Letters to the Editor: October 3 – 9, 2019
New Turf Fields Are Not an Improvement
Editor,
It’s a new day in Falls Church when I have to get my soccer playing son in the shower immediately after his first game at Larry Graves’s new turf fields to get the black tire rubber “dust” off his arms and legs. It’s another thing when he has to run to the sidelines in the middle of the game to have me get the same rubber pellets out of his mouth after a spill.
He’s a kindergartener and young kids fall a lot during games. My mom gut is telling me this absolutely can’t be safe. Many questions surround the safety of these fields and so far, studies have been limited. I cringe to think about the long term consequences. It’s no secret what this stuff is comprised of — petroleum, metals, and chemicals. That sounds like a recipe for disaster to roll around in every week.
Erring on the side of caution for the sake of the kids sounds like a good idea to me. It’s not ok to use them as science experiments; let’s think about our future, please.
But, hey, the fields are pretty to look at and we won’t have as many rain cancellations. I guess that is supposed to be forward progress, right?
Madison Park, I miss you.
Jessica Labukas
Falls Church
F.C. Cut-Through Traffic is Bad, But Speeding is Worse
Editor,
Your article last week on the traffic traveling through the back streets of Falls Church was inevitable once Route 66 announced it would start tolls a couple years ago.
Broad St is a mess. It is too narrow to be a “through street” but the City allowed businesses to build too close to street not thinking of the future. Not only will drivers continue to “cut-through” neighborhoods, the speeding is worse.
The speeders on Broad St. alone are horrible. There are more drivers going over the 25 mph than not and it is more adults, not teenagers. Never do I see the police doing anything about it.
My worry is you will drive people off Broad St. and the local businesses could falter.
Barb Molino
Falls Church
F.C. Rec & Parks Thankful for a Successful Summer
Editor,
We at the City of Falls Church Recreation & Parks Department wanted to thank the community, our participants, our staff, and everyone else involved for a fantastic Summer 2019. We had 5,501 enrollments, 241 programs, 33 contracted camp providers, and 23 seasonal staff members join us for a busy summer!
As a department, we are thankful for the parents/guardians, participants, and contractors who were understanding of the many changes happening in the City, particularly to the George Mason High School campus. We could not have navigated the beginning of construction and smooth camp season at the George Mason High School campus without the continued support of school staff and the School Board. The greater Falls Church community is what makes our programming possible and without your support for the Summer 2019 season, we would not have been so successful.
Whether you participated in a sports camp, excursion camp, classroom camp, or Summer Fun, we hope to see you back next year! If you have a camp you’d like to see us offer next summer, let us know by emailing camps@fallschurchva.gov.
City of Falls Church Recreation & Parks Department
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