July 2009 Archives
July 27, 2009
Tour de Maple Avenue Coming to an End? Comments (6)
Vienna Council to Tackle Amendments to Bicycle Rules
July 26, 2009, Sun Gazette
At its Aug. 17 meeting, the Vienna Town Council will hold a public hearing on proposed amendments to the Vienna Bikeway Plan, a portion of the Town Code, concerning bicycle riding on sidewalks.
The meeting will begin at 8 p.m. at Town Hall.
Unlike some local jurisdictions, the Town of Vienna permits children under 11 years of age to ride a bicycle on a sidewalk at any time, and bicyclists of all ages can ride on the sidewalk when it is hazardous to ride in the roadway.
With the overall increase in traffic in Northern Virginia, pedestrians are having to share the sidewalks with more and more bicyclists, town officials said.
“Bicyclists sometimes seem to forget that while riding on a sidewalk, they must follow the duties and obligations of a pedestrian when crossing a roadway or at a crosswalk,” town officials said in a statement. “The proposed bikeway plan amendments clarify the legal duties and obligations of bicyclists riding on sidewalks and bike paths.”
July 18, 2009
Another Crime Statistic That We Really Don't Want to Talk About Comments (13)
Admitting a problem just means losing our charm, eh?
Woman assaulted on W&OD Trail Source: Fairfax County Times Wed, July 15, 2009At about 2 p.m. on July 15, a 25-year-old woman was assaulted while jogging on the Washington and Old Dominion Park Trail in Vienna between Ayrhill Avenue and the northern Vienna town line, near the bridge to Northside Park. As the woman was running, a man approached her on a brown or tan "cruiser" style bicycle.
The man rode toward the woman from the front, stopped his bicycle, and got off. He then exposed his genitals to the woman and began shouting at her.
As the woman attempted to run away from the man, he grabbed her and threw her to the ground. He then positioned himself on top of her and continued exposing himself and shouting, according to a release.
The woman was able to break free and fend off the attacker. She ran for assistance and a citizen called police. The assailant left the scene on his bicycle.
The assailant is described as white, 35-45 years old, clean shaven, well tanned, wearing black swim trunks and no shirt. He wore white sneakers and a black cyclist-type hat with the brim flipped up.
July 16, 2009
The Sidewalk Debate Continues... Comments (10)
From vienna kid:
well you people are all pretty stupid. i walk in the middle of the streets all the time and i have been hit by cars 0 times. killing all the trees in vienna (quote from viennamommy: Icannot think of one tree I value more than a human life. And, that goes for the Cedars along Windover Avenue or the Black Walnuts along Lewis Street. Take 'em all down and put in sidewalks and storm water management.) We can't do that, because all of you idiots drive big gas guzzling SUVs and that would kill the earth. Have a little respect for the earth, cuz if we cut down all the trees, there isn't going to be any more oxygen and we wont be able to live. I would be willing to bet that viennamommy is one of those idiots that supports cutting down all trees in sight. And about all of your arguments about sidewalks, I think I would know more about the effects of them more than any of you, considering I'm 14 and had to walk to my bus stop at 6:30 in the morning, every morning. Honestly, sidewalks don't help a bit when you have to cross lawyers and none of you horrible drivers will stop at a stop sign even long enough to actually stop. When kids in school who are running around are told to stop, they stop. They don't simply stop running and jog or walk, and if they don't stop, they are punished. All you people need to realize that sidewalks don't save lives, better drivers do.
July 13, 2009
Attempted Robbery with a Firearm on Park Street S.E. Comments (8)
Town of Vienna, Virginia Police Department news release:
Attempted Robbery with a FirearmOn July 11, 2009 at approximately 11:04 p.m. several individuals were walking home along Park Street, SE in Vienna, Virginia. Near the area of Park Street and Talahi Road, two armed individuals confronted the group and demanded their belongings.
A short time later during the confrontation one of the victims was struck in the head with a small caliber handgun. The two assailants then fled the area. The Fairfax County Police Department’s helicopter and K-9 units responded and assisted in a search of the area. The assailants were not located.
The two assailants are described as black males, approximately 20 years of age, average build and approximately 5’ 10” tall. One subject was wearing a white tee shirt and the other a black one. Both subjects had bandanas covering their faces. One subject was wearing a red bandana, the other a black and white one.
Anyone with any information regarding this incident is asked to call Detective Jim Sheeran at 703-255-7826.
July 05, 2009
What Would Happen to Vienna? Does it Even Matter?! Comments (7)
To Be or Not to Be Fairfax County? That Is the Question Residents, Leaders Ask in the Increasingly Urban SuburbBy Sandhya Somashekhar and Amy Gardner
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, July 5, 2009Fairfax County has long been viewed as the ultimate burb, where Washington goes to walk the dog and water the lawn. But the more residents look around, the more they see what many have tried to avoid: high-rise offices, blight, crime and housing that's more likely to have a balcony than a back yard.
That changing reality came into focus last week when County Executive Anthony H. Griffin raised the possibility of officially making Fairfax a city, prompting discussion among county supervisors about whether the community of more than 1 million residents should highlight its status as an enormous jobs center that is rapidly urbanizing or embrace its classic suburban nature.
The basis for the idea is largely tactical -- under state law, cities have more taxing power and greater control over roads than counties do -- and it led to more than a few snickers about the thrilling nightlife in downtown Fairfax (punch line: there isn't any).
Regardless of whether the county changes its status, a process that requires approval from voters, the state and courts, the discussion underscored a growing tension within Virginia's largest jurisdiction. What does Fairfax want to be? A giant urban expanse like many new Sun Belt cities? Or more of a residential suburb, with a handful of urbanized pockets sprinkled in?
The Fairfax of today is somewhere in between. Its 400 square miles include a sea of cul-de-sacs, parks, pools and soccer fields, especially in its southern and western stretches. McLean and Great Falls remain high-end havens for some of the region's most exclusive addresses. Clifton still feels like the country.
Meanwhile, dense, Arlington County-style urban villages are quickly claiming the skylines of Vienna, Merrifield and Springfield, and county plans envision those and other developments ballooning over the next decade. Tysons Corner is already an economic and commercial behemoth, and it's only going to get bigger as development clusters around the Metrorail extension. The Route 1 corridor and other pockets are increasingly marked by blight.
On an uncrowded weekday afternoon at Old Keene Mill Swim and Racquet Club in Burke last week, Fairfax's still-shining suburban glory was on display. A gaggle of children with rackets under their arms ran up a hill to tennis courts. A mother coated her daughter with sunscreen by the pool, where a few dozen kids splashed and adults sat under giant umbrellas. Another mother walked from her car with packets of hot dogs and buns toward the club's grills and picnic tables.
"I personally would hate to see any more of a city feel to Fairfax County," Nancy Ohanian, 52, said while floating on foam noodles with her 9-year-old daughter. "We're losing so many trees. And I sure don't want to see my taxes go any higher."
Continue reading "What Would Happen to Vienna? Does it Even Matter?!" »
July 02, 2009
"We doin' big pimpin' up in Cedar Lane" Comments (11)
Arrests: Prostitution, Receiving Money from a Prostitute’s Earnings
200 Block Cedar Lane, SE June 11A suspicious individual was observed by Detective Sheeran and interviewed. The investigation revealed that the individual was delivering a call girl for prostitution. Detective Sheeran located the girl and arrested them both. Marcos Vincicio Guardado Baires, 25, of 24th Avenue in Hyattsville, Maryland was charged with Receiving Money from a Prostitute’s Earnings. Ely D. Carela, 29, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey was charged with Prostitution. Both individuals were transported to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
