Q&A with Franconia District Supervisor Candidate Paul Beran

Paul Beran is the Republican candidate for Franconia District Supervisor on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, where he began his career as a disc jockey for a radio station, Beran went on to found and lead a marketing firm, Advertel, Inc., for dozens of years. After raising two sons as a single dad, he met his wife Lynn and helped raise her son as well. Beran recently answered some questions for On the MoVe about his campaign to become the next Franconia District Supervisor.

Q. What brought you from western Pennsylvania to Franconia District, and how long have you lived there? In what section of Franconia?

A. My beautiful wife, Lynn, is one of the smartest people I know. Apparently, I’m not the only one who thinks this. She was selected from among all IT security professionals in the country to monitor cybersecurity for Congress’s internal voting system. When bills are passed, they pass through the watchful expertise of my wife and her team to assure no outside tampering. From 2016 until 2020, I commuted to the DMV every week. When her position became permanent in 2020, I pulled up lifelong stakes in Pittsburgh to relocate here, permanently. My wife and I own our home in Woodstone, adjacent to Huntley Meadows Park.

Q. You’ve proposed renaming Franconia District to “District of Franconia.” Can you briefly explain what this is about?

A. My plans to rebrand the Franconia District to “The District of Franconia” are part of my desire to promote our district as “Washington’s Backyard.” Since the name change from “Lee,” a sense of apathy has replaced any sense of pride or respect for this region. Fairfax police cannot control crime on their own. That requires full cooperation of the public at large. This cooperation requires a sense of “ownership” by the people who live here. We seem to have lost this since the name change. My hope is to restore pride by making homeowners aware of the historic importance of Franconia — of which they own a part — and a more direct connection to our nation’s capital, which is so close, yet so far removed. Please go to https://WashingtonsBackyard.com for more on this concept.

Q. Tell us about the Great American Walk-of-Fame.

A. My hope and prayer for the Great American Walk-of-Fame is twofold. First, this nation owes a lifetime of gratitude to those men and women who lived and died to form our great nation and to protect it throughout our nearly 250-year history. I don’t believe enough has been done to commemorate their sacrifices or the families they left behind.

I know it’s a simple concept. But that also means it should be simple to explain, accomplish and maintain for generations to come. We are developing an animated video for how it will look when it’s finished. My engineers have been working closely with VDOT [Virginia Department of Transportation] who have expressed excitement for this concept.

Similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, where throngs of people have visited to celebrate the heroes and legends of TV and movies since 1958, where names are emblazed on “stars” up and down the sidewalks of actors/actresses who “played” the roles of heroes. Ours, on US1, the nation’s First Highway, will commemorate “REAL” national heroes, emblazed on “stars & stripes” along a six-mile stretch of newly constructed sidewalk (12 miles in all).

We will be announcing our plans to the public during a press conference this Thurs., Aug. 31 at 10 a.m. in the parking lot of Office Depot, 6211 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, Virginia 22303. Please come and show us your support for this concept — which will not cost taxpayers a single dime!

Q. What are some of your key priorities involving the parts of Franconia District that are along the Richmond Highway Corridor?

A. My “Great American Walk-of-Fame” will have a residual effect on all businesses along the US1 corridor. People otherwise just visiting Washington D.C. will hopefully want to witness what some are calling the “Next National Monument!” New businesses will open. New jobs will be available. The BRT system (Bus Rapid Transit) will gain new passengers. The bike lanes on both sides will get more use. Restaurants and hotels will entertain more guests. Condos and apartments will rent more quickly, and their occupants will have an increased sense of pride when they tell their friends and family that they live alongside the “Great American Walk-of-Fame!”

Ultimately, with more business in this region, the county will realize greater revenues — placing fewer tax burdens on homeowners. Crime and vagrancy will greatly diminish as a result.

Q. Anything else you’d like to share?

A. My role as Supervisor will include oversight of the FCPS Board and District. That is to say, the Board of Supervisors control what monies they have to spend and, therefore, their priorities. I will not accept “force feeding” of woke agenda upon our children or any revenues used to perpetuate this madness. I will use every measure of “Supervision” available to me to return sanity to our schools and excellence in student performance. This is not only my solemn promise; this is a mandate I believe to be handed to me by God through prayer, which I will not be persuaded to back off. I will be an unyielding advocate for children and their parents.