Month: April 2008

Watch out for IEDs at Lake of the Woods…

The Free Lance–Star:

Insurrection seems to almost always be in the air at a board of directors meeting at Lake of the Woods, and yesterday’s meeting at the massive Orange County subdivision had its share of conflicts.

[…]

General Manager John Bailey came under fire from members for a perceived lack of support of the volunteer warden program and for his supervision of the building of the Woods Center, the community’s golf pro shop, which had cost overruns.

Former Chief Warden Don Jackson criticized Bailey for not responding to requests from the wardens for training and support.

“It appears to us that a viable, standby, ready reserve of trained and equipped wardens is no longer a priority for GM Bailey,” said Jackson in a memo to the board. He added that key members in the warden program have received “no cooperation or support from GM Bailey.”

Bailey did not respond.

Viva la revolución!

The tax increases are coming…

Richmond Times-Dispatch:

This year, most local government officials aren’t even pretending to cut taxes.

A handful of localities say they’ll cut tax rates — but, as is the recent practice, the cuts won’t be enough to offset rising property assessments.

Two — Caroline and Charles City counties — are raising tax rates.

[…]

Bottom line: Homeowners in 11 area localities will generally see tax bills rise — in some localties by a couple of hundred dollars for a home worth $250,000.

In Caroline County’s case (with their proposed increase $0.07/$100) there would be a $175 increase for someone with $250,000 of assessed value in land. For someone with $300,000 of property there would be $210 increase in your tax bill. Etc. etc.

FYI: There will be a hearing about the proposed tax rate increase at the next Board of Supervisors meeting on April 8th.

Addendum: As I’m writing this The Free Lance–Star‘s RSS feeds update and provides some information on the county’s budget (Caroline County is the first county detailed but for some reason the headings got dropped on the web version of the article).

Remains of Virginia soldiers recovered at Chosin Reservoir, Korea.

Richmond Times-Dispatch:

The remains of two Virginia soldiers lost more than 57 years ago in one of the bloodiest battles of the Korean War have been recovered and returned to their families, the Department of Defense said today.

Army Capt. Edward B. Scullion of Norfolk and Pfc. Elwood D. Reynolds of Schoolfield at Danville were killed in late November 1950 in intense fighting with Chinese troops who attacked the Americans near Chosin Reservoir in North Korea, the Army said.

Despite America’s continuing strained relations with North Korea, a small U.S. military unit that searches for long-lost troops was allowed to excavate parts of old North Korean battlegrounds from 2002 to 2005.

The remains of Scullion and Reynolds were found during an archaeological dig of a defensive position of the 31st Regimental Combat Team of the 7th Infantry Division during the Chinese attack. Both men were members of A Company, 32nd Infantry Regiment, which was attached to the 31st at the time.

[…]

Reynolds will be buried April 18 in Danville. Scullion will be buried this summer in Arlington National Cemetery. Neither family could be reached yesterday for comment.

The United States is the only country that actively scours old and far-flung battlefields for its lost troops.

Another POS arrested in robbery of paraplegic.

The Free Lance–Star:

Another Caroline man has been charged in the robbery of Robert Newcomb, a paraplegic whose prescription drugs were stolen from him at gunpoint.

Norman Michael “Lunchbox” Roberts, 18, of Spotsylvania is charged with breaking and entering, robbery and conspiracy to commit a felony. He is suspected of going into Newcomb’s home, but was never seen by those who lived in the trailer.

Pass the buck Republicans in the General Assembly.

AP via WTOP:

GOP House leaders emerged from a private hour-long discussion Wednesday with the Democratic governor resolute against new statewide taxes.

“For whatever reason, they’re insisting on bringing in this maintenance problem using facts, using information that I think is dubious at best,” said House Speaker William J. Howell, R-Stafford.

“It makes you wonder if, in fact, this is all to put it off to the 2009 election” and try to use the issue to attack GOP House candidates, Howell said.

[…]

“We are all opposed to tax increases for statewide maintenance if the speaker can furnish us the names of the contractors that he has found that will pour the asphalt and the cement for free,” an indignant Sen. Richard L. Saslaw, D-Fairfax and the Senate Majority Leader, said after the meeting.

[…]

Many Republicans want local governments within the regions to impose the taxes, the only way that they say blocks the General Assembly from diverting receipts collected in their regions to other uses in times of tight budgets.

Democrats say that approach unfairly shifts the political burden of imposing a menu of fees and taxes onto local elected leaders. They prefer using the General Assembly’s own unquestioned taxing power to generate the revenue.

See, the Republicans in the General Assembly aren’t against a tax increase — they just don’t want to be the ones imposing it!

Site Note

For some reason the plugin that I was using to display recent comments on the left sidebar isn’t working correctly with the new version of WordPress (2.5) so I’ve removed it.

Also, I’ve added a twitter feed. I’ll be using Twitter to provide updates during BOS meetings and the like by cell phone. In doing this, I’ve blatantly stolen the idea of the folks at Fredericksburg Blogs, In the ‘Burg, and the fred review just so you know.

FYI, RSS feed address for the twitter feed is: http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/14288919.rss

On Charity Hill “Hunting Preserve”, et al.

Not sure why it’s a called a “hunting preserve” while they mostly do sporting clays but anyway:

If you want a sure-fire way to annoy the heck out of me use a stupid straw man argument. Case in point: The following was stated by several people speaking in favor of Charity Hill: “If you get rid of Charity Hill, instead of kids shooting sporting clays they will start using drugs or go in schools and shoot kids and teachers!!11!”.

Ipso facto, if you oppose Charity Hill, you’re in favor of school shootings and kids using drugs (“Will someone please think of the children?!”).

It was comments like that prompted to make a public comment stating at the very least that was disingenuous, and at the worst fear-mongering. (Sidebar: I hate public speaking, hence the fact that I do a blog. I speak way too fast. Tip: When the reporter covering the meeting sounds like she’s typing about 200 words per minute to keep up with you, you need to slow down your speaking.) :)

If it wasn’t the straw man arguments, it was some guy that stated the noise complaints were “the fault of the federal government because they outlawed silencers back in the ’30s”. I would love for someone to find me a way to put a silencer (really, they should be called a “noise suppressor”) on a shotgun!

The only person speaking in favor of Charity Hill that tried to explain the shooting after the hours allowed in their permit was the applicant’s attorney: He said that it was the owners shooting “and they can shoot any time they please”. It’s amazing convenient how the owners always seem to be the ones shooting after hours when the documented cases were all on days when they had scheduled tournaments. Just a little too pat, isn’t it?

I would love to know why this place was allowed to operate for years as “private hunt club” when they have a BPOL (Business, Professional and Occupational License [a business license in layman’s terms]) according to a person I talked to. Can someone explain to me why a “private hunt club” lists their membership designation as “public”? Anyone care to explain why they have a website soliciting business for a “private hunt club”?

You have had constant violations over the years with the club violating what is in affect a contract between the club and the county. In the end, Acors moved that Charity Hill should have their permit revoked, with Sili seconding, and the Board agreed 5–0. I know some of the Board members weren’t happy they were forced to do this in the end, but what choice did they have?

12 year-old boy saves mother by killing attacker, police undecided on whether to file charges.

What. The. ****.

The Washington Post:

The 12-year-old boy had finished his homework and was playing a video game when he heard his mother cry out. Rushing to her aid, he found her on the kitchen floor, straddled by a fellow resident of their Prince George’s County boarding house, the man’s hands wrapped tightly around her neck, the boy said yesterday.

“I kept saying, ‘Stop! Stop! Stop!’ ” the boy said, describing the events of Monday night. “But he just ignored me. He didn’t stop. He just kept hurting her.”

The boy said he grabbed a knife and swung, slashing 64-year-old Salomon Noubissie across the neck and opening an artery. Noubissie was fatally wounded.

The mother, Cheryl Stamp, said she did not immediately understand what had happened. “What did you do?” she said she asked her son.

“He didn’t say anything,” she said. “But I knew when I looked in his eyes. I said, ‘Oh, Lord.’ ”

Law enforcement officials were reviewing evidence yesterday and had not decided whether to file charges. Their preliminary account of the incident broadly matches that of the boy and his mother.

“In Maryland, there can be a legitimate defense of third parties in the event of a violent attack,” State’s Attorney Glenn F. Ivey said. “That is a possibility in this case.”

No, it’s not a matter of “possibility”. So, it was all a plot by this evil 12 year-old to kill this guy (must have been those evil video games)? What other possibilities are there besides the story of the mother and the son (where the police’s own account match with their’s)?

Nothing like the People’s Republic of Maryland.

I feel a need for someone to run a write-in in Ham Sandwich campaign against this idiot.

H/t: Matt “threat to democracy” Drudge

Changes in ownership of Channel 6 (WTVR) and 12 (WWBT) in Richmond

Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Today’s completion of the sale of WWBT-Channel 12 means the Richmond area has two TV stations with the same owner — temporarily.

Alabama-based Raycom Media Inc. bought WWBT for $583 million and already owns WTVR-Channel 6.

Owning two stations in one market is generally against federal regulations, but the Federal Communications Commission agreed last week to give Raycom six months to sell WTVR.

[…]

Tom Henson of Belmoro Corporate Advisors, which is handling the WTVR sale, said no changes will be made at WWBT in front of the camera or behind it. One exception, Henson said, is that the station will air editorials written and produced by the station staff.

Raycom Vice President Jeff Rosser said the company chose to keep NBC affiliate WWBT and sell CBS affiliate WTVR because WWBT’s has better ratings and financial numbers.

Now, where’s Caroline at?

From the City of Fredericksburg:

Beginning this year, the City of Fredericksburg will no longer require city-issued decals to be placed on the windshields of residents’ vehicles.

“We estimate the City will save approximately $10,000 per year in postage alone by not having to mail the annual decals,” Treasurer G. M. Haney said. “The $20 ‘registration fee’ will still be part of the personal property tax bill, but you will no longer be required to have the decal.”

A decal will still be available to residents who wish to have the city identification on their cars. City residents desiring to use the city-only VRE parking lot MUST display the City decal, and others may wish to keep the decal in order to regularly use the Belman Road recycling center.

Decals are available now and may be purchased from the City Treasurer’s Office for $2.

If it saves Fredericksburg $10,000 just in postage it would save Caroline County even more: Fredericksburg has an estimated population of 22,410 while Caroline’s population is 27,282 (probably more cars per person as well).

Also consider the overtime pay that the employees of the Treasurer’s Office received: The Treasurer’s Office stayed open an additional 11 hours over the past week with their employees presumably working overtime to handle the people getting decals. There were five employees (plus Ms. Curran) working when I was in there around 5:00 p.m. on Monday evening.