Mt. Vernon) Legislation, Popularly Among Other Issues,” Howard Said
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Vol. XXI, No. 26 Mount Vernon’s Hometown Newspaper • A Connection Newspaper July 1, 2010 Forward Movement On ‘Ashley’s Law’ Survey to be launched of law enforcement agencies’ emergency response procedures. By Gerald A. Fill expected the survey would be sent Photo by Photo The Gazette to all Virginia law enforcement agencies sometime in July. he Virginia Crime “We will be surveying what Commission’s Law En- kinds of local law enforcement Michael Lee Pope T forcement Work Group emergency response procedures met June 16 in Richmond to con- are in place, and what type of sider state Sen. Toddy Puller’s (D- driver training is taking place, Mt. Vernon) legislation, popularly among other issues,” Howard said. called Ashley’s Law. After debat- The Crime Commission’s next ing Puller’s legislative proposal, regularly scheduled meeting is /The Gazette members of the working group or- Sept. 8. Howard could not say dered the state-wide survey. They whether the survey would be com- also asked to watch the Dash Cam pleted in time for the September Video which recorded the McIn- Crime Commission meeting. tosh auto crash. Puller introduced legislation (SB Dennis Pogue explains the whiskey-making process at Mount Vernon’s distillery. Puller expressed the belief that 847 “Emergency Vehicles Proceed- the work group’s recent order for ing Past Red Lights) because of an a state-wide survey, and desire to accident on Feb. 12, 2008 when Whiskey — George’s Way watch the Dash Cam video of the Mt. Vernon area teacher’s assistant McIntosh auto crash was a “posi- Ashley McIntosh was accidentally tive development.” killed by a Fairfax county police Father of Our Country begins selling rye whiskey Kristen Howard, the executive officer responding to an emer this week at the Mount Vernon Estate. director of the Crime Commission, See Responce, Page 23 By Michael Lee Pope left names and phone numbers in anticipation of The Gazette purchasing the first batch. Traffic Study Sought “It’s as much like Washington’s whiskey as you uild it, and they will chug. George Wash- can possibly get today,” said Pogue. “It’s sweeter t the June 23 meeting of Hyland called attention to his al- ington knew it was true. Now the Mount and spicier than a lot of today’s corn whiskey.” Athe Mt. Vernon Council of ready approved request of the board Vernon Estate is going to fulfill Citizens’ Associations, Su- for a traffic study on Huntington B pervisor Gerald Hyland reported Avenue. He pointed out that the two Washington’s goal of launching a profit- WASHINGTON GOT into the whiskey business able distillery on Dogue Creek. This is where 471 late in life, beginning construction in the fall of that he asked the Board of Super- studies together will inform the bottles of George Washington Rye Whiskey are 1797. That’s when Scottish farm manager James visors to request county staff to community and county decision waiting for the open market, hitting the retail Anderson finally persuaded the former president obtain traffic data on the level of makers on appropriate densities and market this week. But don’t expect to launch a start-up. Washington activity known as the North Gate- transportation management goals. the Father of Our Country to put “It’s as much like had been skeptical at first, but way of Fairfax County in the Mt. Also at the meeting, the Mt. Jack Daniel’s out of business any Anderson persuaded him that a Vernon District — the intersection Vernon Council passed a resolu- time soon. Washington’s good product would be very mar- of Woodrow Wilson Bridge, Rich- tion supporting a rezoning appli- “There are a lot of nice people ketable. Together with his son, mond Highway, Huntington Av- cation — combining two parcels in Kentucky who make very good whiskey as you Anderson began making the first enue, Old Richmond Highway, and into a single one, and increasing products,” said Dennis Pogue, vice batch of commercially available Fort Hunt Road. density — to establish the Inova president for preservation at can possibly get whiskey in the spring of 1798. The purpose is to assist the Lorton Health Plex, outpatient Mount Vernon. “We never envi- “Washington was an entrepre- county board in making decisions medical services clinic and doctor’s sioned ourselves as jumping into today.” neur,” said Pete Curtis, assistant on several south county Area Plan offices. There were no council the alcohol business, but it’s some- — Dennis Pogue, vice manager. “Having wheat flour be- Review (APR) nominations to the votes against the resolution. thing that people are naturally in- president for preserva- ing shipped as far as Portugal and Comprehensive Plan. — Gerald A. Fill terested in.” tion at Mount Vernon then starting up the distillery and The reconstructed buildings having that shipped to the mer- 7/2/10 have been open to visitors since 2007, after the chants in Alexandria made Washington a very home in Requested ruins of Washington’s once thriving gristmill and successful businessman of his time.” material. Time-sensitive distillery had been transformed into an educa- Washington’s recipe was 65 percent rye, 30 per- Postmaster: tional museum and gift shop. Almost immediately, cent corn and 5 percent malt and barley. It was Attention the buzz began to build. When will whiskey be known at the time as “common whiskey,” which #482 Permit Alexandria, VA Alexandria, available in the gift shop? Hundreds of visitors See Whiskey, Page 21 PAID U.S. Postage U.S. PRSRT STD PRSRT www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ July 1-7, 2010 ❖ 1 2 ❖ Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ July 1-7, 2010 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com News Week in Mount Vernon League Names Surovell Route 1’s Aviation History ‘2010 Conservation Hero’ Del. Scott Surovell was acknowledged as a “2010 Conserva- Mount Vernon area tion Hero” by the Virginia League of Conservation Voters in recognition of his support of conservation issues during the was home to not one, 2010 legislative session. but two, airports. Surovell was one of 18 delegates to receive a 100 percent rating from the VALCV, which was founded in 2000 as a non- By Julia O’Donoghue partisan political voice for the Commonwealth’s conservation The Gazette community. Surovells rating reflects his votes on issues ranging from air ount Vernon residents only have to quality to off-shore oil drilling. House Bill 833, introduced by drive a few miles up the George Surovell was one of the pieces of legislation VALCV used in its MWashington Parkway to catch the scoring. Home energy audits are increasing in popularity due closest commercial flight out of the to heightened awareness, increased energy costs, and govern- metropolitan area now. ment incentives to encourage home energy efficiency, but there The Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport by Photo are currently no government standards regarding what con- is less than an hour away, even in rush hour traffic. stitutes a home energy audit or any standards governing the Locals may also choose to fly out of the region’s larg- profession. HB 833 created a system of regulation for home est airport, Dulles International, on the other side Julia O’Donoghue energy auditors and was supported by both industry and con- of Fairfax County in Chantilly. servation groups. But back in the middle of the 20th century, Rich- mond Highway was the hot bed of aviation activity for Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. Drama Seminar To Lead Most people living in the Mount Vernon area could have walked to the closest airplane runway, accord- To July 8 Performance /The Gazette ing to local historians. The Mount Vernon High School Drama Boosters is holding a By the 1930s, two airports had opened on the one-day Masters Seminar for Professional Theatre for area stu- Route 1 corridor between the City of Alexandria and dents 12-18 years old. Sixteen Mount Vernon students have the Mount Vernon estate. Only one other airport, registered for the seminar which includes the performance of located on the site of the current Pentagon building, an original one act musical comedy. The performance is open was fully operational in the region. Harry Lehman and wife Anna Marie Hicks to the public. At the time, Fairfax County’s local elected officials During the morning session, students will receive intensive led efforts to get a historical marker lobbied for the larger of the two Richmond High- erected on the site of the old Beacon Field training on theatrical voice projection, dominant stage pres- way facilities, called Hybla Valley Airport, to become ence, professional stage blocking and techniques to build the Airport in the Richmond Highway corridor. Washington’s transatlantic hub of air travel. But the fourth wall with the audience. site eventually lost out to an Arlington County loca- ginia,” said Anna Marie Hicks, who has researched the Director and seminar instructor, Paul McKellips, is now writ- tion on the Potomac River, where National Airport local history of airports with her husband Harry Lehman. ing a customized one-act musical comedy called, “On Tap,” opened in the 1940s. which is in the tradition of the English farce. Once students Dulles airport didn’t open until years later, in 1962. THE COUPLE has focused most of its energy on the have mastered the morning seminar instruction they will re- “Hybla Valley was the first licensed airport in Vir- See Aviation History, Page 23 ceive the script for the first time in the early afternoon on the day of the performance. They will have six hours to rehearse, block and build a set before the evening curtain goes up.