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Labels: blogging, community journalism

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 9:24 AM 0 comments

Now that Pat Hope, the Buckingham Community Civic Association president, has won the Democratic primary for the House of Delegates’ 47th seat, who will head the BCCA? The conventional wisdom says that, as the Democrat, Pat most likely will win the November election and become the Delegate. He indicated at his victory party that the community will have to find a new leader if he wins in November. He did not say, but I can imagine that this job will be just one too many for his schedule (Pat is very active in the community).

It’s not a simple question, either, given two very important facts: 1, the BCCA meetings are often lightly-attended. So the pool of potential applicants is small. 2, the person needs a decent understanding of government machination as well as some political smarts to be able to talk with other groups in the neighborhood. The tenants group BU-GATA is the big one, but there’s also the informal groupings of people at the Buckingham Outreach Center, and there’s a rather large Bangladeshi community, too. I’m probably forgetting others.

No one jumps to mind as the perfect candidate right now, but I’ll start making inquiries.

The County Board met in a closed session last week with the county manager, Ron Carlee, and county staff to discuss the legal issues surrounding the historic preservation ordinance.

“No actions were taken,” county public relations rep Mary Curtius wrote in an email, so they do not need to report what was talked about.

Basically, the ordinance is a zoning ordinance giving the county, its commissions and boards the right to regulate, in this case, outside renovations in a historic district. Just so you know.

I heard about this session when I went to the open meeting of the board and the county manager where they spoke of long-term transportation and parking issues. It was the first of these sorts of meetings in which the full board sits with the manager to ask questions and get feedback before the main, public, Saturday-morning board meeting.

The old method had the board members catching up with one another, discussing ideas and questions and then individually meeting the manager in a similar way.

Board member Mary Hines told me later that, as the newest member of the county board, she really liked being able to ask questions and even more to be able to listen to the questions and remarks of others.

It strikes me, as a citizen, that this is much better. I know the law about meetings and quorums can be rather clear that too much talking behind doors turns an informal chat into a real meeting that should be conducted in public. I am not accusing the board of having stepped over the line, but it seems these monthly, open chats has clarified the line.

I have to apologize for the confusion with the story covering the park at the corner of N. Glebe Road and N. Randolph Street. County planner Scott McPartlin and I were misunderstanding one another, but we have that cleared, and I think the story is now accurate.

I feel as though I get started in the summer when other commitments pull me away. Alas, this is the last post for about a week. I’m glad I was able to get to the county board meet regarding Village 3. With luck, nothing exciting will happen next week. I’ll write to you when I return.

I forgot to put this in a moment ago when I updated the site: Saturday June 27, 8a.m. to 1p.m. People are selling all over the property on both sides of N. George Mason Drive between N. Pershing Drive and Arlington Blvd. Property maps will be available so shoppers can find the sales throughout the community; towing will be suspended during the yard sale.

As always, you can scroll down to see all the recent stories, or simply click the links below (if the link doesn't work, scroll down to find the story, and email to tell me what's busted: heraldtrib@gmail.com --Steve Thurston).

Today's Headline:

Dreams of Homeownership Run Deep

Headlines from Earlier in the Week:

County Board OKs BV3 Affordable Housing Plan

Foresters Eyeing Former “McGregor’s” Space

Police Notes: June 4 -12

Barrett Students Take Runner-Up in “Shorties”

Buckingham Villages Updates

Go Remy’s “Arlington”: Mugging Includes Hot Cocoa

Adventure Park, Town Center, or Mini-golf Considered for Glebe/Randolph Corner.

Special Primary Election Coverage

From Hopeful to Humble at Post-Election Parties

8,000 Vote in Primary; Hope, Deeds Win

Letter: No Lines Today

Turnout Looks Brisk, Despite Weather

Republican Enters Race for 47th

Letter: Feld Hasn’t Called Hope “Names”

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 10:11 AM 1 comments

Right now, the rules say no.

Mr. Bonilla is a “rod-man” for the Miller-Long construction company, helping place the steel reinforcement bar in the huge columns that keep high-rises vertical. In that job, he makes about $25 per hour, up near $50,000 a year. And that’s just not enough according to the current rules that county staff, Telesis Corporation, and that company’s management partners are considering for home ownership in the condominium.

The current rules say that the total income of residents in the unit must be 60 to 80 percent of the Area Median Income. The AMI is set by the federal department of Housing and Urban Development. Mr. Bonilla would need to make about $61,000 a year to qualify.

Still, there is some hope.

The county board OKed an affordable housing program for Buckingham Village 3 at its meeting Tuesday night. It opens the process of creating a 48-unit condominium in five buildings along N. Pershing Drive between N. George Mason Drive and N. Thomas Street. However, the board left open many of the details of what the condominium finances would look like and who would be able to buy.

“I think I can qualify,” Mr. Bonilla said from a chair in his living room one recent afternoon. He said he has a high credit rating and savings. Plus, the rules dictate the total household income, not one person’s. Perhaps a relative of his would be interested in sharing the mortgage and sleeping in one of the rooms.

His daughters are growing older. Joana is 10 months (and already walking), and Eugenia will turn five in October and will go to the pre-school program at K.W. Barrett Elementary School this fall. It might take a couple years before the units are ready for sale.

“We don’t know when this is coming, so my wife could work too,” in time to qualify, he said. His wife, Maria Sanchez, has been staying home with their children.

Lois Athey and others at the county board meeting urged the board to consider lowering the standard for owner-qualifications. She is a long-time representative of BU-GATA, a tenants’ association in the neighborhood.

“Some of these people will qualify with good credit scores and savings…you’d be surprised,” she told the board.

The question of what income level to serve was discussed at length in the Buckingham Village 3 Working Group, a group set up at the direction of Ron Carlee, the county manager. It is a group of all the stakeholders involved including Telesis Corporation (the new owners of the Village 3 complex), tenants, county staff and others.

“We didn’t come to a complete consensus” on that issue, said Reshma Holla, an assistant project manager with Telesis. Her company will develop and manage the property with the National Housing Trust and other partners.

County staff, she said, got nervous at the level of subsidy when the income level dropped. Currently, the county subsidy is expected to be about $140,000 per unit. If the subsidy has to increase in order to help people at the lower income level, the price rises to about $200,000, she said.

“Ultimately that means we’d be asking for more county subsidy,” she said, adding that county staff just wasn’t comfortable with that number.

It is not just the subsidy but the idea that this level of help has not been done in the county for homeownership before.

“The 60 to 80 percent [of AMI] is consistent with what we’ve done elsewhere,” said David Cristeal, a lead county planner on the project. It is a “nuanced answer” but the county has to be careful to avoid a precedent it cannot keep.

But there still is the possibility that the 50 percent AMI level can be reached, Ms. Holla said.

“The goal is we’d still like to reach that lower income level,” she said. They will be looking to other sources, maybe private sources, for the money.

At the board meeting Tuesday night, Jose Castellon, an 18-year Village 3 resident, told the board to put the emphasis on “a variety of income ranges.”

After the meeting he said, “I’m happy” that the board passed the affordable housing plan. But he still hopes to be able to buy.

“I got good credit,” he said, adding later, “I don’t want to go away.”

He has two children who will be in high school next year. “I don’t want to pull my kids out of school.”

In Mr. Bonilla’s living room, he said he likes the access to Metro, the Glebe Market, the good schools.

“I like the neighborhood. It’s a very good neighborhood,” he said. If he can’t buy, he said he would not move away, but would most likely rent a two-bedroom unit. His daughters can share a room.

“They’re two girls, they can live in one bedroom,” he said.

But would he resent not being able to buy, despite his work on the Buckingham Village 3 working group?

“I wouldn’t be disillusioned because someone from my community would be getting the benefits,” he said.

Editor’s Note: Lois Athey, a long-time activist with BU-GATA, the tenants’ association in the neighborhood, translated the interview with Mr. Bonilla in his living room. --ST

Labels: buckingham villages, BV3, redevelopment, telesis

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 9:44 AM 0 comments

The meeting of the five grew mildly tense at times, when county board member Chris Zimmerman attempted to understand if the rental units and the condo units could be readied for occupancy at the same time, and board Vice Chair Jay Fissette quizzed county staff about the lack of detail concerning geothermal heat pumps as a possible green alternative heat source for the redevelopment.

In the end, the board unanimously approved the affordable housing plan—something never really in question—but will hear more about the geothermal plan during their July meeting.

This allows Telesis Corp. and National Housing Trust, the new owners (with others) of the Village 3 complex, to get their financial ducks in a row for the August 5 opening of the Virginia tax credits competition.

The affordability of these units works best if certain federal and state tax credits are received. There is a finite amount of money in the Virginia tax credit hopper, which is doled out starting August 5, so it helps to be the first in line.

On the rental side, the county has paid about $14.9 million for the purchase of the land and will receive about $10 million back during the long-term lease with Telesis. That leaves about $4 million of county financing in the project, or about $110,000 per rental unit, reported David Cristeal, a lead county planner in the project. He said that the cost to the county for the condominium would be nearly $7 million or about $143,000 per unit. The county may receive some of this money back as the units are sold.

He said last night’s decision required the board to vote so that the company would “sufficient time to meet the time frame of early August.”

Only one of the 10, or so, civilian speakers last night was negative. Long-time county activist Jim Hurysz wondered if the price tag of $110,000 per unit was too expensive.

“Are there better options [to purchase affordable housing] like buying old duplexes” or small apartment buildings at $50,000 per unit, he wondered aloud. He did not give an example of where or how many of those might exist in the county.

In the past, county board and staff have said they liked the idea of saving so much affordable housing all at once, in Buckingham, and of saving the community itself, allowing as many people as possible to remain in the neighborhood while renovation and redevelopment takes place.

If all goes as planned, renovation of the units—all 140 in Village 3 will be renovated—begins next spring.

Mr. Zimmerman focused on making sure the rental units and condo sales happen together since that would mean the least disruption for people who want to buy but are currently renting in Village 3. He said that developing the home ownership segment while maintaining the community is a large point of this project. If the county and Telesis get the home ownership segment moving, but the people in the neighborhood who might have bought have already left, then what is the point, he wondered.

Many of the exact details of how the home ownership would work are still to be worked out.

Mr. Cristeal said that there were site plan concerns with the condo and parking concerns along with setting up the purchasing assistance program for the potential buyers. As well, the county has to sell the section of the property that the condo will own.

“We ought to be able to expedite those,” especially the site plan and housing assistance processes, given that they are under county control, Mr. Zimmerman said.

But then there’s the problem of phased redevelopment—how does Telesis keep people in some units on the property while renovating others?

Perhaps they don’t, Mr. Zimmerman said, offering that they could move people to apartments elsewhere in Buckingham. That has happened during the renovation of The Gates of Ballston and Historic Ballston Park. Now, Buckingham Village 1 has the new Madison at Ballston Station with units that rent at affordable rates.

“One of the obstacles to getting the timing of the ownership units on line with the rental units…was the difficulty of trying to maintain people on site,” Mr. Zimmerman said.

Aimee McHale of the National Housing Trust, explained, “There’s an astronomical cost with relocating people off-site. We should have said that up front.” They plan to renovate one or two buildings at a time and shuffle people around on the property as they do so.

Mr. Zimmerman wondered if perhaps some fraction could move off-site if that meant the condo renovation would keep pace with the rentals.

“We will look at that. Clearly we have a lot to do with respect to phasing. We’ve been focused on the housing program so that we can be ready for the 9 percent tax-credit application that’s due on August fifth,” said Scott Kline, vice president of the National Housing Trust. “We do have a lot more work to refine our renovation plan.”

When board Vice Chair Jay Fissette had his opportunity he wondered why the plans for the use of geothermal heat pumps were conflicting and inspecific.

“[W]hen I read this, I get really mixed messages from the memo,” he said. The use of the pumps which use naturally-occurring heat deep in the earth to heat the apartments would require Historical Affairs and Landmarks Review Board approval, and might interfere with old-growth trees which might have to be removed, and the initial installation is expensive.

But the use of the heat-pumps might still be worth it if it meant that the people who lived in the units would have much lower utilities bills long into the future, Mr. Fissette said.

“We can’t always being thinking about affordable housing without thinking about the context of affordable living,” Mr. Fissette said. He couched his argument for the geothermal heat pump in the idea that people should only be encouraged to buy and rent units if they can also afford to live there long-term. Lowering utilities bills would help that, he said.

In the end, he was willing to draft the motion to approve the affordable housing program while asking for more information about the geothermal program at next month’s meeting.

Click the lines for more information. View larger map

Labels: affordable housing, buckingham villages, BV3, redevelopment

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 4:45 AM 1 comments

A group of neighbors in Arlington Forest want the Arlington Forest Shopping Center to feel like a destination, a place neighbors could go to sit, talk and meet. None of the stores or restaurants has that drop-in and hang around feel that a coffee shop, an ice cream shop, or even a small, upscale market might have.

Now might just be the time to make the destination happen, since the space that was Mrs. McGregor’s Garden Shop has been vacant for months, and the Country Curtain is moving to Fairfax in August.

“Right now, we’re wanting to know if the landlord is even interested,” said Michele Cato, an organizer of a group of Foresters looking into the business idea.

The answer is: probably not.

The problems are quite a few, and the neighbors know this, Ms. Cato said.

Van Woodley, the leasing agent for the space, said he has been contacted by people in Arlington Forest.

“We’re not encouraging a coffee thing for that location, without ventilation, limited air conditioning,” he said. He works for A.J. Dwoskin and Associates, of Fairfax. He said they haven’t had a lot of luck with coffee shops, but one might work if it could be on the main level near the Brick’s Pizza and Chrystal Thai, but of course, there is no space open there.

Yet there’s trouble beyond the ventilation. The rent for the small space in the basement of the shopping center, on the side of the shopping center that faces houses, will be about $4,000 a month plus utilities, and they want a five-year lease. Mr. Woodley said someone has to guarantee the roughly quarter-million dollars over five years that the lease will require. Without a financial backer, any idea would be tough to pull off.

“Being tucked under like that has some drawbacks,” he said. The fact that it faces homes, and therefore is restricted in what it can be, is a big issue for the leasing agent. His company is looking toward a small, professional service such as a tax accountant.

Drainage issues and a wet basement are drawbacks that Ms. Cato said she sees. Parking is a concern for both sides.

Ms. Cato thinks her group might come up with an idea that would use both the Country Curtain and McGregor's spaces together. That's an idea that Mr. Woodley said his firm has been pursuing with other companies interested in the property. They have a "wide range" of different retail companies interested in the space, he said, but he would not elaborate.

The Arlington Forest group is looking at creating a co-operative of some sort, possibly, or of finding a financial backer. Ms. Cato said her group knows that anything is a long shot, but they are thinking of an upscale market that would serve coffee, ice cream and pastries, but would also sell food and baked goods.

She said there is some historical precedence for this, too, as the original plans for the center called for some sort of market.

“We want something community based,” she said. “There’s an amazing amount of interest in the community.”

She knows that parking would be an issue for anything, and she believes the community would not support a regular grocery store or convenience store. Her group, which met last week for the first time, divvied-up the jobs, doling out roles to match the people’s strengths. One is calling the landlord, another is looking into the co-op option. The group is strong in the time they can dedicate and in skills, she said.

She admitted that it would be OK if they’re group did not put together a winning proposal, so long the space got something that the community could use to congregate. If the Brick’s Pizza just had nice seating, that would work, she said, adding later that she wanted it to feel more like the Westover Shopping Center on Washington Blvd., with its ice cream and coffee shops, a hardware store, nice restaurants and other places for the community to gather.

“We’ll work with all the neighborhood groups,” Mr. Woodley said.

Labels: arlington forest, redevelopment

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 9:58 AM 1 comments

June 4: Exposure, 3800 block of Wilson Blvd. At 9p.m., two women were walking down the street when they saw a man standing near a bush exposing himself. A suspect has been named.

June 7: Assault and Battery (Arrest), 900 block of N. Stafford St. At 7a.m., a man was sitting in his car in a parking lot when three subjects assaulted him. Police located the subjects fleeing the area. Petch Bhumibhanit, 29, Chaichat Noprapa, 28, and Sanhajuta Lampoonphong, 29, all of Arlington, were charged with Assault and Battery.

June 11: Indecent Exposure (Arrest), 4400 block of S. 1st Road. At 1:30p.m., a woman was on the W&OD Trail and saw a man exposing himself to people passing by. Police located the suspect. Donald McGown, 58, of no fixed address, was charged with Indecent Exposure. He was held on a $2,000 bond.

Click the icons and lines for more information. Red=Person-to-person crime; Yellow=person-to-structure/vehicle crime; Blue=stolen vehicle; Purple=vehicle-to-vehicle crime; Aqua=miscellaneous. A dot in the icon indicates more than one suspect or victim. Click here to view larger map.

Labels: Crime, Police

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 9:50 AM 0 comments

Students at Abingdon Elementary School won the 7 to 10 animated film with "The Lost Colony" and Hoffman-Boston students were runners-up in the best news in an elemenatry school category.

"Established in 2001, The Shortie Awards: Student Film and News Festival recognizes original digital media productions created by student filmmakers, ages 7-18, and their teachers. The Shortie Awards focuses on nurturing imagination," the festival web site says. The films are no longer than 10 minutes.

Congratulations!

Labels: Barrett, film, shortie

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 12:16 PM 0 comments

Project Manager Micheline Castan-Smith reports via email that the next step in the Buckingham Village 1 redevelopment is to prepare what will be the county’s property on the site. Now that the Madison at Ballston Station apartment complex is completed and is being leased, Paradigm Development Company will focus on space for the extension of N. 3rd Street and the county park just north of the Madison (see the image).

The third street extension will replace what had been a cut-through alley and parking lot between the Culpepper Garden and Buckingham Villages apartments. The change will make the new road an official county street and will be close to, but not exactly where, the alley is.

At the recessed board meeting next Tuesday the county is expected to OK an extension of the Tenant Assistance Fund. Set-up in 2007, this fund was designed to help low-income residents of various Buckingham Village apartments to stay in the neighborhood, according to the county manager’s report.

As buildings were torn down and replaced, this fund has helped 11 families who were already in the neighborhood, stay in the neighborhood, the report states. The fund, with $125,000 taken from the Affordable Housing Investment Fund two years ago, is still in the black and does not require additional money. Nine families are still receiving the help, the report states.

Finally, the board will discuss and vote on major elements of the Buckingham Village 3 redevelopment.

In preparation for this meeting, last month the board met with Telesis Corp. the owners and managers of the property to determine the best mix of home rental and ownership and what type of ownership should be involved. The final decision came down to 92 rentals and a condominium of 48 units. All of the units will be rented or purchased at below market rates.

The question that will remain even after Tuesday’s meeting is how the condominium units will be resold when a purchaser decides to sell. All the units are to remain affordable, almost in perpetuity, so the owner who bought at affordable rates and wishes to sell, cannot do so at market rates. The conventional wisdom says that the owner should be able to reap some reward on his or her investment, but should sell at an affordable price as well. The details of this have yet to be worked out. (More on this story after the meeting next week.)

County and Telesis Prep for June Meeting (May 2009).

County Board OKs Leasing and Financing of BV3 (March 2009).

Arlington to Enter Deal with Telesis (February 2009).

Labels: buckingham villages, BV1, BV3, redevelopment

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 10:35 AM 0 comments

Perhaps this video by comedian song-writer Remy, as one reaction on the youtube site puts it, is too "north Arlington."

The poster of that message said, we up here, even in just-barely-north Arlington have access to the Starbucks and the Starbucks, and the Starbucks, but they have Weenie Beenie and Bob and Edith's down below the Pike. True that.

Remy represents on the O-Line, not the likes of Buckingham, or even "West Buckingham," foshizz. Still, it's funny.

Samplin':

Yeah, we kinda got a mall
You know you can't stop us.
It's got everything, but nothing good
It's kinda like tapas

Labels: arlington, music

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 5:17 AM 2 comments

He meant that they may have lost, but they, especially the volunteers, will continue.

“The mere fact of trying creates a positive effect,” Mr. Gill said. He and other volunteers met for one last campaign party at Union Jack’s English pub in the Ballston Commons Mall.

Although their candidate took fourth place in the five-way Democratic primary in the House of Delegates race, many of the volunteers who stopped to mingle over hors d'oeuvre and drinks said the experience was a good one and that they would continue with other activities, maybe even try for office themselves.

“We had a great campaign,” running on important issues like environmental action and equal rights for all Mr. Grant said in a brief interview at the pub. “I’m just happy to be drinking my first beer since being a candidate.”

At his campaign party, Andres Tobar told a few gathered in a north Arlington living room, “I didn’t make it...I just wanted to thank you so much.”

He said Patrick Hope would take the fight for the House of Delegate’s 47th seat to the November election. “I’m very delighted with his victory.”

Mr. Tobar, who came in fifth place, left his own party to go to congratulate Mr. Hope at his.

The scene at the home of Mr. Hope's campaign chair was decidedly more upbeat as party-goers, some of the elite from the Arlington political scene, including Al Eisenberg, the incumbent who is stepping down after six years in the House of Delegates.

“You have supported so many great people over the years,” Mr. Eisenberg said.

“Including you, Al!” another person yelled.

Mr. Eisenberg’s wife, Sharon Davis, picked up the speech from there, “We’ll work with Patrick to make a smooth transition next year.”

Ted Bilich, a donor to Mr. Hope’s campaign and a supporter from Ashton Heights, said, “This is exciting. I think he’ll be good for our district.”

For his part, Mr. Hope, looking tired, and hot, and a little overwhelmed, said, “It’s still such a shock.”

“I’m looking forward to a lot of work,” he said, and was thankful for all the support. “I’m relieved, but I’m also very humble.”

Labels: 47th, election, house of delegates, primary

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 10:51 AM 0 comments

Despite a thunderstorm in the morning and another in the afternoon, Arlingtonian Kasara Williams turned out to vote in yesterday’s Democratic primary. Why?

“Guilt,” she said, laughing. She said she works in politics.

“If I don’t vote, then everything I’ve worked for is useless,” she said on the front porch of the K.W. Barrett Elementary School, the Buckingham precinct polling location. Her picks did not win the day, however.

A campaign worker in Wisconsin during John Kerry’s 2004 bid for the presidency, she had met Terry McAuliffe when he was chair of the Democratic National Committee.

“I enjoyed talking with him,” and she liked his message, she said, so she voted for him. She also said she voted for Adam Parkhomenko in the House of Delegates race because one of his staffers handed her a flyer at the last minute.

Neither Mr. McAuliffe nor Parkhomenko won their races last night, as Creigh Deeds took the gubernatorial nomination from (some would say out from under) Brian Moran and Mr. McAuliffe. Patrick Hope won a shot at the House of Delegates seat in the 47th District. Mr. Hope will face Green Party candidate Josh Reubner in the fall. Arlington Republicans released the name of Eric Brescia as their candidate, but that has not yet been confirmed with the Arlington electoral board.

Slightly more than 8,000 votes were cast in yesterday’s election.

Mr. Hope took 36 percent of the 8047 votes cast; Alan Howze won 19, Adam Parkhomenko won 17, Miles Grant won 14, and Andres Tobar won 12.

In Mr. Hope’s home precinct of Buckingham, he took 220 of the 374 votes cast. Mr. Grant took second place there with 47 votes. In Arlington Forest Mr. Hope took 201 of 449 votes cast, while Alan Howze, 76 votes, edged Adam Parkhomenko, 74 votes, for second place. In Ashton Heights, Mr. Hope won 236 of the 609 total votes, with Mr. Howze receiving 126 votes.

Echoing what others interviewed said throughout the day, Kate Hughes said, “They’re all good candidates,” in the House of Delegates race. For governor, she voted for Mr. Deeds who will face Republican Bob McConnell in November.

“It’s a tight race,” she said of the gubernatorial run, adding later, “I think we’re going to have a tough fight.”

The sense of civic duty drew Keith Eishcheid to his Ashton Heights polling station at the Clarendon United Methodist Church where he met with Mr. Hope, Mr. Tobar and Mike Signer, who lost to Judy Wagner in the primary race for Lt. Governor.

The three candidates stood ready to speak with last-minute voters at a poll that hit over 20 percent voting, high for a rainy primary.

In the 2007 Democratic primary about 6,600 votes were cast in the race for Arlington County treasurer, the only race on the docket. In 2006, when now Sen. Jim Webb ran in the primary against Harris Miller, about 11,000 votes were cast. Even that number is less than 10 percent of the registered voters.

The granddaddy of them all, of course, was last year’s race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama on the Democratic side, and Mike Huckabee, John McCain, and Ron Paul on the Republican side. A total of about 54,000 people voted, about 45 percent of the total registered, according to Arlignton County records.

“I like to vote,” Mr. Eishcheid said, umbrella in hand. He made a point of thanking each candidate for coming.

Labels: election, house of delegates, primary

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 9:24 AM 0 comments

No line at all to vote today. Was there around 8:15. I parked in the parking lot at Culpeper Gardens, so I avoided all the campaign people stationed on the sidewalk on N. Henderson Road.

Dan Felsenheld
Arlington Forest

Labels: 47th, election, house of delegates, primary

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 11:38 AM 0 comments

At 9:15 this morning, about 112 people had voted at the Buckingham precinct and 166 had voted at Arlington Forest. The primaries last year--the one which John McCain and Barack Obama won--had a turnout of about 1100 voters on the day (Democrat and Republican) at the Buckingham precinct, or just shy of 100 an hour on average, compared to about 60 an hour above. Voters of any party can vote in Virginia primaries, so there is no way to tell if the voters are only Democrats. Neither the Republican nor the Green parties are holding primaries in Arlington this year.

No clear winner is stepping forward in the 47th seat in the House of Delegates race if a handful of interviews at the Buckingham and Arlington Forest precincts are any indication.

Patrick Hope and Miles Grant seem to be the favorites in these neighborhoods, but Andres Tobar also was mentioned. No one spoken with mentioned Alan Howze. Adam Parkhomenko was often cast as the person chosen not to vote for because of his age and inexperience. At the same time people were quick to say that Mr. Parkhomenko was a hard worker.

Generally, people said they found all five candidates in the House race to be OK and had a hard time picking the one to vote for. Sara Ellen Swatt, of Buckingham said she would have liked to have seen a woman run for the House of Delegates and blamed the party for not having a strong feeder system to get women into the position to run.

Stephen Goldman was 15 minutes into his commute when he saw a person holding an campaign sign and remembered that he had to vote, so he turned around to get back to his Arlington Forest precinct.

He said that during the campaign he asked three House candidates--the three who stopped at his door--to explain how they were different from each other, and was a little disappointed to find their answers "evasive," he said. "But I voted anyway."

The number of people interviewed was much too small to make any of this accurate beyond anecdote.

Zelmira McCann at the Buckingham Precinct, said she came out to vote to “keep the ball rolling with Democrats” who have had major victories in statewide elections in recent years. She chose Terry McAuliffe for governor and Miles Grant for the House of Delegates, she said.

“He’s the ‘Green Party’ type,” she said of Mr. Grant, adding that she’s trying to go green herself.

Khyati Desai, also at Buckingham, said she went with Brian Moran for governor and Patrick Hope for House of Delegates saying that Mr. Hope has made service in the community a career. She said its best to be engaged in the process early, so she made sure to vote in the primary.

A couple blocks away at the Arlington Forest precinct, Anne Fullerton said if she were a “single-issue voter” that issue would be immigration, so she cast a ballot for Andres Tobar, who is also a friend of hers from church.

Jackie Kramer, at Buckingham, voted for Patrick Hope in the House race; she had helped Mr. Hope campaign, and has been active in other campaigns in past years. She voted for Creigh Deeds in the three-way primary for governor.

“He’s in the best position to win,” she said. Much of her decision to vote for Mr. Deeds was based on the idea that Mr. Moran is too liberal to beat Bob McDonnell, the Republican candidate for governor. Republicans will not be able to paint Mr. Deeds as a liberal--"He's not a liberal," she said.

“We love Brian, personally, he’s our guy. But it’s really a question of who can win.”

Labels: 47th, election, house of delegates, primary

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 9:33 AM 0 comments

From a press release June 9:
REPUBLICAN BRESCIA ANNOUNCES FOR 47th HOUSE DISTRICT

Eric Brescia today announced his candidacy to represent the people of Arlington's 47th House District in the Virginia House of Delegates.

Brescia accepted the nomination of the Republican Party and will run against [Patrick Hope] the winner of the five-way Democratic primary to succeed retiring Delegate Al Eisenberg.

A professional economist, Brescia will bring his problem-solving skills and experience with financial markets and economic development to the State House during this time of economic uncertainty and growing discontent with politics as usual.

Brescia looks forward to sharing with the residents of Arlington County and the 47th District his common-sense, economic approach to governance. As Delegate, Brescia would work with both parties to get Virginia's fiscal house in order, reform government programs to make them more efficient and effective, and protect and extend personal freedom and civil liberties for all Virginians.

As the first Republican to run in the 47th district since 2003, Brescia hopes to create some balance in the partisan representation of Arlington in Richmond so that Arlington will have a clear and effective voice on both sides of the aisle.

"For too long, the good people of Arlington have elected only one party to its six seats in Richmond and all county offices," explained Brescia. "But as our neighbors in Alexandria just demonstrated in their city council elections, Americans are understandably uncomfortable with one-party rule."

"It's about time the people of Arlington be given a choice between more of the same and a candidate who can work with both parties to bring about real and lasting change for all Virginians."

"I've already heard frustrations from many Arlingtonians, and am looking forward to engaging in an aggressive dialogue about ideas on how to reform our state government, keep and attract private-sector jobs in Virginia, and ensure that Virginians hold their elected leaders and representatives accountable," Brescia added.

Brescia is a resident of Arlington's Virginia Square neighborhood. He is a graduate of Providence College in Providence, RI.

"I am excited that Eric has decided to enter this race," said Mark Kelly, Arlington County Republican Chairman. "At a time when our economy is struggling, Eric will be able to put his expertise as an economist to work for us. And, I think the people of Arlington will like his thoughtful approach to all the issues. Eric will make a great candidate and an outstanding Delegate."

More information on the 2009 GOP state and local campaigns in Arlington is available at www.ArlingtonGOP.org.

Labels: 47th, campaign, election, house of delegates

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 9:12 PM 0 comments

It would not be the first time back.

In October 2007, the county posted a request for interest in a mini-golf course at the site, and in the spring and summer of 2008, the Buckingham Community Civic Association pushed back, saying that the idea was being forced on the community without enough community input. County planners have maintained that part of their jobs is to narrow choices to those likely to succeed in the space, and that there will be opportunities for input.

In 2008, the county, deciding internally to look closer at the matter, put together an interdepartmental team from the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources; Arlington Economic Development; and Community Planning to reinvestigate the use of the space.

Buckingham Community Civic Association President Pat Hope, a leader in the push back a year ago, said that he still wants the county to ask the basic question: “What does the community want?” before they push forward with any idea. A charette regarding the best use of the space, he said, should include the Bluemont, Buckingham, Ballston and Ashton Heights neighborhoods as well as commissions and committees that would have a stake in the project.

Mr. Hope said he takes issue with the idea that the park must be “activated.”

“I haven’t gotten past the original discussion of ‘what do you want here?’” he said. The question to the community would ask whether they want an active or passive park or something else.

“I’m happy that [the offerings are] more than mini-golf, but I still want a discussion,” he said.

He warned the planners that the “worst thing that could happen” is 15 people show up at the county board meeting saying that they don’t like any idea put forward.

“We ought to be the ones to drive this discussion,” he said.

[Other civic leaders could not be reached before this posting. –ST]

The current plan is that B&D will finish their analysis by the end of the summer, and public discussions over the different ideas would occur in the fall, Mr. McPartlin said.

The town center might be a space to hold performances, civic meetings, shows or ceremonies, Mr. McPartlin said. In April, he said the idea that the county had decided only on performance space was a “rumor.” Today, he said that the county is keeping any possible uses of a town center open, even ice skating, though the Kettler Capitals Iceplex sits atop the parking garage adjacent to the park space.

“That’s why we hired B&D, to look at the feasibility,” Mr. McPartlin said. “We’re looking at these ideas as examples. We’re not excluding any one [idea].”

The adventure park might include rock climbing and huge climbing structures such as that found at the City Museum of St. Louis or Port Discovery in Baltimore. This might also include a skate boarding park or a wave pool where people could surf or kayak, Mr. McPartlin said.

He cited the historic and educational possibilities of mini-golf as a reason to recommend the idea. The “Earthscapes” 9-hole mini-golf course at the Science Museum of Minnesota allows players to see the role of water in shaping the surface of the earth.

“This 30,000 square-foot course gives the words ‘water hazard’ a whole new meaning!” their web site says. In Philadelphia, players putt through the liberty bell and into Independence Hall.

A partnership with a private company most likely will be required in such a way that the company can make a profit while servicing the needs of Arlingtonians. Part of the decision-making will come down to how the financing is structured with a partner, Mr. McPartlin said.

Mini-golf Plans Progressing, September 2007

Mini-golf It Is, June 2008

Earthscapes mini-golf

City Museum of St. Louis

Labels: ballston, mini-golf, park, redevelopment

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 12:03 PM 1 comments

Where have I ever called Patrick Hope a "name?" Perhaps you're confusing me with someone else? I have criticized Hope on his I-66 widening stance, as well as his endorsement by an anti-helmet-law, Ron Paul supporter. That's about it as far as I know.

- Lowell Feld

Mr. Feld pens "Blue Virginia" a blog that, among other things, supports Miles Grant in the race for the House of Delegates. He is referring in the letter to yesterday's HeraldTrib Today column where I explained why I like Patrick Hope in the race and how I am tired of seeing name calling by Mr. Feld and Ben Tribbett, another blogger supporting Miles Grant. I should have said that Mr. Feld in my opinion is unnecessarily mean-spirited, while Mr. Tribbett is the one who calls people names. --ST

Labels: 47th, campaign, election, Grant, house of delegates, letter, patrick hope

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 9:03 AM 0 comments

The race for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, if you haven’t been following, is coming down to the wire, with Creigh Deeds gaining momentum, if the Washington Post and other pollsters are to be believed. (In an odd turn, I was called by some pollster asking if I would be voting for Terry McAuliffe, Creigh Deeds, or Jim Moran. I am guessing that is not a good sign for Jim's brother Brian Moran who is actually running for governor.)

I don’t know of any independent poll in the Democratic primary race in the 47th House of Delegates seat. I was called by the campaigns themselves to give my opinion on those running.

Alan Howze’s, Adam Parkhomenko’s and Miles Grant’s campaigns have conducted “ID calls” or surveys rather than polls.

Polls are much more scientific and ask about age, ethnicity, income and other factors that allow the results to be filtered, their campaigns said. Both Andres Tobar and Pat Hope said they did not conduct polls.

Those that conducted the calls are not giving up the numbers.

Joe Lestingi, Alan Howze’s campaign manager, said that they conducted an ID call, which only asks if voters have decided but does not focus on who has been chosen. It allows the campaign to target undecided voters, he said. Adam Parkhomenko’s campaign said they had conducted an ID call, as well.

Miles Grant emailed back yesterday that a survey he conducted over the Memorial Day weekend did not really generate a whole lot of information, given that it was a holiday weekend. Again, it was not a poll since it did not rise to the level of scientific accuracy.

The survey included only four questions covering a couple topics such as people’s attitudes toward coal-powered electricity, gay marriage and, finally, which of the five candidates the person planned to vote for.

“We got so few responses, I honestly don't even know what the final numbers ended up being -- the only broad takeaways I remember were…that the few responders we got were very supportive of a ban on new coal-fired power plants and full marriage rights for all,” Mr. Grant wrote in an email.

The Alan Howze campaign was not going to tell what they found in their ID call. “I’m not telling you that. It’s like giving away the game plan,” Mr. Lestingi said, adding, “We’re confident.”

Informal discussions with people in- and outside of the campaigns don’t point to a clear winner either, from what I can tell.

“I can tell you this,” Mr. Tobar wrote in an email, “most people are still undecided.”

The primary is held this Tuesday June 9. Voting takes place in your normal voting location:

He’s an honest broker. The stuff on his web site and in his materials that he said he has done in Buckingham, he has done. I’ve seen it.

It might sound like a small step to create the Buckingham Community Civic Association; it might sound as though all he had to do was to get a hundred signatures and he was done. But that’s wrong.

In 2002, about a year before the BCCA was formed, Emanuel Vouvakis tried to start the civic association, and he failed. That September, Mr. Vouvakis held a special meeting to debate the merits of a civic association, and no one showed up. No organizers from the different vested groups attended. When he saw the conflict brewing, Mr. Vouvakis decided the best plan was to draft the by-laws and then rally people to them.

It was Pat Hope, as part of that group, who said at the time exactly what the problem was: the group wanting the association--homeowners mostly--had not gotten buy-in from the renter organizations in the neighborhood first. He told me, when I edited the Buckingham Independent News, that his group needed to work with tenant groups and assure them that their needs would not be “swept under the rug.” There were deep divisions that Pat had to work through, so the process took about a year.

Under Pat’s leadership, the civic association conducted a huge survey of the neighborhood, including going door-to-door with Spanish speakers, a Spanish language version of the survey in hand, to make sure all voices were heard.

That survey became the focus for the neighborhood to move forward, to get county monies for repairs, to build a strategic plan.

I have been in the room with Pat as he mediated a disagreement between two groups at the Buckingham Community Outreach Center, where it was clear those present respected and trusted his leadership. I know it has often been money from his wallet that has paid for gifts that the needy children of Buckingham have received at Christmas time.

During the current campaign, I have liked his focus on the neediest of Virginians. To me, that’s what being a progressive liberal, in the best sense of the word, is. A government should run so as to keep those on the edge from falling over.

That is why I get so angry at the name-calling by the political bloggers supporting Miles Grant. It is not that they support Miles. Miles has run a solid campaign and is standing on a good platform of issues. And it’s not that they are against Pat. I know, as do most people in Arlington, that we can have honest disagreements on issues or on the best ways to handle them.

I have disagreed openly plenty of times on this blog with people and politicians. At times, I have even gotten snarky. Political rhetoric sometimes is biting.

But is name calling really necessary?

That is my problem with Lowell Feld and Ben Tribbett. They don’t seem to understand the difference between a good person with ideas they don’t like and a bad person. Name-calling says the person is bad. Arguing over the issues says the ideas are bad. Frankly, name-calling is childish. Especially when it comes from people who sit on the sidelines and watch while other people do.

If endorsements are important to you, I would suggest checking out the web sites of the five candidates running for the House of Delegates' 47th seat. This list has grown over the last week. Perhaps the most surprising (actually it seemed almost out-of-the-blue for me) is the endorsement of Adam Parkhomenko by Gen. Wesley Clark.

Below, Patrick Hope was endorsed by Willians Silva, a housing and tenant-issue leader in Buckingham (scroll down for the link).

Web sites for the five candidates:

If you did not see them earlier this week, here are the HeraldTrib interviews with the candidates.

Walking by the new construction at the corner of N. Henderson Road and N. Thomas Street, I couldn’t help but notice the shape of the sidewalks. I think the corner will look really nice when the sidewalks are done and the grass has grown in.

Still, I couldn’t help but wonder how much of the grass will survive. People being what they are, will--I'm afraid--cut over the grass rather than swerve with the pavement. Alas.

Bethel United Church of Christ is hosting its annual strawberry festival tomorrow, Saturday June 6, 3 to 7p.m. For more information, click here.

Central Library is hosting a high school study night just before finals
The library is located at 1015 N. Quincy Street. Parking is available.

Arlington Oaks Condominium is holding its annual yard sale Saturday June 27:
8:00a.m. to 1:00p.m.

Today's Headlines:

Headlines from Earlier in the Week:

Labels: 47th, campaign, election, house of delegates, polls, psa, redevelopment

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 11:55 AM 2 comments

Yo, como Latino y residente de Arlington, apoyo a Pat Hope y le pido a toda la comunidad del área que vote por Pat Hope. El ha trabajado fuertemente en el área de Buckingham apoyando los esfuerzos para conseguir nuestro cuadro de juego de fulbito y también apoya nuestro festival anual comunitario de Buckingham. Hope es el único candidato que esta corriendo para el Congreso de Richmond que nos conoce bien y en el cual yo tengo total confianza que que luchará para nuestras intereses.

--Willians Silva

Mr. Silva is a long-time civic activist and affordable housing proponent in Arlington. He lives in the Buckingham neighborhood. "Fulbito" is soccer played on a truncated field (largely in urban/dense areas). --ST

Labels: 47th, campaign, election, house of delegates

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 8:41 AM 0 comments

May 31: Disorderly Conduct (Arrest), 3200 block of Washington Blvd. At 1a.m., police responded for a report of a fight. One suspect was disorderly during the police investigation of the fight. Adam Ortberg, 27, of Washington, was charged with Disorderly Conduct. He was released on a summons.

Click the icons and lines for more information. Red=Person-to-person crime; Yellow=person-to-structure/vehicle crime; Blue=stolen vehicle; Purple=vehicle-to-vehicle crime; Aqua=miscellaneous. A dot in the icon indicates more than one suspect or victim. Click here to view a larger map

Labels: Crime, Police

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 8:02 AM 0 comments

I hadn’t planned on doing these interviews since I am a friend of candidate Patrick Hope, and I did not want to conduct what might be seen as biased interviews.

But when Alan Howze came to my door and said to me, “Let’s get coffee” in a way that said, “I can change your mind,” I thought if I got coffee with him, why not with everyone? I called and emailed all five candidates and four agreed to sit and talk with me on tape (or, actually, digital recorder). I was up front with all about my leanings toward Mr. Hope, and have always listed my friendship with him at the bottom of articles about the race.

The interviews (see below) with Miles Grant, Patrick Hope, Alan Howze and Adres Tobar took place at various restaurants and coffee shops in the 47th, and lasted 30 to 45 minutes. Adam Parkhomenko’s campaign said he did not have time in his busy schedule to have coffee, despite being the only candidate who has made campaigning a full-time job. Make of that what you will, but to add context, I should say that I pretty much excoriated him after the Arlington County Democratic Committee debate; I was hoping he would want the interview, just to set me straight.

I had a great time conducting these interviews, and I want to take a moment to thank the four candidates for taking time from a very busy campaign season to sit and speak with me. I found the interviews to be a lot of fun and very informative. It’s nice to know that the 47th has strong candidates in this race. In the interest of full disclosure: I bought the coffee, muffins, eggs, toast or whatever else we consumed while chatting.

The full transcripts which I typed ran about 2,500 to 6,000 words. I tried to get these interviews to similar lengths, lengths which I thought would be informative and readable. They each run about 2,000 to 2,300 words, which is long (but don’t worry, the real test isn’t until next Tuesday, June 9. You have week to study-up!). I like the long-form of the responses as I think they show the candidates’ personalities as well as their ideas and policy goals. You’ll find, too, that the candidates work through answers, showing nuance and complete ideas that might not make it into shorter interviews. It makes for convoluted sentences at times, but that’s the nature of a discussion-based interview, rather than something that approximates an interrogation.

Obviously, I cut a lot from each of the interviews, and occasionally I added words to clarify what was left. I edited my questions often to shorten them, and to clarify them.

I often, but not always, cut the word “and” or “but” from the speakers’ words and started a new sentence if the speaker’s sentence was just getting too long, a common problem in these sorts of interviews.

If I took out more than a word or two (or if the words I erased were more substantial than “and” or “but”), I inserted a three-dot ellipsis (…); this was particularly the case when we got off topic, or when the speaker started and then stopped to restart the sentence.

If I inserted anything the speaker did not actually say, I used square brackets [like these] to show my insertion.

Otherwise, the words a wholly theirs, full quotes. Despite having to remove a lot of content from each of the interviews, I try to make sure the quotes still make sense and are in context. I will happily run corrections or clarifications if the candidate or his campaign can show that it is merited.

Click on the names of the candidates below to read each of the interviews. They are listed randomly (the list chosen by coin-flip).

Please review my policy on emails-to-the-editor and comments: emails sent to me, I assume, are meant for publication and will be published so long they come with a name and a neighborhood at the end of them. (Email me here: heraldtrib@gmail.com). Comments can be added to the end of any of the interviews. They may be anonymous (though I encourage everyone to use their names). Libelous, potentially libelous, or overly mean comments will be erased; emails with similar content will not be published.

Miles Grant

Patrick Hope

Alan Howze

Andres Tobar

Labels: 47th, campaign, election, house of delegates, primary

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 9:30 AM 2 comments