Falls Church Forward Hosts Solstice S’Mores Social
Falls Church Forward celebrated the start of summer with a Solstice S’Mores Social at the Cherry Hill Park Pavilion on June 21. Attendees enjoyed music, watermelon and s’mores over an evening fire — despite the heat wave.
Ed Henderson II from the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation read excerpts from his new book “The Grandfather of Black Basketball: The Life and Times of Dr. E.B. Henderson,” a contemporary biography of his grandfather, and shared stories about our city’s civil rights history.
Falls Church Forward’s mission is to imagine, advocate, and work for a Falls Church that is welcoming, vibrant, and sustainable for current and future generations. To learn more, join the summer potluck, volunteer for the leave the leaves campaign, help create a city welcoming packet, or paint public art, please visit FallsChurchForward.org.

Local Sewing Academy Graduates Praise Class
A sewing academy long supported by Islamic Relief USA graduated its 11th annual class on Tuesday, June 11, during a ceremony at Dar-al-Hijrah Islamic Center (3159 Row St., Falls Church).
The class of six beginner-level graduates and three students from the advanced-level class praised their instructor, Asma El-Bakkari, for strongly supporting them during the intensive three-month course.
The graduates originally came from Somalia, Palestine, Afghanistan, Egypt, Morocco, and Pakistan.

Winner Announced in First F.C. ‘I Voted’ Sticker Contest
On Monday morning the City of Falls Church Electoral Board announced the winning design for their first ever “I Voted” sticker contest. The winning sticker, by a landslide, was designed by local student Rion Miller.
The Electoral Board is assigned two youth representatives through an initiative of local nonprofit Citizens for a Better City (CBC), and this year’s representatives were students Megan Carpenter and Preston Lieu. The Electoral Board discussed with Carpenter and Lieu running a sticker contest in the schools, and they enthusiastically agreed and began advertising in the schools. The contest received 12 submissions from six middle- and high-school students. The Electoral Board and the Youth Reps then made a selection of the top five submissions and sent them out to the student body for a vote. Out of 150 ballots cast, Rion Miller’s design won with 88 votes. Second and third place submissions received 26 and 17 votes, respectively.
In a statement Monday, The Electoral Board recognized several talented student designers for their submissions, including Rion Miller, Brenna OhAilin, Colleen Carpenter, Aislin Beaupain, Lukas Wansley, and Selene Trevino. They also thanked Carpenter and Lieu for a fantastic job running the sticker contest, and congratulated Miller for their winning design submission.
Miller’s design will be made into the official “I Voted” stickers that will be available in the Office of Elections at City Hall starting Friday, September 20 (the first day of early voting for the November 5 Presidential Election). The stickers will also be available to all voters at all City polling places on Election Day.
The Electoral Board will attend the City Council meeting on September 9, prior to early voting beginning, to recognize Miller for their winning design, and Carpenter and Lieu for their hard work running the contest.
For information on voting, including registering, locations and times, and more, visit fallschurchva.gov/vote. Check the status of your mail-in ballot at vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation.