HEALTH & WELLNESS: Overcoming scars and rebuilding confidence, Page 9
May 30, 2018 | Serving Haymarket, Gainesville and Western Prince William County | Vol. 17, No. 22 | www.PrinceWilliamTimes.com | 50¢
LIFESTYLE: Occoquan is worth the trip, Page 13
Slow days are good days for school resource officers Walking the halls, they check doors, monitor mischief, exchange fist bumps By Jonathan Hunley Times Staff Writer
A good work day for school resource officers Jeff Tindle or Art Culbertson is when nothing happens. “If I can spend the whole day walking around, checking doors and saying ‘hi’ to people in the hallway, and that’s all I have to do all day, that’s a good day,” Tindle said. Tindle and Culbertson are Fauquier County Sheriff’s deputies assigned to patrol individual schools. They’re essentially officers who walk the education beat, making sure students and faculty are safe just like another officer might be assigned to a neighborhood in a big city. And they walk. A lot. Tindle routinely logs 12,000 steps per day at Kettle Run High School, and Culbertson records even more than that at Auburn Middle School. They check interior and exterior doors to make sure they’re locked and monitor inside and outside the school to ensure no one is on the grounds who isn’t supposed to be there. They also oversee student lunch
PHOTO BY RANDY LITZINGER Fauquier County Sheriff’s Deputy Art Culbertson, a school resource officer at Auburn Middle, is in constant contact with teachers and administrators via walkie-talkie. Culbertson walks the halls at Auburn last Thursday trailed by two students. periods to make sure there’s no mischief then. Like schools divisions around the country, both Fauquier and Prince William counties will add more se-
curity guards next year, partly in response to a rash of school shootings around the country. In Prince William County, police officers work as school resource of-
ficers in each of the county’s 12 high schools and 16 middle schools. As part of a pilot program, Prince Wil
See SROs, Page 4
School board still considering superintendent’s contract By Jill Palermo
Times Staff Writer
The Prince William County School Board met May 23 to begin their annual evaluation of Superintendent Steven Walts but took no action on his contract or salary because they are planning another meeting to finish their work. That’s according to school board Vice Chair Lillie Jessie (Occoquan) and board members Loree Williams (Woodbrige) and Justin Wilk (Potomac), all of whom said they could not disclose details about the May 23 meeting except to say that board members did not finish the process and plan to hold another closed meeting before the July 1 deadline to amend Walts’s contract.
“We all agreed to have another meeting,” Wilk said in an interview Friday. “But it hasn’t been scheduled yet.” School Board member Willie Deutsch announced on Facebook Thursday, May 24 that the board took no action during the May 23 meeting, which he said is a departure from the routine. “Every year before there has been an addition of time and/or money to his contract,” Deutsch wrote. “… This year was the first year that no addition was made to the contract on the day of the evaluation.” In an interview, Deutsch emphasized that the “regular practice” of voting on the superintendent’s new contract and pay raise on the same night as the evaluation meeting “has been departed from.” INSIDE Calendar....................................ONLINE Classifieds...........................................15 Health and Wellness..............................9 Lifestyles............................................13
Still, Deutsch declined to say whether he would support a raise for Walts. Deutsch said he considered it unnecessary to raise the superintendent’s salary and extend his contract every year and added: “I think the fact there wasn’t a vote is a very strong signal that it’s not going to happen easily.” Deutsch joined former School Board Chairman Ryan Sawyers (At Large) in voting against an extension and pay raise for Walts in 2017.
‘No real implications on his salary ’
But both Williams and Jessie stressed that the decision to delay the vote does not mean the board won’t extend Walts’s contract or award him a raise this year, as they have for the last several years. Jessie also declined to divulge News..................................................15 Opinion.................................................7 Puzzle Page........................................10 Real Estate..........................................14 Sports.................................................11
many details, citing privacy concerns, but said the superintendent’s evaluation “is not yet complete.” “But there’s no real implications on his Superintendent salary or anything Steven Walts else,” she added. Interim School Board Chairman Babur Lateef declined comment Thurday, May 24, saying he could not talk about the superintendent’s evaluation until the board takes a public vote. Lateef also said the
See WALTS, Page 5
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Gainesville/Prince William Times | www.princewilliamtimes.com | May 30, 2018
Prince William school bus driver charged in fatal crash Police have charged a Prince William County school bus driver with involuntary manslaughter in connection with a May 23 crash that claimed the life of a 53-year-old landscaper from Aldie. Sheli Cheru Paugh, 57, of Front Royal, turned herself into police Friday, May 25, without incident. She
was released on a $7,500 bond for an Aug. 14 court date, according to a Prince William County police press release. Eusebio Joya Castro, of Aldie, was part of a three-man landscaping team that had stopped their pickup truck in the right-hand travel lane of Old Carolina Road, near Piedmont
Community Editor Anita Sherman, 540.351.1635 asherman@fauquier.com Staff Writers ISSN 1050-7655, USPS 188280 Amanda Heincer, 540-878-2418 Published every Wednesday by aheincer@fauquier.com Piedmont Media LLC James Ivancic, 540-878-2414 jivancic@fauquier.com How to reach us Leland Schwartz, 540-351-0488 ADDRESS: lschwartz@fauquier.com 41 Culpeper Street Warrenton, Virginia 20186 Jonathan Hunley PHONE: 540-347-4222 jhunley@fauquier.com FAX: 540-349-8676 HOURS: 8 a.m. 5 p.m. weekdays, Sports Editor 24-hour answering service Peter Brewington, 540-351-1169 pbrewington@fauquier.com Publisher Catherine M. Nelson, Sports Staff Writer 540-300-4780 Jeff Malmgren, 540-874-2250 cnelson@fauquier.com jmalmgren@fauquier.com NEWSROOM ADVERTISING Editor in Chief Ad Manager Chris Six, 540-212-6331 Kathy Mills Godfrey 540-351-1162 csix@fauquier.com kgodfrey@fauquier.com Managing Editor Classified Sales Consulatants Jill Palermo,540-351-0431 Jeanne Cobert, 540-878-2491 jpalermo@fauquier.com jcobert@fauquier.com Associate Editor Evelyn Cobert, 540-878-2492 John Toler, 540-351-0487 jtoler@fauquier.com ecobert@fauquier.com
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Vista Drive, to prepare to do landscaping work in the area, according to Prince William County police. Castro was wearing a reflective vest and standing near the rear of a landscaping pickup truck when he was hit by the school bus at about 8:11 a.m. May 23, police said. Castro was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the pickup truck, a 62-year-old Chantilly man, had to be extricated from the truck by the Prince William County Fire and Rescue Department. He was trans-
ported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to a police press release said. Sheli Cheru Paugh The third landscaping worker, a 41-year-old Maryland man, was outside the truck when the crash occurred and managed to avoid injury, the press release said.
FBI joins search for missing Nokesville teen reclassified as ‘endangered’ The FBI joined the Prince William County Police Department’s search for Palmer Curtis Marsh, a 16-year-old Nokesville boy missing from his family’s home on Burwell Road since May 2. Police reclassified Marsh as "endangered" and conducted a sonar search of Lake Manassas las Thursday, May 24, but came up empty. Marsh was reported missing to police on May 4, two days after he was last seen leaving his residence and heading on foot toward a wooded area of the family property on Burwell Road, according to Sgt. Jonathan Perok, a spokesman with the Prince William County Police Department.
Palmer left home following a disagreement with a parent, Perok said in a press release. Bet ween May 18 and Palmer Curtis Marsh 21, police conducted multiple ground and aerial searches in and around the Burwell Road area, the press release said. Anyone with information on Palmer Marsh's whereabouts is asked to call Prince William County police at 703-792-6500 or your local police department.
NEWS
Gainesville/Prince William Times | www.princewilliamtimes.com | May 30, 2018
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Haymarket delays decision on new townhomes, restaurants Planning commission to review Crossroads Village Center in 60 days By James Ivancic Times Staff Writer
The Haymarket Planning Commission will take more time to consider a proposed mixed-use development that would include 79 townhomes, offices, a bank and three restaurants, each with drive-thrus. Haymarket Development #1, LLC has proposed the new development, dubbed Crossroads Village Center, on property close to Interstate 66, U.S. 15 and John Marshall Highway. In addition to the townhomes and restaurants, the plans call for an auto-repair shop and a hotel or assisted-living facility on land zoned B-2, or business commercial. The plans for Crossroads Village Center were outlined during a joint meeting of town council and the planning commission May 21 that included a public hearing. Toward its conclusion, the planning commission approved a resolution to act on an underlying rezoning request within 60 days instead of the initial 30-day deadline. Vice Mayor Joe Pasanello voted against the resolutions, saying he felt the commission should take as much time as it needs before making a recommendation to the town council. The Haymarket Town Council will have the final say on the rezoning. Concerns were expressed during the public hearing about the three restaurant drive-thrus and whether they would be in keeping with the “walkable” community concept the town espouses. “They’ll be using Haymarket as a
A map of the planned Crossroads Village Center, a mix of townhomes, restaurants and office space, has been proposed for an area between Interstate 66, U.S. 15 and John Marshall Highway.
pit stop,” and pedestrians will have to dodge traffic, said one speaker. Jim and Andrea Payne, owners of A Dog’ Day Out, a dog-care center coming to a site on Fayette Street, said they were in favor of the mixeduse plan, saying the tenants would provide needed services and additional tax revenue for the town. The development site is just west of Giuseppe’s Restaurant on land known to longtime residents as the “fairgrounds” property. Chick-fil-A, The Fauquier Bank and CVS have been
built in recent years on land fronting John Marshall Highway. They would be neighbors to the new development. The developer needs the town council to approve a rezoning of the nearly 10-acre portion of the property to build the 79 townhomes. Special-use permits are needed for the drive-thrus, the auto service shop and for the hotel or assisted living facility. The latter building would exceed a 50-foot height limit but could not be more than 75 feet tall. It would be the tallest building in Haymarket, according to a review of the
Off-duty deputy shoots man after fight in Manassas An off-duty Prince William County sheriff’s deputy shot a man in the aftermath of a fight in Manassas Thursday night, according to county police. The victim was transported the hospital where he was treated and released, according to a Prince William County Police Department press release. The deputy has been placed on administrative leave with pay pending a criminal and administrative investigation, according to the Prince William County Sheriff's Office. At about 11:16 p.m. Thursday, May 24, police officers responded to the Fields of Manassas apartment
complex in the 7400 block of Willoughby Lane in the Manassas area to investigate a shots-fired call. When officers arrived in the area, they found a man suffering from a gunshot wound. The investigation revealed a large fight had occurred in the area. At one point, someone in the group brandished a firearm and fired multiple times into the air. The gunfire prompted several residents in the complex to contact police. But before police arrived, a security resident of the apartment complex, identified as an off-duty Prince William County sheriff’s deputy, confront-
ed multiple people who were running from the area. During the encounter, the deputy, who was armed and not in uniform, fired a handgun and struck the man initially located by officers. The deputy was not injured and no other injuries or property damage were reported. A K-9 unit and helicopter from Fairfax County police assisted with an area search for individuals involved in the fight, and multiple people were detained. The investigation is continuing. The Prince William County Police Department is the lead agency handling the investigation, and the
application submitted by town planner Emily Lockhart. Lockhart recommended the town council approve the rezoning requests. She noted the plan would have commercial tenants facing John Marshall Highway, also known as Washington Street, and the townhouses would generate less vehicle traffic than commercial occupants. Approval of the drive-thrus should be contingent on submittal of a traffic flow management plan, she said. The auto repair shop raises some concerns about parking, exterior conditions and traffic flow, which she said can be addressed during the site plan phase. The developer is proffering $813,000 to the school division and $300,000 for transportation improvements that would include a turning lane, traffic signal and crosswalk on Washington Street. Haymarket Elementary School would be the school attended by children living in the new townhomes. The plans will also have to be reviewed by the town’s architectural review board. The Meladon Group of Chantilly is developing the property for Haymarket Development #1 LLC. Reach James Ivancic at jivancic@ fauquier.com
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