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Arlington County has invited Falls Church residents who are survivors, family members of victims, first responders, volunteers or witnesses of the September 11, 2001 attacks to share their stories with the National September 11 Memorial and Museum.
On September 2, 3 and 4, Museum oral historians and StoryCorps staff will conduct oral history interviews at the Arlington County Government Center. These stories will play a vital role in the Museum’s exhibitions and programming, enabling authentic accounts of 9/11 and its aftermath. Participation may occur in one-on-one interviews or group settings.
StoryCorps is a national oral history initiative that conducts 40-minute interviews in a conversational format, typically between two people who know one another. Participants engaging in these remembrance interviews can be anyone who would like to share a 9/11 story. Listen to StoryCorps excerpts.
To learn more, visit the project website. To schedule an appointment or ask questions, please contact:
StoryCorps
Katie Gora, 9/11 Memorial Museum Program Associate at 212-312-8797 or email collections@sept11mm.org.
Oral Histories
Jenny Pachucki, 9/11 Memorial Museum Oral Historian at 212-312-8785 or email collections@sept11mm.org
By ANNETTE HENNESSEY
Falls Church Times Staff
Over 40 Falls Church City and Arlington County residents attended a meeting Monday night with local police to discuss recent crimes in the East Falls Church-Broadmont neighborhoods. Most recently, a locked minivan was stolen from a resident’s driveway in Broadmont, and two other cars were stolen when a burglar entered Arlington homes through unlocked back doors, stole car keys and other small valuables, and then drove away from the scene. All of the cars have been recovered, and Arlington police have two men in custody for the home burglaries. It has been speculated that the minivan was taken to transport stolen materials from a nearby construction site.
Falls Church police presented Broadmont crime rates, and assured residents that even with the latest crimes in the area, the statistics are on par or slightly below other City neighborhoods. There does not seem to be a pattern to recent crimes, but police urged citizens to consider creating Neighborhood Watch teams. Tips for forming Neighborhood Watch teams can be found on the City’s web site; the police also presented meeting attendees with the following tips:
- An unlocked door makes it a “crime of opportunity.” In a recent rash of vehicle vandalism where small items were taken, only one car out of 13 was locked.
- Falls Church City police offer free house checks and home security assessments to city residents.
- The police emergency number for Falls Church City residents is 703.241.5050. If you call 911, you will be dispatched through Arlington County to Falls Church and lose valuable time.
- Report all suspicious activity or behavior to the police – permits are required for product sales, like magazines. Ask to see the permit; and if not available, call the police.
Arlington County Police Detective Sean Bryson shows suspect image from recent carjacking/ kidnapping near Benjamin Banneker Park.
Arlington County Police Detective Sean Bryson also attended the meeting and updated residents on the status of the carjacking investigation. He explained that since this was such an unusual crime for the area, it has been very difficult to solve. A composite sketch has been circulated, and DNA evidence is being sent to the state lab for analysis.
During a lengthy Q&A session, residents asked if there could be an increased police presence in the neighborhood and the bike path, whether unused police cars could be parked around the City, and how many police officers patrol the city at any given time. Since the bike path falls in the Arlington jurisdiction, Falls Church City police said they could talk with Arlington’s District 1 office about patrolling that area, but explained that City has limited police cars and that the vehicles are extremely vulnerable to vandalism when parked on the street as decoys, and that the City only has the resources to deploy 3-5 officers for the entire 2.2 mile city during one time, and do not anticipate hiring more police officers in the near future.
Meeting attendees and police did identify some action items to be taken, which included checking into the status of the lighting survey for streets and the park, contacting Metro about plans to install surveillance cameras at Metro stations, and most importantly, to identify a communications strategy to get information from both area police departments to the communities that they serve in a timely manner. Police promised to follow up with the organizers of the meeting within the next few weeks.
After last week’s Ugly Buildings Contest, this week I’m of course obligated to announce Falls Church’s Best Buildings. It’s a very different exercise. You know how every year somebody releases a list of worst-dressed famous people? It always gets attention, but I don’t remember anything about who the best-dressed people are. Bad news sells, good news bores.
That said, I think I’ll still manage to upset some people with the following list. But first, the criteria: Notice that I’m calling these “best buildings,” not “best-looking buildings.” As with one’s attraction to another person, looks count but by no means count for everything. To become a best building, a structure’s purpose, location, and value-added to the community all come into play – plus its looks.
And same as with the ugly buildings, these are not residences. I wanted to include Cherry Hill Farmhouse, but decided it doesn’t apply, even though nobody lives there. Has to be commercial, or at least institutional. Read more
The Leland Center, a Baptist Seminary previously headquartered in Arlington, opened its July 27 in the Baptist World Alliance building at 405 N. Washington Street in Falls Church City.
The seminary is named for John Leland, a Baptist leader of Massachusetts and Virginia credited with influencing James Madison and other early American political leaders to include religious liberty protections in the U.S. constitution.
The Baptist World Alliance is a fellowship of 214 Baptist conventions and unions comprising a membership of more than 37 million baptized believers and a community of 105 million. The Baptist World Alliance began in London, England, in 1905 at the first Baptist World Congress.
Men congregate on Broad Street on a recent Saturday morning, hoping to work for customers who are renting trucks at U-Haul. . .
A reader asks: “Who are those men who congregate on the sidewalk near the U-Haul outlet on Broad Street? Is it legal for them to assemble like that?”
The following is the result of our investigation.
‘I’m not happy about this!’
Mirjana Varga understands how hard an immigrant to the United States needs to work to succeed. She escaped the economic chaos and rising violence in the Balkans as the former Yugoslavia broke apart in the early ‘90s and now owns the Baguette Republic, a bakery with a loyal following on West Broad Street. As she looks out her window at a group of men –- immigrants too, but with ancestry that flows down through Central and South America –- she shakes her head.
“My customers, they basically don’t want to see them there. They don’t feel comfortable,” Varga said. The men, ranging from their early 20s to mid-50s, have come from throughout the area hoping to be hired by any of the people who arrive in a steady stream to rent trucks and trailers from the U-Haul business next door. On a recent Saturday morning, there were 15 men spread out across the sidewalk on both sides of Broad Street, some of them sitting in the parking lot at Falls Plaza.
Two of the men entered Varga’s establishment and purchased cold drinks; they had been standing in the direct sun for an hour or more as the temperature climbed to 91 degrees. Edwin, in his early 20s, and Edgar, in his mid 30s, were courteous to Varga and, as they stepped outside, agreed to be interviewed in Spanish.
Edwin, dressed comfortably for physical work with a nod to hip hop’s sartorial standards, acknowledged the reality they all faced: “Some days this is very good, some days there is no work at all. When we are hired, it’s 10, 12 15 dollars an hour; you never know.”
Edgar, who works Monday to Friday providing landscaping services in Fairfax, emphasized that helping people move or loading and unloading trucks is only to supplement his regular income. “I’m only here on the weekend –- something more to add to what I earn during the week.” Edgar’s appearance was tidy and practical: he could have just returned from a PTA meeting at the high school down the street.
‘We spread ourselves out to keep the sidewalks clear.’
The men agreed that generally no more than 20-25 laborers assembled at any one time. Edwin pointed to the men across the street at Falls Plaza. “We spread ourselves out, see? This is to keep the sidewalks clear. And sometimes people are hiring who aren’t here to rent a truck; they pull into that parking lot there,” he said, pointing at the Staples store.
As the interview ended, as if on cue, a blue sedan pulled into the Falls Plaza parking lot and stopped 50 feet from three men seated on the ground. They leapt to their feet and approached the vehicle. As the driver emerged, confused by the men hurrying toward him, he quickly gestured “no, no” to wave them off and indicated he was only there running some errands. The men returned to their stations, watching the traffic on Broad Street.
Looking out the window from the Baguette Republic, there is an easily discernible rhythm to the activity taking place some 40 feet away. Vehicles turn into the parking lot at 1107 West Broad St., and the hopeful workers attempt to catch the drivers’ eyes. They hold up one, two, or three fingers – asking how many men might be needed for the job –- and call out, “Do you need help moving? Help with your truck today?” Vehicles westbound on Broad Street must make a left turn into the rental outlet and the workers on the sidewalk below the Staples parking lot take advantage of the time the vehicle is stopped, waiting for a break in oncoming traffic. They wave and call out, their gestures exaggerated and their voices louder to compensate for the traffic and the increased distance between themselves and their potential employers.
“I’m not happy about this,” Varga said from behind the counter of her bakery. She relayed a recent story about one of the men who wanted to purchase a drink from her but didn’t have money to cover the tax. “He threw things across the store; it was a scene,” she said. “I’m not happy, but go next door — they’re really not happy.”
Next door at the U-Haul — the focal point for all this activity – the supervisor is Daniel Layton, a large, affable man who becomes very animated and whose speech quickens when talking about exactly how unhappy he really is. “You figure somebody would do something about this,” Layton exclaims.
“People – customers – are often mistaken that these are my employees. I used to have a sign on the door that said, ‘We are Not Responsible for Day Laborers,’” Layton said. He estimates five percent of his customers hire from among the available men, and when things go wrong, he hears about it.
“Two women had all of their jewelry stolen,” Layton said. He quickly tallies up a list of episodes involving stolen rental trucks and property disappearing while being moved. “I hear about it because they think they can come to U-Haul for compensation. These people have nothing to do with me.” Layton does acknowledge that based on his large volume of customers, the percentage who experience the problems he described is relatively small, but nevertheless a major headache for him.
Layton, who has been associated with the Falls Church rental outlet for the past two years, says the men congregate outside his business every day. Over the years, as his level of frustration mounted, he contacted the City of Falls Church police department to see if he had any legal recourse. “They say don’t call us anymore,” Layton said. “They say there’s nothing they can do.”
In response to a query from the Falls Church Times, the City Manager’s office made the following statement:
The safety and security of residents, visitors and businesses is paramount to the City of Falls Church. The City is aware that on most days there are a few people standing along the sidewalk in front of the U-Haul store and across the street in the Staples store parking lot in the 1100 block of West Broad Street, apparently seeking day work. Falls Church Police patrol the area frequently and are on the lookout for any illegal activity. Over the last 12 months (since July 2008), police have received two complaint calls about people standing near the street in front of the Staples parking lot and six complaint calls regarding people standing in front of the U-Haul business.
Under federal Constitutional law, the City cannot enact or enforce no-loitering laws that prohibit standing on a public sidewalk or right of way. If anyone is breaking existing laws relating to obstructing passages or public intoxication, for example, they could face charges. Private landowners can post signs to prevent loitering on their private property.
“You won’t believe what one of the officers told me,” Layton said, throwing his arms up in frustration. “The City of Falls Church welcomes day laborers. Do you believe that?”
“I’ll talk about this to anyone who’ll listen. Why should my customers have to ask, ‘What are those people doing out front?’ Why is it OK for them to chase a woman up the street and into the CVS because she didn’t want to hire any of them?” Layton asked.
As his frustration hung in the air and the clock struck 3 p.m., the five men remaining on the sidewalk climbed into a minivan and followed an orange and white truck down West Broad Street.
Will Cunningham, a 2009 George Mason High School graduate, assisted with the Spanish language interviews required for this article.
(Photo by Scott Taylor)
Previous ASK THE TIMES questions:
[July 9] Where’s the (Taxpayers’) $2 Million?
[June 11] Mystery of Whittier Park Townhouse Fire
[May 28] Can My 50-Year-Old House Go GREEN?
[May 25] What’s Being Done About All the Graffiti?
[May 18] Pay Property Tax with a Credit Card?
[May 17] Why Are Purple Bows Tied to Trees?
[May 14] Why Not Use the Old Red Light Cameras?
[May 11] Rolling Carts for Heavy Recycling Loads?
[May 7] Status of Hilton Garden Inn?
[May 6] Questions about Northgate
(l-r) Jim Lynch, President of Falls Church Arts; Tim Sargeant, Dominion Virginia Power; Laura Connors Hull, Creative Cauldron Producing Director; and Marty Meserve, President of Creative Cauldron.
Creative Cauldron, the Falls Church arts organization newly located at Pearson Square, has received a $20,000 grant from Dominion Virginia Power to fund a “green lighting system.”
The grant will fund a stage and gallery lighting system both environmentally friendly and cost effective. Featuring more LED instruments and compact fluorescents, it uses about one-fourth of the energy of a normal theatrical lighting grid.
Creative Cauldron’s new home is at ArtSpace Falls Church, 410 South Maple Ave.
ArtSpace Falls Church was initially funded through grants of $100,000 each from the City of Falls Church and from Pearson Square owner Transwestern, Inc. An additional $150,000 is still needed to fully furnish and equip the multiple-use, flexible space.
ArtSpace Falls Church provides a venue for two Falls Church nonprofit organizations, Creative Cauldron and Falls Church Arts, and will offer year-round classes, exhibits, and theater, music and dance performances. The calendar of performance events and Falls Church Arts exhibits will be announced during the ArtSpace official opening weekend September 18.
Tim Sargeant, manager of state and local affairs for Dominion VA Power, presented a check to Creative Cauldron producing director Laura Connors Hull at the July 24 performance of “Flights of Fancy,” presented by participants in Creative Cauldron’s Arts Adventure Camp.
Creative Cauldron President Marty Meserve said she is “thrilled” that Dominion Virginia Power is sponsoring the lighting project. “Dominion has been a key supporter of the arts in our community, and their sponsorship of this ‘green’ lighting proposal will help us keep our energy costs manageable and our programs affordable,” she said.
Fraud by Impersonation, 300 blk. Wrens Way, between February 1 and July 14, unknown person(s) used victim’s personal information to open up (3) accounts leaving a balance/default amount of $1091.00 (Cellular Phone), $24,936.00 (Auto Loan), and $714.00 (Credit Card).
Drunkenness, 700 blk. W Broad St., July 14, 8:05 p.m. 56 year old male arrested.
Drunkenness, 6700 blk. Wilson Blvd., July 15, 11:53 p.m. 57 year old male arrested.
Motor Vehicle Theft, 1100 blk. Jackson St., July 16, between 1:00 a.m. and 10:07 a.m., unknown person(s) stole a 2004 Kia from a driveway.
Drinking in Public, 1200 blk. Ellison St., July 17, 11:01 a.m. 20 year old male arrested.
Drunkenness, 200 blk. N Washington St., July 17, 11:25 p.m. 24 year old male arrested.
Destruction of Property, 6700 blk. Wilson Blvd., July 17, between 8:00 p.m. and 11:58 p.m., unknown person(s) damaged the left rear quarter panel and scratched the trunk area of a vehicle.
Motor Vehicle Theft, 200 blk. Van Buren St., between July 17, 8:00 p.m. and July 18, 6:43 a.m., unknown person(s) stole a 1999 Dodge Van from the driveway of a residence.
Larceny, Shoplifting, Rite Aid, 1003 W Broad St., July 18, 12:00 p.m. unknown person(s) entered the establishment and stole (17) containers of White Strips totaling $674.83.
Drunkenness, 100 blk. W Greenway Blvd., July 19, 6:47 a.m. 53 year old female arrested.
Drunkenness, 300 blk. S Washington St., July 19, 7:47 p.m. 29 year old male arrested.
Destruction of Property, 800 blk. Villa Ridge Rd., July 20, 11:29 a.m., unknown person(s) setoff fireworks on the hood of a vehicle causing minor damages.
Larceny from Building, 800 blk. W Broad St., July 20, between 12:30 p.m. and 1:51 p.m., unknown person(s) stole a pair of basketball shoes from inside a residence.
Fraud, 100 blk. W Greenway Blvd., between July 19, 9:30 p.m. and July 20, 8:00 a.m., unknown person(s) sent victim an email claiming to be from AOL requesting an account update. The victim provided all personal information to update this account; however the victim later found out through AOL Representative that the sent email was fraudulent.
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