Dear Neighbor / Friend,
Prepare for possible power outages assuming the snow and ice may cause some trees to fall onto power lines. I’m running this out earlier today in case we do lose power. Please check on your neighbors, especially those who may benefit from your concern and attention.
COVID-19 – All COVID-19 vaccine clinics are closed today due to the weather. Those who had an appointment for today will receive an email informing them of the cancellation. The cancellation notice will contain a link to reschedule your appointment for the upcoming week. No changes have been made to Friday appointments at this time. Read more here.
Since Thanksgiving – County has had 26,969 more confirmed cases (now up to 55,969 – about 5% of county population), 964 more hospitalized (now 3,491) and 218 more deaths (853).
Continue to wear a mask whenever you go out, social distance as best you can, wash your hands frequently and get vaccinated when it is offered.
42nd District Delegate - Our Delegate to Virginia’s House of Delegates, Kathy Tran sent out her newsletter that should interest all of us. Click on this link: E-Newsletter — Kathy Tran for Delegate (kathyfordelegate.com).
In overview, she reported that The House of Delegates recently passed an updated biennial budget with their intent to keep moving Virginia forward by lifting up working families, protecting public health, helping schools re-open quickly and safely and more.
Had heard that the Governor wants to extend the school year through the summer, but in Delegate Tran’s newsletter you will see that $51.1 million has actually been approved to support local school efforts to address COVID-19 learning loss, which would be used for extending the school year, summer school, tutoring, remediation and recovery, and counseling services.
Check out more news in her newsletter. She can be reached at DelKTran@house.virginia.gov or 804/698-1042.
Scheduling Covid-19 Vaccinations – also taken also from Delegate Tran’s newsletter and our District Supervisor’s The Herrity Report - Virginia is now consolidating registration and scheduling for vaccinations. Fairfax County has been allowed to opt out and continue running a county specific program, at least for now. Vaccine and Registration Data Dashboard that will provide data on how our local health district is doing in getting residents COVID-19 vaccines. Also they added a Registration Status Checker will allows anyone who has registered through Fairfax County for the vaccine to confirm their registration and get a sense of where they are in the queue.
If you are experiencing issues with the Vaccine Registration Status Checker, call the Fairfax Vaccine Call Center at 703/324-7404 between 9:30 AM and 5:00 PM.
Public Hearing on Plastic Bags for Yard Waste – District Supervisor Pat Herrity reported that the County Board of Supervisors (BOS) will hold a public hearing on 23 February about whether or not to ban plastic bags for yard waste. The agenda suggests the topic will be up at /about 4:00 PM. Proposed, new directive in part follows:
“Yard waste shall be set out in paper yard waste bags, reusable containers, other storage devices as approved by the Director, or bundled with string as instructed by the collection provider, and shall not weigh more than fifty pounds.”
It also states that “yard waste shall not be placed in plastic bags.” That had included the biodegradable and compostable bags. Those bags are made out of corn products and allegedly can be composted back to soil within 90 days. Understand the issues are 1) that plastic bags are environmentally unfriendly and 2) even the eco-bags gum up the leaf shredder used to make leaf mulch.
You can provide testimony to the BOS in letter attached to an email by sending it to ClerktotheBOS@fairfaxcounty.gov. If you want to call in and provide testimony by phone, you should sign up in advance no later than 12:00 Noon on the day of the public comment period. Even if not on the speakers’ list, you still may be heard by telephone after the registered speakers have testified. The number to call in will be provided during the meeting.
I am happy to include your concerns in a CAWSV letter that I will submit tomorrow. Would like to hear from those who use the paper bags and how well they hold up during rain. I have seen some curbside that had been disemboweled by the weather or varmints, but have not used them myself.
Ski the Fairfax Peak – Year round mix of snow/mountain, water, and other entertainment attractions. 1,700 foot long ski slope with about 300 foot vertical drop. Where? On top of the land fill mountain at I-95 Dump. Goal is to utilize renewable energy for 100% of snow dome requirements. Plan to hire between 300 and 500 permanent, year-round jobs in an upbeat and fun environment. If all goes according to plan, construction will start in 2023 and be completed by 2025.
Note - I have the briefing slides if you want to review them.
Noise Advisory – Training exercises at Marine Corps Base Quantico could be heard by many in our village yesterday and will possibly continue to be heard through 26 February. The sound carried unusually well yesterday due to the dry, crisp air/atmosphere and the breeze.
Pets in Cold Weather – 15 to 20 minutes tops for play and to relieve themselves and then get them back inside. Received a note from a concerned village neighbor and worth including here.
Calendar (Refer to the calendar in your community directory or see details in archived editions of the enews at our website wwwwestspringfieldvillage.org):
- 23 February – Board of Supervisors Meeting (Plastic Bags for Yard Waste)
- 13 March from 2 – 5:00 PM Virtual Teen Job Fair
- 14 March - Daylight Savings Time Begins
- 20 March from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM – Virtual Teen Job Fair
- 8 May from 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM, Document Shredding at the Rolling Valley Park & Ride, 9220 Old Keene Mill Road in Burke.
Stay safe, warm and healthy!
John Cooley, CAWSV