Falls Church News-Press 8-25-2022

by Nicholas F. Benton Falls Church News-Press

Classes commence starting next Monday in all five City of Falls Church public schools. They began this week in neighboring Fairfax County.

Falls Church Superintendent Dr. Peter Noonan, beginning his sixth year at the helm of the local system, told the News-Press yesterday that all positions, including for bus drivers, have now been filled in time for classes to begin next week.

Shovlin’s Historical Rehash Sets Record Straight August 25 - 31, 2022

“No need for any double runs of anything with respect to busing,” he said. There is, he said, one special education position that opened up just last week with the promotion of an existing person, but with the addition of an extra full-time substitute in each position provided in this year’s budget, that one-slot opening will be covered by “someone who is permanently in the building,” he said.

“All relationships will start strong,” he added,

Spearheading the annual convocation of all the FCCPS system’s five school campuses and the central

THE FALLS CHURCH CITY Public Schools have been so well tended to by this assemblage of teachers, staff and administrators who were recognized on their anniversaries for between 15 and 30 years of service to the system at Tuesday’s annual convocations on the eve of the start of a new school year (see the complete list accompanying the story in this issue). (News-Press Photo)

at the time. When last month’s historic deal for $25 million, of which portion $8,300,000 comes to the City, it accrued far, far more than the $1 a year many had been led to believe by virtue of the City’s apparent commitment to secrecy at the time. Serving The Schools Well F.C. School Days Begin Monday at 5 Campuses

News of the major deal by the City of Falls Church to sell a 7.42 acre property that has been home to the Northern Virginia campus of Virginia Tech since 1995 was this paper’s lead story for its July 28 edi-

Restaurant Review: Mark’s Pub

Patricia Leslie is back with another Restaurant Spotlight, this time focusing on Mark’s Pub. Mark’s Pub gives “a warm vibe” while offering various dishes and live music.

See Page 12

tion. It is part of a massive overall deal to convert three separate properties by the West Falls Church Metro station into over 40 acres of one of the biggest multi-use business and commercial campuses in the entire region.

The story elicited for those with longer memories here a recollection

A look at electric vehicles

With a recent rise in popularity, electric vehicles have caused numerous arguments about their sustainability. Andrew Olesen explains the pros and cons of electric vehicles, and whether they are the “answer” for the future of transportation.

See Page 13

office held Tuesday at the Meridian High School auditorium, Noonan exclaimed, “This is the year of joy,” at the end of the meeting.

In addition to the staffing good news, the superintendent made news during his remarks Tuesday with a new five-year strategic plan that emphasizes “investing in our people” to better retain the best teachers and staff.

“In order to create a culture of excellence,” the strategic plan states, “FCCPS will invest in our employees by building structures that promote success and professional growth opportunities, cultivating intrinsic motivation and mutual reliance in a workplace culture that values every voice.”

Noting that a study ranked the City’s schools as having “the second best working conditions” in Virginia, Noonan said, “We want to be No. 1, to be the best in the world.” He said it is within reach of goals to offer the highest pay in the state, and to increase sick leave pay from $3 to $16 per hour, to develop pathways for staff to become teachers, to offer superior parental leave and even some sabbatical leave options.

He contrasted his exclamation of “the year of joy” to the last two years, which he said, with the pandemic and its complications involving him coping with “my hardest work in 33 years” in public education, and conceding “it was not joyful for me the last two years.”

“But we are now coming out of two years of a really difficult time and are turning the corner,” he said.

Still, Noonan noted, the FCCPS system has “knocked it out of the park” with the state’s best overall Standards of Learning (SOL) scores in addition to being the second best place to teach in the state and being named a top school division in the state for the fourth year in a row.

Noonan said the five pillars of the new strategic plan beginning this fall include “wellness, equity and belonging,” where the FCCPS “will ensure that the shared school community nurtures a safe and trusting environment where every person feels supported and belongs” by “prioritizing access to wellness resources, mental health initiatives and equitable practices.”

“International Baccalaureateinfused teaching and learning” will be there for all students. “Using research-based instructional best

practices and an inclusive global lens, educators will provide choice and actively-engaged students in learning and service.”

“As a premiere International Baccalaureate K-12 public school division,” a mission statement declares, the goal is to “personalize learning to support each child’s unique needs and to prepare every student to be a responsible, caring and internationally-minded citizen.” Added is the vision to “foster the IB learner mindset to help every child develop skills necessary to succeed in the classroom and beyond.”

One goal Noonan presented in an effort to “eliminate learning gaps,” was his “10 percent issue,” which acknowledges about 10 percent of students in the system, or 260 students in grade 3 through 12, 26 per grade level, need to be the focus of special efforts to fully engage.

Mary Jo West, honored as, at 25 years, the longest tenured teacher in the high school and a Grammy Award nominee for her work with her music students, said she was “bursting with joy” for the fact that four students from the FCCPS system are now teachers in it. She hailed the system’s “rainbow connection” of “lovers and dreamers and me.”

A diverse student panel convened to discuss key issues coming into the new school year, made up of Turan Ahmad, Belarmino Castillo-Lopez, Brielle Collins, Elijah Pelton, Miles Pierre, Diwata Maria, Katie Rice and Kaethan Virmani.

Pierre said as the only AfricanAmerican male in the high school, he clearly sees lack of diversity as a key issue for students to cope with, while Pelton said his advice to other students is “to have fun and live your life,” and Virmani added to “do things you love with like-minded people.”

Honored for five-year interval anniversaries in the Falls Church system were transportation services employee Charmaine Barr at 30 years, Meridian’s Mary Jo West and

Henderson Middle School’s Maryel Barry, Kathleen Johnson and Nick Werkman at 25 years.

Also honored on their 20th anniversary in the system were the Central Office’s Margaret Doubleday, Oak Street’s Miguel Gonzales and Hafsa Rahman, Thackeray’s Sara Henderson, Mt. Daniel’s Jed Jackson, Henderson’s Robert Jones and Amanda Ronco. Honored on their 15 anniversary were Henderson’s Lauren Carpel and Liz Stigall, Oak Street’s Lauren Lauer, Meridian’s Chris Carrico and Valerie Chesley, Custodial Services’ Hilaria Zeballos, Food Services’ Richard Kane and Transportation and Food Services’ Perry Suthiqul. (See photo on Page One of this edition).

There’s something strange in the D.C. air these days. It smells a bit like … competence.

Seriously, it has been amazing to watch the media narrative on the Biden administration change. Just a few weeks ago President Joe Biden was portrayed as hapless, on the edge of presiding over a failed presidency. Then came the Inflation Reduction Act, a big employment report and some good news on inflation, and suddenly we’re hearing a lot about his accomplishments.

But I still don’t think the media narrative gets it quite right. Biden has indeed accomplished a lot — in some ways more than he’s getting credit for, even now. On the other hand, America is a huge nation with a huge economy, and his policies don’t look as impressive when you compare them with the scale of the nation’s problems.

Furthermore, at this point Biden is arguably benefiting from the soft bigotry of low expectations. His pol-

icy achievements are big by modern standards, but they wouldn’t have seemed astounding in an earlier era — the era before the radicalization of the Republican Party made it almost impossible to pursue real solutions to real problems.

So, what has Biden accomplished? As I see it, he came into office with three main domestic policy goals: investing in America’s fraying infrastructure, taking serious action against climate change and expanding the social safety net, especially for families with children. He got most of two and a bit of the third.

Last year’s infrastructure bill gets remarkably little media attention; only about one-quarter of voters even know that it passed. But we should remember that Barack Obama wanted to invest in infrastructure but couldn’t; Donald Trump promised to do it but didn’t (and “It’s infrastructure week!” became a running joke); then Biden got it done.

By contrast, the Inflation Reduction Act, which is mainly a climate law, has received a lot of attention,

Our Man in Arlington

By Charlie Clark

At least one edifice on renamed Langston Blvd. is not being renamed.

The Lee Community Center at Lexington St., for decades a red brick gathering place that dates to 1926, is now in county purgatory.

Its empty state has left erstwhile users (before the pandemic it hosted senior history lectures, voting, pottery classes and leaf bags for autumn pickup) reduced to speculating on its future. Except for a playground with swings and basketball hoops, the building that once honored the top Confederate general is now chiefly a site for glass recycling bins.

“The building’s HVAC equipment is 20 — 25 years old and nearing the end of its useful life,” explained Katie O’Brien, the Environmental Services Department’s communications manager. “Spare parts are no longer available. Replacing the roof-top HVAC units would require major renovation, including invasive removal of embedded asbestos and recreating the interiors to meet current accessibility standards.”

What eventually becomes of the onetime Robert E. Lee Elementary School may spark controversy. The Plan Langston Boulevard nonprofit, in its new Preliminary Concept Plan Report, outlined three scenarios for the land, assuming the building goes, in its broader vision of a spiffier five-mile boulevard that addresses larger needs such as lower-cost housing and healthy small businesses.

In coordination with offerings at the Langston Brown Community Center up the road, the Lee Center could be subdivided into a combo of senior housing, public recreation and school space.

That may not thrill all nearby in the Leeway Overlee Civic Association. Members tell me they favor returning the center to its previous mixed-use role. “The current sentiment does not seem to reflect making the property a public/private partnership,” their statement said. “Should the county determine that the facility be shuttered and mothballed, the community would seem to prefer that the bricks be replaced with sod.”

That past-its-prime structure, however, retains fond memories for alums of the school, which closed in 1971. Dave Swerdloff recalled doing first and second grade in the mid1950s braving bullies while walking from 22nd Rd. “We referred to the school by its full name, Robert E. Lee,” though few kids understood Lee’s impact, he said. “The building looked to my young eyes the way a school should look: A brick building with what I could only see as a grand entrance and, out back, fields to play in,” plus summer recreation activities like making pot holders and lanyards.

Larry Lachance, who attended soon after the building expanded in 1957, walked just four minutes from his house on N. Madison St. “Of course it was perfectly safe and par-

ents didn’t escort you,” he recalled, and he eventually became a safety patrol. “My fifth-grade teacher was Mrs. Miller — I don’t know her first name. I thought she was nice and I’m pretty certain I learned something.”

Larry Batstone, also an ex-Madison St. resident, enrolled in second grade in 1952, in the post-war era when new Arlington schools were opening and splitting siblings. The kids, “nearly all of whom walked to school, used Lee as a playground after school and during recess and I often brought a ball glove,” he recalled. “But you couldn’t get your clothes dirty, or you’d have to go home and come back.”

At age 79, Batstone is puzzled at the modern-day erasure of Lee the man. “I look at it as kind of a piece of history and a lot of history is going away.”

***

A majestic home built in 1890 on a strawberry farm in Bellevue Forest may soon meet the wrecking ball. The white-wood 3,626-squarefoot, five-bedroom estate on 1.5acres with an historic elm tree at 3575 N. Roberts Lane was sold in April for $3 million. Longtime owners Michael and Audrey Wyatt (a former secretary of the Arlington Community Foundation) signed it over to Doug Root of Blackfin Real Estate Investors and Iron Fish Construction. He told me he will not subdivide the property and plans a new home “very similar in style to the existing home.”

Kudos to Harry Shovlin!

Sometimes it can take awhile for the real story to come out, especially if official sources are less than forthcoming. Such has been the case for what’s reported in this edition on the circumstances surrounding the City of Falls Church’s controversial (at the time) acquisition and disposal of the seven acres known then as the Kisling tract which became home to a northern Virginia extension of Virginia Tech (and U.Va. at the time).

It’s important that, even more than two dozen years after the fact, the real story finally gets told, and all the credit goes to Harry Shovlin, considered by many long-timers here the unofficial mayor of this burg. Harry has been in the public eye mostly for his shepherding of the City’s efforts to pay homage to its war veterans, and Harry’s unofficial “offices” are at the American Legion Hall on N. Oak Street, in the back meeting space that few but real American war heroes ever get to see despite the plethora of public events that go on there in the front meeting space. Harry is also known for his decades of devoted teaching at the then-George Mason, now Meridian, High School, and he has friends all over this community who are his former students. He is that rare person in any community who knows, proverbially speaking, “where all the bodies are buried,” although he has nothing to offer about the whereabouts of Jimmy Hoffa’s remains.

Readers will see in this edition to the real story, for the first time, of what actually transpired in 1995, when a complicated swap took place behind closed doors to win the furiously-contested bid at the time that led to the joint decision by Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia to select the site in question over bids from every other jurisdiction in the region. Having what was called the two universities’ “Grad Center” to locate in their jurisdiction was considered by all the monumental feather in whomever’s cap that would win it, not the least of which was giant Fairfax County, just across the street from the tiny independent jurisdiction known as Falls Church. The City’s involvement lay in the fact that it owned the tract in question.

The News-Press editorialized furiously opposing the decision to have the Grad Center located there mainly because of the value of the real estate on which it was to sit (the area around that West Falls Church Metro was more than once characterized as “the most valuable real estate on the eastern seaboard” by then-City Manager David Lasso) and it was deemed inexplicable why the Falls Church City Council would agree unanimously to hand it over to the two universities for a veritable song ($1 a year for 25 years).

But after all this time, now we know how much more there was to the story that was simply never made public at the time. Thanks, Harry!

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Volunteers for Trees in F.C.

Editor, Given the fact that trees are dying around our city and the people assigned to deal with our green spaces are overworked, underfunded and short on staff, wouldn’t our City Council and City manager want to find ways to encourage and train volunteers to help ameliorate this crisis?

Peter Markham Falls Church

The Need For Naloxone

Editor,

The opioid epidemic keeps growing. Fatal opioid overdoses have increased 77 percent in Virginia in quarter two of 2020 compared to the same time in 2019. In 2020, 91,799 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States.

The age-adjusted rate of overdose deaths increased by 31 percent from 2019 — 2020 (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). A bill that has been in place to work with hospitals that get patients that have overdosed is BH 2300. It asks hospitals with an emergency department to establish a protocol for treatment of individuals experiencing a substance-related emergency.

Although this bill is in place not all hospitals have a plan in place to help these individuals. One of the solutions would be to give every patient that goes to the ER a Narcan/

naltrexone kit and explain to them how to use it. Many places here in Fairfax provide free education and naloxone to individuals who complete training. Contacting the Health Department is also another way to get free naloxone that can possibly save lives. There are other organizations in the area that also help provide naloxone that are easily accessible. Let’s not wait for someone loved to be in this situation to act, everyone can be an advocate for this issue.

Jeniffer Rodriguez

Regarding Narrow Intersections in F.C.

Editor,

What’s the obsession with narrowing intersections in the City? There are many done and (it looks like) there are more to follow. Widening the sidewalks, making vehicle’s turn sharper — what’s the purpose? Safety? What driver makes a right turn with more than 5 – 6 miles per hour? There are at least two major drawbacks to this:

1) Drivers have to split their attention between safe driving and not hitting the curb.

2) Large vehicles (school buses, trucks), especially when making a right turn, are forced to step into the opposite lane. Not good for safety, in my view. I hope there are sensible people in the City’s government who will stop useless and dangerous projects like this.

Simeon

Savov Falls Church

‘Best of Falls Church’ Corrections

In last week’s “Best of Falls Church’ issue, an incorrect address was used for Zimmermann Homes. They can be found online at Zimmermannhomes.com. To get in touch with a representative, email Sales@Zimmermannhomes.com.

In addition, Bodies in Motion Physical Therapy, located at 80 E. Jefferson St. Ste. 200, Falls Church, won Best Physical Therapy, not Chiropractor as previously published. The News-Press regrets these errors.

Highly Classified Documents & Trump as an Agent of Moscow

As more and more damning information comes out about Trump’s illegal and dangerous theft of highly classified U.S. security information he stashed at Mar-A-Lago and who knows where else, the one glaring question no one appears willing to consider publicly is to me the most obvious.

That is, simply, given the unquestionable intent of Trump to hold onto all those documents, including the most highly secret ones — why?

The rote answer is always given as something to do with Trump’s personal agenda and his penchant for lying and/or

Editor’s Essay Commentary

psychosis. How about the right answer being what many were thinking in the first years of his candidacy/presidency, that he was and remains a conscious agent of a hostile foreign power? Russia.

That idea, still the soundest explanation in this writer’s view, got dropped like a hot rock by everyone when the findings of the Mueller Report were deemed uncredible. But the issues around that report were muddied by Trump himself and his GOP allies. It seems everyone, including his political enemies and in the media, felt the need to suddenly step away. I can only wonder why.

Well, this writer has not, not one bit. I go back to the columns I wrote in the months following the January 6, 2021 siege of the nation’s capital, that I compiled in a short collection entitled, “The January 6 Capitol Sacking: Putin’s Role.” It has sold well, but without a single boost from

any commentator or reviewer, and also, notably, without a single denier.

My largely eye-witness reporting was in the context of my first hand recollections of the highly-charged American political fringes of the 1970s and since and the obvious ways in which Soviet/Russian methods were used then to gain a solid foothold into American political functioning. If anything, the revelations about Trump’s latest treasonous activities only more solidly underscore my previous observations and conclusions. I write this hardly to sell more of these books, but to help awaken the public to the true, insidious nature of the ongoing Russian threat to our democracy. Some, I presume, choose not to acknowledge my thoughts and experiences on grounds that I am not part of the D.C. media elite since I have come at these matters not from an Ivy League school but from the school of

What Biden Has — and Hasn’t

Continued from Page 5

and deservedly so. America is finally taking action against the biggest existential threat of our times. Energy experts believe that it will have large direct effects in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These are significant achievements, and a big contrast with the last administration, whose only major domestic policy change was a tax cut that had almost no visible positive effects.

But when I see news reports describe these laws as “massive” or huge, I wonder whether the writers have done the math. The infrastructure law will add roughly $500 billion in spending over the next decade. The Inflation Reduction Act will increase spending by roughly an additional half trillion. A law to promote U.S. semiconductor production will add around $50 billion more. Overall, then, we’re talking about a bit more than $1 trillion in public investment over 10 years.

To put this in perspective, the

— Done

Congressional Budget Office expects cumulative gross domestic product to be more than $300 trillion over the next decade. So the Biden agenda will amount to around one-third of 1 percent of GDP. Massive it isn’t. True, some of what Biden has done may have effects much bigger than the dollar sums might suggest. There are reasons to hope that the climate law will have a sort of catalytic effect in promoting a transition to clean energy. And some economists believe that boosting the budget of the resource-starved IRS will greatly reduce tax evasion and hence increase revenue.

And can we say a word about foreign policy? Biden got immense flak over the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, although the critics offered few suggestions about what he should have done differently. But the narrative on foreign affairs has changed, too; I’m no expert, but it looks to me as if the Biden administration has done a remarkable job assembling and holding together a coalition to help Ukraine resist Russian aggression.

OK, I can already hear people yelling in response to any citation of Biden’s achievements, what about inflation? Indeed, the Biden administration failed to appreciate the risks of an inflation surge. However, so did many others, including the Federal Reserve (and yours truly). And it does seem worth pointing out that other countries, notably Britain, are also suffering from high inflation, even though they didn’t follow anything like Biden-style policies. In fact, Britain’s inflation problem looks worse than ours, on multiple dimensions.

And both the public and financial markets expect inflation to be brought under control. So it doesn’t look as if this admittedly big misstep will do enduring damage. Again, I don’t want to sound Trumpian and claim that Biden is doing an awesome job, a perfect job, the best job anyone has ever seen. What he has done — and was doing even before the media narrative turned — is deal, reasonably effectively, with the real problems

hard knocks, as it were. Since I was a part of the political counterculture of the 1970s, some perhaps expect that I somehow am still there. That, of course, is patently ridiculous, though admittedly in the frozen minds of some, a hard notion to dispel, regardless of my meritorious societal contributions of the last three dozen years.

For the record, in my heart I am not a leftist or a rightist or anyone’s agent. I aligned the way I did in the 1970s for a complex set of reasons at the time that involved my perception of joining up with a soft, humanitarian left. It turned out to evolve into an evil political weapon of Moscow.

By contrast, I consider myself best profiled primarily as a spiritual person, though I hardly wear that on my sleeve. I sought to bring the best of my graduate theological education (I graduated with honors from the United Church of Christ-affiliated

Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, Calif. in 1969) to apply to issues of my “coming out” as gay in that early 1970s. Only later did I fall gradually into the nasty cultist climate of that unfortunate decade, becoming for a time a sad tool of the late cult leader, the pro-Moscow Lyndon LaRouche.

But I left that organization with extreme prejudice long ago, careful to elude the great howls of protest that some who broke free elicited from the leadership. In my case, I think that my departure was not more fully resisted if only because I am gay and the organization had turned strongly against that.

Still, the stigma of my involvement with that cult is hard to move beyond. Just in the last year, a local poll worker slandered my newspaper as being affiliated with LaRouche, though it has been totally independent since its founding over 30 years ago.

(To be continued).

America is facing.

The thing is, what we’re getting from Biden should be routine in a wealthy, sophisticated nation; indeed, it was routine before the GOP took its hard

right turn. At this point, however, competent, reality-based government comes as a shock.

By P aul K rugman © 2022 The New York Times

Nicholas F. Benton FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

A Penny for Your Thoughts News of Greater Falls Church

By Supervisor Penny Gross

Public education is one of the pillars that supports our democracy. When democracy is under attack, so, too, is our public education system, and vice versa. Young minds can benefit from a strong and independent schooling, where pathways to education (and library books) are open to all. A strong public education system depends on community support, dedicated and respected teachers and staff and the business component ready to hire the next generation of workers in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.

Fairfax County teachers and students started a new school year this week, reluctant to see summer end, but eager to return to classes and friends. Sadly, they are coping with many of the same issues that face school systems across the nation: children unprepared to learn, teacher salaries below market, facilities in need of repairs and new concerns about Covid and Monkeypox protocols. These issues were front and center at the Virginia Association of Counties’ (VACo) Summer Supervisor Summit in Roanoke last week. Nearly 200 county supervisors gathered to discuss local issues, with a focus on the so-called budget “surplus” that the state is enjoying right now. Many of the supervisors are teachers or former teachers, who have insights about education systems that are the number one priority for county budgets.

A long-time physical education teacher noted that administrators tend to want to “check the boxes” that will make the system (and them) look good rather than tackling and resolving issues identified in the classroom. He was concerned that relying on standardized tests takes time from teaching the critical thinking skills that are the basis of a good education. Another supervisor from the Shenandoah Valley said that she spends a good deal of time parenting her students, many of whom are sent to school ill-clothed and ill-fed. She established a classroom closet with extra clothing and pantry items because some children are bullied when they come to school in the same unwashed clothes day after day.

Week of August 15 — 21, 2022

Commercial Burglary, S Washington St, August 15, 02:58 AM, two unknown suspects broke a window, stole items of value and left premises the same way. Suspects described as males, one wearing a red hoodie, black pants, COVID mask and gloves and one wearing all black, COVID mask and gloves. Investigation continues.

Theft from Vehicle/Drunk in Public, James Ct, August 16, 12:16 AM, a male, 32, of Arlington, VA, removed items of value from vehicle and was arrested for credit card theft, drunk in public and theft from vehicle.

Credit Card Fraud, W Broad St, August 16, 7:56 AM, an incident of

Teaching today is exhausting, she said, as teachers are expected to handle non-teaching tasks from washing faces to cleaning floors. Planning time and grading papers are tasks done at home, after hours, and unpaid. A younger teacher from the Northern Neck appreciated increased state funding for schools in the Commonwealth’s biennial budget, but warned that, until teachers are paid and treated as the professionals they are, school systems will continue to struggle. Recruitment and retention of teachers are major concerns when many teachers must find part-time jobs to make ends meet. These problems are shared by school systems across the Commonwealth; the VACo Board of Directors approved a letter to Governor Youngkin, supporting improving the school funding formula for staff positions and for school infrastructure modernization needs.

More than half of K-12 school buildings in Virginia are more than 50 years old and need new investments to ensure that students learn in facilities that equip them to compete on the international stage. That means fiber conduits for computer and Internet access as well as safe chemistry labs with multiple electric sockets and safety equipment. That also means restroom facilities with privacy and clean, working toilets. Today’s public education challenges are solvable, but it will take all of us, working together as a community at all levels, many years to remedy. The quality of our public schools is the primary reason major businesses and corporations move their operations to Northern Virginia. Let’s not squander any opportunity to support public schools, with our tax dollars, volunteer hours and our democratic values. As the bumper sticker says, “If you can read this, thank a teacher.”

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

credit card fraud was reported

Identity Theft, W Broad St, 12:54 PM, an incident of identity theft was reported.

Larceny from Vehicle, Buxton Rd, between 7 PM, August 16 and 11 AM, August 17, items of value were taken from unsecured vehicle.

Larceny of Vehicle Parts, Park Ave, between 6 PM, August 17 and 7:30 AM, August 18, unknown suspect(s) removed catalytic converter from a Ford F350.

Larceny of Vehicle Parts, Roosevelt Blvd, August 18, 08:52 AM, unknown suspect(s) shattered driver’s side front window and took steering wheel airbag from a Honda Civic.

Larceny of Vehicle Parts, Roosevelt Blvd, between 11 PM, August 17 and 11:56 AM, August 18, unknown suspect(s) shattered driver’s side front window and took steering wheel airbag from a Honda Civic.

Larceny of Vehicle Parts, Roosevelt Blvd, between 11 PM, August 17 and 8:30 PM, August 18, unknown suspect(s) shattered driver’s side front window and took steering wheel airbag from an Acura.

Larceny of Vehicle Parts, S Maple Ave, between 5:30 PM, August 18 and 6:30 AM, August 19, unknown suspect(s), removed catalytic converters from three commercial buses.

Driving Under the Influence, W Broad St, August 20, 2:06 AM, a male, 45, of Springfield, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence and Refusal.

‘Unofficial’ Mayor’s Research Confirms $17 Million Net Return to City

So, as local historian and unofficial mayor Harry Shovlin has now documented, and as his recent research into the matter has so confirmed. Shovlin is a ubiquitous man about town and leader of a local veterans group, former high school teacher and still the best handyman in the business. If he can’t, he knows who in town is the most reliable person to fix just about anything.

His research confirms the following:

The City originally purchased the 7.42 acres, known as the Kisling Tract, for $283,000, and used the site as garden plots for F.C. citizens for a number of years and as a buffer between the West Falls Church Metro station and the then-George Mason High School.

Then, in leasing the land to Virginia Tech (and the University of Virginia jointly at the time), the City received $500,000 up front, an agreement that the universities would foot the bill on a computer room and distance-learning room at the old high school next door for $400,000 and $35,000 a year for 20 years for $700,000. Only on top of that was the much-publicized $1 a

year for 20 years.

But that was not all. In addition, Fairfax County, on which the Kissling Tract was officially located and which saw considerable merit to winning the competitive bidding to get the universities to locate here, gave the City in exchange for its support a very generous deal on the old Whittier High School property on the other side of town on Hillwood Avenue.

The property included the old high school there and land across the street that became the Larry Graves Fields of today.

Originally, the county was trying to sell the Whittier site to the City for $3 million. But when it was discovered that the federal government had built the Whittier School at no cost to the county, county officials were persuaded to give it to the City as part of the deal for the Kisling Tract.

The conditions to the City were that the City demolish the old Whittier School (which as one time was home to Falls Church High School that subsequently relocated into its current location in Fairfax County and also to the private Flint Hill school that occupied the build-

ing for a number of years) and rehabilitate what became known as the Larry Graves fields, named for a popular girls soccer coach who died of cancer. The demolition included the removal of all the asbestos from the old Whittier School.

Secretive negotiations on all that were achieved at the time by thenFalls Church Mayor Brian O’Connor and then-Fairfax Supervisor (and later U.S. congressman) Tom Davis. Also agreed to was significant traffic calming measures along Hillwood Avenue, a request from the Hillwood Association.

The City subsequently sold the Whittier site to a residential developer for $9,600,000. Minus the cost of demolition, the rehab of the fields and modest traffic calming improvements, the net to the City from that deal was $8,260,000.

The bottom line is that the City’s net of $8,260,000 for the Whittier Site and $8,300,000 as the City’s share of the recent sale of the graduate center site totals $17,580,020 to the City in exchange for the original purchase price of $283,000 for the Kisling site.

That is a $17,580,020 net return

to the City. Now, there’s no telling how much the City will gain from the sale of the 7.42 acre grad site now when it is coupled with the City’s

10 acres and WMATA’s 23 acres to build up the massive project around the West Falls Church station.

Not too shabby, it’s safe to say.

HARRY SHOVLIN, the City’s ‘unofficial Mayor.’ (News-Press Photo)

The Smile You Want The Attention You Deserve

Falls Church Business News & Notes

Five Falls Church Companies Make Inc. 5000 List

This year, 258 Virginia companies made the annual Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s 5,000 fastestgrowing privately held companies with several in the Falls Church Area. Sierra7 in Falls Church ranked 457 on the list with a growth rate of 1,362 percent. Sierra7 is a service-disabled veteranowned small business providing information technology and consulting services to federal agency clients. Other Falls Church area companies on the list include public relations firm Pinkston at 4,039 (119 percent growth), information technology consulting firm Alesig Consulting at 4,070 (118 percent growth), business management consultant Evans Consulting and information technology company Agil3 Technology Solutions. Virginia companies on this year’s list collectively added 31,171 jobs and 167 are repeat winners. The top 500 companies on the Inc. 5000 list will be featured in Inc. magazine’s September issue.

Session on eCommerce for Modern Retail

In 2021, retail e-commerce sales amounted to approximately 4.9 trillion U.S. dollars worldwide. While ecommerce is expected to grow at a slower pace over the next few years, ecommerce share of retail sales is expected to increase to 23.6 percent by 2025. However, as competition explodes, customer expectations evolve at a rapid pace and questions revolve around DTC profitability, eCommerce companies must evolve. Sponsored by Microsoft, The Center for Retail Transformation at George Mason University and Small Business Development Center (SBDC) will host a virtual panel that examines the drivers for eCommerce success in the modern, post-pandemic retail era. The session will be on Monday, August 29 at 12 p.m. Participants must complete registration to receive the Zoom link at gmu.zoom.us/webinar/ register/WN_Kom7MXPmSKuG4_jX0gHwFg.

Grant Opportunity for Black-Owned Businesses

Jack Daniel’s is accepting applications for its ”New Beginnings: Make It Count” small business grant competition. This is the third cycle of the competition, which offers $40,000 in grants to Black-owned businesses in the Washington DC, Philadelphia and Richmond, Virginia areas. Interested entrepreneurs can learn more and apply on Jack Daniel’s website by August 31, 2022.

Local Band to Perform at Hilton Garden Inn Tonight

Hilton Garden Inn Falls Church is hosting music night again today, Thursday, August 25th at 7 p.m. featuring the Blue Ridge Sky Band (a NOVA-based ‘70s — ‘00s country rock cover band).

Nominations Due for Best Workplace in Falls Church

Fall Health & Wellness Guide

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Virginia Business Magazine is accepting nominations for the 2023 Best Places to Work in Virginia. This comes from Best Companies Group, a research-driven program that examines companies’ practices, programs and benefits and also surveys employees for their perspective. Organizations must be publicly or privately held, can be a for-profit, not-for-profit or government entity, have a facility in Virginia, have a minimum of 15 full-time or part-time employees working in Virginia and be in business for a minimum of one year. The deadline for applications is August 26. More information can be found at bestplacestoworkva.com.

Balanced Female Fitness Anniversary

Balanced Female Fitness (BFF) is celebrating two years in business. BFF offers group exercise classes and nutrition courses for women and was the FCNP 2021 winner for Best Gym/Fitness and Best New Business and is an FCNP 2022 nominee. BFF will have a mash-up class of HIIT, Strength and Yoga from 8 — 8:50 a.m. on Sunday, August 28 at Oak Street Elementary. After class there will be light refreshments and raffle prizes spotlighting other local women-owned businesses such as Borek-G, Vegetable + Butcher, The Toy Nest, The Studio, Watercolor Cookies and Little City Blooms. The celebration is open to all women, but space is limited, and pre-registration is required. Email info@balancedfemalefitness.com to register.

 Business News & Notes is compiled by Elise Neil Bengtson, Executive Director of the Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at elise@ fallschcurchchamber.org.

Falls Church

NEWS BRIEFS

2 Suspects Sought in Robbery At Coleman Power Sport

Two suspects are wanted for an overnight burglary of Coleman Power Sports (435 S. Washington Street). At about 12:15 a.m. on Tuesday, August 23, two Polaris Slingshot 3-wheeled motorcycles were stolen. The first, a 2022 blue Polaris Slingshot, is valued at $33,600. The second, a 2020 blue and black Polaris Slings, is valued at $40,000. One suspect is described as a male who was wearing a black hat and white t-shirt. The other is described as a male. They left on the motorcycles heading north on S. Washington Street or towards Hillwood Avenue.

The City of Falls Church Police thanks Fairfax County Police K-9 units for their assistance searching the area. Anyone with information should contact the City of Falls Church Police at 703-241-5053 (TTY 711) or police@ fallschurchva.gov.

Inequitable Outcomes Foreseen for Va. Schools by Commonwealth Institute

Virginia’s school funding policies fail to meet the needs of students, placing heavy burdens on local governments to try to make up the difference, which all but guarantees inequitable outcomes depending on where a student lives. That is the unavoidable conclusion of the Richmond-based Commonwealth Institute’s new analysis, released today, which examines each of Virginia’s 132 school divisions and their enrollment, staffing, demographics, and funding trends. At a time when Virginia has stronger-than-expected revenues, the state can and should provide the funding that is necessary to ensure a high-quality education for all students.

On their website, it is shown that Falls Church City Public Schools clearly buck the statewide trend. With 11.1 percent of students statewide classified as “living in poverty,” the number is reported at 2.2 percent for Falls Church.

Key statewide findings include: Virginia schools had fewer staff during the 2020-2021 school year than they did during the 2008-2009 school year, yet had 16,439 more students.

Schools depend on local governments to make up for shortcomings in the state funding formula, with localities spending $4.2 billion more during the 2020-2021 school year than the state required. As shown in the infographics, some local governments are able to do that more than others. Overall, school divisions in Virginia contributed more than twice what the funding formula said was required, but in rural school divisions it was just 65 percent more, and in some of the highest-poverty school divisions like Petersburg and Tazewell it was less than 10 percent more.

“Students in every community, regardless of zip code, deserve access to a great education,

Faces of Falls Church

and Virginia’s cities and counties are collectively carrying heavy financial burdens to help make that happen. Despite recent increases in Virginia’s budget for K-12 education, state support still falls far short of what the Virginia Board of Education says is needed to fully fund our schools,” says Ashley C. Kenneth, President and CEO of The Commonwealth Institute. “This has direct and lasting consequences for students, particularly for high-poverty school divisions in Virginia. We need state policy makers to support all of our students.” Fact sheets for the state overall, rural schools, and local school divisions can be found at www.thecommonwealthinstitute.org.

(According to its mission statement, the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis seeks to advance racial and economic justice in Virginia by advocating for public policies that are designed in partnership with people most impacted, and shaped by credible, accessible fiscal and policy research. Its independent research and analysis drives key state budget, legislative, and policy changes that break down barriers and create opportunity for people and communities across Virginia.)

Connolly to Seek Key House Oversight Chairmanship

Today, Congressman Gerry Connolly, Chairman of the House Government Operations subcommittee, announced he will run to be the top Democrat of the Committee on Oversight and Reform in the 118th Congress. Connolly released the following statement: “The American people must see the Committee on Oversight and Reform as a force for making government work, enforcing accountability to Congress, and most importantly, protecting our fragile democracy and strengthening the institutions that define American democratic resilience. That was the legacy of Elijah Cummings, and that was the high standard our tenacious Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney set when she took over our Committee. I especially thank Carolyn for her heroic leadership on the September 11th Health Fund, the Equal Rights Amendment, and Postal Service Reform.

“For more than fourteen years, I have made this Committee my top priority and focused on the issues that define it: Postal reform; defending our proud federal employees; rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse; modernizing the federal government; and holding the Trump administration accountable.

“Our Caucus must continue to repair the damage left by the Trump administration, while also protecting the progress made by President Biden and our Democratic majorities. We need a tested leader who will not be timid in the face of Republican insurrectionists. One who has a deep understanding of the issues facing our Committee and our country. A collaborator who can be a bridge to our talented and diverse caucus. I believe I can be that leader, and look forward to earning the support of my colleagues.”

WHILE DIPPING INTO LAZY MIKE’S on West Broad St, I met Alejandra, one of the cooks who holds down the fort over at the landmark business. Originally from El Salvador, Alejandra and her partner have called the Little City home for the last 7 years. When asked for any parting words she dropped, “Nothing can save you from death, but love can save you from life.” ( Photo:

J. Michael Whalen)

Found in Falls Church: Two Dollar Mimosas And Bloody Marys!

by Patricia Leslie Falls Church News-Press

These weekend delights with a piece of cake at Mark’s Pub make for a delectable duo sure to reward most who need a break.

Sitting center in the hidden Idylwood Shopping Center behind Whole Foods on Route 7, Mark’s Pub serves these bottom-priced drinks with brunch entrees. Tasting is believing.

The drinks are not weak; my mimosa was every bit as strong as any I’ve had. No diluted champagne at Mark’s.

When my friend, Mary, heard the price, she immediately ordered a bloody mary with her eggs Benedict, the drink she proclaimed “nice, without too much horseradish” and her compliments flowed nonstop throughout the meal.

The brunch entrees include a “hangover breakfast” of tots, pork, eggs, cheese, pico and a special sauce ($16); plain, blueberry or chocolate pancakes ($13); “poutine” with french fries, sausage gravy and egg ($16) or the traditional eggs Benedict or brisket Benedict (both $16, with potatoes).

I ordered the brisket Benedict which came with tender and moist meat spilling over muffin tops — and the serving was so big, I left half on my plate. (Counting calories, I substituted coleslaw for the potatoes.)

Mary said her potatoes were “zesty and just right, without too much seasoning” and the eggs Benedict were “perfectly fine.”

Our friend, Peyton, who had joined us, also ordered the traditional Benedict and echoed Mary’s sentiment, labeling her entree “lovely.” I suppose it would be hard to mess up eggs Benedict, but I’m sure it’s been done.

At the end of the meal, Mary inquired about dessert. “Well...,” the waiter drooled.

I knew the background to Mark’s desserts, having spent some time earlier in the week with the restaurant owners, Lisa Cedrone and Lod Granger. Cedrone’s husband, Mike Pallesen, who roasts pigs on the side, sat with us.

Cedrone took to cake making on a whim at Mark’s about two and a half years ago and the item has been so popular, cake sales continue at $6 a piece.

(Special requests to the owner can get you a whole cake for $20 — $25.) She makes about seven cakes a week which are not listed anywhere because they sell out quickly.

Cedrone apologized for her cakes’ plain decorations, but who needs decorating when it comes to taste?

For our table, the waiter checked and found some pieces left of Cedrone’s lemon pound cake. When he brought out Mary’s piece, Peyton’s eyes grew large and she seized the waiter: “Can I have some, too?”

Mary thought the cake was “not too sweet — and a generous serving.”

Peyton and I agreed. (Due to calories and stinginess, and with her permission, of course, I nibbled off Peyton’s piece rather like a mouse, which I doubt most mice think about these things.)

“I’ve given up trying to get a piece of blueberry pound cake,” Granger had told me: “I can’t get here fast enough.”

Selections for vegetarians are somewhat limited at Mark’s. On an earlier visit, my vegetarian friend, Eleanor, struggled to find something on the menu, settling on the shrimp salad ($15) which was a great surprise. It came out like a big merry-go-round platter of rainbow colors, filled with lots of avocado slices, “tiny shrimp,” corn, cherry tomatoes, and lime on a bed of iceberg lettuce which Eleanor loved.

She and I lucked out eating at Mark’s on a Tuesday when burgers are half-priced. I got a smash burger for ony $7.50 which came with fries. I waived them for a delicious salad, another healthy serving. It was honestly better than the burger of two slices of meat and its “secret sauce” of tomato and mayonnaise, but I am a faux vegetarian anyway.

By declining the “secret sauce,” I goofed big when I learned later it’s a “must-eat” ingredient and makes the burger special.

When I earlier met with the owners outside under an umbrella at a patio table, the trio laughed and cajoled each other about the joys of owning and running a restaurant.

Their three pooches, Bentley, Brady and Stella, squirmed under the table. Bentley’s likeness is featured on the restau -

rant’s logo on the glass window.

Yep, this place is dog friendly, all right, and Mark’s is hosting a golf tournament August 29 at the Herndon Centennial Golf Course to benefit the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation of Falls Church.

Mark’s fundraisers sometimes benefit humans. They sponsor a baseball team and during Covid’s peak when schools were closed, the restaurant collaborated with a church to make meals for Section 8 students in Falls Church. Mark’s will be at the Taste of Falls Church September 17 and at Pimmit Hills Day September 25.

When Cedrone and Granger bought the restaurant four years ago, it was called Art’s Tavern, but after everyone kept calling it Mark’s Pub, the owners took it back to its namesake. No one seems to know who Mark is or where he’s gone.

The pub is almost 50 years old (founded in 1976), about the age of some of the regu lar customers who come in for good country vittles like the pot roast sliders and mashed pota toes (Cedrone’s grandmother’s recipe, $15), ribeye over fries with onion and bearnaise sauce ($22), or a half rack of smoked ribs with cornbread, slaw and mac and cheese ($19).

Once Cedrone tested a tuna salad with stuffed tomato which caught on, to her surprise, and now it’s a menu staple ($16).

Mark’s outdoor seating is complete with lighted palm trees, a long hula straw skirt which rings along the perim eter and live music several times a week. Karaoke starts in October. Guests smoke on the patio under a “no smoking” sign.

Prices at Mark’s have gone up only once since Cedrone and Granger took over. For the “excellent value,” I’ll be going back, hoping there’s some cake left. The heck with counting cal ories! YOLO! Cake and cham pagne...not many combinations can beat that, and maybe, I’ll find Mark.

Mark’s Pub, located at 2190 Pimmit Dr Falls Church, VA 22043 is open daily, 12 p.m. — 2 a.m. and 12 — 4 p.m for Saturday and Sunday brunch. Happy Hour is on Monday — Friday, 4 — 7 p.m. Call 703356-3822, visit markspub-fcva. com or find it on Facebook for more information.

TOP, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, are Lod Granger with Brady, Lisa Cedrone with Bentley and Mike Pallesen with Stella, sitting outside Mark’s Pub in the patio section. The shrimp salad features “lots of avocado slices, ‘tiny shrimp,’ corn, cherry tomatoes and lime on a bed of iceberg lettuce.” (Photos: Patricia Leslie)

Affordable Housing In Falls Church: What Is Being Done

by Kylee Toland Falls Church News-Press

The topic of affordable housing has been talked and argued about throughout the years, yet there doesn’t seem to be a direct conclusion about what can be done. In the City of Falls Church, there have been discussions on the future of affordable housing in the area, as well as “barriers” that could affect it overall.

Letty Hardi, the vice mayor of the City of Falls Church, said the future vision of housing in Falls Church not only relies on affordable housing, but also the supply of housing and diverse housing, which she stated “contribute to the affordability issue that we have.” The “future version” the city is looking for, according to Hardi, is being “more plentiful in terms of housing stock,” including the building of a “missing middle housing” and having more “diverse housing types.”

“I think those are kind of what I envision what a successful future state of housing looks like in Falls Church,” Harti said. The subject of possible zoning changes is a “tricky subject,” as Hardi stated zoning is “very personal for people,” and it “determines kind of where what should go where in the city.” Hardi said the only thing “on the table right

now” is what they call their “transitional zoning,” which is about 3 percent” of the land in the city which they are “contemplating allowing more housing types to go in these zones” due to them being “underutilized.” There are opportunities to create “missing middle housing types,” and those transitional zones offer the “opportunity” of a “gentle” transition from a single-family neighborhood to a large, commercial district.

Although Hardi said she doesn’t know the number of affordable housing units “off the top of my head,” her sense is Falls Church “doesn’t have enough,” with the reason being that three years ago, “most affordable units we had in the city had an expiration date” of about 15 to 20 years. Hardi said this meant that “we were losing [units] faster than we could build them,” but with the opening of Modera Founders Row — located at the intersection of West Broad and North West Streets in Falls Church — there will be about 27 affordable housing units, which Hardi said is “probably the first influx of affordable housing we’ve had in the city in some time.”

“A kind of good lesson learned is that we don’t want to keep trying to catch up from things that are expiring,” Hardi said. “And so we are negotiating going forward that these

units will never expire so they stay affordable in perpetuity.”

As for how cities in the same position as Falls Church can cre ate policies addressing scarcity and affordable housing, policies need to be in three areas: “preserving, expanding and homeownership.”

To “preserve what you got,” Hardi said it’s always “cheaper” and “more effective” for a city “to keep what you’ve got on the books already than trying to build new [housing].” Falls Church has already put money to extend the “affordability covenant” of hous ing that’s expired, and are looking to preserve “market rate affordable housing.” Market rate affordabil ity is “what naturally occurs in the marketplace,” as Hardi stated Falls Church is currently “losing mar ket rate affordable [housing] really quickly.” She said she and her team are looking at “whether there’s opportunities to give tax incentives or other kinds of motivations for those landlords to keep those market rate affordables and preserve them as affordable housing as long as possible.”

To “expand,” Hardi said the city has “successfully” gone from having 6 percent of units inside new buildings to 10 percent — 12 percent, as Modera Founders Row

rent affordable housing to date in Falls Church has been “focused on rentals,” with Hardi stating the goal is to “create more homeownership opportunities.” One of these opportunities is a new homeownership program for first time homeowners, funded by the other Amazon

some members of the community may not be willing to make “tradeoffs” to have affordable housing.

However, Hardi said the good news is the “political will and the community support is building,” and recent councils have been “more willing” to put those “trade-

Sustainable Transportation: Are Electric Vehicles The Answer (For You)?

by Andrew Olesen

Electric vehicles (EVs) get a lot of attention, from Super Bowl ads to a vice presidential visit to Falls Church to celebrate our electric school buses. But the hype doesn’t help with practical questions many of us have about EVs. Are EVs really better for the environment? When does it make sense to buy one?

Surveys indicate EVs are a win for the environment and are likely the better choice for most area residents buying a new car. AAA found that 96 percent of EV owners said they’d buy one again. But just switching out our internal combustion engine (ICE) cars for EVs won’t solve our congestion, parking, affordability, safety or climate challenges.

No vehicle, electric or internal combustion engine, can beat walking, biking, or transit in terms of environmental impact, health, risk of harming others and cost. Driving less helps the planet, your neighbors and your wallet. Not owning a vehicle helps even more: no car tax, maintenance and less carbon and waste footprint. Moving around the City with fewer cars will let us devote

less land area to parking, will reduce traffic and will be essential to meeting our carbon emissions goals. But if you need a car, the answer is clear when it comes to carbon emissions.

For 95 percent of people in the world, buying an EV would result in lower lifetime emissions than buying a comparable ICE vehicle, according to a Cambridge/Exeter/Nijmegen study. In Virginia, 34 percent of our electricity comes from zero-carbon sources so a new EV starts to emit less lifetime carbon than an ICE after just 10,000 — 15,000 miles (based on U.S. Department of Energy data and an Argonne National Laboratory study). Building and disposing of an EV creates more CO2 than for an ICE, but making electricity is much cleaner than burning gasoline.

Even before this year’s jump in gas prices, Consumer Reports found that EVs tended to save their owners $6,000 — $10,000 over the life of the vehicle versus a comparable ICE car. Used EVs are even cheaper to own. EV sticker prices are still higher than a comparable ICE car. The savings for EV owners start to accumulate after you buy the car. EV fuel costs and maintenance are half of

what they are for an ICE. The more miles you put on your car, especially tough miles like city driving or rushhour traffic, the more savings you’ll see. EVs have held their value well as demand for EVs grows.

EVs have a lot of other benefits: they are much quieter; no oil changes; brakes last several times longer; there are far fewer mechanical bits to break.; they emit almost no pollution. You leave your home each day with a “full tank,” which could be “filled” by home solar. Some EVs provide backup power to your house.

The real challenge with EVs is that you’ll need to do homework. Many dealers aren’t familiar with EVs. You may be steered to an ICE model or get incomplete information. Range anxiety gets a lot of attention, but most households take only 4-6 trips each year that exceed the range of their EV (per U.S. Department of Transportation). On those multi-hour trips, you’ll need a smartphone app to find a charging station along your route. This is getting easier as more stations are installed. For home charging, homeowners may want to make a $500 — $2,000 investment in a

fast-charging outlet. Apartment and condo dwellers could be out of luck unless they live in a newer building with chargers, have reliable charging at work, or have access to public charging (e.g., at City Hall.)

These days it can be tough to buy any car you want. New cars are back ordered for months. Used car prices jumped up in 2020-21. If you need a car now, availability may be the deciding factor. Consider buying used, waiting a year or two, or holding off on a purchase altogether. EVs can be a win for the environment and usually a win for your wallet and your time. Automakers

expect 50 percent of new cars to be EVs by 2030. Consumer Reports found that over a third of Americans were interested in buying an EV. If you’re buying a new or late model used car, look hard at EVs. Find a knowledgeable dealer and use well-researched resources. Encourage your government and neighbors to install more public charging stations and ensure new buildings come with chargers. And take a moment to think beyond the car. To keep Falls Church a great place to live, we’ll need to ensure our roads, public spaces and culture support walking, biking and transit, too.

FOUNDERS ROW is located at 110 Founders Ave. (Photo: Kylee Toland)

CHARGING STATIONS outside City Hall. (News-Press Photo)

F.C. Copperheads Travel to Cooperstown to Compete in Baseball Tournament

BY SABRINA CAPANNOLA AND JULIE HERLANDS

The Falls Church Copperheads 12U baseball team, composed entirely of Falls Church Kiwanis Little League (FCKLL) alumni, just returned from an unforgettable week at Cooperstown Dreams Park. The tournament in Cooperstown NY is the world’s largest 12U tournament with almost 100 teams from across the country competing each week in what is typically the capstone to a Little League career.

The Falls Church Copperheads team consisted of 12 players: Henry Ackerman, Chris Capannola, Jude Fears, Gavin Hegenbart, Kemper Morrison, Elijah Petty, Patrick Scully, Gordon Teach, Jack Toman, Luke Torres, Jason Wattles, and Griffin Wishrad, and was led by head coach Julie Herlands, supported by coaches Bill Ackerman, Erick Torres, and Vincent Wishrad. All the players on this team have played for the Copperheads organization for several years and have represented Falls Church on FCKLL All Star teams as well.

Falls Church Copperheads is a youth travel baseball organization providing a positive environment

to further develop the skills of advanced baseball players. The Copperheads approach focuses on development–as both players and teammates–and works to nurture the love of the game all within the context of a competitive baseball program.

Cooperstown Dreams Park has hosted youth baseball tournaments from June to August every year since 1996 (with the exception of Covid-affected summers). However, Cooperstown Dreams Park does more than just host baseball tournaments–it is an allinclusive baseball summer camp that is popular with families from across the country. It is a family experience, where many parents enjoy cheering for their players during tournaments, bringing them to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and watching their young players continue to fall in love with the game of baseball.

During the tournament, which began on August 3, Falls Church Copperheads went 4-1 in pool play, earning them the 18th seed out of 88 teams. They earned three byes in bracket play, which automatically placed them into the fourth round of the tournament. The team won its first playoff game 16-4 and advanced to the next round. The Copperheads

fell in the fifth round of elimination play against a tough Chicago team by a score of 5-2. The team played a total of seven games over the span of five days, finishing with a record of 5-2 with games against teams from California, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

According to Coach Julie Herlands, “the Cooperstown experience for this Copperheads team was extremely special. After many years playing and competing together, to spend a week not only playing the game they love–but trading pins, playing wiffle ball, meeting play-

ers from across the country, and laughing–is a once in a lifetime experience. It has been my honor to coach these players and watch them develop as amazing ball players, teammates, and people–all of which was on display in this amazing Cooperstown week.” Shortstop Christopher Capannola stated “Cooperstown was the best week of my life. I had a great time with my teammates and meeting players from everywhere.”

Cooperstown Dreams Park’s field fences measure 200 feet from home plate and are specifi-

cally designed this way so that the kids who play 12U can hit home runs. Four of the Copperheads players were able to accomplish this feat: Luke Torres who hit a total of five home runs during games throughout the week also represented the Copperheads in the “King of Swat” home run derby skills competition, placing 3rd overall in a field of 88 hitters from across the country. Kemper Morrison, Gordon Teach, and Jack Toman also hit home runs during the tournament with one home run each.

Statesmen Lose to Wildcats Mustang Football Opens Season Friday at Jaguars

BY NICK PORR

Under the hot August sun, Marshall High School played their second and final pre-season scrimmage Thursday against Centreville High School, falling to last year’s Concorde Division finalists 34-3.

(Note: With the game being a scrimmage, some players were wearing different numbers, and rosters have not been fully set for the season on school websites. If a player’s name could not be confirmed they will be referred to by their number.)

The Wildcats, ranked 8th in Class 6 by MaxPreps, brought a hefty challenge to a Statesman squad that finished 5-6 last season. That showed on the field, as Marshall managed just three points through the entire game.

Last year’s Centreville Wildcats finished 10-3, led by current senior and Villanova commit Isaiah Ragland.

Ragland and his team showed no sign of relenting from last season, pulling away early on. After the two teams traded field goals, things looked bright for the Statesmen as a 40-yard completion brought them to

the edge of the redzone. However, hopes were shattered following a pick carried for a touchdown by Centreville’s #44.

The drive following, Marshall again turned the ball over. This time deep in their own half, giving up a touchdown pass on the first play of Centreville’s following drive.

Centreville then punctuated the first half with another passing touchdown completed by #3, putting them up 24-3.

The second half was more of the same. A touchdown within minutes of kickoff again from Centreville’s #3 all but cemented the loss for Marshall.

The Wildcats would later tack on a field goal to bring the game to its final score of 34-3.

Following a rough loss to Centreville in this scrimmage, the Statesmen will have a chance to bounce back against what could be an easier opponent in their regular season starter.

Marshall will have a chance to bounce back when they open their season at Washington-Liberty, who are ranked 43rd in Class 6 according to MaxPreps.

THE MUSTANGS summer practices are in full force. Meridian football opens their season this Friday at 7 p.m. when they will take a trip to nearby rival Falls Church High School to take on the Jaguars. (7521 Jaguar Trail, Falls Church). (Photo: Patrick Anderson)

A COLLECTION OF KIWANIS ALUMNI competed at Dreams Park in Cooperstown NY as part of the Falls Church Copperheads. The Copperheads won 5 games in Tournament play. (Photo: Julie Torres)

Nova Filmmaker Utilizes Arlington, Alexandria for 2nd Short Film

BY ALEX RUSSELL FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

Dalton Okolo, a filmmaker based in Falls Church, Virginia, has recently completed a six-minute short film about the unlikely, affectionate bond between an assassin and a small dog, entitled “She’s Mine Now.”

Principal photography took place in May of this year in the cities of Arlington and Alexandira, giving the film a specific, east coast ambience — from the nightlife to the way interiors look, it is unmistakably a movie from the capital region. (Notable films like Kevin Macdonald’s “State of Play” with Russell Crowe and Peter Segal’s “Get Smart” with Steve Carrell make use of the unique feel found in the DC area.)

According to the film’s “look book,” Okolo set out with the intention of “using steady camera movement in the first half of the film and observational (shaky)” movement “during [the] execution scene to highlight chronological change.” The film’s jumps between past and present circumstances are also punctuated by lighting and dialogue.

“Arlington’s lavishness” is

on clear display in the first few sequences, with an abundance of “bright, showy” exteriors and interiors, capitalizing on neon lighting and shadows.

Other sections of the look book display a carefully thought-out production, with visual examples and references — to better characterize the film’s lighting, wardrobe, camera angling and overall visual style — that draw from a variety of influences, such as Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” and “Jackie Brown” as well as David Fincher’s “Zodiac.” Tarantino’s influence can be particularly felt out of the gate in the font and song-choice (“Funnel of Love” by Wanda Jackson), yet Okolo’s own authorship is clear and controlled throughout.

His economic use of camera movement, as well as nuanced application of music and sound, creates a tense, tight cinematic experience. “She’s Mine Now” is clear in its intent and execution and benefits greatly from a strong utilization and understanding of pace, tone and rhythm.

The film was produced by Wa’ad Adam (also the assistant director on the project), Nich Scolamiero and Andrew Towe

tume design was done by Logan Renee. The cast is composed of Ieda Favo in the role of Assassin; Karen Smith in the role of Wife; Beau Thompson in the role of Husband; and Kenny Akinnuoye in the role of Handsome Man. The Dog was brought to life by Turbo, a trained movie dog.

Okolo explained the creative team’s goal “is to have the film premiere at a prestigious (Academy

“We will start receiving acceptance/denial letters over the course of the fall and winter, so suffice it to say we’ve got some time before this film will officially premiere.”

He also said “the team’s goal is to…sell it to a streamer and recoup some of the production budget” in the process.

Simultaneously, the team hopes to “work with a third-party financier (attained through the festival run)

Arlington Cartoonist Publishes ‘Out Of This World’ Book

BY KYLEE TOLAND FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

A local cartoonist is setting out to make both people inside and outside of this world have a laugh.

Jake McGuire is a cartoonist/photographer based out of Arlington, Virginia, and is publishing a book entitled “Cartoons Too Funny For The New Yorker.” The book features cartoons drawn by McGuire, mostly of small, green big-eyed aliens “talking like humans.”

As a former photography editor for The Hill newspaper and former National Inquirer photographer, McGuire has experience with both cartoons and extraterrestrial life; the latter position required him to go places and “capture images of flying saucers,” although he was never lucky enough to catch anything out of the ordinary.

McGuire was inspired to publish his book due to his love of laughter, whether it be telling jokes or funny stories. Coming from “a long line of Irish storytellers” that “like to entertain people with short stories,” McGuire decided to give drawing cartoons a try after initially believing that

he was “never really much of a painter or illustrator.”

Once the pandemic began and his career as a freelance photographer was put on hold, McGuire started what is now known as “Cartoons Too Funny For The New Yorker,” mainly focusing on aliens in both human and humorous situations.

“Humor is a juxtaposition between reality and nonreality,” McGuire said. “Aliens saying almost anything can be very funny because they’re talking like people.” Publishing the book came with its challenges, as McGuire said he had to learn how to fix the layout of the publication to fit online formats such as the Amazon Kindle E-readers. This came with a lot of “trial and error” as McGuire had to figure out the correct format with limited knowledge of graphic design and layouts. However, this was also a benefit for McGuire as it allowed his book to be put on Amazon since he’s “not really into retail.”

The book features “adult humor,” with McGuire stating his primary audience is for “people who are relatively educated and relatively well-traveled, just like

the New Yorker magazine audience.”

Although he “hasn’t done a lot of [promoting the book]” due to “being busy,” McGuire got the idea of taking some selfsigned cartoon reprints from the book and handing them out for free. McGuire announced on Nextdoor — an app for neighborhoods where one can get local tips, buy and sell items and more — that he would be giving out the reprints by the Starbucks at the Virginia Square Metro on Sunday mornings in August from 8 — 9 a.m., with the possibility of an extension into the Autumn months.

By putting out the book and giving out free reprints to promote it on Amazon, McGuire hopes to have “entertained people and made them laugh.” He doesn’t expect “to get rich off of it,” but is having a “fun time doing it.”

“I wake up at three or four in the morning to get to my kitchen table to start drawing aliens,” McGuire said. “[Illustrating the cartoons] might be kind of selforiented, because I’m enjoying it immensely.”

to produce a limited theatre run” in spring of next year, “possibly with other forms of content from 1108” — the production company behind “She’s Mine Now.”

“Personally, my goal is to use this as a building block to developing my feature, which I am currently writing.” This new project, Okolo explains, is “a coming-of-age crime-drama set in my old college town of Radford, VA. The film is entitled ‘New River Crime.’”

To learn more about Dalton Okolo and his work, visit imdb.com.

JAKE MCGUIRE is giving out free reprints from his book “Cartoons

Too Funny For The New Yorker,” as a way to promote it. McGuire is setting up by the Starbucks at the Virginia Square Metro on Sunday mornings in August from 8 — 9 a.m. with the possibility of an extension into the Autumn months. (P���� ��������: Jake McGuire)

LEFT TO RIGHT, Producer/Cinematographer Andrew Towe, Producer Nich Scolamiero, Producer/ Assistant Director Wa’ad Adam, Executive Producer/Director Dalton Okolo, “Husband” Beau Thompson, “Assassin” Ieda Favo and “Wife” Karen Smith. (P���� ��������: D����� O����)

Community News Notes

F.C. Presbyterian Salutes Departing Music Director

David Schoonover, the Acting Director of Music at Falls Church Presbyterian Church, will have his last day with the Church on Sunday, August 21. Schoonover stepped in during the pandemic two years ago to supply music for Sunday worship and kept the choir together “in a time when rehearsals were an impossibility,” as shared in a message from the Church. Schoonover also “coordinated the work of other section leaders, chose music and basically functioned” as the Director of Music for the Church. His efforts during the past few years helped keep the music program going as “in-person rehearsals… became possible” as well as when everything “shut down again when a new Covid variant caused a surge last winter.” The message concludes that Schoonover “will be greatly missed.” Falls Church Presbyterian Church is located at 225 E. Broad St, Falls Church. Beginning September 1st, Dr. Don Armstrong will join Falls Church Presbyterian as their new Director of Music. The Search Committee — Committee Chair Marnie Sarver, Tom-Eric Bowen, Theresa Brown, Anne Kusterbeck, Elaine Porter, James Sledge and Gwenda Wilson — were responsible for introducing Dr. Armstrong to the church.

Creative Cauldron Enrolling Now for Learning Theater

now for their production of “The Princess and the Goblin.” Learning Theater workshops for this play are scheduled for Saturdays, 10 a.m. — 12 p.m., beginning September 10.

Opening day for “The Princess and the Goblin” is scheduled for Friday, November 4. Creative Cauldron’s Learning Theater provides kids in the area with an opportunity to learn from and act with theater professionals as well develop and rehearse original musical adaptations. For more information, visit creativecauldron.org/learningtheater.html.

Creative Cauldron is located at 410 S. Maple Ave, Retail 116, Falls Church.

Free Milkweed for Butterfly Habitat Restoration

Free milkweeds are available for habitat restoration projects in the Eastern and Western range of the monarch butterfly as organized by Monarch Watch and their partner nurseries who have thus far distributed over 650,000 free milkweeds for monarch butterfly habitat restoration since the program began in 2015. This program focuses on distributing free milkweed plugs for large-scale habitat restoration projects throughout the range of the eastern monarch butterfly population (east of the Rocky Mountains) and the western population in California; the focus is on the main migration routes. To learn more about the 2022 Free Milkweed

for free milkweed plants through the Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research (biosurvey.ku.edu.

Registration for N. Va. Senior Olympics Now Open

The 2022 Northern Virginia Senior Olympics (NVSO) is offering 77 individual events, held at 25 different venues throughout Northern Virginia from Saturday, September 10 — Saturday, September 24. The opening day ceremony is set for September 10 at 9:30 a.m. at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center, located at 3501 S. 2nd St, Arlington. The public is invited to attend. The ceremony will be followed by seven track events and one rowing ERG event for registered participants. Registration is now open and will close Wednesday, August 31. For more information and to register, visit nvso.us.

Metro Bus Program Expanding to Four Schools

The Metrobus pass pilot program is being expanded to four additional schools this fall: Annandale High School, Falls Church High School, Marshall High School and Davis Center. The expanded student bus pass adds Metrobus access to the Fairfax Connector and City of Fairfax CUE access already offered to students at these schools. The pass will be valid for specific routes in Northern Virginia between 5 a.m. — 10 p.m. and will be available to students at no charge. For more information, visit fairfaxcounty.gov/ connector/student-pass.

FCPS Online “Healthy Minds” Articles for Parents, Teachers

Healthy Minds is an online series of articles targeted at parents, educators and community-based providers who are interested in sup porting student mental health and wellness. The blog represents a col laboration between Fairfax County Public Schools’ (FCPS) Office of Intervention and Prevention Services and the Prevention Unit of the Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services. It is part of the Healthy Minds Fairfax initiative, which is

THIS LOCAL ODDITY was spotted by City resident Jo Vincent on a “walk a little over a year ago.” A year and a half later, “the log remains stuck on the wires.” Now, it “appears to have cartoon eyes on it.” This watchful log is located on “the east side of the 500 block of West St, between Oak and Greenwich Streets.” (Photo: Jo Vincent)

The FCPS Office of Psychology Services can be found on Twitter at @FCPSPsychs.

Bouquet Fundraiser for Falls Church Homeless Shelter

Giant Food is raising funds for the Falls Church Homeless Shelter throughout the month of August. Giant will donate $1 for each of the Bloomin’ 4 Good Bouquets pur

supporting this initiative can visit thechase the Bloomin’ 4 Good Bouquet.

New Keegan Theatre Production Starts Aug. 27th

The Keegan Theatre (1742 Church Street NW, Washington, DC), has announced the cast of a new political comedy titled “the Outsider,” written by Paul Slade Smith, making its premiere as the first show in Keegan Theatre’s 26th

MEMBERS OF THE FALLS CHURCH Chamber of Commerce celebrated their August lunch at the Viet Foods restaurant in the Eden Center this Tuesday. (News-Press Photo)

ON A BOAT from Naples to the Isle of Capri in southern Italy this month were (left to right) Falls Church’s EDA chair Bob Young with daughter Courtney, daughter in law Vernetta and grandkids Davis and Reese. (Left to right, Young, North Carolina State Del. Vernetta Alston, Davis Alston, Tereza Castillo, Reese Alston and Courtney Alston.) (Courtesy Photo)

even want to be governor. He’s terrified of public speaking and his poll numbers are impressively bad.” In comes political consultant Arthur Vance, who sees that “Ned might be the worst candidate to ever run for office,” yet manages to convince the public that they do indeed want a terrible candidate. For more information, email boxoffice@keegantheatre.com, call 202-265-3767 or visit keegantheatre.com.

Master Gardeners of N. Va. Announce Plant Clinics

The Arlington Central Library Plant Clinic (located in the East Lobby of the Library at 1015 N. Quincy St) is open from 6 — 7:45 p.m., now — September 28th; the Arlington Farmers Market Plant Clinic, open Saturdays from 7:45 — 11:15 a.m., is operational now — September 24 and can be found at N. 14th St. and N. Courthouse Rd; the Del Ray Farmers Market Plant Clinic, located at 203 E. Oxford Ave, Alexandria, is open Saturdays from 8:30 — 11:15 a.m., now — September 24; the Alexandria Old

Town Farmers Market Plant Clinic, located at 301 King St, Alexandria, operates on Saturdays from 7 — 9:30 a.m., now — September 24; and the Small Space Garden Plant Clinic, located at the back of the Fairlington Community Center at 3308 S. Stafford St., Arlington, is open on Sundays from 9 – 11 a.m. Plant clinics are a good place to find information about pests, diseases and plant identification. Plant clinics also have free soil test kits on request. To learn more, visit mgnv.org

Employment Services for Afghan Newcomers

Virginia Career Works — Northern Region offers weekly online seminars that focus on career coaching and job preparation, resume and interview assistance, English language learning and occupational training and credentials for various industries. Sessions are held every Friday at 10 a.m. through Zoom. For additional assistance, contact Raj Narula at 571-279-4554 or Sami Samsor at samiullah.samsor@fairfaxcounty.gov. For similar

events and opportunities, visit Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center’s website at hijrah.org.

F.C. Human Services Advisory Council Seeks Volunteers

The Human Services Advisory Council (HSAC) reviews existing human services policies and resources and determines deficiencies or potential program improvements for Falls Church City Council consideration. Members also make funding recommendations regarding the Community Services Grant Fund, which provides grants to nonprofits serving City residents. HSAC also approves applications for the Rent Relief program for incomeeligible seniors and individuals with disabilities. Those interested in applying to serve on the Human Services Advisory Board can visit fallschurchva.gov/361/HumanServices-Advisory-Council or email HHSinfo@fallschurchva.gov for more information.

Adult & Family Literacy Center Looking for Volunteers

The Adult & Family Literacy Center is gearing up for fall and is looking for volunteers. The Center will continue offering English Language and Literacy classes to adults in the greater Falls Church area in partnership with Falls Church City Public Schools (FCCPS) and The Literacy Council of Northern Virginia. The Center is also introducing a new children’s literacy initiative and a guest speaker program. For those interested in volunteering, contact Hannah Jordan at WFCLiteracy@gmail.com. For up-to-date listings and information, visit welcomingfallschurch.org/initiatives/literacy-center.

Carpenter’s Shelter Cook-Off Pop-Up Set for Aug. 28

On Sunday, August 28th from

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12 — 3 p.m. Carpenter’s Shelter will host their annual fundraiser, Carpenter’s Cook-Off Pop-Up, this time at Old Town Alexandria at 201 N. Union Street. This family friendly event is designed to support Carpenter’s Shelter and their ongoing efforts to prevent and end homelessness in Alexandria.

Twenty top-rated local restaurants and caterers will serve samples of their dishes to guests and compete to win various awards; celebrity judges will choose the Best Savory Dish and Best Sweet Dish Awards while attendees of all ages determine the People’s and Kids’ Choice Awards. Guests will also be able to bid on ticket items during the live and silent auctions, participate in raffles and hear live music by the Jones Point Band. At the Cook-Off Pop-Up, Carpenter’s Shelter will also grant the Val Hawkins Award to longtime champion of the shelter, Peter Lunt. Some of the participating restaurants and caterers include: Anna Sudha Community Kitchen, Bittersweet Catering, Chop Shop Taco, Cocolita Mexican Cuisine, Dishes of India, Greenestreet Sweets, Hard Times Café, Haute Dogs and Fries, King’s

Ransom, Mia’s Italian Kitchen, Misha’s Coffeehouse & Roasters, Pork Barrel BBQ and Ruby’s Jamaican Kitchen. For more information, visit carpentersshelter.org.

The Thrifty Church Mouse is Open Once Again

The Thrifty Church Mouse, a thrift shop in the City located on the campus of the Falls Church Episcopal (115 E. Fairfax St), is open again for business. Proceeds go to the Church, which in turn partners with community-service organizations to meet a variety of human needs in the area. A boutique gift, thrift and consignment shop staffed by volunteers, the Thrifty Church Mouse offers new and gently used items at a fraction of their original cost. The store also offers collectables, books, artwork, toys and more. To make donations, the store asks that those interested first make an appointment by calling 703-942-9831. The shop is open Fridays and Saturdays, from 10 a.m. — 3 p.m. Masks and social distancing are still required. For more information, visit thefallschurch.org/ thethriftychurchmouse.

THE CAST of “The Outsider” features (front, left to right) DeJeanette Horne as Arthur Vance, Zach Brewster-Geisz as Ned Newly and Rebecca Ballinger as Rachel Parsons. Back, left to right, are Lolita Marie as Paige Caldwell, Susan Marie Rhea as Louise Peakes, Kevin Adams as A.C. Petersen and Michael Innocenti as Dave Riley. For more information, visit keegantheatre.com. (Photo: Mike Kozemchak)

HARVEY’S, located at 513 W Broad St, Falls Church, held an event last week in support of the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation, bringing a variety of dogs — some adorned in colorful costumes — to the restaurant’s outdoor patio space. (Photo: Alex Russell)

FALLS CHURCH CALENDAR

FCNP Featured event N

THE AROUND THE WORLD CULTURAL FOOD FESTIVAL in Alexandria creates a "cultural and educational" experience "like no other in the DMV. " People can enjoy delicious foods while watching shows featuring singers and dancers from different countries. (Photo courtesy: Corina Serbanescu)

LOCAL EVENTS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 25

FALLS CHURCH WRITERS GROUP. A group for local aspiring writers. Share your work, give and receive feedback. This program will be held virtually on Zoom. Email psullivan@fallschurchva. gov to request a Zoom invite. 7 p.m.

SUMMER CONCERT AND OPEN HOUSE. Enjoy an afternoon with live music with and signature summer bites. Meet the residents and team members that make up our Kensington Falls Church Family, and take a tour of our community. 700 W Broad St, Falls Church. 3 p.m.

FRIDAY,

AUGUST 26

HAMBURGER POP UP. Join Settle Down Easy Brewing for their 2nd Hamburger Pop Up. 2822 Fallfax Dr, Falls Church. 4 p.m.

MARTHA'S ESCAPE ROOM EXTRAVAGANZA.

This summer the Martha Washington library is pleased to present a series of escape rooms designed for older elementary children, teens and adults. Each session is designed for a single group signup, ideally from four to eight players. Simply sign up for your desired event time. Martha Washington Library (6614 Fort Hunt Rd, Alexandria) 4:30 p.m. — 5:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27

PAINT + YOGA/SUMMER SUNSET BODY PAINT AND FLOW. Paint your practice and

make your body your paint brush in this guided flow and play time. 60 min. guided/ free flow and colorful playtime with a view of summer sunset. Tickets are $50. 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. 7900 Lee Highway, Falls Church.

AROUND THE WORLD CULTURAL FOOD FESTIVAL. As every year, we are taking you on a day trip around the world and presenting to you the cuisine, culture and traditions of over 40 countries participating in the event. Ethnic arts & crafts, small businesses and non-profit organizations will also be present at the festival. 100 Madison St, Alexandria. 11:00 a.m. — 7:00 p.m. Free admission

41 FOR 41 NATIONAL BRAIN TUMOR SOCIETY FITNESS FUNDRAISER. Join us for a fundraiser for The National Brain Tumor Society as we perform a bunch of fitness themed events. All proceeds will go to the National Brain Tumor Society. Functional Fitness VA (350 S. Washington St., Second Floor, Falls Church). 10:00 a.m. — 12:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 28

DROP AND DASH. Drop & Dash donations to benefit Knox Food Pantry to take place at Falls Church Presbyterian (225 E Broad St, Falls Church, VA 22046). Full-size toiletry items for Welcome Table guests are also appreciated. For more information, visit fallschurchpresby.org. 9:30 a.m.

FRESHFARM FARMERS MARKET. Located in the thriving shopping district of the Mosaic neighborhood in Fairfax, this

family-friendly market is the perfect spot to shop for locally grown fruits and vegetables, grass-fed meats and pastured eggs, dairy products, sweet and savory baked goods, cold-pressed juices, coffee, ice cream, handmade dog treats, and more! Mosaic District Ave., Fairfax) 9:00 a.m. — 2:00 p.m.

MONDAY, AUGUST 29

DOG TALES. Read to a therapy dog. Bring your own book or choose one from the library. Call or sign up for a 15-minute session. Age 5-11+. Herndon Fortnightly Library. 7:00 p.m. — 8:00 p.m.

BIKE FALLS CHURCH MEETING. Bring your bike to the City Hall steps and spend an hour checking out potential bike lane spots for the year. 6:30 p.m.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 30

STAND-UP COMEDY OPEN MIC AT SHIPGARTEN'S COMEDY TENT. Join us every Tuesday for our weekly comedy open mic featuring the best up-andcomers, touring comedians, and clueless first timers. Doors open at 7:30; the show begins at 8 p.m. in the comedy tent. 7581 Colshire Drive, Mclean, VA.

ESSAY WRITING FOR COLLEGE

APPLICATIONS. The College Essay Writing program is an opportunity to help high school students write essays for college. This program is led by a former high school teacher and will feature tips and tricks for writing an essay, and opportunities to gain feedback and/or critiques. Oakton Library. 4:00 p.m. — 5:00 p.m.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE FOUNDERS DAY recognizes the superior conservation and preservation efforts of the National Parks System. Whenever you are enjoying scenic trails, open spaces, watersheds, or recreational areas, remember that the National Parks Service works hard to provide a natural outdoor resource accessible to every American. They are also responsible for making hiking and biking trails accessible to all of us. The National Parks System is committed to creating outdoor experiences like no other. These parks charm us with their beauty and teach us so much about local geography and history. On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Organic Act, creating the National Park Service. On March 1, 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant designated Yellowstone as the first national park in the United States. The day celebrates and honors the creation of the agency. Gravelly Point Park is a local National Park Service sight in Arlington. (Photo courtesy: Arlington Convention & Visitors Service)

SUMMER SUNSET BODY PAINT AND YOGA allows participants to "make their body a paintbrush" by using washable, non-toxic paint to create a painting of one's practice to take home. (Photo Courtesy: Kevin Scarillo)

HOLLY MONTGOMERY is an "Americana" artist known for her "soulful voice and confessional songwriting." Montgomery has booked "hundreds of gigs" in the Mid-Atlantic live circuit each year while "writing, recording and producing new music." She is performing at Dogwood Tavern on Friday, August 26 at 9:30 p.m. (Photo: Holly Montgomery)

LIVE MUSIC

THURSDAY, AUGUST 25

BLUES CITY SHAKEDOWN. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack (130 North Washington St, Falls Church). 5: 30 p.m. 703-532-9283.

PILE O' ROCKS. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church, VA). 8 p.m. (703) 241-9504

RED NOT CHILI PEPPERS. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St, Falls Church, VA) 8:00 p.m. (703) 237-0300

p.m.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 26

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

NOWHERE MEN ACOUSTIC BEATLES TRIBUTE. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St, Falls Church, VA) 7:30 p.m. (703) 237-0300

THEATER & ARTS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 25

THE COLOR PURPLE. From August 16th to October 9th, The Color Purple is coming to Signature Theatre. This triumphant musical adaptation of the Pulitzer Prizewinning novel of human fortitude, redemption and love is directed by Timothy Douglas (Spunk). A teenage Celie is torn from her beloved sister and forced into an abusive marriage. Over the next forty years, while Celie encounters repression, despair and heartbreak, she also discovers hope in a group of friends who inspire her to find her voice, discover her beauty and change her life.

Nominated for 11 Tony Awards® and featuring a soaring score of jazz, gospel, blues and ragtime, The Color Purple brilliantly illuminates the lives of Southern Black women in breathtaking scope. (703) 820-9771

FRIDAY, AUGUST 26

HAMILTON. From August 2nd through October 9th, Hamilton will be showing at

the Kennedy Center on select dates. Hamilton is the story of America then, told by America now. Featuring a score that blends hip hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway, Hamilton has taken the story of founding father Alexander Hamilton and created a revolutionary moment in theatre. Ticket price range is $59.00-$399.00.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 30

DEAR EVAN HANSEN. Winner of six Tony Awards including Best Musical and the 2018 Grammy Award, Dear Evan Hansen is the deeply personal and profoundly contemporary musical about life and the way we live it. The Washington Post calls Dear Evan Hansen “one of the most remarkable shows in musical theater history.” Kennedy Center. Showing from August 30th — September 25th. Ticket price range $79.00 — $199.00. (202) 416-8000.

NO PLACE TO GO. Bobby Smith stars in this musical ode to the unemployed with an enterprising twist. A dedicated corporate “information refiner” has learned that his company is mov-

THE WALKAWAYS. Solace Outpost (444 W Broad St, Falls Church, VA ). 8 p.m. (571) 378-1469

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

TONY LUCCA AND RACHEL LEVITIN. Jammin Java (227 Maple Ave E, Vienna, VA) 8:00 p.m. (703) 255-1566

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27

CHRIS COLLETTA AND THE STATE SECRETS. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack (130 North Washington St, Falls Church). 6:00 p.m. 703-532-9283.

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

MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER AND EMMYLOU HARRIS. Wolf Trap (1551 Trap Rd, Vienna, VA) 7:00 p.m. (703) 255-1800.

KREEK WATER BAND. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church, VA). 8:30 p.m. (703) 241-9504

SUNDAY, AUGUST 28

THE SURF JUNKIES. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack (130 North Washington St, Falls Church). 5: 30 p.m. 703-532-9283.

JOSH ALLEN BAND. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church, VA). 8 p.m.

HAMILTON is the story of America then, told by America now. The hit Broadway show has taken the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and created a revolutionary moment in theatre—a musical that has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education. (Photo Courtesy: Brittany Laeger)

ing to a cheaper, but very (very) remote, location and taking the jobs with it. Backed by a jazz band, this permanent part-timer must decide

whether to go and uproot his family’s life or embark on an unknown venture. Sardonic wit merges with clever jazz, blues and bluegrass music

for an irreverent capitalist critique of the personal cost of doing business.

Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA. 7:30 p.m. (703) 820-9771

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA

The following, regarding “Founders Row” (110 Founders Ave.), was heard at the August 8, 2022 City Council meeting. A public hearing and final City Council action is scheduled for Monday, September 12, 2022 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard.

(TR22-35) RESOLUTION TO AMEND

RESOLUTION 2018-37 TO CHANGE THE APPROVED VOLUNTARY CONCESSIONS, COMMUNITY BENEFITS, TERMS AND CONDITIONS, AMENDED AND DATED FEBRUARY 22, 2021 (RESOLUTION 202107) TO REDUCE THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF THEATER SEATS REQUIRED AND PROVIDE FOR THE WITHHOLDING OF ADDITIONAL RESIDENTIAL CERTIFICATES OF OCCUPANCY UNTIL THE THEATER LEASE IS EXECUTED FOR THE PROJECT KNOWN AS “FOUNDERS ROW” ON APPLICATION BY MILL CREEK RESIDENTIAL TRUST (FOUNDERS ROW HOLDING, LLC)

(TR22-36) RESOLUTION TO ADOPT AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT

BETWEEN THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA, THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, AND FOUNDERS ROW HOLDINGS LLC

All public hearings will be held in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia. Remote participation information at www.fallschurchva.gov/publiccomment. Comments may also be sent to cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov. For copies of legislation, contact the City Clerk’s office at (703-248-5014) or cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov or visit www. fallschurchva.gov/councilmeetings. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5014 (TTY 711).

CELESTE HEATH, CITY CLERK

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We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap. All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.” This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-8530. Toll free call (888) 551-3247. For the hearing impaired call (804) 367-9753.

BACK IN THE DAY

25 & 10 Years Ago in the News-Press

Falls Church News-Press

Vol. VII, No. 22 • August 14, 1997

‘NIMBY’ Sentiment Rages Over ADUs At Whittier Site

A petition circulated to neighbors and other citizens of Falls Church and its environs drew strong statements of opposition to the Falls Church City Council’s plans to locate eight so-called “affordable dwelling units” (ADUs) on the Whittier site.

C ritter C orner

Falls Church News-Press

Vol. XXII, No. 26 • August 23, 2012

Face-Saving Deal May Be in Works To Fund F.C. Schools’ Tech Needs

A possible plan is in circulation behind the scenes this week that permits the City Council to stand firm with its decision this month not to use a portion of the $3 million surplus from last year’s budget cycle to pay for technology upgrades for City schools on the one hand, while providing those upgrades, on the other.

WE ADOPTED Emerson (“Emmy”) in May of 2020 and he has proved to be a loving family companion and the best coworker I’ve ever had! He is a male Great Pyrenees who is turning 9 years old next week. He loves long, slow walks and sitting with his family, especially his 5- and 3-year-old human brothers. He is a great dog!

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

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF AN APPLICATION BY VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY D/B/A DOMINION ENERGY VIRGINIA FOR REVISION OF A RATE ADJUSTMENT CLAUSE: RIDER U, NEW UNDERGROUND DISTRIBUTION FACILITIES, FOR THE RATE YEAR COMMENCING APRIL 1, 2023 CASE NO. PUR-2022-00089

•Virginia Electric and Power Company d/b/a Dominion Energy Virginia (“Dominion”) has applied for approval to revise its rate adjustment clause, Rider U.

•In this case, Dominion has asked the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”) to approve Rider U for the rate year beginning April 1, 2023, and ending March 31, 2024 (“Rate Year”).

•For the Rate Year, Dominion requests a revenue requirement of $74.256 million, which would decrease the monthly bill of a typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per month by $0.51.

•A Hearing Examiner appointed by the Commission will hold a telephonic hearing in this case on January 18, 2023, at 10 a.m., for the receipt of public witness testimony.

•The Hearing Examiner will hold an evidentiary hearing in this case on January 19, 2023, at 10 a.m.

•Further information about this case is available on the SCC website at: scc.virginia.gov/pages/Case-Information.

On June 13, 2022, Virginia Electric and Power Company (“Dominion” or “Company”) filed with the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”) an annual update of the Company’s rate adjustment clause, Rider U, pursuant to Code § 56-585.1 A 6. On June 30, 2022, the Company filed an amended Application (“Application”). Through its Application, the Company seeks to recover costs associated with its Strategic Undergrounding Program (“SUP”). Specifically, the Company provides an update on, and seeks cost recovery associated with, the previously approved Phase One, Phase Two, Phase Three, Phase Four, Phase Five, and Phase Six (collectively, “Previously Approved SUP Phases”)

In this proceeding, Dominion has asked the Commission to approve Rider U for the rate year beginning April 1, 2023, and ending March 31, 2024 (“Rate Year”). The Company states that the total revenue requirement for the Rate Year associated with the Previously Approved SUP Phases is $74.256 million.

If the proposed Rider U revenue requirement for the Rate Year is approved, the impact on customer bills would depend on the customer’s rate schedule and usage. According to Dominion, implementation of its proposed Rider U on April 1, 2023, would decrease the bill of a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours per month by approximately $0.51 compared to the current Rider U. Dominion indicates it has calculated the proposed Rider U rates in accordance with the same methodology as used for rates approved by the Commission in the most recent Rider U proceeding, Case No. PUR-2021-00110, with one exception related to a change in the demand billing determinant for Rate Schedules GS-2 and GS-2T.

Interested persons are encouraged to review Dominion’s Application and supporting documents in full for details about these and other proposals.

TAKE NOTICE that the Commission may apportion revenues among customer classes and/or design rates in a manner differing from that shown in the Application and supporting documents and thus may adopt rates that differ from those appearing in the Company’s Application and supporting documents.

The Commission has taken judicial notice of the ongoing public health issues related to the spread of the coronavirus, or COVID-19. In accordance therewith, all pleadings, briefs or other documents required to be served in this matter shall be submitted electronically to the extent authorized by 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (“Rules of Practice”). Confidential and Extraordinarily Sensitive Information shall not be submitted electronically and should comply with 5 VAC 5-20-170, Confidential information, of the Rules of Practice. Any person seeking to hand deliver and physically file or submit any pleading or other document shall contact the Clerk’s Office Document Control Center at (804) 371-9838 to arrange the delivery.

Pursuant to 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service, of the Rules of Practice, the Commission has directed that service on parties and the Commission’s Staff in this matter shall be accomplished by electronic means. Please refer to the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing for further instructions concerning Confidential or Extraordinarily Sensitive Information.

The Commission entered an Order for Notice and Hearing that, among other things, scheduled public hearings on Dominion’s Application. On January 18, 2023, at 10 a.m., the Commission will hold a telephonic hearing, with no witness present in the Commission’s courtroom, for the purpose of receiving the testimony of public witnesses. On or before January 13, 2023, any person desiring to offer testimony as a public witness shall provide to the Commission (a) your name, and (b) the telephone number that you wish the Commission to call during the hearing to receive your testimony. This information may be provided to the Commission in three ways: (i) by filling out a form on the Commission’s website at scc.virginia.gov/pages/Webcasting; (ii) by completing and emailing the PDF version of this form to SCCInfo@scc.virginia.gov; or (iii) by calling (804) 371-9141. This public witness hearing will be webcast at scc.virginia.gov/pages/Webcasting.

On January 19, 2023, at 10 a.m., in the Commission’s second floor courtroom located in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, the Hearing Examiner will convene a hearing to receive testimony and evidence related to the Application from the Company, any respondents, and the Commission’s Staff. Electronic copies of the public version of the Application may be obtained by submitting a written request to counsel for the Company, Jontille D. Ray, Esquire, McGuireWoods LLP, Gateway Plaza, 800 East Canal Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or jray@mcguirewoods.com.

On or before January 18, 2023, any interested person may submit comments on the Application electronically by following the instructions on the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/casecomments/Submit-Public-Comments. Those unable, as a practical matter, to submit comments electronically may file such comments by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2118. All comments shall refer to Case No. PUR-2022-00089.

On or before October 26, 2022, any person or entity wishing to participate as a respondent in this proceeding may do so by filing a notice of participation with the Clerk of the Commission at: scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling. Those unable, as a practical matter, to file a notice of participation electronically may file such notice by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. Such notice of participation shall include the email addresses of such parties or their counsel, if available. A copy of the notice of participation as a respondent also must be sent to counsel for the Company. Pursuant to 5 VAC 5-20-80 B, Participation as a respondent, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice, any notice of participation shall set forth: (i) a precise statement of the interest of the respondent; (ii) a statement of the specific action sought to the extent then known; and (iii) the factual and legal basis for the action. Any organization, corporation or government body participating as a respondent must be represented by counsel as required by 5 VAC 5-20-30, Counsel, of the Rules of Practice. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2022-00089.

On or before December 7, 2022, each respondent may file electronically with the Clerk of the Commission at scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling any testimony and exhibits by which the respondent expects to establish its case, and each witness’s testimony shall include a summary not to exceed one page. Any respondent unable, as a practical matter, to file testimony and exhibits electronically may file such by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. All testimony and exhibits shall be served on the Commission’s Staff, the Company, and all other respondents simultaneous with its filing. In all filings, respondents shall comply with the Commission’s Rules of Practice, as modified by the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, including, but not limited to: 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service, and 5 VAC 5-20-240, Prepared testimony and exhibits. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2022-00089.

Any documents filed in paper form with the Office of the Clerk of the Commission in this docket may use both sides of the paper. In all other respects, except as modified by the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, all filings shall comply fully with the requirements of 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice. The Commission’s Rules of Practice, the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, and the public version of the Application and other documents filed in this case may be viewed on the Commission’s website at: scc.virginia.gov/pages/Case Information.

VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY