2-5-2015

LEADERS OF THE Falls Church Chamber of Commerce made a rare appearance before the Falls Church City Council at a Council work session Monday night to present results of a sur-vey of Chamber members and friends in the greater Falls Church area concerning proposals for $600,000 of short-term improvements and fix-ups in the downtown “crossroads” inter-section of Broad and Washington Streets (Rts. 7 and 29). Left to right: former Chamber chair Gary LaPorta, executive director Sally Cole and current chair Joe Wetzel. Among others also present were Barbara Cram and Bob Young. (Photo: News-Press)

Five leaders of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce appeared before a work ses-sion of the Falls Church City Council Monday, coming at the Council’s request to comment on a plan to utilize $533,417 of the $20 million in cash proceeds

from the City’s sale of its water system for some sprucing up and quick fixes at or near the City’s “crossroads” intersection of Routes 7 and 29 (Broad and Washington Streets).

The Chamber members, led by current Chamber board chair Joe Wetzel and executive director Sally Cole, reported on 73 responses to a survey the

Chamber sent out to members, including leaders and members, of the Chamber and their friends and heard back from in five days. Thirty percent of those came from businesses right in the targeted area.

In addition to Cole and Wetzel, past president Gary

Students Refurbish Computers for Families The brainchild of two sophomores at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Reboot for Youth restores comput-ers for area families who don’t have the financial means to buy a computer for their children to use for school work. See page 21

$64k Will Make F.C. Salaries CompetitiveA study shows that an additional $23,237 in the current fiscal year and $64,712 in the upcoming year will bring all City employee positions fully comparable with those of surrounding jurisdictions.. See NewS BriefS, page 8

David Brooks: Building Better SecularistsOver the past few years, there has been a sharp rise in the number of

people who are atheist, agnostic or without religious affiliation. See page 12

Press Pass withDrew Gibson Drew Gibson wasn’t thinking about making a new album after his father Edmund Gibson died on July 4, 2012 – songwriting was only there to help him find balance.See page 22

Proclaiming, “We are believ-ers in downtown Falls Church,” Todd Hitt, the principal developer behind the 2.5 acre Rushmark/Harris Teeter mixed use project in the 300 block of W. Broad Street in Falls Church, announced late last week that he’s now acquired 2.68 acres just a couple blocks away right on the Route 7 and 29 (Broad and Washington) “cross-roads” intersection in the heart of the Little City.

In the blockbuster announce-ment last Thursday, a develop-ment team spearheaded by Hitt notified the public that it has acquired for $13.6 million a three-parcel consolidated site, includ-ing the current Applebee’s and Robertson Building at the south-east corner of Routes 7 and 29, the center of the City of Falls Church. The properties encompass 100 N. Washington, 107 E. Broad, Applebee’s and 131 E. Broad St.

In a press statement, the Arlington, Virginia based Insight Property Group LLC and the Reston, Virginia based Kiddar Metz group announced the acqui-sition, with the seller of the sites being their long-time owner, Robertson Properties, Inc. The City of Falls Church’s Economic Development Office played an instrumental role in putting the two groups together a couple of years back when the Robertson family indicated a desire to sell, Rick Goff from that office told the News-Press.

Hitt, who grew up in nearby McLean, is the CEO of Kiddar

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

Fa l l s Ch u r C h,Vi r g i n i a

•w w w.F C n p.C o m

•Fr e e

Fo u n d e d

1991•

Vo l. XXiVno. 50

Fe b r u a r y 5 - 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

Inside This Week

Editorial .................6Letters ...................6News & Notes 10-11Comment .......12-15Calendar ........16-17Food & Dining ......18

Sports ................19Press Pass .........22Classified Ads ....24Comics, Sudoku & Crossword ..........25Critter Corner ......26

Index

by Nicholas F. BentonFalls Church News-Press

F.C. Chamber Reps Affirm NeedFor Doable Downtown Upgrades

Continued on Page 5

F.C.’s Core Rt. 7/29Intersection Site HasAggressive Buyer

Downtown ‘Crossroads’ Land SalePortends Huge New Development

Continued on Page 4

by Nicholas F. BentonFalls Church News-Press

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COMPAGE 2 | FEBRUARY 5 - 11, 2015

A Place for Mom is the nation’s largest senior living referral information service. We do not own, operate, endorse or recommend any senior living community. We are paid by partner

communities, so our services are completely free to families.

Finding Senior Housing can be complex, but it doesn’t have to be.

“You can trust A Place for Mom to help you.”

– Joan Lunden

Call A Place for Mom. Our Advisors are trusted, local experts who can help

you understand your options. Since 2000, we’ve helped over one million

families fi nd senior living solutions that meet their unique needs.

A Free Service for Families.

Call: (800) 993-7955

Compare Our Prices! Call us toll-free at 1-800-909-8157.

Call toll-free: 1-800-909-8157

Are You Still Paying Too Much For Your Medications?You can save up to 93% when you fill your prescriptionsat our Canadian and International prescription service.

Prescription price comparison above is valid as of May 1, 2014. All trade-mark (TM) rights associated with the brand name products in this ad belong to their respective owners. *Generic drugs are carefully regulated medications that have the same active ingredients as the original brand name drug, but are generally cheaper in price. Generic equivalents are equal to their "brand" counterparts in Active Ingredients, Dosage, Safety, Strength, Quality, Performance and Intended use. It may vary in colour, shape, size, cost and appearance.

$10OFFGet An Extra

And FREE SHIPPING

Get an extra $10 o� your �rst order today!Call the number below and save an additional $10 plus get free shipping on your �rst prescription order with Canada Drug Center. Expires December 31, 2014. O�er is valid for prescription orders only and can not be used in conjunction with any other o�ers. Valid for new customers only. One time use per household.

Order Now! Toll-free: 1-800-909-8157Use code 10FREE to receive this special o�er.

Bottle AManufactured By

PfizerTM.Typical US brand price

for 200mg x 100

CelebrexTM

$679.41 Bottle BManufactured By

GenericsManufacturers

Generic equivalent of CelebrexTM

Generic price for 200mg x 100

Celecoxib*$64.00

Their PriceOur Price

Please note that we do not carry controlled substances and a valid prescription is required for all prescription medication orders.

FEBRUARY 5 - 11, 2015 | PAGE 3FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

ROCK STAR Realty ... ROCK STAR ServiceTM

201320122101 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201

REALTOR®

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

[email protected]

ToriRocksRealEstate.com© 2015 Tori McKinney, LLC

JUST LISTED

2948 Saxon Flowers Dr, Ffx

Updated 3 BR/3.5 BA TH w/ 2-car garage. Granite & SS Kitchen w/ island, H/W floors, luxurious Master Bath, and walk-out basement. Close to everything: Mosaic District, schools, and more. $635,000

FOR SALE

2807 Flagmaker Drive, Falls Church City3 BR/3.5 BA beautifully updated TH. New granite & SS kitchen. H/W floors on main level. Study and rec room with fireplace on finished lower level. $639,900

Call me today for ROCK STAR Service when buying or selling your home.

UNDER CONTRACT215 Gundry Drive, Falls Church City

Fabulously located End Unit TH. Master en suite along with 2 additional upper level bedrooms. Large fireplaced rec room on lower level. Plenty of space. Bonus large end unit yard. $570,000

12201 Fairfield House Dr #610A, Fairfax2 BR/3 BA + Loft. Sunny condo boasts vaulted ceilings and over 1500 sq ft. $319,900

FOR SALEOpen

Sun2-4p

Open Sun2-4p

Open Sun2-4p

Sales Price $525,000

Sold Price $529,00

LaPorta and developer Bob Young were present and also spoke.

The responses were broken into three categories, first, sec-ond and third highest priorities. In the top priority, maintenance items called for concrete side-walk repairs, short term improve-ments called for conversion of all street lights in the commercial areas of Broad and Washington to brighter LED lights, the addition of bike racks and the installa-tion of “wayfinding” and “bigger, more welcoming signage” at City boundaries.

For the longer term, the top priority category also called for a revision of signage options for downtown businesses “to make them more consistent and appeal-ing.”

In the second level tier of pri-orities, the Chamber called for the weeding and pressure wash-ing of all sidewalks, the repair and refreshment of all crosswalks and the weeding and replanting

of all flower beds, while in the short term making provisions for exterior electric and water access to the beds.

For the second tier longer term, the Chamber listed “continuing to investigate a redesign of a public park on a small City-owned parcel in the middle of the north side of the 100 block of W. Broad “with-out losing and perhaps expand-ing access to public parking from Broad Street and developing Bikeshare options.”

On the Chamber’s third tier of priorities were maintenance items of refreshing lighting pole planters and trimming of trees to permit business signage to be seen better.

Short term improvements would involve widening of side-walks on the 100 block of N. Washington, curb extensions and ramps on Park Place, a cross-walk on Park Place, a crosswalk on N. Washington on the south side of Park Avenue, the addition of thermoplastic markings on all crosswalks, the addition of more Hot Spot (very short term) parking

as needed, and “customer service training for the City’s develop-ment staff.”

Longer term investments on the third tier list included securing public art for the 7/29 intersec-tion, a pedestrian signal on N. Washington on the south side of Park Avenue, efforts to make the WMATA bus schedule more reli-able, the inclusion of bike lanes, and a public parking deck.

“If you put all these small things together, it would make a huge difference,” Cole said, add-ing that the downtown “cross-roads” area at night is currently dark and its sidewalks slick and bumpy. “These changes would not only be to the benefit of the busi-nesses in the immediate area, but to the good of the entire com-munity.”

The Chamber reps disagreed some on whether developing the City land for a mini-park in the 100 block was more important than making more parking available.

Barbara Cram, the chief orga-nizer of the annual New Year’s

Eve “Watch Night” happening in that area, said that the same busi-nesses who get “really excited” for “Watch Night” will be the most eager to get involved in these proposed improvements.

Bob Young said that the now-under-construction Rushmark/Harris Teeter project in the 200 block “should be seen as the real anchor for the downtown,” but “if you can get across the street to get to it, it is not an anchor.”

He called for a crosswalk on W. Broad directly across from the entrance to Harris Teeter, and to have a traffic stop there.

Councilman Phil Duncan, the Council’s liaison to the Chamber, said there should be something like the “Love” statue that was secured temporarily for “Watch Night” on New Year’s Eve at that

intersection permanently.Councilman Nader Baroukh

agreed that “there needs to be a ‘be there’ feel” to the area, and Vice Mayor David Snyder said the priorities provided by the Chamber are “exactly the way to go,” including the need for “a unique image to mark this area.”

Wetzel said that in addition to the downtown improvements, the Chamber board feels strongly that the City needs to revamp its BPOL (business gross receipts tax) formulas, which are “out of whack” with surrounding jurisdic-tions, significantly higher than in Arlington and Fairfax.

“For small businesses, these taxes are very important, and for as many such businesses as we gain, we also lose because of them,” he said.

LOCAL FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COMPAGE 4 | FEBRUARY 5 - 11, 2015

F.C. Chamber Weighs in WithDowntown ‘Quick Fix’ MeasuresContinued from Page 1

703-533-9013

Metz group. He said in the release, “We are believers in downtown Falls Church,” and Insight’s President Michael Blum added, “Broad and Washington is a strategic Main and Main loca-tion at the City of Falls Church’s core. Falls Church is a place with beautiful established neighbor-hoods, Metro access, first class schools, retail and proximity to employment.”

Commenting to the News-Press, Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields con-firmed the seminal role of Hitt in the deal. “We are very happy to have Mr. Hitt doing more in our downtown,” Shields said.

Shields said that while noth-ing has been determined to date about what the buyers plan to do with the parcel, most of their other projects have been large scale mixed use ones similar to the Rushmark Harris Teeter effort only a couple blocks away.

According to Goff, he’s met

numerous times with Hitt and others involved in recent months to talk about options. “Mr. Hitt is bullish on investing in the City and is reliable with his part-ners. We are excited about the possibilities here,” Goff told the News-Press.

Knowledgeable sources sug-gested to the News-Press that the eventual form of what happens to the consolidated parcel may involve more than just the cur-rent 2.65 acres, but that adjacent City-owned property between the parcel and the State Theatre may eventually be involved, as well as other adjacent properties.

It was also noted that the Hitt family is looking at other com-mercial real estate in the down-town area.

Insight, according to the press statement, has nearly 1,000 apartments currently under development in the D.C. area, including a 430-unit proj-ect anchored by a Whole Foods under construction on H Street NE in D.C, a 310-unit luxury

apartment building near the Metro station in Silver Spring, and a 240-unit luxury apartment project near the Huntington Metro in Alexandria. In 2013 Insight completed its Grayson Flats apartment project in Arlington, and has acquired another 572 existing apartments in four DC Metro locations, including the Metro Rosslyn Apartments in Arlington.

Kiddar Metz, the statement said, is a private investment firm that originates, structures and manages strategic equity invest-ments across a variety of busi-ness disciplines. It has in excess of $300 million under manage-ment.

This latest development adds onto the Rushmark and Lincoln Property mixed use projects cur-rently under construction, an

office building proposal for 400 N. Washington Street and the W. Broad at N. West Street “Mason Row” project by the Spectrum Group that is currently seeking approval from City Hall to com-bine for a staggering development agenda for the Little City in the coming years, on top of promises of more to come soon. This new one, however, promises to be the biggest yet.

LOCAL FEBRUARY 5 - 11, 2015 | PAGE 5FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Continued from Page 1

Big Land Buy Means F.C. ‘Crossroads’ Boom

Custom Homes sinCe 1988

new dimensions inc.NDIOpen House Feb. 7th and 8th from Noon - 4 p.m. both days

Visit the all new www.newdimensionsinc.com

[email protected] • 1-800-406-8555

Priced From $309,900*3071 Square Feet • 4 Bedrooms • 3.5 Bath

“The Sherwood”

* Lot & Site Development Not Included

Sherwood Model

We build on your lot!

NDICustomHomes

New Dimensions Inc.

THEFIRST

This is the first Sherwood ever built! Come see this brand new design featuring custom trim & cabinetry, a finished loft, and finished basement!

The Sherwood model is located at

523 Great Falls Street, Falls Church, VA 22046.

©Design Basics, Inc.

14032NDI FCNP_Sherwood.indd 1 1/27/15 11:28 AM

107, 127 & 131 E. Broad + 100 N. Washington Property

S. Wash

ington St

. (Rt. 2

9)

East Broad Street (Rt. 7)

F.C.’s TideIs Turning

In a game-changer development for the City of Falls Church, the Hitt family, key developers of the Harris Teeter project now under construction on W. Broad St., has closed its deal to acquire 2.68 acres encompassing four buildings at the intersection of Routes 7 (Broad) and 29 (Washington).

The developer group led by Todd Hitt, in a press release issued late last week, said, “We are believers in downtown Falls Church.”

From the standpoint of prospects for the long-term survival of this independent City, it’s as if the golden goose, egg in tow, has just alighted at the City’s most central point, signaling a desire to turn the City into a sustainable prospect beyond anything comparable to date in its history.

How the fates have turned for Falls Church in the last few years! Between the Great Recession and endless legal fees fighting Fairfax County’s efforts to grab the City’s water system, few knew, even at City Hall, that the City’s coffers were down to its last nickels in 2012. In that context, the many powerful forces who desired to end the City’s independent status and to force it to revert to control by Fairfax County were smelling blood in the air.

But the Little City has never been known for giving anything up without a fight, which was why it was in fiscal distress to begin with due to its laudable resolve to fight the powers-that-be at huge Fairfax County to repel the water system grab. The City, after all, perceived itself hav-ing a lot to fight for, including one of the nation’s most superior school systems and a general quality of life the envy of anyone.

So, as it turned out, the City’s gritty resolve accounted for a resolu-tion that never would have materialized otherwise, with the City not giving up, but selling the water system to the county for a very attractive price. Moreover, it landed over $20 million in net profits from the sale, and most importantly, broke its land-locked disadvantage to its giant neighbors (Fairfax and Arlington) by moving 38-odd acres of county land into the City limits, including a portion that is jutted up against the West Falls Church Metro station that is, itself, a potential gold mine.

All the while, City leaders pushed ahead against a long-standing internal inertia to bring new development into its commercial corridors. One by one, the mixed-use projects began to sprout, and the lighted sig-nage atop the brand new Hilton Garden Inn at its center now functioning to the wider region like a beacon.

While prospects for the dazzling development boom up the road in Tysons (now being billed as “The Next Great American City”), some smart folks looked at the special opportunity Falls Church represents, where relatively moderate projects could help define a very special place.

So now, the City not only has a very well-heeled new developer, but one who knows and “believes” in its downtown.

The News-Press is delivered to every household and many businesses in the City of Falls Church (22046), and to many homes and businesses (but not all) in the adjacent 22041, 22042, 22043, 22044 and 22205 zip codes. Its total circulation of 15,000 per issue is greater than any other newspaper in the distribution area, including dailies. For complete advertising information, call us or check out our web site.

Call 532-3267 or visit www.FCNP.com

Editor,While the rest of the world

is being foreclosed upon, forced to work two jobs, and otherwise enduring a wobby economy, Ms. Parrotta wants to build and main-tain a swimming pool at taxpay-ers’ expense. This has a “let them eat cake” ring that is irresistible.

Yes, Arlington has three public pools and Fairfax County has nine or 10, depending on who’s counting. This works out to one pool every

70,000 people and one pool every 130,000 people respectively! What are we – 13,000 tops? Do the math.

Economies of scale and our own voracious school system quash the idea. Proportionately, we would only be entitled to a rubber kiddie pool that you inflate and toss in the front yard. A library, OK, but a “relaxing” swimming pool?

No, those who want a swim-ming pool can build their own or join a public, private, or neighbor-

hood pool. There are scads of them close by, and many are hurting for membership. The pool idea, whether it be for a household or a small “city,” is a perfect example of having to distinguish between what we might like to have and what we can’t live without.

Neil ShawenFalls Church

Editor,I would like to thank Alice of

Falls Church for noting the recent

opening of our new store, The Gun Dude, above Bedo’s Leatherworks on West Broad Street.

As the store’s co-owner and creator of the Gun Dude brand name, I want to make sure that Alice and all Falls Church ladies know that, unlike many of our competitors, our store is not the least bit sexist and in fact is very female-friendly. We also welcome non-gun owners and the LGBT community.

I’d like to invite Alice and anyone else who may have concerns about our store to stop by for coffee or tea and a chat. You may be surprised by what you learn from your visit.

Christine Setness Co-Owner, The Gun Dude

If You Want a Pool, Build It Yourself

1. Keep the news clean and fair.

2. Play no favorites, never mix business and editorial policy.

3. Do not let the news columns reflect editorial comment.

4. Publish the news that is public property without fear or favor of friend or foe.

5. Accept no charity and ask no favors.

6. Give “value received” for every dollar you take in.

7. Make the paper show profit if you can, but above all keep it clean, fearless and fair.

All original and some syndicated content is accessible via the Falls Church News-Press online site, www.FCNP.com.

FCNP.com also includes photos, stories, ads and more not appearing in the print edition.

For information on online advertising, please contact Nick Gatz at 703-532-3267 or [email protected].

ADVERTISE IN THE

P��

ONLINE

E � � � � � � � �

L � � � � � �

EDITORIAL FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COMPAGE 6 | FEBRUARY 5 - 11, 2015

• City of Falls Church ‘Business of the Year’ 1991 & 2001 •

• Certified by the Commonwealth of Virginia to

Publish Official Legal Notices •• Member, Virginia Press Association •

N�� F. B��O�� E��-I�-C��

��.��

J�� F��M�� .��

D�� C��N�� E��

��.��

N�� G�� A�� S�� A��

��.��

M�� M�� A��

��.��

H�� W�� C��

��.��

C�� C��, T�� W�� C��

T�� W�� P��

J�� I�� C�� M��

��.��

T� C�� N��-P��

��: 703-532-3267��: 703-342-0347

��: ��.��

��.��

��.��

��.��

�� .��

WWW.FCNP.COM

The Falls Church News-Press is published weekly on Thursdays and is distributed free of charge throughout the City of Falls Church and the Greater Falls Church area. Offices are at 200 Little Falls St., #508, Falls Church, VA 22046. Reproduction of this publication in whole or part is prohibited except with the written permission of the publisher. ©2015 Benton Communications Inc. The News-Press is printed on recycled paper.

One of the Nation’s Foremost Weekly Newspapers, Serving N. Virginia

(Published Weekly by Benton Communications, Inc.)FOUNDED IN 1991

Vol. XXIV, No. 50February 5 - 11, 2015

New F.C. Shop, The Gun Dude, Is Not Sexist

I have had the privilege of serving the residents of the City of Falls Church for the last seven years as Clerk of the Circuit Court. I have enjoyed meeting many of you when you have come to the Courthouse for Jury Duty, to obtain a marriage license, copy of your deed, notary public certificate, concealed weapons permit, or to probate a will.

The Arlington Circuit Court appreci-ates the partnership with the City of Falls Church. The Arlington Circuit Court has a budget of over three million dollars. The City of Falls Church contributes a little over $100,000 to be part of the Arlington Court System. I believe it is a cost effective part-nership for both localities.

The office is open from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday – Friday. You cannot bring in your cell phone unless you are here for jury duty or a licensed attorney. When visiting or interacting with the Court, my goal is to do everything possible to make it as easy as possible to conduct your business. We try to provide information to you in advance and allow you to do as many things on line as possible. A good place to start is visiting our website at courts.arlingtonva.us/circuit-court or you can contact the office by phone at (703) 228-7010. Applications for Notary Public and Concealed Weapons Permits are available on line.

It is likely that you will receive a sum-

mons for jury duty at some point. I have found that Falls Church residents are civic-minded and understand that all criminal and civil litigants have the right to be tried by a jury of their peers. In my years as Clerk of the Court, I have never met a Falls Church resident who has complained about jury

duty. I realize that each juror has a busy work or family schedule and we are com-mitted to doing what we can to make the system work for you.

When you receive a jury questionnaire, we urge you to use our automated jury management system which allows you to complete and submit juror questionnaires electronically. You can still use the regular mail if you prefer. Approximately 60 per-cent of potential jurors utilize the electronic

submission process.When you start your week of jury ser-

vice, we have you “on call” for four days, Monday – Thursday. We usually do not call you in every day. You check the juror website or phone hotline each day after 5 p.m. each night to see whether you need to come in the next morning. We also send you email reminders and information.

You are allowed to bring in your cell phone as long as you show proof that you are a juror. We have some reserved parking spaces for jurors but also encourage using Metro. Unlike Falls Church City Hall, everyone has to pay for parking near the Arlington Court House.

We attempt to provide you sufficient information about the jury trial process during a brief orientation and have taken steps to allow you to use your waiting time efficiently. We have wireless internet, coffee, tea, and water available in the jury assembly room for you to enjoy while wait-ing for trials to begin. Many bring a good book to read while waiting or the Falls Church News-Press.

Once your service is complete, whether you actually served on a trial or not, we take you out of our system for three years. While there is a small chance you could be sum-monsed again in year four, most jurors only serve two or three times.

You may need to contact us concern-ing information about your property. We often have individuals looking for a copy

of the deed for their home. The City of Falls Church started maintaining property records in Arlington in 1988. For pre-1988 information on a property, you need to con-tact the Fairfax County Circuit Court.

You may need to contact us about pro-bating an estate. We have knowledgeable, experienced staff who will set an appoint-ment and provide the information you need. We know this is a difficult experi-ence for many who are having to probate an estate for a loved one who has recently died. You are also able to file the original of your will with our probate office for a nominal $2 fee.

If you are getting married it is required that you visit our office in person. Both parties need to be present with proper iden-tification. The process takes between 15 and 30 minutes. The marriage license fee is $30.

I always look forward to the opportu-nity to administer oaths for appointed (and occasionally elected) positions. You may receive an appointment to serve on a State Board. I am glad to meet you at City Hall in Falls Church with your family and friends to administer the oath.

If you have any questions about the court system, please correspond with me at [email protected] or call (703) 228 7010.

Contacting or Visiting the Arlington Circuit CourtB� P�� F��

Will the redevelopment of the just-sold property at the intersection of East Broad and North Washington streets be good for Falls Church?• Yes • No

• Don’t know

FCNP On-Line polls are surveys, not scienti fi c polls.

Q�� W��

Log on to www.FCNP.com to cast your vote

Last Week’s Questi on:

[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: [email protected] | Mail: Letters to the Editor, Falls Church News-Press, 200 Little Falls St., #508, Falls Church 22046 | Fax: 703.340.0347

G � � � � C � � � � � ��

COMMENT FEBRUARY 5 - 11, 2015 | PAGE 7FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Paul Freguson is Clerk of the Court for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church.

“The Arlington Circuit Court has a budget of over 3 million dollars. The City of Falls Church contributes a little over $100,000 to be part of the Arlington Court System.”

Will you participate in discussions on Falls Church’s capital improvement projects?

Study: $64k Will Make F.C. Salaries Competitive

A study presented at Monday’s Falls Church City Council work session by the Management Advisory Group shows that an additional $23,237 in the current fiscal year and $64,712 in the upcoming year will bring all City employee positions fully comparable with those of surrounding jurisdictions. In the first such study commissioned by the City since 1998, a total of 33 City employees are identified to receive modest pay increases to make the City fully salary competitive. The study called for a plan to place each police officer (sergeant and below) on the next higher step on the group-proposed new Police Pay Plan, but that “the overall findings of MAG are the City’s compensation is competitive with surrounding jurisdictions so no major adjustment is needed.”

Spectrum Submits New ‘Mason Row’ Plan

Responding to additional requests for modifications from the City staff and neighbors to the site, the Spectrum Group submitted this Tuesday its latest iteration of its proposed “Mason Row” project for the southeast intersection of W. Broad and N. West Street. The new submission to the City’s planning department calls for a six-story mixed-use apartment building with 340 rental units and 53,000 square feet of ground floor retail uses to include a movie/dinner theater, restaurants, retail shops and service businesses, including an office component of 6,000 square feet, a hotel of five floors with 73,000 square feet of retail and service uses on the ground floor and 150 hotel rooms on floors two through six, and a parking structure with no Park Ave. access, “screened in a way as to prevent undue intru-sions into the established single family neighborhood along Park.” The parking structure plan replaces an earlier one calling for a building with 67 condominium units. The overall project is projected to contribute $2 million annually in revenues to the City. The City’s Planning Department was developing a schedule for formal review of the submission by boards and commissions as the News-Press went to press last night.

F.C. Council Wary of I-66 Toll Road Plan

Plans by the Virginia Department of Transportation to turn I-66 into a toll road met with considerable skepticism from members of the Falls Church City Council at its work session Monday night, with concerns for the impact on City roads from persons avoiding the tolls in deference to I-66 users whose destinations are not in this area, but Points West of the City. Representatives from VDOT and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation presented a summary of its report, “I-66 Multimodal Improvements Inside the Beltway,” to the Council, and despite the City staff recommendation of “concurrance from Council on key items” in the report, Council member Marybeth Connelly asked the key question from the Falls Church perspective, “What’s the purpose of this?” and Mayor David Tarter added, “We don’t want people to blow through Falls Church.” Vice Mayor David Snyder, the City’s representative on numerous regional bodies, said, “There are many negative consequences for closer-in communities like Falls Church. There is only one solution to road congestion, which it to have a truly effective Metro system and bus route expansion.”

F.C. Personal Property Tax Revenues Down

The second quarter (Oct.-Nov. 2014) financial report for the City of Falls Church released by Chief Financial Officer Richard LaCondre Monday showed personal property tax receipts for the year to date down by 4.3 percent below projections and 1.77 percent below last year. But in the big number, real estate property taxes were reported to be over projections by 3.3 percent and over last year by 6.4 percent, and LaCondre told the F.C. City Council at its work session Monday that real estate assessments, due out the middle of this month, should show only a 3 to 4 percent increase.

Haycock Elementary Ranked 14th in U.S.

Haycock Elementary School, located on Haycock Road in the Fairfax County section of greater Falls Church, was ranked No. 15 in an article titled “The 50 Best American Public Elementary Schools” by online TheBestSchools.org. Out of a total of 50 ranked schools, TheBestSchools.org selected Haycock based on several weighted factors, including aca-demic excellence, extracurricular richness, geographical and demographical diversity, and reputation, according to the site. TheBestSchools.org bills itself as a leading resource for prospective students seeking a college or university degree.

Fa l l s C h u r c h

NEWS BRIEFS


Leslie Hutchison Realtor®, GRI, SRES, ABR

703-861-8119 Direct

If you’re thinking about selling soon, call me to see how I get homes SOLD IN 4 DAYS!!

SOLD in 15 days after being listed with 2 other Realtors for

120 days! $569,500!

SOLD in 4 days at full price with multiple offers! $570,000!

Sold in 4 days with multiple

offers! $600,000!

SOLD in 4 days at full price with

multiple offers! $650,000!

SOLD in 4 days at full price with multiple offers! $350,000!

SOLD in 4 days with multiple offers and above asking price!

$530,000!

SOLD IN

4 DAYS!

SOLD IN

4 DAYS! SOLD IN

4 DAYS! SOLD IN

4 DAYS!

SOLD IN

15 DAYS!

SOLD

IN 4

DAYS!

Designer home with 6 bedrooms & 7 baths. 10' ceilings & two-story foyer with beautiful winding red oak staircase. Gourmet kitchen with 42" cabinets and 10' granite island opens to stunning family room with �oor-to-ceiling stonework surrounding the �replace. Floor plans, video, and photos at www.211WCameronRd.com.

Gorgeous Custom Craftsman Home in Falls Church City!

Irene XenosLicensed Realtor® in VA

RE/MAX By Invitation4784 Lee Highway Arlington, VA 22207

Cell: (703) 956-0418O�ce: (703) 677-8730

Fax: (703) 940-0708Email: [email protected]

Website: irenexenos.comCompany Website: www.byinvitationrealty.com

211 W. Cameron Road

Under Contract!$1,389,900

N e ws - P r e s s

Community 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: [email protected] | School News & Notes: [email protected] Mail: News & Notes, Falls Church News-Press, 200 Little Falls St. #508, Falls Church, VA 22046

Send Us Your News & Notes!

Falls Church Lions Hold Final Citrus Sale This Saturday

The Falls Church Lions Club is having its final citrus sale of the season this Saturday, Feb. 7, from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Falls Church Property Yard at 7100 Shreve Road. Honeybell and Temple orang-es and pink seedless grapefruit will be available for purchase at the sale.

All proceeds from the sale will go to the Lions’ char-ity and community projects. For more information, call Falls Church Lions’ president Barry Buschow at 703-533-8610 or visit fallschurchlions.org.

F.C. Public Library Expansion Meeting Rescheduled

The date of the Mary Riley Styles Public Library Board

of Trustees’ community meet-ing about the proposed library expansion has been changed to Thursday, Feb. 5, at 7 p.m. in the Falls Church Community Center at 223 Little Falls Street, the City announced. It was origi-nally scheduled for Monday, Jan. 28, but was postponed.

The proposed new space adds about 6,600 square feet on two levels. This addition would bring the overall size of the library to about 25,000 square feet.

The proposed addition could be on either the east or west side of the current building, and the advantages and disadvantages of both options will be reviewed at the meeting. Exterior sketches of the proposed addition options, which are in the same architec-tural style as the current build-ing, will also be presented along

with preliminary plans for interior space configurations.

The Library Board will pro-vide an overview of the proposed expansion project, including the need for both the renovation and new space and answer questions. To learn about key features of the project, visit fallschurchva.gov/LibraryMasterPlan.

Falls Church Resident Wins $1 Million Powerball Prize

On Tuesday the Virginia Lottery identified Falls Church resident Chay Nguyen as the person who bought a winning $1 million Powerball ticket at the Woodstock Sunoco late last month. According to the Virginia Lottery’s news release about Nguyen’s win, he matched the first five numbers in the Jan. 24 Powerball drawing.

The winning numbers were 16-19-20-29-33 and the Powerball number was 10. The only number he didn’t match was the Powerball number. Had he matched the Powerball number, he would have won an estimated $230 million. Nguyen’s ticket was the only ticket in Virginia and one of ten tickets nationwide that matched the first five numbers in the Jan. 24 drawing.

Nikola Paskalov Piano Benefit Concert Raises Nearly $3,000

Almost $3,000 was raised for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through ticket sales and a silent auction at the Nikola Paskalov piano benefit concert that was held last Friday, Jan. 30, at the home of Leon and Jacqueline Bruner.

The event supported Francesca King and Team Kings for a Cure’s Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Student of the Year cam-paign.

45 people attended Paskalov’s performance of Beethoven, Scriabin and Chopin, including Falls Church Vice-Mayor David Snyder and his wife Edith.

The evening began with cock-tails, hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction featuring donations from the local businesses of Argia’s, Dogwood Tavern, Red, White and Bleu, Orange Twist, A Lucky Dog and Dominion Beer and Wine.

Voice of America Macedonia, from the artist’s home country, covered the event. Following the conclusion of the performance, the silent auction ended and coffee and dessert were served.

INTERNATIONALLY-RENOWNED PIANIST Nikola Paskalov (far left) stands with (l to r) Jacqueline and Leon Bruner and Francesca King at his piano concert to benefit blood cancer research. Through ticket sales and a silent auction at the concert, nearly $3,000 was raised for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. 45 people attended the event including Vice-Mayor David Snyder and his wife Edith. (Courtesy Photo)

DR. CLAIRE NELSON (center), Sustainability Engineer and the Founder and Ideation Leader of the Futures Forum, is flanked by Past District Governor Horace McCormack and Falls Church Rotary Club President Greg Viola II (right), following her talk about Embracing Change at the Falls Church Rotary club’s Thursday, Jan. 29 meeting at the Harvest Moon Restaurant. Dr. Nelson was invited by McCormack to speak to the F.C. Rotary Club. (Photo: Courtesy of John C. Lu)

LOCAL FEBRUARY 5 - 11, 2015 | PAGE 11FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

3 New Projects Open at McLean Project for the Arts

Three new exhibitions opened earlier this month at the McLean Project for the Arts and will remain on display through March 7.

“Manifesting Phenomena: Drop, Hover, See-Through, Lean...” is up in the McLean Project for the Arts’ Emerson Gallery. The exhibit includes work by artists who are interested in investigating concepts of physi-cal science, ranging from sculp-ture that inhabits physical space in order to better understand and dem-onstrate force, energy and matter, to works depicting the patterns of the earth and its cycles of change. Sculptors Barbara Liotta, Annie Farrar and Joan Belmar are the artists featured in this show.

Painter Jean Sausele-Knodt is the featured artist in the exhibit “Out for a Spin,” which is on display in the Atrium Gallery. Beginning with loose references to flora and fauna, Sausele-Knodt creates shaped paintings that deft-ly move the viewer through a series of shifting and fragmented picture planes.

“Contemporary Scrolls” by painter Laura Litten is on display in the Ramp Gallery. Litten cre-ated long, scroll-like drawings, which are featured in this exhibit – the scrolls are expanded, fabri-cated landscapes meant to convey a sense of vast space along with lovingly rendered participants in the natural world. For more infor-mation about the McLean Project for the Arts and for gallery hours, visit mpaart.org.

Coastal Therapy Show Opens At Gallery Underground

The oil paintings of Keith Wilkie are currently showing at Gallery Underground’s new show in its Focus Gallery. The show, entitled “Coastal Therapy,” will be featured throughout the month of February.

The show, through an explora-tion of waterside light, seascapes, sea creatures and coastal birds, is intended to “soothe the soul,” according to a press release from the Arlington Artist Alliance.

A members’ show is currently featured in Gallery Underground’s Main Gallery throughout the month of February. An opening

reception for both shows will be held this Friday, Feb. 6, from 5 – 8 p.m. For more information, visit galleryunderground.org.

VCE Hosts ‘Planning the Garden’ Clinic this Saturday

Tricia Rodgers and Dan Redmond, two of the Virginia Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardeners of Arlington/Alexandria, will present a workshop on planning a vegetable garden this Saturday, Feb. 7, from 9:30 – 11 a.m. at the Fairlington Community Center at 3308 S. Stafford St., Arlington. For more information, visit mgnv.org.

OVER THE PAST TWO months some interesting street art has gone up at Oakwood’s park-ing lot on a storage container, near the school bus stop. The latest piece, wheatpastes of birds, was spotted last Wednesday. (Photo: News-Press)

MCLEAN PROJECT FOR THE ARTS is featuring three new exhib-its right now through March 7. “Manifesting Phenomena: Drop, Hover, See-Through, Lean...” explores aspects of physical sci-ence and features the work of sculptors Barbara Liotta, Annie Farrar and Joan Belmar. Liotta’s “Selene” (above) is one of the pieces in the show, which is on display in the McLean Project for the Arts’ Emerson Gallery. (Photo: Courtesy of Barbara Liotta)

Serving all of Fairfax County and the surrounding areas.

(Hablamos Español)

We honor all pre-arrangements from any funeral home.

6161 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22044703.532.5161 (tel)703.532.0860 (fax)

www.everlycommunityfuneralcare.com

Delivering to Falls Church, Annandale,McLean, Alexandria, Arlington and more!

(1-800) 808-2222 • (703) 525-3062 Visit Gift Store at 2107 N. Pollard St. and Lee Highway opposite

Arlington’s historic Cherrydale Fire House

Send Valentine flowers that are more than just a dozen roses! Get the “wow” factor from our designs

on companyflowers.com!

COMPANYFLOWERS!&GIFTS,TOO!

FCNP.COM

On Monday, President Barack Obama called for a significant increase in spending, reversing the harsh cuts of the past few years. He won’t get all he’s asking for, but it’s a move in the right direction. And it also marks a welcome shift in the discourse. Maybe Washington is starting to get over its narrow-minded, irresponsible obsession with long-run problems and will finally take on the hard issue of short-run gratification instead.

OK, I’m being flip to get your attention. I am, however, quite serious. It’s often said that the prob-lem with policymakers is that they’re too focused on

the next election, that they look for short-term fixes while ignor-ing the long run. But the story of economic policy and discourse

these past five years has been exactly the opposite.Think about it: Faced with mass unemployment

and the enormous waste it entails, for years the Beltway elite devoted almost all their energy not to promoting recovery, but to Bowles-Simpsonism – to devising “grand bargains” that would address the sup-posedly urgent problem of how we’ll pay for Social Security and Medicare a couple of decades from now.

And this bizarre long-termism isn’t just an American phenomenon. Try to talk about the damage wrought by European austerity policies, and you’re all too likely to encounter lectures to the effect that what we really need to discuss is long-term structural reform. Try to discuss Japan’s effort to break out of its decades-long deflationary trap, and you’re sure to encounter claims that monetary and fiscal policy are sideshows, and that deregulation and other structural changes are what’s important.

Am I saying that the long run doesn’t matter? Of course not, although some forms of long-termism don’t make sense even on their own terms. Think about the notion that “entitlement reform” is an urgent priority. It’s true that many projections sug-gest that our major social insurance programs will face financial difficulties in the future (although the dramatic slowing of increases in health costs makes even that proposition uncertain). If so, at some point we may need to cut benefits. But why, exactly, is it crucial that we deal with the threat of future benefits cuts by locking in plans to cut future benefits?

Anyway, even where the long-term issues are real, it’s truly strange that they have so often taken center

stage in recent years. We are, after all, still living through the aftermath of a once-in-three-generations financial crisis. America seems, finally, to be recov-ering – but Bowles-Simpsonism had its greatest influence precisely when the U.S. economy was still mired in a deep slump. Europe has hardly recovered at all, and there’s overwhelming evidence that aus-terity policies are the main reason for that ongoing disaster. So why the urge to change the subject to structural reform? The answer, I’d suggest, is intel-lectual laziness and lack of moral courage.

About laziness: Many people know what John Maynard Keynes said about the long run, but far fewer are aware of the context. Here’s what he really said: “But this long run is a misleading guide to current affairs. In the long run we are all dead. Economists set themselves too easy, too useless a task if in tempestu-ous seasons they can only tell us that when the storm is long past the ocean is flat again.”

Quite. All too often, or so it seems to me, people who insist that questions of austerity and stimulus are unimportant are actually trying to avoid hard think-ing about the nature of the economic disaster that has overtaken so much of the world.

And they’re also trying to avoid taking a stand that will expose them to attack. Discussions of short-run fiscal and monetary policy are politically charged. Oppose austerity and support monetary expansion and you’ll be lambasted by the right; do the reverse and you’ll be criticized and maybe ridiculed by the left. I understand why it’s tempting to dismiss the whole debate and declare that the really important issues involve the long run. But while people who say that kind of thing like to pose as brave and responsible, they’re actually ducking the hard stuff – which is to say, being craven and irresponsible.

Which brings me back to the president’s new budget.It goes without saying that Obama’s fiscal pro-

posals, like everything he does, will be attacked by Republicans. He’s also, however, sure to face criti-cism from self-proclaimed centrists accusing him of irresponsibly abandoning the fight against long-term budget deficits.

So it’s important to understand who’s really irre-sponsible here. In today’s economic and political environment, long-termism is a cop-out, a dodge, a way to avoid sticking your neck out. And it’s refresh-ing to see signs that Obama is willing to break with the long-termers and focus on the here and now.

The Long-Run Cop-Out

Over the past few years, there has been a sharp rise in the number of people who are atheist, agnostic or without religious affiliation. A fifth of all adults and a third of the youngest adults fit into this category.

As secularism becomes more prominent and self-confident, its spokesmen have more insistently argued that secularism should not be seen as an absence – as a lack of faith – but rather as a positive moral creed. Phil Zuckerman, a Pitzer College sociologist, makes this case as

fluidly and pleasurably as anybody in his book, Living the Secular Life.

Zuckerman argues that secular moral-ity is built around individual reason, indi-vidual choice and individual responsibility. Instead of relying on some eye in the sky

to tell them what to do, secular people reason their way to proper conduct.Secular people, he argues, value autonomy over groupthink. They

deepen their attachment to this world instead of focusing on a next one. They may not be articulate about why they behave as they do, he argues, but they try their best to follow the Golden Rule, to be considerate and empathetic toward others. “Secular morality hinges upon little else than not harming others and helping those in need,” Zuckerman writes.

As he describes them, secularists seem like genial, low-key people who have discarded metaphysical prejudices and are now leading peaceful and rewarding lives. But I can’t avoid the conclusion that the secular writers are so eager to make the case for their creed, they are minimizing the struggle required to live by it. Consider the tasks a per-son would have to perform to live secularism well:

• Secular individuals have to build their own moral philosophies. Religious people inherit creeds that have evolved over centuries. Autonomous secular people are called upon to settle on their own indi-vidual sacred convictions.

• Secular individuals have to build their own communities. Religions come equipped with covenantal rituals that bind people together, sacred practices that are beyond individual choice. Secular people have to choose their own communities and come up with their own practices to make them meaningful.

• Secular individuals have to build their own Sabbaths. Religious people are commanded to drop worldly concerns. Secular people have to create their own set times for when to pull back and reflect on spiritual matters.

• Secular people have to fashion their own moral motivation. It’s not enough to want to be a decent person. You have to be powerfully motivated to behave well. Religious people are motivated by their love for God and their fervent desire to please Him. Secularists have to come up with their own powerful drive that will compel sacrifice and service.

The point is not that secular people should become religious. You either believe in God or you don’t. The point is that an age of mass secu-larization is an age in which millions of people have put unprecedented moral burdens upon themselves. People who don’t know how to take up these burdens don’t turn bad, but they drift. They suffer from a loss of meaning and an unconscious boredom with their own lives.

• One other burden: Past secular creeds were built on the 18th-century enlightenment view of man as an autonomous, rational creature who could reason his way to virtue. The past half-century of cognitive science has shown that creature doesn’t exist. We are not really ratio-nal animals; emotions play a central role in decision-making, the vast majority of thought is unconscious, and our minds are riddled with biases. We are not really autonomous; our actions are powerfully shaped by others in ways we are not even aware of.

It seems to me that if secularism is going to be a positive creed, it can’t just speak to the rational aspects of our nature. Secularism has to do for nonbelievers what religion does for believers – arouse the higher emotions, exalt the passions in pursuit of moral action. Christianity doesn’t rely just on a mild feeling like empathy; it puts agape at the center of life, a fervent and selfless sacrificial love. Judaism doesn’t just value community; it values a covenantal community infused with sacred bonds and chosenness that make the heart strings vibrate. Religions don’t just ask believers to respect others; rather each soul is worthy of the highest dignity because it radiates divine light.

The only secularism that can really arouse moral motivation and impel action is an enchanted secularism, one that puts emotional relations first and autonomy second. I suspect that over the next years secularism will change its face and become hotter and more consuming, less content with mere benevolence, and more responsive to the spiritual urge in each of us, the drive for purity, self-transcendence and sanctification.

Building Better Secularists

DavidBrooksNEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE

PaulKrugmanNEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE

NATIONAL FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COMPAGE 12 | FEBRUARY 5 - 11, 2015

Let me say up front: I’m not a science guy.I have always loved science, but I have always loved

the arts – drawing, painting and, yes, writing – more.My deepest foray into science came in high school

when I won my way to the international science fair. (Don’t get too excited; that sounds more impressive than it was.) It was 1988, and I had produced a project about why the “Star Wars” missile defense system wouldn’t work. My project was a beautiful monstrosity made of stained and varnished plywood, with an insert for a diorama of missiles flying, lasers blasting and a midair explosion, and a cutout with space for a small television and a VCR (yes, I’m that old).

I won the district fair – in part, I suspect, because the judges’ pool was heavily populated by members of the military – even though I had violated one of the cardinal rules of science fairs: I hadn’t actually done an experiment. Mine was a fancy research project – like a

3-D opinion piece. But it didn’t matter. The airline lost the whole project when I flew to the inter-national science fair, so I never got to compete.

Although my science dreams were dashed, I still loved science. And I’ve long been surrounded by sci-ence people. My ex-wife was a physics major. My old-est child is a biology major, and when my twins enter college next year, one wants to major in physics and the other in a scientific field to be determined.

But their interests defy a distressing disparity: Few women and minorities are getting STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) degrees, although STEM jobs are multiplying and pay more than many other careers.

This raises the question: Will our future be highly delineated by who does and who doesn’t have a science education (and the resulting higher salary), making for even more entrenched economic inequality by race and gender?

According to the National Math and Science Initiative: “STEM job creation over the next 10 years will outpace non-STEM jobs significantly, growing 17 percent, as compared to 9.8 percent for non-STEM positions.” And yet, the group says, we are not produc-ing enough STEM graduates; other countries are mov-ing ahead of us.

When you look at women and minorities, the situa-tion is even more bleak.

Let’s start with high school. Last year, a Georgia Tech researcher analyzed which students took the Advanced Placement exam in computer science in 2013. The researcher, Barbara Ericson, found that in three states no women took it, in eight states no Hispanics did and in 11 states no blacks did. (In Mississippi only one person – not female, black or Hispanic, by the way – took the test that year. Oh, Mississippi.)

Now, on to college, where the disparities remain bleak. The Associated Press reported in 2011 that “the percentage of African-Americans earning STEM degrees has fallen during the last decade” and that this was very likely a result of “a complex equation of self-doubt, stereotypes, discouragement and economics – and sometimes just wrong perceptions of what math and science are all about.”

It continued: “Black people are 12 percent of the United States population and 11 percent of all students beyond high school. In 2009, they received just 7 percent of all STEM bachelor’s degrees, 4 percent of master’s degrees, and 2 percent of Ph.D.s, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.”

It doesn’t get better in the workplace. In a 2013 edi-torial, The New York Times pointed out: “Women make up nearly half the workforce but have just 26 percent of science, technology, engineering or math jobs, accord-ing to the Census Bureau. Blacks make up 11 percent of the workforce but just 6 percent of such jobs and Hispanics make up nearly 15 percent of the workforce but hold 7 percent of those positions.”

Even when minority students do get STEM degrees, there seems to be a disproportionate barrier to their find-ing work in those fields.

“Top universities turn out black and Hispanic com-puter science and computer engineering graduates at twice the rate that leading technology companies hire them,” an October analysis by USA Today found.

Furthermore, USA Today reported in December: “In 2014, leading technology companies released data showing they vastly underemploy African-Americans and Hispanics. Those groups make up 5 percent of the companies’ workforce, compared to 14 percent nation-ally.”

No matter what strides we make – or don’t – in the march toward racial and gender equality in this coun-try, is this an area in which the future will feel more stratified, and in which the inequalities, particularly economic ones, will mount? Is science education a new area of our segregation?

A Future Segregated by Science?

A big part of the conundrum that is Washington, D.C. is the existence of two core parallel realities, and some tangential ones, that everyone has to deal with. One is in the realm of values, the other in the realm of noses – counting them, that is.

On the latter score, of course political parties and all the jockeying to win elections and the struggles between the Reds and the Blues is the essential component.

But while people say it always comes down to those noses in the Congress, or wherever, but that is only partly true, and less true than

most folks think, as President Obama has been demonstrating since the November mid-terms.

The alternate reality – the domain of values – is ultimately far more important, and while this is recognized by the politi-

cal machine that serves the nation’s ruling class, it is not always well understood by others.

That’s right, it is the ruling class that better appreciates the impor-tance of values and culture, at least until recently, by relentlessly churn-ing out such drivel as to misguide the masses to act against their own self-interests.

But the good news for all us non-ruling class folks is that President Obama has begun to catch on, and fast, as reflected in his recent State of the Union address and now in remarks attending the release of his annual budget this Monday.

The president was full of idealism and values when he ran for the job – to a degree, both times – but being a candidate is more like being a prophetic voice, while once elected, holding an office is more like being a high priest. I’ve always held that about Obama – that when his backers became disillusioned once he was in office, after the first few months, it was not because he’d betrayed his values or theirs, but because the nature of his role in society funda-mentally changed.

He could no longer stand off like an Old Testament prophet and rail against the injustices of man.

He had to go to work in the trenches of government bureaucracies and do hand to hand combat with his enemies in ways that most people could never really see. So he began to look less dramatic and more pragmatic.

It is worth noting in this context the riveting documentary film, “The Fog of War, Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara,” which won the Oscar for Best Documentary in 2004. The film is little more than a well-edited interview with McNamara himself.

He was Secretary of Defense under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, and was generally held responsible in the public’s eye for the escalation of the Vietnam War, which was also known infamously as “McNamara’s War,” and when he left his post in 1967, he was roundly hated by the growing legions of anti-war Americans who eventually brought the war to an end.

But in “The Fog of War,” one gets a much different picture of McNamara, as the man who stood between the Joint Chiefs of Staff and their much more aggressive designs for the war, including effectively declaring all out war on China. From McNamara’ s perspective, he was the man tasked with containing the war, not causing it.

So, a lot of what happens in the day-to-day conduct of national gov-erning is behind the scenes, such that the public often can only specu-late, and assume either the best or the worst, depending.

Now, Obama’s delineated roles for the prophet and the high priest have been overturned since November.

The language chosen for his new values offensive is built around the concept of “middle class economics.” It’s a clever phrase, because while sounding pragmatic, what resonates from it is “middle class,” and what is also heard in the mind if not spoken in word is “ruling class.”

So the value metric of the post-midterms Obama is the contrast between those notions – not Democrat versus Republican, or partisan versus bi-partisan – but “middle class versus ruling class.”

Behold, insofar as that sets the 99 percent against the one percent, no wonder his popularity has begun to soar.

Nicholas Benton may be emailed at [email protected].

The President Becomes a Prophet

NATIONAL FEBRUARY 5 - 11, 2015 | PAGE 13FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Nicholas F.BentonFALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

Charles M.Blow NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE

The word “diverse” is used often to describe the character and demographics of Mason District and Fairfax County today, but a look back at the history of this area reflects the fact that this area has long been “diverse.” We have more languages, faiths, and ethnic-ities represented today, but the observance of February as Black History Month presents an opportunity to honor the diversity that has sustained the Mason District community for more than a century and a half.

Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, near the corner of Columbia Pike and Lincolnia Road was founded by freed slaves in 1867. According to “A Guide to the Historic Sites of Mason District,” published in 2011 with the assistance of Mason District History Commissioner Naomi Zeavin, land for the church was deeded to the congregation by Charles and Eliza Brown of Westchester County, New York. The land was designated for religious and school purposes, and a burying ground. Additional land was acquired for enlargement of the cemetery in 1913. The ceme-tery, still in active use, contains many marked graves, as well as an unknown number of unmarked graves. An early school for colored children was maintained in the Lincolnia area.

A longtime member of Mt. Pleasant was John Sidney Holland, Jr. (1907-2000), known to everyone as Sid. Sid was an early proponent of desegregation in Fairfax County, and was a driving force behind the creation of the Fairfax County Human Rights Commission. Sid eventually became the longest-serving member of the commission, where he advocated for minority rights amid a growing and diverse minority population in the county, according to his daughter, Dorothy Mann,

a contributing author to “Fairfax County Stories: 1607 – 2007,” published by Fairfax County to coincide with the 400th Anniversary of the Jamestown Settlement. The Mt. Pleasant neighborhood still has many descen-dants of Sid and the early residents who fought for civil rights, integrated schools, and adequate housing when such ideas were not accepted universally by local and state governments.

Houston Summers (1943-2013), an amateur historian and long-time resident of the Bailey’s Crossroads area, wrote an enlightening chapter about the Bell and Summers families in “Fairfax County Stories.” In his essay, Houston notes that, in the 1800s, a group of families and former slaves and freedmen settled in Bailey’s Crossroads. The road they travelled was extremely difficult, both literally and figuratively, he wrote, and they shared deep reli-gious beliefs that sustained them. In 1881, one acre of land was donated, again by a white citizen, for use as a church or a school. Congregants worshipped outdoors on the wooded lot for several years before a church was constructed in 1920. Named for its donor, B.H. Warner, the Warner Baptist Church was rebuilt in 1962, with another major renovation completed and dedicated in 2005. I still remember the tears of a lifelong member, using a walker, who told me that the new elevator meant that she was able to attend services in the sanctuary for the first time in more than a decade. Hers was just one of many stories that makes Black History Month come alive. Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at [email protected].

February 10 is known as Crossover at the General Assembly. This is a turning point in the legislative process when bills introduced in each cham-ber must be acted upon. Those that are passed by the respective body will then “crossover” to the other for action.

This year thousands of bills were introduced in the House of Delegates as well as the State Senate. All initiatives are to be scrutinized and deliberated upon in the short window of 45 days. Needless to say, the pace at the General Assembly has been fast and furious. Many of you have witnessed this first hand when you came to the Capital for the various advocacy days. I am most appreciative of your efforts to have your voices heard.

With “polite” consideration during hearings, it came as no surprise to see common sense, gun violence prevention measures thwarted by the heavy hand of the Citizens Defense League and the NRA lobby in this election year. What is chilling, are the outcomes of their successful mission. Even a bill to keep guns out of the hands of four-year-olds was defeated. Many of us have heard only about the tragic outcomes of children playing with loaded weapons. Some Virginia legislators are hav-ing short-term memory issues of when the commonwealth was known as the gun running capital along the Iron Highway of the east coast. This crowd will even allow domestic abusers to legally tote their weapons.

One of the highlights this week was on gun safety. On a bipartisan vote, the Senate defeated a measure that would have allowed for the possession of concealed handguns on school property. I spoke on the Senate floor to remind my colleagues that nothing good could come from legislation like this. We do not need to be weakening Virginia’s gun-free school zones.

Right up there in the “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” category is the continued obsession with keep-ing the minimum wage at a level that requires government subsidy in the form of food stamps, char-ity based health care/Medicaid or the alternative of working two and three jobs to keep bread on the table, pay the rent and eke out a living. As a husband, father, and grandfather who appreciates the women in my

life, I cannot figure out why my colleagues from across the aisle do not believe women perform-ing the same jobs should not be paid equally to their male coun-terparts. As I travel the district (and the commonwealth) it is abundantly clear that Virginians have spent their life savings, mortgaged their homes or bor-rowed extensively for their sons and daughters to be educated. A young husband recently asked me why would he want less for his wife when they went to the same university and both are working to put together their future? There is no logical reply.

The next several weeks will be dedicated to making neces-sary budget adjustments. There is a proposal to give state employees a two percent raise, and I favor it.

Recently we had some very good news for Virginia’s veterans. There is bipartisan consensus that we need to do more to support Virginia veterans and so the Senate Finance Committee approved funding for the Northern Virginia Veterans Care Center project. This bill is important because Virginia is home to over 750,000 veterans and it will help the men and women who have served our country get the care they’ve earned. A similar bill passed the House of Delegates unanimously.

One other hot topic that has cropped up this year is the decrimi-nalization of marijuana. I supported a practical proposal to decriminal-ize the possession of marijuana under an ounce. The measure was defeated on a party-line vote. This is an issue that deserves serious consideration because there are many compelling reasons to update our drug policies. Right now there is a bill moving to the full Senate floor to permit the dispensing of cannabidiol oil, used in success-fully treating intractable epilepsy.

The Senate passed the legisla-tion to establish a pilot “vote cen-ter” program during primary elec-tions. In low-turnout elections (usually in June), this measure would group polling locations together. It aims to save localities money by giving them the flex-ibility to cut down on the number of polling locations. This bill is now headed over to the House of Delegates for consideration. Senator Saslaw represents the 35th District in the Virginia State Senate. He may be emailed at [email protected].

A Penny for Your Thoughts

News of Greater Falls ChurchBy Supervisor Penny Gross

COMMENT FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COMPAGE 14 | FEBRUARY 5 - 11, 2015

Fifty years ago this week, President Lyndon Baines Johnson gave an iconic environmental address to the nation. He spoke of the need for “a new conservation,” whose object was “not just man’s welfare but the dignity of man’s spirit.” And he warned of the dan-gers of climate change: “This gen-eration has altered the composition of the atmosphere on a global scale through radioactive materials and a steady increase in carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels.”

Half a century later, LBJ’s “Special Message to Congress on Conservation and Restoration of Natural Beauty” is even more salient. We need to address the sober consequences of our national energy policy and enact an aggres-sive, forward-looking blueprint for fighting global climate change.

The news is not all bad. Those five decades saw remarkable prog-ress in protecting our air, land, and water. But we must also admit that we have not done enough.

Americans are already suffer-ing the devastating consequences of climate change due to hurricanes, floods, droughts and other instances

of extreme weather. The world’s five largest natural catastrophes of 2014 all were within the United States. In all, extreme weather events triggered over $110 billion in losses and almost 7,000 fatalities.

I ran for Congress last year urging voters to join me in the fight for pro-climate policies like a national carbon tax. Just five weeks into this new Congress, I voted against construction of the Keystone pipeline and will join my colleague from across the (increasingly clean!) river, Rep. Chris Van Hollen, as a primary cosponsor of his thoughtful bill to enact a national carbon tax.

I am excited to serve on the House Committee on Natural Resources, as well as the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

As the Natural Resources Committee considers legislation about energy production, min-eral rights and mining, fisheries and wildlife, public lands, and oceans, I will fight to protect and conserve our precious resources without sacrificing the security of the middle class. As the Science Committee considers legislation

about aeronautical engineering, space exploration, and non-mili-tary research and development, I will eagerly support the innova-tion that will shape the next half-century, as we work to combat the crisis of climate change and create a new American economy.

Fifty years after President Johnson’s address, we cannot ignore this opportunity to reevalu-ate and recommit ourselves to the fight against climate change. It is the responsibility of this Congress to promote sustainable energy technology programs and encour-age states to do the same.

Fifty years after President Johnson’s speech, the great challenge of our time is crafting visionary envi-ronmental and conservation policies to address global climate change. How we meet this challenge will be our legacy. Please join me in my impatience and work with my staff and me as we push forward.

Rep. Beyer can be reached through his website at www.beyer.house.gov, on Twitter @RepDonBeyer or his office at (202) 225-4376.

Congressman Beyer’s News CommentaryThe Fight Against Climate ChangeBy Donald S. Beyer

Senator Dick Saslaw’s

Richmond Report

Larceny from Building, 150 S. Washington St. #202 (National Capital Legal Services) On Jan. 26, an unknown suspect stole an unattended purse.

Larceny from Building, 100 block S. Virginia Ave. On Jan. 26, police received a report of stolen jewelry from a residence.

Public Drunkenness, 100 block W. Broad St. On Jan. 27, a male, 27, of Silver Spring, MD, was arrested for Public Drunkenness.

Larceny from Vehicle, 100 block Chanel Terr. On Jan. 30, an unknown suspect smashed a car window and stole a televi-sion.

Simple Assault, 100 block S. Washington St. On Jan., 30, a

male, 23, of the City of Falls Church, was arrested for Simple Assault.

Narcotics Violation, Public Drunkenness, and Smoking In a Non-Designated Area, 6757 Wilson Blvd. On Jan. 30, a male, 41, of Annandale, was arrested for Possession of Cocaine, Public Drunkenness, and Smoking In a Non-Designated Area.

Public Drunkenness, 100 block Great Falls St. On Jan. 31, a male, 43, of Alexandria, was arrested for Public Drunkenness.

Driving Under the Influence and Refusal to Submit to a Blood or Breath Test, 500 block N. Washington St. On Feb. 1, a female, of Fairfax, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence and Refusal to Submit to a Blood or Breath Test.

Liquor Law Violation, 6795

Wilson Blvd. #1E (Metro Café) On Feb. 1, a male, 21 of Falls Church, was arrested and released on sum-mons for Consumption of Alcohol while an ABC manager.

Driving Under the Influence, 300 block Annandale Rd. On Feb. 1, a female, 24, of the City of Falls Church, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence.

Larceny from Motor Vehicle, 900 block Lincoln Ave. On Feb. 1, an unknown suspect stole a license plate.

Disorderly Conduct, 300 W. Broad St. (Stratford Motor Lodge) On Feb. 1, a male, 19, of Alexandria, was arrested for Disorderly Conduct.

Smoking In a Non-Designated Area, 6757 Wilson Blvd. #17 (Hoa Vien Quan) On Feb. 1, a male, 39, of Falls Church, was cited for Smoking In a Non-Designated Area.

Public Drunkenness, 306 Hillwood Ave. (Lesly’s Restaurant) On Feb. 1, a male, 28, no fixed address, was arrested for Public Drunkenness.

Three score or more of Arlington’s online news addicts came face-to-face Jan. 27.

The usually-virtual networkers shelled out a food-and-drink fee to mingle and congratulate the team at the newsblog ARLnow for reaching its fifth year of continu-ous local coverage.

Cajoling the crowd via post-ers to “party like it’s 2010,” the ARLnow folks – in high-rise space borrowed from Disruption Corp. offering a specular view of the D.C. skyline – gave clues to their success: news that creates a sense of countywide reach and a business model that thumbs its nose at competitors who insist that profits come only when subscrib-ers pay.

Founder and editor Scott Brodbeck, a George Washington University grad and veteran of local Fox and NBC newsrooms, donned a mic to tell the crowd, “It is humbling that we made it to five.” He recalled ARLnow’s first story – forecast of a snowstorm, posted on a WordPress site in his apartment – and “figuring we could survive on Ramen noodles.”

What became a daily push-out newsletter and website went on to detail crime, school and coun-ty board decisions, emergencies,

election results, and scads of res-taurants opening and closing.

ARLnow grew to rope in columns and op-eds, some of which draw thousands of comments that are not always civil (the scourge of our digital age).

Brodbeck, who has lived on Columbia Pike and in Pentagon City, says it took two years to reach profitability after launching with the pain of the 2008 recession still raw. His Rosslyn-based staff of six, which includes reporter Ethan Rothstein who came over from Leesburg Today, now gets health insurance.

“The biggest challenge is growing other regions,” he said. His company Local News Now boasts 400,000 readers a month. In Arlington that’s 260,000 unique visitors), his offshoot in Bethesda attracts 70,000 (Bethesda editor Aaron Kraut was at the party), the Reston version 52,000, and (Capitol) HillNow 23,000.

The most enthusiastic age group is those 25-44 and earn-ing under $100,000, according to LNN’s marketing brochure. Those cohorts are less pure, in my per-ception, about keeping editorial separate from advertising.

Brodbeck aims to exploit “the molecular level of journalism,” which can rely on that amateur iPhone photo to first capture a plane crash. “Local journalism is

not going to exist forever in print,” he says. “We launched a business unit, but it’s not our ambition to compete with [Arlington-based] Washington Business Journal. I learned in business school to stick to core competency, which is neighborhoods.”

The nonprofit local model – attempted by the now-defunct Arlington Mercury – is hard, says Brodbeck, who is courting inves-tors. “We provide a service that benefits business and advertis-ers.” Revenue also comes in by charging businesses for featured listings, sponsored columns and promoted postings. You can pay LNN to circulate press releases and marketing blasts via email, social media, coupons and You-Tube offerings.

As a “content person,” I haven’t found these ads offputting. But they’re probably causing sweaty brows at the competing but still-vital Sun-Gazette, which, though aiming for a less-hip demograph-ic, updates its website daily.

Politically, Brodbeck stays down the middle, denying charges by some that “we fanned the fires of anti-streetcar” sentiment.

Perhaps the highest compli-ment to his efforts came from attendee Maura Fredericks, a life coach who told me of some friends who moved from Arlington to Cincinnati. They still go online and compare notes on ARLnow’s latest.

COMMENT FEBRUARY 5 - 11, 2015 | PAGE 15FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Our Man in Arlington By Charlie Clark

C i t y o f Fa l l s C h u r c h

CRIME REPORTWeek of

January 26 - February 1, 2015

The American public and scientists rarely see eye-to-eye, according to a new Pew Research Center poll.

According to the poll, scientists aren’t too concerned about geneti-cally modified food, pesticide use and nuclear power, while those ideas spook the public. Scientists are more certain that man causes global warming, evolution is real, overpopulation is a danger and mandatory vaccination against childhood diseases is critically important.

Based on these issues, I’m assuming that there are few scientists who vote Republican and even fewer who are teabaggers.

Sixty eight percent of scientists said it is safe to eat foods grown with pesticides, compared with only 28 percent of the general public. I can see why people are uncomfort-able with this. Our interaction with pesticides

is whacking roaches and rats. So, when we hear that there are pesticides in our food, our natural reaction is to think of Raid.

Ninety-eight percent of scientists say humans evolved over time, compared with 65 percent of the public. This is basic science. It is astounding that so many Americans still cling to backward religious teachings and mythology in the face of overwhelming scientific evi-dence. I guess this shows that we still have more evolving to do.

The Pew poll showed that 86 percent of scientists favor mandatory childhood shots while 68 percent of the public did. What is wrong with these people? And, who are the incompetent 14 percent of quacks against vaccinations and how fast can we have them fired?

Vaccines have nearly eradicated bugs that used to kill us. That’s why we don’t hear too much about polio, small pox and measles. If a parent refuses to vaccinate his or her child, it is a form of child abuse.

On Friday, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said President Obama believes decisions for vaccinating children should remain in parents’ hands: “I’m not going stand up here and dispense medical advice,” Earnest said. “But I am going to suggest that the president’s view is that people should evaluate this for themselves, with a bias toward good science and toward the advice of our public health profes-sionals, who are trained to offer us exactly this kind of advice.”

That statement is absurd. He sounds like Marco Rubio when he talks about global warming and claims he doesn’t know if it’s real because is he isn’t a scientist.

Thanks to a few selfish and thoughtless parents, measles is staging a comeback like a Rocky movie, with infection spreading to 84 people across 14 states, according to the CDC.

Fortunately, I do have some good news on the polling front. A new poll by Stanford University and the New York Times reports that 48 per-cent of Republicans are more likely to vote for a candidate who supports fighting climate change. While 47 percent believed that fighting climate change would hurt the economy.

Of course this is crazy, because fighting climate change requires new technologies, which create jobs. The problem is that moderate Republicans tend to live in Blue states. And the presidential primaries are controlled by Red State flat earthers – and funded by people like the Koch Brothers, who essentially pay off Republican politicians to say they don’t think climate change is manmade.

The poll also found that 67 percent of all poll respondents, includ-ing 72 percent of independents and 48 percent of Republicans, said that they were less likely to vote for a candidate that claimed climate change was a hoax.

Nearly two-thirds of scientists favored building more nuclear power plants, but only 45 percent of the public did. More of the public, how-ever, favored offshore drilling for oil and fracking than scientists did.

This is a tough issue, because we certainly do need energy. Unfortunately, all of the above options are dreadful. Nuclear power can lead to Three Mile Island. Fracking can lead to earthquakes and contamination of ground water. Offshore drilling can create destructive oil spills like we had with BP in the Gulf of Mexico. That’s why our country should invest in alternative energy – so we can transition to clean, safe, efficient ways to fuel our nation.

More than four out of five scientists thought the growing world population would be a major problem, but just less than three out of five members of the public did.

Maybe we should start listening to scientists with microscopes instead of politicians and preachers with micro-brains? If we did, the world would be a much better and safer place to live.

Scientists & the PublicAnything but Straight

WayneBesen

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5“Choir Boy.” Tarrell Alvin McCraney wrote and

Kent Gash is directing this music-�illed production about masculinity, tradition, coming of age and honesty. The school has a tradition of preparing young black men for leadership roles in society, but times and �inances have changed, and the pressure on the school’s gospel choir is high. So when Pharus, an ambitious and talented student, is told told to ignore a gay slur to take his place as the choir’s leader, he has to decide who he is and what he’s willing to �ight for. Through Feb. 22. Studio Theatre (1501 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C). $20 – $68. 8 p.m. studiotheatre.org.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6“13.” The McLean Community Players present 13 –

a hilarious coming-of-age rock musical with music

and lyrics by Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown and a book by Dan Elish and Robert Horn. When Evan Goldman is forced to move from New York City to a small town in Indiana after his parents’ divorce, he must establish his popularity and avoid an “un-cool” label among his fellow middle school students. Even though the show features an entirely teenage cast, the stories and emotions in this memorable musical are timeless. Through Feb. 15. McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean). $23 – $25. 8 p.m. mcleanplayers.org.

“Turn of the Screw.” This is the premiere of Matt Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith’s musical adaptation of Henry James’ gothic novella. Miss Giddens is a sensitive young governess who believes that her young charges are being manipulated by evil forces. The production is the �irst installment of a �ive-year

commissioning project called “Bold New Works for Intimate Stages.” Through Feb. 22. ArtSpace Falls Church (410 S. Maple Ave., Falls Church). $22 – $25. 8 p.m. creativecauldron.org.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11“Much Ado About Nothing.” This is the opening

night of the Paata Tsikurishvili-directed Shakespeare comedy. Benedick, a bachelor, and the equally-spirited and single Beatrice spar, court and conspire in 1950’s Las Vegas in Synetic Theater’s 11th Wordless Shakespeare adaptation, which follows Synetic’s production of “Twelfth Night.” This �lirtatious and �iercely funny interpretation of Much Ado About Nothing will explore the true meaning of courtship, love and commitment. Through March 22. Synetic Theater (1800 S. Bell St., Arlington). $10. 8 p.m. synetictheater.org.

Community EventsSend community event submissions to the News-Press by e-mail at [email protected]; fax 703-342-0347; or by regular mail to 200 Little Falls St., #508, Falls Church, VA 22046. Please include any photos or artwork with submissions. Deadline is Monday at noon for each week’s edition.

&Theater Fine Arts

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5Preschool Storyti me. Stories, fi nger

plays and songs for children ages 2 – 5 on Monday and Thursday every week. Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s Youth Services Room (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 10:30 – 11 a.m. & 3 – 3:30 p.m. 703-248-5034.

Early Literacy Center. Explore educati onal and manipulati ve items to teach early literacy through play on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday every week. This program is for ages birth to 5 years. No registrati on required. Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s Youth Services Room (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 11 a.m. – noon. & 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. 703-248-5034.

F.C. Rotary Club Meeti ng. Jade Leedham, development director at Alternati ve House, will speak at the Falls Church Rotary Club’s weekly meeti ng. Harvest Moon Restaurant (7260 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). $15 dinner. 6:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6Wine and Chocolate Tasti ng. One

More Page Books will host a Valenti ne’s Day-themed wine and chocolate tasti ng. One More Page Books (2200 N. Westmoreland St. #101, Arlington). Free. 6:30 p.m. onemorepagebooks.com. 703-300-9746.

Concert. The Columbia Insti tute of Fine Arts at Columbia Bapti st Church is presenti ng the Ehprem Brass Quintet. Donati ons will be accepted and go to benefi t the Columbia Insti tute of Fine Arts scholarship fund. Columbia Bapti st Church (103 W. Columbia St., Falls Church). Free. 7:30 p.m. 703-534-2508.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7F.C. Farmers’ Market. Vendors off er

fresh locally grown fruits and vegetables, cheeses, meats, baked goods, plants, and wine. City Hall Parking Lot (300 Park Ave., Falls Church). Free. 9 a.m. – noon. 703-248-5077.

Town Hall. 38th district representati ve Kaye Kory is hosti ng a mid-session town hall with Senators Dick Saslaw and David W. Marsden. Sleepy Hollow Elementary School (3333 Sleepy Hollow Road, Falls Church). Free. 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. kayekory.com/blog.

Author Talk. Greer McAllister will discuss and sign her debut novel, The Magician’s Lie, about a notorious female illusionist accused of murdering her husband. One More Page Books (2200 N. Westmoreland St. #101, Arlington). Free. 3 p.m. onemorepagebooks.com. 703-300-9746.

Book Sale. A large selecti on of books, magazines and other media for adults and children will be on sale to support the Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library. Bag sale/clearance prices will be available from 1 – 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 8. Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library (7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church). 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. [email protected]. 703-790-4031.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8Capital Improvement Project Open

House. Falls Church City residents will get a chance to learn about the City’s Capital Improvement Program for the fi scal years 2016 – 2020. The locati on has yet to be determined. Free. 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. fallschurchva.gov.

Concert. The Washington Saxophone Quartet will play works by Johann Sebasti an Bach, Claude Debussy, Duke Ellington and more. A wine and cheese recepti on will follow the concert. St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church (3241 Brush Dr., Falls Church). Free. 4 p.m. odeonchambermusicseries.org.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9Capital Improvements Program

Work Session and Public Hearing. There will be a work session and public hearing on the

proposed fi scal year 2016-2020 Capital Improvements Program at the Planning Commission Meeti ng. City Hall Council Chambers (300 Park Ave. 2nd level, Falls Church). Free. 7:30 p.m. [email protected]. 703-248-5014.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10Preschool Storyti me. Stories, fi nger

plays and songs for children ages 18 – 36 months every Tuesday. Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s Youth Services Room (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 10:30 – 11 a.m. 703-248-5034.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11Early Release Wednesdays:

Backpack Science. The Science Museum of Virginia will provide fun and easy science experiments for children ages kindergarten – fi ft h grade to do. Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s Youth Services Room (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 3 – 4 p.m. 703-248-5034.

School Budget and City Finance Forum. The public is invited to hear public offi cials talk and ask questi ons about the school budget and city’s fi nances. Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School (7130 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church). Free. 7 p.m. fallschurchva.gov.

CALENDAR FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COMPAGE 16 | FEBRUARY 5 - 11, 2015

live_music&nightlife

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

Email: [email protected]

Fax: 703-342-0347; Attn: FCNP Calendar

Mail: 200 Little Falls St., #508, Falls Church, VA 22046

P�� A��...Saturday, February 14 – Author/Illustrator Talk. Children’s author and illustrator Julia

Sarcone-Roach shares from her newest picture book, The Bear Ate Your Sandwich, which was released on Jan. 6. Sarcone-Roach, a nati ve of Arlington, has writt en and drawn three other children’s books. One More Page Books (220 N. Westmoreland St. #101, Arlington). Free. 3 p.m. onemorepagebooks.com. 703-300-9746.

Saturday, February 21 – Tiny Arti st Workshop. Shannyn Snyder will help children ages 3 – 5 years old work on six projects and learn about the arti sts that inspired various genres of art. Registrati on required. Mary Riley Styles Public Library Conference Room. (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church) Free. 2 – 3 p.m. fallschurchva.gov/Library.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5P�� P�� P��

S��. Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $10. 8 p.m. 202-667-4490.

I�� G�� N�� A�� Y��, D�� F�� M�� J��. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Road, Vienna). $25 – $27. 8 p.m. 703-255-1900.

R�� A��. Blues Alley (1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.). $45. 8 p.m. 202-337-4141.

M�� A�� P�� F�� B��. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504.

V�� P�� W�� E��. 9:30 (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $15. 9 p.m. 202-265-0930.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6B�� M��’� 70�� B�� T��

�� N�� R��, S�� R��, LITZ, T�� DJ L��. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E., Vienna). $10– $15 in advance. $13 – $15 day of the show. 7 p.m. 703-255-1566.

G�� J�� M�� C��. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack (130 N. Washington St., Falls Church). 7 p.m. 703-532-9283.

B�� M��’� 70�� B�� C�� T�� W��, J�� R��, R�� S�� DJ D�� A��. 9:30 (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $30. 7:30 p.m. 202-265-0930.

C�� A�� Q��. Bohemian Caverns (2011 11th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $18 online. $23 at the door. 8 p.m. 202-299-0800.

T�� M�� T��. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Road, Vienna). $35. 8 p.m. 703-255-1900.

F��. Art’s Tavern (2190 Pimmit Dr., Falls Church). 9 p.m. 703-356-3822.

D�� L��’� M�� M�� S��. Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $12 in advance. $15 day of the show. 9 p.m. 202-667-4490.

S�� H�� B��. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9:15 p.m. 703-241-9504.

P�� N�� DJ L��R�� DJ D��. Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $10. 9:30 p.m. 202-667-4490.

C�� T��. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack (130 N. Washington St., Falls Church).10 p.m. 703-532-9283.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7T�� 6�� A�� L�� H�� S��

R��. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E., Vienna). Free. 11 p.m. 703-255-1566.

P�� H�� F��. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E., Vienna). $15. 5:30 p.m. 703-255-1566.

DC M�� D��’� T�� Y�� A�� S�� P��, L�� B��, B�� B�� B�� T�� A�� DJ

AYESCOLD. 9:30 (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $16. 7 p.m. 202-265-0930.

B��S�� M�� D��. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Road, Vienna). $27. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1900.

D�� A�� T��. Bohemian Caverns (2011 11th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $20 online. $25 at the door. 8 p.m. 202-299-0800.

T�� T�� T�� T�� N�� V��. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E., Vienna). $12 – $18 in advance. $15 – $18 day of the show. 9 p.m. 703-255-1566.

A�� C�� S��. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9 p.m. 703-241-9504.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8H��, N�� F��. Jammin’

Java (227 Maple Ave. E., Vienna). $20. 1:30 p.m. 703-255-1566.

F�� J�� C�� B��. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E., Vienna). $15. 6 p.m. 703-255-1566.

F�� C�� S�� A�� R�� R��. Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $10. 8 p.m. 202-667-4490.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9G�� J�� J��.

Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E., Vienna). $10 – $15 in advance. $13 – $15 day of the show. 7 p.m. 703-255-1566.

B�� F�� D�� W��. Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW,

Washington, D.C.). $18 in advance. $20 day of the show. 7:30 p.m. 202-667-4490.

J�� N��. Blues Alley (1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.). $20. 8 p.m. 202-337-4141.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10A�� D’A�� M��

A��. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E., Vienna). $15. 6 p.m. 703-255-1566.

M�� C�� - L�� R��. Bohemian Caverns (2011 11th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $10 online. $15 at the door. 8 p.m. 202-299-0800.

F�� F��. Blues Alley (1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.). $20. 8 p.m. 202-337-4141.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11F�� F�� M��

W��. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E., Vienna). $12 – $15. 7 p.m. 703-255-1566.

C�� R�� B��. 9:30 (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $25. 7 p.m. 202-265-0930.

B�� H��/M�� C�� T�� B��. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-241-9504.

T�� S�� LVL U� �� F��. Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $10. 8 p.m. 202-667-4490.

R�� E. P��. Blues Alley (1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.). $25. 8 p.m. 202-337-4141.

CALENDAR FEBRUARY 5 - 11, 2015 | PAGE 17FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse scores a big get this weekend as Saturday Night Live’s Michael Che takes the stage for two days of standup. Che, a former

Daily Show correspondent, is current-ly an SNL cast member, writer and co-anchor of Weekend Update. He’s had appearances on Late Night With Seth Meyers, Late Show With David Letterman and starred in his first stand-up special on Comedy Central last year. Tickets are $22 each for shows on Friday at 10:30 p.m. and Saturday at 10 p.m. (a 7 p.m. showing has already sold out).

What: Michael Che at Arlington Cinema and Draft houseWhen: Friday - Saturday, February 6 - 7Where: Arlington Cinema & Draft house, 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington

See arlingtondraft house.com for ti ckets and more informati on

FOOD&DINING FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COMPAGE 18 | FEBRUARY 5 - 11, 2015

www.edencenter.com Thinking of Honeybaked Ham, more often than not, elicits visions of hunks of honey-glazed meat at the center of the table during the holidays. But for the other ten months of the year, Honeybaked Ham is, in fact, still a thing and arguably one of the most overlooked eateries in all of Falls Church.

In the shadow of its popular restaurant neighbors in the Broaddale Shopping Center, F.C.’s Honeybaked Ham Company not only has a full-fledged menu but I’m not being hyperbolic in saying it’s one of the city’s best sandwich options. Deli-style sandwiches, chock full of thick-sliced ham, turkey, roast beef and more, make up the vast majority of the menu and, while there’s also salads and soup, the meat-and-bread selections should be your focus here. There’s everything from ham and chicken salads to hot melts and hefty, cold cut creations.

It’s hard to go wrong with anything in this lineup. Take the Tavern Club. While it has all the components of the classic sandwich, it trumps just about every other joint’s attempt at it. There’s no wimpy, borderline-translucent slices of deli meat in this one, instead it’s a fat stack of fresh-off-the-bone ham – complete with crunchy glazed crust on the ends – thick smoked turkey, bacon and cheddar, all between slightly sweet Hawaiian bread. After eating this one, good luck going back to a Subway Club.

Also winners are the Smoke Stacker which ditches the turkey, adds barbecue sauce and swaps the Hawaiian bread for a soft and pillowy pan bread and the Turkey Bacon Ranch which has the above three components plus provolone on multigrain.

Most of the 20-plus sandwiches on the menu are just variations of Honeybaked ham and turkey – solo or combined – paired with different condiments and bread, but there’s just enough variety in the combos that eating there more than once a week shouldn’t feel like Groundhog Day. Plus, while they’re not Honeybaked signatures, chicken and roast beef options help with the meat monotony.

If carbs aren’t your thing, there are salads but eating a salad at Honeybaked Ham just seems wrong. But if you must, stick to the Chef salad which throws ham, turkey, bacon and two types of cheese on top of all that green filler stuff.

Almost as overlooked as the restaurant itself, Honeybaked also serves breakfast – and all-day breakfast at that. There’s omelettes, wraps and even two different types of French toast. My top choice? The Legendary Breakfast Sandwich. Not only because the name is awesome but because an egg souffle topped with Amish ched-dar and Honeybaked bacon sandwiched between a croissant is downright delicious.

(Honeybaked pro tip: If your sandwich doesn’t come with bacon included, add it. Trust me on this. Dredged in the same spiced-honey mixture that coats their beloved hams, the thick-cut strips of pig belly are the perfect combination of salty and sweet.)

— Jody Fellows

Restaurant Spotlight

HoneyBaked Ham360 West Broad Street, Falls Church

703-556-4455 • honeybakedforyou.comMonday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Saturday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.;

Sunday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

FALLS CHURCH RESTAURANT WEEK

FCRESTAURANTWEEK.COM

MARCH23 -29

Little City.

Big Eats.

the presents the 3rd Annual

George Mason High School’s boys varsity basketball team notched three more Bull Run District wins this past week with a 95-33 blowout against Rappahannock County High School, a 56-46 win against Strasburg High School and a 68-34 win over Central High School.

Last Wednesday, Mason domi-nated the Rappahannock County Panthers in the first half 60-17, with all 15 members of Mason’s roster clocking in minutes in the first two quarters.

Mason’s starters sat out the second half while their teammates added another 35 points to the tally.

Junior forward Robert Tartt led the Mustangs with 16 points against the Panthers. Junior guard Thomas Beddow followed with 11 points and senior guard Andrei Enache, sophomore forward Dustin Green and junior guard Devin Thomas each added 10 points for Mason.

Following its success at home, Mason traveled to Strasburg High School last Friday for a close district game against the Rams. Strasburg led Mason 7-5 at the end of the first

quarter, but the Mustangs jumped ahead 21-19 at halftime.

“We shot very poorly and missed a ton of easy shots in the first half,” said Mason head coach Chris Capannola of the team’s 8-31 shooting effort in the first half.

Mason maintained their lead in the second half, which Cappanola credits to their defensive play.

“Our defense was really good again. We gave the Strasburg guards fits with traps and fake traps and we sped them up,” Capannola said. “They are a methodical type team offensively, and we wouldn’t let them play their game.”

Junior guard Elliot Mercado led the Mustangs with 13 points and seven rebounds. Tartt also scored 13 points and grabbed ten rebounds. Junior guard Josh Allen added 10 points for Mason.

On Monday, the Mustangs played at Central against the Falcons. Mason kicked off the game with a strong lead, ending the first quarter 17-1 over the Falcons. Both teams scored 13 points in the second quarter, but Mason maintained their double-digit lead throughout the game.

“Our pressure defense once again was the key,” Capannola said. “Tonight [Monday], we actu-ally converted on the turnovers we

caused as opposed to the Strasburg game Friday where we got 21 turnovers but didn’t score off enough of them. We got running and Central had no answer for us.”

Tartt led the team with 17

points, followed by Allen with 15 points and Beddow with 12 points.

Mason played their last home game of the regular season against Madison County High School on Wednesday night but results were

not yet available at press time. The Mustangs will end their regular season at Warren County High School this Friday before prepar-ing for the Bull Run District tour-nament the following week.

Mustangs Pick Up 3 More Bull Run District Winsby Liz LizamaFalls Church News-Press

SPORTS FEBRUARY 5 - 11, 2015 | PAGE 19FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

MASON JUNIOR ROBERT TARTT (center) attempts a dunk against Rappahannock County during the Mustangs’ 95-33 win over the Panthers last Wednesday. (Photo: Liz Lizama/News-Press)

Roth Commits to Play Soccer for Lehigh U.

Ava Roth, a senior midfielder and forward on George Mason High School’s girls varsity soccer team, signed a letter of intent to play Division-1 soccer for Lehigh University at a signing ceremony held at Mason yesterday.

The all-state four-year Mason varsity soccer player said she plans on continuing to play both positions for the Mountain Hawks.

“I’m really excited,” Roth said. “I’m looking forward to play-ing there and it’s a great school athletically and academically, so I should be challenged in both departments.”

Roth has been a standout play-er for the Mustangs almost every year since she started playing for the team in 2012, most recently scoring the two goals that led to a Mustang state champion-ship victory over Maggie Walker Governor’s School last spring.

She said she decided to take her talents to Lehigh after taking some unofficial visits to the school.

“The campus is beautiful and the team is very welcoming,” Roth said. “There’s close relationships within the team and between the team and the coaches.”

Ava’s parents, Barb and Jesse Roth, attended the signing cer-emony and were joined by Mason Principal Tyrone Byrd, athletic director Tom Horn, assistant ath-letic director Julie Bravin and Mason girls soccer head coach Jennifer Parsons.

“I’m so excited for her,” Parsons said. “I think D-1 soccer is a perfect fit for her and Lehigh sounds like a great school for her. She’s talented enough to be there and she has the motivation and dedication to be really successful there and I think have a really great impact on the program.”

Parsons said that she’ll hope-fully be able to make it to Roth’s games with the Mountain Hawks in the fall.

“I think with their conference play and their schedule they usu-ally find their way south a little bit,” Parsons said. “So hopefully we’ll get to see some games.”

GEORGE MASON HIGH SCHOOL’S SCHOLASTIC BOWL team won the Conference 35 champion-ship last Friday at Luray High School and advanced to the Region B tournament. The Mustangs defeated Clarke County High School 300-125 in the conference championship. Mason seniors (l to r) Jarman Taylor and Ben Cohen led the team in scoring in the Conference 35 tournament, with additional scoring from senior Jeremiah Ogle. In the image above, the trio of seniors stand with head coach Jamie Scharff after a taping of “It’s Academic.” (Photo: Carol Sly)

Super Scholasticsby Drew CostleyFalls Church News-Press

F.C. Students Earn Academic Honors Across the Nation

Several students from Falls Church earned academic honors at colleges, universities and other aca-demic institutions across the nation during the fall 2014 semester.

Tina Boortalary, a biology major, was named to the dean’s list at St. Bonaventure University. Katherine Brown, a freshman Latin major, made the dean’s list at Randolph-Macon College, where students must earn at least a 3.25 grade point average to be named to the list.

Lucas Cherry, sophomore marine science major, made the president’s list at Coastal Carolina University because he earned a 4.0 grade point average while being as a full-time student. Jordan Crockett and Analisse Vasquez Soto were named to the dean’s list at Mary Baldwin College, where students must earn a grade point average between 3.5 – 3.74 to qualify for the honor.

Jacob Ryu Morris, a fresh-man electrical engineering major, was named to the dean’s list at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s College of Engineering must earn at least a 3.5 grade point average to make the dean’s list.

Tenzin Namdol, an econom-ics and environmental studies major, was named to the dean’s

list at Bates College. Takumi Nemec made the dean’s list at The Citadel, where students must earn a 3.2 grade point average or higher with no grade below a C to be named to the list.

Mollie Read was named to the dean’s list at Grinnell College, where students have to earn at least a 3.75 in order to make the list. John Webster made the dean’s list at Rhode Island College, where students must earn a 3.25 grade point average to qual-ify for the academic honor.

Also, three students from Falls Church graduated during the fall 2014 semester. Brian Morris and Theresa Pociask both earned Master of Business of Administration degrees in man-agement from Frostburg State University. Hyung Yang earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in electrical and computer engineer-ing from The Georgia Institute of Technology.

Stuart Students Will Attend Journalism Conference

Two students at J.E.B. Stuart High School, Garrison Grow and Victoria Haver, were chosen as National Youth Correspondents for the 2015 Washington Journalism and Media Conference.

Grow and Haver will join a group selected from across the nation for an intensive study of

journalism and media. They were chosen based on academic accom-plishments and a demonstrated interest and excellence in journal-ism and media studies.

They will participate in hands-on, experiential learning through decision-making simulations that challenge them to solve problems and explore the creative, practical, and ethical tensions inherent in journalism and media. They will also attend lectures from promi-nent journalists and other media professionals.

Last year’s slate of lecturers included NBC’s Hoda Kotb, Brian Lamb from C-Span, Carol Guzy from The Washington Post and Peter Doocy from Fox News. The conference will take place at George Mason University from July 12 – 17. For more informa-tion, visit wjmc.gmu.edu.

McLean HS Premieres Musical ‘Big Fish’ in Region

The McLean High School Theatre Company is readying a regional premiere of the musical “Big Fish,” next Monday, Feb.16, at 2 p.m. After the President’s Day premiere, the play will run from Feb. 19 – 22 with 7 p.m. showtimes Thursday – Saturday and 2 p.m. showtimes Saturday and Sunday.

In “Big Fish,” Edward Bloom sweeps the audience into a fan-tasy while recounting his seem-

FIRST GRADERS AT Mt. Daniel Elementary School performed reader’s theater for kindergarten students at the school last week. Soon the kindergarteners will perform their own read-er’s theater, which helps strengthen fluency and expression. (Photo: FCCPS Communications/Amy Brooks)

Fa l l s C h u r c hSchool News & Notes

EDWARD BLOOM (front left) is played by nationally-recognized actor Alex Stone in the McLean Theatre Company’s regionally-premiere of “Big Fish,” which debuts next Monday and is sched-uled a one-weekend run from Feb. 19 –22. (Photo: Courtesy of Isabel Zapata)

ingly impossible life experiences. The McLean Theatre Company’s production, led by artistic direc-tor Amy Poe and music direc-tor Bobby McCoy complete with acrobatics, juggling, aerial skills and thrilling big-stage dance num-bers, aims to remind the local community why they love going to the theater for experiences that are richer, funnier and more vivid than reality.

“We are very excited that the McLean Theatre Company will debut this magical and moving adventure to the Metro D.C. com-munity. After premiering “Catch Me If You Can” last spring and thrilling audiences with the out-rageous “The Addams Family” [last] fall, our company is ready for the challenge of the spectacu-lar that is “Big Fish.,” Poe said.

“The show’s technical ele-ments and stunning performances will create an atmosphere where it appears the impossible is achieved. We want the audience to

embrace Edward Bloom’s incred-ible interpretation of the mundane. Through witnessing Edward’s ‘big fish’ tales, the audience learns that reality is relative and perception is possibility.” For more informa-tion, visit mcleandrama.com.

4th Graders at TJ Elementary School Celebrate Colonial Day

Fourth graders at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School donned tri-corner hats, ruffled shirts, bonnets and cotton dresses to celebrate Colonial Day last week.

Students shared their research on colonial America dressed as blacksmiths, seamstresses, limners, schoolmasters, architects, ship cap-tains, weavers, printers and other professionals from the time peri-od. Students also had a traditional lunch of ham and biscuits and participated in period crafts and activities such as marbles and quill writing, as shown in the photo below.


TWO FOURTH GRADERS at Thomas Jefferson Elementary prac-tice their quill writing at the school’s Colonial Day last week. (Photo: FCCPS Communications/Erin Craddock)

FEBRUARY 5 - 11, 2015 | PAGE 21FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM LOCAL

Recycle, refurbish, refresh, renew, reboot, reward.

That old laptop or desktop that’s been lying around your house or office that you’ve been meaning to take to the county landfill?

Instead of taking it there, you can take it the boys at Reboot for Youth. There’s no charge for them to take it off your hands, and they’ll turn your trash into some-one else’s treasure.

Reboot for Youth is a non-profit that restores computers for area families who don’t have the financial means to buy a computer for their children to use for school work.

The brainchild of Christopher Cao and his friend Griffith Heller, Reboot for Youth was started last year as a way to use the boys’ technology skills.

While tutoring an elementary school student, Cao saw firsthand what the lack of a home computer can mean. “We wanted to reach out to the community,” he said.

And Cao, and his tech team, are doing just that. On paper they may seem like a bunch of 20-some-things, but they’re 15- and 16-year-old sophomore advanced com-puter science students at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. They gather at the school on Wednesdays, during

eighth period, to work and meet at Heller’s house on Saturday after-noons to work on Reboot.

There they review weekly goals and refurbish computers. Cao said the team erases all the data from donated computers, removing any confidential information, and installs Microsoft Office or Linux systems.

Reboot’s Arun Bhattasali said it’s easy to apply to receive a com-puter, make donations or nomi-nations for needy families made by others on Reboot’s website, rebootforyouth.org.

Since launching last November, Reboot has delivered restored computers to 77 families with 112 students. They like to meet the families personally in a public setting to give them a tutorial on using the computer. “That’s so important,” Cao said.

Because of the amount of donations they have gotten so far, they have not had to buy any parts, using what they have on hand. In December, they received 30 Dell computers from Virginia Student Training and Refurbishing Program.

The team members all began “fooling around” with computers years ago – Heller said he thinks he started while he was in kindergar-ten. They find computers are “easy to fix up and customize,” he said.

Reboot is not limited to Jefferson students. The team is close to sign-ing up a student from W.T. Woodson

High School, and they are looking for girls in particular to join to their cause. “It’s hard to find girls” in this line of work, Heller said, but the group said that one has applied to be a tech assistant.

Parents are an important ingre-dient of the Reboot mix for they provide the wheels, the space, the pizzas and the time to help make it happen. They pick up and deliver the Reboot team, the computers they work on and fuel that keeps them going.

Denise Huynh, Cao’s mother said that her son loves comput-ers. She considers herself “the feet” for her two sons. Kevin, Christopher’s older brother, is a student at the University of Virginia. He co-founded Growth and Inspiration through Volunteering and Education (GIVE), where Christopher Cao tutors every Saturday afternoon. Huynh said that she’s proud of both of her sons.

“I am a single mom, but any-where they need to be, I’ll be there,” Huynh said.

“In a way, it’s very humbling that Christopher can help the com-munity by saving electronics and helping the environment, and turn them [computers] into something so useful for lower-income families.”

For more information on how to donate to Reboot for Youth, visit rebootforyouth.org/donate, e-mail [email protected] or call 703-269-8461.

TJHS Students Refurbish Old Computers for Area Familiesby Patricia LeslieFalls Church News-Press

THE REBOOT FOR YOUTH TEAM, (l to r) Christopher Cao, Shrikant Mishra, Peter Zhao, Arun Bhattasali and Griffith Heller, work to refurbish computers. (Photo: Patricia Leslie/News-Press)

For more information contac t John W. Purvis Sr THE PURVIS TEAMRemax Xecutex703-937-0341

BUILDING LOTS

Unique opportunity in City of Falls Church, a single parcel with over 29,000 sq ft sub-dividable into two residential b uilding lots. Utilities at site existing home must be removed. A bargain at $1,200,000.

Donate A Boat

sponsored by boat angel outreach centers STOP CRIMES AGAINST CHILDRENwww.boatangel.com

“2-Night Free Vacation!”

or Car Today!

8001- CAR LANGE--

Good vision is a crucial part of your kids’ academic and social lives.

Good vision is a Good vision is a crucial part of your kids’ crucial part of your kids’ academic and social lives. academic and social lives.

Make sure their windows to the world are in focus. Four out of ten grade school children have vision

problems which inhibit school achievement... vision problems that often to undetected by the basic

“20/20” eye test administered by most schools.

January is National Eye Care Month - Start the New Year right by having your child’s eye’s examined

www.pointofvieweyewear.com

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

703-237-6500

Drew Gibson wasn’t thinking about making a new album after his father Edmund Gibson died on July 4, 2012 – songwriting was only there to help him find balance. But then he dis-covered something that led him to create 1532.

“When my father passed away, I wasn’t think-ing about an album at that time. I wasn’t thinking about an album before he was sick or even after he was sick,” Gibson said. “And then for the next six or seven months after he died I knew that I wanted to write something, that’s kind of my out-let...so I worked on a song, trying to get the lyrics right, trying to get the music right.”

While he was working on that song, which became “When the Vinyl Scrapes,” Gibson found an old metal security deposit box, which he said seemed out of place among his father’s belongings. Inside the box there were old pho-tographs and letters from Gibson’s uncle, Jack, who fought and died in World War II.

But before Jack went off to train in Miami, he registered “1532” on his license plate as an homage to his family. Jack actually wanted to put 1505, his family’s address, on the license plate, but the number was taken, so he took 1532, since adding three and two equals five.

After Jack was killed in Italy, in a vehicle accident, his family grieved and honored his life by putting the license plate on his father John’s car. After John died his wife Kathryn began using the license plate and the tradition was carried on by Drew’s father after Kathryn died. Drew’s mother Beattie-Jane, the name-sake to the album’s first track, began using the 1532 license plate after Edmund passed away.

“It’s just taken on a greater meaning each time it gets passed on,” Drew said. “And every time I think of that number, I think about my family, that’s what it means to me.”

Discovering those memories from past gen-erations in that metal box helped Gibson write a

song that expressed how he was feeling after his father’s passing. It also allowed him to record his family’s history on 1532, which he released with Cragmont Records earlier this week.

The album, which Gibson dedicated to his father, is somber, celebratory, and, at times, both. Wisdom, regret, worry and consolation are woven throughout the album’s lyrical con-tent, with song’s inspired by the letters Gibson found and other family stories.

“I just started picking up stories and doing research and learning about people in my fam-ily – learning about my dad’s side of the family, learning about my mom’s side of the family – and writing songs,” Gibson said.

“Some of the songs deal with specific events and...each song kind of tangentially may touch on a line here or there loss and losing my father and how I feel, but the whole process, from that

first song I wrote about losing my dad to the last song I finished on the record, helped me find that balance I was searching for.”

Gibson is having an album release show at IOTA Club & Cafe in Arlington this Friday, Feb. 6. Bassist Jon Nazdin, dummer Robbie Magruder and pedal steel guitarist Dave Hadley will back Gibson as he plays tracks from 1532.

“A lot of people of have said they’ve found something in there that has touched them in their life,” Gibson said. “The album has a lot to do with my family and is dedicated to my father...and a lot of people going through those things now have either texted me or e-mailed me and said ‘A lot of these things ring true for me in my life.’

• For more information about Drew Gibson, visit drew-gibson.com.

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

Nicholas Benton – America from “West Side Story” by Leonard Bernstein

Jody Fellows – The Love You Got by Moxie Bravo

Drew Costley – You Must Learn by KRS-One

DREW GIBSON (C�� P��)

Feb.

5Roy Ayers

Blues Alley

8 p.m.

1073 Wisc. Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.

202-337-4141 • bluesalley.com

6Gypsy Jazz with

Matt & CraigClare and Don’s

7 p.m.

130 N. Washington St., Falls Church

703-532-9283 • clareanddons.com

FootwerkArt’s Tavern

9 p.m.

2190 Pimmit Dr., Falls Church

703-356-3822 • artstavern.com

7BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet

The Barns at Wolf Trap

8 p.m.

1645 Trap Road, Vienna

703-938-2404 • wolftrap.org

5Thursday

BY DREW COSTLEYFALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

6Friday

7Saturday

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COMPAGE 22 | FEBRUARY 5 - 11, 2015

FEBRUARY 5 - 11, 2015 | PAGE 23FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

Family, Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry

Healthy Smiles Begin Here

www.healthybyintention.com

Healthy By Intention100 N. Washington Street, Suite 307

Falls Church, VA 22046703.534.1321

Show someone you love and care about them with a Gift Certi�cate.

Healthy By Intention Healthy By Intention Professional Therapeutic Massage

‘Turn of the Screw’ Premieres at Creative CauldronCreative Cauldron debuted

the world premiere of the musi-cal adaptation of Henry James’ Gothic novella Turn of the Screw last Saturday, Jan. 30, at ArtSpace Falls Church.

The production, written by local theater veterans Stephen Gregory Smith and Matt Conner, tells the tale of a young govern-ess, Miss Giddens, who believes that her two students, Miles and Flora Bly, are being manipulated by evil forces.

Miss Giddens is played by Susan Derry, a Helen Hayes award-winning actress who played Miss Jessel in the opera version of the show.

“Miss Giddens is a young woman with little experience of the world who is thrilled to have a position with two charming chil-dren,” Derry said. “But she quick-ly starts to unravel when she’s faced with things that she doesn’t understand and can’t pin down.”

“I think she’s very vulnera-ble yet she has this fascinating inner strength,” Derry said. “It’s sort of a dichotomy. These things exist sort of simultaneously and she’s trusting and very loving and warm. But there’s a fragility to her...she’s vulnerable, she’s not sure of what’s going on around her but at the same time she’s com-pletely convinced that she does know.

“I think it’s very interesting to see a woman who is that sort of warm and open yet at the same time has this steely resolve at her center.”

Derry, who was recruited by Smith and Conner to play Miss Giddens in the play, advised the-atergoers not to miss “Turn of the Screw.”

“Don’t miss it. It’s so special to have a world premiere in your

backyard, especially one of this caliber,” Derry said. “The story can be a little bit scary, but it’s a fascinating commentary on human nature. And supporting new work in the theater is a privilege...it’s our job as theatergoers to get out there and be part of what’s coming up because one day it’ll be part of the canon.”

Smith and Conner’s “Turn of the Screw” is the first installment in the five-year Creative Cauldron commissioning project “Bold New Works for Intimate Stages.” Through the initiative Creative Cauldron will solicit actors, writ-ers and composers every year for original works that are designed to be performed in small venues.

“To be honored with any sort of recognition in this business as a writer is always an honor,” Conner said. “There are a lot of writers out there who are hardly ever recog-nized. So for us to be recognized here locally it’s a really, really great honor to be a part of it and we’re just happy that we’ll be able to present our work as quickly as we have.”

Smith said that Creative Cauldron founder Laura Connors Hull suggested that they adapt “Turn of the Screw” into a musi-cal. Prior to Smith and Conner’s adaptation, James’ novella had been turned into an opera, by Benjamin Britten, but never into a musical.

Smith said that he told Hull that he and Conner would check out the novella, that they “fell in love” with James’ story and immediately got to work on the adaptation.

“I think that Stephen and I have always been drawn to the darker side of stories,” Conner said. “We both enjoy Gothic, romantic and horror sort of genres. This story actually lends itself to all of that. It’s a very romantic, beautiful piece.”

Creative Cauldron is hosting a premiere gala and press night for “Turn of the Screw,” which runs through Feb. 22, this Saturday, Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. For more infor-mation or to purchase tickets, visit creativecauldron.org.

BY DREW COSTLEYFALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

IN “TURN OF THE SCREW,” Susan Derry plays Miss Giddens, who is, in the photo above, looking on while Mrs. Grose, played by Sherri Edelen, reads. In the photo on the right, Derry’s Miss Giddens sings with Libby Brooke, who plays Flora Bly.The play, a musical adapta-tion of Henry James’ novella of the same name, tells the story a young governess who believes that her two young students are being manipulated by evil forces. (P��: C�� K�� W��/K� P��)

Condos for Rent

Idylwood Towers: 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo. Immaculate. Updated unit. Hard-wood floors, vertical blinds, washer/dryer. Parking. Walk to metro. $1850 (includes all utilities). Available March 14. 703-534-3975

For Rent

New Basement Apartment. Private Entrance. Bedroom, Bath, Laundry Room. Near Metro, Bus Lines, Tyson Corner. Available Immediately. Call 703-894-7601

Help Wanted

Servers needed. Must be 18 to apply. Experience preferred, but not required. Apply at: www.famousdaves.com

Public Notice

CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, FALLS CHURCH

VOLUNTEERS: who live in the City of Falls Church are needed to serve on the boards and commis-sions listed below. Contact the City Clerk’s Office (703-248-5014, [email protected], or www.fallschurchva.gov/BC) for an application form or more information. Requests for reappointment must be made through the City Clerk. Applications are accepted until the end of the month. Vacancies advertised for more than one month may be filled during each subsequent month before month’s end. Architectural Advisory BoardBoard of EqualizationBoard of Zoning AppealsEnvironmental Services CouncilHistoric Architectural Review BoardHistorical CommissionHuman Services Advisory CouncilPublic Utilities CommissionRetirement Board

Towing Advisory BoardTree Commission Regional Boards/Commissions:Fairfax Area Disability Services BoardFairfax Area Commission on AgingLong Term Care Coordinating Council

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGCITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA

The Falls Church City Council will hold a public hearing at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as may be heard, on Monday, February 9, 2015 to consider the following:

(TR15-05) RESOLUTION AP-PROVING AN AMENDMENT TO THE 2005 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO INCORPO-RATE THE “PARKS FOR PEOPLE” PLAN AS AN UPDATE AND REPLACEMENT OF THE PARKS, OPEN SPACE, AND RECREATION CHAPTER

More information regarding the Parks for People Plan and the public engagement process through which it was developed is available here: www.fallsch-urchva.gov/ParksOpenSpaceRecChapter.

All public hearings will be held in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia. For copies of legislation, contact the City Clerk’s office at (703-248-5014) or [email protected] or visit www.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).

CELESTE HEATHCITY CLERK

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGCITY OF FALLS CHURCH,

VIRGINIA The Falls Church City Council will hold public hearings at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as may be heard, on Monday, February 9, 2015 to consider the following: (1) (TR15-05) RESOLUTION APPROVING AN AMENDMENT TO THE 2005 COM-PREHENSIVE PLAN TO INCORPORATE THE “PARKS FOR PEOPLE” PLAN AS AN UPDATE AND REPLACEMENT OF THE PARKS, OPEN SPACE, AND REC-REATION CHAPTER

(2) (TO15-02) ORDINANCE TO MOVE THE DEADLINE FOR APPEALS TO THE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION FROM THE FIRST FRIDAY OF APRIL TO THE FIRST FRIDAY OF JUNE More information regarding the Parks for People Plan and the public engagement process through which it was developed is available here: www.fallschurchva.gov/ParksOpenSpaceRecChapter. All public hearings will be held in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia. For copies of legislation, contact the City Clerk’s office at (703-248-5014) or [email protected] or visit www.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). CELESTE HEATHCITY CLERK


BUSINESS & SERVICE DIRECTORY

ACCLAIMED CARPET CLEANING5 Rooms Deep Cleaned: $135

Carpet Stretching 24/7 Emergency Water Damage

We Clean the White HouseAcclaimedWaterDamage.comCall Mike 703-978-2270

Cleaning ServiCeS

[email protected]

[email protected] fcnp.com

ProfeSSional ServiCeS

Benton Potter & Murdock, PC

www.bentonpotter.com

Government contract law, health law, civil litigation,

and all areas of business law.In the City of Falls Church:

703-992-9255In D.C.: 202-416-1660

Benton Potter & Murdock, PC

www.bpmlawyers.com

Government contract law, health law, civil litigation, and all areas of business law.

In the City of Falls Church: 703-992-9255

400 S. Maple Avenue, Suite 210, Falls Church, VA 22046

In D.C.: 202-416-1660

www.bpmlawyers.com

400 S. Maple Avenue, Suite 210, Falls Church, VA 22046

Robert Beatson IIAttorney/Accountant, Former IRS Attorney

Admitted to DC, MD, VA & NY Bars

703-798-3590 or 301-340-2951www.beatsonlaw.com

All Federal, State, Local & Foreign TaxesIndividual • Business • Trusts • Estates • Wills

The Plumbery, Inc.Air Conditioning/Heating

Kitchen/Bathroon RemodelingPlumbing Service

Free estimates, superior service, low prices, high quality

25 years' experience, local, insured

www.plumberyinc, com(703 ) 641-9700

CollegeS

Ask about SCHOLARSHIPS for:Certi�cate, Bachelor or Master Degrees in:

Business, Accounting and ITACCT is Certi�ed to operate by SCHEV

Apply this or next quarter by contacting theAdmissions O�ce at

703-942-6200150 South Washington St.

Falls Church VA, 20046www.acct2day.org

Medical and Sports MassageAndre Halasz , LMT

www.Inhousemassagedc.com

In house visits availableCall Andre : 281-221-1158

other ServiCeS

Make a Joyful Splash! Miss Eileen

with

Create unique art masterpieces using acrylics, water-based oils, pencils and an innovative

variety of tools and brushes. Held at Creative Cauldron

410 S. Maple AvenueOn-going enrollment

Enroll on-line at www.creativecauldron.org

Or call 571-239-5288

[email protected]

home imProvement

All repairs, plumbing, drywall, doors, windows, rotted wood,

siding, gutters, lighting + more FREE estimates, insured

Call Doug (703)556-4276

Handyman Service

www.novahandyman.com

CRJ ConcreteDriveways - Patios - Sidewalks

Licensed & Insured

571-221-2785

Complete or Partial remodelA�ordable cabinets and �xtures

Free planning and design!!10% Discount

Licensed & Insured703-638-8863

[email protected]

Kitchen & Bathroom Remodeling Discover great solutions now!

YOUR HANDYMAN LLCCarpentry • Caulking, Painting,

Drywall Repairs, Plumbing & Electrical, Flat Screen TV Mounting

visit: www.yourhandymanllc.com

Contact Pete 571-243-6726NO JOB TOO SMALL

House Cleaning ServiceAvailable 7 days a week

Weekly - By Weekly - Monthly or by TimeMove Out - Move In • 14 years Experience

Good References • Senior DiscountFor Further Information:

Call Susy • Cell (703) 901-0596

JOSEPH HOME IMPROVEMENTDrywall • Paint Exterior / Interior,

Bath & Kitchen Remodeling,Basements, Ceramic Tile, Deck,

Fences. Patios, Electric, Plumbing,Clean Garage, All Kinds of Hauling.

Joseph Cell 703-507-5005Tel 703-507-8300Licensed Work

[email protected]

CLASSIFIEDS

www.acleaningserviceinc.com

A Cleaning Service since 1985

703-892-8648

Insured, Bonded and Licensed Independently owned

Commercial & Residential

Seeking a Winter wonderland? Find it at The Omni Homestead Resort, celebrating 55 seasons of ski and snowboarding fun.

* Based on double occupancy. Restrictions may apply. See website for details.

540-839-1766omnihotels.com/thehomestead

Make history on our slopes.

from $224*

Accommodations + 2 lift tickets

HOMESTEAD SKI

OMHS-1109-Statewide-PressSkiAd-3.22x4-BW-F.indd 1 12/19/14 4:17 PM

ACROSS1. Guy from Tucson in a Beatles song5. Short winter holidays?11. Texans’ org.14. From the top15. Like a romantic dinner16. Suffix with script17. Dropped off again, perhaps19. Ovid’s 10420. Acclaim for picadors21. Jai ____22. “Lolita” narrator28. Two cohosts who joined Whoopi on “The View” in 201429. Supporter of the 1%, say30. Poison lead singer Michaels31. Sign before Taurus33. Without delay40. Chopin work41. Bird feeder fill42. “Lost in Translation” director46. Lost it48. Like some poseurs, in slang51. No Child Left Behind dept.52. Inaugural feature53. Part of a sch. year54. They’re often made at print shops (they’re made in 17-, 22-, 33- and 48-Across)61. Nile reptile62. Upholsterer’s sample63. Bounce back64. Gridiron positions: Abbr.65. Actress Milano66. Piquancy

DOWN1. Rattle2. ____ Direction (boy band)3. “The Beverly Hillbillies” dad4. Have debts5. Fox show that had a character named Fox, with “The”6. Man with a van, perhaps7. “Give it ____!”8. Orch. section9. One having a little lamb10. Turf11. Cell centers12. Monastery residents13. Housing developer William who has a Long Island town named after him18. It might be pierced21. Co. led by Baryshnikov in the 1980s22. Butt (in)23. Applications24. Barack’s re-election rival25. Food brand that claims its ketchup comes out of its bottles at .028 miles per hour26. Peter Fonda title role27. ____ soup28. Abbr. on a Topps card31. Way to see the world?32. Tattle (on)34. Bad way to go35. “The Lion King” queen36. Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day org.37. Totals38. TV actress Remini39. Jan. 1 till now

42. “Veni, vidi, vici” speaker43. Like Jackie Jackson, in the Jackson 544. Freshens the pillow45. Cpl.’s inferior46. “You’re mine!”47. Dos cubed49. Sounds from a 55-Down50. Ones awaiting a shipment, maybe54. Civil War side: Abbr.55. See 49-Down56. Set (down)57. Candy that turns heads?58. Swelling reducer59. Comments accompanying shrugs60. Souse

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16

17 18 19

20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29

30 31 32

33 34 35 36 37 38 39

40 41

42 43 44 45 46 47

48 49 50

51 52

53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60

61 62 63

64 65 66

Across1. Guy from Tucson in a Beatles song

5. Short winter holidays?

11. Texans' org.

14. From the top

15. Like a romantic dinner

16. Suffix with script

17. Dropped off again, perhaps

19. Ovid's 104

20. Acclaim for picadors

21. Jai ____

22. "Lolita" narrator

28. Two cohosts who joined Whoopi on "The View" in 2014

29. Supporter of the 1%, say

30. Poison lead singer Michaels

31. Sign before Taurus

1

© 2015 David Levinson Wilk

L A B J A B A T A C T SE L I O N A D R O P O U TO A K L A N D D I L E M M A

E U N U C H S R E B SE S P N L O A B U M B L EN C A A S P R E O P Y R SC O T T O N P L A S M

W H I T E S O F T H E I RC R E A M S O D D E D

I R S U L N A S T I A M OT E T L E Y R T S C R O WS T A S A X I L L A EY U C A T A N F E E L S A TO N E T W O S F D A A V AU E Y I K E S S N Y E N

1

CHUCKLE BROS BRIAN & RON BOYCHUK

Last Thursday’s Solution

2/8/15

Sudoku By The Mepham Group

Solution to last Sunday’s puzzleComplete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders)contains everydigit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solveSudoku, visitwww.sudoku.org.uk.

© 2015 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

Level: 1 2 3 4

NICK KNACK

© 2015 N.F. Benton

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT FEBRUARY 5 - 11, 2015 | PAGE 25FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

CrosswordBy David Levinson Wilk

LOOSE PARTS DAVE BLAZEK


Falls Church News-PressVol XIV, No. 48 • February 3, 2005

Grad Center: Reviews Mixed on Design

City officials got their first look at the architectural renderings for the Northern Virginia Graduate Center Monday night at the Planning Commission meeting and the reviews were mixed.

Project architects presented the build-ing’s design at a site plan review which generated numerous comments and sug-gestions from the six commissioners.

One of the primary focuses of con-cern was the “mass” of the 290-foot-long, 90-foot-wide, four-story building....

Falls Church News-PressVol IV, No. 47 • February 9, 1995

Verizon Prepares Internet, Cable Rollout in F.C.; Cox Slams Push for New Law

Verizon officially announced the launch of its new high-speed Internet service to cus-tomers in Falls Church yesterday with a press statement that promises “breathtaking” and “blazing-fast” fiber optic broadband service.

But while welcoming the new service and benefits of competition that Verizon is bringing to Falls Church, members of the City Council here expressed deep concern Monday for legislation that Verizon is back-ing in Richmond....

It is now the time for all g o o d cows to go to the aid of their pasture.* * * * *

T h r o w it up. Pour it up It is now the time for all good cows to go to the aid

10 Years Ago

lazy

dog. The

q u i c k

sly fox

jumped

o v e r

the lazy

d o g .

Now is

the time

for all

g o o d

cows to

c o m e

to the

aid of

t h e i r

pasture.

N o w

is the

t i m e

for all

g o o d

cows to

c o m e

to the

20 Years Ago

B A C K I N T H E D AY20 � 10 Y�� A�� N��-P��

C � � � � � � C � � � � �

THIS IS FRANK THE CAT, an 11-month old Ragdoll living just off of West Broad Street. When he is not lying around in sinks or boxes, he is hanging out in his 7-foot-tall tree or loving on his parents.

Sponsored by Jon DeHart, Long & Foster

Longtime Mad Fox Brewer Buettner Leaving F.C. Brew Pub

Brewer Charlie Buettner is leaving Mad Fox Brewing Company to help a start-up a production brewery in Lorton. Buettner, one of Mad Fox Brewing ’s first employees, started a month before Bill Madden opened the award winning gastro pub in July of 2010. Madden will take on a greater role with the brewery and is promoting one of Mad Fox’s current brewers, Brad Hulewicz to Lead Brewer and extending brewer Max Courington’s hours to full time. A farewell party for Buettner will be held at Mad Fox on Thursday, February 5 from 4 – 6 p.m. at Mad Fox Brewing Company, 444 W. Broad Street. To learn more about Mad Fox, visit www.madfoxbrewing.com.

Dogwood to Host ‘Boxes of Home’ Benefit for Soldiers February 11

Dogwood Tavern is hosting an event to benefit Operation Turbo on Wednesday, February 11 from 7 – 10 p.m. The nonprofit founded by Dyan Zurick Smith in 2010 provides “Boxes of Home” to military soldiers, especially those who do not receive personal mail or packages, while being deployed. Operation Turbo is plan-ning to send more than 600 boxes with letters of gratitude, artwork, toiletries and pre-packaged treats this year. The event will include free appetizers and drink specials, live music by Perry, Polman & Gamble, Magician Tim Knottscamp, and a silent auction. Attendees are invited to donate drawings by children, pre-packaged food items, toiletries, or contribute financially. The nonprofit also has a “wish list” on Amazon. For more information, visit www.operationturbo.org. Dogwood Tavern is located at 132 W. Broad Street in Falls Church.

Mad Fox Raising Funds for Blood Cancer Research Next Tuesday

Mad Fox Brewing Company is donating 15 percent of proceeds on Tuesday, February 10 to benefit Team Kings for a Cure as part of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Society’s Student of the Year Campaign to raise funds to support blood cancer research and patient services. Local George Mason High School Student, Francesca King, who heads the team, has now helped to organize eight fundraising events throughout the city of Falls Church and the surrounding area. For more information about Mad Fox Brewing Company, located at 444 W. Broad Street, visit www.madfoxbrewing.com.

Local Counseling Firm Introduces New Intern

Sunstone Counseling has announced their newest graduate counseling intern, Emily Goff, from George Mason University. She will be working with adolescents and adults in this private practice setting to help peo-ple address a variety of life challenges; including depression, anxiety, women’s issues, school related issues, and multicultural issues. Sunstone is located at 124D East Broad Street in the City of Falls Church, directly across the street from Applebee’s. It is open 7 days a week, including early morning, evening and weekend hours. It can be reached at 703-534-5100 or [email protected].

F� � � � C � � � � �B�� N�� N��

Business News & Notes is compiled by Sally Cole, Executive Director of Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at [email protected].

Helping People and Pets Buy and Sell Homes

2102 Dominion Heights Ct. Falls Church, VA 22043

$549,000 Mul�ple Offers

UNDER CONTRACT IN ONE WEEK!

711 E Broad St. Falls Church, VA 22046

$1,240,000 Mul�ple Offers

SOLD

3214 Valley Lane Falls Church, VA 22044

$1,149,000 First Floor Master Suite

NEW LISTING

Recent Graduate of Georgetown University’s Masters of Real Estate

Program

Jon DeHart Associate Broker, MPS Real Estate Licensed in VA, DC & MD 703.405.7576 Email: [email protected] Web Site: dehartrealestate.LNF.com

Long & Foster Realtors 1355 Beverly Rd McLean, VA 22101

Directory Listings:Call Us at

703-532-3267


n ACCOUNTINGDiener & Associates, CPA.. . . . . . . . . 241-8807Eric C. Johnson, CPA, PC . . . . . . . . . 538-2394Mark Sullivan, CPA. . . . . . . . . . . 571-214-4511Hahn & Associates, PC, CPAs. . . . . . 533-3777

n ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLESFalls Church Antique Company . . . . . 241-7074Antique Annex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241-9642

n ATTORNEYSMark F. Werblood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534-9300Beatson Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301-340-2951Sudeep Bose, Former Police Officer. 926-3900Janine S. Benton, Esq. . . . . . . . . . . .992-9255

n AUTOMOTIVEBeyer Volvo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237-5000

n BANKINGBurke & Herbert Bank & Trust Co. . . . 519-1634BB&T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241-3505TD Bank/www.TDBank.com. . . . . . . . 237-2051Acacia Federal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 506-8100

n BOOK BINDINGBCR Binders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534-9181

n BUSINESS SERVICESJon Rizalvo, PAYCHEX . . . . 698-6910 x27045

n CHIROPRACTORDr. Solano, solanospine.com . . . . . . 536-4366

n CLEANING SERVICESMaid Brigade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 823-1922Acclaimed Carpet Cleaning . . . . . . . . 978-2270A Cleaning Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 892-8648

n COLLEGESAmerican College ofCommerce and Technology . . . . . . . . 942-6200

n CONCRETECRJ Concrete. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 571-221-2785

n DENTISTSFamily Dentistry, Nimisha V Patel . . . 533-1733Dr. William Dougherty . . . . . . . . . . . 532-3300

n EQUIPMENT RENTAL/SALEVA Outdoor Power Equipment . . . . . . 207-2000

n EYEWEARPoint of View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237-6500

n FLORISTSFalls Church Florist, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . 533-1333

n FRAMESArt & Frame of Falls Church . . . . . . . 534-4202

n GIFTSStifel & Capra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407-0770

n HANDYMANYour Handyman LLC . . . . . . . . . 571-243-6726Handyman Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 556-4276

n HEALTH & FITNESSJazzercise Falls Church . . . . . . . . . . . 622-2152

n HOME IMPROVEMENTFC Heating & Air Service . . . . . . . . . . 534-0630Andy Group, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 638-8863Joseph Home Improvement . . . . . . . . 507-5005Picture Perfect Home Improvements 590-3187One Time Home Improvement. . . . . . 577-9825

n INSURANCEAllstate Home Auto Life Ins. . . . . . . 241-8100State Farm Insurance. . . . . . . . . . . . . 237-5105

n MASSAGEwww.healthybyintention.com. . . . . . . . 534-1321www.Inhousemassagedc.com.. . 281-221-1158

n MEDICALDr Gordon Theisz, Family Medicine. . 533-7555

n MUSICAcademy of Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 938-8054Foxes Music Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533-7393

n OPTOMETRISTDr. Alison Sinyai, Family Eye Care . . 533-3937

n PET SERVICESFeline Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 920-8665

n PHOTOGRAPHY Gary Mester, Event, Portraits. . . . . . . 481-0128Mary Sandoval Photography . . . 334-803-1742

n PLUMBINGThe Plumbery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 641-9700

n REAL ESTATEMerelyn Kaye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .790-9090x218www.helpfulmortgage.us . . . . . . . . . . 237-0222Casey O’Neal - ReMax . . . . . . . . . . . 824-4196Rosemary Hayes Jones . . . . . . . . . . .790-1990The Young Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .356-8800Tori McKinney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 867-8674Jon DeHart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405-7576 Shaun Murphy, Realtor . . . . . . . . . . . 868-5999

n TAILORTailor Lee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534-8886

n TUTORINGSylvan Learning Center . . . . . . . . . . . 734-1234

All numbers have a ‘703’ prefix unless otherwise indicated.

Business Directory

3 months - $1506 months - $270

1 year - $4501 Line Maximum

(30 characters + Ph. #, incl. spaces)

Takeout can eat up your savings.

Pack your own lunch instead

of going out. $6 saved a day

x 5 days a week x 10 years

x 6% interest = $19,592. That

could be money in your pocket.

Small changes today. Big bucks

tomorrow. Go to feedthepig.org

for free savings tips.


No Haggling! We list our prices. They are fair, market driven, and consistent for everyone.

No hidden fees, games or freight bumps. Transparent pricing.

beyerauto.com

Alexandria - Dulles Falls Church - Winchester

Merelyn Kaye Meeting Real Estate needs since 1970. There is no substitute for experience

Home Office: 703-362-1112 e-mail: [email protected]

Open Sunday 1-4 in Falls Church City

Open Sunday in Falls Church City. Brick Cape in top school district. Updated kitchen, Family room addition, 2 BRs and BA main level Master Suite with BA upper Level. Hardwood floors, FP. Quiet St with million $ homes. Walk EFC Metro. $759,000. Need more space? Owner/builder will put on 2 story addition. Dir: Rt 66, E on Broad, L on West, R on Park, L on Virginia L on Riley to 317.

Louise MoltonNVAR Top Producer Phone: 703 244-1992 Email: [email protected] www.LouiseMolton.com

Call Me Today To Talk About the Spring Market!!

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY REALTOR®

Louise MoltonNVAR Top Producer Phone: 703 244-1992 Email: [email protected] www.LouiseMolton.com

To Talk About the Spring Market!!

706 N West St | Falls Church CityLovely 4 BD/2 BA detached home on huge lot with 3 car oversized garage. Offered at $799,000

7023 F Haycock Road | Falls ChurchLargest fl oor plan w/over 2000 sq ft. Stunning updates to this 2 BD/2 BA 2 level condo. Private patio. Seconds to Metro. $600,000

ViennaWonderful Brick Colonial built in 2012. 5 BD/4 full, 2 half BA. $1,225,000

FairfaxWoodson HS – Lovely Split foyer w/ 4 BD/2 BA, backs to woods. $475,000

Lake BarcroftStunning 5 BD/4.5 BA Contemporary ON the LAKE! $1,595,000

Falls ChurchSpectacular 6 BD/5.5 BA, exquisite design and fi nishes. $1,599,000

Coming Soon

Open Sunday 2-4pm Open Sunday 2–4pm

For Sale

Check Online for our Open Houses

100 S Roosevelt St | Falls Church CityLovely 4 BD/3.5 BA Cape in the City of Falls Church. Hardwood fl oors throughout, remodeled kitchen and baths, fully fi nished walk out lower level. Walk to Metro! Offered at $669,000

2-5-2015

Documents

Transcript of 2-5-2015