PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Elkton, MD McLean PERMIT #31 Attention Postmaster: Time sensitive material. Requested in home 10-23-08 McLean High seniors (from left, front row) Candace Shepley, Sarah Kollmorgen, Alex Yensen, Katie Phelan, Lea Williams; (back row) Park Expansion Cat Davis, Chelsea Shalhoup and Coach Steve Stotler show off “the rock” in front of MHS painted pink Questioned for the Dig Pink Match. News, Page 3 McLean Doctor’s Novel Success People, Page 6 Classifieds, Page 24 Classifieds, ❖ inside Sports, Page 23 ❖ Faith, Page 19 ❖ Opinion, Page 8 ❖ Schools, Page 16 Schools, Fighting Breast Cancer News, Page 3 Photo Contributed Photo www.ConnectionNewspapers.comOctober 22-28, 2008, 2008 ❖ Volume XXII, Number 43 McLean Connectionwww.connectionnewspapers.com ❖ October 22-28, 2008 ❖ 1 2 ❖ McLean Connection ❖ October 22-28, 2008 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com McLean Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic 703-917-6428 or [email protected] News Viewpoints Did you watch the debate Joining Fight Against Cancer last Wednesday: What did you like/ he McLean High School volley dislike and who ball team raised $2,318 for the are you going to TSide-Out Foundation for breast cancer awareness and research vote for? at their Dig Pink match on Tuesday, Oct. — Danielle Landau 14. Although McLean lost the match to Lan- gley, the team was proud of not only rais- ing such a substantial sum but of hosting such a successful event. Virtually everyone Catalina Keilhauer, High in the stands was wearing pink including School Language the 205 pink t-shirts which were sold by Teacher, McLean the team as part of the fund-raiser. Katie “No I have not watched the debates Phelan decided that she wanted to try to and I am currently un- organize a Dig Pink event after learning decided. At first I was about the foundation which was started by leaning toward a volleyball coach she knows. In addition McCain, but I was dis- appointed with his to the t-shirt sale which raised over $1,000, choice of a running the team sold baked goods and water at the Photo by Kent Arnold/heromoment.com partner. I liked his ex- “Back to School” night for McLean High Virtually everyone in the stands was wearing pink including the 205 perience especially but School parents. pink t-shirts which were sold by the team as part of the fund-raiser. now I am looking at the whole ticket and I think Biden has a great record so I am lean- ing towards Obama.” Erin Boris, Assis- tant to the Dean of Park Expansion Questioned Co-Curriculum, McLean would use it only as a last resort. No deci- “No I did not watch Proposal to use the latest debate and as Next Steps sion to use the power has been made. He of now I will be voting said the Park Authority had been interested eminent domain to The public comment period on this mat- for Barack Obama. For ter ends this Friday, Oct. 24. Comments can in the property since before he joined its me it is not one policy be e-mailed to [email protected] board six years ago, because its acquisition over another: I like the annex two acres into Democratic Party’s ap- or sent to David R. Bowden, director of the would create a more natural boundary for Park Authority’s Planning and Development proach to social issues McLean Central Park Division, 12055 Government Center Park- the park, allow for a greater buffer zone and their response to way, Suite 406, Fairfax, VA 22035. along Dead Run, which runs through the problems. I also think meets with resistance. The Park Authority Board is scheduled to park, and possibly enable an entrance to that Obama will be a better leader than McCain.” make a decision on the matter at its Nov. 12 the park that would alleviate some of the meeting, which will start at 7:30 p.m. at the park headquarters in the Herrity Building, problems with the intersection of Ingleside By Mike DiCicco Avenue and Dolley Madison Boulevard. Aeronia L. Poole, 12055 Government Center Parkway, adja- Educational The Connection cent to the Fairfax County Government Also, it would prevent further develop- Technology Center complex. The decision may be re- ment at the corner and turn that much more Specialist, scheduled. proposal to invoke eminent domain land into parkland. The county has a stated Leesburg in order to prevent further develop goal of making 10 percent of its surface area “I have watched all A three debates and I will ment on two acres adjacent to at the meeting, but only Shaheen garnered parkland, and Fay pointed out that the be voting for Obama. McLean Central Park and to annex the land applause. amount of land available is dwindling. He Originally I was a into the park was largely met with skepti- The required public hearing on the mat- noted that land acquisition was among the Hillary Clinton sup- porter but I feel that cism and some hostility at a meeting at the ter had been held late last month at the top priorities identified in the Park Obama is also quite McLean Community Center last Tuesday, Fairfax County Government Center, but Fay Authority’s 2004 survey of the county’s resi- capable. It was great to Oct. 14. said the Park Authority had held this addi- dents. hear directly from him “I’m aghast at this whole proposition you tional meeting to gather input from people He said the use of eminent domain was a what he actually plans to do about the eco- nomic crisis. Education is on the top of my have laid before us,” Ed Shaheen told Kevin who hadn’t been able to make the rush-hour way to spur on negotiations between the list and he spoke a lot about student loans. Fay, Dranesville’s representative to the drive to the hearing. county and the landowners, which had so He understands the importance of funding Fairfax Park Authority board. “And more- far been deadlocked. The county made its education and I feel he will focus his atten- over, I do not trust the Park Authority.” THE PARK AUTHORITY is considering first formal offer in the spring, and tion on middle-class Americans.” Shaheen cited the debacle of several years the use of eminent domain to buy the land Birge and Fadoul have yet to submit a ago over fields at Lewinsville Park, which currently owned by John Birge and Susan formal counteroffer, but Fay said in a later Mei Li Inouye, High School made its way to the state Supreme Court Fadoul. The plot, currently split into five interview that in casual discussions, the two Language Teacher, and left many in the community feeling parcels, is located near the intersection of parties had suggested prices that differed McLean betrayed. Dolley Madison Boulevard and Ingleside widely. “We’ve talked ranges with them and “I watched Wednes- day night’s debate but While he acknowledged that the decisions Avenue. There are three houses on the prop- they’ve talked ranges with us,” he said. I have yet to decide that led to the conflict predated Fay’s board erty, and Birge has lived in one of them for who to vote for. I want membership, he said he remained distrust- about 30 years. He and Fadoul co-own the IN EMINENT DOMAIN negotiations, the to see how the candi- ful of the Park Authority’s stated reasons rest of the property. county hires an independent appraiser to dates reveal themselves in the last for acquiring the land. “I would want to see The two have said they would like to build assess the property value, but if the two par- few weeks of cam- something written in absolute blood that it a small development of six high-end houses, ties cannot agree on a price, a jury would paigning. I have a would be donated to the park as green on the land, as allowed by the current zon- settle on a number in court. disinterested, not unin- space,” Shaheen said, adding that, in that ing. Fay told the residents at the meeting that terested, approach until I feel I am educated enough to make a decision. I usually do not case, the two acres “would make a beauti- As he had at the public hearing, Fay as- green space, picnic facilities or the expan know until the last minute; I want to see ful acquisition.” sured that the Park Authority did not take how things play out.” Many from the crowd of about 30 spoke the use of eminent domain lightly and See Residents, Page 10 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com McLean Connection ❖ October 22-28, 2008 ❖ 3 News Week in McLean Discussing Mainstreet Of Tomorrow ”Building a 21st Century Mainstreet, Dulles Corridor & Transit-Oriented Devel- opment Seminar Series - Seminar #2” is being held on Thursday, Oct. 30. Registration and continental breakfast at 8 a.m.; program: 8:30 - 10 a.m. at Capital One, 1680 Capital One Drive in McLean. Presentations: “Transforming Tysons: Vi- sion and Area Wide Recommendations,” Clark Tyler, Chairman, Tysons Land Use Task Force; “Thinking Outside the Transit Enve- lope,” Nat Bottigheimer, Assistant General Contributed Manager, Department of Planning and Joint More than 400 business and community leaders will participate in this year’s event set for Nov. 14. Development, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Special Guest: Gerald Connolly, Chair- Rotary’s Monte Carlo Night man, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. RSVP by email [email protected] or call TYTRAN at 703-799-5394.