Smokey Says: Parents - Only You Can Prevent the Arlington Fire Department from Poisoning Arlington's Kids With Toxic Smoke

Hello,

On June 4, 2012 this blog ran a feature about vehicles being burned and explosives being set off during 'training' exercises by the Arlington Fire Department near the old Arlington Fire Academy, in the Arlington Arlington Trades Center, 200 feet from Abingdon Elementary School and close to several residential neighborhoods.

Rather than re-locate the Fire Training Academy to a site where toxic smoke from vehicle fires would pose no threat to human health the Fire Department was allowed to build a new and improved fire training academy on the same site. At the same time a new fire training academy was being planned and constructed Arlington County spent $8 million planning and building a multi-jurisdiction firearms training facility at Dulles Airport.

The Arlington Fire Department has refused to provide information about what hazardous materials will be stored and burned at the new fire training academy - due to be dedicated on Saturday. Based upon what we've been told by 'County Staff' we can expect to hear more loud explosions and smell more toxic smoke from burning vehicles in the near future. However, if enough parents call the County Board offices at 703-228-3130 we may at least be informed about what hazardous and toxic materials will be stored and burned.

Cindy

County Board's 2013 Financial Disclosure - Stamos Rules No Way on Rob-and-Jay Pay-to-Play Disclosures

Hello,

This blog has often criticized the 'revolving door' between Jay Fisette's former domestic partner (and now legally-married spouse) Robert Rosen's consulting firm - Healthy Companies International - and County Board Chairman Jay Fisette's office.

Now that Rob and Jay are legally married, A.Y. was anticipating that Jay and Rob would fully disclose the extent of the pay-to-play activities between Rob's office, at 2101 Wilson Boulevard, and Jay's County Board office, just across the street, at 2100 Clarendon Boulevard. Rob Rosen and Healthy Companies International represent some of the worst fossil fuel polluters in the world, ranging from Boeing to the anti-EPA National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). (In the event you wondered why Arlington is lagging so badly when it comes to installing on-site renewable energy).

According to County Staff, dispensation from reporting their pay-to-pay activities was granted to Rob and Jay, on the grounds that Rob and Jay aren't legally married in Virginia, by Arlington Commonwealth's Attorney Theo Stamos. BTW, appears that Theo Stamos and her spouse and Rob and Jay are tied for first place as the wealthiest elected officials in Arlington, if not the Commonwealth.

Cindy