March 23 - 29, 2023
Fa lls Chur c h, V i r g i ni a • ww w. fc np. c om • Fr ee
Fou n d e d 1991 • Vol. XXXIII N o. 6
The City of Falls Church’s Independent, Locally-Owned Newspaper of Record, Serving N. Virginia
F.C.’s Eden Center Plans Focus on Preservation
KICKING OFF ‘THE MODERA’
‘Pop-Up’ at Viet-American Center Draws Big Crowd by Brian Reach
Falls Church News-Press
Last Saturday, the first of four “pop ups” at Falls Church’s Vietnamese-American Eden Center were hosted by the City’s East End Small Area Plan (SAP) team, to discuss the plan and engage with the Center’s largely Viet-American community for input. The East End SAP team spent the day at the fountain outside the Saigon West section of the Center, where a constant and bustling crowd surrounded the table throughout the event —, many of whom had heard rumors surrounding the East End SAP, primarily that the Eden Center could be torn down. Also in attendance were about ten volunteers with Viet Place Collective (VPC), a grassroots organization concerned with preserving and promoting the Vietnamese community’s legacy in the region. “With the pop ups, we want to ensure that
Continued on Page 3
AT THE CEREMONIAL groundbreaking for Mill Creek’s The Modera at the W. Broad at S. West Street site last week, the newest large scale mixed use project to get underway in the Little City, bringing to three the number now currently under construction here, were (l. to r.) F.C. Economic Development Office’s Becky Witsman, Mill Creek’s project manager for The Modera, Joe Muffler, F.C. Planning Department Chief Paul Stoddard, F.C. Assistant City Manager Cindy Mester, and F.C. Council members Letty Hardi, Debbie Hiscott and Caroline Lian. (News-Press Photo)
2 Local High School Grads’ Films Screen at SXSW by Kylee Toland
Falls Church News-Press
From March 10th through March
18th, SXSW — the annual South by Southwest film festival in Austin, Texas – premiered over 100 films this year, and two have something in
common: ties to the Little City. “Join or Die” and “Riders on the Storm” are two documentary features focusing on modern-day
national and international issues. Their directors, Rebecca and Peter
Continued on Page 4
Inside This Week Meridian’s ‘The Love Doctor’ Preview
MHS Environmental Club’s Hydroponic System Update
On March 23rd —25th, Merdian High School’s theater company will perform Moliere’s comedy “The Love Doctor,” a performance full of fun and laughs for all ages
Recently, Meridian’s Environmental Club harvested produce from 96 seed pods, amounting to almost nine pounds of edible greens. Read about how it all came about.
See Page 5
See Page 9
Index
Editorial......................................................6 Comment..................................6,7,8,18,19 Crime Report.............................................7 News Briefs..............................................11 School News...........................................12 News & Notes.........................................15 Calendar.............................................16,17 Classifieds...............................................20 Business News.......................................23