<sh>Suspicious Man Sought
<bt>Fairfax County police are looking for a man who offered a ride to a young girl, last week, in Centreville's Crofton Commons community. The Centreville girl, 13, was walking to her bus stop, Wednesday, Sept. 4, around 7:30 a.m., on Flamborough Road, off Old Centreville Road, when the incident occurred.
Police say a man unknown to her approached her in his van and asked her if she wanted a ride to school. The girl said "no" and continued walking; the man then drove away. The girl was not injured.
The suspect is described as Hispanic with black, curly hair, a mustache and bushy eyebrows. His van was blue with a white stripe. Anyone seeing this van or having knowledge of the suspect is asked to call police at 703-691-2131.
<sh>Charges are dropped
<bt>Charges have been dropped against a Leesburg man accused of sexually assaulting two Clifton girls at Fair Oaks Mall. He is Andrew Kozak, 46. A citizen reported observing him allegedly fondling the girls, 12 and 14, on June 22, around 2:15 p.m. The girls were standing by a railing when the alleged incident occurred.
The citizen, who's not related to the girls, stopped Kozak and detained him until security personnel arrived. Fairfax County police charged him with one count each of sexual assault and aggravated sexual assault — which pertains to victims under age 13. Kozak appeared Friday in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court and, at that time, the charges against him were dropped.
<sh>Dog Bites Man in LRR
<bt>Fairfax County police are investigating a dog bite that occurred last Wednesday, Sept. 4 in Clifton's Little Rocky Run community. The victim told authorities he was walking in the 13800 block of Springstone Drive when a white male, probably in his 40s, walked toward him with a white, poodle-like dog.
As the male passed, the poodle bit the victim on the leg, causing a break in the skin. The male then left the scene without providing any information to the victim. Anyone with information about this incident or about the male is asked to call police at 703-691-2131.
<sh>WFCM Needs Food, Volunteers
<bt>Western Fairfax Christian Ministry's (WFCM) food pantry — which provides food to local needy families — is in urgent need of several items. They are: Baby food and baby items, personal-care items, pasta, rice, tuna and canned meats.
To donate, call 703-815-3238, or bring these things to the Shepherd Center. It's open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., and is between Fashion Bug and Payless Shoes in the Sully Plaza Shopping Center at 13924 Metrotech Drive in Chantilly.
The WFCM also needs volunteers, Thursdays, from 10 a.m.-noon and from noon-2 p.m. To volunteer, call 703-988-9656.
<sh>WFCCA Meeting, Sept. 17
<bt>The West Fairfax County Citizens Association (WFCCA) Land-Use Committee will meet Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m., in Supervisor Michael R. Frey's (R-Sully) conference room in the Fort Hill Building, 5900 Centreville Road in Centreville. The public is welcome. Here's what's slated:
* A zoning-ordinance amendment is being sought so the county Park Authority can enter into a partnership with a commercial entity. The change would enable D.C. United to establish a training facility on the Quinn property.
* Park Authority representatives will disclose plans for the Hunter/Hacor and Quinn properties.
* Westfields representatives will discuss roads approved for the Westfields Corporate Center in Chantilly.
* Wendy's wants to construct a restaurant across from the Burger King in Centreville.
* Midas Muffler also wants to set up shop there, off Old Centreville Road.
* A business called P-Q LLC hopes to rezone land on the south side of Route 29 and west of the Pickwick Square Shopping Center. It wants a special-exception permit so it may establish a combination quick lube and carwash on that site.
<sh>Townhouses Proposed
<bt>The Ald Group wants to construct 19 townhouses with garages, plus a tot lot, on 2.48 acres. It's at Route 29 and ODay Drive in Centreville. But before anything could happen there, Ald must first obtain a rezoning from Fairfax County. The property would need to be rezoned from its currently approved one home per acre to eight homes per acre.
<sh>Have Fun, Help Out
<bt>The Pumpkin Patch at Cox Farms, off Braddock Road in Centreville, will be open with new and exciting activities for children starting Saturday, Sept. 28. And Cox Farms is also doing its share to help those less fortunate in the local community. On Columbus Day, Monday, Oct. 14, it will donate $1 of each entry fee to the Western Fairfax Christian Ministry (WFCM). In addition, it's asking each person who comes that day to bring a canned good to help stock the WFCM's food pantry.
<sh>Rabid Raccoon Found
<bt>Fairfax County Animal Control responded last Wednesday, Sept. 4, to Chantilly High, for a report of a sick raccoon. A student had captured the raccoon in his yard on Cristo Court, in Centreville's Country Club Manor community, and taken it to school. The raccoon was euthanized and taken to the county Health Department where it tested positive for the rabies virus. The boy never came into physical contact with the raccoon.
<sh>Lighting is Considered
<bt>With lighted fields proposed for the Quinn property at Old Lee and Braddock roads in Centreville, as well as on the SYA's "Fields of Dreams" site off Bull Run Post Office Road, local residents wanted to learn more about the effects of lighting a previously unlit area. So at the Aug. 20 meeting of the West Fairfax County Citizens Association Land-Use Committee, Dr. Bill Pala — who lives on Bull Run Post Office and is associated with the Dark Sky organization — told how a well-designed lighting plan can prevent overspill from ballfields into a community.
But he also noted that new lighting in a previously dark area can also impact the environment — especially nocturnal birds, wildlife and bugs. As a result, said WFCCA Chairman Jim Katcham, "As we work with the [county] Park Authority on its lighting plans for ballfields, we'll make sure that it has a plan done by a lighting engineer to mitigate spillover into surrounding areas."
<sh>Kids in Crisis Ministry
<bt>Western Fairfax Christian Ministry's (WFCM) Kids in Crisis Ministry provides emergency assistance to families impacted by a child's illness. Since such families are too distracted to research all the organizations that might help them, if anyone knows of a family in need, please advise them to call the hotline at 703-378-3045. Leave a message on the "Kids in Crisis" box, and a volunteer will return the call.
This program offers a safety net for families whose income or expenses are affected by a child's illness. Besides medical bills, they'll incur costs such as travel, babysitting, special equipment and home health care.
Even families with adequate health insurance may find it difficult to meet these expenses. Kids in Crisis aids in areas not covered by traditional health insurance policies. Call the hotline or Karen Dolan at 703-266-3144.
<sh>Blood Urgently 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, as well as A and B. 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 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>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.