From the Chair (May 2023)

Please circle the date of Wednesday, 17 May, 7 p.m., for the annual Legislative Review meeting. Commitments have been received from Delegate Watts, Senator Marsden, Board of Supervisors Chairman McKay, Braddock District Supervisor Walkinshaw, and Rachna Sizemore Heizer (At-large member and Chair of the FCPS Board and a Braddock District resident). We are still working on gaining commitments from other elected officials. This meeting provides an excellent opportunity to meet your current elected representatives and learn about the new voting districts that will take effect for the 2023 elections. The entire General Assembly is up for re-election in November. District numbers have changed and boundaries have been redrawn, so now is a good time to find out how redistricting might affect you.

​Also, please mark your calendars for Wednesday, 21 June, 7 p.m., for the annual Braddock District Council election meeting. As mentioned in last month’s article, two current officers are stepping down. I would like to thank Mike Perel (Oak Hill) and Roger Hartman (Long Branch) for serving on the Nominating Committee along with members of the BDC Executive Committee. Presently, we do have a candidate for the Vice-Chair position, but are still looking for someone to be the Treasurer. If you are interested in taking a leadership role in the Council or know someone in your community who might be interested, please contact me at bdcfxchair@gmail.com. We will announce the slate of candidates prior to the June meeting.

Another volunteer position that needs to be filled is that of the Braddock District Aging in Place (AIP) Coordinator. This program was initiated by Bruce Wallachy (Kings Park West Civic Association) over 10 years ago and is supported financially by the Council. Bruce will be stepping down after June, so we need someone to step up and take his place. The AIP program not only provides important information to older district residents, but also has an important social component provided by the monthly meetings, which can resume now that the pandemic restrictions have been lifted. Please contact me at bdcfxchair@gmail.com if you are interested and I can put you in touch with Bruce to discuss what the job entails.

The Braddock District Council was created to help HOA and community/civic associations better serve their members and to support supervisor initiatives to make Braddock District a great place to live. One highlight of the summertime is the “ Braddock Nights” Friday evening concert series at Royal Lake and Lake Accotink and “Arts in the Parks” for children, presented in front of the Audrey Moore RecCenter in Wakefield Park on Saturday mornings. These programs are run by the Fairfax County Park Authority, but to put them on successfully, volunteers are always needed and most welcome. Please pass the word in your communities. Interested citizens can contact the Braddock District office at (703) 425-9300 or via e-mail, Irma.Mejia-Lewis@fairfaxcounty.gov.