<sh>Chantilly Woman is Charged in Fatal Car Crash
<bt>A Chantilly woman has been charged in connection with a car crash, Saturday, that killed a 29-year-old Sterling man. The incident occurred around 6 a.m. on I-66 in Falls Church, just inside the Capital Beltway. Killed was Shatiek Anthony Smith; charged with reckless driving was Nakia K. Thomas, 27, of Chantilly.
According to Virginia State Police, Thomas — employed as a delivery driver for a Dulles company — was driving a 1995 Acura Legend westbound when the tragedy occurred. For an as-yet-unknown reason, said police spokeswoman Lucy Caldwell, Thomas apparently lost control of the car and smashed into a tree.
The impact split the car in half and killed Smith, the passenger. Thomas was treated at Inova Fairfax Hospital and released Sunday. Caldwell said neither drugs, nor alcohol, nor speed was a factor in the accident, and both people were wearing seatbelts.
<sh>Tri-County Parkway Mtg.
<bt>A meeting about the location of the Tri-County Parkway connecting Fairfax, Prince William and Loudoun counties will be held Thursday, Dec. 5, from 5-8 p.m. at Westfield High School, 4700 Stonecroft Blvd. in Chantilly. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will make a presentation at 6 p.m. Purpose of the meeting is to present preliminary alternatives which address the transportation problems and needs within the study area.
<sh>Lease Agreement Mulled
<bt>The Fairfax County School Board will meet Thursday, Dec. 5, at 7:30 p.m. at Luther Jackson Middle School, 3020 Gallows Road in Falls Church. Among items to be discussed is a lease-agreement request by APC Realty and Equipment Co. (Sprint) to place its telecommunication equipment on an existing monopole at Centreville High.
<sh>Westfield Community Coalition
<bt>The next meeting of the Westfield Community Coalition will be Monday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. at 14710 Newbrook Drive, Suite 200, in Chantilly. Guest speaker is Mindy Burgin, a substance-abuse counselor with Chantilly Alcohol and Drug Youth Services, a division of the Fairfax/Falls Church Community Services Board.
The Coalition is also working on a major program on teen depression and suicide for its January meeting. This program will involve the Centreville and Chantilly Community Coalitions, as well as several experts from the community. The Coalitions' goal is to increase community awareness of drug and alcohol abuse among teens in our area and to plan prevention programs. Membership is free, and the public is welcome to attend Coalition meetings.
<sh>Oak Hill GT Center?
<bt>A meeting to discuss the attendance area for the proposed GT center at Oak Hill Elementary will be held Monday, Dec. 9, at 7:30 p.m. It will be in the Rachel Carson Middle School cafeteria at 13618 McLearen Road in Herndon.
<sh>Meet 40th Dist. Candidates
<bt>The Greater Willow Springs Civic Association will host a "Meet the Candidates" night on Wednesday, Dec. 11, at 7:30 p.m. at the Centreville Volunteer Fire Department (Station 17) at 5856 Old Centreville Road in Centreville. A special election will be held, Dec. 17, to fill the vacated seat of James K. "Jay" O'Brien, former delegate representing the 40th House District.
Four candidates are running: Carol Hawn (D), Tim Hugo (R) and Independents Mark Calhoun and Joseph Oddo. The meeting is open to everyone, and residents of the 40th district are especially urged to attend. Call Claudette Ward at 703-830-8547.
<sh>Comment on Environment
<bt>The Environmental Quality Advisory Council (EQAC) will hold its annual public hearing to solicit comments on the state of the environment in Fairfax County. The date is Wednesday, Dec. 11, at 7:30 p.m. in conference rooms 2 and 3 (lobby level) of the county Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway in Fairfax. To be placed on the speakers list, or for more information, call 703-324-1210.
<sh>Elem. School Boundary Meeting
<bt>The third boundary meeting for the new northeast Centreville elementary school will be held Thursday, Dec. 12, from 7:30-10 p.m. at Rocky Run Middle School, 4400 Stringfellow Road in Chantilly. The school is being built in the Centreville Farms community, off Route 29 and Stringfellow Road, and is earmarked to alleviate overcrowding in other area elementary schools.
The public is welcome to participate and have input in the process of drawing the boundaries for this school which will open in September 2003. For more information, visit www.fcps.edu/DFaS/bndry.htm.
<sh>Battlefield Bypass Meeting
<bt>A public hearing will be held Dec. 12, from 5-8 p.m., on the location of the Route 29 Manassas National Battlefield Park Bypass. It will be held at the Holiday Inn at the I-66/Route 234 intersection in Manassas. There will be a presentation at 6 p.m.
<sh>Sick Raccoon Has Rabies
<bt>Dogs and cats and raccoons, oh, my! Fairfax County Animal Control responded last Wednesday, Nov. 27, to the 5300 block of Cat Tail Court in Chantilly for a report of a sick raccoon. The caller had heard his dog barking and saw a sick raccoon in his yard. He confined the ailing animal in a doghouse until authorities arrived.
The animal-control officer euthanized the raccoon and took it to the county Health Department where it tested positive for rabies. The dog was current on its rabies vaccine and was placed on in-home quarantine.