May 22, 2020
Dear Providence Residents,
 
Happy Memorial Day Weekend! I'm pleased to share that the Fairfax County Park Authority is reopening County parks today. I’m grateful for the opportunity to safely enjoy the parks this weekend.
 
I’m also happy to announce that our Providence District community based food drives have collectively donated over 2,600 pounds of food to Food for Others. Read my Op-Ed in the Tysons Reporter on our joint efforts to make a difference in the fight against food insecurity here in Fairfax.
 
Please find several Providence District updates on the topics below in this edition of our newsletter: 
 
  • COVID-19 Information 
  • Fairfax Park Authority Reopens Parks
  • 2020 Summer Camp Programs Canceled
  • Grocery Assistance for Seniors
  • Summer Metro Closures
  • Transportation Updates
  • Absentee Voting for June 23 Election
  • Library Curbside Pickup
  • Waste Management Update
  • Face Cloth Donations
  • Food for Others Community Food Drive
 
I hope this newsletter finds you and your family safe and well.
 
With Gratitude,
Supervisor Dalia Palchik
COVID-19 Information
Governor Northam's Executive Order 62 (found here ) is in effect until 11:59 pm, Thursday, May 28, unless otherwise amended or rescinded . This means that our region must continue to stay home and follow health directives. This will be important not only to move into Phase I of Governor Northam's Forward Virginia Plan, but Phase II, which will allow many more businesses to open.

COVID-19 Case Dashboard
  • The Fairfax County Health Department has added new data points to its COVID-19 Case Data Dashboard in an effort to keep the public informed during the COVID-19 emergency.
  • The dashboard now includes: probable cases, deceased cases by age group, and COVID-19 testing by week.
  • The case rates are now presented by 5-digit zip codes.

Continue to follow the health guidelines :
  • Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer if that isn't an option (especially when in public places)
  • Cough and sneeze into your sleeve
  • Don't touch your face
  • Social distance
  • What it means to social distance, self-isolate, and quarantine.

The CDC recommends wearing non-medical masks to slow the spread of COVID-19. Read here for information and to learn how to best wear a mask and how to make your own.

Fairfax Park Authority Reopens Parks
The Park Authority is reopening parking lots and parks in the park system to be open for the Memorial Day weekend. These parks will reopen for limited use in accordance with COVID-19 safety guidelines from the Virginia Governor’s office and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Park Authority amenities that are closed are:

  • Restrooms and all portable restrooms
  • Dog parks
  • All playgrounds including Clemyjontri Park and Chessie’s Big Backyard
  • Nature centers, visitor centers, horticultural centers, and RECenters
  • Volleyball and basketball courts
  • Athletic fields
  • Water fountains are turned off

Outdoor water parks and pools run by the Fairfax County Park Authority will be closed this summer.
2020 Summer Camp Programs Canceled
All Fairfax County 2020 summer camp programs are canceled this summer.

This includes: FCPA sponsored summer camp programs, REC-Pac programs held at local schools, summer camp programs sponsored by NCS, and SACC programs.
Grocery Assistance for Seniors
Shopping and Pharmacy Pick Up for Older Adults
 
Fairfax County Health Department's Neighbor to Neighbor Program has launched a grocery shopping and pharmacy pick-up service for County residents age 60 and over. This program is limited to 200 requests per week and the grocery costs are paid for by the resident.

To request shopping and pharmacy pick-up call: 703-324-7948  Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Interested in volunteering to deliver groceries?
  • Register online as a new volunteer, you will have to have a criminal background check to participate.
  • Following this process you will be able to register as a N2N volunteer.
Summer Metro Closures: Orange and Silver Line
Orange and Silver Line Service Impacts
All stations west of Ballston Metrorail Station on the Orange and Silver Lines will be closed beginning Saturday, May 23, 2020 until the fall, for construction. The stations to be closed are:
  • Orange Line - East Falls Church, West Falls Church, Dunn Loring, Vienna
  • Silver Line - McLean, Tysons Corner, Greensboro, Spring Hill, Wiehle-Reston East 

All Orange Line trains will begin and end service at Ballston. Service will operate from Ballston to New Carrollton.  

There will be no Silver Line service for the duration of the station closures. 

Face coverings are now required on Metro trains, buses, and in stations.

From Ballston station, free shuttle buses will run every 10 minutes on weekdays and 15 minutes on weekends to West Falls Church, Dunn Loring, and Vienna on the Orange Line (with an express between Ballston and Vienna) and to Tysons, Spring Hill and Wiehle-Reston on the Silver Line. No shuttles to McLean, Greensboro, and East Falls Church stations. 

Free parking beginning May 23 will be available at Vienna, Dunn Loring, West Falls Church, and Wiehle-Reston. 

Shuttle and rail hours are the same: 5 a.m. – 9 p.m., weekdays, and 8 a.m. – 9 p.m., weekends. ADA shuttles will be provided upon request. 

A fall re-opening of the Orange and Silver lines is planned with exact date TBD. For more information, please go here .

You can watch my Town Hall on Summer Metro Closures for more info.

Transportation Updates
I-66 – Reconstruction of the Cedar Lane Bridge required for the widening of I-66 is underway with detours directing traffic to Hilltop, Route 29, Gallows and Cottage roads. Completion of the bridge is expected around Thanksgiving. During bridge construction, expanded and free bus service is available on routes 462 and 467. For questions, comments, and other concerns for the I-66 project team, call 703-662-3892, email [email protected] , or submit items here , and learn more information about the I-66 project at this link .
                                                                                                                             
Shreve Road – A lane of traffic closed for construction at the intersection of Shreve/Haycock and Route 7 in Falls Church is set to re-open before July 4, 2020. VDOT has repainted striping at the W and OD Trail crossing. Residents, Supervisor Palchik, Del. Marcus Simon, FCDOT and VDOT staff members, consultants, and more are helping with the Corridor Study. A virtual public meeting is set for September with date TBD.

Absentee Voting Encouraged for June 23
Primary elections will be held on Tuesday, June 23 , for the U.S. Senate and 11th District of the U.S House of Representatives.
The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot is Tuesday, June 16 at 5 p.m. To be counted, ballots also must be returned by June 23 at 7 p.m. Officials urge voters both to apply now - and mail back their ballots quickly - to avoid any possible delays in mail delivery due to COVID-19.
The Republican Party is conducting a countywide primary for the U.S. Senate with three candidates on the ballot, and the Democratic Party is holding a primary only for the 11th District of the U.S. House of Representatives .
Voters can confirm which House district they live in by checking their registration information on the Virginia Department of Elections website . Or they can call or email the Fairfax County Office of Elections .
U.S. House, 11th District

The June 23, Democratic primary election is for the 11th House District ONLY. This map shows the district's boundaries in Fairfax County. (The City of Fairfax is part of the 11th). Check your registration online to determine which House district you live in.

There are no primary elections for the two other House districts in Fairfax County. Therefore, U.S. Reps. Don Beyer, 8th District, and Jennifer Wexton, 10th District, are not on the ballot.
Library Curbside Book Pickup
The Fairfax County Public Library will begin a contactless curbside service on June 1st. This process has been reviewed by the Health Department and confirmed as low risk, similar to picking up take out from a restaurant. Below are details on the process:
 
Fairfax County Public Library’s Curbside Pickup of book grab bags begins Monday, June 1. Curbside Pickup hours at all branches are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
 
You may request a particular book or a grab bag based on your reading preferences by calling the branch. Contacting the library with requests ahead of time will provide a faster pickup experience.

To pick up your books, please park in the designated area of your library’s lot and call the branch phone number posted on the sign. Provide your library card number to staff on the phone and remain in your car until your books have been deposited on the pickup table and library staff have returned to the building.
 
All returned library materials should be deposited in the library’s book drop. Do not return library materials to staff or the pickup tables.
 
Library staff would be happy to answer any other questions you may have; please reach out to [email protected] and your question will be routed to the most appropriate staff member.
Waste Management Update
Fairfax County Collection Customers: Special Pickups Resumed. Yard Waste Collection Resumes May 25 


The Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services has resumed special pickups and will resume yard waste collections May 25.  

Please be advised that there will be NO CHANGE in the trash and recycling collection schedule for Monday, May 25, 2020 (Memorial Day) for customers of Fairfax County Government. If you have private collection, please contact your hauler.  

To ensure that all trash and recycling is collected, please make sure that all materials are at the curb/street line by 6:00 a.m. on your regular collection day. Trash and recycled material must be placed inside the cart. Trash or recycling placed outside the county-provided cart will not be collected. No privately-owned carts will be serviced.  

The DPWES administrative office will be closed on Monday, May 25. The office will reopen at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 26, 2020.  

The Recycling and Disposal Centers at the I-66 Transfer Station (4618 West Ox Road) and the I-95 Landfill Complex (9850 Furnace Road) will both be open on Monday, May 25, 2020.  
Face Cloth Donations
The Health Department is asking for your support with the donation of sewn cloth face coverings to protect the most vulnerable within the community. These donations will support our nonprofit providers and the low-income client households they serve.
Hand-sewn cloth face coverings can be regularly laundered for long-term use.
While many hand-sewn styles are accepted, here are a few resources for you to consider:

Have a donation? Please fill out this form or call 931-981-9698 and a member of the Health Department's donations team will coordinate your donation.
Food for Others Providence Food Drive
Our office has partnered with Food for Others on a community based food drive to feed those in need during COVID-19.

Email [email protected] to get your community involved.

Thank you to the WeHelp group from the Dunn Loring area for donating approximately 400 pounds of food for Food for Others !
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, three times more families have been relying on Food for Others to feed their households. You can help these families get fresh, local produce by starting a vegetable or herb garden and donating the produce to Food for Others. Pledge now and you can receive a seed packet to get you started (while supplies last)!

Every food donation helps in the fight against hunger – no matter how small or large. Food for Others accepts donations of food at its Merrifield warehouse (2938 Prosperity Avenue) Mon - Fri, preferably between 2:00 pm- 5:00 pm or during normal operating hours, 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at loading dock 2.
Reminders
  • Glass Recycling is back! Drop Off Locations in or near Providence:
  • 3001 Vaden Drive, Fairfax, VA 22031 (please avoid dropping off between hours of 9:00 p.m. - 6:00 a.m.)
  • 431 Mill St NE, Vienna, VA 22189
  • 217 Gordon Rd, Falls Church, VA 22046


  • Fairfax RISE Grant Program will open in early June. You can sign up to be notified when the application opens here.
COVID-19 Text Alerts in Spanish
El Condado Fairfax Ahora Ofrece Mensajes de Texto de COVID-19 en Español
  • Fairfax County now provides COVID-19 text alerts in Spanish.
  • To sign up, text FFXCOVIDESP to 888777. // Para inscribirse, textear FFXCOVIDESP a 888777.
  • See Fairfax County's Language Portal here. 
Upcoming Events
Fairfax County Park Authority Virtual Exploration Center: The FCPA has curated a list of on-demand fitness activities , a virtual history tool , and many other activities related to science and nature, culture and history, and health and wellness.  It's time to bring the parks to you !  

Join George Washington's Mount Vernon Livestream Series:



George Mason University's Institute for a Sustainable Earth webinar series




Aug. 15 : Conservation Poster Contest, Where would we BEE without Pollinators? Deadline EXTENDED!
Contact Us
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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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