Moonhowlings

We were privileged to receive tickets for the Gaylord National ICE opening at the National Harbor on Thursday evening.   When I first heard of the event, I wasn’t sure exactly where the National Harbor was.  At first I thought, Baltimore?  Then I thought, perhaps the complex on the Anacostia where the National Stadium sits?  But then I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the National Harbor sits just on the other side of the Wilson Bridge.  We didn’t have to drive too far and the atmosphere was a combination of  Landsdowne Resort meets Reston Towne Centre.

The hotel was like something out of a science-fiction movie.  The center of the hotel was an entirely open atrium and the outside wall, completely made of glass overlooking the Potomac River.  The elevators reminded me of Fair Oaks Mall except that they ran very high and at a quick clip.  The interior lighting, beyond words.

The Opening Ceremony included fireworks, a tree lighting and an AWESOME viewing of  ICE sculptures.  The accompanying video doesn’t do justice to the sculptures, so I highly recommend taking the kids to see this in person.

I had the privilege of attending a SPECTACULAR event last evening at the Kennedy Center – ADL’s 15th Annual Concert Against Hate.

The Masters of Ceremonies included Liev Schreiber and Gabriel Byrne.  Their presentation was flawless and the introductions of the different honorees was beyond touching.

In between recognizing the honorees, the National Symphony Orchestra played under the direction of Emil de Cou, who appeared larger than life as he commanded the performance.

This Year’s Honorees included:

• Tom Self – A newspaper photographer in Birmingham, Alabama at the Birmingham News  who photographed the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church that killed four African-American girls.

• Mindy Finkelstein – A counselor who survived an attack at North Valley Jewish Community Center in Los Angeles, where a neo-Nazi opened fire.

• Joseph Ileto – A postal service employee gunned down by the same neo-Nazi responsible for the shooting at the Jewish Community Center for looking ‘Asian or Hispanic’.

• Ilsa & Lisa Klinghoffer – The daughters of Leon Klinghoffer, who in 1985 was murdered aboard the Archille Lauro by the Palestinian Liberation Organization(PLO) because he was Jewish.

A preview of the event can be found at http://www.adlconcert.org/Preview-09.html.

Opening night at the 10th Annual DC Asian Film Festival screens the critically-acclaimed 9500 Liberty! The 9500 Liberty documentary follows the ‘Immigration Resolution’ debate in Prince William County, VA and recently won the best documentary award at the Charlotte Film Festival! Tickets are selling out quickly, so I recommend that you BUY YOUR TICKET now!

According to the Festival’s website, there will be a reception immediately after the Opening Night Film presentation of 9500 Liberty on the rooftop terrace of 575 7th St, just a few blocks from E Street Cinema.

Hope to see you there!

On tomorrow’s agenda we have item 9A, an interim report of an evaluation study of the Prince William County of the Illegal Immigration Enforcement Policy.  The policy and its effects have been researched by the Center of Research Study at University of Virginia, so stay tuned.

To acknowledge that Jackson has received a coveted endorsement from the Virginia Education Association and to ignore this train wreck over on BVBL would be wrong. Letiecq’s recent discussion thread on bvbl.net, entitled – “Jeanette Rishell’s Bizarre Choice Of Used Condom Girl” is simply disgusting. And as a Republican, I find Letiecq’s behavior abhorrent. In my opinion, Letiecq’s behavior extends beyond simple petulance and clearly traverses the proverbial line that should not be crossed. And, while, I acknowledge that Jackson Miller has no control over Letiecq, he does have control over his own message. The only way you stop this kind of electioneering is for Miller to speak out in opposition. A footnote disclaimer on the bvbl website that Letiecq is not ‘part of the Miller campaign’ is not sufficiently acceptable. Granted, taking a stand takes moral fortitude because Miller could conceivably alienate some people. But Miller should ask himself, is it the right thing to do? In my opinion, Jackson Miller should take the opportunity to make a public statement so that it is known that he does not condone these tactics. John McCain denounced the Swift Boat attacks on John Kerry. And, I believe it is called for in this instance.

Letter to the Editor published July 25, 2009 in the News & Messenger from Cindy Brookshire.

City can’t pay for graffiti removal

This is in response to the Sunday July 19 editorial, “You Want It Cleaned? You Pay For It”

Look, the City of Manassas can’t pay to have graffiti removed from private property. The money just isn’t there. But at the same time, as a matter of public safety, it needs to be removed promptly
because it is a welcome mat for criminal activity. Either the property owner needs to remove it or local government needs to remove it and charge the owner. Either way, you pay.

That said, I’m all for some compassionate community volunteers coming forward in the City of Manassas to form a group like the county’s Graffiti Spotters — volunteers who clean up graffiti for those who can’t afford to pay. The Prince William Clean Community Council can show you how to model the program. I’ll gladly help out if someone will lead the way.

If you want to learn more about why graffiti needs to be reported and removed promptly, come to the next meeting of Weems Neighborhood Watch. Detective Wayne Bombara, a member of the Northern
Virginia Gang Task Force, will give a presentation on gangs and graffiti on Thursday, July 30 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Manassas City Police Department, 9518 Fairview Avenue in Manassas.

Now is also a great time to join a Neighborhood Watch or start one. In Prince William County, a huge National Night Out Against Crime event will be held on Saturday, August 1 from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. at
Connaughton Community Plaza behind the McCoart Center. In the City of Manassas, the Georgetown South Community Council, along with their Neighborhood Watch, is holding their National Night Out
Against Crime event on Tuesday, August 4 from 6 to 9 p.m. at 9444 Taney Road with free food and games.

CINDY BROOKSHIRE
Manassas

Last week the Department of Homeland Security announced policy changes to the 287(g) program that addresses the concerns that many people have with the 287(g) program, namely that it could be used as a means to target non-criminal individuals as a means to initiate immigration removal proceedings. These changes reflect the intent of the policy which was to remove serious criminals.

Hopefully, the changes will also mandate a better accounting of how many people are actually deported. Currently there is no mechanism to determine those numbers which makes the assertions by the Chairman that the County has ‘deported’ 1500 individuals absurd. Rather, 1500 individuals have been reprimanded to ICE, transferred to Fairfax County, processed and then the majority of them have been released and are back home by dinnertime.

More information can be found here -

ICE Fact Sheet
DHS Press Release, July 10, 2009
Policy or Politics? DHS Changes and Expands 287(g) Program

During this June 2006 Supervisors meeting Stirrup appears determined to force through this rezoning application over the objections of his constituents but also over the concerns of his fellow Supervisors. Thankfully Supervisors from other parts of the County delayed the process by several weeks. It was during this interim period that the County(c/o Chairman Connaughton) was able to obtain millions more in proffers. The land value alone of the 120 acres was $3.6 million; additional proffers that further extended road construction on Route 15 from 66 to 234 were also enhanced.

According to the Council on Foreign Relations website:

The Council on Foreign Relations sponsors Independent Task Forces to assess issues of current and critical importance to U.S. foreign policy and provide policymakers with concrete judgments and recommendations. Diverse in backgrounds and perspectives, Task Force members aim to reach a meaningful consensus on policy through private and nonpartisan deliberations. Once launched, Task Forces are independent of CFR and solely responsible for the content of their reports. Task Force members are asked to join a consensus signifying that they endorse “the general policy thrust and judgments reached by the group, though not necessarily every finding and recommendation.” Each Task Force member also has the option of putting forward an additional or dissenting view. Members’ affiliations are listed for identification purposes only and do not imply institutional endorsement. Task Force observers participate in discussions, but are not asked to join the consensus.

The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher dedicated to being a resource for its members, government officials, business executives, journalists, educators and students, civic and religious leaders, and other interested citizens in order to help them better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries.

Broken Immigration System Risks Serious Damage to U.S. National Interests, Warns CFR Task Force

July 8, 2009
Council on Foreign Relations

“The continued failure to devise and implement a sound and sustainable immigration policy threatens to weaken America’s economy, to jeopardize its diplomacy, and to imperil its national security,” concludes a new Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) Independent Task Force co-chaired by former Florida governor Jeb Bush and former White House chief of staff Thomas “Mack” McLarty.

 

Read more…

Oy, vey. I thought the Tea Parties were a way to revitalize the Republican Party. Apparently, they’ve opted instead to shoot themselves in the foot by inviting the anti-immigrant organization – Federation for American Immigration Reform(FAIR) that has been declared a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center(SPLC). The SPLC is a civil rights organization that was recently in the news after they correctly identified the Holocaust shooter as a white supremacist.

According to the Tea Party website, Jay O’Brien will be the Master of Ceremonies at the Prince William Tea Party. Excuse me, but wasn’t this guy removed from office by voters during the last election cycle? Also, noticeably absent from the agenda are any local politicians. Will Corey Stewart boycott because of the FAIR connection? What about Tito the Builder, who spoke at the last Tea Party? How can individuals accept the Tea Party movement now that they have decided to join forces with this anti-immigrant organization? And how very disappointing that Bob Marshall would agree to speak at an event with FAIR.

Read more…

Great News from ImmigrationImpact.com

Department of Homeland Security Suspends “Widow Penalty”
The Obama administration took another step toward restoring fairness and humaneness to the immigration system this week. On Tuesday, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that she would grant a two-year reprieve to immigrants who were married to U.S. citizens but did not complete the permanent residency process because their American spouses died during the application process. This policy announcement is the latest in a series of changes the Obama administration has made that signal a change in the “enforcement only” stance of the previous administration.

Press Release from Prince William County Schools concerning a confirmed case of the swine flu.

Also, interesting is the World Health Organization (WHO) Update which tabluates the number of people infected and the deaths per country.

Case of H1N1 Virus (Swine Flu) Confirmed
Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Early Tuesday evening PWCS received notification of a confirmed case of the H1N1 Virus, otherwise known as “Swine Flu” involving a West Gate Elementary School student. The student is recovering at home and will not return to school until cleared by a doctor.

Our School Division has been in frequent contact with local and state health officials regarding this particular case, in accordance with established PWCS guidelines. We are closely monitoring the situation and are utilizing the guidance of the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). All appropriate measures are being taken to ensure the health of all of our students and staff.

While the spread of the virus from person-to-person continues throughout the United States, the severity of the virus does not appear to be any more severe than seasonal flu. The new guidance from the CDC does not recommend closing a school unless there is significant faculty or student absenteeism which would interfere with the school’s ability to function. School Division officials will work closely with local and state health officials to monitor the situation and determine if our response needs to change. This could include the future possibility that a school may need to close.

Parents are asked to continue to monitor their children for any of the symptoms of influenza, which include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue, and occasionally vomiting and diarrhea. If your child is experiencing any symptoms which you are concerned about, please contact your child’s healthcare provider.

This is a good opportunity to remind everyone regarding simple steps that you can take to keep your family healthy. These include:

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water. Clean hands with an alcohol-based hand cleaner if soap and water are not available
• Cover your nose and mouth with your sleeve or a tissue when you cough or sneeze
• Stay home when you are sick
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth to prevent the spread of germs
• Avoid close contact with those who have symptoms of flu
• If you need to seek care for you or your child, please call ahead to your health care provider’s office and tell them what symptoms you have, so they can see you quickly and prevent exposing other people in the waiting room.

Parents are encouraged to report the reason for their child’s absence to the school. It is very important, during a health situation such as this, to have accurate information about absences.

The health and safety of our students and staff is always of the utmost importance. Please refer to the PWCS web site at pwcs.edu or the VDH web site at www.vdh.virginia.gov for more information and for helpful resources regarding the H1N1 Virus.

Questions and answers about swine flu from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

World Health Organization (WHO) Update