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Comment ................................ 7,12,13 News & Notes
PAGE 11 | SEPTEMBER 16 – 22, 2021
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F.C. 8th Grader Awarded Rank of Eagle Scout
Falls Church City 8th grader Lorien Jackson became the first Eagle Scout for her troop and one of the first female Eagle Scouts in the country recently. For her Eagle Scout project, she led a team to create flying squirrel house kits for families participating in programs at Hidden Oaks Nature Center. As a former Cub Scout with Pack 657 at Falls Church Presbyterian Church, she is hoping to help create a female BSA troop in Falls Church City.
Meridian High School Digitizes History
With the construction of Meridian High School, the school also made the decision to digitize many of its old yearbooks, editions of The Lasso, hallway artwork as well as athletics and academic trophies. They can all be viewed at mustangs. touchpros.com.
The site has photos from chorus concerts, plays, and band competitions, along with photos and videos from Robotics events. On the athletics side, visitors can see the Hall of Fame, check out school and state records and see information and photos from over 280 championship teams (including 69 state championships), and close to 300 distinguished athletes.
The site is continuing to add and update content. Anyone who has information or photos to add, they can send it to kiosk@fccps. org.
McLean Girl Scouts Organize Summer Camp for Students
McLean High School senior Cathy Zhang recently completed the Gold Award, the highest achievement a Girl Scout can earn. Zhang, and her partner Sarina Saran, ran a summer enrichment camp at Providence Elementary School called FLASH (Financial Literacy and STEAM Heroes) that was designed to address specific weaknesses in the elementary school curriculum that the pair have noticed throughout their experiences in Fairfax County.
One half of the day was focused on financial literacy lessons, led by Zhang using paper money, plastic bags and paper boxes to make hands-on financial decisions.The other half of the day involved hands-on STEAM activities, led by Saran. This part of camp was focused on introducing students to the staples of the scientific curriculum. Each lesson illustrated different aspects of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, each with an artistic twist.
Welcoming Week 2021 Kicks Off in Falls Church
Welcoming Week in Falls
Church has returned for its third year in a row. The week-long event started in 2018 focuses on using community events to
ELECTED WOMEN OF FALLS CHURCH held a fundraising block party at the home of City Treasurer Jody Acosta (left) last weekend that included the organization’s F.C. Vice Mayor Marybeth Connelly (center) and Council member Debbie Hiscott. (C������� �����)
help build connections with local immigrants and refugees, and is a part of the Welcoming America movement that addresses that same goal.
This week’s main event is the launch of the 2021-22, Celebrating Community | Our Stories. This film series will begin with their sponsoring the outdoor, public screening of “Raya and the Last Dragon” at the City of Falls Church’s Sunset Cinema on Friday, September 17 at Cherry Hill Park and a virtual webinar on Saturday, September 18 at noon featuring Osnat Shurer, the producer of “Raya and the Last Dragon” and Dr. S. Steve Arounsack, visual anthropologist and lead cultural advisor for the film.
McLean Center’s Harvest Festival Set For Sept. 25
McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean, VA) will be hosting its Harvest Happenings Festival on Saturday, Sept. 25 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Families can attend the event for free, but registration is required. The festival will take place both indoors and outdoors and will include a petting zoo, craft projects, a magician and more.
Masks are required indoors, regardless of vaccination status and patrons will be assigned an entry time to allow for social distancing. For more information, those interested can visit www. mccleancenter.org.
PAGE 12 | SEPTEMBER 16 – 22, 2021
COMMENT
A Penny for Your Thoughts
News of Greater Falls Church
By Supervisor Penny Gross
Fans of old movies may remember that characters sometimes included a “cop on the beat,” who seemed to know everyone and rarely used his nightstick or weapon. The actor/officer seldom had many lines of dialogue, but appeared to gauge the rhythm of the community quite well by his mere presence. Screenwriters made the position look easy in those old flicks; in reality, it can be quite the opposite.
The movies got one thing right – officers knew their communities. In a similar vein, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis announced a new program that will bring patrol officers out of their cruisers to interact casually with community members each day. The new Integrating Police And Community (iPAC) program is a modern version of the cop on the beat and aims to strengthen communication and understanding between the officers and the communities they serve. Officers will spend a part of each day walking around neighborhoods, shopping centers and community gathering spots, to chat, get acquainted, learn about local concerns and sometimes, resolve issues on the spot. “Know us before you need us,” Chief Davis said when announcing the new program. When positive relationships are nurtured ahead of time, energies can be directed to resolving the emergency at hand. A hint to civic and homeowner associations planning fall activities – contact your local police station ahead of time and invite the officers on duty to stop by your event. It’s a plus for everyone.
Now that the 2020 Census data has been released by the federal government, months later than forecast and with some serious concerns about the accuracy of the counts, expressed by local demographers, work to redraw election boundaries can get underway. Federal and state laws require that federal, state and local election district boundaries be reviewed and amended to be roughly equal in population, reflecting the “one man, one vote” ideal. Congressional, State Senate and House of Delegates districts will be redrawn by the Virginia Redistricting Commission, but Board of Supervisor and School Board district boundaries will be done at the local level. Fairfax County’s 20-member Redistricting Advisory Committee is developing recommendations for new electoral boundaries, and the public is invited to draw and submit proposed redistricting maps using the county’s online mapping tool. Publicly submitted maps will be considered by the committee. Log on to www.fairfaxcounty.gov/redistricting/ for more information and access to the online map.
Fairfax Water’s first customer service survey began last week, and will run through the end of this month. The survey, which may be completed in English or in Spanish, should take about five minutes to complete and will help the water utility improve services to its customers. Information about the survey is available at www.fairfaxwater. org/news/survey or visit bit.ly/fairfaxwater4U to take the survey.
Fairfax County facilities and programs are reopening to the public but face masks are required, and social distancing is encouraged. Please stay safe and healthy and be sure you are vaccinated. Vaccination protects you, and our community as well. .
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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Week of Sept. 6 – Sept. 12, 2021
Assault, Wilson Blvd, Sept 6, 3:32 AM, victim was assaulted and stabbed by unknown suspect described as: male, 20 to 30 years old, shortblack hair and scraggly goatee.
Stolen Vehicle, Greenwich St, Sept 6, between 4 and 7 AM, an unsecured vehicle with keys inside was stolen from a driveway.
Shoplifting, W Broad St, Sept 8, 2:40 PM, unknown suspect stole multiple items of value. Suspect described as a male, wearing a black sweat shirt, grey hat and carrying a black backpack,
Drunk in Public, W Broad St, Sept 10, 8:50 PM, a male, 43, of no known address, was arrested for Drunk in Public.
Weapon Law Offenses/Driving Under the Influence, W Broad St, Sept 11, 2:35 AM, a male, 40, of Woodbridge, VA was arrested for Driving Under the Influence, Possession of a Firearm While Intoxicated, and Refusal.
Defrauding an Innkeeper/Drunk in Public, W Broad St, Sept 12, 7:55 PM, a Male, 28, of Falls Church, VA, was arrested for Defrauding an innkeeper and Drunk in Public.
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Delegate Marcus Simon’s
Richmond Report
When I was sworn into the Virginia House of Delegates in January of 2014, I was one of 33 House Democrats – a super-minority incapable of even sustaining a veto by the recently elected Democratic Governor, Terry McAuliffe.
Although I was a real estate attorney and small business owner with a long background in local government, I was assigned to only two committees that produced the fewest bills and generated the least work in the General Assembly. When session ended, I was free to resume my full-time work schedule, with little risk of being asked to serve in any capacity that might cause me to need to drive back to Richmond during the “off-season” between sessions.
I knew that these off-session commission, boards, work groups and task-forces were where most of the real work of legislating happened, but also knew for a freshman Democrat from liberal Northern Virginia, my contributions and point of view weren’t really sought after.
What a difference a couple of elections can make. Since taking over the Majority in 2020, I’ve been appointed to four committees, one of which I chair, and five subcommittees, one of which I chair. In addition, I serve on the Housing Commission, the FOIA Council as Vice Chair, the Code Commission as Vice Chair, the Legislative Support Commission, the Joint Reapportionment Committee, the Board of Veterans Services, the Virginia Redistricting Commission and the Joint Subcommittee to Study Campaign Finance Reform as Chair.
Since the public health State of Emergency ended and in-person meetings resumed, I’ve gotten to know every pothole between Falls Church and Richmond.
With all the important work happening between sessions, I want to focus on two of these commissions that are doing work which you can greatly influence through public participation and activism in the next few weeks.
This week, the Virginia Redistricting Commission provided criteria to two sets of professional map drawers with instructions for them to create maps for the House and Senate districts for the entire Commonwealth by next week. Over the next month, the Commission will be taking a deep dive into these maps, reviewing the lines, listening to public comments and making adjustments as needed.
In addition to public comment at the end of each regular Commission meeting, there will be two virtual public hearings each day from October 4th through October 7th with each hearing focusing on a specific region in the Commonwealth. The Commission will take a final vote on the House and Senate maps on October 11th.
After this, we will start to review the Virginia congressional map over a series of meetings with a virtual public hearing on October 22nd and a final Commission vote on October 25th. Assuming that the Commission passes these maps, then they will go to the General Assembly for an up or down vote.
Public input is a major component of this process, which can be shared via written comments or during public hearings. The bottom line – is we need to hear from you.
Are you concerned about the criteria the master mapmakers are using to draw the maps? Do you live in a split precinct or a community divided among a few representatives? Are you concerned about incumbents being drawn into the same district? Is there a specific community of interest that you think should be kept together?
Specific to Falls Church, do you think the City should be a community of interest with Arlington or with Fairfax County?
The Redistricting Commission website, VirginiaRedistricting.org, has all you need to participate – sign up to speak at a public hearing, submit written comments, or make specific comments directly on the preliminary maps. You can even submit your own maps to be reviewed!
Another opportunity you have to share feedback is with the Joint Subcommittee to Study Campaign Finance Reform. The Subcommittee’s second meeting is September 17th, which will be livestreamed via the Virginia General Assembly website.
Tasked with examining the costs of campaigning in the Commonwealth, the effectiveness of our current disclosure laws and their enforcement, and options available to regulate campaign finances, the Subcommittee’s primary task is to submit a report with recommendations by November 1, 2021.
Delegate Simon represents the 53rd District in the Virginia House of Delegates. He may be emailed at DelMSimon@house.virginia.gov
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM California Comes Through For Truth
You know the best way to defeat Trumpism? Well, every tool in the arsenal of law enforcement and public opinion needs to be involved. But, fundamentally it comes down to what the voters in California did Tuesday when they so overwhelmingly crushed a bogus recall effort against Gov. Gavin Newsom that no amount of Nicholas F. Benton the usual Trumpian accusations of vote fraud and the rest could be elicited in a manner that will be credible to anyone. Yes, some of the Trumpian FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS GOPers were preparing the groundwork for another fake, protracted vote fraud fight in the face of polls indicating an inevitable defeat of their plans.
But the margin of the blowout against their recall effort was so great, that no one but the most brainwashed Trump cult zealot will be wasting their time trying to prove the election was rigged.
Good for my fellow Californians! And their ability to divine the difference between truth and a fraud is a testament to the great work of everyone who has contributed to the benefits of universal public education, something not everyone believes in these days.
It takes me back to my youth on the rustic seacoast of California, in the little town where my two brothers and I operated for a few years. Very Steinbeckian though it may have been, we lived it day to day. The centerpiece of this little community of 300 souls was the two-room schoolhouse and its asphalt playground.
Our house was a block from the ocean and it was amazing for me to peer out the bedroom window from my upper bunk bed to see the ocean crashing against the rocks below and to the right down to where they were caressing the pylons of the pier a little further on.
That one-room schoolhouse was two blocks away from us. My recollection of my first day was not pleasant. I did not take kindly to another little student claiming she had rights to where I wanted to sit. It worked out, though.
In that little schoolhouse I often mused about the cursive alphabet posted stretching above the length of the green blackboards that were placed on two of the walls in front of us. I was perplexed by how it showed the letter “Q” was to be formed, looking more like a jellyfish, or a big number “2,” than I had learned before.
There I learned how to cut out a pumpkin by folding a sheet of orange paper in half, and one year when on Halloween I was all dressed up as President Thomas Jefferson, the cotton my mother used for my formidable wig, caused me to miss the call when my number came up for a stab at the grab bag of Halloween treats. I protested at the end that my number was never called. I was holding onto a ticket with the number ‘99,’ but learned I was holding it upside down. At any rate, I was granted a late visit to the grab bag box, and pulled something forgettable.
My point: My public education was so indispensably key to my development that I can in no way fathom what my life would have been without it.
In the one general store on the waterfront which also housed the post office, was framed and posted in its rear behind the transaction window a noble portrait of our nation’s president at the time. I will never forget how apropos it seemed then that our president would be named, “True Man!”
I hope everyone in this little town of my youth, where I crafted my first ever edition of ‘The Benton Star’ newspaper at age 7, voted in this week’s election to retain my San Francisco friend, Governor Gavin Newson, to keep his seat by the widest of possible margins. I feel surely they did.
They were fishing people, a colony of Portuguese in fact. My dad, a reclusive skydiver and wing-walker entertainer at county fairs to the north during the Great Depression, and his brother Bob, and their spouses, my mom and Bob’s lovely Betty, had become commercial deep sea divers. So their families, including me, lived and socialized in that tiny town.
COMMENT
SEPTEMBER 16 – 22, 2021 | PAGE 13
The nearly-two-century-old Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, a 184-mile one time engineering marvel that now charms D.C. and Maryland hikers, is a familiar landmark to most Arlingtonians.
The same cannot be said for the Alexandria Canal, a C&O extension that hugged our side of the Potomac from 1843 to 1886. Picturing it requires a bit of imagination for us moderns, though the City of Alexandria has invested in making its remembrance easier.
In 1830, two years after construction began on the C&O Canal, Congress sought to extend it. The Alexandria Canal would allow boats to traverse the Potomac via the 1,000-footlong engineering breakthrough called the Aqueduct Bridge, which linked Georgetown to what would become the Rosslyn section of today’s Arlington.
Mule-powered and cargo-laden barges traversing the then-wet bridge would travel by canal seven miles to Alexandria City, where four locks would lower them to loading docks on the river for long-distance transport, saving shippers labor costs.
At the Alexandria Canal groundbreaking on July 3, 1831, a crowd assembled in Old Town Alexandria for a procession, an artillery salute and ceremony at the town hall. The speaker George Washington Parke Custis of Arlington House. The chairman of the newly formed, con-
Our Man in Arlington gressionally charBy Charlie Clark tered Alexandria Canal Company presented a spade to Mayor John Roberts. But with no federal appropriation, the planners had to raise private capital. The company went to court to fight the citizens of Georgetown over cost sharing and rights to the Potomac. In turn, the Corporation of Georgetown sued the canal company, claiming the Aqueduct Bridge was within the corporate limits of Georgetown. As summarized by the currentday legal website Justia, plaintiffs argued that the Potomac was a public highway and that persons working near the river, as guaranteed under the 1785 navigation compact between Virginia and Maryland, were free to use the river but were being blocked by the new canal’s construction. The canal company rebutted, citing its charter from Congress. A circuit court dismissed the Georgetowners’ case, and in 1838, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed. During construction, Custis petitioned Congress in 1836 to be compensated for alleged damages to his riverside fishing grounds by the dredging machine used by the Corporation of Georgetown. In 1839, he negotiated with the Alexandria Canal Company to give it rightof-way through his land. He also offered a foundry as a setting for manufacturing on his land and hired out his Irish laborers for the construction. The canal was completed in 1843. It roughly followed today’s Metro blue line and South Eads Street in Crystal City. Canal shipping, though interrupted by the Civil War, continued until 1886, by which time, railroads had rendered it obsolete.
In modern times, remnants of the Aqueduct Bridge are visible from both the Virginia and Georgetown sides of the Potomac. Abandoned with the completion of Key Bridge in 1920, its superstructure was taken down in 1933 by Franklin Roosevelt’s Civil Works Administration. In 1962, the Army Corps of Engineers removed remaining tops of the old bridge’s stone piers.
The best way for moderns to visualize the Alexandria Canal is to visit the Potomac at Old Town’s north end. The office complex known as Canal Center contains a swell life-size reproduction of a tide lock. ***
County transportation planners’ transitioning of one of our main thoroughfares from Lee Highway to Langston Blvd. remains a work in progress.
While news editors and conversationalists toggle between the old and new names, the county and VDOT, at this writing, have yet to mount the planned 74 new intersection signs and eight overhead panels on I-66.
But at least one private citizen beat them to the punch. Paul Garst, whose front-yard stone facing the boulevard displays a custom metal plaque listing his address, has already ordered and installed a new version reading “Langston Blvd.”
PAGE 14 |SEPTEMBER 16 - 22, 2021 HOME IMPROVEMENT
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
4 Criteria To Consider When Choosing Patio Doors
If you’re in the market for new patio doors, there’s more to think about than just their appearance. Here are four criteria to keep in mind as you shop around.
1. MATERIALS
Patio doors are available in a variety of materials including aluminum, vinyl and wood. To determine which one best suits your needs, compare the cost, performance, durability and maintenance requirements of each option.
2. INSULATION
To maintain or improve your home’s energy efficiency, you’ll need patio doors that have a tight seal against air and water. Look for products that have a high R-value and Energy Star certification.
3. GLAZING
Consider opting for triple-glazed patio doors with inert gas between the panes and a low-emission film. These features will improve thermal insulation and reduce the amount of condensation on the doors.
4. INSTALLATION
If you’re replacing old patio doors, measure the existing space to determine whether you need a standard-size or custom model. To avoid premature wear and reduced energy efficiency, it’s best to have the doors installed by a professional.
Don’t hesitate to ask the experts at your local window and door retailer for more details about the models you’re interested in.
How to repair a concrete stoop
If the concrete steps outside your home are stained, cracked or chipped, you might want to try your hand at repairing them. Here’s what you need to do.
PREPARE THE CONCRETE
Sweep away loose concrete and other debris before pressure washing or scrubbing the surface with a stiff plastic brush. Allow the concrete to completely dry before moving on to the next step. Inspect the stoop to ensure you’ve located all the damaged areas.
APPLY A FIRST COAT
Mix the concrete patching compound according to the product’s instructions, then use a trowel to fill in the cracks. You should also spread a thin layer of the repair material over the entire surface of the stoop. This will improve the adhesion of the next coat.
FINISH THE SURFACE
Apply a coat of rapid-set mortar to resurface the stoop and protect it from water damage for years to come. Gently drag a masonry brush across the wet mortar to create a rough texture. This will provide better traction in slippery conditions.
For best results or major structural repairs, entrust this task to a professional. In addition to providing a seamless repair, they might be able to identify the cause of the damage to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
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703.533.3210 www.coupardarchitects.com
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HOME IMPROVEMENT
SEPTEMBER 16 - 22, 2021 | PAGE 15
4 tips to keep your fabric sofa in good condition
If you want to keep your fabric sofa in good condition, it’s important to take proper care of it. Here are four tips to help you extend the lifespan of this type of furniture.
1. Protect it from the sun. Black, blue and other dark fabrics are particularly vulnerable to sunlight and can start to fade within the first year.
Arrange your furniture to keep the sofa out of the sun, or close the blinds when you’re not using the room.
2. Follow the instructions. To avoid damaging the fabric, be sure to wash the cushion covers according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Only use cleaning products designed for the specific type of fabric on your sofa. 3. Vacuum it on a regular basis. Brush crumbs and other debris off the sofa as soon as possible to prevent stains. You should also use the upholstery attachment on your vacuum to suck up dust at least once a week.
4. Rotate the cushions. If the back or seat cushions of your sofa can be removed, you should regularly flip and rotate them. This will help extend their lifespan, as it allows the fabric to wear out and fade evenly.
If your fabric sofa needs to be replaced, visit local furniture stores to find a new model that matches your living room decor. Consider opting for a fabric that’s easy to clean, such as nylon or polyester, rather than linen, which is quite absorbent.
Some cleaning companies have specialized equipment and products to effectively clean and deodorize upholstery. Contact the ones in your area to learn more.
