Live music by Rand Walter, Lu and the Blues Crew, JKL (Jason Kutchma, Kiki Skotte, Lu Sevier), Simple Sound and Security Report!  Plus games, facepainting and fun for the whole family.  H.O.P.E. (Helping Others Procure an Education) is a George Mason HS Club that works with the Arlington Academy of HOPE in Uganda.  Stop in at a nearby restaurant for dinner.  You’ll learn about the mission of Arlington Academy of Hope, help raise funds for student tuition and have fun with family and friends.

According to event organizer Christina Holman, a GMHS junior, “The event will include family-oriented activities and promote community involvement as well as feature live music and present information about HOPE and our partner organization the Arlington Academy of Hope (AAH).”

This is the first time the park has been used for an outdoor event like this. Come and check it out!

May 22, 2012

Sharon Bulova, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, has proposed that the City of Falls Church merge its water system with the County’s. 

Writing in response to recent comments by Vice Mayor Dave Snyder, Ms. Bulova states she believes such a merger would lower rates for residents of both jurisdictions.  However, she adds that if the City were to sell to its system to the “highest bidder,” rates for all its customers very well may increase substantially, as an investor-owned utility would have to charge higher rates to recover not only its purchase cost, but also the profit margin and tax obligattions that governmental utilities do not have.

Ms. Bulova also calls attention to a recent opinion by the Chief Counsel for the Army Corp of Engineers that the Washington Aqueduct, the provider of Falls Church’s water, is not permitted to sell water to a non-governmental entity.  The chairman adds that Virginia law does not permit the State Corporation Commission to authorize the operation of an investor-owned utility in the County without the approval of the Board of Supervisors.

The full text of the chairman’s letter is available here.

“The critics and audiences are raving about Women of the Blues so we decided to extend the run through the Memorial Day Weekend,” said Laura Connors Hull, Producing Director for Creative Cauldron.  Three performances have been added at 7:30 pm Friday through Sunday, May 25 to 27.  “But don’t wait to buy tickets because seating is limited in the cozy little blues club we’ve created,” continued Hull.

Helen Hayes Award Winner Carolyn Cole, Ashleigh King, Shayla Simmons and Tarina Szemo are "daring, talented women" who are wowing audiences in Creative Cauldron's "Women of the Blues." The show has been extended through Sunday, May 27 at ArtSpace, 410 S. Maple Avenue. PHOTO: Gary Mester

According to Amanda Hunter, DC Metro Theater Arts critic ”This cabaret style evening is sure to entice your senses with four sensational singers bringin you the songs made famous by Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Bessie Smith, Bonnie Raitt, Janis Joplin and more.”

Creative Cauldron at ArtSpace is located at 410 S. Maple Avenue.  Tickets can be purchased online at www.creativecauldron.org or by calling 571-239-5288.  Free parking is available in the garages at 410 and 400 S. Maple Avenue.

Falls Church School Board Member-elect Justin Castillo was privileged to get a look inside Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner aircraft last week on the plane’s maiden flight to Reagan National Airport.  The new wide-body plane made its first landing at DCA as part of a goodwill tour around the country.

The 787 includes numerous new features including  larger windows and higher cabin pressurization to increase passenger comfort.  It also has a carbon fiber fuselage, a sophisticated new wing and high-efficiency engines to cut fuel consumption by as much as 20% over the aircraft it will replace.

Boeing’s new aircraft should be an increasingly common sight in our skies beginning later in 2012, but its size and range make it a better fit for long-haul flights out of Dulles International Airport.  While the new Boeing plane landed with ease on DCA’s relatively short main runway, the airport’s taxiways were not designed to handle the plane’s 197-foot wingspan as part of routine operations.

Asked about lessons FCCPS students can learn from aircraft, Castillo quipped, “Kids who want to work on cool things like the 787 need to study hard and excel in math and science!”

Pink Ladies also will sell luminaries for the Luminary Ceremony which is conducted during the Falls Church Relay event.

For more information about the Relay for Life of Falls Church event go to www.fallschurchrelay.org

US Chamber Hall of Flags

The International theme of the Gala is a fitting tribute to the many international students and friends from overseas that chose Falls Church City as their temporary home away from home. We are pleased to welcome them to our schools and recognize that while they are here, their presence adds a unique dimension to the educational experience of all our students. The FCEF Gala is one of 2 major fundraising events initiated by the Foundation each year. Its aim is to raise fiduciary and community support for the Foundation and the four public schools that it benefits. Since its inception in 2003 the Foundation has worked to maintain the highest standard of excellence of education in our schools. Funds raised by last year’s gala were instigatory in updating the teaching technology at all four schools including the purchase of Elmo document cameras at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School, digital cameras and iPads at George Mason High school and interactive state of- the- art smart boards at Mt. Daniel and Thomas Jefferson Elementary Schools. It also provided seed funding for the start up of the Pathway to International Baccalaureate Program at George Mason High School.

The Chairman of this year’s gala is Ms Gabi Enache who has recently moved to Falls Church herself. A veteran of event planning she has brought an enthusiasm and energy to the Host Committee that promises to make this year’s Gala one to remember. The event has been made possible thanks to lead sponsor Alarm.com and Honorary Chairs, Scott & Michelle Whitaker along with other sponsors including Acacia Federal Savings Bank, Arcadis, BB&T, David Chavern and Sarita Gopal, Cox Communications, Hess Construction, Cathy Kaye and Tom Clinton; Needham, Mitnick & Pollack, Pearson Square; Gabi & John Sandoz; Steve Sprague; SWH Group; Tori McKinney/Keller-Williams Realtor; Valic Financial Advisors, Virginia Commerce Bank, Rick’s Carpet and Dominion Virginia Power.

Opportunities are still available for additional sponsors and donations of items for auction are still being sought. Sponsors, benefactors and donors will be featured in the souvenir Gala program that will be published for the event and will be available on line. The program will also offer advertising space for local businesses. For more information contact Donna Englander at 703 248 5627 or denglander@fcedf.org. Tickets for the gala are $125 per person and are on sale now at www.fcedf.org. A portion of the cost is tax deductible. 

George Mason High School is ranked in the top 20 on a list of “America’s Best High Schools”, released today by US News and World Report (USNWR) magazine. Mason is ranked 1st among traditional Virginia public high schools and 19th of the nearly 22,000 high schools across the country included in the survey.

“The entire George Mason community is committed to excellence in mind, body, and character. We expect to achieve at high levels throughout our student body, and while the results are nice to hear, we are not surprised,” said George Mason Principal, Ty Byrd.

“We are confident that each Mason student is provided with a rigorous academic challenge and consistent support as they strive to reach individual and group goals. Thanks to our students, our teachers, counselors, administrators, assistant superintendent, superintendent and our school board. We are truly an exceptional community,” Byrd said.

The magazine also noted the school’s strong community in its review. “George Mason emphasizes parent involvement through conferences, parent nights and open houses,” the magazine reports. “The school’s proximity to Washington, D.C. and the agencies and international organizations in the area, draws in a culturally diverse student body.”

The magazine awarded George Mason with a Gold Medal for achieving a perfect 100.0 rating in the USNWR College Readiness Index which is based on exam participation rates and the percentage of students passing at least one exam. Mason reached 98% proficiencies in Reading and Geometry.

The school was also cited for its International Baccalaureate program and electives such as Mandarin Chinese and personal finance.

Thank you to my supporters and to the many citizens of this fine City for sharing their time, ideas and efforts during the recent City Council campaign. I am honored and humbled to have had the opportunity to have met and learned from so many people that make our community great.

I applaud the choice our City has made; Dave Tarter, Nader Baroukh and Phil Duncan are all fine men and each will bring their unique strengths to bare as our representatives on City Council.  Congratulations to our four top notch representatives elected to School Board: Kieran Sharpe, Joan Wodiska, Justin Castillo and Charlotte Hyland.  I tip my hat to all of those who ran in yesterday’s election.  And, I salute the many citizens whose questions and concerns have helped strengthen our city and educate me.  Because of them I am better informed and better able to serve the community I love in the years to come.

Sincerely,

Paul Handly

This Friday, May 4, begins the first of the season’s Art-A-Lot events – the outdoor venue for FIRSTfriday of Falls Church.  Outside in the parking lot at 111 Park Ave, there will be local art on display, a live music concert, and a gathering of classic cars.

Inside at Art and Frame of Falls Church, there will be a reception for Isabelle Babington’s exhibit entitled Blue Notes that she describes as “eclectic notes with a blue paintbrush following an idea, exploring new ways, keeping an open eye and an open mind in no particular order.”  Meet the artist at the opening reception from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. Isabelle will give an artist talk at 7:10 pm.

Self-portrait of Isabelle Babington whose latest works will be on exhibit at Art and Frame of Falls Church. Meet the artist at the FIRSTfriday, May 4 reception from 6 to 8 pm.

Isabelle Babington has been drawing and painting since an early age, studying independently and exploring various mediums and influences throughout the years.  She was born and raised in France and has lived and exhibited in London, Montreal, San Diego, Atlanta, and Sarasota before moving to the Washington, DC area.  Her artwork has been printed on posters (Atlanta Jazz festival), greeting cards, CD covers, business, and non-profit logos. Since 2003, Isabelle’s paintings have been exhibited yearly in Washington and appear in a number of American and European private collections.

Describing her process, Isabelle says, “I fill notebooks with ideas, spontaneous impressions, sketches, and playful collages, and later they remind me of enjoyable moments, quiet places, inspirational experiences, and improbable quests.  When I begin painting, I rarely know where it will lead me. It often starts from these recorded images and instants, then the shapes and forms move around the canvas, breaking the symmetry, destabilizing the eye, until I discover a new “landscape” that tells a story.  I try to lead the eyes beyond what is shown.”

For more information about all the May FIRSTfriday art and music events around The Little City and the retail and restaurant specials, go to www.FIRSTfridayofFallsChurch.com