The Lusk Report: September 26, 2022

Monday, September 26, 2022

Dear friend,

I'm excited to announce the grand opening of the Workforce Innovation Skills Hub (W.I.S.H) on Saturday, October 8th, at the Hybla Valley Community Center.

The purpose of the W.I.S.H. is to re-imagine how the local workforce engages with employers to ensure that those who live in our community benefit from employment opportunities in our community. Upon completion of their training, participants will have a pathway to earn a middle-class income. Trade training classes start on October 17th!

Come meet our W.I.S.H. partners and learn more about the free job training and employment opportunities available in this newly renovated space. Also, family-friendly activities will be provided, including food trucks, drones, a moonbounce, and face painting.

Additionally, volunteers are needed for the upcoming STEAM Fest at the W.I.S.H.

Are you a S.T.E.M. professional or a college student? We are looking for volunteers to serve as mentors and help K-12 students with STEAM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Art, Math) activities.

Training will be provided on the day of the event.

Contact my office if we can assist you.

Email: leedist@fairfaxcounty.gov (My team is working on an updated email)

Phone 703-971-6262

-Rodney

Table of Contents

Supervisor Lusk in the Community
Three Hidden Gems in Franconia District
Good Shepherd Housing Receives $2 Million Gift from Amazon for Affordable Housing
Community Post: Volunteer for Be the Good Project
Car Tax Payments are Due Oct. 5
Rebates Issued to Eligible Taxpayers
Healthy Together Fairfax
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in Fairfax
Be Prepared for Emergencies
Attend one of the Largest College Career Fairs at GMU
COVID-19 Resources

Supervisor Lusk in the Community

This week I supported the Fairfax Library Foundation to spread the word about Library Card Sign-Up Month! Don’t have a library card yet? You can apply online at http://ow.ly/clni50KuRCa or in person at your local branch.

I joined Fairfax County Park Authority Executive Director Jai Cole at Lee District Park to discuss my connection to the park and our efforts to ensure the space remains fully accessible for all to enjoy!

I had a great time attending the announcement of the expansion of the Student Pass+ Metrobus service for FCPS students. The program has provided 2 million trips for students via the FFX Connector and 100 thousand on Metrobus! Thank you to FCDOT, FCPS, and WMATA for organizing the successful event!

More information on the Student Bus Pass Program:

https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/connector/student-pass

I joined Supervisor Storck (Mt. Vernon) and Fairfax County Animal Shelter Director, Reasa Currier at a pet services event where staff provided free services to the community including vaccinations, flea prevention, microchips, supplies, and spay/neuter services.

It was a pleasure to attend the grand opening of Green Drop in Franconia. I also had a blast catching up with my good friend Courtney Bulger, the Red Cross's National Capital Area Chapter Executive Director. The American Red Cross is a partner of Green Drop's charitable efforts.

I was proud to join my Board colleagues to support more efforts to raise awareness around Virginia’s Emergency Substantial Risk Order (ESRO) law, commonly referred to as a “red flag law”.

ESRO provides procedural safeguards to ensure that no firearm is removed without due process while ensuring that tragedies like the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, are not repeated.

More information:

https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/topics/red-flag

Three Hidden Gems in Franconia District

Thank you, Mercia Hobson, of the Connection Newspapers, for the opportunity to share my three "hidden gems" in the Franconia District!

📌 Tacos El Costalilla: My favorite restaurant to stop by between my meetings on Richmond Highway. The staff is friendly, and the food is a must-try. My go-to order is the carne asada and the cheese and beans pupusa. I encourage you to explore the other items on their menu, which includes a wide range of other excellent options. The restaurant is located at 7862 Richmond Highway in Alexandria.

📌Olander & Margaret Banks Park: Thanks to the generosity of Olander Banks Sr., who dedicated it to the memory of his wife, this once private property has been converted into a public park. I highly recommend this park to explore the trails, view the natural stream, and have a family picnic. Olander & Margaret Banks Park is located at 7400 Old Telegraph Road in Alexandria.

📌 Nalls Produce: This is a personal favorite of mine, especially since I love peaches. The homegrown peaches, tomatoes, and other vegetables taste delicious. Nalls Produce is also home to my favorite Franconia District resident, Penny the Pig. Nalls Produce is an excellent place to bring the family to buy healthy produce, enjoy the pumpkin patch in the fall, or have your children participate in the kid's club. Be sure to let them know that Supervisor Lusk sent you. Nalls Produce is located at 7310 Beulah Street in Alexandria.

Good Shepherd Housing Receives $2 million Gift from Amazon for Affordable House

Amazon announced on Wednesday a $2 million gift to preserve affordable housing units in our service area, awarded to Good Shepherd Housing. It is the largest single gift in the non-profit’s 48-year-old history and will be used to purchase 18 affordable housing units in Colchester Towne, a neighborhood in the core of Good Shepherd Housing’s service area.

Congratulations to Good Shepherd Housing! Franconia District and the broader Richmond Highway community are currently on the cusp of a period of tremendous transformation. The employers, property owners, and entrepreneurs who will most benefit from that transformation must help ensure their success is not built on the displacement of residents who have called Richmond Highway home for generations. With this investment, Amazon is clearly demonstrating that they understand that obligation.

More information: https://goodhousing.org/2022/09/23/good-shepherd-housing-receives-2-million-gift-from-amazon-for-affordable-housing/

Community Post: Be the Good Project

I am pleased that my office could assist Be The Good in expanding the reach of their Free Little Food Pantries. Thank you to the founders, Amber and Sterling Marchand, for all their outstanding work and for sending this article on BeThe Good.

In 2020, a local Alexandria family in Fairfax County, Va., started a small food drive in a box by their driveway to teach their four young children about serving their neighbors during the pandemic.

There was an overwhelming outpouring of support and generosity from our community, which led to the creation of Be The Good Project, a grassroots-fueled 501(c)(3) non-profit with a simple mission: to connect volunteers with safe and easy ways to help feed our neighbors.

Be The Good’s Little Free Food Pantries — which look like neighborhood libraries — are checked weekly by volunteers who fill them with unexpired nonperishable foods. There are currently 25 units planted be Be The Good across VA, DC, and MD — 14 of which are located in Fairfax County.

Unfortunately, the need for emergency food is still great across our region, partly due to the record-high cost of groceries. As Be The Good looked for opportunities to expand the little pantry network, they sought the counsel of Supervisor Rodney Lusk and his staff earlier this year.

Fairfax County Zoning Administration, in consultation with the Fairfax County Health Department, conducted a review of the little pantries and determined: “Providing access to nonperishable food is in the public interest. As such, a little free food pantry may be permitted.” We are hopeful this zoning interpretation will ease the hurdles of getting approvals to plant new pantries around the region, including in the Franconia District.

Be The Good has also donated more than $40,000 in grocery gift cards through its care package program, and the organization hopes to distribute at least 1,000 more care packages filled with nonperishable food this November and December.

Stay tuned for more updates as Be The Good’s Little Free Food Pantry will be coming soon to the Hybla Valley Community Center!

If you would like to help Be the Good Project by volunteering, please visit: bethegoodproject.org

Car Tax Payments are Due Oct. 5th

Personal property taxes — better known as car taxes — are due on Wednesday, Oct. 5. Bills were mailed this summer, and there are many convenient ways to pay.

For more details: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news/car-tax-payments-are-due-oct-5-what-you-need-know

Rebates Issued to Eligible Taxpayers

The 2022 Virginia General Assembly passed a law earlier this year giving taxpayers with a liability a rebate of up to $250 for individual filers and up to $500 for joint filers.

Not every taxpayer is eligible. If you had a tax liability last year, you will receive up to $250 if you filed individually, and up to $500 if you filed jointly. Tax liability is the amount of tax you owe throughout the year minus any credits (like the credit for taxes you paid to another state or the credit for low-income individuals), deductions, or subtractions.

You can check your eligibility using our rebate lookup tool here: https://www.individual.tax.virginia.gov/IOP/#/rebate/rebateStatus

More information: https://www.tax.virginia.gov/rebate?utm_source=Social&utm_medium=Twitter&utm_campaign=TaxRebate220912

Healthy Fairfax Together

Come join a fun, FREE, interactive community event focused on healthy and active living!

Healthy Together Fairfax will be held on Sunday, October 2, 2022, 12-4 p.m. at Lee District Park (6601 Telegraph Rd, Alexandria, VA 22310). The event includes free health screenings, access to community services and resources, fitness classes, hands-on activities, and workshops for all ages. Participants can also explore the trails and playgrounds at Lee District Park and enjoy a ride on the carousel.

The event will include activities and organizations in four tracks:

Physical track, focusing on ACTIVE LIVING

Environment track, focusing on SUSTAINABLE LIVING

Social track, focusing on CONNECTEDNESS AMONG OLDER ADULTS

Emotional track, focusing on CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in Fairfax County

Happy #HispanicHeritageMonth! This month we recognize and celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of the Hispanic community.

Visit Fairfax has put together a resource for those seeking ways to celebrate this festive month in Fairfax County. In the article, you will find ways to celebrate through food, movement, dance, events, live music, and learning.

Here’s a link to the article: https://www.fxva.com/blog/post/celebrate-hispanic-heritage-month-in-fairfax-county-and-the-capital-region/

Be Prepared for Emergencies

When an emergency strikes, you need access to information on the latest threats in your area, and guidance on what actions to take.

Attend One of the Largest College Career Fairs

Attend one of the largest college fairs in the region, where 250 colleges and universities from across the nation are represented.

The event takes place on Sunday, October 16, 2022, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Eagle Bank Arena at George Mason University.

The College Fair is designed to connect high school students with opportunities in higher education. It is one of the largest College Fairs in the region. It features nearly 250 colleges and universities from around the nation as well as representatives from the U.S. Service Academies. Each year the College Fair draws thousands of students and their families.

Registration and more information here:

https://www.fcps.edu/resources/college-and-career-planning/college-fair-and-college-night?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=career