Community Corner

Parents, Administrators, Community React To Drug Issues

Vienna Patch continues to look at drug use at Madison High School; United Bank Robbed on Friday

Vienna Patch began a series of articles this week that looked at the efforts to address drugs and substance abuse at Madison High School.

— some say they or their children have witnessed it on campus — though the administration says most drug use is off school property.

One parent said she reported what she saw to a school staff member at the game moments later, who said he wasn’t sure if the law permitted him to perform a search, she said. He did not investigate, she said. The boys were not confronted, searched or questioned as they left the game, Alison Noll said.

Find out what's happening in Viennawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

She met with Principal Mark Merrell and an athletic administrator days later, who said the situation should have been handled differently. The students were never investigated, even after Noll gave them one student's name, she said.

 “We should have handled it differently at Madison, we did not, and I have apologized numerous times for the way the staff member handled it,”Merrell said. “I accept full responsibility and we have also addressed this issue with staff, security, and administrators and put measures in place so that we do not have another similar incident.”

Find out what's happening in Viennawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Parents shared their stories with that parent and Vienna Patch. You can read them in the PDF attached to this story. 

Merrell said as not only a principal, but also as a parent, his number one goal is to keep students safe and secure, which includes keeping the school drug free. He said he has never smelled marijuana in the locker rooms, but has smelled it in the bathrooms before.

 "What I've heard from students, by and large, is that a lot of this is happening outside school property," he said.

The Vienna-Madison Community Coalition has undertaken a months-long conversation about how the school, parents, students and the community can work more closely and more effectively together to decrease teen substance abuse and prevent it in schools.

The VMCC action plan was removed from the agenda shortly before the meeting took place.

The meeting included an alcohol and drug services counselor with Fairfax County Public Schools assigned to Madison High School, and a presentation by Sgt. James Cox with the Fairfax County Narcotics Division.

At the meeting, PTSA President Michele Sanford said the group felt there was not enough time for parents to hear all three presentations in their entirety. The VMCC action plan will now be presented in a separate meeting on April 13.

Vienna Patch continues to look at the issue this week, with stories from students and what Merrell has done in his effort to keep the school drug free.

NEWS

Vienna Police say they are looking for a "black male in his 20’s, approximately 6 feet tall." At the time of the robbery, the suspect was "wearing a black ski mask, black jacket, light colored pants, black shoes, and carrying a black bag." A has been released.

An electrical fire at 206 Oak St S.W. Firefighters responded to the two-alarm fire, caused by a gas leak in the basement of the home, around 9:30 p.m., Fairfax County Fire Batallion Chief Greg Bunch said. The fire caused about $100,000 worth of damage, he said.

The United States Agency for International Development to aid in rescue efforts in Japan following an earthquake Thursday. The team, composed of firefighters from Fairfax County Fire and Rescue, received the call from USAID just after noon Friday, said Capt. Will Bailey, spokesman for the county agency. He said 72 of the more the 200 members of the team will travel to Japan at some point soon along with six search and rescue dogs. The team started assembling at the county’s fire academy with their equipment Friday afternoon.

After a series of four lively public hearings that have spanned four months, the Vienna Town Council . The proposed ordinance would continue to ban contractor work on Sundays, along with lawn mowing, excavation, demolition and other construction activities. The ordinance would also specifically ban this work on six federal holidays: Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Residents would be permitted to do this type of work on their own home on Sundays, but under the new ordinance they would not be able to begin until after 9 a.m., instead of 7 a.m. as the current code states.

Three public meetings during the week of March 21 will give residents input on projects that will facilitate pedestrian, biking and public transit access to the four new metro stations in Tysons Corner, which will be completed in 2013.The meetings are part of the , created by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 2009 to develop a multi-modal access plan to the new stations, none of which will include parking.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors awarded the international design firm AECOM a $450,000 contract this week to create a plan for the future Tysons Corner Circulator bus system, a process they say should be completed by the end of 2011.

It was only a year ago Del. Mark Keam (D-35th District) became the first Korean-American and first Asian-born immigrant to be sworn into the Virginia General Assembly.

PatchCast

March 7:

March 8:

March 9:

March 10:

March 11:

COMMUNITY/ARTS
This week, the Vienna Pedaler tackled rules that bikers, runners and walkers should abide by when using the W&OD trail. It spared a lively debate about responsibility and respect on the trail -- join in on the comments.

Moms Council member Carol Lewis, co-facilitator of the Western Fairfax PFLAG support group and the organizer of Fairfax LGBTQ Youth (FLY),

Read about this week's Whiz Kids:

Musicians Al Petteway and Amy White have their own spin on the traditional children's rhyme: first came love -- then came music -- then came marriage. The duo performs tonight at Jammin' Java;

Try

SCHOOLS/SPORTS

In this week's

to involuntary school transfers and "interrogations" on the way to a complete system overhaul. "We are taking this to the school board and will be there on Monday," said Caroline Hemenway, director of Fairfax Zero Tolerance Reform, advocates for more student rights and fairer punishments. "We have more than 80 families involved now. We are working with state and national organizations to get meaningful change done here." The Stubans sent a letter to FCPS PTAs urging them to get involved in changing FCPS' discipline process. Read it here.

Superintendent Jack Dale recommended to the school board this week that Under Dale's proposal the school district would refund parents for all test fees collected last year, which the district estimates would cost two million dollars.  During the 2011 fiscal year, students were charged $75 for each advanced placement course they took.


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