PWCA: Silver Lake – Opportunity Lost

Alanna

This is a real disappointment. Back in April we hoped that the Prince William Park Authority and Bull Run Mountain Conservancy could reach an amicable agreement with respect to the Silver Lake parcel, apparently those discussions have failed.

The following is an email from the Prince William Conservation Alliance:

Silver Lake: Opportunities Lost

October 21 2008 — The Bull Run Mountain Conservancy (BRMC) today announced the withdrawal of their proposal to partner with Prince William County to open Silver Lake as a park for public use.

That means:

* County taxpayers will now pay all costs to develop and maintain the 233-acre Silver Lake – $1.6 million + $215,000 each year, according to the Prince William County Park Authority (PWCPA) plans;

* An additional 270 acres next to Silver Lake will NOT be opened to horse trails, hiking, and other public uses (BRMC had a commitment from an adjacent landowner to make an additional 270 acres available for public recreational use).

The Silver Lake property was donated (as a “proffer” for County approval of 420 additional houses in Dominion Valley) to Prince William citizens, through the Board of Supervisors, to provide much needed land for public recreation and open space.

The County has kept Silver Lake closed while debating who should manage it. The core issue was land ownership, with some insisting that PWCPA ownership of the entire site was non-negotiable.

The BRMC proposal required transfer – with deed restrictions that pre-determined recreational uses, guaranteed public access and prohibited any resale or transfer – of the land they would manage in order to raise the matching funds required by their $500,000 grant for Silver Lake.

Non-profit organizations like BRMC are unable to attract donations for building a visitor center or other improvements on property that is owned by a government agency. Transferring County land to non-profits is not a new concept. For example, Prince William County donated 135 acres for the Marine Corps Heritage Center.

In the most recent negotiations, the PWCPA would have received the southern portion of the property, including Silver Lake itself. The northern portion would have been transferred to BRMC, with restrictions that guaranteed public access for recreational use. The northern portion would have reverted back to the Board of Supervisors, should BRMC not honor their commitments.

However, after two years of discussion, Prince William Supervisors appear hopelessly deadlocked and, on September 17, the PWCPA Board adopted a resolution by a 6-2 vote rejecting all compromise proposals at Silver Lake.

By rejecting such a compromise, the County will lose the opportunity to develop a 500-acre park with equestrian and hiking trails. Instead, County taxpayers will have to pay 100% of the cost to open up a 233-acre Silver Lake park.

The PWCPA has been struggling to maintain existing recreation amenities, even before the coming budget cuts. In a worst case scenario, Silver Lake could be locked up tight like Dove’s Landing, with signs saying ” Public Land – Keep Out.”

The 270 acres and $1 million in private funding to develop and operate Silver Lake for public use is now lost. The property that could have been added to Silver Lake won’t be developed into townhouses; it is permanently preserved in an open space easement. However, that private land will stay private, closed to the public.

With only 9 acres of parkland/1,000 residents, Prince William is facing an uphill battle to acquire enough new parkland to meet community needs. By rejecting the BRMC partnership, county officials will not acquire new parkland to meet the standards set in the newly revised Parks & Open Space Chapter of the Comprehensive Plan.

In fact, since that plan was adopted, the county has acquired no property for public parkland…. and now has rejected 270 acres of free land.

The Prince William County Park Authority has promised to open Silver Lake to the public in less than a year, with some areas open within six months – so long as the Board of Supervisors provides additional funding.

Will the County find the additional funding needed to open and operate a park at Silver Lake? Or will we see yet another “Public Land – Keep Out” sign?

MSM Reports on PWC ESOL Enrollment

Alanna

The Washington Post now reports on the higher than expected enrollment of ESOL students in Prince William County Schools but refuses to lay blame for the debacle on anyone in particular.

School officials said that it’s not unusual to miss enrollment projections but that the under-projection in ESOL is unusually large — and potentially costly. If school officials had had better estimates, the information would have been part of their budget request to county supervisors, who base the county tax rate partly on the school system’s needs.

And now, contrary to BVBL’s claims that ‘PWC’s greatest fiscal savings will come from not having to educate ESOL students at a 50% greater cost than regular students’, we instead learn there has been NO significant financial offset to this failed experiment which instead has caused us to underestimate the school’s budget causing a rather unprecedented $1.6 million shortfall.

We should be asking ourselves, what was the point? We have spent millions of dollars without being able to account for any savings. And now, in all probability we will witness the legalization of a majority of these individuals with the end result being that Prince William County will have done ourselves more harm than good.

Additionally what we have learned:

  • underestimating the ESOL enrollment for 529 students equates to a $1.6 million shortfall but using Stewart/Stirrup’s Fuzzy Math not educating 700 students would have saved us $7 million
  • educating an ESOL student costs $2880, a far cry from the 50% that BVBL suggests
  • there’s most likely a constant interchange of students between Counties
  • any increases in ESOL enrollment in surrounding Counties appears to be part of an overall trend in higher general enrollment

Guess Who Called Northern Virginia’s Religious Community “Communists”

Alanna

This is who was attacked as a “Communist clique” …

This is who did the attacking:

Which version of Faith do you prefer?

These are two fairly different versions of religion which seem to be in sharp contrast to each other. The second video is a convoluted version of Christianity which endorses a ‘Send them Back with Love’ approach which appears quite different than the atmosphere that was evident at the recent VOICE (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement) event.

Here is one of the many offensive comments on a recent Greg Letiecq attack:

Bolstered by communists from Arlington and Alexandria, the large crowd asked Prince William County Chairman Corey Stewart to provide more “affordable housing”, more ESOL classes, and taxpayer-subsidized dental care.

Do you see Communists in this video?

Stewart, Stirrup Screw-up Schools – ESOL Numbers Released

Alanna

On September 30th, the County did a final head count of their student population only to discover that any supposed ‘savings’ based on Chairman Stewart’s and Supervisor Stirrup’s ‘Immigration Resolution’ will be neglible AND now because of that miscalculation we are short millions of dollars in our school budget!

Update: According to the School system, they will be able to adjust their budget and all students will continue to receive the same level of services.

Here are the numbers from the Prince William County Schools.

Per your request, here’s the ESOL information from our Sept. 30, 2008 student enrollment count of 73,657:

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) 14.8% funded [ie receiving direct instruction]; 17.8% Total ESOL

Regarding the English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) student enrollment: Total School Division enrollment increased from Sept 30, 2007 to Sept 30, 2008 by 1,003 students for a revised total of 73,657 (336 over projection). During the same period, total ESOL student enrollment decreased from 13,409 to 13,130 or 279 students. Please note that the number of ESOL students classified in a “monitor” status and whom are monitored, but otherwise do not receive direct services decreased from 2,203 to 2,201 for a reduction of 2 students. The number of ESOL students receiving direct instructional services decreased from 11,206 to 10,929 for a decrease of 277 students.

However, it is important to note that during the FY 2009 budget process, the School Division base budget was reduced to reflect the decreases in student enrollment (and associated costs), including students receiving ESOL services, that were realized during the last school year. The September 30, 2008 actual enrollment for ESOL of 13,130, is 527 students greater than the 12,603 students included in the FY 2009 Approved Budget. The number of ESOL students receiving direct instructional services increased from 10,400 to 10,929 for an increase of 529 students. The School Division must now address the additional cost of these 529 ESOL students, without a commensurate increase in County funding.

Please contact me if I can be of additional assistance.

Note: The emphasis in the last paragraph is mine and did not come from the County.

Dominion Powerline Hinges on Pennsylvania

Alanna

The State Corporation Commission yesterday agreed that there was a ‘need’ for a 500Kv powerline to run through Virginia. Now the construction of the line hinges on the decision of Pennsylvania judges who have atleast temporarily put a halt its construction through their state based on the argument that the line is not needed but rather is a mechanism to increase profits for the power company.

Dominion originally proposed a path that traversed the Virginia countryside, appropriately described by the Prince William County Board of Supervisors as ‘a drunken sailor looking for port.’ That path crossed hundreds of acres of conservation easements, crossed in close proximity to school sites and ran directly through the newly constructed Toll Brothers Country Club in Dominion Valley. They have since replaced that path with a longer one that runs on existing utility easements but will ruin the viewshed of the Manassas Battlefield.

Then as a further affront to the citizenry of Virginia, Governor Kaine puts the fox in charge of the hen house with his appointment of a Dominion attorney to the State Corporation Commission, effectively handing over the keys to the electric company to proceed at will in the Commonwealth.

Rock, Paper, Scissors, Gun….Gun Wins

Alanna

According to the Potomac News/Journal Messenger, there was an attempted robbery at a local store where one of the thieves was wielding a pair of scissors, but luckily for the business owner, she was armed with a handgun. Ergo handgun beats scissors.

One of the would-be robbers immediately ran out of the store, located on PR Business Center Drive. A second robber, who wielded the scissors, tried to run out of the store but tripped on a clothes rack and fell. He finally crawled out the front door.

And the second rule the robber forgot? – Don’t run with scissors in your hand.

Gainesville Supervisor Stirrup Continues the Lies

Alanna

Apparently Gainesville Supervisor – John Stirrup made an appearance in your town to spread outright lies. One has to wonder what his true motivation is in perpetuating the lies. Corey apparently has delusions that he could conceivably become LutentHere in PWC we have had a tumultuous time since the initial adoption of our ‘Immigration Resolution’ which most likely is now being marketed as ‘The Rule of Law Resolution’.

Not having been there but having heard Stirrup’s on a couple of occasions, these facts might give you a more balanced observation of what has occurred here in PWC.

PWC County Schools has 700 fewer ESOL students
** Yes, and some neighboring jurisdictions have had a greater percentage drops than PWC without implementing any policy.

Crime Statistics dropped 20%
** Actually, the crime rate has been dropping over the past 4 years, each year by approximately 20% even during the timeframe where we had the influx of illegals.

Hospitals are less overcrowded
** Actually, emergency room visits have remained at the same levels but we have had about 500 less uninsured births combined with losses in L&D nurses.

What I’m sure he didn’t mention.
1. We have DOUBLE the foreclosure rates of surrounding jurisdictions that supposedly have MORE of an illegal problem than we do.
2. We have lost 25-40% of our home values, again this is DOUBLE the losses of surrounding counties
3. Our program has only identified 1.6% of those arrested as ILLEGALS
4. We have had to cut vital services to fund this program like our Senior Citizen Day Center, no new tiles in our libraries, close a health clinic, and the list goes on and on…
5. According to our County’s ‘Citizen Satisfaction Survey’, minorities including Blacks now have the lowest confidence ever recorded in our Police Department which ALSO has been cut for next year. How convenient.
6. 5% of those handed over to ICE have ended up being RE-ARRESTED in our community which makes you wonder where the other 95% really are. I suspect the majority of them were simply released by ICE and are back on our streets.

Obviously, John is now taking talking points from Corey as they try to convince the residents of Durham, North Carolina to follow in their ill-conceived footsteps. Funny how he outright LIES about emergency room visits even after receiving a report to the contrary. And, again, those crime stats being touted as if they actually had some sort of significance. John you are a DESPICABLE LIAR.

PWC & Immigration Study Circle Information

Alanna

> From CVDNVA.org – The Center for Voter Deliberation of Northern Virginia

A reminder: You are invited to an information meeting on Study Circles on immigration in the Prince William County area. The meeting is Saturday September 27, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., at the George Mason University Prince William campus, in the Bull Run Building, Room 130 (1st floor). Parking is available in the King Lot.

Register, or just to learn more

GMU/PW campus map

Study Circles are facilitated community conversations that help us better understand all sides of the immigration issue, build relationships across groups, and develop action plans and policies based on common ground.

We believe the community needs a respectful, honest and productive conversation about immigration. We hope you can join us at GMU/PW on September 27.

Sincerely,

Charvis Campbell
George Mason University – Prince William

Beth Offenbacker & Bill Corbett
Center for Voter Deliberation of Northern Virginia

To read the full press release, visit – http://www.citizensovereignty.com/princewilliam/PressRelease9-14-8.pdf.

Quick Note: The Study Circles are Confidential and WILL NOT BE FILMED.

City Brings Home Three State Neighborhood Awards

Alanna

A Special Congratulations to Cindy Brookshire

For immediate release

Contact: Kisha Wilson-Sogunro
Neighborhood Services Coordinator

City of Manassas
703-257-8240

City Brings Home Three State Neighborhood Awards

MANASSAS, VA – The City of Manassas, one of its neighborhood organizations and a local youth have won three state neighborhood awards. They are:

State Neighborhood Youth Individual Effort of the Year

Michael Sensale, Cannon Ridge Community

State Neighborhood Youth Group Effort of the Year

Week of Hope Program, City of Manassas Neighborhood Services

State Neighborhood Project of the Year

Weems Neighborhood Watch/Week of Hope Cleanup

The awards were presented on Saturday, September 20 at the 9th annual Virginia Statewide Neighborhood Conference, held at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner.

The City of Manassas has been stepping up efforts to build strong neighborhoods and increase civic involvement since it hired Kisha Wilson-Sogunro as Neighborhood Services Coordinator in November 2006. Sogunro has put her extensive knowledge to work addressing critical needs in the community,

“This was truly a city government-citizen group partnership,” said Cindy Brookshire, whose project had the support of more than a dozen Weems Neighborhood Watch members to organize a four-day cleanup of Landgreen Street, where Manassas Cab Company driver Khawaja Ahmed was murdered in February 2008. More than 30 youth and adult church volunteers, including the general manager of the cab company, worked with Watch members to fill four City trucks with trash and yard waste, mow 12 lawns, haul away a trailer load of hazardous household waste (used motor oil, paint, car batteries, TV and computer monitors), reinstall a mailbox and spread a truckload of mulch. They ended their labors with an ice cream “party in the park” at Byrd Park. “Our Neighborhood Watch could not have pulled this project together without the encouragement of Officer Scott Stallard of the City of Manassas Police Department, Kisha’s in-field guidance of the Week of Hope volunteers, and the Public Works Department, which supplied us with courtesy trucks, wheelbarrows and other tools we needed to get the job done. I’m grateful to the City and to the church youth for their help in our crime prevention and community building efforts.”

The City is planning to host its own Neighborhood Conference on Saturday, November 15 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Carteret Mortgage Branch Boys & Girls Club on Dean Drive, complete with workshops, a marketplace of exhibits, a block party lunch with “divine desserts” from local churches and their own Best of Neighborhood award winners.

To register for the City’s Second Annual Neighborhood Conference, go to www.manassascity.org.

Settlement on the Horizon?

Alanna

Apparently a settlement is in the works for the case brought against the City when they attempted to redefine a family.

ACTION ITEM: Consideration of Resolution #R-2009-38 as Full and Final Settlement Agreement and Release of the Equal Rights Center, Et Al. v. City of Manassas and City of Manassas Public Schools and City of Manassas School Board, Case No. 07 CV 1037 – TSE/TRJ before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. (Staff: Lawrence D. Hughes, City Manager.