TUESDAY 11/30: Quinn’s Auction for the Schools
November 26, 2010 by Falls Church Times Staff · Leave a Comment
Quinn’s Auction House is hosting the Falls Church Education Foundation Auction for the Schools on Tuesday, November 30, at 7 p.m.
Two of these events were held last year, and everyone who attended was pleasantly surprised at how much fun they had. Matt and David Quinn (GMHS alumni) are professional auctioneers who make it fun and easy to bid on unique things.
Contact Tracey Yensen by Monday, Nov 29, at the Foundation to arrange a donation.
SATURDAY/SUNDAY 12/4-5: Holiday Craft Show at Community Center
November 26, 2010 by Falls Church Times Staff · Leave a Comment
Deck the halls this holiday season with special gifts from the 18th Annual Holiday Craft Show. More than 60 crafters will take over both floors of the Falls Church Community Center, 223 Little Falls St., to sell unique handmade items and baked goods from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 4, and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 5.
Admission to the craft show is $1 for adults and 50 cents for children 12 and older; admission is free for children under age 12. Lunch is available for purchase both days.
Children are invited to come and enjoy special holiday activities. Saturday, Dec. 4 activities include Breakfast with Santa from 9-10:30 a.m.; holiday crafts from 11:30 a.m.-1:30p.m.; and a performance by the Great Zucchini from 2-2:45 p.m. Also on Dec. 4, children can visit with Santa from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Falls Church City TV professionals will film videos of children with Santa at a cost of $10 per DVD. Saturday will also features a performance by students from the George Mason High School chorus.
On Sunday, Dec. 5, a puppet show is scheduled from 1-1:30 p.m., and free holiday crafts and face painting will be offered from 2-4 p.m.
Reservations and pre-payment are required for Breakfast with Santa ($5), The Great Zucchini ($5), and the Puppet Show ($5). Reservations and payment can be made by calling 703-248-5027 (TTY 711) or online at www.fallschurchva.gov/RecRegistration. All other children’s activities are free with admission.
The Cherry Hill Farmhouse, 312 Park Ave., will host a special Holiday Shoppe on Dec. 4 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Volunteers will help children purchase and wrap inexpensive gifts ($5 and under) for friends and family.
FRIDAY 12/10: View 1938 Version of ‘A Christmas Carol’ at City Hall
November 26, 2010 by Falls Church Times Staff · Leave a Comment
Christmas Events Planned for Weekend of December 10 – 12, 2010
On Friday, December 10, the Victorian Society of Falls Church will host a special showing of the original 1938 version of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol. What better way to put one in the holiday spirit than a visit with old Ebenezer Scrooge? In addition to A Christmas Carol you’ll be treated to silent film shorts featuring Santa Claus. You’ll love seeing these early views of how Christmas was celebrated in the late Victorian era. The film starts at approximately 8 p.m. in the Falls Church Council Chambers at City Hall (on Park Avenue). And just like at the movies there will be popcorn and drinks available to purchase and snack on. This event is free to the public; however, seating is limited so arrive early. For more information contact Midge Wang at 703-534-8394.
SATURDAY/SUNDAY 12/11-12: Celebrate Christmas in the 1890s at Cherry Hill Farmhouse
November 26, 2010 by Falls Church Times Staff · 1 Comment
On Saturday night, December 11, from 5 – 8 p.m., come to historic Cherry Hill Farmhouse and celebrate Christmas in the 1890s.
Sponsored by the Victorian Society of Falls Church, Cherry Hill will be decorated as you’ve never seen it before – in the late high Victorian style. As you take your tour, costumed docents will re-enact the Joseph Riley family (who lived in the house from 1873 until the time it was donated to the City) getting ready to celebrate Christmas — decorating the Christmas tree in the parlor, preparing Christmas dinner in the kitchen, wrapping gifts in the upstairs bedroom, and hiding children’s toys in the upstairs alcove.
Throughout the house all decorations will be authentic to the period. Refreshments will be served in a lavish style with displays of Victorian silver plate and porcelain. And costumed docents will be on the porch singing Christmas carols while Sarah Provence will delight visitors by playing Christmas music on the melodeon.
The cost of admission is $6 for adults and $2 for children, with all proceeds going to benefit Cherry Hill Farmhouse. For more information contact Diane Morse at 703-248-5171.
And, to finish off a wonderful holiday weekend, on Sunday, December 12, Cherry Hill will sponsor a delicious holiday tea that includes sandwiches, scones, and sweets. After the tea retire to the parlor where Linda Lau will discuss Victorian Christmas traditions and decorations. The tea starts at 2 p.m. and costs $26. This tea is already sold out, but contact Diane Morse at 703-248-5171 to be put on a wait list or for an alternate date.
Costa Rican Rain Forest, Other Exotic Travel Launched by Falls Church Education Foundation
November 26, 2010 by Falls Church Times Staff · Leave a Comment
To achieve its mission of providing supplemental support to Falls Church City Public Schools, the Falls Church Education Foundation (FCEF) recently announced a new initiative to raise additional funds for its programs and encourage student learning. The new Family Education Adventure Travel (FEAT) program emphasizes adventure, exploration, friendship, cultural celebration, responsible tourism, and environmental preservation for families traveling with children.
Trips for 2011 include a rain forest and beach adventure in Costa Rica from April 17-24, 2011, and a wildlife safari in Tanzania from June 22- July 2, 2011. These trips are designed by experienced travel planners with adventure seekers in mind, exploring new cultures, geographies and ecosystems in a participatory fashion. Both of the trips are rated easy to moderate activity levels and are family-friendly.
A portion of travel fees will benefit the Falls Church Education Foundation and its activities which support the Falls Church City Public Schools. For more information, visit the Foundation’s website at www.fcedf.org.
The FCEF is engaged in a campaign to build a $10 million permanent Endowment Fund to help ensure that students are prepared to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
FOOD: Thanksgiving Traditions
November 26, 2010 by Kathleen Nixon · 5 Comments
By KATHLEEN NIXON
Falls Church Times Staff
November 26, 2010
Food and traditions go hand in hand. Anywhere you go in the world you can observe a community by what food they eat, how they eat it and with whom they eat with. No other event in America is more wrapped around food than Thanksgiving. I was surprised to learn that Canada had a Thanksgiving as well, celebrated on a Monday in October and they do eat the same menu, but no major shopping day planned the next day – that is left for Boxing Day.
But who can truly say what a typical American Thanksgiving meal is? We can go back to what the Pilgrims ate which was very different than what we have traditionally called a Thanksgiving meal. It included many meats such as venison, pheasant, wild turkeys but not a lot in the way of grains, or sweets.
When I left California, where turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry relish and green beans were the standard, and moved to the east coast, I thought I was in the heart of eastern traditional cooking. Imagine my surprise to deep fried turkey, ham hocks, oysters or a plethora of other staunchly held meal traditions!
Some years I can’t get enough turkey and order many to enjoy throughout the winter as roasted, then tetrazzini and then as soup. Other years, I can get by with just one turkey. Some years we have friends and family over, and each person contributes what their favorite part of the meal is. Many a heated discussion has happened over what it are the “proper” cranberry sauce or relish, or what is the best way to prepare and serve the stuffing. And long tombs have been written about the best way to prepare a turkey. Do you brine, slow cook, slather in butter and just throw it on a grill? Other years, we venture to a local restaurant to sample different varieties of what can be prepared, and not worry about the prep and the clean up. True, this means no leftovers, but we get by.
What are your Thanksgiving traditions and what did you do yesterday?
TEACHER REVOLT?
School Employees Decry Any More Cuts in Pay and Benefits
November 25, 2010 by (see byline) · 28 Comments
By GINGER PINHOLSTER
Falls Church Times Staff
November 25, 2010
As Falls Church Schools Superintendent Lois Berlin prepares to draft a Fiscal Year 2012 budget, employee advisors on November 23 expressed strong concerns about the possibility of another pay freeze.
George Mason High School Principal Tyrone Byrd, representing the Administrative Employees Advisory Council, said he has heard teachers talk about plans to find work elsewhere following a pay freeze last year and a half-step increase the prior year.
“These comments are made by some of the best teachers in Falls Church,” Byrd told the School Board, “and we are concerned about further cuts that may result in significant loss of teachers and [paraprofessionals] and an inability to recruit and retain these highly qualified staff.”
High school science teacher Jon Pepper shared similar concerns on behalf of the Professional Employee Advisory Committee. “Never before have I seen morale so low; not just in a single school, but across an entire school division,” Pepper said. “People are worried about their financial future and whether it even makes economic sense to continue teaching” in Falls Church City.
Pepper and Leila Levesque, representing the Support Employee Advisory Committee , both urged a full step increase in the salary scale and a cost-of-living adjustment.
“In the past two years, many of the budget cuts have come at the expense of school employees,” said Levesque. “Some of the cost-saving measures were: no salary increases, City retirement participants required to pay 1.6% towards their retirement, paraprofessionals lost four contract days at an average cost of 2% of their salary, plus other cuts, while the cost of living continued to increase.”
Pepper said employees have tried to work with the School Board “to mitigate the sting of the economic reality facing our Little City.” But he added that incentives for Falls Church school employees have not kept pace with neighboring regions. The most recent half-step salary increase, for instance, “was accrued at the beginning of the school year, as opposed to a full step halfway through the year,” like colleagues in an adjacent school system, Pepper said. He noted also that Commonwealth of Virginia employees will receive a 3% bonus on their pay this year, thanks to a state surplus.
In addition to salary increases, Levesque recommended reinstating four paid work days that had been taken away from paraprofessionals as well as other time lost by library aides, plus the restoration of funding for a part-time central office receptionist.
All three employee representatives expressed concerns about cutbacks and other changes to benefits. Byrd noted, for example, that employees hired before June 2003 need five years of service with the City schools to be eligible for health insurance after retirement, whereas those hired after that date are now ineligible unless they have 15 years of service. Byrd suggested that employees hired prior to the benefits change in 2007 might be grandfathered into the previous policy “on a case-by-case basis.” Levesque proposed that employees hired between June 2003 and June 2007 could be offered health insurance “at 100% premium charged to the retiring employee.”
Pepper also recommended “normal and customary benefits,” to include tuition waivers for the graduate center, the current level of contribution for employee health care insurance, and more. He urged the School Board and the Superintendent to investigate alternative revenue sources such as, for example, “advertising on district vehicles and websites or the installation of cell phone towers in the light tower on Moore-Cadillac Field.”
The employee advisors’ remarks marked the beginning of a long budget-development process. The Superintendent will develop a draft budget for presentation to the School Board. Ultimately, the Board will present its budget to the City Council. Adoption of a FY 2012 budget is scheduled for April 26. The budget-development calendar can be found on the School Board’s Web site: http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fccpsva/Board.nsf/files/8BCS9E7193DD/$file/FY2012+Budget+Development+Calendar+-+DRAFT.pdf]
Between the 2008-09 and 2010-11 school years, the schools’ adopted budget declined by 6.1% from $37 million to $34.6 million. General operating revenues also declined over the same period, from $29.6 million in 2008-09 to $27.4 million in 2010-11. Daycare revenue and other community service fees dropped, too. (See http://www.fccps.org/board/budget/fy11/FY11Budget_final.pdf)
Pepper said after the School Board meeting that he is “hopeful, but not optimistic” that employees’ recommendations can be incorporated into the FY 2012 budget. “We understand the financial realities and we do like working in Falls Church, but if a 10-year veteran teacher can go to Arlington and make between $8,000 and $10,000 more per school year, why stay?” he asked. “I really do believe the Superintendent will do her best to try to do something to improve our compensation, although I don’t know what it will be, given the fiscal situation of the city.”
Schools Finance Director Hunter Kimble told the City Council on November 1 that per-pupil spending has declined over the past two years, along with the City’s transfer to the schools, whereas enrollment has jumped 2-3% per year. He said federal revenue is likely to remain flat in 2012 and then decline in 2013, while state revenue may increase moderately. (See Falls Church Times report: http://fallschurchtimes.com/24954/council-school-board-squabble-over-budget-process/].
In other business, Berlin reported that students at Mt. Daniel and Thomas Jefferson elementary schools as well as Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School took benchmark assessment tests in mathematics for the end of the first quarter to determine whether they had mastered the material taught them. At Mt. Daniel, more than 90% of students passed the benchmark test, she said, and more than 80% of Mary Ellen Henderson fifth-graders passed. The scores of Thomas Jefferson students are still being analyzed.
School Board Chair Joan Wodiska and Vice Chair Patrick Riccards also thanked everyone involved in successfully submitting an application to the Commonwealth for a zero-interest $5.95 million qualified school construction bond, or QSCB, to expand the Thomas Jefferson Elementary School. [Report: http://fallschurchtimes.com/25405/how-to-apply-for-6-million/ ]. Although Falls Church City will be competing for funding with school districts across the state, Wodiska said, those who supported the effort are already winners.
Wodiska further reported that the Virginia School Boards Association has certified the school district as a “green school.” The certification reflects hard work by many people to increase energy efficiency and achieve other environmental goals, she noted.
In an emotional exchange, Elizabeth “Betty” Blystone, a former Virginia School Boards Association president and Falls Church School Board member, congratulated Wodiska on being named president-elect of the statewide group. “I wish you a happy and long reign,” Blystone told Wodiska. The Board Chair, in turn, thanked Blystone for sharing “good lessons on how to be a good school board member.”
Recent letters sent to the Board included Kathy Washa’s recommendation for a school-sponsored screening of the documentary film, “Race to Nowhere.” [http://www.racetonowhere.com/] Berlin had noted that the George Mason High School Parent Teachers Association apparently does have plans to screen the film soon.
For complete copies of the employees’ November 23 remarks, see:
Support Employees Advisory Committee input:
Professional Employees Advisory Committee input:
Administrative Employees Advisory Committee input:
City Retains AAA Bond Rating; Council Approves Budget Guidance
November 24, 2010 by George Bromley · 2 Comments
By GEORGE BROMLEY
Falls Church Times Staff
November 24, 2010
On the heels of a legal setback and facing a difficult budget development process, the Falls Church City Council heard some positive news Monday night when city manager Wyatt Shields reported that a leading rating agency has affirmed the City’s AAA bond rating. Although its recent defeat in the Virginia Supreme Court will force Falls Church to withdraw $2.2 million from its general fund, Fitch, Inc. has continued to give the City its highest rating. Joe Mason of Davenport, Inc., the City’s financial advisor, noted that Fitch’s most recent report stated that the number of downgrades continues to outpace upgrades, indicating that the overall credit environment continues to be very difficult.
Mr. Mason stated that Fitch expected the City to return its fund balance to its minimum policy floor, sooner rather than later, and stressed that the revenue forecast for the balance of the current fiscal year and the next must be on target. He also noted that Fitch and other rating agencies want to see municipalities engage in long term financial planning, so to have “an early warning system that would identify future pitfalls.”
Mayor Nader Baroukh observed that the Council took prompt action on the fund balance restoration last year and managed its situation well during the FY 2011 budget cycle. The mayor sees the City as continuing in that direction, while also breaking new ground.
In remarks to the Times, Mr. Baroukh stated that the unanimous approval of the FY 2012 budget guidance and the Council’s work plan on Monday evening are significant new steps in City governance. “In the past we were adding things in the last week or two of the budget cycle.” he said. “Now the city manager has a framework, which should make the tail end of the process more workable.” The mayor lauded the School Board’s decision to submit its budget earlier in the process (February 15).
The budget guidance directs the City Manager to build the FY 2012 budget assuming an equalized revenue stream for real estate as compared to FY 2011. Declining assessments will necessitate approximately a 4 cent increase in the tax rate in order to generate an equal amount of revenue in FY 2012 as in the current year. The guidance also calls for a plan for restoring the General Fund balance above the policy minimum of 8% of annual revenues by the end of FY 2012.
Additional Legislative Actions - The Council unanimously approved several other measures on Monday.
At the recommendation of the Housing Commission, the Council approved a resolution for the FY2012 funding allocations for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program Funds. The total amount of funding requested from the eight proposals was $106,330 of CDBG funds and $72,500 of HOME funds. The total CDBG and HOME funds available to the City are anticipated to be $104,938 in CDBG and $53,400 in HOME funds.
The City’s 2011 legislative program was adopted via resolution. The program’s primary positions are the prohibition of firearms in City facilities; codification of the right of all persons to be free from discrimination; improvements in pedestrian safety; the return of a greater portion of the existing income tax generated from the City of Falls Church to the City for state and unfunded mandates; and legislation to ensure effective and efficient administration of the photo red monitoring public safety system. During the discussion of the program, Councilman Lawrence Webb stated that next year he would like to include a Charter change which would require candidates for local office to obtain nominations only via petition and not through nomination by any political party.
First reading of an ordinance was approved to amend FY 2011 budgets to add $43,685 to the General Fund, $50,000 to the Capital Improvement Projects Fund, and $38,000 to the Water Fund Capital Improvement Projects Fund for new grants and other revenues awarded or received.
A consent item was approved authorizing a contract for purchase of miscellaneous plumbing supplies in an amount up to $300,000. The supplies are used in the maintenance and repair of the City’s water distribution system and in the connection of new water services.
State Representatives’ Comments - At the beginning of the meeting Senator Mary Margaret Whipple and Delegate Jim Scott gave the Council a glimpse of the view from Richmond. Ms. Whipple saw the state’s financial situation as “a lot better than last year” but said that “caution [is] the reigning word for the outlook ahead.” She noted that Virginia has seen a 3.6% revenue increase so far, which is below expectations. Mr. Scott called it “the most difficult budget year I can remember” and described the state’s revenue situation as “still not very good.” He attributed this to dramatic increases in medicare costs and the commitment to the retirement system and the state’s “‘rainy day fund.” Mr. Scott said this was not the time to limit local jurisdictions “flexibility” and that he intended to protect local streams of revenue.
QSCB Application - School Board chair Joan Wodiska thanked the Council for its prompt action in support of the City’s application for $5.95 in Qualified School Construction Bonds which, if approved, will facilitate renovation of Thomas Jefferson Elementary and allow 5thgraders to return to the school. The state’s decision on the request of the grant likely will be made before the end of the year. She also noted that the Board was developing a public/private partnership with a Reston-based firm that would provided wireless internet access and free wireless service to low income students in the community. School Board member Patrick Riccards, echoing Ms. Wodiska’s remarks, called the application “a major step forward for the City.”
Zoning Issues - Former councilman Dan Maller, a member of the zoning ordinance advisory committee, stated that the City has developed and sustained several radical policies over the last several years, including residential development on so called substandard lots and called its policy “not only an assault on our neighborhoods but an assault on the English language. How can we care more about the status of a parcel of land than the rights of neighbors and neigborhoods?”
Mr. Maller noted that he recently had brought a zoning code violation case to the Board of Zoning Appeals, but lacking three votes to overturn the zoningadministrator, now would have to appeal to the Circuit Court to stop the development. He asked the Council to accept the responsibility of prosecuting the appeal, saying that the City would be a party to the repeal regardless, but that it was important for the Council to stand with the citizens on the issue. Mayor Baroukh suggested that city attorney John Foster review the case and that the Council discuss the matter at next Monday’s work session.
Gordon Thiesz made his third statement on zoning issues to the Council this term, pointing out that since 2005 variance requests have become a rarity in the City. He suggested that the Zoning Department had approved redevelopment plans without requiring a review by the Board of Zoning Appeals and noted that BZA cases became more common after that year. Mr. Thiesz called on the Council to insist on proper oversight of the Zoning Department. The mayor saw his complaint as similar to Mr. Maller’s and worthy of review at the next work session on November 29.
Councilman Ira Kaylin commented at the end of the meeting that it was great to hear the citizens’ concerns, but there had been no indication as to what the City’s position was in these matters. He suggested that the city manager have someone present its position at the upcoming work session.
City Manager’s Report - Mr. Shields stated that the FY 2012 budget development calendar now is on the City’s website. The calendar lays out all steps between now and final approval on April 25, 2011. He said that there would be a “public input session” in January, though the date was still undetermined. Two town hall meetings will be held later in the process.
Regarding the QSCB application, the city manager advised that the projected savings would be $2.6 million over the life of the bond, compared to conventional financing, in effect a below zero percent interest rate.
Mr. Shields thanked acting CFO Melissa Ryman for her work on the preparation of the reports for the rating agencies and for her efforts in helping identify issues and presenting solutions to the Council.
Appointments - David Tarter was reappointed to the Economic Development Authority. His term will run through November 30, 2014. Ginger Pinholster was appointed to an unexpired term on the Tree Commission which will run until March 31, 2013.
Council Comments - Vice Mayor Dave Snyder made several requests to the city manager:
> A review and report on the process that resulted in the installation of No Parking signs at the corner of James and Virginia.
> A staff report on state revenues citizens pay to Richmond. He noted that an earlier study had found that the City received only 20 cents in return for every dollar it sent to the state.
> A “top to bottom look” at the City’s senior programs, now that the Senior Citizens Commission seems to have disbanded.
> Information on the financial and liability risks the City assumes in running the water system.
Mr. Webb congratulated Joan Wodiska on her election as president of the Virginia School Board Association. Councilman Ron Peppe seconded Mr. Webb. Both attended the conference that saw Ms. Wodiska’s election, which Mr. Baroukh termed a great tribute to her and the entire School Board.
Councilwoman Robin Gardner encouraged residents to attend the production of Les Miserables at George Mason High School. She asked for their prayers and good wishes in behalf of the ailing Ruby Bolster.
Links to all pertinent documents are available at the City’s website.
