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TextBraddock District Community Corner
Supervisor Cook in the Community
Santa’s Ride
The Police Motorcycle Squad, in cooperation with public safety
agencies from local jurisdictions, gathered games, toys and books as part
of the 21st annual Santa’s Ride holiday campaign. Braddock District
Supervisor John Cook, Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova and
Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity (center) joined Santa and the
elves from the motor squad during their visit to the Government Center.
The event was coordinated by Officer David Pierce. Photo courtesy of the
Fairfax County Police Department
Braddock District Council
The next meeting of the Braddock District Council will take place on
January 12 at 7:30 PM in Braddock Hall. This month’s meeting will include
a discussion on the BDC mowing initiative, as VDOT funds are expected to
be even tighter for the next few years. Anyone who is interested is
welcome to attend.
Wakefield Chapel Road/Danbury Forest Drive Feasibility Analysis
On January 27, Supervisor Cook will be hosting a meeting for those
concerned with the traffic issues in the area of Wakefield Chapel Road
and Danbury Forest Drive at Braddock Road. This intersection has some of
the worst backups in the District, and appears to have worsened during
the construction of the HOT Lanes. Supervisor Cook has earmarked funds to
undertake a feasibility analysis for future improvement and congestion
reduction. Those in the Kings Park, Danbury Forest, Stone Haven, Park
Glen and Canterbury Woods neighborhoods, as well as anyone else who uses
these roads on a regular basis, are encouraged to attend.
The meeting will take place at Kings Glen Elementary School at 7:30 PM. Its purpose is to identify alternatives, hear suggestions from the community and essentially begin the process of analyzing the traffic problems and potential solutions at this important section of Braddock Road. If you have any questions, please feel free to call the office at 703-425-9300 and ask for Rosemary Ryan or Ann Sharp.
Braddock - George Mason Forum
The first Braddock - George Mason Forum of 2010 will be held on
Wednesday, February 3 at 7:30 PM in conjunction with the Fairfax City
residents that regularly meet with George Mason University. The City of
Fairfax has graciously offered to host the meeting at the Fairfax City
Hall, 10455 Armstrong Street. The agenda is not finalized at this point.
If you have any questions or concerns, please call Ann Sharp at
703-425-9300.
Braddock NVCC Forum
Please mark your calendar for the next meeting of the Wakefield
Chapel NVCC Forum, which will be held Wednesday, February 17 at 7:30 PM.
The meeting will be held at the Sprague Center. If you have any issues
that you want to see on the agenda, please contact Ann Sharp.
The Cook Family Welcomes Two New Members
On December 30, my wife gave birth to Andrew John and Stephen Michael
Cook. My wife and the babies are doing well, and our daughters are very
happy about the arrival of their brothers.
As you might imagine, under the circumstances, I am scaling back my
public schedule somewhat for the next few weeks, but you can be assured I
continue to work on County and District issues and communicate with my
staff on a regular basis.
Looking Back At Fairfax: Little River Turnpike
As a new feature for a new year, each month we will take a look back at a significant event in Fairfax County history.
Fairfax County, like all communities, is linked by transportation. The
month of January represents a major milestone for a major Fairfax artery:
Little River Turnpike, a historic road that has played a significant role
in moving our county from the early years to today. George Washington,
Fairfax County’s most famous resident, commented on the subject of the
importance of good roads when he opined that it was not an “utopian
dream” that roads might someday connect the county and the country.
That day got closer on January 28, 1802, when the Little River Turnpike
Company was established with a president, four directors and a charter to
sell twenty shares of stock for $100 each. Ten years later, on January
11, 1812, the 34-mile Little River Turnpike, running from the George
Washington Masonic Temple in Alexandria to the Little River in Aldie,
Virginia, was completed at the cost of $6,292 per mile. Altogether, seven
tollbooths lined the turnpike.
Users who took evasive actions to avoid paying tolls were referred to as
“shunpikers,” but by 1896, tolls were no longer collected. In 1815, there
were fifty-five turnpike companies in Virginia, but the Little River’s
success dwarfed all others. In 1818, the Turnpike made enough money to
pay a 6.7 percent dividend.
In one sense, it might be said the turnpike even connected Fairfax to
Europe, for the last principal road engineer (from 1822-1843) was
Claudius Crozet - an artillery officer from Napoleon’s Army.
This feature is brought to you by: Paul N. Herbert, President of the Historical Society of Fairfax County and the author of “God Knows All Your Names.”
Braddock Neighborhood News: Sit Down with the Office of Public Private Partnerships and Fairfax Fish
Last month, Braddock Neighborhood News aired an interview with George
Braunstein, Executive Director of the Community Services Board, to
discuss the challenges facing our neighbors living with intellectual
disabilities, mental illnesses and substance abuse as well as the
challenges faced by those who may be living without a home in our
community.
On this month’s edition, Supervisor Cook interviews Ingrid
Parris-Hicklin from the Fairfax County Office of Public Private
Partnerships and Joe Christiansen from Fairfax FISH to discuss Fairfax
Cares. Formed by a broad coalition of public and private partners in the
Fairfax County community, including Volunteer Fairfax, the Fairfax County
Chamber of Commerce and a variety of private charitable organizations,
Fairfax Cares is an initiative to utilize the resources and support of
the private sector to assist those in our community who are struggling to
meet their most basic needs.
With the demand for the most basic of needs at its greatest in recent
history in our community, there is no better time for each of us to
become involved. You can learn more by tuning in to this edition of
Braddock Neighborhood News and by visiting the Fairfax Cares website at
www.fairfaxcares.org.
Braddock Neighborhood News airs on Fridays and Sundays at 5 p.m. and
Wednesdays at 7 p.m. on Channel 16. You can also watch a streaming video
of the show by visiting
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/cable/channel16/asx/supervisor_cook.asx.
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