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Dranesville Happenings
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January 2020 |
| Announcements and Upcoming Activities in and Around the Dranesville District |
John Foust
Dranesville District Supervisor
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Contact us at:
Dranesville District Supervisor
McLean Governmental Center
1437 Balls Hill Road
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Happy New Year!
Happy New Year from Supervisor Foust and his staff!
Wishing you and yours a great start to 2020!
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January 3: Winter Waterfowl Hike at Riverbend Park
Hike with a naturalist to search for winter waterfowl along the Upper Potomac River. Bring binoculars and spotting scopes. The cost is $8 per person.
Event Details
Friday, January 3
9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Riverbend Park
8700 Potomac Hills Street, Great Falls
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January 8: EQAC Annual Public Hearing
Each year, the Fairfax County Environmental Quality Advisory Council (EQAC) holds a public hearing to gather input on issues of environmental concern. The public is encouraged to attend EQAC's public hearing to share views on the state of the environment and to identify environmental issues applicable to Fairfax County.
Environmental issues considered by EQAC include water quality, air quality, noise, hazardous materials, solid waste, stream valley protection, wildlife management, light pollution, visual pollution, climate change response and adaptation, energy conservation, land use, and transportation and the use and preservation of ecological resources.
The public is also invited to attend any EQAC meeting and to submit correspondence for EQAC's consideration at any time (to
eqac@fairfaxcounty.gov).
Summaries of recent public hearings are provided online at the website listed below.
Event Details
Wednesday, January 8, 7:30 p.m.
Fairfax County Government Center, Conference Rooms 2 & 3
12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax
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January 12: Tree ID - Bark & Buds at Riverbend Park
You may know how to identify tree species in the spring, summer and fall, but how about when the leaves and fruit are gone? Visit Riverbend Park to flex your tree ID muscles this winter and get to know a different side of local trees. The cost is $8 per person.
Event Details
Sunday, January 12
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.
Riverbend Park
8700 Potomac Hills Street, Great Falls
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January 12: Artist Talk at McLean Project for the Arts
Join McLean Project for the Arts (MPA) for an
Artist Talk featuring Eve Stockton and Kyujin Lee.
Ms. Stockton and Ms. Lee will discuss the thoughts and processes behind Eve Stockton: Origin Stories and Replay and Reshuffle: Paintings by Kyujin Lee, currently on display in MPA's Emerson and Atrium Galleries, respectively. This event is free and open to the public.
Event Details
Sunday, January 12, 2:00 p.m.
MPA at the McLean Community Center
1234 Ingleside Avenue, McLean
Origin Stories and
Replay and Reshuffle run through February 29 at MPA@MCC.
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January 13: McLean CBC Task Force Meeting
The County has been working on a study of the McLean Commercial Business Center (CBC), more commonly known as downtown McLean. The community-driven study will be used to update the Comprehensive Plan, which will guide future planning and development, including land uses, development intensities, transportation, public facilities, and design standards.
The study began in June 2018 with three well-attended community workshops conducted by Streetsense, the consultant hired by the County. The community's input from these three sessions shaped the draft plans that were presented at two open houses last fall. Additional community input on the draft plans was solicited at the open houses and a meeting on the Final Vision Plan was held in December 2018.
Since then, the study's task force, which is comprised of McLean residents and civic group representatives, has been working with County staff and the community to translate this vision into recommendations for changes to the Comprehensive Plan. The task force's monthly meetings are open to the public. Details on the next task force meetings are included below.
Event Details
Monday, January 13
7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
McLean Governmental Center
1437 Balls Hill Road, McLean
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January 15: McLean Planning Committee Meeting
The McLean Planning Committee (MPC) participates in the planning process for the downtown McLean area to ensure that it is in line with the vision for the McLean Community Business Center (CBC) and serves as a representative forum for discussion, decision making, and consensus building.
The MPC works closely with the office of Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust, the Fairfax County Office of Community Revitalization, and other County agencies to advocate conformance with the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan, zoning ordinances, the McLean CBC Design Standards, and County revitalization goals.
The MPC meets on the third Wednesday of each month. These meetings are open to the public and community members are encouraged to attend.
Event Details
Wednesday, January 15
7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
McLean Community Center
1234 Ingleside Avenue, McLean
For more information, visit https://mcleanplanning.org/. |
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January 18: AAUW January Meeting with Special Guest Stephanie Deutsch, Author of You Need a Schoolhouse
For the Dr. Martin Luther King holiday, author Stephanie Deutsch will talk about her 2011 book, You Need a Schoolhouse, which describes how Julius Rosenwald, the president of Sears, Roebuck, teamed up with Booker T. Washington to help build thousands of schoolhouses for African American children in the segregated South. Stephanie was led to the story because her husband is a great-grandson of Rosenwald. Educated abroad as the daughter of a Foreign Service officer, Stephanie is a Washington, D.C. native and has lived on Capitol Hill for 45 years. The story she tells in the book was the subject of a documentary film, "Rosenwald," by Aviva Kempner.
Event Details
Saturday, January 18, 10:00 a.m.
McLean Community Center
1234 Ingleside Avenue, McLean
For more information about the McLean Area Branch of the AAUW, visit https://mclean-va.aauw.net/. |
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January 21: West Falls Church Transit Station Area Task Force Meeting
Fairfax County has initiated a planning study of proposals submitted by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and Virginia Tech for portions of the West Falls Church Transit Station Area. The proposals were submitted as part of the County's 2017 Site-Specific Plan Amendment Process (
https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/planning-zoning/plan-amendments/sspa).
In January 2019, a community meeting was held which included an overview of the Fairfax County planning and review process in addition to presentations by WMATA and Virginia Tech. Since then, a task force of area residents has been working with County staff to evaluate the proposals and make a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors. The task force will continue to meet about once a month and will evaluate impacts relating to transportation, public facilities, schools, and the environment. The task force meetings are open to the public. The County will hold additional meetings to update the community and solicit feedback. Details for the next task force meeting are included below.
Event Details
Tuesday, January 21
7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
The Northern Virginia Center
7054 Haycock Road, Falls Church
Free parking will be available for meeting attendees in the Lower Lot. Attendees must take a ticket when entering the parking lot and bring it to the meeting, where it will be validated. There is an entrance to the building from the Lower Lot and directional signs will point attendees to the meeting room.
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January 21: Great Falls Senior Center Event
The Great Falls Senior Center (GFSC) guest speaker for January 21 will be Dr. Bill Clark, retired chairman of Interpol's Wildlife Crimes Group, and current International Wildlife Program Specialist for the Animal Rescue Institute. Dr. Clark has spent thirty years engaged in wildlife law enforcement at the national and international level.
The event includes lunch (a $10.00 donation is suggested). Reservations are required. Contact Polly Fitzgerald at
pollyfitz1@verizon.net or 703-759-4345. New memberships and renewal forms for 2020 will be available.
Event Details
Tuesday, January 21
11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
River Bend Golf & Country Club
375 Walker Road, Great Falls
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January 26: McLean Chocolate Festival
Love chocolate? Join the McLean Rotary for its 9th annual Chocolate Festival. Chocolate vendors include Dave's Candy Kitchen, Seasons 52, Fluffy Thoughts, Capital Candy Jar, Greenberry's, Star Nut, and more. Patrons may buy treats to eat on site or to stock up for Valentine's Day.
Enjoy a children's game room with face painting and live entertainment throughout the day. American Heritage, a Mars company, will demonstrate how chocolate was made in colonial America.
Admission is $2 but kids three and under get in free.
Proceeds go to fund local charitable organizations.
Event Details
Sunday, January 26
11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
McLean Community Center
1234 Ingleside Avenue, McLean
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Great Falls Park Entrance Fees to Increase January 1
Entrance fees for the Great Falls area at both Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (MD) and Great Falls Park (VA) will increase on January 1, 2020 as part of the National Park Service's ongoing efforts to address infrastructure needs and improve future visitor experiences.
The fee schedule will change according to the following:
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Per Vehicle
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Per Person
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Per Motorcycle
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Park-Specific Annual Pass
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| Current |
$15 |
$7 |
$10 |
$30 |
| January 1, 2020 |
$20 |
$10 |
$15 |
$35 |
Passes purchased at either park are valid at both parks.
All money collected from entrance fees remains in the National Park Service (NPS), with at least 80 percent retained locally at C&O Canal and the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
According to NPS, during the past two years, entrance fees have supported projects along the C&O Canal and Great Falls Park including:
- Rehabilitation of the Netherlands Carillon
- Rehabilitation of Locks 3 and 4 at the C&O Canal
- Rehabilitation of restrooms at both parks
- Rehabilitation of Lock 2 of the Potomack Canal at Great Falls Park
- Rehabilitation of Swains Lockhouse for the Canal Quarters Program at C&O Canal
- Milling and paving of the northern section of the George Washington Memorial Parkway
- Student Conservation Association youth maintenance crews to mow grass, clear culverts, and remove vegetation on the western sections of C&O Canal
The Great Falls Annual Park Pass allows access on both the Virginia and Maryland side of the Potomac River and pays for itself in two visits, allowing visitors to enjoy daily changes in the river levels and the seasonal changes in the park. The annual $80 America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass allows unlimited entrance to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas, including all national parks. There are also free or discounted passes available for senior citizens, active duty members of the U.S. military, fourth grade students, and disabled citizens.
Visitors may also enjoy five entrance fee-free days in 2020. On these significant days of celebration or commemoration, all national parks will waive entrance fees. The dates for 2020 are:
- Monday, January 20 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- Saturday, April 18 - First Day of National Park Week/National Junior Ranger Day
- Tuesday, August 25 - National Park Service Birthday
- Saturday, September 26 - National Public Lands Day
- Wednesday, November 11 - Veterans Day
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Every can counts! Help "stuff the bus" at grocery stores throughout Fairfax County. As holiday decorations come down and winter months settle in, most food pantries' supplies run very low. To help, Fairfax County partners with local nonprofit food pantries, grocery stores, and MV transportation to "Stuff the Bus."
From mid-January to mid-February, Stuff the Bus will visit different local grocery stores where volunteers from local nonprofit food pantries will collect donated food. 100% of the donated food goes to the pantries.
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CERT 154 Basic Training Class at McLean Fire Station FS401
The CERT 154 Basic Training Class will be held at the McLean Fire Station (FS401), located at 1445 Laughlin Avenue in McLean beginning on January 9 and continuing through February 27. The training class will meet on Thursdays from 7:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Students are required to attend all eight class sessions, which includes the final.
This CERT Basic training follows the FEMA curriculum, and is tailored to address potential local disasters and hazards. The instruction is adapted to conform to Fairfax County and Fort Belvoir emergency preparedness and response protocols and procedures. The training consists of a combination of lectures followed by hands-on demonstrations and drills to develop students' skills in the areas of emergency preparedness, fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.
The Lead Instructor will provide prospective students with class preparation information and a syllabus prior to the first-class meeting. The text and study guide will be issued at the first meeting. Students are also provided basic personal protective equipment for the training that they may retain upon completion of the course. This training does not require any physical strength or agility.
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Voices of Women in America Survey
Women of Fairfax County, your voice is important! The National Association of Commissions for Women is collecting data across the nation through an online survey. The survey is anonymous and is organized by zip codes. The more women that participate, the better it will reflect the concerns of women in the community.
The survey will be open until February 27, 2020. Results will be available at the Fairfax County Commission for Women next summer. For questions or more information, contact Dranesville District Commissioner, Vice-Chair Nancy Hopkins at 571-286-2418.
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Traveling Players Ensemble Auditions
Traveling Players Ensemble will hold auditions in January for its advanced summer acting camps for grades 5 to 12.
At Traveling Players Ensemble, small troupes of actors are carefully guided by professional theatre artists to perform in outdoor amphitheaters.
Traveling Players offers a range of programs for campers in grades 3 through 12, from one week beginner actor training to advanced, intensive acting training in five and seven week summer camp programs.
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Volunteer Opportunities and Events
County Division of Adult and Aging Services
Meaningful volunteer opportunities and events are available to improve the lives of older adults and adults with disabilities in Fairfax County. For a complete list of volunteer opportunities in Fairfax County, visit
http://fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadults and follow the link to "Volunteer Solutions" or call 703-324-5406,
TTY 711.
Events
Fairfax County's free Family Caregiver Telephone Support Group will meet by phone on Tuesday, January 14 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. This months topic is "
Using Humor as a Survival Tool." Share your experiences, gain support, and get important information without having to travel. To register, visit
https://bit.ly/2JdLNLw.
Podcasts and Videos and Other Resources
Volunteer Opportunities
For these and other volunteer opportunities, email VolunteerSolutions@FairfaxCounty.gov, call 703-324-5406, TTY 711 or visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/olderadultservices/volunteer-solutions.htm. |
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| Fairfax County is committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in all county programs, services and activities. Reasonable accommodations will be provided upon request. For information, call the Dranesville District office at 703-356-0551, TTY 711. |
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| If you would like your community announcement included in the Dranesville Happenings please send an email to Dranesville@FairfaxCounty.gov. |
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