Alexandria has legal right to pursue boat club property Re: “Alexandria trashes its own Colonial legacy,” July 26
Barbara Hollingsworth’s opinion piece, while provocative, missed many critical facts.
The $150,000 offer was not an attempt to seize the Old Dominion Boat Club riverfront property, but made essentially to clear up title to public rights of way associated with nine parking spaces, nearly all rented to third parties, located at the Strand and Wales Alley. The primary reasons for this offer were to obtain the land necessary for flood mitigation, to ensure unimpeded public access to the waterfront and to obtain city control of public ways for use by all city residents.
There was never any threat of eminent domain to “bully and harass the ODBC into accepting” this initial offer. The city fully expects that, should the parties begin to negotiate again, the boat club will counterpropose a higher value. It is the expected course of negotiations– one that Hollingsworth herself cites as an “honorable option.”
Contrary to the op-ed, both parties mutually agreed not to pursue the sale of the Strand property at this time in order to focus on a global resolution. The boat club has purposefully not responded to the offer, not declined it. The Jan. 11 Court of Appeals ruling specifically did not adjudicate the property disputes between the city and the ODBC because those issues were not before the court.
Hollingsworth does cite a case pertinent to the current situation: the April ruling by Circuit Court Judge McGrath regarding Wales Alley. Here are the facts: Judge McGrath did not order the city to do or cease doing anything. He agreed with the city’s argument that Wales Alley is a public way and that the City of Alexandria was within its rights to issue an outdoor restaurant dining permit.
Alexandria is not “trashing its Colonial legacy.” We are simply in negotiations with ODBC to legally secure property for uses that will benefit all Alexandrians and visitors to our city.
James L. Banks Jr.
City attorney,
Alexandria
Muslim prophets are not the same
Re: “Bashing Islam from ignorance is not a wise course,” July 28
Columnist Gregory Kane is mind-boggled by how many “instant experts” on Islam have popped up since Sept. 11, 2001. He complains, for example, of those who claim Islam doesn’t have the same prophets as Judaism and Christianity.
My own study of Islam spans 40 years, during which I have encountered many “instant experts.” But even an instant expert can recognize that Islam has adapted the prophets of the Bible to its own purposes; it has not adopted them. It is ludicrous to claim they are the same because they have the same names.
One might just as well tell a story of Martin Luther King Jr. as a white land baron from South Africa and expect us to accept him as the genuine article.
James BeauSeigneur
Rockville
Does parental involvement help or hurt?
Re: “Students accept cheating as they get older,” July 28
Lisa Gartner’s article on Fairfax County’s student cheating survey reminded me of the following quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes: “Pretty much all the honest truth telling in the world is done by children.” Which indeed seems to be supported by said survey results.
What was so troubling was that the psychologist blaming so-called “helicopter parents” and the PTA president blaming parents who “duck out” on their children were equated — when the two positions are diametrically opposed. Either parent involvement with children contributes to real ethical erosion, or a lack of attention does. One cannot have it both ways.
I suspect that if either actually is the case, it would likely be the latter since generally speaking, parental involvement is beneficial. The very use of the pejorative term “helicopter parent” has been wielded exclusively by clueless or incompetent educators who prefer not to have sunlight shining on them or their defenders.
Laszlo Pentek
Arlington
