Alexandria Gazette Packet 25 Cents Vol
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Alexandria Gazette Packet 25 Cents Vol. CCXXVI, No. 20 Serving Alexandria for over 200 years • A Connection Newspaper May 20, 2010 Decision Time Approaches In a year hostile to incumbents, Republicans are considering their options. By Michael Lee Pope The Gazette erri Hauser is an unde- cided Republican. She Tknows that she’ll vote for a Republican in the June 8 primary, but she hasn’t Matthew Patrick made up her mind yet. And last Berry Murray week’s forum at the Pentagon City Ritz Carlton didn’t seal the deal. to attack longtime incumbent U.S. She walked away from the event Rep. Jim Moran (D-8). impressed by Patrick Murray’s pol- “If we could somehow combine ished speaking style and ability to both of their strengths,” Hauser work a room. But she was also said. “Moran would be in real impressed by Matthew Berry’s at- tention to detail and willingness See Decision, Page 3 Honored for Valor Firefighters, police officers, deputy sheriffs recognized. by Photo By Grace Powell Louise Krafft Gazette Packet eputy Sheriff Bryant Vaughn brings his li- D /Gazette censed gun to church every Sunday. Vaughn’s wife, Michelle, jokes that he’s pessimis- tic. Yet one Sunday in 2009 he was able to stop a burglary at his Chief Adam Thiel presents Firefighter Doug Townhend See Public, Page 7 with a Gold Medal of Valor. Alexandria, VA 22314 VA Alexandria, To: 1604 King St., King 1604 To: ted Address Service Reques Service Address Photo by Louise Krafft/Gazette Packet material. Time-sensitive Caught Up in the Titan Expo Postmaster: Sophomore class president Phuongenhi Tran swirls another cone of cotton candy Attention Permit #482 Permit at the class booth. VA Alexandria, PAID More photos, Page 3 Postage U.S. www.ConnectionNewspapers.com STD PRSRT Alexandria Gazette Packet ❖ May 20-26, 2010 ❖ 1 2 ❖ Alexandria Gazette Packet ❖ May 20-26, 2010 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Council Notebook News The X-Chairmen What if T.C. Williams High School was designated a persistently lowest achieving school and nobody was there to make a sound? That’s one of the things bothering 13 former School Board chair- man, who have teamed up to call for community action. Like the Saturday Night Live skit featuring superhero X-Presidents bat- tling space aliens and North Koreans, the X-Chairmen arrived at City Hall last weekend on a mission: Something has got to be done at T.C. The numbers speak for themselves. Students with economic disadvantages haven’t met federal standards in math for the last three years. Pass rates for students with a limited grasp of the English language have been falling for the last three years. One out of five Hispanic students will drop out before graduating. The high school has never met federal standards under No Child Left Behind. “This is not a new problem,” said X-Chairman Melvin Miller. “The problem now is that somebody is keeping score and making it public.” Photos by Louise Krafft/Gazette The former chairmen said they were particularly concerned Hundreds of students, about the lack of outrage after word spread about the designa- family and friends came to tion. They were particularly concerned that some were calling the Titan Expo last Sunday for reduced levels of funding to the schools during budget delib- at the school green. erations, using the designation as evidence the system isn’t up to speed. So the chairmen got together and created a call to action for ordinary citizens, even those without superpowers. This in- cludes tutoring, mentoring, monitoring and training. “It’s time to Titan ask the community to come together,” said X-Chairman Carlyle Ring. “The question is what each of us will do, not say.” Expo In the Public Domain naugurating the new field, When the Old Dominion Boat Club sued Dockside Sales in 1972, formerly the parking lot of General District Court Judge George Giammittorio ruled that the original high school, Wales Alley was an “established public way” dating back to a I the Titan Expo got under- 1789 agreement with Fairfax County. That meant that the fence way at noon on Sunday, May 16. Dockside Sales had erected to prevent entry into the alley was My Dog’s Best Friend held games illegal because it “interfered with the free use of it.” for the dogs and a dog show Justice Jones volunteers his face for the Theogony pie Now, almost 40 years later, Wales Alley may once again be at School clubs and classes set up throwing booth at the fair. the center of a legal dispute. Last week, the Alexandria City Council booths to entertain and chal- approved a special-use permit for Union Dubliner — a “gastropub” lenge all the fairgoers. Activities grader, plus facepainting, a ships which are geared to stu- restaurant that plans to develop a 1,000 square-foot area with a included a car smashing, pie grand book sale, bake sale, jelly dents wanting to pursue techni- raised deck and outdoor seating under a roof that extends from throwing, moonbounce, check bean count. The Expo’s proceeds cal training and two-year pro- the building. City Attorney Jim Banks told council members his your knowledge against a fifth benefit the Larry Trice Scholar- grams after high school. interpretation of the 1972 ruling was that it applied to Dockside Sales and not subsequent owners, adding that council members would consider a license agreement granting the restaurant use of the alley in June. Decision Time Approaches for GOP “We love the guy,” said Old Dominion Boat Club attorney Harry From Page 1 That’s why the two Republican candidates have Hart, in reference to the city attorney. “But we think we’re right.” been trying to use the power of endorsements to gen- Archeological research conducted on the building several years trouble.” Essentially, Hauser has concluded that erate a sense of momentum. Berry claims former Al- ago revealed that the current warehouse building replaced an both the Republicans have strengths and weaknesses. exandria Republican Chairman Chris Marston, former earlier structure that had been demolished in the early 20th cen- Although she heard a few policy distinctions between Republican candidate Amit Singh and former Alex- tury. The Roberts family, which operated the warehouse, used it the candidates, Hauser said the central question for andria Vice Mayor Bill Cleveland. According to cam- to store flour, hay, grains, straw and poultry supplies. The build- her is which candidate would be able to pose the paign finance records, he’s raised more than ing passed through a series of owners until 1962, when Dockside strongest challenge to Moran. Other undecided Re- $124,000. In forums and one-on-one interactions, Sales opened a retail location in the building. Olsson’s Bookstore publicans agreed that if there were ever a year to Berry is quick to make a cutting observation or a was there from the early 1980s until 2008. “I think this is exactly beat Moran, this would be it — with an anti-incum- barbed remark. the kind of adaptive reuse we want to see in Old Town,” said bent sentiment at fever pitch and an increasing sense Meanwhile, Murray has his own list of prominent Councilman Rob Krupicka. “It takes an enormous amount of in- of unease with government spending. supporters. His candidacy has been endorsed by state vestment to make a building like this come to life again while “I like what I’m hearing from Berry about wanting Sen. Jay O’Brien (R-39), Del. David Albo (R-42) and also reflect its past, and I think this application does that.” to cut the corporate income tax,” said Alexandria former Arlington County Board member Mike Lane. City Councilman Frank Fannon, a Republican. “But According to campaign finance records, Murray has More Restaurants I also liked what I hard from Murray about the Con- raised about $47,000 — a little more than a third of stitution being interpreted the way it was intended what his Republican opponent has been able to col- Speaking of restaurants, the City Council must have been hun- by the Founding Fathers.” lect. His rhetoric tends to be broad rather than spe- gry on Saturday. They also approved a gourmet market, butchery cific, and his campaign is aimed at the Republican and bakery with outdoor dining on South Washington Street to THE CONGRESSIONAL race will be at the top of base. be operated by celebrity chef Cathal Armstrong, who also runs the ticket in November, creating vastly different dy- “I only know of one thing that’s too big to fail,” he Restaurant Eve, Eammon’s and the Majestic. namics than the 2008 election. That was a Demo- said during the Arlington forum. “And that’s the Un- Then there’s the trio of restaurants on Mount Vernon Avenue in cratic year, when a high-profile presidential race tied States of America.” Del Ray: barbecue, Asian fusion and sushi. The restaurant will be drew a record number of people to the polls and Whichever candidate emerges from the June pri- owned and operated by Mike Anderson, who is perhaps better Moran had the largest margin of victory in Virginia mary, they will face a difficult challenge in Novem- known as “Mango Mike” for his eponymous restaurant on the among congressional candidates. Off-year elections ber. Even the most optimistic Republican will admit West End. And for dessert? City Council members also set in are a different beast, with much smaller rates of par- that beating Moran is a long shot — even in a year motion a plan that might create a new Metro station at Potomac ticipation.