April 2004

• wonderful opportunities for networking and partner building;
• “Ask the Expert” seminars held all day (check website for specifics and schedules);
• hourly drawings for great door prizes;
• local eateries at the Showcase Sampler from 11:00 am – 1:30 pm; and
• free, on-campus parking.

Corporate sponsors include Source Office Suites; Fairview Park Marriott; Mason Enterprise Center; Timberlake Publishing, LLC; Ecoquest International; Independent Distributor; AFLAC; Century 21 New Millennium; Rokom Ltd.; Ferris & Schoeman, LLC; McCabe's Minuteman Press; Virginia Commerce Bank; Dulles Business Solutions; NeoPost Inc.; Monettech, LC; Colonial Supplemental Insurance; and Results Software. Media sponsor is the Washington Business Journal. Evening reception sponsor is Southern Financial Bank.

Limited booth space available. Contact Cindy Joy-Rodgers at (703) 802-1365 for additional information.

Admission Coupon Northern Virginia Business and Technology Showcase 2004 April 29, 2004 - 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Patriot Center George Mason University Free Parking in designated lot $15 Value per person Compliments of:

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VTRCC/TBLC and Merchants' Open Forum

The Vienna-Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Vienna Business Liaison Committee would like to invite you to a merchants' "open house". On May 26th, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., please join us for an open forum at the Vienna Community Center. We are interested to hear feedback from local merchants on what issues could be addressed and what goals this merchants' advocacy group should accomplish. More information will be included in the next Enterprise and on vtrcc.org as it becomes available. If you have any questions or comments, please contact Carole Wolfand at wetpnt@aol.com or 703-282-5252, or Maris Angolia at maris@karinsflorist.com or 703-281-0558.

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Thursday Tip Group Moves to Monday

Imagine if you never started another week wondering where to find new business! The dynamic networkers from our Thursday Tip Group are moving their meeting to Monday. It will remain a lunch meeting, from 12:15-1:30 p.m. at Shula’s Steakhouse in the Tysons Corner Marriott (8028 Leesburg Pike). For more information on this great way to start every week, call Harvey Silverman at 703-319-8806.

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2004-2005 Board of Directors Nominees (Updated)

The VTRCC wishes to extend a special thank you to Maris Angolia (Karin’s Florist), Chairman of the 2004 Nominating Committee, and Committee members: Tom Hanton (Guernsey Office Products), Michael Crawford (Virginia Commerce Bank), Bob Stemetzki (The Burdette Smith Group, P.C.), and Joe Cacciapaglia (First Financial Group) for their effort in qualifying the following members to serve on the 2004-2005 Board of Directors. Please note the change for VP Organizational Services.

Chairman	Maris Angolia	Karin’s Florist
Chairman-elect	Billy Thompson	All Star Movers
Past Chairman	Bob Stemetzki	The Burdette Smith Group, P.C.
Treasurer	Bonnie Hoopengardner	Goodman & Company, LLP
Sr. VP Fundraising	Debbie Earman	Long & Foster
Sr. VP Membership Dev.	Mark Chernisky	Fairfax County EDA
Sr. VP Member Services	Jeanine Dent	Mary Kay Cosmetics
VP Government Affairs	Roy Baldwin	Roy J. Baldwin, Esq.
VP Youth & Education	Pat Hackerson	Weichert Realtors
VP Member Benefits	Jodi Scholes	Northern VA Massage Center
VP Business Development	Joan Fletcher	Winning Ways, Inc.
VP Organizational Services	Rebecca McKeever	Courtyard by Marriott - Tysons Corner
VP Community Affairs	Bill Daly	Rees, Broome, Diaz
General Counsel	Harvey Silverman	Harvey A. Silverman, Esq.

Pursuant to the Bylaws of the Vienna-Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce, the 2004 Nominating Committee is pleased to present the above nominees as candidates for the specified positions. The Bylaws provide for additions to this slate of candidates by method of petition. A copy of the Chamber Bylaws setting forth this process can be obtained from the Chamber office by anyone interested in the process. Election for directors will be at the May 13 General Membership Meeting at Clyde’s of Tysons Corner. The Installation Luncheon will be June 10 at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW for these special events.

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Chamber Stars

Most of us were not the valedictorians or salutatorians in our graduating class. But we did some things very well. Help recognize students who show exceptional progress during the year by becoming a Chamber Stars Sponsor. For each $25 contribution, a local student selected by their school faculty will pick out $25 worth of books at Borders to be donated to their school library. Your name/company and the name of the student will be printed in a bookplate to commemorate your contribution to the educational community.

The March 18th Youth & Education Luncheon was a showcase for the talent of local students as well as an opportunity for member businesses to discover the benefits of partnering with local schools. Thirty students from nine area schools shared their musical, artistic, dance, language, communication and scientific talents. During her introduction, Vice President for Youth & Education Barbara McHale quipped, “If the conversation at your tables is like the conversation at ours, you might be feeling pretty dumb right now.” Left: Cellist Rachel Wu from Louise Archer Elementary School shares an original music composition.

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Calendar Updates

Visit our events pages for April and May events.

Save these dates for June!

Thursday, June 10	MONTHLY LUNCHEON (Installation of 2004/2005 Board of Directors)
Wednesday, June 23	JOINT EVENING MIXER WITH CENTRAL FAIRFAX CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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April Business Spotlight TOM HANTON GUERNSEY OFFICE PRODUCTS May Business Spotlight KATRINA FUNKHOUSER CORPORATE OFFICE SOLUTIONS Click here for more information about these members or to find out how your business can be "Member of the Month".

Message from the President

Dear Vienna-Tysons Regional Chamber Members,

Current Vienna-Tysons Chamber members are needed to help recruit new members during our 2004-2005 Membership Drive, running through April 28, 2004. All new Chamber members who join during the drive will receive up to fifteen months for the price of twelve (membership until June 2005). Our annual Membership Drive will end with the Sip & Sample prospective member wine tasting mixer on Wednesday April 28, 2004 at SunTrust Bank (515 maple Ave, East). This is a great way to introduce prospective members to the Chamber of Commerce. If you know of anyone who is interested in Chamber membership, this is the event they should attend. Sip & Sample will start at 5:30 p.m. The cost is $7 solo, $3 if you bring one prospective member, and FREE if you bring two prospective members.

The VTRCC Member that signs up the most new members before April 28 is eligible to win:

• FIRST PLACE: Free 2004/2005 membership (up to $275)
• SECOND PLACE: Disk of VTRCC member contact info. OR one month of newsletter inserts (value $100-$125)
• THIRD PLACE: Two free passes to VTRCC lunches plus two free passes to VTRCC mixers

“What a wonderful event!” Participant feedback from our March 6 Casino Night and Taste of the Town reflected the energy and joy of the Chamber’s luau-themed gaming night. Many of the 300 participants scored great deals on valuable live and silent auction items; dozens of others won prize packages with their raffle tickets from their game winnings. Above: Matt Brennan deals blackjack to a happy crowd at the table sponsored by his law office, Brennan & Waite, PLC.

On March 6th we hosted our 11th Annual Casino Night and Taste of the Town. The “social event of the year” was a roaring success. Over three-hundred people attended and enjoyed a wide variety of food from Aarathi Indian Cuisine, Anita’s “New Mexico Style” Food, Inc, California Tortilla / MCI Center, Capital Grill, The Italian Store, Jammin’ Java, JR’s Stockyards Inn, Marco Polo Restaurant, Peking Express, Pie Gourmet, Vienna Inn, and Whole Foods Market®….Vienna. A big thank you goes out to Casino Night Chairmen, Joanna Bragg of Whole Foods Market®…Vienna and Mark Chernisky of Fairfax County EDA, and the Casino Night Committee for all of their hard work. I would especially like to thank our Gold Sponsors, The Burdette Smith Group, PC, The Business Bank, Nautilus Communications, Inc., Northwest Federal Credit Union, Rees, Broome & Diaz, The Networking Community, and Welcome Wagon, for their corporate support. Finally a big thank you goes out to our twenty table sponsors: AIM Home Financial, LLC, BB&T-West, Brennan & Waite, PLC, Attorneys at Law, Buhl Electric, County Transmissions, Debbie Earman, Long & Foster Realtors, Ecoquest, eHome Solutions, Evolution Health and Fitness, The Freedom Bank of Virginia, James Monroe Bank, Karin’s Custom Images/Karin’s Florist, McCormick Insurance Agency, Michelle H. Wright & Associates, PLC, The Miller Law Group / Telforward, Inc, Potomac Bank of Virginia, Southern Financial Bank, SunTrust Bank, United Bank – Vienna, and Virginia Commerce Bank.

 

On April 8 the VTRCC Nonprofits Roundtable will host their annual Nonprofit Luncheon at The Best Western Fairfax. This luncheon will introduced our nonprofit chamber members to the business community. Our guest speaker will be T.C. Smith, Founder – Fast Signs of Herndon and he will talk about the benefits the business community receives by working with the nonprofit sector. VTRCC nonprofit members include; American Legion Post 180; Fairfax CASA; Crisis Link; Committee Helping Others (CHO); Fairfax Public Access TV, GOODDOGZ.ORG; Historic Vienna, Inc.; Inova Blood Donor Services; Optimist Club of Vienna; The Shepherd's Center of Oakton-Vienna; United Way; USA Football; The Vienna Arts Society; The Vienna Choral Society; Vienna Jaycees; The Vienna Optimist Club; The Vienna Theatre Company; and The Women's Center.

Looking ahead, election of the VTRCC 2004-2005 Board of Directors will take place at our May luncheon on May 13 at Clyde's of Tysons Corner. The final slate of officers will be presented to the membership at our April luncheon.

If you should have any questions or require more information about the Vienna-Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce, please visit us on line at www.vtrcc.org or call (703) 281-1333. Please remember to call the Chamber to RSVP for our events and activities.

I look forward to seeing you at our April and May events.

Very truly yours,

Francis G. Powers, Jr.
President

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Legislative Affairs

Town Hall Meeting
By Virginia State Senator Jeannemarie Devolites

As I write this we are in day three of our extended General Assembly Session. As the news media has been reporting there is a great gap between the House, Senate and Governor’s budgets and, at this point, compromise is looking bleak. The lack of consensus is do to several factors: a sincere determination on the part of the House majority not to increase the tax burden; a sincere determination by the majority of the Senate that Virginia’s needs are great and if we do not fund them now, we will not have the opportunity to do it again; and, of course, the more this becomes personally directed (with the flow of personal, negative attacks between the two chambers), the more ego plays a role in the continued stubbornness between the two parties.

There are genuine needs that need to be met. Medicaid, which presently costs Virginians $1.2 billion, per biennium, (14% of our general fund) is growing by over $740 million, this biennium. We will be short 10,000 prison beds by 2010 – it will cost about $400 million to build the additional space and $250 million per biennium to operate the new facilities. The car tax cut (which is an expenditure to the general fund) continues to rise and is rapidly approaching $1 billion, already utilizing about 11% of our general fund. The Joint Legislative Audit Review Commission has indicated that we are underfunding the Commonwealth’s share of K-12 education, to the localities, by over $700 million and higher education by several hundred million dollars. Although we have seen growth in the economy and, subsequently, growth in revenues the obligations and federal mandates mentioned above are outpacing revenue growth.

All that being said, I have continued to vote against the Senate plan for one very good reason. Both the Senate plan and the Governor’s plans include a restructuring of income tax, which result in a larger transfer of wealth from northern Virginia to the rest of the state. Equalization was stripped out of the Senate plan and was never included in the Governor’s plan, thereby doing nothing to help Fairfax county reduce its dependency on real estate taxes. Fully funding the car tax cut (to 100%) was also stripped from the Senate plan. At least a disproportionate amount of those dollars would have come back to northern Virginia. Neither the Governor nor the Senate have included funding formula changes. Both plans bring Fairfax County about 7.5% of the new education funding – even though we are 14% of the population and 20% of the student population. The Senate plan increases transportation related taxes and fees by $1.5 billion – northern Virginia receives only $175 million of those dollars (a dismal 11.7 %, even though we represent 28% of the Commonwealth’s population and have the second worst traffic gridlock in the nation).

Knowing that the House will not accept a plan with the income tax changes, I suspect that when an agreement is struck, it will raise the revenues we need to make both short and long term investment in our infrastructure, without as large a transfer of wealth from northern Virginia to the rest of the state. We need our dollars here. That’s a plan I can vote for!

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Business Directory & Community Guide

The Vienna-Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the commencement of advertising sales for our new Business Directory & Community Guide. Performance Publishing Group, Inc, one of the largest and most successful chamber publishers in the country, will again produce our 2005 directory.

Many people turn to the Chamber Directory to locate the best and most accessible companies in the area. The Directory will provide a colorful showcase for the local business community and is rich with community resources and business networking information that consumers use throughout the year. Performance Publishing Group, Inc. states that 89% of their typical chamber readership holds onto their directories for the entire year. PPG also states that over 35% of their users return to the directory a minimum of nine times throughout the year to source the advertising for their buying needs.

The professional design features extensive four-color, coated stock with high-end graphics and magazine style layouts. The Directory includes attractively designed special guide sections, by general business category, with editorial space available for member advertisers. Special sections include Professional Services, Financial Services, Health Care, Accommodations, Education, Real Estate, and Dining. There will also be a Classified section that includes a listing for every member. Advertising opportunities are also available in the Classified section.

The Directory will be distributed throughout the community totaling 6,000 copies. The book will be distributed to key areas in the community such as real estate offices, banks and financial institutions, Fairfax County and Vienna government offices, libraries, Tyson Corner hotels, relocation requests, and new businesses.

The combination of high advertising value at affordable rates creates a marketing piece that will give your business a full year of returns. Call Betsy Glass at 800-814-7289 x311 for more information about this exciting directory opportunity.

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Annual Health Fair Now to be Held at Viva Vienna

Attention Medical Professionals and Health Care Providers: This year’s health fair is being held in conjunction with Viva Vienna on Memorial Day Weekend, May 29-31. We will be holding the health fair along Dominion Road in front of Evolution Health & Fitness and towards Church Street. (This will be located next to the carnival rides.)

Chamber members are invited to promote themselves and provide health information and screening to Fair participants. There will be a small $50 refundable deposit for to hold tables for Chamber members. Non-members are also welcome to participate for $250, which includes a one-year membership in the VTRCC. The hours are Sunday the 30th between 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Monday the 31st between 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Space is limited and will be given on a first-come, first-served basis. We provide the space, Viva Vienna provides the people, and you will need to provide the rest, i.e. tent, table, chairs, screening equipment, staff, etc.

If you would like to participate or have any further questions, please contact the Chamber office at 703-281-1333. We will be sending out additional information soon. Hope to see you there.

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Two Special Opportunities for Chamber Members! GET MOTIVATED SEMINAR Tuesday, April 6 8 a.m.-4:45 p.m. Location: MCI Center Arena (601 F St., NW) Cost: $45 per group Speakers include: Zig Ziglar, Rudi Giuliani, Jessica Lynch, and more! The VTRCC has made special arrangements to give members the rock-bottom lowest ticket price. As a VTRCC Member, you are entitled to attend this spectacular day of training, inspiration, and motivation for a total investment of only $49 (Not per person but PER OFFICE). So if you have ten people, the investment is $4.90 each! Call immediately to take advantage of this very limited time offer! RSVP: 1-800-442-3528. MASTER OF SUCCESS NETWORKING EVENT Monday, April 19, 6-8:00 p.m. Location: Tysons Corner Marriott (8028 Leesburg Pike) Cost: $17 advance / $20 door Speaker: Dr. Ivan Misner, Founder of Business Network International (BNI) Networking (6-7 p.m.) will be followed by a book signing lecture (7-8 p.m.) on Dr. Misner’s new book "Master of Success.” Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from one of the top networkers in the country about ways to grow your business through the power of networking. RSVP to 240-314-0766 or online at www.BNINOVA.com.

Member News

Carolyn Koslow of the Vienna Arts Society (VAS) has donated a giclee print of the Vienna Train Mural artwork to the Vienna-Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce. The 7”x23” print has been matted and framed, courtesy of Creative Framing, and will grace the walls of the VTRCC office for years to come. The stairs and hallway leading to the VTRCC office at 513 Maple Ave., West, are home to a gallery of art by VAS members. You can also view VAS talent at their new Art Center, located at 115 Pleasant Street in Vienna. VAS members are reminded to register for the Spring Show, Art in Bloom, by April 15. The show will be held Friday April 30-Sunday, May 2 at the Vienna Community Center. Pre-registration is only $5; registration at the door is $7.

With a goal to serve 100 percent of the children who are referred by the court for a CASA volunteer, Fairfax CASA proudly graduated of the largest and most diverse class of CASA volunteers in Fairfax CASA history. Swearing in 48 Court Appointed Special Advocates to serve as the voice for abused and neglected children in court, Judge Daniel commented, “I am pleased to learn that Fairfax CASA is graduating such a large and diverse class of volunteers. Volunteer CASAs provide a powerful voice for the hundreds of children we see in our court because their family members have been cited for abuse and/or neglect. As Judges, we are charged with the responsibility of protecting these children. CASAs, social workers, attorneys, and guardians ad litem all play a vital role in being the court’s eyes and ears into the lives and into the environments of these especially vulnerable children. Input from all of these sources makes us capable of doing our job better.”

Sunrise Assisted Living at Hunter Mill will offer “Keeping Crime Away from the Elderly” and “Safeguarding Memory Impaired Adults” as part of their Alzheimer’s Speaker Series. These sessions, sponsored by The Alzheimer’s Association and Fairfax County, will be held on Thursday April 8 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. Call 703-255-1006 for details.

• The next "Starting a Business in Fairfax County" seminar is set for Tuesday, April 6. These sessions start at 7:30 a.m. at FCEDA HQ in beautiful downtown Tysons Corner, and they run about two hours. Hosted with the Virginia Department of Business Assistance and the US Small Business Administration, they cover local, state and federal resources for entrepreneurs and businesses. The sessions are free, but please RSVP to Karen Smaw, the FCEDA director of small and minority business development, at 703-790-0600 or ksmaw@fceda.org.
• The Washington Business Journal notes that Phase 2 of the Fairfax Corner Development is about to get underway with more retail, residential and office space. That's the "main street" development near the county Government Center that has shops, offices, restaurants and the 14-screen movie house, a 40-yard long concession stand and a bar.

• Marshall is pleased to announce their winners in the FBLA Regional Competition: 1st Place Desktop Publishing: Nancy Phan & Mia Choi; 1st Place Intro to Business Communications: Allison Simes; 1st Place Networking Design: Mazi Tabibbi and Nick Vasiliev; 1st Place Word Processing II: Hoa Huynh; 2nd Place Intro to Business: Madhav Munnalari; 2nd Place Marketing: Ashley O’Meara; 2nd Place Web Site Development: Patrick Martin and Marcio Enriquez; 2nd Place Word Processing 1: Isaac Lee; Scholarship Award: Eddie Freeman; Scholarship Alternate: Ashley O’Meara; 3rd Place Career Manual 2: Mariana Ferro; 3rd Place Multimedia Presentation: Caitlen Baker, Erica Keuchel, and Alyssa Mesich; Northern Virginia Regional Vice President: Mazi Tabibbi.
• Two Marshall Academy Auto Technology Students Kevin Wang (Marshall) and Josh Borders (Oakton) won the Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association Auto Tech Competition. The top automotive students from Montgomery County, Prince Georges County, Loudoun County, the District of Columbia and Fairfax County all competed. Kevin and Josh will now travel to New York City in April for the National Finals where they will compete as part of the New York Auto Show.
• Marshall Academy's Engineering Physics teams succeeded in launching the largest number of flights at the Team America Rocketry Challenge, with a total of 15 flights. Qualification flights for the national finals will take place on Saturday, April 3rd. The nation's top 100 teams will compete in the finals on Saturday, May 22nd.
• Twenty of Marshall Academy’s students participated in NVTC’s Annual Job Shadow Day on March 12. Students came from the Network Administration, Internet Marketing, IB Business, Database Design and Hotel Management Classes. These students traveled all over Northern Virginia to shadow executives from companies such as IBM, TVWorldwide.com, SAIC, IBM, ABC7 and many more.
• Allison Simes, a ninth grade student at George C. Marshall High School, was pleased to have her revision of the Vienna-Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce Chamber Star flyer selected for reproduction and use by the Chamber. Allison takes Information Systems at Marshall High School. Her business teacher, Bonnie Thompson, gave the class an opportunity to put their Microsoft Word skills to use. Allison’s skills and her good eye for layout and design led to a successful revision of the Chamber Star flyer. In addition, Allison recently received 1st place in the Introduction to Communication event for the Northern Virginia Region of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). The NOVA region of FBLA includes 28 schools from Fairfax, Arlington, and Alexandria. She will compete on the state level in April.

• The National Association for the Self-Employed’s report, Home-Based Business and Government Regulations, included findings that IRS regulations penalize home-based businesses in their treatment of deductions. In particular, claiming a home-office deduction is complex; the depreciation is spread over an unrealistically long time; and returning the space to full residential use generally entails penalties. The report documents the difficulties of complying with complex and confusing IRS rules for home office and equipment deductions. It also describes many of the zoning restrictions faced by the fifty-three percent of small businesses that are home-based. The report examined state and local regulations in Arizona, California, Illinois, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. It found that the most restrictive regulations are at the local zoning level. It also notes that some states have begun to enact legislation that is supportive of home-based businesses. Vermont, Maryland, and California were cited for such legislation. For a complete copy of the report, visit the Office of Advocacy website at www.sba.gov/advo.
• Sound small business telecommunications policy grounded in solid research is now possible because of survey results released by the Office of Advocacy Report. The new and much needed data in A Survey of Small Businesses’ Telecommunications Use and Spending shows that small business spends on average $543 per month on telecommunications services. It also clearly shows that differences in size and industry drive telecommunications spending. The report finds that the smallest of businesses pay the most per employee for local and long distance phone service. Firms with zero to four employees face a monthly cost per employee of $82.81, while small firms with 10 to 499 employees face a monthly per employee cost of $20.99. Also among the reports findings, 73 percent of small businesses use Internet access services. Of these, 38 percent use dial-up, 26 percent use cable modems, 21 percent use DSL, four percent use satellites, four percent use T-1 lines, and three percent use wireless broadband. For a complete copy of the report, visit the Office of Advocacy website at www.sba.gov/advo.
• The Washington Metropolitan Area District Office will hold a Program Eligibility Briefing for SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program. The Program helps small disadvantaged businesses develop into strong, competitive enterprises. At the Briefing you will learn about the 8(a) Program, the application process and the criteria for eligibility. The Briefing will be held on Tuesday, April 13 from 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. at Arlington Campus (Old Building) on George Mason University (3401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 329) Briefings are FREE, but registration is required. Reserve your space EARLY because the classes fill up quickly! All registration forms must be received no later than April 6, 2004. FAX the completed registration form to SBA at 202-606-4186. Questions? Call 202-606-4000 ext. 321, 231 or 333.
• SBA’s Philadelphia Regional Office will present a Small Business Homeland Security Issues & Opportunities Symposium - Exploring the Future of Homeland Security for the 21st Century & Beyond. It will be held on April 22 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library. The Symposium will include workshops on Homeland Security related topics and Research & Development Opportunities at Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs), and a Matchmaking Forum: Networking with Large Businesses, Federal Agency Procurement Representatives and One-on-One Meetings. To register, visit www.sba.gov/region3.
• SBA Business Administrator Hector V. Barreto praised action taken to extend reauthorization for the 504 Loan Program, one of the SBA’s most important job creation programs. The 504 program operates at no cost to the taxpayer, yet in fiscal year 2003 supported nearly $8 billion in project financing, and over the life of the program has created approximately one million jobs. The 504 Loan Program is designed to be a job creator – it exists to help small businesses expand and create full time, permanent jobs in their communities. The 504 program provides long-term, fixed-rate financing to small businesses to acquire real estate, machinery or equipment for expansion or modernization.
• The SBA is proposing new business size standards that will simplify the standards by which the SBA determines the size of a business. Under the proposed rules, size will be determined by number of employees in almost all cases and the number of different size categories will be reduced from 37 to just 10. SBA’s size standards define whether a business entity qualifies as small and whether it is eligible for government programs and assistance reserved for small businesses, including some programs in other agencies. Under the new rule, more small businesses will be eligible to apply for SBA’s financing and loan programs as well as contracting and business development programs such as the 8(a) Business Development program, the HUBZone Empowerment Contracting program, and small business set-asides. For additional information on the new rule change, visit the SBA’s Office of Size Standards Webpage at www.sba.gov/size, and click on “What’s New?” Public comments on the proposed changes are due by May 18; e-mail your comments to restructure.sizestandards@sba.gov.
• Wisconsin small businesses will face a friendlier regulatory environment, thanks to new legislation signed into law by Governor Jim Doyle. The new law gives Wisconsin’s small businesses a voice in the state’s regulatory process. Senate Bill 100 implements elements of small business friendly regulatory legislation put forward as a model by the Office of Advocacy of the SBA. Similar to the federal Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), it encourages entrepreneurial success by requiring state agencies to consider their impact on small business before they issue final regulations. For more information and the complete text of the model legislation, visit the Office of Advocacy website at www.sba.gov/advo.
• The Washington Metropolitan Area District Office will hold a Metropolitan Area Salute to Small Business Awards Breakfast on Wednesday, May, 5 from 8:00-10:30 a.m. The location will be the Hyatt Regency-Washington on Capitol Hill. For more information, visit www.sba.gov/dc.
• Register online for SBA Expo ’04: Celebrating National Small Business Week. The annual celebration honoring the nation’s leading small business entrepreneurs will be held in Orlando, FL, May 19-21, 2004, at the Orange County Convention Center. Highlights of SBA Expo ’04, co-sponsored by SCORE, “Counselors to America’s Small Business,” include a business expo, a business matchmaking event, business seminars, a town hall meeting, and award ceremonies honoring women entrepreneurs and state and national small business winners, including National Small Business Person of the Year. Complete information and registration is available at www.sba.gov/50. Registrants who complete the process by April 17 will be rewarded with an "early bird" discount.
• On March 25, the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce honored Administrator Hector V. Barreto of the U.S. Small Business Administration with its Chair’s Award at the USHCC’s 14th Annual Legislative Conference. The award recognizes national leaders who have helped advance the progress of the Hispanic business community. The SBA has been very successful in its outreach to the Hispanic business community. In fiscal year 2003, the SBA provided almost $1 billion in financing to Hispanic entrepreneurs through its two primary loan programs. During the same period, the number of SBA loans to Hispanics increased by 43 percent. In 2002, the SBA launched www.negocios.gov, the SBA’s Spanish language portal with SBA program information, online courses and live Web chats. To date, www.negocios.gov has received over 2 million hits.
• For more information about all of the SBA’s programs for small businesses, visit the SBA’s extensive Web site at www.sba.gov.

• Snow removal awards were presented at the February 23 and March 1 Vienna Town Council meeting to the following citizens for voluntarily removing snow for the safety of pedestrians: Janet and Harry Hite; Robert Zillian; James Simpson; John Balenger; Frank Banner; John Eiden; Whole Foods Market; Vienna Presbyterian Church; and John Katchmer. The snow removal award was created by Vienna's Town/Business Liaison Committee at the suggestion of the Town Council. Citizens are invited to nominate for the award any town businesses or residents that have done an excellent job in removing snow from their driveways and/or sidewalks, or helped others in removing snow. To make a nomination and for more information e-mail tblc@ci.vienna.va.us or call the Planning and Zoning Department at 703-255-6341. Town of Vienna residents who are physically able are requested to shovel snow from sidewalks next to their property for the safety of pedestrians, especially schoolchildren. Although some jurisdictions in our area have adopted ordinances requiring residents to shovel sidewalks, the Town of Vienna has no such requirement, mainly because it would impose a hardship on elderly and disabled residents.
• Applications are available for booth space at the Town of Vienna's July 4th celebration, a community tradition that is enjoyed by thousands of Vienna residents and visitors each year. Space is available for non-profit organizations, commercial food vendors, and private and commercial arts and crafts vendors. Applications are available at the Vienna Community Center, 120 Cherry St., S.E. Call 703-255-6360 for more information. The celebration is scheduled for Sunday, July 4, on the Community Center grounds. Booths are to be open from noon to 5 p.m.
• 2004 Town of Vienna motor vehicle decals must be displayed by midnight April 15. Decals may be purchased by mail or in person in the Finance Department at Town Hall, 127 Center St., S. Decals cost $20 for passenger cars and trucks weighing under 4,000 pounds, $25 for cars and trucks 4,000 pounds and over, and $10.50 for motorcycles. For more information or to receive application forms, call the Finance Department at 703-255-6323. Applications are also available online at www.ci.vienna.va.us. Town of Vienna residents do not need to purchase Fairfax County vehicle decals, but they must pay County personal property tax on motor vehicles.
• The 4th annual Writing Your Personal History Symposium will be held on Thursday, May 6 from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Tickets to this day of inspiring speakers, shared life stories & writing experiences are only $5.00. Keynote speaker, Robert W. Middlemiss, Editor-in-chief of Durban House Publishing Co., Inc., author and writing teacher, will present “Reaching Hearts: How to Talk Across Time”. Additionally, the symposium will include a variety of speakers who will aim to stimulate your writing “juices” and encourage you to explore your personal storehouse of memories through writing activities. You will share creations with others during the day. Bring a bagged lunch; beverages will be supplied; advanced registration is necessary. Purchase tickets at the front lobby of the Vienna Community Center or mail a check (payable to the town of Vienna) to 120 Cherry Street S.E., Vienna, Virginia 22180. (Include your name, address, phone, and age).

• The Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) and the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NVRPA) encourages citizen participation in upcoming public hearings to consider current and future park and recreation needs in Fairfax County. Join us as we shape our parks for the future! Nine public hearings are scheduled at various locations in each magisterial district in Fairfax County to afford citizens the opportunity to express their priorities for funding park, open space and recreation projects. The public hearings are scheduled at the following times and places:
  • SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT: Tuesday, April 13 at 7p.m., West Springfield Gov. Ctr.
  • SULLY DISTRICT: Thursday, April 15 at 7 p.m., Sully District Gov. Center
  • MASON DISTRICT: Tuesday, April 20 at 7p.m., Mason District Gov. Center
  • PROVIDENCE DISTRICT: Thursday, April 22 at 7 p.m., Providence RECenter
  • MT. VERNON DISTRICT: Monday, April 26 at 7 p.m., Walt Whitman MS
  • HUNTER MILL DISTRICT: Tuesday, April 27 at 7 p.m., South Lakes HS
  • DRANESVILLE DISTRICT: Thursday, April 29 at 7 p.m., McLean Community Ctr.
  • LEE DISTRICT: Monday, May 3 at 7 p.m., Franconia Gov. Center
  • BRADDOCK DISTRICT: Thursday, May 6 at 7 p.m., Lake Braddock Sec. School
• Additional improvements will begin at Towers Park, located at 9350 Arlington Blvd in Fairfax, VA, in the coming weeks. These improvements, funded in part by the 1998 bond, will provide for re-grading of the existing athletic field, installation of a new underground sprinkler system, construction of a retaining wall and the placement of fencing and grass sod. The contractor, Atler Br. Stanley of Sons, Inc., will be moving onto the site and will establish a construction access point from Arlington Blvd. Any disturbance to the neighborhood will be minimal. This is the second phase of improvements for this popular recreational facility. During late 2003, the Park Authority installed lighting at the softball field. A third phase will include the renovation and expansion of the parking lot. For more information about this project, please contact Edward Ayscue, project manager at 703-324-8640.
• 2004 Stewardship Awards were presented in March, recognizing outstanding performance and exceptional efforts by individuals or teams that contribute to a Resource Management Division site, division goals, or operations. Anthony Bulmer was recognized for vertebrate field survey activities which help to protect natural resources and provide educational opportunities for the public. John Rutherford was honored for using his expert GIS to develop tools which assist archeologists in preserving artifacts and in determining if artifacts are on-site. Marty Smith, acting manager of Riverbend Park, was awarded for exhibiting strong leadership and management during threatened budget reductions and severe weather. Michael McDonnell, manager of the Hidden Oaks Nature Center, was honored for seeing his staff through the complete interior renovation of site exhibits, as well as threatened budget reductions which would have closed the facility. A team award was also presented to Mark Garrah, Daphne Hutchinson, and Carol McDonnell for the creation of "From the Ground Up: The Story of Sully's Slave Quarter," an educational tool for general audiences which is anticipated to increase the understanding of the institution of slavery.
• A planning workshop for the Corbalis property in Oakton will be held on Monday, April 19. This is the first step in the planning process for this 9.8 acre site located at 2841 Hunter Mill Road in Oakton. Planning workshops allow citizens to learn about the site background and discuss community issues and concerns during the early planning stages. Although this is not the only opportunity for citizens to present their views on this master plan, it is a great opportunity to let planners know what works best for the community today and in the future. Comments will be accepted at the workshop, or they can be sent to Parkmail@fairfaxcounty.gov. The workshop will take place at 7 p.m. in the Oakton High School cafeteria at 2900 Sutton Road in Fairfax. For more information contact the Public Information Office at 703-324-8662.
• Historic Sully Seeks Hands-on Program Volunteers: Share your love of history with the future generation as you guide children on a journey through time. Volunteers are needed at Sully Historic Site in Chantilly, VA to lead groups of school-aged children in hands on activities and tours of the house and outbuildings. Teaching docents are needed to help transport children to life as it was in the 18th and 19th centuries. Volunteers are needed weekday mornings from 9 a.m. until noon and are asked to commit to two days a month during the school year. For more information, contact Erin Chernisky at 703-324-8750 or apply on-line at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks. Training is provided.
• Earning Badges is Routine at Frying Pan Park - Most folks know Frying Pan Park in Herndon for its baby animals, presidential turkeys and relaxing hayrides. But many members of local scout troops are finding out that scouts can complete some or all of the badge requirements for a variety of badges by participating in the scouting programs offered at this Park Authority site. All programs are limited to 20 participants per session. Upcoming sessions include: “Animal TRY-IT” and “Listening to the Past TRY-IT” for Brownies; “Local Lore” and “Your Outdoor Surroundings” for Jr. Girl Scouts; “Farm Animal Elective” for Bear Scouts; “Machine Power Elective” for Wolf Scouts; “Animal Science Badge” for Boy Scouts; and “Forester” for Webelos. To view other regularly-scheduled programs, or to discuss a custom program to meet your group’s needs, visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/fpp/scouts.htm or call Frying Pan Park at (703) 437-9101.
• The new Hunter Mill representative for the Park Authority Board is Glenda M. Blake, named to the position by the Board of Supervisors earlier this week. Blake is a resident of Herndon and was raised in Fairfax County in the Route One corridor. She brings more than 20 years of management and direct service experience in both the public and private sector to this volunteer position. Blake is currently employed as assistant to the director of the Department of Human Services in Arlington, VA. Previous to this she worked as supervisor of community-based programs and as a management analyst for the Department of Family Services in Fairfax, served as program director for quality assurance at the Rock Creek Foundation in Silver Spring, MD, and as a senior social worker for the Shock Trauma and Burn Center at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk, VA. Blake is also an adjunct professor at George Mason University in the Social Work Program.

• Mark your calendars for May 5th to attend our Legislative Breakfast meeting featuring our freshman Delegate Steve Shannon and our freshman Senator Jeannemarie Devolites. The Breakfast meeting will be held at the newly renovated hall at the American Legion Post 180 located at 330 Center Street in Vienna commencing at 7:30 a.m. and ending at 9:30 a.m. The cost is $15 for pre-registered members, $20 for non-members and walk-ins, including a delicious breakfast served by the Legion staff. This is an opportunity for us learn about the tax bills as sponsored by both the House of Delegates and the Senate, and to be apprised of any new legislation that was passed by the General Assembly which may affect us as citizens or businesspeople.
• On March 24th, I attended a hearing on the proposed 2005 Fairfax County Tax Budget as discussed by our Supervisor Cathy Hudgins. The Board of Supervisors will vote on the budget on April 26th. Some of the highlights of the proposed budget reflect that 60.7% of the county’s revenue comes from real estate taxes and the major distribution of 53% goes toward our educational system. Of note, Fairfax County anticipates receiving only 2.8% of its revenue from the Commonwealth. The 2005 Fairfax County General Fund Receipts are estimated at $2,740,650,049.00 and the General Fund Disbursements will total $2,734,445,214.00. The FY 2005 Advertised Budget is available to review on the County’s website at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dmb