Dear Neighbor,
Yesterday, the CDC and President Biden announced plans to begin providing booster shots (third shots) to those who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. Booster shots will be available beginning September 20 and starting 8 months from an individual's first dose. The CDC plans to announce additional information regarding the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the coming weeks.

The Fairfax County Health Department and Virginia Department of Health will release additional information regarding the process for receiving booster shots soon.

Third-dose vaccines are already available for those who are immunocompromised. If you meet the criteria, please visit Vaccines.gov or the Fairfax County Health Department to receive your third vaccine at a location near you.
I'm also pleased to share that businesses and community event organizers can now request a vaccination team to provide COVID-19 vaccines or education/outreach services at their business or event. If you are a business owner or event organizer and are interested in increasing vaccination rates in our community, submit a request to the Health Department.
Mosquito Dunks Available

The recent heavy rain means more standing water, which means more mosquitos! The good news is that we have free mosquito dunks available for Braddock residents. The dunks can be placed anywhere that water collects and they prevent mosquito breeding.

Stop by our office (9002 Burke Lake Rd) to pick one up Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m.! Please read below for additional tips on preventing mosquito bites. Distribution is limited to two per person, please.

Final Summer Concert

Thank you to everyone who came out to our Braddock Nights concerts and Arts in the Parks children's series this year! It was wonderful to see the community enjoying free entertainment in our beautiful parks. Our final concert of the season is this Friday, August 20 at Royal Lake Park. I hope to see you there to enjoy Mars Rodeo!
Read below for more information on:

  • Third Dose Vaccinations Now Available for Individuals Who Are Immunocompromised
  • Last Summer Concert
  • Field Guide to Battle Mosquitoes
  • American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Annual Out of the Darkness Walk
  • Webinar for Active and Thriving Community Grants Program
  • Virtual Public Information Meeting for Random Hills Road and Post Forest Drive Shared Use Paths
  • Get Ready for METRO Discounts and More Service Starting September 5
  • Upcoming Stuff the Bus Food Drive
  • Nearly $2.5M Available to Acquire, Develop and Rehabilitate Affordable Housing
Yours in service,
Supervisor James Walkinshaw
Third Dose Vaccinations Now Available for Individuals Who Are Immunocompromised
Residents of the Fairfax Health District who have immune systems that are compromised due to medical conditions or are receiving immunosuppressive medications or treatments and who have received two doses of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer BioNTech or Moderna) are now eligible to receive a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine at the Fairfax County Health Department clinics.

This updated guidance follows authorization of the third dose mRNA vaccine by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and recommendation by CDC. The Virginia Department of Health announced this update late Friday, August 13 and Fairfax Health District officials worked to update their administrative processes so that eligible individuals would be able to receive their third vaccination at health department clinics beginning Saturday, August 14.

The third dose should be administered at least 28 days after the second dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine. People 12 years and older can receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and individuals 18 years and older can receive the Moderna vaccine. The third dose should be the same mRNA vaccine as the primary series. The Fairfax County Health Department is supplying only Pfizer vaccine at this time.

The COVID-19 vaccine is widely available, with many places offering same day appointments and walk-in service. Visit www.vaccines.gov to find a location nearest you or visit the health department’s web site. People who received the Moderna vaccine should use vaccines.gov to find a provider.

There is not enough information to recommend an additional vaccine dose for people who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Last Summer Concert
Mars Rodeo plays original, classic, and modern rock with an extensive variety of songs that span from the 1960s to today. Over the last 7 years, the group has played many public events throughout Northern Virginia and appears at a variety of Northern Virginia establishments.

Come enjoy them perform at our final concert of the season tomorrow, Friday, August 20 at 7:30 p.m. at Royal Lake Park.
Field Guide to Battle Mosquitoes
Eliminate standing water. Mosquitoes can breed in as little as a teaspoon of water. Here are 12 locations to check at least weekly for standing water — tip and toss that water:

  • Buckets, watering cans, bottle caps or any trash that can hold water
  • Corrugated pipes for downspout drainage
  • Bird baths and pet water bowls
  • Potted plants with saucers
  • Children’s toys
  • Tarps on woodpiles and garden equipment
  • Grill and patio furniture
  • Wheelbarrows
  • Containers under decks and porches
  • Garbage cans, recycle bins and other barrels
  • Tires
  • Boats and boat covers

Not everyone will check or know to check these locations, so please share this list with neighbors and your homeowner’s association.

Learn more by visiting the Fairfax County News Center.
Watch the video above to learn how to Fight the Bite.
American Foundation for
Suicide Prevention
Annual Out of the Darkness Walk
On October 2, Supervisor Walkinshaw and Supervisor Smith will lead Team Fairfax in the annual American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) Out of the Darkness Walk. This event raises support for scientific research, evidence-based resources, training, and advocacy. AFSP does life-saving work and I invite you to register today.
Webinar for Active and Thriving Community Grants Program
The Active and Thriving Communities Grant Program will provide grants to selected eligible awardees.

To be eligible, an applicant must be a small business or 501(c)(3) non-profit organization operating in one or more of the following areas:

  1. Child care, which includes regulated centers and family child care homes
  2. Community-based organizations providing safety net services in one or more of the categories outlined in the Consolidated Community Funding Pool (CCFP)
  3. Youth athletic programs within county-based organizations
  4. Out-of-school-time programs for youth grades K-12
  5. Outdoor community pools located in HOAs and apartments/condominiums, as well as community membership-based pools

To learn more about this grant opportunity, please join the webinar on Thursday, August 19 at 1:30 pm. The webinar will be recorded.

Active and Thriving Community Grants Information Session/Webinar

Or call by telephone: 888-270-9936 (US Toll Free)
Virtual Public Information Meeting for Random Hills Road and Post Forest Drive Shared Use Paths
The Virginia Department of Transportation will be holding a Virtual Public Information Meeting on Random Hills Road and Post Forest Drive Shared Use Paths. The meeting will take place on August 26, 2021 from 7:00p.m. through 8:30 p.m. The project website is live. Register for the virtual meeting today. Please use this new link to register and disregard the link included in the August Braddock Beacon Newsletter.

Thursday, August 26, 2021
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Webinar ID: 273-642-779

To call in without registering and participate in listen-only mode:
Call: +1-877-309-2071
Enter Access Code: 979-679-462
Get Ready for METRO Discounts and More Service Starting September 5
Starting September 5, 2021, Metro will add more buses and trains and offer discounts to make it easier for you to return to work, school, and wherever else you want to be.

Metrorail
  • Metrorail will stay open until 1:00 a.m. instead of midnight on Friday and Saturday. That’s one hour more to be out and about. Metrorail is open until midnight Sunday through Thursday.
  • Metrorail will open at 7:00 a.m. instead of 8:00 a.m. on Sunday. That’s one hour earlier to get you where you need to be.
  • Metro will be running more frequent rail service all day, not just during rush hours. You can expect the average wait time for a train to be 2-7 minutes.

Metrobus
You’ll find more buses on 36 lines so you can have more frequent service from 7:00 a.m. through 9:00 p.m., 7 days a week. Check out the map below to see which routes are getting more frequent service.


Metro is also improving and restoring bus service on many routes.

For a detailed line-by-line overview of bus changes, visit the Metrobus service changes page. Learn more by visiting Metro's website.
Upcoming Stuff the Bus Food Drive
On Saturday, September 11, and Saturday, October 9, Fairfax County’s Stuff the Bus Food Drive will be collecting non-perishable food donations at the Braddock District office (9002 Burke Lake Road, Burke, Virginia 22105) and 20 additional locations throughout Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax. Help fight hunger and feed hope in the community by donating.

For updates, including donation locations, most requested food items, and more, sign up for the Braddock District Email List online or by emailing the Braddock office at Braddock@Fairfaxcounty.gov.
Nearly $2.5M Available to Acquire, Develop and Rehabilitate Affordable Housing
The Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development has announced the availability of nearly $2.5 million in funding under the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) programs.

Project proposals are being solicited to acquire, develop, and rehabilitate affordable rental housing to further advance the Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisor’s goal of producing a minimum of 5,000 new units of affordable housing by 2034. Applications are due by Friday, September 24, 2021 at 4:00 p.m.
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