Patient First F.C. Closed For Renovations Through June 17

Patient First Falls Church is temporarily closed for renovations, which began June 3, and will reopen Monday, June 17.

During this temporary closure, all other Patient First locations will remain open during normal operating hours of 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., every day of the year. All full-time providers at PFFC are working at other locations.

The two open Patient First locations closest to F.C. are in Annandale (7042A Little River Tnpk.) and Fairfax (10100 Fairfax Blvd.).

Falls Church Arts All-Member Show (A-L) Opens June 15

Falls Church Arts celebrates its member artists’ best work during their annual All Member Show, with member works on display in the gallery from June 15 through August 18.

The exhibit will be held in two parts: submissions from members with last names beginning with A-L will be on display from June 15 through July 14, and submissions from artists with last names beginning with M-Z will be on view from July 20 to August 18.

An opening reception will be held from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, for artists in the A-L show. The reception is free and is open to the public.

The show features the work of emerging and established FCA member artists encompassing an extensive range of media types and techniques.

The FCA gallery (700-B West Broad St., Falls Church) is free and open to the public, Tuesday-Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Art may be viewed or purchased in the gallery or online at fallschurcharts.org.

2024 N.Va Senior Olympics To Sport 83 Events on Sept. 14

The Northern Virginia Senior Olympics will take place Saturday, September 14 through Sunday September 29.

Eighty-three events will be held at 26 indoor and outdoor venues throughout the NOVA jurisdictions during the two week event. NVSO Chairman Riley Geary remarked, “The committee has been hard at work since January planning the 2024 events,” adding that this year they are anticipating turnout to exceed last year’s, which sported well over 900 participating athletes.

Participants must be at least 50 years of age by December 31 and live in one of the sponsoring jurisdictions, including the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun and Prince William plus the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax and Falls Church. Most events are by gender and five year age groups.

Registration costs $20 and is online-only beginning July 1. The fee covers a multitude of events, with additional fees required for others including ten pin bowling, orienteering, cycling, and 9-hole golf (3-par).

Priyanka Shetty’s ‘The Elephant in the Room’ Opens at Keegan

Priyanka Shetty’s acclaimed one-woman play “The Elephant in The Room” made its DC Premiere on June 1 at Keegan Theatre, where it will run through 23. Shetty returns to Keegan after workshopping “Elephant” as part of the 2020 Boiler Room Series, Keegan’s developmental initiative aimed at supporting works by exciting new voices.

“‘The Elephant in The Room’ holds a special place in my heart,” explained Shetty. “It emerged during one of the darkest periods of my life as an international student in America. What began as a means of personal expression quickly evolved into a profound journey of self-discovery. This deeply personal narrative has transformed into a universal piece exploring the challenges of reconciling our identities and nurturing our inner selves amidst the constant chaos of the world. Through this play, I hope to inspire audiences to embrace their inner wisdom, confront the elephants in their lives without fear, and boldly acknowledge them.”

“The Elephant in The Room” is a witty, dark comedy about just your typical Indian metalhead and software-engineer-turned-actor who must navigate life as an immigrant arriving in Trump’s America. When Shetty makes the bold move to defy her family by quitting her IT job and moving to the US to pursue an acting career, things don’t quite turn out how she imagined. Watch Shetty’s real life story unfold as she transitions from her deeply embedded roots in India to find context and common ground in America. Gear up for a funny, tumultuous ride through immiscible cultures, unforgettable love, irreparable loss, and the desperation of not belonging anywhere.

“The Elephant in The Room” runs June 1-23, 2024 with performances Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m.

Special events scheduled throughout the run include a child care included matinee on June 9, a welcome reception for Shetty on June 10, a young professionals happy hour on June 14, and a “Meet the Artists” talkback following a matinee show on June 23.

F.C. DAR Presents Awards to Two Pillars of the Community

On May 18, the Falls Church Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) presented awards to Marybeth Connelly and Nikki Henderson. F.C. mayor Letty Hardi greeted both before the ceremony, with vice mayor Debbie Hiscott, Sally Ekfelt from the F.C. Women’s History Group, E.B. Henderson II, and Michael Connelly also in attendance.

Photos of the award being presented to Henderson and Connelly were published in last week’s issue and in this week’s online installment.

Nikki Henderson received the NSDAR Excellence in Historic Preservation Medal for her efforts to preserve the early civil rights history of Falls Church and vicinity as executive director and board member for the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation as well to honor the contributions of the women of our community and the vicinity with the creation of the F.C. Women’s History Walk, which has grown each year as an annual event. Nikki acknowledged those women who have made and continue to make History: “I would like to see all of us recognize all of us. In our own way, we make history every single day. ‘Her history’ is important!”

Marybeth Connelly received the NSDAR Community Service Award for her volunteer work supporting several Boards and Commissions representing the arts, history, and people of Falls Church, including the F.C. Education Foundation providing scholarships to high school seniors and assistance to those in need through the Family Assistance Fund. As one of the four founders of the F.C. Women’s History Group, Connelly continues to acknowledge the contributions of women and encourage women of F.C. to get involved and make a difference: “Through volunteer service we make connections and strengthen bonds. We build relationships that are important in our communities and become the basis for enduring friendships.”

F.C. League of Women Voters Awards Life Membership

The F.C. League of Women Voters awarded a “Life Membership” to Ellen Salsbury in recognition of her many years of service to the League. Salsbury is a prominent citizen of F.C., known not only for her service to the League but also through service on the School Board, Housing Commission and Chamber of Commerce.

A photo of Salsbury receiving the award is online at www.fcnp.com.

ArtsFairfax Launches Fairfax, F.C. Regional Artist Survey

Last week ArtsFairfax launched a survey tool to assess the opportunities and resources local artists need to thrive. The Fairfax Regional Artist Survey is the first study of its kind and is designed to identify the needs and obstacles for artists across all art forms living and working in Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, and the City of Falls Church.

“The Fairfax Regional Artist Survey is an important first step in better serving the independent artists who make Fairfax a vibrant place to live. We collaborated with artists to develop the survey and address how a more inclusive range of art makers can share their work within the communities they call home,” said Stuart Holt, ArtsFairfax President & CEO.

To develop the survey, ArtsFairfax worked with research specialists AMS Analytics and received invaluable insight and recommendations from the ArtsFairfax Artist Advisory Group — artists selected for both the variety of their professional experiences and art forms and where they’ve lived and worked within the study region.

The Fairfax Regional Artist Survey is for artists who practice and present visual and performing arts, cultural traditions, design, or media, among other disciplines. Survey data will directly inform future ArtsFairfax services, programs, and advocacy efforts for individual artists, and therefore is intended for artists in the jurisdictions ArtsFairfax serves, which include Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, and the City of Falls Church.

After submitting responses to the Fairfax Regional Artist Survey, participating artists will have the opportunity to promote and publicize their work in a new Artist Directory, created by ArtsFairfax, and immediately connect with fellow artists and professional networks through an online community, also hosted by the nonprofit.

The anonymous, three-minute survey is hosted by Qualtrics and available through December 31 at
ArtsFairfax.org/ArtistSurvey.

MRSPL Launches Summer Reading Program For All Ages

The Mary Riley Styles Public Library (MRSPL) invites the community to sign up for their Summer Reading Program 2024, whether to prevent the summer slide or challenge yourself to sink into some good books this summer! Programs are available for all ages.

The first day to sign up and start logging books was Monday, June 3. The last day to sign up is August 9.
Prizes are available starting August 12, and the last day to log books is August 30. Raffle prizes, including a Kindle Paperwhite, will be pulled on September 3. Earn awesome prizes the more you read!

Visit MRSPL (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church) to sign up.

Fairfax Library Fdn. to Host Kid‘s Summer Reading Festival

Fairfax Library Foundation’s Children’s Summer Reading Festival will begin in June with two free events scheduled at area libraries: Saturday, June 15, 10:00 a.m. — 1:00 p.m. at Woodrow Wilson Library (6101 Knollwood Dr., Falls Church) and Sunday, August 18, 12:00 p.m. — 3:00 p.m. at Chantilly Regional Library (4000 Springfield Rd., Chantilly, VA). These activities mark the Foundation’s second year hosting the free community events to encourage summer reading among preschool- and school-age children to prevent learning loss over summer break.

The festival will feature a wide variety of fun activities for children of all ages, including facepainting, bounce houses, balloon and caricature artists, games and crafts, live entertainment, food trucks, and a photobooth. 2023’s inaugural event saw more than 2,500 Fairfax County children and families in attendance — with last year’s total number of FCPL Summer Reading Program participants shattering all previous records as a result.

Del. Sullivan, Others Commend English Empowerment Center

Virginia Delegatee Richard C. “Rip” Sullivan (D-Arlington/Fairfax) delivered a House of Delegates commendation to Roopal Saran, executive director of the English Empowerment Center, at an event held in the Center’s offices and classrooms at James Lee Community Center on May 30.

The commendation, House Resolution 628, was approved unanimously by all delegates in the house with a companion measure, Senate Bill 608, introduced by State Senator Saddam Salim (D-Falls Church), which was also approved. Delegates Marcus Simon (D-Falls Church) and Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D-Alexandria) co-sponsored the legislation and commendation.

Sullivan described the impact of the work in teaching literacy and his own professional journey in supporting immigrants, both as a lawyer and activist. “I have always known you by your earlier name, the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia,” said Sullivan, noting the historical name for 60 years before a recent rebranding. “You have seen a 25 percent increase in course registrations and the English Empowerment Center has now trained over 2,000 adult learners (this year) who come from 95 different countries. EEC continues to be heralded as a leader in distance learning both locally and nationally.”
Saran thanked Delegate Sullivan for the commendation at the event last Thursday, with dozens of students and staff members in attendance.

“EEC grew from a corps of trained volunteers who provided one-to-one tutoring for predominantly native-born residents to creating larger-scale classroom programs as the number of foreign-born residents rose dramatically,” said Saran. “Today EEC serves those at the lowest skill levels providing the crucial first steps of language and literacy learning, while also providing this population with workplace soft skills and industry recognized credentialing. EEC is proud to have served over 62,000 students in its 62 years,” adding that last year 520 trained volunteers gave over 25,000 hours of service to the center’s over 1,900 students.

The center will host an annual recognition night for its recent graduates on June 27, 7:00 p.m. — 9:00 p.m. at the center.

Course registrations are presently underway for next semester. For more information, please visit
englishempowermentcenter.org, or complete an information request form at tinyurl.com/FCNP0624ec.