May 23, 2012

NOTE:  This report is not a definitive list of all criminal activity and is subject to change upon investigation.

Graffiti, 320 N. Washington St. (Madison Park).  On May 15 spray painted graffiti were found on playground equipment.

Driving Under the Influence, 1000 block N. Roosevelt St.  On May 15 an officer conducted a traffic stop for a motor vehicle violation.  The driver, 44 year old Germantown, MD man, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence.

Larceny from Vehicle, 200 block Gibson St. On May 16 an unknown suspect(s) smashed a window to a vehicle sometime between 2:50 a.m. and 4:50 a.m.  Various tools were stolen.

Larceny from Vehicle, 200 block S. Cherry St.  On May 16 tags to a vehicle were reported stolen.  They were stolen sometime between Apr. 23 and May 13.

Driving Under the Influence and Refusal to Submit to a Blood or Breath Test, 300 block W. Broad St.  On May 16 an officer on bicycle was flagged by a citizen regarding an erratic driver.  The driver, a 25 year old City of Falls Church man, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence and Refusal to Submit to a Blood or Breath Test.

Larceny from Building, 1118 W. Broad St. (Apple Federal Credit Union).  On May 17 a wallet was reported stolen sometime on May 16.

Public Drunkenness, 100 block W. Broad St.  On May 18 a 38 year old McLean woman was arrested for Public Drunkenness.

Larceny from Vehicle, 313 Park Ave.  On May 18 an unknown suspect(s) smashed a window to a vehicle and stole a GPS device.

Driving Under the Influence, 400 block Hillwood Ave.  On May 19 an officer conducted a traffic stop for a motor vehicle violation.  The driver, a 23 year old Falls Church man, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence (3rd Offense).

Drinking in Public, 1230 W. Broad St. (Giant Foods).  On May 19 a 46 year old Alexandria man was arrested and released on summons for Drinking In Public.

Public Drunkenness, 6700 block Wilson Blvd. (Eden Center).  On May 20 a 32 year old Fairfax man was arrested for Public Drunkenness.

Driving Under the Influence, 6795 Wilson Blvd. (Eden Center).  On May 20 a 36 year old Falls Church man was arrested for Driving Under the Influence (3rd Offense).

NOTE:  This report is not a definitive list of all criminal activity and is subject to change upon investigation.

Public Drunkenness, 134 W. Broad St. (CVS Pharmacy).  On May 8 a 50 year old man of no fixed address, was arrested for Public Drunkenness.

Vandalism to Vehicle, 104A E. Broad St.  (Family Medicine).  On May 8 an unknown suspect(s) was reported to have keyed the side of a vehicle sometime on May 7.

Graffiti, 1014 W. Broad St. (Jiffy Lube).  On May 8 graffiti was found on the front wall and dumpster.

Narcotics Violations, 300 W. Broad St. (Stratford Motor Lodge).  On May 8 a 25 year old Annandale woman was arrested for Possession of Cocaine.  A 30 year old man of  no fixed address, was arrested for Possession of Cocaine and Marijuana.

Vandalism to Vehicle, 201 N. Washington St. (Kaiser Permanente).  On May 9 an unknown suspect(s) keyed a vehicle.

Vandalism to Vehicles, 100 block E. Broad St.  On May 9 an unknown suspect(s) smashed a window to two vehicles.  No items were stolen in either vehicles.

Graffiti, 7100 Gordon Rd. (City of Falls Church Property Yard).  On May 11 graffiti was found on a sign.

Panhandling, 1000 block E. Broad St.  On May 11 a 41 year old Alexandria woman was arrested and released on a summons for Panhandling.

Narcotics Violation, 130 N. Washington St. (Clare and Don’s Beach Shack).  On May 11 a 22 year old Mountville, PA man was arrested and released on summons for Possession of Marijuana.

Public Drunkenness, 6763 Wilson Blvd. #R3 (V3 Club).  On May 12 a 22 year old Falls Church man was arrested for Public Drunkenness.

Vandalism to Vehicles, 400 block S. Maple Ave.  On May 12 seven vehicles parked along the street sustained damage to the right side view mirrors sometime overnight.

Breaking and Entering, 1300 block S. Washington St.  On May 12 police received a report for a rear window that was pried open sometime between May 9 and 7 p.m. on May 10.

Driving Under the Influence, 100 block Little Falls St.  On May 1 an officer conducted a traffic stop for a motor vehicle violation.  The driver, a 24 year old Falls Church man, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence.

Larcenies from Vehicles, 800 block Fulton Ave.  On May 13 an unknown suspect(s) stole iPhones, a GPS device, a cell phone, an Xbox, and various personal items from three unlocked vehicles parked on the street.

Tampering with Auto, 600 block Fulton Ave.  On May 13 an unknown suspect(s) entered the vehicle and opened the glove box sometime overnight.  No items were taken.

Larceny from Vehicle, 300 block Riley St.  On May 13, an unknown suspect(s) stole a GPS from the glove box of an unlocked vehicle parked on the street.

May 14, 2012

During this evening’s Council meeting Falls Church Vice Mayor Dave Snyder commented on the proposed sale of the City’s water system.

“The City is taking the necessary steps to sell its public water distribution system after a long and concerted effort by Fairfax County to drive the City out of providing water service in the County.  The sale is not driven by financial stress in the City.  The City of Falls Church is financially sound, maintaining high bond ratings and high quality public services.”

“The City is taking responsible steps to divest its water utility assets with appropriate protections for our customers and utility employees embedded in the Agreement for Sale. The proceeds from the sale will be deployed to meet other core public needs.  Those who are concerned about private ownership of water utility systems should encourage Fairfax Water to participate in the bidding process.”

Concerning water quality:  “The City water system is a distribution system only.  Whichever entity purchases and operates the City water system in the future will continue to receive treated drinking water from the Washington Aqueduct, operated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.  The Army Corps has a long track record of meeting or exceeding regulatory requirements for the water that we deliver to our customers.”

Rate structure:  “Rates will be frozen for one year after the sale.  If a private entity were to purchase and operate the water system, rates in the future would be regulated by the State Corporation Commission.”

Service level:  “Water service is one of the most highly regulated industries in the United States.  The State Corporation Commission regulates the level of service for private water providers in Virginia.”

Following the statement the Council voted, 5-0, to give preliminary approval for the sale, with Mayor Baroukh and Ms. Gardner absent.  A second reading and vote is scheduled for next month.  Final approval of the sale would be via a referendum.

NOTE:  The reports are not a definitive list of all criminal activity and are subject to change upon investigation.

Driving Under the Influence and Refusal to Submit to Blood or Breath Test, 900 block W. Broad St.  On Apr. 24 an officer responded to an accident involving a scooter.  The driver of the scooter, a 51 year old Falls Church man, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence and Refusal to Submit to Blood or Breath Test.

Urinating In Public, 6763 Wilson Blvd. #R3 (V3 Club).  On Apr. 25 a 43 year old Manassas man was arrested and released on summons for Urinating In Public.

Assault and Battery, 100 Hillwood Ave. (Hillwood Mart).  On Apr. 27 three individuals from a family were assaulted during an altercation at the gas station.

Narcotics Violation, 100 Hillwood Ave. (Hillwood Mart).  On Apr. 27 two 22 year old Falls Church men were arrested and released on summons for Possession of Marijuana.

Destruction of Property, 100 block S. Maple Ave.  On Apr. 28 a window to the victim’s vehicle was punched.  A bag that was left in the vehicle was found nearby.  No items were stolen.

Driving Under the Influence, 6700 block Wilson Blvd.  On Apr. 28 an officer conducted a traffic stop for a motor vehicle violation.  The driver, a 32 year old Laurel, MD man, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence.

Destruction of Property, 900 block Ellison St.  On Apr. 28 a windshield to the victim’s vehicle was smashed sometime overnight.  No items were stolen.

Destruction of Property, 500 block Greenwich St.  On Apr. 28 two vehicles were egged and sprayed with silly string sometime overnight.

Narcotics Violation, 300 W. Broad St. (Stratford Motor Lodge).  On Apr. 28 an 18 Clinton , MD man and a 19 year old Falls Church man were arrested and released on summons for Possession of Marijuana.

Driving Under the Influence and Refusal to Submit to Blood or Breath Test, 300 block S. West St.  On Apr. 29 an officer responded to an accident.  One of the drivers, a 44 year old Arlington man, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence and Refusal to Submit to Blood or Breath Test.

Larceny from Vehicle, 100 block Noland St.  On Apr. 30 an unknown suspect(s) stole a wallet and an iPad from an unlocked vehicle.

Graffiti, 200 block W. Jefferson St.  On Apr. 30 graffiti was found spray painted on a stop sign.

Graffiti, 600 block Lincoln Ave.  On Apr. 30 graffiti was found on two utility boxes.

Destruction of Property, 100 block Park Ave.  On Apr. 30 a rear window to the victim’s vehicle was smashed sometime in the afternoon.  No items were stolen.

Drinking in Public, 200 block S. Washington St.  On Apr. 30 a 28, of Seattle, WA man, a 40 year old Falls Church man, and a 39 year old Sterling man were arrested and released on summons for Drinking in Public.

Public Drunkenness and Defecating in Public, 6795 Wilson Blvd. (Hai Duong Restaurant).  On Apr. 30 a 60 year old man of no fixed address was arrested for Public Drunkenness and Defecating in Public.

Driving Under the Influence, 100 block Little Falls St.  On May 1 an officer conducted a traffic stop for a motor vehicle violation.  The driver, a 24 year old Falls Church man, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence.

Graffiti, 444 W. Broad St. (The Spectrum).  On May 1 graffiti was found on a wall and in the parking garage.

Assault and Battery, 804 S. Washington St. (7-Eleven).  On May 1 officers responded to the location for a report of an assault which had just occurred.  A  61 year old woman of no fixed address was arrested for Assault and Battery.

Driving Under the Influence, 6700 block Wilson Blvd.  On May 1 an officer conducted a traffic stop for a motor vehicle violation.  The driver, a 52 year old Centreville man, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence.

Larceny from Building, 1230 W. Broad St. (Giant Foods).  On May 2 an unknown suspect(s) stole a purse from an unattended carriage at approximately 8:30 p.m.

Narcotics Violation, 137 N. Washington St.  On May 2 officers responded to an alarm call and found individuals on the building’s roof.  A 20 year old Annandale man was arrested for Possession of Marijuana and released on summons.

Graffiti, 1100 block S. Washington St.  On May 4 graffiti was found on the sidewalk.

Driving Under the Influence, 400 block S. Washington St.  On May 4 an officer conducted a traffic stop for a motor vehicle violation.  The driver, a 24 year old Falls Church man, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence.

Driving Under the Influence, 900 block W. Broad St.  On May 5 an officer conducted a traffic stop for a motor vehicle violation.  The driver, a 23 year old Falls Church man, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence.

Larceny of Motor Vehicle Parts, 100 block Haycock Rd.  On May 5 an unknown suspect(s) stole license plates from a vehicle sometime after Apr. 28.

Urinating In Public, 6763 Wilson Blvd. (Eden Center).  On May 6 a 21 year old Arlington man was arrested and released on summons for Urinating In Public.

Driving Under the Influence, Unit-block Hillwood Ave.  On May 6 an officer conducted a traffic stop for a motor vehicle violation.  The driver, a 38 year old Falls Church man, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence.

Driving Under the Influence, Refusal to Submit to Blood or Breath Test, and Fail to Provide Care for Companion Animal, 500 block S. Washington St.  On May 7 an officer conducted a traffic stop for a motor vehicle violation.  The driver, a 31 year old Falls Church man, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence, Refusal to Submit to Blood or Breath Test, and Fail to Provide Care for Companion Animal.

Larceny from Building, 1218 W. Broad St. (Starbucks).  On May 6 an unknown suspect(s) stole an unattended iPhone.

A few weeks ago, an opinion was expressed in the Falls Church Times to the effect that it would not be proper for the Falls Church City Republican Committee to sponsor a non-partisan open forum for candidates for the City Council.   But members of the FCCRC including me argued that there was no inherent taint involved in the choice of an otherwise state partisan-affiliated group to sponsor a non-partisan forum open to all candidates and all citizens of any party who wanted to come to meet candidates in a public forum.

On a rainy Sunday afternoon, April 22, about 73 citizens of Falls Church City affiliated with both state parties or no state party, attended a very lively FCCRC open forum in the Seniors Room at the Community Center to hear all the candidates for City Council including incumbent Mayor Nader Baroukh and candidates Phil Duncan, John Lawrence, David Tarter, William Henneberg, and Paul Handly .   Incumbent Mr. Lawrence Webb could not attend due to a trip to New York but he did speak to the FCCRC meeting on April 19 at the American Legion Hall.   I attended both the FCCRC open forum and the candidate forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters at the City Hall on April 18.   The LWV forum was well organized and timed and all candidates had a good amount of time to speak for about two hours and questions were submitted in writing from the audience.   The LWV event was also televised on local community access TV.

At the FCCRC open forum on Sunday, most questions from the floor were about the newly-announced city plan to ban on-street parking on several streets including Hillwood, Lincoln, and West Street.  The parking lanes would be replaced by bicycle lanes and funded mostly by federal grant money.

When asked for a show of hands on whether they would vote “no” on the plan if they were Council members, only David Tarter did not raise his hand.  When asked whether they would vote to kill the plan and later bring back aspects of the plan that would not inconvenience neighborhoods, only William Henneberg indicated that he would.  Mayor Nader Baroukh protested that such a vote was unfair to him, as a current Council member. He indicated that the bill should be preserved, with approval deferred until problematic issues could be removed and there was more consultation with residents.

John Lawrence said that although he participated in the plan’s development, it was with the Council’s direction and City staff’s guidance on vetting the plan with residents of Falls Church City.  In response to a question about how much development of the plan cost, no estimate of staff time was available but the City may have paid a consulting firm up to $300,000.00 for work done so far.

No candidate responded to a question about whether the plan would require sidewalks in neighborhoods without them, such as Broadmont.

The proposal may already be dividing neighbors.  Apparently, some residents of cul-du-sacs off Lincoln Street say they will ask the City for signs prohibiting parking in their cul-du-sac by anyone who has a Lincoln Avenue address.  It was also reported that some Fairfax Country residents near Hillwood have already warned that they will seek to ban cars with Falls Church City stickers from parking in the area South of Hillwood and north of Arlington Boulevard.

GOP Committee Chair Ken Feltman, who is a resident on Hillwood, observed that regardless of the merits of the plan, the timing of its release and the failure by City staff to actively seek the views of citizens in affected neighborhoods has led to a contentious situation that could have been avoided.   Other questions for candidates from the floor were about the full or part-time safety inspection duties of the fire marshal, recycling rules for apartment buildings, and why only one taxi cab company appears to have a monopoly on radio calls in the city. More than 100 questions from the community were submitted by email to the FCCRC and there was not enough time to ask all of them during two and a half hours so preference was given to calling on citizens in attendance who had their hands up.

While the formats were different and the topic areas very different, I could see no hint of partisanship in either the LWV candidate forum or the FCCRC open forum. The Republican forum even included a short presentation by a candidate for Congress in the upcoming June Democratic primary for the 8th District, Mr. Bruce Shuttleworth, who spoke about how his petitions were able to withstand scrutiny to qualify his name for the ballot.   A Republican candidate for Congress in the same district, retired Army Col. Patrick Murray, had previously spoken to FCCRC members at their February public meeting at the Oakwood Apartments.  Incumbent Congressman Jim Moran (D) is also invited to attend a future FCCRC event at a time of his convenience.

So I believe that fears that the FCCRC could not sponsor a non-partisan forum open to all candidates and all citizens of all parties and independents were not well grounded and that for the local Republican committee, where there is no harm there is no foul.

Mark Rhoads is a member of the Falls Church City Republican Committee

There is broad consensus in the City of Falls Church that realizing greater revenues from the City’s limited commercial property is a key strategic priority. The measurable but limited successes over the past decade have been based largely on allowing special exceptions to include residential development, which is economically required to support the necessary parking. Even supporters of the “mixed use” strategy recognize the limitations of this approach and view mixed use as a step towards creating the critical mass of population density and demand that will help bring additional business investment and tax revenue generation.

Many of us (including many of the candidates in yesterday’s City Council election) have advocated significant public investment in parking to address this more directly, and I believe this has to be on the short list of ideas that go beyond wishful thinking to address the economics of commercial development. However, a far more comprehensive approach, which is well suited to the City’s strip-zoned commercial areas along our major thoroughfares, would be a modern streetcar network allowing far greater foot traffic without a proportional increase in automobile traffic.

A modern streetcar would have stops at no more than half mile intervals, meaning that we would expect at least five stops in the commercial areas, including two in City Center, not to mention an opportunity to integrate an intermodal transit center that would be truly deserving of the name. My own vision would be to link the East and West Falls Church Metro Stations and to consider taking a line from Seven Corners to EFC and then along Washington Street to City Center and then West on Broad to WFC, which would maximize the service to multifamily housing and to our commercial zones, but the purpose of the proposed study is to examine all of these issues, to generate a local and regional feedback, and hopefully consensus, to guide the next steps that would be required.

The discussion of the need and desire for commercial development is another opportunity to refocus our efforts on taking action to help bring about the kind of development that the community will support, without overwhelming our infrastructure such as roads and schools that are essentially at capacity in the near term. There are obvious issues to debate such as the cost, configuration and alignment, alongside the clearly demonstrable benefits, but in my view and given the building regional momentum, this is a wave we need to be prepared to ride.

Dan Maller is a former member of the Falls Church City Council.

Here is the weekly recap for this week’s Falls Church Kiwanis Little League games.

MAJORS Division

The FCKLL Red Sox defeated the Mason District Cardinals 6 to 3. In a fast-paced game, Red Sox winning pitcher Thomas Dean struck out 10 and walked only 1. Craig Fischer hit his first home run of the season and earned the save with 2 innings of scoreless relief. Thomas Creed had 2 hits, including a triple, and Ian Thompson, called up from AAA, had a clutch fielding play at third base. The Cardinals’ Dylan Nadler had 2 hits and scored a run, while Fehiber Rosario also had 2 hits, including a triple, an RBI, and 2 stolen bases.

AAA Division

The Tigers played host to the Mets on Tuesday, April 24th in a game that featured some great pitching, fielding and hitting. The Tigers were led by Ian Thompson who struck out 9 Mets Batters while issuing only 1 walk and 1 hit. Jack Taylor came in to pitch the save in the 6th inning striking out 2. Several Tigers also produced some nice hits: Marty Casserly, Davey Tarter, Jack Taylor, and Ian Thompson had nice base hits and Jacob Moran hit a shot to deep left resulting in an inside-the-park home run. For the Mets, Robert Newton took the mound in relief and registered 5 strike outs, with Chelsea Lang and Ryan Fletchall also seeing some action on the mound striking out 2 and 3 respectively. The Mets also produced some nice hits: Ryan Fletchall, Alex Pigeon, and Robert Newton hitting singles and Josh Post hit a nice double. Tigers 11, Mets 4.

AA Division

The Storm battled the Rock Hounds to a 10-3 win with Noah Cha and Ian Wilson hitting Home Runs for the Storm. The Rock Hounds Zach Sedmak had a good day a bat going 2 for 2. The Storm had a strong first pitching outing by Aaron Gaston and Thomas Shaw helped by the great pitching effort of Evan Stegenga. The Rock Hounds had great pitching from Danny McMahon.

The Scrappers hosted the Sand Gnats in a hard-fought game. The Sand Gnats struckfirst in the second inning when Peter Villa signaled and came around toscore. The Scrappers responded with fiveruns in the second inning due to hits by the following players: Brendan Schwefler, Conor Glavin, Curran Gilster, Jackson Leary, Jonah Wilkes, Tyler Kirbyand Jack Biggs. The Sand Gnats scoredfour to tie things up in the fourth inning with a series of singles from NickPollack, Reyn Butterworth, Gaarison Holran and Villa. The Scrappers and SandGnats both had solid performances on thepitching mound. For the Scrappers, AlexPawlowski and Zach Walker both pitchedwell. For the Sand Gnats, Reyn Butterworth and Charlie Tucker had solid outings on the mound. The game ended in a tie. Scrappers 5, Sand Gnats 5.

Single A Division

On April 27 the Single A Bees and the Express played a taut game filled with timely hitting, and solid defense. The Bees were led by Jake Rodriguez and Ian Williams who had 3 hits apiece. Williams also started a nifty double play by snaring a line drive and tossing to third baseman Connor Mills. For the Express, Jake Sisson, Noah Rodriguez, Trey Robinson, and Tapi Goredema led the offensive attack. With the bases loaded and two outs and the score tied in the bottom of the fifth, Kai Kujawa singled in the winning run. Express, 15; Bees 14.

The Volcanoes outlasted the Sea Dogs – 18 to 12. Tied through 3 innings, the Volcanoes put together two solid innings at the plate to win going away. The Volcanoes’ clutch hitting was keyed by four hits each by Troy Ehrlich, Tyler Bledsoe, John Roberson, and Bradley Persson. Three hits apiece were added by Henry Martin, Ryan York, Nathaniel Bledsoe, and Mario Medina. The Volcanoes defense also came through with several important outs. The Sea Dogs were led by Jonathan Buchholz with 4 hits and 2 RBIs. Nicholas Teply and Finn Evenson had 3 hits and 3 RBIs, and Nathan Milhorn joined the 3-hit parade for the Sea Dogs.

NOTE: This report is not a definitive list of all criminal activity and is subject to change upon investigation.

Petit Larceny and Possession of a Prohibited Weapon on School Grounds, 7124 Leesburg Pike (George Mason High School), April 17, a 15 year-old male was released on summonses for Petit Larceny and Possession of a Prohibited Weapon on School Grounds after taking a knife from a room that had been used for a cooking class.

Possession of Marijuana, 900 block Ellison St., April 18, an 18 year old City of Falls Church man was released on a summons for Possession of Marijuana.

Larceny – Shoplifting, 1212 W. Broad St. (Virginia ABC Store), April 18, unknown suspect stole a bottle of cognac. Suspect described as a black male, wearing blue jeans, a dark colored shirt and a green jacket.  He was seen leaving the area in a silver car.

Assault – Simple, 6763 Wilson Blvd. #R3 (V3 Club), April 21, victim reported that while in the V3 Club she was assaulted by a known acquaintance who then tampered with her vehicle’s tires.  Warrants were obtained for Simple Assault and Tampering with Auto.

Public Drunkenness, 6763 Wilson Blvd. #R3 (V3 Club), April 21, a 25 year old Ocean Pines, MD man was arrested for being Drunk in Public.

Public Drunkenness, 1000 block W. Broad St., April 22, a 24 year old Falls Church man was arrested for being Drunk in Public.

Destruction of Property, 600 block West Falls Way, April 22, victim reported that a white sedan or SUV struck her mailbox and left the scene.  The mailbox could not be located.  Damage was also noted on a nearby stone retaining wall.

Residential Burglary, 100 block S. Oak St., April 23, victim reported that the residence was broken into between 10 am and 3 pm and a number of items were taken.  Officers
determined that access was gained by breaking a window.  Owner’s vehicle was also vandalized.  Investigation is ongoing.

Prostitution, 300 W. Broad St. (Stratford Motel), April 23, a 59 year old Flushing, NY man was arrested for Prostitution.

April 18, 2012

NOTE: This report is not a definitive list of all criminal activity and is subject to change upon investigation.

Larceny from Building, 6763 Wilson Blvd. #R1 (Planet Fitness).  On Apr. 10 an unknown suspect(s) stole personal items from a locker.

Trespassing, 701 W. Broad St. #304.  On Apr. 10 a 20 year old Reston man, was arrested for Trespassing.

Larceny from Building, 131 Great Falls St. #200.  On Apr. 11 an unknown suspect entered the office and stole unattended cash.  The suspect is described as a Black male, approximately 55 years old.  He had a thin build and short hair and was wearing a painter’s mask and rubber gloves.

Larceny from Building, 900 block Hillwood Ave.  On Apr. 11 an unknown suspect stole a wallet from a residence.  The victim observed a tall Asian male, slender build, mid 30s to early 40s in age with short straight black hair leaving the victim’s driveway.  The subject was described as possibly wearing a white shirt and carrying a black cloth bag similar to a briefcase.

Driving Under the Influence, 6700 block Wilson Blvd.  On Apr. 12 an officer conducted a traffic stop for a motor vehicle violation.  The driver, a 33 year old Annandale man, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence.

Narcotics Violation, 7124 Leesburg Pike (George Mason High School).  On Apr. 12 a 16 year-old male of the City of Falls Church was arrested for Possession of Marijuana.

Larceny from Building, 7124 Leesburg Pike (George Mason High School).  On Apr. 12, cash was stolen from an unattended wallet in the gymnasium.

Destruction of Property, 300 block N. Virginia Ave.  On Apr. 12 the victim reported an unknown suspect(s) damaged the hasp of a storage container sometime between Apr. 10 and 12.

Larceny of Vehicle Parts, 100 block Tollgate Way.  On Apr. 13 the victim reported a license plate stolen from the victim’s vehicle.

Assault and Battery, Unlawful Entry, and Destruction of Property, 500 block Roosevelt Blvd.  On Apr. 14 officers responded to the area for a report of disturbance.  A 37 year old  Oakland, CA  man was arrested for Assault and Battery, Unlawful Entry, and two counts of Destruction of Property.  A 69 year old Los Angeles, CA woman was arrested for Assault and Battery.

Shoplifting, 103 E. Broad St. (Complete Strategist).  On Apr. 14, two unknown suspects concealed trading card merchandise.  The merchandise was recovered.

Larceny from Vehicle, 400 block S. Maple Ave.  On Apr. 14, an unknown suspect(s) entered an unlocked vehicle and stole the victim’s laptop computer and bag.

Public Drunkenness, 220 N. Washington St. (State Theater).  On Apr. 14 a 29 year old City of Falls Church man was arrested for Public Drunkenness.

Abduction, Robbery, and Assault & Battery, 115 Hillwood Ave. (Anime Pavilion).  On Apr. 14, officers responded to the area for a report of shoplifting.  Following an investigation, officers determined the store owner, a 29 year old Chantilly man suspected an employee was shoplifting and locked the victim in a room and demanded money. There was no evidence of shoplifting.  The owner was arrested for Robbery, Abduction, and Assault & Battery.

Public Drunkenness, 220 N. Washington St. (State Theater).  On Apr. 15 a 31 year old Fairfax man was arrested for Public Drunkenness.

Graffiti, 200 block Midvale Dr.  On Apr. 15 green spray paint was observed on a vehicle and on a retaining wall.

Larceny from Building, 300 block S. Virginia Ave.  On Apr. 15 the victim reported an unknown suspect(s) stole cash sometime between Feb. 7 and 19.

Larceny from Vehicle, 130 E. Broad St.  On Apr. 16, various personal items were stolen from a bag.  An unknown wallet was also located in the vehicle.  Further investigation revealed a vehicle from the owner’s wallet had been broken into by smashing a window.

Odyssey of the Mind (OM) is an international organization with regional, state, and international competitions focusing on the ability to solve problems creatively while working as part of a team.  The purpose of OM is to encourage children to use their higher level thinking skills to solve interesting and challenging problems.

OM teams are composed of 5-7 members.  Each team is assigned one of six long-term problems.  These problems change each year.  This year teams might have been required to build a vehicle capable of displaying emotions, present an original performance about a team of scientists on a mysterious expedition, craft a balsa wood structure designed to hold weight, create a short musical built around the theme of “To Be or Not To Be”, perform a skit involving angels capable of changing negative situations into positive situations, or build a device that could uncover surprise objects from remote distances.

In additional to completing the assigned long-term problem, teams must prepare to face a “Spontaneous” problem on the day of competition.  The teams, without benefit of support from parents, friends, or coaches, enter a room and are given a new problem to solve, on the spot, in front of a team of judges.

On March 31^st, 17 teams representing the Falls Church City Public Schools participated in the regional competition at West Potomac High School competing alongside 150 other teams with great success.

Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School brought home two third place finishes, and Thomas Jefferson Elementary earned two 6^th place finishes, two 5^th place finishes, a 2^nd place finish, and a 1^st place finish.

The Loch Ness Monsters from TJ Elementary grabbed 1st place.

The first place team of third graders dubbed themselves the “Loch Ness Monsters”.  James Trombo, Kurt Barth, Felix Barth, Daniel Trauberman, Parrish Pipestem, and Colson Board will be moving on to the state finals in Newport News this weekend.  What follows is one of their coach’s reflections on her OM experience this year…

Last year, my son James, Valerie Barth’s twins Kurt and Felix, and Daniel were on an Odyssey of the Mind Primary Problem team. The team was coached by my husband, Joe Trombo, and John Krotzer; Valerie sat in on most meetings. This year, John relocated to the Far East for work, and my husband felt unable to contribute the time needed. Valerie and I decided we wanted to keep the boys together and we would coach the team. Parrish had previously been on a team coached by his mother, and Colson was interested in giving Odyssey of the Mind a try, though unsure whether he wanted to perform.

Before our first meeting, the boys knew they wanted to solve the ride-on vehicle problem entitled “Ooh-Motional Vehicle”.  By the third meeting, they had lots of drawings of Volvo-looking cars, and the green idea to power one geo-thermally.

Then in late December they toured my backyard and basement, which had sadly become a graveyard for two bicycles, two tricycles, a few scooters, a Big-Wheel, and many other toys. Within 5 minutes, the boys had found and decided to use my garbage can. This was a garbage can that had been under my deck for some eight years, it was lid-less, cracked and leaked, mildewed and rather ratty, but the boys insisted. Valerie and I looked at each other, raised our eyebrows, and took a few deep breaths. My mantra soon became, “It will be okay.”

A few seconds more, and the boys had found the top of a Little Tykes sandbox. This turtle sandbox had passed from my husband’s cousin through his aunt (who used it for composting) and through both my children. Thus, a Turtle was born!

Over the course of several more meetings, the boys established a set of 6 rules: Safety First (nobody gets hurt too badly), Try Your Best, Pay Attention, Be Respectful, Must Have Snack, and Have Fun. They also read the problem over and over, and knew the vehicle had to travel a pre-determined course with three stops, move forward and backward using two different propulsion systems or power sources, display 4 different emotions and be a character in a play.

We had a safety meeting on the use of tools and power tools, a meeting on batteries and simple circuits, and a meeting to play with springs, bungee cords and all kinds of joining materials. But, still, they hadn’t written the play. One afternoon, Valerie sent her Kurt and Felix into their room and told them to write a story about a turtle with three things happening to it. What emerged was entitled “The Space Turtle and the Attack of the Mars Martians.” Soon thereafter, Felix knew he wanted to be the driver and everyone else wanted to be a Mars Martian. James was chosen to be the narrator, and Parrish agreed to be the President.

It’s hard to say just which boy came up with what idea, though each can tell you his contribution, and another will cut in to tell you how he heard the idea and improved it. Ideas came fast and wild, bouncing around like lottery balls, and somehow landed in a sweet combination. But the boys each unwittingly stepped into a unique role as team-mate. Parrish kept the team on task, and became the order-keeper, encouraged everyone to pay attention, and could quickly take a vote or decide to flip a coin to make a decision. Daniel listened to everyone, took all the ideas in and processed them, then returned reshaped ideas with precise and often comedic timing. Colson was the planning and process guy, he thought through a problem and placed each step in order of when it needed to be done, then did it.  James charged in with grand ideas and the enthusiasm to get it done now. Kurt saw problems and opportunities for improvement and never stopped thinking about the project. Felix found the middle ground between Kurt and James, and truly steered not only the vehicle but also the team.

Of course, Falls Church parents are the greatest, but the parents of our team truly went beyond what should be asked of any parent. They provided enthusiasm, encouraged everyone to have fun, believed in their sons and the team, provided tons of popcorn and Capri-sun, accepted that their 9 year olds would be using power tools, and reorganized their schedules to accommodate a meeting schedule that progressed from weekly, to twice weekly, to three times a week through much of February and all of March.

Regional Competition day was March 31^st, and everyone arrived at West Potomac High School early. The self-styled Loch Ness Monsters’ performance was the second of the day, and started about 9:15am. The boys clamored to tell the staging judge all about their gun, their grenade, their fireworks, and their exploding rocks, but I was able to assure him that they would not need to call the fire department again, as everything was actually an artistic interpretation of the prohibited items!

Through a small miscommunication, the vehicle went to stage left instead of stage right as was planned. This meant that props on both sides of the stage were in the wrong place. The team noticed, and in an amazing display of teamwork, managed to reset the entire stage into a mirror image and adjust their stage entries accordingly, all as the performance continued. The correction was so seamless, even the parents who had seen the play 4 times in rehearsal did not notice what had happened. The coaches were wrecks!

Later in the morning, while waiting to solve the Spontaneous problem, I asked the boys which one of their six rules they followed the most and which they followed the least. The unanimous response was they had fun the most, and paid attention the least. Of course, that response made my day and term as coach perfect.

When the scores were tallied, Thomas Jefferson Team A placed first in their problem and division at the tournament. The division contained 10 teams, with 2^nd through 5^th graders competing. Yet, the six third-grade boys did what they said they would do… “we’re in it to win it” was established in December, and that they did. But one day, they will realize that they also won in many other and more important ways, just as every other participant in Odyssey of the Mind also won. In an era in which everything comes internet-quick and is often a solitary pursuit, they learned to work together as a team to solve a problem over four months.

The problem was complex; there were many decisions they had to make, and many little problems to solve along the way. There was a lot of creative thinking, interpretation and re-interpretation of instructions and rules, and many long hours of construction and crafting.

There were sacrifices, too. Every team member had to compromise with one another, one boy missed the first 4 baseball practices and another ate a sandwich dinner in the car every Friday evening en route from soccer to Odyssey of the Mind meetings. When polled, the guys all say they want to win at the State Tournament and will definitely be in Odyssey of the Mind next year. (But the chatter right now is more about the indoor pool and water guns at the hotel and the potential trip to Busch Gardens.)

Besides the team, team parents and coaches, there are many others to thank for our opportunity to participate and our success in Odyssey of the Mind. Thomas Jefferson Elementary School purchased several memberships to sponsor multiple teams, and also paid the registration fees for all teams in both the Regional and State Tournaments.

Additionally, Mr. Bob Palermo, TJ’s principal, Ms. Mary Kay Howard, TJ’s assistant principal, Ms. Lisa Allan, fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Jennie Ehrenzller, librarian, and Mrs. Pattie Smith, second grade teacher volunteered the first Saturday of their Spring Break in order to staff the regional meet. Ms. Heidi Lang and Ms. Beth Green coordinated the teams, distributed information and paperwork, and located space for rehearsals.

And perhaps most significantly, the classroom teachers at both Mt. Daniel and Thomas Jefferson, in the course of their normal duties, have laid the educational foundation, spirit and ethic of hard work, teamwork, cooperation, attention to detail, art, creativity, stage performance and much more which allowed the boys to come the team with a full toolkit. You’re the best!

Please wish the Loch Ness Monsters luck as they compete at the Virginia State Odyssey of the Mind Tournament on April 14^th in Newport News, VA.

Editor’s Note:  Some 150 FCCPS students from Thomas Jefferson Elementary and Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School participated in the Odyssey of the Mind competition.  The teams and individuals are listed below.  Congratulations to all the FCCPS participants and their coaches on this very worthy endeavor.