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October 29, 2011, 2:00PM-4:00PM, Rutherford Park
Come join your fellow Rutherford families for fun games, prizes, crafts and hair/face painting. Great fun for the kids! There will also be a toddler play area.
Don’t forget to dress your little ones in their Halloween costumes!
For more information, please contact Amy Jensen at 703-426-0730 or jensenamy5@msn.com.
Due to inclement weather, the Guinea Road closure scheduled for October 28th has been postponed. On Friday, November 4th at 10:00 PM, the contractor for the Guinea Road bridge work will begin detouring traffic from Guinea Road while a new storm drainage lateral is installed across Guinea Road. During this time a crew will also work on the installation of an 18-inch sanitary sewer lateral across the road. All work has to be completed by 5:00 AM on Monday, November 7th.
The variable message boards will be in place no later than Friday, October 21st. The detour signage is currently being installed and some signs will remain covered until needed for the detour.
Rutherford’s Livable Neighborhood Action Group is moving into the action phase of small-group projects for community environmental sustainability. We need YOUR input and participation!
Join us on Tuesday, November 15th at 7:00 PM to taste pumpkin-themed goodies and meet your neighbors. The meeting will take place at Jay and Vera Hirschman’s home, 9236 Kristin Lane. We’ll break into small groups to focus on areas of concern and interest, using Fairfax County’s Livable Neighborhood handbook as a guide. We are planning some short-term, easy projects for
reducing home water and energy consumption and keeping streams clean, as well as some longer-term plans.
If you are interested, but cannot attend on a Tuesday evening, please contact us; small groups will be meeting and working on projects at different times and days. Rutherford teens are welcome to attend — it’s great for community service hours. For more information, please contact Julia Wilson at Julia.wilson@yahoo.com, or call 703-978-1019.
Join us for the 19th Annual Holiday Happenings Craft Show and support the Woodson Crew Boosters! Saturday, November 12, from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM, more than 80 vendors will offer sophisticated, unique, and one-of-a-kind handmade items. You’ll find fused glass, ceramics, artisan and fashion jewelry, scarves, embroidery, stress relief products, hair accessories, handbags, paintings, decorations, giftware, pet accessories, frames — and even a Bake Sale. There’s something for everyone, and there’s NO ADMISSION FEE! This year’s show draws crafters from five states, with the majority from right here in the local area. The show is juried to ensure all offerings are quality, handmade items. Crafter booths are still available.
E-mail woodsoncraftshow@gmail.com for more information, or call Cathy McKinnell at 703-323-1475. The show is held at Woodson High School (9525 Main Street, Fairfax, Va. 22031), Entrance #2 and #3. Free admission.
Here’s a great way to save money and support the Woodson Band Program: Show your W.T. Woodson Cavalier Card and get great deals from 21 local merchants! Participants include A.C. Moore, Best of Thai, Choices by Shawn, Cinema Arts Theaters, Coyote Grill, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Fairfax Ice Arena, Mamma Lucia, Noodles & Co., Optometrist Dr. Cheryl Bloom, Papa John’s Pizza, and many more.
These fine establishments support our high school band program by offering card holders percentage discounts, free sodas, two-for-one deals and more. The card may be used unlimited times for an entire year beginning September 1, 2011. Just flash the card and stash the cash! 100% of the card sale proceeds goes to the Woodson band program.
Cards are available for $10 each from Woodson Band students or send $10 (checks made payable to “W.T. Woodson Band Patrons”) and a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Chrissy Rabayda, 4532 Braeburn Drive, Fairfax, VA 22032, or call 703-426-1944.
For its fall production, Woodson Theatre presents Working, a play about the lives of people just like you. The play, conceived and written by Stephen Schwartz, is based on the book by Studs Terkel entitled Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do. In 1975, Mr. Terkel chronicled the stories of more than 300 people who work in just about every type of job one could imagine: interstate truckers, office managers, teachers, receptionists, salesmen, valets, maids, telemarketers, prostitutes, millworkers, masons, iron workers, fire fighters, housewives, migrant workers and grocery checkers, just to name a few. Upon reading Mr. Terkel’s book, Stephen Schwartz became inspired to bring these real-life characters to the stage. Working is a celebration of the connection that we all have in America. As Studs Terkel said about the show, “It is a celebration of the ‘ordinary’ people whose daily lives are unsung.”
Working runs on November 5th, 10th, 11th, and 12th at 7:30 PM and November 5th and 12th at 2:00 PM. Tickets go on sale October 22 at http://wtwdrama.org.
Approximately four years ago, Fairfax County embarked on a far-reaching project to help older adults and adults with disabilities stay in their homes and remain independent. The Department of Family Services, Division of Adult and Aging Services, is the central information and referral point for a wide range of services available to older adults, including Caregiver Support, In-Home Care Services, Health Insurance Counseling, Meals on Wheels, Recreation, Transportation, Adult Day Care, and more. As just one example, Meals on Wheels are available to adults 60 years and older at all income levels, for both long- and short-term needs, including recovery from surgery or temporary medical conditions.
For additional information, visit the website www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/OlderAdultServices , or call 703-324-7948 from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday. The web site includes a calendar of workshops and other events of interest to older adults. You may also use this web site or contact number to subscribe to the Golden Gazette newspaper and Fairfax 50+ E-news.
We all agree that Rutherford is a safe and friendly neighborhood. It isn’t a stretch to say our families have all benefitted from the lack of crime, petty theft, and vandalism. That doesn’t happen by accident or coincidence, and so we are asking for your help. For the low price of two hours a month, you can help contribute to one of Fairfax County’s most successful Neighborhood Watch programs–ours. The basic premise of the program, as a former police officer once told me, is essentially that miscreants don’t stick around if they know people are watching.
With more than 700 households in our Rutherford Community, only 52 participate (and some of those not actively) in the program. We have a handful of “schedulers” who call once a month and build the schedule, and we have “drivers” who simply drive around the neighborhood for two hours once a month, on the date and time of their choice. We need new blood, and more of it. The more drivers Neighborhood Watch has, the less everyone has to drive individually: We try to schedule one two-hour drive a day.
For those of you already participating in the program, and who have continually volunteered and made this a crime-free neighborhood over the years, thank you! And to those who have not yet been able to help, please consider calling Pete Moss at 703-978-8498 to get started, or at least learn more about the program and how you can pitch in.
Fall is a good time to evaluate your lawn care program and make adjustments for the coming year, whether you do it yourself or contract it out. Here are some tips:
Fertilize in the Fall, Not in the Spring…and Never in the Summer! Timing is everything when you apply fertilizer. Autumn is when your lawn’s roots –what sustains your lawn through the summer — are actively growing. Spring fertilizing en¬courages leaf growth at the expense of root development. It feeds weeds and can lead to disease and insect problems. In addition, you will have to mow the lawn more frequently. And most lawn grasses in our area are cool-season species, which die back during the heat of the summer.
When in the Fall? The ideal periods for application are the first two weeks in Sep¬tember and between the last mowing and Thanksgiving. After Thanksgiving, fertilizer will most likely wash into local streams, degrading aquatic environments.
Nature’s Own Fertilizer: If you leave some leaves on your lawn and mulch them with your lawnmower, they will break down into a perfectly balanced fertilizer. You can also top your lawn with a light layer of compost.
Soil Matters. Before you fertilize, test your soil to learn what, if anything, it needs. For $10, the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) will analyze a soil sample for you. Soil test kits are available at any Fairfax County Public Library or at the VCE office.
Just Lime? If your lawn needs anything, it is likely lime. Most soils in Northern Virginia are acidic; lime helps to neutralize the acidity. A balanced pH will improve the availability of nutrients, encourage thatch decomposition, and benefit soil microorgan-isms. It is best to apply lime in the fall, because it takes several months to be fully incorporated into the soil.
Excerpted from Conservation Currents, Northern VASoil & Water Conservation District, www.fairfaxcounty.gov/nvswcd.
There’s no better time than to start planning your next home-remodeling project. For example, upgrading an outdated kitchen or building an addition are manageable with a little advance preparation and vision. To make the process less daunting, try these steps:
Know why you’re remodeling. Are you selling? Addressing changing family needs or just upgrading? Your reasons for remodeling can impact your decisions—for example, if you’re selling, your choices may be more about buyer appeal than personal taste. On the other hand, if you’re building your dream kitchen, you may not want to compromise on certain features. Evaluate your project in light of your property value and return on investment and look for options that meet your overall needs.
Make a wish list/scrapbook. Use the Internet to peruse articles, look at decorating magazines, and visit showrooms. Get brochures, color samples, and fabric swatches, and cut out or print pictures that show features or details of work that you like. Take pictures of other homes, and keep a scrapbook of ideas. These ideas can help your home-improvement specialist achieve the look you want.
Know your budget. A realistic budget can help you prioritize options. In your bathroom upgrade, will you really use that expensive spa tub, or are luxury shower heads, bath fixtures, and a towel warmer more important? If you want a contemporary, industrial look in your kitchen, can you compromise elsewhere so that you can afford concrete or stainless-steel countertops?
Remember that “form follows function.” Look at your existing space critically. Evaluate how you use it. Assess high-traffic areas, kitchen work triangles, and overall flow. Define what already works and what doesn’t. Get input from all family members, even children. The “look” of your new space should be secondary to layout and function. You can work on achieving that “magazine” look after you have the basics.
Research products. Research your options for features like countertops and flooring. Manufacturers’ web sites are a great place to start, and most companies have an 800 number for product questions. Evaluate the pros and cons for each product type to determine which options suit your budget, lifestyle, and taste the best. Some up-front planning and research can make your remodeling project go a lot smoother and help ensure that you’re satisfied with the end results. Above all else – remember to have fun!
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