I hope you’ll join me, Congressman Gerry Connolly, Braddock School Board Member Megan McLaughlin, and community members tonight for a virtual Best of Braddock Awards Ceremony. Starting at 7:00 p.m., we'll recognize Braddock District residents and organizations who have gone the extra mile to improve their neighborhood and the greater community. After last year’s hiatus due to the pandemic, I'm looking forward to continuing this Braddock tradition.

A selection committee of Braddock residents chose this year’s winners in the following categories:

Interested in joining us? Use this link to participate. I hope to see you there!

After months of work by our citizen-led Redistricting Advisory Committee and professional County staff, I'm pleased that the Board of Supervisors has adopted a local redistricting plan that is consistent with state and federal law, preserves communities of interest, protects the rights of racial and language minorities, and equalizes population between districts by moving only 7 of 247 precincts.

The only change to the Braddock District is the addition of Irving precinct, finally eliminating a point of confusion for residents and uniting a community of interest south of Lake Accotink. Given that I represent much of that area already, I'm familiar with the issues facing the community, including the need for traffic calming solutions and strong desire to preserve the recreational and environmental value of nearby Lake Accotink. But I look forward to meeting my new constituents and learning how I can best serve them.

Thanks to robust outreach, this year's process saw record community involvement, including the submission of forty plans by members of the public. In fact, with only minor changes, the Board is adopting a map (PUB_9_0919_2336) which was submitted by a member of the public.

Visit the County’s News Center to learn about the adopted map.

At yesterday's Board of Supervisors meeting, I was proud to support Chairman Mckay's motion to increase the income and net worth limits for senior tax relief and create a new tax deferral program. The program had not been adjusted since 2006 and these changes will allow thousands of additional low and moderate-income seniors to participate.

Some of the changes will go into effect January 1, 2022 and some will go into effect January 1, 2023. Click here to learn more.

Supervisor James Walkinshaw

The Audrey Moore RECenter Renovation and Expansion Survey is now available until Friday, December 17. Please take the survey today and share it with a neighbor. Your feedback will help ensure that a renovated Audrey Moore Recenter meets the needs of the community for years to come. Learn more about the project and its timeline by visiting Fairfax County Park Authority’s website.

In order to help fill critical staff shortages in organizations serving older adults and adults with disabilities, Long Term Care Coordinating Council partnered with the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (EDA) and others to host a virtual free Job Fair for today, December 8, at 1:00 p.m. through 4:00 p.m. Many of the jobs are entry level positions. Information about low to no-cost training programs for positions that require certifications will also be available.

There will be language assistance services; and for those with limited internet or access to computers. There are three locations where they can use computers with staff assistance to participate in the Job Fair:

The Fairfax County NAACP will collect toys this holiday season in order to set up a "Joy Store" for children in the community to shop for their holiday gifts. On Saturday, December 18, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., they will be collecting toys and gift cards at Braddock Hall located at the Braddock District Supervisor's Office (9002 Burke Lake Road, Burke, Virginia 22015).

There will be 2-6 volunteers staffing the toy drive. Consider donating!

The Fairfax County Police Department has been collecting toys for children for more than 30 years, and this year, toys will be distributed to children at local hospitals and charities. Residents interested in giving back to the community can donate new and unwrapped toys, books, or games now through Monday, December 13 at Fairfax County Police headquarters at the following locations:

The Fairfax County police officers will deliver the toys to local hospitals on Wednesday, December 15, and Thursday, December 16. Consider donating!

Join Captain Gregory Malarkey of the West Springfield District Station and Captain Justin Palenscar of the Animal Services Division for a Meet the Commander event. The event will be held on December 13, 2021, from 6:00 p.m. through 8:00 p.m. at the Braddock Hall, 9002 Burke Lake Road, Burke, VA (In the Kings Park Library/Braddock District Supervisors building). Also joining them will be Supervisor James Walkinshaw representing the Braddock District, 1LT Loriann LaBarca, Assistant Commander of the West Springfield District Station, and Supervisor Pat Herrity representing the Springfield District. 

This event is open to the entire community. There will be no speeches or agenda, just a chance to meet the leaders who serve Fairfax County. You will be able to ask questions, raise concerns, or just talk with each of them. If there are any questions, feel free to contact PFC Tony Capizzi at (703) 277-2363 or Anthony.capizzi@fairfaxcounty.gov. We look forward to seeing you there. 

Special Note: All Patrol Commanders in Fairfax County will host a Meet the Commander Event on the same night and time. Braddock District residents who reside within the Fairfax Oaks District Station are encouraged to attend the event hosted at the Providence Community Center with Station Commander Captain Camille Stewart and Assistant Commander Andrew Wehrlen on Monday, December 13 from 6:00 p.m. through 8:00 p.m.

More than 1,000 residents experiencing homelessness face the risk of hypothermia this winter. Help us ensure that no one sleep outside during the winter months.

The Hypothermia Prevention Program serves about 215 of our neighbors experiencing homelessness each night by giving them a warm place to sleep, a meal, and access to additional supportive services. Shelter locations are open now through April 1.

Learn more about the Fairfax County Hypothermia Prevention Program website.

On Thursday, December 16, at 10:00 a.m., Anti-Trafficking International will host an online seminar called "Let’s Talk: What About the Buyers? Fighting Human Trafficking by Fighting Demand."

Valiant Richey, the Special Representative and Coordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe will lead the webinar.

This event is free, and attendees are required to register.

La vacuna para niños de 5 a 11 años se administra en dos dosis, con 21 días de separación entre la primera y la segunda. Los niños se consideran completamente vacunados a los 14 días después de recibir la segunda dosis de la vacuna. Los efectos secundarios en este grupo de edad incluyeron dolor,

enrojecimiento en el brazo donde se administró la vacuna, así como fatiga, dolor de cabeza y dolores musculares.

También hay múltiples oportunidades para recibir la vacuna contra el COVID-19 en Fairfax. La mayoría de los sitios proporcionarán la vacuna con cita previa en estos momentos. Los lugares donde están dando la vacuna son:

Llame al médico de su hijo para programar una cita

Visite vaccines.gov o vacunas.gov para hacer una cita para recibir la vacuna

Visite vams.cdc.gov para hacer una cita, o llame al (703) 324-7404 si necesita ayuda

(7950 Tysons Corner Center, McLean, VA 22102)

Visite vase.vdh.virginia.gov o llame al (877)-829-4682, los usuarios de TTY deben llamar al 711.

La asistencia para para hacer las citas está disponible en inglés, español y más de 100 idiomas

(8100 Innovation Park Drive, Fairfax VA 22031)

Visite inova.org/vaccine para programar una cita en una de sus clínicas de fin de semana en el Centro Inova para la Salud Personalizada (en inglés Inova Center for Personalized Health)

+1-877-309-2074 Access code: 881-684-504

Provide your comments by January 3, 2022, in the following ways: