Falls Church News & Notes

Memorial Day draws closer with every tick of the clock and more and more events keep flooding into the News-Press news room. The Memorial Day Veterans Ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. on the 31st at the City of Falls Church Veterans Memorial (223 Little Falls St.). The ceremony will begin with a posting of colors by the Honor Guard from the American Legion Post 130 and Catholic War Veterans Post 1652, a performance of the National Anthem by the Thomas Jefferson Elementary Tiger Band under the direction of Mary Jo Webster, and an invocation by Reverend Cornelius O’Brien of St. James Catholic Church. The ceremony will include a welcoming address by Mayor Dan Gardner, a remembrance for those Missing in Action, a keynote address by Mr. Edward Strait, a wreath presentation by the Daughters of the American Revolution. The ceremony will conclude with a prayer for the departed veterans, a rendition of Taps, and the retiring of colors. Harry Shovlin will preside over the ceremony as Master of Ceremonies.

Wondering what to do with your “Wacky Hat” after the yearly News-Press Wacky Hat Showdown on Memorial Day? On Wednesday, June 2, at 3 p.m. the Thomas Jefferson Extended Day Care Program, the Falls Church Lions Club and the George Mason Middle School Leo Club will participate in the Glories/Happy Hats Workshop to provide “jester-like” hats to sick children in hospitals across the nation. The hats collected at this workshop will go specifically to INOVA Fairfax Hospital. The hats are actually part of an INOVA study, believing that these hats help children get better faster.

From June 7 to July 10, Miniatures in the Attic will present “Miniatures at Cherry Hill” on the second floor of the Cherry Hill Farmhouse (312 Park Ave.). The exhibit will be on display Saturdays from 10-12 and other days by appointment. For more information call Cherry Hill Farm House (703) 248-5171 or Miniatures from the Attic (703) 237-0066.

More on the charity front from the Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry (NOVAM) who is looking for adults interested in mentoring a child through the agency’s PALS Mentoring Program. Volunteers meet with their “pal,” a child either affected by or infected with HIV/AIDS ranging from ages 6-15, twice a month. Training and ongoing support is provided by NOVAM and an agency funded background check is required. For more information, contact Briana Jordan at 703-746-0440, ext. 15.

Calling all Tim “the Tool Man” Taylor wannabes. TBS is upping the ante of the home-improvement reality show with “The Mansion” a new show which will pit seven amateur home craftsmen against each other, with the grand prize taking the form of the estate they will redecorate on the show. A casting call will take place Saturday June 5 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Crystal City Hilton (2399 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Arlington, VA). Participants must be at least 21 years of age and have “strong home improvement skills.” For additional information, consult www.tbs.tv.

Congratulations to former News-Press columnist Jackie Droujinsky who graduated summa cum laude from Trinity College in Washington, DC last Sunday. Droujinksy pursued the degree over the course of 11 years, squeezing in classes on nights, weekends, or whenever else she could find the time. Following the graduation, friends and family enjoyed a much deserved celebration at Zola in downtown DC.

Congrats and good luck to Cay Wiant who will take were rhubarb pie to Wolf Trap this weekend where she’ll compete as a finalist in the Prairie Home Companion Rhubarb Pie Recipe Contest. There her pie will be judged by a celebrity panel for a chance at the grand prize. She has already won two free tickets to the show at Wolf Trap and a Prairie Home Companion cookbook.

In the mood for something a little different Saturday? Want to meet some local everyday heroes? Check out the second annual Property Yard Open House (7100 Gordon Rd.) from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Attendees will get the opportunity to climb on city trucks, get their picture taken in a front-loader and find out the answers to the head-scratching mystery of how fire hydrants and water taps work. Members of the city’s staff, you know those kind souls that step in to handle things like trash removal and monitoring the water system, will also be in attendance.

Isn’t she lovely? Isn’t she wonderful? The answer is a most assured “yes” if you’re talking about Falls Church’s Jackie Bong-Wright, the winner of the Ms. Virginia Senior America pageant held May 22 at Fairfax High School. Bong-Wright took first place against 13 other entrants, playing up her Vietnamese heritage with a lovely gown and a traditional dance.

Mrs. Kenneth Layer, President of the Woman’s Club of Falls Church, presented check to Joanne Maughlin for the Emergency Winter Shelter, and to Mary Ellen Ward, Director of the Children’s Center, to be used to purchase food gift certificates for needy families.

The McClean Volunteer Fire Department recently purchased a new state-of-the-art ambulance, the first of its kind in Fairfax County. The purchase was made possible through the financing of 1st Service Bank.

Virginia Tech University released its Dean’s List for the Spring 2004 semester with the following Falls Church natives making an appearance: Antonio Kassar, Julian, Merhawit Tekle, Hoon Chung, Devin Dasbach, Peter Iliev, Michael Jamros, Molly McCall, Meghan Morrison, Jimmy Naemi, Kimberly Neuenschwander, Stephanie Rosse, Nhu Tran, Constance Cordovilla, Susan Cordovilla, Sheena Friend, Morgan Hobbs, Eileen Lauby, Danny Lee, Gustavo Moura, Maggie Pascoe, Gabriela Vieira, Sung Jin, Daniella Cortese, Brian Gallagher, Karlyn Gould, Fahid Hasan, John Kugelman, Brian Laub, John Ryan, Joanna Sadler, Dawa Sherpa, and Erik Toom.

AMONG THOSE CHOSEN for the prom court at the George Mason High School junior-senior prom last Saturday night were (left to right), Kaitlin Bottock and Bill Bacon, John Falkey and Maria Wood and Elise Edwards and Greg Corbino. As you can guess from their crowns, the king and queen were Falkey and Wood in the center picture. For the first time, the event was held at the Clarendon Ballroom in Arlington this year, and was a rousing success. The balmy weather made hanging out on the roof-top lounge a memorable experience, while the tasteful sequencing of tunes by the evening's DJ kept many couples on the ballroom floor for extended periods. GMHS Principal Bob Snee was on hand to announce and crown the evening's royalty. (News-Press photos)

Tiger Cub Den 1 of pack 855 and parents from Beach Tree Elementary School added their names to those visiting the News-Press recently. Scouts included Gabriel Davis, Andrew Stone, Solomon Shewit, Avery Scarbrough, George Hansen, Anthony Vasquez, Eric Gimple and Alan Sarson. Accompanied by den leaders and parents, the youngsters were impressed with Staff Reporter Mike Hume’s fast typing, they were somewhat unimpressed by the less-than-pristine cleanliness of the office. (News-Press photo)