Huntley: Ready Vernon.pdf · 2020. 7. 25. · U.S. Rep. Jim Moran sponsored the grant through the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009. “We look forward to the day the house will

Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ February 4-10, 2010 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

February 4, 2010Vol. XXI, No. 5 Mount Vernon’s Hometown Newspaper • A Connection Newspaper

AttentionPostmaster:

Time-sensitivematerial.

Requested in home2/5/10

PRSRT STDU.S. Postage

PAIDAlexandria, VAPermit #482

See County, Page 7

See FBI, Page 18

By Gerald A. FillThe Gazette

The Fairfax County Park Authority’s an-nouncement inviting construction con-tractors to bid on the restoration ofThomas Mason’s home and outbuild-ings, now known as the Historic Huntley site, cul-minates a 20-year effort to preserve and restorethis property.

The site is listed on the National Register ofHistoric Places, the Virginia Landmarks Register,and the Fairfax County inventory of Historic Sites.Thomas Mason, grandson of George Mason, builta Federal Style Home in 1825. He and his descen-dants lived in the home and farmed the area untilthe early 1900s. The Park Authority acquired thesite in 1989.

The restoration project is funded substantiallyby two previously approved Fairfax Countybonds(1998 and 2008), and a $100,000 federalgrant under the auspices of the National Park Ser-

vice through its Save America’s Treasures program.U.S. Rep. Jim Moran sponsored the grant throughthe Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009.

“We look forward to the day the house will beopen to citizens and fulfilling its role in educatingthe public about the early history of the area andthe families who lived in the house as well as aCivil War encampment on the grounds,” said Bar-bara Ballentine, president, Friends of HistoricHuntley, a citizens advocacy group formed to sup-port the Park Authority’s preservation efforts.

Assistant Park Manager Carolyn Gamble ofHuntley Meadows Park said, “After many years ofpreservation efforts, this Mason family home on a

DetailsFairfax County Park Authority Invitation to Bid on His-

toric Huntley Mansion Restoration Project:❖ Exterior and Interior Rehabilitation of the main building;

restoration of the outbuildings❖ Construction of an access road, parking lot and related

site improvementsSchedule of Events in Support of the Restoration Project:Feb. 1: Release of the Bid Project DescriptionFeb. 9: Pre bid conference; Huntley Meadows Park, 11

a.m.Feb. 25: Bid Deadline.


While FBI spokeswomanKatherine Schweit saidthe FBI is prohibitedfrom routinely confirming that itis conducting an investigation, shereferred to Title 18 U.S.C. section242 of the Civil Rights Act, Depri-

vation of Rights Under Color ofLaw which provides the authorityfor the FBI’s involvement.

On Nov. 13, 2009 Dave Masters,a former Green Beret and Vietnamveteran, and alleged petty larcenysuspect — he was alleged to havetaken a plant from a RichmondHighway nursery — was pursuednorth by Mt. Vernon District Po-lice for several miles in his car be-fore finally stopping him on a ser-vice road near the intersection of

Huntley: ReadyFor RestorationPark Authority seeks bidson $1.9 million project.

Carolyn Gamble, assistant park manager, staff liaison toHistoric Huntley Mansion.

Norma Hoffman,co-founder ofFriends of His-toric Huntley.

See Huntley, Page 18

Civil RightsAct cited.

FBI InvestigatingShooting Death


Ashley McIntosh was killedFeb. 12, 2008 in an autocrash involving former Mt.Vernon District Police OfficerAmanda Perry. After an initial rul-ing by a District Court Judge thatPerry is innocent of any wrongdo-ing, the family of Ms. McIntoshfiles a $6 million civil suit againstthe officer, charging negligenceand gross negligence. Judge NeyRules Perry was grossly negligentand not entitled to sovereign im-munity. This sovereign immunitytrial sets the tone and basis of thecivil suit. The family would onlyhave to prove simple negligencein a trial set for Feb. 8.

On the eve of the trial, FairfaxCounty and family of Ashley McIn-tosh agree to settle out of court for$1.5 million.

This brings to an end a two-yearodyssey of investigation by the

Police Department, the Common-wealth Attorney’s office, and twoDistrict court trials. In the firsttrial, the judge absolved Perry ofany responsibility. In the secondtrial, Fairfax District Judge Neythen ruled that Perry was grosslynegligent and not entitled to sov-ereign immunity. The second rul-ing was based in part on the factthat Perry’s actions, and by herown testimony during the trial, sheadmitted she did not follow stan-dard operating procedures re-quired by all police officers whentraveling through a red light at ahigh speed. Perry testified that sheused “hybrid regulations” insteadof following “General Orders.”These guidelines require policeofficers to use a siren and flashinglights at all times when enteringan intersection while the light isred. Her lights were on but she didnot have her siren on, and did not

County Settles withFamily for $1.5 Million

2 ❖ Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ February 4-10, 2010 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com


See MVCCA Briefs, Page 10

News

See Many Schools, Page 10

Photo by Lashawn Avery/The Gazette

Funds for UCMCynthia Hull, executive director of United Communities Ministries, holdsa check for $45,000 with Felicea Meyer DeLoatch, president of board ofUCM, during the Capitol Steps benefit performance at the Knights ofColumbus Hall on Jan. 31.

Jenny Corbett is Sara Palin asshe performs during the CapitolSteps musical political satire onJan. 31.

Jon Bell is Tiger Woodsduring a skit presented bythe Capitol Steps.

Hyland Addresses CouncilMt. Vernon Supervisor Gerald Hyland shared the following

Board of Supervisor’s announcements and actions during theMount Vernon Council of Citizen Association’s Jan. 27 meeting:

❖ Resolution of Commendation for Mattie Palimore on 15 yearsservice to Fairfax county as a Magistrate. In addition to her ef-forts as a Magistrate she has co-founded Women of Mt. Vernon, anon-profit organization that provides counseling and other as-sistance to abused women. Her magistrate colleagues will honorher on Saturday, Feb. 6, 4-8 p.m. in the community room of theMt. Vernon Governmental Center. During the reception Hylandwill present her with a Board of Supervisors Resolution com-mending her service.

❖ Requested the Board of Supervisors to proclaim the monthof March as Women’s History Month in all of Fairfax county.Hyland pointed out that the Occoquan Workhouse played a sig-nificant but often unrecognized role in women acquiring the rightto vote by the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Con-stitution. Women’s History Month will be celebrated on March20 by the Fairfax County Commission for Women through theirWomen Voices Forum.

❖ Requested support of the Board to obtain information fromthe Sheriff and the Chief Judge of the District Court on the num-ber and length of stay of inmates incarcerated because they areunable to afford the bonds imposed on them, the success of thepretrial release program, and the number of people held in jailawaiting disposition of pending charges. Hyland pointed out thatthe cost of keeping those unable to meet the bond may exceedthe fine for the offense. He also said that the National Associa-tion of Counties’ public safety forum discussed this issue as anation-wide problem that is costing local governments a lot ofmoney and causing overcrowded local jails.

❖ Announced that he will conduct his 23rd Annual Town Meet-ing on Feb. 20 from 7:45 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Mt. Vernon High School’sLittle Theatre. In attendance will be the Chairwoman of the BoardSharon Bulova; Tony Griffin, Fairfax County Executive; DanStorck, Mt. Vernon District School Board member, and Jack Dale,superintendent, Fairfax County Public Schools.

Vision for Business CenterThe Southeast Fairfax Development Corporation (SFDC) has

MVCCA Briefs

Mount Vernon Gazette Editor Steven Mauren703-778-9415 or [email protected]

By Julia O’DonoghueThe Gazette

The Fairfax County School Board has set agoal of renovating school buildings ev-ery 25 to 30 years, but in reality, mostschools are waiting approximately 40years before their physical plants receive an upgrade.

School Board members unanimously approved acapital improvement plan Jan. 21 that included manyschool renovation projects several years overdue.

When Franklin-Sherman Elementary’s renovationproject gets underway this year, it will be the McLeanschool’s first total facilities overhaul since it was builtin 1952. Freedom Hill Elementary, which opened inVienna in 1949, is scheduled to undergo its first “fullrenovation” in 2010 as well.

It is not clear yet when a building like West Spring-field High School, originally built in the 1960s andapproximately 100 students over capacity, would seean upgrade to its physical plant, though a renova-tion is unlikely to get underway any time during thenext decade.

WITH LITTLE HELP from the Commonwealth ofVirginia, the school system relies almost entirely onthe Fairfax County government for money to com-

plete new school construction, building additions andrenovations.

Both school staff and county government officialsagree that the county has been generous when itcomes to school building funding. But what thecounty can afford to do is simply not enough to keepup with the demand for renovations.

Currently, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisorsissues bonds annually for $155 million worth ofschool capital projects. The system’s staff said itwould need approximately $225 million per year toensure an overhaul of each facility every three de-cades.

By contrast, School Board member Dan Storck(Mount Vernon) has said that Montgomery County,Md. spends approximately $100 million more peryear on school construction than Fairfax, even thoughthe suburban Maryland school system has 30,000fewer students.

AN INCREASE in student enrollment has also putextra pressure on Fairfax’s limited school construc-tion funding pool.

The school system has seen enrollment grow by8,500 students since the beginning of the 2006-07school year, gaining 3,300 students from September2008 to September 2009 alone. The boom in the stu-dent population is expected to continue, with an es-timated 11,500 more students in the school systemin the fall of 2014 than were enrolled in this pastfall.

An increase in students means that Fairfax schools

Many Public Schools Outdated

Mount Vernon School ConstructionFairfax County Public Schools plans construction on the following schools in the Mount Vernon area.

School Type of Project Cost Completion DateWoodley Hills Elementary School Capacity Enhancement $5 million 2011-2012 school yearHybla Valley Elementary School Capacity Enhancement $7.5 million 2010-2011 school yearSandburg Middle School Renovation $66.3 million 2014-2015 school yearWhitman Middle School Capacity Enhancement $4.3 million 2011-2012 school year

Increasing enrollmentputs pressure on limitedschool facilities funding.


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By Michael K. BohnThe Gazette

This is the first in a four-part series on thehistory and future of Gum Springs, a historicallyAfrican-American community in the Mount Vernonarea. It will run throughout February in recogni-tion of African-American History Month.

OVERVIEW

In 1966, Fairfax County authorities demanded that 42 families in GumSprings “fix up or get out” of housesso ramshackle that they violated acounty housing code.

The county Board of Supervisors eventu-ally voted to issue a temporary reprieve ofthe eviction order, largely because the boardchairman insisted that a leaky roof was bet-ter than no roof at all. The Washington Postheadlined the story, “Fairfax Slum DwellersGet Word. They Have Reprieve, Help onWay.”

The 1960 census found that the majorityof dwellings in Gum Springs were eitherdilapidated or deteriorating. Half of theadults were unemployed, children were sickfrom drinking water from contaminatedwells, and some houses lacked plumbingfacilities. Despite the presence of manysolid, respectable homes, a reporter calledthe assemblage of tarpaper shacks “the larg-est concentration of slum housing in North-ern Virginia.”

The neighborhood traces its history to the1833 purchase of the land by West Ford, aslave freed by George Washington’s sister-in-law. After the Civil War, Bethlehem Bap-tist Church and its associated school at-tracted former slave families to the area.Most worked as tenant farmers or hiredhands on nearby white-owned farms; oth-ers joined the staff at the Mount Vernonestate.

Gradually, more families settled in GumSprings. In 1907, there were 27 African-American landowners there, and World WarI activity at the new Camp Humphreys (nowFort Belvoir), attracted even more residents.The interwar years were the most prosper-ous in the community. There was even anascent black middle class, but most folkswho lived in Gum Springs worked on themany farms in the Mount Vernon area.

The relatively good times ended whendevelopers bulldozed farmland into hous-ing tracts after World War II. Jobs for Afri-can-Americans in Northern Virginia soonbecame as hard to find as equitable schoolsand decent housing in the white-dominatedsuburbs. Oppressive segregation kept GumSprings residents from enjoying the ameni-ties of life that people in adjacent neigh-borhoods took for granted — sewers, run-ning water, streetlights, and paved roads.

Buoyed by the 1960s civil rights move-ment, civic activists in Gum Springs began

pulling themselves up by their own boot-straps. They lobbied successfully for drain-age systems, formed a community actionassociation, resisted heavy-handed urbanrenewal by the county, and pooled their landfor the construction of new homes to re-place the shanties. Slowly, a better life re-turned to Gum Springs residents, seventy-five per cent of whom were African-Ameri-can in 1990. Despite the many challenges,the community somehow kept its uniquecharacter and history.

The identity that Gum Springs residentshave fought to keep is being eroded by thevery prosperity they have achieved. Grow-ing numbers of non-black homeowners aremoving into town homes in the Village atGum Springs and brick colonials built offHolland Road. At the time of the last cen-sus in 2000, the African-American popula-tion was down to 60 percent, and futuredemographics of Gum Springs might evenapproach those of surrounding neighbor-hoods.

THE BEGINNINGThe founder of Gum Springs, a mixed race

man named West Ford, began his life as a

slave. His path to freedom started when hisowner, George Washington’s youngerbrother, John Augustine, died in 1787.

John’s will left a third of his slaves to hiswife Hannah, including a couple namedBilly and Jenny, their daughter Venus, andher son West. Upon Hannah’s death in 1801,her will stipulated that young West be freedwhen he reached the age of 21. She alsoasked her heirs to inoculate West for smallpox and bind him to a “good tradesman.”

Hannah’s son Bushrod assumed owner-ship of West, then 16 or 17. Also, Bushrodinherited Mount Vernon when MarthaWashington died in 1802, and he movedthere and took West with him. FollowingHannah’s will, Bushrod freed West in about1805. According to oral family history, Westadopted the surname Ford upon gaining hisfreedom.

Ford remained at Mount Vernon, work-ing as a wheelwright and carpenter. Hecould read and write, and ultimately be-came foreman of the house servants and aguardian of Washington’s tomb. In 1812,he married Priscilla Bell, a free black womanfrom Alexandria. Because of her status, theirfour children — William, Daniel, Jane and

Julia — were also free.Virginia required freed slaves to register,

and the 1831 entry for West Ford describedhim as “a yellow man about forty-sevenyears of age, five feet eight and a half incheshigh, pleasant countenance, a wrinkle re-sembling a scar on the left cheek ….” Fordwas a mulatto, a term of the time that wasused to describe a person of one African andone European parent.

Bushrod Washington died in 1829. Anassociate justice of the U.S. Supreme Courtfor 30 years, Washington left West Ford 119acres of land on the south side of LittleHunting Creek.

Ford sold his inherited land and used theproceeds in 1833 to purchase SamuelCollard’s Gum Spring Farm, a 214-acre tracton the north side of Little Hunting Creek.Collard sold the property to Ford for $500and five annual installments of $84.80.

In 1857, Ford deeded his Gum Springsland to his four children, dividing the tractinto equal parts of 52 3⁄4 acres. The prop-erty lines of those parcels coincide exactlywith many of today’s lot lines, as well asthe main north-south roads in Gum Springs— Holland, Andrus, and Fordson.

By 1860, Ford and his daughter Jane’shusband, Porter Smith, were growing cashcrops of corn, oats, and potatoes. The totaltract was assessed at $1,800 in 1860, mak-ing West Ford the second-most wealthyfreedman in Fairfax County.

Ford was near death in the summer of1863 when staff members at Mount Vernonbrought the weakened man back to the es-tate for his final days. He died on July 30and The Alexandria Gazette marked hispassing: “He was, we hear, in the 79th yearof his age. He was well known to most ofour older citizens.”

Gum Springs: A Slave’s Legacy, Part I

West Ford, shown here in an 1858drawing, founded the African-American community of GumSprings in 1833. Fairfax CountyPublic Library, Virginia Room.

The present limits of Gum Springs correspond with the 214-acre parcelbought by West Ford in 1833.

History

To have a notice listed, [email protected]. CallSteve Hibbard at 703-778-9412 withquestions.

SATURDAY/FEB. 6 Identify Meadow Birds. 2-4 p.m.

Bulletin BoardTake an invigorating hike throughthe Marvelous Meadows on the King’sHighway side of the wetlands park.Cost is $6/person. At HuntleyMeadows Park, 3701 Lockheed Blvd.,Alexandria. While Hiking Wetlands.Call 703-768-2525.

SUNDAY/FEB. 7Baha’I Faith Prayer Gathering. 3

p.m. Members of the Baha’i Faith willgather with invited guests frominterfaith organizations to pray formembers of the Baha’i Faith being

persecuted in Iran. At the AlexandriaBaha’i Center, 5400-B EisenhowerAve., Alexandria.

Wildlife Strategies. 1:30-3 p.m. WithVictoria Monroe, wildlife biologist,who will speak on strategies for ourlocal wildlife issues. Cost is $10. Call

703-642-5173. At Green SpringGardens, 4603 Green Spring Road.

SATURDAY/FEB. 13Used Book Sale. Friends Book Sale.

Kingstowne Library, 6500 Lands-downe Centre. Call 703-339-4610.


From Page 1

News

slow down as required by the emergencyresponse regulations of Fairfax County. Heractions were recorded on the police cruiserrecorder.

Lead attorney for the McIntosh family,Thomas J. Curcio, in commenting on thelawsuit, said, “The settlement shows thatthe civil justice system works and that or-dinary citizens can resort to the courts toseek redress in tragic wrongs and can re-cover a fair settlement for their claims.”

Mother of the late Ashley McIntosh,Cynthia McIntosh-Colasanto, said, “I amglad this has come to an end after two longyears. There is comfort that Fairfax Countydid take some responsibility … Lookingahead I will be back before the State CrimeCommission in 2010 to push for passage ofwhat I would call Ashley’s law. … If enactedAshley’s legislation will amend existing statelaw to require all law enforcement andother emergency response drivers in theCommonwealth to use their flashing lightsand siren when proceeding through a redlight, or come to a complete stop beforeproceeding through a red light if making asilent approach to the assigned emergencyresponse location. If Officer Perry had donejust that my daughter would probably bealive today. More than half the other statesin the U.S.A. already require this procedurein their State laws, including New York andCalifornia.”

John McIntosh, father of Ashley McIntosh,said, “I think the settlement is fair and itamounts to closure and the family can moveon … The two trials and facing still a thirdtrial kept opening up the sordid details of theaccident and terrible avoidable wrong thattook my daughter’s life; so I am relieved thatwe don’t have to go through a third trial.”

“Also,” he said, “the settlement means thecounty finally admitted responsibility forthe action’s of one of its own.”

“I AM RELIEVED for the McIntosh fam-ily that there is closure to the lawsuit. I canonly imagine how difficult these last twoyears have been for them,” said state Sen.Linda Puller. “Next year I will be workingwith the State Crime Commission and Del-egate David Albo, chairman of the HouseCourts of Justice Committee, to reintroducemy previously introduced bill to amend theState law regarding emergency responseprocedures requiring sirens and flashinglights to be used by police and other emer-gency response drivers at all times whenentering an intersection where the light is

red, or come to a complete stop if a silentapproach is required.”

Mt. Vernon Supervisor Gerald Hyland,who is chairman of the board’s Public SafetyCommittee, said, “I regret the litigation thattranspired. I believe this case should havebeen settled a long time ago. Judge Neyruled that the officer was grossly negligentand not entitled to sovereign immunity.Based on the facts as I know them I agreewith the ruling and for the county’s agree-ment to bring this tragic case to an end.Looking ahead I fully support state Sen.Puller’s legislation to require the use of si-rens and emergency lights when entering ared light intersection, or to come to a stopif the emergency response procedure re-quires a silent approach.”

Collingwood Springs resident ChrisParente said that there remained manyquestions to be answered regarding theMcIntosh case. “The county should be ask-ing itself how in the first trial the policeofficer was ruled innocent of wrongdoingbut in the second sovereign immunity trialthe judge ruled that the officer was grosslynegligent and not entitled to immunity. So,which is it — guilty or not? The family de-serves every penny for their loss, but thiscase needed more transparency every stepof the way. Now that the case is closed Ihope steps are being taken to prevent an-other tragedy like this in the future.”

Chronology of EventsFEB. 12, 2008: Ashley McIntosh is killed in auto

crash by Mt. Vernon Police Officer AmandaPerry while leaving Hybla Valley ShoppingCenter in her automobile at the intersection ofRoute 1 and Boswell Avenue.

2008: Officer Perry is placed on restrictedadministrative duty pending an internalinvestigation by the Police Department

SEPT. 18, 2008: District Court Judge Sarah L.Deneke, who was assigned because the FairfaxDistrict Court Judges recused themselves frompresiding, rules that Amanda Perry is not guiltyof reckless driving; no criminal or civil judgmentis rendered against Perry.Officer Perry is dismissed from the policedepartment after it is discovered that shefalsified time and attendance reports while onrestricted duty.

JAN. 9, 2009: Parents and family of slain AshleyMcIntosh file a $ 6 million civil suit chargingformer officer Perry with negligence and grossnegligence in the performance of her duties.

AUG. 12, 2009: In a bench trial to determine ifOfficer Perry is entitled to sovereign immunity,Fairfax District Court Judge Terrence Ney rulesthat Perry was grossly negligent in the autoaccident that took the life of Ashley McIntoshand is not entitled to sovereign immunity.

[FEB. 8, 2010: Date for McIntosh civil suit trialagainst Officer Perry.]

JAN. 27, 2010: Board of Supervisors andMcIntosh family agree to $1.5 million out ofcourt settlement.

County Settles McIntosh Case

A 25-year-old woman died in a trafficcrash on Friday, Jan. 29 around 11:30 p.m.at Richmond Highway just south of MimsStreet. According to police, the woman wasdriving her 2007 Toyota Corolla in the rightlane and failed to stop before striking therear of a 1994 Mack dump truck that hadalready established itself in that lane.

Lauren Elizabeth Whitestone ofWoodbridge was pronounced dead at the

Crash Kills Woman in Mason Neckscene. The 44-year-old driver of the dumptruck was transported to a local hospitalwith non life-threatening injuries.

The crash is still under investigation bythe Fairfax County Crash ReconstructionUnit. Anyone with information is asked tocontact Crime Solvers by phone at 1-866-411-TIPS/8477, e-mail at www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org or text “TIP187” plus a messageto CRIMES/274637.


More Letters, Page 19

Opinion

Some of the cuts proposed by FairfaxCounty Public Schools might soundlike they will not affect learning verymuch.Freshman sports, for instance, involves 2,200

students across the county who are engagedin the delicate transition from middle schoolto high school. Why would it matter?How about the 5,000 students whoparticipate in indoor track?

Or the thousands of students whofind their love of learning through music.

Or the students getting a second chance onsuccess at Pimmit Hills Alternative School.

Succeeding in school is all about finding aniche, a reason to go, particularly in highschool. For some students, this is band. Forothers it is the chance to run track. For some,

it’s an art class. For others it might be a con-nection to friends made through freshmansports.

Education succeeds for many different rea-sons. It is a huge mistake to cut off the verythings that help students engage.

Nevertheless, schools across the area willhave less money per student this year,and they will have to make cuts. Be-fore they cut the life out of the schoolday for some many children, parents

and the rest of local taxpayers deserve to seeadministration and staff over a certain levelwilling to share the pain.

No doubt many administrative cuts are notreceiving as much publicity as cuts that im-pact students. But what administrative depart-ments will face cuts similar to those proposed

for music or some sports programs?Pay cuts for staff with salaries more than

$75,000 should also be on the table, holdingclassroom teachers harmless. Here are somesuggested guidelines, more moderate thanmany of the cuts in many private companieswith revenue shortfall in the past two years:

❖ 5 percent for employees who make$75,000-$90,000




❖ 30 percent for employees who make morethan $200,000

This budget crisis is different than in the past.Right now for the first time, taxpayers are look-ing at drastically lower home values, and manyare underwater. Tens of thousands of taxpay-ers in Northern Virginia are unemployed. Forthe public to press for more money for schools,schools will have to demonstrate that they “getit.”

With talk of cutting programs that make itbearable to go to school for students,pay cuts should also be on the table.

Adding More Painful Cuts

Editorial

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By Scott SurovellState Delegate

We are lucky to livein a forward-looking countythat is an international tech-nology leader. Technology —the computer revolution —can help all of us be more ef-ficient and Virginia’s govern-ment needs to catch up. Techno-logical approaches can streamlineservice to the public, and be partof the answer to balancing thebudget. As I promised in my cam-paign, I have introduced several“fixes” that would bring new tech-nologies to state operations andcut state expenditures.

Fairfax County generates over270,000 traffic and criminal cita-tions each year. Today, officers inpolice cruisers write out citationsby hand in triplicate on carbonpaper. One copy goes to the ac-cused person, one to the PoliceDepartment and one to the Court.Each of the 270,000 summonsesthen is entered into a computer.

I introduced legislation with bi-partisan support to authorize a $3fee for an “E-Summons” systemenabling officers to laser scan adriver’s license bar code and gen-erate a ticket using a computerand printer in their cruiser. The in-formation would be automaticallyuploaded to the court’s system,avoid the need for 10 data entrypersonnel, minimize mistakes,

avoid hand-carry-ing papers to court,speed up pay-ments, and policeofficers on thestreet instead ofpushing paper.

I also introduced legislation tofoster electronic filing of pleadingsin Virginia Courts. These systems,used in federal courts and the Dis-trict of Columbia, eliminate theneed for paper pleadings, couriersand filing and data entry clerks.The Courts of Justice Committee inthe House of Delegates will con-sider this legislation this weekalong with three other bills. FairfaxCounty is the largest jurisdiction inthe Commonwealth with some of

the most complex litigation andheavy court dockets. This systemwould also save tax payers millions.

I also introduced legislation toauthorize our courts to install elec-tronic recording systems in everycourtroom in the Commonwealth.Currently, courts have either noone keeping a record during theproceeding or in most cases, courtsmust hire court reporters costing$350 per day. Electronic recordingwould bring savings to the stateand to litigants, and create a recordin all proceedings. U.S. DistrictCourt in Alexandria has used thesesystems for over 10 years. My leg-islation was tabled for this year, butI am working with Fairfax County’sCircuit Court Clerk and AttorneyGeneral Cuccinelli to implementthese systems in Fairfax County.

The Fairfax County ElectoralBoard asked me to introduce leg-

islation requiring the same enve-lope for absentee voters who votein the United States and those whovote abroad. Federal law requiresa simplified envelope for absenteevoters abroad. The existing systemresults in confusion when count-ing votes, lost time, unnecessarilyprinted envelopes and manydisqualifed votes. A subcommitteerejected my bill last week becausethey did not want to conform Vir-ginia law to federal requirements.I will try again next year.

Good government depends onyour involvement and you can con-tact me, comment on legislation orrequest a meeting on my Web site– http://www.scottsurovell.org/ orread more of my views on my blog“The Dixie Pig” atScottSurovell.Blogspot.com. Also,don’t hesitate to call me at 571-249-4484.

Working To Save Taxpayer DollarsRichmondReport

Who’s MindingThe Park?To the Editor:

Are beer cans, empty cigaretteboxes, and urine-soaked papertowels becoming the new “green”method of building for foxes,birds, and deer in Fort HuntPark? Having just picked up alittle more than a 12-pack ofempty beer cans and several bagsof trash, and that’s just this

week’s take, it begs the questionof who is responsible for ourtreasured park? Are there squat-ters settling in at sunset? Is therea nightly party to which none ofus has been invited?

Fort Hunt Park is a place of se-renity used by more than justneighbors who are walkers andrunners, children visiting thehorses, or those of us who walkour dogs daily. But it’s more thanunsettling to see that no one istaking responsibility for keeping

the park clean. County budgetcuts have made us keenly awareof the need to do our part andpitch in as needed. We all have aresponsibility to keep the parkclean, now more than ever. Andlet’s not forget that the same goesfor picking up trash along FortHunt Road.

Julia GreenwayAlexandria

Letters to the Editor


News

From Page 3

Many Schools Outdated and OvercrowdedA Long Time Between Renovations

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors would have to increase the school system’s annual bond funding from approximately $155 million to $225million for each school to be renovated every three decades as the school board desires.

Currently, most schools are waiting approximately 40 years before their building receives an upgrade.Below is a list of schools that are currently being renovated or scheduled to begin renovation soon and the year they were originally built. This in-

formation was provided in the school system’s documents on capital improvement projects.

School Year Constructed Partial Renovation Years To Full Renovation Scheduled YearsPartial Renovation To Full Renovation

Franklin-Sherman Elementary (McLean) 1952 1974 22 2010 36Freedom Hill Elementary (Vienna) 1949 1974 25 2010 36Great Falls Elementary (Great Falls) 1952 1985 33 2010 25Mount Eagle Elementary (Mount Vernon) 1949 1973 24 2010 37Vienna Elementary School (Vienna) 1921 1984 63 2010 26Longfellow Middle School (Falls Church) 1960 1978 18 2012 34Marshall High School (Falls Church) 1962 1984 22 2014 30Woodson Secondary School (Fairfax) 1962 1981 19 2009 29

OvercrowdedFairfax County Public Schools enrollment has grown by 8,500 students over the past four years and the school system is facing serious overcrowding

issues in some schools. To combat this problem, the School Board plans more funding for additions and other capacity enhancements, thereby divert-ing funding that could be used for more renovation projects.

The following is a list of the most crowded school buildings in Fairfax County.

School Name Building Capacity* Current Enrollment Amount of Building Capacity Used

Longfellow Middle School (McLean) 815 1,201 147%Haycock Elementary (Falls Church) 601 780 130%South County Secondary – Middle School Grades (Lorton) 711 888 125%Annandale Terrace Elementary (Annandale) 660 827 125%Annandale High School (Annandale) 2134 2649 124%Powell Elementary (Fairfax) 858 1,031 120%Woodley Hills Elementary (Mount Vernon) 535 662 124%

* Fairfax County Public Schools includes outdoor “modular” classrooms as part of a facility’s overall capacity. Trailers, which are smaller and oftencontain only one classroom, are not considered party of the campus’ capacity.

must use more of its construction fund-ing to build new schools and to add extrawings onto older school buildings.

In the construction plan passed lastmonth, the school system included a newSouth County Middle School for the Lortonarea and 11 “capacity enhancement”projects for older elementary and middleschools around the county.

SOME ELECTED officials are looking atways to address the school system’s capitalneeds.

The school system’s capital funding issupposed to fall from $155 million to $130million annually in 2012, but SupervisorPatrick Herrity (R-Springfield) has proposedkeeping the school construction and reno-vation dollars at their current level.

“Right now, there is a big school construc-tion and renovation need,” said Herrity, whosaid other supervisors would also likely sup-port the additional funding.

But keeping the school facilities’ fundingelevated means that other county facilitieswould have to go without renovations andsome other government buildings are alsoin dire need of repairs, according to CountyExecutive Tony Griffin.

Herrity has also suggested the school sys-tem try to “fast track” some of its construc-tion and renovation projects during the cur-rent down swing in the economy, when theprice of building material is lower and con-struction companies are hungry for work.

“We can use techniques like design-buildto get these schools renovated quickly.

I think we have to take advantage of this25-to-30 percent reduction in operatingcosts. We have a limited opportunity toget a bunch of renovations done,” saidHerrity.

The schools’ chief operating officer DeanTistadt said it could be difficult for Fairfaxschools to take advantage of a strategy likedesign-build contracts. Few companies ex-ist that would be able to do a “phased reno-vation,” in which construction takes placewhile students remain in a building, along

with a design-build contract and the projectbidding process would ultimately be lesscompetitive, he said.

But the school system may be able to getthrough more renovations in this competi-tive construction market if the county spedup its permitting process, said Tistadt.

According to Tistadt, acquiring permitsfrom Fairfax County that allows the schoolsystem to open a construction project upfor bidding can take between 12 and 18months.

“I am much more comfortable with aproject going to bid three to four monthsfrom now than I am seeing the project bid12 months from now,” said Tistadt.

PROPOSED BUDGET CUTS to schoolprograms could also end up saving theschool system money on some facilityprojects, particularly capacity enhance-ments.

If elementary schools lose their musicprograms and full-day kindergarten, many

school facilities would suddenly have moreopen classrooms than the school systemoriginally thought it would.

An increase in class size of one studentper teacher would make space for 146 morestudents at Oakton High School and 139more students at Robinson SecondarySchool for example.

This means that the school system maypossibly be able to spend fewer dollars onprojects like building additions and moremoney on existing school renovations.

entered into a partnership with Virginia Tech’s Urban Affairs andPlanning (UAP) Program to develop a vision for the Woodlawn Com-mercial Business Center (CBC) and the area south of Old Mill Road tothe Fairfax County Parkway. Fairfax County’s office of community revi-talization and the SFDC collaborated to design the scope of work.

The project is expected to utilize urban planning students to developa comprehensive plan for over a 20-year period. The project is expectedto conclude in April.

Smitty’s Site PurchasedA family-owned business — Mt. Vernon Center LLC — has purchased

8.176 acres of land commonly known as the Smitty’s site on Route 1 inthe Mt. Vernon District.

The purchasers plan to construct a 30-40,000 sq. foot building tohouse an international grocery store. The purchase was completed onDec. 31,2009 for $7.15 million.

From Page 3

MVCCA Briefs

Local Jazzercize program will conduct a “Relief for Haiti” super session Jazzersizeclass on Saturday, Feb. 20, 9:30 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. at the Hollin Hall CommunityCenter, 1500 Shenandoah Road. Local Oakbrooke resident Peggy Frydenlund willconduct this class. Minimum donations for the class are $20. All the proceeds will go toPartners in Health for Haiti Disaster Relief.

The United Methodist Church of Mt.Vernon has assembled 50 health kits that will be sentto the church’s central receiving office to be shipped to Haiti. The health kits contain: Washcloths, hand towels, comb, bandages,s oap, toothbrush and toothpaste. Plans are to assemble100 more kits for the next shipment. To help, contact Martha Flanagan at 703-820-7200.

Any organization in the Mt.Vernon region that is providing Haitian relief donations and isinterested in soliciting for donations should email [email protected].

— Gerald A. Fill

Haitian Relief Efforts in Mt. Vernon


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Opinion

See Doing More, Page 19

By Dan StorckMount Vernon Districtmember, Fairfax County

School Board

Fairfax County Public Schools is worldrenown for thequality of ourschools and the achievementof our students. All ourschools are fully accredited, stu-dent pass rates exceed 90 percentin math and English, while almost50 percent pass at advanced lev-els, achievement gaps betweengroups have been narrowing, in-dependent raters, like the Post’sChallenge Index, highly rank allour high schools and our averageSAT scores are among the highestin the USA. The largest companiesin the world have moved theirheadquarters to Fairfax because ofour schools. Our successes aremany, but the challenges our stu-dents, teachers and administratorsexperience daily, particularly inMount Vernon with our high per-centages of needy students, re-main very high.

On Thursday, Feb. 4, the SchoolBoard will be voting on a $2.3 bil-lion “advertised budget.” This bud-get contains real cuts in fundingincluding the elimination of manyhighly effective programs and ac-tivities, large reductions in supportto our neediest students andschools, wage freezes for all staff,wage reductions for thousands,staff lay-offs for many, substantialnew student (parent) fees, sum-mer school elimination and manymore. And these are the cuts if our“advertised budget” request is fullyfunded! Our final budget, whichis voted on in May, will dependdirectly on the Board of Supervi-sors and state funding. If our ad-vertised budget is not funded, thenincreased class sizes and de-creased or eliminated language,

music and full dayk i n d e r g a r t e nclasses are likely.Our school systemand its high quality,world-class perfor-mance are at a tip-ping point. Why?

The economy hascaused lower rev-enues at the state

and local levels which provide 95percent of our funding. Additionalfunding has been required to ad-dress the recession-driven declinesin employee retirement funds, in-creased numbers of students andutility and related cost increases.Our funding for the past severalyears on a per student basis hasbeen declining; from $13,407 inFY2008 to $12,898 for FY2010.These costs are more than $2,500per student below that of Mont-gomery County, Md. and morethan $5,000 per student belowthat of Alexandria or Arlington.The state funds about 19 percentof our budget, while neighboringPrince William County receives 46percent of their funding from thestate. The state’s lack of supportto Fairfax is further aggravated bythe Governor’s refusal to fund anadditional $61 million due ourcounty as a result of the state’s 40-year-old funding formula. This iswrong and directly harms our stu-dents and schools. That leaves theBoard of Supervisors and mostlythe County’s property tax base asthe funder of last resort for ourschools.

Our schools, particularly MountVernon area schools, are in a verytough spot. We need the fundingpotentially being cut to continuethe academic gains that we havebeen making. As I have had to doin my own businesses during thesetough times, I have looked hard

Doing More with Less

12 ❖ Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ February 4-10, 2010 Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ February 4-10, 2010 ❖ 13www.ConnectionNewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.com


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Ethan Ruby, 2nd grader at Fort BelvoirElementary School.

Send announcements to the MountVernon Gazette, by e-mail [email protected] is Thursday at noon for the fol-lowing week’s paper. Photos areencouraged. Call Steve Hibbard at 703-778-9412 with questions.

West Potomac Academy Fash-ion Design students will beparticipating in the second annual Crys-tal Couture fashion event on Thursday,Feb. 4, sponsored by the Crystal CityBusiness Improvement District.

Students will showcase a runway col-lection based on the Crystal Coutureevent theme — Jungle, Jeans, Tats, andTees — from 6 to 10 p.m. on Feb. 4.They will also staff a boutique displayarea to sell prom gowns and originalgarments; all proceeds will benefit theWest Potomac Academy Fashion Designprogram.

Events are free and open to the pub-lic. Available retail space at 23rd Streetand South Crystal Drive in Arlington willbe turned into a runway, boutique, andnight club featuring fashion trunkshows, live theater, disc jockeys, come-dians, and dancing.

The Bucknell ElementarySchool and West Potomac HighSchool Mentoring Partnershiphas been named winner of the 2009Virginia Mentoring Partnership MentorProgram Award. Bucknell Elementaryand West Potomac High are FairfaxCounty public schools. The program, inits fourth year, pairs 61 elementary stu-dents with 65 high school studentmentors. Sessions are held everyWednesday after school from Novem-ber through May. Students focus onhomework for the first 30 minutes,

Student Artthen participate in enrichment activi-ties, which have included sendingholiday cards to U.S. troops servingoverseas, creating a thankful tree, andbuilding relationships. Mentors andmentees also spend time together out-side mentoring sessions and, in thepast, have attended a West Potomacbasketball game together.

Mount Vernon High School’sClass of 1980 is gearing up for its 30thReunion on July 31, 2010 at the MountVernon Inn at the Mt. Vernon Estate. Tobe added to the list, contact Leisa GatesLess: [email protected], 281-536-3121

or Jennifer Julian Radcliffe:[email protected], 703-968-3072.

Mount Vernon High School ishosting a mulch sale as a fund-raiser forits All-Night Grad Party. The deliverydate is Saturday, March 13. Pick-up inthe Mount Vernon High School parkinglot. Orders of 10 bags or more will bedelivered to your home. Cost is $5/bagof 3 cubic feet of shredded hard barkmulch. Contact Edna Primrose at 703-360-3002 or [email protected] and payment must be receivedno later than March 1. Mail your orderwith Robin Gordon at 703-799-1330.


Arts ❖ Entertainment ❖ Leisure

‘Amadeus’ Explores Genius

Peter Shaffer’s playplods on Jefferson Stage.

By Brad HathawayThe Gazette

The Arlington Players tackle a seri-ous drama, Peter Shaffer’s intellec-tually challenging play of geniusand jealousy, “Amadeus,” at the ThomasJefferson Theatre through Feb. 13. The playprovides a host of interesting questionsabout the nature of creativity. It can be anengrossing evening of ideas explored inlively language, and the production is suc-cessful with some of them but fails to reachthe heights that the play deserves.

One of the more talented directors work-ing in community theater in Northern Vir-ginia today, Zina Bleck, is at the helm, andin the two leading roles, she has two actorswith proven track records with challengingmaterial like this. Michael Kharfen, whorichly deserved his WATCH Award for a su-perbly moderated and ultimately searingperformance as the accused killer of CharlesLindbergh’s baby in “Kaufman,” hits just onelevel of emotion all night long as the merelycompetent composer Antonio Salieri. It isan exhausting high that leaves him little

Cal Whitehurst, Dell Pendergrast, Michael Kharfen, Xandra Weaver,Katherine Biscula, Jessica Sperlongano, Marji Jepperson and Gail Seaveyin “Amadeus.”

Michael Kharfen in “Amadeus.”

Where and WhenThe Arlington Players‘ production of

“Amadeus” continues through Feb. 13 atArlington’s Thomas Jefferson Theatre, 125South Old Glebe Road. Performances are Fri-day and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30p.m. Tickets are $12 - $15. Call 703-549-1063or log onto www.thearlingtonplayers.org.

room to react as Salieri recognizes that hiscompetence pales to insignificance whencompared to the genius of a Mozart.

Tom Witherspoon has also earned respectfor his on-stage skill, but he too seems tohave but one note to play as WolfgangAmadeus Mozart. He plays him as the im-mature genius whose greatness drivesSalieri to at least contemplate geniuscide.In his hands, however, it becomes question-able whether Salieri would poison Mozartbecause he can’t stand the comparison withhis talent or simply because he can’t standthe little twerp. While it is true that Shaffer’sscript leaves less room for the actor por-traying Mozart to moderate his moods thanthe actor playing Salieri, the contrast be-tween Mozart’s genius and his boorishnessneeds to become clear at some point in theproceedings.

Mari Davis is Mozart’s wife who is will-ing to put up with his infantile sexual and

social behavior in her search for the socialand financial security she assumes geniuswill accrue, and later, to yield to the de-mands of Salieri in order to advance herhusband’s prospects.

Bleck spreads the action out over thewide stage of the Jefferson. She hasKatherine Biscuca, Marji Jepperson, GailSeavey and Jessica Sperlongano as a latebaroque version of a Greek Chorus com-menting on the action in full court rega-lia while Cal Whitehurst prances satisfy-ingly as the royal Joseph II whose courtsupports the artistic life of Vienna. Thecourt includes Dell Pendergrast, MichaelGerwin and Steven Feder who each cre-ate a believable count or baron with dis-tinct personalities.

As with his other plays, “Equus” and “TheRoyal Hunt of the Sun,” Shaffer takes liber-ties with historical fact in the search forartistic truth. If you want a lesson on

Mozart’s life and death, there are bettersources than this play. If, on the other hand,you are interested in an exploration of suchquestions as “how a kind and benevolentGod can distribute his blessings so un-evenly” or “why great talent can reside inless than great individuals” this is anevening well spent.

❖❖❖Brad Hathaway reviews theater in Virginia,

Washington and Maryland as well as Broad-way and writes about theater for a numberof national magazines. He can be reached [email protected].

New Parade Route andPre-Parade Fun Run for 2010

By Mechelle SchlossThe Gazette

New and exciting things are in store for the GeorgeWashington Birthday Celebration Parade on Monday,Feb. 15. As of Jan. 26, Alexandria City Council has ap-proved the Inaugural “Washington Win Sprint” One-MileDash, a pre-parade race to be held on the new parade route.Proposed by GW parade committee member Kathy Kelly,the fun run may get 200-300 runners. This USATF-certi-fied course, “tag timed” by Pacers Events Inc., will begin at12:30 p.m., a half hour before the parade. Expect this milerto be an exciting all-out sprint to the finish, ending at theParade Reviewing Stand on Royal Street at its intersectionwith King Street. The top three male and female finisherswill receive $200 (1st place), $150 (2nd place), and $75(3rd place), to be awarded at the Parade Reception after-wards. Online entries will be accepted up to midnight onSaturday, Feb. 13.

Joseph Shumard, Chair of the GW Birthday CelebrationParade, and parade committee members work tirelessly 10months out of the year to bring Alexandria residents and

Daniel Storck as Abe Lincoln in last year's parade.

George WashingtonBirthday Parade

DATE: Monday, Feb. 15, 2010TIME: 1 p.m. until 3 p.m.LOCATION: Old Town, Alexandria.ROUTE: Start Point is on So. Fairfax St. at its inter-

section with Gibbon St., North on Fairfax St. to QueenSt., East on Queen St. to N. St. Asaph St., South on N.St. Asaph St. to Cameron St., East on Cameron St. to N.Royal St., and South on Royal St. (past reviewing standon King St.) to End Point at Wilkes St. 1.3 miles. Routemaps are available on the Web site.

REVIEWING STAND: on Royal Street just West ofits intersection with King Street.

HANDICAPPED: Handicapped viewing area andHandicapped parking on Cameron Street between RoyalStreet and Fairfax Street (in front of City Hall).

COST: Free for the public and for those marching inthe parade.

PARTICIPATING: Those wishing information onjoining the parade as a marching unit should contact theparade director, Joseph Shumard at 703-549-7662 and/or visit the Web site via http://www.washingtonbirthdayparade.net.

PARKING: On Parade Day, parking is free at someparking lots adjacent to the Eisenhower Avenue Metro.

INFORMATION: Available on line at the GeorgeWashington Birthday Celebration Committee Web sitevia http://www.washingtonbirthday.net or 703-991-4474. Parade Director, Joseph Shumard, 703-549-7662.

visitors a memory-making event.“I love it! It’s a lot of fun, and a good contributor to the city. I

get to meet wonderful people and it’s a pleasure to do,” saidShumard. One of the issues ironed out by Shumard and the pa-rade committee has been a new parade route. Moving the route toits end point on S. Royal Street, the committee members were ableto reduce the parade footprint, and save at least $14,000 in secu-rity fees, while preserving the size, scope, and viewing enjoymentof the celebration. Go to www. washingtonbirthday.net.

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See Calendar, Page 17

CalendarE-mail announcements to the

Gazette, [email protected]. Pho-tos and artwork are encouraged.Deadline is Thursday at noon forthe following week’s paper. CallSteve Hibbard at 703-778-9412with questions.

ONGOINGThe Alexandria Commission

for Women seeksnominations for its 2010Salute to Women Awardsrecognizing women leaderswho have made outstandingcontributions to women andgirls living in Alexandria. Thedeadline to submitnominations is Wednesday,Feb. 17 at 5 p.m. To makenominations, visitwww.alexwomen.com.

The Del Ray Farmers Marketis now open year round —located at the corner of Mt.Vernon Avenue and OxfordAvenue in Del Ray. Duringthe winter months the marketwill be open 9 am to nooneach Saturday. The Del RayMarket farmers that will bethere are Smith Meadowsmeats, eggs, fresh pasta andsauces; Amish cheese, yogurt,bakery goods, eggs and jamsand jellies; winter vegetables;fancy nuts; pralines; andbakery goods. Any questions, contactPat Miller [email protected].

Ms. Senior Virginia America issearching for candidates statewide forthis year’s May Pageant, which will beheld Thursday, May 6 at the LeeCenter Kauffman Center, 1108Jefferson St., Alexandria. Doors willopen at 1:30 p.m. Showtime is 2-4p.m. Admission is free with a donationof $10. A deadline for entries will beFeb. 8. Call 703-978-3663 anddirections at 703-838-4343. Thecurrent Ms. Senior Virginia America,Maureen Ribble, will end her reign inMay. The Pageant showcases womenage 60-plus who live in Virginia andare U.S. citizens.

FRIDAY AFTERNOONSTea Dances. 1-3:15 p.m. Group class

from 1-1:30 p.m. Ballroom, Latin andSwing music. $11/person. At theDance Studio Lioudmila, 18 RothStreet, 2nd Floor (off Duke Street),Alexandria. Call 703-751-8868.

THURSDAY/FEB. 418th Century Dance Classes. 7:30-

9:30 p.m. Learn the dances of JaneAusten, George Washington, andAbigail Adams in Gadsby’s TavernMuseum’s historic ballroom. AtGadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 NorthRoyal Street. Cost is $30/series or $12/class. Call 703-838-4242.

FEB. 5 TO FEB. 21Artioms. Artists are being challenged to

express their favorite (or not sofavorite) idioms, clichés, word phrasesor play on words in their artwork.Reception Feb. 5 from 7-10 p.m. Aprose reading by the Tuesdays at TwoWriters Group is on Friday, Feb. 12, at7 p.m. At Del Ray Artisans at theNicholas A. Colasanto Center, 2704Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria.Visit www.TheDelRayArtisans.org or703-838-4827.

FRIDAY/FEB. 5Wine and Chocolate Tasting. 6:30-

8:30 p.m. Free. Artfully Paper andACKC have teamed up with First Vinefor the sake of love — love of wine andchocolate — that is! At ACKC Del Ray,2003-A Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria.

Call 703-635-7770 or visitwww.TheCocoaGallery.com.

SATURDAY/FEB. 6Historic Alexandria Museum Gala.

6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Dining anddancing to Doc Scantlin and hisImperial Palms Orchestra. Tickets are$150/person or $300/sponsor. At theHoliday Inn Old town, 625 First Streetin Alexandria. Visitwww.historicalexandria.org or call theOffice of Historic Alexandria at 703-746-4554.

National Brass Collective InauguralConcert. 4 p.m. Fund-raiser for HaitiRelief. At Washington Street UnitedMethodist Church, 115 S. WashingtonStreet, Alexandria. Visitwww.wsumc.com.

Benefit for Haitian Relief. TenThousand Villages Alexandria isdonating 15 percent of the day’s salesto the Mennonite Central Committee,earmarked for Haiti. At 915 KingStreet, Alexandria. Call 703-684-1435or visitwww.alexandria.tenthousandvillages.com

Evening with the Chefs. Featuringprominent chefs from local restaurantsshowcasing their finest cuisine. Hostedby the Dunbar Alexandria OlympicBoys and Girls Club. Proceeds willbenefit the club’s youth programs. Atthe Belle Haven Country Club, FortHunt Road, Alexandria. Contact DaveWoodbury at 703-867-5570 or [email protected].

Winter Boutique DistrictWarehouse Sale. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aone-day clearance spectacularfeaturing high-end boutiquemerchandise from Old TownAlexandria’s boutiques. At the GeorgeWashington Masonic Memorial, 101Callahan Drive, Alexandria.

John Carlyle’s BirthdayCelebration. Noon to 4 p.m. $5admission. Costumed interpreters willbe dancing and performing 18th-century music throughout the house.At Carlyle House Historic Park, 121 N.Fairfax St., Alexandria. Go towww.nvrpa.org or call 703-549-2997or e-mail [email protected].

Family Fun Flower Power:Blooming Branches for a WinterBouquet. 2-3 p.m. Get a jump on theseasons by forcing flowers. Learn to cutbranches of flowering trees and shrubsand coax them to bloom indoors for anearly spring! $18/project includes

branches and containers. AtGreen Springs Gardens.Alexandria Coin Show. 9a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be 50tables with U.S. coins andcurrency, world coins, banknotes,ancient coins, hobby books, gold,silver, medals, tokens andcollectibles. Prizes and coins aregiven away. At the Hampton Inn& Suites on the corner of the I-495 beltway and Route 1,Alexandria. Visit the AlexandriaCoin Club Web site at:www.members.cox.net/alexandriacoinclub.

SUNDAY/FEB. 7Washington MetropolitanPhilharmonic. 3 p.m. Free.Pre-concert lecture at 2:15 p.m.Ulysses S. James, Music Director.At Bishop Ireton High School,201 Cambridge Road, Alexandria.Super Bowl Party. MayorEuille’s 13th annual Super BowlParty. At Joe Theismann’sRestaurant, 1800 Diagonal Road,Alexandria. Tickets are $35/freeagent; $60/Top Draft Pick; $100Hogette’s Rate (family of four).Call 703-751-7970 or contactwww.euilleformayor.com.Jazz Leanings. 2 p.m. UnitedStates Marine Band performs.With Michael Mower and MichaelColgrass. At the Rachel M.Schlesinger Concert Hall and ArtsCenter, NVCC, Alexandria

Campus, 3001 North BeauregardStreet, Alexandria. Call 703-845-6156or www.schlesingercenter.com

Managing Wildlife Conflict. 1:30-3p.m. Are you having troubles with deerand rabbits feasting on your garden?This is the lecture for you. VictoriaMonroe, Wildlife Biologist for FairfaxCounty will discuss strategies formanaging wildlife conflicts in yourgarden. $10. At Green SpringsGardens. Call 703-642-5173 toregister.

MONDAY/FEB. 8Tavern Toddlers. 10:30 a.m. and noon.

A special program for toddlers andtheir caregivers. $7 for a group ofthree, which must include one adult, orpurchase a 5-week pass for $30. AtGadsby’s Tavern Museum. Call 703-746-4242. Visitwww.gadsbystavern.org.

TUESDAY/FEB. 9Ars Choralis. Recruiting singers in all

sections for a concert featuring ArsChoralis. The concert is entitled“Spirituals and All That Jazz.”Rehearsals from Tuesday, Feb. 9through Sunday, April 18. The concertwill be performed twice: Saturday,April 17, 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 18,7 p.m. Rehearsals are 7:45-9:45 p.m.at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 228South Pitt St., Old Town Alexandria.Call 703-549-3312 or [email protected].

Books to Film Discussion Group. 7p.m. Readers and movie buffs areinvited to talk about the film, “TheAccidental Tourist” (1988), based onthe novel by Anne Tyler. All shouldread the work and view the moviebefore attending. At Beatley CentralLibrary, 5005 Duke Street, Alexandria.Call Mark at 703-519-3498.

WEDNESDAY/FEB. 10Valentine Luncheon. 11:30 a.m. to

1:30 p.m. sponsored by theSpringfield/Alexandria Women’sConnection. Cost of $17 includes lunchand free childcare. Reservations mustbe made by Friday, Feb. 5, to 703-569-4670 or 703-590-6562 or email [email protected]. At theSpringfield Golf and Country Club,8301 Old Keene Mill Road, Springfield.

SATURDAY/FEB. 13Birthnight Banquet and Ball. 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.

(Ball starts at 9 p.m.) Celebrate George Washington’sBirthday with a banquet and ball. The eveningincludes a four-course 18th-century banquet byGadsby’s Tavern Restaurant, English country dancing,toasts, a special 18th-century style dessert collation,and character re-enactors — including General andMrs. Washington. Tickets are $100 to $200 perperson, or $50 for the ball only. At Gadsby’s TavernMuseum. Call 703-838-4242. At 134 North RoyalStreet in Old Town Alexandria.


From Page 16

CalendarTHURSDAY/FEB. 11Heart Art. 6-9 p.m. Free. Flowers and

Candy, Printmaking Demonstration,Target Gallery Reception from 6-8 p.m.At the Torpedo Factory Art Center, 105N. Union St., Alexandria. Visitwww.torpedofactory.org; 703-838-4565.

18th Century Dance Classes. 7:30-9:30 p.m. Learn the dances of JaneAusten, George Washington, andAbigail Adams in Gadsby’s TavernMuseum’s historic ballroom. AtGadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 NorthRoyal Street. Cost is $30/series or $12/class. Call 703-838-4242.

Siobhan Quinn and MichaelBowers. 7 p.m. Gracious and grittysongs brimming with seamlessharmonies. At The Athenaeum, 201Prince Street, Alexandria. Call 703-548-0035. Visitdreamersloversandoutlaws.com.

FRIDAY/FEB. 12Music for Tuba and Euphonium. 8

p.m. Free. At the George WashingtonMasonic National Memorial, 101Callahan Drive, Alexandria. Call 202-767-5658 or visitwww.usafband.af.mil.

Prose and Poetry Reading. 7 p.m.With Tuesdays at Two Writers Group.Free and open to all to enjoy this fun,spoken “art” event. Email:[email protected]; or visitwww.theDelRayArtisans.org. At DelRay Artisans Gallery, 2704 MountVernon Ave., Alexandria. ContactTracy Wilkerson at 703- 501-1736 [email protected].

Singer/Songwriter Janna Audey. 7-9p.m. At Spill the Beans, 1900 ElkinStreet, Suite 4, Alexandria,spillthebeansva.com.

Ballroom Dancing for Couples.8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. 2nd Friday of

each month. Enjoy waltz, fox trot, chacha, swing and more to live music onlarge wooden dance floor in MountVernon area; Cost is $15/person.Private club; reservations requiredwww.fridaynightersdancingclub.com

SATURDAY/FEB. 13Water Wise Landscaping. 11 a.m.-

12:30 p.m. Well designed, installedand maintained landscapes offer yearsof environmental benefits and beauty.Green Spring horticulturalist BrendaSkarphol discusses these concepts andprovides practical information for youto implement in your garden.Instruction takes place inside andoutdoors. Dress accordingly. $16. AtGreen Springs Gardens. Call 703-642-5173 to register.

Birthnight Banquet and Ball. 5:30p.m. to 11 p.m. (Ball starts at 9 p.m.)Celebrate George Washington’sBirthday with a banquet and ball. Theevening includes a four-course 18th-century banquet by Gadsby’s TavernRestaurant, English country dancing,toasts, a special 18th-century styledessert collation, and character re-enactors — including General and Mrs.Washington. Tickets are $100 to $200per person, or $50 for the ball only. AtGadsby’s Tavern Museum. Call 703-838-4242. At 134 North Royal Street inOld Town Alexandria.

George Washington BirthdayClassic 10-K Race and 2-K FunRun. 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. rain or shine.Certified racecourse throughEisenhower Valley and Alexandria’sparklands. Prizes, T-shirts andrefreshments will be provided forrunners, with the proceeds benefitingthe Alexandria Police Youth Camp.Cost is $25; after Feb. 10: $30. Call703-991-4474 or visitwww.washingtonbirthday.org.

Valentine Workshop. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.Use traditional Victorian materials tomake a modern and lovely Valentine.Suitable for children over age 4. AtLee-Fendall House Museum andGarden. Cost is $1 per Valentine. Visitthe Web site atwww.leefendallhouse.org or call 703-548-1789.

Tamburitzans Perform. 7 p.m.Duquesne University Tamburitzansperform. Tickets are $22, $25 and $30.At Bishop Ireton High School, 201Cambridge Road, Alexandria. Call 1-877-826-6437.

Stroll Through Park. 1-3 p.m. Strollwith a naturalist through forest andmeadow then warm up with a hotbeverage and pastry. Cost is $10 andrefreshments are included. HuntleyMeadows Park is located at 3701Lockheed Boulevard in Alexandria.Meet at the Harrison Lane entrance.Call 703-768-2525.

FEB. 13-14All-Beethoven Concert. Saturday at 8

p.m.; Sunday at 3 p.m. AlexandriaSymphony Orchestra and Maestro KimAllen Kluge and pianist YuliyaGorenman. Symphony No. 6, PianoConcerto No. 4. At Rachel M.Schlesinger Concert Hall, NVCC, 3001N. Beauregard St., Alexandria. Ticketsare $20-$80, youth is $5. Call 703-548-0885 or visit www.alexsym.org.

SUNDAY/FEB. 14Valentine’s Day Concert. 7 p.m. With

blues singer/guitarist and historianScott Ainslie and David LaFleur.Tickets are $18 general, $15 inadvance at FocusMusic.org. Part of theFocus Music Series. At Church of theResurrection, 2280 N. Beauregard St.,in Alexandria. Contact: Kay Coyte [email protected] or 703-501-6061.


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Visit These Houses of WorshipJoin A Club, Make New Friends, or Expand Your Horizons...

Good ShepherdCatholic Church

Mass ScheduleSaturday Evening5:00 pm; 6:30 pm (en Español)

Sunday7:30; 9:00; 10:30 am; 12:00 Noon2:00 pm (en Español)6:30 pm Mass (Starts Sept. 13)

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

Weekdays(Mass or Communion Service)9:00 am (followed by Rosary)Children’s Liturgy of the WordSundays (Sept.-July) during 9:00 amMass (English)Sign Language InterpreterSunday at 9:00 am Mass

HERITAGE PRESBYTERIAN…703-360-9546MT. VERNON PRESBYTERIAN…703-765-6118

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIANCHURCH…703-549-4766

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BEVERLY HILLS COMMUNITY UNITED METHODIST...703-836-2406

DEL RAY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH...703-549-2088FAIRLINGTON UNITED METHODIST

CHURCH....703-671-8557ROBERTS MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST

CHURCH...703-836-7332ST. ANDREW’S UNITED METHODIST

CHURCH…..703-751-4666TRINITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH…703-549-5500

WASHINGTON FARM UNITEDMETHODIST...703-780-4696

WASHINGTON STREET UNITEDMETHODIST CHURCH…703-836-4324

CHURCHES—UNITARIANMT. VERNON UNITARIAN...703-765-5950

CHURCHES—UNITYUNITY IN ALEXANDRIA…703-931-8507

SYNAGOGUESAGUDAS ACHIM CONGREGATION…703-998-6460

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ALEXANDRIA-ARLINGTON…703-370-2774

SYNAGOGUES—REFORMBETH EL HEBREW CONGREGATION…703-370-9400

THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRISTOF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

ALEXANDRIA I WARD...703-683-7577ALEXANDRIA II WARD...703-549-9891

COLONIAL II SINGLES WARD...703-313-6249OLD TOWN SPANISH WARD...703-519-9545

BELLE HAVEN WARD...703-780-4789KINGSTOWNE WARD...703-313-6140FRANCONIA WARD...703-313-6147MT. VERNON WARD...703-780-9577

SALVATION ARMYALEXANDRIA CITADEL ....703-836-2427

UNITED CHURCH OF CHRISTHOPE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST...703-960-8772

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ALLEYNE AME ZION CHURCH…703-548-3888

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ST. ANDREW & ST. MARGARETOF SCOTLAND… 703-683-3343

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COMMUNITY OF FAITH…703-519-9100FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF ALEXANDRIA…703-684-3720PROVIDENCE- ST. JOHN BAPTIST CHURCH…703-683-2565

SHILOH BAPTIST…703-683-4573MT. PLEASANT BAPTIST CHURCH...703-256-1239

VICTORY TEMPLE…703-370-2233PLYMOUTH HAVEN BAPTIST...703-360-4370

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BUDDHISMTHE VAJRAYOGINI BUDDHIST CENTER...202-331-2122

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CHURCH-ELCA….703-780-5077BETHANY LUTHERAN….703 765-8255

EVANGELICAL LUTHERANCHURCH….703-765-5003

GOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERANCHURCH-ELCA….703-548-8608

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ORTHODOXSAINT APHRAIM SYRIAC…201-312-7678ALL SAINTS OF AMERICA...703-417-9665

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OLD PRESBYTERIAN MEETING HOUSE…703-549-6670

Wesley United Methodist Church

10 am Sunday Worship ServiceSunday School classes (child to adult)and youth group (7th to 12th grade)

9 am to noon Monday through Friday Pre-School

8412 Richmond Ave, Alexandria, VA 22309(just off Richmond Highway, near Fort Belvoir & Mount Vernon)

703-780-5019 • www.wesleyva.org

This One’s For You!

To Advertise YourFaith Community,

call Karen at: 703-917-6468

Christ the SaviourAnglican Church

“To Love & Serve the Lord withGladness & Singleness of Heart”

www.christthesaviouranglican.org

703-953-2854

Location – Washington Mill ES9100 Cherrytree Drive

Worship Service – 10 a.m.Inter-generational Sunday School – after serviceVicar, The Rev. Huey J Sevier

From Page 1

News

From Page 1

Fort Hunt Road and RichmondHighway. One of the three policeofficers in the police cruiser whopursued him, thinking that Mas-ters was going for a gun, shottwice and killed Masters throughthe rear driver’s side window of hiscar. Later reports indicated thatMasters was not armed and in factdid not own a gun. At the time hewas shot, he was sitting in the carbehind the steering wheel.

Since then the Fairfax CountyPolice Department conducted aninternal criminal investigation ofthe shooting incident and for-warded the results several weeksago to Fairfax County Common-wealth Attorney Ray Morrogh. Nopublic disclosure was provided ofthe police department findings.Last week Morrogh announcedthat based on his review of theevidence presented to him by thepolice department and his ownreview, there was insufficient ba-sis to criminally prosecute the of-ficer who shot Masters. Withinthree days following Morrogh’sannouncement, it was revealedthat the FBI was investigating the

Masters shooting incident.Mt. Vernon Supervisor, and chair

of the Board of Supervisor’s Pub-lic Safety Committee, GeraldHyland said, “I welcome the FBI’scivil rights investigation. If thereis a violation of the civil rights lawsconcerning this shooting incidentI want to know about it, and I amcertain the entire board will wantto know also. Today I have askedPolice Chief [David] Rohrer tobrief the entire board in executivesession as soon as he has com-pleted his internal administrativeinvestigation.”

Schweit, the public informationofficer for the FBI’s WashingtonField Office, said, “It is not unusualfor the FBI to examine shootingsfrom a civil rights perspective sincethe FBI is charged with that re-sponsibility ... It does not inferwrongdoing, but gives a secondlook at the incident.”

Schweit provided statistical dataon past investigations under Title18, U.S.C. Section 242. In 2008there were 403 criminal investiga-tions initiated nationally by theFBI under this section of U.S.CTitle 18.

An excerpt from Title 18 U.S.C.

section 242 reads as follows:“This statute makes it a crime for

any person acting under the colorof law, statute, ordinance, regula-tion, or custom to willfully depriveor cause to be deprived from anyperson those rights, privileges, orimmunities secured or protectedby the U.S. Constitution and thelaws of the U.S.” Additional expla-nation of section 242 is availableby accessing the following Website: http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/civilrights/statutes.htm

Within the Mt. Vernon commu-nity, one resident was concernedabout the shooting incident, thecircumstances, with no public dis-closure detailing the results of theinvestigation. In a letter dated Dec.6, 2009 to Hyland, Nicholas R.Beltrante proposed establishing aCitizens Review Board. The Pub-lic Safety Committee of theMt.Vernon Council of Citizens As-sociations (MVCCA) consideredhis proposal and, after some dis-cussion, decided not to support theproposal. The committee felt therewas already sufficient review ofpolice actions in the county and aCitizens Review Board was notnecessary.

hill overlooking Hybla Valleywill finally be restored. Schoolchildren, college students, fami-lies, scholars, and the curious ofall ages will soon walk the terracedgrounds, peer into the impres-sively designed brick undergroundice well, explore federal perioddesign, and experience a rich sliceof life from 185 years ago. It is fan-tastic.”

Norma Hoffman, co-founder,Friends of Historic Huntley, said,“It is said: buildings speak! Wehope that when Historic Huntleyis restored to its original grandeurit will tell visitors about the fasci-nating history of the powerfulGeorge Mason family and thetimes in which they lived.”

Those interested in additionalinformation about Historic Hunt-ley Mansion can visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/histhunt/

Huntley

FBI Investigating Police Shooting

Bulletin BoardSATURDAY/FEB. 6Tax Assistance Day. 10 a.m. to 5

p.m. Sponsored by Deloitte Tax LLP,Fairfax County Department of FamilyServices and Volunteer Fairfax. Forhouseholds with a income of $49,000or less. At Bryant Alternative HighSchool, 2709 Popkins Lane,Alexandria. Visit www.volunteerfairfax.org.


From Page 11

LettersWhere DidThe Money Go?To the Editor:

I am writing as a follow up to JayMcConville’s Jan 21 letter to the editor andRon Brandt’s Jan 28 letter. Unfortunately,Mr. Brandt failed to respond to Mr.McConville’s statement that the FairfaxCounty budget has experienced “10 yearsof growth above the rate of inflation.”Herein lies the problem.

I believe it is imperative that citizens andparents truly understand these facts:

A review of 10 budget cycles, from FY1999 to FY 2008 shows that Fairfax Countyrevenues (and expenditures) increased from$1.86 billion to $3.296 billion. During this10-year period, our county budget increasedover 77 percent. During the same 10-yearperiod, the population of our county in-creased just under 8 percent. Clearly, thegrowth in the county budget increased farmore than population.

When viewed another way, and factoringin inflation during this period, spending percapita increased from $2055 per citizen in1999 to $3152 in 2008. Had our represen-tatives been fiscally disciplined and heldspending to a combination of populationgrowth and inflation, spending per capitain 2008 would have been $2,558 per capita.The real growth of spending over and aboveinflation during this 10-year period is nearly$600 per citizen.

Where did the money go? What programsexist in 2008 that did not exist in 1999?What county agencies and services receivedfunding increases over and above inflationand population growth during this timeframe? Why were these decisions made?Many citizens and representatives now seekto increase taxes to fund services when theyshould be reviewing the baseline fundingof previous budgets and questioning thenecessity of the increased expendi

Documents

Huntley: Ready Vernon.pdf · 2020. 7. 25. · U.S. Rep. Jim Moran sponsored the grant through the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009. “We look forward to the day the house will