Mount Vernon Supervisor Dan Storck (D)
The 37th Annual Town Meeting at Mount Vernon High School (MVHS) was another wonderful celebration of community! Residents were excited to visit our crowded Exhibit Hall, meet the KidBiz Young Entrepreneurs, get their flu vaccines, listen and ask questions of local leaders and watch the virtual “helicopter” tour of all that is happening in the Mount Vernon District from Lorton to Huntington.
For those who have not attended the Town Meeting, this annual event provides an opportunity for residents to hear from our local elected representatives, see what is new and planned for the area, learn about our accomplishments of the past year and initiatives for the coming year and ask your questions. The highlight of the morning is always the virtual “flying tour” of the District with newer technology, including GIS – Geographic Information Systems - interactive mapping and, this year, green screen video to make me a helicopter pilot! The County’s GIS data and mapping technology is open to all, with learning tools, and can be found here: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/maps/.
This year we were thrilled to bring back the Taste of Mount Vernon, following the Town Meeting, where many of you stayed to sample foods from our local restaurants, visit with your neighbors and make new friends. A huge thank you to the restaurants who donated their delicious food, time and talents to make this event possible. We even had Grandma from new a new hot spot - Grandma’s Famous Café join us! Other new restaurants included HoneyGrow Alexandria, El Fresco Tex-Mex Grill and Taco Rock.
An exciting new addition to the Taste this year was MVHS Culinary Arts - Chef Rockymore Murray’s Restaurant. The Culinary Arts program at MVHS is part of the Career and Technology Education (CTE) Program, offering students the opportunity to learn the technical applications of many occupations while preparing for higher education or entry-level employment. The program even offers catering services and holiday meals. Contact Culinary Instructor Nabil Ibrahim at nsibrahim@fcps.edu for more information.
Other participants included some of our newer restaurants and old favorites: 2 Jefes Tex-Mex, America's Best Wings, Chalkboard Wings & BBQ, Della J's Delectables, Dishes of India, Dominos, Moe's Southwest Grill, Pollo Campero and Ruby’s Jamaican Kitchen. I hope you will consider visiting these restaurants and letting them know you appreciate their support of our community. And, a special thank you to our amazing super volunteer, Lady Fairfax 2023 Shirley Short, for all she does and especially for organizing the Taste of Mount Vernon!
We continue to look for ways to improve this annual event and want to hear from you. Please send feedback, ideas and suggestions to mtvernon@fairfaxcounty.gov. A huge thank you to our many exhibitors, our presenters, the Police Explorers for their service, the Mount Vernon High School Chamber String Quartet for providing musical entertainment, Mount Vernon High School Marine Corps JROTC Color Guard, the Fairfax County Health Department for providing flu vaccines and the KidBiz Young Entrepreneurs Expo!
Did you miss the Town Meeting this year, but still want to watch or pick up a goodie bag? Watch the Town Meeting or just the virtual tour here: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/mountvernon/district-videos. Pick up a “Goodie Bag" at our office (2511 Parkers Lane) which has lots of District information or find the information on our website.