Farmers Market  Returns to  Mason District Park
The Farmer’s Market  returns every  Thursday morning, beginning May 3,  from 8 a.m. until 12  noon at Mason District Park , 6621 Columbia Pike in Annandale .    All products sold are produced by vendors within 125 miles of Fairfax County.   Growers  offer  vine-ripe produce, fresh baked goods, herb plants, and much more for your spring and summer time enjoyment.  For a complete schedule of Farmer’s Markets hosted by the Fairfax County Park Authority, and other activities, call 703-324-5390, or visit the Web Site at  www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/wp-farm-mkt.htm.

Reminder:  Household Hazardous Waste Disposal and Document Shredding Returns to Mason District In May 
On  Saturday, May 19, from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m. , residents can bring up to  five  medium-sized  boxes of paper per household  for  Document  Shredding   (please remove  paper from  binders ,  remove binder clips , and remove paper clips and rubber bands ).   This event is for paper documents only (no film or computer discs), and is intended for shredding personal or sensitive documents.  Both services are  FREE  for Fairfax County residents .   For a list of recycling and trash-related events in Fairfax County, call 703-324-5230, or log-on to   www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpwes/recycling/intro-programs.htm.

Go Green: Bike To Work on May 18 !
May is National Bike Month and Friday, May 18, is “Bike to Work Day.”  Save some fuel, and join thousands of area commuters, who will use their pedal power and bike to work!  Register on-line at  www.biketoworkmetrodc.org, or call 800-745-7433.  Pre-register by May 11 for free T-Shirt and bike raffle.  T-Shirts will be available at pit stops for the first 11,000 riders who register.  There are more than 50 Bike to Work Day pit stops located in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.   In Fairfax County there are nine pit stops: Tyson’s, Vienna, Reston, Fairfax Corner/Government Center, Fairfax City/GMU, Springfield, Merrifield, Herndon, and Burke.  For more information about Bike to Work Day, or for help with routing your trip, contact Charlie Strunk, Fairfax County Department of Transportation, 703-877-5600 (TTY 711), or send an  e-mail to  bicycleprograms@fairfaxcounty.gov.

May 25-31: Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday
Hurricane season begins June 1 through November 30, so mark your calendar and plan to replenish essential emergency supplies during May 25-31, when some supplies will be sales tax exempt.  A list of items, and other preparedness information, is available at  www.readyvirginia.gov.  Although spring and summer rains may be heavy at times, it is in the fall when the threat of hurricanes and other severe storms is more prevalent in Northern Virginia.  For information about storm preparedness, visit the Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management’s Web site at  www.fairfaxcounty.gov/oem, or call 571-350-1000, TTY 711.

Mason Matters! The Television Show
The  May edition of  Mason Matters! the television show that brings you news and information about our Mason District community, hosted by Supervisor Penny Gross, features Michael Congleton, strategic initiatives manager with the Department of Code Compliance, and Master Animal Control Officer Jennifer Milburn with the Fairfax County Police Department, Animal Services Division.  Spring cleaning requires time and decision-making about items to keep, toss, or donate, but when  saving too many items is taken to the extreme, it is called hoarding.    Hoarding commonly manifests itself in the excessive collection of printed material, clothing, and household trash.  However, hoarding of animals now can be added to the list, posing a health and safety risk to individuals and animals.   Mason Matters!  airs on Cable Channel 16 every Thursday at 7 p.m., and every Friday and Sunday at 6:30 p.m., and daily on-line at  www.fairfaxcounty.gov/mason.