Fisher: NoVa’s Most Evenly-Divided Neighborhood

Marc Fisher checks out Valley precinct in Springfield.

The 2,700 voters who live in 1960s houses and 1990s townhouses off Rolling Road north of the Fairfax County Parkway gave George Bush a 160-vote margin over Al Gore in 2000, then flipped to pick John Kerry over Bush by just 20 votes in 2004. In 2006, the precinct went for Democrat Jim Webb over incumbent George Allen for the U.S. Senate, but by an almost identical vote chose Republican Rep. Tom Davis over his Democratic challenger. In last year’s state Senate race, which Republican Ken Cuccinelli won by fewer than 100 votes districtwide, Valley went for Democratic challenger Janet Oleszek by a single vote…

Lopez hears real enthusiasm for former governor Mark Warner’s bid for the U.S. Senate and for Fairfax board Chairman Gerry Connolly in his congressional race.

In his 2003 election for Chairman, Gerry received 55% of the vote in Valley precinct.  In last year’s re-election, he received 57%.

COG Climate Change Report

Greater Greater Washington notes that the Washington Council of Governments has released a climate change report detailing ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the region.

Climate experts from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) are briefing the DC Council tomorrow about COG’s Climate Change Report. Produced by a steering committee co-chaired by Councilmember Mary Cheh, MoCoCo’s Nancy Floreen and Fairfax’s Gerry Connolly (likely the next Congressman from NoVa), the report gives 78 recommendations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the Washington region.

After listing the clear and overwhelming evidence for global warming caused by human greenhouse gas emissions, it divides recommendations into those for energy consumption (heating, lighting, commercial operations, residential appliances, etc.) and transportation and land use. Since 30% of emissions come from transportation (the report claims), 30% of the recommendations cover reducing vehicle emissions and VMT.

Transportation-related recommendations include incentives for buying hybrids, shifting short trips from driving to other modes, promoting car sharing, mixed-use and transit-oriented development, transit expansion, bicycle and pedestrian paths, focusing new development around walkable areas, and more good ideas.

Harnessing Momentum

The Washington Post previews the race, focusing on the momentum of the Obama-Warner-Connolly ticket and our opponent’s conservatism.

Fimian’s Achilles’ heel might be his conservatism, which he has played down on the campaign trail and which will not be palatable for much of the 11th District’s left-leaning electorate. Fimian opposes abortion rights and is a member of the board of directors of the conservative business organization Legatus, founded by Domino’s Pizza founder Tom Monaghan. He has received more than $100,000 in campaign contributions from Legatus members. Connolly, who like Fimian is Catholic, supports abortion rights.

Pitching for a Cause

The Connections covers the 13th annual Northern Virginia Whiffle Ball World Series.

The Brian Bedell 2-Young Foundation held their 13th annual Northern Virginia Wiffle Ball World Series on Saturday, raising money for research on brain cancer. The event, which was played at Waters Field in Vienna, began with a home run derby between Vienna Mayor Jane Seeman and the Fairfax County Board Supervisors’ Chairman Gerry Connoly.

Professional Fast Pitch Softball in Fairfax

Gerry helps the Washington Glory call Fairfax home

Sports at George Mason University(GMU) continue the meteoric climb to glory with women’s professional softball. The Washington Glory, the National Pro Fastpitch softball league’s newest team, will call Mason home until 2011

How has he managed this feat? First, he credits the Fairfax County government, especially Chairman Gerry Connolly, for its support.

Fairfax County Residents Are Serious About Lowering Emissions

Fairfax County residents following Gerry’s “Cool Counties” Model (Fairfax Connection)

A year after Fairfax County declared its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by the year 2050, Rekha Nadkarni has made her neighborhood, McLean Hunt Estates, the first community in the county to be an official part of that effort.

Nadkarni was one of a group of residents who worked with the county and the Sierra Club to create the Cool Neighborhoods program to compliment the Cool Counties initiative that was signed last July. The idea, she said, was to generate awareness and open the door for individual citizens to join the county’s effort to fight global warming.

Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerry Connolly, who has been a proponent of the Cool Counties program, said the board would be trying to get other communities involved in Cool Neighborhoods, through its work with homeowners associations and civic associations. “We have an enthusiastic citizenry that wants to be engaged in this kind of program,” he said.