More than 60 exhibitors answered questions and provided information to those attending Mount Vernon District supervisor Gerald W. Hyland's (D) 2003 Town Meeting last Saturday.
Held in the cafeteria of Mount Vernon High School, the exhibit portion of his annual event kicked off one hour before the commencement of the forum. Interested citizens began to file into the area even before all the participants were set up.
"This exhibit has grown tremendously," said Rhonda Hallesy, a member of Hyland's staff. "When we started, there were only about 20, and we had to keep calling them to exhibit. Now it's the other way around. I was getting calls as late as yesterday [Friday] asking for space."
Exhibitors covered the gamut from county service agencies to police and fire department representatives to independent businesses, and development organizations to environmental groups and social welfare providers. There were also spokespersons for Inova Mount Vernon Hospital, Bureau of Land Management, the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project, the Cold War Museum and the proposed Lorton Arts Center.
Francis Gary Powers Jr., creator of the Cold War Museum Project, said, "Last year we got our first non-state-agency appropriation for $24,000. That will provide us with seed money for continued development of the museum."
Powers is one of the parties hoping to establish a presence at the new Laurel Hill development, formerly the site of the Lorton Correctional Facility. "We have filed our letter of intent with the county, and we're working on our business proposal," Powers explained.
ONE OF THE LARGEST exhibits involved a joint effort by the county departments of Health and Housing and Community Development. In addition to supplying information on the Blight Abatement Program and Home Repairs for the Elderly, they were attempting to educate citizens on the growing problem of "hoarding" throughout the county.
"We are dealing with an escalating problem of hoarding, and it poses a real danger both in terms of fire hazard and health hazard," Christina M. Sadar, coordinator, Blight Abatement Program, explained. "The real problem is finding the properties."
Sadar said, "Often times zoning inspectors will spot a house that has a lot of debris outside or when a house has been vacant or run down for a long period of time. That enables us to identify a particular situation."
Excessive hoarding is viewed as an illness, according to D.C. Woodward, Environmental Health Specialist, County Health Department. "A lot of people just can't get used to the fact that they can't keep everything. It could probably be associated with compulsive behavior disorder," Woodward speculated.
"It is not limited to the elderly. It afflicts all age groups. I had one lady who had newspapers from the old Washington Star back to the 1940s, and I've seen people keep cereal boxes for the decorations on them. If we can get family members involved, they can often help," Woodward explained.
"The county does have services to help clean up these homes, but the people want to be there and go over every item before it is discarded. We have formed a Hoarding Task Force involving the Health Department, Health Protective Services and the Fire Department," he emphasized.
ALSO PUSHING FOR A cleaner county was Clean Fairfax Council Inc. But it was not at all happy with Gov. Mark Warner's (D) budget cuts. "The governor has virtually eliminated the program by taking all the money from the Litter Control and Recycling Funds," said Rosemary C. Byrne, executive director.
The fund had a budget of $2.6 million, according to Byrne. "This is a designated fund. The money came from taxes on the products of the beer wholesalers, soft-drink bottlers and retailers. The beer wholesalers paid the most," she said, "but if the money is gone, the program ceases to exist."
Funds are used to sponsor education programs in schools and with the public at large about cleaning up the environment, according to Byrne. "It is a specified fund, but it can be moved. Now, he (Warner) has taken it all," she complained.
One of Hyland's continuing issues, the improvement of Route 1 to make it safer for both pedestrians and vehicles, was represented at the exhibit by Thomas K. Folse, senior transportation engineer, Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).
"We are looking at adding a lane in each direction from the Stafford County line to the Beltway and incorporating a median for that full length," he said. "This will include a sidewalk on one side and a trail on the other."
Folse acknowledged that VDOT was also "looking at installing crossing signals along the Route 1 corridor." But, he admitted, "we really haven't gotten into the exact type of signal at this point. The technology is evolving so rapidly." He did verify that illuminated crosswalks were not under consideration at the present time.
IN THE AREA OF social services, representatives stated the Senior Center at Gunston Plaza will be expanding its programs in the near future and a new "Very Important Teen" Program will be introduced on April 1, at three teen centers in the south county region.
Jesse Ellis, recreation specialist, Department of Community and Recreation Services, explained, "The program is designed for teens in grades seven through 12 to get them involved in various development programs. We are working on finalizing a partnership with the business community."
Programs will be initiated in the following centers, according to Ellis: The Hideaway - Mount Vernon District; The Cave - Lee District; and The Mix - Mason District. "It will be publicized through the centers for now. After spring break we intend to broaden the marketing," Ellis said.
Other exhibitors at the Town Meeting included United Community Ministries, Good Shepherd Housing, Christian Relief Services, Community Business Partnership, Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce, National Park Service, Safe Crossings, Northern Virginia Soil and Water, as well as a wide range of additional county agencies.
In addition to talking with representatives, most attendees were collecting literature on subjects of interest. The exhibit also served as a forum for the interaction of many citizens who are personally involved with volunteer services to local and county initiatives and projects.