Helem's Trial Date is Set
<bt>After a mistrial was declared following Charles Helem's recent trial for the April 2002 murder of a Chantilly mother of two, a new trial date has been set for him. He will begin a second jury-trial, Sept. 2, in Fairfax County Circuit Court.
Helem, 33, of 8100 Pointer Lane, Manassas, is accused of killing Patricia Bentley, 37, of Chantilly's Brookfield community. Police charged him with the crime, Sept. 18, and he's been held without bond, ever since then, in the Adult Detention Center.
He's pleaded not guilty but, after hearing all the evidence and testimony presented at his trial, June 16-23 — and deliberating for 3 1/2 days — the jurors deciding Helem's fate could not reach a unanimous decision.
<sh>Biting Dog, Owner, Sought
<bt>Fairfax County Animal Control is looking for the owner of a dog who bit a 53-year-old Clifton woman, Sunday afternoon, in Little Rocky Run. Police say the woman was walking near the intersection of Braddock Road and Little Rocky Run Circle, around 4 p.m., when she met a man walking a Jack Russell terrier.
As the two people walked away from each other, the dog bit the woman on her left leg, leaving several puncture wounds. The man was described as being in his late 20s with dark hair and glasses. The dog is white and tan. Anyone with information about the identity of the dog, its owner(s) or the man is asked to call Animal Control at 703-266-6490.
<sh>Woman's Charges Are Dropped
<bt>In November 2001, police charged Chantilly resident Cynthia Lin — AKA Jennifer Elizabeth Brooke-Hiyashi — with four counts of forgery, two counts of telephone abuse and two counts of uttering (passing a fraudulent document). In various court appearances between then and now — the most recent being April 18 in General District Court before Judge Donald McDonough — all the charges against her were dropped.
<sh>New Site for Child Care?
<bt>Although Centreville residents James and Hamida Miller intended to move their successful child-care business out of their Centre Ridge home to a location in the Old Centreville Square Shopping Center, their plans have now been changed.
The site they were eyeing behind Copeland's restaurant formerly housed both Michael's Coffee and a drive-through bank. However, it now looks as if a new coffee shop may open for business there, instead, and the Millers' Magic Moment child-care center may surface in another Centreville spot on Braddock Road.
<sh>Chantilly Community Coalition
<bt>The Chantilly Community Coalition will meet Monday, July 14, at 4 p.m. in the conference room of the Chantilly Regional Library. Call John Hanyok at 703-262-2475.
<sh>Westfield Community Coalition
<bt>The next meeting of the Westfield Community Coalition will be Monday, July 14, at 7 p.m. Call Ron Furgerson at 703-754-0107 for location and further information.
<sh>WFCCA to Meet, July 15
<bt>The West Fairfax County Citizens Association (WFCCA) Land-Use Committee will meet Tuesday, July 15, at 7 p.m. in Supervisor Michael R. Frey's (R-Sully) conference room. It's in the new Sully District Governmental Center, 4900 Stonecroft Blvd., in Chantilly.
* The members will decide whether to approve of a request by the Centreville McDonald's to open an hour earlier, in the mornings.
* They'll also receive information about a request to rezone three acres in Clifton so eight, single-family, detached homes may be built on that property in a cluster configuration.
* The WFCCA will hear, as well, about a proposed county zoning-ordinance amendment regarding street lights.
<sh>Centreville Community Coalition
<bt>The Centreville Community Coalition will meet Wednesday, July 16, at 10 a.m. Call Debbie Martin at 703-802-9454 for location and further information.
<sh>Battlefield Bypass Meeting
<bt>A public workshop presenting possible alternatives for the Manassas National Battlefield bypass project will be held Wednesday, July 16, from 5-8 p.m., at the Comfort Suites Hotel, 7350 Williamson Blvd. in Manassas. A brief presentation, followed by a question-and-answer period, will begin at 6 p.m. Maps of the proposed alternatives, information on preliminary impacts and other materials will be provided. For more information, call 703-359-6697 or e-mail battlefieldbypass@parsons.com.
<sh>Ice Cream Social/Food Drive
<bt>Sully District School Board candidate Carl Cecil and Western Fairfax Christian Ministries (WFCM) are joining forces Saturday, July 19, from 1-4 p.m. for free ice cream and a food drive. Open to the public, the event will be at Cecil's home, 4616 Sutton Oaks Drive, in Chantilly.
Everyone attending the ice-cream social is asked to bring two non-perishable, kid-friendly food items to donate to WFCM to help ease the increased summer food needs of local, needy families.
Local dignitaries participating will include Reps. Thomas M. Davis III (R-11th) and Frank Wolf (R-10th); Delegates Jeannemarie Devolites (R-35th), Tim Hugo (R-40th), Jay O'Brien (R-39th) and Gary Reese (R-67th); Supervisor Michael R. Frey (R-Sully) and School Board member and candidate for Board of Supervisors chairman, Mychele Brickner.
<sh>WFCM Urgently Needs Food
<bt>Western Fairfax Christian Ministries (WFCM) is in desperate need of canned goods and groceries for its food pantry for local needy families. Much-needed items include: Breakfast cereal, canned tuna, canned meats, spaghetti sauce, canned pasta or meat meals, "dinner in a box" meals, jelly, dried pasta, canned fruit, fruit juice, baby food, diapers (all sizes), wipes, bagged rice, bagged beans and personal-care products.
All food donations may be dropped off — either at Key Kopy in Centreville's Newgate Shopping Center — or Monday-Saturday, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at the Shepherd Center, 13924 Metrotech Drive in Chantilly (next to Payless Shoes) in the Sully Plaza Shopping Center. For more information, call 703-988-9656.