Dear Neighbor,

I hope you are enjoying the Spring and have had a chance to get out and visit one of Fairfax County's 424 parks! Along with the great weather, we have great news. COVID-19 vaccine supply continues to increase and thousands of residents are being vaccinated daily. Yesterday, Wednesday, April 7, individuals who live or work in the Fairfax Health District and fall into the following categories became eligible for the vaccine:

These are the last seven priority groups of essential workers in Phase 1c. The Health Department expects to move into Phase 2 by April 18 in line with federal and state goals for the COVID-19 vaccination rollout.

If you, or someone you know is struggling to make the decision to get vaccinated -- please read or share with them April's Braddock Beacon newsletter. Pages 4 through 7 include comprehensive updates related to vaccine access, including a list of common myths about the vaccines. My staff and I are ready to connect you or a loved one with the proper resources and information needed to make an informed decision.

Tonight, Thursday, April 8, at 7:00 p.m., I'll be hosting a Community Meeting with the Fairfax County Park Authority to discuss repurposing two underused courts at Wakefield Park as dedicated pickleball courts. I hope you are able to join me! Please continue reading below for the meeting link and more information on the project.

Continue reading for more information on:

Beginning Wednesday, April 7, individuals who live or work in the Fairfax Health District that fall into the following categories are now eligible to register to get a COVID-19 vaccine:

Employees should be prepared to show some form of work-related identification or paystub as the vaccine appointment could be offered by one of our vaccine partners that may require ID.

These are the last seven priority groups of essential workers in Phase 1c as outlined by the Virginia Department of Health. The Health Department is now accepting registrations for everyone included in Phase 1c.

Learn more by visiting the Fairfax County Emergency Blog website.

April is Earth Month, a time to recognize and celebrate everything the Earth offers us and the many ways we can support, protect, and preserve our natural world. Earth Month culminates in a day of advocacy and action, Earth Day, on April 22, led by the nonprofit Earth Day Network. This year, the Earth Day theme is Restore Our Earth.

Degradation of natural resources and systems occurs all over the world and requires our urgent attention. From deforestation to agriculture and food waste issues, to material waste and plastic pollution, to a dearth of climate and environmental literacy, to declining populations of critical species, like pollinators, there are many points of entry to restore the health of our planet.

In the next four weeks, join Fairfax County's Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination Office (OEEC) as they explore some of the most promising solutions to these issues. They'll take a look at data and recent research illustrating the problems mentioned above and will discuss approaches to reversing and remediating these areas of concern in a series of articles (found on their homepage) and on their Twitter and Facebook channels. They'll also dig into some of the ways you can get involved in various solutions right here in Fairfax County, or in the immediate area.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors amended the county’s Solid Waste Management ordinance on February 23. The ordinance now prohibits the use of plastic bags for set out and collection of yard waste.

The change took effect on Monday, March 1 and required county residents who have curbside collection of yard waste to use reusable containers or paper yard waste bags to set out grass, leaves, and brush.

Although the new rule took effect March 1, the Solid Waste Management Program is currently exercising enforcement discretion for a six-week period to allow time for customer notification and education on the new rule. Enforcement will begin Monday, April 19, 2021.

Visit Public Works and Environmental Services' Curbside Yard Waste website to learn more.

Join the Fairfax County Health Department and the Fairfax County Public Schools Parent Resource Center for important updates about COVID-19 and the vaccines that have been developed to help prevent disease.

Sessions will be presented in Arabic, English, Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese, Tuesdays in April and May, 6:30 p.m. through 7:30 p.m. Registrants will be emailed a link.

Bring Your Ideas to the ActiveFairfax Transportation Plan Community Conversations. Join the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) for virtual community conversations on the ActiveFairfax Transportation Plan. Learn about the plan and tell FCDOT how you travel and access destinations by biking, walking, rolling (scooter/wheelchair/stroller), hiking, running and riding in and around your local community. 

The Braddock District virtual meeting will be on Monday, April 26, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. You can join by phone by calling 1-844-621-3956 and using access code # 129 953 8791.

Members of the public are invited to fill out a community survey (until May 1) on walking and biking preferences and safety issues (available in 8 languages), and populate two interactive maps with information about barriers to walking and biking, and suggested routes for trails and bikeways. 

Did you hear? The latest episode of the Braddock Voices Podcast is now available. This episode features legendary High School Basketball Coach Red Jenkins. Red and I talk about his experience being the first coach of W.T. Woodson High School, coaching future State Senator Dave Marsden, and coaching the first integrated team. We even got his March Madness predictions -- tune in to see if they came true!

You can watch this episode on my YouTube Channel. Prefer to listen to the podcast on the move? Visit my Soundcloud account to listen to the episode while you go about your day. You can enjoy these options for free, and you do not need to have an account. Make sure to reach out to me if you have recommendations on guests we should include next!

Take advantage of a free, convenient, confidential, and safe disposal of unused or expired medications during Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 24, 2021.

Drug take back programs are a safe method for disposing of prescription drugs and are organized and closely monitored by local, state, and federal government agencies.

Safe disposal of unused or expired medications prevents drug abuse and misuse, accidental poisoning, and protects the environment.

Braddock District residents can safely dispose of their prescription drugs by visiting the West Springfield District Station, located at 6140 Rolling Road, Springfield, VA 22152, on Saturday, April 24, from 10:00 am through 2:00 p.m.

Want to learn more about the program? Visit Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board's Drug Take Back Day website.

Looking for fun ways to stay involved with the community? Check out the following library activities. Library events and programs are provided for all age groups and cover a wide array of interests.

Visit Fairfax, the official tourism organization of Fairfax County, has created a fun-filled Cicada Stroll Bingo Card that encourages visitors and locals to look for and snap photos of cicadas in various settings around Fairfax County.

A sampling of these spots include:

Bingo players can upload at least two photos from their completed Bingo Card to Visit Fairfax’s image library for a chance to win a Cicada Care Package filled with fun items, including a custom cicada facemask. Winners will be randomly selected beginning in May. The bingo card and more information can be found on Visit Fairfax's website.