Four new boundary scenarios have been added to the LCPS site. All of them keep DN36.2 and DN33 at Legacy ES.
So far, all of the plans up for discussion except one keep DN36.2 and DN33 together with DN36.1 at Legacy ES. But the staff recommendation may not follow any one of these plans, so it is still important for Brambletonians to let LCPS know that DN36.2 and DN33 should stay with DN36.1 at Legacy ES. You have until Friday at 4:00 pm to submit your comments or complete scenario to LCPS Planning & Legislative Services (lcpsplan@loudoun.k12.va.us).
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Friday, October 26, 2007
Boundary meeting recap
BrambleDirt attended the Creighton's Corner ES boundary input meeting last night, along with a few other Brambletonians. But we were far outnumbered by folks from the Broadlands, who were well-organized against Plan 452, which ridiculously takes a small chunk of Broadlands and ships them down to Creighton's Corner. That's even sillier than sending Brambleton Westsiders there. There were also a lot of people from small Ashburn developments (like Carisbrooke) who oppose being moved to the other new school, Steuart W. Weller ES, which is in the One Loudoun subdivision.
Some good issues were raised by the crowd, namely:
You don't have to create a whole new scenario to make your feelings known (although you can if you want). If you support one of these plans, e-mail your input/comments to lcpsplan@loudoun.k12.va.us. I encourage all of you to show your support for keeping DN33 (Summerfield) and DN36.2 (West side) at Legacy ES. You have until next Friday, November 2, to weigh in on this round of the process.
One last note: I spoke with Tom Reed, who is the Vice-Chairman of the School Board. He was very encouraging and emphasized that it is important to let them know how we feel and what we want from this process. All e-mails sent to lcpsplan@loudoun.k12.va.us are forwarded on to all School Board members and senior administrative staff.
Some good issues were raised by the crowd, namely:
- How long-term are these plans? (They seem like "band-aids")
- Under Plans 450-452, Weller ES is already overcapacity when it opens
- Are the growth projections modified to reflect the real estate market downturn?
- Why don't we expand current schools?
- How long is the bus ride going to be for kids who will have to be bussed across the nightmare of Waxpool Road to Weller ES?
- Why aren't trailers ("portables") considered as a short-term fix until neighborhood growth stabilizes?
- Where's the info on the psychological impact on kids who are moved?
- Why are buildings cookie-cutter? Why aren't they built to fit the needs of the surrounding communities?
- Why wasn't this process started earlier in the year so that candidates for School Board elections could weigh in on their positions?
- No one subdivision has any particular claim on any particular school.
- "Not everybody's a winner." (direct quote from Sam Adamo)
- Additions are costlier than new construction (by the time you factor in all the things you have to cover, you might as well build a new school)
- Capacity standards are: elementary - 875 students, middle - 1350, high - 1800
- Large planned developments shouldn't bully the by-rights, even if they proffered the land for the school
- Test scores show that kids don't suffer academically from being moved around
- Planning staff doesn't get involved in politics
You don't have to create a whole new scenario to make your feelings known (although you can if you want). If you support one of these plans, e-mail your input/comments to lcpsplan@loudoun.k12.va.us. I encourage all of you to show your support for keeping DN33 (Summerfield) and DN36.2 (West side) at Legacy ES. You have until next Friday, November 2, to weigh in on this round of the process.
One last note: I spoke with Tom Reed, who is the Vice-Chairman of the School Board. He was very encouraging and emphasized that it is important to let them know how we feel and what we want from this process. All e-mails sent to lcpsplan@loudoun.k12.va.us are forwarded on to all School Board members and senior administrative staff.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Hump day
Apologies for the lack of updates - BrambleDirt is a little under the weather.
Annual Halloween "booing" has been moving full steam ahead... some residents have been zealously booed more than once (before they could put up their ghosts to let people know they've been booed already). BrambleDirt got booed with a nice package but unfortunately it didn't have a ghost to post, or the poem that should accompany the package. So don't boo me again!
Rumor has it that Annalee's is a bridal shop. Hmm.
Reminder: the Creighton's Corner ES boundary input meeting is 6:30 pm tomorrow night (Thursday) at Legacy ES. (My previous post on the subject.) A fifth scenario has been posted on the LCPS site: Plan 454 (PDF). This scenario has DN33, DN36.1, and DN36.2 (plus some others) going to Legacy ES. Friday, November 2 is the last day to submit alternate scenarios.
Finally, a request. From last week's Friday Flash:
There are some children on the west side of Brambleton who are going to get themselves seriously hurt - it's just a matter of time. These boys ride their skateboards down and around Cartier Terrace from Magellan Square to Legacy Park. They shoot right out into traffic, without stopping to look for cars. Even more dangerously, they sometimes lie facedown on their boards and ride in the street. There are also children who refuse to move out of the street. This summer, I was driving through Magellan Square (very slowly - those streets, especially on trash days, make me nervous) and I encountered a boy sitting in the middle of the street, with his bike lying next to him. I first looked to see if maybe he'd fallen and was hurt, but he seemed fine. I waved at him, but he just kept looking right at me. There was no way I could go around him. Finally, he got up, picked up his bike, and rode past me in the other direction. On my way out of the square, I saw him ride into an open garage on Coronado Terrace.
Parents, please talk to your children about street safety. BrambleDirt believes that children should have unstructured play as much as possible, but there has to be a middle ground between keeping them locked in the house at all times, and letting them roam free without a basic understanding that car vs. skateboarder is not a match-up they should experience. Yes, cars speed through our neighborhood. It's awful, and I would gladly support speed humps along Legacy Park Drive and other major thoroughfares. But parents are just as much at fault if they do not teach their children how to safely play outside. These aren't toddlers we're talking about - they're older elementary or middle-school aged children.
Annual Halloween "booing" has been moving full steam ahead... some residents have been zealously booed more than once (before they could put up their ghosts to let people know they've been booed already). BrambleDirt got booed with a nice package but unfortunately it didn't have a ghost to post, or the poem that should accompany the package. So don't boo me again!
Rumor has it that Annalee's is a bridal shop. Hmm.
Reminder: the Creighton's Corner ES boundary input meeting is 6:30 pm tomorrow night (Thursday) at Legacy ES. (My previous post on the subject.) A fifth scenario has been posted on the LCPS site: Plan 454 (PDF). This scenario has DN33, DN36.1, and DN36.2 (plus some others) going to Legacy ES. Friday, November 2 is the last day to submit alternate scenarios.
Finally, a request. From last week's Friday Flash:
Children at Play – The Association has had an increase in calls and correspondence with regards to children playing in the streets, both public and private. Residents are reminded that playing in the streets is prohibited by the State, County and the Association. The Declaration states that Common drives and private streets are for the ingress and egress of vehicles to the Affected Lots; and that such access shall not be affected or jeopardized. Please join with us in keeping our children safe.
There are some children on the west side of Brambleton who are going to get themselves seriously hurt - it's just a matter of time. These boys ride their skateboards down and around Cartier Terrace from Magellan Square to Legacy Park. They shoot right out into traffic, without stopping to look for cars. Even more dangerously, they sometimes lie facedown on their boards and ride in the street. There are also children who refuse to move out of the street. This summer, I was driving through Magellan Square (very slowly - those streets, especially on trash days, make me nervous) and I encountered a boy sitting in the middle of the street, with his bike lying next to him. I first looked to see if maybe he'd fallen and was hurt, but he seemed fine. I waved at him, but he just kept looking right at me. There was no way I could go around him. Finally, he got up, picked up his bike, and rode past me in the other direction. On my way out of the square, I saw him ride into an open garage on Coronado Terrace.
Parents, please talk to your children about street safety. BrambleDirt believes that children should have unstructured play as much as possible, but there has to be a middle ground between keeping them locked in the house at all times, and letting them roam free without a basic understanding that car vs. skateboarder is not a match-up they should experience. Yes, cars speed through our neighborhood. It's awful, and I would gladly support speed humps along Legacy Park Drive and other major thoroughfares. But parents are just as much at fault if they do not teach their children how to safely play outside. These aren't toddlers we're talking about - they're older elementary or middle-school aged children.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Fall Fest recap
First, I know you're all dying to know... I did NOT win a prize in the pie contest. Even though my "Pearfection Pie" looked like this:
There were a lot of good pies in the contest:
My friend Patt won second place with a pineapple cream pie. Look at his shiny award!
That meant you had to cough up $3 per slice for his pie, while the losers' slices went for a measly $2. All proceeds from the entry fees, pie sales, and the pie walk (seen below) went to Loudoun Interfaith Relief. The little boy who emceed the pie walk was adorable, BTW.
There were lots of food and crafts vendors:
I had a delicious turkey sandwich from the Spicy Pickle folks. Spicy Pickle is in that restaurant strip on Waxpool Rd.(the one with Five Guys and Moe's), and I'm definitely going to have to go check them out.
Kids enjoyed the train ride, the petting zoo, pony rides, moon bounce, and other rides, including the mechanical bull:
Entertainment was provided by some great bands, including The Groove and Bramble On (seen here):
Some random Brambletonians having a good time, one of whom may be my husband:
Dulles District supervisor candidates Stevens Miller and Steve Snow were present, with tents directly opposite one another on Olympia Drive. At Miller's tent, visitors were presented with a balloon and reasonable discourse on the issues facing our district. At Snow's tent, visitors received a free snow cone and a sticker surreptitiously slapped on their backs. (One local mother was furious because her kid had one on him and didn't know it.) Nothing's truly free, kids... there's a life lesson for you. Snow's camp also had a vintage car, which had zoomed down my street at high speed earlier in the day, passing me as I was walking my pie to the park. If I'd only had my radar gun with me! I like to give you hard data, people.
We had a great time at the Fall Fest, and much thanks goes out to the hard workers on the Activities Committee and the HOA. Even the weather cooperated nicely. This event has come a long way since the first Fall Fest (scene of the infamous "Pizzagate"). Patt and I are going to train hard for next year's contest... the silver has only made him want the gold even more, and I just want to be able to get my pie to the tent with the crust intact.
There were a lot of good pies in the contest:
My friend Patt won second place with a pineapple cream pie. Look at his shiny award!
That meant you had to cough up $3 per slice for his pie, while the losers' slices went for a measly $2. All proceeds from the entry fees, pie sales, and the pie walk (seen below) went to Loudoun Interfaith Relief. The little boy who emceed the pie walk was adorable, BTW.
There were lots of food and crafts vendors:
I had a delicious turkey sandwich from the Spicy Pickle folks. Spicy Pickle is in that restaurant strip on Waxpool Rd.(the one with Five Guys and Moe's), and I'm definitely going to have to go check them out.
Kids enjoyed the train ride, the petting zoo, pony rides, moon bounce, and other rides, including the mechanical bull:
Entertainment was provided by some great bands, including The Groove and Bramble On (seen here):
Some random Brambletonians having a good time, one of whom may be my husband:
Dulles District supervisor candidates Stevens Miller and Steve Snow were present, with tents directly opposite one another on Olympia Drive. At Miller's tent, visitors were presented with a balloon and reasonable discourse on the issues facing our district. At Snow's tent, visitors received a free snow cone and a sticker surreptitiously slapped on their backs. (One local mother was furious because her kid had one on him and didn't know it.) Nothing's truly free, kids... there's a life lesson for you. Snow's camp also had a vintage car, which had zoomed down my street at high speed earlier in the day, passing me as I was walking my pie to the park. If I'd only had my radar gun with me! I like to give you hard data, people.
We had a great time at the Fall Fest, and much thanks goes out to the hard workers on the Activities Committee and the HOA. Even the weather cooperated nicely. This event has come a long way since the first Fall Fest (scene of the infamous "Pizzagate"). Patt and I are going to train hard for next year's contest... the silver has only made him want the gold even more, and I just want to be able to get my pie to the tent with the crust intact.
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