Falls Church News-Press August 21 by Falls Church News-Press

New Falls Church High School Principal Cathy Benner is communicating in an innovative way as classes began this week with an online Principal’s Blog, noting it might be “the first in Fairfax,” which will enable students to comment on her posts, helping her know “what works, what’s needed and what I think will help.” Communication and innova-

tion will be top priority this year, as this past Monday, Falls Church and J.E.B. Stuart High Schools braved the heat outside and from statewide and Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) budget shortfalls to start the 2008-09 school year. Other area schools open Sept. 2. Her first year at FCHS, Benner reported “a lot of new things [are] going on” in an interview with the News-Press this week. Recent news, however, brings some worries, primarily “to watch

discretionary spending” in a fiscal climate across the district that has so far cut “site-based” summer school programming for FCHS – forcing four or five local high schools to consolidate their programs in a central location. Even so, Benner assured that FCHS has “been fairly good” with its spending. “We’re all very aware these are tough times,” she said, adding that Falls Church had prepared for the anticipated

The recent years’ boom in large-scale mixed use projects along the City of Falls Church’s commercial corridors is expected to wane, but the tax revenues generated by the new developments to date will insulate the city from critical fiscal shortfalls that are plaguing neighboring Fairfax County. That was the assessment provided by Falls Church Mayor Robin Gardner, recently reelected to a third four-year term on the City Council and a second two-year term as mayor, in an interview at the offices of the News-Press last week. The interview constituted the News-Press’ annual “State of the City” discussion with the mayor of Falls Church, a tradition dating to the early 1990s. Rather than a press conference format, it has provided mayors an uncensored opportunity to convey to Falls Church readers their outlook. Gardner was relaxed and pleased at the accomplishments of the City Council since she was first elected in 2000, including last week’s approval of the City’s first ever new affordable housing structure, the City Center South Apartments. After more than a decade with no significant new developments, it was on Sept. 10, 2001 that the Council approved the first of a sequence of largescale projects, The Broadway. It was followed by approvals for The Byron, Pearson Square, The Spectrum and the Read Building, all of which have been completed and occupied. Then the Council approved the $319 million Atlantic Realty City Center plan, a new Jefferson

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Falls Church and its environs sit square in the middle of the battleground where the ultimate outcome of the November U.S. presidential election will be fought with virtual hand-to-hand combat. This is not a Civil War terrain, there will be no slaughter of troops and blue rather than red will be running in the streams, as the recent years’ shift here to a pro-Democratic electorate virtually ensures. But if you took a compass on a map, stuck it in Falls Church and placed the pencil at Fairfax City on the west and Ballston on the east, then drew a circle, you’ll identify the bull’s eye that may well decide whether Virginia will go for its first Democratic candidate since 1964. This is exactly the area that provided the decisive margins for Gov. Tim Kaine in 2005 and U.S. Sen. James Webb in 2006. Both would have lost, statewide, had not their electoral margins been so overwhelming in precisely this area. To say it will be decisive for the outcome of the entire 2008 election, with Virginia’s electoral votes being what may put Obama over the top, or not, is to say the least. Certainly nobody anywhere around here can say they have no real role in picking the next U.S. president. If there’s anywhere in nation where being involved will make a big difference, it is right here. This is not lost on the thousands around these parts who’ve heard Virginia Del. Jim Scott’s standard stump speech more than a few times. He likes to call himself “Landslide Jim,” because he won his first election to the state legislature from this area’s 53rd District by exactly one vote! None of this is lost on the Obama campaign, either. Within the circle circumscribed as above, there are no fewer than three Obama campaign offices, each radiating circles of influence around them, with the large office in the downtown of the City of Falls Church right in the middle. For this region, and for Virginia as a whole, this is vastly different than anything seen since at least 1964, as all the old timer Democratic faithful here attest. Virginia has routinely been written off by the Democrats, and for legitimate reasons. Even when candidates have come to Virginia in the past to stir up enthusiasm for winning the state, they spoke more loudly with their feet, never throwing money into a serious effort on the ground. Not so this time. Statewide, there are over 30 Obama campaign headquarters getting up and running now. Moreover, whether or not Obama selects Virginia Gov. Kaine as his running mate, he will have the benefit of Kaine and the popular and tireless Mark Warner, running for the U.S. Senate, himself, to help him carry Virginia. No doubt winning Virginia was on the Democrats’ mind when they picked Warner to deliver the highly-coveted keynote speech at next week’s Democratic convention in Denver. Every single vote’s going to count, as it did for Webb in 2006. It will do, in the end, if our next president goes by “Landslide Barack.”

Editor, Thank you for the extensive coverage detailing the results of last week’s City Council hearing that has given life to the proposed plan for City Center South Apartments to be constructed on S. Maple Avenue as the “full spectrum” housing venture so brilliantly described by Council member Dan Maller. On behalf of Falls Church Housing Corporation and our community based non-profit collaborator, Homestretch, Inc., we are obviously thrilled with the outcome. We will work hard over the next several months and years to bring to fruition

a housing venture for Falls Church retirees, work force and start up families who have long been the focus of our mission and service. To set the record a little straighter, this particular plan is the product of many years of team work and community collaboration between the City, Falls Church Housing Corporation and our broad based community supporters. FCHC has been in operation since 1981--never without a mandate and a partnership agreement from the City Council of each era. Our dedication to recently achieved goals has been plant-

ed, watered and nurtured by the hard work of many hands and guided by many stalwart hearts. While I appreciate your salute to our decade of efforts, I ask you to substitute FCHC Board of Directors, friends and volunteers wherever you mentioned my individual name in your front-page feature. I suggest the real story: the visionary and sacrificial efforts of many were realized in one historic night in Council chambers on Aug. 11, 2008. Now the real work begins. FCHC and its circle of friends is up for the challenges ahead. We will appreciate and count on the continued support of this community to get us first to ground breaking and next to the open house where all will be welcome to experience first hand what a united village can accomplish. Thank you. Carol Jackson, FCHC Executive Director

Editor, When I received last week’s News-Press I thought it was a clever parody published by the satirical newspaper the Onion. Can you imagine my surprise when it turned out that it wasn’t a satire but rather a flyer pretending to be a news paper? As the News-Press is immune to any critical comments I will limit my observations to the following: The Winter Hill residents who spoke provided thoughtful, articulate reasons for their opposition. To reduce their concerns to one paragraph close to the end of an article covering More Letters on Page 6

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One office building in the 800 block of West Broad now under construction, a mixed use apartment complex by the Hekemian Company on North Washington, a Hilton Garden Inn Hotel and last week’s affordable City Center South Apartments. But because of the overall national economic slowdown and credit crunch, the development boom may be over for awhile, Gardner noted. There is only one more project currently in the pipeline, The Gateway proposed by the Akridge Company for North Washington Street, which will come up for final Council approval in October. Then there is the issue of financing and construction of currently-approved projects, such as the City Center, the Hekemian and Hilton projects. Gardner said she was unaware if any of them are running into financing issues due to the current credit crunch. The mayor said the focus will now shift to marketing initiatives aimed at filling the retail space in the recently-completed projects

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and encouraging the “critical mass” that will bring new shoppers, diners and entertainmentseekers to Falls Church. Also on the “front burner” for the City Council will be a comprehensive rewrite of the City’s zoning ordinances, a project considered long overdue and necessary to accommodate the City’s transition from a more rural posture to a more urban one. The city’s ideal location, from a transportation and accessibility standpoint, in the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan region, makes the transition inevitable, Gardner said. “We need the right kind of zoning to help us design the kind of livable, walkable community we want” as the transition occurs, she said. A consultant retained by the City Council has already been working on the zoning re-write, and Gardner said it will be in the direction of so-called “form-based” or “block” zoning that focuses more on how the Council wants an area to look, rather than on what kind of use it will have. Issues such as buffering and uses for substandard lots

in residential areas will also be addressed, she said. Zoning issues are snoozers for the public, but vital for the City’s future, the mayor said. She noted that, unlike neighboring Fairfax County, where many among its 1.1 million residents in outlying areas have suffered enormously due to the subprime mortgage and foreclosure meltdown, Falls Church has encountered no fiscal “red flags” from its chief financial officer. Fairfax County Supervisors have already begun an urgent process of identifying where cuts may be required in the current budget and in next year’s due to a sharp downturn in real estate values that will leave significant shortfalls in tax revenues. But Gardner said Falls Church is not experiencing a significant further decline in real estate values, and added tax revenues accruing from new large-scale projects as they are completed will further insulate the city from either draconian budget cuts or major tax increases. She said the Council will not get its first “snapshot” of the

Ho Hum No 15%

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city’s fiscal condition in the new fiscal year, which began July 1, until its annual fall retreat in October, but that she does not expect any surprises. Marketing to fill existing retail space will be another major thrust, she said, adding she hoped the city’s Economic Development Authority will step up on that issue.

Heck Yes 54%

She was bullish about the City’s ability to attract outside dollars, noting that an initiative to designate the city as an “arts district” under a new Virginia law will help. She cited the success of the Tinner Hill Foundation’s first annual blues festival this sumContinued on Page 22

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“trickle down effect” from state and county-level cuts. With a similar outlook, Principal Pamela Jones reported good news at J.E.B. Stuart High School. “We’re coping OK,” she explained, clarifying that students, faculty and staff will not be “going without anything – teachers bought the textbooks they need,” and the school has purchased needed computers and sports equipment. Jones is gearing up for a year focused on “building relationships for success,” a challenge for Stuart as it faces an influx of students from Prince William County and outlying areas and the highest free-reduced lunch rate in the district – 56 percent in 2008-09. Nevertheless both principals share a positive outlook on their academic and extracurricular programs, which have expanded this year with high expectations. Benner mentioned several new projects for FCHS this year aimed at involving students in the school community – highlights include the planned “Mr. Falls Church High School Pageant” and an “American Idol”-inspired “Jaguar Idol.” Moreover, Falls Church looks to motivate more students into its Advanced Placement classes and

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develop a “civic minded” student body energized to engage in politics and the environment. On a musical note, Benner hopes to “tap into” that talent with a Rappers Club – an idea from her time at Centerville – and to incorporate student-made music videos into the school announcements. Likewise, Jones predicts strong academic performance for Stuart students, noting an active International Baccalaureate program this year, in which “more students took the test than last year.” Jones also highlights the school’s Advancement Via Independent Determination (AVID) program that “gives a push and the right structure” to disadvantaged students, allowing them “an extra boost” with “time to study, see colleges” and work toward academic goals. Stuart’s ninth grade transition program aims to welcome students during what Jones called the most “critical time” in a high school student’s academic career – making the leap from middle school. To that end, Stuart’s freshman initiation took place this past Saturday, Aug. 16, with 71 freshmen and various school officials from Stuart and local Glasgow Middle School attending the three hour introductory event. FCHS wraps up its academic year on June 3, 2009, followed by Stuart on June 4.

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three pages and imply that their views are of lesser value because of their street address is discriminatory not to mention nasty and mean spirited. Also, you failed to mention that the mayor disclosed that her husband works for a firm that leases offices from one of the affected properties. Ira J. Kaylin Falls Church

Editor, The retirement of Principal Snee has been widely publicized. Unfortunately, not as well known is the fact that George Masonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long time Athletic Director, Thomas Horn, is stepping down. Falls Church natives pride themselves on the quality of their school system. Obviously, finding a suitable replacement

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for Mr. Snee is a very important matter, especially when trying to keep a school operating at full tilt. However, searching for strong, qualified, candidates for the Athletic Director position should not be overlooked. As previously mentioned, not much has been revealed about possible replacements for Horn. I would like to remind and encourage Falls Church citizens to look to a previous George Mason Coach and Teacher: Barbara Mahoney. Though, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Barbâ&#x20AC;? is no longer with the Falls Church school system, she still teaches and coaches and it would be a weakly positioned argument to claim that she is not well suited for the position of Athletic Director. Mahoney taught at George Mason for a number of years and is fondly remembered as a Girlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lacrosse Coach by many Mason alumni. She is most famous for her impressive undertaking of creating the George Mason Boyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Girlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Varsity Lacrosse programs, as well as greatly assisting in the creation and development of the Falls Church youth lacrosse leagues. Currently, the Varsity programs and youth leagues are still upand-running and are enjoyed by a large amount of Falls Church children and teens. Zach Schwind, GMHS Class of 2004

Editor, It is no wonder that that masses are so ignorant of the Peak Oil catastrophe ahead. They have been kept in the dark by â&#x20AC;&#x153;leadersâ&#x20AC;? in business, government, academe, and the media. Oil company executives and their cheerleaders (U.S. Energy Information Agency, International Energy Agency, and Cambridge Energy Research Associates) produced very rosy pictures of global oil production for many years, until just recently when it became clear that the demand for oil is outstripping supply. Oil company profits and stock options for oil company executives are increased by forecasts of ample oil supplies. As a recently retired professor, I know that universities and colleges are mostly ignorant of Peak Oil; thus students preparing for a future that will differ from reality. In 2005, the Department of Energy commissioned a study to study the Peak Oil crisis. The report to DOE, known as the Hirsch report (the Chief Researcher is Robert Hirsch) indicates that a catastrophe

Week of August 12 - 18 Drunkenness, 7Eleven, 110 N West St., August 12, 12:07 a.m., police arrested a male for DIP. Warrant Service, 800 blk. W Broad St., August 12, 8:44 p.m., police arrested a male, 41, on an outstanding warrant out of Arlington County for Failure to Appear on a Suspended Driving charge. Driving under the Influence, 6200 blk. Arlington Blvd., August 13, 1:26 a.m., police arrested a male, 24, of Raleigh, NC for DUI. Destruction of Property, National Wholesale, 6751 Wilson Blvd., August 13, 6:17 p.m., unknown person(s) smashed out the rear windshield on a vehicle. Destruction of Property, 1200 blk. S Washington St., August 14, 12:19 a.m., unknown person(s) slashed the right front and rear tires on a vehicle. Destruction of Property, 400 blk. S Virginia Ave., between August 13, 10:00 p.m. and August 14, 6:30 a.m., unknown person(s) placed food type substances on numerous vehicles. Larceny, 400 blk. S Spring St., between July 27 and August 2, unknown person(s) stole

looms in the near futures and thus it indicates a need for immediate government action. Alternative energies will not even begin to fill the gap in declining oil production. And most alternatives yield electric power, but we need liquid fuels for tractors/combines, 18 wheel trucks, trains, ships, and mining equipment.

12-20 green tomatoes vines from a tomato plant located in the backyard of a residence. Graffiti/Damage to Property, 100 blk. S Washington St., unknown person(s) wrote graffiti on items belonging to the establishment. Larceny from Building, Yellow Cab, 11 Hillwood Ave., between August 5 and August 14, unknown person(s) entered the establishment and stole a backpack purse containing a cell phone, checkbook, (3) credit cards, VA driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s license, $88.00 cash, wallet, and a Costco card. Residential Burglary, 400 blk. S Maple Ave., August 15, 5:14 a.m., unknown person(s) attempted to gain entrance through a residence by entering the rear sliding glass door. The suspect fled on foot after alerting the resident. No entry was gained. Fraud, 300 blk. S Maple Ave., August 15, 7:28 a.m., unknown person(s) scammed victim out of more than $50,000.00 cash. The victim was promised over $1,000,000.00, if, $50,000.00 was sent to unknown person(s). Fraud, 100 blk. W Broad St., August 15, 5:25 p.m., unknown person(s) scammed an establishment out of $37,000 worth of computer hard drives. Driving under the Influence, 200 blk. Park Ave., August 16, 3:46 a.m., police arrested a male, 21, of Falls Church, VA for DUI. Larceny from Vehicle, 600 blk. Roosevelt Blvd., between August 15 and August 16, unknown person(s) the license plates from a vehicle. Drunkenness, 100 blk. W Annandale Rd., August 16, 8:08 p.m., police arrested a male for DIP. Drunkenness, 700 blk. W Broad St., August 17, 2:31 a.m., police arrested a male, 30, of Falls Church, VA for DIP. Simple Assault, Taco Laredo, 306 Hillwood Ave., August 17, 11:54 p.m., unknown person(s) touched victim inappropriately on the backside. The victim gave suspect verbal commands to stop. The suspect pushed victim to the ground, punching victim in the lower neck and left shoulder. The victim was checked out by Arlington Medics. The suspect is described as an H/M, approximately 5`8``, with a stocky build, black hair, a goatee, approximately 35 to 40 years of age. He was wearing a white t-shirt with an American flag, displaying the letters â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dâ&#x20AC;?, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Câ&#x20AC;? and blue jeans. Graffiti/Damage to Property, Washington Diamond, 1243 W Broad St., August 18, 6:55 a.m., unknown person(s) wrote graffiti on a sign belonging to the establishment.

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F.C. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Arts Districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Push to Begin Sept. 8

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Falls Church Woman Wins Vlasic Contest Nikki Umbreit, 22, of Falls Church was announced this week as the winner of the Vlasic Pickles company competition to â&#x20AC;&#x153;beâ&#x20AC;? the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s primary marketing symbol, the Vlasic stork. Her 50-word essay about her love of Vlasic pickles and how sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d bring the stork character to life with her personality and passion for pickles earned her a $2,500 U.S. savings bond and a chance to make an appearance as the Vlasic stork at an event to be determined. Hazel Adcock Estate Sale Saturday in F.C. An estate sale of the property of the late Hazel Adcock, a well-known and active Falls Church City resident for many years, is slated at her 300 Lawton St. home Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Her collection includes items gathered during travels abroad, and include Ethiopian pottery and paintings, sterling flatware, carpets, a large glass collection and a library of books on international and art subjects. Falls Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Quinn Auction Galleries and Estate Services is conducting the sale. Adcock was a member of the Falls Church Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Club, Garden Club and a founding member of the Cherry Hill Writers and Poets Society. She contributed historical features published in the Falls Church News-Press in the early 1990s. F.C. Police Offer â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Bullying & School Violenceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Seminar This Friday, Aug. 22, the Falls Church City Police will offer a second free summer seminar, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Teen Truth: An Inside Look at Bullying and School Violence,â&#x20AC;? open to educators, parents and students from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at the City Hall Training Center. Seminar leaders will discuss how to change the alienating culture of high school, stop bullies, and make school a safe and supportive place for all young people. Pre-registration is urged by calling Officer Derrica Wilson at 703-248-5056 or e-mailing dwilson@fallschurchva.gov. An earlier seminar was held on Aug. 11.

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F.C. School Patron Celebrates 95th Birthday Jesse Thackrey, an icon of the City of Falls Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s school system, one of the earliest members of its school board and a continuing supporter through scholarships and other forms of support, will celebrate her 95th birthday with friends and family this Saturday. The event is being coordinated by the Falls Church (Continuing) Episcopalian Church, where she is an active member. The non-profit Falls Church Educational Foundation (FCEF) has created a Jesse Thackrey Early Childhood Classroom Fund, which is used to enrich the school system of which she has been such an important part. Those wishing to celebrate Thackreyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s birthday with a gift are being encouraged to make a donation to her fund. Checks can be made out to the FCEF, designating the Jesse Thackrey Fund on the â&#x20AC;&#x153;memoâ&#x20AC;? line, and mailed to 450 W. Broad St., Suite 305, Falls Church, VA 22046. Persons seeking more information on Saturdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s party can contact the church at 703-532-8818.

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Two leaders of the City of Falls Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s burgeoning arts community will be addressing the F.C. City Council at its Sept. 8 meeting, reporting on progress in the development of an arts center at the new Pearson Square mixed use project and advocating that the City officially designated itself as an â&#x20AC;&#x153;Arts District.â&#x20AC;? Laura Hull of the Creative Cauldron and former Vice Mayor Marty Meserve of the Falls Church Arts are slated to address the Council, and Hull said theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d present a draft resolution that the Council could use to certify the City with the official â&#x20AC;&#x153;Arts and Cultural Districtâ&#x20AC;? designation that the Virginia State Legislature authorized in 2005. The designation includes provisions for a set of tax and other incentives to encourage the location of arts-related enterprises in the City. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re very heartened by the progress in our theatre and visual arts center at Pearson Square,â&#x20AC;? Hull told the News-Press. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re getting wonderful cooperation from our Transwestern landlords, and it looks like weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have a space that can seat about 100 people.â&#x20AC;?

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School’s about to be back in session and local jocks aren’t the only ones feeling the rigorous burn from two-a-day style drills lately — their moms are right out there with them. Earlier this month, some Fairfax County football mommas gave up their Saturday morning, usually set aside for shopping and pedicures, to spend four plus hours sweating it out with the best of them at the fourth annual Football 101 for Women Clinic, hosted by James Madison High School in Vienna, Va. this year. “It was fun to watch some of the women get so into it. It was

kind of like we were the kids [laughs],” said George C. Marshall High School football mom Claudia Richards. Richards, whose sophomore son Tim Richards plays tight end offense on this year’s Marshall J.V. football team, was one of nearly forty women to attend the clinic, sponsored by National Capital Region Chapter (NCRC) of the National Football Foundation. A relatively new chapter to the area, the NCRC’s president Greg Oliver says he wanted to gain the support of area schools and coaches by offering something a little different from just the usual athletics banquet. “We wanted to kick off football season here locally by offering women in the area an

GOING LONG FOR THE PASS, football moms caught some air, giving their all on the field during the fourth annual Football 101 for Women Clinic. (Photo: Bob Jarrell)

opportunity to see first hand the X’s and O’s of football, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at motherhood and football,” said Oliver. Mary Ramseyer, wife of Bill Ramseyer, the former head football coach of both The University of Virginia’s College at Wise and Wilmington College, spoke to the women about being married to the game as an avid supporter of her husband’s coaching, only missing two games during his whole career. Ramseyer reminded the women to not only cheer on their son, but also the players on the team who don’t have an active parent attending the games. “I really loved Mary’s comments about supporting every player on the team, even the ones who don’t get to play, because it really is a team effort to win. I appreciated the total picture of the sport, just really positive,” said Richards. Not alone in the task of learning the sport, Richards brought along fellow football mom Dalal Hamad, whose sophomore son Raikin Hamad plays defensive tackle and offensive guard alongside Tim on Marshall’s J.V. team. Somewhat of a team mom, Karen Newcomb sent out an e-mail to the Marshall women about the clinic. Richards, who heard word the Sunday prior to the clinic, didn’t have to spend too much time convincing Hamad to join her. “I found out about it from Claudia and I thought ‘Oh, it’s about time!’ I couldn’t wait until I learned more about it,” said Hamad. And football they did learn. Everything short of shoulder pads and helmets, the women divided themselves into teams representing the position their son played to perform the exact drills their children go through

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during the dog-day heat of summer. Once the drills were complete, and following a catered lunch full of giggles and chatter, the women were back at it to face each other head to head in a series of single-down, role-playing scrimmages. Some frequented the water cooler, some playfully talked trash to the referee and others ran touchdowns so intense, it likely made onlookers wonder why there isn’t a momonly league already in place.

Mothers walked away with a new appreciation for what their sons go through. “I think anytime you step inside someone’s shoes you see a lot more, you see what they’re up against and experience some the of the feelings that they have. I knew [what my son does] was hard, but I really didn’t know how hard,” said Richards. “I think having us play our sons’ positions was wonderful because I definitely saw what he

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IT WAS “ALL HANDS IN” as participators and JMHS football players gathered round for one last “Team Mom” chant on the turf. (PHOTO: BOB JARRELL) sees inside his helmet and had never really anticipated anything like what it was,” said Hamad. Female campers waiting their turn on the sidelines weren’t the only ones who got a kick out of watching forty grown women shed any apprehensions of looking silly to give it their all on the ﬁeld. One woman gave so much that she walked away from the clinic on crutches, a battle wound inﬂicted from legitimate dedication, but with a grin from ear to ear. Volunteer coaches carried the injured mom queenstyle, lifting her chair into the air and over to where the team photo was being taken towards the end of the clinic. “All of us were just delighted

to see ladies be such good sports and take to the field, exposing themselves for their perhaps limited knowledge. It just really didn’t bother them — they were seemingly happy with an opportunity to support their own sons’ efforts by familiarizing themselves with the basics of this game,” said Oliver. Off the field, women were lectured by a certified referee and given explanations for every hand single he throws into the air during the game. For some, it was a chance to see the ref in a light separate from his often vilified position as someone out to get their son, or to intentionally overlook a bad play by the opposition. Realizing this, Rich-

ards believes she’s gained a new understanding of the ref’s goal, opposite from being the bad guy. “It personalized him. I never really considered the fact that they go through training and, while we have this bird’s eye view from the stands, they’re strategically placed on the ﬁeld,” said Richards. The moms returned home to impress their sons with a bank of football knowledge, all the way from terminology to being able to call penalties from the stands. Hamad says her son Raikin laughed his head off when he heard his mom was off to football camp. “He’s still laughing,” Ha-

A MADISON HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL MOM catches the pass, heads for the touchdown on the school’s artiﬁcial turf during the Saturday Clinic. (PHOTO: BOB JARRELL)

mad joked. “He quizzed me when I got back about what I had learned and he even felt that some things they taught us went above and beyond the basics of the game. Some of the things I learned, he didn’t even know.” Perhaps the laughing stopped when Hamad went home to show off the moves she’d learned to her son. “I deﬁnitely had a few things to show my son. He didn’t even believe I knew how to do a stance,” said Hamad. Richards’ son Tim, the younger of his two brothers, was equally impressed to hear his mom would be attending the clinic. “He seemed happy, in a teenage boy sort of way [laughs], that I was showing so much interest,” said Richards. “For me to go, it was another way to show my support.” Her family, six of which are children, had previously lived overseas, where opportunities to play sports like American football were not always at her kids’ disposal. One of Tim’s brothers played basketball and another was into music, making football a whole new playing ﬁeld, literally, for Richards and her husband to learn. “This is a new experience for us; we’ve been learning about sports for a long time, but not football,” said Richards.

Though Richards noticed that her son’s enthusiasm for the game never faltered, the freshman J.V. football team at Marshall, on which Tim played last year, played an unfortunate season that garnered the team only one win. “As a parent, it was really hard to watch but he’d come home excited about one play he did right and I always thought that was such a great perspective,” said Richards. “Now, knowing a little more about the game, I can see exactly where he’s coming from, that he played his part good and helped the team overall as a contributor.” It wasn’t just a new appreciation or the accomplishment of burnt calories that the women left the clinic with. They also walked away with pink t-shirts and tote bags in tow that read “X’s and O’s Are More Than Hugs and Kisses,” specially designed by Ramseyer herself. “Overall, I love the feeling that it was a good cause and that there was a uniﬁed purpose,” said Richards. “Being on there on the ﬁeld with the other women, it felt like we were a team ourselves.” The NCRC will be hosting another Football 101 for Women Clinic next year on Aug. 8, 2009. For more information on how you can attend, contact Greg Oliver at 703-707-9414.

Page 10

August 21 - 27, 2008

On Tuesdays, Senate Republicans hold a weekly policy lunch. The party leaders often hand out a Message of the Week that the senators are supposed to repeat at every opportunity. Sometimes there will be a pollster offering data that supposedly demonstrates the brilliance of the message and why it will lead to political nirvana. John McCain generally spends the lunches at a table with a gang of fellow ne’er-do-wells. He cracks jokes, razzes the speaker and generally ridicules the whole proceeding. Then he takes the paper with the Message of the Week back to his office. He tosses it on the desk of some staffer with a sarcastic comment like: “Here’s your message. Learn it. Love it. Live it.” This sort of behavior has been part of McCain’s long-running rebellion against the stupidity of modern partisanship. In a thousand ways, he has tried to preserve some sense of self-respect in a sea of pandering pomposity. He’s done it through self-mockery, by talking endlessly about his own embarrassing lapses and by keeping up a running patter on the absurdity all around. He’s done it by breaking frequently from his own party to cut serious deals with people like Ted Kennedy and Russ Feingold. He’s done it with his own frantic and freewheeling style, which was unpredictable, untamed and, at some level, unprofessional. When McCain and his team set out to win the presidency in 2008, they hoped to run a campaign with this sort of spirit. McCain would venture forth on the back of his bus, going places other Republicans don’t go, saying things politicians don’t say, offering the country the vision of a different kind of politics -- free of circus antics -- in which serious people sacrifice for serious things. It hasn’t turned out that way. McCain hasn’t been able to run the campaign he had envisioned. Instead, he and his staff have been given an education by events. McCain started out with the same sort of kibitzing campaign style that he used to woo the press back in 2000. It didn’t work. This time there were too many cameras around and too many 25-yearold reporters and producers seizing on every odd comment to set off little blog scandals. McCain started out with the same sort of improvised campaign events he’d used his entire career, in which

he’d begin by riffing off of whatever stories were in the paper that day. It didn’t work. The campaign lacked focus. No message was consistent enough to penetrate through the national clutter. McCain started his general-election campaign in poverty-stricken areas of the South and Midwest. He went through towns where most Republicans fear to tread and said things most wouldn’t say. It didn’t work. The poverty tour got very little coverage on the network news. McCain and his advisers realized the only way they could get TV attention was by talking about the subject that interested reporters most: Barack Obama. McCain started with grand ideas about breaking the mold of modern politics. He and Obama would tour the country together doing joint town meetings. He would pick a post-partisan running mate, like Joe Lieberman. He would make a dramatic promise, like vowing to serve for only one totally nonpolitical term. So far it hasn’t worked. Obama vetoed the town meeting idea. The issue is not closed, but GOP leaders are resisting a crossparty pick like Lieberman. McCain and his advisers have been compelled to adjust to the hostile environment around them. They have been compelled, at least in their telling, to abandon the campaign they had hoped to run. Now they are running a much more conventional race, the kind McCain himself used to ridicule. The man who lampooned the Message of the Week is now relentlessly on message (as observers of his fine performance at Saddleback Church can attest). The man who hopes to inspire a new generation of Americans now attacks Obama daily. It is the only way he can get the networks to pay attention. Some old McCain hands are dismayed. John Weaver, the former staff member who helped run the old McCain operation, argues that this campaign does not do justice to the man. The current advisers say they have no choice. They didn’t choose the circumstances of this race. Their job is to cope with them. And the inescapable fact is: It is working. Everyone said McCain would be down by double digits at this point. He’s nearly even. Everyone said he’d be vastly outspent. That hasn’t happened. A long-shot candidacy now seems entirely plausible. As the McCain’s campaign has become more conventional, his political prospects have soared. Both he and Obama had visions of upending the system. Maybe in office, one of them will still be able to do that. But at least on the campaign trail, the system is winning.

Presidential elections always have their share of foolishness, hypocrisy and, let’s say, elasticity when it comes to facts. This is what comes to mind whenever I hear John McCain and other Republicans reverentially invoking the name of Theodore Roosevelt. McCain will tell you outright: “I am a Teddy Roosevelt Republican.” That’s about as elastic as the facts can get. In June, McCain (“We’re gonna drill here! We’re gonna drill now!”) got a big boost in donations from oil industry executives after he reversed course and came out strongly in favor of offshore drilling. A Washington Post headline pointedly said: “Industry Gushed Money After Reversal on Drilling.” To put it mildly, that was not very Rooseveltian. Around the same time that the McCain campaign was pocketing its oil industry windfall, the historian Douglas Brinkley was poring over letters in which

Roosevelt, running for his first full term as president in 1904, was indignantly ordering his campaign to return a $100,000 contribution from Standard Oil. In a letter to his campaign manager, dated Oct. 26, 1904, Roosevelt said: “I must ask you to direct that the money be returned to them forthwith.” As Roosevelt saw it: “We cannot under any circumstances afford to take a contribution which can be even improperly construed as putting us under an improper obligation.” That kind of thinking is long gone, from both parties. Barack Obama, as well as McCain, has taken contributions from oil industry executives. But what is telling about this particular difference between Teddy Roosevelt and John McCain is that it is so illustrative of what Roosevelt was really about, and how fundamentally different that was from what McCain and the latter-day Republican Party is about. “The truth of the matter is that Roosevelt today would be on the left,” said Brinkley, who is writing a biography of the former president titled “The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt’s Continued on Page 38

By rights, John McCain should be getting hammered on economics. After all, McCain proposes continuing the policies of a president who’s had a truly dismal economic record — job growth under the current administration has been the slowest in 60 years, even slower than job growth under the first President Bush. And the public blames the White House, giving Bush spectacularly low ratings on his handling of the economy. Meanwhile, The Times reports that, according to associates, McCain still “dials up” Phil Gramm, the former senator who resigned as co-chairman of the campaign after calling America a “nation of whiners” and dismissing the country’s economic woes as nothing more than a “mental recession.” And Gramm is still considered a top pick for Treasury secretary. So McCain would seem to offer a target a mile wide: a die-hard supporter of failed economic policies who takes his advice from people completely out of touch with the lives of working Americans. But while polls continue to show that the public, by a large margin, trusts Democrats more than Republicans to handle the economy, recent polling shows that Barack Obama has at best a small edge over McCain on the issue -- four points in a recent Time magazine poll, and he is one point behind according to Rasmussen Reports, which does automated polling. And Obama’s failure to achieve a decisive edge on economic policy is central to his failure to open up a big lead in overall polling. Why isn’t the Obama campaign getting more traction on economic issues? It’s not the Republican offensive on offshore drilling. It’s true that many Americans have apparently been misled by bogus claims about gas price relief. But as I’ve already pointed out, Democrats in general retain a large edge on economic issues. Nor is there any valid basis for the complaints, highlighted in Sunday’s Times, that Obama isn’t offering enough policy specifics. Delve into the Obama campaign Web site and you’ll find plenty of policy detail. And the campaign’s ads reel off lots of specific policy proposals — too many, if you ask me. No, the problem isn’t lack of specifics — it’s lack of passion. When it comes to the economy, Obama’s campaign seems oddly lethargic. I was astonished at the flatness of the big economy speech he gave in St. Petersburg at the beginning of this month — a speech that was billed as the start of a new campaign focus on economic issues. Obama is a great orator, yet he began that speech with a litany of statistics that were probably meaningless to most listeners. Worse yet, he seemed to go out of his way to avoid scoring political points. “Back in the 1990s,” he declared, “your incomes grew by $6,000, and over the last several years, they’ve actually fallen by nearly $1,000.” Um, not quite: real median household income didn’t rise $6,000 during “the 1990s,” it did so during the Clinton years, after falling under the first Bush administration. Income hasn’t fallen $1,000 in “recent years,” it’s fallen under George Bush, with all of the decline taking place before 2005. Obama surrogates have shown a similar inclination to go for the capillaries rather than the jugular. A recent Wall Street Journal op-ed by two Obama advisers offered another blizzard of statistics almost burying the key point — that most Americans would pay lower taxes under the Obama tax plan than under the McCain plan. All this makes a stark contrast with the campaign of the last Democrat to make it to the White House, who had no trouble conveying passion over matters economic. In his speech accepting the Democratic nomination in 1992, a year in which economic conditions somewhat resembled those today, Bill Clinton denounced his opponent as someone “caught in the grip of a failed economic theory.” Where Obama spoke cryptically in St. Petersburg about a “reckless few” who “game the system, as we’ve seen in this housing crisis” — I know what he meant, I think, but how many voters got it? — Clinton declared that “those who play by the rules and keep the faith have gotten the shaft, and those who cut corners and cut deals have been rewarded.” That’s the kind of hard-hitting populism that’s been absent from the Obama campaign so far. Of course, Obama hasn’t given his own acceptance speech yet. Al Gore found a new populist fervor in August 2000, and surged in the polls. A comparable surge by Obama would give him a landslide victory this year. But it’s up to him. If Obama can’t find the passion on economic matters that has been lacking in his campaign so far, he may yet lose this election.

August 21 - 27, 2008

Last weekend’s spectacle in Orange County, California, was not a debate on faith and values between the two presidential candidates. It was a showcase for the elevation of yet another right-wing fundamentalist preacher, an heir to the late Jerry Falwell anointed as a media darling to be its resident expert on faith-related matters. Where does this hypocritical Rick Warren character get off as qualified to bring men of such stature as the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees under his sway for hours on national television? It is most obvious that in religion, as in politics, there is a full spectrum of views that can be broken into conservative and liberal camps. Why, then, is only one religious perspective allowed to deconstruct the candidates? For better or worse, Barack Obama apparently felt he must pass muster on enemy terms. Having recoiled from his own progressive religious tradition, under pressure from those who demonized Jeremiah Wright, Obama sought Saturday to establish so-called “mainstream” religious and faith credentials. It was a noble effort, and Obama can be applauded for his courage entering into the lion’s den, so to speak, or in another way of putting it, “into hell for a heavenly cause.” But the cards were stacked against him. A serious discussion of faith and values is one thing. But in Disneyland, people want Mickey Mouse, not the sober truth. In Rick Warren’s Disneylandlike mega-church, therefore, John McCain carried the day. Key was the much-ballyhooed questions by Warren on whether “evil” exists, and what to do about it. Obama gave a thoughtful, nuanced answer that identified “evil” in association with a lot of insensitive, unjust and cruel behaviors of persons and societies against each other. When McCain was asked what to do about “evil,” his answer was simple. Pounding his fist, he bellowed, “Defeat it!” The crowd loved that. The reason it, and presumably a lot of people watching on TV, liked McCain’s answer was not because it was “tough” and anti-intellectual, but because he clearly implied that “evil” is not a domestic problem, but is the menace that all of those unwashed foreigners outside the U.S. borders (or inside illegally) represent. That’s the answer that Rick Warren was looking for, too. In his sermon the next morning, as reported in the Los Angeles Times, Warren told his flock that “character,” and not issues, should decide the next president. Such dissembling is exactly the modus operandi perfected in the name of those who have, for the most sinister motives of personal gain, used fundamentalist religion as a weapon against economic justice. Jeff Sharlet, in his new book, “The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power,” (Harper Collins, 2008) documents this in detail, dating back to the founding of a religious association of bankers and industrialists in the Pacific Northwest in the 1930s that banded together to defeat the growing power of labor unions during the Great Depression. This secret association (it officially went underground in the mid-1960s to deflect attention in an era of anti-war and civil rights unrest) developed under the names, “The Fellowship,” or “The Family,” with the express purpose of influencing the corridors of political power in the U.S. with pro-free trade, anti-labor, anti-New Deal-style policies, all in the name of ultra-conservative religion. It has worked diligently to blur the boundaries between church, or religion, and state. A generally unknown name, Dick Foth has been its leader for decades. A vital cornerstone of its belief structure, aside from religious platitudes, is that “the world’s problems are moral, not economic.” Theirs is a long and scary story that Sharlet documents well. Perhaps it’s a tribute to The Family’s success, and backing in high places, that Rick Warren ran the show all by himself last Saturday night, making the criteria for election “character” and not “issues.” Obama and his supporters best wake up, and become better armed to set the “values” agenda between now and Election Day. Rick Warren is flat wrong at best. It is the policies that will provide relief from eight years of George Bush that matter, not clownish fist-pounding.  Nicholas Benton may be emailed at nfbenton@fcnp.com.

Page 11

WASHINGTON – In the dead of night in a small hideaway office in the deserted Capitol, a clandestine meeting takes place between two senators with one goal. They grin at each other as they lift their celebratory shots of brutally cold Stolichnaya. “Here’s to The One,” they toast in unison. “He’s toast!” “Obama should have picked you, Hillary,” John McCain tells her. “It isn’t fair, my friend. But it just makes it easier for me to whup him.” “Don’t worry, John, I’ve put it behind me,” Hillary replies. “I’m looking toward the future now, a future that looks very bright, once we send Twig Legs back to the back bench.” They chortle with delight. “He’s a bright young man, but he got ahead of himself,” McCain says. “He needs to be taught a lesson, and we’re the ones to do it. Have you seen the new polls? Obama’s dropped and we’re even again. The Bullet’s getting all the credit, but you and I know, Hillary, that it’s these top-secret counseling sessions we’re having. And thanks again for BlackBerrying me the Rick Warren questions while I was in the so-called cone of silence.” “Oh, John, you know I love you and I’m happy to help,” Hillary says. “The themes you took from me are working great — painting Obama as an elitist and out-of-touch celebrity, when we’re rich celebrities, too. Turning his big rallies and pretty words into character flaws, charging him with playing the race card — that one always cracks me up. And accusing the media, especially NBC, of playing favorites. It’s so easy to get the press to navel-gaze; they’re so insecure.” “They’re all pinko Commies,” McCain laughs. “Especially since they deserted me for The Messiah. Seriously, Hill, that Paris HiltonBritney Spears ad you came up with was brilliant. I owe you.” Looking pleased, Hillary expertly downs another shot. “His secret fear is being seen as a dumb blonde,” she says. “He wants to take a short cut to the top and pose on glossy magazine covers, but he doesn’t want to be seen as a glib pretty boy.” McCain lifts his glass to her admiringly. “If I do say so myself, while the rookie was surfing in Hawaii, I ate his pupus for lunch. Pictures of him pushing around a golf ball while I’m pushing around Putin. Priceless.”

“I have a little secret to tell you about that, John. Bill made it happen. He loves you so much. He called Putin and told him that if he invaded Georgia, he could count on being invited to the Clinton Global Initiative every year for the rest of his life.” “Wow. Should I call him? I saw your husband’s kind words about me in Las Vegas on Monday, saying I’d be just as good as Obama on climate change.” “I think he’d like that,” Hillary smiles. “He’s still boiling at Obama. And you don’t have to worry about my army of angry women. We’ve spread the word in the feminist underground -- as opposed to that wacky Obama Weather Underground -- that ‘catharsis’ is code for ‘No surrender.’ My gals know when I say ‘We may have started on two separate paths but we’re on one journey now’ that Skinny’s journey is to the nearest exit.” “But Obama’s says he’s finally ready to hit back,” McCain says, frowning. “He’s starting a blistering TV campaign and attacking me for attacking his patriotism.” “Now, John, you know that every time he tries to get tough, he quickly runs out of gas. Sometimes in debates, he’d be exhausted by the third question. He must use up all his energy in the gym. He doesn’t have any stamina, and he certainly doesn’t have our bloodlust. Besides, you can throw that Mark Penn stuff at him that I couldn’t use in a Democratic primary about how he’s not fundamentally American in his thinking and values. While he’s up on his highminded pedestal, you’ll scoot past him in your Ferragamos.” “How can I ever thank you, my friend?” “You can announce that you won’t be running for re-election because you’d be 76, and you can pick somebody really lame to run with, like your pal Lieberman. That means one term for you, and two for me.” “It’s a deal,” McCain says, sticking out his hand to shake on it. “That was inspired to snatch his convention away — makes him look so weak. Listen, why don’t you stop in Sedona on the way to Denver? Wear a black wig and I’ll spirit you up to the cabin for the night. I’ll catch a catfish in the mill pond and grill it for you. It will be an adventure.” There’s a knock on the door. Jesse Jackson sticks his head into the meeting. “Is it over?” he asks his co-conspirators. “Yes, he’s over,” they respond in unison.

Page 12

The Washington pundits who brought us George W. Bush’s presidency and the Iraq fiasco have reached a consensus that John McCain came across as “more presidential” at mega church pastor Rick Warren’s faith forum. This conclusion is true if we are still defining “presidential” as a cocksure windbag who bonds with the common people by pandering to the lowest common denominator. On cue, the media judged the candidates by how fun they’d be at a barbecue. McCain was lauded as a “commanding figure” while Obama was derided for coming across as “professorial.” In today’s politics, if you demonstrate your I.Q. your career may be through and a candidate can now admit having smoked marijuana, but not that he has experimented with arugula. In 2000, the media gave Bush an easy ride because he was affable, but have learned nothing after his presidency turned out to be laughable. We watched Bush strut in his flight suit on an aircraft carrier with a gigantic banner claiming “Mission Accomplished.” When it was clear that the mission had hardly begun, Bush thumped his chest and challenged the insurgents to “bring it on.” Well, they obliged and now thousands of Americans and tens of thousands of Iraqis are dead. After nearly eight years of alienating the world with cowboy diplomacy, the media portrays Obama’s tendency to be humble as a political stumble. Meanwhile, McCain talks tough to the Russians as they continue to rush into Georgia. At the forum, without hesitation he said he is going to defeat evil. But how does he plan to make good on his shallow sound bite with our military tied up in Iraq and our economy on the rocks? Vladimir Putin has shrugged off the McCain crowd, essentially saying, “You and what army is going to stop us?” McCain must be acting like a galloping stallion because he knows of secret battalions that can be called on to defends the budding democracies in the Caucasus region. At the forum, McCain also got a big hand by vowing to continue Bush’s policy of ensuring that tycoons can live nearly tax free. Such economic policies combined with Republican deregulation have sold out our country and helped fuel the rise of China – which not only has more gold medals, but owns much of America’s gold. Perhaps, McCain remains so bubbly and blissfully unaware of the housing bubble because he has several million-dollar homes. Yet, the media still builds him up as the common man ready to storm the gates, even though he has more in common with Bill Gates. Of course, the enablers of America’s decline are Evangelical Christians who eschew their economic interests in favor of their bizarre moral fetishes. This penchant for the puritanical was exemplified by Warren’s voyeuristic question asking each candidate, “What would be the greatest moral failure in your life.” Predictably, this carnival of confession and moral spectacle accomplished nothing and failed to reveal any juicy new “sins” that were not already on public record. Fresh from discussing the implosion of his marriage – a huge biblical abomination – McCain spoke out against gay people marrying. In the backdrop of this event was a low level controversy where Jonathan Crutchley, the co-founder of the gay cruising site Man Hunt, gave a $2,300 donation to McCain. This was odd, considering McCain reconfirmed at the forum that he favored Supreme Court judges who had cast votes to outlaw sodomy – the very Man Hunt product that had made Crutchley rich. Horrified, the other Man Hunt co-founder, Larry Basile, pressured Crutchley to resign as chairman of the company. While Crutchly has been reined in, a new Harris Poll shows that Obama has only 68-percent of the GLBT vote. Sadly, 2008 is looking much like the last two elections, where a compliant media joins forces with chest thumping evangelicals and closeted homosexuals to further degrade America’s greatness. If McCain is inaugurated, we will all be invited to the barbecue on his million-dollar Arizona ranch, blissfully unaware that our future is the roasting pig with a rotten apple sticking out of its bloated mouth. Of course, the further we sink into irrelevancy, the more faith forums we will see – even as the rest of the world loses faith in our ability to lead the world. While Rick Warren is an improvement over Focus on the Family’s James Dobson, he must teach evangelicals there is a better way than the selfishness of modern conservatism, or it will go down as his biggest moral failure.

August 21 - 27, 2008

Monday, the General Assembly “money” committees met in Richmond to hear the Kaine Administration’s revenue projections for this fiscal year (’09), that ended on June 30, and the next (‘FY10). The news was not good. The money committee membership includes more than 40% of the House and Senate membership — the Senate Finance Committee and the House Appropriations and House Finance Committees. The 22-member House Finance Committee has responsibility for reviewing and approving revenue measures. The 24-member Appropriations Committee Appropriations Committee handles appropriations, the Commonwealth’s biennial budget and budget oversight. The Senate Finance Committee, composed of 16 of the 40 members of the Senate has responsibility for both revenues and appropriations. Members of the money committees meet regularly in August and December. In August, the Governor summarizes the revenues of the recently finished fiscal year and offers a general and preliminary forecast for the current fiscal year. Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committees meet several times a year to consider revenue updates and to review programs and responsibilities of the various agencies. I serve on the House Appropriations Committee; Senator Whipple serves on the Senate Finance Committee.

Virginia’s 8th Congressional District Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives

Last December, when he presented his first full two-year budget, Governor Kaine projected serious revenue challenges in the subsequent two calendar years, beginning with January ’08. His projections on Monday reflected the national economic downturn and a larger-thanexpected shortfall for Virginia. As a result of those estimates, the Governor said he would call a meeting of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Revenue Estimates (GACRE). GACRE is composed of business, leaders, economists and members of the House and Senate leadership. After GACRE’s input, the Administration will update the official revenue forecast. The Governor has already advised agency heads, they should start planning for reductions, but he cannot direct appropriations cuts until the forecast is official. Nevertheless, it is clear that state revenues will require substantial reductions, including aid to localities. Cuts in all areas are likely, particularly in public education, transportation and social services. Earlier this year the House Republicans, with only Delegate

Tom Rust dissenting, and all House Democrats opposing, proposed to change dramatically the formula for state aid to public education. Fortunately that change did not occur because the Senate did not agree. That effort involved redefining the “actual cost” of public education. The major component of the reduction would come from limiting the state reimbursement to school employees to the amount approved by the General Assembly in the previous session, rather than the amount approved by localities. Needless to say, it would have major negative ramifications for high cost areas like Falls Church, Arlington and Fairfax County. We can expect the GACRE meeting to occur in early October, and gubernatorial action limiting ’09 expenditures to be taken shortly thereafter. The Governor has stated he will not consider tax increase to fund any shortfalls. Therefore, FY ’10 promises to be a very difficult year for the Commonwealth and all localities

August 21 - 27, 2008

Page 13

Summer may be winding down, but there still is time to enjoy the free summer outdoor concert series, Spotlight by Starlight, at Mason District Park. Tomorrow night’s performance features the City of Fairfax “Alte Kameraden German” Band. The band performs many traditional and familiar Bavarian tunes, and in costume! Although the Oktoberfest spirit reigns in late August, sadly, no beer (or other alcoholic beverage) is allowed in the park! This Saturday’s final morning children’s show will feature Pirate Jack and his musical sea voyage. The show begins at 10 a.m.; children of all ages are welcome. On Sunday, the All New Genetically Altered Jug Band (ANGAJB) will present “music that makes you smile.” This is a new group for the amphitheatre show, so you’ll have to come out and decide for yourself. Wednesday’s show is Big Bertha’s Rhythm Kings, featuring a high intensity mix of swing and Dixieland. On Friday, Aug. 29, Karma from Tibet will present spectacular Tibetan cultural performances involving the use of colorful costumes and the playing of horns, cymbals and other traditional Tibetan instruments. The performance also will feature the premiere of Tibetan folk dances by Tibetan-American children. Along with the wonderful music and dance, authentic Tibetan foods will be available for purchase before the performance. It’s a good evening to leave the pots and pans in the kitchen, come out to the park and enjoy a Tibetan picnic, too. The last concert in the summer series, on Sunday, Aug. 31, will feature the Skyline Vocal Band, an a cappella group that uses no instruments, only the human voice. All evening shows

begin at 7:30 p.m. The Spotlight by Starlight free concert series is sponsored by the Friends of Mason District Park and the Fairfax County Park Authority. Corporate sponsorship has been provided this year by Cox Communications, Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads, The West*Group, Exxon Mobil and the Music Performance Trust Fund. Mason District Park is located at 6621 Columbia Pike in Annandale. After entering the park, turn right and go up the hill to the parking lot. A short walk down an asphalt trail leads directly to the Newton Edwards Amphitheatre for the concerts. Bench seating is available, but many patrons prefer to bring their own lawn chairs or blankets. An accessible viewing platform for wheelchair patrons also is on site. I often am asked about the history of the amphitheatre and the summer concerts. The original structure was built in 1984 and named for Newton Edwards, a Park Authority member from Mason District who was instrumental in obtaining the 121-acre former pony farm on Columbia Pike for a county park. Regular concerts began in the early 1990s. A 1993 brochure lists programs on most Sundays, some Friday and Saturday evenings, and a variety of children’s programs on Saturday mornings, for a total of 25 shows. Today’s schedule lists 50 shows overall, including a full jazz series on Wednesday evenings. In October 2004, the amphitheatre burned to the ground following an electrical storm. It was rebuilt to the original configuration in record time, re-opening in June 2005. Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov 

Bernard Howard Garhart, Jr. Sean (Johann), Brian (Gail), died on Wednesday, Aug. 13, Thomas (Angie) and Erin 2008 in Falls Church, half way Mooney; Rachele, Jessica and through his 90th year. He was Shane Chris, Dana, Anna & born in Sharon, Pa., to the late Sam Garhart. Great grandfather Anna Madden and Bernard H. of Megan and Caitlin Mooney. Garhart Sr. He was the beloved Bernard “Bus” Garhart was husband for 64 years to Anne a WWII Veteran, recipient of Murray Garhart, and father of a Purple Heart, Silver Star and Falls Church resident Cathy an Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf her husband Paul, JCClusters. was in the “Most 65 He DOLEV 6/6/01 CLIENTf Quinn2 and13:55 Carol, Chuck (Cindy), Rick Decorated” one mission crew in (Joanne) and Ben Garhart. He Air Force history. He was a long was the grandfather of David time member of St. James Parish (Karen) and Matthew Quinn; and a mathematics teacher and

sports coach at Falls Church High School for 28 yrs. He moved his family to the City of Falls Church in 1948 and lived there until 1976. “Bus” and Anne returned to Falls Church City in 2005. Graveside services will be held on Nov. 5, 2008 at 3 p.m. at the Arlington National Cemetery, with full military honors. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions in his memory go to Capital Hospice, P.O. Box 1576, Merrifield, Va. 22116-1576.

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Governor’s Advisory Council on Revenue Estimates (GACRE). GACRE is composed of business, leaders, economists and members of the House and Senate leadership. After GACRE’s input, the Administration will update the official revenue forecast. The Governor has already advised agency heads, they should start planning for reductions, but he cannot direct appropriations cuts until the forecast is official. Nevertheless, it is clear that state revenues will require substantial reductions, including aid to localities. Cuts in all areas are likely, particularly in public education, transportation and social services. Earlier this year the House Republicans, with only Delegate Tom Rust dissenting, and all House Democrats opposing, proposed to change dramatically the formula for state aid to public education. Fortunately that change did not occur because the Senate did not agree. That effort involved redefining the “actual cost” of public education. The major component of the reduction would come from limiting the state reimbursement to school employees to the amount approved by the General Assembly in the previous session, rather than the amount approved by localities. Needless to say, it would have major negative ramifications for high cost areas like Falls Church, Arlington and Fairfax County. We can expect the GACRE meeting to occur in early October, and gubernatorial action limiting ’09 expenditures to be taken shortly thereafter. The Governor has stated he will not consider tax increase to fund any shortfalls. Therefore, FY ’10 promises to be a very difficult year for the Commonwealth and all localities. Delegate Scott represents the 53rd District in the Virginia House of Delegates. He may be emailed at deljscott@aol. com. 

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Kid-Safe Software Hits Falls Church

Falls Church Community Center Closing

A new desktop alternative, KidDesktop, has been launched in Falls Church. The program features a customized start screen and personalized activity bar with games and appropriate Web sites, the option to download and view pictures, timed computer sessions, and the ability to navigate the Internet in a safe working environment that is parent controlled.

The City of Falls Church Community Center (223 Little Falls St., Falls Church) will close for annual maintenance Monday, Aug. 25 – Monday, Sept. 1, 2008. During this time, the Community Center will be closed to all activities, drop-in recreational use, room rentals and other normally-scheduled functions. The front desk will be staffed for regular business activities such as answering the phone, completing sports and class registrations, and entering facility reservations. The Community Center will not be staffed Sunday, Aug. 31 and Monday, Sept. 1 in observance of the Labor Day holiday. For more information, please call the Recreation & Parks Division at 703-2485077 (TTY 711).

Arlington Student Graduates LOVEBIRDS Sara Brock and Ryan Kirkwood got engaged. (PHOTO: COURTESY SUSAN HARTMAN)

Jessica Eidson graduated from Georgetown University in May, earning her bachelor’s degree from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. Eidson was one of 1,716 undergraduate students in Georgetown’s Class of 2008. F.C. City Crime Solvers Seek Graffiti Vandals

NEWLY Elected Officers of Dominion Women’s Club: Front, Jenny Names, Secretary; Jennifer Salopek, President; Jenny Saad, Co-VPof Programs. Back, StephanieArthur, VPFundraising; Erika Keough, VPMembership; Leslie Vorndran, Treasurer Elect; Debby Stone, Co-VPPrograms. Not pictured: Mary Ann Miller, Treasurer; Jaimie Galbreath, Parliamentarian. (PHOTO: KITTY GONZALEZ)

Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be! Snap a pic of your critter and email it to: CRITTERCORNER@FCNP.COM OR mail it to Critter Corner c/o Falls Church News-Press 450 W. Broad Street #321 Falls Church, Va 22046

Falls Church City Crime Solvers is searching for information regarding vandalism that occurred along West Broad Street in the City. The vandal(s) wrote graffiti on numerous buildings, dumpsters, traffic control boxes, and utility boxes. The bulk of the graffiti appeared between 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 8 and 6 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 9. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-866-411-TIPS. Callers may remain anonymous. Crime Solvers will pay a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect(s) in this case.

Girls Soccer Team Looking For Players Reston Strikers ’95, a U13 Div. 4 WAGS team, is looking for 1-2 skilled players. The team trains at Shrevewood Elementary three times per week. Girls cannot turn 13 before Aug. 1, 2008. For more information, contact Coach Eric Farnsworth at efarnsworth@as-coa.org or team manager Maryellen Trevisan at s3494@msn.com or 703533-5810. Free Tickets to VoterEmpowerment Night Every Saturday from Aug. 23 – Sept. 13, the first 50 visitors to the National Museum

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of Crime & Punishment, in Washington, D.C. will receive a free ticket to “Voter Empowerment Night” at the Washington Nationals Stadium, taking place Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008.

Ryan Kirkwood is the son of Susan and Bob Kirkwood, Kirkwood comes from a military family and went to high school in Germany. The couple are planning a January wedding and settling down in Arlington.

Local Makes Dean’s List at American University

New Dominion Women’s Club Elects New Officers

Nicholas Pitas was named to the Spring 2008 Dean’s List at American University. To earn Dean’s List, students must obtain a 3.5 GPA or higher for the semester. Pitas is a student in the College of Arts and Sciences and is majoring in health promotion.

The New Dominion Women’s Club, a local philanthropic and volunteer organization, has elected its officers for the 2008-2009 club year. The club is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and will hold its fall kickoff meeting on Monday, Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m. at the McLean Community Center. The featured speaker is Jan Kikuchi, supervisor of nutrition programs for Meals on Wheels. All interested women are invited to attend. For more information, contact Club President Jennifer Salopek at 703-748-0677.

Local Student Receives Rensselaer Medal Will Cunningham of George Mason High School was named winner of the Rensselaer Medal. The medal is awarded by more than 3,900 secondary schools throughout North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia. To gain the medal a student must be a junior and the high school’s single most promising science and mathematics student. Each medalist who is accepted and enrolls at Rensselaer receives a scholarship of $60,000. Art Exhibition at Crossroads Gallery “Seen Along the Way” is an exhibition of the lifetime works of John Bryans. The series of paintings is on view from Aug. 23 – Oct. 20 in the Crossroads Gallery of Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads (3440 S. Jefferson St., Falls Church). Bryans will discuss his work at an Artist Talk and Reception at the GHBC Living Room on Sunday, Oct. 12, from 4 – 6 p.m. Engagement Announcement Sara Brock and Ryan Kirkwood have announced their engagement. Brock is the daughter of Ruth and Gerald Brock. She graduated from George Mason High School in 1994.

Marshall High Announces New Baseball Head Coach George C. Marshall High School is excited to announce Joe McDonald as its new Baseball Head Coach. McDonald was the Head Baseball Coach at McLean High School from 2000-2005. During that time, he was named the 2004 Liberty District Coach of the Year.

13 TEENS FROM VIRGINIA are included in the production of “Les Miserables” that will be performed at Wolf Trap starting Aug. 29. They include two from Falls Church, Orla Conway of Marshall H.S. and Miles Butler of George Mason H.S. Left to right: (Front row) Alex Kruszewski, Orla Conway, Miles Butler, Maddie Arthur, Stephen Kime, (Second row) Jake Beckhard, Brandon Spann, Alex Burns, Sally Horton, (Third row) Lara Merina Sagatov, Alexander Ross Neal, Will Hawkins and Shire Stein. The show runs through Sept. 7. (Photo: Peggy Pridemore)

Virginia Wine Showcase at Dulles Expo Center The Virginia Wine and Gourmet Showcase is taking place Aug. 23 – 24 in the North Hall of Dulles Expo Center, from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday. The Showcase includes continuous seminars hosted by the Washington Wine Acade for a range of wine connoisseurs, shopping, and unlimited tasting of over 300 award-winning Virginia artisan wines. Grand tasting admission is $25 in advance and $35 at the door. Non-tasting Admission is $15. Call 703-832-1868.

F.C. CITY VICE MAYOR Hal Lippman and Chamber Chair Gary LaPorta welcomed Ana Visage European Day Spa to Falls Church with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday, Aug. 16. Owner Nahid Ghessemi, located in the center of the photograph, also owns a location in Great Falls. Ana Visage is located on the 3rd floor of 350 S. Washington Street in Falls Church. For more information on the institute, visit www.anavisage.com (Photo: Courtesy Sally Cole)

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The Original Pancake House is hosting a fund raiser for the Prevention of Blindness Society on Thursday, Aug. 21 from 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. Fifteen percent of proceeds from breakfast and lunch that day will be donated to the improvement and preservation of sight through the provision of services, education, advocacy and innovation. For more information about the beneficiary visit youreyes.org. The Original Pancake House is located at 370 W. Broad St. in Falls Church. For more information about the Original Pancake House, visit ophrestaurants.com. The Unity Club is hosting a car was at Two Sisters Coffee on Saturday, Aug. 23 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Along with the car wash, there will be live entertainment and a cookout. Car washes will be provided in exchange for donations to The Unity Club. For information, email manager@unityclub.com. The Organic Doggy Kitchen is hosting a “doggy pool party” to raise funds for the Animal Cancer Foundation on Saturday, Aug. 23. The event will take place from 3 – 4:30 p.m. at the Northern Virginia Animal Swim Center in Middleburg. Special guests include famous Border Collie Leroy and his friends Andrew and Preston from the television show Greatest American Dog (Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on CBS). Tickets are $25 per dog and proceeds benefit the Animal Cancer Foundation. RSVPs are required – email bark@organicdoggykitchen.com. The Women’s Center of Northern Virginia is sponsoring “Introduction to QuickBooks Pro™ for Business Accounting” on Aug. 25 – 26, 6 – 9 p.m. The two-night course will be held at the Community Business Partnership located at 7001 Loisdale Road in Springfield. The course is $65 for those who pay at least 7 days in advance and $85 for others. To RSVP or for more information, call 703-778-9922 or visit cbponline.org. The Virginia Chamber of Commerce is soliciting nominations for its Torchbearer Awards, which honor Virginia companies whose business achievements and corporate citizenship have made a lasting impact on the prosperity and quality of life in the Commonwealth. Nominations due Sept. 1, and may be from any industry based in Virginia. There will be one state winner and four regional winners announced at a gala banquet concluding the 2008 Virginia Economic Summit on Oct. 29 at the Richmond Marriott. For a nomination form or more information, visit vachamber.com. The Fairfax Chamber of Commerce’s 20th Annual Chamber Debate will feature former Governor Mark Warner and former Governor Jim Gilmore and provide them the opportunity to share their respective plans for representing the Commonwealth in the United States Senate. Moderated by Chris Wallace of Fox News Sunday and featuring a panel of respected journalists, the governors will provide answers to the tough questions about the future of our Commonwealth and the nation. The Senate Debate will take place from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18 in the Capital One Complex on Capital One Drive in McLean. Tickets are $75 for Fairfax Chamber members and $95 for non-members. For more information or to RSVP, visit fairfaxchamber.org. Restaurants interested in getting involved in likely the busiest election day in many years are being invited to “Adopt a Polling Place” in the City of Falls Church by providing free box lunches to poll workers on Nov. 4. The City has six poll sites. At each location some 10 to 15 poll workers will spend from 5 a.m. until after 8 p.m. City election organizers hope restaurant participation and free lunches, in addition to the $125 poll workers receive, will help entice volunteers. For information about the “Adopt a Polling Place” or serving as a poll worker, contact the Electoral Board at 703-248-5085 or vote@ fallschurchva.gov. Falls Church-based Trimark Corporation has sold the Millennium Bank Building located at 1051 Elden St. in Herndon for $2,050,000 to RLV LLC. The building is 7,164 sq. feet. The Reston-based bank’s lease expires in 2013 with three 5-year renewal options. Russell Rowzie and Viet Duong with Trimark Corporation represented the seller and Howard Walton at Evergreen Properties represented the buyer. For more information, visit trimark.com. The Arlington Small Business Development Center (SBDC) has closed its doors after working with small businesses in the area for 17 years. The closing was due to restructuring efforts in the Center’s Virginia network. Small businesses who wish to use SBDC services for technical assistance for startup and existing businesses are requested to contact the Fairfax Small Business Development Center (sbdc. org) at 4031 University Drive, by calling 703-277-7700 or contacting help@sbdc. org. Businesses in need of assistance with government contracting are to contact the Virginia Procurement Technical Assistance Center (novaptac.org) at 4031 University Drive, Suite 200, by calling 703-277-7757 or contacting ptap@gmu.edu.  The Business News & Notes section is compiled by Sally Cole, Executive Director of Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at sally@ fallschurchchamber.org.

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Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for Sale to Foreign Governments? Flush with oil profits, foreign governments are teaming up with powerful private buyout firms to buy significant stakes in major American companies responsible for our defense, energy, and national security. Unknown to many Americans, some of these foreign governments have even bought ownership stakes in buyout firms, such as when an investment fund controlled by Abu Dhabi became the part-owner of Washington DC-based firm, The Carlyle Group. With more than $82 billion in assets under management, Carlyle owns or has plans to buy into dozens of companies that do work in defense, energy and other sensitive areas. These companies include Virginia based Booz-Allen Hamilton1, which had $1.8 billion in federal contracts in 2006 and Kinder Morgan which owns or operates 26,000 miles of pipelines.2 With its partnership with Abu Dhabi, Carlyle should have to reveal its involvement in our national security, so Americans arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t left in the dark. Americans have a right to know if a foreign government has any role when decisions are being made about the M1 tank, U.S. missile systems, or the development of oil pipelines.

CALL SENATOR McCAIN 202-224-2235 Tell him we have a right to know when foreign governments buy into American companies vital to our economic prosperity and national defense. 1

The Carlyle takeover of Booz-Allen Hamilton, announced in May 2008, is expected to close later this year. Figures as of 2006.

Paid for by SEIU

To learn more, go to www.behindthebuyouts.org

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Send community event submissions to the News-Press by e-mail at calendar@fcnp.com; fax 703-532-3396; or by regular mail to 450 West Broad Street #321, Falls Church, VA 22046. Please include any photos or artwork with submissions. Deadline is Monday at noon for each week’s edition.

Community Events THURSDAY, August 21 Arlington Walking Group. Begins at Virginia Square Metro station (3600 Fairfax Dr., Arlington). Free. 10 a.m. 703-228-0072. Story Hour, Ages 5 and up. Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 10:30 a.m. Charioke. “Success In The City” host a special karaoke event to benefit the Bobby de Lorenzi Foundation. Food, refreshments and door prizes. Velocity Five Sports Bar (8111 Lee Hwy., Falls Church). $45 for members, $55 for non-members. 6:30 p.m. 703309-5502. All You Can Bowl. For $10.99, bowl as many games as you want. Bowl America (140 South Maple Ave., Falls Church). $10.99. 9 p.m. 703-534-1370.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 22 ‘Teen Truth.’ The Falls Church City Police Department presents “Teen Truth: An Inside Look at Bullying and School Violence” seminar. Falls Church City Hall Training Center (300 Park Ave., Level G, Falls Church). 9 a.m.

Participants must pre-register with Officer Derrica Wilson at 703-248-5056 or dwilson@ fallschurchva.gov.

“This is the Way” by Charles Fuge and “Sounds Around Town” by Maria Carluccio. Aladdin’s Lamp Children’s Bookstore (2499 N. Harrison St., Arlington). Free. 11 a.m.

Indian Summer Showcase. Tonolec performs traditioninfused electronica.Welcome Plaza at National Museum of the American Indian. (4th St. and Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D.C.). Free. 5:30 p.m. 202-633-1000.

Music on the Green. All-women band plays Afro-Brazilian rhythms. Palladium Civic Place Green (1445 Laughlin Ave., McLean). 6-8 p.m. Free. 703-2889505.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23

Sunday, AUGUST 24

Farmer’s Market. Falls Church City Hall (300 Park Ave., Falls Church). 8 a.m. Nazi Olympics Exhibition. Exhibition explores issues surrounding the 1936 Olympic Games and the Nazis’ use of propaganda, the intense boycott debate and the history of the torch run. Holocaust Memorial Museum (100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW, Washington, D.C.). Free. 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. 202488-0400. ‘Sounds Are Everywhere,’ Ages 2-6. Put on your listening ears on and join us for stories all about the exciting variety of sounds that we hear every day, including

Azalea Auction. The Northern Virginia Chapter of the Azalea Society of America is holding its second annual public auction of rare, native, and evergreen hybridized azaleas. Merrifield Garden Center (8132 Lee Highway, Merrifield). 1:30 p.m. 703 455-4850. 13th Annual Hong Kong Film Festival. Screening of “Triangle.” Meyer Auditorium at Freer Gallery of Art (Independence Ave. at 12th St. SW, Washington, D.C.). Free. 2 p.m. 202-633-1000. Theater Auditions. Auditions for Aldersgate Church Community Theater’s fall comedy, “Dearly Departed,” which will be

Theater Fine Arts Thursday, August 21 Disney’s ‘The Lion King.’ Winner of six 1998 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Disney’s “The Lion King” makes its D.C. premiere featuring direction and costumes by Julie Taymor and music by Elton John and Tim Rice. Kennedy Center (2700 F St. NW, Washington, D.C.). Tickets start at $25. 7:30 p.m. 202-467-4600. Ben’s Chili Bowl 50th Anniversary Gala. Bill Cosby hosts this tribute to one of D.C. most-loved institutions. Cocktail-attire event with music and comedy. Roberta Flack will perform. Lincoln Theatre (1215 U St. NW, Washington, D.C.). Tickets are free, but required. 8 p.m. 202-667-0909.

performed Oct. 17 - Nov. 1. Aldersgate United Methodist Church (1301 Collingswood Rd., Alexandria). Free. 7 p.m. www. acctonline.org.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 26 Building Self-esteem and Relationships. On-going groups will help you build your selfesteem, address intimacy and relationship concerns, eliminate fear based behaviors, and learn how to take risks. Falls Church Presbyterian Church (225 E. Broad St., Falls Church). 5:30 p.m. 703-903-9696, ext. 284. Falls Church Lion’s Club Meeting. Katie Clinton will present a program on the F.C. Relay for Life. Open to the general public. First time dinner guests are welcome free of charge. (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 6:45 p.m. Contact Phil Loar at 703-698-0896 for reservations.

Thursday, AUGUST 28 Story Hour, Ages 5 and up. Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 10:30 a.m.

36th Annual Lucketts Fair, Lucketts Community Center (Rt. 15 north of Leesburg, Saturday & Sunday, Aug. 23-24, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.)

Mike Birbiglia. From Comedy Central, performing his “What I should have said was nothing” tour. DC Improv (1140 Conneticut Ave. NW, D.C.). $20. 8:30 p.m. 202-296-7008.

Friday, August 22 Maria/Stuart. Featuring company members Naomi Jacobson and Sarah Marshall, with Meghan Grady, Eli James, Amy McWilliams and Emily Townley. Woolly Mammoth Theatre (641 D St. NW, D.C.). Tickets start at $38. 8 p.m. 202-289-2443.

Saturday, August 23 ‘Rabbit Hole.’ Becca and Howie

Corbett are ordinary people living in an upscale suburban neighborhood. They seem to have everything; but a lifeshattering accident turns their world upside down and leaves the couple drifting perilously apart. Olney Theatre (2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd., Olney, Md.). Tickets start at $25. 2 p.m. 301-924-3400.

Wednesday, august 25 ‘Shear Madness.’ Engages locals and visitors alike as armchair detectives to help solve the scissor-stabbing murder of a famed concert pianist Kennedy Center (2700 F St. NW, Washington, D.C.). Tickets start at $40. 8 p.m. 202-467-4600.

ere’s one of those summer opportunities to feel like you’ve actually gone somewhere, when you really haven’t gone far. For some of you, school is already beginning, for others, there’s only a week of summer to go. So, for a last summer fling thing, notwithstanding Labor Day (which is more like a final cocktail before ‘last call’), the Lucketts Fair is an idyllic summertime distraction that won’t eat a lot out of your time, pocketbook or gas tank. Take the toll road to Leesburg, and you’re onto Rt. 15 and there in far less than an hour. Crafts, live bluegrass and more, antiques, homemade food and more good stuff, including the smell of summer in the country. The nearby Tarara Winery is among the sponsors and while the Lucketts Fair is alcohol-free, if you want to sample some good wine, Tarara is just a hopskip-and-jump away.

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live_music&nightlife Thursday, August 21 Songwriters Association of Washington. Bangkok Blues (926 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 7:30 p.m. 703-534-0095. Squeeze. With The Spring Standards. 9:30 Club (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $45. 7:30 p.m. 202-393-0930. Freddie Long. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 703-237-8333. Nic Muhly. With Doveman and Sam Amidon. Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria). $45. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500. The Alternate Routes. With David McMillin and Tim Blane. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave., Vienna). $10 in advance, $12 at the door. 8 p.m. 703-255-1566. Shooter Jennings. With Sons of Bill. State Theatre (220 N. Washington St., Falls Church). $17 in advance, $19 at the door. 8:30 p.m. 703-237-0300.

Friday, August 22 The Midnight Appointment. With David Homyk. Rock. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave., Vienna). $10. 7 p.m. 703-255-1566. Eve 6. With The Energy. State Theatre (220 N. Washington St., Falls Church). $18. 7 p.m. 703-

237-0300. En Vogue. With Sol Edler. Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria). $45. 7:30 p.m. 703549-7500. No Second Troy. 9:30 Club (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $15. 7:30 p.m. 202-393-0930. See-I. With Mojai. Reggae/Funk. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave., Vienna). $10. 10 p.m. 703-2551566. Steve Hagedorn. With Claire Gilbride. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 703-2378333.

Saturday, August 23 Sparky’s Flaw. With The Midnight Appointment’s EP Release Show. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave., Vienna). $10. 6 p.m. 703-2551566. Steve Lukather. State Theatre (220 N. Washington St., Falls Church). $25. 7 p.m. 703-2370300 Kim Waters. Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria). $27.50. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500. Chaise Lounge. Iota Club & Cafe (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $15. 9 p.m. 703-522-8340. Politicks. With Square Trio. Rock. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave., Vienna). $10. 10 p.m. 703-

255-1566.

Sunday, August 24 Ben’s Chili Bowl 50th Anniversary Concert. Various Artists. All-age entertainment. 9:30 Club (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). Free. 1 p.m. 202-393-0930. ‘Sweep The Leg’ Tour. Various Artists. Acoustic. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave., Vienna). $10. 8 p.m. 703-255-1566. Michelle Burleson. CD Release show. With Tom Goss and the Ian Walters Project. Iota Club & Cafe (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $10. 8:30 p.m. 703-522-8340

Monday, August 25 Open Mic Night. Hosted by David Cotton. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave., Vienna). Free. 7 p.m. 703255-1566. Terrance Howard. Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria). $25. 7:30 p.m. 703549-7500. Peter Bradley Adams. With Matt King. Iota Club & Cafe (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $12. 8:30 p.m. 703-522-8340.

Tuesday, August 26 Knee Deep. With Janelle Monae.

Iota Club & Cafe (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $10. 8:30 p.m. 703-522-8340.

Wednesday, August 27 Indigenous. State Theatre (220 N. Washington St., Falls Church). $14. 7 p.m. 703-237-0300 Tommy Alverson. With Brian Burns and Bob Livingston. Acoustic/Roots. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave., Vienna). $10 in advance, $12 at the door. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566. Open Mic Night. Hosted by Mike Maloney, featuring Killer Meteor. Iota Club & Cafe (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $15. 9 p.m. 703522-8340.

Thursday, August 28 Matt Walker. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 703-237-8333. Liz Phair. 9:30 Club (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). 7:30 p.m. 202-393-0930. Passafire. With Lionize and Three Legged Fox. Reggae/Dub/Rock. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave., Vienna). $10. 8 p.m. 703-2551566. The Slow Burn. With Eureka Birds. Iota Club & Cafe (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $15. 9 p.m. 703-522-8340.

Planning Ahead... Friday, September 5 — ‘Alvin and the Chipmunks.’ The City of Falls Church Recreation & Parks Division presents the 5th Annual Sunset Cinema in the Park. Cherry Hill Park (312 Park Ave., Falls Church). Free. 8 p.m. 703-248-5077.

ne of the best things about baseball games is the food. The worst thing about baseball games is the guaranteed twenty dollars you're bound to shell out for an Italian sausage and less than par booze selection. Enter solution: Belly Buster Night hosted by the P-Nats. Tickets, $12 for adults and $6 for kids six and under and seniors, cover entry into the game and an all-you-can-eat motherload buffet of hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, popcorn and special catering by Moe's Southwest Grill — that means giant burritos! So break out those fat pants, let out that top button and take your appetite out to the ballgame.

What: Belly Buster Night with the Potomac Nationals

When: Wednesday, Aug. 27, 7:05 p.m. Where: 7 County Complex Ct., Woodbridge

Tuesday, September 16 — R.A.D. Classes. The Falls Church Police Department is offering a free Rape Aggression Defense program of self-defense tactics for women, 12 years of age and older. St. James School (830 W. Broad St., Falls Church). Free. 6-9 p.m. 703-248-5101.

Calendar Submissions Be sure to include time, location, cost of admission, contact person and any other pertinent information. Event listings will be edited for content and space limitations. Please include any photos or artwork with submissions. Deadline is Monday at noon for the current week’s edition.

Email: calendar@fcnp.com Fax: 703-532-3396; Attn: FCNP Calendar Mail: 450 West Broad Street, #321, Falls Church, VA 22046

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2007 was a good season for the Statesmen. They went 84 overall and made their first playoff appearance in 14 years. While last year showed signs of Marshall possibly reinserting itself as a contender in the competitive Liberty District, Head Coach J.T. Biddison knows that they have to start all over again this season. “We are a completely different team this season”, noted Biddison. “The only carry-over effect last year may have is building on a tradition and raising expectations.” With only five returning starters, Marshall truly is an entirely different team so Biddison is forced to use two-a-days primarily as “teaching days” where players regularly attend position meetings and film sessions. One of Marshall’s five returning starters is third-year quarterback Harold Sweet, entering his senior season as the centerpiece of Marshall’s offense. “Harold should have his best season yet,” said Biddison of his quarterback. “He’s a great leader and will get the team to rally around him.” Even though the season is fast approaching, Biddison is more interested in his own team than their first opponent right now. There is a position battle at nearly every spot on the field, and no one has been able to rise up and snag a starting job. The Marshall coaches know they have a starting quarterback in Sweet, a shutdown corner with Senior Jamie Clear and two starting linemen in Collin Newcomb and Andy Embree

but everywhere else there are holes to fill. Probably the most vital will be the receiver position. Both Sweet and Biddison have committed to the passing game, and are still in search of a dependable set of hands. Marshall plays Hayfield on Aug. 28 at home in their first ever game on brand new field turf. While Biddison admits this game is on his mind, he will not let his coaching staff or his team get too far ahead of themselves. “Our biggest challenge this year is staying focused on our next game, and not letting ourselves get caught up in last year’s success,” he said. Marshall is a truly intriguing football team this year because they are going into a season where they are expected to win for the first time in years. They are coming off their first playoff win in over two decades, and have a returning senior quarterback. However, other than a few slots the starting lineup is almost entirely undecided despite the regular season being right around the corner. In order to avoid a meltdown with his young players, Biddison said he plans to take one game at a time, and only focus on the game they are playing that week. The Statesmen scrimmage Dominion Thursday, Aug. 21 at Dominion before taking on Hayfield the following week.

George Mason is a football program known for being able to get the most out of the small number of bodies they have. Nearly every player has to know how to play several positions, and be able to play both sides of the ball. Year in, year out the coaches stretch the talent they have to a max, and put

together a winning season. This year appears to be more of the same. The Mustangs began this season with less than thirty varsity players, all with a wide range of sizes and talent levels. Head Coach Tom Horn compared his team to a ladder that has steps on the top and steps on the bottom, but empty space in the middle. Horn knows he has a handful of players he can count on to play 48 minutes every Friday night, but he also knows that he has another group of players that have almost no varsity football experience. “We have a big gap, and right now our focus is to get those kids at the bottom varsity football ready,” said Horn. One of these playrs is Junior DB/RB Chris Saraus. Saraus was promptly thrown into the fire at Mason’s first scrimmage, a four way scrimmage against Loudoun County, Wakefield and Kettle Run. While it was clear Saraus was still getting used to the speed of the game, Horn liked what he saw. “Chris doesn’t shy away from reps, and he doesn’t just want to play; he wants to be good.” Mason lost six first string linemen to graduation this year, and will be considerably smaller up front. Junior Misael Benitez and Senior Kyle Newman have stepped in at right and left guard, the two most important positions in Horn’s double wing offense. Senior leader Andrew Lieber is by far the most experienced linemen, and will be counted on more than ever this season. In past seasons Lieber has been exclusively a center, but this year he has become a smarter and more versatile player, and will likely be used at several different positions on offense including tight end.

August 21 - 27, 2008

George Mason plays a compact, run oriented offense focused on misdirection and deception. This type of offense allows for several running backs to get close to equal carries as opposed to a featured tailback. The Mustangs enter this season with the same three-headed monster that pounded away at Bull Run defenses all of last season. Joel Chandler, and brothers John and Charlie Mann are entering their senior season as Mason’s featured backs. On the defensive side, Mason will be counting on the same group of stars. Chandler, the reigning defensive player of the year in the Bull Run District will remain at safety while Junior Matt Palmieri and C. Mann anchor the linebackers. Senior Kevin Millard has stepped up to assume a starting cornerback role, and Horn also expects Saraus to eventually become a starter in the secondary. One of Mason’s biggest holes to fill will be that of Mike Schwengel, the Mustangs starting quarterback the past two seasons. Horn plans to take pressure off his young quarterbacks by moving to a four running back set where one the backs receives the snap directly from the center. One thing that could potentially derail the Mustangs would be the injury bug. Since they have so few bodies, one or two key injuries could cost them some games. The 2008 Mustangs are an even smaller bunch than most years, but Horn sees no reason why they can’t continue their success as long as they remain healthy. The Mustangs open their season against cross town rival J.E.B. Stuart at home, a game in which Mason has dominated the past few years.

Unlike Marshall, Falls Church has the luxury of being an experienced team this season. The Jaguars will be bringing back the majority of their starters from last year, 15 of the 22 to be exact. Eight of these returning starters are juniors who were able to receive significant playing time as sophomores. Just a year ago this team was considered a young and inexperienced group because they were playing so many sophomores. Head Coach Anthony Parker believes his seasoned group of juniors, and seven returning seniors can give Falls Church their first winning season since 2005 and their first playoff berth in over 20 years. Coach Parker has taken a conservative approach to two-adays this year, using conditioning and drills that do not involve a lot of hitting. “When you have the numbers we have, your biggest concerns is to avoid injuries,” said Parker. “There’s a fine line in how you

Page 21

go about practice, making sure you practice hard but you do so in smart manner.” Coming off a 3-7 season, there are obviously a bunch of areas the Jaguars are looking to improve in. Parker believes his seniors will be much improved from last year, and that the players who started as sophomores last year will develop into leaders as juniors. Parker has high expectations from junior running back Marcus Hughes whose power running style will force opposing defenses to stack the box. Falls Church’s junior class yields several other strongmen including C/DE Kyle Ruttkay, and OT/DE Patrick Williams who has been learning how to use all of his 285 pounds to clog holes up front. Quarterback is an interesting situation for the Jaguars. Like George Mason, Falls Church graduated a starting quarterback in 2007. ’07 quarterback Yousef Khatib’s departure caused Parker to have to make a tough decision. With no clear choice as to who the quarterback of the future would be, he decided to put one of his best athletes behind center, a guy who will be able to make plays with his legs as well as with his arm — Senior Sam Gerima. Germia played quarterback as a sophomore before switching to wide receiver last year, where he was one of the Jaguars’ goto guys. Being involved in the passing game last year will help Germia re-learn the position, but Parker noted he still mentally has a lot to learn about running the offense. Physically, Parker believes Germia has all the tools to be a great quarterback for

Falls Church. His arm strength and instincts are good, and his playmaking ability is off the charts. “We have high hopes for Sam this year. We feel he will be the most athletic quarterback we’ve had since 2002,” said Parker. Defensively, Falls Church is a big, yet fast and aggressive, group. Despite the loss of stopper Travis Garrett up front, the Jaguars have several big men on the interior of the defensive line to stop the run as well as some quick feet at the defensive end position. The linebacking core is both athletic and experienced. Jeremy Jones is a battle tested senior who has excellent speed for a linebacker, and knows the system well. Vang Pham, another senior also knows the system well and should be one of the Jaguars tackle leaders. Also parallel to George Mason, Falls Church is a team that lacks depth. Falls Church is one of the smaller AAA schools, and does not have nearly the roster size as some teams in their district. Parker has been very careful about what he puts his players through to avoid any injuries, and to keep his players who will have to be on the field for 48 minutes fresh for the regular season. However, he realizes that football is a physical game and that players are bound to go down. The Jaguars first challenge is an away game at Thomas Jefferson. With a lot of experienced players, the Jaguars have the luxury of being able to focus on team drills and scout opponents now rather than having to learn plays and techniques. Even during mid-August practice Falls

Church has started to game plan for their debut against T.J. “[Thomas Jefferson] is our only focus,” said Parker. “As I tell the players the scrimmages are just practice, we need to be ready for our opening ball game. I had an opportunity to watch them scrimmage and they play hard so we need to be ready.”

For years, the J.E.B. Stuart Raiders have been the doormat of the National District, but this season has a different feeling to it. With a new coach, new system and an entirely new mentality, the Raiders expect to win games and be competitive. First-year Head Coach Roy Ferri is entering his second tenure as Stuart head coach, and has installed a brand new system. Ferri plans to use a deep threat passing attack along with a versatile running game on offense. He plans to create mismatches at as many positions as they can, and exploit opponents’ weak spots as much as possible. “We have a very solid team, and are poised to play Division 6 ‘smash mouth’ football in a Division 5 district,” said Ferri. Senior offensive lineman Brian Savaria is one guy who has been turning heads at practice this summer. His 6’ 0”, 280 pound body moves a lot quicker than anyone would think, and his blocking ability has improved drastically. Senior linemen Dragos Matei is the biggest of the bunch at 6’ 4” 290, and the scariest part is that he has had a very impressive August. Matei’s sudden

surge seems to be a result of his new coach rubbing off on him. With his size and technique, he will likely require a double team to be contained. While opponents will key on Matei, these double teams will open gaps for Stuart’s other mammoth rushers to wreak havoc in opposing backfields. Senior Louis Rich is a high energy defensive tackle who transferred to Stuart this year from Southern California. Rich will be a key pickup for the Raiders because his motor is always running, and he will likely churn out some big plays this year. J.E.B. Stuart has always had big players such as Saveria and Matei, but no coach has been able to get them to block or rush well. Ferri has put it on his shoulders to get his linemen to be able to do these things. Jason Friday is entering his junior year, and first season as the varsity quarterback. Friday has been groomed to be the starter the past couple seasons through the JV squad. The main playmaker of the offense will once again be Terrill Hawkins as he enters his senior year as the starting tailback, but Ferri believes Hawkins is not the only player in the offense with big play potential. “We have several talented running backs,” said Ferri. “We throw the ball very well, and have size and speed at the wideout position, which will cause match-up problems for our opponents.” Stuart looks to snap its 24 game losing streak against George Mason to start the season on Friday Aug. 29 at Mason.

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August 14 - 20, 2008

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will hold a New Student/Parent Brunch from 10 – 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 27. Students meet in the Mustang Cafe; parents go to the TLC. Following the brunch, there will be an eighth grade orientation at noon in the Mustang Cafe. Visit www.fccps. k12.va.us/gm, or call the school directly at 703-248-5500. Back-to-School Night at Mary Ellen Henderson JEB Stuart PTSA Invitation To Hispanic Parents The J.E.B. Stuart High School Parent-Teacher-Student Association invites Hispanic parents to attend a school community meeting from 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 26. Meetings will be held at 7:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of every month. For membership and contact information, visit www.stuartptsa.org. Congressional Schools Hosts Parent Discussion Lower and Middle School

Parents of the Congressional Schools of Virginia have another opportunity to meet the Directors of Curriculum, Co-Curricular Activities, Dean of Students and the Head of School from 4 – 5 p.m. today, Aug. 21. There will be light refreshments. For more information and to RSVP, contact jlancaster@bach.csov.org. New Students Invited to GMHS Events George Mason High School is launching its new school year, starting Sept. 2. George Mason

Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School encourages parents and students to attend its Back-to-School Social from 6 – 7 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 27. Students and parents will have the opportunity to purchase P.E. uniforms, join the PTA, receive their student schedules, tour the school building, meet the sports teams and much more. For more information, visit www.fccps.org/ meh or call 703-720-5700.

Aug. 26, and Wednesday, Aug. 27, families can bring their completed registration forms to Longfellow Middle School or come by the school to complete the forms if they require help. Upon registration, students will receive locker assignments. Student ambassadors will be present to help new students use their lockers. Parent and student volunteers are also needed for registration. Student volunteers can earn community service credit for participation. To volunteer, contact Shanti de Jongh, PTA

volunteer coordinator, at shantidej@aol.com. Luther Jackson Assigns Student Lockers Luther Jackson Middle School is providing time for students to access their lockers before the start of the school year. Students can come by the school to complete the forms from 5 – 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 27, and 9 – 11 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 28. For more information, call 703204-8100.

Longfellow Offers Registration Help From 9 a.m. – noon, Tuesday,

CREATIVE CAULDRON PERFORMS ITS SUMMER FINALE bringing together children and artistic directors to showcase the lessons, discoveries and imagination of the young campers from the three week Arts Adventure camp. Matthew Conner (left) acts alongside children in a piece of the performance. (Photo: Courtesy Sarah Carpenter)

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1 MOVIE IN AMERICA!

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A letter to our grandchildren, Raven, Emil and Taylor: I see you growing up into such beautiful people, and I wish all good things to you as you make the leap into adulthood. But I have just seen a film named “I.O.U.S.A.” that snapped into sharp focus why your lives may not be as pleasant as ours have been. Chaz and I had the blessing of growing up in an optimistic, bountiful America. We never fully realized that we were paying for many of our comforts with your money. Let me explain. There is something called the “national debt.” In the movie’s interviews with ordinary people, it has a hard time finding anyone who knows exactly what that is. Well, I’ve never exactly known, either. I thought I knew, but it never came up in conversation, and it became a meaningless abstraction, even though in 2009 the debt will pass $9 TRILLION. You might think of those as dollars our nation has spent without having them. What will this mean to you? It will mean you will live in a country no longer able to pay for many

of the services and guarantees we take for granted. In 40 years, when you are still less than my age, it looks like the government will be able to pay for only three things: interest on the national debt, “some” Social Security and “some” Medicare. It will not be able to afford any of the other functions it now performs. How did we get into this situation? With a federal government that has been throwing bad money after good. Of all the presidents in the last century, the only one who was able to achieve a balanced budget and produce a surplus was Bill Clinton. He did that by bravely raising taxes and cutting spending. Our current president, George W. Bush, is now finishing up eight years of throwing

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around money like a drunken sailor. His fellow conservatives, like Rush Limbaugh, like to talk about “tax-and-spend Democrats.” But they seem to be “don’t-tax-and-spend-evenmore Republicans.” Not that this film takes sides. It is nonpartisan, and includes many Republicans who agree with its argument that the country is headed for disaster within the lifetimes of many now living. It centers on David M. Walker, until recently the U.S. comptroller general, and Robert Bixby, the head of the nonpartisan Concord Coalition, who have been on a national Fiscal Wake-Up tour that will last until the November elections. They are trying to sound the alarm, but they speak to halfempty town halls and captive Rotarians and get pushed off the local news by a story of a man who swallowed a diamond. I don’t really believe this review will inspire enormous numbers of people to go see the film. But if they do, they’ll find it accomplishes an amazing thing. It EXPLAINS the national debt, the foreign trade deficit, the decrease in personal savings, how the prime interest rate works and the weakness of our leaders. No, not only George W. Bush, but politicians of both parties, who know if they vote against a tax cut they will be lambasted by their opponents and could lose their jobs. In the film we see President Bush asked about the debt and replying: “Ask the economists. I think I only got a B-minus in economics.” Then he gives that little chuckle. “But I got an A-plus in cutting taxes.” Yes, he cut taxes while our spending mushroomed. What we have to do is bite the bullet and pay higher taxes while spending less. The war in Iraq is a much sexier issue. But no matter what happens in Iraq, the real crisis we face is the debt. The movie includes testimony by former Fed chairman Paul Volker, former treasury secretary Paul O’Neill, billionaire Warren Buffett, Congressman Ron Paul and others on both sides of the fence who all agree: Don’t buy

August 21 - 27, 2008

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characters, as well as Jesus and Einstein. Manic and funny, with a perfect cameo by Elisabeth Shue, as herself -- sort of. Rating: Three stars.

L E

ight Miles High (Biography, not rated, 114 minutes). Biopic of Uschi Obermaier, a small-town Bavarian girl who lucked her way onto a magazine cover, became a famous model, slept with Jimi Hendrix and Mick Jagger and had something a little more than that with Keith Richards. Along the way she was also involved with a radical commune, was on the cover of Playboy, traveled the world with a wealthy playboy in the bus he constructed for her, and gave a face to the word “Eurotrash.” Whew. Played by Natalia Avelon as a young woman who is shallow and heedless, but not boring. Rating: Two and a half stars.

what you can’t pay for. Any politician who tries to win votes by promising to cut taxes is digging our country’s grave. Here’s an interesting statistic. I remember when “Made in China” meant cheap and shabby merchandise. No longer. In the ranking of the trade imbalance among all the world’s nations, China is first with the highest surplus, and the United States is last with the largest deficit. The Chinese now hold a huge chunk of our debt. If they ever call in the loan, it would destroy

legy (Drama, R, 108 minutes). Ben Kingsley as a crafty literature professor who singles out one female student every semester for his attentions. Penelope Cruz plays the prey who gets to him -- gets under his skin and inflames his jealousy. Then the story takes a dramatic turn. With Patricia Clarkson, Dennis Hopper, Peter Sarsgaard. Rating: Three stars.

amlet 2 (Comedy, R, 92 minutes). British comedian Steve Coogan stars as the harassed flywheel of a drama teacher in a Tucson high school. Threatened with a shutdown of his program, he desperately stages a sequel to “Hamlet,” using a time machine to bring back all the

our economy. In the presidential debate earlier in the year, Ron Paul was a lonely voice talking about the debt; the others on both sides paid lip service to the problem and moved on. So here’s the bottom line, kids. The U.S. is probably going to go broke during your lifetimes. Actually, it’s already broke, but getting deeper into debt allows it to keep running on thin air, like the Road Runner. My advice? Start savings accounts. Don’t buy what you can’t afford. Learn Chinese.

Continued on Page 28

“Hardcore hilarious. –PETER TRAVERS

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he Longshots (Sports comedy, PG, 94 minutes). Based on the true story of 11year-old Jasmine Plummer, from the Chicago suburb of Harvey, who in 2003 became the first female to play quarterback in the Pop Warner football tournament. Starring Keke Palmer (“Akeelah and the Bee”) and Ice Cube as a niece and her uncle, who teaches her all he knows about quarterbacking. Sidesteps many of the usual cliches of the genre, is warm and touching. Rating: Three stars. n Search of a Midnight Kiss (Comedy, not rated, 100 minutes). Two lonely people seeking a New Year’s Eve date meet through Craigslist. She interviews him at a cafe to be sure he’s not a loser. In a way, they both are, but on a long day’s journey through the night they reveal themselves, and we care about them. Powerful, sensitive acting by Scoot McNairy and Sara Simmonds. Glorious black-and-white cinematography. Written, directed by Alex Holdridge. Rating: Three and a half stars.

It slaps a big, fat, goofy smile on your face that lasts for days.”

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a France (Drama, not rated, 102 minutes). A strange and original war movie. Tells the story of Camille (Sylvie Testud), wife of a French soldier during World War I, who boldly sets out for the front to find him. Disguised as a boy, she falls in with a group of wandering soldiers who sometimes produce instruments from nowhere and begin to sing. A parable, I think, but the night scenes are deliberately obscure, and the characters lack change. Winner of the 2007 Prix Jean Vigo as best feature. Rating: Two and a half stars.

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August 21 - 27, 2008

fears and challenges. The filmmakers wisely make Nim the center of the story in a way that young audiences will find empowering. Rated: Three stars. (Nell Minow)

tar Wars: The Clone Wars (Animation, PG, 98 minutes). A deadening film that cuts corners on its animation and slumbers through a plot that (a) makes us feel like we’ve seen it all before, and (b) makes us wish we hadn’t. The characters have hair that looks molded from PlayDoh, bodies that seem arthritic, and moving lips on half-frozen faces -- all signs that shortcuts were taken in the animation work. Rating: One and a half stars.

he Counterfeiters (Drama, R, 98 m., 2008). A true story of the Nazis’ massive wartime counterfeiting operation, run out of a concentration camp. It’s a noble effort, but nothing inspired. The Austrian winner for Best Foreign Language Film of 2007, it plays like just that: a rather dull prestige picture that is all too good at fitting the horrors of the Holocaust into a generic movie format. Rating: Two and a half stars. (Jim Emerson)

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hine A Light (Concert documentary, PG-13, 122 m., 2008). Martin Scorsese’s “Shine a Light” may be the most intimate documentary ever made about a live rock and roll concert. Certainly it has the best cover-

edbelt (Drama, R, 98 m., 2008). Chiwetel Ejiofor stars in an intense performance as a proudly moral Los Angeles jiu-jitsu instructor, who gets entrapped in David Mamet’s world of cons within cons involving a troubled lawyer (Emily Mortimer), a movie star (Tim Allen), the star’s shifty manager (Joe Mantegna), and the world of a pay-for-TV fight promoter (Ricky Jay). Some elements, including the ending, are wildly implausible, and others almost impossible to understand, but if you like Mamet, that’s part of the dubious charm. Rating: Three stars.

age of the performances on stage. Working with cinematographer Robert Richardson, Scorsese deployed a team of nine other cinematographers, all of them Oscar winners or nominees, to essentially blanket a live September 2006 Rolling Stones concert at the smallish Beacon Theater in New York. The result is startling immediacy, a merging of image and music, edited in step with the performance. Rating: Four stars.

hat Happens in Vegas (Comedy, PG-13, 99 m., 2008). A formulaic romantic comedy that would be nothing more than a lame laugher, except for the skill of Cameron Diaz and especially Ashton Kutcher, who milk this story for all it’s worth. This tale of opposites attracting -– and finding themselves accidentally hitched in Vegas –- is a mildly amusing tale of love and loss, with a $3 million payday. Rating: Two and a half stars. (Bill Zwecker)

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mart People (Comedy, R, 95 m., 2008). Dennis Quaid plays a dour lit professor who’s indifferent to his students and just about everything else, including his family. A widower, he lives with his Young Republican daughter (Ellen Page, toning down her Juno ever so slightly) and ne’er-do-well brother (Thomas Haden Church), who acts as his chauffeur. Sarah Jessica Parker plays a doctor and former student instrumental in bringing him out of his brittle shell. Reasonably smart and mildly funny, but not brilliant. Rating: Two and a half stars. (Jim Emerson)

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treet Kings (Action drama, R, 108 m., 2008). Keanu Reeves is a racist cop, a renegade cop, a vigilante cop. He does not play by the rules. He’s sort of corrupt, but not completely corrupt, because there are other LAPD detectives who are much ... corrupter. They are REALLY bad -- murderers willing to drop everything to rape their victims’ widows and girlfriends just for fun. Reeves follows a twisted trail of corruption that leads all the way to the highest levels of the LAPD, as if you couldn’t tell. An anemic attempt to evoke the big, shiny action pictures of the late 1980s and early 1990s. With Forest Whitaker and Hugh Laurie. Rating: One and a half stars. (Jim Emerson)

ever Back Down (Action drama, PG-13, 110 m., 2008). This fun and shamelessly formulaic tale provides a

dazzling highlight reel for mixed martial arts fighting. Essentially a remake of “The Karate Kid.” Sean Faris is the new kid, humiliated by the local bully (Cam Gigandet) for having a crush on his girlfriend (Amber Heard). Djimon Hounsou is the stoic African MMA master who teaches the kid to fight. Rated: Two and a half stars. (Bryant Manning)

he Band’s Visit (Comedy, PG-13, 86 m., 2008). The Alexandria (Egypt) Ceremonial Police Orchestra arrives on the wrong bus in the wrong small Israeli town, and is stranded overnight. The bandleader (Sasson Gabai) stiffly approaches Dina, the owner of the cafe (Ronit Elkabetz), and what begins is a long, tender night of shared loneliness. An exquisite film that also functions quietly as a comedy. Rating: Four stars. (c) 2008 The Ebert Co.

Page 30

August 21 - 27, 2008

Anthony’s Restaurant 309 W. Broad St., Falls Church • 703-5320100 •Type of Food: Greek, American & Italian Cuisine • Features: Breakfast (Sat. & Sun. Only) • Hours: Mon. - Thur. -10 a.m. - 11 p.m., Fri. 10 a.m. -12 a.m., Sat. 8 a.m. - 12 a.m., Sun. 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Argia’s Restaurant 124 N. Washington St., Falls Church • 703-5341033 • www.argias.com • Type of Food: Italian • Washingtonian’s 100 Very Best Restaurants, Zagat Rated, Full Bar, No Reservations • Hours: Lunch: Mon. - Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Dinner: Mon. - Thur. 5 - 9:30 p.m., Fri. & Sat. 5 - 10:30 p.m., Sun. 5 - 9 p.m.

Bear Rock Cafe 2200 Westmoreland St. (Westlee Condominium Building), Arlington • 703-532-0031; Catering: 703-532-0118 • Type of Food: American • Features: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Kids' Menu, Alcoholic Beverages; Catering, Free Indoor Parking • Hours: Mon. - Sat. 7 a.m. - 10 p.m., Sun. 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Bubba’s BBQ & Catering 7810-F Lee Hwy, Falls Church • 703-560-8570 • Type of Food: American/Family, Salads w/ Meat & Ribs • Features: Best BBQ East of Mississippi • Hours: Mon. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Celebrity delly 7263-A Arlington Blvd. (Loehmann’s Plaza), Falls Church • 703-573-9002 • Type of Food: Delicatessen • Features: Catering, Sandwiches, Submarines, Soups & Salads • Hours: Mon. Fri. 9 a.m. - 9 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m. - 9 p.m., Sun. 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Dogfish Head Alehouse 6363 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church • www.dogfishalehouse.com • 703-534-3342 • Woodgrilled food, speciality ales • Hours: Mon. - Wed. 11:30 a.m. - 11 p.m., Thu. - Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 12 p.m., Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Harvest Moon Restaurant and Lounge 7260 Arlington Blvd. (Graham Center across from Loehmann’s Plaza), Falls Church • 703573-6000 • www.theharvestmoonrestaurant. com • Type of Food: Chinese • Features: Lunch / dinner buffets, banquet facilities up to 700 people • Hours: 11:30 a.m. - 9 p.m. daily.

Hoang’s Grill and Sushi Bar 502 W. Broad St., Falls Church • 703-536-7777 • Type of Food: Pan-Asian • Features: Single and Mingle Thursday Nights. • Hours: Mon. - Thur. 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., Fri. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 10:30 p.m., Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Ireland’s Four Provinces 105W.BroadSt.,FallsChurch•www.4psfallschurch. com • 703-534-8999 • Type of Food: Irish • Features: Full Bar, Live Entertainment, Sunday Brunch • Hours: 11 a.m. - 2 a.m. daily.

Koi Koi 450 W. Broad St., Ste. 117, Falls Church • 703-237-0101 • Type of Food: Japanese • Features: Sushi, Sashimi, Grill BBQ, Party Platters • Hours: Mon.–Thur. 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.; Fri. 11 a.m. - 11 p.m., Sat. Noon - 11 p.m., Sun. 4 - 10 p.m.

Ledo Pizza Restaurant & Pub 7510 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church • 703847-5336 • Type of Food: Pizza & Pasta, American/Family • Features: Full Bar, Wine Menu, 5 TV’s-Sports • Hours: Mon. - Thur. 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.; Fri. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.; Sun. 12 - 10 p.m.

The Original Pancake House 370 West Broad Street, Falls Church • 703891-0148 • www.originalpancakehouse.com • Type of Food: American/Family • Features: Breakfast, Weekday Specials - Breakfast & Lunch • Hours: 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. daily.

Pie-tanza 1216 W. Broad St., Falls Church • www.pietanza.com • 703-237-0977 • Dine-in, Carryout and Catering • Gourmet Wood-fired Pizza and Italian Fare • Hours: Mon. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Robeks 1063 W. Broad St., (West End Plaza), Falls Church • 703-538-4111 • www.robeks.com • Type of Food: Smoothies, Juices, Wraps & Salads • Features: Catering • Hours: Mon. - Fri. 6 a.m. - 9 p.m., Sat. & Sun. 8 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Sign of the Whale 7279 Arlington Blvd. (Loehmann’s Plaza), Falls Church • 703-573-1616 • Type of Food: American • Features: Seafood Night and Steak Night • Hours: 11:30 a.m. - 2 a.m., 7 days a week.

Sunflower Vegetarian Restaurant 6304 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church • 703-2373888; 2153 Chain Bridge Rd., Vienna • 703319-3888 • www.crystalsunflower.com • Type of Food: 99% vegan • Features: Japanese, Chinese, Continental • Hours: Mon. - Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.; Sun. 12 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Sweet Rice Thai Restaurant 1113 W. Broad St. (next to Don Beyer Volvo), Falls Church • 703-241-8582 • Type of Food: Thai Cuisine • Features: Free delivery ($15 min., limited area) • Hours: Mon. - Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Dinner: 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.; Fri. 11:30 am - 11 p.m.; Sat. Noon - 11 p.m.; Sun. Noon - 10 p.m.

Velocity Five 8111 Lee Hwy. (Merrifield Plaza, Lee Hwy. and Gallows Rd.), Falls Church • www.velocityfiverestaurant.com • 703-207-9464 • Type of Food: American Grille • Features: 50 HD TVs, Private Banquet Rooms, DJ after 9:30 p.m. • Hours: Sun. - Mon. 11 a.m. - 2 a.m.

August 21 - 27, 2008

Page 31

Your family will flip over our Praline Pancakes.! Served six to a plate, dusted with powdered sugar and more pieces of praline sprinkled on top. We finish with a drizzle of Butterschotch syrup. How delicious and decadent? New item: Gluten Free Pancakes. Also weekdays: free Wi-Fi at selected locations and a new Senior Menu!

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Page 32

Product diversification is becoming more commonplace in the beverage world. And, we’re speaking not just of what’s in the bottle, but where it is produced. Those who follow the adult beverage industry know the occasional battle erupts over the use of such terms as “champagne,” “Scotch whisky” and “vodka.” The next tussle shaping up could well be over the use of the term “tequila.” Presently, only spirits distilled from pure or high-percentage blue agave plants in the Mexican state of Jalisco and several adjacent spots can be called tequila. That’s the Mexican government’s stance and it is adhered to worldwide. Now, however, a Hollister, Calif., entrepreneur who already has a successful winery, Leal Vineyards, and has been making tequila from imported agave is eyeing a pure American tequila. He has planted 10 acres of blue agave in the hills near Gilroy, an area already known as the “Garlic Capital of the World.” Frank Leal attracted notice last year when he won two gold medals and one silver at the Spirits of Mexico competition in San Diego for his Tequila 5150, which he aged in repurposed wine barrels. He won a medal each for his three styles of the 100 percent blue agave spirit: anejo, aged 13 months; reposado, aged seven months, and unaged blanco. Another example of diversification can be found on the other side of the country, in Kentucky. The state is known for its bourbon, but a new product called Lyons Reserve may broaden that description just a touch. Alltech, which owns the Lexington Brewing Co., is planning on making a malt whiskey named for Pearse Lyons, the company’s founder. Lyons himself announced the project in a recent speech at the Kentucky Chamber’s Economic Summit and Annual Meeting in Louisville, Ky. He said production is expected to begin in about six weeks and yield the first whiskey in time for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games at the Kentucky Horse Park in 2010. Alltech is a biotechnology company in Nicholasville, Ky., that is paying $10 million to be the Games’ title sponsor. Lyons said it also is developing a bourbon drink similar to Irish coffee. It has not yet been named. He said the bourbon ingredient in the drink will be purchased from other Kentucky distillers. When Alltech receives final federal approval for the Lexington distillery, it will result in creation of the only distillery-brewery combination in the country. Alltech produces Kentucky Ale and other beverages at its Lexington brewery. Those are merely two quick examples of the trend. Here’s a third one, helped along by a quirky state legislature. For 87 years, the St. Julian Winery has been turning out a variety of table wines at its Paw Paw, Mich., facility. Now it has joined the boutique vodka craze. The state’s oldest operating winery now is allowed to sell its own grape vodka after getting state approval to do more than manufacture the spirit. Dave Braganini of St. Julian said the company had been allowed to make vodka, “but we’re not allowed to sell it. There’s a quirk in the law.” That quirk was removed by the state senate in June and Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed the legislation into law.  Bill Dowd covers the beverage world at billdowd.com.

August 21 - 27, 2008

Pot limit Omaha is catching on like wild fire in card rooms and casinos around the world, especially in high stakes online cash games. The game is poker’s newest fad. Here’s how to play Omaha. Just like Texas Hold’em, there’s a small blind and big blind to help start the action. Then, each player is dealt four cards face down followed by the first round of betting. Once the betting is complete, three community cards are flopped in the middle. Another round of betting is followed by the turn card. There’s another round of betting, the river card, and the final round of betting. The biggest differences between Omaha and Hold’em is that you get four hole cards in Omaha as opposed to two in Hold’em, and in Omaha, you can only use two of your hole cards and must play three cards from the board. Okay, let’s proceed. In Hold’em, if the final board read A-K-Q-J-10 with no flush draw, you’d obviously play the straight on the board without using either of your hole cards. In Omaha, though, you’d have to have in your hand any two card combination containing a ten or higher to complete that straight. Keep in mind that the average winning hand in Omaha is much stronger than in Hold’em because players start the game with more cards. One pair rarely wins an Omaha pot even if that pair is aces. In Hold’em, on the other hand, a pair of aces is right around the average winning hand. Pot limit Omaha is growing in popularity because the game creates much more action than Hold’em; the game simply affords more opportunity to gamble. It’s common for pots to get pretty big in Omaha because two or more players are likely to develop strong hands after the flop. Consider this example: Player A holds Ah-Jh-Qs-9d and Player B holds 10c-10s-8c7d. The flop comes 10h-8h-2c. Although Player B has the best hand after the flop with three tens, Player A holds a powerful drawing hand with the ace high flush draw as well as a wrap – a straight draw with more than two different cards to complete it. Player A is looking for a 7, 9, jack or a heart to win the pot, provided that the board doesn’t pair which would make a full house for Player B. So, if you had to put all of your money into the pot, which hand would you choose? Well, it’s actually a trick question. These hands are exactly even in strength after the flop. It’s 50-50, right on the dot.

Both players would be absolutely correct to risk all of their chips after the flop. It’s rare to find these true coin flip situations in Hold’em, but surprisingly common in Omaha. That’s one of the reasons why Omaha is the perfect game for action junkies who relish the notion of flipping coins for large sums of money. But don’t fool yourself, pot limit Omaha is clearly a game of immense skill. Over the long run, the most talented players will win by making good folds and big bluffs; weak players will chase draws they should be folding and call bets on the river when their hands are hopeless. Among high stakes online players, pot limit Omaha has already surpassed Hold’em in popularity.

Mainstream players, however, will always prefer to play Hold’em because it’s definitely an easier game to learn. Also, most people just aren’t crazy about risking it all on one hand – a fairly common occurrence in pot limit Omaha. High stakes gamblers love heartracing Omaha-type action; normal poker players don’t!  Visit www.cardsharkmedia. com/book.html for information about Daniel Negreanu’s new book, Hold’em Wisdom for All Players. © 2008 Card Shark Media. All rights reserved.

TUNE IN! LIVE Falls Church Cable TV Mondays, 7:15 pm. Cox Channel 12/ RCN Chanel 2/ Verizon Chanel 35

August 21 - 27, 2008

Page 33

Level: 1 3

2 4

SOLUTION TO LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE

8/24/08

1. ____ Moines 4. Insight 10. Good for what ____ you 14. European peak 15. Oldest among the Huxtable children on “The Cosby Show” 16. Barbershop sound 17. 1992 Meryl Streep movie 20. Sr.’s test 21. Where “Measure for Measure” is set 22. Grows bored with 26. Pro’s opposite 27. First female-directed movie to gross over $100 million 30. Act cautiously 33. Seattle-to-Tacoma dir. 34. TV’s Anderson 35. And others, for short 36. Poet famous for the words that begin 17-, 30-, 47and 59-Across 40. Indians can be found there 43. Times 44. Copy 47. “Over my dead body!” 52. Flabbergast 53. She played Mia in “Pulp Fiction” 54. Some magic acts 55. Former Golden Arches sandwiches 58. Discount label abbr. 59. Utterly self-satisfied 65. Color 66. Strands in the winter? 67. Do zilch 68. Pulitzer winner James 69. Twinkler in le ciel 70. Asner and O’Neill

Down 1. “Dear old” guy 2. Poems of passing 3. Small songbird 4. Campfire residue 5. Corn on the ____ 6. Article in Le Figaro 7. Year “Don Quixote” was published 8. Beethoven’s Third 9. Umberto Eco’s “The ____ the Rose” 10. YMCA member?: Abbr.

19 21

26 31

36 41

18 20

53 55

51 54

58 61

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk

ACROSS

Across

11. Occupy

39. Tiny fraction of a min. 40. Santa ____, Calif. 4. 13.Insight It begins in Mar. 41. Petunia Pig, e.g. 18.Good Typical 42. Top of the agenda 10. for Mad what reader ____ you 19. Feminine suffix 44. Sanction 14. European peak 22. Cable channel with the 45. Like some noses 15. Oldest among the Huxtable children on "The Cosby Show" slogan “Very funny” 46. Martians, e.g. 16. 23.Barbershop Normandysound town 48. Wabbit hunter 24.1992 Eager student’s 49. Rusher’s cry 17. Meryl Streep cry movie 25.Sr.'s Actress 50. Keep tabs on a tabby 20. test Sherilyn 28. Early civil rights activist 51. Not of the cloth 21. Where "Measure for Measure" is set ____ B. Wells 56. Puppyish 22. boredgoop with 29.Grows Coiffeur’s 57. Not loco 26. opposite half of a 45 31.Pro's Most-played 59. Child advocacy org. 32.First Spotfemale-directed movie to gross 60. over Fix $100 million 27. 36. ____ alai 61. Penultimate Greek letter 30. Act cautiously 37. Author Sarah ____ 62. Moray, e.g. 33. Seattle-to-Tacoma dir. Jewett 63. Black and tan ingredient 34. Anderson 38.TV's Slangy rejections 64. Metric wts. 1. 12.____ SayMoines what isn’t so

35. And others, for short

Last Thursday’s Puzzle Solved

36. Poet famous for the words that begin 17-, 30-, 47- and 59-Across B Indians I GcanTbeO P there S T A G S D S 40. found A U R A C O T O N E A L L 43. Times D O L C E A N D G R R B A N A Z I T Y E M E N E P I C B A R K J A C O B S L A T R I N E S N I P E W E T S Y M A S H E D T S K V E R A W A G I B M H E R O D Y A S S E R R E A D E D E B A S E S K A T E S P A Y E D A C E D I N K P L A N K H A U T E D I G G I T Y D O G Y E A R M R S U L U N I T S A N E S A L M A N E R S

Page 34

August 21 - 27, 2008

Wanted

LAWN & GARDEN Lawn mowing, yard

MOVIE EXTRAS - Earn up to $100 per day. All looks needed to work with film & tv production companies. No experience required. Please call 1-877-737-7566.

Yard Sales

clean-up, trimming, mulching & edging. Low rates. Call Ernesto 703-932-9565

MARIAS

HOUSE

CLEANING

Commercial or Residential. Available weekdays & weekends. Affordable rates. Good References & experience. Licensed & Legal resident . Senior discounts available. 703-395-5971 or 703-231-4135

PAINTING Interior - Exterior. Rotten wood GREAT SALE Saturday August 23rd 9 AM

– 1 PM Little Girl’s Delight! (Dolls, doll houses, games, other great toys) Girl’s clothes (ages 7-11) children’s books, videos, more! Kitchen, garden, utility room, miscellaneous household items! Unique furniture pieces 200 Garden Court, Falls Church 22046 No early birds please!

repair, Carpentry and Drywall repairs. Dependable and courteous service. Licensed, insured. NED Painting Maintenance, 703-533-7457

Public Notice PUBLIC AUCTION Notice is hereby given that the contents of the following rental storage spaces located at Fort Knox Self Storage will be offered for sale.

For Sale CEMETERY PLOTS - Two cemetery plots

in National Memorial Park. $2,500 each. Call 540885-2463. Estate Sale

CEMETERY PLOTS National Memorial

Park, Falls Church, VA Location: Maple Garden, Unit 637 Turf top crypts (Two burial rights), Includes Bronze Memorial Asking price: $4,940 ($1,000 below value) Call Judi (703) 938-3529

Help Wanted “AWESOME JOB!” Money Motivated! Hiring 18-24 sharp guys and girls, Travel Coast to Coast! 18+ years Cash advances daily! Two weeks paid training, hotel and transportation provided. Guaranteed return trip home. Call (877) 242-2151

CLASSROOM ASSISTANT Preschool

seeks person who enjoys working with children for part-time position as classroom assistant. Good salary and some benefits. Call (703) 534-8687

DRIVERS: Exp’d & Inexp’d - Local CDL-A Career Training Swift Transportation Trains and Employs! Dedicated, Regional & OTR Fleets. 800-397-2423

Unit # 232 Rodney Neal Unit # 689 Douglas Chapman Unit # 745 Juan Lawson Unit # 765 Klaus Keckeisen Unit # 768 Anna Rajnic Unit # 1002 Michael Hogan Sale will be held at 2933 Telestar Ct. Falls Church, VA. (703) 698-0022. Thursday August 28, 2008. 1:00 p.m. Terms: Cash only. Locks cut at auction

The Board of Zoning Appeals of the City of Falls Church, Virginia will hold a public hearing on October 16, 2008 at 7:45 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, for consideration of the following subject: U1488-08 an application for a Special Use Permit by BB& T Bank for a bank drivethrough facility as an accessory use to proposed construction at 1230 W. Broad Street, such accessory use not otherwise permitted by right and as provided by 38-23(b)(10) and 38-37(4), premises known as Lot 1 Broadwater Estate RPC #51-219-011 of the Falls Church Real Property Map Zoned B-1, Limited Business.

SEASONAL HELP WANTED Sept-

The Planning Commission will also consider this matter on September 15, 2008 at 7:45 p.m. for purposes of making a recommendation to the Board of Zoning Appeals.

For Rent

Information on these items is available in the Zoning Administrator’s office at City hall, West Wing 301, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia, or call 703-248-5015.

3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, basement. Available September 1, 2008 $2400/month Contact Chris@(703)628-4541

Services CHILD CARE

Experienced childcare provider provides quality care for your infant in F.C. home. (703) 241-0605.

FATHER & SON CONSTRUCTION 126952 CO. No Job to small

*Brick & Block - Concrete *Stone & Marble - Carpentry *Painting - Plaster *Landscaping - Trimming/Edging *Raking - Cleaning *Tile Workd Call Gary 703-849-1813 or Cell 703-5825815 Located in Falls Church.

GREAT CLEANING SERVICE Residential and Commercial, affordable rates, great references, excellent job call Maria 703.277.1098/703.626.0665

A1489-08 by Carmax Auto Superstores, Inc. of Richmond, Virginia seeking to appeal several determinations by the Zoning Administrator related to a proposed use at 6607 Wilson Blvd., premises known as Lots 1, 2 and 3 of the Harrison and West property, the Falls Church Real -RPC #53-218-002 1 of 19:50 12/10/01 Property Map Zoned M-1 Light Industry.

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Available 7 days a week. Week, biweekly, monthly or one time. Good references in Falls Church City. 10 years experience. For further information call me at 703-901-0596. Senior discount, Ask: Susy.

CLASSADS@FCNP.COM

Information on these items is available in the Zoning Administrator’s office at City Hall, West Wing 301, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia, or call 703-248-5015.

Do you see a BALLFIELD? THEN YOU SEE THE POWER OF COMMUNITY COALITIONS.

They help community groups organize resources and fight to keep kids away from drugs. Contact a community coalition and find out what your group can do.

www.helpyourcommunity.org or 1-877-KIDS-313 Y O U

www.FCNP.com

G E T

M O R E

W H E N

50¢ each additional word Add a box - $10

Deadline: 2 p.m. Tuesdays

Y O U

G E T

T O G E T H E R

Office of National Drug Control Policy

NOTE TO PUB: DO NOT PRINT INFO BELOW, FOR ID ONLY. NO ALTERING OF AD COUNCIL PSAs. Office of National Drug Control Policy -Newspaper (4 1/4 x 3 1/2) ON2TK3-N-09176-C B&W “Ballfield” - screen: 85 Film at Horan Imaging: 212-689-8585 Horan Ref#:126952

(two days before publication)

Fill out our Classified Ad form online at www.fcnp.com Phone: 703-532-3267 • Fax: 703-342-0352 E-Mail: classads@fcnp.com Mail: 450 W. Broad St. #321, Falls Church, VA 22046

Please include payment (check or money order) with your ad or call us to arrange payment by credit card. For public & legal notices, please email legalads@fcnp.com

The Falls Church News-Press accepts no financial responsibility for typographical errors in advertisements. Advertising which has minor discrepancies such as misspelling or small type transposition, but which do not affect the ability of the reader to respond to the ad will be considered substantially correct and full payment is required. The Falls Church News-Press is not responsible if the original copy is not typewritten or legible and clear. The Falls Church News-Press is not responsible for copy changes made by telephone.

GET NOTICED! in the News-Press! AB 85 Dolev *126952*

HANDYMAN SERVICE Windows, doors,

rotted wood, petdoors, lighting, fans, faucets, fences, bath, Flat screen TV installation and kitchen remodeling. Insured Free estimates. Call Doug (703) 556-4276 www.novahandyman.com

$20 for up to 20 words

Deadlines Every Tuesday 2 p.m.

The Board of Zoning Appeals of the City of Falls Church, Virginia will hold a public hearing on September 18, 2008 at 7:45 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, for consideration of the following subjects:

Fabiano Farm

HOUSE FOR RENT FALLS CHURCH CITY Falls Church City Rambler

We are pleged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap. All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.” This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are herby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-8530. Toll free call (888) 551-3247. For the hearing impaired call (804) 3679753. Email: fairhousing@dpor.virginia.gov. Web site: www.fairhousing.vipnet.org

Bruce Gilden/Magnum

Dec. 25-30 hours weekly $11/hr. Requires attention to detail, some typing, familiarity with computer. Will train. Call Barb 9-4 703-532-0013

News-Press Classifieds

August 21 - 27, 2008

Page 35

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CLEANING SERVICES Mike’s Carpet Cleaning 5 Rooms deep cleaned only $98 •Stretching•Mold Remediation •Oriental Rugs•Upholstery•Pet Problems • 24 Hour Emergency Water Damage We Clean the White House! Call Mike 703-978-2270

FOOD & DINING

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Eileen Levy Create unique art masterpieces using acrylics, water-based oils, pencils and an innovative variety of tools and brushes. Held at 111 Park Avenue Falls Church on Tuesday Evenings from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm Cost: $90 On-going monthly enrollment Enroll on-line at www.creativecauldron.org Or call 571-239-5288

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Page 36

Mayor Robin S. Gardner . . . . . . . . . . Vice Mayor Harold Lippman. . . . . . . . . . . City Council Nader Baroukh. . . . . . . . . . . . Daniel Maller . . . . . . . . . . . . . David F. Snyder. . . . . . . . . . . . Daniel X. Sze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lawrence Webb . . . . . . . . . . . City Manager Wyatt Shields. . . . . . . . . . . . . Home Page <www.fallschurchva.gov>

August 21 - 27, 2008

The Week

703-534-8644 703-237-9089 703-992-9433 703-731-8433 703-241-0419 703-538-5986 703-532-1043 703-248-5004*

* Indicates TTY 711 Accessibility

provided as a public service by the city of falls church

Questions or Comments? City of Falls Church, Harry E.Wells Building, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church,VA 22046 703-248-5003 (TTY 711) The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act.This document will be made available in alternate format upon request. Call 703-248-5003 (TTY 711).

FOR THE WEEK of

Back to School Guide • 2008-09 FCCPS Elementary Schools to Implement IB Program When it comes to student achievement, the Falls Church City Public Schools consistently rank among the best in the nation. One way to ensure the high performance continues is to seek innovative ways to deliver instruction, like the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (PYP). This inquiry-based approach to instruction offers a structured curriculum framework that focuses on the development of the whole child. It provides a curriculum framework that helps ensure a continuum of education for all students from pre-kindergarten through high school. Program implementation is a two-year process, during which faculty will write the new curriculum and gradually phase it in. The implementation process will begin with the upcoming school year at Mount Daniel and Thomas Jefferson elementary schools. Elementary teachers, administrators and parents from both schools began exploring the program more than two years ago and became believers almost immediately. Since then, teachers and administrators have attended

are supported and balanced by six subject areas: language, social studies, mathematics, arts, science and personal, social and physical education. The curriculum framework helps students to make connections throughout their learning.

implementation training, and they are convinced that the IB Primary Years Program is a good fit for Falls Church City. “In the school systems we studied that have had PYP in place for several years, children were more inquisitive, their questions were stronger and they interacted in a more positive, constructive manner socially than students from schools with a more traditional approach,” Mount Daniel Principal Kathy Halayko said. The PYP includes all students in its holistic approach to learning, encompassing six main themes of global significance interconnected with five essential elements: knowledge, concepts, skills, attitudes and actions. The themes

FCCPS Contact Information Mt. Daniel Elementary School: Main: 703-248-5640 Attendance: 703-248-5641 Hours: 8:45 a.m. – 3:20 p.m. 2328 North Oak Street Falls Church VA 22046 Principal: Kathy Halayko Thomas Jefferson Elementary School: Main: 703-248-5660 Attendance: 703-248-5661 Hours: 8:45 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. 601 South Oak St. Falls Church VA 22046 Principal: Vincent Baxter

Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School: Main: 703-720-5700 Attendance: 703-720-5701 Hours: 7:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 7130 Leesburg Pike Falls Church VA 22043 Principal: Ann McCarty George Mason High School: Main: 703-248-5500 Attendance: 703-248-5501 Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. 7124 Leesburg Pike Falls Church VA 22043 Interim Principal: Mary McDowell Extended Day Care Office: 703-248-5683

“If our students are to be productive members of an interconnected global society, it is important that they understand the commonalities they have with people across the globe as well as the differences,” Superintendent Lois Berlin said. “Our students need to understand how to communicate and collaborate with people of different cultures and experiences, and they need to understand the role of technology in a global society. The IB Primary Years Program helps them connect the dots.” Earlier this year, the Falls Church City School Board appropriated implementation funding for the two elementary schools beginning with the 2008-2009 school year. The school board also appropriated funding to support exploration of the IB Middle Years Program (MYP).

601 S. Oak Street Falls Church, VA 22046 Day Care/ASAP Contact: Katie Clinton Transportation: 703-248-5537 Transportation Supervisor: Nancy Hendrickson Public Information Office: 703-248-5699 803 W. Broad St., Suite 300 Falls Church, VA 22046 Communications Director: Karen Acar Central Office: 703-248-5600 803 W. Broad St., Suite 300 Falls Church, VA 22046 Superintendent: Dr. Lois Berlin

MEHMS Welcomes New Assistant Principal We can thank our former Mary Ellen Henderson vice principal, Vincent Baxter (now principal at Thomas Jefferson Elementary) for helping find his replacement. “Vincent and I were in the same master’s program at George Washington University and he was always totally raving about Mary Ellen Henderson and Falls Church,” said Gail Lovette, the new assistant principal at MEHMS. Lovette arrives after seven years with the Alexandria City Public schools as a 3rd and 5th grade teacher as well as program administrator at Samuel W. Tucker Elementary. “There were 650 students in my last school so I’m looking forward to working in a smaller school where I can get to know all of the students and their families more quickly,” Lovette said.

“Her wealth of experience as a classroom teacher and as a school administrator will serve MEH well,” said MEH principal Anne McCarty. “We are happy to have her on our staff.” Lovette is a SUNY – Geneseo graduate with a bachelors in elementary education. She earned her master’s in educational leadership and administration from George Washington University.

George Mason Welcomes Interim Assistant Principals Glynn Bates arrives at Mason from Fairfax County Public Schools where she oversaw Advanced Academic Programs for the last year after serving 22 years as principal of three FCPS schools including JEB Stuart High School. She holds an MA in educational administration from George Mason University and is currently in doctoral studies at Virginia Tech. She will serve as interim assistant principal until mid-October. At that time Thomas Eakin will take over. Eakin most recently has served as assistant principal at

Transportation

Richard Montgomery High School in Montgomery County, Maryland and Lake Braddock Secondary School in Fairfax County.

Transportation service is provided by Falls Church City Public Schools. Bus service is available to all students at Mt. Daniel Elementary. Limited service is available to students in grades 2-12. To learn more about bus routes and whether your student qualifies, visit www.fccps.org/bus. The after school emergency number is 703-248-5600.

August 21 - 27, 2008

Page 37

ly Focus

Chairman: Ronald Peppe II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vice Chairman: Susan Kearney . . . . . . . . . . . School Board Rosaura Aguerrebere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kathryn Chandler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charlotte Hyland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kieran Sharpe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joan Wodiska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Superintendent: Dr . Lois Berlin . . . . . . . . . . .

government and the falls church city public schools

august 21-27, 2008

For more news about the Falls Church City Public Schools visit: www.fccps.org

School Board to Meet at New Time In an effort to make meetings more efficient, the Falls Church City School Board voted last Tuesday to restructure its schedule. The board will continue to meet on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month in the chambers at city hall, but work sessions will begin at 7:00 p.m., closed meetings will take place at 8:15 p.m. and regular meetings will begin at 8:30 p.m. The new meeting times will take effect

with the next regular school board meeting on Tuesday, August 26, 2008. In addition, the school board will hold work sessions on alternate Tuesdays at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School only when needed. Board meeting times, agendas and materials are always available to the public under the school board section of the division Web site: www.fccps.org.

FCCPS Seeking Health, Family Life Committee Members School board advisory committees are a great way for volunteers to provide input to the school board on a variety of issues. Two committees in particular are in great need of members.

• Student Health Advisory Board – this committee assists in developing FCCPS health policies and helps evaluate school health education and health services programs within the division.

• Family Life Education Advisory Committee – this committee advises the school board on family life education programs within the school division.

To learn more about becoming involved in these or other advisory committees, visit www.fccps.org/ volunteer or contact School Board Deputy Clerk Marty Gadell, via email at gadellm@ fccps.org or by phone at (703) 248-5601.

FCC-TV Spotlight: Monster Madhouse LIVE Falls Church Community Television congratulates the cast and crew of Monster Madhouse LIVE on receiving a 2008 Telly Award! Since 1978, the international Telly Awards have recognized the very best local, regional and cable television programs in all 50 states and 5 continents . You can catch Karlos Borloff and his team of “Monsterminators” on FCC-TV as they try to save the world, one b-movie monster at a time! • Every day at 12:30 a .m . • Fridays & Saturdays at 10:00 p .m . FCC-TV airs on Cox Channel 12, Verizon Channel 35 and RCN Channel 2 . For more information about FCC-TV, or for a complete schedule of community programs on FCC-TV, visit www.fcctv.net or call 703-248-5538 .

BIE Partner of the Week Marybeth Connelly Community Outreach Coordinator School Involvement: Fosters educational partnerships between Falls Church City Public Schools and the local business and non-profit community . Why Marybeth is a BIE partner: “When schools, and members of the community work together, everybody benefits – students, teachers and businesses . It is so fulfilling to develop partnerships between generous community members and our creative teachers .” For more information about sharing your expertise through the BIE Partnership, visit www.fccps.org or contact Marybeth Connelly at connellym@fccps .org . School content published in The Weekly Focus is written and edited by the Falls Church City Public Schools. For more information, contact the Falls Church City Public Schools Communications Office. Phone: (703) 248-5699 Fax: (703) 248-5613.

“Every school division in the nation has been forced to raise their prices this year,” Food Service Director Richard Kane said.

$2.40 at the division’s elementary schools and to $2.60 at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School and George Mason High School. The adult lunch price at all school will increase by 25 cents to $3.25. The cost of milk at all schools will be 50 cents per carton this year, also up 25 cents.

Beginning in the fall, the cost of a student lunch will increase by 25 cents, bringing the price to

The cost of breakfast, served only at George Mason High School, will be $1.25.

Back-to-School Checklist Remember last year? “Get up and get dressed, here’s your breakfast, where’s the other sock, hurry up, where’s your lunch, the bus is coming…” What a way to start the day! To help those first school mornings go more smoothly, here are some practical tips: Two Weeks before School: • Spend extra time reading with your child, and include activities to get his or her brain back into shape. • Start the school bedtime and morning routines. By the time the first bell rings they’ll be old pros. One Week before School: • Put a calendar on the refrigerator to keep track of important dates.

• Make sure your child has basic school supplies (pencils, a ruler, pencil crayons) but don’t get carried away. Your child’s teacher will likely send home a list of items students will need. If he or she doesn’t, ask for one. • Get a backpack. Weekend before School: • Take it easy Labor Day weekend. If you arrive home from the beach at ten o’clock Monday night, Tuesday morning will be a nightmare. • Pack the backpack the night before. • Pack a lunch the night before. • Lay out clothes the night before. Source: todaysparent.com

Foundation Footnotes—FCEF Grants to Support Instruction The Falls Church Education Foundation (FCEF) is gearing up for another year of grant awards in support of the Falls Church City Public Schools . In the 2007-2008 school year, more than 450 students, teachers and parents were served through five grant projects . FCEF-funded projects totaled more than $5,000 and included projects such as “Math in Motion” and “Family Literacy Nights,” which demonstrated measurable results in student achievement in literacy and mathematics . Many teacher grantees are planning to build upon their experiences with this year’s FCEF grant projects and expand these activities in 2008-2009 . For information about how you can support these projects, contact the Falls Church Education Foundation, visit www.fcedf.org or contact Donna Englander at denglander@fcedf .org .

Back to School Orientation Schedules Mount Daniel Elementary 8/28 1:30 p .m . Kindergarten Meet the Teacher 2:00 p .m . 1st Grade Meet the Teacher 2:30 p .m . Pre-School Meet the Teacher Thomas Jefferson Elementary 8/28 12:45 p .m . Meet the Teacher Mary Ellen Henderson Middle 8/26 8:00 a .m . – 5th Grade Locker / Orientation 10:00 a .m . New Student Orientation 8/27 6:00 p .m . Back to School Social George Mason High 8/27 9:00 a .m . New Student Orientation 12:00 p .m . 8th Grade Orientation

703-536-8638 703-536-7564 703-237-6993 703-536-3130 703-533-1248 703-248-5601*

* Indicates TTY 711 Accessibility

New School Lunch Prices Set Reflecting nationwide increases in energy costs, food and paper, the Falls Church City School Board has approved an increase in school lunch prices.

703-534-4951 703-532-0321

SCHOOL CALENDAR DATES ARE SubjEcT To chAngE August 22 Deadline for Day Care/ ASAP Fall Registration 7:30 p.m. Washington-Lee at Mason (Football –scrimmage) 25 7:15 p.m. Park View at Mason (Volleyball) 26 8:00 a.m. 5th Grade Locker/ Orientation (MEH) 10:00 a.m. New Student Orientation (MEH) 10:00 a.m. Mason @ Manassas Park (Golf) 7:00 p.m. School Board Work Session (City Hall) 8:30 p.m. School Board Regular Meeting (City Hall) 27 9:00 a.m. New Student Orientation (GM) 12:00 p.m. 8th Grade Orientation (GM) 6:00 p.m. Back to School Social (MEH) 28 12:45 p.m. Meet the Teacher (TJ) 1:30 p.m. Kindergarten Meet the Teacher (MD) 2:00 p.m. 1st Grade Meet the Teacher (MD) 2:30 p.m. Pre-School Meet the Teacher (MD) 4:00 p.m. Mason at Rapp. Co. (Golf) 7:15 p.m. Mason at Potomac Falls (Volleyball) 29 7:30 p.m. JEB Stuart at Mason (Football) September 2 First Day of School (MD) Mt. Daniel Elementary (TJ) Thomas Jefferson Elementary (MEH) Mary Ellen Henderson Middle (GM) George Mason High Check the FCCPS Web site for more calendar information. www.fccps.org

Mustang Football 2008 All games are at 7:30 p .m .

8/22 8/29 9/5 9/12 9/26 10/03 10/10 10/17 10/24 10/31 11/7

Washington-Lee (scrimmage) JEB STUART at Page County STONEWALL JACKSON at Luray GOOCHLAND MANASSAS PARK at Eastern View MADISON COUNTY at Clarke County at Strasburg - Bold indicates Home Games

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August 21 - 27, 2008

B A C K I N THE DAY

and the Crusade for America.” Roosevelt believed passionately in regulating industry and curbing the excesses of the great corporations. He favored the imposition of an inheritance tax and fought his party’s increasing tendency to cater to the very wealthy. And, of course, he was a ferocious protector of the environment. Roosevelt was known as the “trust-buster,” but it was in the area of environmental conservation that he really made his mark. Brinkley, in a draft preface to the biography, tells how a number of bird species in the United States were headed for extinction as the 20th century approached, in large part because of the popularity of feathered hats for women. By 1886, when the Audubon Society was founded, more than 5 million birds a year were being slaughtered to satisfy the millinery trade. The feather boom was especially big in Florida. Egrets, herons – just piles and piles of birds were being destroyed, many of them by men with semiautomatic weapons. Roosevelt was outraged that what he termed “the despoilers” were threatening to ruin the bird populations along the Florida coasts. Having already championed the preservation of what became Yellowstone National Park, Roosevelt designated Pelican Island, which had a once-thriving bird population off the east central coast of Florida, as the nation’s first federal bird reservation. Pelican Island became the first unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “By 2003,” Brinkley wrote, “when Pelican Island celebrated its centennial, the U.S. National Wildlife Refuge System comprised over 540 wildlife refuges on more than 95 million acres.” We’re now in a ridiculous period in which politicians are concerned about appearing too well-spoken and too intellectual – elitist – as if mangling the language while downing a shot and slurping from a mug of beer

were sure signs of fitness for high office. So it might come as a surprise to some that McCain’s macho hero happened to have been among the first naturalists at Harvard, an inveterate birdwatcher, and a prolific and sensitive writer. The kicker to the story about the contribution from Standard Oil is that despite Roosevelt’s repeated orders, it may not have been returned. Roosevelt went to his grave believing that it had been, but Brinkley said a later investigation of the campaign’s finances left open the possibility that Roosevelt’s orders may not have been followed. Roosevelt was a complicated fellow. Progressive in much of his politics and intensely concerned about the long-term welfare of the country and its people, he was also a social

Darwinian and a conflict-loving imperialist. What is not in question is that he was a far, far cry from John McCain and today’s GOP.

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August 21 - 27, 2008

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August 21 - 27, 2008

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