Three days after voters delivered a stinging rebuke at the ballot box, Falls Church’s congressman has a message for Donald Trump and every Republican still standing behind him: stop ignoring the voters or keep losing. “Trump and his Republican allies who continue to embrace the politics of hate, division, and chaos are wildly out of step with what the American people want,” Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) said Friday, “and they will keep suffering more defeats until they listen.”

Beyer, who represents the City of Falls Church as part of Virginia’s 8th District, issued the warning after Trump named Stephen Miller as his new White House Chief of Staff. Beyer said the pick shows the White House is ignoring Tuesday’s results. Miller “embodies the worst elements of the Trump presidency,” Beyer said, and his promotion “shows that Trump has learned nothing from his electoral debacle and has no intention of even trying to work constructively with the next Congress.”

Beyer’s sharpest charges centered on immigration, an issue with deep roots in Falls Church, home to the Eden Center and generations of immigrant families who built businesses and raised kids here. Miller, who has served as Trump’s deputy chief of staff for policy and Homeland Security adviser, is the “architect of Trump’s immigration policies that plunged quiet American communities into violence,” Beyer said, charging that on Miller’s orders “peaceful, law-abiding people have been seized from their families and imprisoned or deported for minor civil offenses, and American citizens who protested these actions have been beaten up and even killed by masked paramilitary thugs.”

He didn’t stop at immigration. Beyer called Miller the “brains” behind what he described as “illegal, extrajudicial murders of people in the Caribbean and the Pacific, many of whom may have done nothing wrong.” He also pointed to the 2024 campaign, when he said Miller repeatedly promised that Trump would focus on the economy and avoid new wars, only to become “an ardent defender of Trump’s foolish, unpopular attacks on Iran and other countries.”

Beyer tied the appointment directly to Tuesday’s election, saying the choice of Miller “doubles down on the politics of hatred, lawlessness, and failure that the American people soundly rejected three days ago.” The White House had not responded to Beyer’s statement as of press time.

The post Beyer to Trump and the GOP: Keep Pushing Hate and “You Will Keep Losing” first appeared on Falls Church News-Press Online.

If you had two minutes to talk to all five members of the County Board, what would you want to say? This challenge was accepted by over 80 people at the recent Townhall hosted by the County Board on Oct. 26. I witnessed it all, sitting in the back row of the County Board room. About three hours in all – and I have to say, those benches are not that comfortable. I came away with many thoughts and impressions. Someone asked me if such events are worthwhile. That is a tough question, which I dodged then, and will dodge here (until next week). I will say it was an interesting and informative evening, so let me share a summary of three hours of civic engagement. By my unscientific count, there were four issues which seemed to generate the most comments, which I would categorize as follows: Automatic License Plate Readers/Flock Cameras; the fatal police killing in May of 33-year-old Shawn Valn inside a 7-Eleven convenience store on Columbia Pike; housing issues; and international politics. 

In September, the County Board ordered the removal of all 41 Flock Safety cameras (26 license plate readers and 15 other cameras). Most commenters highlighted privacy concerns about mass surveillance, and the possible misuse of the technology. This is an issue that will not go away anytime soon. Police Chief Andy Penn, and Aaron Miller, the County’s deputy county manager for public safety, have indicated that removing the equipment takes away a tool that police have been using appropriately. As to housing issues, some comments were general in nature, thanking the County Board for their efforts. Others were more specific about a need for increased density, with an emphasis on changes to the GLUP – an awkward acronym for an important policy document. “GLUP” stands for the General Land Use Plan, which is the policy guide for future development in Arlington, charged with guiding the intensity of different land uses within the County. Then there were several speakers voicing their continued opposition to the 2023 County legislation with its own acronym issues – referred to as “EHO” for the Expanded Housing Opportunities ordinance (but also commonly referred to as Missing Middle, a phrase that was used more often during the three-year process that led up to the 2023 legislation). 

A few days prior to the Townhall, the Arlington County Police Department released body camera footage documenting the fatal police shooting in May. The speakers were passionate in their despair about the shooting (and their criticism of the police department). This is another story that will take a long time to play out, with ongoing investigations as to what transpired that day (and perhaps also what did not transpire, as one question was raised about the role of mental health specialists in such situations). Finally, there were many comments on international politics, emanating from a group that has been lobbying the County Board for quite awhile. Speakers from Arlington Apartheid Divest provided a slide show with their comments urging the County to cut ties with companies that might be connected to Israel’s military actions and policies in Palestinian territories. The Townhall also included speakers in opposition to this group. 

These four larger issues overshadowed many thoughtful comments. I appreciated the comments by a teenager who urged the County to continue their financial support for after-school programs. Another speaker highlighted the very specific problem of a traffic light on Carlin Springs Road, near a local school, that was working improperly, causing real pedestrian dangers. There was an earnest plea to avoid the proposed solution of killing deer in order to control the deer population in Arlington. Another speaker referenced the ongoing problems with transportation on Columbia Pike, raising the question as to what happened to the County promise of improved bus service after the Board killed the idea of a streetcar system on the Pike in 2014? (Some issues seem to never fade away.) I realize that there were too many good comments for me to capture in one column. So I will come back next week and highlight some healthcare concerns. And I might tackle the question, are Townhall events worthwhile?

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The biggest box office surprise of the year might be Nathan Fielder’s documentary about disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, “You Can See Everything.” After its phenomenal October 16 opening weekend ticket sales, the film expanded from an initial release in 855 theaters to 3,243 domestic theaters (including Paragon at Founders Row). In less than three weeks the movie has hauled in over $60 million and is already ranked number 6 on the Top 10 domestic highest grossing documentaries of all time.

The tale of Elizabeth Holmes from Stanford University protégé to billionaire entrepreneur to Federal Prison Camp inmate is as complicated and nuanced as the documentary suggests. She was the inventor of the Edison, a device that could theoretically run over 1,000 lab tests from one drop of blood. The machine never worked but investors (and unwitting patients) were duped to believe that it did. If you’ve seen the film and want to know more about the Theranos saga, or if you plan to see the film and want more context around what you’re about to see, I’ve compiled a number of streaming options to get you caught up.

The Dropout (Hulu, Disney+). This 2022 docudrama features Amanda Seyfried as Holmes and her definitive performance here is likely the reason no one else has tried to release a competing fictionalization of the subject matter. The eight-episode drama by showrunner and executive producer Elizabeth Meriwether was based on ABC News reporting by Rebecca Jarvis and follows Holmes’ life from Stanford through the rise of Theranos to its rapid fall and the subsequent federal fraud indictments following the publication of John Carreyrou’s series of articles in The Wall Street Journal beginning in 2015. Holmes’ romantic and professional relationship with business partner Sunny Balwani (who also went to prison for his role in defrauding investors) is thoroughly examined, as well as the increasingly chaotic working environment at Theranos as the Edison prototype failed to deliver accurate and consistent results. The series does an excellent job of portraying the key players in the Theranos saga as well as the dire consequences of endorsing a medical device that was churning out inaccurate results to patients who were betting their lives on those test results. In other words, it doesn’t feel like a cheesy reimagining of the story. Amanda Seyfried won an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe for her role, both well deserved. “You Can See Everything” refers to this docudrama, so it would benefit you to have seen this first if you’re planning to see the documentary.

The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley (Max, Hulu, and various rental and purchase options). This documentary was written and directed by Alex Gibney and released in 2019, the year following the indictments against Holmes and Balwani for defrauding investors. It covers the founding and flailing of Theranos through a series of interviews with Holmes, Sunny Balwani, former employees and whistleblowers Tyler Shultz (Research Engineer) and Erika Cheung (Lab Associate), as well as Wall Street Journal reporter John Carreyrou. The full list of participants is impressive. Running time is 1 hour and 59 minutes.

20/20 – /Season 44, Episode 16: “The Dropout: The Rise and Con of Elizabeth Holmes” (Hulu, Disney+). Rebecca Jarvis hosted this episode, which aired in March of 2022. It runs just under 80 minutes and covers the meteoric rise and fall of Theranos, the wealthy investors who were duped, Holmes’ relationship with current partner Billy Evans, and her conviction on federal fraud charges. The episode also includes segments about the docudrama starring Amanda Seyfried.  

60 Minutes spotlight (CBS). For a quick (and remarkably concise) primer, you can check out this segment from reporter Norah O’Donnell that aired in 2018 as part of the popular CBS news program. Among the people interviewed are whistleblower Tyler Shultz, former research engineer at Theranos, former Lab Associate Erika Cheung, and Doug Matje who had been hired to adapt blood tests for the Edison. They give an insider’s view of the pressure on lab employees as the Edison continued to flounder. You can watch the full segment (just under 14 minutes) for free at cbsnews.com/video/elizabeth-holmes-theranos-60-minutes-archive.

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The election on Tuesday was projected to be historic, but few people predicted the massive turnout, and the stunning result. Voters gave Democrats an overwhelming victory because Trump’s policies are hurting them, and they support a party that will fight back.

Democrats’ first priority on Tuesday was retaking the House of Representatives. Needing only 4 seats to reach 218 and replace the razor-thin Republican majority, Democrats are instead projected to win more than 260 seats. The House has the “power of the purse,” a significant tool to deliver economic relief for Americans, as well as oversight powers to fight Trump’s corruption. The new Speaker of the House will likely be Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the first Black man to hold the Speaker’s gavel.

Democrats exceeded their hopes by taking the United States Senate as well, and by a wider margin than anyone thought possible. With so many small, rural, Republican-leaning states, many people worried Democrats could no longer compete in this body, but wins in big states like Texas and small states like Iowa show the character of the candidates still matters more to voters than their political party. 

With the House and Senate both blue, Democrats will have enormous leverage when writing the national budget. Harmful cuts to healthcare, clean energy, food assistance, and our federal agencies could quickly be reversed, reducing pressure on families as well as our state and local budgets. Empowered by this overwhelming mandate, Democrats can make affordability the centerpiece of our politics, not just our campaigns.

Democrats will also hold the governorships in 30 of the 50 states, a majority for the first time since 2010, after flipping Texas, Georgia, Ohio, Nevada, and Iowa. Each of these states participated in the illegal deployment of National Guard troops in Washington D.C., Minnesota, and cities across America supporting Trump’s mass deportation campaign. Democratic governors will bring those guardsmen home where they can focus on their lawful role of emergency response and disaster relief, instead of helping Trump entrench himself before the next transfer of power in January 2029. Keisha Lance Bottoms of Georgia will be the nation’s first Black female governor, and Deb Haaland of New Mexico, our first Native American female governor.

Two of the most historic upsets were in Texas and Kansas, where Christian pastors running on messages of decency and inclusion offered voters an alternative to the hate and division that has defined the Trump years. In Michigan, a Muslim man overcame a hateful, bigoted opponent with the support of the President to become the first Muslim to serve in the United States Senate. 

And here in Virginia, voters made history of our own. All three constitutional amendments passed by double digits, writing reproductive freedom, marriage equality, and the automatic restoration of voting rights into the Constitution of Virginia, rights no future legislature can strip away on a party-line vote. Senator Mark Warner won a fourth term with roughly 60 percent of the vote. Northern Virginia returned Don Beyer and James Walkinshaw to the House, with Walkinshaw winning his first full term. Congressman Rob Wittman’s long hold on the 1st District ended after a two point loss to Shannon Taylor, and down in Virginia Beach, Elaine Luria reclaimed the 2nd District from Republican Jen Kiggans. Virginians did not just send a message to Washington; they locked in freedom at home.

Most importantly, this election proves to voters who sometimes feel that their vote and their voice do not matter that change is still possible in our political system. Americans have watched Trump put our troops in harm’s way, our government in chaos, and our economy in freefall for two years. On Election Day, they spoke up in overwhelming numbers, Democrat, Republican and Independent, to demand change, and together we made history. 

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It was Donald Trump’s worst nightmare. Tuesday’s Blue Wave Tsunami, one of the nation’s most historic outcomes capping the year of its 250th birthday, will take awhile for its impact to be fully appreciated. But it arrives as a complete and total, without exception, repudiation of everything that Donald Trump has come to represent over the last decade. Everything that Trump has tried to accomplish has blown up in his face. He was a horrible businessman, as evidenced by his record numbers of bankruptcies. He chose the path of the criminal early on, goaded by his erstwhile legal counsel and who knows what else, the infamous Roy Cohn. He was the last evidence of a foul period of national excess, of a reaction formation against the noble achievements of America during the FDR years, the second world war, and the post-war recovery. Remnants of the losers of that war, fascist genocidalists, went underground trying to hang onto their foul dreams while slowly gaining ground in the 1960s and 1970s, finding an opportunity with the promotion of social excess in the 1970s that involved the hedonistic exploitation of women to stem the tide of the feminist revolution. For the young Donald Trump then, it was engagement with a degenerate personal lifestyle that coincided with an approach to business dealings that festered with deceit and corruption.

Trump got hooked on that world and the Soviets helped him with the idea that he might carry their water even into the White House here if they owned him through blackmail and the tawdry subcultures of urban life. A naive America got suckered in as it fell for the Trump approach, itself. Like a teenager who gets hooked on a bad addiction, it became too hard to extricate from and so it played along. But reality was catching up, along with growing cadres of well meaning folk eager to get clean. Emotional encounters drove the thirst for recovery, and at last, this week, the break happened, all at once and everywhere.

So it is another new morning in America. Waking up with the sun shining, birds chirping and the dog needing a walk, here we now are. What now, America? We’re being given yet another chance to fulfil our potential, to build a better world for us all. Shake off the cobwebs, and let’s get to work. Or, maybe after breakfast. We can shape a better world. The most egregious excesses that Trump has wrought among us, such as the behavior of the current defense secretary, need to be taken on first, even as we map out a better future more generally.

  Don’t let the euphoria of the current moment last too long. We have a lot of new possibilities now to engage.

The post A New Morning In America  first appeared on Falls Church News-Press Online.

Mustangs football had a difficult end to their season, dropping two in a row to finish their regular season 5-5. Last week they lost to Warren County HS 42-7, and this week they were beaten by Skyline HS 40-16. Despite the losses, the Mustangs still comfortably made the playoffs. Currently, the Mustangs are the #4 seed, meaning they would host a playoff game. However, Skyline is the team directly behind them in the standings, and with one game left to play, it is likely that they will overtake the Mustangs in the standings and take the fourth seed. If this happens, the Mustangs will be the #5 seed and have to go on the road to take on Skyline.

Field hockey became regional champions after a decisive 1-0 victory over Western Albemarle HS. The win comes just one year after Western Albemarle beat Meridian in this very game last season, and it also extends their undefeated season to 19-0. With the region crown in the bag, the Mustangs turn their attention to states, where the Mustangs will host New Kent HS on Saturday, Nov 7 for their first matchup of the state tournament.

Boys volleyball secured the #4 seed in the regional bracket, meaning they automatically made it to the regional quarterfinals and had some time to rest up before their first playoff game. The rest came in handy, as the Mustangs swept Rock Ridge HS 3-0 to advance to the regional semifinals. If the Mustangs win the semifinals, they punch their ticket to the state tournament in addition to advancing to the regional championship.

Girls volleyball began their playoff run with a 3-0 sweep of William Monroe HS in the regional quarterfinals. They are now gearing up to play the #3 seeded Kettle Run HS in the region semifinals. Since the Mustangs hold the #2 seed, the game will be played at Meridian, so the Mustangs will have a crucial home-court advantage in their most important game of the season thus far.

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Adequate coverage of the Nov. 3, 2026, midterm election in the U.S. this week calls for more focus on history books than the individual vote counts, because the outcome was so overwhelming that simply to call them historic seems trite.

This was an election like no other in the 250 year history of the United States and will be remembered as such.

It was not about any particular candidate so much as a very loud affirmation of voters across the U.S. of what kind of people we are, what we aspire to be, and what we are not, especially the latter.

The Trump MAGA movement was crushed in the course of a single day as the nation’s collective reaction to a decade of the most egregious lying, abuse and corruption.

Songs will be sung and poetry recited to the heroics by voters on this one day, their reaction to everything that earlier day of infamy had struck against the nation’s spirits on January 6, 2021, when a riotous insurrection led by Trump soiled some of the nation’s most precious symbols in a failed coup attempt.

History will henceforth require that when January 6, 2021, is evoked, so must also November 3, 2026, be. Here was the delayed reaction of the nation to that grievous day, and so it must be reported in any future references to those events.

“So what kind of a mealy mouthed slouch are you, anyway?” The events of January 6 taunted our people. Slow to some to our senses and to begin to burn, the stunned nation gathered itself from that low moment, began to regain its senses and to react with force. This election was the product of that.

On one election day, from coast to coast, the reaction this week was clear. We don’t want this, we repudiate it, and we henceforth insist that our leaders must stand for the kind of civility and rule of law that Trump and his movement so fully sought to repudiate.

Fittingly, it was not our political leaders who led this delayed reaction, as most of them cowered under the Trump influence to legitimize its corruption by caving to its influence.

Only some of the strongest of opponents stood up in these last years, too many at the expense of their own careers. Still, slowly, the best among them joined the quiet rise that was led by citizens at the grass roots, and even as a series of courageous legal decisions helped to fend it off. 

 Demonstrations, No Kings rallies that drew millions onto the streets of America, fed the growing public dissent. But even as the poison still cursed through the nation’s veins to result in Trump’s reelection in 2024, a purge was underway.

It was not the usual opposition to unpopular policies that manifested themselves, but a wholesale repudiation of the corruption and moral filth which arose. The future will now disclose the wholly degenerate extent to which Trump and his ilk engaged in an abject depravity under the watchful eye of their co-conspirator Epstein legions. What will come out now will show the depths of this immoral and lethal behavior, and the world will truly be shocked.

It will be of little wonder that Trump and his legions are hunting for the exits. There has simply been no basis for them to cry foul. One can imagine that many who have been exploited in one fashion or another by this administration will not be kind as the hearings and investigations are lined up to take their turns at getting even.

Trump really did not think through the consequences of proceeding so openly as a grifter and liar over the last decade. All the proverbial chickens will be coming home to roost. 

It will be up to the new leadership to take this moment and move forward in a sane but unyielding fashion. What we will be in for is a sequence of some of the most salacious material that will become public under oath and will undoubtedly lead to criminal indictments. It will be a challenge to dodge the rats scurrying off this sinking ship.

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Setting the clocks back or forward used to be a simpler task.  A wristwatch, a bedside alarm, perhaps a mantel clock or one on the wall, and all were analog timepieces: simply move the dial.  No lighted digital numbers, no robotic beeps, no push buttons, and no automatic updates for devices because the ubiquitous gadgets that run our lives today didn’t exist.  

Every so often, a wave of nostalgia drifts in, a bit of sentimentality triggered by a brief event, an aroma, a musical theme, an old photo … or by changing the clocks. Visiting an old haunt can do the same, as it did for me in August when I toured my grandparents’ longtime home in Portland, Oregon. The house was built in 1920, and my paternal grandparents lived there for more than 50 years, until 1972 when I was last in the house. The family there now is only the third in a century to occupy the house. A few years ago, they contacted me (found my birth name on the internet) to ask if I knew anything about the house. Fortunately, I had some old photos and a lot of memories of visiting my grandparents all through school and even after I moved East. The flagpole and the gorgeous purple and white rhododendron are gone but the house otherwise looks the same. The beautiful little tiles on the hearth, the leaded glass-front bookcases, and the mirrored built-in buffet are exactly as I remember them. The kitchen layout looks very familiar although the cabinetry is newer. Grandpa’s fishpond in the backyard is gone but the big rocks that edged it remain. When I was a kid, the street was on a city bus route, impossible now as parking has drastically narrowed the street. Fond memories of a time gone by, knowing another family still is finding enjoyment, respite, and community in a neighborhood that Beverly Cleary’s “Ramona” books celebrated.

In today’s toxic political atmosphere, there is a yearning to return to the “good old days” pre-Trump, pre-Covid, pre-9/11 when life was more affordable, maybe simpler, and the country seemed not as divided. That wistful feeling is understandable, but nostalgia is fleeting; as real as those memories and affections may be, they are overshadowed by the stark realism of life and politics in today’s America. With a lifetime career in elective politics, I know that politics were, and can be, different. Historically, they always have been rough and tumble, but not the rude, crude, and lewd Trump brand of today. Part of me sometimes wants to go back to a gentler time and reclaim some of those special days when we had leaders who governed, as we expected them to, with integrity.  

We must be realistic about our political future. As the mid-term results are certified and analyzed, new fissures will be added to an already chaotic Congress. Will Democrats have a mandate, or will the margins be so narrow that no majority leader is easily selected? Who will be Speaker? Clearly, Democratic leadership cannot continue to be from New York City only. It’s a big country, and leadership must be shared, coalitions developed, and new members listened to.  It will take years to rectify the damage done to democracy by the Trump Administration and Congressional inaction. That work must start now. Not nostalgia; simply head and shoulders, and some heart, leaning enthusiastically into the wheel of governance.  

The post A Penny for Your Thoughts 11-5-2026 first appeared on Falls Church News-Press Online.

Congressman Warns of Historic Preservation, Traffic and Public Safety Concerns

U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) urged the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) Thursday to reject President Donald Trump’s proposed 250-foot triumphal arch on Columbia Island, warning that the project threatens historic landmarks, regional transportation and public safety.

Beyer, whose 8th Congressional District includes Arlington National Cemetery and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, testified before the 12-member commission Nov. 5 as it considered the administration’s proposal. The commission, which oversees federal construction and planning in the Washington region, was expected to vote on the project later Thursday.

Beyer sharply criticized the proposal and questioned whether the commission had adequately considered the project’s potential security implications.

“While the President has called for the project to be ‘converted’ to a base for drones and snipers, that appears nowhere in this Commission’s consideration of the project,” Beyer testified.

“I can only conclude that by rubber-stamping the Arch without considering that position, this Commission is either calling the President a liar, or knowingly moving forward with an incomplete and potentially-fraudulent application.”

Beyer said opposition to the project has been particularly strong among Northern Virginia residents who would be directly affected by its construction.

“In my time in Congress, I have never seen a project with such profound, widespread opposition from the very people who it will affect most,” he said.

The congressman also spoke about his personal connection to Arlington National Cemetery, where his parents, grandparents and sister are buried.

Beyer argued that the proposed structure would permanently alter views from the cemetery and surrounding historic landmarks, including Arlington Memorial Bridge and the Lincoln Memorial.

The National Park Service’s assessment of the project found that the arch would adversely affect dozens of historic properties and monuments throughou

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UPDATE: Nov. 5, 2026

A source close to the transaction confirmed to the Falls Church News-Press that former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe is a lead investor in the group taking over the liquor license at Ireland’s Four Provinces in Falls Church.

The source also indicated that longtime owner Colm Dillon will remain deeply involved with the restaurant and that no significant changes to its day-to-day operations are expected.

For nearly three decades, Ireland’s Four Provinces has been where Falls Church goes for a pint of Guinness, a plate of cottage pie and a window seat overlooking West Broad Street. Now two sets of government filings point to a possible change in ownership. A newly formed Alexandria company has raised $800,000 from investors in connection with the purchase of an existing business, according to a federal securities filing, and a state liquor license notice ties that company to the pub.

When the News-Press initially called the restaurant, the staff who picked up either didn’t know what was happening or weren’t saying.

One of three directors named in the federal filing, each listed as a member of the new company’s executive committee, is former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat who served from 2014 to 2018. McAuliffe is listed under his full legal name, Terence Richard McAuliffe, at 105 West Broad Street, the pub’s address. A source close to the transaction confirmed to the Falls Church News-Press Thursday that McAuliffe is a lead investor in the group taking over the restaurant’s liquor license. The source also indicated that longtime owner Colm Dillon will remain involved with the restaurant and that no significant changes to its operations are expected.

Before that confirmation, the News-Press contacted the Alexandria law firm at the address listed on the company’s SEC filing. The firm would neither confirm nor deny McAuliffe’s involvement.

On Thursday, Oct. 29, the News-Press received a legal notice for an ABC license application filed by that company, Wicklow Entertainment Team LLC of Alexandria. The notice lists the trade name as Ireland’s Four Provinces at 105 West Broad Street and seeks a Mixed Beverage, Wine and Beer On and Off license, the full package a restaurant and bar needs to serve drinks on site and sell alcohol to go. It names Patrick Hallahan as the restaurant manager.

On Nov. 3, Wicklow filed a Form D with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission reporting that it sold $800,000 in equity to 27 investors, with a minimum investment of $20,000 and nothing left to sell. The filing says the offering was made in connection with an asset purchase of an existing business. The company was formed in Virginia this year, lists its business address at 119 North Henry Street in Alexandria and identifies its industry as restaurants.

It declined to disclose revenue, and the filing does not state a purchase price or say whether any purchase has closed.

The other two directors are Robert Nealon, who signed the filing as executive manager and is listed at the Henry Street address, and Patrick Hallahan, who is also listed at the pub. The first sale of shares took place Oct. 26, and because the offering was made privately, the 27 investors are not publicly identified in the filing. Colm Dillon, who bought the pub in 2004, is not named on either filing.

Although Dillon is not named in either filing, a source close to the transaction told the News-Press Thursday that he is expected to remain involved with the restaurant. His precise role under the new arrangement has not been publicly detailed, and the filings do not establish whether the underlying business purchase has closed.

The 4 P’s, as regulars call it, opened in Falls Church in 1997, according to the restaurant’s published business history. Eater DC has reported that it was established by Christy Hughes, a veteran of Washington’s famed Dubliner. Dillon, a County Cork native and former general manager of The Dubliner, bought the Falls Church pub in 2004, according to a 2013 Arlington Magazine interview, and became the face of the place.

Under his ownership, the 4 P’s became the Wednesday night trivia, the weekend live music, the Sunday brunch crowd and the St. Patrick’s Day line down the sidewalk. It outlasted the original Four Provinces in Washington’s Cleveland Park, a Hughes pub later renamed Ireland’s Four Fields, which closed in 2012, according to local reporting at the time. Falls Church has watched plenty of restaurants come and go on Broad Street, but the 4 P’s stayed.

Even the new company’s name carries an Irish echo: Wicklow is a county in Leinster, one of the four provinces the pub was named for.

When the News-Press called the pub to ask about the license application, the employee who answered the phone said they had no idea who Patrick Hallahan was. That’s a striking answer from a restaurant where state paperwork lists Hallahan as the manager and federal paperwork lists him at the pub’s address. The call was handed to another manager, who quickly said any questions would have to go through Colm Dillon. Dillon was not in the building.

Meanwhile, speculation about the pub’s future has circulated online. The News-Press has now confirmed through a source close to the transaction that former Gov. Terry McAuliffe is a lead investor in the group taking over the liquor license. The source also indicated that Dillon will remain involved and that no significant changes to the restaurant’s operations are anticipated. The federal filings document $800,000 raised from 27 investors in connection with an asset purchase, although the terms and closing status of that transaction remain unclear.

Under the legal notice, objections to the license application must be submitted no later than 30 days from the publication date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. They can be registered with the Virginia ABC Authority at www.abc.virginia.gov or by calling (800) 552-3200.

For regulars of Ireland’s Four Provinces, the latest information suggests that the Broad Street institution they have known for nearly three decades will continue operating much as it has. Questions remain about the final ownership structure, whether the underlying business sale has closed and the identities of the remaining investors. But according to a source close to the transaction, Dillon is expected to stay involved, and no significant changes to the restaurant’s day-to-day operations are anticipated.

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