Burke Keynote Speaker Commencement, Page 21 Classified, Page 26 Classified, ❖ ABC News Reporter Jennifer Donelan, a native of Fairfax County, gave the keynote address for the June 17 Lake Braddock Secondary Commencement. Donelan could not emphasize enough that this moment is a Real Estate, Page 16 Real Estate, ❖ milestone and a stepping off point to the future. Camps & Schools, Page 11 Camps & Schools, ❖ Faith, Page 23 ❖ Sports, Page 24 insideinside Requested in home 6-20-08 Time sensitive material. Attention Postmaster: U.S. Postage Word Out PRSRT STD PERMIT #322 Easton, MD On Repairs Koger Firm PAID News, Page 3 Auctioned Off News, Page 3 Photo By Louise Krafft/The Connection By Louise Krafft/The Photo www.connectionnewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.com June 19-25, 2008 Volume XXII, Number 25 Burke Connection ❖ June 19-25, 2008 ❖ 1 2 ❖ Burke Connection ❖ June 19-25, 2008 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Burke Connection Editor Michael O’Connell News 703-917-6440 or [email protected] 2 Cases, 2 Courts, Same Day Groner gave Koger his Jeffrey Koger appears in Miranda rights en route to court on attempted capital Inova Fairfax Hospital. “You are under arrest for murder of police officer. attempted capital murder Koger Firm Sold of a police officer,” Groner told Koger, who was admit- Sheriff’s Photo Sheriff’s By Ken Moore ted to the hospital in criti- Troubled management firm The Connection cal condition. On Tuesday, June 17, auctioned in bankruptcy court. effrey Scott Koger held a shotgun Judge Penney S. Azcarate against his shoulder and pointed the certified the case to a By Nicholas M. Horrock gun at Virginia State Trooper The Connection J Jeffrey Koger Fairfax grand jury, one of Jonathan Groner. the first steps for a felony “I said, ‘Drop the gun, drop the gun,’ over case to proceed in Fairfax federal bankruptcy judge Tuesday auctioned the and over again,” Groner testified, during County Circuit Court. A troubled Koger Management Group, Inc. to a Fairfax Koger’s preliminary hearing Tuesday, June 17 Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Casey M. County firm after lively bidding drove the price up to in Fairfax County Lingan presented Groner as his only witness Tues- $275,000. “I said, ‘Drop the General District day. Koger faces the possibility of life in prison, if The sale entitles the buyer to the current customers of Koger, Court. convicted. now called Tri-State Management, and to any goodwill it may gun, drop the “At that time, I have in the real estate management market. took aim at the sub- KOGER IS SUSPECTED of embezzling and divert- Robert S. Koger and his wife Pamela were subdued as they gun,’ over and ject,” Groner testi- ing $2.2 million from Virginia homeowners associa- listened to the firm the he built over nearly three decades be- fied, about a series of tions and investing some of the money, in his wife’s ing sold to new owners. over again.” events in the early name, in a health club and a steak house on Capitol It was a hard day for the couple, whose youngest son Jeffrey — Jonathan Groner, morning hours of Hill. Koger was in Fairfax County Court facing charges of trying to Virginia State Trooper Feb. 2, 2007 that cul- He has been under investigation by the police and kill a Virginia State Police Officer. Jeffrey Koger was bound minated in the con- Internal Revenue Service for approximately two over without bail for grand jury action. frontation in front of years, but no charges against him have yet been an- Jeffrey Koger was in a sense the start of the whole drama Springfield Mall. nounced. when he was accused of embezzling some $2.2 million from After Koger, 38, of Oak Hill, fired his weapon, Koger, the former chief financial officer of his the customers of his father’s firm early last year. Groner and Washington Metropolitan Transit father’s real estate management firm, was suspected Authority officers shot back, hitting him in the See Judge, Page 25 mid-section. See Capital Murder Page 27 Coming To West Springfield’s Rescue Parents organize to convince School Board to speed up repairs at aging high school. By Derek B. Johnson thetic Fairfax County officials to begin or- The Connection ganizing and coordinating their efforts to- gether. Items on the group’s agenda in- rom 2009 to 2013, Fairfax County cluded community outreach strategies, the by Photo FPublic Schools will receive approxi- creation of a Web site and deciding on a mately $664 million in funding for formal name for the organization. renovations and new construction. Virtually Galvanizing West Springfield was stressed Fish Tessa none of those funds will go to West Spring- repeatedly by Baldino and others at the field High School, despite sinking ceilings, meeting. “It’s not that they don’t get it,” leaky pipes, flooded bathrooms and a host Baldino said. “I think it’s more that they /The Connection of other major maintenance issues. think ‘Oh, it will get taken care of.’” On Tuesday, June 10, a group of con- cerned parents and officials met in the UNDERSCORING BALDINO’S point for school’s cafeteria to map out a plan to con- getting more members of the community vince the Fairfax County School Board to involved in the effort was the attendance move West Springfield up on the county’s at Tuesday’s meeting. Only nine people Capital Improvement Plan funding cycle. showed up, a result most likely attributable Leaky and exposed pipes peppered throughout the school’s ceilings “Our main objective is to get West Spring- to a last-minute schedule change and the are one of the reasons that parents of West Springfield High School field High School onto the schedule for the threat of heavy storms. A similar meeting students are lobbying the county for renovations. School Board to renovate it,” said Nancy called last month drew around 100 com- Baldino, the outgoing PTSA president, who munity members and many county officials. to conduct the extensive renovations they academic quality of the high school, which organized the meeting. “It’s in pretty bad Though they lacked in numbers, several say are needed throughout the school’s they believe is excellent. shape as far as the infrastructure [goes].” of those in attendance, such as Supervisor grounds. Herrity, a West Springfield graduate, has In order to accomplish that objective, Pat Herrity (R-Springfield), promised to use “West Springfield High is a good school been closely involved with the efforts to Baldino and others at the meeting expressed their positions of influence to get West with bad facilities,” said Herrity, who the need for parents, students and sympa- Springfield High School the funds required stressed that they were not criticizing the See To School's, Page 26 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Burke Connection ❖ June 19-25, 2008 ❖ 3 Week in Burke News GMU Goes Hollywood University welcomes film producer for lecture, screening of ‘quarterlife’ Film and TV TV series. producer Marshall By Nora Benzawi Herskovitz The Connection appears at GMU’s Festi- eorge Mason University’s Fairfax cam- val of the pus is hosting the Mason Festival of the Arts, which Police Photo A surveillance camera snapped this image of a man GArts, a new visual and performing arts includes police believe robbed 21 businesses. festival that celebrates the cultural di- screenings of versity of Northern Virginia. Sponsored by GMU and his TV/Web other affiliated arts organizations, the festival is cur- series Police Seek Serial Burglar rently taking place from June 12 to June 29. ‘quarertlife.’ Fairfax County Police is currently investigating 21 burglaries GMU’s Center for the Arts will host more than 35 that occurred in the West Springfield, Sully, Fair Oaks, Reston free ticketed performances, which include lectures, You don’t have to answer to the demands of a and Franconia police districts. The crimes all took place over a gallery shows and readings by students, community- network,” said Jim Maiwurm, GMU Festival of six-month period and most involved businesses located in shop- based performing groups and professional artists. the Arts manager. ping centers, strip malls or business parks. The suspect broke Theater performances will cover a range of subjects, The show follows a group of artists in their into commercial businesses and targeted cash registers and safes from opera and intense theater dramas to a sex scan- mid-20s who share life experiences on their inside, according to a police release. dal in a small Colorado town. blogs, display the difficulties of Police believe that the same man is responsible for each bur- On Friday, June 20 American film life in the 21st century, and glary. He is described as white, about 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet director, writer and producer show the differences between 10 inches tall. He weighed approximately 140 to 160 pounds Marshall Herskovitz will premiere “This is a great the current generation and and wore black shoes, a dark blue hoodie, a black ski mask and his new television-to-Web series opportunity for their parent’s generation. gloves. He has been captured on several surveillance cameras. titled “quarterlife” in the Johnson “Herskovitzs’ specialty is gen- Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Solvers Center Cinema, at 7:30 p.m. “He will theater and film erational shows,” said by phone at 1-866-411-TIPS/8477, e-mail at be showing the first six episodes of Maiwurm. “‘Quarterlife’ fits www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org or text “TIP187” plus a message the series, along with some new clips lovers.” into that category, as it focuses to CRIMES/274637 or call Fairfax County Police at 703-691- from upcoming episodes,” said Jill — Jim Maiwurm on twentysomethings who 2131.