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Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ January 30 - February 5, 2014 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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January 30, 2014Mount Vernon’s Hometown Newspaper • A Connection Newspaper

Photo by Renée Ruggles/The Gazette

Ariana smiles at her mother as she puts her figure skating lessons to use duringthe open skating session at the Mount Vernon RECenter.

More Winter Fun, page 3.

Winter Fun

See Budget

Fray,

Page 22

By Lisa Spinelli

The Gazette

While the 2015 to2019 Capital Im-provement Pro-gram (CIP)

passed at the Fairfax County Pub-lic School Board meeting onThursday, Jan. 3,many board mem-bers expressed con-cerns with the pro-gram.

“Our funding isinadequate and hasbeen inadequate formany years,” saidMount Vernon dis-trict school boardmember Dan Storckabout the school’scapital improve-

ment budget — which has an an-nual cap of $155 million by theFairfax County Board of Supervi-sors. “This program takes us to thenext step, but we still have a longway to go.”

Fairfax County public schoolsare bursting at the seams. An in-flux of 20,000 school-aged chil-

dren enrolled in thesystem within thelast eight years andthere is no end insight to the growthrate. With manybuildings reaching50-plus years oldand enrollment pro-jected at 184,500

Lack of Funds forSchool RenovationsAging schools collide withincreasing student enrollments.

“Our fundingis inadequateand has beeninadequate formany years.”— Dan Storck, MountVernon district school

board member

See Sales Tax, Page 5

By Janelle Germanos

The Gazette

Steve Mehr, owner of theMount Vernon Sunoco onRichmond Highway and a

member of the Mount Vernon-LeeChamber of Commerce, said it isn’ttoo difficult to keep his business’slandscape looking nice.

“I just put a little extra time intoit,” said Mehr, who has owned the

SFDC presents businesses withMary Thonen Awards.

Honoring BeautificationEfforts Along Route 1

Steve Mehr, owner ofSunoco on Richmond High-way, was a gold level recipi-ent of the Mary ThonenAward for his business’sbeautification efforts.

Janelle Germanos/The Gazette

2 ❖ Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ January 30 - February 5, 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com


Winter FunMount Vernon Gazette Editor Steven Mauren

703-778-9415 or [email protected]

Winter Fun at the Mount Vernon RECenterGet in shape, learnto skate this winter.

Although it’s open all year round,the Mount Vernon RECenter isperfect for the winter months.With a 25-meter heated indoor

pool, a spa, and a large ice arena, theRECenter is a winter paradise for those look-ing for some recreation and a refuge fromany future Polar Vortexes.

Membership passes are also discounteduntil Feb. 14, with a 15 percent discounton four- and 12-month passes.

The RECenter’s ice arena, the only one inthe area that is publicly owned, includespublic sessions, as well as Adults Only, Rock

‘n Blades DJ ses-sions, and Stick &Puck and Pick-upHockey, specializedsessions for adults,skating enthusiastsand hockey players.

Beginners of allages and abilities can take a learn-to-skateclass, as well as ice-hockey classes.

A Mount Vernon RECenter membershippass includes access to the center’s 1,500

Hours of OperationFacility: Monday-Thurs-day, 6 a.m.-9 p.m.Friday, 6 a.m.-7 p.m.Saturday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.Sunday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Instructor Margo Ritter (right) explains the next activity as the stu-dents of Snowplow Sam 2 and fellow instructor, Julia Suarez (left)listen. The children are part of one of the many ice skating classestaught at the Mount Vernon RECenter.

Youth Services Assistant Jill Burgard reads to a groupof children at the Martha Washington library branch.Preschool Storytime is one of many regularly sched-uled library activities.

PJ Dunn (center, green coat), a part-time naturalist atHuntley Meadows, led the program “Drummers andDrillers” The group went into the woods to spotwoodpeckers. Huntley Meadows offers classes, birdwatching walks, and tours, year round.

The active bird feeders at Huntley Meadowsmake a great place for birdwatching, duringthe winter months.

Michele Krause prepares to throw a ball forRudder, one of the many dogs playing at theWestgrove Dog Park.

Dogs can have fun, year round, at the WestgroveDog Park.

Out and About in Winter

square foot fitness center, as well as theDrop-In Group Fitness Program, which in-cludes group Zumba, yoga, and Pilates.

“I’ve always loved ice-skating and justhanging out at the RECenter,” said Daniel

Singer, who used to live in the MountVernon area but has recently moved toSpringfield. “I may try one of the classes asa New Year’s Resolution.”

— Janelle Germanos

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Viewpoints

What is your ideaof winter fun?

Ben ReynoldsCollege student

“Winter fun is funin the snow.”

Alex PinoWorker at Staples“Snow slushies,

obviously.”

Drew StaplesCollege student“Getting school

canceled isawesome.”

James LewisCollege student“Sledding, eating

snow outside myfriend’s house.”


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OPEN SUNDAY 1-4

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Christine Garner703-587-4855RENTAL

Alexandria $750,0008801 Black Alder Dr. Located Next to Mount Vernon Golf Course on non-thru street/Mins. To Mount Vernon, Ft Belvoir. Full Front Porch/Private Pool/2Level Deck/Sprinkler System/Whole House Generator/Freshly Painted/Newroof w/vent & “clog free gutters/New HVAC sys/Updated Kitchen/3 updatedbaths/Master Sitting Room can convert to 4th BR/Laundry on BR Level/SeeList at Home w/complete List of Upgrades and Conveyance.Dave Ingram 703 380-9264•Debbie Ingram 703 380-8966

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South of Old Town $3,500/month8403 Morey Lane. Tastefully renovated brick Fort Hunt home.Gourmet kitchen with breakfast bar. 4 bedrooms, 2 updatedbaths. Cozy living room fireplace, wood floors. Closetorganizers/abundant storage. With warmer weather, enjoylarge flat back yard with deck and slate patio. Near G.W.Parkway/bike path. Rent includes grass/leaf removal.

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RENTAL LISTING

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Gretchen Wilkinson703-597-8089


Supervisor Gerry Hylandinvites you to attend his

27th Annual Mount Vernon Town Meeting

Gerald W. “Gerry” HylandBoard of Supervisors, Mount Vernon District2511 Parkers LaneAlexandria, VA 22306-3273

703-780-7518(fax) 703-780-1491

[email protected]/mountvernon

Saturday, February 1, 20147:45 AM-1:00 PM

Mount Vernon High School “Little Theatre”8515 Old Mount Vernon Road

7:45 - 9:15 Coffee, Doughnuts and Exhibits

9:15 - 9:45 Welcome, Introductions & Presentations

9:45 - 10:00 County PrioritiesSharon Bulova, Chairman, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors

10:00 – 10:15 Fairfax County Issues and BudgetEd Long, Fairfax County Executive

10:15 – 10:30 Fort Belvoir UpdateColonel Gregory Gadson, Garrison Commander, Fort Belvoir

10:30 – 10:50 Q/A Session

10:50 - 11:15 Mount Vernon School Current Issues and ChallengesDr. Karen Garza, Superintendent, Fairfax County Public SchoolsDan Storck, School Board Representative, Mount Vernon District

11:15 – 11:30 Q/A Session

11:30 – 12:30 Virtual Bus TourGerry Hyland, Supervisor, Mount Vernon District

12:30 - 1: 00 Final Question and Answer Session & Conclusion

For more information: www.RexReiley.comEach Office Independently Owned and Operated

[email protected]

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Alex./HollinHall Village$419,900

1704 Jamestown RoadBeautiful home, loaded w/charm, ona quiet cul-de-sac. Hdwd floors, newfurnace and newer windows. Sideaddition adds separate Din Rm oroffice. Adorable kitchen w/granite &new appliances. Sun Rm/Fam Rm inback w/vaulted ceiling, skylights &

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Alex./Riverwood $744,9003713 Riverwood Road

Fabulous 5 BR, 3.5 BA Colonialin prestigious river front com-munity of Riverwood. 3 finishedlevels, updated & expandedkitchen w/plenty of storage –large sun room addition withwrap-around deck overlooking abeautiful, fenced bkyd. 425 SF

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Woodbridge, Belmont BayRental $1,800

830 Belmont Bay Dr. #502Immaculate Condo 2BRs,Den & 2.5 Baths – Shows likea model- Top of the lineKitchen with Granite &Breakfast Bar – Sunny andbright with beautiful MBA

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Alex./Mt. Zephyr $519,9008529 Richmond Ave

Large beautifully updated 4BR,2.5 BA Split w/large spacious 2car garage. Updated kit w/cherrycabinets & corian counters-2.5updated baths w/12” ceramic tilefloors & newer vanities & mirrors.Replacement double pane win-dows throughout plus lovely

screened porch overlooking large landscaped backyard with beautifulprivacy fence. 5 minutes to Ft. Belvoir, 15 to Old Town, 25 mins to NtlAirport- Short Sale–In great condition, Super Buy.

RENTA

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From Page 1

News

business for 28 years. “It takes minimal effort.”Mehr is among several other business owners

along Richmond Highway who were honored fortheir beautification efforts at the Southeast FairfaxDevelopment Corporation Open House and MaryThonen Awards. Sunoco was awarded a Gold LevelAward, the highest possible category.

According to Edythe Kelleher, executive directorof SFDC, a committee was sent out in the middle ofsummer to judge business along Richmond High-way. After comparing notes, the Community Appear-ance, Planning, and Transportation Committee de-cided the award level for the nominated businesses.

Vicki McLeod, treasurer of the Lee District Asso-ciation of Civic Organizations, knew Mary Thonenvery well and said the two were very close friends.McLeod used to drive Thonen to the civic associa-tion meetings, and said Thonen was the one to turnto if you wanted to know something.

“I know she would love these beautification ef-forts,” McLeod said. “She was very active in Lee Dis-trict.”

Thonen was a civic activist who sat on the plan-ning commission for Lee District. According toMcLeod, Thonen started recognizing businessesalong Richmond Highway for their beautificationefforts.

“These businesses really add to the beautificationof Route 1,” McLeod said.

Sunoco, Mount Vernon Plaza and Red Roof Innwere recipients of the gold award. Silver awards wentto Cityside Huntington Metro, Boston Market, MountVernon Square Apartments, and Taco Bell.

Bronze level recipients included Traveler’s Motel,Huntington Gateway Luxury Apartments,Montebello, Beacon of Groveton, Groveton BaptistChurch, Cherry Arms Apartments, The Village of GumSprings, Cooper Center, Jiffy Lube and Mount ZephyrCommunity. Gum Springs Glen received an honor-able mention.

Celebrating Beautification along Route 1

Willy Williams of Boston Market, SFDCPresident Walter Clarke, SFDC Execu-tive Director Edythe Kelleher, and YawOpoku of Mount Vernon Square Apart-ments at the Mary Thonen Awards.Boston Market and Mount VernonSquare Apartments were silver levelrecipients for the Mary Thonen Awards,which celebrates beautification onRichmond Highway.

Photo by Janelle Germanos/The Gazette


TCHOUPITOULASFine Furnishings and Interior Design

Tradition with a Twist

210 N. Lee Street ~ Alexandria ~ 703-299-0145www.TchoupitoulasFurnishings.com

Mon.–Fri. 10:00 am–6:00 pm • Sat. 9:00 am–5:00 pm • Sun. by appointment • Online 24/7

We’re celebrating our1-Year Anniversary, MardiGras & Valentine’s Day!Come shop while welaissez le bons temps rouler!We’re supplying authentic Louisianatreats and champagne! Come andexperience Tradition with a Twist.

The entire store will be 20% offas well as special and custom orders.

Active Duty & Retired US Militaryalways receive an additional10% off every order.

Tchoupitoulas is Celebrating Our One-Year Anniversary!Laissez le bons temps rouler!

Join us for our Monthly Second Friday

Grand Fête de la Maison!Friday, February 14th • 6-8 p.m.

New Year ResolutionBetter Health Begins with Better Oral Health

JOSEPH P. CAVALLO, DDSGeneral, Cosmetic, Implant& Restoration Dentistry

12502 Lake Ridge Dr., Suite A, Woodbridge

703-910-3868 • www.CavalloDentistry.comWe are on Angie’s List and voted Top Dentist by Nova Magazine

Trust is the foundation of his care, and heschedules time exclusively for each individ-ual. Dr. Cavallo is a Fellow of The Academyof General Dentistry, alumnus of theprestigious L.D. Pankey Institute and world-renowned Dawson Center for AdvancedEducation. One of the few dentists includedin the DENTSPLY International ImplantConference in Frankfurt, Germany in 2013and is certified to provide conscious sedationfor patients with dental fear. Come experiencehis personalized care and expert dentistry.

Please visit CavalloDentistry.com orcall 703-910-3868 to schedule your visittoday.

50 percent off!Cleaning, cavity-detecting x-rays

and examfor only $141.00

(In the absence ofperiodontal disease)

Expiration date 3/7/14

People

By Gerald A. Fill

The Gazette

Deborah Mary Doyle has beenplaying the harp for patientsand staff of Inova MountVernon Hospital for the past

three years. “The effect of harp music onme when I was a patient gave me a feelingof serenity and well-being. It was a healingand soothing sound; I vowed to one daylearn how to play the harp for others so thatthey too would have the experience of se-renity and peace which the harp gave tome,” she said.“My musical ministry is a dream come true,that after years of teaching and performingas a musician in churches and schools, Ihave this exceptional opportunity to servethe patients and staff at Mount Vernon Hos-pital.”

Doyle is part of Mount Vernon Hospital’sDepartment of Chaplain Services, which ismanaged by the Rev. C. Phillip Bush.“Debbie brings to her harp playing a genu-ine love for the patients and families. And

if the staff on a unit is having a stressfulday, I know that a visit from Debbie willsmooth the waters,” Bush said.

Doyle gives credit for her presence play-ing the harp at the hospital to Acting Hos-pital Administrator and current MedicalDirector Dr. Donald Brideau.

In March, 2011 Brideau invited her tocome to the hospital as part of his effort toimprove patient experience and relievestress on the staff. He recognized the powerof music to, as one hospital staffer said,“change everything.”

Doyle is by profession a music teacher,currently employed by the Nativity schooland Nativity Church in Burke as a musicdirector. She also plays the piano and gui-tar.

“I enjoy spending time with the patientsand staff I meet in the hospital, listening totheir stories, and bringing them a touch ofcomfort and peace through my harp musicministry,” Doyle said.

Her Harp Provides Musical TherapyDebbie Doyle easesstress at MountVernon Hospital.

Debbie Doyle providesmusical therapy at

Inova Mount VernonHospital.

Photo

Contributed

Email announcements to [email protected]. Deadline is Thursday at noon.

JUDGES NEEDEDScience Fair. The Mount Vernon Science Fair will

be held Thursday, Feb. 6 and judges are needed.Judging is easy. The fair will be held after schoolin the library and cafeteria. A two-judge teamwill listen to student presentations about theirprojects and evaluate their work. From there,the judges will convene to pick 1st, 2nd, 3rdplace and Honorable Mention winners. The timecommitment for judging is from 2:30-4 p.m. andrefreshments will be served. If interested, e-mailKatrina Tran [email protected] or CameronMathison at [email protected].

FRIDAY/JAN. 31Nomination Deadline. Nominations for 2013

Fairfax County Citizen of the Year are beingaccepted. Visit www.fairfaxfederation.org/COY/COYApplication.html to send in a nomination.

SATURDAY/FEB. 1Town Hall Meeting. 10 a.m.-noon at Kingstowne

Thompson Center, 6090 Kingstowne VillageParkway. State senators Toddy Puller, GeorgeBarker, Adam Ebbin and Del. Mark Sickles,along with Lee District Supervisor Jeff McKay,will host their annual town hall to updateconstituents on the 2014 General AssemblySession and their legislative agendas. Free.

WEDNESDAY/FEB. 12Public Open House. 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Indigo

Landing on Daingerfield Island, One MarinaDrive. See the draft plan/environmental impactstatement for restoration of Dyke Marsh. Visitparkplanning.nps.gov/dykemarshdeis for more.

THURSDAY/FEB. 13After Hours Networking. 5:30-7 p.m. at

Hampton Inn, 8837 Richmond Highway. Hostedby Mount Vernon Rotary Club. Free to membersand their guests. $10/pay at the door. Visitwww.mtvernon-leechamber.org for more.

Bulletin Board


Don’t be left in the Dark!

Automatic Standby Generator• Safe, Reliable, Clean & Quiet• Are power outages driving you crazy?• Have you gone without heat or A/C for days?

FREE ANALYSIS FOR UNIT SIZING!Contact:Alexandria Lighting & Supply703-548-2320701 N. Henry StreetAlexandria, VA 22314

Come in and visit ourgenerator and lighting showroom!

Alexandrialighting & supply

To Advertise Your Faith Community, call Karen at 703-917-6468

Good ShepherdCatholic Church

8710 Mount Vernon Highway, Alexandria VA, 22309Tel: 703-780-4055 Fax: 703-360-5385 www.gs-cc.org

Loving as Christ loves, serving as Christ serves

Saturday Evening5:00 pm Vigil Mass6:30 pm Vigil Mass (en Español)Sunday7:30 am; 9:00 am (with SignLanguage Interpreter &Children’s Liturgy of the Word);10:30 am; 12:00 Noon; 2:00 pm(en Español); 6:30 pm

Weekday& SaturdayMornings: 9:00 am Mass,followed by Rosary (on FirstFriday, Mass followed byEucharistic Adoration)Thursday & First Fridayof the Month:7:30 pm Mass en Español

Mass Schedule

People

By Janelle Germanos

The Gazette

Major General Marcia Ander-son of the Army Reserve atFort Belvoir is the Army’shighest-ranking African-

American female. She spends much of hertime mentoring others, and is continuingMartin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy by promot-ing inclusion and diversity in the Army Re-serve.

Q: Growing up, who was your rolemodel, and where did your workethic come from?

A: Both my parents, and my grandpar-ents. My dad served in the Korea War, andwas in the Air Force at the time, which didn’thave a lot of opportunities for African-Americans at the time, but he persevered.My mom was a very strong person in myfamily, and although she had to defer herdreams of going to college, she always madeit very clear that her expectations for meand my brother were for us to excel. It wasvery clear they had high hopes and expec-tations for us.

Q: Your mother helped to integrateCatholic schools in St. Louis, Mo.What did you learn from that

experience?A: My mom was

one of the first Afri-c a n - A m e r i c a nyoung women to in-tegrate the Catholichigh schools in St.Louis. It just so hap-pens that she was afreshman or asophomore and aperson who endedup being one of my

teachers in eighth grade had been a seniorwhen my mother was at the school. Sheremembered her and told me things aboutmy mom that I didn’t know, including thefact that my mom played on the intramuralbasketball team. You never think about yourparents being athletic. She was a prettyoutgoing person. Beyond her telling me thestory that she helped integrate the schools,the teacher kind of rounded her out for meas a person and that she had contributed tothe community in a lot of ways.

Q: Was it challenging serving inthe Army Reserves as an African-American woman?

A: It was more me putting hard require-ments on myself. I really didn’t feel fromDay One that anyone was setting barriers

for me. For example, there was this oppor-tunity to go to Parachute Training School,and I thought, that’s a challenge that I wantto set for myself. It didn’t even occur to methat there weren’t a lot of women until Igot there. Then it was simply more aboutme overcoming my own fears about heightsand some of the training I had to. Truly, itdidn’t feel that anybody was setting up bar-riers.

Q: Did you feel overwhelmed whenyou became the highest-rankingAfrican-American female Armyofficer?

A: When I was notified that I would bepromoted, it was a shock to me because Inever thought I would ever reach that par-ticular level. As I thought about it, I sawmyself as kind of continuing the legacy ofpeople like the Montford Marines, theTuskegee Airmen, the African Americanwomen who served as nurses during WorldWar II and have almost been forgotten byhistory. I was simply carrying on their legacy,and it was humbling. It also filled me witha lot of pride that we were one step closerto continuing to demonstrate that not onlycan we do this job, we can do it well, andin some cases better than a lot of otherpeople. I also wanted to make sure I usedthis time that’s been given to me to try to

inspire and mentor as many people as Ipossibly can. I spend a lot of time trying towork with young officers and sergeants andencourage them to reach for the stars.

Q: How has Martin Luther King,Jr.’s legacy inspired you in yourrole today?

A: I am 56 years old, so I actually remem-ber a lot about Dr. King and the things thathe did. I remember the day we got the newsthat he was assassinated. That is just oneof those moments in history that just stayswith you. I still feel that it is incumbent onme to try to realize his dream in ways thatmaybe he even hadn’t envisioned. His vi-sion at the time was focused on segrega-tion. As we move forward now, we are look-ing at diversity and inclusion. In the ArmyReserve, there are over 200,000 citizen sol-diers. Over 22 percent of those in the ArmyReserve are African-American. I’m sure Dr.King never thought about that when he wasmarching and trying to work towards theCivil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act, so Ithink it is incumbent on me, and all of us,to try to take his vision even further, talk-ing about inclusion. I think we’ve truly ar-rived when we include people all across thespectrum, multi-cultural, multi-gender, andmake sure all of those perspectives help usmake our organization more successful.

A Drive To Succeed Highest-ranking African-American femaleArmy officer reflects on achievements.

Major GeneralMarcia Anderson

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Steven G. Artley/The Connection

www.MountVernonGazette.com

@MtVernonGazette

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NEWS DEPARTMENT:To discuss ideas and concerns,

Call: 703-778-9410e-mail:

[email protected]

Steven MaurenEditor, 703-778-9415

[email protected]

Michael Lee PopeReporter, 703-615-0960

[email protected]@MichaelLeePope

Jeanne Theismann703-778-9436

[email protected]@TheismannMedia

Jon RoetmanSports Editor, 703-224-3015

[email protected]@jonroetman

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A Connection Newspaper

Opinion

Bonuses for AllCounty Employees?To the Editor:

I sent the following letter to the FairfaxCounty Board of Supervisors strongly object-ing to the recent use of taxpayer, surplus fundspaid to all (eligible) Fairfax County employ-ees (merit and exempt) as bonuses of $850and $500.

It is not appropriate for the county to awardall Fairfax County employees bonuses duringsuch a harsh economy when so many taxpay-ers, including myself, are struggling and hav-ing a hard time making ends meet. Accordingto the Board of Supervisors’ minutes (summaryreports) of the July, September, and October2013 meetings of the Fairfax County Board ofSupervisors, discussions and motions weremade to reallocate surplus taxpayer funds andprovide bonuses to Fairfax County employees(eligible) acoss-the-board (merit and exempt).

The Board of Supervisors voted unanimouslyand the motion passed. Approximately $10.2million was paid to about 12,000 regular, eli-gible, merit employees ($850 each bonus).Approximately another $300,000 was paid andgiven to approximately 870 exempt, eligibleemployees bonuses of $500 each. The MountVernon District supervisor, according to theminutes/summary report, made motions toincrease the bonuses to $1,000 and $1,250,but the motions failed; a meal’s tax is also de-sired by him.

Bonuses should not be treated lightly as itappears the Board of Supervisors has done.Their recent action sets a bad precedent andcould have future adverse affects. For example,it reduces the incentive for employees to exceland continue to do outstanding work to re-ceive a cash bonus. Some mediocre employ-ees whose work may be marginal may lack in-centive to do better since bonus money will beforthcoming anyway. Such across-the-boardbonuses promotes mediocrity and not good

policy. I do not buy the argument that FairfaxCounty employees haven’t had regular pay in-creases and deserve the bonuses; I know manyin Fairfax County who have not had a pay in-crease in many years but are happy to still havea job and to have the doors of their businessremain open.

The Board of Supervisors has done an injus-tice to the many hardworking, struggling tax-payers by approving and paying out the bo-nuses. The board could have put the surplusfunds in a reserve fund to pay for future ex-penses. The board’s usual practice of raisingreal-estate taxes year after year on over-taxedhomeowners and taxpayers is oppressive. Ac-cording to Fairfax County budget documents,the county has more than 100 different taxesand fees that include a sick tax to use ambu-lances and a going-out-of business tax. Re-search reveals that the average Fairfax Countymerit employee earns about $68,000 a yearwhich is much more than many Fairfax Countyresidents earn. County residents should calltheir supervisors to express their views aboutusing tax dollar surplus funds to give bonusesinstead of returning the money to the taxpay-ers or using it for future, essential needs andnot raise taxes. You can get your supervisor’sname and number by calling: 703-324-3151.

Miriam SullivanMount Vernon

Where’s SchoolSystem’s Focus?To the Editor:

Re: “Into the Budget Fray,” Mount VernonGazette, Jan. 23.

So the Fairfax County Board of SupervisorsChairman, “... shall from time to time give to...” the citizens of Fairfax County, “... informa-tion of the State of the ...” County? In my 14years here I had not yet come across this. Itwas a pleasant, anodyne read, though it re-flected the near-universal tendency in govern-ment communications to effect a mildly self-important tone, use many words where few -or none - would suffice, and to trot out tired

See Letters, Page 18

Letters to the Editor

Consider that in statewide elections,Virginia voters have chosen Demo-crats in the last two presidentialelections, for U.S. Senate, for Gov-

ernor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney Gen-eral.

Almost none of these elections wasby a wide margin, but it’s clear thatVirginia is a purple state leaning blue.

Here are the actual numbers:2013McAuliffe (D) 1,069,789; Cuccinelli (R) 1,013,389Northam (D) 1,213,155; Jackson (R) 980,257Herring (D) 1,103,777; Obenshain (R) 1,103,612

2012Obama (D) 1,971,820; Romney (R) 1,822,522Kaine (D) 2,010,067; Allen (R) 1,785,542

It’s reasonable to assume that a state soevenly divided would be about evenly dividedin political representation.

How is possible then that Virginia House ofDelegates consists of 67 Republicans and 33Democrats?

Why is it that Virginia’s delegation to the U.S.House of Representatives consists of 11 Repub-licans and three Democrats?

The split in the Virginia Senate makes sense,a 20-20 split with a Republican Lieutenant

Governor breaking tie votes the lastfour years and a Democratic Lieuten-ant Governor poised to break ties in thecoming four years (pending this week’s

recount in the special election in District 6 toreplace Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam).

Virginia’s 11 Congressional districts should

Virginia is a purplestate, gerrymanderedto bleed red.

For Nonpartisan Redistricting

Editorial

be split about evenly. You could understand asplit five Dems and six Republicans; or fiveRepublicans and six Democrats. A four andseven split would smack of some unusual cir-cumstance. But three and eight?

The answer is gerrymandering.Both political parties have been guilty of this

when in power, although new technology andbetter data have made the process more egre-gious, the effects more damaging.

Political parties should not control the draw-ing of political districts. Gerrymanderingthwarts the will of the electorate. It is espe-cially damaging in a Dillon rule state, like Vir-ginia, where localities have only the powerexplicitly granted to them by the General As-sembly,

— Mary Kimm,

[email protected]


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12 ❖ Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ January 30 - February 5, 2014 Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ January 30 - February 5, 2014 ❖ 13www.ConnectionNewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.com


Email announcements to [email protected]. Photos andartwork are encouraged. Deadline isThursday at noon.

For tickets visitwww.portcityplayhouse.org.

Art Exhibit. The results of the latest artchallenge issued by Artistic Artifacts,“Mixed Media Metallics,” will beexhibited Jan. 18-Feb. 8. Many of theentries are included in a silentauction benefitting Food for Others.On display at Artistic Artifacts, 4750Eisenhower Ave. Admission is onenon-perishable food item, which willbe donated to Food for Others. Visitwww.ArtisticArtifacts.com/metallicsfor more.

Art Exhibit. See a solo photographicexhibit “Darkness Visible” by TimothyHyde at Multiple Exposures Galleryin the Torpedo Factory, 105 N. UnionSt. Runs Jan. 7 through Feb. 16.Hyde’s photography examines themysteries hidden in the shadows.Visit www.torpedofactory.org formore.

Theater Performance. Arts on theHorizon presents “Under theCanopy,” a 20-minute interactive,nonverbal show for children up toage 4. Performances are Feb. 12-14,16, 17, 19-21, 23 at 10:30 a.m. atThe Athenaeum, 201 Prince St. $5/person. Visit

2 at the Target Gallery in theTorpedo Factory, 105 N. Union St.Free. Visit www.torpedofactory.org/target for more.

Art Exhibit. See “Songs of the Shore,”archival inkjet prints by Chantillyresident Peter Toth in the MargaretW. and Joseph L. Fisher Art Gallery,of the Rachel M. Schlesinger ConcertHall & Arts Center, 3001 N.Beauregard St. Runs Feb. 7 throughMarch 16. Visit www.nvcc.edu/schlesingercenter/gallery.html.

Theater Performance. See “EllaFitzgerald: First Lady of Song” atMetroStage, 1201 N. Royal St., fromJan. 23-March 16. Performances areThursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m.,Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.,Sundays at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Ticketsmay be ordered by calling 1-800-494-8497 or online atboxofficetickets.com. For group salesand information call the theatre at703-548-9044. Visitwww.metrostage.org for more.

Occupied City: Life in Civil WarAlexandria Exhibition. At TheLyceum, 201 South Washington St.,through Sunday, March 23. Thisexhibit traces life in Alexandria

following Virginia’s decision tosecede from the Union in May 1861.The Lyceum is open Monday throughSaturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. andSunday, 1-5 p.m. Suggestedadmission is $2. Visitwww.alexandriahistory.org or call703-746-4994.

CLASSES & WORKSHOPSMetro Club After-School Program.

Through June, the MetropolitanSchool of Arts presents an after-school program for grades 1-6. Theprogram is located at both the Lortonstudio at Workhouse Arts Center,9517 Workhouse Way and inAlexandria at 5775 Barclay Drive.Programs will focus on the arts,including music, dance, theatre, yogaand academics, as well as designatedhomework time. The program willrun Mondays, 1-6 p.m., and Tuesday-Friday, 3-6 p.m. Tuition runs from$130-150. Call 703-339-0444 or visitwww.metropolitanarts.org.

Life Drawing. Del Ray Artisans offers arange of open life drawing sessionsfor anyone to develop life-drawingskills further. Just drop-in for the

www.artsonthehorizon.org fortickets. They can be purchased at thedoor.

Celebrate Black History Month. 9a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 1-28 at MountVernon Estate. In observance of BlackHistory Month, George Washington’sMount Vernon highlights the livesand contributions of the slaves whobuilt and operated the plantationhome of George and MarthaWashington. A wreathlaying andpresentation occurs daily at the slavememorial site throughout the monthof February. Black History Monthactivities are included in admission:adults, $18; senior citizens, $17;children age 6-11, whenaccompanied by an adult, $9; andchildren under age 5, free. Visitwww.mountvernon.org or 703-780-2000.

Art Exhibit. See “Reincarnations” artexhibit at Del Ray Artisans, 2704Mount Vernon Ave. Features art fromsalvaged items, art fromencyclopedias and more. Free. RunsFeb. 7 through March 2. Visitwww.thedelrayartisans.org for more.

Art Exhibit. See “Frances Gallardo:Meteorology” Jan. 18 through March

Calendar

ONGOINGArt Exhibit. Artist John Gascot of

Studio 4, 218 N. Lee St., suite 101,creates an art exhibit to honor thelife journeys of transgenderindividuals. It will be on displaythrough January. Gallery hours areThursday-Saturday, noon-7 p.m. andSunday from noon-5 p.m. or byappointment. Visitwww.studio4oldtown.com for more.

Art Exhibit. See “Primary Colors” artexhibit from Jan. 3-Feb. 2 at The DelRay Artisans, 2704 Mount VernonAve. Artists use the three primarycolors without mixing them. Free.Visit www.TheDelRayArtisans.org formore.

Theater Performance. See “TheBallad of the Red Knight” by RedKnight Productions at Port CityPlayhouse, 1819 N. Quaker Lane.Runs Jan. 24 through Feb. 8.Performances are Friday at 8 p.m.and Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

By Jeanne Theismann

The Gazette

He’s not exactly a knight inshining armor, at least not inthe traditional sense. But aprince known as the Red

Knight must save the Kingdom of MedievalStory Land from the clutches of the malevo-lent Lord Fango and his Bat People in thehilarious original comedy “The Ballad of theRed Knight,” now playing at Port City Play-house.

“When I was little, I used to pretend tobe knights with my friends,” said playwrightand director Scott Courlander. “This is aworld that already existed in my head.”

The Red Knight, played by the charismaticChristopher Herring, is a lover not a fighter.But when his father King Marthur is mur-dered by the evil Bat Lord, the Red Knightmust marry Lord Fango’s daughter in orderto save his brother, Prince Richard, from thesinister Fruit Bat Dungeon.

“I wrote this as a prequel to ‘MedievalStory Land,” said Courlander of his widelyacclaimed 2012 Capital Fringe Festival hit.“The show is very dear to my heart.”

Playing the evil Lord Fango is the devil-ishly delightful Charles Boyington withKatie Zitz as his ditzy daughter Fanglett.Herring and Zitz have great chemistry andtheir comedic timing is especially entertain-ing when Red gets drunk on their weddingnight, forcing Fanglett to wait for the “ro-

Winter Fun & Entertainment

Port City debutsfringe comedy “Balladof the Red Knight.”

A Knight to Remember at Port City

The cast of “The Ballad of the RedKnight” includes: John Stange(Gloom Mage), Matthew Sparacino(Green Knight), Kyle McGruther(Prince Richard), Bob Sheire (BlueKnight), and Edward C. Nagel(Yellow Knight). Partially hidden isStephen Mead (Narrator).

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mantic blood sucking” between them tobegin.

Kyle McGruther is Richard, the hot-headed heir to the throne, John Strange asThe Gloom Mage and Stephen Mead asNarrator to both the audience and the on-stage characters.

Rounding out the cast are Edward Nagelas the Yellow Knight, Matthew Sparacinoas the Green Knight, Bob Sheire as the BlueKnight, and Brendan Edward Kennedy andCarl Brandt Long as the Bat Guards.

Original music by William Yanesh andpiano accompaniment by Jonathan Tippensand Arielle Bayer augments the colorfulcostume design byBrittany Grahamand JoAnn Abbott.

The world pre-miere of The Balladof the Red Knightwas co-produced byRed Knight Produc-tions — a creativegroup grounded inimprov and sketchcomedy and PortCity Playhouse.

Will the Red Knight overthrow Lord Fangoand free Prince Richard before they bothare covered in jelly and devoured by a horde

of ravenous fruit bats? Along the lines of“Spamalot,” “Shrek” and “The PrincessBride,” “The Ballad of the Red Knight” is a

clever and fun fablewith some of thefinest acting seen onstage. It’s a must-see knight to re-member for all ages.

“The Ballad of theRed Knight” is play-ing now throughFeb. 8 at Port CityPlayhouse, 1819 N.Quaker Lane. Ticketsmay be purchased at

the box office one hour prior to showtime. Topurchase tickets online or for more informa-tion, visit www.PortCityPlayhouse.org.

“When I was little, I usedto pretend to be knightswith my friends. This is aworld that alreadyexisted in my head.”

— Scott Courlander, playwright


Free Admission • Free ParkingOpen to the Public • Dealers Welcome

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Winter Entertainment

‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’T.C. Williams High School Drama Department will present “A Midsummer Night’sDream.” The classic by William Shakespeare is directed by Hope E. Bachman-Millerwith Leslie A. Jones as producer. Isabel Hollins is student director and Aaron Ford-wright is stage manager. Shows are Friday, Jan. 31 and Saturday, Feb. 1. All perfor-mances start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 for ACPS employees, students and seniorcitizens, and $10 for adults.

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session and bring your supplies todraw or paint our live models. Feeranges from $8-$12. All skill levelsare welcome. Del Ray Artisans islocated at 2704 Mount Vernon Ave.Visit www.TheDelRayArtisans.org fora schedule.

Photography Workshop. 10:30 a.m.-noon at Multiple Exposures Galleryon 105 N. Union Street.Photographers and enthusiasts of allskill levels are invited to share work,ideas, and questions at this freeworkshop held on the last Sunday ofeach month, except December. Noreservations. Call 703-683-2205.

Intro to Machine Sewing forChildren. Saturday, Jan. 18 from10 a.m.-noon at Art at theCenter,2804 Sherwood Hall Lane.Learn the basics of a sewing machineand beginning sewing skills. $35.Visit www.artatthecenter.org/registration.htm to register.

Quilting for Children. A six-weekmachine quilting class on Saturdays,Jan. 25-March 1 at Art at the Center,2804 Sherwood Hall Lane. $180. Kitsare available for purchase. Forchildren ages 8 and up. Visitwww.artatthecenter.org/registration.htm to register.

Winter Sewing Classes. A six-weekintroduction to machine sewing onThursday, Jan. 23-March 6 orSaturdays, Jan. 25-March 1 at Art atthe Center, 2804 Sherwood HallLane. $200. For children ages 8 andup. Visit www.artatthecenter.org/registration.htm to register.

Dance Classes. Metropolitan School ofthe Arts, 5775 Barclay Drive, #4, willhold adult classes starting inFebruary. Ten percent of the fees willbe donated to American HeartAssociation. Visitwww.metropolitanarts.org or 703-339-0444 for a schedule.

CONTESTSpotlight on Pet Adoptions. From

Jan. 27 to Feb.14, ACTion Alexandriais holding a photo contest for animallovers in Alexandria. Participants areasked to post a photo of theiradopted pet on ACTion with a shortdescription of their pet. All contestparticipants are encouraged to signup to be a Social Media AnimalAmbassador for an animal who hasbeen in either King Street Cats or theAnimal Welfare League of Alexandriafor a longer period of time. Toparticipate visit actionalexandria.org.

FRIDAY/JAN. 31Music Performance. 7:30 p.m. at

Birchmere Music Hall, 3701 MountVernon Ave. The Bottle Rockets willperform with Marshall Crenshaw.$27.50. Visit www.birchmere.com fortickets.

Theater Performance. 7:30 p.m. atT.C. Williams High School. See thedrama department stageShakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’sDream.” $5/ACPS employees,students and seniors; $10/adult.

One-Act Play. 7 p.m. in the KogelmanTheatre at West Potomac HighSchool. “Evolution of a Black Girl” byMorgan Avery McCoy will beperformed. The kickoff will alsoinclude performances by the PomTeam, Sandburg Middle Step Team,and African Student Dancers. Ticketsare $10.

SATURDAY/FEB. 1Music Performance. 7:30 p.m. at

Birchmere Music Hall, 3701 MountVernon Ave. James McMurtry willperform. $29.50. Visitwww.birchmere.com or call 703-549-7500.

Warehouse Sale. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at theGeorge Washington MasonicMemorial, 101 Callahan Drive.Browse high-end boutiquemerchandise during the 9th annualOld Town Boutique District

Warehouse Sale. Visitwww.oldtownboutiquedistrict.com orfacebook.com/ALXWarehouseSale formore.

Lecture and Book Signing. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Alexandria BlackHistory Museum, 902 Wythe St. Jointhe authors of “African Americans ofAlexandria, Virginia: Beacons ofLight in the 20th Century” for adiscussion of Alexandria’s civil rightstrailblazers. Free. Reservationsencouraged. 703-746-4356.

Special Tours andDemonstrations. 1-4 p.m. atStabler-Leadbeater ApothecaryMuseum, 105-107 S. Fairfax St.Discover items from poison bottles todragon’s blood and find out how theywere used and if they worked. Therewill also be demonstrations.Recommended for children in 3rdgrade and older. $6/person.Reservations recommended. Visitshop.alexandriava.gov or 703-746-3852.

Free Coffee. 3-4 p.m., get free coffeeat St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub, 2300 MountVernon Ave. Browse the exhibition of“Living Legends of Alexandria:African American Activists” for BlackHistory Month. The exhibitionfeatures 13 African Americans whohave been chronicled as part of theLiving Legends of Alexandria project.Visit www.Alexandrialegends.com formore.

Country-Western Dance Lessons.Lessons at 6:30 p.m., dancing from7:30-10 p.m. at Lincolnia Center,4710 N. Chambliss St. Couples andsingles can dance to music by a DJ.$10/NVCWDA; $12/non-member;$5/children under 18. Visitwww.nvcwda.org or 703-860-4941for more.

Theater Performance. 7:30 p.m. atT.C. Williams High School. See thedrama department stageShakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’sDream.” $5/ACPS employees,students and seniors; $10/adult.

Calendar


February 15, 2014 • 6:30 P.M.Belle Haven Country Club

Music by Black Moon Tonic

$145 per couple/Cash BarWP Staff & Coaches $100 per couple, $50 single

Sponsored by Fort Hunt Sportsmen/WABC/PTSA

Purchase Tickets online at turfwestpotomac.comOr send a check:

Checks payable to: Fort Hunt Sportsmen’s AssociationMail to Rick Genuario: 8201 Mack St., Alexandria, VA 22308

Special thanks to


By Jeanne Theismann

The Gazette

From the opening strains of “Ragtime,” it’s ap-parent that The Little Theatre of Alexandriahas mounted a spectacular production of the

Tony Award-winning musical by Terrance McNally.As the cast of characters make their introductions,we glimpse America’s epic melting pot story come tolife.

Based on the 1975 novel by E. L. Doctorow, “Rag-time” tells the story of three families reshaping lifein the early 20th century. The audience first meetsFather (Shaun Moe), Mother (Jennifer LyonsPagnard), Mother’s Younger Brother (BenCherington) and the Little Boy (played on openingnight by Brian McNamara), who find their compla-cent life in New Rochelle, N.Y., upended by the dis-covery of a black infant in their garden.

In a moment of desperation, the baby was aban-doned by Sarah (Aerika Saxe), a cleaning womanwho conceived the child with Harlem piano playerCoalhouse Walker Jr. (Malcolm Lee).

The third story follows Latvian immigrant Tateh(Michael Gale) and his daughter (Lindsey Gattuso)as they survive the squalor of Lower East Side tene-ments and rise to the heights of the burgeoning filmindustry.

Making cameo appearances are historical figureslike the showgirl Evelyn Nesbit (Claire O’Brien),Harry Houdini (Jonathan Cagle-Mulberg), the radi-cal Emma Goldman (a rousing Janette Moman) and

‘Ragtime’ Tony Award-winning musicalopens at LTA.

the captains of industry J. P. Morgan (Larry Grey)and Henry Ford (Buzz Schmidt).

Saxe and Lee lead a stellar cast with Pagnard turn-ing in a poignant performance as the privileged whitemother.

Directed by Michael Kharfen, the entire produc-tion crew – sets by J. Andrew Simmons, choreogra-phy by Ivan Davila and costumes by Jean Schlichtingand Kit Sibley – achieves perfect synergy for one ofLTA’s finest productions.

“Ragtime” is playing now through Feb. 15 at TheLittle Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe St. Limited tick-ets still available for the Feb. 4 performance to benefitthe Alexandria Police Foundation. For more informa-tion call 703-746-1909 or visitwww.alexandriapolicefoundation.org.

Cast of Ragtime

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Music Performance. 7:30 p.m. at TheBirchmere Music Hall, 3701 MountVernon Ave. James McMurtry willperform with Curtis McMurtry. Visitwww.birchmere.com or call 703-549-7500.

SUNDAY/FEB. 2Downton Abbey Tours. 2 p.m. at

Lee-Fendall House, 614 Oronoco St.The current owner of HighclereCastle, the real world castle whereDownton Abbey is filmed, is a directdescendent of the original owner ofLee-Fendall House. The tour willcompare similarities between peopleand places within the world of thetelevision series and those of Lee-Fendall House and also include therarely seen servant’s wing andkitchen area. $5/advance; $7/day of.Visit www.leefendallhouse.org or703-548-1789 for tickets.

Closing Reception. 2-4 p.m. at TheArt League in the Torpedo Factory,105 N. Union St. See “CommunityCanvas Project” and “SOHOPhotography Exhibit” before it closes.The project is nearly 600 piecesstrong. Visit www.theartleague.org.

Opening Reception. 4-6 p.m., meetKatie Runnerstrom and see drawingsand paintings at the Athenaeum, 201Prince St. The show reflects herexploration of several areas ofscience such as mycology and thestudy of jellyfish. Free. Visitnvfaa.org or 703-548-0035.

TUESDAY/FEB. 4Special Tour. 1:30 p.m. at Mount

Vernon Estate. Take a special tour ofthe new Fred W. Smith NationalLibrary for the study of GeorgeWashington. Included in admission.Visit www.mountvernon.org or 703-

780-2000.Discussion Series. 6-8 p.m. at

Morrison House, 116 S Alfred St.Catherine Hollan on the “GrowingAmerican Silver Market” has beenrescheduled from January. Free. Visitwww.torpedofactory.org/morrison/.

Arts Extravaganza: An Evening ofFine and Performing Arts. 7p.m. at West Potomac High SchoolSpringbank Arts Center, 6500Quander Road. All ages can enjoy“Tuesday Night Live,” a parody of“Saturday Night Live,” browse artexhibits and create with clay, paintand more. There will also be musicand competitions and more. Free.

WEDNESDAY/FEB. 5Dance Workshop and Book

Signing. 4:30-6:30 p.m. atMetropolitan School of the Art’sAlexandria studio, 5775 BarclayDrive. Middle and high schoolstudents can enjoy a workshop byTim Federle, a Broadwaychoreographer. $50/open toadvanced dance, theatre and musicstudents. Visit www.metropolitanarts.org to register.

Music Performance. 7:30 p.m. at TheBirchmere Music Hall, 3701 MountVernon Ave. Travis Tritt will perform.Visit www.birchmere.com or call703-549-7500.

THURSDAY/FEB. 6Free Frozen Yogurt. From noon-9

p.m. at Menchie’s Pinecrest Plaza,6550 Little River Turnpike. Print off acoupon at facebook.com/mymenchiesand bring it in for a free six-ouncecup of frozen yogurt. Valid only onthat day. Visit www.menchies.com.

Lecture. 7-8:30 p.m. at The Lyceum,201 S. Washington St. “How France

Embraced and Rejected AmericanValues.” Free, donations accepted.Visit www.alexandriacaen.wordpress.com.

Music Performance. 7:30 p.m. at TheBirchmere Music Hall, 3701 MountVernon Ave. Vanessa Carlton withPatrick Sweany will perform.Rescheduled, all tickets from Oct. 17will be honored. Visitwww.birchmere.com or call 703-549-7500.

FRIDAY/FEB. 7Opening Reception. 7-10 p.m. see

“Reincarnations” art exhibit at DelRay Artisans, 2704 Mount VernonAve. Features art from salvageditems, art from encyclopedias andmore. Free. Runs Feb. 7 throughMarch 2. Visitwww.thedelrayartisans.org for more.

Opening Reception. 7-9 p.m. meetChantilly resident Peter Toth, artistof “Songs of the Shore,” archivalinkjet prints in the Margaret W. andJoseph L. Fisher Art Gallery, of theRachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall &Arts Center, 3001 N. Beauregard St.Visit www.nvcc.edu/schlesingercenter/gallery.html formore.

Music Performance. 7:30 p.m. at TheBirchmere Music Hall, 3701 MountVernon Ave. Arlo Guthrie continueshis tribute to Woody’s 100thbirthday. Visit www.birchmere.comor call 703-549-7500.

SATURDAY/FEB. 8Barnes & Noble Bookfair. 10 a.m.-1

p.m. at Barnes & Noble PotomacYard, 3651 Jefferson Davis Highway.Support Jefferson-Houston PTA whileenjoying student performances, bookreadings and crafts. Visit bn.com/

bookfairs and enter ID #11271368 ifyou would like to support the schoolonline.

Swordsmen’s Rendezvous. Noon-4p.m. at Gadsby’s Tavern, 138 N.Royal St. Enjoy a re-enactment of18th-century swordplay, displays,discussions and more. Includesaudience participation. $6/person.Reservations required,shop.alexandriava.gov or 703-746-4242.

Civil War Recruiting Day. 1-4 p.m.at Fort Ward Museum, 4301 W.Braddock Road. Meet soldiers andcivilians of the 3rd U.S. RegularInfantry, Company K. There will bedemonstrations and informationabout how to become a re-enactor.Free. Snow day is Feb. 22. Visitwww.fortward.org or 703-746-4848.

Closing Reception and SilentAuction. 3-8 p.m. bid on some ofthe entries from “Mixed MediaMetallics.” Proceeds benefit Food forOthers. On display at ArtisticArtifacts, 4750 Eisenhower Ave.Admission is one non-perishable fooditem, which will be donated to Foodfor Others. Visitwww.ArtisticArtifacts.com/metallicsfor more.

Teen Production. 7:30 p.m. atHeritage Presbyterian Church, 8503Fort Hunt Road. See MVCCT’sproduction of Shakespeare’s “MuchAdo About Nothing.” $12. Visitmvcct.org for more.

Music Performance. 7:30 p.m. at TheBirchmere Music Hall, 3701 MountVernon Ave. Arlo Guthrie continueshis tribute to Woody’s 100thbirthday. Visit www.birchmere.comor call 703-549-7500.

SUNDAY/FEB. 9Valentine Card-Making Party.

Noon-4 p.m. at Del Ray Artisans inthe Nicholas A. Colasanto Center,2704 Mount Vernon Ave. Free, but adonation for a make-and-take card isrequested. Visitwww.thedelrayartisans.org for more.

Downton Abbey Tours. 2 p.m. atLee-Fendall House, 614 Oronoco St.The current owner of HighclereCastle, the real world castle whereDownton Abbey is filmed, is a directdescendent of the original owner ofLee-Fendall House. The tour willcompare similarities between peopleand places within the world of thetelevision series and those of Lee-Fendall House and also include therarely seen servant’s wing andkitchen area. $5/advance; $7/day of.Visit www.leefendallhouse.org or703-548-1789 for tickets.

Winter Warmer Tea. 3-4:30 p.m. atGadsby’s Tavern, 138 N. Royal St. Eatperiod-inspired delicacies whileenjoying tea and American HeritageChocolate. A historic guest will bevisiting. $35/person and is allinclusive. Reservations required,shop.alexandriava.gov or 703-746-4242.

Teen Production. 3 p.m. at HeritagePresbyterian Church, 8503 Fort HuntRoad. See MVCCT’s production ofShakespeare’s “Much Ado AboutNothing.” $12. Visit mvcct.org formore.

Christie Dashiell. 6-9 p.m. at TheCarlyle Club, 411 John Carlyle St.The Hoop Academy Project presentsan Evening with Christie Dashiell,accompanied by the Vaughn AmbroseQuartet. Proceeds benefit theAlexandria African American Hall ofFame Project. $35 per person. Cashbar and full dinner menu available.Contact Julian Haley at 571-217-9951 or [email protected].


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By Sen. Linda T. “Toddy” Puller

State Senator (D-36)

Three weeks into session

and the excitement con-tinues, each day bringing a new

group of constituents and advocates whovisit my office and impress me with theirpassion and commitment to a wide rangeof social and economic issues.

Three of my bills have pass the third read-ing in the Senate and will be heading overto the House of Delegates on Feb. 11. Theone bill I have been working the longeston, SB 11 passed just today and will makeit easier for active duty, overseas voters toreturn their absentee ballots securely andon time. The time to pass this legislation isnow. These men and women are puttingtheir lives on the line for us, they are livingon aircraft carriers, in submarines andmakeshift bases in Afghanistan and theydeserve to have their vote counted. This billhas broad, bi-partisan support in the Sen-ate, and the House of Delegates, especiallyin Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads,where most of our military men and womenlive.

I am still hard at work on several piecesof legislation, including SB 201 whichwould make health insurers give patientswho take prescription drugs that are partof “specialty tiers” notice when these drugsare moved from one tier to another, affect-ing cost and insurance coverage. This iscommon sense legislation that will helpfamilies’ budgets and keep them on their

life-saving medications. Similar legislationhas passed in other states, most recently inDelaware, and Virginians deserve the sameprotections.

One final bill I will highlight is SB 481,which was voted unanimously out of theSenate Education & Health Committee andreferred to the Senate Finance Committee.This bill would extend the Virginia MilitarySurvivors and Dependents Education Pro-gram to those qualifying families who havelived in Virginia for five years, even if theyhave a second primary residence elsewhere.Military families get moved frequently andsometimes residency is just a concept. If afamily is stationed in Virginia for five con-tinuous years and then the military spouseis killed or 90 percent disabled and the chil-dren wish to stay in Virginia and attendcollege here, they should have that oppor-tunity. Both of my children went to JamesMadison University thanks to this programand it was a great benefit to our family.

I will be at a town hall this Saturday, Feb.1 at the Kingstowne Thompson Center from10 – 11:30 a.m. along with Senators Barkerand Ebbin, Delegate Sickles and Lee DistrictSupervisor McKay. I look forward to meet-ing my constituents at those town halls andgiving an update on the legislative session.

As always I am honored to represent the36th senatorial district of Virginia and lookforward to working hard for my constitu-ents. Anyone with an issue or concernshould contact my office in Richmond [email protected] or by phone:804-698-7536.

Helping Military Families

By Scott A. Surovell

State Delegate (D-44)

The second week of the

General Assembly Ses-sion saw the end ofthe Hybrid Tax, sharpening

rhetoric on Medicaid, debate on firearmssafety and the death penalty, and broughtclarity on the composition of the Senate.

First, the House voted to repeal the Hy-brid Tax 89-9. Both Chambers have nowapproved repeal. We must pass each other’sbills after crossover and the Governor hasindicated that he will sign the legislation. Iam pleased the legislature has listened tothe 7,500 people who signed the petitiongathered by myself and Senator Ebbin.

My budget amendment to provide $4million of funding for the preliminary en-gineering of U.S. 1 road and transit im-provements was given its first hearing. Theco-cChair of the Mt. Vernon Council of Citi-zens, Jim Davis, testified in favor and theMt. Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce pro-vided a letter in support.

The consequences of November electionscontinue to play out. Last week, JenniferWexton won Attorney General MarkHerring’s open senate seat in LoudounCounty and Western Fairfax. On Jan. 27,the recount concluded in Lieutenant Gov-ernor Ralph Northam’s open senate seat at

the Senate moved back to a 20-20 tie withDemocratic Lieutenant Governor RalphNortham holding the tie breaking vote.

As I write this on Tuesday, Jan. 28, every-one is waiting to see what happens in theState Senate where the new majority islikely to retake control and re-establish com-mittees this afternoon. This change will re-verberate all session. Stay tuned.

The House passed legislation I co-spon-sored allowing Dominion Power to seekapproval to charge approximately $0.40/mo per year increasing over 10 years to ap-proximately $4/month to being the processof “undergrounding” power lines. The planis to put 350 miles of power lines per yearunderground until 4,000 miles have beenburied.

Dominion Power requested this legisla-tion, in part, due to increased customercomplaints about power outages such asthose heard at my town hall meeting onSept. 11, 2012 at Sherwood Library afterthe Derecho of August, 2011. I am pleasedthat Dominion is responding to the com-munity and able to achieve it at a very lowcost. Next, we need to ensure that our areais at the front of the list for improvements.

Virginia has been experiencing problemsadministering the death penalty. Europeandrug manufacturers have refused to providethe U.S. with lethal injection drugs. In thelast three months, two states have turned

to American compounding pharmacies tocreate new “cocktails” for extinguishing thecondemned person’s life.

Two legislators introduced legislation al-lowing them to force an inmate to be elec-trocuted if the state could not locate drugs.I also introduced legislation permanentlybanning Virginia’s electric chair for differ-ent reasons, but leaving lethal injection asan available method. My legislation waskilled, but the legislation forcing the elec-tric chair passed the House of Delegates ona largely party-line vote and it’s now on tothe State Senate.

The House of Delegates also passed leg-islation providing reciprocity for any out-of-state concealed weapon permits. I arguedagainst this because Virginia has some ofthe toughest concealed weapon permit re-strictions in the U.S. – this is why manystates do not give us reciprocity.

If the law we passed clears the Senate, a

Virginian convicted of stalking, sexual bat-tery, acquitted of insanity, legally incompe-tent, or recently discharged from inpatientmental health or substance abuse treatmentcould be denied for a Virginia concealedweapon permit, but obtain a permit from astate like Florida and use that permit in Vir-ginia. Florida only requires an applicant tobe 21, legally present, and not a felon andwill sell a permit to any American. I aggres-sively fought this bill on the floor, but itpassed on a largely party-line vote.

You can watch many of these debates ormy Town Hall Meeting from this past Sat-urday on my You Tube channel. If you are atotal geek, you can tune in to a live streamof our floor sessions online every day atnoon. This week will bring some clarity onthe House of Delegates ethics reforms pack-age and Standards of Learning reforms.

Thank you for allowing me to serve asyour delegate.

Hybrid Tax Repealed, Senate Shakeup and Death PenaltyOpinion

See Letters, Page 19

From Page 10

Letters to the Editor

metaphors regarding the rolling up (neverdown ...) of sleeves. Still it is good to readof progress, however incremental. I learnedagain of the Beltway Express lanes, whichallow, for example, drivers from pointssouth and east to speed along to gridlockin points north and west. For the first timeI learned that that hulking relic of bad ‘70s’design (redundant, I know ...), the Spring-field Mall, has been newly renovated.

I was thus in a mildly somnolent statewhen I passed over the first of Superinten-dent Garza’s remarks. I snapped awake atthe second, and rounded back on the first.I was - and remain - alarmed.

Have we so lost our moorings that thesuperintendent has to appear to wonderaloud, “... what our community expects ofits schools”? Really ...? Whether our “com-munity” knows it or not, a school provides- or should - an education. Not to soundhopelessly 19th century in this era wheresomething called “21st century skills” is allthe rage, begin with reading, writing, andarithmetic, and proceed from there ... tohigher levels of these basics ... to the artsand sciences ... to the trades ... include ath-letics in the mix, and so forth. Does anyonenot know this ...?

In the face of declining budgets, the su-perintendent seems pleased to announcethat one of her “big projects” is to employ a“broad-based community committee to de-velop the “Portrait of a Graduate.” Apolo-gies for repeating myself, but ... really? Doesshe - and we - really not know what it meansto be a high school graduate? Again, arewe so adrift?

I’m not a “broad-based community com-mittee,” but I know that a high schoolgraduate is someone who can function inthe world after high school. No doubt thecommittee will eventually - and tortuously- arrive at the conclusion that the “portraits”will vary. To cite just a few examples out ofwhat is an incredibly broad spectrum of stu-dents, those who wish to go on to univer-sity should be provided a solid grounding

in the liberal arts; those heading for thetrades should be prepared for - and begin -apprenticeships; those who would like tostart a chain of pet food stores should get amix of the first two; those who wish to takeadvantage of the promise of the internetshould be given ample opportunity to learncomputer coding ... and some mix of thefirst two; and so forth ... Additionally, allshould be prepared to vote intelligently.

It’s really not that difficult to define whata high school graduate should be. FCPS highschools, to the extent that they can exertinfluence on the outcome, will achieve thisideal to greater and lesser degrees. A moti-vated student, imbued by his parents witha work ethic, sense of responsibility, andknowledge of the value of education, will,under the tutelage and care of FCPS,achieve success both as a student, and inlater life. For the unmotivated student, im-bued with little of the above, FCPS can of-fer the same path; some will take it, a dis-appointing number will not. However well-intentioned, no long lists of action itemsfrom interminable committee and sub-com-mittee meetings will change these out-comes.

I have little doubt that SuperintendentGarza really does know what a communityexpects from its schools, and could, un-aided, paint a portrait or two of a success-ful graduate. Why then, in this roll-up-one’s-sleeves era of apparently inadequate bud-gets, are she and her staff expending pre-cious resources seeking answers to ques-tions long since answered, and otherwiseengaging in, and - more importantly - nur-turing a culture that tolerates such collec-tive navel-gazing? More practical thinkingis required. Schools have one mission: toeducate. To do this, they need teachers whocan pass information, some measure ofknowledge, the occasional pearl of wisdom,and perhaps even a note or two of Bach’sinto the brains of their charges. They needa basic support structure - shelter, lunch,electricity, etc. - in which teachers ... teach.


By Adam P. Ebbin

State Senator (D-30)

The major news story that broke last week wasthe 14-count felony indictment filed against

former Governor McDonnell and his wife for ethicsviolations. There is no question that public confidencein government officials has diminished. The peopleof Virginia expect accountability from their electedofficials, and my colleagues and I have invested a lotof time and effort in crafting legislation to meet thatexpectation. Many provisions I proposed have beenendorsed by the Senate Rules Committee.

Last week also marked a big victory for proponentsof marriage equality in Virginia when Attorney Gen-eral Mark Herring announced that, after a thoroughlegal review, he concluded Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage violates the Due Process and Equal Pro-tection clauses of the 14th Amendment to the USConstitution. Virginia has a proud history as the birth-place of the Bill of Rights, but too often our Com-monwealth has been on the wrong side of history, aswe were in Loving v. Virginia in 1967 arguing againstinterracial marriage. It is exciting and refreshing tosee Virginia waking up from history and looking for-ward, not backward.

Several of my other legislative proposals have madeprogress. One of these bills (SB27) would reinstatethe option for individuals to receive their tax refundsin the form of a paper check instead of a pre-loadeddebit card. Consumers around the state complainedthat the debit cards being used were fraught withfees and not consumer-friendly, and I am pleased toreport this bill passed unanimously through the Sen-

ate.Another bill I’ve co-sponsored with Senator Bryce

Reeves of Fredericksburg (SB96) would prohibit thesale of electronic cigarettes to minors. These e-ciga-rettes contain nicotine and have addictive proper-ties. We need to regulate them in the same manneras we regulate traditional cigarettes by not allowingtheir sale to children.

I have also introduced legislation (SB663) to es-tablish a mental health pilot program at eight com-munity college campuses around the state. This billwould provide important services given the alarm-ing increase in violent tragedies at campuses aroundthe country.

Thanks to all who attended the Mt. Vernon TownHall Meeting last Saturday with Sen. Toddy Pullerand Del. Scott Surovell. For those who could notmake it to that one or who live in other parts of thedistrict, there are two additional Town Hall Meet-ings:

* Lee District: Feb. 1, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., KingstowneThompson Center (6090 Kingstowne Village Park-way, Alexandria) with Del. Mark Sickles, Sen. GeorgeBarker and Sen. Toddy Puller.

* Alexandria/Arlington: Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.,Charles Houston Recreation Center (905 WytheStreet, Alexandria) with Del. Rob Krupicka.

If you’re in Richmond between now and March 8,please stop by my office and see me. You can alsoemail me at [email protected] or call804-698-7530 with your thoughts on legislation orstate-related matters. I am active on Facebook andTwitter (@AdamEbbin) and more information isavailable at www.AdamEbbin.com.

Ethics Dominates News HeadlinesAs the budget process moves for-ward, Superintendent Garza andher staff need to fund, as best theycan, those things which directlysupport the mission, eliminatethose which do not, and recognizethat they can not cure all the illsof society. She does not need to ex-pend further energy seeking thatwhich is already manifestly evi-dent.

John FaganAlexandria

RestoreAnd Destroy?To the Editor:

In the recently published pro-posed Environmental ImpactStatement (EIS) for proposed res-toration of Dyke Marsh, the Na-tional Park Service (NPS) pro-posed three alternatives, alterna-tive A (do nothing), alternative B(preservation and modest restora-tion), and alternative C (preserva-tion and more comprehensive res-toration). NPS has indicated thatit prefers alternative C, but thatalternative appears to be at cross-purposes to the comments re-ceived from the public when alter-natives A-D were proposed in the2008-2009 time frame.

In the NPS report concerningcomments it received in 2008-2009, the most comments received(21.74 percent) concerned im-pacts on Belle Haven Marina. Thesecond most were in opposition toprevious alternative D “full resto-ration” (15.26 percent). These twocategories dwarfed the next high-est percentage (6.48 percent infavor of alternative D). Most of thecommenters concerning the ma-rina opposed any action thatwould materially impact its opera-tions. Current alternative C in-cludes what are described as op-tional restoration aspects thatwould essentially eliminate themarina from existence if enacted.

The EIS states that optionswhich would effectively destroythe marina would not be exercised“unless the marina were to becomeeconomically infeasible and wereto close for reasons unrelated tothe Marsh restoration .…” Whatthis means is that so long as pro-posed restoration of Dyke Marshincludes options that would de-stroy the marina, that destructioncan become a self-fulfilling proph-ecy should the political winds blowin the direction of NPS unconscio-nably raising the marina’s rent tomake its operations economicallyinfeasible. So long as the proposedrestoration includes any optionsthat could conceivably destroy themarina, this will be the case. Assuch, it is imperative that those

From

Opinion

options be stricken from any pro-posal to restore Dyke Marsh.

From the Wilson Bridge toPohick Bay, the only public accessto the Potomac River in FairfaxCounty is at Belle Haven Marina.During a public meeting of Super-visor Hyland’s Visioning Task Forcein 2009, former MVCCA Co-chairKatherine Ward bemoaned thislack of public access and suggestedthat perhaps it would be appropri-ate to obtain such public accessfrom private property ownersalong the riverfront. No one elsepublicly supported this suggestion,but it points out the value of BelleHaven Marina to our communityand the need to retain it at allcosts.

Additionally, in the EIS, NPSconcedes that implementation ofalternative C would likely ad-versely impact private propertiesto the south of Dyke Marsh:

“If the NPS were to restoremarsh south of the breakwater,

water levels to the south of theproject area would be expected tobecome somewhat shallower overtime, as sediments accreted in therestored marsh area and adjacentto it, as discussed in the hydrol-ogy section. However, waterdepths would not be anticipatedto change enough to change theuse of the existing docks south ofDyke Marsh.”

Apparently, NPS is not awarethat property owners to the southmust construct docks over 300 feetlong to merely obtain water depthsof perhaps 3 feet at low tide inmany cases. Any siltation whatso-ever resulting from restoration ef-forts at Dyke Marsh will materi-ally impact the ability of thoseproperty owners to moor a reason-ably-sized vessel at their docks. Itwould be unconscionable for NPS,with full knowledge of materialimpacts to property values ofdownstream properties resultingfrom their actions, to go ahead andtake those actions anyway. Gov-ernment takings without compen-sation are forbidden by the FifthAmendment to our Constitution.NPS would be well served to strikefrom any proposed restorationplan any possibility of actions thatcould conceivably materially im-pact water access of downstreamproperties.

It is clear that the proposed EISis materially flawed and requiressignificant revision to ensure thatDyke Marsh is preserved in its cur-rent form without adversely im-pacting adjacent properties or thevaluable resource of Belle HavenMarina, as preferred in publiccomments NPS previously re-ceived. Please listen, NPS.

H. Jay Spiegel Mount Vernon


CorrectionIn last week’s Mount Vernon Gazette, the wrongphoto accompanied “Mount Vernon Girls’ BasketballShowing Improvement.” It should have been thephoto of senior forward Samantha Porter.

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West Potomac seniorMonica Thompsonplaced second in the

all-around competition at the Bar-bara Reinwald W-L Gymnastics In-vitational on Jan. 25 at Washing-ton-Lee High School in Arlington.

Thompson posted a score of35.425. Fairfax’s Rachel Barborekwon the competition with a scoreof 35.975.

Thompson placed second onvault (9.55), fourth on floor(8.85), sixth on bars (8.325) andseventh on beam (8.7).

“I was happy with [Thompson’sperformance],” head coach PeteNovgrod said. “She did a good jobon beam. Bars … she made every-thing in [her routine]. Prettyclean. … Floor, she did a nice

[job].”Thompson competes in club

gymnastics for the Arlington Aeri-als.

Other than Thompson, the WestPotomac gymnastics team doesn’thave much in the way of club ex-perience. On Saturday, the Wolver-ines placed fifth in the team com-petition with a score of 90.825.Washington-Lee won the eventwith a score of 104.975, followedby Yorktown (104.95), T.C. Will-iams (102.95) and Mount Vernon(91.225).

West Potomac will compete inthe Conference 7 meet at 6 p.m.on Friday, Jan. 31 at LakeBraddock.

— Jon Roetman

West Potomac seniorMonica Thompson

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West Potomac’s Thompson Places Second at W-L Invitational

SportsMount Vernon Gazette Sports Editor Jon Roetman

703-224-3015 or [email protected]

By Jon Roetman

The Gazette

West Potomac seniorJoe Richards fig-ured members ofthe T.C. Williams

boys’ basketball team would startdefending him with a little moreurgency after he knocked down afew 3-pointers early in the teams’Jan. 25 contest.

But as the game went on,Richards kept getting open. So hekept knocking them down.

Richards buried a career-best six3-pointers and finished with 22points as the Wolverines defeatedthe Titans 62-50 on Saturday nightat West Potomac High School.

After making a trio of 3-point-ers in the first half, Richards madetwo more in the first three min-utes of the second half, helpingWest Potomac open a 43-29 ad-vantage.

“They weren’t guarding me as Ithought they were going to guardme,” Richards said. “They defi-nitely sagged off a little bit andthat’s definitely when the chancescame open.”

Richards’ final 3-pointer camewith 3:31 remaining in the fourthquarter. He knocked it down fromthe left corner, giving WestPotomac a 57-42 lead.

“He’s streaky, but he’s been kind

of hot the last couple weeks,” WestPotomac head coach David Hous-ton III said. “I saw he missed onefrom about 25 feet that kind ofwent in and out, so I knew. Thefocus in the second half was to tryto get him the ball. It looked likehe was feeling it.”

Each of the rival schools enteredSaturday’s contest with a losingrecord. While West Potomacearned its fifth victory during a

rebuilding year, T.C. Williams’struggles continued. The Titanslost to West Springfield on Tues-day, dropping their record to 2-14.

The Wolverines and Titans arescheduled to play again on Feb. 4at T.C. Williams High School.

“It feels good to get a win,”Houston said. “T.C., that’s a goodwin — I don’t care what anybodysays their record is.”

DeMornay Pierson-El scored 11

points off the bench for WestPotomac. Pierson-El is committedto play football at the Universityof Nebraska and originallyplanned to skip his senior basket-ball season. He had a change ofheart.

“I made a selfish decision to notplay and I’m just not a selfish per-son,” Pierson-El said. “It justwasn’t in me. This is my last time

around these guys. I probablywon’t see them for a long time.We’ll have contact, but I won’t getthis year back.”

Freshman guard Alan Treaklescored 13 points for West Potomac.

West Potomac defeated SouthCounty on Tuesday to improve to6-8. The Wolverines will host WestSpringfield at 7:30 p.m. on Friday,Jan. 31.

Sharpshooting Richards Leads West Potomac Past TCSenior guardscores 22 points,makes six3-pointers.

Joe Richards knocked down six 3-pointers during WestPotomac’s 62-50 victory over T.C. Williams on Jan. 25.

West Potomac senior DeMornay Pierson-El attempts todunk during a Jan. 25 contest against T.C. Williams.

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Obituary

Lila B. ZimmermanWilliamsburg Landing Resident

Lila Breshears Zimmerman, 97, peacefully passed away Wed-nesday January 15th at her Woodhaven residence in the Wil-liamsburg Landing retirement community. She was preceded in death by her sister Lillan and Gil Zimmerman, her loving husband of 51 years who passed away in August, 2012.

She was born in the Breshears Valley near Warsaw, MO and moved to Washington D.C. along with her sister Lillan in the 1940’s to go to work for the U.S. Government as a secretary. It was there that she and Gil met and subsequently married in June, 1961. He was a high ranking lawyer with the U.S. Attor-ney’s Office prior to both of their retirements from the govern-ment.

Lila and Gil were longtime and highly regarded residents of Old Town Alexandria, VA for many years prior to moving to Wil-liamsburg Landing in 1995. While in Alexandria, she was ac-tive in charity work and was a volunteer for Nelly’s Needlers, a group of talented women who made beautiful quilts to raise money for the preservation of Woodlawn Plantation, a historic home south of Alexandria that was originally a part of George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate and was the residence of he and Martha Washington’s granddaughter Nelly Custis. In addition to her quilt making, Lila was a talented oil painter and created several beautiful still life paintings.

She is survived by her author step-son Gerry A. Zimmerman of Scottsdale, AZ. At her wish, there will be no public memorial services and following her cremation at the Nelsen Funeral Home, her ashes will be sent to Missouri where they will be buried along with the ashes of her beloved husband, Gil, in a family plot in Wheatland, MO.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.nelsencares.com.

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ABC LICENSEFionas, LLC trading as Fionas Irish Pub , 5810 Kingstowne Ctr, ste 160, Alexandria, VA 22315. The above establish-ment is applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Wine, Beer and Mixed Beverages on Premise license to sell or man-ufacture alcoholic beverages. Martin White, Member/ownerNOTE: Objections to the is-suace of this license must be submitted to ABC no later that 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. ob-jections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.

ABC LICENSEKing Street Bottleshop, LLC trading as King Street Bottle-shop, 1309 King St, Alexan-dria, VA 22314. The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Wine and Beer off Premises license to sell or manufacture alcohol-ic beverages. Christine Lee Seashore, member of LLCNOTE: Objections to the is-suace of this license must be submitted to ABC no later that 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. ob-jections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.

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Legal Notices

LEGAL NOTICEPursuant to the provision ofsection 4-1-16 of the code of

the City of Alexandria, the Alexandria Police Department

located at 3600 WheelerAvenue, Alexandria, VA 22304

is now in possession ofunclaimed bicycles, mopeds,

lawn equipment, money,scooters, and other items. Allpersons having valid claim to

the property should file a claimto the property with

reasonable proof of ownershipor the items will be sold,destroyed, converted or

donated. For a completelisting go to

http://alexandriava.gov/police/and contact the

Police Property Section at(703) 746-6709.

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If tomorrow were never tocome, it wouldnot be worthliving today.

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AT&T Mobility, LLC is proposing to install new wireless tele-communications equipment at 4600 Duke Street, Alexandria,VA 22314 and 2727 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. Newgenerators will be installed at grade on a 5’ by 11’ concretepad at each site. The height of the generators is not toexceed 10 feet above grade. Any interested party wishing tosubmit comments regarding the potential effects the pro-posed facility may have on any historic property may do soby sending such comments to: Project 61140111-TC c/o EBIConsulting, 6876 Susquehanna Trail S, York, PA 17403 or viatelephone at 339-234-2597.

AT&T Mobility, LLC proposes to install new wireless telecom-munications equipment at 501 Slaters Lane, Alexandria, VA22314. A new +/- 10-foot tall generator will be installed atgrade on a 5-foot by 11-foot concrete pad. Any interestedparty wishing to submit comments regarding the potentialeffects the proposed facility may have on any historic prop-erty may do so by sending such comments to: Project61140019-TC c/o EBI Consulting, 6876 Susquehanna Trail S.,York, PA 17403 or 339-234-2597.



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News

School Fundsfor next school year, overcrowded schoolsare becoming a mainstay.

The CIP five-year plan includes a queueof which schools have planning funds andconstruction funds approved, and includesthe construction of two new elementaryschools as well as one new high school. Thetotal bill for this CIP is $697.7 million, with$371.7 million of that unfunded.

One of the major sticking points amongboard members was the treatment of legacyhigh schools: Falls Church, Herndon, Lan-gley, Oakton and West Springfield. All theseschools were built in the 1960s, and nonehave received a full renovation. Some arestill not in the queue to receive funds forupgrades as of this CIP.

“We’re stuck between a rock and a hardplace,” said Providence District Representa-tive Patty Reed citing not enough funding andtoo many schools in need. “And Falls Churchis no further along than it was before.”

The CIP did not list Falls Church in thequeue for high schools needing renovation— which many members felt was a grossoversight since the school was built in 1967and is without science and computer labs— putting its students at a severe disad-vantage to remain competitive for jobs andacceptance into top colleges, said Reed.

At the meeting last week, an amendmentto the CIP passed to further examine reno-vations needed at legacy high schools.

While the CIP focuses on renovating/en-hancing existing schools and building newschools, the Facilities Planning AdvisoryCommittee — and some members at theboard meeting — suggested examining theentire process for which the board deter-mines the renovation priorities.

The facilities planning committee sug-gested in a January report that anoverarching study on school boundaries andchanging those boundaries by 2018 couldhelp alleviate much of the overcrowding inschools across the county — especially highschools. With the current CIP, Facilities Plan-ning Advisory Committee wrote that in justfive years 45,397 children will be attendingschools at more than 115 percent of capac-ity — approximately one in four students.Currently, there are no ongoing or plannedboundary studies in place, said John Torre,public information officer with FCPS.

Another measure At-Large Member TedVelkoff suggested to ensure schools werereceiving a more adequate amount of capi-tal improvement funds was to integrate thecounty government and the school’s capi-tal funding plans and have criteria set byboth boards for which facilities would en-ter the list.

Currently government-related buildings— including fire departments, detentioncenters, courts etc. — receive 58 percent ofthe county’s capital improvement fundingwhile taking up 19 percent of the totalcounty facilities square footage, whereas theschool system receives 42 percent of themoney with 81 percent of the square foot-age, cited Braddock District RepresentativeMegan McLaughlin.


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