Dear Neighbor,

Earlier this week, nearly a hundred community members participated in our virtual community meeting to discuss the follow-up to last month's fatal crash on Burke Centre Parkway. Representatives from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) presented and provided information about traffic enforcement efforts and the ongoing analysis to consider safety improvements at the intersection where the crash occurred. State Senator Dave Marsden, School Board Member Laura Jane Cohen, and representatives from Chairman McKay and Supervisor Herrity's office also attended.

During the meeting, we heard a number of valuable questions and comments that will inform our efforts moving forward. If you were not able to participate, I hope you will view the recording of the meeting, view VDOT's presentation, view FCPD's presentation, or send any questions or comments to [email protected]

Back-to-School Reminders

This Monday, August 21, is the first day of school for Fairfax County Public Schools, as well as some neighboring school districts. I want to wish every Fairfax County student, family, and staff member a wonderful school year!

Please prepare for more traffic and be patient with school buses and student drivers on the roads. The County’s Department of Emergency Management and Security (DEMS) offers a few safety reminders for the first week back to classes:

• Stop and wait for school buses to safely load and unload children
• Slow down and take extra care in school zones and in neighborhoods
• Make eye contact with drivers and pedestrians at stoplights and intersections before proceeding
• Make sure children know who to call in case of an emergency, their home address, and a parent/guardian’s phone number

Back to School Sales Tax Holiday Omission

I share the frustration of many of you who have reached out to ask about the lack of Virginia's annual back-to-school sales tax holiday this year.

Unfortunately, the General Assembly did not pass legislation extending the authority for the holiday, which expired on July 1, 2023, and the ongoing impasse over updates to the state's biennial budget means that the issue was not addressed before the start of the school year. I am hopeful that the ultimate budget agreement will provide for future back-to-school sales tax holidays.

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:

• This Week's Braddock District Summer Entertainment Series Performers
• Task Force on the Future of Lake Accotink's Biweekly Recap
• Juice Box with a Cop
• Jury Questionnaire
• FCPA Hosts Dog Daze
• Become a Teen Advocate
• Note from BDC Chair Bob Cosgriff
• Library Updates
• County Replacing Gas Powered Leaf Blowers with Battery Power
• View Construction Projects in Detail

This Week's Braddock District Summer Entertainment Series Performers

This is the last week of Braddock District's Summer Entertainment Series – thank you to all the volunteers, performers, and attendees for making these concerts so successful. We can't wait for the 2024 Series!

8/18 - Royal Lake: Lua Project

Lua is a cultural pollinator, bridging together musical styles from different continents and different centuries. They write about contemporary themes, about families, and people and work and loss, but draw on the musical traditions of their own families' past. The music is inspired by Mexican Son, Appalachian song forms, Jewish and Eastern European tonalities, baroque melodic ideas, and Scotch-Irish narrative storytelling approaches. They strive to create a repertoire that constitutes new traditional music that they will be able to pass down to their children to experience, transform, and pass on.

8/18 - Lake Accotink: The Reunion Music Society Jazz Ensemble

The Reunion Music Society Jazz Ensemble has been delighting audiences with innovative jazz concerts for over twenty years. Performing in both large and small ensemble formats, the group has presented such unique programs as “The Evolution of the Blues,” “Jazz with Strings,” and “An Evening of the Music of Nelson Riddle.”

8/19 - Wakefield Park: Geoff Marsh

Geoff Marsh has been performing all over the world for the last 20 years with his unique circus stunts and zany marionette puppets at schools, family festivals, and Renaissance fairs. Geoff's signature stunt of balancing a broom up on the bristles, a chair, and a spinning 17-gallon washtub on top makes it one of the largest gyroscopes ever balanced upon one's face: 25 feet in the air. Geoff's act also includes walk-around performances between stage shows with his marionette puppets that interact and engage audiences of all ages. 

All performances are held outdoors, bring lawn chairs/blankets. In case of inclement weather, call the concert hotline at (703) 324-7469 before leaving home.

Cancellations are posted one hour prior to show time. Follow Supervisor Walkinshaw on social media for updates on cancellations as well.

Task Force on the Future of Lake Accotink's Biweekly Recap

The Task Force on the Future of Lake Accotink held its fourth meeting on August 14. The group finalized the scoping questions for the consultant who will be looking at the option of creating a managed wetland or a managed wetland with a smaller body of open water. Davis Grant, the General Manager of the Lake Barcroft Watershed Improvement District, gave a presentation on how they manage the lake through year-round maintenance and dredging operations. Because of time constraints, the presentation by the Fairfax County Park Authority on managed wetlands was deferred until the September 11 meeting. The Task Force broke into three subcommittees: Subcommittee on the Value of Lake Accotink Park to the County, Subcommittee on Impacts of and Issues with the Staff Recommendation to Not Dredge, and Subcommittee on Options to Consider Other than Full Dredging. The subcommittees held their first organizational meetings.

During the next two weeks, the subcommittees will meet separately to begin their work. The next meeting of the full Task Force will be held on Monday, September 11, at 7:00 p.m. in Conference Room 11 at the Government Center. The Park Authority will give a presentation on managed wetlands and the new consultant, WSP/LimnoTech, will be introduced. 

Meetings are open to the public and interested community members are welcome to attend to observe the Task Force's work or livestream the meeting on Channel 16. A recording of the April 4 meeting is available here. Updates on the Task Force can be found on the Task Force on the Future of Lake Accotink webpage.

Juice Box with a Cop

Curious about police officers and what they do?

The West Springfield Police Department is hosting a “Juice Box with a Cop” event on August 19 at the West Springfield Police Station (6140 Rolling Road, Springfield).

Join them for juice boxes, snacks, and pick up a free child ID card. Members of other police departments will be in attendance.

If you have any questions before the event, contact MPO Tony Capizzi at (703) 277-2363.

Jury Questionnaire

You may be one of approximately 74,000 Fairfax County or City of Fairfax residents receiving a jury duty questionnaire in the mail soon.

Just because you received a questionnaire does not mean you will be summoned for jury duty. Potential jurors are randomly selected from voter registration lists to represent a cross section of the community. The questionnaire is the beginning of a screening process to determine who is qualified to serve. You can mail the questionnaire back or, preferably, fill it out online.

If you qualify for the jury pool, you will receive a summons for jury duty by mail approximately one month before your reporting date. Keep in mind that this is an official court summons and if you do not respond, you could be found in contempt of court. T

You can find more information about the Jury Questionnaire on the County's website.

FCPA Hosts Dog Daze

Does your dog need a pool day? Bring them to Dog Daze hosted by the Fairfax County Park Authority on Saturday, September 9, from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at the Water Mine at Lake Fairfax Park (1400 Lake Fairfax Drive, Reston).

The cost is $10 per dog and benefits the Fairfax County Park Foundation. Read more or register now.

Note from BDC Chair Bob Cosgriff

The revitalized Braddock District Council (BDC) is preparing to launch its second post-pandemic business year with the Annual Meeting on Wednesday, September 20 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. in Braddock Hall (9002 Burke Lake Road, Burke).

Supervisor Walkinshaw will kick off the meeting with an update on important issues in the Braddock District. The business portion of the meeting will follow immediately thereafter. One important item on the agenda is the election of the new treasurer, Barbara Smith (Woodbury Woods).

While anyone can attend Council meetings, only associations that have paid the 2023-2024 dues are eligible to vote on business before the Council.

Complete the online membership form now and mail your check by September 1 to:

Braddock District Council

c/o the Braddock District Supervisor’s Office

Attn: Sally Kidalov

9002 Burke Lake Road

Burke, VA 22015 

Other items on the agenda include the Council’s proposed FY 2023-2024 budget, an update on the Outreach Plan to build membership, a report on the Braddock District Aging in Place Program, and a proposal to revise the Council Bylaws adopted in 2006.

BDC hopes to have a strong turnout for the required Annual Meeting on September 20.

Library Updates

Normal Library Hours Resume

Fairfax County Public Libraries will resume normal hours beginning Monday, August 28.

Braddock District Community Libraries (Kings Park and Burke Centre):

• Monday - Tuesday | 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
• Wednesday - Saturday | 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Regional Libraries:

• Monday - Wednesday | 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
• Thursday - Sunday | 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Board of Trustees' Outreach Meeting

The Fairfax County Public Library's (FCPL) Board of Trustees' Outreach Committee will meet virtually on August 21 at 10:00 a.m.

The public may access the meeting electronically. The passcode is: qVv8m2

The agenda, meeting materials and other information will be posted online on FCPL's website.

The method by which this meeting will be conducted will not be changed unless a new meeting notice is posted. The public may contact Roberta Conners at (703) 324-8324 during the meeting.  

The Fairfax County Teen Advocates Program is for youth ages 12-19 who want to be community leaders against dating violence. Teen Advocates participate in campaigns to raise awareness about dating and sexual violence and other issues that impact youth. They also work with their peers and Fairfax County agencies to design fun events, such as the annual Art Contest and Talent Showcase, which engage community members in conversations about tough topics like abuse.

After submitting an application and a follow-up conversation, teens chosen as Teen Advocates commit to this program for one year and meet regularly with their regional team and the entire teen program. 



The program is a collaboration between Fairfax County Domestic and Sexual Violence Services (DSVS) and Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS).

Applications are due Friday, September 29.

Questions? Email Debra Miller (Youth Education & Outreach Specialist with Fairfax County Domestic & Sexual Violence Services).

Because of a Board Matter presented by Supervisor Walkinshaw in November 2021, Fairfax County’s facilities are making the switch to battery-powered blowers and other electric equipment to protect the health of people and the environment, and so can you.

Environmentally speaking, gas-powered leaf blowers are worse than many vehicles on the road today. And the noise from gas-powered lawn equipment is significantly louder than the noise produced by electric lawn equipment.

To reduce its carbon footprint and lead by example, Fairfax County is continuing its efforts to phase out-gas powered blowers in favor of electric equipment in its operations.

The Park Authority (FCPA) is set to replace 55 gas-powered leaf blowers – over half its supply – with battery-powered ones across its area maintenance shops. And the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) expects to be 50% electric on its leaf blowers and trimmers by end of the current fiscal year.

This initiative is not only about sustainability but also about safeguarding the health and well-being of residents and the environment, which is in line with the county’s climate goals and Countywide Strategic Plan.

Residents and contractors are encouraged to join the movement away from gas-powered blowers and can learn more on the electric-powered lawn equipment page.

View Construction Projects in Detail

Interested in construction projects in your neighborhood?

You can view dynamic mapping apps to see layered activity across the County. With one-click you can open the full details of a project.

Visit the Infill and Conservation Plan Viewer to learn more.