Dear Neighbor,

The 2nd Annual Braddock Bark festival is this Sunday, May 21, from

1:00 - 4:00 p.m. at the McLaren Sargent Pavilion at Lake Accotink Park!

This year we are excited to offer a children's pavilion - featuring games, story time, and arts and crafts. We'll also have dogs available for adoption, local businesses, non-profits, and more.

I hope to see you, the kids, and the pups at Braddock Bark on Sunday!

Graduation Traffic Impact

George Mason University will be hosting graduation ceremonies on campus at the EagleBank Arena and the Center for the Arts through Tuesday, June 13.

Traffic impacts will vary depending on the day but are expected to be especially heavy this weekend. Subscribe to Mason alerts for up-to-date details on high-impact areas and alternative routes.

View GMU graduations and the high school ceremony schedule here.

Recognizing Spartan Women's Wrestling

At our last Board Meeting, I was proud to join Chairman McKay and Supervisor Herrity in recognizing West Springfield wrestlers Avana Harford and Elaina Primozic, along with Coach Pat Smith, for their historic success at the first Virginia High School League Girls Wrestling Championship in Manassas last month.



These girls are trailblazers in opening up the sport to more of our student population!

Yours in service,

Supervisor James R. Walkinshaw

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

Continue reading below for more information on:

• Lake Accotink Playground Update
• Braddock Bark Volunteers Needed
• Bike to Work on May 19
• Wellness Day for Older Adults
• AANHPI Community Celebration
• Braddock Elementary School Renovation Project Completion Ceremony
• DAV Chapter 10 May Service Meeting
• Parent Registration for K-12 Learning Acceleration Grants Now Open 
• Eagle View Elementary School Teacher Named Cox Education Hero
• Register for LLI/NOVA's Summer Term
• Tax Credits for Energy Upgrades through Fairfax County and the Inflation Reduction Act
• Apply to be a Fairfax County Election Officer for June 20 Primaries
• Vote Early until June 17

Supervisor Walkinshaw, Chairman McKay and Supervisor Lusk recently secured $300,000 in funding for the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) to replace the playground at Lake Accotink Park.

The funding was officially approved by the Board of Supervisors at their May 9th meeting, and FCPA is now procuring new and improved equipment.

The new playground will feature a tower with a winding slide and net climber, a playhouse, a dragonfly seesaw, four swings and among other things, some musical panels. Additional information about the project is on FCPA's website.

Questions about this project can be sent to [email protected].

Braddock Bark is still short a few volunteers to make this a successful event!

Shifts are still available. If you are at least 18 years old and interested in volunteering, sign up here or email [email protected].

Join Commuter Connections for Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 19, with more than 100 pit stops throughout DC, MD, and VA - including three in the Braddock District!

• Wakefield Park at Audrey Moore RECenter - 8100 Braddock Road, Annandale
• 6:30 - 9:00 a.m.
• Burke Centre VRE Station (near the train platform) - 10399 Premier Court, Burke
• 6:30 - 9:15 a.m.
• Fairfax County Government Center - 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax
• 6:30 - 9:00 a.m.

The first 15,000 commuters who register and attend this free event will receive a T-shirt. Free giveaways and refreshments are available at most pit stops, while supplies last.

Register and you'll be entered into a raffle for a chance to win a free bike!

For assistance with registration, please call Commuter Connections at (800) 745-7433. For general questions regarding the event, please visit Bike To Work Day's FAQ page.

ServiceSource is hosting a free Wellness Day tomorrow, May 19 from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at their Wellness Center for Older Adults (WCOA - 4027B Olley Lane, Fairfax).

The event will celebrate the anniversary of the WCOA with an open house and food. Tours will be offered throughout the day.

For more information about this event, visit ServiceSource's website or email [email protected]

Neighborhood and Community Services will be hosting a free Community Celebration for the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities this Saturday, May 20 from 12:00 - 4:00 p.m. at the Mott Community Center (12111 Braddock Road, Fairfax).

The event will include:

• Community resource vendors
• Ukelele and line dance demonstrations
• Crafts for children and youth
• Kite flying (weather permitting)
• And more!

More info about this event can be found here.

On Tuesday, May 23 from 12:30 - 1:00 p.m., Braddock Elementary School will host a Project Completion Ceremony to formally mark the completion of their renovation and additions.

The ceremony will take place at the front of Braddock ES at 7825 Heritage Drive, Annandale.

This project has been in the works since first being identified in 2009, when it was placed 37 of 63 school renovation projects in the queue. The project was funded by 2017 and 2019 bonds. Learn more about this capital project here.

The Disabled American Veterans Arlington-Fairfax Chapter 10 (DAV Chapter 10) provides Service Officers, volunteers, donations, and support to a variety of programs in northern Virginia, across the Commonwealth and the nation.

DAV Chapter 10’s May Business Meeting will be on May 27 at Braddock Hall (9002 Burke Lake Road, Burke) beginning at 11:00 a.m. 

For more information about DAV Chapter 10, check out their Twitter, Facebook, or sign up for their emails.

The Virginia Department of Education is now accepting applications from parents for tutoring microgrants for their children.

The $30 million dollar program provides $1,500 grants to parents of school-age children for tutoring in English, mathematics, science, and history, as well as foreign languages required to meet diploma requirements.

Children from homes with family incomes at 300% or less of the federal poverty level qualify for $3,000 grants. Grants may also be used for support services such as speech language pathology and reading interventions.

The grant program is open to parents of any public, private, parochial, or home-school student in grades K-12 residing in Virginia. The first step in the process is to visit K-12 Learning Acceleration Grants page, where you can create an application and receive more information.  

Congratulations to Rowena Hipol for being named an Education Hero by Cox Communications!

Ms. Hipol is a Kindergarten Special Education Teacher at Eagle View Elementary School. Cox selected her for going above and beyond to support student learning. Here's a blurb from her nomination:

Ms. Hipol's superpower is her ability to connect with students and make each child see magic in learning. She also has an exquisite ability to communicate with families and build strong home-school partnerships.

Cox also awarded Eagle View Elementary with a $1,000 grant for her classroom. Congratulations, Ms. Hipol!

You can read more about this recognition here.

The Lifetime Learning Institute at Northern Virginia Community College (LLI/NOVA) invites you to be part of its 2023 summer term and to participate in other activities, including monthly forums, day trips, classes, special interest groups and social activities.

The summer term is from May 30 – September 1, but dues provide unlimited access to all activities for a full year. Registration begins Monday, May 15.

At $110 per year, LLI/NOVA is one of the best bargains around- a full year of unlimited classes, access to travel at special rates, participation in forums, parties, field trips, and special interest groups, and an opportunity to learn new things and develop friendships with like-minded members. The Lifetime Learning Institute of Northern Virginia, affiliated with Northern Virginia Community College’s Annandale Campus, is a non-profit, member-run organization dedicated to providing continuing educational opportunities to older adults age 50+. 

Join LLI/NOVA and register today. Contact LLI/NOVA at (703) 323-3746 or email [email protected] with questions.

As a local government leader for electrification, Supervisor Walkinshaw encourages Fairfax County residents who are prepared to make household energy upgrades to take advantage of current federal tax credits (through the Inflation Reduction Act - IRA) and incentives offered by Fairfax County government.

The federal tax credits include:

1. The Residential Clean Energy Credit -- A 30% tax credit for the purchase of residential equipment like rooftop solar, wind and geothermal equipment, and battery storage with the capacity of at least three kWh
2. The Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit -- A tax credit for residential energy-efficiency improvements, like insulation, new doors and energy efficient windows. The base credit amount is 30% of total costs with limits on each type of improvement. The total annual credit is capped at $1,200, with a separate annual limit of $2,000 for heat pumps and heat pump water heaters.

The federal tax credit limit resets each year and can be used again for qualifying upgrades. For an estimate of federal tax credits and possible up-front, point-of-sale discounts, use the IRA calculator to see your savings based on household income, tax filing status and other factors.

Be sure to also take advantage of incentives offered by Fairfax County. Currently, the permit fee for solar applications is being waived and a tax exemption is offered for installation of solar equipment through the Solar Energy Equipment Tax Exemption Program. For more information, you may click here or call the County Permit Application Center at (703) 222-0801 and the Department of Tax Administration at (703) 222-8234.  

The Fairfax County Office of Elections is seeking new officers who can serve for a full-day (5:00 a.m. to approximately 9:00 p.m., when all work is complete after polls close), on Tuesday, June 20 for the primary elections. Offered compensation for serving is $250.00 and reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities per the American with Disabilities Act.

The deadline to apply to be considered for the June primaries is May 23. Any applications received after that date will be considered for future elections.

Apply to be an officer here or contact the Office of Elections at [email protected].

Early in-person voting for the June 20 Democratic Primary Election is happening now until Saturday, June 17.

Voting is available at three locations:

• Fairfax County Government Center | Conference Rooms 2/3 - 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax
• Weekday hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
• Mt. Vernon Governmental Center - 2511 Parkers Lane, Alexandria
• Weekday hours: 1:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
• North County Governmental Center - 1801 Cameron Glen Drive, Reston
• Weekday hours: 1:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

*The Republican Party has not called for a primary in Fairfax County*

Beginning Saturday, June 10, an additional 13 early voting locations will open across the County, including at Burke Centre Library (5935 Freds Oak Road, Burke).

You can find all the locations, their operating hours, and information on Saturday voting on the County's Office of Elections' website.

• Find a list of qualified candidates here.
• You can verify the new districts here.