Thursday, January 25th, 2024

Dear Friend, 

Happy New Year! I hope 2024 is off to a great start for you and your families. I am excited to start my new term and look forward to continuing my work in serving the residents of the Franconia District. 

We are hosting our annual Franconia District Open House this Saturday, January 27th from 11am to 1pm. This will be a great opportunity to see fellow Franconia District residents, meet our new Police Captain Kevin Shaw, and speak with my staff or myself. There will also be opportunities to participate in an art raffle from the Springfield Art Guild. I hope you will be able to join us!

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact my office. 

Email: Franconia@fairfaxcounty.gov

Phone 703-971-6262

View as Webpage

Table of Contents

1. Early Voting for Presidential Primary Elections Now Open!
2. Dog Licenses Due Jan 31st
3. How to Manually Shut Off Your Home's Water Supply
4. Best Places for Sledding
5. Kids Day at the WISH
6. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Public Meeting - Jan 31st

Out and About

1. MLK Day
2. Colchester Towne Community Meeting
3. Springfield Art Guild Exhibit

ICYMI

1. Salt More, Shovel Less
2. Hypothermia Prevention Program Info
3. THRIVE Program

Early Voting for Presidental Primary Elections are now open!

Early voting for the Presidental primaries has started at three locations in Fairfax County! There is a primary for the Republican and Democratic candidates for president. In Virginia, voters do not register by political party, and you may only cast a ballot in one of the presidential primary elections.

You may go to any of the three locations below to cast your early vote until March 2nd.

• Fairfax County Government Center: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Mount Vernon Governmental Center: 1 to 7 p.m.
• North County Governmental Center: 1 to 7 p.m.

Additional sites will open on February 24th.

For questions or more information, contact the Fairfax County Office of Elections at 703-222-0776, TTY 711, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.

Dog Licenses due Jan. 31st

Do you have a furry friend? This is your reminder that dog licenses are due by January 31st. You can apply or renew your license online on the PetData Website.

Need more information? Click the link here.

Best Places for Sledding

Winter is upon us, and we have already seen our first snow day of 2024! Looking for the best places to go sledding? Visit the link here to find the closest place near you to go sledding with friends and family.

Kids Day at the WISH

The WISH is excited to partner with The Children's Science Center to offer hands on activities in science and technology! These activities are for children in Kindergarten all through 5th grade. The event is open to the entire community and snacks will be provided! If you are interested, please complete the sign up from by scanning the QR code. We hope to see you there!

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Public Meeting - Jan 31st

FCDOT will be hosting a public meeting regarding the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) at Bryant High School on January 31st. This meeting will be a recap of project decisions and milestones. There will be free on-site childcare and shuttle transportation to the meeting. Please see attached flyer for more information.

Out and About

Last week we observed Martin Luther King Jr. Day all over the country. It was great to celebrate MLK Jr. Day with the First Baptist Church of Vienna and all of the residents who attended the Volunteer Fairfax Family Service Event. 

Thank you Mt. Vernon Police Department for meeting with the residents of Colchester Towne Condominiums. Building trust and offering safety tips and advice will help make the community safer. 

I am happy to announce that the Springfield Art Guild’s (SAG) annual exhibit is on display at the Franconia Governmental Center.  There are 41 paintings by 18 local artists hanging in the lobby outside my office and the police station. The exhibit will run through March 8, 2024, and most of the paintings are available to be purchased if you find something you need to own. Here are a couple of examples of the artwork on display! For more information on the Springfield Art Guild: www.springfieldartguild.org

Shovel More, Salt Less



Road salt plays a key role in keeping Northern Virginia residents safe in the wintertime by melting snow and ice off of roads, sidewalks, and other surfaces that they walk and drive on. However, only one tablespoon of salt can permanently pollute 5 gallons of water. When salty runoff enters local creeks and streams, increased levels of chloride can impact the taste of drinking water, harm plants and aquatic life, and even corrode pipes, vehicles, and other infrastructure.

1.   When it starts to snow, shovel early and often.

2.   If the sun comes out and you can wait, allow time for sunlight to melt some of the snow and ice before you apply salt.

3.   Make sure to clear snow and apply salt only where needed.

4.   After the storm, sweep up extra salt to use again next time winter weather hits. Read the full blog post here.

Visit our website for more information on Snow and Ice Maintenance Tips and Smart Salt Management.

If you see someone who is unsheltered and you think is at risk for hypothermia, call 703-691-2131 TTY 711. This is the non-emergency police number. A police officer will respond and conduct a wellness check.

Learn more here.

Thrive - Introducing the THRIVE Program, an initiative designed to fuel your growth.

If you've been in business since 2021 or earlier and have 49 or fewer employees, this is your chance. THRIVE will offer 600 businesses up to $10,000 in specialized consulting across key areas like digital marketing, operations, and financial planning.

Visit here for eligibility and to apply now!

Thank you for the opportunity to serve.

Rodney L. Lusk

Franconia District Supervisor