Virginia Indian Festival
<bt>The annual Virginia Indian Festival will be held Sept. 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Riverbend Park in Great Falls. Native American dancing, drumming and storytelling, demonstrations of life skills, crafts, native artwork and pottery will highlight the festival. Virginia tribes including the Mattaponi, Pamunkey, Chickahominy, Piscataway, Upper Mattaponi, Monachan Nation and the Piscataway Nation will join the celebration. Parking is located nearby with shuttle service. Call 703-759-9018 or visit www. fairfaxcounty.gov/parks.
<sh>McLean Commercial Building Catches Fire
<bt>Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department units responded to a fire alarm activation at approximately 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 16, in the Tysons Corner area. The six-story commercial building is located at 7925 Jones Branch Drive. Firefighters arrived on the scene and reported a fire in the third floor electrical room. The fire was extinguished by the sprinkler system prior to units arriving. There were no reported injuries. Damage is estimated at $70,000. According to fire investigators, the fire was accidental. A battery pack being recharged in the third floor electrical room caused the fire.
<sh>Gas Station Attendant Robbed in McLean
<bt>On Monday, Aug.14, about 9:30 p.m. a 29-year-old Falls Church area woman employed as a gas station attendant was robbed by an armed man. The suspect entered the Sunoco gas station located at 8030 Lee Highway, approached the attendant, brandished a gun and demanded money. The suspect was given an undisclosed amount of money then fled the area. The victim was not injured. The suspect was described as a Hispanic male about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing 105 pounds. He wore blue jeans and a gray T-shirt with blue stripes. Anyone with information about this incident or this suspect is asked to call Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477) or the police non-emergency number at 703-691-2131.
<sh>Community Flea Market
<bt>Area residents can purchase second-hand, and some new, items at low prices at McLean Community Center’s (MCC) Fall Community Flea Market on Saturday, Sept. 9. The sale will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Business Bank parking garage, located at 1451 Dolly Madison Blvd., on Route 123 across from J. Gilbert’s Restaurant.
Professional flea market dealers and individuals selling household items both participate in this sale, offering shoppers a wide selection of goods. A limited number of selling spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis for $50 each. The deadline to register is Thursday, Sept. 7. Registration forms can be downloaded from MCC’s Web site www.mcleancenter.org Call 703-790-0123/TTY: 703-827-8255.
<sh>Residents Invited to Budget Talk
<bt>The Governing Board of the McLean Community Center (MCC) is inviting residents of Dranesville Small Tax District 1A to an Open Work Session on the Center’s fiscal year 2008 budget. The work session will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 7, at the center, which is located at 1234 Ingleside Ave. MCC is supported by a real estate tax paid by district residents. The current tax rate is 2.8 cents per $100 of a property’s assessed value. Board committees have been working to develop recommendations to finance Center programs and events for FY 2008, which begins July 1, 2007 and ends June 30, 2008. These recommendations will be presented to the full board and interested residents at the work session which will be chaired by the board’s Finance Committee. District residents who have suggestions, comments or concerns will have an opportunity to voice them at the work session. Residents who call the center to announce their intention to attend the session will receive a budget package when they arrive at the meeting. A Public Hearing on the FY 2008 budget and the regular monthly meeting of the Governing Board will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 27. Residents who wish to speak at the public hearing should call 703-790-0123/TTY: 703-827-8255, to have their names placed on the speakers’ list. Visit www.mcleancenter.org