In this issue...
Fairfax County is Officially Open to Sports Tourism Partnerships - Following years of collaboration between the County and community through the Sport Tourism Task Force, the Fairfax County Park Authority recently released a request for interest (RFI) to develop sports tourism facilities on existing park land. This RFI moves forward another initiative of the Sport Tourism Task Force which has looked at how Fairfax County can capture a share of the nearly $40 billion sports tourism industry to diversify our tax base, boost our local economy, and provide high quality sports venues for our community.
Enforcement of Illegal Signs in Medians Restarts July 1st - Back in 2011, I worked with former Delegate Dave Albo to end the blight and safety issue of signs in the medians in Fairfax County. Until last year the Sherriff’s Labor Force enforced this county ordinance, keeping our medians free from litter and distraction. I am happy to announce that the Board of Supervisors recently approved contracting with a third party to do sign enforcement again beginning July 1st.
Gazette Leader’s Best Public Servant for 7 Years In a Row! - Recently, I was honored to be named the Sun Gazette/Gazette Leader’s Best Public Servant for the 7th year in a row! Representing and working for the residents of Springfield and all of Fairfax County is a task I do not take lightly. Constituent service, listening t our residents and working on issues that are important to them are things my office and I pride ourselves on.
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Fairfax County is Officially Open to Sports Tourism Partnerships
Following years of collaboration between the County and community through the Sport Tourism Task Force, the Fairfax County Park Authority recently released a request for interest (RFI) to develop sports tourism facilities on existing park land. The RFI is for sports facilities that would be ready to host events in 2028, with applications due to the County in September 2023. This RFI moves forward another initiative of the Sport Tourism Task Force which has looked at how Fairfax County can capture a share of the nearly $40 billion sports tourism industry. As Chairman of the Sports Tourism Task Force, I am very excited to reach this milestone because of the incredible opportunity sports tourism presents to diversify our tax base, boost our local economy, and provide high quality sports venues for our community.
At my request in 2017, the Board of Supervisors authorized the creation of the Sports Tourism Task Force. Its goal was to better understand the potential economic impact of the growing sports tourism market and how Fairfax County can take advantage of this market in order to diversify its tax base and develop facilities for its residents funded in whole or in part by sports tourism-generated revenue. The membership of the task force brings together the interests, needs, and strengths of many organizations including local sports organizations, businesses, GMU, Visit Fairfax, the Fairfax County Park Authority, NOVA Parks, Fairfax County Public Schools, the Athletic Council and the County.
While we expect the RFI to attract new interested partners, we have already had success moving sports tourism forward with the opening of the first sports tourism facility in Fairfax County, Patriot Park North (see my April newsletter). In addition, the county has an interim agreement to lease an unused part of the I95 landfill to Alpine-X to develop an indoor downhill ski resort, Fairfax Peak. Patriot Park North and Fairfax Peak are projected to bring in tax revenue, create jobs, stimulate local businesses, and provide new opportunities for the local sports community.
The task force led the effort to bring together the relevant parties to coordinate tournament scheduling of County and FCPS fields on previously blocked out, but underutilized holiday weekends like Memorial Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day. Using these fields as satellite fields for tournaments addresses one of Fairfax County’s key challenges in attracting tournaments: a lack of clustered facilities. This change already generated more tournament attraction, but we still need to attract partnerships that will develop facilities that can host tournaments at a single location.
I look forward to updating you on more potential sports tourism opportunities as they develop.
Enforcement of Illegal Signs in Medians Restarts July 1st
Back in 2011, I worked with former Delegate Dave Albo to end the blight and safety issue of signs in the medians in Fairfax County. With Delegate Albo’s advocacy, the state gave local authority for us to adopt an ordinance prohibiting signs in the roadways. For many years the Sherriff’s Labor Force enforced this county ordinance, keeping our medians free from litter and distraction. Unfortunately, with labor shortages, the Sherriff’s Labor Force has not been able to continue to enforce this ordinance.
The Board of Supervisors recently approved contracting with a third party to do sign enforcement again beginning July 1st. Signs that illegally put on or along selected roads will be removed. This includes political campaign signs, advertising signs and more. Signs are regularly picked up every week between Tuesday and Thursday. I am glad this initiative will continue. For more information on this program, see here.
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Gazette Leader’s Best Public Servant for 7 Years In a Row!
Recently, I was honored to be named the Sun Gazette/Gazette Leader’s Best Public Servant for the 7th year in a row!
Representing and working for the residents of Springfield and all of Fairfax County is a task I do not take lightly. Constituent service, listening to our residents and working on issues that are important to them are things my office and I pride ourselves on. I will continue to work for you – working to make our communities safer, getting spending under control to stop the ever-increasing County tax burden, focusing school resources into the classroom on teachers and students not on administrators or political agendas, focusing our transportation resources on congestion relief and safety improvements.
Other News and Information
- Senior Cool Care Program
- Volunteer with ECHO for Back-to-School
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National Night Out Registration Deadline (July 21st)
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Refuse to be a Victim-College Bound Presentation (August 10th)
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Juice Box with a Cop (August 19th)
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Sidewalk Along Eastbound Fair Lakes Circle Closed Through August 31st
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Senior Cool Care Program
Are you in need of additional cooling during the summer? The Senior Cool Care Program is a public-private partnership sponsored by Dominion Energy and administered by the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services through the Fairfax Area Agency on Aging that helps low-income older citizens in our jurisdiction keep cool during summer months. The program runs through October 31, 2023. This program does not provide financial assistance, but it provides additional cooling at home, such as fans, for eligible older adults, age 60 and older.
If you are interested in learning more about the program, please contact the Aging, Disability & Caregiver Resource Line here: 703-324-7948.
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Volunteer with ECHO for Back-to-School
ECHO is getting ready for Back to School! Each year, ECHO collects new school supplies to fill new backpacks for more than 1,200 local children whose families are experiencing hardship.
A few more ECHO volunteers are needed to help organize supplies and fill the backpacks on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 2:00PM to 5:00PM at ECHO. Volunteers must be at least 13 years old and all volunteers under 18 must return an information form signed by them and a parent. This form will be emailed to those who sign up. Please sign up using this Sign-Up Genius link.
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National Night Out Registration Deadline on July 21st
It's time for communities to register for National Night Out on August 1st!
Whether it’s a simple ice cream party or an all-out festival, National Night Out is an opportunity to gather with your neighbors, get better acquainted, and talk about issues of common concern. You also get the chance to:
· Have fun, food, and fellowship in your community
· Know your Police and Public Safety Team
· Heighten crime prevention awareness
· Send the message that your neighborhood is organized against crime
If you are interested in organizing an event or the leader of your community event, please complete this form to get registered. The deadline to register is July 21st. If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out to MPO Tony Capizzi at 703-277-2363 or anthony.capizzi@fairfaxcounty.gov.
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Refuse to be a Victim-College Bound Presentation with FCPD on August 10th
Are you, or someone you know, going to college this year? For many young adults, college is the first time away from home. Campus life should be a fun, rewarding and life-changing experience. However, there is no sure way of ensuring a crime free campus, but there are ways of reducing the risk of being a victim of crime.
This presentation by our officers at West Springfield Station teaches easy to understand ways you can increase awareness and prevent criminal confrontations. The one-hour lecture will give you the tools you need to develop your own personal safety strategy, including information about phone security, campus security, technology security, social media awareness and self-defense options.
This presentation is free and will be at the West Springfield Government Center on 6140 Rolling Road, Springfield, VA. It will be on Saturday, August 10, 2023, from 1:00PM-2:00PM. Please use this Eventbrite link to register.
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Juice Box with a Cop at West Springfield District Station on August 19th
The commanders and officers of the West Springfield District Station would like to invite all members of the community to join them for “Juice Box with a Cop” on Saturday, August 19, 2023, from 10:00AM-1:00PM.
They will also be helping their area partner, Ecumenical Community Helping Others (ECHO), with collecting school supplies for those who need them. They are asking for new items only, so that the students can enjoy fresh supplies just like their classmates. See a full list at echo-inc.org or below.
Joining will be the Fairfax County Sheriff's Department Child Identification Unit, who will provide free child ID cards, along with McGruff the Crime Dog. Please consider joining them for some snacks and fun, and consider donating an item from the list below:
NEW ITEMS ONLY
High School Backpacks (17 to 19 inches)
#2 Yellow Pencils (Ticonderoga Brand preferred)
Elmers Brand Glue Stick regular size
Wide Rule ONLY Composition books
College Rule ONLY Spiral notebooks
College Rule ONLY Loose-leaf paper
Paper folders with pockets
Crayola Brand Colored Pencils 12 pack
Crayola Brand Broad Markers
Crayola Brand Crayons 24 pack
Blunt scissors
DRY ERASE Broad tip Markers
2-inch Binders
Plastic Pencil Boxes
Primary Writing paper pads
Small packs Construction paper
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Sidewalk Along Eastbound Fair Lakes Circle to be Closed for Approximately Three Months
The sidewalk along eastbound Fair Lakes Circle (on the south side of the roadway) between the Fair Lakes Shopping Center entrance and the end of the sidewalk just before Roger Stover Drive closed on May 31, until approximately August 31 for construction of a new shared-use path as part of the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project. Pedestrians will be directed to use the sidewalk along westbound Fair Lakes Circle (on the north side of the roadway).
Travel lanes on eastbound Fair Lakes Circle previously were shifted and reduced to one eastbound through-lane for work reconfiguring Fair Lakes Circle between the intersection with Fair Lakes Shopping Center/Shoppes Lane to the west and Fair Lakes Parkway to the east. When complete, there will be a travel lane and turn lanes on eastbound Fair Lakes Circle for vehicles, and more than a half-mile of new shared-use path for pedestrians, cyclists, and other trail users. This new path will provide improved connections between homes, shopping, and offices in the Fair Lakes area.
The new shared-use path is part of the new 66 Parallel Trail between Dunn Loring and Centreville. Learn more about the 66 Parallel Trail and other multi-modal improvements being built by the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project here.
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Email
Office
(703) 451-8873
Website
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Free Summer Concert Series @ Burke Lake Park |
Every Wednesday 7pm
Through August 23rd
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Speidel, Goodrich, Goggin & Lille
Wednesday, July 26, 2023
The Skip Castro Band
Wednesday, August 2, 2023
The English Channel
Wednesday, August 9, 2023
The Road Ducks
Wednesday, August 16, 2023
The Colin Thompson Band
Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Riptide
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Shiloh and Old Dan (most recently known as Biscuit) are a pair of 54-pound bonded brothers. Not only is Shiloh said to be good with kids, dogs of all sizes, he has previously lived with cats and is reportedly “submissive” to them. Shiloh is always looking for things to do and may be an EXCELLENT dog puzzle solver and he is also loving and always excited to see his people.
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