Certified technicians from the Sully District Police Station will perform free, child safety carseat inspections Thursday, March 14, from 5-8:30 p.m., at the station, 4900 Stonecroft Blvd. in Chantilly. No appointment is necessary. But residents should install the child safety seats themselves so technicians may properly inspect and adjust them, as needed.

However, because of time constraints, only the first 35 vehicles arriving on each date will be inspected. That way, inspectors may have enough time to properly instruct the caregiver on the correct use of the child seat. Call 703-814-7000, ext. 5140, to confirm dates and times.

Route 50/Stonecroft Delays

Drivers beware: Beginning this Friday, March 15, at 8 p.m. and continuing all day Saturday, March 16, signal work will be happening at the intersection of Route 50 and Stonecroft Boulevard in Chantilly. The permanent signal poles and signal heads will be removed, and new temporary signal poles will be installed with new, overhead, span wire and temporary signal heads. Delays are expected Saturday, so motorists are advised to use alternate routes.

Lane closures will occur on both the eastbound and westbound Route 50 until completion. In addition, police will stop traffic periodically so the signal subcontractor may remove the permanent poles and install the new temporary poles and span wire. Once the work’s finished, the new intersection will be fully operational and its traffic configuration will remain the same.

Arts and Crafts Fair

An Arts and Crafts Fair will be held this Saturday, March 16, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., at The nZone, 14550 Lee Road in Chantilly. An array of vendors will offer handmade items including jewelry, quilts, home decorations and gifts for children. There’ll also be concessions, plus children’s games and activities. For more details, go to http://artsncraftsfair.weebly.com/

Cost of admission is a can of food or other non-perishable item. New Life Christian Church’s Women’s Ministry is sponsoring the event to support Passion4Community, which helps families in need in the local area.

Pleasant Valley /Braddock Road Meeting

One of the most traffic-crammed intersections in the area is where Pleasant Valley and Braddock roads meet, outside Cox Farms in Centreville. So on Monday, March 18, at 7 p.m., Supervisor Michael R. Frey (R-Sully) is hosting a public meeting to discuss conceptual improvements to this intersection. The meeting will be held in the Sully District Governmental Center, 4900 Stonecroft Blvd. in Chantilly.

Last year, the Commonwealth Transportation Board allocated $600,000 toward improvements to the intersection, and VDOT and its consultant have been working on conceptual design improvements. At the upcoming meeting, VDOT will present its findings and Frey will gather community input on the improvements proposed. After the presentation, there’ll also be a question-and-answer period. For more information, call Frey’s staff member, Mike Coyle, at 703-814-7100.

Ruby Tuesday’s WFCM Fundraiser

To help raise money for its programs that help local families in need, Western Fairfax Christian Ministries (WFCM) is participating in Ruby Tuesday’s GiveBack community program. From Friday-Sunday, March 29-31, customers presenting a flyer to their server will have 20 percent of their purchase cost donated to WFCM. (The flyers may be printed from www.wfcmva.org).

The effort is called “Take a Bite out of Hunger,” and is being held at the Ruby Tuesday at 13915 Metrotech Drive in Chantilly. For directions to the restaurant or to view the menu, go to www.rubytuesday.com. To make reservations, call 703-818-3713.

“Financial support is vital to Western Fairfax Christian Ministries to help our neighbors in need achieve financial stability,” said WFCM’s Community Outreach Manager Jennie Bush. “We cannot administer our programs without community support, and we appreciate our community participating in this program.”

Fashion Show at Waterford

The 33rd annual fundraising fashion show/luncheon/silent auction for the Fairfax Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary is slated for Friday, April 12, at the Waterford in Fair Oaks (across from Fair Oaks Mall). The social hour and silent auction begin at 10:30 a.m., followed at 11:30 a.m. by a performance from guest entertainer Carlos Alberto Ibay, an accomplished concert pianist and talented tenor.

Lunch catered by the Waterford will be served at noon, and the fashion show featuring clothing from Bloomingdale’s of Tysons Corner will be presented at 12:50 p.m. Tickets are $40 ($10 is tax-deductible); reservations must be made by March 27.

The event helps support all the Salvation Army’s charitable programs. To purchase tickets, become a sponsor or donate gift certificates and merchandise for the silent auction, contact event coordinator Angela Ganey at angelaganey@verizon.net or 703-250-5809.

Westfield Actors Win Awards

Westfield High’s Virginia Theater Assn. team performed the play, “The Hothouse,” on Friday, March 8, at the South East Theatre Conference in Louisville, Ky. Senior Madeleine Bloxam won the festival’s Best Supporting Actress award, and brothers Julian and Brandon Sanchez won the All Star Acting award.

X-BOTS Are Award Finalists

Rocky Run Middle School’s X-BOTS team didn’t win the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) State Championships, March 2, in Richmond, but its members made a great showing. The team was a finalist in two categories — the Connect Award (for outstanding community outreach) and the Compass Award (for outstanding guidance from its coach, Nagesh Chintada).

“We missed out on a top-10 finish narrowly, due to some technical issues,” said Chintada. “Nevertheless it's a great honor to be picked for these award nominations as a rookie team from among 48 teams.”

The team built a robot which placed rings onto pegs on three levels of a 3D tic-tac-toe, while another team tried to prevent it from doing so. Rocky Run’s team was comprised of eighth-graders Nikhil Chintada, Satish Venkatesan, Rishabh Venketesh, Ahan Shah and Sarah Maxseiner; seventh-graders Sidharth Rampally and Nandin Padheriya; Greenbriar West Elementary fifth-grader Anoushka Chintada and Thomas Jefferson High freshman Rishab Negi.

Food Donations for WFCM

Western Fairfax Christian Ministries’ food pantry urgently needs donations of spaghetti sauce, canned fruit, rice (2-lb. bags), canned pasta, peanut butter, canned tuna and meat, hot and cold cereal, fruit juice, and pancake mix and syrup. Bring all items to WFCM’S new food-pantry location at 13888 Metrotech Drive, near Papa John’s Pizza and Kumon Learning Center, in Chantilly’s Sully Place Shopping Center.

Meals on Wheels Volunteers

Fairfax County needs Meals on Wheels drivers in Chantilly and group Meals on Wheels coordinators in both Chantilly and Fairfax. Contact Volunteer Solutions at 703-324-5406, TTY 711, VolunteerSolutions@fairfaxcounty.gov or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/olderadultservices/volunteer-solutions.htm.

Give Caregivers a Break

Fairfax County needs Respite Care volunteers throughout the county to give family caregivers of a frail older adult a well-deserved break. Volunteers visit and oversee the safety of the older adult for a few hours each month. Volunteers are matched with families in or near their own neighborhoods. Support and training is provided. Contact Kristin Martin at 703-324-7577, TTY 711, or Kristin.Martin@fairfaxcounty.gov.

Women's Self Defense Program

The Fairfax County Law Enforcement Foundation is partnering with the Fairfax County Police Department to offer the Women's Self Defense Training program. It’s based on the SAFE program formerly provided by the Police Department, but now being taught by C&J Security Corp.

The program is a two-day class that will meet on consecutive Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:15-9:30 p.m. It’s currently offered free and all class materials are included. Program funding is provided through the Fairfax County Law Enforcement Foundation.

The course is offered to females, age 13 and older. A female guardian must accompany girls 13-18. No men other than the instructors are permitted to be present during a class. For more information, call 703-246-7806, e-mail WSD@fairfaxfoundation.org or go to www.fairfaxfoundation.org.