Home Life Style Page, 14 Mount Vernon’s Hometown Newspaper • A Connection Newspaper September 10, 2020 Owners of The River Farm Are Looking to Sell The American Horticultural Society needs the funds; the surrounding community needs the farm. By Mike Salmon them, but could be a harsh reality The Connection of the financial crisis that is facing many these days. he American Horticul- Local resident Deanna Jones tural Society is looking walked through the fields at the at the River Farm as a River Farm and remembered her Tfinancial saving grace, grandparents who bought a house and has announced plans to put it nearby because of the surround- on the market. The plan is to save ing nature. “The parkway and its the American Horticultural Society beauty has always been a part of Gazette by Mike Salmon/The Photo as a botanical entity that supports this community,” Jones said. “This plants, gardens, and green spaces would be a real loss of a true trea- on a sustainable planet. Money sure,” she said. from the sales of the land, which Chris Shields was a resident near overlooks the Potomac River, is the farm as a child, and would like needed to boost their finances, to see “something beneficial to ag- which have been more in jeopardy riculture,” done with the property, since the pandemic. if it must be sold, he said. “Today we find ourselves at a Senator Scott Surovell (D-36) critical crossroad. Financial chal- had his wedding on the River Farm lenges on a number of fronts, years ago, and is trying to come up greatly magnified by the COVID-19 with a plan to save it, he told his pandemic, require us to carefully followers on his social media page. explore options for how the AHS “I have reached out to numerous Construction on this house began in 1790, and was once known as “Wellington.” mission can continue to live on for federal and local officials,” Surov- the next 100 years, and beyond,” ell wrote, “this is on our radar and be working with AHS, and other ther as public use or have Mt Ver- matter much, is that tax dollars the AHS said. “To accomplish this, we will do everything to preserve local, state and federal leaders to non buy it back and return it to the should not be spent on any more AHS would sell the 25-acre proper- this property.” He reached out to find solutions to ensure this prop- estate,” wrote Emily Bourke. preservation of land or memorials ty and home to our headquarters, members of the Senate, Congress, erty continues to be a communi- “I hope the County, State, or to slave owners. George Wash- River Farm. Proceeds from the sale local supervisors, and park officials ty treasure,” Storck said. Storck NPS can preserve it as open space ington was a slave owner. I think of River Farm coupled with other on several levels. Nearby residents acknowledged some of the other for the community,” added Suzann we have enough of the founding AHS assets would provide for the are alarmed too, and have contact- tourism facilities in Mount Vernon Gallagher. fathers memorials and artifacts,” continuation of AHS as part of ed the senator’s office. were having financial struggles as “Could be great location for a wrote Mansimran Singh Kahlon. American Public Gardens Associ- “It’s a big deal, there’s a lot of well. brewery. Hope they make the right Mount Vernon resident Jay Spie- ation by supporting an enhanced energy to do something,” Surovell decision and sell to a top-tier brew- gel cited other instances where range of gardening and sustain- said. The River Farm is a partner on Social Media Chimes In er with the vision needed to make the county “wasted” tax dollars ability programs long into the fu- Supervisor Dan Storck’s (D-Mount There were nearly 40 responses this a must visit,” added Nathan acquiring properties that didn’t ture,” they added. Vernon) tourism task force, and he on Surrovell’s Facebook page, com- Leamer. pay off, in his opinion, and then This isn’t a popular stance to is working to preserve the history menting on the issue. There were other ideas too. pointed out “the property at Fort many Mount Vernon residents or and beauty of the property, he said. “It 100% needs to remain as a ”While this may seem insensitive Hunt and Morningside. Now it is the elected officials that represent “Over the coming weeks, I will historical location. Hopefully ei- to some, my opinion that may not See Owners of, Page 4 ‘The Need Continues’ Backpacks, school supplies the items in their vehicles. This allowed us to keep individuals distributed to families in need. entering the fire station to a Photo contributed Photo minimum and helped us with By Jeanne Theismann challenging times in a pandemic.” social distancing.” The Gazette Unlike in previous years, chil- New backpacks were pre- dren did not attend the distribu- filled with school supplies airfax County Fire and Res- tion day and on-site volunteer help and loaded into vehicles that cue Chief John Butler was was scaled back. made deliveries to nonprofits Famong the volunteers at Penn “We did not use as many vol- and schools across the county Daw Fire Station 11 Aug. 31 to dis- unteers as in the past because of as students entered their first tribute more than 1,100 backpacks the pandemic,” said Deputy Chief week of classes. “With chil- filled with school supplies for fami- Willie Bailey, organizer of the an- dren starting classes virtually, lies in need throughout the county. nual event. “But we knew this was we were hoping that we could “It is always rewarding for the something that needed to be done. add some type of normalcy to Volunteers load a vehicle with backpacks filled with school fire department to give and assist The schools and nonprofits that the start of the school year, i.e. supplies Aug. 31 at Penn Daw Fire Station 11. More than 1,100 those in need,” Butler said. “But picked up from the event pulled up new backpacks with school sup- backpacks were distributed to families in need across the county. it’s especially critical during these to the fire station and we placed See The Need, Page 4 McEnearney Associates has always had one motto in mind... not to be the biggest, but the best. This year marks our 40th year in Alexandria, and we are celebrating our investment in helping to build our town into the thriving community it is today. To learn more about our Associates and our firm, visitwww.WeAreAlexandria.com #WeAreAlexandria OPEN SAT 9/12 & SUN 9/13, 2-4PM OPEN SUN 9/13, 1-4PM Hollin Brook Park | $749,000 Bush Hill Woods | $699,509 Waynewood | $739,000 Priced to sell, this one won’t last long. 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