
Getting Dirty for a Good Cause
Staff and volunteers plant native grasses along Big Rocky Run.
Wearing sturdy boots and wielding shovels and wheelbarrows, some two dozen people recently left their comfortable offices to dig in the soil at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park. When they were done, a variety of native grasses had been planted to beautify the Big Rocky Run stream valley and help stabilize the banks there. Participating were staff members and volunteers from Fairfax County’s Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES), Stormwater; Park Authority; and the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District (NVSWCD).

Fairfax One: ‘Ambulance in the Air’
A close-up look at Fairfax County’s police helicopter.
Members of the Sully District Police Station’s Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) recently toured Fairfax County’s heliport, got to speak with a pilot and saw the Fairfax One helicopter up close. It’s a twin-engine, Bell 429 and does both police and medivac missions for the county. And one of its pilots, PFC Nick Taormina, is a paramedic as well as a police officer.

Chantilly Boys’ Lax Bounces Back from First Loss
The Chantilly boys’ lacrosse team suffered its first loss of the season on March 26, falling to Robinson, 7-4, in a matchup of state powerhouses.
Police Captain Graduates from FBI Academy
Captain Graham H. McGowan is the Fairfax County Police Department’s latest graduate of the FBI’s National Academy, which has just completed its 259th session.
Chantilly Police Commander: ‘Everyone Is Here to Help’
Lt. Todd Kinkead heads the station’s Criminal Investigations Section.
Basically, the officers of the Sully District Police Station are successful at what they do and things should only get better from here. That was the message presented during February’s Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting.

Chantilly: ‘State of the Station’ Meeting Reviews Statistics
Residents receive statistics and information at “State of the Station” meeting.
Residents at a recent meeting of the Sully District Police Station and its Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) learned about crime and policing efforts in the Sully District. They also received information about last year’s crime trends and the ways local police here are serving the community.
Centreville: ‘A Way for Something Good'
Emotional beginning for Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission.
While several other members of the recently created Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission stated their general intent to listen and learn and help, Salvatore Culosi had a more specific request. “My son would still be alive today,” Culosi said, “but for 2006 Fairfax County policies to routinely use SWAT and aggressive procedures against citizens certified to be low risk.”

Centreville/Chantilly: Housing Expo Draws Crowds
Home-ownership, rental opportunities and related services dominate event.
“Those most in need of these services and resources benefit the most when we can bring so many providers and organizations together in this one-stop shop format.” In that one sentence, Laura Nickle, owner of Communi-k, Inc. and the organizer – for the fourth time – of the Northern Virginia Housing Expo, summed up the event being held at Herndon High School on Saturday, March 21. “There is still a great need for affordable housing throughout our entire region,” she added, “and this is a great partnership of related services that can bring the information and assistance to the largest audience.”

At 10, YouTube as Marketing Tool Comes of Age
Web site serves variety of business needs.
Listing a pool table in a real estate ad is one way to market a property, but watching the cue ball break the rack, via a YouTube video “shows the excitement,” said local real estate agent Ann Duff, who incorporates video as a big part of her marketing plan. In its 10th year of existence, using YouTube is apparent throughout “new media” marketing plans in Northern Virginia.
Chantilly/Centreville: Fashion, Music and Silent Auction
Fairfax Salvation Army fundraiser set for the Waterford.
The 35th annual Fashion Show, Luncheon, and Silent Auction sponsored by the Salvation Army Women's Auxiliary Fairfax County Corps will be held on Friday, April 17 at 10:30 a.m. at the Waterford at Fair Oaks (across from Fair Oaks Mall). Fashions will be presented by Lord & Taylor.
Emotional Beginning for Fairfax County Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission
While several other members of the recently created Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission stated their general intent to listen and learn and help, Salvatore Culosi had a more specific request.

First Meeting Set for Fairfax County Police Commission
With endorsement, albeit non-unanimous, from the Board of Supervisors, the ad hoc commission organized by board chairman Sharon Bulova to review Fairfax County Police Department practices will hold its first meeting March 23.
New Commander Stresses Community Relations
As the new commander of the Sully District Police Station, Capt. Bob Blakley has big plans.