Mount Vernon Voice cover story

Vol. 15 No. 13
Serving Mount Vernon, Lee, and Alexandria
April 6, 2016 50 Cents
County Homeless Count
Down but Still Over 1,000
By MARY PADEN
Contributing Writer
The number of homeless people in Fairfax County decreased by 145 this year over
last, declining from 1,204 in 2015 to 1,059
in 2016, according to figures released recently from the annual January count of
homeless people throughout the nation
organized by
the U.S. Department of
Housing and
Urban Development.
Since 2008 when the count started, homelessness in Fairfax County has decreased
42 percent, with 776 fewer people counted
as homeless on one night in January 2016
than on one night in January 2008.
The “Point-inTime” count is taken in January because more homeless people tend
to come to shelters, where they can be surveyed, in the winter rather than sleeping in
tents, cars, or doorsteps,.
Sherry Edelkamp, volunteer coordinator
of the Ventures in Community Hypothermia Shelter at Rising Hope Church which
houses up to 24 homeless individuals a
night in the Route 1 corridor during the winter, said she thought the number of homeless people had been “a little lower this
year,” especially the numbers of temporary
homeless and
veterans.
“Last year
we still had
many people
who
were
homeless because they had lost their jobs,
but many of them have been able to find
work and save up to find a place to stay.
Additional programs for vets have helped
them find housing.”
At Good Shepherd Housing & Family Services, Inc., a nonprofit located on
Route 1 and funded by private, state and
federal funds through the county, demand
remained steady this year.
“We have not experienced a drop in demand for our affordable housing,” said
Good Shepherd Housing President and
CEO David Levine.
“We mainly serve unstably housed or
homeless families in our housing, about
83 percent of all of our clients,” he said.
“While the county’s Point-in-Time homeless count reported a decline in family
homelessness, we still have a waiting list
for much of our housing, which includes
many families.”
Dean Klein, director of the Fairfax County Office to Prevent and End Homelessness, is scheduled to speak on the homeless count and Fairfax County’s network of
hypothermia shelters at the regular meeting of Ventures in Community, an association of local faith communities that operate
the Rising Hope hypothermia shelter, on
Wednesday, April 6, at 11:30 a.m.
In an earlier statement, Klein said contributing reasons for the reported decline in
homelessness include a countywide emphasis on homelessness prevention and housing
availability, as well as a unified approach to
homeless services with the county’s nonprofit and community partners.
Klein’s office noted that the Fairfax County data show an increase in older homeless
people: 139 single adults — 29 percent of
See Homeless Page 10
Fairfax County data show an
increase in older homeless people.
Staff photo/Steve Hunt
Vegas Theme Featured at UCM Gala
State Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-30th), center, tries his hand at the blackjack table
at UCM’s Viva Las Vegas gala Saturday. Playing beside him are gala cochair Colleen Haddow and emeritus board member Charles King. See more
photos pages 6 and 7.
Officer Involved
in Fatal Crash
with Pedestrian
A Fairfax County police officer was involved in a fatal pedestrian crash on Saturday around 11 p.m.
An investigation determined that the officer was traveling northbound on Beulah
Street near Old Beulah Street and as he
approached the intersection, with a green
light, a 26-year-old man stepped into the
roadway, against the green light, police
reported.
“Unable to avoid a collision, the police
cruiser struck the pedestrian,” police stated.
The officer immediately stopped, reported the incident to dispatch and requested
an ambulance to respond. The man was
transported to the Inova FranconiaSpringfield Healthplex with life-threatening injuries.
He succumbed to his injuries and was
pronounced dead at 11:44 p.m.
Police supervisors, detectives from
the Crash Reconstruction Unit, Internal
See Fatal Page 10
Staff photo/Steve Hunt
Ron Fitzsimmons, center, was named the Community Champion for the Mount
Vernon District by Volunteer Fairfax. Presenting the award were Volunteer
Fairfax CEO Elise Neil Bengtson and Mount Vernon Supervisor Dan Storck.
Alice’s Kids Founder Wins Award
Alice’s Kids is a non-profit organization
that provides short-term financial assistance to children with an immediate need.
Relying on referrals from school staff,
charitable organizations, government social workers and churches, Alice’s Kids
provides children with a gift card, typi-
cally between $25 and $50, to purchase a
needed item through a process which allows the child to keep their anonymity.
Ron Fitzsimmons, President and Executive Director of Alice’s Kids, named
for his mother, has been named the 2016
See Award Page 10
Pets of the Week
COMMUNITY LIFE
Dobi is a senior male
domestic short hair.
Animal ID #A067240
Dobi
Frazier is an adult
male boxer.
Animal ID #A067039
Frazier
Courtesy photo
Two Men and a Truck help move donated furniture for Good Shepherd Housing clients.
Local Movers Volunteer for GSH
Bess is an adult female
domestic short hair.
Animal ID A067239
When a homeless family finally
gets a roof over their heads, the
expense of moving to a new
Bess
Cosmo
Cosmo is a senior male
shah tzu. He has early
kidney disease and is on a
prescription diet. He also
has a heart murmur and is
on heart medication.
Animal ID #A066978
The Hollin Hall Animal Hospital is proud to sponsor the
Animal Welfare League of Alexandria’s Pets of the Week.
For information on adopting this week’s pets go to
www.alexandriaanimals.org. (703) 746-4774
www.hollinhallanimalhospital.com
2
April 6, 2016
home and buying furniture can
break the family’s budget, notes
Good Shepherd Housing and
Family Services director of development Candice Bennett.
“Enter TWO MEN AND A
TRUCK, a local moving business, along with generous donors who, downsizing their
own homes, offered up rooms
of furniture,” said Bennett.
One Good Shepherd Housing family of six was homeless
for eight months after losing
their home due to overcrowding, she said. Today, not only
do they have a full dining room
set that could seat the entire
family for meals, but sofas,
chairs, bedroom set and more.
The problem was the furniture
was 80 miles away and they
didn’t have the money to pay for
movers. And so the call went out
to TWO MEN AND A TRUCK.
Northern VA/DC General Manager Zach Killdall said the company has always believed in giving back to their community.
“When Good Shepherd Housing called and asked us to help
their clients out who were in
desperate need of furnishings after being homeless, we
didn’t hesitate to help,” he said.
“We are proud to be a part of
a community like Mount Vernon, which comes together
to support families in need.”
For more information on donating furniture to Good Shepherd Housing, go to www.
goodhousing.org or call Bennett at 703-768-9404, ext. 113.
Storck Jumps on Airport Noise Issue
On the heels of a report in the March
30 issue of the Mount Vernon Voice
regarding complaints from residents
in the Villamay community
regarding aircraft noise over the
neighborhood, Mount Vernon
Supervisor Dan Storck has taken the
matter up before the Fairfax County
Board of Supervisors.
In a board matter to colleagues
Tuesday, Storck noted that more
than 10 years ago his predecessor,
Gerry Hyland, along with now
state Sen. Barbara Favola of
Arlington, pushed the Federal
Aviation Administration and the
Washington Metropolitan Airports
Authority to adopt a regulation
that required aircraft to fly 10
nautical miles south of Ronald
Reagan Washington National
Airport before they turned toward
their destination.
“Last year, without any input
from local communities, the FAA
adopted a new program called
NextGen, a computer program
designed to optimize flight routes
nationwide,” Storck stated.
“The effect of this has been that
flights now turn after the Woodrow
Wilson Bridge over Mount Vernon
neighborhoods,” he said. “From
personal experience, the noise is
deafening and unrelenting”
“To date, the discussions have
been about informing community
groups about the adverse change
and not about solving the
problem,” he said.
As reported in the Voice, the
Villamay Community Association
is beginning a door to door
signature drive to try to push the
Congressional delegation to take
action on the matter.
“We all know that the most efficient
solution is not always the best
solution, especially since it is one
that has such a negative adverse
impact on residential communities,”
Storck said. “The previous rule
worked for many years and should
be implemented again!”
Storck asked that the board of
supervisors authorize Chairman
Sharon Bulova, on behalf of the
board, to send a letter to MWAA
and the Congressional delegation
“expressing our concern about
the adverse impact on residential
communities.”
— Steve Hunt
Acreage Is Added to Paul Spring Park
Park acreage in Mount Vernon
has just gotten a little bit bigger.
The Fairfax County Park Authority announced that it has acquired
an additional 10.15 acres in the
Paul Spring Stream Valley Park
via a Circuit Court tax sale for
non-payment of real estate taxes.
The land was assessed at $62,000,
and the park authority paid
$31,000 for the unimproved land.
The park authority plans to leave
it in a natural state, though some
invasive management area work
may be scheduled.
The property is adjacent to existing park authority holdings, and
the acquisition provides additional protection to the stream valley
and possibly additional trail connections.
Neighbors surrounding the property have expressed appreciation
to the park authority for purchasing the property.
Paul Spring Stream Valley Park recently acquired 10.15 more acres.
Paul Spring Stream Valley Park tax map as 102-1 ((01)) 0012A.
is located in the Hollin Hall area The park authority manages more
along the Paul Spring Parkway
than 23,000 acres in 423 parks
The property was recorded on across Fairfax County.
Feb. 8, and is listed on the county
— Staff report
Accidental House Fire in Bucknell
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department units responded
to a house fire on Sunday in the
Bucknell area.
Upon arrival at the single-family
home at 6917 Columbia Drive at
approximately 11:54 p.m., firefighters encountered smoke and
fire coming from the rear of the
house.
Firefighters conducted an aggressive fire attack and quickly
extinguished the fire. There were
no firefighter or civilian injuries
reported.
The home had working smoke
alarms and occupants of the
house awoke when a rear glass
slider failed as a result of the fire.
Three adults have been dis-
placed. Damage is estimated at
approximately $25,000.
According to fire investigators, the fire was accidental.
The cause of the fire was determined to be improperly discarded smoking materials that
were thrown into a landscaped
mulch bed.
— FCFRD report
ADVERTISE IN THE VOICE
It’s the Voice of Your Community
Reach over 12,000 readers on both sides of the Richmond Highway corridor.
For information about rates, call 703-360-0080 or e-mail [email protected].
Discounts for long-term contracts are available.
April 6, 2016
3
COMMUNITY NOTES
Senior Scam Presentation
April 7 at Senior Center
The cleanup will be held rain or cuss his book, “The Civil War in
shine.
Virginia 1861.”
Mount Vernon at Home is sponsoring a presentation on the various
scams that threaten area seniors,
including fake IRS debt collectors,
“woodchucks,” and “warranty expirations” on Thursday, April 7, at
11 a.m. at the Hollin Hall Senior
Center, 1500 Shenandoah Road.
For more information, contact
Mount Vernon at Home at 703303-4060.
Mt. Vernon-Lee Chamber
Open House April 12
The Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber
of Commerce will hold an open
house for local businesses interested in learning more about the
benefits of chamber membership
on Tuesday, April 12, from 8 a.m.
to 9 a.m. at the chamber offices at
6821 Richmond Highway.
The event will provide the opLittle Hunting Creek
portunity to meet chamber officers
Cleanup Saturday
and learn how the chamber benefits businesses and the communiDel. Paul Krizek (D-44th) and ty. For more information, call the
state Sen. Scott Surovell (D-36th) chamber at 703-360-6925.
are sponsoring their Little Hunting
Creek Cleanup event on Saturday, Upcoming Programs at
April 9, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Martha Washington Library
The cleanup will be staged from
three separate locations: Creek- The Martha Washington Library,
side Village Apartments at the located at 6614 Fort Hunt Road,
end of Janna Lee Avenue; the will have several events upcomJanna Lee Avenue Little Hunt- ing this month.
ing Creek Bridge on Janna Lee *On Tuesday, April 12, at 7 p.m.,
Avenue; and the Mount Vernon “Martha’s Tuesday Evening Book
Shopping Plaza near Duron Paint Discussion Group,” will discuss
on opposite Mamma’s Kitchen at Stephen King’s “Full Dark, No
7601 Fordson Road.
Stars.”
High school and middle school *Tuesday, April 12, 7 p.m.,
students may receive community Readers’ Advisory for Grown
service hours and volunteers will Ups, staff librarians will present
learn about local ecosystem and new titles and authors for those
shortcomings while raising aware- who have “read everything,”
ness of volunteerism and environ- *Thursday, April 14, 7 p.m., aumental protection with children.
thor William Connery will dis-
Hayfield Lacrosse Military
Appreciation Night April 15
The Hayfield Secondary School
Boys Lacrosse will hold its 2nd Annual Military Appreciation Night
on Friday, April 15, during the
Hawks vs Fairfax Rebels game.
The JV Boys game begins at 5
p.m. with the Varsity Boys game
beginning at 7:15 p.m.. Throughout the evening, the teams will be
raising money for the Fisher House
at Fort Belvoir. The Fisher House
is a “home away from home” for
military families when a loved one
is undergoing medical treatment.
Last year, the event raised more
than $800 for Fisher House, and
Hayfield Boys’ Lacrosse hopes to
raise more than $1,000 this year.
Special guests will be the U.S.
Coast Guard Ceremonial Honor
Guard’s Silent Drill Team will perform and Color Guard will present
the colors before the Varsity Boys
faceoff.
Free admission for military members and dependents with valid
military ID. Young dependents
without ID must enter stadium
with military parent or guardian.
Regular admission is $5; under
6 and over 60 free. The outdoor
event is subject to weather delays.
Hayfield Secondary School is
located at 7630 Telegraph Road.
CRIME LOG
person forced entry into a home
while the resident, a 62-year-old
woman, was sleeping. An investigation determined there were
two suspects. They fled when the
victim awoke. Several items were
missing from the home. No suspect
ASSAULT
description is available.
*Huntington Avenue 2200 block
*Richmond Highway 7700 block
— March 31, 10:15 p.m. The vic- — April 1, 2:50 a.m. A resident
tim was standing outside of a busi- reported a business had been broness when a man approached him. ken into. The owner responded and
The man lunged at the victim with advised currency was taken. The
a knife but then fled. The victim suspect was described as Hispanic,
was not injured. The suspect was 20 to 35 years old, 5 feet 10 inches
described as Hispanic, 5 feet 7 to 5 to 6 feet tall, 160 to 190 pounds,
feet 10 inches, 150 to 180 pounds, and had black hair.
*Huntington Grove Square 2900
black hair, wearing a yellow polostyle shirt, khaki pants, and carry- block — March 29, 6:25 a.m. A
ing a black back pack.
resident reported someone entered
the residence and took property.
BURGLARIES
LARCENIES
*Bayliss Place 6100 block —
*7300 block of Fairchild Drive,
April 2, 5:45 a.m. An unknown
The following incidents were reported by the Mount Vernon District Station of the Fairfax County
Police Department for the period
April 3 — March 30.
4
April 6, 2016
wallet from vehicle
*8400 block of Frye Road, snacks
from business
*2300 block of Huntington Avenue, snacks from business
*3100 block of Lockheed Boulevard, beer from business
*8200 block of Orville Street, license plate from vehicle
*2700 block of Popkins Lane,
phone from residence
*6300 block of Richmond Highway, merchandise from business
*3700 block of Rolling Hills Avenue, wallet from residence
*4300 block of Adrienne Drive,
bicycle from residence
*8400 block of Frye Road, merchandise from business
*5900 block of Richmond Highway, wallet from residence
*6300 block of Richmond Highway, purse from vehicle
*7700 block of Richmond High-
See Crime Log Page 9
RICHMOND REPORTS
Govt. ID’s for All Residents
By Sen. SCOTT SUROVELL
(D-36th)
In August of 2014, I organized a
Hispanic Town Hall Meeting in Hybla Valley. I spent the first hour going over issues with constituents.
Then, I asked attendees for
feedback - what was their #1 issue? Lack of government identification. Attendees said that they and
their friends and family were weary
of obtaining ID’s from Maryland or
not having them at all.
At the beginning of last session, I
was approached by Virginia New
Majority and the Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations (VACALAO) about working together
to bring this issue forward. I introduced Senate Bill 390 that
would have allowed the Virginia
Department of Motor Vehicles
(DMV) to issue a temporary driver’s visitor’s driver’s license to anyone who (1) resided in Virginia for
one year, (2) had filed a Virginia tax
return or been claimed as a dependent another Virginia tax return and
(3) paid a $53 fee. These licenses would be conspicuously marked with language stating
“NOT FOR FEDERAL USE” so it
is clear that they are not compliant
with the Real ID Act. Similar legislation has now been
passed in over 12 states: California,
Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Illinois,
Vermont, Connecticut, Maryland,
District of Columbia, New Mexico,
and Washington. Other states are
considering it. Why is this legislation a good
idea?
#1 — Reducing Accidents: new
residents do not know the rules of
the road. According to the DMV,
in other states where this has been
implemented, over 80% of applicants fail the driving test and need
to retake the test. Having informed
drivers is good for everyone. Data
from California showed that people
without driver’s licenses were three
times more likely to cause a fatal
accident. The states with the longest
record of providing licenses to all
residents have experienced nearly a
100% larger drop in traffic fatalities
than the nationwide average. This
legislation will save lives.
#2 — Reducing Hit and Runs:
states adopting these measures
have seen significant reductions
in hit and run accidents. Analyses
by AAA have found that 41% of
hit and run drivers lack a driver’s
license and that unlicensed drivers
are 66.36 times more likely to be
hit and run drivers. When people do
not fear prosecution they stop and
collisions are dealt with appropriately through our system. #3 — Lower Virginia Insurance
Premiums: more insured drivers
means risk spread among more people, fewer accidents with uninsured
drivers, and lower premiums for everyone.
#4 — Increase Interaction With
Law Enforcement: residents with
government ID are much more likely to interact with law enforcement
whether it’s for car accidents, domestic violence or to come forward
as witnesses for other crimes. Government ID means greater civic participation.
#5 — More Tax Revenue: there
are an estimated 400,000 people
who would benefit from this. If
80% of estimated eligible Virginians sign up, Virginia will collect
$1.7 million in new licensing fees
per year. If each new licensed driver claims $35,000 per year in taxable Virginia income, they would
pay an additional $1,755 of state
income taxes per person or a total
of $561 million per year of new
tax revenue. If 200,000 new auto
insurance policies are purchased
for $1,000 per year, it will result in
$225 million per year of new auto
See Surovell Page 10
Marking Donor Awareness
By Del. PAUL KRIZEK
(D-44th)
This upcoming Monday is Donor
Awareness Day, created by the
Virginia State Legislature in 1997
to celebrate the contributions of
organ and tissue donors.
As a proud registered organ donor, I wanted to pass along some
information regarding some of my
efforts to improve the process for
organ donation this year.
I co-patroned HB652 with Del.
John O’Bannon (R- Henrico) to
update the terminology surrounding neurological death and also
HB653, which eliminates the requirement that an individual indi-
cate their willingness to make an
anatomical gift every time they renew or replace their license. This
bipartisan legislation passed with
the overwhelming support of the
full General Assembly.
Currently, Virginia drivers must
indicate their desire to be an organ donor every time they renew
their license. If they inadvertently
forget to check the box, they are
removed from the list of organ
donors. This practice caused far
more headaches than necessary.
Under the new legislation taking effect July 1, donors who for
whatever reason wish to remove
See Krizek Page 10
OPINION
They Didn’t Listen to Us
But Maybe to the Post?
For many years now we have been writing editorials urging the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to
find a way to raise money other than punishing county
homeowners.
This is by no means a new problem.
We pointed out how foolish it was to appoint yet
another commission to “study” the possibility of even
allowing a meals tax to be put on the ballot which
would then allow Fairfax County residents to vote it
up or down.
And even more foolish to not put it forward for residents to decide.
We are very well aware of the inroads budget problems have made into the quality of life in the county.
Yet it was a shocker even to us to have the Washington Post declare on its front page this week that the
rose is off the bloom or, as they put it, the county’s
looks are “starting to fade.” Fairfax County, the paper
declared “is fraying around the edges.”
This, as we said, is of no surprise, but it still hurts to
read it somewhere else. It is one thing for the Voice, a
longtime “resident” of the county, to try and improve
its hometown base with constructive criticism — and
the Post article obviously bolsters everything we have
been saying — but it is something else when outsiders
point out they are seeing the same weaknesses.
Being forced to take a hard look in the mirror is never
pleasant but if this is what it takes for the board to take
action, not more commissions or committees, then
maybe this black eye from outsiders was worth it.
Voice Your Views
[email protected]
Publishers: Marlene Miller, Steve Hunt
Editor: Marlene Miller
Writer, Photographer: Steve Hunt
7946 Fort Hunt Road, Alexandria, VA 22308
Phone: (703) 360-0080
[email protected]
What We Think
By Mary Paden
Have you noticed an increase in aircraft
noise over Mount Vernon in the past year?
James Dorovich
Montebello
“Not where I live in Montebello,
although I hear some military planes.
Most of the commercial airplanes
stay close to the Potomac.”
Orron Kee
Williamsburg Manor
“No. There has not been
much noise.”
Jim Severns
Sulgrave Manor
“I hear airplane noise early in the
morning, around 5:45 a.m., but
it is less than last year.”
Jim Hayes
Stratford Landing
“Not that I would notice. There
has been more helicopter noise.”
Demmi Lazo
Fairlane Drive
“No.”
James Kowal
& Caitlin Chamountry
Little Hunting Creek & Lorton
“James: I work at NTB on Route 1
and I hear it all the time. I also
hear it at home. I think it is
getting more frequent. Caitlin: In
Lorton I have never noticed it.”
Contributors
Michael Castleberry
Mary Paden
Paginator
Jo Deckert
Visit our web site at
mountvernonvoice.com
April 6, 2016
5
Viva Las Vegas — and UCM — to the Tune of $185, 000
Staff photos/Steve Hunt
Photo courtesy Event Photography of North America Corp.
In photo left, the crowd at the PTO enjoyed gambling and a huge silent auction before
dinner; above left, UCM Executive Director Nichelle Mitchem and her husband,
John Adamson; above right, from left, Friends of UCM Gala 2016 Co-chars
Colleen Haddow, Meg Galanty, and Donna Jarvis-Miller.
In photos clockwise from
above, Mount Vernon High
sophomore Deneisha Walton,
a resident of Creekside
Apartments, spoke of how
the UCM community center
there has changed her life;
UCM Board Chair Chuck
O’Connor; Kathy Lehner, a
volunteer mentor at Creekside
Village Community Center
spoke; and UCM Executive
Director Nichelle Mitchem
made a special presentation
to donor Sheldon Richman,
husband of the late UCM
volunteer
Basic
Needs
Counselor Arleen Richman.
She passed away last year,
and her family has made a
significant legacy gift in her
memory that establishes the
Arleen B. Richman Fund.
6
April 6, 2016
Photo courtesy Event Photography
of North America Corp.
“Elvis” was in the building.
Suzy Coffey, left, president of The Friends of UCM,
with Robert Faherty, a past president of UCM,
and his wife, Claudia.
Daniel Sanders of Four
Sales, Ltd., conducted the
live and reverse auctions in
an appropriate jacket.
UCM board member Ken
Disselkoen, left, with Del.
Mark Sickles (D-44th).
Del. Paul Krizek (D-44th) with
Fairfax County School Board
member Karen Corbett
Sanders (Mount Vernon).
Mount Vernon Supervisor
Dan Storck speaks with
Felicea Meyer-Deloatch,
former Friends chair.
State Sen. Scott Surovell
(D-36th), with his wife, Erinn.
The Tower House band performed live music following the program
and auction ... drawing dozens of couples out on the dance floor.
The Friends of UCM
hosted
their
Spring
Gala “Viva Las Vegas”
Saturday
night
at
the U.S. Patent and
Trademark
Office
in
Alexandria raising more
than $185,000 for United
Community
Ministries’
programs and services
on
the
Richmond
Highway corridor. “It is
only with your support
that we can say that UCM
is truly ‘at the heart of
the community,’” stated
UCM Executive Director
Nichelle A. Mitchem and
UCM board chair Chuck
O’Connor. The Mount
Vernon Voice was proud
to be a media sponsor of
the UCM gala.
Mount Vernon Voice
co-publisher/editor
Marlene Miller, left, with
realtor Phyllis Patterson.
April 6, 2016
7
Our Tax Dollars
at Work
Renovations are underway at
Stratford Landing Elementary
School on Riverside Road as
part of the successful 2015
School Bond referendum.
Around the Christmas holidays
the school began moving
classes from the front of the
school to trailers. There are
14 new rooms in seven new
trailers behind the school.
The two ball fields behind the
school have been reduced
to one. Several 50+-year-old
apple trees have been affected
in front of the school. The
project is expected to take
several years.
Photos and Text by Tom Lavery
8
April 6, 2016
ENTERTAINMENT
Batman v. Superman: It’s a Tradition
By MICHAEL CASTLEBERRY
Contributing Writer
It goes without saying that what
the world needs now is another
superhero film. And especially a
film that unites both Superman
and Batman in a mano a mano
duel that is the core theme of
Dawn Of Justice.
On the other hand, and despite
it’s many charms, you have to
wonder what director Zack Snyder and writers Chris Terrio and
David Gayer, based on the comic
heros created by Bob Kane/Bill
Finger (Batman) and Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster (Superman)
in those Marvel Comics so long
ago, were thinking. Or were they
thinking at all? One answer is, of course,
yes. While the core theme doesn’t
hold water, what’s not to like
about the Man of Steel gone
rogue and having to call in cool,
calm, cerebral Batman to save the
day. Do you want to know all of the
twists and turns this story takes
to bring about this encounter to
know whether to see this flick
or not? Of course not. You look
at the title, you know right away
whether you need this on your
‘immediate see’ movie list!!
Another answer might be ... can
you enjoy an epic battle megafilm even when the premise is
flimsy? After all, Superman
is Superman, whether he goes
rogue or not, what are Batman
MOVIE TALK
capes and gimmicks alongside
laser-beam eyes and superhuman strength? How could one bet
against Superman?
The answer, of course, is ‘suspension of belief’, which is a
good thing to have if you want to
see this film and enjoy it!! The
idea that Superman has developed
a ‘Super-ego’ and is no longer the
great servant of ‘good’ requires
some adjustment but bringing
the Batmobile in to save the day
doesn’t really hold water.
Still, cerebral, thoughtful Ben
Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman
does his best against Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman. They
both have great jawlines (or have
they been CGI altered???!!) They
take their jobs seriously and you
will find them credible in their
roles.
It’s the story line that defies credulity, more explosions
than a Transformers movie,
and you know how hard it is to
outdo that, with about as much
plot. The actors are game, Amy
Adams as Lois Lane, Jesse
Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, the
wonderful Lawrence Fishburn as
Daily Flash editor Perry While,
even Oscar-winner Jeremy Irons
as Alfred. Oh, and Holly Hunter
as Wonder Woman!
Don’t even ask how Wonder
Woman fits in this saga, just go
with the flow!
It isn’t great but, hey, it’s a tradition, sort of like Star Wars,
and if you have to see it, you
have to see it!! Yes it’s much
too long, there are far too many
explosions and double crosses,
at times it doesn’t make much
sense, plus you can see the ‘big
finish’ coming a mile away. But,
hey, it’s a Batman/Superman
movies, what do you expect.
Just don’t say you weren’t
warned! And just accept that the
sequel is due in 2017!!
Enjoy!
CRIME LOG
Crime Log from Page 4
way, phone from business
*7900 block of Richmond
Highway, merchandise from
business
*6300 block of South Kings
Highway, beer from business
*6100 block of Woodmont
Road, copper gutter from residence
*6300 block of Richmond
Highway, merchandise from
business
*6600 block of Richmond
Highway, phone from business
*7700 block of Richmond
Highway, merchandise from
business
*8400 block of Frye Road, beer
from business
*3100 block of Lockheed Boulevard, beer from business
*6000 block of Richmond
Highway, property from residence
*6300 block of Richmond
Highway, merchandise from
business
STOLEN VEHICLES
*7800 block of Belford Drive,
1995 GEO Prism
*7100 block of Cold Spring
Court, 2001 JSXR 600 Suzuki
motorcycle
*7300 block of Richmond
Highway, 1991 BMW 325i
The following incidents were
reported by the Franconia District Station of the FCPD.
PEEPING
*Backlick Road 5700 block
— April 1, 10:38 p.m. A resident looked out the window
and saw a man looking into the
room. The suspect fled prior to
police arrival. The suspect was
described as Hispanic, 30 to 40
years old, mustache, and was
wearing cargo pants and black
shirt.
UNLAWFUL ENTRY
Courtesy photo
Working Toward High Speed Rail
Gov. Terry McAuliffe, right, signed HB 613, introduced by Del. Paul Krizek (D-44th), authorizing
the Department of Rail and Public Transportation to acquire real estate or rights of way for the
construction of railway lines or public transportation facilities or the retention of rail corridors
for public purposes. Krizek said he prioritized good-governance bills this year, and is proud
of his bipartisan effort and work with the McAuliffe administration to save taxpayer dollars
and make it easier to provide area residents with future high-speed rail lines.
*Wesley Road 7200 block —
April 1, 3:30 a.m. Officers responded to a residential burglary
alarm. A resident reported someone entered the residence but no
property was taken.
ROBBERY
*Commerce Street 7000 block
— March 30, 6:25 a.m. A woman was walking alone when she
was approached from behind by
a Hispanic male in his late 20s
to early 30s, 5 feet 6 to 5 feet
8 inches tall. He grabbed her,
threatened her and took money
from her bag. He might have
been driving an older, red, twodoor car.
BURGLARY
*Spring Village Drive 7400
block — March 29, 9:02 p.m.
A resident reported someone
entered the residence and took
property.
SEX OFFENSE
*Amherst Avenue 6300 block
— March 29, 12 a.m. A woman
was at a bar when an unknown
male approached her from behind and inappropriately touched
her. The victim was not injured.
The suspect was described as
white, with a European accent,
28 to 30 years old, 5 feet 10
inches, 150 to 180 pounds, muscular build, dark hair, wearing a
black baseball hat, and a red Tshirt.
LARCENIES
*9900 block of East Hill Drive,
bicycles from residence
*6500 block of Lee Valley
Drive, tools from vehicle
*6300 block of Springfield Plaza, phone from business
*7400 block of Spring Village
Drive, liquor from residence
*5800 block of Kingstowne
Boulevard, beer from business
*7800 block of Dogue Indian
Circle, personal documents from
vehicle
*6100 block of Franconia
Road, license plates from vehicle
*5800 block of Gloucester Avenue, cash from business
*6100 block of Rose Hill Drive,
liquor from residence
*6800 block of Springfield
Boulevard, bag from vehicle
*6400 block of Edsall Road,
items from vehicle
*6200 block of Indian Run
Parkway, items from vehicle
*5900 block of Kingstowne
Towne Center, merchandise
from business
*6400 block of Landsdowne
Center, copper pipes from construction site
STOLEN VEHICLES
*5500 block of Malone Ridge
Street, 2009 Honda CBR
April 6, 2016
9
Homeless Count Is Down in Fairfax County for 2016
Homeless from Page 1
the homeless population — were
over age 55 in 2016, more than
the 123 counted in 2015.
Despite the decline, Fairfax
County still has a significant
number of homeless single adults:
482 in 2016. Of these adults 30
percent were chronically homeless (a decrease of 57 individuals
since 2015), 28 percent were employed, 50 percent had some income, 25 percent were female, 50
percent were white, and 8 percent
were veterans. Many had health issues: 42 percent had a serious mental illness
and/or a substance abuse issue (a
decrease of 66 individuals from
2015), 18 percent had a chronic
health condition, and 16 percent
had a physical disability.
Fairfax County’s 179 homeless
families included 236 adults and
341 children in 2016; 34 fewer
families than in 2015. Most of the
adults were female, and 28 percent of the children were under
age 6. Nearly half were homeless due to
domestic violence (7 fewer than
2015) and 60 percent reported a
history of domestic violence. The
families tend to be quickly taken
into temporary housing and the
adults in families are more likely
to be employed (66 percent) and/or
have income from any source (77
percent) than homeless individu-
als.
The annual count covers people
who are literally homeless —
those who live on the street, in
shelters or in transitional housing,
according to the Office to Prevent
and End Homelessness. The count
does not include people who live
in permanent supportive housing,
temporary arrangements, or who
pay to live in a motel.
The 2016 “Point-in-Time” count
was conducted on a cold Janu-
ary 28, just a few days after the
blizzard in coordination with
the Metro DC region consistent
with guidelines from the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development. In Fairfax
County more than 20 nonprofits,
faith-based groups, and county
agencies collected the data from
more than 60 homeless assistance
programs, including emergency
shelters, transitional housing programs and other locations.
Award from Page 1
Volunteer Fairfax Community
Champion for the Mount Vernon
District.
Fitzsimmons notes that every
day a child goes to school without a winter coat, wearing sneakers with holes in them or carrying their supplies in a paper bag
because they lost their backpack.
Others can’t see the chalkboard
because their glasses are broken,
fall behind in class because they
can’t afford the assigned book,
or are habitually late for school
because they don’t have a simple
alarm clock.
Speaking from childhood experience, Fitzsimmons knows that
the lack of basic items such as
these can not only affect a child’s
ability to learn, but it can also seriously impact his personal selfesteem.
“Growing up in New York in
the 1960s, my family received a
monthly welfare payment but it
barely covered the cost of rent
and food,” Fitzimmons says.
“That meant my two younger
siblings and I often had to wear
the same, dirty clothes to school,
could not get that painful cavity
filled or did not participate in after school activities because they
required a fee.
“The prospect of walking
through the halls with holes in
our pants or sitting at the lunch
table with nothing to eat was a
great source of embarrassment
to us,” he added. “Sometimes,
to avoid the shame, we skipped
school altogether.”
His mother, Alice, saw her children’s pain and did whatever she
could to pick up some extra cash
to supplement the welfare check,
and when she got that extra money, they’d go shopping.
“To this day I can recall the exhilarating feeling of getting onto
the school bus in a new, freshly
ironed shirt or sporting a new
haircut,” he said. “In the grand
scheme of things, these may not
have been the most crucial items
in the world but, to us, it lifted our
spirits and made us feel normal in
front of our classmates.”
His mother is no longer alive,
but there are still many parents
who wish to provide their children with a simple, relatively
inexpensive items, but cannot afford to do so.
“That’s why we have formed Alice’s Kids,” he said.
In presenting the award, Volunteer Fairfax CEO Elise Neil
Bengtson said Fitzimmons is really “making a difference” for children in need in Fairfax County.
Mount Vernon Supervisor Dan
Storck said he appreciates Fitzsimmons’ efforts on behalf of children
in the district.
“You care,” Storck told him.
As for Fitzsimmons, “I really
appreciate this.”
For more information about
Alice’s Kids, go to www.aliceskids.
org.
— Steve Hunt
Ron Fitzsimmons’ ‘Kids’ Honored by Volunteer Fairfax
Get the
MOUNT VERNON
VOICE
by Email
RICHMOND REPORTS
Organ Donation Method Simplified
Krizek from Page 4
SUBSCRIBE TO THE
their names from the donor registry
may still do so by calling the registry. The DMV does not maintain
the official donor registry, so it was
inappropriate that a clerical error
could remove an individual from
the list.
Donate Life Virginia identified this
loophole as the number one area to
fix, and I was proud to work across
the aisle on this issue to improve the
lives of Virginians who needed or-
gan and tissue donations.
HB652, updating the terminology regarding neurological death,
was necessary to keep up with the
pace with new advancements in our
medical knowledge about the brain.
Del. O’Bannon is an experienced
doctor, and these advances could not
have happened without his medical
expertise.
I had previously considered introducing legislation, HB614, mandating choice so that we are required,
MOUNT
VERNON
VOICE Government ID’s Sought
Surovell from Page 4
Send your check for $25 to:
Mount Vernon Voice,
PO Box 15572,
Alexandria, VA 22309
—along with your email
address and start enjoying the
“voice” of your community on
your home computer.
10
April 6, 2016
insurance premium tax revenue.
#6 — Provide All Virginians A High
Quality of Life: licenses allow people
to enjoy a healthy quality of life. Licenses mean being able to take children
to soccer games, drive to work, get a
bank account, or get to the doctor. The legislation was supported by
the McAuliffe Administration and the
DMV has assembled a working group
including representatives from law en-
forcement, the immigrant community,
faith groups, driving safety groups,
criminal defense, courts, chambers of
commerce, taxation, human trafficking, and local governments to come
up with consensus legislation. Hopefully, next year, this legislation
will pass so that everyone living in
Virginia can enjoy a healthy quality
of life. If you have any feedback,
please send me a note at [email protected].
when applying for a driver’s license,
to indicate whether or not we are
willing to make an anatomical gift
rather than the current law that allows applicants the opportunity in
the affirmative only.
However, I decided to withdraw
the bill after learning that over half
of all donated organs and tissues
come from Virginians who were
never on the donor registry. My
legislation would have had the unintended consequence of creating
a legally binding “no donate” list
— which obviously is not what we
wanted to do.
I intend to continue working with
Donate Life Virginia and other legislators willing to improve the process of organ donation and expanding the pool of potential donors. I
encourage constituents to consider
becoming an organ donor too, and
to contact my office with ideas for
legislation regarding organ donation and other issues. You can reach
my office at delpkrizek@house.
virginia.gov. For more information
about organ donation please visit
www.donatelifevirginia.org.
Police Car
Hits Person
Fatal from Page 1
Affairs Bureau and the Criminal Investigation Bureau responded and are conducting
a through investigation.
Police subsequently identified the pedestrian involved
in the crash as Jeffrey Ponce
Aguilar of Alexandria.
The officer involved in the
crash is a 2-year veteran of the
police department, assigned to
the patrol squad at the Franconia District Station.
At the time of the crash,
the officer was operating a
marked police vehicle on
routine patrol duties. Currently, the officer is on administrative paid leave as the
investigation continues.
Further investigation has
determined witnesses indicate that the weather conditions were heavy rain and
Aguilar was dressed in darkcolored clothing.
“Against the traffic signal,
he stepped into the roadway
in from of the officer’s vehicle,” police stated.
Neither speed nor alcohol
appear to be contributing factors to the crash. Detectives of
the Crash Reconstruction Unit
continue their investigation to
determine the cruiser’s speed
and other variables.
— FCPD report
BUSINESS
Staff photos/Steve Hunt
Above left, NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden Jr., right, was the keynote speaker at The
Campagna Center’s Business Leader Circle meeting on Wednesday, March 30. With Bolden are
Campagna Center President and CEO Tammy Mann, PhD, and astronaut Ken Mattingly. Above
right, Campagna Center board chairman David Millard introduced Administrator Bolden.
NASA Head Addresses Business Council
In introducing NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden Jr. as the
featured speaker at The Campagna Center’s Business Leadership
Council meeting on March 30,
board chairman David Millard
described him as “a true American hero.”
For his part, however, Bolden
says he was “just a plain ol’ space
shuttle pilot,” and pointed out that
a true American hero, his mentor,
former astronaut Ken Mattingly
“who got to the moon and back”
on Apollo 16 was sitting in the
audience.
Bolden also described himself
as simply “a camper” in space,
not spending more than 30 days
at a time in orbit, compared with
those who spend six months to a
year living on the International
Space Station.
“I’m sort of the middle of the road
of explorers,” he states humbly.
As a Mount Vernon resident who
drives past The Campagna Center located on South Washington
Street in Alexandria every day,
he admitted that he didn’t know
much about what the Campagna
Center does.
However, after speaking with
Campagna Center President and
CEO Tammy Mann, PhD, that
morning before his remarks, he
was given an education about
everything the center does from
early childhood education to its
English Language Learner program that offers English classes
and services to help immigrants
become self-sufficient.
“I am very impressed about what
the center does,” he said.
Bolden also compared NASA’s
educational programs for children and youth, such as through
its support of STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering and
Math) with the educational programs offered to elementary,
middle and high school students.
“We’re trying to do the same
thing — inspire the next generation of leaders,” he said.
As a young boy growing up in
the segregated South, Bolden
said it seemed virtually impossible at the time that he would grow
up to become a space shuttle pilot
and NASA Administrator — but
that only goes to show that with
hard work and determination,
anything is possible.
And, Bolden added, he wouldn’t
be too surprised if someday a
child in a Campagna Center educational program today becomes
the first person to walk on the surface of Mars.
— Steve Hunt
CLASSIFIED
EMPLOYMENT
REMOVAL SERVICES
Experienced Officers
Needed
Free Hands Junk Removal
Steel, copper, metal
Ovens, washers and dryers
Free removal
Call for price on removal of
other items.
(202) 415-0965
(571) 572-1370
by Alexandria Security Patrol.
Armed and unarmed patrol.
DCJS 11-1027
Call 703-765-0407
Advertise in the
Mount Vernon Voice
classifieds
Deadline: Noon, the Friday before the
upcoming Wednesday issue.
$19/column inch.
Business Directory
2 inches by 2 columns
(approximately a business card size)
at a very reasonable price.
Ad must run for 8 weeks for $320
($40 each printing).
Mount Vernon resident Gale Curcio presented Bolden with historic
NASA documents she acquired through estate sale business.
Call today to place your order: 703-360-0080
April 6, 2016 11
Join our social network.
(No Internet required.)
Join us for
our Spring Fling –
Open House on
April 10th from 3-5 pm.
Enjoy live music by the
Marty Nau Trio.
Model apartments
will be open!
Everyone’s talking about Paul Spring,
Mt. Vernon’s premiere retirement community.
Reconnect with old friends and make new ones at
Paul Spring. It’s the perfect environment to enjoy
life with family and friends as part of Paul Spring’s
socially active and inclusive community. Follow us
on Facebook to see more of what is happening here.
We offer a month-to-month lease with no entry fee
for a private apartment, all three meals included along
with a full recreation and entertainment calendar.
To learn more call (703) 768-0234.
Scheduled Transportation
All Utilities Included
Delicious on site Dining
Exercise Classes
Social Activities
Walking Trail
Theater & Putting Green
7116 Fort Hunt Road, Alexandria, VA 22307 • 703/768-0234 • Fax: 703/768-4529
Mention this ad during your tour and receive a free gift- one per family
A Retirement Unlimited, Inc. Community
12
April 6, 2016
For further information visit us at www.rui.net