Friday, May 24, 2013
Kevin Cao was recently acknowledged by the Fairfax County Office of Public Private Partnerships.
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology student Kevin Cao was recently awarded the Tony Griffin Partnership Leader Award for his work with Growth and Inspiration through Volunteering and Education (GIVE) — a non-profit organization he founded with a fellow classmate and another student from Robinson Secondary School. Fairfax County and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) recognized Cao and 11 other public private partners at an awards ceremony on May 21 hosted by George Mason University at the Mason Inn Conference Center and Hotel in Fairfax. “Hundreds of our local business and individuals are giving their time, talent and resources as partners in the community. When businesses, the county, FCPS and the local nonprofits …
Friday, May 17, 2013
The eight FCPD positions have not been cut to four in county budget cuts.
The station logistic technician (SLT) position has not been cut in FCPD county budget cuts. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors recently approved fully funding all eight positions instead of eliminating four of the positions, said Captain Randy Joyce — commander of the Mount Vernon District Police Station — at the recent Citizen Advisory Committee meeting. One SLT is assigned to each of the eight district police stations. Because of budget cuts, the county was considering cutting it down to four SLTs for Fairfax County. SLTs are responsible for equipment and supplies inventory, maintaining police cruisers (average of 16 cars per week taken to and from the county garage for maintenance and repairs) and other duties around the district …
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Presented by Patch, the theme is 'Fairfax Is Beautiful.'
UPDATE: The deadline for the first annual Celebrate Fairfax Photo Contest has been extended to May 15. Enter today! Your photo could be on display at Celebrate Fairfax! --- Are you a natural photographer or just enjoy capturing snapshots of the world around you? Celebrate Fairfax is looking for the best photographs of the natural beauty of Fairfax County and announces their 1st annual Photo Contest! In order to enter, you must submit a photo of something beautiful you see in nature around Fairfax County. You have until May 1 to get your entry in! Let the county be your inspiration — the top 75 entries submitted will be displayed during the Celebrate Fairfax! Festival, which will be held June 7-9. Individuals will compete in one of two …
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Fairfax County Economic Development Authority officials say despite high number, sequestration will cause job growth to slow down.
The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) helped bring more than 1,400 jobs from 27 different companies during the first quarter of 2013. Salient Federal Solutions, a company that provides information techonology support to government and commercial customers, created the most opportunity countywide, adding 530 jobs in Fairfax, FCEDA officials said Friday. “In today’s environment, any business growth is remarkable,” FCEDA President and CEO Jerry Gordon said in a statement. But the number of new jobs was still down from the first quarter of 2012, when the FCEDA worked with 46 different businesses to bring in nearly 2,000 jobs. Gordon told Patch the slowdown was caused by cold feet from business owners, who hesitated to grow…
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Trials in other Washington area jurisdictions have residents asking: Why doesn't Fairfax County have text-911 service?
Fairfax County plans to eventually give its residents the ability to text 9-1-1 in emergencies, but it likely won’t be any time soon. In March, Frederick County, Md., launched a pilot program allowing Verizon Wireless customers to text 911 in an emergency. And recent media coverage has Fairfax County residents asking whether the same service will be available to them. During an online chat Monday, county officials said they planned to wait to start any sort of trial program until the service was available on more providers than just Verizon. “Texting to 9-1-1 is one of several new means to contact 9-1-1 that will utilize smart devices (smart phones, tablets, etc.) to communicate,” said Stephen Souder, director of the county’s department of…
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
This year's event is Saturday, May 4, at Fort Hunt Park. Last year's event raised $30,000.
Grab your sombrero, it's time once again for Cinco de Surovell, the annual fundraiser event organized by Del. Scott Surovell, a Democrat who represents the 44th District in the General Assembly. Tickets for the fundraiser range from "Amigo" status, at $25, to "El Presidente," at $5,000. This year's event will be the fourth annual fundraiser, scheduled for Saturday, May 4 from 1-3 p.m. at Fort Hunt Park, at Pavilion B. Fort Hunt Park is located at 8999 Fort Hunt Road. Saturday's weather forecast, according to The Weather Channel is for "mostly sunny" skies and a high of 68 degrees. See the photo gallery from 2012's Cinco de Surovell event. The fundraiser in the past has featured Mexican food, Tejano music and beer as well as visits with …
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Presented by Patch, the theme is 'Fairfax Is Beautiful.'
Are you a natural photographer or just enjoy capturing snapshots of the world around you? Celebrate Fairfax is looking for the best photographs of the natural beauty of Fairfax County and announces their 1st annual Photo Contest! In order to enter, you must submit a photo of something beautiful you see in nature around Fairfax County. Let the county be your inspiration! The top 75 entries submitted will be displayed during the Celebrate Fairfax! Festival, which will be held June 7-9. Individuals will compete in one of two divisions (Youth and Open) with various prizes awarded to the top photographs. The top 25 finalists chosen in the youth division (17 and under) will have their photographs displayed and will be given a free admission …
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Employees have 8.66 percent less purchasing power than they did six years ago, they said, which may cause them to leave for jurisdictions with better compensation plans.
Fairfax County faces a number of budget challenges in Fiscal Year 2014. But top on the minds of county employees, they said at a public hearing with the county Board of Supervisors: better, fairer compensation. County Executive Ed Long's $7 billion FY2014 budget proposal raises real estate taxes and cuts funds to parks and libraries, among other services. It also includes a 2-cent increase in the real estate tax rate from $1.075 per $100 of assessed value to $1.095, expected to raise millions in revenue. But the budget doesn't include market rate adjustments to county employee salaries. The school system hopes to be able to give employees an increase of just under 2 percent. Randy Creller, chairman of the Employees Advisory Council, …
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Fairfax County human services officials say more funds are needed for housing and other programs.
Fairfax County officials have said the impacts of sequestration are largely unknown, but for some of the county's low-income residents that's no longer true: Last week, the cuts forced the county to stop issuing Section 8 vouchers for affordable housing to families in need. Officials say that up to 150 families in the county might not be getting housing vouchers that will help them pay their rent. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides funding to the county for the program, but the budget sequester has put that in jeopardy. The county stopped issuing vouchers earlier this month and while some residents were able to get help at the last minute, others might not be so fortunate. These cuts directly impact organizations…
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Fairfax County urban foresters will begin aerial spraying to suppress fall cankerworm caterpillars starting in mid-to-late-April.
This year, Fairfax County will spray approximately 2,000 acres to suppress fall cankerworm caterpillars in the Lee and Mount Vernon districts. Helicopters will spray Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), a naturally-occurring insecticide, in infected areas in the two districts starting in mid-to-late April, according to a recent news release. Treatment areas for the aerial spray program are chosen through an annual Fairfax County survey of the fall cankerworm population. Because weather conditions are unpredictable, county officials do not know the exact days when spraying will be conducted. Once spraying begins, it may take ten days or more to complete, depending on the weather. A detailed map showing these treatment areas is available at public …
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12:28 pm on Thursday, May 9, 2013
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