Falls Church News-Press 9-12-2019 by Falls Church News-Press

September 12 — 18, 2019

Fa lls Chur c h, V i r g i ni a • ww w. fc np. c om • Fr ee

Fou n d e d 1991 • V ol. XXIX No. 30

Falls Church • Tysons Corner • Merrifield • McLean • North Arlington • Bailey’s Crossroads

Inside This Week News-Press Food & Dining Special Inside!

The News-Press’s Fall Food & Dining special is here with all the details on this weekend’s Taste of Falls Church plus features on an upcoming pizza-and-wing joint, a veggie sauce depot, life after Mad Fox, the Little City’s newest restaurant and more. See page 13 – 20

‘Welcoming Falls Church’ Returns

‘Empathy, Knowledge, Wisdom’ Key In Fall Electoral Races, Beyer Says Hero’s Welcome

Richmond Control, F.C. Council, School Seats Contested

by Nicholas F. Benton

Falls Church News-Press

in fact, as Council member David Snyder said, the Council could be faulted for failing to take advantage of the situation now. The bond sale, totalling $126,825,000 of which $20 million has already been sold, which citizens of Falls Church approved by a wide margin in a November 2017 referendum, will fund the construction of a new George

For all the political campaign signs that have begun to spring up all over the City of Falls Church, and elsewhere throughout Virginia, just since Labor Day last week, it is like a springtime flowering. Lawn signs are going up, and doors are being knocked on, with handbills left if no one answers, by hopeful candidates. Labor Day marked the kickoff of the fall season, which will be furious in Virginia in ways unlike anywhere else. It’s here in this state that all 140 seats in the Richmond House of Delegates and Senate are up for grabs, one of only four states with legislative elections this fall and the only one in the U.S. where control of the state legislature, with its current razor-thin margins, is at stake. Republicans currently control the House, 51-49, and the Senate, 40-39, with currently one vacancy in each chamber. Democrats are hoping they can continue the momentum that led to picking up a net 15 delegate seats in 2017 by holding onto those gains and adding enough to achieve a majority in both bodies. A lot is always at stake, but this year it is more than usual because whomever winds up controlling the state legislature in Richmond is going to be in the driver’s seat to redraw all the state and federal congressional district boundaries following the 2020 U.S. Census that will apply for the next decade.

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Fostering a neighborly environment for immigrant and refugee newcomers looks to take a more refined form in Falls Church’s second go around of “Welcoming Week,” kicking off tomorrow. See page 8

Schools Enrollment 8 Above Projections

A preliminary enrollment report from the first day of classes in the Falls Church Public Schools showed a net increase of eight students above projected numbers. See News Briefs, page 9

New School Year, New Sports Season at GMHS

George Mason High School football, cross country, volleyball and golf all find themselves in a similar position adjusting to a new district after the school moved from the 2A to 3A classification. See sports, page 24

AMERICAN VETERANS taking part in an Honor Flight to the Washington, D.C. area were greeted with a warm welcome at the Hilton Garden Inn in Falls Church last Friday night. The Honor Flight Network, a non-profit organization that transports veterans to Washington, D.C. so they can visit the many memorials, will have additional arrivals at the Hilton Garden Inn on Sept. 27 and Oct. 3. (Photo: Gary Mester)

F.C. City Council Votes to Lock In Low Interest Rates for Bonds

by Nicholas F. Benton

Falls Church News-Press

Index

Editorial................6 Letters..................6 News & Notes.10, 11 Comment...12, 21 Business News.22 Calendar..... 26,27

Classified Ads... 28 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword........ 29 Crime Report.... 30 Critter Corner.... 30

By a unanimous 7-0 vote Monday, the Falls Church City Council authorized the sale ahead of its original schedule of all the remaining bonds it’s approved to cover a total of $126 million in capital improvements in an effort to take advantage of uncommonly low interest rates now. The move, according to the City’s Chief

Financial Officer Kiran Bawa, will save the City $10 million in debt service over the 30 year repayment terms over its earlier projection. The new policy authorizes the sale of all the remaining bonds in early November, instead of in two tranches extended over the coming year. While some on the Council expressed concern for the risk the move entails, they concurred that taking advantage of record low interest rates now was prudent,

PAGE 2 | SEPTEMBER 12 - 18, 2019

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The Falls Church Festival

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City Manager Wyatt Shields and EDA Chair Bob Young will talk about Falls Church’s efforts to support the business community.

We will have lots of fun giveaways and information from all our valued members!

at The Italian Cafe — 7161 Lee Highway, Falls Church $30 for members, $35 for non-members. An additional $5 will be charged for walk-ins.

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Visit the Chamber of Commerce in Booth 137! on the grounds of City Hall and the Community Center

Wednesday, September 18 from 9:00 am—Noon Falls Church City Hall, 300 Park Avenue, Laurel Room

Tuesday, September 17 from 11:30 — 1:15,

Hosted by the Hilton Garden Inn Falls Church Tuesday, September 24 from 5:30 — 7:30 pm 706 W. Broad Street, Falls Church Join us for LIVE MUSIC in the Garden Grille, while enjoying refreshments and networking.

Learn More or Register at www.FallsChurchChamber.org

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SEPTEMBER 12 - 18, 2019 | PAGE 3

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REALTOR

PAGE 4 | SEPTEMBER 12 – 18, 2019

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Fall Elections

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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The state legislative elections also matter more in Virginia than elsewhere because of the state’s so-called Dillon Rule which mandates that no local jurisdiction can enact a law that is not explicitly permitted by the state legislature. It means that issues pertaining, for example, to gun control and equal rights for women and other minorities cannot be affected at the local level unless a majority sympathetic to the issues is elected to serve in Richmond. That means that candidates for the three open seats on the Falls Church City Council and School Board who are competing this fall will be tempering their promises on these kinds of matters on the hopes of gaining the right majorities in Richmond. An irony for the City of Falls Church is the fact that neither of its representatives in Richmond — Democratic State Senator Dick Saslaw or State Delegate Marcus Simon — are facing any electoral challenge this fall, although they will be on the ballot here, but the local races promise to be very hotly contested. All three incumbents on the City Council whose seats are up for election this November are already actively campaigning for re-election, including Mayor David Tarter and Council members Phil Duncan and Letty Hardi. Between them, they have one opponent, Stuart Whitaker, a newcomer to the City who has not held prior public office or served on any City board or commission. For the School Board, there is only one incumbent seeking reelection, current vice-chair Phil Reitinger, while three first-time candidates are vying with him for the three total slots. They are Laura Downs, Susan Dimrock and Douglas Stevens. Last weekend in Falls Church, two major events were held to set the tone for the November election races here. One was a social hour held at a local residence sponsored by the Citizens for a Better City (CBC) on Friday night where all the local candidates were invited to mix with local citizens and make introductory remarks, and the second was the annual potluck hosted by the Falls Church City Democratic Committee held in the Community Center Sunday night. The keynote speakers at that event were Democratic National Committee member Atima Omara and Falls Church’s U.S. Rep. Don

FALLS CHURCH MAYOR David Tarter (left) speaks with U.S. Rep. Don Beyer at the Falls Church Democratic Committee’s annual potluck dinner last Sunday. (News-Press photo) Beyer. Omara stressed the opportunity and need represented by this November’s elections overall, stating there is a “moral imperative” to draw on the strength through diversity that is the hallmark of the party to “not just win, but to dominate in Virginia.” Beyer struck the key tone to his party’s prevailing not only in Virginia this fall, but nationally in the 2020 presidential year coming up. He cited the lessons taught by his late mother over long conversations at the dinner table in his earlier years that focused on drawing out as much empathy as possible, something in sharp contrast to those who advance policies that put children in cages or deny health care to persons with preexisting conditions. He said that the proper role of the politician is like that of a doctor, nurse or pastor, to “help people with their problems and to relieve their pain.” The three keys to effective leadership, he said, are “empathy, knowledge and wisdom.” Empathy puts one in the shoes of another to see their problems and feel the motivation to fix them. Knowledge is the capacity to talk about ideas and the life of the mind, instead of just petty gossip about who’s doing what to whom on a given day. Wisdom addresses questions like why we are here, and what is the meaning of life, versus just hurling slogans like “Lock her up.” These three qualities of empathy, knowledge and wisdom are “the opposite of our national leadership now,” Beyer said. This demands that “we get rid of Moscow Mitch, and recognize that every one of the Democratic presidential candidates now is better than Donald Trump.” He hailed the 80.08 percent

Democratic majority vote that Falls Church voters provided in the most recent re-election last year, and urged citizens to reach beyond the City this fall and engage the races that will make the biggest difference in shifting the state legislative balance. His remarks echoed those of Falls Church Mayor David Tarter who opened the formalities with his own remarks stressing the notion that for a nation to be “great” it has to be “good,” integrating compassion and respect for all. “You can’t bully your way to greatness,” he said. “How we conduct ourselves matters. The world and our kids are watching.” Other speakers were Commonwealth Attorney Democratic nominee Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, who will be on the Falls Church ballot in November, incumbent Del. Simon and incumbent Sen. Saslaw. The Democratic Committee presented its annual Marian Driver award to volunteer Tom Devlin. At the CBC social Friday night, incumbent City Council candidate Duncan said he hopes voters will appreciate what the Council has been doing to bring about “change for the better.” He said, “ ‘Better’ and ‘improvement’ are in the DNA of Falls Church. It is in the name of the Citizens for a Better City. It is in the name of the Village Preservation and Improvement Society.” Hardi said she is proud of a lot of the progress that has been made since she was first elected in 2015, and that there is a lot more to do. Mayor Tarter made similar remarks, and Whitaker said his focus is on climate change and the effects of transportation on it. The F.C. League of Women Voters announced that candidate debates will be held on Oct. 3 for the School Board and Oct. 24 for the City Council.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Foxes Music

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projected interest rate we thought be demolished once the new school we’d be dealing with, and the much construction is complete, the target lower actual interest rate now. It also date for that being December 2020. Young reminded the EDA board assumes the current low interest rate will still be in play come the day we that it could be asked as early as this January to accept from the City sell the bonds next month.” The impact will be felt further the deed for 10 acres of the propwe have to wait until October to down the road, and if it is realized, erty that is being set aside for dense market our bonds,” he told the PRIVATE LESSONS•DEGREED TEACHERS ALL INSTRUMENTS•ALL STYLES•ALL could contribute to a significant mixed-use development, since state EDA board. “If it was up to me, itAGES lowering of the citizens’ real estate law prohibits a government entity I’d do it today.” 416 SOUTH WASHINGTON ST., But he indicated that CHURCH there are tax rate as the burden of debt service from extending a lease on its land FALLS procedural factors involved in the payments will be considerably less. longer than 40 years, and the deal 703-533-7393 Meanwhile, the progress on the with the developers of the West End delay, including a review of the new LESSONS SALESwest end project, including the con- project involves the promise of a plan by a bond rating agency•schedRENTALS • REPAIRS struction of the new high school that 99-year lease. uled for Oct. 1. The specific terms still need to be Still, City Councilman Ross is now well underway, continues Litkenhous said Monday that it is apace. George Mason High School hammered out, but the idea would be PRIVATE LESSONS•DEGREED TEACHERS important for the public to be aware student members of the EDA told an agreement to hand back the land that the prospect of a $10 million the board Tuesday that progress on to the City at some point. Meanwhile, the prospective savings is on paper only, and is the new school is currently in the not new money that the City can form of “a really big hole” that con- bond sale in October would be go out and spend. “It is based on crete is now being poured into next used for a wide array of City CIP the differential between the earlier to the existing campus site that will projects, including $95,500,000 for

F.C. Could Save $10FMillion ree your Due to Low % Rate musician! forinner Bonds

Continued from Page 1

Mason High School campus, already begun, the renovation and expansion of the Mary Riley Styles Public Library, the City Hall expansion and renovation, sewer and stormwater mitigation improvements and a plethora of other capital programs. The October sale would also include $20 million to pay off the earlier general obligation. Bawa assured the Council she is confident that the move will result in the full $10 million in savings. Bob Young, chair of the City’s Economic Development Authority, at Tuesday’s EDA meeting said that for projections included in the earlier-approved schedule for bonding the City’s indebtedness for the projects, the assumed interest rate repayment was 4.5 percent, compared to the 1.6 percent rate for 30-year fixed AAA bonds today. He also stated that by borrowing the money now, instead of later, the City will be able to get 2 percent back on that money, greater than its cost. “If anything, I am nervous that

SEPTEMBER 12 – 18, 2019 | PAGE 5

STUDY WITH US!

Foxes Music

Fyour inner ree

the George Mason High School construction, $350,000 for the City Hall public safety renovation, $7,307,999 for the Mary Riley Styles Library expansion and renovation, $373,000 for Fire Station 6 reinvestment, $150,000 for park master plan implementation, $550,000 for sewer treatment plan upgrades, $700,000 for stormwater improvements, $500,000 for fixed costs of issuance, $600,000 for the underwriter fee and $794,001 for contingency, in addition to the $20,000,000 to repay the earlier debt issuance. The bottom line of this is that the City should be able to finance all of the remaining redevelopment and expansion plans at what it expects will continue to be, by October, record low interest rates, which will be a remarkable boon to taxpayers.

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PAGE 6 | SEPTEMBER 12 – 18, 2019 

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E D I TO R I A L

Locking in Low Interest Rates

Everyone in the City of Falls Church who pays any taxes to the City at all, whether real estate, personal property (cars, mostly), business gross receipts tax (known as the BPOL tax), sewer tax, stormwater tax or meals tax, as well as the price of parking tickets or vehicle moving violations, late fees, and all those other fees and charges that officials do not like calling taxes, should be toasting their leaders and servants at City Hall this week for the (hopefully) timely and aggressive move to bundle up and sell the already-authorized AAA bonds totalling $126,000,000 while interest rates are at a record low this fall. We are careful to add that all these taxes and fees are paid by everyone, no matter what jurisdiction they may live in (with minor exceptions, such as the lack of a meals tax in Fairfax, or maybe the addition of some school extracurricular fees in some places), because providing the services required to keep citizens safe and the beneficiaries of good overall services and schools, don’t come cheap, and shouldn’t. In the case of Falls Church, leaders here have undertaken a bold and aggressive commitment to move the Little City forward with state of the art schools and public services. It is, therefore, on the cutting edge of the latest developments in environmental stewardship, alternative modes of transportation and, foremost in the City’s values, educational excellence. It has also adopted the most progressive postures for affirming diversity and inclusion in all of its policy making. With a hoped-for new majority in Richmond come January (following this November’s elections), lawmakers are hopeful they will also be able to make big gains in gun safety, affordable housing and women’s equality, and more. Also, there is the role of the City’s locally-owned independent newspaper of record as an important feature fostering a sense of community that prevails here. The posture associated with these gains has already contributed enormously as “value added” features to the City’s residential real estate stock, as realtors will acknowledge that 10 to 15 percent of a property’s value here is due directly to this combination of factors, especially the value of the school system. Already, the City has done this without an undue burden on its taxpayers, with special programs enhanced in the last year to better enable citizens to “age in place” in their existing homes, as well. Now, the move to capitalize on new record low interest rates in the bond markets to finance all the new things that are happening comes as an added boon. Paying for all the new stuff, our new school, new library and new City Hall, is being handled in a way that actually generates a profit for us! Borrowing at 1.6 percent and investing it (until it is spent) at a 2 percent return is a grand way to pay for things!

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Unions Are the Backbone Of the Democratic Party

Editor, Every year around Labor Day, the esteemed anti-poverty group Oxfam America ranks each state by how well their state law supports workers. The ranking is based on an analysis of 11 policy areas covering wages, worker protections, and union empowerment. This year, Virginia ranked dead last — 50 out of 50. This should be a wake-

up call to our state legislature and especially to our state’s Democratic Party — a party that has the Labor Movement to thank for its prominence in American politics. In light of this crisis, it was especially disturbing to see that Falls Church’s own state senator, Richard Saslaw, was quoted in the Richmond TimesDispatch on Labor Day week saying he does not see Virginia’s anti-union

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“right-to-work” laws being repealed under Democratic rule — and adding that “quite frankly, a large part of the public doesn’t care.” Senator Saslaw is seriously mistaken — unions are the backbone of our party and Democrats across Virginia care deeply about ending our Commonwealth’s anti-union policy regime. If we want Democrats to take back the statehouse in November, we need our leaders to make clear that Democratic rule in Richmond means a complete end to the anti-worker policies of statehouse Republicans. Pete Davis Falls Church

City Post Office Deserves Recognition As F.C. ‘Best’ Editor, Regarding the annual “Best of Falls Church” awards, the one thing that is missing which needs some good accolades is our City post office. Specifically, the long-time, good, cheerful ladies Julie and Tran. They’ve been staffing the counter for decades and offer customers attentive, informed and courteous service, with a smile — theirs and yours. Dan Lehman Falls Church

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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SEPTEMBER 12 – 18, 2019 | PAGE 7

Celebrating 100 Years of Women’s Suffrage B� M�� C��

Have you ever walked down Gundry Drive in Falls Church and wondered why it is named “Gundry”? The street is named for Mattie Gundry, a 19th and 20th century icon who lived, worked and made a difference right here in the Little City. Mattie Gundry was a force to be reckoned with in this community. She was an effective and compassionate educator who opened The Virginia Training School in 1899. She operated this nationally recognized institute for special needs students for 50 years. The campus was located on 11 acres at the very center of town just off West Broad — now the site of the Winter Hill subdivision. It was the only school for children with disabilities in the South and later became the second largest in the United States. Look for the historic marker on W. Broad St. to learn more about the school. Sometime around 1912, Mattie was elected to the Falls Church School Board by a large majority of her fellow citizens — but was not allowed to serve. By Virginia law, only registered voters could hold public office. Mattie was not a registered voter because women were denied the right to vote not only in Virginia, but in the United States of America, from 1776 until 1920. So, in 1913, angered and frustrated by this injustice, Mattie joined ranks with a local suffragist group as an active member,

and later a leader. The 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote passed in August 1920. In 1921 Mattie was one of the first two women elected to the Falls Church Town Council. She served for three

“Mattie Gundry is a local hero, a determined advocate for equal rights, justice, and compassion for the less fortunate among us — and an eminent Falls Church suffragist.”

consecutive terms. Mattie Gundry is a local hero, a determined advocate for equal rights, justice, and compassion for the less fortunate among us — and an eminent Falls Church suffragist. Through her example, we should be inspired to celebrate the centennial of women’s suffrage in America, and to venerate the suffering, sacrifice, and drive it took legions of women decades to achieve — women’s right to vote. Every person in

Falls Church should know about the contributions of Mattie Gundry and her peers. We are in the midst of a year-long national celebration of women’s suffrage. On June 4, 1919, the proposed 19th Amendment to the Constitution was passed by both houses of Congress, and on Aug. 23, 1920 the Amendment was ratified by the states, granting American women the right to vote. The coming year will give each of us the opportunity to brush up on the stories of women who championed women’s suffrage, both locally and nationally. Exhibits at the Women’s History Museum, National Archives, Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, and Library of Congress, as well as celebrations right here in Falls Church, will provide you an opportunity to learn about this pivotal moment in American history. Mattie Gundry and her colleagues will be recognized here in Falls Church throughout the year in a variety of ways. To initiate the celebration, at Monday’s City Council meeting, the Council issued a proclamation commemorating this Centennial. A group of suffragists attended in full costume to support this event. The suffragists who attended were members of our new Falls Church Women’s History Group — forces of nature in their own right: Jane Scully, Marty Meserve, Sally Ekfelt, Carol DeLong, Beth Hahn, Sally Phillips — all women who have been active in Falls Church for decades, and

continue to share their work and talents with the community. At this weekend’s Falls Church Festival, the Women’s History Group, the Falls Church League of Women Voters, and the Falls Church Daughters of the American Revolution will be celebrating the Suffragists’ movement at their respective booths — showcasing historical material, distributing voter applications, and circulating a petition requesting that Mattie Gundry’s portrait be hung at City Hall. The centennial of women’s suffrage will also be the theme for a series of events hosted by Falls Church civic groups throughout the year featuring presentations, displays, activities, and artwork. For example, in March 2020, the Falls Church Women’s History Walk will highlight women’s sacrifices for the cause of women’s suffrage. Later, in May, the Women’s History group is planning a suffragists float for the Falls Church Memorial Day Parade. Planning is in the works for these and other events. We welcome your input and involvement! The very best way for all of us to honor the women and men who fought so tenaciously for passage of the 19th Amendment is simple: proudly exercise your right to vote. If you haven’t yet registered to vote, do it now at www.virginia.elections.gov. Marybeth Connelly is vice mayor of the City of Falls Church.

Q�� W�� Do you agree with the F.C. Council’s decision to sell its bonds to take advantage of low interest rates? • Yes

Last Week’s Question:

Were your Falls Church area favorites represented in this year’s Best of Falls Church results?

• No • Not sure

Visit www.FCNP.com to cast your vote

FCNP On-Line polls are surveys, not scientiﬁc polls.

[WRITE FOR THE PRESS] The News-Press welcomes readers to send in submissions in the form of Letters to the Editor

& Guest Commentaries. Letters to the Editor should be no more than 350 words and writers are limited to one appearance every four weeks. Guest Commentaries should be no more than 800 words and writers are limited to one appearance every four months. Because of space constraints, not all submissions will be published. All submissions to the News-Press should be original, unpublished content. We reserve the right to edit submissions for length, grammar and accuracy. All submissions should include writer’s name, address, phone and e-mail address if available.

Email: letters@fcnp.com | Mail: Letters to the Editor, Falls Church News-Press, 200 Little Falls St., #508, Falls Church 22046 | Fax: 703.340.0347

PAGE 8 | SEPTEMBER 12 - 18, 2019

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

CO-FOUNDER OF WELCOMING FALLS CHURCH, Paul Boesen (right) became committed to the cause on a visit to Ellis Island four years ago where he saw a picture of the ship that brought over his Danish grandparents to the United States in the 1950s. He is joined by Laura Chaves, the designer of the banner. (Photo: Christoper Jones)

‘Welcome Falls Church’ Kicks Off Tomorrow Promoting Inclusion in Little City Community

by Christopher Jones

Falls Church News-Press

Fostering a neighborly environment for immigrant and refugee newcomers looks to take a more refined form in the City of Falls Church’s second go around of “Welcoming Week,” which kicks off tomorrow and runs until Sept. 22. Organized by the group Welcoming Falls Church, a local subsidiary of the nationwide group Welcoming America, the celebration will promote community efforts to provide hospitality for foreigners who’ve come to the U.S. either seeking better opportunities or safety from troubles in their native countries. Over 60 local governments nationwide have joined the non-partisan “Welcoming Cities and Counties”

initiative, with the City seeing a variety of community outreach and educational events for this annual commemoration. That includes book lectures by acclaimed novelists, food pantry and language literacy initiatives, a 5K Run/Walk and community outreach activities at the 44th annual Falls Church Festival this Saturday. On Monday evening at the City’s downtown park, Welcoming Week held a festive kick-off party featuring Falls Church City Mayor David Tarter, Virginia House of Delegates Representative Marcus Simon, Falls Church Councilwoman Letty Hardi, representatives from the Falls Church Education Foundation and outreach speakers from Welcoming Falls Church. With fiddle and folk music setting the ambiance along with clusters of children frolicking

on the lawn in the cool summer air, speakers addressed the many positive reasons for promoting a supportive atmosphere for immigrant and refugee arrivals to the City and highlighted the upcoming week’s activities. Former Falls Church resident Imbolo Mbue, whose novel “Behold the Dreamers” was a New York Times best-seller and earned her the PEN/Faulkner award for fiction, will formally christen the event when she speaks about “Immigration and the American Dream” at the George Mason High School auditorium on Saturday from 9 – 10:30 a.m. She will also meet with teachers from Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School and GMHS, hold a book-signing at the Falls Church Festival from 12:30 – 1:15 p.m., and then speak, from 2 – 3:30 p.m., at the

Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library, where she was originally inspired to write her book. Like two of the main characters in the novel, Mbue grew up in Limbe, Cameroon before she moved to the United States in 1998. After receiving a graduate degree from Columbia University, Mbue moved to New York City where she resides today. How does she feel about Falls Church? “One of the characters in my debut novel, “Behold the Dreamers,” is from Falls Church,” she told the NewsPress, and “I thought it was a beautiful, welcoming city and I made it the birthplace of my character as an homage to the city.” What inspired Mbue to work with Welcoming Falls Church? “I was thrilled to learn about the great work they do,” she continued. “I am incredibly humbled that they’re

giving me an opportunity to return to the city where my writing life began. I found Falls Church to be a diverse and friendly city while I lived there, and I believe it is thanks to great organizations like Welcoming Falls Church.” At the Falls Church Farmers’ Market this past Saturday, Paul Boesen staffed a table to promote Welcoming Falls Church. As a cofounder of the group, he was first inspired to help welcome immigrants and refugees to the community by a trip to Ellis Island four years ago where he saw a picture of the ship that brought his Danish grandparents to America in 1950. As Chair of the ESOL Advisory Committee to the Falls Church City Public Schools, Boesen has been struck by the shifting demographics of the City in recent years. He recognizes the need for the local community to organize and provide greater “hospitality and opportunity” for new arrivals from different language or socio-economic backgrounds to “serve everyone’s best interests.” According to Boesen, the FCCPS ESOL student headcount has increased by 51 percent over the last four years. “Society is changing, so we need to grapple with that,” he said, “because if we don’t, the social fabric gets torn beyond repair and who’s going to put it back together?” For Christine Buchholz, cofounder of Welcoming Falls Church, inspiration to welcome newcomers to the City was drawn from her own family experiences. She recalls how appreciative she was when her neighbors threw a backyard party to welcome her family to the community. “Having grown up in an immigrant family, I remember each of my family’s moves. There were many neighbors who warmly welcomed us, but there were certainly some who didn’t know how to bridge across language and race barriers and engage with us.” This past weekend, she said, she and the neighbors who initially welcomed her family to the neighborhood (John and Jeni Porter) threw their own party to welcome newcomers. “We shared in the mission of Welcoming Falls Church — building a community of neighbors — by hosting our own block party” and “were delighted to meet at least four new families” two of whom had come from other countries... It was a wonderful time of reconnecting with old neighbors and welcoming new ones!” A host of additional events will be held for Welcoming Week. For more information on events, visit welcomingfallschurch.org.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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SEPTEMBER 12 - 18, 2019 | PAGE 9

NEWS BRIEFS F.C. Schools Enrollment 8 Above Projections So Far, Noonan Reports A preliminary enrollment report from the first day of classes in the Falls Church Public Schools showed a net increase of eight students above projected numbers, Superintendent Peter Noonan reported to the F.C. School Board in its first public meeting of the new school year Tuesday night. The total enrollment came in at 2,677 the first day, compared to a projection of 2,669. The only enrollment increase above projection is in Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School which went from a projected 641 to a preliminary actual of 665, a jump of 24 students. Thackrey Preschool saw a decline from 71 to 67, Mt. Daniel Elementary a decline from 536 to 529, Thomas Jefferson Elementary a decline from 566 to 556 and Mason High School an increase from 855 to 860. In a related development, the News-Press erroneously reported last week that the fifth grade at Thomas Jefferson moved to Henderson. This is not the case, but the fifth grade has moved out of all trailer classrooms at TJ.

It’s Official: ‘Mr. Brown’s Park’ Name for Pocket Park The Falls Church City Council made it official Monday night, by a 7-0 vote naming the new pocket park in the 100 block of W. Broad Street “Mr. Brown’s Park,” in response to overwhelming support for the name from an informal survey of the public. The name is in honor of three generations of Brown family ownership of the hardware store in the same block for over 100 years. An official ceremony marking the opening of the new park is scheduled for Sept. 30.

Suspect Arrested in Arson of F.C. Sheriff’s Cruiser A 23-year-old man was under arrest Tuesday after a Falls Church Sheriff’s cruiser was set on fire early Monday. F.C. Police arrested Christian Davis, of the City of F.C., and charged him with arson after police and the Arlington Fire Department responded to a call of a vehicle on fire at City Hall around 6 a.m. Monday, Sept. 9. The fire was put out without any injuries or damage to City buildings, police report, though the vehicle was totaled in the blaze. An officer near the scene stopped Davis for questioning and arrested him, it was reported. Additional charges are pending and an investigation is currently underway by the fire marshal.

Weekend Road Closures in F.C. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 14 and 15, there will be street closures in Falls Church to accommodate the Falls Church Festival Saturday and the Falls Church Education Foundation’s “Run for the Schools” on Sunday. Saturday, portions of Little Falls, Park Avenue around City Hall will be closed from 7 a.m. – noon, and the Little Falls at Park traffic light will be on flash. On Sunday, a number of road closures and parking restrictions will be in effect from 6:30 – 10:30 a.m. Citizens should observe signage that will be posted on those streets.

F.C. EDA Launches ‘Wayfinding’ Project Falls Church’s Economic Development Authority Tuesday launched an ambitious “wayfinding” project for the City, being a combination of attractive new signage and other ways to help visitors and residents alike learn how to get around in the Little City. Members of Frazier Associates, experts in the field, interacted with members of the EDA at its meeting Tuesday night to begin shaping the kinds of landmarks and the tone of the signage they say they can have ready by the end of this year to propose. EDA Chair Bob Young stressed that a lot more citizen input will be required to agree to signage and priorities for placement. The purpose of the project is to contribute to a “sense of place” for the City with signs to welcome and orient both residents and folks passing through using a unified image that reflects the character of the City. Identifying parking spaces is also among the chief goals of the project. “Uniformity, standardization and continuity” are keys, the consultants said, with things such as historic downtowns, visitor centers and other large visitor attractions topping a list of priorities. Young suggested the EDA might kick off the project with some gateway and parking signage, then turn it over to the City Council to approve funding for more of the project in its future Capital Improvement Project budgets.

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News-Press

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Community News & Notes

DEL RAY ARTISANS exhibit “High Notes“ featured the connection between music and the mind, according to its website. Falls Church resident Serene Werblood (left photo – left) received the 2nd place award for the artwork titled “Ribbon Dance in Purple and Gold” (right photo). Werblood has three pieces in the exhibit and is one of 61 featured artists in the High Notes. Alongside the caption to several of the art pieces there is an icon to link your smartphone to the YouTube musical piece which inspired the art. Werblood’s artwork was inspired by classical music. (Photos: Courtesy Shaun Van Steyn)

Watercolorist Exhibit Opens Saturday at F.C. Arts Painting Class Fundraiser for Mental Health Foundation The Northern Virginia Mental Health Foundation is having a painting class fundraiser “Shapes of Life” taught by well-known local professional artist Bill Abel. The class will be held on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 6:30 p.m. at Art and Frame of Falls Church (205 W. Jefferson St., Falls Church). All painting supplies will be provided, along with light food and beverages, for $35 per person or $60 per couple. To purchase tickets, visit

novamentalhealth.org/event. All proceeds will benefit the foundation, a 25 year old nonprofit based in Falls Church that provides help for people who are struggling with mental health issues by offering a financial bridge toward a safer, healthier lifestyle. The foundation expresses its gratitude to Bill Abel for providing his talent and teaching skills to this class, and also its venue sponsor Art and Frame of Falls Church and Tom Gittins for providing his facility and painting tools for the class.

“Waterworks,” featuring the colorful works of 41 area artists, opens on Saturday, Sept. 14, at 7:30 p.m. at the Falls Church Arts gallery (700-B W. Broad St., Falls Church) In collaboration with Potomac Valley Watercolorists and the National Capital Area Chapter of the Sumi-e Society of America, Falls Church Arts will present 56 artworks in styles ranging from contemporary watercolor to traditional East Asian brush painting. The show runs through Oct. 13. Noted juror Glen Kessler chose the works from 110 pieces submitted.

Speaking about the approach taken by the Sumi-e Society artists, Carla Jaranson, the Society’s president says, “the Chinese speak of ‘writing a painting’ and ‘painting a poem.’ A great painting was judged on three elements: the calligraphy strokes, the words of poetry and the ability of the painting strokes to capture the spirit (Ch’i) of nature.” The FCA gallery is open Tuesdays – Saturdays from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Admission is free.

Judge and award winning floral designer, to create floral designs on Thursday, Sept. 19 at 11 a.m. at Little Falls Presbyterian Church (6025 Little Falls Rd., Arlington). Stewart will demonstrate techniques for constructing types of floral arrangements including those for the monthly show designs for the upcoming year. The program is free; an optional lunch is $5. For information on the program or on the organization visit the website at rockspringgardenclub.com.

Guest Artist Creates Floral Designs for Garden Club

McLean Garage Sale Held this Saturday

Rock Spring Garden Club will host Arlene Stewart, Life

The McLean Community Center will hold its annual Fall

Send Us Your News & Notes!

The News-Press is always on the lookout for photos & items for Community News & Notes, School News & Notes and other sections of the paper. If you graduate, get married, get engaged, get an award, start a club, eat a club, tie your shoes, have a birthday, have a party, host an event or anything else you think is worth being mentioned in the News-Press, write it up and send it to us! If you have a photo, even better! Because of the amount of submissions we receive, we cannot guarantee all submissions will be published, but we’ll try our best!

Community News & Notes: newsandnotes@fcnp.com | School News & Notes: schoolnews@fcnp.com Mail: News & Notes, Falls Church News-Press, 200 Little Falls St. #508, Falls Church, VA 22046

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Community Garage Sale from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., on Saturday, Sept. 14, in the parking garage located at 1420 Beverly Rd., McLean. With more than 50 adult and youth sellers, it is one of the largest garage sales of the season. Admission to the sale is free. Shoppers can find bargains at one of the area’s first and largest garage sales of the fall season. The sale offers a wide variety of gently used household goods, electronics, furniture, clothes, appliances and other items. The Kids’ Corner is a special area of the sale where children ages 3 – 15 can use their math and entrepreneurial skills while selling toys, clothes, games and other items. This event has been made possible with the generous support of Stream Realty, Inc., Giant Food and McLean Properties. For more information, call the Center at 703-744-9365, TTY: 711, or visit mcleancenter.org.

Christ Crossman to Partner With Rise Against Hunger On Sept.15, 1 - 4 p.m., Christ Crossman UMC (384 N.

Washington St., Falls Church) will partner with Rise Against Hunger to assemble more than 20,000 meals to be packed and shipped around the world to those struggling with hunger. Volunteers of all ages (4 and up) are needed. Interested residents can join us in a meaningful and engaging service opportunity that honors the National Day of Service and Remembrance. Christ Crossman is located at 384 N Washington Street, Falls Church. Sign up to volunteer or to donate here: events.riseagainsthunger.org/ FallsChurch. Visit www.fallschurchfeedstheworld.org for more information. Participation is free.

Columbia Baptist Starts Preschool Mothers Meetings Columbia Baptist Church (103 W. Columbia St., Falls Church) will be hosting MOPS & MOPSNEXT – Mothers of Preschooler – group meetings on select Friday mornings from 9:30 – 11:45 a.m. starting Sept. 13 and Tuesday evenings from 7 – 9 p.m.

LO CA L starting Sept. 17. MOPS is an international organization designed to encourage, equip and develop mothers of preschool children and develop fellowship with moms who can share the joys and challenges of motherhood. Group meetings include speakers, conversation, refreshments and focus on the MOPS mission of “No Mom Alone.” For more information, visit www.columbiabaptist.org.

SEPTEMBER 12 – 18, 2019 | PAGE 11

Pure Barre Pop-Up at F.C.’s Downtown Park Sept. 18\ Pure Barre Arlington-Falls Church (2121 N. Westmoreland St., Falls Church) will host a popup event in the downtown park, Falls Church City’s new downtown plaza on the north side of W. Broad Street, on Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 5 p.m. Pure Barre is designed to be a total body workout that uses the ballet barre to perform small, isometric movements, which burn fat, sculpt muscles and create long, lean physiques. For more information, visit w w w. F a l l s C h u r c h VA . g o v / DTPlaza or www.purebarre.com.

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THANKS TO MEMBERS of the Falls Church Garden Club, there is a Monarch Way Station on the W&OD trail, just west of the Falls Church City border. Recently, three local Scouts, Rose Watts, Jewel Mootz and Priscilla Kelly, assisted with its maintenance. The Way Station has two kinds of the necessary host plants of the monarch butterfly, which are milkweeds. The monarch butterfly can only lay eggs on any of several milkweed varieties. The Way Station has butterfly weed/ Asclepias tuberosa, and common milkweed/asclepias syriaca, plus other flowering native plants, which provide nectar for adult butterflies. (Photo: Courtesy John Hardi)

701 W. Broad St. (Rte 7) Falls Church VA

703-237-6500

PAGE 12 | SEPTEMBER 12 – 18, 2019

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

A Penny for Your Thoughts

News of Greater Falls Church By Supervisor Penny Gross

The anonymous “they” say that you never should discuss religion or politics in polite company. Stick to the weather instead. I was reminded of that dictum on Sunday, at the 152nd anniversary celebration of the founding of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Lincolnia. (I think Mount Pleasant qualifies as “greater Falls Church” since the Barcroft Plaza Shopping Center across the street has a Falls Church ZIP code.) Given Virginia’s history, religion and politics were the catalysts that led to the creation of Mount Pleasant. The church got its start in 1863, when its original members were granted freedom from slavery, and other servitude, and walked to a new home in Northern Virginia. The first one-room building was constructed of pine logs in 1867, and a new frame church was needed just 14 years later, to accommodate growth in the church community. In 1931, the historic brick church on the corner of Lincolnia Road and Old Columbia Pike was erected and, in 1977, the new, larger edifice next door was put into service. A Fairfax County historic marker in front of the historic church was unveiled in August 2017. From the beginning, Mount Pleasant has been foundational in the development of the Fairfax County community we enjoy today. A stroll through the adjoining churchyard reveals names of many founding families, including J. Sidney Holland, Sr., who was one of the driving forces to create the county’s Human Rights Commission, and served on it for more than two decades. Small in stature, Sid was a giant presence in the community, and his legacy continues. Mason District’s diverse population is echoed in its faith community, large congregations or small,

and many of those congregations, Eastern or Western, work together to meet the needs of the community. Food pantries, student discipline, hypothermia shelters for homeless persons, and furniture ministries meet the physical needs, while faith-sponsored community dialogues help achieve greater understanding between and among the three great Abrahamic faiths — Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Fittingly, the Pozez Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia and the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center are headquartered in Mason District. Though separated by several miles on the western and eastern ends of the district, both seek to serve the spiritual and physical needs of their members and the broader community. When the Jewish Community Center was the target of anti-Semitic graffiti, representatives of the mosque stood in solidarity with other faith communities to decry hate and hatemongers. Likewise, it is not unusual to see Jewish rabbis and scholars at community events sponsored at the mosque. Customs and culture may differ, but the basic tenets of faith are the same — loving God/ Jehovah/Allah, and your neighbor. Mount Pleasant may be a “grand-daddy” of faith communities in Mason District, but its role, and its example, is both grounded and ever-changing. As our community becomes even more diverse, not just in faith and ethnicity, but in lifestyles, interests, and expectations, religion and politics most likely will continue to be catalysts for the county in meeting the needs of all in our community. And that’s often a lot more interesting than talking about the weather!

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

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SEPTEMBER 12 – 18, 2019 | PAGE 13

Fall 2019 Food & Dining Special

since our daughter was two at the time, but Katherine had always been obsessed with food and all she wanted was a way to cook when she was 13. After college she moved to Seattle and tried the whole dotcom thing, then decided she wanted to go to culinary school. She went to the Culinary Institute of America where — even though she’s embarrassed to admit it — she graduated top of her class, which was a goal of hers inspired by Alfred Portale, who did the same. She moved to NYC, got a job at Per Se as a food runner, worked at Del Posto for a while, couple of wine stores and cooked food for events. We met after a few years from that, she helped get me the job at Dell’anima’s because she knew the guys opening it.

THOMPSON ITALIAN CHEF Gabe Thompson sat down with the News-Press to talk about his new venture, his history in the food industry and why he and his team chose the Little City as the location for their new restaurant. (Courtesy photo)

Gabe Thompson Dishes on His New F.C. Restaurant & Why It’s Not Exactly Italian by Matt Delaney

Falls Church News-Press

The opening of Thompson Italian last month has left Falls Church buzzing about the new modern eatery. While the restaurant’s new take on Italian food, in owner and executive chef Gabe Thompson’s own admission, remains a sore spot to some that long for the rustic vibes of 124 N. Washington Streets old inhabitant, Argia’s, you couldn’t tell once inside. A steady stream of patrons make their way to the dining room or rear patio with the cacophony of kitchen sounds never quieting down during business hours. Not bad for a chef who cut his teeth in Texas, Oregon and New York before returning to his wife Katherine’s home in the

Washington D.C. area in 2016. Falls Church can count itself as fortunate that the busy (and expensive) New York City lifestyle caused the family to move down south. Thompson brings with him some tricks of the trade he learned about upscale dining in Manhattan to an accessible, neighborhood level in the D.C. suburbs. He’s managed to do just that — though don’t assume you’ll only get Italian dishes at this restaurant (we’ll let Thompson explain). Thompson shared some time with the News-Press to elaborate on what people can expect with the menu, his impressions of Falls Church so far and what challenges the restaurant is still overcoming. Can you give me your and Katherine’s respective culinary backgrounds?

Baddpizza Coming to F.C.

Tired of this area’s pizza-and-wing selection, a Buffalo, New York native is bringing his hometown’s specialties to the Little City this November.

Page 18

I started out in a bunch of restaurants in Austin, Texas until I finally moved to Portland, Oregon. One of my more powerful experiences in Portland was working at a place called Clarklewis — it changed the way I cooked, how I approached food and how I tasted it. It serves Italian food, but in an American-y, Italian fashion. I then moved to New York City in 2003, worked, at various Italian restaurants before opening up Dell’Anima. From there I started a small restaurant group with some marketers and we opened three restaurants and a wine bar. Katherine is from here. She grew up in Arlington and went to [the College of] William & Mary. I’d been pestering her for years about getting our own restaurant, and started almost immediately after moving here in 2016. She was pretty against it

After Mad Fox

A look at Falls Church’s craft beer trailblazer and how the ensuing wave of area breweries ultimately led to its downfall.

Page 19

Growing up in Texas, with a lot of TexMex food making up the culinary scene, how did you land on Italian as your restaurant’s cuisine? Well, side note — opening a Tex-Mex restaurant is my dream. Was chatting about that with someone when we were putting together the concept for this place and they asked “Why wouldn’t you do the Tex-Mex thing?” and I said “I’d never done it as a restaurant before, so I’d like to do something first that I know instead of launch into something that I’d never had a service of before.” I think it was that experience at Clarklewis that really did it for me. It was amazing because it wasn’t really an Italian restaurant — you know, lasagna and meatballs, not super off-the-boat Italian. It was respecting the ideas of Italian cuisine but using the ingredients you had around you and making your own pasta and or maybe getting a pig and breaking it down, doing a sauce with it, different things like that. I thought that this could be Italian food, or could influence a philosophy of cooking more than anything. What made you want to come to Falls Church? We didn’t want to be in D.C. We wanted to be in this area, because we live in Arlington and our kids go to school there. We knew we weren’t going to do that at a restaurant in D.C. I was never going to see the kids and Katherine wouldn’t be as involved at the restaurant, so it just made sense to do it in this area. When we looked at Arlington, there was nothing available that fit what we were looking for. Someone said “Why don’t you look in Falls Church,

Continued on Page 20

Also Inside: • The Little City’s Sauce Guru Returns • Taste of Falls Church Lineup & Menu • ‘Taste’ Judge Q&A’s

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Taste of Falls Church Menu Selections

Famille at The Kensington (R 1) • Butternut Squash Soup (V) = 1 ticket • Salmon BLT = 2 tickets • The Reuben = 2 tickets • Iced Coffee = 1 ticket Sweet Rice Thai Restaurant (R 2) • Spring Roll (V) = 1 ticket • Spicy Wing Zabb = 1 ticket • Larb Gai = 1 ticket • Pad Thai Tofu (V) = 2 tickets • Panang Chicken = 2 tickets • Spicy Kee Mao Minced Chicken = 2 tickets • Black Sticky Rice w/Mango (V) = 2 tickets El Patron Bar & Grill (R 3) • Chicken Taco = 1 ticket • Pork Taco = 1 ticket • Cheese Pupusa (V) = 1 ticket • Pork Pupusa = 1 ticket Open Road Grill (R 4) • Short Rib Sliders (with bourbon sauce and Carolina slaw) = 1 ticket V = Vegetarian Menu Option R = Restaurant Booth

Clare & Don’s / Lazy Mike’s (R 9) • Corned Beef Hash with Egg = 2 tickets • Vegan Chicken Salad Croissant = 2 tickets • Grilled Kosher Dog with Chili Cheese = 2 tickets • Plain Kids Dog = 1 ticket • Scoop of Ice Cream = 1 ticket Dogwood Tavern (R 11) • Grilled Wings (2) = 1 ticket • Jambalaya = 1 ticket • Mac & Cheese (V) = 1 ticket • Bottled Spring Water = 1 ticket Bakeshop (R 12) • Cupcake (regular or vegan) (V) = 1 ticket • Cookie (regular or vegan) (V) = 1 ticket • Macaron (V) = 1 ticket Café Kindred (R 13) • “Steak & Eggs” (beef Bourguignon stew with sunny side egg) = 1 ticket • Fried Chicken Curry Waffles = 1 ticket • Vegetable Vol au Vent (V) = 1 ticket

1 ticket = $3 10 tickets = $25

Authentic Egyptian Food

Robeks Smoothies & Juices (R 5) • Strawnanberry Smoothie (V) = 2 tickets • Mahalo Mango Smoothie (V) = 2 tickets • Trop-Kale Smoothie (V) = 2 tickets Hot N’ Juicy Crawfish (R 6) • Crawfish Po‘Boy = 2 tickets • Crispy Pork Skins = 1 ticket • Fried Brownies (4 piece) = 1 ticket Taco Bamba (R 7) • Beef Barbacoa Tacos = 2 tickets • Chicken Tinga Tacos = 2 tickets • Spicy Mushroom Tacos (V) = 2 tickets Rare Bird Coffee Roasters (R 8) • Coffee (Iced or Hot) = 1 ticket • Iced Tea = 1 ticket • Latte, Vanilla Latte, or Mocha = 2 tickets • Zucchini Walnut Bread = 1 ticket • Two Doughnut Holes = 1 ticket

Liberty Barbecue (R 14) • Brisket Sandwich = 3 tickets • Pulled Pork Sandwich = 3 tickets • Cole Slaw = 2 tickets • Potato Salad = 1 ticket • Iced Tea = 1 ticket • Lemonade = 1 ticket • Water bottle = 1 ticket Peet’s Coffee (R 15) • Hot Brew Drip Coffee = 1 ticket • Cold Brew Ice Coffee = 1 ticket • Iced Wild Berry Hibiscus Tea = 1 ticket FC Distillers (BG 1) • 4” Meatball Hoagie = 1 ticket • 4” Sausage, Pepper and Onion Hoagie = 1 ticket

Vote for Your #FCFestival Favorite! Follow the QR code or go to fallschurchva.gov/Festival to vote for your favorite Taste of Falls Church! Voting closes 4 p.m.

Come visit the doctors at our Fall Festival Booth!

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FO O D &D I NI NG

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

SEPTEMBER 12 - 18, 2019 | PAGE 15

Cherry Hill Playground

Park Avenue

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Cherry Hill Farm House

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Pony Rides

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Civic Booths, Crafters, & Local Merchants

Sponsors Falls Church News-Press --------------Kitchen Saver -----------------------------Burke & Herbert Bank--------------------Power Home Remodeling--------------Goldfish Swim School ------------------The Little Gym ----------------------------LeafFilter ----------------------------------Cabot Creamery Co-Operative -------MoBu Kids - Children’s Tent -----------Galley Foods ------------------------------Bull Run Financial Group --------------Renewal by Andersen ------------------ROCK STAR Realty Beer Garden ----

Restaurants Famille at The Kensington -------------Sweet Rice Thai---------------------------El Patron Bar & Grill ---------------------Open Road Grill---------------------------Robeks Smoothies and Juices -------Hot N Juicy Crawfish---------------------Taco Bamba Tacqueria -----------------Rare Bird Coffee Roasters ------------Clare and Don’s / Lazy Mike’s --------Dogwood Tavern -------------------------Bakeshop ----------------------------------Café Kindred-------------------------------Liberty Barbecue--------------------------Peet’s Coffee -----------------------------FC Distillers -------------------------------Audacious Aleworks ----------------------

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Temalle LTD ------------------------------------Falls Church Arts -----------------------------Mary Riley Styles Public Library -----------Your House Paintings & Notecards---------Concerned Citizens Against Gun Violence McCollam Sales -------------------------------Friends of Laura Downs ---------------------Amazing Crystals -----------------------------Falls Church Modern Dentistry -------------Capital Area Pediatrics -----------------------Empower Chiropractic -----------------------World Children’s Choir------------------------Friends of Falls Church Homeless Shelter-The Kensington Falls Church----------------Welcoming Falls Church ---------------------The State Theatre -----------------------------George Mason HS Robotics Team ----------Virginia Energy Sense ------------------------The Dough Jar ---------------------------------Pink Buggy Designs --------------------------The Bathing Raven Candle Co. --------------Falls Church Democratic Committee-------League of Women Voters --------------------LaCigale Studio--------------------------------Earrings with Flair ----------------------------Citizens for a Better City (CBC) -------------Douglass Stevens for School Board--------Code Ninjas ------------------------------------Allure Silver Jewelry --------------------------OneVirginia 2021-------------------------------Lula Roe ----------------------------------------Falls Church VPIS ------------------------------

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Tom Dolan Swim School ---------------You Are Polished - Color Street ------BalletNova Center for Dance ----------Reinvented Elegance --------------------Falls Church Chamber of CommerceThe Spicy Spouse ------------------------Advantage Trainers ----------------------Bedazzled ----------------------------------Roots of Development -----------------American Books and Carpets --------My Soap Bar--------------------------------Mak Imports--------------------------------True Honey Teas -------------------------Rotary Club of Baileys Crossroads --The Sycamore School -------------------Art of Problem Solving Academy -----Title Boxing Club--------------------------NOVA Spine and Rehab Center-------Falls Church Education Foundation--Family Medicine in Falls Church -----Falun Dafa Association of DC ---------Baha’is of Falls Church -----------------Falls Church Area AAUW --------------Summi Henna -----------------------------Aroma DC Candles ----------------------Bababowtique by Teresa ---------------Crochet by Naha -------------------------Loco Lights and Bubbles ---------------S & S Handcrafts -------------------------Congressional School ------------------Falls Green --------------------------------Lucid Arts -----------------------------------Cyclebar -------------------------------------

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Judges Talk F.C. Favorites, Eating Out vs. At Home & More

This year’s Taste of Falls Church judges weighed in on everything from potluck dishes to food & entertainment combos with the News-Press

Nader Baroukh, Former City of Falls Church Mayor 1. Do you have any special methods to prepare for being a Taste of Falls Church judge? I may try to go on a long walk to work up a healthy appetite. I may also bring some friends with me to help with the tasting. 2. What’s your favorite restaurant that has opened in Falls Church in the past five years? I love them all. 3. Who’s your favorite celebrity chef or cook? Ming Tsai. Great at incorporating western and eastern cooking. 4. If you could have one dish prepared by one person, who and what would it be? My wife has promised to make me Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon for years. 5. If you had to prepare one dish for a potluck, what would it be? I can’t cook. So, a green salad. 6. How often do you eat at home versus how often do you eat out? We eat out a lot 7. Are leftovers a cost-saving necessity or an under-appreciated delicacy? I am not a fan of leftovers. So, a cost-saving necessity. 10. Wine, beer or cocktail with a meal? Wine 11. What cut and temperature do you like your steak? Porterhouse medium rare. Unless I am sharing with my daughter...so medium. 10. What’s the best entertainment you’ve experienced to go with dining? Seeing Bruce Springsteen live in concert with any food they have.

Cecily Shea, President of the Falls Church Education Foundation 1. Do you have any special methods to prepare for being a Taste of Falls Church judge? I started working out with Eliot at Advantage Fitness I’m hoping that this helps me! 2. What’s your favorite restaurant that has opened in Falls Church in the past five years? Love the vibe at Northside Social and the fried chicken at Liberty Barbecue is great! 3. Who’s your favorite celebrity chef or cook? Ina Garten. 4. If you could have one dish prepared by one person, who and what would it be? Anything from Johnny Spero at Reverie in Georgetown 5. If you had to prepare one dish for a potluck, what would it be? Bejeweled rice — rice with cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric, red pepper flakes and orange zest, topped with cooked carrots, pistachios, almonds and golden raisins 6. How often do you eat at home versus how often do you eat out? I eat out for lunch more than I should... 7. Are leftovers a cost-saving necessity or an under-appreciated delicacy? Nope. I don’t like leftovers. 8. Wine, beer or cocktail with a meal? Wine. 9. What cut and temperature do you like your steak? New York Strip. Medium rare. 10. What’s the best entertainment you’ve experienced to go with dining? Best entertainment is dinners we host in our home with friends.

David Tarter, City of Falls Church Mayor 1. Do you have any special methods to prepare for being a Taste of Falls Church judge? To cleanse my palate of anything edible, I have been eating my own cooking.

Debbie Hiscott, Executive Director of the Falls Church Education Foundation

Jason Tepper, VP of Culinary, Executive Chef

1. Do you have any special methods to prepare for being a Taste of Falls Church judge? Lots of miles on the City trails to build up a calorie deficit.

1. Do you have any special methods to prepare for being a Taste of Falls Church judge? I’m coming hungry and want to taste the best that Falls Church has to offer.

2. What’s your favorite restaurant that has opened in Falls Church in the past five years? What kind of mayor would I be if I didn’t find them all great?!

2. What’s your favorite restaurant that has opened in Falls Church in the past five years? Thompson Italian.

2. What’s your favorite restaurant that has opened in Falls Church in the past five years? China Chicano by Jose Andres.

3. Who’s your favorite celebrity chef or cook? Does Mama Celeste count?

3. Who’s your favorite celebrity chef or cook? Alex Guarneschelli — she’s savvy while still valuing American and international classics!

3. Who’s your favorite celebrity chef or cook? Patrick O’Connell, Inn at Little Washington.

4. If you could have one dish prepared by one person, who and what would it be? Probably my aunt’s Hot Browns. – an open-faced sandwich of turkey and bacon, covered in a cheese sauce that’s baked. 5. If you had to prepare one dish for a potluck, what would it be? As mayor, I frequently end up eating my words, so alphabet soup. 6. How often do you eat at home versus how often do you eat out? I mostly eat at home. 7. Are leftovers a cost-saving necessity or an under-appreciated delicacy? I love leftovers. 8. Wine, beer or cocktail with a meal? Hardest thing I drink is milk. 9. What cut and temperature do you like your steak? Everything is better barbequed! 10. What’s the best entertainment you’ve experienced to go with dining? My boys and I trekked our way, slice by slice, through New York City. We walked 16 miles and had some great pizza and some great fun.

4. If you could have one dish prepared by one person, who and what would it be? My mother’s chicken enchiladas. 5. If you had to prepare one dish for a potluck, what would it be? “Debbie’s Dip” — corn, jalapeno and not-so-healthy ingredients appetizer. 6. How often do you eat at home versus how often do you eat out? I walk to lunch from work in the City and usually eat dinner at home. 7. Are leftovers a cost-saving necessity or an under-appreciated delicacy? Leftovers only under duress. 8. Wine, beer or cocktail with a meal? Cocktails once a weekend 9. What cut and temperature do you like your steak? Filet mignon, rare. 10. What’s the best entertainment you’ve experienced to go with dining? I loved eating Liberty Barbecue al fresco and listening to Sister Sparrow at the Tinner Hill Music Festival.

4. If you could have one dish prepared by one person, who and what would it be? My Mother’s mother (my Nanny) made incredible brisket with plenty of burnt ends, carrots and onions roasted perfectly. 5. If you had to prepare one dish for a potluck, what would it be? Smoked (then roasted and sauced) Buffalo chicken wings. 6. How often do you eat at home versus how often do you eat out? 70 home/30 out. 7. Are leftovers a cost-saving necessity or an under-appreciated delicacy? Under appreciated delicacy 8. Wine, beer or cocktail with a meal? Whatever my wife chooses. (She’s the best bartender) 9. What cut and temperature do you like your steak? Tomahawk Ribeye/ rare. 10. What’s the best entertainment you’ve experienced to go with dining? Dinner at Blues Alley in Georgetown while Jamaican Jazz Pianist Monte Alexander and his wife, Italian jazz singer Caterina Zapponi performed.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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DISTURBINGLY DELICIOUS FOODS owner Dave Forbes at the tap of his vegetable-based soda, Veggie Pop, in his new shop on S. Maple Ave. in the City of Falls Church. (P��: J�� F��)

Veggie Sauce Guru Returns With Disturbingly Delicious BY JODY FELLOWS

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

Last summer, Dave Forbes opened up a pop-up shop on West St. selling an assortment of vegetable-based sauces on a lark. “My goal was to fill my garage with sauces,” he says of his venture, Monkeyboy Consumables, which was forced to close last November to make way for the upcoming Founders Row development. Forbes, who admits he never really liked retail, knew the popup was only temporary and he

wanted to have fun with it. And he confirms he did indeed meet his goal of a sauce-filled garage. But now Forbes and his sauces are back with a new location, a new name and a new attitude. “This is me taking it seriously,” he says of his latest operation dubbed Disturbingly Delicious Foods, now open in 570 sq. ft. of space at The Lincoln at Tinner Hill. Equipped with a three-year lease, Forbes says he’s more focused this go-round and learned some things from his first foray. “I’ve tweaked the operation a little

bit,” he says as he shows off a new industrial blending machine he uses to make his signature sauces like the kale-ketchup hybrid Kalechup, and the mayonnaise substitute Mayonot. “I’ve ironed out the process, workflow and technique.” During his time without a storefront, Forbes made 38 new product flavors over the winter. “It’s experimental. I make them just to see what I can do.” Most of Forbe’s sauces have a base of kale, cauliflower or cabbage, which he then builds on to create something new. There’s a cauliflower-based tar-

SEPTEMBER 12 – 18, 2019 | PAGE 17

tar sauce with vinegar, cucumber and horseradish; a mole sauce made up of cabbage, porter beer, vinegar, plantains, onions and a host of spices; and a smoked spicy strawberry sauce made with tequila. There’s even a vegan queso alternative that was born from a contest when a customer asked Forbes to make his own version of Taco Bell’s lava sauce. “My goal is to recreate traditional flavors but make them healthier,” he says. Forbes divides his customer base into three main types: 1) the health conscious who use his sauces because they’re low in calories, carbs, sodium and fat; 2) those on specialized diets but want to add flavor to their meals; and 3) those who just love sauce. When he’s not in the food lab, Forbes runs a software consulting business which he can be seen tending to from time to time at his shop on S. Maple Ave. In fact, his experience in IT, designing systems and data visualizations, he says helps tremendously in the sauce-creation process. “Food is no different [from system design]. You have a limited data set [ingredients] and your variables like color, flavor and lethality,” says Forbes. “The question is how to make a set of ingredients taste like ‘X’.” Forbes searches the internet to research different flavor profiles which he then uses to develop formulas for his products. It’s how he created a satay sauce that nixes the peanuts and instead uses sesame and pumpkin seeds to recreate the traditional flavor, and a tomatoless marinara sauce made with cabbage, vinegar, beets, carrots, onions, figs, garlic and spices. “I’m a non-traditional traditionalist,” he says before quickly adding, “Well, I’m also a nontraditional non-traditionalist, too.” Another source of inspiration for Forbes, the book “The Flavor

Matrix: The Art and Science of Pairing Common Ingredients to Create Extraordinary Dishes,” which uses numbers crunched by big data to find flavors that chemically pair well together. It’s helped him in sauce creation but also with developing flavors for a brand of artisanal sodas. For sale by bottle or on draft at the shop, Veggie Pop is another one of Forbe’s creations, available in unique flavors like tangerine basil, soursop elderberry and fig habanero. And at 60 calories per 12 oz., it’s, again, a healthier alternative to mainstream options. Alongside its own products, Disturbingly Delicious also carries an assortment of locallysourced foods including meats, cheeses, ice cream, produce and eggs. Forbes, a weekly participant in the Falls Church farmers market, says his most popular items are Georgetown-based Stachowski’s sausages and pies from Arlington’s Acme Pie Co., and compares his store’s offerings to items one might find at the City’s Saturday morning event. “Last summer, I didn’t really care about retail,” he says, “Now, I care about carrying what people want.” Forbes also hopes to collaborate in the future, too, making sauces with local businesses and non-profits or for events like weddings. “I’d love to custom-make sauces.” As for his lineup at the store, it shows no signs of slowing. Forbes showed off several concoctions currently in development in the back of his shop and if anybody has any suggestions, he’s always up for a challenge. “I can make cauliflower or cabbage taste like anything,” he says. “For me, it’s fun to make sauce.” Disturbingly Delicious Foods (455H S. Maple Ave., Falls Church) is open from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Tuesday – Thursday and on Saturday from 1 – 4 p.m.

Got Lunch? OPHRESTAURANTS.COM 7395 Lee Highway 703-698-6292

PAGE 18 | SEPTEMBER 12 – 18, 2019

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Buffalo-Style ‘Cup & Char’ Pepperoni Pizza, Wings Coming to Falls Church by Jody Fellows

Falls Church News-Press

Buffalo, New York native Joel Salamone isn’t a big fan of the pizza around this area. And that’s putting it mildly. “I don’t like the pizza here, not at all,” he tells the News-Press. And finding a place that serves both good pizza and good wings? Forget about it. “It’s near impossible outside of Buffalo,” Salamone laments. Fed up with the lack of options, the man, who hails from the city that invented the chicken wing as we know it today, is bringing his hometown specialty, along with Buffalostyle pizza, to the Little City when Baddpizza (stylized “baddpizza”) opens in the Broadale Village Shopping Center this November. Since moving to Northern Virginia in 1999, Salamone has long missed the pies he grew up eating in upstate New York where he says he and his family would order pizza-and-wing combos at least once a week. “Here, my son will say ‘Let’s order pizza from Papa John’s’ and I’m like “No,’ ” he laughs. And Salamone insists it’s not just hometown bias. “Over the past 20 years,” he says, “I’ve rarely encountered someone who tells me the name of a restaurant that offers pizza they absolutely love.” Even if he does find a passable option, Salamone says it can’t compare to Buffalo’s regional style. “It’s not thick crust like Chicago or thin like New York,” he describes. “It’s in between the two, with a sweeter sauce and toppings to the edges.” The most iconic of those toppings is what’s known as “cupand-char pepperoni,” and it’s the trademark of a true Buffalo-style pie. Using slices smaller than the typical silver dollar-sized circles, cup-and-char pepperoni curl up at the edges to form small, greasefilled ‘roni cups which get charred around the top during cooking. Salamone says it’s the best pizza he’s ever eaten. The menu at the upcoming Baddpizza will be simple, and alongside the pies and authentic Buffalo wings (“Always cooked correctly — crispy”), Salamone says they’ll serve salads and subs. The pizza will also be big. Real big.

With 18-inch round and party sheet (18”x26”) options, the circular pies will be on par with Flippin’ Pizza’s offerings and outsize both the larges (14”) and XLs (16”) at Domino’s, Paisano’s, Papa John’s and Pizza Hut. While he’s been involved with a host of businesses (IT, real estate development, the oil and gas industry, among others) Salamone has no experience in the restaurant biz. So, in order to facilitate the infusion of upstate N.Y.-style pizzaand-wings into Northern Virginia, he’s bringing his longtime friend, Steve Houck, to town. Known as “Stevie Badd,” Houck is the namesake behind the concept as well as a 25-year veteran of one of Buffalo’s most iconic pizza-andwing joints. With his brotherin-law and Houck, Salamone and a small team of others are working to open three Baddpizza locations concurrently, with additional stores in McLean and South Riding. The Falls Church location, taking over the former Potomac Cleaners’ space (346 W. Broad) next to Starbucks, will be primarily a takeout-and-delivery operation, with eight counter seats available for dine-in eating. Near the end of this month, Salamone plans to relaunch Baddpizza’s website and market the restaurant at the New York State Society of Washington, D.C’s “Buffalo Nite,” an annual downtown celebration of all things Buffalo set for Sept. 25. “Nobody loves their pizza here,” says Salamone. But when Baddpizza opens later this November, he hopes that sentiment will change. A PROTOTYPE of the kind of Buffalo, New York-style “cup-and-char” pepperoni pies Baddpizza will serve when it opens in Falls Church later this year. (Photo: Baddpizza)

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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Trailblazer Mad Fox Casualty Of Area’s Craft Brew Success by Matt Delaney

Falls Church News-Press

Mad Fox Brewing Company knows better than most how bittersweet being a victim of its own success is. The brewpub was the tip of the craft beer spear regionally in 2010, but closed for good in July due to increased competition both in the industry and locally in the City of Falls Church in large part because of the innovation it ushered in. “Thank God for Bill Madden. He was the pioneer,” Frank Kuhns, owner of Settle Down Easy Brewing Company just outside City limits, said. “If it wasn’t for [Mad Fox owner] Bill [Madden] doing what we did, guys like Caboose [Brewing Company] and the rest of us wouldn’t be able to open up.” “Yeah, we were pioneers,” Madden told the News-Press separately, and in a more subdued manner. “We were on top of the next craft brew wave, building a brewery before anyone was thinking about it. Most who were around had been for a while, such as Gordon Biersch and Legends Brewing Co. We were one of the only breweries opening up at that time.” Heading into the 21st century’s second decade, breweries and Virginia were on icy terms. According to the Commonwealth of Virginia, only 40 breweries were in operation by 2012. And few of those were in major metropolitan areas. It’s what made Mad Fox’s foray into the brewpub model — which was Madden’s specialty after working in Washington, D.C.’s Capitol City Brewing Co., among others, throughout his 25 career — so daring. That bravery was rewarded by customers coming from the far reaches of D.C.’s ecosystem out in Centreville or Reston for weekend visits to Mad Fox. But 2012 was also the turning point for breweries. The passage of SB 604 allowed breweries to serve their own beer on-site as well as sell them at retail locations in closed containers. Prior to that, establishments that brewed their own beer weren’t allowed to serve a pint unless there was a food component involved, according to Madden.

What followed was a 468-percent explosion in breweries statewide from 2012 to 2016, with more than 200 breweries operating throughout Virginia. Other inhibitors to opening breweries started to come down from there. “Brewery licensing has changed dramatically in the last 20 years,” Brian Reinoehl, a partner at the City’s microbrewery Audacious Aleworks said. “To get a brewery license used to cost somewhere around five-figures, and then it dropped down to fourfigures and now its around $500. The barrier to entry is next to nothing.” Madden’s own tree of brewers and business people he helped cultivate took advantage of the legal sea changes. Mad Fox brewer Charlie Buettner moved on to become the head brewer at Lorton’s Fair Winds Brewing Company. Randy Barnett, who was one of the original minds behind Mad Fox and a restaurant savant, also moved on to a new opportunity. The flight of talent didn’t hurt Madden in the shortterm, but it contributed to the competitive landscape popping up around him. It’s something that Madden admits he would’ve changed if he had the good fortune of SB 604 passing in the brewpub’s planning phase. The farm-to-table concept employed at Mad Fox struggled to keep pace with demand for food truck eating at breweries. Patrons also want the romance of being “in production mode,” according to Kuhns, and Mad Fox’s polished aesthetic likely had customers look elsewhere for their brewery fix. Couple those factors with an explosion of unique dining options in Falls Church — Madden noted six new restaurants opened up within City limits last year alone, not to mention direct competitors in Audacious Aleworks and Settle Down Easy — and suddenly Mad Fox’s business model was looking more likely to become a financial albatross than a nifty, but necessary, disguise for a brewery. An interaction with a regular at Mad Fox in early 2019 confirmed to Madden the state of his brewpub. “‘What a great time to be in Falls Church. There are so many choices in restaurants. When you

SEPTEMBER 12 – 18, 2019 | PAGE 19

guys opened, there was only this much; now I can go to a new restaurant every night,’” Madden recounted the customer saying, before adding himself. “It’s hard to take that in as a business owner because you put your heart and soul into this, but I saw what was happening in the industry and the City.” Madden’s move now is to do some consulting work for fellow brewers, continuing the fraternal tradition in the business’ culture (for the right price). And even an insider like him has no knowledge of who may be interested in the Mad Fox space, though he suggests that Delaware’s Iron Hill Brewing & Restaurant would fit the mold. He’s just hopeful that the good experiences customers and employees had at Mad Fox will be remembered fondly, too. But Mad Fox’s influence already lives on outside of its old space on West Broad St. Audacious’ partner Mike Frizzell commented that it’s hard to know if they contribute to a craft beer culture because they’re just living it — to him, people simply love craft beer in Falls Church. Chances are Mad Fox played a big role in that.

MAD FOX BREWING COMPANY’S outdoor patio (top) was always a hit during the warmer months of the year. But customers began to flock towards breweries that presented the factory-vibe more openly, such as Settle Down Easy Brewing Company, especially after food components were no longer required to serve alcohol in Virginia. (Photos: News-Press)

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Thompson Italian Chef Talks Challenges, Concept & More of F.C.’s Newest Restaurant

Continued from Page 13

it’s the bomb!” So we started looking around Falls Church and thought the community here is really nice. When this space was shown to us we knew it was the space we wanted. Hard part about this spot is that Argia’s used to occupy it, and for the people that really loved it, we’re trying to fill a hole that they may not want filled. So we might not meet people’s expectations, or we also might exceed them, but it’s been hard. There’s been a lot of Argia’s people who say we suck. I understand; it’s a totally different concept and look. If you loved Argia’s and go in there and it’s different, you’re not really into it. But to me, it’s nice that we’re using the space for the same style of restaurant. How did you come up with the aesthetic for the restaurant? Katherine did all the design. It was partially inspired by old some restaurants she worked at in New York, with the deep colors, accented by the pink, teal and gold combinations. We added the neon signs and even have some family members who did some charcoal paintings, such as that one of

18th and H in downtown D.C. Katherine’s dad got really into making soundproofing panels that line the walls after we found light fixtures that we liked, I made shades and sconces and got really into that. With our logo being black and pink, we wanted to use that a lot and add gold anywhere we could. How are you distinguishing yourself from the other nearby Italian restaurants — Pizzeria Orso, Italian Cafe, Pistone’s Italian Inn and Sfizi Cafe? I haven’t eaten any of them yet, so I don’t know what they’re like, but we’re doing the same thing we’ve always done. The same kind of food that we’ve always done in New York. We’re trying to also make it more family friendly than we did in New York. I don’t know the other local spots well enough, I haven’t made the time to check them out, so I think our guests are going to have to dictate to us whether we’re way off base or we fit in perfectly into the what the area wants. Any twists to the Italian food concept you’re bringing to the menu? To be 100 percent honest, we don’t

THE STORM JUST HIT AND WE WENT FROM DONATING TO THE FOOD BANK TO NEEDING IT. Donna, Louisiana

HUNGER IS A STORY WE CAN END. FEEDINGAMERICA.ORG

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

make Italian food. So I love pasta. I like making it. But we just make things that we think taste good with those things. For example, our Bucatini is kind of a classic taste on pasta, but we load it up with toasted garlic. There’s other things that bring it together — such as the butter, parmesan and red chili flakes — but somebody the other day mentioned that “It just takes like toasted garlic” and I said that it’s exactly what it was. If I had given it a name like “Toasted Garlic Pasta,” they would understand, but I don’t because we tried to get inspired by ingredients and whatever we see — so we may see some apples and we’ll find a way to make an apple salad with other stuff thrown in there. We’re using some really great ingredients, spliced with some Italian ingredients and making whatever we want.”

Probably have to change at least 75 percent of menu, which is difficult for the staff because they’re just now getting used to this menu; every entree and appetizer has to change. I have four or five things on the menu that are non-seasonal, but everything else is seasonal. So right now we’re writing out everything how we’re going to accomplish that and what items we’re gonna roll out and take off. For instance, one of our suppliers is running out of tomatoes, so we’re saying to ourselves “Cool, guess we’ll have to phase out tomatoes, then.”

THE STORM JUST HIT AND WE WENT FROM DONATING TO THE FOOD BANK TO NEEDING IT.

It sounds like the menu is fluid then, where you guys are open to changing as things go? Right now everything’s starting to dwindle, and we have to do a menu change. The fall menu change is always the hardest because we almost have to do something the same week. So it’s a hard thing to do.

Donna, Louisiana

What’s been a consistent challenge that you’ve found yourself having to conquer over and over again? Organization. The space seems big but it’s not. Just constantly moving things here and there, and trying to find the right orientation for it all. I mean, to be honest, there’s been a million challenges, most of the things we thought. Katherine will talk about how all the sleepless nights she had about X, and then everything went fine there, and it ends up being Y that went wrong that we never worried about. So it’s a lot of that, but mostly space and having everything organized and realizing maybe we put a shelf in the wrong space or what have you. Thompson Italian is located at 124 N. Washington St. in Falls Church and open six nights a week, from 5 – 10 p.m. and is closed on Tuesdays.

HUNGER IS A STORY WE CAN END. FEEDINGAMERICA.ORG

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Oh No, Not Christian Yelich!

Way, way over on the “good guy” side of professional sports ledger is a fellow who took a terrible blow ending his National League baseball season this week. Christian Yelich, at 27 a tall, lean, lefthanded, extraordinarily gifted player for the Milwaukee Brewers on a roll toward a possible second straight league batting title and Most Valuable Player honor, drove a fierce line drive into his own right knee, shattering his knee cap and relegating him to the sidelines well beyond the few weeks remaining in this season. Injuries, of course, are common in pro sports, especially the invisible brain-mashing CTE kind in football, and there’ve been a lot in baseball this year. But in this case, FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS the injury serves as an opportunity to highlight a better side of pro sports as demonstrated by an individual athlete and his impact on his team, his sport and society. A number of things about Yelich are fascinating. First of all, he is the son of immigrants, mostly from Serbia, but also from Japan (a full fourth of his DNA). In Serbia, the spelling of his name would have ended with the “c” while being pronounced “itch,” but he was raised as a fully Americanized, youth in sunny Southern California in the comfortable outer suburbs north of Los Angeles. That’s familiar territory to me, being raised in Santa Barbara and playing my high school, college and semi-pro baseball in that territory decades earlier. Is DuPar’s Drive In still there? My claim to affinity is that I was the MVP for my college team, as he is for the National League. Not quite the same thing, except maybe in a quirky, laid back Southern California sense. Christian has a mom who has taken very good care of him. He’s told the story about wanting to quit baseball on a lazy summer day as a seven year old. His mom bribed him to show up for the game with a crisp $5 bill. The rest, as they say, is history. But she’s also overseen his decent but not outrageous salary, using some of it to invest for him in some modest but very comfortable digs in Malibu right on the beach. (I’d like to believe he’s there even now, or will be soon, where the sun, sand and surf will help speed his recovery.) He’s got his wild, or should I say goofy, side, knocking back a beer in one gulp at a Bucks game in front of a national TV audience and posing in his birthday suit for a recent issue of ESPN The Magazine. But it’s clearly in a love-of-life way. He has an instant, wide and toothy grin that he shows off readily on the baseball field, especially when he has made it to first base with one of his pals from the other team to chat with there, like Rizzo of the Cubs or Freeman of the Braves. Not many players, much less announcers or fans, seem to understand him, but his manager Craig Counsell appears to, a guy with a personality and playing style, from his playing days, not unlike Yelich’s own. Yelich came within two home runs of leading the league last year and had 44 until his injury this year, nearly the most again. But he’s not a home run hitter, and in this age of home run mania, replete with “launch angle” and other “data,” that can baffle people. He’s a hitter first, a guy who can hit the ball, wherever it goes, so hard that it causes echoes through an even fan-filled stadium, and so solidly that he almost never breaks his bat. That’s why the line drive to his knee shattered it. He’s wisely eschewed home run mania, bowing out of the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game, and thoroughly rejecting the current “launch angle” fad. But he enjoyed holding a benefit baseball game last winter to support victims of a mass shooting incident and a wildfire in his home area, to visit with a couple teammates a children’s hospital and a Little League team that was not a championship one, but a winless one. Such things are his style.

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SEPTEMBER 12 – 18, 2019 | PAGE 21

Nicholas F. Benton

 Nicholas Benton may be emailed at nfbenton@fcnp.com.

Our Man in Arlington By Charlie Clark

I hear Arlington singing. Not by those seeking fame and fortune, but volunteer vocalists seeking joy and renewed health by joining a chorus that—like a no-cut sports team—welcomes entrants of all talent levels. To a point. Last week I witnessed a wave of Arlington baby-boomers and elders sign up for the Encore Chorale, billed as “America’s largest and fastest-growing choral organization for adults over 55.” The roster of 45 women and eight men at the Langston Brown Community Center were preparing to unite and belt out “classical works, spirituals and holiday music,” I was told by instructor Ingrid Lestrud, principal associate conductor for the National Children’s Chorus in Washington. (Boomers more interested in the Beach Boys and Aretha Franklin can enroll in a similar volunteer chorus now rehearsing with Smithsonian Associates.) Participants arrive as strangers, pay Encore’s $175 tuition (the county provides publicity and facilities) and show up faithfully for 15 weekly 90-minute rehearsals. They then go out with a bang by joining 20 other area choruses to perform the same material with 1,200 singers at the Kennedy Center. No auditions necessary. “If you can breathe, you can sing,” says Jeanne Kelly, founder and of the Annapolis, Md.-based nonprofit Encore Creativity of Older Adults, which works nationwide. On this first day, conductor

Lestrud moved quickly through administrative duties—nametags, distribution of sheet music and introductions. She warned of “homework” and check-in requirements, noting the Kennedy Center won’t allow participants who missed rehearsals to perform. Posture is key, Lestrud stressed as she led the joiners in stretches. Some people are “lounge singers,” but it’s vital to “keep your feet flat on the floor, to feel as if you’re standing from the waist up,” she said. “Breathe with mouth open in the shape of the vowel you’re singing.” After leading the singers in rising scales, the conductor segued into a passable “Gloria in Excelsis Deo.” Maintaining quality in comeone-come-all singing is tricky. My friend Carolyn Connell since 2006 has given evenings to the 200-voice New Dominion Chorale, also a non-audition group. “We have a brilliant director in Tom Beveridge, who always manages a beautiful sound out of us in the few weeks we have to rehearse,” she said. “But he can hear everyone, and if anyone can’t sing well, they may be gently asked to leave. It’s only happened a few times.” It takes balance, echoed Roy Guenther, the retired music professor from George Washington University who this fall will end a 50-year tenure as choirmaster at Resurrection Lutheran Church. “Obviously, we want to encourage people in the congregation to participate, and we don’t have a rigid audition” other than deter-

mining altos from sopranos from tenors and basses, he told me. “I listen and see if anything sticks out, and, if necessary, call the person aside” to reexamine. There can be “hurt feelings,” Guenther acknowledges. But “we accommodate.” *** Fifty of Arlington’s top athletes over the decades are now enshrined in a traveling Arlington Sports Hall of Fame. Unveiled Sept. 5 at Arlington Central Library, the retractable banners showcase newly fleshedout bios and action photos of high school, college and professional stars and coaches inducted since 1958. To an audience of county dignitaries, fans and seven inductees, organizer Jim Smith noted that the pace of inductions accelerated before the rollout of what for years was only a website. County board member Erik Gutshall read a proclamation promoting sportsmanship, adding “We need some more of that around here.” *** Our county’s bonds with the Navy’s USS Arlington LPD-24 were reinforced Sept. 7 at the cavernous Firehouse No. 5 in Crystal City. The ship’s crew, back from the Mediterranean, were bussed up from Norfolk for a tribute lunch organized by boosters Frank O’Leary and Kevin Reardon. As the sailors chatted with top fire, police and government officials, Capt. Paul Lanzilotta told me of the ship’s recent role in keeping U.S. presence visible off the coasts of Libya and Tunisia. “A nation called,” said he, “the USS Arlington answered.“

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PAGE 22 | SEPTEMBER 12 – 18, 2019

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Textile & Fiber Arts Studio Opening on W. Broad Tint – A Modern Makerspace is opening this weekend at 417 W. Broad Street, Suite 100. The new textile and fiber arts studio, owned and operated by Carissa Englert, will be open Friday, Sept. 13 from noon – 8 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 14 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 15 from noon – 4 p.m. Refreshments and tours of the space will be available and demonstrations will be conducted at various times Saturday afternoon. Members of the Falls Church City Council and Falls Church Chamber of Commerce will officially welcome Tint to the community with a ribbon cutting on Friday at 6 p.m.

Lost Dog Hosting ‘Mega Adoptorama’ This Weekend Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation is hosting its 2019 Mega Adoptorama on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 14 and 15 from noon – 3 p.m. at PetSmart Seven Corners. Adoptable dogs and cats will be on site and a bake sale and raffle will be offered to raise funds for the nonprofit no kill pet shelter located in Falls Church. PetSmart is at 6100 Arlington Boulevard. For more information, visit www.LostDogRescue.org.

Bahamas Benefit at Clare & Don’s Sunday Clare & Don’s Beach Shack is hosting Benefit for the Bahamas on Sunday, Sept. 15 from 1 – 6 p.m. The event will include raffle prizes and live music featuring Derd Berner, Bongo District, and Half Pint Harry. Clare & Don’s Beach Shack is located at 130 N. Washington Street in Falls Church. For more information, visit www.clareanddons.com.

F.C. EDA Chair, City Manager to Speak at Next Chamber Meeting Falls Church Economic Development Authority Chair Bob Young and City Manager Wyatt Shields will speak at the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce’s networking luncheon scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 17, 11:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. at the Italian Café. The presentation will include plans by the City and the EDA to support the downtown Falls Church business community. Tickets purchased in advance are $27 for Chamber members, $32 for nonmembers. An additional $5 will be charged for walk-ins, should space be available. For more information or to register, visit www.FallsChurchChamber.org.

Entrepreneur Workshop Set for Next Wednesday at City Hall The Virginia Department of Small Business & Supplier Diversity, the City of Falls Church Economic Development Office and the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce are presenting Entrepreneur Express – Moving Your Business Forward on Wednesday, Sept. 18 from 9 a.m. – noon. The workshop will address legalities of getting started, accounting best practices, and securing financial support. The event is free and will be held in the Laurel Meeting Room in Falls Church City Hall, 300 Park Avenue, Lower Level LC 06. To register, visit www.sbsd.virginia.gov/events/entrepreneur-express-17.

Aldi Opening in Bailey’s Crossroads Tuesday A new Aldi is opening at 5725 Columbia Pike in Bailey’s Crossroads on Thursday, Sept. 19. To celebrate the opening, Aldi will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:50 a.m. followed by its popular “golden ticket” giveaway offering gift cards to the first 100 customers. Shoppers can also enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win a year’s supply of Aldi produce. The new Bailey’s Crossroads Aldi store layout features expansive refrigeration space and the company recently expanded its product offerings, making 20 percent of its total selection new. This expansion is part of the company’s aggressive national growth and remodel plan, and it includes a 40 percent increase in its fresh food selection, with many organic, convenient and easy-to-prepare options. The Bailey’s Crossroads store will be open daily from 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. For more information, visit www.aldi.us.  Business News & Notes is compiled by Sally Cole, Executive Director of Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at sally@fallschurchchamber.org.

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

SEPTEMBER 12 – 18, 2019 | PAGE 23

how well do you know these

THE TAILGATERS WERE OUT in full force last Friday for George Mason High School’s home football game against Strasburg High School. While the Mustangs might have lost (read story on page 24) students, parents and faculty seemed to have a blast celebrating the start of the school year

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S�� N�� N�� Falls Church High Starts Digital Fundraiser Next Week Fall student athletes at Falls Church High School will be participating in the Falls Church Athletic Boosters’ fundraising effort on Sept. 17 and 18. FCHS partners with OurFund in a digital campaign to ask family and friends for donations to support FCHS athletics. This endeavor has been successful for the athletic boosters in years past and the boosters look forward to 100 percent participation from the students this year. This is the only time the athletic boosters will conduct this campaign during this school year. Prizes will be awarded for the team and individual athletes that raise the most funding. For more information, contact Bonnie Gagermeier at bgagermeier@gmail.com.

Chilean Students Visit Mason High Twenty-four students came from Trewhela’s School in Santiago, Chile to George Mason High School on Saturday and are staying through Sept. 20. Students and residents are encouraged to

extend these students and their teachers a warm welcome as they improve their English, share their Spanish and explore the area. A special thanks goes to all the host families in Falls Church City Public Schools.

Shrevewood Elementary Welcomes New Principal Josh DeSmyter, who currently serves as assistant principal at Freedom Hill Elementary, has been named the new principal of Shrevewood Elementary, which took effect Aug. 19. DeSmyter served the assistant principal at Franklin Sherman Elementary from 2014-19 and, prior to joining FCPS, he taught elementary school in Washington, D.C., as well as in Detroit, where he was named the Outstanding Teacher of the Year. DeSmyter implemented the Math Workshop model at a large scale during his tenure at Franklin Sherman, and helped establish a local level IV AAP program, infusing the AAP curriculum in grades 3-6 classrooms, leading to increased rigor for all students. He is also a proponent of the Positivity Project. DeSmyter holds a bach-

elor of arts in elementary education from Spring Arbor University (Michigan) as well as a master of arts in educational leadership from George Mason University. He also holds an endorsement in Educational Administration and Supervision, PreK-12.

Mustang Alley Construction Underway until Oct. 31 A silt fence lines the Haycock Road driveway to George Mason High School in preparation for excavation, duct bank installation and tree removal beginning Monday. This work supports the economic development project to one day sit on the current GMHS site. EYA and Hoffman, the developers of the “Little City Commons,” say most work will occur at night from 4 p.m. – 2 a.m. so as not to impact the school day from arrival to dismissal. The area under construction stretches from Haycock Rd. to the new GMHS site and from the driveway halfway up the hill to the UVA/VA Tech campus boundary, including the “Mason Spirit” mural retaining wall. This project should conclude by Oct. 31.

girls?

PAGE 24 | SEPTEMBER 12 – 18, 2019

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New Year, New Classification for The Mustangs’ Fall Sports Teams by Natalie Heavren

Falls Church News-Press

A new school year means a new fall sports season for George Mason High School. Football, cross-country, girl’s volleyball and boy’s golf all find themselves in a similar position adjusting to a new district after the school moved from the 2A to 3A classification. However, that is where the similarities end for these teams. Boy’s golf will be wrapping up its season soon, while the rest of the teams are just beginning their fall competition. While cross-country is grounded by their upperclassmen, Mason’s football team is young and looking to continue gaining valuable experience on the field. Girl’s volleyball lies in the middle, with experienced juniors leading the pack.

Football George Mason’s football team is young and looking to gain experience, with just eight seniors on the team, two of which are firstyear football players in the program. After winning their first two games of the 2018 season, the Mustangs lost the next eight. The losing streak continued into the start of the 2019 season after losses to Falls Church High School and Strasburg High School. According to head coach Adam Amerine, the team hopes to build on the experience that the younger players got last season as freshmen and sophomores. He is counting on those players to step in right away as second-year players. The team faces another challenge this season; a change of district. This season they moved from 2A to 3A. Mason will face new opponents this fall as well as have the opportunities to renew rivalries with former Bull Run District teams, such as Central High School and Warren County High School, that have moved up in years past. In addition to competing for 48 minutes, each game Amerine had a goal of building depth at every position during the month of August. This was to prevent facing the same problems in scrambling each week to get players up to speed at a new position due to

injury or other circumstances. “We have talent, we just need to believe in our ability and trust one another to do the job in front of them and be all in with Mason football,” Amerine said. After a strong August turnout, Amerine believes that the program is headed in the right direction. He added, “We just need to find the fire and heart needed to compete with these more established programs on our schedule.”

Cross-Country Mason’s cross-country team looks to build on their successful season last year and embrace the challenge of a new district. The boy’s team finished fourth at States, their best finish since 2014, while the girl’s team finished eighth. Individually, Colson Board earned All-State honors as a sophomore last season after finishing 13th. Both teams are coming back stronger this season according to head coach Jeff Buck, as neither team graduated many seniors. Six of the top 10 athletes on the girl’s side are seniors while five of the top 10 athletes on the boy’s side are juniors. “The thing I’m most excited about this season is the unknown factor being in a new district and level. I really think we can surprise a lot of teams as long as we stay focused, feed off of each other during the races and continue to work hard in practices.” Though he is eager to face the challenges of new competition, Buck also acknowledges that adjusting to a new district, region and state classification will be the team’s biggest obstacle this season Buck’s goals for the season are simple, “Our goals this season are to continue the success of both programs.” He went on to add, “On both sides, we are looking to be top three at districts and regionals (which will advance us to states as a team). The boys have qualified for the last three years in a row, while the girls have qualified [every year] for the last 20 years.”

Girl’s Volleyball After making the Class 2 state tournament and losing in the first

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

round last year, head coach Derek Baxter is looking forward to seeing how much his team can grow and develop this season. The Mustangs return a strong core of players after graduating just four players last year. With much of the current roster having one or two years left to mature, Baxter wants to see his players get stronger and refine their individual talents on the court and in competition. He is not focused on replicating the team’s run to the state tournament, but rather on growing as a team. Baxter discussed the team coming together as one unit and “[being in] a growth mindset, in regards to the actions we’re taking to get better and to not let our own mistakes control us, but to allow us to grow further.” His goal for the team this season is to be the best team they can be no matter what the results may wind up being. He set this goal with the knowledge that the team cannot necessarily control who they will play, and does not want that to impact the success of the goals they set. “I’m just excited about getting a chance to work with the players from last year to get them better and stronger and to see what they can do as their own personal growth improvement,” Baxter said.

Boy’s Golf Mason’s Boy’s Golf team is beginning to wrap up as they opened their regular season schedule in early August. Head coach Chris Carrico said, “Our team has been competitive in each of our matches/tournaments which has been a great step in the right direction for the program. Our numbers have gone up significantly and we have 40 golfers on our team, which is also great for our program.” Carrico’s goal for the rest of the season is to perform well at both the District and Regional tournaments. He also wants to see his athletes continue to improve both the teams and their individual scores. Carrico highlighted three standouts on the team, senior Tucker Gaskins, junior Ryan Fletchall and sophomore Jack Biggs.

MASON’S CROSS COUNTRY team has high hopes for its jump to 3A classifiction, mainly because its bevy of veteran returners for both the boys and girls. The Mustangs field hockey team, who couldn’t be reached for comment, also look to hold their own against tougher teams. (Photos: Carol Sly)

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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SEPTEMBER 12 – 18, 2019 | PAGE 25

Rams Gore Mustangs in 35-20 Loss to Start School Year by Natalie Heavren

Falls Church News-Press

George Mason High School football dropped to 0-2 this season after a 35-20 loss to Strasburg High School last Friday, Sept. 6. Despite falling behind early, the Mustangs never stopped fighting and outscored the Rams 13-0 in the fourth quarter. Strasburg scored the first three touchdowns of the game, capitalizing on Mason’s errors. The first touchdown came quickly on the Rams’ first possession early in the first quarter on a 15-yard run from senior running back Jalen Bray. Strasburg’s second touchdown came on their third possession by way of a seven-yard run by senior running back Da’Neil Holliday after Mason turned it over on downs its previous possession. The Rams picked off sophomore quarterback Evan Rice’s pass and returned it for a touchdown to go up 21-0 with seven minutes left in the second quarter. Mason would score on the next possession on a two-yard run by sophomore running back/defen-

THE MUSTANGS were successful in keeping Strasburg High School out of the endzone on this play, but were badgered by the Rams’ offense all night in the 35-20 loss. (Photo: Carol Sly) sive back George Papadopoulos cutting the lead to 14. Though Strasburg would force a Mason fumble and score two more touchdowns in the third quarter to make it 35-7, the Mustangs played hard until the end of the game. In the fourth quarter, Mason scored two touchdowns on the ground, making the final score 35-20 after one of junior kicker Ian McCraken’s extra point attempts was blocked. The first was a four-yard run by

junior running back Robert Silva and the second was an 18-yard run from senior running back Connor Plaks. The defense also stepped up, recovering two fumbles in the fourth quarter while holding the Rams scoreless over those 12 minutes. Mason head coach Adam Amerine was proud of his team’s effort Friday night. “We competed hard for 48 minutes and that’s always our goal every night,” he said. “And unlike

last week, where it was a tight game until the end, this one kind of got away from us there in the third quarter. So our goal was to win the fourth quarter and play a full 48-minute game. But obviously, the mistakes we made early are what really killed us.” Amerine praised his team for not giving up, listening to the team’s goals and for coming together to have so much success in the fourth quarter. When asked about what improvements he saw from week

one to week two Amerine focused on defense. “Defensively, I thought we were pretty strong again tonight ... the defense responded for the second week in a row. We had some new guys in some new places, due to injury for a couple guys, so it was nice to see them respond.” Several Mustangs’ performances stood out statistically. Papadopoulos succeeded in all three areas of the games. He had 50 yards on seven carries, returned three kicks for an average of 16.7 yards and had 12 tackles, tied for most on the team. Senior outside linebacker Michael Turner also had 12 tackles as well as a forced fumble and fumble recovery. Plaks rushed for 94 yards and a touchdown on 15 attempts and also contributed two tackles. Junior linebacker Walter Roou had 11 tackles and rushed for 17 yards on two attempts after coming in and taking snaps at quarterback. Mason will play its first road game of the season when they take on Madison Country High School on Friday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m.

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FALLS CHURCHCALENDAR COMMUNITYEVENTS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 DMV 2 Go Bus. The full-service DMV2Go bus will be in front of City Hall today. Find out more about the full-service DMV 2 Go and select-service DMV Connect at fallschurchva.gov/1359/DMV2-Go-DMV-Connect. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Falls Church). 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. 703-248-5450. Arm Chair Travel: Scotland. Interested attendees can see the world from the comfort of a chair the group will watch a video about a different part of the world. No registration required. This program is sponsored by the Falls Church Senior Center and Mary Riley Styles Public Library. Teen Center @ Community Center (223 Little Falls St., Falls Church). 10 – 11 a.m.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 Farmers Market. The award-winning, year-round market is filled with fresh, local produce, meat, dairy, flowers & plants, honey, music and much more. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Falls Church). 8 a.m. – noon. 703-248-5034. Fit at the Farmers Market: Family Yoga. The family yoga class may incorporate music, stories, games and partner poses to help focus on breathing, move through yoga poses and relax. Best suited for toddlers – 6 year olds. Parents are encouraged to participate alongside their child(ren). Attendees are encouraged to bring a mat with them, as a limited number of yoga mats will be available to use during class. All classes are free and there is no registration required. City Hall parking lot (300 Park Ave., Falls Church). 9 – 10 a.m. 703-248-5027.

Falls Church Festival. The 44th Annual Falls Church Festival (previously known as the Falls Church Fall Festival) features The Taste of Falls Church, a beer garden, live entertainment, pony rides and other children’s amusements, and booths from local crafters, businesses and civic organizations. Admission is free to the public, but food, beer and amusement rides require the purchase of one or more tickets. This is a rain or shine event. City Hall parking lot (300 Park Ave., Falls Church). 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. 703-248-5077. Sprinkler Fun. Sprinklers will be set up at the Downtown Park to let kids cool off in the summer heat. Families are encouraged to bring towels. Downtown Park (100 block W. Broad St., Falls Church). 3 – 4 p.m. 703-248-5210 (TTY 711). Chess & Checkers. Interested

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13

residents that are looking for someone to play a game of chess or checkers with can join fellow attendees for either one of the games at the Downtown Park. From beginners to Grand Masters, all levels are welcome. Attendees are encouraged to bring their board as limited boards will be provided. Children must be supervised by parents. Downtown Park (100 block W. Broad St., Falls Church). 5 – 6 p.m. 703-248-5210.

“2019 Summer Cabaret Series.” Every summer weekend at Creative Cauldron features a cabaret or concert by some of the most spectacular talent the DC area has to offer! Grab a table for two or a table for four and enjoy your favorite musical standards from the Broadway, Tin Pan Alley, Folk Jazz, pop and classical canon and be entertained in an up close and personal cabaret space. Creative Cauldron (410 S Maple Ave., Falls Church). $18 – $22. 8 p.m. creativecauldron.org.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14

Run for Schools 5K Run/1K walk. The Falls Church Education Foundation will hold the 15th annual Run (or walk or jog or stroll) for the Schools. The race is aimed at raising money for Falls Church City Public Schools. Kids can enjoy the moonbounce and face painting at the conclusion of the race. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Falls Church). 8 a.m.

“Assassins.” From John Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald, nine would-be and successful presidential assassins inspire each other to pull the trigger and change their worlds in a perverse, wry and thrillingly entertaining vaudeville. Directed by Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer, a cast of Signature favorites including Nova Y. Payton, Tracy Lynn

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Olivera, Evan Casey, Bobby Smith and others explore Sondheim’s stunning music and sardonic lyrics in a fascinating examination of the twisted American Dream. Signature Theatre (420 Campbell Ave., Arlington) $56 – $95. 2 p.m. sigtheatre.org.

“Beehive.” A tribute to the women of 1960’s rock, pop and soul music—from the Shirelles to the Supremes, from Diana Ross to Aretha Franklin, from Tina Turner to Janis Joplin—this musical celebrates the talent, soul and power of the women who characterized a decade and whose legacies are still celebrated around the world. Join us for this incredible tribute musical and reminisce with hit songs like “Where the Boys Are,” “Natural Woman,” “Proud Mary,” “Cry Baby,” “Chain of Fools,” and more! NextStop Theatre (269 Sunset Park Dr., Herndon) $40. 7:30 p.m. nextstoptheatre.com.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 “Shear Madness.” First seen in Boston in 1980, and opening here at the Kennedy Center in 1987, the show reinvents itself every performance— pulling from the news of the day, and on-goings of the DMV, to improvise timely witticisms and gags. Set today in the Shear Madness hairstyling salon, this record-breaking comedy is Washington’s hilarious whodunit. After more than 12,000 performances, the show has stayed in great shape. The Kennedy Center (2700 F St. NW Washington, D.C.) $50. 8 p.m. kennedy-center.org.

LIVEMUSIC THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 Randoll Rivers Elvis Show. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 5:30 p.m. 703-2419504. Hilary Veltri. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 6:30 p.m. 703-237-8333. Laughs In The Lobby Bar: Comedy Open Mic. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). 8 p.m. 703-255-1566.

CA L E NDA R

SEPTEMBER 12 –18, 2019 | PAGE 27

Union Stage presents at the Miracle Theatre: Joe Mande — King of Content Tour with Denise Taylor. Miracle Theatre (535 8th St. SE Washington, D.C.). $16 – $18. 8 p.m. 703-255-1566. Karaoke. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-8589186. 19th Street Band. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-2419504.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 Andrew O’Day. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-532-9283. Holly Montgomery. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-2419504. The Fabulous Dialtones — FDT All-Beatles Set. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $25. 8 p.m. 703-255-1566. Guest Bartender Channel 5 Tucker Barnes. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 7 p.m. 703-858-9186.

19TH STREET BAND will be at JV’s Restaurant tonight. (Photo: 19thStreetBand.Com) (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-237-8333.

Patty Reese. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-858-9186.

Comedy Night (ticket pre-sale required). Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-8589186.

Christopher Titus with Rachel Bradley. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). $35 – $50. 9 p.m. 703-237-0300.

Jr. Cline and The Recliners. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9 p.m. 703-2419504.

Cactus Liquors. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9 p.m. 703-241-9504.

Whiskey Tango Fall Down. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 10 p.m. 703237-8333.

Justin Shapiro. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 10 p.m. 703-237-8333.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 School of Rock Haymarket. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). Noon. 703-255-1566. Mars Rodeo. Dogwood Tavern

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 End of Summer Mini-Fest. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 1 p.m. 703-532-9283. Bentwood Rockers. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 1 p.m. 703-241-

9504. Padraig Stevens with Leo Moran of The Saw Doctors. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $25. 7 p.m. 703-255-1566. Josh Allen Band. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 5 p.m. 703-241-9504.

by Ryan Burke. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $20 – $28. 8 p.m. 703-255-1566. Wolf Blues Jam Weekly Show. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17

Open Mic. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 5 p.m. 703-8589186.

Amanda Bocchi & The ASF with Emily Musolino. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $25. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566.

Robert Kimbrough and Linwood Taylor Band. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-2419504.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

Spider Cake, Crown Cobra. Galaxy Hut (2711 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $5. 9 p.m.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 Free Acoustic Open Mic, Hosted

Scott Mulvahill (full band!) with Courtney Hartman Live. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $20. 7:30 p.m. 703-2551566. Johnny Lang with Zane Carney Live and In Concert. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). $48 – $175. 3 p.m. 703-237-0300.

Calendar Submissions Email: calendar@fcnp.com | Mail: Falls Church News-Press, Attn: Calendar, 200 Little Falls St., #508, Falls Church, VA 22046

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

PAGE 28 | SEPTEMBER 12 - 18, 2019

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DIVORCE-UNCONTESTED $395+$86 court cost. WILLS $150.00. No court appearance. Estimated completion time twenty-one days. Hilton Oliver, Attorney (Facebook). 757-490-0126. Se Habla Espanol. BBB Member. https://hiltonoliverattorneyva.com

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A public hearing on the following is scheduled for Monday, September 23, 2019 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as may be heard. (TO19-05) ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 44, “VEGETATION,” AND CHAPTER 48, “ZONING,” OF THE CITY CODE OF THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH TO CHANGE THE NAME OF THE TREE COMMISSION TO THE URBAN FORESTRY COMMISSION All public hearings will be held in the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 300 Park Ave., Falls Church, VA. For copies of legislation, contact the City Clerk’s oﬃce at 703-248-5014 or cityclerk@fallschurchva. gov. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5014 (TTY 711).

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Auction ATTENTION AUCTIONEERS

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2019 10:00 AM. 1478 Cartersville Rd. (Route 45) Cumberland, VA, 23040. Real estate-79+/acres- Home -Workshop- Pond - Valuable Timber. Guns - Antiques - Furniture - Tools - Personal Property. www.TilmansAuctions. com VA#348

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PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Master of Science in Business Administration (MSBA-HTM) Program with concentration in Hospitality & Tourism Management Virginia Tech Pamplin College of Business Pamplin College of Business at the Northern Virginia Center in Falls Church is seeking a Part-time Program Coordinator for the Master of Science in Business Administration. Applicant should have program support experience in an academic or professional office environment; highly organized; proficiency with Microsoft Office Excel and Word; must possess strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work well in a team and with public; ability to maintain confidentiality, prioritize multiple tasks, meet deadlines and work collaboratively with others; interact professionally with graduate students, staff and faculty. To apply for this position, please follow this link: https://jobs.vt.edu/careers.html. Virginia Tech is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution. A criminal background check is the condition of employment with Virginia Tech.

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

KIDS LOVE SCALLIWAG By Eileen Levy

OK kids, write a story, Full of action, fame and glory, You’re the sheriff, standing tall, Keep the peace for one and all! .

A RTS&E NTE RTA I NME NT

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Crossword

ACROSS

By David Levinson Wilk 1

45 47

46 49

56 57

Across

1. Eliza played by Audrey Hepburn 10. Traditional filled fare of Europe and West Asia 12. Inuit, e.g. 14. Get-____ (starts) 15. WSW’s opposite 16. Granola ____ 18. Minimal paint job 23. Brandy label letters 24. Suffix with Capri 25. Singer in the 2019 documentary “Homecoming” 26. “There is no ____ team” 27. “Let’s get out of here!” 28. Adolescents’ support group 29. Sault ____ Marie 30. “____ & the Women” (2000 Richard Gere movie) 31. Badminton barrier 32. Sue Grafton’s “____ for Innocent” 33. “Am ____ risk?” 34. Work onstage 35. Winnie’s title? 39. -mo replay 40. Degree in math 41. Somers of “Three’s Company” 42. Ramen : Japan :: ____ : Vietnam 43. Exist 44. Roman general in “Antony

STRANGE BREW

1. Eliza played by Audrey Hepburn 10. Traditional filled fare of Europe and West Asia

SEPTEMBER 12 – 18, 2019 | PAGE 29

and Cleopatra” 45. Detroit-based labor org. 46. Bro or sis 47. Suffix with super 48. Element with the symbol Sn 49. Gadget for sharing a TV signal 56. Teeny-tiny fractions 57. Italian liqueurs

DOWN

1. “Can’t Help Lovin’ ____ Man” 2. ____-Wan Kenobi 3. ‘’Heads’’ side of a coin: Abbr. 4. Pacific port from which Amelia Earhart left on her fatal flight 5. Supermarket chain since 1926 6. Series starter 7. Segue 8. Fall for 9. Yellowstone grazer 10. Poem set in Mudville 11. Strikes, e.g. 12. Unplugged? 13. Afro, e.g. 14. Flip out 17. Like some store furniture 19. Stowable bed 20. Washington bill 21. With 22-Down, blackjack hand that gives you the num-

JOHN DEERING

Sudoku

ber seen in the middle of this puzzle’s grid 22. See 21-Down 35. Airport org. 36. What an “O” means in XOXO 37. Old Testament book: Abbr. 38. FCC chairman Ajit ____ 50. Support wear 51. Max. or min. 52. She, in Brazil 53. Certain 35mm camera 54. What “pizza” means in Italian 55. Ordinal number endings

Last Thursday’s Solution B R E T T S

Y A M A H A

A W A K E N

H E Y J U D E

O N E I R O N

A T A S L A N T

I C B M S H A P N U E L A K A E R A M D R A O H A G W A R M I E H E S A C T S S O S A S A N D E W H L S U T A L R E R Y

S B E A X R T E S S T E S T Y A M M M O A S M I A N R A T A F A S A P S

A R I P

L P G A T O O R U E R

S E E D A G E

A L L E G E D

N Y E T

O N I O N Y

W E E L A D

N O L O O K

By The Mepham Group

Level 1 2 3 4

12. Inuit, e.g. 14. Get-____ (starts) 15. WSW's opposite 16. Granola ____ 18. Minimal paint job 23. Brandy label letters

24. Suffix with Capri 25. Singer in the 2019 documentary "Homecoming" 26. "There is no ____ team" 27. "Let's get out of here!" 28. Adolescents' support group Solution to last Sunday’s puzzle

29. Sault ____ Marie NICK KNACK

9/15/19

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk. © 2019 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

LO CA L

PAGE 30 | SEPTEMBER 12 – 18, 2019

dog. lazy ick qu The fox sly p e d j u m the over dog. lazy is the Now for all time cows good co me to aid to the the ir of t u r e . pas

20 s Yearo Ag

is the Now for all time cows good co me to aid to the the ir of t u r e . p a s is the Now for all time cows good me to to coaid of the their.

BACK IN THE DAY

20 � 10 Y�� A�� N��-P��

Falls Church News-Press Vol. IX, No. 27 • September 10, 1999

It is now the time fo r all good to go cows to aid of the p a s their ture . * * * Throw * * Pour it up. it up

Falls Church News-Press Vol. XIX, No. 28 • September 17, 2009

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

C�� C�� 10 Year s Ago

It is now the time fo r all good to go cows to aid of the the ir pas ture . * * * Throw * * Pour it up. it up

Nancy Beyer of Falls Church Dies at Age 73

F.C.: ‘Fairfax Trying to Push Us out Of Water Business’ as Trial Begins

Nancy McDonald Beyer, 73, a resident of Falls Church since 1982, wife for 51 years of of Donald Beyer and mother of six, including former Lieutenant Governor Donald S. Beyer, Jr., and Falls Church business Michael Beyer, died at her Falls Church home last Sunday afternoon. She had suffered from myeloproliferative disorder.

The attorney representing the City of Falls Church in its titanic face-off with the Fairfax County Water Authority pulled no punches in his opening arguments Monday, charging that Fairfax’s goal is nothing short of “putting Falls Church out of the water business.” The case before Judge R. Terrence Nye in Fairfax Circuit Court has many implications like these.

C � � � � � F� � � � C � � � � �

CRIME REPORT Week of Sept. 2 – 8, 2019 Driving Under the Influence, 1000 blk Seaton Ln, Sept 2, 12:34 AM, a male, 20, of Falls Church, VA, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence. Smoking Violations, 6700 blk Wilson Blvd, Sept 2, 2:19 PM, a male, 38, of Silver Spring, MD, was issued a summons for Smoking in a Restaurant. Larceny from Building, 200 blk E Broad St, Sept 3, 1:40 PM, items of value were taken from an unsecured office. Investigation continues Indecent Exposure, 100 blk E Fairfax St, Sept 3, 1:30 PM, unknown suspect described as an early 30`s, medium built Hispanic male seated in a white, 2-door BMW, exposed himself to a passersby. Larceny-Theft From Motor Vehicle, 500 blk Roosevelt Blvd, between 2 PM, Aug 31 and 11:20 AM, Sept 1, Temporary License Plates were removed from two vehicles. Plates were later recovered from two stolen vehicles located in the City of Falls Church.

Motor Vehicle Theft, 6700 blk Wilson Blvd, between 12:45 and 2:45 PM, Sept 3, a Toyota Prius was taken by unknown suspect(s). The key had been left in an unsecured locker. Vehicle was recovered Sept 6 at 11 PM, by the Metropolitan Police Dept. Investigation continues. Drug/Narcotic Violation, 100 blk S Spring St, Sept 1, 10:32 PM, following a traffic stop, a male, 25, of Sterling, VA, was issued a summons for Possession of Marijuana. Larceny from Motor Vehicle, 6700 blk Wilson Blvd, between 2:50 and 3:45 PM, Sept 3, items of value were taken from an unsecured vehicle. Investigation continues. Motor Vehicle Theft, 6700 blk Wilson Blvd, between 12:40 and 2:09 PM, Sept 4, a Nissan Versa was taken by an unknown suspect who removed a backpack and keys from an unsecured locker. Suspect described as a black male, 5’11”, 170 lbs, wearing a gray shirt, red bandanna, blue jeans, and a black backpack. Investigation continues. Fraud, 1200 blk W Broad St, Sept 4, 2:33 PM, an incident of

fraud was reported. Fraud, 400 blk S Virginia Ave, Sept 4, 6:37 PM, an incident of fraud was reported. Larceny from Vehicle, 500 blk Roosevelt Blvd, between 8:30 PM, Sept 4 and 11 AM, Sept 5, a State Dept-issued Temporary License Plate was removed from a vehicle. Trespass, 400 blk W Broad St, Sept 6, 9:20 AM, a male, 59, of no fixed address, was arrested for Trespass Counterfeiting, 300 blk W Broad St, Sept 6, 1:54 PM, two instances of counterfeiting were reported. Suspects described as black male, approximately 30-35 YOA, pulled back hair, wearing jeans, black shoes, a white shirt with a bracelet or watch. Second suspect described as a black male, 35 YOA, short hair. Investigation continues. Drunk in Public, 100 blk E Broad St, Sept 7, 7:10 PM, a male, 53, of no fixed address, was arrested for Drunk in Public Smoking Violations, 6700 blk Wilson Blvd, Sept 8, 2:48 PM, a male, 25, of Ocean View, DE, was issued a summons for Smoking in a Restaurant.

ESTABLISHING THEIR TERRITORY are the George Mason High School geese. While they may not recognize their home that’s “under renovation,” they’re not letting the construction crews get any funny ideas about who’s residence they are rebuilding. Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be! Send in your Critter Corner submissions to crittercorner@fcnp.com.

Jimmie & Mindy Married February 14, 2016

Drunk in Public, S Spring St/W. Broad St, Sept 8, 8:48 PM, a male, 53, of no fixed address, was arrested for Drunk in Public.

Jimmie was fired from her job as a teacher because of who she loves.

In 31 states in this country, it’s legal to discriminate against LGBT Americans. That means you can be fired from your job, evicted from your home, or even denied medical services because of who you are or who you love. Everyone has the right to marry. Not everyone has basic rights.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

SEPTEMBER 12 - 18, 2019 | PAGE 31

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PAGE 32 | SEPTEMBER 12 - 18, 2019

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