F.C. Offers Settlement in Water Lawsuit
Following a lengthy closed session Monday night, the F.C. City Council opened its public meeting and voted unanimously (Nader Baroukh absent) to authorize City Attorney John Foster to forward a settlement offer to Fairfax Water to resolve the current litigation process in the Fairfax Circuit Court.
The latest phase in the case awaits a ruling by Circuit Court Judge Terrence Nye. The move was taken upon the advice of counsel. According to News-Press sources, while Falls Church stands an excellent chance of winning the latest phase in the trial, it faces burdensome legal fees if the county appeals the case all the way to the state supreme court.
Another H1N1 Vaccination Clinic Saturday
The Fairfax County Health Department announced this week it has secured more H1N1 vaccine and will open its second mass vaccination clinic, open to Fairfax County and City of Falls Church residents, this Saturday. The clinic will run from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Fairfax County Government Center at 12000 Government Center Parkway in Fairfax, and has the capacity to vaccinate 12,000 people. The vaccine will be available on a walk-in basis, free of charge. Because of the limited supply of vaccination, the clinic will only target the following groups: Children 4 years through 9 years of age and children 10 years through 18 years of age who have certain medical conditions that put them at higher risk for influenza-related complications. The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) reports that all private physician offices and hospitals that have registered with VDH to serve as vaccination sites either have received limited amounts of vaccine or have vaccine en route to their offices. For more information on the target groups, see the Center for Disease Control Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/highrisk.htm.
F.C. School Board OK’s $300k in Budget Cuts
At its meeting Tuesday, the Falls Church City School Board approved FY10 spending reductions that will help the Falls Church City government offset a significant revenue shortfall for the current budget year. The board’s action will provide $300,000 in financial relief to the City of Falls Church general fund. In a previous meeting, Superintendent Lois Berlin identified spending reduction options including a partial hiring freeze for vacant positions, a reduction in spending for several operational cost centers, and delaying some of the items in the school division’s maintenance and replacement schedule. At the F.C. City Council work session Monday, concerned that not enough options were presented for the mid-year adjustment in the current Fiscal Year 2010 budget based on a $5.6 million shortfall, the Council decided to proceed toward the approval of a resolution endorsing City Manager Wyatt Shields’ plan to make the necessary budget cuts without City employee salary cuts or layoffs at the present time. However, the Council members agreed to language in the resolution stressing that as more information comes to light, they retain the prerogative to revise their budget plans in the future.
Mary Graves, 66, Mt. Daniel Teacher, Dies
Mary Anne Burke Graves, 66, retired kindergarten teacher at Mt. Daniel School in Falls Church died on Oct. 28, 2009. She was the wife of the late Larry Graves, the long-time coach and advocate of youth soccer after whom the Larry Graves Fields on Hillwood Ave. are named, the mother of Kiernan Graves, a graduate of George Mason High School, the daughter of Capitola Taff, sister of Betsy Lynn and Jim, Brian, Russell, and Ginger Burke. She is also survived by 12 nieces and nephews. Known for her creativity in the classroom, Mary Anne teamed up with art teachers and colleagues to win many grants in the arts. A devotee of books and travel, she retired in June 2009. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in her name to the Falls Church Arts, c/o C. Kaye, Treasurer, P. O. Box 6912, Falls Church, VA 22040.
