Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
Just as we exult at the spectacular pictures being broadcast from Mars via the Spirit and Opportunity roving cameras, and marvel at our ability to explore space as only our forefathers could dream about, we are jerked back to reality by this week’s snow and ice storms, reminding us how little control we actually have over Mother Nature. All we can do is try to cope.
In an earlier column this month, I discussed snow removal preparations by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), the state agency that controls and maintains nearly all the roads in Fairfax County. In case you missed it, here is a brief recap from VDOT :
- Sanding of residential roads will be limited to intersections and roads that have hills and curves;
- Residential roads will get plowed when two or more inches of snow accumulate, rather than one inch in past years;
- When snow is forecast, park all vehicles in the driveway, particularly in cul-de-sacs. Plow drivers sometimes cannot clear a road because parked cars are in their path.
- Residents with sidewalks adjacent to their properties are responsible for clearing the sidewalks of snow and ice.
- For information on road conditions in Northern Virginia, call 703/383-VDOT (703/383-8368) 24 hours a day. You also may report streets that need plowing or sanding to this telephone number.
I’d like to add one other tip: When driving, even in daylight, please turn on your headlights so that you can be seen by other drivers and pedestrians. Oftentimes, your lights can be seen well before your vehicle, and using lights can improve everyone’s safety.
Fairfax County lost a great friend of the arts last week with the death of Toni McMahon. Toni led the Arts Council of Fairfax County since 1983, and spearheaded both its outreach and its fundraising growth. I first met Toni when she was president of the Fairfax County Council of PTAs in the early 1980s, and I was president of the Weyanoke Elementary School PTA. She was a hard worker who understood the legislative process, as well as the need for community involvement. During her long tenure as chief of the Arts Council, Toni cajoled the county’s growing corporate establishment into supporting the arts. Her efforts moved the arts in Fairfax County from something nice to have to something we cannot do without. Although we will miss Toni, her many contributions to the life of Fairfax County will be her legacy for generations to come.
