We at the mighty Falls Church News-Press are pleased as punch that we were recognized by Mayor Hardi and the Falls Church City Council at their meeting this Monday. A proclamation was issued, published below in full, declaring this Friday, March 28, as “Falls Church News-Press Day” in the City of Falls Church. It was presented in honor of the paper’s first edition on this date in 1991 and over 1,750 consecutive weekly editions since. What a wonderful tribute it was both to us and to newspapers in general!
We thank former Vice Mayor Hal Lippman, chair of the venerable Citizens for a Better City, for his remarks in support of this at the meeting, and for others who joined our chief on the dais to receive the proclamation, including former Mayor Brian O’Connor, who was mayor when the first ever issue was published on March 28, 1991 and was quoted in the paper’s first editorial, former Vice Mayor Lindy Hockenberry and Phil Duncan, among others.
It came as a complete surprise to us. We’ll celebrate “News-Press Day” with a slice of pizza at the Italian Cafe around 5:30 p.m. Join us!
Here is the text of the proclamation:
Whereas the Falls Church News-Press is celebrating the 34th anniversary of weekly publication of Falls Church’s independent, locally-owned newspa-per, and
Whereas the Falls Church News-Press was first published on March 28, 1991, to benefit the residents of the City of Falls Church and its environs with an independent newspaper of record providing news, announcements, comments, letters to the editor, advertising and items of human interest, and
Whereas the longevity of the paper is due to the tireless dedication of the News-Press staff, and to founder and editor Nicholas Benton, who report on local events and issues important to Falls Church residents, and
Whereas freedom of the press and an informed citizenry has been a corner-stone of democracy in this nation and the 1776 Virginia Declaration of Rights led the way for the First Amendment press protections enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, and
Whereas local newspapers bring communities together, and the Falls Church News-Press has played a significant role in connecting the residents of Falls Church with government, schools, and with each other, and
Whereas celebrating the milestone anniversary with the Falls Church News-Press is an opportunity to remind residents of the necessity of a free press, and emphasize the importance of newspapers in fostering account-ability, transparency, improved public policy, community participation, and government responsiveness in the everyday lives of people,
Now therefore, I, Letty Hardi, Mayor of the City of Falls Church, Virginia, do hereby proclaim March 28, 2025 as Falls Church News-Press Day in the City of Falls Church and urge the community to recognize the 34th Anniversary of the Falls Church News-Press.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and cause the Seal of Falls Church, Virginia, to be affixed this 24th Day of March, 2025. Letty Hardi, Mayor.