11-20-2025

F.C. Mayor Appointed to Spanberger Transition

KNOCKS OFF SOCKS

City of Falls Church Mayor Letty Hardi has been appointed to the transition team of Virginia’s just-elected new governor, Abigail Spanberger. She has already begun serving on a housing policy committee under Chris Lloyd, appointed her new commerce and trade secretary.

With the appointment, Hardi becomes the first mayor of Falls Church ever to serve on a statewide political body.

She told the News-Press in an interview Tuesday that she has already begun a series of video and Richmond in-person meetings which have been added to her always busy schedule of events in the Little City.

She said the involvement is shortterm, defining key issues on housing for the incoming Spanberger administration up to the point of her swearing in in early January.

Her contributions on the housing front will reflect her work and that of the Falls Church City Council on affordable housing, which was a

A Groundbreaking for New West Falls Metro Development

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), known endearingly simply as Metro, along with development partners Rushmark Properties and EYA, LLC, and Virginia elected officials, broke ground yesterday on a dense mixed-use community development adjacent the West Falls Metro station where residents will soon be able to live, work, and play steps from the City of Falls Church.

The Falls Church Gateway

Partners will transform 24 acres of Metro-owned parking lots into a vibrant neighborhood that enhances transit accessibility and supports affordable housing, participants in yesterday’s groundbreaking event were told.

The project will be developed in three phases and include up to 1 million square feet of new residential, office and retail space. The residential portion will include up to 810 apartments and 82 townhomes with affordable housing components.

The project also includes a new street grid with improved pedestrian, bike, and bus access.

New public spaces like civic plazas, pocket parks, and a dog play area will also be created. The first phase is expected to open with townhomes starting in 2027 and apartments in 2028.

The project is the third component of the wider West Falls development that includes the 10 acres of new construction in the City of Falls Church, and a Virginia Tech/HITT construction component adjacent it currently under construction. The broad West Falls Station Boulevard will be extended from Route 7 all the way to the Metro station to provide a seamless link

through all three components that, combined, will be 42 acres.

“This project will bring so many benefits to the local neighborhood, and I am thrilled to see WMATA break ground on it,” said U.S. Rep. Don Beyer at the morning event yesterday. “Enhancing accessibility and making use of underutilized spaces at the station will be a great boost for the local neighborhood and Metro riders. I look forward to realizing the promise of these and other transit infrastructure improvements.”

Falls Church Business News & Notes

Repositioning for Federal Government Contracting Success

The Virginia SBDC has a 2-hour on-demand webinar available until December 15 for government contractors. In the current B2G environment government contractors are facing greater challenges in protecting their existing contracts and winning bids for new ones. With a smaller pool of Federal contracts and a highly competitive market, small businesses require a strategic approach to leverage GovCon Resources. This 2-hour on-demand webinar focuses on new GovCon resources, strengthening your competitive positioning, aligning BD, capture, and proposal strategies, and leveraging resources and partnerships to expand your pipeline. Secure access with this link: https://clients.virginiasbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=110450051.

Homestretch Lights the World

Homestretch is partnering with the Light the World Giving Machines this Saturday, November 22, 11:00 a.m. at the Tyson Corner Center AMC Theatre. They work like vending machines with a twist – where instead of taking a treat for yourself, each swipe donates products and services to charities locally and globally. Homestretch is thankful to be among those selected as beneficiaries.

Kensington Stuffs the Truck for Culmore Clinic

The Kensington is hosting Stuff the Truck this month collecting donations to support the Culmore Clinic, a local organization close to their hearts. This nonprofit healthcare clinic offers free, compassionate, respectful and inclusive medical care, counseling, and specialty referrals to uninsured adults in the Falls Church, VA area. On Tuesday, November 25th, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., they will stuff the truck with all the donations and deliver them to the Culmore Clinic. As a special thank you, those who come to donate will receive a pumpkin cheesecake to-go on November 25th. Suggested items are gloves: S, M, Large, tissue boxes, Band-Aids diabetes testing strips, hygiene products, coffee pods, coffee cups, and paper towels. Culmore Clinic also needs office supplies: Post-It Pads, small & large note pads, black pens, and permanent markers. Bring your donations to Kensington before Tuesday.

Falls Church City Ecumenical Community Thanksgiving Service

This Sunday, November 23, 5:00 – 6:00 p.m., The Falls Church will join local homes of worship from across Falls Church City for a Community Thanksgiving Service featuring hymns, scripture, and prayer. All are invited to The Falls Church Episcopal to give thanks for the many blessings shared across our community. This will be in the Historic Church.

Local Restaurant Thanksgiving Menus

Washingtonian Magazine ran an article on local restaurant offerings for Thanksgiving which included two popular sites in Falls Church. Ellie bird will offer a take-home “Gather Box”. This includes a miso macaroni and cheese; rice vinegar slaw; and Filipino-style bibingka cornbread, alongside fried chicken or turkey breast with gravy. Thompson Italian offers an a la carte take-home menus for alternative Thanksgiving fare. There are a selection of spicy pork meatballs (lamb meatballs in Alexandria), vegetarian or classic bolognese lasagna; salads; and roasted garlic bread, among others.

Lions Fruit Sale

The Falls Church-Annandale Lions Club will have fruit for sale at the Annandale Swim and Tennis Club on Saturday, November 22, 8:15 a.m. until they sell out. The address is 7530 Little River Turnpike between Wendy’s and McDonald’s in the Craig Moving Van. All proceeds benefit charitable work in both communities. They are also accepting cans of food for the ACCA Food Bank.

Virginia Dream FC, VA Super Soccer Tournament Champions

Virginia Dream FC are VSSL Post-Season Tournament Champions. The Dream defeated Los Toros 2-1 to bring the Cup back to “The Little City.” The title had belonged to Virginia Dream every season since its inauguration until last season when Los Toros took home the honors. This Saturday, November 22 at 7:30 p.m. Virginia Dream plays in the 4th and final round of US Open Qualifying matches. They play MSU (a Maryland team) at Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreational Park on Field 4, in Silver Spring, Maryland. The address is 1120 Jackson Road. As long as they win, the Dream will continue to advance.

Local Gaming Stores and Locations to Play

In honor of National Game and Puzzle Week, Northern Virginia Magazine highlighted a number of locations in offering gaming activity and events. The recognition runs November 20-26 and there are a number of open gaming spaces and board game events in stores and restaurants. Mary Riley Styles Public Library was included for hosting first Sunday monthly games for adults, and an inventory of games to check out and play. Note that it will host an event on November 29 with board games, card games, puzzles and more.

Parents’ Night Out

Friday, November 21, 5:15 – 8:30 p.m. – Parents are invited to take a few hours off while the kids enjoy a night in KiPS Family Gymnastics. Their activities include gymnastics, games, crafts, and adventures straight from the Wild West this month. While you take a break, the kids will get pizza and movie too. KiPS is located in The Shops at West Falls Church on Lee Highway. Contact them to make your reservations.

Hardi Named to Spanberger Team as F.C. Faces Housing Issues

major topic of discussion at the City Council work session at City Hall this Monday. At that meeting, members of the City’s Economic Development Authority (EDA) and Housing Commission were also present. Newly-elected Council member Arthur Agin (who will be sworn in in early January) also sat in.

As the housing shortage and affordability issue is paramount nationwide, and in Virginia, the local Falls Church effort could become a model, especially when carried into the corridors of statewide policy making by its mayor.

But Hardi told the News-Press that she also hopes to learn from her involvement on the transition group things that could be applied here.

Right now, in an update report presented to the Council by housing specialist Kayleen Mark and housing development specialist Brenden Woodley this Monday, the City has a total of 189 units under its affordable dwelling units policy, which means that reduced rates are offered to persons or families that qualify by virtue of incomes that fall below the “area median income” (AMI) level.

Of the 189 total, 99 units have been added in just the past year, for which anyone at 40 percent of the AMI are eligible. So far, 17 percent of the total available units have become occupied by City employees.

This includes the recent addition of three quadplex units in the 4.2 acre Virginia Village, a community of a total of 20 quadplexes, of which the City, including its Economic Development Authority, now owns nine (or 36 apartments). Three were added this fall through the effort of the City’s Acquisition Strike Fund which was set up to enable swift responses to newly available housing.

Now, the City faces a tight schedule to set processes in motion for the redevelopment of the entire site, optimally through construction of a large building of affordable units there that will offer significantly greater numbers of units than are currently on the site.

The Council, with members of the EDA present Monday, was told that in order to move in a timely fashion to get something to happen there by the Fall of 2027, the City needs to meet a near-term deadline to

set out requests for proposals (RFPs).

EDA member and former Falls Church Mayor Alan Brangman expressed concern that putting out an RFP will immediately drive up the asking price for units in Virginia Village not currently owned by the City or EDA.

However, Mayor Hardi pointed out that it has long been publicly known what the City hopes to do on that site, such that putting out an RFP should not come as a sudden surprise to anyone.

Council member David Snyder expressed concern that building a new affordable housing building there should offer significantly more housing than is already on the Virginia Village site.

After a decade hiatus, the site is back under serious consideration for a new, large scale affordable housing structure since an earlier proposal late in the first decade of this century was killed in a 4-3 vote by the Council then.

But the Council is also tasked with maintaining existing affordable housing apartments elsewhere in the City that are due to expire in the next three years, including 99 units at The Fields, currently mostly occupied by

non-English-speaking tenants, and at Pearson Square apartments on S. Maple.

In the last year, the 99 new units, all part and parcel of new large-scale mixed use projects, have come with no expiration dates, a major improvement in the City’s negotiated policy.

Dana Jones, director of the City’s Housing and Human Services department, and Leslyn Barrow, noted that new affordable units that are currently available include 4 at the Modera, the new project just opening up in Founders Row 2, and 14 at Broad and Washington, which are mostly studio units, since seekers of affordable housing tend to be families needing more space.

Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields, in comments made to the annual meeting of the Village Preservation and Improvement Society (VPIS) held last Sunday, noted Falls Church’s relative advantage in the “economic turbulence” he said faces the wider region.

“So far we’ve been weathering it well,” he said, “But it is the trajectory over the horizon that I am worried about.”

Regionwide, he said, “we need to reposition our economy” away from

the stability it has enjoyed since the 1970s of 300,000 federal jobs and growing numbers of contractors.

He said the City of Falls Church has benefited in particular from low interest rates that were in effect when it had to do most of its borrowing for the new high school and other major infrastructure improvements.

“Our timing was right,” he said. “The rates for the West Falls project and the Whole Foods came in just before interest rates started going up. Already for the last two years, budgets for our neighbors, Arlington and Fairfax counties, have been far more difficult for them than for here.”

But with the changing overall economic climate, for the first time in over two decades, there are now no major developments in the City in the pipeline.

Finally, Hardi told the NewsPress this week that a discussion of a possible tax overlay on City businesses that came up at the Council financial subcommittee last week was merely to update two relatively new Council members on discussions the Council has had intermittently for over a half dozen years, but that nothing is about to happen on that front.

Metro’s End of 42-Acre West Falls Project Kicks Off With Ceremony

“Groundbreakings are about new beginnings, and West Falls Church is set for an exciting new chapter,” said Metro General Manager Randy Clarke yesterday. “With the Silver Line’s arrival, these lots became underused, creating an opportunity to build a community steps from the station. When we build more housing near transit, the entire region benefits – from growing ridership to reducing traffic congestion to creating better quality of life opportunities and more access to jobs and entertainment.”

“Today is not just about breaking ground, it’s about laying the foundation for the next generation,” said Neal Kumar, Vice President of Rushmark Properties. “We are proud to improve this land and build homes and offices where families will grow, businesses will thrive, and communities will connect for decades to come.”

“This moment has been more than a decade in the making, beginning with an Urban Land

Institute’s Technical Assistance Panel that reimagined how this area could grow,” said Evan Goldman, Executive Vice President at EYA. “With the redevelopment of the Metro parcel now underway, we’re completing a walkable, mixed-use neighborhood that reflects true publicprivate partnership — delivering housing, infrastructure, and public spaces that strengthen our region for generations to come.”

Among those present at the groundbreaking was Falls Church Mayor Letty Hardi. She told the News-Press it is her hope that this predominantly residental component of the three-part 42 acre plan will bring a lot more business to the Little City.

“This groundbreaking marks an exciting step forward for Fairfax County, reinforcing our commitment to vibrant, connected communities,” said Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Jeffrey McKay.” Projects like this help build a more inclusive and accessible Fairfax County, providing spaces where neighbors can thrive and our local economy can grow.”

“By transforming 24 acres of Metro-owned land into a vibrant, walkable, mixed-use neighborhood, this community will have a new place where people can live, work, and connect—without needing a car for every trip,” said Metro Board Member and Fairfax County Supervisor Walter Alcorn. “This redevelopment - with new homes, offices, retail, and public spaces - shows what’s possible when Metro, Fairfax County, and our partners

unite around a shared vision for smart, transit-oriented growth that benefits our residents, our economy, and our region.”

“Congratulations to Metro and Falls Church Gateway Partners on kicking off their redevelopment project in the West Falls Church transit station area,” said Fairfax County Board Supervisor James Bierman Jr. “This transformative project will deliver a dynamic new neighborhood that takes advantage of the

access to the one of the busiest rail systems in the country and will provide enhanced pedestrian and bicycle connectivity for the broader community to access the station area and new amenities and open spaces.”

This development will replace 600 extra parking spaces. More than 1,400 parking spaces will remain. Metro will also reconfigure the bus bays and Kiss and Ride spaces as part of the project’s new street grid.

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Hail the New West Falls

Project

We are excited about this week’s announcement that work on the Metro end of the three-part, 40 acre West Falls development megalopolis is getting underway, as reported on Page 1 of this edition. This constitutes the final portion of what will be a seamless development sewn together by the West Falls Station Boulevard running from Route 7 to the West Falls Church Metro station.

The first part is the 10-acre West Falls development moving toward final completion now as more and more retailers are moving in that’s inside the City limits. The second part is the Virginia Tech/HITT portion whose main building is now under construction with the cranes currently above it. The third portion is what was announced as getting underway this week.

Once all three are fully up and running, the economic and social benefit for Falls Church will be huge, as it already is proving to be for the first portion. It will completely revive the West Falls Metro station, as the predominantly residential development at the Metro site will add a major new rider component using that station.

That new residential component will need to be steered to retailers in Falls Church for the range of their living needs, discretionary and non-discretionary alike. In Falls Church, the range of excellent restaurants, medical professionals, and entertainment options now exist, making life considerably more interesting for its current residents, and any others who come to reside nearby will also be attracted.

So, even though all the experts are predicting a serious downturn in the local economy for the coming period, all that has been done to build up new mixed use and other developments in Falls Church are already proving to insulate local residents in terms of maintaining the quality of life and the schools here while actually substantially lowering the real estate tax rate.

While addressing the issues of affordability remain a major challenge, one that wider trends are primarily responsible for, the local Falls Church government continues to face up to needs of its citizenry, which was why in the recent election, a veritable “vote of confidence” was handed in by voters here.

We will see when the economic crunch deepens in the region how better equipped the City of Falls Church will prove to be, although it apparently will not be pretty for anyone, according to the forecasters.

So this makes us particularly heartened by this week’s announcement about the Metro component of the three-part West Falls project. The solid participants in the project are also cause for hope, and the effort for all of us around it will be to hang in there until it, and still more needed housing developments get done, bringing essential more business to our doorsteps.

So, buckle up, it will be a bumpy ride for the regional economy for a while, but for those in the City of Falls Church, it will be less so.

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Who Is ‘Bubba?’ New Thoughts on Roy Cohn

Nicholas F. Benton

Who is Bubba? The content of an email involving Jeffrey Epstein that was released last week asks whether Russia’s Putin had the contents in his possession of a video where Trump is shown “blowing Bubba.”

Social media has gone crazy over this and it was no less than Saturday Night Live last weekend that directly referenced it in hilarious skits more than once. The sense left by that episode of SNL was, in reference to Trump, that the “gloves had come off.”

Some on social media suggested sarcastically that the Bubba reference has meant that Trump is now revealed as “our first LGBTQ president.” Others focused on the Bubba reference, with most, but not all suggesting it referred to Former Presi dent Clinton, who has also been named in the famous Epstein Files.

There are other allegations that have been posted which note that Bubba was the name of a very un derage teenage boy from West Tex as.

President Trump’s claim that the Epstein Files reveal the involve ment with the deceased convicted pedophile on his “Lolita Express” airplane and elsewhere were mostly Democrats or other of his erstwhile political enemies is laughable.

While it’s true that Clinton and other Democrats were among the many names involved, including that of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman who met with Trump at the White House just this week, they are mentioned nowhere near as of ten as Trump, who could credibly be called Epstein’s Number One best buddy for well over a decade.

A video of Trump with Epstein played frequently on the national news shows the president looking like the proverbial kid in a candy store. His excitement is uncontained.

But the notion that Trump’s hyper-hedonistic impulses were not limited to young girls is one of the important new aspects of the Ep stein Files that were released this week ahead of the massive volume of similar documents that the Congress has finally just voted overwhelmingly to release.

children that the files expose that Epstein and Trump engaged in, as many of the courageous surviving women have been confirming publicly, saying that they are among a thousand or more of total victims of this cruel and criminal international enterprise, have been accompanied by details from those eyewitness accounts of the victims of violent and cruel behavior.

When Trump has been provoked by journalists, especially young women, just this week to snap and insult them, one can imagine how that same behavior accompanied the rape that he’s been accused of by the many victims who’ve come forward.

But the files’ reference for the first time this week to circumstances involving Trump not limited to girls underscores the almost totally overlooked fact of, as Trump has asserted in his own words, the enormous impact on Trump and his political m.o. in his earlier years of the infamous New York lawyer and fixer Roy Cohn.

Now, Cohn, who died from AIDS in 1986. was known to be a

A Penny for Your Thoughts

By Penny Gross Former Fairfax County Supervisor

Penny candy, penny whistles, good luck pennies, in for a penny in for a pound, pennywise and pound foolish – the lowly penny has been one of those items that’s been a fixture in everyday life for more than two centuries. Children learn to count using pennies. The Bass Shoe Company created the penny loafer, a casual men’s shoe with a divided leather strap that could hold an inserted penny. Finding a headsup penny on the ground brings good luck; a tails-up penny means bad luck, at least for the day it was found. The penny is so ubiquitous that it’s hard to think of a world without the copper-colored coins. Last week, the final penny was struck by the U.S. Mint following a decision by the Trump Administration to cease production, ironically, to save money. It costs more than three cents to manufacture one penny but, although pennies will not be pro-

car seats or sofa cushions, tossed into wishing wells and public fountains or pressed into long oval shapes in carnival souvenir booths.

The history of the penny dates to the founding of the nation, when the penny was a larger-sized coin, with the imprint of a woman with flowing hair. Designs varied across the years, with the Indian Head penny produced from 1859 to 1909. The first Lincoln penny was created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. The obverse (front) side had the familiar Lincoln head silhouette, with curved wheat stalks on the reverse (back) side. That design continued until 1959 when the reverse design was changed to depict the Lincoln Memorial on the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth. Fifty years later, in 2009, the coin was altered again, to honor Lincoln’s birth bicentennial. In 2010, the reverse became the

the only year that pennies were made of zinc-plated steel. Copper was needed for the war effort, so the switch to a different metal made cents (sic) but, according to local lore, a few copper pennies were accidentally struck at the beginning of 1943, and the errors were given to Members of Congress. Whether true or not, 1943 steel pennies rarely are found today. At a coin collectors’ shop a few years ago, the asking price was $42. A copper 1943 penny, if one exists, would be worth $100,000 or more, according to some expert numismatists (coin collectors).

Ceasing production of the familiar one-cent coin will have little effect on the full faith and credit of the United States which, increasingly, seems at risk on international markets, and it won’t lower the cost of living or grocery prices, promised by Donald Trump during last year’s presidential campaign. Pennies still will be legal tender in the United States but will become scarcer over time, as the use of coins and federal reserve notes continues to transition to a predominately cashless society. Some stores have posted signs asking for exact change “due to a shortage of pennies” or have dispensed with cash transactions altogether. One thing won’t change -- the title of

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- 26, 2025

‘Adventures in Wonderland’ Wows at Marshall High School

by Mark Dreisonstok

For its autumn student production, George C. Marshall’s Statesmen Theatre presented “Adventures in Wonderland,” adapted from the timeless Lewis Carroll works “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass.” On its surface, Alice’s story is of a girl, distanced from her own family, who falls down a hole into a world all her own and not hers at all, all at once. Yet more deeply, the “Adventures” serve as an opportunity to reflect on themes such as escapism, self-esteem, growing up, and the magic as well as logic of this world. As Alice travels through the world below the world above, she transforms both physically and in maturity and selfconfidence, both through potions and trying circumstances. Led by the White Rabbit, she traverses larger-than-life perils in a way that ever builds her character. The story is wrought with complex symbols to which each reader or viewer can find personal real-world parallels. The Marshall production faithfully fulfilled all of these expectations of the tale.

In the adaptation by Marshall’s theatre director, Ahmad Maaty, we meet Alice while still in the “real world,” where she is accused of having a wild imagination. She is told to stay innocent as long as she can. However, Addi Reeves as Alice exclaims, “I’d like to do wild things, like climb trees!” Once she has entered a fantasy wonderland, however, she is less comfortable about being in a world with no rules. A creature says to Alice: “Your rules don’t apply here.” “If the rules don’t hold, everything falls apart!” retorts Alice. Here it should be remembered that “Alice” author Lewis Carroll was a logician and mathematician and that the notion of logic is an important aspect of the story.

Mr. Maaty explains what he wished to convey in his choice and production of “Adventures in Wonderland:” “I wanted to create a playground for imagination, storytelling, and adventure. I think in this era and at the high school stage of life there is this absence of play and a complete rejection of your child self. There is a great desire or even push to grow up faster than we are ready, and while the world

and its happenings make a lot of this inevitable, I wanted to send a message that it’s okay to be present with your child self even through adulthood, to make sure you are experiencing life at its fullest and also giving yourself a softer landing when transitioning to adulthood.”

Joining Miss Reeves in the production were Caroline Shelton as the White Rabbit (ubiquitous throughout the performance), Fiona Regal as the Queen of Hearts, and Alexander Beam as the famous Cheshire Cat. Ava Krasner took on no fewer than three parts: Elizabeth, Gryphon, and Jabberwocky Flame. Ashley Thompson served as flautist, but she was also the composer of several of the musical pieces used in the production.

Multi-colored lighting and props of a very large heart as well as stage designs of hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades from a deck of cards lent a special atmosphere to the performance. Costumes were not only very good but also referenced different approaches to “Alice in Wonderland” over the years: there was the “Alice blue gown” approach of the classic Disney animated feature of having

Alice dressed in long blue dress and white apron, while black and dark purple costumes and umbrellas at another moment suggested the Tim Burton-Johnny Depp 2010 live action cinematic interpretation. “Adventures in Wonderland” has now closed, but theatre performance plans at George C. Marshall High School are set for spring: Mr. Maaty likes to alternate between types of shows, so the spring student production will be the musical “Footloose,” which will be held at the Statesmen Theatre from April 23 — May 5.

Happenings

‘The Running Man’ Movie Review

by Lisa Sinrod

This action thriller released on November 14 and rated R is an adaptation of a 1982 novel by Stephen King, written under his pen name of Richard Bachman. It takes place in the near future and feels moody and dystopian. I didn’t expect to enjoy the film as much as I did. The combination of a talented cast, reasonable script and tight action sequencing is entertaining and provides for a good diversion. Glen Powell’s performance in the lead role employs a strong sense of physicality and commitment, which is spot on for his character. He did many of his own stunts in the role of Ben Richards, an unemployed blue-collar man with a wife and young daughter. They live in Co-Op City, a run-down part of town which is sharply separated from where the affluent reside.

signed to manipulate the contestants. Richards begins the “run” with a 12-hour head start, along with two other final contestants. The twists and turns of surviving, while the public watches and participates in the media spectacle, are the central plot of the film. The theme of class division continues throughout as the elite entertain themselves while watching citizens become hunters and the hunted.

A prior movie adaptation from King’s novel starred Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1987. An interesting fact is that in the 1982 novel, the near future was set in 2025 with the backdrop of poverty, over-population, environmental decline and a totalitarian landscape. Since we’ve already arrived at 2025, the new film takes place at an unnamed future time from where we are now.

The two-tiered system of the haves and have-nots appears to be in a police state controlled by media networks in this modern rendering. Richards and his wife try to make ends meet while she works and he searches for a job. They become increasingly desperate when they can’t afford medication needed by their daughter due to illness.

The movie centers around a brutal and very popular television show (called “Running Man”), produced by one of the controlling media networks.

The contestants try to survive for 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins aided by the public. Not surviving literally means death. Against the wishes of his wife, Richards competes against many and makes the final cut to be a contestant in this high-stakes venture. Josh Brolin gives a fine performance as the television show’s ruthless producer, with a velvet smooth presentation de -

Glen Powell, age 37 and known for his roles in “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Hit Man” and “Twisters,” was a good choice to play Ben Richards. Colman Domingo is excellent as the deadly game show’s host. Director Edgar Wright (“Baby Driver”) infuses the movie with high energy action and a somewhat interesting story, all of which harkens back to the action films of the 1980s. The action scenes include ingenious escapes made by Richards, as the television contestant. Weaknesses in the film include the premise of network television executives controlling society at a future time as compared to the more likely relevance of the modern internet and artificial intelligence in facilitating power brokers. After all the excitement, the finale can seem somewhat anticlimactic. If you’d like fastpaced action with an edge of social commentary, and are willing to put up with some graphic violence along the way, this movie could fit the bill.

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NextStop’s ‘Last Five Years’ Charms Some, Cuts Deep for Others

by Patricia Leslie

NextStop Theatre does a good job with the script for “The Last Five Years” which the happily married may enjoy; the unhappily married won’t.

Who wants to relive negative experiences?

Not me.

It’s a musical by two partners about their marriage going, going, gone bad. I had hopes for a happy ending.

With strong and capable voices, Caelyn Williams and Ben Clark exchange the stage and sing solo to each other and to themselves, while their partner is off stage, appearing together for the first time about a third of the way through the play and that’s to recall their alliance.

This would not be bad as a marriage primer.

The couple’s perspectives on their relationship begin and end at different times when “Cathy” starts singing about the end of their love affair, and “Jamie” starts at the beginning, a confusing order even with some knowledge that this is not going to be a night at Disneyland.

Cathy laments her husband’s wandering ways which took me a while to wade through her meanderings and then, try to determine when Jamie croons, whether he is singing about Cathy or another woman?

Turns out it’s the other woman.

At one point Jamie sings to a small Christmas tree he lights up, to signal ...what? I was unsure.

He’s a writer whose career takes off; Cathy is an actress whose career doesn’t.

He’s happy; she’s sad.

The highlight of the night has to be the sounds by the seven visible musicians seated in the shadows on an elevated balcony. The conductor is Lucia LaNave

who plays keyboards, assisted by six on strings.

The playwright, Jason Robert Brown, composed the music.

The balcony comes in handy for the actors to use and crisscross the stage and each other.

The many costumes (by Imari Pyles) and the mere seconds the actors have to change between scenes are marvels, and yet, Williams and Clark arrive unhurried at the next scene, masking any signs of breathlessness.

It will come as no surprise that this New York down-and-outer stems from Brown’s failed first marriage whose exwife sued him on the basis of breaking confidentiality agreement from their divorce proceeding and he in turn sued her for interfering with his creativity.

Wikipedia says the lawsuits were settled with changes to the play.

In the program notes, Ellen Powers, the dramaturg, recounts “joyful moments” but I had to ask myself, where was “joyful” in this play?

Oh, that’s right. They got married.

Other key production team members are Aria Vetz, director; Megan Holden, scenics; Hailey LaRoe, lighting; Lex Allenbaugh, sound; Sean Gotkin, sound engineer; Marty Bernier, props; Sophia Menconi, stage manager; Heather Lanza, producing artistic director; John “Jack” Wilson, technical director; and Sarah Marie Wilson, assistant stage manager.

NextStop has plenty of free, lighted parking within steps of the theatre at 269 Sunset Park Dr., Herndon, VA 20170. It offers discounts for groups and those under age 40. All seats, $53, with discounts of $3 at the box office. boxoffice@nextstoptheatre.org 703-481-5930.

Through Nov. 23. About 90 minutes, no intermission.

20 - 26, 2025

Signature Theatre’s ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ Delivers a Universal Hit

by Patricia Leslie

You don’t have to be Jewish to love Signature Theatre’s “Fiddler on the Roof.”

It’s a hit! A big one!

The story revolves around the dear papa, the strong and virulent Tevye (Douglas Sills) who’s got five daughters to wed and oh! my! “Tradition”!

If he only were a rich man.

The big, bad and old butcher, Lazar Wolf (Jeremy Radin) with money to spare and powerful in his performance, has a wandering eye to land on Tevye’s oldest, Tzeitel (Beatrice Owens) and wants her for his wife.

It’s tradition that the papa okays the nuptials with the approval, of course, from his dear wife, Golde (Amie Bermowitz who may receive second billing but her performance is dynamite).

The couple is thrilled and celebrates with matchmaker Yente (Susan Roman) who has put this all together.

Alas, Tzeitel has her sights on someone else, closer to her age, the tailor, Motel (Jake Loewenthal).

Meanwhile, amidst family turmoil and disagreements is the unease

and anxiety caused by the discrimination against Jews in Czarist Russia, the home of these Jews at the turn of the 20th century.

A university student, Perchik (Ariel Neydavoud), arrives and agrees to tutor Tevye’s daughters in exchange for room and board and wouldn’t you know it but Perchik falls for the second daughter, Hodel (Lily Burka)?

And then there’s Chava (Rosie Jo Neddy), their third daughter, about fifteen, a shy and bookish sort who falls in love with Fyedka (Alex Stone), God help us, a Gentile!

To break the bad news to Golde that their first daughter should not marry the rich butcher and ease their money worries, Tevye concocts a nightmare, one of the best scenes, and alone, worth the price of admission, which brings Golde’s grandmother Tzeitel (Rome in dual roles) back from the grave to bless the marriage, and also resurrects the ghost of the butcher’s dead wife (Sarah Corey) along with other ghouls (appropriately costumed by Ivania Stack) to warn against this grave injustice.

The parents reluctantly agree to the marriage of Tzeitel and Motel.

At the wedding, Perchik breaks Jewish traditions (read all about them

at the QR code) when he crosses the barrier between the men and women to dance with Hodel and they proceed to romance, asking Tevye’s blessing, not his permission.

After more soul searching, Tevye relents – the world is changing, and he must change with it (“Tevye’s Rebuttal”). He informs the young couple that he gives them his blessing and his permission.

And yet, still more! The gentile, Fredka, summons courage to ask Tevye to allow his marriage to Chava, the third daughter.

Another favorite scene and also worth the price of admission were the men folk dancers who performed prisiadki at the wedding, squatting with bended knees and kicking out their feet while four of them joined hands, turning, bent at the waist, and, simultaneously, balancing wine bottles atop their hats in the “bottle dance.” (You have to be there.)

This dance has roots in the mid14th century, an athletic feat supposedly a requirement of all Russian FSB agents. (Dance with me, Putin?)

This whole “Fiddler” story is centered around a large, movable wooden table crafted by scenic designer, Misha Kachman, whose parts

become a bed, a bar, and more, perfect for this theatre-in-the-round.

Tyler Micoleau’s lighting is effective, following the soliloquists when they command the stage while the other actors freeze onboard.

Under the direction of Jon Kalbfleisch, ten musicians sit high above, adding depth and wonderful sound to the singers, never overpowering them as often happens in musicals.

Joe Calarco directs; Sarah Parker, choreographed. Other actors are Christopher Bloch, Mia Goodman, Allison Mintz, Stephen Russell Mur-

ray, Joseph

After it opened on Broadway in 1964, “Fiddler” won nine Tony Awards and was the longest running Broadway musical for almost ten years (until “Grease” beat it.) The story and New York staging by Harold Prince and Jerome Robbins are based on Sholem Aleichem’s stories. Tickets start at $47. Now through Jan. 26, 2026. Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave, Arlington, VA 22206. (703) 820-9771. Plenty of free, lighted garage parking.

New Visions and Artists at the Studios at 307 Open House

by Mark Dreisonstok

Visitors to the Studios at 307 East Annandale Road this past weekend enjoyed an open house of art, music, and food. We began our visit with the surrealist paintings of Dave Curtis (including an unusual musical take on the Cyclops myth from Homer’s Odyssey) and the surreal abstract art of Dara Friel, who showed us her new paintings of a heart and an angel. Then we espied a more classical view that of Venice: View of the Campanile from Punto Della Dogano in oil on canvas by resident artist Linda Donaldson.

One of the pleasures of attending the event was speaking with the artists. We met, for example, Sam, who goes by the moniker The Strange Lens. She has multiple spaces at the studio where she works in the color pink in different media and on artworks from the traditional to the practical to the abstract. When I asked her about this monochrome color choice, she told me she was influenced greatly by the late David Lynch, creator-producer of the cult

television series Twin Peaks. Despite watching Twin Peaks on blackand-white television in her native Ukraine, she always had the image pink in mind. We asked Charles Edward Andrew Lincoln IV about this, for he is a writer publishing an essay about the esoteric philosophy behind the TV series. Mr. Lincoln had this to say: “The choice of one unique color becomes what Lynch would call a ‘world-within-a-world,’ a space where heightened emotion quietly leaks through everyday objects. An all-pink room or studio is almost a new world into which you escape. That’s exactly how Lynch uses color in Twin Peaks, not as decoration, but as a portal into a different emotional register.”

We also met Tyler Cruse, and we were intrigued by the red and black spirals of his artwork Une Inspiration Japnonaise. He explains to us why he was inspired by Japanese art: “This piece evolved from an exploration of forms in a book on Japanese motifs. While the piece itself is not explicitly ‘Japanese,’ it evolved from and—to

me at least—evokes a sense of some of these elements. This is often how I work; the subject or feeling of a piece emerges during the process of creating it. I rarely begin with a result in mind.”

We next met Meaghan DeCelle. Meaghan started renting a small studio at 307 quite recently so she can paint in tranquility; many artists we met at 307 rent a studio there for this reason. Interestingly, several of her family members have a local connection, for they attended Trinity Academy Meadow View in Falls Church, a classical-curriculum school with a focus on teaching visual art. Meaghan, too, has a classical bent, as witnessed in her oil painting Siren, also reminiscent of Homer’s Odyssey and specifically the beauties who would lure sailors to their deaths by their beautiful music. The gallery card beside the painting notes: “Siren calls from the deep, hypnotic and enticing. Bold strokes and restless waves of color come to stillness in her gaze, pulling you into uncharted waters. Cool hues resonate as sea foam crashing over the warm

burnt umber sands. The maid stands tall amidst the surf, unshakable and unafraid.”

Also new to the 307 coterie— and the last artist we visited at the holiday party—is Cheyenne Ellanah. Our attention was immediately drawn to Cheyenne’s mixed media work “Divine Offering” of a woman bathed in light from above. She told us: “This piece was inspired by my own life and what I had to overcome to make it to this point. The truth I

have come to believe is that, whatever I’m carrying, if I bring it to the light, there it can be mended, there it can be made pure … the light I seek out in the world is only the awakening of the light that has always lived within me from the beginning.”

Studio artists welcome visitors regularly, so one need not wait until the next holiday party in order to appreciate the art and the sincerity of the artists’ visions at the 307 studios.

20 - 26, 2025

2025 Holiday Arts & Entertainment Roundup

Arena Stage — Washington, DC

1101 6th St. SW, Washington, DC 20024

Website: arenastage.org

Fremont Ave. Run:

Now–December 7, 2025

Step Afrika!’s Magical Musical Holiday Step Show

Dates: December 5–21, 2025 A high-energy, familyfriendly holiday tradition blending stepping, music, rhythm, and seasonal storytelling.

Providence Players of Fairfax

James Lee Community Center Theater, 2855 Annandale Rd., Falls Church, VA 22042

Holiday Production: A Sherlock Carol — December 2025

Dates: December 12–20

Workhouse Arts Center — Lorton, VA Address: 9518 Workhouse Way, Lorton, VA 22079

December Events: - December 6 — Handmade for the Holidays, 2:00–4:30 p.m.

- December 13 — Glass & Ceramics Student Sale, 12:00–6:00 p.m. - December 20 — Into The Woods, 8:00–10:30 p.m. - December 21 — Into The Woods, 2:00–4:30 p.m. - December 26 — Into The Woods, 8:00–10:30 p.m. - December 27 — Into The Woods, 8:00–10:30 p.m. - December 28 — Into The Woods, 2:00–4:30 p.m. - December 31 — Into The Woods + New Year’s Eve Party, 8:00–11:59 p.m.

George Mason Center for the Arts — Fairfax, VA 4373 Mason Pond Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030

Holiday Concert: Chanticleer —

November 29, 2025 Holiday Pops: American Festival Pops Orchestra — December 13, 2025

Vienna Boys Choir — Christmas in Vienna

Date: Sunday, December 14 at 4 p.m.

Location: Center for the Arts, Fairfax (GMU)

Tickets: $71, $60, $45; half-price for youth through Grade 12 Info: cfa.gmu.edu

Falls Church Arts Gallery

700 W. Broad Street, Falls Church, VA 22046 On View: “Kinship” Exhibit through January 4, 2026

Website: FallsChurchArts.org

Little Theatre of Alexandria

600 Wolfe Street, Alexandria, VA 22314

Holiday Production: A Christmas Carol — December 6–20, 2025

American Painting — Small Treasures 2025 5125 MacArthur Blvd., NW, Suite 17, Washington, DC 20016

Phone: (202) 244-3244

Website: classicamericanpainting.com

Annual holiday exhibition featuring small-format fine art works from regional artists.

Northern Virginia Handcrafters Guild — McLean Holiday Art & Crafts Festival 1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean, VA 22101

Schedule: Early December (3-Day Indoor Event) December 5-7

2025 Holiday Arts & Entertainment

Shenandoah University — December Events

Armstrong Concert Hall: 702 University Drive, Winchester, VA 22601

Goodson Chapel–Recital Hall: 1400 L.P. Hill Drive, Winchester, VA 22601

- December 1 — Clarinet Choir, 7:30 p.m.

- December 2 — Honors Chamber Music Recital, 7:30 p.m.

- December 4 — CONTEMPO Ensembles, 7:30 p.m.

- December 5 — Chelsea Cushman & Maja Tremiszewska, 7:30 p.m.

- December 6 — Percussion Ensemble, 2:30 p.m.

- December 6 — Choral Ensembles, 7:30 p.m.

- December 7 — Symphonic Band, 2:30 p.m.

- December 13 — NW Works Chimers, 2:30 p.m.

- December 13 — Phil Kline’s Unsilent Night, 5:30 p.m.

Creative Cauldron — Falls Church, VA

127 East Broad Street, Falls Church, VA 22046 Website: creativecauldron.org

Madeline’s Christmas Dates: December 5–21, 2025

Showtimes:

- Fridays — 7:30 p.m.

- Saturdays — 2:00 & 7:30 p.m.

- Sundays — 2:00 & 4:00 p.m.

Live at the Cauldron! — 2025 Holiday Cabaret Series Dates: December 8–18, 2025 Showtime: 7:30 p.m.

Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC — The Holiday Show

Location: Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U Street NW, Washington, DC Showtimes:

- December 13 — 3 p.m. (ASL) & 8 p.m.

- December 14 — 5 p.m. (ASL)

- December 20 — 3 p.m. (ASL) & 8 p.m.

Tickets: GMCW.org ASL / Groups: (202) 293-1548

Falls Church City Holiday Events

- Moravian Stars WorkshopNovember 23

- A Very Victorian ChristmasNovember 29

- Winter Wonderland in The Little City - December 2

- Holiday Gift & Craft Show with Children’s ShoppeDecember 6

- Holiday Gift & Craft ShowDecember 7

- Toys for TotsEnds December 7

- Santa’s Ride Toy Drive - Ends December 9

- Santamobile - December 5–13

- Holiday TeasDecember 13 & 14

18 | NOVEMBER 20 - 26, 2025

Forgotten No More: Women of Dutch and Flemish Art World

by Patricia Leslie

The first show ever of its kind is a new exhibition by Belgium and Netherland women artists of the 17th and 18th centuries at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, a spectacular display of works loaned by 50 museums and private institutions from around the globe.

Many pieces in the survey, “Antwerp to Amsterdam, 16001750,” are presented in the U.S. for the first time.

Who knew there were so many female artists in those centuries? And there are many more, yet unaccounted for.

Their male counterparts of the era, Peter Paul Rubens, Johannes Vermeer and Rembrandt van Rijn are the ones we recognize, but these female names broaden our scope of artists who excelled at painting, printmaking, sculpture, paper cutting, calligraphy, a bit of lace and embroidery, and even some apparel, all on display.

Judith Leyster (1609-1660) is one name becoming more commonplace and she is here with

her self-portrait (c. 1630) borrowed again from the National Gallery of Art.

She is found in every major show of the period anywhere, her travels to museums perhaps matching those of Kash Patel on the private FBI plane he flies at taxpayers’ expense to visit his Nashville girlfriend.

Happily we learn from museum senior curator Virginia Treanor that these artists won praise and recognition during their lifetimes.

Portraits depict Leyster, Maria Schalcken (1645-1690) and Maria van Oosterwijck (16301693) in fine clothing, not usually associated with the “messy work of painting,” but reflecting the upper classes to which they wished to belong and many did, for who had time to follow passions when they were working and taking care of families?

It’s a huge exhibition with 150 works by 40 artists, filling an entire floor at the museum, arranged thematically, one gallery titled “Choices” about matters facing women then and now: To paint or not to paint?

Focus on the family? Do both?

Rachel Ruysch (1664-1750) had “at least” 10 children, Treanor writes, but still painted for more than 60 years! When she died, she was honored by no fewer than 11 poets who wrote poems about her. Three of her works are in the show.

Lower-class female artists are not ignored here and are seen in the large oil (100 x 90 in.) Johannes de Mare painted in 1676, “Maiden’s House,” of about 100 and more female orphans hard at work, embroidering. It greets visitors upon entering the galleries.

Examples of lace of the period are included although names of lower-class artists are not known.

Textiles were another medium in which women excelled, obtaining higher prices for them

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Forgotten No More: Women of Dutch and Flemish Art World

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than those paid for paintings, a difference from today.

Treanor says Joanna Koerten (1650-1715) was paid more than 4,000 guilders for a woven silk she made for the Holy Roman Empress or double what Rembrandt likely received (1,600 guilders) for his “The Night Watch” (1642).

All girls then were expected to learn sewing like I was way back in the eighth grade in North Carolina, a class I abhorred, stitching in a sleeve backwards to “show ‘em!” and earning a “D” in the class. Tsk, tsk. (Surely, NC has lifted that dark age requirement by now!)

This period was formerly known as the “Dutch Golden Age” which the museum says is “an outdated term” (politically incorrect?) because it “obscures” circumstances giving rise to a “luxury economy,” colonialism and social hierarchies, like gender discrimination.

As to be expected, the women’s works were sometimes attributed to males, like Leyster’s, often credited to Frans Hals or her hus-

band, Jan Miense Molenaer.

And it wasn’t until 2006 (!) that Maria Schalcken received acknowledgement for her “SelfPortrait in Her Studio” (c. 1680) which graces the cover of the catalogue (304 pages, $60 in the shop).

“Women Artists” closes Jan. 11 for its opening next spring at the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent, Belgium, the exhibition’s co-organizer.

While visiting the NMWA, don’t miss photography art by Tawny Chatmom of Baltimore on the fourth floor.

Admission is free on the first Sunday and second Wednesday of every month at NMWA where admission costs for non-members are: $16, general; $13, seniors, D.C. residents, military, students, educators and more. Free for those under 21, the handicapped, and SNAP recipients. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Tuesday – Sunday. Closed on major holidays. 1250 New York Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20005. nmwa.org. 202-7835000. The closest Metro stations are McPherson Square and Metro Center.

A Century of American Art At The Phillips Collection

by Patricia Leslie

Coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the United States, the “first museum of modern art in the U.S.,” the Phillips Collection, has opened a show highlighting its holdings and spanning 100 years from 1918, when the museum was founded by Duncan Phillips and his mother Eliza Laughlin Phillips.

The exhibition is intended to honor “the country’s evolving cultural and artistic identity,” according to a statement.

The museum’s Vradenburg Director Jonathan P. Binstock writes that “Out of Many” seeks to broaden “our understanding of what American art has been and what it can be.”

There’s something for everyone here, sure to intrigue youngsters, too, and perhaps introduce them to modern and contemporary art with paintings, photographs, sculpture, print, mixed media and more.

More than 50 artists and 75 works are represented, some pieces loaned, several from the Phillips’s biggest partners in the venture, Howard University’s Gallery of Art and the David C. Driskell Center at the University of Maryland.

The title of the exhibition, “Out of Many: Reframing an American Art Collection” comes from the nation’s motto: E pluribus unum (out of many, one).

One of the events the Phillips will host is a session tonight on the political influence upon the arts and vice-versa with Pulitzer Prize winners Robin Givan and Jonathan Capehart and museum curators Adrienne L. Childs and Camille Brown.

Recognizable names on the walls are Grandma Moses (1860 – 1961), Georgia O’Keeffe (1887 – 1986), Romare Bearden (1911 – 1988), Esther Bubley (1921 – 1998) and William Christenberry (1936 – 2016), among many.

The handiwork by one of the nation’s notable quilters, Mary Lee Bendolph, hangs prominently in the entrance gallery, “Abstraction and Place.” Bendolph was born in 1935 in Gee’s Bend, Alabama where she still lives.

“Berkeley No. 1” by Richard Diebenkorn (1922-1993) is the first in a series of more than 50 abstractions he painted between 1953 and

1955, found in the same gallery, he, an influencer on native Washingtonian Peter L. Robinson, Jr. (1922-2015) whose “Rock Creek Park” (2000) is nearby.

Robinson was a NASA employee interested in views of Earth from outer space who often visited the Phillips and its abstracts.

Another fascinating and historic work is by Benny Andrews (1930-2006) in a multi-dimensional “Trail of Tears” of oil on four canvases with painted fabric, mixed media and string. He depicts the forced relocation of the Eastern Woodlands Indians along the Trail of Tears (1838 and 1839) in his “rough collage” of cloth and other textiles.

The piece is part of the artist’s “Migrant Series” of three movements Andrews cites of mass displacement in the U.S., the Great Depression, the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina and the Trail of Tears.

Tricky Dick Nixon is here, also, in a lithograph by celebrated cartoonist Patrick Oliphant (b. 1935) which Oliphant drew in 1984 titled “I Have Returned,” the subject seeming a lot milder these days compared to the present.

Some of my favorites are found in the gallery, “People: Social and Cultural Life,” portraying parties, night clubs, babies, and sewing circles.

The local artists represented include James Phillips, Delilah W. Pierce, James Amos Porter, Marguerite Burgess, Aaron Maier-Carretero, Rozeal, Joyce Wellman, Larry Cook, and Rush Baker IV.

An exhibition catalogue is available ($49.95) and a free audio guide. Major sponsors include the Terra Foundation for American Art and Altria.

The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St., N.W. at Q St., Washington, D.C. 20009. Open 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., Tuesday – Sunday with the first hour reserved on Sunday for members only. “Pay-what-you-wish” every day after 4 p.m. Free admission after 4 p.m. on the third Thursday when the museum is open until 8 p.m. Admission is $20; $15, seniors; $12, active military; $10, students and educators; free for members and for children 18 and under. 202387-2151. Closed on major holidays.

Our Man In Arlington

Bill Fogarty

This month’s “Front Page News” column takes us back to November 8, 1946, courtesy of The Sun newspaper. The biggest story was summarized in its editorial, which began with these words: “A new page was turned in local politics Tuesday, when a political outsider, running as an Independent, upset the long-dominant Arlington Democratic organization and defeated Edmund Campbell for the County Board.”

The 1946 electoral win by Daniel Dugan over Ed Campbell was the biggest upset in County Board history, and the most consequential. But before I get to that story, I would like to share some headlines from the paper that day.

The most eye-catching headline was this: “3,838 Sign Pledge On Meat Prices.” Meat prices had risen sharply after the war, and the local League of Women Voters started a “drive against inflation.” They stationed members at grocery stores over one weekend, and obtained 3,838 signatures to a pledge to refuse to pay in excess of 60 cents per pound for any type of meat. A manager at a Safeway store came out to greet them, signed the pledges, and even invited the members to solicit inside the store.

“U.S. Bureau Lacks Funds For Bus Route.” The Federal Public Roads Administration indicated it had no funds to provide a new bus route for buses using South Orme Street to and from the Navy Annex. The County Board had been receiving “many protests from residents on South Orme Street against the daily travel of 800 to 900 buses past their homes.” Yes, you read that right: over 800 buses every day!

“Coleman Fined In Football Fight.” Mr. Coleman was charged with disorderly conduct in connection with a fight after a football game at Washington-Lee High School. He entered a plea of guilty, along with another man who had been charged with the same offense. Judge Reid recused himself, as he had been at the game. Makes one wonder if he saw the fight.

There was a bad news/good news story for the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.

They had bought property for a proposed animal shelter in an area with no zoning restrictions. Before they could get building plans approved, the area was rezoned for residential development. The bad news: their use would no longer be acceptable.

The good news: the property had increased in value, so they made a profit in selling the property.

The big news of the day was the County Board election won by 30-year-old Daniel Dugan, a political newcomer and Federal employee, who ran as a Non-Partisan.

Campbell was a popular two-term Board member, but Dugan rode a wave of great unrest in the County, starting with unhappy parents who wanted better schools and an elected school board.

Dugan’s campaign manager said the victory was an indication that the Federal employee population intended to have a larger voice in local government. Dugan noted that his priorities included support for the upcoming bond issue for school improvements. He said his first act as a Board member would be to establish a housing committee which would serve not only the veterans but all hardship cases.

Publisher Howard Bloomer’s editorial emphasized something new was brewing –citizens were pushing back against the machine. The editorial provided a laundry list of the reasons voters were unhappy, a list that might sound familiar: “storm drainage damages many homes and properties; garbage and trash collections are often delayed; many street pavements are rough and broken; the rezoning of property to lower classifications is an ever-present sore spot with many who see their homes encroached upon.”

Bloomer wrote that the voters chose to put a new cycle of events in motion. “Whether this cycle gains speed, or dies away, is something only the passage of time can determine. But as of the present moment, we think it has a long course to run.”

The cycle of events following Dugan’s victory ultimately resulted in the formation in the 1950s of the Arlingtonians for a Better County (ABC), a non-partisan group that controlled Arlington politics through the 1990s. Bloomer’s prediction was spot-on: it indeed was a long course to run.

Meridian Football’s Fighting Season Finishes With 22-8 Playoff Loss To Skyline

By Ryan McCafferty

For the second time in three weeks, the Meridian High School football team traveled to Front Royal and came away with a loss to Skyline Hawks. This one eliminated them from the Regional playoffs.

The Mustangs were playing postseason football for the first time in two years, but earning their first playoff win since 2021 would be an uphill battle on the road. When they faced Skyline back on Halloween, All-State running back Zayden Burks had his way with over 300 yards from scrimmage in a 33-43 defeat for Meridian. Objective No. 1 was to hold him in check.

Meridian was able to deliver a promising defensive effort, with Burks rushing for only 5.3 yards per carry on 41 attempts. Keaton Grace had 17 tackles for the Mustangs while Jack Mossburg had 16, and Jack Moore collected an interception while Alex Jacobson had four tackles for losses and a sack. Duke Dawson hauled in a 61-yard touchdown to give the road team an 8-7 lead early

in the fourth quarter after a successful two-point conversion, but the Mustangs ultimately fell 22-8.

Still, head coach PJ Anderson had plenty to be pleased with in a game and season that reflected considerable growth within the Meridian program. Specifically, he made sure to shout out the 19 seniors on his squad, many of which have been four-year contributors.

“They came into a tough situation where they were thrust into Varsity roles as ninth graders, and they got better every year,” he said. “I’m lucky to have coached them and I’ve learned as much from them as I hope they’ve learned from me.”

Meridian finishes with a record of 5-6, the most wins for the Mustangs in four years. The squad had five players (OL Ryan McDonald, RB Oumar Thompson, RB/PR Duke Dawson, TE Rex MacAlester, and LB Keaton Grace) receive All-District First Team honors while five more (OL Finn Hauber, LBs Seth Hahn and Jetson Fitzpatrick, DB Jack Moore, and P Junior Martinez) made the Second Team.

Meridian Girls Volleyball’s Breakout Run Ends With Four-Set State Defeat

By Ryan McCafferty

The Meridian High School girls’ volleyball team had a dream 2025 season, but it only took two losses in the Regional Finals and State Quarterfinals to end it.

The Mustangs had won 10 of their last 11 games, including home playoff matchups against Brentsville and William Monroe, prior to this past Monday’s battle for a Regional title at top-seeded Kettle Run. They lost in three sets, but still qualified for the State tournament.

There, Meridian was matched up with

New Kent on Saturday afternoon. The Mustangs were competitive in every set, winning the second one 25-22 after dropping the first 20-25. But they lost the third 20-25 and the fourth 17-25, solidifying their elimination from the State playoffs.

Still, there’s no shame to be had in the season that Milena Racic and her girls put together. The Mustangs finish with a total record of 17-8, their most wins since 2012 and their best winning percentage since 2020. They’ve improved every year for the past four years, and took a major jump into competing at the State playoff level.

Design, Sports & Technology With Nick Gatz

by Nick Gatz Falls Church News-Press

Why Some Logos Hit Differently and Why Some Just Don’t Stick?

Alright, welcome to something new I’m kicking off here: Design, Sports & Technology. Think of this as the space where I get to nerd out about the stuff I’m always rambling about anyway: sports logos, jerseys, branding, screens, culture, the whole package. And honestly, there’s no better place to start than with one of my favorite debates: why MLB logos seem to age like fine wine while some NBA and NFL logos… well, don’t.

And yeah, you already know where this starts: the New York Yankees.

Let’s be real, every kid in this country knows the Yankees. They might not know who the shortstop is, they definitely don’t know they haven’t won a World Series since 2009, but they know that logo. It’s just always there. Even people who don’t follow baseball rock Yankees caps like they’re a fashion brand, not a team.

Compare that with, say, the Minnesota Timberwolves. Solid team. Great star in Anthony Edwards. But are kids out there wearing a Wolves logo just because it looks cool? I’d bet the answer is no. Outside Minnesota, I don’t think most kids could even describe the logo. And it’s not just the Wolves, it’s most of the NBA, honestly.

So what’s going on here? Why is baseball, a sport we all claim is “getting older,” the one with the logos that feel permanently plugged into the culture?

Let’s break it down the way we’d talk about this on the couch during a game.

The iconic MLB logos, the Yankees, Dodgers, Tigers, Cardinals, were designed for a totally different world. There was no brand refresh, no social media avatars, no digital anything. These marks had to look clean on a newspaper, a ticket stub, or a wool jersey that probably felt like sandpaper. That simplicity, clean letters, classic shapes, nothing extra, is exactly why they still work today. They weren’t trying to be trendy. They weren’t designed for a hype cycle. They were designed to last because no one had the tools to make them complicated. Ironically, that’s what makes them timeless. Meanwhile, the NBA really went wild in the ‘90s and 2000s. Flames, claws, gradients, metallic stuff, every team wanted to look like an energy drink. Some of those logos are fun, sure, but iconic? Harder case to make. That era defined a moment, but it didn’t define forever.

Everyone always assumes the Yankees logo is everywhere because the Yankees won a lot. But let’s be real, winning alone doesn’t make a brand immortal. The Spurs won five titles and still feel like a regional team. The Heat won with LeBron and still aren’t a global brand on their own. Now

take the Chicago Bulls. For us ‘80s kids, that logo practically raised us. Michael Jordan was bigger than sports, and the Bulls logo rode shotgun to all of it. But here’s the wild part: As huge as Jordan was, the Bulls today aren’t treated like this massive forever brand the way the Lakers or Celtics are. Jordan overshadowed the logo so much that once he left, the brand froze in time. It’s like the Bulls are iconic for a moment, not across every generation. The Yankees are iconic no matter when you were born.

This is where design and tech collide. Logos aren’t built for hats or physical merch anymore, at least not first. They’re built for thumbnails, TV lower thirds, TikTok edits, social feeds. Everything is tiny, digital, and constantly moving. If your logo doesn’t pop in a two-centimeter square on someone’s phone, you’re already losing. Kids don’t discover logos through ESPN anymore. They see them in highlight clips, gaming streams, influencers’ fits, or random TikTok dances. And that’s the Yankees’ secret weapon: their logo is already a fashion logo. People don’t wear a Yankees cap because Aaron Judge hit 50 home runs. They wear it because that cap fits every style, every era, every trend cycle. You can put that NY on a runway, a rap video, or a Little League field and it works everywhere. There’s no NBA team with that kind of universal drip. Not even the Lakers.

The NBA’s challenge is actually its biggest strength: the player is the brand. In the NBA, people follow stars, not teams. Kids are wearing Curry jerseys, not Warriors logos. They’re wearing Giannis gear, not Bucks gear. Wemby is going to sell more than the Spurs logo ever will. In a league built on personalities, the team logo becomes background noise. And with players constantly switching teams, any long-term identity gets disrupted. The NBA is powered by constant reinvention, new stars, new styles, new storylines. Great for entertainment. Terrible for logo longevity.

Honestly, baseball logos hit that sweet spot. Simple enough to be timeless. Old enough to feel classic. Stylish enough to survive outside the sport. MLB logos are the vinyl records of sports branding, they never stop being cool, even if the medium around them changes. The Yankees don’t need to win another title for people to keep wearing that cap. The logo has already surpassed the titles. It’s part of the culture at this point.

This new column, Design, Sports & Technology, is where I want to keep digging into this stuff: where a logo becomes a lifestyle, where nostalgia meets design theory, and where a team’s identity becomes bigger than the team itself. If the Yankees logo proves anything, it’s that good design outlasts everything, including the dynasty behind it.

What a November we are having here in Falls Church. We started the month out with Virginia’s U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine headlining a rally for then candidate, now Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger at our very own State Theater.

Days later we celebrated an exceptional election night, with unprecedented results, results that made international headlines as many of us predicted they would. Now, as we head into Thanksgiving, I can’t help but reflect on just how much we have to be grateful for here in the Commonwealth.

Virginia voters delivered a pretty clear verdict. They want stable leadership and a state government that does its job without a lot of unnecessary drama. That may sound simple, but it’s no small thing in the current political climate.

The results at the top of the ticket were historic. Abigail Spanberger will become the first woman ever elected Governor of Virginia. Ghazala Hashmi will serve as Lieutenant Governor, making her both the first Indian-American and the first Muslim person elected statewide here. And Jay Jones will be the first Black Attorney General in our history. However you look at it, Virginia voters were ready to break a few barriers.

The House of Delegates saw its own shake-up. Not only did Democrats hold the majority — we grew it, picking up 13 seats for a 64–36 margin. In a chamber where every vote counts, that’s a significant shift. It also means Democrats will hold a 15–7 edge on every standing committee, which is where a lot of real governing actually happens. When people ask whether election results matter, this is one of the clearest examples. Committee control determines which bills get heard, which ideas advance, and which problems get the attention they deserve. It’s the kind of majority that allows us to take meaningful action on the issues voters just told us matter most: strengthening public education, lowering costs for families, protecting reproductive freedom, improving housing affordability, and keeping our communities safe.

As we gather with friends and family later this month, that’s something worth giving thanks for: Virginians showing up, speaking out, and choosing a path of competence, decency, and progress.

None of this happened by accident. It happened because people believed their voices mattered and because they

refused to sit on the sidelines. As I look toward Thanksgiving, I’m especially grateful for the thousands of Virginians who knocked doors in the cold, made calls after long workdays, contributed what they could, voted early, and encouraged neighbors and friends to do the same. Democracy isn’t something we inherit fully formed, but rather something we build together, season after season, election after election.

But even in a season of gratitude, we can’t overlook the challenges ahead. One of the most significant is redistricting. During last month’s special session, the General Assembly advanced a constitutional amendment to allow Virginia to redraw congressional lines mid-cycle, a step designed to ensure that as other states aggressively manipulate their maps for partisan advantage, Virginia doesn’t get left behind.

Some critics have called this political. I call it fair. Other states are actively redrawing the balance of power. We can’t simply stand still while the ground shifts beneath our feet. This amendment — which must pass again next session before going to the voters — will help ensure our maps remain representative, legal, and equitable.

With the results of this election, we now have the strength, stability, and clarity of purpose to move that effort forward, alongside the rest of the people’s agenda. And as we gather around Thanksgiving tables across the Commonwealth, I hope we take a quiet moment to appreciate that and to reflect on the simple but powerful truth that democracy still works when we show up for it.

This season reminds us that gratitude isn’t passive either. It’s a commitment to care for one another, to invest in our shared future, and to keep building a Commonwealth that reflects our highest values. So today, and throughout this season, I want to say thank you — sincerely. Thank you for believing in this work. Thank you for your faith in our process. Thank you for your commitment to keeping Virginia a model of progress, integrity, and good governance. Thank you for showing that when we stand together, we can overcome cynicism, division, and doubt.

Happy almost-Thanksgiving. And thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for everything you do to keep Virginia moving forward. We enter this next chapter 64 strong and just getting started.

PICTURES AROUND FALLS CHURCH

Meridian High’s Production Of ‘Rock of Ages’ This Weekend

“A big cast with a pulsing rock band’s sound, plus high energy dance and great singing” is the promo for this weekend’s Meridian High School musical production of “Rock of Ages” that will be performed this Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 in the school’s auditorium.

The plot centers on saving a longtime music venue on LA’s Sunset Strip from redevelopment. ”It’s the ultimate ‘80s story, a bunch of underdogs get together to save something they love from a greedy profiteer, all told through the most iconic 80s hair band monster ballads,” Shawn Northrip, theater director, told the News-Press

There’s drama, humor and romance crafted around famous ‘80s tunes, with content suitable for all ages. It runs about 2 hours with an intermission.General admission is $15, students $5 cash at door.

Welcoming Falls Church Hosts Holiday Dinner Monday

A community Thanksgiving celebration hosted by Welcoming Falls Church is slated for this coming Monday, Nov. 24, at the Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School cafeteria, 105 Mustang Way, from 6 to 8 p.m. Organizers promise delicious food and conversation with friends who share the joy of welcoming. Dinner will be provided but contributions of food are welcomed.

1st Annual Thanksgiving Ecumenical Service Sunday

The Falls Church Episcopal is hosting the first ever ecumenical service drawing participation from other homes of worship in the City of Falls Church that will be held this Sunday, Nov. 23, at 4 p.m. in the historic Falls Church on 115 E. Fairfax St.

No Street Closings on New Year’s Eve in F.C.

With the holiday season underway, the News-Press has learned that the City of Falls Church does not plan to close any downtown streets on New Year’s Eve this year. Watch Night events may be planned, but not with the intersection at Broad and Washington closed as in years past.

Little City Concert to Honor Trans Day This Saturday

Little City Concerts will present “A tribute for Trans Day of Remembrance: In Memory of Sam Nordquist” this Saturday, Nov. 22, at The Falls Church Episcopal at 7:30 p.m.

The Trans Day of Remembrance is this Thursday, Nov 20. This Saturday’s concert will feature Falls Church City pianist Mary Voutsas and friends, including drummer Nik Francis, clarinetist Kirby the Drag Queen, a small choir of voices, and painter Zhenya Parish.

Sam Nordquist, a transgender man, was killed in upstate New York in February 2025. Featuring excerpts from Gabriel Faure’s requiem, and piano music by Franz Liszt will be performed.

General admission will be $25, with 50 percent being donated to Safe Space No. Va.. Youth under 18 are free.

Notes

F.C. ‘Foodie Trek’ Set Around Town Nov. 18-20

The Falls Church Education Foundation is organizing a ‘Foodie Trek’ around Falls Church Nov. 18-20, through tonight.

Eleven local restaurants are offering special deals and giving back a portion of sales to the foundation. Banh Mi oi, Cafe Kindred, Clare and Don’s, Fava Pot, Little City Creamery, Northside Social, Preservation Biscuit Company, Sweet Rice Thai, Thompson Italian, Toby’s Ice Cream and Westover Taco are the participating eateries.

Fairfax County Police Selected as Innovation Site

The Fairfax County Police Department has been selected by the National Policing Institute as the first Knowledge and Innovation Site for the National Law Enforcement Knowledge Lab, recognizing the department as a national model for use of force review practices.

According to Jeff McKay, chair of the Fairfax Board of Supervisors, the National Policing Institute conducted a thorough assessment of the department’s policies, training, and review processes, confirming the department’s leadership in building systems that prioritize continuous improvement and strong community collaboration.

As a Knowledge and Innovation Site, the Fairfax County Police Department will now share its practices with agencies across the country, helping shape national standards for professional and community-centered law enforcement.

New ‘Best Buns’ Bakery Set to Open in F.C.

A bakery serving pastries, burgers and all-day breakfast plans to open in Falls Church next year. Best Buns Bakery and Burgers is expected to open in a park outside the West Falls development at 265 West Falls Station Blvd, serving bites ranging from cinnamon rolls and sticky buns to fried chicken sandwiches.

F.C. Community Band Welcomes New Players

With a ‘Sounds of the Season’ concert set for Saturday, Dec. 13, at the Meridian High School, that will include Beethoven’s Piano Concerto with soloist Mary Voutsas and festive selections of the season, Mary Jo West, conductor, has issued a call welcoming community musicians to join in. All ages and skill levels are welcome, she said.

Meridian Students Submit to Congressional App Challenge

Two groups of Meridian High School computer science students have submitted projects for the 2025 Congressional App Challenge. Each team developed a unique application that demonstrates creativity, problem-solving, and technical skill. The projects highlight the students’ growing expertise in programming, design, and real-world problem-solving skills that they’ve honed through the school’s computer science program and extensive research. Both teams collaborated effectively, combining their strengths in coding, research, and presentation to produce polished final products.

Andrew Johnson, Sesh Sudarshan, and Brian Ting created a community engagement platform built on a microservice architecture to connect volunteers with local service opportunities. Oliver Hardi, Avery Hyra, Sofia Kruszynski, and Alec Mahini developed a mobile application that helps unhoused individuals find shelters.

This Week Around Falls Church

Thurs. Nov. 20th

Arts and Humanities Council of Falls Church Meeting

9:30–11 a.m.

Dogwood Room A & B — 300 Park Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046

Human Services Advisory Council Meeting

6:30–8 p.m.

Dogwood Room A & B — 300 Park Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046

Historic Architectural Review Board Meeting — CANCELLED

Historical Commission Meeting

7–9 p.m.

Laurel Room — 300 Park Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046

Environmental Sustainability Council & Energy Transition Subcommittee

7:30–9:30 p.m.

Council Chambers — 300 Park Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046

Falls Church Fiber Artists

10 a.m.–noon

MRSPL — 120 N. Virginia Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046

Fall Storytime (Preschool)

10:30–11 a.m.

MRSPL — 120 N. Virginia Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046

Playtime with Early Literacy Center

11 a.m.–noon

MRSPL — 120 N. Virginia Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046

Fri, Nov. 2st

City Council Budget & Finance Committee — RESCHEDULED

Falls Church250 Video Series Subcommittee

3–4:30 p.m.

Dogwood Room A & B — 300 Park Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046

Fall Baby Time

10:30–11 a.m.

MRSPL — 120 N. Virginia Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046 Sat, Nov. 22nd

Falls Church Farmers Market

8 a.m.–noon

City Hall Parking Lot — 300 Park Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046

Hip-Stangs Math Club (Session 1)

10:30–11 a.m.

MRSPL — 120 N. Virginia Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046

Hip-Stangs Math Club (Session 2)

11–11:30 a.m.

MRSPL — 120 N. Virginia Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046

Author Talk: Timothy M. Gay

2–3 p.m.

MRSPL — 120 N. Virginia Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046

Sun, Nov. 23rd

Moravian Stars Workshop 1–3 p.m.

Cherry Hill Farmhouse — 312 Park Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046

Mon, Nov. 24th

City Council Meeting

7:30–11 p.m.

Council Chambers — 300 Park Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046

English Conversation Class

6:30–8 p.m.

MRSPL — 120 N. Virginia Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046

Welcoming Falls Church’s Community Thanksgiving

6–8 p.m.

MEH Cafeteria — 7130 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22043

Community Thanksgiving celebration with food, conversation, and activities for kids. Dinner provided; contributions welcome. Please RSVP.

Tues, Nov. 25th

Mindfulness Meditation for Everyday Life

10:30–11:30 a.m.

MRSPL — 120 N. Virginia Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046 A guided mindfulness session designed to help adults develop everyday meditation skills.

Great Books Discussion Series

7–8:45 p.m. Virtual Program A discussion of selections from the Great Books series. Supported by the MRSPL Foundation.

Wed, Nov. 26th

Mayor’s Agenda Meeting with Staff

8:30–9 a.m. Oak Room — 300 Park Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046

Government Operations Committee

9–10 a.m.

Oak Room — 300 Park Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046

Mindfulness Meditation for Everyday Life 10:30–11:30 a.m.

MRSPL — 120 N. Virginia Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046

Thurs, Nov. 27th

Free Class at Falls Church Jazzercise

All Day Nov 27–30 Falls Church Jazzercise — 513 W Broad St #130, Falls Church, VA 22046 Take any class for FREE with a nonperishable food donation for

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF A PETITION BY VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY FOR REVISION OF A RATE

ADJUSTMENT

CLAUSE DESIGNATED RIDER SNA UNDER § 56-585.1 A 6 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA CASE NO. PUR-2025-00164

On October 7, 2025, Virginia Electric and Power Company (“Dominion” or “Company”) filed a petition (“Petition”) with the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”) for revision of its rate adjustment clause (“RAC”), Rider SNA, for costs associated with Dominion’s Surry Units 1 and 2 and North Anna Units 1 and 2. Specifically, Dominion seeks recovery of costs for: (1) the preparation of the applications for Subsequent License Renewal (“SLR”) with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to extend the operating licenses of the foregoing Surry and North Anna facilities (the “SLR Component”), and (2) the projects reasonably appropriate to upgrade or replace systems and equipment deemed to be necessary to operate these facilities safely and reliably in the extended period of operation (the “Capital Upgrade Component”) (collectively, the SLR Component and the Capital Upgrade Component comprise the “Program”). Dominion filed its Petition pursuant to § 56-585.1 A 6 of the Code of Virginia and the Commission’s Rules Governing Utility Rate Applications and Annual Informational Filings of Investor-Owned Electric Utilities, 20 VAC 5-204-5, et seq. Through the Petition, the Company seeks to revise its Rider SNA RAC for the rate year commencing September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2027 (“Rate Year”).

The Company explains that in its Final Order in Case No. PUR-2024-00154, the Commission approved Phase II of the Program (calendar years 2025 through 2027), consisting of minor costs associated with closeout of the SLR Component and 34 previously approved Capital Upgrade Component projects. The Company states that this Petition provides an update on the Company’s progress in completing Phase II projects. According to the Petition, this account includes: (1) an update on the status of the Capital Upgrade Component projects in Phase II, including scope changes and cost variances for the Program, as well as updated actual and projected expenditures; (2) an update of successfully performed work; (3) an update on material differences to cost and schedule changes for the Program; and (4) a discussion of the applicability of federal tariff policy on the Program.

Dominion states that, consistent with the Commission’s November 18, 2021, Final Order in Dominion’s 2021 Triennial Review, Case No. PUR-2021-00058, the Company is utilizing the approved rate of return on common equity (“ROE”) of 9.35% for the period after the date of that Final Order through February 27, 2024. For the period beginning February 28, 2024, the Company used a 9.7% ROE, which is the Company’s authorized ROE as set by the Commission in Case No. PUR-2023-00101. The ROE determined by the Commission in the Company’s pending 2025 Biennial Review, Case No. PUR-2025-00058, will be applicable to Rider SNA as of the date of the Final Order in that case. The Company further asserts that any revenue requirement impacts resulting from a change in ROE will be addressed in a future true-up proceeding.

The two components of the revenue requirement for Rider SNA are the Projected Cost Recovery Factor and the Actual Cost True-Up Factor. According to the Petition, the Projected Cost Recovery Factor includes financing costs for rate base as well as projected operating costs for the Program projects during the Rate Year. The Company states that actual revenues during the test year are compared to actual costs incurred during the test year, and any difference in these amounts becomes the Actual Cost True-Up Factor recovered from, or credited to, customers. The Company asserts that the Actual Cost True-Up Factor will recover from, or credit to, customers any under-/over-recovery of costs from the most recently completed calendar year.

The total revenue requirement requested for recovery for the Rate Year through Rider SNA is $232,768,323. The Company asserts that it has allocated costs to the Virginia jurisdiction and customer classes using its 2023 Production Demand Allocation Factor, consistent with the way production plant costs for the Surry and North Anna facilities are allocated in the cost of service.

If the proposed Rider SNA is approved as requested, it would incrementally increase a residential customer’s monthly bill, based on 1,000 kilowatt hours of usage per month, by $0.55 compared to the current Rider SNA.

Interested persons are encouraged to review the Petition and supporting documents for the details of the Company’s proposal.

TAKE NOTICE that the Commission may apportion revenues among customer classes and/or design rates in a manner differing from that shown in the Petition and supporting documents and thus may adopt rates that differ from those appearing in the Company’s Petition and supporting documents.

The Commission entered an Order for Notice and Hearing in this proceeding that, among other things, scheduled a public hearing on Dominion’s Petition. On April 21, 2026, at 10 a.m.,

the Hearing Examiner appointed to this case will hold the telephonic portion of the hearing for the purpose of receiving the testimony of public witnesses. On or before April 14, 2026, any person desiring to offer testimony as a public witness shall provide to the Commission: (a) your name, and (b) the telephone number that you wish the Commission to call during the hearing to receive your testimony. This information may be provided to the Commission in either of two ways: (i) by filling out a form on the Commission’s website at scc.virginia.gov/pages/ webcasting; or (ii) by calling (804) 371-9141. This public witness hearing will be webcast at scc.virginia.gov/pages/webcasting.

Beginning at 10 a.m. on April 21, 2026, the Hearing Examiner will telephone sequentially each person who has signed up to testify as provided above.

Beginning at 10 a.m. on April 21, 2026, or at the conclusion of the public witness portion of the hearing, whichever is later, in the Commission’s second floor courtroom located in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, the Hearing Examiner will convene a hearing to receive testimony and evidence related to the Petition from the Company, any respondents, and the Commission’s Staff.

To promote administrative efficiency and timely service of filings upon participants, the Commission has directed the electronic filing of testimony and pleadings, unless they contain confidential information, and has required electronic service on parties to this proceeding.

An electronic copy of the public version of the Company’s Petition may be obtained by submitting a written request to counsel for the Company: Joseph K. Reid, III, Esquire, McGuireWoods LLP, Gateway Plaza, 800 East Canal Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or jreid@mcguirewoods.com. Interested persons also may download unofficial copies of the public version of the Petition and other documents filed in this case from the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/pages/case-information.

On or before April 14, 2026, any interested person may file comments on the Petition by following the instructions found on the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/case-comments/ submit-public-comments. Those unable, as a practical matter, to file comments electronically may file such comments by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2118. All comments shall refer to Case No. PUR-2025-00164.

On or before January 9, 2026, any person or entity wishing to participate as a respondent in this proceeding may do so by filing a notice of participation at scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling Those unable, as a practical matter, to file a notice of participation electronically may file such notice by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. Such notice of participation shall include the email addresses of such parties or their counsel. The respondent simultaneously shall serve electronically a copy of the notice of participation on counsel to the Company, Commission Staff, and any other respondents. Pursuant to Rule 5 VAC 5-20-80 B, Participation as a respondent, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, 5 VAC 5-20-10, et seq. (“Rules of Practice”), any notice of participation shall set forth: (i) a precise statement of the interest of the respondent; (ii) a statement of the specific action sought to the extent then known; and (iii) the factual and legal basis for the action. Any organization, corporation, or government body participating as a respondent must be represented by counsel as required by Rule 5 VAC 5-20-30, Counsel, of the Rules of Practice. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2025-00164.

On or before February 20, 2026, each respondent may file with the Clerk of the Commission, at scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling, any testimony and exhibits by which the respondent expects to establish its case. Any respondent unable, as a practical matter, to file testimony and exhibits electronically may file such by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. Each witness’s testimony shall include a summary not to exceed one page. All testimony and exhibits shall be served electronically on the Commission’s Staff, the Company, and all other respondents simultaneous with their filing. In all filings, respondents shall comply with the Commission’s Rules of Practice, including 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service, and 5 VAC 5-20-240, Prepared testimony and exhibits. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2025-00164.

Any documents filed in paper form with the Office of the Clerk of the Commission in this docket may use both sides of the paper. In all other respects, except as modified by the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, all filings shall comply fully with the requirements of 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice.

The public version of the Company’s Petition and other documents filed in this case, the Commission’s Rules of Practice, and the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing may be viewed at: scc.virginia.gov/pages/case-information.

During its 2020 Session, the Virginia General Assembly enacted Chapters 1193 (HB 1526) and 1194 (SB 851) of the 2020 Virginia Acts of Assembly. These duplicate Acts of Assembly, known as the Virginia Clean Economy Act (“VCEA”), became effective on July 1, 2020. The VCEA, inter alia, establishes a mandatory renewable energy portfolio standard (“RPS”) program (“RPS Program”) for Virginia Electric and Power Company (“Dominion” or “Company”) in § 56-585.5 of the Code of Virginia (“Code”). Subdivision D 4 of Code § 56-585.5 requires Dominion to submit annually to the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”) plans and petitions for approval of new solar and onshore wind generation capacity (“RPS Filing”). The RPS Filing must also include the Company’s plan to meet the energy storage project targets of Code § 56-585.5 E. The Commission must determine whether the RPS Filing is reasonable and prudent, giving due consideration to the following factors: (i) the RPS and carbon dioxide reduction requirements in Code § 56-585.5; (ii) the promotion of new renewable generation and energy storage resources within the Commonwealth, and associated economic development; and (iii) fuel savings projected to be achieved by the plan.

On October 15, 2025, Dominion submitted its annual RPS Filing to the Commission (“2025 RPS Filing” or “Petition”). The 2025 RPS Filing requests that the Commission:

(i) Approve the Company’s annual plan for the development of new solar, onshore wind, and energy storage resources (“RPS Development Plan”) in connection with the mandatory RPS Program pursuant to Code § 56-585.5 D 4;

(ii) Grant certificates of public convenience and necessity (“CPCNs”) for six utility-scale solar projects totaling approximately 845 megawatts (“MW”) alternating current (“AC”), and two energy storage projects totaling approximately 155 MW (collectively, “CE-6 Projects”) pursuant to Code § 56580 D;

(iii) Make a prudence determination for the Company to enter into ten power purchase agreements (“PPAs”) for solar and energy storage resources totaling approximately 439 MW of solar and 13 MW of energy storage (“CE-6 PPAs”) pursuant to Code § 56-585.1:4;

(iv) Approve recovery through the Rider CE rate adjustment clause of the costs of: (a) the CE-6 Projects and related interconnection facilities; (b) three distributed solar projects totaling approximately 6.8 MW and related interconnection facilities (“CE-6 Distributed Solar Projects”); (c) the CE-6 PPAs; and (d) certain costs for expanding the Company’s Solar and Storage Depots pursuant to Code §§ 56585.1 A 5 and A 6; and

(v) Approve an update to Rider CE for recovery of costs associated with: (a) the CE 1, CE-2, CE-3, CE-4 and CE-5 projects and related interconnection facilities; (b) the CE-2, CE-3, and CE-5 distributed solar projects and related interconnection facilities; (c) the CE-1, CE-2, CE-3, CE-4 and CE-5 PPAs previously approved by the Commission; and (d) the development costs for Peppertown Solar.

RPS Development Plan

Dominion states that its RPS Development Plan reports on the Company’s progress toward meeting the solar, onshore wind, and energy storage development targets outlined in the VCEA and presents the Company’s development plan for solar, onshore wind, and energy storage facilities through 2035. Through its RPS Development Plan, the Company calls for additional investment in solar, onshore wind, and energy storage through 2035.

The Company also provides a consolidated bill analysis calculating the projected monthly bill through 2045 for residential, small general service, and large general service customers for the two primary portfolios presented in the Company’s 2025 Integrated Resource Plan Update (“2025 IRP Update”), designated the “Company’s Preferred Plan” and the “Forced Retirements by 2045 Portfolio.” According to Dominion, the Company’s Preferred Plan from the 2025 IRP Update is consistent with the 2025 RPS Development Plan. Using the methodology approved by the Commission in Case No. PUR-2020-00134 and the Company’s Preferred Plan, the Company projects that RPS Program related resources, including new nuclear small modular reactors, would increase the monthly bill for a Virginia residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours (“kWh”) per month in 2035 by $44.14 compared to the May 1, 2020 level of $116.18, for a total estimated monthly bill of $160.32. Using the same methodology and the Forced Retirements by 2045 Portfolio, the Company projects that RPS Program related resources, including new nuclear small modular reactors, would increase the monthly bill for a Virginia residential customer using 1,000 kWh per month in 2035 by $109.28 compared to the May 1, 2020 level of $116.18, for a total estimated monthly bill of $225.46. The Company’s bill projections are not final, and all customer rates are subject to regulatory approval.

Further, the Company also presents its 2024 RPS Program Compliance Report in the Petition, asserting its compliance with the RPS Program for compliance year 2024. CE-6 Projects

Dominion seeks CPCNs and approval to construct or acquire and operate: (i) six utility scale solar generating facilities totaling approximately 845 MW of solar (“CE-6 Solar Projects”), and (ii) two energy storage facilities totaling approximately 155 MW (“CE-6 Storage Projects”). The name, size, locality, interconnection, and projected commercial operation date (“COD”) for each of the CE-6 Projects is provided below:

Project Size (MWac) Locality Inter-connection COD Utility-scale Solar

Bedford 70 City of Chesapeake Transmission 2021 Hillandale 102 Pittsylvania & Halifax Counties Transmission 2029

Honeybee 300 Brunswick County Transmission 2029 Pumpkin-seed 60 Greensville County Transmission 2022 Quarter Horse 125 Charlotte County Transmission 2030 Tall Pines 188 Charlotte County Transmission 2030 Storage

Drake 80 Middlesex County Transmission 2028

Mulberry 75 Richmond County Transmission 2028

The Company asserts that two of the CE-6 Projects, Bedford Solar and Pumpkinseed Solar, were previously developed, constructed and began operations as ring-fenced arrangements. Following the termination of the off-take arrangements for these facilities, they became available for consideration as projects for the Company’s jurisdictional customers. The Company further asserts that these facilities have been issued a permit by rule by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality such that the requirement to give consideration to the effect of these facilities on the environment or establish conditions to minimize adverse environmental impacts has already been satisfied.

The Company states that among the CE-6 Projects is an additional Company-sourced transaction structure, the BuildTransfer-Acquire (“BTA”) arrangement between the Company and a third-party developer. Under the BTA arrangement, the third party would develop and build the facility prior to transferring the

The Company asserts that two of the CE-6 Projects, Bedford Solar and Pumpkinseed Solar, were previously developed, constructed and began operations as ring-fenced arrangements. Following the termination of the off-take arrangements for these facilities, they became available for consideration as projects for the Company’s jurisdictional customers. The Company further asserts that these facilities have been issued a permit by rule by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality such that the requirement to give consideration to the effect of these facilities on the environment or establish conditions to minimize adverse environmental impacts has already been satisfied.

The Company states that among the CE-6 Projects is an additional Company-sourced transaction structure, the Build-Transfer-Acquire (“BTA”) arrangement between the Company and a third-party developer. Under the BTA arrangement, the third party would develop and build the facility prior to transferring the completed project to Dominion. According to Dominion, two CE6 Solar Projects are BTA arrangements – Hillandale Solar and Honeybee Solar – and the developers are co-applicants for the limited purpose of obtaining CPCNs for these projects. Per Dominion, upon completion, ownership of the projects would be transferred to Dominion, and the Company requests approval to transfer the projects once completed, including transferring or terminating and reissuing the CPCNs from these projects to reflect Dominion’s ownership.

The Company asserts that the CE-6 Projects are needed to comply with the VCEA and to serve customers’ capacity and energy needs. According to the Company, the total estimated construction costs for the CE-6 Solar Projects are approximately $2.48 billion, excluding financing costs, or approximately $2,932 per kilowatt (“kW”) at the total 845 MW rating. These CE-6 Solar Project construction costs, combined with the remaining book life values of Bedford Solar and Pumpkinseed Solar, equate to a total CE-6 Solar cost estimate of $2.63 billion. For the CE-6 Storage Projects, the Company estimates the total costs to be approximately $419.2 million, or approximately $2,705/kW, excluding financing costs, at the total 155 MW rating.

CE-6 PPAs

In its 2025 RPS Filing, Dominion also seeks a prudence determination for the CE-6 PPAs. The ten CE-6 PPAs consist of: (i) four PPAs for utility-scale solar resources totaling approximately 401.4 MW; (ii) two PPAs for solar plus storage facilities totaling 25.9 MW of solar and 13 MW of energy storage; and (iii) four PPAs for distributed solar generating facilities totaling approximately 11.7 MW. Dominion asserts that the CE-6 PPAs are needed to comply with the VCEA and to serve customers’ capacity and energy needs.

Rider CE

In this proceeding, Dominion makes two requests related to Rider CE. First, the Company seeks to update Rider CE for the recovery of costs associated with: (i) the CE-1, CE-2, CE-3, CE-4 and CE5 projects and related interconnection facilities previously approved by the Commission; (ii) the CE-2, CE-3 and CE-5 distributed solar projects and related interconnection facilities previously approved by the Commission; (iii) the CE-1, CE-2, CE-3, CE-4, and CE-5 PPAs previously approved by the Commission; and (iv) Peppertown Solar development costs.

Second, Dominion requests recovery through Rider CE of the costs of: (i) the CE-6 Projects and related interconnection facilities; (ii) the three CE-6 Distributed Solar Projects and related interconnection facilities; (iii) the CE-6 PPAs; and (iv) certain costs for expanding the Company’s Solar and Storage Depots. The CE-6 Projects and CE-6 PPAs are discussed in more detail above. The CE-6 Distributed Solar Projects consist of three distributed solar projects to be owned by the Company, totaling approximately 6.8 MW, and related interconnection facilities.

The Company asserts that the CE-6 Distributed Solar Projects are needed to comply with the VCEA and to serve customers’ capacity and energy needs. According to the Company, the total estimated costs for the CE-6 Distributed Solar Projects are approximately $35.8 million, excluding financing costs, or approximately $5,265 per kW at the total 6.8 MW rating.

Dominion asks the Commission to approve revised Rider CE for the rate year beginning May 1, 2026, and ending April 30, 2027 (“Rate Year”). The Company is requesting a total revenue requirement of $325,114,061 for Rider CE for the Rate Year. If the proposed total revenue requirement for the Rate Year is approved, the impact on customer bills would depend on the customer’s rate schedule and usage. According to Dominion, implementation of its revised Rider CE on May 1, 2026, would increase the monthly bill of a residential customer using 1,000 kWh per month by approximately $3.20 when compared to the combined total residential rates in the current Rider CE.

Interested persons are encouraged to review Dominion’s Petition and supporting documents in full for details about the Company’s proposals in this case.

TAKE NOTICE that the Commission may apportion revenues among customer classes and/or design rates in a manner differing from that shown in the Petition and supporting documents and thus may adopt rates that differ from those appearing in the Company’s Petition and supporting documents.

The Commission entered an Order for Notice and Hearing in this proceeding that, among other things, scheduled public hearings on Dominion’s Petition. A hearing for the receipt of testimony from public witnesses on the Company’s Petition shall be convened telephonically at 10 a.m. on February 17, 2026.

On or before February 10, 2026, any person desiring to offer testimony as a public witness shall provide to the Commission: (a) your name, and (b) the telephone number that you wish the Commission to call during the hearing to receive your testimony. This information may be provided to the Commission: (i) by filling out a form on the Commission’s website at scc.virginia.gov/case-information/webcasting; or (ii) by calling (804) 371-9141. This public witness hearing will be webcast at scc.virginia.gov/case-information/webcasting Beginning at 10 a.m. on February 17, 2026, the Commission will telephone sequentially each person who has signed up to testify as provided above.

On February 18, 2026, at 10 a.m. in the Commission’s second floor courtroom located in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, the Commission will convene a hearing to receive testimony and evidence related to the Petition from the Company, any respondents, and the Commission Staff (“Staff”).

To promote administrative efficiency and timely service of filings upon participants, the Commission has directed the electronic filing of testimony and pleadings, unless they contain confidential information, and required electronic service on parties to this proceeding.

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF A RENEWABLE PORTFOLIO STANDARD (RPS) FILING BY VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY D/B/A DOMINION ENERGY VIRGINIA CASE NO. PUR-2025-00148 continued on next page

An electronic copy of the public version of the Company’s Petition may be obtained by submitting a written request to counsel for the Company: Elaine S. Ryan, Esquire, McGuireWoods LLP, Gateway Plaza, 800 East Canal Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or eryan@mcguirewoods.com. Interested persons also may download unofficial copies of the public version of the Petition and other documents filed in this case from the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/case-information

On or before February 10, 2026, any interested person may submit comments on the Petition by following the instructions found on the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/case-information/submit-publiccomments. Those unable, as a practical matter, to submit comments electronically may file such comments by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2118. All such comments shall refer to Case No. PUR-2025-00148. On or before December 19, 2025, any person or entity wishing to participate as a respondent in this proceeding may do so by filing a notice of participation with the Clerk of the Commission at scc.virginia. gov/clk/efiling. Those unable, as a practical matter, to file a notice of participation electronically may file such notice by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. Such notice of participation shall include the email addresses of such parties or their counsel, if available. The respondent simultaneously shall serve a copy of the notice of participation electronically on counsel to the Company, Staff, and any other respondents. Pursuant to 5 VAC 5-20-80 B, Participation as a respondent, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, 5 VAC 5-20-10 et seq. (“Rules of Practice”), any notice of participation shall set forth: (i) a precise statement of the interest of the respondent; (ii) a statement of the specific action sought to the extent then known; and (iii) the factual and legal basis for the action. Any organization, corporation, or government body participating as a respondent must be represented by

counsel as required by 5 VAC 5-20-30, Counsel, of the Rules of Practice. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2025-00148. For additional information about participation as a respondent, any person or entity should obtain a copy of the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing.

On or before January 14, 2026, each respondent may file with the Clerk of the Commission at scc.virginia. gov/clk/efiling any testimony and exhibits by which the respondent expects to establish its case. Any respondent unable, as a practical matter, to file testimony and exhibits electronically may file such by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. Each witness’s testimony shall include a summary not to exceed one page. All testimony and exhibits shall be served electronically on the Staff, the Company, and all other respondents simultaneous with their filing. In all filings, respondents shall comply with the Rules of Practice, as modified herein, including, but not limited to: 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service, and 5 VAC 5-20-240, Prepared testimony and exhibits. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR2025-00148.

Any documents filed in paper form with the Office of the Clerk of the Commission in this docket may use both sides of the paper. In all other respects, except as modified by the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, all filings shall comply fully with the requirements of 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Rules of Practice.

The public version of the Company’s Petition, the Commission’s Rules of Practice, the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, and other documents filed in the case may be viewed at: scc.virginia.gov/caseinformation

VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING PLANNING COMMISSION CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA

A Planning Commission public hearing and possible recommendation for City Council action on the following is scheduled for Wednesday, December 3, 2025 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard.

(TO25-21) ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE CODE OF THE CITY OF FALLS OF CHURCH CHAPTER 48 “ZONING,” ARTICLE I “IN GENERAL,” AMENDING THE HALF STORY DEFINITION AND ARTICLE V “SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS” DIVISION 6 “HEIGHT, LOT AND YARD REGULATIONS,” DELETING SECTION 48-1104 “CONDITIONAL USES PERMITTED BY SPECIAL USE PERMIT” AS AN OBSOLETE SECTION, AND DIVISION 9 “ANTENNAS” CLARIFYING REGULATIONS APPLYING FOR ALL ANTENNA TYPES

The proposed amendments to the Zoning Code are “cleanup” items that are intended to clarify meaning where ambiguity has been identified in the course of administering the ordinance, remove obsolete language, and to otherwise increase clarity.

All public hearings will be held in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia. All persons desiring to present their views on the items will be heard. Comments may also be sent to jtrainor@fallschurchva. gov. Remote participation information at www.fallschurchva.gov/pc. For copies of legislation and other information, contact Jack Trainor jtrainor@fallschurchva.gov.

The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 571-421-7943 or e-mail jtrainor@ fallschurchva.gov.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING PLANNING COMMISSION CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA

A Planning Commission public hearing and possible recommendation for City Council action on the following is scheduled for Wednesday, December 3, 2025 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard.

(TO25-22) ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE CODE OF THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH CHAPTER 48, “ZONING,” SECTION 48-2, “DEFINITIONS,” SECTION 48-3, “GENERAL REGULATIONS” AND SECTION 48-1101, “GENERAL REQUIREMENTS,” TO INCREASE MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR TREE CANOPY COVERAGE WITHIN NONRESIDENTIAL ZONING DISTRICTS

The proposed amendments to the Zoning Code would update minimum standards for tree canopy coverage within nonresidential zoning districts, including B-1 Limited Business, B-2 Central Business, B-3 General Business, T-2 Transitional, O-D Official Design, and M-1 Light Industry districts.

All public hearings will be held in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia. All persons desiring to present their views on the items will be heard. Comments may also be sent to jtrainor@fallschurchva. gov. Remote participation information at www.fallschurchva.gov/pc. For copies of legislation and other information, contact Jack Trainor jtrainor@fallschurchva.gov. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 571-421-7943 or e-mail jtrainor@ fallschurchva.gov.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA

The following was given first reading at the October 27, 2025 City Council meeting. Public hearings, second readings, and possible City Council actions are scheduled for Monday, December 8, 2025 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard.

(TO25-17) ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE CITY CODE OF THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH CHAPTER 2, “ADMINISTRATION,” CHAPTER 6, “BUILDINGS,” CHAPTER 5, “FEES,” CHAPTER 38, “SUBDIVISION,” AND CHAPTER 48, “ZONING,” TO REFLECT JULY 1, 2025 VIRGINIA CODE CHANGES REMOVING SITE PLAN APPROVAL AUTHORITY FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND ASSIGNING IT TO THE DESIGNATED AGENT; AND TO AMEND THE MAXIMUM REVIEW TIME OF (1) SITE PLAN, SUBDIVISION PLAT, AND PLAN OF DEVELOPMENT APPLICATIONS SOLELY INVOLVING PARCELS OF COMMERCIAL OR RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE, AND (2) RESUBMITTED PLAT, SITE PLAN, AND PLAN OF DEVELOPMENT APPLICATIONS

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

ABC NOTICE

54 Restaurant Lorton LLC trading as Spatula Restaurant Bar & Grill, 9000 Lorton Station Blvd Ste N, Lorton Va. 22079 is applying to the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Authority for a On and Off Premises Beer and Wine and Mixed Beverages license. Latt Maw Hpawyam, Managing Member. NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of 2 required newspaper legal notice. Objections should be registered at www. abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.

Seeking a driver for old family member on a part-time basis (Mondays & Fridays only)weekly pay $400 must Have a valid state-issued driver’s license Must be professional, safe and patient. Email us: michaeljohn121m@gmail.com

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