As many know, the Prince William Democratic candidates for this November’s General Election are not participating in any forum, debate, etc, hosted by, sponsored by, or co-hosted by the Prince William Committee of 100.
This was a unanimous decision by all 27 Democrats running for office in Prince William. The reason?
Last week, the State Corporation Commission (SCC) approved an innovative solar program proposed by Dominion Resources, a project that will enhance consumer choices and facilitate clean, renewable energy production for many Virginians.
As Virginia implements the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan, the state’s utilities need to transition to systems that reduce carbon emissions and deliver reliable, affordable power to homes and businesses.
On Monday morning, I had the opportunity to attend a Transportation Summit sponsored by the Fredericksburg Area Chamber of Commerce. A big takeaway from the summit was that our elected leadership in Richmond is failing us on the issue of transportation.
When I served as the Aquia District Supervisor in Stafford County, state officials came to the Stafford Board to gain our support for the HOT Lanes. We told them back then that Stafford could not support this idea unless the lanes extended down to Massaponax, because we knew the terrible bottleneck that would be caused at the end of the lanes.
Those who meet the standards and graduate from the Army’s challenging Ranger School earn the right to wear the prestigious Ranger tab.
On August 21, 2015, two female Soldiers made history. Captain Kristen Griest and First Lieutenant Shaye Haver became the first women to earn the honor and joined a long line of outstanding Soldiers.
As families prepare their kids to head back to school one thought is in the back of everyone’s mind: safety. Prince William County schools are a reflection of Prince William County communities.
Potomac School Board Rep Betty Covington and I recently attended a safe schools presentation at Forest Park High School. One thing is clear: safe schools start with safe communities.
One of the most important positions that County voters will decide on November 3rd is Chairman of the County School Board. Our school system is the largest entity in the County, educating some 87,000 students and employing 10,800 teachers, bus drivers and support staff.
The School Board became an elected body 20 years ago, in the aftermath of an era when Board members were appointed by the respective Magisterial District Supervisors. The change was approved by the Virginia General Assembly in order to distance education from political agendas. As we know, politicians are accountable for the functioning of County government. Education of our children is in the province of parents, families, teachers and elected officials whose principal job is to guide the School Administration. Unfortunately, political parties continue to attempt to dominate the process by endorsing School Board candidates. This tends to make School Board members accountable to politicians and their agendas. And for the past several years, one of the first places they cut is education. How does the Chairman of the School Board support education when beholden, for example, to County political leaders? And worse, what criteria does the political party use when it endorses School Board candidates?
When I moved to Dale City in 1978, I was a nine year old rising 4 th grader.
Enterprise Elementary School opened its doors for the first time that year, and I was in Ms. Stoneburner’s class. After two years at Enterprise, a school my children would later attend and where I would eventually serve as PTA President and Treasurer, I went to Godwin Middle School and graduated from Osbourn Park in 1987. During those years, I received a great education from some incredible teachers. And I chose to raise and educate my children here in Prince William County.
I went home Wednesday night and finished working on the fence in our backyard.
We installed a new gate to a side yard. Our two goats will enjoy this new large space, and I’ll enjoy the fact that they will eat all the unwanted foliage there.
During my tenure in the Virginia General Assembly I have met a lot of very qualified and capable judges, and I quickly realized that when judges make it to the General Assembly, they are more than able to handle the job and generally very qualified. Our confirmation is usually procedural in nature. So when the debate over this Virginia Supreme Court nomination began, I initially stayed quiet because as a general rule either way we would end up with a very qualified and competent jurist.
This time it worries me that the tone and rhetoric about this appointment has entered into political mudslinging that questions the character and career of a man that has worked very hard to get to where he is, and not to mention is more than deserving of this appointment.
Sometimes it’s the little thing that can make a big difference in a community.
My wife and I moved into our new home in Prince William County last year. We reside on Token Forest Drive, and along with several of our neighbors; we were very concerned about the excessive speeding and dangerous conditions in front of our homes.
