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and Oakton Sammy Thompson and his Chihuahua mix Chuck, of Vienna, ViennaVienna dress up in tradi- tional Chihuahuan costumes as part of Fairfax County 4-H Wellbeing Dog Show on Aug. 3. Page 10 Classifieds, Page 14 Classifieds, ❖ ChampionsChampions ParadeParade atat Entertainment, Page 8 ❖ 4-H4-H FairFair Sports, Page 12 ❖ News,News, PagePage 88 Opinion, Page 6 VA Adopts: Campaign for 1,000 News, Page 4 Honoring Brian Bedell Sports, Page 9 Photo by Deb Cobb/The Connection www.ConnectionNewspapers.comAugust 7-13, 2013 online atVienna/Oakton www.connectionnewspapers.com Connection ❖ August 7-13, 2013 ❖ 1 2 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ August 7-13, 2013 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Vienna/Oakton Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic News 703-778-9414 or [email protected] by Photo Louise Krafft Defense of Marriage? /Connection Newspapers Candidates for attorney general take different approaches to constitutional ban on gay marriage. Don’t expect to see political signs in the medians of Fairfax County this election season. Crews of nonvio- By Michael Lee Pope lent offenders are out four days a week confiscating The Connection the placards thanks to a new arrangement with the Virginia Department of Transportation. irginia’s next attorney general will have to Vstand in a courtroom and make a decision The Median Has about whether or not the commonwealth’s constitutional ban on marriage should be de- No Message fended. Republican candidate Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-26) has been By Michael Lee Pope allowing the local government clear about his support for the The Connection to collect the signs and issue a amendment and his intention to $100 fine for each violation. provide a vigorous defense of mar- ome people call them “Once you do it a couple of riage. Democratic candidate Sen. S flowers of democracy. times, then nobody does it any- Mark Herring (D-33), on the other Others call them weeds more,” said Albo. “Politicians hand, has yet to take a position on of political pollution. Whatever are running to write laws, and whether or not he will defend the Sen. Mark Herring (D-33) Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-26) one thinks of the campaign they don’t want to break them.” amendment if elected. signs and placards that appear “He’s taking a look at the case,” said Kevin also 34, who have been together almost a decade. along the roads of Fairfax ALBO SAYS the 2011 cam- O’Holleran, campaign manager for the Herring cam- They have an 8-month-old daughter, Lydia. Advo- County, expect to see a lot fewer paign was the last straw. As the paign. “He’s going to work with his attorney general cates for gay marriage view the case as an ideal test of them. Last month, county election for state Senate ap- staff and make sure that they do what they feel is of the constitutionality of prohibiting gays and les- officials launched a new pro- proached, the roadsides of appropriate in this circumstance.” bians from participating in the institution of mar- gram in which nonviolent in- Fairfax County were littered Last week, the American Civil Liberties Union of riage. mates at the county jail hit the with thousands of signs for ev- Virginia and the Lambda Legal filed a federal law- “More than half of the people of Virginia believe streets four days a week to re- ery candidate under the sun. suit in the Western District of Virginia at Harrisonburg all Virginians should have the freedom to marry the move illegal signs. Because two different attorneys challenging the amendment. Ken Cuccinelli, the Re- person they love,” said Claire Guthrie Gastañaga, With apologies to Marshall general issued conflicting opin- publican incumbent currently running for governor, executive director of the ACLU of Virginia. “Every McLuhan, the message is no ions about whether or not po- has vowed to defend the amendment in court. But day that same-sex couples in Virginia are denied the longer in the median. litical signs constituted free he will no longer be the attorney general by the time freedom to marry, the government sends a message Anger and resentment has speech, Albo said, candidates the suit is before a judge. Meanwhile, the Obenshain that they are second class citizens and their families been rising over the issue of could argue the practice was campaign jumped on Herring’s lack of position as a are not worthy of equal dignity and respect.” roadside political signs for legal. Albo’s bill this year ended political weakness that demonstrates inconsistency. years, and campaigns frequently that ambiguity, clarifying the “Senator Obenshain and Senator Herring both HERRING FINDS himself in a precarious political go to war with each other to see law even as it gave new author- voted for Virginia’s marriage amendment, both position. On one hand, the amendment is very un- which side can plant or steal or ity to Fairfax County. clearly at the time believing that it was constitu- popular with the Democratic base he needs to win a deface the largest number of “This is something that has tional,” said Paul Logan, communications director statewide election. So announcing that he intends placards. Unlike Prince William bothered people for a number for the Obenshain campaign. “Senator Obenshain has to defend the prohibition in court would be a losing County, which had an agree- of years,” said Springfield Su- said consistently that as attorney general, he will proposition. On the other hand, announcing that he ment with the Virginia Depart- pervisor Pat Herrity. “The defend Virginia’s laws — including this one — against will selectively defend Virginia’s laws might be a dif- ment of Transportation that al- county has tried before to ad- any challenges, whether he agrees with the policy ficult sell on the campaign trail. lows the local government to dress it, but we’ve clearly got it behind the laws or not.” “For Senator Herring, it’s really a lose-lose situa- collect the signs and fine viola- addressed this time.” tion,” said Stephen Farnsworth, political science pro- tors, Fairfax was caught in a Back in February, the supervi- THE FEDERAL LAWSUIT was filed last week on fessor with the University of Mary Washington. bind. Part of the Virginia code sors approved a contract with behalf of a Staunton couple and a Winchester couple “When people elect an attorney general, they want made it illegal for the county to VDOT. Now, as a result of Albo’s who have been denied marriage licenses. The ACLU to hear the candidate say that he will defend the remove the signs in Fairfax legislation and the supervisors’ and Lambda Legal are hoping to certify the case as a law. But there may be political advantages to saying County until after an election. agreement, Fairfax County has a class-action suit to represent all same-sex couples in that this is a law that, if elected, he would not sup- Until now. contract to enforce VDOT’s rules. Virginia who wish to marry here or who have mar- port.” Last year, Del. David Albo (R- The new program launched on ried in other jurisdictions. The complaint says con- Republicans, on the other hand, find themselves 42) introduced House Bill 34. July 1, and the clean-up crew of stitutional prohibition against gay marriage, which on solid ground. Polls show that most Republican The legislation amended Vir- inmates has been out every Tues- was approved by Virginia voters in 2006, sends a voters in Virginia support the prohibition against gay ginia law specific to Fairfax day to Friday since that time. message lesbians, gay men and their children are marriage. And social conservatives such as Cuccinelli County, allowing the commis- County leaders say the weekends second-class citizens. are able to frame their support of the amendment in sioner of highways to enter into are still fair game. “I know of too many couples who have left the the context of adhering to the will of Virginia voters. an agreement with the Board of “Signs will be removed from state due to a lack of the protections now offered to “Virginia has followed the traditional definition of Supervisors. Instead of waiting selected highways, not all neigh- our neighbors in the District of Columbia and Mary- marriage as being between one man and one woman for the Virginia Department of borhood streets,” said Troy land,” said Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-30). “With a total of for more than 400 years, and Virginians voted over- Transportation to enforce the Manos, communications director 13 states and D.C. offering equality to couples, Vir- whelmingly to add this traditional definition to their law against signs in the medi- for Bulova. “Basically that means ginia is at a competitive and economic disadvantage.” constitution,” said Brian Gottstein, spokesman for the ans, the new law allows Fairfax if you are having a garage sale The Staunton plaintiffs are Joanne Harris, 37, and attorney general. “Consistent with the duties of the County to enter into an agree- and you want to put a sign at Jessica Duff, 33, who have been together since 2006. attorney general, this office will continue to defend ment similar to the one that al- the end of a small residential They have a 4-year-old son, Jabari. The Winchester challenges to the constitution and the laws of Virginia.” ready exists in Prince William street, that would be OK.” plaintiffs are Christy Berghoff, 34, and Victoria Kidd, www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ August 7-13, 2013 ❖ 3 News Photos by Photos Victoria Ross Victoria /The Connection Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova welcomed From left—Supervisor John Cook (R-Braddock), Ryan Kelly, office of Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell during the event at the Fairfax County Governor Bob McDonnell, Janet Kelly and Kelly’s mother.

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