<sh>Townhouse Fire: $80,000 Damage
<bt>An early morning fire last week caused an estimated $80,000 damage to a Centreville townhouse, fire officials say. The blaze was at 6936 Hovingham Court in the Crofton Commons community.
Firefighters responded last Thursday, Jan. 5, around 9:30 a.m., and those arriving first on the scene reported fire in the basement of the three-level townhouse. They conducted an aggressive attack and brought the fire under control in about 20 minutes.
No injuries were reported, and the home was unoccupied at the time of the fire. According to investigators with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, the fire was accidental and originated in an electrical outlet in the basement.
<sh>Forgery Charge Goes to the Grand Jury
<bt>Last April, an Annandale mortgage company received a copy of the loan approval for a Centreville man to purchase a home in Virginia Run for $775,000. Trouble was, say Fairfax County police, the man not only worked for that company, but allegedly approved his own loan.
Since doing so is against the law, on Sept. 30 they charged that man — Neil Lederman, 50, of 14654 Seasons Drive — with two counts of forgery. And now the case against him is moving forward in the court system.
Last Tuesday, Jan. 3, in General District Court, Judge Donald McDonough dropped one of the charges against him. However, he certified the other one to the grand jury for possible indictment.
<hd>Drug Charge is Dropped Against Armfield Farm Man
<bt>In June, Fairfax County police charged 46-year-old Bob Wheeler of Chantilly's Armfield Farm community with distribution of cocaine. The charge was later reduced to possession of a controlled substance. Then on Dec. 28 in General District Court, before Judge Mitchell Mutnick, the case against him was dropped.
<sh>Free Carseat Inspections
<bt>Certified technicians from the Sully District Police Station will perform free, child safety carseat inspections, Thursday, Jan. 12, and Tuesday, Jan. 17, from 5-9 p.m. each day, at the station, 4900 Stonecroft Blvd. in Chantilly. They'll make sure the seats are correct for the child’s age, height and weight, the child is securely placed in the seat and the seat is properly installed in the vehicle.
No appointment is necessary. But residents should install the child safety seats themselves, so the technicians may properly inspect and make adjustments, as necessary. Call the Sully District Child Seat Information line (703-814-7000, ext. 5140) to confirm dates and time. For additional child seat inspection times throughout Fairfax County, call the Fairfax County Operations Support Bureau at 703-280-0559.
<sh>Strickland, Barbee at WFCCA
<bt>Hal Strickland, chairman of the Fairfax County Park Authority, and Allen Barbee of NOVEC, will both address the quarterly meeting of the West Fairfax County Citizens Association (WFCCA). It'll be held Monday, Jan. 16, at 7 p.m. in the Sully District Governmental Center, 4900 Stonecroft Blvd. in Chantilly.
Strickland will discuss the Cub Run Watershed Plan and its impact on parkland in Sully District. He'll also give a brief update on the Sully Woodlands regional master plan. Barbee, NOVEC's assistant vice president for electrical operations, will talk about proposed service upgrades in the WFCCA area.
<sh>Korean Church, New Restaurant, Credit Union at WFCCA
<bt>The West Fairfax County Citizens Association (WFCCA) Land-Use Committee will hear one more presentation from the Korean Central Presbyterian Church on Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m., in the Sully District Governmental Center, 4900 Stonecroft Blvd. in Chantilly.
It's proposing a 205,000-square-foot place of worship — including a 2,000-seat sanctuary, 500-seat chapel, private school and nursery school — on 80 acres of environmentally sensitive land along Route 29 in Centreville. But first, the church must obtain a special-exception permit from the county.
Also on the agenda that night are Navy Federal Credit Union and Sangria's restaurant. Navy Federal needs a reinstatement of its expired special-exception permit for its drive-through window at the Fort Hill Building in Centreville.
And Sangria's is tentatively scheduled to present architectural details and share its plans for a new restaurant in Centreville. It will be built at the corner of Route 29 and Old Centreville Road in Centreville, just down the street from Centreville Fire Station 17.
<sh>Sully Citizens Advisory Committee
<bt>The next meeting of the Sully District Citizens Advisory Committee will be Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 7:30 p.m., in the Sully District Governmental Center, 4900 Stonecroft Blvd. in Chantilly.
<sh>Westfield Community Coalition
<bt>The Westfield Community Coalition will meet on a different day, this month. The meeting will be Wednesday, Jan. 18, from 12:30-2 p.m., at the Sully District Governmental Center, 4900 Stonecroft Blvd. in Chantilly. Contact Nancy Bennett at 703-266-2370 or at bennett15428@aol.com.
Then on Saturday, Jan. 21, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., the Westfield Community Coalition and the Westfield High PTSA will present a free, educational program for teens and parents called "The Teen Species: Up Close and Personal." Sessions will include information and teens and substance abuse, depression, team building and finance. Advance registration is encouraged. Contact Edie Walker at ediefwalker@cox.net or at 703-449-0603.
<sh>Wolf to Speak to About Gangs
<bt>U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10th) will speak about gangs at the general meeting of the Fairfax League of Women Voters on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 10:30 a.m. The meeting will be held at the International Country Club, 13200 Lee Jackson Highway in Chantilly.
Wolf will discuss how legislation he's sponsored is addressing the problem of gangs in Northern Virginia and the effect it can have in stemming the spread of gang activity. This meeting is a follow-up to an earlier League study about the extent of the gang problem in the area and the approaches taken by local government agencies and individuals to help suppress and prevent gangs.
Fairfax League of Women Voters President Sherry Zachry said the League wants to know "how citizens can help make our neighborhoods safer for our children and ourselves.”
The meeting is free and guests are welcome. Registration is required; call 703-404-0498 by Jan. 14. Wolf’s presentation will be followed at noon by a lunch at a cost of $25. For more information about the League, call 703-658-9150 or visit www.lwv-fairfax.org.
<sh>Caputo's Town Hall Meeting
<bt>Del. Chuck Caputo (D-67th) will host his first town-hall meeting on Saturday, Jan. 28, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., in the Sully District Governmental Center, 4900 Stonecroft Blvd. in Chantilly. He will discuss his first few weeks in the General Assembly and will listen to constituents' concerns and answer questions. The public is welcome. For more information, call Lu Ann Maciulla McNabb at 703-476-6944.
<sh>WFCM Needs Donations to Help Local Needy Families
<bt>Each month, Western Fairfax Christian Ministries (WFCM) provides food, personal-hygiene and cleaning items to some 300, low-income, working families of all races and religions in western Fairfax County. Its food pantry and clothes closet are at 13981 Metrotech Drive in Chantilly, and it's in great need of donations from the community.
The 10 most-needed items are: Cooking oil (22-34-ounce bottles), flour, (2-5-pound sizes), complete pancake mixes and syrup, juices (preferably concentrate), spaghetti sauce, feminine-hygiene products, deodorant and laundry detergent. Food and personal-product donations are accepted Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at WFCM's back door.
WFCM's thrift shop is open to the public, Monday-Friday, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Clothing, household items, miscellaneous donations are accepted Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at the back door. Call 703-988-9656 with questions or to volunteer, or see www.wfcmva.org.
<sh>Blood Donations are Sought
<bt>The Inova Blood Donor Center in the Centremed I Building on Route 29 in Centreville (across from the Centreville Multiplex Cinemas) is in urgent need of blood donations — especially O positive or negative, as well as A and B. They're accepted Tuesday-Friday, noon-8 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. For an appointment to give blood, call 703-322-1970, or drop in at your own convenience.