March 27 – April 2, 2008
Education Foundation Wins Support from F.C. Council
The Falls Church Education Foundation won the unanimous support of the Falls Church City Council for a grant of $30,000 out of the Council’s contingency fund Monday, and is hoping for the figure to be matched by the School Board to meet the non-profit’s budget needs for the coming year. FCEF Executive Director Donna Englander noted that the organization’s biggest fundraiser of the year, its annual banquet set for April 18, is coming up. This year it will feature as its keynote speaker Dr. Gregory H. Williams, author of his best selling memoir, “Life on the Color Line: The True Story of a White Boy Who Discovered He Was Black.” Williams taught at Falls Church’s George Mason High School in the 1960s. Corporate sponsors for the event include Moore Cadillac Hummer, Acacia Federal Savings Bank, Aladdin’s Lamp, Atlantic Realty, Clark Construction, Cox Communications, Creative Classics, Diener and Associates, Dominion, the Falls Church News-Press, Greenscape, H & R Mortgage, Harris Teeter, LaFave & Associates, Needham/Mitnick & Pollack, Northern Virginia Tutoring Service, Original Pancake House, PNC Bank, Simply Success, Virzona Inc., Walter L. Psfhillips, Inc. and the Young Group.
GMHS Musical “Beauty and the Beast” Opens Next Week
With performances next Thursday, April 3, through Saturday, George Mason High School’s drama department will present the musical, “Beauty and the Beast” at the GMHS auditorium, and advance reviews say it will be smashing. In a related development, the 75-member GMHS band received a “superior” rating from each of the four judges involved in a March 7 competition at the West Potomac High school. It marked the ninth year in a row the GMHS symphonic band earned this distinction. The band performed Symphony No. 1 from Lord of the Rings by Johan De Meij, the Pathfinder of Panama by Sousa and Symphonic Episodes by Brian Balmages. On April 10, 165 music students at GMHS will take three buses to perform in Myrtle Beach over three days. The symphonic and concert bands, jazz ensemble, two percussion ensembles, and the chorus will perform.
Affordable Housing Confab Set April 3 in F.C.
With an introduction by Falls Church Mayor Robin Gardner, the Falls Church Housing Corporation and Homestretch, Inc. are co-hosting an information exchange entitled, “Putting a Falls Church Face on Affordable Housing,” next Thursday, April 3 at the Fellowship Hall of the Falls Church Presbyterian Church, 225 E. Broad St. “Affordable Housing: A Key Ingredient for New Urban Smart Growth” is the title of the keynote by Melissa Bondi, Housing Director of the Smarter Growth Coalition. “Local Schools: The Corollary Between Staff Retention and Lifestyle,” will be presented by Dan Gardner, president of the Falls Church Education Foundation and former mayor of Falls Church.
Mason District Patrol Nets 1 DWI Arrest
Fairfax County Police conducted DWI-directed patrols in the Mason District on March 21 from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Approximately 59 motorists were stopped and checked to assure their ability to drive had not been impaired by alcohol or drugs. One arrest was made for DWI. Summons for miscellaneous traffic offenses were issued to 25, and two outstanding felony warrants were served as the result of a traffic stop. Eight officers and one auxiliary officer participated.
