NOV 1-11: Corn Maize, Paddle Tours, and Abstract Photography at NOVA Parks

By the Northern Virginia Regional Parks Authority

The calendar of events for the Northern Virginia Regional Parks Authority for November 1-11 appears below.

Sunday, November 1

Temple Hall Corn Maize and Fall Festival, Open Fridays evenings, Saturdays & Sundays, September 25th- November 8th

REVIEW: ‘We Won’t Pay’: ‘Honeymooners’ with a Twist

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Falls Church Times Staff

Seems like only yesterday that on our walks around the block my wife and I would pass the rundown duckpin bowling alley on Maple Avenue, feeling like we had been transported back to the 1950s. Then we heard it was all to be converted to a swanky high-rise condo and office building with bustling shops on the ground floor. There would even be an “art space,” gifted by the developer as one of the proffers in exchange for being allowed to build residential units on the largest remaining available commercial tract in the City.

And, as the years rolled by more quickly than we could imagine, it all happened – even if not exactly as envisioned. The office building sprang up first, then the condos. When they did not sell, they became apartments. And the bustling ground-floor shops? Still empty storefronts. That leaves the subsidized “art space.” From the grit and determination of a few extremely dedicated supporters, an arts venue has emerged right here in River City under the auspices of a group called Creative Cauldron.

I wondered how they could possibly pull it off. As supplied by the developer, the space was bare walls and a concrete floor. I stopped by last summer to hear local performers Andrew Acosta, Pete Behr, and others jam with guitars and banjo. It was stark – some paintings exhibited for sale and a few folding chairs, nothing more.

So on Friday night, the day before Halloween, I was pretty impressed to see how much has been done with so little money. Most important are the stage lights – a donation from Virginia Power. Comfortable chairs for maybe 50 people were set out in VERY close proximity to the stage set – all on the cement floor. When the play began (“We Won’t Pay, We Won’t Pay,” by Dario Fo) soon I was no longer in the barebones ground floor of Pearson Square, I was in Italy – or perhaps Little Italy in Brooklyn or East Boston.

Friday night was historic because it was ArtSpace’s first professional stage production for adults. The very first production, “The King of Pizza” in September, was very well received. Both that play and this one have professional troupes, which distinguish them from the Little Theater performances one can enjoy right down Annandale Road at the fully equipped James Lee Theater in Fairfax County.

I’ve always liked Little Theater, and feel that a community with residents that can work by day and act by night is much the richer for it. Our little City has no such animal, although I’m sure we have a number of talented actors who participate in nearby productions.

But much as I like amateur productions, I would admit that some kinds of theater can exceed the capabilities of the actors. One of the more demanding genre perhaps is farce. Let it drag, and it’s dead. “We Won’t Pay” is farce through and through, and as directed by Patrick Torres, the professional actors from the Hub Theater in Reston are adept at keeping the pace fast, as it has to be. If you enjoy the old TV series “The Honeymooners,” – or even “The Flintstones,” you’ll split your sides laughing at “We Won’t Pay.” Michael Kramer plays Giovanni, an Italian version of Ralph Kramden/Fred Flintstone, with sidekick James Gagne as Luigi (Norton/Barney). Helen Pafumi is Antonia (a lot of Alice/Wilma, but stronger, more like Lucy), while Kristen Egermeier as Margherita is a ringer for Ethel, with suggestions of Thelma Norton/Betty Rubble. Providing the foil is police sergeant/state trooper/undertaker/elderly father John Slone, who most reminds of a bumbling cop in a Laurel and Hardy short.

But don’t go to “We Won’t Pay” expecting only fun and games. That’s just the package Italian playwright and Nobel laureate Dario Fo employed in this 1974 brutal take on modern society, where the working class get mired ever deeper in debt until they find their utilities disconnected and, ultimately, their furniture out on the street. Thirty-five years later the theme endures.

Why spend an evening in the little makeshift theater at Pearson Square rather than go to the District, or even James Lee? In a word: intimacy. You are right there, on stage with the actors. Several times they interact with the audience, and “Giovanni” even handed me a sack of stolen groceries to hide under my chair. Forget the promises of future 3-D holographic television – you can experience the same thing, now, at ArtSpace. Why make yet another commute to D.C. when ArtSpace is practically at your doorstep, and with plenty of free parking? (So they say – we walked.)

Can ArtSpace pull this off? Too soon to say, of course. On opening night there was a respectable crowd, but I was surprised not to recognize a single person. Many seemed to be friends and supporters of The Hub Theater, out of Reston. The production continues through Nov. 22, with performances on Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are $15/20 – or  just say “We Won’t Pay, We Won’t Pay.”

ArtSpace Falls Church — 410 South Maple Ave. Free parking in the adjacent parking lot as well as the parking garage at 400 South Maple.

FC Government “Green” for Second Year

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FC Fire Dept: Change Smoke Alarm Batteries This Weekend

By Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department

The Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department (FCVFD) reminds all residents that with the change back to Standard Time on Sunday, this is a good time to change the batteries in smoke alarms and CO detectors.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), more than 3,000 people die in home fires each year, and the majority of them have no working smoke alarm.

“The two times a year that we change time is good reminder to change batteries in all home smoke alarms and CO detectors,” said FCVFD Chief Paul Schomburg. “It is also a good time to just make sure that alarms and detectors are working properly.”

The USFA offers a few helpful tips on smoke alarms:

• Place properly installed and maintained smoke alarms both inside and outside of sleeping areas and on every level of your home.
• Interconnected smoke alarms are best, because if one sounds, they all sound.
• The U.S. Fire Administration recommends that every residence and place where people sleep be equipped with both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms or dual sensor smoke alarms, which contain both ionization and photoelectric smoke sensors.
• Test smoke alarms monthly and change alkaline batteries at least once every year, or as instructed by the manufacturer. You can use a date you already know, like your birthday or when you change your clocks as a reminder.

For members of the community who do not have working smoke alarms and cannot afford one, Arlington County’s Operation Firesafe provides free smoke alarms to Arlington and the City of Falls Church families in need. If a resident does not have a working smoke alarm, call 703-228-4646 (TTY 703-228-4610) or complete the online form. A representative of the Fire Department will follow up and make an appointment to install your smoke alarm.

Mason PTSA Plans 12th Annual “Phantom Ball”

By George Mason High School PTSA

The George Mason High School PTSA is currently raising money for the 2010 All Night Graduation Celebration with the Phantom Ball. This event, and all the activities associated with it, tell our kids and their parents that their safety and well being are priorities in our community. Because of the money raised by the sale of tickets to the non-ball we have been able to create an all night event that attracts almost all of our senior class graduates and keeps them away from private parties or other activities they might find on their own on graduation night, a night that is statistically the riskiest night of a teenager’s life.

The Phantom Ball is an annual event (this is its 12th year) and is our largest program for the ANGC. We get a lot of questions about this fundraiser so here’s the straight skinny on this – it’s a pretend event. There is no event; it’s designed as the most comfortable fundraiser you will ever participate in. You don’t have to wear uncomfortable shoes and stand on your feet all night because there is no event. You don’t have to eat cold rubber chicken at a table of strangers because there is no event. You don’t have to arrange for a babysitter and then battle your way through Northern Virginia traffic to get there on time because there is no event. We’ve taken all the negatives out of the sterotypical fundraiser and just left you with the part where you send us a check for participating! How many times have you said “couldn’t I just send a check, do I actually have to go?” Well this is your kind of event because you can just send us a check because there is no place you need to go! You can either send in your check with the reply card enclosed in the “invitation” that was recently mailed to you or simply mail a check to George Mason High School, ANGC 2010, Attn: GMHS PTSA, 7124 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22043. Or to get a copy of the donation form for the Phantom Ball go to our website at http://www.georgemasonptsa.com/Forms.html

Spirited Debate at CBC Forum on Election Date Change

By GEORGE BROMLEY
Falls Church Times Staff

Members of  the Citizens for a Better City (CBC) and other Falls Church residents met last night at the Byron to discuss shifting municipal elections from May to November.

Councilmen Dan Sze and Lawrence Webb made their case for the change, but many of the participants expressed serious concerns about such a move, warning it could lead to a loss of focus on local issues and greater partisanship, without achieving any significant savings.    

Mr. Sze, whose four year term expires on June 30, said that the proposal was intended as an an effort to increase voter turnout.   He suggested that a shift could save as much as $60,000, equivalent to two days furlough for all City employees. 

Mr. Sze advised that the measure would have be to approved by a majority of the Council by January 1 in order to be in effect for the 2010 election cycle.   Noting that these were difficult economic times for the City, Mr. Sze stated “I want to be able to work for citizens over the next few months without worrying about whether I’ll be re-elected or not.”

Councilman Webb, who was elected last year, recalled that during his campaign he found that many residents were unaware the City held elections in May.  In his view, ”By moving to November we’ll have a more engaged electorate.  It will provide an opportunity for the majority of our citizens to participate in the process.” 

Mr. Webb said the savings realized by the shift would be closer to $20,000, considerably lower than the range of $30,000-$60,000 offered by Mr. Sze.  

Councilman Webb maintained that the City’s costs were bound to increase in any case as the Commonwealth has stopped supplementing May elections.  He related that this factor has led many other Virginia cities to have “a conversation on moving their municipal elections to November.”    

Mr. Webb advised that Falls Church would hold public hearings on the issue, stating the topic would be discussed at a Council work session next Monday night, though citizen comments would not be accepted at that meeting. 

The relevant working papers for the session are available here.  The documents include a copy of the report on the issue prepared by the League of Women Voters in 2001.  

After the councilmen’s statements, CBC President Deb Gardner opened the forum to comments.  In true Falls Church tradition, a spirited debate ensued.  

Marty Meserve, a former vice mayor, was not enthusiastic about the proposal, calling the increased turnout argument ”a bit specious.  I’m interested in having people involved with the issues.  In May we have a unique opportunity to speak to constituents about their concerns.  In November, with three levels of debate (local, state, national), that’s lost.  And why are people more enfranchised in November than they are in May?”

Barb Cram, a 25 year City resident, felt that May elections provided a unique intimacy with the candidates that would be lost in November and that it was far easier to focus on the election in the spring.

Edie Smolinski, former president of the Falls Church League of Women Voters, asked “Do you want informed voters in May or uninformed voters in November?  I’ve seen a minor party be elected in Falls Church and do a good job.  I don’t think they’d be elected [in November].” 

Lou Olom, one of the founders of CBC in the late 1950s, felt that May turnout trends depended primarily upon the issues facing the electorate.  “You’d get great turnout with [ the date change] issue.”   Recent results support his theory.  Turnout in May 2008 was more than double that in 2006. 

Concerning the trend in other jurisdictions, Molly Novotny, whose baby proved a model of comportment, noted Leesburg’s  ”conversation” on the issue had ended Tuesday night after a public hearing, with its council voting down a move to November.   Details of the town’s decision are available here. 

EDA member Bruce Swenson and Ed Strait questioned the increased length and complexity of the ballot if it included state and national elections, but Mr. Sze said voters have coped well with longer ballots in jurisdictions that have shifted their elections to November.

Mr. Swenson stated that Council and staff time might be put to better use dealing with the City’s financial problems.   Mr. Webb responded that staff input had been minimal and that he had done his own research on the matter.   

Marty Behr, who expressed concerns about increased partisanship if the move were made, did not think a decision should be based on projected savings, which she felt were not significant.  Ms. Behr also said she found the rush to make the change objectionable.  Ms. Smolinski added that any savings only would be achieved every other year, not annually.

Mr. Webb denied that proponents of the move were intent on making the election more partisan.  School Board member Rosaura Aguerrebere concurred, stating that no one had asked if she were a Democrat or a Republican when she ran for office in California.

However, many of the participants disagreed with the officials’ stance.   Pete Behr stated that the election would cease to be non-partisan and that the state and national contests would over-shadow the City races.  “The issue is significant enough to have it decided by referendum, rather than by Council members who have a vested interest.”

Mr. Strait pointed out that canvasing would be very difficult if the election were moved to November.  “There would be a great deal of competition for time, money, and space.”  Another participant noted that people canvasing for a non-partisan candidate probably could not do so for a partisan one, and vice-versa. 

Another attendee pointed out that management of City affairs would be complicated if the change were made because Board members would be taking office in the middle of the school year and Council members would begin their terms in the middle of the budget cycle. 

Ms. Meserve asked “Do you think the change should be made by four people (a majority of the Council)?   Councilman Webb replied that the conversation needs to happen.

Discussion drifted a bit toward the end of the meeting.  Several people lamented the difficulty in recruiting candidates to run for local office.   Ms. Gardner opined “If we’re going to cling to May, people will have to come forward.”

Kim Maller suggested School Board chairman Ron Peppe’s recent proposal to reduce the number of members on both the Council and the Board from seven to five was a possible solution.  Mr. Peppe had offered the idea in a comment on a Times story. 

After Mr. Sze thanked the participants for their input, Mr. Webb concluded  ”We have fewer and fewer people voting in May.  We want everyone to have the opportunity to vote and to offer it when everyone knows it’s election time.”

In a brief discussion with the Times after the meeting Mr. Webb advised he was not opposed to having the issue decided by referendum.

FOOD: Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth at Arax Café

By JIMMY SCARANO
Falls Church Times Staff

Even though I haven’t trick or treated in ages, the Halloween season still enlivens my sweet tooth like no other time of year. Come late October I start craving sugary candies and cookies morning, noon, and night, and I can’t help but indulge myself every once in a while.

I could survive on the run-of-the-mill confections of my youth just fine, but lately I’ve been seeking out more off the beaten path places to satisfy my sugar rush. At the moment I’m especially fond of the date ma’amouls at tiny Arax Café, a Lebanese-Armenian coffee shop in Arlington just outside of the City. The dome-shaped cookies—made by owner Rose Hovsepian along with a host of other Middle Eastern pastries—are superbly decadent and tasty.

Ma’amouls mean different things to different cultures across the Levant, but most incarnations involve a buttery outer cookie filled with dates, walnuts, or pistachios. Because of their labor-intensive preparation the revered treats are often reserved for holidays and special occasions. Thankfully, Hovsepian bakes her little beauties year round.

I’ve singled out her date version because both the walnut and pistachio variations pale in comparison. To my taste they are a bit overrun with rosewater. The date ma’amoul, meanwhile, is buttery, sandy, nutty, and luxuriously rich, with a generous portion of sticky date innards. The pastry is quite small, so you might be tempted to scarf it down in a few quick bites. Don’t. A cookie this good is best enjoyed with slow, contemplative nibbles and perhaps a cup of hot tea or Arax’s signature cardamom-scented Armenian coffee.

It’s rare that I’m able to get past the date ma’amouls, but when I recently asked Hovsepian about some of her favorites she steered me towards the apricot jam-filled sables. She bragged that even the jam was homemade. And after a bite it was easy to tell. The jam had a tartness and texture that was so obviously not from a jar. The cookie itself was pure buttery shortbread goodness. Clearly I will have to make my way through the entire pastry case at Arax.

Beyond the sweet stuff there’s plenty more to like at the charmingly cramped café. A chalk board menu of savory snacks includes Middle Eastern stand-bys like hummus and grape leaves as well as lesser known Armenian specialties. One recent hit was the baked-to-order Armenian meat pie, a four or five bite disc of crispy pizza-esque dough slathered with a paste of tomatoes, spices, and beef. Also tasty is the chicken sandwich, which is a shawarma type concoction with a potent garlic sauce. Everything on the menu is homey and a refreshing change of pace from normal coffee shop fare.

Be careful, though. If you get a little excited and order a few little dishes and a few pastries you’ll find the tab creeping up into the high teens or twenties. This food is made from scratch on a small scale and isn’t cheap. But as long as the quality stays the same and the ma’amouls are flowing, that’s fine by me. The economy has stretched mom and pop operations paper thin, and this is the sort of place I’d hate to lose.

Arax Café is located at 5852 Washington Blvd., Arlington, VA, 22216. Phone: 703-532-3320. Cash Only.

Mason Girls Cross Country Team District Champs

The George Mason High School Girls Cross Country team won the Bull Run District Championship meet on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at Rappahannock County High School.  Read more

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