Route 28 and Route 625 To Open Soon
<bt>Much to the relief of travelers, the interchange of Route 606/Old Ox Road on Route 28 opened in early October. Good news: the intersection of Route 28 and Route 625, or Church and Waxpool roads, is next. Since construction began, the snarled intersection has consistently ranked as one of the most accident prone in the county. According to a Virginia Department of Transportation spokesman, the interchanges should be opened by the end of the year, eliminating the stoplight. The Route 28 project, a joint private-public partnership between VDOT and the Clark Construction Group, is "on track," VDOT spokesman Ryan Hall said. Once all interchanges are completed, the 87,000 vehicles that travel the Loudoun stretch of Route 28 at peak hours won't face a single stoplight. For more information, visit www.28freeway.com.
<sh>Flu Clinic Scheduled
<bt>The Loudoun County Health Department has received more than 2,000 doses of adult influenza (flu) vaccine from the Virginia Department of Health and will be distributing the bulk of the vaccine Saturday, Nov. 20, as part of a mass vaccination clinic for high-risk Loudoun County residents. The clinic will take place at Simpson Middle School, 490 Evergreen Mill Road, Leesburg, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., on a first-come, first-served basis.
To be eligible to receive the vaccine, Loudoun County residents must meet at least one of the Centers for Disease Control's high-risk criteria. These include:
* Adults aged 65 years and older; and children ages 6 months to 23 months.
* People of any age who have an underlying, long-term illness (heart or lung disease, diabetes, kidney disease, a blood disorder, or a weakened immune system).
* Pregnant women.
* Health-care workers who take care of patients.
* People in nursing homes or other chronic-care places.
* People 6 months to 18 years old who take aspirin daily.
* People who take care of a baby under 6 months old.
There is an $18 charge for the flu vaccine, payable by check or cash. For those who have Medicare A and B and bring their Medicare card, the Health Department will bill their insurance. Loudoun County residents who will be participating in the flu clinic should wear a short sleeve shirt to better speed them through the process.
Loudoun County residents can receive updated flu vaccine information by calling the Health Department's flu vaccine hot line at 703-771-5512 or by visiting the Loudoun County Government website at www.loudoun.gov/codeflu.
<sh>Driver Charged in Accident
<bt>Loudoun County Sheriff's investigators have determined a Sterling man who claimed to be the passenger in a two-vehicle accident Sunday, Nov. 7, was actually the driver.
Henry Jesus Maldonado-Bujaico, 23, initially told authorities he was the passenger in a 1993 Jeep Cherokee that was heading west on Route 7 at Palisades Parkway when it allegedly ran a red light and struck a 2001 Honda Accord broadside. The driver of the Jeep was believed to have fled the scene on foot.
Maldonado-Bujaico has now been charged with felony hit and run and driving on a revoked license, in addition to drunk in public and obstruction of justice. He remains held on bond at the Adult Detention Center in Leesburg.
The driver of the Honda, Francis Townsend of Sterling, was airlifted to Inova Fairfax Hospital and was released Monday.
The accident occurred around 8:15 a.m. Sunday morning.
<sh>Day of Thanks
<bt>Saturday, Nov. 13, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Lambda Kappa Omega Chapter and The Educational and Charitable Foundation of LKO, will culminate a year of giving more than $15,000 for scholarships and services to the community by sponsoring A Day of Thanks: Giving to Our Community, from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., at the Senior Center at cascades marketplace, 21060 Whitfield Place, Sterling.
This year's celebration will honor, support and celebrate the contributions of the following service organizations: Africare, American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, American Red Cross, Life with Cancer, Martin Luther King Memorial, Ronald McDonald House, Fairfax County Branch NAACP, the Shelter House, Northern Virginia Chapter of National Pan-Hellenic Council, WorldCamps and Emerging Scholars Program.
Founded in 1908, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated is an international organization of more than 200,000 predominantly African American college educated women. The 100 members of Lambda Kappa Omega Chapter support community programs throughout Northern Virginia. The Educational and Charitable Foundation of LKO, the philanthropic arm of Lambda Kappa Omega Chapter, provides educational and charitable services to families, individuals, groups and organizations regardless of race, religion and ethnicity. It is a 501(C) (3) tax exempt nonprofit foundation.
This event is open to the entire community. For more information, contact Brenda Irons-LeCesne 703-471-6788, e-mail: bilecesne@aol.com and fax: 703-742-9570.
<sh>Hazardous Waste Collection
<bt>The last Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Event of 2004, sponsored by the Loudoun County Office of Solid Waste Management, will take place at Heritage High School in Leesburg, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 20. Loudoun County residents may bring their HHW to the event free of charge.
Typical HHW items are oil-based paints/stains/varnishes, paint thinners, old fuels including gas/oil mixes, kerosene, and diesel fuel; and cleaners such as oven cleaners, drain cleaners, bathroom cleaners, and all purpose cleaners. Other HHW items are scouring powders, mothballs, mildew removers, metal polishes, rust removers, wood preservatives, furniture polishes and waxes, pool chemicals and most automotive and automotive care and maintenance products.
Waste motor oil, used automobile batteries, waste antifreeze and propane gas tanks or cylinders can be recycled year round at the Loudoun County Solid Waste Management Facility (a.k.a. the Landfill) at 20939 Evergreen Mills Road. They will not be accepted at this HHW collection event.
Also, latex or water-based paints are not a hazardous waste. Dry or solidify leftover paint for disposal with your household garbage. For more tips on proper paint disposal, as well as information about HHW, check the Web page at www.loudoun.gov/oswm/hhw.htm or call the Office of Solid Waste Management at 703-777-0187.
<sh>Holiday Coalition Finds a Home
<bt>The Community Holiday Coalition has found space for this year's holiday program. Lerner Corporation has donated 20,000 square feet of space at the Vintage Park One Office Complex in Sterling. The site is located off Route 28 and Route 606 (Old Ox Road) at 45335 Vintage Park Plaza.
With the opening of the Thanksgiving store less than two weeks away, and with more than 800 families already requesting assistance, the Holiday Coalition needs the help of the Loudoun community to provide Thanksgiving food baskets and warm winter coats for those in need.
In addition to food, the Holiday Coalition will be collecting and distributing gently used and clean winter coats and blankets during the Thanksgiving distribution. Coats are needed in all sizes from infant through adult, but coats are especially needed for children and teens. New gloves, hats and mittens will be distributed in December.
Donations can be dropped off at many of the Holiday Collection sites throughout the county. Many local businesses have teamed up with the Holiday Coalition and will be accepting donations during normal business hours. The sites are:
* All Loudoun County community centers.
* Ashburn Ice House, Ashburn.
* Arcola and South Riding fire stations.
* Dulles Town Center, Sterling, coats only until 11/16/04; then the site will collect nonperishable food.
* Edward Jones, 108A South St., Leesburg.
* Eastern Regional Library, Cascades.
* Glen Apartments, Leesburg.
* Good Shepherd Thrift Shop, Sterling.
* Guardian Storage, Leesburg, Ashburn and Chantilly.
* Hunt Country Furniture, downtown Leesburg.
* Jerry's Florist, Virginia Village Shopping Center, Leesburg.
* Leesburg Pharmacy, Virginia Village Shopping Center, Leesburg.
* Loudoun Convention and Visitors Association, 222 Catoctin Circle, Leesburg.
* Middleburg Bank, all locations.
* Potomac Valley Bank, Leisure World and Lansdowne.
* Rivercreek Country Club & Community, 43730 Olympic Blvd., Leesburg.
* Sawdust Specialties & More, 8 Ft. Evans Road, Leesburg.
* South Riding Town Hall, South Riding.
* Store to Door, Ashburn.
* United Bank, Sterling.
* World Gym, Leesburg and Sterling locations.
Volunteers are needed to help with receiving, sorting and distribution. Call 703-737-8367 to sign up to help out for both the Thanksgiving and Christmas stores.
Cash donations are needed to purchase needed items and can be made payable to: County of Loudoun-Holiday Program and sent to: 102 Heritage Way, N.E., Suite 200, Leesburg, VA 20176.
For more information on either the Thanksgiving or the December Holiday Program, call the Holiday Hotline at 703-771-5718 or check out the Web site by going to www.loudoun.gov and click on Holiday Coalition under Hot Topics.