Who knows when the federal government shutdown will actually end, and how long it will take furloughed employees to get the back paychecks they may actually wind up getting?
No matter what, between the shutdown and brutal termination of federal government programs, this region is probably the most devastated from the impact in the entire U.S. Technically, the City of Falls Church has the highest percentage of federal employees as a portion of its total workforce than any other jurisdiction, but the impact is being felt by federal contractors and the wider retail economy, too.
So, at least three locallyowned Falls Church restaurants with deep ties to the community here are stepping up to help in an extraordinary outpouring of generosity and concern.
Clare and Don’s Beach Shack
THANKING THEM ALL
Where Are Sidewalk Upgrade Priorities Going First in F.C.?
The City of Falls Church’s “Missing Links” program, designed to fill in places around the LIttle City where sidewalks are damaged or non-existent, was the subject of a spirited discussion during Monday’s F.C. City Council meeting, with a lot of back-and-forth between Council members and City staff on where the work should be done first.
Amanda Stout Brain, the City’s new director of Public Works, and Uros Jovanovic pre -
sented an update on the effort, which has $569,579 left in the current fiscal year for its work. The cost of improvements range from $215 to $1,000 per linear foot, with an average of $400, meaning the City budget allows for roughly 375 to 420 linear feet of sidewalk improvements per year (or the length of one city block).
The Department of Public Works’ (DPW) current goal is to improve sidewalks where either partial sidewalks exist but do not connect or no sidewalks exist on streets near public areas such as parks, trails, schools or
commercial areas. It also prioritizes locations that typically experience higher traffic volume and travel speeds posing a higher risk to pedestrians.
Most recently a project on Hillwood Avenue, from Brook to Cleave and from Shady Lane to South Street, has been completed, covering 910 linear feet of sidewalk, 10 ADA ramps and 4 crosswalks.
Prioritized for the remainder of the current fiscal year are Great Falls St. between N. Washington and Maple (500 feet), Lynn Place between Randolph and Roberts Park (140 feet) and Madison Lane to Randolph (300 feet). To implement these, DPW staff is confirming right of way impacts, beginning public outreach on streets with high parking impacts, and starting design. Construction is slated for Summer 2026.
The DPW developed lists of future priority efforts, with Tier 1 projects being segments with no existing sidewalk providing connectivity between collector or arterial streets (6 projects), Tier 2 projects being where no
THE ANNUAL VETERANS’ DAY observance in Falls Church was moved from the Veterans Memorial in front of the F.C. Community Center to inside this Tuesday due to the spate of cold weather that hit. But that didn’t deter these folks from an exhibition of thanks to veterans they displayed at the entrance. F.C. Commissioner of the Revenue Tom Clinton was the keynote speaker at the event which was orchestrated by Harry Shovlin, second graders from Mt. Daniel Elementary sang the National Anthem, and the Falls Church Civic Band under the direction of Mary Jo West performed.
(Photo: Gary Mester)
Falls Church News-Press
by Nicholas F. Benton Falls Church News-Press
Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation
Who Came Before Us on This Land And Why It Matters
Understanding and Acknowledging the Indigenous People of Virginia
Saturday, November 15, 2025 • 1:00 - 4:00 PM
Free Workshop
Special Guest: Rose Powhatan
Falls Church Presbyterian • Memorial Hall
225 East Broad Street • Falls Church, VA 22046
Join us for a special Indigenous Peoples’ Month presentation and workshop with renowned artist, historian, and storyteller, Rose Powhatan. Learn about the original inhabitants of Falls Church and Fairfax County, what happened to them, their influence on us, and ways to honor their legacy.
The public is invited to attend the Annual Nonprofit Forum on Tuesday, November 18. 11:00 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. and meet those who invest in the community from Halloween window paintings to helping families up out of homelessness. The Falls Church Chamber hosts the event at the lower level of Falls Church Episcopal. There are over 40 nonprofit chamber members, many of which will staff information tables at the event. Guests will be able to speak with representatives from local nonprofits about their mission and contributions and learn about opportunities to volunteer and support their efforts. Chicken Salad Chick will provide the lunch and Susie Lee, Founder and Principal of Slayt Consulting, LLC, will speak on a hot topic, “Thinking Ahead Together: Scenario Planning for Nonprofits in Times of Uncertainty”. This forum is open to anyone wishing to know more about the Falls Church community and ways to become more involved. Reservations are taken on the chamber website, https://business.fallschurchchamber.org/events/details/chamber-networkingluncheon-nonprofit-forum-78133?calendarMonth=2025-11-01.
Repositioning for Federal Government Contracting Success
Available on Demand until December 15 – In the current B2G environment, government contractors are facing greater challenges in protecting their existing contracts and winning bids for new ones. With a smaller pool of Federal contracts and a highly competitive market, small businesses require a strategic approach to leverage GovCon Resources. This 2-hour on-demand webinar focuses on new GovCon resources, strengthening your competitive positioning, aligning BD, capture, and proposal strategies, and leveraging resources and partnerships to expand your pipeline. Use this link: https://clients.virginiasbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=110450051
Owner Receives National Award
Lucas Mendes, Owner of Virginia Dream FC as well as Creative Director of Saudade House Creative Agency, has been named to the “41 List” by Forty-One Magazine , as one of forty-one “individuals moving the game forward through design, business, culture, innovation and grassroots impact.” Forty One Mag covers the footy lifestyle for the CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football) region, of which US Soccer is a member. The “41 List” is “about the people empowering the future of football. From community coaches to creatives, business leaders to tastemakers, our goal is to reflect the full spectrum of influence around the beautiful game in our region.”
Eyecare & Rejuvenation
The staff of 4Ever Young and Founders Eyecare are partnering with a session on eyecare and rejuvenation on Thursday, November 13, 5:00 – 6:00. There will be lite bites and drinks for this joint happy hour in the 4Ever Young space in Founders Row.
Career Open House
Kensington Falls Church is hosting a Career Open House on Sunday, November 16 for those interested in a career in senior living. This is an opportunity to meet the team, visit the community and learn more about open positions and the mission-driven culture. This is open for those just beginning their career as well as those interested in growing in the field. The event runs 12:00 – 3:00 p.m. on Sunday and RSVP at https://thekensingtonfallschurch.com/events/gratitude-growth-career-open-house/
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.
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(and their alter ego, Lazy Mike’s Deli), Ireland’s Four Provinces, and Harvey’s Restaurant are all pitching in in a memorable way, and for our readers, their efforts continue. We’re also eager to learn if there are others doing similar things in the Little City that we’re not yet aware of.
Dave Tax, co-owner with his sister of both Clare and Don’s and Lazy Mike’s, updated the News-Press on their effort while catering a special reception for City volunteer board and commission members held at City Hall last Monday night.
Colm Dillon, owner of Ireland’s Four Provinces, first clued in the News-Press on his plans over a week ago, and Roy Bobbett updated the NewsPress on that establishment’s efforts yesterday.
Thomas Harvey, owner and chef at Harvey’s Restaurant talked at length to the NewsPress by phone yesterday.
All three establishments are in the downtown section of the
Little City, locally owned with their proprietors actively on site all the time, all very popular with the locals, and all very giving over the years.
They all are offering essentially similar ways of helping those in need, furloughed federal workers, their families and, as Tax noted, extended to anyone impacted by the cutbacks in the federal SNAP (food stamp) program.
Bobbett at Four P’s stressed that they don’t check for IDs of people who are taking them up on their and their customers’ generosity, either. The others indicated likewise for them.
Thomas Harvey said he’s been running a discount coinciding with however many days the government shutdown has been underway. Yesterday, menu items were 43 percent off because the shutdown had entered its 43rd day.
Like the other restaurants, he has set up a “Play It Forward” way for his patrons to buy meals for others, a huge component of all the participating
establishments’ efforts. A customer essentially buys a meal for someone. The chit indicating what’s been bought is then placed on a poster near the entrance and a person or family that comes in can then take that chit and then be fed there accordingly.
Harvey said that as of Wednesday, 171 meals had been provided by that means, out of 186 that other customers had purchased.
Havey added that he’s raffling off two Thanksgiving turkey dinners, with the winners being picked out of a hat tonight (Thursday) at 7 p.m. on what will be live-streamed on Instagram. People can enter the raffle via Harvey’s Instagram site anytime up to the time of the drawing.
Should the federal shutdown end, it will not instantaneously change things for folks, either, so that the effort at all three establishments will continue for a time afterward.
Tax, who has had about 80 people take up the free meal
offer so far, said that any prepurchased meals that might be left over will be provided to the Falls Church Homeless Shelter or a food bank run by co-owner Rachel, his sister.
At the Four P’s, the policy has been to offer meals for anyone under age 10 for free, and vouchers of $25 or $50 are purchased by customers for others. Bobbett said that no one is
asked to show an ID or proof of employment by the federal government.
“The generosity of our customers in these times has been amazing,” said Harvey. “This has made everybody feel good again, it is uplifting for all of us, our customers, our employees, alike. It goes to show what a remarkable place Falls Church is.”
F.C. Council Mulls Which Sidewalk Upgrades Should Take Priority
sidewalks exist providing connectivity between Tier 1 streets and high volume local roads (5 projects), and Tier 3 projects near lower volume roads and shorter segments near public areas (4 projects).
Priority criteria are constructability, earlier requests, right of way availability and requirements from adjacent counties, Brain said.
At Monday’s meeting, Councilman David Snyder urged that Maple Street between City Hall and the Harris Teeter (that is, between Park and W. Broad) be addressed, due to the high number of utility poles on the sidewalk there. He suggested that extending the sidewalk into the street could be a solution. He also said that on Great Falls from Maple to Little Falls, nothing is on one side and on the other the sidewalk “goes to nowhere.”
Council member Laura Downs suggested that areas around school bus stops should be prioritized. Council member Deborah ShantzHiscott questioned whether addi-
tional funds for the effort could be handled by existing City staff, to which Jovanovic replied, “It is complicated,” given that some projects require a lot more work than others.
Council member Justine Underhill suggested that Roosevelt between N. Tuckahoe and Villa Ridge (identified in Tier 1) needs work urgently for “walking connectivity,” adding that James Street also needs attention.
Mayor Letty Hardi questioned why all but one of the 11 Tier 1 and 2 projects prioritized by the DPW are north of Broad Street and that an “equity lens” may need to be applied to the list. (The only south of Broad project listed is Knollwood Dr. between S. Spring and Timber Lane).
In another report presented Monday, the City’s Capital Improvements Project coordinator Caitlin Sobsey provided a quarterly update on active CIP projects around the Little City’s 2.2 square miles.
She reported there are 34 active projects around times, including 16 for transportation, 7 for facilities
and schools, 7 for stormwater, 2 for parks, 1 for public safety and 1 for sewer work.
There are 4 projects currently in development and 4 pending future grants.
Of the 34 active projects, 16 are on target (down 7 percent over last quarter), 9 are at risk (up 10 percent over last quarter), and 9 are behind target (down 3 percent).
Five projects were completed in the last quarter, including upgrades to the Aurora House, to the Cherry Hill Farmhouse foundation, to the Meridian High School baseball field, to the Upper Lincoln Avenue stormwater project, and to the Hillwood Avenue sidewalk.
In another development Monday, the City Council issued a proclamation declaring the week of Nov. 13-19 as Transgender Awareness Week and Nov. 20 as Transgender Day of Remembrance, which was first organized in 1999 to commemorate the murder of Rita Hester, a transgender woman, and has grown into the recognition of the many transgender people lost to violence each year.
Meridian Volleyball Reaches Finals; Football Heads to Skyline
By Ryan McCafferty
Fall sports season is nearly in the books, but a few of Meridian High School’s proud programs are still playing on in the second week of November. Football will compete in the playoffs, while girls’ volleyball is still alive as well. Additionally, two other squads saw their seasons conclude this past week. Let’s take a look.
Cross country had two individuals compete in States over the weekend, with Michelle Malheiro finishing 52nd in the girls’ race with a time of 21:27 and William Anderson 48th with a time of 17:12. For Anderson, it was the 11thfastest time in Mustang history at States.
Field hockey fell 1-0 to
York last Tuesday in the State Quarterfinals, ending their season with a record of 16-3. They had won sixteen consecutive games prior to their losses in the Regional Finals and States.
Girls’ volleyball gave Meridian a chance at a Regional crown, beating Brentsville in three sets on Monday and William Monroe in four on last Thursday. They lost to Kettle Run 3-0 in the Regional Final on Monday but will move on to compete in the State tournament. Finally, football will see playoff action on Friday. They’ll be playing at Skyline, who they visited two weeks ago and lost 43-33. The boys finished their regular season with a record of 5-5 after last week’s game at Manassas Park was forfeited.
PAGE 6 | NOVEMBER 13 - 19, 2025
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Vol. XXXV, No. 40 NOVEMBER 13 - 19, 2025
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We are not quite ready to kick our long time friend and ally Virginia U.S. Senator Tim Kaine to the curb. While we may disagree with his vote to open the government this week, we respect his thinking and the very difficult decision he made. Regardless, the measure of our collective history will come a year from now, in the midterm elections of 2026. This will be when the American electorate will either build on the momentum created by this month’s decisive election outcomes and, by gaining majorities for anti-Trump forces in both the U.S. House and Senate as air-tight as defined by, for example, the Virginia races up and down the tickets, put a massive, unbreakable roadblock in the way of Trump’s drive to fascism, or it won’t.
This week’s was one vote, and while not derogating for a moment the authentic furor it has caused, the federal government is open, the Epstein files are coming out, and there are votes coming the coming period that will make it crystal clear that the Republicans are out to destroy the lives of their own constituents through their denials of health care and basic food staples. There will be no confusion, no apt denials, of these savage attacks on the livelihoods of us all if an effective job is done to drive this point home by a united front of anti-Trump forces. This includes the next vote that needs to come on keeping the government open on January 31.
We stand with the perspective provided by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, who reminded us this week that energy must not at this point be diverted from fighting Trump and the MAGA forces by allowing Democrats to fight among themselves. Once again, the enemies of democracy and the rule of law are now seeking to exploit division to deflect, divert and dissolve growing, strident and resolute opposition to their truly cruel and inhumane ways. We cannot let that happen.
We must keep our eye on the prize and be united and fierce, as Whitehouse put it. With the release of the Epstein files there will be a massive new resource available for taking this fight to Trump and the dissolute, downright evil Project 2025 MAGA forces behind him.
There are four aspects to the revival we need and that is actually underway now to restore America as the populace is rising to throw Trump and his ilk out. The first involves getting to the basic facts of the matter, the raw data, including Trump’s unbelievable commitment to deny basic human needs. The second is a revived capacity to properly assess that information from the standpoint of core democratic values and the rule of law. The third is the communication of all that as widely as possible, and the fourth is the getting out of the vote.
In all that, each of us plays an important role. Let’s be united and fierce.
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‘Peter Pan’ Flies Between Dualities at Creative Cauldron
by Mark Dreisonstok
Several years ago, when my child attended an international school, the students presented a production of the musical “Hello, Dolly!” in two languages. While the tunes (such as the titular melody) were in the original English of the 1964 Broadway production, the main characters (Dolly Gallagher Levi, Horace Vandergelder, and Cornelius Hackl) all spoke with one another in German! Creative Cauldron’s current production of “Peter Pan and Wendy” in Falls Church takes a similar tack in the classic tale of Peter Pan. Here Peter, the boy who wants never to grow old, and his new friends Wendy, John, and Michael, fly not just to Neverland and the world of Captain Hook and his pirates; they also segue between the English and Spanish languages and cultures.
Laura Conners Hill, the gifted Creative Cauldron founding director who adapted the production from the classic J.M. Barrie tale, explains: “Spanish immersion enriches some of our productions by blending languages, as seen in performances like the dual-language edition of ‘Peter Pan and Wendy.’ This approach not only entertains but also promotes cultural understanding and appreciation among audiences.” For this reviewer, the use of two languages also enlivens the show by highlighting other dualities embedded in the work, such as the contrasting worlds of adulthood and childhood as well as the world of everyday reality versus the world of imagination.
An actor who was especially adept as transitioning between these was Alan Guitierrez, who moved not only suavely between English and Spanish but also between two characters, for he embodied both the loving Mr. Darling, father of Wendy, as well as the wicked Captain Hook. Joining him in excellent bilingual performances were Ariel Friendly as Mrs. Darling, the mother, and Emma Lynch as Wendy. In a sense, tal-
ented Emma, like Mr. Guitierrez, also took on two parts, both as Wendy the child and Wendy the mother, for she becomes initially a maternal figure for the Lost Boys and later a mother in fact when Peter, still a youth, visits her later in life. Last but by no means least, Whit Jenkins was excellent as the eponymous Peter Pan, who also swings back and forth between English and Spanish as he swings swords to defeat the evil Captain Hook and his pirate cohorts.
The set is relatively simple, with three beds, a stylized window, and a wooden plank—for the pirates’ nemeses to walk, of course! However, the production is by no means spartan, for video projections and lighting (designed by Christian Wilson) create a world of many stars as well as the lair of the mermaids beneath the sea. Aethereal music is used to suggest the otherworldly quality of the story, but at the same time, engaging tunes are also used, for instance, “Keep the Beat,” which encourages clapping from an enthusiastic young audience and parents!
Costumes, skillfully designed by Marjie Jervis, are green-brown for Peter Pan, of course, and top hats, gloves, and Victorian gowns for the more real-world characters. A costumed dog and crocodile make delightful appearances as well!
This fun production is a wonderful exploration of language, cultural exchange, and imaginative world-building. It also contains some moving moments, for it is both lyrical and sad never to leave the world of childhood, in spite of it being a beautiful time filled with fantasy and imagination.
While this production of “Peter Pan and Wendy” closes on November 23, children are in for another Creative Cauldron treat for “Madeline’s Christmas,” which will run from December 5-21, 2025, also at Creative Cauldron’s new permanent home at 127 E. Broad Street, Falls Church, Virginia 22046.
Peter Pan and Captain Hook in swordplay in “Peter Pan and Wendy.” (Photo: Courtesy of Creative Cauldron)
Getting Rid of Trump Alone Won’t Be Enough
Nicholas F. Benton
Another pivotal week in the political life of America. As Congress reconvenes, the swearing in after an almost two month delay of Democratic U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva is certain to provide the votes needed for the release of the full Epstein files, and even by the time this column hits the streets, one can only guess how much will have hit the fan.
Edward Luce in the Financial Times Wednesday called the Epstein affair Trump’s long-standing personal friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, let alone his hours aboard the “Lolita Express” his “Achilles Heel.”
Former uber-Trumpian Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green has promised to publicly read out the names of any men accused of raping young girls. With Trump’s approval rating already having sunk below 40 percent, this will be a huge blow to his dwindling base of support.
Yet, lest we forget, the full-scale assault on democracy and the rule of law does not begin and end with Trump, not by a long shot.
Take the article in a recent New Yorker magazine, “The Technocrat Engineering a Vast Expansion of Trump’s Power” is the title of the story by Andy Kroll with the subtitle, “How Russell Vought, an Author of Project 2025, is Using a Once Low-Profile Budget Office to Decimate Federal Agencies, Fire Vast Numbers of Workers, and Test the Rule of Law.”
Vought, the subject of the expose, is a key architect of the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025” report whose draconian contents were made public by Democrats during the 2024 presidential election, yes, just a year ago now, in a desperate attempt to warn American voters of what would happen if Trump were re-elected.
Trump denied any association with that blueprint for fascism during the campaign. Afterwards, of course, it quickly became clear how totally Trump 2.0 is operating on just that agenda. Chapter 10 outlines the Project goal of assaulting the SNAP program. That is only the start of it. It also involves ending foreign aid programs knowingly costing innu-
merable lives, as will the escalation in costs of health care to average Americans.
Vouight is a man who calls himself a Christian Nationalist who knowingly asserts inordinate power in Trump 2.0 to insist on policies that will starve and kill vulnerable people.
He embodies the outlook expressed by Fox News commentator Brian Kilmeade’s recent comment that homeless people should be euthanized. Kilmeade remarked on national TV in September that homeless persons should be subject to “involuntary lethal injection, or something. Just kill them.”
I’m sorry, but the New Yorker expose, as thorough and damning as it is, doesn’t use the kind of language that this situation warrants. Vought and his ilk, akin to Elon Musk earlier this year and his claim that the main weakness of western civilization is empathy, are murderers, and given their influential roles, are engaging in their crimes on a massive global scale.
Vought is known as the Grim Reaper. He has consolidated power by heading the Office of Management and Government such that a senior agency official said, “We work for the President, but right now, it feels like we work for Russ Vought. He has centralized decisionmaking power to an extent that he is the Commander-in-Chief.”
So you see, it is not enough to get rid of Trump alone.
While Musk’s early “DOGE” efforts to cut federal programs included bragging about “feeding USAID into the wood chopper,” the “details of such downsizing were ironed out in Vought’s office,” according to the New Yorker
When a child, Vought’s mother helped launch a Christian school, and she told a local newspaper that if the American people give up on Judeo-Christian values, “then they are going to have to pay the price based on sin, sickness, disease and anarchy.”
Vought went to Wheaton University, a notoriously right wing evangelical Christian hotbed. He has said that “Muslims do not simply have a deficient theology. They do not know God because they have rejected Jesus Christ his son, and they stand condemned.”
In speeches he has proposed “plans to reshape the government by using military force against protesters.”
This sniveling Nazi and all of his ilk need to be rooted out.
COMMENT
A Penny for Your Thoughts
By Penny Gross Former Fairfax County Supervisor
Last week’s election results in Virginia, New Jersey, California, and New York City were stunning – for Democrats and for Donald Trump. After less than a year of the second Trump term, months of ICE and Border Patrol abuses, a month into a federal government shutdown, and three weeks after millions participated in No Kings marches across the country, voters proved what many polls indicated – they’ve had enough! November 4 may be a significant date in American history, the day that ordinary Americans began to pull the nation back to the center. Virginia Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger led a ticket that was more victorious than even the most positive pre-election predictions. The Commonwealth’s first woman elected governor beat the Republican candidate by more than 15 points. Ghazala Hashmi, who will be the first Muslim-American woman to win a statewide contest anywhere, beat her opponent by 13 points, and even Jay Jones, the attorney general candidate beset by disgusting text messages about another elected official, won his race over incumbent Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares by six percentage points. In 2021, Miyares defeated incumbent Attorney General Mark Herring by 27,000 votes, or less than one per-
cent statewide. This year, the winning margin in that race alone was six points, or 200,000 votes.
The landslide victory was made all the sweeter in the General Assembly, where Democrats flipped 13 seats, winning 64 seats from their current 51 seat margin. Legislative experts thought there was a good chance to gain five to seven seats; doubling that was an unexpected bonus. The challenge now will be for the new Democratic majority to take great care not to overreach in the legislative session that begins in January. It is easy to declare that an election victory, especially a wide one, is a mandate but it also is easy to run “off a cliff” in the excitement of winning. Experienced legislators would be wise to educate and mentor their new colleagues with the moderation that Governor-elect Spanberger espouses. As House of Delegates’ Speaker Don Scott noted “The word of the day is restraint…We have to be wise with the gift that the voters have given us to govern.”
In New Jersey, in a race expected to be close, Representative Mikie Sherill won the governorship by about 13 percent, and will become the second female governor in that state’s history.
Both Sherill and Spanberger campaigned on affordability, the kitch-
City of Falls Church Crime Report
Week of Nov 3 - 9, 2025
Driving without a license, E Broad St, Nov 3, 9:58 a.m., a 25-year-old male was arrested.
Driving without a license, E Broad St, Nov 4, 3:17 a.m., a 58-year-old male was arrested.
Fraud – Credit Card, Founders Ave, Nov 4, 1:42 p.m., victim reported the fraudulent use of their credit card number.
Fraud – False Pretense, E Broad St, Nov 4, 5:58 p.m., victim reported being tricked into transferring funds to an unknown person within a social media site.
Disorderly Conduct, E Broad St, Nov 4, 7:49 p.m., officers were called to a business for a previously banned subject threatening customers and refusing to leave. A 46-year-old male was arrested for disorderly conduct and public intoxication.
Driving without a license, W Broad St, Nov 5, a 35-year-old female was arrested.
Motor Vehicle Theft/Stolen Auto, Founders Ave, Nov 5, between 5:30 and 7 p.m., the victim reported their 2005 burgundy Suzuki Boulevard motorcycle stolen from a parking garage.
Failure to Appear (felony), Nov 6, a 37-year-old male was arrested on two failure-to-appear warrants, one felony and one misdemeanor.
Simple Assault, N Washington St, Nov 6, 6:35 p.m., a 51-year-old female reported being assaulted and battered by a known 29-year-old white male. Investigation is on-going.
Intimidation, Wilson Blvd, Nov 7, 11:58 a.m., victim reported threat of assault by another driver while on roadway. Investigation is on-going.
Larceny – Shoplifting, Wilson Blvd, Nov 7, 1:09 p.m., an 18-year-old male was
en table issues that are affecting so many families across the nation. Affordability also was the tenet of Zohran Mamdani, the young Democratic-Socialist elected as Mayor of New York City. Many Democrats are leery of his lofty promises and meteoric rise and Republicans have targeted him as a “Marxist,” but younger voters, especially those under 30, supported his campaign style and put him over the top in the election results. Down ballot results focused on the local level. Stafford County elected two new Supervisors and now has four Black women on its board, which has a Democratic majority for the first time in recent memory. A Greene County incumbent Supervisor was only 12 votes ahead of his opponent, including provisional ballots, which triggers an automatic recount. In Albemarle County, where three board seats were up, two were uncontested, and a Democrat handily won the third. In Fairfax County, the $460 million School Bond Referendum was approved by slightly more than 70 percent.
Were the Virginia, New Jersey, California, and New York City election results harbingers of the political pendulum swinging back to equilibrium? Winning is a heady feeling, quickly replaced by the hard reality of governing. America still is a closely-divided nation, but last week’s election results provide some hope that we can find middle ground, protect democracy, and recapture the American dream –for all.
arrested.
Solicitation, W Broad St, Nov 9, 12:56 p.m., a 29-year-old male was arrested for panhandling.
Larceny – Shoplifting, W Broad St, Nov 9, 5:15 p.m., approximately $1,000 of merchandise was taken without payment. The suspect is described as a Hispanic male, 35–40 years old, height 5’7”–5’10”, weight 180–195 lbs, wearing a white hoodie and carrying an Aldi’s shopping bag. Investigation is on-going.
Larceny – Shoplifting, W Broad St, Nov 9, 6:23 p.m., $46 of merchandise was taken without payment. The suspect is described as an Asian male, 30–40 years old, height 5’7”–6’0”, average build, wearing a black shirt, blue jeans, black shoes, and carrying a green bag. Investigation is on-going.
Review: Nicholas Benton’s Latest Book of Essays All Written Since Trump 2.0
by David Hoffman
This is more than a mere book review. This is an impassioned salute to its author, the iconically aware and journalistically gifted Nick Benton.
Sometimes hailed as the seer of Falls Church and surrounding environs – like a somewhat poorer but equally prescient Warren Buffet, sometimes himself called the oracle of Omaha – Nick Benton is truly a man a Man for All Seasons, for virtually dozens of reasons.
Benton is of course the founder and owner and editor of this very publication –the Falls Church News Press, founded and funded by him on a wing and a prayer in 1991, and continuously and prophetically in print ever since, with over 1600 consecutive weekly editions. Tireless and timely, Benton has somehow, through all these crazy, cranky, cursed and cracked-up years, remained comfortable in his own skin.
Occasionally a curmudgeon, although always charming (even when sounding the tocsin of alarm), a truly self-effacing Jeremiah quite as much as the enormously modest Buffett, Benton has retained a pivotal posture of uncompromising progressivism in an era of down-market right-wing snake oil salesmen. Yes, I’m talking about you, President Trump!
Always a scrupulous observer and justthe-facts recorder of the frantic foibles and frequent foolishness of our post-industrial and post-modern life and times, Benton’s balancing act has been to stay in business somehow, during an era when print journalism is sadly fading away before our very eyes.
Like a modern-day Clarence Darrow, Benton is himself deeply rooted in both the 20th and the 21st centuries. He is in fact so very essential to his faithful readers scattered throughout not only Falls Church itself but also the city of Alexandria and the populous counties of Arlington and Fairfax, that it may reasonably now be said that he is in fact (with minimum hyperbole) an heir to the literary canon and historic Enlightenment tradition of mordant satire and visionary call to alarms and arms of the stature of, yes, Jonathan Swift (1667-1745). Himself the bearer of the eponymous adjective “swiftian,” the Anglo-Irish essayist and Anglican clergyman was the author of several lasting classics like “Gulliver’s Travels” and more to the current point, the tongue in cheek call to reduce alleged population pressures by the extremist Malthusian absurdity of eating the children of Ireland.
Dear Reader, as Jane Austen might address you, Benton is simply the real deal! And believe it or not, this is actually his eighth book! (I know people who haven’t even read that many books total, much less
written them!)
This one has a long title but “please” bear with me. It’s “Please Don’t Eat Your Children, Cult Century and Other 2025 Essays: Contributions to Contemporary History” (Falls Church, Virginia: BCI Books, 2025, published this week and available online).
Like the impish author himself and his sometimes-antic muse, Benton is frequently puckish as in, “What fools these mortals be.” He is equally a nimble satirist, throughout these compelling collected essays, many of which were originally published in this very newspaper.
He is also often, in these immensely readable pages, an amiable satyr, yet with a solidly Christian soul underlying his occasional pagan reflections in a golden eye, and his distinctively witty and syncretistic synthesis of sin and salvation.
The lead title is a direct reflection derived from Swift’s original fierce satire about dining on Irish infants and children. Cult Century meanwhile is a deliberate and welldeserved poke in the eye of the boastful and benighted Bloviator in Chief, President Donald J. Trump and his motley gang that mostly couldn’t shoot straight – the shocking menagerie headed by the truly odious Stephen Miller and the creepy collection of semi-neo-fascist hangers-on who staff –like latter-day bargain-basement Goebbels and Himmler – the Trumpist revanchist cult of blood-and-soil Christian nationalist 4th-Reich-Rightwing-Reactionary Republicanism so gravely out of synch with Eisenhower or Reagan or Bush or McCain or Romney.
In conclusion, Benton even provides a confessional note. He admits to his own personal “gullible’s travails,” in his blessedly relatively brief involvement in the 1970s in the foolish and bizarre cult of Lyndon LaRouche, a genuine precursor to today’s catastrophic Trump MAGA cult.
In effect, Benton pulls back the proverbial screen and warns us to pay close attention to the malignant cancer of the Trump cult, this bewitching brew of morose mayhem and mischief. Benton essentially says that Trump is a “fountainhead” of feral and facile fascism, to adapt the very title of the grotesquely curdled 700-page mess of a lumpy libertarian wet dream, the bestselling melodramatic and hopelessly didactic novel published in1968 by the kooky right-winger Ayn Rand, about the architect Howard Roark, an obsessed builder like Trump himself. Later adapted into one of the lesser films starring the often somewhat wooden Gary Cooper, “The Fountainhead” is the antithesis of Nick Benton’s sprightly counter narrative. From Roark to Trump, how history repeats itself (or rhymes), the first time as facile melodrama, the second time as fascist farce.
ADA, Virginia Dental Association, Nor thern Virginia Dental Association (Dr Love is Past President), American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistr y
AWARDS
Washingtonian Best Dentists; Washingtonian Best of Hall of Fame. Best Dentist of Falls Church 2013–2021; Virginia Living Magazine and Nor thern Virginia Magazine Best Dentist, 2016–2024
Best of Washingtonian, 2009-2025
Best of Falls Church, (FCNP
Mark A. Miller, DDS, Melanie R. Love, DDS NEWS-PRESS
This Week Around Falls Church
Thurs. Nov. 13
Mindfulness
Meditation for Everyday Life
10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Mary Riley Styles Public Library
Early Release
Crafternoon: Fall Felt Mask
3:45 – 4:30 p.m.
Mary Riley Styles Public Library
Library Board of Trustees Meeting
6 – 8 p.m.
Mary Riley Styles Public Library
Golden Era Mystery Book Club: The Red House Mystery
6:30 – 8 p.m.
Mary Riley Styles Public Library
Fri. Nov. 14
Sons of the American Legion Annual Frozen Turkey Bowl
Registration 6 p.m. Turkeys roll 7 p.m.
American Legion Post 130, 400 N. Oak St.
$10 per person. Open to the public.
Peter Pan and Wendy 7:30 p.m. Creative Cauldron
The Cast of Beatlemania 8:30 p.m. The State Theatre
Sat. Nov. 15
Falls Church Farmers Market
8 a.m. – 12 p.m. City Hall Parking Lot
Tinner Hill Foundation – SJC Workshop: Who Came Before Us on This Land and Why It Matters
225 East Broad Street
1 p.m. – 4 p.m. 225 East Broad Street
Understanding and acknowledging the Indigenous People of Virginia. Registration: workshop_nov15_thhf.eventbrite.com
307 Studios Holiday Open House
11 a.m. – 4 p.m. The Studios at 307, 307 E. Annandale Rd.
Live music, snacks, and winter market with local artists. Washington Sinfonietta — Music of the Bach Family 7:30 p.m.
The Falls Church Episcopal Program includes works by J.S., C.P.E., and J.C. Bach.
Peter Pan and Wendy 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. Creative Cauldron
Lez Zeppelin (“Physical Graffiti” set)
8:30 p.m.
The State Theatre Sun. Nov. 16
Peter Pan and Wendy 2 p.m. Creative Cauldron
Bus Stop Bench Build
2–4 p.m.
Location provided upon RSVP
Join Falls Church Forward to build and paint benches for local bus stops. RSVP for details — all ages welcome!
VPIS Update on City Issues
3 p.m.
The Falls Church Episcopal Social Hall Hosted by Village Preservation & Improvement Society. City Manager Wyatt Shields will discuss development and Metro updates.
Mon. Nov. 17
Falls Church Fiber Artists
10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Mary Riley Styles Public Library
Fall Storytime 10:30 – 11 a.m.
Mary Riley Styles Public Library
Playtime with Early Literacy Center
a.m.
Yorker Discussion Group 2 – 3 p.m. Mary Riley Styles Public Library
City Council Work Session w/ Housing Commission, HSAC, and EDA 7:30 – 11 p.m.
Dogwood Room A and B City Council Work Sessions are open to the public. Watch live at fallschurchva.gov/CouncilMeetings or on FCCTV.
Tues. Nov. 18
Fall Baby Time 10:30 – 11 a.m. Mary Riley Styles Public Library
Thinking Ahead: Boosting Brain Health & When to See a Neurologist 2 – 3 p.m. Mary Riley Styles Public Library
Weds. Nov. 19
MEH Give Day Club Spaghetti Dinner 6 – 7:30 p.m.
Meridian High School Cafeteria Hosted by the Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School GIVE Day Club. Enjoy spaghetti with salad and garlic knots. $5–10 donation suggested.
Our Man In Arlington
Bill Fogarty
“The Helpers Are Hurting.” This is the cover story for the most recent issue of Arlington Magazine. The sub-title is very direct: “Arlington’s safety-net nonprofits are under duress. Need is on the rise. Now what?”
As I look for topics to write about each week, it is impossible to ignore the impact of the Federal cuts by the Trump Administration for a wide range of social services. These cuts are straining the social safety net in Arlington (and in all of Virginia.) On top of that, there have been massive layoffs of federal employees, exacerbated by a government shutdown.
“Now what?” is indeed the question that we all need to confront, in this important moment in history.
“Meeting the Moment.” This simple phrase was the theme for a challenge provided by Arlington Community Foundation CEO Jenn Owens before a room of nearly 600 community members at their annual Spirit of Community Awards Luncheon on November 7. Owen asked everyone to dig deeper and to “find it in ourselves to meet this moment.” Owen used this opportunity to announce a new round of at least $500,000 in “Meeting the Moment” grants to be provided by the Foundation to Arlington-serving nonprofits over the next 6 months. Owen further encouraged the crowd to consider meeting this moment by using the Foundation’s Nonprofit Holiday Wish Catalog, featuring the needs of over 70 local nonprofits in one place. This Catalog provides an easily accessible window to discover the many organizations that are “meeting this moment” in many ways (and they make it very easy to donate to these organizations).
By way of example, Arlington Thrive lists their goals: “To keep vulnerable Arlington families warm this winter by preventing utility shut-offs.” The catalog states that “your gift ensures children can do homework under the lights, parents can cook hot meals, and seniors can stay safe in heated homes. A $250 donation will cover essential heating and electricity for one month for a family.”
Meanwhile, the County is taking its own pro-active steps to meet this moment to sup-
port residents who may be impacted by the disruption to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Arlington County has approved a one-time, emergency allocation of $350,000 to the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC). This emergency funding will allow AFAC to increase its capacity to serve additional SNAP-affected households in November and to boost AFAC’s overall capacity for the remainder of this fiscal year.
Arlington County has a long history of citizens stepping up and filling a need. This strong impulse on the part of our community is evident in the way that many of our non-profits were created in the first place. In the 1980s, a few individuals identified the need for food security, and did something about it. AFAC was founded with the goal of “obtaining and distributing groceries, directly and free of charge, to people living in Arlington, who cannot afford to purchase enough food to meet their basic needs.” The organization began distributing food in a van purchased from the Capital Area Community Food Bank. The group initially delivered to a small, rotating list of families provided by local churches. After a year of operating out of the van, the First Baptist Church of Clarendon offered AFAC a fixed operating site. In 1992, AFAC acquired its own operating site in Clarendon, and in 1997 AFAC moved to its current headquarters in Shirlington to accommodate its growing operation. AFAC now distributes over 5.5 million pounds of food annually, serving thousands of families.
It is encouraging to see the community rise to the challenge of meeting the emergency needs of the moment. I am reminded of a newspaper article from 1944 that I recently came across. County Board member Edmund Campbell convened a childcare committee in response to an urgent need: working mothers during the war were having difficulty finding childcare. An emergency need was identified, and the County responded with an effort that included a somewhat informal arrangement for residents to help take care of pre-school children. “Meeting the moment,” whether in 1944, 1988, or 2025, requires community effort to meet all the emerging needs.
Lend a hand delivering the Falls Church News-Press!
The Falls Church News-Press is seeking a few reliable helpers to deliver papers on local routes once a week. It’s a simple way to support community journalism. Routes are compact, timing is exible, and training is quick. A valid driver’s license and dependable transportation are helpful but not required.
If you believe in a free press and want to help get the paper into the community while we continue raising funds to fully restore delivery service, we’d love your help.
If you or someone you know might be interested, please email ngatz@fcnp.com with the subject “Delivery Help.” We’ll share route options, timing, and next steps.
PICTURES AROUND FALLS CHURCH
DAVE CRANCE presents this year’s local business honorees at the VFW. (Photo: Dave Crance)
MEMBERS OF VFW POST 9274 Falls Church held an Open House for the community to recognize Local Businesses for their support of the post and present this Year Patriots Pen Scholarship Award to Rosa Fiddy of Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School. Senator Saddam Salim addressed the audience and presented the award on behalf of the post. (Photo: Dave Crance)
A PERFORMANCE OF Faure’s Requiem marked All Saints Day at the Falls Church Episcopal Church Sunday night. (Photo: FCNP)
WITH HEARTFELT PRIDE, Harry Shovlin addresses attendees at the Falls Church Veterans Ceremony inside the Falls Church Community Center, honoring those who served with courage and sacrifice. (Photo:The City of Falls Church)
News & Notes
Final Tally Affirms Same Winners in F.C. Election
A counting of 117 provisional ballots completed by the Falls Church City Registrar of Voters office yesterday affirmed that, in the only race not decisively won on Election Day last week, that Kathleen Tysse held her lead over Sharon Mergler in the School Board race and is certified as the winner by a margin of 47 votes.
Registrar David Bjerke confirmed that insofar as the difference between the two candidates was under 1 percent, a petition for a recount would be accepted if filed within 10 days, and the cost for it would fall on the petitioner unless the recount changed the result and she won. Mergler had not responded to the News-Press about whether she would seek a recount as of the deadline for this edition.
Annual ‘Turkey Bowl’ This Friday at Legion Hall
A moveable bowling lane first set up years ago at the American Legion Post 130 Hall at 400 N. Oak will be the focus again this year of the popular annual Frozen Turkey Bowl, open to the public at the hall. The competition will be held this Friday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m. (sign ups at 6 p.m. with a $10 entrance fee). It is sponsored by the Sons of the American Legion.
Organizers report that “real retired Falls Church Bowl America bowling pins, size 10, are used and we bowl with different sized frozen turkeys.” It’s a doubles tournament format for people of all ages and genders and they give prizes for the top two teams and one for the last place finisher. There are door prizes, a 50/50 raffle and food.
The lane is left up for the Boy Scout troop to use on Tuesday night.
A holiday prequel not to be missed.
Tinner Hill Hosts Workshop On ‘Those Who Came Before’
Falls Church’s Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation has extended an invitation to the public to attend a workshop and presentation entitled, “Who Came Before Us on This Land And Why It Matters, Understanding and Acknowledging the Indigenous People of Virginia,” this Saturday, Nov. 15 at the Memorial Hall of the Falls Church Presbyterian Church, 225 E. Broad, at 1 p.m.
The special guest will be Rose Powhatan, renowned artist, historian, and storyteller. She is a descendent of the Pamunkey and Tauxenent (Dogue) Indian Tribes of Virginia and the co-founder and director of the Powhatan Museum of Indigenous Arts and Culture in Washington, D.C. She will talk about the original inhabitants of Falls Church and Fairfax County, what happened to them, how they influenced us, and ways in which we can honor their legacy. Walk-ins are welcome.
Groundbreaking at Phase 3 Of West Falls Set Nov. 3
EYA LLC, Rushmark Properties and Metro announced today the official groundbreaking for the next phase of West Falls, a vibrant mixed-use neighborhood decades in the making and the final phase of a 40-acre master plan that will connect housing, transit and open space at the West Falls Church Metro Station. The event will take place on-site on Wednesday, Nov. 19.
Phase One of this grand project is the 10-acre development in Falls Church now operated by the Hoffman Company, Phase Two is the Virginia Tech-controlled portion now under construction and this third and final phase will complete the plan all the way to Metro’s West Falls Church station. The West Falls Station Boulevard will unite all three phases with passage through the center of each extending from Route 7 to the West Falls Church Metro station.
Fairfax Co. Search, Rescue Team Back From Jamaica
Fairfax County’s USA-01 Urban Search and Rescue Team returned Monday, Nov. 10, after completing a nine-day deployment to Jamaica in support of the U.S. Department of State and the Government of Jamaica following widespread impacts from Hurricane Melissa.
The 34-member team, along with four search canines, deployed as a Rapid Assessment Team and conducted wide-area reconnaissance and humanitarian operations across several parishes, including St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, St. Ann, and Manchester.
‘Falls Church Forward’ Host Bench Building Sunday
Falls Church Forward is hosting a bench building event Sunday, Nov. 16, to build benches to place in bus stops where they don’t currently exist. The event will be at 1 p.m. and organizers will provide the address upon an RSVP.
Nicholas Benton’s Latest Book is Published
Out this week and available online, the Falls Church News-Press’ Nicholas Benton’s latest book of essays is a compilation of 2025 works subsumed under the titles of ‘Please Don’t Eat Your Children’ (the title derived from Jonathan Swift’s satire) and ‘Cult Century’ (describing the current that’s led to Trump). The book title includes a description as “Contributions to Contemporary History.” It is published by BCI Books of Falls Church, Virginia.
It includes a special addendum to the ‘Cult Century’ set where for the first time at some length, Benton addresses his own involvement in a cult, that of the Lyndon LaRouche movement in the 1970s, done as a contribution to the dialogue on cults, in general, the Trump MAGA cult in particular, and how to combat them.
The ‘Please Don’t Eat’ series addresses society’s dominant impulse to transform the life-affirming and creative impulses of youth into the dull conformity of adulthood, and how to address that pervasive problem.
Fairfax Schools Community Ed Announces Scholarships
The Fairfax County Public Schools Adult and Community Education program (FCPS ACE) that empowers individuals to build brighter futures with accessible and affordable workforce development and training programs, announces that a scholarship for current and prospective FCPS ACE Apprenticeship students is now open for application, with increased opportunities to award more scholarships this spring.
This fall, the program awarded nearly $35,000 in scholarships to apprenticeship students. The FCPS ACE Apprenticeship program reached full enrollment for its Level 1 Fall classes, and additional class sections were opened to accommodate demand, and is positioned to award up to $40,000 in scholarships for the upcoming spring term.
The program aims to assist low-income adults residing or employed in Fairfax County who are pursuing careers in the trades. This scholarship is available to both current and prospective FCPS ACE Apprenticeship students and is awarded twice annually
AT THE Mary Riley Styles Public Library, Meridian High School students and volunteer experts welcomed community members to the Repair Café — mending electronics, jewelry, toys, and clothing in the spirit of sustainability and connection. Repairing is an act of care — for our things and our community.. (Photo: Belen Quellet)
In Memoriam: Rhonda Deniece Holt
Ms. Rhonda Deniece Holt, age 60, transitioned on October 30, 2025 in Falls Church, VA.
Public Visitation for Ms. Holt will be Friday, November 14, 2025 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Chestnut Memorial Chapel, 18 NW 8th Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32601.
Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, November 15, 2025 at 11:00 AM at Forest Meadows Central Memorial Chapel, 4900 NW 39th Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32607.
Interment will follow immediately in Forest Meadows Memorial Park East, 3700 SE Hawthorne Road, Gainesville, FL 32641.
Imprison
“Chances ____”
Away
Snares
Male sheep
Fill again
All right!
Horse with high odds: 2 wds.
“Of ____ I Sing”
Invites
Pittsburgh product
“____ Not Unusual”
Recently
Smudge
Modifies
Kings’ chairs
Chemist’s workroom
Snaky letter
Odor
Autumn tools
Hat fabrics
because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be! Please send in your Critter Corner submissions to crittercorner@fcnp.com. Zack is a 3-year-old crested gecko with a wonderful personality. He’s never bitten anyone and is known for being especially cute and cuddly. This charming little gecko loves spending time with his owner, Jake, and always brings smiles wherever he goes!
PUZZLE NO. 315
Honolulu hello
Matures
Word of agreement
“Leave ____ to Heaven”
Miner’s
32. Etching liquid 33. Decade numbers 36. Aerie
Holds on to
50. Nursery schoolers 51. Snivel
Observe
LEGAL NOTICE
Invitation For Bids (IFB) IFB 1204-25-LPSDI
Lincoln Park Stormwater Drainage Improvements Project City of Falls Church
PASSWORD PROTECTED ELECTRONIC BIDS (SEALED) will be accepted by the City of Falls Church by electronic submission to the Purchasing Agent, James Wise, jwise@fallschurchva.gov (email) for the provision of Lincoln Park Stormwater Drainage Improvements Project.
Due date for the electronic submission of Bids is Thursday, December 4, 2025 @ 11:00 A.M. A Non-Mandatory Pre-Bid Conference will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams on November 6, 2025 (see the IFB for details). A copy of the IFB which includes all details and requirements may be downloaded from the City of Falls Church’s procurement website: www.fallschurchva.gov/Bids. Notice of the IFB may also be accessed via eVA, the Commonwealth of Virginia’s electronic procurement portal for registered suppliers, www.eva.virginia.gov.
For more information and/or questions regarding this IFB contact the City’s Purchasing Agent; (703) 248-5007; jwise@fallschurchva.gov. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703 248-5007 (TTY 711).
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING PLANNING COMMISSION
CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA
A Planning Commission public hearing and possible recommendation for City Council action on the following is scheduled for Wednesday, December 3, 2025 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard.
(TO25-21) ORDINANCE TO AMEND
THE CODE OF THE CITY OF FALLS OF CHURCH CHAPTER 48 “ZONING,” ARTICLE I “IN GENERAL,” AMENDING THE HALF STORY DEFINITION AND ARTICLE V “SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS” DIVISION 6 “HEIGHT, LOT AND YARD REGULATIONS,” DELETING SECTION 48-1104 “CONDITIONAL USES PERMITTED BY SPECIAL USE PERMIT” AS AN OBSOLETE SECTION, AND DIVISION 9 “ANTENNAS” CLARIFYING REGULATIONS APPLYING FOR ALL ANTENNA TYPES
The proposed amendments to the Zoning Code are “cleanup” items that are intended to clarify meaning where ambiguity has been identified in the course of administering the ordinance, remove obsolete language, and to otherwise increase clarity.
All public hearings will be held in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia. All persons desiring to present their views on the items will be heard. Comments may also be sent to jtrainor@fallschurchva. gov. Remote participation information at www.fallschurchva.gov/pc. For copies of legislation and other information, contact Jack Trainor jtrainor@fallschurchva.gov.
The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 571-421-7943 or e-mail jtrainor@ fallschurchva.gov.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING PLANNING COMMISSION CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA
A Planning Commission public hearing and possible recommendation for City Council action on the following is scheduled for Wednesday, December 3, 2025 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard.
(TO25-22) ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE CODE OF THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH CHAPTER 48, “ZONING,” SECTION 48-2, “DEFINITIONS,” SECTION 48-3, “GENERAL REGULATIONS” AND SECTION 48-1101, “GENERAL REQUIREMENTS,” TO INCREASE MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR TREE CANOPY COVERAGE WITHIN NONRESIDENTIAL ZONING DISTRICTS
The proposed amendments to the Zoning Code would update minimum standards for tree canopy coverage within nonresidential zoning districts, including B-1 Limited Business, B-2 Central Business, B-3 General Business, T-2 Transitional, O-D Official Design, and M-1 Light Industry districts.
All public hearings will be held in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia. All persons desiring to present their views on the items will be heard. Comments may also be sent to jtrainor@fallschurchva. gov. Remote participation information at www.fallschurchva.gov/pc. For copies of legislation and other information, contact Jack Trainor jtrainor@fallschurchva.gov.
The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 571-421-7943 or e-mail jtrainor@ fallschurchva.gov.
ABC NOTICE
Falls Church Bfi trading as BURGERFI, 168 W Falls Station Blvd, Unit A1-160, Falls Church, Fairfax County, Virginia 22046 is applying to the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Authority for a Retail Restaurant or Caterer Application – Restaurant, Wine, Beer, Consumed On and Off Premises license. NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of 2 required newspaper legal notice. Objections should be registered at www. abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.
HELP WANTED
Seeking a driver for old family member on a part-time basis (Mondays & Fridays only)weekly pay $400 must Have a valid state-issued driver’s license Must be professional, safe and patient. Email us: michaeljohn121m@gmail.com AUCTIONS
ATTN. AUCTIONEERS: Promote your upcoming auctions statewide! Affordable Print and Digital Solutions reaching your target audience. Call this paper or Landon Clark at Virginia Press Services 804-521-7576, landonc@vpa.net FARMS/FISH
Live Fish for stocking ponds! Many varieties available. Low to Free Delivery to your pond. Call Zetts Fish Farm & Hatchery for information & free catalogue. 304-995-9202, Cell 304-820-6986. HOME IMPROVEMENT
SunSetter. America’s Number One Awning! Instant shade at the touch of a button. Transform your deck or patio into an outdoor oasis. Up to 10-year limited warranty. Call now and
1-877-614-6667 to schedule a FREE inspection and no obligation estimate. Get 15% off your entire order. Plus, Military & Seniors get an additional 10% off. Limited time only. Restrictions apply, see representative for warranty and offer details.
Prepare for power outages today with a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 7-Year warranty with qualifying purchase. Call 1-844-947-1479 today to schedule a free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move. Safe Step. North America’s #1 Walk-In Tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-theline installation and service. Now featuring our FREE shower package and $1600 Off for a limited time! Call today! Financing available. Call Safe Step 1-877-591-9950
Replace your roof with the best looking and longest lasting material steel from Erie Metal Roofs! Three styles and multiple colors available. Guaranteed to last a lifetime! Limited Time Offer – up to 50% off installation + Additional 10% off install (for military, health workers & 1st responders.) Call Erie Metal Roofs: 1-844-902-4611
The bathroom of your dreams in as little as 1 day. Limited Time Offer - $1000 off or No Payments and No Interest for 18 months for customers who qualify. BCI Bath & Shower. Many options available. Quality materials & professional installation. Senior & Military Discounts Available. Call Today! 1-844-945-1631 SERVICES
DIVORCE-Uncontested, $475+$86 court cost. WILLS-$295.00. No court appearance. Estimated completion time twenty-one days. Hilton Oliver, Attorney
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap. All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.” This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-8530. Toll free call (888) 551-3247. For the hearing impaired call (804) 367-9753.
