Falls Church Affordable Healthcare Nonprofit Adds Vision Suite
Thanks to a community-wide effort, Culmore Clinic has launched a Vision Suite on site, and will welcome their first patients starting November 16. At their Open House last month, they made it official with a ribbon cutting. Volunteer Ophthalmologist Dr. George Patterson did the honors.
“A Vision Suite is something that free and charitable clinics like ours only dream of,” Lynette Sappe-Watkins, Culmore Clinic’s Executive Director, said during her speech at the Open House.
This dream, which is now a reality, all started when three generous area eye doctors approached Culmore Clinic with an idea. Ophthalmologists Dr. George Patterson, MD and Dr. Sarah Merrill, MD together with optometrist Dr. Bill Baer, OD reached out to Culmore Clinic, inquiring about volunteer opportunities. At the time Culmore Clinic did not have the equipment to provide eye care.
The doctors responded by providing Culmore Clinic a “wish list” of equipment and materials, and said if Culmore Clinic could collect this equipment, they could provide vision care. This would be the first time in the nonprofit’s 16 year history that vision services would be offered on site.
As is so often the case with the Culmore Clinic community, when they asked for help, the community came running. So with the power of a few phone calls and emails, the vision care community came together to collect all the equipment and items needed from the list.
Alden Offers a happy holiday show, “It’s A Jazzy Christmas,” on December 9
The Alden at the McLean Community Center (MCC) will present a holiday entertainment show, “It’s A Jazzy Christmas,” for a single performance at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 9.
“It’s a Jazzy Christmas” is nonstop entertainment with a house band and a parade of notable DMV jazz artists.
Tickets are $30 for the general public, $25 for students and seniors, and $20 for MCC district residents.
Hosted by NBC4 News reporter Mark Segraves, the show features headliner saxophonist Lil’ Maceo, an award-winning indie jazz saxophonist whose performance style has been praised as “masterful class.”
Additional “It’s A Jazzy Christmas” performers include trumpeter Isaac Byrd Jr., violinist Eric Taylor, percussionist MZ Drummer, vocalists Tyron Senior, Rhoda Nkojo and J Chosen, creative dancer April Flood and lyricist Simoni.
Visit aldentheatre.org to purchase tickets or for more information.
Congressional School Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive a Success
Congressional School in Falls Church held its annual Thanksgiving food drive led by 7th grade students. On Friday, November 17, the students traveled to the Culmore Family Resource Center to deliver 40 boxes of food donated by Congressional School families just in time for Thanksgiving.
This is the 16th annual food drive Congressional School has organized in support of the Culmore Family Resource Center.
Opt Outside at Virginia’s State Parks for your Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend
Virginia State Parks is hosting their annual #OptOutside event to encourage people to take a break from indoor activities and opt to spend time outdoors instead. The campaign will run from November 24-26 at all Virginia State Park locations.
Park guests of all ages can indulge in self-guided and ranger-led activities to create wonderful and lasting Thanksgiving memories. Guests are encouraged to hike, bike or star watch and experience the beauty of nature while enjoying a wonderful experience at one of Virginia’s forty-two state parks.
For a complete list of Virginia State Parks Opt Outside activities, visit the programs and events section of the state parks website at bit.ly/FCNP1123vp.
In addition to the outdoor campaign, there will be a gift certificate sale on the day after Thanksgiving. Gift certificates will be 20 percent off and only available to purchase online at vasp.fun/giftcard between 12:01 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. on November 24.
Gift certificates can be used on camping, cabins, picnic shelters, meeting space and purchases in the park.
Holiday Favorites That Define The Season With The National Chamber Ensemble
On December 16, the National Chamber Ensemble (NCE) celebrates holiday cheer with renowned violinist Dylana Jenson, for an evening of classical and popular favorites the entire family will enjoy, at 7:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington (4444 Arlington Blvd., Arlington, VA).
Other artists for the evening include pianist Natasha Dukan, Dietrich Paredes (violin), Uri Wassertzug (viola), and Vasily Popov (cello).
The concert also features outstanding young pianists, string players, and winners of the 2023 National Chamber Ensemble Young Artist Competition, who will perform side by side with members of NCE in the “Concerto alla Rustica” by Antonio Vivaldi.
The evening concludes with a Carols Sing-Along led by the talented singing siblings Lisa Jansen (former member of the pop group Up With People) and Robert Jansen.
The festive conclusion guarantees to put everyone in the holiday spirit.
Creative Cauldron Hosts Telethon To Fundraise for New Location
Creative Cauldron is bringing back their live fundraiser telethon on December 4 at 6:00 p.m..
Hosted by Matt Conner & Laura Connors Hull, the evening will feature a mix of live performances from musicians and actors, as they challenge their audience at home to call in or go online and donate towards their end of year New Home New Horizon fundraising campaign.
This year’s telethon is dubbed a “Chair-A-Thon,” as funds raised will support new patron chairs at their new location in the Broad & Washington mixed-use development, where they expect to open for shows beginning in late fall for their 2024-2025 season.
Interested participants may secure free in-person tickets, RSVP for the livestream, or contribute to the campaign at creativecauldron.org/telethon.
Falls Church Arts “Music To My Eyes” Exhibit Submission Deadline December 10
Falls Church Arts invites artists to submit works inspired by music for their “Music to My Eyes” exhibit, to be displayed January 13 to February 25, 2024.
Works must be original artwork by the exhibitor, and only works that have not been previously displayed in a FCA show may be submitted.
Accepted art should be ready to hang or display, suitably framed with wire and screw eyes, with mounting and/or display stand, or with edges finished; no sawtooth hangers accepted.
All work must be for sale; FCA will remit to artists the net sales amount (artist-stipulated retail price, less 20 percent donation to FCA) within 30 days of the show closing. Artists retain copyright on their own images.
Applications may include up to three images with a required accompanying brief statement of concept or process that is original, unique to the artist, and done without the aid of large language models or artificial intelligence.
Interested artists may apply between now and December 10 at bit.ly/FCNP1123me.
November City Council Meeting “A Watershed Day for Climate Action in F.C.”
At the November 13 city council meeting, members voted to adopt a Community Energy Action plan focused on actions that can start to have meaningful effects by 2030.
At the same meeting, the council unanimously passed a resolution to elevate its 2050 goal for community greenhouse-gas emissions from an 80 percent reduction (vs. 2005 levels) to net-zero (100 percent reduction).
This is more in line with the Commonwealth, neighboring jurisdictions, and the global scientific consensus on what is needed.
City council also approved using $170k (3.33 percent) of last year’s available budget surplus for efforts that can help reduce the citywide greenhouse footprint, including a pilot program for supporting energy audits of commercial businesses and properties, engineering assessments for rooftop solar on government and FCCPS buildings, a fleet management software upgrade, energy audits and technical support for HVAC controls, and a Virtual Power Purchase Agreement planning consultant.
The full City of Falls Church Community Action Plan 2023 has been made publicly available for download or view online at bit.ly/FCNP1123ca.
Six Veterans Graduate From Fairfax Veterans Treatment Docket
In 2014 Chief Judge Penney Azcarate started the Fairfax Veterans Treatment Docket to divert justice-involved veterans from the criminal justice system. Veterans face unique circumstances, and this treatment docket provides intensive treatment and supervision to address those needs and reduce recidivism. The Veterans are afforded the necessary tools to adjust their lives. It involves a multi-agency structure to meet those needs of the veterans. On November 16th 2023, six veterans graduated from the docket. Colonel Ed Reinfurt was the keynote speaker and Delegate Marcus Simon was one of the dignitaries in attendance supporting the graduates. Judge Susan F. Earman is one of the presiding Fairfax Judges.
League of Women Voters To Host Five Year F.C. Outlook Presentation
The Falls Church League of Women Voters will host a presentation by Paul Stoddard, Director of Planning for the City of Falls Church, on the five-year outlook for our city. The presentation will be held on Thursday, November 30, from 7:45 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at the F.C. Community Center (223 Little Falls Rd., Falls Church), in the Senior Center. Members of the public are welcome to attend.