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PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Alexandria, VA Alexandria Permit #482 Gazette Packet Attention Postmaster: Time-sensitive material. Address Service Requested To: 1604 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314 25 Cents Vol. CCXXIV, No. 27 Serving Alexandria for over 200 years • A Connection Newspaper July 3, 2008 Folkerts Elected Chairwoman School Board selects new leadership for a period of transition. By Michael Lee Pope Gazette Packet uring one recent School Board meeting, the interim personnel Ddirector made a recommenda- tion to the interim superinten- dent that the school system should hire an interim principal at T.C. Williams High by Photo School. It was a revealing moment about the drastic changes that are taking place in the school system, culminating this week Michael Lee Pope in the departure of former Chairwoman Claire Eberwein who officially stepped down from her position as an elected offi- cial on Monday. When School Board mem- bers convened Tuesday morning for their annual organization meeting, they selected /Gazette Packet Yvonne Folkerts as their new chairwoman, and Sheryl Gorsuch was selected as vice chairwoman. “In terms of a policy goal for the next year, I would say that creating a strategic plan will be our biggest goal,” she said after the Executive Director of Information and Outreach Amy Carlini photographs the School Board, unanimous vote Tues- “I think the board is with newly installed Chairwoman Yvonne Folkerts sitting in the center. day morning. “That’s something we’ve all beginning to pull itself often found themselves Rebecca Perry that a majority of board mem- “I was disappointed that she was part of said we wanted.” deeply divided over a bers were interested in finding a new su- the group of five that excluded the rest of Unanimity has been together and work number of issues. The perintendent. Peabody later described the the School Board,” said Alexandria busi- in short supply on the more harmoniously.” disagreements culmi- meeting as a “courtesy call,” but the four nessman Jack Taylor, who supported School Board. Since nated last year, when minority members described the process as Folkerts during the 2006 campaign. “As of their election in 2006, — Connie Ring, former Chairman overly secretive and potentially illegal. right now, I probably wouldn’t be one of the current School former School Board chairman Arthur Peabody told Folkerts was one of the five majority mem- Board members have former Superintendent bers who voted to oust Perry. See New Leadership, Page 31 Alexandria Gazette Packet clipsed City And Mirant Reach Agreement $34 million escrow Potomac River Generating Station . “Del” Pepper in opening the Monitoring Arts ❖ Entertainment ❖ Leisure But, their action did not make it a done Group’s four hour session. She, along with account to pay for deal. The agreement had to be ratified by Councilman Paul Smedberg, chaired the City Council, the State Air Pollution Con- Monday night meeting. pollution controls. trol Board, and the State Department of “It looks like the proposal we have be- Environmental Quality (VDEQ). The first of fore us might really help to clear up some those entities, Alexandria City Council, of this matter. But, I want to emphasize this By Chuck Hagee voted unanimously to accept the agreement is not the end. We still want the plant to Gazette Packet during a special session the evening of July close. But, I believe this is a step in the right 1. direction,” she said. t 11:30 p.m. on June 30, 2008, a “This night has been a long time in com- “As much as we all might want the plant Ahistoric agreement was reached by ing. We heard of many health problems to go away tomorrow that’s not going to the Mirant Community Monitoring from residents over the years. But they were happen. But, this agreement will go a long Trolley Troubles Group that just may end the philosophical only stories until a definitive study was way in getting the plant cleaned up in the The City plans to add audio information about Old Town in the coming months. gridlock between Mirant and Alexandria undertaken by Elizabeth Chimento and Poul Outdoors,Markets, Page 37 over the operation of the company’s Hertel,” said Alexandria Vice Mayor Redella See Agreement, Page 4 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Alexandria Gazette Packet ❖ July 3-9, 2008 ❖ 1 2 ❖ Alexandria Gazette Packet ❖ July 3-9, 2008 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Alexandria Gazette Editor Mary Anne Weber News 703-917-6431 or [email protected] Council Notebook Summer Campaigns Launch Limiting Alcohol Sales in Arlandria Special elections have notoriously low turnouts, especially ones that take place in the dead of summer. Last year, for example, 11 p.m. But the city’s planning department is still when former Vice Mayor Andrew Macdonald unexpectedly City officials move forward waiting to hear from franchise owners for the 7- resigned, voters went to the polls in a low-turnout July election with a plan to ask Arlandria Eleven on Glebe Road and the 7-Eleven on Mount in which Democrat Justin Wilson narrowly beat out Republi- Vernon Avenue as to whether they would be willing can Bill Cleveland. Only 9,000 of the 80,000 registered voters retailers to voluntary limit to participate a voluntary agreement to limit alcohol showed up for that election, which was citywide. sales. For a second consecutive summer, Alexandria will once again alcohol sales. “We can’t string this business along indefinitely,” face a summertime special election. This year voters will select a said Mayor Euille before voting to defer making a replacement for former School Board Chairwoman Claire By Michael Lee Pope decision on the issue until after the summer recess. Eberwein, who resigned her position last month to move to Aus- Gazette Packet “We’ve got to make a decision to do it or not do it.” tria with her family. Because School Board members represent Efforts to stem crime in Arlandria dates back to districts, only voters in the centrally located “District B” will be everal months from now, Arlandria shoppers 2006, when police Capt. Eddie Reyes was appointed able to participate in the Aug. 12 special election. Alexandria Reg- might not be able to get a six pack of beer “Arlandria area commander” and put in charge of istrar Tom Parkins said he expects about 1,200 of the 30,000 after 11 p.m. Even though Virginia law al coordinating city services and crime prevention ef- registered voters in the District B to participate. S lows most retailers to sell beer and wine until forts. But crime statistics show a mixed picture for “Absentee voting will be very important in this election because midnight, city officials have been working on a plan the neighborhood tucked between Del Ray and the so many people have summer vacations,” said Parkins. “It’s im- to ask Arlandria business owners to voluntarily limit Arlington border. Incidents of violent crime have gone portant for voters to know that they can already apply for their sales as a deterrent to crime. The success of the en- down slightly since Reyes was appointed Arlandria absentee ballot now.” deavor now rests with on two 7-Eleven franchise area commander, decreasing from 149 in 2006 to Potential candidates have until July 14 to file with the registrar’s owners in Arlandria, the only re- 141 in 2007. The largest decrease office. At press time, only one candidate had filed the necessary tailers who have yet to agree to a in that category has been aggra- paperwork — educational consultant Elynn Simons, who ran proposal supported by the Alexan- vated assault, which has decreased an unsuccessful campaign for School Board in 2006. Absentee dria Police Department. from 32 in 2006 to 20 in 2007. voting will begin on July 18, with the mail-in deadline on Aug. 5 “We’re hoping that they will be Other statistics have seen an in- and in-person absentee voting available through Aug. 9. receptive,” said Deputy Planning crease, with instances of disorderly Director Rich Josephson, who is conduct rising from 46 in 2007 to Another Monitoring Group leading the city’s effort to seek 59 in 2007. Reyes said that under- voluntary compliance. “At this standing the statistics has to take Now that the city has reached a settlement in its longstanding point, we are still trying to contact into account the rising number of dispute with the Mirant coal-fired power plant on the Potomac the two franchise owners.” patrols moving through Arlandria River, city leaders have moved their attention west. Over the last Back in 2006, police officials on a regular basis. month, anger has been building over Norfolk Southern’s decision suggested that the City Council “Most people don’t report disor- to quietly convert an old truck transferring operation into an etha- members limit alcohol sales to 10 derly conduct, so that’s mostly nol loading facility. Yet opinions have been divided over how to p.m. at one particular Arlandria something an officer would iden- mobilize against Norfolk Southern, the powerful Fortune 500 retailer known as “24 Express.” tify,” said Reyes in May after the company that operates an ethanol loading facility less than 1,000 When council members considered City Council launched the renewed feet from Tucker Elementary School. In a letter to council mem- the convenience store’s special-use effort in Arlandria. “So the increas- bers, Cameron Station Civic Association President Ingrid permit application, a lengthy de- ing numbers we see with disor- Sanden said that her board was opposed to the formation of a bate emerged about the best way derly conduct are a direct result of “monitoring group” patterned after the one created to oversee to discourage crime while main- Stores in Arlandria are having more officers on the street.” the fight against Mirant.

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