PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Alexandria, VA Alexandria Permit #482 Gazette Packet Attention Postmaster: Time-sensitive material. Address Service Requested To: 1604 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314 25 Cents Vol. CCXXIV, No. 41 Serving Alexandria for over 200 years • A Connection Newspaper October 9, 2008 Affordable Housing Remains In Limbo Packet Krafft/Gazette by Louise Photos public hearing on a particular subject has Both the “old plan” been held, but the subject is carried over and “new plan” boil due to concerns with various elements of an application by the Commission and/or down to $20 million. staff. Those points are to be worked out, brought back to Commission, and reviewed By Chuck Hagee again by the Commission in open session, Gazette Packet but without public comment or further com- prehensive statements by the applicant. hen is a deal not a deal Normally, the dialogue is confined to a until there is a deal? question and answer scenario between the WThat seemed to be the commissioners, the applicant and the essence of the puzzle applicant’s representative. However, Tues- facing the Alexandria Planning Com- day night there was a glitch in the game Cellphone Causes Crash mission Tuesday night when it came plan. A woman’s cell phone was the culprit in a nasty crash on King to the never-ending Planning Commission Chairman Eric Street this week, although no one was injured and traffic was controversy over Wagner announced that the Alexandria Of- restored to normal within a few hours. The woman told police “There is no Hunting Towers/ fice of Housing had delivered “extensive” investigators that she remembers hanging up when suddenly she Hunting Terrace new material to the Commission Monday found herself in a garage. In the process, she crossed over a lane of guarantee and affordable/ night concerning IDI Companies’ applica- oncoming traffic, careened through a grassy lawn and crashed into workforce housing. tion for Hunting Creek Plaza/Hunting Ter- a freestanding garage. we will ever It was further race which “might cause reopening the pub- get the complicated by the lic hearing.” He cautioned that this could fact that the item raise serious legal questions since the docket affordable on the docket deal- and public notice had stated “the public ing with a text and hearing has been closed.” housing map amendment to At the core of this new material was the the zoning ordi- fact that IDI, headed by Guiseppe Cecchi, units.” nance and Height had agreed to increase the number of af- —Eric Wagner, District Map has fordable/workforce housing units from the chairman, Alexan- been advertised original proposal of 100 units to 265 units, and printed as hav- or one complete building of Hunting Tow- dria Planning ing no public hear- ers. It would be sold to the city for $15 mil- Commission ing on the subject. lion. The hearing had The proposal also provided that either the been closed after the matter was thor- city or the developer would rehabilitate the oughly aired and then deferred at the units at an estimated cost of $90,000 per Commission’s February 2008 meeting. unit. If the work was done by IDI the reha This is normal procedure when a See Affordable Housing, Page 7 Alexandria Gazette Packet Fighting Domestic Violence Where it’s Hidden Alexandria’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month focuses on abuse Arts ❖ Entertainment ❖ Leisure in the LGBTQ community. Festivals By Alissa Figueroa famed Olympic diver Greg Louganis, who members of the LGBTQ community. The Ad- Gazette Packet became an outspoken advocate for domes- visory Board staff works in conjunction with of Fun tic violence survivors in the LGBTQ (Les- the Office on Women and the Police and ctober is Domestic Violence bian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Ques- Fire Departments to ensure that LGBTQ O Awareness Month in Alexandria. tioning) community after the 1995 publi- domestic violence survivors receive “in- The Sexual Assault and Aware- cation of his auto-biography, “Breaking the formed and respectful treatment.” ness Program (SARA) and the Domestic Surface,” which detailed his own abusive Karen Gautney, who heads the Advisory Violence Program (DVP) of the Alexandria relationship. Board, opened this year’s presentation by Office on Women held a silent auction and Friday’s event highlighted the work of acknowledging that “domestic violence is a presentation on Friday, Oct. 3 to kick off a Alexandria’s LGBTQ Victim Services Advi- downright secret in the LGBTQ community.” October is home to Alexandria’s Oktoberfest celebrations. month of outreach, fundraising and educa- sory Board, which was created in 2007 to She went on to state that though it is esti- Festivals, Page 3 tional activities. intensify efforts to reach out to and pro- mated that intimate partner abuse happens The featured speaker of the event was vide services specifically aimed at assisting See Domestic Violence, Page 32 www ConnectionNewspapers com Alexandria Ga ette Packet ❖ October 9 15 2008 ❖ 1E www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Alexandria Gazette Packet ❖ October 9-15, 2008 ❖ 1 2 ❖ Alexandria Gazette Packet ❖ October 9-15, 2008 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Alexandria Gazette Editor Mary Anne Weber News 703-917-6431 or [email protected] Targeting the Middle Up” sessions, Andrew is honing Accreditation Pass Rates at Washington Middle School Sherman sets his his math skills. And when he 100 sights on achieving takes the state-mandated stan- dardized test at the end of the accreditation at school year, perhaps his score 80 will improve. “If there’s a prob- Alexandria’s two lem that I’m having difficulty with, I’ll try doing it twice to 60 middle schools. make sure I’ve got it,” said An- drew. “When I get stuck on stuff, I’ll stay after school.” By Michael Lee Pope 40 For Andrew, improving his 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Gazette Packet grade in math is a personal goal. But for Superintendent Morton ndrew Claros has always Sherman, improving the level of Accreditation Pass Rates at Hammond Middle School 100 had trouble with math. His performance at Alexandria’s two Anumbers don’t always add middle schools has become an up the right way, and his organizational target. Last teachers have long recognized that he month, he presented School needs extra help grasping some of the Board members with a list of 80 specific action items he wanted to tackle in his “Increasing rigor is a great first year at the helm of the city’s school system. idea, but I’m more concerned One of those items was 60 achieving accreditation 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 about the basics.” at both middle schools. English Math History Science — Pam Smith, co-president of the George When board members Washington parent-teacher association evaluate his performance Graph by Stu Moll/Gazette Packet next year, they will use the list as a scorecard. members have been talking about increas- on standardized tests. Although former Su- fundamental concepts. Like many of “This is a new way of doing things in the ing the “rigor” of middle school in Alexan- perintendent Rebecca Perry wanted more his fellow students at Hammond school system,” said Amy Carlini, spokes- dria. In a five-to-four vote last year, the Al- time to implement the program over a num- Middle School, Andrew has a strategy woman for Alexandria City Public Schools. exandria School Board opened enrollment ber of years, the board overruled her and for improving his sagging grades. “The superintendent is outlining very spe- to all students who want to take honors Lan- voted for a sweeping change that provided Twice a week, he attends an after- cific goals and asking School Board mem- guage Arts at both middle schools. Previ- opportunities for all middle school students school tutoring session. When other bers to judge him on those things.” ously the classes had been open only to in Alexandria. students are studying science or lan- those who qualified as “Talented or Gifted,” “I don’t want to tell the children that guage in the school’s daily “Tighten FOR YEARS, parents and School Board a select group of students who score well See Middle School, Page 33 N. Va.’s Black Businesses Organize Last week, he attended the kickoff party A new group seeks to for the Northern Virginia Black Chamber of increase networking Commerce, a new group that advocates for the region’s African American business own- among the region’s ers and professionals. The event attracted more than 200 prominent businesspeople African American to Arlington’s Busboys and Poets restaurant and, for Caldwell, a room full of successful, business owners. high-powered African Americans was a net- working bonanza. By David Schultz “All levels of people are here, from senior The Connection [businesspeople] to those just getting started,” he said. “The income is here. illy Caldwell is a hardworking Afri- [These] people can afford my products.” can American entrepreneur based CALDWELL is one of many local entrepre- B neurs looking to tap into Northern Virginia’s out of Ashburn. A 22-year veteran of the Air Force, he started his own home black community. The Northern Virginia security business four years ago and has Black Chamber of Commerce was created been busy looking for clients ever since. to help people like Caldwell do just that, its Caldwell hands out flyers with his busi- founders said. “We want to have a conduit ness’ information and has made ballpoint where people can say ‘Here’s a place I can pens with his company’s slogan and phone go where I can find people and I can find number on them. These promotions have partners,’” Randy Philip, one of the group’s been going OK, he said, but Caldwell is look- Photo by Felisha Gaskins founders, said.