Supervisor Hosts Town Hall Meeting on Budget
<bt>Dranesville Supervisor Joan DuBois is hosting a district-wide town hall meeting at Cooper Middle School on Saturday, March 19, to discuss the 2006 Fairfax County Budget.
“I haven’t had a town meeting before, and I thought it would be a good idea,” DuBois said. “Town meetings allow lots of people to come and be informed about things that matter to them. The budget is something of wide interest.”
In addition to DuBois, who will host and open the event, which begins at 9 a.m. and will conclude around noon, County Executive Tony Griffin and Chief Financial Officer Ed Long will be on hand to answer questions and give a presentation on the budget and spending in Fairfax County.
“They will make their presentations, and then they will hold a question-and-answer session,” DuBois said.
In addition, representatives from the Park Authority, Community Recreation Services, Health Department, Revitalization, Family Services, Assessment and Taxation, Consumer Protection, Zoning Enforcement, Library, Fire and Rescue, Public Affairs and Police Departments will be at the meeting with tables set up to give out information and answer questions, she said.
Presentations will begin at 10 a.m. at the school, located at 977 Balls Hill Road in McLean.
<sh>Winds Cause Power Outage
<bt>Over 1,680 Dominion Power customers were without electricity last Tuesday night after a large evergreen tree fell on a power line, knocking out service throughout McLean.
Customers living along Georgetown Pike, Anderson Road, Balls Hill Road, Old Dominion Drive, Route 123, Great Falls Street and Old Meadow Road lost power around 9:30 p.m., Tuesday, when a tree fell and took out “a span of wire and two cross arms,” said LeHa Anderson, a representative of Dominion Power. In total, 1,688 customers were without power, most for only an hour. One hundred sixty-one customers did not regain electricity in their homes until early Wednesday afternoon, she said.
<sh>Frogs, Feathers and Fur
<bt>Reservations and advance payment is required by March 16 for Riverbend Nature Center's Spring Break Camp: Frogs, Feathers and Fur, which takes place Tuesday, March 22, through Thursday, March 24, from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Children 6-9 will enjoy games, make crafts and search for frogs, fur and feathers. Cost is $60 per child. The Center is located at 8814 Jeffery Road, Great Falls. Call 703-0759-9018.
<sh>NVTC Seeks Seniors' Input
<bt>The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) announced that it will conduct a study to learn more about the transportation needs of senior citizens in Northern Virginia. NVTC will conduct telephone interviews and focus groups in order to identify the current and future gaps in services that are available to meet the travel needs of seniors; understand whether there are mobility differences among seniors residing in communities of differing land use patterns and between seniors who drive and those who do not drive; determine the types of transportation used; determine desired frequency of preferred types of transportation; determine seniors’ attitudes towards public and specialized transportation services; and identify cost-effective service improvements that are acceptable to Northern Virginia’s seniors.
A random sample of Northern Virginia senior citizens (75 and older) will be called in April to take part in the interviews. Focus groups will be conducted in May. Participation by those contacted will help NVTC identify the special transportation needs of seniors in Northern Virginia. Visit NVTC at www.thinkoutsidethecar.org.
<sh>Wetherbee to be Honored
<bt>First Lieutenant Alexander E. Wetherbee, USMC, will be honored at the McLean High School/Potomac School Boy's Lacrosse game on Saturday, April 2 at 5 p.m. at McLean High School. Lieutenant Wetherbee was killed in action on September 12, 2004 while serving in Anbar Province in Iraq. Wetherbee was a Platoon Commander leading a unit from the 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, near Falluja.
Alex Wetherbee was a four-year starter for the McLean Highlanders Boys Lacrosse team. He was co-captain of the team his Senior year in 1995. His fellow players and coaches remember him as a teammate who was dedicated to the improvement of both the team's efforts and his own skills. He started playing Lacrosse in the McLean Youth League and continued to play in college. While attending the University of Idaho, where he graduated in 2001 with a degree in forest resources, Wetherbee was very active in outdoor activities and shared that love with his wife, Heather, and with youths through Outward Bound programs.
While on leave last year, Wetherbee and some of his 1995 teammates came by the McLean High School to cheer the Boys Lacrosse team. The school and his friends will honor him annually by presenting to a senior lacrosse player an award for leadership, dedication, and commitment to improvement in honor of Wetherbee's traits.
All area youth lacrosse players and fans are encouraged to attend the ceremony at McLean High School's April 2 game. The ticket price has been reduced to $2. The ceremony will include a USMC Honor Guard and presentation of a plaque to the family of Alexander Wetherbee and the school.