<sh>Job Fair for Evacuees of Hurricane Katrina
<bt>The Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, a charter member of Fairfax Families Care, today announced the two organizations will co-sponsor a job fair for those displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
The event will take place Oct. 28 at the Tysons Corner Marriott, from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. The job fair will aid many of the 1,000 evacuees from the Gulf Coast region who have temporarily relocated to Northern Virginia.
Fairfax Families Care, a regional coalition of government, schools, PTAs, businesses, nonprofit and nongovernmental officials, was established to support those evacuated from their homes due to Hurricane Katrina and have relocated to Fairfax County.
This second phase of relief efforts is to provide evacuees with jobs, housing and schooling for nine months or more, while their home communities are being repaired; and to provide a means through which Fairfax County residents can provide tangible help.
Fairfax Families Care was established to give temporary relief to those displaced, including placing children in schools for the year and aiding those seeking housing and employment. The Fairfax County Chamber, in conjunction with the county’s Department of Family Services and the Northern Virginia Workforce Investment Board’s SkillSource, has been helping aiding job seekers since the middle of September.
To date, the Northern Virginia business community has offered nearly 400 jobs to those displaced and seeking employment.
<sh>Annual Fallfest Gala
<bt>Time To Fly Foundation (TTF), a nonprofit group is hosting its 4th Annual Fallfest Gala to help women, children and families overcome the painful effects of domestic abuse, Oct. 29 at Hunter Mill Estates, 1704 Landon Hills Road, Vienna from 7-10 p.m. "An Evening with Friends" includes food, fun and lively jazz. $65/ per person. Call 877-887-9386 or visit the TTF Web site: www.timetofly.org.
<sh>Dog Tags
<bt>Dog Tags will go on sale Nov. 1 in the Finance Department at Town Hall, 127 Center St. S. All dogs over four months old must be licensed by Jan. 31 each year. The fee is $10 for a fertile dog and $5 for an infertile dog. Current rabies vaccination certificate must be shown to obtain the license, and a spay/neuter/infertile certificate must be shown to get the reduced rate. Service dogs, including guide dogs, hearing dogs and dogs for mobility impaired must be licensed but are exempt from the tax. Call 703-255-6323 or visit www.ci.vienna.va.us.
<sh>Police Issue Deer Advisory
<bt>The Fairfax County Police Dept. is advising citizens to be extra vigilant for deer while driving during Oct.-Dec. To avoid a dangerous and often costly collision with deer this fall, police offer the following driving tips: always wear your seat belt to reduce the possibility of injury in case of collision; drive cautiously and be especially attentive at dusk and dawn; should you spot a deer near the roadway, slow down, honk your horn and be ready for the animal to dart into the road; if a deer runs into the roadway, try to slow down or brake without swerving; if you cannot avoid hitting a deer, slow down, grasp the steering wheel with both hands and take your foot off the brake at the time of impact in order to force the deer under your car rather than over it. If you injure or kill a deer in a collision, please call the Fairfax County Police non-emergency line at 703-691-2131. In 2004, there were 136 reportable crashes between vehicles and deer in Fairfax County, with 13 resulting in injuries to people. However, the actual number of collisions is likely between 3-5000.
<sh>County Seeks Input for Middle Potomac Watersheds Plan
<bt>On Tuesday, Nov. 1, Fairfax County will sponsor a watershed plan workshop for residents and businesses within the Middle Potomac watersheds, which include Pimmit Run, Scotts Run, Turkey Run, Dead Run and Bull Neck Run. The workshop will be held at Longfellow Middle School, 2000 Westmoreland Street, McLean, from 6:30 to 9:15 p.m.
Fairfax County is seeking public input to review ideas proposed to protect and restore the watersheds of the Middle Potomac. There will be displays with information about the watersheds beginning at 6:30 p.m. At 7 p.m., attendees will sign up to participate in a discussion about their watershed, followed by a presentation about the watersheds’ problems and proposed solutions at 7:30 p.m. Attendees will then break into discussion groups to evaluate specific projects and provide feedback for the five watersheds.
A watershed is the land area that drains to a particular stream or water body. This first draft of the watershed plan provides the proposed strategy for managing land to reduce pollution, protect health and safety and provide opportunities for safe public enjoyment of the stream valleys. The Middle Potomac Watersheds Management Plan is part of a comprehensive county strategy to develop management plans for all of the county's 30 watersheds.
Visit the Fairfax County watersheds Web site at www.fairfaxcounty-watersheds.net. Click on "find a watershed" and choose any of the five Middle Potomac watersheds or call 703-324-5500, TTY 711.