March 9 - 15, 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. 4
The City of Falls Church’s Independent, Locally-Owned Newspaper of Record, Serving N. Virginia
Is Amazon HQ2 Delay A Problem For F.C.?
ON PRESERVING THE EDEN CENTER
Regional Impact & Extent of Slowdown Still Uncertain by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
What will the impact of the announced “pause” in its development in this immediate region of Amazon’s much-anticipated second national headquarters, or HQ2, mean for Falls Church’s 2.2 square miles, much less for the wider region? The pause the giant firm announced last week seems to apply not only a slowdown in hiring, but staff reductions of up to 18,000 nationally and, in this area in particular, to plans for construction of the huge new campus in Crystal City, including an imaginative “double helix” design for its main building. How much of the push for the development projects we are now seeing in Falls Church, just a few miles up the road from that mega-campus, has been based on the expectations of Amazon’s full buildout, and how might this new announcement of the pause
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THE EDEN CENTER, the east coast’s most active commercial hub for Vietnamese-Americans, will be host to no less than four “pop-up” presentations by the Planning Department of the City of Falls Church starting next week. The topic will be the City’s vision for future development of the area that includes, as City officials contend, the preservation of the cultural character of the center. The pop-ups will begin on Saturday, March 18 followed by March 22, 29 and April 22. (Photo: Brian Reach)
F.C. Confronts Challenges to Fill 3 Dozen Jobs by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
Officially there are now 35 unfilled positions in the Falls Church City government, as
reported in the City’s Second Quarter Financial Report, representing 15 percent of the total workforce here. But while this is clearly putting a crimp on the ability to
get things done around town, it is not a problem unique to Falls Church, but reflective of regional and national trends as the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic shutdowns continues
to be slow. Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields told the NewsPress this week that he’s opti-
Continued on Page 4
Inside This Week Review: The Pirates of Penzance
F.C. Women Share Advice During Women’s History Month
Mark Dreisonstok reviews Arlington’s Chalice Theatre’s production of the classical musical “The Pirates of Penzance” a comic opera about a young man wanting to escape the life of a pirate. (Photo Credit: D. Ohlandt)
As Women’s History Month is a time to reflect and encourage women around the community and the world, local women in power share their experiences and advice.
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Index
Comment.........................................5,10,15 Editorial......................................................6 Camps....................................................7-9 Crime Report...........................................10 School News...........................................12 Business News.......................................14 News Briefs..............................................15 News & Notes.........................................17 Calendar.............................................18,19