Village News, 7/28/22

Dear Village Neighbor / Friend,

Lengthy report today, but hope you find all or a part useful.

1. Help Wanted and Needed:

  • The Next Civic Association President - Same grumpy old man has held that position for over 20 years now, but it is time for new ideas and younger energy. 
  • NextDoor Lead (review questionable posts to vote for possible removal or vote to recommend they stay). Each community Lead votes but none make a solitary decision.

2. Village Street Repaving - Thanks to Glenn & Dianna DeMarr for reminding us that VDOT’s schedule for resurfacing area roads shows that most of our village streets will soon be done. In fact, some are apparently done already, some in progress now and others planned for work starting today. I have called several times hoping to get an idea of their plan, but no response yet. Click on 2022 Statewide Paving Status Map (arcgis.com) to verify I recorded the following list correctly. 

  • Bellamy – completed
  • Brisbane, Quebec, Cabot, Hathaway, SVD, SVC – in progress
  • All other streets are on schedule, except SVD from Vancouver to Barnack?
  • Glover Court – deferred to future years
  • Rolling Valley (East) – nothing on the map at the above link

By now you should have seen the signs telling us not to leave cars on the street so VDOT’s contractor can resurface our streets. I believe they give a two-week period asking us not to leave cars parked curbside as they work. It may be a good rehearsal for us to get ready for the Rolling Road project when all or most of those cars parked curbside on RR will have to find another parking spot, obviously on interior side streets. Questions received:  What about our trash cans, home deliveries and how can we get our cars parked on driveways out? Only place I have to park my cars may be on my yard – is that ok?

The contractor who will do the work apparently has no interest in responding to my phone calls and the voice mails I have left, but I know that they CAN mill the existing asphalt, sweep it, and apply a liquid spray and lay the new asphalt all in the same day or maybe two.  Suppose it was easier for them to say a 2-week window, but there should be no change to your trash, home deliveries or being able to get your parked cars out of your driveway before and after they have laid the new asphalt – just plan for it good people. Can you park on your own lawn – yes – for a very short time before the grass dies. If you have doubts, park your cars curbside on streets where there aren’t signs now posted. Yes – they will do a street (courts) and then roads like SVD, Brisbane, Ontario for example. Basis for that assumption is where they now have those signs…

3. National Night Out Ice Cream Social, this Tuesday, 2 August, 6 – 8:00 PM in the Village West Pool parking lot. National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie. The pool is sponsoring this event together with the Civic Association of West Springfield Village. The public is welcome to join us for make-your-own sundaes, a bouncy house for the kids, and a chance to talk with a member of our local law enforcement.

4. Virginia’s Three-day Sales Tax Holiday is 5 – 7 August (12:01 AM on 8/5/22 – 11:59 PM on 8/7/22). Virginians can shop in store or online to purchase qualifying school supplies, clothing, footwear, hurricane & emergency preparedness items, & Energy Star & WaterSense products without paying sales tax.

What items are eligible? Click on each link to see specific items.

Detailed lists of qualifying items and more information for retailers can be found in the Sales Tax Holiday Guidelines. 

5. ECHO (Ecumenical Community Helping Others):

  • ECHO Accepts Donations of Laptop Computers - ECHO refurbishes used laptops and distributes them to families with school-aged children.  Laptops accepted for donation must be in working order and be able to run Windows 10.  ECHO volunteers will test the computers and wipe the hard drives using DBAN software to ensure that all of the donor’s files are expunged and then install new, licensed Windows 10 software to make the laptops ready for client use.
  • ECHO Scholarships to NVCC - Do you know someone who lives in the Springfield/Burke area who wants to attend Norther Virginia Community College and who could use some help with the cost of tuition, books or fees?  ECHO is funding twelve $500 scholarships for students who reside in ECHO’s service area, with priority given to families who are currently clients of ECHO.  The application period opens August 29 and closes September 30.  Those interested in applying should visit the website https://nvcc.academicworks.com and click “Sign Up” to create an account.
  • Wanted: Helpful, Happy People - ECHO stands ready to give you something to do with your downtime to help our community.  There are many kinds of skills needed to operate a successful non-profit like ECHO.  Volunteers are encouraged to choose one session on the same day each week, or one Saturday per month.  The Volunteer Coordinator will be happy to let prospective volunteers know which days of the week are open for which kinds of jobs.  Email volunteercoordinator@echo-inc.org to find out more.  Currently, ECHO needs volunteers to work with clothing donations, counsel clients, accept donations at the Donation Door, assist in the Food Room, work with donated housewares, help with facilities maintenance, chair the Yard Sale Committee, or be an on-call, occasional photographer for special events.
  • ECHO’s Most Needed Donations This Month - ECHO's needs are updated on our website (www.echo-inc.org) monthly, but here is a list of items volunteers are hoping to get soon:  school supplies such as plastic pencil boxes, pronged folders, college rule spiral notebooks, primary writing paper pads;  clothing such as new or clean, used  boy’s jeans and boy’s long sleeve T-shirts, men’s jeans with 28 or 30 waist sizes, men’s (new) white or black crew socks; housewares such as sheets or comforters in Queen or King sizes;  food and personal hygiene supplies such as dried beans (especially lentils), honey, canned fruit, boxed pasta, pancake syrup, coffee, tea, laundry detergent, and dish detergent.

6. Membership Drive Begins – 1 August – 31 October. We have nothing on the horizon that would suggest the need to change the dues amount until FY26 at the earliest. We voted at the last general membership meeting to keep the dues at $10.00/annum for FY23. You are certainly welcome to prepay also for Fiscal Years 24 & 25 – if that be your fancy! If we do have to change the dues before FY26, we’ll send Guido to collect the balance. Ha! You can find the form at our FaceBook Group and also on our website. If you are happy with your directory listing, the form isn’t necessary, but still helpful to reduce confusion. Drive commences 1 August but already 18 have renewed their membership.

7. 2022 Directory Advertisers – We all need a contractor or a business for those tasks that are beyond our time and talent to accomplish. Look to the businesses who placed ads in our community directory and if you contact one of them, please let them know you saw their ad there. If you are looking for estimates, consider getting one from one of the advertisers in our directory.

Their ads make the hard-copy directory possible. I often recommend them if or when I’m asked. For those who can’t find their directory here’s a summary of their ads:

  • The Royster Hearth Group, Tim Royster, Realtor and West Springfield Resident. 571/275-0871, tim@roysterhearthgroup.com, www.roysterhearthgroup.com.
  • D2D Computer Services, Bob Havey, Upgrades, Repairs, Troubleshooting, Virus/Spyware Cleanup, Software Installation, Networking plus Website Development & Maintenance. 703/569-8195, havey@dtwod.com.
  • Mr. Gutter, Owner Richard Sumner, Cleaning, Screening, Repairing and Roof Repairs, 703/323-4671.
  • HB Home Services, Harry & Barbara Hink, Home Improvements Inside and Out (Roofing, Siding, Windows, Kitchens, Basement, Additions, Decks and Bathrooms). Complementary Estimates, 703/764-0498, www.hbservices.biz.
  • HRM Automotive, Tim O’Connell, ASE Certified Honest, Reliable Mechanics, 703/866-0602, www.hrmautomotive.com, 8086C Alban Road.
  • Donna’s Nails, Professional Nail Care for Men & Ladies, 6442 Landsdowne Circle (Corner of Telegraph Road and Beulah Street), 703/339-9510.
  • Breathe, Body & Mind – Your Place to Take Care of You, Yoga, Pilates, Barre, Core Conditioning, Strength Training, Personal Training, 703/829-0167, https://breathebodymind.com, Info@breathebodymindcom.
  • Rice & Spice, Authentic Thai Lunch and Dinner, Two Alexandria Locations (703/750-1084 at 6466 Landsdowne Drive and 703/339-9775 at 6244 Little River Turnpike), www.asianineva.com. Supporting Local Schools and Our Community.
  • West Springfield Car Care, Foreign and Domestic Repairs plus VA State Emissions and Inspections, All Major Brand Tires, 8400 Old Keene Mill Road, 703/912-2900.
  • Village West Pool, Kick Back, Relax with Neighbors & Friends for Fun in the Sun, 7008 Elkton Drive, https://villagewestpool.com. Email villagewestpool@gmail.com Home of the Village West Vikings Swim Team (www.villagewestvikings.com).
  • Rotary, Join the Rotarians who are “People of Action” Committed to Creating Positive Change in the World. Contact Jim Kirkpatrick at 703/866-7078 for more information. Rotaryofwestspringfield.org
  • Comfort One, Heating and Air Conditioning, 1-800/472-2408. Mention Code WS152 for 15% Off. Plus $1,200.00 Off any New Heating & Cooling System (call for details).
  • Marcel’s Home Building & Improvement, Custom House & Remodeling, Additions, Concrete & Stonework, Decks, Garages, etc 571/233-4290, marcbonafeiii@yahoo.com.
  • Davis Roofing, Residential Roofing Specialists (New, ReRoofing, Repairs), Seamless Gutters and DownSpouts (All Colors), 703/569-3388, www.davis-roofing.net.
  • Flooring America Fairfax – www.flooringamericastores.com, 703-934-8447, hardwood, carpet, ceramic & porcelain, kitchen, baths, additions and interior remodeling. Free in-home measure.        
  • Property Sisters (The Mary and Cathy Team) – when it’s time to buy or sell. www.propertysistershome.com, 571/276-9421.
  • NuHome – roofing, windows, siding and doors [plus wind or hail damage. Free estimates, 703/273-0101, www.nuhomeonline.com.
  • Printing Ideas, Printing, Signage, Banners, Window Displays, Graphic Design and much more, web@printingideas.com or 703/591-1708. These are the folks who print our directories!

8. Calendar:

  • 1 August – FY23 Membership Drive Begins
  • 2 August – National Night Out (see article above)
  • 3 August – Free Summer Concert (Practically Einstein playing Vintage Rock – see article below)
  • 5 – 7 August – Virginia Sales Tax Holiday (see article above)
  • 10 August – Free Summer Concert featuring The Road Ducks (Southern Rock)
  • 17 August – Free Concert featuring Speidel, Goodrich, Goggin & Lille (Rock)
  • 24 – Free Concert featuring The Colin Thompson Band (Blues Rock)
  • 13 October – 7:30 PM, General Membership Meeting, Location TBD
  • 1 November – FY23 Membership Drive Ends even though residents can still join anytime during the Fiscal Year.

9. Summer Concert Series – Free Concerts at Burke Lake Park. Our District Supervisor, Pat Herrity will again partner with parks and local businesses to bring seven free concerts to nationally ranked Burke Lake Park. Mark your calendars for every Wednesday night at 7:00 PM starting 13 July through 24 August for an incredible line-up of bands, food trucks, 2 Silos beer, and Peterson’s Ice Cream. The atmosphere is informal, so bring a picnic dinner, blankets, and lawn chairs, and relax with friends and family.

10. Village West Pool August Special - Buy a 30-day membership now and we'll extend your membership through the end of the season - Labor Day, 5 September. For more information, go to the pool website villagewestpool.com and click on the Membership tab. Questions? Email villagewestpool@gmail.com.

11. Handyman Extraordinaire – many of you know Haidar Sadiq and have used him for a variety of HVAC, plumbing, electrical, painting and appliance repairs. He had been out of pocket for a while, but back now. Haidar worked for me and the U.S. government in northern Iraq where he first demonstrated his can-do attitude. Anyhow, several have asked for him so you can reach him now at 703/589-3474 or by email at hsadiq72@yahoo.com. Nice thing about Haidar is his willingness to say if the job is beyond his skill level.

12. Home Cleaning - Lidia (Betty) Palacios has cleaned my home for a very long time. She has many other village references, and we all agree that she is remarkably thorough and honest. She will clean your home before and / or after a family celebration, once each week, twice a month or monthly. Prices vary with frequency but are very reasonable and competitive. She is at 571/241-7133 or by email at lidiapalacios1981@gmail.com. Some have asked why I only recommend her, not all the others who also clean our homes. Answer should be obvious – I know her and feel confident recommending her to you. Real question is why you who use other services aren’t recommending your cleaners to the village?

Longer than I wanted today but there you be! Stay cool and please check on your neighbors who may need someone to check on them.

John Cooley
CAWSV

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