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Monthly Newsletter from Chairman Sharon Bulova
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Sign up for the Bulova Byline
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| Did You Know? | |
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Check out the new and improved "My Neighborhood" application to view your elected officials, local schools, nearby parks, post offices, libraries, hospitals and more!
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Stay Connected
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Email
Website
Office
(703) 324-2321
Please contact my office with any comments, questions, concerns or ideas. I look forward to hearing from you!
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| Greetings,
On Wednesday, January 14th, I will be hosting my annual Chairman's New Year Reception. This reception is my opportunity (I cover the costs myself) to thank the many volunteers, civic and homeowner association leaders, appointees, County employees and active community members for the role you play in making Fairfax County the great place it is to live, work and play.
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Annandale High School Culinary Arts Students
Chairman's New Year Reception 2013
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We sometimes take ourselves for granted. We assume the kind of engagement and community participation that happens here happens everywhere. It doesn't.
In Fairfax County, I'm always impressed with the multiple roles people play. It is not unusual for the corporate executive I work with on an economic development issue to also be treasurer of his homeowner association and a board member for a local non-profit in his or her "spare time." A physicist who develops top secret defense technology during the week spends his weekend morning in old blue jeans picking up trash along Route 123 as an Adopt a Highway volunteer. Fairfax County residents are exceptional for giving back to our community.
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World Police & Fire Games Coming to Fairfax this Summer
DONATE
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This summer, volunteers will be invited to assist with the World Police and Fire Games. These games, the largest international athletic competition after the Summer Olympics, will be hosted by Fairfax County from June 26th through July 5th. This is a real coup for Fairfax. The Games have previously been held in Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia and New York City. 2015 is our turn to showcase our impressive public safety capabilities.
Sporting events held throughout Fairfax County and the region are anticipated to attract more than 12,000 public safety athletes from around the world. Participants will represent over 70 countries and compete in over 60 different sporting events. Already, future visitors are booking hotel rooms near sporting venues and the Reston Town Center Athletes Village. To learn more about Fairfax2015, how to participate as a volunteer, and how to donate as an individual or corporate sponsor, please visit fairfax2015.com.
Weather issues have been a major concern in our office during these first days of the New Year. This issue of the Byline includes some helpful information about the decision process for closing county facilities and useful alert systems for getting the most up-to-date bulletins.
2014 was a busy year. During Wednesday's Reception, I will be airing my 2015 State of the County address, which includes some of last years' highlights along with this year's challenges and opportunities. The program will appear on Cable Channel 16 and will also be available to watch at your convenience by going to my web site: fairfaxcounty.gov/chairman.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this Byline. I look forward to spending time with you on Wednesday at the New Year Reception!
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Sincerely,
Sharon Bulova
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
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| How Do the I-95 Express Lanes Work? |
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95 Express Lanes Opening Ceremony
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To travel on the I-95 Express Lanes, you'll need an E-ZPass or an E-ZPass Flex. The "flex" option allows you to switch to HOV mode when you have three or more passengers in the car. The switchable E-ZPass Flex lets the Express Lanes operator know which vehicles are HOV-3+ so that they aren't charged a toll. HOV-3+ carpoolers will enjoy toll-free trips 24 hours a day, seven days a week on the 95 Express Lanes. Get your E-ZPass Flex today.
Virginia E-ZPass website:
www.ezpassva.com
Dedicated carpooler information page:
95expresslanes.com/travel-carpool
FAQs on the 95 Express Lanes:
95expresslanes.com/faqs
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| Speak Up About the Environment - Upcoming Public Hearing |
 The Environmental Quality Advisory Council's (EQAC) annual public hearing on the environment will be held on Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at 7:30 PM in Conference Rooms 2 and 3 of the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA.
EQAC is appointed by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to advise on environmental matters. The public is encouraged to attend EQAC's public hearing to share views on the state of the environment and to identify environmental issues applicable to Fairfax County. Environmental issues considered by EQAC include water quality, air quality, noise, hazardous materials, solid waste, stream valley protection, wildlife management, light pollution, visual pollution, energy, climate change response and adaptation, land use, transportation and the use and preservation of ecological resources. While the timing of the public hearing tends to coincide with the timing of publication of EQAC's Annual Report on the Environment, the public hearing is not intended to focus on the Annual Report, but is instead intended to hear your views and concerns regarding environmental issues of interest to you. EQAC welcomes written and/or verbal testimony. For more information, contact [email protected] or call 703-324-1369.
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| Winter Weather Operations |
Hopefully we will not have much more snow this year after the January 6 storm, but I wanted to take the opportunity to remind Byline readers about the responsibilities of different state and local government agencies during snow events and help readers connect with information about the operating status of Fairfax County Public Schools and Fairfax County Government.
Fairfax County, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) receive severe weather forecasts from the National Weather Service preceding a storm event. Each organization then makes its own decision about how to respond to the forecast information.
The Constitution of Virginia vests with the Fairfax County Public Schools the responsibility to make decisions regarding school closures and delays. Information about schools can be found online at www.fcps.edu. Sign up for FCPS alerts for notifications regarding school closings and delays: Keep In Touch
VDOT is responsible for maintaining the public roads in Fairfax County, including snow plowing. Almost all roads in Fairfax County are public. You can call 511 or visit www.511virginia.org to check local road conditions. During a snow event, you can also visit www.vdotplows.org to track which roads have been cleared. If you have concerns about snow plowing, you can contact VDOT at [email protected] or 800-367-7623. You can also contact my office and we will coordinate with VDOT to address your concern.
Fairfax County Government is responsible for maintaining police and fire and rescue services during a winter weather event. County maintenance and stormwater management staff clear snow from county facilities such as libraries, courts, parks and RECenters. The County's Emergency Operations Center activates when a severe weather event is expected, and the Office of Emergency Management coordinates between police, fire, VDOT and private utility providers.
Find information about severe weather and other emergency situations, including government and school closures, on the County's Emergency Blog.
Sign up to receive Fairfax Alerts about weather and other important local news.
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| Shoveling Snow this Winter |
 Sidewalk clearing during snow events is one of the most common inquires my office receives during the winter months. Fairfax County does not have a sidewalk snow removal ordinance that mandates residences to clear pathways around their homes or businesses. As we continue to expand our pedestrian network, these pathways become important for neighborhood connectivity during the winter.
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is responsible for snow removal on all public roadways. However, VDOT does not provide snow removal for pedestrian pathways. It is important for neighborhoods and homeowners associations to work together to help clear pedestrian walkways around community areas such as schools, bus stops and fire hydrants.
To help encourage dialogue about sidewalk snow removal and help community members plan for severe weather, the Board of Supervisors and the Office of Public Affairs have created a new public awareness campaign entitled "Take That Snow and Shovel It." Check out the campaign!
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/shovel
This website provides information and resources to help you tackle snow removal in your neighborhood. Ultimately, sidewalk snow removal is a community effort.
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| Santa's Ride Toy Drive was a Success! | |
The Fairfax County Police Department collected toys from local schools and businesses to distribute to children suffering from cancer in nearby hospitals. Every year, Santa's Ride Toy Drive provides a way for children in schools to reach out to other children and families in need of a few extra smiles. Santa and Rudolph show up via police motorcade to collect and distribute presents, which is always a big hit with the kids. Thank you to all those who played a part in making this Holiday Season a little brighter for many children in our area.
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| Calling all Retirees! Your Skills and Expertise Wanted. | 
Are you newly retired? Or contemplating retirement in the near future? Leadership Fairfax's Lifetime Leadership Program (LLP) is a great way to meet new people and give back to the community post-career. This program is designed for people who have accumulated a lifetime of leadership skills and expertise, and now seek to use this knowledge to impact their local communities.
LLP is offered in partnership with Volunteer Fairfax, and is supported by the Positive Aging Coalition and George Mason University. Through this leadership alliance, participants in the Lifetime Leadership Program identify and clarify their personal leadership skills for future civic engagement, explore current issues in the Fairfax County community and opportunities for civic engagement, and establish a network of lifetime leaders within the County. Connections often continue well beyond the class experience.
For those interested in learning more about the program before applying, Leadership Fairfax will be hosting an information session on Tuesday, January 27, from 11am to noon at 8230 Old Courthouse Road, Suite 100 in Vienna. The next class of LLP will begin Wednesday, March 11, 2015.
To register for an information session or for more information, please call the Leadership Fairfax office at (703) 752-7555 or email [email protected]. The online Application for the 2015 Lifetime Leadership Program is now available on the Leadership Fairfax website: www.leadershipfairfax.org/llp.
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| Need Help Filing Your Income Tax? Want to Help Others? |
As part of the Northern Virginia CASH Campaign, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program provides free tax preparation services to low-income families. Working with local businesses and government agencies, the mission is to raise awareness about the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and increase financial literacy among low-income taxpayers. This initiative runs from January 2015 to mid-April, and recruits local members of the community to prepare taxes, greet customers and coordinate sites.
Last year, volunteers donated approximately 12,296 hours of their time and helped families with low income in Northern Virginia receive over $8.7 million in federal tax refunds. More than $1.7 million was awarded back to those families who qualified for the Child Tax Credit (CTC). In total, volunteers helped more than 5,800 families prepare their taxes last year.
More information: www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/ | www.nvacash.org | 703-324-7712
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Northern Virginia Cash Coalition: Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program
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| Starting & Growing Your Business in 2015 |
 For entrepreneurs interested in starting a business in Fairfax County, the Economic Development Authority (EDA) offers a range of resources to help in your new venture, from bootstrapped startups to venture-backed operations.
Since 2003, the EDA continues to offer Entrepreneurship 101: Starting a Business in Fairfax County. Sit in on presentations and obtain valuable resources regarding a wide range of business issues relevant to you. More than 3,000 entrepreneurs and prospective business owners have attended one of these seminars. Jump in this year and get your business going! Click here for more information, a complete event schedule, and registration information.
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| Stop By My New Year Reception - Wednesday Night! | |
There's still time to RSVP!
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