<sh>Indictment Issued in Behl Case
<bt>According to Sgt. Sammy Carr, public information officer for the Virginia State Police Chesapeake Division, a grand jury in Mathews County, Va., issued an indictment Tuesday in the case of Taylor Behl, the 17-year-old Vienna resident who disappeared from Richmond in September and whose remains were found a month later in Mathews County.
The grand jury issued an indictment for first degree murder against Benjamin Fawley, 38, of Richmond, who has long been considered the primary "person of interest" in the case. Carr said he could not elaborate on the nature of the evidence presented to the grand jury.
Fawley's arraignment on the charge is scheduled for Feb. 25 in Mathews County.
—Mike DiCicco
<sh>Bank Robbery
<bt>Shortly after 1 p.m. Tuesday, a man walked into the BB&T Bank on Maple Avenue in Vienna, displayed a handgun and demanded money, according to Capt. Mike Miller of the Vienna Police Department. He was wearing a green jacket and a black ski mask, although the mask was not pulled over his face. According to witnesses, said Miller, the robber was a white male, about 5 feet 5 inches tall. Interviews were still being conducted Tuesday evening. The FBI and Fairfax County Police will also be involved in the investigation.
<sh>New Web Address for Vienna
<bt>The Town of Vienna Web site has a new address — www.viennava.gov.
When the town's Web site was launched in 1997 its Internet address — www.ci.vienna.va.us — was chosen to conform to the original naming convention for local governments. The new address is intended to be shorter and easier to repeat. Using the "dot gov" domain is intended to emphasize that the Web site is an official government site and to distinguish it from other Vienna sites run by third parties.
The original address will continue to work for one year while the new address is phased in on all printed materials distributed by the town.
<sh>NVFS Helps With the Holidays
<bt>Thousands of local families received a helping hand during the holiday season through Northern Virginia Family Service's (NVFS) Holiday Initiatives Drives. The drives were a success because of generous donations from the community that amounted to approximately $100,000 in gifts, groceries, gift cards and monetary contributions.
Hundreds of grocery gift cards and baskets filled with non perishable goods were donated and distributed to families who did not have the resources to have holiday meals through the Thanksgiving Basket and December Grocery drives. More than 800 people — about 250 families — were adopted by local companies and people in the community who provided children and parents with clothing, shoes and other holiday gifts through the Adopt-a-Family program. About 4,000 toys were donated for children ages birth to 18, whose parents cannot afford that little extra something, through the annual Toy Drive.
<sh>Snow Removal Assistance
<bt>Vienna-area teens are available to shovel snow and help with other odd jobs. The teen and the person needing the work decide on the amount to be paid for the service. Teens can sign up at the Vienna Community Center, and residents can call 703-255-6360 to be matched with a young worker.
<sh>Business Award Nomination Deadline
<bt>Jan. 30 is the deadline to nominate a Town of Vienna business for the Town/Business Liaison Committee's community service award. The award was created to recognize town businesses that demonstrate a commitment to the community through cooperation and sharing.
Award-winning contributions may be personal, in-kind or financial, and may benefit town residents, other businesses, nonprofit organizations, the town government or the community at large. Examples include shared parking or other physical resources, beautification projects and support for youth sports teams.
To nominate a business or individual business owner, the following should be submitted: name, address and phone number of the nominee; description of the contribution/action to be considered and why (200 words or less); name, address and phone number of the person making the nomination.
Only in-town Vienna businesses are eligible for the award. Send nominations to: Town/Business Liaison Committee, care of Julie Mirvis, Vienna Town Hall, 127 Center St., S., Vienna, VA 22180. Nominations marked "TBLC Award" may also be faxed to 703-255-5729 or e-mailed to mirvis@ci.vienna.va.us.
<sh>Dog Tag Deadline
<bt>All Town of Vienna dog licenses must be renewed by Jan. 31. Licenses are available in the Finance Department at Town Hall, 127 Center St., S., and applications can be downloaded from the town's Web site, www.viennava.gov.
Dogs older than 4 months old must be licensed by Jan. 31 each year. The fee is $10 for a fertile dog and $5 for an infertile dog. A current rabies vaccination certificate must be shown to obtain a license, and a spay/neuter/infertile certificate must be shown for a reduced-price license.
For more information, call the Finance Department at 703-255-6323.
<sh>Deadline for Donation Requests
<bt>Friday, Feb. 3 is the deadline for nonprofit Vienna organizations to apply for donations of town funds in fiscal year 2006-07. Applications should be addressed to John H. Schoeberlein, Town Manager, Vienna Town Hall, 127 Center St., S., Vienna, VA 22180-5799.
All requests must include the following information: name of the organization and names and addresses of its principal officers; purpose of the organization and a description of its programs and activities; percentage of members or participants who live in town or who own or are employed by town businesses; organization budget showing all income and expenses for the year in which the donation will be used; amount of funding requested from the town; purpose for which the donation will be used; synopsis of the fund-raising activities being conducted during the current year; statement signed by the principal officer that membership or participation is open to all residents and business people in town without regard to race, national origin, religion or sex.
For more information, call the town manager's office at 703-255-6370.
<sh>Waters Field Makeover
<bt>Vienna Youth Inc. and the Greater Vienna Babe Ruth League have teamed up with the Town of Vienna to transform Waters Field from natural grass to synthetic turf. The field is receiving a state-of-the-art turf known as FieldTurf, which is designed to look like grass and play like grass without the wear and tear that grass takes. The field's drainage system will be able to handle even the worst downpour and be ready for play in an hour.
The project will continue through February, and the field will be ready for baseball in April.
<sh>Town Budget Receives Award
<bt>For the 12th consecutive year, the Town of Vienna has received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada. This award, for the fiscal year 2005-2006 budget, is the highest form of recognition for governmental budgeting.
Copies of Vienna's budget are available for public review at Town Hall.
<sh>Spring Co-Ed Softball Registration
<bt>Registration is underway for the Town of Vienna's adult co-ed softball league. The spring season begins April 23. Games will be played on Sunday mornings at Southside Park.
The registration fee of $400 per team includes 10 regular season double-header games, a post-season tournament, umpire fees, softballs and awards. Registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis with a limit of 12 teams. For more information, call Keith Fees at 703-255-6352 or e-mail fees@ci.vienna.va.us.
<sh>Business License Deadline
<bt>March 1 is the deadline for payment of the business, professional and occupational license (BPOL) tax. All businesses in the Town of Vienna, including home occupations, must renew their business licenses each year. The amount of the tax is based on gross receipts, and the rate varies according to the type of business. Those businesses with total annual gross receipts of $50,000 or less pay only the minimum license fee of $30 per year.
License tax forms will be mailed out in January, and forms are also available in the Finance Department at Town Hall and online at www.viennava.gov. For more information or assistance call 703-255-6321.
<sh>Public Service Award Nominations
<bt>Leadership Fairfax Inc. (LFI) is seeking nominations for this year's Katherine K. Hanley Public Service Award. The purpose of the award is to grant recognition for outstanding accomplishments in the areas of public service employment or service on a public board, authority or commission for sustained contributions to the quality of life in the community. Nominations are due by Feb. 22.
LFI will present the award to the honoree at the annual Leadership Fairfax Board of Supervisors Breakfast on March 22. The award was established in 2004 to honor the public service legacy of Katherine K. Hanley, chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors from 1995 to 2003. Nomination forms are available on the Leadership Fairfax Web site at www.leadershipfairfax.org and should be sent to Leadership Fairfax Inc., 8230 Old Courthouse Road, Suite 350, Vienna, VA 22182.
<sh>Competition to Host Film Festival
<bt>MHz Networks in Merrifield is searching for a young talent to host the fifth annual MHz Shortz Student Film Festival in May 2006. The competition is open to middle or high school students in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. The deadline to enter is March 10.
The festival celebrates the imaginations of young filmmakers, as students in kindergarten through 12th grade, as well as teachers, compete for the Shortie award.
To enter the competition to host, students must submit the following: on DVD/R or mini-dv, a creative, two-minute presentation on why the MHz Shortz Awards are important; a one-page description of why the entrant would make the perfect host for the festival; a letter of reference from a teacher, principal, parent or other adult educator. Applications must be mailed by March 10 to: MHz Networks, c/o Shortie Awards Host, 8101A Lee Highway, Falls Church, VA 22042.
For more information about the host competition, e-mail shortie@mhznetworks.org. For more about the film festival, visit www.mhznetworks.org/eat.
<sh>Amateur Photo Contest
<bt>Applications to enter the Vienna Parks and Recreation Department's annual Amateur Photography Contest and Exhibit will be available beginning Feb. 1 at the Vienna Community Center, 120 Cherry St., S.E.
Exhibit dates are Saturday and Sunday, March 18 and 19. Photos will be judged by local professional photographers and ribbons awarded in eight categories in black-and-white and color divisions. There will also be a separate contest section for students in grades 7-12.
The entry fee is $7 per person. Entries are limited to five photos per person and two per category. For more information, call 703-255-6360.