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| Monthly Newsletter from Chairman Sharon Bulova |
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| Did You Know? |
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This year, the Celebrate Fairfax Festival is featuring Team Trivia!
Theme:
The 90's!
When:
Friday, June 8, 2018
Time:
8:00PM - 9:30PM
Where:
At the Celebrate Fairfax Festival next to the Fairfax Corner Community Stage (by the food court)
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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,
Some Byline readers may know that I serve on the University Of Mary Washington Board of Visitors, my daughter Karin's alma matter. I am honored to be serving in this capacity, especially given my non-traditional academic pedigree. I am a product of night school, earning an Associate's Degree in Business Administration from Northern Virginia Community College, coupled with evening classes offered at Fort Belvoir by the University of Virginia. I stopped short of earning my Bachelor's Degree - too busy with work, family and later civic and neighborhood activities. Some day!
 I thought about those Fort Belvoir years this week while watching the four part CNN Series chronicling the year 1968. I was in my early 20's during this tumultuous time. Most of my friends from Seton High School in Maryland had gone on to college. I, however, had gotten married and was working at Davison U.S. Army Airfield (DUSSA) where soldiers flew in and out all day on Huey Helicopters. I worked in personnel, processing requests by soldiers for training and assignments. I was so enmeshed in my day to day life that I was unappreciative of the historic turmoil going on around me.
Watching the series, however, I was
captivated and stirred by the footage
of the burning of Washington that followed the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I remember my husband and I had tried to drive into the District to "see all the action" but were turned around at the Memorial Bridge by armed military police wearing gas masks. I vividly remember when Senator Bobby Kennedy was shot and the violence that erupted during the presidential conventions that followed. Below is a photo taken during a trip into D.C. where I watched protesters at a Peace March frolic in the Reflecting Pool.
Later that summer when my friends and I attended an outdoor Peter, Paul and Mary concert, a cloud of tear gas wafted over us from a nearby riot.
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Protesters in the Reflecting Pool, Washington, D.C.
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Decades
after that divisive era, our country is still struggling to come to grips with some of the same difficult issues that tore our country apart fifty years ago. In a recent report to the Board of Visitors, University of Mary Washington President Troy Paino wrote, "We are living in a time of great social, cultural, political and economic upheaval that does make it difficult to lead, stay focused, and think strategically." These sentiments sure struck a chord. In the words of that great philosopher Yogi Berra, "it's Deja vu all over again!"
Racial and economic disparity.
Distrust of government.
Women's rights and sexual harassment.
Immigration tensions.
Political divisions.
While progress has been made, there is still much to achieve in our search for fairness, equity, peace and respect. To get there, it's important to heed
UMW
President Paino's urging to
stay focused and think strategically.
Actions and policies at the local level can move the dial toward positive change
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In Fairfax County, we are proud of efforts that have re-engineered our excellent Police Department, increasing and enhancing training in critical incident response, improving transparency, and providing civilian oversight. We also established a Diversion First program that diverts individuals with mental illness, developmental disabilities and/or co-occurring substance use disorders into needed treatment instead of incarceration when they come into contact with law enforcement for minor infractions of the law. In Police Chief Ed Roessler's words, "
Each officer is held to the highest of standards to protect the sanctity of life, human rights, and to uphold the law.
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Today, women are employed throughout our Fairfax County workforce in previously non-traditional fields and in many top leadership positions. All of our employees are required to undergo regular training to reinforce a culture of ethical behavior, respect and safety in the workplace.
Our Board of Supervisors has adopted a One Fairfax policy that requires us to consider programs, services and projects through the lens of "equity," making sure all residents of Fairfax County have access to opportunity, not just in certain geographical, cultural and/or socio-economic arenas.
There is a lot of good news in this Byline edition. In particular, I'm looking forward to attending a ceremony on June 23rd to dedicate the new River View at the Jean R. Packard Center in Occoquan Regional Park. Jean Packard was a civic association representative and fierce environmentalist during the turbulent 60's. In addition to the tensions mentioned above, Fairfax County was bursting at the seams with growth and development pressures. Neighborhoods and shopping centers replaced dairy farms and forests to accommodate Baby Boomers as they bought homes and settled down to raise their families.
Jean Packard was elected in 1972 to serve as the first woman Chairman of the Board of Supervisors under our current Urban County Executive Form of Government. Jean passed away at age 91 in 2014. We have Jean and other pioneers to thank for our beautiful park systems, clean and plentiful drinking water and natural stream valleys.
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As summer begins, be sure to savor and appreciate the great things Fairfax County has to offer.
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Sincerely,
Sharon Bulova
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
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| Medicaid Expansion Accomplished in Virginia |
Last week, the Virginia General Assembly joined 32 other states and D.C. in passing Medicaid Expansion! This means that 400,000 low-income Virginians who were not eligible before will now have access to health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
Thank you to Governor Ralph Northam, Members of the Virginia General Assembly, and everyone in Virginia who made their voices heard in favor of medicaid expansion.
Learn more about what Medicaid expansion means for Virginia at
www.healthinsurance.org/virginia-medicaid/
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| Fairfax County "Stepping Up" with Diversion First |
About one in five Americans has a mental health issue. In our county jail, the percentage is much higher. To address this, Fairfax County launched
Diversion First so that incarceration would no longer be the default solution for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis
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Since Diversion First officially
launched
on January 1, 2016, over 1,000 people have been diverted from potential arrest.
That means our program is helping
more than one person per day
find better options for treatment and assistance than jail incarceration.
Diversion looks different for each person, but typically it involves assessments that outline treatment or services that specifically address underlying behavioral health issues.
On May 16, Fairfax County participated in the National Association of Counties' Stepping Up Initiative, a national effort to reduce the number of people with mental illness in jails. We created a video for social media about our local Diversion First efforts and shared with our friends throughout the nation. Check it out below:
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| Working to Save Lake Accotink |
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June 3, 2018 - Annual Cardboard Boat Regatta at Lake Accotink
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Lake Accotink is a gem in Fairfax County. My kids landed their first jobs working for the Park Authority at Lake Accotink, and every summer I serve as a judge for the Annual Cardboard Boat Regatta. It's my favorite event of the entire year. This year the boats raced in the rain. We were all soaking wet but had a blast cheering the crews on, whether their handmade, life-size boats capsized upon launch or managed to make it all the way to the finish line!
When Lake Accotink was first created as the water supply for Camp Humphreys (later Fort Belvoir) in 1943, it was 23 feet deep. Now, the lake is only 4 feet deep. The continued influx of sediment (mostly from older development upstream) doesn't allow for a healthy balance of species and severely limits the long term viability of the lake. If nothing is done, the lake could become completely filled up with sediment (AKA cease to exist) by 2025.
During the past year, the Park Authority has worked with an engineering firm to develop a variety of options for the Board of Supervisors and the community to consider. See the full list of options here.
Thank you to every resident who has been involved with the Lake Accotink Master Plan, attended multiple meetings, and worked to mobilize neighbors to speak up regarding future options for the lake. A majority of residents support variations of "Option C:" dredging the lake to help get rid of sediment, plus creating a nearby mini lake or "forebay" to help capture unwanted sediment. I support this option, along with many members of the Board of Supervisors.
Next steps will include a formal vote by the Board of Supervisors on how to move forward, along with identifying sources for funding, which may include bond funding.
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| Find Resources & Destinations "Near Me" with GIS Map Applications |
 With a county over 400 square miles in size, it is helpful to be able to locate resources, information and fun things to do specific to where we live. Fairfax County's wide variety of GIS mapping applications helps us do just that. Here are some of my favorite interactive maps:
1.
My Neighborhood is probably the most versatile and practical GIS mapping tool for residents - just plug in your address and up pops a list that includes:
- your neighborhood's designated elementary school, middle school and high school;
- closest post office, hospital, fire station, police station, library and park;
- all the names and photos of your local, state and federal elected officials, including school board members;
- your voting precinct and polling location;
- links are also available to view your real estate assessment and local crime reports.
2. W
ith more than 5,000 miles of roadway and 700 miles of trails, Fairfax County's Bike Map highlights the most desirable routes and major trails for recreational and commuter bicyclists.
3. The
Historic Buildings Map features 15 historic buildings that are either public or owned by the County, and where to find them!
4. Choose from dozens of parks to visit with Fairfax County's
Park Locator.
Other interactive maps allows you to view election results by precinct, view boundaries for Dominion Energy and NOVEC, locate streetlights and pole numbers to assist in reporting streetlight outages, find trail connections, discover school crossing guard locations, and so much more. Visit fairfaxcounty.gov/maps/interactive-map-gallery for a full list of interactive maps.
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| Made in Fairfax |
For questions, feedback or reasonable ADA accommodations, contact Fairfax County Revitalization Manager Doug Loescher at 703-324-9305, TTY 711, or
[email protected]
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www.fcrevit.org
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| Free Parking + $1 Bus Ride to Vienna Metro |
Park your car for FREE at the following park & ride locations, then catch a Fairfax Connector bus to the Vienna Metro Station for only $1.
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| Occoquan Regional Park Grand Re-Opening Event | June 23 |
You are invited to the grand re-opening of the Occoquan Regional Park waterfront on June 23, 2018! Come take a tour of The River View at the Jean R. Packard Center, a brand new events venue with stunning views of the Occoquan River.
This free festival-style event is open to all, so stop by for live music, vendors, food trucks, moon bounces, tours and more.
More information.
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| Enjoy Free Concerts and Outdoor Movies this Summer |
The Fairfax County Park Authority's
Summer Entertainment Series features fantastic concerts, children's performances and outdoor movies in various locations throughout Fairfax County all summer long.
View the lineup.
At the Fairfax County Government Center (12000 Government Center Pkwy), the
Evenings on the Ellipse concert series will take place on
Thursday nights (5:30-7:00pm) in July and August. This event includes a farmers market and food trucks in the front parking lot, plus complimentary wine tastings from Paradise Springs and The Winery at Bull Run. Evenings on the Ellipse is held in the backyard of the Government Center, so bring a lawn chair or picnic blanket. I hope to see you there!
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| Fairfax County RECenters | Supporting Healthy and Active Lifestyles |
Did you know Fairfax County is home to
nine state-of-the-art
RECenters with pools, gyms, group fitness classes, dance classes, aquatics, personal trainers, health and wellness coaching, camps for kids and more? Visit a RECenter near you to find out how you can ramp up your fitness regimen, and discover new ways to support a healthy and active lifestyle for you and your entire family.
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| Lord Fairfax Charity Ride Coming this Fall | Registration Now Open |
The celebration of Fairfax County's 275th Anniversary continues! Lord Fairfax, the 14th Baron of Cameron, will return to Fairfax County to lead a charity motorcycle ride for the benefit of four local charities. The 2018 Lord Fairfax Charity Ride is planned as an extension of Fairfax County's 275th Anniversary celebration. The ride route will generally follow the boundary of the original Northern Neck Land Grant, and consist of a one, two, or four-day ride commencing on September 22, 2018. More information at www.lordfairfaxride.org
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