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Extra $46 million requested for construc-tion swing spaceBY CHRIS TEALE

The Alexandria City School Board adopted its 10-year capital budget last week, and requested an additional $46 million to help fund the purchase of swing space during construction. The $611.1 million budget for the 2018-2027 fiscal years now includes money to fund the purchase and retrofit of office space to temporarily ac-commodate students and staff while schools are modernized. It also accelerates plans to modernize George Mason and

Matthew Maury elementary schools and the Cora Kelly School for Math, Science and Technology. Now, moderniza-tion at George Mason is set to begin in fiscal 2021, Cora Kel-ly in fiscal 2022 and Maury in fiscal 2025. An extra $100,000 has also been added to plan for capac-ity needs at Alexandria City Public Schools’ middle and high school levels. Schools Superintendent Al-vin Crawley’s original $515.7 million capital budget proposal had at its center the demolition of the Minnie Howard campus of T.C. Williams High School

and in its place the construc-tion of a building for ninth and 10th graders, adding 717 seats at a cost of $118.5 million. With the extra $100,000, the feasibility study on a new high school building project can begin during the 2017-2018 school year, with the planning process slated to commence in September 2018. That planning process would start with the forma-tion of an internal work group to create an engagement pro-cess and review recommen-dations from the feasibility study, school day committee and long-range education fa-

cilities planning documents. In addition to renovations at the elementary level, which also includes Douglas MacAr-thur Elementary School on an unchanged timeline, Crawley proposed new elementary and middle schools. The updated capital budget includes $32.8 million to acquire two parcels of land: one for the elementary school and another for a new middle school. “The Alexandria commu-nity needs to see just what we need to solve all of ACPS’ capacity issues within the next 10 years and beyond,” Crawley said in a statement.

“There is no doubt that this is a dynamic and aggressive plan that can only be achieved with the support of our com-munity and city council. We all need to work together to create school facilities that foster vibrant learning, equi-table access to academic pro-gramming and a strong foun-dation for our community.” At the school board’s De-cember 15 meeting, where the budget was adopted unanimously by board

Vol. 13, No. 51 Alexandria’s only independent hometown newspaper DECEMBER 22, 2016

FILE PHOTO The lawsuit that tried to prevent the relocation of La Bergerie to 329 N. Washington St. could continue after the plaintiffs in the case filed a notice of appeal on December 16.

Appeal possible in La Bergerie case

SEE ACPS | 9

SYNETIC’S ‘SLEEPING BEAUTY’ STUNS - PAGE 16

PATRICK HENRY PROJECT APPROVED- PAGE 7

School board adopts expanded capital budget

Current restaurant’s December 24 closure will take place as plannedBY CHRIS TEALE

The neighbors of the pro-posed new La Bergerie location on North Washington Street have set in motion an appeal to the Virginia Supreme Court to block the restaurant’s move. A notice of appeal was filed December 16 in Alexandria Circuit Court by some neigh-bors of the property at 329 N. Washington St. The plaintiffs must file a petition for appeal within three months of circuit court’s final order in the case, which was made on November 23. That means they have until around February 23, 2017 to

file a full appeal. All appeals to the Virginia Supreme Court are discre-tionary, so the justices must accept the appeal before the plaintiffs can present their case to the court. In an email to city council on December 20 obtained by the Times, City Attorney James Banks said he is confident the appeal will not be taken up. “The court generally ac-cepts a small number of cases for appeal and we are hopeful that the court will not see any issues of substance here for which it will grant the appeal,” Banks wrote. “In any event, we

SEE LA BERGERIE | 6

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....WWW.ALEXTIMES.COM DECEMBER 22, 2016 | 3

This holiday season, 250 children of Alexandria inmates are receiving toys, games, books and other gifts, thanks to Operation Elf supporters and the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office. On December 15, inmates’ families visited the sheriff’s office and se-lected donated gifts for children who have a parent incarcerated at the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center. The sheriff’s office identi-fied eligible inmates whose children might benefit from Operation Elf and then arranged for family members or guardians to visit the sheriff’s office and select toys, gifts and gift cards.Reentry Counselor Denise Costley (far left) and sheriff’s office Ser-geant Marybeth Plaskus (second from left) thank Alexandria Police Department Sergeant Nick Ruggie-ro (second from right) and Officer Dan Rutz (far right) for the dona-tion of toys.

Hotel Monaco and Morrison House sold The Hotel Monaco on King Street is set to be rebranded as The Alexandrian after being sold along with the Morrison House, according to documents filed with the city planning de-partment. Both hotels are currently managed by the Kimpton Ho-tel & Restaurant Group, Inc. and owned by real estate in-vestment managers Clarion Partners. But as of Tuesday, Kimp-ton spokeswoman Jaclyn Ran-

dolph said, the Hotel Monaco and its restaurant Jackson 20 will be owned by AllianceBer-nstein, while Morrison House and the Ashlar Restaurant and Bar will be owned by Fulcrum Hospitality. Randolph said the new owners will then deter-mine the management of the hotels and restaurants. Citing multiple anonymous sources, the Washington Busi-ness Journal reported that both will be brought into one of Mar-riott International’s collections.

Marriott officials did not re-spond to requests for comment. Kimpton will continue to manage the Lorien Hotel & Spa on King Street, as well as the adjoining Brabo by Robert Wiedmaier and Brabo Tasting Room restaurants. Both the Hotel Monaco and Morrison House have been renovated in the last two years. According to city planning documents, the Morrison House looks like-ly to retain its current name.

- Chris Teale

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‘Rally for Rose’ fundraiser raises more than $26,000 The Del Ray business com-munity raised more than $26,000 last week for the family of a for-mer employee and local resident who died after being struck by a car earlier this month. The “Rally for Rose” fun-draiser raised $26,221.35 for the family of Rosemarie Cruz, who died December 4 after being struck by a car at the intersection of Mount Vernon Avenue and West Glebe Road on December 1. She lived in Alexandria with her husband and their 10-year-old and 12-year-old daughters. She also has a 26-year-old daughter and a 19-year-old son in the Philippines.

Restaurants on one block of Mount Vernon Avenue — Mar-ket2Market, St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub, Holy Cow and Pork Barrel BBQ — offered special menu items for a donation. The din-ner fundraiser raised $11,380 for Cruz’s family. In addition, a number of Del Ray businesses donated over $5,000 in gift certificates and items for a raffle that was held during the event; the raf-fle, plus cash donations, raised an additional $14,841.35. “It was a wonderful night showcasing the spirit of Del Ray,” said Del Ray Business Association President Bill Blackburn in a statement.

“Rose was a positive force in our community. This tragedy leaves a painful wound.” Police announced earlier this month that the driver in-volved in the crash, Karin Sheire, 77, of Montana, was arrested and charged with fail-ure to yield to pedestrians and released on summons the eve-ning of the crash. Larry Ponzi, owner of Mar-ket2Market and St. Elmo’s, be-gan to raise money through fun-draising website GoFundMe to help her family with expenses, with a goal of raising $100,000. As of press time, the website had raised more than $50,000.

- Chris Teale

~ Canine Health Care ~

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*Editor’s note: Police reports are not considered public information in Virginia. The Alexandria Police Department is not required to supply the public at large with detailed information on criminal cases.

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City resident indicted for manslaughter after striking pedestrian on North Henry Street

Man robs Wells Fargo on upper King Street

The city’s grand jury on De-cember 12 indicted a local wom-an for vehicular manslaughter after she struck a pedestrian crossing North Henry Street in October. Kyeshia Arrington, 24, of Alexandria, was charged with aggravated vehicular man-slaughter, a felony, and driving under the influence of alcohol, a misdemeanor. Arrington was driving along the 200 block of N. Henry St. on October 8 when she struck Peter Palm, 62, who

was walking across the street. Palm remained hospitalized after the crash and succumbed to his injuries on November 19. “While outstanding prog-ress has been made in the fight against drunk driving, there is still work to be done,” Common-wealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter said in a statement. “Drunk driving is a serious offense that, unfortunately, can cause tragic results. Particularly in this holi-day season, citizens should un-derstand that the Alexandria

Police Department aggressive-ly enforces our drunk driving laws and my office aggressive-ly prosecutes violations.” Aggravated vehicular man-slaughter carries a potential maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. DUI carries a po-tential maximum penalty of 12 months in jail and/or a fine of not more than $2,500. The driver’s license of a person con-victed of vehicular manslaugh-ter is revoked indefinitely.

- Chris Teale

A man robbed the Wells Fargo bank on upper King Street last week after implying he had a weapon, police said. Officers from the Alexandria Police Department responded to the bank at 3624 King St. on December 16 after reports of the robbery. Department spokes-woman Crystal Nosal said the man entered the bank at ap-proximately 2:05 p.m., passed

the teller a note and implied that he had a weapon. He demanded money, the teller complied and the suspect fled with an undisclosed amount of cash. There were no injuries, Nosal said. The suspect is de-scribed as a 5-foot-10 man with a large build. He was wearing a grey and black coat, blue jeans, grey and white tennis shoes and a black baseball cap.

During officers’ response, the Minnie Howard campus of T.C. Williams High School was placed on lock-in for ap-proximately 30 minutes. Nosal had no further details on the investigation as of press time. Police ask that anyone with information about this incident call Detective Michael Whelan at 703-746-6228.

- Chris Teale

The following incidents occurred between December 14 and December 21.

Local woman charged after hitting pedestrian An Alexandria grand jury indicted a city resident Decem-ber 12 in connection with an October traffic collision on Yoa-kum Parkway. Sherri L. Sybert, 51, of Al-exandria, was charged with a misdemeanor count of reck-less driving. The charge stems from a collision that occurred on October 3 on the 300 block of Yoakum Parkway. Ger-trude Klackner, 90, of Alex-andria, was walking across

the street when a vehicle, driven by Sybert, struck her. Klackner was hospitalized after the crash and died from her injuries on the morning of October 5. “Virginia law is very clear, absent certain aggravating fac-tors an accidental traffic death should be charged as reckless driving,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter in a state-ment. “In this case, the driver remained at the scene and coop-

erated with the investigation and her license was valid. “There is no evidence suggest-ing that the driver was under the influence of intoxicants or was driving in a criminally negligent manner. Therefore, the appro-priate charge is reckless driving.” Reckless driving is a class one misdemeanor, punishable by up to 12 months in jail and/or a $2,500 fine, plus a license sus-pension of six months at most.

- Chris Teale

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6 | DECEMBER 22, 2016 ALEXANDRIA TIMES

“If they didn’t file it within the 30 days from the date of the final order that would end the matter,” Burcher said. “The matter still continues is really the crux of it, but it doesn’t sur-prise me at all. It shouldn’t sur-prise anybody that they filed a notice of appeal given the amount of time and effort that they put into this.” The lawsuit challenged city council’s 2014 approval of La Bergerie’s move from 218 N. Lee St. after what they felt was an unreasonable decision made in part from undue influence from the applicant’s family. Margaret Ticer Janowsky is the daughter of former Mayor and state Sen. Patsy Ticer. Plaintiffs also accused council of not vetting the plan for potential adverse effects on the neighborhood. As part of the move, council agreed to rezone the property from residential to commer-cial, amend the Old and His-toric portion of the city master plan and approve a new special use permit. The new location will include 100 indoor and 50 outdoor seats, a bar, live music and a five-bedroom inn. The case was heard in cir-cuit court last summer, with several neighbors testifying against council’s decision. At-torneys representing city coun-cil submitted sworn testimony by councilors in depositions as evidence, along with the 958-page legislative record, which included all documents and presentations that had been given to council by the day of

their decision as well as a re-cord of their deliberations. After three days of court-room testimony, the legal teams submitted a series of closing le-gal briefs to lay out their closing arguments before Shaw made his decision. In his ruling, Shaw said that accusations of illegal spot zon-ing and a failure to mitigate neighborhood impacts were unfounded, and that council was well within its authority to grant the SUP. “The city council presented evidence at trial that the pro-posed use of the property would simultaneously benefit the en-tire city in numerous ways,” Shaw wrote. “For example, the proposed use will make a his-toric property accessible to the general public; it will promote the expansion of locally-owned business; protect a building of historic and architectural value; encourage tourism; and will re-tain the existing retail pattern.” The case has already cost the city a great deal, as it hired outside counsel to defend city council in court. City spokesman Craig Fifer said at the time of Shaw’s ruling that up to that point, the city had spent over $970,000 on outside counsel to defend itself, a figure that does not include time spent on the application and legal case by city staff. Both C. Bryan Wilson of D.C.-based Williams & Con-nolly LLP, which represents the plaintiffs, and John Wilburn of McGuireWoods LLP that rep-resents city council, did not re-spond to requests for comment.

probably will not know whether the appeal has been granted for at least four months or more.” After a lengthy lawsuit, the residents’ case preventing the restaurant’s relocation was shot down on October 31 in a decision written by specially-appointed circuit court Judge William H. Shaw III. Restaurant co-owner Lau-rent Janowsky said he was un-

surprised by this latest devel-opment in the case. “Good for them. I think it’s fine; it is what it is,” he said. “Then it’ll go away, then I can go on with my project.” In the aftermath of the rul-ing, Janowsky and his wife and co-owner Margaret Ticer Janowsky, announced that La Bergerie’s last day in its current location would be Christmas Eve. Laurent Janowsky said that plan will move forward as

LA BERGERIE FROM | 1

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If they didn’t file it within the 30 days from the date of the

final order that would end the matter. The matter still continues is really the crux of it, but it doesn’t surprise me at all. It shouldn’t surprise anybody that they filed a notice of appeal given the amount of time and effort that they put into this.”

- Andrew Burcher, Attorney for the Janowskys

intended, despite the fact that an appeal could scupper the opening of the new location. “I’m going forward with it,” he said. “I’m closing La Bergerie, and I’m definitely going ahead with my project.” Andrew Burcher, an attor-ney at Walsh, Colucci, Lube-ley, & Walsh, P.C. who repre-sented the Janowskys in the lawsuit, played down the filing and said he was unsurprised by it. Burcher added that fil-ing a notice of appeal is rela-tively routine, and allows the defeated party to preserve their rights while considering their next move.

WWW.ALEXTIMES.COM DECEMBER 22, 2016 | 7

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The safety concerns on the roads and in a public building weighed heavily on a number of speakers. “It is imperative that the safety of the children arriv-ing and departing should be the community’s highest concern,” said local resident George Purdue. No opponents of the proj-ect testified before council, but several submitted written statements. One major point of contention in the past has been the potential for traffic conges-tion on North Latham Street, where school buses will enter and exit the site as well as de-livery and trash trucks. But current Patrick Henry kindergarten teacher Lori Sha-bazz said the plan would ease the current congestion around the school each morning and after-

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SEE PATRICK HENRY | 9

Expanded school, recreation center on Taney Avenue receives unanimous assentBY CHRIS TEALE

City council unanimously approved the redevelopment of the Patrick Henry Elementary School and Recreation Center at its public hearing Saturday after testimony from school staff, parents and students alike in support of the plan. Numerous residents who spoke in support of the plan at the weather-delayed hearing said it is the safest of the two final alternatives that were before the Alexandria City School Board earlier this year, and supported academics best. Councilors agreed with that assessment about the proposal for the Taney Avenue site. “I’m excited for this proj-ect,” said Vice Mayor Justin Wilson. “I really like the de-sign, it’s really going to be a landmark school building for us in the city.” Under the plan, the current 86,000-square foot elementary school would be replaced by a 137,000-square foot pre-K-8 school for 800 students. Cur-rently, it houses nearly 600 stu-dents from pre-K through fifth grade. Meanwhile, the current 9,000-square foot recreation center would expand to 18,000 square feet and feature a syn-thetic turf athletic field, a hard surface flex-court, three new playgrounds, and landscaped natural open space. City council has appropri-ated $42.5 million for the proj-ect in the capital budget, plus an additional $2.2 million for the outdoor field, court and playgrounds. The school board and city council established an advi-sory group for the project, made up of community mem-bers and other stakeholders, to provide guidance to both bod-ies and staff. At the planning

commission’s hearing on this subject earlier this month, con-versation was dominated by talk of the advisory group’s ef-fectiveness, and whether it had been used and listened to fully. At its May 19 meeting, the school board selected the so-called Option A-1, despite the advisory group’s recom-mendation of Option C-1, cit-ing in part a cost increase of $2 million associated with the other design. But several speakers at city council’s hear-ing commented on the lack of a consensus among the group, described by at-large member Michael Doney as a “bit of an impasse.” Mayor Allison Silberberg said it will be key for future re-development projects brought forward by Alexandria City Pub-lic Schools to ensure the public is brought fully into the process. “Going forward, I think it’s going to be very important that when we engage with mod-ernization or building of new schools, this is huge money but

more importantly it’s about get-ting it right for the sake of the children,” she said. “But it’s also about engaging the public in a way that they are informed about where we’re headed.” Wilson and City Councilor Paul Smedberg agreed with school board vice chairman Chris Lewis that the process for these projects can continue to be refined, with Smedberg noting there is “room for im-provement” in the public en-gagement process. City Councilor Tim Lovain added that such resident-led groups exist to advise rather than make final decisions, and that elected officials should not shirk their duties in that regard. Residents who spoke said the proposal would be the safest option for students at the rebuilt school. Under this plan, as op-posed to Option C-1, students would not be required to enter the school through the recre-ation center, and would not need to cross multiple lanes of traffic to reach the front door.

City council unanimously approved the redevelopment of the Patrick Henry Elementary School and Recreation Center on Taney Ave-nue at its public hearing Saturday. Under the plan, the current ele-mentary school would be replaced by a pre-K-8 school for 800 stu-dents, while the current recreation center would double in size.

Patrick Henry project approved by council


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noon, a scene resident Asa Orrin Brown described as “chaotic.” City Councilors John Chap-man and Willie Bailey asked city staff to explore whether the site’s parking lot is suffi-cient, and if extra spaces can be gained to prevent overflow

into residential areas. Rob Kerns, development di-vision chief in the city’s depart-ment of planning and zoning, said the parking lot’s number of spaces exceeds that which is re-quired by the zoning ordinance, while City Councilor Del Pep-per said the St. Martin’s Senior Citizens Center on Taney Av-

enue should be asked about using spaces on its site when needed. Before council’s approval, teachers and parents alike spoke of the plan’s benefits, especially as the school contin-ues to improve academically under principal Ingrid Bynum. “We have the talent within the staff and the administration

to do wonderful things for our children,” said Fred Montgom-ery, a music teacher at Patrick Henry. “The one thing that we cannot change is the build-ing. … The children deserve a new school. They’ve already proven academically they have what it takes to do well.” “We are teaching 21st cen-

tury students, and they are more than deserving of a safe, state-of-the-art environment,” said Adrienne Dunbar, a teacher at Patrick Henry. “Therefore, as we move forward with the Pat-rick Henry project, help us build a foundation from which we can empower students to build a better tomorrow for us all.”

....WWW.ALEXTIMES.COM NOVEMBER 24, 2016 | 15

town,” said Kenneth Svendsen, CEO of Entertainment Cruises, in a statement. “The Wharf is the perfect launch point for us to build on more than 30 years of service and excellence and create unforgettable memories for even more residents and guests. We look forward to growing with the community for years to come.” Entertainment Cruises is the nation’s largest dining cruise company with a fleet of 38 vessels, and it acquired the locally owned Potomac Riv-erboat Company in May. PRC remains headquartered in Al-exandria, and Willem Polak, who has operated PRC since 1974, remains CEO. The Potomac Riverboat Company currently operates water taxi routes to Nation-al Harbor, Mount Vernon, Georgetown and the National Mall to and from Old Town, as well as sightseeing tours and dining cruises. Polak did not respond to requests for comment. City spokesman Craig Fi-fer said in an email that En-tertainment Cruises has not formally made a request to expand service to and from the waterfront, and that there are still some details to be ironed out. “While the city’s operating agreement with the company effectively prohibits commut-er service, we are supportive of a robust network of tour-ist and visitor connections to Alexandria,” Fifer said. “We

look forward to evaluating any request for expansion once we receive it.” The proposed service is the first step in what appears to be an ambitious plan to expand water taxi service across the region, according to Monty Hoffman, CEO of P.N. Hoffman, lead developer of The Wharf. “We’re talking commuter routes. Maybe we’ll lobby for a stop at Reagan National Airport,” Hoffman told the Washington Business Journal. “I don’t know, it’s just in my nature to keep going.” The new water taxi route comes hot on the heels of con-firmation by NVRC officials that Alexandria will not be used as a terminus point in the commission’s proposed com-muter ferry service. A study found last year that a service could be feasible from the waterfront to D.C., Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling and the headquarters of the Depart-ment of Homeland Security. But significant push back followed from city councilors, who raised concerns about the impact of traffic conges-tion from riders driving to and from the waterfront during peak hours. City Councilor Del Pepper, who represents the city along-side City Councilor Willie Bai-ley on the NVRC, said at coun-cil’s November 9 meeting that after receiving a $173,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Ad-ministration, the commission will undertake a “generic study”

WATER TAXI FROM | 9

Clearly they have heard us with regards to Alexandria

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to analyze other routes and will exclude Alexandria. Acting NVRC executive di-rector Bob Lazaro confirmed the change in an interview last week. “The staff takes direction from the full commission, but I think that the commis-sion has heard clearly from Alexandria their concerns,”

Lazaro said. “The staff will be proposing this alternative analysis for routes that would not include Alexandria.” Instead, Lazaro said routes linking National Harbor, Woodbridge and Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling will be ex-amined, and that while no site has been chosen, Alexandri-ans need not worry.

“Clearly they have heard us with regards to Alexandria not being the starting-point for the ferry,” said City Manager Mark Jinks at council’s November 9 meeting. “A starting-point for any transit service usually means a lot of cars get brought to that starting point, and clear-ly along our waterfront we do not have that capacity.”

PATRICK HENRY FROM | 7

members, Crawley said the program is also notable for including a renewed emphasis on preventative maintenance, a painting schedule and discus-sions on indoor and outdoor play spaces. ACPS faces a capacity crunch, with enrollment antic-ipated to rise by 4 percent each year until it plateaus in 2030. In data provided by ACPS staff during the board’s meet-ing October 27, the system has 15,354 students in fiscal 2017, and a capacity of 14,036. This seating deficit of 1,318 is set to grow quickly based on ACPS projections, with 17,982 stu-dents projected to be enrolled in fiscal 2027 for a seat deficit of 3,946. The proposed West End el-ementary school will add 638 seats, following the retrofit of office space on North Beaure-gard Street. It is slated to open in fall 2018. Preschool centers at John Adams Elementary School and Cora Kelly would add al-most 600 seats, with 10 new classrooms proposed at Kelly for an additional 221 seats. The MacArthur rebuild would add 221 seats, while George Ma-son’s modernization would add 232 seats. The new middle school would allow all three middle schools — including George Washington and Francis C. Hammond — to have no more than 1,200 students, while the just-approved Patrick Henry School project will add 234 seats at the middle school level. At Minnie Howard, Crawley also proposed temporary class-rooms to add 150 seats by fiscal 2022, before the full rebuild.

School board chairwoman Karen Graf said that it is a bal-ancing act given the city’s fi-nancial constraints and its own capital needs, but that there must be greater cooperation with ACPS. “We need to have a blended strategy,” she said. “They have municipal needs too, but some-how we’ve siloed as a commu-nity. A lot of the city needs and their planning happens, then we do our needs and do our planning. We’re not braiding them together, so I’m hoping we can blend that strategy with the city so over 10, 15, 20 years we’re marching together and communicating together with citizens about what they’re getting for their tax dollars.” Board members said that while the budget is bold and asks a great deal of city coun-cilors and staff, it is necessary to show the needs of the school district in totality. “I do feel this budget re-ally does tell a story of what we know and what we rec-ognize in the community as many years of delay while si-multaneously many years of increasing enrollment,” said board member Ramee Gentry. “I think we all realize how this is a large budget and a chal-lenging budget, but I’m proud of this budget, proud of the work this board has done and I look forward to sharing the story of this budget with our colleagues on city council and with the community.” City council will examine the schools’ proposed capital budget next year while consid-ering its own capital and op-erating budgets. Crawley will propose his operating budget for ACPS next year.

ACPS FROM | 1


SPORTS

Episcopal concludes hectic three-day tourney before winter breakBY CHRIS TEALE

The Episcopal boys bas-ketball team began Sunday in the auxiliary gym at Bul-lis, ready for its fifth-place playoff against Sanford but perturbed by a wet and slip-pery surface. After back-and-forth dis-cussions, some furious floor wiping and the introduction of two large fans to dry the court, the game was moved to the main gym for safety reasons. And despite more than an hour’s delay, including a wait in the bleachers for the previ-ous game to end, it seemed to matter little to the Maroon, who cruised to a 70-53 win and a fifth-place finish in the Bullis Holiday Classic tourna-ment.

“The main thing was to keep them calm,” said Epis-copal head coach Jim Fitz-patrick. “When people start-ed to realize the f loor was slick and we weren’t going to play on time, I think what happened is a lot of the kids got worked up. “I think it’s good to calm the players down and let them know that all they have to worry about is two things: the coaches are going to keep them safe and then when it is time to play, they get to go and run around and play basket-ball, which is great.” Episcopal never trailed in the game against Sanford, al-though it was close in the first quarter as the Warriors cut the deficit to one point. Then just before time expired in the period, Maroon guard George

Maroon boys, girls secure fifth place atBullis Holiday Classic

PHOTO/CHRIS TEALEMaroon guard Xavier Johnson looks to drive to the hoop as time expires in the first quar-ter of Episcopal’s 70-53 win over Sanford at the Bullis Holi-day Classic. Johnson scored 18 points for the Maroon.

Overall in the three-

day period, any time you go 2-1 in a tournament like this where it’s back to back to back, I think that’s a real positive for the kids. You always want to go 3-0, but you walk away feeling good. To end it on a positive note today really means a lot, and I think it propels us to have a good January.”

- Jim Fitzpatrick Head coach, Episcopal

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Mawenda-Kalema sunk a three-pointer to re-establish his side’s advantage, and they never looked back. “Coach Fitzpatrick was telling us just to keep calm,” Mawenda-Kalema said. “We came down here and stayed to-gether as a team and made sure whenever they called us up at game time, we were going to be ready.” The senior led all Episcopal scorers with 19 points. Sopho-more guard Xavier Johnson had 18 points for the Maroon, while junior forward Zach Pfaffenberger added 17. The victory capped an en-couraging outing for the Ma-roon at the tourney hosted in Potomac, Md. The defending Interstate Athletic Confer-ence and Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association champions began with a 68-62 win over St. Vincent Pallotti on the first day, but lost 63-44 against Blue Ridge the follow-ing day. Fitzpatrick said he was im-pressed by what he had seen from his team, especially to re-cover from the disappointment of missing out on a berth in the championship game. “Overall in the three-day period, any time you go 2-1 in a tournament like this where it’s back to back to back, I think that’s a real positive for the kids,” he said. “You al-ways want to go 3-0, but you walk away feeling good. To end it on a positive note today really means a lot, and I think it propels us to have a good January.” The Maroon return to ac-tion on January 4 at home against The Heights, with IAC play slated to start the follow-ing week. And with no games scheduled over the winter break, the onus is on the play-ers to stay in shape ahead of a grueling stretch of games in the New Year. “If you look at it the wrong way, it’s a real negative and it’s tough to deal with,” Fitzpatrick

said. “If we look at it as taking the season in sections and us-ing this two-week period as a time for kids to recover their bodies, recover their minds and come back with renewed energy in January, then I think it’s positive.”

Episcopal Girls 69, Washington Latin 31 In the lead up to the Bullis Holiday Classic, Episcopal’s girls basketball team was deci-mated by a virus that swept across campus.

With seven players — includ-ing two starters — sidelined, the Maroon battled hard to finish fifth overall in the girls tournament after a 69-31 win over Washington Latin on Sunday. Maya Goree led the way for Episcopal with 29 points, while Lexi Weger added 18 points and nearly had a triple-double. Most heartening for Maroon head coach Katrina Reed was that every player scored, something she said showed the team’s lack of self-ishness on offense. “I was so impressed by the way we shared the basketball tonight offensively,” Reed said. “I bet our assist numbers for tonight are far higher than

they’ve ever been in any game this season, maybe even last season. We were unselfish, al-most to a fault.” The Maroon girls began the tournament with a 53-47 loss to the Hill School of Pennsylvania last Friday, but recovered with a 57-44 victory

over Stone Ridge on the sec-ond day. After the Washington Latin victory left her team at 5-4 heading into Episcopal’s winter break, Reed said it was useful to face different teams, especially with Independent Schools League conference play beckoning.

“It’s fun, because you get to play teams you normally wouldn’t see,” she said. “It’s good to run against other teams that are not your typical ISL or [Washington Catholic Athletic Conference] oppo-nents. It gives people a fresh perspective.”

MAROON FROM | 10

It’s fun, because you

get to play teams you normally wouldn’t see. It’s good to run against other teams that are not your typical ISL or [Washington Catholic Athletic Conference] opponents. It gives people a fresh perspective.”

- Katrina ReedHead coach, Episcopal

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e’ve all been there: busy schedules or un-

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blue in December and leave us scrambling at the last minute for

Christmas or Hanukkah gifts. The easiest solution is to think paper or vir-tual rather than concrete, and save yourself the wrapping along the way. In the countdown to this weekend, gift certificates, charitable donations or tickets are one way to go. Most restaurants, stores and spas offer gift cer-tificates. That way, you get to choose the venue that you are giving, while the gift recipient gets to choose what it is they need or want most from that store, eatery or service provider. And many estab-lishments offer online certificates, meaning you don’t have to leave your house or office to shop. Ditto for charitable donations. Pick a cause that you support, and importantly that won’t be offen-sive to the recipient, and make a donation in your friend or relative’s name. This course is particularly good for people who are difficult to buy for or who don’t need much. Check out the December 1 and 8 issues of the Alexandria Times, available with a click at www.alextimes.com, for a partial listing of Alexandria nonprofits from which to choose. Finally, tickets to sporting events, concerts or plays can be a meaningful gift. Maybe someone is a big Alex Ovechkin or John Wall fan but can’t quite justify springing for tickets themselves. Or check out upcoming concerts or plays at venues like The Birchmere, The Little Theatre of Alexandria, Metro-Stage, Synetic Theatre or Signature Theatre and give the gift of a memorable evening of entertainment. Just use your imagination and computer to fin-ish out your shopping, and if possible try to buy those certificates or tickets from local businesses and venues.

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ARTS 16 CALENDARCHRISTMAS WITH THE WASHINGTONSAs the days count down to the holidays, check out the many festive events, like Christmas at George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

17SLEEPING BEAUTY STUNS AT SYNETICThere is a sort of magic in the simplicity of direc-tor Paata Tsikurishvili’s version of this classic fairytale and its brand of story-driven fantasy.

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fortably with the fundamentals of design so you can transform your property into a garden you can be proud of. “You’re not ready to pick up a shovel until you have a plan,” says Jennifer Silver, communications manager for Julie Moir Messervy Design Studio in Vermont. Four years ago, Messervy’s six-person garden-design firm introduced a design app called Palette, now renamed Home Outside (which is the also the title of one of Messervy’s most popular books). The app, which is free, puts professional design tools in your hands, but you don’t have to be a pro to use them.

SEE LANDSCAPE | 21

BY MARTY ROSS

Designing your own gar-den is half the fun, whether you do it all at once or a bit at a time. But you don’t have to do it alone: help, advice and good ideas are as close as your smartphone, where you can find garden design apps and other online gardening tools. Garden designers often use sophisticated software to de-sign and present their ideas. The computer-assisted design programs they rely on are made for professionals, and they’re tricky to master — and frustrating, especially if you’re just going to be a one-time user. Apps and online tools, on the other hand, have been de-veloped to help you work com-

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PHOTOS/TRUPLACE Situated on a more than quarter-acre lot (top), you’ll find a large front yard and an equivalently sized fenced-in backyard. This enclosed sunroom (above) offers peaceful space to witness sunrises and enjoy your morning coffee.

ALEX ANDRIA TIMES DECEMBER 22, 2016 ARTS 16

Synetic’s ‘Sleeping Beauty’ adaptation is no snoozerBY JORDAN WRIGHT

“Sleeping Beauty” is a rather streamlined presentation of what we’ve come to expect from Synetic Theater’s no-dialogue series. We half-mad aficionados of this famed Geor-gian troupe have been spoiled by massive casts, extraordinary water features, terrifying phys-ical battles and surprisingly in-novative visuals. But for this incarnation of the classic fairy tale, written by Charles Perrault and later reinterpreted by the Broth-ers Grimm, we will have to be satisfied with a more bal-letic approach. The Prince is played by veritable heartthrob and company member Zana Gankhuyag, and Eliza Smith portrays his delicate-as-a-feather inamorata Briar Rose. Notwithstanding our im-modest expectations, there is a sort of magic in the simplicity of director Paata Tsikurish-vili’s version and its brand of story-driven fantasy. Tsikurishvili envisions the Witch, played by real-life wife Irina Tsikurishvili, as a sym-pathetic creature haunted by the destruction of the forest and its animal denizens by the king’s huntsmen. Leaning heavily on moral relativism to reinterpret her motives, Paata Tsikurishvili views her as a fierce protector of nature, a sort of anarchical environmentalist, if you will, who wreaks vengeful havoc on both the Prince, who in this version is the Witch’s son, and his intended, Briar Rose. The fairies (Kathy Gor-don, Francesca Blume, Emily Whitworth) are imagined as a trio of ditzy butterflies who hover over the Prince and Bri-ar Rose as protectors against his mother’s fury. As usual in these wordless renditions, the most popular

of which have been the much lauded series of silent Shake-speare productions, we must exercise our imaginations around the basic story as we are enveloped and transport-ed by the classical sounds of Tchaikovsky’s ballet mixed with Phillip Glass-inspired electronica, the original musi-cal compositions of Konstan-tine Lortkipanidze and Thom-as Sowers’ often frighteningly real sound effects. Dallas Tolentino designed the fight scenes to play up Gankhuyag’s strengths, which are indeed impressive. Tak-ing vicious battle blows from both his mother and demons with thorn-covered swords,

Another silent stunner

he weightlessly tosses his lithe body in a gravity-defying se-ries of leaps, tumbles and som-ersaults. It is gorgeous to see. Credit too, goes to Irina Tsikurishvili who, doubling as choreographer, has lent ele-ments of charm to the reindeer that frolic in the wood. Scenic

designer Phil Charlwood in-forms the fast-moving action through the use of silken pan-els, creating separation, inclu-sion and high-flying dramatic elements. Special multimedia effects by Riki Kim heighten the nefarious activities of the dark spirits, who act as senti-

nels and familiars to the witch. Though this isn’t my favor-ite Synetic production, I took a friend who had never witnessed the company’s highly imagi-native work and she was gob-smacked. I had made a convert. So perhaps you’ll do the same. Invite a friend. Start

small and build to a crescendo — that’s how it’s done in the theater.

Through January 8 at Synetic Theater, 1800 S. Bell St., Ar-

lington. For tickets and infor-mation call 1-866-811-4111 or visit www.synetictheater.org.

PHOTOS/JOHNNY SHRYOCK

Synetic Theater’s latest wordless production, “Sleeping Beauty,” continues the tradition of classic silent adaptations. Beautifully choreographed, it stars Zana Gankhuyag as the Prince and Irina Tsikurishvili as the evil Witch.

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CHRISTMAS AT MOUNT VERNON A celebration of Christmas at George Washington’s estate. During the day, tour the Mansion, watch historic chocolate-making demonstrations and meet Alad-din the Camel. The estate is open every day, including Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.Time: DailyLocation: George Washington’s Mount Vernon, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial HighwayInformation: 703-780-2000

December 22

ALEXANDRIA HOLIDAY MARKET A market that brings a variety of holiday festivities to delight adults and children. The market includes live music, a special children’s corner and unique ven-dors of arts and crafts, sweets and hot wine. The children’s cor-ner features activities where kids can paint a Christmas ornament and a coloring book. Santa will make a stop from noon to 3 p.m. each Sunday, with a face painter each Saturday.Time: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.Location: John Carlyle Square, 300 John Carlyle St.Information: www.alexandria-holidaymarket.com

December 31

FIRST NIGHT ALEXANDRIA The annual New Year’s Eve bash takes over the city with more than 150 performances at 25 indoor venues, with live music, dancing, children’s face painting and games. First Night’s fire-works finale returns with a spec-tacular display over the Potomac River at midnight to celebrate the New Year.Time: 2 p.m. to midnightLocation: VariousInformation: www.firstnightal-exandria.org

January 6

BLESSED SACRAMENT CON-CERT The Cecilian Players, Blessed Sacrament’s chamber ensemble,

will perform a concert of chamber music that includes Haydn’s Flute Trio in D Major, Ravel’s “Chanson Madecasses” and Prokofiev’s Flute Sonata, Op. 94. The concert is free but contributions to support future programs are welcome.Time: 8 p.m.Location: Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 1427 W. Brad-dock RoadInformation: 703-998-6100 x103

January 18

SALOON CONCERT SERIES: EARTH Gourmet Symphony presents a culinary-inspired musical experience featuring performances by musicians from the Grammy-nominated Inscape Chamber Orchestra and soprano Jaely Chamberlain. Savor dishes and drinks inspired by cuisine from throughout the country while musicians from Inscape Chamber Orchestra perform classical rendi-tions of folk tunes, hymns, and familiar melodies. Tickets cost $49 per person for general admission, or $60 per person for VIPs.Time: 7 to 9 p.m.Location: Columbia Firehouse, 109 S. St. Asaph St.Information: www.gourmetsym-phony.org

EMANCIPATION, COLONIZATION AND U.S. CIVIL WAR George Mason professor Phillip Magness will provide a contextual history of the abolition of slavery in the United States, focusing upon Abraham Lincoln’s route to the Emancipation Proclamation and the complex political challenges that accompanied it.Time: 7 p.m.Location: Beatley Central Library, 5005 Duke St.Information: 703-746-1702

January 19 through 22

INAUGURATION WEEKEND AT MOUNT VERNON Join George Washington at his Mount Vernon estate during Inauguration week-end as they honor the nation’s first president. Guests can go on a presidential-themed scavenger

ALEX ANDRIA TIMES DECEMBER 22, 2016 17

hunt across the estate, view a tableau of Washington’s inaugu-ration and see commemorative copper buttons from Washing-ton’s inauguration on display.Time: Daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.Location: George Washington’s Mount Vernon, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial HighwayInformation: 703-780-2000

Jan 20 through 22

INAUGURATION WEEKEND OPEN HOUSE In honor of the presidential inauguration, visit the Alexandria tavern where politics was a top topic of conversation for free tours of the museum.Time: January 20 and 21 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., January 22 1 to 4 p.m.Location: Gadsby’s Tavern, 134 N. Royal St.Information: 703-746-4242

January 21

CIVIL WAR SOUL SISTERS — CIVIL WAR ERA AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN WHO PUB-LISHED Join Lavonda Broadnax, a digital project coordinator with the Library of Congress, as she speaks on the accomplishments of fascinating African-American women who were published dur-ing an era when it was illegal for the vast majority of African-Amer-icans to learn to read or write.Time: 2 p.m.Location: Burke Branch Library, 4701 Seminary RoadInformation: 703-746-1704

PREPARING AND DISPENSING CIVIL WAR PRESCRIPTIONS Dr. Hasegawa, director emeritus of the Society of Civil War Surgeons, will describe how pharmacists of the Civil War era interpreted, compounded and dispensed prescriptions. The presentation will include a display of antique apothecary implements and a demonstration of how powder papers and pills were prepared.Time: 2 p.m.Location: Beatley Central Library, 5005 Duke St.Information: 703-746-1702

Anything Goes 1/14 - 2/4

All aboard Cole Porter’s S.S. American! Winner of three Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical, Anything Goes takes sail between New York and England with a colorful group of passengers aboard the well-appointed cruise liner.

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Our ViewNew schools are needed, but at what cost? We cautiously laud city council’s decision to approve the redevelopment of the Patrick Henry Elementary School and Recreation Center at its public hearing last weekend. Several factors drive the applause. The project has been discussed for years while the current school has continued to deteriorate and enrollment in Alexan-dria City Public Schools has kept rising. The new school will morph into a pre- K-8 facility, and will serve 200 more students than its predecessor. In addition, the A-1 design ultimately approved by both the school board and council does seem to be the best option. There were definitely glitches in the process, and some members of the advisory group that put long hours into research on this project rightly feel miffed that their recommendation of the C-1 option was rejected. The advisory process should be reexamined to ensure residents’ time is not being wasted. But we have no problem with this outcome, as several factors in the C-1 option — including having students access the school through the recreation center — seemed untenable. It is ultimately the responsibility of our elected officials to make the final call between competing proposals. Speaking of tough calls, the looming capital budget crunch that council must navigate is the reason for our caution. Like Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” in considering this present project, council is haunted by projects past and the specter of crushing future spending needs. A tour of past projects reveals a grim reality: few public building endeavors in Alexandria come in anywhere near their budgeted amount. Most egregious was the Charles Houston Recreation Center project. Initially budgeted as a $4 million rebuild, the final price tag was more than $15 million when the center opened in early 2009. More recent, and more relevant, is the newest rebuilt city school: Jefferson-Houston. The school was projected to cost $36 million, yet the final price tag was $44.2 million, meaning this project came in 23 percent over budget. Unfortunately, this is not just one or two projects — it seems to be the city’s modus operandi on capital projects and it is why we are so concerned. The bud-geted cost of the new Patrick Henry School and recreation center is $42.5 million, plus another $2.2 million for the turf field, hard court and playgrounds for a total of $44.7 million. But if this project also comes in 23 percent over budget, then we are talking about a $55 million complex. When viewed through the prism of the overall schools 10-year capital bud-get, which just leaped from an already staggering $515.5 million to more than $611 million seemingly with a wave of the hand, the specter of 23 percent over-runs across the board is haunting indeed. At that rate, we would be talking about $751.65 million in capital spend-ing on schools, or almost 50 percent more than Schools Superintendent Alvin Crawley’s $515.5 million request. These numbers are truly mind-boggling. This isn’t Monopoly money we’re talking about — it’s dollars that will come from the pockets of residents and businesses large and small. And of course, capital outlays on schools pale in comparison with needed spending on sewer system upgrades, the Potomac Yard Metro station — and increased Metro budget contributions — and repairs to city buildings. Several things seem clear to us:• These projects can’t be tackled all at once, or even all in a 10-year period.• City council needs to not just figure out how to stagger these proposals, but

with the schools budget in particular it needs to make difficult decisions about what’s truly necessary and what’s simply preferable. In particular, we question the third middle school proposal at this time.

• The city needs to improve dramatically at bringing capital projects in on bud-get. Whether this is a process, personnel or some other issue, City Manager Mark Jinks and his staff need to figure out how to better manage these projects.

Alexandria is at a critical juncture. Years of deferred capital improvements and surging school enrollment has left us with daunting yet urgent infrastruc-ture needs — and we can’t afford them all. As with Scrooge, the actions our leaders take now will determine our future.

To the editor: During its redistrict-ing process, the Alexan-dria City School Board has neglected Jefferson-Houston School — the city’s only non-accred-ited school and by some measures the third worst school in the entire state. Currently, 75 percent of Jefferson Houston students receive free or subsidized lunches and 85 percent are minori-ties. Wealthy parents in the Jefferson-Houston district opt out by admin-istrative or programmatic transfers to other schools, moving away or sending their children to private school. Poorer families do not have these options and are forced by the school board to go to a failing school.

Two school districts bordering Jefferson-Houston — Lyles-Crouch and Matthew Maury elementary schools — have much lower shares of students with free or subsidized lunches (25 percent) and much higher shares of white students (more than 50 percent). The border between Jefferson Houston and Lyles-Crouch is par-ticularly stunning. The boundary is on King Street, one block from Jefferson-Houston — even though the ability to walk to school is a cri-terion for redistricting. The school board should use redistricting to give poor and minor-ity students currently concentrated in Jeffer-

son-Houston — and few or no options to move or go to private school — more chances for a better education; and at-tract more wealthy par-ents to send their kids to public school. Redrawing school boundaries locally and creating more balanced schools by race, eth-nicity and income is a powerful tool. For some reason, the school board is not using it. I think concentrating poor children and minor-ities in a failing school and depriving them of chances at a good educa-tion is not acceptable. In my opinion, the school board has a moral obliga-tion to act.

- Ralph BuehlerAlexandria

Your Views

School board is missing bigopportunity for Jefferson-Houston

Opinion“Where the press is free and every man

is able to read, all is safe.”- Thomas Jefferson


The Business Planwith Bill Reagan

Twenty years ago on December 17, the Alexandria Small Business Development Center opened its doors to support and strengthen the small businesses that are central to Alexan-dria’s economy and character. Over the next two decades, the center has answered many thousands of inquiries about a broad range of business matters. It has provided more than 25,000 hours of objective feedback and assistance to several thousand individuals, both existing business owners and startups. It has also helped individuals obtain more than $71 million in loans, primarily from Al-exandria bankers. The center provides growth and operational ad-vice to existing small busi-ness owners, small nonprofits and associations and those interested in starting such organizations. Existing businesses are aided with common problems or with improving opera-tions and marketing. The center also helps businesses make connections to the organizations, professionals and re-sources that can make a real difference. Those who work with the center from the earliest phase of their startup are typically better organized and pre-pared for the requirements of running a business, and they launch with bet-ter connections and more viable and agile operations. With the center’s proactive guidance and ready avail-ability to help owners with problems, the SBDC’s client longevity rates far surpass national failure statistics. There are many business funda-mentals that are constant — market research, planning, site selection, cash management, customer service and forecasting, for example. The way some of them is achieved has changed a bit over the years. Social and mobile media have vast-ly changed marketing, customer rela-tions and entire business strategies. Online commerce is now an essential element of any business, as is creating a distinct customer experience.

The SBDC has guidance in all these business areas that might be familiar to some but not to others. We also offer ready access to ex-perts on social, local and mobile marketing, human resources, gov-ernment contracting, nonprofit man-agement and retail operations. The center’s extensive website — www.alexandriasbdc.org — has resources on many timely business issues. Since the center is a free resource

for Alexandria businesses, clients have access to an experienced staff that has nothing to sell them and is focused entirely on their best interests. Even more important than our highly regarded programs and ser-vices, clients say that the center’s candid and objec-

tive feedback is what distinguishes us from other programs. The center is continually add-ing resources and contacts to meet shifting demands on businesses. It is also responsive to changing times and community priorities. For 2017, the SBDC is partnering with the Alexandria Economic Develop-ment Partnership on retail outreach to enhance the vitality of the city’s shopping districts. The center is also connecting with additional business specialists to guide Alexandria en-trepreneurs through pressing busi-ness circumstances. The staff and board of directors of the Alexandria Small Business Development Center are honored to have had the opportunity to serve Alexandria businesses for 20 years. We value the support from and col-laborative partnerships with city government and our economic de-velopment partners. Alexandria is truly a closely knit business com-munity. We wish you a very happy holiday season and prosperous New Year!

The writer is the executive director of the Alexandria Small

Business Development Center.

Two decades serving small businesses

Bill Reagan

My View | by Kevin Posey

On a recent Thursday evening, Rose-marie Cruz, an Alexandria mother of four, tried to walk home from work. When she reached the intersection of Mount Vernon Avenue and West Glebe Road, she pressed the button that tripped the pedestrian signal. She stepped into the long crosswalk, but she never reached the other side. A motorist struck her with a car and she later died. That same day, the Times ran an editorial entitled “Pe-destrian safety should come first.” But rather than call unequivocally for the city to accelerate implementation of its Com-plete Streets policy and prevent deaths like that of Ms. Cruz, the author chose in part to lambaste cyclists: “It’s infuriating and frighten-ing to see a motorist driving errati-cally — including rolling through stop signs — while talking on a cell phone. And many Alexandria cy-clists don’t even slow down, let alone stop, in intersections.” Cruz wasn’t killed by a cyclist. No-body in Alexandria has been killed this year by a person on a bike. But four people have died and others have been seriously injured on Alexandria streets thanks to the actions of motor-ists. One such serious injury was to Ryan Brown, who was nearly killed by a motorist when he tried to cross Duke Street. He was on a bike. After accusing the city of putting pedestrians last in its implementation of Complete Streets, the Times de-manded that the city “actually enforce jaywalking prohibitions.” “When pedestrians cross in the middle of busy roadways, like Duke Street or U.S. Route 1, they vastly in-crease the chance of an accident, par-ticularly at night. And when pedestri-ans move into crosswalks against the light, they put themselves at risk and disrupt traffic.” Such a crackdown makes no sense, as Cruz was using a crosswalk. She was even seen on video pressing the button calling for a pedestrian signal.

Brown also was making legal use of a crosswalk while biking. Cracking down on jaywalking ig-nores one of the primary factors in pedestrian deaths: motorist speed. The long distances between intersections on thoroughfares like Duke Street and

U.S. Route 1 allow motorists to build up speed. According to the National In-stitutes of Health, the likelihood of a serious injury from being struck by a car jumps from 10 percent at 17 mph to 50 percent at 33 mph. If there were few-er long blocks, and more stop

signs and traffic lights to go with them, speeds would be at the bottom of that range. That requires physical changes to Alexandria’s roads, which is what the Complete Streets program aims to accomplish. The mayor and city council know this. Yet they continue to call for the Alexandria Police Department to crack down on people who bike in Old Town, specifically along Union Street — miles from where Brown was in-jured and Cruz was killed. Worse still, the city’s Complete Streets budget is less than even the budget for economic development — especially if tax subsidies for major developments are included. This is in one of the nation’s most prosperous cities. But what good are jobs if people can’t even safely cross the street? So what can be done to make Alex-andria safer? First, city council must lead on street safety as much as they do on economic development matters. They can start by jettisoning the city’s requirement that a so-called “cham-pion” garner neighborhood support before any new sidewalk is approved. Homeowners cannot be allowed to veto a sidewalk on public right-of-way just because it is in front of their house. Second, city council must focus on ar-eas where deadly crashes are occurring, not just where the residents are loudest. Cruz was killed in a diverse, yet lower-

Motorists, road design to blame for lack of pedestrian safety

Kevin Posey

SEE SAFETY | 20


King Street at Christmas time

or decades Christmas traditions along King Street have included

festive decorations, parades, and of course, shopping. In 1932, the Retail Merchants Association organized an evening parade that began on Fayette Street, traveled down King Street and circled City Hall, where officials re-viewed the procession that featured bands, drum corps, children dressed in Christ-mas costumes and Santa Claus. Following the end of World War II, the festivi-ties in 1945 were especially memorable. The decorations, described by The Washing-ton Post as the “most elabo-rate ever seen in the city,”

included “evergreen trees on every lamp post strung with lights and tinsel.” The Al-exandria Chamber of Com-merce organized the parade and local businesses funded it, sponsoring decorations along the parade route. In the 1950s, stores along King and Washington streets, like Lerner, G.C. Murphy and J.C. Penney were popular with shoppers and attracted business with holiday window displays, music and appearances by Santa. The yuletide season in 1958 kicked off with mu-sic and carols from the Alex-andria Harmonizers and the Alexandria Citizens Band. The mayor f lipped a switch to turn on 12 blocks of holi-

day lights. A week and a half later, the tree lighting cere-mony was held outside Alex-andria Hospital, then located on Duke Street. For many years, Christ-mas decorations of bells, stars, garland and color-ful lights were suspended across King Street for several blocks, like these seen in the 300 block in the 1960s, before urban renewal. In 1968, with the completion of the newly designed Market Square, the tree lighting ceremony was held in front of City Hall, a tradition that continues to-day.

Out of the Attic is provided by the Office of

Historic Alexandria.

Weekly PollThis Week How can the city best manage building project costs?

Last Week Do you support a more active role for the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce in the city’s economic planning?

91% Yes. 9% No.

A. Revamp internal management processes.B. Hire new oversight staff.C. Utilize an outside cost contractor.D. Current measures are sufficient.301 Votes

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income, area of the city. Union Street, where cyclists are ticketed if they don’t come to an absolute halt at the many all-way stops, is in the extremely wealthy enclave of Old Town. Residents of the former do not have the time on their hands to write letters to the editor or attend the hundreds of public meetings held each year, so their voices don’t get heard. City council must step up on their behalf. Third, officials must get serious about funding street reconstructions. The city was left with a terrible legacy from the height of the motorist era. Wide roads put motorists first by encouraging speed and lengthening crossing distanc-es. That puts people who walk and bike in greater jeopardy. The city’s practice of re-striping for road diets after repaving is a great start, but too many streets will remain high-speed deathtraps in the interim. The stretch of Duke Street where Brown was hit is a prime example. For inspiration, we should look at Atlanta, where voters approved a massive $65 million funding package, known as T-SPLOST, that will mostly go towards sidewalks, road diets, bikeways and other improve-ments. Atlanta is a city notori-ous for its car dependence, yet they are now fully committed to shedding that deadly trait. If they can embrace such a change, surely Alexandria can manage something similar.

The writer is the former chairman of the Alexandria

Transportation Commission.

SAFETY FROM | 19

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Home Outside enables you to make an overall gar-den plan for your property. Even if you’re only thinking of installing a patio in the backyard, drawing up a mas-ter plan is a good idea, Silver says. It helps establish f low, so the whole garden — from the curb to the back fence — will be more graceful, coherent and accommodat-ing. A full-garden plan also helps you avoid expensive mistakes, she says, because it forces you to look at each part of your yard and think about the way the spaces work and feel and relate to one another. With Home Outside, users can simply import a Google Earth image of their property, which neatly solves the chal-lenge of measuring and map-ping existing features. This image is the essential first layer of the landscape design. From there, the app guides you through the process of add-ing more layers or overlays — paths, walls, flower beds, water features and plants. You can even add labels and notes, make a list of materi-als or sources, or jot down the names of specific plants you’re interested in. If you decide you need professional advice (for a fee, of course), you can use the app to contact and collabo-rate with garden designers in Messervy’s office. Free is hard to beat. Anoth-er design app, Garden Planner, which costs $34 (though a free 15-day trial is available), lets you sketch the layout of your property and drag icons rep-resenting walls, paths, trees, shrubs and flowers around the space and reshape them. Put-ting a plan together like this feels like playing, which en-courages experimentation. HGTV also offers landscape design software ($80) that in-cludes a Deck Wizard feature to help gardeners design decks and patios. You start with a plan view or by importing digital images of your prop-

erty, then use a simple drag-and-drop process to add paths, fences, flower beds and other features. The software allows your design to be viewed both as a plan and as if you were standing looking at the garden (in elevation). It shows how the landscape changes through the seasons and even projects how trees and shrubs will grow from garden-shop size to maturity. A built-in plant encyclopedia will help you choose the best plants for your climate. For first-time designers, the options may ap-pear almost overwhelming. Garden design is a com-plex process, and it really starts with taking stock of your property, making lists of priorities and possibilities,

and trying to imagine a gar-den where there is nothing at present. Designer-based apps and software help you do all these things and keep you from going down a lot of dead ends. It will be helpful to listen to the thoughts and com-ments of experienced de-signers, which you can do from any spot with a Wi-Fi connection. YouTube, the champion of do-it-yourself projects, is a great source of short garden design videos. Houzz, an online design re-source, presents hundreds of thousands of garden images — a deep well of ideas — with links to designer web-sites where you can find vid-

eos, workbooks, galleries of projects and, in general, lots of inspiration. Looking at pictures, watching videos and moving garden features around on a template on the screen of your phone, computer or tab-let may not seem like hands-in-the-dirt gardening, but

the point of a design is that you’re interested in the over-all effect, not just the beauty of individual f lowers scat-tered around your yard. It’s hard to design a good garden until you explore the terri-tory. Dig in online first, and you’ll be sowing the seeds for a successful garden plan.

PHOTOS/MARTY ROSS

A well-planned garden isn’t just a series of separate spaces, but a landscape that flows gracefully. When you make a whole-garden plan, you can see the way different areas relate to one another. In this garden, designer Barbara Katz of Bethesda, Md., repeated shapes and chose materials that complement each other.Designing on paper also helps you experiment with solutions to the challenges of your site before you tackle the work. In designer Bar-bara Katz’s backyard, curving stone steps lead up to an inviting lawn. The waterfall on the right echoes the form of the stairs.


ACROSS1 Fresh out of the garden4 Twenty-one gun salute, e.g.9 Barbecue fare, often13 “___ Lisa”17 “And now, without further ___ ...”18 Even though19 Skinny and scrawny one21 Bustles and commotions22 Speaking-badly observation (Part 1)26 “The King” of music27 Some workers from an agency28 Ireland’s Stone29 Gossipmonger30 Food fish or bellyache31 Hollywood production32 Mineral that’s easy to split35 “As good as gold,” is one38 Big butte42 Devoted followers47 Waste time49 A Muse or advertising award50 Give abilities to51 Medieval eyeballs52 Cow of ads53 Lorenzo of TV55 Chinese society or half an ice cube pincher56 Spike in Hollywood57 Bits of land58 Title for a retired professor, often60 Santa ___, California62 Went on horseback64 Speaking-badly observation (Part 2)72 Gold medalist Lipinski73 Maple drip74 Flammable gas75 Diary kin79 Storable bed82 Hardens, as concrete84 Miss Hawkins of comics85 Like bees86 Address to a king87 Beginning of a simple musical refrain89 Jungle VIP90 Oppressed one92 Good one of the Bible94 Movie theater unit95 Grace under fire

97 Baa mas98 Nimble99 Charlie Brown exclamation102 Drum major’s cap107 On the way111 Volvo worker, probably113 Republic in South America115 Speaking-badly observation (Part 3)118 Cost of a poker hand119 Iterate120 Gives a speech to many121 ___ tai (bar drink)122 Family practitioners123 Without124 “Full House” costar Bob125 Hyphenated ID in the U.S.

DOWN1 Grating, voice-wise2 Cherish3 Word on a restaurant door4 ___ gin fizz5 With competence6 Albanian money7 Panoramic view8 “None of the above” alternative9 “Let us know,” on an invitation10 Secures, as a victory11 Certain undergarment12 Some fish-eating diving ducks13 Bryn ___ College14 Deity of the Vikings15 B flat, for one16 Gray in the face18 Burning20 Kitchen on a ship23 Supreme suffix24 Music enhancers25 Thanksgiving veggie30 Positive type of attitude31 Hazelnut33 Strong feeling of anger34 Half-man, half-horse creature36 Worshipped thing37 Muck companion38 Shopping mecca39 “If all ___ fails ...”40 Straight, narrow cut41 Affirmatives, in voting

42 Shrine to remember in Texas43 Nickel-and-___ (petty one)44 Be a pack rat45 Bluefin and others46 Musical repeat symbol48 Leaves alone?49 Skein of yarn54 Chapel in the Vatican57 ___ fixe (obsession)59 Lift over snow61 Morning times, briefly63 Current rule?65 By unexpressed agreement66 Some bridge seats67 Drama with singing68 Biblical verb69 Comaneci of gymnastics fame70 Veggie that can make one teary-eyed71 Young person75 Help for the lost76 Nonlethal fencing sword77 Sorvino of movies78 Oven for hop-drying80 Black-and-white cookie81 Abound or swarm83 Makes a tiger approachable86 Diana Ross’ group (with “The”)88 “___ we having fun yet?”91 Hostage taker93 Debate subjects96 Make, as beer98 Start for “pend”100 “Ciao!” relative101 Prefix meaning “four”103 ‘Do coverer104 President Monroe’s successor105 Coke nuts106 Big name in pest control107 “Good gracious!”108 Nickname of a perfectly pitched game109 Campus cadet’s org.110 Relatives of poems111 Work a grocery store register112 Explanations, essentially113 Suffix with kitchen114 Atkins of country music116 D.C.’s nation117 Stereotypical witch

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SPEECH MUCH? By Timothy E. Parker

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Mary Carter Beary, 71, a longtime resident of Os-wego, Ill. and Naperville, Ill., passed away peacefully on December 18, 2016 at her home. She was born on June 1, 1945 in Fort Worth, Tex. Carter is survived by her devoted husband of nearly 50 years, Rodney Beary; her loving children, Todd Beary, Matt (Kristiina Kimmer-Beary) Beary and Susannah Lehner; her cherished grand-children, Helen, Kai and Vivian Beary, Benjamin and Olin Lehner; and her half-brother, Frederick W. Ford. She was preceded in death by her parents, Frederick and Virginia Ford. Mary Carter was raised in Alexandria, Va. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Penn State University and was blessed to have met the love of her life there. Mary

Carter was a Master Garden-er and a plant clinic volunteer at the Morton Arboretum, as well as a longtime member of the Naperville Community Gardener’s Club. For those who would like to leave a lasting tribute to Mary Carter’s life, memori-als to the Scatter Kindness Erin Potts Memorial Fund would be greatly appreciated. Family and friends will gather on Thursday, Decem-ber 29 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Friedrich-Jones Funeral Home and Cremation Ser-vices, 44 S. Mill St., Naper-ville. A celebration of Mary Carter’s life will be held at 5 p.m. at the funeral home with Pastor Ron Markese of Calvary Church officiating. Interment will be private. For more information please call 630-355-0213 or visit www.friedrich-jones.com.

Mary Carter BearyOBITUARY

RICHARD W. ANSON (89), of Alexandria, August 15, 2016SARAH J. JOLLY (92), of Alexandria, December 9, 2016CHANNING R. JONES, formerly of Alexandria, January 26, 2016

ELIZABETH T. LOUISON (61), of Alexandria, December 11, 2016DOROTHY M. SISK (80), of Alexandria, December 16, 2016JOHN P. WALLACE, formerly of Alexandria, December 8, 2016

Obituaries


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LEGAL NOTICE OF A PUBLIC HEARING

BOARD OF ZONING APPEALSTHURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016

- 7:30 PMCOUNCIL CHAMBERS,

CITY HALL301 KING STREET

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA 22314

Information about this item may be obtained from the Department of Planning and Zoning, 301 King Street, Room 2100, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, telephone: (703) 746-4666 or on the City’s website at www.alexandriava.gov/planning.

BZA Case #2016-0013 408 East Monroe Avenue Public hearing and consideration of a request for a special exception to construct a second story addition in the required side yard. If the request is granted, the Board of Zoning Appeals will be granting a special exception from section 12-102(A) of the zoning ordinance - relating to the physical enlargement of a non-complying structure; zoned RB/Townhouse. APPLICANT: Mandi Pratt-Chapman, by Marta Layseca, architect

BZA Case #2016-00171109 Queen StreetPublic hearing and consideration of a request for a variance to construct a two-story rear addition in the required side yards; zoned CL/Commercial Low. APPLICANT: Amir Radfar, Elitee Enterprises, Inc.

BZA Case #2016-00181208 Prince StreetPublic hearing and consideration of a request for a special exception for a two-story addition in the required side yard. If the request is granted, the Board of Zoning Appeals will be granting a special exception from section 12-102(A) of the zoning ordinance - relating to the physical enlargement of a non-complying structure; zoned CL/Commercial Low. APPLICANT: Corey Donovan & Jennifer Mullett, represented by Michael Detomo, architect

BZA Case #2016-00199 Cockrell AvenuePublic hearing and consideration of a request for a variance to construct a new single-family dwelling within a required front yard. Zoned R-8/Residential Single-family. APPLICANT: Cockrell Properties, LLC.

LEGAL NOTICE

ALEXANDRIA PLANNING COMMISSION & CITY

COUNCIL JANUARY 2017The items described below will be heard by the Planning Commission and the City Council on the dates and times listed below. NOTICE: Some of the items listed below may be placed on a consent calendar. A consent item will be approved at the beginning of the meeting without discussion unless someone asks that it be taken off the consent calendar and considered separately. The Planning Commission reserves the right to recess and continue the public hearing to a future date. For further information call the Department of Planning and Zoning on 703-746-4666 or visit www.alexandriava.gov/planning.

ALEXANDRIA PLANNING COMMISSION

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2017 7:00 PM, CITY HALL

CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS301 KING STREET

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA

ALEXANDRIA CITY COUNCIL SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2017

9:30 AM, CITY HALLCITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS

301 KING STREETALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA

The Planning Commission will hold a work session on January 5, 2017 at 6:00pm to discuss the Long Range Interdepartmental Planning Work Program. The work session will be held in City Hall Council Workroom at 301 King St Alexandria, VA 22314.Special Use Permit #2016-00771508 Mount Vernon Avenue Junction Bakery & BistroPublic hearing and consideration of a request for an amendment to SUP #2015-0102 to allow off-premises alcohol sales; zoned: CL/Commercial Low. APPLICANT: Noe Landini [This case was deferred from the December 2016 hearing.]Text Amendment #2016-0008Sign Regulations in the Historic District A) Initiation of a Text Amendment; and B) Public hearing and consideration of a Text Amendment to Article IX Section 9-300 of the Zoning Ordinance regarding regulations for signs in the historic districts. Staff: City of Alexandria Department of Planning and ZoningSpecial Use Permit #2016-0083311 North Henry Street – Prime Auto Care, Inc.Public hearing and consideration of a request to continue operation of a non-complying general automobile repair use; zoned: CL/Commercial Low. APPLICANT: Prime Auto Care, Inc., represented by Robert Byrnes

Special Use Permit #2016-00844251 Eisenhower Avenue – Public Recycling & Mulch Drop-off CenterPublic hearing and consideration of a request for an extension of a previously approved Special Use Permit (DSUP #2007-0026) to continue use of City recycling and mulching facility; zoned: POS/Public Open Space. APPLICANT: City of Alexandria Department of Transportation & Environmental Services

Special Use Permit #2016-00851601 Duke Street (sub-parcel addresses: 1601A, 1603 & 1607 Duke St) – VINCI SchoolPublic hearing and consideration of a request to operate a private academic school; zoned: OCH/Office Commercial High. APPLICANT: Vinci Education Corporation, represented by Mark Yoo, architect

Special Use Permit #2016-0086400 Tennessee AvenuePublic hearing and consideration of a request to construct a new single-family dwelling on a developed substandard lot; zoned: R-8/Residential Single-family. APPLICANT: Larry and Brenda Kahan, represented by Duncan Blair, attorney

Special Use Permit #2016-0090307 North Washington StreetPublic hearing and consideration of a request for a parking reduction with setback and open space modifications; zoned: CD/Commercial Downtown. APPLICANT: Hart Washington Street, LLC

Encroachment #2016-0009119 King Street - The Wharf RestaurantPublic hearing and consideration of a request for an encroachment into the public right-of-way for a retractable awning; zoned: KR/King Street Retail. APPLICANT: Potomac Restaurants, LLC, by Mike Brumagin

Development Special Use Permit #2015-00214213 & 4141 Duke Street – Taco BellPublic hearing and consideration of a request for a Development Special Use Permit and site plan with modifications to the zone transition setback and to the additional setback from the centerline of Duke Street, to construct a new restaurant building with outdoor dining and a drive through facility and associated site improvements; zoned: CG/Commercial General & CC/Commercial Community. APPLICANT: Taco Bell of America, LLC, represented by M. Catharine Puskar, attorney


Maureen McEnearney Dunn

President

Dave Hawkins Executive Vice President

& Principal Broker

Michael DayExecutive Vice President

& Managing Broker

Residential agents

Jan AllisonPaul AndersonSusan AnthonyRobin Arnold

Mason Montague BavinBob Bazzle

Karen Cooper BazzleBabs Beckwith

Margaret BenghauserHolly BevilleVicki Binkley

Lauren BishopKay BlemkerBob Boehm

Alexis BogdanVici BoguessAmy Brodie

Brenda Gail BrownClay BurkeJud Burke

Julian BurkeJodie Burns

Delaine CampbellHeather ChesserCindy ClemmerLaurel Conger

Colleen CoopersmithBarbara Cousens

Susan CraftDonna CramerWaldi CrawfordKate CrawleyPeter Crouch

Pat CrusenberryTammi Curran

Catherine DavidsonPat Day

Courtney DeVriesSusan Dickerson

Joan DixonKathleen Dobbyn

Ann DuffJosephine Erkiletian

Mary FarrellKimberly Fazio

Sue FeinthelChristine FischerAllison GoodhartMarty GoodhartSue GoodhartRochelle GrayLisa GrooverJoanne GunnJennifer HalmSally HarperChris Hayes

Annette HinamanWayne HollandDeborah Huber

Susan HumeRoss Hunt

Debora JacksonNoel Kaupinen

Jillian KeckRick Kicklighter

Sarah KingSuzanne Kovalsky

Julie LineberryMichael MakrisBetty Mallon

Jane ManstofBob Martini

Michael MayesSusan McAteerSallie McBrien

Sean McEnearneyJeffery McGlothlinRichard McGuireSandy McMaster

Ann MichaelJoel Miller

Miriam MillerGenevieve Moorhouse

Suzanne MorrisonBrian MurphyGeorge Myers

Stephanie MyersLydia Odle

Kate PattersonDoug PeedJanet Price

Ginger QuinnDavid Rainey

Mary Ashley RhuleJessica Richardson

Christopher RobinsonMary Ellen RotondoWendy SantantonioCharlene Schaper

Nada SeideJoan ShannonMelissa Shelby

Phyllis SintaySheila Sirois

Patricia SmithJohn SommerSandra Sperry

Casey SutherlandJoy SutherlandJennifer Walker

Ken WardSuellen West

Trebor Lefébvre WheartyCherie Wilderotter

Cecily WinchellAaron Wood

Gordon WoodKierstan WoodsKarisue WysonMeiling Yang

Sissy Zimmerman

agent assistantsRixey Canfield

Shannon ChawkHeather ChesserErin DeGeorgeSusan DoyleAshley Hines

Jane KicklighterNancy Lacey

Susan McVetyJamyn Page

Shannon PaynePatti Petkosek

Sara SmithHelena SopranoSamantha Tagert

CommeRCial agents

Debra ArnettKathy Bailey

Robert BolsterDeborah Bruzzo

Ed CaveCharles Hulfish

Tom HulfishChuck Langdon

Mike LuckerBeverly Merchant

John QuinnBrison Rohrbach

John RossRick Sada

Diane SappenfieldRon SappenfieldBob Swearingen

Adam Tafesse

PRoPeRty management

Dan DeverCindy Troupe

staffEdita CapinNaima Doles

Brittany EversLaurie Felton

Katy FikeJacqueline Gerardi

Naomi GonyeaAndrea GreenFelicia Howard

Angela LupinettiCaitlin MaupinPat Shoultes

atlantiC Coast moRtgageBrian Bonnet

Carey MeushawAmanda Wallingford

Happy Holidaysduring the holiday season, our thoughts turn gratefully to our communities and to our clients.

from our family to yours, we hope your holidays are filled with warmth and cheer.

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