News - Ellington

Connection Newspapers
2011
Awards
from
Virginia Press Assocation
Maryland/Delaware/DC Press Association
part 5

Great Falls
Alex McVeigh
First Place in In-Depth Or Investigative Reporting

News
Members of “No to
Brightview” picket
along Colvin Run Road
May 15. The group is
trying to stop a 57,000
square foot assisted
living facility from
being built along Colvin
Run Road, citing concerns
of lost property
value and additional
noise and traffic.
Photos by
Alex McVeigh/
The Connection
Neighbors Say
‘No to Brightview’
‘Blue’ is an oil painting
on linen by Great Falls
Studios painter Jill
Banks. It depicts the
eastern bluebird, the
new bird symbol of Great
Falls.
The bluebird is a spring
symbol in this painting
by painter Linda Wilcox
of Great Falls Studios.
Eastern Bluebird Elected
Official Great Falls Symbol
Just 10 votes separate the top four
candidates in a ‘battle of the birds.’
Neighbors protest
proposed facility, public
meeting set for June 1.
By Alex McVeigh
The Connection
When Suresh Pandellapalli moved
to Great Falls in 2008, he
thought he knew what he was
getting into. He purchased a
house that borders a zoned commercial property
on the northwest side. But what he didn’t
count on was a possible 57,000 square foot
assisted living facility containing 90 rooms as
his new neighbor.
“We knew what was next to us when we
came, it was zoned C-8, so we were expecting
maybe an office park,” he said. “But this is
something that’s changing the rules in the
middle of the game.”
“When I went to the hearing, I
was surprised to hear how far
along the whole process was.”
— Suresh Pandellapalli
Community Meeting Set
Supervisor John Foust (D-Dranesville) has called for a
community meeting where residents can learn about the
special exception process and voice their opinions on the
proposed Brightview Facility. The meeting will take place
Wednesday, June 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the Great Falls Library.
Members of Brightview will make a presentation and
county staff will be on hand to answer questions about
other possible uses of the land.
The proposed Brightview Senior Living building
would be located at the site where Thelma’s
Ice Cream once stood on Colvin Run Road. The
3.6-acre property has only 1.1 acres zoned for
commercial development, meaning the developers
need to seek a special exception from the
county to build the facility. The remaining land
is designated residential.
For a special exception to be granted, according
to the Fairfax County Zoning Ordinance,
there must be a “demonstrated need for the
proposed location, in the location, at the time
and in the configuration proposed. Such consideration
shall take into account alternative
facilities and/or services in existence.”
Many residents say that there is no demonstrated
need, since the facility will not be subsidized
other than the required four percent, and would
charge residents between $4,000 and $6,000 a
month.
“The comprehensive plan says they must demonstrate
a need for the facility, but we don’t think they’ve
done that,” said Wendell Van Lare, who lives nearby.
“There are probably half a dozen of these places
within a five mile radius, and we’re always getting
ads about how they’re looking for new residents.”
THE FAIRFAX COUNTY PLANNING COMMIS-
SION voted May 11 to recommend approval of the
facility. The final decision rests with the Fairfax
County Board of Supervisors, and there is a public
meeting scheduled for June 1 at the Great Falls Library
to allow the community to hear more information
and express their opinions.
Many residents who live around the property are
against the facility, fearing it will bring down their
property values and create noise and more traffic
that comes with a facility that’s open 24 hours a day,
seven days a week.
“It changes the character of the neighborhood,”
said Joe Sartiano, a nearby resident who has helped
organize efforts to combat the facility. “As much work
that is done in this community that is about preserving
the rural nature of Great Falls, this seems to fly
in the face of what Great Falls is all about.”
Sartiano and others have started a petition against
the proposed facility, and they have already gotten
more than 250 signatures. Members of the “No to
Brightview” group estimate that almost 80 percent
of the people they’ve approached about the facility
say they had no idea that the facility was coming.
“I didn’t find out about it until I saw a board posted
about a public hearing,” Pandellapalli said. “When I
went to the hearing, I was surprised to hear how far
along the whole process was.”
The eastern bluebird, a
colorful songbird
known for its melodious
vocalizations and for its
comeback from a disastrous
population decline, was voted
the official town symbol of
Great Falls, narrowly beating
out six other avian candidates
in an election that concluded
May 15. The bluebird won by
just one vote.
During more than four
months of related art exhibitions
and other activities, residents
cast almost 1,400 votes
online and at Great Falls events
as well as at special elections
at Forestville and Great Falls elementary
schools. The election,
known as “Vote 2011: Wings
Across Great Falls,” was part of
a community-wide celebration
of parks, wildlife and human
creativity sponsored by the local
arts group Great Falls Studios
and the National Audubon
Society, together with the two
schools and eight other local
civic organizations or other
groups.
In a surprising photo finish,
the bluebird received 256 votes,
or 18.5 percent of the total
1,387 votes cast. It squeaked by
the second place pileated woodpecker
(255 votes) by a single
vote and the third place great
blue heron (254 votes) by just
two votes. The red-shouldered
hawk was fourth (246 votes)
followed by the American goldfinch
(209 votes). Sixth place
went to the ruby-throated hummingbird
(138 votes), with the
wild turkey in last place (27
votes). There were also a handful
of write-in votes, with support
for the black-capped
chickadee and turkey vulture,
See Bluebird, Page 7
‘Seven bluebirds’ is a wood relief by Jonathan Fisher,
a sculptor in the Great Falls group. Many art media
were represented in various bird art exhibits during
the election.
6 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ May 25-31, 2011 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News
“Me and My Dad”
To honor dad on Father’s Day, send us your favorite snapshots of you with your
dad and The Connection will publish them in our Father’s Day issue. Be sure to
include some information about what’s going on in the photo, plus your name and
phone number and town of residence. To e-mail digital photos, send to:
greatfalls@connectionnewspapers.com
Or to mail photo prints, send to:
The Great Falls Connection, “Me and My Dad Photo Gallery,”
1606 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314
Photo prints will be returned to you if you include a stamped, self-addressed
envelope, but please don’t send us anything irreplaceable.
Andrew Teeters, development
director with Shelter
Development, presents
information about the
proposed Brightview senior
assisted living facility on
Colvin Run Road during a
public meeting at the Great
Falls Library June 1.
Brightview Back to Drawing Board?
Proposed senior living
facility on Colvin Run Road
to undergo redesign after
community response.
By Alex McVeigh
The Connection
The proposed Brightview assisted living fa
cility on Colvin Run Road is back to the
drawing board after a June 1 meeting at
the Great Falls Library. Dozens of community
members came out to voice their opposition,
saying the facility would be a poor long-term solution
for the former Thelma’s Place property.
The facility as originally proposed would have been
a 90-unit, 57,000 square foot building on the 3.56-
acre property. Since only 1.44 acres of the lot is zoned
commercial and the rest residential, a Special Exception
from Fairfax County would have been needed.
The Brightview facility was approved by the Great
Falls Citizens Association after a year of working with
the developers because they said they felt comfortable
with the concessions Brightview was making.
“If the facility had been on fully residential property,
the chances the GFCA would have approved it
is very small,” said Dianne Van Volkenburg, chair of
the GFCA’s Land-Use and Zoning Committee. “But
the developer worked with us and met several conditions
that we were able to set because of the Special
Exception.”
The Fairfax County Planning Commission voted
May 11 to recommend approval of the exception,
but neighbors say the design would reduce property
values and ruin the rural nature of Great Falls.
AS A RESULT of the June 1 meeting, Van
Volkenburg said she went back to the developers the
next day and asked them to look at redesign options
for the facility. The goals for the redesign are for the
facility to possibly: fit entirely on the commercial
portion of the property, reduce the number of beds
in the facility and adjust the design of the building
so it fits in better with the surroundings.
Van Volkenburg said at this time it is too early to
figure out how, if at all, the developers will be able
to meet those conditions, but they have agreed to go
back to the design phase. The Board of Supervisors
originally planned to vote on the Special Exception
June 21, but Supervisor John Foust (D-Dranesville)
said he has postponed the decision until the developer
comes back with a more acceptable design.
Andrew Teeters, development director with Shelter
Development, who have built 22 Brightview facilities
around the area, said they have already taken
steps to mitigate the impact for neighbors.
“We stepped the building down to one story on
Colvin Run Road to help preserve the historic view
shed,” Teeters said. “We’ve also used multi-layered
Photo by Alex McVeigh/The Connection
screening on the north and west side of the property,
which borders the residents, with tall evergreens,
a six-foot high fence and deciduous trees that
should help shield light and noise from spilling onto
adjacent properties.”
Shelter has also agreed to make sure all deliveries
and trash pickups are done between 7 a.m. and 7
p.m. to reduce disturbance to residents as much as
possible. Still, residents say giving an exception for
a facility as large as the proposed Brightview is a
mistake.
“There seems to be plenty of places around that
are more affordable, and this just sets a bad precedent,”
said Tina Cobb of Great Falls.
OPPONENTS of the facility say the precedent could
encourage other developers to seek Special Exceptions.
“Allowing a Special Exception sets a bad precedent,
so developers can set their sights on other similar
properties, and count on the Special Exception going
though,” said Joe Sartiano, who lives nearby.
“We’re trying to maintain the low-density rural character
of one small part of Great Falls, but on a macro
level, we’re trying to prevent it all around Great Falls.”
By right, the current property owners can construct
a 26,000 square foot building with up to 126 parking
spots. Joan Barnes, co-chair of the GFCA’s Transportation
Committee said it was estimated that an
office building would generate three times the traffic
of the Brightview facility.
“I think Brightview is the best we can do if we don’t
know what Plan B is. I think it’s in our best interest
to get the best looking building we can on that property,”
said Wayne Foley, a member of the GFCA Board.
“This is one of the last large pieces of land in Great
Falls that we can have some say over.”
Foley said he had been attending meetings about
Brightview since April 2010, because of his experience
working with split-zoned properties. He said
most people who came to the meetings over the past
year were in support of the facility, and only recently
did the GFCA become aware of the growing discontent.
“Had we had this input back then, the GFCA would
have made a different decision,” Foley said.
Some feel that with senior facilities located nearby
in Herndon and Reston, the Brightview facility is
unnecessary.
“There’s a dementia facility on Route 7 that is only
20 percent full, and here we’re talking about putting
in a facility to compete with a building that’s only
one-fifth full,” said Mike Pahner, who lives in the
Colvin Run Historic District.
Teeters says neighboring facilities were taken into
account when selecting the location of the facility,
and that “we’ve identified what we feel is a significant
need for senior living in Fairfax County, particularly
in Great Falls.”
Foust said that the Board of Supervisors public
hearing will be postponed to at least July 26, but
that the redesign from Shelter could take longer than
that.
4 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ June 8-14, 2011 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Photo by Alex McVeigh/The Connection
Photos Contributed
News
Battling Over Brightview
Residents debate
merits of proposed
assisted
living facility.
By Alex McVeigh
The Connection
Supporters and opponents of
the proposed Brightview
Assisted Living Home
turned out to voice their opinions
Thursday, July 21, at a public forum
at Forestville Elementary
School. The Fairfax County Board
of Supervisors will vote July 26 on
whether or not to grant Shelter,
Inc. a special exception for the facility,
which would be located on
Colvin Run Road, at the site of the
former Thelma’s.
The 3.56-acre property only has
1.44 acres zoned commercial,
meaning the exception would be
needed for Brightview to be built
on the property. After dozens of
residents expressed their concern
with the design at a June 1 meeting
in Great Falls, Shelter was
asked to redesign the building to
assuage residents’ concerns.
THE REDESIGN includes a reduction
of 5,000 square feet on the
residentially zoned portion of the
property, a 36 percent reduction
from the originally proposed
57,000 square feet. The facility
would have a maximum of 94 residents.
“We told Brightview to go back,
get the facility off the [residential],
contain it to the [commercial],
make the facility smaller and reduce
the number of beds,” said Joe
Sartiano, a Great Falls resident
who spoke at the meeting on behalf
of the No To Brightview
group. “Brightview told us, ‘we
heard you loud and clear, we
heard the citizens of Great Falls
loud and clear.’ Based on what
they’re showing, they only met one
of the three conditions, they made
it smaller by 5,000 square feet.”
Sartiano and his group, which
has collected approximately 250
signatures of residents against the
facility, say that the facility as currently
designed will reduce property
values around the facility,
doesn’t fit with the rural nature of
Great Falls and doesn’t fill a demonstrated
need within the community.
Andrew Teeters, development
director with Shelter, said there
are “compelling demographics”
www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Michael Yu, who lives on the property next to the proposed
Brightview Assisted Living Facility, shows a photo
of the view from his property as it is currently, and what
it could look like if the facility goes in. Yu was one of
dozens of community members that spoke at a public
meeting on Brightview at Forestville Elementary Thursday,
July 21.
which led to the company selecting
Great Falls.
“The facilities draw people from
a radius of about three to five
miles,” he said. “We focus on the
75-plus age demographic, and our
typical market has 5,000 people,
there are 5,800 in this area.”
John Ulfelder of the Great Falls
Citizens Association says that, despite
what the No To Brightview
group claims, granting a special
exception will not violate the Comprehensive
Plan. He said
Brightview could be compared to
facilities like schools and churches
that are also built on residential
property in Great Falls, and were
able to do so via special exception.
“This particular application falls
into a category called quasi-public
uses.
Also in that category are
churches, schools, museums,
childcare centers, these are the
private uses that fall in the same
category,” he said. “All currently
operating assisted living facilities
in Fairfax County are required to
get a special exception.”
Dianne Van Volkenburg, co-chair
of the GFCA’s Land Use and Transportation
Committee, said they
approved of Brightview because it
allowed them to dictate certain
conditions in the development that
they wouldn’t be able to if an exception
wasn’t needed. She said
that the facility’s low traffic use
will cause much less of an impact
than a proposed office park on the
property.
“The Fairfax County Department
of Transportation and Virginia
Department of Transportation
were mandating that this road be
widened. They were mandating
full curb and gutter. They were
mandating removal of the trail and
See Divided, Page 7
Pet Connection
Fish Folly
By Melodee
Boos
Great Falls
“We’ve
got
a
winner,” the
Carny shouted.
And that’s how
the Boos family
became the
proud owners of
two goldfish. I
admit it, I’m a
sucker for carnivals,
especially
the games. We always
end up carting home several
stuffed animals and
schlocky dollar-type toys that
cost us 20 bucks
to win. Most of
what we bring
home ends up in
the junk pile
never to be seen
again. However,
at our last carnival
my 7-year-old
daughters won
two goldfish.
I have a history
with carnival
fish. It’s a short
one (usually
about two days).
I figured that our
current fish
would follow that same mournful
fate. I figured wrong. Here’s
one of my missteps, I let the girls
name the fish (Bubble and
Swimmy). Once they had
names, it was all over. I think
it’s the naming process that
helps create that special feeling
of tenderness. It separates the
fish that the girls and I catch at
Riverbend Park from the fish
that are pets. I mean if we saw
a floating fish in the Potomac,
there would be no tears or
angst, but woe to the parent
that must explain the floating
fish in a bowl.
Two weeks passed and we still
had two very lively fish. Frankly,
I hadn’t believed it was possible.
Maybe it was the fact that the
girls included their fish (by
name) in their nightly prayers.
Whatever the case, the fish were
living, and thriving in the free
fish bowl that the Carny provided.
It’s about the size of a
half a loaf of bread.
Unfortunately, during the second
week, one of the fish started
turning black. Normally, I would
let nature take its course, but I
Gloria Boos, 7, and her fish —
Bubble.
felt like I needed to make some
effort for little Bubble (there’s
that name again). So the girls
Rose Boos, 7, and her fish —
Swimmy.
and I headed to the pet store. I
planned to buy a snail or a
plant, drop it in the bowl and
call it a day. But oh no, it’s not
that easy — it never is! Apparently
for every inch of goldfish,
you need a certain amount of
water; otherwise the fish get
bacteria on their scales. Who
would have thought? Obviously,
I hadn’t. So where does
that leave the Boos household?
With two fish, each of which
needed a much bigger environment.
Although I was skeptical,
we still walked away with two
fish tanks (see pictures). Notice
how small the fish are compared
to the tank.
The story does have a happy
ending (so far). Three days after
the pet store adventure,
Bubble’s scales cleared right up.
So our girls have been the
proud owners of two carnival
goldfish for over a month and
counting. According to the pet
store salesperson, once the fish
get larger, we’ll need to get
larger tanks. At that point, my
story could be published in Miraculous
Tales.
Great Falls Connection ❖ July 27- August 2, 2011 ❖ 3

Faith Notes
Faith Notes are for announcements
and events in the faith community.
Send
to
greatfalls@connectionnewspapers.com.
Deadline is Friday.
Laura Romstedt will be a guest
vocalist at Antioch Christian Church,
1860 Beulah Road in Vienna, on Sunday,
July 31 at 10 a.m.
Romstedt is assistant director of the
Mosaic Harmony and a featured soloist.
www.antiochdoc.org or 703-938-6753.
Divided Over Brightview
From Page 3
a concrete sidewalk, things that
this community generally does not
want,” she said. “Fairfax County
has determined that this application
will not cause noise or light
levels that will potentially devalue
property.”
RESIDENTS WHO SPOKE at
the meeting were divided. Wendell
Van Lare, vice president of the
nearby Colvin Meadows Estates
Homeowners Association, says his
organization is strongly opposed
to the Brightview Facility.
“Great Falls is the only community
I know of that does not permit
multi-family housing, and my
family came here because we
wanted this,” he said. “They want
The Church of the Good Shepherd,
a United Methodist church at
2351 Hunter Mill Road in Vienna, will
begin its “Champions of the Faith” series
on Sunday, Aug. 28, in the 10 a.m. worship
service. The “Champion the
Dream” event will be on the anniversary
of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 “I
Have a Dream” speech, the same day the
Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial
is to be unveiled. Wesley
Theological Seminary Professor of Urban
Ministry Fred D. Smith, PhD, will
to bring in an assisted living facility
when there’s one right across
the street that’s in fact called Great
Falls Assisted Living. Allowing this
to happen is contrary to the community
we live in and want to
maintain.”
Bob Lundegard, who has been
volunteering at Colvin Run Mill for
more than 10 years and served
with the Friends of Colvin Run
Mill, says the board has been following
the development since its
inception, and likes what it will
add to the community. He also
worked with the GFCA’s senior
committee to conduct a poll of local
seniors and what their needs
might be.
“Many of these people are in
places that are too large, the lots
lead the 9 a.m. Sunday school class then
deliver a sermon at 10 a.m. on the “Beloved
Community,” the Biblical theme
adopted by the civil rights movement.
www.GoodShepherdVA.com.
Epiphany United Methodist
Church, 1014 Country Club Drive in
Vienna, will celebrate its 50th anniversary
with a special worship service on
Sunday, Sept. 25 at 11 a.m.
www.epiphanyumc.com or 703-938-
3494.
are too large, they’re unable to
take care of them. They’re looking
for alternatives, both unassisted
and assisted alternative
housing,” he said. “This proposal
fits into that need.”
Elizabeth Watson, who has lived
in Great Falls since 1986, says she
is not opposed to the idea of an
assisted living facility in Great
Falls, but thinks the location would
isolate the residents from most of
the community.
“Put it down near the library, put
it down where there’s a school
they can walk to, put it down
where there’s shopping so they’re
not basically warehoused at the
end of Colvin Run,” she said. “To
me, this is just in the wrong place
at the wrong time.”
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www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Great Falls Connection ❖ July 27- August 2, 2011 ❖ 7

Photo by Robin Kent
News
Great Falls Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic
703-778-9414 or greatfalls@connectionnewspapers.com
Photo by Alex McVeigh/The Connection
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a special exception
that allows a 52,000 square foot assisted living facility to be built on this property,
located on Colvin Run Road.
Brightview Goes Through
Board of Supervisors grants
special exception for 52,000
square foot facility.
www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
By Alex McVeigh
The Connection
After more than 18 months of planning, negotiating,
protests and public meetings,
the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
unanimously approved the special exception
for the proposed Brightview Assisted Living facility
July 26.
The property, located at the site of the former
Thelma’s on Colvin Run Road, is split zoned, with
1.44 acres zoned commercial and 2.12 zoned residential.
The special exception was needed to build
parts of the 52,000 square foot facility on the residential
portion.
Supervisor John Foust (D-Dranesville) said he was
prepared to defer the decision if any new information
came to light at the July 26 public hearing.
“We have worked very, very hard to hear from everyone
on this. The bottom line is that there are issues,
I understand how strongly people feel about
those issues, but we have had a chance to consider
and evaluate them,” he said. “Even after the Planning
Commission unanimously recommended approval,
I took the unusual step of scheduling two
very well attended public meetings... Since the assisted
living facility was first proposed, the applicant
has made a significant number of revisions and
agreed to numerous development conditions requested
by the [Great Falls Citizens Association] and
members of the community.”
FOUST CALLED the facility an “appropriate transitional
use from the Colvin Run/Walker Road area
to the residential uses outside that area. The low intensity
and visual appearance of the proposed use is
beneficial to this community. I also find that it is in
harmony with the general purpose and intent of the
applicable zoning district regulations. In fact, this
proposal is a vast improvement over the development
that could occur on this site by right, with no
input from the community, no review by this board
and none of the many development conditions that
are proposed.”
Almost 30 people testified before the board of supervisors,
with a little more than half of the comments
not in favor of the development.
Kathleen Murphy, president of the Great Falls Historical
Society, said it took a “long time to figure out”
how she felt about the issue.
“It violates the culture of Great Falls,” she said.
“Colvin Run as a community is suffering, and actually
needs the commercial activity at that site as a
contribution.”
Suresh Pandellapalli lives in the house that borders
the northwest section of the proposed facility’s
property.
“Before we purchased our property, I was aware
that the neighboring property was split zoned... I was
confident that the county would keep the trust I bestowed
on it, and preserve the [residential] part of
the property for residential use, but I was sadly mistaken,”
he said. “The special exceptions are going to
negatively impact my way of life, privacy and value
of my property.”
Joe Sartiano, who headed the No To Brightview
group, which collected hundreds of community signatures
from those who are against the facility, says
he believes the supervisors’ decision was inevitable.
“I think this was a done deal the second it got to
the GFCA,” Sartiano said. “And now we’ve got an
artificial injection of an almost 53,000 square foot
facility in Great Falls.”
DIANNE VAN VOLKENBURG, co-chair of the
GFCA’s Land Use and Zoning committee, says she
has worked with the applicant since April 2010, and
See Supervisors, Page 12
Art juror Joanne Bauer, a bird authority who is also
Exhibitions Manager of the Greater Reston Art Center,
poses with the winning artwork she selected in a Great
Falls competition to pick a bluebird painting to hang in
the library. The winning artist was Jennifer Duncan.
Eastern Bluebirds Judged
In Art Contest at Library
Painting of new village symbol wins
top honors, will hang in library.
Great Falls artists submitted
17 paintings or
photographs of the
eastern bluebird last week as
part of an art competition associated
with the election of the
species as the new bird symbol
of Great Falls. The winning artist
was Jennifer Duncan.
Duncan’s painting, called
“Backyard Blues,” is acrylic
mixed-media on paper and depicts
two of the birds near a nest
box. “Mixed media” refers to
non-paint components in the
work, including collage, graphite
and a wax crayon called
coran d’ache. “I wanted to create
a colorful rendition of bluebirds
in the backyard,” she said.
As the winner, Duncan receives
a prize of $500 from the
arts group Great Falls Studios.
Framing of the piece will be
provided as a donation by
Turner Framing, a frame shop
at 125-J Seneca Road at
Georgetown Pike. The piece
will be presented to the library
by Great Falls Studios in a ceremony
in September. After going
on display for a month at
Turner Framing, it will hang
permanently in the library.
The competition was judged
by Joanne Bauer, Exhibitions
Manager of the Greater Reston
Arts Center (GRACE). Bauer
was an ideal juror because she
knows both birds and art. In
addition to her key role at one
of the region’s better-known
arts groups, Bauer leads bird
walks and monitors bluebird
trails in Reston for a Virginiabased
bluebird society. She
picked Duncan’s painting in
part because of the joy and
exuberance of the work, qualities
she associates with bluebirds.
The election of a village symbol
took place on line and was
accompanied by various art and
photo exhibitions earlier this
year. This celebration of art,
wildlife and parks in the village
was organized by Great Falls
Studios in partnership with the
National Audubon Society, plus
eight other local organizations
and Forestville and Great Falls
elementary schools.
In the election, the bluebird
edged out the pileated woodpecker
by a single vote. The
other candidates were the
American goldfinch, great blue
heron, red shouldered hawk,
ruby-throated hummingbird
and wild turkey.
Duncan is one of 100 artist
members of Great Falls Studios
and paints in the Artists’ Atelier,
a group studio of 15 artists
located near Dante Restaurant.
Her works have been shown
widely across the DC area.
Great Falls Connection ❖ August 3-9, 2011 ❖ 3

Bulletin Board
To have community events listed in the
Connection, send to greatfalls@
connectionnewspapers.com. Deadline is
Friday.
MONDAY/AUG. 8
Concussion Prevention Workshop.
1 p.m. Inova Fairfax Hospital, 3300
Gallows Road, Falls Church. With
former WWE wrestler Chris
Nowinski, known in the wrestling
world as “Chris Harvard,” co-founder
of the Sports Legacy Institute. This
free workshop is geared toward
coaches, healthcare personnel,
athletic trainers and parents, and will
help participants gain information
and learn skills in the detection,
management and prevention of
concussions. Register at
www.surveymonkey.com/s/
QT6SV53. 804-864-7738.
WEDNESDAY/AUG. 10
Virginia Chronic Pain Support
Group Meeting. 1:30 p.m. at
Kaplan Center for Integrative
Medicine, 6829 Elm St., Suite 300,
McLean. Group leader, Jodi Brayton,
LCSW. 703-532-4892.
Pauline Shirley Toastmasters Club
Meeting. 6:45 p.m. McLean
Community Center, 1234 Ingleside
Ave., McLean. Meets second and
fourth Wednesdays of the month.
703-893-5506 or
paulineshirley.freetoasthost.info.
Multiple Sclerosis Support Group.
7 p.m. Vienna Presbyterian Church,
124 Park St., NE, Vienna, VA. A
group for anyone with multiple
sclerosis, their family and friends.
Sponsored by the National Capital
Chapter of the MS Society. The group
meets the 2nd Wednesday of every
month. Free. 703-768-4841.
SATURDAY/AUG. 13
The Smart Split: Legal Aspects of
Separation and Divorce. 10 a.m.
McLean Government Center, 1437
Balls Hill Road, McLean. Learn the
rights and responsibilities in
separation and divorce, how the legal
process works in the Virginia courts
and how to work with your lawyer.
Support group available. $45-$55.
Register at
www.thewomenscenter.org.
MONDAY/AUG. 15
Workshop Registration Deadline.
Vienna Art Center, 115 Pleasant St.,
N.W., Vienna. Register for a two-day
still life oil painting workshop with
Jonathan Linton, to be held Friday
and Saturday, Aug. 26-27. $125
Vienna Arts Society members, $160
non-members. Reserve at 703-938-
8539 or 703-319-3971.
www.jonathanlinton.com.
Supervisors Approve Brightview Exception
Correction
In the report titled “Career
Day at Langley High”
[Great Falls Connection,
July 27-Aug. 2, 2011, Page
13] the caption under this
photo should have read:
Tom Klein, M.D. talking
about careers in Orthopedic
Surgery.
From Page 3
was pleased with their level of commitment to maintaining
the nature of Great Falls.
“This applicant, unlike so many others, has been
what we call a good neighbor. Many applicants provide
lip service, they seek our input, only to implement
the minimum requirements set by the county.
This applicant has sought community input and has
written that input into enforceable development conditions.
Van Volkenburg recalled visiting the Brightview
facility in Catonsville, Md., which is the same size of
the proposed Great Falls facility, and located in a
historic district.
“Brightview did a terrific job in constructing a facility
that was in keeping with the surrounding historic
buildings. It was a contentious application,”
she said. “Today Brightview is warmly received by
the community. Local schools perform community service
hours there, young dance studios perform their
dress rehearsals for the residents, this is just to name
a few. We envision the same kinds of community outreach
once this is built in Great Falls.”
Robin Rentsch, who has lived in Great Falls since
1971, and is currently the co-chair of the GFCA’s Environmental
committee, says she is glad to have the
option of such a facility in this community.
“I am vested in this community. I have spent years
of my life working for things that I can value in this
community,” she said. “I’m 73, my husband is 83, and
we want the option of remaining in Great Falls.”
Sartiano says he’s not sure what the No To
Brightview group’s next move is, he said they plan to
consult with their legal council to determine their
appropriate next step.
SMITH CHAPEL UM CHURCH
11321 Beach Mill Road
Great Falls, VA 20165
It’s like coming home
smithchapel@verizon.net
www.SmithChapelUMC.com
Rev. D. J. Zuchelli, Pastor
WORSHIP HOURS SUNDAY: 11:00 AM
Progressive & Welcoming
ST. ANNE’S
EPISCOPAL
CHURCH • Reston
8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite I
10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite II
Children’s Chapel July 10 through Aug 28
5:00 p.m. Come as You Are Contemporary Service
Nursery care provided at 10:00 a.m. Service
The Rev. James Papile, Rector
The Rev. Jacqueline Thomson
The Rev. Denise Trogdon
703-437-6530
www.stannes-reston.org
1700 Wainwright Dr., Reston
Visit These Houses of Worship
Join A Club, Make New Friends, or Expand Your Horizons...
LivingFaith
b
A.M.E. Church
“Serving the People of God”
SHERATON RESTON HOTEL
SUNDAY SCHOOL 9 A.M.
SUNDAY WORSHIP 10 A.M.
LET US WORSHIP GOD TOGETHER
Rev. Dr. Peter G. Taylor, Pastor
703-899-8378 LivingFaith4U.org
Assembly of God
Vienna Assembly of God ... 703-938-7736
Washington Christian Church
...703-938-7720
Cristo Es Mi Refugio...703-938-7727
Baha’i
Baha’i Faith for Northern Virginia ... 703-821-3345
Baptist
Global Mission Church ... 703-757-0877
Peace Baptist Church ... 703-560-8462
Bethel Primitive Baptist Church ... 703-757-8134
Cartersville Baptist Church ... 703-255-7075
Fellowship Baptist Church ... 703-385-8516
First Baptist Church ... 703-938-8525
The Light Mission Church ... 703-757-0877
To Highlight Your Faith Community call Karen at 703- 917-6468
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF VIENNA
450 ORCHARD STREET
VIENNA, VA
703-938-8525
fbcvoffice@verizon.net
www.fbcv.org
Dr. KENNY SMITH,
PASTOR
SUNDAY WORSHIP, 7:45 AM & 11:00 AM
MIDWEEK SERVICES, WED. 7:00 PM
1133 Reston Avenue, Herndon, VA 20170
Summer Worship Hours: 8:30 am and 10:30 am
Rev. Dr. William H. Flammann, Pastor
Church Office: 703.437.5020
Preschool: 703.437.4511
www.gslcva.org
Vienna Baptist Church ... 703-281-4400
New Union Baptist Church... 703-281-2556
Buddhist
Vajrayogini Buddhist Center... 202-331-2122
12 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ August 3-9, 2011 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Great Falls
Marilyn Campbell
Second Place in Personal Service Writing:
Beating the Holiday Blues, Great American Smokeout,
Getting into ‘Right Fit’ Private School
Judges comments: Trio of strong entries.

Photo by Marilyn Campbell/The Connection
Wellbeing
Beating the Holiday Blues
Area experts offer advice on keeping money woes, family conflict and
loneliness from ruining your holiday season.
By Marilyn Campbell
The Connection
Ask the average person what
feelings come to mind as
they enter the month of
December and you’re likely
to get responses that range from joy
and excitement to grief and dread.
“Overwhelmed,” said a Burke
mother of two whose husband is deployed
overseas.
“Nervous,” replied an Arlington father
of four who recently lost his job.
For many, what is often billed as the
most joyous time of the year can bring
anxiety, loneliness and depression.
“The media portrays the holidays as
this never ending blissful time,” said
Lisa Calusic, MD, a psychiatrist at
Inova Mount Vernon Hospital and
Inova Behavioral Health Services in
Alexandria. “People [often say] ‘I
should have a loving, warm family. I
should have the perfect holiday season.
We should be merry 24-7.’ Those
expectations are going to lead to depression
and feeling anxious because
there is no such thing as the perfect
anything much less the perfect holiday
season.”
“Do everything you can not
to buy into what the
culture or anyone else says
your life should look like
during this time of year.”
— Dr. Jeffrey W. Pollard,
Counseling and Psychological Services,
George Mason University
Mental health experts say that holiday
blues are caused most often by
family conflicts, over-commercialization,
grief, stress, fatigue, unrealistic
expectations, financial limitations and
an inability to be with family and
friends. Local therapists offer suggestions
for minimizing Yuletide stress
and depression.
DEVELOP A HOLIDAY STRAT-
EGY
From shopping for presents to dealing
with difficult relatives, it is important
to think ahead about how you will
deal with challenging scenarios.
“Plan strategies for how you’re going
to cope with situations,” said Dr.
Robert Hedaya, M.D., D.F.A.P.A., Clinical
Professor of Psychiatry at
Toni Coleman of McLean prepares to celebrate both Hanukkah and
Christmas. Religious differences can create family conflict, a leading
cause of stress and depression during the holidays.
Georgetown University School of Medicine
and founder of the National Center for
Whole Psychiatry in Chevy Chase, Md.
“Maybe it is limiting your time with a family
or maybe it is getting away for the holiday
if you don’t have family.”
BE REALISTIC
“Do everything you can not to buy into
what the culture or anyone else says your
life should look like during this time of
year,” said Dr. Jeffrey W. Pollard, Executive
Director of Counseling and Psychological
Services at George Mason University.
“There is nothing wrong with having
the life that you had three months
ago.”
STICK TO A BUDGET
Trying to buy happiness or holiday
cheer with an abundance of gifts is setting
the stage for anxiety and depression.
“One of the other things that happens is
that people will put themselves in a financial
bind in order to…make sure everything
is perfect or is happening the way that others
want it to happen,” said Pollard.
Decide how much money you can afford
to spend, create a budget and stick to it.
KEEPING THE FAITH
Religious differences can be one of the
thorniest issues to negotiate during the holidays.
The home of McLean-based psychotherapist
Toni Coleman will sparkle with Hanukkah
blue and Christmas red this holiday
season, as it does every year. Coleman, who
is Catholic, and her husband who is Jewish,
have been navigating their way through
the fusion of Christian and Jewish customs
since they were first married nearly 25 years
ago.
“When you start out getting married and
you’re of different faiths, there is a lot of
stress if you’ve got families of origin with
agendas who want you to celebrate their
way,” said Coleman who is the mother of
four children. “We negotiated it extremely
well.”
Coleman and her family celebrate both
Hanukkah and Christmas. She encourages
others who face the same challenge to keep
a positive attitude about both religions, find
ways to compromise and start their own traditions.
ACKNOWLEDGE FEELINGS;
ASK FOR HELP
Feelings of sadness and grief over
the loss of a loved one or an inability
to be with family and friends can intensify
during the holidays. Experts
say it is important to acknowledge and
express these feelings and ask for help.
“Reach out to your sources of support
like friends who know you well
and won’t make judgments,” said
Calusic, who lives in Arlington and has
a private practice in Falls Church. “It
is useful to lean on the people who know
you on a day-to-day basis.”
Support and companionship can be found
through community or religious activities.
MORE EXERCISE, LESS SUGAR AND
ALCOHOL
Don’t allow the holidays to become a freefor
all when it comes to wellness.
“You want to ensure that you’re functioning
as well as you can mentally and
physically as you go into this time of
stress,” said Hedaya. “If you are going
into a rough time you need to
have better reserves. You need to limit
your use of alcohol or stimulants.”
Making an effort to practice healthy
habits is a tool in battling holiday
blues.
“Exercise is a huge part of it. Go
for walks, hit the gym, or any kind of
outlet that you can find to release
nervous energy and depression,” said
Calusic. “Everyone loves their cookies
and cakes and holiday favorites.
But constantly eating sugary and fattening
foods definitely has an impact
on mood and anxiety levels.”
HELP OTHERS
Benevolence is a mood booster.
“Is there any opportunity to do
some volunteer work,” said Pollard,
of George Mason. “If you find yourself
in a funk and you want to get out
of it, help somebody, volunteer somewhere.
You’ll be surprised how good
that can make you feel.”
Coleman, the McLean therapist, has
employed this strategy and encourages
her clients to do the same. “If a
family feels that it is going to be a
difficult holiday, and they are grieving
or have a loss in their life, they
can fill it by trying to celebrate the
real spirit of the holidays which is
doing for others,” she said. “There is
a tremendous amount of pleasure and
satisfaction in that.”
ENVIRONMENT PLAYS A ROLE
Mental health professionals say that
some people suffer from seasonal affective
disorder (SAD), a condition
that results from less exposure to sunlight
as days grow shorter.
“The media portrays the
holidays as this neverending
blissful time. …
Those expectations are
going to lead to depression.”
— Lisa Calusic, psychiatrist,
Inova Mount Vernon Hospital,
Arlington resident
“It is a mild variant of depression
that falls in line with the shorter days
of fall and winter,” said Calusic. “It is
much more common than people give
it credit for.”
One of the most popular remedies
is phototherapy, a treatment involving
exposure to intense light.
See Less Is More, Page 17
16 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ November 30 - December 6, 2011 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Photo Courtesy of Linda Berg-Cross
From Page 16
Wellbeing
Less Is More to Enjoy Holidays
“The best thing to do is get
a dawn simulator which is a
small light box that you keep
near your bed and set it to go
off three hours before your
desired waking time. It recreates
the dawn experience. It
is the best form of light treatment.”
Potomac, Maryland-based clinical
psychologist Linda Berg-Cross,
Ph.D. says that the best motto for
preventing holiday stress and
depression is ‘less is more.’
“Whatever you
decide to do try
to be present in it
and experience
that engagement.”
— Potomac psychologist
Linda Berg-Cross
LEARN TO SAY NO
“In our area people have
one or two [holiday activities]
every night,” said Linda Berg-
Cross, Ph.D. a Potomac, Md.-
based clinical psychologist
and a professor in the Department
of Psychology at
Howard University. “[People]
want to create merriment, but
what they’re creating is stress.
The best motto for preventing
holiday stress and depression
is less is more.”
Making realistic decisions
about what you can and cannot
do will quell anxiety.
“The key … is to make a
plan that allows you to include
the most meaningful
[activities] only,” said
Coleman. “This involves conscious
decisions to forego
some things and set limits on
others.”
Berg-Cross encourages her
clients to focus on connecting
with others. “Whatever you
decide to do try to be present
in it and experience that engagement,”
she said. “The top
priority [should be] that you
had chance to sit down with
somebody and breathe and
create space for the human
encounter because ultimately
that is what people most often
remember.”
Holiday Calendar
EVERY NIGHT, NOV. 23-JAN. 8
Bull Run Festival of Lights &
Holiday Village. Bull Run Regional
Park, 7700 Bull Run Drive,
Centreville.
5:30-9:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday;
5:30-10 p.m. Friday-Sunday and
holidays. For more than 12 years the
Bull Run Festival of Lights at Bull
Run Regional Park has drawn thousands
of visitors from hundreds of
miles away. The Bull Run Festival of
Lights is held each year to celebrate
the winter holiday season. Admission
$15-$55. Carnival fees $18-$30.
703-631-0550.
THURSDAY/DEC. 1
Dan Hicks & The Hot Licks. 8
p.m. The Barns at Wolf Trap,
1635 Trap Road, Vienna. With a
twist to holiday classics and
original songs, they return with a
new album, Holidaze in
Hicksville, incorporating Western
swing, traditional folk, bluegrass,
cowboy tunes, Gypsy jazz and
bossa nova. www.wolftrap.org.
Steve Solomon’s My Mother’s
Italian, My Father’s Jewish
& I’m Home for the
Holidays! 8 p.m. The Barns at
Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road,
Vienna. Hilarious recount of a
chaotic family reunion. $32.
www.wolftrap.org.
The Long Christmas Dinner and
Holiday Musical Theater
Scenes. 7:30 p.m. McLean High
School, 1633 Davidson Road,
McLean. Thorton Wilder’s The
Long Christmas Dinner and
performances by the MHS Choral
and MHS Dance group. $10-$20,
available at
Brownpapertickets.com, event
210144.
FRIDAY/DEC. 2
Steve Solomon’s My Mother’s
Italian, My Father’s Jewish
& I’m Home for the
Holidays! 8 p.m. The Barns at
Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road,
Vienna. Hilarious recount of a
chaotic family reunion. $32.
www.wolftrap.org.
“The Nutcracker” with
BalletNova. 7:30 p.m. Bishop
Ireton High School, 201
Cambridge Road, Alexandria.
Adults $13-$40, students and
seniors $13-$32. 703-751-7606 or
www.balletnova.org.
The Long Christmas Dinner and
Holiday Musical Theater
Scenes. 7:30 p.m. McLean High
School, 1633 Davidson Road,
McLean. Thorton Wilder’s The
Long Christmas Dinner and
performances by the MHS Choral
and MHS Dance group. $10-$20,
available at
Brownpapertickets.com, event
210144.
SATURDAY/DEC. 3
Holiday Wreath-Making
Workshops. 10 a.m.
Meadowlark Botanical Gardens,
9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court,
Vienna. Make an outdoor wreath
using greens gathered from the
gardens. Beads, bows and more
included. $40. Pre-paid
reservations required at 703-255-
3631 x 0.
Visit These Houses of Worship
To Highlight Your Faith Community call Karen at 703- 917-6468
SMITH CHAPEL UM CHURCH
11321 Beach Mill Road
Great Falls, VA 20165
It’s like coming home
smithchapel@verizon.net
www.SmithChapelUMC.com
Rev. D. J. Zuchelli, Pastor
WORSHIP HOURS SUNDAY: 11:00 AM
Progressive & Welcoming
ST. ANNE’S
EPISCOPAL
CHURCH • Reston
7:45 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite I
9:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II
Sunday school/Music: preschool - grade 2
10:25 a.m. Sunday school/Music: grades 3 - 12
11:15 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II
5:00 p.m. Come Just as You Are Contemporary Service
Nursery care provided at 9:00 and 11:15 services
The Rev. James Papile, Rector
The Rev. Jacqueline Thomson
The Rev. Denise Trogdon
703-437-6530
www.stannes-reston.org
1700 Wainwright Dr., Reston
b
b
Connecting the World with God’s Grace
Nursery available
at all services
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF VIENNA
450 ORCHARD STREET
VIENNA, VA
703-938-8525
fbcvoffice@verizon.net
www.fbcv.org
Dr. KENNY SMITH,
PASTOR
SUNDAY WORSHIP, 7:45 AM & 11:00 AM
MIDWEEK SERVICES, WED. 7:00 PM
Christ the King
Lutheran Church
10550 Georgetown Pike
Great Falls, VA 22066
Office: 703.759.6068
www.gflutheran.org
ADVENT MID-WEEK SERVICES
Join us during Advent on Wednesdays (Nov 30,
Dec 7, 14, 21) at noon and 7:30 pm Advent worship.
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES
Children’s Service at 5:00 P.M.
Candlelight Services at 7:00 P.M. and 11:00 PM
Rev. John Bradford
PastorJohn.Bradford@verizon.net
Assembly of God
Vienna Assembly of God ... 703-938-7736
Washington Christian Church...703-938-7720
Cristo Es Mi Refugio...703-938-7727
Baha’i
Baha’i Faith for Northern Virginia ... 703-821-3345
Baptist
Global Mission Church ... 703-757-0877
Peace Baptist Church ... 703-560-8462
Bethel Primitive Baptist Church
... 703-757-8134
Cartersville Baptist Church ... 703-255-7075
Fellowship Baptist Church ... 703-385-8516
First Baptist Church ... 703-938-8525
The Light Mission Church ... 703-757-0877
Vienna Baptist Church ... 703-281-4400
New Union Baptist Church... 703-281-2556
Buddhist
Vajrayogini Buddhist Center... 202-331-2122
Church of the Brethern
Oakton Church of the Brethern
... 703-281-4411
Catholic
Our Lady of Good Counsel ... 703-938-2828
St. Athanasius Catholic Church ... 703-759-4555
St. Mark’s Catholic Church ... 703-281-9100
1133 Reston Avenue, Herndon, VA 20170
Worship: Sunday, 8:00 A.M. and 11:00 A.M.
Sunday School: 9:30 A.M.
Rev. Dr. William H. Flammann, Pastor
www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Great Falls Connection ❖ November 30 - December 6, 2011 ❖ 17

Photo courtesy of Thomas J. Glynn
Photo by Marilyn Campbell/The Connection
Wellbeing
Butting Out
‘Great American Smokeout’
gets smokers on the road to
quitting for good.
By Marilyn Campbell
The Connection
Dean Adams says that he has been smoking
for 25 years. The Alexandria-based
bartender has only tried to quit once, a
cold-turkey attempt that was unsuccessful.
“It’s kind of a manic thing for me,” said Adams. “I
smoke all the time, probably a pack to a pack and
half a day.”
He plans to try again on Nov. 17, a day designated
as the Great American Smokeout, a campaign
launched by the American Cancer Society to spotlight
the dangers of tobacco use and the challenges
of quitting.
“Most smokers make three to five serious quit attempts
(i.e., for 24 hours or more) before they are finally
successful,” said Thomas J. Glynn, Ph.D. Dr. Glynn
resides in Great Falls, and is the Director of Cancer and
Science Trends for the American Cancer Society. “Deciding
to quit smoking seems easy, but actually doing it
is where the real challenge begins. That’s why the Great
American Smokeout can be so helpful—it gets smokers
on the road to being smoke-free.”
ONE OF THE GOALS of the Great American
Smokeout is to raise awareness and make smokers
aware of the obstacles to smoking cessation and the
resources available to deal with those barriers.
“Cigarettes have a strong physiological pull on their
users,” said Glynn. “Nicotine maintains their physiological
dependence, and the routines of smoking—
reaching for the pack, lighting up…the cigarette after
a meal, etc., maintains their psychological dependence.”
Medical experts say that before deciding on a cessation
method, a smoker must first have a desire to
stop. “Most important is for the smoker to want to
quit,” said Dr. Jasmine Moghissi, of Fairfax. “It is almost
impossible to get your wife/son/mother/cousin
to quit if they don’t want to. It has also been my
experience that it is extremely difficult for someone
to quit for their future health. If the smoker wants to
quit because it’s a filthy, smelly, dirty habit — that
seems to be most effective.”
Tools for quitting run the gamut from hypnosis and
acupuncture to medication and laser therapy. Glynn
says that no one method works best.
“Recent studies do suggest that a combination of
medications [such as] Varenicline or Chantix and
nicotine gum and counseling — either individual,
group or by phone — may work best for many
people.”
Maureen Meehan, a certified hypnotist with Maryland
Hypnosis, is a former substance abuse counselor
who found hypnosis to be an effective tool for addressing
addiction. “The reason it works so well to
help people become non-smokers is because it deals
with your subconscious mind which is powerful, alert
and awake,” said Meehan. “We talk to the subconscious
mind and tell it to cut the cord to bad habits.”
Meehan says her method has a high success rate.
VIRGINIA HOSPITAL CENTER in Arlington offers
a two-week smoking cessation class several times
a year. “We teach smokers how to conquer the three
Thomas J. Glynn, Ph.D., of Great Falls, the
Director of Cancer and Science Trends for
the American Cancer Society, says most
smokers attempt to quit three to five times
before they are successful.
aspects of smoking: addiction, habit and psychological
dependency,” said Cathy Turner. Turner resides
in Burke and is Virginia Hospital Center’s Director of
Health Promotion as well as its smoking cessation
instructor.
Psychologist Dr. Gayle K. Porter, Psy.D., of the
Gaston and Porter Health Improvement Center in
Potomac, has counseled those who have stopped
smoking successfully.
“I’ve worked with people who’ve been addicted to
a variety of substances, and smoking was the most
powerful addiction to give up,” said Porter, a former
faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry and
Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins School of
Medicine. “It is like a friend that never leaves. If
you’re lonely, sad, angry, you can always light up.”
Along with Dr. Marilyn Gaston, Porter wrote “Prime
Time: The African American Woman’s Complete
Guide to Midlife Health and Wellness.” The book
includes an eight-step smoking cessation plan.
“First and foremost is stress reduction,” said Porter.
“If you’re stressed, it is going to be hard to stop
smoking, and if you’ve already stopped smoking and
you’re stressed, it is going to be difficult not to resume.
You have to get control over your stress.”
Porter and Gaston also founded Prime Time Sister
Circles, a health support group that includes a component
designed to help smokers kick the habit. Porter
believes a team effort is necessary.
“It is important that people who are trying to quit
smoking have support,” she said.
Another smoking cessation tool is tobacco control.
A study by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) shows a link between strong tobacco control
policies and a reduction in the adult smoking
rate in the U.S.
“These findings add urgency to the continued need
for strong tobacco control laws …including tobacco
tax increases, strong smoke-free laws…and policies
that are proven to reduce adult smoking rates and
discourage kids from ever starting to use tobacco…”
said John R. Seffrin, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of
the American Cancer Society Cancer Action network.
Maryland’s current cigarette tax is $2.00 per pack,
the 11th highest in the nation, while Virginia’s current
cigarette tax is $0.30 per pack, the second lowest
in the nation. Maryland’s smoke-free law requires
all of the state’s workplaces, restaurants and bars to
be 100 percent smoke-free.
Dean Adams (right) and Jonathan Bisagni have tried
unsuccessfully to stop smoking. Researchers say it often
takes several attempts for smokers to quit.
Steps to Quit Smoking
Source: The American Cancer Society (ACS) and Thomas J. Glynn, Ph.D., the ACS
Director of Cancer and Science Trends.
1) Think of your resolution to stop smoking as a project, a process that will take
some time, and not one that is a snap decision or that will take only a few days.
Remember, you are starting on a journey to health and greater prosperity, but also
undoing a psychological and physiological habit that took many years to develop.
2) Make a list of all the reasons you want to stop smoking — health, cost, family/friends,
longer life, etc. —and keep that list in your pocket at all times and take
it out and review it whenever you are tempted to smoke.
4) Enlist the help of your family, friends and co-workers. Share your list of reasons
for quitting with them — it will help them support you.
5) Decide on a quit date — maybe three or four weeks from the time you decide
to become a nonsmoker (so you have time to prepare).
6) Speak with your physician or your pharmacist about your plan. Ask them for
their advice and support, and discuss with them whether one of the seven FDAapproved
medications for quitting smoking might be useful for you. Science shows
that the most successful quitters use a combination of advice and medications.
7) In the days just before your quit date, remove all smoking paraphernalia from
your home and workplace.
8) Quit on the big day, and be sure to let your support group know.
9) Be prepared for some of the immediate, and often unpleasant, side effects of
quitting, and understand that these are good signs that your body is repairing itself
and making adjustments as the toxins from your years of smoking begin to go
away.
10) If you slip, as most smokers do, just analyze the situation in which your slip
took place (e.g., a cigarette after dinner), and adjust your routine for a couple of
months to avoid the situations in which you are in danger of slipping.
11) Start thinking of yourself as a nonsmoker who is on the journey of a lifetime,
one that certainly has its unexpected twists and turns, but with great rewards
at the end.
1-800-Quit-Now is a toll-free tobacco cessation program for adults who want to
quit smoking.
16 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ November 2-8, 2011 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Photo courtesy of The Madeira School
Getting into ‘Right Fit’ Private School
Experts explain how to
navigate admissions
process for area’s most
elite schools.
By Marilyn Campbell
The Connection
Each year, parents who opt out of
their neighborhood public school
in favor of an independent school
must sift through the long list of
the Washington area’s independent schools
to find one that meets the needs of their
child.
They must then navigate the lengthy application
required by most schools, and
hope that their efforts are deft enough to
gain acceptance in a competitive environment.
Some schools report receiving as
many as nine applications for each available
slot.
Even for prospective pre-kindergarten students,
the independent school admissions
process often includes a written application,
admissions tests, parent statements, student
interviews, parent interviews, playdates,
school visits, transcripts and teacher recommendations.
“What we’re trying to do is get a whole
picture of a child and look at information
from a variety of different sources,” said
Christina Tait, director of admission and financial
aid at The Langley School in
McLean.
V1109-603 (32X22)
The Madeira volleyball team
recently won the Independent
Student League title.
THE APPLICATION PACKETS provide
insight for both the school and the applicants.
“We have a fairly detailed process so
that we get to know the girls and they get
to know us,” said Pilar Cabeza de Vaca, head
of the Madeira School in McLean. “Our goal
is to find girls who are the right fit for our
school and for whom our school is the right
fit.”
The role of each component of the application
varies depending on the age of the
applicant. “The admission [process] for
young children is especially complex
and difficult because we have
to use both explicit and intuitive
measures because we have less
data,” said Diane Dunning, director
of admission and financial aid
at St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes
School in Alexandria. “If you were
looking at a ninth grade [admissions]
folder, you would have
eight years of report cards and
maybe four years of standardized
testing. You are also able to interview
[older applicants] in a different
way than when you are interacting
with the young children.”
Why is so much probing necessary?
“Schools are looking for consistency
in grades, attitude, testing and recommendations,”
said Lindsay White,
educational consultant with the School
Counseling Group in Washington, D.C.
“[For example] If there is a huge difference
between a [teacher] recommendation
and what they are seeing on the
grades, that is going to be a red flag.”
Most schools want prospective applicants
to spend time on campus. “The [school] visit
is important to us. It gives the boy and his
family a chance to experience the Heights
first hand,” said Richard Moss, director of
admission at the Heights School in Potomac,
Md. “On the flip side, it gives us a chance
to really get to know the boy. How is he
interacting with his peers? Is he friendly?
Is he courteous? Does he have a good, firm
handshake? Does he look the teachers in
the eye when he greets them in the morning?”
Most applications ask parents to answer
questions describing their children. Here are
two questions from the Langley School’s
application: What do you believe is your
role as a parent in your child’s education?
What qualities do you consider to be most
St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes Upper School students
Isabella Norton, Leah Joseph, and Ulises Giacoman
with Upper School Science Teacher Julie Krane.
“Our goal is to find girls
who are the right fit for our
school and for whom our
school is the right fit.”
— Pilar Cabeza de Vaca, head of the
Madeira School in McLean
important for your child’s education?
Consultants say schools look at the way
parents answer questions. “There are a lot
of parents who regurgitate the school’s mission
statement and all the language that is
used on the school’s website. Schools can
see right through that,” said educational
consultant Clare Anderson, of Chevy Chase,
Md. “They want to know that the family is
in line with how [the school] works with
students and [their] approach to education.”
Schools also pay attention to a parent’s
evaluation of their child. “Red flags go up
when everything is just perfect and they’ve
never encountered a setback or difficulty,”
said Anderson. “[Schools] are looking for
honest, candid responses. Obviously parents
are going to frame it in a positive light, as
they should.”
Most schools require admissions
tests. Depending on the age and
grade of the child, these tests include
the Wechsler Preschool and
Primary Scale of Intelligence
(WPPSI-III), Wechsler Intelligence
Scale for Children (WISC) and the
Secondary School Admission Test
for (SSAT).
“Testing often creates the most
anxiety,” said Dunning, of St.
Stephen’s & St. Agnes.
THE TESTS are used differently
depending on the age of the applicant.
“Tests for [young children]
are used as standardized
tools to give an overall picture of
a child’s learning profile. These
are not predictors for academic
success. They give broad overviews of how
a child learns,” said Anderson. Tests given
to middle and high school applicants are
more meaningful. “Those tests measure
how well your child has done with the information
he or she has learned in school.
If they see an eighth grader who has only
average grades, but remarkable SSATs, they
are going to ask, ‘Is this an underachiever?
Why is this child not excelling in the classroom?’
”
Should children prepare for tests? When
it comes to young children, most consultants
say no. “It is unethical and makes your
test scores invalid,” said Anderson. “You are
going to shoot yourself in the foot [if you
prep your young child]. Your child will be
the first to announce it either in the tester’s
office or at the school on the playdate. Then
the scores are invalid.”
The scenario is different for those applying
for slots in middle and upper school.
“I’ve had students who’ve taken [admissions
tests] without prep, and then I worked with
them and their scores [went] up considerably,”
said Christa Abbott, an Arlingtonbased
independent test prep tutor.
Anderson agrees. “Just like you preheat
your oven, you’ve got to get your child ready
for the test. Just knowing the format of the
test can really help,” said Anderson. “But I
caution parents about [taking expensive test
prep classes]. There has to be a primary
concern that something is going to get in
the way of your child being able to show
what he or she knows.”
Some parents hire educational consultants
like White or Anderson, hoping to get
a competitive advantage. Consultants say
their role is to guide families through the
process. “The number one mistake that I
think parents make is thinking that hiring
an educational consultant is going to give
them an advantage at a very competitive
school,” said Mark Sklarow, executive director
of the Independent Educational Consultants
Association in Fairfax. “That is just
not the way the system works. Consultants
don’t have a secret handshake that they can
use with an admissions director to help get
a student in. The reason you hire an educational
consultant is to find a good fit between
a student’s needs and a school’s
strengths. A consultant’s role is to [identify]
a school where a child is going to
thrive.”
So what can parents do to make sure their
child’s application shines in a pool overflowing
with many attractive applicants?
“It is always nice to think about what is
special about your child,” said White. “What
is the one special strength or talent your
child might have, whether it be academics
or an extracurricular interest? What is the
potential for your child to contribute to the
school?”
Anderson says she encourages parents to
view admissions procedures as multipronged.
“My hope is to help parents understand
the process and see that there really
is a method and [schools] are looking
to get the best from your child.”
16 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ December 14-20, 2011 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Fairfax Station ❖ Clifton ❖ Lorton
Victoria Ross
Second Place in In-Depth Or Investigative Reporting

File Photo
News
Break Out the Read, White and Blue
Communities around the area will gather on
July 4 to carry on traditions, create new ones.
By Anagha Srikanth
The Connection
Anticipating this year’s Independence
Day celebrations, Leslie
Herman can almost hear the announcement
from the speakers
saying, “Parents, do you know where your
children are? The light show is about to begin.”
Herman is the executive secretary of the
City of Fairfax Independence Day Celebration
Committee. The City of Fairfax parade
theme, “Golden past, brighter future” honors
the 50th anniversary of the city, she said.
Donald Lederer, whose cousin was Fairfax
Mayor Robert Lederer’s father, was chosen
as co-grand marshal to represent the golden
past of the city. He was chosen by the committee
from the Young at Heart senior center,
where he is an active member.
Lederer remembered July 4 celebrations
in his past.
“We used to have a lot more fireworks,”
he said. “It was fireworks and a happy time,
a time to eat watermelons and hamburgers.
We used to decorate our bikes and
they’d have us march in the back of the
parade. Then they’d give us a Dixie cup, full
of vanilla and chocolate ice cream.”
Robbie Ashton, a senior at Fairfax High
School, was chosen as co-marshal to represent
the “brighter future” of the city after
being voted student body present this April,
said Herman.
The two co-marshals met at Fairfax High
School and shared their stories.
“You have to learn from the past to appreciate
the future,” said Ashton.
Both co-marshals said they were honored
and looking forward to the parade and celebrations.
“It’s going to be interesting, riding in a
convertible” Lederer said. “People have said,
‘We’ll wave to you’ and ‘We’ll be there,’ so
I’m going to look for them and wave to
them.”
Ashton said no matter the size of the role,
it is the feeling of being part of something
that is important to him.
“It’s the experience, waking up in the
morning and realizing I’m a grand marshal
for the city parade,” he said. “It’s an opportunity
to meet new people and celebrate
together.”
Preparations for the parade began in early
September and continued year-round, said
Herman. This year the city is sponsoring a
new attraction, a family carnival running
from July 2 to 4. The event consists of typical
carnival games, rides and concessions
and will be held in the SunTrust Bank Parking
lot at 4020 University Drive.
With many families out of town, business
is typically quiet around July 4 for local
stores.
“The idea is to bring folks into the downtown
area to help economic development,”
From left: Jenny Della Santina, Sydney Bryant, Lily Howell, William
Bryant and Brylan Noonan dressed up and decorated their bikes (and
scooter) for the Town of Clifton’s 2010 Fourth of July parade.
said Herman. “Hopefully, having the carnival
in the SunTrust Parking Lot will generate
more business to shop owners.”
The City of Fairfax celebration consists of
a grand parade, multiple open houses, a
fireman’s day, evening show and fireworks.
Many other local celebrations, however, are
smaller and more tightly knit.
Jim Sobecke, third vice president of the
Kings Park Civic Association (KPCA), said
that the KPCA Independence Day celebration
in Springfield is a back to the basics
affair. “Others get more commercial or political,
we keep it down to the grass roots,
just the local community getting together
to celebrate,” he said.
Winston Knolls Civic Association (WKCA)
and the Orange Hunt Estates Civic Association
(OHECA) conduct a similar celebration
in Springfield less than five miles away, with
a parade from Hunt Valley Elementary
School to Orange Hunt Elementary School.
These community parades feature children
with their home-decorated bicycles and
wagons, local swim teams, boy and girl
scouts, antique vehicles and Harley
Davidsons, local politicians and members
of the fire and police forces.
See July Fourth, Page 12
Luxury Housing or Affordable Housing?
Supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield) says
Fairfax County wrong to ‘subsidize luxury.’
By Victoria Ross
The Connection
The news conference on “subsidized
luxury housing” at the Fairfax
County Government Center on
Tuesday, June 28, provoked affordable
housing advocates and critics to take political
swipes at each other and inspired a
flurry of reports, statements, documents
and news releases in a 36-hour span.
On Monday, June 27, Michael Thompson,
president of the Thomas Jefferson Institute
(TJI), got the ball rolling when he called a
press conference with Fairfax County Supervisor
Pat Herrity (R-Springfield) to release
a paper he authored called “Subsidized
Luxury in Fairfax County.”
Later on Monday, Herrity released his
monthly newsletter “The Herrity Report”
with the headline “Taxpayer Subsidized
Housing No Place for Luxury.“
The Herrity Report stated that “homes
worth close to $1 million and luxury amenities
(‘resort-style swimming pools with
fountain and heated
spa,’ billiards room,
granite counter
tops, ceramic tile,
indoor basketball
courts, stainless
steel appliances)
have no place in taxpayer-subsidized
housing.”
He called the
county’s purchase of
75 affordable dwelling units (ADUs) “misguided
and wasteful. … Our housing policy
is counterproductive and should be
changed.”
During the 30-minute news conference,
Thompson said he was “alerted” to a “goldplated”
problem in the area of affordable
“I’m not anti-affordable
housing. I’m anti-stupid
and pro-common sense.”
— Supervisor Pat Herrity
(R-Springfield)
housing and released the 30-page analysis
to reporters.
In the report, Thompson reviewed three
developments that include county-subsidized
housing. The first, Stockwell Manor
in Falls Church, is a 100-home development
consisting of 29 single-family homes and
71 townhomes, eight of which are subsidized.
Thompson
pointed out similarities
between the
market-priced
homes, which sell
for $850,000 to
more than $1 million,
and the subsidized
townhomes
around the corner.
“These subsidized
homes on Burke
Farm Lane are brick and siding just like the
full priced homes. The sidewalks and driveways
are brick, just as the full-priced
townhomes. The backyards are similar in
both cases and from the backyards on Burke
Farm Lane you can easily see the marketpriced
all-brick single-family homes in the
next book of this development,” Thompson
said.
However, a review of the same properties
in Fairfax County tax records, as well
as photos on Google Earth, show marked
distinctions.
The subsidized homes all have 1,456
square feet of living area, while the market-priced
homes are larger, ranging from
2,252 square feet to 2,546 square feet in
size. The subsidized homes have 2-1/2
baths and single-car garages, while the
market-priced homes have 3-1/2 baths and
two-car garages. The information can be
found at Fairfax County’s Office of Tax
Administration’s Real Estate Assessment
Information site at http://
icare.fairfaxcounty.gov/Main/Home.aspx.
The county’s assessment information also
shows that the market-priced homes have
fireplaces, and some of the more expensive
units have brick and stone facades. The subsidized
townhomes have zero fireplaces and
the exterior is vinyl siding and brick. The
tax assessor also gives a rating for “Con
See Affordable, Page 12
www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Fairfax Station/Clifton/Lorton Connection ❖ June 30 - July 6, 2011 ❖ 3

News
Affordable Housing Amenities Debated
From Page 3
struction Quality”— the market-priced
units get “EXCELLENT 20,” while the subsidized
units get “AVERAGE 10.”
During the news conference, Thompson
acknowledged that the interior of the subsidized
townhomes may be less expensively
finished, “but that only means that they are
like most of those homes that our taxpayers
live in here in Fairfax County.”
“You could get more taxes out of
July Fourth
From Page 3
Dwayne Nitz, vice mayor of the Town of
Clifton, said that volunteers run Clifton’s
parade and celebrations.
“It seems like it comes together on its
own,” he said. “People know about it and
come out.”
Nitz recalled past experiences with the
unexpected.
“One year, during the ‘80s, Channel 9
came out late, so we had to recreate the
whole parade for them” he said. “[Another
year] there was an old outhouse in the corner
[of the square] and a mini tornado lifted
it in the air and everyone scattered.”
“One year I noticed that there weren’t
many spectators, but then I looked behind
me and realized it was because so many
people had joined the parade,” said Linda
MacKinnon, OHECA events coordinator.
this county and give the money to
Habitat [for Humanity] if you change
the way the county subsidizes housing,”
he said.
Herrity said he had already asked
the Board of Supervisors’ auditor to
look into the condo/HOA fees and
the management of the county’s
housing program. “The auditor has
begun his review and will be reporting back
to the board.” Herrity said the goal of the
county’s housing policy should be “focused
on getting those truly in need back on their
feet.”
“I’m not anti-affordable housing. I’m antistupid
and pro-common sense,” Herrity said
after news conference.
“This is politically-motivated,” said Board
of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova (D-
At-large). “He’s just wrong. We do not subsidize
million-dollar homes. If he’s calling
for an audit of the condo fees …there’s just
no ‘there’ there.”
According to its website, TJI offers “nonpartisan
analysis of public policy issues confronting
our Commonwealth, and alternative
policy ideas … based on the Institute’s
belief in free markets, limited government
and individual responsibility.”
The TJI website bio of Thompson maintains
he is an “active leader in the Virginia
Republican Party.” Although Thompson
would not say who alerted him to the “goldplated
problem,” he said that he asked
Herrity to join him at the news conference
because “I have known Pat for 10 years, and
he is a government reform ally and my supervisor
and a friend.”
After the news conference, Michael
O’Reilly, chairman of the Governing Board
of the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Partnership
to End Homelessness, chided
Herrity for moving the news conference into
“This is politically-motivated. …
He’s just wrong. We do not
subsidize million-dollar homes.”
— Chairman Sharon Bulova (D-At-large),
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
a board room in the Fairfax County Government
Center, instead of holding it outside
as originally planned.
“I am extremely disappointed that Supervisor
Herrity chose to move his press conference
into his conference room, and excluded
many engaged and knowledgeable
citizens who wanted to attend,” said
O’Reilly.
On Tuesday afternoon, Bulova sent out a
news release countering some of the arguments
Herrity made in his monthly newsletter,
including the assertion that “the subsidized
units and amenities are nicer than
the housing amenities of the majority of taxpayers
that are actually paying for it,” including
pools, game rooms and exercise
rooms.
“In several of the private communities
where Fairfax County owns affordable units,
we may a monthly fee just as other tenants
in those communities do,” Bulova said in
her release. “These fees go toward basic
services such as maintenance, snow removal
Fourth of July
CITY OF FAIRFAX
Parade begins at 10 a.m. at 4100 Chain
Bridge Road, Fairfax. The parade loops around
downtown Fairfax, along Chain Bridge Road,
Main Street, University Drive and Armstrong
Street. Family carnival from 12-8 p.m. in the
SunTrust Bank parking lot at 4020 University
Drive. Old Fashioned Fireman’s Day runs from
12:30-5 p.m. at Fire Station 3, 4081 University
Drive. Several historic properties will be open
to the public, including the Fairfax Museum
and Visitors Center from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., and
Ratcliffe-Allison House from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Evening show, featuring the City of Fairfax
Band and Leggz, and fireworks from 7-10:30
p.m. at Fairfax High School. Call 703-385-
7858 or visit www.fairfaxva.gov for more
details regarding events, as well as busing and
transportation.
TOWN OF CLIFTON
Parade begins at 4 p.m. outside of Clifton
General Store on Main Street. A flag ceremony
will take place and community members are
welcome to gather and celebrate.
and utilities. They also go to shared amenities.”
She noted that 15 of the 41 condo
developments in which the county owns
affordable units have swimming pools.
“Fairfax County cannot and will not ask
private companies to treat tenants differently
based on income. If a child in an affordable
unit wants to use the swimming
pool with his neighbors, he should be allowed
to,” she said.
“I think, frankly, we have an outstanding
affordable housing program,”
said Bulova.
Immediately after the news conference,
the debate spilled over into the
quarterly meeting of the Financial and
Program Audit Committee, chaired by
Supervisor John Foust (D-
Dranesville). Herrity and Bulova attended
the meeting, and the committee
reviewed a draft audit of several
county programs, including the county’s Department
of Tax Administration (DTA) assessment
of public housing values.
According to the report, the average DTA
assessed value of the 75 housing units
owned by the county is $81,539.
“Did you find any that were valued at a
million dollars or more?” Foust asked.
When Herrity started to interject, Foust
quickly countered that there are “no million-dollar
properties in this program.”
Conrad Egan, senior advisor of the Affordable
Housing Institute and a member of the
Fairfax-Falls Church Community Partnership
to Prevent and End Homelessness,
struck a conciliatory note in his comments
about Herrity after the news conference.
“If Supervisor Herrity was consistent with
the comments in his newsletter, I warmly
welcome his support for our programs designed
to help those most in need. I am
hopeful that he will become fully engaged
with our Partnership to Prevent and End
Homelessness,” Egan said.
WKCA/OHECA
Winston Knolls Civic Association and Orange
Hunt Estates Civic Association Parade
begins at 1 p.m. at Hunt Valley Elementary
School and ends at Orange Hunt Elementary
School in Springfield, where an old-fashioned
ice cream social will take place and water will
be served.
KINGS PARK
Parade begins at 12 p.m. at Kings Park Elementary
School in Springfield. The parade
goes down Clydesdale Road, through
Trafalgar Court, and ends at Kings Park. Kings
Park Band will perform at the park, where a
moon bounce will be set up and hot dogs,
snow cones and drinks will be available. The
event will wrap up around 2 p.m. Open house
at the Kings Park pool will begin at 3 p.m.
LORTON STATION
Parade begins at 11 a.m. up Lorton Station
Boulevard, to the Lorton Firehouse and ending
at the Lorton Town center. The event then
continues at the VRE train station at 8990
Lorton Station Boulevard until 1 p.m.
Baseball
From Page 11
going to Durham,” he said. “With
the movie [about the Bulls] growing
up, I’d heard a lot about the
Durham Bulls. You always get a good
crowd, and they have the blue monster
in left field.”
The “blue monster” is comparable
to the `green monster’ of Boston’s
Fenway Park.
Guyer, who was born in
Westchester, Pa. and grew up a
Phillies fan, was part of the Herndon
High baseball team under coach Al
McCullock that won the Concorde
District title in 2002 and finished 19-
4 overall.
“Our pitching was huge for us that
year,” said Guyer, who played third
base for the Hornets. “We came
through in clutch situations hittingwise,
but pitching and defense wins
championships. I’m glad to have
been a part of that team.”
Greg Miller, the current head
coach at Herndon, was an assistant
coach for Herndon when Guyer was
a senior. Herndon baseball went 45-
17 during Guyer’s three varsity seasons.
“It was just a great time allaround,”
said Guyer, of his varsity
baseball career as a Hornet. “I have
some great friends from there and it
was a great atmosphere to play
there. I learned a lot from Al
McCullock and Greg Miller. I learned
to go out and have fun, give it your
all, and play the game the right way.”
Brandon Snyder a 2005 graduate
of Westfield High School, has bided
his time in the Baltimore Orioles’
farm system since being the American
League East team’s first round
pick in 2005. The right-handed hitting
first baseman, who made his
major league debut last September,
has spent most of this season at
triple-A Norfolk where he is having
a solid campaign. He has had a
couple of brief call-ups to the Orioles
this season where he was 3-for-
13 at the plate (.231 average), and
he is hoping to land a permanent
spot in Baltimore before season’s
end.
Through June 27, Snyder, at Norfolk,
was batting .261 with nine
home runs and 36 RBI over 59
games for the Tide in the International
League. The 6-2 right-handed
slugger also had 11 doubles.
Snyder, whose father, Brian, had
brief stints in the majors with the
Seattle Mariners in 1985 and the
Oakland A’s in 1989, made his big
league debut last September and,
over 10 games, was six-for-20 at the
plate for a .300 average. He is a
steady, fundamentally sound player
who, in the years ahead, will hopefully
be a part of the major league
Orioles under current skipper Buck
Showalter.
12 ❖ Fairfax Station/Clifton/Lorton Connection ❖ June 30 - July 6, 2011 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Fairfax Station ❖ Clifton ❖ Lorton
Jon Roetman
Second Place in Sports Writing Portfolio
Judges comments: This entry exhibits solid sports reporting,
plain and simple. The completeness of these stories is the name
of the game here. The reporter demonstrates versatility,
switching from feature to news writing within the articles
themselves, giving the reader the whole story.

Photos by Craig Sterbutzel/The Connection
Sports
Fairfax Station/Lorton/Clifton Sports Editor Jon Roetman
703-224-3015 or jroetman@connectionnewspapers.com
South County Stymied in State Finals
Averaging more than
10 runs per contest,
Stallions manages
three in state final.
By Jon Roetman
The Connection
South County catcher Mike Perez sat
on top of the bench inside the firstbase
dugout at Westfield High
School with his head buried in his
hands, trying to hide his pain.
To Perez’s right sat pitcher Evan Beal, who
vented emotion with a towel around his
head. Between the two Stallions seniors sat
head coach Mark Luther, hat off and fingers
interlocked, looking as though he was
trying to figure out how a team that averaged
more than 10 runs per contest managed
just three in the biggest game of the
year.
The South County baseball team lost to
Great Bridge, 5-3, on Saturday, June 11, in
the AAA Virginia state championship game.
The Stallions entered Saturday as an undefeated
run-scoring machine. After defeating
Lake Braddock, 9-5, in the Northern
Region championship game on June 3,
Luther said, “I think I’ve said it before: we
eventually figure you out. You’re not going
to get [our lineup] for seven innings. If you
do, we tip our hat to you.”
For 5-1/3 innings, Great Bridge starting
pitcher Connor Jones shut down the South
County lineup. Other than Perez, who
belted a solo home run and a double high
off the center field fence, none of the Stallions
consistently solved Jones, who allowed
three runs — two earned — on six hits.
Cooper Jones pitched the final 1-2/3 innings
Members of the South County baseball team react after losing the state championship game to Great Bridge
on June 11 at Westfield High School.
South County senior Luke Bondurant reacts after scoring on a wild pitch
in the sixth inning during the state championship game against Great
Bridge on June 11 at Westfield High School.
to earn the save.
“He didn’t change anything, he didn’t do
anything different,” Luther said of Connor
Jones. “We just didn’t mentally make the
change like we’ve been doing all year. He
did a great job, give him credit. He kept
dumping change ups in and we kept beating
them into the ground. … The fact that
we only scored three runs I think was more
the disbelief part of it. Obviously, in baseball,
you can run up against a guy who is
just better than you that day, but even if he
is better than us we feel like we’re going to
be able to score more than three.”
Trailing 5-2, South County started to rally
in the bottom of the sixth, but managed just
one run. Alex Carrington led off with a
single and reached second on a wild pitch,
but was later thrown out at third on a Luke
Bondurant chopper to the shortstop. Perez
just missed a home run, doubling high off
the wall in center field, but his courtesy
runner was stranded at third. Bondurant
scored on a wild pitch, but it wasn’t
enough.
“He was locating his pitches well, keeping
it down, making us chase a little bit,”
Bondurant said of Connor Jones. “It felt
like we were just trying a little bit too hard,
trying to do too much with the ball. It just
didn’t come out the way we wanted it to.”
South County standout pitcher Tyler
Frazier suffered an injury to his throwing
shoulder while playing shortstop during
the semifinals on June 10 and wasn’t able
to pitch in Saturday’s championship game.
With Beal having pitched Friday, junior
left-hander Jake Josephs got the start and
pitched a complete game. He allowed five
runs in the first three innings, but settled
down and surrendered just one hit during
the final four frames.
“He did a great job,” Luther said. “We
were expecting four [innings] out of him,
just going to try to steal four and then go
to another left hander and finish with
Mike. He was phenomenal. He just bore
“The fact that we only
scored three runs I think
was more the disbelief
part of it.”
— Mark Luther
down. He’s competitive. He did way more
than what we anticipated he would.”
Trailing 5-1, Perez cut the South County
deficit to three with a solo home run to leftcenter
in the fourth. The senior finished 2
for 3 in his final game in a Stallions uniform.
“He’s a great player,” Luther said. “We feel
like he’s one of the best players in the state
Virginia and he kept proving it today. He
was good behind the dish. He was awesome
at the plate again. He’s just a great player
and he loves playing the game. He plays it
every day and he plays it hard every day.”
South County finished the season with a
28-1 record, a Northern Region championship
and a Patriot District title.
“They had a great season,” Luther said.
“It’s one of the better seasons in the history
of the Northern Region. You can’t really say
anything to them. They’re beating themselves
up and hurt more than what I can
say to help it out. I just thanked them for
everything that they’ve done [and I’m]
thankful to be a part of it. … It certainly
helps going through this experience, to
know that you’ve been there and you know
what it’s like. You have a taste for it and
you want to try to get back.”
www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Fairfax Station/Clifton/Lorton Connection ❖ June 16-22, 2011 ❖ 13

Photo by Jon Roetman/The Connection
News
South County Girls Win in Epic Effort
Freshman throws
12-inning, one-hit
shutout in district
championship game.
Lorton/Fairfax Station/Clifton Connection Editor Michael O’Connell
703-778-9416 or south@connectionnewspapers.com
By Jon Roetman
The Connection
When South County pitcher
Rebecca Martin hurled her
178th delivery of the
evening past West
Potomac’s Elani Gonzalez for strike three
and the final out of the Patriot District championship
game, the freshman right-hander
casually turned, walked to the back of the
pitching circle and picked up her rosin bag.
Her teammates weren’t so calm.
The Stallions swarmed Martin after her
17th strikeout ended a 12-inning marathon,
clinching a 2-0 South County victory on
Monday, May 23 and the program’s fifth
consecutive district title.
Martin and West Potomac’s Morgan
Maniglia traded zeros during an epic pitching-duel
at West Springfield High School.
Both pitchers shut out the opposing lineup
for 11 innings before South County freshman
third baseman Caitlin Maglich delivered
a two-out, two-run single off Maniglia
in the 12th. Martin retired the Wolverines
in order in the bottom half, striking out the
“To go 12 innings against this great hitting team and
under these circumstances, I’m speechless.”
— South County head softball coach Gary Dillow
See After 12 Innings, Page 13
The South County softball team captured its fifth consecutive district championship.
Dive In
Fairfax Station Swim,
Tennis Club opens for
summer.
Photo by Sydney Sawyer
Clear sky and cool breezes made for
a perfect day on the pool deck or
tennis courts as the Fairfax Station
Swim and Tennis Club opened its doors for
the 2011 season. The club’s swim team and
dive team, the Fairfax Station Flyers, are
both competing in Division 2 of the NVSL.
The tennis program, under the direction
of Jeff Jones and Bobbie Buck from RJ Tennis,
provided free tennis clinics for all ages
during the day. Face painting, hot dogs and
burgers and an early dip in the pool rounded
out the festivities. The season will officially
start on Memorial Day weekend.
Rob Carvajal, sitting, answers
questions about the tennis programs
offered at the club during
the spring and summer.
www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Fairfax Station/Clifton/Lorton Connection ❖ May 25 - June 1, 2011 ❖ 3

Photo by Jon Roetman/The Connection
Photo by Jon Roetman/The Connection
Sports
Lorton/Fairfax Station/Clifton Connection Sports Editor Jon Roetman
703-224-3015 or jroetman@connectionnewspapers.com
Too Little, Too Late
Lake Braddock strands
nine runners in semifinal
loss to West Potomac
During a late-season battle for first place
in the Patriot District on May 10, the
Lake Braddock softball team trailed
Woodson by three runs entering the seventh
inning.
The Bruins’ bats came alive with the game on the
line, adding a pair or runs, but
their rally fell short, leaving them
with the No. 2 seed entering the
district tournament.
On May 21, Lake Braddock
again faced a late-game deficit,
this time trailing West Potomac 6-
1 entering the bottom of the sixth
in the district semifinals. Again,
the Bruins chipped away at their
deficit, scoring two runs in the
sixth. West Potomac countered
with a run in the seventh, but Lake
Braddock came right back with
two in the bottom half and put the tying runs in scoring
position.
Unfortunately for the Bruins, their resiliency was
again too little, too late.
Third-seeded West Potomac defeated Lake
After 12 Innings, South County Brings Home Title
From Page 3
final two batters.
Martin allowed just one hit, a leadoff
single in the first inning. She walked six,
hit three batters and struck out 17. She
worked her way out of several jams with
the poise of a senior, and even looked subdued
after the final out while her ecstatic
teammates celebrated.
“She just seems very low key,” first-year
head coach Gary Dillow said. “She’s a freshman.
Maybe part of it is she doesn’t totally
understand the whole thing. All year she’s
just been kind of very laid back, very mellow,
the perfect demeanor you want to have
for a pitcher, especially in this kind of situation,
12 innings for the district title.”
Dillow said he considered taking Martin
out of the game when she struggled with
her control in the middle innings, but she
worked her way out of trouble thanks in
part to several clutch defensive plays.
MARTIN THREW nine consecutive balls
to start the bottom of the fourth inning, but
got out of the frame with a strikeout and a
double play. She also walked two in the fifth
inning, but prevented any damage with
three strikeouts. Two walks and an error
loaded the bases for West Potomac in the
ninth, but freshman shortstop Whitney
Burks saved the game for the Stallions when
she fielded a slow groundball and threw to
first in time for an out.
“We didn’t get that
hit when we needed
it. That’s it, that’s
the game.”
— Lake Braddock head coach
George Rumore
Braddock 7-5 on Saturday at West Springfield High
School, giving the Bruins the Patriot District’s No. 4
seed heading into the regional tournament, beginning
May 27.
Trailing 7-3 in the bottom of the seventh, Lake
Braddock opened the frame with four consecutive
hits. Singles by Anna Delaney, Kathryn Jaquish,
Ashley Flesch and Kelly Plescow produced a run and
loaded the bases. Nicole May hit a sacrifice fly to
center field, cutting the Bruins deficit to 7-5, but the
game ended two batters later with two runners
stranded in scoring position. For the game, Lake
Braddock left nine runners on
base.
“The bottom line is we stranded
[nine] runners,” Lake Braddock
head coach George Rumore said.
“We didn’t get that hit when we
needed it. That’s it, that’s the
game. You just can’t strand [nine]
runners. ... We gave ourselves an
opportunity. ... We came back;
there’s no quit in them.”
Plescow finished with three hits
for Lake Braddock. May, Delaney,
Flesch and Lauren Schwartz each
had two hits and Jaquish had one.
Flesch threw a complete game but suffered the loss
in the circle.
Senior center fielder Julia Kastner
had two hits for South County
during the district championship
game.
“I’m just really proud because my team
was making a lot of plays behind me in some
tough situations and really were working
together to hit the ball,” Martin said. “I just
kind of stepped back and took a few deep
breaths [when I got into trouble] and I
trusted that my team would make plays for
me and they did.”
Martin split time in the circle this season
with freshman Kyra Ketch. The duo took
— Jon Roetman
Lake Braddock freshman Ashley Flesch threw a complete
game but suffered the loss against West Potomac
in the Patriot District Tournament semifinals on May
21.
over for 2010 Virginia Softball Gatorade
Player of the Year Chelsey Dunham, who
tallied more than 1,000 strikeouts during
her four-year career with the Stallions and
now pitches at Yale. Dunham was a spectator
at Monday’s game and called Martin’s
performance “fantastic.”
Dillow was an assistant coach during the
program’s first five seasons and witnessed
many a dominant performance by Dunham.
After Monday’s game, Dillow placed
Martin’s effort near the top of his list.
“This ranks right up there because it is so
unexpected,” he said. “To go 12 innings
against this great hitting team and under
these circumstances, I’m speechless. It’s
beyond me. It’s one of the best pitching
performances I’ve ever seen.”
Martin said she used five pitches —
fastball, change up, rise ball, curve and slow
curve — during the championship game, a
repertoire that left the Wolverines befuddled.
“She had a crazy backspin,” Maniglia said
the day after the game. “Something was
going on [and] we couldn’t pick up on it.
We’ve never hit off something like that.”
Martin threw 115 of 178 pitches for
strikes and wracked up a big strikeout total
despite throwing with less-than-blazing
velocity.
“It’s not about velocity with her,” Dillow
said. “It’s all about movement, changing
speeds, changing levels and changing locations.
She just keeps the hitters off balance.”
Offensively, South County managed just
two hits, both by center fielder Julia Kastner,
prior to the 12th inning, when Maglich delivered
a clutch two-run single to center.
“I couldn’t get anxious,” Maglich said. “I
had to wait on the ball, wait for mine. I
haven’t been hitting very well lately. When
I saw that pitch, I knew it was it. The feeling
of it coming off the bat was just unreal.
It’s the best feeling in softball. I was about
to cry when I got on base. It’s just so incredible.
I was so happy.”
SOUTH COUNTY winning a district championship
is nothing new, but this season had
a different feel to it for the Stallions, who
lost seven senior starters to graduation.
South County started five freshmen (Martin,
Maglich, Burks, catcher Haylea Geer
and right fielder Courtney Ward) and the
two returning starters, seniors Kastner and
Alex Brown, changed positions this season.
The Stallions entered the district tournament
as the No. 4 seed rather than a dominant
force, but still managed to get the job
done.
“It’s unfathomable to me to start five
freshmen and win districts,” Dillow said.
“It’s just unbelievable that we’ve been able
to do that.”
South County will host Langley at 7 p.m.
on May 27 in the first round of the regional
tournament.
“No one other than us,” Martin said, “really
expected us to get this far.”
www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Fairfax Station/Clifton/Lorton Connection ❖ May 25 - June 1, 2011 ❖ 13

Photos by Craig Sterbutzel/The Connection
Sports
Lorton/Fairfax Station/Clifton Connection Sports Editor Jon Roetman
703-224-3015 or jroetman@connectionnewspapers.com
South County’s Jeremy Haynes (23) and Oren Burks (21) help wrap up
Yorktown fullback Austin Browne during the Division 5 Northern Region
final on Nov. 25 in Arlington.
Vandyke Propels South County
to Region Championship
Stallions defense, special
teams make big plays.
www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
By Jon Roetman
The Connection
South County senior Devin Vandyke observed
weakness in Yorktown’s special teams block
ing as he rushed the Patriots punter early in
the region championship game on Nov. 25.
The Stallions linebacker made a mental note and let
his Division I talent do the rest.
“The first time I rushed, I realized they weren’t
really blocking too hard,” Vandyke would later say.
“I was just trying to get a feel for them.”
The Virginia Tech-bound Vandyke blocked two
punts, tallied three sacks and recovered a fumble as
South County defeated Yorktown 37-13 in the Division
5 Northern Region final at Greenbrier Stadium
in Arlington, giving the Stallions their first region
title in program history. Led by Vandyke, South
County stymied a Yorktown team that entered the
contest undefeated, having beaten every foe by at
least 14 points.
“I feel like a champion,” Vandyke said. “We worked
so hard to get here since our sophomore year — everybody
worked hard.”
Vandyke’s first punt block came in the final minute
of the first half, giving South County possession at
the Yorktown 18-yard line. Two plays later, a 3-yard
touchdown run by Peter Basnight gave the Stallions
a 17-0 lead headed into halftime.
With South County leading by 24 early in the fourth
quarter, Vandyke blocked another punt. This time,
junior Oren Burks recovered the ball in the end zone
for a touchdown and a 37-7 Stallions advantage.
“[Vandyke] had been sick all week and I don’t think
he had a great week of practice to be honest,” South
County head coach Gerry Pannoni said, “but when
the game is on the line and you need somebody to
perform, there are kids you know you can count on
and he’s one of those kids.”
Along with big plays on special teams, Vandyke
and the South County defense stifled a Yorktown
team that entered the contest averaging more than
40 points per game. The Stallions limited the Patriots
to one offensive touchdown and less than 200
yards from scrimmage.
Vandyke wasn’t the only Stallion making plays.
Senior linebacker Timmy Hunt snagged a pair of interceptions
for South County, the second of which
he returned 65 yards for a touchdown to give the
Stallions a 31-7 lead early in the fourth quarter.
“The first one, I wasn’t expecting at all. It hit me
right in the chest as soon as I looked up and I just
reached out and grabbed it,” Hunt said. “The second
one, I read it perfectly and I just grabbed it and took
it home. I was straight to the end zone.”
“We expected everything that South County gave
us,” Yorktown sophomore running back M.J. Stewart
said. “We just thought we could handle it.”
OPPONENTS RARELY TESTED Yorktown during
the 2011 season. The Patriots’ average margin of victory
approached 30 points and five times they beat
an opponent by at least 34. Head coach Bruce Hanson
said a close loss to a tough opponent might have
helped the Patriots better handle adversity against
South County.
Vandyke said he noticed the impact South County’s
defense had on the Patriots.
“I knew they were kind of shocked,” he said. “They
were kind of fussing with each other, trying to fuss
with us, too. We weren’t surprised because we knew
this would happen if we just played our defense. I
feel like we are a dominant defense in this whole
state, not even just the region, and if we played our
game, we could definitely take them out of theirs.”
Defense and special teams helped South County
win the field position battle. The Stallions’ average
starting field position during their eight first-half
possessions was the 50-yard line, including five drives
that started at their own 42 or better.
Offensively, quarterback Shane Foley and running
back Andrew Rector scored touchdowns for South
County.
South County running back Andrew Rector scored a touchdown during
the Stallions’ 37-13 win against Yorktown.
Hanover is Next Up
for South County
Hawks enter state football playoffs
after garnering their third
Central Region title in five years.
By Rich Sanders
The Connection
South County’s opponent
in this Saturday’s Div. 5
state semifinals football
playoff game will be Hanover
High (Mechanicsville), a member
of the Central Region and Capital
District. Game time is 4 p.m.
at South County Secondary.
The Hanover Hawks (10-2),
who sport forest green, colonial
blue and white team colors, defeated
Atlee in last Friday
night’s Central Region title
game, 31-12. It marks the third
time in five years that Hanover
has captured the region crown.
The Hawks were also region
champs in 2007 and 2009. They
have now played in five straight
region finals.
The Hanover team is coached
by Josh Just, who is completing
his seventh year at the helm
of the program. One of the
Hawks’ losses this season came
to Atlee, 21-14, in a regular season
game played on Oct. 7. Of
course, Hanover avenged that
setback to the Raiders (9-3) by
beating them in last week’s finals.
Hanover’s best player is Sam
Rogers, who was the Hawks’
quarterback over the first half
of the season before an injury
to his right arm resulted in his
role being changed. Now, he is
being utilized as a versatile running
back/receiver. While playing
quarterback, Rogers was
looked upon by opponents as a
dangerous double threat with
his ability to throw the football
as well as being a tenacious,
physical runner.
In the Hawks’ win over Atlee
last week, Rogers, from his
flanker type position out of the
backfield, caught three passes
for 55 yards, including a 24-
yard scoring pass from quarterback
Andrew Knizner. Rogers
also ran the ball three times for
52 yards, including an 11-yard
scoring run. One of his runs
came on a fake punt that netted
38 yards. His outstanding
play was a big key in Hanover
jumping in front of Atlee, 17-0,
after one quarter. Defensively,
Rogers plays a secondary position.
Hanover’s go-to running back
is L.J. Jones, who gained 169
yards on 31 carries in the win
over Atlee. He also ran for a
three-yard touchdown in the
third quarter, a score set up by
Rogers’ fake punt run.
Fairfax Station/Clifton/Lorton Connection ❖ December 1-7, 2011 ❖ 19

Louise Krafft
Second Place in Picture Story or Essay:
Graduation Day in the Mount Vernon District
Judges comments: Good variety of a regular event
in the community.

Michael Lee Pope
Second Place in Business and Financial Writing

News
The Price
Of Influence
People who have
business before the
Board of Supervisors
contribute to
incumbents.
By Michael Lee Pope
The Gazette
Why do people give money
to candidates for the
Fairfax County Board of
Supervisors?
“People give money in politics to get
what they want,” said Stephen Farnsworth,
communications professor at George Mason
University. “If they weren’t getting
what they want they wouldn’t keep giving
money.”
From developers to commercial real estate
owners and property management
companies, the roster of people who have
given money to incumbent members of the
Board of Supervisors reads like a Planning
Commission docket. It’s all legal in Virginia,
which has no restrictions on who can
give or how much money they can contribute
— as long as it’s disclosed. But following
the money isn’t always easy.
“I think what voters are really interested
in is transparency,” said Lincolnia Park
Civic Association President Loretta
Prencipe. “We really want to understand
who is donating. And when campaign contributions
are made under entities that
aren’t transparent. It raises questions for
us.”
Take an entity known as Tysons West
Assemblage LLC. The limited liability company
is a group of commercial real-estate
developers who own land near the new
Tysons West Metro station. Providence District
Supervisor Linda Smyth said that she
did not accept campaign contributions
when the plan for Tysons Corner was being
crafted. But now that the only pending
business before the Board of Supervisors
is a series of rezoning decisions, all
bets are off.
“What is going on at Tysons,” explained
Smyth, “is that there are small land owners
who consolidate and set up a partnership.”
CAMPAIGN FINANCE RECORDS show
the limited liability company has given
$5,000 to Supervisor Smyth and $30,000 to Chairwoman
Sharon Bulova. Smyth accepted the money,
but says her vote is not for sale.
“They do not get any special favors from me,” said
Smyth. “Let me put it that way.”
Some argue that money does buy influence, or at
least access. Sue Tolchin is author of Pinstripe Patronage:
Political Favoritism from the Clubhouse to
the White House and Beyond. She says it’s unethical
for members of the Board of Supervisors to take
www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Sharon Bulova
Chairman of the
Board of Supervisors
● total money raised:
$1,016,755
● construction and real estate:
$220,426
Pat Herrity
Springfield District
● total money raised: $198,887
● construction and real estate:
$54,900
Jeff McKay
Lee District
● total money raised: $122,018
● construction and real estate:
$49,517
John Cook
Braddock District
● total money raised: $216,681
● construction and real estate:
$46,300
Penny Gross
Mason District
● total money raised: $152,558
construction and real estate:
$42,885
Gerry Hyland
Mount Vernon District
● total money raised: $219,561
● construction and real estate:
$40,743
Michael Frey
Sully District
● total money raised: $147,237
● construction and real estate:
$35,473
John Foust
Dranesville District
● total money raised: $222,106
● construction and real estate:
$34,784
Linda Smyth
Providence District
● total money raised: $139,765
● construction and real estate:
$14,250
Catherine Hudgins
Hunter Mill
● total money raised: $59,341
● construction and real estate:
$3,625
2008 to 2011 campaign finance information from the
Virginia Public Access Project
money from people who have pending or future business
in the county.
“On the face of it, it’s unethical,” said Tolchin. “They
are paying in effect to get a certain decision.”
Supervisors disagree, saying that people contribute
to campaigns because they agree with their values.
Take developer Theodore Georgelas, who frequently
has business before the county. In the last
See Campaign Financing, Page 21
Fall Harvest
Family Days
The line was long at
the fire and down the
lane on the colonial
farm as visitors
roasted apples over
open flames for a taste
of the sweet harvest at
George Washington’s
Mount Vernon Estate
last weekend.
Photos by Louise Krafft/
The Gazette
Mount Vernon Gazette Editor Steven Mauren
703-778-9415 or gazette@connectionnewspapers.com
The Cooper Marshall
Scheetz sets the base of a
barrel with the help of
Justin Filipowski.
Mount Vernon volunteer
Gretchen Bondurant
spears an apple quarter
to the end of a stick for
roasting.
Lydia Martin plays
a few French and
Irish tunes on
her recorder.
Young visitors race through the haystacked maze
beneath the barn in the Colonial Farm.
Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ October 27 - November 2, 2011 ❖ 3

News
Campaign Financing Under Scrutiny
From Page 3
decade, he’s contributed more than $95,000 to a
variety of political action committees and candidates.
One of those is Braddock District Supervisor John
Cook, who received $1,000 from Georgelas.
“Look, Ted Georgelas as well as other people in
the business community want a strong business environment,”
said Cook. “That’s something I ran on.”
ACROSS FAIRFAX COUNTY, supervisors have
taken more than $2 million this election cycle. Much
of that money has come from the real-estate and construction
industry, a group of
people and businesses that often
has business before the county.
Some of them, such as Tysons
West Assemblage, will have rezoning
applications in the future. Others,
such as developer Daniel Clemente have had
business in the past. Campaign-finance records show
that an entity called 8500 CDC LP, which has ties to
Clemente, has given $12,000 to incumbent Mason
District Supervisor Penny Gross.
“I worked with Mr. Clemente and his organization
on some developments of new housing in the Skyline
area of Bailey’s Crossroads,” said Gross. “It’s a
wonderful new revitalization.”
Her Republican challenger, David Feld has raised
questions about Gross’ fundraising. When asked
about fundraising numbers during a debate this
month hosted by the League of Women Voters, Feld
More
Readers can find more on contributions
to candidates at VPAP.org.
criticized Gross for taking money from people who
have had businesses before the Board of Supervisors
or will potentially have business in the future.
“I believe it’s unethical to take contributions from
anybody that you’re doing business with,” said Feld,
who loaned his campaign $27,000 to fund his race
for the Mason District race.
SOME HAVE CALLED for reform, although nobody
is expecting to see change anytime soon. Lee District
Supervisor Jeff McKay said he supports imposing limits
on how much people could donate, although he’s
not sure what the limits should be.
He also supports some form of
public financing for campaigns, although
he acknowledged he’s not
sure how it should work or how
much public money should be involved.
Until then, he said, he’s going to keep working
the system.
“Until there’s some reform in how you raise money,
you would be a fool not to raise significant amounts
of money,” said McKay.
Not all the money comes from people who have
direct businesses before the Board of Supervisors.
Sometimes the relationships are indirect.
“The biggest contributor to my campaign was my
husband,” said Supervisor Smyth.
Was he trying to influence a decision?
“Well,” said Smyth. “I’m hoping he’ll take me to
dinner.”
United Community Ministries
Fighting poverty, hunger and homelessness since 1969
UCM provides food to more than 100 hungry families every day—
and we need your help to do it. Our food pantry always needs:
• Canned meat and tuna fish
• Canned soups
• Canned fruits
• Canned vegetables
• Pasta
• Rice
• Tomato sauce
• Cereal
• Oatmeal
• Macaroni and cheese
• Peanut butter
• Jelly
UCM’s food pantry is located at 7511 Fordson Road,
Alexandria, VA, 22306, and accepts food donations Monday
through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm and the first Sunday of every month,
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
UCM is thankful for the generous
support of the Mount Vernon Gazette.
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Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ October 27 - November 2, 2011 ❖ 21

Photos by Louise Krafft/The Gazette
Mount Vernon’s Hometown Newspaper • A Connection Newspaper
Running
At-Large
Issues, candidates,
create closely
watched race.
By Victoria Ross
The Gazette
Debates over discipline,
boundaries, budgets,
standardized tests and
sleep have generated
Fairfax County’s most closely
watched and contested School
Board race in the board’s 19-year
history.
“Is this an outrageously large
slate of candidates? Yes,” said Susan
Jennings, Fairfax County’s coordinator
for candidate services
since 1994. “I haven’t seen this
much interest since 1995, when
we had our first School Board elections.
That was very chaotic. ”
Of the 12 School Board seats, six
are up for grabs, including three
at-large seats. The only at-large
incumbent running for reelection
is Ilryong Moon, who served three
terms on the board, including a
stint as the board’s chair in 2006.
Incumbents who will not seek reelection
include Stu Gibson
(Hunter Mill), Tessie Wilson
(Braddock), Brad Center (Lee),
Tina Hone (At-large), Jim Raney
(At-large) and Liz Bradsher
(Springfield).
“When you have that many vacancies,
you get more people interested
in throwing their hat in
the ring,” Jennings said.
Currently, 11 candidates are
running for the at-large seats, and
the top three vote getters on Nov.
8 will serve a four-year term, with
an annual salary of $20,000.
As of Monday, Aug. 8, 10 candidates
are running for the at-large
seats, and the top three vote-getters
on Nov. 8 will serve a 4-year
term, with an annual salary of
$20,000. They are Jeannie H.
Armstrong, Sheree Brown-Kaplan,
Catherine Clark, Christina M.
Guthrie, Lin-Dai Y. Kendall, Lolitta
Mancheno-Smoak, Ryan L.
McElveen, Irylong Moon, Steven
Stuban and Ted Velkoff.
Trying to pin down exactly who
See At-Large, Page 4
www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
The newly planted north upper garden has been replanted
In the Garden
on the border with hundreds of small boxwoods. Beginning
recently in 2005, the Mount Vernon Estate archeologists dug into different areas of
the upper garden south of the green house to try and
determine how the garden might have been as George
Washington planted and saw it in the 18th century. This
season the garden has been replanted with vegetables
and flowers that draw pollinators to their blossoms.
The work is still in progress.
A Buckeye butterfly finds
a tempting flower to eat
from.
By Alex McVeigh
The Gazette
A spider lily bursts forth
with color.
Favorites of bees and
birds, varieties of sunflowers
have been
planted on the edges of
the flower garden to
encourage pollinating of
the vegetables and fruit
enclosed.
Attention
Postmaster:
Time-sensitive
material.
Requested in home
8/12/11
PRSRT STD
U.S. Postage
PAID
Alexandria, VA
Permit #482
August 11, 2011
Exemptions
Questioned
Properties at
Inova Mount
Vernon under
investigation.
By Michael Lee Pope
The Gazette
Death may be part of life
at Mount Vernon Inova
Hospital, but taxes aren’t.
And now that the Fairfax County
Board of Supervisors has given a
green light to an expansion at the
hospital, new questions are emerging
about tax-free status of the
hospital and surrounding buildings.
The Fairfax County Department
of Tax Administration does not
assess property taxes for the hospital,
which is built on land owned
by the county. A spokeswoman for
the county said state law forbids
jurisdictions from assessing taxes
on hospitals. Now that the hospital
is moving forward with a $43.5
million expansion project, the
amount of tax-free property on the
site is set to dramatically improve.
“It has nothing to do with the
fact that the county owns the
land,” said Merni Fitzgerald, director
of public affairs for Fairfax
County. “Even if it weren’t on
county-owned land, the hospital
would be exempt from property
taxes because of the state code.”
See Exemptions, Page 4
Kammerer, Cooper Face Off in Sheriff’s Primary
Aug. 23 primary will determine
Republican nominee for sheriff.
Wes Kammerer and Bill
Cooper will face off for
the Republican nomination
for Fairfax County Sheriff
in the Aug. 23 primary. Both men
are running for the chance to run
against three-term incumbent
Sheriff Stan Barry (D).
The Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office
is responsible for managing
the Adult Detention Center, providing
courthouse security and
serving civil law process. Founded
in 1742, it is one of the oldest law
enforcement agencies in the country,
and with more than 600 employees,
it is the largest sheriff’s
office in Virginia.
Kammerer was born in New York
City, and joined the Army at age
17. He served in the Army for several
years before joining the New
York City Police Department in
1962.
During his 26 years with the
NYPD, he served in numerous positions,
including on the firearms
discharge review, as an investigator
in the Office of Internal Affairs
and a detective with the Office of
the Chief of NYPD.
He left the NYPD in 1989 and
joined the Secret Service in 1990,
where he worked for 12 years in a
See Kammerer, Page 4
Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ August 11-17, 2011 ❖ 1

From Page 1
News
At-large School Board Race: One To Watch
is running — or not running —
is not that easy, Jennings said. Potential
candidates have until Aug.
23 to declare his or her candidacy.
“It’s tricky this time of year. Anything
can happen in the next few
weeks, and it probably will,”
Jennings said. “The first thing I
want to do is help keep them out
of trouble (in the filing process),”
Jennings said.
But the filing process has not
been a major issue this election
cycle. In addition to the heated
rhetoric over the issues, drama
over the candidates themselves
has sharpened the focus on this
race.
Although the School Board is
officially a nonpartisan office, candidates
actively seek endorsement
by the county’s Republican or
Democratic committees. No one
has been elected without backing
from one of the major political
parties, but many say that could
change this year.
On July 1, at-large candidate
Charisse Espy Glassman, who was
endorsed by the Fairfax County
Democratic Committee on May 24,
withdrew from race, citing personal
reasons. It later came to light
From Page 1
security capacity, including security
support for Presidents
George H.W. Bush (R) and Bill
Clinton (D). He retired from the
Secret Service in 2002.
Kammerer said he hopes to use
his connections with federal agencies
to create partnerships.
“I want to unify federal, state
and municipal organizations in
case of a catastrophe,” he said.
“I’ve observed that these agencies
can tend to get argumentative
about who should be doing what.”
He also says one of his goals is
to increase crime awareness
among the county’s senior population.
“I aim to keep senior citizens
informed so they don’t become victims,”
he said. “I’d go out myself
and speak to our seniors, to make
sure they’re informed and make
sure they have the proper literature
to keep themselves educated.”
Kammerer said another one of
his goals is to educate the community
on the function of the Sheriff’s
Office.
“I’d like to set up programs in
our schools to teach kids about the
Sheriff’s Office and who to go to
for help,” he said. “Visibility is a
that Glassman, the niece of former
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike
Espy, was charged with assault and
possession of a prohibited weapon
after the Jan. 24 incident in the
District of Columbia, according to
D.C. Superior Court records.
Currently Moon, Velkoff and
McElveen have the Democratic
Party’s endorsement.
When Glassman withdrew,
Armstrong, a newcomer for an atlarge
seat, announced that she
would seek the Democratic endorsement.
After McElveen was
chosen, Armstrong sent out a news
release on Aug. 1 saying that she
had filed an appeal to the endorsement
vote, citing “multiple problems
and irregularities with the endorsement
election process.”
According to the release, her
appeal was filed with the three
Democratic Congressional District
chairs for the congressional districts
in Fairfax County and the
Virginia Democratic Party. The
Congressional District chairs or
their appointees will hear the appeal
pursuant to the Virginia
Democratic Party Plan, the rules
of the Democratic Party in Virginia.
On July 20, the Fairfax County
Republican Committee handed
down three at-large endorsements.
The endorsed candidates
are Mancheno-Smoak, Kendall
and Brown-Kaplan.
“It is critical that those serious
contenders for the School Board
have the drive to assure that the
impressive gains that Fairfax has
achieve not be devalued or diminished,”
said Janet Olescek, who
served one term on the School
Board from 2004-08 as an at-large
member. “Strong schools are necessary
to continue to attract jobs,
and maintain our excellent property
values.”
FAIRFAX COUNTY Public
Schools, the 11th largest school
district in the nation with an estimated
177,629 students, operates
on a $2.2 billion budget, which is
larger than the education budget
of nearly 15 states. The Fairfax
County Board of Supervisors sets
the tax rate for the school system;
the School Board allocated funding.
The total county transfer to
support school operating and debt
service is $1.77 billion or 52.5 percent
of total county disbursements
Pat Herrity (R-Springfield), a
member of the Board of Supervisors,
said that he’s hearing a lot of
anger from his constituents about
the school system and the School
Kammerer, Cooper Face Off in Sheriff’s Primary
key factor, and I don’t see it, which
is why I’m running. I want to unify
with the Fairfax County Police
Department to help with this.”
He said he also aims to streamline
the Sheriff’s Office to make
sure funds and manpower are allocated
in the most efficient way.
“I’ll look and see where we can
save money, where we can eliminate
wasteful programs and duplication,”
Kammerer said. “And my
top priority will be to make sure
we’re always turning out professionally
trained sheriff’s deputies.”
More information on Kammerer
can be found at
www.weskammererforsheriff.org,
or on Facebook under “Wes
Kammerer for Sheriff of Fairfax
County.”
COPPER IS a native of Pittsburgh,
Pa., and he moved to
Fairfax County in 1976.
He served in the Army for three
years, before joining the Arlington
County Sheriff’s Office and then
the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office
in 1988. During his tenure at the
Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office, he
worked in every division, including
court security, the Adult Detention
Center and the Criminal
Kammerer
Justice Academy. He was also a
certified law enforcement instructor.
He served on the office’s Fugitive
Task Force, along with FBI
agents and U.S Marshals. He retired
as a lieutenant in March.
“As a law enforcement officer, I
feel my primary responsibility is
to keep Fairfax families safe,” Cooper
said. “I’ve always felt a strong
commitment to protecting my
country, and after I got out of the
military, I still felt that commitment
to protect citizens.”
He also said, if elected, he plans
to enforce the more than 4,000
outstanding fugitive warrants in
Fairfax County.
“I’d put together a task force
with agencies I’ve worked with
before to put these people behind
bars, where they belong,” he said.
Exemptions
Questioned
From Page 1
But the list of properties
that enjoy exemptions from
property taxes isn’t confined
to the new patient tower or
the two new operating rooms.
A new restaurant that’s part
of the expansion will also enjoy
immunity from property
taxes. And the new offices
that will be constructed at the
hospital will also be tax free.
The Sunrise assisted living
facility at Inova Mount Vernon
also benefits from the property-tax
exemption.
“We’ve got a discontinuity
here,” said attorney Patrick
Rea. “If you are a doctor who
has an office at the hospital,
you’re not paying taxes as part
of your rent but the doctors
who have offices on the other
side of Sherwood Hall Lane
are paying taxes as part of
their rent.”
SHORTLY BEFORE the
Board of Supervisors considered
Inova’s application for
expansion last month, Rea
sent a letter to elected officials
asking them to consider addressing
the issue during their
deliberations on the application.
The July 25 letter requests
that the county find a
way to start collecting money
from the hospital’s improvements
to the county-owned
land.
“Inova has offered to contribute
its ‘fair share’ towards
the cost of traffic mitigation,”
Rea wrote. “I believe that
Inova’s fair share rises substantially
when we factor in
that the county does not receive
regular annual real
property tax payments from
Inova.”
Supervisors did not address
the issue when the hospital’s
application was approved. But
Rea’s letter opened the door
to an investigation of the tax
issues at Mount Vernon Inova
Hospital. Mount Vernon Supervisor
Gerry Hyland said
the investigation will determine
what kind of lease arrangement
Sunrise has with
Inova Mount Vernon. If
county officials determine
that the property should have
been taxed, Hyland said, the
county has authority to collect
for three years of back taxes.
“It’s a legitimate issue,” said
Hyland. “And if we determine
that the property should have
been taxed, the director of assessments
will have some
questions to answer.”
4 ❖ Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ August 11-17, 2011 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Cooper
Board. “On the School Board race,
I think there is enough anger on
these issues that the bottom of the
ticket races will drive some of the
voter turnout,” Herrity said.
Herrity added that voters have
voiced concerns to him about a
variety of issues, including parental
notification, the southwestern
boundary study, the closing of
Clifton Elementary, all-day kindergarten
and what some call an inflexible
disciplinary process.
Many parents and school advocates
blamed FCPS’ rigid discipline
policies when two students committed
suicide. Josh Anderson, of
South Lakes High School, took his
life in March 2009; and Nick
Stuban, called a “model student”
at W.T. Woodson High School,
committed suicide on Jan. 20.
Since his son’s death, Steve
Stuban and his wife Sandy, who is
battling Lou Gehrig’s disease, have
become advocates for reforming
the school system’s disciplinary
process. With the support of many
parents and friends, Stuban said
he was also motivated to seek an
at-large seat on the School Board.
“There are a lot of issues out
there. It’s going to be an interesting
race, to say the least,” Herrity
said.
“If the Sheriff’s Office and the
Fairfax County Police Department
combine resources, we should be
able to make it a budget neutral
initiative.”
Cooper said he hopes to combat
the growing gang problem in the
county, as well as start a program
to get deadbeat parents to pay up.
“I’m running on a ‘tough on
crime’ agenda, and I plan to run a
tough, strict jail,” he said. “I don’t
believe convicted felons should be
sitting around watching TV and
eating bonbons.”
Cooper said he is also committed
to expanding the reach of the
Sheriff’s Office to keep families
safe, saying that with approximately
500 sworn sheriff’s deputies,
there is a lot they can do.”
“Because of budget constraints
and manpower issues, local and
state law enforcement has to work
closer together and share resources,”
he said. “By doing so, we
can keep costs down while rendering
better services to this community.”
More information on Cooper can
be found at
www.cooperforsheriff.net, or on
Facebook under “Cooper for Sheriff.”

Photos by Louise Krafft/The Gazette
Photo by Louise Krafft/The Gazette
News
The future is uncertain at Penn-Daw Plaza.
A Second Chance
Supervisor McKay wants to avoid
Kings Crossing debacle at Penn-Daw.
On Vacation and Saving Lives
Couple praises 14-year-old’s
quick response.
By Katherine Perkins
The Gazette
Benjamin Haseltine of Fort Hunt may be 14
years old, but Bob and Sue Sherburne of
Arlington, Mass., believe he is a hero. If it
had not been for Ben’s actions on a Maine
seashore early last month, the Sherburnes might not
be alive today.
On Aug. 9, Ben was on vacation with his family at
Moody Beach near Wells, Maine. While enjoying the
surf with his mother and sister, he noticed an older
couple swimming several yards away. It took him a
moment to realize the Sherburnes were in distress.
“I saw a rip tide carrying Mrs. Sherburne out like
a slingshot,” Ben later said. “She was in way over
head.” Sue’s husband, Bill, was being dragged out
as well.
According to the National Weather Service, rip currents
— narrow belts of fast-moving water flowing
away from shore — are the cause of more than 100
drowning accidents each year. Swimmers caught in
rip currents are advised not to fight the current but
to float or swim parallel to the shore until the current
slackens. But such guidelines can be quickly forgotten
in a few moments’ panic.
Those moments were frightening ones for the
By Michael Lee Pope
The Gazette
Now, Lee District Supervisor Jeff
McKay has convened a task force
Ben Haseltine of Fort Hunt rescued a
to help forge a way forward.
couple swimming near Wells, Maine.
Ever since the Shopper’s “Instead of letting the developer
Food Warehouse at the tell us what to do or having county Sherburnes. Sue Sherburne remembered to
Penn-Daw Plaza closed in officials come up with a plan in a float on her back and called out for her husband
April, neighbors have been warily
eyeing the future. Many say they
want to avoid what happened
across the street at Kings Crossing,
where advocates for mixed-use development
pushed for years as an
ongoing study lingered indefinitely.
The owner of the property
felt the process was taking too
long, so the parcel was developed
“by right” — a process that sidestepped
the county’s ability to
force the developer to pay for
transportation improvements to
handle the influx of new visitors.
vacuum, we want to get a sense
of what the economy will support,”
said McKay. “This is unprecedented,
at least in my experience.”
Walking through the Penn-Daw
Plaza, and it’s clear that change is
in the air. The vacant grocery store
was once a major anchor at the
strip mall, bringing customers to
the other businesses. Now that it’s
gone, the remaining businesses
say they have already seen a dra
See Avoiding, Page 5
to do the same. But Bob Sherburne soon
began to tire: “I started to choke on seawater
and realized I was about to drown. I was speaking
to my Maker, ready to die,” he recalled. At
that moment he suddenly felt himself being
guided toward shore.
It was Ben. After he had helped Bob
Sherburne out of the path of the current and
into shallower waters, Ben went back for Sue
Sherburne. “He stretched his arm out to me
and told me to grab his hand,” Sue Sherburne said.
“Once he’d pulled me to where I could stand, he
gave me a hug and asked, ‘are you OK?’”
Ben credits his strong swimming skills to many
summers spent at Moody Beach, where his father, a
former lifeguard, taught him to swim and surf.
A freshman at St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School,
Ben plays many other sports as well, including
See Hero, Page 4
“If it wasn’t for Ben coming up to
two strangers … he put himself
right into that rip tide. The best
way I know how to thank him is to
make sure everyone knows.”
— Bob Sherburne
First Day Back to School
Mount Vernon High School seniors Michael Alney, Ethan Lane, LaTarryl
Hall, Colbert Osgi-owusu and Yaphet Elias enjoy their first lunch in the
newly opened “Senior Café.”
Mount Vernon High School seniors enjoy lunch in the new “Senior’s
Café” in the school cafeteria. Pictured are Michael Parker, Karla
Castellanos, Jacobo Hernandez and Robert Gill with Mount Vernon
High School principal Nardos King.
www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ September 8-14, 2011 ❖ 3

News
Avoiding Another Kings Crossing
From Page 3
matic decline. Many say they are worried about a
future that includes high-end mixed-use development,
a change that some say would price them out
of the market.
“That would destroy my business,” said Mike Best,
manager at Colortyme. “It’s just not my customer
base.”
THE PENN-DAW PLAZA takes its name from an
old cottage-style inn named the Penn-Daw Hotel then
at Kings Crossing. It was named for an Alexandria
contractor named Samuel Cooper Dawson and Detroit
hotel operator Edward Pennell, who worked together
to create the cottages. For decades, it’s been
a central part of the community — a place where
customers could buy a book at Books-A-Million, go
grocery shopping at Shopper’s or bowl in an alley
located in the basement. Now that redevelopment is
imminent, many say a mixed-use development
should be at the top of the agenda.
“Just think about where we are,” said Spring Bank
resident Martin Tillett. “We’re less than a mile from
a Metro stop. You go anywhere else in the Washington
metropolitan region and you’re this close to a
Metro stop, you see a lot of development going on.
For some reason, we’re missing the ball down here.”
The future of Penn-Daw is a frequent topic of conversation
at Books-A-Million, one of the few bookstores
left in the region. Since the grocery store anchor
closed in the spring, speculation has run rampant
about the future of the strip mall. The conversation
grew more intense when one developer submitted
plans to the county for the property, although
McKay dismissed the plan as more of an effort to
prevent the process from becoming mired in an endless
study as was the case across the street at Kings
Crossing.
“People are scared, and they don’t know what’s
going to happen,” said Jamillah Scott, a manager at
the bookstore. “Many of our customers grew up with
this shopping center and want to see it stay here.”
THE STAKES ARE high at Penn-Daw, a major redevelopment
opportunity along the Route 1 corridor.
Advocates for redevelopment have been trying
to bring upscale mixed-use development for years,
although efforts have been stymied for a number of
reasons. Some redevelopment advocates say McKay’s
task force could become a model for bringing the
community together with developers to find a middle
ground that will be more beneficial to all parties involved.
“Usually the developer takes a position on this hill
over here and the community takes a position on
this hill over here and we fight,” said Southeast
Fairfax Development Corporation president Kyle
Telente. “What’s unprecedented here is that the community
has agreed to bring in a third party objective
person whose specialty is market analysis and economic
development to find out what can happen.”
Telente says his organization is hopeful that the
process will lead to transportation improvements at
the convoluted intersection, which was dramatically
affected by the opening of Wal-Mart.
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Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ September 8-14, 2011 ❖ 5

Jeanne Theismann
Second Place in Feature Story Writing:
10th Anniversary of 9-11
Judges comments: Good job of writing about the 10-year
anniversary of 9/11 - many stories were written, this was one of
the better ones. Nice work.

Photo by Paul Morse/The White House
Wellbeing
Page 21
Mount Vernon’s Hometown Newspaper • A Connection Newspaper
September 8, 2011
Heroics and Heartbreak
‘We remember
every day.’
Photo by Louise Krafft/The Gazette
By Jeanne Theismann
The Gazette
After standing watch over the rebuilding of the south
wall of the Pentagon following the terrorist attack, Old
Glory was walked through Alexandria at the 2002 St.
Patrick’s Day Parade by members of the Alexandria,
Arlington, Fairfax County, Prince William County, Washington
Airport and New York City fire departments.
www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
9/11 Tributes
The photograph remains
instantly recognizable:
A single
fragment of time captured
on Sept. 12, 2001 when
firefighters and military personnel
unfurled a flag atop the Pentagon
as a symbol of resilience and hope
for a nation still paralyzed with
disbelief at the events of the day
before.
“You’d think after 10 years, it
would get easier but it doesn’t,”
said Lieutenant Jim Morris, one of
four local firefighters pictured in
what has become a defining image
of the terrorist attack on the
Pentagon. “The emotions of that
day are still very difficult to talk
about.”
As Morris joined other Alexandria
and Penn Daw Fire Station 11
personnel in the heroic rescue and
recovery efforts at the Pentagon,
his mind was 225 miles north in
New York City, where his brother
Seth was still unaccounted for in
the rubble of the World Trade Center.
“The last we heard from him he
was on the phone with his wife,”
Morris said of his brother, a broker
with Cantor Fitzgerald working
on the 105th floor of
World Trade Center 1.
“He hung up abruptly
and said he had to go.”
Morris and family
members held out hope
that Seth, who had survived
the 1993 World
Trade Center bombing,
had somehow made it
out of the building before
it collapsed.
“We spent hours looking
at thousands of pictures
on the web of
people who had evacuated,
looking for his face
in the crowds and hoping
that he had survived,” said
Morris, who has been a firefighter
and paramedic for 35 years. “We
found out on Sept. 13 that nearly
all the Cantor Fitzgerald employees
had been trapped on the 105th
floor and pretty much knew then
he didn’t make it.”
As the 10th anniversary of the
9/11 attacks approaches, calls to
Morris and the other local
firefighters captured in the photograph
— Capt. David G. Lange,
Haz Mat Technician Robert Clarke
and Apparatus Technician Randy
Schwartz — have intensified and
national media is devoting unprecedented
coverage to the events of
that day.
“This year is especially rough,”
said Morris, who tries to balance
interview requests regarding the
iconic photograph with his own
Jim Morris’s
brother Seth
perished in
the 9/11
attack on the
World Trade
Center.
personal tragedy. “I
thought that after 10
years I might be ready to
watch one of the shows
on the attacks so I tried
watching a National
Geographic documentary.
After about five
minutes I had to turn it
off. It’s still too hard.”
As he has in years
past, Morris, a married
father of three children,
will take leave and
mark the anniversary
privately with his family.
“The first couple of
years I felt I should be with my
co-workers,” Morris said. “But it’s
really better if I am alone during
this time. And this year especially,
I don’t want to be watching
it on TV over and over again.”
Morris’s parents will also take off
for a few days to mark the anniversary
privately. Only his
brother’s widow, Lynn, who has
remarried, will attend the memorial
dedication ceremony in New
York on Sept. 11.
“I tried attending a ceremony a
couple of years ago in Milford,
Conn., where my brother and I
grew up,” Morris said. “But it was
just too difficult for me to be
there.”
As the nation prepares to commemorate
9/11, Morris will quietly
mourn the loss of Seth — a
brother, son, husband, father and
FRIDAY/SEPT. 9
9-11 Remembrance Ceremony. 12
p.m. Market Square, 301 King St.,
Alexandria. The City of Alexandria
will hold a 10 th anniversary of the
events of Sept. 11, 2011. The
ceremony will feature remarks from
Alexandria Mayor William D. Euille,
Alexandria Sheriff Dana Lawhorne,
Police Chief Earl L. Cook, and Fire
Chief Adam K. Thiel. The purpose is
to give thanks and pay tribute to
those who responded on 9-11.
SATURDAY/SEPT. 10
National Day of Service and
Remembrance. 9:30 a.m. Mason
Neck State Park, 7301 High Point
Road, Lorton. Join the 9/11 Tribute
Movement with Mason Neck State
park as they host charitable activities
to honor the 9/11 victims, survivors
and those that rose in service in
response to the attacks. Volunteer to
clean the park shoreline, by
collecting trash and debris that
washes up along the Potomac River
watershed. The river clean-up begins
at 9:30 a.m. Afterwards, a dogwood
tree will be planted in a dedication
Lt. Jim Morris and fellow firefighters from Alexandria
and Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Station 11 join
soldiers atop the Pentagon to hang an American flag
during rescue and recovery efforts Sept. 12, 2001.
friend.
“I do understand the historical
significance of the anniversary,”
Morris said. “But for those of us
ceremony in honor of the fallen
heroes and their families affected by
the 9/11 tragedy, as well as a
moment of silence for all our heroes
at war. In conjunction with the
ceremony, the Gunston Fire
Department, Station #20, will give
safety lessons, a tour of the fire
engine and fire safety
demonstrations. Meet the Combat
Veterans of America Motorcycle Club
when they bring their Harleys for
show and demonstrations. Free,
parking fees apply to general public.
VirginiaStateParks.gov or 703-339-
2384.
10th Anniversary Rededication
Ceremony. 4 p.m. The Memorial
Garden at Wilton Woods was created
after 9/11 as a place where the
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who lost someone on 9/11, we
don’t just remember on one day.
We remember every day.”
public can come and find peace and
beauty. Police Chief David Rohrer
and Lee District Supervisor Jeff
McKay will be speaking. Cosponsored
by Wilton Woods Civic
Association and the Wilton Woods
Garden Club which maintains the
garden. 3800 block of Ivanhoe Lane,
Wilton Woods, Alexandria. Visit
www.gwwca.org/v1/
memorial_garden.shtml
9/11 Tribute. 7:30 p.m. Arlington
County will honor the 184 lives lost
during the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on
the Pentagon. At the Air Force
Memorial — overlooking the
Pentagon Memorial — the event that
will include the U.S. Air Force Band
Brass Quintet Ensemble and Joint
Armed Forces Color Guard.
Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ September 8-14, 2011 ❖ 1

Michael Pope
Third Place in In-Depth Or Investigative Reporting

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Easter Sunday
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Champagne Brunch Buffet
11:00am – 3:00pm
Adults $24.95
Children 4-12 $14.95
3 and Under Free
Elaborate, Vegetable Crudite,
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Cheese and Fruit Displays
Carving & Omelet Stations
Breakfast Favorites
Featured Entrées
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801 N. Saint Asaph Street
News
Blocked from View
Police Department wants
$3.7 million for digital cameras,
but video will not be public.
By Michael Lee Pope
The Gazette
When Fairfax Police
officer David
Ziants shot and
killed an unarmed
driver on Richmond Highway in
2009, cruisers at the scene recorded
the event on VHS videotape
— a system that has since
been removed from service. Public
release of that video footage
might answer many questions that
have been raised about the shooting,
including why force was necessary
and whether or not the unarmed
driver was shot from behind.
But Fairfax police have consistently
denied access to the footage,
even when it was requested
in a Virginia Freedom of Information
Act request.
Now the Fairfax County Police
Department is seeking $3.7 million
to add digital cameras in all the
county’s cruisers. But police officials
say they have no plans on
making any of that footage public.
Instead, according to spokeswoman
Mary Ann Jennings, the
plan is to add the cameras and
then determine if any of the footage
will ever be made public. In a
memorandum outlining Police
Chief David Rohrer’s opposition to
a citizen review board of his officers,
the chief said existence of the
cameras is one of the reasons public
oversight should be considered
unnecessary.
“The very fact that the citizens
know that the encounters are being
videotaped is a way to reassure
the public that they have
some measure of protection of
what happened,” said Jennings.
But don’t expect that reassurance
to ever be public. When
See Restricting, Page 11
4 ❖ Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ April 21-27, 2011 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

From Page 5
News
One Barber Dead and Another Injured in Shooting
who owns the barber shop, said that
Hoang had worked there for the past four
years.
“He was very well liked by customers,”
she said. “Everybody had great conversations
with him. He was very intelligent and
kind. He was a great friend to everybody
and brought something different to the
shop.”
Nguyen had worked for the barber shop
on and off for four to five years, but hadn’t
worked there since December of last year.
Ahmadzai said that Hoang was single,
and they met a girlfriend of his at the funeral.
He also had a lot of extended family
that they had never met; he was very professional
and didn’t talk about his personal
life at work.
Anna Le decided to open after being
www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
closed for one day.
“Everyone is trying to stay strong,” said
Ahmadzai. “They [workers] are still mourning
the loss of Le [Hoang], as well as dealing
with the traumatic events of the day.
Everybody is extremely shocked and we just
want to move on. The workers who weren’t
here that day are able to provide strength
and everybody is trying to support each
other.”
Anna Le is very thankful for how much
support has been provided by both the community
and the other shop owners.
“The other store owners told us to keep
on going; that they’re glad we’re here,” said
Anna Le. “So many customers have stopped
by to offer their condolences.”
Le and her daughter, who was not there
when the shooting happened, were not able
to discuss the events of the day, but just said,
“It happened so fast that nobody knew exactly
what happened.”
Photo by Gale Curcio/The Gazette
Police cordon off the area at Belle View Shopping Center last week as
they investigate the shooting at Belle View Barber Shop
Restricting New Digital Cameras for Cruisers from Public
From Page 4
video footage from a separate incident
was requested under the Virginia Freedom
of Information Act, police officials responded
that they had no legal obligation
to confirm or deny the existence of
video footage in that case. The Police
Department’s Internal Affairs Bureau responded
that video footage of the 2008
shooting in which Fairfax officers shot
and killed 19-year-old Hailu Brook was
“not releasable.”
“I don’t know if there’s video footage of
that or not,” said Second Lieutenant Timothy
Field. “And I wouldn’t be able to justify
the staff time of researching it see if
the tape exists or not.”
FAIRFAX COUNTY police are one of the
least transparent departments in Virginia,
going so far as refusing to release the names
of officers who shoot to kill. Ziants’ name
only became part of the record when the
Washington Post reported it, and the department
continues to shield the names of the
officers who killed Brook. Now that the
department is seeking $3.7 million from the
Board of Supervisors for digital cameras in
all the county’s cruisers, civil rights advocates
say the money should come with
strings attached.
“Cameras in police cruisers are good ideas
“Cameras in police cruisers
are good ideas if there’s a
protocol that requires that
they be on all time and they
are available to the public.”
— Kent Willis, executive director, American
Civil Liberties Union of Virginia
if there’s a protocol that requires that they
be on all time and they are available to the
public,” said Kent Willis, executive director
of the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia.
“But even then, it is not a substitute
for a citizen review board.”
The movement to create a citizen review
board to examine police misconduct was
sparked by Ziants killing the unarmed
Forum To Focus on Mental Health
The Advisory Board for The
Gartlan Center for Community
Mental Health is sponsoring a forum
on “Best Practices in Prevention-Intervention
for Children &
Youth” on April 29, 8:45 a.m. –
3:45 p.m., at the Virginia Hills Administrative
Center, Multipurpose
Room #1, 6520 Diana Lane, Alexandria.
The forum will share information
through team building among
families, professionals, and community
leaders to assist in reducing
mental health problems for
children and youth.
Register by contacting Nexus
Coordinator Lainge Bailey at
laingebailey@earthlink.net.
Lunch is available.
Morning panelists will include:
❖ George Braunstein, executive
director, Fairfax-Falls Church Community
Services Board (CSB)
❖ Del. Scott Surovell
❖ Benedetto Vitiello, M.D.,
chief, Child & Adolescent Treatment
& Preventive Intervention
Research Branch, National Institute
of Mental Health
❖ Elizabeth Hinkle, M.S., Inova
Health Systems
❖ Abigail Levrini, Ph.D., Psych
Ed Coaches
❖ Laura Yager, M.Ed., CSB
Afternoon panelists will include:
❖ Gary Lupton, M.A., CSB
❖ Scott Brabrand, Ed.D. Fairfax
County Public Schools (FCPS)
❖ Kim Dockery, M.S., FCPS
❖ Mary Ann Panarelli, Ed.D.,
FCPS
❖ Allan Bloom, Ph.D., Fort
Belvoir Community Hospital
❖ Cyndy Dailey, M.P.A., Northern
Virginia Family Service.
driver. Former District of Columbia detective
Nicholas Beltrante formed the Citizens
Coalition for Police Accountability specifically
to press the Board of Supervisors to
create a panel of citizens that would
have some kind of oversight over the
police. In the case of Ziants, Beltrante
believes the official story of events —
that shots was fired because the suspect
was moving toward an officer —
is deceptive.
“I dispute the police version of
events,” said Beltrante. “I find it strange
that they would never make the video
available, especially when their actions
have been called into question.”
— Gerald A. Fill
UNLIKE EVER OTHER state in
America, Virginia police agencies enjoy
broad exemptions that allow them to shield
basic information. Local jurisdictions use
their exemption in all cases, regardless of
what the case is about or whether the case
is open or closed. During the recent General
Assembly session, one senator from
Roanoke tried to introduce legislation that
would have increased availability of documents
in cases that are closed. But the effort
died when police chiefs and prosecutors
from across the commonwealth showed
up in force to lobby against the measure.
“It’s a mindset that I just don’t understand,”
said Lucy Dalglish, executive director
of the Arlington-based Reporters Committee
for Freedom of the Press. “If an investigation
is closed, there’s just no reason
to protect those people.”
Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act
dates to the late 1960s, a time when most
states were crafting some kind of public
records law. Unlike other states, Virginia
chose to craft a provision that shielded
criminal records from public view. But the
lack of transparency in Virginia isn’t necessarily
a good thing for cops and prosecutors.
According to law enforcement officials
in states that share garden-variety police
documents, the release of information is
beneficial to public safety.
“I think it’s made us better agencies,” said
Gerald Bailey, commissioner of the Florida
Department of Law Enforcement. “We proceed
knowing that our work product is going
to be reviewed by the press or the public
or the people who are actually involved
in the cases.”
Gorham Appointed to Park Board
Linwood Gorham of Lorton replaces longtime Park Board member
Gil McCutcheon on the Fairfax County Park Authority Board.
The appointment is for a four-year term.
Gorham has served on Supervisor Gerry Hyland’s Mount Vernon
Visioning Task Force Land Use Committee, and formerly served
on several Area Plan Review Task Forces. He has also served on
the South County Federation since 1992, and is past chairman
of the Mason Neck Citizen Association. In 2010-2011 he was
named a Lord Fairfax honoree in the Mount Vernon District and
was the recipient of the Northern Regional Park Authority’s Walter
Mess Volunteer Service Award in 2009.
— Gerald A. Fill
Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ April 21-27, 2011 ❖ 11

Photo by Michael Lee Pope/The Gazette
Mount Vernon’s Hometown Newspaper • A Connection Newspaper
March 10, 2011
Awaiting Advice
Long-awaited recommendation on
citizen review board for police
expected this month.
By Michael Lee Pope
Gazette
Advocates for a citizen review
board to the
Fairfax County Police
Department have been
waiting more than a year for some
kind of action on their request.
Now, finally, their day has arrived.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean
they’ll get the answer they asked
for or what they
want.
Later this
month, County
Executive Anthony
Griffin
will present his
recommendation
to the Board
of Supervisors.
His presentation
will include a series
of options
Police Chief
“Maybe they are
getting solid
advice from people
outside the citizen
oversight world.”
— National Association for
Civilian Oversight of Law
Enforcement
David Rohr forwarded to the
county executive last week, although
county and police officials
have declined to share any details
from the secret memorandum.
“The conversations I’ve had with
the county executive seem to indicate
that he is going to recommend
some kind of review process,”
said Mount Vernon Supervisor
Gerry Hyland. “I think in all
likelihood we will come out of this
with some kind
of process to
handle the issues
that have been
raised.”
The push for a
citizen review
board to the police
department
began in February
2010, shortly
See Police,
Chief Page 4
Nicholas Beltrante reviews documents collected in his
quest to create a citizen review board for the Fairfax
County Police Department.
Photo by Louise Krafft/The Gazette
It’s Spring
West Potomac varsity soccer player Michelle Rigel Cruz advances the ball towards
the goal in a Monday night scrimmage against Washington Lee High School.
See Sports, Page 21
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Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ March 10-16, 2011 ❖ 1

REDUCED
PRICE
5904 Mount Eagle Drive
Unit #606 $349,900
From Page 1
News
Police Chief Compiles Options
after Fairfax County Police Officer David Ziants
shot and killed an unarmed driver on Richmond
Highway. Police officials failed to release the incident
report or the dashboard video footage of the
incident, even when the information was requested
in a Virginia Freedom of Information Act request.
That led retired D.C. detective Nicholas Beltrante to
begin advocating for a citizen-led review board that
would be able to investigate complaints against the
police.
“Citizens should have the opportunity to investigate
these matters,” Beltrante said in a March 2010
interview. “But the way things work now, the process
is biased in favor of the police and citizens don’t
have any input.”
THE MOVEMENT was slow to catch on, and it received
some early resistance. When Beltrante approached
the Public Safety Committee of the Mount
Vernon Council of Citizens’ Associations, the panel
declined to even consider the issues. And Hyland
interpreted the lack of interest among members of
the council as an indication that the effort had scant
community support.
“We’ve already got a lot of commissions, and most
of them just end up making paper,” said Dallas
Shawkey, chairman of the Public Safety Committee
of the Mount Vernon Council of Citizens’ Associations.
“If someone feels they’ve been wronged, they
can file a civil complaint.”
But Beltrante was not alone. In May, he and others
who were concerned about a lack of oversight at
the Fairfax County Police Department formed the
Citizens Coalition for Police Accountability. Central
to the mission of the coalition was the effort to advocate
for a citizen review board, a concept which
has been endorsed by the American Civil Liberties
Union, the NAACP and the National Association for
Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement.
“The problem is that there’s a lot of police misconduct
in Fairfax County,” said Shirley Stewart, a
member of the Fairfax NAACP. “And it’s getting swept
under the rug.”
Crime Report
Activities reported by the Mt. Vernon
police department through March 4.
ROBBERY
Two men robbed an 18-year-old
man in the 3100 block of Monticello
Drive around 8:25 p.m. on Saturday,
Feb. 26. The suspects apparently cut
interior & exterior painting
drywall & plaster repair
carpentry
design & color consulting
gutter cleaning
sanding & staining
power washing
concrete & patio cleaning
wood rot repair
the victim with a sharp instrument.
The victim was treated at the scene
for non life-threatening injuries.
A 29-year-old Alexandria-area
woman reported she was
robbed by three men around 12:30
a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 15 in the 8300
block of Brockham Drive. The victim
alleged that she was struck in the
703.768.8143
www.williamsprofessionalpainting.com
IN A CLOSED EXECUTIVE session last year on May
25, members of the Board of Supervisors discussed
the issue with Chief Rohrer. According to Chairwoman
Sharon Bulova, the meeting concluded with the chief
agreeing to consider a process for community discussion
on how such a review mechanism might be
structured. The chief promised to return with some
models and strategies as well as a timeline for engaging
the community.
“I think it would be helpful to assure ourselves and
either confirm that the right decision was made or to
be able to go back and correct something that may
not have gone as well as it should have,” Bulova said
in October.
Since that time, it’s been a waiting game. Supporters
of the citizen review board have been eagerly
anticipating the police chief’s recommendation. In
December, police officials decided they would not be
making a public recommendation. Instead, the chief
of police would make a secret report to the county
executive, who would then make a final recommendation
to members of the Board of Supervisors.
“The Police Department is just one of many stakeholders
in this issue and the recommendation will
come from the county, not the police chief,” said police
spokeswoman Mary Ann Jennings in a December
e-mail. “That will happen after all the discussions
and considerations are complete.”
NOW, AFTER MORE than a year of waiting, the
county is finally ready to move forward with a recommendation.
But it’s unclear what kind of research
has been conducted by county officials in advance of
the March 29 meeting. For example, leaders of the
National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law
Enforcement say they have never been contacted by
anyone from the police department or county government.
“Maybe they are getting solid advice from people
outside the citizen oversight world,” said Phillip Eure,
immediate past president of the association. “It’s not
at all clear to me that Fairfax County officials have
consulted with the people who are most knowledgeable
about police review boards, although we remain
ready, willing and able to help them at any time.”
head from behind by the suspects.
They knocked her to the ground and
took cash before fleeing. The victim
later responded to the hospital
around 2:30 a.m. and reported the
incident.
A 20-year-old man was robbed at
knifepoint in a parking lot in the
7500 block of Richmond Highway
around 10:25 a.m. on Wednesday,
Feb. 16. The suspect was described as
black, between 5 feet 8 inches and 6
feet 1 inch tall, 180 to 220 pounds, in
his mid-30s and wearing a black
hoodie, a mask and black pants. The
victim was not injured and detectives
believe the victim was targeted.
DRIVING ON A SUSPENDED
DRIVER’S LICENSE/
RESISTING ARREST/ ARREST
Police conducted a traffic stop on
a vehicle around 5:40 p.m. on
Saturday, Feb. 26 in the 8500 block
of Laguna Court for traffic charges.
The driver was arrested after an
investigation determined he had
multiple outstanding warrants. A 26-
year-old male of Triangle was taken
to jail and the warrants were served.
He was additionally charged with
driving on a suspended driver’s
license and resisting arrest.
4 ❖ Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ March 10-16, 2011 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Mount Vernon’s Hometown Newspaper • A Connection Newspaper
March 31, 2011
Former Coach
Pleads Guilty
John Hamilton molested young
athletes, exchange student.
By Bonnie Hobbs
Centre View
They didn’t get to testify
in court Tuesday
morning, but the
mothers — and even a
grandmother — of John
Hamilton’s victims all sat together
in the front row of courtroom 4F
to hear him enter his pleas.
And before they all left,
Hamilton, 39, of Gabrielle Way in
Centreville, pleaded guilty to two
counts of aggravated sexual battery,
two counts of taking indecent
liberties with a minor and one
count of crimes against nature.
“Are you entering
these pleas of
guilty freely and
voluntarily and
because you are, Hamilton
in fact, guilty of
the crimes charged?” asked Fairfax
County Circuit Court Judge Brett
Kassabian. “Yes, sir,” replied
Hamilton.
Before moving to Centre Ridge,
Hamilton was a popular, well-respected
and long-time Little
League baseball coach for the Fort
Hunt Youth Athletic Association.
But unbeknownst to the parents
See Hamilton, Page 7
No Citizen Oversight
Police chief, county executive
oppose citizen oversight of
Fairfax County Police Department.
By Michael Lee Pope
The Gazette
Citizens will have no role
in a model for investigating
allegations of police
misconduct under a recommendation
presented to the Fairfax
County Board of Supervisors this
week by Police Chief David Rohrer
and County Executive Anthony
Griffin. For advocates of a citizen
review board, the move was a disappointing
rejection of an effort
more than a year in the making.
Almost immediately after a memorandum
outlining the plan was released
last week, experts began
questioning the extent of research
that was invested in the proposal.
“I find it perplexing that they
made no effort to contact the National
Association for Civilian
Oversight of Law Enforcement,”
said Phillip Eure, former president
of that organization, adding that
he’s still waiting to receive a phone
call from Fairfax County. “It really
makes you wonder about the extent
of the best-practices research
they conducted.”
The March 29 memorandum
See Rohrer, Page 6
Photo by Louise Krafft/The Gazette
An Orphan’s Tale
Hondo Lilly (the dog), Maya Brettell and Fiona Penn perform in the Mount Vernon
Community Children’s Theatre’s production of “Annie!” at the Carl Sandburg
Middle School. Two performances remain: April 2 and 3. More photos, Page 3
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Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ March 31 - April 6, 2011 ❖ 1

From Page 1
News
Rohrer and Griffin Oppose Citizen Review Board
outlining the plan does include a
1997 report indicating that only 98
out of 651 eligible agencies had public
review. But critics of the proposal
say much has changed in the last 14
years, and that if the county officials
had examined the current state of the
“Having an auditor
review the police
investigation is like
having the fox guarding
the henhouse.”
— Kent Willis,
executive director, American Civil
Liberties Union of Virginia
field they would have discovered that
Fairfax County is the largest jurisdiction
in the country without any independent
review of its police department.
“It’s unfortunate that the board is
seeking guidance from Chief Rohrer
because I feel he’s a big part of the
problem,” said Ronald Koch, president
of the Citizens Coalition for Police
Accountability. “He would much
prefer to continue to have police police
themselves.”
Supervisors choose
to continue
lease agreement.
By Julia O’Donoghue
The Gazette
INSTEAD OF HAVING an independent
investigation of allegations of
police misconduct, Rohrer and Griffin
suggest having the county auditor review
the police investigation. The brief
memorandum outlining how this would
work explains that the auditor, who reports
to the county executive, would not have the
power to subpoena witnesses. Instead, the
auditor’s review would be limited to examining
the police investigation.
“It is not proposed that the Internal Auditor
will do an independent investigation
separate from the police,” Rohrer and Griffin
write in the March 29 memorandum.
“There may be instances, however, when the
Internal Auditor will need to contract for
consultants to aid in a view to compensate
for a lack of particularized expertise in a
specific area.”
Critics say this model presents a conflict
of interest. Because the auditor and the
chief of police report to the same individual,
how would the public ever know if the two
disagreed on an investigation? Also, would
an employee of the county executive be
willing to issue a report detailing police
misconduct?
Advocates for a citizen oversight panel say
the only way to ensure an independent investigation
is to create a system outside of
the existing power structure.
“It’s clear that they are doing everything
in their power to avoid citizen oversight,”
said Nicholas Beltrante, executive director
of the Citizens Coalition for Police Accountability.
“I would encourage the Board of
Supervisors to adopt our proposal rather
than the one presented by the chief of police
and county executive.”
ALTHOUGH THE PROPOSAL from
Rohrer and Griffin was on the docket for
the Board of Supervisors meeting this week,
Mount Vernon Supervisor Gerry Hyland offered
a motion to postpone the matter and
send it to the Public Safety Committee and
the Citizen Advisory Committee. The move
was cheered by many who were concerned
that the public had no opportunity to respond
to the proposal. Now that the police
chief and county executive are on record
opposing citizen oversight, those who
would like to see a more public process say
they will be fighting for a more public process
than the one currently under consideration.
“Having an auditor review the police investigation
is like having the fox guarding
the henhouse,” said Kent Willis, executive
director of the American Civil Liberties
Union of Virginia. “Citizens should have the
opportunity to evaluate, investigate and
review police activity.”
Rohrer and Griffin, on the other hand,
believe that a citizen review board would
not provide “additional value” to a review
process. In the memorandum outlining their
proposal, they say the citizen’s role would
stop at asking for an investigation. Because
the auditor already investigates allegations
of inappropriate behavior and business
practices, they say, he or she would be familiar
with police procedure and investigator
practices.
“There is no strong evidence that a citizen
review board provides additional value
to a review process,” they wrote. “Public
review boards have the same issues as any
publicly appointed body.”
THE MOVEMENT to create a citizen review
board in Fairfax County began in February
2010, shortly after police officer David
Ziants shot and killed an unarmed driver
on Richmond Highway. Police officials failed
to release the incident report or the dashboard
video footage of the incident, even
when the information was requested in a
Virginia Freedom of Information Act request.
Yet Rohrer and Griffin now say the
existence of the dashboard video footage is
a reason citizen input is not needed.
“In summary, an independent auditor is
a recognized model and option to provide
an independent look at significant responses
by police and alleged police misconduct,”
the memorandum concludes. “It allows the
public to initiate reviews of the Police Department
actions, and coupled with the
Board’s anticipated acquisition and installation
of digital cameras in police patrol
vehicles, which the Police Department has
long sought, the public’s trust of police
should be enhanced.”
The Fairfax County Police Department has
long maintained the position that its incident
reports should be kept secret, even
though these documents are routinely available
in the vast majority of jurisdictions
across the country. Even when one of their
officers shot and killed the unarmed man
in 2009, the department refused to identify
the officer who fired the fatal shot.
“What does the name of an officer give
the public in terms of information and disclosure?”
asked police spokeswoman Mary
Ann Jennings at the time. “I’d be curious to
know why they want the name of an officer.”
Because the auditor would merely review
information submitted by police, critics say,
the department’s reputation of secrecy
would be counterproductive for investigating
allegations of misconduct.
“We’re happy they’ve acknowledged
there’s a problem,” said Koch. “But the proposal
currently under consideration is not
what we were looking for.”
Lorton Incinerator Purchase Goes Up in Flames
fordable and environmentally preferable
trash disposal for the next 30 years,” said
Fairfax County Chairwoman Sharon Bulova
(D-At-large).
Under the new agreement, Covanta will
own and operate the incinerator until 2041,
but Fairfax will continue to own the land
on which the incinerator sits, said Bulova.
This arrangement requires Covanta to lease
the incinerator property from the county,
even though the private company owns the
facility outright.
cated they weren’t satisfied with the deal
Covanta presented. The county board
unanimously voted to give Covanta a list of
“must haves” for Fairfax in the new contract.
If Covanta declined to accept these terms,
the supervisors said they would be likely to
move forward with the purchase of the
waste management plant.
Bulova said the threat to purchase the
incinerator did ultimately produce a better
financial deal for the county this month. The
new agreement saves Fairfax $300 million
over the life of the 30-year contract when
compared with previous agreements that
had been presented, she said.
“When we looked into purchasing the incinerator,
it gave us some leverage with
Covanta and put us in a much better bargaining
position,” said Bulova.
Other supervisors characterized the new
agreement and success of this month’s
negotiations differently, saying the contract
closely resembled the one that had been on
the table in early February.
“There has not been any substantial
change to the contract,” said Supervisor
Patrick Herrity (R-Springfield).
“The terms we laid out were not accepted
by Covanta. That is why I think the purchase
[of the incinerator] remains the better
option. Nothing has moved substantially
since Feb. 8,” said Supervisor Gerry Hyland
(D-Mount Vernon).
Hyland, who represents the communities
that surround the incinerator, was only
county board member to vote against extending
the county’s agreement with
Covanta.
“That agreement, in my opinion, does not
go far enough,” said Hyland, who wanted
the county to move forward with purchasing
the facility.
In an interview, Bulova acknowledged
that the county didn’t get everything it
wanted from Covanta.
“Time was out and I think we negotiated
as good a deal as we possibly could have,”
she said.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
ruled out a government purchase
of the $432 million Energy
Resource Recovery Center in Lorton, a privately
owned facility better known as the IN FEBRUARY, Fairfax County Executive
county’s trash incinerator, on March 29. Anthony Griffin had recommended that the
The supervisors voted 9-1 to extend supervisors purchase the incinerator rather
Fairfax’s public-private partnership with than sign a new lease agreement with
Covanta Energy, which currently owns the Covanta. The company had been asking too
plant, under a new agreement. Fairfax much of the Fairfax and buying the plant
County staff is expected to finalize the new appeared to be cheaper for the county in
contract with Covanta and bring it back the long run, he said.
before the board for approval over the next “Staff believes it is still negotiating with
60 days.
Covanta but [the agreement] is not to a
“Renewing the contract on the terms level that we should continue a long-term
FAIRFAX’S NEW ARRANGEMENT with
county staff has negotiated provides an economical,
relationship with them,” said Griffin on Feb.
Covanta doesn’t give the county enough
safe and secure way to ensure 22.
Fairfax County residents have reliable, af- At that time, the supervisors also indi-
See County, Page 7
6 ❖ Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ March 31 - April 6, 2011 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Mount Vernon’s Hometown Newspaper • A Connection Newspaper
June 30, 2011
Summer
Fun
55 Years
For Hamilton
Former coach sexually
molested boys, ages 9-16.
By Bonnie Hobbs
The Gazette
Justice took a long time
coming — but when it
finally came to John
Hamilton, it came down
hard. Last Friday, June 24, the man
convicted of sexually molesting
five boys, ages 9-16, was sentenced
in court to 55 years in
prison.
Tears flowed on the witness
stand as four out of the five victims
testified about what their
former, Little League baseball
coach had done to them as children
— and the devastating effects
it’s had on their lives. Also testifying
was the mother of one of the
victims.
“John robbed [my son] of his
innocence and his childhood,” she
said. “[My son’s 11-year-old dream
to be the best at
baseball was exploited
by Hamilton
Hamilton for his
own, selfish enjoyment, with no
regard for the wreckage he left
behind.”
On March 29, Hamilton, 39, of
Gabrielle Way in Centreville,
pleaded guilty to two counts of
aggravated sexual battery, two
counts of taking indecent liberties
with a minor and one count of
crimes against nature. But he’d
committed these offenses years before
— and he was only in a court
of law, at all, because he’d been
arrested in Europe after fleeing the
country to escape prosecution.
Before moving to Centre Ridge,
Hamilton was a long-time baseball
coach for the Fort Hunt Youth Ath
See Former Coach, Page 3
Behind Closed Doors
Police chief, county executive
propose excluding public from
misconduct investigations.
By Michael Lee Pope
The Gazette
Advocates for a public role
in oversight of allegations
of police misconduct faced
a major setback this week, jeopardizing
their yearlong effort to increase
transparency in one of the
most opaque departments in the
county.
During a meeting of the Board
of Supervisor’s Public Safety Committee,
County Executive Anthony
Griffin and Police Chief David
Rohrer threw their support behind
a plan that would exclude public
participation, although they
opened the door to a way for the
outcome of investigations to be
appealed.
See Behind, Page 4
Photo by Louise Krafft/The Gazette (2010)
Among summer’s possible pursuits: Sailing classes at the Belle Haven Marina.
See Summer Fun special section, pages 14-16.
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Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ June 30 - July 6, 2011 ❖ 1

PUBLIC NOTICE
George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate will celebrate
Independence Day with An American Celebration, July 4, from
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., featuring military reenactments, patriotic
music, and more. Please be advised that a brief daytime
fireworks display will take place as part of the day’s festivities at
12:45 p.m. The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association thanks you for
your tolerance and apologizes for any disruption.
To receive Mount Vernon fireworks notifications via e-mail,
write to Events@MountVernon.org
interior & exterior painting
drywall & plaster repair
carpentry
design & color consulting
gutter cleaning
sanding & staining
power washing
concrete & patio cleaning
wood rot repair
703.768.8143
www.williamsprofessionalpainting.com
Montebello
Fairfax County’s Best Keep Secret?
Currently Offered
Seldom-available EE - yet, R E A D Y!
2 BR 2 BA and over 1450 square
feet in which to luxuriate.
Montebello's myriad amenities
[INdoor and outdoor pools, sauna,
fitness suite, on site cafe, salon and
market] enhance this opportunity
which includes new and newer
appliances, hardwood/Pergo flooring.
Experience the subtle nuances
of life in Fairfax's premier gated
community at METRO Yellow
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Real Estate Broker
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Serving the Washington Metropolitan Area since 1978
Montebello Marketing Incorporated
703-548-5958 800-446-4187
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www.MontebelloMarketing.com
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From Page 1
News
Behind Closed Doors
“Officers have to know we will hold them
accountable, and I think they know that,”
Rohrer told committee members. “But they
also have to know that we have their backs.”
Sitting side-by-side in a committee room
at the Fairfax Government Center, the
county manager and police chief outlined
a potential role for the county auditor in
overseeing investigations of police misconduct.
After a study of how the department
conducts investigations, the pair is expected
to come before the Board of Supervisors
with a formal recommendation that the
county auditor review some allegations of
misconduct.
“A substantial part of the problem has
been the amount of time that’s necessary
to appropriately investigate cases,” Griffin
told committee members. “People read the
accounts in the newspaper and they reach
their own conclusion based on those accounts.”
“The best example of that is Route 1,”
responded Mount Vernon District Supervisor
Gerry Hyland (D). “And I know you’ve
taken action concerning that officer without
waiting for the investigation from the
FBI to be completed.”
THE SHOOTING of an unarmed man in
2009 by Officer David Ziants shocked many
in the Mount Vernon Community and remains
controversial now that he’s been
fired. The case came on the heels of a number
of other high-profile cases in which
Fairfax officers killed unarmed civilians.
Starting in May 2010, a coalition of organizations
and individuals began meeting at
the Sherwood Regional Library and formed
the Virginia Coalition for Police Accountability.
“The police need us, and we need the police,”
said executive director Nicholas
Beltrante at the inaugural meeting. “However,
no one is above the law.”
For more than a year, the group has been
pushing the county government to create a
citizen review board that would have the
power to investigate allegations of police
misconduct. Yet those efforts seem to have
fallen on deaf ears. After the county manager
and the police chief outlined their plan
to have the county auditor review investigations
this week, several members of the
Board of Supervisors wanted to make sure
that the process would not be open to members
of the general public to lodge complaints.
None of the members expressed any
support for creating a panel of citizens to
review cases.
“The citizen review, from my standpoint,
happens at a minimum every four years
when they can review the Board of Super
See Auditor, Page 19
Be Part
of The
Pet
Connection
in July
Send
Your
Photos
& Stories
Now to
gazette@
connection
newspapers.com
Be sure to include your
name, address and
phone number, and
identify all people and
pets in photos.
Submission deadline
is July 22.
4 ❖ Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ June 30 - July 6, 2011 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

From Page 8
Letters
An unleashed dog in the Stratford Landing neighborhood.
www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
dogs through our neighborhood
off-leash. They’ve been asked numerous
times by numerous people
including the police to leash their
dogs to no avail. It has been explained
to them numerous times,
including in this month’s Stratford
Landing newsletter (http://
www.stratfordlanding.org/images/
SLCA_June_2011_Newsletter.pdf)
that their actions endanger others
and their dogs, but they refuse to
take heed.
As I view my street from the
windows of my home office, there
are four main perpetrators, three
of whom I can identify by name.
One is the former chief of staff of
a U.S. senator. His wife walks the
same dog by my house on-leash
at about 6 a.m. every weekday, but
he insists on running the same dog
using his bicycle, sometimes onleash
but usually off-leash. Two
years ago, while he was running
the dog on his bicycle, the dog was
hit by a car and badly injured. After
his wife walked the badly limping
dog past my house for several
months, it thankfully recovered.
Then, he resumed his running of
the dog on his bicycle. He recently
wrote me an e-mail informing me
that he “... will continue, despite
the dangers ...” Do we get a vote?
Another is a former member of
Stratford Landing’s executive committee.
Last week she trotted past
my house with the dog 50 yards
ahead. I happened to be outside
and asked her where the dog’s
leash was. She showed me the
leash in her hand as the dog continued
to run half a football field
ahead of her. When I asked her to
place the leash on her dog, she
replied, “Is he bothering you?”
How does one respond to such ignorance?
A third is the chief executive officer
of a lobbying organization
concerning global issues, and his
wife. He used to walk with his wife
by my house several times a week
with their large yellow dog running
30-40 yards ahead. After the
umpteenth time asking them to
use a leash, instead, they changed
their route and now do the same
thing elsewhere in our community.
Occasionally, they do walk by my
house with their dog off-leash as
they did once last week. Apparently
global issues are more important
than safeguarding neighbors.
A fourth is a couple who I don’t
know. The wife walks their Doberman
Pinscher on-leash but the
husband often does so off-leash.
I’ve asked him to leash the dog, to
no avail.
Perhaps it is going to become
necessary to ask the Animal Control
Police to stake out our community
and start writing tickets.
Wouldn’t it be a shame to have to
waste our limited county resources
to enforce leash laws in
Stratford Landing concerning
people who know better but
openly defy a law that was put in
place to protect others from such
inappropriate behavior? I mentioned
the professions or civic involvement
of these law-breakers
because, clearly, as people in responsible
positions, they know
better. What a shame.
H. Jay Spiegel
Mount Vernon
Write
The Gazette ºwelcomes views on
any public issue.
The deadline for all material is
noon Friday. Letters must be
signed. Include home address
and home and business numbers.
Letters are routinely edited for
libel, grammar, good taste and
factual errors. Send to:
Letters to the Editor
The Gazette
1606 King St.
Alexandria VA 22314
Call: 703-917-6444.
By e-mail:
gazette@connectionnewspapers.com
News
Auditor To Do Police Review?
From Page 4
visors and make their own determinations,” said Lee
District Supervisor Jeff McKay (D).
Advocates for a citizen-review board say they are
not giving up their fight. Now that the county auditor
has initiated a study for reviewing how investigations
are conducted, members of the coalition say
that gives them more time to make their case before
an official recommendation is presented to the Board
of Supervisors. And they’re not about to give up.
“Even though today was a disappointment, we’re
not going to give up,” said Annie Whitehead, secretary
of the coalition. “We’re going to continue to fight
to get a citizen review board.”
Crime Report
From Page 7
LARCENIES
4000 block of Adrienne Drive. Two
bicycles stolen from residence.
2700 block of Arlington Drive. CD
player, tire and ignition stolen from
vehicle.
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1600 block of Belle View Blvd.
Soaps and lotions stolen from
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7800 block of Bluebird Lane.
Wallet stolen from vehicle.
Boswell Ave./ Fordson Road. Purse
stolen from business.
7400 block of Convair Drive. Spray
machine stolen from vehicle.
Others say they have yet to receive a complete hearing,
criticizing how the committee hearing was conducted.
“We were promised 10 minutes,” said Ronald Koch,
president of the coalition. “They waited until after
they already made their decision to hear our speaker,
and they didn’t give us the 10 minutes. So I think it’s
despicable the county would lie to the citizens committee.”
Other members of the coalition said the current
recommendation is inadequate.
“Clearly I’m disappointed,” said Sal Culosi, who
reached a $2 million settlement with the police after
his son was killed by a Fairfax SWAT team in 2006.
“That auditor has absolutely no teeth.”
Good Shepherd
Catholic Church
Mass Schedule
Saturday Evening
5:00 pm; 6:30 pm (en Español)
Sunday
7:30; 9:00; 10:30 am; 12:00 Noon
2:00 pm (en Español)
8710 Mount Vernon Highway, Alexandria VA, 22309
Tel: 703-780-4055 Fax: 703-360-5385 www.gs-cc.org
Loving as Christ loves, serving as Christ serves
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
HOPE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST...703-960-8772
CHURCHES—AFRICAN METHODIST
EPISCOPAL ZION
ALLEYNE AME ZION CHURCH…703-548-3888
CHURCHES—ANGLICAN
CHRIST THE SAVIOR... 703-953-2854
ST. ANDREW & ST. MARGARET
OF SCOTLAND… 703-683-3343
CHURCHES—APOSTOLIC
LOVE OF CHRIST CHURCH…703-518-4404
CHURCHES—BAPTIST
ALFRED STREET BAPTIST CHURCH…
703-683-2222
COMMONWEALTH BAPTIST CHURCH…
703-548-8000
CONVERGENCE CREATIVE
COMMUNITY OF FAITH... 703-998-6260
DEL RAY BAPTIST CHURCH…703-549-8116
DOWNTOWN BAPTIST CHURCH…703-549-5544
FIRST AGAPE BAPTIST
COMMUNITY OF FAITH…703-519-9100
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
OF ALEXANDRIA…703-684-3720
PROVIDENCE- ST. JOHN BAPTIST CHURCH…703-683-2565
SHILOH BAPTIST…703-683-4573
MT. PLEASANT BAPTIST CHURCH...703-256-1239
VICTORY TEMPLE…703-370-2233
PLYMOUTH HAVEN BAPTIST...703-360-4370
CHURCHES—BRETHREN
GRACE BRETHREN CHURCH…703-548-1808
ALEXANDRIA CHURCH OF GOD...703-548-5084
BUDDHISM
THE VAJRAYOGINI BUDDHIST CENTER...202-331-2122
CHURCHES—ROMAN CATHOLIC
GOOD SHEPHERD
CATHOLIC CHURCH…703-780-4055
ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC CHURCH…703-836-3725
ST. LOUIS CATHOLIC CHURCH…703-765-4421
ST. MARY CATHOLIC CHURCH…703-836-4100
CHURCHES—CHRISTIAN
HIS KINGDOM MINISTRIES... 703-313-5029
FIRST CHRISTIAN OF ALEXANDRIA
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FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST SCIENTIST
ALEXANDRIA...703-549-7973
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE CHURCH
MT. VERNON...703-768-2494
Cyrene Blvd./ Grey Goose Way.
Safe and welder stolen from vehicle.
900 block of Darton Drive. Two
iPods stolen from residence.
2800 block of Fort Drive. Purse and
iPod stolen from vehicle.
8400 block of Fort Hunt Road. Keys
stolen from school.
Weekdays
(Mass or Communion
Service) 9:00 am (followed by Rosary)
Children’s Liturgy of the Word
Sundays (Sept.-July) during 9:00 am
Mass (English)
Sign Language Interpreter
Sunday at 9:00 am Mass
CHURCH OF CHRIST
ALEXANDRIA CHURCH OF CHRIST…703-836-3083
CHURCHES—EPISCOPAL
EMMANUEL EPISCOPAL CHURCH...703-683-0798
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ST. LUKE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH...703-765-4342
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CHURCHES—LUTHERAN
EPIPHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH-ELCA
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BETHANY LUTHERAN….703 765-8255
EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH….703-765-5003
GOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN
CHURCH-ELCA….703-548-8608
IMMANUEL LUTHERAN CHURCH,
MISSOURI SYNOD…703-549-0155
MESSIAH EVENGELICAL LUTHERAN
CHURCH, ELCA...703-765-5003
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CHURCH, ELCA….703-768-1112
ORTHODOX
SAINT APHRAIM SYRIAC…201-312-7678
ALL SAINTS OF AMERICA...703-417-9665
CHURCHES—PRESBYTERIAN
CALVARY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH...703.768.8510
ALEXANDRIA PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH…703-683-3348
OLD PRESBYTERIAN
MEETING HOUSE…703-549-6670
HERITAGE PRESBYTERIAN…703-360-9546
MT. VERNON PRESBYTERIAN…703-765-6118
WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH…703-549-4766
CHURCHES—UNITED METHODIST
ALDERSGATE UNITED METHODIST...703-765-6555
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UNITED METHODIST...703-836-2406
DEL RAY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH...703-549-2088
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To Advertise Your Faith Community, call Karen at 703-917-6468
Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ June 30 - July 6, 2011 ❖ 19

Photo by Louise Krafft/The Gazette
Courtesy of Reston Impact
Mount Vernon’s Hometown Newspaper • A Connection Newspaper
November 24, 2011
Auditing the Police
Six-month audit of Fairfax Police
expected soon, opening way
for potential review board.
By Michael Lee Pope
The Gazette
Early next year, the Fairfax
County auditor will release
an investigation of the
Fairfax County Police Department
that could be the first step in an
effort to create a citizen review
board. Or it could lead members
of the Fairfax
County Board of Supervisors
to abandon
the idea altogether.
County Executive
Anthony Griffin and
Police Chief David
Rohrer have already
recommended a
plan that would
have no public role
in oversight. Now
the results of the county auditor’s
report will serve as a backdrop for
how that recommendation is received
by the supervisors.
“We’ll be looking at whether incidents
are fairly and thoroughly
“The county is
really dragging
its feet on this.”
— Nicholas Beltrante,
executive director,
Citizens for Police
Accountability
investigated, whether they are
timely and officers have the necessary
training,” said Chris Pietsch,
director of the Internal Audit Office.
“At this point, we’re still at the
beginning stages of this.”
Back in June, the Public Safety
Committee of the Board of Supervisors
met with Griffin and Rohrer
to hear their recommendation,
which would essentially
freeze the
public out of any
form of oversight.
The move was a
major setback for a
group known as
Citizens Coalition
for Police Accountability,
which has
been pushing for
almost two years to
create a citizen review
board. Now the effort has
been put on hold while the auditor
conducts a review of the department,
which is expected to
conclude in March.
See Six-month, Page 18
Sal and Anita Culosi appear on the cable access show
“Reston Impact,” confronting Fairfax County Police
Chief David Rohrer on the death of their son.
At Rehearsal
Dressed for her Arabian dance, Kaila Anderson talks to a group of angels off
stage as the dress rehearsal begins Sunday afternoon, Nov. 20, at West Potomac
High School for the 3rd Annual Community Nutcracker. More photos, page 3.
Attention
Postmaster:
Time-sensitive
material.
Requested in home
11/25/11
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Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ November 24-30, 2011 ❖ 1

Photos by Louise Krafft/The Gazette
News
Claire Stern displays her
glazed dishes at the bazaar.
Debra Greenwalt shows
some of her new arrival
holiday snowmen and
snowwomen at the fair.
Stained glass artist Pat
Rowell laughs while
reminiscing in front of
some of her light catching
creations.
Lisa Adams knits up another
scarf while visitors
wander around the booths.
Potter Bruce Ciske displays
one of his recent creations.
Barbara Craley and Adina Russell relax for a moment in
their chairs. Both are glass craftsmen and represent the
Alexandria Glass Artists.
Holiday Bazaar
Aldersgate Church held its annual
Holiday Bazaar Saturday,
Nov. 12, in the church complex.
Vendors sold a multitude of wares
and goods including pecans and
nuts, alpaca hiking and walking
socks, crocheted throws and
wraps, children’s gifts, pottery and
handmade dolls. A lunch of vegetable
soup, barbeque, pie and
sandwiches and more was available
in the fellowship hall of the
church.
Rag dolls by Mary Ciske.
Six-Month Audit of Police Department Expected Soon
From Page 1
“The county is really dragging its feet on
this,” said Nicholas Beltrante, executive director
of Citizens Coalition for Police Accountability.
“Most importantly, their audit
is lacking the most important element — a
role for public involvement.”
THE AUDITOR’S REVIEW of the Fairfax
County Police Department was ordered in
June, although the initial meeting didn’t
happen until the fall. Even then, staff members
were not assigned to the project until
two weeks ago. Pietsch said his office is now
conducting a survey of how the department
conducts investigations and how other jurisdictions
operate as well as best practices
nationwide. Once that’s concluded in December,
the auditor’s office will start conducting
fieldwork to get a sense of how the
department’s policies are implemented in
specific scenarios.
“We’ll look at the risk that investigations
aren’t complete or aren’t fair,” said Pietsch.
“Are the officers properly trained? Are there
trends in misconduct?”
Pietsch said that the final review will be
released to the public, which he expects to
happen in March. Members of the Fairfax
County Board of Supervisors will be briefed
on the findings of the report, although it’s
not yet clear if that briefing will take place
in public or in a closed-door executive session.
The release of the report is expected
to reopen the discussion of whether or not
a citizen review board is needed to investigate
allegations of police misconduct. Several
supervisors have already indicated an
inclination to make sure the public plays
no role in investigating allegations of police
misconduct.
“The citizen review, from my standpoint,
happens at a minimum every four years
when they can review the Board of Supervisors
and make their own determinations,”
said Lee District Supervisor Jeff McKay (D).
ONE INCIDENT that continues to haunt
the Fairfax County Police Department was
the January 2006 killing of Salvatore Culosi
Jr., a 37-year-old optometrist who was under
investigation for running a gambling
operation. A Fairfax County SWAT team was
sent to arrest Culosi, a botched operation
that led to Culosi being shot and killed. The
police later concluded his death was an accident,
and the family later settled a wrongful
death lawsuit. Last week, Culosi’s parents
confronted Rohrer during the videotaping
of the public-access show “Reston
Impact.”
“This thing screams for a civilian review
board,” said Salvatore Culosi Sr. “There’s a
lot going on here for an independent review
committee to look at.”
An internal police investigation determined
that the shooting was caused when
a car door bumped the officer as he exited
a vehicle. The Culosi family said that there
was no reason to send a SWAT team to arrest
a man who police should have known
had no weapons. They also raised concerns
about not being able to receive documents
relating to the investigation of the shooting,
eventually filing a lawsuit to gain access
to the kinds of documents that are
widely available in other states but shielded
from public view in Virginia. Ultimately,
Rohrer said, what happened in the Culosi
case should not have taken place.
“I’m so sorry for what happened,” Rohrer
told the Culosis in the televised panel discussion.
“I wish I could go back and undo
that.”
THE MOVEMENT to create a civilian review
was prompted by a series of policeinvolved
shootings, culminating in the 2009
incident in which a Fairfax County officer
named David Ziants shot and killed an unarmed
driver named David Masters. Starting
in May 2010, a coalition of organizations
and individuals began meeting at the
Sherwood Regional Library and formed the
Citizens Coalition for Police Accountability.
“The police need us, and we need the
police,” said Beltrante during its inaugural
meeting. “However, no one is above the
law.”
Since May 2010, the group has been pushing
the county government to create a citizen
review board that would have the
power to investigate allegations of police
misconduct. After the county manager and
the police chief outlined their plan to have
the county auditor review investigations this
week, several members of the Board of Supervisors
wanted to make sure that the process
would not be open to members of the
general public to lodge complaints. None
of the members expressed any support for
creating a panel of citizens to review cases.
“We’re not going to give up,” said Annie
Whitehead, secretary of the coalition.
“We’re going to continue to fight to get a
citizen review board.”
18 ❖ Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ November 24-30, 2011 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Reston
Kemal Kurspahic Laurence Foong Amna Rehmatulla
Third Place in Special Sections or Special Editions:
Children’s Connection
Judges comments: Simple and elegant idea showcasing
children’s artwork, a great way to attract young readers!

Reston
Children’s
Connection
2011
By Marley Mulvaney,
Sunrise Valley Elementary,
Kindergarten
PERMIT #86
Martinsburg, WV
December 28-January 3, 2012
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