July 4 — 10, 2019
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 • V ol. XXIX No. 20
Falls Church • Tysons Corner • Merrifield • McLean • North Arlington • Bailey’s Crossroads
Inside This Week Future of F.C. Fireworks in Doubt
Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields cautioned the City Council that following this week’s scheduled City-sponsored fireworks show, future shows may be in doubt due to strict laws prohibiting the launching of fireworks within specific distances from public buildings. See News Briefs, page 8
Next Big Step in West End Project To Clear F.C. Council Hurdle Monday
Key Vote Expected To Pass Easily With New Modifications
by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
Men Robbing Cars at F.C. Area Cemeteries
other nicotine products from all school property and on school buses and at school sponsored events off campus. Speaking of signs and customers, look for those fun and catchy sandwich board signs designed to draw customers in to restaurants on local sidewalks soon. Restaurants are now allowed to advertise their “happy hour” specials with names like “Thirsty Thursday” and include prices and discount details to customers.
This coming Monday’s Falls Church City Council meeting is expected to veritably celebrate the next concrete step in the remarkably effective development and negotiating process over the last seven months between the City and the developer team of EYA, PN Hoffman and Regency, known as the Falls Church Gateway Partners. At issue is the approval of a Special Exception Entitlement for the intense mixed-use economic development of 9.45 acres on the site currently occupied by George Mason High School. As construction of a brand-new high school is now underway on fields adjacent to the present Mason building on Route 7, the anticipated December 2020 completion of the school will free the existing school site for demolition and the commencement of an extensive, dense mixed-use development whose yield promises to cover the cost of the new school and much more. The Council’s anticipated overwhelming “yea” vote on July 8 will have come about not for lack of intense public scrutiny and massages of the plans for the development over the last seven months, but also for what has appeared to be a remarkably copacetic and cooperative undertaking, albeit with many varied recommendation from school and citizens groups and subsequent modifications to the plan. A critical inflection point came with the signing of a Comprehensive Agreement May 13.
Continued on Page 4
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Police are on the lookout for two men they say are robbing the cars of people attending burial services and visiting grave sites around the Falls Church area. See News Briefs, page 8
Mason Grad Robbed of $10K+ in Camera Gear A George Mason High School alumnus who just finished up his first year studying film had five-figures worth of equipment snatched from him on the tail end of his trip to France in May. See page 15
F.C. Fireworks Show Set for Thursday
Gates open at 6 p.m. this Thursday for the Little City’s annual free Independence Day fireworks celebration at George Mason High School. See News Briefs, page 8
Index
Editorial................6 Letters.......... 6, 14 News & Notes.10, 11 Comment.... 12,13 Business News.17 Calendar..... 18,19
Classified Ads... 20 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword........ 21 Crime Report.... 22 Critter Corner.... 22
THE WEST END DEVELOPMENT team, Falls Church Gateway Partners, is expected to receive a special exception from the City Council on Monday for its 9.45 acre project planned for the site currently occupied by George Mason High School. The yellow dotted lines indicate the main roads and blocks currently planned for the development in this aerial visualization created by Falls Church’s Digital Design & Imaging Service using their trademark surveillance aerostat balloon from 800 feet above ground level. (Photo: Digital Design & Imaging Service, Inc.)
State Del. Simon Reports on New Virginia Laws in Effect on July 1
by State Del. Marcus Simon Special to the News-Press
Hundreds of new laws went into effect on July 1, 2019 across the Commonwealth of Virginia, on topics ranging from public safety to transportation, health care and the environment, to education and taxation. Some have been covered extensively, like the economic incentives that will facilitate the deal to bring Amazon HQ2 to the Commonwealth. Others have received less coverage, but may
still have a noticeable impact on your day to day interactions in Falls Church and environs. You may have seen signs in local convenience stores where tobacco products are sold over the last several weeks notifying customers that effective on July 1, you must be 21 years old to buy tobacco and vaping products, up from age 18. The General Assembly continues to step up efforts to keep tobacco and vaping products away from children. Another new law requires local school boards to ban tobacco and
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JULY 4 – 10, 2019 | PAGE 3
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PAGE 4 | JULY 4 – 10, 2019
New Va. Laws Continued from Page 1
Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control rules previously had prohibited the practice. But Geoff Tracy, owner of Chef Geoff’s in Vienna, filed a lawsuit challenging the restrictions as an unconstitutional restriction on free speech. Signs aren’t the only thing showing up on local sidewalks these days, as dockless electric scooters are proliferating in the region. Effective July 1, Virginia updated its definition of a motorized scooter and limits them to speeds of 20 m.p.h and a weight of 100 pounds. Scooters are now allowed in bike lanes, required to be equipped with lights, and riders are required to yield the right of way to pedestrians and cannot ride more than two abreast. Localities will be given greater authority to regulate scooter vendor companies, like Bird, Lyft and Lime, effective July 1, 2020. Parents of young children now need to make sure they strap their kids into rear-facing car seats until their 2nd birthday under a new
LO CA L law sponsored by Fairfax Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn. Before July 1 the law only required car seats to be rear facing for kids under a year old. Virginia becomes the 10th state to raise threshold to age 2, at the urging of groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Centers for Disease Control. All civil penalties collected for violations of the new law will go to the Child Restraint Device Special Fund, which is used to distribute child restraint devices to applicants who need a child restraint device but can’t afford one. It is now easier for same-sex couples in Virginia seeking to start
families here to do so thanks to changes to Virginia’s surrogacy laws championed by Delegate Richard P. “Rip” Sullivan. Sullivan sponsored “Jacob’s Law” which replaces the terms “husband” and “wife” with the gender-neutral ‘’spouse” to reflect the legalization of same-sex marriage, and eliminates the need for prospective parents to go through the process of adopting children conceived from a donated embryo. Virginia continues to make progress in the area of medical marijuana, allowing medical cannabis products to be dispensed at school by school nurses. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants now have the ability to issue written certifications for medical cannabis patients, and patients
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
unable to get their medical cannabis can now appoint someone else to pick it up on their behalf without being guilty of illegal drug possession. If you’ve ever thought about becoming an amateur bee-keeper, this is the year to give it a shot. The General Assembly approved $125,000 in funding for a Beehive Distribution Program to provide up to three free beehives and equipment to anyone age 18 or older who applies and registers as a beekeeper with the Virginia Department of Agriculture. The number of beehives in Virginia decreased 50 percent in recent years. Virginia residents whose property spans more than one jurisdiction will no longer get to choose
which jurisdiction’s schools their children will attend. Under a bill this delegate carried at the request of the Falls Church City and Arlington County School systems, families now must send their children to the schools in the locality where their dwelling physically sits. Finally, I successfully updated Virginia’s Revenge Pornography Law, which I first introduced in 2014, to include “deep fakes” or digitally altered images and videos designed to make it look as though someone is engaged in pornographic acts. This is a new and troubling form of harassment that is unfortunately proliferating. At my initiative, Virginia became the first state in the country to outlaw this activity.
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F.C. Council Expected to Pass Modified West End Development Plan Monday Continued from Page 1
EYA’s Evan Goldman has become a downright ubiquitous presence at Falls Church policy meetings of all types, from the Council to the Chamber of Commerce and the Tree Commission. He was there at the Council’s first work session in the new Dogwood Room at the newly renovated City Hall Monday night explaining stillfurther modifications to the development plan, many made in response to public testimony in the recent period. The latest changes, submitted June 3, include the removal of the shared parking garage with the middle and high school, the removal of a left turn option out of the Commons Drive in the center of the project, the added potential “Street A” connection to “Mustang Alley,” with school pick up and drop off loop discussions still underway, a shared-use path along Mustang Alley pre-
sented as an alternative to a cycle track, and adjustments to massing and footprint of some buildings. While the total square footage will remain the same, one block of buildings is split into two smaller blocks and a street created linking Street A to Route 7, the proposed grocery store (Goldman said Monday that there are two principal and maybe a third candidate for that store) will be relocated to the corner of Haycock Road and Route 7 offering a commercial presence and activity at that corner and along Haycock. Also, the senior housing building, as the tallest (up to 15 stories) will be moved further from the new school, the hotel moved further north and the micro-unit building, both, moved further from the school entrance plaza and toward the Commons Drive, the Phase 2 office building is moved to adjacent the school surface parking lot and Phase 2 retail proposed for the northern corner of Haycock and the pro-
posed Street A. Further smaller refinements are spelled out in the staff report attached to the draft resolution that the Council will vote on Monday. Overall, the parameters of the Special Exception Entitlement that the Council will be voting on Monday are nearly identical to the Comprehensive Agreement the Council and development partners agreed to in May. The parameters include 123,400 square feet dedicated to retail, another 40,000 square feet to a grocer, a minimum of 20,000 square feet for civic use, 85,000 square feet for a hotel, 330,000 square feet for office use, 600,000 square feet for multi-family rentals and condos, and 225,000 for senior housing. The overall floor-to-area ratio (FAR) assigned to the site is established by City staff at 3.6, and a staff fiscal impact analysis projects an annual net of $5.1 million in the project’s first phase
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JULY 4 – 10, 2019 | PAGE 5
and an additional $1.8 million for and to cash with Arlington. He said that the details of Phase 2. In the discussions of volun- those kinds of plans can come tary concessions this Monday, over the next months, as the onset Councilman Phil Duncan spear- of construction of the new Falls headed an inquiry into affordable Church site will not come until LESSONS•DEGREED the completion of the new high housing PRIVATE options, which couldTEACHERS INSTRUMENTS•ALL STYLES•ALL AGES involve aALL range between a desig- school in December 2020. 416 SOUTH WASHINGTON nated number of affordable units ST., As for the micro-units sought FALLS CHURCH provided by the developer at the by the developer as part of the site, to funds 703-533-7393 to permit acquisi- project, the discussion of affordtion of affordable units offsite, to able housing as an aspect of that LESSONS • SALES funds proffered to an affordable proposal never came up. RENTALS • REPAIRS Following the anticipated housing fund for future development by the City of affordable approval of the resolution agreeing to the Special Exception housing projects. PRIVATE LESSONS•DEGREED TE Goldman said that his compa- Entitlement Monday, the Council ny has worked different arrange- going forward will be approving ments with different jurisdictions, a series of Special Exception Site including the purchase of older Plan submissions in the coming off-site units with Alexandria, period.
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PAGE 6 | JULY 4 – 10, 2019
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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 200 Little Falls St., #508, Falls Church, VA 22046. Reproduction of this publication in whole or part is prohibited except with the written permission of the publisher. ©2019 Benton Communications Inc. The News-Press is printed on recycled paper.
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E D I TO R I A L
All Hail Lindy Hockenberry!
Lindy Hockenberry, for over half a century a loyal, passionate supporter of all things Falls Church, and especially its schools and kids, was lionized and hailed profusely at a special Cherry Hill Farmhouse reception and words of great love and respect delivered at Monday’s Falls Church Planning Commission meeting, with more such celebrations of her contributions still to come. Hockenberry’s roles have ranged from vice mayor to Council member, to Planning Commissioner to middle school teacher (maybe her favorite one, for well over 30 years here), and almost every single cause that has been undertaken to improve the City she clearly loves. The funny thing is, Lindy isn’t going anywhere! Yes, Monday marked her final meeting as a Planning Commissioner, the role that has filled the last eight years of her life. She opted out of another four-year term out of health concerns six months ago, but her health has bounced back and now she’s just as feisty and streetwise as ever, keeping her eyes and ears open for new ways to insert herself into the City’s decision making process. For many, they would have been quite content to be done after so many years as an effective and beloved middle school teacher in the Falls Church system. But not Lindy. As F.C. Council member Phil Duncan recounted Monday night, it was in 1999 that he sat with Lindy in the then-new Panera Bread cafe and discussed prospects for a potential run for public office. Ms. Hockenberry was all ears, and jumped into a campaign for City Council with great energy, getting elected in her first try. It is safe to say that the last 20 years in Falls Church have been the most accomplished, progressive and beneficial to everyone here, without parallel. It was in September 2001 that the City’s first new mixed-use project in well over a decade was approved. The Broadway was done two years later, and by then the F.C. City Council, Hockenberry included, was well on its way to the planning and approving (including for some, rejecting) of plans for the transformation of the central commercially-zoned district of the City, and negotiating deals that have resulted by now in the construction of a brand-new, state-of-the-art high school, just underway, after major improvements to Mt. Daniel Elementary, the City’s Municipal Building (just completed), and library (soon to commence) and more. Over this 20 year period of Hockenberry’s active participation in the public life of the City, there has been a population explosion, a more and more visible commitment to diversity, major improvements to all the City schools’ facilities, commercial zones and residential neighborhoods. If there is one area wanting now, it would be in the area of affordable housing, but not for want for any of Hockenberry’s efforts on that account. Fortunately, Ms. Hockenberry continues among us, and we must not overlook the benefit of all she still brings.
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Mayor’s Testimony on SALT Was Misleading
Editor, Mayor Tarter’s testimony before Congress, attacking the cap on the SALT deduction was disingenuous and misleading. The cap takes no funds from the City; rather it makes it more difficult for the city to raise already steep property and other local taxes because of likely outrage from city property owners no longer able to
fully offset local taxes through the Federal SALT deduction. The cap impacts only high earners in high tax states and the deduction itself is a subsidy by middle class residents of low-tax states who effectively pay higher Federal taxes to make up for losses through the SALT deduction. The benefits of the deduction go to the top 20 percent of income
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earners with the most benefits going the top 1 percent. Lifting the cap would also reduce Federal revenue by $600 billion over 10 years. James P. Callahan Falls Church
Tarter Testimony Only Tells Part Of the Story Editor, Mayors Tartar’s crybaby Congressional testimony told only part of the story. That part was
what a problem that one of the richest communities in the United States has because of SALT. The untold part of the story is that with the decrease in Federal tax rates, a taxpayer could easily end up with the same or less of a tax bill in 2018 than 2017 on the same income. My wife and I lost $18,000 in SALT deductions but our Federal tax bill for 2018 was less than 2017 on the same income. From listening to the Democratic presidential candidates, with whom the majority of Falls Church residents
Letters Continue on Page 14
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JULY 4 – 10, 2019 | PAGE 7
A Natural Approach to Watershed Restoration B� T�� H�����
You want to tell students everything you know. But when you have just 16 three-hour classes a semester, and you’re trying to spend four or five of those sessions outside with watermen and farmers and scientists, or paddling through climate-changed landscapes, you have to choose. Recently, my choices have moved upslope, come ashore, for a couple of reasons. Land use is most of the ballgame in our estuary, more so than almost any other on Earth. The watershed/waterkeep is about 16 times the area of the tidal waters into which it drains. And the Bay is so shallow that there’s astoundingly little volume of water, given its long, broad surface. Clearly too little to dilute the runoff from 48 million acres. The other reason is that the advanced sewage treatment and air pollution control technologies that have carried the Bay restoration to its current, modest success don’t have enough juice left to get us to our 2025 cleanup goals. This is especially so in light of a growing population — and in light of no populationcontrol policies at any level of government, or even among most environmental groups. Success by 2025 is going to depend more and more on how well we can halt pollution running from the land — specifically the land that our population radically alters wherever it goes. Stormwater controls from developed landscapes are better designed than
ever, but expensive. It’s uncertain they will be deployed, maintained, inspected and enforced anywhere near 100 percent. Sediment control, for example, decades after it became law in places like Maryland,
“No creature on Earth, save for modern humans, has more capacity to transform a landscape than the beaver.” remains inadequate. Agriculture, a far larger pollution source, is moving in some good directions with a new phosphorus-based manure control mandate in Maryland and the increasing use of winter cover crops that suck up fertilizers from groundwater before it carries them to the Bay. But this is not happening everywhere, particularly not in Pennsylvania; and even where it is happening, we still don’t have convincing evidence that we’ll get big enough pollution reductions from the intensive row cropping and concentrations of animals that typify modern farming. Add to this the real possibility that national policy may soon call for greater use of corn-based ethanol in gasoline. It
saves little or no energy and would likely result in clearing more acres around the Bay for more corn. There are promising programs to counteract polluted runoff, such as planting thousands of miles of vegetated buffers along rivers and streams. But those efforts are far behind schedule, and they don’t specifically call for the vegetation to be forest, the best buffer. And while such greening of the Bay’s lands is good, we know that far better would be green and wet; and that’s where we need to reconsider and actively restore the beaver. No creature on Earth, save for modern humans, has more capacity to transform a landscape than the beaver; and in designing a landscape that produces excellent water quality, the animal has no equal. Beavers ruled the hydrology of North America for a million years or more, until just the last few centuries, when fur trapping reduced populations from an estimated 100 million or more to less than half a million. In the Chesapeake, from millions to thousands is a fair estimate. Through damming and ponding, beavers stanched the shedding of water from the watershed, cleansed it, filtered it, held back floods, let rain soak in to keep water tables high and streams running even in drought. They created luxurious habitats for a stunning variety of amphibians, fish, waterfowl and mammals. In recent decades, beavers have come
back to the point where a solid body of science in Canada and the United States confirms they were this continent’s most important keystone species — a species whose functioning underpins a whole ecosystem. My class this year listened to a young man in the stream-restoration business say that in many cases, the work that his company does might be done as well or better by just releasing beavers But it is illegal to do that, he said. That’s a mindset that needs to change. It will take education to overcome prevailing views of beavers as tree-chewing, propertyflooding nuisances. They can be just that, but there are technologies to help us coexist — piping, for instance, that keeps beaver ponds deep enough for the animals without also causing flooding. You will hear more about beavers in the news, I hope. A good place to start: Should the Chesapeake restoration effort include a beaver goal? In the meantime, we must emulate the animal any way we can, creating wetlands throughout the landscape wherever there is opportunity, moving rapidly toward a “slower” watershed, one that sheds water only grudgingly. Tom Horton has written about Chesapeake Bay for more than 40 years. He lives in Salisbury, where he is also a professor of Environmental Studies at Salisbury University. Commentary credit: Bay Journal News Service.
Q������� �� ��� W��� Should the City Council grant the special exception for the Falls Church Gateway Partners project? • Yes
Last Week’s Question:
Should Congress repeal the cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions?
• No • Not sure
Visit www.FCNP.com to cast your vote
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& Guest Commentaries. Letters to the Editor should be no more than 350 words and writers are limited to one appearance every four weeks. Guest Commentaries should be no more than 800 words and writers are limited to one appearance every four months. Because of space constraints, not all submissions will be published. All submissions to the News-Press should be original, unpublished content. We reserve the right to edit submissions for length, grammar and accuracy. All submissions should include writer’s name, address, phone and e-mail address if available.
Email: letters@fcnp.com | Mail: Letters to the Editor, Falls Church News-Press, 200 Little Falls St., #508, Falls Church 22046 | Fax: 703.340.0347
PAGE 8 | JULY 4 – 10, 2019
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NEWS BRIEFS F.C.’s Fireworks Show Celebrates July 4 Thursday
OPHRESTAURANTS.COM 7395 Lee Highway 703-698-6292
The annual free Independence Day fireworks celebration in the City of Falls Church will be held on Thursday, July 4 at George Mason High School, 7124 Leesburg Pike. Gates will open at 6 p.m. when food from local food truck vendors and music by The Excellent Drivers (sponsored in part by the Falls Church Village Preservation and Improvement Society) go into play. Fireworks are scheduled to start at approximately 9:20 p.m. According to a City statement, guests have the option of watching the fireworks from the Northern Virginia Graduate Center parking lot or the Jack Gambill Athletic Fields. Visitors are encouraged to park at the West Falls Church Metro Station parking garage, accessible from Haycock Rd., free on the holiday, with over 2,000 parking spaces available. Tailgating inside the garage is prohibited, and violators may be asked to leave the premises. The public is urged not to try parking in the Mason High, Henderson and Northern Virginia Center school parking lots and the Falls Church Plaza Shopping Center across from the high school, at 1200 W. Broad St., is for patrons of the shopping center businesses only and cars may be towed if left there. Disabled parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis at the school campus (at the “Senior Parking Lot”). At the event, visitors are allowed to bring small bags, coolers, food, beverages (not in glass containers), blankets and flat-based chairs for seating on the field. Alcohol, smoking, glass containers, fireworks of any kind, pets, and outdoor chairs with legs are prohibited.
Also July 4, VPIS’ Founding Documents Reading On July 4 at noon, the Falls Church Village Preservation and Improvement Society will host its annual Founding Documents Reading at the historic church of the Falls Church Episcopal, 115 E. Fairfax St. The annual event has been held for over 35 years. The Fairfax Resolves, the Virginia Declaration of Rights, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence and the Pledge of Allegiance will be read, with the public invited to participate in the readings.
Shields: Future of Fireworks Shows in Doubt
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30 Yees!
Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields cautioned the Falls Church City Council Monday that following this week’s scheduled City-sponsored fireworks show, future shows may be in doubt due to strict laws prohibiting the launching of fireworks within specific distances from public buildings. The new George Mason High School now under construction and the economic development planned for where the existing high school footprint is located may preclude the continued use of the high school football field for the City’s annual show. He said a further assessment of options will be forthcoming.
Police Search for Men Robbing Cars at F.C. Area Cemeteries Police are on the lookout for two men they say are robbing the cars of people attending burial services and visiting grave sites around the Falls Church area. Fairfax County Police report that the suspects stole purses from parked cars in cemeteries while victims attended burial services and visited grave sites. The suspects used credit cards from the purses on multiple occasions at Target and Walmart stores. Police ask anyone who recognizes the suspects or has any information about the crimes, Image capture of the two suspects. (Photo: Fairfax County Police Department) to contact Officer P. King at the McLean District Police Station at 703-556-7750. Tips can be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by visiting fairfaxcrimesolvers.org, or calling 1-866-411-TIPS. They can also be sent in via text by texting “TIP187” plus the message to CRIMES (274637).
F.C. July 4-5 Closings Announced
125 Rowell Ct, Falls Church (703) 241-8807
The City of Falls Church announced that the following services will be closed on Thursday and Friday, July 4-5, 2019 in observation of Independence Day: City Hall and all government offices (including the Commissioner of the Revenue, Treasurer’s Office, and Permits Counter), Mary Riley Styles Public Library. The Community Center will be closed on Thursday, July 4, but will open with regular hours (including summer camp operations) on Friday, July 5. Curbside collection for trash, recycling, yard waste, and compost will occur normally on Wednesday, July 3. Any missed collections will be serviced on Friday, July 5.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
JULY 4 – 10, 2019 | PAGE 9
WHO’S THE BEST? GET READY... BEST OF FALLS CHURCH 2019 VOTING STARTS NEXT WEEK! #BESTOFFC2019
PAGE 10 | JULY 4 – 10, 2019
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Community News & Notes F.C. Resident Voted as Chairman of Federal Council
DAVE BJERKE (right), General Registrar and Director of Elections for the City of Falls Church, was sworn in for another four-year term back in June by Paul Ferguson, Court Clerk of Arlington County. (Photo: News-Press)
A RECEPTION for the one and only Lindy Hockenberry was held ahead of her final meeting on the planning commission Monday Night. Hockenberry served on City Council for eight years and has been on the Planning Commission for the following decade after that, along with being a lifelong teacher in and out of the classroom. (Photo: News-Press)
Falls Church’s Aimee Jorjani was voted to be the first full-time chairman of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) by the U.S. Senate on June 27. Jorjani’s goals as chairman include working to ensure cultural resources are considered at the earliest stages of project planning to avoid process delays; examining ways to bring the digitization of historic property information to the 21st century in order to create more efficiencies for project planning and seeking opportunities to better communicate among government at all levels, the non-profit community and the private sector while utilizing many existing preservation tools. Jorjani is also interested in highlighting the growing vocational and traditional trades gap that require unique hands-on skills with historic resources. Jorjani will complete the fouryear term that began in January 2017. The full-time chairman position was created through the December 2016 enactment of the National Park Service Centennial Act, which contained amendments to the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) converting the current part-time chairman to a full-time position. She was nominated by President Donald J. Trump. Jorjani has nearly 20 years of experience in the fields of government and cultural resources from a variety of perspectives including both executive and legislative branches, as well as the nonprofit sector. Her career began on Capitol Hill working as a legislative aide to Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI). She later moved to the US Department of the Interior (DOI) and had several positions, including serving as the Deputy Secretary’s Special Assistant for Historic Preservation and as DOI’s first Department-wide Historic
Preservation Officer. She has a Masters in Historic Preservation from Goucher College.
Mason’s Lankford Chosen As Top Scholar-Athlete George Mason High School alumnus Miles Lankford (2019) was selected to the United Soccer Coaches High School Scholar AllAmerica Team on June 27 for being one of the nation’s best on the field and in the classroom for the 2018-19 academic year. Two Scholar All-America certificates and a medal emblematic of Lankford’s selection will be mailed to Mason boys soccer coach, Frank Spinello, later this summer. One certificate is for Lankford and the other is for Mason to display. This fall, Lankford will be invited to attend the United Soccer Coaches All-America Ceremony on Jan. 18, 2020, honoring all of the All-Americans and Scholar All-Americans for youth, high school and college soccer in 2019. The event will take place in conjunction with the annual United Soccer Coaches Convention, at the Baltimore Convention Center in Maryland. The ceremony is attended by over 1,200 players, their families and coaches.
McLean Community to Host Fireworks Display McLean Community Center’s (MCC) annual 4th of July Fireworks and Independence Day Celebration will bring an evening of family fun to a familiar location. After three years at other locations, the celebration returns to Langley High School (6520 Georgetown Pike, McLean). The event begins at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 4; the fireworks show begins at sunset, approximately 9:15 p.m. In case of inclement weather, only the fireworks show will be presented on Friday, July 5, at 8 p.m.
Send Us Your News & Notes!
The News-Press is always on the lookout for photos & items for Community News & Notes, School News & Notes and other sections of the paper. If you graduate, get married, get engaged, get an award, start a club, eat a club, tie your shoes, have a birthday, have a party, host an event or anything else you think is worth being mentioned in the News-Press, write it up and send it to us! If you have a photo, even better! Because of the amount of submissions we receive, we cannot guarantee all submissions will be published, but we’ll try our best!
Community News & Notes: newsandnotes@fcnp.com | School News & Notes: schoolnews@fcnp.com Mail: News & Notes, Falls Church News-Press, 200 Little Falls St. #508, Falls Church, VA 22046
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Admission is free. Smoking, pets, fireworks, glass containers, weapons, sparklers, vaping and alcohol are not allowed on school grounds Prior to the fireworks display there will be musical entertainment by a local disc jockey and food trucks selling a variety of entrees and snacks, including KOVI Asian Street Food Kitchen, The Big Cheese, Dogs on the Curb, Red Hook Lobster Pound, Tiki Treats DC and Westray’s Finest Ice Cream. A limited amount of parking is available at the school. Beginning at 6:25 p.m., free shuttle buses will run to and from three satellite parking sites: McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Avenue,McLean) St. John’s Episcopal Church (6715 Georgetown Pike, McLean) St. Luke Catholic Church and School (7001 Georgetown Pike, McLean) Handicap-accessible buses will be available at all three sites.
Mustang Alum Discusses College Recruitment Process George Mason High School alumnus Daniel SanGiovanni (2018), who is now a student at Emory University, presented his reflections on the college recruitment process and first
year playing experience to nearly 100 prospective athletes at the National Capital Soccer League Summer Soccer Combine by The St. James, located in Springfield. SanGiovanni was part of an expert panel led Doug Homer (St. James Director of Soccer) along with D.C. United players Russell Canouse and Bill Hamid, Sebastian Hendi (Marymount) and Youssef Naciri (former Raja and Wydad Casablanca player). SanGiovanni last played for Mason as a sophomore in the 2016 season, starting 19 of 23 games on the 2A State champion squad and earning Max Preps Player of the Match in the state final. After his year at Mason, SanGiovanni served as captain of the VA State Olympic Development 2000 Team for the 2018 Region 1 Tournament and played at center back for the full 90 minutes at the Virginia Youth Soccer Association 2017 U18 Championship. SanGiovanni is a rising sophomore, chemistry major and soccer player at Emory University. He is currently the starting center back for a team in the Washington Premiere League.
McLean American Legion to Hand Out Flags for July 4th McLean Post 270 of the American Legion will pass out
LO CA L U.S. flags to the first 500 that enter the main gate at the McLean Independence Day Celebration tonight at Langley High School. Grounds open to the public at 6:30 p.m. –10:30 p.m. Langley High School (6520 Georgetown Pike, McLean). Prior to the flags-handout at Langley High School, the American Legion Post 270 will provide a free barbeque dinner right after hosting the 4 p.m. McLean and Tysons Rotary Clubs Flags for Heroes dedication at the Post home. The Post home is located at 1355 Balls Hill Road in McLean. Dinner would be about 4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. American Legionnaires are U.S. military veterans that have fought in U.S. wars since World War I or served our country in uniform. There is plenty of free parking available at the school and shuttle buses will run from nearby churches on Georgetown Pike starting at 6:20 p.m. As part of the Legion’s Americanism program, Post 270 sponsors a Veteran’s Day ceremony, Nov. 11 at McLean High School. For more information, contact Don Kimble, Post Adjutant at 703356-8259.
JULY 4 – 10, 2019 | PAGE 11
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A SPECIAL RECEPTION last week hosted by Amazon at a location in the heart of its massive planned expansion was held at Freddie’s Beach Shack in Pentagon City to greet the area’s LGBT community. Left to right, Morgan Jameson of Equaity Virginia, Emi Ruff of Amazon, Brian Reach of NOVA Pride and Cornelius Joy of the Capital Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. (Photo: News-Press)
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A Penny for Your Thoughts
Senator Dick Saslaw’s
News of Greater Falls Church By Supervisor Penny Gross
There is nothing like a slice of fresh, home-grown tomato on a cook-out burger, or freshly picked herbs on a garden salad. During World War II, “Victory Gardens” were popular, something you could do at home to support the war effort while our soldiers and sailors fought far away. As communities urbanized, and more women entered the workforce, the family garden was replaced by expanded produce sections in supermarkets. But the idea of working the soil, getting close to nature, and growing your own food, continued to fascinate homeowners. The popularity of Farmers Markets further verified the desire for fresh produce, grown closer to home. Gardening is a popular hobby in this country but, until last week, establishing a community garden in a vacant lot, or creating a personal vegetable garden in your front yard was deemed a violation of the county’s Zoning Ordinance. Funny thing is, planting flowers in the front yard always has been permitted. Some homeowners convert their lawns (turf grass is reported to be Fairfax County’s largest “crop”) into meadow-like landscapes, with riotous colors of wildflowers changing constantly across the seasons. Ornamental onions, like allium, and peppers are prized in the flower garden, but growing leeks and bell peppers are not?? The Zoning Ordinance Amendment adopted by the Board of Supervisors last week addresses gardening as an accessory use. On lots of less than 36,000 square feet (about ¾ acre), gardening (not to be confused with landscaping) was allowed only in the side or back yard. However, many residential lots, like those in leafy Mason District neighborhoods, have sufficient sunlight and growing space only in the front yard. Under the new regulations, gardening would be permitted in the front yard, no closer than 15 feet from the front lot line, and limited to no more than 100 square feet in area. Composting in the front yard would not be permitted on lots of less than 36,000 square feet. Testimony during the public hearing was mixed, similar to the comments my office received about the
Richmond Report
proposal. An enthusiastic young father was accompanied by his seven-year-old son, who admitted he would rather eat a fresh salad than a cupcake, and proceeded to do so! Another speaker provided photos of a yard where hundreds of cinder blocks, some painted green, were installed, supposedly to outline a garden, but nothing was planted. That arrangement exceeded the 100 square foot limit, and staff agreed to review the site for a possible violation. All the testimony seemed to verify that gardening takes a consistency of effort to maintain the garden, during both the growing season and dormancy. The Board approved the amendment with an 18-month trial period, so that any complaints could be monitored and reviewed. The Board also approved new regulations for community gardens, requests for which started the entire review of the Ordinance. Gardening is defined as an accessory use, and since a vacant lot has no main use or structure, it cannot have an accessory use. That’s a waste of usable space, and the amendment establishes standards for community gardens that govern hours of operation, location and size of accessory structures (trellises, sheds, etc), parking ingress and egress, and ensuring that no erosive conditions are created. Farmers Markets are expanded to year-round operation under the newly adopted amendment, but also limiting the items for sale to farm products or value-added farm products, like pickles, salsa, baked goods, candles, and hemp products. A permit for farmers markets, to include mobile markets, still will be required. The new amendments will provide easier access to fresh, healthy food in all areas of the county, while ensuring that the uses established will be “good neighbors.” The next 18 months will be crucial to that determination. Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
With the June primary behind us summer is officially here. Children are out of school and the hometown parades for the Fourth of July are happening. I commend our forefathers for their work on our democratic experiment. Their vision and thoughtful discourse are the cornerstones our of nation and why we commemorate this holiday. Likewise, I salute the men and women who valiantly defend our liberties without hesitation or question. Our nation has a long history that we are proud of thanks to its heroes and leaders. In Virginia, most new laws take effect on July 1. It will come as no surprise in an election year that more than 3,000 bills and resolutions were introduced by members. Of those, some 834 bills were signed into law by the Governor. I am also pleased 34 bills put forth by Republican majorities in both the Senate and the House were vetoed. The Governor’s pen used to either amend or veto certain legislation has been so important to positive governance. In the minority, we often play defense. Imagine the possibilities this November when those majorities may flip to the Democratic side of the aisle. I think about that every day and am working tirelessly to ensure better outcomes for Virginians who live, work, and raise their families in this great Commonwealth. One of the biggest achievements this year was restoring driving privileges to people whose licenses had been suspended due to the inability to pay fines and/or court fees. Some 600,000 Virginians will see their driving privileges reinstated. This is a major step in getting people to work so they can earn the money they need to support their families, including individuals paying child support. I believe this is a matter of public safety and a step toward eliminating a debtor’s prison type of retribution. Another area we can be proud of is cleaning up coal ash. It was a great day when we passed legislation that protects our waterways and addressed the issue of yesterday’s usage. Beyond a reasonable doubt, we must do better with protecting and preserving our environment. My grandchildren are depending on us to curb the carbon footprint and leave them with a healthier planet. What does
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it tell you about climate change when the thermometer is climbing over 100 degrees in Paris in June? It tells me we have a small window to address this problem in a meaningful way. I strongly encourage you to review the long list of session highlights found at www.lis.virginia. gov. We had some near misses with ensuring pay equity for women and men; curtailing the obstacles to being able to have one’s voice heard with voting privileges and other fundamental rights. It’s an election year and that means “brochure bills.” I firmly believe there will be change at the Capitol come 2020 and my caucus and I are poised to roll up our sleeves to make some serious progress. It is also the start of the fiscal year with our amended budget. I am pleased to report the budget includes money for our colleges and universities that encourages them to freeze tuition. Our overworked and underappreciated teachers will be getting a 5 percent raise. This has been a long time coming and is both a positive step for these professionals and makes Virginia more competitive when it comes to attracting and retaining educators in the Commonwealth. As a budget negotiator and thoughtful steward of your taxes, I strongly encourage you to visit the budget summary at sfc.virginia.gov. We should be doing more and I intend to revisit funding priorities when the Democrats are in the majority. On July 9, the General Assembly will convene in a special session to address the issue of gun violence in the Commonwealth. It has been more than 12 years since the mass shooting at Virginia Tech. During that time, over 11,000 people have lost their lives from guns in Virginia. The Virginia Beach shooting was another senseless mass shooting right here at home. I am ready to take on this issue next week. We as Virginians and law makers should be doing more than offering condolences to the families of victims. Make no mistake about the opportunity that awaits us as we address this crisis gripping our Commonwealth. Senator Saslaw represents the 35th District in the Virginia State Senate. He may be emailed at district35@senate.virginia.gov.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
The Ranks Hard-Prest, The Road Unknown
On this July 4, we celebrate the birth of our nation as humanity’s greatest experiment at democracy and self-determination. It warrants reflection on how we got to this point and how we will continue its legacy, especially in the context of a current White House and treasonous Republican sycophant leadership that is pressing to rip it all to shreds. It was in the midst of the Civil War that America’s greatest poet, Walt Whitman waxed most eloquent about the importance that America represented for humanity on this planet. In the work of Whitman, there is no equivocation about right and wrong. The Confederacy was sheer evil; “the FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS foulest crime in history known in any man or age,” willing to slaughter hundreds of thousands of Americans to defend the exploitation of an entire class of persons against the core values of democracy. America had no greater champion and advocate than Whitman. He transitioned from being a journalist to focusing his creative effort on poetry to exercise that which the Greek philosopher Plato claimed, that “poetry is nearer to vital truth than history.” In honor of the brave struggle for democracy in that horribly necessary war and the role that my home’s historic Falls Church Episcopal played, as an armory and a hospital, on this July 4 permit me to present this poem of Whitman, written in 1863 about a church somewhere in Northern Virginia that is not named: “A March In the Ranks Hard-Prest, and the Road Unknown:” A march in the ranks hard-prest, and the road unknown, A route through a heavy wood, with muffled steps in the darkness, Our army foil’d with loss severe, and the sullen remnant retreating, Till after midnight glimmer upon us, the lights of a dim-lighted building, ‘Tis a large old church, at the crossing roads — ‘tis now an impromptu hospital — Entering but for a minute, I see a sight beyond all the pictures and poems ever made: Shadows of deepest, deepest black, just lit by moving candles and lamps, And by one great pitchy torch, stationary, with wild red flame, and clouds of smoke, By these, crowds, groups of forms, vaguely I see, on the floor, some in the pews laid down, At my feet more distinctly, a soldier, a mere lad, in danger of bleeding to death, (he is shot in the abdomen,) I staunch the blood temporarily, (the youngster’s face is white as a lily,) Then before I depart I sweep my eyes o’er the scene, fain to absorb it all, Faces, varieties, postures beyond description, most in obscurity, some of them dead, Surgeons operating, attendants holding lights, the smell of ether, the odor of blood, The crowd, O the crowd of the bloody forms of soldiers — the yard outside also fill’d, Some on the bare ground, some on planks or stretchers, some in the death-spasm sweating, An occasional scream or cry, the doctor’s shouted orders or calls, The glisten of the little steel instruments catching the glint of the torches, These I resume as I chant — I see again the form, I smell the odor, Then I hear outside the orders given, Fall in, my men, Fall in, But first I bend to the dying lad — his eyes open — a half-smile gives he me, Then the eyes close, calmly close, and I speed forth to the darkness, Resuming, marching, as ever in the darkness marching on in the ranks, The unknown road still marching.
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Nicholas F. Benton
Nicholas Benton may be emailed at nfbenton@fcnp.com.
Our Man in Arlington By Charlie Clark
I won’t presume to present a comprehensive history of Fourth of July celebrations in our sainted community. But there’s one that was popular for decades in days of old that helped put Arlington on the map. George Washington Parke Custis (1781-1857), the builder of Arlington House whose onetime plantation is now Arlington National Cemetery, threw a heck of an Independence Day party annually for three decades during the first half of the 19th century. The location for his come-onecome-all affair was a Potomac riverbank site called Arlington Spring. Its precise location, I’m told by Matt Penrod, a retired park ranger who worked years at Arlington House, was near Boundary Channel, close to the Pentagon’s North parking lot. “Come on over to the shades of Arlington, where peace and pleasurable breezes, good air, good water, and a tolerably good fellow will make you welcome,” Custis wrote to a friend, as recounted in Murray Nelligan’s 1953 National Park Service book “Arlington House: The Story of the Lee Mansion Historical Monument.” Back in the day, the parties at Arlington Spring unfolded alongside the slave cabins, an ice house and farm managers’ quarters erected by Custis after he inherited family land when he came of age.
The spring, which “gushed between the rocks” near a huge old Arlington Oak, was a site of what newspapers called “natural beauty” that attracted visitors from across the region. It was sketched for Harper’s magazine by journalist and Custis archivist Benson Lossing. As a host, Custis first used the site in 1805 for sheep shearing exhibitions for hundreds of gentlemen farmers whom he hoped to impress with a new Arlington sheep breed. By 1825, the super-patriot who knew every U.S. president during his lifetime would celebrate July 4 by pitching the actual battlefield tents used by Gen. George Washington during the Revolutionary War. (Custis inherited them.) Custis’s personal guests — patriotic societies, Sunday school classes, military companies — would hear him hold forth on the values of freedom and liberty. For years, Custis allowed the militia called the Washington Guards to drill at Arlington Spring, served them dinner and awarded their best marksman a silver cup. One Fourth of July, he presented a silk flag to the Potomac Dragoons regiment, author Nelligan noted. After Custis entered dotage, his son-in-law Robert E. Lee made improvements to the spring site, leasing it to a concessionaire. Events there then included a German music festival, a picnic to benefit an asylum and even a
jousting tournament. “Everyone speaks in praise of the good order in which the beautiful spring and surroundings are now kept,” a newspaper reported. After Custis died, Lee let the public know they were still welcome. Some 2,000 showed up on the banks of the Potomac for Fourth of July 1859. Lager flowed. The National Intelligencer newspaper commented that there were no rowdies. *** Many Arlington Public Schools teachers were puzzled June 14 when they learned that 10-year Superintendent Patrick Murphy would retire this September. Murphy won Superintendent of the Year in Virginia but came within one school board member vote from having his contract not renewed in 2017. I always found him a straighttalker during interviews about his critics. Last week we learned he’s to run the schools in West Virginia’s Berkeley County. *** An early-morning walk recently took me by the Madison Community Center, where the manager of its exercise gym allowed me a free trial on the treadmill. That facility on Old Glebe Rd. was once my elementary school, until its closure in 1975. Emotions surfaced as I worked toward a sweat and accelerated heart rate in the exact room where I’d heard the news, in November 1963, that President Kennedy was assassinated.
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
TO LETTERS THE EDITOR Continued from Page 6
agree, I hear that the real problem in this country is the failure of the high income people to pay higher taxes. What gives? Gayle Matthews Falls Church
Tarter’s Testimony A Weak Argument Against SALT Editor, Congratulations to David Tarter for helping to write one of the platforms in President
Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign. First off, at no point does he point out what the SALT (Federal “State and Local Tax”) deduction actually is — it allows high income residents in high tax localities to deduct their state and local taxes from their federal income taxes. Or simply, if you have to pay high local taxes, you get to make somebody else whose income is less than yours help to pay your high state and local taxes. Tarter goes on to point out that we must pity those who Iive in $825,000 homes who do not like being asked to contribute their fair share to society. He raises
fair points about the city’s costs and its residents’ tax burdens, but never answers why the burden is the rest of Virginia’s responsibility? The weakest part of his argument is suggesting that SALT is an “unfunded mandate” and that it instead of “reduced taxes... they are merely shifting the burden downstream.” First, an unfunded mandate is an expenditure that does not have designated funding. Exactly what program is SALT funding? And how is shifting the tax burden from the wealthy to the poor sending the burden downstream? Perhaps instead of complaining about non-Falls Church residents who don’t want to pay taxes to support Falls Church, maybe instead Mayor Tarter should find a way to balance his budget without people whose homes cost less than $850,000 to subsidize Falls Church? Jeff Walyus Arlington
Hope F.C. Protects Green Areas Amidst New Development Editor, I have lived right outside of the city limits of Fall Church City for 20 years. The quality of life in this area is great and I look forward to all the exciting changes the new development projects in Falls Church City will bring. But I hope that the character and rhythm of The Little City will not change. Besides new construction, I wish the city would also prioritize protecting its green areas. This is one of the things that makes the area attractive, and I am afraid that all the big buildings to come will never compensate for the loss of trees. As an example, consider the long stretches of trees and grass that flow on both Haycock Road and Route 7 starting at their intersection. Is there any way the city could keep those areas green instead of being paved over, and just redevelop what is already developed? Deforestation is an enemy of life on this planet and one million species are in peril due to climate change. Falls Church City is well known for being a progressive bastion, so I hope that the city can lead by example and save as many trees as possible while still pursuing its goal of being a vibrant place to live. Julio Gracia Falls Church
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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JULY 4 – 10, 2019 | PAGE 15
PRIOR TO THE ROBBERY, Tenzin Namgyel (right) snapped shots of France’s natural beauty in an effort to test out his eye for landscape photography. With his photo-based camera now gone, he plans to hasten his transition to film work once he gets enough funds to purchase new gear. (Photos: Courtesy Tenzin Namgyel)
F.C. Native Robbed of Camera, Creative Conduit Abroad by Matt Delaney
Falls Church News-Press
Europe is the land of bucolic scenery, rich history...and an abundance of theft. Local photographer Tenzin Namgyel found that last part out the hard way when he had five-figures worth of equipment snatched from him on the tail end of his trip to France in May. A George Mason High School alumnus (2018) who just finished up his first year studying film at Ithaca College, Namgyel and his mother were 13 days into an unblemished two-week French vacation before tragedy struck. While he was taking a short rest before going on a hike at the Calanques National Park bordering Marseilles and Cassis on France’s southern coast, a car pulled up with two locals. The driver struck up a conversation with Namgyel’s mother to distract her as his accomplice grabbed various belongings out of the car — most notably Namgyel’s camera bag that held over $10,000 worth of equipment in it. A napdazed Namgyel awoke just as the two bandits made off with their
bounty. “The stuff I lost was definitely the best, most expensive stuff I owned,” Namgyel said. The last 36 hours of the vacation became a concoction of grief and anxiety. Namgyel’s mother was distraught about being duped by robbers, while Namgyel had lost a piece of himself with his stolen camera. He brought his equipment with him to start dabbling in landscape photography; a shift away from his typical portraitbased work. France’s unique aesthetic was the perfect subject to break in his interest in landscapes. Now without his camera, Namgyel is opting to expedite his transition to film work. He originally planned to expand into film gradually down the line, but he’s now making the move permanently in light of the theft. Some local passersby came across Namgyel and his mother at the scene of the crime and directed the duo to the police; but of course, this being Europe, it’s also the land of atrocious administrative processes. They spent a day being pingponged between two police sta-
tions that kept telling the motherson pairing that it was, in fact, the other police station that was responsible for helping them out since the crime was out of its jurisdiction. Finally, one officer acquiesced and wrote a police report, allowing Namgyel to make an insurance claim when he was back stateside. Namgyel has a gift behind the camera, but his equipment was never gifted to him. He worked as a sushi chef at Falls Church’s Maneki Neko for months to save up the money to buy his camera as well as the multiple lenses and memory cards. Out of his $10,000 worth of gear that was stolen, Namgyel purchased nearly $8,000 of it out of pocket. The $1,700 Namgyel recouped from the insurance company was a nice boost to start, but only made up about 15 percent of what he lost while overseas. Still ailing, he shared the news with his 1,000plus followers on Instagram to let them know that he’d post what he managed to save from the trip but would need some time to get back on his feet afterward. What followed his announce-
ment caught the young photographer by surprise One friend encouraged Namgyel to organize a GoFundMe page, a website where people can orchestrate public donations for any cause, but he felt weird about asking for financial assistance. So instead, the friend decided to start one for Namgyel and began reaping in a significant amount of contributions. The response coaxed Namgyel to make a GoFundMe in his own name, and in combination with personal donations over the cash transferring phone app Venmo, he was able to get about 40 percent of what was stolen from him back. “I was not expecting so much support from everyone in the community and friends and even people I don’t know,” Namgyel said, and mentioned a former Ithaca College film student who travels with famed photographer Brandon Woelfel made a donation as well. “I’m really grateful for everything and how it worked out.” With the money he’s been able to get back from public donations, and the dearth of a photo-focused camera, he’s going to use that to
purchase a film-focused camera and begin making that the center of his work. Namgyel knows the camera he wants to buy and will be going “bare bones,” as he put, for a while before he can accrue new lenses to compliment his productions. He needs about $6,000 total to get the new piece of gear, and hopes to have reached his goal by the time classes start back up in late August. But for now, he’s filling his time by doing freelance camera work, such as an upcoming project on Long Island, New York. His name being broadcasted in the film and photography community has even landed him some new connections. And in case you were wondering, the robbery hasn’t deterred a Namgyel’s passion at all. A slap in the face, sure, but a red cheek isn’t making his eye any less sharp, so expect to see his work back in full force this fall. Those interested in donating to Namgyel’s GoFundMe page can visit www.gofundme.com/ my-camera-an-extension-of-mestolen.
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JULY 4 – 10, 2019 | PAGE 17
Fa l l s C h u r c h
Business News & Notes Electronic Repair Shop Under New Ownership uBreakiFix Falls Church, located at 1071 W. Broad Street, is now under new ownership. The franchise operation, and its sister store in Alexandria, have been purchased by a team composed primarily of Navy veterans. Two of the partners, Johnny Quilenderino, a 22-year Navy veteran, and Lawrence Goodwyn, a five-year Navy veteran, are both local residents while the other two team members, Joseph Gueary, another 22-year Navy veteran, and Rohith Janga, live and work out of the area. The team has a variety of special offers available to celebrate the new ownership and new partnerships and services will be announced in the weeks and months to come. uBreakiFix provides fast, reliable, and economical cell phone, tablet, computer, and game console repair services. For more information, visit www.ubreakifix.com.
NoVa Mental Health Foundation Seeking New Board Members The Northern Virginia Mental Health Foundation is seeking new board members including vice president to support community outreach and succession planning and Secretary and volunteers to direct the organization’s development and social and digital media efforts. The mission of the all-volunteer foundation is to raise awareness and acceptance of individuals living with a mental health condition and provide individuals seeking mental health services with funding necessary to achieve their goals. More information is available at www.novamentalhealth.org.
VPIS Hosting Annual Independence Day Readings Thursday The Village Preservation and Improvement Society is hosting its annual Independence Day Readings on Thursday, July 4 from noon – 1 p.m. at the Falls Church Episcopal Church. VPIS has sponsored this non-political event focused on the meaning of Independence Day, the issues of the times, and the review of the foundations of our nation. During the event, citizens will take turns reading the Fairfax Resolves, the Virginia Declaration of Rights, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence. The event will take place in the church’s historic sanctuary located at 115 E. Fairfax Street in Falls Church. All are welcome to attend this family friendly event and participate in the readings. For more information, visit www.vpis.org.
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F.C. Chamber Networking Breakfast Set for July 11 The Falls Church Chamber of Commerce is hosting an informal networking breakfast on Thursday, July 11 from 8 – 9 a.m. at the Original Pancake House. The event is open to anyone interested in meeting local business leaders or learning more about the Chamber and its efforts to promote local business in order to foster economic prosperity and civic well-being in the greater Falls Church area. There is no fee to attend but attendees are responsible for their own checks. For more information, visit www.FallsChurchChamber. org.
Arts & Humanities Grant Applications Now Being Accepted Applications are being accepted for Falls Church City’s Arts & Humanities grants until July 16. This grant program supports activities, programs, events and strategies that encourage arts, history, and cultural education and strengthen the vitality of these efforts in the City of Falls Church and serve as a catalyst in the greater community. Funds will be awarded to support projects and organizations that stimulate excellence in the area of arts, theater, culture and history, encourage cultural and ethnic diversity, enhance the quality of local life, stimulate economic development, support educational advancement, appeal to a wide audience, and make culture, arts, and history accessible to all. Grants are available to nonprofit organizations that are located and provide at least 75 percent of programming in the City of Falls Church. For more information, visit www.fallschurchva.gov/1844/GrantPrograms-for-Arts-Humanities. Business News & Notes is compiled by Sally Cole, Executive Director of Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at sally@fallschurchchamber.org.
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
FALLS CHURCHCALENDAR COMMUNITYEVENTS THURSDAY, JULY 4 July 4th Celebration. Celebrate Independence Day in the Little City with an evening of food, fellowship and fireworks. Food Trucks include DC Steakholders, Flying Moo Ice Cream, Los Wingeez and Z Enterprises (featuring Fair type food). There will be a recreation area for kids. Live music from The Excellent Drivers sponsored by the Village Preservation and Improvement Society. Fireworks (start time is approximately 9:20 p.m.) Seating is available at Jack Gambill Athletic Fields or the Northern Virginia Graduate Center Parking Lot. The event is free to the public. Blankets and flat-based chairs are allowed for seating on the field. Food and drinks will be sold on site, but alcohol, smoking, glass contain-
ers, fireworks and pets are not permitted. Visitors should park at the West Falls Church Metro Station (free on holidays). There will be no public parking at either the high school or middle school. George Mason High School Athletic Field (7124 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church). 6 – 10 p.m. 703248-5077.
SATURDAY, JULY 6 Farmers Market. The award-winning, year-round market is filled with fresh, local produce, meat, dairy, flowers & plants, honey, music and much more. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Falls Church). 8 a.m. – noon. 703-248-5034. The Uncle Devin Show at the Library. The Uncle Devin Show is a live, interactive musical experience for children by renowned drummer Devin Walker. The show cultivates the minds of children
through percussion instruments and is a dynamic cross between Fat Albert and Schoolhouse Rock. Suitable for the whole family. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 11 a.m. – noon. 703-248-5034.
SUNDAY, JULY 7 Morning Yoga in the Downtown Park. Interested attendees can enjoy a free class with Karma Yoga on today at the new park in downtown Falls Church. Attendees are asked to bring their own mat. Downtown Park (100 block of W. Broad St., Falls Church). 9 – 10 a.m. 703-248-5210 (TTY 711).
TUESDAY, JULY 9 Paws to Read at the Library. Children can come and read with a canine companion. Readers rising grades K-6th. Registration required. Registration opens two
THEATER&ARTS FRIDAY, JULY 5
Great Books Discussion. This month’s reading is “Federalist Papers 2-5, 73, and 79” by John Jay and Alexander Hamilton. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 7 – 8:30 p.m.
“Blackbeard.” Set sail with the most infamous pirate of all time in a riotous, rowdy high-seas adventure. After learning he’s a wanted man by the British army, Blackbeard and his merry crew of maritime marauders embark on a journey across the globe to raise an undead pirate army from the depths of the sea. Hilarious and original, “Blackbeard” is a fresh musical salute to the Seven Seas. Signature Theatre (420 Campbell Ave., Arlington). $87. 8 p.m. sigtheatre.com.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 10
SATURDAY, JULY 6
Superhero Training Camp. Attendees will learn to leap tall buildings in a single bound and other superhero skills. For children in rising grades K-5th. Children must be present at 3 p.m. to enter the room; at 3:05 p.m. spaces will be given spaces to children on the waitlist. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 3 – 4 p.m. 703-248-5034.
“Byhalia, Mississippi.” “How to Get Away With Murder’s” Jack Falahee stars in playwright Evan Linder’s production of uncompromising exploration of race, family and betrayal in the American South. Jim and Laurel Parker are about to become new parents. They’re broke. They’re loud. They’re proud Southerners. When Laurel gives birth to their
weeks prior to the date of every program at the Youth Services desk or by phone 703-248-5034. No registration by email. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 3 – 4 p.m.
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long overdue child, she and Jim are faced with the biggest challenge of their lives. “Byhalia, Mississippi” explores a couple in the midst of turmoil — and a town with a racially charged past that finds its way into the present. This incredible production is directed by Kimberly Senior, director of the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Disgraced” on Broadway. Kennedy Center (2700 F Street NW, Washington, D.C.) $49. 7:30 p.m. kennedy-center.org.
“The Second City’s America; It’s Complicated!” Comedy legends The Second City return to the Kennedy Center with an all-new, all-hilarious show that reaches way, way across the aisle for nonstop equal opportunity laughs. From searing social satire to poking fun at pop culture, you won’t want to miss. No two shows are ever the same! Kennedy Center (2700 F Street NW Washington, D.C.) $49 – $59. 8 p.m.kennedycenter.org.
SUNDAY, JULY 7
JULY 4 – 10, 2019 | PAGE 19
Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-532-9283. Happy Hour: Acoustic Soul. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-2419504. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in Concert — National Symphony Orchestra (encore performance the following night at the same time and price). Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd. Vienna). $35. 8:30 p.m. 703-255-1900. Lalah Hathaway. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $89.50. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500. Band Battle Prelims — Night #1. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10 – $20. 7 p.m. 703255-1566. SWELL. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-8589186.
“Ripcord.” A sunny room on an upper floor is prime real estate in the Bristol Place Senior Living Facility, so when the cantankerous Abby is forced to share her quarters with new-arrival Marilyn, she has no choice but to get rid of the infuriatingly chipper woman by any means necessary. A seemingly harmless bet between the old women quickly escalates into a dangerous game of one-upmanship that reveals not just the tenacity of these worthy opponents, but also deeper truths that each would rather remain hidden. Keegan Theatre (1742 Church St., NW Washington, D.C.) $50. 3 p.m. keegantheatre.com.
Shartel & Hume. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9 p.m. 703-241-9504.
LIVEMUSIC THURSDAY, JULY 4
Band Battle Prelims — Night #2. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10 – $20. 7 p.m. 703255-1566.
Josh Allen Band Live and In Concert. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504.
Wicked Jezabel. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9:30 p.m. 703-2419504.
FRIDAY, JULY 5
Mars Rodeo. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 10 p.m. 703-237-8333.
Dreamsville Jazz by Jacque.
CA L E NDA R
Joe Downer. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church) 10 p.m. 703-237-8333.
SATURDAY, JULY 6 Snake Farmers. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4:30 p.m. 703-2419504. Brook Yoder. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-532-9283.
LINWOOD TAYLOR BAND will be at JV’s Restaurant on Sunday. (Photo: Facebook.com)
SUNDAY, JULY 7 Dixieland Direct Jazz. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 1 p.m. 703-2419504. Gary Carroll & Son. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-2419504. Open Mic. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 5 p.m. 703-8589186. Colbie Caillat featuring Gone West with Hayley Orrantia. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $55. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500. Josh Groban — Bridges Tour. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd. Vienna). $42. 8 p.m. 703-255-1900. Linwood Taylor Band. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd.,
Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-2419504.
MONDAY, JULY 8 Band Battle Prelims — Night #3. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10 – $20. 7 p.m. 703255-1566. Wolf’s Blues Jam Weekly Show. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504.
TUESDAY, JULY 9 Band Battle Prelims — Night #4. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10 – $20. 7 p.m. 703255-1566. “Bustin’ Loose for Eileen Carson Schatz” A Benefit Concert. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $100. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500. Matt Kelley & Swangbang. JV’s
Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-2419504. The Majestic: LGBTQ Night & Drag Show. The Diva Lounge (6763 Wilson Blvd, Falls Church). 10 p.m. 571-234-2045.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 10 The Deedle Deedle Dees. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd. Vienna). $10. 10:30 p.m. 703-255-1900. Jack Broadbent with Teddy Chipouras. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $18 – $20. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566. Sol Roots Band. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-2419504. Plate Full O’ Blues. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9:15 p.m. 703-2419504.
Calendar Submissions Email: calendar@fcnp.com | Mail: Falls Church News-Press, Attn: Calendar, 200 Little Falls St., #508, Falls Church, VA 22046
Be sure to include time, location, cost of admission, contact person and any other pertinent information. Event listings will be edited for content and space limitations. Please include any photos or artwork with submissions. Deadline is Monday at noon for the current week’s edition.
PAGE 20 | JULY 4 – 10, 2019
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Public Notice PUBLIC NOTICE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA VOLUNTEERS who live in the City of Falls Church are needed to serve on the boards and commissions listed below. Contact the City Clerk’s Office (703-248-5014, cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov, or www.fallschurchva.gov/BC) for an application form or more information. Positions advertised for more than one month may be filled during each subsequent month. Architectural Advisory Board (alternate) Arts and Humanities Council of Falls Church Aurora House Citizens’ Advisory Committee Board of Building Code and Fire
CERTIFIED CAREGIVER Looking for private duty work providing care for the Elderly/Persons with disabilities in their homes & all of their daily needs Will run Errands, personal care, light housekeeping, good cook, has own transportation. Live in or out. Excellent references. Call Naana--630-200-9592
Prevention Code Appeals Board of Zoning Appeals City Employee Review Board Environmental Sustainability Council Historical Commission Recreation and Parks Advisory Board
Tree Commission Regional Boards/Commissions: Fairfax Area Commission on Aging Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA Public hearings on the following items are scheduled for Monday, July 8, 2019 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as may be heard. (TR19-08) RESOLUTION TO GRANT SPECIAL EXCEPTION ENTITLEMENT FOR A MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT WITH A BUILDING HEIGHT UP TO FIFTEEN (15) STORIES ON APPROXIMATELY 9.45 ACRES OF LAND LOCATED AT 7124 LEESBURG PIKE (PORTIONS OF REAL PROPERTY CODE NUMBER 51-221-001) ON APPLICATION BY FALLS CHURCH GATEWAY PARTNERS (TR19-14) RESOLUTION APPROVING THE ACQUISITION OF APPROXIMATELY 9.45 ACRES OF LAND FROM THE FALLS CHURCH CITY SCHOOL BOARD BEING A PORTION OF RPC 51-221-001 LOCATED AT 7124 LEESBURG PIKE (TR19-15) RESOLUTION APPROVING THE CONVEYANCE OF PARCELS A AND B, APPROXIMATELY 9.97 ACRES, BY THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH TO THE FALLS CHURCH CITY SCHOOL BOARD BEING RPCS 51-221-002 AND 51-221-003 LOCATED AT 7124 LEESBURG PIKE All public hearings will be held in the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 300 Park Ave., Falls Church, VA. For copies of legislation, contact the City Clerk’s office at 703-248-5014 or cityclerk@fallschurchva. gov. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5014 (TTY 711).
CELESTE HEATH CITY CLERK PUBLIC NOTICE PLANNING COMMISSION FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA On Monday, July 15, 2019 at 7:30 p.m., the Planning Commission will hold a public meeting in the City Hall Council Chambers, located at 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, VA 22046 to consider the following item: (TR19-20) RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE 2005 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO UPDATE AND REPLACE CHAPTER 2, “DEMOGRAPHICS” WITH “PEOPLE, HOUSING, AND JOBS: DEMOGRAPHICS
CHAPTER OF THE CITY’S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN” On Monday, July 22, 2019 at 7:30 p.m., the City Council will hold a public meeting in the City Hall Council Chambers, located at 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, VA 22046 to consider the same item(TR19-20) described above. Information on the proposed comprehensive plan amendments can be viewed at City Hall at 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, VA, Monday through Friday (8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). You may contact the Planning Division at plan@fallschurchva.gov with any questions or concerns. This location is fully accessible to persons with physical disabilities and special services or assistance may be requested in advance. (TTY 711)
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA The ordinance referenced below was given first reading by the City Council on June 24, 2019; second reading and public hearing are scheduled for Monday, July 8, 2019 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as may be heard. (TO18-05) ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 40, “TAXATION,” ARTICLE VII, “TAX RELIEF FOR LOW INCOME ELDERLY OR PERMANENTLY AND TOTALLY DISABLED,” SECTIONS
40-133 THROUGH 40-137 All public hearings will be held in the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 300 Park Ave., Falls Church, VA. For copies of legislation, contact the City Clerk’s office at 703-248-5014 or cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5014 (TTY 711). CELESTE HEATH CITY CLERK 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.
KIDS LOVE SCALLIWAG By Eileen Levy
Scalliwag smiles as he goes on his way ‘Hello Falls Church, good to see you today!’
A RTS&E NTE RTA I NME NT
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Crossword
ACROSS
By David Levinson Wilk 1
2
3
4
5
6
17
9
10
21
25
28
29 37
41
42
27 30
31
38
32
33
39
48
49
43
50
54 59
35
44 47
51
52
55
60
34
40
46
45
13
22
26
36
12
19
18
24
11
16
20
58
8
15
14
23
7
56 61
53
57 63
62
64
65
66
67
70
71
72
73
74
75
© 2018 David Levinson Wilk
Across
68
69
1. Glide (through) 5. Common people 10. Unit seized by a narc 14. Part of YOLO 15. 1:1, for one 16. Like many college textbooks 17. Startling 19. Actress Delany 20. Suffix with project or percent 21. Starting 23. Staring 27. Eight-time NBA All-Star ____ Ming 28. OH- or Cl-, chemically 29. Corner PC key 32. String 36. 1970s-’80s TV’s “The ____ Club” 37. Karaoke performer’s problem 40. Chili ____ carne 41. “Licensed to ____” (1986 Beastie Boys album) 42. Sting 44. Msg. for a cop car 45. Stark of “Game of Thrones” 46. One who’ll give you a hand 47. When doubled, dance of the 2010s 48. Sing 51. Abbr. in many an office address 52. Co-Nobelist with Yitzhak and Shimon 54. Pro 56. Sin 58. In 63. Long of “Alfie,” 2004 64. Cancún kitty
STRANGE BREW
1. Glide (through)
65. I 70. “____ first you don’t succeed ...” 71. Another nickname for the Governator 72. On the briny 73. It’s meant to be 74. Chocolatier since 1845 75. Fail miserably
DOWN
1. Tiny amount 2. TV journalist Curry 3. Makeup of Saturn’s rings, mostly 4. Word game that was a precursor of Scrabble 5. Admire oneself a little too much 6. Fond du ____, Wisconsin 7. Caesar’s rebuke to Brutus 8. “Très ____!” 9. Like golf course greens 10. “Friends” actress 11. What “vidi” means in “Veni, vidi, vici” 12. Actress Headey of “Game of Thrones” 13. Anita ____, “The Jezebel of Jazz” 18. Column base 22. Put away the dishes? 23. Clothing retail co. since 1969 24. Weapon for a reindeer 25. “Gotcha, I’m on it” 26. Horror and mystery 30. Went after 31. Sent a message before fax machines, say 33. “Just watch me!”
JOHN DEERING
Sudoku
JULY 4 – 10, 2019 | PAGE 21
34. First half of a workout mantra 35. Sportscaster Dick 38. Birth control method, for short 39. Issa of HBO’s “Insecure” 43. Stephen Colbert forte 49. Worth mentioning 50. Wordless agreement 53. High point in the Old Testament? 55. Qatari bank note 57. Beginning 58. “Bring on the weekend!” 59. Tennis great Nadal, to fans 60. Californie or Floride, par exemple 61. “Me neither” 62. Fashion guru Tim 66. Cleanse (of) 67. Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the _____” 68. Hall of Fame quarterback Dawson 69. Himalayan beast Last Thursday’s Solution M I M I I M A N L E N A S N S A C A T H I S E E S H E M
N U T R A
D O T E
A D Z O O E A U R U P N E X A C O T E S A S
A M U S E R
D E N A L I
K E A N Y D T G O I C F A
A M S D I A H A M D S E T N E O H O L D E S M E L E E S C H L A A B I B L L D I E E I N W N S
S A L S A
N O T F A R
T H E I R A
H O M E S
A U G H C H A O A N E L O L E E H A W N O D I E W O N T
By The Mepham Group
Level 1 2 3 4
5. Common people 10. Unit seized by a narc 14. Part of YOLO 15. 1:1, for one 16. Like many college textbooks 17. Startling 19. Actress Delany 20. Suffix with project or percent
1
21. Starting 23. Staring 27. Eight-time NBA All-Star ____ Ming 28. OH- or Cl-, chemically Solution to last Sunday’s puzzle
29. Corner PC key NICK KNACK
© 2019 N.F. Benton
1
7/7/19
Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk. © 2019 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.
PAGE 22 | JULY 4 – 10, 2019
dog. lazy ick qu The fox sly p e d j u m the over dog. lazy is the Now for all time cows good co me to aid to the the ir of t u r e . pas
20 s Yearo Ag
is the Now for all time cows good co me to aid to the the ir of t u r e . p a s is the Now for all time cows good me to to coaid of the their.
LO CA L
BACK IN THE DAY
20 � 10 Y���� A�� �� ��� N���-P���� Falls Church News-Press Vol. IX, No. 17 • July 8, 1999
It is now the time fo r all good to go cows to aid of the p a s their ture . * * * Throw * * Pour it up. it up
Falls Church News-Press Vol. XIX, No. 18 • July 9, 2009
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
C������ C����� 10 Year s Ago
It is now the time fo r all good to go cows to aid of the the ir pas ture . * * * Throw * * Pour it up. it up
New Open Government Laws Now Take Effect
Total Makeover of Intersection At Rt. 7 & 29 Thrills F.C. Chiefs
Changes in the Commonwealth of Virginia’s “Freedom of Information” Act (FOIA) effective July 1 will limit instances that government bodies can go into behind-the-scenes closed sessions, Falls Church City Attorney Roy Thorpe reported Tuesday. Thorpe said that he will provide Virginia Municipal League pamphlets on the new law to every board and commission in Falls Church.
A plan for a makeover of the intersection of Routes 7 and 29, also known as Broad and Washington Streets, in the center of the City of Falls Church was eagerly embraced by members of the Falls Church City Council and Planning Commission at a joint work session this Monday, marking the first sign of significant traction at City Hall for an idea whose origins date back over a decade.
C � � � � � F� � � � C � � � � �
CRIME REPORT Week of June 24 – 30, 2019 Drug/Narcotic Violation, 1100 blk W Broad St, June 24, 10:22 AM, following a traffic stop, a male, 51, of Laurel, MD, was issued a summons for Possession of Marijuana. Motor Vehicle Theft, 1051 E Broad St (Koon’s Ford), between May 30 and June 20, a 2017 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck was stolen. The vehicle was recovered. Investigation continues. Trespass, 201 S Washington St (7-11), June 24, 8:17 PM, a male,
56, of no fixed address, was issued a summons for Trespass. Drunkenness, 100 W Broad St (Park), June 25, 3:57 PM, a male, 57, of no fixed address, was arrested for Drunk in Public and Drinking in Public After Having Been Interdicted. Graffiti, 422 S Maple Ave (Cavalier Trail Park), June 26, 9:39 AM, graffiti was discovered on a fence. Hit and Run, 6757 Wilson Blvd (Eden Center), June 26, between 4:30 and 5:14 PM, a vehicle was struck by another vehicle which left
the scene. Larceny from Vehicle, 300 blk James St, between 11 PM, June 26 and 5 AM, June 27, items of value were taken from a vehicle. Smoking Violations, 6757 Wilson Blvd #15 (H2O Café), June 30, 1:47 AM, a male, 44, of Falls Church, was issued a summons for Smoking in a Restaurant. Driving Under the Influence, 500 blk W Broad St, June 30, 2:49 AM, a male, 35, of Alexandria, VA, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence and Refusal. Smoking Violations, 6757 Wilson Blvd #15 (H2O Café), June 30, 10:30 PM, a male, 44, of Silver Spring, MD, and a male, 30, of Falls Church, VA, were issued a summons for Smoking in a Restaurant.
There’s a time to check whether your kid’s in the right car seat. This isn’t it.
Car crashes are a leading killer of children 1 to 13. Is your child in the right car seat? Don’t think you know. Know you know.
safercar.gov/TheRightSeat
CSI-DMC, an event management company headquartered in Falls Church, participated in the Homeward Trails Animal Rescue for Take Your Pet to Work Week. While some opted for photos with their pets doing workspace hijinx, this employee kept it seasonal with a patriotic photo op right in time for Independence Day. 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
We reach some of the
JULY 4 – 10, 2019 | PAGE 23
SMARTEST, HEALTHIEST & WEALTHIEST
PEOPLE IN THE NATION. DO YOU? The City of Falls Church: #3 Healthiest Community in America, 2019 U.S. News & World Report #4 Richest County in America, 2019 Forbes 80%+ F.C. residents 25 years+ with Bachelor’s Degrees or Higher, U.S. Census Bureau Also... #1 Best County in the U.S. to Live In, 2018 USA TODAY #1 Fastest Growing County in America, U.S. Census Bureau #1 Traditional High School in Virginia (George Mason H.S.), 2018 U.S. News & World Report
Contact us today to reach the smartest, healthiest and wealthiest readership in the country. Call 703-570-5813 or email ADS@FCNP.COM More info at fcnp.com/advertising
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