August 2 – 8, 2007
F.C. Panels Observe Silence to Honor McKeever
Both the Falls Church City Council and the School Board opened their meetings last week with moments of silence to honor the memory of deceased F.C. City Manager Dan McKeever. McKeever died at age 57 after a courageous struggle with melanoma cancer on July 25, 2006. He served for six years as Falls Church’s city manager, shepherding the City through the difficult launch of the its commercial redevelopment boom and remained at his post until only days before his death.
Connolly Assails White House for Metro Delay
In a meeting at the Washington Post Tuesday, Fairfax County Board Chair Gerry Connolly blamed a Bush administration antipathy toward investing in mass transit for delays in the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) approval of funds to build the Metro extension through Tysons Corner. The project’s 11.6 mile first phase would connect the East Falls Church Metro station with a new Silver Line through four station stops in Tysons Corner and out to Reston. The project is seeking $900 million in federal money toward its $2.7 billion price tag. A U.S. Transportation Department inspector general’s report, issued last week, expressed doubts that the first phase “could meet cost guidelines under the federal New Starts program.” Connolly was quoted in the Post saying, “Like a lot of this administration, we have an EPA that doesn’t really believe in the environmental mission. We have an FTA that isn’t quite comfortable with its transit mission. They would love, I suppose, to look at other options other than providing $900 million to this project.” The FTA’s review process is excepted to be finished by mid-August.
New F.C. Parking Code: A ‘Case by Case’ Approach?
After numerous proposals for imposing parking restrictions on residential streets and commercial zones in the City of Falls Church which have stalled the last two years, City Hall will introduce a new parking plan in September that will focus on a “case by case” approach, according to City Manager Wyatt Shields in comments to the City Council. He said the plan is still in the making, but that it will not be iron-clad in its application, as earlier proposals had been.
Queen Noor to Keynote Women’s Issues Conference
The office of U.S. Rep. Jim Moran announced this week that Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, an international humanitarian activist and outspoken voice on issues of world peace and justice, will be the keynote speaker at Moran’s 16th annual Women’s Issues Conference at the Kenmore Middle School in Arlington on Sept. 15.
Homestretch Awarded ‘Standards of Excellence’ Honor
Falls Church-based Homestretch, which works on behalf of homeless families and battered women, has been awarded the Standards of Excellence Institute’s Seal of Excellence for successfully completing institute’s certification program. The standards are based on fundamental values such as honesty, integrity, fairness, respect, trust, responsibility and accountability.
