Centreville Carjacking
<bt>Fairfax County police are looking for a man who struck a Centreville woman, stole her keys and carjacked her vehicle. The incident occurred Friday, around 5:15 p.m., in the 14000 block of Winding Ridge Lane in Centre Ridge.
Police say the woman had just arrived home and was at her front door when she was confronted by a man who had been hiding behind some nearby bushes. He demanded her car keys and she refused, but he didn't take "no" for an answer.
Instead, say police, the man threw her on the ground and hit her until he was able to wrest the keys from her hand. He then got into her car and drove away. The victim suffered minor injuries, but refused medical treatment at the scene.
The car is a black Honda Civic with Virginia license tags YEB-2566. The suspect is described as white, in his 20s, 5 feet 10 inches and 150 pounds. He had short black hair and wore long black shorts and a white T-shirt. Anyone with information about the suspect or this incident is asked to call police at 703-691-2131.
<sh>Burglary Arrest
<bt>Fairfax County police have charged a London Towne man with burglarizing a house not far from his own home. Now facing a possible 10 years in prison if convicted is Nelson Martinez-Quintanilla, 38, of 14802 Hancock Court in Centreville.
Officers from the Fair Oaks District Station responded last Thursday, April 18, around 9:15 p.m., to the 6100 block of Early Autumn Drive, off Stone Road, after receiving a report of a residential-alarm activation. When Master Police Officer Timothy Catir checked the perimeter of the home, he noticed a window in the rear of the house had been smashed out.
He immediately asked for help from other officers, including K-9. Police say that, while the officers surrounded the house, they allegedly saw Martinez-Quintanilla inside. After identifying themselves, they took him into custody.
He was charged with burglary and larceny — each carrying maximum five-year prison terms — and was held on $5,000 bond at the Adult Detention Center. He has a May 29 court date.
<sh>Bank is Robbed
<bt>A man described as white, in his 20s, 6 feet 2 inches and 160 pounds is being sought by Fairfax County police for a bank robbery that happened Monday afternoon in Fair Lakes. It was at Alliance Bank at 12735 Shoppes Lane. Police say a 23-year-old Potomac Falls woman employed there as a teller was approached by a man, around 12:30 p.m.
Implying that he had a weapon, the man demanded cash and the teller relinquished an undisclosed amount to him. He then left the bank; no one was injured. The suspect is further described as having short blond hair; he was wearing a red hat, black jacket and dark pants. Anyone with information about him or this incident is asked to call police at 703-691-2131.
<sh>Police Station Saved
<bt>Although the new Sully District Police Station was in danger of falling under Fairfax County's budget ax, the county Board of Supervisors spared it, after all. In an effort to reduce the property-tax rate and give more money to the school system, county executive Anthony Griffin had ordered various county departments to make cuts in their budgets, and the police station ended up on the chopping block.
Construction would have continued, but the county would save $5.5 million in salaries and cruisers by delaying the building's opening for a year — until spring 2004. However, Supervisor Michael R. Frey (R-Sully) fought against this action, and the money was included in the new county budget.
"I was extremely pleased," he said. "It was, I think, by far the most important thing we did in the budget, next to getting more funding for the schools. Clearly, the strains on the Fair Oaks District Station are reaching the point where it couldn't continue, and the Board realized it. With a growing population, there's a growing crime factor, and this will cut the [police] response time in half."
<sh>Reserve Deputies to Graduate
<bt>The Fairfax County Sheriff's Office will hold a graduation ceremony for the first Reserve Deputy class, Saturday, April 27 at 1 p.m., at the Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy. Sheriff Stan Barry will present 12 highly qualified citizens with Reserve Deputy badges and certificates. The academy is at 14601 Lee Road in Chantilly.
<sh>Clifton Clean-Up
<bt>Clifton Clean-Up Day and Spruce-Up Day will be Saturday, April 27, from 9 a.m. to noon. Volunteers may meet anytime at the Clifton Caboose for assignments. The day will include flower-planting, gazebo clean-up, painting, tidying and pruning. Call Jennifer Chesley at 703-830-2129 or Lynne Garvey Hodge at 703-322-1811.
<sh>Clifton Election
<bt>A Clifton Election Issue-and-Answer Night will be held this Sunday, April 28, from 7-9 p.m., in the Clifton Town Meeting Hall, 12641 Chapel Road in Clifton. Six people — incumbents Mac Arnold, Margo Buckley, Laura Harrington, Bill Hollaway and Wayne Nickum, plus challenger Taya Abbott — are running for the five seats on the Clifton Town Council.
And in the mayoral race, incumbent Jim Chesley is being challenged by Tom McNamara. Clifton voters will go to the polls Tuesday, May 7, to select the winners. Meanwhile, all the candidates are invited to Sunday's event, and residents will be able to ask them questions about the various issues. Fairfax County Planning Commission Chairman Pete Murphy will be on hand to moderate, if necessary, and Supervisor Elaine McConnell (R-Springfield) will also attend. Refreshments will be provided.
<sh>OK for Kennel
<bt>Next stop is the Board of Supervisors for the Fairfax County Humane Society. It wants to build a kennel in Centreville and, last week, it received a favorable recommendation from the county Planning Commission.
The new facility would be constructed on a 12.8-acre site on the south side of Route 29, near Luck Stone quarry, Wilson Trucking and a boarding stable. The Humane Society plans to use the house, barn and three sheds already existing at that location and add a new, one-story, 36x100-foot kennel building.
The kennel would eventually house 10-25 dogs and a dozen rabbits, plus several horses in the barn. Visitors will only be able to see the animals by appointment, so the facility isn't expected to generate much traffic. The Planning Commission approved the project unanimously, last Wednesday, April 17, and the Supervisors will consider the matter this Monday, April 29.
"The Humane Society is a very good organization with a good cause," explained Sully District Planning Commissioner Ron Koch. "We're happy to have them coming out here, and we hope they'll be able to find some volunteers to help them out because they do a very necessary job."
<sh>Maybe on Sunday?
<bt>In unrelated land-use cases along Route 50 in Chantilly, the Jiffy Lube wants to add Sunday hours, and the animal hospital wants to erect a free-standing sign along the highway. Last Tuesday, April 16, the West Fairfax County Citizens Association (WFCCA) Land-Use Committee learned the details.
"When Jiffy Lube was approved in 1987, nobody was doing Sunday hours," said attorney Keith Martin, representing the business. "But times have changed, and a [nearby] carwash was recently approved there with Sunday hours." As a result, he said, Jiffy Lube wants the same thing and would like to be open Sundays from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
<sh>Westfield Community Coalition
<bt>The Westfield Community Coalition will meet Monday, May 13, at 7 p.m., in the driver's-education room (N142) at Westfield High. The coalition will evaluate programming during the past year aimed at increasing community awareness of drug and alcohol abuse among teens in our area. It will also plan prevention programs for next year.
Leadership opportunities are available. Coalition meetings are held on the second Monday of the month. Membership and attendance at meetings are free. Call Jennifer Campbell at 703-266-1742.
<sh>Centreville Community Coalition
<bt>The Centreville Community Coalition will meet Tuesday, May 14, at 4:30 p.m. in the Centreville Regional Library. The group will discuss future coalition plans. The coalition needs the public's involvement in keeping this a safe and drug-free community for our children. Call Claire Scerra at 703-378-3554.
<sh>WFCM Personnel Needs
<bt>The Western Fairfax Christian Ministries (WFCM) has several volunteer positions available.
* It needs a client coordinator to make follow-up calls to members of the community who have recently received assistance. This person would also cross-reference recipients with other WFCM services (food and clothing ministry). It would be a good job for someone who has to stay close to home.
* On-call volunteers are also needed. After receiving training, they'll monitor requests for help, coming from the local community, via a telephone mailbox. There's a social worker on staff, plus an extensive network of support to help and encourage people in self-sufficiency.
* WFCM's food pantry needs volunteers to work Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., and Saturdays, noon-2 p.m. To volunteer for any of these positions or for more information, call 703-378-3045 and leave a message on box 7.
<sh>Food Pantry Needs
<bt>The Western Fairfax Christian Ministries (WFCM) food pantry is in need of several items. They are: Jelly, coffee, tea, juice boxes, syrup, oil, sugar, cereal, crackers, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, paper towels, toilet paper, cleaning products and diapers larger than infant and newborn.
The food pantry also needs volunteers, Thursdays, from noon-2 p.m. Needed, as well, are: Volunteers with trucks to help move heavy items, a volunteer handy-person good with phones, copy machines, faxes and thermostats, a volunteer to wash the Shepherd Center glass front entrance, artwork suitable for display in pantry waiting area, a vacuum, newer-model frost-free refrigerators and a laptop computer.
<sh>Blood Still Needed
<bt>The Inova Blood Donor Center in the Centremed I Building on Route 29 in Centreville (across from the Centreville Multiplex Cinemas) is in urgent need of blood donations — especially O positive or negative. They are accepted Tuesday-Friday, noon-8 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. To make an appointment to give blood, call (703) 322-1970, or just drop in at your own convenience.
<sh>WFCM Needs Drivers
<bt>The Western Fairfax Christian Ministries is in need of drivers to take elderly people to medical appointments. Call (703) 378-3045 and press 7 to volunteer for this or any other WFCM ministry.
<sh>Meals on Wheels
<bt>The Clifton Meals on Wheels program urgently needs a volunteer to coordinate the delivery of meals to frail, elderly residents. Call the Fairfax Area Agency on Aging at (703) 324-5406.