Burke

From Page 3NewsBulova Releases 2015 State of the County AddressDespite a projected shortfall ofnearly $100 million facingFairfax County going into theFY 2016 budget, Board of Supervisorschairman Sharon Bulova remainsencouraged by a 2014 that she said was fullof accomplishments.“We can’t stop pedaling,” she said in aquestion-and-answer session following ascreening of her 2015 State of the Countyaddress video. “It becomes increasinglyharder, with reduced revenue stream frompast years. It just continues to be not easy.”The chairman’s half-hour address, releasedWednesday Jan. 14, highlights transportationimprovements around the county,including the opening Phase I of the MetroSilver Line, two new VRE stations, the BusRapid Transit and Metro extension hybridoption being looked at for the U.S. Route 1corridor and the December opening of theI-95 Express Lanes.“With our current population at over 1.1million residents and growing,” Bulova saidin the address, “Fairfax County is planningahead when it comes to county services,redevelopment opportunities and transportationoptions in our community.”Bulova noted the effort to revitalize thehousing market through mixed-use urbanCould Fairfax County End Veteran Homelessness in 2015?Lamb Center, a Fairfax- and faith-basednonprofit drop-in service facility for thehomeless.“It’s not that simple. You have to find thefolks and in some cases coax them into thatsituation.”For many homeless veterans, the pridethey once felt as leaders serving their countryswitches to shame, leading to an aversionto asking for help when they were oncethe strong ones providing assistance.Mental illness and PTSD can compoundor heighten that experience, making it moredifficult for a veteran to accept help.“What you’d think just seems normal,getting into housing of any kind would bea good thing,” said MacPherson, “is notnormal to them.”The Lamb Center has a representativefrom the VA visit regularly to advise guestson what services are available to themthrough the government. Some peoplecome back to the center for years,MacPherson explained, before revealingthey are a veteran.“They just feel like they don’t qualify,” hesaid.AT 21, JACOB FLORES WAS AT ANAPEX: He was married, owned a house andwas in charge of 12 other Marines. He currentlycommands the Veterans of ForeignWars (VFW) Post 8649 in Fairfax Station.“I got a high in the military,” said the Alexandriacity resident. “ I was at my primein my life; I felt like was in my 30s.”Photo by Tim Peterson/The ConnectionBoard of Supervisors chairman Sharon Bulova speaks at the 2015 Stateof the County Address.centers like Tysons Corner, the Mosaic District,Reston Town Center and the newSpringfield Town Center.When asked if the growth has yielded asimilar growth in non-residential revenuePhoto courtesy of Jacob FloresJacob Flores (center) leads the VFW Post 8649 in the 2014 Fairfax CityFourth of July Parade.But a number of issues, not the least ofwhich a divorce, brought Flores back toground level. He left the Marine Corps andleaned on his friends, family and communityfor support as he changed gears.“For a lot of us, our high was that brotherhood,all those men and women that wefought with,” said Flores. “It’s an elite group.You get this pride.”Flores is studying management and constructionengineering at George MasonUniversity, financed by the G.I. Bill. He alsoworks two jobs — one at the Dewberry architecturefirm and weekends bouncing ata sports bar — to make ends meet.But, he said, many veterans have moredifficulty making the transition. One badbreak turns into another, and especially forthose with mental or physical disabilitiesas a result of their service, they can losefor the county, Bulova responded that theyare seeing “some increase.” While some newdevelopment buildings aren’t full yet, shedidn’t express a concern for overbuilding.Fairfax County Public Schools superintendentDr. Karen Garza appears in the video,highlighting the projected growth of theschool system to over 200,000 students by2020, its growing special needs populationand academic achievements that “continueto exceed their counterparts in the state.”Garza also noted the adoption of the FCPS“Portrait of a Graduate” set of ideals as partof a long-term strategic plan for the schoolsystem that’s under development.“Graduates should leave FCPS knowinghow to be a communicator, collaborator,ethical and global citizen, creative and criticalthinker, and goal-directed and resilientindividual,” she said.FCPS is facing a significant deficit of itsown, as Garza outlined in the recent releaseof her 2015-2016 school year budget.The county’s budget process will advancein February when the county executive EdwardLong brings forward an AdvertisedBudget.Whether residents can expect a propertytax increase to cover the county’s shortfall,Bulova said, “We’ll see what he puts on thetable.”The full video of the State of the Countyaddress has aired on Channel 16 and canbe viewed on the chairman’s homepage athttp://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/chairman/.their support system.“Some people miss those sections of thenext step of what they should do,” Floressaid.“Financial matters can become a problem,they get bogged down and don’t haveenough money to pay bills or rent. It becomesan avalanche.”ONE OF THE PROJECTS Keeser and othershave been working on is establishing acentralized veterans training and care center.Depending on the facility they end upusing, it could be residential or not, andwould offer “social grounding” services includingnutrition, child life experts and joborientededucation.“It’s the whole-person concept,” saidKeeser. “Financial management, mentalemotional-drugissues — people wouldleave there in a year and walk out of theclassroom environment to an actual job.”Keeser said such a center would help provideguests links to VA benefits, but for fundingthey would need to rely on grants andpartners from the business community.“We need to stop the bleeding,” she said.“Putting individuals in housing really turnssomeone around. And part of that movingforward is the job, the pride and the keythat opens the door.”For more information or to get involvedwith the Fairfax-Falls Church CommunityPartnership on Ending Homelessness, visitthe county’s website www.fairfaxcounty.gov/homeless or the Office to Prevent and EndHomelessness Facebook page atwww.facebook.com/fairfaxhomeless.4 ❖ Burke Connection ❖ January 22-28, 2015 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com