Mt. Vernon Unitarian Church (MVUC) Members Dir.: G.W
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Mount Vernon’s Hometown Newspaper • A Connection Newspaper February 16, 2017 Page 10 Fear Follows ICE Enforcement D.C. But he also said he had never seen an Men said to be incident with law enforcement like this in his life. detained after Roach and Brewster, longtime residents of the area, echoed Ramirez. “I’ve been here leaving Mount by Photo all my life,” Roach said, “I’ve never seen anything like this. It happened really fast, Vernon shelter. it was like a kidnapping.” By Tim Peterson Tim Peterson Tim The Gazette SINCE THAT WEDNESDAY morning, the three said they’ve seen similar unmarked round 6:45 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. police cars in the area of the church off and 8, Oscar Ramirez, Marvin Roach, on. AThermon Brewster and other /The Gazette According to an ICE official, just two in- men emerged from the hypoth- dividuals were arrested Wednesday in that ermia shelter at Rising Hope United Meth- area, as part of routine activity. odist Mission Church on Russell Road in the “Every day, as part of routine targeted Mount Vernon Area of Alexandria. Many enforcement operations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests walked next door to 7-Eleven for cold beers, From left, immigration attorney Nicholas Marritz speaks with Oscar criminal aliens and other individuals who they said, to begin planning the day out, as Ramirez, Marvin Roach and Thermon Brewster about their experience are in violation of our nation’s immigration is their routine. being questioned, and in Ramirez’ case temporarily detained, by ICE laws,” the official said in a statement. When they began crossing the parking lot officers on Wednesday, Feb. 8 in Alexandria. towards the Aldi grocery store, opposite The official could not confirm other as- Rising Hope, a flurry of at least half a dozen formation. the country. He admitted he isn’t a U.S. citi- pects of the men’s story, and insisted ICE unmarked police cars descended on the Ramirez, however, was surrounded by zen, but holds a green card and was granted does not detain people in vans, as the men group, Ramirez, Roach and Brewster said. officers, along with several other Latino a suspension of deportation by U.S. Citizen- described. “Like it was a setup or something,” said men and told to stand against a wall while ship and Immigration Services because he “ICE conducts targeted immigration en- Brewster. keeping their hands visible. Ramirez is a had been a resident for so long and has forcement in compliance with federal law Officers with uniforms reading “POLICE” native of El Salvador but said he moved to three daughters all born in America. and agency policy,” the statement contin- and “ICE” (U.S. Immigration and Customs the United States in 1986, when he was just Officers told Ramirez he was OK, and was ues, “ICE does not conduct sweeps or raids Enforcement) immediately told the men to a boy. free to go. Other men, he said, were shack- that target aliens indiscriminately.” stop where they were. The officers didn’t The Latino men were also asked if they led and shoved into a large white van. Though the statement is at odds with the identify themselves other than that, the had seen the men on the computer screen, When the van pulled up, all three men men’s account, Ramirez said there is genu- three men said, and weren’t displaying said Ramirez, who attempted to help trans- said, there were already men inside, some ine fear in the Latino community. Businesses weapons. late for some of the other men. But, after of whom were crying. A number of men including the laundromat usually fre- Roach and Brewster, both Caucasian, being singled out, they were also questioned from the shelter were put in the van, which quented by Latinos in that shopping center were shown pictures of men on a computer, about their immigration status. drove away. have been barren in the last week. they said, and asked by officers if they had Ramirez said he wasn’t asked for photo Ramirez said he knows some of them have “People are staying in, they’re scared,” he seen any of them. Neither were asked for identification, just his date of birth, Social minor criminal records, and one was fac- said. any kind of identification or nationality in- Security number and date when he entered ing charges for a robbery in Washington, See Fear Follows, Page 5 Storck Holds Back Bock Farm Decision New Acting Changes to require new public hearing. Head at WPHS West Potomac High School upervisor Dan Storck (D- re-start the process but will require cluded: B, a senior community thing that makes more sense.” principal Alex Case and assis- SMount Vernon) has asked to them to continue to work with staff proposal, but with lower building Results of an online community tant principal Michelle Lyttle again postpone Board of and community on refinements to height (50 feet) and approxi- survey on the Bock property op- are both on administrative Supervisors action on develop- their concepts.” mately five to 10 fewer units; and tions, conducted by Storck’s office, leave. ment for the Bock, or Hinson, One initial proposal that passed C, a proposal of 35-40 units of are available here: http:// In a letter sent to parents on Farm property in Mount Vernon. the Planning Commission and has townhomes that aren’t age-re- www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ Feb. 13, Fairfax County Pub- Storck’s office said his motion at already come before the supervi- stricted and would be around 35 mountvernon/documents/ lic School Region 3 assistant the Feb. 14 supervisors meeting sors was for a senior (55+) com- feet in height, not including the bock_farm_survey_results.pdf superintendent Terry Dade was a “referral back” to the Plan- munity with four, four-story build- peaks of the roofs. explained assistant principal ning Commission to allow the ap- ings with 128 units at 55 ft in Storck said he thinks the second — Tim Peterson See New, Page 5 plicant, developer Joe Francone, height, including underground and third options both make more to bring forward an updated pro- structured parking. sense than the first, however at posal. However Storck said that he this point, the applicant may come 2/17/17 Requested in home in Requested “Given the needed changes to doesn’t support that option. back with an entirely new option. material. the development plan,” Storck’s At a community meeting last “The bottom line is it was de- Time-sensitive Postmaster: motion read, “these changes will month, Francone introduced two ferred,” Storck said in an inter- Attention require a new public hearing be- other options that addressed some view. Which he said was the only #482 Permit Alexandria, VA Alexandria, fore the Planning Commission and community members’ concerns way for the applicant to move for- PAID U.S. Postage U.S. Board of Supervisors. This action over the height of the first option. ward in a way that could go STD PRSRT will not require the applicant to Those secondary options in- “cheaper, faster and with some- www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ February 16-22, 2017 ❖ 1 2 ❖ Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ February 16-22, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Mount Vernon Gazette Editor Steven Mauren News 703-778-9415 or [email protected] County Executive Proposes $4.10 Billion Budget Calls for no increase in real estate taxes; falls $61 million short of schools’ request. By Andrea Worker The Gazette n exercise in “triage and trade- offs” was how Mount Vernon Dis- Atrict Supervisor Daniel Storck described the FY 2018 budget as proposed by County Executive Ed Long to Gazette Worker/The by Andrea Photos the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Feb. 14. “There are really no surprises here, but it is still sobering” to see the results in black and white, added Supervisor Jeff McKay (Lee). Long is proposing a General Fund bud- County Executive Ed Long said the get of $4.10 billion. proposed budget maintains com- The highlights of the 60-plus slide pre- mitment to the county’s financial sentation include: policies addressing needs for both ❖ $1.97 billion for Fairfax County Public county and schools, but in the end School operations, as well as School capi- “the county’s needs are much tal construction projects with $13.1 million, greater than our resources.” and School debt service transfer of $189.13 Members of “Invest in Fairfax” rally at the Government Center million. not sustainable within existing revenue re- during the presentation of the proposed FY 2018 budget. ❖ Additionally, $83.4 million for school sources.” programs and services such as Head Start, ❖ Reductions and savings included in the for individuals with developmental disabili- grams for people with disabilities and break- Health and Behavioral Science Services and Advertised FY2018 Budget total over $13.0 ties, information technology investments, ing promises to our frontline professionals.” after-school programs. million, generated through agency-identi- and funding to replace fire and rescue ap- Broder and his group are calling on the ❖ Funding for performance, merit and fied opportunities, other post-employment paratus. These items together carry costs public to engage in the budget process and longevity increases for county employees. benefits, fuel savings, and cost realign- upwards of $125 million. make their voices heard. “We need to re- ❖ 18 relief Police Sergeant positions and ments. The budget falls $61 million short of the member that these services and our schools $2.7 million for pay scale levelling for uni- The proposed budget is balanced at the amount requested by the School Board.