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Virginia history was made in the Falls Church city election Tuesday. By being elected to the City Council, Lawrence Webb has become the first openly gay Afro-American elected official in the history of the commonwealth.

Baroukh, Webb Win Council Seats, Hockenberry Falls

City of Falls Church voters returned Mayor Robin Gardner to a third term on the City Council Tuesday, providing her the highest vote total among seven candidates, and soundly defeated a ballot referendum aimed at deterring the pro-development direction of her leadership.

Tuesday's election in the City of Falls Church was yet another watershed moment in the City’s on-going struggle to achieve a solid basis for its long-term viability while at the same time maintaining its unique identity as a special 2.2 square mile enclave inside the Beltway.

With crude oil now above $120 a barrel and threatening to go higher, it is clear that our preferred and convenient means of going places, our car, the airplane and the rental car soon are going to be parked because they will be too expensive to operate.

Planners Split Vote, 3-3, on Hotel Near St. James

At 12:15 a.m. Tuesday morning, members of the Falls Church Planning Commission completed voting on their recommendation to the City Council concerning a proposed Hilton Garden Inn in the 700 block of West Broad St., a half-block away from the St. James School. The vote was three for, three against a favorable recommendation, a tie that means no such recommendation will be forwarded. Again, the City Hall chambers were filled to overflowing with citizens who signed up to testify both for and against the project. The matter will now come back to the Council, which gave its preliminary approval to the required “special exceptions” in March. The Council is slated to hold a work session on May 19, and a public hearing and final vote on May 27. While everyone agreed that the safety and welfare of the children at St. James was a paramount concern, some St. James parents raised fears of dire danger posed by the hotel. “We all know what happens in hotels,” City resident Ken Blanco said, alleging that people go to them to do things “anonymously” and “secretly” and that they are havens for crime, prostitution, guns, drugs and “preying on vulnerable children.” However, developer Bob Young cited law enforcement experts who told him that the Hilton Garden Inn would “make the entire area safer and more secure for the community” and a National Center for Safe Routes to School “Walkability Checklist” that included “no warnings about hotels.” Issues of traffic, parking and pedestrian safety were also argued from both sides.

McLean Rotary Awards Four Scholarships

The McLean Rotary Club Foundation awarded scholarships to four students from Pimmit Hills High School at a luncheon of the McLean Rotary Club on Tuesday, April 29. Pimmit Hills is one of three Fairfax County adult/alternative high schools, designed to assist students who might not be able to complete high school in a regular setting because of age, language proficiency or other life circumstances. The four winners were Mohamed Hashi, Kim Ngoc Tang, Yetmwork Adnew and Marjorie Flores, and they all plan on using their scholarship money to continue their education at Northern Virginia Community College. Hashi, from Somalia, received $1,000 to study medicine, Tang, from Vietnam and Flores, from El Salvador, each received $500 to study business administration and Adnew, from Ethiopia, received $1,000 to study dentistry.

Curves of Falls Church is hosting a grand reopening on Saturday, May 10 at 240 W. Broad Street. New owner, Kathy Hamor has revamped the workout facility and is offering new members a $100 discount off of the service fee on Friday and Saturday, May 9 and 10. A number of local businesses are participating in the reopening which will include a raffle for beauty supplies, $50 gift certificates for Vitalia Medspa, refreshments by Edible Arrangements, Natalia’s Elegant Creations and What’s for Dinner? Attendees will also receive a special offer from Falls Church Pilates. A ribbon cutting with Mayor Robin Gardner will take place at 11a.m. Curves works every major muscle group with strength training, cardio and stretching in every 30 minute workout. With more than 11,000 locations in dozens of countries, Curves is the world’s largest fitness franchise. Curves of Falls Church is located at 240 W. Broad Street. For more information, please visit: www.curves.com.

Chantilly Cleans House at NSPA

Chantilly High School took two first place awards at the National Scholastic Press Association conference held recently in Anaheim, Calif. Chantilly High’s “Andromeda” snagged first place for literary magazine. The magazine is overseen by Advisor Bretton Zinger, with An Ly serving at its editor. The school’s yearbook also placed first in the 325+ page-yearbook category. The “Odyssey” is overseen by Advisor Mary Kay Downes, with Joe Fratter, Kelly Tarrant and Maya Ahronovich serving as the yearbook’s editors. Four additional Fairfax County public schools were honored with national awards for their publications, including Westfield High School, Oakton High School, Annandale High School and McLean High School.

The sailing has never been entirely smooth for South African hard rockers Seether and the recent years have been especially rocky. Guitarist Pat Callahan walked away from the band. Lead singer Shaun Morgan endured a rather public break up with Evanescence lead singer Amy Lee, the co-crooner on Seether's smash-hit “Broken.” In August of 2006, Morgan admitted himself into rehab.

But through all of the changes and challenges, Dale Stewart, the band's bassist has stood by Morgan's side, the lone member that has stuck it out since Seether's founding under the name Saron Gas back in their homeland.

It is extremely rare, since the days of Our Gang and Freddy Bartholomew to the present, for child performers to transition to successful adult careers in entertainment. Far more are the crash-and-burn accounts of used and abused kids whose lives wind up in the toilet as adults.

There was a time when Falls Church resident Steven Lukis spent his nights scraping plates and washing dishes. Today, however, he's filling them with some of the finest cuisine the area has to offer as the Executive Chef of Wildfire Steak, Chop and Seafood restaurant in Tysons Corner.

With warm weather in the air, baseball season fully in swing and gas prices rising daily, many people are due to be searching for a new local sports bar and restaurant with low prices and great food, preferably with coverage of virtually every live sporting event.

While this man-topia sounds incredible in theory, Rhodeside Grill in Arlington has set out to cater to the basic summer needs of the sports enthusiast.

Art-omatic

May 9 through June 15. Gallery located at 1200 First St. NE, D.C., on the corner of First and M Streets NE. The nearest Metro is the New York Ave. stop on the Red Line. The Metro is strongly recommended for opening night. Hours: Wed. - Thurs.: 5 - 10 p.m.; Fri. - Sat.: noon - 2 a.m.; Sun.: noon - 10 p.m.; closed Mon. – Tues.

Beverly (Bev) Ann Deacon-McNickle, 60, resident of Falls Church, Va. since 1976, passed away in her home Sunday, May 4, 2008 of congestive heart failure.

Longtime Falls Church resident Carol Ann Good passed away on April 30th in Chantilly, Va.

Carol Jensen Turnage, 60, of Lanexa, Va., died peacefully at her home on April 23, 2008 after a long, hard-fought battle with breast cancer.

Two straight shut-out losses to Bull Run District opponents has George Mason High School Baseball Head Coach Adam Amerine stewing about his team's lack of offense and the Mustangs sagging in the standings after a 3-2 start in district play.

The George Mason High School boys varsity soccer team negotiated two more obstacles to their pending perfect season in the past week, topping both Madison County and Strasburg by 2-0 margins to clinch the Bull Run District regular season title.

For the first time in the program's history, the Falls Church High School girls varsity lacrosse team will compete for the National District Championship after beating Washington-Lee 9-4 in Tuesday evening's semi-final matchup.