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SpringfieldSpringfieldBurke FranconiaFranconia ❖❖ KingstowneKingstowne ❖❖ NewingtonNewington GotGot TheThe BeatBeat Community,Community, PagePage 99 Rebecca Kronz, a bass Classified, Page 16 Classified, drummer at West Spring- ❖ field High School, prac- tices with the rest of the drumline before taking the stage at 2009 Sym- phony of Design Indoor Sports, Page 14 ❖ Percussion and Winter Guard Competition. Calendar, Page 10 Good Friends, Good Food News, Page 3 Requested in home 02-27-09 home in Requested Time sensitive material. sensitive Time County Ups Postmaster: Attention PERMIT #31 PERMIT Elkton, MD Elkton, PAID Tax Rate Postage U.S. County Line, Page 8 STD PRSRT Photo by Robbie Hammer/The Connection Photo www.ConnectionNewspapers.comFebruary 26-March 4, 2009 Volume XXIII, Number 8 Read us onlineSpringfield at connectionnewspapers.com Connection ❖ February 26 - March 4, 2009 ❖ 1 2 ❖ Springfield Connection ❖ February 26 - March 4, 2009 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Springfield Connection Editor Michael O’Connell News 703-917-6440 or [email protected] Group Enjoys 35 Years of Fine Dining Long-time dining club “We love good food and whips up dinners with we love good international-themes. conversation and we love By Steve Hibbard getting together.” The Connection — Margie Jones, West Springfield Photo by Photo resident and charter member or 35 years, a gourmet dining group from West Springfield has on a pontoon boat ride with cocktails and been whipping up to-die-for Hemingway’s “A Moveable Feast.” When F Hibbard Steve meals and rotating host nights they did a Russian meal, they drank vodka among members. Through all the table talk shots. When they had a ’50s party, the la- of politics and religion and keeping up with dies wore poodle skirts and saddle shoes. family, the members have become great friends. AT ONE Ethiopian dinner, the diners ate The group began in 1974 when a group /The Connection with their fingers. One Chinese New Year of newcomers’ husbands joined the Spring- Jones made Peking duck. “That was the field Jaycees. Several of the wives found hardest thing I’ve ever done,” she said. they enjoyed a fondness for cooking, and Almost everyone agreed that the most the gourmet group was formed. Russ and memorable meal was Elvis Presley dinner Kathy Barnes prepared the first dinner, with in 1997, the one when Ron Jones dressed a Korean theme using bulgogi pots. Now as The King. “We did it in January for his The members of the Springfield Gourmet Dining Group, clockwise from the group meets four or five times a year birthday,” said Margie Jones. “But there left, are Jack Wargo, Sally Hottle, Larry Cook, Lorraine Wargo, Ron and for gourmet-themed dinners. weren’t any recipes that anyone was anx- Margie Jones, Cathy and Len Belter, and Barbara Cook. “I love this group,” said hostess Margie ious to go home and try out.” Jones. “We love good food and we love good Beef Wellington, green goddess vegetables, With 50 cooking classes on her résumé, She said that in the early days it was conversation and we love getting together.” Mary Lincoln’s paradise carrots, chocolate Jones uses her husband Ron as her guinea easier to come up with ideas — like Italian Jones is one of the charter members who martinis and cherry tree lemon pudding pig when testing ideas. “It’s really an ex- or Japanese or Greek, but lately it has be- planned a President’s Day menu on Satur- cakes for dessert, plus red wine and white perimental group,” she said. come more difficult because they’ve done day night, Feb. 21. It included a menu of wine pairings. They try to incorporate the theme with it all. Presidents’ cheese spread, George’s mari- “I think this one was pretty successful,” the food, wine and decorations. Past meals Betty Fraser of Hiddenbrook in Spring nated mushrooms, Martha’s French onion said Jones. “There’s a few things I’d tweek, have included Last Dinner on the Titanic soup, Abe’s asparagus salad, Mount Vernon but I would definitely do again.” (using the real menu), dinner at Cote d’Ore See Friends, Page 9 Lorton Loses to Loudoun in Healthplex Competition Lorton Healthplex remains on hold Lorton Healthplex. However, since that ception to the rule of all capital projects meeting, HCA’s Certificate of Public Need being on hold,” Doyle said. as Loudoun’s gets green light. (COPN) was rejected by the State Health As chair of the task force, McKay has a Department to build a hospital in Ashburn. different take on that rationale. “This is a By Chuck Hagee comfort to Task Force Chairman and Super- HCA, the for profit health care organiza- direct slap in the face for Fairfax County — The Connection visor Jeffrey McKay (D-Lee) or Supervisor tion that competes with the nonprofit IHS and particularly southeastern Fairfax Gerald Hyland (D-Mount Vernon). in Northern Virginia to provide health care County. The Lorton Healthplex was a criti- he long-promised Lorton “This is a classic case of bait and switch. facilities, then announced it would increase cal element of the report written following T Healthplex just took a back seat This is putting business ahead of people’s the capacity of its hospital in Reston. the fight to save Inova Mount Vernon Hos- to Inova Health System’s intention health care and patient services,” said Doyle justified the pital from being closed,” to move ahead with construction of a McKay. change in IHS plans as a he said. healthplex in Loudoun County that is “to “I was not only shocked, to hear that the legal commitment to the “This is a classic be operational in 18 to 24 months,” accord- Loudoun Healthplex was being pushed Loudoun County health “SINCE OUR JANU- ing to Barbara Doyle, CEO, Inova Mount ahead of the one that has been long prom- facility as part of the terms case of bait and ARY meeting the na- Vernon Hospital. ised in Lorton, but mad. It’s was my under- of its joining IHS. “When tional economic picture That announcement conflicts with what standing, as well as everyone else’s, that no that merger contract was switch.” has actually worsened — Doyle told members of the Southeast Health capital projects, not already under way, written, IHS promised a — Supervisor Jeffrey not improved. All Planning Task Force at their Jan. 8, meet- were to go forward until the economic cli- new facility in three to McKay (D-Lee), chair, projects system wide ing at the Mount Vernon Government Cen- mate improved,” Hyland said. four years. That time is Southeast Health Planning were to be frozen — no ter. now here and we expect exceptions,” he said. “All Inova Health System capital projects DOYLE CALLED Hyland early Monday to have the healthplex op- Task Force “I see this as a repeat have been put on indefinite hold. When the morning at the Fairfax County Government erational in 18 to 24 of their building the economy starts to turn around, we will Center prior to the start of the Fairfax months,” Doyle said. “Inova feels we are fi- Springfield Healthplex. They thought that evaluate everything,” she said at that meet- County Board of Supervisors meeting to nancially capable of moving forward with HCA was going to be competition in that ing. break the news. “To say I was disappointed this project and we are legally committed area — I never saw a health facility go up She also said that when that turnaround is a gross understatement to put it as mildly to do so,” she said. so fast. If HCA had filed a COPN for Lorton commences, the Lorton Healthplex would as possible,” Hyland said. “Lorton is still a commitment to the com- two years ago, we’d all be standing in the be at the top of the priority list. In an inter- Doyle and other representatives of IHS munity and Inova Mount Vernon Hospital. Inova Lorton Healthplex lobby right now,” view Tuesday afternoon she maintained that pleaded economic hardship at the January We are going to move forward with that See Healthplex, Page 7 remained the case, but that was of little meeting to justify further delaying the commitment. The Loudoun project is an ex- www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Springfield Connection ❖ February 26 - March 4, 2009 ❖ 3 Week in Springfield News HOT Lanes On the Way Photo courtesy of Marcia Bas courtesy Photo several carpools complain that they frequently Construction on 95/395 see cars at peak hours with only one or two people in them. Hot Lanes to begin late With the addition of the HOT lanes would also come new sound wall construction and 2009, early 2010. repair. Upgrades would also be made to Vir- ginia Railway Express stations in the area, ac- By Julia O’Donoghue cording to a presentation. The Connection BUT SOME local elected officials in the area sler airfax County elected officials and some have either remained silent or taken a nega- residents remain concerned about the High tive view of the 95/395 HOT lanes project. Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes project “We have not taken a position on it and I don’t On Friday, Feb. 13, students F planned for interstates 95 and 395 even as know if we will. … There is already effective at Cardinal Forest partici- Jumping Rope the Virginia Department of Transportation marches HOV in the corridor and we would want some- pated in Jump Rope for forward with the project. thing that enhances what is there and doesn’t Heart. They raised thou- The 95/395 HOT lanes plan, like its sister HOT take away from what is working very well,” said sands of dollars for the American Heart Associa- Lanes project under construction on the Capital Fairfax County Chairman Sharon Bulova (D- tion.