I voted in Vienna. There's a contested race in Vienna with five people running for three positions (and one of the five being pretty much a non-regular in the Vienna political scene), but no hot-button issues like the ones that got the anti-illegals elected in Herndon a couple years ago. Anything going on in Herndon, Clifton, Fairfax City, or Falls Church City?

Who is the non-regular? DiRocco?

Hot button issues? How about significant crime near Cedar Land and a very reluctant police department/town council who appear unwilling to do much about it.

How about a lack of encouragement of development along Maplol Avenue. There are twenty something banks along Maple and umpteen shuttered stores now (Branch Street Plaza, etc.).

With a geographic base of such wealth as Vienna, there seems to be little stomach in the current incumbents to do anything with the town except keep it in a stasis a la Mayberry.

ITRADE Wrote:
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> Who is the non-regular? DiRocco?

It'd have to be Gadell.

DiRocco serves on a number of town commissions, Springsteen announced as soon as Maud announced her retirement (I suspect he was the 'annointed one'), and Dellinger and Lovelace are incumbents.

I'm not sure what spurred DiRocco to run now as opposed to a couple of years when it'd be her 'turn.' Maybe the Vienna political scene has some behind the scenes differences that this plebeian is unaware of. (I suspect the town clerk was forced out after her office dropped the ball several times on public notification.)

> Hot button issues? How about significant crime
> near Cedar Land and a very reluctant police
> department/town council who appear unwilling to do
> much about it.

I don't recall any of the candidates mentioning that by name, the way the folks in Herndon mentioned the day laborer center by name.

Dellinger opposed the trails north of town (that don't even reach the town) for fear of 'undesirables' coming in. Gadell mentioned public safety as one of his main issues. The others may have spared a sentence in their literature, but it wasn't really that big an issue for them.

> How about a lack of encouragement of development
> along Maplol Avenue. There are twenty something
> banks along Maple and umpteen shuttered stores now
> (Branch Street Plaza, etc.).

Aside from some vaguely pro-business utterances, none of the candidates appeared to mention 'this stinks that we've got so many vacant storefronts and so many banks on our main drag.' (BTW, I agree with you, but I'd rather have twenty banks than twenty empty storefronts with all else being equal.)

> With a geographic base of such wealth as Vienna,
> there seems to be little stomach in the current
> incumbents to do anything with the town except
> keep it in a stasis a la Mayberry.

Yes. On the other hand, the folks who don't like the way things are appear to be divided on the alternate paths.

Vienna surely has issues to deal with, but all the candidates' literature seemed so generic that it's hard which issue, if any, they really hope and plan to tackle. Instead they all spoke in generalities that most people would not find offensive.

Despite my best intentions, I missed both debates and have only the flyers to rely on. The "issue" that stands out to me is incumbants vs. newcomers, and I'm all for bringing in new blodd. I like DiRocco's finace background and Gadell's business background. My dilemma is whether or not to bullet vote for just one or vote for both.

Any thoughts on who between DiRocco and Gaddell has more support?

DiRocco is hotter than Gaddell...

Surprised nobody has discussed this.

DiRocco pretty much trounced everybody.

Lovelace is #2

Dan Dellinger is locked in a one vote race with Howard Springsteen.

Official results are in and Springsteen beat Dellinger by 2 votes. I guess people actually do want bike paths, Dan.

Gaddell had a respectable showing considering he was a true outsider.

I bullet voted for DiRocco. I wanted to be sure some fresh blood got on that TC.

I think it's hysterical that Howard and Dan are so close, because you couldn't pick two more different guys. Regardless of the one comment that Dan made about "undesireables," he seems to be a fairly decent and even-tempered guy. He seems to care about doing the right thing, and I've never seen him be disrespectful to anyone. I really thought that once Maud Robinson was gone, Dan would emerge as a next generation leader on the TC.

On the otherhand Howard clearly has some mental health issues, along with an explosive temper. I've seen him go off on random people at various functions around Vienna and at the firehouse. The people he works with at his Fairfax Co. job all think he's nuts, too -- and they are afraid of him. He's done some things in front of the police that would have gotten other people arrested, but he has some immunity with the Town Police due to his brown-nosing of Maud Robinson, and because he is head of the volunteer fire dept.

Can't wait to see what will happen if the absentee votes come back in favor of Dan. Hope Howard doesn't own any guns.

Great news about DiRocco. I know her personally and she is smart, very organized and personable to boot. I am confident she will not disappoint the voters.

Mrs. K,
FYI- The absentee ballots are in and counted; this race is over.

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/eb/resu0509.pdf

Bounce House Wrote:
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> Mrs. K,
> FYI- The absentee ballots are in and counted; this
> race is over.
>
> http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/eb/resu0509.pdf


Amazing how few people voted. That is sad.

Town elections. About the norm in Vienna.

But at least we cared enough to talk about it!

Alexandria had the Republicans capture two seats on the City Council (!). Plunkee the Elephant was mailed to Alexandrians advising them vote only for the Republicans.

Looking @ the State Board of Elections, that seems to have been the only municipal elections in Virginia. It seems Herndon, Clifton, Falls Church, and Fairfax City have their town elections in May of even-numbered years.