12-25-2025

December 25, 2025 January 7, 2026

Falls Church, Virginia • w w w . fc n p . c o m • Free

Founded 1991 • Vol. XXXV N o . 46

The City of Falls Church’s Independent, Locally-Owned Newspaper of Record, Serving N. Virginia

BRINGING GOOD GOVERNMENT

IN THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH’S 2025 Year End in Review report that is available on the City’s website, this photo of the entire City staff waving to us appears.

These are all the folks who are responsible for the good governance that has the Little City ranked so high, nationally, on so many surveys, such as the latest one by the AARP reported in this ediiton. (Photo: Courtesy the City of Falls Church )

AARP: Falls Church 2nd Among Small Towns in U.S. for Seniors

by Nicholas F. Benton

Falls Church News-Press

The City of Falls Church has been ranked No. 2 in the entire U.S. by the highly-respected American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) as an ideal small community for seniors to live, according to the association’s 2025 rankings. Factors such as affordable housing, job market and walkability are included in its ranking index, although affordability remains Falls Church’s main challenge.

Overall, five Northern Virginia jurisdictions were top rated. In addi-

tion to Falls Church’s No. 2 ranking, its neighbors Fairfax County, Arlington County and Alexandria all ranked very high. Arlington, among mid-sized jurisdictions, was ranked No. 1 and Alexandria No. 2, and Fairfax County No. 5 among large jurisdictions of 500,000 or more in the entire U.S. The Town of Vienna was ranked No. 24 among small jurisdictions.

Arlington County took the top spot in the large category for the second year in a row, directly followed by the city of Alexandria at No. 2.

One of Arlington’s strengths is its ADA-compliant bus system, which

accommodates people with limited mobility, according to the ranking.

Other top cities in each category were San Francisco (very large); Cliffside Park, New Jersey (medium); and Great Neck Plaza, New York (small).

For each location, AARP’s Livability Index platform measured 61 indicators across seven different categories of livability: housing, neighborhood, transportation, environment, health, engagement and opportunity.

“There isn’t one size or one type

Continued on Page 4

Exclusive: Cleve Jones Begins Push for June Health Rallies

by Nicholas F. Benton

Falls Church News-Press

Nationally-known AIDS and civil rights activist Cleve Jones of San Francisco briefed a room of D.C.-region LGBTQ community leaders gathered in Northern Virginia last Saturday on these earliest days of his initiative to organize a nationwide week of actions in June to focus on “how Americans can work together to build a healthy nation.” The occasion was instigated by the Falls Church News-Press in response to a broad-based outreach by Jones.

Jones’ initiative is being launched just days after the GOP failed to advance benefits of the Affordable Care Act, meaning monthly health care premiums could as much as double for up to 20 million by the end of this year.

Included in the Trump administration and GOP-backed cuts to health care, generally, are provisions to exclude coverage for HIV/AIDS related therapies.

“We are on the verge of a capacity to almost eliminate HIV/ AIDS through new, inexpensive

Continued on Page 14

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NE WS BR I E FS

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Falls Church News Briefs

Unemployment Lurches in Falls Church & N. Va. Region September jobs data delayed by the federal government shutdown show a whopping 54 percent year-over-year increase in Falls Church residents reported as unemployed, with the rate increasing 34 percent in neighboring Arlington, 33 percent in Alexandria and 24 percent in Fairfax County..

The Falls Church workforce is listed by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement as 8.316 persons, with 322 currently unemployed for an unemployment rate of 3.9 percent.

City of Falls Church Touts 2025 ‘Action & Achievements’ The City of Falls Church this week released its “2025 Year in Review” report that it says “highlights a year of substantial action and community-focused achievements across governance, inclusivity, safety and sustainability.” The report is available in full on the City’s official web page.

“These accomplishments represent a year of great progress, reflecting our commitment to smart growth and dedicated public service,” said City Manager Wyatt Shields. “The City of Falls Church’s future is being built today, one strategic accomplishment at a time.”

This is the fourth year in a row the City of Falls Church, VA has released a Year in Review that covers highlighted accomplishments from the calendar year.

F.C. Announces Schedule For Coming 2 Weekends The City of Falls Church government programs and services will be closed for the upcoming holidays: Wednesday, Dec. 24–Closing at Noon: All City Government offices and services will close at noon, including City Hall, Community Center, and the Mary Riley Styles Public Library.Thursday, Dec. 25–Closed: All City Government offices and services will be closed, including City Hall, Community Center, and the Mary Riley Styles Public Library. Friday, Dec. 26–Closed: All City Government offices and services will be closed, including City Hall, Community Center, and the Mary Riley Styles Public Library.

Wednesday, Dec. 31–Closing at 5 p.m.: Mary Riley Styles Public Library and the Community Center, Thursday, January 1–Closed: All City Government offices and services will be closed, including City Hall, Community Center, and the Mary Riley Styles Public Library.

For refuse collection, the schedule will be as follows: Wednesday, Dec. 24–Trash, recycling, yard waste, and compost will be collected, as scheduled. Missed Collection: Report by 10 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 26, No leaf collection; Thursday, Dec. 25–No leaf collection (City government closed); Friday, Dec. 26–Missed trash, recycling, and yard waste will be collected, No leaf collection (City government closed); Saturday, Dec. 27–Missed curbside composting will be collected; Monday, Dec. 29–Leaf collection will resume on Monday, Dec. 29.

Willingham Sworn in a New F.C. Electoral Board Member Peg Willingham was sworn in Tuesday as the newest member of Falls Church City’s Electoral Board, replacing the long-serving outgoing Renee Bergmann Andrews.

Spanberger Appoints N. Va. Legislator Sickles as Finance Secretary Virginia’s Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger this week announced the appointment of Northern Virginia Del. Mark D. Sickles to serve as Virginia’s next Secretary

of Finance.

“The Secretary of Finance plays an essential role in guaranteeing Virginia’s longterm economic strength, safeguarding taxpayer dollars, and addressing the challenges facing Virginia communities,” said Spanberger. “As the Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, Delegate Sickles has years of experience working with both Democrats and Republicans to pass common sense budgets that have offered tax relief for families and helped Virginia’s economy grow. He not only has the deep knowledge required to successfully manage our Commonwealth’s finances, but shares my commitment to fiscal responsibility and ensuring Virginians’ tax dollars are put to the best possible use.”

As the state legislator’s second openly gay lawmaker, Sickles is the patron of the pending constitutional amendment to protect marriage equality for LGBTQ Virginians.

Powerball Ticket for $50,000 Sold in F.C.’s BJ’s Wholesale A lottery ticket from Falls Church’s BJ’s Wholesale Club on Wilson Blvd. was worth $50,000 in a Powerball drawing over the weekend.

The ticket, was one of five $50,000 winners statewide. The winner beat roughly 1 in 900,000 odds to successfully match four numbers plus the Powerball.

Though a ticket sold in Richmond netted a $150,000 prize from Saturday’s drawing, nobody won the jackpot. The odds of doing so are 1 in 292 million.

Lt. Gov. Elect Reacts to Youngkin’s New Budget Ghazala Hashmi, lieutenant governor-elect of Virginia, issued the following statement in response to the release last week of Gov. Glen Youngkin’s proposed budget for the coming legislative session in Richmond that will commence in early January.

She stated, “Last week in front of the Joint Appropriations Committees of the General Assembly, Governor Youngkin unveiled his final biennium budget proposal. The Governor and his finance team delivered the message that Virginia is on stable financial footing. As reassuring as this message sounds, it contradicts the forecasts of economists who point to rising costs for the average consumer, the loss of federal jobs, the rising rate of unemployment overall, and other global uncertainties.

“His message also sounds significantly hollow for the hundreds of thousands of Virginians who are facing hardships as the federal government, under Republican leadership, failed to renew critical healthcare support that would enable families to maintain health insurance and as Speaker Mike Johnson moves to slash essential Medicaid funding.

“With these concerns in mind, we see a significant credibility gap between the Governor’s rhetoric and the budget’s real impacts.

“First of all, the articulated tax changes contain a mixture of permanent and temporary measures, and many taxpayers will not see their full effect without further legislative action; these measures impose considerable demands on the budget and will affect schools, infrastructure, and critical services such as health care.

“Moreover, by making tax cuts a priority over serious, sober, and robust revenue planning, the budget risks underfunding these services at a time when needs are rising because of federal actions. Economists are warning of possible economic downturn pressures about which we must be cautious.

“More concerning are the practical gaps in funding for essential services. The proposed budget falls short of fully covering projected costs when compared with estimates by our own legislative analysts, who see a larger price tag for maintaining current levels of government services. Youngkin’s answer, that administrative efficiencies will close the gap, strains credulity given the structural complexities of Medicaid, nutrition assistance programs, and the likelihood of continued rising costs of health care, especially at the state level.”

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

DECEMBER 25, 2025 - JANUARY 7, 2026 | PAGE 3

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

AARP Ranks Falls Church No. 2 in Entire U.S. for Senior Citizens

Continued from Page 1

of community that fits all,” said Rodney Harrell, one of the creators of the index and AARP’s vice president of family, home and community. “It’s about knowing how well your community will work for you today and into the future.”

Fairfax County came in at No. 5 in the very large communities category — places with a population of more than 500,000.

The 61-indicator rankings across seven different categories of livability breaks down for 2025 as follows: Housing: This metric looks at the cost and availability of housing in an area, as well as the variety of housing options for people of all ages and abilities.

Neighborhood: Neighborhoods are scored based on their walkability, safety, and access to shops, groceries, restaurants, public transportation and a variety of jobs.

Transportation: The index measures a community’s access to various types of transportation, including public transit, walking, cycling and driving.

Environment: This category assigns scores based on things like a community’s pollution levels and

its plans to address the impacts of extreme weather and natural disasters.

Health: Health scores are based on whether residents have easy access to quality health care and physical activity, and whether the community fosters healthy behaviors.

Engagement: Does an area encourage community involvement and diverse social interactions? The answer is measured via metrics like voter participation, nondiscrimination laws, and access to cultural venues, social outlets and high-speed internet.

Opportunity: The opportunity score (calculated by input from our technical advisory panel and using the Index) determines things like the availability of jobs with living wages, school-district performance and whether the community is multigenerational.

So the AARP rankings for four different sizes of cities includes the top 10 in each as follows: Population of 500,000 and up, 1.San Francisco, California, 2.

Montgomery County, Maryland, 3. Seattle, Washington, 4. Ramsey County, Minnesota, 5. Fairfax County, Virginia, 6. New York, New

York, 7. Boston, Massachusetts, 8. Nassau County, New York, 9.

Portland, Oregon, 10. Bergen County, New Jersey.

Population of 100,000 to 499,000, 1. Arlington County, Virginia, 2 Alexandia, Virginia, 3. Cambridge, Massachusetts, 4. Salt Lake City, Utah, 5. St. Paul, Minnesota, 6.

Boulder, Colorado, 7. Minneapolis, Minnesota, 8. North Hempstead, New York, 9. Madison, Wisconsin, 10. Chittenden County, Vermont.

Population of 25,000 to 99,999, 1. Cliffside Park, New Jersey, 2.

Fort Lee, New Jersey, 3. Portland, Maine, 4. Burlington, Vermont, 5.

Rockville, Maryland, 6. Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 7. Somerville, Massachusetts, 8. Brookline, Massachusetts, 9. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 10.

Belmont, Massachusetts Population of 5,000 to 24,999, 1.

Great Neck Plaza, New York, 2. Falls Church, Virginia, 3. Pella, Iowa, 4.

Aspen, Colorado, 5. Knoxville, Iowa, 6. Los Alamos, New Mexico, 7.

Takoma Park, Maryland, 8. Orange City, Iowa, 9. Salida, Colorado, 10.

Williston Park, New York.

According to the AARP report, “Residents of small communities typically experience lower income

inequality, more jobs per worker and greater age diversity compared to the national average. Multigenerational communities offer everyone the opportunity to thrive.

“These small communities

WHAT BROKE

also score well in engagement, so residents have plenty of opportunities to socialize together, work together, build community together and effect positive change together.”

WHAT THEY CLAIMED

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‘Solidarity’ is Key to Stopping MAGA Nicholas F. Benton FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

It’s been some year. For all we’ve seen on TV and the Internet, the worst of what’s happened remains mostly off screen, in the forests and plains of Africa where hundreds of thousands, mostly children, have died this year for the lack of resources that the U.S. had provided for so long, only to have Trump and his movement suddenly cut them off.

A glimpse of the horror that Trump and company have set upon us can be seen in the withheld 60 Minutes 15-minute segment on the atrocities at the CECOT maximum security prison in El Salvador.

Just as the opposite of good is evil, so the opposite of empathy is cruelty, whether it takes the form of nailing a cat to a garage door, raping a child, or doing many of the things that this administration is undertaking.

Now with the prospect of initiating a war, it seems hardly worth worrying about the obsessive self-ingrandizement component of the savage mental illness that is now running our country, like the renaming of the Kennedy Center, a step much like writing one’s own name on someone else’s tombstone. But it is a compulsive move with a collateral consequence being a deep, deliberate insult to all the categories of people that Trump readily admits he hates.

The cartoon is of an orchestra conductor who opens the music score he is to conduct and finds the work’s title changed to “Fifth Symphony by Donald Trump and Gustav Mahler.” Or, there’s the one of a woman complimenting another in a solid black t-shirt saying she loves the shirt’s depiction of the “redacted version of the Epstein files.”

Such humor matters in a time, especially as traditional holiday music fills the air echoing themes of universal love and care for others, when, were one not to laugh, one would cry.

It is becoming clear that overcoming this evil is not done with one silver bullet, but by a relent-

less, persistent effort at chipping away. Patience with persistence is required.

But also heed what the Rev. William J. Barber II, co-founder of the national Poor People’s Campaign, is saying these days: “Please don’t blame Trump for where we are now. Name all who have lied for him, upheld him, covered for him, put false religion around him, and enabled him. If we end up in war, there must not be selective amnesia.

Anyone who didn’t speak up bears the blame.”

The fissures in the Turning Point movement arising over alternate tastes in its agenda for hate are a natural “falling out among thieves” consequence of staking lives and identities on angry labeling and judging based on perceived differences.

It’s a law of nature for evil to rip away at tendencies for common ground. Sadly, on the progressive side, the same infection threatens to fester and blow apart the unique opportunity that now exists to expunge the world from the MAGA menace. There is a reason why the word, “solidarity,” has been so important to modern movements against oppression.

But the impulse to division is not as inherent on the progressive side as it is on the other. Still, the kind of resolute, firm and strident determination that is now required if MAGA is to be stopped must be deployed to act against any divisiveness in the ranks of the anti-MAGA coalition.

Common ground is, after all, fundamentally rooted in the scientific fact of the human propensity for empathy, to identify and relate to the needs of others. This is a common ground that greed and the other deadly sins rip people away from through the elevation of slimy cravings of the self against and to the exploitation of others.

If there is a defining flaw in the major media’s role today, it is in its preoccupation to find “news” in the divisions among us, and to exploit egos it can elicit as spokespersons and leaders to that ill-begotten end.

The truth is that the two political forces in America today are pro-MAGA and anti-MAGA. That is how it should play out in the next year if it’s done right, and divisions to not wind up ripping apart the anti-MAGA side.

CO MME NT

DECEMBER 25, 2025 - JANUARY 7, 2026 | PAGE 5

A Penny for Your Thoughts

By Penny Gross Former Fairfax County Supervisor

Humanity, empathy, elegance, in word and deed – all attributes one would wish to have in an American president. For the most part, modern presidents have exemplified at least some humanity and empathy, and maybe to a lesser extent, elegance.

Their service and memories helped move the national agenda based on democratic values and maintained America’s reputation among its allies as well as its adversaries. Nearly all that progress has been upended by Donald Trump, especially in his second term as president.

The crassness, coarsening, and grift started in his first term, of course, but hits a new low in his second. Just when you wonder when he will hit bottom, he digs the hole deeper, literally and figuratively, razing the historic East Wing of the White House for his monstrous ballroom, blaming noted actor and film director Rob Reiner and his wife for their own murders, demanding the return of “our land and oil” that actually belongs to Venezuela, and raiding ceremonies to deny legal immigrants, who have met all the required qualifications and passed the challenging test, their citizenship. Trump brags that he passed a cognitive test with fly-

ing colors. Anyone wonder if he could pass the citizenship test?

The deepest hole to date, however, may be the illegal addition of his name to the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. One nearby resident said it was “like putting his own name on someone else’s gravestone.” Although rumored for months, the fix obviously was in the works for some time, as Trump’s full name was installed on the marble wall, above Kennedy’s name, less than 24 hours after the revamped Kennedy Center board held an eight-minute phone meeting to vote for the name change.

Apparently, neither the board nor Mr. Trump found any anomaly in the fact that the Kennedy Center is a memorial to a dead president, not one who is alive. Public Law 88-260, passed by Congress and signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in January 1964, declares that “the living memorial to be named in his honor by this joint resolution shall be the sole national monument to his memory within the City of Washimgton and its environs.” A 1981 book by Brendan Gill about the building of the Kennedy Center noted a

stipulation that “the Center, like the Washington Monument and the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials, would enjoy the privilege of singularity.” That privilege, apparently, does not apply when Donald Trump is in the White House. Congress has the authority and the responsibility to enforce and restore that singular privilege, if they will finally stand up to Mr. Trump and his megalomaniac whims and actions.

Much as we could hope that Mr. Trump’s figurative shovel finally has hit bedrock, there will be more.

More destruction of norms, more tone deafness to Americans’ everyday problems, more gilding of anything standing still, more hatred and more authoritarianism. His ICE thugs “disappear” immigrants, farmers struggle with the effects of tariffs on their markets, and millions of Americans anticipate massive health care increases after January 1, but Mr. Trump continues to focus on building his ballroom, a triumphal arch below Arlington National Cemetery, a bizarre wall of predecessors (with explanatory plaques written by Trump himself) outside the Oval Office, and expanding his daily retribution list.

But it’s Christmas, a time to embody the humanity, empathy, and elegance to which we all might aspire. Tiny Tim’s character ended Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” with the classic line, “God bless us every one!” At this season of hope, that wish should include Mr. Trump and his cronies, too, at least for one day.

City of Falls Church Crime Report Week of Dec 15 - 21, 2025 Credit Card Fraud, W Broad St, Dec 16, 10:30 a.m., an incident of credit card fraud was reported.

No Valid Driver’s License, Hillwood Ave, Dec 17, 3:39 a.m., a white male, age 19, of Silver Spring, MD, was arrested for driving without a valid driver’s license.

No Valid Driver’s License, E Broad St, Dec 17, 5:00 p.m., a white female, age 28, of Falls Church, VA, was arrested for driving without a valid driver’s license.

Arson, Wilson Blvd, Dec 17, 6:03 p.m., three unidentified male suspects set merchandise on fire and fled the premises.

Investigation is ongoing.

Driving with Suspended License, Great Falls St, Dec 18, 8:27 a.m., a white female, age 47, of McLean, VA, was arrested for driving with a suspended/ revoked license.

No Valid Driver’s License, N Cherry St, Dec 18, 3:48 p.m., a white male, age 30,

of Springfield, VA, was arrested for driving without a valid driver’s license.

Larceny from Building, Park Ave Dec 19, 10:00 a.m., victim reported her wallet was missing and unauthorized charges were made on her credit card.

Shoplifting, Wilson Blvd, Dec 19, 4:01 p.m., an unidentified suspect took several items from a business without paying. Suspect described as a white male, approx. 6’0”, long blond hair, facial hair, wearing a red hat, blue glasses, black and white flannel shirt, and dark pants, driving a black Ford F-150 truck.

Trespass, N Washington St, Dec 20, 7:51 p.m., a black female, 48, of Arlington, VA, was arrested for trespassing.

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Editorial

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E D I TO R I A L

Gains in Housing Affordability

It may tend to be overlooked, but to us, the greatest achievement of the City of Falls Church government in the last period has been its resolve around affordable housing such that units in new mixed use and residential projects designated as “affordable” in the proffering process not only now approach 10 percent or even higher of all the units in a project, but that, even more importantly, that they are maintained as “affordable” in perpetuity, and not just for 10 or 15 years.

The “in perpetuity” aspect of these proffers is absolutely key in the process of a sustained advancement in the City’s housing affordability effort, critical to maintaining a community that is sustainable and just.

It is already evident that the civic culture of Falls Church is a step ahead of its neighbors on this critical national issue of housing affordability. Even as all of Northern Virginia – from Arlington, to Alexandria to Fairfax County and Falls Church – collectively ranks the highest region in the entire nation as the most ideal place for seniors to reside than anywhere else in the U.S. (according to the latest AARP survey reported in this edition), there remain distinctions among the area’s jurisdictions on the housing equity and affordability matter.

Evidence is the difficulty Arlington is having advancing its main housing affordability issue described as “missing middle” housing in single family home zoned areas of that county. The pushback by residential property owners against this relatively modest initiative to allow for some more moderately priced housing has continued to be furious and far from resolved after years of effort to date.

Falls Church had its version of the same fundamental issue take the form of a transitional zone modification where the City’s version of “Not In My Back Yard” (NIMBY) mentality reared its ugly head, and it took years, due to its government’s generous concern to allow full public debate of the matter, to get the change made. But it did it, and it’s over. The vote on the City Council never changed from the clear 5-2 majority the whole process began with.

Notwithstanding that Falls Church is not a perfect place and its people collectively not perfect, either, still, the nature of the debate here has been civil and governed by a reasonable appreciation of its role in the wider national housing crisis. The City is continuing to move in the right direction.

It was not long ago that the “affordable housing” issue, overall was an afterthought, a nuisance and a bastard stepchild among the City’s priorities.

Now, in recent years it has emerged to the forefront of concern, with the transitional zones and accessory dwelling unit changes. More will be coming in the next year. We will be watching with interest as the Virginia Village project matures and other new initiatives arise to add meaningfully to the stock of affordable homes for the community.

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Our Man In Arlington Bill Fogarty

The most consequential event that impacted Arlington was the inauguration of Donald Trump as our 47th president on January 20, followed by his numerous executive orders, and a torrent of actions that are too numerous to list. The most immediate impact involved the wholesale firings of federal workers. Arlington has always had a large number of federal workers within its population – a published news report in March estimated that 25,000 federal workers lived in Arlington. Several of our local organizations, and politicians, responded with job fairs and other resources to assist the many residents who were fired. In similar fashion, in response to the federal administration’s chaotic deportation actions, critical resources were also provided to the immigrant community.

The most visible response involved an extraordinary number of public protests. Some examples would be the weekly protests at the Tesla dealership in Arlington; the “No Kings Day” protest that covered all of Langston Boulevard; and the “bridge brigades” over I-66 and 395, with some creative signage.

Beginning in April, our non-profit organizations experienced drastic cuts in funding. As just one example, Aspire Afterschool Learning faced significant financial challenges due to abrupt AmeriCorps funding cuts.

The organization lost approximately $400,000 in funding, but our local community responded by raising $350,000 to bridge the gap. Through these efforts, Aspire was able to hire back AmeriCorps members as permanent staff for the summer and the school year.

Our public school system attracted the ire of federal officials, as the Department of Education withdrew funding for Arlington Public Schools (APS) for allegedly violating federal law with its supportive transgender policies. APS has sued the Department of Education to protect their policies and funding. The litigation is still winding its way through the court system.

For our specific local matters, there is the ongoing saga of the Missing Middle lawsuit, which had been filed in the spring of 2023, with no

end in sight. At some point perhaps our community will be able to assess “lessons learned” from all of this. I might offer the (perhaps obvious) observation that citizen unhappiness is often a common by-product of government action. The Columbia Pike street and sidewalk renovations significantly disrupted life for people and businesses on the Pike this year, leaving a residue of bitterness toward the way the County handled the construction process. Legislative decisions regarding zoning and land use approvals also resulted in dissatisfaction with process, and with the results. One might say that such unhappiness has motivated a push to change our form of government.

The year has ended with the County Board considering how to start a study of possible changes. Their last meeting of the year was devoted solely to this issue, drawing a remarkable number of public comments.

I don’t want this review to be all doom and gloom, as there are many good things happening in Arlington. In the broader picture I could cite the many ways that Arlington achieves high rankings by various state and national organizations. In a recent AARP “Livability Index” ranking of U.S. large communities (100,000 to 499,999 people), Arlington came out on top (followed by Alexandria, Cambridge, and Salt Lake City). Their metrics included transportation, health, and engagement.

I wish I had room in this column to cite many of the good things happening in Arlington, both large and small. Some examples include Fire Station 8’s Grand Reopening on Langston Boulevard; the “Memorializing the Enslaved” project; and the excellent outreach to our teen community by our Parks and Recreation Department.

I am amazed at Arlington’s long history of citizen involvement. I have noted a theme simply in the names of its many ad hoc groups which have formed as coalitions over the years, such as the Better Government League (1930); Arlingtonians for a Better County (1950s); and Committee for a Better Arlington (2010). The historical trend seems to be a consistent plea that “we can always do better.”

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HO LIDAY FUN 2025

DECEMBER 25, 2025 - JANUARY 7, 2026 | PAGE 7

Holiday Fun 2025 Pages 7 -10

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HO LIDAY FUN

‘A Stan Kenton Christmas’ Returns to Birchmere With Brass Flourish

by Mark Dreisonstok

On Monday night, December 22, the Capitol Bones All- Brass Big Band presented an exciting program of Christmas music at Alexandria’s Birchmere, a selfbilled “Christmas Brass Spectacular.” Unlike last year, however, when the Capitol Bones presented some Stan Kenton Christmasstyle selections along with other big band Christmas staples at the same venue, this year the aggregation returned to its roots and earlier Christmas outing “A Stan Kenton Christmas.” The music of progressive big band leader Stan Kenton remained in sharp focus the entire evening.

The program was anchored in thrilling re-creations of Christmas carols which were performed on Kenton‘s 1961 Capitol Records album “A Merry Christmas!“ Unlike most big bands, the early 1960s Kenton orchestra featured, in addition to trumpets and trombones, a mellophonium section, for which the Capitol Bones (“Bones” for trombones) successfully substituted the more common mellophones. Matt Niess, trombonist and nominal

leader of the Capitol Bones, recalled that his father told him that, in the 1940s, “ people went to hear Glenn Miller play live so they could dance and socialize; people went to Stan Kenton concerts to listen.“ Kenton created a much more symphonic style big band with rich tonal color, on display magnificently in the Capitol Bones Christmas Kenton pastiches of “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “Good King Wenceslas,” and “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” among others.

In agreeing to record an album of Christmas favorites, Kenton would reportedly only allow songs which were carols of a sacred nature to enter the playlist. A wonderful aspect of the Capitol Bones Christmas performance was that it also included secular Christmas songs, but arranged in the Stan Kenton style, in one case by one of Kenton’s own arrangers especially for the Bones. Given the Stan Kenton treatment were “The Christmas Song,“ “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” (with an engagingly “mean” trombone solo by Mr.

Niess), and an especially pensive “Christmas Time Is Here.”

An especially memorable piece was Matt Niess’ arrangement of “My Favorite Things” from “The Sound of Music,” a Broadway tune which is sometimes played during the holiday season. Here it was arranged in the spirit of Kenton with fast-paced jazz rhythm and full brass sound.

Vocalist Lena Seikaly joined the proceedings, occasion-

ally scat-singing. While many vocalists would find singing over five trumpets, five trombones, and four mellophones a daunting challenge, her voice soared above the orchestra in “Winter Wonderland,“ “Let it Snow! Let It Snow!,” and Cole Porter’s “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To” (this time duetting only with pianist Tony Nalker), and Peggy Lee’s nonChristmas outing “ I Love Be-

ing Here with You.“ The performance then ended with a non-Christmas Kenton arrangement of “Malagueña,” perhaps the showstopper of the evening.

The audience reaction at the Birchmere was ecstatic. It is the only time this reviewer has seen a big band given two standing ovations. We indeed look forward to future Stan Kentoninspired performances of the Capitol Bones!

THE CAPITOL BONES All-Brass Big Band at the Birchmere on Monday evening. (Photo: Mark Dreisonstok)

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Joyous Return of ‘Madeline’s Christmas’ to Creative Cauldron

by Mark Dreisonstok

Creative Cauldron’s holiday offering this season has been a return to its stage of one of the venue’s favorites, “Madeline’s Christmas,” which ran in Falls Church through December 21. This musical adaptation by Jennifer Kirkeby, directed well by Matt Conner, is based on the 1956 book by Ludwig Bemelmans, an Austrian native who adopted the U.S. as his home and wrote children’s stories about the girl Madeline and her school friends in France. Many parents in the audience likely grew up with this book series and relished the opportunity to share it with their own children at Creative Cauldron this December.

The holiday-themed story as presented at the Cauldron revolves around young Madeline, her twelve boarding school classmates, and their caretaker, Miss Clavel (a part assayed by Shaina Kuhn). As a school excursion, the girls have visited a zoo on a cold day (children were costumed with animal masks in this production). The twelve return from the zoo to their French history class, where they all start sneezing. Miss Clavel and all the girls subsequently become ill— that is, save for Madeline, who takes cares of them. Thus, small Madeline, the tiniest of all, must assume a role that is very large!

Late at night, a knock is heard. It being the Christmas season, Madeleine supposes it is Santa, but it is instead a rug salesman (depicted by Josh Carias).

Madeline tells the salesman that the girls

cannot travel home to their families. The rug salesman, revealing himself to be a magician, then offers her twelve small carpets. Will the girls get well in time for Christmas? Quoting from the book, will it be soon when “Miss Clavel again quite well/ [thinks] it time to ring her bell?”

Will the magic carpets have the power to waft the children off to see their families for the holidays? One need only to listen to “Abracadabra,” one of the many perky musical numbers performed by the Mr. Carias and the talented young cast, to know that this Arabian Nights-themed aspect of the tale may indeed have the power to work magic.

In addition to the spirited cast’s acting and singing, the set design of Margie Jervis comes in for high praise, for it imitates effectively the whimsical illustrations of Madeline’s boarding school as well as Paris’ iconic Eiffel Tower from the original Bemelmans book. When last we saw a production at Creative Cauldron, it was bilingual: in English as well as Spanish. This time around, befitting the Parisian setting of “Madeline’s Christmas,” French words and phrases are often employed by the cast, “Bonjour,” merci,” “s’il vous plait,” and the French phrase to greet the New Year: “Bonne année” Most memorable, perhaps, is the story’s theme that goes well behind the holiday season, to wit: even someone as small and seemingly powerless as little Madeline may rise to the occasion to accomplish great things and bring health and goodwill to the world around her!

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PAGE 10 | DECEMBER 25, 2025 - JANUARY 7, 2026

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As my second year in the Senate comes to an end, I want to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for the trust you placed in me.

I never know who reads the “Report from Richmond,” but I am grateful for the opportunity to provide you with an update each month. I appreciate the FCNP and the staff for allowing me to share my thoughts. Serving as your State Senator continues to be an honor, and I am guided every day by the stories, concerns, and hopes you share with me. And I share your frustrations about what’s happening across the river.

Over these two years, I have focused on issues that matter deeply to our community: protecting fundamental rights, strengthening our public schools, improving affordability, and investing in cleaner, safer transportation. That has included work to defend voting rights and reproductive freedom, support increased funding for public education, and advance policies that expand affordable housing, clean energy, and better transit options in Northern Virginia.

I have also learned a tremendous amount about how the General Assembly actually works. From the technical aspects of legislation like when a supermajority is needed to pass

a bill, to requesting help with everyday tasks from the Senate Pages, to working with members of both parties for the good of the Commonwealth, the education I have gained through the experience of my first two years has been invaluable. The incoming Democratic trifecta is a rare opportunity to make meaningful progress on all the issues that first inspired me to run, and I am more prepared than ever to take advantage of that opportunity for the benefit of our region.

This season is a time for reflection and gratitude. I am grateful for our teachers, first responders, small business owners, health care workers, and all who strengthen our neighborhoods every day. I am equally mindful of neighbors who are struggling with the cost of living, housing, and access to opportunity, and I remain committed to working on practical solutions in the year ahead.

As the General Assembly prepares to convene, I will return to my regular updates on legislation, budgets, and policy debates. For now, I hope you and your loved ones enjoy a peaceful and safe holiday season, and that the New Year brings health, hope, and renewed opportunity to every family in our district. Thank you again for the privilege of allowing me to serve you.

To Our Falls Church News-Press family,

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In observance of the holidays, the News-Press will not be printing next week. We will return to normal printing starting the week of January 8.

From all of us here at the Falls Church News-Press, we wish you a joyful holiday season and a healthy, hopeful New Year.

Thank you for being part of our community.

— The Falls Church News-Press

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

LO CA L

DECEMBER 25, 2025 - JANUARY 7, 2026 | PAGE 11

PICTURES AROUND FALLS CHURCH

IN A HOLIDAY GATHERING at Ireland’s Four Provinces last Friday, former and current employees of the Falls Church News-Press gathered for a social time together.

The faces pictured left to right are: Nicholas Benton, Jonathan Harper, Teddy Wiant, Jody Fellows, Nick Gatz, Peter Laub, Beau Fay and Lucas Hardi. (Photo: News-Press)

RENEE ANDREWS (LEFT), shown at the Falls Church City Council meeting where she was honored for her many years’ service on the Falls Church Electoral Board, has retired from that position and Peg Willingham has taken her place. (Photo: News-Press)

THE STAFF OF THE newly-opened Paris Baguette in Falls Church’s Tower Square posed for this photo on the thriving new business’ opening week. (Photo: News-Press)

A HOLIDAY CABARET performance at Creative Cauldron earlier this month. There is an ambitious schedule of new events for the new year. (Photo: News-Press)

PAGE 12 | DECEMBER 24, 2025 - JANUARY 7, 2026 LEGAL NOTICE

ABC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

Fish Taco of Falls Church LLC trading as Fish Taco, 930 W. Broad St., Fairfax County, Falls Church, VA 22046 is applying to the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Authority for a Retail Restaurant License – Wine, Beer, Mixed Beverages, Consumed On and Off Premises License to sell alcoholic beverages.

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.

The Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) of the City of Falls Church, Virginia will hold a public hearing on January 8th, 2026, at 7:30 PM in the Council Chambers, located at 300 Park Avenue, for consideration of the following item: Variance application V1674-25 by Jay Shalaty (Applicant), on behalf of Ericka and Nicholas Tomen (Owners), for a variance to Section 48-238(3)(a) to allow a rear setback of 31.3 feet instead of the 40 feet minimum allowed to construct a screened in porch at 1303 Gibson Place, RPC#52-502-064 of the Falls Church Real Property Records, zoned R-1A, Low Density Residential District.

Public comment and questions may be submitted to zoning@fallschurchva. gov until 4:30 pm on January 8th, 2026.

Agenda and application materials will be available the week prior to the scheduled hearing at: http://www.fallschurchva. gov/BZA Information on the above application is also available for review upon request to staff at zoning@fallschurchva.gov.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA The following was given first reading at the December 8, 2025 City Council meeting. Public hearings, second readings, and possible City Council actions are scheduled for Monday, January 12, 2026 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard.

(TO25-20) ORDINANCE TO (1) AMEND THE CITY CODE OF THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH CHAPTER 40 “TAXATION,” TO ADD ARTICLE XXI, “COMM E R C I A L P R O P E RT Y A S S E S S E D CLEAN ENERGY (C-PACE) FINANCING PROGRAM,” (2) APPROVE AND AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE RELATED “COMM E R I C A L P R O P E RT Y A S S E S S E D CLEAN ENERGY (C-PACE) FINANCING PROGRAM, C-PACE PROGRAM AGREEMENT,” AND (3) APPROVE AND AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE RELATED “VIRGINIA ENERGY – LOCALITY COMMERCIAL PROPERTY ASSESSED CLEAN ENERGY AGREEMENT” This action would amend City Code Chapter 40, Taxation, to establish a Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) Financing Program, to operate in conjunction with the statewide C-PACE program.

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 cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov. Remote participation information at www.fallschurchva.gov/publiccomment. For copies of legislation and other information, contact the City Clerk’s office at 703-248-5014 or cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov or visit www.fallschurchva.gov/councilmeetings.

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 703-248-5014 (TTY 711) or e-mail cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov.

CELESTE HEATH, CITY CLERK

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HO LIDAY FUN

DECEMBER 25, 2025 - JANUARY 7, 2026 | PAGE 13

Malinin Favored in Figuring Skating as he Begins Olympic Chase

by Lois Elfman

With three U.S. Senior Men’s titles already under his belt, Falls Church-area native Ilia Malinin is the clear favorite to claim the title at the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, which begin on Jan. 4 in St. Louis, Missouri.

While he and fellow reigning World Championship gold medalists—women’s champion Alysa Liu and ice dance champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates— will be the stars of the show, there are many other skaters coming to show their best.

A select few will earn spots on the U.S. Olympic team bound for Milano Cortina in February. Others will be named to various international competitions and some will simply be happy to perform before enthusiastic audiences.

Malinin has been building momentum, winning his third Grand Prix Final in December with a record seven quadruple jumps in his free skate. “It’s amazing how it seems like he’s maxed out and then somehow a few weeks later he continues to break his own records,” said Scott Smith, 1998 U.S. Junior Men’s Champion, nine-time U.S. senior men’s competitor and veteran show skater.

Smith is among other past champions interviewed for this exclusive piece At the 2006 U.S. Championships, Smith was the lone man to land a quadruple jump. To see Malinin landing multiple quads, including the quad Axel, shows how far the sport has advanced.

But Malinin has matched his technical development with growing artistry.

“If you look back at programs Ilia did three or four years ago, you see how he’s gotten much more intricate choreography and passion within his skating,” said Smith. “I feel he’s really pushed skating in a new direction artistically as well.”

Olympic and World medalist Timothy Goebel was the original quad king of U.S. skating. The first skater in the world to land a quadruple Salchow and to do three quad jumps in a program, Goebel fully appreciates how Malinin has pushed the sport forward.

“He just continues to exceed even his own records, and it’s just remarkable,” said Goebel, who landed 76 career quad jumps by the time he retired from competition in 2006. “What he did at the Grand Prix Final shouldn’t even

be possible and he did it with relative ease. … He can now do [seven quads] reliably, which almost sounds ridiculous, but it’s not because he’s doing it. He really defined himself as the athlete of his generation by leaps and bounds.”

There are three men’s spots for the U.S. Olympic team. Contenders include two-time Olympian Jason Brown, 31. Although he doesn’t have any quads, his artistry has kept him among the world’s elite.

“Even without the quad, Jason still consistently ends up in the top 10 beating people who land multiple quads because the quality of what he does is so high,” Goebel said. “He has a very strong shot at getting the second spot. For the rest of the field…we have several talented athletes who have had relative success this season.”

Others to look out for are Tomoki Hiwatashi (after Malinin, the highest scoring U.S. man on the Grand Prix circuit), Camden Pulkinen, Andrew Torgashev and Maxim Naumov, who is skating with a sense of purpose after losing his parents in the tragic airplane crash last January that claimed the lives of several skaters and coaches. “Tomoki Hiwatashi is skating better than he ever has and he’s hitting quadruple jumps pretty consistently in competition,” said Smith.

The senior women’s event is packed with talent. There is Liu, who returned to skating last year after a two-year break and absolutely dazzled at the 2025 World Championships. She recently won Skate America and the Grand Prix Final. Then, there is the powerhouse two-time and reigning U.S. Champion Amber Glenn, who won two Grand Prix events in the fall.

The 2023 U.S. Champion Isabeau Levito was not at her best on the Grand Prix circuit but has proven consistent over time. Other skaters in the mix are 2018 Olympian Bradie Tennell and Malinin’s training mate Sarah Everhardt.

Smith said barring unforeseen errors or injuries, Liu and Glenn will likely be on the Olympic team. Important to note, the results at the U.S. Championships are not the sole determinant of who makes the team. The international committee of U.S. Figure Skating will also consider results this season and body of work.

“I would give Isabeau the edge for the third spot going into Nationals,” said Smith. “Sarah has

proven that she can deliver under pressure. She could stage an upset this year at Nationals if some of the skaters with a little more pressure on them crack.”

Goebel said Liu brings a unique energy that is refreshing. “What I really like about her is despite her sort of unassuming, relaxed personality she goes and delivers,” he said. “You have to respect the consistency, and she has a way of engaging with the crowd.”

At present, pairs is the weakest discipline for the U.S. That said, two teams will go to the Olympics and will need to be at their best to help the U.S. again win gold in the team event. Unfortunately, reigning U.S. Champions, Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov are not Olympic eligible as Efimova is not yet a U.S. citizen. That creates opportunities for Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea and Emily Chan and Spencer Howe. “The pairs is going to be interesting,” said Goebel.

In contrast, two ice dance teams seeking to join three-time World Champions Chock and Bates on the Olympic team have met the citizenship requirements.

Vadym Kolesnik, who skates with Emilea Zingas, celebrated U.S. citizenship with an outstanding fall season, winning medals at two Grand Prix events and qualifying for the Grand Prix Final.

It hasn’t been as good of a season for Christina Carreira, who was sworn in a U.S. citizen in November, and Anthony Ponomarenko, but they’re working to recapture the magic that brought them to fifth at the 2025 World Championships.

“I remember Madison Chock from her first year skating and competing,” said Mathew Gates, 1995 U.S. Junior Ice Dance Champion, four-time senior medalist, World competitor and longtime coach. “I’ve always thought that she’s super talented. She’s definitely, in my opinion, one of the best women in the world. Evan is way talented as well. They’re the frontrunners.”

Gates said this year in ice dancing has been interesting with some unpredictable results. Three or four teams are in contention for second and third place at the U.S. Championships and then the Olympic team.

“I thought Zingas and Kolesnik were very, very good this year,” Gates said. “They’re very interactive with the audience. Their grade of execution on the elements is

very high. They’re very strong contenders for the second spot.

I really like Caroline Green and Michael Parsons as well. They’ve reinvented themselves this year.

They’ve come up with programs that are both crowd friendly and very interesting for skating people too. … Carreira and Ponomarenko have not come out as they did last year…but they’re still a good team, so you can’t count them out.”

Among the ice dance teams vying for an Olympic spot is a team with local roots, Emily Bratti and Ian Someville. The duo took the bronze at the 2024 U.S. Championships and in December won the Santa Claus Cup, an international competition in Budapest, Hungary.

Bratti, from McLean, and Somerville, from Cabin John, Maryland, grew up skating in the area and still represent the Washington Figure Skating Club while currently training in Michigan. “I have a lot of amazing memories with all my friends in the MedStar ice arena (in Arlington),” said Bratti.

In addition to winning gold, Bratti and Somerville made the most of their time in Budapest, exploring some of the city’s Christ-

mas markets. “It felt very festive,” said Bratti. “We went shopping a lot and bought Christmas presents for our families.”

Since returning to training, their focus has been on preparing for the U.S. Championships, where they will do their utmost to earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. “We had a few injuries in the offseason and at the beginning of the season, which kind of didn’t set us up to be in the position that we really wanted to be in, but we’ve been working really hard to get to where we want to be,” said Bratti. “Right now, we are there.

We put a lot of time into both of our programs. We feel we’ve improved a lot even from our last competition, and we’re really excited to perform at Nationals and show all the work we’ve put in.”

Other locals who will be competing at Nationals include Lucius Kazanecki (senior men), Michael Parsons (senior ice dance), Madison Chong and Sofia Bezkorovainaya (junior women), Anaelle Kouevi and Yann Homawoo and Annelise Stapert and Maxim Korotcov (junior ice dance), and Natalie and Nathan Leitan (novice ice dance).

Ilia Malinin the 2025 US Champ. (Photos: Lois Elfman)

PAGE 14 | DECEMBER 25, 2025 - JANUARY 7, 2026

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

C ritter C orner

‘Healthy Nation’ Rallies in June Get Initial Boost With Local Group

Continued from Page 1

and easily administered medications, but just as this new opportunity arises, because of cuts to health care, we are now on the verge of plunging into a new AIDS epidemic,” Jones told the group.

Assembled by News-Press owner Nicholas Benton and under the auspices of the Go Gay DC community networking group led by T.J. Flavell, and held at Crystal City’s Freddie’s Beach Bar, the only openly LGBTQ bar in the Northern Virginia region, the audience for Jones’ rallying call, which came through a FaceTime phone call, were Lou Chibbaro, senior writer for the Washington Blade, Flavell who heads a network of over 10,000 names in the region, National Women’s Democratic Club mover David Hoffman, trans activist Ezra Solomon, Benton and others.

Jones spoke for a half-hour on the initiation of his plans. He was a former top aide to the slain San Francisco Supervisor and gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk and the founder the national Quilt project. n Metro DC!of Guns, KnivesAIDS & Accessories!

Still active in his 70s, he is also a labor organizer.

Jones said, “Over the past few weeks I’ve spoken with scores of smart, kind and determined friends and colleagues. We are committed

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to organize a nationwide week of Jones said. actions, June 1-7, to focus on how He said the plan will be to Americans can work together to involve as many organizations and build a healthy nation. groups with an interest in gen“June is the month with the most eral health care as possible for the mid-term primary elections. All actions he plans for June. At this candidates for Congress and other early stage, he added, there isn’t offices must address the crises of even a name yet for the actions that affordability and health care, issues he hopes will take place in as many that impact the lives of all ordinary Congressional districts as possible Americans. by next June.

“As we all enjoy the holidays, Next June, he added, also marks please start to think and talk about the 45th anniversary of the week in how you and your communities June 1981 when the first cases of might participate in these actions AIDS, which remained incurable and help set a national agenda for the death sentence for 15 years before critically important November elec- the first effective treatments were tions,” he said.. developed, largely spurred by mass Jones cited the latest advance in demonstrations of activists at the GET YOUR AIDS treatment, the Gilead Labs’ time, were found.

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LO CA L

DECEMBER 25, 2025 - JANUARY 7, 2026 | PAGE 15

This Week Around Falls Church Saturday, Dec. 27

Watch Night New Year’s Eve

Falls Church Farmers Market

5:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m.

8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Falls Church (locations vary)

City Hall Parking Lot, 300 Park Ave., Falls Church Weekly, year-round market featuring local produce, vendors, and community shopping.

Wednesday, Dec. 31 (NEW YEAR’S EVE)

Watch Night New Year’s Eve

Wednesday, Jan. 7

Ring in the New Year at Clare & Don’s Beach Shack

Mindfulness Meditation for Everyday Life

9:00 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.

10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Clare & Don’s Beach Shack, Falls Church

Mary Riley Styles Public Library — Main Level Conference Room

Live music and New Year’s celebration.

Adults (18+) • Health & Wellness — Most of us are always on the go in some capacity, tasking ourselves to keep things running smoothly or remedying situations that aren’t going as we hoped.

Harvey’s New Year’s

Thursday, Jan. 1

Eve Specials

Passport to the World of Music Festival (Creative Cauldron)

4:30 – 8:00 p.m.

Harvey’s, 513 W. Broad St., Falls Church All-you-can-eat + drink packages.

The Legwarmers 80s New Year’s Eve at The State Theatre 8:00 p.m.–12:00 a.m.

The State Theatre, Falls Church 80’s New Year’s Eve with The Leg-

Begins Jan. 1 (runs into February) Creative Cauldron, 127 E. Broad St., Falls Church Festival window begins Jan. 1 and runs into February; performances begin later in January.

Sunday, Jan. 4 Board Game Sunday for Adults

warmers. (Visit Falls Church listing.)

1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

New Year’s Eve

Mary Riley Styles Public Library — Lower Level Conference Room

Specials at Dogwood Tavern 9:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.

Dogwood Tavern, Falls Church New Year’s Eve specials

Noon Year’s Eve at West Falls 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

West Falls, Falls Church Family-friendly early celebration.

Adults (18+) • Games & Puzzles — Join in the fun playing tarot-themed board games! Tarot Game Night is an opportunity to connect with other tarot readers and enthusiasts. All levels of tarot practitioners are welcome.

Adults (18+) • Games & Puzzles — Come check out the wonderful and varied world of modern board games. Play various tabletop games that are simple to learn and fun to master. This is a great way to meet new people.

Tuesday, Jan. 6 Tarot Game Night (Registration Required) 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.

Mary Riley Styles Public Library — Main Level Conference Room

Operation EarthWatch (Registration Required) 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Mary Riley Styles Public Library — Lower Level Conference Room School Age (Grades K–5, Ages 5–11) • Community & Culture — Students in Grades K–5, accompanied by their caregivers, are invited to the MRSPL conference room to work on this month’s activities.

Silent Reading Club

You good?

6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Mary Riley Styles Public Library — Main Reading Room Adults (18+) • Book Discussion — Bring a book to the Main Reading Room on the first Wednesday evening of every month this winter and enjoy a quiet hour reading to yourself in the company of fellow book lovers!

Visit us at fcnp.com Send us your events to Calendar@fcnp.com

Reach out to a friend about their mental health.

Find more ways to help at SeizeTheAwkward.org

PAGE 16 | DECEMBER 25, 2025 - JANUARY 7, 2026

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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