Dear Providence Residents,
You may have received an absentee ballot application in the mail from the Center for Voter Information this week. While the absentee applications enclosed were valid, the pre-paid return envelopes for Fairfax County and Fairfax City have the wrong registrar listed.
You will still be able to use the applications that were sent in the mailing, but you cannot cross out the address on the pre-paid envelope. The registrars are working to make sure these applications are still processed by the correct locality.
To apply by mail you can use the form you received, and the following addresses:
- Fairfax County address: Office of Elections, Box 10161 Fairfax, Virginia 22038
- Fairfax City address: City of Fairfax Office of Elections, 10455 Armstrong Street, Suite 300, Fairfax, Virginia 22030
Please find the following Providence District updates in this week's edition of the newsletter:
- Voter Mailing Fairfax County Press Release
- Saturday: Donate Blood in Tysons
- COVIDWISE Phone App
- Transportation Updates
- Metro Updates
- Yard Waste and Special Pickups
I hope this finds you and your family safe and well.
With Gratitude,
Supervisor Dalia Palchik
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Voter Information Mailing |
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Fairfax County Election Officials Warn Voters About Inaccurate Center for Voter Information Mailing
August 6, 2020 Fairfax County Press Release
Fairfax County election officials want to alert voters about an inaccurate and potentially misleading mailing from the Center for Voter Information.
Be on the lookout for this inaccurate mailing to county voters that sending unsolicited applications to be returned the City Fairfax. This group is mass mailing pre-filled, absentee ballot applications to county voters without their request—and the mailer includes return envelopes to send the application to the City of Fairfax, not Fairfax County.
“This mailing is causing great confusion and concern among voters who have been contacting our office,” said Fairfax County General Registrar Gary Scott. “While the mailing may appear to be from an official government agency, the Fairfax County Office of Elections did not send it.”
The mailing is also confusing voters who have previously submitted absentee ballot applications themselves, Scott added. These voters are worried that their applications were not received, leading them to think they need to apply again.
Fairfax County is working with the City of Fairfax to ensure any applications received from the center’s inaccurate mailing will be processed by the county.
When the Fairfax County Office of Elections mails election information or absentee ballots, the envelope has the county seal as part of the return address and the “Official Election Mail Authorized by the U. S. Postal Service” logo.
County election officials remind voters they can apply online to absentee vote by mail. This is the most secure method to apply rather than responding to unsolicited applications. By applying online, voters also will be able to track the status of their application, including when a ballot is mailed to them and when their cast ballot has been received.
Voters can apply now to absentee vote by mail, and they will receive their ballots after September 18, the official start for absentee voting by mail. Because mail delivery may be slow, officials encourage voters to apply now—and return their cast ballot as soon as possible.
In addition to voting by mail, voters are also encouraged to consider the option to absentee vote in-person at one of the 15 locations that will open this fall.
For more information or questions about absentee voting, contact the Fairfax County Office of Elections at 703-222-0776, TTY 711.
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Saturday: INOVA Blood Drive at Tysons Corner |
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Washington Nationals Blood Drive with Inova Blood Donor Services
Saturday, August 8
Hours: 7 a.m. – 4 p.m.
1961 Chain Bridge Road, McLean, VA (location is the former Lord & Taylor Department Store, across from Parking Garage D)
Face Masks Required
The Washington Nationals, Macerich (Tysons Corner Center owner) and Inova Blood Donor Services partnered together to encourage individuals to donate blood.
Blood donors will receive a Washington Nationals Exclusive Blood Donor t-shirt.
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COVIDWISE: Phone App to Fight COVID |
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How It Works
COVIDWISE uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology to quickly notify users who have likely been exposed so you can reduce the risk of infection for your friends and family and help Virginia stop the spread.
Step 1
Step 2
Once you opt-in to the notification system, the Exposure Notifications System will generate an anonymous token for your device. To help ensure these anonymous tokens can't be used to identify you or your location, they change every 10-20 minutes.
Step 3
Your phone and the phones around you will work in the background, without draining your battery or data, to exchange these privacy-preserving anonymous tokens via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology. This is a passive process that begins once you opt-in and functions without the app open.
Step 4
On a daily basis, your phone downloads a list of all the anonymous tokens associated with positive COVID-19 cases and checks them against the list of anonymous tokens it has encountered in the last 14 days.
Step 5
If there's a match, the app will notify you with further instructions from your public health authority on how to keep you and the people around you safe.
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Fight COVID-19:
- Wear a Mask
- Wash your hands
- Practice physical distancing
- Staying home whenever possible
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I-66 Construction
Overnight Lane Closures and Traffic Stoppages on I-66 Near Route 50 Continue this Week for Waples Mill Road Bridge Beam Installation
FAIRFAX – Overnight lane closures and intermittent traffic stoppages on I-66 near Route 50 in Fairfax are planned to continue tonight through Saturday August 8, for bridge beam installation for the new Waples Mill Road Bridge. The bridge is being reconstructed as part of the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project. Drivers should expect delays if traveling in this area during these times and should consider using alternate routes.
I-66 East between Monument Drive and Jermantown Road
- I-66 East will be reduced to one travel lane approaching Waples Mill Road from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. On Saturday and Sunday mornings, lane closures will continue until 6 a.m.
- Drivers should expect periodic stoppages for crews to lift bridge beams into place.
- All lanes will reopen by 5 a.m. on Friday, and by 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
All work is weather dependent and will be rescheduled if inclement conditions occur.
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The next phase of Metro’s Covid-19 Recovery Plan restores more Metrobus service starting Sunday, August 23, 2020.
Beginning Sunday, August 23, Metro will restore approximately 75 percent of Metrobus service throughout the DMV. These changes will provide enhanced weekday service, restore most service on weekends, and maintain all-day frequent service on key corridors.
You can find more information in the link HERE
Platform Improvement Project Update
For track alignment and Orange Line construction updates for Vienna, Dunn Loring, West Falls Church, and East Falls Church, find info HERE
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Message from Yard Waste and Special Pickups |
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Yard waste collection is running extremely behind schedule, delays are expected to continue through September 7. Customers are asked to continue placing yard waste at the curb on scheduled collection days. More at-home residents working in their yards and recent severe storms have contributed to the delay for which Fairfax County sincerely apologizes.
Customers with brush (tree branches) need to call for a special pick-up at 703-802-3322.
Definitions:
Yard Waste - the organic waste generated by yard and lawn care and includes leaves, grass trimmings, shrub, and tree trimmings. Most customer use lawn bags, carts or some use plastic bags. Small quantities of yard waste can be tied in bundles (no longer than 4 feet in length – if more than 4 bundles then a special pick-up is needed)
Brush - shrubs, tree limbs, under 6 inches in diameter/6 feet in length
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Food for Others and Grow a Row FC |
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Our office has partnered with Food for Others on a community based food drive to feed those in need during COVID-19.
Email Providence@fairfaxcounty.gov to get your community involved.
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Last week, Grow a Row FC donated 26 pounds of fresh produce to Food for Others and other food distribution sites, home-grown by Fairfax County residents. Thank you for generously giving your harvest, ranging from 3 oz of butter lettuce to 7+ lbs of cucumbers – no amount is too small!
Grow a Row FC continues to seek volunteers to join its community-wide effort to grow fresh produce during this public health and economic crisis. Garden mentors are available to help you get started, along with a network of neighborhood drop-off sites if you can’t make it to Food for Others. Sign up to receive some seeds for fall crops (broccoli, cabbage, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustards, peas, radishes, spinach, Swiss chard and turnips to name a few!) and get more information by emailing growarowfc@gmail.com. This project is supported by Virginia Cooperative Extension and endorsed by the Fairfax Food Council.
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Volunteer Opportunity: NV Rides for Seniors |
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NV Rides, a program of the Pozez Jewish Community Center along with support from Fairfax County, is holding information sessions to recruit volunteer drivers to support older adults who no longer drive.
NV Rides in need of volunteer drivers to help vulnerable seniors
We are offering four volunteer driver information sessions in August. The Zoom sessions are brief, informative and easy to attend. (Zoom link included with RSVP)
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VA Preparedness Tax-Free Weekend Starts |
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While we were lucky locally in regards to Isaias, many homes are still without power in numerous states and they could be without power through the weekend.
If that was you, would you be prepared? Would you have enough supplies to go a week without electricity? How would you charge your phones or important devices? Would you have lighting at night to function?
Starting today, Aug. 7, along with school supplies, preparedness items can be purchased tax-free in Virginia. This includes generators, chainsaws, and preparedness items up to a certain limit (please visit the website below for details and exclusions). Take advantage of this weekend and get an item or two if you need it. Isaias proved the need for our community to be prepared. Lastly, keep in mind that hurricane season peaks in September, so take the time this weekend to gather some items either by purchasing online or safely going to your near shops (s).
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- Backyard Birds on Aug. 16 and 18
- Native Plants and Trees on Aug. 23 and 25
August-September: Virtual Learning Parent Webinar with STEM educators Joann Nicholls and Dr. Carley Fisher-Maltese
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We want to hear from you! Please reach out to us with questions, comments or just to say hello.
Office Phone: (703) 560-6946
Email us HERE if you would like events included in our newsletter or you would like a member of our team to join your HOA meeting.
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