Celebrating Our First 100
Yesterday, with our story on Falls Church's "Grocery Store Wars," The Falls Church Independent celebrated our first 100 articles since our founding on Leap Day in February.
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A Glance Back
From our first 100 stories, we'd like to share a few that highlight our commitment to in-depth news coverage and analysis in our area.
Have you had a chance to see these? Ahh, but have you committed them to memory?
Falls Church’s Public Library Strengthens Policies Against Censorship
Are you concerned about the waves of book-banning across the nation and in Virginia? Could they be coming soon to the Mary Riley Styles Public Library in the City of Falls Church?
Christopher Jones
Falls Church’s Lil City Creamery: A Connoisseur’s Delight
Falls Church’s 500 square-foot mom-and-pop gem – Lil City Creamery (LCC) at 114 W. Broad Street – serves up an ice cream connoisseur’s delight of the freshest, creamiest, and most flavorful no-frills scoops found possibly anywhere in northern Virginia.
Christopher Jones
Racially Discriminatory Covenants Historically Prevalent Across City of Falls Church
A fresh set of interactive maps from the “Documenting Exclusion & Resilience” project – launched by five professors from the University of Mary Washington and Marymount University – highlight documentary, block-by-block proof of racially restrictive covenants throughout northern Virginia, including The City of Falls Church. Not until the passage of the federal 1968 Fair Housing Act were such exclusionary practices outlawed.
Christopher Jones
One More Page Books: Thriving Through Community
For bibliophiles and bookstore lovers in the City of Falls Church, One More Page Books (OMPB) – an “indie bookstore with books, wines and chocolates” – serves as the premier local book shopping and browsing experience.
Christopher Jones
Beyond The Performative: The Social Justice Committee of Falls Church and Vicinity
...When I stopped by the information table for the “Social Justice Committee of Falls Church and Vicinity, an Initiative of the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation (THHF),” I met the committee’s chairman, Phil Christensen, and we struck up a fascinating conversation.
Christopher Jones
West Falls Mural Project: An Interview with The Artist, Key Players
A vibrant, colorful and ginormous 120′ x 54′ mural entitled “West Falls VA State” by muralist Juan Pineda of Bowie, Maryland – who’s been spending lots of time these days in construction attire, with his painting gear, on a cherrypicker’s hoist several stories off the ground – is beginning to take shape…
Christopher Jones
Lead Architect of F.C. Firm Enthusiastic About ‘Stratford Gardens’ Replacing Motor Lodge
With massive retail and residential development projects abounding in the City of Falls Church – and their towering construction cranes constantly circling overhead – the prospect of a new tree-lined, park-like, family-oriented beer garden, tentatively called “Stratford Gardens,” replacing the blighted Stratford Motor Lodge at 300 West Broad St. in the City’s center is certainly refreshing news.
Christopher Jones
New Tinner Hill Mural in Falls Church Celebrated, Historic District Designation Pending
On a spectacular, sunny Spring morning this past Saturday, June 15, the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation (THHF) of Falls Church held a joyous dedication ceremony, followed by a celebratory chicken and fish fry, for the recently unveiled mural, “Welcome to Tinner Hill” – grandly displayed on the side exterior wall of Ace Tool & Equipment at the intersection of S. Washington Blvd. and Tinner Hill Rd. in Falls Church.
Christopher Jones
Berman Park Exemplifies City’s Efforts to Connect Greenways, Protect Environment
As part of the City’s 2015 “Parks for People” Plan to connect “green corridors” throughout the City, the Berman Park Trail Improvement Project has been green-lighted with the goal of improving “safety for pedestrians and bicyclists using the trail,” by “updat[ing] four of the trail’s street crossings, specifically at.…
Christopher Jones
Seeking Feedback on Proposed Bike/Pedestrian School Routes, City Hosts ‘Walking Tour’
In a heartening display of civic responsibility this past Thursday evening, June 20, elected and government officials from the City of Falls Church – including the Mayor, City Manager, and several City Council members – as well as concerned residents and young students, gathered at West End Park off the W&OD Trail at 1048 W. Broad St., to consider alternative plans for how to make bicycling, walking, and trail-going to and from school safer and easier.
Christopher Jones
Co-Owner of Lazy Mike’s and Clare & Don’s Beach Shack Community-Minded
When you chat with local restaurateur David Tax, co-owner – with his sister Rebecca Tax – of Lazy Mike’s Deli and Clare & Don’s Beach Shack in Falls Church, the first thing you notice is he loves to serve and please members of the community of all ages, demographics, and politics.
Christopher Jones
Falls Church Takes Another Step Toward Becoming Transportation ‘Smart City’
...NVTA likely to approve funding for City’s smart-signalling on BRT routes...The Falls Church Independent interviewed Principal Planner for the City, Kerri Oddenino, AICP, and heard from City Council member Dave Snyder who represents the City on the Northern Virginia Transit Authority (NVTA).
Christopher Jones
Welcoming Falls Church’s Adult Literacy Program Expands to Meet Community Needs
...Foremost in the effort to integrate language-learning immigrants to the City is the WFC’s Adult & Family Literacy Center. For this story, The Falls Church Independent interviewed the program’s Director, Maria Markus, and volunteer literacy instructor, Ann Niederpruem Anderson.
Christopher Jones
Mayor Hardi Holds Lively Community Outreach Session at 455 Tinner Hill Apartments
City of Falls Church Mayor Letty Hardi – the City’s top official since January – visited the 455 at Tinner Hill apartment complex above the Tinner Hill Civil Rights Monument the evening of July 24, for a relaxed, casual community Q&A, designed to inform residents about local government and hear their voices on issues of concern.
Christopher Jones
Local Trumpeter Carries on Rich Jazz and Historical Legacy
If you’ve visited or strolled by Rare Bird Coffee Roasters at 230 West Broad St. in downtown Falls Church the past few years, chances are you’ve seen or heard local neighbor and 40-year Falls Church resident Johnnie Johnson playing jazz, pop or traditional tunes on his trumpet, or sharing a friendly smile or hardy laugh with a passerby.
Christopher Jones
Homestretch of Falls Church Helps Families with Children Overcome Homelessness
The Falls Church Independent interviewed Julie Crain, volunteer coordinator for the Homestretch program at 303 S. Maple Ave., to find out more about the organization, its approaches to helping unhoused families, its models for success, and what sorts of initiatives the group’s working on.
Christopher Jones
An Invitation to Falls Church City’s ‘Mysterious’ Log Cabin Scout House
Following our July 9 story about upgrades to Berman Park and the City’s plans to connect its greenways, I received an invitation to take a personal tour of the historic log cabin “Scout House” at 128 South Spring St, Falls Church.
Christopher Jones
Punching Up: Falls Church’s ‘Community over Competition’ Empowers, Protects Women
Talk about punching up! Community Over Competition (COC) – a newly launched nonprofit Falls Church foundation of women mixed-martial arts (MMA) fighters and students who partner with area gyms and instructors to provide free intensive self-defense courses for women and girls ages 12-and-up, as well as free sparring sessions for women – raised $5,596.99 for Destiny Rescue.…
Christopher Jones
Falls Church City Council Member Justine Underhill’s Savvy Approach to ‘Meeting the People Where They Live’
A new dynamism has come to the City Council. On January 1, 2024, Justine Underhill – Falls Church Housing Commissioner, former on-air reporter for Yahoo Finance in New York City, community advocate, investigative journalist, and professional video documentarian – began her first term on the Falls Church City Council.
Christopher Jones
Falls Church Celebrates W&OD Trail’s 50th Anniversary
Along the trail at N. West Street near Founders Row, Saturday Sept. 7, the City held a cheerful 50th anniversary celebration for the beloved W&OD Trail in the cool, bright morning air. Near a Northern Virginia Parks (NOVA Parks) and Friends of the W&OD Trail events tents offering free anniversary t-shirts and generous commemorative swag
Christopher Jones
First ‘Free Little Art Gallery’ (FLAG) Launches in Falls Church
In one of the City’s most walkable, tree-lined neighborhoods, at the corner of Hillwood Ave. and Shady Lane, the first free mini community art exchange in Falls Church – think Little Free Library.…
Christopher Jones
Protesters Outside Falls Church Healthcare Center Delineate Opposing Views on Abortion
Frequently, driving down S. Washington St. into the City of Falls Church, one sees placard-carrying anti-abortion protesters outside the office building in which the Falls Church Healthcare Center at 900 S. Washington St. is “dedicated to providing confidential and respectful gynecological healthcare and abortion care to women and their families.”
Christopher Jones
Virginia’s 13th District Del. Marcus Simon Emphasizes Every Voice Be Heard
During the Sept. 14 Falls Church Festival, Virginia’s 13th District House of Delegates Representative, Marcus Simon (D) – representing in Richmond, the City of Falls Church and a portion of Fairfax County – was spotted staffing the Falls Church City Democratic Committee informational tent and chatting amiably with passersby. The Falls Church Independent checked in with Del. Simon to enquire about his views.…
Christopher Jones
Falls Church City’s PARK(ing) Day Showcases Environmentalism, Livability
Organized by the City’s Planning Office, this year’s PARK(ing) Day event was held at 479 S. Maple Ave., – in the three spaces normally dedicated to 30-minute car-parking – between 455 Tinner Hill Apartments and Creative Cauldron.
Christopher Jones
Exclusive Interviews: F.C. City Council Candidates Laura Downs, John Murphy
....The Falls Church Independent interviewed both Downs and Murphy to find out their qualifications for office, motivations for running, top policy priorities, frames of mind, and thoughts on the City of Falls Church.
Christopher Jones
Rebuilding Together: Ensuring ‘Safe and Healthy Housing’ and Serving as a ‘Broker of Community’
It’s hard to imagine anyone more fulfilled professionally or as a community member than Patti Klein, executive director of Rebuilding Together-AFF.org (RT), the “AFF” referring to Arlington, Fairfax and Falls Church.
Christopher Jones
Exclusive Interview: Falls Church City Council Member Phil Duncan, 2012-2023
Near the Community Center, at the information tent of the Citizens for a Better City (CBC), Phil Duncan – retired F.C. City Council member (serving: 2012-2023) – was only too happy to give a thoughtful interview during the bright and sunny Falls Church Fall Festival Sept. 14.
Christopher Jones
Viet Place Collective’s Activism Key to Falls Church City’s 2024 VPL Innovation Award
Democracies function best when community-minded citizens are encouraged to pressure local governments to listen to their concerns. The story of the Viet Place Collective (VPC), an advocacy organization representing the City of Falls Church’s most expansive commercial zone and the City’s number-one tourist attraction – the Eden Center – provides an inspiring example of the many positive effects such community-minded movements can yield.
Christopher Jones
Worried about ADUs in Falls Church? Studies Reveal Community Benefits, If Involved
Have doubts about ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units) coming to your neighborhood? Not to worry. Numerous studies around the country, and in the Commonwealth of Virginia, reveal that with ample community input and sensible regulatory parameters, the municipal allowance of ADUs – also known as “granny flats,” “secondary suites,” or “backyard cottages” – offers substantial benefits both to local communities and homeowners.
Christopher Jones
The Toy Nest in Falls Church City: Premier Toy Library, Community-Based Business
As a joy for kids, parents and caregivers, few businesses in the City of Falls Church can match The Toy Nest – a membership-based “toy library, pre-loved toy store, indoor play space, and private event venue” – at 125 N. Washington Street.
Christopher Jones
All Aboard the Bike Bus!
An interview with George Lee, Bike Bus leader in the City of Falls Church: Did you know that every Friday of the school year, kids can bicycle safely to Falls Church City Public Schools in a fun, chaperoned group – a Bike Bus – with friends, parents, adults, and sometimes teachers?
Christopher Jones
Communidad’s Maralee Gutierrez Cruz: Visionary Falls Church Leader
In this season of Thanksgiving, our praises should flow to those who work day and night to empower others to help uplift our community. Falls Church’s Maralee Gutierrez Cruz, founder and CEO of the nonprofit Comunidad, based in the Willston Multicultural Center in Seven Corners at 417 W. Broad Street in Falls Church, is one such transformational and visionary leader deserving of such thanks.
Christopher Jones
Village Society’s TreeFest Lights Up Holiday Season, Advances City’s Nonprofits
On a bright, wintery afternoon walk along W. Broad Street, Sat. Dec. 7, I was lured by the sparkling lights and glow of the annual TreeFest celebratory fundraiser under the awnings of Ireland’s Four Provinces (4P’s) in George Mason Square. Soon, I was chatting…
Christopher Jones
Vienna Artist Boosts Small, Local Handicraft Businesses
For Liz Powell – owner of Write Liz Write and Shop Like You Live Here – the holidays are a busy time. But they’re also an opportunity to celebrate and promote unique town handicrafts.
Christopher Jones
Falls Church Arts: Cultural Hub at the Center of the City
Want to see flourishing and vibrant culture and community in the heart of downtown Falls Church? Well, Falls Church Arts (FCA) – a non-profit visual arts gallery and cultural hub in the center of the city – provides just that from The Kensington Building at 700-B West Broad Street.
Christopher Jones
Falls Church’s CD Cellar: 32 Years & Thriving
If you’re not sure how CD Cellar – Falls Church’s only record shop specializing in Compact Discs (CDs), Vinyl long-playing records (LPs), and Digital Video Discs (DVDs) – has managed to survive for 32 years and counting, you’re probably uncertain how the business has managed to thrive and grow all these years to become one of the largest record stores in the mid-Atlantic and a northern Virginia hub for record collectors and music aficionados.
Christopher Jones
By Christopher Jones
Member discussion