Incoming supervisor James Walkinshaw to focus on constituent relations

Incoming Braddock Supervisor James Walkinshaw (second from left) and his chief of staff Frank Anderson (left) with local residents at the Taste of Braddock.

Scores of Braddock District residents turned out for the annual Taste of Braddock Dec. 18 to sample food from some 40 restaurants, bid farewell to outgoing Braddock Supervisor John Cook, and meet his replacement, James Walkinshaw.

Cook, who didn’t run for re-election this year after serving 10 years on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, says he will focus on his private law practice. He will be succeeded on the board by James Walkinshaw, a former aide to U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly.

With Cook going off the board, Pat Herrity (Springfield), will become the lone Republican on the BoS. 

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Cook said his biggest accomplishment on the board was the strong communications he cultivated with Braddock residents. “People are entitled to know what government is doing,” he said.

He is also proud of his efforts to get the board to adopt the Diversion First policy, which calls for people with mental illness who get involved with law enforcement to get treatment rather than jail time.

Walkinshaw said his top priority as a supervisor will be serving as a “neighborhood advocate.” He promises to address residents’ concerns, whether it’s a pothole, sewer problem, or a development issue – or the trash dumped on Americana Drive in Annandale.

A big issue for Walkinshaw will be the huge senior housing complex to be developed by Erickson Living on Braddock Road. “I want to make sure it’s done with community involvement and minimum disruption,” he said, although the actual construction is still years away.

See related story: Supervisors approve huge complex for seniors

Another big issue will be the design and implementation of the plan to save Lake Accotink. The plan calls for the lake to be dredged, with the dredged material carried by pipeline to Wakefield Park where it will be dried and eventually carted off to another site. Walkinshaw would like to see if the pipeline could be buried if that is feasible.

Also on the horizon is the plan for reducing congestion on Braddock Road. The county is working on the design phase and looking for additional revenue to fill in the funding gaps. “We’ll get it done,” Walkinshaw said.

See related story: Supervisors approve funding plan for Lake Accotink

Walkinshaw is retaining three of Cook’s staff members – Ann Sharp, Linda Bufano, and Marcia Pape. Frank Anderson, the executive director of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee, will serve as Walkinshaw’s chief of staff.

Braddock school board member Megan McLaughlin, who also was at the Taste of Braddock, said her first priority will be reducing teacher workloads.

State Sen. Dave Marsden, who represents parts of the Braddock and Annandale districts, said his top priority for the upcoming General Assembly will be enacting legislation to allow parole after 20 years for people who committed crimes as juveniles. Virginia currently doesn’t allow parole.

Many of the people who would be helped by Marsden’s proposal had committed serious crimes like murder, but Marsden knows of kids who got life sentences for armed robbery even though no one was hurt.

He believes there is a good chance that the measure will pass now that the Democrats have a majority in both houses of the General Assembly.