LWV Falls Church Voter’s Guide Inside
TURNING THE SCREW
Ranked No. 1 in all of Virginia and in the D.C. area by the prestigious Niche.Com education resource website, the Falls Church City Public Schools have produced impressive results for students at all grade levels, according to a “Student Performance Data Report” presented to the School Board at a work session this Tuesday.
The student achievement data were laid out in an extensive session with 40 presentation slides to the board by Kimberly Heddings, the FCCPS system’s Director of Assessment and Accountability following a discussion earlier in the meeting on student safety issues around the Secondary School campus of Meridian High and Henderson Middle School.
Highlights of the achievement report included Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) pass rates exceeding state averages by 17 to 24 percent across all subjects, 100 percent pass rates in advanced middle school math, students with disabilities ranking No. 1 in every content area in Virginia and an impressive reduction in chronic absenteeism at Mt. Daniel Elementary. In English for the past school
Performance Report Impresses Continued on Page 3
The first of four face-toface encounters of candidates running for seats on the Falls Church City Council this fall was held at the American Legion Hall last Friday night, and of the six contending candidates, only four showed up.
That included only one, Laura Downs, of the three who are running as incumbents, and she’s been on the Council only a year after winning a special election. The two incumbents
who didn’t show were longtime Council member David Snyder, recovering from cancer treatments he says have been fully successful, and Marybeth Connelly, absent due to a scheduling conflict.
So, the job of defending the record of the Council to date fell to Downs, while the three firsttime candidates wound up setting the tone with predictable, if relatively gentle, criticisms of Council performances to date.
The first-timers were Arthur Agin, Brian Pendleton and
James Thompson. Combined, their issues tended to focus on a perceived need to do a better job than the current Council has done to date.
The event was hosted by the F.C. chapter of the League of Women Voters (LWV) and the Village Preservation and Improvement Society (VPIS) and veritably all the seats were filled in the Legion Hall. The forum was conducted in a Q an A format with questions from the hosting groups and then some read by the hosts from
among written submissions from the audience. The candidates were offered opening and closing statements.
The LWV Voters Guide for this fall’s election appears elsewhere in this edition of the News-Press.
The News-Press is the only organizational entity that has endorsed candidates in this election (see P. 6 this edition). Early voting is already underway with votes being cast at City Hall or
The City of Falls Church’s Independent,
THE TURN OF THE SCREW, Henry James’ 1890s ghost story, comes to life with a stunning musical rendition at Falls Church’s own Creative Cauldron theatre on E. Broad in starting October 4. The Little City’s own version of Rogers and Hammerstein, the Cauldron’s in-house creative team of Matt Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith, crafted this show that originally aired here in 2015 and now is back for a luscious reprise, not to be missed. The cast features three Helen Hayes Award winners, Bobby Smith, John Poncy and Christian Montgomery. Here, at a rehearsal staged for Cauldron sponsors last Friday night, director Conner is shown shoring up the set for a pivotal scene. (Photo: News-Press)
by Nicholas F. Benton Falls Church News-Press
by Nicholas F. Benton Falls Church News-Press
Falls Church Business News & Notes
The Turn of the Screw: A Musical
Opening tonight and running through October 26, Creative Cauldron brings back this Henry James’ classic psychological thriller returning as a musical adaptation. The story follows a governess and her wards haunted by former employees of the remote country estate and promises to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Written by Associate Artistic Director Matt Conner (Music) and Stephen Gregory Smith (Libretto & Lyrics), “The Turn of the Screw” made its world premiere at Creative Cauldron in 2015.
Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting
Sunday, October 5, 2:00 – 2:30 p.m. – Levine Music Ribbon Cutting, West Falls – Join City Council, elected officials, the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce and others as we welcome Levine Music to the city. Note that they are located facing the schools, not The Commons.
Family Fun Night
The Falls Church Chamber of Commerce is holding its Annual Family Fun Night at Jefferson District Park on Tuesday, October 7, 5:30 – 7:00. This is a community event which welcomes residents, businesses, and pm at Jefferson Falls District Park – an evening of fun. Bring your children, your neighbors, and your office! In addition to mini golf, games and children’s activities, we will have a taco bar for dinner from Westover Taco.
5Dollar5K
Saturday, October 4, 7:45 – 12:30 a.m. at the Pavilion at Bluemont Park – The event consists of a 1K fun run, a 5K run, and a walkers 5k Light refreshments and lawn games to follow the run, along with Comunidad swag giveaways. Comunidad is a Falls Church nonprofit that engages and equips leaders in the Willston community.
Creative Cauldron Stage
The organization has received an FY 2026 Operating Support Grant in the amount of $47,407 from Arts Fairfax, which supports local arts organizations providing outstanding arts experiences for the Fairfax community. A second grant in the amount of $48,602 was received from the Virginia Commission for the Arts. These two operating grants are the largest government grants in Creative Cauldron Stage’s history.
Falls Church Dining Guide Released
The City of Falls Church released the 2025 Dining Guide last week, featuring more than 150 dining locations. The guide showcases more than 20 cuisines, coffee and tea houses, vegan, vegetarian, and more as well as those receiving national and regional recognition such as Ellie Bird and Thompson Italian. The abundance of restaurants in the 2.2 square miles is a destination for those favoring diverse options. The 2025 Dining Guide is available for download at https://qrco.de/fc-dining-guide and via an interactive map at VisitFallsChurch.com/Dine-Shop.
Business News & Notes is compiled by Elise Neil Bengtson, Executive Director of the Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at elise@fallschurchchamber.org.
Student Results Report Reflects F.C. Schools’ No. 1 State Ranking
year, Falls Church students scored an average 92 in pass rates, tops in Virginia, compared to the state average of 74. In math, they were at 89 percent compared to the state average of 72. In science they were at 88, tops in the state compared to the state average of 71. And, in history and social sciences, they were at 90, tops in the state ahead of the state average of 66.
Virginia’s SOLs are described as state-mandated expectations for what students in grades K-12 should know and be able to do in core subjects like English, Math, Science, and Social Studies, which are measured by SOL tests. The program was created in the mid-1990s with an aim to improve student achievement and was later revised to equal or exceed the quality of national standards. Starting in the 2026-2027 school year, SOL tests will count as 10 percent of a student’s final grade, representing a major change in the program’s structure.
In particular, at the Henderson Middle School, there was a 100 percent overall pass rate for both Algebra
1 and Geometry, with 54 percent as advanced passing in Algebra 1 and 87 percent as advanced passing in geometry. Henderson has been ranked the No. 1 middle school in all of Virginia by Niche.com.
The SOL pass rates were particularly high for the FCCPS among what the Virginia Department of Education describes as “multiple races” students, where they were from 93 to 95, all tops in the state, and tops in the state in science for Black students.
For SAT score results, the overall mean score has risen from 1,227 in 2023 to 1,266 in the past year, and the PSAT from 1,078 in 2023 to 1,105 in the past year. SAT used to stand for Scholastic Aptitude Tests but since the term, aptitude, became controversial, in 1997 the College Board changed the meaning of the term SAT to stand just for itself. PSAT stands for the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). It is a standardized test that serves as a practice run for the SAT and also qualifies students for the National Merit Scholarship Program. The test assesses a student’s reading, writing, and math skills and is administered
annually in October at high schools.
In terms of the FCCPS’ International Baccalaureate (IB) program, which is one of the few in the nation that extends from pre-school through grade 12, an impressive total of 265 students took one or more IB exams in the past school year for a total of 992 exams taken in the past year. Thirty-seven subjects were tested and there was a 97 percent pass rate. A total of 64 IB diplomas were earned, and another 117 CareerRelated Program certificates earned.
There are 69 students of this school year’s Class of 2026, or 27 percent of the Meridian High School seniors, who are slated to achieve an IB diploma next spring, and 84 on track to earn it in the Class of 2027. In addition, 24 students in the current year are slated to achieve the CareerRelated Program certificate, and six the following year.
On the topic of student safety around the Secondary School campus, Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields was on hand to explain efforts underway to install signal lights soon on Route 7 (W. Broad) at the intersection with Haycock Road and with the new intersection
at Chestnut Street across from the West Falls Station Road that is now functioning inside the West Falls project adjacent the schools.
No exact dates for their becoming operational was provided, as the matter, in part, is in the hands of the Virginia Department of Transportation.
4 F.C. Council Candidates Square Off in 1st of 4 Election Forums
by mail ahead of the Nov. 4 Election Day. Not only F.C. Council candidates, but ones for the local school board, for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general and State Delegate will also be on the ballot, along with F.C.’s three “constitutional officers” – sheriff, treasurer and commissioner of the revenue – all running unopposed.
The remaining opportunities for the public to see all the candidates together include an informal “meet the candidates” event hosted by the VPIS on Oct. 9 at the Founder’s Row community room, a forum hosted by the Citizens for a Better City (CBC) on Oct. 16, a luncheon appearance hosted by the F.C.Chamber of Commerce on Oct. 21, and a CBC-Falls Church Forward event on Oct. 22.
All of the candidates have been campaigning actively, with the tried-and-true door to door method within the City’s 2.2
square miles, as well as by appearing at public events like the weekly Farmer’s Market, by planting yard signs, doing mailings, placing ads in the News-Press, and button-holing citizens wherever the chance presents itself.
In this context, all of the four candidates present last Friday said they’ve found potential voters concerned about the impact of the robust economic development that has occurred in the past two decades, with all of the new challengers, and especially Thompson, arguing it is time to “pause” the development.
(Other candidates, including ones running for School Board, going door-to-door this fall, the News-Press has learned, say they’ve had a different experience, that many citizens like the new amenities that the development push has brought to the community, and especially the easing on the residential real estate tax rate that that has resulted.)
Thus, Downs, challenged with speaking for the whole
current Council, was the only one to point out that the developments have achieved great results for City residents, including a 14 cent reduction in the tax rate while a state-of-theart new high school was built and major renovations made to City Hall and the Mary Riley Styles Public Library.
Thompson, a former Marine and 12-year City resident, now president of the Winter Hill Homeowners Association (one of two Winter Hill groups made up of residents of the large townhouse development originally built as GI Bill housing after World War 2), attended Rev. Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University. He reiterated his anti-further growth theme numerous times last Friday night. In the LWV Guide, he is quoted as placing at the top of his “desired achievements list” a call for a “strategic pause in new development.”
Downs focused on neighborhood concerns, including traffic calming and installation of new sidewalks, timely installation
of speed bumps and expansion of tree canopy requirements. She said she wants to find better ways for the City Hall to communicate with the citizens. Elected in a special election to the Council just a year ago, after being elected and serving as chair of the School Board, she is seeking her first full four-year term on the Council.
Agin has served as chair of the Falls Church Citizens Advisory Committee on Transportation, one of the City’s most active and influential citizen volunteer groups, and said that service has given him “a deep understanding of our city’s streets, neighborhoods and development.”
Pendleton, who has served on the City’s Board of Equalization and has been president of the Falls Plaza Condo Association, has focused on the need to improve the permitting process at City Hall, and the need to improve traffic and pedestrian safety. He’s called for the formation of “preservation district” to limit the style and height of new buildings in its
area, and to attract professional services away from Arlington and Tysons.
In Connelly’s absence last Friday night, F.C. Treasurer Jody Acosta spoke briefly at the opening of the program on her behalf. Connelly, a former Vice Mayor, is seeking her fourth term on the Council.
In Snyder’s absence, his son, Richard Snyder, spoke briefly on his behalf. Snyder has been reelected repeatedly since first being elected to the Council in 1994, and has often been the City’s representative on regional bodies.
Thundering Silence Of the Generals
Nicholas F. Benton
U.S. General Patton said, “Wars don’t start when the first shot is fired. They start when cowards in suits make bad deals.”
Count me with those whose assessment is that Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025 will go down in history as the Turning Point, or the Liberation Day, when America and the world was first given to foresee the demise of the madness that is Donald Trump and his whole MAGA movement.
This was the day that Trump and his pathetic Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were stared down, or glared down, by 800 U.S. military leaders at that consequential, as it turned out, pep rally at Quantico.
The silence of those 800 military professionals who were ordered there from all over the world, at no small expense to taxpayers, that met the conclusion of Hegeth’s stupid, sophomoric football coach halftime talk and the introduction onto the stage of Trump, that silence was deafening. (It did not relieve pressure for the release of the Epstein files.)
There were 800 senior U.S. military officers who’ve been through the hell of combat in one way or another, who were being dressed down by a compromised Fox News commentator named Defense Secretary by a cynical Trump administration bent on trashing the nation. Hegseth would not qualify to polish the shoes of those leaders but for Trump’s nihilism.
As for Trump’s performance that day, it was clear that he was shaken to his boots by that silence when he stepped to the microphone. He even said that he’d never experienced such silence raining down on him at a public event. It was an auditorium filled with stonefaced leaders, deadly serious as they all were, savagely unimpressed, except in a profoundly negative way, by the amateurish clown show they were forced to witness onstage.
Virginia U.S. Senator Mark Warner told the media the next day that he saw the officers’ reaction as a “hopeful sign” for the nation. It was the military exhibiting decorum and professionalism, he said, that indicated they will not take
unconstitutional orders, the way that others in the media, law firms, universities and business world have.
He called Hegseth’s a “fitness standards speech” that was “insulting, demeaning and belittling.” As for its call for “no more beardos,” Warner quipped, “How does that apply to (vice president) Vance?” But the military leaders “didn’t take the bait. They didn’t respond. They didn’t bend a knee. It indicated to me that the military will not give in. It will stay loyal to the Constitution. I came away relieved.”
Washington Post columnist David Ignatius called the TrumpHegseth show a “backward-facing message to the generals” with a “focus on grooming and the ‘enemy within,’” noting that it seemed “oblivious to the reality that 21st century combat will be dominated by drones and artificial intelligence, plus commanders who understand these high-tech weapons.”
As for focusing on the “enemy within,” Ignatius wrote, it “seemed to mean illegal immigrants and perhaps also the ‘radical left lunatics’ who might sympathize with their plight.” Not only is that an illegal use of the military, he noted, “It’s just dumb at a time when Russia and China pose a growing military threat to the United States.”
In a piece trending online, Michael Jochum wrote, “Trump walked in expecting a rally. He got a funeral. The generals sat in perfect silence, faces locked in the kind of grim stillness that comes from years of watching idiots talk and choosing not to react. Trump, of course, couldn’t handle it. ‘I’ve never walked into a room so silent before,’ he confessed, his voice trembling somewhere between wounded pride and panic. Then came the kicker, ‘If you want to applaud, you applaud.’”
“On Tuesday,” he wrote, “The true firing squad was silence. Not one clap, not one cheer. Just the steady hum of contempt vibrating off the brass like feedback from a dead microphone.”
“These men and women have seen actual combat. They’ve buried soldiers. They’ve lived with the weight of real command… They gave silence, the most cutting judgment of all.”
“Trump’s presidency is a hollow shell propped up by applause, and when the applause disappears, so does he.”
COMMENT
A Penny for Your Thoughts
By Penny Gross Former Fairfax County Supervisor
Candidates may disagree, but I’ve always thought that campaigning is fun; it’s governance that’s hard. Once the campaign is over, and the seat is won, the focus must be on governance, working together with other elected officials with whom you may agree, or not. Federal government shutdowns and presidential assignments of National Guard troops into cities may occupy headlines, but addressing the everyday aggravations of life depends on local and municipal governments. That is, of course, if those local boards and councils can work together to provide the governing oversight they promised when running for office. During my recent trip to Oregon for a college reunion, two local governments were wrestling with basic governance issues that we rarely see in Northern Virginia jurisdictions.
The Lane County Board of County Commissioners has five members, three men and two women, serving about 400,000 residents. The county seat is Eugene, and the county’s geography stretches from the Pacific Ocean to the Cascade mountains. Commissioners serve four-year terms and earn $114,000 a year, with no restrictions on other employment. The commission has been rocked by several behaviors by its chairman, who is elected from within the body and has served in that role since January.
The chairman, a minister, referred to the female executive of a local public agency as “a stripper on a strip pole,” has defied the county’s policies banning weapons and pets in the workplace, and called a female county attorney a “spinster,” an archaic and now derogatory term for an older woman who is not married, according to the county administrator. That last transgression resulted in a $250,000 county settlement with the woman (plus legal fees), but the chairman’s behavior continues to be defiant, demeaning, and accusatory, outlined in a letter to the chairman from the administrator. A female commissioner said the issues are serious and “require the board to have a frank conversation.” Those discussions usually are held in a closed session since they deal with personnel issues, but it would be fascinating to be the proverbial “fly on the wall.”
About 100 miles north, in Portland, Oregon’s largest city (pop. 652,000), the new city council is “struggling to find its groove,” according to The Oregonian newspaper. The council structure was overhauled by the voters last year, and 12 new city councilors took office in January. Members earn $133,000 annually as full-time councilors and are not permitted to hold other jobs. It took nine rounds of voting among the 12 councilors to elect a chairman
City of Falls Church Crime Report
Week of Sep 22 - 28, 2025
Reckless Driving/Obstruction of Justice, E Annandale Rd/Hillwood Ave, Sep 22, 2:34 p.m., a male, 27, of Fairfax County, was arrested for Reckless Driving, and Obstruction of Justice.
Destruction of Property, Hillwood Ave, Sep 23, 10:14 a.m., an unknown suspect broke
windows on the victim’s home.
Domestic Assault, Founders Ave, Sep 23, 7:30 p.m., a female, 32, of the City of Falls Church, was arrested for Domestic Assault.
Driving Under the Influence, S Washington St, Sep 26, 10:36 p.m., a white male, 27, of Annandale, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence.
Driving Under the Influence, S Roosevelt St, Sep 27, 3:11 a.m., a male, 38, of Arlington, was
and, after eight months of wrangling about their meeting schedule, they decided they should meet weekly but also complained that 18 public meetings a month (not including work sessions and special meetings) are overwhelming their offices and city staff. Utilizing proper parliamentary procedure for the conduct of meetings would help to keep order and reduce confusion and arguments, but the authority of the gavel needs to be exercised by the chairman both gracefully and firmly.
One Portland councilor suggested engaging an outside organization to do some “marriage counseling” and build trust but the council was unable to find the $100,000 needed to hire a firm. Another councilor said the job isn’t about trusting her colleagues, rather that her “job is to speak for her constituents and weigh the decisions in front of her.”
It’s really both. Being part of a governing body is like joining a team. Sometimes you are on offense, and sometimes on defense, but each member has a role on the team and needs to work together to move the ball and score. Sometimes your “side” wins and sometimes it doesn’t, but if you can’t develop some trust in your colleagues, build coalitions, and find a “sweet spot,” you are wasting time, energy, taxpayer dollars, and political capital. There are daily issues and crises in every jurisdiction, and most governing bodies have figured out how to work together and move forward. Maybe Trump’s National Guard ploy will provide the kick in the pants that the Portland City Council needs.
arrested for Driving Under the Influence and Refusal to Submit Blood/Breath Sample. Larceny from Vehicle, Gordon Rd, Sep 27, 7:42 p.m., an unknown suspect stole the victim’s license plates.
Driving on Suspended License, S Washington St, Sep 28, 2:12 a.m., a white female, 29, of Woodbridge, was arrested for Driving on Suspended License.
6 | OCTOBER 2 - 8, 2025
Since 1991, an award-winning LGBT-owned general Interest community newspaper.
Vol. XXXV, No. 34
OCTOBER 2 - 8, 2025
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The News-Press is certified by the Commonwealth of Virginia to publish official legal notices including probate, abc notices, small and foreign estates. We will provide the appropriate paperwork. A comprehensive book on the 36 year history of the News-Press, “The Life and Times of the Falls Church News-Press”: by Charlie Clark (History Press, 2023), can be purchased at local bookstores or online. The Falls Church News-Press is published weekly on Thursdays and is distributed free of charge throughout the City of Falls Church and the Greater Falls Church area to over 140 locations. Offices are at 105 N. Virginia Ave., #310, Falls Church, VA 22046. Reproduction of this publication in whole or part is prohibited except with the written permission of the publisher. ©2025 Benton Communications Inc. The News-Press is printed on recycled paper. A searchable archive of all issues of the Falls Church News-Press since 1991 can be found at bit.ly/44kt6Sc.
Restoring Home Delivery
We are announcing the imminent launch of a crowdfunding effort to restore the home delivery of the Falls Church News-Pres s to every household address in the City of Falls Church.
The difficult decision to cease carrier home deliveries of the paper, something we’d done since our inception in March 1991 until this past year, was due to financial constraints. While shifting to delivery to 143 bulk sites in the City and its environs has not led to a significant decline in readership, it has nonetheless affected the impact of the newspaper on the local community in ways we hope to overcome with this new campaign.
We are proud of this newspaper’s record of service to the community of Falls Church over these almost three dozen years, and are determined to continue our seminal role informing and advising as many folks as possible in the Little City. Together with our help, we’ve come a long way over this period, with a school system that is second to none, and an array of community services and quality of life enhancements, excellent governance and levels of volunteer citizen participation extending virtually from cradle to grave that have turned Falls Church into the kind of shiny jewel that sparkles as a model for the whole world to emulate.
In this context, unlike the current rave for online products driven solely by an obsession with “click bait” and algorithms (controlled by somebody else), the News-Press remains committed most fundamentally to our print product, a tactile, inky newspaper that readers can wrinkle, underline and draw on, fold and stick in a pocket, mull over and quote to a friend or foe, a place where they can read it later, or again and again if necessary, clip and post on a bulletin board or paste into a scrapbook, and ultimately, hang onto and thereby avoid some tyrant’s decision to make stuff disappear by pulling a plug, if it were to come to that.
These times are critical, and you hardly need us telling you that. Quality, reliable and responsible communication is more vital than ever, as was stressed over and over at last week’s Falls Church City Council candidate’s forum at the American Legion hall. We’re here for you as we always have been on that score. But as the regional economy suffers from the current federal administration’s irresponsible cuts and layoffs, retailers are finding it increasingly difficult to stay in business, much less to advertise their wares in our newspaper at the revenue levels needed for us to do our job effectively. It is going to take the community as a whole weighing in.
While it is administratively and otherwise prohibitive to charge the public for individual papers, a collective effort, ideally one also supported to a modest extent by local tax dollars, can make it work over the long haul. We are hopeful you, our readers, will contribute generously to making this happen. Details will be in next week’s paper and online.
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The News-Press Endorses in Falls Church This Fall: For City Council
Marybeth Connelly, Laura Downs, David Snyder, Arthur Agin. For School Board
Kathleen Tysse, Anne Sherwood, MK Hughes, Sharon Mergler.
From the Sept. 18 N-P Editorial:
“We are confident in our endorsement decisions, also, not only because of what we’ve observed with our own eyes and ears covering local government here week in and week out for, low, these many years, because we because we have sought important counsel from among those who work behind the scenes in City Hall and at the City schools. We are mainly motivated by a desire to get it right for our readers and all citizens of Falls Church.”
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Meridian Golf Highlights Mustang Sports With District Title
By Ryan McCafferty
It was another exciting week of fall sports at Meridian High School, as several Mustang teams turned in standout performances on key dates across the calendar.
The football team delivered a resounding Homecoming win, routing Fauquier 60-22 on Friday night. The Mustangs bounced back in emphatic fashion from their road loss the week prior, improving to 3-2 on the year. The victory set them up with a chance to post back-toback wins for the first time this season as they prepared to host James Wood.
Golf shined brightest of all, capturing the district championship last Thursday at Shenandoah Valley Golf Course. Meridian carded a team total of 315, nine strokes better than John Handley, to secure its second straight crown. Drew Fishel led the way with a 72 and Charles Griffith followed closely behind at 74. The team’s strong showing earned them a return trip to Shenandoah this week for the
regional tournament.
Cross country continued its demanding slate by competing in the Oatlands Invitational on Saturday, an event that drew more than 90 schools. William Anderson finished 123rd overall, setting a new all-time course record for a Meridian runner, while Michelle Malheiro placed
127th to lead the girls’ squad. The team looked ahead to another big test with a trip to Gettysburg on the schedule for the coming weekend.
Field hockey’s dominance carried on during its long road trip. The Mustangs blanked Kettle Run 3-0 on Thursday to extend their winning streak and improve to 9-1 on the season. With the strong start firmly in hand, the team earned a welldeserved rest before traveling to Liberty (Bealeton) on October 7.
Girls volleyball had the week off, remaining 7-5 overall, while the boys’ team kept their recent resurgence going. After opening the year 0-10, the Mustangs
notched their second win in three matches by defeating Thomas Jefferson in four sets on the road Wednesday.
With golf’s district crown and football’s Homecoming rout leading the way, it was a week filled with momentum for Mustang sports as October got underway.
MERIDIAN’S WILLIAM ANDERSON set a new school record with a 17:22 run at the Oatlands Invitational, leading the Mustangs against more than 90 schools. Michelle Malherio paced the Girls’ Team with a top-time that ranks 14th all-time for Meridian on the course. (Photos: FCCPS)
‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey’ Finds Beauty in Emotional Vulnerability
By Lisa Sinrod
This movie is strange and somewhat sappy, but also whimsical and lovely. It is a romantic fantasy with a bit of magic threaded through the scenes, which I found more appealing than it sounds. Much of this is due to the warmth and skill of the starring actors. Irish actor Colin Farrell (known for his role in “Banshees of Inisherin”) portrays David and Australian actress Margot Robbie (last seen in “Barbie”) portrays Sarah, who meet at a wedding. Robbie was also a co-producer of the film, which was released on September 19 and is rated R. The location of the wedding is never specified, although the filming took place in California and Hawaii. The cinematography is visually sweeping and beautiful, adding to the dreamlike imagery.
At the wedding, there seems to be an emotional connection when David and Sarah meet. They leave separately, each carrying baggage from prior relationships and the fear of being hurt again. Both are driving rental cars for their travel to the wedding from the same peculiar rental car agency. Scenes
toggle through portals and surreal constructs as David and Sarah are directed on a journey by their rental car GPS, sometimes separately and sometimes together. The set ups in the first several scenes are awkward and confusing, but if you are willing to suspend disbelief and go for the ride you may feel rewarded. The automated directions result in Sarah joining David’s rental car for much of the GPS guided journey after the wedding, which takes them to places other than their respective homes. During this meandering trip, they revisit pivotal past moments for each of them in a truncated version of time travel. This allows for emotional intimacy and support between the two as they travel through these experiences, returning to the present after each such encounter. The best parts of this film involve the themes of emotional trauma and regret, and the ways these events inform and shape present day relationships.
The road to David and Sarah learning about each other while being directed to revisit their pasts is metaphysical in this rendering. As they continue the excursion, layers of their defenses are peeled back and trust becomes a possibility. Whether
they can fully surmount their strong patterns of self-protection and flourish in a relationship is an open question throughout most of the movie. Some of the plot transitions between disparate experiences is choppy and uneven. The film is ambitious, perhaps overly so, in mixing metaphors and themes in the plot line. If you prefer tight plotting and are turned off by a considerable amount of sentimentality or time travel, you may want to skip this one. However, if you are a fan of these actors and/or enjoy visually engaging films which speak to universal emotions – you likely will enjoy this creation. Audience reaction has been notably mixed.
The script, written by Seth Reiss, is quirky and at times interesting and charming. With less skilled actors and without the gorgeous cinematography, “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” might fall flat. Director Kogonada, known for creating video essays on cinema as well as directing TV episodes for prestige streaming services before entering feature film directing, combines all the elements and makes this movie mostly work. The messaging around the human experience is inspired and the audi-
ence is drawn into caring about the characters and the outcome. The end result has a feel-good component.
With the recent spate of film sequels and re-do’s, the originality of the script is refreshing.
GENERAL ELECTION ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2025 POLLS OPEN 6:00 A.M. TO 7:00 P.M.
The League of Women Voters of Falls Church publishes this Voters’ Guide. The League has a long tradition of publishing the verbatim responses of candidates to questions that are important to voters; responses are published as provided and are not edited by the League. Please visit my.lwv.org/virginia/falls-church for more information about the League, and go to VOTE411.org to enter your address and compare candidates’ responses to the League’s questions. The League does not support or oppose any candidate or political party.
For more specific voter information, contact the City of Falls Church Voter Registration and Elections Office at (703) 248-5085 (TTY 711) or email: vote@fallschurchva.gov regarding voter identification requirements, early in-person or absentee voting by mail, and sample ballots. Online, go to www.fallschurchva. gov/vote.
ELECTION DAY VOTING: Registered voters who live in the City of Falls Church are eligible to vote at the appropriate polling place for their residences.
Polling Places: Ward 1 votes at Oak Street Elementary School, 601 S Oak Street. Both Ward 2 and Ward 3 vote at the Falls Church Community Center, 223 Little Falls Street.
IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED TO VOTE: Virginia law requires all in-person (early and Election Day) voters either to provide an acceptable form of ID or to sign an ID Confirmation Statement at the polls. Voters arriving at the polls without an acceptable form of ID will be required to either sign an ID Confirmation Statement or vote a provisional ballot. If a voter votes a provisional ballot, they will have until noon on the Friday following the election—November 7 this year—to deliver a copy of identification to their locality’s elec-
toral board or sign an ID Confirmation Statement for their provisional ballot to be counted.
The following forms of identification may be used to vote (a full list of acceptable IDs is available at elections.virginia.gov/VoterID):
• Voter confirmation documents
• Virginia driver’s license or special identification card issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles (current or expired)
• US Passport or passport card (valid)
• Employer-issued photo identification card (valid)
• Student identification card issued by a public or private high school or institution of higher education located in Virginia (valid)
• Other US, Virginia state, or local government-issued identification with photo (valid)
• US Military identification card (valid)
• Virginia Voter photo identification card issued by the Virginia Department of Elections
• Tribal enrollment or other tribal ID from any of the 11 tribes recognized by Virginia (valid)
• Nursing home resident ID if issued by a government facility
• Current utility bill, bank statement, government check, or paycheck containing the name and address of the voter (within the past 12 months)
• Any other current government document containing the name and address of the voter
• Signed ID Confirmation Statement (available at polling place)
EARLY VOTING: In Virginia, all registered voters may vote early, either in-person or by mail from September 19 through November 1, 2025. No excuse is necessary.
ABSENTEE VOTING IN-PERSON (Early Voting) began September 19, 2025. You may vote in-person at the Voter Registration and Elections Office, 300 Park Ave, Center Level, Suite 206, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm weekdays, and on Saturday, October 25 (9:00 am-5:00 pm), and Sunday, October 26 (12:00-3:00 pm). Early voting stays open late on Wednesday, October 29, until 7:00 pm. The last day to vote early in-person is on Saturday, November 1 (9:00 am-5:00 pm).
ABSENTEE VOTING BY MAIL requires the completion of a Virginia Absentee Ballot Application Form, available either online or by mail. Your request for an absentee ballot by mail must be received by the Voter Registration and Elections Office by 5:00 pm Friday, October 24, 2025. You will be mailed the absentee ballot, which must be mailed back in time to reach the electoral board by noon on Friday, November 7. NOTE: Since July 1, 2023, witness signatures are not required to vote by mail; however, you must write in the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number and your year of birth.
ACCESSIBLE VOTING: There are accessible voting options at each polling place and early voting location. Voters who are 65 or older or have a disability can vote from their vehicle at the polls on Election Day or at the Voter Registration and Elections Office before Election Day.
ABOUT THIS GUIDE: Candidates running for City Council and School Board are listed in the order they appear on the ballot as determined by the Virginia State Board of Elections and the City of Falls Church Electoral Board. Candidate responses are published as provided by those running for office and are never edited by the League. Responses from candidates running for Sheriff, Commissioner of Revenue, and Treasurer may be viewed at VOTE411.org.
FALLS CHURCH CITY COUNCIL AND SCHOOL BOARD
In addition to these local races, this year’s ballot includes races for Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Candidates: Winsome Earle-Sears (Rep), Abigail Spanberger (Dem); Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, Candidates: John Reid (Rep), Ghazala Hashmi (Dem); Attorney General of Virginia, Candidates: Jason Miyares (Rep), Jerrauld Jones (Dem); Member, Virginia House of
Delegates (35th District), Candidates: Marcus D. Simon (Dem), Sylvia Oleksy (Rep), David Crance (Lib); Sheriff, City of Falls Church, Candidate: Metin A. “Matt” Cay (Dem); Commissioner of Revenue, City of Falls Church, Candidate: Thomas D. Clinton (Dem); Treasurer, City of Falls Church, Candidate: Jody P. Acosta (Dem).
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THE OFFICE, TERM, AND COMPENSATION: The City Council enacts ordinances and resolutions, approves budgets, sets tax rates, and establishes policy. Elections of City Council Members are typically held in November of odd-numbered years for three or four members. Citizens will elect four members to City Council on November 4, 2025. The current annual compensation for Council Members is $11,000; the compensation for Mayor is $11,500. Council compensation will be increased to $16,000
FALLS CHURCH CITY COUNCIL
for Members and $17,000 for the Mayor as of July 1, 2026.
THE QUESTIONS:
1. Tell us about the EXPERIENCES that have prepared you to contribute to Falls Church City as a Council Member.
2. If elected, what would you like to be your TOP ACHIEVEMENTS at the end of your four-year term?
Laura T. Downs (Ind)
Biography: Current FC City Council Member (Elected Nov 2024); Served on FCC School Board 2020-2023 (Chair in 2022 & 2023); Board Member, Falls Church Education Foundation; Current Mary Ellen Henderson MS PTA President; FCC Elementary PTA President (2017-2018) Website: www.votelauradowns.com Email: lauratdowns4@gmail.com Telephone: (703) 517-0257
QUESTIONS:
EXPERIENCES: I am a current member of the FC City Council. I sit on the CC Government Operations Cmte, where we focus on staffing city offices, process improvements, and working with the City Manager on aligning staff priorities with CC priorities. I was elected to the FCC School Board in 2019 and served as Vice Chair for one year and Chair for two years. I understand the demands of public service and how to effectively lead a publicly elected body. I also know the importance of community feedback in decision-making. I sat
David F. Snyder (Ind)
BIOGRAPHY: Attorney; Elected official to Falls Church City Council and regional boards; Volunteer first responder—Emergency Medical Technician; Husband, father, fatherin-law, grandfather
WEBSITE: www.DavidFSnyderForCityCouncil.com
EMAIL: davidflemingsnyder@gmail.com
QUESTIONS:
EXPERIENCES: I grew up in Western Pennsylvania in a family that encouraged commitment to benefit the common good. This principle has guided my life. I began public service as a volunteer firefighter and EMT in my teens and continue to volunteer, both in this country and abroad. I have served Falls Church as a member of City Council since 1994, as Mayor from 1998-2000, and as Vice Mayor from 1996-1998 and 2010-2015, and represented the City on regional transportation, emergency preparedness, and air quality bodies. My
3. How will you ensure that FUTURE DEVELOPMENT in Falls Church balances economic growth with infrastructure capacity, environmental sustainability, and the preservation of our small-town character?
4. Given the uncertain economic situation facing our region (federal employee lay-offs, federal funding cutbacks, possible inflation), how would you approach ensuring the FINANCIAL VIABILITY of the City of Falls Church? Do you think there are things the City should do to support families affected by recent federal policy changes?
CANDIDATES FOR FALLS CHURCH CITY COUNCIL (VOTE FOR NOT MORE THAN FOUR)
on the CC Budget and Finance Cmte as the SB representative, so I am well-versed in both the general government and the school system budgets. I am one of only six FCC residents to be elected to both City Council and the School Board.
[DESIRED] TOP ACHIEVEMENTS: I want to streamline the Neighborhood Traffic Calming process, enabling us to respond to neighborhoods more quickly with speed bumps and other measures. In addition, installing missing sidewalks, especially in areas with school bus stops, would be a top priority. I also want to have expanded tree canopy requirements for developers. I aim to develop more effective ways to communicate with the community about issues before the council, particularly now that the local newspaper is no longer delivered to homes. Ultimately, I aim to achieve a lower real estate tax rate, striking a balance that generates sufficient revenue to support the city’s growing infrastructure needs. I would also like to create more tax relief programs during my term.
FUTURE DEVELOPMENT: Every development is unique depending on size, scope, location, economic benefit, and impacts on infrastructure such as sewer capacity. The staff report is a solid guide to the effects a development might
professional life as an attorney working at all levels of government has honed my advocacy, negotiation, and leadership skills. As a result, I possess the abilities and experience needed to govern, especially in these uncertain times.
[DESIRED] TOP ACHIEVEMENTS: My overall goal is to respond effectively to the new needs and aspirations of our citizens while maintaining our City’s core values of inclusiveness, good government, and regional leadership. These needs vary in scope and complexity. For example, with more people living in multifamily buildings, we need more recreational facilities and so have improved our parks, adding new children’s play equipment. Meantime, large-scale development over 20 years has taxed our sewer/stormwater infrastructures in ways that remain unresolved. No matter what the need, the fundamentals that make Falls Church different—a strong commitment to the rule of law and a City Council that respects all views and seeks to represent the entire community—must not change.
FUTURE DEVELOPMENT: As an attorney and advocate, I have developed negotiation skills that are
have on our city. Though new developments are more energy efficient and sustainable than the vacant concrete lots and older buildings they replaced, we need to hold developers accountable to a higher standard regarding the tree canopy and storm water management. We must focus on a balance of new restaurants, shops, and housing (some affordable) and the small town feel with remodels of older buildings. It is vital for us to keep smaller shops around and this can be achieved by tax abatement for owners who improve existing buildings.
FINANCIAL VIABILITY: The CC discussed the impact of Federal workforce and funding cuts, and inflation during our recent budget discussion. We discussed possible real estate tax deferrals for households that need tax assistance due to losing their federal jobs. The majority of our federal funding is for transportation projects that we would put on hold if federal funding were pulled. The school system is predominantly funded by the local government (the LCI makes even state funding small), so a withdrawal of federal funds could be absorbed. The recent flattening of meals tax and sales tax revenue is a concern, and therefore, we have established a contingency fund as a safety net. The recent development in the city will also help us weather an economic downturn.
essential to achieving a balance among economic growth, infrastructure capacity, environmental sustainability, and the preservation of our small-town character. Too often, our City has accepted less than we should have regarding some or all of these factors, acceding instead to developers’ demands. In my view, that must change.
FINANCIAL VIABILITY: Having served through 9/11, the Great Recession, the COVID-19 pandemic, and now the unprecedented uncertainties faced by many of our citizens, I have learned key lessons about how best to sustain and support our community. With my support in this year’s budget, the City Council took a major step to assure the financial viability of Falls Church by setting aside a special contingency reserve. In addition, we may consider targeted support for families adversely affected by the actions of our federal government, just as we did for businesses negatively impacted by the pandemic. These are examples of the tools we have deployed and must use to maintain the viability of our City and our citizens when financial stresses become severe.
GENERAL ELECTION ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2025
POLLS OPEN 6:00 A.M. TO 7:00 P.M.
Marybeth D. Connelly (Ind)
Biography: Marybeth Connelly is seeking her fourth term on City Council. She has lived in Falls Church for 30 years, along with her husband Michael. She has three grown children who are Falls Church “lifers”.
Website: marybethconnelly.com
Email: mbforcitycouncil@gmail.com
QUESTIONS:
EXPERIENCES: This is my fourth campaign for Council, and I am always learning. I have lived in Falls Church for 30 years, and I am also a 20-year employee of Falls Church City Public Schools. My service as a Council member and school employee reflects a lifelong commitment to taking care of people.
Leadership requires the ability to make hard decisions. Council members have to be listeners first, then speak and act. Through many challenging topics, I’ve learned that collaboration is both essential and difficult. Council members don’t always agree - and shouldn’t always agree - but it is important to assume that your col-
Arthur H. Agin (Ind)
Biography: A graduate of Georgia Tech, I spent several years in the US Army. After my service and an MBA from Cornell, I landed in the D.C. area. Here I pioneered services at companies like MCI, Iridium, Nextel, and launched Amtrak’s first passenger app. Website: https://agin4fallschurch.com Email: arthur@agin4fallschurch.com
QUESTIONS:
EXPERIENCES: I’m running for city council because I want to help build a better Falls Church.
After serving in the US Army and earning an MBA at Cornell, I landed in the D.C. area. It’s here that I pioneered services at companies like MCI, Iridium, and Nextel and launched Amtrak’s first passenger app. Seven years ago, my family moved to Falls Church for its exceptional community and schools. I sought a way to be involved and for the last five years, I’ve served on the city’s Advisory Committee on Transportation, most recently as chair. This gives me a deep
Brian W. Pendleton (Ind)
Biography: I’ve lived in Falls Church, first as a renter and then a homeowner since 2010. I’m currently a member of the Falls Church Board of Equalization and the president of the Falls Plaza Condo Association. Website: https://www.pen4fcc.org Email: brian@pen4fcc.org
QUESTIONS:
EXPERIENCES: As I mentioned in my bio, the most recent experience is my service as a member of the Board of Equalization and as the president of the Falls Plaza Condo Association. Other types of experience that I’ve acquired come from many different sources. I’ve worked in management at the world’s largest retailer and at a startup that eventually was listed on NASDAQ. I’ve led teams of 4 and teams of 100. I’ve traveled to many different countries and lived in three of them for an extended time. I’ve learned,
leagues are in it for the good of the community, whether you are in agreement or not. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together.
[DESIRED] TOP ACHIEVEMENTS: Welcoming Community: We’ve opened doors to more people, grocery stores and restaurants, and need to focus on the success of new residents and businesses. We also need to take care of long-term residents and struggling residents.
Safe Transportation: We have better streets, sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes - but we still have work to do to ensure that pedestrians, bike riders, scooters, cars and trucks can share roads and sidewalks safely.
Fiscal Stewardship: I am committed to funding both schools and government services to serve the City’s needs. Revenue sharing between schools and general government has served us well, and should continue to evolve.
Regional Collaboration: Falls Church needs to maintain partnership with neighbors.
FUTURE DEVELOPMENT: In the past 24 years, the game changer has been growth in population, businesses, and residences.
Old infrastructure needs maintenance, and the City is in a position to handle this because of the increase in our tax base. Some growth has contributed to the demands
understanding of our city’s streets, neighborhoods, and development.
I’m excited to bring my experience to the city, help us navigate our growth, and embrace the things we love about Falls Church.
[DESIRED] TOP ACHIEVEMENTS: My focus will be on improving our streets and sidewalks, ensuring growth fits the character of our city, and making good government even better. If at the end of my four years all these areas have significantly improved, I would consider my term in office a success. I would like: 1) Sidewalks that are easy to navigate, unobstructed, and lead to the right places. 2)
A ‘Complete Streets’ program so any repaving or street updates are faster, consistent, and embrace mobility for everyone. 3) New development reviewed and approved so that concerns about community fit, style, city-wide transportation, and infrastructure are addressed. Beyond these issues, I intend to support our schools, improve parking, and strengthen our boards and commissions.
FUTURE DEVELOPMENT: As the current chair of a city board which reviews development projects, I know that early and clear feedback can make an important difference.
To help balance growth in the city I believe we should
for the most part, not to jump to conclusions and to ask questions even when the answers seemed obvious. Most of all, I’ve learned that I don’t have all the answers, and only by working with others can we solve the hardest problems. [DESIRED] TOP ACHIEVEMENTS: Here’s the four things that I would like to list as my top achievements:
1. Modernize the processes and technologies used by city staff in all departments.
2. Improve traffic safety by ensuring ensuring 150 feet of visibility before a turn at each stop sign and traffic signal, as well as enacting a “Don’t block the box” traffic law.
3. Improving pedestrian safety from cars, bikes, and other motorized modes of transit that are used on our roads and sidewalks.
4. Enacting a plan for the Gordon Road triangle that includes both public and private solutions.
FUTURE DEVELOPMENT: This is probably the hardest thing to write but I’m not sure that we are currently preservign our small-town character. In the area around City Hall, sure but look at West Falls and it’s hard to say we are trying to preserve that character. If that’s the case, I’d want to enact a preservation district that would
on the systems, but we prepared, and most has been a net positive for the City. Without new developments, businesses that have chosen to locate in Falls Church would not have come here. They would have opened outside the City, and we would have missed out on the vitality, but would be dealing with traffic and aging infrastructure with no way to pay for it.
Trees, crosswalks, sidewalks, schools, library, art, churches, neighborhoods, parks, provide small-town character.
FINANCIAL VIABILITY: In FY2026 budget, City Council included contingency funds to address concerns about the impact of Federal uncertainty. This includes funds to cover revenue shortfalls and to help families in need. It is important that the General Government and Schools partner on this challenge because both are working with many of the same families. Strong collaboration in the past by dedicated staff should continue in order to serve residents.
We need business diversity. In the early 2000s Falls Church pursued more office space. When the office market collapsed in 2020, Falls Church benefitted from having less office space. With a mix of office, grocery, retail, and restaurants there are options for everyone, encouraging visitors to Falls Church.
strengthen the review process. Board and commission reviews provide valuable feedback to staff and developers, but they are only as strong as the support provided from the city council Reviews of architectural style are especially important since we must ensure new buildings fit the history and character of Falls Church. We should push for reuse of existing buildings, earlier board reviews of new projects and ensuring review feedback is addressed. This will lead to future development fitting the entire city.
FINANCIAL VIABILITY: We need to help those personally affected by the changes and uncertainty. In addition to possible deferrals or waivers for city costs we can encourage a robust network of residents to help each other. Financially there may be tough choices ahead, but Falls Church is positioned to weather the challenges. Our recent growth and quality city services provide us with flexibility, especially as projects start to deliver benefits. Let’s take advantage of the recent lull in new development to ensure recently opened businesses succeed. At the same time, I would explore more variety for city revenue. Too much of our city income is tied to property values and that creates a disconnect with inflationary cost pressures and economic diversity.
limit the style and height of new buildings in that area. I grew up in a town with a town square that’s what I always envision when trying to balance new buildings with a place that the citizens feel is “theirs.” Also, we must acknowledge that economic grow isn’t just new buildings, stores or restaurants. Falls Church needs to attract professional services firms away from Arlington and Tyson’s Corner.
FINANCIAL VIABILITY: Even though I believe that we may need to spend money to modernize the city’s enterprise systems, I also believe that we need to ensure every penny we spend has a purpose. That’s hard because everyone that works for the city or school wants raises, every department has needs to perform their jobs, every group is facing budget shortfalls which will cause them to turn to the city is hopes of getting some kind of help. We’ll have to look at every option available to ensure we meet the needs of our citizens during this uncertain time and position the city so that we are ready to enact our plans once the uncertainty is gone.
As to the second question, I don’t know. I don’t know what the city can do legally or what resources we have.
CANDIDATES FOR FALLS CHURCH CITY COUNCIL AND SCHOOL BOARD ON NEXT PAGE
James C. Thompson, Jr. (Ind)
Biography: Falls Church resident since 2013 with my wife and five children. 21-year Marine Corps officer, most recently as a State Dept advisor. President, Winter Hill Homeowners’ Association. Adjunct professor. Youth baseball, soccer, and Let Me Run coach. Website: www.thompsonforfcc.com Email: james@thompsonforfcc.com
QUESTIONS:
EXPERIENCES: My 21 years as a Marine Corps officer, including overseas deployments, work across multiple presidential administrations, and service as a State Dept advisor, have enabled me to understand the importance of building relationships and making balanced, informed decisions. As president of the Winter Hill Homeowners Association, I have welcomed new residents, ensured transparency, addressed sidewalk and safety concerns, and shared community feedback on issues like the Quinn development and solid waste proposals. I am also active in youth sports as cofounder of the FCC Let Me Run program, which keeps
THE OFFICE, TERM, AND COMPENSATION: The School Board’s primary responsibilities are to set policy for the school division, approve the annual budget, develop a strategic plan, and hire a superintendent to operate the school division in accordance with board policy. The seven School Board Members serve fouryear terms and are not affiliated with any national political party. Elections of School Board Members are typically held in November of odd-numbered years for three or four members. Citizens will elect four members to the School Board on November 4, 2025. The annual
me connected to families and the broader community, and dedicated to fostering an inclusive, welcoming city where every resident feels heard.
[DESIRED] TOP ACHIEVEMENTS: If elected, I would be proud to point to achievements that reflect thoughtful, balanced growth while accepting the realities of living in Northern Virginia, including:
• A strategic pause on new development to assess recent projects and plan responsibly.
• Addressing infrastructure, traffic, flooding, and school capacity. We cannot kick this can down the road.
• Analyzing both sides of the issues. For example, balancing the need for cars – especially busy families – with pedestrian and bicycle safety.
• Facilitating inclusive discussions so all residents, neighborhoods, and organizations are heard, keeping the focus on the community rather than developers.
• Taking a pragmatic, non-ideological approach that reflects residents’ needs.
FUTURE DEVELOPMENT: I support a thoughtful, measured approach to growth, discussions that include all residents and organizations, and prioritizing infrastructure to keep Falls Church safe and prepared for the future. Our small-town character has been challenged by disconnected islands of development, and we should focus on cohesive planning rather than adding density
compensation for School Board Members is $3,600; for the Vice Chair, $4,800; and for the Chair, $6,000.
THE QUESTIONS:
1. Tell us about the EXPERIENCES that have prepared you to contribute to Falls Church City schools as a School Board Member?
2. Given the significant portion of the city budget allocated to schools, how will you advocate for educational excellence while ensuring FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY?
wherever parcels remain. I will focus on strengthening the city’s core by:
• Working with regional partners to improve traffic flow and safety.
• Addressing flooding and wastewater challenges that affect the entire city, not just individual developments.
• Partnering with the school board on class size concerns.
• Working with property owners to improve and preserve existing affordable housing.
FINANCIAL VIABILITY: Having served our country for over two decades, I know Falls Church is home to many who continue to serve our nation, and one of our main priorities should be supporting residents as they do so. In uncertain times, families affected by federal layoffs or policy changes deserve a city that responds with compassion and practical help. I would aim to:
• Strengthen partnerships with schools, nonprofits, and regional or national organizations.
• Expand access to services and preserve existing affordale housing.
• Reduce household costs where possible – without overburdening residents with new taxes or fees.
• Maintain prudent budgeting and community-focused planning.
Above all, we need to stand together and support one another as a community.
3. What specific steps will you take to engage DIVERSE VOICES in decision-making to ensure that policies reflect the needs of all Falls Church City students and families?
4. What specific strategies would you propose to manage continued student enrollment GROWTH, while maintaining low student-teacher ratios and high-quality education?
5. What do you believe to be the TOP CHALLENGES facing the Falls Church City Schools and how would you address them?
CANDIDATES FOR FALLS CHURCH CITY SCHOOL BOARD (VOTE FOR NOT MORE THAN FOUR)
Lori K. Silverman (Ind)
QUESTIONS: EXPERIENCES: I’ve been a trusted and balanced board member during my current term on the Falls Church School Board. I’ve listened to the community, teachers, and staff about various issues, and taken those views into consideration when making policy decisions. I attended town halls, met with people 1:1, and been an active
participant in order to help provide the best education for our kids.
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY: City budgets are complicated, especially during uncertain times. I try to ensure that given our growth, each new position has a strong connection to students. I ask questions to understand how each position will help better educate our kids.
DIVERSE VOICES: I have an open door policy. I’ve met with many different people from different backgrounds during my tenure in the board and I will continue to do that if re-elected.
GROWTH: Student enrollment will rise. We need to
make sure we maintain a positive working relationship with the city council so there is a budget sharing agreement. When we make budget decisions, first priority should be to review positions that will ensure our ratio remains low, and at the same time ensuring we recruit and retain the best teachers and staff.
TOP CHALLENGES: The top challenge is population growth. We need to ensure our budget recognizes that growth, provides the supports necessary, and ensures that each new position is going to be filled with someone who will advance our students’ needs.
FALLS CHURCH CITY SCHOOL BOARD
CANDIDATES FOR FALLS CHURCH CITY SCHOOL BOARD ON NEXT PAGE
Sharon M. Z. Mergler (Ind)
Biography: Originally from Ohio and moved to Virginia in 2007. I have been married to Josh for 15 years and we have Josephine (9), Sawyer (8), and our dog Gus (2.5). We have lived in FCC since 2020 in the Winter Hill Community.
Website: votesharon4schoolboard.com
Email: sharon.m.z.mergler@gmail.com
QUESTIONS:
EXPERIENCES: For over 20 years, I’ve dedicated my career to supporting students with disabilities and their families. With degrees from The Ohio State University and George Mason University, I’m trained to serve diverse learners across all grade levels. I’ve helped families navigate diagnoses, access resources, understand the school system, and build strong individualized education programs to support their children. I have been on the board of my own children’s private preschool which fortified my belief in strong family-school partnership. I’ll bring the same passion and experience to ensure every student and family feels supported, included, and empowered, while making informed, equitable, and financially responsible decisions for our schools.
Anne H. Sherwood (Ind)
Biography: I am mom to 3 FCCPS students in 9th, 7th, and 3rd grades, a current School Board Member, and have been active in the FCCPS community for many years. I am a former lawyer and a proud K-12 public school grad. Please visit my website for more about me.
Website: annesherwood.org
Email: annesherwood4schoolboard@gmail.com
QUESTIONS: EXPERIENCES: I’ve served on the School Board (SB) since the special election last November. Since then, I’ve helped hire our new superintendent, engaged in a challenging budget season, continued refining our budget timeline and process, and engaged in many policy decisions. Before my SB service, I served: as co-chair on the Advanced Academics Advisory Cmte to the SB; on the Board of the Choral Boosters; on the FCEPTA International Night Cmte; and as a room parent and in various other community roles. This direct experience, combined with my background in law and policy, uniquely situates me to serve the SB well. I also bring all the practical experience gained as a parent of kids in elementary, middle, and high school.
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY: The School Board must
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY: I will support the board in strengthening clear, consistent, and informed discussions with community members, teachers, staff, and City Council, which are essential when making school budget decisions. As a school board member, I will advocate for our community members by asking questions and representing their concerns and perspectives. I support involving teachers and staff in the budget process. Encouraging active community participation through meetings and committees ensures diverse perspectives and keeps everyone informed. I will support a collaborative approach to identifying priorities, ensuring the needs of all students remain central in developing and allocating the school budget.
DIVERSE VOICES: I deeply value making genuine connections and will actively seek out opportunities to listen and engage with families, educators, and neighbors. I will advocate for a welcoming, inclusive culture where everyone feels encouraged to share their ideas, experiences, and needs through a variety of avenues that can be accessed by all. Collaboration is key, and I will work with fellow board members to strengthen transparent and accessible communication. I am committed to asking the hard questions to support meaningful conversations about our community’s priorities along with advocating for community members. Every voice in our community matters, and our policies should reflect that diversity of experience.
advocate for our students and teachers, and responsibly steward our resources. This means collaborating with City Council to ensure that we meet planned-for growth with strong support, so that we serve every student at the level of excellence that defines our City and attracts new residents. I’m committed to educational excellence, including small class sizes, robust studentfacing services, and competitive compensation for our teachers and staff. We also must recognize current economic uncertainty. To ensure fiscal responsibility, we should define our budget priorities well and early, better align School Board and City budget timelines, and look for new efficiencies.
DIVERSE VOICES: First, we must increase opportunities for all voices by offering participation through various methods: advisory committees, townhalls, surveys, coffees, office hours. Second, recognizing and overcoming barriers to participation is essential. We must reach out through diverse avenues; plan for opportunities at different times of the day, since families’ work schedules and child care obligations do not always match a 9-5 work day; and continue to increase translation services. Finally, as a community norm and a model for our students, we must welcome all voices, and we must model the kind of civil discourse and exchange of ideas that is essential not just in a vibrant local school community rooted in IB values, but in our broader democracy.
GROWTH: Two major pieces are budget and space. We
GROWTH: Low student-teacher rations and high-quality education both rely on a strong, well-supported school budget. Both priorities rely on the quantity and quality of our educators. Maintaining small class sizes and retaining exceptional educators requires strategic, sustained investment, including competitive compensation. Our teachers are the foundation of student success, and we must support them with fair pay, professional development, and respect. Meeting these goals may require a thoughtful reassessment of budget priorities, ensuring every dollar supports what matters most: excellent educators, high-quality instruction, and staff that create our safe, enriching school environments.
TOP CHALLENGES: FCCPS is navigating two challenges with cell phone use and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in our schools. The Governor’s “bell to bell” ban on cell phones, reflects the growing concern over how access to devices impacts learning, focus, and mental health. A structured phone storage system that has been successfully implemented in other schools is a possible solution. As AI becomes more prevalent we must approach the use of AI within our schools with thoughtfulness and transparency. While some see AI offering opportunities for personalized learning and efficiency, it also raises concerns around equity, academic integrity, and privacy. Inclusive conversations with staff, families, and students imperative to develop policy.
must fund our schools to maintain small class sizes, attract and retain great teachers, and serve our growing specialized services populations. This starts with preserving the FCCPS-City revenue-sharing agreement, while also exercising fiscal discipline. We also must manage our space well. The capacity of our buildings is estimated to accommodate predicted growth until ~2045. I support a rigorous assessment of capital needs, especially at Oak Street, to ensure facilities can meet this prediction; the flexible use of space, e.g., utilizing the trailers at Oak Street, converting the spaces in Meridian that were designed for expansion; and holding more middle school classes in Meridian as necessary.
TOP CHALLENGES: AI and academic integrity: I support a committee on AI, composed of community members, to help the SB draft a policy on responsible use, in all facets of student life. On academic integrity generally, I would set clearer repercussions for, and better communicate about, violations of academic integrity policy, while also building a culture of integrity.
Enrollment growth: Please see my prior responses. I remain a strong advocate on budget while improving our current budget process.
National pressures: These include economic uncertainty and changes to the education landscape. We must be fiscally responsible while planning for enrollment growth. And we must continue to serve our students well through a responsive local decisionmaking process.
CANDIDATES
CANDIDATES FOR FALLS CHURCH CITY SCHOOL BOARD—CONTINUED (VOTE FOR NOT MORE THAN FOUR)
MaryKate H. “MK” Hughes (Ind)
Biography: www.hughesforschoolboard.org/about Website: www.hughesforschoolboard. org/
Email: hughesforschoolboard@gmail.com
QUESTIONS:
EXPERIENCES: I’m National Board Certified and a National Educator Award winner with 25 years in public education within and beyond Falls Church City. I have served in a variety of roles: teacher, building leader, central office administrator. Here in Falls Church, at Oak Street, I taught 5th grade for 6 years. Today, I serve as a University Coach for future teachers at American University. Since moving to Falls Church in 2014, I’ve been a PTA member, event chair, Senior Spectacular volunteer coordinator, and Girl Scout leader. I know and love our community as a citizen, parent, and professional educator. My professional experience and dedication to our community have prepared me to contribute an educator’s perspective as a School Board Member.
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY: I will advocate for educational excellence by putting students first, supporting
QUESTIONS:
Kathleen E. C. Tysse (Ind)
Website: kathleentysse.com
Email: ktysseforfccps@gmail.com
EXPERIENCES: I have served on the FCCPS School Board as a member since Jan. 2022 and as the Vice Chair since Jan. 2024. Some of the school board work I am especially proud of includes bringing paid parental leave to our teachers and staff and giving FCCPS employees a union voice via our first ever Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Prior to my Board service, I served as the President of the Falls Church Elementary PTA, as a member of the Gifted Education Advisory Committee, and on the Mary Riley Styles Public Library Board of Trustees. I am a former public school teacher with a Master of Teaching from UVA. I am also a mom of four kids in FCCPS schools and have been an FCCPS parent since 2013. FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY: I have been through the budget process four times and have proudly supported the FCCPS budget each year. My colleagues and I have worked hard to support our students, teachers,
teachers, and ensuring every dollar advances learning. As a career educator and school leader, I am best positioned to understand how spending directly impacts student learning. We must be honest that excellent schools cost money, and our community’s investment is what ensures students have access to the opportunities and support they deserve. At the same time, transparency is critical — we must account for every taxpayer dollar, align resources with our priorities, and use evidence to guide decisions so we protect excellence while being responsible stewards of public funds.
DIVERSE VOICES: I will engage diverse voices by working with the board and superintendent to build proactive, structured feedback loops that go beyond the loudest voices in the room. During my campaign to date, I have met with 50+ teachers, parents, students, and community members, with plans to meet dozens more. As a board member, I will continue that practice by making myself accessible to diverse stakeholders through open office hours, bus stop coffees, surveys, focus groups, and outreach to multilingual families, to ensure various perspectives are heard and represented. I will balance qualitative and quantitative data to guide policy, and I will be transparent in showing how decisions reflect the needs and values of all Falls Church City families.
GROWTH: Managing enrollment growth requires pro-
and staff with responsive and responsible budgets that maintain our priority of educational excellence, honor our Collective Bargaining Resolutions, and respect the guidance given to us from the general government. I have personally spent many hours advocating to City Council on behalf of the schools. I am a firm believer in the Revenue Sharing Agreement between FC City Council and FCCPS, which evenly splits the City’s revenue. This agreement allows for a much more collaborative, transparent, and productive budgeting process with our general government colleagues.
DIVERSE VOICES: Since serving on the School Board, I have relied on a range of community voices to inform my policy work. When considering a calendar policy, evaluating early release Wednesdays, or creating a cell phone policy, the School Board held many town halls to hear directly from the community. We made sure those town halls accommodated various stakeholder groups and were varied in location, day of the week, and time of day to make them as accessible for the most people as possible. I also spent two years as a School Board Liaison to three different advisory committees and have spent dozens of hours engaging with community members, teachers, and staff during School Board office hours.
GROWTH: We are fortunate in FCCPS to have space in our facilities for the anticipated enrollment growth. As
The Fall 2025 Voters’ Guide was prepared, using monies from the LWV Education Fund, by:
active planning and a commitment to keeping instruction strong. Our excellent schools are one of the biggest reasons families choose Falls Church, and we must preserve that strength. I will advocate for transparent enrollment projections tied to long-term facilities planning, so we anticipate growth before it strains capacity. To maintain optimal student-teacher ratios, we must prioritize hiring and supporting educators, including investing in certification pathways in high-need areas. Public schools are for all students, and by combining data-driven projections, strong staffing pipelines, and community collaboration, we can protect the high-quality education Falls Church students deserve.
TOP CHALLENGES: The top challenges for FCCPS are managing enrollment growth, supporting and retaining excellent educators, navigating the rise of technology like AI and concerns about screen use, and preparing for external uncertainties such as shifts in budgets. Our schools draw families here, so we must plan facilities and staffing carefully to maintain quality. Teachers are our greatest asset, and we must invest in competitive compensation, mentoring, and certification pathways. We need clear guidelines for using AI responsibly while protecting time for writing, creativity, and human connection. Transparent, flexible budget planning will help us adapt to outside pressures without sacrificing quality, always keeping student learning at the center.
a former teacher and current parent, I understand the benefit of a low student-teacher ratio for both students and teachers; I support our current class size policy. I also support Collective Bargaining and understand the financial implications of meeting our union obligations. Those two items drive the vast majority of the FCCPS budget, which means the remaining funds need to be allocated with a laser focus on benefiting students. I highly value input from our professional teachers and staff on which resources have the greatest impact on students and learning. And I also believe in prioritizing recruiting and retaining excellent teachers.
TOP CHALLENGES: Fall Church is not immune from current social and political turmoil. Many families of vulnerable children feel less safe, public education (and its funding) is under increased scrutiny at the state and national level, countless community members have lost their jobs or are facing job insecurity, and school enrollment is less predictable while new development stabilizes. These challenges need to be addressed head on by leaders like me with the experience and relationships necessary to find brave and creative solutions. I approach my school board work with integrity and strive to maintain a balanced perspective. I would be honored to use all that I have learned the past four years to continue serving FCCPS.
League of Women Voters of Falls Church P.O. Box 156 Falls Church, VA 22040
https://my.lwv.org/virginia/falls-church
This Week Around Falls Church
Thurs, Oct. 2
Falls Church Fiber Artists
10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m., Mary Riley Styles Public Library, Upper Level Conf. Rm.
Fall Storytime (Preschool)
10:30–11:00 a.m., MRSPL, Lower Level Conf. Rm.
Playtime with Early Literacy Center
11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m., MRSPL, Lower Level Conf. Rm.
Inside Signature with Danny Gavigan
1:00–2:00 p.m., The Mead Lobby at Signature Theatre or streaming on YouTube. Free, no reservation required.
Chamber Ribbon Cutting: The Alder (West Falls)
4:30–5:00 p.m., ribbon cutting + reception.
Creative Cauldron: “The Turn of the Screw: The Musical” 7:30 p.m., 127 E Broad St.
Fri, Oct. 3
Fall Baby Time (0–24 months)
10:30–11:00 a.m., MRSPL, Lower Level Conf. Rm.
Wright at Twilight
6:30–9:00 p.m., Pope-Leighey House, Alexandria. $30 includes one drink; complimentary snacks, yard games, music, and selfguided tours at sunset. Last Wright at Twilight of 2025.
$5 Comedy Night 8:30 p.m., The State Theatre, 220 N Washington St.
Saturday, Oct. 4
Falls Church Farmers Market
8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m., City Hall Parking Lot, 300 Park Ave.
Recycling Extravaganza (Drop-off event)
8:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m., Recycling Center, 217 Gordon Rd.
Falls Church Arts Show: “Paper” Opening Oct. 4–Nov. 16, FCA Gallery, 700-B W. Broad St. Meet-the-artists reception
7:00–9:00 p.m.
Oddball Cinema: Quatermass Horror Movies
2:00–4:30 p.m., MRSPL, Upper Level Conf. Rm.
Creative Cauldron: “The Turn of the Screw”
7:30 p.m., 127 E Broad St.
Fall Clean-Up (Volunteers Needed)
10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m., Community Center, 223 Little Falls St. Supplies provided; counts toward service hours; good for groups and families.
NUMB: The Nü-metal Band!
8:30 p.m., The State Theatre
Sunday, Oct. 5
Banned Books Week 2025 Begins Oct. 5–11. National celebration of the freedom to read with events and displays throughout the week, including local bookstore features.
Chamber Ribbon Cutting: Levine Music
2:00–2:30 p.m., Levine Music, Falls Church.
Creative Cauldron: “The Turn of the Screw” 2:00 p.m. matinee, 127 E Broad St.
Monday, Oct. 6
Playtime with Early Literacy Center — 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m., MRSPL, Lower Level Conf. Rm.
Teen Craft Club: Halloween Mask Painting 6:30–7:30 p.m., MRSPL, Lower Level Conf. Rm.
Congressman Don Beyer’s Annual Women’s Conference: The Ripple Effects of Resilience 6:30 p.m., George Mason University, 3351 Fairfax Dr., Arlington.
Tuesday, Oct. 7
Family Fun Night – A Community Event 5:30–7:00 p.m., Jefferson District Park. Bring friends, family, and employees for mini golf, painting, games, and dinner. Rain date Oct. 9.
The Whiffenpoofs of Yale (A Cappella Concert) 7:00 p.m., The Falls Church (Episcopal), 115 E Fairfax St. Suggested donation $20; merchandise available after the show.
Wednesday, Oct. 8
Little City Scramble Golf Tournament
1:00–8:00 p.m., Westfields Golf Course, Clifton. Hosted by the Falls Church Education Foundation, supporting students, athletes, and families of FCCPS. Last year, 120+ golfers raised nearly $25,000. Open to all skill levels.
Celebrate the Freedom to Read with Author Mike Curato 6:30 p.m., Dorothy Hamm Middle School (Arlington Public Library). A Banned Books Week conversation on censorship and Curato’s acclaimed works Flamer and Gaysians.
Fall Festival at Greenway Downs: a neighborhood event full of fall fun! Enjoy local beer, wine tasting, delicious food from Harvey’s, Luzmary & Badd Pizza, as well as kids entertainment such as Mad Science show, face painting, fire trucks, bee observation hive, and many other seasonal activities for the whole family. Saturday October 4th from 12-4pm at Cul-de-sac near 6941 Custis Pkwy. Find us on Facebook GreenwayDowns (Photo: Ana Letona)
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF A PETITION OF VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY FOR REVISION OF A RATE ADJUSTMENT CLAUSE, DESIGNATED RIDER DIST, UNDER § 56-585.1 A 6 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA AND THE CONSOLIDATION OF RIDERS DIST AND RBB PURSUANT TO § 56-585.1 A 7 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA CASE NO. PUR-2025-00136
On August 11, 2025, pursuant to § 56-585.1 A 6 (“Subsection A 6”) and § 56-585.1 A 7 (“Subsection A 7”) of the Code of Virginia, Virginia Electric and Power Company (“Dominion” or “Company”) filed with the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”) a petition (“Petition”):
(1) For revision of the rate adjustment clause (“RAC”) designated Rider DIST, pursuant to Subsection A 6, to recover the projected and actual costs related to certain electric distribution grid transformation projects that the Commission has approved as part of the Company’s plan to transform its electric distribution grid (“GT Plan”), to recover costs associated with the Company’s Strategic Underground Program (“SUP”), including incremental costs, and to recover costs associated with the Company’s Rural Broadband (“RBB”) projects (collectively, “Rider DIST Programs”) (“Request 1”);
(2) For approval to consolidate Riders DIST and RBB, pursuant to Subsection A 7, resulting in: (i) the recovery of costs associated with the Rider DIST Programs through the Rider DIST RAC; and (ii) the withdrawal of Rider RBB, effective June 1, 2026 (“Request 2”);
(3) For approval of the incremental costs of Phase II Voltage Island Mitigation, fault, location, isolation, and service restoration (“FLISR”), and enterprise asset management system (“EAMS”) as reasonable and prudent (“Request 3”); and
(4) For approval of the rate year commencing June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2027 (“Rate Year”) (“Request 4”).
Regarding the Company’s GT Plan, in Case Nos. PUR-2018-00100 and PUR-2019-00154, the Commission approved the Company’s investments related to eleven GT Projects for the years 2019, 2020, and 2021 (“Phase I”). In Case No. PUR-2021-00127, the Commission approved additional investments related to fourteen GT Projects for the years 2022 and 2023 (“Phase II”). In Case No. PUR2023-00051, the Commission approved costs associated with the continuation of twelve previously approved GT Projects and two new GT Projects for the years 2024, 2025, and 2026 (“Phase III”). In 2024, the Commission approved the new RAC designated Rider DIST and the consolidation of Riders GT and U in Case No. PUR-2024-00137 (“2024 Rider DIST Proceeding”). In the 2024 Rider DIST Proceeding, the Commission approved the Company’s proposed cost cap increase for Phase I physical security but denied the Company’s other nine cost cap increase requests without prejudice.
With respect to Request 1 of the instant Petition, Dominion seeks cost recovery for a total of eighteen GT Projects across all three Phases, including: (1) Mainfeeder Hardening, (2) Targeted Corridor Improvement, (3) Voltage Island Mitigation, (4) Hosting Capacity Analysis, (5) the Locks Campus Microgrid, (6) Physical Security, (7) the Smart Charging Infrastructure Pilot Program, (8) Telecommunications, (9) Cyber Security, (10) Customer Education, (11) Intelligent Grid Devices, (12) FLISR, (13) Distributed Energy Resources Management System, (14) EAMS, (15) Voltage Optimization Enablement, (16) Substation Technology Deployment, (17) Outage Management System, and (18) the Non-Wires Alternatives Pilot Program. The Company represents that the Commission previously approved these Phase I, II, and III projects as reasonable and prudent up to the estimated capital and operations and maintenance costs for each project. The Company further represents that should costs exceed the cost caps, those costs would be incurred at the Company’s risk, and it would be the Company’s burden to demonstrate the reasonableness and prudence for any such incremental investment. Additionally, the Company notes that in the 2024 Rider DIST Proceeding, the Commission adopted the Chief Hearing Examiner’s recommendation that the Company be permitted to only seek recovery of incremental costs above the applicable cost cap upon completion of the relevant phase for the specific project.
Dominion provides an update on Phase VIII of its SUP, and states that it converted a total of 1,192 individual tap lines to underground, consisting of approximately 400.2 miles of underground conversions of overhead distribution tap lines and associated facilities. The Company states that it estimated a per-mile cost for Phase VIII of $734,547 per mile and the final per-mile cost was $795,490 per mile. The Company attributes this increase in cost to the overall rise in materials costs and associated overhead. It is the Company’s position that the cost per mile metric should be treated as a “statutory cost cap,” and, for any costs exceeding this threshold, the Company should be allowed to demonstrate that such costs are reasonable and prudent. Dominion requests that the Commission find that in light of unforeseeable supply chain disruptions and inflationary pressures, the incremental costs above the $750,000 per-mile metric associated with Phase VIII are reasonable and prudent.
The Company represents that proposed SUP Phase IX would include tap line conversions completed between June 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026, and would underground approximately 993 tap lines, equating to roughly 300.0 miles of outage prone overhead lines. The Company estimates Phase IX conversions would cost approximately $239 million, with an estimated per-mile cost of $798,015 and $10,042 per customer. The Company projects that the associated overhead lines directly serve 12,535 customers, with another 11,306 customers served “down line” from those conversions. The Company states that these tap lines have experienced approximately 4,629 outage events over a ten-year period, equating to 15.43 events per mile. The Company is requesting to recover costs for only those projects that would be completed prior to the beginning of the proposed Rate Year or June 1, 2026. The Company requests Commission approval of recovery of Phase IX capital investments through Rider DIST, subject to true-ups.
Regarding RBB, in its Petition the Company provides an update on previously-approved rural broadband projects and requests cost recovery for costs associated with these projects as part of Rider DIST and the elimination of Rider RBB. The Company asserts that as fiber capacity is installed as part of rural broadband projects, the Company will also have the ability to utilize broadband capacity for grid operational purposes. Given the dual capacity of fiber installed as part of the Rural Broadband Program, Dominion asserts that it is necessary to allocate costs between distribution grid operations and broadband utilization. The Company proposes continuing to use the methodology previously approved in Case No. PUR-2020-00197 to allocate costs between the rural broadband projects and approved GT Plan telecommunications projects.
With respect to Request 2, Dominion seeks approval to consolidate Riders DIST and RBB, resulting in the recovery of the costs of the Rider DIST Programs through the revised Rider DIST RAC.
Dominion also seeks approval of the withdrawal of Rider RBB, effective June 1, 2026. The Company states that the consolidation of Riders DIST and RBB is in the interest of judicial economy because the Company’s Rural Broadband projects have been operational for several years and the Commission currently reviews and approves such costs separately. The Company further states that consolidating the riders will reduce the administrative burden and costs of filing these cases separately
With respect to Request 3, Dominion is seeking recovery of incremental costs for Phase II Voltage Island Mitigation, FLISR, and EAMS, as Phase II of these projects is now complete. Dominion asserts that these three projects have projected costs that exceed the cost caps. Dominion states that these projects are still reasonable to pursue and requests that the Commission approve the incremental costs of these GT Projects as reasonable and prudent. The Company asserts that the total actual and projected costs for the Grid Transformation portfolio are approximately $17 million under the total Commission-approved cost cap.
Concerning Request 4, the proposed Rate Year for this Rider DIST is June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2027. The Company seeks approval of a total revenue requirement of $332.97 million for Rider DIST, consisting of: a revenue requirement of $119.55 million for the GT Plan Phases I through III; $178.55 million for previously-approved SUP Phases I-VIII and proposed Phase IX of the SUP; and $34.87 million for the previously-approved projects of the RBB Program. For this proceeding, the Company is including an actual cost true-up period of calendar year 2024 for Phases I, II, and III of the GT Plan, Phases I-VIII of the SUP, and previously-approved projects of the RBB Program.
Regarding its methodology to calculate jurisdictional and class allocation factors for the consolidated Rider DIST, Dominion states it adapted the previously-approved Rider DIST allocation methodology, which was already weighted by each GT Project group’s contribution to the overall revenue requirement, to also include the RBB revenue requirement in its weighting. Dominion asserts that as a proposed consolidated rider, Rider DIST consolidates three distribution riders using the same allocation methodology approved by the Commission in the Company’s most recent Rider DIST proceeding, Case No. PUR-2024-00137.
If the proposed Rider DIST revenue requirement for the Rate Year is approved, Dominion asserts that the typical residential customer’s monthly bill, using 1,000 kilowatt hours (“kWh”) per month, would increase by $1.09 compared to the combined impact of the current Rider DIST and Rider RBB. The Company represents that the total Rider DIST monthly bill impact would be $7.86, based on usage of 1,000 kWh per month. The Company proposes Rider DIST to be effective for usage on June 1, 2026, or the first day of the month that is at least 15 calendar days following the date of any Commission order approving Rider DIST for the Rate Year beginning June 1, 2026, through May 31, 2027.
Interested persons are encouraged to review Dominion’s Petition and supporting documents in full for additional details.
TAKE NOTICE that the Commission may apportion revenues among customer classes and/or design rates in a manner differing from that shown in the Petition and supporting documents and thus may adopt rates that differ from those appearing in the Company’s Petition and supporting documents.
The Commission entered an Order for Notice and Hearing in this proceeding that, among other things, scheduled a public hearing on Dominion’s Petition. A hearing for the receipt of testimony from public witnesses on the Company’s Petition shall be convened telephonically at 10 a.m. on February 10, 2026. On or before February 3, 2026, any person desiring to offer testimony as a public witness shall provide to the Commission: (a) your name, and (b) the telephone number that you wish the Commission to call during the hearing to receive your testimony. This information may be provided to the Commission: (i) by filling out a form on the Commission’s website at scc.virginia.gov/caseinformation/webcasting; or (ii) by calling (804) 371-9141. This public witness hearing will be webcast at: scc.virginia.gov/case-information/webcasting
Beginning at 10 a.m. on February 10, 2026, the Hearing Examiner appointed to this case will telephone sequentially each person who has signed up to testify as provided above.
On February 10, 2026, at 10 a.m., or at the conclusion of the public witness portion of the hearing, whichever is later, in the Commission’s second floor courtroom located in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, the Hearing Examiner will convene the evidentiary portion of the hearing to receive testimony and evidence related to the Petition from the Company, any respondents, and the Commission’s Staff (“Staff”).
To promote administrative efficiency and timely service of filings upon participants, the Commission has directed the electronic filing of testimony and pleadings, unless they contain confidential information, and required electronic service on parties to this proceeding.
Electronic copies of the public version of the Petition may be obtained by submitting a written request to counsel for the Company: Jontille D. Ray, Esquire, McGuireWoods LLP, Gateway Plaza, 800 East Canal Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or jray@mcguirewoods.com. Interested persons also may download unofficial copies of the public version of the Petition and other documents filed in this case from the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/case-information
On or before February 3, 2026, any interested person may submit comments on the Petition by following the instructions found on the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/case-information/ submit-public-comments. Those unable, as a practical matter, to submit comments electronically may file such comments by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2118. All such comments shall refer to Case No. PUR-2025-00136.
On or before November 3, 2025, any person or entity wishing to participate as a respondent in this proceeding may do so by filing a notice of participation at scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling. Those unable, as a practical matter, to file a notice of participation electronically may file such notice by U.S. Mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. Such notice of participation shall include the email addresses of such parties or their counsel, if available. The respondent simultaneously shall serve a copy of the notice of participation electronically on counsel to the Company, Staff, and any other respondents. Pursuant to 5 VAC 5-20-80 B, Participation as a respondent, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, 5 VAC 5-20-10 et seq. (“Rules of Practice”), any notice of participation shall set forth: (i) a precise statement of the interest of the respondent; (ii) a statement of the specific action sought to the extent then known; and (iii) the factual and legal basis for the action. Any organization, corporation, or government body participating as a respondent must be represented by counsel as required by 5 VAC 5-20-30, Counsel, of the Rules of Practice. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR2025-00136. For additional information about participation as a respondent, any person or entity should obtain a copy of the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing.
On or before December 1, 2025, each respondent may file with the Clerk of the Commission at scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling any testimony and exhibits by which the respondent expects to establish its case. Any respondent unable, as a practical matter, to file testimony and exhibits electronically may file such by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. Each witness’s testimony shall include a summary not to exceed one page. All testimony and exhibits shall be served electronically on Staff, the Company, and all other respondents simultaneous with their filing. In all filings, respondents shall comply with the Rules of Practice, as modified herein, including, but not limited to: 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service, and 5 VAC 5-20-240, Prepared testimony and exhibits All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2025-00136.
Any documents filed in paper form with the Office of the Clerk of the Commission in this docket may use both sides of the paper. In all other respects, except as modified by the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, all filings shall comply fully with the requirements of 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Rules of Practice.
The public version of the Company’s Petition, the Commission’s Rules of Practice, the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, and other documents filed in the case may be viewed at: scc.virginia.gov/case-information
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PUZZLE
PUZZLE
Our Man In Arlington
Bill Fogarty
Where do you get your news?
This is a question I have been randomly asking of my Arlington friends, acquaintances, and strangers. And the results have been very interesting. How would you answer that question?
In this unscientific survey, the answers reflected a general level of anxiety. Many folks felt it necessary to confess that they thought their “news routine” was somewhat incomplete or inadequate. Asking these questions, and entering into conversations with people, was an education for me in many ways.
The “where” part of the question led to a recitation of sources – many initial answers were somewhat expected, referring to the Washington Post , the New York Times , and the Wall Street Journal . But as conversations developed, the discussion became broader in nature. The questions shifted to the “how” they find their sources. While some people still hold on to their print subscriptions, a vast majority followed their news on-line.
A surprising (to me) number of people also cited TV news and radio. And of course, in this day and age, people are getting their news on social media and podcasts. One person somewhat sheepishly confessed that they get a lot of their news on Instagram. I enjoyed the giveand-take of these discussions,
including a good question directed back at me: What do you mean by the word “news”? As someone who started his newspaper reading habit at the age of ten, reading the New York Daily News solely for the sports news and the comics, this question about “news” opened up another question that I used: if you read a daily newspaper, which section do you read first?
In my conversations, I also tried to drill down into the subject of local news. Since this column seems to be taking on the character of asking rhetorical questions, let me pose two more questions for you: where do you get your local news...and how do you access that news?
These discussions activated my curiosity about the history of accessing news in Arlington. One of the best places to find Arlington history comes from the annual Arlington Historical Society Magazine . I found a terrific article, from 1959, entitled “A History of Printing in Arlington (Alexandria) County” by Robert Anderson. The article went all the way back to 1671, when Virginia’s royal governor, Sir William Berkeley, wrote in a report back to England that he was thankful there were no printing presses in the colony, stating that “learning has brought disobedience ....and printing has divulged them. God keep us from both!”
Fortunately, printing presses became somewhat common in Virginia a century later. Locally, by 1885 the Town of Falls Church had an independent
newspaper, followed by printed news created by the small villages that were getting established in the County. I was able to find a copy of a four-page newspaper from 1903, entitled “Barcroft News” . The front page consists mainly of personal news about various residents, though it did contain a notice about possible legal action to be taken by unhappy residents: “There is some talk of the property owners getting out an injunction restraining electric road surveyors. So many have been about these diggings lately that they are trampling the crops.” It is not known whether any legal action was taken, as the Barcroft News folded after six months.
Over the decades, Arlington County residents have relied on a number of different newspapers for local news. Robert Anderson’s 1959 article ended with a reference to the Northern Virginia Sun. Maybe someone some day will update that article to take us to the 21st century, as our sources of local news keep shifting.
Let me leave you with one more question: are your sources trustworthy? To explore that question, I suggest you go to the Falls Church News Press website, and take a look at the September 18 article by Nick Gatz (“Profit-Driven Algorithms Are Killing Our Society.”) It is an informative review of the dangers inherent in our digital town square. Between reading that article, and the various responses I have received to my pesky questions, one thing is clear— being informed is no easy task.
Beyer’s Women’s Conference Set Oct. 6
U.S. Rep. Don Beyer of Northern Virginia will host his Ninth Annual Women’s Conference: The Ripple Effects of Resilience on Monday, October 6 at George Mason University’s new Fuse building at Mason Square in Arlington. This event is free to the public but capacity is limited, so attendees are encouraged to register in advance.
This year’s event will bring together women leaders to share stories of perseverance, strength, and resilience in the face of the challenges confronting our country and community in these unprecedented times.
F.C. Recycling Event This Saturday Morning
To help the transition to quieter, cleaner electric lawn equipment, the Falls Church Climate Action Network is helping City residents recycle old gas lawn tools at the annual Recycling Extravaganza.
Anyone with an old leaf blower or mower can recycle it for free on Saturday, Oct. 4 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 217 Gordon Road. These gaspowered lawn tools will be accepted: push mowers, trimmers, leaf blowers (backpack and handheld), weed whackers, rototillers, and edgers. Commercial-grade lawn mowers and ride-on mowers will not be accepted. The I-66 Transfer Station accepts those. All lawn tools to be recycled must be drained of fuel and oil, which can be recycled separately at the Recycling Extravaganza.
Yale’s Whiffenpoofs Coming to F.C. Tuesday
Every year, 14 senior Yale students are selected to be in the Whiffenpoofs, the world’s oldest and best-known collegiate a cappella group. Founded in 1909, the “Whiffs” began as a senior quartet that met weekly at Mory’s Temple Bar.
Today, the group has become one of Yale’s most celebrated traditions. Singing a mixture of old Yale tunes, jazz standards, and other hits from across the decades, the
News & Notes
Whiffenpoofs perform more than 200 concerts across six continents each year.
They will appear at the Falls Church Episcopal Church next Tuesday, Oct. 7, at 8 p.m. A suggested donation of $20 per person can be paid in advance online or at the door. The Whiffs will be selling merchandise after the show and greeting concertgoers.
F.C. VFW Hosts Honor Flight of Veterans
Last Wednesday the Falls Church VFW Post hosted another Honor Flight visiting the Nation’s Capital.
The Post welcomed the veterans from Tennessee who enjoyed a buffet dinner provided by Mission BBQ and received a mail call with letters of support for their service.
Members of the VFW welcome multiple Honor Flights each year both in their own hall and in conjunction with both the American Legion and Hilton Garden Inn of Falls Church.
F.C. Arts Added as Women Artist Site
Falls Church’s premier arts space, the Falls Church Arts Gallery, has been added as the 19th venue to the mammoth survey of women artists in the greater Washington D.C. area. The ‘Women Artists of the DMV (District, Maryland, Virginia) Survey Show” is the largest curated art show in American history.
This Saturday, an artists reception open to all for a show of Paper (works that are created on or include paper) will be held at 7 p.m. at the gallery, 700 W. Broad. Jennifer Wilkin Penick is the juror for the show.
300 Anti-LGBTQ Bills Now Across U.S.
The Movement Advancement Project has released a new report stating that, while in 2020, 77 anti-LGBTQ bills targeted young people’s rights in schools and health care, by 2023, that
number had tripled, with nearly 300 introduced every year since.
A relentless wave of legislation is taking a staggering toll, the project reports. Since the escalation began, 90 percent of LGBTQ people ages 13 to 24 have said politics is harming their well-being, up from 71 percent a year earlier.
DOJ Pulls Terrorism Report From Website
Since 1990, far-right extremists have committed far more ideologically motivated homicides than far-left or radical Islamist extremists, including 227 events that took more than 520 lives, according to the federal Department of Justice’s domestic terrorism report.
In this same period, far-left extremists committed 42 ideologically motivated attacks that took 78 lives. The report concluded that far-right extremists have killed more Americans than any other domestic terrorist group.
But the report has now vanished from the DoJ website sometime between Sept. 11 and 12, as reported on a popular substack site.
Marshall H.S. Teacher Named Winner
Fairfax County Public Schools teacher Rebecca Fenton has been named a winner of the 2025 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence, winning $50,000 for her school’s automotive technology program.
Fenton, who teaches at George C, Marshall High School, is one of 25 public high school skilled trades teachers across the United States who were surprised with the news that they had won. A total of $1.5 million in cash prizes were awarded this week.
“Helping students realize their potential and step confidently into meaningful careers with real-world skills is why I do what I do.” Fenton wrote in her prize application.
FALLS CHURCH VFW POST welcomed Tennessee Honor Flight veterans with dinner. (Photos: Dave Crance)
FALLS CHURCH POLICE CHIEF Shahram Fard addressed a forum on Falls Church Police Department practices sponsored by the Tinner Hill Foundation and Social Justice Committee held at the F.C. Presbyterian Church last weekend. Chief Fard, Clare Bradley, Capt. Stephan Rau, and Ofc. Ricardo Feliciano provided an overview of the department’s responsibilities and activities. (Photos: News-Press)
REBECCA FENTON OF MARSHALL High receives the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools $50,000 Teaching Excellence Prize for her innovative automotive program. (Photos: Donnie Biggs/FCPS)
