Summer●2014 Camps EducationEducation&Activities&Activities Camps Activities ● & Inside Inside e Inside t t e z a G e h T / l l e b p m a C n y l Education i r a M y b o t o h P Summer wwwLocal.Co nnMediaection ConnectionNewspapers.com LLC Mount Vernon Gazette ● April on 2l014ine ●a tSumm wwwer. cCaompnnse c●t Eiduoncationewns &pa Acpetivrsi.tiecosm ● 1 May 1, 2014 MVCCA Spotlights Dedication Bruce Leonard, Sarah Valencia, Shea Ruffin and Mount Vernon’s Hometown Newspaper • A Connection Newspaper OmegaBy Psi Janelle Phi Germanos honored. ruce Leonard was recog- nized as the Mount Vernon BDistrict Citizen of the Year Barney Barnwell, the 2003 at the Mount Vernon Council of Mount Vernon District Citizen Association’s 26th Annual Citizen of the Year and the Gala on April 26. Leonard is a key participant in representative from the 2014 Mount Vernon District the Comprehensive Plan Area Plan Organization of the Year, Review process, and a member of the Psi Alpha Alpha Chap- the Southeast Fairfax Develop- ter of Omega Psi Phi Fra- ment Corporation’s board of direc- ternity, Inc., addresses the tors. Karen Pohorylo, the chair of the crowd at the 26th Annual MVCCA Gala. planning and zoning committee and nominator of the Citizen of the no idea then what an impact Bruce Year Award, recalled when she first would make on the Mount Vernon met Leonard at a 2008 Fairfax Fed- district, Mount Vernon Council eration meeting. and even my own points of view,” Costa Manolas, after clearing a lot of See MVCCA, Page 6 Photos by Janelle Germanos/The Gazette “He was giving a presentation on Pohorylo said. poison ivy and trash from along Fort retail trends and redevelopment Hunt Road, stopped to point out the and revitalization, and the audi- wild azaleas that grow in the area. The ence was captivated by his fresh cleanup will allow the flowers more perspective and common sense room to grow, improving the area approach to redevelopment. I had around the park. Joe Gilliand tackled a job few would want. Armed with clippers, he cleared away poison ivy that was taking over. Westgrove Pack, a citizens group, Jimmy (far left) and worked Saturday, April 26, to clean up Spiro Manolas, owners the Westgrove Dog Park. of Greenblades, helped clean up the area along Fort Hunt Road, with their father Westgrove Pack CleansCosta Up and Michele Anderson. Greenblades is also donating their ser- vices to provide turf management for the dog park.Photos by Renée Ruggles Judy Harbeck, MVCCA co-chair, Bruce Leonard, the Mount The Gazette Vernon District Citizen of the Year, and Ron Fitzsimmons, MVCCA co-chair, gather at the 26th Annual MVCCA Gala. Leonard received citizen of the year for his participation in the Comprehensive Plan Area Plan Review process and for his many other roles in the community. Requested in home in Requested 5/2/14 ❖ 1 material. Time-sensitive ❖ May 1-7, 2014 Postmaster: Attention Permit #482 Permit Alexandria, VA Alexandria, Mount Vernon Gazette PAID U.S. Postage U.S. PRSRT STD PRSRT Westgrove Dog Park, hidden along Fort Hunt Road, provides an open space for dogs and neighbors to socialize. www.ConnectionNewspapers.com 2 ❖ Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ May 1-7, 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com News No Common Ground on Common Core to adopt the standards. Last month, Indi- for the SOL system. There’s way too much WHEN ASKED about their support for fed- Democrats divided ana un-adopted them, and now similar re- teaching to the test,” said former Lt. Gov. eral standards, candidates gave a variety of peal efforts are underway in several other Don Beyer, who was the presiding officer perspectives. Arlington Del. Patrick Hope on national education states. of the state Senate when the original sys- (D-47) said he supported the concept of op- “I can’t say that I would vote to require it tem was created. “Yes I respect Virginia’s tional federal standards, which he said he standards. for the entire country,” said state Sen. Adam right to do its own thing, but I think it makes would support if elected. But he also said By Michael Lee Pope Ebbin (D-30). “It works well for some ar- much more sense to be part of a national he approved of the decision by the Virginia The Gazette eas, but in Vir- effort that’s Department of Education to opt out of the ginia we seem to been very program. hould American schools share na- be doing quite “One of the key constituencies vetted by “If you are a member of Congress, you’re tional standards? That’s a question well without it.” that are likely to turn out in a teachers and not just a delegate anymore. If you’re vot- Sthat divides the 10 Democrats seek- parents and ing for the state you are voting for the na- ing to replace longtime U.S. Rep. AFTER CON- everybody tion,” said Hope. “So I said yes because that Jim Moran (D-8), who is retiring after 24 SIDERING a primary are educators, and else.” is the position nationally — give states the years in the House of Representatives. Dur- plan known as there are some teachers When asked power to decide.” ing a recent candidates forum, the Demo- the Common if they support Several of the candidates expressed frus- crats were asked if they support the Com- Core of Learning, opposed to Common Core. Common Core tration with the current system, which they mon Core State Standards Initiative, two Virginia educa- during a re- say is failing students across Virginia. candidates said they disagreed and eight tion officials cre- This is a chance to connect cent debate “We’ve got to try something or the kids candidates said they agreed. ated a system hosted by the lose out, and everybody will be in private “One of the key constituencies that are known as the with that segment of a very NAACP, two schools,” said Lavern Chatman, former likely to turn out in a primary are educa- Standards of candidates president of the Urban League of Northern tors, and there are some teachers opposed Learning in likely to participate part of the said they op- Virginia. “We’ve got to do something dif- to Common Core,” said Stephen January 2002. posed the na- ferent, that’s going to change this situation.” Farnsworth, professor at the University of Three years later, Democratic primary tional stan- Mary Washington. “This is a chance to con- the Virginia De- electorate.” dards — THE DEBATE OVER national standards nect with that segment of a very likely to partment of Edu- Ebbin and Al- is a vexing one for many candidates, who participate part of the Democratic primary cation approved — Stephen Farnsworth, professor at the exandria tried to walk a line between supporting rig- electorate.” SOLs for math, University of Mary Washington Mayor Bill orous standards while opposing a system The Common Core State Standards Ini- science, English, Euille. When that encourages teaching to the test. Many tiative outlines what students should know history and social science. Unless a school asked about their lack of support for Com- candidates tried to couch their support for in English and math from Kindergarten meets the targets for the percent of students mon Core, both Ebbin and Euille said they Common Core somewhere in between. through high school. The standards were who are able to pass the SOL tests, schools believed the current system was working “In general, I’m a proponent of hiring created by the National Governors Associa- can lose accreditation. Currently, the depart- fine. good people and letting them have more tion and the Council of Chief State School ment is denying accreditation to only six “It’s an evaluation tool that works, and subjective power,” said former Navy pilot Officers along with Achieve, a Washington- schools in Virginia, one of which is in the we don’t need to move to do something Bruce Shuttleworth. “But I absolutely get based nonprofit organization. Although 45 8th Congressional District — Jefferson- else,” said Euille. “But if the federal gov- the other side, the side I took quite frankly, states have signed on, Virginia joined Houston School in Alexandria. ernment was after standardizing it nation- which is to have consistent measurable sta- Alaska, Nebraska and Texas in choosing not “I don’t have enormous amount of respect ally I would support it.” tistics.” Edmond Seizes GOP Nomination for Congress chairman of the Re- maries have only been held only four times. Former Marine publican Party of Vir- Republican Nominating “In this case, when the decision was made ginia, in a written to hold a convention over a primary there officer to take on statement. “Virgin- Convention had only been one person who expressed ❖ Micah Edmunds: 51 percent ians in the 8th Con- ❖ Dennis Bartow: 43 percent an interest in running,” said Marston, add- winner of Democratic gressional District ❖ Paul Haring: 6 percent ing that the lone candidate at that time was have suffered long Edmond. “And we thought the chance to primary. enough with embar- have the nomination completed earlier Micah Edmond rassing Democratic fiscal crisis, both efforts failed because would be an advantage.” By Michael Lee Pope leadership in the members of Congress chose to represent the Campaign finance records show he raised The Gazette form of Congressman Jim Moran, and the status quo rather than the interests of their a little more than $44,000 in the first quar- raft of far-left liberals running for their constituents,” he said in a written statement ter of this year, well behind most of the 10 ven before longtime U.S.