Falls Church Tree City USA Award

It was a beautiful and sunny Saturday afternoon for the Arbor Day celebration held at Oak Street Elementary School. The event marked the 46th year that the City of Falls Church has been awarded the Tree City USA Award by the Arbor Day Foundation, as judged by the State Department of Forestry.
The Shurnard Oak was selected as the Tree of the Year by the Urban Forestry Commission, because it is acclimated to warmer climates as we prepare for climate change. To help qualify for the award the staff and community volunteers planted hundreds of trees within the past weeks in Isaac Crossman Park where Ash Trees had to be removed due to spreading Ash borers.

Dill Dinkers Bringing Indoor Pickleball to F.C.

On Tuesday Dill Dinkers Pickleball announced that “local female serial entrepreneur” Vanessa Economos would be the 13th regional developer who has committed to the development of 15 or more dedicated indoor pickleball clubs in Northern Virginia.

The project spearheaded by Economos will develop franchise locations with ample space for six to 12 courts from Fairfax south to Fredericksburg. She anticipates opening her first club in Falls Church laster this year.

Dill Dinkers was founded in November 2022 in Maryland, where it has four locations, with a fifth location set to open next month in Manassas. Quickly growing, they say they have 14 developers already under contract for 200 locations across 11 states, with 30 expected to open by year-end.

For more information, visit dilldinkers.com.

“Paws in the Park” Adoption Event at Wolf Trap May 18

Owners of six Woofie’s franchises in Northern Virginia are hosting “Paws in the Park,” a pet adoption event, on May 18 (rain date May 19) at Wolf Trap National Park, hoping to bring awareness for the need that local animal shelters have for “furever” families for the many animals available.

Woofie’s mobile pet services comprise a wide range of services available for all types of family pets who need care.

Spokesperson for the event, Tanya Lee, owner of Woofie’s Reston-Herndon, who is about to celebrate her 5th year as a Woofie’s owner, says, “All of us are passionate animal advocates. These sweet shelter animals need homes, and we’re looking to help. This is our first big event, but we hope to make it annual to bring some love and community spirit to animal supporters in our areas — and to bring out families to see what a bright light these animals can be for them – and help them get adopted.”

The event will run from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 18 (rain date May 19) at Wolf Trap Farm Park (1551 Trap Rd., Vienna, VA). The Woofie’s businesses will have about 20 mobile spa vans on site, offering free nail trims and “Wash ‘n Go” baths for rescued dogs and pups up for adoption, and special event pricing for families who bring their own pets for grooming (as time permits/allows, for all services). Parking is free.

Ridgeside K9, with professional dog training, and Keller Williams Realty are sponsoring the event, and will have a table at the event.

A silent auction with gift baskets from sponsors and Woofie’s will be available for attendees to bid on with all proceeds going to the animal shelters.

There will be multiple food trucks offering tasty bites, DJ William Linne spinning tunes, pet photography, and several other participating vendors who will provide baskets or other support for the animal communities.

“From my own experience, adopting a pet can have an amazing impact on your life, and spring can be an ideal time to do it,” said Leslie Barron, co-founder of Woofie’s of Ashburn-Leesburg. “Join us for a fun-filled day of making memories, as we bring together local animal shelters throughout the Northern Virginia area to help pets find their fur-ever homes.”

Woofie’s is accepting donations and additional sponsors who would like to participate. Call 321-379-8079, visit woofies.com/paws-in-the-park or email woofies.pawsinthepark@gmail.com for more information.

NOVA Parks Launches 45-mile Cleanup for W&OD 50th

NOVA Parks will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail with a series of events and activities taking place April through September. The festivities will begin on Rails to Trails Conservancy’s ‘Celebrate Trails Day’ on Saturday, April 27, 8:30 a.m. — 11:30 a.m., with the first-ever community cleanup of the entire 45-mile trail.

Make Earth Day every day and show appreciation of the W&OD Trail by volunteering anywhere along the trail, from Shirlington to Purcellville.

The W&OD is named for the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad that last traveled along its path, spreading commerce from the Alexandria seaport to the growing Northern Virginia communities to the west. The tracks connected and helped establish many hubs for economic development, which are now Arlington, Falls Church, Vienna, Reston, Herndon, Sterling, Leesburg, and Purcellville.

When the railroad was abandoned in 1968, Dominion Power installed transmission lines along the corridor. Almost immediately, NOVA Parks started studying the feasibility of converting the old railroad to a trail.

Nearly 50 years ago, on September 7, 1974, the “first ride” was documented on the first stretch of the W&OD Trail: a 1.5-mile-long and six-foot-wide asphalt path in the City of Falls Church.

Through a succession of acquisitions over the following 14 years, NOVA Parks continued to develop sections, completing its vision of a continuous 45-mile trail from Arlington to Purcellville. The W&OD Trail was one of the first rails-to-trails routes in the nation.

With 70 road intersections along the W&OD Trail, safety has been a primary concern. In recent years an increasing number of intersections have been ‘grade separated,’ with vehicles and trail users on different levels. In 2021 a trail bridge was installed over Rt. 29 in Arlington, and later this year a new trail bridge over Wiehle Avenue in Reston will open. NOVA Parks is continuously enhancing the trail to ensure it is user-friendly for its wide variety of uses. Over the years the trail has transitioned from a weekend recreational resource into an important carbon-free transportation network for its more than 2 million yearly users.

The vision for the trail continues with enhancements to create dual parallel trails — one for pedestrians and one for cyclists. The first dual trails opened in F.C. in 2021, with more being added along the trail.
Leading up to the 50th anniversary of the “first ride,” a series of events and activities will take place April through September to celebrate 50 years of connecting communities in Northern Virginia.

Visit novaparks.com/WOD50 to learn more about the schedule of events and activities, register to participate, read about the history of the W&OD Trail and download shareable graphics.

VPIS, F.C. AAUW To Hold Attic Treasures Bazaar May 3-4

The Falls Church branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and the Village Preservation and Improvement Society (VPIS) have joined together to offer two days of book and treasure hunting at the Falls Church Community Center (223 Little Falls St., Falls Church).

They can accept bicycles, household goods, small furniture, collectibles, art, picture frames, musical instruments, stereos, CDs, DVDs, LPs, toys, jewelry, clothing, books, and similar items. They cannot accept TVs or hazardous materials.

Email contributefch@gmail.com to donate, or drop off items at the collection event on Saturday (see Calendar, page 9 of the print edition of this week’s News-Press).

The event is also in need of volunteers; those interested should contact lorourke1@cox.net.

Dane Hamblin’s “Dahlia” is ‘Flora and Fauna’ Juror’s Choice

Among 61 artists and the same number of pieces, Dane Hamblin’s “Dahlia” won the Juror’s Choice Award from juror Bryan Jernigan at the opening of new Falls Church Arts exhibit “Flora and Fauna: Thriving or Threatened.”

The FCA show opened to a standing room only crowd on Saturday, where participating artists were on hand to answer questions about their process and inspiration.

The exhibit theme, “Flora and Fauna: Thriving or Threatened,” invited artists to submit artwork that celebrates the beauty and diversity of the natural world — or explores the challenges it faces. FCA says the response from submitting artists was overwhelming, with 61 pieces selected from nearly three hundred submissions.

Juror Bryan Jernigan described the winning painting, “Dahlia,” saying “clearly, the subject met the call for art, but it was the attention to detail and grasp of the medium that set Dane’s work above the others. His subject was far from simple and yet he handled it deftly and, while it is small in size, it is powerful in beauty and meaning.”

“Flora and Fauna” is on display in the gallery at Falls Church Arts (700-B W. Broad St., Falls Church), and may be viewed free-of-charge in the gallery Tuesdays-Fridays 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Sundays 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m, now through June 9. All artwork may be viewed or purchased in the gallery or online at fallschurcharts.org.

Taco Zocalo to Open at Barcroft Plaza in Falls Church

Taco Zocalo will open in late April 2024 at Barcroft Plaza in Falls Church, Federal Realty Investment Trust announced this week. The 1,532 square foot restaurant will be located at 6343-D Columbia Pike in between MQR Café and National Federal Credit Union.

Under the culinary expertise of Chef and owner Basir Ahadi, Taco Zocalo offers a delectable array of Mexican-inspired dishes, including savory tacos, Chimichangas, burritos, salads and more.

“Food is my passion, and I am excited to create memorable dining experiences for our guests at our fourth location,” said Ahadi. “With its dynamic environment, Barcroft Plaza offers the perfect setting for Taco Zocalo.”

“We are excited to welcome Taco Zocalo to Barcroft Plaza,” said Deirdre Johnson, Senior Vice President, Asset Management at Federal. “Their arrival represents a significant addition to our merchant lineup, bringing a fresh culinary experience with an innovative menu and inviting atmosphere that will resonate with our customers, further enriching the vibrant array of offerings at Barcroft Plaza.”

The restaurant’s hours will be Monday to Saturday, 11:00 a.m. — 9:00 p.m., and Sunday 12:00 p.m. — 8:00 p.m.

In addition to Taco Zocalo, locally owned and operated Playful Pack, a premier dog daycare and boarding facility, is scheduled to open at Barcroft Plaza in later this year.

Virginia Awarded $156 Million Grant for Solar Program

Sunny days will be a little brighter in Virginia this year, as the Virginia Department of Energy (VA-DOE) will receive over $156 million in federal funding under the federal “Solar for All” grant. Around 50 percent of Virginia households are eligible to benefit from the program.

“Adding more residential solar is essential to our all of the above approach for clean and affordable energy in Virginia.” said VA-DOE director Glenn Davis. “Virginia also recognizes the significant economic development and job growth opportunities across the Commonwealth that will accompany this growth in residential solar and welcomes new investment by the solar industry.”

The funding will be available to Virginia for the next five years. Residential rooftop solar and shared solar developments qualify for the grant dollars. Developers may also submit larger projects, such as solar for community housing. The funding is focused mostly on low-income residents or people that live in communities that are designated as underserved. Projects must be designed to result in a minimum 20 percent savings on energy bills.

“This funding is expected to bring a lifetime economic impact to Virginia communities that need it most,” said VA-DOE State Energy Office Director Vince Maiden. “Our solar industry will see growth and create over 1,000 jobs as a result of Solar for All.”

The Virginia Department of Energy (Virginia Energy) will administer the program. Solar for All is funded through the U.S. Environment Protection Agency. The first year of the program will be set aside for planning the distribution of funds and those details will be available via the VA-DOE website as they are developed. Funding will become available in 2025 for those interested in residential rooftop or shared solar programs.