Schools, City, GEORGE Close Early; No Farmers Market

February 5, 2010

Falls Church City Public Schools will end early today according the following schedule:

Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School, Noon

Mt. Daniel and Thomas Jefferson Elementary Schools, 12:30 p.m.

George Mason High School, 1:15 p.m.

City Hall will close at 2 p.m.

The Library will close at 2 p.m.

The Community Center MAY stay open until 4 p.m.

GEORGE bus service will begin and end three hours early. First afternoon bus will leave EFC at 1:30 and last departure from EFC will be at 4:30. Depending on conditions, service may be discontinued even earlier.

Saturday, Feb. 6: Farmer’s Market is cancelled. The Library and Community Center will be closed all day.

Sunday, Feb. 7: Library and Community Center closing decisions will be made on Sunday morning.

All FCCPS day care centers will open upon dismissal and will attempt to remain open until 4:00 p.m.  However, parents are encouraged to pick up their children as soon as possible.

All activities scheduled for this weekend in the Falls Church City Public Schools have been cancelled.

The second school board budget work session originally scheduled for Saturday, February 6th has been rescheduled for Tuesday, February 9th at 6:30 p.m. in the Chambers at Falls Church City Hall.  Work sessions are not televised, but are open to the public.

The City of Falls Church has declared a snow emergency effective at noon until further notice. Parked cars must be removed from snow emergency routes by noon. The no parking requirement will be enforced by the Falls Church Police Department on designated snow emergency routes (see list of streets below).  These routes are essential transportation corridors for the City and must remain clear in order to allow snow removal crews to clear the roads.  Residents are also encouraged wherever possible to not park cars on any streets so snow plows have unheeded passage.

In preparation for this major snowfall, City crews are preparing final checks on snow removal equipment and supplies.  City streets will be pre-treated before the snow begins to fall.  Falls Church City crews will work around the clock to ensure streets are safe and passable. First priority for salting, sanding, and plowing will be snow emergency routes.  Upon completion of clearing emergency routes, City crews will clear all other City streets.  Because of the large amount of snow expected, it may take more than one day for crews to clear all City streets, and residents are urged to be patient.

Traffic signs identify which City streets are snow emergency routes.  Vehicles abandoned or parked on snow emergency routes may be towed and fined.   The traffic emergency routes are:

• Annandale Road from Hillwood Avenue to Broad Street
• Broad Street from Haycock Road to Seven Corners
• Columbia Street from Maple Avenue to Tuckahoe Street
• Great Falls Street from West Street to Washington Street
• Hillwood Avenue from Washington Street to Seven Corners
• Lincoln Avenue from West Street to Yucatan Street
• Little Falls Street from Broad Street to Great Falls Street
• Maple Avenue from Annandale Road to Columbia Street
• Park Avenue from West Street to Washington Street
• Roosevelt Street from Hillwood Avenue to Roosevelt Boulevard
• Washington Street from Graham Road to Westmoreland Street
• West Street from Abbott Lane to Great Falls Street

For more information regarding snow emergencies and closings visit www.fallschurchva.gov .