Tom Perriello

Tom Perriello 5th district congressman is not gaining ground against his Republican opponent Robert Hurt. Perriello’s slim victory against Virgil Goode in 2008 looks to turn into a not so narrow loss in 2010.

The latest poll conducted by WDBJ7 shows Perriello trailing Hurt 61% to 35%. No improvement over a previous poll.

Though Perriello pulled from behind in 2008 on the wave of anti-Republican sentiment – the tables have turned and anti-Democrat sentiment now prevails.

According to the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP.org) Perriello holds a commanding lead of cash on hand at $1.7 million. Hurt shows $216,000 on hand as of June 30. The next reports are due September 15.

 The New York Times article Saturday, ”Democrats Plan Politcal Triage to Retain House”  shows signs of Democrat desperation.

Democratic leaders are getting the shakedown from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. There is a whiff of panic in the air as she scrambles to coral Democratic house representatives safe in their seats.

Pay your dues! Pelosi wants the safe Democrats sitting on $218 million in their campaign accounts to help the “closely” contested races. The house races showing poll numbers much closer than that of Perriello vs. Hurt. Not good news for Perriello – the public knowledge of this alone deflates Democrats already lacking in enthusiasm this election cycle

The Grim Reaper

In Friday’s Roanoke Times Mason Adams reports on the flier that went out to neighborhood and civic groups.  I posted it here on Tuesday. It was received Monday.

It was Mayor and Attorney David Bowers offering to give a “talk” on wills, power of attorney, etc. in preparation for the “gulp” inevitable. No not taxes but the other inevitable. Yea, that guy in the picture at left.

When a Wednesday post on the new political blog got little attention about the flier that also linked to Dan Casey’s blog about the flier there was only one thing left to do. Make it a “news” article – yes, that will get some attention.

After all who doesn’t like to “make water” on the Mayor more then The Roanoke Times. The only comment on the political blog said, ”This is a ‘non issue’.” This was a hint not taken.

Since my name was mentioned as well as Countryside Neighborhood Alliance you would think a comment from me would have completed the article. How do you feel about the flier Valerie? Heck, you’ll never know – at least from The Roanoke Times.

Were any of the other recipients of the flier asked how they felt about it? Nope, you’ll never know that either.

Just know this – the neighbors I showed it to got a chuckle out of it especially in our current “mental state.” We REALLY could use a talk from Carilion’s geriatric psychiatrist, Vice-Mayor David Trinkle.

I’m hoping an image of the flier was not reproduced from my website as a “right click” clearly says “Copyright Protected.”

After clearly stating that his town halls were not political (see Joe Dashiell’s WDBJ7 report CLICK HERE) Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli tweets this … so what did he mean by this? Did he leave Rocky Mount to help HURT or is this just an insinuation?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

UPDATE Press Release Sept 1, 12:45 p.m.:  The attorney general has been traveling around much of the state to various communities over the last several months to meet with citizens and to talk about the initiatives of the office that affect them. Abingdon and Rocky Mount are located in APCO’s service area and are two places where the AG has not been able to spend much time until tomorrow.

Citizens, chambers of commerce, local boards of supervisors, and area state legislators have been invited.

Note: This seems like an attempt to dispel criticism that he was campaigning for Robert Hurt and Morgan Griffith.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is hosting Southwest Virginia town halls in Abingdon and Rocky Mount Thursday, September 2 to discuss electricity rates and cap and trade. Both locations are in districts being challenged by Republicans. If it looks like campaigning by Cuccinelli then do you think the Republican candidates will show up?

Republican Robert Hurt is challenging Tom Perriello in the 5th congressional district and Republican Morgan Griffith is challenging Rick Boucher in the 9th.

When asked if they were invited, Communications Director Brian Gottstein said that, “both have been invited, along with other Democrat and Republican elected officials in both areas, but we do not have confirmations that either will attend yet.”

9:00 – 10:00 a.m. – Abingdon

Keyser Aday Theatre Learning Resource Center

Virginia Highlands Community College

110 Opportunity Lane, Abingdon 

1:00 – 2:00 p.m. – Rocky Mount

Lecture Hall at the Franklin Center

50 Claiborne Avenue, Rocky Mount

The attorney general will speak to citizens, take questions from the audience, and then take questions from the media. The times above include time for media questions. Because he has other meetings in the state that day, he will not have time outside the above times to speak with the media.

Countryside Gals!

Neighbors want to call it “Victory” golf course – reminiscent of the Victory Stadium saga that consumed council elections for ten years. “It sure feels like another deterioration scheme,” said Susan Hall who lives on one of the fairways.

The three-hour open house Tuesday at William Fleming High School was a chance for neighbors to add comments on their respective locations dotting around the defunct golf course. Countryside’s fate was sealed in a city council closed session “show of hands” in February. According to Mayor David Bowers he was the one dissenting hand that day.

Sallie and Larry Fogle purchased their home on the tenth fairway in 2009 shortly after they were assured the golf course was secure. That was when five of seven council members voted to give Countryside a try with an investment of $1.5 million in repairs. The Fogles soon became another victim of council indecision they claim. The course was shutdown just a few months later.

Chris and Doreen Morris with son Conner in a stroller were disappointed with what they saw. They expected something more concrete. The sliced up property sections on boards had mainly possibilities in text on each side. The uses ranged from multi-family, retail, commercial, single-family, swimming pool, walking trails, ball fields, churches, community center, an equestrian jump and golf.

Each resident was given sticky notes for comments. Not surprisingly the majority had “golf course” or “18-hole golf course” plastered on the boards. Several comments said to partner with William Fleming high school and include additional recreational opportunities. One comment said, “it was a complete waste of time.”

Members of council dropped in – all except Mayor David Bowers and Vice-Mayor David Trinkle.

Chris Chittum holds Newbern idea

There was one bright spot. Jess Newbern, III owner of the Trane building on Frontage Road had an idea drawn by architect Ray Craighead. It lay on a table but was spotted and overrun with sticky notes that said “good idea” and a “great start.” On this rendering there was a twelve-hole golf layout.

Sharon Blevins didn’t care for the commercial or open street that would bring Hershberger Road traffic through to Peters Creek. Her street and five others would connect to it per the Newbern plan.

Tom Carr, Director of Planning listened to a “golf rater” associated with a golf magazine for about an hour. He wanted to remain anonymous but lamented over the golf course closing refuting the figures on an easel showing a list of golf courses in the red. He suggested finding “a first-class architect like Tom Doak and hiring him. Bite the bullet and invest some money in the golf course.”

Carr explained that city council charged them with “if not a golf course then what’s plan B.”

The golf course was purchased in 2005 for $4.1 million with Toll Brothers pulling the plug on their interest in development in 2006. Another developer’s plan was rejected in 2007.

Chris Chittum Planning Administrator said they will put all the comments together and present it to city council on September 20 at 2:00 p.m. Council will set the direction for the next round of planning. Execution of any plan depends on the economy and the land could remain dormant for several years.

<laughing so hard I can barely see.>

I get this stuff from the AARP almost daily. I’ve been a member for aahh lets just say quite a few years. Another milestone on the 10th of September in case anyone wants to send money.

No “fancy shmancy” for Mayor Attorney David Bowers. No sir, he calls his talk “Gloom and Doom” and “Meet Your Maker.” <out of control now with tears streaming down my face.>

All I can do now is post a scan of what I received by way of Countryside Neighborhood Alliance in the mail Monday. For having a bad day/month/year this sure did break the tension. I can face anything even the Countryside property plans with a smile on my face Tuesday.

Oh, I think I’ll pick a better moment with the Countryside members to ask if they’d like to have this “talk.” Now might not be a good time.

PS: No city $$$ was used in his mailing.

Prepare to Meet Your Maker!

12th Fairway - Left: Summer 2009 - Right: Saturday August 27, 2010 after farmer's second hay cutting.

A quick chronological recap of the Countryside Golf Course debacle that actually began as early as 2002 with a study conducted by The Lawrence Group. 

In October 2002 then city manager Darlene Burcham corresponds with Ed hall who advises her to make sure that the 40-year lease of the airport authority is not renewed (fairways reside on airport property). 

Burcham communicates with airport director Jackie Shuck concerning the lease. Burcham also asked to buy the airport property but was turned down. 

A lull in time occurred when Meadowbrook advised Burcham that the property was not for sale. 

A letter composed through several drafts between Burcham and Ed Hall and Associates (who received the commission for handling the sale) pointed out to Meadowbrook that the lease on airport property would not be renewed as well as other detrimental aspects of the property. 

Negotiations picked up with asking price at $4.8 million but final settlement was $4.1 million. Meadowbrook thought it was going to remain a municipal golf course and offered their services to manage it. 

It was about this time that the swimming pool was closed. During this period homes continued to be built and sold around the golf course to unsuspecting buyers. The more expensive lots laid between fairways on Mattaponi. 

In e-mails between council members in early 2005 there was trepidation by some members on whether to go ahead with the “option” to purchase. The shocked neighborhood first heard of it on May 3, 2005 in The Roanoke Times. 

Then councilman Brian Wishneff and Sherman Lea with then director of planning Brian Townsend came to a neighbor’s home to meet with residents. Angry neighbors greeted them. 

While both Wishneff and Lea (mostly Wishneff) attempted to get the neighborhoods input other council members and Burcham would not hear of it. On July 25, 2005 a meeting of surrounding neighbors were invited to William Fleming High School. Input was asked for but denied. “We don’t want to inhibit a developer’s creativity,” said Burcham and Townsend. 

The purchase went forward in November 2005 with again trepidation from some council members over lack of a ”project plan.” Lea in e-mails repeated that he was against the purchase but eventually caved. Both Lea and Wishneff said to not forget about the neighbors being involved (which was ignored.) 

A request for qualifications (RFQ) went out in September 2005 with Toll Brothers responding (sight unseen) and Joyce Graham (Colonial Green). Toll Brothers was chosen over Graham. 

In the interim a VP from Toll Brothers surveyed the property. Shortly after  a letter followed dated February 17, 2006 to the Planning Department. It said they were not interested and that their high-end product line was not a fit. The housing bust was just beginning. 

Another request for proposal (RFP) went out with no response. Another went out. Victor Foti was the only responder. A master plan deadline kept getting extended. Finally one plan was presented to the public in April 2007 that was unacceptable. 

In August 2007 a year since the RFP was issued Burcham rejected the developer. That was the last RFP attempt. 

It lay in limbo during council transition(s). This council is the third grappling with the property. Lea is the only remaining original member who voted to purchase the course. 

In August 2009council decided to give the golf course a go and was willing to invest $1.2 million into an irrigation system and cart path repair. The three respondents dragged on until the end of the year when Meadowbrook was selected. 

The last week of Burcham’s tenure in February 2010 after the money was pulled from the project council voted to shutdown the golf course. Execution of a contract with Meadowbrook fell apart without the $1.2 million investment.

That brings us to another new council and new city manager. Five neighborhood meetings and at least 5 stakeholder meetings (realtors, developers, etc.) 

Tuesday, August 31 the community will get to see three different plans for the property. Just how much neighborhood input will be on display is a contentious issue with the neighborhood. 

After five years the neighborhood is understandably sour and bitter. It is a primarily a senior citizen retirement neighborhood as would be expected around a golf course. Five years of their “golden years” have been spent. Years wasted on indecision. Many just want to move away but finances prohibit. Realtors advised several neighbors to remove their homes from the market due to the indecision surrounding the property. Five neighbors have died.  

To this day Scott Beasley, VP of Operations at Meadowbrook is willing to negotiate revitalizing the golf course.

A few of many comments left off the online notes: 

In three different stakeholder meetings (Economic Development focus group, realtors and a developer) it was asked why couldn’t an 18-hole golf course remain and enhanced with other recreation. Recreation can be an economic development tool. 

Others scoffed at the threat of “fencing off” the runway protection zone should another terrorist attack occur. One developer quipped “yea they could lock up the terrorists in it.” 

The touted Colonial Green projected was lamented as a failure. The project keeps being presented as a “success.” The problem is the homes are too expensive and the commercial layout was not well thought out. 

On that thought I attended the Colonial Green Open House in 2006 where the builder said that city planning wanted the townhomes even closer together. Another failed project mentioned was in Daleville. 

Commentaries and articles on Countryside: 

Activists, by necessity

Countryside neighbors blindsided again 

City council discusses future of Countryside 

 Countryside Golf Course: Staying the course

More days ahead for Countryside?

Chipping away at Countryside

Preserve green space in Northwest

“Airport Land Use: Airport director warns land will be noisy”

Editorial: City gets second chance on golf course deal

Plan called below par

Roanoke land tract targeted as priority

Roanoker Magazine on Countryside 

The JMMS team has formed a partnership with Team OCR from Southeast High School in Bradenton, FL to boost their chance for success at the international level. The group will compete under the title of Unitus Racing-building on two strong records of success. Team OCR is the current 2010 F1 in Schools national champion and Florida’s four-time champion, while the JMMS team is the winner of three consecutive national championships from 2007-2009, and holds the past two Virginia titles.

James Madison faculty advisor Chris Morris says “We spoke with Team OCR following their win at the 2010 National Championships in Baltimore in July and felt a collaborative effort would offer an excellent opportunity for our students to raise their competitive ability and gain invaluable experience competing against the best of the best at the world level. “Pyrroghaster Racing was the only middle school-aged team that competed at the 2009 World Championship in London and finished strongly against the national champions from 33 other countries. We are truly excited about forming Unitus Racing and believe this partnership will lead to an even more impressive showing for America.”

F1 in Schools is a multi-disciplinary challenge in which teams, comprised of three to six students design, analyze, manufacture, test, then race CO2-powered balsa wood F1 cars. Each F1 car is scaled at 1/20th the size of a standard vehicle. This challenge enables students to use state-of-the-art software and machinery. Students learn about physics, aerodynamics, design, branding, graphics, sponsorship, marketing, media skills, and financial strategy challenges in a competitive and exciting way. Teams are required to prepare a business plan and develop a budget.

“Make no mistake about it,” said Morris, “fielding an international team for this competition requires a large amount of capital –the budget for the Unitus Singapore competition is about $34,000. We are extremely fortunate to be able to pool resources with OCR since we would not have been able to fund it on our own. The money will cover various expenses such as graphics, promotional materials, team uniforms and car manufacturing costs.”

The following companies and organizations have already generously donated their time and support: Lockheed Martin, Roanoke City Public Schools, Manatee Education Foundation, Virginia Western Community College, Lord Botetourt High School, RR Donnelley, Boys & Girls Clubs of Manatee County, Manatee ACT Department, Rapid Prototyping Services, Bay Tool, Trimback Artistry, Tri-H Metals, JBTN Plastics, Signs By Tomorrow.

For additional information: http://www.f1inschools.com/

“While this was not an outright ruling in our favor, I am pleased that the judge has agreed with my office on several key legal points and has given us a framework for issuing a new civil investigative demand to get the information necessary to continue our investigation into whether or not fraud has been committed against the commonwealth,” said Cuccinelli.

Judge Paul M. Peatross, Jr., in his ruling stated that, “…the University of Virginia is a proper subject for a CID, and the Attorney General may investigate grants made with Commonwealth of Virginia funds to professors such as Dr. Mann.”

“We are going to issue a new CID that conforms to the judge’s ruling. We will also take time to fully examine the decision and all of the available options before deciding whether or not to also appeal aspects of the ruling,” the attorney general said.

No fraud suit is currently pending. The attorney general’s office is only investigating to see if there is sufficient evidence to warrant further action. It is investigating whether a false claim was presented to the university to secure payment under government-funded grants.

The attorney general is the sole official charged with enforcing Virginia’s Fraud Against Taxpayers Act. The materials requested by the original CIDs are all property belonging to the Commonwealth of Virginia. The CIDs did not seek the production of any private property.

After being late most every month this year Trinkle has taken a “hands on” approach to his bookkeeping. Tim Spencer, Roanoke’s assistant city attorney made it clear that the tax collected from restaurant patrons is “not a slush fund” to be used for paying other business expenses.

Shawver will have a better picture of how the meal’s tax revenue is faring by September’s due date. Each month’s revenue varies throughout the year so Shawver asked for another month to better forecast revenue in relation to the same month in 2009.

The figures will gauge expected revenue from the two percent increase in the meal’s tax. The two percent of the total seven percent will go directly to Roanoke City Schools.

Will city restaurants see a decline in patronage. Have those decrying the increase avoided eating in the city or was it just a threat. Have tips to waitresses declined.

Currently, abortion providers in Virginia are regulated in the same way as other medical facilities that provide outpatient procedures. First trimester abortion procedures are already safely performed in physician offices and health centers. Furthermore, abortions are currently provided in accordance with standards set by federal and state regulatory agencies, as well professional and licensing organizations. The architectural, procedural, staffing and equipment requirements of ambulatory surgery centers are unrelated to the safety of first trimester abortions provided in medical offices.

For more than a decade, Planned Parenthood has opposed legislation aimed to enforce additional regulations, which would force nearly all first-trimester abortions be performed only in hospitals. This latest assault by the Attorney General is a thinly disguised attempt to impose burdensome and unnecessary regulations on abortion providers so that the provision of services would become prohibitively expensive and thus out of reach for many women in Virginia .

Presently, this opinion is just that, an opinion! However, Planned Parenthood will raise objections if the Board of Health uses this opinion to impose an ideological political agenda that singles out one medical procedure in order to restrict access to health care.

Be assured that Planned Parenthood’s number one priority is the health and safety of our patients. We will continue to ensure that comprehensive and affordable access to health care is accessible to women in the Commonwealth.