for the week of May 20-26, 2010
Falls Church Residents’ Input Sought for Pedestrian, Bicycle, Traffic Calming Project The City is kicking off the Pedestrian, Bicycle and Traffic Calming Strategic Implementation Plan. This effort will include the evaluation of every City street to find deficiencies in pedestrian and bicycle access and to develop a plan for improvement. Input is needed from citizens. The public is invited to any of three community meetings to learn about the project, provide comments, and walk/bike City streets to identify first-hand the type of improvements most needed (bring your walking shoes and/or bicycle). The meetings will be held: Saturday, May 22, 9 a.m. Community Center Community Room, 223 Little Falls St.
Saturday, May 22, 11 a.m. Thomas Jefferson Elementary School gym, 601 S. Oak St. Wednesday, June 2, 7 p.m. Community Center Art Room Opportunity for input will continue throughout the project, which is expected to take about one year. Citizens are invited to send comments and photos to Wendy Block Sanford, Principal Planner/Transportation Planner, at wblocksanford@fallschurchva.gov or call 703-248-5041 (TTY 711). Following the public input sessions and work by City staff and a consultant, the final Pedestrian, Bicycle and Traffic Calming Strategic Implementation Plan will include an inventory of every City street and an outline of policies, design criteria, and specific improvements that will further enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety, comfort, and access throughout the City. Implementation of identified and planned improvements will begin immediately, using federal grant funding.
Free Leaf Mulch Loading This Saturday Operations Division staff will use heavy equipment to load pickup trucks and openbed commercial trucks for free at the Property Yard (7100 Gordon Road) this Saturday, May 22 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Staff will only load open-bed vehicles. Be prepared to sign a waiver prior to vehicle loading. You do not need to be a City of Falls Church resident or business to participate. There is no limit to the number of loads available per customer. Leaf mulch is also available for self-load at the Recycling Center (next to the Property Yard), daily from 7 a.m. to dusk. Customers must bring their own tools and containers. For more information call 703-248-5176 (TTY 711).
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May is Watershed and Floodplain Awareness Month City Council has declared May as Watershed and Floodplain Awareness Month. The City of Falls Church has many environmental programs and best management practices that support the protection of the Tripp’s Run and Four Mile Run watersheds and the management of these floodplains. It is important to know the storm drain openings at the curb lead directly to these streams without treatment. Each year the Department of Environmental Services is responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of more than 140,000 linear feet of storm drain pipe and 1,000 storm drain openings. Residents are asked to help protect our natural resources by remembering to clean up after their dog, pick up litter and debris, fix vehicle leaks and reduce the use of chemicals on their property so that the storm drain system is kept free of debris and keep streams clean. For more information on how to help protect the streams, visit www.onlyrain.org or speak to the City engineer at 703-248-5026 (TTY 711).
Bike to Work on May 21 Make the most of this beautiful spring weather and turn your commute into an outdoor workout. Friday, May 21 is the annual national Bike-to-Work Day. Biking to work will not only improve your health, but will also save you money on gas and help preserve the environment. Depending on your current commute, you may follow the same roads on your bike that you drive, or you may need to choose a more bike-friendly route (such as the W&OD Trail) that avoids highways or otherwise unsafe roads. While you bike to work on May 21, take note of where there needs to be better bike access and connected trails in the City. Then tell City officials at a Pedestrian, Bicycle and Traffic Calming Strategic Implementation Project kickoff meeting (see above).
Wednesday is Waste Day Begins June 2 Residences currently receiving City-provided curbside solid waste collection will have refuse, recycling, yard waste, bundled brush and special bulk items collected all on the same day - Wednesday. The new City-wide collection program begins Wednesday, June 2. Through the last week of May, City staff and the recycling contractor will continue to collect solid waste according to the current schedule. For more information, visit www.fallschurchva.gov or call the Solid Waste Hotline at 703-248-5160.
www.fallschurchva.gov - The official site for City of Falls Church news
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Questions or Comments? 29
2010 Monday, May 31
City of Falls Church, Harry E. Wells Building 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, VA 22046 703-248-5003 (TTY 711) The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This document will be made available in alternate format upon request. Call 703-248-5003 (TTY 711).
A George Mason student is picking up a prestigious $2,500 scholarship to help pay for a college education that she hopes will one day land her in prison. “There is a real need for teachers inside prisons and that’s what I hope to become,” GMHS senior Hannah Gann said after being selected from a group of more than a million students nationwide to receive this year’s National Merit Scholarship. Gann will study education at the University of Pennsylvania beginning in Hannah Gann shows off her National Scholarship notice. Gann will attend the fall. She felt her calling to be a teach- Merit University of Pennsylvania in the fall. er while working with at-risk students at Mount Daniel’s Family Literacy summer program last year. The scholarships, among the most prestigious in the nation, are sponsored annually by the Illinois-based National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Thanks to the businesses that participated in Staff Appreciation Week by providing specials to FCCPS staff. They are: Apple Federal Credit Union; Art and Frame of Falls Church; Mary Ann Carlson, Independent Arbonne Consultant; Curves; Jazzercise; Tori McKinney, Keller Williams Realtor; Open Kitchen; Vantage Fitness.
FCC-TV Spotlight: Today’s Air Force Tune in to Falls Church City Television (FCC-TV) to watch Today’s Air Force. This weekly news show features indepth stories about the Air Force and its people, programs, technology, exercises, operations and more. You can watch Today’s Air Force on FCC-TV at the following times: • Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 a.m. • Saturdays at 6:30 a.m. You can now see FCC-TV programming live at www.fcctv.net anywhere in the world! FCC-TV also airs in the greater Falls Church area on Cox Channel 12, Verizon Channel 35 and RCN Channel 2.
FCCPS Employees Honored
Maryel Barry (front left), the FCCPS Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher of the Year, and LaBryan Thomas (front right), the FCCPS Support Staff Employee of the Year, and their fellow nominees were honored Tuesday night at a reception at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School. The nominees are (l to r) Mim McFarland, Jeanne Seabridge, Maria Shields, LV Bendolph, Marc Robarge, Tammy Chincheck and Alissa Stein. Nominees not pictured are Robert Jones and Nathan Greiner.
GMHS Pathway Brick Sale Recognize a special person by ordering a brick in the BIE Brick Pathway at George Mason High School. Bricks are $90.00, and will be engraved with your personal message. For information, contact Marybeth Connelly connellym@fccps.org or call 703-248-5691. The order form is also available online at http://www.fccps.org/bie.
BIE Partner of the Week David Levri School involvement: David donated the supplies and built the weather station for the Thomas Jefferson Elementary Outdoor classroom. Why David is a BIE partner: “Carpentry is my business, so working on this project was a natural fit for me. It was fun to work with other volunteers to create something useful to help teachers and students to learn about weather.” For more information about sharing your expertise through the BIE Partnership, visit www.fccps.org or contact Marybeth Connelly at connellym@fccps.org.
Foundation Footnotes Fundraiser at Quinn’s raises $600+ for FCEF An assortment of collectibles and home goods was auctioned off on Monday evening, May 17th, at Quinn’s Auction Galleries to raise funds for FCEF operations and programs. Many attended the event to support the effort and view Quinn’s unique showrooms in Falls Church City. David Quinn, GMHS Class of 1990, served as the auctioneer for the benefit night. The Foundation is a registered 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. For information about the Falls Church Education Foundation, visit www.fcedf.org or contact Donna Englander at denglander@fcedf.org. School content published in The Schools Focus is written and edited by the Falls Church City Public Schools. For more information, visit www.fccps.org - the official site for Falls Church City Public Schools news.
Calendar for May 20-27, 2010 Testing Now – 24 IB Exams (GM) Now – 28 PALS Post Test (MD/TJ) Now – 6/4 DRA/QRI Posttest (MD/TJ) Now – 6-4 SOL (TJ/MEH/GM) May 20 7:00 p.m. 2nd Grade Orientation (TJ) 7:30 p.m. A Midsummer Night’s Dream – (GM) 21 7:30 p.m. A Midsummer Night’s Dream – (GM) 22 6:00 p.m. Relay for Life – (GM) 7:30 p.m. A Midsummer Night’s Dream – (GM) 24 6:00 p.m. EIP/HEP (GM) 25 8:15 a.m. Special Education Parent Meeting (GM) 6:30 p.m. School Board Work Session (City Hall) 8:00 p.m. School Board Regular Meeting (City Hall) 26 5:00 p.m. Mt. Daniel Art Show and Dinner (MD) 6:30 p.m. ESOL Advisory Committee (CO) 7:00 p.m. Mr./Ms. Mason Competition (GM) 27 5:50 p.m. FCCPS Retirement Ceremony (MEH) 7:30 p.m. Family Life Education Advisory Committee (MEH) For more calendar information, visit www.fccps.org/calendar. (MD) Mt. Daniel School (TJ) Thomas Jefferson Elementary (MEH) Mary Ellen Henderson Middle (GM) George Mason High (CO) Central Office
Schools
Gann Named National Merit Scholar