A JMU student reached out to our news editor, Stephanie Tipple, about her recent article regarding the increase in fees for the Stonewall Park Swim team.
Dear Ms. Stephanie Tipple,
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Opinion
One of the biggest challenges any local government faces is how to prioritize spending with limited resources. Localities have to strike the right balance between paying for the core services of government and allowing families to keep more of their hard earned money. Every dollar spent should be debated and evaluated against other expenses.
In Prince William County, we have many high priorities facing the Board of County Supervisors. Each year, our classrooms become more and more crowded, we continue to struggle to hire enough police officers and firefighters, our social services seem to be at a breaking point, and too many people sit on roads that are at the brink of capacity.
With so much in the news these days regarding community policing and the appropriate level of engagement by members of local law enforcement, I felt compelled to forward a note of thanks to the Prince William Police Department (PWPD). Last weekend the Woodbridge Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. hosted a panel discussion with officers from Prince William County Police Department and area students enrolled in the fraternity’s Guide Right Mentoring Program. The hour and a half panel discussion took place in the foyer of the McCoart Administration Building in Woodbridge.
The officers were most generous with their time and candidly engaged students on a host of topics that included: campus leadership, the pitfalls of bullying, inappropriate text messaging, suggested protocols in the event of a traffic stop, career options in law enforcement, and a day in the life of a Prine William County Police Department officer. There were great exchanges all around and I tip my hat to local law enforcement for understanding the power of community partnerships.
To the Editor,
The article, “Moser: Our Neighborhood Stuck Together in Good and Bad Times” was a great example contradicting the current belief that most people don’t know their neighbors any longer. It is refreshing to know there are still communities out there that look out for each other and participate in solidarity.
The Board of County Supervisors votes on the Rivergate Apartment proposal on October 14. This is the wrong type of development for Woodbridge.
This will open the floodgates for up to 10,000 apartments along the Route 1 corridor. Will these apartments bring economic prosperity? No. They will put additional pressure on our already crowded schools, put additional cars on our congested roads, and increase emergency response times of our police and fire personnel.
Since I took office in 2008, we have worked together to transform our community and create what I call a New Woodbridge – a smart growth community that attracts high-paying jobs, reduces traffic congestion, and preserves residential neighborhoods. As a result of our efforts, over $1 billion in public and private investment is now coming to our community.
Think back five years ago. Who would have thought that we would have our own Wegman’s and Apple store at a place called Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center? As the economy continues to improve, we will see much more construction in the Woodbridge District.
This past Tuesday, I had the distinct honor to introduce eight former students of mine at the County Board of Supervisors. These students are all currently seniors and attend Gar-Field, Woodbridge, and Potomac High Schools. These six students are planning on attending college after graduation, but most importantly, all of these seniors have felt the direct impact of our county’s unwillingness to provide “world-class” funding to our public schools.
As a former teacher, I had the responsibility to educate my students, while also assisting in their personal growth and development. Because of this, I could never forget the students’ voices; they ring out loud and clear every day. Unfortunately, many of our elected officials have failed to realize how important it is to hear from students on key issues facing our school district.
At the beginning of each year, the Board of County Supervisors reviews its own Rules of Procedures. During our meeting on January 14, I proposed a set of amendments to the Board’s rules that would make our government more transparent and accessible to everyone. These amendments were fairly simple, but essential to improve how our county government runs.
My first proposal sought to move the votes on important issues to our evening sessions. By doing so, it would make it easier for citizens to stay informed and speak out on a particular issue. With two-thirds of Prince William residents commuting out of the county to work, it has become extremely difficult for anyone to attend or even watch broadcasts of our afternoon sessions. I felt it was imperative that we increase meeting access for everyone.
I am proud to say that I am a veteran and I have many friends who are veterans. You know us, you see us every day but you may not recognize the veteran that lives inside each of us.
Oh, I’m sure you will recognize the younger veterans of the two wars that we have been engaged in for more than a decade. They are much easier to spot since many of them are missing parts of their bodies lost to the ubiquitous “Improvised Explosive Device”—the IED.
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Dear Editor:
I am increasingly troubled this campaign season by the tactics political candidates have used, particularly against conservative candidates. As a voter in the 51st House District, I received numerous mailers from Democrat Reed Heddleston claiming that our Delegate, Rich Anderson, wants to take away women’s birth control and that women who have miscarried should be investigated. As an informed voter, I asked Delegate Anderson directly about this.