July 17 - 23, 2025
Falls Church, Virginia • w w w . fc n p . c o m • Free
Founded 1991 • Vol. XXXV N o . 23
The City of Falls Church’s Independent, Locally-Owned Newspaper of Record, Serving N. Virginia
Economist: PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION Defense $ Will Save Region GMU Expert Hails F.C. Leadership Above All by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
A director of George Mason University’s Fuller Institute in its Center for Regional Analysis gave a surprisingly upbeat talk at the monthly luncheon of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce Tuesday. Keith Waters, criticized for “doom and gloom” analyses in recent talks around the region, due to the level of Trump administration cutbacks on federal programs in this region, said this time that the Trump administration’s “big beautiful budget bill” has so much added money for national defense, that it will, if anything, charge up the Northern Virginia economy. He suggested that this factor will prevail against the otherwise terrible effects of mass federal worker layoffs, cancellation of government contracts and ICE raids against a population that provides indispensable support for businesses and services in the region. In the positive news context of his remarks, he singled out the City of Falls Church for defying the trends almost everywhere else, saying that,
Continued on Page 4
This Year’s Finalists NEWS-PRESS
2025
BESTOFFC.COM F I N A L I ST
Page 10
THE SECOND HALF of the alphabet of names responsible for the current exhibition at the Falls Church Arts’ gallery on West Broad were honored at a reception last weekend. The local artists’ contributions are remarkable and still on display. (Photo: News-Press)
F.C. Icon Harry Shovlin is Now Back from Heart Surgery
by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
Harry J. Shovlin, former teacher, electrician, handyman, informal local historian and leader of veterans’ events here, and general fixture of good will around the City of Falls Church for many decades, is recovering from open heart surgery and will soon be back taking care of customer needs, he told the News-Press this week. When he did not appear to lead the annual Memorial Day service in front of the Community Center, as was his fashion, many in the community
became concerned. This week, he told the NewsPress what happened. Shortly before his 80th birthday, he found himself severely short of breath after running up some stairs at his home, and by coincidence ran into Chris Earman, a long-time friend soon thereafter who had just himself recovered from extensive heart surgery. When Harry told Chris about his shortness of breath incident, Earman urged him strongly to see his cardiologist. That was in early April, and when Harry went in to see his doctor, heart surgery followed immediately. Since then, Harry’s calendar
has been filled with post-op procedures, six days a week. Only now, he says, is he about to be “released from custody” by his doctors, leaving only his caring wife standing in the way of his return to the Falls Church fray. With his main assistant Carlos also out of the country during much of the previous months, many who’ve relied on Harry Shovlin for their home needs have had to wait, and are now delighted he’ll be able to get back to them. Harry Shovlin is a distinguished and deeply valued figure in Falls Church, Virginia, with a multifaceted legacy span-
ning education, military service, community activism, and skilled tradesmanship. Born in 1945 in WilkesBarre, Pennsylvania, Shovlin graduated from King’s College in 1967 with a social studies teaching certificate Falls Church. Following a brief teaching stint in Maryland, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1969, serving as a medic in Germany during the Vietnam era for two years before returning to civilian life. Shovlin’s dedication to education is notable. In 1972, he
Continued on Page 5