Park Authority

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors honored the Fairfax County Park Authority at its meeting on Wednesday, December 4, 2018, for its re-accreditation by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA). Becoming accredited is one of the highest benchmarks of excellence that an agency can attain.

Park and recreation agencies across the United States turn to CAPRA Accreditation as a credible and efficient means of achieving their goals of providing high quality services and experiences. Accreditation also provides assurance to the public that an agency meets national standards of best practice.

This is the Park Authority’s third accreditation by CAPRA. The agency achieved its re-accreditation in 2018 by meeting all 151 national standards set by CAPRA.

Pictured are members of the Board of Supervisors and Park Board, and Park Authority staff.

For more information about the Park Authority, visit online at Parks.

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Parks and recreation icon William “Bill” Beckner, who passed away earlier this summer, was remembered fondly and honored on Saturday, November 17, 2018 with a park bench dedicated in his memory at Huntley Meadows Park. Beckner joined the Park Authority in 1977 as the agency’s chief naturalist. Eight years later, he led the agency’s detailed strategic planning process, and in February of 1989, he was named the Park Authority’s director. He served in that post until December 1993, when he left the FCPA to establish his own consulting business.

Friends, family and colleagues joined together for the occasion including (from left to right) Harry Glasgow, former Park Authority Board member; Paul Baldino, former Park Authority Director; Lynn Tadlock, former FCPA Planning Division Director; Jean Van Devanter White, former Director, Park Foundation; Connie Weyant, former assistant to Bill Beckner; Jack Weyant, Director, Fairfax County Code Compliance; Nancy Magill, Bill Beckner’s life partner; Susan Allen, former member FCPA Conservation Division; Tim White, former Acting Director, FCPA; Annemarie and Rob Gremminger; Mona Enquist Johnston, former FCPA employee and volunteer; Kirk Kincannon, Executive Director, FCPA; Cindy Messinger, former Director, FCPA; Carolyn Gamble, former Huntley Meadows Park employee and volunteer, Nancy Vehrs, Prince William Native Plant Society.

A post detailing Beckner’s contributions to the field of recreation and parks can be found at our blog.

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Members of the community, local officials and plenty of pooches gathered this past Saturday to celebrate the Fairfax County Park Authority’s official opening and ribbon cutting at Monticello Park located at 5315 Guinea Road in Burke, VA. The just-completed park features a challenge course, off-leash dog park, multi-use space and trails. The $1.5 million project was funded by the 2016 Park Bond.

Pictured from left to right are: Members of the community and their canine companions, Kiel Stone, Braddock District Rep, Park Authority Board; John Cook (center), Braddock District Rep, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors; Tony Vellucci, former Park Authority Board Member; Margaret Thaxton, Director of Development, Fairfax County Park Foundation; Sara Baldwin, Deputy Director, Park Authority, Dave Bowden, Director of Planning and Development, Park Authority; Kelly Davis, Project Manager, Park Authority; and Mohammad Mahboob, Construction Manager, Park Authority.

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Members of the community and local officials gathered this past Saturday to celebrate the Fairfax County Park Authority’s official opening and ribbon cutting at Backlick Park located at 4516 Backlick Road in Annandale, VA. Renovations at the park included installation of a new shelter and picnic tables, new playground areas, a new fitness area, renovation of the tennis courts, new tennis court lighting and the repaving of the trails and parking lot. This $1 million project was funded through voter-approved Park Bonds.

Pictured from left to right are members of the community and Park Operations staff members plus community activist Binod Gupta; Penny Gross, Mason District Rep, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors; Dave Bowden, Director of Park Planning and Development, Park Authority; Ron Kendall, Mason District Rep, Park Authority Board; Kirk Kincannon, Executive Director, Park Authority; Pat Rosend, Project Manager, Park Authority; Steve Rugen, community activist; and Julie Tahan, Community Support Specialist, Park Authority.

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On Thursday, November 1, 2018, Fairfax County’s second Resident Curator was officially approved and appropriate leases signed at Turner Farm Park. Members of the Great Falls community turned out for the lease signing ceremony. Sarah Kirk will serve as the Resident Curator of historic Turner Farmhouse in Great Falls, Virginia.

The Resident Curator Program allows for a curator to live in a historic Fairfax County property rent-free in exchange for rehabilitating the house and allowing public access. As required by the state legislation, lease agreements are required between the Park Board and Board of Supervisors, as well as the potential curator. Those approvals set in motion the right to rehabilitate the properties.

Ms. Kirk (acting as principle for the Turner Farmhouse Foundation) will rehabilitate the property. It will serve as a residence for the Kirk family, with its equine farm on the leased property. The lease will also repair the property’s milk house, restore and preserve its historic corn crib, and renovate an existing garage to serve as a retreat center.

Pictured signing the lease are Fairfax County Park Authority Executive Director Kirk Kincannaon and Resident Curator Sara Kirk. They are joined by (left to right): Reverend Jerry Pokorsky, St. Catherine of Sienna Catholic Church in Great Falls, Va.; Reverend Hank Langknecht of Christ the King Lutheran Church in Great Falls, Va.; Bill Canis, President, Great Falls Citizens Association; Tim Hackman, Dranesville Rep, Park Authority Board; John Foust, Dranesville Rep, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors; Stephanie Langton, Resident Curator Program Manager, Fairfax County Park Authority; David Buchta, Heritage Conservation Branch Manager, Fairfax County Park Authority; Jo Turner, former resident; and Michelle Meadows, Sr. Right of Way Agent, Fairfax County Park Authority.

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The Fairfax County Park Authority joined with Bike Fairfax on September 29, 2018, for National Bike Your Park Day festivities. This celebration invites novice and experienced bicyclists out to local and regional trails for a day of biking. In this case, participants near the Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail enjoyed a roundtrip ride from Audrey Moore RECenter to Lake Accotink Park.

Over the past couple of years, more than 20,000 people in all 50 states and 10 countries participated in this event. There were ten rides organized in Fairfax County this year and 50 across Virginia. The event was coordinated by the Adventure Cycling Association.

Pictured from left to right are Steven Foster, Chris Wells, Congressman Gerry Connolly, Mackenzie Jarvis, Howard Albers, Jim Angel, Park Authority Board Member Ken Quincy, Sonya Breehey, and other bicycling enthusiasts.

For more information call 703-877-5625.

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It’s now official; the Fairfax County Park Authority and the Friends of Pimmit Barn are working together to preserve this community landmark and allow neighbors to enjoy activities at the site. On October 9, 2018, representatives from the Friends group and Park Authority leadership came together to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that clarifies responsibilities and opportunities and lays the groundwork for continued collaboration. Plans are already underway for a host of community activities.

Pimmit Barn, located at 1845 Cherri Drive in Falls Church, VA, is a reminder of the agricultural roots in Fairfax County. The structure once served as a dairy barn on the Smith family farm. The building, constructed in 1937, is more than 75 years old. Eventually the farm was sold for development and the barn was used to house a community well. In 1997, the property was transferred to the Fairfax County Park Authority from the Fairfax County Water Authority. The Park Authority leased it to McLean Youth Athletics for storage of sports equipment. However, in 2011, the Park Authority proposed divesting this property. The Park Board and Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust agreed that the barn is worth preserving.

Today, Pimmit Barn continues to serve as a gathering spot, a community space, a reminder of our farming history and another green pocket of the Pimmit Hills neighborhood. The Friends of Pimmit Barn have organized outdoor movie nights, barn cleanup days, and fall festivals. Last year’s fall festival brought more than 300 neighbors and local businesses together to enjoy pumpkin painting, a costume contest, cake walk, story time and more.

An official MOU was signed on October 9, 2018 between the Park Authority and the Friends of Pimmit Barn. Pictured left to right are Russell Arrington, Area Manager, Fairfax County Park Authority; Connie Cordovilla, President of the Friends of Pimmit Barn; Kirk Kincannon, Executive Director, Fairfax County Park Authority; and Julie Tahan, Community Support Specialist, Fairfax County Park Authority.

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Park lovers from infants to octogenarians participated in this year’s Fairfax County Park Authority Discovery Trail Map summer activity, and four lucky visitors whose names were selected in a trail-ending drawing will soon receive a new bicycle and safety helmet donated by Spokes, Etc. and Trek through the Fairfax County Park Foundation.  The winning entries were selected by Fairfax County Park Authority Executive Director Kirk Kincannon and Park Foundation Board Chair John Osborne. The winners are Mati Lamb, 2, of Burke; Hyorin Choi, 9, of Vienna; Paula Reyes, 17, of Falls Church and the adult winner, Sharlene Ash of Alexandria.  The winners were among more than 1,300 people who qualified for the drawing by visiting eight of the twelve featured sites on this year’s Discovery Trail Map.  The winners will be presented their grand prizes at the Spokes, Etc. Fairfax location later this month.

This year’s animal-themed Discovery Trail Map led to more than 20,000 park visits, a 38 percent increase in the number of park visits stemming from the 2017 map. Though only four bicycle grand prizes were awarded, all participants who visited at least eight featured park sites received a prize packet valued at $93, which included tickets to park amusements such as camping, mini-golf and boat, train and carousel rides. 

(From left to right) Park Authority Director Kirk Kincannon and Park Foundation Board Chair John Osborn take turns selecting winning entries in the 2018 Discovery Trail Map bicycle drawing while Foundation Executive Director Roberta Longworth assists. The drawing took place on September 18, 2018.

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On Saturday, September 29, 2018, the Fairfax County Park Authority celebrated the opening of the Griffith Park playground in Falls Church, Virginia.

Funded via voter-approved 2016 park bonds, the $80,000 project replaced outdated equipment with new play elements, interactive panels and swings for children ages 2 to 12. Safety surfacing and playground borders were also replaced and a new drainage system and fence installed. The project was part of a larger effort by the Park Authority to identify and replace playground equipment throughout Fairfax County that has exceeded its useful life.

Pictured left to right are Isabel Villarroel, Project Manager, Park Authority; Tim Hackman, Dranesville Rep, Park Authority Board; Finn Niemira, age 11; Ian Niemira, age 12; Delegate Marcus Simon, Virginia House of Delegates; John Foust, Dranesville Rep, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors; Dave Bowden, Director of Park Planning and Development, Fairfax County Park Authority; and Bob Heilen, Vice President, Pimmit Hills Citizens Association.

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At its regular meeting on September 26, 2018, the Fairfax County Park Authority Board honored five teams within the Resource Management Division on their efforts to maintain the high standards necessary to achieve accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). Colvin Run Mill Historic Site, Green Spring Gardens, Sully Historic Site, and RMD’s Historic Artifact Collections were re-accredited while Frying Pan Farm Park earned first-time accreditation.

AAM establishes the standards through which museums are recognized for their commitment to excellence, accountability, and professionalism, and the organization says that “as the ultimate mark of distinction in the museum field, accreditation signifies excellence and credibility.”

Photo: Park Authority Board Chair Bill Bouie presents a resolution to Mary Olien, Operations Branch Manager for FCPA’s Resource Management Division (RMD). 

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