Calendar

PAGE 16 | AUGUST 19 – 25, 2021

CALENDAR

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

FALLS CHURCH CALENDAR

LOCALEVENTS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 19

Tysons-Pimmit Library Booksale.

Visitors will find a large selection of books and media for all ages and interests. This year, the sale will take place over an increased number of hours in an attempt to limit crowds, but masks are still preferred for those who show up for the event. For more information, call 703-790-8088 or visit fairfaxcounty.gov. Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library (7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church). Sunday is the $10 bag sale — fill up a bag of books for just @10. Thursday, Aug. 19 – Sunday, Aug. 22, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Tinner Hill Music Festival. The 27th Annual Tinner Hill Music Festival returns to Cherry Hill Park this Saturday to rock Northern Virginia with live music, food, arts & crafts, and other fun events for the whole family. The festival is sponsored in part by the City of Falls Church and is managed by the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation. The festival committee, under the leadership of Tori McKiney, is pleased to announce a dynamic lineup for this year’s day-long concert: BB King Blues Band featuring Michael Lee of “The Voice”; Bonerama; The Legendary Wailers featuring Julian “Junior” Marvin; Vintage #18; Twin Brothers Band; Eric Scott; East of the River Steelband; and Rocknoceros. For tickets and information, visit TinnerHill.org. Information on the festival can also be found on Facebook & Instagram @TinnerHillMusicFestival. Cherry Hill Park (312 Park Ave., Falls Church). 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Falls Church Farmers Market.

The Falls Church Farmers Market runs every Saturday, where attendees 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.

Developer Networking Event.

Commercial development professionals are invited to an afternoon of networking outside of the office. Contact Benita Stocks at bstocks@naiopva.org for more information. Registration is $50 – $70. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington St., Ste A Falls Church). 3 – 5 p.m.

Bright Star Theatre presents Gus

Goes Green (online). This new play from Bright Star Theatre follows Gus, a giant dog puppet, on a STEM-inspired adventure around the globe. The audience will see Gus use science and math to find creative solutions for a variety of problems. Geared towards students in grades Pre-K – 5. The show will air live on the Mary Riley Styles Public Library Facebook page this Saturday at 11 a.m.. A recording of the performance will be available until Sept. 4.

Bouncin’ Babies (online). Returning in digital format, Ms. Kelly invites parents and their toddlers for a morning of music and storytelling fun. Geared towards kids ages 0 — 1 with the focus of helping parents build an early literacy foundation for their children. Register online through Fairfax County libraries at librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/ event/7957226. A Zoom link will be emailed to registered participants a day in advance. 10:15 — 10:45 a.m.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 21 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25

VIRTUALEVENTS

SATURDAY, AUGUST 21

TUESDAY, AUGUST 24

THEATER&ARTS

FRIDAY, AUGUST 20

Erin Granfield: Live Return to

Creative Cauldron. A National “YoungArts” Foundation Award winner, most recently seen in the role of Louise Seger in 2021’s

THE FUNKTRONICS will be performing live at the Falls Church Distillers this Friday,

August 20, at 6 p.m. (Photo: Facebook.com/FunktronicsDC)

“Always...Patsy Cline’’ as well as in the Helen Hayes Awardnominated ensemble of “On Air,” where she also portrayed Agnes Davis, the wife of radio pioneer Dr. Harry P. Davis, Erin will be making her return to the Creative Cauldron this Friday for an original cabaret performance in Cherry Hill Park. As part of the show, Erin will incorporate stories from her own life as well as some of her favorite songs from the musical theater canon for a one-of-a-kind, outdoor act. The audience is invited to bring their own mats, blankets, or folding chairs for the performance. Tickets can be purchased online at creativecauldron.org. Cherry Hill Park (312 Park Ave., Falls Church). Free parking will be available in the lot behind the Falls Church Community Center (223 Little Falls St., Falls Church). Friday, Aug. 20, 7:30 p.m.

LIVEMUSIC

THURSDAY, AUGUST 19

CCB: Chris Collat Band. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $12. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566.

Pure Prairie League & Firefall.

The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $55. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500.

Daryl Davis & Josh Christina

Show. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-241-9504.

Shartel & Hume. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4:30 p.m. 703-2419504.

Big Tow: Live. Clare & Don’s Beach Shack (130 N. Washington St., Falls Church). 5 p.m. 703532-9283.

The Funktronics. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington St., Ste A Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703858-9186.

Caligula Blushed. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). $12. 7 p.m. 703237-0300.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 20

An Evening with Kathy Mattea.

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

All ‘80s All Night with DJ D.

Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15. 8 p.m. 703-2551566.

The Roadducks: Live. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:45 p.m. 703-2419504.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 21

Too Damn Big Show. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 3:30 p.m. 703-2419504.

Ladywood: Live. Clare & Don’s Beach Shack (130 N. Washington St., Falls Church). 5 p.m. 703532-9283.

Zydeco Jed: Live and in Concert.

Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-858-9186.

The Cactus Liquors: Free

Outdoor Show. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). 7:30 p.m. 703237-0300.

Natalie Brooke and Humbalaya.

Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10. 8 p.m. 703-2551566.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 22

Kreek Water Band: Live

and in Concert at JV’s. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504.

Joel Vance: Live. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 1 p.m. 703-858-9186.

Pickin’, Grinnin’, & Sinnin’

Live and in Concert. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-241-9504.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

LOCAL

AUGUST 19 – 25, 2021 | PAGE 17

Annual ‘State of the City’ Interview

Continued from Page 1

mega-development the likes of which it hasn’t seen before. What does being a part of this deal say about the direction the City of Falls Church is heading in?

Mayor Tarter: It is big news. The 10-acre West Falls project is the largest in the City’s history. Combined with the WMATA and Virginia Tech sites, you’re talking over 40 acres with prime metro access.

We spent years planning, soliciting developer bids, putting together a complex public-private partnership, working with our neighbors, holding dozens of town hall meetings, and hammering out an innovative development plan to create what I believe will be a show piece project.

To ensure long term economic viability and vibrancy, the City insisted on a mix of uses which include office, hotel, senior living, condominiums, and a retail promenade, all of which will work together to create a special sense of place and a regional destination. To top it all off, the project’s tax revenue alone should more than pay for the new high school and eventually allow us to lower our tax rate even more than we did this year.

With this project and others, we have set the wheels in motion with economic growth that will pay dividends for years to come.

N-P: Can you speak to how being a stakeholder in this deal is a boon for Falls Church’s reputation in the region?

Tarter: As a small place, it has always been important for the City to work well and maintain good relations with our neighbors. We have been in discussions with Virginia Tech, WMATA, and Fairfax County for some time about how to best utilize our 10-acre site, and perhaps more importantly, how we can all work together to ensure that our projects enhance each other and best utilize Metro accessibility. This project will continue to raise the City’s regional profile and affirms the City’s commitment to smart, sustainable development.

N-P: Speaking of development, we know Founders Row should be welcoming in residents within the next month. How satisfying is it to watch a major development you’ve been a part of from the beginning finally come to life?

Tarter: It is very satisfying to see projects finally completed and occupied. For most, the process has been years in the making, starting with small area plans, which re-imagined our commercial areas to be more walkable, dynamic and economically successful.

With Founder’s Row, Harris Teeter, Target, the approved Whole Foods and West Falls projects, we are starting to realize this vision. These projects and others are creating a more vibrant downtown where residents and visitors can shop, dine and do business within the City. They’ve also provided important community benefits such as affordable housing, a new home for Creative Cauldron, our local theater, and tax revenue to support our schools. And they’ve allowed us, for the first time in years, to meaningfully lower the tax rate.

N-P: Can you tell us anything about the movie theater — if there’s going to be a movie theater at all?

Tarter: As you know, Covid dealt a tremendous blow to the movie theater industry, including the one planned for Founders Row, which declared bankruptcy. The project approval continues to require a movie theater and I know the developer is working hard to secure one. They have escrowed $3.6 million with the City for its buildout. Falls Church needs more entertainment and places for families to gather and it is my hope and expectation that we will ultimately get a movie theater there.

N-P: Another thing our readers have mentioned to us is the traffic congestion Founders Row has caused at the Broad St. & West St. intersection. Others are worried that Haycock Rd. & Leesburg Pike will be next once the West End project gets underway. With these developments attracting more people, the congestion is likely to stay, so is there anything the City is doing — or can do — to make these major arteries less of a nuisance for drivers?

Tarter: We know that traffic can be a real problem here and so the City requires traffic studies and usually developer-funded traffic improvements with each new development. With these additions, most new projects are estimated to maintain or improve pre-existing traffic throughput. Both Founders Row and the West Falls project include significant measures to minimize congestion and provide better pedestrian and bike routes. Founders Row is still under construction and their traffic measures have not yet been fully implemented. Once completed, traffic flow around the site should improve.

In addition, the City continues to seek and obtain state and regional funding for congestion relief, pedestrian and bike improvements and mass transit. Recent successes include $15 million for traffic and pedestrian improvements at Haycock Road and Leesburg Pike, $10 million for a smart streets program with Virginia Tech at the West Falls site, $8.3 million for Park Avenue as part of the Great Streets program, and in the longer term, Bus Rapid Transit along Leesburg Pike.

We are also working hard to make the City more pedestrian and bike friendly and to provide better last mile connections to the Metro to make it easier for folks to get out of their cars.

The reality is Falls Church is a small part of a large region. Most of the cars travelling on Washington and Broad Streets aren’t from City projects but are passing through from neighboring jurisdictions. We should not miss out on our own redevelopment opportunities in an attempt to single-handedly solve the region’s traffic problems.

N-P: We’ve come a long way since the start of the pandemic, but Covid is still with us. What do you think is the best way for Falls Church to learn to “live with” the virus?

Tarter: I hope that we won’t need to learn to live with the virus, but can vanquish Covid through increased vaccination, masks, possibly booster shots, and other health measures. City residents and businesses have been cooperative and done their part throughout the pandemic, which has kept the City’s hospitalizations and mortality relatively low. Our vaccination rates are also among the highest in the state. With the Delta variant and resurgent infections, however, we must not let down our guard. If you have not already done so, please get vaccinated.

N-P: The pandemic is also why there’s now $18 million in federal relief money coming to the City. How would you like to see it be used?

Tarter: I am grateful for our federal and state aid, which will be a significant benefit to our community. Since the start of the pandemic, we have been providing rent, utility, and food assistance to our most vulnerable residents. We have also provided hundreds of thousands of dollars of relief to our small businesses. Many are still suffering, however. Going forward, we need to ensure these folks get back on their feet, the unvaccinated get their shots, and our schools have the resources to get kids back in the classrooms. Longer term, to the extent permitted, I would like to see us invest in City infrastructure and other capital improvements, to provide long-term, recurring benefits to our community.

N-P: I should’ve mentioned this F.C. MAYOR DAVID TARTER speaks at the Regional Covid Remembrance Ceremony in June of this year. (C������� P����)

earlier, but congratulations on two of your kids graduating in June! It was definitely a unique year for students, especially for seniors in a milestone year. What was it like as a parent navigating the past year and a half of schooling?

Tarter: It has been a difficult stretch for all of us, but I think the real challenge was with the kids. I am sorry that they missed out on cherished school memories and some great life experiences. I hope that we can get the kids back to a relatively normal school experience soon.

Despite the difficulties of the past year, in many ways, they brought us closer together. I enjoyed the long walks, drives, movies and extra time we were able to spend together. As they head off to college, I will miss this, and I will miss them.

N-P: One other thing about the schools, but there are still some raw emotions about how the Mason/ Meridian name change was handled. A few of your colleagues on the City Council lent their voice to this issue. I was wondering if you have an opinion on how the schools went about the process?

Tarter: I know that there are a number of people with strong feelings about the name change. I have heard from many of them. That’s understandable. This country has many unresolved issues around race, equality and the administration of justice that permeate our history. Many of our Founding Fathers, while instrumental in the creation of the United States and its democratic institutions, were deeply flawed and active participants of abhorrent practices like slavery. Whatever your feelings about the outcome, as best as I could see, the School Board provided all a chance to speak their mind and be heard. I know many are not happy with the outcome but I believe that the Board has always had good intentions and the best interests of the students at heart. It’s time to focus on getting the kids back on track.

N-P: How do you view your job differently now than when you first became mayor?

Tarter: I would say I am more confident and comfortable in the role but I continue to learn. I view my job as I did when I started, namely to do all I can to make this City a great, welcoming place for all to live and work, and ensure that our kids grow up happy, safe and well educated.

N-P: What has been the most challenging issue you’ve had to face in the last 12 months?

Conti nued on Page 22

PAGE 18 | AUGUST 19 – 25, 2021

LOCAL

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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THIS MOSAIC OF ASPHALT PATCHES along E. Columbia Street might not be a top priority for infrastructure spending on the national level, but it does symbolize the amount of work that needs to be done around the country. (P����: N���-P����)

An Esti mated $1.2 Billion to be Used to Improve Virginia Public Transportati on

Continued from Page 5

The bill becoming law also reauthorized federal funding for the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority through fiscal year 2030 at its current annual levels. The WMATA reauthorization is based on legislation previously introduced by both Warner and Kaine. It will also contribute an estimated $1.2 billion over five years to improve public transportation in Virginia, and additional $39 billion over five years for public transit systems across the nation as a whole.

Out of $65 billion allocated for broadband deployment to increase access and decrease costs associated with internet connections, nearly $100 million will be given to Virginia to address the upwards of 473,000 who lack dependable internet in the commonwealth. Finally, about 23 percent of Virginans will now be eligible for the Affordability Connectivity Benefit, which is geared towards helping low income families afford internet access.

“Broadband isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity, but many Virginians still don’t have reliable access to [the] internet,” Warner and Kaine said in a joint statement when announcing over $14 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide broadband service to people in central Virginia through the ReConnect Program.

“That’s why we’re glad to see these federal dollars go toward connecting people across Virginia, which will improve access to job opportunities and educational resources and help small businesses grow.”

In terms of getting more electric cars and charging stations, Virginia will also receive $106 million over the next five years to help support the expansion of an EV charging network in the Commonwealth. The state also now has an opportunity to apply for $2.5 billion in grant funding dedicated to EV charging. Separately, Virginia will receive $238 million for the Chesapeake Bay Program for ecosystem resiliency and restoration. One of the more minor provisions to the legislation includes Kaine and Senator Roger Wicker’s (R-MS) bipartisan Reaching America’s Rural Minority Businesses Act, introduced in May 2021.

The provision will help the Minority Business Development Agency to partner with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) to establish business centers to support minority-owned small businesses in rural areas to provide education, training, and technical assistance to help them grow and thrive.

Kaine is Virginia’s junior senator, having been elected in 2012, he was re-elected by a comfortable margin in 2018. Like Virginia’s senior senator, Mark Warner, Kaine is a former governor of Virginia. They are both two of only a group of 13 men who have made the transfer to the US Senate after serving as Virginia Governor. Prior to serving as Virginia 70th governor, he served under Warner as lieutenant governor and is a former mayor of Richmond.

In 2016, after Hillary Clinton became the first female presidential candidate nominated by a national party, she chose Kaine from a diverse field to be her running mate. Kaine would have become the first Virginian since President John Tyler to seek national office. On election night, despite the loss, (Kaine’s only election loss in his life even though it was not him at the top of the ticket) Virginia was the only southern state to go to the Clinton-Kaine ticket. That victory is primarily attributed to Kaine himself.

But this is behind Kaine now, as he is focused on getting more accomplished in his work in the Senate and helping Democrats in 2022. He is now working on immigration reform on a bipartisan committee. Kaine is glad that a bipartisan bill has gotten forward but acknowledges that he did not want it to be paid for in deficit spending. The Senate will most likely have to go into reconciliation in order to get additional elements added to the infrastructure bill, such as education spending among other items.