Falls Church News & Notes

Several new officers were elected to the Northern Virginia Toastmaster’s Club June 2, after a meeting held at Falls Church High School. Ismael Dieppa, Jaraby Alvarado, Mohammad Amjad Hossain, Prabhat Agarwal and Gopi Sripathy have been elected as President, Vice President (Education), Vice President (Public Relations), Treasurer and Sergeant-at-Arms respectively for the 2004-2005 term. The Toastmasters is an international club founded in 1924 to provide two communication and leadership skills to its members. The Toastmaster currently flaunts 195,000 members in 80 countries worldwide.

During Monday’s Memorial Day Celebrations Falls Church resident Fran Richardson was among nine women who spoke on behalf of their wartime colleagues. Richardson was a member of the Red Cross was stationed in hospitals in North Africa and Italy and later moved to frontline hospitals in France and Germany.

The Falls Church Community Services Center Council (FCS) has named Nick Snow President for the 2004-2005 term. For the past two years he has served as Recording Secretary for the past two years and joined FCS in January 1994 as its representative from Knox Presbyterian Church. Snow succeeds Beth McCarthy who was appointed Recording Secretary. Other FCS officers for 2004-2005 are Vice President of Membership Shawnna Yashar, Vice President of Programs Robbie B. Snow, Treasurer Stan Maughlin and Corresponding Secretary Pat Layer.

Delegate Jim Scott recently announced that he will donate his per diem income, totaling $1380, and an additional $120 of his own money, to a non-profit affordable housing organization to establish an award for the individual(s) or organization(s) “who have made exemplary contributions to preserving affordable housing in Fairfax County or Falls Church.”

Local musician Brian Sullivan has just released a solo album with Sunway Records. Raised in Falls Church, the singer/songwriter once played in the band Mr. Fancypants. The album, “10 Earth Days,” was recorded with the help of Paul Bailey (another Falls Church native) owner of Sunway Records. Bailey produced and mixed the album in addition to lending his performing talents. Sullivan will be performing in local venues in the coming days. Keep your eyes peeled and take a listen.

Mahmood El-Gasim of Falls Church and a student at George C. Marshall High School has received a full, four-year scholarship to Duke University for his academic achievements. The award, totaling over $100,000 includes a six-week summer study program in Oxford, England. Congratulations and enjoy the annual NCAA Championships on the hardwood.

More from the realm of academia: On Sunday June 6, Amy Hobbie a 2000 graduate of George Mason High School, received her B.A., cum laude, in psychology, with a minor in Spanish from Williams College. Little did her parents know that they have unwittingly volunteered for multiple psychoanalysis exercises by funding her education.

Congratulations also to Megan Sommers, a 1998 graduate of GMHS, who received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, cum laude, from Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Art on May 22.

Meanwhile down in Harrisonburg, the following Falls Church scholars were named to the James Madison University Dean’s List, earning a GPA between 3.5 and 3.89 while taking a 14-hour course load: Craig P. Anderson, Elizabeth Grace Andres, Max P. Borges, Jennifer Blair Burnett, Catherine Elizabeth Cooney, Valeria Faith DeParalta, William Patrick Donabedien, Jennifer Lauren Emanuel, Lauren Elizabeth Hall, Nathaniel Wilson Hoover, Jose Pablo Marti, Yanos D. Misitzis, Nadia Rose Rahawi, Andrea Varintorn Saevoon, Jenna Alleen Sturm, Daniel Rives Tilman, Jenny Lynn Young, Jonathan Drew Zaben.

And proving they’re no slackers either, Timothy George Eckard and Natalie George Perez were named to James Madison University’s President’s List, with GPA’s exceeding 3.9 with a 14-hour course load.