Local Commentary

2025-07-06 6:13 AM

Marcus Simon February 2025 Column

Marcus Simon • 2025-02-21

This is the very last week of the 2025 General Assembly Session! With a short, 46-day session, it is always a challenge to make sure that we have enough time to review all the legislation that is introduced. I know

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A Penny for Your Thoughts December 26, 2024

Penny Gross • 2024-12-26

It’s Christmas, Hanukah, winter holiday – however you observe, as 2024 phases into history, there are highlights and lowlights to remember. In past years, I opted to offer traditional candy canes and lumps of coal, a la fairy tales. In

A Penny for Your Thoughts December 19, 2024

Penny Gross • 2024-12-19

Most elected officials choose public service because of the rewards – developing trust, solving community problems, assisting constituents, making difficult governance decisions – not for the awards. Winning an election often is award enough, but recognition by one’s peers is

Delegate Marcus Simon’s Richmond Report

Marcus Simon • 2024-12-19

The winter solstice marks the darkest day of the year, when the sun seems furthest from our reach. Yet, it is also the turning point—when the days slowly begin to grow longer, and light begins its steady return. This natural

A Penny for Your Thoughts – December 5, 2024

Penny Gross • 2024-12-05

“You’re not college material. You should just settle for NOVA.” That’s what a high school guidance counselor told our daughter and many of her classmates more than three decades ago. Our daughter opted for a four-year degree at a Virginia

A Penny for Your Thoughts - News of Greater Falls Church: October 10, 2024

Penny Gross • 2024-10-10

Senator Slick and Governor Good Guy faced off in the vice presidential debate last week. Expectations were not high – a vice presidential debate generally checks boxes about each campaign’s strategy and gives the secondary candidates some air time, but

The LGBTQ+ Reach: October 3-9, 2024

Brian Reach • 2024-10-03

Trans Immigrant Awarded $930M in McDonalds Discrimination Suit On August 15, a jury in a D.C. Superior Court ruled that the Burke, VA-based company — owner of a McDonald’s restaurant franchise in D.C. — must pay $700,000 in punitive damages and

A Penny For Your Thoughts - News of Greater Falls Church: October 3-9, 2024

Penny Gross • 2024-10-03

Health care professionals say that, for every day spent in a hospital, it takes three days to recover from the experience. So, recovery from a ten-day hospital stay would take about a month under normal circumstances. Emergency abdominal surgery for

Senator Saddam Salim's Richmond Report: October 2024

FCNP.com • 2024-10-03

By Virginia Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim Hurricane Helene This past week, we have witnessed the devastation across the Southeast caused by Hurricane Helene. The hurricane’s impact was felt in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, the Carolinas, and right here in Virginia. Many communities, particularly

Mayor Hardi's Weekly Update: September 27, 2024

FCNP.com • 2024-09-28

by Letty Hardi Dear Friends, In the vein of celebrating many milestones this year (namely, the city and FCCPS’s 75th birthdays, the library’s 125th birthday, and the W&OD’s 50th birthday) – this is my 370th post! Since 2015 when I first ran for City Council,

The LGBTQ+ Reach: September 26 - October 2, 2024

Brian Reach • 2024-09-26

NOVA Pride LGBTQ+ Soccer League Seeks Local Expansion NOVA Pride Football Club (NOVA Pride FC), a first-of-its-kind LGBTQ+ and allies soccer club in the Northern Virginia region, is seeking to expand after a successful first season earlier this year, culminating in

Mayor Hardi's Weekly Update: September 20, 2024

FCNP.com • 2024-09-20

by Letty Hardi Dear Friends, Today is the first day of early voting! Remember Virginia has no excuse early voting, so you can stop into City Hall anytime during the week (weekend early voting begins in late October). It’s been a packed week! Last weekend was

Delegate Marcus Simon's Richmond Report: September 2024

Marcus Simon • 2024-09-19

September is the beginning of several different seasons. It’s football season (as you may remember from my last column, we dropped my son off at Virginia Tech last month, so Go Hokies!), it’s back-to-school season, in Virginia it’s election season

Mayor Hardi's Weekly Update: September 13, 2024

FCNP.com • 2024-09-13

Dear Friends, This was one of those weeks where what happened outside of our City Council meeting and outside of the votes we cast were most notable, with a lot of good news all around that you should know about: Good news:

Mayor Hardi's Weekly Update: September 6, 2024

FCNP.com • 2024-09-06

Dear Friends, I hope the start of the school year and fall season has been good to everyone. City Council returned from our summer recess this week with a work session on accessory dwelling units and the bike master plan. Read

Senator Saddam Salim's Richmond Report: September 2024

FCNP.com • 2024-09-05

By Virginia Sen. Saddam Salim As a member of the General Assembly, my responsibilities extend beyond just voting on legislation. One of these duties includes serving on various boards and commissions that the Virginia General Assembly participates in. Among the most

Mayor Hardi's Weekly Update: August 16, 2024

FCNP.com • 2024-08-16

Dear Friends, Thank you for the kind notes last week and welcome to all the new readers! This will be my last post for a few weeks as we head into our summer recess. City Council meetings will resume on September

A Penny for Your Thoughts - News of Greater Falls Church: August 15-21, 2024

Penny Gross • 2024-08-15

Hooray! It appears that joy is returning to the political stage! After an almost ten year slog through the dystopian cynicism and relentless negativity of the MAGA movement — which trades on the politics of fear, and the overwhelming message

Delegate Marcus Simon's Richmond Report: August 2024

Marcus Simon • 2024-08-15

The end of August is back to school time. For Rachel and I, it’s a particularly poignant back to school season as we are about to be empty nesters as we send our youngest off to Virginia Tech in the

The LGBTQ+ Reach: August 1-7, 2024

Brian Reach • 2024-08-01

Jane Doe vs. FCPS On March 4, America First Legal — a firm lead by former Trump aide Stephen Miller — filed a lawsuit against Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) on behalf of an unnamed (now former) student at Oakton High

Senator Saddam Salim's Richmond Report: August 2024

FCNP.com • 2024-08-01

By Sen. Saddam Salim Summer is typically the slowest time of the year in state politics. The last-minute adjustments to the budget by the General Assembly are usually wrapped up by the end of the fiscal year on the last day

Mayor Hardi's Weekly Update: July 26, 2024

FCNP.com • 2024-07-27

Dear Friends, Lots to share this week – updates on the housing front (accessory dwellings and affordable homeownership), touring the newly opened Broad & Washington building, and capital projects underway across the city and coming soon. And shout out to the new

Future of Newspapers Part 2: Competition & Preservation Act

Editorial: Support Your Local Newspaper

Nicholas F. Benton • 2024-07-24

The importance of legitimate and reliable local journalism cannot be overstated. But there is not a single one of us that is not facing extinction. Facing this reality, the News-Press is launching this week an urgent call for financial support

The LGBTQ+ Reach: July 25-31, 2024

Brian Reach • 2024-07-25

144 Out Athletes at Paris Olympics On Friday the 2024 Olympic Games begin in Paris, France. This year’s Games boast 10,500 athletes from 206 teams, representing 195 countries and territories (and refugees). According to Outsports, which tracks the performance of out

A Penny For Your Thoughts - News of Greater Falls Church: July 25-31, 2024

Penny Gross • 2024-07-25

Last week’s column provided some history about the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and efforts to restore the Bay and its tributaries. Improvements in Bay habitat have been slow to develop, but the partnerships established between the watershed jurisdictions, the federal government,

Mayor Hardi's Weekly Update: July 19, 2024

FCNP.com • 2024-07-19

Dear Friends, Besides discussion in our work session about parking code changes, our 2 year priorities and work plan, and brick sidewalks — this week, the long awaited news about the anchor grocery store at West Falls (the 10 acre project adjacent to

Delegate Marcus Simon's Richmond Report: July 2024

Marcus Simon • 2024-07-18

Ideas for legislation come from so many sources – constituent casework, conversations with a colleague, a community meeting, or even an NPR segment. While not all bill ideas are created equal, the general idea is to improve the lives of

Mayor Hardi's Weekly Update: July 12, 2024

FCNP.com • 2024-07-12

Dear Friends, While we had no meeting this week with the Fourth of July holiday, there is plenty to share and get on your calendars. There is a lot of work underway across the city so this should be an informative,

Editorial: Hailing Sen. Salim's 1st Year in Richmond

Nicholas F. Benton • 2024-07-02

With the July 1 start of the new fiscal year for Virginia and the City of Falls Church this week, it is an occasion to celebrate the work of our elected officials who brought us new and thoughtful legislation that

Mayor Hardi's Weekly Update: June 27, 2024

Brian Reach • 2024-06-28

Dear Friends, After a week off, City Council was back in session this week, so I’ll share updates on bike route community meetings and the concept of “Complete Streets” and the new Tinner Hill District, and new legislation from Richmond that goes into effect July 1.