Development News: Brewery Owners ‘Crazy Like a Fox’
April 30, 2009 by George Southern · 2 Comments
What is it about the front corner retail space in the new Spectrum condominium?
The original rendering displayed at the site showed an “Anne Baylor” shop scheduled to open in Fall 2006.
Of course, that was merely the architect’s musing. Later, much later, Not Your Average Joe’s restaurant had concrete plans to open in the spot.
The recession killed that. Then we got the news that Mad Fox Brewing Company was all set to go. Mad Fox signed a letter of intent with Spectrum developer Waterford in February.
It turns out that the Mad Fox folks are crazy — like a fox. They’re ready to build the brewery as soon as they can find someone else to pay for it. Someone called an “investor.” We hear they’re not even asking at the banks, looking instead for individuals with deep pockets.
According to the City’s Economic Development Office, Mad Fox reports it’s “making great progress” in its search for those kind of people. Assuming investors come forward, Mad Fox plans a November grand opening.
Looking for somewhere to invest that inheritance? Contact Director Rick Garvin:
rick@madfoxbrewing.com Read more
On the Record with GMHS Principal Tyrone Byrd
April 30, 2009 by Annette Hennessey · 4 Comments
With his twinkling eyes and energetic, engaging manner, Tyrone Byrd, the new principal at George Mason High School, quickly captivated the Falls Church Times staff — George Bromley, Stan Fendley, and Annette Hennessey — interviewing him on a Saturday afternoon at Panera Bread.
Spouting poetry and acknowledging the many people who helped him get where he is, Ty shared his background, his philosophy of teaching, and plans for his work with City students and teachers.
Tell us about your background.
I was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, in the Hudson Valley, where my mother attended Vassar. She now has her doctorate in African American Studies and works for DOE. Her name is Linda Byrd Johnson — kind of a cool name — and she’s my hero. I never knew my dad. One of my earliest memories is attending graduate classes with my mom. I was expected to sit in the back of the classroom and finish my homework. I think maybe that early exposure to all those committed students had something to do with why I’m in education.
I grew up primarily in Arlington. Attended Barcroft Elementary, Thomas Jefferson Middle School, and Yorktown High School. I graduated from Hampton University in 1990 with a degree in Art. My big dream was to go work for Nike in advertising — it was very big when I was in school. But when that didn’t turn out, I worked at a radio station in Arlington — doing promotions at WAVA.
When WAVA was sold, I joined the Marine Corps. While at boot camp, I was injured twice because of pes planus — flat feet — and they suggested that perhaps the USMC wasn’t my future. That how I discovered that the Marine Corps life is hard on feet.
So I ended up back in Arlington substitute teaching. One of my first assignments was as a long-term substitute teacher in a STEP class at Yorktown High, a program which deals with children who have severe emotional disabilities. I covered the class for a teacher on his honeymoon, and I’ll never forget getting the teacher’s call the week after my assignment ended. He told me he thought I had a future in education and suggested I talk with the principal, Mike Durso.
Mr. Durso hired me as a classroom assistant in the STEP program and suggested I get my degree in special education. So I maxed out every credit card I had to pay for school (even borrowing money from a friend) and got my degree in two years from UVA Extension (next to George Mason).
Once I completed the program, Mr. Durso gave me a job in Special Education. I taught there eight years — English, math, history, a number of subjects — and also became the varsity football defensive coordinator for my old high school football coach, Bruce Hanson.
I would say Hanson and Durso saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. They pushed me to be more than I thought I could be. I went on to get a Masters in Educational Leadership from GMU, and obtained an assistant principal position at Williamsburg Middle School for four years. I really enjoyed the hours of middle school — all of the activities are right after school — but when a position for assistant principal at Washington-Lee High School became available, I felt like I belonged at the high school level.
The hours are tough for someone with a family — late night events, early morning starts, but Kim — my wife — has always supported me.
I’ve been a fan of the FC school system for years — its size, scope, and intimacy are very appealing. I’d applied for the MEH principal position while I was at Williamsburg and was very disappointed to not get it. So when I heard about the opening at [George] Mason [High School] I was very determined to land the job.
The schools are so large in Arlington that kids can be there four years without your ever knowing them — at times, during graduation, I would realize that I had never met the graduate walking across the stage.
Your interviewing process in Falls Church is very taxing, I must say, but when Dr. Berlin called with the good news that I had been selected, I was very happy.
How are the challenges of GMHS different from Washington-Lee?
The main challenge for George Mason are resources. In the Arlington system, if you need something, there is someone there, somewhere within the system, to supply it. In Falls Church, the system is much smaller so you don’t have all the specialists there waiting for you to call.
But what Falls Church has is a lot of very talented people who know how to wear different hats. So when a challenge arises, there may be someone who takes it on who is not an expert in that area, and they find a way to make it work. The attitude is, “So how can I do it? Not someone else, but me?” And I think that is healthy, in a way. It breeds creativity and leadership.
How does GMHS differ from W-L?
A big difference is the sense of intimacy at Mason. The kids have been together so long, whereas at Washington-Lee they’ve come from many different schools in Arlington. You have a real communal feel at Mason, but kids from out of town are quickly accepted. The kids act like a family — they really pull for each other. They may be competitive, but they truly want all of their classmates to do well, too. That’s unique.
Though Mason is not nearly as diverse as some area schools, the community itself seems very diverse.
You are now a part of that diversity, right? Do you have any thoughts on that?
Oh, yeah. I’m very aware that there are not a great number of African-Americans in the school system. But George Mason is what George Mason is. You show students that the whole world doesn’t look like George Mason, and that they will meet people who have faced different challenges, lived in different environments, had different experiences. You show them how to respect those differences. And you have the students engage in outreach to meet other people outside their environment.
Actually, GMHS is not so different in that regard than Yorktown was when I was a student there. There were probably 20-30 black students in the whole high school at that time, and I think half of those were there because of busing. People were really surprised when I chose to go to Hampton University, a historically black college. But I wanted to explore all parts of my life. And I can say that I’m not black enough for the blacks, nor white enough for the whites. So I’m familiar with this kind of situation.
My wife is Caucasion, by the way, so my daughter is mixed. There are challenges associated with that, and there are opportunities.
How did you meet your wife?
In high school. She was a freshman and I was a sophomore. I asked her out, but I think she thought I was too cocky so she said no. We became friends, but didn’t date in school. I bumped into her in the Harrison Street Safeway when I moved back from Marine Corps boot camp.
We dated for six years before getting married, and I proposed to her at Little Round Top at Gettysburg. I’m a Civil War buff, and Killer Angels really resonated with me as a kid — you know, Kilrain’s speech about how men should be measured by what they do and not what their fathers had done.
We have a daughter named Sam who turns six in May. We live in Falls Church (Fairfax County) with our three dogs, and our two newest family members — Swimmy (goldfish) and Froggy.
(Ty had just returned from the store where he and Sam picked up these new family members.)
How have you spent your first weeks at Mason? What are your impressions and objectives?
Having arrived after mid-year I’m still finding my way, getting to know the students and staff, sitting in classrooms and observing. The staff are really sharp. I’ve been very impressed with the complexity and rigor of the courses I’ve observed. The kids seem very engaged, both at school and in the community.
On one hand, it’s hard to start in the middle of a school year — I’ll miss watching the W-L seniors graduate. But it gives me time to spend the rest of the year at Mason observing before starting a new school year.
I believe that everyone has the capacity to lead, from the youngest 8th grader to the oldest faculty member. I want to build an environment where everyone is respectful of each person’s ideas and everyone feels free to speak up. From what I’ve seen of the faculty and students, there is great potential at Mason.
(As if on cue, two GMHS students walked by, and Byrd turned his attention to them.)
“Hey, fellas. Did you get it written?”
“Yes, sir. It’s coming.”
“All right, see you Monday.”
Who are those guys?
“Two seniors. They’re working on an IB paper. Good guys.”
How have kids changed since you were a student at Yorktown in the ’80s?
I think that kids today feel that the teachers owe them something more than they did when I was a student. What I mean is that they want to be sold on education — they don’t want to learn something just because they are told to. They want to know how what they’re learning connects to their life. And I think parents allow their kids those expectations.
Kids don’t seem to conform or follow the rules unless they understand them. And with so many more kinds of media available, I think kids also tend to be more expressive.
So I build trust and respect with students. Of course kids still have to learn how to follow rules. A good example is that when students come into my office, I expect them to remove their hats. I think men should be gentlemen and remove their hats indoors. But I think that by developing a relationship with them, I can explain it in a way they will understand.
I always tell them that instructional time is sacred to me, so we need to get rid of distractions. When you’re in the classroom, you need to be able to make eye contact, and hats get in the way of that. THAT’S why it’s important to remove your hat.
Some kid’s got an iPod earbud in his ear, I say, Hey, what’s that? He says, it’s not on. Then why is it in your ear? Come on, take it out so you can hear what’s going on. It’s not just because I say so, it’s because there are reasons for the rules.
Young people have to learn accountability. If you can’t control your behavior now, how are you going to control a budget later on? How are you going to meet deadlines? So they have to understand that accountability is important.
But I also believe if you’re willing to give kids some voice in making the rules then they’ll be more likely to follow them. I plan to use principal advisory committees — and include everyone from 8th graders to faculty members in these forums.
Teachers are receiving a pay increase, while some City government positions are being terminated. Some people say that’s unfair. The School Board says our teachers are falling behind other jurisdictions in pay.
Well, we can’t afford to lose good teachers over pay. The cost of living in this area is very challenging. Some of our teachers can’t afford to live around here, so they have a long commute. Some teachers need part-time jobs.
Teaching requires so much energy and focus that it’s unfortunate that any of them have to take on part-time jobs or long commutes. When that energy is drained, teachers spend less time thinking about how to teach.
Teachers are constantly thinking about how to present material. You think about it in the evenings, weekends, in the shower, all the time. But if you have to work a second job to make ends meet, you don’t have that time to be creative.
That said, I don’t know if you’ll find any teacher who says they got into teaching for the money. Teachers stay in the classroom for years because they are devoted to kids and higher learning. And it’s my job as principal to make those teachers want to stay at Mason — by building trusting relationships, a learning environment, giving everyone capacity to lead, and keeping teachers satisfied in their work.
Thanks so much for spending part of your Saturday afternoon with us.
Mayor Relents, Schools Avoid Cuts, GEORGE Lives by Half
April 28, 2009 by (see byline) · 1 Comment
By Stan Fendley and George Bromley
The Falls Church City Council abruptly changed course last night, deciding against additional cuts to the City Schools budget for fiscal year 2010. Suggested only days earlier by Mayor Robin Gardner as a way to save City government positions, the proposal to cut an additional $170,000 from the schools was removed from the budget prior to Council consideration.
Last week the City School Board was unable to find savings above the $375,000 it had already trimmed for next year. A number of teachers protested the proposal by standing in the Council chambers as a representative delivered a strong statement in opposition. Citizens’ letters, summarized by the Council Clerk before the budget vote, overwhelmingly opposed further school cuts.
The GEORGE commuter bus service will continue for 2010, but at half its current level. City Manager Wyatt Shields originally recommended eliminating GEORGE completely, but the program was saved, at least for one year, when the Council agreed to a proposal by Councilman Dan Maller to draw down $150,000 from the City’s share of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission trust fund. Another $150,000 will come from rider fares, state subsidies, and proffers from real estate developers.
Asked about his efforts to find other budget cuts, Shields reported he was unable to recommend any. He had reviewed all outside contracts, he said, and none could be eliminated without creating problems. The City’s streetsweeping contract, for example, was necessary to keep sand and salt from accumulating in the water runoff system in winter. Shields said he had even looked at closing the library one day a week but opted against it because it was essentially an employee pay cut, which was what he was trying to mitigate.
All seven Council members voted for the budget, which was a notable change from last week, when a number of members voiced the need to “support the schools.”
In approving the budget the Council authorized a four cent increase in the tax rate to $1.07 per $100 of assessed value. The rate had been advertised up to $1.09.
Prior to the vote Councilman Dan Sze informally proposed reviewing and perhaps cancelling pending consulting contracts in order to free-up additional funds. However, Mr Shields stated that such contracts had already been signed, and City Attorney John Foster expressed serious concerns about the “defensability” of cancelling any of them.
Following the vote, Mr Joel Block, president of the Falls Church City Educators, said, “[W]e are extremely grateful that the City Council has provided us with sufficient funding to give us the opportunity to maintain the high quality of our schools and to keep our schools competitive with neighboring school districts.” (Mr Block’s full statement appears below.)
Councilmen Maller, David Snyder, and Nader Baroukh all called for better long-term planning for future years.
Mr Maller complimented Economic Development Authority member Ira Kaylin for doing a “great community service” in calling for a long-term budget and projections based on differing assumptions. “Our best assumptions have proven optimistic,” Maller said. He also called for the creation of what he termed a Fiscal Affairs Board, composed of citizens, City staff, and School Board staff, to oversee long-term financial planning.
Mr Baroukh followed, saying “The time for long-term planning has come,” and noting he was alarmed by the outlook for the schools fund, which will be drawn down extremely low in 2010.
Mr Snyder, who in March had called the proposed budget “dead wrong,” was in a much more conciliatory mood last night, stating that the budget now is reflective of City values, in part due to input received from citizens during the course of the development process.
Vice Mayor Hal Lippman praised the Council’s spirit of collegiality that had developed over the last several weeks. However, observing that we are in extraordinary times, he also expressed some regret that many in the community still seemed inclined to continue with business as usual.
Mayor Gardner stated she would like to see a change in the budget process so that City staff “would not be last in line” in working how the budget is presented. She also recommended some re-evaluation of consolidating City and School Board staff duties.
A joint citizen and City staff task force will be set up to determine how to best manage the GEORGE service. Any major decisions, such as an increase in the fare, must be made by July 1.
The City’s press release provides the following additional details:
- Elimination of these General Government positions: Human Resources Specialist, Urban Environmental Inspector, (both part time) and City Manager’s Office Assistant, Emergency Management Specialist and Housing Development Specialist. The hours will be reduced for the Food Service Provider position at the Senior Center . A vacant police officer position is eliminated but is expected to be funded with a federal grant.
- A full year’s operation of the red light camera system with estimated revenues from fines offsetting costs.
- New fees for services including street closures for block parties, false alarm fee, land development fees and elimination of a discount for restaurants that pay the meals tax early. Mulch delivery will remain free for City residents.
- No changes in Library or Community Center hours.
- Preservation of climate initiative, storm water and rent relief programs.
- A significantly scaled back 2010 Capital Improvements Program relies on federal and state funds to accomplish transportation and pedestrian improvements, traffic calming, and stream restoration projects. A proposed Library expansion and improvements to City Hall is scheduled for FY2011, and proposed School Improvements are proposed for FY2013.
- Significant Capital Improvements in the Water Fund include the on-going water main replacement program and pump station improvements.
Joel Block, President, Falls Church City Educators Association and Chairperson, Professional Educators Advisory Committee, made the following statement:
“FCCEA and PEAC appreciate all of the hard work the school board did to create an incredibly lean budget while constantly focusing on keeping the Falls Church City Public Schools competitive. We feel it was unfortunate that there were so many comparisons between the city government employees and the school employees because we believe our school system should always be compared with surrounding school systems while the government employees/projects should be compared with neighboring governments.
“However, we are extremely grateful that the city council has provided us with sufficient funding to give us the opportunity to maintain the high quality of our schools and to keep our schools competitive with neighboring school districts.”
OPINION: Watching City Council Make Sausage Ain’t Pretty
April 28, 2009 by George Southern · 1 Comment
New! Falls Church Times Expands AROUND TOWN, Videos
April 27, 2009 by (see byline) · 4 Comments
As the Falls Church Times nears its 1st anniversary, we’re adding some features:
- The boxes at the bottom of the front page now feature exclusively our “Around Town” category. This is the place for short news items, especially local events coming up. Use “Around Town” to publicize your community event! (Click ABOUT at top of page to contact us.)
- The categories at the top of the page are now up-to-date rather than just archives. Click on any category to see the latest reporting on that subject, as well as earlier reports.
- We’re adding video clips to our reports. For example, watch the Mayor below as she explains at the April 23 City Council meeting why it’s the job of the School Board to fight for teachers and the job of City Council to fight for City staff.
And here’s a clip from the same meeting of Councilman Dan Sze questioning Justin Castillo after he spoke in favor of not cutting the school budget.
Natalia’s: A Taste of Europe in the Midst of Falls Church
April 27, 2009 by Falls Church Times Staff · Leave a Comment
Anyone loving great European pastries, cakes and coffee has a treat awaiting them on Broad Street. Natalia Kost-Lupichuk left a commercial kitchen supplying Dean & Deluca a couple years ago to launch her own café. Lucky us.
The café is Natalia’s Elegant Creations, and the name is fitting. Her cozy shop is filled with creations beautiful and delicious. The Vanilla Bean Parma Cotta dissolves on the tongue into an incredible blending of flavors that are smooth and sophisticated. The Seriously Lemon Tartlettes bites ferociously. The Chocolate Mousse Cup is so sensual churches want to ban it. And don’t forget the humble croissant. Best we’ve had in a long time, just the right combination of inner moist and outside flaky. A Parisian would be proud.
They’re made fresh every day in Natalia’s kitchen with no preservatives and reduced sugar. And they are served with coffee that will prop your eyelids wide.
She also serves lunch. We’re going back soon to try sandwiches, pierogis and gazpacho.
Natalia searched for a year for the right place to open her shop, first looking all over Arlington without success. Then while driving through Falls Church one weekend she saw a space for rent at the stop light at Broad Street and North Maple. “It’s a four way stop, right on Route 7. Great location,” she says. “We’re very happy to be here.” She will celebrate her second anniversary at the location in July.
Natalia comes naturally to her international touch. Her mother, Irene, is a native of Ukraine who basks in her daughter’s talent and success. Although Natalia was born in Washington, DC, she has obviously retained the European gene for fine food.
We are not the first to notice. Natalia’s has been praised by the Washington Post, Washingtonian Magazine, numerous food blogs, and every customer who has ever visited.
The next time you want to feel elegant, visit Natalia’s Elegant Creations, 230 West Broad Street. The Web site is www.nataliaselegantcreations.com.
Falls Church LAX: U13 Girls Win and U11 Boys [Black] Tie
April 27, 2009 by Annette Hennessey · Leave a Comment

Myles Cobb from Falls Church drives to the goal against Stafford on Sunday at Moore Cadillac Stadium.
The U11 Boys Black team battled to a thrilling 5-5 tie against undefeated Manassas, at Moore Cadillac Stadium. After falling behind 3-0 in the first quarter, the Mustangs rallied to take a 4-3 lead on unassisted goals by Drew Trauth, Alex Tyeryar, and Will Gaskins, with Ethan Wolak scoring off a feed from Wake Wildman. Manassas countered with two fourth quarter goals to take a 5-4 lead. However, Drew Trauth buried his second unassisted goal of the game with less than one minute remaining in the game to tie the game at five. Connar Mulcahy won the ensuing faceoff for Falls Church, resulting in multiple team scoring chances in the last 45 seconds; but alas, the shots sailed wide of the goal.
The U11 Girl’s had another hard fought game in Woodbridge on Sunday afternoon. After being down 5 goals in the first half, the Mustangs came surging back in the second half, with two goals by Hannah Hiscott and a goal apiece by Maddie Hof, Caroline Duffet, and Maeve Donnelly. However, the Prince William Lightening scored 3 goals in the second half to win 8 to 5. Caroline Duffet and Maria Torregrosa split the goal tending duties and each had a 50% save percentage. Defensively, stellar performances were delivered by Jackie Nnaji, Anna Dubro, Claire Hiscott, and Daria Glennon.
School Board To Mayor: Alas, We Have Not A Penny
April 24, 2009 by (see byline) · 8 Comments
By George Southern and Stan Fendley
City Council went on a scavenger hunt last night, looking for a spare $170,000 it thought might be hidden away in the School Board’s almost $37 million budget.
To paraphrase: “Show me your penny,” said Councilman Dan Maller. “Alas, we have not any,” replied School Board Chairman Ron Peppe, backstopped by assistant finance superintendent Hunter Kimble.
The search for spare change was an effort to preserve two jobs at City Hall targeted for elimination — “the most painful decision I’ve ever made,” said City Manager Wyatt Shields.
Tell us about pain, responded Peppe: Last year the schools cut 15 people. This year we’ve already cut $1 million from the budget. The only way to cut any further is to increase class size or reduce salaries.

Education Association President Joel Block
The drama heightened with the Falls Church Educators Association, as members stood in solidarity while President Joel Block delivered an emotional rebuttal of the concept of “equity” between school employees and City employees.
If you want to talk about equity, said Block, why do City employees pay less health care costs than school employees? Why is it equitable to penalize 400 school employees to raise money for two positions on the government side that the city manager didn’t even have in his budget?
Mayor Robin Gardner acknowledged that Block’s speech was “very passionate,” but wanted him to know that the school jobs lost last year “did not go unnoticed.” Then she made a true confession: “It was my suggestion about the $170,000. The School Board represents the teachers and school staff. That’s their job. The City Council fights for the City staff. That’s our job. I know that $170,000 was a big amount to ask, but I didn’t think it was astronomical or out of line.”
The positions Gardner wants to restore aren’t exactly known. Councilman Nader Baroukh tried to find out, but City Manager Shields was reluctant to say in public. Three full-time jobs are proposed for elimination — a housing specialist, a police department information technology specialist, and Shields’ own administrative assistant. Unclear is which positions would be restored, or if some mix of all three would become part-time jobs.
Councilman Dan Maller seemed sure there must be a little leeway in the School budget. Flush with success in his effort to fund the GEORGE bus with extra money from the state trust fund, Maller tried to “do a GEORGE” on the School budget. He noted that the Schools’ “fund balance” has “been building up over years.” Finance guru Kimble acknowledged that the fund balance was $890,000 this year and would be $1.1 million next year.
That sounds like a surplus, Maller suggested.
Nope — the fund balance is our operating balance, Peppe shot back.
Vice Mayor Hal Lippman confessed that he didn’t understand the fund balance, either.
[Note: In an effort to explain the school fund balance issue, chief financial officer John Tuohy wrote an April 24 memo -- click to read.]
With less than four days left before Council approves the City budget April 27, it’s unclear if Gardner will push ahead with the school cut proposal.
Councilman Dave Snyder said he would not support the proposed school cut, nor would he support a tax increase above the four-cent hike already planned. Snyder instead urged finding additional funding by limiting payments to consultants.
Councilman Maller said that he did not see Falls Church as being in a real economic emergency, and that absent such an emergency he would be reluctant to cut the school budget.
Vice Mayor Lippman and Councilman Lawrence Webb appeared to support Gardner’s proposal, with Lippman stating that the current situation constitutes the “most significant economic times since the Great Depression,” and Webb intoning that city government employees “are just as important as the teachers.”
Councilman Baroukh did not tip his hand, but said he was “looking for facts.” He asked City Manager Shields why he originally proposed eliminating the positions, rather than saving money through furloughs or benefit cuts. Shields replied that reducing benefits packages is complicated and creates uncertainty, and imposing furloughs is really a pay cut with time off. “I need to know how you plan to use the money,” Baroukh emphasized.
Councilman Dan Sze stated his support for the schools, but did not clarify his position on Gardner’s proposal. However, during the public comment period, after Sze heard resident Justin Castillo’s opposition to cutting the School budget, Sze surprised the gathering by calling Castillo back to the podium for cross-examination.
“I’ll use you as a proxy for the empassioned speeches we’ve heard tonight, some of which I thought verged on being rude,” Sze said, as he proceeded to quiz Castillo. “Do you know what the national unemployment rate is?” Yes, Castillo replied — 8 percent. Sze further asked whether Castillo expected the economy to improve soon, and whether he was happy with the City’s services.
“I was surprised to be questioned,” Castillo said afterward.
Other citizens speaking included Ed Salzberg, a 30-year resident who said he “hates to see us losing the quality of life” that he termed the “Mayberry aspect” of Falls Church.
Phyllis Kravinsky noted as a City school teacher, who also has taught in Arlington, that she fears her colleagues are being attracted by the higher salaries offered in Arlington. “Teachers listen” to the signals coming from City Council, she said.
Deepak Dobhal said that when he came to the United States he researched schools in the area and decided Falls Church schools were the best. For many seeking a place to live, he said, the important factor “is not Town Hall, it’s schools. We all would lose if our kids lose.”
FCC-TV will re-air its broadcast of the meeting at the following dates and times:
Friday April 24 at Noon
Saturday, April 25th at 9:00 a.m.
Sunday, April 26th at 5:00 p.m.
Monday, April 27th at 9:30 a.m.
FCC-TV airs on Cox Channel 12, RCN Channel 2 and Verizon Channel 35.








