Soundwall Project Underway
<bt>Notice some heavy machinery on the Beltway near 193? The Virginia Department of Transportation is conrtructing soundwalls to help alleiviate road noise in the residential area near the beltway.
“It’s not part of anything larger,” said Ryan Hall, spokesperson for the Virginia Department fo Transportation.
The $1.5 million project stared in December of 2003 and is expected to finish in the summer of this year. Shirley, LLC is the contractor.
Residents who live near the area will not be asked to pay for a portion of the construction. “It’s all paid for by VDOT,” Hall said.
<sh>Capitol Steps Perform at Langley
<bt>The Capitol Steps will come to Langley High School at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 8, bringing their insouciant brand of political satire in an election year that is rich with raw material. The event benefits Langley’s All-Night Graduation Party (ANGP) for graduating seniors.
Call Loreen Wasilko at 703-421-0171 for tickets, or mail a self-addressed envelope to her at 11675 Great Falls Way, Great Falls, VA 22066. Tickets are $25 each, and checks should be made out to Langley ANGP.
The event will be held in the high-school auditorium at 6520 Georgetown Pike, just inside the Beltway in McLean.
<sh>Why Smart Growth Matters
<bt>On Saturday, Feb. 7, at 8:30 a.m., the Lewinsville Presbyterian Church is sponsoring a breakfast seminar on the topic “Smart Growth: Why Does It Matter to Faith Communities?” The speaker will be Stewart Schwartz, executive director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth. The presentation will be followed by discussion of how churches and other faith communities might engage in issues surrounding land-use patterns, transportation policy, housing, etc. Everyone is welcome to the breakfast at the home of Christen Kerr and Terrence Brown, 829 Whann Ave., McLean, near Langley High School, 703-356-0460. For planning, R.S.V.P. to the church office at 703-356-7200, or e-mail thekerrbrowns@cox.net.
<sh>Volunteers for Change
<bt>Volunteer Fairfax is offering orientation sessions for its program Volunteers for Change. Volunteers for Change offers a flexible calendar of weekend and weekday evening projects for adults. A one-time orientation at Volunteer Fairfax's office in central Fairfax is required to participate.
Upcoming orientations are Sunday, Feb. 8, from 2-3 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 29, from 2-3 p.m.; and Wednesday, March 3, from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
After orientation, volunteers can choose from any of the more than 40 monthly community service projects throughout Northern Virginia. Projects include planting trees, bagging food for homeless families, tutoring adult ESL students, playing bingo with the disabled, special community-wide events throughout the year, and others. To register for the next orientation, contact Emily Swenson at 703-246-3460, or e-mail eswenson@volunteerfairfax.org. Visit www.volunteerfairfax.org.
Volunteer Fairfax has been mobilizing people and resources to meet regional community needs in Fairfax since 1975. To learn about volunteer opportunities in the area, visit www.volunteerfairfax.org, or call 703-246-3460.
<sh>Fresh Air Fund Seeks Volunteer Team
<bt>The Fresh Air Fund's McLean-area volunteer leaders are currently seeking committee members and host families. Each summer, nearly 6,000 New York City children, 6-18, enjoy two-week vacations with volunteer host families in suburban and small-town communities. Local Fresh Air Fund volunteers recruit and interview host families, check references and coordinate Friendly Town Program activities in their communities.
For more information on how to join the local Fresh Air Fund volunteer team, call Bridget McCargo at 703-960-2232, or the Fresh Air Fund at 800-367-0003. Learn more about the Friendly Town Program by visiting www.freshair.org.
<sh>Works & Process Presents ‘Volpone’
<bt>On Sunday, Feb. 29, and Monday, March 1, at 8 p.m., the Works & Process series, produced by Mary Sharp Cronson for the Guggenheim Museum, highlights the creative process behind the Wolf Trap Foundation's first commissioned opera, "Volpone," through performance and discussion among the artistic collaborators, providing rare insights into the creative process. Following each evening there is a unique opportunity to meet the artists and creative team at a reception hosted in the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed rotunda at the Guggenheim. Tickets for the general public are $18, $15 for members, students, and seniors and can be obtained through the Guggenheim box office by calling 212-423-3587. Supporting Associates and Patrons Circle members receive free admission with reservations.
The world premiere performances of "Volpone" are scheduled for March 10, 12 and 14, at the Barns at Wolf Trap in Vienna. "Volpone" is a comedy inspired by the 1606 Ben Jonson play of the same name.
<sh>Tax Forms Available
<bt>Virginia residents can pick up state and federal income tax forms at all 21 branches of the Fairfax County Public Library. Forms are available free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.
Tax forms are also available online. Check www.fairfaxcounty.gov for links to tax forms.
Tax preparation assistance for the elderly and people with disabilities is available at several library branches from February until April 15. Organizations providing tax preparation assistance include the American Association of Retired Persons and members of the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. For dates, times and branch locations where volunteer tax counselors will be available, call the nearest library branch or visit the library’s Web site.