanent pro-business reforms and was co-founder of the Northern Virginia Technology Council. President Obama nominated Rep. Beyer to serve as Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein in 2009. He used his position to advocate for stricter sanctions to compel Iran to begin nuclear disarmament discussions.

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FALLS CHURCH’S VOTER REGISTRAR David Bjerke stands in front of all the material involved in conducting Tuesday’s election at three City precincts. It was all returned to City Hall where it will be stored for the next election. News-Press photo. (Photo: News-Press.) As Ambassador, Rep. Beyer was integral to U.S. Department of Justice efforts to halt the abuses of Swiss bank secrecy by wealthy Americans. Rep. Beyer has spent four decades building his family business in Falls Church after a summer job at a car dealership in 1974. He is a graduate of Williams

College and Gonzaga College High School in Washington, DC. He was named a Presidential Scholar by President Lyndon Johnson. Rep. Beyer has four children and two grandchildren. He and his wife Megan live in Alexandria, Virginia.

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

F.C. Scores 2nd Best Health Rating in U.S. in CVS, U.S. News Report

Continued from Page 1

jurisdictions in the nation behind only Los Alamos, New Mexico, in their fifth annual “Healthiest Communities” report. Key metrics in the rankings are categories such as population health, public safety, education, mental health and life expectancy, according to the new report. “We all know the significant impact that social determinants have on the health and well-being of individuals and our local communities,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, vice president and chief health equity officer for CVS Health. “The data we collect helps us determine the best way to collaborate with communities to develop sustainable solutions and advance health equity in a way that meets their unique needs.” At No. 2, Falls Church joins three other jurisdictions in Northern Virginia in the top 20 in the new report — Loudoun County (No. 12), Arlington County (No. 13) and Fairfax County (No. 17) — out of over 3,000 communities nationwide. While Falls Church is second

in the U.S. only to Los Alamos, New Mexico (which was placed first three years in a row, being perched on a mountain plateau near Albuquerque as a national center for rocket science), Falls Church is followed in the rankings by Douglas County, Colorado (near Denver), Morgan County, Utah (near Salt Lake City) and Carver County, Minnesota (near Minneapolis). New this year in these rankings is data on natural disasters taken from FEMA’s National Risk Index. Analysis shows, for example, that indigenous people are the most at risk from natural hazards, such as sustained periods of colder temperatures, droughts, river and stream flooding and wildfires. Among other things, “the data behind these rankings provide a deep dive into the state of health equity in our country,” said Kim Castro, editor at U.S. News. “The project serves as a tool to inform residents, community health leaders and elected officials about the policies and best practices for better health outcomes by assessing which communities offer their citizens the greatest opportunity to live a productive, healthy life.”

CVS and U.S. News partnered for this study with the University of Missouri Extension Center for Applied Research and Engagement Concerns, a research institution skilled in community health assessment. Metrics were drawn from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. In another ranking relevant to this area, in a sub-category, Fairfax County, Virginia is ranked first in the U.S. among “Top Five Communities for Mental Health,” the only one east of the Rockies. CVS Health prides itself in “reaching more people and improving the health of communities across the U.S. through local presence, digital channels and over 300,000 employees, including more than 40,000 physicians, pharmacists, nurses and nurse practitioners. “We help people navigate the healthcare system and their personal health care by improving access, lowering costs and being

THE METRICS AND DATE USED FOR THESE RANKINGS assesses which communities offer their residents the “greatest opportunity to live a productive, healthy life.” a trusted partner for every meaningful moment of health. We do it all with heart, each and every day,” a statement sent out with yesterday’s report stated. There are two CVS locations in the City of Falls Church, though neither is open 24 hours (the nearest CVS location with that feature is in the Yorktown Plaza near the Gallows Road/

Route 50 intersection). Falls Church sits between two mega health care systems, Inova and the Virginia Hospital Center affiliated with the Mayo Clinic, and earlier this month Inova announced the opening of a “Pride Clinic” in the City of Falls Church, the only in the region dedicated to serving all the needs of the LGBTQ+ population.

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G u e s t C o m m e n ta ry

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JUNE 23 - 29, 2022 | PAGE 5

Colombia, A World Power For Life by Julio Cesar Idrobo Falls Church News-Press

On June 19, Colombia elected Gustavo Petro as its new president and Francia Marquez as its vice president in an unprecedented victory: for the first time, after more than 200 years of right-wing governments, Colombia has the opportunity to be governed by a progressive movement with a historical vote of 11.3 million voters and a voter turnout of of 58.09 percent. The newly elected president is a prominent economist and political scientist who studied economics and human rights in Belgium and Spain. He is a man of enormous academic enlightenment with a profound knowledge of world history. His economic proposals have won praise from The Economist magazine. Petro has been mayor of Bogotá and was declared by the Colombian press to be the best congressional representative in Colombia. The newly elected president faces a series of immediate challenges, since he receives a country with a poverty rate close to 39 percent, which means that more than 1 out of 3 families is not able to eat three meals a day. The new administration will also have to face the problem of systematic corruption in government institutions, including the armed forces and National Police, security problems due to the ongoing activities of various armed and criminal groups, drug trafficking and organized crime. These illegal forces are behind the murders of community leaders — including those who organize their communities to stop growing illicit crops. Such murders have been an almost daily occurrence for several years. According to US News and World Report, Colombia leads the list of countries perceived as the most corrupt in the world. For their part, the voters have chosen Mr. Petro because of his attractive proposals for change that drew millions of young people, many of whom voted for the first time. For the elected president peace is a primary issue because despite Colombia having signed a peace agreement with the FARC guerrillas in 2016, the current president Duque ignored the terms of the agreement without making any progress towards achieving a comprehensive rural reform, one of the key points of

the agreement, and without improving the road and communications infrastructure, advancing industrial development projects, making reparation to the victims of the armed conflict of more than 50 years, and without making any significant inroads against the drug trafficking business. Petro has also proposed a gradual and measured change in the medium term in the exploitation of natural resources such as oil, coal, water and timber to exchange them for clean, non-polluting energies. He also has proposals to implement modern technologies, expand education and further science and knowledge as ways of protecting the environment and human dignity. In the international context, the election of a progressive government in Colombia ensures the reworking of the political map in Latin America, especially with a possible return of Lula da Silva in Brazil, with whom it will be possible to guarantee protection for the lungs of the world, the Amazon rainforest. In addition, a new progressive bloc will be consolidated with countries such as Mexico, Honduras, Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. The newly elected vice president, Francia Marquez, represents another historic change for the country, as she is the first Afro-descendent woman elected to that position. She is a symbol of resilience. She was born and grew up in poverty in Cauca department, where she was a domestic worker and a single mother who opposed mining in her community and in 2018 won the Goldman Environmental Award. She also managed to become a lawyer and now she represents, in her own words, the “nobodies,” that is, the marginalized and excluded sectors of the population made up of Indigenous peoples, peasant farmers, Afro-descendants, women and all those who have never received the benefits of government programs. The new government, which takes office on August 7, holds out the promise of a Colombia marked by greater inclusion and equality. The new government in Colombia ushers in new possibilities not only for Colombia, but also for Latin America, and for the United States, for which Colombia is one of its most important partners in South America.

JULIO CESAR IDROBO (RIGHT), the News-Press’ Circulation Manager, his wife Claudia Mantilla (far left) and Colombia’s recently-elected progressive president Gustavo Petro. Petro’s victory marks a major shift in Colombia’s political culture as he is the first progressive leader in over 200 years, Idrobo says. (Courtesy photo.)

Our Man in Arlington By Charlie Clark

The county board room was packed, noisy and vibrant with colored protest signs on Saturday, June 11, during the routine early morning public speakers time slot. Opponents of the pending Missing Middle Housing initiative, under a strategy from Arlingtonians for Our Sustainable Future and the Arlington Tree Action Group, had chosen this day to make “our voices count,” as one placard read. Several dozen showed up even though the ongoing study of whether to loosen the zoning code to permit more-reasonably priced multi-family houses was not on the immediate agenda. Vocal activists inside the Ellen Bozman building, with two sheriff’s deputies looking on, chanted and clapped for sympatico speakers. Their signs: “No Upzoning or Duplexes Here;” “We Need Better Planning for Development” and “Missing Middle Means Missing Trees;” and “The Arlington Way Has Gone Astray.” Manning their literature booth down on the plaza near the farmer’s market was Eric Ackerman. He told me the county is “out of excuses” for mismanagement of “overwhelming economic forces.” Though increasing multi-family housing may be “well intentioned,” he said, it is “unrealistic,” and the board members “have incentives” to drive up property tax revenues. Permitting taller buildings in single-family areas “would change the character of neighborhoods irreversibly,” he said, and worsen the

climate crisis. But a sizable slice of the audience held signs in favor of loosening the zoning code countywide: “In our neighborhood, density means diversity; More neighbors equal more fun; Granny flats are grand; Triplexes and duplexes are pretty; Renters are welcome; Arlington is for everyone.” A statement the previous week from the Alliance for Housing Solutions said the recently released staff framework on Missing Middle “offers a set of bold and straightforward reform measures to address exclusionary zoning... The reintroduction of Missing Middle types will remove long standing racial and socio-economic barriers throughout our community.” Speakers addressed a hodgepodge of topics, from the budget to schools to the pickleball court at the Walter Reed Recreation Center. But those who dread Missing Middle cheered when speakers asked the board to consider traffic and water drainage, to “take the time to walk the neighborhoods” and recall the failed “grand plan” to build the Columbia Pike streetcar. Despite some interruptions, Chair Katie Cristol stuck to the agenda. She would not comment on Missing Middle today. But she thanked speakers from across the spectrum, including Stacy Meyer of the Arlington Civic Federation, who read a statement asking the board to tread carefully in revising the General Land Use Plan and burdening lower-density neighborhoods without further consultation. The five board members in

campaign literature and interviews have largely supported a need to pursue equity and curb the meteoric rise in housing costs. Takis Karantonis did a radio appearance last week sounding gung-ho. But most are holding their fire while staff continue with a study and public engagement on Missing Middle that began in early 2020 (interrupted by Covid-19). The board plans an open work session with the county manager July 12, and a vote this fall. The three-year reachout has not satisfied critics, who, as tree steward Mary Glass told me, seek a “pause” and more data because “many Arlington citizens are totally unaware of the recent framework and plans to up-zone all residential areas to allow housing up to 8-plexes. …This is a landmark change to Arlington that has been kept under the radar.” Rather than a clash of values and competing self-interests amidst a national housing shortage, the critics portray the debate as a scandal of incompetence and shallow data-gathering. Their unsigned flier asks whether the push for new housing types marks “the end of the Arlington Way,” defined as a “long-standing tradition of public engagement on issues of importance to reach community consensus.” The new “Arlington Way 2.0,” it accuses, involves “lack of respect,” “failed analysis” and “governance problems” as “partisans grab control of decision-making and steamroll the public.” Those harsh words made me wonder, must the Arlington Way always mean “you get your way?”

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E D I TO R I A L

Edifying Vs. ‘Dark Side’ Rights

There is little doubt now that the City of Falls Church, our tiny 2.3 square miles, has to be considered one of the most desirable places to live anywhere. The newest study, reported on Page One of this edition, released jointly by CVS and the U.S. News and World Report, finds the Little City to be just about the very best place around to live. The amazing array of healthcare-providing options in our immediate neighborhood combine with the great retail options, including food providers and restaurants and a weekly first-rate farmer’s market, recreational choices, ranging from the well groomed W&OD Trail with its dual bike-riding and walking options, and, of course, perhaps the best school system in America. There are lovely churches and other places of worship, not completely built out but getting there, with pedestrian and other non-car modes of moving around, a local civic government that is talented and responsive and elected officials who bend over backwards to be accommodating to all varieties of human experience. In the context of all of this, is there anything the Little City needs to be doing better? Housing affordability is our biggest single challenge. Civility factors within the population have been improving, apparently so. While many parts of the rest of the nation are challenged by an epidemic of incivility, it is not so bad here, and getting better. We hope we’d hear from citizens who have a contrary view of this, and what they are experiencing to cause them to think that way. Notwithstanding that human nature brings with it dark sides for most of us, the sign of a truly humanistic community is that darker urges, those that would impose pain or undue limitations on others, are kept in check through a community-wide effort. In fact, most of what counts for regressive policy these days involves the “right” of individuals to exercise their dark sides, from insisting on the right to carry lethal weapons, to the right to endanger the wider society by the ability to refuse to participate in public health regimens, to the right of groups to deny democratically insured policies to a larger majority through lying and fraud, to the right of a nation’s government, as a whole, to inflict death and pain on an entire people, as is now occurring in Ukraine. All of these regressive policies are rooted in the ostensible “right” of persons to inflict pain on others. No such “rights” should be tolerated. As humans, our true, cherished rights are to peace and calm, to as much freedom as we can afford without encroaching on others, to contribute to the well-being of others by advancing knowledge and science to find new cures and remedies, and to exercise mutually uplifting acts of love, compassion and joy. We dare say, there are an abundance of opportunities for that human, uplifting array of options to be exercised right here in the Little City.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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Looking Forward to Safer Streets

Editor, Coming soon to Falls Church City: 20 mph speed limits! Let’s welcome this modernization of our public spaces. It’s safer. A pedestrian struck by a car at 20 mph has a 95 percent chance of surviving. At 30 mph, that drops to 75 percent. Yikes. Speed is even more dangerous to children and senior citizens. Better to avoid that crash. Stopping distance is 63 feet at 20 mph and 109 feet at 30 mph. After making the mistake of reading a text message while driving 20 mph, you look up and stop just before you hit grandma crossing the street. Whew. At 30 mph you’d leave her in a heap three car lengths behind. Slower speeds make our human mistakes less fatal. It’s normal. Many cities are moving to 20 mph. DC did in 2020. Montgomery County started in 2021. Seattle, Portland, Cambridge, Minneapolis, Eugene, Norfolk, Salt Lake City, and San Francisco all have variations. Many private communities set 15 or 20 mph limits. It’s one piece of the puzzle. Lower speed limits are most effective when paired with modern, safety-first street design. Edinburgh paired 20 mph limits with new rules that prioritized vulnerable road users, narrowed lanes, and removed center lines. Crashes fell 38 percent. Our Neighborhood Traffic Calming and Missing Links sidewalk programs, among others, enable us to replace our outdated street designs with safer ones, sometimes for just the cost of paint.

We’ll still have time for Netflix. It takes eight minutes to drive the 2.5 miles from Fairfax County on West St to Arlington on Columbia St, via Lincoln Ave, about as far as you can go in the City on 25 mph streets. Reducing the speed limit by 5 mph would make that trip take one minute longer. The difference is even smaller if there is any traffic. When we get behind the controls of a 4,000-pound machine, we can and should spare the maximum 60 extra seconds to look out for the vulnerable people nearby. Help make your street safer. Council, Staff, or CACT can tell you more. Unfortunately, there’s no ETA yet – again our hardworking City Staff are short on help due to attrition and difficulties hiring. Andrew Olesen

Reader Wants Crossword Puzzles Editor, I wrote a few months ago to complain that the crossword puzzle had shrunk so much as to be almost unreadable. Now I find that it is gone completely! Please restore the old, full-sized crossword! Hank Seiff

Editor comments: A letter to the editor published in last week’s News-Press about conditions at local apartment complex was written many months earlier and we have been told that improvements have been made since.

P�� 1. Keep the news clean and fair. 2. Play no favorites, never mix business and editorial policy. 3. Do not let the news columns reflect editorial comment. 4. Publish the news that is public property without fear or favor of friend or foe. 5. Accept no charity and ask no favors. 6. Give “value received” for every dollar you take in. 7. Make the paper show profit if you can, but above all keep it clean, fearless and fair.

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Editor’s Essay

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JUNE 23 - 29, 2022 | PAGE 7

Character is Trumping Trump as January 6 Hearings Continue Nicholas F. Benton FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

Following the fourth action-and truth-packed House January 6 Committee h e a r i n g Tuesday, as the depraved perfidy and moral toilet of former President Trump has now come out so plainly and systematically for all to see, the wisest summary insight about it all to date (No. 5 is today) has come from veteran journalist and MSNBC contributor Mike Barnicle. On two points. Barnicle made two profound points on “Morning Joe” Wednesday that put the whole shebang into two knowable, true and focused concepts. The first is that what is being documented through the commit-

tee’s arduous work is tantamount to that of a crime syndicate that is still at large. The second is that what has been the key to saving our stillimperiled democracy is not politics, but is character, the character of the players who would not be corrupted by Trump and his criminal enterprise. Character, as the seasoned veteran Barnicle (born during World War II in an era when character carried a lot more weight than since, before the onset of Baby Boomers) noted, is something that can’t be bought. One either has it or does not. It is separate from ideology, which is why political views have had nothing to do with those who’ve been demonstrating such profound qualities of integrity and courage in these hearings, persons ranging from the vice president to the most proud and patriotic “ordinary” poll workers have demonstrated. As Barnicle commented, there is no way to measure right now the extent of the damage that the Trump

crime syndicate has inflicted, operating as it did from the pinnacle of worldly power and influence as it was allowed to do for so long. It is hard to believe that the nation has been living under the horrible burden of this criminal element for seven years now, since that fateful day in June 2015 when Trump rode down that escalator at one of his New York properties to announce he was running for president. The Trump crime syndicate is essentially the same operation he had been running for years in Manhattan prior to his presidency, involving his scam so-called “university,” other rip-off products, construction contracts he had no intention of honoring, and more. It and other mob operations were a model that led to a whole new array of laws that were passed in 1970 under the general rubric of “RICO” (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act aimed at bringing down the organized crime mob elements.

If ever there was a crook who did not have character, who viewed character merely as an impediment standing in his way, it was Donald Trump. Indeed, it was his notorious lack of any integrity or character that led Moscow to the conclusion, after a Trump visit there in the mid-1980s when he was undoubtedly compromised with blackmail material, that he would be their perfect tool to run for president in the U.S., news that was publicly reported in 1987. This is reported in my short collection of essays, “The January 6 Capitol Sacking: Putin’s Role,” available on Amazon. It would be useful to learn who at NBC, following that report, set it up for Trump to be handed a critical spotlight as a star of “The Apprentice” to help his rise to national recognition shortly after that. All of Trump’s behavior around the 2020 election, much less before, including his actions afterward that involved countless threats and bullying tactics to get people to

put their lives at risk for his sake, has had all the hallmarks of a mob operation. It would be nice to know for sure that RICO is the approach the Justice Department is taking in lining up the criminal indictments that are being prepared, leading up to and including, of course, Trump, himself, the kingpin. The time is short for those whose activities dovetailed or advanced the Trump agenda to very loudly disassociate. The three news organizations caught in the web of this treachery, Fox, OAN and Newsmax, are having their tepid legal defenses ripped away. Many others are facing the harsh justice that accompanies charges of treason and sedition. Now, after the fourth of these remarkable January 6 Committee hearings, public polling is showing that a wide majority of Amercians, 58 percent, agree that if anyone committed a crime, Trump included, they should be punished to the full extent of the law.

Commentary

What a Dying Lake Says About the Future Paul Krugman NEW YORK TIMES

A few days ago The New York Times published a report on the drying up of the Great Salt Lake, a story I’m ashamed to admit had flown under my personal radar. We’re not talking about a hypothetical event in the distant future: The lake has already lost two-thirds of its surface area, and ecological disasters — salinity rising to the point where wildlife dies off, occasional poisonous dust storms sweeping through a metropolitan area of 2.5 million people — seem imminent. As an aside, I was a bit surprised that the article didn’t mention the obvious parallels with the Aral Sea, a huge lake that the Soviet Union had managed to turn into a toxic desert. In any case, what’s happening to the Great Salt Lake is pretty bad. But what I found really scary about the report is what the lack of an effective response to the lake’s crisis says about our ability to respond to

the larger, indeed existential threat of climate change. If you aren’t terrified by the threat posed by rising levels of greenhouse gases, you aren’t paying attention — which, sadly, many people aren’t. And those who are or should be aware of that threat but stand in the way of action for the sake of short-term profits or political expediency are, in a real sense, betraying humanity. That said, the world’s failure to take action on climate, while inexcusable, is also understandable. For as many observers have noted, global warming is a problem that almost looks custom-designed to make political action difficult. In fact, the politics of climate change are hard for at least four reasons. First, when scientists began raising the alarm in the 1980s, climate change looked like a distant threat — a problem for future generations. Some people still see it that way; last month a senior executive at the bank HSBC gave a talk in which he declared, “Who cares if Miami is 6 meters underwater in 100 years?” This view is all wrong — we’re already seeing the effects of climate change, largely in the form of a

rising frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, like the megadrought in the American West that is contributing to the death of the Great Salt Lake. But that’s a statistical argument, which brings me to the second problem with climate change: It’s not yet visible to the naked eye, at least the naked eye that doesn’t want to see. Weather, after all, fluctuates. Heat waves and droughts happened before the planet began warming; cold spells still happen even with the planet warmer on average than in the past. It doesn’t take fancy analysis to show that there is a persistent upward trend in temperatures, but many people aren’t convinced by statistical analysis of any kind, fancy or not, only by raw experience. Then there’s the third problem: Until recently, it looked as if any major attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions would have significant economic costs. Serious estimates of these costs were always much lower than claimed by antienvironmentalists, and spectacular technological progress in renewable energy has made a transition to a low-emission economy look

far easier than anyone could have imagined 15 years ago. Still, fears about economic losses helped block climate action. Finally, climate change is a global problem, requiring global action — and offering a reason not to move. Anyone urging U.S. action has encountered the counterargument, “It doesn’t matter what we do, because China will just keep polluting.” There are answers to that argument — if we ever do get serious about emissions, carbon tariffs will have to be part of the mix. But it’s certainly an argument that affects the discussion. As I said, all of these issues are explanations for inaction on climate, not excuses. But here’s the thing: None of these explanations for environmental inaction apply to the death of the Great Salt Lake. Yet the relevant policymakers still seem unwilling or unable to act. Remember, we’re not talking about bad things that might happen in the distant future: Much of the lake is already gone, and the big wildlife die-off might begin as early as this summer. And it doesn’t take a statistical model to notice that the lake is shrinking.

In terms of the economics, tourism is a huge industry in Utah. How will that industry fare if the famous lake becomes a poisoned desert? And how can a state on the edge of ecological crisis still be diverting water desperately needed to replenish the lake to maintain lush green lawns that serve no essential economic purpose? Finally, we aren’t talking about a global problem. True, global climate change has contributed to reduced snowpack, which is one reason the Great Salt Lake has shrunk. But a large part of the problem is local water consumption; if that consumption could be curbed, Utah needn’t worry that its efforts would be negated by the Chinese or whatever. So this should be easy: A threatened region should be accepting modest sacrifices, some barely more than inconveniences, to avert a disaster just around the corner. But it doesn’t seem to be happening. And if we can’t save the Great Salt Lake, what chance do we have of saving the planet? By Paul Krugman © 2022 The New York Times

PAGE 8 | JUNE 23 - 29, 2022

CO MME NT A Penny for Your Thoughts

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

News of Greater Falls Church By Supervisor Penny Gross

June is National Immigrant Heritage Month, a designation first established by President Barack Obama in 2014. Much of this nation was built by immigrants, who brought unique cultures, faiths, languages and skills to American shores. They also brought the hopes and dreams that all people share — life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. They also recognized that our Constitution and system of laws are designed to protect us all, equally. Fairfax County is a welcoming and progressive community and much of our strength rests with our diversity. In just the past few weeks, I met a first-generation Muslim woman who is an assistant principal at a local high school. She said her grandmother never learned to read or write, but recognized that education was the way to a better life. “A woman’s best defense is an education” was a theme instilled by her grandmother during family visits to her small, rural village. I also visited with a former J.E.B. Stuart (now Justice) High School graduate and friend who arrived as an abused pre-teen girl from Central America. After working hard in high school to clarify her legal status, she went on to college and created a non-profit that turns soccer tournaments into scholarship opportunities. Working as a paralegal to pay for law school, she now runs her own law practice and recently got married. There’s the young Korean man who just graduated from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Academy and is now a first responder in our community. These are success stories with some chapters still to be written. Other stories are just beginning and some demonstrate additional challenges faced by immigrants in our community. At my annual eye check

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up, the young female technician was new, and I asked her how long she had worked for my doctor. “Four months,” she said. Noticing her accented but nearly flawless English, I pressed a bit more, and she told me that she, her parents, and her sister had recently arrived as Afghani refugees. She was in her first year of residency in ophthalmology when her country collapsed and they had to flee with little preparation. Her excellent medical training qualified her to work in her field, but not as a physician. She told me she would have to start medical school all over again — five years! — in the United States to qualify for a medical license. This was not the first time I had heard about medical providers who faced almost insurmountable barriers to become licensed in this country. There was the geriatric nurse who now works in a laundromat, a radiologist waiting for work as a day laborer and an x-ray technician who had been a licensed nurse in France. Such talent, education, heart, and skill, but unable to navigate a Byzantine system that closes doors, sometimes not even indicating where the doors are, to newcomers from other countries. These barriers cannot be corrected at the local level; medical training and licensure solutions must be devised at the state and federal levels. There is no time to waste. There is a health care crisis in this country and providers are not getting younger. The average age of a registered nurse is in the mid-40s; for a physician, the average age is 53. Immigrants bring innumerable talents to their adopted country. Let’s open more doors to opportunity!

Fraud-False Pretenses, Park Ave, June 16, 11:33 AM, an incident of fraud was reported.

Commercial Burglary, S Washington St, between 8 PM, June 16 and 8:30 AM, June 17, unknown suspect(s) broke into a business by kicking in and prying open back doors. Several items of value were taken. Investigation continues. Trespass, E Broad St, June 17, 11:45 AM, a male, 25, of Victorville, CA, was arrested for trespass. Shoplifting, Hillwood Ave, June 17, 3:23 PM, unknown suspect took an item of value from a business. Suspect described as a male wearing an Adidas pull over and basketball shorts.

Fraud-Wire, Gundry Dr, June 18, 2:49 PM, an incident of wire fraud was reported. Larceny from Vehicle, W Broad St, June 18, between 7:30 AM and 3:30 PM, unknown suspect(s) shattered the driver side rear window of a Toyota truck and took an item of value. Fraud-False Pretenses, Wilson Blvd, June 18, 5:45 PM, an incident of fraud was reported. Vandalism to Vehicle, W Broad St, June 18, between noon and 7:30 PM, unknown suspect(s) smashed the driver’s side window of a Toyota Prius.

FCNP.COM | FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK

JUNE 23 - 29, 2022 | PAGE 9

In coordination with Metro, Arlington County is looking to expand the footprint of the existing bus loop, upgrade the existing bus shelters, and add three new bus bays with shelters at East Falls Church Station. The project would also improve sidewalks, crosswalks, lighting, and landscaping within and around the station.

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED Provide written comments by August 01, 2022 ¾ Take the survey, provide written comments or upload documents at wmata.com/plansandprojects.

Participate in a Virtual Public Hearing on Thursday, July 21, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. ¾ To provide oral testimony via phone, call 855-925-2801 and enter meeting code 4773. ¾ To provide oral testimony via video, preregister by emailing speak@wmata.com by 5:00 p.m. the day before the Public Hearing.

Watch or Listen Live ¾ Watch or listen to the Virtual Public Hearing live at wmata.com/plansandprojects or YouTube.com/MetroForward or by calling 855-925-2801 and entering meeting code 4773. Public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, national origin, age, gender, religion, disability or family status. ASL interpretation will be provided. To request other accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, or other language interpretation services (free of charge), contact the Office of the Board Secretary at 202-962-2511 (TTY: 202-962-2033) or send a message to speak@wmata.com as soon as possible, so Metro can make the necessary arrangements before the public hearing date.

如需项目相关信息，请拨打 Metro 客户服务热线 202-637-1328. 이번 프로젝트에 관해 자세한 사항은 Metro 고객 서비스 전화 202-637-1328 로 문의하시기 바랍니다. 202-637-1328

For more information, scan the code, visit wmata.com/plansandprojects or call 202-637-1328.

Platform Improveme Project

LO CA L

PAGE 10 | JUNE 23 - 29, 2022

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Falls Church School News & Notes

THE MERIDIAN HIGH SCHOOL URBAN FARM PROJECT recently had its first harvest from the new outdoor vegetable beds. This 8th Block Choice Workshop group, with support from resources in place from related Falls Church Education Foundation grants, planted spring vegetables on Earth Day and had a garden-side salad last Friday. Parent volunteer Jenny Thomas’ involvement made this experience for Meridian’s student urban gardeners possible. (Photo: Carey Pollack.)

THE MERIDIAN GIRLS TRACK TEAM of Lauren Mellon, Molly Moore, Alexis Niemi and Grace Crum missed a first-place finish by a quarter second at States earlier this month, with a school record-setting time that qualified the team to move ahead and compete in nationals. (Photo: Carey Pollack.)

FCCPS Highlights Pride Month 2022

EarthWatch Students Recognized by Council

As part of the Falls Church City Public Schools (FCCPS) “Our History Matters” initiative, one of the last editions of the online newsletter “Morning Announcements” for the 2021-22 school year featured a historical blurb that traced the origins of the LGBT movement back to 1924, when Henry Gerber organized the Society for Human Rights in Chicago, Illinois. It was the first gay rights organization in the United States. However, a few months later, the group ceased to exist due to the arrests of several of its members. Despite only lasting a few months, the Society is recognized today as a major precursor to

the modern gay rights movement. The blurb also highlighted the recent approval of an official Pride Month Resolution by FCCPS, put into effect last year. The last segment of the resolution reads: “Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Falls Church City School Board does hereby proclaim June 2021 as LGBTQ+ Pride Month…and urges all to respect and honor our diverse community and celebrate and build a culture of inclusivity and equity.”

Mustang Girl’s Lacrosse: All-Region Awards Player of the Year and 1st Team Midfield: Bella Paradiso; 1st team Attack: Annie Moore and Caroline Carmody; 1st Team Defense:

Cassie Dubois; Coach of the Year: Courtney Gibbons; At large (1st Team): Tilly Gale, Sydney Longer and Maeve Dodge; 2nd Team Goalie: Carson Funk. Bella Paradiso (81), Annie Moore (79) and Tilly Gale (55) led in scoring. Bella Paradiso led in assists (49) and draw controls (155). Cassie Dubois (24) and Delia Paradiso (17) led the team in forced turnovers on defense. Despite losing more than a year of games to Covid-19, graduating seniors Bella Paradiso and Annie Moore finished their Meridian careers with the following all-time stat rankings for the girls varsity program: Bella Paradiso: All-time leader in draw controls, 3rd in Assists and 4th in Goals; Annie Moore : 9th in Goals and 12th in Assists.

Operation EarthWatch is Fall Church City’s environmental learning and action program that has operated in three area elementary schools since 1994. Students who complete the full six-month program every year earn a t-shirt and an opportunity to march in the Memorial Day Parade. This year’s t-shirt was designed by Mt. Daniel Elementary 3rd grader Olivia Whitley with text from Oak Street Elementary 5th graders Leah Forst and Gregory Werner. This year’s theme was Climate Change and the t-shirt’s message is to remind everyone to keep the environment in mind when making energy decisions.

MERIDIAN’S TOMMY NYSTROM, a post-grad transition student, recently won 3 Gold medals in the VA Special Olympics swim meet., finishing first in the 200 freestyle, 50 freestyle and 25 fly. (Photo: Elizabeth McCarthy.)

Falls Church Little League: Featured ‘Game of the Week’ by Erika Toman

The All-Star tournament has started for two of FCKLL’s teams and they’re both off to a great start! The Blue Team (ages 9-11; managed by Joe Greiner) blasted off their tournament play with a commanding 15-0 win over the Mason District All Stars. Teddy Greiner dominated the mound by throwing a perfect game to include eight strikeouts. On the offensive side, the bats were hot with Drew Fay, Teddy Greiner, Liam Horgan, Xander Wagner, Asher Sequeira, Harrison Carmody, Cole Beck and Davis Nicholas each with

a hit. Aidan Ortiz had a game for the record books going three for three at the plate. The Red Team (ages 8-10; managed by Nick Toman) started off their tournament season with a heartbreaking 7-5 loss in extra innings to Arlington. The Red Team was down the until the bottom of the 6th inning when Will Wood singled on the first pitch, scoring two runs and the crowd went wild. The big sixth inning featured contributions from Tig Fatzinger and Aidan Izawa. Fired up by their loss on Saturday, the Red Team came out hot against McLean on Sunday

finishing Father’s Day with a 10-0 win. Pitching the entire game, Luca Pipia was brilliant on the mound allowing no hits for the game. The game featured hits by the Red Team from Aidan Izawa and Will Wood. James Gilroy and Evan Toman were unstoppable at the plate each going three for three. The Blue team is back in action tonight against McLean, Arlington (Saturday) and Reston Herndon (Sunday). The Red Team will battle a second team from Arlington Saturday. Visit fckll.org for the full tournament schedule and make plans to attend the games!

THE FALLS CHURCH LITTLE LEAGUE “BLUE TEAM.” (Courtesy photo,)

HO ME & GA R D E N

FCNP.COM | FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

JUNE 23 - 29, 2022 | PAGE 11

Hydroponics is a Sustainable, Dynamic Gardening Method for New Growers

BY ALEX RUSSELL

hydroponic setup are crucial building blocks. He adds that, in terms of prefab setups like bucket systems, it is “better to build one yourself” as it is “a lot cheaper.” However a firsttime gardener does it, Parelhoff says that investing “in cheaper equipment at first” is the way to go. Then, after a while, “try better equipment…if you decide you like it.” For homeowners interested in hydroponics, Perelhoff recommends the basement as the most ideal location. “You have to maintain a pretty regulated environment” for this kind of growing, he explains. Places “like…the top floor,” where heat tends to rise, leads to almost “constant fluctuation” and “variation in temperature and humidity.” One of the major benefits of hydroponic gardening is “it doesn’t matter what time of year it is,” as “the indoor environment allows you to surpass unpredictable weather conditions.” “Replicating the perfect conditions” for desired plants allows for precisely the kind of growing the plant needs, without having to worry “what time of year it is.” Parelhoff does, however, specify that fruiting plants require “a lot of energy” and work, such as “changing out the water” in a system with more

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

Hydroponics, a type of soilless gardening that can be carried out both indoors and outdoors, is a salient option for those who are interested in taking up gardening but have little to no space. It is also a good way to grow herbs and vegetables during the colder, winter months. According to the University of Minnesota Extension website, found at extension.umn.edu, hydroponic gardening is “space-efficient and takes less water than gardening in soil.” It also means “no weeds.” Joe Parelhoff, of Falls Church Hydroponics — located in the Westend Shopping Center in Falls Church at 1075 W Broad St — recently spoke to the News-Press and detailed a few tips perfect for beginners venturing into the world of hydroponic gardening. Parelhoff explains that getting a “prefab kit with instructions, like a tower,” is a good way to start. Learning “how to check the Ph balance of water” — the measure of the level of acidity or basicity in water, with the range going from 0 — 14, with 7 being neutral — as well as “the electrical conductivity” of a

frequency, as opposed to growing “less challenging” plants, like “lettuces and herbs.” With a tower, he adds, “you don’t want something that fruits.” With plants like tomatoes — which contain seeds — a “deep water culture” setup, consisting of “a bucket, a pump and an air stone” (a piece of aquarium furniture that gradually diffuses air into the desired space), would provide a good, sustainable environment for growth. In addition to towers and bucket systems, Parelhoff suggests growing tents as a good place “for a beginner” to start as they come in a variety of sizes and pricing options. As hydroponic gardening — both in terms of methodology and the technical aspects of it — can seem challenging and complicated at first, Parelhoff explains, for the purpose of streamlining the process, “I tell people to take 75 percent of their budget” and put it towards “their light” (especially since the growing procedure takes place inside). Parelhoff also highlights simplicity, suggesting that beginners use “a simple, no more than three-bottle nutrient line,” so the “plants get the nutrition that they need.” “Once you get dialed in,” he

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BACKYARD POND used to grow plants with the help of fertilizing Koi Fish. (P��: N��-P��.) says, hydroponics not only yields the “exact same thing every single time,” with the benefit of “knowing where [one’s food] is coming from,” but it is also a joyful experience and “a great hobby.” Falls Church Hydroponics provides a local place for Falls Church residents to consult and get more information about hydroponic gardening. Hydroponics, which operates using a closed-loop system and recycles the water needed to grow desired crops, is a more sustainable option than traditional,

soil-based growing and is becoming a more popular, in-demand option for both commercial growers and first-time gardeners. To learn more about Falls Church Hydroponics, visit fallschurchhydro.com. A number of hydroponic gardening stores can also be found outside the City in the greater DC area, such as Good Hope Hydroponics (goodhopehydroponics.com) and Capital City Organics (capcityhydro.com).

PAGE 12 | JUNE 23 - 29, 2022

HO ME & GA R D E N

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Outdoor Living Spaces a Big Plus in Post-Covid Housing Market

BY KYLEE TOLAND

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

As the days get longer and the weather becomes warmer, people are enjoying the summer season in the comfort of their own backyard. According to a 2021 trend report provided by the International Casual Furnishings Association, 90 percent of Americans with an outdoor living space have been taking far greater advantage of their outdoor amenities. These amenities can include decks, porches, patios, swimming pools and many more as people are doing more relaxing, gardening and dining outside. The increase in purchases of outdoor living amenities can be attributed to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and how people have grown more comfortable in their own homes. While many people themselves can create their own outdoor living facilities, some may rely on landscapers, contractors and architects to provide these updated amenities. This has been beneficial to many local businesses, including AllGreen Landscape Company in Falls Church, Virginia. AllGreen Landscape Company focuses on providing homeown-

ers with eco-friendly landscaping designs as well as conserving natural resources. Tommy De la Torre, the owner of AllGreen, said the company had received about 15 or 20 requests from homeowners so far this summer, with calls mainly coming from DC, Maryland and Virginia areas. Outdoor patios and gardens have proven popular among homeowners, where it can be seen as a place to entertain and relax without the risk of Covid. Many people decorate their patios with various types of furniture, cooking equipment and planters. The pandemic also led to a resurgence of interest in gardening, with a University of Vermont report suggesting that it is helping people stay “physically and mentally healthy” as well as providing a “welcome release from the stresses” related to Covid-19. Due to the pandemic, De la Torre said the company has noticed a “substantial increase,” with many people teleworking and having the opportunity to enjoy the outside. He says creating a “great” outdoor living space involves creating different zones, such as patios, lounge and dining areas and a firepit. “It seems that people are focusing more on

OUTDOOR LIVING on a patio built by AllGreen Lanscape. (P��: A�� G�� L�� C��) home, family and having a safe place to unwind,” De la Torre said, “and there’s no better place than your own backyard.” Another area of relief that homeowners found during the peak of the pandemic were backyard swimming pools. Pool sales skyrocketed. From 2020 to 2021, 772 pools were sold in Arlington County, Falls Church City, Alexandria City, Fairfax County and Loudoun County, a vast difference

from the 661 pools sold in 2019. Forbes reported a popular trend in outdoor living is the installation of outdoor kitchen areas. In 2020 there was an 80 percent increase for outdoor kitchen products. Firepits, grills, coolers and pizza ovens are just a few examples of what people are placing in their backyard. Some benefits of having an outdoor kitchen include additional cooking space and an increased home value.

So far, De la Torre said he sees that families are “thrilled” to have these outdoor amenities, with the busiest season being spring and fall for purchasing products. “In this real estate market, it can also provide a selling point to entice potential buyers,” De la Torre said. “An outdoor living space increases the usable/ living space to a home.” De la Torre added outdoor living spaces can add 9 — 12 percent value to a home.

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Pollinators Need You, America Facing Decline of Native Plants

BY HENRY CAULEY

PIMMIT HILLS POLLINATOR COMPANY

North America is home to more than 4000 native bee species, as well as countless other types of native pollinators including birds, butterflies, beetles, wasps, and moths. In Virginia, roughly 400 of these native bees can be found, including many specialist types that only visit specific groups of flowering plants. However, across North America native pollinators are in decline due to the effects of human-induced climate change and the rapid redevelopment of our local environments. The decline of native pollinators, coupled with the decline of the nonnative, but also important European honeybee, affects the health of our environment and the functionality of our food systems. Almost 75 percent of the flowering plants on earth rely on pollinators to help them set seed or fruit, and one in three bites of our food is a direct result of a pollinator visiting a plant. Pollinators need help in finding the food and habitat they need to survive. Here are five simple but important actions that you can take in your yard to improve the habitat for pollinators to thrive. INCORPORATE NATIVE PLANTS — When making additions or changes to your landscape, elect to use native plants. Not only are native pollinators better support-

ed by native plants in the garden, these plants also do better in your yard because they are well-adapted to our specific climate and soil conditions. To narrow down the great number of options, first assess your specific conditions for light, moisture, and space. There are native plants for every sunny, shady, moist, and dry site and condition. You will find a list of some favorites at the end of this article that are all excellent, simple, widely available options that provide sources of food, reproduction, support, and shelter for many different pollinators. STRIVE FOR DIVERSITY — Use a combination of flowers, shrubs, grasses, and trees to better mimic our natural surroundings. A garden of all perennial flowers or all shrubs will lack the natural elements that a small understory tree or large shade tree provides to the landscape. The more varieties of plants you make available, the more variety of pollinators you will invite into your landscape. Bees forage mainly for pollen from a wide variety of plants, but butterflies and moths often require specific host plants for their larva to feed on. If you want to keep butterflies in your landscape, you need to plant these host plants, such as milkweed varieties for the Monarchs. PLANT FOR YEAR-ROUND FOOD SOURCES – Plant your gardens so that the widest range of

food sources are available to pollinators across the longest time period. Providing plants that flower in spring, summer, and fall provides food sources for different species, from when they first emerge in the spring, to when they are padding their nests in late fall. Remember that many plants provide multiple rounds of food opportunities, often with the flowers of spring and summer yielding the fruits and seeds of fall and winter. Choosing plants that bloom at different times also provides you with greater color and interest in the garden throughout the growing season, making the space more attractive and inviting. PROVIDE NESTING HABITAT — Elect to leave certain areas of your garden undisturbed throughout the year to create nesting habitats for native bees. While the European honeybee and certain bumblebees and wasps are social bees that build bigger nests, most of our native bees are solitary in nature and make their nests in the ground or in hollow plant debris. AVOID PESTICIDES — Before spraying diseased or infested plants, know what you are dealing with. That caterpillar eating a few leaves will likely turn into a beautiful butterfly. Many insects on plants are actually beneficial and consume the pesty ones. Spraying lawns for mosquitoes is also killing the pollinators in your yard and your neighbors as

A BEATIFUL BUTTERFLY visits the garden of local resident Sandy Tarpinian. (P��: S�� T��.) the spray travels. SOME FAVORITE NATIVES — This list is only a small example of the many native species of perennial flowers, shrubs, and trees (by bloom season) to help make your property a better ecosystem for the native pollinators in our area. An excellent resource for finding out more about native plants and where to source them is Plant NOVA Natives at Plantnovanatives.org Spring: Eastern Red Columbine (perennial), Blue Wild Indigo (perennial), Foamflower (perennial), Moss Phlox (perennial), Wild Azalea (shrub), Maple-leaved Viburnum (shrub), Northern Spicebush (shrub), Eastern Redbud (tree), Canada

Serviceberry (tree). Summer: Giant Blue Lobelia (perennial), Scarlet Beebalm (perennial), Narrow-leaf Mountain Mint (perennial), Dense Blazing Star (perennial), Butterfly Weed (perennial milkweed), Strawberry-bush (shrub), Red Chokeberry (shrub), Buttonbush (shrub), American Hornbeam (tree), Sweetbay Magnolia (tree). Fall: White Turtlehead (perennial), White Wood Aster (perennial), Narrow-leaved Sunflower (perennial), Goldenrod (perennial), Witch Hazel (shrub), Common Winterberry (shrub), American Beautyberry (shrub), White Oak (tree), Blackgum (tree).

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F� � � � C � � � � � B�� N�� N�� Audacious Aleworks to Expand The local craft brewer, Audacious Aleworks Brewery, has begun work on a new location in Fairfax City. Brian Reinoehl cites the ease of working relationships and the system as benefits of locating in small cities like Falls Church and Fairfax City. A third location is planned for Sterling as primarily a brewing facility while the other two locations will continue to brew on the premises and serve customers. The Falls Church site was opened three years ago by Brian Reinoehl and Mike Frissell.

Famille Event Space Opens Soon The Kensington has announced that Famille is reopening as an event space in the heart of Falls Church City. Famille is currently accepting reservations for events such as birthday parties, graduation parties, corporate luncheons, team meetings and more. A new and improved website will be launched at the end of the month (familleevents.com). For more information, contact famille@kensingtonsl.com.

Stakeholder Liaison Hosts Small Business Forum Stakeholder Liaison is hosting a forum on Wednesday, June 29 from 10 a.m. — 12 p.m. via Microsoft Teams on Better Business Through Better Records, Filing and Deposit Requirements and Resources on IRS.gov for Small Business. Guest speakers include Carl E. Brown, Jr., State/Executive Director of the District of Columbia Small Business Development Center and Tara Palacios, Director of BizLaunch — a program of Arlington Economic Development. Stakeholder Liaison provides small business and self-employed taxpayers with information about the policies, practices and procedures used by the IRS for compliance with tax laws. This is a free event. More information is available online at at eventective.com/falls-church-va/famille-734863.html.

Cognosante to Modernize Health Data Platform Cognosante has received a five-year, $16 million contract to help the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services modernize a statewide data sharing platform for health information organizations and public health agencies throughout the state. The work will migrate patient and provider information into a unified system that will facilitate the exchange between regional HIPs and participants in the network. This will promote the transformation of the state’s P3N platform using cloud computing tools designed to support system interoperability and security.

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News-Press

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Community News & Notes Seminar on Stroke Recovery with Neurology Experts Kensington Senior Living of Falls Church and neurology specialists from Stanford, Georgetown, UCLA and INOVA will discuss the warning signs, prevention measures, treatment and life after stroke. This will be a virtual event, held over Zoom. Part one of the seminar will take place on Thursday, June 23; part two will take place on Thursday, July 14, both running from 6 — 7 p.m. Latest research, prevention measures, innovations in treatment, the process of recovery, as well as holistic approaches to healing will be addressed at the seminar. The panel will feature Neil Schwartz and Christina Mijalski Sells, of Stanford; Matthew Edwardson of Georgetown; Lucas Restrepo of UCLA; and Atrac Aryan Kay of INOVA. For questions regarding this event, email Kayla Peters, Outreach and Events Coordinator, at kpeters@kensingtonsl.com or visit thekensingtonfallschurch. com/events.

VA Reports First Case of Monkeypox, Risk “Very Low” The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) recently announced the first presumed monkeypox case in a Virginia resident. The patient is an adult female resident of the Northern region of Virginia with recent international travel history to an African country where the disease is known to occur. She was not infectious during travel; she did not require hospitalization and is isolating at home to monitor her health. “Monkeypox is a very rare disease in the United States,” said State Health Commissioner Colin M. Greene, MD, MPH. “Transmission requires close contact with someone with symptomatic monkeypox…this virus has not shown the ability to spread rapidly in the general population. VDH is monitoring national and international trends and has notified medical providers in Virginia to watch

for monkeypox cases and report them to their local health district as soon as possible. Based on the limited information currently available about the evolving multi-country outbreak, the risk to the public appears to be very low.” For more information on the VDH and its monitoring of monkeypox, visit vdh. virginia.gov/news.

Films in the Park at Mosaic District Until Aug. 25 “Films in the Park” returns this summer, with screenings every Thursday at 7 p.m., now — Aug. 25. The large outdoor screen will show movies under the stars for free, with picnic-style seating available in Strawberry Park (Strawberry Ln, Fairfax, VA). All movies will be shown rain or shine, unless otherwise noted. For more information on “Films in the Park,” visit mosaicdistrict.com/events. The schedule of films is as follows: June 23: “In & Out”; June 30: “The Birdcage”; July 7: “Clifford the Big Red Dog”; July 14: “In the Heights”; “July 21: “Dating & New York”; July 28: “Dog”; Aug. 4: “Spider-Man: No Way Home”; Aug. 11: “Encanto”; Aug. 18: “Under the Stadium Lights”; Aug. 25: “F9 — The Fast & Furious Saga.”

Fairfax County Park Authority Summer Entertainment Series The Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) invites all to its Summer Entertainment Series, with an upcoming performance by the Seán Heely Celtic Trio, led by U.S. National Scottish Fiddle champion Seán Heely, on Friday, June 24, from 7:30 — 8:30 p.m., at the Mason District Park Amphitheater (6621 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA). Then on Saturday, June 25, the Bachelor Boys Band will be performing live at the Workhouse Arts Center at 9518 Workhouse Way, Lorton, from 8 — 9 p.m. The Band is composed of music students, studio regulars and touring sound engineers who have been performing since 2012. The opening act will be a stand-up comic whose show will run between 7:30 — 8 p.m. Wine, beer and snacks will be made available for purchase at the event.

THE “HOPE FOR TOMORROW” MURAL, created by David Barr and which can be seen on the grounds of the Falls Church Episcopal Church at 115 E Fairfax St, Falls Church, was created to commemorate the survival of a local landmark (a blacksmith shop dating back to antebellum Virginia) and, more significantly, to underscore the struggle for racial equality, justice, social harmony and mutual respect. The central image features two men, one White and one Black (Mr. Harmon and Mr. Sims) who operated the blacksmith shop for a half century. Their business showcased a successful bi-racial partnership during the Jim Crow era. The flames on the left symbolize struggle, as well as an opportunity to ignite change. The Black Lives Matter protestors depicted on the right represent the crucial, ongoing fight for a more honest, fair and peaceful country. The “Hope for Tomorrow” mural was funded by the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation, the Community Foundation of Northern Virginia and individual donors. (Photo: David Barr.) Also, as per a recent addition to the roster, on Friday, June 24, the Kadencia Orchestra, a Richmondbased musical group specializing in bomba, plena and salsa music, will be onstage starting at 7:30 p.m. at Grist Mill Park (4710 Mt. Vernon Memorial Hwy, Alexandria, VA); then, on Saturday, June 25, Santi Budaya, a group of dancers and musicians, will present a performance highlighting Indonesian tradition and culture at Ossian Hall Park (7900 Heritage Drive in Annandale, VA) starting at 7:30 p.m. Rocknoceros, a kid-friendly act that has been seen at Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits and the Kennedy Center, will be performing early next month on Saturday, July 2, at the Mason District Park Amphitheater

from 10 — 10:45 a.m. These events are made possible by a partnership between the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, volunteers, various business sponsors, individual donors and the Fairfax County Park Foundation. All Summer Entertainment performances are free. Call 703-324-7469 before leaving home for inclement weather updates. For more details regarding each series, visit fairfaxparkfoundation.org/our-projects/ summer-entertainment-series.

Mosaic District Skateland Opening, Pride Celebration Mosaic Skateland returns this summer on Saturday, June 25 alongside the neighborhood’s first annual Pride Celebration, featuring

live music and performances on the big stage, including Kazaxe and Groovalicious and a pop-up hosted by Urbano Mexican Fare. Skateland will be open from 11 a.m. — 10 p.m. In partnership with Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), Mosaic District will donate roller rink ticket sales on June 25 in support of the work carried out by FCPS Pride. The celebration will take place at Merrifield Town Center Dr (between Barnes & Noble and Urbano) near Strawberry Park. For more information, visit mosaicdistrict.com.

Loudoun County Pride Month Celebration June 26 The Loudoun County Pride Month Celebration, featuring a

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

variety of community vendors, live music, food and family & kids’ activities, will take place at Claude Moore Park (46105 Loudoun Park Ln, Sterling, VA) between 1 — 8 p.m on Sunday, June 26. Proceeds from the event will go to benefit the Equality in Education Program & Loudoun LGBTQ+ Defense Fund. Loudoun’s Pride Celebration is sponsored by Equality Loudoun, a grassroots non-profit organization founded in 2003 that works to help secure acceptance for LGBTQ+ people in all areas of the community, from classrooms to businesses and more. To learn more about Loudoun Pride, visit eqloco.com/pride. To learn more about Equality Loudoun, visit eqloco.com.

Master Gardeners’ Edible Garden Workshops Extension Master Gardeners continue their involvement at the Edible Garden this summer, where visitors are able to learn how best to blend ornamental and edible plants for an attractive and productive use of their living space. Free edible garden workshops are best suited for adults and will be held on the third Saturday

of the month until Oct, from 9:30 — 11 a.m. Topics for each session vary, but will touch upon topics such as garden supports for increased harvest, tips on when to harvest early crops, how to deal with pests in the garden and more. For the complete schedule and full list of topics, visit the Extension Master Gardeners website at fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/green-spring/ extension-master-gardeners. Green Spring Gardens is located at 4603 Green Spring Rd, Alexandria. For more information, visit Green Spring Gardens or call 703-642-5173.

Experience Local Art Using the Falls Church Art Walk Website There is a wide variety of public art found throughout Falls Church — from sculptures to colorful murals to busts — showcasing a colorful, art-friendly urban environment. A recently-created website, found at sites.google. com/view/falls-church-art-walk/ home, offers a self-guided tour of these creations, with addresses for each work, as well as brief descriptions and photos. The website also includes an interactive

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JUNE 23 - 29, 2022 | PAGE 17

map for greater convenience. For more information, contact Arts & Humanities Council Staff Liaison Corey Jannicelli at cjannicelli@ fallschurchva.gov.

Schedule of Upcoming Book Discussions at MRSPL Mary Riley Styles Public Library will have the following book discussions running from now through the month of Oct., featuring a variety of nonfiction and fiction books: “Tortilla Flat” (fiction) by John Steinbeck will be discussed Wednesday, July 13; “Deacon King Kong’’ (fiction) by James McBride will be discussed Wednesday, Aug. 3; “Jayber Crow” (fiction) by Wendel Berry is set for Wednesday, Sept. 14; and “The Reading List” (fiction) by Sara Nisha Adams is set for Wednesday, Oct. 12. All discussions start at 7 p.m. in the library’s Upper Level Conference Room. Mary Riley Styles Public Library is located at 120 N. Virginia Ave, Falls Church. For more information, call 703-248-5030 or

HARVEY’S HAD ITS RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONY last week with members of the Falls Church City Council in attendance (from left to right, Council Member Marybeth Connelly, Falls Church City Mayor David Tarter, Vice Mayor Letty Hardi and Council Member Caroline Lian). Chef/Owner Thomas Harvey can be seen in the middle of the group and David Crance of Falls Church VFW Post 9274 (far left) was also in attendance. (R�� R��.) visit fallschurchva.gov/library. For details on future discussions, the library’s other recurring events and to register for a specific discussion, visit mrspl. librarycalendar.com.

“Morning Announcements” To Return in August

FOUNDED BY RABBI AMY COHEN WEISS, Undies for Everyone (UFE) is a non-pro�it working to help alleviate underwear insecurity for kids across the country. Since its inception in 2012, UFE has expanded across 16 cities, from Los Angeles to Washington, DC. Earlier this spring, a group of Falls Church City kids and families hosted a volunteer event where they packed underwear to distribute to UFE’s local partners. For more information on Undies for Everyone, visit undiesforeveryone.org.(C�� .)

“The Morning Announcements” online newsletter put out by Falls Church City Public Schools (FCCPS) recently finished their annual run for school year 202122, thanking their subscribers for their “loyalty, support, suggestions, and contributions this past year.”

The newsletter, during regular season, is put out each day at 6:45 a.m., letting subscribers know of any upcoming school events, any special commemorations and a variety of other FCCPS items, highlights and photos. The newsletter has recently been awarded the 2022 Publications and Digital Media Excellence Award by the National School Public Relations Association for their consistent efforts in informing the community and celebrating a wide array of cultural and historic events. “The Morning Announcements” will return for their 14th year of publication on Monday, August 29.

German Gourmet WANTS YOU! Now Hiring FT/PT Multiple Positions Service, Sandwich & Food Prep, Cleaner Email Resume to GermanGourmet@yahoo.com OR complete application in store: 5838 Columbia Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041 703-379-8080 www.germangourmet.com

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FALLS CHURCH CALENDAR

allowed. First come, first served. (7415 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church.) 3:30 — 5 p.m. AFTER HOURS TEEN ZONE. Woodrow Wilson Library invites teens ages 12 — 18 to hang out with friends, eat pizza, play games and do an optional craft activity. Attendees must have reliable transportation home at the end of the evening. (6101 Knollwood Dr, Falls Church.) 6 — 9 p.m.

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Public Service Day Thursday, June 23

LORENZO THE GREAT. Local magician Lorenzo the Great will make his return to Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave, Falls Church). Best for ages 4 and up. Space limited.11 a.m. — 12 p.m. SUNDAY, JUNE 26

"ALWAYS...PATSY CLINE," produced by Creative Cauldron, will come back to the Little City starting Friday, July 8 and run until Sunday, July 17. Last year, Creative Cauldron put on the same show outside, at Cherry Hill Park, due to Covid-19 health concerns. For more information on the upcoming "revival," visit creativecauldron.org. (Photo courtesy: Ellen Selby.)

LOCAL EVENTS

ers, honey and more. Covid-19 guidelines observed. City Hall parking lot (300 Park Ave, Falls Church). 8 a.m. — 12 p.m.

THURSDAY, JUNE 23

ARLINGTON PRIDE FESTIVAL 2022. Arlington's first Pride celebration, to be held at Gateway Park in the Rosslyn Neighborhood. The event will feature live shows, vendors, food and a wide variety of entertainment. Free to attend; metro-accessible. For more information, visit arlingtonva.us. 12 — 7 p.m.

WRITE LIKE A PRO WITH YA AUTHOR CHRISTINA JUNE. Young Adult author Christina June will be at Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library (7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church) to talk about things like plot, dialogue and worldbuilding, from 1 — 2 p.m. Register online at librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov. FRIDAY, JUNE 24 CHESS CLUB FOR KIDS. The club meetings include practice games and chess instruction. Tysons-Pimmit Library (7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church). 4:30 — 5:30 p.m. SATURDAY, JUNE 25 FALLS CHURCH FARMERS MARKET. Every Saturday, the Farmers Market features fresh, local produce, meat, dairy, flow-

KIDS IN MOTION. An interactive experience for kids ages 3 — 8, with one adult caregiver, designed to teach them healthy fitness habits. Register online at librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov. Tysons-Pimmit Library (7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church). 12 — 1 p.m. MOVIE NIGHT AT THOMAS JEFFERSON PUBLIC LIBRARY. Thomas Jefferson Public Library will host a screening of “Luca,” rated PG. No food

NOVA CENTRAL FARM MARKETS. This year-round market features meat, produce, dairy, baked goods and other local finds. Visit nova.centralfarmmarkets.com for more info. (7731 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church.) 9 a.m. — 1 p.m. BLACK + WHITE EXHIBITION AT FC ARTS (LAST DAY). Featuring art done specifically in black, white and gray, this Falls Church Arts exhibit includes paintings, drawings, collages and sculpture. The F.C. Arts Gallery (700B W. Broad St, Falls Church). Open Tuesday — Friday from 11 a.m. — 6 p.m. and on weekends from 9 a.m. — 4 p.m. For more information, visit fallschurcharts.org/blackwhite. MONDAY, JUNE 27 CITY COUNCIL MEETING. The City Council meets the second and fourth Monday of the month, with the exception of Aug. and Dec. when only one meeting is held. The public can address the Council on any topic during the public comment period; those interested in speaking can sign up at fallschurchva.gov/publiccomment. Meetings can be viewed online at fallschurchva.gov/councilmeetings or on FCCTV. Meetings take place in Council Chambers (300 Park Ave, Falls Church). 7:30 — 11 p.m.

PUBLIC SERVICE DAY, observed annually on June 23rd, was established to honor and celebrate the value of public service. It provides a dedicated chance for people to do something in the service of their community. Everyday things like volunteering at a food pantry or local library or picking up trash in the park are valid ways for individuals to show support for those around them. It’s also important to give thanks to people like medical personnel, trash collectors, sewer workers and mail carriers who help enrich their communities by carrying out core functions. The Falls Church Village Preservation and Improvement Society (VPIS), an organization dedicated to the improvement of the City of Falls Church through beautification, the promotion of community events and preservation of historic landmarks, runs a variety of volunteer-based activities year-round. For more information, visit vpis.org or email vpis.president@ gmail.com. Falls Church also has a Habitat Restoration Team which works to restore and preserve the ecosystems of local parks. For more information, email Amy Crumpton at amy.c.crumpton@gmail.com or Melissa Teates at meltektites@outlook.com. (Courtesy photo.)

TUESDAY, JUNE 28 GREAT BOOKS DISCUSSION SERIES. The group will discuss “Death In Venice” by Thomas Mann over Zoom. Email Marshall Webster at mwebster@ fallschurchva.gov for a Zoom invite. Organized by Mary Riley Styles Public Library. 7 — 8:45 p.m. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29

VOLUNTEER DOCENTS will continue giving tours of the Cherry Hill house and farm throughout the summer, until the month of Oct. Docents like Mike Volpe, Marian Criswell and Joanne Caramanica (left to right) help educate and connect people to the City’s past. For more information and to learn about other events, visit cherryhillfallschurch.org. (Photo: Maureen Budetti.)

SUMMER CRAFTERNOON: TREASURE CHESTS. Students in rising Grades K — 5 are invited to join Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave, Falls Church) for a Treasure Chest craft program. Attendees will be decorating treasure chests to store the library’s most valuable treasures. 3:30 — 4:30 p.m.

THE CAST OF THE UPCOMING PLAY “The Amazing Adventures of Dr. Wonderful (And Her Dog)" was recently announced and will feature Ruth Elizabeth Diaz as Dr. Wonderful, Christopher Rios as Newton, Delante Dates as Ben and Carianmax Benitez as Mom. The production will run from Tuesday, July 5 — Sunday, July 24, at Keegan Theatre (1742 Church Street NW, Washington, DC). Visit keegantheatre.com for more information. (Courtesy photo.)

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

CA L E NDA R (132 W. Broad St, Falls Church). 9:30 p.m. 703-237-8333. SATURDAY, JUNE 25 RAMAAN. The Casual Pint (6410 Arlington Blvd, Suite E, Falls Church). 7 p.m. 703-286-0995.

TUESDAY, JUNE 28 MARSHA AND THE POSITRONS. Wolf Trap (1551 Trap Rd, Vienna, VA). $12. 10:30 a.m. 703-255-1900.

JUNE 23 - 29, 2022 | PAGE 19

TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC SESSION. Ireland’s Four Provinces (105 W Broad St, Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-5348999.

STEELY DAN. Wolf Trap (1551 Trap Rd, Vienna, VA). $48. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1900. PIECES OF A DREAM. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $45. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500.

CHRISTOPHER COLLETTA & THE STATE SECRETS play country, Americana and original songs. They can be heard throughout the Washington, D.C. area and will be performing live at Clare & Don's this Friday starting at 5:30 p.m. (Photo: bandmix.com/cccollettamusic.)

LIVE MUSIC THURSDAY, JUNE 23 HENRY K. NOBLE. Settle Down Easy Brewing Co. (2822 Fallfax Drive, Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-573-2011. MARY FAHL (FORMERLY OF OCTOBER PROJECT). Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $25. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566. THE BLACK CROWES. Wolf Trap (1551 Trap Rd, Vienna, VA). $47. 8 p.m. 703-255-1900.

FRIDAY, JUNE 24 CHRIS COLLETTA & THE STATE SECRETS. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack (130 N Washington St, Falls Church). 5:30 p.m. 703-532-9283. TRIBUTE TO TOM PETTY: SCOTT KURT & MEMPHIS 59 WITH JON CARROLL. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $25. 7:30 p.m. JANIVA MAGNESS. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $20. 8 p.m. 703255-1566. ALEX "THE RED" PAREZ. Dogwood Tavern

THEATER & ARTS THURSDAY, JUNE 23 JERSEY BOYS. This musical takes audiences behind the scenes of the iconic American group Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons as they make their way from the streets of New Jersey to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “Jersey Boys,” presented by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (2700 F St, NW, Washington, DC), is 2 hours and 40 minutes long (including intermission) and will run now — Sunday, June 26. Covid-19 health guidelines will be observed; for more information on the Kennedy Center’s Covid-19 Safety Plan, visit kennedy-center.org/visit/covid-safety. For more information about “Jersey Boys,” visit kennedy-center.org. FRIDAY, JUNE 24 THE AMERICAN PLAN. Written by Richard Greenberg, “The American Plan” centers on Eva Adler, a widow in 1960’s New York state and her daughter, Lili, a sociallyawkward 20-year old. After meeting Nick Lockridge, an aspiring architect engaged to another woman, Lili and Nick fall in love. Eva, seeking to control Lili, embarks on discrediting Nick and destroying their

summer love affair. This production of “The American Plan,” presented by NOVA Nightsky Theater, will be shown on Friday, June 24 and Saturday, June 25, at 7:30 p.m. in the parking lot of Falls Church Presbyterian Church, located at 225 E Broad St, Falls Church, VA. This production of “The American Plan” is directed by Paul DiSalvo and stars Constance Meade as Lili Adler, Mara Rosenberg as Eva Adler and Zach Adams as Nick Lockridge. For more information, visit novanightskytheater.com. BROADWAY IN THE PARK. A night of show tunes under the stars presented at Wolf Trap, starring two of Broadway's TonyAward winning leading ladies, Keilli O'Hara and Adrienne Warren. The show will feature songs from musicals such as "West Side Story," "The Wiz," "Gypsy" and other popular titles. Broadway in the Park begins at 8 p.m. at Wolf Trap's Filene Center (1551 Trap Road, Vienna, VA). Tickets for this event start at $30. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit sigtheatre.org. SATURDAY, JUNE 25 PLAYING JULIET AND CASTING OTHELLO (LAST DAY). Presented by the Providence

ADAM FORBES. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 9:30 p.m. 703-237-8333. SUNDAY, JUNE 26 RAMON & KAMAKA. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack (130 N Washington St, Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-532-9283. THE MUSIC OF CREAM: WILL JOHNS & KOFI BAKER. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $35. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500. REBECCA LOEBE AND CRYS MATTHEWS. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $20. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566. MONDAY, JUNE 27 MOLLY TUTTLE & GOLDEN HIGHWAY. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $39.50. 7:30 p.m. 703549-7500.

Players of Fairfax, "Playing Juliet and Casting Othello" centers on the New Vistas Theatre Company as they prepare to stage Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” and “Othello” with a multi-racial cast. Wendy, the determined White director, casts her long-time Black friend Georgia in the role of Juliet. Tempers soon begin to flare, however, when Jimmy, Georgia’s boyfriend, tries to prevent her from participating in the production. Later, as the group puts on “Othello,” Jimmy, now married to the pregnant Georgia and having grown accustomed to being a stand-in for the leading man during rehearsals, is on his way to becoming Othello — despite his lack of training. Friendship soon turns into discord as Georgia vigorously opposes Jimmy’s casting. In these companion one-acts, issues of race, class and gender emerge as the Bard brings out hidden fears, animosities, love and laughter among this company of players. The play begins at 7:30 p.m. For more information on “Playing Juliet and Casting Othello,” visit providenceplayers. org or call 703-425-6782. Performances take place at the James Lee Community Center Theater, located at 2855 Annandale Rd, Falls Church, VA. MADCAP PUPPETS: JACK AND THE GENTLE GIANT (LAST DAY). Jack returns in this sequel to the iconic fairy tale in a story that highlights his son, Leo, who doesn't wish to

PIANIST, SPEAKER AND TEACHER RACHEL FRANKLIN, pictured here with violinist Christian Tremblay, will join the Washington Sinfonietta this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Falls Church Episcopal Church for a selection of iconic pieces. (Photo: Facebook.com.) be a giant conqueror. He'd rather tell giant stories with his friend Tulip, the castle fairy. This family-friendly show takes place in Wolf Trap's Theatre-in-the-Woods, located at 1551 Trap Road, Vienna, VA., beginning at 10:30 a.m. Tickets are $12; children under 2 years of age get in free. Wolf Trap's Covid-19 health and safety guidelines will be observed. For more information, visit wolftrap.org. A ROMANTIC VOYAGE. The Washington Sinfonietta will perform a program that includes Carl Maria von Weber’s "Overture

to Der Freischuetz," Franz Schubert’s iconic “Unfinished” "Symphony No. 8" and Richard Strauss’ "Serenade in E-flat Major." Internationally renowned pianist Rachel Franklin will join the orchestra for Ludwig van Beethoven’s "Concerto No. 5," along with a special encore of Claude Debussy’s "Clair de Lune." The presentation will begin at 7:30 p.m. at The Falls Church Episcopal (166 East Broad St, Falls Church) and is dedicated as a memorial tribute to longtime Sinfonietta friend and supporter Cindy Pettigrew. For more information and tickets, visit washingtonsinfonietta.org.

PAGE 20 | JUNE 23 - 29, 2022

PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA The ordinance referenced below was given first reading on June 13, 2022. A public hearing, second reading, and final City Council action is scheduled for Monday, June 27, 2022 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard. (TO22-12) ORDINANCE TO APPROVE CONVEYANCE OF THE REAL PROPERTY AT 208 SOUTH GIBSON STREET [RPC NO. 52309-005] TO THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (EDA) IN ORDER THAT THE REFINANCING OF A TOTAL OF FIVE EDA OWNED VIRGINIA VILLAGE PROPERTIES MAY OCCUR AS PART OF THE AMAZON 3 PROJECT The resolution referenced below was considered on June 13, 2022. A public hearing and final City Council action is scheduled for Monday, June 27, 2022 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard. (TR22-28) RESOLUTION APPROVING THE PURCHASE OF THE PROPERTY AT 436 SHERROW AVENUE (RPC NO. 52-302-020) FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $788,000 AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE DOCUMENTS NECESSARY FOR THE PURCHASE All public hearings will be held in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia. For copies of legislation, contact the City Clerk’s office at (703-248-5014) or cityclerk@ fallschurchva.gov or visit www.fallschurchva.gov/councilmeetings. Public comments may also be sent to cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5014 (TTY 711). CELESTE HEATH, CITY CLERK

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We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap. All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.” This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-8530. Toll free call (888) 551-3247. For the hearing impaired call (804) 367-9753.

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JUNE 23 - 29, 2022 | PAGE 21

NOVA Nightsky’s ‘The American Plan’ Is a Brave, Emotional Success BY ALEX RUSSELL

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

The NOVA Nightsky Theater Company — a locally-owned theater group in the Little City, co-founded by Jaclyn Robertson and Ward Kay, the Company’s Producing Director and Artistic Director, respectively — recently opened their newest production: a nuanced and characterdriven staging of the 1990 play “The American Plan” by Richard Greenberg. This reviewer was lucky enough to experience NOVA Nightsky’s production of the play in a more intimate, immediate setting — the Company’s office space at 1057 W Broad St, where a condensed walkthrough, without the customary costume-changes and with shorter scene-transitions, made for a very close observation of the actors and their environment. “The American Plan” (running until Saturday, June 25, and being shown outside Falls Church Presbyterian Church, located at 225 E. Broad St) tells the story of a widow, Eva Adler — played by Mara Rosenberg — and her socially awkward, intelligent daughter — portrayed by Constance Meade — at their vacation home in New York State’s Catskills mountains at the start of the turbulent ‘60s. Lili soon meets the charm-

EVA SHINAGEL (LEFT) AND MARA ROSENBERG portray Olivia Shaw and Eva Adler, respectively, in NOVA Nightsky’s production of “The American Plan” — seen here at the walk-through performance last week. Zach Adams (seated) plays Nick Lockridge, a man torn between past and future. Justin Meyer portrays Gil, an unwelcome visitor from Nick’s past. (P��: A�� R��.) ing Nick Lockridge — played by Zach Adams — and the two embark on a deep, emotionally-charged romance over the course of the summer, setting off a turbulent struggle for control over Lili’s life on Eva’s part. Brought to life by director Paul DiSalvo and assistant director Sabrina McAllister, Adams’ Nick exudes a kind of Cary Grant-esque handsome aloofness, while Meade provides Lili with so much bubbly, jittery, effervescent characterization that, even without the full set of props and decorations, this viewer did not “miss

the things that are missing,” as Robertson said in her introduction to the walk-through. The concise direction — making itself apparent in how actors handle their props and respond to their environment — underscores the well-paced conversations and shorter, tense moments highlighted, from time to time, with the kind of silence that seems to take on physical form. Olivia — played by Eva Shinagel — is Eva’s loyal, wise and tender maid who, throughout the course of the story, displays a deeper, more understanding connection with Lili

than Eva is able to construct with her own daughter. The themes of “construction” and “building” and the imagery of cities and edifices comes up more than once, echoing both Nick’s desire to study architecture in order to complete a “whole city” and the play’s theme of human planmaking and how even the best, well-meaning plans fall apart before they have a chance to take shape. This kind of crumbling of plans and dreams is perhaps best personified by Gil — portrayed by Justin Meyer — whose sudden resurgence in Nick’s life

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dredges up a host of unresolved feelings and conflicts. In addition to the stellar acting, deft direction and characterization and the inherent intelligence of the play itself, this production takes time to deconstruct love and portray its gentle sweetness, beauty and tenderness while never shrinking away from the explosive, violent, vengeful underbelly of what love can make people do. NOVA Nightsky’s production of “The American Plan” is, in a word, excellent, and highly recommended. For more information and tickets, visit novanightskytheater.com.

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The deadline for Letters to the Editor is 5 p.m. Monday each week of publication. Letters should be 350 words or less. All letters printed in the News-Press become property of the Falls Church NewsPress and may be edited for clarity and length.

Email letters@fcnp.com Mail or drop off Letters to the Editor, c/o Falls Church News-Press, 105 N. Virginia Ave. Suite #310, Falls Church VA. 22046

PAGE 22 | JUNE 23 - 29, 2022

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

C�� C��

BACK IN THE DAY

25 � 10 Y�� A�� N��-P�� Falls Church News-Press Vol. VII, No. 14 • June 19, 1997

Falls Church News-Press Vol. XXII, No. 17 • June 21, 2012

‘Can’t Draw Lines of Indifference on a World Map,’ Albright Tells Grads

F.C. Officials: Opening Dialogue Doesn’t Mean Water Deal Imminent

U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright addressed the George Mason High School graduating class of 1997 at commencement ceremonies at the school in Falls Church Tuesday. Albright challenged the 130 members of the GMHS graduating class to live lives “full of meaning and accomplishments.”

The first solid evidence of a thaw in the five-year frigid and contentious relationship between the City of Falls Church and its mighty Fairfax County neighbor over water services surfaced last Friday, when a stay was ordered against Fairfax’s latest antiFalls Church move in court.

F�� F�� C��

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Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be! Snap a pic WHILE TRYING TO CONVINCE HIS WIFE to be a Face of Falls Church, Jeremy exited the Little City Creamery with treats for her and their little one. Lucky for me, he was more than happy to stand before my camera. A resident of Falls Church since 2015, Jeremy is originally from Richmond and is an International Trade Lawyer. (P��: J. M�� W��)

of your critter and email it to: CRITTERCORNER@FCNP.COM

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FCNP.COM | FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

JUNE 23 - 29, 2022 | PAGE 23

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF A PETITION BY VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY, FOR APPROVAL OF NEW BROADBAND CAPACITY PROJECTS PURSUANT TO § 56-585.1:9 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA AND FOR REVISION OF RATE ADJUSTMENT CLAUSE: RIDER RBB, FOR THE RATE YEAR COMMENCING DECEMBER 1, 2022 CASE NO. PUR-2022-00062 •Virginia Electric and Power Company (“Dominion”) has applied for approval of new broadband capacity projects and for revision of its rate adjustment clause Rider RBB, which recovers the costs of providing broadband capacity related to rural broadband projects. •Dominion requests approval of a revenue requirement of $7.438 million for Rider RBB for the rate year beginning December 1, 2022, and ending November 30, 2023. According to Dominion, this amount would increase a monthly bill of a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours per month by $0.14. •The Hearing Examiner appointed to this case will hold a telephonic hearing in this case on September 7, 2022, to receive public witness testimony. •The Hearing Examiner will hold an evidentiary hearing in this case on September 8, 2022. •Further information about this case is available on the SCC website at: scc.virginia.gov/pages/Case Information. On May 5, 2022, Virginia Electric and Power Company (“Dominion” or “Company”) filed a petition (“Petition”) with the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”) pursuant to § 56-585.1:9 of the Code of Virginia (“Code”) and Code § 56-585.1 A 6. The Company seeks approval to install middle-mile broadband capacity in unserved areas (1) in the Northern Neck region of Virginia, including additional miles required within King George, Westmoreland, Richmond, and Northumberland Counties (“Original Northern Neck Counties”) as well as King William and Lancaster Counties (“Northern Neck Project”), and (2) in the Thomas Jefferson Planning District, specifically, Louisa and Appomattox Counties (“Thomas Jefferson Planning District Project” and collectively, with the Northern Neck Project, the “Proposed New Projects”). The Company also seeks approval to revise rate adjustment clause Rider RBB, for the rate year commencing December 1, 2022, through November 20, 2023 (“Rate Year”). Northern Neck Project Through its Petition, the Company is requesting approval of the Northern Neck Project, which includes miles previously approved for prudency by the Commission, 65.8 additional miles of fiber within the Original Northern Neck Counties, and the addition of approximately 128 miles of fiber in King William and Lancaster Counties. Dominion states that since initially filing for pilot approval of the Northern Neck Project in October 2020, the Company has worked closely with its Internet service provider (“ISP”) partner, All Points Broadband (“All Points”), and performed detailed scoping efforts in the field to identify the specific routes required to provide access to all unserved customers throughout the Northern Neck. Dominion asserts that these efforts resulted in minor changes to the original estimated route, increasing the estimated mileage from 217.2 miles to 221.9 miles. Dominion states that All Points has also since been awarded Rural Digital Opportunity Fund support and Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (“VATI”) funding to bring broadband access to additional unserved locations in the Original Northern Neck Counties. All Points has therefore requested that Dominion provide approximately 65.8 miles of additional middle-mile infrastructure in the Original Northern Neck Counties to enable universal access to all unserved customers in the Northern Neck Project. As a result, Dominion states that the Northern Neck Project includes a total of approximately 288 miles of fiber in the Original Northern Neck Counties. Dominion states that All Points will also receive approximately $7.6 million in additional VATI funding to deploy fiber-optic broadband into unserved areas of King William and Lancaster Counties. In conjunction with the additional miles in the Original Northern Neck Counties, the Company is also requesting approval to install approximately 128 miles of fiber in King William and Lancaster Counties. The Company represents that, in total, the Northern Neck Project will consist of approximately 416 miles of fiber. To provide broadband capacity in King William County, the Company is proposing to install 144-count All-Dielectric Self-Supporting (“ADSS”) fiber for approximately 28.9 miles along the trunk line or the Company’s main distribution line and 72-count ADSS fiber for approximately 32.3 miles on the lateral lines or the Company’s distribution tap lines. To provide broadband capacity in Lancaster County, the Company proposes to install 144-count ADSS fiber along the trunkline route for approximately 20.9 miles throughout Lancaster County and 72-count ADSS fiber along the various lateral routes for approximately 46.2 miles. The Company further states that total estimated capital cost for the Northern Neck Project is approximately $43.9 million, with rural broadband costs of approximately $32.1 million. Dominion indicates that it therefore seeks recovery of $32.1 million for the Northern Neck Project in this proceeding. The Company represents that as of the date of this petition, 122 miles (or approximately 29%) of the 416 miles in the Northern Neck Project are in some phase of the construction process. Dominion maintains that based on the progress to date and the remaining mileage, the Company has a high degree of confidence that the majority of the Northern Neck Project for the initial counties will be complete by the end of 2022, barring any unforeseen delays that can arise on individual work requests related to unique permitting situations. Thomas Jefferson Planning District Project The Company is also requesting approval of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Project in which it will provide broadband capacity to Firefly Fiber Broadband (“Firefly”) in unserved areas of Appomattox and Louisa Counties. To provide broadband capacity, Dominion proposes to install 144-count ADSS fiber along the trunk line for approximately 13.1 miles and 72-count ADSS fiber along the lateral lines for approximately 40.9 miles in Appomattox County. To provide broadband capacity in Louisa County, the Company proposes to install 144-count ADSS fiber along the trunk-line route for approximately 16.7 miles throughout Louisa County and 72-count ADSS fiber along the various lateral routes for approximately 43.1 miles. Dominion represents that the total estimated capital cost for the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Project is approximately $12 million, with rural broadband costs of approximately $9.5 million. The Company indicates that it therefore seeks recovery of $9.5 million for the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Project in this proceeding. Rider RBB The Company seeks approval of two requests related to Rider RBB: (i) to update Rider RBB for the recovery of costs associated with the Surry and Botetourt Projects approved by the Commission in Case No. PUR-2020-00197, and (ii) to recover through Rider RBB the costs of the Northern Neck Project and the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Project. The Company states that it will use the lease revenues it receives from the ISPs to offset the costs of the previously approved rural broadband projects and the Proposed New Projects. For the Rate Year, the Company is requesting recovery of a total revenue requirement of $7.438 million. The Company indicates that its revenue requirement includes the Projected Cost Recovery Factor and the Actual Cost True-Up Factor. For purposes of calculating the revenue requirement in this case, Dominion states that it is utilizing a rate of return on common equity (“ROE”) of 9.35% for the period after the Commission’s November 18, 2021 Final Order (“Triennial Review Final Order”) in Case No. PUR-2021-00058 and is utilizing an ROE of 9.2%, as approved by the Commission in Case No. PUR-2019-00050, for the period prior to the Triennial Review Final Order. The Company indicates that in this proceeding, it has updated certain components of its Lead/Lag Study based on calendar year 2021. Accordingly, the Company requests that any issues related to the Lead/Lag Study be litigated in this docket. According to the Petition, the implementation of the proposed Rider RBB on December 1, 2022, will increase the residential customer’s monthly bill, based on 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month, by $0.14. Interested persons are encouraged to review the Petition and supporting documents for the details of these and other proposals. TAKE NOTICE that the Commission may apportion revenues among customer classes and/or design rates in a manner differing from that shown in the Petition and supporting documents and thus may adopt rates that differ from those appearing in the Company’s Petition and supporting documents. The Commission entered an Order for Notice and Hearing in this proceeding that, among other things, scheduled public hearings on Dominion’s Petition. On September 7, 2022, at 10 a.m., the Hearing Examiner assigned to this case 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 2, 2022, 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. On September 8, 2022, at 10 a.m., in the Commission’s second floor courtroom located in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, the Hearing Examiner will convene a hearing to receive testimony and evidence related to the Petition from the Company, any respondents, and the Commission’s Staff. The Commission takes judicial notice of the ongoing public health issues related to the spread of the coronavirus, or COVID 19. In accordance therewith, all pleadings, briefs, or other documents required to be served in this matter should be submitted electronically to the extent authorized by 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (“Rules of Practice”). Confidential and Extraordinarily Sensitive information shall not be submitted electronically and should comply with 5 VAC 5-20-170, Confidential information, of the Rules of Practice. Any person seeking to hand deliver and physically file or submit any pleading or other document shall contact the Clerk’s Office Document Control Center at (804) 371-9838 to arrange the delivery. Pursuant to 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice, the Commission has directed that service on parties and the Commission’s Staff in this matter shall be accomplished by electronic means. Please refer to the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing for further instructions concerning Confidential or Extraordinarily Sensitive Information. An electronic copy of the public version of the Company’s Petition may be obtained by submitting a written request to counsel for the Company, Jontille D. Ray, Esquire, McGuireWoods LLP, Gateway Plaza, 800 East Canal Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or jray@mcguirewoods.com. On or before August 31, 2022, any interested person may file comments on the Petition by following the instructions found 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 with the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. All comments shall refer to Case No. PUR-2022-00062. On or before July 15, 2022, any person or entity wishing to participate as a respondent in this proceeding may do so by filing a notice of participation 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 State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2118. Such notice of participation shall include the email addresses of such parties or their counsel. The respondent simultaneously shall serve a copy of the notice of participation on counsel to the Company. Pursuant to Rule 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 then 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-2022-00062. On or before July 27, 2022, 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, respondents shall comply with the Commission’s Rules of Practice, including 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service; and 5 VAC 5-20240, Prepared testimony and exhibits. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2022-00062. 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 public version of the Company’s Petition, the Commission’s Rules of Practice and the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing may be viewed on the Commission’s website at: scc.virginia.gov/pages/Case-Information. VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY

PAGE 24 | JUNE 23 - 29, 2022

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

Falls Church News-Press 6-23-2022

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Crime Report ...................................... 8 Sports................................................10 School News & Notes

News & Notes............................ 16,17 Calendar.....................................18,19 Critter Corner

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