October 8, 2021
Dear Residents,

Happy October! I hope to see you at tomorrow's Stuff the Bus at the PARC at Tysons (8505 Leesburg Pike) from 10AM to 3PM. You may also drop off your donations at the Providence Community Center (3001 Vaden Drive). Food donations will help support Food For Others.

At Tuesday's meeting, the Board voted to assign FY2021 unallocated carryover funds into the FY2022 budget following public hearing, with further details below. The Board also held a public hearing on a collective bargaining ordinance and heard from over 60 County employees and residents.

I also wanted to share that the Community Vaccination Center in Tysons (7950 Tysons Corner Center) reopens today to increase the number of high-throughput locations administering COVID-19 vaccine across Virginia.

You can find the following Providence District updates below in this newsletter:
  • Stuff the Bus
  • Community Vaccination Center in Tysons
  • Board Meeting Highlights
  • James Lee Historical Marker Unveiling
  • Salute to Lords and Ladies Fairfax
  • Transportation Updates
  • Yard Waste Collection Update
  • Crook Branch Stream Restoration Project
  • Upcoming Events

With gratitude,
Supervisor Dalia Palchik
Stuff the Bus
The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for food in Fairfax County. Help us Stuff the Bus tomorrow, October 9 from 10AM to 3PM and drop off your food donations to either locations listed below to support Food for Others.

Providence District donation locations:
  • Providence Community Center, 3001 Vaden Drive
  • The PARC at Tysons, 8508 Leesburg Pike

Please note that the James Lee Community Center is not a Stuff the Bus donation location at this time.

For more information, click here.
Stuff the Bus September 2020
Community Vaccination Center Reopens in Tysons
Today, October 8, a Community Vaccination Center (CVC) — a large-scale COVID-19 vaccination clinic — will reopen in Fairfax County. This site is being re-established to increase the number of high-throughput locations administering the COVID-19 vaccine across Virginia. 

Where: 7950 Tysons Corner Center (former Lord & Taylor)
What is offered:
  • First and second doses of both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
  • Booster doses of Pfizer vaccine to individuals seeking the Pfizer booster if 6 months have passed since their last Pfizer dose and they are eligible to receive vaccine.
  • An additional dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines for individuals who are immunocompromised.

Appointments are encouraged; Walk-ins welcome
To find an appointment, visit vaccinate.virginia.gov or call 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682), TTY 711). Assistance is available in English, Spanish and more than 100 other languages.

More to know about visiting the CVC
Board Meeting Highlights

  • Carryover Review: Following public hearing, the Board voted to assign FY2021 unallocated carryover funds into the FY2022 budget. These included Board priorities we have worked on such as Environmental and Energy Goals, Affordable Housing, Early Childhood and School-Aged Childcare, and Collective Bargaining. In addition, I personally worked with staff to include support for:
  • District Capital Projects - Funding of $2 million is included to increase funds allocated to District-specific projects to address small-scale capital needs. Funding of $200,000 is provided for each District and the Chairman to fund or leverage grant funding in support of capital projects within their District. This funding is often critical to providing links between neighborhoods, activity centers, revitalization centers and schools and will support the County’s One Fairfax commitment by providing resources to address gaps and support equitable access for all.
  • Student Bus Pass Program - Funding of $91,596 and 1/1.0 FTE new position are included to provide full-time support for the Student Bus Pass Program. This program provides opportunities for all Fairfax County High School and Middle School students to ride Fairfax Connector and the City of Fairfax CUE bus for free, as well as serving students at Justice High School through a pilot program with Metrobus. Since the program was launched as a pilot in 2015, student ridership has grown steadily and, prior to the disruption from the pandemic, approximately 12,500 students were participating in the program.
  • To review the FY2021 Carryover Package, go here.

  • Collective Bargaining: The Board held a public hearing on a collective bargaining ordinance that would permit collective bargaining for County employees. This does not include FCPS employees. We heard from over 60 County employees and residents. The Board voted to defer the decision until the next Board meeting on Oct.19 so Board members can consider the significant and thorough testimony provided at the meeting. You can still weigh in as the record will remain open for additional testimony.

  • Strategic Plan: The Board adopted its first-ever Countywide Strategic Plan which outlines ten priority areas and aims to:
  • Set a clear, unified, community-driven vision for the next 10-20 years;
  • Align and integrate existing departmental and issue-specific plans;
  • Provide a tool for focusing and prioritizing initiatives over the next 3-5 years; and
  • Communicate progress on achieving measurable outcomes.

  • Proposal to Vacate a Portion of Ivy Lane / Route 1055: The Board authorized the advertisement of a public hearing for Nov. 9 at 4:30PM.

  • Refinancing of Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2021B for the Merrifield Human Services Center and Providence Community Center, and Series 2021D for School Administration Building: The Board approved the resolution. There is no new money sale component on this project, and only savings are sought from refunding outstanding debt.
 
Access the Full Board Package HERE.
James Lee Historical Marker Unveiling
I had the honor to help host last weekend's celebration for the unveiling of the historical marker commemorating James Lee Elementary School with Congressman Gerry Connolly, descendants of the James Lee family, first and last students of the school and many members of the community.

The school was built on land purchased in 1866 by African American James Edward Lee, who was born free. In 1945, his son sold a portion of the original property to the Fairfax County School Board to build a school for black children.

Thank you to all who participated, including the James Lee Community Center Advisory Council, Delegate Mark Keam, Supervisor Penny Gross, Providence District School Board Member Karl Frisch, Karla Bruce, Karen Campblin, former students Alma Amaker and JoAnn Brooks, and Ed Henderson.
With Congressman Connolly and members of the community in front of the James Lee Elementary School Historical Marker
Salute to Lord and Lady Fairfax
Last Tuesday, the Board recognized our Lords and Ladies Fairfax. I was proud to honor Mercedes Dash for her work at the Child Care Advisory Council Board and Ken McMillon for his strong advocacy for affordable housing. Thank you to Mercedes and Ken for their extraordinary service to our community.

For more information about the honorees, go here.
With my Lord Fairfax, Ken McMillon, and Lady Fairfax, Mercedes Dash, and their family and friends
Diversion First Annual Report
Diversion First's goal is to intercede whenever possible to provide assessment, treatment or needed supports. It is designed to prevent repeat encounters with the criminal justice system, improve public safety, promote a healthier community and is a more cost effective and efficient use of public funding.

In its fifth full year, Diversion First continued and expanded despite pandemic-driven obstacles, and we met the challenges head-on. To read the 2020 Annual Report, click here.
Disability Inclusion and Equality Awards Nomination
Do you know an individual or organization that excels in providing equal rights and community inclusion for people with disabilities in the Fairfax area? If so, nominate them for the Fairfax Area Disability Services Board’s 2021 Martha Glennan Disability Inclusion and Equality Award.

Award winners are honored for demonstrating a commitment to promoting equal rights and community inclusion for people with disabilities and receive an award, presented at an annual awards ceremony on Monday, December 13, 2021, at 6:30 p.m. Location TBD. There are three award categories: Individual, Group and Self-advocate. The requirements are to have demonstrated a commitment to promoting equal rights and community inclusion for people with disabilities in Fairfax County, and the Cities of Fairfax, or Falls Church; and demonstration of how people with disabilities have significantly benefitted from their efforts.
 
Learn information about who to nominate, the process and how to submit the nomination form here. Nominations are due by Friday, Oct. 15 by 5PM.
HomeWise Program
HomeWise volunteers and program staff from the Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination will host a FREE community outreach event to raise awareness of energy- and water-saving activities.

When: Saturday, October 16 from 2PM to 4PM
Where: George Mason Regional Library, 7001 Little River Turnpike

The first 200 attendees at each event will be provided with a free HomeWise improvement kit to take home and use to increase their efficiency and reduce their overall utility costs. For more event details, click here.
Crook Branch at Mantua Elementary
Construction for the Crook Branch at Mantua Elementary School Stream Restoration Project will begin Winter 2021-2022, lasting approximately 550 days. The proposed restoration project was identified in the Accotink Creek Watershed Management Plan. The stream channel exhibits eroded and over-widened banks, head-cuts, and the potential for further bed and bank instability. Restoration objectives include stream stabilization, water quality improvement, aquatic and riparian habitat enhancement, reconnection of the channel with its floodplain, asphalt trail improvements, a new pedestrian bridge, sanitary sewer replacement, and waterline replacement.

A virtual meeting about this project is scheduled for Wednesday, October 20 from 6:30PM to 7:30PM via Microsoft Teams. Learn more or to register, click here.
Transportation Updates
Overnight Full Closures of I-495 South Planned This Weekend, Oct. 8-10, for Bridge Beam Installation at I-66/I-495 Interchange 

A full closure of I-495 South (Capital Beltway Outer Loop) at I-66 is planned during the overnight hours Friday, Oct. 8, through Sunday, Oct. 10, for continued bridge beam installation at the I-66/I-495 Interchange. Traffic will be detoured around the closure via I-66 West and Nutley Street. The 495 Express Lanes South will also be closed, as will the ramp from I-66 West to I-495 South and several 495 Express Lanes ramps. 
 
Drivers traveling on I-66 and I-495 during this time should expect delays and consider using alternate routes. Message boards across the region will direct drivers on I-95 and I-495 to use alternate routes those nights. 
 
Crews are installing beams for a new flyover ramp from I-495 North to I-66 West as part of the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project.
Recording of Gallows Road Traffic Shift and Bridge Demolition Virtual Meeting

Gallows Road is being rebuilt where it crosses I-66. The new alignment will include improved bicycle and pedestrian facilities on the bridge over I-66 and access to the new shared-use path being built along I-66.

Traffic will shift to the new Gallows Road Bridge span on approximately October 18, followed shortly thereafter by demolition of the old bridge structure. The Transform 66 Project team held a virtual construction update meeting on these upcoming activities on October 4. View a recording of the online presentation and question-and-answer session below. Download the presentation here.  

To access the meeting materials and other details, please go here.
Yard Waste Collection Update
We recognize that some communities in Fairfax County are frustrated with the current delays the collection of yard waste and we are working hard to address this issue.
 
The County has engaged private contractors to assist with yard waste collection in its sanitary districts, so residents in those districts may notice collection by vehicles and personnel they are not accustomed to seeing.
 
If residents have a small amount of yard waste, it can be placed in their trash containers. Yard waste that will not fit in trash containers should be bagged and set out separately on the curb. Yard waste may not be collected on the regular collection days, so residents are asked to leave it at the curb until it is collected.
 
We appreciate your patience as we work through identifying some short-term and long-term solutions to this issue.
 
For more information including FAQ’s about yard waste collection, please visit this link.
Needed: Child-Sized Mask Donations
Masks are one of the best ways our community can help to fight the spread of COVID-19, especially kids who are not eligible for vaccinations yet. The biggest need right now is small masks for toddlers and youth size masks for school-aged kids. You can help by donating either homemade face coverings or store-bought masks. All masks must be new and unused.

There are donation bins in each police district station specifically for collecting masks. Use our map to see a list of county police stations.
Upcoming Events
Community Day at Providence

Providence Community Center will be hosting their Community Day on Saturday, October 30th from 11am-3pm. Come and enjoy music, food, games and their haunted house. Face masks required!
Healthy Together Virtual Summit

The Healthy Together Fairfax Virtual Summit 2021 on Monday, Oct. 25 through Thursday, Oct. 28 will bring together community organizations and individuals wishing to promote healthy environments and active living. This event is FREE, and anyone is invited to attend. Registration is open. Please ensure you are ticketed for each day that you would like to attend. Please see schedule and registration information here. Zoom links will be sent to you in a follow-up email.
Oakton Friends' Fall Book Sale

The Friends of Oakton Library will be having their first big book sale in two years this fall, Wednesday, Nov. 17 through Saturday, Nov. 20. There will be books for all ages and interests, including "premium" like-new books, special editions and unique finds suitable for collectors and gifting. There will be DVDs, CDs and Audio Books for sale as well. They are currently taking donations, limited to one (grocery) bag a day.
Fairfax County's 17th Annual History Conference
Resilient Fairfax

You’re invited to join a virtual public meeting with the Resilient Fairfax team on Thursday, October 14 at 6:30PM. At this meeting, you can provide feedback and input on the County’s Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan, which is currently in development. Resilient Fairfax is the County’s formal effort to address climate adaptation and resilience and to reduce climate risks to county residents, businesses, and infrastructure.

Learn about where and how we’re vulnerable to climate impacts like flooding, extreme heat, strong storms, and more. Share your thoughts on strategies that could help us deal with these threats in the years to come.

Celebrate Native Trees at the Oakton Library
Omnium Circus

Omnium Circus makes it's live world premiere under the big top at Tysons III from Nov. 18 – Jan. 9, in partnership with Lerner Enterprises. Tickets are on sale now for the most diverse & inclusive circus in the world.

For more information or to purchase your tickets, click here.
Fairfax Symphony

Come and experience the music of cellist, Amit Peled when Fairfax Symphony Orchestra presents Saint-Saëns & Beethoven at Capital One Hall in Tysons, VA, Saturday Oct. 9, at 8PM. Seats will be socially distanced, with safety protocols in place. Reserve your seats today! FairfaxSymphony.org
Safety and Justice Event with Fairfax Police
 
The Arc of Northern Virginia is partnering again with the Fairfax County Police and Emergency Services to offer a great opportunity for people with disabilities and their loved ones to practice emergency situations. For this event, participants can engage in a practice police stop with real officers AND/OR a practice subject stop. Years of data tell us that people with disabilities are more likely to encounter law enforcement than typically developing peers, and more likely to struggle to navigate that interaction. We're here to help you get ready for any police interactions so you feel safer and readier, and to give officers a chance to learn directly from people with disabilities and their families.
 
On page 2 of registration, look to see that the location where you're signing up has either traffic stops, subject stops, or both based upon what you'd like to practice. All events are on Oct. 23 from 3PM to 5PM, other than the Sully Station stop which is on Oct. 23 from 11AM to 1PM.  Have questions before you sign up? Email Lucy.Beadnell@TheArcofNOVA.org and we're happy to help you.
 
Note that this event is open to anyone with any disability or general anxiety about police interactions, regardless of where they live.
Stop the Bleed

Stop the Bleed is a national awareness campaign and call-to-action with a purpose to cultivate grassroots efforts that encourage bystanders to become trained, equipped, and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives. This event will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 12, from 6PM to 7:30PM, at McLean Community Center, 1437 Balls Hill Rd, McLean. Click here to register.
McLean District Station Community Engagement Meeting

The McLean Citizen Advisory Committee with be having their monthly Community Engagement Meeting virtually on Thursday, Oct. 14, at 7PM. The featured speakers for this month will address fighting and overcoming addiction especially during COVID, finding a support system as well as community resources. To attend click here.
Caregivers' Conference

The Northern Virginia Dementia Care Consortium has been educating caregivers since 1986. The 2021 conference will focus on the theme “Caregiving as Memories Fade.” This year’s conference keynote speaker is Gary Chapman, PhD, author of Keeping Love Alive as Memories Fade: The 5 Languages and the Alzheimer’s Journey. Join their virtual sessions to become better prepared to provide care and support at home or in a facility, learn new ways to engage individuals with dementia, and exploring supportive services in the virtual exhibit hall.

Conference sessions will take place virtually each day November 9-11 from 10:00am-12:30pm. This conference is open to family caregivers, volunteers working with older adults, and professionals in aging and related services.  

To register, visit https://nvdcc.com/ or for more information about the conference, please call 703-270-0043.
Contact Us
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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