F.C. Partakes in Gun Buyback Day June 8
The City of Falls Church is partnered with Arlington County in a Gun Buyback event Saturday, June 8, from 8 a.m. to noon. Unwanted weapons can be exchanged for gift cards and surrendered guns will be destroyed.
Rifles will be exchanged for $150, handguns and shotguns for $200 and assault-style weapons for $250. It will be a drive-thru event only, no walk ups, held at the Arlington Assembly of God, 4501 N. Pershing Dr., Arlington. All individuals must arrive in a vehicle, firearms must be unloaded and in the trunk of the vehicle. All must be 18 years or older, show valid ID and proof of Falls Church or Arlington residency.
F.C. Officially Appoints Carroll, Young Deputy City Managers
Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields this week announced the official appointment of Jenny Carroll and Andy Young to serve as Deputy City Managers on a permanent basis. Both have been serving as Interim Deputy City Managers since September 2023.
Carroll will work with five City departments focusing on internal operations: the Mary Riley Styles Public Library, Information Technology, Human Resources, Housing and Human Services, and Recreation and Parks. Focusing on external operations, Young will work with the Department of Public Works and Community Planning and Economic Development Services (CPEDS).
Before their Interim DCM appointments, Young served as the City’s Environmental Sustainability Coordinator since 2022 and previously worked with the Federal General Services Administration as the Assistant Commissioner, Senior Executive Service (SES), Office of Project Delivery and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as the Deputy Real Property Officer (SES), Finance and Facilities. Carroll had been the Mary Riley Styles Public Library Director since 2017. She joined the City at the library circulation desk in 2007 before promotion to Youth Services Library Assistant and Youth Services Supervisor.
With Carroll’s appointment as Deputy City Manager, the City will undertake a recruitment for the permanent Library Director. Marshall Webster has been serving as Interim Library Director since September.
In addition to the appointments, Shields announced Shari Davidson’s appointment to Interim Human Resources Director, effective June 1, following the news that Steve Mason was leaving the City to pursue an opportunity with the Boulder Crest Foundation. Davidson previously served as the City’s Manager of Benefits. The recruitment for a permanent Human Resources Director is underway.
NVTC to OK $30 Million In I-66 Improvements
The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission will be asked to approve $30 million in proposed projects to ease traffic congestion in the I-66 corridor, hear analysis of travel trends in Northern Virginia, including rebounding public transit ridership, following the Covid-19 pandemic and be briefed on ways to speed up buses along the critical Route 7 corridor at their monthly meeting Thursday.
The Commission will be asked to approve 15 projects totaling more than $30 million and recommended for funding under the I-66 Commuter Choice program. Commuter Choice reinvests toll revenues into projects that demonstrate the ability to move more people through two of Northern Virginia’s most traffic-congested corridors. The recommended projects would support an estimated 2,700 weekday transit trips, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70 percent and save commuters $2.6 million in fuel expenses each year.
New F.C. PTA Officers For ‘24-’25 Announced
The Falls Church City Public Schools’ PTAs elected new officers for the 2024-2025 school year last year.
Elected to the Falls Church Elementary PTA were Kristin Higgins, president; Kelly Harris Hudes, president-elect, Emma Beyer, Amy Schroeder, Kathryn Allan and Jennie Hux, vice presidents, Lindsay Barnette, secretary and Steve Page treasurer.
Elected to the Henderson Middle School PTA were Shannon Litton, president, Laura Downs, president-elect, Mary-Kathleen Hartenstein, vice president, Emily Carmody, secretary and Amy Galetska, treasurer.
Elected to the Meridian High School PTSA were Christine Buckholz, president, Kate Ashbrook, president-elect, Megan Hauber, vice president, Lisa Miller, treasurer and Jaime Iglehart, secretary.
Tarter Named Exec. Director Of GMU Real Estate Group
Former City of Falls Church Mayor, David Tarter has been named executive director of the Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship at George Mason University’s Costello College of Business. According to a statement, he will expand the learning opportunities while addressing critical issues affecting the real estate industry to grow the Center’s program in academia and practice.
