The Great Falls Citizens Association will hold a candidates’ forum at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at the Great Falls Grange.
All of the candidates seeking office will be present. In addition to the race for chairman of the Board of Supervisors, Dranesville District voters will decide two other local races that are contested.
State Sen. Janet Howell (D-32nd) faces a challenge from Dave Hunt of Great Falls. Joan DuBois ( R) and John Foust (D), both of McLean, are vying for the open Dranesville District seat on the Board of Supervisors. For information about the forum, visit www.gfcitizens.com.
New voting machine presented Nov. 4
When they go to the polls on Nov. 4, Dranesville District voters will find compact new voting machines that operate by touching a screen. The WINvote system by Advanced Voting Solutions replaces the larger voting machines that have been in use for 15 years. The computer-style machines have opaque sides that fold up for privacy.
The machines will be demonstrated at 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at the Great Falls Grange, prior to the Great Falls Citizens Association’s Candidates Forum.
The new machines have audio headsets for use by voters with visual disabilities, and can be carried to the curb for voters with physical disabilities.
For more information, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/eb/winvote_equip.htm.
Two Strongarm Robberies Occur in One Week
The wife of a United States Senator was forced to withdraw money from Wachovia Bank at 1300 Chain Bridge Road in McLean after she was abducted from her home on Potomac Knolls Drive at about 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 7 according to Fairfax County Police.
Kathleen Gregg, whose husband, Judd, is a Republican Senator from New Hampshire, was forced to withdraw money from Wachovia Bank after two men confronted her when she returned to her home, police said.
One of two men, one white and one black, displayed a knife and demanded money. The black man drove the victim to the bank and went inside with her to withdraw cash, police said.
He took money from the teller and fled in a silver Chevrolet Monte Carlo with Virginia tags ADB-9712 that was driven by the white man. The pair drove north on Route 123.
The white man was described as in his early 20s, five feet ten inches to six feet tall, slender build, wearing a blue sweatshirt. The black man was described as in his mid-20s, five feet eight inches tall, with a stocky build. He was wearing a leather hat and a dark jacket.
Gregg, 52, was not physically harmed, police said.
The incident follows a similar robbery on Oct. 1, when a 29-year-old Alexandria woman was abducted and robbed at gunpoint at about 11:30 a.m. as she was loading her two children into her car outside of the 7-Eleven store at 8110 Old Dominion Drive in McLean.
A man approached the woman and ordered her into her car, according to Fairfax County Police. He then pulled out a handgun and told her to drive east on Old Dominion Drive. He ordered her to drive to her bank and withdraw an undisclosed amount of money. The victim went into the bank with one of her children, while the other was held hostage inside the car.
The woman returned and relinquished the money to the gunman, who then ordered her to drive a short distance, where he exited the car. He was last seen on foot near the 1300 block of Chain Bridge Road. The woman and her children were not injured during the incident.
The suspect is described as a white male in his 40s, about 6 feet tall, with a thin build and clean-shaven.
Anyone with information about either case is asked to call Fairfax County Police at 703-691-2131 or Crimesolvers at 703-691-8888.
Child Endangerment
Fairfax County police reported a 20-month-old child was left alone in a parked car for at least 30 minutes, and her mother has subsequently been charged.
A passerby noticed the child alone in the car on Sept. 30 just before 4 p.m. and called for help. The car was parked in the parking lot of the Seneca Shopping Center, 1025 Seneca Road in the Dranesville area. As Fire and Rescue personnel and police officers arrived, Shazia Gul, 30, of 43569 Lucketts Bridge Circle in the Ashburn area, returned to her car. The child was removed from the car and found to be unharmed. Gul was charged with felony child endangerment and released on her signature.
St. Luke Pipe Organ Featured Oct. 18
The Amadeus Orchestra will open its concert season with an all-Beethoven concert featuring Piano Concerto No. 3 and Symphony No. 4. The concert at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18, will be held at St. Luke Catholic Church in McLean, which has a large pipe organ. Paul Skevington, St. Luke’s organist and director of music liturgy, will also perform Bach’s solo organ concerto in G major.
The Amadeus, a non-profit foundation, presents live professional classical music in intimate settings such as local churches that don’t require a long drive. Tickets are $99 for a season ticket, which includes preferred seating at the five concerts and receptions, and a reduced price for the Amadeus’ annual dinner at L’Auberge Chez Francois in Great Falls. Individuals are also available at the door; call 703-759-5334 or fax 759-0707.
Candidates’ Forum at McLean Community Center
The McLean Citizens Association will sponsor a candidates’ forum at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 21, in the Alden Theater at the McLean Community Center.
It features candidates running for Dranesville District Supervisor, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, the Fairfax County School Board’s at-large seats, and Virginia Senator for the 32nd District.
Va. Del. Vincent Callahan, (R-34th), Va. Del. Jim Scott (D-53rd), and Fairfax County School Board member Jane Strauss of Dranesville District, all incumbents who are unopposed are also expected to attend.
Cynthia Steele Vance of Fox News will be the moderator. The event, sponsored by the McLean Citizens Association and the McLean area branch of the American Association of University Women, is free to the public.
Each candidate will make an opening statement of five minutes; three minutes for unopposed candidates. Questions from the audience will be submitted in writing and screened by a panel of MCA and AAUS members to avoid duplication.
Harvest Happenings
Preschoolers and kindergartners will experience the joys of the changing of the season at McLean Community center’s Harvest Happening on Saturday, Oct. 10, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., at the McLean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean. Tickets are $7 for nonresident children, $5 for Dranesville District resident children, and free for adults.
Activities will include craft projects by Abrakadoodle, face painting and a children’s indoor play area by Funfit, pumpkin decorating by Nature Nuts, music by Eric Rigsbe of D.J. Euphoria, and food and beverage sales. Mehr Brother’s Garden Center will sell pumpkins and flowers at the event. Pumpkins will be priced from $1 to $2. Parents are encouraged to register in advance for Harvest Happenings, activity number 4015.230. For more information or to register, call 703-790-0123 or visit www.mcleancenter.org.
Job Event for People with Disabilities
The Laurie Mitchell Employment Center (LMEC) will host an employment event for individuals with disabilities and others on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 12-3 p.m., at LMEC, 6295 Edsall Road, Suite 175, Alexandria. Call Lorraine Middleton at 703-461-3886 weeknights from 5-9 p.m. or Saturdays from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. to register. Transportation assistance is available from the Van Dorn Metro station via Alexandria Yellow Cab or White Top Cab.
The events will include a presentation from Marilyn Stearn, CPC, owner of the staffing firm Marilyn Stearn & Associates in Washington, D.C. Stearn specializes in permanent administrative and clerical placements, particularly in the legal field. Attendees may submit resumes and learn how to best utilize temporary and permanent employment agencies.
Diversity Services, a placement agency specializing in services for those with disabilities, will also make a presentation.
Loraine Middleton, LMEC’s senior employment specialist, will instruct attendees on how to secure federal jobs. Many are unaware of procedures for finding federal jobs set aside for individuals with disabilities under the Schedule A Hiring Authority.
From 10 a.m.-noon, attendees can get extra help with creating resumes and rehearsing for interviews. For more information, call LMEC at Edsall Road at 703-461-3886 or LMEC at Russell Road at 703-531-6380 during hours of operation. A calendar of classes is available at www.lmec.org.
Consignment Sale in McLean
Redeemer Lutheran Preschool in McLean is hosting its semi-annual consignment sale of baby/child/maternity items Saturday, Oct. 18, from 8 a.m. to noon. Great deals on clothes/books/toys/equipment and accessories for babies, children and soon-to-be-moms. Selection is plentiful and quality is high. All proceeds will be used to purchase preschool equipment. The sale will be at the Redeemer Lutheran Church, 1545 Chain Bridge Rd, McLean, corner of Chain Bridge RD and Westmoreland St. For more information call 703-356-3567.
Dunn Loring Open House
The Dunn Loring Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department, in conjunction with Fairfax County, is hosting its annual Open House on Saturday, Oct. 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.. This event, which occurs during the National Fire Prevention Week, opens doors allowing the community to see the inner workings of the Dunn Loring Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department, and learn
about fire and life safety.
This theme for the Open House this year is Get
Out, Stay Out While you at the Open House, get a
feel for what it is like to be a firefighter by trying on gear and spraying the fire hose. No one is too young or too old to learn what to do in an emergency situation, so we invite the entire family to join in this day of fun, games, prizes, and learning at 2148 Gallows
Road. For more information, visit www.dlvfrd.org or call at 703-560-9413.
Sexual Assault Averted
Thanks to the quick actions of two Samaritan citizens, a 30-year-old man is behind bars for a violent sexual assault, according to Fairfax County police. Two passersby were walking in the Merrifield area early in the morning on Thursday, Oct. 2, when they heard a woman’s screams for help. The victim, a 26-year-old Los Angeles, Calif.-area woman, was at a restaurant in the 7800 block of Lee Highway, where she met Seung Hwa Park. They both left the restaurant at approximately 2 a.m, engaged in conversation. Police said that once in the parking lot, Park, without provocation, grabbed the victim, dragged her into nearby woods and sexually assaulted her.
The woman screamed and got the attention of the passersby. They rushed to her aid and struggled with Park until police arrived. Park was arrested by Mclean District officers and was taken to the hospital for injuries received during the struggle with the passersby. Seung Park was taken to the Adult Detention Center, where he is being held. He is charged with rape and abduction with the intent to defile.
Overheated Chimney Causes Fire
Fairfax Fire and Rescue Department units responded to a house fire on Thursday, Oct. 2, at approximately 3:40 p.m. to Bull Run Court in the Dunn Loring area.
First-arriving units reported a fire in the attic of the two-story, single-family home. Firefighters quickly brought the fire under control in approximately 10 minutes. Two adult occupants were at home when the fire started. Family is assisting the displaced residents. There were no reported injuries. Damage is estimated at $50,000.
The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental. Insulation material was ignited by an overheated chimney flue.