Dec 19, 2024 7 min read Falls Church City Police Department

City of Falls Church Gov't Updates, Holiday Schedules, Dec. 19, 2024

Entrance to City Hall for the City of Falls Church at 300 Park Ave. Photo by Chris Jones.

The following is based on press releases, social media and website postings from the City of Falls Church.

Police Conducting Death Investigation

Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024 – The City of Falls Church Police Department is investigating a death earlier this week at the 100 block of Park Ave.

At approximately 6:39 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 16, police were dispatched near the intersection of Park Ave. and N. Washington St. for the report of an unresponsive male on the sidewalk. Bystanders were attempting life-saving measures upon arrival, which continued until medics arrived on scene. The individual was transported by ambulance to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

The City of Falls Church Criminal Investigations Unit is working with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to determine the cause and manner of death. Based on the preliminary investigation, the death appears to be from natural causes and there is no apparent threat to the community related to this incident.

No identification was found with the deceased. However, with assistance from the community, investigators were able to identify the deceased and notify his next-of-kin.

Sharon Gibson Named Human Resources Director, City of Falls Church

Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024 - Today, City Manager Wyatt Shields announced the hiring of Sharon Gibson as the new Director of Human Resources for the City of Falls Church.

"For more than 25 years, Sharon Gibson has lived in the D.C. Metro area and worked in Human Resources (HR) across many different roles and capacities which informs her understanding of HR across all the key functions that our team provides," a City press release said.

Gibson’s experience ranges from non-profits to a number of government roles with organizations including the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General, the U.S. District Court of D.C., the Welfare to Work Partnership, the Art Institute of Washington, and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Most recently, Gibson served as the Human Resources Director for D.C. Courts.

"I am deeply honored to join the City of Falls Church as the Human Resources Director," said Gibson. "I look forward to collaborating with the exceptional staff and am excited to get to know the people who make the City of Falls Church so special. It is a privilege to serve this community and to contribute to building a workplace culture that supports, values, and empowers all employees."

Gibson is a graduate of Marymount University with an MA in Human Resource Management and a BS from Old Dominion University in Business Administration. Additionally, Sharon holds professional certifications and memberships including Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), Certified Professional Consultant (CPC), and a Career Development Facilitator (CDF).

“It was clear throughout the recruitment process that Sharon is committed to our City values of inclusion, customer service, and a high performing workforce. We look forward to welcoming her to the City of Falls Church government,” said Shields.

Gibson will officially join the City on Monday, January 27, 2025.

City Unveils New Welcome Sign at City Hall Commemorating 75 Years

Posting on Instagram Dec. 11, the City announced: "Earlier this week, the new welcome sign at City Hall was officially unveiled and dedicated! The artistic sign commemorates the 75th Anniversary of the City of Falls Church and celebrates diversity and inclusion with 'welcome' across multiple languages representing the global community of the City of Falls Church."

Collaborators: Welcoming Falls Church and City Council
Artists: Sarah Guro, Christine Leigh, and Mark Robarge
Translation: Liberty Language Services and Stony Brook University
Fabricators: Gropen

Holiday Closures and Curbside Services

Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024 – City of Falls Church government programs and services will be closed for the upcoming holidays, except for the Farmers Market, as listed below:

City Hall (300 Park Ave.)

CLOSED: Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 24 and 25.
CLOSED: Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025.

Community Center (223 Little Falls St.)

CLOSED: Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 24 and 25.
CLOSING: Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, at 5 p.m.
CLOSED: Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025.

The Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave.)

CLOSING: Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, at 3 p.m.
CLOSED: Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 24 and 25.
CLOSING: Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, at 5 p.m.
CLOSED: Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025.

Weekly Farmers Market (City Hall Parking Lot, 300 Park Ave.)

OPEN: Saturday, Dec. 21.
OPEN: Saturday, Dec. 28.

Holiday Curbside Services Schedule

There will be no curbside services on Wednesday, Dec. 25, or Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025.

Week of Dec. 23:
- Trash, recycling, yard waste, and curbside composting will be collected on Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024, with missed collections for trash, recycling, and yard waste on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. Missed curbside composting will be collected on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024.
- Report all missed collections by 10 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. Report missed curbside composting to Compost Crew.
Week of Dec. 30:
- Trash, recycling, yard waste, and curbside composting will be collected on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, with missed collections for trash, recycling, and yard waste on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. Missed curbside composting will be collected on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025.
- Report all missed collections by 10 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. Report missed curbside composting to Compost Crew.
Holiday Trees:
- Trees will be collected during the first two collections in January. Please remove all décor and place curbside next to your trash and recycling carts.

Watch Night New Year's Eve Celebration

Tuesday, Dec. 31, from 7 p.m. to Midnight
Star Drop Countdown at 11:55 p.m. near the intersection of Broad and Washington Streets
Official Event Website

Celebrate New Year's Eve in the City of Falls Church at the 27th Annual Watch Night celebration presented by the CATCH Foundation and City of Falls Church. Fun and entertainment is in two locations, outdoors on the closed off block of Broad Street between Maple Avenue and N. Washington Street. Free, fun, and family friendly – including live music, inflatables and rides, karaoke and more! Indoor venues host live music, dancing, tours and are a great place to warm up!

Leaf Collection Ends Jan. 10

Leaf collection ends Friday, Jan. 10, 2025.

If bagging leaves, please only use the brown kraft bags and place the required $1 yellow sticker on each bag for collection. Leaves will not be accepted in privately-owned containers.

After collection, the leaves will be processed into high-quality leaf mulch that will be available at the Recycling Center in March, 2025.

2024 to 2025 Schedule

Dec. 23 - 31: North of Broad St. (Zones 3 and 4)
Jan. 2 - 7: North of Broad St. (Zones 3 and 4)
Jan. 8 - 10: City-Wide – All zones for cleanup

The leaf collection schedule is subject to change based on weather conditions. Learn more about the City's compositing program and backyard composting workshops. For more information, go to: https://fallschurchva.gov/397/Leaf-Collection.

Mary Riley Styles Public Library

Mary Riley Styles

Volodymyr Sukhin: Ukrainian Winter Concert

Lower Level Conference Room

Saturday, Dec. 21, 2 - 3:00 p.m. Adults (18+).

Registration for this event will close on Dec. 21 at 2:00 p.m.

Volodymyr Sukhin is the lead vocalist for ManSound, which performs jazz standards, love ballads, rock hits, immortal classics and Ukrainian folk songs.

Volodymyr has toured dozens of countries on three continents and participated in more than 70 music festivals around the world. Each of ManSound's six albums has received awards from the International A Cappella Society (CASA). Among the group's achievements are the nomination ‘Best Vocal Group’ at the All American Entertainment Awards (2001, Branson, USA), the Grand Prix of the international a cappella competition Vokal.Total (2002, Graz, Austria), and the Showbiz award in the nomination ‘Best Jazz Group of Ukraine’ (2005).

Volodymyr Sukhin and his charming children, Olexandra (violin) and Mykhailo (flute), will perform Christmas carols, classical music, and rock songs.

RSVP using this form is requested, but drop-ins are welcome, space provided.