Evening star., 1941-02-26
Alexandra Poll
Due on Parks
Bond Issue
Council Authorizes
Referendum Move
On S200, 900 Plan
BY staff Correspondent of The star.

BY staff Correspond 1t of The star. t.
ALEXANDRIA, Va, Feb. 26.-A
referendum will be held in Alexan-.
dria within the next three months
on a proposed 100000 bond ISSUE
for parks and Fairgrounds, action Of
the City Council indicated last
night. t..r
City Manager Carl Budwesky was
authorized to prepare a resolution
for Judge William P. Woolls of Alex-
andria Corporation Court, to can
the referendum. The law requires q
60-day lapse between petition foe
the vote and the actual poll
The Council room rang with apr
plauSe when Councilman Charles NJ.
Stump moved for the referendum
following the defeat of Councilman
Charles L. Burgess request for the
bond ordinance Routine procedure
requires the Council to vote on the
city managers resolution at its next
meeting. lli.i
Before the Council voted on this
Burgess proposal, members of vari-'
Gus organizations appeared to ask
passage of the ordinance. Barton T.,
Greene, secretary of the Alexandris
Chamber of Commerce, presented
nearly 1000 petitions. Charles NJ
Jones, representing the Retail Mer-
chants of Alexandria, said his group
had indorsed the 100000 flotatioti
earlier this month ,,,t
Mcclure House Saved.
H. E. Weatherwacks, a repre-
sentative of the National Park
Planning Board, said there was not
a single park in the city, although
he admitted there were several fi1e
Fairgrounds. lie Roy Peabody,
chairman of the City Planning
Board, also favored the park and
playground plan. At
No citizens appeared at the Courl-
Gil session to oppose the ordinance.
Consideration of an ordinances
authorizing the city manager TO
borrow $4,000 for park and play
ground purposes, to be repaid at q
rate of $4,000 year for five years.
was passed at the first reading.
The MCGUIRE House, long a land
mark at South Washington and
Prince streets. was saved from pos
sible demolition, as the Council re-
fused request of property owners
in the block to rezone the property
to permit commercial establish
ments
The house, built in 1894, is now
occupied by the Chamber of Com
merce and several business organ
izations. No exterior changes were
made, however. when the Offices
were installed.
Purchase by City Urged.
Gardner L. Boothe, chairman OF
the Northern Virginia Defense Com
mission, advocated purchase of the
house by the city at cost from the
/ present owners for the use of the
10000 soldiers he said would soon
be stationed in this area. He said
the soldiers salaries would total
about 100000 per month, part of
which, he said, might well be spent
in Alexandria.
/ The Council voted to appoint O
/ committee to negotiate with ths
owners of the property.
Mr.. Boothe also said motion pic
tura houses in Alexandria should be
/ opened on Sundays for the benefit Of
| the soldiers recreation. 81.
A resolution authorizing the city
manager to borrow $4,000 on notes
payable in one year to cover cost of
permanent Improvements pending
permanent financing, was approved
on the first reading.
A request of the Willard-P -Pierpont
Woman's Christian Temperance
Union for survey of various tests
for drunken drivers was referred to
the city manager and the Police
| Department +.
! The sum of $500 was appro-
priated for erection of fire escapes
on five schools. A request of AZ
bert Rubin for rezoning to permit a
trailer camp was refused.
A petition of colored citizens for 4
colored high school and for purchase
Of z acres of land for playground
purposes was referred to the School
Board. /