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Shopping For Gifts Follow on Twitter: @ffxconnection on Twitter: Follow Locally Holiday Gifts Guide, Page 10 Wellbeing Classified, Page 16 Classified, Page 13 ❖ A Show to Sports, Page 14 Ring in ❖ The Holidays News, Page 6 Helping Entertainment, Page 9 In Haiti News, Page 7 Requested in home 12-2-11 home in Requested Time sensitive material. sensitive Time Attention Postmaster: Attention PERMIT #322 PERMIT Easton, MD Easton, PAID U.S. Postage U.S. PRSRT STD PRSRT Photo by Jennifer Fedor www.ConnectionNewspapers.comDecember 1-7, 2011 online at www.connectionnewspapers.comFairfax Connection ❖ December 1-7, 2011 ❖ 1 2 ❖ Fairfax Connection ❖ December 1-7, 2011 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com The County Line Fairfax County presses to Water Wars control water as new of Laurie Horstm courtesy Photo development looms in By Nicholas Horrock The Connection Tysons and Merrifield. t’s not Owens Valley. There’s no William Mulholland, no IJack Nicholson or Faye Dunaway. But Fairfax County has a water war as real as that depicted in “Chinatown,” the ann 1974 film based on how Los An- Sharon geles got water. Bulova, Turkey Trot 5K winner Alex Clark of Burke crosses In the early 1900s, William Fairfax Linda Smyth John Foust Laurie Cole, the finish line. Mulholland, the superintendent of Board Chair- (D-Provi- (D- Vienna Town the Los Angeles Department of man dence) Dranesville) Council Power and Water, had a 223-mile aqueduct built from Owens Valley Supervisor John Cook (R- Board of Supervisors Chairman Turkey Trot California to Los Angeles to carry Braddock) said at the Nov. 1 meet- Sharon S. Bulova (D) said “that in- water to what was the state’s fast- ing that he felt the board was equity is something that is just un- est growing metropolis. He bought “heavy handed” in proposing the fair.” Big Success the water rights from the farmers ordinance and argued that the From 1981 to 2008, the City of of Owens Valley for about half board give more time to working Falls Church directed surplus water what the city could have paid and out an agreement with cities and revenues to its general tax fund. It $75,000 raised for nonprofit subterfuge was later charged. Lake towns. is estimated that some $58 million Owen dried up leaving an alkali He feared the action would im- were added to the town’s coffers. In Life with Cancer. desert. Los Angeles still gets half pact the negotiation on other is- January 2010, Fairfax Circuit Court its water from Owens Valley and sues between the county and mu- Judge R. Terrence Ney ruled that is trying to deal with the environ- nicipalities. this practice was in effect imposing By Bonnie Hobbs After all, said DeVincenzo, “The mental damage of this diversion “He’s right,” said Cole, “this will an unconstitutional tax on county The Connection intersection of Wetherburn to this day. make it harder.” Nevertheless, citizens and halted it. Court and Pleasant Valley Road Like Los Angeles in 1913, the Cook voted for the public hearing. But Falls Church officials assert he 23rd annual Virginia wasn’t meant to hold 6,000 Tysons Corner/Merrifield area in The Board of Supervisors voted that Fairfax County is taking steps TRun Turkey Trot is now people.” Fairfax County is anticipated to be 9 to 1 to move forward with the that might not be legal or appro- in the record books — “Dean has been bringing the fastest growing section of the hearing. The nay vote came from priate. and it was one of the largest and State Troopers with him to ev- county in the next decades. Tysons Pat S. Herrity, (R-Springfield) who “We have shared our concerns most successful races in the ery race since 1989,” added alone is slated to grow from an said the Democratic majority on with Fairfax County that the pro- event’s history. Between the 5K Horstmann. “That year, we only edge city of 100,000 day workers the board hurried the ordinance posed ordinance is legally question- race and 2K fun walk, almost had 150 runners and it snowed, and 19,000 residents, to an urban before Election Day to help the able and anti-competitive, and not 6,000 people registered for the so Dean was the only one.” center with 200,000 workers and candidacy of John W. Foust, (D. in the best interests of our custom- Thanksgiving Day event. Winning last week’s 5K race a population of 100,000 people Dranesville). Foust won re-election ers,” said Lawrence Webb, City This year’s Turkey Trot was was 19-year-old Alex Clark of living primarily in high rise build- with 61 percent of the vote. Councilman and member of the run in memory of long-time, Burke in a time of 16:05. Cap- ings. It would still draw upwards The water battle in Fairfax has Falls Church Public Utilities Com- Virginia Run resident Wes Neff, turing second place was Scott of 55,000 shoppers daily to its been a protracted issue for over a mission, in an email. “Unfortu- who died of cancer in February Maxfield, 21, of Oak Hill in upscale stores. decade. Right after World War II, nately, the county has not responded at age 53. And proceeds from 16:25. Taking third was Taylor Supplying water to this me- long before Fairfax County’s ex- to these concerns and appears to be the event raised some $75,000 Torino, 19, of Fairfax in 16:29. tropolis could be worth millions traordinary growth, county homes rushing this through to approval.” for Life with Cancer, Inova The top female finishers were, and perhaps billions over the com- outside of the towns got their wa- Supervisors Linda Q. Smyth (D- Health System’s nonprofit pro- respectively, Kerry Hartman, 22, ing years. ter from wells. Providence) and Catherine gram for cancer patients and of Centreville in 18:33.5; Alisa The Fairfax County Board of Laurie Cole said Vienna pro- Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill) have their families. Harvey, 46, of Manassas in Supervisors set Dec. 6 for a public vided service to customers outside large numbers of constituents who “That was terrific,” said event 18:41.4; and Hayley Sullivan, 22, hearing on a proposed ordinance of the town as the county rezoned pay what they say are exorbitant Co-chair Dominic DeVincenzo. of Burke in 18:49. that would allow the board to set land for development in areas prices for Falls Church water. Last “I’m very proud of everybody in “It was a terrific turnout and maximum water rates and fees for where the county could not pro- spring, after Falls Church an- the community and everybody a beautiful morning for the residents even if they get water vide service. nounced it might have to raise its who participated.” He said event,” said Horstmann. “The from other municipal water utili- She said the town extended its fees, Smyth and Hudgins asked the some 4,200 people registered founder and director of Life ties, Falls Church, City of Fairfax, water mains and increased its ca- Consumer Protection Commission for the 5K and 3,750 actually with Cancer [LWC], Gordon Herndon and Vienna. pacity at Fairfax County’s request. to study the fee structure. did it. Hay — who will be retiring at It would also allow the Board of “We have provided excellent wa- Among its finding was that Falls “Running is really popular, the end of the year — was out Supervisors to set service areas for ter service to customers inside and Church continues to undercharge and this race is for a good cause to start the race.” Fairfax Water, the county’s water outside the Town for decades,” for hookups to win new custom- and really resonates with “Everything went well,” utility, which would be areas of Cole said. ers and expand its territories, but people, so they come back year added DeVincenzo. “I’m ex- future development where build- Falls Church has a similar story, charges older customers for the after year,” said DeVincenzo. hausted, but very happy.” ers would be required to hook up but with a twist. Falls Church increased costs of new business. “And we had great community Since its inception, the Tur- to Fairfax Water. charges some 60 percent more for Under the new rate, effective support. Last year and this year, key Trot has raised more than Laurie Genevro Cole, a member its water than Fairfax residents pay Oct. 1, Fall Church would charge we raised the most money ever $720,000 for LWC. “In 2010, of Vienna’s town council, said the Fairfax Water. The city serves a typical Fairfax County resident with this event.” we raised $76,000 and had over way the board is proceeding with about 34,000 accounts; some 90 $62.13 per quarter, some 60 per- He also tipped his hat to his 4,400 participants,” said the ordinance “smacks of a power percent of those are outside of the cent more than Fairfax Water’s co-chair, Laurie Horstmann, for Horstmann. “But we could not grab.” She said the mayor and City of Falls Church. County offi- charge of $38.76. doing such a wonderful job or- put on the race without the council in Vienna had no prior cials estimate some 100,000 It was from this consumer’s re- ganizing the event, and to Vir- community volunteers, our warning of the ordinance, despite Fairfax residents are getting wa- port that Fairfax County’s outgo- ginia State Trooper Dean Jones generous sponsors or our loyal the fact that discussions on the ter from municipalities and in the ing county executive, Anthony H.

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