Bredesen Protocol Alzheimers Treatment in McNair, VA

The first step of a development vision, sidetracked for years by legal action from a neighboring business group, is moving forward.

The extension of McNair Farms Road is being built near Arrowbrook Park. It’s what developers have sought to accomplish as early as 2017 to help connect a nearby wooded property originally eyed for apartments.

“Stanley Martin Homes is developing a residential neighborhood on Dulles Technology Drive and has contracted with William A. Hazel Inc. to construct the extension of McNair Farms Drive,” the county said in an online post on Oct. 20 after people asked about the park’s pond and trail being closed off.

Stanley Martin Homes got approval in 2018 to build 172 units in stacked townhomes that could be four stories tall. It also received the county’s OK to alternatively pursue a previously approved 2017 plan that would involve building two six-story buildings for 460 units.

But a neighboring business group sued in 2018, saying its property value diminished by $3.3 million, a court document said. The business group — an office condominium association consisting of Spectrum Innovative Properties, McWhorter and Mulpuri Properties — claimed a four-lane extension of McNair Farms Drive would take approximately 12% of its property.

The lawsuit and appeals involved Fairfax County Board of Supervisors as the primary defendant, and the case eventually went to the Virginia Supreme Court, which issued an order May 20, 2021, that found the business group had no additional injuries from the 2018 approval and had no standing for the case.

The Virginia Supreme Court’s order follows Stanley Martin Homes’ purchase of the property for nearly $20.4 million in December 2020 from JLB Dulles Tech LLC — an entity linked to Dallas-based multifamily developer JLB Partners — that had the previous approval in 2017.

The road extension has temporarily closed Arrowbrook Park, where heavy equipment gained access to the site along a pond. The county and Stanley Martin Homes suggested the park work could be completed this summer or be at the point where at least trail access would be restored.

Part of the Stanley Martin Homes property hugs another access point: Dulles Technology Drive, where construction crews are also accessing the site to build the McNair Farms Drive extension.

The Stanley Martin Homes executive said the company plans to submit an application to the Virginia Department of Transportation to connect a traffic light at Centreville Road with the soon-to-be-built McNair Farms Drive extension, which requires building a bridge.

The executive with Stanley Martin Homes, a subsidiary of the Japan-based Daiwa House Group, said the company will build stacked townhomes there.

FORT LESLEY J. MCNAIR, D.C. - When Jamey Westerman looks around the Fort McNair Officers Club, all she sees is its untapped potential.

"It's such a hidden place," said Westerman, who has been the club's manager since November 2013. "Fort McNair is such a small place, and when you say Joint Base Myer Henderson Hall people hear that and they think Fort Myer. I want people to come and experience what we have to offer."

The historic club, which is located on the Washington Channel/Anacostia River waterfront, is the only place that offers a sit down lunch on the installation. An a la carte menu with items ranging from salads to wraps to burgers is available Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. On Fridays, the facility serves a southern buffet that offers fried chicken and all the fixings.

"It's not a stuffy environment," Westerman said of the club's ambiance. "People are relaxed, they are laughing and smiling, and the service is all done in a professional way."

The two story brick building is surrounded by stately trees. Four white columns mark its entrance and a balcony provides outdoor access from the second floor as well as a view of the channel, which are steps away from the structure.

"The view is just incredible. It's amazing," said Westerman.

Westerman said the dining room can be booked for special events after 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and all day Saturday. The dining room can accommodate approximately 60 people for a sit down meal and can serve 120 for standing receptions.

The McNair Room can be booked for cocktail parties, meetings, luncheons, retirements or any other special occasion. It can accommodate 25 to 50 for a sit down meal with service and approximately 75 to 100 for a standing reception.

The recently renovated Crystal Ballroom, which was named for its chandeliers, overlooks the National War College. The formal room can accommodate 180 guests for a sit down meal with service and 160 guests for a buffet meal.

"Anybody who is retired military, active duty military and DoD [Department of Defense] civilian, any person who works for the government can come here," said Westerman.

She added that the facility is a popular wedding venue and that changes have recently been made in the club's wedding and catering packages to accommodate smaller, more cost conscious ceremonies.

"Everyone wants the full experience, and it's my job now to see that they get it," said Westerman, who came to the McNair Club from Spates Community Club on the Fort Myer portion of the joint base.

Picnic packages are also available for gatherings on the club's grounds. For more information about the facility, contact Westerman at 202-484-5800 ext. 13 or via email at jamey.v.westerman.naf@mail.mil.

Alexandria’s City Council unanimously approved releasing $657,629 to allow the Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center to continue operating, but that doesn’t mean they’re happy about it.

Council was told that the detention center (200 S. Whiting Street) has seen a dramatic increase in usage over the last year, and that the center is pursuing a pilot program with National Capital Treatment & Recovery to introduce a substance abuse recovery program to the unit. They were also told that an unused portion of the facility was being studied for future use.

“I would say at least 50% of our children have experimented with fentanyl,” Johnitha McNair, the detention center’s executive director, told council. “It is highly addictive, so many of them come in with needs to have addiction and withdrawal and treatment services provided immediately.”

The fate of the Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center has been uncertain for years. Last year, City Council placed the funds into a reserve account until city staff could provide recommendations that:

Mike Mackey, director of the city’s Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Service unit, said that the center has reached its capacity of 46 youth over the past year. He also said that detention-eligible cases involving Alexandria youth increased 66% last year, and 100% involving Arlington youth.

“By comparison… in 2020 the average daily population was 12,” Mackey told Council. “In 2022 it was nine, and in this fiscal year the average daily population is 26. The center has seen the population go up to its capacity of 46. Today there are 38 youth 17 of whom are from Alexandria, 10 from Arlington.”

But Mayor Justin Wilson, before Tuesday’s vote to release the funds, chided Earl Conklin, chair of the detention center’s commission and Arlington’s director of court services, for not bringing concrete proposals on new programs and services at the facility to Council.

“Where’s the proposal?” Wilson asked. “If it requires capital investment, bring us something. I, for one, have been yelling asking for that for eight years, and all I hear is, ‘We have ideas. We’re talking about these ideas.’ Where’s a proposal? I mean seriously, if it requires some investment, if it requires something to drive that forward — help me help you — what are we not doing to make that happen?”

Conklin replied, “I think the primary message the board has gotten was of closing the (detention) center.”

“That’s not true,” Wilson interrupted. “Let me be crystal clear. As the one who has been the instigator on this, I have never said that this is about closing the facility. It has always been about how do we optimize the capacity that we have in the region, and whether that means consolidation in Alexandria, consolidation in other jurisdictions, repurposing part of the facility, whatever, it’s not been about closing the facility.”

The detention center is regulated by the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice and overseen by the Juvenile Detention Commission, which is made up of two members from Arlington, one from Falls Church, and two from Alexandria. It first opened in 1958 and houses youth with serious offenses and behavioral issues from Alexandria, Arlington County and the City of Falls Church. The center saw a 72% reduction in the number of juveniles in the facility between 2006 and 2019, prompting a reduction of beds at the facility from 70 to 46 in 2016, according to a cost-benefit analysis by the Moss Group.

The facility is also home to an unlocked shelter for up to 14 at-risk children.

Deputy City Manager Yon Lambert told council that any proposed programming changes will be presented this fall. In the meantime, Lambert said that an assessment of the detention center will be submitted to the General Assembly in October.

“If we have any budget requests, then we can process it in the fall so that the staff and the (city) manager and council can determine if its viable,” Lambert said.

Vice Mayor Amy Jackson said that the facility needs to remain open.

“We need it now more than we ever did,” Jackson said. “The numbers were decreasing. and then here we are. They’re increasing again more than they have in years.”

Sometimes life's biggest setbacks end up being just the spark needed to inspire us to accomplish something life changing.

10 Best Financial Benefits for Military Families

When my grandfather, a Navy veteran of three wars, required long-term care, he thought he was prepared for the expense. Over the years, he had paid $100,000 in premiums for long-term care insurance.

His careful planning was unnecessary, however. There was another way to cover the long-term care costs for him; we just didn't know about it.

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My grandfather was eligible for VA benefits, which include coverage for long-term care, from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. This benefit is designed to financially assist war-time veterans and their spouses with their assisted living, nursing home or care-in-the-home expenses.

When I later learned about this benefit—and that my grandfather had been eligible—I decided to do what I could to make sure others didn't miss out and, in 2012, launched the Veteran Benefit Project. Since then, the project has helped at least 1,000 veterans qualify for the benefits they deserve.

My grandfather wasn't unusual. Although what's known as the Veterans Aid and Attendance benefit has been around since 1951, many veterans don't know about it, or don't think they qualify.

It's not that the vast majority of veterans are ineligible. In fact, the qualifications are fairly simple. Here are a few of them:

By meeting these criteria, the veteran and his or her spouse, or the surviving spouse if the veteran is deceased, are eligible for up to as much as $25,488 a year in benefits, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

How much they can receive varies depending on their situation. Here's how it breaks down:

These tax-free benefits are paid directly to the veteran or surviving spouse, according to the Department of Veteran Affairs.

What I have found over the last few years is that probably 95% of the veterans I talk with have never heard of this benefit.

That means a lot of people who could be helped by the money aren't claiming what's rightfully due to them.

Anyone with a family member who has had the need for long-term care understands that the costs can be staggering. A Genworth Financial Cost of Care Survey 2016 pegged the national median expense at $43,539 per year for assisted living, $82,125 a year for a semi-private nursing home room and $92,378 per year for a private nursing home room.

Most people are in no position to take on that kind of expense in retirement.

That's why it's so important to get the word out to veterans. They earned this benefit. They need to take advantage of it.

Andrew McNair is the president, Investment Adviser Representative and Insurance Professional of SWAN Capital, which he founded in 2012. In the same year, he established the Veteran Benefit Project, an organization that helps veterans qualify for VA benefits. He specializes in the fields of retirement income, long-term-care, wealth preservation and has a strategic partnership with an attorney for estate planning services.

Andrew McNair and SWAN Capital are not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs or any other governmental agency.

Investment advisory services offered through AE Wealth Management, LLC.

Rozel Swain contributed to this article.

HERNDON, VA — A student at McNair Lower Elementary School in Herndon won a Thank A Teacher Art Contest sponsored by the Virginia Lottery.

Sarah Saravanan, a 1st grader at the Fairfax County Public School, was honored during a video conference where she learned that her artwork would be featured on thousands of thank you notes across the state during National Teacher Appreciation Week, which begins March 3.

“I’m really happy and surprised,” Sarah said upon learning that she had won the competition.

In her acceptance speech, Sarah said her artwork was inspired by thoughts during the pandemic of being back inside the classroom with her friends and playing with her teachers outside during recess.

One winner each was selected for the elementary, middle and high school levels from several hundred entries. The middle school winner was Karmare Brownlee, an 8th grader at Tabb Middle School in York County. The high school winner was Andrew Gibson, a senior at Gretna High School in Pittsylvania County.

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

RELATED: Virginia Lottery Awards 3 'Thank A Teacher Art Contest' Winners

The Virginia Lottery partnered with The Supply Room and the Virginia PTA to celebrate the fourth annual Thank a Teacher Art Contest.

“In the past, we have physically been able to go to the school for a big assembly to surprise the winners,” Jennifer Mullen, director of Public Affairs and Community Relations at the Virginia Lottery, said Monday in a statement. “These last two years, we have found new ways to still make this announcement just as special for students who are learning in different environments.”

The Virginia Lottery created a video of the awards presentation honoring Sarah and the other two winners.