Falls Church News-Press 8-4-2022

by Nicholas F. Benton Falls Church News-Press

Somebody was counting noses Monday when 83 citizens (count ‘em) assembled in front of the newly expanded and renovated Mary Riley Styles Public Library to partake in a walking tour hosted by City Hall of the plans to convert Park Avenue between the library (at N. Virginia Ave.) and three blocks away to N. Washington St. at the State Theatre into a “Great Street.”

There are so many new and lovely amenities tied to this project that it took over an hour to cover the three blocks, which will enjoy the benefits of a $10 million federal grant that will pay for it all. Actual construction of the many changes won’t be completed until 2030, but given how time flies in the Little City, it may not seem that long in fact.

Who is ‘Chap’ Petersen? F.C.’s New State Senator For Now

by Kylee Toland

In the often confusing wake of the redistricting of state and federal election boundaries every decade, many folks lose track of who their representatives are. The situation is like that for the City of Falls Church and environs, where the state senator now representing the City is a new person, relatively unknown to City

Best Of Falls Church Final

Voting Wraps up This Week

Don’t forget to cast your vote now at BESTOFFC.COM. Voting ends Tuesday. Winners will be featured in a special BEST OF FALLS CHURCH edition of the NewsPress on August 18!

See PageS 16 & 17

residents. That would be incumbent State Sen. Chap Petersen.

In the case of Petersen, who has represented areas of Fairfax County to the west of the City for two decades, he is now the City’s state senator and will be depending on how the next November 2023 election goes.

To become familiar with his new Senate District 37 constituents here,

he’s been going around the City knocking on doors to introduce himself and showing up at public events, such as the Memorial Day parade, farmers markets and the upcoming Falls Festival next month. He won’t face re-election until November 2023.

For over 15 years to date, John Chapman “Chap” Petersen has been a Virginia State Senator, representing

Press Pass: Cathy DiToro

Press Pass is back with DC’s very own Cathy DiToro, the lead singer of So Fetch and the Legwarmers. DiToro talks about her experience as a musician and what performing means to her.

See Page 26

central and western Fairfax in the Virginia State Senate. The NewsPress spoke with Petersen about his career in politics and law, his goals and his views on current issues happening in the state of Virginia.

Born and raised in Fairfax City, Petersen’s first taste in politics was serving as his senior class president

DURING THE TOUR, Mayor David Tarter opened the walk with brief remarks, while the City’s Al Astorga spoke about what will be going into the makeover of ‘Great Street,’ which will include 39 new canopy trees, safer pedestrian crossings, upgraded bike markings, brick paver sidewalks and many more. Construction of ‘Great Street’ is planned to be finished by 2030. (News-Press photo).

Falls Church News-Press

Park Avenue as a ‘Great Street’: A ‘Lively, Attractive Destination’

After all, that’s only as long as the project has been in the minds of City planners and leaders, who began in 2014 with a new chapter in the City’s Comprehensive Plan devoted to “mobility for all modes” and a visionary downtown small area plan.With the formal adoption of the Comprehensive Plan chapter in 2015 came the first report on the Park Avenue Great Street project, and with other approvals at City Hall, including of new streetscape standards, the Park Avenue Great Street plan was presented to the City Council this year, and the walking tour included participation by the entire Council.In the federal vision for “Great Streets,” used in conjunction with its grant application and awarding process, the notion is described as “a lively, attractive destination that accommodates all modes of transportation while promoting social interaction, civic activity and commerce.”

Indeed, Park Avenue in those three blocks alone is home to many of the key features of what a “Great Street” would embody. There is the connection to City Hall and the library, to the historic Cherry Hill

Park and vibrant locally-based businesses like the popular and stylish Northside Social eatery and music related businesses in the shadow of the State Theater, which is now a popular regional draw for live music.

It is actually pretty astonishing how much is loaded into the three “Great Street” blocks, while still seeming generally low key each taken by itself.

But all of this will be treated to components that include undergrounding of utility poles, more trees, slowing of the speed limit to 20 mph, raised brick intersections with shortened crosswalks, realignment of the Maple Avenue intersection, gateway features at each end of the project, and an improved public entry into Cherry Hill Park.

There will be 39 new canopy (shade giving) trees, safer pedestrian crossings, upgraded bike markings in the street, quality materials meeting the best streetscape standards, brick paver sidewalks, pedestrian scale lights, benches and bike racks, beautification features to create an appealing destination for shoppers, diners and concert-goers, outdoor seating, wider sidewalks and maintained on-street parking.

In addition to Park Avenue from N. Virginia to N. Washington (Route 29), the plan encompasses the cross streets in its center of Little Falls and Maple Avenue and the park-like area in front of City Hall and N. Washington by the State Theatre.

The west end of the project at N. Virginia will serve as a gateway to the plan, with a raised intersection and “bulbouts” of sidewalk areas extended into the intersection to shorten the pedestrian crosswalks. There will be the improved entrance to Cherry Hill Park, new tree plantings in front of the park entrance, low plantings at all corners, more street furnishings, ornamental bollards with integrated art and tile work, and directional brick paving patterns at crosswalks.

At Monday’s well-attended walking tour, the City’s Al Astorga did most of the talking, while Mayor David Tarter opened with brief remarks followed by the City Planning Department czar Paul Stoddard. The public concerns expressed were in mainly two areas: first, the slippery when wet issues of brick sidewalks, and second, the impact of it all on public parking.

The latter concern came more into play when it was suggested that

the City’s award-winning Saturday morning farmers market might need to be moved out of the City Hall parking lot onto the Park Avenue property. Although no final decision on that will need to come for multiple years, it aroused a lot of concern among the citizens present due to

parking and other matters.

The City’s Parks and Rec chief Danny Schlitt spoke up amid that debate and said whatever final decisions are made, they will be with making the overall use of the farmers market and the “Great Street” better and not worse.

Temple Rodef Shalom Early Childhood Center

Temple Rodef Shalom’s Early Childhood Center is accepting applications for the 2022-2023 school year. The Application for Admission and Tuition Payment Schedule are available on our website.

•Two-, three-, four-, and five-year old classes

•Kindergarten classes

•Parent-child classes

•3:14 teacher-to-student ratio

•Weekly music and STEAM specialists

•Extended day programs

•Community school that follows Reform Jewish traditions and values and welcomes all families

83 CITIZENS were present at the walking tour hosted by City Hall that talked over the plans to convert Park Ave between Mary Riley Styles Public Library to North Washington St at the State Theatre into a “Great Street.” City Planning Chief Paul Stoddard (far left) is shown handing out fliers. (Photo: News-Press)

Guest Commentary

LGBTQ Human Rights Remain Fragile and at Risk Despite Progress

by Bob Witeck

The following is the text of remarks by nationally known LGBTQ rights advocate Bob Witeck at Arlington’s 2020 Yorktown High School Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

As a student at Yorktown in the late 1960s, I grew up in a world and at a time when homosexuality was largely invisible, but also criminalized and lifethreatening. The closet is not healthy for flowers or other living things — to steal a popular protest from the 1960s.

For the past decades, I felt the need to be honest and open as boldly as possible, and more important, to support and encourage others. In my long career, I consulted with many of America’s Fortune 500 to help design their own business strategies of inclusion, welcomeness and visibility for their LGBTQ workforce and consumers.

We know firsthand that no business or economy thrives unless everyone has equal respect,

opportunity and encouragement — including LGBTQ people.

At this very moment, however, as much vital progress as we’ve made — including the marriage I celebrated with my husband in 2014 — today there are some pushing harder to dial back our rights as well as the calendar. They are actively trying to criminalize gender nonconforming people and silence and throttle LGBTQ youths and educators. They believe we deserve the closet and far worse.

This starkly reminds us that human rights are always fragile and at risk. Yorktown High School, Arlington County, our Commonwealth and our nation, need more than ever to stand up for equality, justice and fairness. If my own work means anything at all, I hope it resonates with each of us who believe in these basic values.

Helen Keller once wrote, “One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar.”

Thank you for inspiring me to soar.

Our Man in Arlington

By Charlie Clark

Some victories arrived this month for those who value Arlington history, though preservationists felt the strain of uphill battles to stay in touch with our past roots.

As a board member of the Arlington Historical Society, I had to get in touch in July with my college-years mover-man skills. I joined 14 other volunteers over several days packing up some 5,000 artifacts (many delicate) stored on three floors at the Arlington Historical Museum at the Hume School. The valuables were then trucked for storage in Crystal City space (on shelves we assembled), donated by JBG Smith Cares.

The purpose was to prepare for a long-in-the-works renovation of the 1891 building owned by the society (which since its founding in 1956 has received no taxpayer money). Coming months will bring multiple improvements designed by Arlington-based John Milner Associates Preservation, an architectural firm whose deeply researched plan spawned an ongoing fundraising campaign by our all-volunteer group.

When complete, the renovation will add refurbished windows, modern HVAC, plumbing and electrical upgrades and a new exhibit space.

The big pack-in — organized by local history power couple Mark and Annette Benbow — collectively put in 116 hours. And thanks to the 20 other individuals who delivered boxes, bubble wrap and

wrapping paper, the effort saved the society $4,500 from what was paid to the fine professionals from Bookstore Movers.

We transported a chandelier, a Victorian love seat and a 19thcentury dress hoop, along with portraits of Robert E. Lee, 19th-century entrepreneur Frank Hume (who donated the land for the school) and 1930s Arlington power couple Harry and Alice Fellows (he was our first county board chair). Then we packed the Native American artifacts, glassware, museum displays, old stoves and telephones, a 1930s refrigerator, pre-9/11 Pentagon bricks, civil defense equipment and artifacts on pioneer African-American firefighters.

Our only mishap (unless we discover damage when we unpack) was a basement flood, though its harm was contained.

The society was not thrilled when the county released its Capital Improvement Plan in July and did not include, as we had hoped, an earmark for replacing the Hume School windows. County staff, however, suggest that our nonprofit has a good shot at the money from a broader $300,000 preservation set-aside. Would be well-earned.

***

For nearly three years, county planners of the new park at Crystal City’s S. Eads St. at Army Navy Dr. have cast about for a name for the teardrop-shaped parcel. Suggestions from local citizens and the Neighborhood Conservation Advisory Committee favored the familiar Teardrop, followed by

Canal Park or Pentagon Park.

But longtime history enthusiast Bernie Berne this spring offered the name Arlington Junction. It would mark the early 20th-century site of the “major transfer point for people taking electric trolleys to and from points as far south as Mount Vernon, as far north as downtown Washington and as far west as Vienna and Fairfax City, as well as Rosslyn and Arlington National Cemetery,” Berne told me. His proposal was backed in May by the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board.

On July 26, the Park and Recreation Commission, after Berne testified, unanimously agreed with that nod to history. The final call will come in a county board vote after Labor Day.

***

Tom Dickinson, leader of the preservation network Save Historic Arlington, put out a call for monitoring the site of the demolished 19th-century Febrey-Lothrop house.

Crews from Toll Brothers have been cutting trees on Wilson Blvd. and N. Madison St. to make way for 40-odd luxury homes. Activists were encouraged to take photos from the public sidewalk, as the builders have rejected onsite archaeological inspections of where a Civil War encampment stood.

Lo and behold, neighbor Kristin Gillig and her son produced a photo showing, amid the tree rubble, what might be an old Latin Cross Bottony, possibly from a rosary. They were able to reach in and rescue the artifact, which is being examined.

Our Universe is Our Ancestor

Person No. 1 looks at the night sky and says, “Looking at the night sky makes me realize how puny and insignificant I am on the cosmic scale.”

Person No. 2 thinks, “I am the result of 14 billion years of cosmic evolution. I am a thermodynamic miracle. I am the waking universe looking back at itself.”

Greg M. Clark of Charlotte, NC, posted this on social media as examples of two different ways of looking at things. One comment was that it is exemplary of our amazing universe that both perspectives could be true.

But it is relevant to consider what we are now able to see with the benefit of the Webb Space Telescope are our very own ancestors, in a very real, sensual and poignant sense. It is like the universe is a giant womb and we are in it, being fed, nurtured and produced by all that we see around us.

Those distant galaxies we can now see? They’re our mommas and pappas. They and their kin caused us to exist formed us, if you will. The Webb telescope is like the ultimate subscription to Ancestry.com.

Based on a lot of what we’ve read and heard seeking to describe this to date, there is still a strong tendency to “objectify” what we are seeing, to see it as something apart from us, albeit how massive are the distances in space and time.

But if we are to learn anything from Einstein’s relativity theory about the interconnectedness of space and time, it is that contemplating what we are now seeing from the standpoint of our normal calendars showing that Christmas is still months away and road signs that say it’s still 90 miles to Richmond do not hold at all for what we are now seeing.

This, this editorial space, is not the place to come for answers to such questions, at best just for the insistence that we seek the right questions to ask, and of course, we’re hardly sure of that either. It’s so much easier to bury oneself in the batting averages of our favorite players than to boggle our brains with such headache-inducing, sleep depriving thoughts.

Even when we seek out guidance from places that are supposed to be the experts on such grand things, our churches, synagogues or temples, we are usually left having to accept ancient mythologies or, at best, analogies, similes or metaphors, products of poetic minds. Of course God is the author of all these things around us, we are told. What more do we need to know? Ummmm….

Still, reason is by far the best tool for guiding us in this quest and we can be confident that it will ultimately provide all the answers, however many eons that may take. It is, after all, our ability to reason that is the highest development in this universe that we know of and that is consistent with all we can now see.

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Response to Last Week’s Article on F.C. Wealth

Editor, Last week you published an article titled “Falls Church Residents Ranked Wealthiest in Virginia.” A more appropriate title might have been “Falls Church Ranked Greatest in Income Inequality of Virginia”. Or perhaps “Rich Get Richer, Poor Get Poorer.” The ratio of the median income in the U.S. today to the average price of a home is about 14 percent. In the 1930s this was about 22 percent. Put another way, it was 50 percent easier for a working family to buy a home during the Great Depression than it is today! While some of the wealthy elite of Falls Church might be doing very well, there are countless signs that many of our fellow Virginians are suffering.

It’s morally bankrupt to think we could have an honest conversation about wealth without acknowledging that our “Little City” is so small because it was specifically gerrymandered to enforce racial segregation and wealth divides. That racist and biggoted legacy is still clearly present in Falls Church, as exemplified by this ranking. Much of the city is zoned to only allow big (expensive) single family homes and has been since the 50s. Of course the people that can afford those homes are the ones that live here. I find it disgusting to chalk our concentrated wealth up to “our own creative and diligent work” as the editor suggested, and not the decades of careful planning, zoning, and intentional discrimination.

If these facts resonate with you, and you want to help make Falls Church more fair and equitable, here’s what you should do: Make

your voice known! Come to the next City Council meeting on Monday, August 8th, and tell the council to prioritize affordable housing in new development and immediately update zoning laws that are left over from Segregation. We have a long way to go to address existing income inequalities, but if we work together, we can do it!

Joseph Schiarizzi Falls Church

Is Falls Church Still Tree City?

Editor,

As I walk around my neighborhood and into downtown Falls Church, I am becoming more and more concerned about the many trees that are being cut down: Hillwood Avenue, Berry Street, Route 7, E. Columbia at N. Van Buren, etc. One tree on Cherry Street between Hillwood and Route 7 was cut down last year, but that one was specifically labeled as diseased, so that was understandable. It just seems to my untrained eye that we are removing a lot of greenery this year. Is there a plan for maintaining our trees? Do we still have a city arborist? Do residents need to obtain permission to cut down a tree or is it a case of ‘it’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission’? Are there criteria for when tree removal is/is not allowed?

We pride ourselves on being environmentally sensitive, but each tree that is cut down means there is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, more global warming, less oxygen.

Falls Church is still a beautiful town for walking, but who is ensuring it remains so?

David Heller Falls Church

What’s Right With Kansas & Wrong With the Ongoing Trumpian Coup

ongoing threat.

Juxtaposed headlines in today’s papers are two stories of singular importance to the fall midterm elections and the future of American democracy.

The first was about the stunning victory for women in the Kansas election result, a harbinger of what this November’s elections will be like, and the second is the report that not only did the Secret Service and Homeland Security erase relevant emails pertaining to the January 6 insurrection, but so did the Pentagon, proving that what was underway then was a full-blown coup that probably remains, if for now, an idled but

Editor’s Essay Commentary

On another note, the Washington Post article Wednesday by Dan Zak, “A New Outbreak and Old Fears,” that equates the monkeypox outbreak with the onset of the HIV/AIDS epidemic is so egregiously off base that it begs for a correction. No one who lived through the AIDS epidemic and the sheer horror that it visited upon the gay community would ever equate the two.

The article quotes someone in its second paragraph who begins, “While monkeypox is not deadly….” That’s the beginning and end of any connection with AIDS, and the horribly painful and 100 percent fatality rate associated with it that the gay community had to contend with from its first case in 1981 until 1995 when a “cocktail” of drugs could end its deadly scourge, some 600,000 painfully lost lives later.

But I digress. Everyone is going to have a lot to say about the Kansas vote, and forgive me

if I found it odd that it came as a surprise except for the still existent incapacity of our society to take women and their rights really seriously.

After all, we have never had such a blatant assault on basic human rights imposed on over half the adult population of this nation as the Supreme Court’s repeal of Roe Vs. Wade this May and the extent to which that has been taken by some lawmakers in its wake to violate the ordinary rights of women to exercise their personal behavior in non-offensive ways.

Trust me, had anything like a similar prohibition been placed on males, the reaction would have been far, far more immediate and angry. Forget hanging Mike Pence, the majority of the Supreme Court would have been tarred and feathered and future reproductive prospects swiftly and painfully curtailed by blunt instruments.

But no, this was about women. If Justice Alito and his ilk wanted to do this by appeal -

Who’s Embargoing Whom?

The other day, Branko Milanovic — my City University of New York and Stone Center colleague — suggested that it would be interesting to “compare Napoleon’s continental blockade against Great Britain to the current sanctions against Russia.”

As it happened, I was already on the topic. I had just read Andrew Roberts’ “Napoleon: A Life” and was thinking about the parallels.

The parallels are not, in fact, very good. But laying out the differences is itself, I believe, a useful exercise, and there are other historical examples of trade embargoes in times of war that come closer to what’s happening now.

So, for those not familiar with the history, a potted summary: At the beginning of the 19th century, Britain and France were locked in a peculiar stalemate — the British unbeatable at sea, France very nearly unbeatable on land.

Napoleon tried to break this stalemate with economic warfare, closing the ports of Europe to British commerce. But his blockade was leaky, and his attempts to plug the leaks led him into disastrous military ventures — first a bloody quagmire in Spain, then a catastrophic invasion of Russia.

What does this have to do with the current situation? Not much. Let’s fast-forward to 2022.

The conventional wisdom on Feb. 24, I think, was that Russia would win a quick military victory in Ukraine but then face a cash shortage as the West embargoed its exports. This has not come to pass.

On the military side, Russia’s attempt at a quick seizure of Ukraine’s major cities ended with huge losses and a humiliating retreat.

Russia then shifted to a grinding, artillery-driven battle of attrition in the Donbas but gained only a few square miles of ground, again at the cost of heavy losses.

That attack more or less stalled out in mid-June, and more recently Western weapons seem to have tipped the balance of power in Ukraine’s favor, although the front lines remain static, at least for now.

On the other hand, Western attempts to restrict Russian exports have been a bust. Russian oil is still finding its way to world markets, and if anything, the country appears to be flush with cash.

But while Russia is having no problem selling stuff, it’s having a lot of trouble buying stuff. Sanctions on Russia’s

ing to outrageously male chauvinist 14th century laws, they should have repealed women’s suffrage first. Indeed, there is going to be a growing rage among women as the election approaches this fall, and vengeance will come at the ballot box.

Last year, Republicans considered the “suburban woman” vote vital to their success, but they did it only by ineffectively appealing to a fear of outsiders and persons of color invading their lily-white pristine neighborhoods.

Now, Republicans have dug themselves even a deeper hole, if not a hopeless pit, with that constituency on the abortion question.

I’ve concluded that many of them are clueless males who have no idea how repulsive their antics are to a preponderance of suburban women, who are anything but ignorant of the nation’s vital issues at stake.

Indeed, a ban on abortion is akin to the most serious form of

slavery, leaving a majority of Americans, no less, in proverbial chains.

Certainly, the Republicans can do this if they have the legal right and political will, but it is done at a cost of the loss of support, in fact, the sincere enmity, of perhaps generations of the nation’s angry freedom-loving best and brightest.

Then, on the question of the January 6 coup attempt, the discovery that top officials at the Pentagon were in sync with leaders of the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security in a coordinated and premeditated plot to wipe out all electronic evidence of their roles in the January 6 insurrection proves to any thoughtful observer that they were complicit in that was clearly an attempt at a full-scale coup against the U.S. and its rule of law.

It failed only because of amazing heroism by a wide array of people, but I fear it is not over by a long shot.

exports have, as I said, been a bust, but sanctions on its imports — refusal to sell Russia essential goods — have been more successful than, as far as I know, anyone expected.

Even nations that aren’t part of the coalition imposing sanctions, including China, have sharply cut their exports to Russia. And this cutoff of imports appears to be hammering the Russian economy.

None of this would have made sense in the Napoleonic era, because international trade was much simpler then. Sanctions appear to be restricting Russian industry because so much modern trade consists not of consumer goods but of industrial inputs.

That wasn’t true in, say, 1810, with the main exception being cotton — which didn’t come from areas that Napoleon controlled.

Also, in 1810, there weren’t many multinational businesses.

Today, a company that manufactures goods in China — even if it’s Chinese-owned — is probably reluctant to sell potentially strategic goods to Russia out of fear that it may find itself sanctioned in other, more important markets, like the United States and the European Union.

So economic sanctions against Russia appear to have been surprisingly effective, just not in the way everyone expected.

That said, there are no indications I’m aware of that the economic cost of the sanctions is leading to any moderation in Russian policy.

What they’re doing instead is crimping Russia’s military production, which is a real problem for President Vladimir Putin, given the continuing inflow of Western weapons into Ukraine.

But wait, that’s not the end

Continued on Page 10

Nicholas F. Benton

Paul Krugman

A Penny for Your Thoughts News of Greater Falls Church

By Supervisor Penny Gross

Electric vehicles (EVs), once thought to be a curious and risky idea, appear to be the wave of the future and local governments and businesses are responding.

A century ago, people thought that cars would never replace horses, but barns and livery stables quickly disappeared as garages and gas stations became commonplace needs.

Today, nearly all major automobile manufacturers either have, or are planning to have, at least one EV model for sale. Judging by the number of Tesla EVs on Northern Virginia roadways today, and the number of EV charging stations in shopping center parking lots, demand will most likely continue to increase. (I cite Tesla simply because it makes only EVs and its distinctive logo is easy to spot; other manufacturers may make both EVs and gasolinepowered vehicles, but are not so easy to spot while driving!).

use. Such use will require fees for the provision of retail EV charging service.

Fees for EV charging service would be paid by the user at the ChargePoint station using a ChargePoint application. A competitive fee under consideration is $0.30 per kilowatt (kWh) while the electricity is being delivered to the battery and a $2 per hour dwell-time fee that applies when the battery is fully charged but the vehicle remains connected to the charging station after a 10-minute grace period expires. Fees are subject to change as more experience is gained in both public and private usage.

Senator Dick Saslaw’s Richmond Report

Virginia’s annual sales tax holiday returns August 5 — 7.

At the end of 2021, there were

4,114 EVs registered in Fairfax County; across the river, Montgomery County had 12,763 EVs registered, a result, perhaps, of Maryland’s $3,000 tax credit in addition to the $7,500 federal tax credit for EV purchasers. The Commonwealth of Virginia instituted an EV tax credit of $2,500 on January 1, 2022.

Crucial to the development of EVs is the distribution of EV charging stations. Some EV owners can charge overnight at home, using regular household current, but faster charging is needed for public EV stations. Funding from the federal government via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) will help provide EV charging stations along the Interstate Highway System and Community Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Grants will be available later this year, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

In the meantime, Fairfax County is installing Level 2 charging stations at some county facilities. At present, those charging stations are for county vehicles only, but will soon be activated for public

In a recent presentation to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments by Electrify America, a private company that installs ultra-fast charging stations, the vendor’s representative said that specific installation costs were proprietary, but that an ultra-fast charging station of four or five “pumps” with associated operational infrastructure could cost more than $500,000.

The vendor’s representative also said that local permitting processes could make the cost higher; the average time nationwide for permits for an ultrafast station is 14 weeks and some jurisdictions don’t even mention EV charging in their zoning ordinances and comprehensive plans. Fairfax County’s Zoning Ordinance, updated via the zMOD process, does contain language about EV charging stations.

Additionally, Fairfax County’s Operational Energy Strategy, adopted in 2018, accelerated the transition to EV, and new purchases of vehicles for the county fleet, including school buses, are electric wherever possible. What once seemed a flight of fancy is real and working in our region.

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

City of Falls Church

CRIME REPORT

Week of July 25 — July 31, 2022

Larceny, Wilson Blvd, July 25, 1:39 PM, the victim was approached by a white SUV while standing near a supermarket. A female passenger, in her 40’s with long black hair and wearing a white shirt, engaged the victim in conversation. She hugged him and left in the vehicle. After they left, the victim realized that his gold necklace had been substituted with fake jewelry. The driver was described as a male in his mid-30s, with black hair and facial hair

and was wearing a white shirt.

Trespass, Wilson Blvd, July 26, 12:48 PM, a male, 55, of no fixed address, was arrested for trespass.

Stolen Vehicle, E Broad St, between noon on July 22 and noon, July 23, unknown suspect(s) stole a 2016 purple Dodge Challenger SRT Coupe and a 2020 black Dodge Charger.

Stolen Vehicle, W Broad St, between 6 PM, July 27 and 8 AM, July 28, unknown suspect(s) stole a black 2013 Mercedes-Benz C300.

Larceny from Building, E Broad St, July 16 and July 27, a known suspect took items of value on two separate occasions. Charges are pending.

Counterfeiting-Forgery, W Greenway, July 28, 3:17 PM, an incident of check forgery was reported.

Assault, Ellison St, July 29, 3:03 PM, a male, 25, of the City of Falls Church, was arrested for assault.

Panhandling, W Broad St, July 31, 12:57 PM, a male, 37, of Berwyn Heights, MD, was issued a summons for panhandling.

Virginians have the opportunity to purchase qualifying school supplies, clothing, footwear, hurricane and emergency preparedness items and Energy Star™ and WaterSense™ products without paying sales tax (currently at 5.13 percent in most localities). Learn more about what items are eligible at tax.virginia.gov/virginia-salestax-holiday. Virginians are also seeing lower prices at the pump. As of this writing, the average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gas sits at $4.05. Compare that with a price of $4.70 one month ago. Natural market dynamics have brought prices down and thankfully we did not raid much-needed transportation improvement funds that come from the gas tax.

Metro continues its improvements and upgrades to safely meet the growing needs of the region.

WMATA recently announced that beginning in September, major construction will begin on the Blue and Yellow Lines, specifically rehabilitating the Yellow Line tunnel and bridge between Pentagon and L’Enfant Plaza stations and connecting the new Potomac Yard Station to the mainline rail system. During prep work, six Blue and Yellow Line stations south of Reagan National Airport will close from Sept. 10 — Oct. 22, 2022. In addition to free bus shuttles, the Virginia Railway Express announced free fares for VRE riders affected by the shutdown throughout September. In October, there will be fare-free travel between zones 1, 2 and 3, which includes Backlick Road, Franconia-Springfield, Alexandria, Crystal City, L’Enfant Plaza and Union Station.

Metro riders and riders of other mass transit methods do an important service to our climate by taking cars and reducing their emissions on the road. This is especially important in the summer months when air quality tends to decrease.

In the last two decades we’ve seen major hurricanes decimate New Orleans, the Florida Keys and other areas. Global warming is making its mark on our planet and we will continue to see more frequent and powerful hurricanes. Now is the time to make sure hurricane kit, supplies and family evacuation plans are up to date.

Students will be heading back to school at the end of the month with

most major public K-12 systems in the area starting August 22nd or 29th. Sports will begin practice sessions sooner. Many school districts are already forecasting a teacher shortage for the upcoming academic year despite efforts to increase pay and incentivize more people into the profession. The return of the school year is also coinciding with a spike in Covid-19 cases, particularly of the highly contagious BA.5 variant, which is now the dominant strain in the U.S. Now is the time to ensure your child is vaccinated (and boosted if need be).

On a positive note, Anne Kress, president of Northern Virginia Community College, shared some compelling data regarding the impact of G3 (Get Skilled, Get a Job, Get Ahead) legislation that I moved through the General Assembly in 2020. In this first year, NVCC awarded $3.5 million in G3 funding to over 1,500 credit students as well as $460,000 to nearly 400 students working towards industry credentials. 62 percent of the G3 awardees were enrolled in one or more IT programs and 18 percent of the students were enrolled in a healthcare program. We must continue to invest in workforce development to keep Virginia competitive in the global economy.

It’s been six months since Glenn Youngkin took office as the 74th Governor of the Commonwealth. Although he shared little of himself during the campaign, Virginians are starting to see who’s behind the curtain with a wary eye. We have seen a departure from many of the protocols that successfully helped us navigate the pandemic. The governor’s administration is still coming together, not without many questionable appointments. A call to move away from telecommuting, as well as tactics that circumvent transparency and the legislative process and his focus on realigning public education — including book banning — are some of the things that have defined his tenure thus far. Of significant concern is his eagerness to limit women’s access to healthcare as a result of the recent SCOTUS ruling. The hint of also reversing the rights of LGBTQ individuals in the Commonwealth is also troubling.

 Senator Saslaw represents the 35th District in the Virginia State Senate. He may be emailed at district35@senate.virginia.gov.

Getting to Know State Senator ‘Chap’

Continued from Page 1

at Fairfax High School. After graduating high school in 1986 and Williams College in 1990, he became active in politics while attending the University of Virginia Law School, where he worked on the 1992 presidential campaign for Bill Clinton.

Becoming involved in politics at the University, Petersen was an intern in the House of Delegates in 1995, and that is when he decided a career in politics “is what I wanted to do.”

After moving back to Fairfax City and being elected into City Council there in 1998, Petersen ran and won a seat in the House of Delegates in 2001 as a Democratic challenger against the Republican incumbent Jack Rust, stating it was a “pretty big upset” for Fairfax City at the time due to it being majority Republican.

After running and losing the race for lieutenant governor in 2005, Petersen took a “hiatus” in politics due to thinking that “his political career was over.” It wasn’t until fellow Virginia state senator Richard “Dick” Saslaw, who had been Falls Church’s senate representative until this year, asked Petersen to run for the State Senate seat against Republican challenger Jeannemarie Devolites Davis in 2007.

Called the “most expensive State Senate race in Virginia,” Petersen won the seat and has been a state senator for over 15 years since.

As for his biggest accomplishment as a Virginia State Senator, Petersen said the reopening of schools has been the “most important issue” he has had to face. Growing up in public schools, Petersen has been invested in them and “consistently opposed school voucher programs” or programs that would “send money to private schools.” He said he is a little “tougher” than some Democrats when it comes to holding schools accountable on what and how money is being spent by various school systems.

But in 2020, Petersen announced he wasn’t going to vote for a state budget until schools were reopened for in-person learning, which he said was a “huge battle.” He said spending “all that money” on virtual education was ``unacceptable” to him, and while he acknowledged that his pushing of reopening schools has upset some people, in February of 2021, Senate Bill 1303 was passed and put 1.2 million children back in classrooms, which Petersen said was his “biggest achievement.”

“If I can do anything that will help the lives of children and be in their best interest, I’m gonna do it,” Petersen said. “I believe strongly in public education, but I also believe there has to be accountability and I’m not afraid to make some people mad if that’s what it takes.”

The issue Petersen has had “the longest involvement in” has been the environment, stating that when he first ran for state senate, one of his big issues was having Virginia adopt a RPS (Renewable Portfolio Standard), which requires a state to use renewable energy. He was “very involved” in fighting against Dominion Power to try to roll back some of the monopoly powers it had acquired. In the last

two years, Petersen has become chair of the Natural Resources Committee in the Senate, which has jurisdiction over all environmental issues.

As for how he addresses issues on climate change and global warming, Petersen recently put out a newsletter that talked about the program, RGGI (Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative) where 15 states in the East Coast “buy and sell” carbon emission “credits” to each other. This in turn puts a tax on power plants that emit carbons, oil-fired or gas-fired, as well as the people who “benefit” from the plants. Petersen said it’s a way of “limiting carbons” and having the money from those taxes used for “energy efficiency programs,” as well as “building resilience” in communities in southeastern Virginia that are vulnerable to flooding.

In 2020, Petersen drafted a version of the bill that was passed that called for universal background checks for guns. He told the NewsPress he believes Virginia “has made a lot of legal changes” in regard to gun violence, such as the Red Flag Law, but the biggest issue he has faced is the knowledge of “so many guns in circulation” and what some of the conditions of violence are that cause gun violence and mass shootings.

Although abortion “is legal in Virginia and the current statutes reflect the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade,” Petersen said it’s a question of whether or not “the state keeps it that way” or whether Governor Glenn Youngkin wants to amend the laws and ban certain procedures after a certain amount of time.

To get economic growth back to where it was pre-pandemic, Petersen said he is an advocate for “getting education back to normal and getting businesses back to the public.” He wants people to get vaccinated, but also wants to “encourage the mindset that life goes on and to become more active in the outside world.”

Petersen said the Virginia Senate has passed a number of laws preventing discrimination against gay and lesbian Virginians, as well as laws outlawing discrimination and housing discrimination in employment.

He said Virginia “has a pretty good record” in preventing discrimination and that it’s a “very open society.” He believes it’s important in making sure lower income people have access to health care and said his biggest initiative in 2023 is providing affordable prescription drugs and making sure that seniors or people who are “medically vulnerable” are not priced out of the prescription drug market.

Petersen is currently working on having medical technology, such as MRI’s, be more “community friendly” so people don’t always have to go to a hospital for certain procedures.

Currently, Petersen said he is taking his career in politics “day by day” and is proud of his advocacy for children and small businesses. He is running for reelection again, stating that he thinks he’s “made a difference the last four years” and thinks he can “continue to make a difference.”

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Who’s Embargoing Whom?

of the story, because there’s another de facto embargo underway. Early in the war, supporters of Ukraine pleaded with European nations — Germany in particular — to stop buying Russian natural gas; they didn’t. But now Russia is, in effect, sanctioning its own gas exports.

It’s not an explicitly announced policy, but Russia has been reducing deliveries to European markets, pretty clearly in an attempt to damage the European economy and increase political pressure for Europe to stop supporting Ukraine.

Gas prices spiked in February with the Russian invasion but quickly subsided to more or less the pre-invasion level. They didn’t begin a sustained rise until mid-June. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this upward break cor-

responds with the point when even the Russians realized that their Donbas offensive wasn’t going to produce a decisive breakthrough.

Everything suggests that this was when Russia began limiting gas deliveries.

In effect, Russia, not the West, is now the player trying to use economic warfare as a substitute for its inability to prevail on the battlefield.

The closest historical parallel I can find is the embargo on cotton exports imposed by the Confederacy early in the Civil War, in an attempt to force Britain to intervene on the side of the South.

This embargo didn’t last long, but by the time it was repealed, it was moot: The Union navy was blockading Southern ports anyway.

Needless to say, the embargo didn’t work.

Will Russia’s ploy work better? I wish I could be more sure than I am about European

West Falls Developer Hoffman Announces New Investment Vehicle

resolve, especially given high inflation and the high risk of recession (which is higher there than it is in the United States).

On the other hand, the nations that seem most likely to waver, especially Germany and Italy, have been lagging in their arms deliveries anyway; Russia’s stealth gas embargo is unlikely to deter crucial shipments from the United States, Britain and Poland, among others.

The truth is that it is hard to find historical examples of successful economic warfare unless you count blockades that were themselves a form of military action — like the U.S. submarine campaign that devastated Japan’s economy during World War II.

In the end, the war in Ukraine will probably be decided on the battlefield.

By PAUL KRUGMAN © 2022 The New York Times

Hoffman and Associates, a leading developer of innovative mixed-use and residential communities across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast and key developer of the 10-acre West Falls mixed use project in Falls Church, announced that it has closed on its first real estate private equity fund.

The Hoffman and Associates General Partner Fund, a $65 million investment vehicle, will predominantly target development projects including early-stage initiatives currently led by the company.

With 30 years of experience and 6.5 million square feet in development and construction, Hoffman and Associates has established itself as steadily growing with a variety of projects that are shaping cityscapes and neighborhoods across the MidAtlantic and Southeast. The fund gives the company an advantage in expanding its growing pipeline, acting quickly on future opportunities.

“Hoffman and Associates is expanding our portfolio,” stated Monty Hoffman, founder and chairman of Hoffman and

Associates, “As our $3.6 billion Wharf project comes to completion in D.C., and our presence in Northern Virginia and North Carolina continues to grow with market demand and projects such as West Falls, Waterfront Station II, 4600 Fairfax Drive, Seaboard Station and RUS Bus, our company anticipates many more opportunities. The Hoffman & Associates General Partner Fund will be instrumental in continuing our company’s exciting future.” Hoffman described its current Falls Church project as “a nearly 10-acre expansive, multiphase mixed-use, transit-oriented project expanding the vibrant community in Falls Church, Virginia.”

West Falls will serve as a gateway to the city of Falls Church and a gathering place for all with apartments, condominiums, senior living, retail, hotel and a medical office building, along with an outdoor community gathering space in the center of the neighborhood that will provide over 18,000 square feet of open space for community use.

Continued on Page 20

Drs. Love & Miller, PC Melanie R. Love, DDS, Mark A. Miller, DDS FAMILY AND COSMETIC DENTISTRY

Drs. Love and Miller provide a family practice with special emphasis on healthy and beautiful smiles for adults and children. We have created a warm, caring environment that allows our patients to feel comfortable and safe. We take time to listen to our patients so that we can truly understand their individual needs and goals for their dental health.

Both doctors graduated from the Medical College of Virginia and have been practicing together in Falls Church for over 25 years. We are proud to have served the community in ways beyond dental care.

New patients are warmly welcomed in our practice. Dr. Love and Dr. Miller along with our amazing staff are grateful for the trust and support shown by the Falls Church community.

We are appreciative of our patients’ continued con dence in our ability to maintain proper safety measures, allowing us to care for their dental health.

Virginia’s Sales Tax Holiday Is This Weekend

Virginia’s three-day Sales Tax Holiday starts this Friday, August 5, at 12:01 a.m. and ends Sunday, August 7, at 11:59 p.m.

Consumers can take advantage of the holiday for both in-store and online purchases, and can buy select items — school supplies, clothes and shoes, emergency and hurricane preparedness — without paying sales tax. With hurricane season often peaking in August, officials say it is a prime time to take advantage of the tax holiday by purchasing qualifying items that can help households in case a hurricane, or any other disaster, strikes.

The Virginia Department of Emergency Management’s Prepare website contains key information and the Build a Kit section has many items that cost $60 or less and qualify for the sales tax holiday, including: Artificial ice, blue ice, and ice packs, batteries, flashlights, lanterns, and glow sticks, portable radios, including battery-operated or selfpowered, two-way radios, bottled water, nonelectric food storage coolers, first aid kits, cell phone chargers, tarpaulins or flexible waterproof sheeting, and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

More expensive emergency preparedness items also qualify for the sales tax holiday, including portable generators and gas-powered chainsaws.

Additional items that qualify for the sales tax holiday include school supplies, clothing, footwear, and Energy Star or WaterSense products. School supply items must be $20 or less per item but do not have to be used in connection with a school activity to be eligible, while clothing and footwear items must have a sales price of $100 or less per item to qualify for the exemption. Energy Star and WaterSense products must be $2,500 or less and purchased for noncommercial or personal use.

F.C. Native Meredith Feted As ‘Best CEO for Diversity’

Falls Church native David Meredith,

CEO of the Pennsylvania-based Boomi company, was named the ‘Best CEO for Diversity’ this week by the brand reputation platform, Comparably.

His company also won “Best Company for Career Growth” in the Largest company category.

Boomi is described as “a software company that specializes in integration platform as a service, API management, master data management and data preparation.”

F.C. Police Warn Citizens Of Multiple Scams

The City of Falls Church Police Department reports that it has received increased reports about phone and internet-based scams relating to business fraud, unpaid bills or taxes, and ransomware attacks.

“Community members should educate themselves, verify information, and report these scams when appropriate,” the police say.

“Your best course of action is to stay vigilant,” said Captain Kevin Ankney, Services Division Commander.

“If you get a phone call or pop-up window that asks or tells you in any way to send money, you should immediately be suspicious. Don’t ever willingly give out your information or confirm informa tion without independently verifying the person on the other end.”

Some of the recent scam attempts reported to the City of Falls Church Police Department include: impersonator scams involving phone calls, emails, texts, or letters demanding payment and threatening of penalties or jail time if you do not pay; pop-up scams arising from clicking on a link on a phone or computer whereby a pop-up or alert states the victim has a virus with a phone number to call, where a person says gift cards, a wire transfer from a bank, access to a bank account, or provide remote access to the victim’s device are needed to clear the virus.

There are business email scams where

Local Non-Profit Organizations Making a Difference in Falls Church

BY KYLEE TOLAND FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

In Northern Virginia this summer, two local nonprofit organizations, Food Justice DMV and Nurturing Families, are doing their part in helping support school staff and immigrant families.

Denise Woods is the founding director of Food Justice DMV and said she founded the organization after accompanying people to their ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) check-ins.

Two people she had been accompanying spoke about how they were running out of food for themselves and their families due to spending money on travel to the check-ins out of fear of deportation. Woods said this was when she and her team decided to turn their hotline into a food distribution organization for over 200 families.

In a “massive act of solidarity,” the organization was shared among radio stations and Facebook and Woods said within days the number of asylum seekers grew. Currently, the organiza-

tion supports 7,000 families who are asylum seekers in the region.

Food Justice DMV is trying to accomplish “many things,” Woods claims, by reducing food insecurity and supporting people who have no other access to governmental resources being the main goal of the organization. Many of the families supported by the organization are undocumented and have fled their countries to save their children and themselves.

Woods said she believes that Food Justice DMV is the “only organization that actually supports this multi-jurisdictional organization dedicated solely or primarily to people who are undocumented.”

Woods said the organization is met with a “sea of gratitude” by the people who benefit from it, with many members fearing “when the next plate of food will come for their children.” Some of the challenges Food Justice DMV has faced is almost running out of money “eight times” and having to cut back on the “most basic foods,” such as tortillas, for people of Latin descent, due

to inflation. With 250 volunteers, Woods said “every penny goes to the families,” with $991,000 having been raised in the past two years.

“We get overwhelming gratitude and love for what we’re doing,” Woods said. “It’s incredible to experience and it’s an honor to be in the struggle with them.”

Nurturing Families is an allvolunteer nonprofit organization that has seasonal programs including “back to school” support, winter coat distribution and a holiday boutique. Currently, the organization is raising funds to buy supplies for students at Woodson Elementary school nearby Falls Church, which also includes a Facebook page that ensures teachers and staff have the supplies they need when school is back in session.

Sherry Noud is the executive director and founder of Nurturing Families and started the organization after becoming aware of the need for a program to assist with distributing free, new car seats. “As a mother herself,” Noud felt she needed to create a local orga-

NURTURING FAMILIES helps low-income families in the area by offering seasonal programs including a Last Chance Holiday Boutique. (P���� ��������: S����� N���)

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

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

Finish the Summer Strong with these DMV Area Outings

BY KYLEE TOLAND FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

With the end of summer just around the corner, here is a list of activities to make the most of the warm weather! Swim at the Pool.

With the heat rising, a refreshing dip in the pool can be the epitome of a fun summer activity. Whether it’s at a community pool or in someone’s own backyard, swimming can be a great way to finish out the summer. With Banneker Pool and Ocean Dunes being ranked the best pools in D.C. and Virginia, this is a chance for locals to end the summer with a splash! For more information about Banneker Pool, visit dpr. dc.gov/page/banneker-pool. For more information about Ocean Dunes, visit novaparks.com/ waterparks/ocean-dunes-waterpark. Visit Rooftop Bars.

After a long week at work or home, getting a drink can be a good way to cool off during the August heat. Going to a local bar, brewery or winery can allow one to catch up with friends while enjoying a beverage or two.

Recently, rooftop bars have become popular, with DC-based restaurant El Techo being ranked the best rooftop bar in the DMV area. Having a “tropical vacationtransporting design,” El Techo serves “handcrafted cocktails, Latin-inspired tapas and entrees, and plenty of vacation vibes.” For more information about El Techo, visiteltechodc.com.

Take Pictures With/Of Sunflowers.

Can’t get enough of nature and flowers? Poolesville, Maryland offers the McKee-Beshers

Wildlife Management, which has 30 acres of sunflowers that are a food source for local wildlife.

With fruit-picking being a popular activity to take part of during the spring and summer, visiting this sunflower farm does not allow people to take the sunflowers, but rather enjoy the surrounding beauty. One may also snap a pic or two for their social media feeds! For more information about McKee-Beshers

Wildlife Management, visit dnr. maryland.gov/wildlife/pages/ publiclands/central/mckeebeshers.aspx.

Practice Fishing.

For those wanting to pick up a new hobby before summer ends, the DMV area offers free Friday Night Fishing by Anacostia Riverkeeper. This fun learning experience is offered to both adults and children alike, making it perfect for “families” and “date nights.” For more information about Anacostia Riverkeeper, visitanacostiariverkeeper.org/friday-night-fishing.

Enjoy a Picnic.

Taking in the outside environment with a picnic is a perfect way to catch up with friends or have a peaceful day with one’s self. Named the best “picnic spot” in the DMV area, Gravelly Point is a National Park in Arlington, with a sight of neighboring D.C..

Cara O’ Donnell, the public relations manager of Arlington

Convention & Visitors Service, said Arlington parks such as Gravelly Point “are a great place not only to picnic” but also enjoy biking, kayaking or “just relaxing” with views of the planes and D.C. skyline. For more information about Gravelly Point, visit stayarlington.com/ directory/gravelly-point.

Continued on Page 19

LEFT: Anacostia Riverkeeper offers free fishing lessons on Friday Nights. (Photo Courtesy of Robbie O’Donnell). R IGHT: Gravelly Point is named the best “picnic spot” in the DMV area. (Photo Courtesy of Arlington Convention and Visitor Services).

Wellness

• Solano Spine & Sport • Palmercare Chiropractic Falls Church • Avalon Rehab LLC •

Bodies In Motion

Live Entertainment • State Theatre • NOVA Nightsky Theater • Clare and Don's Beach

New Business

Shack • JV's

• Creative Cauldron • Mark's Pub

• Harvey’s • Blue Huki Marketing Group • NOVA Nightsky Theater

• Taco Rock • La Tingeria

Yoga • Honest Soul Yoga

• Karma Yoga • CorePower Yoga

• Mind Over Mat Pilates

Pet Services

• Balanced Female Fitness

• Posh Pets • Dogtopia • Dudes • Barkley Square

• Falls Church Animal Hospital

Vet • Falls Church Animal Hospital

Landscapers

• Value Vet • Caring Hands

• Great Outdoors

• Suburban Animal Hospital

• Mainstay Vet Practive

• Smoot • Pimmit Hills Pollinator Company

• Meadows Farms • Merrifield Garden Center

• Terra

Architect • Lee design studios • Moore Architects • Walter Crain, WSC Design

• Foxcraft • Dubro

Builder/Remodeler • Zimmermann Homes • Foxcraft

• Dubro • Greenbuilt • Cottage Street

Ophthalmologists

• Northern Virginia O phthalmology

• Seidman

• Gustave Corrales, Vision Consultants and Surgeons

Orthodontist

• Dr. Alison Sinyai • Dr. Anh Nguyen

• Dr. Scott Berman • Merrifield Orthodontist • Seth Feldman

• Oasis Pediatric

Dentist • Peterson Huang • Love and Miller • Paesani NOVA Dental Studio

• Seth Feldmam • William Dougherty

Speciality Store

• Stylish Patina

• Doodlehopper • Victory Comics

• Botanologica • Glass house recycling

Hair Salon/Barbershop

• Neighborhood Barbershop • Nash Hair Design

• Kess • Father And Son

• Rooted Mane

Limit 1 entry per person. Final round voting determines the winners. Best of Falls Church voting ends August 9, 2022 at 2 p.m.

Contest rules available online at fcnp.com/bestofrules

Falls Church

Business News & Notes

Google Career Scholarships for Small Businesses

Google recently announced a new scholarship program to help develop employee skills and grow small businesses. The company cites technology for expanding capacity for businesses and training for attracting and retaining employees, Google is offering up to 500 scholarships per small business — worth over $100,000 in workforce training — for Google Career Certificates to train employees in data analytics, IT support, project management, user experience (UX) design, or digital marketing and e-commerce. Businesses may get the details and apply at grow.google/ employee-development/?utm_source=gDigital&utm_medium=owned-blog&utm_ campaign=cert-DME&utm_content=keywordblog&utm_term=. For more information on other Google certificate programs, visit https://grow.google/certificates/?utm_ source=gDigital&utm_medium=owned-blog&utm_campaign=cert-DME&utm_ content=keywordblog&utm_term=#?modal_active=none

Vote for Your Favorite Businesses

The finalists of the 2022 Best of Falls Church reader vote have been announced. Cast your vote now at BESTOFFC.COM. Winners will be featured in a special BEST OF FALLS CHURCH edition of the News-Press on Thursday, August 18.

RAMMYS for Anthony’s and Dungrat’s

The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington’s 40th annual RAMMY awards were announced on Sunday. Two Falls Church restaurants were recipients of the Honorary Milestone RAMMY Award which recognizes longstanding service in the DMV. Anthony’s Restaurant, featuring Italian, Greek, and American food, received recognition for it’s 50th anniversary and Dungrat’s, serving Thai cuisine in Bailey’s Crossroads area of Falls Church for 35 years.

Inova Fairfax Hospital retains No.1 state ranking

U.S. News and World Report has released the 2022-23 Best Hospitals list with Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church in the top spot for Virginia for the second year in a row. It also received the top ranking in the Washington, DC metro area. Inova Fairfax Hospital was ranked third in Virginia for children’s hospitals and number 14 in the mid-Atlantic for children’s care. The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, had held its rank as the nation’s top hospital. U.S. News and World Report’s utilizthe data from over 5,000 hospitals to rank hospitals annually.

Northrop Grumman Receives $3.3B Missile Defense Contract

Defense contractor Northrop Grumman released a press statement that it has been contracted to design, develop and sustain new capabilities for the net Ground-based Midcourse Defense Weapons Systems program at $3.3B. The ground system component will be updated using digital transformation processes to update and modernize legacy code, warfighter capabilities and incorporate the Next Generation Interceptor fleet. The program is under the Missile Defense Agency in defense against ballistic missile attacks and will be completed in Huntsville, Alabama.

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@

Finish the Summer Strong with these DMV Area Outings

Go Sailing.

Want to take a picnic on the water? Float DC offers Scandinavian “picnic boats” that cruise outside of the Wharf. Offering a “fun and eco-friendly way” of sailing, picnic boats can hold about eight passengers while enjoying amenities such as electric coolers, Bluetooth speakers and biminis for shade. For more information about Float DC, visit floatdc.com.

Try Yoga.

Speaking of new activities, why not try something that is good for your body, mind and soul? The DMV area offers a variety of places to practice yoga, whether it be indoors or outside.For the summer season, however, outside yoga is the best way to enjoy the sunshine and warm breeze.

District Flow Yoga is an independent, female-owned and operated yoga studio that offers various forms of yoga and meditation classes and workshops, including heated classes and sound bowl meditations. Ora Star Boncore is the studio manager of District Flow

Yoga, and said their outdoor classes are a “fantastic way for people to get outdoors during the summer” as the classes are always “temperate and breezy” and purposely at times that allow people to be outdoors without overheating. For more information about District Flow Yoga, visit districtflowyoga. com.

See an Outdoor Movie.

The summer of 2022 has offered many much-anticipated films, so why not enjoy them outside?

Sunset Cinema at the Wharf allows families and friends to watch a variety of movies along the waterfront on the Transit Pier big screen!

Movies begin at 7:30 p.m., with refreshments available for people’s enjoyment! For more information about Sunset Cinema, visitwharfdc.com/upcoming-events/202208-25-sunset-cinema-at-the-wharfsummer-of-soul.

Go Camping.

A great way to be one with nature is spending a night or two in the great outdoors. Luckily, the DMV area has campgrounds scattered across the region. Perfect for hiking, biking and getting a breath of fresh air, camping in the summer

season can give you fantastic views wherever you may be.

Phillip S. Greenwalt is the Chief of Interpretation and Education for Catoctin Mountain Park, one of the National Park Service sites in Maryland. Greenwalt said Catoctin Mountain Park offers “miles of hiking, scenic overlooks and an abundance of natural and cultural history.” He also stated that visiting a national park is “a great way to spend a summer night, escape from the city with a short drive and experience unique history.” For more information on Catoctin Mountain Park, visit nps.gov/cato/ index.htm.

Visit Murals.

Recently, the D.C. area has had a spike in vivacious, eye-opening murals that can be located on the sides of buildings across the District. A great way to view many of these murals is going on a guided walking mural tour through NoMa and Union Market. The tour is guided by art curator Jason Bowers and allows people to enjoy the warm weather while also viewing awe-inducing murals. For more information about the tours, visit dcmuraltour.com.

Fall ball places added emphasis on player fundamentals and skill development, resulting in a less competitive dynamic than the Spring season.

DISTRICT FLOW YOGA (top) offers a variety of places to practice yoga, both indoors and outdoors. For those who enjoy camping, Catoctin Mountain Park includes miles of hiking and scenic overlooks. (P����� C�������: O�� S��� B������ ��� P������ G��������.)

West Falls to be Biggest Project in F.C. History

Continued from Page 10

“The biggest project in Falls Church history, West Falls is poised to be Hoffman & Associates’ next largest endeavor following The Wharf.”

“We are honored to be able to announce The Hoffman and Associates General Partner Fund as it continues to showcase our investors’ confidence in our team and our innovative, community-minded approach to development,” said Jon McAvoy, Hoffman and Associates’ Chief Investment Officer. “The Fund builds on our three decades of success, delivering strong returns for our investors and partners, as well as community value across the neighborhoods we serve.”

This announcement follows the consistent growth of Hoffman and Associates, anchored by the completion of The Wharf later this year, as well as the company’s continuous expansion across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, with a variety of projects ranging from large-scale neighborhoods to mixed-use condominium and apartment offerings, all underscoring the

Falls Church NEWS BRIEFS

feature more than 500 residences including apartments and townhome-style residences in two buildings with 475 apartment residences as well as 29 townhome-style multifamily units. The project is designed to not only achieve LEED Gold certification, but also to follow Arlington County’s industry leading 2020 Green Building Program.

In addition there is a “RUS Bus” project, a 500,000 square-foot transit-oriented mixeduse development in Raleigh, North Carolina, integrating the Raleigh Union Station with innovative transit improvements, a new bus facility, bike and pedestrian-friendly spaces and multifamily residential with affordable housing, retail and hospitality.

The approximately $275 million project, one of the biggest developments currently underway in Raleigh, features plans to build two high-rise buildings up to 40 stories tall, with 18,000 square feet of retail space and over 400 apartments. Also, there is the Seaboard Station: This dynamic development that is set to deliver its first phase this fall, will bring a unique mix of residential, retail and vibrant community spaces to the historic location of

When complete, Seaboard Station will ings and more than 130,000 square feet of

Continued from Page 11

an email from a boss or someone with authority in the company ask to send money through gift cards for a co-worker or to wire money from a business account.

There is an Outstanding Warrant scam, where a victim is contacted by someone claiming to be law enforcement about an outstanding warrant that must be paid off over the phone.

Perpetrators can spoof a phone number to make it look like they are calling from a legitimate police department or court.

The FBI’s page on Common Scams and Crimes has a comprehensive list of additional scams.

When a citizen receives a phone call or message from an unknown person asking for information or money, it’s important to verify who is contacting you.

Some scams make victims think they are liable for unpaid taxes, utility bills, or that they have missed a court appearance and will be arrested. The scammer insists money be wired immediately. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and utility companies will never call and threaten with arrest for unpaid taxes or utility bills.

Law enforcement will never call you requesting money for missed court appearances or failure to appear in court. When calls like this are received, they should be hung up on and reported to police.

Foust Announces He Will Not Seek Re-Election in ‘23

John Foust will step down from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors after 2023, concluding a 16-year run representing the Dranesville District.

Foust announced at the board’s meeting this morning (Tuesday) that he will not seek a fifth term in office next year, when all 10 seats will be on the general election ballot that November.

“I will have much more to say about this as time goes by,” Foust said. “…For now, I just want to say it has been an absolute honor to serve on this board for the last 15 years. I just love it. I want to assure my constituents…that I and my staff will continue to work hard to represent you until my term ends on Dec. 31, 2023.”

First elected to the board in 2007, Foust has lived in McLean since 1987. His district includes McLean, Herndon, Great Falls, and portions of the Vienna and Falls Church areas.

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF AN APPLICATION BY VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY D/B/A DOMINION ENERGY VIRGINIA FOR APPROVAL OF A RATE ADJUSTMENT CLAUSE: RIDER B, BIOMASS CONVERSIONS OF THE ALTAVISTA, HOPEWELL, AND SOUTHAMPTON POWER STATIONS CASE NO. PUR-2022-00088

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

•In this case, Dominion has asked the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”) to approve Rider B for the rate years April 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024, for Rate Year 1, and April 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025, for Rate Year 2.

•For Rate Year 1, Dominion requests a revenue requirement of $33,655,668, which would increase the monthly bill of a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per month by $0.33.

•For Rate Year 2, Dominion requests a revenue requirement of $33,667,579, which will result in no bill impact change from Rate Year 1.

•A Hearing Examiner appointed by the Commission will hold a telephonic hearing in this case on November 16, 2022, at 10 a.m., for the receipt of public witness testimony.

•An evidentiary hearing will be held on November 17, 2022, at 10 a.m., in the Commission’s second floor courtroom located in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, to receive the testimony and evidence of the Company, any respondents, and the Staff.

•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”) its biennial update filing of the Company’s rate adjustment clause, Rider B (“Application”) pursuant to § 56-585.1 A 6 of the Code of Virginia (“Code”). Through its Application, the Company seeks to recover costs associated with the major unit conversions of the Altavista, Hopewell, and Southampton Power Stations from coal-burning generation facilities into renewable biomass genera- tion facilities (collectively, the “Biomass Conversion Projects” or “Conversions”).

In Case No. PUE-2011-00073, the Commission approved the proposed Conversions as major unit modifications under Code § 56-585.1 A 6 and reissued amended certificates of public convenience and necessity for the Altavista, Hopewell, and Southampton Power Stations (the “CPCN Order”). The CPCN Order also authorized Dominion to recover costs associated with the construction of the Biomass Conversion Projects. All three Biomass Conversion Projects became operational in 2013.

In this proceeding, Dominion has asked the Commission to approve Rider B for the two rate years beginning April 1, 2023, and ending March 31, 2024 (“Rate Year 1”), and beginning April 1, 2024, and ending March 31, 2025 (“Rate Year 2”). The two components of the proposed revenue requirement for Rate Year 1 are the Projected Cost Recovery Factor and the Actual Cost True-Up Factor. The proposed revenue requirement for Rate Year 2 is comprised only of the Projected Cost Recovery Factor. The Company is requesting Projected Cost Recovery Factors of $23,072,581 for Rate Year 1 and $33,667,579 for Rate Year 2 and an Actual True-up Factor for Rate Year 1 of $10,583,087. Thus, the Company is requesting a total revenue requirement of $33,655,668, for Rate Year 1 and $33,667,579 for Rate Year 2. For purposes of calculating the revenue requirement, Dominion utilized a rate of return on common equity of 9.35%, consistent with the Commission’s Final Order in Case No. PUR-2021-00058 (“Triennial Final Order”), for the time period after the date of the Triennial Final Order. The Company utilized a ROE of 9.2%, approved by the Commission in Case No. PUR-2019-00050 for the time period prior to the Triennial Final Order.

If the proposed Rider B for Rate Year 1 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 B on April 1, 2023, would increase the monthly bill of a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours per month by approximately $0.33. Implementation of Rider B for Rate Year 2 will result in no bill impact change compared to Rate Year 1. The Company indicates it has calculated the proposed Rider B rates in accordance with the same methodology as used for rates approved by the Commission in the most recent Rider B proceeding, Case No. PUR-2021-00111. 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 entered an Order for Notice and Hearing that, among other things, scheduled public hearings on Dominion’s Application. On November 16, 2022, at 10 a.m., a Hearing Examiner appointed by the Commission will hold a telephonic hearing for the purpose of receiving the testimony of public witnesses, with no public witness present in the Commission’s courtroom. On or before November 10, 2022, 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.

Beginning at 10 a.m. on November 16, 2022, the Commission will telephone sequentially each person who has signed up to testify as provided above.

On November 17, 2022, at 10 a.m., in the Commission’s second floor courtroom located in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, a Hearing Examiner appointed by the Commission will convene a hearing to receive testimony and evidence offered by the Company, respondents, and the Staff on the Application.

The Commission has taken judicial notice of the ongoing public health issues related to the spread of the coronavirus, or COVID 19. The Commission has taken certain actions, and may take additional actions going forward, that could impact the procedures in this proceeding. Consistent with these actions, in regard to the terms of the procedural framework established below, the Commission will, among other things, direct the electronic filing of testimony and pleadings unless they contain confidential information, and require electronic service on parties to this proceeding.

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

An electronic copy of the public version of the Company’s Application may be obtained by submitting a written request to counsel for the Company, Lisa R. Crabtree, Esquire, Dominion Energy Service, Inc., 120 Tredegar Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or lisa.r.crabtree@dominionenergy.com.

On or before November 16, 2022, any interested person may file comments on the Application by following the instructions on the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/casecomments/Submit-Public-Comments. Those unable, as a practical matter, to submit comments electronically may file such comments with 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-2022-00088.

On or before September 9, 2022, any person or entity wishing to participate as a respondent in this proceeding may do so by filing a notice of participation at scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling. 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 above. Such notice of participation shall include the email addresses of such parties or their counsel. The respondent simultaneously shall serve a copy of the notice of participation on counsel to the Company. Pursuant to Rule 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 Rule 5 VAC 5-20-30, Counsel, of the Rules of Practice. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2022-00088.

On or before October 5, 2022, each respondent may file 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. 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. Each witness’s testimony shall include a summary not to exceed one page. All testimony and exhibits shall be served on the Staff, the Company, and all other respondents simultaneously with its filing. In all filings, respondents shall comply with the Commission’s Rules of Practice, including 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service; and 5 VAC 5-20-240, Prepared testimony and exhibits. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2022-00088.

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

VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY d/b/a DOMINION ENERGY VIRGINIA

Community News & Notes

County 4-H Fair and Carnival Return to Frying Pan Farm Park

The County 4-H and Carnival returns Thursday, Aug. 4 — Sunday, Aug. 7, organized by the Fairfax County Park Authority, Frying Pan Farm Park, The Friends of Frying Pan Farm Park, the Park Foundation, Fairfax County 4-H, Virginia Cooperative Extension and Neighborhood and Community Services. The event will feature carnival rides, family-friendly games and food trucks. Frying Pan Farm Park is located at 2709 West Ox Rd, Herndon, VA. For more information, visit fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/fryingpan-park/4-h-fair.

DC Funk Parade is Back Saturday, August 6

The DC Funk Parade is back this Saturday, August 6th, from 11 a.m. — 5 p.m. The event is produced by the MusicianShip, showcasing a unique cultural experience in the U Street corridor, bolstered by the local music scene and a variety of businesses in an area referred to as Black Broadway. “The Magic of Music” is an experience for music-lovers of all ages at the Funk Parade’s Main Stage at The African-American Civil War Memorial (1925 Vermont Ave NW, Washington, DC), the Soul

Station at Lee’s Flower Shop (1026 U Street NW Washington, DC), the Community Corner at The Reeves Center (2000 14th St NW, Washington, DC) and Beats & Brews at Right Proper Brewing Company (624 T St NW, Washington, DC).

The sites will feature outdoor music from a variety of regional artists like Autumn LaBella, Roquois, DJ ZO, Uncle Mary, Nia Monaé, Naptown Brass Band and others. The event is free, with a financial goal to raise $5K in donations in support of The MusicianShip’s free after-school youth programs held throughout the area. Donations can be made online or by text by sending FUNKPARADE to 44-321. For more details, visit funkparade. com.

National Farmers Market Week is Here

Fairfax County Farmers Markets will join farmers markets across the nation in celebration of National Farmers Market Week, Aug. 7 — 13. Farmers Market Week highlights the role of markets in supporting local communities, stimulating local economies and supporting local farmers. The mission of the Fairfax County Farmers Markets is to provide residents access to locally

grown products and create mar ket opportunities for area farm ers and food producers. Visit fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/farmer smarkets/farmers-market-week to learn more about Farmers Market Week, see the sched ule of events and a full list of activities.

Trail Clean-Up Organized by Bike Falls Church This Saturday

Bike Falls Church, a local community organization in Falls Church, which focuses on issues like safer streets, trails and bike paths, bicycling infrastructure and sustainability, has organized a cleanup of the W&OD Trail on Saturday, August 8 at 10 a.m. Participants are to meet at the W&OD and Great Falls St (also known as Great Falls and Pennsylvania Ave) in Falls Church City and are advised to wear safe clothes for picking up trash and debris.

Bike Falls Church is an inclusive organization that holds community calls on the fourth Monday of each month, attends City Council meetings and supports safe bike riding in the City. For more information, visit bikefallschurch.org.

Updated Covid-19 Vaccine Information for Virginians

As Covid-19 cases continue to rise around the region due to new sub-variants, getting a booster dose is becoming more important. Children 6 months — 5 years of age have been approved for a special-sized dose of Pfizer or Moderna; the doses for children ages 5 — 11 and for ages 6 months — 5 years are smaller amounts than the dose for ages 12 — adult. To find a vaccine location, visit vaccines.gov or vacunas.gov.

Vaccinations remain widely available in Fairfax County, including at the Fairfax County Government Center (12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax) and Hyland South County Center (8350 Richmond Highway, Alexandria), which will remain open and available for walk-in, free vaccinations.

For those who speak English as a second language, need an ASL interpreter by video or have technical needs may call the Virginia Department of Health at 877-829-4682 (TTY 711).

¿Necesitas vacunarte? Entérate cómo conseguir tu vacuna en Vaccinate.Virginia.gov o llamando al 1-877-829-4682 de 8am a 8pm. Traducción disponible en tu idioma. Usuarios de TTY pueden marcar al 7-1-1.

S’Mores Day Celebration at Hidden Oaks

National S’mores Day will arrive Wednesday, August 10 and a special celebration at Hidden Oaks Nature Center will take place from 7 — 8 p.m. Visitors will learn fun facts about this popular campfire food as well as its history and spin-offs. Attendees will also get to make their own while they enjoy a camp-side tale. Vegan marshmallows will be available. In the event of rain, the program will be canceled. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult who is also registered in this program; the fee is $8 per person and is open to individuals age 4+ with preregistrations.

For more information, visit https://fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/ park-news/2022/psa114.

New Civil Rights Exhibit at Reston Museum

The “DETERMINED” exhibit, on display until Friday, August 26, on loan from the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, traces four centuries of Black history through stories of individuals who continued the struggle for equality and justice in America. The exhibit is designed to help visitors understand the origins of today’s problems as well as reckon with the painful legacies of slavery, segregation and white supremacy. The Reston Museum is located at 1639 Washington Plaza, Reston. For more information, visit info@ restonmuseum.org

F.C.-based Irish Dance School Brings Home Awards

The Falls Church-based McGrath Morgan Academy of Irish Dance brought home a handful of titles from the North American Irish Dance Championships held in Montreal this past July. The 14-year-old North American Champ was Aisling Reynolds (who also won in 2019); the 11-year-old North American Champ was Isabella Renzi. Reynolds and Renzi, along with a dozen topplacing solo dancers, are qualified to compete at the 2023 World Irish Dancing Championships in Montreal in the spring. For more information, visit mcgrathirishdance.com

POLICE CHIEF MARY GAVIN (left) visited with two local legends, Audrey Luthman and Janet Haines, who have 102 years of service as FCPD Crossing Guards between them. (Photo courtesy: Chief Mary

LAST WEEK, DR. RAYMOND SOLANO opened up a new location of Solano Spine & Sport at 803 W Broad St, Suite 620, here in the City. Present at the ribbon cutting were Falls Church City Mayor David Tarter as well as members of the City Council and the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce.

(Courtesy photo)

ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION, “abortion rights are in deep peril” in Virginia, with the state being “one vote away from banning abortion.” According to the Virginia Chapter of the National Organization for Women, Republican legislators in the State Assembly have “�iled a host of anti-abortion bills” which “would reverse nearly all of the progress” made in terms of securing and expanding the right to abortion. These bans would “create the most signi�icant barriers for Black and Brown communities, people with disabilities, people in the LGBTQ+ community, people who are poor, people who are young and people who live in rural areas.” Those wishing to support abortion funds, providers and advocacy organizations can contact the following groups: Blue Ridge Abortion Fund (blueridgeabortionfund.org), Hampton Roads Reproductive Justice League (hrrjl.com), New River Abortion Access Fund (newriverabortionfund.org) and the Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project (rrfp.net). Above: anti-abortion protesters gather weekly along S Washington St.

by Fairfax County. The nonprofit needs tutors and also substitutes to serve as needed. Visit alnv.org to learn more. The membership form is under the Volunteer Tab. With questions, email membership@alnv.org.

Falls Church Arts Exhibit

“Collab” Ends Aug. 14

“Collab: Conversations in Art,” a new exhibit from Falls Church Arts Gallery, will be on view now — Aug. 14 and features forty-two artists who actively worked together in pairs to produce thirty-eight artworks selected by the juror.

The pieces were created through an evolution that can only come about from the collaborative process. The gallery of Falls Church Arts is located at 700-B West Broad St, Falls Church, VA.

The gallery is open Tuesday — Friday from 11 a.m. — 6 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. — 4 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. — 4 p.m.

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THE ASSISTANCE LEAGUE is seeking tutors to help students improve their reading skills. (P����: A��������� L����� �� N������� V�������)

DONA HARDY of the Falls Church Garden Club, taking care of some �lower beds along the W&OD Trail. To join or for more information, visit fallschurchgardenclub.org. (P����: S�� J������)

CALENDAR FALLS CHURCH

FCNP Featured event N atio N al P lay o utside d ay

THE 12TH ANNUAL LIZZIE BORDEN AXE Throwing Contest will take place on Saturday, August 6th at 400 N. Oak St in the City of Falls Church in support of American Legion Post 130. Registration starts at 11 a.m., practice begins at 12 p.m. and the contest itself will begin at 1 p.m. Registration costs $20 per person. The first place prize is a silver tomahawk. For more information, call 703-533-1945. (Photo: Theresa Irwin)

LOCAL EVENTS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 4

NEW YORKER DISCUSSION GROUP. Monthly discussion group for readers of the New Yorker, presented by Mary Riley Styles Public Library. Email Pete Sullivan (psullivan@fallschurchva.gov) for a Zoom invitation. 2 — 3 p.m.

SOLACE OUTPOST TRIVIA NIGHT. First and second place teams win gift cards. 571378-1469. (444 W. Broad St, Falls Church). 7 — 9 p.m.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6

FALLS CHURCH FARMERS MARKET. Every Saturday, the Market features fresh, local produce, meat, dairy, flowers, honey, and more. Covid-19 guidelines observed. (300 Park Ave, Falls Church). 8 a.m. — 12 p.m.

falls on the first Saturday of the month and this August, this special day falls on Saturday, August 6. No matter the month, National Play Outside Day encourages everyone to put down their electronic devices and get outside for some physical activity. It is also a reminder to periodically stretch one’s legs and expend some energy outdoors. There is also a social aspect to National Play Outside Day, highlighting the emotional benefits of getting together with friends and neighbors. Being outside provides a change of scenery too, as well as fresh air and some time and space to regroup outside of one’s daily stresses and routines. Some perennial suggestions include: going for a walk or hike; going on a jog; walking a dog; flying a kite; going on a bike ride; playing a sport outdoors, like basketball or tennis; and playing a game, like tag or hide-and-seek. The outdoors — like a local park or nature center — also offers visitors an opportunity to relax and unwind, making Yoga and meditation another helpful option to help celebrate the day. (Photo: News-Press)

and illusion show is loaded with audience participation, comedy routines and animal effects. 11 a.m. — 12 p.m.

CHERRY HILL OPEN HOUSE TOURS. Cherry Hill historic house and farm is offering docent-led tours now through Oct. Cherry Hill Farmhouse (312 Park Ave, Falls Church).

For more information, visit cherryhillfallschurch.org. 10:00 a.m. — 12 p.m.

"MY TRIP TO THE FAIR” STORYTIME. Local Author Mallika Appana will read her children's book "My Trip to the Fair: A Journey Through the Handicrafts of India” and also display how to make one of the handicrafts mentioned in her story. Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library (7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church). Craft will involve fabric paint, recommended for ages 5-12. Register online at librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/ event/9355911. 11 — 11:30 a.m.

WES ISELI MAGIC SHOW. Wes Iseli and his family are bringing their magic show back to Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave, Falls Church). Their magic

PAWS TO READ WITH LUCY. Those inter ested are welcome to visit with Lucy, a trained therapy dog, and read aloud to her. Visitors can bring their own book or choose one from the library. Walk-ins welcome. Thomas Jefferson Public Library (7415 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church). 2 — 3 p.m.

MONDAY, AUGUST 8

MEDITATION FOR KIDS. Tysons-Pimmit Library (7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church) is inviting kids ages 5 — 12 and their parents/ guardians to a session of guided medita tion. Register online at librarycalendar.fair faxcounty.gov/event/9148391. 3 — 4 p.m.

NONFICTION BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP. For August, the group will be discussing “They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us: Essays by Hanif Abdurraqib.” This program will be held virtually over Zoom; regis ter online at mrspl.librarycalendar.com to attend. 7 p.m.

LESSON ZERO plays a combination of original roots rock as well as classic rock covers. The band is made up of Kerry Miller on bass and vocals, guitarist George Anspach, Terry Kean on drums and Glenn Rickman on harmonica, guitar and vocals. Lesson Zero hails from the Northern Virginia area and can be heard often in the captial, Arlington and surrounding cities. The band will be performing live at Austin Grill this Saturday at 7 p.m. (P����: L����� Z���)

LIVE MUSIC

THURSDAY, AUGUST 4

CITY OF FAIRFAX: MAIN STREET COMMUNITY BAND. Fairfax County Government Center (12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax). 5:30 p.m

THE SELDOM SCENE. Nottoway Park (9537 Courthouse Rd., Vienna). 7:30 p.m. 703-324-7469.

ELIKEH. Frying Pan Farm Park (2709

West Ox Road, Herndon). 7:30 p.m. 703-324-7469.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 5

WASHINGTON BALALAIKA ORCHESTRA. Mason District Park (6621 Columbia Pike Annandale). 7:30 p.m. 703-3247469.

INCENDIO. Grist Mill (4710 Mt. Vernon Memorial Hwy, Alexandria). 7:30 p.m. 703-324-7469.

DARYL DAVIS. Royal Lake Park (5344 Gainsborough Dr, Fairfax). 7:30 p.m. 703-324-7469.

THEATER & ARTS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 4

SUMMER CONCERTS IN CHERRY HILL

PARK. The 2022 Summer Concerts in the Park Series, hosted by the Falls Church Village Preservation and Improvement Society (VPIS) and the Falls Church Recreation and Parks Department, returns for its 30th year of local musical entertainment. Guests have heard a variety of regional artists — ranging in genres from blues to rock to Latin — each week beginning at 7 p.m. at Cherry Hill Park (312 Park Ave, Falls Church) and now, for the summer’s final performance, attendees will get the chance to experience Big Howdy, a group specializing in bluegrass music. Visitors are advised to bring blankets or folding chairs and a picnic dinner, as seating will not be provided. For more information, visit fallschurchva.gov/632/ Concerts-in-the-Park.

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

of live music performances at Nottoway Park (found at 9601 Courthouse Rd, Vienna) and Graham Road Community Building (located at 3036 Graham Rd, Falls Church) on Wednesday and Thursday nights, throughout the month of August. The upcoming shows at Nottoway Park are as follows —

Thursday, August 4, The Seldom Scene (Bluegrass); Thursday, August 11: Cathy Ponton King (Roots, Blues); Thursday, August 18: Yellow Dubmarine (Beatles Tribute Band); and Thursday, August 25: Billy Coulter (Roots Rock, Pop). The upcoming performances at Graham Road Community Building are —

Wednesday, August 3: The Continentals (Polka Music); Wednesday, August 10: El Tayrona (Colombian Dance);

Wednesday, August 17: Centro Cultural Peru (Peruvian Dance); and Wednesday, August 24: Caiso Steel Drum Band (Caribbean Music). Those wishing to volunteer at an event can email providence@fairfaxcounty.gov. For more information, visit fairfaxcounty.gov/ parks/performances.

CITY OF FAIRFAX BAND ALTE KAMERADEN

GERMAN BAND. Lake Accotink (7500 Accotink Park Road, Springfield). 7:30 p.m. 703-324-7469.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6

THE GRANDSONS, JR. Burke Lake Park (7315 Ox Road, Fairfax Station) 10 a.m. 703-324-7469.

THE UNCLE DEVIN SHOW. Visitor Center & Amphitheater (5040 Walney Road, Chantilly) 10 a.m. 703-324-7469.

MARSHA AND THE POSITIONS. Audrey Moore Rec Center (8100 Braddock Road, Annandale) 10 a.m. 703-324-7469.

LESSON ZERO. The Austin Grill (8430 Old Keene Mill Rd, Springfield). 7 p.m. 703644-3111.

BOLIVIAN CULTURAL HERITAGE NIGHT: “FRATERNIDAD FOLKLORIA CULTURAL MORENADA BOLIVIA.” Ossian Hall Park (7900 Heritage Drive, Annandale) 7:30 p.m. 703-324-7469.

HIGH NOON. Arrowbrook Centre Park (2351 Field Point Road, Herndon) 7:30 p.m. 703-324-7469.

MARGOT MACDONALD. Workhouse Arts Center at Lorton (9518 Workhouse Way, Lorton) 7:30 p.m. 703-324-7469.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7

ARIELLE SILVER. Sandy Spring Museum (17901 Bentley Rd, Sandy Spring, MD). 7 p.m. 301-774-0022.

AS YOU LIKE IT. Presented by NOVA Nightsky Community Theater, William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It,” a tangled tale of love, lust and mistaken identity, will run Thursday, August 4 — Saturday, August 6, beginning at 7:30 p.m. with three more consecutive showings Thursday, August 11 — Saturday, August 13, all taking place at Vienna Baptist Church (located at 541 Marshall Rd SW, Vienna). This presentation of “As You Like It” is directed by Chuck O’Toole. Patrons are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets as the production takes place outdoors. In the event of inclement weather, patrons may attend another night or a re-schedule date will be made available. For more information and tickets, visit novanightskytheater.com/ box-office.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 5

2022 SUMMER CABARET SERIES. Sponsored by Sislers Stone and produced by Creative Cauldron, the Summer Cabaret series is a season-long celebration of music and musical theater. Every Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., now — September 17, audiences will get to experience spectacular local talent from the DC area. Upcoming performances will feature Abby Middleton, Favorite Child, JChris, Sally Imbriano, DeCarlo Raspberry, Sarah Anne

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10

ANDRES. Frying Pan Park Visitor Center (2709 West Ox Rd, Herndon). 10:00

703-324-7469.

THE CONCERTS IN THE PARK, organized by the Falls Church Village Preservation and Improvement Society (VPIS) and the Recreation and Parks Department, will wrap up tonight (Thursday) with Big Howdy, a bluegrass group. Concerts in the Park will return next summer for its 31st year of entertainment. Apple Core (pictured here) is a Beatles cover band that often performs in the Falls Church area. (P����: G����� T�����)

of Falls Church, is located at 410 S Maple Ave, Falls Church. For more information and tickets, visit creativecauldron.org.

BY ALEX RUSSELL FALLS CHURCH

Cathy DiToro has been imbedded in the DC region music scene for a long time, fronting cover bands like So Fetch — a name plucked straight from the 2000’s classic “Mean Girls,” perfect for a group that pays tribute to the likes of Avril Lavigne, Blink-182 and Outkast — and the Legwarmers, who painstakingly and in exuberant, colorful fashion resurrect the sounds and sights of the 1980s. (Party Like It’s is another band DiToro is a part of, primarily focusing on Ska.)

DiToro spoke to the News-Press and revealed further layers to her career in music — this year, one of her main objectives revolves around her original, solo work and the release of her first, full-length album — produced through Big Curve Music, a company based out of Maryland.

“This is a really exciting year for me,” said DiToro. Besides the album release, she will be “opening for Smash Mouth at the Tally Ho in Leesburg” this September, as well as putting on a performance in the Bullpen on Monday, August 8th, at Nationals Park — with Lady Gaga taking the stage afterward. “It’s a very exciting time.”

Creatively speaking, DiToro reflects that she’s been on the “verge of a lot of new music.” Part of the discovery process that has led her to creating and recording her own

with Cathy DIToro

material has been the collaborative aspect of the medium. “A big part of who I am and what connects me to music is the collaboration.” She continues that “it’s important to stress the collaboration [in music], versus the competition.” As many in the performing arts world know, “it’s really hard to get your songs picked up or to ‘make it’...it’s a really tough thing to be a part of.”

Which is where working with others comes in. DiToro explained “when it comes to the lyrics, I pretty much do a lot of them myself,” workshopping a song on the piano or on guitar. But she always creates songs “with the thought in mind that there’ll be a full band” bringing it all to life.

The right environment extends to cover songs, too. “Sometimes I hear a song and it’s just there, it depends on the vibe.” The rapport between band members helps “tighten up” a song — as does the energy from a live audience. “The energy of a live show is kind of unpredictable,” shares DiToro with joy.

“I love to perform no matter what it’s like. If it’s like 20 people at a local bar” or something larger, like the State Theatre, where she recurrently takes the stage with the Legwarmers.

“When there’s thousands of people in the crowd giving that energy back to you, nothing compares to that. It all comes from the energy of a room.” She adds, however, that “you can get great energy from a

base, for sure.” With her years of experience writing, playing and working with other musicians, DiToro admits this kind of career is “the classic ‘don’t give up’ story.” There’s “no typical measure of success in this field,” which can make the whole thing seem daunting and impossible. But, DiToro says resolutely, “as long as you love it, you’ll keep doing it.”

In addition to her work with So Fetch, the Legwarmers and Party Like It’s, DiToro’s first solo album will drop in the fall of this year. She also does outreach work with her non profit ProjectHERA, which she founded in 2017 — an organization that strives to “provide opportunities for women of all ages to connect and support each other, as well as promote their music to the general public.”

To learn more about ProjectHERA and their annual HERA Music Fest, visit cathyditoro.wixsite.com/projecthera. DiToro can be found on Instagram @ditoromusic.

The Legwarmers: DC’s Biggest 80s Retro Dance Party will be performing at the State Theatre this Saturday, August 6th, at 9:30 p.m.

These singles whet the appetites of the FCNP editorial team this week:

1. Forest denizen

2. Estimate

3. Circle sections

4. High spirits

5. Shad ____

6. Corn portion

7. Hang with cloth

8. Daze

9. Deli meat

10. Gulped down

11. Smidgen

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS USE AMERICAN SPELLING

FCNP

Nur Salah Abushakra Plaintiff, FAMILY COURT COVERSHEET vs. Yaser Mahmoudelkhatib Defendant. Docket No. 2022-DR-26-

NOTE: The coversheet and information contained herein neither replaces nor supplements the filing and service of pleadings or other papers as required by law. This form is required for docketing purposes for the Clerk of Court and must be signed and dated, and filled out completely. A copy of this coversheet must be served on the defendant(s) along with the Summons and Complaint. Submitted by:

Submitting Party Signature: __________

___________________________ Date:

Custodial Parent (if applicable): Nur Salah Abushakra

Effective January 1, 2016, family court actions in all counties are subject to mediation. Under the provisions of the Supreme Court’s Rules for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), mediation is defined as an informal process in which a thirdparty mediator facilitates settlement discussions between parties. Any settlement is voluntary. In the absence of settlement, the parties lose none of their rights to trial. Also under the ADR Rules, the parties may agree on a mediator or the Clerk of Court will appoint a mediator from the certified list. If the Clerk appoints a mediator from the list, the mediator will be certified by the Board of Arbitrator and Mediator Certification and may be either a lawyer, a licensed mental health professional or any other individual meeting the certification requirements. Whether or not the mediator is a lawyer, if appointed by the court, the charge per hour is set at a specified amount under the provisions of ADR Rule 9. Parties are responsible for payment of the mediator as set out in ADR Rule 9.

SUPREME COURT RULES REQUIRE MEDIATION OF ALL CONTESTED DOMESTIC RELATIONS ACTIONS. IF THE DOCKET-

ING INFORMATION ON PAGE 1 OF THIS COVERSHEET INDICATES THAT THIS CASE IS SUBJECT TO MEDIATION YOU ARE NOTIFIED THAT MEDIATED SETTLEMENT CONFERENCES ARE REQUIRED IN THIS CASE, AND THAT THE COURTANNEXED ADR RULES SHALL APPLY TO ALL CASES IN WHICH MEDIATION IS REQUIRED. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THE PROCESS AND TIME FRAMES, PLEASE CONSULT THE ADR RULES. KEY SECTIONS OF THE RULES ARE IDENTIFIED BELOW. CONTESTED ACTIONS INVOLVING CUSTODY AND VISITATION Rule 3

Actions Subject to ADR Rule 4(d)(1)(3)(4) &(5)

Appointment of Mediator by Family Court

Rule 5(g)

Scheduling in Family Court

Rule 6(g)

Agreement in Family Court Rule 7(f)

Reporting Results of Conference Rule 9

Compensation of Neutral ALL OTHER CONTESTED ACTIONS

Rule 3

Actions Subject to ADR Rule 4(d)(2)(3)(4) &(5)

Appointment of Mediator by Family Court Rule 5(g)

Scheduling in Family Court

Rule 6(g)

Agreement in Family Court

Rule 7(f)

Reporting Results of Conference

Rule 9

Compensation of Neutral Indigent Cases: Where a mediator has been appointed, a party may move before the Chief Judge for Administrative Purposes to be exempted from payment of neutral fees and expenses based upon indigency. Determination of indigency shall be in the sole discretion of the Chief Judge for Administrative Purposes. Application of a party to be exempt from payment of neutral fees due to indigency should be filed prior to the scheduling of the ADR conference.

Please Note: Attendance at mediated settlement conferences is mandatory. You must comply with the Supreme Court rules regarding court-ordered mediation. Failure to do so may affect your case and may result in sanctions.

Volunteers who live in the City of Falls Church are needed to serve on the boards and commissions listed below. Contact the City Clerk’s Office (703-248-5014, cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov, or www.fallschurchva.gov/BC) for an application form or more information.

Positions advertised for more than one month may be filled during each subsequent month.

Architectural Advisory Board

Arts & Humanities Council of Falls Church

Aurora House Citizens’ Advisory Committee

Board of Equalization Board of Zoning Appeals (Alternate)

City Employee Review Board

Historical Commission

Housing Commission

Human Services Advisory Council

Library Board of Trustees

Planning Commission

Recreation and Parks Advisory Board

Retirement Board

Regional Boards/Commissions

Health Systems Agency of Northern Virginia

Long Term Care Coordinating Council

Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Com-

mission

Virginia Career Works Northern Region

Ad Hoc Committee

Sold Waste Management Plan Advisory Committee: This Committee will advise the City Council in the development of the City’s 20-year Solid Waste Management Plan.

Invitation For Bids (IFB)

IFB 0823-22-TBCI

Trammel Branch Culvert Improvements Phase 2 City of Falls Church

PASSWORD PROTECTED ELECTRONIC BIDS (SEALED) will be accepted by the City of Falls Church by electronic submission to the Purchasing Agent, James Wise, jwise@ fallschurchva.gov (email) for the provision of Trammel Branch Culvert Improvements Phase 2 Project. This IFB is being supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number [SLFRP2614] awarded to the City by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Due date for the electronic submission of Bids is Tuesday, August 23, 2022 @ 11:00 AM. A Non-Mandatory Virtual Pre-Bid Conference will be held via Microsoft Teams on August 9, 2022 (see the IFB for details). A copy of the IFB which includes all details and requirements may be downloaded from the City of Falls Church’s procurement website: www. fallschurchva.gov/Bids. Notice of the IFB may also be accessed via eVA, the Commonwealth of Virginia’s electronic procurement portal for registered suppliers, www.eva.virginia.gov.

For more information and/or questions regarding this IFB contact the City’s Purchasing Agent; (703) 248-5007; jwise@fallschurchva. gov. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703 248-5007 (TTY 711).

Continued on Page 29

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Faces of Falls Church

ORIGINALLY FROM ETHIOPIA, Mary has called the Little City her home for over a year now. Working part-time in the real estate business as well as cryptocurrency her parting words seemed very fitting. “You only live once, so make the best of it.“(Photo: J. Michael Whalen)

In Memoriam: Joslyn C. Becker

Joslyn C. Becker died on July 22, 2022, at age 85, in Hospice in Fort Myers, Florida. Eda Joslyn Caldwell was born to Oliver and Eda Caldwell on August 9, 1936, on the little island of Kulangsu, Fukien Province, China. Her father was a professor at Nanking University. Her mother was a recent graduate of Columbia University. Joslyn and her mother were evacuated from China at the beginning of hostilities with Japan. Joslyn, her mother, and her younger sister Gail spent the duration of the Second World War with the Holcombe grandparents in upstate New York, while her father served in China in the OSS. After the war, Joslyn’s father took a position with the US government, and the family moved to Falls Church, Virginia.

Here Joslyn met Eddie Becker, her husband to be, in 8th Grade Algebra. They dated while at George Mason High School. After graduation in 1954, they went their separate ways, but kept in touch. Joslyn and Ed eloped and were married in Rockville, Maryland on August 1, 1959 (with full approval of their parents). The couple (together with Joslyn’s cat Carrabas) spent a study/ honeymoon year in the Netherlands,

learning the excitement of travel and exposure to new cultures. Returning to the U.S.A. in autumn 1960, they began a busy married life, first in Chicago where son Mark was born, then in Eastern Massachusetts, where daughter Sarah, and second son Evan (and more cats) joined the family. While keeping house, Joslyn took part in many civic activities, including the Lexington Garden Club, the Historical Society, and the annual ice skating show. As the children finished school, Joslyn went back to school herself. She was accepted at Wellesley College, from which she graduated with a degree in Art History in 1990, one of her proudest achievements.

Joslyn formed many friendships that lasted over the years. She enjoyed entertaining guests in her home, gardening, reading, travel, concerts, museums, and serious ballroom dancing. She loved outdoor activities, from swimming to skiing to walks in the country. For years she and Ed and the children enjoyed their “camp” on Merrymeeting Lake, in New Durham, NH. Joslyn was pleased to become a grandmother: first Orion, then Everett, and then Frankie. From an early age, Joslyn was imbued with high

standards of integrity, honesty, and bravery. She defended her principles, and was impatient with fools and hypocrites. Joslyn passed on her values to the children, now adults, of whom she was very proud.

She was a modest but elegant lady When the unmistakable signs of Alzheimer’s came, Joslyn’s life turned inward. Her life and Ed’s became closer, more intertwined, more interdependent. She knew that something was wrong, but she never gave up. Slowly but steadily, she lost her independence and her memories, but not her selfhood. The end came quickly. Now she is free.

BACK IN THE DAY

Falls Church News-Press

Vol. VII, No. 19 • July 24, 1997

Shaw Named School Superintendent; Board Unanimous After Long Search

After a months-long search, the School Board voted unanimously and enthusiastically last night to make Mary Ellen Shaw the new superintendent of the Falls Church Public Schools. Shaw, who has been serving as interim superintendent for several months, becomes the sixth head in nearly 50 years.

C ritter C orner

Falls Church News-Press

Vol. XXII, No. 23 • August 2, 2012

Midsummer Night’s Tempest: Rift on School Needs Divides F.C. Council

Spicy headlines are hard to come by in sleepy residential suburbs during August. But not so for the “Little City.” Every bit as big as the giant “Taco Wars” headline in August 1993, Falls Church now finds itself in the midst of two contentious issues even when you’d think most folks are away on vacation.

Make

Critter Corner

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Extraordinary Hearts is "a vital, nioral book about who we are and who we should be. I adniire it and its author enorniously."

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