West Springfield Open House
<bt>The Fairfax County Police Department's West Springfield District Station is hosting its second annual open house on Saturday, Oct. 29, from 12 p.m.-4 p.m., at Heritage Mall, 7857 Heritage Drive, Annandale. The event features music, vendors, a moon bounce and other entertainment for children. Attendees can see a seized BMW from a drug dealer, police motorcycles, police K-9 dogs and visit with McGruff the Crime Dog. Crime prevention and traffic safety information will be available as well as a SWAT Team display. Citizens may also obtain child seat inspections and vehicle etching.
Contact Pfc. Douglas Coulter, Crime Prevention Officer
at West Springfield District Station, at 703-644-5026.
<sh>Scouting For Food
<bt>Burke Centre scouts are visiting community residences to collect food for the World Food Bank, as well as local food banks, on Saturday, Nov. 5.
Cub Scout Packs 1346 and 1348 will deliver food donation bags to Burke Centre residences (specifically Fairview Elementary area). Residents are asked to use these bags for making food donations to help stop hunger this holiday season.
Members of Boy Scout Troop 1346 will pick up the food donation bags from residences on Saturday, Nov. 12. Residents are encouraged to fill the bags with canned foods and other nonperishable items, and to leave them outside their doorsteps for pickup by Nov. 12 at 8 a.m. For more information, call Michael Holleran at 703-250-4207.
<sh>Old Keene Mill Road Closing
<bt>A section of Old Keene Mill Road near Backlick Road will be closed from 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. for three weeks starting Monday, Oct. 31. The closure will continue through Monday, Nov. 21 while sanitary sewer work is being completed. Residents are being advised to follow a detour that will be posted, which directs drivers from Old Keene Mill Road east onto Springfield Boulevard to Backlick Road. Those wishing to use I-95 are recommended to take Franconia Road to Commerce Street and cross over the bridge onto Franconia Road or I-95. Several 15 minute closures will take place after midnight on Backlick Road while work is being completed. Westbound Old Keene Mill Road will also be closed for 75 feet in either direction of Backlick Road before the bridge overpass intersection of Old Keene Mill and Backlick Roads. More information, including alternate detours, is available on the Springfield Interchange Web site, www.springfieldinterchange.com.
<sh>Careers in IT Panel
<bt>A panel on current and future trends in information technology and what employers are looking for in potential employees takes place Wednesday, Nov. 9, from 1-2:30 p.m., at The Ernst Community Cultural Center on the campus of Northern Virginia Community College, 8333 Little River Turnpike, Annandale.
Panelists slated to appear are Guy Hinkler from V2 Systems; Loren Eastman from the Northern Virginia Community College Information Technology Advisory Committee; Mike Robinson from ASM Research; Melvin Sobotka from Booz, Allen, Hamilton; and Christopher Stark from Cetrom, Inc.
<sh>Athletic Field Lighting Meeting
<bt>The Fairfax County Park Authority is conducting a public meeting on Thursday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. at W.T. Woodson High School, 9525 Main St., Fairfax. Results of a consultant’s Athletic Field Lighting Technical Report will be presented at the meeting in order to gain public input. The consultant’s report and public input will be used to develop athletic field lighting specifications and guidelines. These specifications will allow the Park Authority to better address the concerns of park neighbors, create more economically viable lighting systems, and utilize the latest technology to reduce the glare and spill of lighting systems. This meeting will address the need to standardize the criteria for assessing and managing lighting systems and installation.
The consultant’s report is available at the Fairfax County Park Authority at the Herrity Building, 12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 421, Fairfax or at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/fieldlighting.htm. To speak at the public meeting, call Judy Pedersen at 703-324-8662 or e-mail parkmail@fairfaxcounty.gov.
The public comment period will close on Monday, Dec. 19. Written comments should be directed to Ms. Lynn S. Tadlock, Director of Planning & Development Division, Fairfax County Park Authority, 12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 421, Fairfax, VA 22035. E-mail comments should be sent to parkmail@fairfaxcounty.gov.