Falls Church City Focus 6-24-2010

for the week of June 24-30, 2010

city

JUNE/JULY 2010 Questions or Comments?City of Falls Church, Harry E. Wells Building300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, VA 22046703-248-5003 (TTY 711)The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act.This document will be made available in alternate format upon request. Call 703-248-5003 (TTY 711).

www.fallschurchva.gov - The official site for City of Falls Church news

24 Concerts in th

e Park, 7 p.m.

26 Farmers’

Market, 8 a.m.-n

oon

28 City Council, 7:30 p.m.

30 General Distr

ict Court i

n Session

1 Third Quarte

r Estim

ated Taxes Due

(Paid in Treasurer’s Offic

e)

C

oncerts in th

e Park, 7 p.m.

City Council In

duction, 8 p.m.

3 Farmers’

Market, 8 a.m.-n

oon

2 FIRSTfriday

4 Independence Day

C

ommunity Center, Library Closed

F

ireworks and M

usic, 7 p.m.

5 Independence Day Observed

C

ity Hall, Community Center, C

ourts,

D

MV Select in City Hall, L

ibrary, Schools,

Senior C

enter, Sheriff

’s Offic

e Closed

Rain Date for F

ireworks and M

usic

Fight the Bite!Whether you’re at a Concert in the Park

or a backyard barbeque, don’t let mosquitoes take a bite out of your summer fun! Say “NO to Mosquitoes” this summer season. In recogni-tion of Mosquito Control Awareness Week (June 20-26), area residents are reminded to Tip and Toss to eliminate mosquito breeding sites:

• At least once or twice a week, empty water from flower pots, pet food and water dishes, birdbaths, swimming pool covers, buckets, barrels, and cans.

• Check for clogged rain gutters and clean them out.

• Remove discarded tires, and other items that could collect water.

• Be sure to check for containers or trash in places that may be hard to see, such as under bushes or under your porch.

To report standing water, dead birds, or other West Nile Virus-related problems, residents should contact the Housing and Human Services Division at 703-248-5005 (TTY 711) or register a report at www.fallschurchva.gov/CommentBox.

How to Beat the HeatThe summer sizzle is on! Here are some tips to

keeping cool:

• Dress for the heat. Wear lightweight, light-col-ored clothing.

• Drink water. Carry water or juice with you and drink continuously even if you don’t feel thirsty.

• Slow down. Avoid strenuous activity or limit it to the coolest part of the day, between 4-7 a.m.

• Stay indoors when possible. If your home doesn’t have fans or air conditioning, follow these steps to lower your chance of heat problems:

º Create cross-ventilation by opening windows on two sides of the building.

º Cover windows when they are in direct sunlight.

• Take regular breaks during physical activity.

• Don’t leave your children or pet inside your car - it can reach a dangerously hot 120° F in a mat-ter of minutes, even if you’re parked in the shade.

The Falls Church Farmers Market is in a nationwide challenge and would like your vote! The City is participating in the America’s Favorite Farmers Markets™ Contest to see which farm-ers markets can rally the most sup-port from its customers. Polls will be open a limited time so cast your vote at http://tinyurl.com/24rwkhe.

The goal of the contest is to promote the connection between fresh local food and the local farms and farmland that supply it. In addition to supporting local farmers, buying locally helps protect the environment by reducing packaging and transportation demands. In August, one boutique, one small, one medium and one large farmers

Vote for the Falls Church Farmers Market as America’s Favorite

PUBLICATION NOTICEThe City of Falls Church will no longer be producing the weekly City Focus due to budget reductions. The July 1 edition will be the last regular printing of this page. To continue getting City news:

• Register to receive the semimonthly e-FOCUS newsletter by e-mailing [email protected] with “e-FOCUS subscribe” as the subject, or sign up online at www.fallschurchva.gov

• Visit www.fallschurchva.gov to get the latest City news and pro-gram information

• Visit www.fccps.org to get Schools news

Falls Church City TV is Seeking Volunteers

Falls Church City TV (FCC-TV) needs volunteer camera operators for a variety of public access programs. Volunteers will be trained and certified to use the video equipment before participating in upcoming live productions and taped studio programs. Volunteers must pay a $50 fee for residents and $60 for non-residents to pay for the training or demonstrate an appropriate level of experience with video equipment. Volunteers are also needed to assist with general office duties at the TV station such as answering phones. No training is required.

FCC-TV is the City’s cable TV channel, which airs on Cox channel 12; Verizon channel 35 and RCN channel 2.

For more information on volunteer opportunities, contact Michael Palmrose, FCC-TV Supervisor, at [email protected] or 703-248-5692.

market will be named America’s Favorite Farmers Market in 2010. But this competition is about more than just being number one. It is about supporting local farms and farmers markets!

The Falls Church Farmers Market is operated by the Recreation and Parks Division and is open every Saturday morning, year-round in the City Hall parking lot at 300 Park Ave. During spring, summer and fall, more than 40 vendors offer a variety of locally grown fruits and vegetables as well as cheeses, meats, baked goods, plants, honey and wine and a visiting chef provides cooking demonstrations. The Fairfax County Master Gardeners also staff a booth to answer gar-dening questions.

For more information, contact Recreation and Parks at 703-248-5077 (TTY 711).

$5 Burrito Dinner Fundraiser TonightFrom 5-8 p.m. today at the Chipotle in the Broaddale

Village Center, 300 block of W. Broad St., diners can enjoy a burrito, chips and salsa, and a soda, for only $5. One hundred percent of sales will be donated to the City to help fund City special events.

Scho

ols

School content published in The Schools Focus is written and edited by the Falls Church City Public Schools. For more information, visit www.fccps.org - the official site for Falls Church City Public Schools news.

BIE Partner of the WeekAlina Gawlik Aladdin’s Lamp Children’s Bookstore

School involvement: In her 20 years as the owner of Aladdin’s Lamp bookstore, Alina has supported FCCPS schools in count-less ways. She worked with teachers and librarians to find special books; brought authors into the schools for readings; supported the Falls Church Education Foundation; provided gifts for new teachers; offered discounts to school employees. She was an 18-year sponsor of Operation Earthwatch, an envi-ronmental education program. FCCPS staff members have long appreciated her dedication to reading, and will miss her when the store closes at the end of this month.

Why Alina is a BIE partner: “After serving as a librarian at Mary Riley Styles Library for 13 years, I started my business in Falls Church, and will always have a soft spot in my heart for my friends in Falls Church. I am eternally grateful that so many loyal customers helped me move from Falls Church to Arlington. I am sad to be closing the store after so many years, and will treasure the memories of bringing children and books together.”

For more information about sharing your expertise through the BIE Partnership, visit www.fccps.org or contact Marybeth Connelly at [email protected].

Calendar for June 24-July 6, 2010July

1 7:00 a.m. School Board organizational meeting (City Hall)6 Summer School Begins (All Schools)

For more calendar information, visit www.fccps.org/calendar.

(MD) Mt. Daniel School (TJ) Thomas Jefferson Elementary(MEH) Mary Ellen Henderson Middle

(GM) George Mason High (CO) Central Office

Foundation FootnotesJoin Run for the School’s Facebook group You are invited to join the Facebook group, “Run for the Schools 5K Race and 1 Mile Family Fun Run/Walk.” The Facebook group will keep runners and walk-ers up-to-date with information about the 5th Annual Run for the Schools on September 12th in the City of Falls Church. To join, simply search “Run for the Schools 5K Race” in Facebook and click “Join.” It’s just that simple. Proceeds from the Run for the Schools events benefit the programs and operations of the Falls Church Education Foundation.

The Falls Church Education Foundation is a registered 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. For information, visit www.fcedf.org or contact Donna Englander at (703) 538-3381.

FCC-TV Spotlight: 2010 School Board Organizational MeetingTune in to Falls Church Community Television (FCC-TV) to watch the School Board’s organizational meeting for the 2010-2011 school year. The chairman and vice chairman will be selected. Also, the board members will approve the calendar for the upcoming school year. This meeting will air LIVE at 7:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 1st.

The program will air again on FCC-TV at the following times:

• Thursday July 1 at 12:00 p.m. • Thursday July 1 at 8:30 p.m.

• Saturday July 3 at 5:00 p.m. • Sunday July 4 at 5:00 p.m.

You can now see FCC-TV programming live at www.fcctv.net anywhere in the world! FCC-TV also airs in the greater Falls Church area on Cox Channel 12, Verizon Channel 35 and RCN Channel 2.

Last Day, Last Bus, Last Wave

The Mary Ellen Henderson Husky and staff wave goodbye to students as the final bus pulls away on the last day of the 2009-2010 school year. The bus is due to return on September 7th.

The George Mason High School 2010 All Night Graduation Celebration Committee and the BIE thank the following businesses and community members for their contributions to this year’s celebration.

A special thank you goes to the Skyline Sport & Health Club for hosting the event.

Anthony’s Restaurant, Arlington County Bar Association, Lawrence Banker DDS, BB & T Bank, Scott Berman, DDS, Elizabeth Blystone, Brown’s Hardware, Robert Burnett and Susan Allan-Burnett, Burney Co, Camacho Family, Shirley Connuck, Container Store, Craig Cheney and Sandy Lewis, Barbara Cram, Design Frames, Dogwood Tavern, Domino’s, La Cote D’Or Café, Falls Church Yellow Cab, Flippin’ Pizza, Edna Frady, EMW, Falls Church City Sunoco, Falls Church Education Assoc, Falls Church Police Assoc, Family Medicine in Falls Church, FC Foot & Ankle Center, Irwin Feldman, DDS, Five Guys, Alexander and Silvia Forster, Foxes Music, Galleria Florist, Ralph Gallimore DDS, Giant Food, Broad Street, Giant Food, Landover, MD, Giant Food, Arlington Blvd., J. Gilbert’s, Girl Scouts, Patrick Herbst and Barbary Lipsky, Peng Si Highman, Deborah & Dallas Hudgens, Italian Café, Jason’s Deli, Sue John, Kendall’s Cakes, Kings Dominion, Nikolay and Antonia Koleva, Korte Realty, Ledo Pizza, Let’s Play Music, Lion’s Club of Falls Church, Drs. Love & Miller, Susan Loyd, Magruder’s, Katherine Mason, Massage Envy, Richard & Barbara McCall, Maneki Neko, McDonald’s/Bland Management, Metro 29, Milan Bakery, Peggy Monahan, O’Hara Law Firm, Open Kitchen, Original Pancake House, Nancy Peacock, Pepsi, Point of View Eyewear, Michael and Patricia Pyne, Quizno’s, Red, Hot, and Blue, Washington Redskins, Roden-Reynolds Family, Leslie Rye DDS, Safeway, Landover, MD, Schaeffer Family, Dan Western and Catherine Schultz, Barbara & Kieran Sharpe, Shoppers Food & Pharmacy, Smolinski, Steve Sprague, Stacy’s Coffee Parlor, Starbucks, Studio Theatre, Taco Bell, Grace Booey Taylor, Total Wine (ice), Trader Joe’s, Tien Tran and Tuyen Troung, Verizon, Washington Group Sales, Washington Nationals, Wegman’s, Mark Werblood, Murray Jonson White, CPAs, Sue and Dave Wilkes, Whole Foods and Mike Wolfe.

This incredible event, allowing a safe and alcohol-free venue for our graduating seniors, could not have been done without you.

Giant Bonus Bucks Nets $10k for FCCPSMore than 760 people linked their grocery cards to a Falls Church City

Public School in the Giant Bonus Bucks program, netting a windfall of more than $10,000 during the past school year.

Schools Giant Cards DonatedGeorge Mason 279 $4,855Mary Ellen Henderson 188 2,150Thomas Jefferson 167 1,798Mount Daniel 132 1,566

Total 766 $10,369

Giant’s contribution is more than double that of the 2008-09 school year. Thank you to all who participated in the program and to Giant for donating a portion of all grocery sales to the customer’s designated school.