‘Grocery Outlet’ Announced For Former Target Site in F.C.

It was finally formally announced Wednesday that the Grocery Outlet will occupy the space vacated by the closing of the small Target store on S. Washington Street in Falls Church.

According to Wikipedia, the Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. is an American discount closeout retailer consisting exclusively of supermarket locations that offer deeply discounted, overstocked, and closeout products from name-brand and private-label suppliers. The company has stores in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, and Delaware.

The majority of Grocery Outlet’s stores are independently operated by locally based, married couples. Each store has flexibility in its product offerings to serve local tastes and demand. The Read family founded the company in 1946. The formal name is Grocery Outlet Bargain Market.

Inventory comes primarily from overstocks and closeouts of name-brand groceries, as well as private-label groceries. Grocery Outlet buys mostly closeout or seasonal merchandise, so particular brand names change often. The company’s stores also carry food staples such as fresh meat, dairy and bread. All products sold by Grocery Outlet are purchased directly from manufacturers, never from other retail stores. One of the most popular sections in Grocery Outlet is labeled NOSH (natural, organic, specialty and healthy). Mainly because of this section, Grocery Outlet has attracted followers who want to buy ethical items (often vegan and/or plant-based) on a budget.

F.C. Education Foundation Cites Huge Gala Results

The executive director of the Falls Church Education Foundation, Susan Hladky, reported this week that the organization’s annual gala at the Washington Golf and Country Club was a great success.

She wrote, “It was a big night for the Little City. Thank you to everyone who helped the Falls Church Education Foundation celebrate 20 years of supporting schools at our annual gala. A record number of parents, teachers, administrators, and community members came together for a truly memorable night. For this milestone anniversary, we added a few special touches like the Reverse Raffle that raised thousands for our schools, with the big winner, FCCPS School Board Member Amie Murphy; the FCEF friendship bracelets handmade by a Henderson Middle School student; the abundance of plant party favors cultivated by Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School’s Sustainability Club; the picture frames and one-of-a-kind chess board created by Meridian High School’s Design II Class; the buttons worn by past and present FCEF Board Members, as well as FCCPS award winners; the student volunteers who brought positive energy to their tasks and their dance break; Mary Jo West and the Meridian Jazz Band who performed for the record-setting crowd.”

F.C. School Board Seeks Special Election Nov. 5

At the FCCPS School Board meeting on May 14, Dr. David Ortiz announced that he would be resigning from his seat effective June 15, 2024. It was announced this week that next month the School Board plans to file a Petition for Writ of Election with the Circuit Court for the County of Arlington, asking the Court to schedule a special election for Dr. Ortiz’s seat. The Board will ask for the election to be held on the next general election date, Nov. 5, 2024.

Any qualified voter and bona fide resident of Falls Church City who wants to learn about serving on the School Board is invited to contact a current School Board member or visit office hours with Chair Gould and Vice Chair Tysse on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, 6-8:00 p.m. at the Dogwood Tavern. Additional information regarding how to qualify for ballot access will be provided following issuance of the Writ of Election by the Court.

Meridian Foreign Service Club Hosts Special Event

The Meridian High School Foreign Service Youth Club, led by Meridian seniors Julia Wolf and Kaylah Curley, hosted the Foreign Service Spring Community Night last Friday, their second event this year.

Foreign Service and State Department families, as well as families with other international backgrounds, were invited to connect and enjoy food, and take part in a student-run trivia game. With 56 members at Meridian, the club’s mission is to welcome new students and families and create a community around values of adaptability and open-mindedness.