Falls Church News & Notes

For those who haven’t met Barbara Mahony, you may very well be missing out on the most passionate and driven individual involved with sports in the Falls Church Community. This month, Mahony is profiled in the April 2004 edition of Lacrosse Magazine. The article profiles the Assistant Athletic Director, PE teacher and Varsity Girls Lacrosse coach at George Mason High School. Mahony started the Falls Church Lacrosse program from scratch five years ago and receives praise from players, co-workers, parents and fellow lacrosse enthusiasts in the area. According to the article, her students will do anything for her because “she’d do anything for them.”

Another prominent Falls Church resident, Drew Kleibrink, was able to bring “lots of laughter” to a group of children last week simply by bringing them to the circus. Kleibrink joined up with Dr. Dennis Hunt, executive director of the Center for Multicultural Human Services (CMHS) in Falls Church City about the idea of bringing children that the organization serves to the circus. 25 children, most of them refugees from war-torn Sierra Leone, joined Kleibrink and experienced the circus for the very first time. Kleibrink is a financial representative of the Northwestern Mutual Financial Network in McLean and two of his colleagues there, Ted Shanahan and managing partner of the Washington region, Leo Tucker, supported the effort. Kleibrink says “The greatest sound in the world is the sound of a child laughing.”

Next door, in Arlington county, note down April 23-25 on your calendar. On that weekend, the Friends of Arlington County Public Library will host one of the region’s biggest book sales at Arlington Central Library. The three-day event will begin with a members-only preview on Friday night and conclude on Sunday afternoon with a “bag and box” sale. The sale will take place in the upper level of the parking garage at the Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy St. (between Fairfax Dr. and Washington Blvd.) On Saturday, the sale begins at 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sunday’s hours are 1 p.m.-6 p.m. On Sunday, books are half price from 1 p.m.-3:45 p.m. and $4 per bag and $6 per box from 4 p.m.-6 p.m.

Also, don’t miss the Arlington County Fair (Don’t worry, it’s not until August). The fair attracts an attendance of 60,000 from all over the metro area and highlights include the customary opening ceremonies, pony rides, games, petting zoo, competitive exhibits, demonstrations, arts & crafts, contests, traditional and diverse foods, pig and duck races, live indoor and outdoor entertainment and 200+ vendors. If you are interested in volunteering for the fair, contact Denise Marshall Roller, event manager, 703-228-3289.

Always keeping busy, Arlington is also hosting the 17th Annual Taste of Arlington that will take place on Sunday, May 16 (on Wilson Blvd. beside the Ballston Mall), but the event is seeking volunteers. If you are interested, call 703-841-7768, ext. 333 or 540-455-2370 and leave your name, address and phone number to receive a sign-up form or go to www.tasteofarlington.com.

On the other side of Falls Church, the McLean Citizens Foundation (MCF) will launch its 25th year of supporting education, civil and social services projects with a gala celebration and fundraising event on May 14. This year, MCF plans the gala to take place at the home of one of the Foundation’s trustees on the eve of McLean Day (May 15). Invitations will go out the first week of April. Admission is $75 per person. Checks for the event or donations can be mailed to the McLean Citizens Foundation, P.O. Box 75, McLean, VA 22101. For more information about the gala, contact Foundation President Jim Hunt at 703-893-0809.

All are invited to join the National Philharmonic Chorale on April 24 for a night of “Opera & All That Jazz.” The chorus features Falls Church resident Bev Laub and will perform a range of music like excerpts from Verdi’s “La Traviata,” a tribute to the Beatles plus Dvorak’s “American” string quartet and, of course, great jazz. The music will be accompanied by a silent auction where you can bid on such items such as a chance to see a live ABC-7 News broadcast with Kathleen Matthews, a two-night stay for two at Washington’s Omni Shorham Hotel, a one-week stay at Marriott’s Streamside at Vail (Co.) and your name in humorist Art Buchwald’s column—with an autographed copy! The event takes place on Saturday, April 24 at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre in Rockville, Md. The auction begins at 6:30 p.m. and the concert starts at 8 p.m. For reservations, call 301-762-8580 ext. 111.

In professional baseball’s minor leagues—baseball at its purest form—there are no gimmick trips to Japan for opening day. But teams do hold open practice sessions for fans to enjoy. On April 7, the Potomac Cannons, single A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, will hold an open practice for no admission at the G. Richard Pfitzner Stadium in Prince William County at 6 p.m. The team’s season opener is April 9 in Salem, Va. and the home opener on April 19 against the Lynchburg Hillcats. For more info, visit the website at www.potomaccannons.com

Don’t Miss the American Century Theatre’s production of “A Flag is Born,” the Broadway play that argued for a Jewish homeland, performed at the Gunston Arts Center in Arlington, Va. The performance features Falls Church’s Andy Tonken in the ensemble and singing Psalm 23. The show runs from March 25-April 24.

And be sure to stop by Burke Used Books to meet Falls Church author Matthew Warner, the author of The Organ Donor, who will be signing copies of his book on April 17 (from 2-4 p.m.). The signing is a benefit for Parkinson’s disease research. Burke Used Books is located in the West Falls Church Outlet Center at 7395-F Lee Hwy. just outside the City Limits. (Intersection of Rte. 29 and West Street)

Congratulations to Falls Church High School senior Angela LeChevalier for being named

Sea Scout of the Year, a national award, last week by the Sea Scout branch of the Boy Scouts.

Congrats also to Tran's fellow Hokie and Falls Church resident Maggie Pascoe, who is majoring in management, was recently inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society.