<sh>Oakton Library Groundbreaking
<bt>The Board of Supervisors will designate Saturday, April 8, as Oakton Community Day to recognize the community support and enthusiasm for the public-private partnership that will result in the Oakton Community Library. The board also will recognize various public officials and citizens' groups for their work for this event. Ground will be broken at 10 a.m. on April 8 for the new library at Hunter Mill Road and Lynnhaven Place in Oakton, the first library in the Providence District. Anyone who lives, works or goes to school in the district is invited to bring a shovel and participate. Parking is available at the Unity of Fairfax Church at 2854 Hunter Mill Road.
Planning and design of the library began in 2002, and in 2004 the voters of Fairfax County approved a bond referendum to fund the new library. The library is scheduled to open in 2007.
<sh>Discussing Future of Tysons
<bt>The future of Tysons-to-Dulles rail and the proposed redevelopment of Tysons Corner will be the focus of a Tuesday, April 18 program sponsored by the Providence District Council. Patty Nicoson, president of the Dulles Corridor Rail Association, and William Vincent, general counsel for Breakthrough Technologies Institute, will discuss current plans for financing the rail and what that means for the overall project. A third panelist is being sought to focus on design issues for the rail project and how that will affect pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists as Tysons Corner evolves. Doors at the Dunn Loring Administrative Center, 2334 Gallows Road, will open at 7 p.m. The program will begin at 7:15 p.m.
<sh>Legislators' Report and Candidates' Forum
<bt>NARFE (National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association) has invited state Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites-Davis and Del. Steve Shannon to its April 11 meeting to report on Virginia legislative actions during the current General Assembly session. Devolites-Davis and Shannon will speak at 1:30 p.m. This assumes that the General Assembly will no longer be in session at that time. At 2:30 p.m. candidates for the office of mayor — Jane Seeman and George Lovelace — and for the Town Council — Laurie Cole, Edythe Kelleher, Michael Polychrones, R. Blair Jenkins and Susan Stich — will present their positions on issues concerning the town. The public is invited to attend this meeting, which will be held in the Vienna Community Center, 120 Cherry St.
<sh>Correction
<bt>A story in the March 22 issue of the Connection, "Speed Tables Approved for Old Courthouse," incorrectly stated where Cris Janoski, who was part of the effort to have the speed tables installed, lives. She is a resident of Old Courthouse Road.
<sh>Volunteers Sought for Stewardship
<bt>The Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) is seeking adults to serve as leaders in the new Invasive Management Area volunteer program. The program is a pilot project designed to reduce some invasive plants on the parklands.
Training in the tenets, values and activities associated with stewardship will be provided to “certify” volunteer leaders in the restoration of parkland. The Park Authority is searching for 20 individuals willing to commit to a total of two training sessions and four workdays in the coming months. The program begins in April and ends in October. Invasive Management Areas are located throughout the county on FCPA-owned land. Volunteer leaders will assist park staff in the park area of their choice.
There will be a one-hour information session Wednesday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m. at the Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, in rooms 4 and 5. For information or accommodations contact Danielle McCallum at 703-324-8681 or apply online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/resources/nrp-ima.htm.
<sh>Senior Games Registration Open
<bt>Registration is now open for the 2006 Virginia Senior Games. The Games, which feature more than 50 sporting events for competitors age 50 and over, will be held May 11-14, at various venues in Virginia Beach. The Virginia Senior Games serve as the qualifying venue for the 2007 Summer National Senior Games in Louisville, Ky., June 22-July 8. A full list of events is available in the athlete information and registration book. Get one free from www.virginiaseniorgames.org. The deadline for the registration is April 28.
<sh>Fourth-Grade Essay Contest
<bt>In honor of National Drinking Water Week, which begins May 7, the company My Plumber is sponsoring an essay contest open to the fourth-grade children in their service area, which includes all of Fairfax County. There will be one winner selected from each county in which My Plumber is licensed to work and in the City of Alexandria. Winners will receive a $50 gift card to Toys R Us for answering the question, "What's so Important About Fresh Drinking Water?" Visit www.myplumber.com, and choose My Plumber's contact page for a complete list of rules, or contact Susan Phillips at 703-367-7976 or at 1-866-4697. E-mail inquires should be sent to media@myplumber.com. All entries must be post-marked by April, 14. Winners will be posted online on May 12.
<sh>Jamestown 2007 Web Site
<bt>The Jamestown 2007 Historic Triangle Host Committee has introduced a new Web site, www.historictriangle.net, geared specifically toward ensuring that local residents have a place to go to find out about the commemoration, its activities and how to participate. The celebration, beginning in 2006 and extending through spring 2008, will commemorate the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America. To learn more call 757-253-4616.