9-10-2026

SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2026 Founded 1991 • Vol. XXXVI N o . 31

Is Virginia’s Line Drawn Enough Already?

Northern Virginia’s Newspaper

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

‘Democracy Thrives In Sunshine’

THIS FALL’S CANDIDATES

Who Is Watching the Watchers?

by Nick Gatz

Falls Church News-Press

There is a camera on the side of the road. You can see it. After more than a year of writing about artificial intelligence, algorithms, Big Tech, government databases, copyright and surveillance, I am beginning to think that cameras may be the least complicated part of this story.

I initially approached many of these subjects as separate issues. The deeper I have gone, the harder that distinction has become to maintain.

They keep leading back to the same questions: Who has our information? Who controls it? Who can search it? Who decides what information reaches us? What did we actually consent to? What happens when the government wants information collected by private companies? And what happens when artificial intelligence stops simply retrieving information and begins drawing conclusions of its own?

Ultimately, all of those questions lead to a much simpler one: Where

Continued on Page 3

Table Of Contents Editoral Page 6 Fall Arts Preview Pages 7 - 17 Sports Page 18 Classads Page 20 Calendar Page 23

Candidates from Fairfax, the commonwealth and Falls Church grinned for the camera at Monday’s Labor Day fundraiser in downtown Falls Church as the afternoon drew toward dusk. . (Photo: News-Press)

The 3 Ballot Initiatives Key to Upcoming Election

by Nicholas F. Benton

Falls Church News-Press

At the idyllic setting this Monday for the annual Labor Day fundraiser of State Del. Marcus Simon in the backyard of a Falls Church home just off W. Broad, the theme of the annual event was the honoring of the memory of the late Del. Jim Scott, whose wife was again there.

But with the statewide race involving Sen. Mark Warner now

considered not close, the main theme of the event became the three initiatives on this November ballot pertaining to statewide ballot measures that if passed will enshrine in the state constitution gains for human rights that will not be easily undone.

So, the theme of the party was, as stated on a popular sign, “Simon Says, Pass These Three Measures!”

The first has to do with women’s reproductive rights, the second gay marriage, and the third the ability of persons convicted of felonies

to reclaim their voting rights once their sentences have been served out.

With early voting beginning in just over a week, on September 18, the importance of the three measures dominated the speeches.

All three need to pass to ensure they can’t easily be undone down the road.

Question One pertains to guaranteeing reproductive rights for women facing a decision on abortion or other matters pertaining to their reproductive rights.

Question Two repeals the Marshall-Newman amendment passed in 2006 that restricted marriage to an act between two persons of the opposite sex.

But this year, the same sex marriage amendment passed through consecutive legislative sessions in the General Assembly to reach the statewide ballot. While civil rights groups and equality advocates urge a “yes” vote to secure modern

Continued on Page 4

PAGE 2 | SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2026

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Falls Church News Briefs

50th Annual Falls Church Fall Festival The Falls Church Fall Festival will take place on Saturday, September 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on City Hall grounds at 300 Park Ave. The festival will feature live music, pony rides and other children’s rides and inflatables, over 85 local vendors, businesses and civic organizations, as well as a beer garden and the Taste of Falls Church.

Admission to the festival is free, but amusement rides, food, and beer require the purchase of tickets. Presale for Taste tickets begins Monday, September 14, 2026, at the City of Falls Church Community Center (card and exact change only during the week). Tickets must be purchased in-person. There is no will-call. Tickets will also be available for purchase on-site during the festival. Please note, during the festival, the Community Center is credit card only and there is no ATM onsite.

Rock Star Realty Group sponsors this year’s beer garden, with offerings from Audacious Aleworks and Solace Outpost. The beer garden will be open from 11 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.. Only those with valid ID can purchase and consume alcohol.

Portions of Little Falls Street, between Park Avenue and Great Falls Street, will be closed to vehicular traffic for the festival. Parking for the festival will be available on select side streets and the Kaiser Permanente Garage. Accessible parking is located on Great Falls Street.

This event is rain or shine. For more information, visit fallschurchvagov.

Falls Church Honors the 25th Anniversary of September 11, 2001 The Falls Church community is invited to join a memorial gathering on Friday, September 11, at 9:30 a.m. in front of City Hall, 300 Park Avenue. After a brief remembrance ceremony to honor the lives lost on 9/11 and pay tribute to the cou-

rageous first responders, there will be a moment of silence at 9:37 a.m. to mark the time the plane struck the Pentagon. All are welcome.

New Traffic Roundabout at S. Maple Ave and W. Annandale Rd A new roundabout has now been installed at the intersection of S. Maple Ave and W. Annandale Rd. Drivers should slow down as they approach and yield to traffic already in the circle. Enter when it is safe to do so and keep moving around the circle until you reach your exit. It’s important to keep an eye on pedestrians and cyclists at all crosswalks. From September 8 – 11, construction will continue on the southern median and then move to the northern median. Some lane closures might be necessary to move equipment.

Annual Welcoming Week Ice Cream Social Enjoy free ice cream and live music courtesy of Welcoming Falls Church, Lil’ City Creamery, and Falls Church Forward on Sunday, September 13, from 3 – 5 p.m. at Mr. Brown’s Park, 120 W. Broad St. All are welcome.

National Voter Registration Day at MRS Library on September 15 On Tuesday, September 15, the League of Women Voters of Falls Church and the Mary Riley Styles Public Library are sponsoring a voter registration and information table in the library at 120 N. Virginia Avenue. Voter registration forms and information will be available all day, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with volunteers from the League of Women Voters of Falls Church on hand from 5 – 8 p.m.

A tree lies downed in Cherry Hill Park following Thursday night’s storm. Another tree fell in the same area last month, making this the third tree to come down in the park recently. (Photo: Gary Mester)

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LOCAL

SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2026 | PAGE 3

Lines Are Drawn in Virginia, But Are They Nearly Enough?

Continued from Page 1

do we draw the line?

Virginia has begun trying to answer that question. Del. Marcus Simon, responding to my recent News-Press reporting on automated license plate readers, framed the issue in a way that may ultimately define this five-part investigation.

“The News-Press’s reporting raises an important question that I don’t think we should dismiss: whether any amount of regulation can make a comprehensive database of people’s movements — and all the information it contains — truly safe from abuse,” Simon wrote.

That question goes well beyond whether Flock Safety works or whether a license plate reader can help police find a stolen vehicle.

The larger question is whether there are technological capabilities that become dangerous simply because they exist — and whether regulation can ever completely eliminate that danger.

Virginia Draws Its Line

License plate readers are not new.

What has changed is the scale at which they can operate, their declining cost and the ability to connect information across increasingly large networks.

“As the technology became cheaper, more powerful and increasingly networked through private companies like Flock,” Simon wrote, “it became possible to create something very different: a searchable record of where thousands or even millions of people have traveled, even though the overwhelming majority of them were never suspected of doing anything wrong.”

Virginia’s State Crime Commission recognized the problem after studying automated license plate readers in 2024. Its work led to HB 2724 during the 2025 General Assembly session, establishing statewide restrictions governing law enforcement’s use of the technology. Searches must be connected to legitimate law-enforcement purposes, audit records must be maintained, ordinary plate data generally must be

6795 Wilson Blvd., Falls Church, VA 22044

destroyed after 21 days, and restrictions apply to sharing information.

Intentional misuse can result in criminal penalties.

Virginia had drawn a line, but drawing a line and keeping everyone behind it are two very different things.

“Passing rules and making sure those rules are followed are two different things,” Simon wrote. When the Crime Commission followed up, Simon said some Virginia law-enforcement agencies were not complying with the requirements, while nearly a third did not respond to the Commission’s survey.

“That’s a pretty clear reason for continued oversight,” he said.

Georgia Shows Why That Matters If anyone thinks misuse is merely hypothetical, recent events in Georgia deserve attention.

In July, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested five former Albany Police Department officers after an internal audit allegedly found they had retained Flock license plate information multiple

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times for non-law-enforcement purposes. Later that month, a Conyers Police Department dispatcher supervisor was arrested after investigators alleged she accessed Flock more than 30 times for non-law-enforcement purposes. Other cases followed, including four former Savannah Police Department employees arrested in August following another internal audit.

The charges are allegations and do not establish guilt. But the number of investigations matters, and so does another fact: Auditing helped uncover several of them. That supports Virginia’s decision to require audit trails, but it raises another question that deserves attention: How many people should have access to this information in the first place?

The public backlash has become visible as well. A Flock camera in Lumpkin County, Ga., was vandalized and apparently thrown into the woods this summer, while protesters have demonstrated against surveillance technology. Destroying property is not a legitimate response to a

policy disagreement, but dismissing the anger would miss something important. People are becoming increasingly aware of how much infrastructure capable of documenting their lives has been constructed around them, and some clearly do not trust the institutions controlling it.

This Didn’t Start With Flock For me, the questions raised by these cameras did not begin with Flock. They have been building through much of my reporting over the past year.

In September 2025, I wrote “Analysis: Profit-Driven Algorithms Are Killing Our Society,” examining the invisible formulas increasingly deciding what appears on our screens and what happens when engagement — anger, fear, shock and outrage — becomes the currency determining which information rises and which disappears. I argued then that these systems do not simply reflect society; they increasingly help

Continued on Page 19

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

3 Constitutional Amendments in Virginia Key to Next Election

Continued from Page 1

protections, some conservative religious organizations have voiced opposition, raising concerns over how state equal treatment mandates might interact with religious liberties and institutions. But if a majority of voters approve the measure this November, Virginia will officially enshrine marriage equality in its state constitution.

The referendum asks citizens if they want to remove the 2006 Marshall-Newman Amendment, which defined marriage solely as a union between one man and one woman. While same-sex marriage has been legal nationwide since the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling, the old prohibition remains in the Virginia Constitution. If approved, Question 2 will replace that language with an affirmative guarantee.

The updated text explicitly prohibits the state and its local governments from denying a marriage license to two adults based on sex, gender, or race. It also mandates that the commonwealth must recognize

any lawful marriage between two adults and treat all valid marriages equally under state law.

Supporters argue that cleaning up the state constitution is a vital step to safeguard the freedom to marry.

According to MultiState Elections, “Removing it is a symbolic and practical alignment with federal law, and protects against any future reversal of Obergefell.” Proponents emphasize that putting equal rights directly into state foundational law offers a crucial backup if federal precedents ever change.

According to the State Sen. Adam Ebbin, “Senate Democrats stand for fairness and equality, and this amendment reflects those values. By affirming the right of all Virginians to marry the person they love, regardless of gender, sex, or race, we are ensuring that every constituent in our Commonwealth is treated with dignity and respect.

This is about respecting the law of the land, recognizing the realities of the 21st century, and creating a more inclusive Virginia for future generations to follow.”

Narissa Rahaman, executive director of Equality Virginia said, “No family in Virginia should have to wonder whether their rights will be protected tomorrow, and no couple should have to question whether their marriage is viewed as less worthy than their neighbors.”

The GLAAD organization has stated, “By voting yes, Virginia can lead the way and send a powerful, positive message to the entire country: love, commitment, and family are universal values that belong to every American. It is a historic chance for Virginians to affirm that all families deserve respect and equal protection, setting a standard for progress nationwide and inspiring hope for LGBTQ equality elsewhere. The fundamental freedom to marry belongs to us all, regardless of religion or political background; and should not be undone.”

The Virginia chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is urging Virginians to vote yes on all three constitutional amendments on the ballot this November, arguing that the

measures would provide stronger state-level protections for reproductive freedom, marriage equality and the restoration of voting rights.

Supporters say the amendments would give Virginia voters an opportunity to place those protections directly in the state constitution, making them more difficult for future governors or General Assemblies to reverse through changes in state law.

The push comes amid broader national debates over the durability of federal civil-rights protections, particularly following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Advocates for the Virginia amendments have argued that constitutional protections at the state level provide an additional safeguard should federal law or court precedent change in the future.

That was the argument made

by ACLU of Virginia Executive Director Mary Bauer as the amendments began moving through the General Assembly in January 2025.

“As our civil rights and civil

liberties face threats at the federal level, it’s even more important that we safeguard them here at home.

Protecting Virginians’ rights will require amending Virginia’s constitution, which is a deeper and longer-lasting commitment than enacting a new law. Today was the first step of this legislative session in a multi-year process, one that will culminate in Virginians themselves voting on whether to enshrine in Virginia’s constitution our right to marry the person they love, make their own private decisions about their reproductive health, and have a say in our democracy. With our partners, we’ll be there every step of the way until Virginians’ core civil rights are safely out of the reach of partisan politics,” Bauer said in a Jan. 14, 2025 statement.

At Monday’s fundraising picnic, Del. Marcus Simon urged supporters not to take passage of the amendments for granted and emphasized the importance of turning out voters this fall. He reminded attendees that early voting begins Sept. 18 in Virginia.

SEPTEMBER 20

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7

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The Question I Never Asked at Vandenberg Nicholas F. Benton FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

There are many famous prayers in the historical record, but most don’t go to the core questions here about a serious treatment of to whom these great literary works are addressed and for what ultimate purpose.

They almost all seem to assume there is somebody listening at the other end.

I am not contending that there was not, but have to wonder what the evidence is there for that.

One of my main memories from the period I was editor of my high school newspaper, the King’s Page of San Marcos High School in Santa Barbara, California, centered on the issue of prayer, or the divine, in the context of the developing space program up the road at the Vandenberg Air Force Base located outside of Lompoc.

I’ve often thought to myself how I might have made history had I spoken up when given the change one afternoon when a group of us were invited to attend a historic press conference a VAFB. As much as I have looked, I have been unable to confirm the event online. Interested AI inquiries have not denied it happened, but only suggested that if it did it was extraordinary and asked for more information, even minor suggestions to help identify it.

All I recall is that it was during my senior year, 1960 or 1961, when I was editor of the school paper. We were invited to sit in the back of the room for the press conference.

I have no knowledge of what else might have been involved, other than that I was there with some other students, as well.

As the press conference concluded, the moderator asked if any of us students had a question to ask. I recall that this was my big chance and, yes, I did.

However, I did not pipe up.

I was scared. But had I, my question in my head was this:

the Russian cosmonaut said that when he was up in space, he saw no evidence of anything that would suggest anything supernatural. Did you, sir, see evidence of anything like that?

First of all, this reveals that the person doing the press conference had been into space, like his Russian counterpart.

So this was really a pretty big deal.

Second, it suggests the person, a he, as I recall, was talking about one of the first episodes of a man in space, the first by an American.

So, my question would have kicked off a firestorm I am sure. It would have provided him with a chance to talk about the nature of creation, itself, if he’d been at all prepared to do that.

I am sure in retrospect, that any number of religious zealots would have jumped all over me for asking that kind of question.

I would have become a sort of celebrity, I am sure, but not the kind I wanted to be.

I was, and always have been, pretty spiritually inclined. But I am sure all those with preconceived notions about religion and such things would have sought to trot me out as some sort of special case. I don’t know. But I would not have been at all prepared to deal with even a little bit of it, and no one I knew would have been able to help me at all.

So, best that I just kept my mouth shut, after all.

I can only imagine how I would have been used by those with ulterior motives to justify planting me somewhere in their own cosmology and using me to that end. It makes you wonder how common such a thing might be.

I was just asking a provocative (admittedly) question and I would have gotten into a ton of troubles for it.

I am sure there were plenty of those fully prepared to fill my head and my words with their answers. Today, I think I would be better prepared to handle it, but only because my entire life has been involved in shaping a response. But then, maybe that was the point of it all, of the question never asked.

(To be continued).

COMMENT

A Penny for Your Thoughts

SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2026 | PAGE 5

By Penny Gross Former Fairfax County Supervisor

It’s been 25 years since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon weaponized commercial airlines as missiles and killed thousands of people on the planes and on the ground. The horror of that day, and the many days and weeks following, was slow to fade as first responders struggled to recover and identify the victims, and the entire nation mourned the loss of life in the worst attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor.

As I re-read my September 2001 column for that week, I was a bit disappointed that my focus was one of calm rather than outrage.

Then I realized that my deadline that week was only a day after the attack, so there was little time to react. Facts were in short supply as the fires continued to burn and emergency workers worked non-stop to deal with the massive losses. Indeed, the caution was to not rush to judgment. In those early days of the internet and social media, there were conspiracy theories, but they did not get the promulgation on multiple sites that happens today.

No one was immune from the horror. Television broadcasts brought the awful scenes into living rooms around the clock,

not unlike the broadcasts from Vietnam that brought home real losses of that war. Locally, constituents and neighbors died at their Pentagon desks as they were beginning what was supposed to be a normal workday. Our eldest daughter was visiting New York for a few days, staying with a friend in a high-rise in lower Manhattan.

The first crash awakened her and she watched the Trade Center burn and then collapse. Her brief email to me said she was alright (when the Trade Center collapsed, so did cell phone service). She self-evacuated, walked through grotesque debris that no one should ever witness, and made her way to a mid-town ferry dock. When the ferry docked in New Jersey, she was required to use a decontamination shower before disembarking. When she asked why, the officials told her that they did not know if toxic materials had been released into the air, and she had been close enough to Ground Zero to be affected. Her photo from the ferry deck showed a beautiful sunset coupled with huge plumes of smoke reaching skyward, a peculiar juxtaposition of nature’s beauty and mankind’s attempt at annihilation.

In a subsequent column, I noted

City of Falls Church Crime Report

Week of AUGUST 31 - September 6, 2026

Trespassing, Wilson Blvd, Sep 2, 1:36 p.m., an male, 55, of no fixed address, was arrested for trespassing.

Destruction of Property, N Virginia Ave, Aug 31, 12:59 p.m., an unknown suspect scratched the victim’s vehicle with a rock.

Animal Cruelty, S Virginia Ave, Sep 2, 8:10 p.m., officers responded to a call for service regarding dogs left in a hot car. A white male, 57, of the City of Falls Church, was arrested for animal cruelty.

Disorderly Conduct, W Broad St, Sep 1, 2:41 a.m., a male, 39, of no fixed address, was arrested for disorderly conduct and destruction of property.

Driving on Suspended License, Roosevelt Blvd, Sep 1, 7:59 a.m., a male, 34, of Annandale, was arrested for driving on suspended license.

Fraud – Wire Fraud, W Broad St, Sep 1, 10:17 a.m., victim reported an unknown suspect altered and cashed a mailed check.

Larceny of Vehicle Parts, W Broad St, Sep 1, 2:15 p.m., an unknown suspect stole license plates from the victim’s vehicle.

Destruction of Property, W Broad St, Sep 2, 6:52 a.m., an unknown suspect broke a window of a business.

Shoplifting, E Broad St, Sep 5, 1:06 p.m.,

that President George W. Bush warned that operations to root out terrorism would take a long time, and may be costly, in both lives and money. I further wrote “we must rebuild by focusing on our commonalities, not our differences. To do otherwise would let the evildoers win.” Twenty-five years ago, neighbors came together to support one another, immigrant and long-time residents alike.

Government grants were made available to non-profit organizations for counseling and building resilience. We realized that our commonalities were much greater than our differences. That worked for a while, and it still can. It’s made more difficult with a president who focuses on division, hate, and retribution when he’s not lauding his expensive building projects or appealing to the Supreme Court instead of following the Constitution, a president who is destroying America’s reputation as a place of welcome and safety for all. It will take time and a lot of effort, with bumps along the way to progress and understanding. We seem to be in some of those bumpy areas now.

The 9-11 surprise attacks failed to destroy American democracy. Twenty-five years later, the destruction effort is not a surprise but is much more insidious. If we truly treasure democracy, we cannot let the evildoers win. Focus on facts, speak up, and vote in every election – local, state, and federal.

Democracy is worth it!

an unknown suspect stole merchandise. The unknown suspect is described as an male, with short black hair, wearing a black hat with white lettering, a black t-shirt, grey shorts, and black sneakers.

Simple Assault, Wilson Blvd, Sep 6, 5:06 p.m., victim reported an unknown suspect hugged and attempted to kiss them. The unknown suspect is described as an older heavy set Hispanic male, bald, wearing a blue button down, blue jeans, and Nike sneakers.

Destruction of Property, Patterson St, Sep 6, 7:41 p.m., victim reported their vehicle’s rear windshield was shattered.

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PAGE 6 | SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2026

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Vol. XXXVI, No. 31 SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2026 • City of Falls Church ‘Business of the Year’ 1991 & 2001 • • Member, Virginia Press Association •

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Our Next 3 Dozen Years

Our editor’s latest book is now out and on sale at Amazon at the bargain rate of $7 and change. That’s for the print edition. It is only a few dozen pages but for Falls Church’s readers, it may be one of the most important, if short, our man has done yet. It’s because of its focus, a focus on one key question of our times: what things persist and which others just fade away.

Who can answer such a question when it comes to the decisions that we make that ultimately determine our lives? Why has the NewsPress made it through three dozen tough years and most others not?

What was (is) the abiding sauce of its continuing survival? Few have any idea that at a key point in the paper’s first year her editor was on a plane to the west coast with $5 in the bank. Who knew about that meeting that same summer when he assembled everyone and told them he could not pay them for months, but that eventually he would. What makes someone stick to it like that? Did he not know that one slip up at that point and it would be all over? That the owner of the printing company doing the paper was telling him he was not a bank and could not carry the paper any longer without a payment or two. That summer of 1991 was also the time of a big recession. Who knew? What made it eventually work? There was also the fact that no one was insisting it go forward but our editor’s 98 year old grandma.

She was the only one who knew how important it was to our editor and who remained adamant that he not cave in. Cave in to what?

Something that mattered?

These are the kinds of realities that in today’s world we tend to overlook or think don’t matter so much. Who was aware that the little things, like the joy for the entire office of high school kids inventing the game of “Backwall” with all its intricate rules, would possibly be the “secret sauce” that would keep the whole shebang going during its dimmest days? Such stories that young people would carry with them deep into their grown up years and often try to explain to their own kids with limited success was the glue that kept the whole enterprise alive. Are we ever going to be able to revive that spirit again? Is this ever going to be what in future years people point to as the reason their enterprise made it and did not just fold? Don’t forget what life is really all about, people! It’s about dreams and people, visions of the future and loving life itself. Here’s to our next 36 years, as happy and poor as the last!

WWW.FCNP.COM The News-Press is certified by the Commonwealth of Virginia to publish official legal notices including probate, abc notices, small and foreign estates. We will provide the appropriate paperwork. A comprehensive book on the 36 year history of the News-Press, “The Life and Times of the Falls Church NewsPress”: by Charlie Clark (History Press, 2023), can be purchased at local bookstores or online.

The Falls Church News-Press is published weekly on Thursdays and is distributed free of charge throughout the City of Falls Church and the Greater Falls Church area to over 140 locations. Offices are at 105 N. Virginia Ave., #310, Falls Church, VA 22046. Reproduction of this publication in whole or part is prohibited except with the written permission of the publisher. ©2025 Benton Communications Inc. The News-Press is printed on recycled paper.

A searchable archive of all issues of the Falls Church News-Press since 1991 can be found at bit.ly/44kt6Sc.

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2. Play no favorites, never mix business and editorial policy.

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4. Publish the news that is public property without fear or favor of friend or foe.

5. Accept no charity and ask no favors.

6. Give ‘value received’ for every dollar you take in.

7. Make the paper show a profit if you can, but above all keep it clean, fearless and fair.

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The News-Press apologizes to readers for the premature and unconfirmed report of the sale of a popular local restaurant last week.

Smokey Bear is within us all.

For wildfire prevention tips, visit

SmokeyBear.com

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Fall Arts Preview

SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2026 | PAGE 7

PAGE 8 | SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2026

Fall Arts Preview

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Geometrix’ Playful Lines, Angles, and Shapes at FCA

BY MARK DREISONSTOK

“Imagine a vast sheet of paper on which straight Lines, Triangles, Squares, Pentagons, Hexagons, and other figures, instead of remaining fixed in their places, move freely about …” Edwin A. Abbott’s vision, expressed in these words from his 1884 novella “Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions,” comes to life in the many artworks of Falls Church Arts’ latest exhibition “Geometrix!”

Geometry, of course, is one of the seven liberal arts and sciences, and especially beautiful moments in this geometry-themed art exhibition occur when artists have made use of geometry to point to the other liberal arts and sciences—music among them.

Scott Engdahl’s “Day Violins #2,” for instance, uses the digital photography medium to help us imagine the sonorous strains of

violins through shapes and color.

Another musical moment through geometry: Isha Pandit’s “A Warli Tribute,” an acrylic on canvas in the style of the Warli paintings of India. The artist explains: “Michael Jackson is a global icon.

This painting pays him tribute by celebrating his dance moves in the geometric style of Warli art. It depicts smooth movements that transcend boundaries and cultures.”

John Ballou’s vision-like oil on canvas “Boss Puzzle, Gem Puzzle, Mystic Square,” which the artist describes as “a grid that invited new assessments,” reminded us of Manly P. Hall’s Pythagoras-inspired insight in “Secret Teachings of All Ages,” “that ‘number’ is the invisible garment of divinity, and ‘geometry’ the sacred measure of the universe …” There is something similarly suggestive of the sublime in Suzanne Papiewski’s “Map of the Space-Time Continuum,”

with colorful polygons and angles floating in timeless space.

Other artworks in the exhibition allude to different aesthetic stylistics of the past. In “The Journey of the Circle’s Memory,”

by Dawoon Jung, for example, Gustav Klimt-gold is used as a background to circular shapes, some suggesting to us compact discs and vinyl records, those ultimate recordings of memory.

Another art style is alluded to, origami, as we view Kathleen Zeifang’s “Oragomi [sic] Gone Wild,” presenting geometric figures of yellow, beige, blue, and shades of purple.

Then we have an artwork referencing the all-famous Nautilus underwater seacraft of Jules Verne’s “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” Yet Sandra Lewin paints her “Nautilus Reverie” for a reason beyond its literary adventure fame, namely: its visual similarity to the fibonacci sequence.

The nautilus, sunflowers, pine-

cones, and a nearly infinite list of other beautiful parts of nature all exhibit this mathematically proportional spiral—evidence, perhaps, of Plato’s statement in “The Republic” that “Geometry will draw the soul towards truth.”

The artist’s soft shades of blueish grey in the background help to accentuate the soft pearly tones of the animal’s shell chambers.

As “reverie” in the title suggests, viewers can spend time pleasantly swept away by the abstract beauty of this work.

“Summer is my favorite season,” writes artist Loida Velilla in describing “Afternoon Delight.”

This work, based on the artist noticing a “display on a balcony while traveling” in summer, is like having a cozy shop window on the gallery wall. Interestingly, shapes dip from being three-dimensional in nature to becoming flat again where they meet at edges; the work is not unlike a puzzle or maze, space winding into com-

plex and detailed textures. In fact, upon closer inspection, the artist even uses common shapes, words, letters, and numbers to make up what at first seems to be simple geometric play.

The visitor is sure to come away with many other playful surprises in colorful lines, angles, and shapes at the “Geometrix” exhibition at the Falls Church Arts Gallery at 700-B West Broad Street, Falls Church, between now and October 4, 2026, when the show closes.

The Journey of the Circle’s Memory by Dawoon Jung. (Photo: Falls Church Arts)

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Fall Arts Preview

SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2026 | PAGE 9

PAGE 10 | SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2026

Fall Arts Preview

H I S PA N I C T H E AT R E

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Falls Church Art Walk Celebrates Local Creativity

BY AMY BOWKER A frustrated actor becomes one of World War II’s most brilliant double agents who misleads the Nazis using theater and audacity.

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Great art is all around us in the Little City and you don’t have to limit your art appreciation to strolling through an indoor museum. Thanks to the Arts and Humanities Council of Falls Church who compiled a self-guided Falls Church Art Walk, you can enjoy great works of art while also enjoying the great outdoors.

With the temperatures and the humidity dropping, it’s a nice time to explore the extremely walkable route mapped out in the Art Walk. The tour contains over 40 sculptures, murals, and architectural features, so it won’t be possible to cover them all in this article. But I’ve managed to capture a sample of the kinds of incredible artwork you’ll find all over the Little City, plus a few offthe-Art-Walk-map attractions.

Up, Up & Away This uplifting two-story high mural was painted by Joseph Craig English in 2020.

It’s easily visible from the sidewalk as you pass by Mr. Brown’s Park at 100 West Broad Street. A cloudless blue sky serves as the backdrop for several brightly colored hot air balloons sailing above a green landscape. One of the balloons carries the Little City logo.

A Walk in the Park You’ll find this colorful artwork by artist Richard McMurry at the corner of Park Avenue and Little Falls Street adorning what used to be a simple utility box and is now a work of art. The printed vinyl wrap covers all four sides of the box and was installed in 2020.

Children United in Peace: Donkey Statue This festive statue was sponsored by the Canadian Embassy and commissioned by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities as part of DC’s “Party Animals” outdoor art exhibit in 2002. At one point, the statue was located outside of the Canadian Embassy but it was later donated to the City of Falls Church and installed at the entrance to the Community Center at 223 Little Falls Street. The artist on record on the Art Walk website is the Henry Smothers Elementary School and you can find the statue decorated with the imprints of brightly colored little hands, a Canadian flag, Uncle Sam waving a flag, and other whimsical images.

Man Feeding Pigs This might be the city’s most iconic sculpture. It sits on the sidewalk at Broad Street and Gordon Road, near the location

of the old Don Beyer Volvo. Patricia Leslie penned the definitive article on the sculpture’s origin when she interviewed Don Beyer for the September 20, 2018, issue of the Falls Church News-Press. Read her article to do this artwork justice, and I’ll just say the sculpture was created by Mr. Beyer’s Uncle Richard and dedicated in 1984.You can find her article on our website: fcnp.com.

Mr. Dixie Sheet Metal Cowboy If you head down Gordon Road just a short block from the Man Feeding Pigs sculpture, you’ll find a 12-foot-high tin cowboy pointing to the entrance of the Dixie Sheet Metal Works store at 111 Gordon Road. With a sharp red jacket and black cowboy hat, this towering art installation is hard to miss. He was installed around 1962 and originally comprised of a wind-turbine ventilator head, air conditioning unit parts, and sheet metal. The artist is unknown but their artwork is iconic.

Elvis Mount Rushmore If you duck inside the tight parking lot beside Foxes Music Co at 416 S. Washington Street, you’ll find this whimsical mural by J. Woods painted on the side of their building. At first glance, it might just seem like a nice rendering of Mount Rushmore as we know it, but glance again at that musical legend leaning in from the right. Whoever thought of adding Elvis to the presidential icons carved into Mount Rushmore was onto something truly inspired.

LOVE Sculpture This artwork was installed in October of 2025, after the Art Walk Tour was mapped, as part of the Virginia is for Lovers statewide campaign. You can’t miss it when you’re in the neighborhood of Cherry Hill Park and the Farmers Market. Designed by City of Falls Church Government employee and artist Ripal Patel, the structure is titled “Reflection: Diversity and Inclusion” and it represents the Little City’s values and commitment to democracy. Patel was assisted by watercolor artist Bill Abel on the sculpture’s letter O, which is covered in a vinyl art wrap that features a diverse range of people and places, while the other three letters are made of reflective steel so you can see yourself. Share your photos of the LOVE installation on social media with #LoveCFC and #LoveVA.

Continued on Page 16

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Fall Arts Preview

D.C. Sniper Car, Rifle Anchor Chilling Exhibit

BY PATRICIA LESLIE

The actual car and rifle the D.C. sniper and his accomplice used in 2002 are presented in a quiet gallery at the National Law Enforcement Museum in downtown Washington, D.C. through 2027.

“Without Warning: Ending the Terror of the D.C. Snipers” was a tricky exhibition to design. The perpetrators’ pictures are nowhere to be found.

Thomas Canavan, a native Washingtonian and the executive director of the museum for almost seven years, said in a phone interview, “We made a lot of effort not to glorify the murderers. But this is a true crime story which we wanted to present as a minimalistic experience so people could feel the weight of true horror of those three weeks in October, 2002.

“We wanted to focus on the main artifacts and show how much law enforcement was dealing with and how they came together.”

Josh Bronson is the museum’s director of education, programs, and visitor experiences who gave me a tour, apologizing for being a few minutes late after spending time with new members of the U.S. Secret Service showing them around.

“We moved the rifle here so people could get a better sense of what it looks like, get up close to it and see it from all angles because obviously it’s quite a piece of history.” The rifle is in a protective, transparent case.

After receiving a tip from a truck driver at a rest stop near Frederick, MD, police raided the car, which has the car panels removed and the windows smashed.

“Even then,” Bronson went on, “it was an older model car. [A 1990 Chevrolet Caprice.] Seats then didn’t fold down. They ripped them out enough that they could scoot back behind the seat into the trunk” and used a large hole, plainly visible, to shoot with the Bushmaster rifle.

The accomplice “was smaller and so he climbed through the car more easily and lay down in the car just like this.

“The trunk would be mostly closed but not all the way so he could use the scope. The rifle barrel would fit right in there and you couldn’t necessarily

see it. He could shoot without being detected.

“Everybody was looking for a white van. Driving around today, how many white vans do you see?”

An important part of the exhibit is a large facing wall with an area map of the victims’ names, places and dates of death.

“We hope people walk away with an understanding of how committed law enforcement is, trying to keep us safe,” Canavan said.

The gallery is guarded by an attendant and has a warning sign for parents and adults who may find the exhibition too extreme.

Renovated in 2018, the museum has 25,000 artifacts covering 300 years of law enforcement history, like some of the first police badges issued and early long rifles lawmen used to carry.

A prison cell from the former Lorton prison, an 1880s leg iron restraint, an 1870 handcuff, and a rattle dating from 1658, which police used to warn people of nearby trouble (reminding me of whistles people use now to alert the public that ICE is on the approach) are just a few of the pieces on display.

There are police games on exhibit, the desk and belongings of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover and some of U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.

An interactive police car that simulates driving and gives “people a firsthand opportunity to experience what it’s like to be inside a patrol car,” Canavan said, is just one of three simulation pieces the museum offers guests.

The museum is located across from the National Building Museum at the Judiciary Square Metro exit, which is surrounded by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, the nation’s monument to the almost 25,000 law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty.

The “deadliest day in law enforcement history” was September 11, 2001 when 72 officers from 37 different agencies died.

With so many free museums in downtown D.C., attracting a paying audience has not been easy. But a free day is coming up Sept. 26 (asking a $15 donation) and beginning today through

Continued on Page 17

SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2026 | PAGE 11

FROM ELTON TO EILISH

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PAGE 12 | SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2026

Fall Arts Preview

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

‘Garbo’ Tells Story of Spy Who Fooled Hitler

BY PATRICIA LESLIE

It seems like a stretch to say that Garbo “saved the world,” according to the play’s subtitle, but after seeing the performance and becoming acquainted with his life in the play that bears his name, well, maybe he did.

“Garbo” was Juan Pujol Garcia (19141988), a name unknown to most, but a name that won’t be forgotten after seeing this world premiere by Gustavo Ott, which kicks off GALA Hispanic Theatre’s 51st season.

The familiar Greta Garbo and Juan Pujol Garcia did have a connection, established by the British during World War II when they secretly gave Juan Ms. Garbo’s surname to commemorate his excellent acting abilities.

Garbo was a double agent for the Germans and the British and is one of the few men to receive military honors from both foes, the Iron Cross from Germany (which Adolf Hitler had to approve), and the Member of the Order of the British Empire awarded to Juan by King George VI in 1944.

Impassioned by his love of theatre and what he learned from watching numerous productions and films, Juan’s imagination enabled him to make up lies and create 27 (or 32) “accomplices” and strategies that he fed the Germans whose egos would not let them accept anything less than the deceptions. (Remind you of anyone?)

He convinced the Nazis that the location of the D-Day invasion of June 4, 1944 was set for Calais, about 250 miles north of the actual landing at Omaha Beach at Normandy, leading to the Allies’ victory.

Venezuelan Kevin Jorges, the winner of many theatre awards, is Garbo, making his debut at GALA. In a stirring performance, he deftly manages the transitions of Garbo’s life and his alliances with the super powers.

The play opens in Venezuela with Grandfather Juan telling his life story to his grandchildren before the scene flashes back across the Atlantic and his spy work.

All the actors, save Jorges, performed multiple roles with strong deliveries: Delbis Cardona has six! Clara Navarro, the only woman in the cast, is a sassy and energetic wife, his granddaughter and, later, military officer.

One of Mauricio Gómez Amoretti’s three roles is as General Dwight David

Eisenhower, while Geovanni Felicier is the obvious Adolf Hitler who arrives in uniform with his hat shadowing the top of his face but exposing the unmistakable mustache. (Rukiya Henry-Fields’s costumes and Andre Hopfer’s hair and makeup help convey time changes.)

Carlos Castillo is Garbo’s father and British aide, Thomas Harris.

In dimmed lighting, actors quickly changed sparse settings (by Jessica Alexandra Cancino) from one place to another while the years ticked by: from Caracas to Madrid, London, Lisbon, documented by Luis Garcia’s excellent historic videography on backdrops.

Without the background (albeit pre-recorded), music by composer, sound designer and Helen Hayes Award winner Koki Lortkipanidze, the show would have lacked a critical element of its success.

Combining a cello and the sometimes slow solo electric piano sounds of the high pitches of a harpsichord, the original score is a haunting background which strengthened the message of Garbo’s triumph.

Carlos Celdrán directed with assistance from Luz Nicolás. Other creative team members are Hailey Laroe, lighting; Iara Rogers Benchoam, properties; Solis E. Pettit, stage manager.

In Spanish with English subtitles on three screens. Appropriate for ages 13 and up.

“Garbo” runs through September 27, 2026, Thursday through Sunday at 8 p.m. with a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $20. Columbia Heights Metro Station and a flat fee of $4 to park at the Giant on Park Road around the corner are nearby. (Parking is validated in the GALA lobby.) GALA Hispanic Theatre, 3333 14th St. NW. Ph. 202-234-7174. Duration: 90 minutes with an intermission.

From left, Clara Navarro, Kevin Jorges and Carlos Castillo in GALA Hispanic Theatre’s “Garbo.” (Photo:

Stan Weinstein)

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2026 | PAGE 13

Fall Arts Preview

Movie Review: Tony

BY LISA SINROD

This film, released nationwide on August 21 and rated R, is based on a small portion of Anthony Bourdain’s acclaimed memoir “Kitchen Confidential.”

Prior to Bourdain’s apparent suicide in 2018, he was both a working chef and best-selling author. He’s been described as one of the most influential culinary travel personalities of his generation. In 1997 he published an essay in The New Yorker (“Don’t Eat Before Reading This”), exposing the behind-thescenes chaos and unsavory aspects of many professional kitchens. In 2000 Bourdain authored the book “Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly.” This memoir was a huge success and helped launch his high-profile career, including his work in television (“A Cook’s Tour,” “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations,” and his hosting of “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” on CNN). His CNN series took him all over the world, sampling local cuisine and culture.

To the outside world, he was leading a dream life.

Like 2025’s “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” this film focuses on a pivotal chapter of its subject’s life, allowing a deeper look at the experiences that shaped a future cultural icon. The formative period in “Tony” was when Bourdain was 19 and working in a restaurant kitchen for the first time, in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

What I would have liked was a little more information about his future trajectory. The film ends just at the point where Bourdain is making the transition to professional chef. The ending left me wanting more, particularly as Tony’s story was just beginning to unfold.

Dominic Sessa (“The Holdovers”), age 23, was an excellent choice to play young Bourdain in this biographical drama. His voice has a deep resonance that Bourdain seemed to possess, and his overall appearance is similar enough to bring Bourdain to life. Sessa’s performance is commanding and convincing. He captures the intelligence, restlessness, talent, insecurities, and contradictions of Anthony Bourdain

in a performance that should resonate with fans of the late chef.

Antonio Banderas plays the owner and head chef of the seafood restaurant where Bourdain gets his start, a character simply known as Chef. His performance as mentor to Bourdain is understated and yet powerful. His character is a composite of several chefs Bourdain worked for early in his career, rather than representing any single person from the memoir on which the film is based.

One of the joyous aspects of the film is the camaraderie of the other cooks in the kitchen. Anthony Bourdain, then known as Tony, is portrayed as awkward at first with the rough-edged line cooks until he becomes comfortable enough to join in their high jinks. Sal, Stavros, and Tyrone are a combination of real and fictionalized people Bourdain worked with when he started this line of work. Leo Woodall (“The White Lotus”, Season 2), Stavros Halkias, and Michael Jibrin bring energy to their roles as Tony’s fellow cooks, throwing themselves wholeheartedly into the kitchen’s rough-and-tumble work/play ethos.

In the movie, as in his memoir, Tony Bourdain doesn’t set out to be a chef. As a student at Vassar, he considers himself a writer and applies for a highly regarded summer writing fellowship with confidence that he will be accepted. He is not. He hides this truth from his love interest at the time, Nancy (played passably

by Emilia Jones). Nancy is based on a real character in Bourdain’s life – his first wife, Nancy Putkowski.

When Tony arrives in Provincetown, he is penniless, jobless, and travels to that location because he knows Nancy will be there for the summer.

The film is a romp through the gritty world of busy professional kitchens, while also tracing the early steps of Bourdain’s culinary career. There are gentle moments of connection, particularly between the fellow cooks, and also between Bourdain and Chef. In the movie, Chef tells Tony to use his birth name of Anthony for greater gravitas.

Upon review of his memoir, this did occur, but with a different culinary professional at a different time in Bourdain’s professional trajectory.

Overall, the film earns a solid B.

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PAGE 14 | SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2026

Fall Arts Preview

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

DMV Arts Events Roundup: What’s On Stage This Season

Signature Theatre 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington

Through Sept. 20 — Something Wonderful: Broadway’s Leading Ladies Tracy Lynn Olivera celebrates the great leading ladies of Broadway’s Golden Age in Signature’s cabaret series.

Through Nov. 1 — Merrily We Roll Along Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s acclaimed musical about friendship, ambition and compromise, famously unfolding backward through time.

Oct. 20–Dec. 20 — All the World’s a Stage The regional premiere of Adam Gwon’s musical follows a closeted high-school math teacher who mentors a student preparing for a theater competition in 1996.

Beginning Dec. 8 — The Secret Garden Signature presents the Lucy Simon and Marsha Norman musical based on Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic novel. The production continues into February 2027.

PROVIDENCE PLAYERS OF FAIRFAX James Lee Community Center Theater, 2855 Annandale Rd., Falls Church Oct. 9–24 — Cactus Flower Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday matinees Oct. 11 and 18, 2 p.m. Abe Burrows’ romantic screwball comedy follows a dentist whose invented wife creates an increasingly complicated web of lies.

Dec. 11–20 — The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Evening performances Dec. 11–12 and 17–19 at 7:30 p.m.; matinees Dec. 12–13 and 19–20 at 2 p.m. Providence Players and The Young Hearts co-produce the holiday comedy, with a portion of proceeds supporting Blood Cancer United.

SAINT KATHERINE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 3149 Glen Carlyn Rd., Falls Church

Oct. 2–4 — Fall Greek Festival Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sunday, noon–8 p.m. The annual festival features traditional Greek food and desserts, live music and other cultural activities. Admission and parking are free.

Dec. 4 — Glykeria & Kostas Ageris Live 9:30 p.m. at the Meletis Charuhas Center.

The Greek singers perform live, with doors opening at 8:30 p.m. and food and drinks available to benefit Saint Katherine.

CREATIVE CAULDRON 127 E. Broad St., Falls Church Sept. 13 — Shenandoah Run 2 p.m. The nine-member folk ensemble closes Creative Cauldron’s 2026 Passport Music Festival. The summer series features regional performers spanning folk, jazz, blues, Latin and global musical traditions.

Oct. 8–Nov. 1 — Monsters of the Villa Diodati Creative Cauldron revives Matt Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith’s musical inspired by the legendary gathering of Lord Byron, Mary Shelley, John Polidori and their companions at Lake Geneva. The

musical explores creativity and the origins of two Gothic icons: The Vampyre and Frankenstein.

Nov. 6–22 — The Emperor’s New Clothes Creative Cauldron’s Spanish-infused Learning Theater production puts a musical spin on the classic story of a vain emperor, deceptive weavers and the child brave enough to speak the truth.

Dec. 4–20 — Madeline’s Christmas The holiday tradition returns with the musical adaptation of Ludwig Bemelmans’ beloved story. When Madeline’s schoolmates and teacher fall ill on Christmas Eve, a magical rug merchant helps Madeline take her friends on an unforgettable Christmas journey.

CENTER FOR THE ARTS AT GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY Fairfax Campus Sept. 26 — Music From The Sole 7:30 p.m. Tap and live music company blending Afro-Brazilian influences with jazz, funk and house.

Oct. 3 — Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra 8:30 p.m. Goldblum and his jazz ensemble headline Mason’s annual ARTS by George! benefit.

Oct. 11 — Keyboard Conversations with Jeffrey Siegel: Glorious Musical Jewels — Beethoven and Schubert Pianist Jeffrey Siegel combines performance with commentary exploring works

by Beethoven and Schubert.

Oct. 17 — VOCES8 The internationally acclaimed British vocal ensemble comes to the Center for the Arts as part of Great Performances at Mason.

Oct. 24 — Compagnie HERVÉ KOUBI 7:30 p.m. The contemporary dance company draws inspiration from Algerian and Mediterranean cultures.

Nov. 7 — Shanghai Ballet: Butterfly Lovers China’s renowned Shanghai Ballet presents its interpretation of the legendary Chinese love story.

Nov. 8 — Shanghai Ballet: Giselle The company returns for the Romantic ballet classic Giselle.

Nov. 15 — WOW in the World Presents: Make It WOW! A family performance inspired by the popular children’s science podcast.

Nov. 21–22 — Virginia Opera: Pagliacci Virginia Opera presents Leoncavallo’s famous Italian opera.

Nov. 28 — Canadian Brass The internationally celebrated brass ensemble performs as part of Great Performances at Mason.

Dec. 5 — Spanish Harlem Orchestra The Grammy-winning salsa and Latin jazz ensemble presents a celebration of Puerto Rican holiday traditions.

Dec. 10 — Pink Martini All-Stars Present: A Season of Stars

Pink Martini All-Stars make their Center for the Arts debut with a holiday-season program.

Dec. 12 — American Festival Pops Orchestra: Holiday Pops — Songs of the Season The American Festival Pops Orchestra brings its annual holiday celebration to the Center for the Arts.

GALA HISPANIC THEATRE 3333 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C. Sept. 3–27 — Garbo: The Actor Who Saved the World Gustavo Ott’s world premiere tells the story of Juan Pujol García, the failed theatrical dreamer who became one of World War II’s most consequential double agents. In Spanish with English surtitles.

Oct. 17–31 — Pancho Villa and the Children of the Revolution The U.S. premiere of Antonio Zúñiga’s bilingual work revisits the Mexican Revolution through memory, corridos and myth.

Nov. 5–22 — 22nd Annual Fuego Flamenco Festival GALA expands its annual celebration of flamenco to three weeks of U.S. and international artists.

Nov. 5–8 — La velada Spain Flamenco Arts presents Marta Gálvez’s D.C. premiere, bringing traditional flamenco into conversation with a contemporary vision.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Fall Arts Preview

SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2026 | PAGE 15

DMV Arts Events Roundup: What’s On Stage This Season

GALA HISPANIC THEATRE 3333 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.

Nov. 13–15 — Flamenco Aparicio Dance Company The second weekend of the Fuego Flamenco Festival.

Nov. 20–22 — Danzas solemnes The final weekend of GALA’s three-week Fuego Flamenco Festival.

Dec. 2–6 — GALA Film Fest: Latin American Innovation A multi-day festival showcasing Latin American film.

Dec. 11–13 — Nueva Era: New Play Festival GALA presents its new initiative devoted to staged readings of unpublished and unproduced plays by Latino playwrights in the United States.

GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF WASHINGTON, D.C. Oct. 24 — Heated Revelry Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. Performances at 2 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.

The 2 p.m. performance is ASL interpreted.

Dec. 5, 12 & 13 — The Holiday Show Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. Performances Dec. 5 and 12 at 3 and 8 p.m. and Dec. 13 at 5 p.m. The 3 p.m. performances are ASL interpreted.

Feb. 13, 2027 — Heart & Soul Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Performances at 3 and 8 p.m.

March 13, 2027 — Queer Joy: From Elton to Eilish The chorus continues its “Unapologetically Joyful!” season with music spanning generations of pop.

April 25, 2027 — Youth Invasion

June 5–6, 2027 — Retro Joy: From Closets to Club Lights

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May 2, 2027 — The Amadeus Strings 4–7 p.m. St. Francis Episcopal Church. The Amadeus Strings close the organization’s 45th season.

LITTLE CITY CONCERTS The Falls Church Episcopal, 166 E. Broad St., Falls Church

ARLINGTON CHORALE

AMADEUS CONCERTS Sept. 19 — Season Kickoff House Concert 2–4 p.m. Pianist Sasha Beresovsky performs at an intimate house concert kicking off Amadeus Concerts’ 45th season. Venue details will be provided separately.

Oct. 18 — 9th Street Quartet 4–7 p.m. St. Francis Episcopal Church, 9220 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls.

Arlington’s 9th Street Quartet opens the season with a program featuring several American composers.

Nov. 15 — Sasha Beresovsky and Friends 4–7 p.m. St. Francis Episcopal Church.

Beresovsky is joined by violinist Gersh Chervinsky and cellist Chiara Pappalardo.

Jan. 24, 2027 — Emerging Artists: The Atria String Quartet 4–7 p.m. St. Francis Episcopal Church.

Amadeus’ Emerging Artists event features the Atria String Quartet.

Feb. 21, 2027 — District5 Wind Quintet 4–7 p.m. St. Francis Episcopal Church.

March 21, 2027 — Celine Mogielnicki, Soprano 4–7 p.m. St. Francis Episcopal Church.

The prize-winning soprano joins pianist Sasha Beresovsky for an updated take on Amadeus’ traditional opera afternoon.

Oct. 24 — For the Earth: Fauré’s Requiem 5 p.m. Westover Baptist Church, Arlington.

The Chorale opens its 60th season by pairing excerpts from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with The [Uncertain] Four Seasons, Alex Berko’s Sacred Place and Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem.

Dec. 12 — All Is Bright 5 p.m. Westover Baptist Church. The holiday program ranges from Carol of the Bells and White Christmas to Silent Night, with Ola Gjeilo’s Dreamweaver at the center.

March 13, 2027 — After the Dark 5 p.m. Westover Baptist Church. Vivaldi and The [Uncertain] Four Seasons return before Elaine Hagenberg’s Illuminare.

April 24, 2027 — Now We Begin 5 p.m. National City Christian Church, Washington. The 60th season finale includes the hometown premiere of Dominick DiOrio’s Our Future Four Seasons, commissioned by the Chorale and inspired by words from local schoolchildren.

Friday October 2: 11am - 9pm Saturday October 3: 11am - 9pm Sunday October 4: 12pm - 8pm

March 7, 2027 — The Heart of Local Art 3:07 p.m. A celebration of the local arts community at Studios @ 307.

Oct. 3 — Christylez Bacon & Qi Yu: Musical Cross Cultural Collaboration 7:30 p.m. Hip-hop artist Christylez Bacon and Chinese zither performer Qi Yu open Little City Concerts’ season, with the Oak Street Elementary School Choir opening the program. Half of ticket proceeds benefit the Falls Church Education Foundation’s Family Assistance Fund.

Nov. 21 — Sound Impact: Use Your Voice 7:30 p.m. Sound Impact musicians per-

form alongside young musicians from the organization’s Use Your Voice program in a chamber program that includes music by Caroline Shaw and Shostakovich.

Jan. 30, 2027 — Sam Post, Piano 7:30 p.m. Pianist and composer Sam Post presents a nature-themed program combining his music with Bach-inspired works and selections from Schumann’s Waldszenen.

Half of ticket proceeds benefit the Falls Church Climate Action Network.

April 3, 2027 — Ashi Day’s Wolf at the Door 7:30 p.m. The season finale features the premiere of Little City Concerts’ second commissioned work. D.C. composer Ashi Day’s Wolf at the Door, performed by Balance Campaign and a trio of singers, uses the story of dog domestication to explore adaptation to a changing environment. Half of ticket proceeds benefit Heeling House.

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PAGE 16 | SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2026

Fall Arts Preview

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Discovering Falls Church’s Outdoor Art Around Every Corner

Continued from Page 10

Lucky Strike Mural It’s hard not to notice the gorgeous colors of the eye-catching mural painted on the exterior of the Lucky Strike bowling alley at 140 S. Maple Avenue. It takes up the entire length of the building that faces Annandale Road and features a close-up of a woman’s face among brilliantly colored Washington DC landmarks. The artist is Rigo Leon and while the artwork isn’t titled, it’s pretty unforgettable. This installation is too recent to be on the Art Walk but you’ll want to give it a look.

Pennies From Heaven If you’re like me, you’ve been in and out of the office building on 6400 Arlington Boulevard and never once noticed an airplane made out of pennies tucked inside a rest area in the parking lot. Created by artist Courtney S. Hengerer

in 2008, the statue is positioned horizontally on a tall base and its surface is covered with 14,000 pennies. Most of the coins are heads-up but, of course, the pennies on the tail of the plane are tails-up. This is not part of the Art Walk but still well worth a visit.

Up and Down This last sculpture isn’t on the Falls Church Art Walk because it’s technically in Arlington County. But next time you’re on North Washington Street near Gresham Place, take a look at this unusual sculpture by artist Graham Caldwell.

Installed in 2006, the concrete artwork appears to be a leaning tower that’s being propped up by a coliseum-type structure. Caldwell’s intent was to commemorate the buildings that have been torn down in Arlington, most notably the city’s original courthouse, which was razed in 1977.

Children United in Peace. (Photo: Amy Bowker)

Elvis Mountt Rushmore. (Photo: Amy Bowker)

Lucky Strike Mural. (Photo: Amy Bowker)

Man Feeding Pigs. (Photo: Amy Bowker)

03-07-2027 @ 307, 3:07pm The Heart of Local Art

Hosted by Art and Frame of Falls Church, 307 E. Annandale Rd.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2026 | PAGE 17

Fall Arts Preview

Exhibit Revisits Three Weeks of Terror

Continued from Page 11

the end of 2026, the museum offers $3 discounts for DMV residents at the box office. A college and career fair will be October 24.

The museum is open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Before discounts, admission for

adults, $22; students and seniors, $20; law enforcement, military, and survivors, $18, and free admission for those age 17 and under.

The D.C. sniper was executed in Virginia in 2009, and his then 17-yearold accomplice has been serving multiple life sentences in Virginia, which denied him parole in 2022.

Home of the Visual Arts

WINNER 2026

BESTOFFC.COM

Falls Church Arts Galleryy 700 W Broad Street Falls Church, VA 22046 www.FallsChurchArts.org An all-volunteer non-profit

“Geometrix Exhibit” until Oct 12, 2026

Plein Air Festival Sept 26, 2026 at Farmers Market Check our website for classes and workshops.

A prison cell from the Lorton, VA prison which closed in 2001. (Photo: Patricia Leslie)

R U O T F W U M C N

F H I A W T R U R M

A C L P P R A R U M

M L A L C A L L H O

S L U P T I S L C I

W C O M M U N I T Y

Falls

Walk

Artwork

Church

Murals

Community

Art

Sculptures

Tour

S L R K L A W F E W

K

E M R I P O M R H W

E R A

O M R H R

R

C

T R

R U O T F W U

A

U P R A L

H A L L L

C S U S

C O M M U N I T Y

K L A W S

The snipers’ 1990 Chevrolet Caprice. (Photo: Patricia Leslie)

W A N C L R M N E U

S

The Bushmaster ri�le used by the snipers in 2002. (Photo: Patricia Leslie)

M U N A N K T A W S

PAGE 18 | SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2026

SPORTS

Meridian Sports Recap: 8/25 - 9/7

by Dinos Simcox

Meridian fall sports are officially underway, and multiple squads are already impressing.

Overall, the teams have a record of 11 wins and five losses.

Football got off to a hot start with a defensive masterclass against 6A Justice, winning 17-7 and only allowing points

in the waning minutes of the game. The team had a difficult week two, suffering a brutal 41-0 loss to Kettle Run, one of the strongest teams in the state.

With positives from the loss hard to come by, the Mustangs will look to get back on track with a win against Annandale on Thursday, September 10.

In their last meeting, the

Mustangs trounced Annandale 52-20. Meridian will look to replicate that performance as best they can.

Field Hockey is a perfect 4-0, with wins against Mt Vernon, Annandale, Thomas A Edison, and Liberty to start the year. While their offense has been strong, especially in their last two games, it’s the defense

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

that has stepped up. Incredibly, the team hasn’t allowed a single goal in any of their four games so far. The Mustangs’ impressive start to the season has them tied for first in the region with Kettle Run. Girls Volleyball has matched Field Hockey, also starting their season 4-0, with wins over Freedom, Hayfield, Robinson, and Manassas Park.

Aside from their 3-2 victory over Robinson, the team has swept all their opponents

3-0. Their performances have earned them the top spot in the region at this early stage of the season.

Boys Volleyball is off to a rocky start in their 2026 campaign, having started the year 1-1 before dropping three of their next four games. The lone win was a dominant 3-0 win over rival Brentsville, but aside from that performance, the Mustangs have a lot to work on if they want to enjoy a successful season.

Now Batting: New Leadership at Falls Church Kiwanis Little League

by Adam Roy

A conversation with League President Alex Strong.

The Falls Church Kiwanis Little League recently elected its new slate of officers and board members, reaffirming and establishing priorities for the upcoming fall and spring 2027 seasons. Building on a successful spring season with more than 500 registered players, a District 4 all-stars championship (a first in 20 years!), and a trip to the state tournament, the league hopes to keep the momentum going across several key focus areas. I sat down with newly elected league president Alex Strong to discuss maintaining and expanding strong registration, strengthening the approach to player development, and ensuring the league retains its strong relationship with Fairfax County and Falls Church City on field access and permitting.

Adam Roy: Congratulations on your election as President of the Falls Church Kiwanis Little League (FCKLL). As you step into the batter’s box, how would you describe the current state of the organization?

Alex Strong: I am humbled and deeply honored to serve Virginia’s oldest, permanently chartered Little League program. The state of our league is exceptionally strong right now. We are seeing record-breaking registration levels across the board—both this past spring and now heading into our fall season.

Beyond the numbers, our All-Stars campaign this summer was nothing

short of extraordinary. Specifically, our Majors (10- to 12-year-olds) team had a truly historic run, capturing the District title for only the fifth time in our league’s history and battling all the way to the Semifinals of the Virginia State tournament.

That kind of success on the field, paired with overwhelming community participation, tells me the future of Falls Church Kiwanis Little League, and baseball more broadly in Falls Church, is very bright.

Adam: You’re taking over the reins from Whitney Owen, who served as league president over the past two years. Can you talk about her impact on the league and in the community?

Alex: We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Whitney.

Leading a youth sports organization of this scale is a massive, often thankless undertaking, and Whitney navigated it with incredible grace, grit, and vision. Under her leadership, the league saw tremendous growth in participation, expanded opportunities for players of all ages, achieved historic success on the field, and strengthened the sense of community that makes FCKLL so unique. Stepping into shoes that large is a daunting challenge, but because of the sturdy house Whitney helped build, the transition has been remarkably smooth. Certainly, I join all in the FCKLL family and this community in thanking her for her years of dedicated service.

Adam: Every incoming league president inherits a unique set of

challenges. When your head hits the pillow at night, what are the issues that keep you awake?

Alex: Without a doubt, it’s field access. Falls Church is a wonderful, bustling community, but space is at a premium. And, as I have mentioned, the league is growing.

That all exacerbates the growing challenge of securing reliable, high-quality diamond time for practices, regular-season games, and our All-Star programs. Between coordinating Fairfax County and municipal spaces, school properties, and managing weather-related closures, maintaining a fair and consistent schedule for hundreds of kids across our divisions is our biggest operational bottleneck. We are continually working to find creative solutions and strengthen our partnerships with local stakeholders because having kids on the field requires having fields available in the first place.

Adam: Our league is unique in that we cross city and county boundaries, welcoming players from both Fairfax County’s Falls Church and Falls Church City. Adding Little League International’s recent change to player boundary requirements, which essentially eliminated historically drawn boundary lines, we regularly register players from multiple zip codes. Can you share how we find fields for all these players?

Alex: The league maintains usage agreements with the Fairfax County Parks and Recreation

Department. These agreements grant the league access to fields at several county locations, including Larry Graves, West Gate Elementary School, Leis Center, and Jefferson Park. Given the City’s small size and restricted field availability, we don’t have any approved usage agreement with Falls Church City. What does this mean to the player? The league pays a fee for each in-county and out-of-county player using Fairfax County’s fields under season-to-season field permits.

Adam: How are these fees mitigated, and do you anticipate any challenges to our field usage agreements?

Alex: We have mitigated the fees through thoughtful and minor increases to registration fees over the past several years and offset the cost, among other league expenses, through incredible sponsorship support. However, like all things, we expect costs to increase as well as the need for available fields.

Over the next two years, I hope to inform and work with Fairfax County and Falls Church City leaders to continue to raise awareness of this league’s uniqueness and importance in bringing youth baseball to all families who call Falls Church home.

Adam: Next up, player development. How will the league focus on growing and developing our players?

Alex: We’re a small league, especially compared to some of our neighbors, but we’re also very

competitive, as the recent All-Star results have shown. Going forward, I’d like to see the development of some common core coaching principles, and a focus on development over wins and losses at the younger levels. We’re forming a team of volunteers, many with years of experience playing high-level baseball, to build a coaching approach, or philosophy, that can be taught to our volunteers and instilled in our players. The most important person who determines the success of a player’s season (and the feelings of his or her parents) is the coach. I want to create an environment where volunteers have the tools to be great instructors of the game.

Adam: Wrapping up, can you share your vision for FCKLL over the next several years?

Alex: It comes down to sustainability and community impact.

I want to ensure that every child in Falls Church who wants to pick up a bat has a welcoming, well-run place to play, learn sportsmanship, and build friendships that last long after the final out. That means investing in our coaching development, supporting our volunteers, and continuing to advocate for our infrastructure needs so that Little League remains a thriving tradition here for generations to come.

Fall ball is well underway. Visit fckll.org for more information on the Spring 2027 Falls Church Kiwanis Little League season.

Registration for the Spring will open after Thanksgiving.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

LOCAL

SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2026 | PAGE 19

The Data Trail: Who’s Watching and What Do They Know?

Continued from Page 3

shape it.

In “The End of Freedom: The Titans Who Own America’s Reality,” I approached the issue from another direction, looking at the extraordinary power increasingly concentrated among a relatively small group of technology companies controlling much of the infrastructure through which Americans communicate, consume information and experience the world.

Then came artificial intelligence.

In March, I wrote “Beyer’s AI Transparency Bill Highlights Gaps in White House Plan on Creators and Copyright,” examining Rep. Don Beyer’s AI Foundation Model Transparency Act and the questions surrounding AI, copyright, creators and transparency. That story focused on what information goes into increasingly powerful AI systems and whether creators and the public can understand what is happening inside models that increasingly influence real-world decisions.

One line from that piece has stuck with me throughout this reporting: People cannot protect what they cannot see.

In May, in “The More Artificial the World Gets, the More People Crave Something Real,” I approached the technological transformation from the human side — what happens to communities, journalism and ordinary relationships when algorithms, automation and artificial intelligence increasingly mediate everyday life. I wrote then that the internet largely won because it was cheaper and more convenient, not necessarily because everything it replaced was inferior.

At the time, I saw these as different stories. Looking back at the reporting now, I’m not sure they were. They increasingly look like different pieces of the same story.

Flock is simply where some of those pieces become visible.

The Watchdogs Are Working Other journalists are asking many of the same questions. The Intercept, WIRED, 404 Media, and other investigative and technology-focused publications have reported on surveillance systems, digital com-

munications, location information, government access to commercially collected information, and the growing technological infrastructure available to law enforcement.

The Intercept’s reporting this summer on Signal messages and federal investigations surrounding antiICE protests in Minneapolis is one example. Researchers and civil-liberties organizations are digging as well, including the Brennan Center for Justice, which has examined how artificial intelligence and data-fusion technology could allow authorities to combine information from vehicle sightings, public records, commercial sources and other databases.

The work is being done. The harder question is whether people are seeing it.

That question goes directly back to the algorithms I was writing about last year. Data scientist Sahin Ahmed raised a version of it in a 2024 Medium essay, “Are You Really in Control of What You See Online, or Are Algorithms Controlling It for You?” Ahmed described algorithms as invisible gatekeepers curating what users encounter according to behavior, interactions and preferences.

The essay itself is not an academic study, but the question behind it is increasingly supported by research.

A 2026 study published in Nature randomly assigned active U.S. users of X to algorithmic or chronological feeds for seven weeks. Researchers found that switching on the algorithm increased engagement, shifted some political opinions toward more conservative positions, and promoted conservative content while demoting posts from traditional media.

The politics of that particular result are almost beside the point. A different algorithm could produce a different outcome. What matters is that researchers demonstrated that an algorithm could alter the information people encountered and measurably affect some attitudes.

That matters enormously for journalism.

A reporter can investigate a story and a newspaper can publish it, but neither necessarily controls whether a reader ever sees it. Search engines rank results. Social-media plat-

forms rank feeds. Recommendation engines determine what comes next.

Increasingly, an invisible layer of technology sits between the person producing information and the person attempting to find it.

There is no evidence here to declare that technology companies are deliberately suppressing journalism critical of them, and I am not making that accusation. But there is every reason to examine what happens when investigative journalism about powerful technological systems increasingly depends upon other algorithmic systems to reach the public.

We built these systems because the amount of information available to us became impossible to navigate manually. Now those same systems increasingly help decide which pieces of information receive our attention.

The Camera Is Only One Piece This is where Flock begins looking less like an isolated controversy and more like one visible piece of something much larger.

A license plate reader records a vehicle. A smartphone can generate another category of information.

Social media creates another. Public records provide another. Commercial databases may contain still more.

Historically, connecting thousands or millions of those records required enormous amounts of human labor.

Modern computing has made that easier, and artificial intelligence is accelerating it again.

AI also introduces a fundamentally different problem because a machine no longer has to simply retrieve information. It can analyze information and attempt to draw conclusions from it.

A license plate reader may accurately record my vehicle on a road at 8:42 a.m. It does not know whether I was driving, why the vehicle was there, who was inside or what anyone was doing. But connect that record with enough additional information and a computer can begin identifying patterns and associations.

A collection of accurate facts does not necessarily produce an accurate conclusion.

That is particularly important because artificial intelligence can

be wrong. The National Institute of Standards and Technology has warned about AI “confabulation” — confidently generated erroneous or false information — and the particular risks created when such systems are incorporated into consequential decision-making.

A chatbot getting an answer wrong is one thing. A machine reaching a wrong conclusion about a real person inside a law-enforcement, employment, financial or government system is something entirely different.

For decades, the privacy question has largely been: What information do you have about me?

We may increasingly need to ask another: What has your machine concluded about me from everything else it knows?

What Did We Agree To? There is an important difference between government surveillance and private technology. The government can investigate, arrest and prosecute, and I do not get to click “Decline” when my vehicle passes a police camera.

My phone is different. I bought it.

I downloaded the applications. I created the accounts. Somewhere along the way, I clicked “Agree.” That is a choice, but whether it constitutes an informed choice is another matter.

What does Google actually know about our movements? What does Apple know? What does Meta know? What information is retained and for how long? What is shared?

What comes from data brokers?

What can algorithms infer from it?

And what happens when the government wants it?

I don’t know the answers to all of those questions. That’s precisely why I’m asking them.

Those are not accusations against Google, Apple, Meta, Flock or anyone else. Maybe consumers have considerably more control than many of us realize. Maybe companies have erected strong safeguards.

Maybe government access is far more restricted than people fear. Or maybe the rabbit hole goes considerably deeper.

We’re going to find out.

Virginia Has Drawn One Line Simon does not argue that police

should abandon modern technology.

“I don’t think the answer is to pretend these tools have no legitimate law-enforcement uses,” he wrote.

“They can help find a stolen car, locate a missing child or provide an important lead in a serious criminal investigation.”

That distinction matters.

Technology is not inherently the enemy. I use Google. I carry a smartphone. I use social media. I use artificial intelligence. Most of us participate in these systems because they have made our lives easier in extraordinary ways.

But convenient and harmless are not necessarily the same thing.

“There’s a huge difference between using technology to investigate a crime and building a system capable of tracking where everyone goes just in case that information might someday be useful,” Simon wrote.

He said Virginia’s work cannot end simply because new safeguards exist. “We need to see how these protections work in practice, whether companies and law-enforcement agencies are complying with them, and whether these massive, interconnected databases create risks that regulation alone can’t adequately address.”

Massive, interconnected databases.

That may ultimately be the phrase that defines this investigation.

The camera collects one piece. A database stores it. A phone generates another. A commercial service may possess another. Social media creates another. Algorithms influence which information reaches us, and artificial intelligence is increasingly capable of taking information flowing in the opposite direction and attempting to tell someone what all of it means.

Governments change.

Administrations change. Companies change ownership. Employees come and go. Policies change. Databases are breached. Algorithms are rewritten. Technology created for one purpose finds another.

“Our laws need to keep up with technology,” Simon wrote. “But we also need to keep asking the harder

Continued on Page 22

PAGE 20| SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2026 PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA The following was given first reading at the August 31, 2026, City Council Action meeting. Public hearings, second readings, and possible City Council action are scheduled for Monday, September 14, 2026, at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard.

(TO26-19) Ordinance to Amend the Code of the City of Falls Church, Virginia, Chapter 36, “Streets, Sidewalks and Other Public Places,” Section 36-17, “Snow or Ice Removal,” to Reflect Authority Granted to the City by the Commonwealth of Virginia (TO26-20) Ordinance to Provide for Disclosure of Financial Interests by City Employees and Officials 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 MAINE JUDICIAL BRANCH KATIE J DEL RIO Plaintiff v.

ANTULIO DEL RIO Defendant [ ] Superior Court [X] District Court

C L AS S I F I E DS

sonal service of process prescribed by M.R. Civ. P. 4.

The address of the party to be served is: [X] unknown and cannot be ascertained by reasonable diligence. [ ] known, but it appears the person is avoiding process.

The requested method of service is reasonably calculated to provide actual notice of the pendency of the action to the party to be served and is the most practical manner of effecting notice of the suit.

It is ORDERED that Service be made upon the other party by: [ ] Leaving a copy of this Order, and [ ] summons and complaint [ ] post-judgment motion at the defendant’s dwelling house or usual place of abode located at: [X] Publishing a copy of this Order once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks in the FALLS CHURCH-NEWS PRESS, a newspaper of general circulation in the county or municipality most reasonably calculated to provide actual notice of the pendency of the action AND, if the defendant’s address is known, mailing a copy of this Order as published to that address.

[X] Other alternate means:

BY LAST KNOWN ELECTRONIC MEANS: EMAIL, TEXT, FACEBOOK MESSENGER Adequate safeguards shall be used to assure that service by alternate means can be authenticated and will be received intact, with all relevant documents and information, including:

It is FURTHER ORDERED that the party being served appear and serve an answer to the complaint or post-judgment motion to the serving party at the address listed above.

The answer must be filed with the court within twenty-one (21) days of service. If service is made by publication in a newspaper, the answer must be filed with the court within forty-one (41) days after the first publication in the newspaper. Failure to serve an answer will cause judgment by default to be entered, granting relief sought in the motion or complaint.

ATTN. AUCTIONEERS: Promote your upcoming auctions statewide! Affordable Print and Digital Solutions reaching your target audience. Call this paper or Commonwealth Media Solutions 804-521-7570, advertising@ commonwealthmediasolutions.com

ORDER FOR SERVICE BY ALTERNATE MEANS M.R. Civ. P. 4(G)

[ ] Judge [ ] Justice

This Court has reviewed the motion of the [X] plaintiff [ ] defendant for service by alternate means. The type of action is: FAMILY MATTERS

ADA Notice: The Maine Judicial Branch complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you need a reasonable accommodation, contact the Court Access Coordinator, accessibility@courts.maine.gov, or a court clerk.

KATIE J DEL RIO The name and address of the defendant (or attorney), if known:

Tracie Adamson

FLM

Language Services: For language assistance and interpreters, contact a court clerk or interpreters@courts.maine.gov.

CV-144, Rev. 04/13 Order for Service by Alternate Means Page 1 of 2 / Page 2 of 2 www.courts.maine.gov

ANTULIO DEL RIO The Moving Party has demonstrated: Due diligence in attempting to obtain per-

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Written protests must be mailed to DMV Motor Carrier Services, Attn: Operating Authority, P. O. Box 27412, Richmond, VA 23269-0001 and must be postmarked on or before September 24, 2026.

Any protest filed with competent evidence will be carefully considered by DMV, however, DMV will have full discretion as to whether a hearing is warranted based on the merits of the protest filed.

AUCTIONS

Date (mm/dd/yyyy): 8/24/2026

The name and address of the plaintiff (or attorney), if known:

Any person who desires to protest the application and be a party to the matter must submit a signed and dated written request setting forth (1) a precise statement of the party’s interest and how the party could be aggrieved if the application was granted; (2) a full and clear statement of the facts that the person is prepared to provide by competent evidence; (3) a statement of the specific relief sought; (4) the name of the applicant and case number assigned to the application; and (5) a certification that a copy of the protest was sent to the applicant. The case number assigned to this application is MC2600624TA.

AFFIDAVIT DEMONSTRATING PROOF OF SERVICE

County: YORK Location (Town): BIDDEFORD Docket No.: BIDDC-DWC-2026-360

Property or credits of the defendant [ ] may be [X] will not be affected, which include:

Notice is hereby given that Pollyana Transportation LLC, 2905 Stillwood Cir Apt 402, Falls Church, VA 22042, has filed an application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity that would authorize: 1. Passenger transportation as a Common Carrier over Irregular Routes, providing service in the Cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park, Virginia, and the Counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William, Virginia and; 2. The transportation of Medicaid recipients throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia as a Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Carrier as defined in Section 46.2-2000 et seq. of the Code of Virginia.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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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.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Fa l l s C h u r c h

Business News & Notes Last Call: Virginia Tourism Corporation Grants Virginia Tourism Corporation is offering funding through the Virginia Special Events & Grants Program to assist with the marketing and production of established special events and festivals. Preference is given to those that have a significant and positive economic impact on the local community with significant local/ regional cash or an in-kind match. This application closes tomorrow, September 11.

Chamber Luncheon: The Economic Outlook The Falls Church Chamber welcomes the return of Dr. Keith Waters, Ph.D., the assistant director of the Stephen S. Fuller Institute and Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University in the Schar School of Policy and Government. He will share the latest news and data on the economy and answer your questions.

Register early on the chamber website for this popular presentation at Italian Café on Tuesday, September 15, 11:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. Prospective members are welcome.

West Falls Presents Movie Night The West Falls Community kicks off Movie Nights with a showing of “You’ve Got Mail” tonight, September 10 at 7 p.m. The free fall series will be held in Commons Park and runs Thursdays through November. Pick up a bite from one of the nearby restaurants like Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls, then bring your meal to the park for entertainment in the fresh air. Free popcorn is available while supplies last.

Live Music at the Casual Pint The Casual Pint of Falls Church kicks off the weekend with the live music of Bad Manors tomorrow, September 11. Live music runs 7 - 10 p.m. and there is no cover.

Another Food Truck in Falls Church Ducky’s has the attention of Northern Virginia Magazine. The new food truck is serving mini burgers, chicken bites, loaded fries, subs, and more. It features halal meat. The truck can be found at 1200 W. Broad Street.

Passport Music Festival Concludes and Susan Derry Returns Shenandoah Run will close out the Passport Music Festival at Creative Cauldron on Sunday, September 13 at 2 p.m. Also, Creative Cauldron presents a special two-concert cabaret series with the return of Susan Derry. She will perform on Saturday, September 12, and Sunday, September 13 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at Creative Cauldron.  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.

Coming Soon!

50th Annual Falls Church Festival Saturday, September 19, 2026

SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2026 | PAGE 21

Our Man In Arlington Bill Fogarty

On the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, the weather was just about perfect — a crisp, blue-sky day.

Twenty-five years later, I would like to share some memories of 9/11, drawn mainly from interviews preserved through Arlington Public Library’s oral-history project. I offer these words as a small part of our communal act of remembering.

Ron Carlee, who was Arlington County Manager at the time, recalled the heroic work of Fire Chief Ed Plaugher and his team as firefighters battled the fires inside the Pentagon and on its roof.

Carlee also remembered a meeting among responding agencies on the morning of September 12. Major General James Jackson, the senior commander for the Military District of Washington, was in attendance. With Jackson’s rank and commanding presence, Carlee recalled, there was a natural tendency for those assembled to look toward him for leadership.

Jackson instead pointed to Fire Chief Plaugher and made clear that, as far as the Pentagon response was concerned, Plaugher was in charge. For Carlee, the moment was striking: one of the most powerful people in the room had immediately recognized who needed to lead the emergency response.

Carlee also remembered a less obvious problem that emerged amid the extraordinary public desire to help: food donations began arriving at the Pentagon, fire stations and other locations.

While the generosity was appreciated, officials had no way of knowing where much of the food had come from or whether it was safe. Workers were instructed to politely accept donations even when the food ultimately had to be discarded.

That overwhelming desire to help was also remembered by Kyra Pulliam, an Arlington County Police dispatcher.

People kept calling, she recalled, wanting to do something but not knowing what they could do. Her advice was simple: if donating blood was something tangible that could help, then do it.

Another account, preserved by the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, provides the perspective of someone who was inside the Pentagon when American Airlines Flight 77 struck.

Louise Rogers, a civilian accountant, was standing at a fax machine when the plane hit the building. Rogers recalled smelling jet fuel and immediately recognizing it from her decades around the Air Force. Everything went

dark. Surrounded by debris and the sounds of fire, she began trying to find a way out.

Rogers found herself partly buried in debris but was able to free her feet and make her way toward a window that had been blown out by the impact.

She climbed through it and escaped.

For many Arlington residents, however, that Tuesday morning had begun with nothing more remarkable than an ordinary routine.

Margaret Staeben remembered it as “an extraordinarily beautiful day.” She had taken her year-and-a-half-old son and her dog for an early morning walk near Glen Carlyn when she heard what sounded like a loud explosion.

She did not yet know that what she had heard was the impact at the Pentagon.

As Staeben headed home, a woman driving a station wagon stopped near an intersection and shouted a warning to her: “They’re bombing us. Get home fast!”

Staeben ran the remaining blocks home, turned on the television and began to cry.

County resident Elizabeth Davis remembered another haunting detail from that morning: simply looking at people on the street, it was possible to tell who knew what had happened and who did not.

Some people walked around appearing stunned and bereft, while others, still unaware of the attacks unfolding around them, continued smiling and walking their dogs.

Those ordinary details remain among the most powerful memories of September 11: a beautiful morning, a walk with a child, people arriving for work, a fax machine, strangers asking how they could help.

Within minutes, the ordinary had become unimaginable.

Twenty-five years later, the memories preserved by those who were there continue to remind us not only of the horror of that day, but of the people who responded — firefighters and police officers, public servants and military personnel, survivors and ordinary residents — and of a community trying, amid confusion and grief, simply to help one another.

Accounts from Ron Carlee, Kyra Pulliam, Margaret Staeben and Elizabeth Davis are drawn from oral histories preserved by the Center for Local History, Arlington Public Library.

Courtesy of the Center for Local History, Arlington Public Library. Louise Rogers’ account is drawn from an oral history in the collection of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, courtesy of StoryCorps.

PAGE 22 | SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2026

Following the Data Beyond the Camera

Continued from Page 19

question: are there some surveillance capabilities that go too far, even if they can be regulated?”

That is the question this series is going to pursue.

Virginia has drawn one line. Georgia is demonstrating why safeguards matter.

Researchers are showing that algorithms can influence the information reaching us.

Investigative journalists are uncovering increasingly sophisticated surveillance capabilities. Artificial intelligence is changing what can be extracted from all of that information.

None of those stories alone explains what is happening. Put them together, however, and something much larger begins to emerge.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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Over the next four parts, the News-Press is going to follow the information: who collects it, who buys it, who can access it, what we actually agreed to, what government can obtain, what algorithms decide we see, what AI can infer and what rights ordinary people have when the technology gets it wrong.

I don’t know where all of those answers will lead. That’s the point of reporting. What is already clear is that the camera along the road is only one visible piece of a much larger system, and understanding that system is going to require looking beyond the camera and following the information wherever it goes.

The question is no longer whether this technology is coming. It’s here. The question is how much power we’re willing to give it — and whether we can ever take that power back.

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SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2026 | PAGE 23

CALENDAR

This Week Around Falls Church

Thursday, September 10 Landscapes in Black & White

Falls Church Fiber Artists

10 a.m. – Noon This free meet-up is for knitters and crocheters 18 years+.

Mary Riley Styles Library, 210 N. Virginia Ave.

Book & Media Sale

10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Tysons Pimmit Regional Library hosts this book and media sale, Thursday through Sunday. 7584 Leesburg Pike, FC. Visit: tysonslibraryfriends.org.

Friday, September 11 Honor the Anniversary of 9/11

9:30 – 9:45 a.m.

Gather in front of City Hall for a brief remembrance ceremony followed by a moment of silence at 9:37 a.m., the time the plane struck the Pentagon. 300 Park Ave.

Stretching the Seasons in Your Vegetable Garden 10 – 11:30 a.m.

This online workshop is hosted by the Master Gardeners of Virginia. Register for link at: mgnv. org/events/

10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

This free exhibit explores the beauty and diversity of the natural world. Opening today and running through November 7. The Mansion at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda, Md. Visit: strathmore.org.

Lusmerlin & Kelvin He Hao Low

10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

This free exhibit is part of the Intersection Series that showcases two artists with contrasting points of view. Opening today and running through November 7. The Mansion at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda, Md. Visit: strathmore.org.

Book & Media Sale

10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Tysons Pimmit Regional Library hosts this book and media sale, Thursday through Sunday. 7584 Leesburg Pike, FC. Visit: tysonslibraryfriends.org.

Turtle Island in 1776

1 – 4 p.m.

Native and non-Native scholars discuss new research on the experiences of 18th century American Indian leaders and their tribal communities during the Revolutionary Era. Free.

The National Museum of the American Indian, Fourth St. & Independence Ave, SW, DC. Register at americanindian.si.edu.

Look, Learn, Create Book & Media Sale

10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Tysons Pimmit Regional Library hosts this book and media sale, Thursday through Sunday. 7584 Leesburg Pike, FC. Visit: tysonslibraryfriends.org.

Saturday, September 12 Falls Church Farmers Market

8 a.m. – noon This award-winning market is open yearround. City Hall Parking Lot, 300 Park Ave.

Citizens Advisory Committee on Transportation 8 a.m. - noon Committee members will host an information table at the Farmers market. Ask questions or share concerns. City Hall lot, 300 Park Ave.

1:15 – 2 p.m.

A museum educator leads this family-friendly interactive tour of the Water’s Edge: The Art of Truman Lowe exhibit. Free. Recommended for ages 4 – 10 a nd their families, but all ages welcome. The National Museum of the American Indian, Fourth St. & Independence Ave, SW, DC.

Printing Press Demonstrations

1:30 – 2:30 p.m. and 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Discover a printing press similar to the one used to print the first published collection of Shakespeare’s plays. Free; no tickets required.

Timed entry passes to the museum include a suggested $15 donation. Folger Shakespeare Library, Shakespeare Exhibition Hall, 201 East Capital St. SE

Americana Guitar Concert

2 – 3 p.m.

Guitarist Jacob DeForge will perform Americana, country, folk, and acoustic covers, along with original compositions. Free.

Registration required. Grades 9 – 12 and Adults 18+. Mary Riley Styles Library, 120 N. Virginia Ave. mrspl.org.

Sunday, September 13 Book & Media Sale

10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Tysons Pimmit Regional Library hosts this book and media sale, Thursday through Sunday. 7584 Leesburg Pike, FC. Visit: tysonslibraryfriends. org.

Shenandoah Run

2 p.m.

Creative Cauldron’s Passport Music Festival concludes with this final concert. Creative Cauldron, 127 E. Broad St.

Parenting in the Digital Age

2 – 3:30 p.m.

This free recorded webinar features psychologist Adam Pletter, Psy.D. Adults 18+. Registration required. Mary Riley Styles Library, 120 N. Virginia Ave. mrspl.org.

Oktoberfest Concert

4 p.m.

The Washington Metropolitan Accordion Society hosts this concert featuring five members of the Edelweiss Band. $10 donation requested for non-members. Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church, 3435 Sleepy Hollow Road, FC. Washingtonaccordions.org.

Monday, September 14 Fall Storytime

10:30 – 11 a.m.

For ages 18 months to 4 years with a caregiver (younger siblings are welcome). Space often fills before start time. Mary Riley Styles Library, 120 N. Virginia Ave. mrspl.org.

Peacebuilding Starts at Home

6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Author Charles Hauss discusses his new book.

Free. Grades 9-12 and Adults 18+. Registration required. Mary Riley Styles Library, 120 N. Virginia Ave. mrspl.org.

City Council Action Meeting

7:30 – 11 p.m.

The public is welcome to address the City Council during the comment period. Visit the fallschurchva.gov calendar section for info on how to sign up to speak and link for virtual meeting. City Hall, Council Chambers / Court Room, 300 Park Ave.

Tuesday, September 15 Italian Conversation Class

6 – 7:30 p.m.

Italian language discussion group for adults 18+ to practice language skills. Free. Registration is required. Mary Riley Styles Library, 102 N. Virginia Ave. mrspl.org

We the Readers

6:30 – 8 p.m.

Celebrate National Voter Registration Day with a discussion of the U.S. Constitution. Free.

Registration required. Mary Riley Styles Library, 120 N. Virginia Ave. mrspl.org.

Wednesday, September 16 Mindfulness Meditation

10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Take some time to slow down with this free meditation workshop for adults 18+. No prior meditation experience necessary. Mary Riley Styles Public Library, 120 N Virginia Ave.

calendar@fcnp.com

Urban Forestry Commission Meeting

7 – 9:30 p.m.

Meeting takes place in City Hall, Dogwood Room A and B, 300 Park Ave.

Planning Commission Meeting

7:30 – 10:30 p.m.

Meeting takes place in Council Chambers/Court Room, 300 Park Ave.

Have events?

Send an email to calendar@fcnp.com Free Events to the public post free or $20 for paid events.

PAGE 24 | SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2026

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