PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Elkton, MD McLeanMcLean PERMIT #31 Attention Postmaster: Time sensitive material. Requested in home 6-5-08 Classifieds, Page 20 Classifieds, ❖ McLean High Sports, Page 18 ❖ Celebrates Schools, Page 15 Schools, ❖ Prom Night Faith, Page 9 ❖ News, Page 3 Opinion, Page 8 insideinside Jordan Carkhuff Honorary dances at McLean High School’s prom last Friday. Member News, Page 3 /Connection Divas Connect At Premiere E-Section, Page 12 Photo by Andrew Dodson Photo June 4-10, 2008 ❖ Volume XXII, Number 23 McLeanwww.connectionnewspapers.com Connection ❖ June 4-10, 2008 ❖ 1 2 ❖ McLean Connection ❖ June 4-10, 2008 McLean Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic News 703-917-6449 or [email protected] Photo by Photo Photos by Photos Louise Krafft Andrew Dodson Andrew /The Connection /The Connection Supervisor John Foust A pair of couples slow it down on the dance floor during last Friday’s prom. Honorary McLean High Member Celebrates Prom At MCA membership meeting, Foust still he Westwood Country Club filled up last Friday with more proves popular. than 400 McLean High School T By Mike DiCicco prom attendees. The night started with small attendance at 9 p.m., but The Connection at around 10, the majority of students ar- rived. Flower décor was sprinkled through- t’s good to be back,” Supervisor John out the ballroom, along with candles accent- “IFoust (D-Dranesville) told the ing the dim lighting. Many students took McLean Citizens Association at its advantage of the balconies at the end of the last membership meeting, before launching room that overlooked the Westwood Golf into an update on McLean’s hot-button is- Course. The evening concluded at 1 a.m. sues. Foust’s visit to the MCA was something — Andrew Dodson of a homecoming, as he is a former mem- Students hand in their tickets for a night of dancing and fun. ber and sat as the association’s president for more than a year. And he has continued to receive warm welcomes after his graduation to county- level politics, where he could be pulled be- tween the interests of his constituents and those of his new colleagues and other re- gions of the county. Before Foust took the podium at the meeting last Wednesday, cur- rent MCA president Rob Jackson had rein- troduced him to the association as “a per- son trying to walk his talk.” “I think John is trying to listen to people and trying to do what he said he was going to do,” Jackson said in a later interview. He said he thought Foust, who is finishing his fifth month in office, only wanted to represent his constituents’ wishes. “We don’t always see that in our supervisors.” He said this was appreci- ated even by people who may disagree with Foust on issues or ideology. He pointed out that the community had been asking for studies on the impact of any Tysons Corner redevelopment on traffic in the surrounding areas. Foust, along with Junior Carolyn Postol pops her heel Seniors Jessica Chen (left) and Senior Tracy Jenkins stuck to his Supervisors Linda Smyth (D-Providence) as her date Martin Brown sports Kristina Lee share a laugh walking cultural roots and wore a kilt for and Cathy Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill), had the shades for their prom photo. into last Friday’s prom. the prom. See Foust, Page 17 McLean Connection ❖ June 4-10, 2008 ❖ 3 News Week in McLean Trails Day Event Madeira Draws Line in the Sand At Scotts Run On June 7, celebrating the National Trails Girls’ boarding school Day, Washington D.C. area residents will be joining together to lend local trails a help- prepares to fight ing hand at Scotts Run Nature Preserve, a 325-acre site in McLean. More than 150 proposed trail volunteers, several different trail projects, along property. kick-off remarks from government officials and a full day of camaraderie will mark Photo by Photo National Trails Day 2008 at Scotts Run. By Mike DiCicco In the spirit of this year’s theme, “Join us The Connection on the Trail,” American Hiking Society, Mike DiCicco Fairfax County Park Authority and Recre- f the 40 or so people who ational Equipment, Inc. (REI) have joined showed up at the Madeira together to co-host the event. School Monday night to dis Arrive between 7:30 and 8 a.m. for a O shuttle to the kick-off and welcome cer- cuss a proposition to extend the Potomac Heritage Trail around the back /The Connection emony. Find details at AmericanHiking.org/ of the school’s property, the only one who NTD.aspx (click on Virginia on the map). spoke in support of the project was an em- All volunteers must register with REI by ployee of the Fairfax County Park Author- calling 703-379-9400 or emailing Mark ity. Nelson at [email protected]. Questions can Neighbors of the property had been in- be directed to REI or American Hiking So- vited, and members of the ciety. school’s board of directors Madeira Headmistress Betsy Griffith delineates a proposed were also present, as were “There has to be a trail route through the school’s property. Works Cause Detour parents of students. The proposition to run nexus between propose relocating the re- we have to ask permission.” When the At Georgetown Pike a trail along the Potomac what you’re asking built plant from the envi- school applied for a special exception to The state Department of Transportation River behind the private ronmental quality corridor make the changes last September, local trail will be closingºGeorgetown Pike to make girls’ boarding school re- for and what the along the Potomac to a site advocates and the Park Authority saw an some repairs, starting at the beginning of mains unofficial but has behind the school’s sports opportunity to gain a segment of trail that June and it will take approximately three quickly gained support at county wants to center, and that shift had been on the books for about 30 years. weeks, depending on weather. The work the local and county level. would cause a number of They planned to require the trail in return will be performed between the hours of 9:30 impose on you.” changes to previously ap- for the exception. a.m and 3 p.m., Monday-Friday. DUE TO HEIGHTENED — David Houston, proved plans for the cam- The Great Falls Citizens Association re- Message boards have been in placeºto STANDARDS of environ- Madeira attorney pus. cently passed a resolution in support of re- warn driversºthey will beºdetoured onto mental protection, Because the school’s quiring the trail, and the McLean Citizens Old Dominion and Swinks Mill. However, Madeira’s wastewater property is residentially Association has drafted a similar resolution in the hopes to minimize traffic impacts, treatment plant, built in the 1930s, is no zoned, explained Headmistress Betsy to be voted on today, June 4. Supervisor VDOT has changed its approach to a three- longer in compliance with state code and Griffith, “Madeira exists under exception, tiered closure between specific routes. The See Madeira, Page 18 must be replaced. The school decided to and so whenever we want to do anything, first closure will be between Swinks Mill Road and Kimberwicke for about one week. The second closure will be between Kimberwicke and Towlston starting around Proposed Density Faces Opposition June 9, and the last closure will be the third week of June between Towlston and Old Tysons Task Force adopts high density the 94,000,000 to 127,000,000 square feet Dominion. first shown to the public at meetings in Feb- There will be a flagger at each detour sign figures but opposition grows. ruary. to direct traffic or give directions if needed. At that time, Rob Jackson Residents who live along the section of of the McLean Citizens As- the road that is being worked on will be By Nicholas M. Horrock “These are the sociation wrote an email to given access to Georgetown Pike. The Connection THE TASK FORCE has Clark Tyler, chairman of the been following a plan called highest figures Task Force, and asked for the he Tysons Land Use Task Force last Transit Oriented Develop- underlying data that sup- Police Promote week voted to adopt the highest ment (TOD) which suggests they’ve ever ported the development es- Tdensity estimates it has considered, that residential densities can come out with.” timates. Tyler said they ‘Safe June’ but opponents both on the Task Force and be highest where subway might be available later, but With high school proms and graduations from neighboring communities said the fig- riders can walk to a Metro — Mark Zetts a member as of June 1, Jackson had coming up, the Fairfax County Police De- ures were chosen without any clear evi- station and leave their cars of the McLean Citizens seen no information. “These partment will be increasing DWI enforce- dence on what they were based. at home. The distances are Association who moni- growth estimates have huge ment and education efforts on underage As a result, four members of the Task estimates of how far a resi- tors the Task Force. implications,” he said, “we drinking and drunk driving. These efforts Force voted “no” or abstained including dent might walk to a sub- are not saying we doubt will include weekly DWI checkpoints on Willard “Billy” Thompson of the Vienna way. they have a base for them, county roadways, sting operations in which Tysons Chamber of Commerce, Amy Tozzi, “These are the highest figures they’ve ever but make them public.” underage cadets will attempt to purchase Tysons area south of Route 123, Irv come out with,” said Mark Zetts, a member Huge financial investments are at stake.