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| Monthly Newsletter from Chairman Sharon Bulova |
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| Did You Know? |
Fairfax County is home to the largest number of veteran-owned businesses in the Commonwealth of Virginia and in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area.
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Email
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Office
(703) 324-2321
Please contact my office with any comments, questions, concerns or ideas.
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Greetings,
Fairfax County entered the final stretch of our 275th Anniversary year being treated to an original composition written by George Mason University's Mark Camphouse and performed by the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra on September 16th. Professor Camphouse named his creation
RESOLUTIONS, a title, he explains, has double meaning: "
musical resolutions (harmonic dissonance, resolving to consonance) and
political resolutions containing fundamental American principles of human freedom found in the influential
Fairfax Resolves, penned in 1774 by American patriot and Fairfax County resident George Mason."
This beautifully written and performed composition is a musical legacy that celebrates not only Fairfax County's 275th Anniversary but also the Fairfax Symphony's 60th anniversary.
The music is accompanied by a wonderful video portrayal of Fairfax County's history, from hardscrabble colonial days, through our struggles over slavery, to the Fairfax we are today. Thank you to Valerie Bey and her wonderful Channel 16 team for digging into the archives and providing such a moving collage of our past and present. And thank you to Mark Camphouse and the Symphony, in particular Chairman Jim McKeever, for providing this historic musical tribute. You can watch the video and listen to
Resolutions
. See inside this Byline or visit
http://bit.ly/2fJGZ37
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Our past and present came together again on September 27th when members of our Board of Supervisors joined the Fairfax Water Authority's Board to celebrate its 60th Anniversary. The anniversary event included a time capsule ceremony, and was followed by a ceremony to break ground on a long range agreement between Fairfax Water and Vulcan Materials Company. The agreement will transform the existing rock quarry in the southern part of the county near the Occoquan into a vast water storage reservoir, ultimately capable of holding up to 18 billion gallons of water.
According to Fairfax Water's Chairman Philip Allin, the reservoir will be developed in two stages: the northern part of the quarry will be transferred to Fairfax Water by the end of 2035 after quarry operations cease in that portion of the property; and the remainder of the quarry will be transferred to Fairfax Water in 2085 after quarry operations cease entirely. This historic and visionary agreement will ensure clean and plentiful water for Fairfax County well into our future.
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As we consider our past and future, my colleagues and I are in the process of hiring a new County Executive. Since Fairfax County has operated under the county executive form of government beginning
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Kirk Kincannon |
in January 1952, only nine individuals have served in this role. In my last Byline I thanked Ed Long for his forty years of outstandi
ng service, first in the Office of Budget and Management, then as our
Chief Financial Officer prior to his being appointed County Executive. While our search is underway, we are in the capable hands of Acting County Executive Kirk Kincannon. Kirk is a Fairfax County native who has served as Director of our award winning Park Authority since 2014, overseeing 425 parks and more than 23,000 acres of parkland.
I want to thank those of you who wrote to me about the qualities and skills our next County Executive should possess and the challenges he or she will face. I will be sure to keep Byline readers informed as the Board continues through this process.
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Lots of interesting news in this edition of the Byline! Don't forget to vote on November 7th, and plan to stop by our Farmers' Market - we are open from 3 - 7 every Thursday through October 26!
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Sincerely,
Sharon Bulova
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
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| New Musical Piece Celebrates Fairfax County's 275th Anniversary |
"Resolutions," composed by George Mason University's Mark Camphouse, celebrates the 275th Anniversary of Fairfax County and the 60th Anniversary of the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (FSO). The FSO performed the piece on September 16 to open its 2017-2018 Season, and you can listen to the live performance below! Special thanks to Producer Val Bey at Channel 16 for creating a beautiful video to accompany the music.
Read more on NewsCenter...
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Full Audio-Video Performance of Fairfax County's Musical Composition "Resolutions"
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| Take a Tour of Historic Oak Hill | Oct. 21 |
 In keeping with the spirit of Fairfax County's 275
th
Anniversary, join the Board of Supervisors and Fairfax County Park Authority in celebrating another historic landmark in our county. On October 21
st
from 12pm to 4pm, the doors of the Oak Hill mansion will be opened to the public. Visitors will be able to tour portions of inside the house, as well as the maintained grounds. This year is particularly special, as the Oak Hill estate is now home to new owners, the Bracelands.
Built in 1790, much of the Oak Hill estate remains as it has for centuries. Even the original pathway to the house (lined with beautiful oak trees and historic boxwoods) have been preserved over the years.
Come learn about and celebrate Oak Hill's rich past, and help us welcome this cherished local landmark's new owners to the neighborhood. Historic Oak Hill is located at 4716 Wakefield Chapel Road in Annandale, VA. Parking will be available offsite at 4414 Holborn Ave. at the Nancy Sprague Technology Center. Free shuttle bus service will provide visitors with convenient transportation to the open house.
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| I-66 Express Lanes Open December 2017 |
Some new changes are coming to your daily commute on Interstate 66 to help reduce your travel time. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will be implementing
Express Lanes during morning and evening rush hour periods for I-66
Inside the Beltway between I-495 and Route 29 in Rosslyn. Solo drivers will be able to use the Express Lanes by paying a toll through
E-ZPass.
This is a big change since currently, solo drivers do not have access to I-66 Inside the Beltway during rush hour periods.
All toll revenue remaining after covering the cost of maintaining and operating the highway will fund multimodal improvements (such as Metrorail, bus service, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities) that benefit I-66 users.
Vehicles with two or more passengers can still ride on these lanes for free by using E-ZPass Flex, switched to the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) mode. When the I-66 Outside the Beltway Express Lanes open in 2022, vehicles with three or more people will ride for free.
For more information about the I-66 Express Lanes, please visit
66expresslanes.org
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| Massive Sports Complex Under Construction in Fairfax County |
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Groundbreaking Ceremony on Sept. 7, 2017 |
The St. James will be a 450,000 square foot sports and wellness complex on Industrial Road in Mason District offering an incredible array of sports venues for soccer, basketball, volleyball, swimming, gymnastics, ice hockey and plenty more. Plans for the facility also include a spa, health club, market cafe and indoor water park! This will be one of the biggest sports and wellness facilities of its kind on the east coast.
Fairfax County's Economic Success Plan calls for promoting healthy living through increased physical activity and better nutrition, and creating places where people want to live, work and play. This new site certainly fits that description, and we're looking forward to celebrating the opening next fall!
Learn more...
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| Make the Call |
Fairfax County's Office for Women & Domestic and Sexual Violence Services offers compassionate and comprehensive state-accredited programs for women, men, teens and children who have been affected by domestic and sexual violence, stalking, and human trafficking. Our dedicated staff work hard every day to promote safety, responsibility, awareness and equality. If you or someone you know needs help, a 24-hour hotline provides emergency information and assistance, counseling, and referrals to other services if needed.
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| Local Solar Contracts Promote Clean Energy and Generate Savings |
From April 18 to June 30, over 1,200 residents and businesses signed up for free solar site assessments through
Solarize Fairfax County
. Like a Groupon for solar, this program offered one-time, low prices on solar panels with companies chosen through competitive bids.
As of late September, 47 solar contracts have been signed! The energy produced by these solar systems will not only help residents save on their electric bills, but will also result in more than 500,000 kWh of clean energy and a reduction of about 206 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions into our environment.
Standby: th
e next Solarize Fairfax County program period has yet to be announced. In the meantime, we can all continue to do our part. Take a look at some great
energy saving tips
to help reduce your footprint.
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| Fairfax County's Design & Environmental Achievement Awards |
On October 17 from 7pm - 9pm, the recipients of the 2017 Friends of Trees Awards, Environmental Excellence Awards, and James M. Scott Exceptional Design Awards will be honored at the Fairfax County Government Center. You are invited to join us for this unique, evening event!
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| Fairfax County Library Jubilee |
Have you ever noticed that many of the best movies are adapted from books? This year the
Library Jubilee
celebrates the stories we find in our libraries and on the big screen.
This event brings together members of the Library Foundation, Library leadership and staff, elected officials, published authors, business leaders and library supporters like you. You are invited to attend and join the fun on October 21: fairfaxlibraryfoundation.org/a-library-jubilee
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| Upcoming Election | Remember to Vote on November 7! |
In Virginia, there is an election every year, and this year it will be held on
Tuesday, November 7!
Polls will be open countywide from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. This election will decide our next
Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and House of Delegates
in the Virginia General Assembly. All of these offices will have a substantial impact on Fairfax County and Fairfax County Public Schools.
When you go to vote, don't forget your Photo ID! To verify your voter registration status, find your polling location, and learn about absentee voting options, please visit
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections
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