August 2007 Archives
August 31, 2007
Fairfax Overtakes Loudoun on Household Income Ranking Comments (2)
From the Sun Gazette:
The median household income in Fairfax County is now $100,318, the highest in the nation, according to new federal figures. The median income, based on 2006 data and reported Aug. 28 by the U.S. Census Bureau, shows that Fairfax household income is more than double the the median national figure of $48,451. Loudoun County, which a year before had reported the highest median household income in the nation, dropped to second, at $99,371. Rounding out the top five communities were Howard County, Md. ($94,260); Hunterdon County, N.J. ($93,297); and Douglas County, Colo. ($92,125). “Median income” means that half of households in a community earn more, half earn less. It is not the same as average household income.
August 30, 2007
There Are "Wide Stances" in Vienna Too Comments (0)
There is one group responsible for the disaster that is Larry Craig and his wide stance: Idaho voters. They kept putting him back in office for all these years knowing full well the guy had issues. Argue as you might, this guy was ignored due to the self interest of the Idaho voters. A long standing Senator equals power for select groups and whether Craig was a loose canon or not, those groups could care less as long as they had their boy in there to do their bidding. And its not just Craig. Republican or Democrat, we see the same blind eye routine everywhere by voters who want their power bacon brought home.
That setup brings us to Vienna. Jane Seeman and Maud Robinson are as big of a disgrace as Larry "Wide Stance" Craig, but until they literally get caught on camera doing something so over the top illegal, Vienna voters will look the other way. Of course when Jane and Maud do have their proverbial political wide stances uncovered, the over 80 Vienna voters will just say: "I can't believe it. We never expected that!"
Lot Coverage Question: Help from the Community? Comments (24)
Feedback from a first time poster today:
I read your site all the time - people there seem to have a lot of info on zoning issues. What's the deal with the 25% lot coverage for single family residences? I'm trying to add a 475 sq ft addition onto my 1650 sq ft house. The lot is over 11,000 sq ft. My addition apparently comes to 25.5% lot coverage with my driveway and carport. The woman in the zoning office was the absolute least helpful, most willfully obtuse person I've ever met, to the point of jaw-dropping rudeness. I was naively shocked that someone like this is allowed to work in any government position. But my question is, how can Steve Bukont, who builds all over my neighborhood, get away with his lot coverage numbers? I've looked online at some of the plats where his houses are, and I come up with anywhere from 28 - 32 % coverage, just on the ones I've looked at. I agree that zoning laws should protect neighborhoods from improper construction. But the result here is that my neighborhood is being "protected" from my addition, but my neighborhood is NOT protected from the Bukont houses (which are okay looking, probably increase my property value, etc, but still...). How can this go both ways? What kind of variance does Bukont get? How can the rest of us get one, too? I'm furious that I can't expand my kitchen and family room because it would make my house "too big" (on a good-sized lot), but I'm surrounded by 4,000+ sq ft houses on similar sized lots. I would have posted this as a comment on your site, but I couldn't find a recent pertinent thread.
A Smashing Good Time! Comments (9)
From the Vienna Times on 08/29/2007:
Police remove a window frame from the front of the Vienna Alfa Shoe & Luggage Repair shop after a Lincoln Town Car crashed through the store's front wall. Before police began winching the vehicle free, only the very end of the car's trunk protruded from the smashed shell of the store. A Vienna man has been charged with reckless driving after crashing his Lincoln Town Car into a local shoe repair store. Witnesses say that shortly after noon on Aug. 29, an older Vienna man was traveling southbound on Park Street in Vienna at around 30 miles per hour when he abruptly made a right hand turn into the parking lot of Alfa Shoe and Luggage repair, located at 105 Park St SE. The vehicle crashed through the glass front wall of the store and traveled all the way inside, crushing interior walls, shelves and a large machine used in the store's business before coming to a stop. Although the store was open for business and the owners were inside, no one was hurt in the incident. Lauri McGee, owner of the laser hair removal shop above Alfa shoe repair, saw the crash and said the large car was traveling at least 30 miles an hour when he hit the store. "It was so loud, there was a big cloud of smoke, and glass flew everywhere. ... People had just walked out of the store when it happened," McGee said. Brothers Greg and Sarkis Mousessian, the owners of Alfa shoe repair, were in a back room of the store when it happened. "The building shook. I thought a bomb had gone off in the store," Greg Mousessian said. "I'm happy actually, happy that no one was hurt," Sarkis Mousessian said. Judging by the fate of a large machine that was thrown across the store by the force of the car crash, the Mousessians said they have little doubt that anyone in the room when the car hit would have been seriously injured. Still, they fear the accident could still claim a casualty. "This will kill our business," said Greg Mousessian. "People will be afraid to come here when they see what happened."
A picture:
Lighting Dead Trees is a Skill Maud Learned in New England Comments (3)
Right now at 2pm in the afternoon, on an extremely sunny and hot day, the Town of Vienna has the lights on at the base of all of the dead trees at the Town Green. Do the dead trees really need to be lit right now? Go Maudasaurus! Keep wasting money!
Any Updates? Comments (2)
The Town of Vienna was supposedly investigating:
1. The 4th of July disaster
2. May 2007 election corruption
Does anyone have any update on what the Town Council is doing here? They said publicly there would be investigations, but this is also the same group who could not water the now dead trees at the Town Green.
August 29, 2007
Town Green Dry Today Comments (2)
Today was a 'dry fountain' day at the Town Green. Can any of the Maudites lurking here explain why the fountain's water is on some days and off on other days? Nothing too controversial on a late summer day, just a simple question looking for an answer.
August 25, 2007
Pedestrian Safety Courtesy of Momma Red Hunter Comments (26)
Given the fact that NOTHING takes place in Vienna when it comes to Maple Avenue's congestion and or safety, we were surprised to find Momma Jane Seeman's thoughts on traffic at her son's blog. Follow along Vienna citizens and feel secure that these windbags are making decisions for our welfare. First Tom Seeman opines:
Is it just me, or is there an epidemic of jaywalking in our country? Yes that's right, Jaywalking. I cannot drive around anymore without seeing people running across some fairly busy streets. The mainstreet of my little town is one of those four-lane roads, with businesses on each side, with a turning lane down the middle of the street. Undivided, you know what I mean. Every quarter mile or something there is a stoplight, and the speed limit is maybe 35mph but you know how that goes. And half the time I'm downtown some idiot is running across the street, as often as not young parents with little children in tow. Now mind you there's a crosswalk not more than a hundred feet away. And I've seen this too on busier roads than this. Now mostly, and this is just a personal observation, most of the jaywalkers are Hispanic. If this is accurate, and it might not be, is this the result of cultural or socio-economic factors? Or is it the result of a general breakdown of an attitude towards law-and-order? Maybe it's just me, but when I was a kid it was inconceivable that I'd do anything other than cross at the crosswalk. But then, we also called adults "Mr" or "Mrs" in those days, too, which is something else that seems to have gone by the wayside. So tell me, do you notice this where you live too, or is it just me?
Jane Seeman the Mayor of Vienna responds:
tom--Jaywalking is rampant you're right. I have not observed any one group breaking the law tho. People then complain about how bad the traffic is, they can't even cross the street! "We need to have more pedestrian-friendly streets." Often it is families all strung out or maybe a mother with a couple of kids. The crosswalk or intersection could be close by too. The solution is to have fences along all the sidewalks with cutouts only where people have the right to cross. But that is unsightly and not practical. In DC a jaywalker was recently ticketed. He had been hit by a car when jaywalking. He died later and of course the police got a bad rap. People have to take more responsibility and practice what they preach to their children--cross at an intersection, look both ways, look both ways again, then cross. -ma
Isn't that special? The Mayor of Vienna has now said more on her son's extreme website about traffic safety than she has ever said in her capacity as Mayor of Vienna. Go Momma Red Hunter!
No Hispanics in the Seeman Family Portrait!
August 24, 2007
Deep Thoughts from Mother Maud Comments (7)
From the Sun Gazette comes...a day in the life of the crazy people who govern our little Town:
The Town Council awarded purchase orders to buy $30,214 worth of equipment from Dell Computer and $12,000 worth of Microsoft software licenses from PC Mall Gov. Council member Maud Robinson said she is resigned to high computer expenses. “I have come to accept the fact that keeping all this high-tech stuff running is more than the proverbial cost of a yacht,” she said. “We've got the techs. It's going to be money, money, money. That's the way it goes. I've never seen so much built-in obsolescence.”
Vienna...you voted for that. And you wonder why we have no sidewalks, streets not maintained and Maple Avenue as one of the biggest traffic jams in Fairfax County...
In Her Younger Years Maud Railed Against the Horse and Buggy.
Maud ALWAYS Hates New Technology, But LOVES MONEY!
August 23, 2007
Cedar Lane Fun! Comments (3)
From the Times newspaper:
Three men are wanted by the Vienna Police Department in connection with a possibly gang-related robbery and malicious wounding that occurred at the Cedar Lane Shopping Center in Vienna in June. On June 10 around 1:15 a.m., Vienna Police officers, P.F.C. Dean Bailey and Master Police Officer Trent Nelson, were dispatched to the Cedar Lane Shopping Center at the request of a security guard working at that location. The security guard was patrolling the parking area and came across several Hispanic males who appeared to be breaking into an automobile. The guard approached the men to further investigate and they began to flee, according to police. The guard gave chase and one of the men turned and threatened him with a knife. As the guard summoned police for assistance the men fled. Bailey arrived and began searching the area for the suspects, police said. During the search, Bailey located an individual suffering from injuries to his head and face that he sustained during a robbery and assault that had also just occurred. Vienna Detective Jim Sheeran was called in to assist with the investigation. Sheeran determined that the robbery victim was leaving a nearby restaurant and was making his way through the Cedar Lane Shopping Center when he was surrounded, assaulted and robbed of the money in his possession. Witness accounts have led detectives to believe the robbery and the incident involving the security guard are related and may have an element of gang involvement. One suspect, Walter Enriques Martinez is a known member of the gang xxx. Along with Martinez, arrest warrants charging robbery and aggravated malicious wounding have been obtained and are outstanding for Jose Javier Ayala and Wilson Perez. Vienna Police are requesting the public's assistance with information leading to the location or arrest of these individuals. The three men are known to frequent the Cedar Lane Shopping Center area and if seen should not be approached. Calls concerning the location of these men should be directed to Detective Sheeran of the Vienna Police at 703-255-6366.
August 20, 2007
Town Website Comments (13)
From the Connection:
A jump in municipal efficiency and flexibility is expected in the coming months as the Town of Vienna has nearly arrived at full employment, filling some long-standing vacancies with the assistance of salary adjustments and a Web site overhaul, according to staff members. The results of the hiring push are some of the first benefits of the increased salary rates approved in June in this year’s budget, according to Nancy McMahon, director of administrative services for the Town of Vienna. That budget included a six percent increase to average resident real estate tax bills, and approximately $750,000 in increased spending for staff salaries and benefits, according to budget figures.
The Town of Vienna is successfully hiring more people by spending more money for THIS website? The Town website, the leaky fountain, the missing sidewalks, Mother Maud...Is it possible that Vienna is not really run by wasteful bureaucrats and power hungry politicians?
August 19, 2007
The Town Green Just Keeps Leaking Comments (5)
The Town Green leaks away nonstop onto the sidewalk. Last we checked water was not free. So how much is this irresponsible and purposeful waste of water costing Vienna? Is Maud paying for it with her idle millions?
Note: Why are the flags at the Town Green half-mast on some days and not others? Is this flag silliness as disrespectful as it appears to be?
August 16, 2007
A Small Issue Indicative of a Larger Problem Comments (5)
Can anyone explain why the Town of Vienna in the course of building the Town Green, which required new curb and gutter along Mill Street, did not add a sidewalk along the entire block? How did they miss putting in a sidewalk?
August 14, 2007
Newark Killings of College Kids Raises Issues for All Communities Comments (23)
Illegal immigrants recently executed three college kids (article) in New Jersey. Question: do we have illegal immigrants in Vienna with comparable rap sheets? Are we doing anything to find out?
These are not partisan questions. They are common sense questions aimed at possibly preventing any such thing from happening in Vienna.
Defendant Jose Carranza, who is charged with killing three college students and wounding a fourth, stands in state Superior Court in Newark, N.J., during an appearance Friday, Aug. 10, 2007. Carranza pleaded not guilty to the crimes. (AP Photo/Mike Derer, Pool)
August 09, 2007
Web Traffic Update Comments (10)
June 2007 was a record for visits to this site. A close second was July 2007. While a relatively few number of people feel safe posting, it seems a huge number of people feel comfortable stopping by to read. This site has been up since November 2005 and for July 2007, smack in the middle of summer, to be the 2nd busiest month ever speaks to people's desire for information in this Town.
August 08, 2007
Town Green Water Leak Update Comments (38)
It appears Maud has turned off the leaky fountain. When the construction workers show up to start fixing the fountain, drop us a line.
Maud Sprayed Some of This & Boom No More Water!
Mayor Jane Seeman Blows a Kiss Comments (10)
From the Sun Gazette:
Vienna's burgeoning sidewalk-construction program got a boost on July 24 when the U.S. House of Representatives approved $100,000 for these projects...Vienna Mayor M. Jane Seeman said she was pleased by the federal contribution. "I'm thrilled to death," she said. "That's going to be very valuable in helping us move forward with our next phase of sidewalk building." Vienna's Sidewalk Subcommittee in March identified $8.4 million worth of needed sidewalk projects.
Jane Seeman gets 1% of the needed monies from Davis and is "thrilled". How does $100,000 allow anything when the bill is $8 million plus? Not that Davis is responsible for our sidewalks, that's not the point. But Seeman is clearly in over her head. Blowing public kisses doesn't get sidewalks built.
August 07, 2007
Inside the Legal Mind of Vienna Town Attorney Steve Briglia Comments (2)
Steve Briglia, Town of Vienna Attorney
(otherwise known as Maud's enforcer)
Recently the Town of Vienna raised fees on "rezoning" requests. Of course, there are not many of those in Vienna so it probably didn't signal much to the average Vienna resident. However, the move was a thinly disguised punitive measure aimed at those citizens who dare challenge the historic district. Maudasaurus, knowing how her action would look, was even quoted trying to say that it was not punitive. Well THAT comment was the siren call to investigate.
We requested to see all rezoning requests since 1995. The Town's Zoning Administrator Greg Hembree and his staff supplied this list:
1. Carters Glen in the 200 block of Moorefield, SW
2. Beulah Rd Associates at 120 Beulah Rd.
3. 112/114 Courthouse
4. Nutley Street Park
5. PMY associates request to be removed from historic district
6. (5) properties requesting to be removed from historic district
Numbers one through four were actual changes in the zoning. Five and six were requests to be removed from the historic district. It is Steve Briglia's opinion that a request to be removed from the historic district changes the words in the zoning code, so hence they classify those requests as zoning changes and so in turn now charge $2000 dollars for a citizen to stand before Council and ask to be removed from the historic district. While that logic is utterly bankrupt, if it is consistent across all citizens, then the majority has spoken and that's it.
Not so fast.
The list the Town supplied was incomplete. The Town left out one "rezoning" on purpose. They left out the infamous ADDITION to the historic district in 1998. Charles Anderson of Capital Trade built a brand new house in 1998 and asked the Town Council (which included Steve Briglia at the time) to add his new house to the historic district. It received no review from the Town's review board and Anderson paid NO rezoning fee, but Briglia and the rest of Council added it to the historic district. Why would Hembree leave this rezoning request out of his 2007 list?
In 1998 before the Town Council voted to add this property to the historic district, the then Town Attorney John Gionfriddo took an honest stance toward whether or not a change in the boundary of the historic district was a rezoning. He said:
The act of including or not including the property in the historic District is not a zoning or rezoning action and therefore, cannot be spot zoning. The age of the structure has no bearing on whether or not it should be included in the district. Your attention is invited to Section 18-280.2 of the Town's zoning ordinance concerning the boundaries of the Windover Heights Historic district. You will note that it is a historic district created by boundary and makes no reference to the age or character of the structures within the boundary. I have always maintained that if Abraham Lincoln had been assassinated at the local Giant, that structure would be historic. One the other hand, the mayor's antique chicken house is very old, but in my mind has no historic value."
At that time Greg Hembree (he was the Zoning Administrator then too) referred to the act of adding a property to the historic district as an "ordinance amendment". What changed now to make removing a property a "rezoning"? Well, if Hembree doesn't deliver the "logic" the Town Council wants, he might find himself out of a job. Isn't Maud a sweet old lady?
August 06, 2007
Town of Vienna Assistant Arborist Sounds Off Comments (12)
This post generated this response from Rebecca Greenberg, former Assistant Arborist, Town of Vienna Parks and Recreation:
Here's the thing...I'm wondering if any of the commentors [sic] have had the distinct pleasure of trying to work through, not only, bureaucratic red tape, but also the immense joy of trying to coordinate the people needed to pull off an ambitious effort, such as the Town Green. I have.
The people who participate here in this forum are not bureaucrats. Who wants to be that?
People, you cannot have your cake and eat it too. If you want to create such a vision of green space than you need to pony up the resources (read: money) to do so. The Town employs 2 of the finest arborists/horticulturists I ever had the pleasure of working with, but it also keeps their hands tied because of financial resources. (It also often fails to involve them in the planning process, and eventually just hands over inadequately planned projects to them for management.)
Rebecca we here already know that this Town's management is a joke. From top to bottom, the entire leadership of Vienna is more interested in silly headlines in the Sun Gazette than actually doing the right thing. Thank you for backing our view.
If you all want change so damn bad, run for office.
People have run for office in the last few years, but from election corruption to an over eighty set not interested in much beyond Tuesday milk discounts at Magruders, it's tough to beat 85 year-old Maud's machine. The woman has spent 50 years consolidating power in Vienna and has no qualms about doing anything to hold onto that power.
Otherwise, try to find the positive...you know...like the fact you live in one of the wealthiest places in the country. Virtually no where else are towns tearing down building for use as green space. Remember, it's usually the other way around.
We expected that you would eventually throw out at least one Chewbacca defense! The fact that Vienna sits in the middle of Fairfax County with a very wealthy population does not mean we should stop slamming these clowns over their corruption and incompetence. If you really wanted to help Vienna you would contact us directly and tell us more about the behind the scenes nonsense that you have witnessed. You would be thanked by every Vienna citizen.
August 05, 2007
Why Does the Town Fountain Leak? Maudasaurus Knows Comments (3)
Simple questions: why does the one and only Town fountain leak all over the sidewalk 24/7? Who designed this and how much were they paid? Is a fix coming Maud? What will the fix cost and who pays?
Let's go out on a limb with some answers. The people who run Vienna government are not achievers. They have no experience in the execution of construction/design projects. Can you imagine any builder who would survive by executing such shoddy work? The Town Green is the work of bureaucrats spending tax dollars willy nilly with no oversight. Not only is it pathetic, it is sad.
August 04, 2007
The Town Green in All Its Glory (Goo) Comments (10)
Some pictures of the Town Green in all its glory: no people, dead trees galore, water problems, a busted fountain, mildewed sidewalks and flags at half mast (why is that by the way?). Nothing like spending a little money.
NOTE: Northern Virginia is in the middle of a severe drought, but the Town Green can grow algae? You bet!
"What's Growing at the Town Green?"
August 02, 2007
Gomer & Goober Part II Comments (5)
From news releases:
On Saturday, July 28, 2007, at approximately 2:50 A.M., Master Police Officer Maurice Williams and Master Police Officer Art Sylmar were dispatched to the 200 block of Locust Street, SE in response to a resident's call reporting a larceny in progress. Witnesses residing in that neighborhood were enjoying a late night on the patio of their home. They observed two men pushing a cart containing a gas grill. At such an early hour the witnesses became suspicious of the activity and noted a detailed description of the two men. Their suspicions became confirmed when the two men returned moments later pushing another grill. The witnesses notified police and continued to observe the two men as they attempted to make good on the theft. Realizing they had been observed the two men began to flee. The witnesses were able to provide arriving officers with a detailed description of the two men and a location where they were last seen. The officers searched the area and located the two suspects and three stolen grills in the area of 216 Locust Street, SE. Further investigation revealed the gas grills were stolen from the Stalcup Hardware which is a business located at 229 Maple Avenue SE. The thieves were in the process of stealing the grills from the rear of that business when they were observed by the residents. Due largely to the observant actions of the neighbors and a prompt police response arrests were made. Arrested as a result of this investigation were Kenneth Clements, a black male, 46 years of age, residing in the 2200 block of Columbia Pike Arlington Virginia and Michael Presley, a white male, 48 years of age, residing in the 10700 block of Norman Avenue Fairfax City, Virginia. Each of the two men were charged with one count of Grand Larceny and held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center on $2,500 bond. If you have questions or comments concerning this event please contact Lt.Russ Marsh at 703-255-6398.
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"Stop you two, I am momma Red Hunter!"
August 01, 2007
Dead Trees at the Town Green Comments (43)
"Flags at Half Mast for Dead Trees!"
Now that it appears all of the new Town Green trees closest to Maple Avenue are dead, will we be asking HUD to divert MORE money from assorted minority housing programs because we could not either plant the first round of trees properly or water them? We understand that to say something like this is "negative" to some, but incompetence needs to be pointed out.
