Local Feedback Provided On Rt. 29 Transportation Project
By David Beddoe
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) held its second community meeting this Tuesday to discuss the Route 29 Active Transportation Study. Members of the community were invited, including members of the Falls Church Citizens Advisory Committee on Transportation (CACT). The FCDOT study aims to create an environment that is safe for pedestrians and bicyclists, connects both sides of Route 29, improves access to transit, and helps build driver awareness.
The Route 29 Transportation Study share common goals with Falls Church City: increased multimodal safety, connectivity, and wider accessibility to transportation services for citizens.
Falls Church City shares approximately one-quarter of this busy linear geography with Fairfax County on the north side of Route 29, which includes busy intersections and Metro Bus routes. Route 29 is one of the two major thoroughfares through the & Little City & experiencing significant growth in terms of infrastructure and businesses.
Detailed background and progress for FCDOT’s Route 29 project is well documented on the Fairfax County government website. Similarly, the City of Falls Church is also planning a South Washington Street Bus Expansion project, aimed to increase transit access and improve pedestrian safety. The project would improve and relocate bus shelters for optimum rider safety, enhance crosswalks, and replace traffic signals along the South Washington Street corridor.
FCDOT’s May 19 meeting was the second opportunity for citizens to provide feedback on the proposed Route 29 project. Members of the Falls Church Citizens Advisory Committee on Transportation (CACT) were invited to learn how the Route 29 project will impact, and potentially improve areas of the Little City.
(Mr. Beddoe is the chair of the F.C. Citizens Advisory Committee on Transportation).
F.C. Ed Foundation Feted For Awarding 25 Scholarships
In a statement this week, the Falls Church Education Foundation (FCEF) said it joined the Athletics Boosters, Choral Boosters, Band Boosters, and other community organizations in recognizing student achievement at the 2026 Scholarship Awards ceremony.
“FCEF is honored to steward 25 scholarships with 35 recipients this year and reward various experiences, talents, interests, and future pursuits. Scholarships include recognition of students who are: dedicated to service learning, first-generation college students, community college attendees, ESOL program graduates, students pursuing visual arts and creative writing, a full tuition and fees scholarship, and more. Including two new scholarship awards: Margarita Adolar Monteroso Memorial Scholarship and the Nick Werkman Memorial Scholarship,” it noted.
FCEF has disbursed almost $2 million in donor-designated scholarships to date.
In addition to awarding scholarships, the FCEF recognized National Merit Scholarship Finalists. Several members of the Meridian High senior class will embark upon military service, the FCEF noted. ”We recognized students who will attend the United States Air Force Academy and the United States Military Academy, those who received Army and Navy ROTC scholarships, and a student who will serve in the Marine Corps Reserve,” it stated.
Jones Sues U.S. Department Of Ed Over Student Loan Limits
Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones yesterday joined a coalition of attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education over a new rule that unlawfully limits access to federal student loans for students pursuing professional degree programs, including many healthcare and other critical workforce fields.
The lawsuit challenges a recently finalized Department of Education rule that narrows the federal definition of “professional degree” and imposes restrictions Congress did not authorize. The coalition argues the rule unlawfully excludes many degree programs that qualify under the standards established by federal law, potentially reducing access to financial aid for students pursuing advanced education.
“Cutting off access to federal student loans cuts off access to career opportunities for Virginians. This unlawful rule will worsen the workforce crisis and further strain the healthcare field,” said Jones. “The Trump administration is once again skirting the system of checks and balances, and my office is committed to standing up for student borrowers in the Commonwealth.”
F.C.’s Creative Cauldron Wins Helen Hayes Award
Monday night at the Helen Hayes Awards, Falls Church’s Creative Cauldron Stage took home the award for Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Helen) for its production of The Turn of the Screw: The Musical!
The award went to Lynn Joslin (who is also the Cauldron’s current lighting designer for Little Women: The Musical).
Also, members of the cast of Little Women: The Musical (Kylie Clare Truby, Odette Gutierrez del Arroyo, Carolyn Burke and Shelby Young) were due yesterday to perform live on “The Marissa Mitchell Show” on Channel 5.
Va. Lawmakers Push for Ranger Activity Booklet
Virginia’s U.S. Rep. Don Beyer today led the Democratic Virginia Congressional delegation, including Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, and Representatives Bobby Scott (VA-03), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Eugene Vindman (VA-07), and James Walkinshaw (VA-11), to request that the National Park Service (NPS) immediately return a Junior Ranger Program activity booklet to circulation in its original form ahead of America 250 events, which are expected to bring millions of visitors to Virginia and the National Capital Region.
According to an NPS database, the Junior Ranger activity booklet was flagged and removed pursuant to the June 2025 National Park Service directive ordering the review of public-facing historical materials for including the following line: “In 1829, Robert E. Lee promised to serve in the Army and protect the United States. In 1861, he broke his promise and fought for slavery.”
In requesting that the booklet be immediately returned to circulation in its original form, the lawmakers emphasized that the booklet’s language regarding General Robert E. Lee is factually accurate and necessary to telling the complete story of Arlington House and the American Civil War.