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Delegate Ken Plum (left) and Delegate Bobby Orrock (right) of Thornburg extend good wishes to longtime House colleague Delegate Frank Hargrove of Glen Allen upon the announcement of Hargrove's retirement from the House of Delegates.
General Assembly Photograph
April 15, 2009 |
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Commentary
Will You Be My Friend?
Kenneth R. "Ken" Plum
A Facebook friend, that is? Yes, I have joined Facebook finally after most of the world is already there. It has become the new way of communicating for many people, and as an elected official I need to be in touch with constituents through the diverse media from which they gather information.
Everyone is bombarded with all kinds of media and information that vie for our attention. A subject like state government is not necessarily on the top of everyone's wish list to know more about. Except, of course, when the snow is not plowed from the street or the income tax refund is late or there is another immediate need to which state government should respond. As an elected official you must be available and accessible in order for persons to know to whom they can turn.
I was one of the first Virginia legislators to have a website, www.kenplum.com. My legislative work in starting the Joint Commission on Technology and Science made me aware of the growing power of the Internet, and I started a website. It includes an electronic version of my Citizens Handbook, a resource guide of state programs and services. I have been publishing the Handbook and providing it to all voter households in my district every two years for nearly 20 years. Several other legislators have borrowed the idea and adapted the Handbook for their own districts.
The website also provides a way to sign up for my weekly Virginia E-News that is available for free upon request. In addition to the commentary that appears in my weekly newspaper column, my electronic newsletter provides a comprehensive calendar of public policy meetings and events in or near my district. Many readers report that the calendar has become the place to turn to know what is going on in the area. Past issues of Virginia E-News are accessible on my website.
Virginia E-News also lists the schedule for my weekly cable television show, "Virginia Report," on Comcast Channel 28 in Reston. My weekly interview show with people who are doing interesting things in the community can also be viewed at www.rctv28.com/videosVR.htm.
Periodically I mail newsletters to constituents in my district including an annual survey of opinions on issues. And I have refrigerator magnets and ballpoint pens with my contact information printed on them as well. Send me an email at kenplum@aol.com or call me at 703.758.9733 for magnets, pens, or a Citizens Handbook.
After Facebook, what will be next? Twitter? You can be sure that I will be working hard to stay in touch. |
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| "Virginia Report"
Reston Comcast Channel 28
Tonight - Wednesday, April 15, at 10:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday, April 22 at 10:30 p.m. - Elizabeth Curtis, Potomac Arts Academy of George Mason University and Katie Le, Saturday School for the Arts - "Partnering for Arts with Hunters Woods Elementary School"
Online
Watch this week's show and other "Virginia Report" programs at:
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| Climate Change Citizen Action
R4 Collection Day is TODAY, April 15, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Take cell phones, bicycles ($10 donation, working/repairable), compact fluorescent bulbs (unbroken), computers and equipment (hard drives destroyed onsite), documents for shredding, eyeglasses, hearing aids, answering machines, cables, camcorders, CDs/DVDs, CD players, DVD players, electric typewriters, electronic games, fax machines, keyboards/mice, ink/toner, laptop batteries, microwave ovens, pagers, PDAs, printers, radios, remote controls, scanners, stereos and components, tapes, tape players, telephones, televisions, and VCRs to Reston Town Center Pavilion. Items will be collected by The Bike Lane, Bikes for the World, Reston Lions Club, Secured Shred, and Turtle Wings.
The next Electric Sunday is April 19, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the I-66 Transfer Station located at 4618 West Ox Road, Fairfax. Fairfax County residents may bring their old televisions, computers, and other peripheral electronics to be recycled at no charge.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, weatherization - the process of sealing air leaks and properly insulating a home - can reduce heating bills by up to 32 percent resulting in an average energy savings of $350 per home per year. For information about eligibility, visit www.eere.energy.gov/weatherization/l The program will pay for energy professionals to use a blower-door test to locate air leaks in a home. Crews will then add insulation to the attic and walls, seal air leaks, and install more efficient heating and cooling systems, if needed. The weatherization process usually takes two days and provides an average of $6,500 in services to eligible recipients. In Virginia, homeowners should contact the Weatherization Assistance Program at Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, 501 North Second Street, Richmond, VA 23219-1321; phone 804.371.7000; or fax 804.371.7091, to apply for weatherization services. For more information visit www.dhcd.virginia.gov/housingpreservationrehabilitationweatherization_assistance.htm. |
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Announcements
Phil Lilienthal of Reston pointed out to me that somewhere in the world a child dies from pneumonia every 15 seconds. More than 2 million little ones die every year making pneumonia the #1 killer of children - more than AIDS, malaria, and measles combined. For the first time we have two new vaccines that can prevent a majority of pneumonia cases in children. Please support World Pneumonia Day. Immunize a child against it at http://everychild.gavialliance.org. Invest in lifesaving antibiotics at www.savethechildren.org. Go to www.worldpneumoniaday.org to join the movement.
There are many useful gadgets and devices that promote a safer environment and assist those with limited mobility. A list of local resources follows:
Herndon-Reston FISH (Friendly Instant Sympathetic Help), Inc. is seeking volunteers who want to interact in a fun thrift shop, The Bargain Loft, at 336 Victory Drive in Herndon. Pricers are needed to accept, sort and price donations; cashiers are needed to assist customers and provide check-out at the cash register and credit card processing. Training is provided. Volunteers are asked to work one day per week, Tuesday through Saturday, for a 4 hour shift. To learn more about volunteering, call sherri Longhill at The Bargain Loft at 703.437.0600 or send an email to sherri.longhill@herndonrestonfish.org. |
Calendar of Events
"A Wake-Up Call: Protect Your Child from Substance Abuse" program will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 16 in the auditorium at Chantilly High School. The program will host a panel of speakers discussing how to prevent and treat drug and alcohol abuse among our local youth. The panel will be moderated by Diane Eckert of the Safe and Drug-Free Youth Section of the Fairfax County Public Schools.
Attend the Green Expo on Thursday, April 16, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Vienna Community Center, 120 Cherry Street SE (between Park and Center Streets). The Green Expo will present practical information and demonstrations to help you make green choices. Presentations and discussions for children and adults from local organizations and businesses including efficiency tips, purchasing local organic products, creating green gardens, recycling options, and much more to save you money and help the environment. No advance registration is necessary.
Attend the EMPTY BOWLS Fundraiser for the benefit of Food for Others and hunger relief in Northern Virginia on Friday, April 17, 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 11900 Lawyers Road, Reston. On the night of the event, guests choose a bowl which they use for their meal and get to keep. In exchange, they give a minimum donation which is given directly to a hunger fighting organization.
Reston Founder's Day Celebration will be held on Saturday, April 18. This is a community celebration of Reston's 45th and Reston founder Robert E. Simon's 95th birthdays. Attend the free party from noon until 3:00 at Lake Anne Village Center for folks of all ages and enjoy music and dance groups and other entertainment. From 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., also at Lake Anne, there will be music and dancing plus a champagne toast and a giant birthday cake for Bob Simon. Cost for the evening event is $30 per person, with $20 of that amount being a tax-deductible contribution going to the Reston Historic Trust, and includes a party souvenir. For more information visit www.restonmuseum.org or call 703.709.7700.
Walk with the March for Babies on Sunday, April 19, 10:00 a.m., at the Reston Town Center. This annual event sponsored by the March of Dimes and begun in 1970 is the oldest and one of the best-loved walking events in the United States. Registration for the March begins at 9:00 a.m. Join in this family-friendly, festive event that includes food and children's activities. Money raised at the March for Babies allows the March of Dimes to continue its important work in education, research, support, and advocacy locally. Premature birth is the number one cause of newborn death in the U.S. and is growing at an alarming rate. Register for the March for Babies at www.marchforbabies.org or call 703.824.0111, ext. 21.
Join The Brady Center to Prevent gun Violence at Washington's historic National Cathedral on Sunday, April 19, at 10:00 a.m. for The Sunday Forum, "Making America a Less Violent Place." This event is free and open to the public. Address for The National Cathedral is 3101 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20016.
The next Electric Sunday will be on April 19, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the I-66 Transfer Station located at 4618 West Ox Road. Fairfax County residents may bring their old televisions, computers, and other peripheral electronics to be recycled at no charge. For more information go to www.fairfaxcounty.gov/recycling or call 703.324.5052.
Telework!VA invites you to an exclusive Green Carpet Event on Earth Day, April 22, 2009, 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Gannett Headquarters, 7950 Jones Branch Drive, McLean. Learn how your business can "make green" by "going green" with telework. RSVP to 866.469.1010 or register online at teleworkva.org/earthday.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Cultural Foundation's 11th Annual Scholarship Luncheon and Silent Auction will be held on Saturday, April 25, at 12:00 noon at the Waterford at Fair Oaks. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded scholarships to Fairfax County Schools graduating seniors. Last year ten $2,000 scholarships were awarded to outstanding college-bound students. Visit www.mlkculturalfoundation.org or email officers@mlkculturalfoundation.org for luncheon tickets.
On Saturday, April 25, the Fairfax County Department of Community and Recreation Services' Community Centers Division will host the First Annual Technology Summit at James Lee Community Center, 2855 Annandale Road, Falls Church, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free. CRS is offering individuals, groups, and corporations the opportunity to set up and display their technology, science, and engineering endeavors for the public. Space and tables are free and will be allotted on a first come, first served basis. You must provide your own equipment and supplies. To reserve your booth, contact Robert O'Quinn at 703.324.5588, TTY 711 or via email at Robert.O'Quinn@fairfaxcounty.gov. Deadline for reserving booths is April 10. Fairfax residents of all ages are invited to this fun event and to participate in everything from a computer building competition, robotics, GIP displays and educational stations, and rocketry displays to gaming booths, a Jeopardy technology game, displays from local companies, and much more.
The Arthritis Foundation, Metropolitan Washington Chapter, will hold its annual Fairfax County Arthritis Walk on Saturday, April 25, at Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax. Participants walk in support of fellow workers, loved ones, and friends who have arthritis-related diseases while honorees with arthritis lead the way wearing special blue hats. The proceeds allow the Metro DC Chapter to fund research, foster arthritis awareness, assist families affected by arthritis, and search for a cure. Visit http://letsmovetogetherfairfax.kintera.org for information or to make a donation.
Fairfax County's Annual Earth Day-Arbor Day Celebration will be held on Saturday, April 25, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Northern Virginia Community College's Annandale Campus, 8333 Little River Turnpike. There is no cost for admission, entertainment, games, and activities. Free parking is available in the student parking lots. For more information go to www.cleanfairfaxcouncil.org or call 703.324.5471, TTY 711.
This year's annual benefit concert by the Reston Community Orchestra, "Family Fun at the Pops," will be held on Saturday, April 25, 5:30 p.m., at the South Lakes Montessori School, corner of South Lakes Drive & Ridge Heights Road. Beverly Cosham, Reston's own chanteuse extraordinaire, will be featured in a cabaret setting. The orchestra will also perform popular light classics and music from the Silver Screen and Broadway. More information, email mmckee101@yahoo.com or call 703.476.9181.
Join with Walk MS on Sunday, April 26 and enjoy a leisurely stroll through a wooded, fully accessible trail around Lake Anne and alongside some of Reston's most charming homes. Walk MS starts at 1930 Isaac Newton Square in front of the Reston Association Building with check-in and staggered starts beginning at 8:00 a.m. through 10:00 a.m. The route will close at 2:00 p.m. More information about Walk MS and the work of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is available at www.MSandYou.org.
The Virginia Guardianship & Elder Rights Conference will be held April 27-28 in Richmond. The Conference will focus on activities of special interest to individuals with disabilities and their family members, caregivers, service providers, advocates, and decision-makers. Limited scholarships are available for individuals with disabilities to attend. For more information visit www.vgavirginia.org/conferences.asp.
Northern Virginia Family Services presents the CARE Awards Kick-Off on Wednesday, April 29, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. hosted by Jackson Lewis LLP, 10701 Parkridge Boulevard, Suite 300, Reston. The CARE Awards encourage companies to institute family-friendly programs by exposing them to ideas and thoughtful discussions with business leaders who have already embraced such policies. For more information contact Irene LaBranche at 703.219.2109.
Attend the 2009 Best of Reston on Thursday, April 30, at the Hyatt Regency Reston Town Center. Best of Reston, presented by Reston Interfaith and the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, is an event honoring individuals, organizations, and businesses that have put forth tremendous effort in their commitment to community service and improving the lives of others. To learn more about the event, sponsorship, and ticket purchase, contact Amy.McDowell@restoninterfaith.org 571.323.9582.
Habitat for Humanity ReStore is working with the Metro DC Chapter of American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) to host The Second Annual BIG Sale on Saturday, May 2, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at ReStore, 7770-A Richmond Highway (behind Gold's Gym). Members of ASID are donating unique, high quality materials including furniture, window treatments, fabric, wall hangings, architectural details, cabinets, countertops, lighting fixtures, and much more. This is a sale you will not want to miss.
Join The Positive Aging Coalition on Saturday, May 2, 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Herndon Senior Center, 873 Grace Street, Herndon, for a free discussion on ways to age positively. Small groups will share their strategies for encore careers, civic engagement and volunteering, healthy aging, and social involvement. This event is free, but registration is required by contacting Candy@candyspits.com or 703.534.1128.
On May 2 at 4:00 p.m. Expressive Therapeutic Movement (ETM) is joining with Centreville Dance Theatre (CDT) to celebrate the power of dance to transcend language and bring joy to all individuals at the first annual "Hearts 'N Motion" Annual Performance and Silent Auction. Since 1997, ETM has developed creative pathways through movement, dialogue and drawing to awaken and foster the building of healthy body+mind connections, and support creative expression for individuals with developmental delays such as Down Syndrome and autism. CDT, a young people's dance company, has been offering the opportunity for dancers from ages 8 to 18 to perform since 1992. For more information about Hearts 'N Motion visit www.HeartsNMotion.org.
Attend a conference, "Accelerating Social Entrepreneurship: How Technology is Knocking Down Doors and Fueling Social Innovation" on Monday, May 4, George Washington University, Cafritz Conference Center, 800 21st Street, NW, in Washington, DC. For registration and information, visit www.aseconference.org.
Mark your calendar now to join Herndon-Reston FISH for a sparkling evening of dining, dancing, and fun in celebration of 40 years of community service at the annual FISH Fling on Saturday, May 9, in the ballroom of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Herndon. Visit www.HerndonRestonFISH.org or call Marcia DiTrapani, president, at 703.758.0346 for more information.
Join hundreds of bicycle commuters to celebrate Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 15, 6:30 to 9:00 a.m. at the Reston Town Center pavilion. Each year since 2002, cyclists have gathered at the Town Center for a free breakfast, raffles of bike-related prizes, and bicycling information handouts. Pre-registered riders also get a free t-shirt. To register visit www.waba.org/events/btwd/ and select the Reston pit stop.
The Reston Community Orchestra presents "All About Youth" on Saturday, June 6, 4:00 p.m., at Hunters Woods Village Center. Featured are Dr. Michael McKee, Narrator; Jamey Turner, Glass Harmonica; and a youth soloist. Selections include Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev, Haydn's Symphony No. 94 (the "Surprise"), and Overturn & Waltz from Hansel and Gretel by Humperdinck. The concert will also feature an "instrument petting zoo" and other educational elements that will be sure to delight children and youth.
Help with the Reston Lake Cleanup on Saturday, June 13, 9:00 a.m. to noon. The annual lake cleanup provides a chance for residents who care about Reston's lakes to volunteer to pick up litter and other non-natural debris. Join fellow boaters and lake enthusiasts. A sponsor and site leader for each of the lakes is needed. Please contact Ha Brock, RA Volunteer Coordinator, at 703.435.7986 or email habrock@reston.org for information about volunteering or sponsoring.
Celebrate Reston's heritage and its 45th Birthday at the Reston Festival on Saturday and Sunday, July 11 and 12, at the Reston Town Center. To volunteer the days of the event, join the planning committee, be a sponsor, entertainer, food vendor or crafter call the Festival Information Line at 703.435.7989 or check out www.restonfestival.com. | |
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| Delegate Ken Plum's Virginia E-News.
Authorized by Kenneth R. Plum. Paid for by Friends of Delegate Ken Plum. |
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