CHIPOTLE Comes to Town!

SPECIAL TO THE FALLS CHURCH TIMES

June 24, 2010 

Chipotle is coming to town!  On Thursday, June 24, 2010, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., as a pre-opening fundraiser for the City, the restaurant will offer a big gourmet burrito or salad, or order of tacos or a burrito bowl along with crispy tortilla chips, salsa and a fountain drink for every $5 donation at the door.  All of the money raised will go to support the community’s special events, such as the Halloween Carnival and Easter Egg Hunt.

The restaurant officially opens on Friday, June 25, 2010, at the Broaddale Village Center.  To celebrate the opening, the first 100 customers to purchase a burrito, taco, bowl or salad after 3pm on opening day will receive a free t-shirt and free burrito card to use at a later visit.

CITY FOCUS:
Vote for the Farmer’s Market;
Beat Summer’s Pests: Mosquitoes and Heat;
Buy a Burrito and Support Little City Special Events;
NEXT WEEK: Last Focus

Click here for the June 24-20, 2010 CITY FOCUS prepared by the City of Falls Church.

SCHOOLS FOCUS:
Giant Bonus Bucks = $10k for City Schools;
All-Night Grad Party a Success Thanks to Local Sponsors;
BIE Partner is Aladdin’s Lamp;
SCHOOL’S OUT — HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!!

Click here for the June 24-30, 2010,SCHOOLS FOCUS  prepared by the Falls Church City Schools.

COMMUNITY COMMENT: The Case for Retaining GEORGE

By BARRY BUSCHOW

June 23, 2010

I support, as do many of us who ride the GEORGE  bus, raising the fares as the City Council has proposed.  What most riders are concerned about is which of  three service options now under consideration will take effect after September.  To begin this discussion I offer the following facts as determined by our consultant and the GEORGE Task Force, of which I was a member:

• Ridership percentages:  Route 26E has 59% of the riders – Route 26W has 41% of the total riders.

• Highest Ridership Activity:  

26E (from table 4-3 of the final report)
• West Broad & Virginia Ave. (63 riders)
• East Broad & Cherry St. (16 riders)
• Park Ave. & Little Falls (15 riders)

26W (from table 4-4 of the final report)
• Virginia Ave. & West Broad (14 riders)
• Poplar Dr & Spring St. (11 riders)
• Sherrow Ave. & Virginia Ave. (11 riders)
• N. West St. & Grove Ave. (10 riders)

• Highest Ridership Times:
26E:  7am to 8:30 am and 5 pm to 7 pm
26W: 7am to 8:30 am and 5p m to 7 pm

• Stops Not on Existing MetroBus Routes:

26E:   7 stops with 2 stops outside ¼ mile distance
26W:  15 stops with 7 stops outside ¼ mile distance

• In its February 1, 2010 presentation to City Council the task force recommended keeping GEORGE service with reduced operations and the FY11 cost projection = $117,000.

• Capital necessary to fix the buses is identified as Section 5309 Federal Funds, in particular the West Falls Church Shuttle funds of $728K available for bus repairs.

• Section 5309 Federal Funds can be transferred to Arlington County to operate GEORGE if we choose.

A recent interview with The Economist’sonline Economics Editor, Ryan Avent, found  in the Falls Church News-Press, referenced development and growth issues facing the City of Falls Church.  I recommend the article to everyone interested in the future of our city.  In particular there was discussion on transportation issues. 

I offer the following excerpts:  “I think that by developing centers of mixed-use, walkable development, and by connecting those centers with nearby Metro stations on the Orange Line through things like Circulator buses, you can accommodate a healthy mix of growth.”  “If you offer reliable connections….to Tysons, then you make it still more attractive to be a Falls Church resident.  Good connections to Tysons will allow Falls Church Residents to take advantage of Tysons’ greater density while maintaining a small town feel.” 

On development, “…make it easy for developers to build the right kind of buildings and plan pro-actively – let investors know that you’re thinking progressively about building a better central place.  It means committing to local transit.”  “A commitment to the bus system is one of the factors that will convince developers and residents that interest in a new style of main street growth is real…good access to Metro is going to be key in attracting residents to walkable development along Broad St. and Washington St.”

Option 3, to terminate GEORGE service, is not in our best interest now or in the future as it takes us backwards in our efforts to serve our citizens and promote economic development.  Option 2, to discontinue  26W, makes no sense since most of 26E already runs on Broad Street and is already served by Metro.  As mentioned above there are 7 stops on the 26E not serviced by Metro routes with 2 stops outside the ¼ mile walking distance.  The 26W has 15 stops not serviced by Metro and 7 outside the ¼ mile walking distance.  If the Council is seriously considering this alternative it might consider the old 26A route during rush hours.  That way the whole city is served by an on-time reliable bus system with ARTs.  Metrobus is a long haul route and is often delayed in rush hour traffic.

Option 1, keep service, is the preferred option and, coupled with reduced service, is the option recommended by the GEORGE task force.  As mentioned above, the hours from 7 am to 8:30 am and 5 pm to 7 pm for both routes captures close to 70% of all riders.  I am not sure where the $190,000 cost figure came from as referenced in the resolution before the Council, since the consultant’s report as presented on February 1, 2010 indicates the FY 11 cost is:

                                 $140,000 Total Operating (after fare recovery)
                                  -$53,000 State Subsidy
                                 +$30,000 Bus repairs (which can be paid from the Section 5309 funds)
                              = $117,000 (or perhaps $87,000 if repairs are paid by Section 5309 funds)

I know there is concern about the amount of DRPT funds and Gas Tax Revenue that will be available.   Incrementally funding at 3 months at a time will limit the City’s risk and allow better understanding of the level of funding available from all sources.  Also remember, the economy is showing good signs of recovering.  Starting a bus service will cost Falls Church a lot more in the future if we dissolve it now.  All indications are that we will have to have it in the future so why not benefit from it now?

Sinplicity Catering Next Market Chef Demonstration

By KATHLEEN NIXON
Falls Church Times Staff

June 23, 2010

This Saturday, the Falls Church Farmers Market Chef demonstration will feature Falls Church’s own Leland Atkinson from Sinplicity Catering. Leland, always a crowd pleaser will be demonstrating:

Tomato and Ginger Chutney on a Parmesan & Cracked Pepper Biscotti;
Blueberry Shortcups: Mini Cupcakes filled with Margarita Curd, Fresh Blueberries and Whipped Cream,
Ice Cream Sinwiches: Almond Macaroons with Vanilla Ice Cream and Blackberry Compote

So join Sinplicity Catering from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on June 26 for some deliciously delectable taste sensations.

Crime Report for June 15 – 21

By FALLS CHURCH POLICE DEPARTMENT

June 23, 2010

Larceny from Vehicle, 140 S Maple (Bowl America), June 15, between 9:00 PM and 11:30 PM, a passenger side car window was smashed and an IPod and wallet were stolen. 

Larceny from Vehicle, 140 S Maple (Bowl America), June 15, between 11:00 PM and 11:30 PM, a driver side rear window was smashed and a purse was stolen. 

Larceny from Building, 513 West Broad Street (The Byron), June 15, petty cash was taken from a business office.

Motor Vehicle Theft/Stolen Auto, 1100 blk Offutt Dr, between 5:00 PM on June 13 and 7:00 PM on June 17 a Ford SUV left parked on the street was stolen by unknown suspect(s). 

Larceny – Theft from Motor Vehicle, 246 W Broad St, (Advanced Photo) June 18, 08:33 AM, a bag containing $11,500 of camera equipment was stolen from the back seat of a vehicle by an unknown suspect.  The owner had used the remote to lock the car but the car was unlocked when he returned twenty minutes later.

Vandalism to Vehicle, 300 blk Shirley St, sometime between June 16 and 17 a vehicle’s front tire was slashed while parked on the street.  The other front tire was slashed sometime between June 18 and 19.  No known suspect(s).  

Drunk in Public, 200 blk N Washington St, June 19, 10:37 PM, police arrested a 37 year old Annapolis woman for being Drunk in Public.

Glass Beadmaking Show & Tell Thursday 6/24

Special to the Falls Church Times

Falls Church Arts member, Cathy Kaye, will discuss the art of lampwork beadmaking at the Artists Roundtable meeting on Thursday, June 24, at 7 pm at ArtSpace Falls Church, 410 S. Maple Avenue.  The talk is free and open to everyone.

Cathy has been a glass beadmaker (also known as a lampworker) since 1996. After starting out stringing beads and making jewelry, Cathy changed her focus when, “at a bead show I saw a demonstration of lampworking and that was it . . . beads and FIRE, what could be better!”

Cathy’s current work centers on creating groups of beads to work in specific ”signature pieces” of jewelry. She also creates items like cheese knives and wine stoppers that can be used to bring beads to every aspect of daily life. “An unsuspected bit of whimsy. . . that’s what I think beadmaking is all about!”

Cathy has been featured in the coffee table book 1,000 Glass Beads and has had beads on display in the National Bead Museum, which was dismantled and moved to Arizona when the National’s stadium was built. Her work has also been featured in local stores and in many trunk shows.

For more information, see the FCA website at www.fallschurcharts.org

Community Center, Library Hours Changing July 1

By FALLS CHURCH OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS

June 22, 2010

Due to budget cuts which reduced staff, the following Falls Church City government operating hours will change beginning July 1:

The Falls Church Community Center will close at 10 p.m. instead of 10:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.  On Friday and Saturday the Center will close at 11 p.m. instead of midnight.

The permit counter hours for building and grading permits and land use applications will change to 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

The Mary Riley Styles Public Library will be closed on Sundays beginning in July and the operating hours of the Local History Room will be reduced.  The new local history hours will be Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1 to 9 p.m., and Saturdays, 1 to 5 p.m.

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