Falls Church News-Press 6-30-2022

June 30 - July 6, 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. 20

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

July 4 Vs. Supreme Court Ruling Fireworks A No-Go In F.C. Plenty of Options Remain In Area to Fete Holiday

by Alex Russell

Falls Church News-Press

As Independence Day arrives once again this coming Monday, July 4, the nation’s capital will draw large crowds to its staple assortment of parades, live performances, numerous restaurants offering American staples as well as world cuisine, and what many consider to be the “main event” — fireworks at the National Mall.

The National Park Service will once again turn the Mall into a veritable hotspot for a massive fireworks display, launching from both sides of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. But on a local level, Falls Church City will not be hosting a fireworks display this year. Still, there will be a variety of family-friendly events in this area that will provide fun alternatives to the typical “rockets’ red glare” normally associated with Independence Day. On Sunday, July 3, from 2 — 5 p.m., Falls Church residents and visitors from surrounding areas will be able to participate in a free scavenger

Continued on Page 4

THE SUPREME COURT STRUCK DOWN ROE V WADE last week, undoing a decades-worth of Constitutional protections for women in the country and further eroding their freedom over private healthcare decisions. Demonstrations, led by pro-choice activists across the nation, expressed in full-view the desire of many Americans to keep abortion rights from further tampering. Justice Thomas suggested going after previous SCOTUS rulings that deal with same-sex marriage and LGBTQ+ rights. At the state level, abortions remain legal in Virginia, although Governor Youngkin has expressed support for a 15-week ban. (Photo: J. Michael Whalen)

Virginians Are Fighting for Women’s Health Care

by Alex Russell

Falls Church News-Press

Virginia U.S. Senator Tim Kaine has been among the cascade of leading lawmakers to react strongly to the U.S. Supreme Court decision last week to overturn the 50-year

history of Roe v Wade that permitted a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy. In his latest statement on the subject, Kaine said, “I am deeply disturbed by last week’s news that the Supreme Court has voted to overturn Roe v. Wade.” He continued, “Roe v. Wade has been

settled U.S. policy for nearly five decades. It has protected women’s rights to make fundamental...choices about issues of reproductive health.

After the court has overturned decades of precedent protecting the right to choose, I’ve been working to restore that right legislatively.

And I’m talking to colleagues on both sides of the aisle, trying to find bipartisan support to federally protect reproductive freedom.”

Sen. Kaine’s strong words were echoed by his Virginia U.S. Senate colleague Mark Warner, and by Falls

Continued on Page 9

Inside This Week News-Press Spotlights Wider Region July 4 Events

A New Science Fiction Story by News-Press’ Own Ted White

See Page 2

See Page 23

With the holiday known for fireworks, grill outs and overall independence just around the corner, the wider D.C. Metropolitan area is preparing for a busy Fourth of July, with locals and tourists looking for fun things to do.

News-Press Copy Editor Ted White, longtime writer of science fiction, creates a new, four-part allegory featuring psychoanalysis, dreams, aliens and a world of the future dangerously close to mirroring our own.

Index

Comment...................................... 5,7,8 Editorial................................................ 6 Letters.................................................. 6 Crime Report....................................... 8 Sports................................................10 Restaurant Spotlight..........................14 Business News.................................. 15 News & Notes............................ 16,17 Calendar......................................18,19 Critter Corner..................................... 22

LO CA L

PAGE 2 | JUNE 30 - JULY 6, 2022

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

D.C. Offers Fireworks, Food and Fun for Fourth of July Weekend

by Kylee Toland

Falls Church News-Press

With the holiday known for fireworks, grill outs and overall independence just around the corner, the wider D.C. metropolitan area is preparing for a busy Fourth of July, an especially honored holiday here because of its role as the nation’s capital. Fortunately, it won’t be hard for locals and tourists to find something to do while celebrating the holiday, as the DMV area offers a variety of activities and places for people to enjoy.

According to Destination D.C.’s President and CEO Elliot L. Ferguson II, there is “no better destination to honor Independence Day than in the nation’s capital.” “We know cost is top of mind for everyone these days and DC is the “Capital of Free,” continued Ferguson in his statement while also stating that D.C. has more than “100 things to do” during the holiday weekend. Just last year, domestic visitation during July 4th weekend was 18.8 million, with visitors to DC spending up to $5.1 billion and supporting 57,933 local jobs.

For most people, Fourth of July mainly focuses on the bright fire-

works that light up the night sky.

D.C. is well-known for its fireworks at the National Mall, which has been described as “the most crowded place to watch the celebration.” For those looking for a low-key experience or a quiet, “sensory-friendly” evening, watching the fireworks from the National Cathedral or Cardozo Education Campus — both located in northwestern D.C. — is the best option, as the National Cathedral has been called the “highest point in the city.”

At 8 p.m., before the fireworks show at the National Mall, A Capitol Fourth — a concert featuring a variety of artists — will take place inperson as well as being aired on PBS for those not able to attend.

Hosted by four-time Grammy nominee Mickey Guyton, this year’s concert will feature musical artists such as Rachel Platten, Jake Owen, U.S. Army Herald Trumpets, Gloria Gaynor and many more. For more information, visit pbs.org.

For the first time in three years, the National Independence Day parade will be making its way on Constitution Avenue from 7th to 17th street at 11:45 a.m. on July 4th.

The parade consists of invited bands,

fife and drum corps, floats, giant balloons and many more. Described on its website as a “patriotic, flagwaving, red white and blue celebration of America’s birthday,” the goal of the parade is to “include representation from all parts of the United States.” Smaller parades celebrating the holiday include the Capitol Hill Community 4th of July Parade and the 74th Annual Pacific Palisades July 4th Celebration. Both of these parades feature local little league teams, girl scouts, council members and neighborhood people. For sports fans, the Washington Nationals are playing the Miami Marlins at Nationals Park. Starting at 11 a.m. on July the 4th, this gives people a headstart in celebrating Independence day while also leaving time for other activities in the evening.

When it comes time to satisfy your stomach, D.C. provides a number of restaurants and eateries for locals and tourists alike to enjoy. With beer gardens, patios and rooftop restaurants, the D.C. area offers popular dining spots such as Founding Farmers, The Rooftop DC, Le Diplomate and many more. For a fun night involving food, drinks, music and views of fireworks, The Wharf is offering a free celebra-

4th of July Weekend July 2-4 4th of July Family Platters Mezze Platter (serves for 4): Chef 's Cigars, Dolmas, Falafels, with cacik, htipiti and humus served with homemade bread $39 Mixed Grilled Platter (serves for 4) Filet Mignon, Lamb Chops, Mediterranean Chicken served with rice,

bulgur and vegetables. $99

THE FIREWORKS at the National Mall will begin at 9 p.m. on Monday, July 4. tion on July 4th called “Fourth at the Wharf.” This event is welcome to all ages and offers attendees a “historically’’ great view of the fireworks. For more information, visit wharfdc.com.

While visiting the D.C. area for the holiday weekend, this could be a perfect time for both tourists and locals to visit the monuments, parks and museums. Monuments and memorials such as the Vietnam Veterans memorial and the Washington Monument are great sites to see when spending a day in

the nation’s capital. One can visit the reopened National Portrait Gallery’s America’s Presidents exhibit, which displays images of past presidents through sculptures and paintings.

The National Museum of American History can allow visitors to observe a variety of historical artifacts, such as the flag that inspired the national anthem. For those who opt for an outdoor experience, DC offers public parks and gardens, as well as national parks such as the National Mall and Memorial Parks.

FCNP.COM | FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

JUNE 30 - JULY 6, 2022 | PAGE 3

City of Falls Church

INDEPENDENCE DAY

Celebration July 4, 2022

July 3, 2022 SCAVENGER HUNT 2PM - 5PM CLUES WILL BE POSTED ON THE CITY'S SOCIAL MEDIA AND WEBSITE AT 1PM

QUANTICO MARINE CORPS BAND

INDEPENDENCE DAY READINGS HOSTED BY VPIS CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS (300 PARK AVE.) 12 NOON

OPEN TO ALL AGES

FREE

CHERRY HILL PARK (312 PARK AVE.) 5PM

www.fallschurchva.gov/IndependenceDay @FallsChurchGov

HOME TO GOOD FOOD AND FRIENDS

NOW SERVING BRUNCH Saturday & Sunday 9am-3pm

513 W. Broad St. Falls Church, Va 22046

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 703-248-5027 (TTY 711)

City of Falls Church Government

HARVEY’S

www.Harveysva.com

(540) 268-6100

PATRIOTIC FUN

@FallsChurchGov

LO CA L

PAGE 4 | JUNE 30 - JULY 6, 2022

Key Historical Documents Will Be Read In F.C. Council Chambers on July 4

Continued from Page 1

hunt organized by the Falls Church Recreation and Parks Department.

Participants will work to find hidden letters in and around three local parks; picture clues of where the letters are hidden will be posted across the City’s social media accounts as well as on the City’s official website at fallschurchva.gov, at 1 p.m. that day. Participants will try to determine which park is featured in the picture, search the park for the item from the clue, discover the letter that correlates with the image on the tracking sheet and finally turn in the sheet at the Cherry Hill Shelter for a reward.

The Quantico Marine Corps Band will visit the Little City on Sunday, July 3, with a performance at Cherry Hill Park (312 Park Ave), beginning at 5 p.m. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets or chairs along, as seating will not be provided. The Falls Church Village Preservation and Improvement Society (VPIS) will hold its annual Independence Day Remembrance reading in City Hall Chambers (300 Park Ave) at 12 p.m. on Monday, July 4, an event designed

to honor the founding documents that have helped build America’s democracy. Free of charge, attendees will hear a discussion of the reasons why the American colonies desired independence from England, as well as readings from a set of foundational documents, such as the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation and the Fairfax Resolves. This Falls Church tradition began in 1984, first organized by Lou Olom and Sue Bachtel (former presidents of VPIS) who, as expressed by current VPIS Board Member Keith Thurston, thought it was “important to remember the true work of the founding of this country.”

As to why fireworks will be missing from this year’s celebrations in the Little City, Henry Lane, the City’s Fire Marshall, explained that fireworks used to be “displayed at the school complex on West Broad St” but now, “due to construction of the new high school,” a fireworks show will not be held this year. “Plans are being made,” however, “to have smaller displays in the future.” Lane stated that, in accordance with current regulation, “fireworks are prohibited to be sold or

displayed” in the City unless it is done so by a “professional, licensed and approved company.” The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), in a statement, explained that the handling of fireworks must be left “in the hands of the professionals.” Sparklers, which may seem harmless, reach a temperature “nearly six times” that of 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius) — the boiling point of water.

With that in mind, Lane says that “there will be many displays around the area.” Citizens will need to check local schedules to find a fireworks display this coming week,” as many locations “will have them on different nights” before and after July 4.

The Loudoun County Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) will host an Independence Day Celebration (with fireworks) on Monday at Franklin Regional Park (17501 Franklin Park Dr, Purcellville, VA), from 5 — 10 p.m. The annual Independence Day Parade, organized by the City of Fairfax, will begin at 10 a.m. at 4100 Chain Bridge Rd on July 4, looping around Old Town Fairfax along Chain Bridge

Helping Our Clients Buy, Sell and Invest!

Kathy Pippin, Realtor FOR SALE

1837 Peabody Drive, Falls Church $1,850,000

FOR SALE

6626 Moly Drive, Falls Church $950,000

Website: Kathypippinproperties.com

6707 Old Dominion Dr. #315 McLean, VA 22101

Email: Kathy@Kathypippinproperties.com Licensed in VA

Call/Text: 703-408-0838

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

LOU OLOM at a reading in 2006. (P����: K���� B������) Rd, Main St, University Dr and Armstrong St, featuring nine high school marching bands, balloons and floats. The Town of Herndon will also host Independence Day activities on Monday, featuring live music

by Hipshack, bingo and other familyfriendly games and a fireworks show starting at 9:30 p.m., launching from the Herndon Centennial Golf Course (909 Ferndale Ave, Herndon).

The City of Alexandria will join in on the celebrations on Saturday, July 9, with a performance by the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra and a fireworks show at 9:30 p.m.

There will be a number of accessible vantage points from which to see the show, such as Rivergate Park (2 Montgomery St), Oronoco Bay Park (100 Madison St), Founders Park (351 North Union St) and Waterfront Park (1A Prince St), among others. In observance of Independence Day, City offices and services, includ-

ing City Hall, the Mary Riley Styles Public Library and the Community Center will be closed on July 4.

The City of Falls Church Fire Marshal reminds those who visit, live, and work in the City that it is unlawful for any person to store, offer for sale, expose for sale, sell at retail, use or explode any fireworks (including sparklers) within the City limits. All fireworks found in the City are subject to seizure. The above offenses are Class One misdemeanors in the City. Fireworks violations may be reported to the City of Falls Church Police Department at 703241-5053 (TTY 711).

Despite the dangers of fireworks, few people understand the associated risks, like devastating burns, fires and even death. According to the NFPA, every Fourth of July, thousands of people (most often children and teens) are injured while using consumer fireworks.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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

CO MME NT

JUNE 30 - JULY 6, 2022 | PAGE 5

When Pride Month Ends, What’s Next for Falls Church’s Growing LGBT Community?

by Dean Edwards Pride Month comes once a year to celebrate LGBTQ+ lives and the steady, if at times fragile, progress our society has made in elevating and valuing those lives.

This June, Falls Church marks a permanent gain for LGBTQ+ inclusion with the opening of the Inova Pride Clinic (located at 500 N. Washington St, #200, Falls Church, VA). Billed as the first of its kind in Northern Virginia, the primary care clinic will meet the health care needs of thousands who might otherwise feel out of place or afraid to seek the treatment and care they need.

It is a win for our progressive, evolving city and a reminder of the prime importance of fostering LGBTQ+ spaces locally.

In line with statewide progress made in the past decade, Falls Church has moved forward in embracing its increasingly diverse population.

While no survey or census could ever capture the diversity of sexuality and gender in the City and surrounding suburbs of Northern Virginia, no doubt thousands of LGBTQ+ individuals call these communities their home.

And with each year, thousands more will surely join their growing ranks.

So, what of Falls Church’s social life: how does it serve to include and enrich LGBTQ+ lives?

Not exceptionally well, is the stark truth.

In an age of broad national acceptance of LGBTQ+ diversity — in our families and schools, on social media and in the popular media, and per official proclamations from City Hall — little has in fact materialized in the way of LGBTQ+ social life among the bars, restaurants, shops, and public spaces of Falls Church and, more generally, Northern Virginia.

While Freddie’s Beach Bar in Crystal City may proudly boast to be Northern Virginia’s only LGBTQ+ bar, it is strik-

ing that in a region of some 3 million, there should be so few LGBT-owned or focused spaces.

This bare reality is no one’s fault in particular. With that broader social acceptance, the rising cost of rent and doing business, and the digitization of our social lives, explicitly LGBTQ+ spaces have been contracting everywhere.

But attracting and encouraging LGBTQ+-owned and focused businesses makes good sense, economically and socially. It provides old and young LGBTQ+ individuals a space to connect.

An opportunity for thousands of locals and visitors, gay or straight, to spend time and money locally.

And to further develop a stronger sense of community overall.

As Falls Church evolves, so does this all-important need to define the character and values of our city and region.

Falls Church, like our nation, has made meaningful progress in LGBTQ+ inclusion.

However, these gains are not guaranteed to endure unless, like Inova’s Pride Clinic, they become brick-and-mortar realities in our city’s daily social and economic life.

There will surely be challenging days ahead, with the threat of changing political headwinds and an increasingly vocal anti-LGBTQ+ minority.

After this Pride Month is over and the rainbow flags come down and storefronts return to their usual window treatments, Falls Church’s leading citizens should take the initiative and demonstrate this city’s yearround commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion.

This is a call to action for Falls Church’s political and business leaders to build the momentum and groundwork for a thriving LGBTQ+ community in the City of Falls Church, fulfilling this Little City’s promise as Northern Virginia’s most ambitious, forward-thinking and inclusive community.

Our Man in Arlington

By Charlie Clark

After seven decades in Arlington, William “Pless” Lunger remains awed by the historic role his father played in national security, the career that brought his family to the nation’s capital to help usher in the Atomic Age. And equally, Lunger, a retiree now an officer with historical groups, recalls the tough-love he received through one of his father’s pranks.

In the early 1950s, Army Lt. Col. Richard T. Lunger was stationed in Los Alamos, N.M., where much planning for the hydrogen bomb unfolded.

His son Pless showed me a Life Magazine, April 12, 1954, with the first photos of the H-Bomb test (Operation Ivy). That epic event took place on the Pacific island of Elugelab (destroyed) in November 1952, in Eniwetok Atoll.

A photo shows Lunger’s father (unnamed) wearing a headset performing the countdown, the onceclassified typescript for which survives. At H-Minus one minute, “observers having special density goggles should put them on,” it says.

“Do not…remove…until 10 seconds after detonation….The shock wave will not arrive for several minutes after zero time— keep firm footing until after the wave passes.”

The Eisenhower-era Cold War headline promised “the “Complete Story of H-Blast,” narrating, “5-43-2-1 and the Hydrogen Age Is Upon Us.” Life proclaimed it an

“awesome new chapter in man’s history.”

Photos show the mushroom cloud 25-miles high, 100-miles wide. Atomic Energy Commission Chair Lewis Strauss “informed a stunned nation that one H-Bomb could incinerate a whole city.”

Graphics of an evacuation plan for the D.C. area relied on the bridges to Arlington, where 45,000 autos “could conceivably move its population.”

Lunger’s father, who died in 1974, received a letter of appreciation from Gen. Leslie Groves (head of the Manhattan Project and builder of Pentagon) and was eligible for compensation in later years for radiation exposure. Pless hears his father’s countdown regularly on The History Channel.

The older Lunger also used his national security perch to impress a lesson on his sons.

One day in 1960, Pless and older brother Ted were driving past the Arlington Courthouse neighborhood home of a known “stormtrooper” member of the American Nazi Party. They stopped when the Nazi gave the infamous salute.

This prompted Pless to “tell him what I thought,” as he puts it.

A few days later, Pless’s father and his FBI friend called the boys in mysteriously and said they were going to Capitol Hill.

Soon they were ushered into the bunker for the powerful Joint Committee on Atomic Energy under the Rotunda.

Baffled, the teenagers were told federal agents wanted their statements on their whereabouts

the previous Thursday night. They were then shown FBI surveillance footage of themselves at the Nazi’s home. “Your dad has lost his security clearance,” the agents said grimly.

“They raked us over the coals,” Pless recalls, and kept them alone in the bunker for hours. The boys had to walk back to Arlington.

Several days later, Pless’s father revealed that it had all been playacting, that he had arranged it with his friend over a beer.

The moral: stay away from shady characters. ** I had to slam on my brakes for a pedestrian on a recent Saturday as I drove the speed limit on S. 12 St. in Crystal City. The young man and I made eye contact as he pointed indignantly at crosswalk stripes below his feet.

But that’s incorrect. “No pedestrian shall enter or cross an intersection in disregard of approaching traffic,” says the Virginia code.

True, the code also admonishes that “the driver of any vehicle… shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian...at any clearly marked crosswalk.”

And what kind of driver would hit a pedestrian to express his “rights”?

But while some jurisdictions give pedestrians total priority, Arlington’s police advice states that a “designated pedestrian… always waits for a safe break in traffic and never enters the crosswalk in disregard of approaching vehicles.”

There’s a reason your mother told you in kindergarten to stop and look both ways.

PAGE 6 | JUNE 30 - JULY 6. 2022

One of the Nation’s Foremost Weekly Newspapers

(Published by Benton Communications, Inc.)

FOUNDED IN 1991

Vol. XXXII, No. 20 June 30 - July 6, 2022 • City of Falls Church ‘Business of the Year’ 1991 & 2001 • • Certified by the Commonwealth of Virginia to Publish Official Legal Notices • • Member, Virginia Press Association •

N������� F. B����� O���� � E�����-I�-C���� �������������.���

N��� G��� M������� E����� ����������.���

S�� J������ A���������� S���� �������������.���

A��� R������

N��� R������� �������������.���

C������ C���� C�������� T�� W���� C��� E����� J���� I����� C���������� M������ �������������.���

T� C������ ��� N���-P���� �����: 703-532-3267 ���: 703-342-0347 �����: ���������.��� ������� ����������� �������������.���

���������� ��� �������������.��� ����� ��� �������������.��� ������� �� ��� ������ ������������.��� N��� � N���� �����������������.��� O��������� ����������.��� ������������� ������������ � �������� �������������.���

WWW.FCNP.COM The Falls Church News-Press is published weekly on Thursdays and is distributed free of charge throughout the City of Falls Church and the Greater Falls Church area. Offices are at 105 N. Virginia Ave.., #310, Falls Church, VA 22046.

Reproduction of this publication in whole or part

E��������

E D I TO R I A L

F.C. Must Address ‘Missing Middle’

In our glowing editorial update on the status of the City of Falls Church last week, inspired by its No. 2 in the entire U.S. rating for health outcomes, we made a passing reference to the need for affordable housing here, noting that much more needs to be done. The main public reaction to all things Falls Church that get reported in the wider media is, “That’s great, but I can’t afford to live there!”

We’ve seen more progress on taking this seriously in the last year than at any time in the last decade. Amazon, in building its second major headquarters (HQ2) just down the road, has pitched in with millions for affordable housing development with its REACH program — designating $3.8 million for the establishment of an affordable home ownership program. Also, State Sen. Dick Saslaw has come through with $1 million from the state for the City’s affordable housing efforts. Those who will be given priority in the City are those aged 62 or up or disabled, and who live or work in the Little City.

Looking to further examine the terms of a partnership with the D.C.based Neighborhood Housing Program (NHP) foundation, the F.C. Council determined unanimously to table a motion this Monday and to have the matter come back for its July 11 meeting. Issues of project requirements pursued primarily by Council member Caroline Lian resulted in the move to table.

There is also provision to allow some affordable housing in the City Council’s sweeping effort to revise its “T-2” transitional zoning rules that will come up again after Labor Day. However, the City is not anywhere near doing what the Arlington County Board is exploring, which involves major changes to its residential area zoning aimed at permitting the building of more-reasonably priced multi-family buildings in an area that has been limited to single family homes for many years, as News-Press columnist Charlie Clark reported in his column here last week.

The initiative is to address the housing problem that has become known nationally as the “missing middle” issue. With single family home values soaring to over $1 million throughout this region, the need has grown drastically for more reasonably priced housing options that can enable critically needed workforce families to live anywhere near here.

This includes teachers, firefighters, police and average public service employees.

It has become a very contentious issue in Arlington, with scores of citizens showing up at public meetings to weigh in, as Clark reported. It is clear to us that, despite smokescreen issues like trees and other environmental factors, the zoning change is feared most for its perceived potentially negative impact on home values, as well as for the issue of population diversity.

The Arlington board will have a work session on the subject with the county manager on July 12 and is set to take a vote in the fall. Falls Church leaders should play close attention.

P�������

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

L������

Big Changes Coming Soon to Falls Church Residential Roads Editor, Falls Church is planning to lower the speed limit on its residential roads from 25 miles per hour (mph) to 20 mph and could even go to 15 mph if the council approves. This is a major departure from the 25 mph standard in place throughout the DC area and nationally for decades.

In addition, the city is studying new “traffic calming” measures in the “Greenway Downs” area between S. Washington Street, W. Rosemary Lane, Seaton Lane and W. Cameron Road. A consultant has proposed two new speed bumps for each of the seven roads in the study area, and some new curb extensions and road curves at a number of intersections, to slow traffic throughout the area.

Also a volunteer working group of representatives from each road has been exploring additional measures, such as warning signs, flashing lights, speed cameras and even “no through traffic” constraints.

The city already has a robust array of traffic-calming measures in place, including numerous stop signs, stop lights, crosswalks, crossing guards, and short, narrow roads. I have urged the city to adopt further measures only at specific locations where warranted, not with a broad brush as proposed.

Lowering the speed limit, add-

ing speed bumps and reconfiguring intersections will impede driving from our houses to destinations such as the grocery store, post office, restaurants, schools and offices. A lower limit also will increase the likelihood of being ticketed for driving at a moderate speed.

A traffic study done last May in neighborhoods adjacent to S. Washington showed that the vast majority of drivers are driving responsibly within the current limit. Drivers who speed should be penalized, but everyone else should not face lower limits and new impediments.

If you have not weighed in about these changes, you should do so soon. Otherwise your preference will not be considered in determining whether the changes are adopted, potentially allowing a small number of residents to control the outcome. Please contact the city council, manager, and working group now via cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov, city-manager@fallschurchva.gov and jsikes@fallschurchva.gov.

Henri Bartholomot

Question Regarding Weekly Crosswords Editor, Like Hank Seiff, I also wrote about the crossword puzzle size.

Thanks for making last week’s puzzle the old style and larger size. But now it seems that the puzzle isn’t in the paper every week. Please run this more readable size every week.

Larry Rice

ADVERTISE IN THE

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.

Email: sjohnson@fcnp.com or visit www.FCNP.com

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Editor’s Essay

CO MME NT

JUNE 30 - JULY 6, 2022 | PAGE 7

Cassidy Hutchinson Is a New Household Name Nicholas F. Benton FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

Cassidy Hutchinson is a new household name.

At this w e e k ’ s h a s t i l y called sixth public January 6 Committee hearing, it was a strong, independent minded young woman who stepped up to lay out a massive amount of incriminating evidence based on what was happening in real time from her vantage point inside the White House on the day of the January 6 assault on the nation’s capital.

All the hearings to date have outdone themselves with stunning, documented evidence of the greatest assault on democracy in the U.S. since the Civil War. These days’ hearings will be

emblazoned in the U.S. history books for time immemorial. Newly minted heroes are being forged daily, and also, ones who will be remembered as mewling, treasonous criminals, the very lowest of the low in the eyes of an entire nation and world.

Cassidy Hutchinson is such a hero. Her former boss, Mark Meadows, is such a criminal, stooping down to the ranks of Gen. Michael Flynn, who was shown on record pleading “The Fifth” at this week’s hearing when asked the question, “Do you believe in the lawful transfer of power” of U.S. presidents? How truly stunning!

Hutchinson should become a role model for an entire generation of young Americans emulating her patriotism and courage, as well as her intellect and talent.

In fact, it has been a triumvirate of young, accomplished women who, it’s turning out, are playing such central roles in the January 6 hearings.

With their invaluable input,

the hearings are slowly reaching down and cleansing the deeply corrupted moral wells of our culture and people through the impact of these hearings.

It was noted on Lawrence O’Donnell’s show on MSNBC late this Tuesday night that, while Hutchinson may have felt alone describing to the committee what she saw and heard with her own eyes in the West Wing of the White House on January 6, 2021, she was being buoyed by two important colleagues in the room, Olivia Troye, the former aide to Vice President Mike Pence who had testified before the committee earlier, and January 6 committee member U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney.

Staunch conservatives close to Hutchinson for a long time leading up to this, both were also motivated by a profound commitment to their country and were deeply troubled by what Trump and his sycophants were up to.

Trump’s niece, Mary Trump, also on the O’Donnell show that night, echoed a similar senti-

ment, augmented by her psychological training to diagnose Trump as “seriously psychologically disordered.”

These historic hearings are defined not by politics, but existentially by far deeper sentiments related to factors such as integrity, honesty, a commitment to the truth, and personal character.

Truth and democracy are inseparable, and the bonds of empathy empowering these women had nothing to do with relatively superficial policy matters.

By contrast, the pathetic case of how Trump built his whole organized crime edifice on an ability to compromise people and cheat them.

He not only lacked personal character, he saw it as his enemy to the extent he encountered it.

The loyalty he demanded was not only to himself but against any other factors, like honesty, compassion or, for that matter, truth itself.

Indeed, it’s Trump’s special contempt for some of his most

loyal followers, as seen in his enthusiasm for the hanging of Mike Pence on January 6, that should warn off his loyalists to steer clear of him.

It’s why he failed to issue pardons for two of his closest followers, Meadows and Giuliani.

Then there’s Gen. Flynn, who pleaded the “Fifth” (against self-incrimination) multiple times to the January 6 committee, even when only asked if he favored the “peaceful transition of power.”

Late night TV funny man Stephen Colbert got the studio audience at the Ed Sullivan Theater to sing the entire National Anthem with only the words, “The fifth, the fifth, the fifth.”

Recall that Flynn was a dinner guest of Vladimir Putin in Moscow at a meeting with a table full of U.S. agents of Putin, as the original Steele Dossier (remember that?) reported.

We await the full exposure of Trump’s role as an agent of a hostile foreign power.

Commentary

Technology and the Triumph of Pessimism Paul Krugman NEW YORK TIMES

One of the bestselling novels of the 19th century was a work of what we’d now call speculative fiction: Edward Bellamy’s “Looking Backward: 2000-1887.” Bellamy was one of the first prominent figures to recognize that rapid technological progress had become an enduring feature of modern life — and he imagined that this progress would vastly improve human happiness.

In one scene, his protagonist, who has somehow been transported from the 1880s to 2000, is asked if he would like to hear some music; to his astonishment his hostess uses what we would now call a speakerphone to let him listen to a live orchestral performance, one of four then in

progress. And he suggests that having such easy access to entertainment would represent “the limit of human felicity.”

Well, over the past few days I’ve watched several shows on my smart TV — I haven’t made up my mind yet about the new season of “Westworld” — and also watched several live musical performances. And let me say, I find access to streamed entertainment a major source of enjoyment. But the limit of felicity? Not so much.

I’ve also read recently about how both sides in the RussiaUkraine war are using precision long-range missiles — guided by more or less the same technology that makes streaming possible — to strike targets deep behind each other’s lines. For what it’s worth, I’m very much rooting for Ukraine here, and it seems significant that the Ukrainians seem to be striking ammunition dumps while the Russians are carrying out terror attacks on shopping

malls. But the larger point is that while technology can bring a lot of satisfaction, it can also enable new forms of destruction.

And humanity has, sad to say, exploited that new ability on a massive scale.

My reference to Edward Bellamy comes from a forthcoming book, “Slouching Towards Utopia,” by Brad DeLong, an economics professor at the University of California, Berkeley.

The book is a magisterial history of what DeLong calls the “long 20th century,” running from 1870 to 2010, an era that he says — surely correctly — was shaped overwhelmingly by the economic consequences of technological progress.

Why start in 1870? As DeLong points out, and many of us already knew, for the great bulk of human history — roughly 97 percent of the time that has elapsed since the first cities emerged in ancient Mesopotamia

— Malthus was right: There were many technological innovations over the course of the millenniums, but the benefits of these innovations were always swallowed up by population growth, driving living standards for most people back down to the edge of subsistence.

There were occasional bouts of economic progress that temporarily outpaced what DeLong calls “Malthus’ devil” — indeed, modern scholarship suggests there was a significant rise in per capita income during the early Roman Empire. But these episodes were always temporary. And as late as the 1860s, many smart observers believed the progress that had taken place under the Industrial Revolution would prove equally transitory.

Around 1870, however, the world entered an era of sustained rapid technological development that was unlike anything that had happened before; each successive generation found itself

living in a new world, utterly transformed from the world into which its parents had been born.

As DeLong argues, there are two great puzzles about this transformation — puzzles that are highly relevant to the situation in which we now find ourselves.

The first is why this happened. DeLong argues that there were three great “meta-innovations” (my term, not his) — innovations that enabled innovation itself. These were the rise of large corporations, the invention of the industrial research lab and globalization.

We could, I think, argue the details here. More important, however, is the suggestion — from DeLong and others — that the engines of rapid technological progress may be slowing down.

The second is why all this technological progress hasn’t

Continued on Page 13

PAGE 8 | JUNE 30 - JULY 6, 2022

CO MME NT A Penny for Your Thoughts

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

News of Greater Falls Church

By Supervisor Penny Gross

Prepare for power outages today WITH A HOME STANDBY GENERATOR

$0 MONEY DOWN + LOW MONTHLY PAYMENT OPTIONS

We knew it was coming, but the actual release of the Supreme Court’s decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, and ended the five-decade long health care protections for women, their families, and their medical providers stunned nonetheless.

The decision automatically put women’s health care into crisis, as health clinics in some states notified patients that they could no longer provide needed care,and closed their doors.

Hiding behind the excuse that “the issue should be left to the states,” the Court guaranteed that access to reproductive health care would be denied to millions of women and girls by means of simple geography.

Perhaps even more chilling was an addendum to the Court’s ruling, authored by Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, who opined that, in light of the Roe v. Wade decision, other “settled rights” should be revisited, including same sex marriage, access to contraceptives, and LGBTQ protections.

Basic to these decisions is the right to privacy, long held sacrosanct by the Court and other governmental institutions, but now apparently in grave danger.

It may be true that the framers of the U.S. Constitution did not anticipate, nor could have foreseen, the many diverse issues that face the nation today.

However, I doubt that the framers expected the Constitution they wrote in 1787 would remain simply a piece of parchment to be viewed in a glass case at the Archives Building. Why else would they have included a process for amending it? A difficult process, to be sure, but one that permits the Constitution to change with time and progress.

The Court’s recent rulings, especially about guns, reproductive rights, and prayer (on a public school football field!) make one question that progress.

Even now, state legislatures are invoking outdated laws from the 1800s, but still in force, as the basis for increased restrictions in health care and personal choices.

Some old laws, like restricting horses from roadways on Sunday, or how women can dress, or

CALL NOW BEFORE THE NEXT POWER OUTAGE

(844) 947-1479

FREE

7-Year Extended Warranty* – A $695 Value!

*To qualify, consumers must request a quote, purchase, install and activate the generator with a participating dealer. Call for a full list of terms and conditions.

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

C � � � � � F� � � � C � � � � �

CR IM E R EPO RT

Contact a Generac dealer for full terms and conditions

REQUEST A FREE QUOTE

not serving pretzels with beer at a bar (that North Dakota law apparently still is in force), are fodder for stand-up comedians.

Far more serious is the attempt to use outdated legislation to explain (or mansplain?) why certain long-protected rights no longer are protected.

If abortion no longer is a protected and private choice between a woman and her doctor, what’s next? State legislatures outlawing access to contraceptives, as happened in Connecticut as recently as 1965, or refusing to allow other medical procedures (tubal ligation, hysterectomy) to prevent pregnancy?

Government has no business intruding in personal medical decisions, just as it has no business interfering in consensual relationships between adults. Personal privacy still is a treasured foundation in this country, despite some Justices’ ruling.

Curiously, as the midterm election cycle nears, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Missouri brags that his campaign is a “movement to restore freedom, to restore individuals as masters of their own lives.”

The candidate is the same fellow who, along with his wife, famously brandished firearms to “protect” their property during a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest march in 2020. His overwhelming support for overturning Roe v. Wade certainly belies his promise to “restore individuals as masters of their own lives.”

Sounds like, in his world, only certain people — not females, not some males, not members of the LGBTQ community — get to manage their own lives.

Henry David Thoreau is credited with writing something about the best government being the one that governs least. Individual freedom always has been the linchpin of American society, even as the Court struggled to define the parameters of those freedoms.

Sadly, individual freedom appears to be the real victim today.

Week of June 20 — June 26, 2022 Trespass, Hillwood Ave, June 21, 1:17 PM, a male, 59, of no fixed address, was arrested for trespass.

Theft of Vehicle Parts, S Oak St, between 5 PM, June 18 and

2:30 PM, June 22, unknown suspect(s) removed the catalytic converter from a Toyota Prius.

Shoplifting, Wilson Blvd, June 23, 2:03 PM, unknown suspect took an item of value from a business. Suspect described as a female accompanied by a male individual who was wearing a reflective vest.

Larceny from Vehicle, W Broad St, between 5 PM, June 24 and 12:16 PM, June 25, unknown suspect took an item of value from a vehicle.

Kidnapping, Domestic Assault, Ellison St, June 26, 3:04 AM, a male, 23, of the City of Falls Church, was arrested for assault and Felony abduction.

FCNP.COM | FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

LO CA L

JUNE 30 - JULY 6, 2022 | PAGE 9

‘We Now Face An Assault On Basic Human Rights,’ Says Rep. Beyer

Continued from Page 1

Church’s representative in Congress Don Beyer, who said, “This ruling from a right-wing Supreme Court majority is a dark moment for America. These conservative justices abandoned 50 years of precedent in a decision which, as Justice Breyer’s dissent put it, ‘says that from the very moment of fertilization, a woman has no rights to speak of.’

“Republicans immediately reacted to this decision by criminalizing essential health care for women” in various states, “introducing laws to ban abortion at the federal level. In some states, laws already triggered by this ruling will force birth in cases of rape or incest. In Virginia, the Republican Governor and Republicans in the...

General Assembly signaled that they too will seek to sharply limit bodily autonomy. We now face an assault on basic human rights...criminalizing basic health and reproductive care will have enormous human impacts across this country, and forced birth laws will also do tremendous damage to personal and economic freedom, particularly on low income families and families in rural areas.

“The broader implications of this ruling are profound and terrifying.

Justice Alito wrote that the decision would threaten ‘no other right,’ but this prediction was immediately undercut by Justice Thomas, who wrote a concurring opinion which said that, using this ruling as precedent, the Court should revisit rulings that protect same-sex relationships, marriage equality, and contraception.

“This ruling cannot and will not be the last word — we will fight for bodily autonomy and freedom.

The House voted to codify Roe v Wade protections in September, the most important and effective step Congress can take. The Senate must recognize that protecting essential health care matters so much more than arcane procedural rules, and do what it takes to protect abortion rights...I have heard already from...many constituents in Northern Virginia who are deeply upset about this; to them and to everyone across the country who is concerned and speaking out: I support you, I am with you, and I will do all I can to help with my voice and my vote.”

(Beyer voted for the Women’s Health Protection Act to codify Roe v. Wade protections when the House passed the bill in September. He is the co-author of the Supreme Court Term Limits Act and a cosponsor of the

Judiciary Act). In Virginia, abortion remains legal, where “any physician licensed by the Board of Medicine” is legally allowed to “terminate or attempt to terminate a human pregnancy or aid or assist in the termination” of a pregnancy “during the second trimester…and prior to the third trimester of pregnancy” (as per the Code of Virginia). Third trimester abortions are legal only when the well-being of the mother is at risk.

Having until now remained relatively silent on his opinions toward abortion rights, Gov. Youngkin, following the SCOTUS ruling, has begun pushing for a 15-week ban.

If enacted, it would significantly reduce the available opportunities for women seeking abortion. Falls Church’s Delegate Marcus Simon told the News-Press that news of the SCOTUS decision was “disappointing but did not come as a total surprise.” He reiterated that “nothing changes for Virginians” at this time.

Virginians continue to have “access to [contraceptive] medication” as well as “access to [abortion] clinics.”

However, he did concede that now more than before, “Republicans are emboldened” and have as a result introduced the idea of a 15-week ban in Virginia. Simon expressed his sup-

port for “codifying the protections that were provided by Roe.” One focus relates to the new limitations imposed on abortion in various areas of the country, forcing people to embark on potentially dangerous trips to areas that provide legal abortion.

As a result of this dynamic, Simon highlighted that legislators will need to consider the question of whether or not to create legislation for those who come to Virginia so that they are “not prosecuted from other jurisdictions.”

He underscored the conflict at the core of this development, saying that it boils down to those who are “for prosecuting women” based on “their healthcare decisions” and those who support “allowing them to keep [their health] between them and their...provider.”

Delegate Kaye Kory representing the 38th District adjacent Falls Church, expressed similar thoughts, noting the hypocrisy of the SCOTUS ruling, establishing that “states cannot be trusted to act to prevent gun violence (as when SCOTUS struck down New York State’s concealed carry law) but…ruling that states must handle the issue of women’s rights to make private health care decisions.” She stated her belief that new Justices must be appointed who

“recognize the nonpartisan role of the judicial branch built upon precedent as we work to enshrine abortion protections.”

“This is the first time in American history,” she said, that the Supreme Court “has ruled to actively strip away constitutional protections it has previously granted.” She stressed that with November being only four months away, it is crucial to begin registering to vote now, to “make a plan to vote…to volunteer on a campaign, contribute money…we must be proactive right now by building overwhelming voter support for the re-election of Congressional Representatives who will stand with us and be our ‘brick wall’ against those who would righteously dictate.”

“In the U.S. we protect the minority, but we do not give them the right to dictate to the majority—yet this is clearly the case with the takedown of Roe.” Falls Church’s State Sen. Dick Saslaw, currently serving as Senate Majority Leader, stated that the general response among his colleagues mirrors that of Simon and Kory, but that no one is “totally surprised.”

“If we all hold together,” he added, “we can keep [abortion] totally legal in Virginia.”

WHO’S THE BEST? GET READY...

BEST OF FALLS CHURCH 2022 VOTING STARTS NEXT WEEK!

#BESTOFFC2022

PAGE 10 | JUNE 30 - JULY 6, 2022

LO CA L

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Annandale, Falls Church Actors Headline ‘Spongebob Musical’

by Mark Dreisonstok

As we find ourselves in summer, why not take a maritime holiday to a lagoon and meet new aquatic friends? One need only to travel to Bikini Bottom where “the sun rises on a new beautiful day,” to quote Spongebob, the hero of Toby’s Dinner and Show’s production of “The Spongebob Musical,” running through July 31.

For those new to Spongebob (we suspect your children will not be), Spongebob (Kyle Dalsimer) is an anthropomorphic sponge living beneath the sea. He has many fast friends, such as Patrick Star (DeCarlo Raspberry) and Sandy Cheeks (Janine Sunday), in addition to his boss Mr. Eugene H. Krabs (Jeffrey Shankle), owner of the Krusty Krab Restaurant. Such is the material of the “Spongebob Squarepants” show on cable television’s Nickelodeon.

Attractive tunes have been added, turning this into an extended story of Spongebob and his friends’ effort to save their underwater town from volcanic destruction.

Two of the stars of the show have strong connections to our area.

Annandale resident Kyle Lasimer, who plays Spongebob with enthusiasm and gusto, is a graduate of Annandale High School. He is soon to go from Columbia, Maryland, to New York’s Columbia University to study theatre. He has an excellent duet with Patrick Star (DeCarlo Raspberry) in “(I Guess I) Miss You.” The two actors have excellent chemistry which reinforces their characters’ friendship based on simplicity and valuing life’s simplest pleasures.

DeCarlo Raspberry, who plays

Patrick Star, has a local connection in his increasing presence in the coterie of Falls Church’s Creative Cauldron. Mr. Raspberry made his Cauldron debut in “Girls of Madison Street”(written and directed by Iyona Blake) this past spring, and he informs the Falls Church NewsPress that he is looking forward to returning to star in his solo performance “Love is the Key” on August 19, his part of Creative Cauldron’s weekend summer cabaret series.

Now, however, DeCarlo is busy with The Spongebob Musical.

Indeed, when he dons the cape of the Super Star Savior in this production, he does so with aplomb, forcing us to realize there might be a lot more to the Patrick Star character than meets the eye!

Characters are represented in riotously varied, but attractive, costumes. A yellow-costumed character with a feathered hat holds a plate full of Krabby Patties. Jordan Stocksdale turns in an excellent performance as Patchy the Pirate in the sea-chantylike “Poor Pirates,” accompanied by a band of pirates wearing pirate costumes and hoisting a skulled pirate flag.

The show’s choreography by David Singleton is stunning as Toby’s fits Spongebob into its theatre in the round. The sets are beautiful, evoking starfish and other aquatic creatures in neon. Equally good are the cast members and their wonderful voices. Of particular note is Jordyn Taylor who, as Mr. Krabs’ daughter, Pearl, sings powerfully in “Daddy Knows Best.”

Squidward Q. Tentacles is portrayed by a flamboyant Darren McDonnell. Squidward’s “I’m (Not)

a Loser” with pink sea anemones tap dancing will interest Broadway enthusiasts, showing there is something in the show for everyone.

Although Squidward is not necessarily a likable character, he is a complex personality who hopes to achieve his dreams of becoming a stage performer. Toby’s production brings this out in full force.

Is the show of interest only to children? Not at all! Wordplay abounds, for instance, and aficionados of Broadway shows will delight in pastiches of “Cabaret’s” “Money, Money” in Mr. Krabs’ “The Money Song,” “Jesus Christ Superstar” in “Super Sea-Star Savior” (supplemented with silver-costumed singing and dancing sardines) and a Broadway chorus line in Squidward’s “I am (Not) a Loser.” There are strains of gospel and twangs of Hawaiian steel guitars as well. There is even a reference to the operatic “Figaro! Figaro!” from Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville,” channeling a parody in another children’s cartoon, Bugs Bunny. A dance reminiscent of “A Chorus Line” occurs as Karen the Computer (Amanda Kaplan) and Sheldon Plankton (Joey Ellinghaus) decide which song routine to use to hypnotize residents of Bikini Bottom. (At one point, Karen says “I love it when you alliterate!” to the scheming Plankton.)

Patrons should remember that Toby’s is a buffet-style dinner theatre, and even here we are reminded of the show’s fun themes and alliteration as buffet offerings are labeled: Mr. Krab’s Korn, Patchy the Pirate’s Potatoes, Gary’s Gumbo (no snails!) and Bikini Bottom BBQ Ribs.

While the orchestra is mostly

ANNANDALE RESIDENT KYLE LASIMER (Spongebob in foreground) and Creative Cauldron performer DeCarlo Raspberry (Patrick Star in background) excel in “The Spongebob Musical.”.

(Photo: Mark Dreisonstok.)

unseen, percussionist/sound-effects expert Catina McLagan is on-stage to supply the “meow” of Gary the Snail and the rubbery squish of Squidward’s tentacle legs as he walks.

Props include pink lanterns lit up with pink lights to represent stylized jellyfish, looking almost like something from Japanese kabuki theatre.

These, as well as bubbles floating down to the audience and colossal crimson beach balls tumbling as boulders, are all part of the extravaganza aspect of Spongebob. One is

amazed at what can be achieved by director Mark Minnick in a minimalist theatre in the round, even as the central character is clearly square!

Toby’s has several special July Saturday matinee performances of “The Spongebob Musical’’ at a time when many parents look for activities for their children.

Such a venue might remind parents of Saturday morning cartoons or Saturday matinees at the movies in their youth. For more information, please visit tobysdinnertheatre.com.

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

by Kirsten Fatzinger

It’s been an exciting June for baseball players in Falls Church!

The Red (age 8 — 10) and Blue (age 9 — 11) teams have wrapped their pool play campaigns, but the Majors White team (age 10 — 12) is just getting started.

Come out and cheer for the Majors White team at the following home games at Westgate Elementary: Saturday, July 2, beginning at 10 a.m.; Sunday, July 3, at 7 p.m.; and Tuesday, July 5, at 7p.m.

Majors Team Manager: Julie Herlands; Coaches: Brian Hegenbart and Erick

Torres; Assistant Coaches: Bill Ackerman, Sean Mullin, Chris Scully.

Team members include: Henry Ackerman, Christopher Capannola, Jude Fears, Gavin Hegenbart, Kemper Morrison, Jack Mullin, Elijah Petty, Matteo Pipia, Patrick Scully, Flynn Sheinkin, Christopher Thompson, Luke Torres and Griffin Wishrad.

The Falls Church Kiwanis Little League is an all-volunteer organization and Julie Herlands is one of those outstanding volunteers.

This summer, Herlands is managing the Majors All Star team — the first woman to do so

in many years. Coach Julie has been a key figure in FCKLL for a dozen years, during which time she has been a Manager and/or coach at many levels.

Herlands serves on the Board of Directors, most recently as Single A Level Coordinator and Assistant Scheduler. She is moving to a new Board role as Development Coordinator this fall, but first, All Stars!

The League is grateful to Julie and her family for all their contributions, and appreciates her as a strong woman role model for the boys and girls who play baseball in our community.

Good luck in July, Coach Julie and team! Go Falls Church!

THE FALLS CHURCH KIWANIS LITTLE LEAGUE Majors “White Team,” consisting of players ages 10 — 12. (Photo: Denise Mullin,)

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Fa l l s C h u r c h

NEWS BRIEFS Founders Row Has New ‘Letter Of Intent’ for Movie Complex Joey Muffler of Mill Creek, developers of the 4.3 acre Founders Row 1 project, told the News-Press this week that there is a new “letter of intent” from a movie theater company that is hoping to move into the site soon. He said a change in the build-out for the spot has been expanded to include a “large format” screen.

Meanwhile, three restaurants are building out now for opening this fall, including the Chasin Tails seafood, Nue Vietnamese sitdown and Role Play Viet Grill.

Residential rentals are about 60 percent leased, he said, and Versa, the 55 and up senior living residences, are 10-15 percent leased to date, with a number of units already being occupied.

$22.5 Million N. Washington Plan Up for NVTA Vote July 14 Falls Church’s North Washington Street Multimodal Improvements Project (MIP) has been recommended for full funding by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority staff, it was announced at Monday’s F.C. City Council meeting. The cost of the project is $22.5 million, with design slated to begin in Fiscal Year 2026.

The final vote on the NVTA’s Six Year Program will be in two weeks at the NVTA’s July 14 meeting, and staff recommendations are not likely to change much before the final vote.

The N. Washington Street MIP includes sidewalk widening, improved intersection geometry, signal improvements, crosswalks, utility undergrounding, lighting, and landscaping, between Great Falls Street and Gresham Place.

Wawa Changes Plans, Won’t Locate in Downtown F.C. Wawa, the popular chain of convenience stores operating on the eastern seaboard with four currently in Virginia, has decided to opt out of a proposed location in downtown Falls Church, at the site of the now closed Stratford Motor Lodge.

Owners told City of F.C. officials that the math has not worked out for them to have a location without a gas filling station option.

There are currently no leads for alternate tenants on the site, the monthly meeting of the Falls Church Council’s Economic Development Committee was told last week.

F.C. Changes Trash/Recycling Schedule for Next Week Due to closures on Monday, July 4, in observance of the holiday, all City trash and recycling collections will take place on Thursday, July 7. The one-day shift is only for

the week of July 4.

Curbside composting participants will receive collection on Thursday as well. Missed trash and recycling muat be reported by 10 a.m. on Friday for Friday collection.

Multimodal Plaza at S. Washington & Hillwood Dedication Set A tentative August date has been set for a grand opening of the multimodal transportation center at the intersection of S. Washington and Hillwood, according to F.C.’s Deputy City Manager Cindy Mester.

The project was funded with federal, state and local grant money, with former U.S. Rep. Jim Moran having kicked it off.

Also, federal grant money in current U.S. Rep. Don Beyer’s requests for the coming federal budget for Falls Church include $600,000 for 12 “green fleet” vehicles and $1.5 million for multimodal transportation improvements.

Va. Railway Express Plans $119 Million for VRE Upgrades The Virginia Railway Express (VRE), having successfully closed a public bond sale on June 28, will make a significant financial contribution to the Transforming Rail in Virginia (TRV) program. The commuter rail service will use $119.2 million of the bond proceeds to support the commonwealth’s purchase of rail right-of-way in the Interstate 95 corridor from CSX Transportation.

“This bond issuance demonstrates our commitment to revolutionizing rail travel in the region,” said VRE CEO Rich Dalton. “As a major beneficiary of Transforming Rail in Virginia, VRE has worked to identify opportunities to support this important initiative. In addition to funds from the bond issuance, VRE will contribute another $75 million over the next 10 years on a pay-as-you-go basis, bringing our total financial support to nearly $195 million.”

Those funds will go to the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA), which manages the $4 billion TRV program.

“Our Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative is an immense investment in passenger rail not seen in decades,” said DJ Stadtler, executive director of VPRA. “This financial contribution from our VRE partners will enable us to increase and improve service, making VRE a viable option for even more Virginians.

We thank VRE for their foresight and commitment to expanding passenger rail in the commonwealth.”

VRE, the nation’s 13th largest commuter rail service, connects Central and Northern Virginia with the District of Columbia.

JUNE 30 - JULY 6, 2022 | PAGE 11

PAGE 12 | JUNE 30 - JULY 6, 2022

LO CA L

FCNP.COM | FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

F.C.’s Neighbor Arlington Celebrates LGBTQ+ Pride

ARLINGTON COUNTY CELEBRATED PRIDE MONTH last week, in a wider effort to honor the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. The festival was held at Gateway Park in Rosslyn, VA, and featured a wide array of live entertainment, games and prizes, and food and drink vendors. Many appeared in colorful attire to help spread the joy of Pride Month. This was Arlington’s first Pride Celebration, made a reality through the organizational efforts of three Arlington residents: Lindsey Hinton, Adonis Ajayi and Kymberli Moore. Among those shown here is State Sen. Adam Ebbin (lower center, third from left), Virginia’s highest ranking openly LGBTQ+ elected official. (Photos: 6 by Brogan Mutarelli, 2 in center by Nicholas F. Benton)

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

LO CA L

Falls Church Music Scene Shines for Summer Season

by Kylee Toland Falls Church News-Press

This summer Falls Church is offering a wide variety of musical events for the public to enjoy.

Whether one prefers classical over rock or jazz over hiphop, the local music scene has a lot to propose to people with different musical tastes.

For classical music lovers, the Washington Sinfonietta provides a range of musical works, with music ranging from historical legends such as Beethoven and Mozart to lesser-known composers from the classical and romantic eras.

Founded in 2006, the Washington Sinfonietta states on its website that its mission is “to enrich the greater Washington D.C. community through quality symphonic and chamber music performances and community outreach activities.”

Steve Higley, the current president of the orchestra, stated the Washington Sinfonietta usually has around 70 to 100 attendees per performance, but also said he would like to see ways “to grow that audience base.”

Having the title of the only “full orchestra” that’s based in Falls Church, Higley said the orchestra views this achievement as both “a responsibility and really a privilege to be kind of a cultural ambassador to classical music and the community.”

Recently, the Washington Sinfonietta held a tribute concert at The Falls Church Episcopal to Cindy Pettigrew, the deceased mother of a musi-

cian in the orchestra. Higley said it was an “honor” to be a part of the memorial concert, while also stating “it’s a lot more about music” and “it’s not really surprising when you start to think about how important music is in our society and in our lives.” To learn more, visit washingtonsinfonietta.org.

The Summer Concerts in the Park series allows locals to enjoy live music from local bands every Thursday night starting at 7 p.m. in Cherry Hill Park.

Celebrating its 30th year, the concert series line-up this summer includes the Falls Church Concert Band, Apple Core — a Beatles cover band — Ocho De Bastos — a Latin Rock band — and many more. Guests are encouraged to bring a folding chair or picnic blanket, as well as a picnic dinner to enjoy while watching the shows.

To learn more, visit fallschurchva.gov.

On Saturday, June 25th, Project Locrea — a world-folk fusion ensemble — hosted a free live concert at the Mary Riley Styles Public Library.

Yana Nikol, founder and flutist of Project Locrea, said the main focus of the musical event is on “performing original arrangements of folk songs from all the different countries and cultures we are from.”

Arrangements include modern U.S. grooves, with current members originating from Argentina, China, Peru and other countries. Project Locrea started when Nikol stated she had a “dream of starting a band” like Project Locrea, and was able to fulfill that dream in 2018 when “ the right people

came along and they all said ‘yes’ when I asked them to join.”

Originally from Falls Church, Nikol said one of her goals for Project Locrea is to “expand the audience in Falls Church and to find more venues to host us so we can share our music and our message of harmony between cultures through music.”

Depending on the venue they are playing, Nickol said anywhere between 30 and 200 people attend their concerts.

As for what she believes Project Locrea brings to the Falls Church area, she said “it expands the variety of different styles of music presented in the area,” as well as “showcasing a music project that is the result of collaboration between immigrants and Americans.”

Project Locrea is also planning to perform in Potomac, Maryland on July 9th and Vienna, VA on July 14th. To learn more, visit projectlocrea. com.

The State Theatre is probably one of the most wellknown live music areas in Falls Church, hosting a wide variety of artists and bands.

Built in 1936, their website states that it was once a movie theater, but was changed into a concert venue in the 1990s.

Known as the first theater to be centrally air-conditioned, the State Theatre is hosting bands such as The Smithereens, The Legwarmers, and many more this summer season.

Meredith Johnstone, the COO and Primary Talent Buyer for The State Theatre said their main goal “continues to be bringing some of the best and most entertaining acts in live

JUNE 30 - JULY 6, 2022 | PAGE 13

THE WASHINGTON SINFONIETTA (top), following their recent performance with Rachel Franklin. Project Locrea, a world-folk fusion group, is pictured below. (Photos courtesy: Steve Higley and Yana Nikol) music and comedy to the heart of Falls Church.”

She also stated Falls Church is an “active community of people interested in going out and finding new and interesting things to do.”

“We are bringing in a wide

range of shows that the community can come out and enjoy,” Johnstone said, “but also shows that bring people in from outside of the community for an evening in our city.”

For more information, see the ad on page 19.

end, partly in the face of economic setbacks, but even more so in the face of ever more bitter politics, including the rise of right-wing extremism that is now putting democracy itself at risk.

It would be silly to say that the incredible progress of technology since 1870 has done nothing to improve things; in many ways, the median American today has a far better life than the richest oligarchs of the Gilded Age.

But the progress that brought us on-demand streaming music hasn’t made us satisfied or optimistic. DeLong offers some explanations for this disconnect, which I find interesting but not wholly persuasive. But his book definitely asks the right questions and teaches us a lot of crucial history along the way.

Commentary

Technology and the Triumph of Pessimism Continued from Page 7

made society better than it has.

One thing I hadn’t fully realized until reading “Slouching Towards Utopia” is the extent to which progress hasn’t brought felicity. Over the 140 years DeLong surveys, there have been only two eras during which the Western world felt generally optimistic about the way things were going. (The rest of the

world is a whole other story.)

The first such era was the 40 or so years leading up to 1914, when people began to realize just how much progress was being made and started to take it for granted.

Unfortunately, that era of optimism died in fire, blood and tyranny, with technology enhancing rather than mitigating the horror.

(Coincidentally, Tuesday

is the 108th anniversary of Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination.)

The second era was the “30 glorious years,” the decades after World War II when social democracy — a market economy with its rough edges smoothed off by labor unions and a strong social safety net — seemed to be producing not Utopia but the most decent societies humanity had ever known.

But that era, too, came to an

By Paul Krugman © 2022 The New York Times

PAGE 14 | JUNE 30 - JULY 6, 2022

R E STAUR A NT SPOTLI GHT

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

THOMAS HARVEY is the owner/chef of local eatery Harvey’s, along with his wife Inna. Harvey’s specializes in beer, wine and dishes like deviled eggs sprinkled with bacon and the “7 Hills Burger.” Harvey’s keeps six beers on draft, with a variety of wine to choose from. (Photo: Patricia Leslie)

Local Eatery ‘Harvey’s’ Offers Place for ‘Good Food and Friends’

by Patricia Leslie

Area farms, antique shops, breweries and wineries help fill the bill at Harvey’s new restaurant on West Broad Street.

For art and accessories which decorate the walls, for the food which feeds the customers, owner and chef Thomas Harvey buys from locals as much as he can, including pork from a Mt. Jackson farmer who feeds his pigs melted ice cream.

That’s right, pigs which eat expired ice cream the farmer buys from nearby restaurants.

(Ice cream expires? Not in my freezer.)

Once you know what the pigs eat, the bacon you eat at Harvey’s has a silkier, sweeter piquancy than your taste buds might expect.

Some of Harvey’s specialties are rarely found in other restaurants, like his deviled eggs ($8) which are lined with a strip of the bacon delicacy, bits of it also sprinkled over the fluffy white and yellow foodscape with pieces of chicharones (pork rinds).

Homemade pimento cheese hides under the topping and, as strange as this may sound, the deviled eggs I took home tasted better the next day.

Another speciality is Harvey’s wife’s honey cake

which is 10 layers of mild decadence, not as rich or overpowering as it might sound. It’s light, not too sweet, made with spices, honey (!), butter cream and pastries, in layers as thin as I would like to be ($8 a piece and worth every dollar).

Inna is his wife who spends about four hours several nights a week making the cakes from a family recipe, which they often sell out of. She’s a “rock star,” Harvey emailed with three exclamation points.

“She does her full time job and bakes late at night when we need cakes.” By day Inna is a project manager who designs and builds restaurants like Harvey’s.

Customers go hog wild over Harvey’s burgers and cheesesteaks, the latter which “are close to my heart,” Harvey said in an interview at his new digs.

“They got the ball rolling” to start his own restaurant when he “did popups with a grill and had all the food” to sell at breweries.

The sauce for his cheesesteaks is made with an IPA beer he buys from Rocket Frog Brewery in Sterling whose “owners grew up in Falls Church and some still live here.”

His beef supplier is the company Seven Hills Farms in Lynchburg which blends a

special mixture for his cheesesteaks.

Being a (casual, alas) calorie counter myself, I steered clear of the cheesesteaks (which come in three varieties, $14 — $15), and instead ordered the “7 Hills Burger” which comes with a choice of cheese and fries ($15), and for $2, a salad, side, or gluten-free bun as a substitute for the fries. (For $2 more, you can get an egg to go with that burger [an egg?], bacon, mushrooms, pimento or beer cheese.)

The big and juicy burger came out just like I wanted, with the usual fixins on a soft bun, and so large, it made two meals for me.

Harvey developed his fullservice menu for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, collaborating with others on wine and beer.

“I’ve got a really great team here. We just changed our menu a couple of weeks ago,” and he found lots of inspiration from his cooks.

“My sous chef, Jim Fitzgerald, offered different opinions on sauces and did a really great job of helping come up with the menu.”

Harvey is proud of his wine list which he called “very eclectic,” with new and old world wines and “beautiful flavors.”

“We really focus on wines,” he gleamed.

The restaurant has started a wine club which meets the first Wednesday of every month at 5:30 p.m. For $45, members get two bottles of wine and some “little bites” and if they stay for dinner, there’s no cork fee. (To join, email Harvey at thomas@harveysva.com or his beverage director, Robin Miller at robin@harveysva.com.)

The wines rotate, like the 28 beers available, with six beers on draft.

For those who want to go high on the hog, there’s a hefty breakfast menu including a “Little City” sandwich with a scrambled egg, bacon, American cheese, caramelized onion, mayo and choice of bread ($7) available from 7 — 11 a.m., weekdays, and for weekend brunch lovers, from 9 a.m. — 3 p.m. with hashbrowns and fruit ($15).

“We’ve really tried to make [the restaurant] a family environment, not only for guests but for staff as well,” Harvey said.

“We want to make sure that everybody feels included and welcome to come inside.”

He and his wife live in Alexandria where they searched with no luck for a restaurant space.

“Everybody told me I needed

to look at Falls Church since I was looking for an urban area that had a small town feel.”

They came in 2020 and “fell in love” with the Little City and decided to go whole hog here.

“We’re so happy to be here.

This town is amazing. They love local businesses and we love them back,” Harvey smiled.

The restaurant has the feel of an intimate hotel lobby, the kind you want to sit in and relax, to imbibe and enjoy the company of good friends and food amidst surroundings of wood and large glass windows which let in natural light, where the mantra is “home to good food and friends.” No rush, ma’am.

On my next visit I am planning to try some “beer mustard” with my Little City sandwich, and for sure, order another serving of the honey cake. I’ll be in hog heaven.

Harvey’s uses recycled containers for food to go and has plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Free parking is available in the rear and garage.

Harvey’s is located at 513 West Broad St, Falls Church.

Call 540-268-6100 for more information. Harvey’s is open 7 a.m. — 9 p.m., Monday — Thursday; 7 a.m. — 10 p.m., Friday; 9 a.m. — 10 p.m., Saturday; and 9 a.m. — 3 p.m., Sunday.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

JUNE 30 - JULY 6, 2022 | PAGE 15

F� � � � C � � � � � B������� N��� � N���� City Awards ARPA Grants The City of Falls Church Economic Development Office (EDO) and Economic Development Authority (EDA) is proud to announce the recipients of the two rounds of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Grants for Small Businesses and Non-Profits. Eligible businesses received $5,000 to help with urgent expenses related to the Covid-19 pandemic. Sixty-three grants, totaling $315,000, were awarded to 59 businesses and non-profits (four received grants from both rounds). The EDO and EDA created the program to acknowledge the negative financial impact of Covid-19 on many City businesses and to show and give support to the community. Businesses can use the grant for expenses directly related to the impacts of Covid-19 including retaining and/or supporting employees, rent, paying vendor invoices, and other business operating costs.

Office Returns are Flattening Kastle Systems International LLC, of Falls Church has reported that the average office occupancy among 10 major cities currently tracked was at 44.1 percent for the week ending June 15, as compared to 42.9 percent at the end of May. The data comes from office access via Kastle’s app, keycard and fob usage. Over the last two years, office return rates largely coincided with the Covid cases, and research now indicates that the rising gas prices and commute are slowing the return. Additionally, payroll provider Automatic Data Processing Inc. conducted an April survey with 64 percent reporting that they would consider a new job if required to work in the office full time.

Falls Church With Lowest State Unemployment Rate Unemployment rates continue to fall with the national rate at 3.3 percent. Virginia has reported a drop in April to 2.5 percent from the March rate of 2.7 percent. Falls Church City, tied with Madison County, has the lowest rate in the state for April at 1.8 percent. Arlington and Highland counties tied at 1.9 percent, followed by Floyd, Frederick, Grayson, Greene, Loudoun, King George, Montgomery, Rockingham counties and the City of Poquoson, all at 2 percent. The largest employment gains were in the government sector with an increase of 5,400 jobs, and the leisure and hospitality sector with an increase of 3,800 jobs.

Last Call for “Made in Virginia” Contestants Virginia Living is hosting a contest for Virginia-based businesses whose products are manufactured in-state and available for purchase November 1 — December 31, 2022. The categories are Food, Drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic), Style and Beauty, and Home and Lifestyle. The deadline to enter is July 8 and there is no fee to enter. Winners will be notified in Mid-July and will be spotlighted in the Virginia Living December 2022 issue. Details are available via the virginialiving.com/Made-In-Virginia-2022.

BACKED BY A YEAR-ROUND

CLOG-FREE GUARANTEE

Northrop-Made Cygnus Spacecraft Reboosts ISS A Northrop Grumman-built cargo spacecraft has reboosted the International Space Station to its desired altitude on orbit in preparation for future space operations. The company reported on Monday that Cygnus used its main onboard engine to conduct station orbit adjustment several months after the spacecraft docked to the ISS to deliver equipment and supplies to the astronauts aboard the space lab.

Aside from doing cargo supply and performing an operational reboost, Cygnus will help inform other Northrop-led human space initiatives.

EXCLUSIVE LIMITED TIME OFFER!

15% & 10 % OFF

YOUR ENTIRE PURCHASE *

+

WE INSTALL

YEAR-ROUND! LIFETIME WARRANTY

Promo Code: 285

2

ER GUA

TO THE FIRST 50 CALLERS ONLY! **

OFF

FINANCING THAT FITS YOUR BUDGET!1

D

1

’S

TT

NATIO

R

E

N

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

GU

Falls Church-based Andworx was awarded a five-year, $18 million contract with the DOD Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC) to provide IT modernization, grants system management, and public outreach services in a cloud-based environment. Andworx will also provide information assurance, cloud-based content and records management, and with partners it will perform web maintenance and design, social media outreach and collaboration services. This work supports the National Security Strategy priorities of the OLDCC.

TH

Andworx wins $18M DOD Contract

5

% OFF

SENIORS & MILITARY!

Subject to credit approval. Call for details.

1

CALL US TODAY FOR

A FREE ESTIMATE

1-877-614-6667

Mon-Thurs: 8am-11pm, Fri-Sat: 8am-5pm, Sun: 2pm-8pm EST *For those who qualify. One coupon per household. No obligation estimate valid for 1 year. **Offer valid at time of estimate only 2 The leading consumer reporting agency conducted a 16 month outdoor test of gutter guards in 2010 and recognized LeafFilter as the “#1 rated professionally installed gutter guard system in America.” Manufactured in Plainwell, Michigan and processed at LMT Mercer Group in Ohio. See Representative for full warranty details. CSLB# 1035795 DOPL #10783658-5501 License# 7656 License# 50145 License# 41354 License# 99338 License# 128344 License# 218294 WA UBI# 603 233 977 License# 2102212986 License# 2106212946 License# 2705132153A License# LEAFFNW822JZ License# WV056912 License# WC-29998-H17 Nassau HIC License# H01067000 Registration# 176447 Registration# HIC.0649905 Registration# C127229 Registration# C127230 Registration# 366920918 Registration# PC6475 Registration# IR731804 Registration# 13VH09953900 Registration# PA069383 Suffolk HIC License# 52229-H License# 2705169445 License# 262000022 License# 262000403 License# 0086990 Registration# H-19114

PAGE 16 | JUNE 30 - JULY 6, 2022

LO CA L

News-Press

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Community News & Notes New Falls Church Arts Exhibit Highlights “Conversation” “Collab: Conversations in Art,” a new exhibit from Falls Church Arts Gallery, will be on view from July 2 — Aug. 14 and will feature forty-two artists who actively worked together in pairs to produce thirty-eight artworks selected by the juror. The pieces were created through an evolution that can only come about from the collaborative process. The media represented include acrylic, watercolor, oil, photography and mixed media. The gallery of Falls Church Arts is located at 700-B West Broad St, Falls Church, VA. The gallery is open Tuesday — Friday from 11 a.m. — 6 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. — 4 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. — 4 p.m. Admission is free. The exhibit can also be viewed online at fallschurcharts.org.

Two awards — a $150 Juror’s Choice and a $50 People’s Choice — were made possible by a donation from Cuates Grill, located at 502 W. Broad St, #5, Falls Church.

The People’s Choice Award will be announced on Sunday, July 23, based on votes from visitors to the gallery. Juror Glen Kessler selected “Abundance: Spring” as Juror’s Choice for this exhibition.

Kessler remarked, “It is a playful and imaginative work of art that is both gorgeous to look at and full of potential meanings. This piece is part of a suite of works by the duo Ruth Lozner and Kenzie Raulin which feature acrylic paint and collage elements such as books, seed pods and cicada wings.”

Kessler also shared his thoughts about the show as a whole: “‘Collab: Conversations in Art’ is a thought-provoking and visually stunning exhibition that explores an intriguing question: can an artist, that creature of isolation and personal inspiration, work in collaboration with another? In our artistic practice we artists all require feedback to grow. Typically, such feedback comes at the conclusion of a work of art, but working collaboratively shortens that feedback loop tremendously, providing access to helpful critique and inspiration within the creative process itself. What’s more, welcoming in

another artist’s inspirations, ideas and hand into the process synthesizes the individual artist’s method into something entirely new.”

Artists selected for this exhibit include the following collaborations: Erin Endean and Rajendra KC; Randa Fakes LoGerfo and Nan Morrison; Willa Friedman and Bob Friedman; Pamela Huffman and Cynthia Miller; Millie Jackson Rowe and Phil Rowe; Victoria Lakes and Pamela Lakes; Katy Lewis and Arlene Hermansen; Ruth Lozner and Kenzie Raulin; Matthew Malone and Kurtis Ceppetelli; Molly McCracken and Connie Keith; Alice McGrorey and Rajendra KC; Suzanne McIntire and Shannon Turkewitz; Maureen Minard and Lisa Green; Gini Moore and Joyce Turk; Miki Nishida Goerdt and Justin Skolnick; Dariam Ramos and Isabella Merlos; Joan Slottow and Julie Krachman; Christina Takach and Chelsea Newhall; Bob Tiemann and Rebecca Pelzer; Samantha Van Heest and Nicole Ziesing; Rebecca Visger and Jasper Drilling; Bob Wentworth and Rajendra KC.

Giant Food “Rounds Up” to Eliminate Food Insecurity From now — Thursday, July 28 — shoppers at Giant Food will be invited to “round up” their grocery purchase. The donated “round up” amount will be designated for Educate Fairfax to support programs in the school district that address food insecurity. As the district prepares for the 2022-23 school year, the “round up” program will direct its funds directly in support of food access for those who need it most. The “round up” initiative will also work towards helping establish a community pantry in a school or a school garden for fresh food for students.

Food insecurity can affect children to a greater extent during the summer so initiatives like this are a vital step towards fighting food insecurity in Fairfax County.

The mission of Educate Fairfax is to energize the “power of the community to invest in educational excellence and prepare students for the future.” To learn more about the “round up” program and Educate Fairfax, visit educatefairfax.org.

SEVERAL MERIDIAN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS recently completed storm drain murals throughout the City of Falls Church. These new pieces of public art are aesthetically creative reminders that everything that goes into the storm drains goes into our watershed. Students proposed their mural ideas to the Falls Church Arts & Humanities Council, which subsequently gave their suggestions and final approval, providing supervision and paint. These murals can be found throughout the Little City at Larry Graves Park, the Community Center and near Oak Street Elementary. The City has hundreds of storm drains and is open to adding more murals in the future. For those interested in designing and painting another storm drain mural, email Vice Mayor Letty Hardi at lettyhardi@gmail.com. (Courtesy photo.)

Parent University Summer Learning Presented by FCCPS Falls Church City Public Schools will be offering a new learning series over the summer especially designed for parents. Experts will present on a wide variety of topics of interest to families online, through Zoom, on most Wednesdays from 7 — 8 p.m. Each session will be presented live and available on-demand.

The Summer Learning Series page, along with the registration link, can be found at fccps.org/o/fccps/ page/summer-learning-series. The Summer Learning page provides detailed descriptions of each upcoming session. Each session will run for approximately one hour, with 30 minutes set aside for questions.

Some of the topics include details on International Baccalaureate (IB) learning, the differences between teasing, bullying and harassment and back to school readiness.

Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center to Commemorate Dhul Hijjah Dhul Hijjah, the 12th month in the Islamic calendar, is estimated to begin on July 11 this year. The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are immensely special and important to the Muslim faith, a chance to reach greater levels of piety and service and, for those who can do it, the annual holy pilgrimage to Makkah.

The Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center, located at 3159 Row St, Falls Church, VA, is dedicated to provid-

ing for the local Islamic community in the Northern Virginia region during this special time. Their plan for Dhul Hijjah is to distribute Udhiyah (sacrificial) meat to local families who are struggling in Virginia and encourages all who can to help chip in at hijrah.org/dah-udhiyah. The first ten days of the 12th month present a strong, dedicated chance for greater unity and service. To donate to the weekly food bank, visit hijrah.org/ socialservices/foodbank. For more information, visit hijrah.org.

“Always… Patsy Cline” 2022 Summer Encore Created and originally directed

by Ted Swindley and b​ased on a true story, this 85-minute version of

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

“Always… Patsy Cline” is a new, 2022 revival presented once again by Creative Cauldron and sponsored by Sislers Stone. Based on a true friendship between the legendary country singer Patsy Cline and Louise Seger, a strong-willed Houston housewife, this musical play infuses country humor, human emotion and Cline’s iconic music, featuring hit songs like “Crazy,” “I Fall to Pieces,” “Sweet Dreams” and “Walking After Midnight.” Louise Seger will be played by Erin Granfield and Patsy Cline will be played by Sally Imbriano. The show will run on the following dates: Friday, July 8 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, July 9 at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, July 10 at 4 p.m.; Friday, July 15 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, July 16 at 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, July 17 at 4 p.m. For more information and tickets, visit creativecauldron.org.

“Always… Patsy Cline” will be presented at Creative Cauldron, located at 410 S Maple Ave, Falls Church, VA. As per venue rules, all patrons must wear masks; social

distancing between parties and proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test within 24 hours of the performance is also required for everyone ages 5 and up.

Independence Day Scavenger Hunt and Reading On Sunday, July 3 from 2 — 5 p.m., the City of Falls Church is hosting a scavenger hunt in and around three of their local parks. Picture clues of where letters are hidden will be posted on the City’s social media; Twitter: FallsChurchGov; Instagram: fallschurchgov; and Facebook: City of Falls Church Government; as well as on the City’s website fallschurchva.gov/ IndependenceDay at 1 p.m. on Sunday, July 3. Attendees must check the clues, determine which park the picture was taken in and visit the park, search the park until you find the item where a letter will be attached, write down the letter that correlates with the image on the tracking sheet, turn your tracking

THE MOSAIC DISTRICT FARMERS MARKET, featuring locally grown fruits and vegetables, grass-fed meats and pastured eggs, dairy products, ferments, sweet and savory baked goods, pastries, kombucha, cold-pressed juices, coffee, ice cream, prepared foods, handmade dog treats and other �inds, will continue running every Thursday, from 3 — 7 p.m. until the month of Oct. The year-round market takes place on Sundays, between 9 a.m. — 2 p.m. For more information, visit mosaicdistrict.com. (C������� �����.)

LO CA L sheet in at the Cherry Hill Shelter.

A special treat awaits those who complete the challenge. Also, on July 4th, the Falls Church Village Preservation and Improvement Society (VPIS) invites all to their annual reading of the Declaration of Independence at 12 p.m. inside City Council Chambers at City Hall (300 Park Ave, Falls Church). The annual reading typically lasts around an hour and features the Virginia Declaration of Rights, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence and the Emancipation Proclamation.

Keegan Theatre Announces Cast of New Play The Keegan Theatre recently announced the cast and creative team of their production of Lauren Gunderson and Bree Lowdermilk’s familyfriendly musical “The Amazing Adventures of Dr. Wonderful (And Her Dog),” produced on the mainstage by Keegan’s brand for young people and families, Keegan PLAY-RAH-KA. The production runs in repertory with “Shakespeare in Love” as the final shows in Keegan’s 25th Anniversary Season. “The Amazing Adventures of Dr. Wonderful (And Her Dog)” is directed and choreographed by Elena Velasco, with music direction by Matty Mitchell. “Dr. Wonderful is a lighthearted piece that fuses Ms. Frizzle, Odd Squad and Zoom,” explains director and choreographer Elena Velasco, “and while that space playfully allows the cartoon world to enter ours, it’s a reminder that the ‘super science kid’ can be any gender — a particularly important message for those young people who identify as female. It’s also an affirmation of the power of a child’s imagination to grasp abstract concepts, seeing how the objects around us can be ‘repurposed’ to send us on

JUNE 30 - JULY 6, 2022 | PAGE 17

THE GUN VIOLENCE MEMORIAL PROJECT at the National Building Museum comprises four houses, each built of 700 glass bricks.

Inside each brick are remembrance objects donated by immediate family members of loved ones taken by gun violence. Inspired by the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, the Gun Violence Memorial seeks to honor the lives of victims of gun violence, using the current project as a prototype. Admission is free. The Gun Violence Memorial Project, exhibiting now — Sept. 25, is located at at 401 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20001. (P����: N������� B������� M�����/E���� S�����.)

a magical quest to experience the galaxy and beyond.”

“Dr. Wonderful” centers on Dr. Wonderful and her dog, Newton, who want to know why the moon changes shape in the sky every night. To better study the moon, the pair blasts off into space. The detective duo proceeds to gather clues using the powers of science, curiosity and teamwork to solve their lunar mystery. The cast features Ruth Elizabeth Diaz as Dr. Wonderful, Christopher Rios as Newton, Delante Dates as Ben and Carianmax Benitez as Mom. In addition to Elena Velasco and Matty Mitchell, the artistic team includes Rachel Crawford (Stage Manager), Matthew J. Keenan (Master Carpenter), Venus Gulbranson (Lighting Designer), Zavier Augustus Lee Taylor (Projections

Designer), Cresent Haynes (Sound Designer), Michelle Janota (Sound Engineer), Cindy Landrum Jacobs (Properties/ Set Dressing Designer), Imari Pyles (Costume Designer), Craig Miller (Hair/Makeup Designer) and OliviaSpringberg (Assistant Stage Manager). “The Amazing Adventures of Dr. Wonderful (And Her Dog) runs Tuesday, July 5 — Sunday, July 24, with morning performances at 10 a.m. on July 6, 7, 8, 11, 14, 15 and 22.

Afternoon performances, beginning at 1 p.m., will take place on July 9, 16 and 23. Evening performances, starting at 7 p.m., will take place July 5, 12, 17, 18, 19 and 24. To find more information about “The Amazing Adventures of Dr. Wonderful (And Her Dog)” and to purchase tickets, visit keegantheatre.com.

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

PAGE 18 | JUNE 30 - JULY 6, 2022

CA L E NDA R

FALLS CHURCH CALENDAR

FCNP Featured

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Chicken Wing Day Friday, July 1

THE FALLS CHURCH CONCERT BAND, a community-sponsored ensemble, kicked off this year's Summer Concerts series two weeks ago at Cherry Hill Park. Summer Concerts in the Park features a different band each Thursday, now — Aug. 4, beginning at 7 p.m. The Falls Church Concert Band will play again on Sunday, July 3, from 7:30 — 8:30 p.m. at Mason District Park (6621 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA), as part of the 2022 Mason District Summer Entertainment Series. To learn more about Summer Concerts in the Park, visit fallschurchva.gov. (Photo: fallschurchconcertband.org)

LOCAL EVENTS THURSDAY, JUNE 30 FALLS CHURCH FIBER ARTISTS. Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave, Falls Church) invites all who enjoy knitting and crocheting to a weekly craft group.

All are welcome. 10 a.m. — 12 p.m.

LA HORA DEL CUENTO EN ESPAÑOL. Tysons-Pimmit Library, in partnership with the Gift of Language Center, will present Spanish Immersion storytime once a month. (7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church.) 10:30 — 11 a.m.

PLAYTIME WITH EARLY LITERACY CENTER. The Mary Riley Styles Public Library Early Literacy Center will be open for free play

for an hour following storytime. (120 N. Virginia Ave, Falls Church, VA.) 11 a.m.

— 12 p.m.

HANDMADE PAPER WORKSHOP. Teens entering grades 6 — 12 are invited to explore papermaking at Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046). Register online at mrspl.librarycalendar.com. 3 — 5 p.m.

SUMMER CONCERTS IN CHERRY HILL PARK. The Summer Concerts in the Park series, hosted by the Falls Church Village and Preservation and Improvement society, returns for its 30th year. Guests can visit Cherry Hill Park (312 Park Ave, Falls Church) every Thursday at 7 p.m. until Aug. 4.

FALLS CHURCH WRITERS GROUP. A group for local aspiring writers, usually meet-

ing on the last Thursday of the month.

Email Pete Sullivan of Mary Riley Styles Public Library (psullivan@fallschurchva. gov) for a Zoom invitation. 7 — 8 p.m.

FRIDAY, JULY 1 BURGER POPUP BY PRESERVATION BISCUIT. The Preservation Biscuit Company has teamed up with Audacious Aleworks to host another burger popup at Audacious Aleworks (110 E. Fairfax St, Falls Church, VA) from 4 p.m. until all items are sold. Burgers, potato wedges, sweet potato tater tots, fried mac & cheese and cheese wedges will all be served at this popup. For more information on Preservation Biscuit, visit preservationbiscuit.com; for more information on Audacious Aleworks, visit audaciousaleworks.com.

LEGO CLUB FOR KIDS. Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library invites kids ages 5 — 10 with one adult caregiver for an afternoon of collaborative LEGO creation. All LEGOS provided and stay at the library. (7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church.) 4 — 5 p.m.

SATURDAY, JULY 2 FALLS CHURCH FARMERS MARKET. Every Saturday, the Farmers Market features fresh, local produce, meat, dairy, flowers and more. Covid-19 health guidelines observed. City Hall parking lot (300 Park Ave, Falls Church). 8 a.m. — 12 p.m.

INTERNATIONAL CHICKEN WING DAY is celebrated each year on July 1 in recognition of the variety of wings one can find at a local eatery or sports bar. Whether they are served with signature buffalo, ranch, barbecue, or some other kind of sauce (the list is essentially endless), Chicken Wing Day is a celebration of one of America's most popular dishes. Locally, places like Ireland’s Four Provinces (105 West Broad St, Falls Church), Dogwood Tavern (132 West Broad St), Harvey's (513 W Broad St), Clare & Don's (130 N Washington St) and Liberty BBQ (370 West Broad St), offer a variety of wings and sauces perfet for this unique, culinary holiday. (Photo: Zabdi Onan Caceres.)

SUNDAY, JULY 3 NOVA CENTRAL FARM MARKETS. This year-round market features meat, produce, dairy, baked goods and other finds. Visit nova.centralfarmmarkets.com for more information. (7731 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church.) 9 a.m. — 1 p.m.

MONDAY, JULY 4 FALLS CHURCH ARTS ARTIST CAFE AND CRITIQUE GROUP. Meeting the first Monday of the month, the Artist Cafe and Critique Group is a place for artists to receive feedback from fellow creators. For

more information, visit fallschurcharts.org.

Falls Church Arts is located at 700-B W. Broad St, Falls Church, VA. 12 — 2 p.m.

VPIS HISTORICAL READINGS FOR JULY 4. The Falls Church Village Preservation and Improvement Society (VPIS) has sponsored and organized a reading of the nation’s founding documents for over 25 years on the 4th of July. This year’s readings will take place at the historic Falls Church (115 East Fairfax St, Falls Church), outside on the lawn. It is recommended that guests bring lawn chairs for the event.

For more information, visit vpis.org. 2 p.m.

BOB BROWN PUPPETS. Mary Riley Styles Public Library welcomes back Bob Brown Puppets, featuring finger puppets, hand puppets and a rod puppet.

(120 N. Virginia Ave, Falls Church, VA.) 11 — 11:45 a.m.

THE NEW FALLS CHURCH ARTS EXHIBIT "Collab," focusing on art created by teams of local artists, will run from Jule 2 — Aug. 14 at F.C. Arts Gallery, located at 700-B W. Broad St, Falls Church.

The piece above, "Abundance: Spring,"by Ruth Lozner and Kenzie Raulin, recently won the Juror's Choice prize. (Courtesy photo.)

COLLAB: CONVERSATION IN ART. An exhibition featuring work done in collaboration between two different artists, running now — Aug. 14 at Falls Church Arts Gallery (700 W. Broad St, Falls Church, VA).

Visit fallschurcharts.org for more information. The gallery is open Wednesdays — Saturdays, 11 a.m. — 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. — 2 p.m.

FALLS CHURCH FIBER ARTISTS is an informal craft group for those who knit and crochet, meeting every week at Mary Riley Styles Public Library. Visitors are invited to share their projects and offer advice in a friendly, creative environment. Berdie Cotton (above) displays her latest piece. (Courtesy photo.)

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

CA L E NDA R ACOUSTIC AUBREY. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St, Falls Church). 9:30 p.m. 703-237-8333.

SATURDAY, JULY 2 DIGITAL UNDERPANTS. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack (130 N Washington St, Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-532-9283.

JUNE 30 - JULY 6, 2022 | PAGE 19

Maple Ave. E, Vienna). 8 p.m. 703-2551566.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 6

SÉAN MCCANN (OF GREAT BIG SEA).

Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E,

Vienna). $35. 7:30 p.m. 703-2551566.

ACOUSTIC ALCHEMY. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $35. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500.

BÉLA FLECK & MY BLUEGRASS HEART. Wolf Trap (1551 Trap Rd, Vienna, VA). $29. 7 p.m. 703-255-1900.

THE GRATEFUL ALLMAN BAND EXPERIENCE. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $20. 8 p.m. 703-255-1566.

FOUR OF THE ORIGINAL SIX members of The Amish Outlaws were born and raised in Lancaster, PA, and had a strict Amish upbringing. They didn't stick with the Amish lifestyle, though, and will now be making their way to the Birchmere this coming Friday, with music instruments in tow. (Photo: Steven Parks.)

LIVE MUSIC THURSDAY, JUNE 30 BLUES CITY SHAKEDOWN. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack (130 N Washington St, Falls Church). 5:30 p.m. 703-532-9283.

MOONSHINE SOCIETY DUO. Settle Down Easy Brewing Co. (2822 Fallfax Drive, Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-573-2011.

APPLE CORE (BEATLES TRIBUTE). Cherry

Hill Park (312 Park Ave, Falls Church).

7 p.m.

FRIDAY, JULY 1 BRUCE HORNSBY & THE NOISEMAKERS, SHAWN COLVIN. Wolf Trap (1551 Trap Rd, Vienna, VA). $27. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1900.

SOUL GRAVITY. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack (130 N Washington St, Falls Church). 5 p.m. 703-532-9283.

THE AMISH OUTLAWS AND JASON D. WILLIAMS. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $39.50. 7:30 p.m.

THEATER & ARTS THURSDAY, JUNE 30 WE SHALL SOMEDAY CONCERT. Presented by Signature Theatre, “We Shall Someday” weaves together story and song into a concert presentation that chronicles the lives of three generations of a Southern Black family. Viewers will experience life with the family, as they trace the effects of racism, activism and legacy from the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s to the present day.

“We Shall Someday” will run from Thursday, June 30 — Saturday, July 2 and is recommended for teens and adults. Signature Theatre is located at 4200 Campbell Ave, Arlington, VA. For more information, visit sigtheatre.org.

SUMMER CONCERTS IN CHERRY HILL PARK.The 2022 Summer Concerts in the Park Series, hosted by the Falls Church Village Preservation and Improvement Society (VPIS) and the Recreation and Parks Department,

returns for its 30th year of local musical entertainment. Running now — Thursday, Aug. 4, guests will hear a variety of regional artists — ranging in genres from blues to rock to Latin — each week starting at 7 p.m. at Cherry Hill Park (312 Park Ave, Falls Church).

Guests are encouraged to bring a blanket or folding chairs and a picnic dinner to these outdoor concerts.

Advanced registration is no longer required.The lineup for the remainder of the summer is as follows: Thursday, June 30: Apple Core (Beatles Covers); Thursday, July 7: Ocho De Bastos (Latin Rock); Thursday, July 14: Acosta and Clark (Acoustic Roots); Thursday, July 21: KM2 (Rock and Pop Covers); Thursday, July 28: Karl Stoll and The Danger Zone (Blues); Thursday, Aug. 4: Big Howdy (Bluegrass).

FRIDAY, JULY 1 HARPER LEE’S TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. Written by Academy Award winner Aaron Sorkin and adapted from Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning

HEATHER PECK. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 9:30 p.m.

703-237-8333.

SUNDAY, JULY 3 SKY MUSIC SHOWCASE. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10.

12:30 p.m. 703-255-1566.

THE QUANTICO MARINE CORPS BAND. Cherry Hill Park (312 Park Ave, Falls Church, VA). 5 p.m.

MONDAY, JULY 4 PATCHWORK DOROTHY. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 6:30 p.m. 703-237-8333.

TUESDAY, JULY 5 LEONID & FRIENDS. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $59.50. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500.

BACHELOR BOYS BAND. Jammin’ Java (227 novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird” tells the story of the young Scout, Jem and their father, Atticus, a middleaged lawyer in the Deep South.

Dealing with the issues of race, segregation, gender identity and justice, the stage version of one of America’s most popular books is directed by Tony Award-winning director Bartlett Sher, with Emmy Award winner Richard Thomas in the role of Atticus Finch. Presented at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (2700 F St, NW, Washington, DC). This production of “To Kill a Mockingbird” will run until Sunday, July 10. Patrons should arrive early, as performances start promptly at curtain time and run a total of 2 hours and 35 minutes. For complete showtimes, more information and tickets, visit kennedy-center.org.

TUESDAY, JULY 5 HOTTER THAN JULY: STEVIE WONDER. Running between Tuesday, July 5 — Sunday, July 17, Signature Theatre presents a Stevie Wonder-themed cabaret — its first in two years.

Specifically taking inspiration from Stevie Wonder’s 1980 platinum album “Hotter Than July,” this cabaret show

TWO MEMBERS OF THE MOONSHINE SOCIETY, Jenny Langer (center) and Cole Holland (far left) will be performing roots rock, blues and R&B this Thursday night at Settle Down Easy Brewing. (Photo: bookece.com) brings back songs like “All I Do” and “Master Blaster (Jammin’),” along with some of his other hits, such as “Isn’t She Lovely,” “Summer Soft,” “I Just Called To Say I Love You” and “Higher Ground.” For complete showtimes, more information and tickets, visit sigtheatre.org. The “Hotter Than

July” cabaret runs for approximately 75 minutes, without intermission.

Signature Theatre is located at 4200 Campbell Ave, Arlington, VA. Covid19 health and safety guidelines in place; to learn more about Signature Theatre’s Covid policies, visit sigtheatre.org/plan-your-visit/safety.

PAGE 20 | JUNE 30 - JULY 6, 2022

PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE Variance application V1632-22 by Diane Kidder, applicant and owner, for a variance to Section 48-263(3)a. to allow a side setback of 5.75 feet instead of 10 feet for the purpose of constructing a home addition on premises known as 115 West George Mason Road, RPC #52-404-041 of the Falls Church Real Property Records, zoned R-1B, Medium Density Residential.

Variance application V1633-22 by Tim and Rebecca Trainor, applicants and owners, for a variance to Section 48-263(3)a. to allow a front setback of 22 feet instead of 25 feet for the purpose of constructing a two-story addition on premises known as 209 West George Mason Road, RPC #52-404-031 of the Falls Church Real Property Records, zoned R-1B, Medium Density Residential.

Public hearing on the above matter is scheduled for July 14, 2022, 7:30 PM, or as soon thereafter as the item may be heard.

All participating members of Board of Zoning Appeals will be present at this meeting through electronic means. Public comment and questions may be submitted to zoning@ fallschurchva.gov until 4:30 pm on July 14, 2022. Virtual meeting link, agenda and application materials will be available the week prior to the scheduled hearing at: http://www. fallschurchva.gov/BZA Information on the above application is also available for review upon request to staff at zoning@fallschurchva.gov.

C L AS S I F I E DS a FREE, no obligation, quote today. Call 1-833-688-1378 Replace your roof with the best looking and longest lasting material steel from Erie Metal Roofs! Three styles and multiple colors available. Guaranteed to last a lifetime! Limited Time Offer - $500 Discount + Additional 10% off install (for military, health workers & 1st responders.) Call Erie Metal Roofs: 1-844902-4611

RECRUITMENT HIRING? Promote job listings regionally or statewide! Affordable Print and Digital Advertising Solutions reaching potential candidates. Call this paper or Landon Clark at Virginia Press Services 804-521-7576, landonc@vpa.net

SERVICES DIVORCE-Uncontested, $395+$86 court cost. WILLS-$225.00. No court appearance.

Estimated completion time twenty-one days.

Hilton Oliver, Attorney (Facebook). 757-4900126. Se Habla Espanol. BBB Member. https://hiltonoliverattorneyva.com.

Up to $15,000.00 of GUARANTEED Life Insurance! No medical exam or health questions. Cash to help pay funeral and other final expenses. Call Physicians Life Insurance Company- 844-509-1697 or visit www.Life55plus.info/vapress Portable Oxygen Concentrator May Be Covered by Medicare! Reclaim independence and mobility with the compact design and longlasting battery of Inogen One. Free information kit! Call 888-608-4974

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.

Outdoor Living

703-992-8787

www.AllGreenlandscaping.com

Services and Specialties Include: • Design & Build • Patios (flagstone, stone, or brick) • Fire pits • Outdoor Kitchens • Driveways & Walkways • Retaining Walls • Outdoor Lighting • Seasonal Landscaping & Botanical Upgrades

Concrete

Other Services

495 Concrete www.495Concrete.com

Classified Ad Rates

Bobcat Grading • Excavation & Trenching Slab • Footing • Patio • Concrete Demolition We pour brand new Concrete Driveways

$20 dollars for up to 20 words and $0.50 for every word after.

571-308-6559

HELP WANTED Seeking respite care provider for 18 year old young man with autism, 10-15 hours/week.

Great for stay at home parent or college student, particularly if studying behavioral sciences. Must pass background check. Hours flexible. Call Jeff at 703-241-4918

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

R

Home Improvement

Lawn Services

Contact Us: classads@fcnp.com 703-532-3267

AUCTIONS

www.gagnonsgutterworks.com

The Bath or Shower You’ve Always Wanted

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

IN AS LITTLE AS A DAY

500 OFF

$

*

House Cleaning Service

OR

HOME IMPROVEMENT

Avaliable 7 days a week Weekly - Bi Weekly - Monthly or One time Jobs Move out - Move in 28 years Experience • Good references • Free Estimates

No Payments & No Interest For 18 Months **

Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 15% off Entire Purchase.

10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-877614-6667 GENERAC Standby Generators provide backup power during utility power outages, so your home and family stay safe and comfortable. Prepare now. Free 7-year extended warranty ($695 value!). Request a free quote today! Call for additional terms and conditions. 1-877-636-0738 The Generac PWRcell, a solar plus battery storage system. SAVE money, reduce your reliance on the grid, prepare for power outages and power your home. Full installation services available. $0 Down Financing Option. Request

Classads@fcnp.com

OFFER EXPIRES 6.30.2022

CALL NOW

(844) 945-1631

For Information Call Susy

703-901-0596

*Includes product and labor; bathtub, shower or walk-in tub and wall surround.

This promotion cannot be combined with any other offer. Other restrictions may apply. This offer expires 6/30/22. Each dealership is independently owned and operated. **Third party financing is available for those customers who qualify. See your dealer for details. ©2022 BCI Acrylic, Inc.

Upgrade Your Home with a

LIMITED TIME OFFER

Guaranteed to Last a Lifetime!

YOUR INSTALLATION

NEW METAL ROOF

60% off +

TAKE AN ADDITIONAL Made in the USA

Call today to schedule your

FREE ESTIMATE 1-844-902-4611

10% off

Install for Military, Health Workers and First Responders

Limited time offer.

Expires 6.30.22

Warranty- Limited Lifetime.

Transferable to 1 subsequent owner from original purchaser.

Terms and conditions apply.

Hail up to 2.5”, Appearance of the surface coating beyond normal wear and tear.

New orders only. Does not include material costs. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Minimum purchase required.

Other restrictions may apply. This is an advertisement placed on behalf of Erie Construction Mid-West, Inc (“Erie”). Offer terms and conditions may apply and the offer may not be available in your area. Offer expires June 30, 2022. If you call the number provided, you consent to being contacted by telephone, SMS text message, email, pre-recorded messages by Erie or its affiliates and service providers using automated technologies notwithstanding if you are on a DO NOT CALL list or register. Please review our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use on homeservicescompliance.com. All rights reserved.

classads@fcnp.com

Prepare for Power Outages & Save Money REQUEST A FREE QUOTE!

ACT NOW TO RECEIVE A $300 SPECIAL OFFER!*

(833) 688-1378

*Offer value when purchased at retail.

Solar panels sold separately.

JUNE 30 - JULY 6, 2022 | PAGE 21

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

PUZZLE NO. 142

16. Duplicate 20. Newspaper features 22. Split 23. Baseball’s Hernandez 25. Raw metals 26. Campground item 27. Donkey’s comment 28. Provoke 29. Views 30. Spider’s parlor 32. Duffer’s goal

his

on ___ e o

olph’s

35. Foot end 38. Bad humor 40. Refs’ kin 43. Bordered 45. Fling 47. Put out of sight 48. October stone 49. Narrate 50. Works by Keats 51. Gain victory 52. Weed tool 54. Not neath 55. Slick

Copyright © 2022, Penny Press

ACROSS 1. Lag behind 5. Santa’s suit color 8. Small quarrel 12. ____ Grey tea 13. Rowing implement 14. So long, in Liverpool: 2 wds.

15. And so forth: 2 wds.

17. Applied 18. Darn again 19. Breathe quickly 21. Bothered 24. Spoil 27. Girl Scout

31. Extra 33. Aged 34. Cherry seed 36. Prayer finale 37. Legal excuse 39. Visitor 41. Urge 42. Alter slacks 44. Like coffee, at times 46. Picture 51. Horse command 53. Passed on rumors 56. Charged atoms 57. Elongated fish 58. Chip’s cartoon pal

59. Sparrow’s shelter 60. Arid 61. Additions DOWN 1. Forest denizen 2. Estimate 3. Circle sections 4. High spirits 5. Shad ____ 6. Corn portion 7. Hang with cloth 8. Daze 9. Deli meat 10. Gulped down 11. Smidgen

ANSWER TO PUZZLE NO. 142

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS USE AMERICAN SPELLING

P

et

FirstAnnual

PUZZLE NO. 144

19. More uncommon 21. Building wing 22. Willing’s partner 23. School official 24. Paces 26. Sleds 27. Roadway hazards 28. Links 29. Betwixt 30. Agts.

n d

n m item r cee

35. Organ of hearing 38. Lugged 39. Evidence 40. Sinister 41. Stack 42. Fruity drinks 43. Small mountain 46. Pair 48. Hole piercer 49. Santa’s gift

Copyright © 2022, Penny Press

ACROSS 1. That girl 4. Region 8. Dance component 12. Fierce anger 13. Hollow plant 14. Volcano flow 15. Label 16. Farm cylinder

31. Fixed route 32. Black gold 33. Certain ones 34. Plea 36. Cut 37. Burro 38. Looks after 39. Leave 43. Garden tube 44. Anxious

54. Auctioneer’s word 55. Crafty DOWN 1. Popular show 2. Historical period 3. Corps 4. Fire-setting

ANSWER TO PUZZLE NO. 144

Issue

Send Us Your Pics Of Your Animals Pets@FCNP.COM

FOLLOW FCNP.COM

FOR MORE INFORMATION

FOR ADVERTISING Contact: Sue Johnson

sjohnson@fcnp.com • 703-587-1282

LO CA L

PAGE 22 | JUNE 30 - JULY 6, 2022

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. 18 • June 28, 2012

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

Hillwood Ave. Standoff Ends After 29 Hours With Arrests & No Injuries

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.”

Late yesterday afternoon, City of Falls Church officials issued a statement formally identifying the subject of the 29-hour standoff on Hillwood Avenue with regional police units as James Vincent Rackowski, 57, whose family resides at the address.

F���� �� F���� C�����

Make Your Pet a Star!

Critter Corner

Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be!

Snap a pic WHILE AT HARRIS TEETER on W. Broad Street to restock my fridge, I bumped into Dematos who has been working at that particular store for the last 3 years. Originally from Uganda, he has been a resident of Falls Church since 2010 when he and his family moved to the Little City. When asked for any words of wisdom he lives by, he replied, “Same dollar, different day.” (P����: J. M������ W�����)

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

11 YEAR OLD BLUE has enjoyed the healthy living of Falls Church after a youth spent traveling the world from Norway to Sri Lanka. After perfecting her ball-chasing and stick-chewing skills over the last four years, she is readying her pet passport for another overseas adventure in 2023.

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

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Something Else

LO CA L

JUNE 30 - JULY 6, 2022 | PAGE 23

For your summer adult reading pleasure, this is the �irst of four parts of a short story by well-known science �iction writer Ted White, who is a longtime resident of the City of Falls Church. — Editor

BY TED WHITE

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

“Do you ever think about individual letters?” she asked.

“How do you mean?” Jack Slaughter, a licensed psychotherapist, responded, prompting her.

“Like, they have personalities?

Like, ‘S’ — she’s a favorite of mine.” “‘She’?”

“Oh, yeah. Most letters are shes, just like most numbers are hes.”

“I see.” He didn’t.

“Would you rather hear about how I killed a guy?” She smiled at him. It seemed like a warm smile, but he felt a cold chill.

“Would you like to tell me about it?”

“He was an alien,” she said.

Her name was California — “You can call me Callie” — and she was a pleasant-faced young woman in her mid-twenties. She was bare-breasted in the current style, but he didn’t think her exposed breasts made her more attractive. Nonetheless, he applauded the honesty of the style. He personally favored minimal makeup and revealing clothing for women, although his own style favored clothes that concealed his nonathletic body, and a five-day beard that covered his acne scars.

“An alien, you say?” His approach favored carefully-crafted questions, but this wasn’t one of them.

“Sure. You know, a space alien.”

“From Mars?” He smiled.

“Small, green?”

“Don’t laugh at me, you!” She turned away from him, directing her gaze to the undecorated walls of the small windowless room. It was part of the treatment facility’s complex, furnished only with two plastic chairs and a small table, which Slaughter usually kept between himself and the person he was interviewing.

He glanced at the screen of his handi, lying on the table in front of him. It told him Callie’s age — 24; her weight — 56 kilograms; her height — 1.78 meters; the fact that she had one green eye and one gray eye, although he couldn’t see the difference in the room’s light, just glancing at her; and the fact that she was under observation, suspected of “chipping.” It said nothing about any killings.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “Please tell me about it.”

“What’s to tell? He tried to steal

my mind. I had to kill him.” She shrugged. “End of story.”

“Surely not,” he said. “Tell me about the alien. What did he look like?”

“Pretty much like any guy, I guess. I think he could change what he looked like. Anyway, after I killed him he kinda shriveled up, like a little kid, but old.”

Slaughter tried to imagine it, and failed. His was a literal mind.

“Where did this happen?”

“You know that little park, over by the megaplex? You know, the park with the statue of the bear?”

He knew the park. Children tried to climb the statue of the bear, standing high on its hind legs. He nodded. “Yes, go on.”

“Well, that’s it. That’s where it happened.”

“In broad daylight?”

“Of course not. What do you think? Nobody does anything like that in broad daylight.” She shook her head in disgust at the thought, as if wondering what was wrong with him.

“When did you do it? And, how?”

“Late at night. I used a big kitchen knife.”

“And this was — recently?”

“Last Sunday, actually.”

Slaughter ran his fingers over his handi, querying it about bodies found in that park last Sunday or Monday, and found nothing.

“What happened to the body?”

“I told you. It shriveled up. Then I picked it up and put it in a disposal bin. It was really light, easy to pick up and carry.”

Slaughter envisioned the corpse’s fate. A massive compactor truck would come to the park daily, lift up the bin and dump its contents into the truck’s maw, crushing and cubing all of it, then carrying it down to the wharf, where the compacted cubes would be loaded on a large barge and taken out to sea along with the rest of the city’s refuse. By now, the “alien” corpse would be long gone and impossible to find. If it had ever existed.

“Okay,” he said. “How did you come to know this alien? How did you discover it was trying to steal your mind?”

“He lived in my building. I’d run into him when I was zapping my laundry. He had this strange dusty smell. And he always gave me funny looks.”

“Funny-odd, or funny-ha-ha?”

She squinted at him, as if try-

ing to understand him. “Odd, of course. What else? He wasn’t telling jokes!”

“No, of course not. What happened?”

“He started getting into my mind.”

“How? I mean, how did you know?”

“Well, you know. He started popping up in my thoughts when I wasn’t thinking about him. Times when I was drifting off to sleep — and suddenly there he was! I’d tell him to go away, I wanted to sleep, and he wouldn’t let go. He wouldn’t leave me alone!”

“What did you do?”

“Well, I tried to ignore him. I wouldn’t pay him any attention.”

“Did that work?”

“Sometimes. But not all the time. Saturday night, he kept me up all night! That’s when I knew I had to kill him.”

“What did you do? Did you invite him to the park?”

“Are you kidding me? Of course not!” She gave him an indignant look. “I followed him.”

“With the knife?”

“What knife?”

“You said you killed him with, ah —” he consulted his handi, which as usual was recording the session. “With a big kitchen knife.”

“Oh, that. No, I found it. It wasn’t mine.”

“Where’d you find it?”

“I don’t know. Maybe in a store.”

“You followed him into a store?”

“No,” she shook her head emphatically. “I followed him to the park.”

“Okay. Then what happened?”

“I told him to stop trying to steal my mind. I told him to get out and stay out.”

“What did he say?”

“He didn’t say anything. He just gave me this look. It was a terrible look, like he could see right into me, right through me. So I knew then what was going to happen. I knew he was about to take my mind.

That look! I slashed his throat.” She paused and a reflective look settled on her face. “His blood wasn’t red.

It was black. Maybe greenish black.

Hard to tell in that light. And it evaporated, just like that!” She gave him a triumphant look. “Only alien blood does that.”

“Did you get any of it on you?”

“Sure, but it evaporated. I told you that.”

“Evaporated?”

“Disappeared.”

SLAUGHTER tried to imagine it and failed. His was a literal mind.

Slaughter shook his head. “This is outside my area of expertise,” he said.

She gave him a pitying look.

“I’m not surprised,” she said, dismissively. # “What’s all this about killing an alien?” Sheanokia asked, giving Slaughter a knowing smirk. The big woman was his supervisor, which gave her the right to barge into his private office, one with windows, and interrupt whatever he was doing. He viewed her as an impediment to his career, not least because she often called him “Black Jack,” and chuckled over the joke he did not get. He was not “black.” Like most people he knew, he was a light tan — “mocha,” his mother always said. The fact that Sheanokia used a dark rouge on her nipples also bothered him. Her breasts were so large — why call attention to them? But mostly it was her air of superiority.

“You’ve seen my report. I have no idea what to make of it.”

“Of course you don’t,” she said — as if she did. “But I’ve turned this over to Security.”

“Security? Why?”

“Check your advisories. 208511.4-S. I’ll wait.”

Slaughter’s handi was on his desk. He’d been doing reports all morning. He brushed them aside and searched for the advisory she’d given him. It popped up in red. He knew he’d never seen it, because he’d never before received a Red Advisory, and he wondered if she’d just surreptitiously loaded it.

“This is an alien advisory,” he said. “Alien aliens.” He gave her what he hoped was a piercing stare.

“What do we know about them?”

“As you can see from the advisory,” she said, getting a dig in, “it is believed that an unknown number of them are infiltrating, um, human society. Otherwise....” She shrugged, “I can’t say.”

He was sure she couldn’t. He doubted she’d been aware of any space aliens before getting his report. “And the young woman who says she killed one? What about her?”

“She’s out of your hands.

Security has her.”

TO BE CONTINUED...

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

PAGE 24 | JUNE 30 - JULY 6, 2022

2022 Volvo XC40 Design your life. Be in control every time you drive with the intuitive comfort and convenience features of the 2022 Volvo XC40.

Beyer Volvo Cars

beyervolvocarsfallschurch.com • 703.237.5000

Falls Church • Winchester • Dulles

For Sale in Arlington!

ROCK STAR Realty ... ROCK STAR Service

FOR SALE!

Rare 3-4 m Bedroo

TM

FOR SALE!

NEW CONSTRUCTION!

$760,000 313 James St, Falls Church City

Charming Colonial 3 blocks or less to restaurants, schools, parks, and 2 grocery stores -- leave the car in the driveway! Classic touches like detailed moldings, built-ins, a gas fireplace, and wood floors throughout. Newer stainless appliances in the kitchen, including a gas stove. The deep walk-in closet and spa tub make the primary bedroom a true retreat. The finished lower level with full bathroom makes for a great au-pair or in-law suite, or just great space for visiting guests. The covered front porch overlooks the beautiful lawn and landscaping with gorgeous plants and shrubs maintained with the help of an in-ground watering system. At night the installed exterior lighting system makes it feel even more special. The fenced yard and patio are great for entertaining.

Off-street parking on side parking pad. New HVAC in 2021. Never run out of hot water with the 80-gallon tank installed in 2015! Walk 3 blocks to Duck Donuts for coffee and donuts in the morning and work off the calories at Greenbrier Park and the Yorktown HS athletic fields which are only one block away in the afternoon! $1,175,000

$1,725,000 7323 Allan Ave, Falls Church

3-4 Bedrooms

Cherry Hill Townhome

6 Bedroooms

Stunning New Construction

2.5 Bathrooms

Walk to Shops, Dining & More!

5.5 Bathrooms

High-end Finishes

JUST SOLD!

*Represented Buyer

$985,000 2107 Rampart Dr, Alexandria 4 Bedrooms

Renovated & Updated

3.5 Bathrooms

Fully Fenced Backyard

CALL 703-867-TORI

703-626-3257 merelyn@kayes.com

2111 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201

Tori@ROCKSTARRealtyGroup.com ROCKSTARRealtyGroup.com REALTOR®

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

© 2022 Tori McKinney, LLC