Veterans Commemoration This Friday in Falls Church
At 11:00 a.m., The Falls Church Recreation and Parks Department will conduct the annual ceremony honoring the communities Veterans at the Cities Veterans Memorial located in front of the Community Center (223 Little Falls St.). The ceremony will include the unveiling of a “revised” bronze plaque honoring four fallen alumni of Meridian High School (formerly George Mason High School). The program will be provided by the Greater Falls Church Veterans Council and feature Lieutenant Colonel William A Schmittel, Esq., US. Army (Ret).
At 1:30 pm. Meridian High School will be honoring the four fallen alumni – Mustang graduates of George Mason High School, as well as presenting four individual plaques with information and photos of the alumni.
F.C. Teen Performs As Soloist at VA Music Conference
Sophia Lin, 15-year-old, a Sophomore at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology performed Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor as the soloist with Liberty University Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Zachary Bruno, at the Annual Virginia Music Teacher Conference on October 29th, 2022.
Sophia is the winner of Virginia State Concerto Competition among many national/international competitions, including International Young Artist Piano Competition, Robert-Spencer Concerto Competition, Ylda Novik Concerto Competition etc. Two times Winner of Virginia MTNA Junior Competition and MTNA Division Finalist for the past two years, she won again for the Virginia MTNA Senior Performance Competition on October 29th, 2022. Sophia is a member of National Symphony Orchestra Chamber Music Program, top prize winners of national math competitions and enjoys writing.
Mclean Project for the Arts to Open Winter Exhibitions
McLean Project for the Arts will open its winter exhibitions—In the Round: Dimensional Fiber Works (Emerson Gallery) and Trees on the Edge: Artwork in Layered Paper by Ronni Jolles (Atrium Gallery) — on December 9th, 2022. Both shows will run through February 18th, 2023, with an Opening Exhibition Reception presented by The Mather on Friday, December 9th, 2022 from 7-9pm. RSVP here (www.tinyurl.com/mpawinterexhibits).
MPA’s Atrium Gallery will feature Trees on the Edge: Artwork in Layered Paper by Ronni Jolles. Jolles creates beautiful paper paintings through a unique process using many different kinds of paper from all over the world. She cuts, tears and layers hundreds of pieces to build each of her images, creating works with active texture, infinite color and distinct presence. Although Jolles works with a variety of subjects, the pieces in the MPA exhibit focus on forms in the landscape as interpreted through trees. These engaging works bring the spirit of the woods alive, celebrating the beauty, strength and importance of this majestic life form.
The Atrium Gallery exhibit (Trees on the Edge) will be available for viewing during McLean Community Center operating hours. In the Round: Dimensional Fiber Works will be open for visitors Tuesdays through Fridays from 1:00 p.m. — 4:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. — 3:00 p.m.
Washington Sinfonietta Kicks Off 2022-23 Season
The Washington Sinfonietta will begin the 2022-23 season with a program titled “Old Friends and New” on Saturday, November 19th at 7:30pm. As usual, the concert will be held at The Falls Church Episcopal. This concert will include Haydn’s Symphony No. 78, Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 4, and Voříšek’s Symphony, Op. 23. The Washington Sinfonietta’s very own Dr. L. Avery Pettigrew will be the featured soloist on the horn concerto.
Following the first concert, the Sinfonietta will present the ever-festive Family Holiday Celebration on Sunday December 11th. “Schubert and Beethoven” (with solo violinist Aaron Berofsky) will be performed on Saturday February 11th. Next, the Sinfonietta will present “Monumental Mozart” (with violin/viola soloists Marcolivia and pianist Rachel Franklin), on Saturday April 29th. The season will conclude with “Romantic Extravaganza” (with piano soloist Francine Kay) on Saturday June 24th. All concerts will be held at The Falls Church Episcopal, and full program details are available at washingtonsinfonietta.org.
Advance tickets for the performance are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and students, plus a small service fee, and are available here. Tickets at the door will be $20 for adults and $15 for seniors and students. Children under 18 are always admitted at no charge.
ArtsFairfax Awards Honors Capital One Hall And More
On Friday, October 28, 2022, the ArtsFairfax Awards honored Capital One Hall with the Jinx Hazel Award, Gary and Tina Mather with the Philanthropy Award, Fall for the Book with the Innovation Award, and Mark Brutsché with the Achievement Award, raising a record of over
$186,000 in support of ArtsFairfax’s services to arts and culture organizations and programs in Fairfax County.
Punctuated with performances, the ArtsFairfax Awards was a lively event, beginning with “Extra! Extra!,” a musical number by Young Actors’ Theatre alumni Elisa Bartakke, Isabel Oliver, and Nicole Ollerhead in dedication to ArtsFairfax Achievement Award recipient Mark Brutsché, who for 40 years has inspired confidence and creativity for hundreds of young people through the theatre education program.
ArtsFairfax awardees received original paintings by Foon Sham, an internationally renowned artist most recognized for his wood sculptures seen throughout Fairfax and around the world.
Sheperd’s Center Seeks Additional Volunteer Drivers
Shepherd’s Center of McLean-Arlington-Falls Church (SCMAFC), an all-volunteer organization, is seeking additional volunteers to support its mission of providing free transportation to seniors for medical and dental appointments or run errands to grocery stores and pharmacies.
The total number of rides provided in 2022 is expected to exceed 2,500, but to fully respond to recent increases in the number of requests, there is a need for more volunteers to join the current team of 60 volunteer drivers. “Of the rides provided, roughly 75 percent are medically related, 25 percent grocery, and 1 percent for handy helper needs,” said Tom Callanen, Board Chair.
For volunteers there is no minimum commitment. Volunteers are free to choose how often and when they drive.
For detailed information or to apply, please visit the Center’s website https://scmafc.org/volunteer or call (703) 506-2199 and leave a message.
Local Scouts Alleviate Food Insecurity with Food Drive
Local Scouts will be kicking off the 33rd annual Scouting for Food this month. Scouts will post notes, distribute flyers, and advertise virtually to homes throughout the DC metro area on the first weekend of November, then return to collect non-perishable food items on the second weekend, primarily Saturday, November 12, 2022.
Scouting for Food is one of the largest annual food drives in the metropolitan area. Scouts of all ages, from 6 to 21 years old, will participate in Scouting for Food.
Scouting for Food is held every fall prior to Thanksgiving. Local food banks rely on the efforts of the Scouts to stock their shelves for the upcoming holiday months when food demands are the highest. Items needed include canned protein (tuna, salmon, chicken, peanut butter); soups and stews (beef stew, chili, meat-based soups); 100% fruit juices (all sizes); grains (pasta, whole grain pasta, rice, brown rice, boxed macaroni and cheese); cereals (multi-grain, low sugar cereals, oatmeal); canned vegetables; and canned fruits.
F.C. Police Participate in Drug Takeback Day
On Saturday, October 29th, the City of Falls Church Police Department participated in the National Drug Take Back Day held annually.
Community members stopped by and dropped off 88 pounds of unused and expired medications.
The Arc of NoVA Announces New Executive Director
The Arc of Northern Virginia is very pleased to announce the selection of Melissa Heifetz as its next Executive Director. Ms. Heifetz is an experienced leader of non-profit organizations, and a passionate and dedicated advocate for the rights of people with disabilities. She will assume her new duties on January 1, 2023, upon the retirement of The Arc of Northern Virginia’s current leader, Rikki Epstein.
Heifetz previously served as the Executive Director of The Arc of Loudoun and at Congregation Beth Emeth in Herndon. In 2018, the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce awarded her their Non-Profit Leadership Award.
She founded Advocacy Partners, LLC in 2020 to provide advocacy services to individuals with disabilities and their families. In her role at Advocacy Partners, she contracted with The Arc of Virginia to represent our state chapter on General Assembly-created state policy workgroups, conducted numerous training programs, and has been an invited guest speaker at disability conferences throughout the Northern Virginia community, and at state and national conventions.
Heifetz takes the reins of the organization from Rikki Epstein, who was named Executive Director in October of 2011. In her 11 years of leadership, she has overseen the remarkable growth of The Arc of Northern Virginia, and led it through one of the most challenging eras for any nonprofit organization. Under her leadership, The Arc of Northern Virginia has expanded programing to better inform, educate, and serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families; matured into a recognized force for advocacy among local and state governments; and grew to become the highly regarded and respected organization it is today.
Zoning Updates to Transition Zones Proposed in F.C.
The City of Falls Church is considering zoning changes that would allow more housing options in the areas between commercial corridors and single-family homes.
Transition zones, which represent less than 3 percent of the city’s land, could undergo zoning updates to allow smaller residential developments. According to the city’s website, T-1 zoning is mostly on N. Washington Street and Park Avenue with existing uses such as Columbia Baptist Church, Christ-Crossman Methodist Church, Sunrise of Falls Church and single-family houses converted to commercial use and townhouses. T-2 zones include the Kaiser Permanente facility and a small office building on N. Washington Street and Park Avenue near Maple Avenue.
The consideration results from City Council requesting zoning tools to allow development of smaller projects on sites too small for larger developments. The proposed changes in transition zones would include allowing townhouses and multifamily housing options, allowing more neighborhood-serving retail, and allowing larger builders to encourage reinvestment.
The next step in the process is the Falls Church Planning Commission holding a public listening session at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday at City Hall, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, VA. A Planning Commission work session is tentatively planned for Dec. 7 and public hearing on Dec. 21. City Council consideration would be at an undetermined time in the first quarter of 2023.
