Happy Black History Month, Providence District! There are many events taking place this month to recognize and honor our African American community. Join us on Friday, February 11 from 7pm to 8pm for our Celebration of Black History, presented by Fairfax County and COX Communications. You can find more information about this below.

I'm very excited to announce the launching of the Fairfax County Black/African American Experience - Historical Markers Project. Fairfax County Public Schools in partnership with Fairfax County Board of Supervisors are hosting this project with the purpose to reveal narratives and oral histories of Fairfax County's African American communities. You can find more information about this project here.

Another great news I'd like to share is Fairfax County's Channel 16 began providing Spanish closed captioning for all public meetings and live events. I am looking forward to the continued expansion of this service for an increased access and engagement with our community. Lastly, the Board of Supervisors had our second meeting of the year on Tuesday, February 8th and I highlighted a couple of items below.

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) Community Testing Center (CTC) located in parking lot B of the Fairfax County Government Center ceased operations on Wednesday, February 9. Additional testing resources are scheduled to be operational starting Tuesday, February 15.

Anyone with questions is welcome to reach out to the Health Department’s Call Center at 703-267-3511 to locate a testing location. Individuals interested in making an appointment may do so after February 15 by visiting VASE+.

Need a COVID-19 vaccine or booster dose? Appointments are encouraged but walk-in service is available Monday-Friday at the Fairfax County Government Center and Hyland South County Government Center. The Tysons Community Vaccination Center is also an option, open Monday-Saturday 8AM-6PM. To see times, details, and to schedule an appointment, please click here.

Fairfax County Government Channel 16 now provides Spanish closed captioning for all public meetings and live events. Public meetings that will be captioned in Spanish include the Board of Supervisors meetings, Board of Supervisor Committee meetings, and meetings of the Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals. Other live events such as the annual Mount Vernon Town Meeting, District Budget Town Halls, and Public Safety press conferences will be closed captioned in Spanish as well. Closed captioning for these meetings and live events will be available on cable television or on live stream. Channel 16 first introduced English closed captioning for programming in 1986 with the Board of Supervisors meetings. This service is now expanded for increased access and engagement with the County’s Spanish speaking public.  

Web pages have been developed in English and Spanish to help promote the new service.

A partir del 8 de febrero, subtítulos en español estarán disponsibles para todas las reuniones públicas y eventos en vivo en el Canal 16 del Gobierno del Condado de Fairfax. Los subtítulos para estas reuniones y eventos en vivo van estar disponibles si el público esté mirando por televisión por cable o en vivo. Puede encontrar más información de este nuevo servicio aquí. 

Tuesday was the Board's second meeting of the year and I wanted to highlight a couple of items. You can access the full board package here and view the meeting on demand here.

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) will hold a virtual community meeting on Saturday, February 12 from 9:30am to 11am to present information about the West Falls Church Active Transportation Study that aims to improve the active transportation network within and surrounding the West Falls Church Transit Station Area (TSA). This is the first round of community meetings on the study and the public will have the opportunity to ask questions and provide input.

To access the meeting or get more information, click here.

These will assess potential improvements about a half-mile of Route 236 (Little River Turnpike) in Annandale and about a mile of Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) in Tysons. The Tysons’ study will take aim at potential congestion, safety and bicycle/pedestrian improvements from Route 123 (Chain Bridge Road) to I-495 (Capital Beltway). The goal is to develop cost-effective preliminary design options in coordination with the planned Envision Route 7 Bus Rapid Transit.  Find out more at vaprojectpipeline.org.

The long wait nears an end, just in time for Santa! The completion of two express lanes and three regular lanes are still on track to open this December! The shared-use trails will not be quite ready, but they are coming soon. For updates and specific locations, check Transform 66.

During the overnight hours through Friday, February 11, I-66 East approaching Cedar Lane will be reduced to a single travel lane. Lanes will re-open at 6am. At I-495, several lanes and ramps will be closed all week during overnight hours for bridge construction.

As of February 7, customers are no longer able to add value to old cards online. Additionally, Metro has begun to discontinue the ability to add money to old, obsolete cards at fare vending machines in all stations currently with new faregates. Labels will be added to indicate which machines no longer process the old cards. This will help customers avoid putting additional funds on cards that don’t work in those stations.

More information here.

Public comments on Metro’s proposed budget are invited and must be submitted before 5pm, Tuesday, February 15. Go here for instructions on how to submit and/or take a survey. The budget include provisions for six new Silver Line stations, expanding Metro to Dulles Airport, opening Potomac Yard station on the Yellow and Blue lines, making permanent, improved services such as reducing wait times between trains (including weekends), free bus transfers to/from rail, cheaper weekend fares, construction, rehabilitation, and more.

During the weekend of Saturday, February 12 through Sunday, February 13, Metrorail will open at 7am, closing at 1am Saturday and midnight Sunday. Trains will serve all 91 stations, with normal service on the Red Line, and scheduled service adjustments on all other lines.  

More information here.

Metro announced a $2,500 pay incentive to help attract new bus drivers. The Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority said the incentive comes as the organization is looking to hire 70 new drivers to help operate 1,000 buses operating on 187 routes in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. The pandemic has caused a shortage of bus drivers around the country. In December—when several drivers were out during the omicron surge in the D.C. area—WMATA said the shortages could last through March 2022. With this incentive pay, newly hired bus drivers would receive a $1,000 bonus in their first paycheck. After completing a 10-week training program, new hires would receive another bonus of $1,500 in their paychecks.

For more information about becoming a bus driver and qualifications needed, please visit here.

In July 2021, FCPS announced it was partnering with the Board of Supervisors (BOS) to host the inaugural Fairfax County Historical Markers Project. The project’s purpose is to reveal narratives and oral histories of Fairfax County’s African American communities, whose rich history, culture, and accomplishments are underrepresented in our history books.

School Board Member Karl Frisch and I spearheaded the Historical Marker Project, which aligns with the boards’ joint One Fairfax policy. The project is also part of the broader Black/African American Experience Project -- a collaboration involving the BOS, History Commission, and Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS). The goal is to capture, communicate, and preserve the Black/African American experience throughout Fairfax County’s history.

You can find more information here.

Join Fairfax County Villages in celebrating the 20-year anniversary of the Village Movement and the positive impact Villages are having on the experience of aging. On Tuesday, February 15, Villages are being recognized on National Village Day. From its beginnings in 2002 to a thriving network today of more than 300 nonprofit community-based Villages across the country, the Village model is now established as a cost-effective, sustainable solution for healthy, vibrant aging – a milestone worthy of celebration! 

For more information on the Fairfax County Villages, including how to start one in your neighborhood, contact [email protected] or 703-246-8962.

On January 31, Fairfax County launched Release 3 of the Planning Land Use System (PLUS), the online platform designed to unify existing zoning, building, permitting and other land development processes into a one-stop-shop for industry and the public. Release 3 of PLUS is the penultimate release for the planned, multi-year roll out. With the January 31 release, additional transactions have transitioned to PLUS including permitting for Fire and Rescue, Planning and Development and Land Development Services.

If you have not already, we encourage you to take a look at PLUS. An account is not needed to browse and search for information on PLUS. Other interested parties can peruse the site without logging in. Customer user guides, additional training information and an FAQ are available at here.

To file an application or submit any information in the PLUS platform, users must register for a free account at here.

Watch the following step-by-step guide on how to register for your PLUS customer account: here.

For technical issues, please contact [email protected].

The Fairfax County Hoarding Task Force, in conjunction with Channel 16, has been working on a hoarding mini-series for the past several months, to raise awareness to the issue and provide citizens with more information on the topic. This video was a joint effort between the Department of Code Compliance, Adult Protective Services, Animal Control, Fire, Housing, the Sheriff, and other county agencies who work together to assist citizens who have hoarded conditions in their homes. For more information and resources, please visit here.

Fairfax County-based non-profit arts organizations are invited to learn about Capital One Hall usage on Tuesday, March 1 from noon to 2pm during their Season Three Information Session with ArtsFairfax. This is your chance to talk with the team that will make your production happen - technical capabilities, cost, and the application process. Presentation and Q&A will be followed by tours. Register here today!

Black History Month, celebrated every February, serves as both a celebration and a powerful reminder of the struggles, progress and accomplishments of African American leaders across the United States. Fairfax County has several activities to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of Black leaders. Please join us on Friday, February 11, 7pm to 8pm on Fairfax County Government Channel 16 for our Celebration of Black History.

To see the schedule of events, please visit here.

Additional resources and information from the Office of Children Services can be found here for Black History Month.

The PARC at Tysons will be hosting a Loving Shopping Local themed market on Saturday, February 12, just in time for Valentine’s Day! There will be 25 – 30 local small business and makers selling Valentine’s Day essentials like sweets, jewelry and more!

When: Saturday, February 12, 12pm to 5pm

Details: Celebrate Fairfax Website | Free to attend!

Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Wednesday, March 2, 5pm to 8 pm: Opportunity for members to shop first. May join upon arrival for $5. No scanning allowed.

Thursday, March 3, 10am to 4pm: Adult room open only to bulk buyers following instructions on Signup Genius here. Children's room open to all shoppers.

Friday, March 4, 10am to 5pm: Open to all shoppers.

Saturday, March 5, 10am to1pm: Open to all shoppers

2pm-5 pm: Bag sale. $10 for a full grocery sack or half price if less.

Office Phone: (703) 560-6946 | Email: [email protected]

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