Friday, March 4, 2022

Dear Friend , I would like to personally invite you to my virtual Lee District Budget Town Hall on March 17th at 7 pm. The town hall will also include Lee District School Board member Tamara Derenak Kaufax, Fairfax County Chief Financial Officer, Christina Jackson, and Assistant Superintendent for Fairfax County Public Schools, Leigh Burden. The event will be streamed live on Channel 16 and my Facebook page. The full recorded video will be posted afterward on my social media and YouTube page.

Also, to those who have not visited the Franconia Governmental Center to see the Springfield Art Guild Art Show, time is running out! The display closes this Saturday (Tomorrow!) at 5pm. Watch the video below where I share three of my favorite art pieces.

Thank you to my friends at the Springfield Art Guild for curating this fantastic exhibit.  More information: https://www.springfieldartguild.org/franconia-government-center-art-show-2022/

Please contact my office if we can assist you: Email: [email protected]  Phone 703-971-6262

-Rodney

Table of Contents

Celebrate Women's History Month With Your Library this March Things to Do in March 2022 in our Area Supervisor Lusk in the News Stuff the Bus Donation Locations Plum Center for Adult and Community Education Masks Now Optional in Fairfax County Facilities AARP - Six Pillars of Brain Health Family-Friendly Theatre Festival, Spring Break & Summer Acting Camps Insight Memory Care Center Tree Health and Management  Beat the Rush - Start Permit Applications Now for Spring VDH Launches New Online Tool to Help Calculate Isolation and Quarantine Period COVID-19 Resources

Celebrate Women's History Month With Your Library This March

Fairfax County Public Library is offering events and programming this Women’s History Month to celebrate, honor and educate. You can also check out titles curated for Women’s History Month by FCPL librarians or view selections in Kanopy’s collection of films honoring women from around the world and their contributions to science, politics, art, society and more. More Details: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/celebrate-womens-history-month-with-your-library-march

Things to Do in March 2022 in our Area

Here is a great article from Marissa Daily of FXVA about fun things to do in Fairfax County and Northern Virginia during March for the whole family. Some of the interesting activities in the article are about ways to celebrate Women's History Month as well as watching the Cherry Blossoms bloom as a part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival: https://www.fxva.com/blog/post/things-to-do-this-march-in-fairfax-county/

Supervisor Lusk in the News Washington Post: Fairfax County may rename two districts over ties to slavery: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/03/02/fairfax-county-sully-lee-districts-slavery/ At a meeting Tuesday night, the Fairfax County Redistricting Advisory Committee recommended that the names of the Lee and Sully Districts be changed, though it didn’t suggest alternatives. The County’s Board of Supervisors will begin formally considering the recommendations next week. Supervisor Rodney L. Lusk (D-Lee) was an early proponent of having his district renamed. After protests over Floyd’s death and police brutality raged in cities across the country, Lusk, the Board’s sole Black member, began holding community meetings about separating his district’s name from the legacy of slavery in Virginia. Homages to Lee and other Confederate leaders were a fact of life in Virginia for years, said Lusk, who grew up in Alexandria, where a Confederate statue was prominently displayed for 131 years before being removed in 2020. After Floyd’s death, “It became clear that we needed to have some conversations about things that had been pushed under the rug,” Lusk said Wednesday. “As a government, we have to decide if what we’re going to do is right.” Lusk noted that a high school in his district that bore Lee’s name was recently renamed John R. Lewis High School, after the late congressman and civil rights icon. Though there has been some community opposition to changing the Lee District name, the support outweighs it, Lusk said. So far, new names under consideration include Franconia, Huntley, Laurel Grove and Dogue Creek, he said.

Stuff the Bus Donation Locations

The locations for the Lee District are: Franconia Governmental Center South County Government Center Island Creek Elementary School Additional Information: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/neighborhood-community-services/stuff-the-bus

Supervisor Lusk visits the Plum Center for Adult and Community Education

Last week, Supervisor Lusk visited the Plum Center for Adult and Community Education to meet with intermediate and advanced adult English learners from various countries as part of their Black History Month lesson. He shared how he became the Lee District Supervisor and the significance of being the first African American man elected to the Board of Supervisors. As part of the class, students practiced their English by asking the Supervisor questions about his background and how they could get involved in our community. Learn more about the program here: https://www.fcps.edu/node/33027

Masks Now Optional in Fairfax County Facilities

Effective immediately, Fairfax County will no longer require masks for employees and the public in County government facilities, except in specific locations, such as where health or medical services are provided. This decision is based on updated guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Feb. 25 that includes three metrics for determining COVID-19 community levels – hospital bed use, hospital admissions and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area. More Information: https://fairfaxcountyemergency.wpcomstaging.com/2022/02/28/masks-now-optional-in-county-facilities/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

Community Post: AARP - 6 Pillars of Brain Health

Friday, March 11, 2022 @ 1:00 PM       Join the AARP and learn about the “six pillars” of brain health, stress management, sleep, and the benefits of just moving around a bit more. This session is a great overview for anyone interested in learning more about brain health and will provide you with information on the latest research on brain health, lifestyle suggestions, and resources to learn more. In this live, engaging, and interactive session you will learn about the six pillars of brain health and activities that support brain health, and hopefully be inspired by others. This is an interactive Zoom program and participants are invited to actively share and join the conversation. Registration and details:  https://aarp.cventevents.com/BH03112022

Community Post: Family-friendly Theatre Festival, Spring Break & Summer Acting Camps

Traveling Players Ensemble presents family-friendly plays and camps! We are also offering spring break and summer camps (for students in grades 3-12).   Greek Myths Play Festival – March 12-20 in Tysons Corner Center Ariadne’s Thread (Theseus & the Minotaur) – Ages 6+ The Odyssey – Ages 8+ Hecuba – Ages 12+ Spring Classes In Person – Spring Break Camp Virtual – Improv D&D Summer Camps  Day Camp @ Tysons Corner Center Sleepaway Camps & Acting Conservatories by audition in Leesburg NEXT UP: Dionysian Festival: March 12, 13, 19, & 20 Summer Open House (on Zoom!) March 15 Auditions for Summer Camps & Conservatories: March 26 & 27 Live Far Away? Audition Virtually! Rolling through March 20 Join us for Spring Break (Grades 4-6)! April 4-8 & 11-15 Traveling Players Ensemble 703-987-1712 Great Theatre in the Great Outdoors www.travelingplayers.org

Community Post: Insight Memory Care Center

Insight Memory Care Center is a nonprofit adult day health and resource center providing specialized care, support, and education for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other memory impairments, their families, caregivers, and the community. Mind and Body Workshop, early stage couples engagement program Classes for Caregivers, education programs for care partners, family, and friends Memory Cafe, for families to come together for activities and fun Dementia Friendly Fairfax – www.dffairfax.org

Tree Health and Management

Here is a video on how to recognize the signs of poor tree health. More Resources for Trees: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/publicworks/trees/who-to-call

Beat the Rush - Start Permit Applications Now for Spring

Permit applications increase every spring for popular projects such as decks, screened porches and pools. Many of these projects require homeowners or contractors to submit architectural plans and plats as part of the permit application. Higher volumes of applications increase wait times for permit processing. Obtain your permit now and avoid the rush. Our Land Development Services department has many resources available online to make your permit process go as smoothly as possible.  The most popular spring projects requiring permits are: Decks Finished Basements Pools, Spas and Hot Tubs Residential Additions, Garages and Sunrooms Plan to get your permit now or in the coming weeks and avoid the expected rush: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news/beat-rush-start-permit-applications-now-spring-home-improvement-projects

VDH Launches New Online Tool to Help Calculate Isolation and Quarantine Period

People who have been exposed to COVID-19 or tested positive now have an easy way to determine how long to stay home and away from others: the Virginia Department of Health’s new online isolation and quarantine calculators.  This tool outlines tailored isolation guidance for people who have tested positive, with or without symptoms, as well as quarantine guidance for those who have been exposed and are either up to date or not on their vaccines or have had confirmed COVID-19 within the last 90 days. The calculators also include information about how to get tested, monitor for symptoms and protect your health. View the calculator here: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/corona.../isolation-quarantine/

Fairfax County COVID-19 Resources

COVID-19: Contact our Health Department COVID-19 Call Center during business hours Monday-Friday at 703-267-3511. Text FFXCOVID to 888777 to receive updates from Fairfax County about COVID-19; text FFXCOVIDESP to 888777 for updates in Spanish. Email questions or concerns to [email protected]. This email account will be staffed Monday through Friday, 8 am-4:30 pm. Follow the Fairfax County Government and Health Department Facebook Page Follow @fairfaxcounty and @fairfaxhealth on Twitter. For regular updates, continue to follow the following trusted sources: Fairfax County Health Department’s COVID-19 Homepage Virginia Department of Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Rodney L. Lusk Lee District Supervisor

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