Colvin Run Mill is competing to win $100,000 in restoration funding. Vote for the mill at http://www.partnersinpreservation.com.

The Fairfax County Park Authority is trying to win $100,000 for repairs at Colvin Run Mill. Receipt of this award would allow the Park Authority to reprogram voter-approved bond money set aside for that project.  It’s dollars we can save as good stewards of resources in Fairfax County.  

Of course, to make this happen, we need your help.  It won’t cost you anything, except a bit of time over the next two weeks.  

Colvin Run Mill is part of an online contest sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express. It’s very simple. The site that gets the most votes gets the most money. It works like American Idol or Dancing With The Stars. Participants vote online for the site of their choice.

Here’s what to do. Go to www.partnersinpreservation.com. Use your email address and a password to create an account.  The Trust will send you a single email with a link asking you to confirm that you’re you.  Click on that link and you’re registered to vote.

 Then vote for Colvin Run Mill.  One time, every day through May.  That’s the important part – every day. It takes about three minutes to register.  After that, it takes about 30 seconds of your day to log in and vote. Colvin Run gets more points if you take another 30 seconds and tweet #ColvinRunMill.

We’re asking the employees and residents of Fairfax County to pitch in for a few minutes over the coming 10 days to do something for the place we call home.

Protect resources.  Use taxpayer money wisely.  Improve the quality of life.

Simple concepts. They’re in mission statements, news releases and official statements. They’re in the everyday actions of county employees. Now, through May 10, we’re asking our employees and our county residents to take one of those simple daily actions that take so little time and could have such a big impact.

Here’s a chance to do one small thing that will make one of the county’s parks a better place.

Vote for Colvin Run Mill at www.partnersinpreservation.com. Thanks for your support!

The miller pours corn into the hopper to be ground.

Written by Dave Ochs, editor, ResOURces Newsletter