Senior Living FALL 22016 Senior Living Inside n io t c e n n o C e h T / g n i n n a M m o T y b Mark Harris from Alexandria comes up for air during the 50 yard o breaststroke in the 50-54 age group. Harris won a gold medal in the t o event that was held at the Claude Moore Recreation Center in h P Sterling on Sept. 16. wwLwo.Ccoanln eMcteiodniaN eCwospnapneercs.tcoiomn LLC onMlionuen ta Vte rwnownw G.aczoetnten e❖c Stenioionr nLeivwinsgp Faaplle r2s0.c16o ❖m 1 October 6, 2016 Split Over Mount Vernon’s Hometown Newspaper • A Connection Newspaper Meals Tax Text prepared by Board of Supervisors and FCPSFCPS board Superintendent chairs. Karen By Tim Peterson Garza laid out FY2018 required The Gazette expenditure assumptions totalling over $58 million. Enrollment growth, retirement rate increases here continues to be divi- Photos by Gerald A. Fill/The Gazette and health insurance rate in- sion, at least among a sev creases were among those costs Teral members of the Garza said “are going to fluctuate Fairfax County Board of Supervi- but we have no choice but to pay.” The total nearly matches up with sors and School Board, on whether voters should approve a referen- the standard three percent in- dum allowing the government to crease in transfer from the Board levy up to a four percent additional of Supervisors. That would leave tax on prepared foods and bever- out projected compensation needs ages at restaurants, as well as including a planned step increase ready-to-eat foods from grocery in teachers’ salaries — a $44 mil- and convenience stores. lion change alone from FY 2017 Following presentations fore- —and teacher scale implementa- casting FY2018 budgets for both tion —a $44.3 million increase. Supervisor John Cook (R- FCPS and Fairfax County, Board of Supervisors chair Sharon Bulova Braddock) thanked Garza for “the introduced a statement on the cleanest fall presentation” he’s “meals tax” prepared jointly with seen in his time on the board. “This FCPS School Board chair Sandy tells us what we need to know,” Evans. he said. “If the meals tax passes, Fairfax County claims the tax you get it, if it doesn’t, you don’t.” Past and present political and community leaders instrumental in preserving the There was confusion initially would raise an estimated $100 Mount Vernon High School buildings and grounds include former Mount Vernon over whether the statement would Supervisor Gerald Hyland, current Mount Vernon Supervisor Dan Storck, Mount million in a year, of which 70 per- cent would be directed to FCPS be issued on behalf of both boards Vernon Planning Commissioner Earl Flanagan, community leader Lois Passman, and therefore reflect their collec- and Mount Vernon District School Board member Karen Corbett Sanders. and their effort to make teachers’ salaries more competitive with the tive views. It was pointed out nei- market and surrounding school ther board had voted on the statement’s content. decessor, retired Supervisor Gerry Hyland. districts. The other 30 percent See Meals Tax, Page 18 Hyland, present for the dedication, expressed would go to other county services Back to thehis satisfactionFuture that the school will finally be con- such as public safety, mental verted to a variety of local public uses. health, libraries and parks. Original Mount Vernon Mount Vernon Planning Commissioner Earl Flanagan was also present. Through his efforts that its share, estimated to be almost $70 million in new funding, will be used High School reopens for many years ago, along with community leader Lois On Meals Tax primarily to address teachers’ salaries, Passman and Ruth Lambert, former president of Joint statement from Chairman which have lagged behind neighboring teens after 30 years.By Gerald A. Fill Mount Zephyr Civic Association, they were suc- Sharon Bulova, Fairfax County communities. The Gazette Board of Supervisors, and Chair- “Almost $30 million would be avail- cessful in the 1980s to keep the school in county man Sandy Evans, Fairfax County able to address general county services control. There were those in the community who School Board: or capital improvements such as in pub- wanted to sell the building and land, but they were lic safety, mental health services, not successful. From 1985 to 2016, the Islamic “The meals tax is intended to diver- libraries, and parks, as well as providing he Original Mount Vernon High School See Back to the Future, Page 6 sify county revenue and to supplement for property tax relief. Gym is once again going to be used by and not supplant support for school and “Note: the meals tax, if approved, teens, only this time as a part of the county services. would not be levied in the Town of “The meals tax would create a new Clifton, or in the Towns of Herndon and existing Teen Center at the South T revenue source, paid by diners in Fairfax Vienna, where a meals tax has already County who are county residents, tour- been implemented.” County Government Center. The gym is located ists, and workers who live in across the road from the South County Govern- neighboring jurisdictions. ment Center and completes the current Teen Cen- “The School Board has committed ter with a full-size gym and basketball courts. 10/7/16 Plans are underway to resurface the gym floor home in Requested material. and make other improvements. The first day of its Time-sensitive opening is Oct. 11. Postmaster: As part of the long-term strategy to re-use and Attention ❖ 1 Permit #482 Permit revitalize the original high school, the next step VA Alexandria, October 6-12, 2016 PAID ❖ will be to open an early child education center. Postage U.S. Long-term, the revitalization goal is to develop the STD PRSRT Mount Vernon Gazette school into a multi use community center with both public and private uses. Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan At Saturday’s dedication of the gym, Mount Storck tries out the basketball court at Vernon Supervisor Dan Storck pledged his com- the Teen Center. mitment to work with the community and county to get the most out of the redevelopment of the school and realize the long-term goals of his pre- www.ConnectionNewspapers.com 2 ❖ Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ October 6-12, 2016 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Mount Vernon Gazette Editor Steven Mauren News 703-778-9415 or [email protected] Photos Contributed Photos Center, state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-30) speaks at the Oct. 2 Friends of More than 100 members of the Friends of Dyke Marsh group, supporters Dyke Marsh 40th anniversary celebration. Rear, from left, are Del. and elected officials spent the afternoon at River Farm in Alexandria on Mark Levine (D-45), Del. Mark Sickles (D-43), state Sen. Scott Surovell Sunday Oct. 2, celebrating the Friends group’s 40th anniversary. (D-36) and Del. Paul Krizek (D-44). Friends of Dyke Marsh Celebrate 40th Anniversary “It could be our Everglades.” ore than 100 members of the Friends of Dyke Marsh Mgroup, supporters and elected officials spent the afternoon at River Farm in Alexandria on Sunday Oct. 2, celebrating the Friends group’s 40th anniversary. The celebration also recognized the Cen- tennial of the National Park Service and restoration of Dyke Marsh. “One part of Dyke Marsh is 2,000 years old. In some ways, it’s hidden. Thousands drive through it and do not realize they are Members of the Northern Virginia Mountain Dulcimers perform at in a national park, that the marsh is there, River Farm on Oct. 2 for the Friends of Dyke Marsh 40th Anniver- its value or that it’s disappearing,” Friends sary celebration. of Dyke Marsh president and Mount Vernon resident Glenda Booth said in her remarks. Booth said for the first time, Friends of $25 million for restoration,” Booth From left, National Park Service superin- “It’s hard for advocates to cheer for a Dyke Marsh haven’t seen the marsh’s sig- said. “This funding is a great start.” tendent Alexcy Romero, Friends of Dyke swamp,” she continued. “Dyke Marsh in nature bird the marsh wren for the last two The Friends group’s message to Marsh president Glenda Booth and George Washington’s day was called ‘Hell springs. The U.S. Geological Survey, she the National Park Service and Corps Michael J. Bean, Principal Deputy Assis- Hole.’ But we cheer. It’s not Yellowstone, said, predicts the marsh will be gone by of Engineers is: “Get started.” tant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and it’s not the Grand Canyon, but it is our little 2035 unless restoration gets underway. For more information, visit Parks, U.S. Department of Interior, slice of wilderness right here in suburbia. “Interior Secretary Sally Jewell came to www.fodm.org. present a photo of the marsh wren to When restored, it could be our Everglades.” Dyke Marsh in October 2014 to announce — Tim Peterson the National Park Service. Service To Celebrate Joshua Owusu’s Life oshua Owusu, a sixth grade student Program here at Stratford Landing. If you family during this difficult time. Jat Stratford Landing Elementary did not have the pleasure of encountering Aldersgate Church has set up a dona- School, lost his battle with brain can- Joshua, he was a happy, charismatic child, tion fund to provide for a funeral and cer on Tuesday, Sept. 26. A celebration of whose smile could brighten anyone’s day. burial for Josh. Please consider contrib- his life will be held Saturday, Oct. 8, 11 a.m., He was loved by all who knew him.