11.27.24

Dear Neighbor,

I want to wish you and your family a happy and healthy Thanksgiving filled with good food and time with loved ones!

Here in the Braddock District Office, we are thankful to each of you for your efforts to make our community such a wonderful place. We are also thankful to our first responders and frontline workers for their around-the-clock commitment to Fairfax County, even on holidays.

While Thanksgiving is a time of joy, it can also present some dangers. The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department (FCFRD) wants you to have a safe and happy holiday. Help prevent an unexpected visit to your home from firefighters on Thanksgiving Day! Take a moment and review cooking and kitchen safety tips from FCFRD to have a recipe for Thanksgiving success.

Turkey Day Reminders

The Fairfax Connector will operate Sunday Service on Thursday, November 28 (Thanksgiving Day) and its Holiday Weekday Service on Friday, November 29.

Visit the Connector's website for more on their Holiday Schedule with specific route details.

The Braddock District Office will be closed on November 28 and 29. For information on what is open in the County, visit the Operating Status website.

The Fairfax County Animal Shelter reminds pet owners to avoid giving your pets certain foods to avoid the potential for illness including:

• Black Pepper
• Boiled/Mashed/Raw Potatoes
• Chives
• Cocoa
• Cranberry Sauce
• Garlic
• Ham
• Onion
• Paprika
• Pumpkin Pie Spice
• Salt
• Stuffing
• Sugary desserts like pie or candied yams

Foods that are dog-friendly include:

• Boiled or baked fresh yams
• Peeled, roasted potatoes
• Plain, raw, or cooked pumpkin

Foods that are cat-friendly include:

• Plain, cooked pumpkin
• Plain, cooked yams
• Unseasoned salmon, tuna, or sardines

Foods that are cat- and dog-friendly include:

• Plain, cooked duck
• Unseasoned turkey

Check out more on the Animal Shelter's Facebook page!

Yours in service,

Supervisor James R. Walkinshaw

Please share this newsletter with your friends and neighbors. If this email was forwarded to you, consider subscribing to receive Braddock District news and updates.

Continue reading below for more information on:

• Best of Braddock on December 4
• Trot or Boogie This Weekend!
• Small Business Saturday
• Santa Trains
• West Springfield Toy and Food Drive
• Tracking Climate Action Progress

Best of Braddock on December 4

On Wednesday, December 4, from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. in Braddock Hall (9002 Burke Lake Road, Burke), the Braddock District Council and Supervisor James Walkinshaw will host the annual Best of Braddock Awards Ceremony and Reception.

The reception is open to the entire community and will kick off with hors d'oeuvres, desserts, and a chance to mingle with community members from the Braddock District.

Then, join community leaders for an awards ceremony to recognize the individuals and organizations who have worked to make their neighborhood or broader community a great place to live, work, and play.

Registration is not required but does help with planning, RSVP today.

Trot or Boogie This Weekend!

Turkey Trot 5K

There is still time to sign up for the Mount Vernon-Springfield Chamber of Commerce's Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 28, beginning at 8:00 a.m.

The race will begin and end in the Walmart parking lot (5885 Kingstowne Boulevard, Alexandria). Registrants will receive a commemorative race t-shirt and swag. Donations of nonperishable food items will be accepted. More details can be found on the Chamber’s website.

2nd Annual Beaver Boogie 5K

Back by popular demand! The Friends of Lake Accotink Park (FLAP) will host its second-annual Beaver Boogie 5K at Lake Accotink Park at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 30.

The Beaver Boogie is a great opportunity to join with family, friends and neighbors in supporting one of Fairfax County’s largest and most visited parks. The event runs through the park, creating a scenic and picture-perfect atmosphere for all runners and walkers to enjoy themselves while being active.

Registration is $25 for each participant for the 5K Fun Run/Walk. All proceeds from this event are used to support FLAP projects and programs that directly benefit Lake Accotink Park. Register today.

Visit the Friends of Lake Accotink Park’s event website or email contact@flapaccotink.org with questions.

Small Business Saturday

This Saturday, November 30, is the 15th Annual Small Business Saturday! Did you know there are over 33 million small businesses in the United States? Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, so whether you’re staying home or traveling this holiday season, don’t forget to shop small and support local businesses this weekend!

Small Business Saturday is an annual reminder of the vital role local businesses play in our communities.

Why Shop Small?

• Unique Finds: Discover one-of-a-kind products and personalized service. Check out Made in Fairfax for some special local gifts.
• Community Impact: Your purchases directly benefit your neighbors, local businesses and jobs. 93% of employer businesses in Fairfax County are small businesses with fewer than 50 employees. 
• Economic Growth: Local small businesses span emerging economic sectors, serve our communities, and contribute to dynamic and unique experiences.

Are you a small business?

• Leverage your Message: Visit the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's "Shop Small & Small Business Saturday 2024 Toolkit" to create engaging social media content.
• Maximize Your Impact: Follow SCORE's "8 Tips for Small Business Saturday" to optimize your business's participation.
• Visit FairfaxCORE and find links to many other resources for Small Business Saturday.
• Make it a Month: Visit SBA's Season of Small Business for more ways to show your support.
• Holiday Market Time: See Visit Fairfax’s list of local markets where businesses can share their wares.

Santa Trains

The Virginia Railway Express's popular Santa Trains will return on December 14! Kids can ride a VRE train to meet Santa and friends, learn about rail safety, and receive candy canes and coloring books from Santa's helpers.

You can buy tickets for the Burke Centre Santa Trains in person on Monday, December 2, beginning at 10:00 a.m. at Kings Park Library (9000 Burke Lake Road, Burke), one of the in-person ticket sales locations.

Online tickets will go on sale on Tuesday, December 3 at 10:00 a.m. Visit the VRE website for more information.

West Springfield Toy and Food Drive

Officers from the West Springfield Police District Station will host a Holiday Toy and Food Drive on Saturday, December 7, from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at Cardinal Forest Giant (8320 Old Keene Mill Road, Springfield).

They are asking for new, unwrapped toys to be donated. These toys will be sent to the Motor Squad for their Santa’s Ride event. The Motor Squad will be delivering these toys to kids who are housed in area hospitals, like Inova Children’s Hospital and the Georgetown Hospital Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The food will benefit ECHO (Ecumenical Community Helping Others), an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) charity that provides food and financial help to people with short-term emergencies and people with low incomes.

If you have any questions about the drive, email PFC Liam May at Liam.May@fairfaxcounty.gov.

Tracking Climate Action Progress

Fairfax County’s Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination (OEEC) invites you to explore the Climate Action Viewer to follow the County’s progress toward a greener future.

It’s an interactive mapping tool that shows the types of climate resiliency improvements being made by the County and the community to improve energy efficiency, protect natural resources and support EV charging.

The map can be filtered to show, for example, the locations of County government solar installations, public and private EV chargers, glass recycling centers, County parks, and resource protection areas by supervisory district or US Census Tract. The information included in the map is driven by the Community-wide Energy and Climate Action Plan (CECAP) and the County’s Operational Energy Strategy (OES). Check out this link for more news about these initiatives and to find out how you can do your part.