December 26, 2019 — January 1, 2020
Fa lls Chur c h, V i r g i ni a • ww w. fc np. c om • Fr ee
Fou n d e d 1991 • V ol. XXIX No. 45
Falls Church • Tysons Corner • Merrifield • McLean • North Arlington • Bailey’s Crossroads
Little City Season of Light Ready to Ring In New Year
Annual Watch Night Celebration Set for Tuesday Night in F.C. by Matt Delaney
Falls Church News-Press
The City of Falls Church’s 22nd annual Watch Night New Year’s Eve celebration will see residents ring in a third decade under the star downtown, but will also set in motion an extended changing of the guard in the crew which helps make the whole operation go seamlessly. Robert Goff, the City’s Superintendent of its Public Works department, will be overseeing his penultimate Watch Night on Tuesday ahead of his planned retirement in September 2021. Goff was key in taking the volunteer effort led by Barb Cram from the Village Preservation and Improvement Society and putting some professional polish on it, particularly with the unearthing of the long-dormant Watch Night star.
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CATCHING ALL THE EYEBALLS on East Broad Street this season, this elaborately decorated home is adorned with festive decorations, handmade by John “Jack” Lanouette. Using materials typically associated with housing construction, the newest additions to this year’s display are two buff snowmen lifting weights right near the front steps. Unfortunately, their muscles haven’t helped ward off a squirrel problem that has pestered the display this holiday season. (Photo: J. Michael Whalen)
2019’s Top Stories in Falls Church by Jody Fellows
Falls Church News-Press
In a year filled with development news, it was the ever-changing landscape of the Falls Church business community that captured the most attention out of all the happenings in the City this year. Now, as December nears its end and the Little City prepares to welcome in the New Year, the
News-Press takes a look back at its most popular stories from the previous 12 months. The revolving door of business closing and opening announcements swept our Top 5 Most Read stories list as readers commiserated and reminisced over the news of long-standing City businesses shuttering for good in 2019, while they cheered (or lamented) the announcements of openings and
impending arrivals.
1) Mad Fox Brewing Company Announces It’s Closing “After 9 Years, Mad Fox Brewing Will Close This Month” July 9, 2019
In July, Mad Fox Brewing Company announced it was closing after a nine-year run in the
City of Falls Church. The pioneering craft beer operation, helmed by brewmaster Bill Madden, was a victim of the area’s incredibly competitive craft beer market it helped usher in when it first opened in 2010. An outpouring of support and sentiments from customers and industry folk paid tribute to Madden and his Falls Church brew pub during the last weeks of operation which was highlighted
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Inside This Week Watch Night Guide Inside!
Inside this week’s editon, find the official guide to the City of Falls Church’s countdown to 2020, known as Watch Night. The exclusive, special pull-out features a list of activities, events, schedules, restaurants, maps and more for the Little City’s 22nd annual New Year’s Eve celebration. See pages 11—14
Planners Praise W&OD Dual Trail Plans
Plans to expand into a full dual use the segment of the 45-mile W&OD Trail that runs through the center of the City of Falls Church are due for final approval late next month. See News Briefs, page 9
Mason Boys Rally Falls Short After flirting with its second comeback in consecutive games, George Mason High School’s boys basketball team fell 51-46 to Bishop O’Connell High School last Thursday. See Sports, page 8
Index
Editorial........................................................ 6 Letters.......................................................... 6 Sports.......................................................... 8 News & Notes.....................................16–17 Comment.............................................10,15 Calendar.............................................18–19 Classified Ads............................................20 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword..................21 Crime Report.............................................22 Critter Corner.............................................22 Business News..........................................22