Community News & Notes

F.C.’s Monell Earns CAE Credential

Falls Church resident Nathan Monell, Chief Executive Officer of Foster Care Alumni of America (FCAA) has earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential. The CAE is the highest professional credential in the association industry. Less than five percent of all association professionals have earned the CAE.

F.C.’s Monell Earns CAE Credential

ALBERT LOKASOLA (right), director of the Kokolopori end of the Sister City relationship between his region in Africa and the City of Falls Church, receives an historic Falls Church crock from F.C. Mayor Robin Gardner in a gift exchange at Monday’s City Council meeting. Following a report on the Sister City relationship, Lokasola presented the mayor with a ceremonial knife from his region. (Photo: News-Press)

Falls Church resident Nathan Monell, Chief Executive Officer of Foster Care Alumni of America (FCAA) has earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential. The CAE is the highest professional credential in the association industry. Less than five percent of all association professionals have earned the CAE.

Alexandria-based FCAA is a national association of adults who experienced the foster care system during their youth.

NOVA Senior Softball Recruiting Players

The Northern Virginia Senior Softball (NVSS) league, with players at an average age of 65, is currently seeking men 50 years and older, as well as women 40 years and up, to play Fall Ball. The season consists of two seven-inning, slow-pitch softball games on Fairfax County fields Tuesday and Thursday mornings, from Sept. 8 – Oct. 30.

NVSS has 26 teams organized into three skill level-based conferences. Players are assigned to a team at the skill level they meet by a skill assessment, not a try out. Eleven play defense. Everyone presents bats. To register, call Dave at 703-524-5576, or Ted at 703-913-0028. For more information, visit www.nvss.org.

Area Locals Graduate, Receive Honors

Evlise Kelly Espindola of Arlington graduated from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland on May 23 with a Bachelor of Arts.

Julia Exline, Louis Franzel, Michelle Andersen, Jake Ambrose and Matthew Gordon of Falls Church, William Yeomans and John Byrnes of Arlington, and Phoebe Nerdahl and Suzanne Jackson of Fairfax were all among the 2009 graduates of Longwood University.

Shanon Krause of Arlington recently graduated from the Holy Family University with a Master of Business Administration degree.

Jennifer Ellen DiNucci of Falls Church was named to the dean’s list for the spring 2009 semester at Dickinson College. All students with a position on the dean’s list, a recognition of academic excellence, must achieve a grade point average (GPA) of 3.7 or above on a 4.0 scale for the semester.

Khadija Moheb Abdel Hafiz-Sokaria of Arlington was named to the dean’s list for the 2009 spring semester at Lafayette College for having achieved at least a 3.6 GPA on a scale of 4.0.

Shandani Charles of Falls Church was named to the dean’s list for the spring 2009 semester at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine for having achieved at least a 3.5 GPA.

Kathleen Beringer and Emily Simmonds of Arlington were named to the dean’s list for the spring 2009 semester at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova University for having achieved at least a 3.5 GPA.

Gustavo E. Castillo of Falls Church, a graduate of J.E.B. Stuart High School, has been selected to receive a Dorsey Scholarhip for the 2009-2010 academic year at the University of Mary Washington for an outstanding show of commitment to community service, good citizenship and leadership. Gabrielle Kuhn of Alexandria and Mattson Fields of Arlington were offered “Honors Admission” to the University of Mary Washington for having outstanding high school performance records and SAT scores.

THE OUTSTANDING performances of athletic teams and individuals at George Mason High School in Falls Church was outlined for the Falls Church City Council by GMHS’ Athletic Director Tom Horn (center) Monday night. This past year, GMHS teams achieved five district, seven regional and six state titles, and one individual wrestling state title. The program won the Sportsmanship, Ethics and Integrity award from the Virginia High School League, and was named the top high school athletic program in the state by Sports Illustrated magazine, among other honors. Shown with Horn is Falls Church School Superintendent Dr. Lois Berlin (left) and long-time Falls Church teacher and unofficial Number One Fan of GMHS’ athletic program, Lindy Hockenberry. (Photo: News-Press)

Abishek Krupanand, Natalie Lauby, Shannon Reynolds, Melissa Brown and Jessica Taylor of Falls Church were awarded their Master’s degrees at Virginia Tech.

McLean Rotary Hosts Club Installation Banquet

On Thursday, July 16, the McLean Rotary Club will install the 2009-2010 officers and board members, as well as celebrate the upcoming year under the leadership of President Lois Wilson. A banquet will take place in the Parents Hall at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer (1545 Chain Bridge Rd., McLean) at 6 p.m. There is a $25 fee per person for this event. To RSVP, call Sam Agarwal at 703-827-2256 or Tamara Mitchell at 703-448-9800.

Sign-Up Starts for Football 101 Women’s Clinic

On Saturday, August 8, the National Capital Region Chapter and the National Football Foundation will sponsor a women’s clinic for football, from 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Registration will begin at 9:30 a.m. at James Madison High School (2500 James Madison Dr., Vienna). A $20 fee will include instruction, T-shirt and refreshments. For more information, or to register in advance, call Greg Oliver at 703-707-9414.

‘Famous Couples’ Come to Ballston’s Comedy Spot

On Sunday, July 19, Carl Randolph and Cheryl Felicia Rhoads of Falls Church will present the comedy version of “Famous Couples Through History,” at the Comedy Spot’s 2nd Stage (4238 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). The show will begin at 6 p.m. and there is a $15 suggested donation. There will be another opportunity to see the performance the following week on Sunday, July 26. For tickets, call 703-294-5233. For more information, visit www.comedyindc.com/couples.htm.

Brown to Speak on Energy At Falls Church Rotary

Energy Economist, Jeff Brown, will speak about “Energy Facts and Urban Legends” on behalf of the Falls Church Rotary Club Thursday, July 16 at 6:30 p.m. This dinner meeting will be held at Harvest Moon Restaurant (7260 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). Dinner costs $11 and visitors are welcome. For more information, contact Joe Scheibeler at 202-268-5089.

Mad Science Presents ‘Up, Up, and Away!’

FALLS CHURCH ARTS held its official opening exhibit last Saturday at ArtSpace in Falls Church. The organization showcased its new permanent home, shared with Laura Hull’s theatrical group Creative Cauldron, located in the arts & cultural district of Falls Church. Local residents attended the exhibit to enjoy the opening and view more than 80 pieces of artwork. (Photo: Courtesy Shaun van Steyn)

All are invited to a free program hosted by the Mad Science of Washington, “Up, Up, and Away!,” on Wednesday, July 22 at the Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Watch a tornado form, create a vacuum and ride a hovercraft. For more information, call 703-248-5034.

Thomas Drymon Presents Solo Art Exhibition

On Sunday, July 19, Thomas Drymon of the “Waiting for the World to Begin” exhibit will discuss his creative process in exploring similar themes and concepts by using photographs, video and installation. This free event will take place at the Athenaeum (201 Prince St., Alexandria) at 4 p.m. For more information, call 703-548-0035.

Fur-Get Me Not Hosts Dog Wash for Good Cause

The Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation is sponsoring a Fur-Get Me Not-hosted dog wash to save abandoned or displaced dogs and cats from the threat of euthanasia.

The event will take place at Fur-Get Me Not (4140 S. Four Mile Run Dr., Arlington) on Saturday, July 18 from 9 a.m. – noon. A $15 donation is suggested to support the efforts of the organization. For more information, call Heather Morris at 703-933-1935.

The Grandsons Play Outdoors in McLean

On Saturday, July 18, The Grandsons, graduates of McLean High School, will be giving a free outdoor musical performance at the Palladium Civic Place Green (1445 Laughlin Ave., McLean). The concert will feature a playful mix of rockabilly, New Orleans R&B and swing. For more information, call Bob Nagle at 703-288-9505.

Bookstores Host Party in Celebration of SpongeBob

On Saturday, July 18, Border’s and Waldenbooks bookstores nationwide will host a “SpongeBob Day of Happiness” event for kids in celebration of SpongeBob SquarePants’ 10th Anniversary.

AUTISM SOCIETY OF AMERICA-NORTHERN VIRGINIA recently installed its new board of directors, including (left to right) Don Shipley, Scott Campbell, Larrie Ellen Randall, Gomez Sankararamalingam, Kate Patton, Christopher Waddell, Robert Osgood, Pat DiBari, Jugnu Agrawal, Jennifer Meinel and Michelle Hurst. It serves more than 1,000 families affected by autism. (Photo: Courtesy Steven Warner)

Beginning at 2 p.m., children of all ages are invited to participate in a number of planned activities, such as story time, games, puppets, parade, free treats and more. The event will take place in local Border’s (5871 Crossroads Center Way, Bailey’s Crossroads or 8207 Leesburg Pike, Vienna) and Waldenbooks (1800 L St. NE., Washington, D.C.). For more information, visit www.borders.com.

Falls Church Chamber to Host Luncheon

The Falls Church Chamber of Commerce will hold its Chamber Luncheon on Tuesday, July 21 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. at the Italian Café (7161 Lee Hwy., Falls Church). Tickets are $27 for members and $32 for non-members, with an additional $5 fee for walk-ins. Those interested can RSVP to 703-532-1050. For more information, e-mail info@fallschurchchamber.org.

F.C. Sister City Program Recognized with Award

The City of Falls Church’s Sister City Program with Kokolopori, was honored by the Congolese Community of the Greater Washington area with an award recognizing its outstanding community development and nature conservation efforts.