❖ PRSRT STD Fairfax Station Laurel Hill U.S. Postage PAID Elkton, MD PERMIT #31 Attention Postmaster: Time sensitive material. Clifton ❖ Lorton ❖ Lorton Valley ❖ Crosspointe Requested in home 12-12-08 Annette Bowles and her son Tyler, 4, of Vienna, watch one of several model trains pass at the Fairfax Station Train Museum during the annual Holiday Model Train display on Dec. 6 and 7. Classified, Page 20 Classified, ❖ HolidayHoliday Sports, Page 17 ❖ ExpressExpress Calendar, Page 11 News,News, PagePage 33 Federation Marks 25 Years News, Page 3 Remembering Sam Seipel News, Page 4 Photo by Robbie Hammer/The Connection Photo www.ConnectionNewspapers.comDecember 11-17, 2008 Volume XXII, Number 50 Read usFairfax online Station/Laurel at connectionnewspapers.com Hill Connection ❖ December 11-17, 2008 ❖ 1 2 ❖ Fairfax Station/Laurel Hill Connection ❖ December 11-17, 2008 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Laurel Hill/Fairfax Station Connection Editor Michael O’Connell News 703-917-6440 or [email protected] Destination: Fairfax Station Holiday train show delights visitors to Fairfax Station Train Station. Alex Heneghan, 4, of Springfield, watches one of several model trains pass. /The Connection Model train enthusiasts converged on the Fairfax Station Train Museum on Dec. 6 and 7 for the annual Holiday Model Train Show. Robbie Hammer At left, the annual Holiday Model Train Show took place this past Photos by Photos weekend at the Fairfax Station Xavier Chmielewski, 5, of Fairfax Train Museum with hundreds of Station, watches a model train on an area residents enjoying the variety outdoor track at the Fairfax Station of model trains and scenes on Train Museum during annual Holiday display. Model Train display on Dec. 6 and 7. 25 Years of Pestering Births ‘Butterfly’ Lauded by county officials, South County sion and School Board. of Lorton to a butterfly that has finally Through this relationship, the SCF has emerged from its cocoon. He lauded the Federation celebrates silver anniversary. helped to shape the surrounding infrastruc- work the organization has done over the ture of Lorton and the south county area. years and remarked that when he is no By Derek B. Johnson Arts Foundation, which runs the center and Grogan said the organization’s roles in the longer a public official, he won’t have to The Connection addressed that irony in his opening com- closure of the prison, the opening of South “worry about the people here continuing to ments. County Secondary School on Silverbrook do very good work and make government ince it was first formed as the Fed- “It’s great to be celebrating in [the site] Road, the proposed Lorton Healthplex and work.” eration of Lorton Communities in instead of picketing outside it,” he said, the reuse of the Hanson was hon- S1983, the South County Federation drawing laughs from the crowd of approxi- prison site for the ored at the event (SCF) spent much of the last quar- mately 70 members, public officials and Workhouse Arts “To be here tonight is and credited with ter century marshalling its resources against Lorton residents in attendance. Center as some of jump-starting the the old prison site on Ox Road in Lorton. the SCF’s greatest almost hard to believe.” movement that Federation members, who considered the MEMBERS SOUGHT to tout the accom- accomplishments. — Christine Morin, secretary of the eventually grew into the SCF. She prison a blight on the community, spent plishments of the SCF, which operates as a He thanked both South County Federation years pestering county, state and federal collection of 39 homeowners associations Supervisor Gerry was presented with officials to do something about it. throughout the southern half of Fairfax Hyland (D-Mount a framed print of Nineteen years later in 2002, the Lorton County. Representing over 10,000 house- Vernon), for his years of work and coop- the workhouse, a SCF resolution honoring Reformatory was finally closed and the deed holds today, the federation has for years eration with the organization as well as her service and activism and a standing ova- to the property was passed to Fairfax held considerable sway with public officials founding member of the SCF Marcia tion from the crowd. Hyland described County. Six years after that on Dec. 9 2008, over much of the development and rede- Hanson. Hanson as a relentless activist who rarely the SCF celebrated its 25th anniversary on velopment that has occurred in and around “We can count on Gerry to be there at took no for an answer. He joked that after the second floor of what used to be a dor- the Lorton area. Members hear land-use our meetings. Most importantly, we can being elected as supervisor for the Mount mitory in that very same prison, since con- proposals and nominations at their monthly count on him to listen,” said Grogan. Vernon district in 1987, he decided he verted into the Workhouse Arts Center. SCF meetings and provide recommendations to See Federation, Page 9 President Mike Grogan thanked the Lorton the Board of Supervisors, Planning Commis- HYLAND COMPARED the development www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Fairfax Station/Laurel Hill Connection ❖ December 11-17, 2008 ❖ 3 News Briefs News Sewer May Be Required Fairfax County staff has recommended a local code amend- Life Lived to Fullest ment that would require more new subdivisions to have public water and sewer connections. Poleski recalled an elementary school birth- The change could potentially impact parts of the county that Sam Seipel, 14, recalled day party at a laser tag park when all the boys, do not currently rely on public systems such as Great Falls, except for Sammy, were teasing one boy. Clifton and Mason Neck. for mechanical ingenuity, Sammy marched straight up to the boy being County officials have suggested Fairfax County’s public fa- warm heart. teased and told him how great he thought he cilities manual be adjusted to require a home builder or owner had done at the game. to provide a public water hook up for all new homes on lots “The kid that no one would sit with at a lunch less than 75,000 square feet, which is about two acres. This By Julia O’Donoghue table? Well, Sam would sit with him,” said would eliminate a current exemption for two-lot subdivisions The Connection Poleski. that create lots between 20,000 and 75,000 square feet, ac- Sam’s girlfriend, Megan Linton, agreed with cording to county documents. ixth grade teacher Paula McGourty had al- Poleski. Sam had several friends and was The change has been proposed in reaction to a specific prob- ways hoped that Sam Seipel would be one known for being friendly and treating people lems that arose in the Mount Vernon District, where the water Sof those children that came back to visit well, she said. well serving a new house at 1400 Alexandria Ave. failed and a Clifton Elementary School when he was “He was very nice, he would never argue, or new well could not be drilled. The estimated cost to extend older. He would want to come and tell her how he do anything to ever make me mad or irritated,” public water to the home was between $50,000 and $60,000. was doing in life for years to come. said Megan. “They built a house for $2 million and then the well went “Sammy was just one of Sam’s generosity had a profound dry. … In my opinion, they should have been required to have those special kids who al- impact on almost everyone around a hook up in the first place,” said Supervisor Gerry Hyland (D- ways tugged at my him. His sister Sandra, a Robinson Mount Vernon). heartstrings,” she said. Middle School student, said her County staff has also suggested requiring public sewer ser- Even after the teenager, vice to all structures located in an approved sewer service area. 14, had moved on to These include existing structures with no well or septic system Robinson Secondary “Sammy was just one and those where the well or septic system has failed and can- School three years ago, not be repaired. Current plumbing and gas provisions encour- McGourty and several of those special kids who age but do not require public sewer service in these areas. other Clifton faculty mem- According to county documents, the changes in water regu- bers still regarded Sam as always tugged at my lations could make it economically impossible to create certain one of their favorite stu- heartstrings.” two-lot subdivisions. Out of the 32 two-lot subdivisions in the dents. His kindness and Dranesville District from July 2004 through June 2007, none consideration lead teach- — Paula McGourty have been affected by the proposed amendments. ers to pick him for the Lion’s Club Citizenship brother often stuck up for her when Photo Contributed Photo — Julia O’Donoghue and Service award as a people were bothering her at school. sixth grader in 2006. He also took Sandra and his littlest “He was everyone’s sister Angela, a Clifton Elementary Lorton Man Charged with friend and liked helping third grader, fishing. Starting Dumpster Fire people. When a neighbor’s “[Angela] caught her first fish with husband passed away last him,” said Sandra. Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department investigators year, he was over there When Angela had to pick one charged Lorton resident Joshua Zemaitis, 18, on Dec. 3 with every day helping mow the thing she was thankful for to write intentionally setting a dumpster fire at the Fireside Grill res- High School student Sam lawn and do odd jobs,” Seipel, who died Nov. 23, about for class earlier this year, she taurant on Lorton Station Boulevard in Lorton.