Synthetic Turf Fields Groundbreaking
Celebration surrounding the conversion of two existing athletic fields to synthetic turf took place during a groundbreaking ceremony held June 29, 2008 at Spring Hill Park in McLean. Officials from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, the Fairfax Park Authority and McLean Youth Soccer (MYS) joined players, coaches and local families at the event.
The two fields will be converted from grass, a change that will increase field capacity and provide an improved playing surface. This $1.8 million project is funded by MYS and is expected to provide a significant boost to the synthetic turf inventory in Fairfax County. Project completion is anticipated in October 2008.
FC Resident Earns Bachelor’s at UArts
Falls Church native John Meyer graduated from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia with a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the institution’s 130th commencement. One of nearly 500 undergraduates in the class of 2008, Meyer is a 2004 graduate of George Mason High School.
First Phase Underway for Route 29 Improvements
The Virginia Department of Transportation has begun the relocation of overhead and underground utilities at Route 29 (Lee Highway) and Gallows Road in preparation for improvements of the congested intersection located in the heart of Merrifield. This relocation phase is expected to take over two years to complete due to myriad pipes, wires and cables that run above and below the roadway. Half a dozen utilities such as gas, water, electric, telephone and fiber optic cable must be moved before improvements can begin in early 2011. Utility work will start on Gallows Road, north of Lee Highway. Motorists can expect daytime lane closures from 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. on weekdays. There will be no lane closures on weekends or holidays. The $121 million, 1.5-mile pedestrian friendly project is being delivered by VDOT in collaboration with Fairfax County’s vision for commercial revitalization in Merrifield. The project consists of widening both Lee Highway and Gallows Road to six lanes.
Ten Fairfax County Employees Receive the 2008 Onthank Award
The highest honor Fairfax County bestows on its employees was presented to Falls Church resident Jan Kikuchi, a social worker supervisor at the Department of Family Services. The Onthank Award was established by the Board of Supervisors to honor the memory of Col. A. Heath Onthank, the first chairman of the Fairfax County Civil Service Commission.
McLean Neighborhood Keeps Cool
A small McLean neighborhood of 60 households has been honored for its efforts at combating climate change. The McLean Hunt Estates neighborhood, under the leadership of the McLean Hunt Estates Civic Association (MHECA), is the first local community to take part in Fairfax County’s Cool Neighborhoods program. Cool Neighborhoods is part of the national Cool Counties Climate Stabilization movement coordinated by Sierra Club and municipalities across the country. As part of their pledge, volunteers from MHECA have agreed to track their carbon footprint and demonstrate over the course of the year that at least 20% of individual households in the community are reducing their carbon footprint by at least 2%. Communities like McLean Hunt Estates are leading the regional piece in the national effort to reduce global warming emissions 80% by 2050 as part of the Cool Counties Climate Declaration. The Declaration also calls on the federal government to pass legislation mandating this emissions reduction by law and an elevation of fuel economy standards to 35 miles per gallon within the next ten years.
Va. International Polo Club Hosts 20-Goal Match
The Virginia International Polo Club will host a special Fourth of July 20-goal polo match featuring Adam Snow and Owen Rinehart, two of the top polo players in the world. The match will take place at the Goose Creek Polo Field (Crenshaw Rd., Upperville, Va.). Both players have achieved the highest rating in polo, by earning status as a 10-goal player. The match will take place July 4 at 11 a.m. and admission is free. Spectators interested in attending the event should call 540-592-7474.
Consulting Firm Selects Arlington as Top Pick
In the latest indication that Arlington offers a highly competitive business environment, a newly formed international business development consultancy has selected the county over ten other locations for its corporate headquarters. Sowilo Consulting, LLC, which specializes in international sales strategies for U.S. firms, opens shop in Arlington in July after spending nine months in site selection across the country and in Japan. The other locations that Sowilo Consulting considered were: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Greenville, Minneapolis, New York, Seattle and Tokyo.
Senior Olympics to Feature Additional Events
Northern Virginia Senior Olympics, which begins September 20 and continues through October 2, will add four new events to the 2008 competition. The new events are ice skating, racquetball, scrabble and diving. Over 25 events will take place at various venues in Northern Virginia. Registration forms are available at senior centers, seniors residences and can be downloaded from www.seniorolympics.com. Registration fee is $10 which includes one event; additional events are $1 each. Deadline to register is Sept. 5. Senior adults age 50 and over who live in one of the sponsoring jurisdictions are eligible to participate. For more information, call 703-228-3600, ext. 9996.
Local Student Named to Dean’s List
Megan M. Bledsoe, a sophomore from Falls Church was named to the dean’s list at Potomac State College of West Virginia for the spring 2008 semester. In order to be eligible for the dean’s list students must earn a 3.0-3.69 grade point average and be enrolled full-time.
Academic Honors Awarded to FC Resident
Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Ind., named Emily Whitesell to the dean’s list for the spring 2008 semester. Emily is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Whitesell of Falls Church. She achieved a grade point average of at least 3.4 on a 4.0 scale to earn the college’s academic honors.
FC Resident Makes the Dean’s List
Zaria E. Stott of Falls Church made the dean’s list for the spring 2008 semester at Mitchell College. Dean’s list honors are awarded to students with grade point averages between 3.5 and 4.0.
Roanoke Student Named to Dean’s List
Emily Frahme Huston of Arlington was named to the dean’s list of distinguished students for the spring 2008 semester at Roanoke College. Huston is the daughter of Ms. Susan N. Huston and Mr. Gayle F. Huston and is a graduate of Washington Lee High School.
Local Longwood Students Graduate
The following local students graduated on May 10, 2008 from Longwood University: Manuel Jorge Barajas-Alexander, Kathryn Byrd MacGowan, Catherine Anne Pryplesh, Annaliese Kathryn and Lynn Willette Attermeyer.
Longwood Students Named to Dean’s List
Among the 466 students selected for Longwood University’s dean’s list four locals were recognized for outstanding academic achievement during the spring 2008 semester. Christopher Michael Payne, Michelle Catherine Andersen, Annaliese Kathryn Weber and Jake Daniel Ambrose earned an academic average of 3.5 to 3.99.
Local Named to Dean’s List
Johnathan Sullivan of Falls Church has been named to the dean’s list for the spring 2008 semester at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
