F.C.’s Abbey Qualifies for Olympic Trials
Falls Church physical trainer Tom Abbey has been accepted into the field of athletes for the 2008 USA skeleton team trials in preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Abbey, who works at Vantage Fitness in Falls Church, made headlines last winter when he was recruited to train at Lake Placid, New York, in the sport, which he’d never competed in before. Now, he’ll participate in the trials beginning Oct. 11 in Lake Placid, and could advance to more races there and in Park City, Utah. The effort begins with physical tests and if all goes well, Abbey will be gone for the entire month of October. He needs financial help to cover lost income and pay for housing and equipment during that time. While tax deductible contributions can be made by check to the USBSF ATF (US Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, Athlete Training Fund), non-tax deductible contributions made out directly to Tom Abbey are welcomed, and can be mailed to, or dropped at Vantage Fitness, 402 W. Broad St., F.C. 22046. Tax deductible corporate sponsor contributions are also accepted, and Abbey is willing to carry the contributing sponsor’s logo on his gear or sled. Inquiries about that can be made to teabbey@gmailcom.
F.C. Arts Calls for Entries in October Show
The Falls Church Arts group is calling for submissions in all media for a juried gallery show it will sponsor opening Oct. 3 and running through Oct. 25 at the Falls Church Arts Gallery, 111 Park Avenue. The show, entitled “Connessioine-Things in Common,” is being run in conjunction with the year-long “DaVinci Passport” series, a Falls Church Arts and Creative Cauldron collaboration. Artists can respond via email to fallschurcharts@gmail.com.
City of F.C. Recycling: Now Everything in Same Bin
City of Falls Church residents can now recycle all their items in the same green bin for curbside pickup, Kathy Allen, head of the City’s recycling program, announced this week. The City has also increased the types of materials collected for curbside recycling, adding wide-mouth plastic containers and lids (such as butter and yogurt tubs), empty prescription bottles, rigid plastics (such as buckets, laundry baskets and plastic toys), plastic bags and bubble wrap, aerosol cans, clean aluminum foil and trays, paperback and hardcover books, wire coat hangers, and lids and caps for glass bottles and jars, among other things. The City will continue to collect newspapers, cardboard, all mixed paper and junk mail, paperboard, telephone books, glass jars and bottles, and metal food and beverage containers. As of this Tuesday, the City’s contractor Bates Trucking began collecting recycling materials in a rear-loading compactor truck, replacing the two-stream truck used previously. The City sells the recyclable materials to W.M. Recycle America, LLC, which accepts the recyclables in a “single stream,” all mixed together. The separation of the materials occurs at their plant.
N. Va. Olympian Hosts Fundraiser Saturday
Northern Virginia men’s figure skating Olympian Michael Weiss will host a benefit ice show this Saturday, Sept. 6, at 4 p.m. at the Kettler Ice Center at the Ballston Mall in Arlington. Olympic gold medalist Brian Boitano, world champions Sasha Cohen and Todd Eldridge are among the cast, as well as Parker Pennington and others who’ve trained in this area. Proceeds go to scholarships and other support for young, up and coming figure skaters.
Voter League: Can F.C. Top 80% Turnout?
Joan Lewis, president of the Falls Church chapter of the League of Women Voters, noted in a press release this week that the City of Falls church led the state in voter turnout in the 2004 presidential election, with 80.88 percent of registered voters going to the polls. She challenged City voters to equal or better that number this November, and reminded them of the Oct. 6 voter registration deadline. Voters can register at City Hall, 300 Park Avenue, or any Department of Motor Vehicles office. The League will have a voter registration table at the Falls Church Falls Festival Sept. 13.
