<sh>Volunteer Firefighters Wanted
<bt>The Great Falls Volunteer Fire Department is seeking volunteers to serve as firefighters, Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT), Emergency Medical Services-only providers, or administrative members. No experience is necessary, but volunteers must be at least 18 to join. There will be an informational meeting at the Great Falls Volunteer Fire Department on Wednesday, May 2 at 7 p.m. The Great Falls Volunteer Fire Department is located at 9916 Georgetown Pike in Great Falls. To RSVP, or for more information, contact Jen at 703-624-8603.
<sh>Great Falls Citizens Association Meeting
<bt>The monthly meeting of the Great Falls Citizens Association will take place on Tuesday, May 8, at 6:30 p.m. at the Great Falls Grange. The results of the Great Falls 2020 Vision Project survey will be presented at this general session meeting. Refreshments will be served and all local residents are welcome. The Great Falls Grange is located at 9818 Georgetown Pike. For more information, visit www.gfcitizens.org.
<sh>Reston District Station Launches Pedestrian Enforcement Campaign
<bt>Officers from the Reston District Station are conducting a pedestrian enforcement campaign from now until the first week of May in order to prevent injuries and deaths due to pedestrian and bicycle crashes. Throughout the campaign, message boards will be placed on Sunset Hills Road and Wiehle Avenue to promote pedestrian and bicycle safety. There have been more crashes involving bicyclists at Sunset Hills Road and Wiehle Avenue than in any other intersection in Fairfax County since January 2005. Officers will be concentrating their efforts especially on and around the Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail. The goal of this enforcement campaign is to educate bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists on the laws and ordinances of Fairfax County. This campaign will end on Friday, May 4. Pedestrian and bicyclist safety tips include: Cross the street at marked crosswalks and intersections, before crossing, look left, right, then left again, use pedestrian pushbuttons, begin crossing the street on “Walk” signal, stay visible after dark and in bad weather, watch out for trucks and buses backing out of parking spaces and driveways. Pedestrian safety is a high priority of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. For information about the Fairfax County Pedestrian Task Force, go to http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot/pedestrian.htm.
<sh>Volunteers Needed to Fill Holes at Turner Farm
<bt>The Pony Club has filled in groundhog holes at Turner Farm in the past, but there are still holes and divots that need to be filled in. The Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) has provided a mound of dirt for this purpose. Anyone who can help should meet at Turner Farm Park on Saturday, May 5 at 9:30 a.m. to mark and fill in as many holes as possible. Volunteers should bring their own shovel. A small pick-up truck would also be useful. Turner Farm Park is located at 925 Springvale Road in Great Falls.
<sh>Turner Farm Park Update
<bt>The initial phase of development for the cross-country schooling area at Turner Farm is now complete. The Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) Operations Crew was instrumental in its completion, working with one of Turner Farm’s jump builders to install two ditches and three banks. Some additional jumps will be added soon. A few small "tadpole" logs will be put in place when the ground becomes more firm, and one more portable jump is still under construction and is scheduled for delivery in early summer. The current inventory is 24 obstacles: Beginner Novice: 7 logs, 1coop, 1 roll-top, 1 bench, 1 cabin, 1 ditch, 1 table, 2 banks = 15 total. Novice: 2 logs, 1 "skinny", 1 roll-top, 1 bench, 1 cabin, 1 ditch, 1 table, 1 bank = 9. Riding arena: The Turner Farm riding area is still in the planning stages and it is very likely that the Fairfax County Park Authority will build the arena in 2007. Public support and communication with the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has been a key component in the project. The arena will needs additional funding that will ultimately need approval from the Board of Supervisors.
<sh>Great Falls Historical Society Program
<bt>On Wednesday, May 9, the Great Falls Historical Society (GFHS) will hold its potluck supper and election of officers at the Great Falls Grange. In addition, the Society's second annual “Tibbetts Award” will be given out. Dinner begins at 7 p.m. and will be followed by the business meeting and election of officers. The Society provides the entrée and members bring potluck side dishes and desserts. The Great Falls Historical Society Bylaws require the annual election of officers and two of
the six long-term directors. To prepare for the May election, the Nominating committee presented a proposed slate of nominees at the April 12, 2007 general meeting and solicited nominations from the floor. Additional nominations may also be made from the floor at the May 9 meeting. Register for the meeting, identify the side dish you will bring, and mail in your registration fee no later than May 3. Registration forms can be found at www.gfhs.org.
<sh>Connection Mothers’ Day Photo Contest
<bt>Every year at this time, the Connection puts out the call for photographs of moms and their children, grandmothers and their children and grandchildren. Most years, we're lucky enough to receive a photo or two that includes four generations — great-grandma and all the rest. Mother's Day is Sunday, May 13, and once again the Connection will publish a gallery of Mother’s Day photos, celebrating the mothers who make so many things possible in families, communities, schools and other institutions in local neighborhoods.
Send in photos as soon as possible, including information about who is in the picture, the date the picture was taken, the ages of the children and sentence or two about what is happening and the location of the photograph.
We will do our best to return photos that include a self-addressed-stamped envelope for that purpose, but please do not send us any photos that cannot be replaced. Digital photos are especially welcome.
Send photos to The Great Falls Connection, Mother’s Day Photo Contest, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102. Or e-mail them to photom@connectionnewspapers.com.
And remember, a few weeks from now it will be time to send photos of dads and children, grandfathers and children and grandchildren.
<sh>Correction
<bt>In the article “Certified Community at Last” in the April 18-24 issue of the Great Falls Connection, it should have stated that the Great Falls Garden Club is responsible for installing the National Wildlife Federation Certified Habitat on the Great Falls Community Library property – not the Great Falls Library.