CO MME NT
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
FEBRUARY 2 - 8, 2023 | PAGE 9
A Penny for Your Thoughts
News of Greater Falls Church By Supervisor Penny Gross
For most local residents, pets are part of their family. The Covid-19 pandemic reinforced the therapeutic effect of pets. Animals can help ease stress and loneliness, and most neighborhoods saw an increase in people walking their pets along local streets. Sadly, elderly residents who live in nursing homes became even more isolated during the pandemic, partly because the volunteer therapy teams from Fairfax Pets on Wheels (FPOW) were not able to visit. Visiting pets truly makes a difference. Years ago, I was present when FPOW hosted a program at a local memory care center. The day room was occupied by several senior citizens, who came alive when a dog on leash walked into the room with its owner. People who had been listless or dozing reached out to pet the dogs, and I remember one woman telling me about growing up with her favorite pet. Until the pooch came in, she had been slumped in her chair, seemingly not aware of activity around her, but her eyes sparkled as she petted the animal. Pets really do put a smile on someone’s face. Since 1987, the all-volunteer FPOW, in its own words, “has been licking loneliness by bringing companionship and
improved quality of life to residents of participating nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and adult day health care centers in Fairfax County.” FPOW is sponsored by the Fairfax Area Agency on Aging, and is an American Kennel Club recognized therapy dog organization. But FPOW can’t meet the demand for visits without more people and pet volunteer teams. If you have a lovable dog, cat, or bunny (this is the Year of the Rabbit, you know), FPOW wants to hear from you. Volunteers must submit an online application, attend a one-hour volunteer orientation, and have a pet behavior assessment. Visit www.fpow.org, email fairfaxpetsonwheels@gmail.com, or call 703-324-5424 for more information. FPOW says you’ll touch someone’s life AND change your own! The Clean Fairfax Council, Inc. (Clean Fairfax) is a 501 (c ) (3) non-profit organization that operates in partnership with the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services. Clean Fairfax issued its latest report at the end of 2022, and notes that it supported more than 200 neighborhood cleanups with more than 2000 volunteers. Those volunteers
C i t y o f Fa l l s C h u r c h CRIME R EPORT Week of January 23 - 29, 2023 Shoplifting, W Broad St, January 24, 6:23 PM, unknown suspect took items of value without paying. Suspect described as a male with blond disheveled hair, scruffy facial hair and wearing dark clothing. Larceny from Vehicle, W Broad St, January 25, between 8 AM and 10 AM, unknown suspect(s) took an item of value from an unsecured vehicle. Stolen Auto, N Virginia Ave, January 25, between 10:30 AM and 10:40 AM, an unsecured delivery truck was taken by unknown suspect(s). It was recovered a short while later in Washington, DC. Larceny from Vehicle, W Broad St, between 7:30 PM, January 24 and 9 AM, January 25, unknown suspect(s) took an item of value from an unsecured vehicle. Driving Under the Influence, W Broad St, January 25, 8:14 PM, a female, 46, of Vienna, VA,
donated more than 5500 hours of work (worth $165,000), and picked up 90 tons of trash. Clean Fairfax also supports Earth Day events; more than 2200 people attended the events last year. Clean Fairfax plans to advocate for more policies around plastic pollution, perhaps the most vexing part of its work. You can help by eliminating your use of bottled water (use a refillable bottle/thermos) and properly recycling plastic containers. Reusable bags for groceries and other shopping eliminate the need for plastic bags, but many customers still are paying the five cents per plastic bag tax that was imposed in Fairfax County in January 2022. Tax revenue, which must be used for recycling and environmental programs, exceeded $600,000, which means that millions of plastic bags still are being used in the county. As more people use recyclable bags, the amount of revenue will decrease, which is a good thing! Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.
was arrested for Driving Under the Influence. Drunk in Public, W Broad St, January 26, 11:27 PM, a male, 60, of no fixed address, was arrested for Drunk in Public. Larceny of Vehicle Parts, S Virginia Ave, between January 14, 2023, and noon on January 26, unknown suspect(s) cut the catalytic converter from a Silver 2011 Toyota Prius. Armed Robbery, Wilson Blvd, January 27, 12:52 PM, three unknown suspects entered a store while brandishing a firearm, smashed display cases and took items of value. Suspects described as males, approximately 6`0” tall and wearing ski masks. Two were observed wearing all black clothing, and one was wearing a grey and red puffer jacket with black jeans. Investigation continues. Larceny from Building, Birch St, January 29, victim reported that a lock on a storage unit had been broken on an unknown date and a bicycle was taken.
Senator Dick Saslaw’s
Richmond Report On January 11, the General Assembly convened in Richmond to take up legislative matters and make adjustments to Virginia’s biennial budget. The pace has been intense with subcommittees and full committees beginning as early as 7 a.m. and running well past dinner time. Governor Youngkin set a contentious tone for the session this past December when he presented his amendments to the biennial spending plan. Trying to circumvent the committee process, he proposed language in the budget to greatly restrict a woman’s access to healthcare as well as criminalize providers for the procedure of terminating a pregnancy. This mirrors the Supreme Court’s decision to upend the right to reproductive freedom as defined in the half-century old decision Roe v. Wade. Numerous Republican legislators have introduced bills on the most intimate and difficult decision a woman must make. To date, my Democratic colleagues in the Senate have held the line on ensuring reproductive autonomy. Additional key measures on this subject have passed the Senate and are headed to the House. Gun violence is a societal plague that encompasses many issues with no easy fix. Mass shootings are happening almost daily in a variety of settings. While some will spew second amendment rhetoric, an undeniable solution to abating the human carnage is keeping guns out of the wrong hands. Proper safe storage of weapons would go a long way in keeping loaded handguns out of reach. Our classrooms and campuses should be places of learning, not a shooting range full of defenseless victims. SB 1181 (banning the sale of unserialized firearms) and SB 1192 (prohibiting the carrying of assault weapons in public) have passed the Senate. The Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee is finishing its review of proposals affecting state spending as it prepares to deliver its updates to the biennial budget. During the pandemic, we revisited Virginia’s spending plan and “unallocated” approved appropriations to ensure structural integrity in the budget. Expenses were trimmed, and monies moved to housing and utility assistance to
shore up Virginians who were out of work. Investments were redirected towards healthcare providers. Vaccines were developed and moved into communities without cost. While certain sectors of the economy seamlessly performed from home, there were others that went dark, forcing adjustments to revenue forecasts. Additionally, Virginia received a huge infusion of federal money in the form of PPP. This backstory from the previous biennium laid the foundation for the current spending plan and the proposed amendments now under consideration. In short, Virginia’s economy continues to improve, buttressed by low unemployment rates. At the same time nearly every profession and most businesses are experiencing a staffing shortage. Public education has played a significant role in providing that trained workforce through appropriate investments in our children’s future as well as the people providing high-demand services. We continue to limit tuition at our colleges and universities, but it is still a student financial burden because we have not been able to meet remaining needs for our students. We are in a mental health crisis exacerbated by the pandemic and manifesting in many ways amid all age groups. Tackling this public health issue is long overdue and will require major infusions of funding for professional training, appropriate treatment plans, placements, and getting to the root causes of the ongoing opioid epidemic ravaging our communities. The list is long and being carefully prioritized as we weigh the Governor’s recommendations and economic indicators. I have learned a lot of things during my many years in public service, including the benefits of a collective revenue stream that enhances our quality of life. It is nearly impossible to make measurable change without a longterm vision for the future. We must structure a realistic and balanced budget going forward in this biennium. Senator Saslaw represents the 35th District in the Virginia State Senate. He may be emailed at district35@senate.virginia.gov.