February 2009 Archives
February 26, 2009
Sidewalks? Storm Water Management? Hello? Comments (8)
Can anyone let us know what these important projects are on Drake Street, Lakewood Drive and Walker Circle?
Vienna Officials Hoping for Slice of Stimulus Pie
by BRIAN TROMPETER
Thursday, February 26, 2009Vienna officials hope that President Obama’s economic-stimulus package will pay for at least three road rebuilding projects in southwest Vienna.
The projects, located on Drake Street, Lakewood Drive and Walker Circle, already have gone through the engineering phase, but the town has not been able yet to finance their cost of more than $1 million each, said Town Manager John Schoeberlein.
“We could get these projects going probably within 60 days,” he said. “We don’t need any right-of-way.”
Town officials have submitted “a whole plateful” of potential stimulus-package projects to Gov. Kaine’s office, Schoeberlein said. Vienna leaders hope at least some of the stimulus money will be granted directly to municipalities. If the money flows first through the state government, localities likely will receive less, he said.
Town officials selected projects that were ready to go, but just lacked financing, Schoeberlein said. The idea was to minimize bumps in the stimulus decision-making process, which changes daily, he said.
“You have to wonder, if the tap is turned on in Washington, will it be dry by the time it gets to us?” Schoeberlein asked.
Vienna Town Council member Michael Polychrones, who also serves as president of the Virginia Municipal League, said the town’s stimulus projects would have to adhere to federal procurement laws.
The town would have 120 days to put projects out to bid and get them started. The stimulus money would have to be spent by Sept. 30, 2010, Polychrones said.
Jostling for stimulus-package money has become quite spirited in Richmond, said Mayor M. Jane Seeman.
“It’s like throwing those dollar bills down there and everybody saying, ‘Get out of the way,’” she said.
Polychrones said the stimulus package might keep some people, who otherwise would have been laid off, on the job and buying products and services.
“It may give the economy a shot in the arm,” he said. “I hope so. Is it the panacea or the cure-all? I think the jury’s still out on that.”
February 19, 2009
We Would Laugh If We Weren't About To Cry Comments (29)
House Candidates Stepping Up in 35th District Race
by BRIAN TROMPETER
February 18, 2009A slew of candidates is lining up to succeed Del. Stephen Shannon (D-35th), who has begun raising money in earnest - if not yet officially campaigning - to become Virginia's next attorney general.
Shannon's candidacy has prompted several Democrats to seek his delegate seat. The filing window for candidate forms and petition signatures is March 24 through April 10.
Some 35th District candidates already have filed statements of organization, however, which allows them to raise money for the race. The Democratic nominee will be determined in a June 9 primary.
Vienna Town Council member Edythe Kelleher said she will announce her candidacy as soon as Shannon makes his attorney-general run official.
Kelleher, a former property manager and aide to Supervisor Penelope Gross (D-Mason), has served on the Town Council since 2002.
“I see a job that needs doing and I'm the best one to do it,” she said. “I have a lot of government experience that I think will translate well in Richmond.”
Kelleher said she would like to help Virginia make progress on transportation, education, public-safety, stormwater-management and health-care issues, but for now would focus on the state's budget.
“We have to maintain our quality of life and position ourselves for the future,” she said. “To cut too deeply in education, for example, could be dangerous.”
The General Assembly could benefit from having more members with local-government experience, she said.
“It's very rewarding to work at the local level,” she said. “Our citizens can certainly see their tax dollars at work.”
The faltering economy produced a clarion call for another Democratic candidate, attorney Roy Baldwin.“We tell ourselves, ‘We're Northern Virginia. This recession isn't going to touch us,'” he said. “But if the recession isn't here in the living room, it's knocking on the back door.”
Baldwin serves on the Vienna-Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce's board of directors. He has not sought public office before, but in 1976 was elected class president at George Washington University Law School.
Continue reading "We Would Laugh If We Weren't About To Cry" »
February 12, 2009
Herndon Says Kick the Bums Out! Comments (4)
From today's Washington Post:
Herndon Group Takes On Council
Alliance Criticizes Handling of IssuesBy Amy Gardner
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, February 12, 2009; VA01A group of Herndon residents who have been critical of the Town Council's positions on a variety of issues, including immigration and economic development, has formed an alliance aimed at electing new leaders in 2010.
The Alliance for Herndon's Future has been organizing for about six months but officially kicked off this month. Its goal is to provide an alternative political voice in the town of 23,000 residents, west of Reston along the Dulles Toll Road.
"We don't feel like the makeup of our current council is really representative of the overall community, and we've been dissatisfied with the direction we're going," said ex-mayor Michael L. O'Reilly, who was defeated by Stephen J. DeBenedittis, the current mayor, in 2006. "The group got together because of that."
In particular, alliance members said, DeBenedittis and several of his colleagues on the Town Council have pursued policies regarding immigrants and day laborers that have reflected poorly on the town.
Herndon burst into the national debate on illegal immigration in 2005, when the Town Council voted to establish a job center for laborers seeking a day's work. The goal, council members said at the time, was to keep the workers off the streets. But a national outcry over the center followed, because many of the laborers were in the country illegally.
O'Reilly and several council members who supported the center were ousted in the subsequent election. The new council closed the center and stepped up police activity and zoning enforcement to restrict loitering and crowded living arrangements, which many residents view as among the negative effects of illegal immigration.
"There are plenty of folks who would say that the town's reputation suffered as a result of these folks' efforts to bring the day-labor center to Herndon in the first place," DeBenedittis said, adding that the alliance is not new but represents the people who pushed the day-labor center into existence.
DeBenedittis said that he welcomes the group's participation in the political process, noting that he won majority votes in 2006 and 2008. Alliance members said one of their goals is to improve voter turnout, which has hovered at about one-quarter of registered voters in recent town elections.
O'Reilly said he has no plans to seek election.
Alliance leaders said immigration is not their only issue. They said they are also dissatisfied with the council's slow efforts to plan for Metrorail along the Dulles Toll Road. The Herndon-Monroe station is expected to open in 2015, but planning to change the type of development that is allowed nearby has not begun.
"It's now pretty clear that Metro is going to be built down the toll road," said Rich Stacy, the alliance's president. "We are concerned because we have not seen the Town Council take any proactive approach to dealing with development in the area nearby."
DeBenedittis said that starting the planning process is a top priority for the council but that he is focused first on planning the redevelopment of Herndon's downtown. He also said he doesn't think Metrorail planning is a genuine concern of the new alliance.
"They're a one-issue group," he said.
Scott McCaffrey Throws a Fit; Maybe This Is Progress? Comments (27)
Our recent review of the Sun Gazette's editor Scott McCaffrey elicited a response:
Our editorial lauding Maud Robinson's tenure on the Vienna Town Council last week certainly enraged that small group of cranks who spend their time on the www.historicvienna.com Web site (which, as an aside, has nothing to do with the Historic Vienna Inc. non-profit organization). Insulting everything from my intelligence to my choice in sweaters, the (usually anonymous) respondents hurled their invective, which usually is targeted at Robinson, Mayor M. Jane Seeman and other town mothers and fathers rather than at cuddly local newspaper editors. The problem is that when these crabbypusses make valid points - and it happens frequently enough - their comments are drowned out in a sea of ranting silliness. I think what got them all worked up was the simple statement that if critics of how the town government is now led want to change things, they should run council candidates and defeat the incumbents. It hasn't worked in the past, and I'm not sure it will work in the future, but it's worth a try. When it comes to small-town politics, it's a simple case of "those who can, do; those who can't, complain." As for the Web site www.historicvienna.com itself, I tell you, its parodies do make me laugh on occasion. And I'm happy they excerpt so many of our articles; makes it seem like we're the only game in town when it comes to covering Vienna (which, given Brian Trompeter's experience in doing it, is pretty much the case).
We do find it interesting that McCaffrey believes valid points are made on this site, but those valid points are apparently invalidated through "attacks" on things like his sweater. He seems to be saying, "Yes, you are right, but since you don't play the game, since you won't kiss octogenarian ass, since you can't be patient, since you won't bow down, no one has to listen to your right point of view." And for the record, the biggest thing we attacked was McCaffrey's honesty - which doesn't exist on issues relative to Vienna. Bottom line, McCaffrey's whine is called a red herring. It is another great example of what a dishonest little weenie he is.
NOTE: This is the official site of Historic Vienna, Inc.. The only organization that honestly tells Vienna history for what it is - is right here. Maybe McCaffrey is referring to the club run by lunatic Town of Vienna political crony Laine Hyde?
February 08, 2009
And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson. Comments (28)
From the esteemed editors at the Sun Gazette:
Editorial: Mrs. Robinson and the End of an Era
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
An era will come to an end in June, when Maud Robinson retires as a member of the Vienna Town Council.
Robinson’s husband, Charles Robinson Jr., was first elected to the council in the early 1960s and later was elected mayor. Upon his death in 2000, Maud Robinson garnered a council seat, meaning that - with a brief interregnum of a few months - the family has served Vienna in elected office for 47 years.
We feel that Maud Robinson, like her husband, has been a voice of common-sense, small-town leadership during her tenure. That doesn’t mean we agree with her all the time, and her successive election victories don’t mean she is without critics in Vienna.
A small but vocal group of town residents consider her the puppetmaster of a governing cabal, and they use the Internet to chronicle what they perceive as her nefarious influence in town affairs.
Those critics have ample opportunity, every year, to field candidates for local office and take their case directly to the people. With a month left until the filing deadline for the May election, we’ll see if they run candidates, and we’ll see how Vienna voters respond.
February 06, 2009
Do You Think Vienna is Liveable? Comments (24)
Walkable Streets organization lists the criteria to assess the livability of a community. Obviously, certain ones will never apply (University, Magnificent Historic Architecture, et al) but does Vienna even meet one or two of these:
1. A livable city has walkable, mixed use, higher-density, mixed-income neighborhoods where it is a pleasant, short walk to a store, an office, a transit stop, a friends' house, a school or a park.2. A livable city has vibrant, exciting, sociable, charming, human-scaled pedestrian experiences.
3. A livable city has little or no wide, multi-lane, high-speed highway and road infrastructure within its central area. And few, if any, one-way streets, strip commercial development or cul-de-sacs.
4. A livable city has modest, traffic-calmed, tree-lined streets with on-street parking. Few, if any, roads are larger than 3 lanes in size.
5. A livable city has high-quality public squares and public parks.
6. A livable city has quality, locally-owned cuisine -- some of which feature outdoor cafes found on a vibrant sidewalk.
7. A livable city has quality transit. The service is frequent and easy to use.
8. A livable city has a quality nightlife. The city does not close down at 5 pm.
9. A livable city has quality bicycle and pedestrian facilities and a large number of bicyclists and pedestrians. Life without a car is perfectly possible and enjoyable.
10. A livable city has little in the way of surface parking -- particularly FREE off-street parking.
11. A livable city has a compact downtown full of higher-density housing and diverse retail.
12. A livable city has quality culture (entertainment, speeches, arts, etc.) and a quality university.
13. A livable city has a high degree of civic pride, and a tradition of working to protect their unique, treasured features.
14. A livable city has magnificent historic architecture.
15. A livable city has little in the way of excruciating, infuriating noise pollution (screaming emergency sirens, leaf blowers, vacuum trucks, helicopters, etc., are under control).
Scott McCaffrey of the Sun Gazette: A Corrupt Editor Comments (9)
Scott McCaffrey, Sun Gazette Editor
The article about Maud the other day in the Sun Gazette said this:
"That doesn’t mean we agree with her all the time..."
1. Who is "we"? The "we" is assumed to be Scott McCaffrey, Sun Gazette's lowly paid brown nose "editor". Remember this clown was in charge of the decision to not reveal which Council member proposed to ban video. Think about that. His reporter is the only one there when a Council person says let's ban video, and the editor of a newspaper doesn't report it? McCaffrey you are the lowest form of pond scum in the media.
2. What were the disagreements? Can you name ONE? Or was this just more happy talk to make it appear you don't only write what Maud says to write?
February 05, 2009
Down Town Debate Comments (5)
Post #1 Thomas:
As I see it, the whole town is on a course to nowhere. With the only financial entities with the ability to invest in this town being Oil Companies (read gas stations), lending institutions (read banks), and drugs companies (read drug stores) on one end of the spectrum, and the other being the plethora of nail salons and two bit stores just paying to the mortgage holders of all the old run down business lots, the present Town Council is essentially allowing this town to die on the vine. Then, what will happen, is there will be a spearhead charge from some gigantic developer with enough money and aggressive legal dealings (read another lawsuit against the TOV) so what we will see is the TOV bursting out of its cocoon into what they thought they would keep out of Vienna by keeping their heads in the dirt.4-5 Floor development interest will spring up all over the place, simply because these political sots think they are protecting Vienna, when in reality they are hurting the very good people who wish to develop small town development with the look and feel of an old town but with ability to attract interest from the varied and mix of stores and shops we would all like to see stay in Vienna: such as mix of real book stores, real clothing stores, attractive tech stores such as Apple or the likes, a real NY deli/restaurant (remember That's Amore, and rumor has it, that a very large restaurant that has been here for years will soon be gone, too... and the loss of Safeway and Magruders) well anyway, you get the picture...
We need someone who can attract interest in Vienna by doing what is smart to keep good businesses in Vienna, and NOT simply allow them to vanish with the result of having another drug store, gas station, or bank take it's place...
If you look at the bank/drug store/gas station density of Vienna and compare it to nearby towns such as Old Town Alexandria, Historic Fairfax, Historic Leesburg, Historic Falls Church, Arlington, Reston, Old Town Herndon... you will find that Vienna outweighs anyone of these places by more than 6x to 25x the amounts of any of these places. Now, that's NOT what I call progress. What we are catering to are the drive by shoppers, and not the citizens of Vienna.
Are we allowing for our investments of family growth and income investment to leave our town to support the CEO's of Exxon and Sunoco? Are we willing to allow our hard earned income to go into the pockets of the many Financial Institutions that are getting bailouts to survive, while at the same time, invest in all our business real estate, and deposits, with the resultant end product being that we lose the many longstanding Ma and Pa stores, restaurants, grocery stores, etc that we have all enjoyed and loved?
The current lot of Vienna Politicians have proved beyond and shadow of doubt that they don't not know or care about doing what Vienna needs. They would rather fight with the long time residents and business owners with petty back room dealing and nepotistic annointments (read Howard Springsteen) so that we can be assured we will get the same old corrupt machine for years to come.
Why not appoint one of the last people to run, like Deborah or Susan? I'll tell you why: they both are younger, brighter, full of new ideas that will better guide Vienna's required growth and development, but the most important reason Maud, Cole, Lovelace, Dellinger, Kelleher, Polychrones, and Seeman, have fought and even cheated to keep them out, is the simple fact that they don't want anyone with new ideas and independent thought they will not be able to control.
A matter of Control. Howard will simply be another puppet: he has shown that he is not afraid to exhibit a brown nose and he's not afraid of the smell of corruption and back room dealings, and when a person who works for the government is allowed to sit and make decisions that affect his duties to the County is not man enough to refuse this anointment, Vienna will simply get what it deserves: a continued trail of deception and abuse of power.
Vienna should wake up and smell the roses and refuse to accept even another second of this form of government, and demand better. We as tax payers should demand new leadership, new direction, and a new moral compass that will serve our interests and not the Oil Companies, Drug Stores, and Banks.
Post #2 Jack H:
I agree too, Thomas. I am troubled with what is going on in the world, with financial problems, both here and all around the world. And from what I can sense is, we are not doing enough to shelter ourselves from forces that would change our Town, Vienna, and all the things we take for granted. I have lived here for years, and when I see people speaking bad about our town, I get troubled. When I first started to view this website, I thought you were complaining about a bunch of sour grapes, and some posts, I have to admit, are slightly off base.But I can see there is some truth to some of the problems posted here. Why did the town do away with the 4th of July fireworks, for one. Could not better leadership have come up with some compromise, indeed, we have had them here for years without serious problems, and one night, things have changed overnight.
When I drive down Maple Avenue, and see miles of asphalt, and outdated use of real estate, and a bank or filling station at every corner, I am troubled that this town has no interest in development that serves us and not simply the commuters.
I can hardly afford to improve my house, I would like to add on an addition, but now, with falling home prices, I cannot afford to move elsewhere without taking a hit on what was supposed to be one of my best investments. So why does the town accept banks from what I understand brings relatively little tax dollars into our town when you compare the tax revenues that the town could use to lower the higher taxes they have to burden the families and homeowners to pay for the duplication of services we are already paying Fairfax County for?
Why? Has anyone on the council helped us? Why are we paying 4x's the going rate for water? Why do we pay for our own firestation, when my neighbor had a fire in his house, and Fairfax showed up about 9-10 minutes before Vienna, and when the Vienna fireman showed up, they appeared less professional and looking like they were litle kids when compared to the professionalism and efforts of the FAirfax County firemen. Why pay for both when we only need one?
What have they done to control the bad traffic we face on Maple Avenue, day after day?
Don't get me wrong, I like the parades and the small town charm, but from what I see, it's becoming more and more a parade for central America, and less for small town America.
We have higher crimes, 4x's the rape statistics when compared to Fairfax County, and what are we doing to stop it?
We at least need leaders who will bring real life solutions to our town, and not just sit for the glory of saying they won in the last election. Won what? What have they done to really help our town? We could still have parades without them, could we not?
well, anyway, I think Thomas is right, and I think we had some good leaders in years past, but for the present, I see a bunch of no nothings willing to sit and do nothing but show up at meetings, parades, and pretend they are helping our town, when in fcat, we could be doing better or just as well with Fairfax Co. at the helm.
Call me silly, but I dare someone to run against these people, and work hard to help Vienna, and not sit by and dream about yesterday!
Post #3 anne smith:
Jack H, This is what I keep saying here. Until we can get rid of the current failed leadership, all our complaining is a waste of time. Vienna has some serious problems & leadership is both unwilling and unable to address them. I also believe that the town might be better off disbanding & just being under county government. As you point out, most town services duplicate those provided by the county. Why does the town need an extra layer of government--especially such an incompetent one? Reston is an example of a place that is not a separate jurisdiction, yet it manages to provide all the quality-of-life "extras" that residents of vienna care so much about.
Post #4 Wyltn:
Unfortunately Reston does not read this blog and had recently been considering incorporating. I do not know what became of their plans. However, let's take Mclean as an example. Mclean has a Fairfax County Police Station, Community Center, Library, planning commission and all the other advantages we have in Vienna. They do not have the duplicate tax.
Post #5 Susan:
I was just in the City of Fairfax this morning. I had driven through it, but had not actually stopped and walked around. What an amazing job they did incorporating the new with the old. On one side of the street there are several old houses that are turned into shops, and on the other is the new development with shopping and outside eateries. Then one can walk safely to Main Street where it has still maintained its charm. Up the street there is still the Hotel which is a National Historic Landmark. It really demonstrates that when the City/Town has the ability to make their rules in zoning etc... what they can or can not do.Is a "Ghost Town" what this Town considers keeping Vienna preserved?
Post #6 Susan:
As you point out, most town services duplicate those provided by the county. Why does the town need an extra layer of government--especially such an incompetent one?POWER Anne POWER!
February 04, 2009
Magruders Update Comments (9)
Magruders posted today that the rumor that their lease is up is wrong:
I am one of the owners of Magruders. Whoever started this rumor should apologize to all of our employees and call me at 301-230-3000 ext 305 and tell me where they got this information. This is absolutly not true. Magruders has a number of years left on our lease and our store employees take great pride in operating a first class grocery store. The building maybe old but our store is not dirty. It is tough enough operating any business in today's envirnment but for someone to start such a damaging rumor is uncalled for. Gary Bortnick VP-COO
February 03, 2009
Town of Vienna Wins Historic District Case Comments (4)
A Judge on the circuit court level has ruled in favor of the Town of Vienna in regards to the historic district case. More to come.
