At the initiative of Falls Church Council member Letty Hardi, Mayor David Tarter proclaimed Martin Luther King Day on Jan. 16, 2017 a “City of Falls Church Day of Service” to “encourage all citizens to observe this day with appropriate civic, community, and service projects in honor of Dr. King and to affirm our City’s commitment to the values of equality, inclusion and diversity.”

Ostensibly inspired by concerns raised in the wake the presidential election last month, the proclamation states the “City Council wishes to reaffirm the long-standing community values of equality, inclusion, and diversity, no matter the national context,” adding “the Council believes that ordinary citizens, armed with compassion and a willingness to serve, can come together to change the world and pursue the nation’s highest ideals.”

Other proclamations from the mayor Monday honored the life service of recently-passed citizens Roger Neighborgall and Leah Ruth Dinnison Porzel.