Now that spring appears to be here for good, activities in Mason District are ramping up quickly. As noted in last week’s column, the groundbreaking for the new Bailey’s Crossroads Community Shelter, at 5914 Seminary Road, will be celebrated at 2 p.m. The shelter is expected to open for clients in the latter half of Calendar Year 2019.

Earlier in the week, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), the state agency that maintains and controls most roads in Fairfax County, hosted a public information meeting to present information about a project to rehabilitate the one-way bridge linking the eastbound Route 50/Arlington Boulevard service road (crossing Route 7) to eastbound Wilson Boulevard in the Seven Corners area. Advertisement for construction of the bridge is planned for this fall, with construction anticipated to begin in March of 2019. The project should be completed in November of 2019. Traffic will be maintained during construction, but periods of delay are expected as lanes are closed to accommodate construction crews and vehicles. Log on to www.virginiadot.org/projects/northernvirginia/wilson_over_50.asp for more information.

Culmore Multicultural Day is this Saturday, April 7, which runs from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., at Bailey’s Elementary School, 6101 Knollwood Drive in Bailey’s Crossroads. Live music, folkloric dancers, children’s activities, and booths staffed by non-profits and county agencies will be featured at this annual FREE event. Come and meet your neighbors, and enjoy a taste of the many cultures that make up the fabric of our diverse community. Parking restrictions on nearby streets will be lifted during the festival hours.

There are two weeks left in the free tax help program provided to residents by volunteers of AARP Tax-Aide. Help is provided at the Mason District Governmental Center, 6507 Columbia Pike in Annandale, on Mondays and Thursdays from 1 – 8 p.m.; Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., on a first come, first served basis. All returns are filed electronically. Last day for tax help is Tuesday, April 17.

Mason District mourns the loss of Connie Lawn, who died Monday morning at her home in Lake Barcroft after battling Parkinson’s disease for many years. Connie was the longest serving member of the White House press corps, which she had covered since 1968. I first met Connie when our children were third grade classmates at Belvedere Elementary School. At the time, I didn’t realize that Connie was a reporter; we were just working mothers trying to balance parenting and careers. A few years ago, Connie wrote a book, “You Wake Me Each Morning,” which documents her lifetime of broadcasts from hot spots around the world. I remember how delighted she was to have finished her book, even as Parkinson’s was beginning to rob her of stamina. Connie was delicate in stature, but she had a heart as big as all outdoors, and an intellectual curiosity to match. Connie is survived by her husband, Dr. Charles Sneiderman, and sons David and Daniel Rappoport, and their families.

 Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.