Falls Church News-Press 8-18-2022

by Kylee

This February, the City of Falls Church’s real estate assessor, Erwving Bailey, announced new real estate assessments, revealing a whopping 11.4 percent jump for local property owners. Due to the shock of this increase, and the higher tax bills that they led to, many citizens appealed the bills they received. Indeed, it is a record number.

In the City of Falls Church, overall residential real estate values increased 13.72 percent from January 2021 to January 2022. Single family homes had their assessment increased by 14.43 percent and townhouse assessments went up 11.60 percent. According to the City, condominium values increased by 12.31 percent over 2021.

As of January 1st, 2022, the total taxable assessed value for all properties in Falls Church is

Were Here First!’

The upcoming 20th anniversary season of Falls Church’s Creative Cauldron theater production and education non-profit will also mark its first season of producing entirely original works and comes as antici-

‘Best of Falls Church’ Winners

The Winners are here! The Falls Church News Press presents its Best of Falls Church 2022 special issue. Including several photos and highlights this years restaurants and business winners as well as who was nominated as runners up!

See PageS 9 — 17

pation grows of the brand new venue now under construction as part of the Broad and Washington mixed use development up the street.

Cauldron’s founder and producing artistic director, Laura Connors Hull, said this week, “Our twentieth year marks the perfect opportunity to celebrate creativity by supporting the

work of individual artists. Building upon our prior work through our ‘Bold New Works’ initiative, this season promises to be one of our best.”

Preview of Fall Sports

With school just around the corner, Falls Church area high schools are beginning their fall athletic schedules. See what’s in store for this year’s sports teams as they gear up for competition over the next few months.

See Page 18

musical, “Ichabod: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” by resident artists Matt Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith; “Diagnosed,” the follow up to 2022’s “Girls of Madison Street,” by Helen Hayes Award winning performer Iyona Blake; and the regional

To

flexibility as we continue to adjust our routines and procedures to keep their loved ones safe

To our team who goes above and beyond to keep our residents comfortable and make their days vibrant

To all others in and around our community who repeatedly rise to the call and lend a hand, every time a need is expressed…

You are fearless. You are generous. Your spirit is resilient.

$5,093,848,600; with new construction accounting for 6.6 percent of the increase due to its value of $34.6 million. This means the Falls Church assessment was higher than the neighboring Fairfax County assessment, which only saw a 9.57 percent increase for property owners.

Bailey, in his first year on the job, said the Real Estate Assessor’s office received a total of 141 commercial and residential appeals this year. He told the News-Press that while the number of appeals this year are higher than previous years, “it is in line with other localities in the region,” because the residential housing market during the pandemic in this region has been “robust” with the values going up as a result.

Bailey stated if a property owner wants to appeal their assessment, he asks they call the Assessor’s office first. Bailey and his team would explain the assessment process to the property owner, which often clears up confusion or misunderstandings.

If a property owner decides to proceed with an appeal, Bailey

suggests they file an application to appeal to his office. That will allow the property owner to then provide “comparable sales properties that demonstrate the assessment is or is not at fair market value,” or show similar properties that are assessed at a value “that is not similar.”

The assessment office “may conduct an interior and/or exterior inspection of the property.”

Bailey says after the submitted information by the property owner is analyzed, the assessment office “will make a determination to change the assessment, or let the original assessment stand.”

As for what the process of a property assessment entails, and what was exactly measured, Bailey told the News-Press the Virginia Constitution requires real estate “assessed at 100 percent of fair market value.”

The City’s Office of Real Estate Assessment “calculates property value each year using mass appraisal techniques that are standard in the real estate assessment industry.” Two calculations Bailey says that were used were the “Assessment to Sales Ratio”

and the “cost to replace each structure in a neighborhood.”

There is no criteria for a property owner to appeal their assessment, Bailey stated, however, “data in support [of] a request to change a property’s assessed value must be provided by the property owner.”

Assessment notices were mailed to property owners on March 25, with property tax payments based on the new assessments not due until December 6 of this year and June 5 of next year. This year’s deadline to appeal to an assessor was at the “end of April,” with the dead-

line to appeal to the Board of Equalization was “early June.”

As for future assessments, Bailey says a rise in appeals is expected “when there is a robust real estate market,” and welcomes anyone “who has questions about their assessment, the calculation, and the process.”

20th Season for Creative Cauldron

Continued from Page 1

premiere of “Audrey: The New Musical,” celebrating the life of film and fashion icon Audrey Hepburn, with book, music and lyrics written by Danielle Moore. Creative Cauldron will revive its original Christmas musical “The Christmas Angel,” written by Conner and Smith for the holiday season.

Creative Cauldron’s educational arm, the Learning Theater Ensemble, will produce a new adaptation of the classic story “The Princess and the Goblin” by George MacDonald, and a revival of Creative Cauldron’s original Learning Theater adaptation of “The Snow Queen.” The season’s theatrical offerings are complemented by live music throughout the year by three concert series: Holiday cabarets in December, the annual “Passport to the World of Music” Festival and the Summer cabaret series.

Early next year, it is anticipated that a special event in anticipation of the new venue will be held for supporters of the Cauldron.

Creative Cauldron’s 2022-2023 Performance Season begins in early October with “Ichabod: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” (October 6 – 30, 2022), Music by Matt Conner, Book and Lyrics by Stephen Gregory Smith, Directed by Matt Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith, Musical Director Paige Rammelkamp, Featuring the Musical Theater Ensemble. Sponsors: Mark Werblood and Jon Wiant.

The credits call audiences to “journey back in time to a quiet glen called Sleepy Hollow, where the denizens of the town are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their new school master, Ichabod Crane. An adaptation of Washington Irving’s Classic tale of lore, love and the legendary Headless Horseman, this World Premiere Musical by the critically acclaimed creative team Conner and Smith arrives just in time for autumn leaves, pumpkins, and ghost tales around the campfire.”

Next comes “The Princess and the Goblin” (November 4 - 22, 2022) A Learning Theater production adapted from the classic novel by George MacDonald by Laura Connors Hull and Lenny Mendez, Directed by Laura Connors Hull, Lenny Mendez and Will Stevenson . with music and lyrics by Matt Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith, sponsored by Halms, Jenkins LLC

The story line goes like this: When the curious Princess Irene discovers a secret stair to the top turret of the castle, it leads to a wonderful revelation that she has a fairy grandmother. At the same time, the miner’s son Curdie overhears a fiendish plot by the goblins who live below the mountain. It will take all their skill and courage, and the help of Irene’s magic ring, to foil the goblins’ schemes. Adapted for the stage with music, humor and wit that has become the signature of Creative Cauldron’s Learning Theater productions, this show has appeal for every age.

Next comes “The Christmas Angel,” from December 2 — 18, a Bold New Works musical, with music by Matt Conner, book and

lyrics by Stephen Gregory Smith, directed by Matt Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith and sponsored by Quinn’s Auction Gallery.

It is based on a little-known 1910 novel by Abbie Farwell Brown. It is a tale about an elderly spinster and her heartwarming transformation into the Christmas spirit echoing Dickens and the journey of Ebeneezer Scrooge. Critics call it “a charming, gentle parable about what really matters, not just at the holidays, but always.”

Holiday cabarets commence Dec. 12 — 20, and the Passport to the World of Music series runs Jan. 7 — Feb. 2023. “Diagnosed” runs Feb. 9 — March 5, 2023, followed by “The Snow Queen” based on a Hans Christian Anderson tale by Ellen Selby March 17 — April 2, and “Audrey: The New Musical,” book music and lyrics by Danielle Moore, May 11 — June 4.

In the case of “Audrey,” it tells the story of Audrey Hepburn. “Winning both the Tony and the Oscar in her first year on the Hollywood scene, Audrey Hepburn went on to become one of the most iconic stars in motion picture history. She commanded the screen opposite nearly every leading man of her day, from William Holden, Mel Ferrer, Gregory Peck, Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart and even Fred Astaire. Her own life was far less charmed than the lucky-in-love heroines she portrayed. Audrey follows a reluctant icon from her days as a ballerina-turned-spy in Nazi-occupied Holland, to her heartbreaking attempts to create the family that the war robbed from her. Spotlighting her accidental revolution of style, sexuality, and singledom for a generation of women in a certain little black dress, ‘Audrey’ re-examines the life of a legend through song, dance, and the technicolor lens of her most iconic screen performances.”

Cauldron’s summer concert and cabaret series will run June 30 — August 19 to conclude the 2022-2023 season.

Creative Cauldron is an award-winning non-profit theater and educational arts organization whose innovative programs in the performing and visual arts embody collaboration, experimentation and community engagement.

Creative Cauldron was founded by Producing Director Laura Connors Hull in 2002. In June of 2009, Creative Cauldron acquired a permanent home in ArtSpace Falls Church, a 3,000 square foot flexible arts space that provides a venue for year-round classes, live performances of theater, music and dance and visual art exhibits

Programs are presented in part through grants from the Virginia Commission for the Arts, The National Endowment for the Arts, ArtsFairfax, the City of Falls Church, the Little City CATCH Foundation the Ross-Roberts Fund for the Arts, the Morgan Fund, and the Robert W and Gladys S Meserve Charitable Trust. Generous corporate and individual sponsors also support creative Cauldron’s programs.

Guest Commentary

What a Fantastic Time To Be In Public Education

by Peter J. Noonan Ed.D. FCCPS Superintendent

In the past two weeks, Falls Church City Public Schools has welcomed back our leaders for a day-long retreat working on how to set a great tone, goals, and outcomes for the coming school year. We also welcomed back our Collaborative Team Leaders (CTLs) to engage in how our new Strategic Plan impacts the quality of education we provide, what best practices in curriculum and instruction look like, and also help set us up for success for the coming year.

And, just this Monday, we welcomed 35 new professionals representing teachers, school counselors, therapists, technology experts, etc. All that to say, we are back, and I couldn’t be more excited for the 2022-23 school year. In reflecting on my five years as superintendent, in many ways, it represents the “tale of two halves,” to steal a sports analogy. When I arrived in 2017, our team set to work on our Triennial Plan (the division’s strategic plan at the time).

Proactively we worked to support our big goals; being the premier IB school division in the world, closing achievement gaps, and building a culture of care for staff, students and the community. We also developed and implemented a plan to build a new flagship high school that represents the core values of the community. By all accounts, we “knocked it out of the park.” FCCPS has been named the Best School Division in the Commonwealth of Virginia for the past four years running, and two Decembers ago, we welcomed students to the new Meridian High.

And then — Covid. For the past two and a half years, we’ve been in a reactionary posture; problemsolving, communicating to our best ability with information that changed often and without notice (for you and us) and trying like crazy to support our families and learners as well as possible during this very difficult time. Again, by most accounts, we did well. We were the first division to reopen school in Region IV, our students were safe, and learning was maintained at high, and prepandemic levels (based on SOL to be officially published next week — it’s amazing, all things considered!).

The past five years, in my opinion, have created a context for us in education to return to school this year with a renewed spirit and return to the proactive work that we had to

set aside due to Covid. I believe after what we have been through, now is that once-in-a-generation opportunity to re-engage and return FCCPS to what we are best at: relationship building, great instructional programming individualized to meet the needs of all of our students, support for those students who struggle learning and for those who need more depth and complexity to their learning and enjoyment in the teaching and learning process.

To that end, the joy is palpable among those I’ve met in the past two weeks. Maybe it is the glow of some summer downtime or, perhaps, the realization we are opening our doors without pandemic-forced reactionary issues. For the first time in a long time, what we do is what we want to do — dedicate our fullest effort to educating students. We again have agency over our work and consequently have a chance to feel the allimportant sense of self and collective efficacy, which research shows has the greatest single positive outcome on student learning.

Teachers and leaders I’ve spoken to are returning and feel “in their bones” the work they are about to embark on will make a difference in the lives of the students they serve. Don’t underestimate this in a country that is experiencing the “great resignation” in teaching. That didn’t happen in FCCPS, and this alone is a huge celebration that indicates a pivotal positive moment in FCCPS and for our community.

Lastly, my message for our entire school community is to rediscover joy. The past two years have not been joyful for most and traumatic for many who experienced some sort of loss and a few the worst possible loss of family who died from Covid. Our community has been divided on policy implementation, the science of infectious disease, and more.

This year, join us in the idea of “calling in” as opposed to “calling out” by rebuilding together with the education of our children at the center. This common goal and outcome can bring us together in the end. So, join me in emerging from the second half of the past five years, and let’s write a story of hope, enjoyment, love, and care for our schools, our students, and each other.

Peter J. Noonan is Superintendent of Schools for the City of Falls Church. He will host a Welcome Back Livestream on the FCCPS YouTube Channel on Wednesday, August 24th at 7pm.

COMMENT

Our Man in Arlington

By Charlie Clark

Natural talents blended with natural delights at the shady Lubber Run amphitheater July 30. Two of Arlington’s most cosmopolitan musicians offered a one-of-a-kind opportunity for a baby-boomer audience singalong.

The five-member Veronneau and Friends, featuring Quebecois chanteuse Lynn Veronneau and British guitarist-scholar Ken Avis (her husband), departed from their usual world music and jazz fare to present “Blue Tapestry,” fresh interpretations of 1971 masterpieces by Joni Mitchell (“Blue”) and Carole King (“Tapestry”).

The performers enjoyed it as much as the full-house, multigenerational crowd, who echoed familiar lyrics to “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?,” “It’s Too Late,” “Carey” and “All I Want.”

“Lubber Run has excellent acoustics,” Veronneau told me in a later interview. “The upgrades they made are fabulous” and engineer Chris Cooley “does an amazing job on sound. It’s a wonderful opportunity for artists to be out in a beautiful setting.”

The singer satisfied my curiosity in reporting that backstage, the performers enjoy a dressing room with air conditioning, a mirror, cold water and a bathroom.

“There’s a great sound on stage, you’re surrounded by everyone singing, and we could hear them all,” added Avis, noting that attendees he knew came from as far as Silver Spring and Gaithersburg. “We felt like we were playing at Wolf Trap.”

Having performed four times at Lubber Run, Avis appreciates the work of the county arts program and the Lubber Run Foundation, who keep the free summer shows alive (unless that venue in the forest is rained upon).

The key ingredients of Veronneau, whose albums rise on world music and jazz charts, perform at Georgetown clubs, the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage and festivals. But they need not travel far to set up the instruments at Lubber Run. Veronneau and Avis live near Jamestown Elementary School. They also host a radio show on Arlington’s community station WERA-FM called “The Antidote.”

The couple met in Geneva as World Bank and nuclear research employees. Both were moonlighting as musicians when a producer pulled them away from existing band-mates and paired them. As both would earn “second chances” at marriage, Ken settled in Arlington in 1996 because “you typically have two days to find somewhere to live, so you rely on other ex-patriots at the Bank. There’s a couple of ghettos — Bethesda and Arlington, which is close to the airport and has good schools,” he says.

Ken gives music history lectures. (I heard him this April at the Washington history conference on DC’s days in the 1940s and ‘50s as the “Capital of Country Music.”

That predated the rise of Nashville and included the Arlington-centric careers of producer Connie B. Gay and

singer Jimmy Dean.)

Lynn grew up in Montreal, where she studied art history and opera in Italian. But after spending eight years in France and studying voice, she said, she adjusted her Quebecois twang. Though she doesn’t speak fluent Portuguese, she is careful to understand lyrics to the songs she performs in Brazilian samba sets. (Her unusual claim to “fame” is that she appeared in the first photograph ever published on the World Wide Web, back in 1992, posing with a doo-wop parody group in Geneva, Les Horribles Cernettes.)

“We like adventuring, discovering new places and people,” the couple said by phone while vacationing in Quebec. “At the same time, we feel so much at home in Arlington.” ***

A taste of Arlington in the days of bootlegging was served up Aug. 12 by park historian John McNair.

Seventeen of us assembled in Clarendon at the convergence of three boulevards (Wilson, Clarendon and Washington), site of the old trolley car line. That’s how determined 1920s drinkers and illicit distributors (many from DC) made their quick escapes, McNair explained as he unfurled the dozens of pages of the Volstead Act that governed Prohibition under the 18th amendment.

After walking to the Courthouse to be near sites of the old courtrooms and jail (now a parking lot), the group hoisted a glass at a legal bar, the Board Room.

Rep. Beyer in Congressional Delegation Visiting Taiwan

U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, who represents Falls Church in his 8th District of Northern Virginia, is currently part of a Congressional delegation that followed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to visit Taiwan this week. The delegation is being led by Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific, and is due back in

this region this weekend. The bipartisan delegation includes Beyer and his co-chair on the congressional Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group, Rep. John Garamenda of California. Reps. Alan Lowenthal of California and Aumua Coleman Radewagen of American Samoa are also on the trip. The delegation was due to reaffirm the United States’ support for Taiwan as guided by

the Taiwan Relations Act, U.S.China Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances and encourage stability and peace across the Taiwan Strait.

It was slated to meet with elected leaders and members of the private sector to discuss shared interests including reducing tensions in the Taiwan Strait and expanding economic cooperation, including investments in semiconductors.

nfbenton@fcnp.com

Nick Gatz Managing Editor ngatz@fcnp.com

Sue Johnson Advertising Sales sjohnson@fcnp.com

Kylee Toland News Reporter ktoland@fcnp.com

Alex Russell News Reporter arussell@fcnp.com

Charlie Clark Columnist

Ted White Copy Editor

Julio Idrobo Circulation Manager delivery@fcnp.com

To Contact the News-Press phone: 703-532-3267 fax: 703-342-0347

email: fcnp@fcnp.com

display advertising sjohnson@fcnp.com classified ads classads@fcnp.com legal ads legalads@fcnp.com letters to the editor letters@fcnp.com News & Notes newsandnotes@fcnp.com Obituaries obits@fcnp.com

subscriptions distribution & delivery delivery@fcnp.com

www.fcnp.com

Happiness, USA

“Happiness with a capital ‘H’ is about lifelong learning and the improvement of the brain, the heart, the body and the soul throughout one’s lifetime.” Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns said this recently in an article in the Chautauquan Daily, the newspaper serving the unique Chautauqua Institution near Jamestown in New York state that made headlines this past week for being the place where author Salman Rushtie was stabbed on stage during a speaking event. Notwithstanding this horrid event, Burns’ quote speaks to exactly how Chautauqua thinks of itself, a popular summer destination where thinking people go to enjoy a week or so of summer and exposure to a non-stop array of experts speaking on a wide range of interesting subjects, including current affairs. It’s a sort of TED Talks array that includes music and cultural events, as well.

In all the attempts at defining happiness, including by most all of the great thinkers from the ancient Greeks forward, Burns comes as close, in our view, as any we’ve heard. Taking all of this into account, Wikipedia, for example, tries to boil it down to this: “Happiness, in the context of mental or emotional states, is positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Other forms include life satisfaction, wellbeing, subjective well-being, flourishing and eudaimonia.” Eudaimonia, you ask? Well, Wikipedia defines that as “a Greek word literally translating to the state or condition of ‘good spirit’ and which is commonly translated as ‘happiness’ or ‘welfare’. In the works of Aristotle, eudaimonia was the term for the highest human good in older Greek tradition.”

Needless to say, people have been all over the lot defining this term, and in this postmodern era, philosophers like the toxic Michel Foucault have equated it with power and pleasure. And the 1998 film by Todd Solondz, entitled “Happiness,” that won Cannes Film Festival honors, was a dark comedy that equated happiness with the unbridled pursuit of gross Foucaultian perversions.

In our dominant society, happiness is usually equated with successes experienced by favorite sports teams, by achieved notoriety, by financial rewards and by an array of descriptions of what passes for a happy family, not usually in that order. Needless to say, perceived failures in any or all of these pursuits is what can too often lead to severe depression, psychosis and suicide. Our society attempts to cram happiness into commerciallydriven notions of family holidays, for example, no matter how many cases there are where that narrative drives people the other way into despair.

So, the Ken Burns sense steps aside from all that to locate happiness in the realm of individual and societal “improvement,” with the sensory experience being more like a subtle satisfaction than euphoria. Everybody starting from whatever standpoint at whatever stage of life can experience the benefits of “improvement.”

Couldn’t Falls Church with its great schools and progressive leadership define itself in such terms, maybe resolving to become a new Chautauqua in the process?

L etters

Goodbye, Falls Church City

Editor, I married for love and moved to the city a few good years ago. The sun was on my street and I envisioned a bright future, a lot of happiness, peace and joy. There was nothing that could possibly be in the way: no health problems, no old parents to care for, no dependent kids, no financial problems, but just two love birds who decided to spend the rest of their life together. It was a happy beginning, but the ending, not so happy. My spouse’s family xenophobic and homophobic feelings eroded our love and I ended up being isolated from friends and family and told to leave. I returned to Arlington, but I hold Falls Church City in my heart, a beautiful city, and a wonderful community.

It seems hard to believe such a thing can happen in a wonderful and liberal city, located in the Washington DC area. The story is real, but no names are provided out of respect for privacy. The purpose of this story is to raise awareness of negative feelings that can destroy lives. In the workplace there is legislation that protects individuals against discrimination, but not inside a family. While at work, individuals cannot discriminate based on origin, race, color, sexual orientation, or gender; at home, inside families, discrimination is practiced at scale.

I wasn’t born in the US, but at the time I got married, I was a US citizen with a successful career. My spouse’s family didn’t welcome me, one adult child refused to come to the wedding, and other family members were very reserved in terms of accepting and supporting our marriage, which they considered a second-grade marriage, given the fact that we were married before.

When I had health problems, my spouse’s family asked my spouse to send me back to my home country.

At that time, I realized that xenophobia is the main reason I was rejected. I have three master’s degrees and countless certifications, however, I was always considered inferior.

During our marriage, my adult child, a Princeton University graduate, with a successful career, decided to become transgender. My spouse and his family’s homophobia showed up at the beginning of transition and culminated with my spouse saying, “if your child ever comes to my house, I will call the police to make an arrest for trespassing.” My child couldn’t come visit me; even though I lived in that house. My friends couldn’t visit me, either. There were no holidays, or birthdays celebrated together, or if they were, I wasn’t invited. Behind closed doors xenophobia and homophobia still exists. It should have no place in Falls Church City or anywhere else.

Name Withheld Upon Request Editor,

Response to Last Week’s ‘Movies Coming to Founders’ Row

First, very appreciative of your newspaper and the hard work you and your team put into the publication. Second, a recent article on The Movies coming to Founders Row contained (the developers’?) expectation that there will be 350,000 customers annually. Really? If open every day of the year that would be 959 customers every single day. If closed for some holidays that would be nearly 1,000 moviegoers every day. I would hope our City officials doing their estimated tax figures and revenue, along with figuring the subsidy, would do more critical thinking. Parking for all these cars? Honestly, nonsense needs to be challenged.

Greg Starr Falls Church

Biden’s Biggest Week Ever, But Trump Still Dominates Headlines

tory. With the rapid passage of an array of bills and their signing by Biden, this is one of the most important weeks for Democrats since the heady days of FDR and LBJ.

praiseworthy.

The snotty and usually insufferably arrogant major news media may think they’re oh-soon-point with all they put out there to the public, but the reality is more like how Trump, even for those in this profession who are not fans, plays them to the hilt, and still is.

He wins the news coverage game over and over again, even when the news about him is what most of us would consider bad.

Like this week. This week for President Biden and the Democrats has been one of the most consequential in U.S. his -

Editor’s Essay Commentary

I don’t need to rehash all that’s been done this week that will better the lives of Americans, from the $2,000 cap on Medicare prescription drugs to a three-year extension of the Affordable Care Act, to huge funding for renewable energy infrastructure and tax credits for electric vehicles and home energy efficiency measures and more.

In addition, Biden achieved the first significant legislation on gun control, on sorely needed veterans benefits, on aid for law enforcement and expanded benefits for survivors of families of the January 6 insurgency.

On the big stuff, it was mostly done without a single Republican vote, though when it did involve some bipartisan support, as minimal as it might have been, it was even more

Our president never gave up on working the entire Congress to get real results for the American people — and he’s only 18 months into his presidency.

As Biden said prior to signing the biggest bill of all, the Inflation Reduction Act of over $300 billion on Tuesday, “the American people won and the special interests lost.”

He said it was the culmination of “the promise we’ve made for decades” proving that the promises of America are “real and just beginning” such that “we can all live lives of consequence” in an America “where everyone has an even shot.”

“Making progress is never easy,” he said, clearly pleased with the results that were achieved this week. “I believe in the very core of this nation.”

Awesome sentiments, just what the American people need to hear!

But you won’t find such

Did Democrats Just Save Civilization?

There are, of course, cynics eager to denigrate the achievement. Some on the left rushed to dismiss the bill as a giveaway to the fossil fuel industry posing as environmental action.

high-minded phrases in the major media coverage of the event, whose faux cynicism reflects a fear of criticism from the other side, if not from their own corporate bosses who only grudgingly admit of anything good coming from Biden and the Democrats.

That’s why the Washington Post , for example, couldn’t even find a way to put the story of the monumental and historic Inflation Reduction Act on the front page this week. Incredible.

By contrast, it was Trump who got most of the ink that day and most of this week, required by his relentless howling to offer diatribes and excuses for the FBI search of his Mar-aLago property.

Trump has won this latest media competition, and Lord knows on the opinion pages, the talk is all about him, even if it’s about what a monster he is. To me, and to many of my friends, we simply can’t take it any more.

When is he going to get

blasted off the news and opinion pages?

He’s like an STD lesion that just won’t heal, and that’s because the major media continues to glorify him, even if it’s about his multitude of crimes (that, by the way, delight many of his followers).

This problem applies to far more than just Fox News, OAN or Newsmax, although they, of course, are Trump megaphones. But to become president again, he needs more — to dominate the airwaves of the major networks.

The good guys need to get a lot louder and more strident. The very survival of democracy requires it.

There is so much important good news happening now that the public needs to be exposed to routinely. I have been known to reprint verbatim huge chunks of speeches from Obama and Biden.

If good people are too timid to pick up the ball on this, then maybe we simply lose.

They really did it. The Inflation Reduction Act, which is mainly a climate change bill with a side helping of health reform, passed the Senate on Sunday; by all accounts it will easily pass the House, so it’s about to become law. This is a very big deal. The act isn’t, by itself, enough to avert climate disaster.

But it’s a huge step in the right direction, and sets the stage for more action in the years ahead. It will catalyze progress in green technology; its economic benefits will make passing additional legislation easier; it gives the United States the credibility it needs to lead a global effort to limit greenhouse gas emissions.

More important, Republicans — who unanimously opposed the legislation — are shouting the usual things they shout: Big spending! Inflation! But actual experts on energy and the environment are giddy over what has been accomplished, and serious economists aren’t worried about the effect on inflation.

Start with the environmental side. Many people I talk to assume that President Joe Biden’s environmental agenda, as contained in his original Build Back Better proposal, must have been greatly watered down in the legislation we actually got.

After all, didn’t Democrats have to make big concessions to win over Sen. Joe Manchin?

Aren’t there important giveaways to fossil fuel interests,

like aid for a controversial natural gas pipeline?

However, energy analysts believe that any adverse climate effect from these concessions will be swamped by the gains from tax credits for clean energy.

The REPEAT Project, compiled by Princeton’s ZERO Lab, has produced a side-by-side comparison of emissions cuts under the Inflation Reduction Act and the earlier House version of Build Back Better.

By 2035 the IRA, they estimate, will have delivered more than 90 percent of the emissions reductions that BBB would have achieved. After all that legislative drama, Biden’s climate policy has emerged essentially intact. How was this possible?

Right at the beginning, the Biden administration decided that its climate policy would be all carrots, no sticks — that it would provide incentives to do the right thing, not penal -

ties for doing the wrong thing. This strategy, it was hoped, would prove politically feasible in a way that, say, a carbon tax wouldn’t. And this hope has been vindicated.

Furthermore, it’s a strategy that seems likely to pay political dividends in the future. One new study, by E. Mark Curtis and Ioana Marinescu, finds that “the growth of renewable energy leads to the creation of relatively high paying jobs, which are more often than not located in areas that stand to lose from a decline in fossil fuel extraction jobs.”

So what did the Biden administration lose?

Unfortunately, much of the social spending BBB originally included — child tax credits, universal pre-K and more — was cut. That’s tragic, although enhanced health insurance subsidies — which have helped bring America’s uninsured rate to a record low — have been ex -

tended.

But Democrats delivered on their climate promises, more or less in full.

What about the critique from the right? Aside from the pathetic attempt to portray the IRA as a big tax hike on the middle class, Republicans like Mitt Romney are trying to lump this legislation in with last year’s American Rescue Plan, which they claim caused inflation to spike.

Never mind whether this claim is true. The key thing is to do the math. The Inflation Reduction Act calls for spending less than $500 billion over a decade, compared with the American Rescue Plan’s $1.9 trillion in a single year — and will actually reduce the deficit.

That’s why independent analysts find that it will have little effect on inflation. But if the spending isn’t very large, how can it have such a big impact?

Nicholas F. Benton

A Penny for Your Thoughts News of Greater Falls Church

By Supervisor Penny Gross

Wow! It seems this has been the shortest summer ever! The free summer concerts at Mason District Park end on Sunday, August 21 (a few concerts continue at other park properties through August 27); Fairfax County schools resume classes on Monday, August 22; and pumpkin spice-flavored items already are being advertised. I expect to see Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday displays in stores soon! In Roman times, August was identified as part of the hot and humid “dog days,” a reference to the alignment of Sirius, the dog star, with the sun. Most of us probably couldn’t pick out Sirius in the night sky, but we certainly can identify with the heat and humidity of August, especially here in Virginia.

Fortunately, heat and humidity didn’t affect the ribbon-cutting on Tuesday to celebrate the opening of Apple Federal Credit Union’s 21st branch office at 5701-D Columbia Pike, between Dunkin’ Donuts and KFC in Bailey’s Crossroads. Apple’s president and CEO, Andrew Grimm, presided, assisted by Dr. Calanthia Tucker, chairman of Apple’s Board of Directors, on a bright and sunny, but very comfortable, morning.

Jennifer Tillett, the enthusiastic young branch manager, was excited to wield the giant scissors and cut the red ribbon stretched across the entry doors. Apple originally was founded to serve teachers, but now is open to membership from the community.

In fact, during the ribbon-cutting, a new account was opened by one of the attendees. I was delighted to meet, for the first time, Falls Church City Council member Caroline Lian. We serve together on a couple of regional committees that meet virtually, but we hadn’t met in person. Jurisdictional boundaries in Northern Virginia are very porous; in our busy area, you can travel through two or three, maybe four, separate jurisdictions during one day’s work or errands. More people live in Fairfax County’s Falls Church and Alexandria postal addresses

City of Falls Church CRIME REPORT

Week of August 8 — August 14, 2022

Counterfeiting-Forgery, Tyson Dr, August 8, 8:55 AM, checks which had been placed in a USPS mailbox at the corner of Forest Drive and E Columbia Street on July 24 at 5 PM, were intercepted by unknown suspect(s) and altered. Investigation continues.

Tampering with Auto, S Washington St/W Broad St, August 8, 12:30 PM, unknown suspect approached a vehicle, attempted to open the car door and then began yelling and pounding on the driver’s side door window. Suspect described as a slender build, male, late teens or early twenty’s, with medium

Report

than live in those independent cities.

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, I reminded Apple’s leaders that, although their address is Falls Church, and is just two blocks west of the Arlington County line, their real estate taxes are paid to Fairfax County! Fairfax County and the “Little City” are two of the 13 members of the Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC), which includes three other counties as well as towns and cities. NVRC members vary in size and economy, but are united in improving opportunities in the region for all.

This week, NVRC released its “Northern Virginia by the Numbers” report, which reaffirms our region as the economic engine of the Commonwealth. The report uses 2020 figures, the most recent available. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the region was $228 Billion, 41.5 percent of the Commonwealth’s GDP and larger than 25 states. Measured against other countries, our GDP is the 49th largest in the world. The regional unemployment rate for June 2020 was 2.5 percent, which is lower than the statewide unemployment rate of 2.8 percent.

Four of the top 10 median income communities in the entire nation are in Northern Virginia and the percentage of NOVA’s population age 25 or older holding a bachelor’s or higher degree is 59.5 percent, nearly double the national average. And the region is home to the number one high school in the U.S., Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, located in Mason District in Fairfax County (but with an Alexandria postal address, which often confuses news reporters). The NVRC dashboard can be found at novaregiondashboard. com.

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

curly hair, wearing a green t-shirt with stripes.

Commercial Burglary, Wilson Blvd, on August 1, 4:44 AM, and August 6, 02:10 AM, an unknown suspect covertly entered and exited a business after business hours; stealing items of value. The suspect is described as a 20-30 year old male, 5’05”-5’07” tall with shaved head and tattoos. He was wearing a gray shirt, black pants, white hat and flip flops.

Counterfeiting, W Broad St, August 10, 7:28 PM, unknown suspect passed a counterfeit $100 bill. Suspect described as an adult female, possibly 30 years of age, short hair, neck tattoos, wearing orange jeans, and hav-

ing a raspy voice.

Destruction of Property, Wilson Blvd, August 14, 2:10 AM, unknown suspect became irate when refused service because business was closing; grabbed a 2 x 4 and caused damage to a window and door. Last seen walking towards Fairfax County. Suspect described as male, 5ft 7in, 155 lbs, wearing blue jeans and a blue polo shirt.

Larceny from Building, Wilson Blvd, August 14, between 7:45 and 8 PM, two generators were stolen by two unknown suspects. Suspects described as males. One wearing all black with a Nike shirt and the other wearing a gray vest.

Protecting rights to abortion care is the reason I am in the General Assembly today. That’s how I opened my May column, when we only had a leaked draft Supreme Court opinion indicating that, in spite of their assurances to the contrary, recently confirmed justices were prepared to overturn Roe v. Wade Just a few weeks later, the U.S. Supreme Court issued the Dobbs decision, overturning Roe v. Wade, stripping women of the constitutional right to an abortion, effectively giving each state legislature control over the future of abortion access. Thirteen states already had “trigger bans” on the books, ready to kick in soon after Roe v. Wade became obsolete. Since the June 24th Dobbs v. Jackson decision, ten states have banned nearly all abortions, with little but mostly no exceptions for rape or incest. You can bet that in the coming months, there will be more attempts to limit or outright ban abortion access across the country, including in Virginia.

Although Virginia’s Governor was seemingly non-committal on the campaign trail about his stance on abortion, he gave a clear signal of his intentions earlier this summer, encouraging members of the Virginia GOP to legislate an abortion ban as soon as possible and announcing a small group of legislators had been tasked with drafting a bill. With the General Assembly set to resume the 2022 Special Session 1 on September 7th, rumors are swirling that such a bill (or bills) will be introduced next month, in an effort to stir things up before the midterm congressional election.

With the Republican Majority in the House and the Democrats’ thin hold on the Senate, things aren’t looking good. The Governor has made it clear that he will sign any bill restricting access to abortion that reaches his desk. He has said he is looking for a 15-week ban but will settle for a 20-week ban — and that he thinks he can get some Democrats to go along and make such a ban “bi-partisan.”

Given that we are in Special Session only, we are only scheduled to be back in Richmond for a day, the prospects for navigating the procedural hurdles necessary to pass such a bill this fall seem dim. Passing it may not be the goal, though. The Governor may want the bill floating out there during

the mid-terms to increase his personal profile and score him some hits on Fox News. Regardless of whether he tries to pull such a stunt in September or not, or how much traction he gains from it, we can expect to see a wide variety of anti-abortion bills introduced and debated during the upcoming 2023 legislative session. Some may even pass the GOP controlled House of Delegates.

For our part, I expect Democrats to introduce a Constitutional Amendment to codify the right to an abortion during the 2023 Session. Given the makeup of the General Assembly and the Governor’s push for a 15-week ban, it will be an uphill battle to get this passed in the House and the Senate. If it did pass, then it would have to pass the General Assembly again during the 2024 General Assembly Session. After passing this second time, then it would be on the ballot in November 2024, so that voters could decide if it would be included in the Virginia Constitution.

Recently, Kansas voters defeated an Amendment that would have ended the right to an abortion in the state. And the margin wasn’t small either, in fact, 58 percent of voters voted “No” on the banning of abortions in Kansas. That is a whopping 165,000 more voters than the other side received. I am hopeful that what happened in Kansas foreshadows how hard folks are willing to fight to protect their rights in other states. With states once again on the front line of this issue, I am even more committed to protecting abortion access in Virginia.

I am often asked what folks can do in the meantime. Voting for like-minded elected officials who support your shared values, including the right to abortion access, is crucial. Talking with your friends, family and neighbors about these issues can go a long way, as well. Also, donating and volunteering with organizations that promote or provide abortion access delivers direct aid to those who need it right here in Virginia. Aside from Planned Parenthood, there is the Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project, Blue Ridge Abortion Fund, Hampton Roads Reproductive Justice League and the New River Abortion Access Fund.



Delegate Simon represents the 53rd District in the Virginia House of Delegates. He may be emailed at DelMSimon@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Marcus Simon’s Richmond

Burger

Elevation

RUNNERS-UP: Five Guys, Dogwood Tavern Dominion Wine and Beer, Harvey’s

400

RUNNERS-UP: Badd Pizza, 10 Pizza Anthony’s Restaurant, Flippin’ Pizza

Lazy

RUNNERS-UP: Northside Social, Harvey’s Dogwood Tavern, Preservation Biscuit Company

Chicken

Super

RUNNERS-UP: Liberty Barbecue, Crisp & Juicy, Harvey’s, Spin Pollo

BEST OF FALLS CHURCH 2022 READER VOTE WINNERS

SEAFOOD

Clare and Don’s Beach Shack 130 N. Washington St, Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: Takumi, Chasin’ Tails, Hot N Juicy Crawfish, Harvey’s

BREAKFAST

Northside Social 205 Park Ave., Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: Cafe Kindred, The Happy Tart Falls Church, Preservation Biscuit Company, Harvey’s

BAKERY

Bakeshop

442 S. Washington St., Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: The Happy Tart Falls Church, Northside Social, Cafe Kindred, Rare Bird Coffee Roasters

INTERNATIONAL

Dogwood Tavern 132 W. Broad St., Falls Church

Lucky Thai Restaurant 240 W. Broad St., Falls Church, VA

RUNNERS-UP: Clare and Don’s Beach Shack, Dominion Wine and Beer, Harvey’s, Glory Days Grill

Northside Social 205 Park Ave., Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: Haandi Indian Cuisine, Panjshir Restaurant, Maneki Neko Japanese Restaurant, Takumi, Yayla Bistro

COFFEE SHOP

Rare Bird Coffee Roasters 230 W. Broad St., Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: Dogwood Tavern, Cafe Kindred, The Happy Tart Falls Church, Harvey’s

AMERICAN BRUNCH TACOS

Taco Bamba Taqueria 2190 Pimmit Dr., Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: Northside Social, Cafe Kindred, Starbucks Coffee Company, Bakeshop

FROZEN TREATS

Lil City Creamery 114 W Broad St., Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: La Tingeria, Taco Rock, Wild Tacoz, Cuates Grill

RUNNERS-UP: Lazy Mike’s Delicatessen, Sweet Frog, Bakeshop, Harvey’s

BEST OF FALLS CHURCH 2022| READER VOTE WINNERS

OUTSIDE DINING

Clare and Don’s Beach Shack 130 N. Washington St,. Falls Church

MARKET VENDOR

Kate’s Crepes Falls Church Farmers Market, 300 Park Ave., Falls Church

NEW RESTAURANT

Harvey’s 513 W. Broad St., Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: Dominion Wine and Beer, Northside Social, Dogwood Tavern, Harvey’s

COCKTAIL BAR

Thompson Italian 124 N. Washington St., Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: Borek-G Cafe and Market, The Mushroom Stand, Family of Nuts, Atwater’s Traditional Food

CRAFT BEER

Dominion Wine and Beer 107 Rowell Ct., Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: La Tingeria, Taco Rock, Cuates Grill, Five Guys

VEGAN

Clare and Don’s Beach Shack 130 N. Washington St,. Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: Dominion Wine and Beer, Dogwood Tavern, Northside Social, Glory Days Grill

ITALIAN

Thompson Italian 124 N. Washington St., Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: Solace Outpost, Audacious Aleworks Brewery, Settle Down Easy Brewing Co., Harvey’s

ACCOUNTANT

Diener & Associates 125 Rowell Ct., Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: Loving Hut, Panjshir Restaurant, Lazy Mike’s Delicatessen, Harvey’s

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Glass House Recycling LLC Falls Church City

RUNNERS-UP: Sfizi Cafe, Pizzeria Orso, Italian Café, Pistone’s Italian Inn

RUNNERS-UP: Jeremy Thorpe, Arden Financial, Hassans Accounting & Tax Services, Inc., Robert A Radan, CPA

RUNNERS-UP: Sunstone Counseling, Erik M. Pelton & Associates, FOXCRAFT Design Group, Inc., Halm Jenkins, PLLC

Award-winning Invisalign practice with a six decade history in the center of Falls Church facing City Hall.

As a dentist and prosthodontist my specialty is in the esthetic and functional rehabilitation of the entire mouth. Whether from decay, accidents, or cancer, I can correct those issues through the use of dental implants, surgical procedures, dentures and orthodontics. I correct problems with the jaw and align the teeth to create an even bite. When needed I will coordinate a treatment plan involving a team of highly specialized dental/medical practitioners from the greater Metro Area. I also care for your entire family’s oral needs, from cleanings to llings and look forward to having you join our dental family.

Dr. Peterson Huang is a Dual Board Certi ed Prosthodonitst, dedicating 11 years to honing his craft.  He grew up in Vancouver, Canada. After obtaining his dental degree from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, he received his Certi cate of Specialist in Prosthodontics and a Master of Science from the University of Maryland, where he is a Clinical Assistant Professor on the Dean’s Faculty. Dr. Huang is also a sta member in the Department of Surgery, INOVA Fairfax Hospital and is a member of the Tumor Board as well. Dr. Huang lives in Falls Church, where he also has established his dental practice.

BEST OF FALLS CHURCH 2022| READER VOTE WINNERS

BANK/CREDIT UNION

Apple Federal Credit Union

1226 W Broad St, Falls Church

REAL ESTATE AGENT

Tori McKinney — Rock Star Realty Group 2111 Wilson Blvd #1050, Arlington

REAL ESTATE GROUP

Rock Star Realty Group 2111 Wilson Blvd #1050, Arlington

RUNNERS-UP: Wells Fargo, Burke & Herbert Bank, Truist Bank, PNC Bank

DOCTORS

Capital Area Pediatrics

407 N Washington St Suite 100, Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: Chris Earmen, Susan Tull O’Reilly, Kelly Millspaugh Thompson, Allison Miller, Paul Pavot

DENTIST

Dr. Peterson Huang — Nova Premier Dental 313 Park Ave #306, Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: Three Stones Residential at Keller Williams, The Gaskins Team, The Bitci Group of Keller Williams Metro Center, Paul Pavot — Keller Williams

RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

The Kensington of Falls Church

700 W Broad St, Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: Northern Virginia Pediatric Associates, PMA Health, Dr. Gordon Theisz — Family Medicine in Falls Church, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Solano Spine & Sport Chiropractic

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

The State Theatre 220 N Washington St, Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: William Dougherty — Dougherty DDS, Drs. Love and Miller, PC, Michael J. Paesani, DMD — NOVA Dental Studio

HOME AND GARDEN

Merrifield Garden Center 8132 Lee Hwy, Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: Goodwin Living, Sunrise Senior Living, Chesterbrook Residences, Verso Founders Row, The View Alexandria by Goodwin Living (formerly Hermitage Northern Virginia)

NEW BUSINESS

Harvey’s 513 W Broad St, Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: Clare and Don’s Beach Shack, Creative Cauldron, JV’s Restaurant, NOVA Nightsky Theater,, Mark’s Pub

RUNNERS-UP: Brown’s Hardware, Botanologica, Galleria Florist, Stylish Patina

RUNNERS-UP: Taco Rock, La Tingeria, BlueHuki Marketing Group, NOVA Nightsky Theater

BEST OF FALLS CHURCH 2022| READER VOTE WINNERS

BUILDER

Zimmermann Homes

DRY CLEANERS

Spectrum Cleaners 450 W Broad St Suite 130, Falls Church

AUTO CARE

Smokey’s Garage 1105 W Broad St, Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: Cottage Street Custom Homes, FOXCRAFT Design Group, DuBro Architects + Builders, GreenBuilt Homes

GROCERY STORE

Trader Joe’s 7514 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: Hillwood Cleaners, Classic Cleaners, Classy Cleaners, CD One Price Cleaners

NAIL/SPA

Rex Day Spa

510 S Washington St, Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: Beyer Volvo Cars of Falls Church, Integrity Tire & Auto Repair, Liberty Service Station, Felix Auto Service

GYM/FITNESS

24 Hour Fitness

1000 E Broad St, Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: Harris Teeter, Wegmans, Aldi, Giant Food

RUNNERS-UP: Grace Nails and Spa, Nothing in Between Studio, Aislinn Nails & Spa, Present Nail Spa

SPECIALTY STORE CITY EVENT

Falls Church Farmers Market 300 Park Ave, Falls Church,

Doddlehopper 4 Kids 234 W Broad St, Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: Functional Fitness VA, Balanced Female Fitness, Mind Over Mat Pilates, Karma Yoga

SCHOOL

Meridian High School 121 Mustang Alley, Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: Tinner Hill Musical Festival, The Taste of Falls Church, Memorial Day Parade & Festival

RUNNERS-UP: Botanologica, Victory Comics, Stylish Patina, Glass House Recycling LLC

RUNNERS-UP: Congressional High School, Grace Christian Academy, Falls Church CommuniKids, Grasshopper Green School, Kenwood School

BEST OF FALLS CHURCH 2022| READER VOTE WINNERS

CHIROPRACTOR

Bodies in Motion Physical Therapy

80 E. Jefferson St. Ste. 200, Falls Church

BARBER SHOP/SALON

The Neighborhood Barbershop 417 W. Broad St. #103, Falls Church

YOGA

CorePower Yoga

444 W. Broad St Suite L, Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: Avalon Rehab LLC, Focus Physical Therapy and Wellness, Solano Spine & Sport Chiropractic Palmercare Chiropractic

PET SERVICES

Dogtopia of Falls Church 108 W. Jefferson St., Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: Rooted Mane, Nash Hair Design, Father & Son Barbershop, Kess Hair & Skincare

VET

Falls Church Animal Hospital 1249 W Broad St, Falls Church, VA 22046

RUNNERS-UP: Karma Yoga, Balanced Female Fitness, Honest Soul Yoga, Mind Over Mat Pilates

ARCHITECT

FOXCRAFT Design Group, Inc. 110 Great Falls St., Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: Falls Church Animal Hospital, Dude’s Dog House & Spa, Barkley Square, Posh Pets

LANDSCAPER

Merrifield Garden Center 8132 Lee Hwy, Falls Church

RUNNERS-UP: Suburban Animal Hospital, Caring Hands Animal Hospital, Value Vet, Mainstay Veterinary Practice

OPHTHALMOLOGIST

Northern Virginia Ophthalmology Associates 6565 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church, VA

RUNNERS-UP: Moore Architects, Lee Design Studio, DuBro Architects + Builders, Waller Crain, WSCDesign

ORTHODONTIST

Berman and Masoud Orthodontics Falls Church 311 Park Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046

RUNNERS-UP: Meadows Farms Nurseries, Great Outdoors Landscaping, Smoot Landscapes, Terra Landscape & Design, Pimmit Hills Pollinator Company

RUNNERS-UP: Anh Nguyen, MD, Anh Nguyen Ophthalmology, Alison Au Sinyai, OD, Dr. David Seidman, MD, Dr. Gustavo A. Corrales, MD

RUNNERS-UP: Merrifield Orthodontics, Oasis Pediatric Dental Care & Orthodontics, Seth D. Feldman DDS

NOVA Nightsky Explores Shakespearean Love in Romantic Comedy ‘As You Like It’

BY ALEX RUSSELL FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

William Shakespeare’s mischievous, madcap and poignant romantic comedy “As You Like It” has found itself in the hands of NOVA Nightsky, a theater production company based out of the City of Falls Church. For those familiar with Shakespeare, the plot, characterization and dialogue were done with spectacular reverence for the source material; for those not familiar with “the Bard,” NOVA Nightsky’s rendition of “As You Like It” deftly blended modern attributes — attire, accessories and even certain mannerisms — into the story making it easy to keep up with the typicallydense dialogue Shakespeare plays are known for.

These shades of modernity, like one muscular character’s “USA” wrestling jersey and the several pairs of stylishly ripped jeans, were present in a calculated, economical fashion, adding levity to many of the scenes. Much of the humor in “As You Like It” came through or was punctuated by the actors’ facial

expressions, background hijinks or sudden, bombastic bursts of running and falling — creating a happy medium between slapstick and the intricacies of Shakespeare’s logic and wit.

“As You Like It,” dealing with the themes of love, acceptance, selfrespect, identity and truth, centers on Rosalind and Orlando, two lovers forced to contend with exile, distance, family, danger and the plights of love itself. Erica Irving portrayed Rosalind and John Payl Odle was Orlando; Irving’s Rosalind exuded kindness and a sincere human sensitivity throughout, while Odle’s Orlando unabashedly displayed a fiery piety and purity of heart.

Their body language, together and apart, as well as their intonation and blocking solidified them as the emotional core of all the meandering misadventures that transpired from start to finish — primarily in the ancient forest of Arden. The rest of the cast sparkled in their given roles, with many actors filling more than one character’s shoes. The cast was as follows: Mattie Cohan as Coring; Will MacLeod as Silvius; Stu Fischer

Falls Church High School Sports Begin

BYNICK POOR & RYAN MCCAFFERTY

Falls Church, Justice, Meridian, and George C. Marshall high school will all begin their athletic seasons this month as students return to school.

With six different fall sports playing across both genders, there will be plenty of action to follow this season.

Football:

Justice High School is the team to watch in the area. Last season they went 6-5 and won the National District Championship for the first time since 1994. Ranked 38th in their division entering the season by MaxPreps, they open their season against Thomas Edison at home on August 26th.

Entering 2022 Falls Church High School has a lot to prove, having been ranked 53rd out of 55 teams in Division 6A by MaxPreps. Led by junior quarterback Caleb West, the 2nd team all-district athlete will look to help the Jaguars improve from last season’s playoffless 1-9 record.

Meridian looks to build off of a 10-3 record last fall, a season that ended with a 13-7 defeat at home to Brentsville. Head coach PJ Anderson and his squad will kick

off on Friday, August 26th at Falls Church.

Last season Marshall football suffered their first losing season (5-6) since the 2017 season. Under head coach Jason Strickland the team has tallied an impressive 15-6 in-region record in his four seasons at the helm. Senior Nakia Wilson will lead the charge after averaging 152.6 rushing yards per game his junior year.

Cheerleading:

Marshall cheerleading opens their season on October 1st to compete in an invitational at Chantilly high school. Last season Whitney Booth and Iyesha Souiri finished with Class 6 All-State Second team honors. However, the two have graduated, leaving the reigning district champions with a hole to fill.

Meridian competitive cheerleading will open its season on Friday, August 26th at Falls Church.

Justice meanwhile will start their season later than most, with varsity cheerleading opening their season with a meet on October 17th at Hayfield High School.

Cross Country: Marshall Cross country will open with a meet against McLean on August 31st. The two teams will be led by Hayley Spoden (senior,

as the Dukes; Jack Mayo as Jacques; Danielle Taylor as Touchstone; Kate Medwar-Vanderlinden as Phoebe; Ariana MacLeod as Audrey; Shannon MacCarthy as Oliver; Kristen Smith as Lebeau, Amiens and Hymen; Brittany Huffman as Celia; Gabby Carter as Charles and William; and Randall Kish as Adam and Sir Oliver Mar-Text. While the ensemble as a whole breathed new life into “As You Like It,” Danielle Taylor especially stood out as Touchstone, a silly, colorful “fool,” who often sees things clearer than most of the other heroes and villains around him.

Costume design for “As You Like It” was done by Amanda Ranowsky; fight choreography — the production featured a few dynamic, clearcut fight scenes — by Casey Kaleba; and design and technical direction by Adam Ressa. Ward Kay, co-founder of NOVA Nightsky along with the company’s producing director Jaclyn Robertson, was responsible for the play’s artistic direction. Chuck O’Toole, the director, in his introduction, made a note of thanking Vienna Baptist Church — where the

finished 10th in state meet last season) and Sean Sanders (senior, finished 13th in state meet last season).

The first cross country meet for Justice high school boys and girls will be September 1st, with a meet at Mason Park. Last season Justice had one runner qualify for states, with now Penn State freshman Ryan Watson finishing fifth.

Both Meridian’s boys’ and girls’ cross country teams will begin their seasons on September 14th at Skyline High with a meet against multiple schools.

Falls Church XC will feature a rising star in Haley Heironimus. As a sophomore Heironimus finished with a 19:16.00 time at states, finishing 14th.

Field Hockey:

Justice is set to be one of the top teams in the region this year. An outstanding 19-2 season ended in disappointment last year for the Wolves. Justice fell to South County 4-3 in the regional quarterfinals in a triple overtime game despite entering as the number one seed. They will look to bounce back when they open their season next monday against Meridian.

Meridian Field Hockey will open at Justice on Monday the 22nd, with head coach Anne Steenhoek’s squad looking to prove itself as a force to be reckoned with in the region.

Marshall Field Hockey will open on the 22nd at Alexandria City. They will move from 5A

production was held for two consecutive weekends — for the use of their grounds as well as their support.

The spacious outdoor area, sparsely decorated with benches, fairy light trees and a changing room divider, gave the actors ample room to explore their characters’ physicality while further adding to the impression of an expansive forest. Two stage lights, on either side of the performing space, lit the area as night fell over the church — underscoring the passage of time in the story as well as highlighting the fact

Conference 13 to the Liberty region for the 2022 season and going forward.

Falls Church will also be changing regions. This will be their first time competing in the National Region, and their schedule will feature a much longer 17 game season compared to last season’s three games, according to MaxPreps.

Golf:

Justice Golf is off and running, hosting the 2022 National District Kickoff Tournament, where both boy’s and girl’s team’s competed. Their season will build towards the Occoquan 6C Regional Tournament on October 3rd.

Meridian’s golf squad has already begun its season with an August 8th match against William Monroe, and will be very busy throughout these next few weeks. Keith Bartlett looks to have his team near the top of what is sure to be a highly competitive region.

George C. Marshall’s co-ed team is rolling early in their season. They are off to a hot start with a 154152 win over Washington Liberty on August 9th. The statesmen golf team will continue with a match against McLean this Thursday at Hidden Creek Golf Course.

Volleyball: Possibly the most intriguing sport in the Falls Church area this season will be girl’s volleyball. Each team in the area brings something intriguing to follow as their

the majority of the characters spend their time wrestling with their wild emotions among the wilderness of the Arden trees.

NOVA Nightsky’s next production, and their final one for the season, is entitled “After the Storm,” written by Ward Kay. It will premiere Thursday, September 29th and conclude its first run on Saturday, October 1st. A second run of “After the Storm” will take place from October 6th — 8th. To find out more about NOVA Nightsky, visit novanightskytheater.com.

seasons go on this fall.

Marshall volleyball has been a dominant force in years past and will look to continue its winning ways this season. The Statesmen will look to make this year their ninth straight with a record above .500. Their season will open with a revenge match against James Madison, who defeated them 3-2 in last season’s opener.

Since 2007-2008 (the furthest back MaxPreps records go), Falls Church volleyball has only had one winning season. However, the program has begun to turn things around of late. Last year’s 9-10 record was a step in the right direction, and the Jaguars will get a chance to continue their growth when they open against King Abdullah Academy on August 30th.

Meridian Volleyball looks to bounce back from a disappointing 2021-22 season in which it failed to win a single game, going 0-7. Their season will open on Monday the 22nd at Washington-Liberty.

Following a pair of scrimmages this week, Justice will host Lake Braddock on August 30th to start their season. 25-7 last year, the Wolves will look to have back to back winning seasons for the first time since 2011-2013.

It is their 15th season under coach Sharon Ponton, and they are led by UMBC 2027 commit Helen Frankovich.

THE CAST bowed to energetic applause. Many of the actors played several characters throughout the story, getting through costume changes quickly and with careful attention to each character’s

Community News & Notes

Seed Library Project Added to Mary Riley Styles Library

A seed library at Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N Virginia Ave, Falls Church), located at the entrance to the upper-level Reading Room, features different kinds of native and edible seeds for public use, as well as growing and harvesting information for each plant. This addition is part of a Girl Scout Gold Award project by Isabel Costa, a rising senior at Meridian High School. The Seed Library aims to strengthen locally-adapted native plant varieties and contribute to food sustainability.

Welcoming Falls Church to Hold Refugee Assistance Event

Welcoming Falls Church is putting together Welcoming Refugees/ Renting to Refugees (R2R) “Support Teams” to prepare to welcome families to the area this fall. Those interested in leading a team or in joining an established team can email welcomingfallschurch@gmail.com.

Welcoming Falls Church and its resettlement agency partners will provide required training for Team members. Those who join a Team will be background-checked and will need to complete online and

in-person child protection training. The next Welcoming Falls Church open meeting is Wednesday, August 24, from 6:30 — 7:45 p.m. at Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N Virginia Ave, Falls Church).

Films in the Park at Mosaic Coming to a Close August 25

Through the end of this month, visitors will get a chance to see classic selections on an outdoor screen at Strawberry Park at Mosaic (2910 District Ave, Fairfax). The showtimes are as follows: Thursday, August 18: “Under the Stadium Lights” (2021, running time: 1h 49m, rated PG); Thursday, August 25: “F9: The Fast & The Furious Saga” (2021, running time: 2h 23m, rated PG-13). Each presentation begins at 7 p.m. For more info, visit mosaicdistrict.com.

Friends of Tysons-Pimmit Library Invite All to Their Lobby Shelves

FORMER F.C. VICE MAYOR Hal Lippman was honored with the Harry and Audrey Angelman Award at the 30th Anniversary Family Conference of the Angelman Syndrome Foundation (ASF) in Austin, Texas. Hal and his wife, the late Sue Ferguson, were among the 17 founding organizers of ASF in 1991. Hal served as ASF’s first president (1991 — 93) and as an ongoing member of the Board of Directors for more than ten years. His daughter Danna, now 39, was diagnosed in 1990 with Angelman Syndrome, a rare neuro-genetic disorder. (News-Press Photo)

Friends of the Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library (located at 7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church) invite all to visit their Lobby Shelves to purchase a wide selection of books for sale, every day. The library also accepts donations of books and media for their quarterly sales; donations can be dropped off in the bins at the Library’s front doors. Those with large donations can call the Library at 703-790-4031 for assistance.

Social Justice Committee of Falls Church Will Meet in August

The Social Justice Committee of Falls Church, “a network of

ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 21, Jake’s Ice Cream, a family-owned business in Falls Church, will be celebrating its one year anniversary from 12 – 7 p.m. The celebration will feature a keyboard player, face painting, balloon twisting and a day’s worth of small batch ice cream. Located at 6353 Columbia Pike, much of the staff is made up of differently-abled adults, reflecting the shop’s goal of providing people living with cerebral palsy, Goldenhar syndrome or who are on the autism spectrum with stable job opportunities in their community. To learn more about Jake's, visit sweetjakesicecream.com. (Photos courtesy: Robin Rinearson)

community members, civic organizations and faith groups exploring how to create a local culture united in diversity,” will meet on Sunday, Aug. 21. The Committee meets online on the third Sunday of each month from 3:30 — 5:30 p.m. To attend a meeting, contact socialjusticefc@gmail.com.

Clothing Closet Summer Restock At LGBT Center in DC

The Free Community Closet

at the DC Center for the LGBT Community (2000 14th Street NW, Suite 105, Washington, DC) features newly-stocked items with assistance from TEAM DC, a community partner. The closet includes racks of shirts, pants, dresses, skirts, suits, sneakers and apparel.

For more information, call 202-682-2245 or visit thedccenter. org. Center hours are Monday — Friday, 12 — 6 p.m. and Saturday, 11 a.m. — 3 p.m.

FALLS CHURCH CALENDAR

Featured event

Saturday, AUGUST 20

SUMMERFEST, being held at The Plaza at Tysons Corner Center, hosts a variety of summer activies throughout the weeks until September. Tuesday nights host Happy Hour Game Tournaments, which include Bingo, Ping Pong and many more. (Photo courtesy: Maurisa Potts)

LOCAL EVENTS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18

ARLINGTON COUNTY FAIR. From August 17th to August 21st, the Arlington County Fair is one of the largest free events on the East Coast. Featuring Beer Gardens, Goat Yoga, Big Trucks, a Pizza Eating Contest and many more activities. Located at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center (Arlington, VA). (703)

829-7471

DOG DAYS OF SUMMER. Harveys is teaming up with Lost Dog and Cat Rescue and @Acme Pie Co. for a “Dog Days of Summer” event! Harvey's will be launching their dog menu and hosting a dog beauty pageant. Come with your dog and get a raffle ticket. Come with your dog dressed up and get two raffle tickets. Acme pies is also baking up some special dog treats. Lost dog and cat rescue will be on site with information about all the wonderful pets.

FRIDAY,

AUGUST 19

FRIDAY NIGHT FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT. Bring your folding chair or blanket for familyfriendly outdoor movies and entertainment on The Plaza. Movie titles will be available via Facebook at @tysonscornercenter. These events are weather sensitive; updates will be provided in the case of inclement weather. 7 p.m.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20

WORKHOUSE ARTS CENTER ONSTAGE. On Stage will be performed in the Workhouse Arts Center’s intimate McGuireWoods

Galley Theatre, as well as in our outdoor Rizer Pavilion Theatre. This new lineup, for our 2022 season, offers an array of artists featuring numerous genres including classical, pop, contemporary, and comedy. $20-$30. 703-584-2900

"WILD" ALL-MEDIA ART EXHIBIT. Thirtyone artists will be featured in an allmedia exhibit inspired by the word “Wild” at the Falls Church Arts gallery from August 20 to October 2. The Falls Church Arts gallery is at 700-B West Broad St. (Route 7), Falls Church. It is open Tuesday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.

SUMMERFEST. Enjoy Live music Friday & Saturday from 6-8pm and Sunday from 5-7pm on The Plaza. Featuring acoustic music spanning a variety of genres or a DJ playing popular hits. We look forward to seeing you there.

MUSICAL THEATRE SUMMER CABARET

SERIES. It's a celebration of music and musical theater. Every summer weekend at Creative Cauldron features a cabaret or concert by some of the most spectacular talent the DC area has to offer. Grab a table for two or a table for four and enjoy your favorite performers and some fabulous new faces. 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. $25-$35. Visit https://www.creativecauldron. org/cabarets22.html for more information.

VIRTUAL REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS SUMMIT. The summit will focus on direct, prac -

tical assistance needed for those seeking abortion care and on witnessing for reproductive justice. 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. For more info, contact: info@rockspringucc.org

MONDAY, AUGUST 22

BLAST INTO THE PAST SUMMER CAMP. Campers will learn about period farming, cooking, chores, clothing, crafts, and games, along with a better understanding of our local history. The camp runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit www.fallschurchva.gov/recreation or 703-248-5027 for more information. Register online.

Monday, August 22- Friday, August 26

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23

SUMMERFEST. Every Tuesday Night from 6 – 8pm, May through August, DC Fray will be hosting Happy Hour Game Tournaments. Concepts will rotate between Cornhole, Ping Pong, and Bingo. There is no cost to participate. Prizes will be provided by Tysons Corner Center retailers. Located at The Plaza at Tysons Corner Center.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24

FALLS CHURCH BLOOD DRIVE. Make a life-saving donation at The Falls Church Episcopal Blood Drive on Wednesday, August 24. 115 E Fairfax St., Falls Church, VA. 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Visit https://bit.ly/FCE0824.

SUMMERFEST. Join Earls Kitchen + Bar every Wednesday evening from 5-7pm for al fresco cocktails and entertainment. Happy Hour specials included. Located at The Plaza at Tysons Corner Center.

INTERNATIONAL HOMELESS ANIMALS’ DAY focuses on the pet overpopulation problem and how to help solve it. Sadly, over 70 million homeless animals fill shelters in the United States. Unfortunately, the epidemic expands beyond our borders. Many countries around the globe face extreme homelessness among domesticated animals. On a global scale, 600 million dogs seek homes or wander the streets.

ALL-MEDIA

THE "WILD"

ART EXHIBIT features the works of thirty-one local artists. The exhibit is located at the Falls Church Arts gallery and will be displayed from August 20th — October 2nd. (Photo Courtesy: Susan Hillson)

TOMMY PRINE is a singer-songwriter hailing from Nashville, Tennesse. His songs include lyrics from personal experiences, such as "loss, love, insecurities and finding significance in the seemingly insignificant." Prine will be performing at Jammin Java on Thursday, August 18th at 7:30 p.m. (Photo: Savannah

Prine)

LIVE MUSIC

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18

ELVIS COSTELLO & THE IMPOSTERS. Filene Center (1551 Trap Road, Vienna, VA). 8:00 p.m. (703) 2551868

TOMMY PRINE. Jammin Java (227 Maple Ave E, Vienna, VA). 7:30 p.m. (703)-256-1566

p.m.

THE ROADDUCKS. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St, Falls Church).

7:30 p.m. 703-237-0300.

DEEP STATE. Clare and Don's Beach Shack (130 North Washington St, Falls Church). 5:30 p.m. 703-532-9283

FRIDAY, AUGUST 19

DAVID THONG. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St, Falls Church). 9:30 p.m. 703-237-8333.

FANTASIA. Filene Center (1551 Trap

THEATER & ARTS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18

THE COLOR PURPLE. From August 16th to October 9th, The Color Purple is coming to Signature Theatre. This triumphant musical adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of human fortitude, redemption and love is directed by Timothy Douglas (Spunk).

A teenage Celie is torn from her beloved sister and forced into an abusive marriage. Over the next forty years, while Celie encounters repression, despair and heartbreak, she also discovers hope in a group of friends who inspire her to find her voice, discover her beauty and change her life.

Nominated for 11 Tony Awards® and featuring a soaring score of jazz, gospel, blues and ragtime, The Color Purple brilliantly illuminates the lives of Southern Black women in breathtaking scope. (703) 8209771

PROVIDENCE PRESENTS. As part of the Fairfax County Park Authority’s Summer Entertainment Series, the Providence District will be hosting an ongoing set of live music performances at Nottoway Park

(found at 9601 Courthouse Rd, Vienna) on Thursday nights, throughout the month of August. The upcoming shows at Nottoway Park are as follows: Thursday, August 18: Yellow Dubmarine (Beatles Tribute Band); and Thursday, August 25: Billy Coulter (Roots Rock, Pop). For more information, visit fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/performances.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 19

FOLGER THEATRE'S A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. See the show of the summer as Folger Theatre presents Shakespeare’s most magical comedy, "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" inside The Playhouse—on stage through August 28 only! This “majestic and enchanting”(BroadwayWorld) production is full of young lovers, mischievous fairies, and bumbling actors colliding beneath the glowing moon against the backdrop of the gorgeous atrium of the National Building Museum. Be swept away by 90-minutes of sheer delight.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23

HAMILTON. From August 2nd through

Road, Vienna, VA). 8:00 p.m. (703) 255-1868

DOM FLEMONS. Mason District Park Location (6621 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA). 7:30 p.m.

LESSON ZERO. The Celtic House (2500 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA). 9:30 p.m. (703)-746-9644

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20

CONVERTIBLE JERK. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack (130 North Washington St, Falls Church). 5: 30 p.m. 703-5329283.

BILL KIRCHEN. Arrowbrook Centre Park (2351 Field Point Road, Herndon, VA)

7:30 p.m.

ALEX PAREZ. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St, Falls Church). 9:30 p.m. 703-237-8333.

LOS TEXMANIACS. Workhouse Arts Center at Lorton (9518 Workhouse Way, Lorton, VA). 7:30 p.m.

IRISH CULTURAL HERITAGE NIGHT 'IRISH BREAKFAST BAND.' Ossian Hall Park (7900 Heritage Drive, Annandale, VA).

7:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, AUGUSTS 21

MESSER CHUPS. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St, Falls Church).

7:30 p.m. 703-237-0300.

LUA PROJECT. Mason District Park (6621 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA).

7:30 p.m.

LuColp.m. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24

THE DECEMBERISTS. Filene Center

(1551 Trap Road, Vienna, VA). 8:00 p.m. (703) 255-1868

THE COLIN THOMPSON BAND. Burke Lake Park (7315 Ox Road, Fairfax Station, VA). 7:30 p.m.

October 9th, Hamilton will be performed at the Kennedy Center on select dates. Hamilton is the story of America then, told by America now. Featuring a score that

revolutionary moment in theatre. Ticket price range is $59.00-$399.00. (202) 416-8000.

FOLGER THEATRE'S "A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM" is on stage through August 28th inside The Playhouse National Building Museum. Be swept away by 90-minutes of sheer delight and romance by this "majestic and enchanting" production of Shakespeare's comedy. Tickets start at $20. (Photo Courtesy: Peter Eramo)

BACK IN THE DAY

Falls Church News-Press

Vol. VII, No. 21 • August 7, 1997

Planners Send Rite Aid Back to Drawing Board

A proposal by the Rite Aid Drug Company to locate a large free-standing store directly across from the existing CVS drug store in the 200 block of West Broad Street was firmly rebuffed by the Falls Church Planning Commision during a work session Monday night.

C������ C �����

Falls Church News-Press

Vol. XXII, No. 25 • August 16, 2012

F.C. Council Denies School Tech $, But It May Not Be Quite Over Yet

Members of the School Board, assembled for a work session Tuesday night after the City Council denied their request for $500,000 in technology upgrade funds the night before, speculated that the intensely divisie issue may not yet be settled, after all.

The answer is that right now we’re sitting on a sort of cusp. Renewable energy technology has made revolutionary progress, and renewables are already cheaper in many areas than fossil fuels. A moderate push from public policy is all that it will take to transition to a much greener economy. And the Inflation Reduction Act will provide that push.

Given all this, however, why did every single Republican senator vote against the IRA? They aren’t all ignorant and innumerate; I’m pretty sure that Romney, for example, knows that he’s talking nonsense. Nor can we easily invoke differences in ideology. The IRA’s climate push mostly relies on tax credits — and Republicans have themselves used tax credits to achieve social goals, like the (much abused) Opportunity Zone credits in Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cut. Almost surely, what we’re really looking at is the politics of spite. Every Republican in the Senate was willing to kill our best chance at avoiding climate disaster, simply to deny the Biden administration a win. The good news is that the legislation passed in spite of their spite. And the world is a more hopeful place than it was just a few weeks ago.

THIS IS EMMIE, who recently celebrated her 6th birthday. She’s a rescue from Mississippi (Wolf Trap Animal Rescue), whom we adopted when she was 12 weeks old. For the last five years, she’s been an amazing foster “mom” to a parade of foster puppies we’ve cared for for WTAR. She’s the MVP!

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

PERSONAL SEEKING SOMEONE

You saw DOG ROLL OVER per my command-man in wide-brim hat. SwarthmoreHaverford FH final, last Oct.30th. We spoke. Tall, elegant, brave woman, stylish short brown hair, eyes smiling. Wearing high-waist ¾ coat, similar on blond girl w/you. Can’t find you. Who knew/ saw you? 215-858-9191, 484-380-2994 eves. How/where meet again?

FOR SALE

Three Cemetery Plots. 75 feet from Entrance to Oakwood Cemetery, 7 Corners, Falls Church, VA. $6,000 each. Headstones allowed. Calls only at 304-350-0729

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

FARM EQUIPMENT

Landowners – Leasing Your Land To Hunters? Double your income with Base Camp Leasing’s hunters & reduce risk with FREE liability insurance. Call for a free quote (888) 871-1982

HOME IMPROVEMENT

American Standard Walk-In Tubs. Buy from a brand you trust. Patented Quick-Drain® technology. 44 hydrotherapy jets. Lifetime warranty on tub and installation!

Call this paper or Landon Clark at Virginia Press Services 804-521-7576, landonc@vpa.net

DIVORCE-Uncontested, $395+$86 court cost. WILLS-$225.00. No court appearance. Estimated completion time twenty-one days. Hilton Oliver, Attorney (Facebook). 757-4900126. Se Habla Espanol. BBB Member. https://hiltonoliverattorneyva.com.

Up to $15,000.00 of GUARANTEED Life Insurance! No medical exam or health questions. Cash to help pay funeral and other final expenses. Call Physicians Life Insurance Company- 844-509-1697 or visit www.Life55plus.info/vapress

Portable Oxygen Concentrator May Be Covered

The

a lifetime! Limited Time Offer - $500 Discount + Additional 10% off install (for military, health workers & 1st responders.) Call Erie Metal Roofs: 1-844-902-4611

The bathroom of your dreams for as little as $149/month! BCI Bath & Shower. Many options available. Quality materials & professional installation. Senior & Military Discounts Available. Limited Time OfferFREE virtual in-home consultation now and SAVE 15%! Call Today! 1-844-945-1631

Safe Step. North America’s #1 Walk-In

One level living in this Tremont Gardens bungalow! Updated kitchen with granite countertops, Samsung gas stove and refrigerator (2021), Bosch dishwasher (2016), double sink, and access to the laundry room with Samsung washer and dryer (2015). Large living room with fireplace, skylight, built-ins, and French doors lead to the deck and backyard. The 2nd and 3rd bedrooms, with hardwood floors, share a full bath. The primary suite has hardwood floors and a large walk-in closet with built-in organizers. The updated primary bath has a large shower, heated floors, and a skylight (2016). Skylights in bathroom and living room. The sunroom has built-ins, cathedral ceilings, ceiling fan, glass block windows, and French doors to the deck. The front yard is fenced and the backyard features a swing set/playground and oversized shed. Off-street parking for 4+ cars! This home is located in a very convenient location! Close to the City of Falls Church and Mosaic, with shopping, restaurants, and entertainment!

703-626-3257

merelyn@kayes.com

Buying or selling there is no substitute for experience.