Volume XXXII, Issue 10

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Message from the Chairman

Just a few items for you this month.

First, congratulations to all of our Stoneybrooke graduates this spring. The complete list follows this message. They have some very impressive accomplishments, summer plans, and future endeavors. Congratulations and best of luck to all of you!

Second, please join us on Saturday, June 16 at 4:00 on Cold Spring Lane for the annual Spring Fling. Catering provided by Famous Dave’s Barbeque. Drinks provided by the SCA, desserts and chairs provided by you. We look forward to seeing you there!

Next, as you have likely seen by now, the residents at the corner of Stoneybrooke Lane and South Kings Highway, Jack & Irma Lamarra, have erected a small fence along the sidewalk. I talked with Jack about the fence, and he said that it was erected in response to many folks cutting across the lawn on that corner. Jack said that he has asked folks not to do that, but it continues. And in a couple of cases, folks have been pretty rude to Jack in the process. Please keep in mind that all residents whose homes back up to South Kings Highway own all the land up to the sidewalk. They are perfectly within their right to ask pedestrians or bicycle riders not to cut across their property. Most of us, I think, feel the same way about our lawns. Please respect other people’s property.

Third, I would like to thank everyone who attended the SCA Annual Meeting in May. A very impressive turn out! The minutes from the meeting are included in this issue of the Sentinel. I made a couple promises at the meeting, the first of which is an update on the lawsuit filed against the SCA. The update is this:

On Tuesday, May 26, Mr. Michael Lamarra, filed a Motion for Nonsuit. This action sets the suit aside, allowing Mr. Lamarra the opportunity to refile at a future date. This is not a withdrawal or dismissal.
In response to Mr. Lamarra’s motion, the SCA filed a motion for a hearing for sanctions, which will allow the SCA to collect attorney fees from Mr. Lamarra. This motion was made to preserve the assets of the corporation.
On Friday, June 1, Judge Arthur B. Veregg granted the motion.
On Wednesday, June 13, the SCA attorney and Mr. Lamarra are to meet with the calendar control judge to set a date for the hearing for sanctions.

We will continue to keep you informed as events progress.

The other promise at the meeting was to schedule a meeting for anyone interested to discuss the future of the SCA. As summer is now upon us, we will hold this meeting at our regularly scheduled SCA meeting on September 20. This is good for a couple reasons. First, this will give everyone the summer to think, take some time to jot down some ideas, and come prepared to discuss them. And second, it will give everyone more time to think about how you can pitch in and which jobs you’re best suited for. So when you need a break from that summer novel while you’re lying on the beach, this will give you something to do.

Yes, I completely understand that I’m warped.

Finally, this will be the last issue of the Sentinel for this fiscal year. We are uncertain at this time whether or not the Sentinel will continue again in September but certainly, pending the outcome of the meeting to determine the future of the SCA, we will let everyone know what is decided.

Enjoy your summer!
Mike

Message from Supervisor Dana Kauffman

If you were at the “It’s Your Turn’ town meeting on March 24, you heard elected officials and senior county staff get an earful about conditions in our Lee District neighborhoods. These issues have been front page news in the Washington Post and other newspapers since that meeting and it’s clear that we’ve lit a fire. We also learned that these problems are not limited to our district.

We are starting to see the fruits of our shared anger. Chairman Connolly and the Board of Supervisors have mobilized County staff into a strike force to crack down on zoning, building, and health code violations. This strike force—on the streets by the time you read this letter—marks a new and more aggressive County approach to code violations. Under the direction of the fire marshal, the strike team includes inspectors for zoning, property maintenance, health, building code, as well as the police.

On May 21, Chairman Connolly and the Board unanimously approved a directive to the county executive. I think you’ll be pleased by how different from business-as-usual this is. However, it’s not enough to look good on paper—proof that we’ve changed how we do things will be in the results of our actions. You have my word that I will hold the strike force to a high level of accountability.

While the strike force officially hits the street on June 1, I’m seeing some promising results leading up to the official launch. For example, we had a case that dragged on and on where a violator essentially held a Route One residential community hostage to his constant and flagrant violations of the zoning code. In the very recent bad-old-days, the County could never find him to serve him with court papers. After the March 24 town meeting, the County suddenly discovered improved research capabilities, located the individual, and took him to court, winning a judgment against him for using his residential property as a junk yard. A $41,200 fine went along with that judgment

I see this as the first step in making our County zoning enforcement efforts responsive to real issues in our community and with your help, we will succeed. Thank you for lighting this fire.

Our Spring 2007 Grads

Congratulations!

Jamie Wright
Bishop Ireton High School
Will enter the University of Virginia in the fall