January 29, 2025

Neighbors,

Hunger doesn’t take a holiday, and winter can be an even more challenging time for families and children who don’t have enough to eat.

Especially with our recent cold and snow, higher heating costs can cause families to cut back on groceries, compounding the challenge of already high food prices.

While many food drives occur during the holidays, the need remains even after this traditional season of giving.

This is why I’m participating in the food drive by Food for Neighbors which my family and I have supported for many years. I invite you to drop off specific student friendly, non-perishable food and toiletries at my office at the North County Governmental Center before March 8.

Food for Neighbors is unique because it focuses on feeding middle and high school students with individual meals and snacks when they might otherwise go hungry during the school day, after school and on weekends. Your donations will benefit the South Lakes Food Pantry and Herndon Middle and High Schools, as well as other area schools.

Donations are especially needed now for the nonprofit’s last two collection days (March 8 and April 26). Food for Neighbors is stocking up with extra food to send students home with for the summer when school ends.

Your donations will help hungry students through the winter into the summer, and I encourage you to join me.

Before you donate, please check this list of foods and toiletries requested, and contact my office at 703-478-0283 or by email if you have questions.

Regards,

Walter

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Happy Year of the Wood Snake! While snakes often symbolize evil and deception especially in the West, they’re also associated with charm, wisdom, mystery and transformation in the East. (Think Taylor Swift, Bob Dylan, and Mahatma Ghandi—all notable snake signs.) Whatever the year brings, I wish you great health, wealth and joy.

Disappointingly, the state bill to authorize a casino in Tysons continues to move forward. Yesterday, the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee voted to report out the bill to the full Senate for consideration. Although some say the General Assembly shouldn’t consider objections to a casino from the local community I could not disagree more. And I remind everyone that Fairfax County never asked for a casino, and our updated letter to state legislators emphasizes that we do not seek or ask the General Assembly to provide a new authority unless we intend to seriously consider implementing such authority

I hope to see you at my Winter Town Hall on Thursday, Feb. 6, from 7 - 8:30 p.m. at the North County Governmental Center,1801 Cameron Glen Drive, Reston. Bring your questions, issues and concerns, and let’s talk.

Please note that this event was previously announced for Feb. 5 — but it has been rescheduled for Feb. 6.

If you wish, you’re welcome to submit questions in advance by email with the subject line "town hall.”

For more information, questions or reasonable ADA accommodations, contact my office by email or call 703-478-0283, TTY 711. See you Feb. 6.

As stream restoration work on Old Courthouse Spring Branch in Vienna continues, the county will temporarily close a section of Ashgrove Trail to relocate utilities and replace a culvert under Ashgrove Lane. The closure is currently scheduled for Jan. 30 to Feb. 7, and the trail will be closed from approximately Northern Neck Drive to Palm Springs Drive. Signage will posted on the trail about the closure. When completed, the overall project will restore about 2,000-feet of the severely widened stream. For more information, contact Project Manager Justin Pistore at 703-324-5685 or by email.

Help seed a new native meadow on the W&OD Trail on Saturday, Feb. 8. Join me at the LOVE sign along the trail in Vienna at 1 pm, followed by social time at the nearby Caboose Brewery. The Making History Bloom Meadow is the first in a partnership between Sustainability Matters and NOVA Parks to remove invasives and plant meadows along the trail’s 45-mile length.

“Mayor and Chief at Your Service” Feb. 11

Join Mayor Linda Colbert and Vienna Police Chief Jim Morris on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. at the Vienna Police station. They’ll discuss the Rape Aggression Defense System (RAD) self-defense class for women. Learn about personal safety tips for women, when the next RAD classes will be held and how to register.

Town Council Postpones Vote on Proposed Meals Tax

The Vienna Town Council voted to defer the proposal to temporarily raise the town’s meals tax by 1% to pay for a new public pool and fitness facility. It wants more time to thoroughly review and consider projected building costs, long-term operational costs and community feedback before making its final decision, according to officials. It’s expected that the council will reconsider the proposal at its Aug. 25 meeting.

🍫 Whether you prefer dark, milk or white chocolate, you’ll find it all at the City of Fairfax’s Chocolate Lovers Festival on Feb. 1-2.

🏊🏼‍♀️ Take the plunge on Feb. 1 for the Kiwanis Polar Dip charity fundraiser at Lake Anne.

⛪ Learn about the history of Frying Pan Baptist Meetinghouse which will be open on Feb. 1 and 15 in celebration of Black History Month.

🧠Train Your brain with Sudoku, crosswords, Color Me Happy, and word searches at Reston Regional Library on Feb. 1.

☯️ Exercise your mind, body and spirit with Tai Chi at Reston Regional Library on Feb. 3.

♥️ Make a heart-shaped, floral Valentine’s Day wreath on Feb. 3.

⛓️👮 Learn the secrets of Alcatraz Prison from the warden’s grandson Michael Stewart in this Feb. 5 Lifetime Learning Institute of Northern Virginia virtual class.

🕵🏼‍♂️ Pick up your next thriller at the annual Mystery Sale at Reston Regional Library on Feb. 6-9.

🎭 Audition on Feb. 10-11 for the Vienna Theater Company’s upcoming production of “Decision Heights.”