Town Square May Be Named for Civic Leader John Robinson Jr
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INSIDE: Despite concerns, Westover school wins OK • Page 2 Enjoy FREE E-edition Access at www.sungazette.news our local newspaper keeps you connected 6 Opinion Yto the faces, places, information and Keep events that matter most to you. Now with 12 Real Estate print and online, we’ve made it easier than 3 16 14 Police Beat HOSPITAL ROUNDUP In ever to keep your fi nger on the pulse of what’s 16 Sports happening in the community. CEO WINS OF FIELD- 19 Classified Touch ACCOLADES HOCKEY 22 Crossword FOR SERVICE RESULTS 22 55+ News Sun Gazette ARLINGTON’S SOURCE FOR HOMETOWN NEWS SINCE 1935 VOLUME 84 NO. 41 SEPT. 26-OCT. 2, 2019 Town Square May Be Named for Civic Leader John Robinson Jr. Was Active in Green Valley Community for Decades SCOTT McCAFFREY Town Square.” Clark said the name of Robinson won out Staff Writer The announcement that Robinson’s name over other options in a community vote. The was the preferred choice of the community naming itself rests with the County Board, For decades of service to his South Arling- was made by Green Valley Civic Association which might be expected to go along with the Individuals, students, group honored at annual Green Valley ton community, what has been known in its president Portia Clark at the Sept. 21 Green community’s preference. Day celebration. See story on planning stages as the Nauck Town Square is Valley Day celebration, held at Charles Drew Page 7. likely to be known as the “John Robinson Jr. Elementary School. Continued on Page 11 FOOTBALL SEASON ROLLS FORWARD Washington-Liberty High School quarterback Andrew Bolfek is in the pocket to pass as lineman Victor Splan provides protection by blocking Edison’s Deshawn Whalen in a Sept. 13 game. Bolfek threw the winning touchdown pass in that contest, then tossed two more scoring passes Sept. 20 in W-L’s 19-17 home loss to the Wakefield Warriors. See a story about the Sept. 20 game in Sports and find a link to Sun Gazette photo slideshows at https://sungazette.news. PHOTO BY DEB KOLT ONLINE www.sungazette.news l On Facebook: sungazettenews l On Twitter: @sungazettenews @sungazettespts Local Postal Customer Postal Local 2910 N Greenbrier Street Arlington, VA 22207 Expanded, renovated, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths with 2-car garage in Discovery ES, Williamsburg MS, and Yorktown HS school district. PERMIT NO. 605 605 NO. PERMIT Frederick, MD Frederick, PAID If you would like more information, please contact U.S. POSTAGE U.S. Betsy Twigg | 703.967.4391 | [email protected] | BetsyTwigg.com ECRWSS PRSRT STD PRSRT 4720 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA 22207 | 703.525.1900 | McEnearney.com Timeline Trumps Trees; Westover School Is OK’d New Elementary Is Set to Open in 2021 Czech and Slovak SCOTT McCAFFREY at $49 million, grew to $55 million over Staff Writer the course of the design project. Bergin said several weeks ago he was hopeful that Fall Festival There will be no stay of execution for a half-million dollars could be wrung out any of the trees on the chopping block of the construction budget and returned Sponsored by the Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences, as the Arlington school system moves to school-system coffers, and the county Washington, D.C. Chapter forward with a new elementary school in government recently agreed to chip in Westover. about $2.75 million for joint-use facili- School Board members on Sept. 19 ties. Saturday, October 5, 2019 voted to approve a construction contract While the tree issue took up much of 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. for the $55 million project, which will the discussion during the past month, St. Luke Orthodox Church drop a 725-student facility adjacent to some said it overshadowed the comple- 6801 Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA Westover Library on North McKinley tion of a successful planning process for Road near Washington Boulevard. the new school. ADMISSION: $10 per family, $5 per individual The vote came despite concerns raised The project signifies “a school that will by some local residents that Arlington be the heart of our community,” said Van- Public Schools isn’t doing as much as it essa Guest, who represented the Leeway- Food, Pilsner beer, traditional ceramics, crafts, books for sale should to address tree-removal issues. Overlee Civic Association on the build- Early sale of traditional Christmas cookies and pastries— “APS is developing a reputation as be- ing-level planning committee that worked Freeze them! ing one of the main threats to the mature- with the architect and school system on Entertainment for children: balloon twisting, face painting, ice tree canopy we have here in Arlington the project. cream today,” said Joshua Handler, a member Losing some mature trees is one of a Children from Sokol organizations performing in folk costumes of the Urban Forestry Commission, who myriad number of tradeoffs in a complex Sing and Dance to the tunes of the Slovanka Band! testified that “some small tweaks” to the construction project, Guest suggested. design plan could save a number of ad- “Like any plan, there are compro- ditional trees tagged for the chopper. mises,” she said, predicting that the new But school officials, perhaps uncon- school would “provide a first-rate educa- sciously channeling the German military tional environment.” high command’s rationale for bulldozing School officials will be planting more through neutral Belgium on their way into trees than they are removing, but that has France in 1914, pointed to their timetable not quelled community concerns about as being inviolable if they are to meet stra- the potential impact on stormwater run- tegic objectives. off – and on concerns that tree-preserva- The time had come to “move forward tion is not at the top of the school system’s so we can open the school building on agenda. time,” School Board Vice Chairman Mo- “I feel wronged,” one neighbor said, nique O’Grady said at the Sept. 19 meet- suggesting a final decision on the design ing. had been made months before by school- And that time is now. system power-brokers. “We now have everything in hand,” A Sept. 16 walking tour of the site, said Ben Bergin, assistant director of de- conducted by the architectural team, sign/construction for VMDO Architects, brought out neighbors and did result in which is overseeing the project for the one partial victory for tree-preservation school system. advocates. Construction work needs to spool up Bergin said there would be a review before winter sets in, so the school can be and possible modification of the geother- ready for occupancy by the start of the mal-well-field design, an effort to make it 2021-22 school year, Bergin said. more likely one endangered tree survives The school’s price tag, initially pegged the construction process. Rob Ferguson is as local as they come. A lifelong Northern Virginian with more than 24 years of Arlington real estate expertise, Rob knows the neighborhoods and the local market. Let Rob show you how his clients become clients for life. Rob Ferguson GRI & Associate Broker 703-926-6139 www.fergusonrealestateteam.com 2 September 26, 2019 www.sungazette.news Hospital CEO Celebrated for Civic Leadership For his quarter-century-and-count- ing service to the Arlington community, Virginia Hospital Center president and CEO Jim Cole was honored with the 2019 Community Service Award by the Kiwan- is Club of Arlington. Cole’s leadership has created a “feeling that each and every [hospital] employee is truly dedicated, and treats you with re- spect and compassion,” said Tom Parker, chair of the community-service commit- tee, during the Sept. 18 presentation. Parker said Cole was being honored, in part, because of his low-key yet hands-on approach to leadership. “He is not one to toot his own horn,” Parker said, but “he has led [Virginia Hospital Center] to be one of America’s top 100 hospitals three years in a row.” Cole said he appreciated being hon- ored by the Kiwanis Club, which has a focus on serving youth. “It’s more than an honor, [given] the Tom Parker, left, of the Kiwanis Club of Arlington presents Virginia Hospital Center president and CEO Jim Cole with the organization’s 2019 work you have done for children around Community Service Award last week. PHOTO BY DICK BARR the world and especially in our commu- nity,” he said. reach effort of the hospital providing ient of the award, having set a tone from Cole, who several years ago was in- Collaboration between the hospital medical services to at-risk youth. his leadership position. ducted into the Arlington Business Hall and the service organization dates back “Kiwanis steps up – you somehow “Jim has created a culture of kindness, of Fame, also was saluted for his service 75 years – in 1944, the year what was then always know what’s needed,” said Betsy and it permeates every single corner of in the community. He opted to keep his known as Arlington Hospital opened, the Frantz, president of the Virginia Hospital the hospital,” she said. remarks brief, recalling the advice that Kiwanis Club of Arlington provided the Center Foundation and a previous recipi- The hospital has embarked on a three- those receiving accolades should just say funds for a refrigeration system for the ent of the community-service award for year, $250 million expansion plan that will “thank you” and be pretty. hospital’s blood bank. her work heading up the Leadership Cen- bring new outpatient facilities to a parcel (“I’m doing the best I can,” he dead- More recently, the club has supported ter for Excellence.