<sh>Pageant Seeks Entrants
<bt>The Miss Greater Springfield Scholarship Pageant seeks interested participants for this year's event. Young women wishing to participate in this competition must live, work or attend school in Virginia at least six months prior to March 12, 2005; must be at least 17 and no older than 24 as of Sept. 30, 2005; must be willing to commit to a full year of service as Miss Greater Springfield, Miss Virginia or Miss America; and must have a platform such as youth mentoring, heart disease education or cancer awareness. The candidate chosen as Miss Greater Springfield will be awarded a scholarship of $1,000. For additional information on how to enter, contact the organization’s executive director, Jerry D. Burks, or president Duane R. Hollerein at 703 690-1203, MissGSpringfield@aol.com, or visit www.MissGreaterSpringfield.com. Entries must be submitted by Feb. 26.
<sh>Comment on Transportation Plan
<bt>
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation will conduct public meetings to solicit public input on the County Transportation Plan Update. Seven public meetings will take place in March at locations across the county.
The Transportation Plan is an element in the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan. The county has begun the process of a comprehensive review of the Transportation Plan to update policies guiding long-term system improvements.
The March meetings are the first round of public meetings scheduled for the plan update process. At the March meetings, the Department of Transportation will introduce the update background and process and will engage the public in the discussion and review of the Fairfax County Transportation Plan. Meeting locations and dates are as follows:
Tuesday, March 1, 7 p.m., South County Center, 8350 Richmond Hwy., Alexandria.
Thursday, March 3, 7 p.m., Marshall High School, 7731 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church.
Tuesday, March 8, 7 p.m., Reston Community Center at Lake Ann, 1609-A Washington Plaza, Reston.
Wednesday, March 9, 7 p.m., Key Middle School. 6402 Franconia Road, Springfield.
Thursday, March 10, 7 p.m., Rocky Run Middle School, 4400 Stringfellow Road, Chantilly.
Saturday, March 12, 9 a.m., Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Rooms 9 and 10, Fairfax.
Monday, March 14, 7 p.m., Braddock District Office, 9002 Burke Lake Road, Burke.
The Department of Transportation will continue to solicit public input through other channels in addition to the public meetings. Suggestions and comments regarding the Transportation Plan can also be sent in writing and online. Please visit the county’s Transportation Plan Update Web pages at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot for the current County Transportation Plan, an overview of the update process and other resources related to the Transportation Plan.
<sh>County Seeks Police and Firefighter Games
<bt>Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerry Connolly (D-At-large) proposed last week that Fairfax County seek to host the World Police and Fire Games, a sports competition of emergency responders that draws contestants from 60 countries.
The county has already started investigating the possibility of hosting the international games. This year's games will be held in Quebec City. Connolly wants Fairfax County to enter a bid to host the 2013 games.
Connolly estimated that the competition could draw between 17,000 and 25,000 visitors to the county.
"Only the Olympics are bigger," Connolly said. "This is a great opportunity for Fairfax County."
<sh>Feds Seek Public Input on Special Education Law
<bt>The U.S. Department of Education is inviting members of the public to comment on the newly re-authorized federal special education law.
A forum will take place in Washington, D.C. for the public to offer suggestions about developing regulations based on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, which President George W. Bush signed into law on Dec. 3. The law oversees the education of the nation's approximately 6.8 million students with disabilities.
The meeting will be on Thursday, Feb. 24 from 1-5 p.m., and 6-8 p.m., at the Academy for Educational Development's Academy Hall at 1825 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.
<sh>County Calendar
<lst>Board of Supervisors Legislative Committee. Friday, Feb. 18, at 4 p.m., at Fairfax County Government Center in Fairfax.
School Board Regular Business Meeting. Thursday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m., at Luther Jackson Middle School in Falls Church.
Board of Supervisors Meeting. Monday, Feb. 28, at 9 a.m., at Fairfax County Government Center in Fairfax.