<sh>False Police Report Filed
<bt>A 27-year-old Oakton-area woman reported to police that on Monday, Jan. 30 around 7 p.m., a man approached her from behind and struck her in the upper body as she was returning to her car after using a bank ATM on the 2900 block of Chain Bridge Road. The woman reported that the man then reached into her car and took her purse, which contained cash and personal property, and then fled on foot. She described her attacker as a Hispanic male in his 20s with cropped hair and wearing a dark jacket and dark pants.
An investigation revealed that the robbery did not occur. Detectives have charged the woman, who lives on the 2700 block of Chain Bridge Road in Fairfax, with filing a false police report.
<sh>Unlawful Entry in the Dunn Loring Area
<bt>According to police reports, on Friday, Feb. 3 around 2:15 a.m., a 57-year-old resident in the 2400 block of Cedar Lane woke to the sound of loud knocking. When he went to investigate, he found a man in his house. The resident asked the man why he was in his home, and the suspect fled.
Around 2:30 a.m. a second resident in the 2400 block of Cedar Lane awoke to the sound of a window breaking. When the 39-year-old went to investigate, he found a man sitting in his car, said police. When officers arrived they found the suspect in the same location.
A 53-year-old Silver Spring man was charged with destruction of property, unlawful entry and drunk in public. He was transported to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
<sh>Business License Deadline
<bt>March 1 is the deadline for payment of the business, professional and occupational license (BPOL) tax. All businesses in the Town of Vienna, including home occupations, must renew their business licenses each year. The amount of the tax is based on gross receipts, and the rate varies according to the type of business. Those businesses with total annual gross receipts of $50,000 or less pay only the minimum license fee of $30 per year.
License tax forms will be mailed out in January, and forms are also available in the Finance Department at Town Hall and online at www.viennava.gov. For more information or assistance call 703-255-6321.
<sh>Competition to Host Film Festival
<bt>MHz Networks in Merrifield is searching for a young talent to host the fifth annual MHz Shortz Student Film Festival in May 2006. The competition is open to middle or high school students in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. The deadline to enter is March 10.
The festival celebrates the imaginations of young filmmakers, as students in kindergarten through 12th grade, as well as teachers, compete for the Shortie award.
To enter the competition to host, students must submit the following: on DVD/R or mini-dv, a creative, two-minute presentation on why the MHz Shortz Awards are important; a one-page description of why the entrant would make the perfect host for the festival; a letter of reference from a teacher, principal, parent or other adult educator. Applications must be mailed by March 10 to: MHz Networks, c/o Shortie Awards Host, 8101A Lee Highway, Falls Church, VA 22042.
For more information about the host competition, e-mail shortie@mhznetworks.org. For more about the film festival, visit www.mhznetworks.org/eat.
<sh>Amateur Photo Contest
<bt>Applications to enter the Vienna Parks and Recreation Department's annual Amateur Photography Contest and Exhibit will be available beginning Feb. 1 at the Vienna Community Center, 120 Cherry St., S.E.
Exhibit dates are Saturday and Sunday, March 18 and 19. Photos will be judged by local professional photographers and ribbons awarded in eight categories in black-and-white and color divisions. There will also be a separate contest section for students in grades 7-12.
The entry fee is $7 per person. Entries are limited to five photos per person and two per category. For more information, call 703-255-6360.