Dear Neighbor,

I'd like to thank everyone who made it to the ribbon cutting for the new Annandale Community Center this past weekend! Please take a few moments to watch this brief video of the event.

The Annandale Community Center (ACC) will offer after-school programming and services for adults and families that complement the many other efforts underway to support the community near Braddock Elementary School and across central Annandale. Partnering with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington means that children and teens will benefit from their proven programming to build confidence, develop character, and acquire the skills to be successful adults.

ACC has been a project seven years in the making, and getting the center up and running would not have been possible without much hard work from Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services, Facilities Management, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, Annandale United Methodist Church, Braddock Elementary School, FACETS, Legal Aid Justice Center, former Supervisor Cook, Marcia Pape and Irma Mejia-Lewis from my office, and the Annandale community.

I look forward to seeing neighbors at ACC and watching the center reach its full potential! As I said at the event, making sure that every child, every family, and every community has the support they need to succeed is key to our One Fairfax vision.

Budget Town Hall

This Monday, March 13, I'll be hosting a Braddock District Town Hall at 7:00 p.m. with Braddock District School Board Member Megan McLaughlin and County Executive Bryan Hill about the proposed FY 2024 Budget.

The town hall will broadcast live on Channel 16 (Channel 16 on Verizon/Comcast or Cox Channel 1016) and can be streamed on my Facebook page or the County website. Closed captioning in Spanish will be available on Channel 16 and the County's website.

You can submit questions for the town hall using one of three formats:

• Email braddocktownhall@fairfaxcounty.gov (questions emailed before 5:00 p.m. on Monday will be read)
• Call (703) 324-1114 during the program 
• Use the Facebook Live chat

I look forward to hearing your feedback and answering your questions.

Freight Rail and Hazardous Materials

Residents have contacted my office with concerns about safety in the transport of hazardous materials by rail, considering the devastating derailments in East Palestine, Ohio and elsewhere; a Norfolk Southern line runs through residential neighborhoods in the Braddock District.

The Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC)’s Utility and Railroad Safety Division administers safety programs to inspect railways in the Commonwealth. They partner with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and either meet or exceed all federal Department of Transportation inspection guidelines related to the Virginia State Rail Safety Participation Program. The SCC is charged with regulating railroad facilities and its staff partners with the FRA to conduct inspections under the following disciplines: tracks, signals, train controls, equipment, operating practices, and hazmat.

The SCC informed us that their Railroad Safety Program scored second best in the nation by the FRA out of all participating state railroad programs. Scores were based off of a formula that takes into account the number of inspections completed per discipline and number of violations and/or defects reported to the FRA. Virginia scored second to California, which has a much larger program than Virginia and is able to complete more inspections. The scores were close, however. Virginia’s score was 481, and California’s score was 490.

Residents with questions or concerns are welcome to contact the SCC. Email addresses and phone numbers are available on the SCC’s Utility and Railroad Safety website.

Yours in service,

Supervisor James R. Walkinshaw

Please share the newsletter with your friends and neighbors. If this email was forwarded to you, consider subscribing to receive Braddock District news & updates.

Continue reading below for more information on:

• Braddock/Springfield FCPS Town Hall
• Fairfax County Housing Symposium
• Public Hearing on VA Board of Education's Proposed Changes to SOLs
• Lake Accotink Dam Maintenance 
• Cash Refunds for Instacart Workers
• Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at GMU

Braddock District School Board Representative Megan McLaughlin will be part of a Joint Town Hall with Springfield District Representative Laura Jane Cohen on Tuesday, March 21 at 7:00 p.m. in the Lake Braddock Secondary School's Little Theater. Guests include FCPS Superintendent, Dr. Michelle Reid, and Student Representative Michele Togbe.

The town hall will be an opportunity for the speakers to provide updates on FCPS' FY24 Budget, Strategic Plan development process, and other topics including Middle School start times, Middle School athletics, and the recently approved 3-year School Year Calendar.

All Braddock and Springfield District parents/guardians, staff, students, and community members are welcome. *If American Sign Language or language interpretation is needed, please submit your request by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 10.

View more details here.

The fourth annual Fairfax County Housing Symposium will take place in-person at George Mason University on Wednesday, March 15 from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

The symposium will bring elected leaders, industry professionals, policy experts, and housing advocates together, with the primary goal of advancing the role of affordable housing within the fabric of our community.

This year’s theme – Innovate to Accelerate – will explore collaboration and regional approaches to increasing affordable housing, accelerating equity and opportunity for homeowners, and leveraging resources to create affordable housing in challenging markets.

Register to attend or email RHA@fairfaxcounty.gov with any questions about the symposium.

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) will hold public hearings on the Proposed Revised 2023 History and Social Science Standards of Learning. The Standards of Learning identify the essential content, processes, and skills for grade levels and subject courses. 

Public comment about the proposed revised 2023 History and Social Science Standards of Learning will be offered through public hearings or public comment on the VDOE website until Tuesday, March 21.

The Northern Virginia public hearing will take place this Tuesday, March 14, beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the Mount Vernon Rubenstein Leadership Hall (3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon, VA).

Registration of speakers will begin at 6:30 p.m. Speakers will have three minutes to speak and should bring copies of their comments for the Board of Education. You can learn more about the recommendation adoption process and history on the Department of Education's website.

Lake Accotink Dam Maintenance 

The Fairfax County Park Authority is anticipating the start of maintenance work on the Lake Accotink dam by mid-March, weather permitting.

 The project will include removal of debris from the top of the dam spillway and replacement of the flashboards, which control water flow through the spillway when water rises above the crest level. These repairs are essential for safe maintenance and operation of the dam.

For more information visit the Park Authority’s website.

Because of a lawsuit filed by the DC Office of the Attorney General, Instacart workers who made at least one delivery in DC between October 1, 2016 and April 30, 2018 can receive cash payments of at least $150. You do not need to be a DC resident to be eligible.

Workers must file an online claim form by March 25, 2023, to qualify for payment. More information and the online claim form are available at: instacartworkerrefundsdc.com.

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at George Mason University offers hundreds of stimulating educational, social, and cultural courses, clubs, trips, and events each year on topics of interest to adults 50 and older.

The 2023 Spring Term Session runs from March 27 - May 19. Classes are held at sites in Fairfax, Loudoun, and Reston. Visit OLLI's website to sample a class, register now for the Spring term, and pricing information.