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9.12.24
Dear Neighbor,
Hispanic Heritage Month begins this Sunday, September 15 and runs through October 15. Every year we celebrate the heritage and diverse cultures of the more than 900,000 Virginians who identify as Hispanic or Latino and contribute to our Commonwealth and nation.
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This month provides an opportunity to learn more about Hispanic culture. Fairfax Fiesta, Fairfax County’s Annual Hispanic Heritage celebration, is on Saturday, October 5, from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at the Culmore Community Library (6101 Knollwood Drive, Falls Church). This free, family-friendly event promises a unique experience for all ages and backgrounds. With cultural performances and entertainment, an artisan market featuring handmade goods from local vendors, children’s activities such as face painting, crafts, and games that will keep them entertained for hours on end, plus delicious cultural foods to tantalize your taste buds – there’s something here for everyone! Visit Celebrate Fairfax's website for more information about the event.
Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) will host several events throughout the month including performances, crafts, games, and more. You can view a list of events on FCPL’s website.
Check out this FXVA guide for an extensive look at celebrations happening throughout the month and how you can best celebrate.
Climate Action Conference
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In last week's Braddock Beacon, I announced that our 2nd Annual Climate Action Conference will be on Saturday, October 26, at Lake Braddock Secondary School (9200 Burke Lake Road, Burke).
The event will kick off at 9:00 a.m. with a networking session before opening remarks from Congressman Gerry Connolly, myself, and other elected officials.
This year’s conference theme is “A Healthier Fairfax on the Road to Zero Emissions.” Our keynote speaker, Dr. Anand Gourishankar of Children’s National Medical Center and professor at George Washington University, will address the health impacts of vehicle emissions. The conference will also feature a panel discussion and breakout sessions on the opportunities available to save money while reducing your carbon footprint.
Register today to learn how easy it is to shrink your travel emissions!
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Supervisor James R. Walkinshaw | |
Please share this newsletter with your friends and neighbors. If this email was forwarded to you, consider subscribing to receive Braddock District news and updates. | |
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Continue reading below for more information on:
- Board Approves Data Center Regulations
- Reduced Fee Vaccine and Microchip Clinics
- Kings Park West Clean-Up
- Animal Shelter Volunteer Recruitment
- Orientation for Prospective DSVS Volunteers
- September is National Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month
- Community Meeting on Burke Rehab Center
- Braddock District Land Use and Environment Committee Meeting
- Upcoming Braddock District Council Meeting
- Oak Hill Day
- Early Voting Begins Next Week!
- BugFest
- Apply to be a Senate or House Page
- Nominations Open for Disability Inclusion and Equality Awards
- Quilter's Unlimited Annual Auction
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Board Approves Data Center Regulations | |
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Reduced Fee Vaccine
and Microchip Clinics
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As part of Fairfax County Animal Shelter's Pet Resource Center, Fairfax County residents can have their pets vaccinated and microchipped without the cost of a veterinary exam.
All clinics are first-come first-served and are cash only.
The Animal Shelter is hosting a clinic on Friday, September 13, from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. at the Lorton Campus (8875 Lorton Road, Lorton)
For more information on upcoming dates or for more details, visit the Animal Shelter's website.
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Join the Kings Park West Road Raiders for their first Road Raiders event of the 2024-2025 season.
The Road Raiders will clean up the Monticello Dog Park and Playground area (5315 Guinea Road, Fairfax) from 9:00 - 9:30 a.m.
This is a great opportunity to get a head start on volunteer hours. Contact Kelly Newsad at parks@kpwca.org with questions.
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Animal Shelter Volunteer Recruitment | |
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Do you love talking about pets, connecting people with resources or helping at events? The Fairfax County Animal Shelter is looking for passionate volunteers for roles like:
- Tabling at events
- Organizing donations for the Pet Pantry
- Leading shelter tours
- Assisting at Vaccine and Microchip Clinics
Their next recruitment event is Saturday, September 14, from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at the Lorton Campus (8875 Lorton Road, Lorton).
Bilingual volunteers are welcome! The Shelter's non-profit fundraising partner, the Friends of the Fairfax County Animal Shelter, will also be at the event recruiting for fundraising roles. More information is available on the FCAS Facebook page.
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Orientation for Prospective
DSVS Volunteers
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The Fairfax County Department of Family Services is hosting several virtual orientation sessions to introduce the County's Domestic and Sexual Violence Services, the services they provide, the population served, and the opportunities for volunteers to contribute to the agency's mission. Orientations will take place on Monday, September 16, from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
A summary of the volunteer application process and the requirements to become a successful candidate is included on the website. Register for an orientation session today or contact Tanisha Cox with questions.
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September is National Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month | |
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Supervisor James Walkinshaw and Sully Supervisor Kathy Smith will lead the Board of Supervisors’ team in The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Annual “Out of the Darkness” Community Walk and invite you to join the team this year!
This year's walk is on Sunday, September 29, at Fairfax City Hall (10455 Armstrong Street, Fairfax) from 12:30 – 2:00 p.m.
If you or a loved one are struggling, you are not alone; resources are available to help. Suicide Prevention Resources:
In an immediate, life-threatening situation, call 9-1-1.
The Community Services Board also has a suicide prevention information and resources website with information on their Mental Health First Aid Classes, and specific resources for veterans, members of the military and their families, Fairfax County Public Schools students, and older adults.
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Community Meeting on
Burke Rehab Center
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Supervisor Walkinshaw will hold a virtual community meeting on an application by the Burke Health and Rehabilitation Center to expand its facility at 9640 Burke Lake Road, Burke, on Monday, September 16, from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. The applicant will make a brief presentation followed by an opportunity for questions and comments. Those who are interested in learning more about Burke Health and Rehabilitation Center’s proposal are encouraged to attend. Join online or by phone: (571) 429-5982, Phone Conference ID: 212 705 754#.
Teams link
Meeting ID: 264 441 731 000 | Passcode: muFRLm
The existing 120-bed medical care facility offers short- and long-term post-surgery care, cardiac and stroke care, and other skilled nursing services to both the public and residents of the adjacent Heatherwood Retirement Community, through which it is accessed. They have applied to add 68 beds in an approximately 25,000-square foot, two-story addition. A rezoning from the R-1 to the R-3 District would be required to increase the allowed density, and a Special Exception Amendment would be necessary to permit modifications to previously approved site and development conditions to allow for the construction of a building addition. The proposed building addition would be attached to the southeast portion of the building where parking currently exists.
The full application, staff report, development conditions, and other information on this BZA case are available on the PLUS website. If the link doesn’t take you directly to the application, select the “Zoning” tab and enter the application number, RZ-2024-BR-00001, in the search box on the right side. Click on the magnifying glass and you will see the application. Click on the “Record Info” arrow on the left and then click on “Attachments” in the drop-down menu. The most recent documents will be at the end of the list.
The Braddock District Land Use and Environment Committee visited the site in July and will discuss the application at their September 17 meeting. A Planning Commission hearing has been scheduled for November 20. A hearing before the Board of Supervisors has not yet been scheduled.
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Braddock District Land Use and Environment Committee Meeting | |
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The Braddock District Land Use and Environment Committee will hold a virtual meeting on Tuesday, September 17, at 7:30 p.m.
The agenda will include a presentation on the Burke Health and Rehabilitation Center application and updates on other pending Braddock District land use cases and related proposals.
Braddock District Land Use and Environment Committee meetings are open to the public and interested residents are encouraged to participate. Join online or by phone: (571) 429-5982, Phone Conference ID: 730 922 969#.
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Upcoming Braddock District Council Meeting | |
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The Braddock District Council (BDC) will hold its Annual Meeting on Wednesday, September 18, in Braddock Hall (9002 Burke Lake Road, Burke) from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
To kick off the meeting and the BDC 2024-2025 operating year, Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw will hold a Town Hall to brief Council members on several major initiatives in the Braddock District and the County, followed by a Q&A session. Join the meeting for an opportunity to bring up issues directly with your County Supervisor.
A regular business meeting will follow the Supervisor’s presentation and will include an annual budget presentation, board officer updates, and a discussion of proposed Bylaws changes. For more information about the Council or the meeting, visit the BDC website.
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Early Voting Begins Next Week! | |
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The November General Election is fast approaching. It’s time to make your plan to vote!
Early voting for this year’s election begins on Friday, September 20.
In the Braddock District, you can vote in Room 251 at the Fairfax County Government Center (12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax), Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and on select Saturdays (including September 21) from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
View a full list of early voting locations with available hours on the County's website.
If you haven’t registered to vote yet, there’s still time. You can register or update your existing registration on Virginia's Voter Portal. The deadline to register to vote is October 15. If you register between October 16 through Election Day, you can vote using a provisional ballot which will be counted upon confirming voter eligibility.
If you plan on voting by mail, you must request a mail-in ballot by October 25. The ballots will be mailed out beginning September 20. After receiving your ballot, it must be postmarked and sent by Election Day, Tuesday, November 5.
For more information about anything related to voting or elections, check out the Fairfax County Office of Elections’ website.
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This year's Open House at Historic Oak Hill is on Saturday, September 21, from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
This privately owned 18th-century Georgian-style home is a remnant of the Ravensworth Tract – originally totaling more than 22,000 acres – dating from the 1670s. Oak Hill was one of three plantations owned by the Fitzhugh family and today the original home remains intact along with much of the historic landscape.
In addition to the tours, from 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. we’ll feature a panel discussion with dignitaries and historians. This year we are branching out beyond the history of Oak Hill and will take a broad look at the history of, and around, the Braddock District.
The discussion will center around race, transportation, economic development, education, and historic preservation, and their impact on the Braddock District. Our moderator, Tom Shoop, explored these themes in his recent book A Place Called Ilda: Race and Resilience at a Northern Virginia Crossroads. Panelists will include:
- Former Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Sharon Bulova, whose work guaranteed Oak Hill's preservation and continued public access.
- Historian Marion Dobbins, descendent of the founder of nearby Black community The Pines, and author of works about forgotten Black Communities in Fairfax County. Dobbins is also a Community Historian for GMU’s Center for Mason Legacy and a PH. D student at GMU.
- Brian Heintz, West Springfield High School History and Social Studies Teacher, and Braddock District representative on the Fairfax County History Commission
You can also sign up to volunteer.
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Celebrate all things bugs with the whole family at the Fairfax County Park Authority's (FCPA) creepy-crawly BugFest on Saturday, September 28, from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at the McLaren Sargent Pavilion at Lake Accotink Park (5660 Heming Avenue, Springfield).
Games and activities include insect safaris, live insects, insect collections, log rolling, soil stations, bug walks, critter talks, bug science, and crafts to make your own bug. Use technology to explore the world of insects. Children must be accompanied by a registered adult.
Register on FCPA's website.
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Apply to be a Senate or House Page | |
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Applications are now open for the State Senate Page Program and House of Delegates Page Program!
The prestigious Page Programs are meant to give Virginia students an opportunity to learn about civics, the lawmaking process, and leadership firsthand. Since 1847, pages have worked with the House Clerk and Senate Clerk’s offices to support to staff, legislators, and constituents.
The program is open to 13- and 14-year-olds. Learn more about the programs on Capitol Classroom.
You can apply for the Senate Page Program or the House of Delegates Page Program.
All applicants must have a letter of recommendation from their Senator or Delegate to be considered. To receive a letter of recommendation, reach out to your representatives and schedule an interview by October 1.
Find your General Assembly Representatives.
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Nominations Open for Disability Inclusion and Equality Awards | |
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Do you know an individual or organization that excels in providing equal rights and community inclusion for people with disabilities in the Fairfax area?
If so, nominate them for the Fairfax Area Disability Services Board’s 2024 Martha Glennan Disability Inclusion and Equality Award. Award winners are honored for demonstrating a commitment to promoting equal rights and community inclusion for people with disabilities and receive an award, presented at an annual awards ceremony in December.
There are three possible award categories: Individual, Group, and Self-advocate. The requirements are to have demonstrated a commitment to promoting equal rights and community inclusion for people with disabilities in Fairfax County, and the Cities of Fairfax, or Falls Church; and demonstration of how people with disabilities have significantly benefitted from their efforts.
Visit the Fairfax Area Disability Services Board's website for more information about who is eligible for nomination, the process, and how to submit a nomination. Nominations are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 18. If you have questions, email DisabilityRights@FairfaxCounty.Gov.
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Quilter's Unlimited Annual Auction | |
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The Fairfax chapter of Quilter’s Unlimited will hold its annual auction on Thursday, September 19, at Burke Presbyterian Church (5690 Oak Leather Drive, Burke) from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
There will be a live auction, a silent auction, a bag auction, and a buy-it-now table.
Email qutt@quiltersunlimited.org with questions.
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