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Dear Friend,
It has been a very busy spring with many community events, festivals, and upcoming graduations and summer activities. As always, we want to keep up to date with you in the 34th District and hear from you on any of your concerns. Thank you all for your continued input, advice and support.
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Memorial Day
This weekend we will be celebrating Memorial Day. We will salute our heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our freedom. We also extend our thoughts and prayers to the brave men and women in uniform who are serving in harm's way and protecting and fighting for the cause of freedom.
In McLean the Veterans of Foreign Wars holds a ceremony at McLean High School. In Great Falls there is a ceremony at the Freedom Memorial. Both ceremonies will be held at 11:00am on Monday, May 30th.
In the state legislature this year, we worked together to show our appreciation to veterans by continuing our efforts to make Virginia the best state in the country for veterans. We passed the following legislation:
HB1862 - Extends the licenses, certifications and other identification documents of spouses accompanying a member of the military abroad.
HB1645 - Codifies the constitutional amendment adopted by voters providing a real property tax exemption for the primary residence of veterans who have a 100 percent, service-related disability.
HB1861 - Waives the one-year residency requirement for veterans attending institutions of higher learning in Virginia, allowing veterans to immediately qualify for in-state tuition.
HB1761 - Provides supplemental coverage for members of the armed services through Virginia's cafeteria plan for retirees and dependents eligible for TRICARE supplemental benefits.
HB1557 - Requires the Department of Veterans Services maintain a certain ratio of staff to veterans in the Commonwealth.
HB1774 - Authorizes the Governor to allocate funds for the Virginia National Guard and State Defense Force for purposes of preparedness in the absence of an official state of emergency.
HB1535 - Provides that the Boards of Medicine and Nursing may accept relevant medical experience towards certain civilian, medical certifications
HB1848 - Provides that an established Virginia domicile, and attendant in-state tuition, of an active duty military spouse is not affected by the maintenance of a second residence, due to military service, outside the jurisdiction.
HB1697 - Exempts all Department of Veterans Services facilities from requirements related to certificates of public need.
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McLean Day
It was wonderful to see so many families and friends from our community at McLean Day this past Saturday. We had perfect weather to experience all that McLean has to offer. This is a great, annual McLean tradition. As always, the McLean Community Center did a wonderful job putting together such a massive effort! Congratulations to all involved!
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Viva! Vienna!
This weekend is the Viva! Vienna! event, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Vienna. This annual event is fun for all family members. Centered in the heart of Vienna, the historic Freeman House, Old Vienna Railroad Station, the Caboose, the W & OD Trail, and Church Street and Dominion and Mill provide a wonderful setting for this great community event. For more information, click here.
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Hurricane Preparedness Week and Sales Tax Holiday
With hurricane season officially beginning on June 1, Governor McDonnell has recognized May 22-28 as Hurricane and Flooding Preparedness Week. Individuals and families are recommended to prepare a kit consisting of essential supplies that includes at a minimum: three days' of bottled water and non-perishable food; a battery-powered and/or hand-crank radio, including extra batteries, to hear emergency information; and a written family emergency plan. For more information on making a family plan as well as putting together a supply kit, go to www.Ready.Virginia.gov.
Also, as part of the week, there will be a sales tax holiday, which begins today, May 25, and runs until May 31. In the aftermath of recent severe storms, this sales tax holiday offers a chance for you to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season while getting a break on the sales tax. During this holiday certain items like batteries, flashlights, bottled water, and first aid kits, as well as certain bigger-ticket items like generators priced at $1,000 or less, will be exempt from the 5 percent Virginia sales tax.
To view a full list of the items that are included in the sales tax holiday, answers to frequently asked questions and guidelines for consumers and retailers, go to www.tax.virginia.gov.
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Reinsch Pierce Family Center for Breast Health
Last month I attended a very special event at the Virginia Hospital Center for the dedication ceremony for the Reinsch Pierce Family Center for Breast Health at the Virginia Hospital Center. The center was named in honor of the Reinsch-Pierce family in McLean. Lola Reinsch Pierce and Al Pierce, McLean residents, along with their family and friends were there to celebrate this special gift to enhance patient care and education made by the Reinsch Pierce Family in loving memory of Dolores G. Reinsch (1913 - 2010) along with her husband, Emerson G. Reinsch (1903 - 1988) in appreciation for the excellent healthcare they received at the Hospital since its opening in 1944. For more information on the center, click here.
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The Joe Cassella Way Ribbon Cutting
On Friday, May 13, 2011, I joined The Joe Cassella Foundation for the ribbon cutting of the "Joe Cassella Way" sign in honor of Joe Cassella. Joe Cassella, founder of Elite Fitness concepts in Great Falls, worked as a personal trainer and specialized in developing individualized therapy programs to assist clients recovering from illness and injury. Joe organized 5K races in Great Falls to raise money for Make-A-Wish Foundation and to help pay hospital bills for a local Senior at Langley High School who was paralyzed in a beach accident. Joe Cassella lost a 10-month battle with mesothelioma on July 11, 2009, at the young age of 40. Joe's parents, pictured here, were on hand for the dedication.
On Sunday, May 15, the second 5k in Joe's memory was held and over 450 turned out for this successful event.
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Loudoun Lyme 5K
I attended the 1st Annual Loudoun Lyme 5K to drive awareness and raise money to help find a cure for Lyme disease - the number one tick-borne illness in the United States. The Loudoun Lyme 5K also featured a 1M family walk, children's activities, as well as an information fair to educate the public about Lyme disease, its causes, symptoms and treatments. At the 5K, I also presented Monte Skall, the Executive Director of The National Capital Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Association, with a copy of House Joint Resolution 643 , my resolution passed this session, which designates May as Lyme Disease Awareness Month in Virginia.
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Stop Hunger Now
On June 11, I will be joining the McLean Rotary, Tysons Corner Rotary Club, and Dunn Loring Rotary Club to participate in a one-day, meal-packaging event at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in McLean. This humanitarian effort will benefit Stop Hunger Now, an international hunger relief organization that coordinates the distribution of food andother life-saving aid to countries around the world. More than 25,000 people die of hunger-related causes every day, according to Stop Hunger Now. You can read more information here.
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Clemyjontri Liberty Swing Opening On May 22
On Sunday, May 22 at 1p.m., the Fairfax County Park Authority Board and the Fairfax County Park Foundation, in cooperation with the Friends of Clemyjontri Park and generous donors officially opened the new Liberty Swing at Clemyjontri Park. This unique apparatus now makes it possible for ALL children to enjoy the freedom and delight of getting on a swing - even those in wheelchairs! Congrats to Julie Clemente, President of the Friends of Clemyjontri Park, Kevin Fay and the Fairfax County Park Authority Board, the Fairfax County Park Foundation and all those who made possible the opening of the Liberty Swing at Clemyjontri today. It was a joy to see the children and adults in wheelchairs experience the freedom of getting on a swing. Also, many thanks to Capital One who made a $25,000 donation on Sunday.
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Save The Dates:
- Every Friday - McLean Farmer's Market 8:00-12:00 at Lewinsville Park
- Every Saturday - Cars and Coffee from 7:00-9:00am at Katie's Coffee in Great Falls
- Every Saturday - Great Falls Farmers Market from 9:00-1:00pm at the Great Falls Village Green Day School
- Every Saturday - Civic Place Green events presented by The Palladium at McLean
- First Wednesday of Each Month - McLean Citizens Association Meetings at 8pm at the McLean Community Center
- Second Tuesday of Each Month - Great Falls Citizens Association Meetings at 7:30pm at the Grange
- May 28-30 - Viva! Vienna!
- June 1 - Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce FCPS Honors at 6:00pm at George Mason University
- June 6 - 33rd Annual Valor Awards Ceremony at 11:30am at the Hilton in McLean
- June 16 - Langley High School Graduation
- June 16 - McLean High School Graduation
- June 11 - Stop Hunger Now at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer
- June 25 - Shouse Village Community Association Potluck at 1:00pm at the Community Center
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It is a great honor to serve in the House as your Delegate and I am very grateful to the many people who have provided support, talent, counsel and ideas as we have worked to respond to the quality-of-life issues that are your priorities. As always, we appreciate hearing from you. We can be reached at: 703-209-3787.
I invite you to share this newsletter with any friends or colleagues who might be interested and to keep in touch with us. We are always working to improve our outreach and communication and make sure you receive information and we receive your input.
If you have other events, news, or issues of concern, always feel free to contact me at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Barbara Comstock
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Paid for and Authorized by Friends of Barbara Comstock |
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