🌱 Teacher Enters House Of Delegates Race + 2023 Housing Assessments

Welcome back, Burke! I'm here in your inbox per usual to tell you everything you need to know about what's going on in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Wednesday: Cooler; a little p.m. rain. High: 49 Low: 44.
• Thursday: Partly sunny. High: 83 Low: 48.

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Here are the top three stories in Burke today:

1. Dr. Henri’ Thompson, a local public school teacher, nonprofit executive, and former advisor to U.S. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, announced that he is running for the Democratic nomination in the new House of Delegates District 15. His campaign platform emphasizes equal opportunity for success and serving in the best interest of the Burke, Fairfax, Fairfax Station, and Springfield communities. Thomson's campaign states that he is fighting specifically for reproductive rights, climate change, gun safety, healthcare, LGBTQ+ equality, and public education. (Blue Virginia)
2. Fairfax County's 2023 Real Estate Assessments report is now available for residents. With over 357,000 updated real estate assessments now going out to property owners, evaluations show that average assessments are up 6.97%, with an average valuation of $719,522. This is not a surprise to many, as home sales were higher on average in 2022. You can check out your property's assessment on the county's online database. (Fairfax County Government)
3. Teacher David Wickham of Lake Braddock Secondary School is a hit both on social media and in the classroom after he started wearing Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) shirts and teaching about their notable alumnae for Black History Month. What started as a fun project to make remote learning more engaging has blossomed into a multi-unit learning opportunity. In sharing the lesser-known stories and speaking about HBCUs frequently, he hopes that students continue to spread what they've learned, and he hopes that schools consider adopting the teachings into their curriculum. (WUSA9.com)

Today and tomorrow in and around Burke:

Wednesday, February 22

• OWLs Luncheon At Abiding Presence Lutheran Church (1:00 PM)

Thursday, February 23

• Ryan Jewel At Farm Brew Live, Manassas (5:00 PM)
• Northern Virginia Jazz Jam Session with the Alfred Yun Trio At Bourbon Boulevard, Chantilly (6:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Dr. Alice Reagan and Kenena Spalding will be launching their new book, "Images of America: Lorton Prisons," at the Muse Gallery on Sunday, Mar. 5 at 2:00 p.m. Register for your spot here. (Burke Historical Society via Facebook)
• There are a number of administrative, operations, and customer service positions open in Fairfax County businesses. See the link if you're looking for your next job around Burke. (Burke Patch)
• The Burke Historical Society will be hosting Helga Warren, a tour guide and West Springfield resident, who will present her new book, "The Enchanted Suitcase: A Window Onto My German Father’s World War II Life." The event will take place on Sunday, Feb. 26 at 3:00 p.m. at the Pohick Regional Library. (Burke Patch)

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Featured events:

• Speech Therapy Clinic Grand Opening (February 25)
• Dr. Henri’ Thompson for Virginia House of Delegates District 15 Campaign Kickoff (February 25)
• Shoff Promotions Comic Book & Sports Card Show (February 26)
• Fairfax Choral Society’s 60th Anniversary Gala (March 11)
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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Wednesday. I'll see you soon!

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.