Falls Church News-Press 7-8-2021

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July 8 – 14, 2021

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. XXXI NO. 21

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Controversial Op-Ed Puts F.C. Schools In Spotlight Board Candidate Writes in Wall Street Journal

BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

The Falls Church School Board has found itself plunged into the angry national debate about the priorities of school systems thanks to an op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal over the holiday weekend. It was penned by recentlyqualified Falls Church School Board candidate and City resident Ilya Shapiro, who was invited to write his July 3 commentary “The Local School Board is Unaccountable, So I’m Running for a Seat.” In it, he is critical of the City’s current board and Superintendent Dr. Peter Noonan. It’s a debate that’s become far angrier than folks in Falls Church have been used to, with it escalating in Loudoun County recently when a veritable shout-

ing and shoving match occurred at a school board meeting there and one person was arrested. Instead, Falls Church has dealt with problems and controversies associated with the Covid-19 pandemic and the unanimous decision by the F.C. board to change the name of two of the City’s five public schools that had been named for Revolutionary Era founders who owned slaves. (The old George Mason High is now Meridian High and the old Thomas Jefferson Elementary is now Oak Street School). There have been grim externalities from this rising temperature that’s now affecting the Little City. A member of the Falls Church School Board has received a death threat from an unknown source, believed by

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THE OUTDOOR BAR at Ireland’s Four Provinces remains closed during the day because the pub can’t hire enough bartenders to staff it. (C������� P����)

Hiring Challenges Stunt F.C. Businesses’ Own Return to Normal BY MATT DELANEY

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

The past month and a half without any Covid-19 restrictions has been a welcome return to normal life for most people. But for many small businesses throughout the City of Falls Church, they’re struggling to

meet this revived demand the way they’d like due to so few qualified new employees — if they even get any at all, that is. “I’ve been in the business for 25 years, and I’ve never seen this,” said Kevin Scally, the manager of Ireland’s Four Provinces on West Broad Street. “As it stands right now,

this level of service is not what we’re known for.” Ever since the lockdowns were completely lifted roughly five weeks ago, it’s exposed how severely shortstaffed the popular Irish pub is in the heart of the Little City’s downtown. A dearth of bartenders has forced the Four P’s, as it’s colloquially

known, to keep its outdoor bar closed during times it normally wouldn’t, and a lack of servers has also affected the pace of food orders, according to Scally. The longtime manager has said he’s had to lower his bar for new hires just to get candidates in the door. While his preferred level of

experience is two to three years, he’s been meeting people who have anywhere from six months to a year in a food service job. A lot of them have been students either returning home from college or finding a job to fill their nonschool months. Scally did say that, once September rolls around, it’s “back to square one.”

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SEE STORY, PAGE 3

SEE STORY, PAGE 10

Signature Theatre’s “After Midnight” is a completely enthralling show with a brilliant cast. First performed off-Broadway, and later appearing as a hit 2013 Broadway musical, Arlington’s Signature is now streaming the show on demand.

The Mustangs football team had one of their winningest seasons in recent history during the Covid-altered “fall” season this spring, ending the shortened season with a 4-2 record and being declared co-champions of the Northwestern District as well. SEE STORY, PAGE 19

Falls Church is blessed with an array of ethnic restaurants, none finer than Fatouche’s true Iraqi eatery across the street from Birch & Broad shopping center along West Broad Street. Its warmed Samoon bread and mixed mezze plate are truly divine.

INDEX

Editorial............................................... 6 Letters................................................. 6 Comment ................................ 7,12,13 News & Notes................................... 11 Crime Report .................................... 12 Calendar .....................................16-17 Business News ................................. 19 Classified Ads ................................... 20 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword ......... 21 Critter Corner.................................... 22


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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM SUPPLEMENTAL NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF AN APPLICATION BY VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY FOR A 2021 TRIENNIAL REVIEW OF ITS BASE RATES, TERMS AND CONDITIONS PURSUANT TO § 56-585.1 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA CASE NO. PUR-2021-00058

•Virginia Electric and Power Company (“Dominion”) filed its 2021 triennial review of its base rates, terms and conditions pursuant to § 56 585.1 of the Code of Virginia on March 31, 2021. On May 18, 2021, Dominion filed significant corrections to its March 31, 2021 filing (“Corrected Filing”). •As a result of the Corrected Filing, the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”) extended all previously established procedural dates to provide interested persons adequate time to review the Corrected Filing and directed Dominion to file this supplemental notice of its application. •While Dominion does not request an overall increase or decrease in revenues, it does propose a revenue neutral reallocation of revenues between the distribution and generation function of base rates. According to Dominion, the requested revenue reallocation would decrease the bill of a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours per month by $0.30. Retail choice customers, as well as customers taking service under Dominion’s market-based rate schedules, would receive an increase in base distribution revenue allocation but would not receive a decrease in base generation charges. •Due to the ongoing public health emergency related to the spread of the coronavirus, or COVID-19, the Commission will hold a telephonic hearing in this case on October 22, 2021, at 10 a.m., for the receipt of public witness testimony. •An evidentiary hearing will be held on October 25, 2021, at 10 a.m., either in the Commission’s second floor courtroom located in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or by electronic means. Further details on this hearing will be provided by subsequent Commission Order. •Further information about this case is available on the SCC website at: scc.virginia.gov/pages/Case-Information. On March 31, 2021, Virginia Electric and Power Company (“Dominion” or “Company”) filed an application with the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”), pursuant to § 56-585.1 A of the Code of Virginia (“Code”), for a triennial review of the Company’s rates, terms and conditions for the provision of generation, distribution and transmission services (“March 31, 2021 Filing”). On April 16, 2021, the Commission issued an Order for Notice and Hearing (‘’Procedural Order’’) that, among other things, docketed the case, directed Dominion to provide public notice of its March 31, 2021 Filing, established a procedural schedule, scheduled public hearings for the purpose of receiving testimony and evidence on the March 31, 2021 Filing, and provided an opportunity for interested persons to file comments on the March 31, 2021 Filing or participate in the case as a respondent. Dominion published public notice of its March 31, 2021 Filing in newspapers of general circulation throughout the Company’s service territory in Virginia. After publishing its public notice, Dominion filed significant corrections to its March 31, 2021 Filing (‘’Corrected Filing’’). The Commission subsequently issued an Order Modifying Procedural Schedule and for Supplemental Notice (‘’Revised Procedural Order’’), wherein it extended all of the procedural dates set forth in the Procedural Order and directed Dominion to publish this supplemental notice to provide the public with information concerning the March 31, 2021 Filing, as amended by the Corrected Filing (collectively, “Application’’). According to the Company, its Application presents three principal issues for the Commission’s determination: (i) review of the Company’s cost of service and earnings during the four successive 12-month periods ending December 31, 2020 (“Triennial Review Period”) and a finding of whether there are any past earnings available for reinvestment or customer bill credits; (ii) a determination of whether rates for generation and distribution services should remain stable for the upcoming triennial review period or change, taking into account earnings test results, the Company’s level of investment in qualifying projects, the statutory prohibition on a rate increase in this case under Code § 56-585.1 A 8 (“Subsection A 8”), and the present functional alignment of these rates; and (iii) a determination of the Company’s prospective fair rate of return on common equity (“ROE”) in accordance with Code § 56-585.1 A 2. Earnings Review Dominion states that, for the combined Triennial Review Period, the Company earned a 10.42% ROE on its generation and distribution operations on a Virginia jurisdictional basis, relative to the allowed ROE of 9.2% approved by the Commission in Case No. PUR-2019-00050. The Company states that after consideration of certain outstanding customer balances required to be forgiven pursuant to recent legislative enactments, its earnings fell within the authorized earnings band. In the event the Commission reaches a different determination as to the earnings test results and calculates a higher level of available earnings that exceeds the debt forgiveness amounts, the Company states that it elects to apply, pursuant to Subsection A 8, offsetting investments in the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind demonstration project equal to such available earnings, and then to the extent necessary, to apply offsetting investments in the customer information platform and in advanced metering infrastructure (“AMI”) equal to such remaining available earnings, up to the Company’s total eligible Virginia jurisdictional customer credit reinvestment offsets (“CCROs”) investments of $309 million. Based on its financial results, Dominion states that its base rates will remain stable until at least the end of the next triennial review in 2024 because the law precludes an increase and the Company’s aggregate approved CCRO investments over the Triennial Review Period exceed earnings available for sharing from that period. ROE The Company requests the Commission approve a 10.80% authorized ROE to be applied prospectively to its generation and distribution services. Dominion asserts that its current cost of equity falls within a range of 10.50% to 11.50%, and the requested 10.8% falls below the midpoint of the range. The Application states that the requested ROE also falls within the lower boundaries of the Company’s calculation of the prescribed statutory peer group range of 10.33% to 11.83%. The Company asserts that it forecasts capital investment exceeding $28 billion over the next five years, $23 billion of which will be used to support investment such as customer growth, solar build out, storage deployment, nuclear subsequent license renewal, and the first utility scale off-shore wind project built in federal waters. Further, the Company states that its need and ability to undertake these substantial investments is directly related to the determination of an adequate and reasonable ROE in this case. Longer term, the Company states it anticipates investments related to compliance with the Virginia Clean Economy Act alone may approach $40 billion over the next 15 years. Revenue Apportionment and Rate Design Although the Company does not propose an increase or decrease to overall revenues, the Company proposes to re-balance the rates of return between the generation and distribution functions by a revenue neutral transfer of approximately $300 million between those functions. Dominion states this transfer is needed to mitigate cost shifting between bundled service customers and retail choice customers. According to the Company, presently, base distribution rates are not sufficient to recover distribution costs, meaning that retail choice customers are not paying rates that result in revenues sufficient to recover the distribution costs incurred to serve them. The Company further states that revenue changes are allocated to the customer classes with the goal of moving each class closer to parity. While revenue neutral to the Company, this transfer may not be neutral to all customers on their bills, and could result in: (i) an increase, (ii) a decrease, or (iii) no change to the customer’s bills. Based on the Company’s analysis, its re-balancing proposal and revenue apportionment proposal would result in an $0.30 reduction in the monthly bill of a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours per month. If approved, retail choice customers, as well as customers taking service under the Company’s market-based rate schedules (“market-based rate customers”), will receive an increase in base distribution revenue allocation, but will not receive a decrease in base generation charges, as retail choice customers do not take generation service from the Company and the market-based rate customers take service at market based rates for generation service. The Company proposes that the revised tariffs become effective for usage on and after the first day of the month that is no more than 60 days after the date of the Commission’s Final Order in the proceeding but no earlier than January 1, 2022. AMI As part of this proceeding, the Company states it is requesting a Commission determination that its investments in AMI from 2017 to 2020, including 310,000 smart meters and associated infrastructure, are reasonable and prudent. In connection with AMI, the Company is also proposing a change to its tariff regarding the smart meter opt-out policy and associated fees. Currently, residential customer accounts in good standing may opt-out of smart meter installation upon request and at no expense. The Company’s new policy would continue to permit accounts in good standing to opt-out, but would impose a one time initial fee of $52.24, and an ongoing monthly fee of $36.19, which the Company states are intended to recover the incremental costs of a customer opting-out of smart meter installation. Customers that have opted-out of a smart meter in the past would not be subject to the one time initial fee of $52.24, but would be required to either opt in to a smart meter at no charge or become subject to the ongoing monthly fee of $36.19. Customers receiving electric service on any time varying or demand rate and customers who generate electricity are ineligible to opt-out of smart meter installation because detailed energy usage data is required to bill these customers. Other Tariff Changes The Company proposes to update the basic customer charge in Residential Rate Schedule 1 from $6.58 to $8.44. In addition, the Company proposes changes to its existing tariffs that include the following: (i) withdraw Rate Schedule CS – Curtailable Service, Rate Schedule SG – Standby Generator, and Rider J – Interruptible Electric Water Heating Service Residential Customers; (ii) add clarifying language to certain tariffs to recognize the applicability of demand-based rates in distribution-related riders; (iii) modify the language in existing tariffs to address the applicability of non-bypassable charges; (iv) modify restrictive tariff language from Rate Schedule 24 – Outdoor Lighting Service Solid State Outdoor Lighting; (v) change the term of contract for Rider EDR – Economic Development Rate; (vi) modify certain language in Rate Schedule 10 – Large General Service; (vii) modify the determination of distribution demand tariff language in certain rate schedules; (viii) include standby charges in Rate Schedule 1S applicable to eligible residential customers with installed capacity of more than 15 kilowatts; (ix) modify Rider REC – Renewable Energy Certificate Purchase Program to reflect updated renewable energy certificate sources and pricing; and (x) update Rider D – Tax Effect Recovery to reflect the proposed changes in this proceeding. The Company is also proposing changes to the process whereby contract minimums are established for customer billing purposes and revisions to the Company’s Commission-approved Line Extension Plan. The foregoing is not an exhaustive list of all the proposals contained in the Company’s Application. Interested persons are encouraged to review Dominion’s Application and supporting documents in full for details about these and other proposals. TAKE NOTICE that the Commission may apportion revenues among customer classes and/or design rates in a manner differing from that shown in the Application and supporting documents and thus may adopt rates that differ from those appearing in the Company’s Application and supporting documents. In its Revised Procedural Order, the Commission canceled the procedural dates set forth in the April 16, 2021 Procedural Order and established new procedural dates as provided below. On October 22, 2021, at 10 a.m., the Commission will hold a telephonic hearing for the purpose of receiving the testimony of public witnesses, with no public witness present in the Commission’s courtroom. On or before October 20, 2021, any person desiring to offer testimony as a public witness shall provide to the Commission (a) your name, and (b) the telephone number that you wish the Commission to call during the hearing to receive your testimony. This information may be provided to the Commission in three ways: (i) by filling out a form on the Commission’s website at scc.virginia.gov/pages/Webcasting; (ii) by completing and emailing the PDF version of this form to SCCInfo@scc.virginia.gov; or (iii) by calling (804) 371-9141. This public witness hearing will be webcast at scc.virginia.gov/pages/Webcasting. On October 25, 2021, at 10 a.m., either in the Commission’s second floor courtroom located in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or by electronic means, the Commission will convene a hearing to receive testimony and evidence offered by the Company, any respondents, and the Commission’s Staff on the Company’s Application. Further details on this hearing will be provided by subsequent Commission Order. The Commission has taken judicial notice of the ongoing public health emergency related to the spread of the coronavirus, or COVID-19, and the declarations of emergency issued at both the state and federal levels. In accordance therewith, all pleadings, briefs, or other documents required to be served in this matter should be submitted electronically to the extent authorized by 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (“Rules of Practice”). Confidential and Extraordinarily Sensitive Information shall not be submitted electronically and should comply with 5 VAC 5-20-170, Confidential information, of the Rules of Practice. For the duration of the COVID-19 emergency, any person seeking to hand deliver and physically file or submit any pleading or other document shall contact the Clerk’s Office Document Control Center at (804) 371-9838 to arrange the delivery. Pursuant to 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice, the Commission has directed that service on parties and the Commission’s Staff in this matter shall be accomplished by electronic means. Please refer to the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing for further instructions concerning Confidential or Extraordinarily Sensitive Information. An electronic copy of the public version of the Company’s Application may be obtained by submitting a written request to counsel for the Company, Elaine S. Ryan, Esquire, McGuireWoods LLP, Gateway Plaza, 800 East Canal Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or eryan@mcguirewoods.com. On or before October 22, 2021, any interested person may file comments on the Application by following the instructions on the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/casecomments/Submit-Public-Comments. All comments shall refer to Case No. PUR-2021-00058. On or before July 30, 2021, any person or entity wishing to participate as a respondent in this proceeding may do so by filing a notice of participation at scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling. Such notice of participation shall include the email addresses of such parties or their counsel. The respondent simultaneously shall serve a copy of the notice of participation on counsel to the Company. Pursuant to 5 VAC 5 20-80 B, Participation as a respondent, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice, any notice of participation shall set forth: (i) a precise statement of the interest of the respondent; (ii) a statement of the specific action sought to the extent then known; and (iii) the factual and legal basis for the action. Any organization, corporation, or government body participating as a respondent must be represented by counsel as required by 5 VAC 5-20-30, Counsel, of the Rules of Practice. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2021-00058. On or before September 3, 2021, each respondent may file with the Clerk of the Commission at scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling and serve on the Commission Staff, the Company, and all other respondents, any testimony and exhibits by which the respondent expects to establish its case, and each witness’s testimony shall include a summary not to exceed two pages. In all filings, respondents shall comply with the Commission’s Rules of Practice, including 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service, and 5 VAC 5-20-240, Prepared testimony and exhibits. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2021-00058. Any documents filed in paper form with the Office of the Clerk of the Commission in this docket may use both sides of the paper. In all other respects, except as modified by the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, all filings shall comply fully with the requirements of 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice. The public version of the Company’s Application and other documents filed in this case, the Commission’s Rules of Practice and the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing may be viewed at: scc.virginia.gov/pages/Case-Information. VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY d/b/a DOMINION ENERGY VIRGINIA


FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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‘After Midnight’ Pays Homage to The Majesty of 1920s Harlem by Mark Dreisonstok

Falls Church News-Press

Signature Theatre’s “After Midnight” is a completely enthralling show with a brilliant cast. First performed off-Broadway, and later appearing as a hit 2013 Broadway musical, Arlington’s Signature is now streaming the show on demand. The show transports the viewer to a by-gone era — to a midnight in Harlem in 1932 when, as the show itself says, “Harlem’s heartbeat was a drumbeat,” according to the opening lines of the show. “With the drumbeat,” in echo of lines from poet Langston Hughes’ “Juke Box Love Song,” the show introduces the welcome presence of “Hamilton’s” Christopher Jackson. (Hughes’ poetry is heard throughout the show.) Rhythm is also seen by brilliant tap dancing in “Happy As the Day Is Long,” also in the arrangement of Duke Ellington (a native of Washington, D.C.). The show, according to the playbill, seems to be “featuring 28 of the big band era’s most memorable songs, performed by a cast of 122 and a band of seven.” Yet

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some pieces would become standards, such as “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea,” sung engagingly by a female trio of Kanysha Williams, Jessica Bennet and Jennie Harney-Fleming in thirties period costumes. For another piece that would become a standard for many years, “I’ve Got the World on a String” features a blue balloon on a string, with fabulous blue lighting coordination lighting up the rear stage. The production works especially well when the music is loyal to, yet a bit dissonant from, the 1930’s jazz sound, as in the Ellington stomp “Braggin’ in Brass” featuring Solomon Parker III and Sophia Adoum, the latter of whom slides down a slide as the trombone slides down in a number in which cacophony and visual acrobatics blend, a tribute to the choreographer and director. Likewise, the standard “I Can’t Give You Anything but Love” boasts an impressive vocal by Nova Y. Payton with playful choreography, rendered with verisimilitude by the videographer (regrettably, the program does not make it clear which performer is performing which piece, and

DEWITT FLEMING JR. is just one of the dancers in the show, communicating human drama and the history of the Harlem Renaissance through music and movement. (Photo: Christopher Mueller)

SHAYLA S. SIMMONS sings along to music from the by-gone era of Big Band Jazz in “After Midnight.” (Photo: Christopher Mueller)

thus they are unnamed in this review.) “Stormy Weather,” associated with songstress Lena Horne, is stylized nicely here. While expressing her own style, she also keeps the essentials which make this such a memorable song. More Ellington pieces emerge with “The Mooche,” “Black and Tan Fantasy,” and “Rockin’ in Rhythm,” showing both the ecstatic and pensive sides of Ellington as composer and arranger and the jazz artist’s mastery in writing vocal and instrumental music. This carries with it a bit of a risk, as these are specific performances still fondly remembered today. Yet the elegance and polish of performers lovingly recreates the time period by putting the audience before the big bands — those that weren’t a part of the mainstram nightlife scene back in their day. The show has reserved some of its best pieces for last with “On the Sunny Side of the Street” associated with trombonist Tommy Dorsey (and here sung energetically by Nova Y. Peyton) and “It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing” tap-danced brilliantly by Philip Attmore and “Take the ‘A’ Train” and “Cotton Club Stomp,” all immortalized by Duke Ellington and performed here by the full

company. The show reminds one of the Fats Waller tribute musical “Ain’t Misbehavin,’” but truly strikes out on its own with its Ellington emphasis and its ability to bring us back to an exciting, vibrant scene of long ago as no historic film or recording could. Yet the show succeeds beyond mere entertainment. As the helpful Playbill notes: “’After Midnight’ is a celebration of the artists that came out of The Harlem Renaissance a century ago. It was a golden age of African American culture encompassing art. Poetry, literature, music, and so much more,” and this broad-spectrum which shows that it is not merely a musical cultural breakthrough is seen in photos of Poet Langston Hughes and writer and filmmaker Zora Neale Hurston as well as a reproduction of the painting The Judgment Day by Aaron Douglas. In a subtle way, the show expresses the totality of this movement through music. Special praise is due the direction and choreography of Jared Grimes and especially the music direction and piano solos by Mark G. Meadows. The show is highly recommended for its window into the jazz age of the past and, indeed, a broad exposure to the art of the Harlem Renaissance.


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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Large Number of Applicants Never Follow Up For Interviews

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It’s a similar situation for Stevie Houck, a partner in the new pizza franchise, Baddpizza. The local chain with its Buffalo, New York-style pies has had its “Now Hiring” sign outside of its storefront in the Broaddale Shopping Center for weeks now — as have its corporate neighbors in the FedEx Office Print & Ship Center and Palm Beach Tan. Fortunately, college students have been able to fill some of the store’s part-time roles both in Falls Church, as well as its other branches in McLean and South Riding in Loudoun County. Still, Houck said they’re looking for full-timers, particularly in management. He believes they can get through the summer with the staff they have now, though he’s also bracing for the uncertainty of what happens after school starts back up. That’s on top of the struggle it’s been for the pizzeria to purchase wings (a case of wings jumped from $45 a year ago to $150 today, for example) to gain some name recognition around town. While there have been some spikes due to getting help from prideful Buffalo

transplants in the Washington, D.C. area (as well as a remarkable NFL season from the Buffalo Bills), the ebbs and flows have been tough for the business that opened just weeks before the pandemic set in last March. “It’s been very challenging. I know people say, ‘Well, you do pizza, you’ve got the best thing going.’ Yes, but only if you’re known,” Houck said. “Are you going to order from this place called ‘Baddpizza’ that you’ve never had before, or are you going to go for the sure thing, especially with the mentality of everyday people who go with what’s comfortable?” Hiring challenges haven’t been consolidated to the food service industry alone, even though they are more pronounced there. Gwynn Hegyi, the Chief Operating Officer at Body Dynamics, Inc., said that the physical therapy clinic is currently looking for additional intake coordinators, administrative staff, a massage therapist and an exercise scientist/ fitness trainer. Changing priorities from the staff have been something the clinic has had to adapt to due to the pan-

demic. Hegyi said that many of its staff have cut back from full-time to part-time while they tend to personal matters — with a good chunk of them having to be home with young kids who were going through virtual school. But that also meant that the full timers have been seeing more clients than they normally would, hence the need to hire more people. The unskilled positions such as being an intake coordinator and administrative staffer, on the other hand, have seen an unusual number of flakes. “We’ve gotten more people responding to any ads that we might have been running or places that we might have been posting,” Hegyi said. “But when we follow back up and say, ‘Hey, can we do a phone interview? Can we schedule a time to talk?’ I don’t hear anything back.” Her hypothesis: People are using the applications as proof that they are looking for jobs in order to qualify for unemployment, and then bailing on following through on interviews. Virginia is one of the 24 states that hasn’t ended the additional $300 a week of federal unemployment benefits which is set

ONE OF MANY ‘“NOW HIRING” signs outside of Ireland’s Four Provinces. (Photo: News-Press) to expire on Sept. 6, according to USA Today. Gary Henry, co-owner of Dominion Camera along West Broad, has inferred the same thing.

The five-decade-strong camera and photo development shop is currently looking to fill a sales associ-

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Current School Board Members Speak Out Against Claims Made in Op-Ed

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school officials not to be local in its origin given its “tone and voice.” Members of the local School Board have listened to the threat posted in a voicemail. Police have been notified and Noonan has requested that the City provide security at its School Board meetings. Shapiro, who is a national leader and vice president of the right-libertarian Cato Institute based in Washington, D.C., accuses the F.C. School Board of having “other priorities” in the face of pressures from some parents “about getting their kids back to in-person learning” in the commentary. The F.C. Board, he claimed, “repeatedly deferred to the superintendent on pandemic policy and instead debated whether to change the names” of the two aforementioned schools. He accused the board of being

“oblivious to public sentiment” in the face of an unofficial poll which showed a majority of those asked wanting to keep the Mason and Jefferson names. Still, he wrote, this “was the tip of the iceberg” in the face of what he called a “brewing discontent” among some parents about “the lack of school-board response on all sorts of concerns.” He claimed that “on pandemic response, we were always a step behind.” He accused Superintendent Noonan of “moving the goalposts” on the matter, and the school renamings “added insult to injury.” Shapiro’s appeal to a national audience and general attack on the current board and administrative leadership fits the pattern identified by the New York Times as “a culture war brawl that has spilled into the country’s educational system” led by Republicans “at the state, local and national levels.” A May article in the online Axios newsletter noted that “what was traditionally a nonpartisan,

hyper-local role is now at the center of a swirling national political debate,” noting that “grassroots conservative groups are getting involved in school board races all across the country.” But Shapiro’s placement of his local school board candidacy in such a context has not gone over so well in Falls Church thus far, especially his criticisms of what goes on here before a national stage. Strongest in his comments in the past week has been longtime Falls Church City Councilman and former Mayor David Snyder, himself a Republican. Snyder, whose statement is published in full elsewhere in this edition, wrote, “All voices need to be listened to, and I am committed to that. On the other hand, I must challenge negative, unfair and inaccurate stereotypes of our community and our citizens from all sides who adopt the ‘if it ain’t

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JULY 8 – 14, 2021 | PAGE 5

FALLS CHURCH SCHOOL BOARD candidate Ilya Shapiro, who authored the Wall Street Journal commentary. (Courtesy Photo)


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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 105 N. Virginia Ave.., #310, Falls Church, VA 22046. Reproduction of this publication in whole or part is prohibited except with the written permission of the publisher. ©2021 Benton Communications Inc. The News-Press is printed on recycled paper.

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E D I TO R I A L

Don’t Go National To Dump On F.C.

In a marked departure from the norm for us, the News-Press is providing space in its editorial this week to reprint in full an impassioned letter to us from the longserving F.C. City Councilmember David Snyder. He expresses in it a sentiment shared by, we are confident, a wide majority of citizens here who take pride in their community, even with its shortcomings, and do not take lightly to someone who shines a critical national spotlight here. Snyder’s comments are powerful and a solid reminder to all the many volunteer citizens who serve here that no one should take lightly those who cavalierly swipe at public service values they hold dear, such as service on the local school board, especially when they grab a national spotlight to do so. Snyder’s statement reads as follows: “Just last week, an objective national community ranking put the City of Falls Church third among all 500 jurisdictions for our quality of life and good government. That reflects the hard, dedicated and longtime work of all of our citizens, local newspaper and government to create and maintain a uniquely good place to be. “All voices need to be listened to, and I am committed to that. On the other hand, I must challenge negative, unfair and inaccurate stereotypes of our community and our citizens, from any and all sides who adopt the ‘if it ain’t broken, break it’ approach to Falls Church. “We have long wrestled and will continue to wrestle with many critical issues such as how to provide highest quality education, how best to understand all aspects of our history — good and bad — and how to assure policing that protects everyone. And the latest conversations and developments are no exception, whether or not I agree with every action. “Even as we as a community continue to address these difficult issues, one thing is clear: based upon not only my opinion but objective national rankings, Falls Church is emphatically not broken. “And, while I commit to doing everything I can to listen to everyone and to engage constructively in all of the issues, I must be clear that I will defend all of our people and government from being unfairly characterized, or worse yet broken, by the kind of extreme political polarization that characterizes too much of the national debate.” Republican loyalists who do not want to have to kiss Trump’s derriere are moving the debate away from that whole mess to grab more locally-based issues to try winning hearts and minds. Unfortunately, they can move quickly into variants on old time-worn issues with distinctively racist overtones, like the sudden assertion that schools are trying to force “critical race theory” down students’ throats. That phrase, which is now the preferred slogan du jure of Fox News and other rightwing media assets, is for all intents and purposes a fiction, a reference to an antiquated academic category. But it can work to fear-mongering ends.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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Clarifying Errors In Last Week’s Letter On Denuding in F.C. Editor, This is in response to Zachary Albaugh’s letter in the News-Press’ last issue about the “denuding” of the trees on the lot at E. Columbia and Van Buren Street. In contrast to the fact-free assertions of the writer, the builder, Cottage Street Custom Homes, did not “decide to clear cut the entire lot including many old growth large healthy trees along the property line...[to gain] a few extra square feet on their listings.” In fact, the City Arborist mandated that those trees be cut down — two homes are being built on the subdivided lots there, and the roots of any trees not cut down would be damaged by the disruption from construction, thus creating a future hazard. Further, it’s not the size of the homes that is requiring the tree removal, but its the underground facilities, newly-mandated to reduce stormwater management, that destroy the root systems of the trees, requiring the trees to be removed. I am an owner of one of those lots, and Cottage Street is building a home at my direction. I am as upset (if not more) about the loss of the tree canopy as the writer. Not only will I have to live on that lot (I had envisioned building my young son a treehouse there), I’m also an existing resident of the Broadmont neighborhood, and

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.

F.C. City Needs To Speed Up Roosevelt Street Reopening

Editor, There seems to be a surprising lassitude concerning the cleanup from last Thursday’s storm. It was a serious storm that brought down a number of trees. One fell across Roosevelt Street, just west of Tuckahoe Street, bringing wires down across Tuckahoe where it meets Roosevelt. Another fell across half of Van Buren Street where Van Buren meets Columbia Street. The tree that blocked Roosevelt was cleared days ago. But as of Wednesday afternoon the street is still closed between Tuckahoe and Broad Street Wires — possibly cable — were still down and a mound of branches remained next to the cemetery. No one has even touched the tree at Van Buren. Does the City care? Is the City doing anything at all about storm cleanup? Ronald Archer Falls Church

[ LETTERS ]

Got Beef?

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a frequent walker, so I very much appreciate living in a “Tree City USA.” For this reason, we plan on re-planting as many trees (and as mature) as practicable. I would recommend that the next time the writer wishes to call for a boycott of a small, local business like Cottage Street, he make the effort to collect actual facts that support such an extraordinary effort. Gary Scanlon Falls Church

The deadline for Letters to the Editor is 5 p.m. Monday each week of publication Letters should be 350 words or less. Email letters@fcnp.com Fax 703-342-0347 Mail or drop off Letters to the Editor, c/o Falls Church News-Press, 105 N. Virginia Ave., #310, Falls Church, VA 22046

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JULY 8 – 14, 2021 | PAGE 7

‘Olympic Games’ Are On at Culmore Boys & Girls Club B� L����� A�����

Safety, service and success are important to a community’s well-being. Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, Fairfax County Region, has many success stories to share. One story includes the opening of our Summer Camp for 2021. Our Culmore Club in Falls Church is offering an “Olympic Games” themed camp from June 28 through Aug. 20 for kids from grades K-9. This will be an amazing opportunity for local kids, especially after the hardships of the past year. Imagine how much our youth will benefit from activities like swimming, park picnics, cooking, fitness, yoga and weekly competitions in the spirit of the Olympics. Boys & Girls Clubs Summer Camps are well known for providing safe, healthy and enriching programs for kids in our communities who need it most. The Culmore Club has served the Falls Church community for over 20 years. It is located at the ground level inside the Culmore Church on Charles Street. The Club provides transportation to the clubhouse during the academic year from nearby schools. The Club is dedicated to providing a safe place where local community youth can grow and learn while having fun. Despite its decades of service in the U.S., many aren’t aware of the breadth of programs offered by Boys & Girls Clubs,

nor the millions of young people whose lives have been changed for the better. Like most organizations, Boys & Girls Clubs had to adapt quickly at the onset of the pandemic. We launched “Clubhouse at Your House” to provide our kids with a virtual Club experience, allowing them to remain

“82 percent of our teens volunteer in their communites at least once per year and 61 percent volunteer at least once per month.“ connected to the staff and programs they had come to rely on and enjoy. Our staff kept in touch with Club families and with the support of generous sponsors we were able to provide power snacks, lunches and special holiday meals for pick-up by the kids and their families. As we began to reopen with new safety protocols in place, access to after school computer labs and in-person activities helped to restore a sense of normalcy. We recently celebrated the graduations of our high school seniors. In short, our Clubs take care of our kids like family, because we are family.

We are proud of the impact our Clubs have had in Fairfax County filling the gap between school and home. We offer “Power Hour” to help with homework; Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs to develop critical thinking; and Diplomas 2 Degrees to prepare for success beyond high school. Programs like these are offered after school as well as during our Summer Camps. As a result, 98 percent of our teens expect to graduate from high school and 94 percent expect to complete some post-secondary education! Boys & Girls Clubs helps to develop leadership skills through “Torch” and “Keystone Clubs” and by providing volunteer opportunities for members within the community. As a result, 82 percent of our teens volunteer in their communities at least once per year and 61 percent volunteer at least once per month! Programs including “Passport to Manhood” and “SMART Girls’’ encourage positive relationships and good decision-making, while sports leagues and daily fitness challenges promote physical activity. In short, Academic Success, Good Character, Citizenship, and Healthy Lifestyles are Boys & Girls pillars of success that are reinforced and celebrated for all of our Club kids! In addition to Summer Camp, we are excited to kick off our newest mentor-

ing program in August. The “Great Big Kid” Campaign will pair six mentors with designated Club youth across our Clubs to serve as role models. The mentors will support their mentees during a six-week mentor phase. Our goal is to raise funds to support the outstanding Club programs our kids rely on and benefit from. The campaign will end with a virtual event on Oct. 22 to celebrate the mentors and mentees, and to share their inspiring stories. We hope the Falls Church community can support this event to help more kids and teens achieve great futures and build upon the 130-year Boys & Girls Clubs success story! Boy & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, Fairfax County Region currently operates three clubs in Falls Church, Alexandria and Chantilly. Our Clubs prioritize Academic Success, Good Character and Citizenship, and Healthy Lifestyles. Our programs use hands-on, interactive activities to help our kids develop critical thinking, physical, social, technological, artistic and life skills. Our skilled staff are passionate about making each Club safe and welcoming with age-appropriate settings for children and teens. To learn more about how our Clubs deliver safety, service and success to your community please go to bgcgw. org/clubs/culmore-club. Leslie Atkins is a board member of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington

Q������� �� ��� W��� Should Virginia stop giving out federal unemployment benefits prior to the Sept. 6 cut-off? • Yes

Last Week’s Question: Do you support the state’s legalization of marijuana?

• No

• Not sure

Visit www.FCNP.com to cast your vote

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FCNP On-Line polls are surveys, not scientific polls.

The News-Press welcomes readers to send in submissions in the form of Letters to the Editor & 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.


LO CA L

PAGE 8 | JULY 8 – 14, 2021

Office Space for Lease 252 N. Washington Street Falls Church, VA 22046

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Two high end office spaces available for lease. Very nice furnished offices, with conference rooms and kitchenettes on a shared basis. Great for attorneys and wealth managers. Includes reception/client waiting area.

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A VIEW of the nearly completed Meridian High School from the school’s athletic field. (Photo: News-Press)

School Board Op-Ed

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broken, break it’ approach to Falls Church.” He added, “One thing is clear, based upon not only my opinion but objective national rankings, Falls Church is emphatically not broken...I will defend all our people and government from being unfairly characterized, or worse yet broken, by the kind of extreme political polarization that characterizes too much of the national debate.” Current F.C. School Board chair Shannon Litton, in comments to the NewsPress yesterday, said “I would suggest Mr. Shapiro spend a little more time volunteering and serving in our community and a little less time building his national profile. It’s important to get to know our students, staff and community if he wants to make meaningful choices on their behalf.” She added, “The School Board has struggled through many difficult things this year, like many school boards across the country. Not everyone has agreed with our decisions, but I think anyone who knows the members of our school board knows we are sincere in trying to do what is best for our kids and our community.” School Board vice chair Laura Downs added in a Facebook post, “As you (Shapiro) want to join the School Board, focus some energy on education, which you barely mention, rather than politics, graphic design and fundraising. Complaining about polarization in a self-aggrandizing Wall Street Journal editorial seeking national attention

is rich.” Peg Willingham, chair of the Falls Church City Democratic Committee, said in an email, “I have been researching whether and how to endorse candidates in nonpartisan races, particularly this year’s F.C. school board race. Across all of Virginia and doubtless other states, pro-Trumpers are using the ‘open the schools’ issue as a political weapon and that is happening here as well.”


FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

JULY 8 – 14, 2021 | PAGE 9

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“There were certain protections against eviction based on non-payment of rent that were tied to the state of emergency,” said Laura Dobbs this week. She is a housing attorney that works at the Virginia Poverty Law Center. “Now that that state of emergency has ended, so do certain protections,” she said. According to Dobbs, landlords can now take legal action to evict tenants for unpaid rent, even if that landlord is refusing to cooperate with the Virginia Rent Relief Program. During the state of emergency, landlords were required to apply for relief on their tenant’s behalf, and wait a period of time for that application to be approved before moving forward with an eviction. They’re no longer required to do that and the court rosters are showing it.

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Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has announced that Virginia families with young children will have improved access to quality, affordable child care through an extension of the expanded Child Care Subsidy Program. Earlier this year, Governor Northam signed House Bill 2206, sponsored by Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, which established a new short-term eligibility category for parents seeking financial assistance for child care while looking for employment and temporarily increased the income eligibility criteria through July 31, 2021. Also, the governor has directed the Virginia Department of Education to use existing federal funding to continue covering copayments for families through December 31, 2021.

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The Falls Church Education Foundation’s annual “Run for the Schools” event is back and in person. The 17th annual FCEF Run for the Schools will take place on Sunday, Sept. 12, at 8 a.m. Participants can run, walk, jog or hop their way through the streets of Falls Church City

According to the U.S. Census Bureau and reported by the Smart Assets research group, the City of Falls Church ranks second among jurisdictions in Virginia for individual annual incomes. At a $127,610, it is behind only Loudoun County ($142,299) and ahead of the next six jurisdictions, all in Northern Virginia.

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‘Run for the Schools’ Back On for September

F.C. Ranked #2 in Va. On Incomes Per Person

“Access to high-quality child care is not only critical to the health and safety of Virginia’s children, but it is also important for advancing a strong, equitable recovery,” said Gov. Northam in a statement Wednesday. “Extending these resources through the end of 2021 will help close the affordability gap for parents and providers, allowing thousands of Virginians to return to work, support their families, and grow our economy.” The expanded Child Care Subsidy Program makes financial assistance for child care available to families with at least one child under age five who is not yet in kindergarten, with a household income up to 85 percent of the state median income. This expansion nearly doubles the previous income threshold in many regions of the Commonwealth and is the highest eligibility level in Virginia history. Families approved for the subsidy will remain eligible to receive benefits for 12 months, or until their income exceeds 85 percent of the state median income.

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Buoyed by the decision of the Falls Church Economic Development Authority at its virtual meeting this Tuesday to purchase eight more affordable dwelling units on the market in F.C., being two fourplexes in the Virginia Village on S. Maple St., the City’s League of Women Voters chapter and Citizens for a Better City will hold a third virtual forum on affordable housing on July 25 from 4 – 5:30 p.m. The forum, the third in a series on the subject co-sponsored by the two groups, will ask “what’s next for affordable housing in The Little City?” Issues will include how to preserve the City’s existing affordable housing, possible sources of future funding, and how to create new and more diverse affordable units in a city of just 2.2 square miles. Speakers will include Betsy Faga, member of the Alexandria Housing Affordability Advisory Committee, Jonathan Knopf, vice president of HDAdvisers working to expand housing opportunities in Virginia, Kamilah McAfee of the Wesley Housing Development Corporation, Joshua Shokoor of the F.C. Housing Commission, and James Snyder, director of Planning and Development Services for the City of F.C. Nancy Vincent, director of F.C.’s Housing and Human Services Department, will moderate the forum. Alison Brown of the F.C. LWV and Hal Lippman of the CBC made the announcement.

with fellow Falls Church City Public Schools supporters. Registration is now open. The 5K course winds through the tree-lined streets of historic Falls Church City. The course is a mix of hills and flat stretches, a little something for every participant. The course also includes a one-mile loop for runners and walkers. Strollers are welcome, but not bicycles, skateboards, rollerblades or dogs. All participants will receive a race shirt and other promotional items. Registrants are urged to check out a “Learn to 5k” program by Advantage Trainers of F.C. to prepare.

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PAGE 10 | JULY 8 – 14, 2021

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

THE OWNERS OF FATOUCHE, Amin Alobaidi (left photo; left) and Haider Sulaiman, serve up a variety of Iraqi dishes, like lamb shank with rice and almonds, as well as some American fare like cheeseburgers and fries. (Photo: Patricia Leslie)

Fatouche’s Iraqi Offerings Take Local Diners on a Journey East by Patricia Leslie

Falls Church News-Press

Falls Church is blessed with an array of ethnic restaurants, none finer than Fatouche’s true Iraqi eatery across the street from Birch & Broad shopping center along West Broad Street. On the way home from ordering takeout there, the heavenly aroma of warmed Samoon bread wafted through my car such that at stoplights, I was forced by thoughts of coming sensory pleasures to dive into the takeout bag and sample the goods. By the time I got home, sadly, little remained... Samoon is light, a kind of feathery flatbread which floats in your mouth (to take you to heavenly places). In the traditional way, it’s baked in stone ovens and made without butter (which is striking, since it tastes like a half stick is hidden in there somewhere). Fatouche — which is the name of a kind of salad — is one of the few authentic Iraqi restaurants in Northern Virginia to serve true native food. What distinguishes it from Middle Eastern competitors, one of the owners, Haider Sulaiman, told me, is its homemade spices. To that, I can attest.

Everything I ate was blended well, with no spice dominance in the spice wars. I am not a “spicy” fan, though I do it to oblige my editor, and a request for “unspicy” to the Fatouche chef was not necessary. Like other small restaurants, Fatouche’s exterior conceals its gentle interior with nicely Covid-spaced chairs and tables, each holding a vase of real sunflowers. While waiting for orders (this is not McDonald’s, after all, with instant food at the ready for hurried consumers), customers may study the paintings on the restaurant’s wall made by an Iraqi artist, and none for sale, said another owner, Asim Alobaidi. Additional works may change that. The mixed mezze plate is affordable ($11.99) and better tasting than even the bright colors would have you believe. It was my favorite of what I ordered — a variety of healthy foods fills the container, making it feel like it weighs five pounds. Included are five or six appetizers, like tabbouleh, a dish of bulgur, tomatoes, finely chopped parsley, onion, and tossed with olive oil and lemon juice. All of that makes you feel healthy by just crunching it the way you’re

supposed to do with lahano, another appetizer of coleslaw of crisply cut purple cabbage and vinegar. Other foods on this plate are sweet zaytoon olives and pasta salad (without an overpowering saturation of mayo), some of the best I’ve tasted. Also, baba ghanouj, a delicious eggplant dish made with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice and salt, with a seafood taste (at least, to me), creamy, like its chickpea sister hummus (also a mezze component), both low in calories. On one website, I learned that hummus has a higher calorie content than baba ghanouj, and baba ghanouj contains vitamins B and E, which are nonexistent in hummus but seldom found on American plates. (Basically, eat more baba ghanouj...plus it’s just fun to say). Served with Samoon, the mezze plate would make an excellent hors d’oeuvres platter for a group which is what Fatouche caters to: crowds, weddings, and events being their specialty, as Sulaiman said. Another Fatouche hot seller is jajeek ($4.99), a yogurt and chopped cucumber dish with fresh herbs I’ll have to order on my next visit.

Kabobs and chicken and beef shawarmas are popular items, too, but Sulaiman emphasized the restaurant’s 11 different kinds of kubba, which are akin to meat pies or balls made of cooked chicken, beef or lamb with parsley, onions and house spices. One, the Kubba Mosul ($13.99), is named after the city in Iraq. Being a calorie counter, my ground beef kubba was a little too heavy for me to eat often, but I allowed myself to cheat this one time. I also had the lamb shank (qouzi; $18.99), a huge serving marinated in a mild barbecue sauce, tender, tasty and mild, served atop plentiful Basmati rice with almonds, enough for two meals. It’s accompanied by stewed okra or white beans. Being used to fried okra from down South, I had to check on differences. Fatouche’s is, of course, healthier than the fried kind, since it is prepared in a mild-mannered tomato stew that gets better with each gulp. At first it was a little too bland, but gaining momentum as I ate along I began to love it, even emptying out the container. Its spices, again, never overpowered its pals in the pot. The restaurant also serves sandwiches and, even some

American foods like fries ($3.99) and cheeseburgers ($8.99) have found their way to the menu. But who wants them when you can “travel” across the sea and eat authentic Iraqi cuisine? Sulaiman said his restaurant came to Falls Church five years ago because the space was “walk-in” ready with a freezer and refrigerator, and besides, it was cheaper to rent than in Arlington or Tysons. The shortage of labor limits the restaurant’s closing hours to 7 p.m. but the owners hope that pre-Covid times can return to close at 9 or 10 p.m. Next month they are planning to introduce four new menu items whose names they are working on and are not ready to reveal. I have often thought that if I were stranded on an island, I could be happy with bread, wine, and grapes, and now I’ll have to require Samoon. Truly. Don’t leave the ship without it. Fatouche’s (between Don Beyer, Sweet Rice and U-Haul) 1109 W. Broad St., Falls Church 22046 703-534-0708. order@ fatouche.com Tuesday – Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closed, Monday. The online menu differs from the onsite menu. Park on the side of the building.


FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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JULY 8 – 14, 2021 | PAGE 11

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C�������� N��� � N���� Local Students Recognized for Academic Honors The following students were recognized for achieving outstanding grade-point averages for their respective universities for the Spring 2021 semester. All students are from Falls Church. Carthage College — Joshua Nicholson. College of Charleston — Giuliana Tosi. College of the Holy Cross — Alexandra Biggs and Diana Chavez Cruz. Georgia Tech — Dylan Kemelor. Shenandoah University — Karina Starling and William Aranibar-Vargas. St. Lawrence University — Carolyn Holran. Worcester Polytechnic Institute — Daraius Boston, James Englander and Dylan Turetsky. Youngstown State University — Zachary Power.

F.C Resident Authors Five Books Post Retirement Paul Martin, 75, retired as book and magazine editor from the National Geographic Society in 2009 and has since written two mysteries and three collections of biographical work. In total, he’s penned eleven books of fiction and nonfiction and has contributed to a dozen other publications on history, culture and science. His latest novel, entitled

FALLS CHURCH SCOUTS BSA TROOP 1996 supported the George Mason Chapter of VASSAR by cleaning up the gravesite of Major Simon Summers at the historic Falls Church Episcopal last month, where George Washington served as a vestryman. Major Summers and his family occupy some of the oldest graves at the historic church and the gravesite was badly overgrown. After clearing and cleaning the gravesite, the Troop also installed sod — and returned to water it — to complete the job in preparation for July 4th. (P�����: C������� S�������� O����������) “Dance of the Millions,” is a mystery set in post-WWI Cuba. It will be available for purchase Nov. 2. His other work is within the nonfiction category and consists of three collections (“Secret Heroes,” “Villains, Scoundrels, and Rogues” and “American Trailblazers”), profiling over a hundred little-known, but altogether fascinating, men and women from America’s history.

McLean Rotary Club Installs New President & Officers John McEvilly was installed as president of the Rotary Club of McLean, Virginia, for the Rotary Year 2021 – 2022, on Tuesday, June 29 during a special meeting held at the garden pavilion of The Lewinsville Retirement Residence (1515 Great Falls St). McEvilly previously served as Club President from 1999

to 2000 and as President of the McLean Rotary Club Foundation in 2016. He retired in 2020 after a career in commercial real estate, most recently when he served as a principal of Avison Young. He also served as an officer with the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, completing one and one-half tours with the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing at Da Nang, RVN.

McLean Rotarian and Past President John Tharrington inducted McEvilly and the Club’s new officers and directors. This was the first in-person meeting of the Club since the beginning of the pandemic. The Rotary Club held its first in-person luncheon since the pandemic this past Tuesday at the Redeemer Lutheran Church (1545 Chain Bridge Rd).

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PAGE 12 | JULY 8 – 14, 2021

A Penny for Your Thoughts

News of Greater Falls Church By Supervisor Penny Gross

The Brood X cicadas, and their songs, may be gone, but the effect of their several week sojourn in Northern Virginia is readily apparent in many treetops. Female cicadas make small slits in the ends of tree branches to lay their eggs. That small slit kills the branch tip, a condition known as flagging. The crown and branches of a large tree may have hundreds of brown “flags” right now, a good indication of where the next Brood X will emerge in 2038. Entomologists and foresters tell us that cicada flagging will not kill a tree; flagging simply “prunes” a tree. The fallen “flags” can be disposed of as yard waste. The rice-like cicada eggs already have sucked at the tree fluids that sustain them as they fall and burrow into the ground that will shelter them for another 17 years, as the fascinating cycle starts anew. At the same time that the 2021 cicada cycle was fading, the Fairfax County Tree Commission released its annual tree-planting report to the Board of Supervisors. The Tree Commission is an advisory group of about a dozen members who make recommendations to the board, but who also are committed to trees and their benefits to the environment. In Fiscal Year 2021 (which ended on June 30), a grand total of 22,247 trees were planted or distributed through various local and state government agencies or non-profit organizations. That number does not include homeowners who may have planted their own trees purchased through a commercial entity, like a garden center or nursery. The Virginia Department of Forestry distributed more than 2,000 seedlings, which were planted by county agencies on county-owned land. At least six of those trees were planted at the Mason District Governmental Center by George Mason University students.

One of the new trees stands watch outside my office window; it sported tiny pink flowers when it was first installed on a cold March morning. The Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District and Earth Sangha distributed more than 13,000 seedlings and trees, and Fairfax ReLeaf planted another 6,500 seedlings within the county. “Plant Virginia Trees: Plant NOVA Natives” is a five-year planting and preservation campaign with 140 partnering organizations, focused on government, non-profit, private and individual landowners. The Tree Commission report says that the goal is to change landscaping culture, address climate change, and contribute to the Virginia Department of Forestry’s goal of planting 600,000 trees by 2025. Native trees are important to local habitats; many popular landscaping trees, like Bradford pear, are non-native, invasive, and fraught with problems. Beautiful blossoms for about three weeks in the springtime, but brittle, subject to wind and weather damage, and short-lived. The seedling distribution mentioned above uses only native plants; a good place to see native trees and plants in the landscape is Green Spring Gardens, a jewel of a Fairfax County Park near the intersection of Braddock Road and Little River Turnpike in Mason District. Staff, volunteers, and Master Gardeners can provide tips and lots of information about planting and caring for native plantings in the suburban landscape. Native trees planted now will be mature and ready for the next Brood X cicadas in 2038!  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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CRIME REPORT Week of June 28 – July 4, 2021

Larceny from Building, W Broad St, between 9:30 PM, June 26 and 4 PM, June 29, a bicycle was removed from a rack in an underground parking garage. Larceny from Building, E Columbia St, July 2, 4:20 PM, a blue and silver Kent children’s bike was taken from an open garage. Burglary — Residential, E Columbia St, July 1, between 7

Drunk in Public, Park Ave, July 4, 12:15 AM, a male, 20, of Falls Church, VA, was arrested for Drunk in Public.

and 8:15 PM, unknown suspect(s) entered a secured garage and took a blue Novara bicycle and other items of value. Larceny from Building, E Broad St, July 3, between 1:30 and 3:30 PM, an unattended item was taken by unknown suspect(s). Larceny from Building, Lawton St, July 3, 4:16 PM, unknown suspect took a package from a front porch. Suspect described as a male, wearing a baseball hat, dark blue t-shirt, dark pants and dark shoes.

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From the Front Row: Delegate Kaye Kory’s

Richmond Report I am honored to have been elected as the Chair of the Disabilities Commission. The stated purpose of the Disabilities Commission is to identify and recommend legislative priorities and policies for adoption or examination by the General Assembly in order to provide ongoing support in developing and reviewing services and funding related to Virginians with physical and sensory disabilities. The Commission is charged with reporting to the Governor each year. Obviously, the mission is broadly conceived and can apply to many areas of services and service needs of Virginians identified as disabled. The Commission has begun the work of developing an agenda, but has not yet prioritized its goals. The Covid emergency has highlighted many institutions and services that our society and our Commonwealth take for granted and rarely evaluate on a fundamental basis. We must take this emergency as an opportunity to do so in areas that are the basis for building a Commonwealth that lifts up all residents, leaving no one behind. We know that adequate housing is a major part of an equitable society’s foundation — especially adequate housing for the most vulnerable populations. Virginians with disabilities can be seen as vulnerable and we know are particularly in need of adequate housing. They must overcome multiple barriers in order to obtain accessible independent housing. The unaffordability of rental housing is a pervasive barrier to obtaining accessible and independent housing. The cost burden substantially exceeds the commonly accepted guidance that housing should cost no more than 30 percent of an individual’s monthly income. Despite strong Fair Housing protections in state and federal law, housing discrimination against people with disabilities is a continuing and pervasive problem.

In 2020, the General Assembly passed legislation making discrimination based on source income illegal, “source of income” is defined as a source that lawfully provides funds to or on behalf of a renter or buyer of housing, including any state or federal assistance, benefit or subsidy program. However, SSI and other financial supplements do not provide sufficient income to afford housing without a housing subsidy, leaving Virginians with disabilities open to income discrimination in an already limited housing market. There is an insufficient supply of physically accessible housing in Virginia and a growing demand. The growing demand is fueled by the fact that individuals with disabilities are increasingly living their lives in the community, rather than in institutions — which is as it should be — and is in response to federal and state policy actions. This growing demand threatens to undermine Virginia’s constrained capacity to meet this critical need. Lack of accessible housing is not the only barrier facing those with disabilities; discrimination is another real barrier. Evidence suggests that housing discrimination, both overt and subtle, continues to limit the housing options available to those with disabilties. Current demographic and economic trends threaten to further strain housing resources. Our Commonwealth must expand affordable independent living options as well as adopt state local policies and practices that encourage accessible housing development. We must vigorously enforce our Fair Housing laws and hold violators of accessibility requirements accountable. Now is the time and now we have the opportunity to act, and act boldly, to create “a life like yours.”  Delegate Kory represents the 38th District in the Virginia House of Delegates. She may be emailed at DelKKory@ house.virginia.gov.


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America’s ‘AntiTruth’ Epidemic

Don’t let up! This has to be the unifying theme behind the multi-pronged efforts of U.S. law enforcement to go after the criminal elements responsible for both fueling the Trump organization’s financial machine based in New York, and for the January 6 insurrection at the nation’s Capitol in Washington, D.C. Moreover, anyone who believes in democracy and, for goodness sake, the preference of facts over fiction, must be unyielding in their opposition to the Trump machine, and the now growFALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS ing Republican Party-wide insanity that continues to dispute the outcome of last November’s presidential election. The “Big Lie” ultimately sits behind all these fronts that are challenging the very viability of the U.S. democracy in these perilous times. It’s not just a particular lie, but the notion fueling the Nazis’ rise to power in Germany in the 1920s and 1930s, that the art of persisting in the Big Lie, the idea that merely by asserting it, a falsehood of any dimension, but the bigger the better, is a valid determinant in the fight for power. Americans have enjoyed years of relative domestic peace since the end of the Vietnam War and the draft in the mid-1970s, and few have questioned the straightforward notion that truth and facts are what should govern our affairs. But lurking since that time have been those who would destroy such seemingly simple notions. Starting out as a marginalized fringe, these elements have step by step moved into the center lanes of our culture and now represent a major menace to our way of life. Taken as a whole, they represent what can be understood as an all-out assault on reason and truth, acting on behalf of a wide variety of lunatic conspiracy theories and “alternative” truths. Many such notions were incubating in the multitude of anti-rational cults of religious and other trends that fed off the failed Vietnam War effort and dying embers of the civil rights and anti-war movements of the 1960s. The 1970s became known as the “Me” decade for a reason, because the dominant social engineers of our culture saw efforts to turn the public’s attention away from wider social issues toward introspective ones functioned as the best antidote against pressures for meaningful social change. While dominant social currents looked at the rise of cults in the 1970s with amusement and derision, they were growing by leaps and bounds, and they all had the same m.o., to undercut normal reason and rationality with almost any variety of the opposite. Needed were commonly sociopathic “leaders” who would make up and spout almost anything impose it on their flocks, who would be fed such delusionary crap in the context of various forms of sensory deprivation and group peer pressures. It was sadly the willingness of persons to fall into this mental trap because of an overriding desire to “belong” to a group or perceived cause that was the entry point for their willing “suspension of disbelief” and subordination of their own faculties of reason and common sense to this process. Running parallel with this was a sinister current within the realm of academia and agencies of social engineering to develop an attending philosophical current that came under the overarching rubric of “postmodernism,” also known as radical “post-truth,” which questioned every commonly understood notion of rationality, ostensibly in the name of elevating every crazy idea into the same universe of valid options as common reason. The concept of “universals,” even things as simple as the laws of gravity, were deemed suspect. While this menace exploded through mind-controlling cults, they also found homes in existing religious fundamentalist currents, where concepts such as Biblical inerrancy overtook appeals for basic morality as the driver of “faith.” It is this evil “anti-truth” movement, as it were, has been totally underappreciated by dominant and common pragmatist currents in society until, behold, almost half of America no longer believes the outcome of a presidential election, or that vaccines are anything but a plot to destroy them. Needless to say, America’s strategic adversaries, Russia, China and others, have delighted in and intervened to advance these dangerous tools of chaos and dissembling here.

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Nicholas F. Benton

 Nicholas Benton may be emailed at nfbenton@fcnp.com.

Our Man in Arlington By Charlie Clark

The New York Times this May compiled a list of ‘50s-era American highways being rethought in an age when environmental concerns and past racial injustices in land use are at the national forefront. Arlington’s section of Route 1, that elevated structure that pierces Crystal City, made the cut. On June 16, The Virginia Transportation Department released its feasibility study proposing “multimodal improvements” at National Landing to improve safety, accessibility and the pedestrian experience crossing Route 1” (for too long known as Jefferson Davis Highway, but now Richmond Highway). The plan for wider crosswalks, narrower lanes, bicycle-friendly intersections, plantings on medians, restrictions on left turns and new lighting and signage left several parties unhappy. The bone of contention: VDOT’s favoring of a $180 million option of dismantling the elevated highway between South 12th and 23rd sts. to make it grade-level. Crystal City is in flux. The longstanding freeway-side Americana Hotel will soon be demolished. The county in 2018 approved a JBG redevelopment of Crystal Square for street-level retail and entertainment. Amazon continues its groundbreaking for the double helix design of its headquarters, construction of Metropolitan Park, its latest plan for 1,900 hires, and its donations for affordable housing. (Last week it announced $25,000 for the Columbia Pike Revitalization

Organization’s cultural projects.) But Amazon is not driving the fate of Route 1, even though VDOT acknowledges a goal of meeting “transportation needs with the coming of Amazon and other related development.” The National Landing Business Improvement District (which preAmazon bore the name of Crystal City) has been boosting the conversion of the utilitarian pass-through to an “urban boulevard.” The BID seeks “a downtown community that prioritizes people over cars,” said Tracy Sayegh Gabriel, president and executive director. “We believe an elevated highway is incompatible with that vision and support VDOT’s recommended at-grade alternative for Route 1.” But it recommends further safety adjustments, such as a 25-mph speed limit. Jay Corbalis, vice president of public affairs for JBG Smith, also favors the grade-level option, adding, “National Landing is poised to become the most transit-oriented neighborhood in the country.” But a coalition of three neighborhood civic associations, joined under the name Livability22202, blasted the study favoring the grade-level option as incomplete. The presentation “raises further questions, fails to address a number of community concerns, and recommends a traffic pattern that, by VDOT’s own recognition, reduces safety,” their statement read. “If Arlington County and the state proceed without addressing these concerns, our community will be further divided by a dangerous, wide road that puts cars before

pedestrians and bikes.” No safety analysis was done, the group charged, and the study treated Route 1 as a street rather than a wider corridor and “thus disregards significant stretches of Route 1, Glebe Rd., and the proposal for the airport access road in the Crystal City Sector Plan. And “besides future real estate tax revenue, this project does not deliver any sort of improvement to the community,” they said. Carol Fuller, president of the Crystal City Civic Association, told me she’s been working for 10 months with VDOT but the plan still “favors commercial interest over residents.” She knows “it’s a David and Goliath battle, and we know who’s going to win.” Fuller has been busy making the VDOT deadline for comments and writing to the county board and state legislators. *** 70-plus history enthusiasts assembled July 4 at the Hume School on Arlington Ridge Road to celebrate the reopening of the Arlington Historical Museum. County Board Chairman Matt de Ferranti (with colleagues Katie Cristol and Takis Karontonis) spoke of current debates over Arlington’s past. State Del. Patrick Hope presented the museum with a framed copy of the General Assembly’s March 2020 proclamation honoring the 100th anniversary of Arlington’s renaming. Society president Cathy Hix announced a $l.7 million-$2 million fund-raising effort to preserve and enhance the museum’s 130-year-old building. It was the society’s first event attended by this columnist as a newly recruited board member.


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WHO’S THE BEST?

The News-Press BEST OF FALLS CHURCH reader vote is back and it’s time to cast your ballot for your Falls Church-area favorites! Our 11th annual contest features a host of all new categories — now 36 in all — for readers to vote on the best eating, drinking, shopping and more in and around the Little City . Winners will be featured in a special BEST OF FALLS CHURCH edition of the News-Press on August 26!

Vote for Your Falls Church Favorites:

FOOD & DRINK Burger • Pizza • Sandwich • Chicken • Seafood • American • International Breakfast • Brunch • Coffee Shop • Bakery • Frozen Treats Outside Dining • Delivery Food • Farmers Market Vendor • New Restaurant

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JULY 8 – 14, 2021 | PAGE 15

WHO’S THE BEST?

The News-Press BEST OF FALLS CHURCH reader vote is back and it’s time to cast your ballot for your Falls Church-area favorites! Our 11th annual contest features a host of all new categories — now 36 in all — for readers to vote on the best eating, drinking, shopping and more in and around the Little City . Winners will be featured in a special BEST OF FALLS CHURCH edition of the News-Press on August 26!

Vote for Your Falls Church Favorites:

RETAIL & SERVICES Accountant • Professional Services • Bank/Credit Union • Real Estate Agent Real Estate Group • Doctors • Dentist • Retirement Community • Home Improvement • Dry Cleaners • Auto • Grocery Store • Salon • Gym/Fitness • City Event Specialty Store • School • Chiropractor • Live Entertainment • New Business

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FALLS CHURCHCALENDAR LOCALEVENTS THURSDAY, JULY 8 Concerts in the Park: Moonshine Society. Currently in its 28th year, Concerts in the Park features a variety of shows every Thursday night, now through July 29. Moonshine Society, a blend of rock and old-school R&B, is featured this week. This events series is hosted by the Village Preservation and Improvement Society and the Recreation and Parks Department. Guests are encouraged to bring a blanket or a folding chair as well as something to eat and drink. Advanced registration no longer required. Cherry Hill Park (312 Park Ave., Falls Church). For more information, visit fallschurchva.gov or call 703-248-5077. 7 p.m. Walk-In Tech Clinic. A tech tutor will be available every Thursday morning to help visitors with

their tech issues. Located in the Group Study Room of the Thomas Jefferson Library (7415 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church). 10 – 11 a.m.

FRIDAY, JULY 9 Spanish Conversation Group. Interested adults looking for an opportunity to practice their Spanish with a native speaker in an informal setting are invited to attend the Spanish Conversation Group at the Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library. Geared towards intermediate to advanced level speakers. Registration is required and is limited to one session per week. Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library Conference Room (7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church). 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

SATURDAY, JULY 10 Falls Church Farmers Market. The Falls Church Farmers Market

runs every Saturday, where visitors will find fresh, local produce, meat, dairy, flowers & plants, honey, music and more. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Falls Church) 8 a.m. – noon. For more information, visit fallschurchva. gov/547/Farmers-Market-To-Go. Kids in the Kitchen: Making Healthy Snacks. Those interested are invited to join TysonsPimmit Regional Library staff for a fun nutrition lesson and a healthy snack. Geared towards preschoolers and school age children. Snack ingredients are provided and may include nuts. In the event of rain, the activity will be moved indoors. TysonsPimmit Regional Library (7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church). 11 – 11:30 a.m.

SUNDAY, JULY 11 Mid-Summer Party. Join the Falls Church Episcopal Church for morning service at 10:30

a.m. to welcome the new rector Rev. Burl Salmon, with a party on the lawn to follow. Food, music and games — including a dunk tank and a slip n’ slide — will be available for guests starting at 11:30 a.m. All are welcome. Falls Church Episcopal (115 E East Fairfax St). 10:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

VIRTUALEVENTS THURSDAY, JULY 8 Thursday Evening Book Group (online). The Thursday Evening Book Discussion Group meets on the 2nd Thursday evening of each month. All are welcome to join. The featured book is "Blindness" by Jose Saramago. The group will meet online over Zoom. For an invitation or for more information about the group, email Marshall Webster at mwebster@fallschurchva.gov or call 703-248-5035. 7 – 8 p.m.

MONDAY, JULY 12

Encore Learning Presents: Interpreting the Findings of the Jamestown Rediscovery Project (online). Beginning in 1994, an archaeological project called Jamestown Rediscovery has been trying to learn more about the original James Fort through the study of rediscovered buildings and artifacts dating back to the 1600s. This presentation will highlight the team’s latest work and touch upon the inherited legacy of more than a century of archeological science. David Givins, Director of Archeology for Jamestown Rediscovery, will help interpret the most recent discoveries. This is an Encore Learning Presents event, cosponsored by Arlington Public Library. Connect online via Zoom throughus02web. zoom.us/j/84268052749 or dial in by phone at 301-715-8592. 3 – 4:30 p.m. City Council Meeting (online). City Council meetings are held the second and fourth Monday of the month, with the exception of August and December when only one meeting is held. These meetings are open to the public and are conducted to allow Council

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Members to discuss upcoming legislation and policy issues and the public is invited to speak. All participating members of the City Council will be present at this meeting through electronic means. All members of the public may view this electronic meeting via www.fallschurchva.gov/ CouncilMeetings. The meeting may also be viewed on FCCTV (Cox 11, RCN 2, Verizon 35). Video will be available after the meeting both online and on FCCTV. The virtual meeting will be held pursuant to and in compliance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, Section 2.2-3708.2 and state and local legislation adopted to allow for continued government operation during the COVID-19 declared emergency. 7:30 – 11 p.m.

TUESDAY, JULY 13 Great Books Discussion Group (online). Concentrating on literary classics both traditional and modern, the Great Books Discussion Group meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of most months. All are welcome. The featured book is "Born a Crime" by comedian and talk show host Trevor Noah. The group will meet online, over Zoom. For more information, email Marshall Webster at mwebster@fallschurchva.gov. 7 — 8:30 p.m.

THEATER&ARTS FRIDAY, JULY 9 "After Midnight." Conceived by Jack Viertel, this musical extravaganza is set to the swinging sounds of Duke Ellington, Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields and many others, framed by the works of American poet Langston Hughes. Starring "Hamilton’s" Christopher Jackson and Signature favorite Nova Y. Payton with direction by Jared Grimes, "After Midnight" features 28 of the big band era’s most memorable songs, including “Stormy Weather” and “I’ve Got the World on a String," taking the audience on a vibrant tour of Harlem

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after midnight. Streaming on demand until Aug. 4 at sigtheatre.org. Dong Xi with Special Guest Shu-Chen Cuff. A collaboration between world percussionist Tom Teasley and Chinese dulcimer virtuoso Chao Tian, Dong Xi is a combination of world rhythms and Chinese folk music. A completely improvised musical experience, the duo is joined by Shu-Chen Chef, the founder of the critically acclaimed Gin Dance Company. This presentation blends Eastern philosophy and Western culture, incorporating movement and music. Cherry Hill Park (223 Little Falls St, Falls Church). Check creativecauldron.org for ticket prices. 7:30 p.m.

LIVEMUSIC THURSDAY, JULY 8 Tim Harmon Solo Looping. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-858-9186. Justin Trawick and the Common Good. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). 7 p.m. 703-2551566. Fast Eddie & the Slowpokes. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). 7:30 p.m. 703237-0300.

THE QUEBE SISTERS will be playing live at the Birchmere this Saturday. (Photo: quebesisters.com) Kings & Fools. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington St., Ste A Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703858-9186. Born Cross Eyed: Grateful Dead Tribute. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). 7 p.m. 703-2551566.

Asleep at the Wheel. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $35. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500.

Jehovah’s Favorite Choir: A Tribute to the Dead Live. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). 7:30 p.m. 703237-0300.

Jamison Greene Live. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-2419504.

Hotter Than July: Ladies Night Out. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $35. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500.

FRIDAY, JULY 9

Josh Allen All Star Show. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-2419504.

Brook Yoder & Friends. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-2419504. The Sisters. Clare & Don’s Beach Shack (130 N. Washington St., Falls Church). 5 p.m. 703-5329283.

SATURDAY, JULY 10 Jillian Matundan. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 1 p.m. 703-858-9186.

Stealin the Deal. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-241-9504. Sookey Jump. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-858-9186. Higher Education. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). 7 p.m. 703-255-1566. The Quebe Sisters. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $35.00. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500. Rusty Lost Highway Band. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-2419504.

SUNDAY, JULY 11 School of Rock. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 1 p.m. 703-858-9186. Mars Rodeo Show. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls

Church). 4 p.m. 703-241-9504. Grateful Jams Open Mic. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 5 p.m. 703-858-9186. Collective. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-237-0300. Bobby Thompson + Jenny Langer. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15. 7 p.m. 703-2551566. Flatland Cavalry. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $25. 7:30 p.m. 703549-7500. Big Boy Little Blues Show. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-2419504.

MONDAY, JULY 12 Tom Saputo & Friends. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 7:30 p.m. 703-2419504.

Calendar Submissions Email: calendar@fcnp.com | Mail: Falls Church News-Press, Attn: Calendar, 105 N. Virginia Ave., #310, 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.


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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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30th Anniversary Party! Thursday, July 29, 2021 Ireland's Four Provinces "4 P's" 105 W. Broad Street Falls Church, VA 22046 6pm to 8pm

Buy tickets at: fcnp.com/30thanniversaryticket You may know that the Falls Church News-Press is the local weekly paper that gets delivered every Thursday, and has for the last 30 years, but did you also know: • Throughout its 30-year history the FCNP has promoted practically every non-profit in the Falls Church area with a free mention in the Community News and Notes section of the paper, and in many instances multiple times. Fundraisers, membership campaigns, gala events and changes in leadership have all been read in the FCNP newspaper at no cost to the organization. •

For many years, including this one, the FCNP has sponsored a youth sports team.

• Many large Falls Church events are covered extensively in the newspaper at no cost to anyone; examples are the annual Fall Festival and Memorial Day events that have received pages of coverage to include detailed vendor maps, parade routes, schedules for the event day, etc. The small FCNP staff is proud of the work they do and proud of their support of the Falls Church area. This is a great place to live, and we strive to spread that word in as many ways as possible. We look forward to celebrating our 30th anniversary on July 29th and we hope you will come by and celebrate with us.


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Pimmit Hills Pollinator Company Opens in F.C. Pimmit Hills Pollinator Company has opened to the public in Falls Church. The company was founded by Henry Cauley and Catherine Wethington to create gardens as pollinator habitats. The team designs, plans, and builds visually appealing gardens for people and pollinators to enjoy. Services include consultation and education services, garden design and installation, and with the services of Hank Cauley, the team’s resident bee expert, Host-A-Hive, the opportunity to host a beehive that the company will maintain. Visit www.phpollinators.com for more information.

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Lemon Lane Children’s Consignment Boutique will begin accepting children’s fall consignment apparel and items, by appointment, on Tuesday, July 13. Lemon Lane carries upscale, like-new, brandname children’s clothing at affordable prices in sizes NB to 14 along with strollers, carriers, wraps, sleep sacks, and more. Call 703-300-0060 to make an appointment. Lemon Lane is open Sunday from noon – 4 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and is located at 246 W. Broad Street in Falls Church. For more information, visit www.lemonlaneconsignment.com.

Arlington Co. Financing Businesses to Become More Sustainable Arlington County is the first jurisdiction in Virginia to offer an innovative financing deal to help businesses become more sustainable. The Arlington Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy, or C-PACE, program is helping Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Company pay for roof upgrades and solar panel systems totaling 44 kilowatts on two properties along Washington Boulevard. Through the program, the County brings together building owners seeking sustainability with private capital providers so owners of existing buildings can obtain financing for up to 100 percent of the cost of energy efficiency, renewable energy and water conservation projects for up to 25 years. Arlington Community Federal Credit Union financed the Rocklands loan. Arlington was the first county in Virginia to enact a C-PACE ordinance, launching the program in 2018 as part of the Arlington Initiative to Rethink Energy, known as AIRE. Commercial property developers can also access C-PACE financing for up to 20 percent of a new building’s total eligible construction cost if the building is designed to exceed current energy code performance by 5 percent or more, or exceed the former energy code performance by 15 percent or more. Unlike other forms of project financing, the C-PACE program can cover all of a project’s hard and soft costs. For more information, visit www.arlington-pace.us.  Business News & Notes is compiled by Sally Cole, Executive Director of Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at sally@fallschurchchamber.org.

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PAGE 20 | JULY 8 - 14, 2021 PUBLIC NOTICE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH In anticipation of the creation of a West Falls Community Development Authority and establishment of the West Falls District, the Falls Church City Council invites interested City residents to apply for the resident position on the 5-member Authority. Candidates with knowledge of finance or commercial real estate preferred. Visit www.fallschurchva.gov/BCapply for a link to the application and more information about the CDA, including the background and anticipated schedule for establishing the Authority. Application deadline has been extended to July 15, 2021. Celeste Heath, City Clerk cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov 703-248-5014

PUBLIC NOTICE Special Use Permit application U1623-21 by Lisa Wills, applicant, to allow a daycare use otherwise not permitted by right, on premises known as 128 South Spring Street, RPC #52-203-037 of the Falls Church Real Property Records, zoned R-1A (Low Density Residential). Variance application V1623-21 by Eric Williams, agent, for a variance to Section 48238(3)a., to allow a front setback of 16 feet instead of 25 feet along the Fulton Avenue frontage, for the purpose of constructing a new house on premises known as 300 North Oak Street, RPC #51-125-108 of the Falls Church Real Property Records, zoned R-1B, Medium Density Residential Variance application V1624-21 by Federal Realty Trust, applicant and owner, for the following variances to Section 48-1265: to allow six freestanding signs instead of four; to allow five business names instead of three for freestanding Signs D and E; to allow Sign B to be located in a location other than the frontage that used for calculating the sign’s area; to allow increase of height for Sign B, Sign C, and Sign E; to allow maximum wall sign area of 259 square feet instead of 120 square feet for Signs F.1 and G. Public hearing on the above matter is scheduled for July 15, 2021, 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 15, 2021. 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.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA The ordinance referenced below was given first reading on June 28, 2021. Public hearing, second reading, and final City Council action is scheduled for Monday, July 12, 2021 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard. (TO21-11) ORDINANCE TO AMEND ORDINANCE 2026 REGARDING THE BUDGET

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

CLASSI F I E DS OF EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022 FOR THE GENERAL FUND This ordinance would appropriate a transfer of $1,935,000 from capital reserve funds to the Economic Development Authority (EDA) to be used for the purchase and preservation of two market rate affordable apartment buildings with total of eight units in the City. Public hearings will be held electronically. To speak on a public hearing item, complete a speaker form at www.fallschurchva.gov/ PublicComment before noon on the day of the Council meeting. Following submission of the form, you will receive emailed instructions to join the virtual Council meeting. Written public hearing comments may be sent until noon on the day of the meeting to cityclerk@ fallschurchva.gov. Council members will attend the meeting through electronic means and members of the public may view the meeting at www.fallschurchva.gov/CouncilMeetings and on FCCTV (Cox 11, RCN 2, Verizon 35). Video will be available after the meeting both online and on FCCTV. 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

ABC NOTICE Lee’s Thai Food. LLC, Trading as: Lee’s Thai Food, 312B S Washington St, Falls Church, VA 22046. The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Wine & Beer On Premises. Khanthaly Chanthalangsy, Owner, Authorized Signatory Lee’s Thai Food. LLC, the Operating Member of Lee’s Thai Food. NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200. Mi Cay Tung Corp. , Trading as: PHO 95 Mi Cay Tung, 6795 Wilson Blvd, suite 18,20,22,41 Falls Church, VA 22044 .The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Wine & Beer On Premises; Mixed Beverage On Premises. Steven Phan, Chief Legal Officer, Authorized Signatory PHO95 Mi Cay Tung Restaurants, Inc., the Operating Member of MI CAY TUNG Corp. NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www. abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.

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

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PUZZLE NO. 90

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

32. ____ your request 33. Observer 37. Mince 39. Mouth part 42. Greased 44. Best 46. Household animals 48. Flat hill 49. Concluded 50. Succeeding 51. Paddle’s kin 52. Baked dessert 53. Citrus cooler 55. Twins 56. Large antelope

JULY 8 - 14, 2021 | PAGE 21

STRANGE BREW

JOHN DEERING

Copyright © 2021, Penny Press

ACROSS 1. Mom’s fellow 4. Strait-laced 8. Quote 12. Wintry 13. Talk wildly 14. Opera tune 15. “Look ____ ye leap” 16. Forewarning 17. Lincoln coin 18. Conditions 20. Morse code symbol 22. Long fish 24. Records 28. Creeps 31. Copied 34. Assembled 35. Avails

36. Lock opener 37. Soft drink 38. Ump’s relative 39. “Chicago” star 40. Hideous 41. Louisiana marsh 43. Mock 45. Troublesome tyke 47. Villain 51. October stone 54. On the cutting ____ 57. Adam’s wife 58. Official helper 59. Food fish 60. Male or female

61. Bassoon, e.g. 62. James Brown’s music 63. Gallery offering

DOWN 1. Say no to seconds 2. Land measurement 3. One who colors 4. Not poetry 5. Barnyard animal 6. “____ Got Sixpence” 7. Heal

ANSWER TO PUZZLE NO. 90

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS USE AMERICAN SPELLING

SPORTS QUIZ By Ryan A. Berenz 1. Name the player from Senegal who was the first-round pick for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2001 NBAPUZZLE Draft. NO. 92 20. Shipment

41. Burnt wood

23. Curved roof

44. Count

27. Shack

46. Holler

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Last Week’s Answers Copyright © 2021, Penny Press

ACROSS 1. Bungle 4. Steak, e.g. 8. Regard 12. Farewell, for short 13. Beg 14. Conform to 15. Drink 17. Shoe part 18. Smaller amount 19. Road sign 20. Pack animal 23. Appropriate 24. Cookie grain 25. Cover, as a couch 31. Potent particle

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Last Weeks answers!


PAGE 22 | JULY 8 – 14, 2021

LO CA L

BACK IN THE DAY

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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25 � 10 Y���� A�� �� ��� N���-P���� Falls Church News-Press Vol. VI, No. 16 • July 4, 1996

Falls Church News-Press Vol. XXI, No. 21 • July 7, 2011

Brangman Elected Mayor in 5 – 2 Vote By City Council; Snyder Vice Mayor

F.C. Council Gives Preliminary OK To 8% Water Rate Hike Over Protests

Architect Alan Brangman was elected by his colleagues on the F. C. City Council to become the City’s new mayor in last Monday’s special Council meeting that also featured the swearing of two new members elected in last month’s City election, Mary Ann Capria and Sam Mabry.

F.C. City Manager Wyatt Shields was expected to face a room of 60 McLean users of the Falls Church water system last night at the monthly board meeting of the McLean Community Association to explain the reasons for an eight percent rate increase to go into effect Aug. 1.

Hiring Troubles Continued from Page 4

ate position in the front of the house, but has found it difficult to find qualified candidates since most of those coming in believe taking pictures on their phone qualifies as photography experience. Henry has said that some qualified candidates have come in looking for more money than he’s able to offer at the time since the shop is still in recovery mode from the past year-plus. Job posts on career-finding site Indeed, meanwhile, are often dead ends that are costing Dominion in what he thinks is an effort to secure unemployment benefits. “I’m having to spend more time going through all these posts saying ‘Please contact me,’ and no one contacts me,” Henry said. “So I’m spending a lot of time going through it and paying Indeed every time they [submit an application], I have to pay Indeed. It’s kind of a Catch-22. It’s not been a very positive experience that way.” Back at the Four P’s, manager Kevin Scally doesn’t fault people for taking advantage of the more generous benefits. He understands the appeal in making comparable pay without having to leave the house, undergo training and endure the usual bumps that come from learning a new job. At the same time, there’s an effort to get the restaurant to where it was before Covid. Unfortunately, he thinks that can only be done by demanding an unfair amount of effort from his current staff. “I can’t ask the staff to work seven days a week. And I can’t ask the kitchen to suffer with them. They didn’t put us in the situation that we’re in,” Scally said.

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THE COOK FAMILY’S PATRIOTIC PET likes to spend some time by the Washington Monument in our nation’s capital, taking in the sights and sounds of summertime by the water. Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be! Send in your Critter Corner submissions to crittercorner@fcnp.com.

OFF AND ON BARTENDER OF OVER 27 YEARS, SPIKE returned to Falls Church in May of ‘08. He most recently worked at The State Theater before going over to Clare and Don’s. When asked if he had any words of wisdom he pondered the question for a bit and replied “Don’t mix beer and wine.” (P����: J. M������ W�����/JM������W�����.���)


FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

JULY 8 – 14, 2021 | PAGE 23

Where to Pick Up The • 7 Eleven (Box), 3019 Annandale Rd • Amazing Smiles, 444 W Broad St – D • Anthony’s Restaurant, 3000 Annandale Rd. • Audacious Aleworks, 110 E Fairfax St. • Ballston Quarter (Box) 4238 Wilson Blvd. • BB&T Bank, 225 W Broad St. • Bikenetic, 201 W Jefferson St. • Bowl America, 140 S Maple Ave. • Clarendon Blvd & Courthouse Rd. Bus Stop (Box) • Broad Falls Apartments, 809 W Broad St. • Broadway Apt (in mailroom), 500 W Broad St. • Brown’s Hardware, 100 W Broad St. • Burke & Herbert Bank, 225 West Broad St. • Byron Apartments, 513 W Broad St. • Timberlane Condos Bus Stop, 7368 Lee Hwy • Lee Hwy/ Hollywood Rd. Bus Stop • Café Kindred, 450 N Washington St. • Celebrity Delly – Graham Park Plaza, 7263A Arlington Blvd. • Clarendon Metro, 3021 Wilson Blvd. • Clay Café Studios, 101 N Maple Ave. • Clare & Don’s Beach Shack, 130 N Washington St. • Courthouse Parking Lot, 2100 Wilson Blvd. • CVS, 1150 W Broad St. • CVS (Box), 134 W Broad St. • CVS (Box), 6404 N Williamsburg Blvd. • Falls Church Distillers, 442 S A. Washington St. • Across from Dar Al Hijrah Islamic Center (Box), Route 7 & Rio Dr. • Differences Hair Designer, 8122 Arlington Blvd. • Dogwood Tavern, 132 W. Broad St. • Don Beyer Volvo, 1231 W Broad St. • East Falls Church Metro (Box), 2001 N. Sycamore St • Einstein Bros. Bagels, 913 W Broad St. • El Tio Restaurant, 7630 Lee Hwy. • Elevation Burger (Box), 442 S. Washington St. • Exxon Gas Station, 400 W Broad St. • Fairfax Auto Parts, 431 S Maple Ave. • Falls Church Animal Hospital, 1249 W Broad St. • Falls Church City Government, 300 Park Ave. • Falls Church City Public Schools, 150 S. Washington Street, Suite 400 • Falls Church City Public Utilities, Gordon Rd. • Falls Church Community Center, 223 Little Falls St. • Falls Church News-Press, 105 N. Virginia Ave. Suite #310 • Falls Green Apartments (formerly Oakwood), 501 N. Roosevelt Blvd. • Flippin’ Pizza, 800 W Broad St. • Floyd’s 99 Barbershop, 8296 Glass Alley, Fairfax • Foxcraft Design Group, 110 Great Falls St • Galleria Florist, 248 W. Broad Street • George Mason & Wilson Blvd (Box), 5015 Wilson Blvd • George Mason High School, 7124 Leesburg Pike • Giant – Graham Park Plaza, 7235 Arlington Blvd. • Giant Food, 1230 W Broad St. • Goodwin House, 3440 South Jefferson St. • Grand Hunan Restaurant, 5845 Washington Blvd. • Harris Teeter, 301 W Broad St. • Hillwood Cleaners, 165 Hillwood Ave. • Hilton Garden Inn, 706 W Broad St. • Idylwood Towers Condominium, 2300 & 2311 Pimmit Dr. • Indian Spices, 1067_B W Broad St. • Inns Virginia Hotel, 421 W. Broad St. • Ireland’s Four Provinces, 105 W Broad St. • Joe’s Place Pizza & Pasta, 5555 Lee Hwy. • Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do, 1136 W Broad St. • Kensington Falls Church, 700 W Broad St. • Lazy Mikes Deli, 7049 Leesburg Pike • Ledo Pizza, 7510 Leesburg Pike • Liberty Barbecue, 370 W Broad St. • Lil City Creamery, 114 W Broad St. • Lincoln At Tinner Hill Apartments, 455 S. Maple Ave. • Long Foster Realtors, 6299 Castle Rd. • Madison Apartments, 600 N Roosevelt Blvd. • Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School, 7130 Leesburg Pike • Merrill House Apartments, 210 E Fairfax St. • Metro Diner, 4711 Lee Hwy. • Metro Dunn Loring, Gallows Rd & Belleforest Dr. • Mr Tire Auto, 105 Falls Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046 • Moby Dick House of Kabob, 444 W. Broad St. • Munson Hill Apartments, 6729 Leesburg Pike • N Virginia Av & W Broad St (Box), 105 N Virginia Ave. • N. Washington & E. Columbia St., 106 E Columbia St. • Neighborhood Barbershop, 417 W Broad St #103 • Northern Virginia Center, 7054 Haycock Rd.• Northgate Apartments (lobby), 450 N Washington St. • Northside Social, 205 Park Ave. • Original Pancake House, 7395 Lee Hwy. • Park Towers Condos, 200 N. Maple Ave. • Peach Tree Towers, 2042 Peach Orchard Dr. • Pearson Square Apartments, 410 S. Maple Ave. • Pete’s Barber Shop, 5847 Washington Blvd. • Pho 88 Restaurant, 232 W Broad St. • Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library, 7700 Leesburg Pike • Pizzeria Orso (Tax Analysts building), 400 S. Maple Ave. • PNC Bank, 402 W. Broad St. • Point of View, 701 W. Broad St. • Professional Building, 313 Park Ave. • Providence Recreation Center, 7525 Marc Dr. • Quick Copy, 417 W. Broad St. • Rare Bird Coffee Roasters, 230 W. Broad St. • Read Apartments, 402 W Broad St. • Re/Max West End, 710 W Broad St • Roosevelt Towers, 500 N Roosevelt Blvd.• Safeway, 5101 Wilson Blvd. • Safeway, 2500 N Harrison St. • Safeway – Route 29, 7397 Lee Hwy.• Sfizi Café, 800 W Broad St. • Silver Diner, 3200 Wilson Blvd. • Sislers Stone, 7139 Lee Hwy. • Smokey’s Garage, 1105 W Broad St. • Sonic Car Wash, 1050 W Broad St. • The Spectrum, 444 W. Broad St.• Spectrum Cleaners, 444 W Broad St. • Stratford Motor Lodge, 300 W. Broad St.• Sunrise of Falls Church, 330 N. Washington St. • Super A Market, 2800 Graham Rd. • Target, 500 S Washington St. • Target – Skyline Mall (Box), 5107 Leesburg Pike • West Broad Building, 301 W Broad St. • Thomas Jefferson Library, 7415 Arlington Blvd. • Towne Place Suites – Marriot, 205 Hillwood Ave. • Unity Club, 116-B W Broad St. • UPS Store Seven Corners, 6312 Seven Corners Ctr. • US Post Office, 2045 Wilson Blvd. • Virginia Hospital Center (Box), 1701 N George Mason Dr. • Virginia Hospital Center ER (inside), 1702 N George Mason Dr • Virginia Tech, Courthouse 7054 Haycock Rd. • Washington & S. Broad St. (Box) 101 W Broad St. • West Lee Apartments, 2200 N Westmoreland • Wendy’s – Bus Stop, 7391 Lee Hwy.• West Falls Church Metro (Box) 7040 Haycock Rd. • Woodrow Wilson Community Library, 6101 Knollwood Dr.


FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

PAGE 24 | JULY 8 – 14, 2021

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