City Council to Consider Stormwater Rate, Water Sale
June 10, 2013 by Laura Kate Bender · Leave a Comment
AGENDA FOR THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA
HELD IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 300 PARK AVENUE AT 7:30 P.M., MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2013
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
3. ROLL CALL
4. VALIDATION OF NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING
5. ADOPTION OF MEETING AGENDA
6. PROCLAMATIONS
(1) Proclamation Declaring June 14, 2013 as Jesse Thackrey Day.
Jesse Thackrey Day Proclamation
7. OATH OF OFFICE TO NEW BOARD AND COMMISSION MEMBERS
8. RECEIPT OF PUBLIC COMMENTS, REQUESTS, AND CONSENT ITEM COMMENTS. [The public may address Council for one 3-minute period. The Mayor may shorten the time allowed each speaker, depending on the length of the agenda and number of speakers. A chair or representative of a board, commission, or committee may make a 5-minute oral summary of the written report.]
(1) Robotics Team Demonstration (Arthur Pierson, Robotics Team Coach)
(2) Presentation on bus tour on Civil War Day (Historical Commission Life Member Ric Terman)
(a) Summary of Written Comments.
(b) Council Requests
9. REPORT OF CITY MANAGER TO COUNCIL
10. BUSINESS ON THE AGENDA
(a) Second readings of ordinances and other items requiring public hearings
(1) (TO13-14) ORDINANCE TO SET THE STORMWATER UTILITY BILLING UNIT RATE IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER 42, ARTICLE VII OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA (Public Works Director Bill Hicks)
(2) (TO13-15) ORDINANCE TO ESTABLISH A CREDIT PROGRAM IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER 42, ARTICLE VII, OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA (Public Works Director Bill Hicks)
(TO13-14 Ord. setting Stormwater Rate and (TO13-15) Ord. creating credit progam
(3) (TO13-13) ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE FY2013 BUDGET OF EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES OF THE GENERAL FUND AND THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND BY APPROPRIATING GRANT REVENUES, MISCELLANEOUS REVENUES, CONTINGENCIES AND UNDERSPENDING IN CERTAIN CATEGORIES (CFO Richard LaCondre)
(b) Resolutions and first readings of ordinances
(1) (TO13-12) ORDINANCE TO AMEND AND REVISE CHAPTER 15 IN PART II CODE OF ORDINANCES – ARTICLE II, DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, SECTIONS 15-20, 27 and 29 AND ARTICLE III, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, SECTION 15-36 PUBLIC WORKS APPLICATIONS – ENGINEERING AND SECTION 15-37 PUBLIC WORKS – URBAN FORESTRY, TO INCLUDE UPDATES TO FEES AND LANGUAGE. (Public Works Director Bill Hicks)
(TO13-12) Development Services and Public Works Fees
(2) (TO13-16) ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 48 “ZONING,” ARTICLE V “SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS,” DIVISION 6 “HEIGHT, LOT AND YARD REGULATIONS,” SECTION 1102 TO BRING REDEVELOPMENT OF EXISTING SUBSTANDARD LOTS INTO CLOSER ALIGNMENT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH. (Development Services Director James Snyder)
(TO13-16) Ordinance re Zoning and Split Lots
(TO13-16) Planning Commission Memo
(TO13-16) Lot Lines – Sectional
(3) (TO13-17) ORDINANCE TO AUTHORIZE SALE OF CITY’S WATER SYSTEM UNDER AGREEMENT OF SALE, CONDITIONED UPON PASSAGE OF NOVEMBER 2013 REFERENDUM AND APPROVAL OF BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT (City Attorney John Foster)
(TO13-17) Ordinance re Sale of Water System
(c) Consent items
(d) Items removed from consent
(e) Other business
11. BUSINESS NOT ON THE AGENDA
12. COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS
13. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS
14. ADJOURNMENT
The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability call 703 248-5014 (TTY 711). The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability call (703) 248- 5014, (TTY 711).For information in your language please call 703 248-5014 (TTY 711) to request an interpreter. Để có thông tin bằng ngôn ngữ của quý vị, xin gọi 703-248-5014 để yêu cầu người thông dịch. Para recibir información en su idioma por favor llame al 703 248-5014 (TTY 711) para solicitar un interprete.
OUTSIDE THE BOX: Stormwater Controversy Seems Like a Movie We’ve Seen Before
June 9, 2013 by Stephen Siegel · 7 Comments
By Stephen Siegel
Falls Church Times Staff
June 9, 2013
The controversy over various elements of Falls Church City’s new stormwater management fee, which was approved by a unanimous City Council in April and will take effect in 2014, reminds in many ways of political debates here and elsewhere that have preceded it.
Given the low quality of many of those political debates, that’s not a good thing.
Some of the criticisms seemed misplaced, yet city officials also seemed unable to answer some questions adequately.
The stormwater fee was proposed in order to upgrade the city’s aging infrastructure, reduce flooding, and help meet water quality guidelines for the Chesapeake Bay tha have been mandated by the federal government.
City officials proposed to pay for the associated costs not from the general fund or a generalized property tax increase, but from a fee that would be determined by the amount of impervious surface on every property owner’s land. Impervious surface means those surfaces that do not absorb rain water — roofs, driveways, and parking lots, primarily.
This makes a lot of sense. Bearing the largest burden would be those properties with sprawling parking lots that are the largest contributors to stormwater runoff, and thus the largest users of the city’s stormwater management system.
Think Falls Plaza, where Giant Food is located, or Don Beyer Volvo, with its acres of cars for sale.
But the pushback came immediately, as some complained that it should not be based on the amount of impervious surface but on “ability to pay.” Others complained that churches and other non-profits should be exempt.
Yet it doesn’t make sense to charge people based on the value of their property; that is at best a rough estimate of “ability to pay” and at worst bears no relationship, particularly in the case of businesses that have seen their assessments rise considerably. A business could be going bankrupt even while the value of their property increases.
Even in residential cases, someone could have a high property value and a difficult economic situation, meaning the value of their house doesn’t at all reflect their ability to pay.
But even if it does, the idea that it should be somehow based on income reminds me of something I wrote 21 years ago, when President Clinton proposed budget cuts that he called “shared sacrifice.” Immediately the knives came out, as members of Congress and a whole passel of special interest groups demanded that their sacrosanct programs needed to be exempted from the “sacrifice.” I wrote: “Shared sacrifice, as long as it’s not my subsidy.”
And so we have it again. While most people agree that those who can pay more should (the debate is mainly over how much more), everyone needs to contribute to society’s betterment. Not everything should be based on income.
The criticism from the business community was interesting as well. Businesses do stand to take a large hit, and the impervious surface system will actually shift the burden from residential property owners to commercial, compared with a property tax increase.
But businesses contribute disproportionately to the problem with their large impervious surfaces, and those that lack those large impervious surfaces won’t pay very much.
I also found the complaints from churches surprising. Churches already get a great deal in that they’re exempt from property taxes, so a property tax-based system would allow them to avoid paying for the stormwater improvements, too. That, in turn, would have the impact of increasing the burden on residential property owners, including those of modest incomes.
On the other hand, the debate over the proposal the Council ultimately approved was pretty short, and it’s not clear if all the questions about it were addressed by officials satisfactorily.
The system will require city officials to study aerial maps to determine how much impervious surface each property has. That will in turn determine how much each property owner will be required to pay. And that system is fraught with a number of issues.
A major one is that it would seem to be expensive to administer. Determining every property’s impervious surface is labor intensive, and then the approved discount for stormwater management on each individual property (properties with French drains, rain barrels, rain gardens, and the like are eligible for a reduction) also would need to be calculated, requiring yet more staff time.
I would benefit from the discount, which was approved by the Council as well, because all my roof runoff is managed on my property. But is it worth it to save a little money if the cost of administering the discount causes the fee to increase by a similar amount as the discount?
The proposal approved also involves hiring nine new employees, which is a major reason why the cost is so high. Do we really need all nine? Are they going to be doing the infrastructure improvements or impervious surface calculations? Or both? Could it be done with fewer new staff?
Another issue is that the impervious surface calculations may not be that precise. Using aerial maps certainly should give a ballpark figure, but perhaps not any better than that. Could the city’s determination be challenged? And how could a resident challenge it even if it was allowed? Would most residents have the ability to determine what their impervious surface is?
Those are questions I don’t have answers to, but they seem like they are relevant to the debate over the fee. And while it may seem like that ship has sailed, it never really has. The City Council can revisit it any time they choose.
Outside the Box is an opinion column. Read it every Sunday in the Falls Church Times.
Falls Church Kiwanis Little League Playoffs Begin
June 7, 2013 by ncomstock · Leave a Comment
By Neal Comstock
Falls Church Times Staff
June 7, 2013
Below are exclusive to The Falls Church Times game reports from the Falls Church Kiwanis Little League (FCKLL) at the Majors, AAA, and Single A levels. Game reports were prepared by FCKLL Managers, Coaches and parents. Complete scores and standings can be found at FCKLL.org.
On Saturday, the League will hold its Annual Family Fun Fair at Westgate Park. Players, coaches, friends and families will gather for a day of games, food, fun and activities, including: the coach dunk tank, balloon battles, a moon bounce and cake walks. The AA Select Game, featuring the best players from each AA team, will also be held Saturday morning.
The final results from all levels are now complete and thanks to the extraordinary support of the FCKLL community, the League raised more than $32,000 in this year’s Hit-A-Thon. Winners who hit the farthest overall distance were:
• T-ball Rookies — Ryan Latessa of the Piranhas
• T-ball Sluggers — Ian Redding of the Leopards
• Single A – Patrick Niehus of the Ironbirds
• AA — William Izdepski of the Sand Gnats
• AAA — Reyn Butterworth of the Angels
• Majors — John Putzinger of the Cubs
Overall, the Single A Mudcats raised the most as a team, so they will enjoy a team outing at the Nationals vs. Rockies game on Sunday, June 23, which is also Bryce Harper bobble head day. The top individual fundraisers who will join them and the top distance hitters at the game are:
• T-ball Rookies — Sawyer Berrett of the Dolphins
• T-ball Sluggers — Henry Behrens of the Lynx
• Single A — Alex Ilaria of the Seadogs
• AA — Garrett Benson of the Redwings
• AAA — Kobe Lum of the Angels
• Majors — Johnny Asel of the Red Sox
Majors (ages 10-12)
The Majors Regular Season Championship was played on Saturday, June 1, and the Nationals topped the Red Sox 9 to 2. The Nationals relied on ace starter David Miller, who threw a complete game no-hitter earlier this season. In sweltering 90-degree conditions, Miller pitched 5 and 2/3 innings and allowed only two runs. A single pitch from Will Jackson closed out the game.
The Red Sox started Josh Post at pitcher, and then used the pitching talents of Ben Freeman and Bobby Asel. The game was tied until the bottom of the third inning, when the Nats strung together several hits and scored four runs to take a 5-1 lead.
Highlights for the Nats included a three-run homer by David Miller, doubles by Sean Butler, Will Jackson, and Colin Nininger, and singles by Aidan Clark, Colin Nininger, Aidan Freeman, Chelsea Lang and Evan Jones.
Craig Fischer led the Red Sox with two singles, while Johnny Asel, Bobby Asel, Kiernan Bartlett, Ben Freeman, and Peter McComb also recorded hits.
AAA (ages 8-11)
In one of the longest games of the year, the Tigers saw victory slip away on Wednesday, June 5, when a seven-run third inning lead disappeared after a furious charge from the Rangers, who ended up with a 19-14 playoff win at Westgate Park.
Ethan Calabrese got the win for the Rangers. He struck out three and allowed only three runs on three hits. Alex Hansen had four hits for two RBIs. Noah Cha threw three strong innings from the mound and struck out three.
The top of the first inning saw the Rangers take an early 2-0 lead. A single by Jacob Pigeon brought home Charlie Langan to start the game off. The Tigers to respond with five runs of their own in the first, including an RBI single by Charlie Tucker. Tucker ended up with three hits for two RBIs.
For the Tigers, Jack Villa racked up three RBIs in his best game of the year. Jonathan Oppenheimer doubled in the fourth inning. Peter Villa struck out five batters. Sela Scheinman got a key hit to end her season with a .697 batting average.
The game’s last lead went to the Rangers thanks to a huge seventh inning rally that saw nine runs cross the plate on three doubles and two singles, including a double to the fence from Ethan Siebel. Four runs in the bottom of the seventh were not enough for the Tiger and after more than three hours of play, the Rangers will move on to play in the AAA Tournament Championship game against the Diamondbacks.
Single A (ages 6-8)
The Mudcats battled it out against the Raptors in a play-off game at Idylwood Park on the evening of Tuesday, June 4. It was an intense and exciting game, with the Raptors pulling off a win by only one run for a final score of 13-12. The Mudcats put up a good fight, especially in the third inning with hits by Tanner Chapman, Ryan Grub, Tommy Davis and a clutch hit by Carter Ossman to help the Mudcats score five runs. The bottom of the third inning went to the Mudcats as well when Zander Greene at shortstop for the Mudcats caught a pop fly deep in foul territory and then zinged the ball to Mason Duval for an inning ending double play. But the Raptors came back with amazing plays and great hitting by Grant Greiner, Niccolo Evangelista, Browne Callahan and Mateo Short. Other highlights were Andrew Janosko’s swift base running and when Catcher Zachary Hardy snared a foul ball. This was the third meeting for the Raptors and Mudcats, and proved to be the closest game and most exciting of the season. The Raptors advance to play the Seadogs in the Single A Tournament Championship Game.
On the evening of Monday, May 27, at Walnut Hill Park, the Raptors and the Muckdogs faced each other for the second half title. The Raptors prevailed 10-9, and secured a 12–0 regular season despite some incredible fielding plays by the Muckdogs. The Muckdogs defense was led by clutch play from Wyatt Scheinbaum, Harris Lechtman, Edwin Wegener, and Ben Kenner. Hitting the ball hard for the Muck Dogs were Marshall Bowie, Scheinbaum, and Sean Casserly. The Raptors had a complete team effort highlighted by clutch hitting from Paul Salinetti, Will Weaver, and Matthew Toman. Great defensive plays came from Zach Hardy, Grant Greiner, and Brown Callahan; including two big outs in an intense bottom of the fifth inning. The Raptors and Muckdogs played in a 25-20 game to start the season – showing significant improvement by both teams.
The Sea Dogs advanced to the semifinals of the Single A playoffs on Saturday, June 1, with a 23-16 win over the Muckdogs. It was the third meeting of the teams this year, and the first win by the 7th-seeded Sea Dogs. The Sea Dog defense was led by Cristian Henry and Forest Beeson who each made a great catch in the third inning. The Sea Dogs offense continued to improve. Jay Geeslin was given a game ball for his hitting, while Dane Rambler and Harold Heller each got some big hits to help the Sea Dogs win. The Muckdog offense was again powered by the hitting of Marshall Bowie, who knocked three doubles. Also contributing on offense were Daniel Miller, Harris Lechtman, Sean Casserly, and Connor Carrico. Muckdogs Wyatt Scheinbaum and Edwin Wegener made key catches on defense.
OUTSIDE THE BOX: The G Word: Gentrification Will Save Falls Church City
June 2, 2013 by Stephen Siegel · 6 Comments
By Stephen Siegel
Falls Church Times Staff
June 2, 2013
There are many controversial or offensive words in regular usage today. The G word, for gentrification, is not an offensive word, but the concept it represents is offensive to many.
Driving with a former girlfriend in Chicago many years ago, I can recall commenting that the neighborhood we were driving through wasn’t going to gentrify for a long time, if ever. She responded, “I’m against gentrification.”
Oh.
I didn’t, and still don’t, think it makes a lot of sense to spend much time being for or against anything that you have so little control over.
So keep that in mind when I say that gentrification may already have saved Falls Church City’s independence. To the extent that its independence continues, gentrification will be a prime reason.
That doesn’t mean I’m either for or against it; it’s just an observation.
Gentrification is a process whereby modest homes and businesses are replaced by more expensive homes and businesses. It has occurred in many places around the country over the last 25 years, mostly in urban areas, as increasing demand caused investors, homeowners and builders to bid up the price of real estate to a point where it became out of reach for those of moderate or fixed incomes.
And gentrification clearly has come to Falls Church City and northern Virginia. But when the topic comes up, it seems to mostly be a lament. “This place is only for the wealthy now,” some say.
Perhaps so. The median price of a single family home in the City is now $700,000, and that only gets you a modest house. There are more than 20 houses on the market currently with an asking price above $1 million. Many of those are under contract.
Yet it wasn’t that long ago that houses here were still very affordable. Before the huge Washington-area real estate boom, which saw prices throughout the region climb by 100 percent in the five years between 2000 and 2005, many homes in the city were available in the $200,000 range. Now, a number that’s double that doesn’t even get you a piece of buildable dirt.
However, one needs to imagine what the economic landscape would look like if housing prices had stayed so affordable, or even if they had climbed only modestly.
First, the tax rate would have needed to climb to $3.00 or more just to bring in the same amount of money. While that wouldn’t necessarily mean any individual resident would be paying more (a $3.00 rate on a $200,000 house generates the same tax bill as a $1.00 rate on a $600,000 house), it might have generated more political pushback, as a 3 percent rate seems excessive.
But more importantly, if housing prices had stayed at those modest levels, there wouldn’t have been the kind of building boom the city has experienced, because it wouldn’t have been economically feasible to build new homes.
As a result, the city’s housing stock would look much different than it does today, and it wouldn’t raise the kind of revenue that the current stock does. There wouldn’t be any homes valued at $1 million and up; those homes pay a lot of taxes and help finance the city’s continued independence and its quality schools.
Now, some say that building new houses doesn’t help the city’s fiscal situation, arguing that a single family home with two kids is a net drain because of the cost of educating those kids in the city’s schools.
And that is true, if you measure only the years when they have kids in the schools. Of course, few people can time their lives so perfectly to arrive when their kids start at Mount Daniel and are able to retire to the tax havens of Florida when those children graduate George Mason.
Another key point, though, is frequently missed by the critics: if a $1 million home with two kids is a net drain on the city coffers, what do you think a $500,000 home with two kids is? It’s an even more difficult fiscal situation.
In a conversation I was having just yesterday, we figured that a single family home with one child in the schools breaks even for the city at a value of about $1.3 million. That helps explain why the city is feverishly trying to add new commercial development and mixed-use projects: it’s because the city is unsustainable without other sources of revenue besides single family homes, no matter what their value.
Well, unless their value approaches a $3 million average, which I feel confident predicting will not occur any time soon.
Still, the jury is still out on whether or not Falls Church City can survive as a small, independent entity in perpetuity. But it has a better chance with high property values than it does with modest numbers.
That doesn’t mean I favor gentrification. It also doesn’t mean I don’t care what happens to people who can’t afford to live here or pay the taxes on their existing homes.
It’s just an observation.
Outside the Box is an opinion column. Read it every Sunday in the Falls Church Times.
Falls Church Kiwanis Little League Winds Up Season
May 31, 2013 by ncomstock · Leave a Comment
By Neal Comstock
Falls Church Times Staff
May 31, 2013
Below are exclusive to The Falls Church Times game reports from the Falls Church Kiwanis Little League (FCKLL) at the Majors, AAA, AA and Single A levels. Game reports were prepared by FCKLL Managers, Coaches and parents. Complete scores and standings can be found at FCKLL.org.
The regular season ended this week. There will be Regular Season Championship games for each level on Saturday followed by playoff tournament games throughout the coming week.
Majors (ages 10-12)
The second half of the season was won by the Red Sox who compiled a 5-2 record in the second half of the season and an 8-6 record overall. They will face the Nationals in the Regular Season Championship game on Saturday. The Nationals shared a 5-2 second-half record. The Nationals were also 5-2 in the first half of the season to end the regular season with the best record in the Majors at 10-4 (the Orioles also ended up 10-4 but lost to the Nationals earlier in the season).
AAA (ages 8-11)
The Diamondbacks won the second half of the season with an undefeated (5-0) record since the beginning of May. They ended the regular season with a record of 8-3. They will play the Tigers in the Regular Season Championship Game on Saturday. The Tigers won the first half of the season with a record of 4-1-2 (with two ties) and ended up 8-2-3 (with three ties).
AA (ages 7-9)
The AA Regular Season Championship Game Saturday will feature the Storm (first half winners) vs. the Scrappers (second half winners). The Storm went 5-1 in the first half and finished 7-5. The Scrappers won the second half with a record of 4-2 and finished at 6-6.
On Saturday, May 18, four River Bandits pitchers: Tyler Artiles, George Lewis, Brandon Werbel and Chandler Petty, combined for a one-hit shutout in a 4-0 victory over the Blue Claws. Both teams turned double plays and the River Bandits’ Cian Murphy made the play of the day from right field with a catch of Sam Garza’s line drive in the final inning.
Single A (ages 6-8)
The Raptors won both the first and second half of the season and have an undefeated 12-0 record.
The Ironbirds defeated the Rivercats by a score of 17-12 on Wednesday, May 22 at Larry Graves Park. The Ironbirds managed to hold the Rivercats scoreless in the top of the first inning with the help of three putouts by Second Baseman Andrew Bruno. The Rivercats recovered with a combined ten runs in the second and third innings but the Ironbirds answered with ten runs of their own in those two innings. Patrick Niehus and Reed Little both hit doubles for the Ironbirds. Isabel Costa led the Rivercats with two RBI singles and the team’s only double of the game. Harris Hunt, a rising 2nd grader at St. James, continued his three-game streak of recording a hit in each of his plate appearances. Max Vitt and Jovan Lopez anchored the Rivercats’ middle inning defensive efforts with important force-out plays at 1st and 3rd base.
The Sea Dogs defeated the Mud Cats 16-12 in the final regular season game on Memorial Day at Jefferson Village. Both teams were sharp defensively. Forest Beason recorded an unassisted double play for the Sea Dogs, while his teammates Kai Freeman, Evan Ramsey and Charlie Lyons each made great plays to help their team win. Offensively, the Sea Dogs had one of their best games of the year. Harold Heller, Nathaniel Berol and Evan Ramsey had big hits to lead the Sea Dogs to their third win of the year as the regular season ended. Zander Green and Ben Mossburg had a great all-around game for the Mud Cats with solid hitting and good fielding. After splitting their regular season series, both teams look ready for the playoffs, which start June 1.
APPRECIATION: Walter L. Mess, 1914-2013
May 31, 2013 by (see byline) · 1 Comment
By Barry Buschow
Special to the Falls Church Times
May 31, 2013
EDITOR’S NOTE: Walter Mess was a local celebrity, and was perhaps best known for his role in creating the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NVRPA). He died May 26 at the age of 99.
Having grown up in Falls Church just around the corner from Walter, I really didn’t get to know him until 23 years ago when I applied to be on the NVRPA Board from the City of Falls Church. What I learned about him shaped the rest of my life.
Starting in 1946, Walter began volunteering his time, expertise and elbow grease to acquire land for city streets. In 1948, he was the Chairman of the Southwest Falls Church Citizens Committee; a founding member of the Falls Church Community Park; a member of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce; and a volunteer insurance advisor to the city.
In 1949 Walter was first appointed to the Electoral Board and was the Chairman for several years, bringing mechanical voting machines to the City of Falls Church. He also helped found the Falls Church Festival in The Virginia Village to raise funds for playing fields.
He made bookcases for the library. Over the years, he served as president of the Heart Association, as Red Cross and Red Feathers Chairman and in numerous professional organizations. Walter joined the Falls Church Lions Club in 1950 and was a past President. He was the 12th Chairman of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce in 1958, and of course, in 1959, a founding member and the second chairman of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, a position he held for 30 years. He served on the NVRPA Board for 45 years and retired as Chairman Emeritus and has served since then on the Northern Virginia Regional Park Foundation. The list goes on…
In March 1998, Walter was honored with his fellow Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Veterans at Fort Bragg and given a Green Beret for his service in the OSS from 1943 to 1946. The men of OSS served as America’s wellspring for clandestine underwater operations. The OSS members were called “Quiet Professionals” and served in a chaotic world full of desperate men with insane ideas.
Walter was always a Quiet Professional, but he also carried a big stick and the world, our region and the community of Falls Church are grateful for his many years of service and the legacy he has provided us, our children, and the children to come with the over 11,000 acres of parks he helped create.
Walter was married to Jean for 62 years. Walter had 11 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. Walter and Jean lived in the house that he built in the 1940s on Seaton Lane.
There is much more to this story and the man we know and love as Walter. He was always there with a helping hand and a pipe, with words of advice. Northern Virginia will miss him as the father of Regional Parks and the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park (W&OD). His community will miss him as he was one of our great leaders and I will miss him as one of my best friends.
Funeral Arrangements for Walter L. Mess are:
Viewing at Murphy’s Funeral Home, 1102 W. Broad St, Falls Church VA 22046
Saturday 1 June 6:00-8:00 PM
Sunday 2 June 2:00-4:00 PM and 6:00-8:00 PM [& Rosary]
Funeral Mass at St. James Catholic Church, 509 Park Ave, Falls Church VA 22046
Monday 3 June 10:00 AM Private Internment Follows
In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorial donations to either of the following organizations:
Northern Virginia Regional Park Foundation
5400 Ox Rd, Fairfax Station VA 22039
Police Seek Information in Park Assault, Battery, & Robbery
May 30, 2013 by Stephen Siegel · Leave a Comment
By FALLS CHURCH CITY OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
May 30, 2013
Falls Church City Police are requesting the community’s assistance following a robbery that occurred in Cavalier Trail Park on Wednesday.
At approximately 9:45 p.m., a 17-year-old male was walking through the park when he was approached by two Hispanic males demanding his cell phone and wallet. The victim was thrown to the ground and assaulted; the suspects made off with money from his pocket.
The first suspect is described as around 20 years old, 5 feet 7 inches tall, with a thin build. He was wearing a white hooded sweatshirt with the Adidas logo on the front, dark jeans and shoes, with his face covered with a bandana.
The second suspect is described as being in his mid-20s, 5 feet 4 inches tall, and stocky. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, dark jeans and shoes, and his face was partially obscured by his hood.
Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to call police at 703-248-5053.
GMHS Girls & Boys Soccer on to State
May 30, 2013 by Dave Witzel · Leave a Comment
By David Witzel
Falls Church Times Staff
May 30, 2013
George Mason’s Boys and Girls varsity soccer teams won both sides of a double-header last night to assure trips to the State Tournament.
In the semi-final round of the Region B Tournament, the Mustang Girls defeated Appomattox County 7 to 0, while the boys overcame a tough Nelson County team to win 2 to 1. The victories guarantee a trip to the 2013 State Championship Tournament which will start with quarterfinal games for both teams at home on June 4.
In a spirited display, all seven of the Girls goals came with Mason playing one player down following a questionable red card in the middle of the first period. The boys dominated their game against Nelson County but had a hard time finding the net. Heroic work by the Nelson goalkeeper Francisco Becerra-Torres and several shots off the frame kept the game tight.
The Girls enter the State Tournament on a quest to win their 6th straight state title and 8th overall. The Boys return to State for the third time in four years after failing to leave District play last year.
The Mustang Girls won the Bull Run District regular season in a play-off game against Clarke County 3 to 0 and then lost the final game of the District tournament, again to Clarke 1 to 0 at home. They finished the regular season with a 14-2-0 record, both losses 1 to 0 against Clarke County.
The Boys team went through the regular season and District Tournament undefeated, beating Clarke County in the Tournament 2 to 1. The boys finished District play with a 12-0-1 record, marred only by a scoreless tie against last-year’s Virginia Group A State Champion, Manassas Park.
The Girls travel to Stuarts Draft High School on Friday 5/31 for the Region B Championship game at 6pm. Stuarts Draft defeated Clarke 2 to 1 on their way to the Region title game.
The Boys travel to Stonewall Jackson High School for their game, also on Friday, at 7pm.
