F.C. Bulletin: Brown's Hardware; School Board; F.C. Arts' Spring Window Painting Sign-Up
Letter to the Editor
The Closing of Brown’s, a Comfortable Old Friend
I walked into Brown’s Hardware about a week ago to a funereal atmosphere. The shelves seventy percent empty. Not just the ending of a place. Not just the end of a special and important place. More the loss of a person and of persons. More like the loss of helpful friends.
Brown was a person who placed his name proudly on that store and the Brown family kept it there for nearly fifteen decades. It is the loss of Brown. The loss of the most excellent men who labored there with great grace, humor, skill and effort. It is the loss of their willingness to do whatever to help, to be one hundred percent in the game with you. It is the loss of feeling their contentment about working there and keeping Brown’s alive and the place it always was.
That is gone. Like a comfortable old friend. Like someone you depended on to be there for you.
A heartfelt thank-you to you men who made the place great.
Brown’s is gone, we should gather for a proper wake and viewing.
By Dick Doyle
Editor's note: The Falls Church Independent welcomes letters-to-the-editor. When submitting, please provide your name, address and contact information. Opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by The Falls Church Independent.
For our recent story on the closing of Brown's Hardware, go here:
Christopher Jones
Falls Church Forward Announces Celebration of Brown's Hardware
Friday, March 28, 6-9:00 p.m. at Clare & Don's
Join us as we celebrate 142 years of Brown's Hardware in the Little City. Commemorate the values from the past that we want to continue bringing forward, with speeches, trivia and a white elephant gift exchange. Get your custom shirts here and RSVP here (or let us know if you would be interested in helping sponsor the event). We are looking for a few hands-on volunteers on the 28th – if you can help, please reply to this email.
Hope to see you all soon!
~ Pat and Naudy
According to Focus on Falls Church, the City declared March 28, 2025 "Brown's Hardware Appreciation Day in the City of Falls Church."
For our recent story on Falls Church Forward go here:
Christopher Jones
Falls Church City School Board Approves FY2026 Advertised Budget
The Falls Church City School Board approved its FY 2026 operating budget at its regular meeting Tuesday, March 11, according to a March 12 FCCPS press release. The approved budget totals $69,547,486 and requires a city appropriation of $55,525,284, which aligns with the guidance provided by the City Council.
For the seventh consecutive year, the school division has met the guidance provided by the City Council while continuing to address the needs of a growing student population and maintaining high-quality educational programming.
"This budget reflects our commitment to fiscal responsibility while ensuring we meet the needs of our growing population of students and staff," said School Board Chair Tate Gould.
The Board's approved budget includes several key elements for the coming fiscal year:
- Funding to make permanent several positions currently funded through temporary sources, including a math specialist, school counselor, and ESOL teacher;
- Addition of 4.5 general education classroom teachers to accommodate enrollment growth;
- The addition of one special education teacher and three paraprofessionals;
- Funding for a full-time assistant director of athletics and student activities;
- Continued funding of psychology services previously supported through pandemic funds.
The Board also approved the FY'26 Food Service budget in the amount of $1,621,448 and the Community Services Fund budget of $2,663,200, which requires a city appropriation of $107,500.
As part of the approval process, the Board chose to place funding for a proposed IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) coordinator position into a staffing reserve. This decision will allow the administration flexibility to address potential enrollment increases or other staffing needs that may arise before the final budget adoption in May.
The budget now moves to the City Council for consideration. Superintendent Dr. Peter Noonan and Board Chair Dr. Tate Gould will present the school budget to the City Council on Monday, March 24, 2025. Following City Council action, the School Board will take final action on the budget in May.
For more information about the FY2026 budget, please visit www.fccps.org/budget.
Falls Church Arts Announces New Little City Spring Window Painting Day
Falls Church Arts is increasing its commitment to the local community by sponsoring a new event slated for March 22, 2025. The Little City Spring Window Painting Day will bring together local businesses and community members to paint family-friendly Spring designs on store windows in the city’s business district.
The event builds on the 16 years-long success of Falls Church Arts’ Halloween Window Painting Festival. Painters will return to clean up their artwork on April 19. Last fall, nearly 300 young painters from across the community joined forces with more than 40 local businesses to paint Halloween-themed designs on storefront windows along Falls Church City's major thoroughfares.
All members of the community are invited to take part in this Spring’s event.
COMMUNITY MEMBERS: Register to paint. Come on your own, with a friend, or with a group.
LOCAL MERCHANTS: Sign up to get painted! Painters will clean your windows on April 19.
Check out our Photo Gallery for inspiration from past Halloween Festivals.
Little City Window Painting days are a free, volunteer-led, community service of local nonprofit Falls Church Arts. If you're able, please donate $10 (or more) to defray costs so we can continue to keep the painting opportunity free for all members of our community. Got questions? Send us an email at FCArtsHalloween@gmail.com
By Christopher Jones
Member discussion