Friday, December 21, 2012

Sr. Center January events; High School Ski Trip

Senior Center of York Announces January Events

December 21, 2012

FOR RELEASE AT WILL

A variety of educational and entertaining programs are being offered at the Senior Center of York in January. Participation is open to seniors age 55 or better and their spouses, regardless of age. The Center is located in the Washington Square Shopping Center at 5314 George Washington Memorial Highway (Rte. 17), and is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Center is closed all County Holidays. Reservations are required for all sessions and are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, stop by the Center or call 898-3807. For more information, please visit www.yorkcounty.gov/communityservices.

Sign up now for next Body Recall Exercise Session, January 7 – March 22! We are taking registrations for Body Recall, an invigorating group exercise and life-time fitness program with Instructor, Domenica Jernigan. This national exercise and educational program helps with balance, strength, muscle control and coordination and was recently recognized for its effectiveness by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Aging. Classes are scheduled to begin Monday, January 7 through March 22 and meet 3 times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Class sessions are as follows: 9 a.m. 10 a.m., and 11 a.m. The cost for this session is $60. For more information regarding Body Recall, please call 898-3807.

Scrapbooking & Greeting Cards, Monday, January 14 from 9 a.m to 12 noon.

Join us as Cathy Fowler of Creative Memories shows how to make fun cards, and assists you with your scrapbook. You can also enjoy using the Cricut which helps to design your cards. These cards and your personalized scrapbook create lasting memories and make wonderful gifts for your loved ones. Note: Please limit to four cards.

Tuesday Birthday Bash, Tuesday, January 15 at 1 p.m. Come see "A Tribute to Dean Martin & Marilyn Monroe" at this exciting bash! Traveling entertainers and impersonators David Alan and Tracey Lynne will present a highly visual, colorful, and interactive show performing the classics of these two celebrated and legendary personalities. As always, you do not have to be observing a birthday to attend this event. Cake and beverage will be served. Please register by Monday, January 14 by calling the Senior Center at 898-3807 or visiting the front desk.

Computer Classes and General Use. Call the Center now at 898-3807 for more information on times, space availability, and to register for the Beginners, Intermediate (Microsoft Word 10) and E-mail/Internet classes that start on Tuesday, January 15. The computers are also available for general use Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. unless the lab is reserved for programmed activities. To use the computers you must sign in at the Senior Center front desk.

York-Poquoson Triad Offers Help with "File of Life" and "Yellow Dot," Wednesday, January 16 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. York-Poquoson Triad is sponsoring an informative program to assist senior citizens in completing File of Life cards and Yellow Dot cards for emergency responders. To register call the Senior Center of York at 898-3807 by January 14.

Over the years the York-Poquoson Sheriff's Office has distributed hundreds of File of Life packets to senior citizens. The File of Life is a miniature medical history card that seniors can place in a magnetized red folder and post on their refrigerators. The card enables medics to obtain a quick medical history when a patient is unable to offer one. The File of Life contains critical information for emergency medical treatment, including a patient's name, allergies, medications, contacts, insurance coverage and any special instructions. A door sticker alerts emergency personnel that the person has a File of Life and allows emergency responders to begin appropriate treatment immediately and not have to wait to obtain information from a confused patient or through other sources if the patient is unconscious.

A similar card called Yellow Dot is available for one's vehicle. The yellow dot is placed in the rear window to alert emergency responders that medical information can be found in the glove compartment.

Volunteers will be on hand to assist senior citizens in completing the File of Life Form. Interested persons will need to bring a list of medications and emergency contact information. A light lunch will be served.

"Vinyl Memories," Wednesday, January 16 at 1 p.m. Bring in your record albums - 45 rpm, 33 rpm, or 78s - and we will listen to them, and reflect on music from the decades of yesteryear. If you have a yellow spindle size adaptor on hand, bring that in too. Ron Herrick of Audio Visual Products and Calibration, Inc. will assist with this program. We will also enjoy music trivia, games, and prizes. Registration is underway and will end by Jan. 14 unless available space fills up sooner. Please give a list of your Top 10 Favorite Songs when you register!

Culture Day, Poetry "Promises to Keep," Tuesday, January 22 at 1 p.m. Poet, author, and professor Hermine Pinson of the College of William & Mary will share and interpret excerpts of her vivid poetry collections from Ashe, Mama Yetta, Dolores is Blue/ Dolorez is Blues, and herCD, Changing the Changes in Poetry & Song. Refreshments will be provided. Please register at the Senior Center of York by calling 898-3807.

AARP Driver Safety Program, Tuesday, January 22 & Wednesday, January 23. Please note the different day this month. This program is designed for drivers age 50 or better, and will take place on Tuesday, January 22 from 12:30 to 4:45 p.m. and Wednesday, January 23 from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. The cost for this two-day program is $12 for members of AARP and $14 for non-members.Fees should be paid by check and made out to AARP. Class registration may be made in person at the Senior Center, by phone, or by mail. Note: AARP membership, which cannot be processed the day of a class, is not required for class registration. There is no "behind the wheel" driving performed in this program. Drivers age 55 or better must attend both classes to receive the state mandated three-year automobile insurance reduction. Many insurance companies are giving insurance reductions to drivers age 50+ with the same attendance requirements. Those less than age 55 should check with their insurance company to see if they are entitled to the three-year insurance reduction. Class enrollment is limited to 25.

Calling All Veterans! Have you ever served in our nation's military? If so, please consider participating in an informal panel discussion to share some of your experiences at one of the Senior Center of York's upcoming Culture Days. ALL of us have benefitted from the dedication, efforts and sacrifice of our uniformed men and women (and their families). MOST of us are very interested in the experiences of those who have served, but MANY of us know very little of what life was actually like in the military. So please drop by our front desk and complete a brief form so we can begin organizing this and hear some of your stories! It promises to be a very meaningful, touching, and at times, probably very humorous event, IF enough people sign up to participate. Thank you very much!

Holiday Closures: For the holidays, the Senior Center of York will be closed on January 1 for New Year's Day, and January 21 for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The Dining Club will reopen on January 2, 2013.

Inclement Weather? Check out the Senior Center's hotline 890-3516 for information on emergencies and weather related closings and or delayed openings due to inclement weather.

Upcoming Events

Valentine Bingo, Friday, February 15. 1-3 pm. Join us for the camaraderie of this exciting annual event and enjoy great refreshments and prizes! Registration begins on January 14 and concludes on February 12 or until space is full. Seating is limited.

12^th Annual York County High School Ski Trip!

December 21, 2012

FOR RELEASE AT WILL

York County Parks and Recreation is scheduling its 12^th annual High School Ski Trip to Wintergreen Ski Resort near Charlottesville during semester break on Friday, January 25, 2013. Students must register by Friday, January 18, unless bus spaces fill up earlier. Any high school student living in York County is eligible to register for this chaperoned day trip. This includes students attending public school, private school and home school. The trip cost is $89.00 per person and includes transportation on private charter buses, lift ticket, equipment rentals and a beginner's lesson.

Complete trip information and registration forms are available online at the Parks and Recreation website at www.yorkcounty.gov/parksandrec OR on the York County Youth Commission's website at www.ycyc.info.

If you have any questions, please call the York County Parks and Recreation Office at 890-3500.

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Friday, December 14, 2012

VA-ALERT: AutoZone protest yesterday - WOW!

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WHAT A GREAT DAY!

Below we have the story on yesterday's protest at AutoZone in Yorktown written by Amanda Kerr with the Daily Press and also a really great video taken by the Daily Press photographer. Both spent quite a bit of time at the protest.

We had over FORTY gun owners show up to line the sidewalk in front of AutoZone (on a weekday, in the middle of the day). We held signs saying:

AutoZone Fires Heroes!

Berma shave style:

1. Save a Life?
2. AutoZone fires you!

1. Stop a robbery?
2. AutoZone fires you!

I could not believe all the cars and trucks honking their horns and waving enthusiastically as they passed the group! All of us were surprised and elated. People were pulling into the mall to go shake Devin's hand. A few people passing by stopped to join the protest!

The AutoZone parking lot, for the most part, looked like a ghost town. I wished I had a tumbleweed to toss in their parking lot! ;-)

For those of you who couldn't make this one, you really missed a great event - the public support for a hero was clear and strong.

The Shady Banks Shopping Center, where AutoZone is located, was extremely nice to us and gave us specific permission to park in their parking lot and to marshall there. The Mall did ask us not to protest in the parking lot and we honored that request.

The 7-11 across the street was giving our members FREE coffee! When I learned of that, I walked over to thank them for their support and generosity. They, too, were supporting a hero.

Sheriff Danny Diggs showed up and talked with us for a little while. Standard Operating Procedure: several deputies were stationed in the area during the protest. They were polite and professional and, from their point of view, bored. ;-)

ON TO THE NEXT PROTESTS: SATURDAY

Tomorrow we have our protests in Colonial Heights and Hopewell - come out and join us! A reminder alert on the protests with addresses and times will go out later today.

From the Daily Press: http://tinyurl.com/ae4hkvt [VIDEO, too]

Gun group protests firing of AutoZone employee
By Amanda Kerr, akerr@dailypress.com
December 13, 2012

YORK — Nearly 40 people gathered outside an AutoZone store on Hampton Highway Thursday to protest the firing of a store employee for using his own handgun to confront a robber.

The protest was organized by the Virginia Citizens Defense League, a nonprofit pro-firearms group. Philip Van Cleave, president of the Defense League, said the group wanted to support former AutoZone employee Devin McClean, who was fired following a robbery at the store on Nov. 16. McClean's story has gained local and national attention. McClean appeared on "CBS This Morning" on Dec. 8 and a Facebook page calling for the boycott of AutoZone in support of McClean has more than 9,000 likes.

York-Poquoson Sheriff Danny Diggs has publicly stated his support of McLean's actions. Diggs said in an interview Thursday that he plans to recognize McClean later this month with a Sheriff's Citizens Commendation award. He described AutoZone's decision to fire McClean as "flawed."

"I think what he did was a very brave thing," Diggs said.

During the incident McClean ran to his vehicle to get his Glock .40-caliber handgun, then went back in building to confront the suspect, who was also armed with a gun. The suspect fled without taking any money from the store. The same suspect is believed to have robbed the same AutoZone in September.

Investigators think the suspect might be the "fake beard robber" who is believed to have committed more than 30 robberies on the Peninsula in the last year.

McClean, who served two years in the Air Force, said his "military instincts" kicked in.

"I didn't know what he was capable of but I understood what I was capable of," he said.

A few days after the robbery McClean said a district manager fired him because of the company's zero tolerance policy banning employees from having firearms while at work.

An AutoZone employee at the store on Thursday said the company's policy was to give no comment. McClean said the manager who was at the store during the robbery as well as other employees have thanked him for his actions. He started a new job at a local construction company on Monday.

During the protest the crowd applauded when McClean arrived. Throughout the morning people were thanking him and calling him a hero. Some people even gave him cash.

"It's humbling to think this many people support me," McClean said.

"He did the right thing," said Yorktown resident Andy Anderson.

Anderson said people have a constitutional right to protect themselves and said AutoZone's policy was "constitutionally wrong."

Van Cleave said McClean "should never have been fired." He hopes the Defense League can put pressure on AutoZone to change its policy regarding firearms.

The Virginia Citizens Defense League is planning two more protests on Saturday at AutoZone stores in Hopewell and Colonial Heights, where the company has its district headquarters.

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(VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization
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VA-ALERT: AutoZone protest yesterday - WOW!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

York County's Emergency Communications Center Launches Text to 911 for Verizon Wireless Customers

December 10, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Verizon Wireless customers in York County, Poquoson and Williamsburg, can now send a short message service (SMS) text message to 911 for emergency help when unable to make a 911 call. This service will be available to any Verizon Wireless customer within range of a York County, Poquoson, and Williamsburg cell tower. Text to 911 is intended primarily for use in two emergency scenarios: for those individuals who are hearing impaired and for those unable to make a voice call, for example during a medical emergency that renders the person incapable of speech, or in the instance of a home invasion or abduction.

"The safety of residents and visitors in York County, Poquoson and Williamsburg is our number-one concern. Text to 911 could be a life-saver, especially for people who might otherwise not be able to make a voice call. I congratulate my team members for their work in establishing this service and for setting an example for other public safety professionals," said York-Poquoson Williamsburg Emergency Communications Chief Terry Hall.

"Verizon Wireless has been at the forefront of working with public safety stakeholders to bring text to 911 to our customers," said Richard Craig, director of engineering for Verizon Wireless. "Our SMS911 National Gateway enables us to bring reliable emergency communications to PSAPs across the country. We were proud to work alongside the team in York County and TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS), to deploy this new solution."

Important information for Verizon Wireless customers in York County, Poquoson and Williamsburg

Verizon Wireless customers in York County, Poquoson and Williamsburg should keep the following in mind if they send a text to 911:

--Customers should use the texting option only when calling 911 is not an option.

--Using a phone to call 911 is still the most efficient way to reach emergency help. Texting is not always instantaneous, which is critical during a life-threatening emergency. It may take slightly longer to dispatch emergency services in a text to 911 situation because of the time involved: someone must enter the text, the message must go over the network and the 911 telecommunicator must read the text and then text back.

--Proving location information and nature of the emergency in the first text message is imperative, since the York-Poquoson-Williamsburg Emergency Communications Center will receive only an approximate location of the cell phone, and will not be able to speak with the person sending the text. Text abbreviations or slang should never be used so that the intent of the dialogue can be as clear as possible.

--Texts sent to 911 have the same 160-character limit as other text messages.

--Verizon Wireless customers who use Usage Controls should remove the Usage Controls feature to ensure full text to 911 capability.

--Verizon Wireless customers must have mobile phones that are capable of sending text messages. Any text message to 911 will count either against their messaging bundle or be charged at 20 cents each. Customers on ShareEverything plans have unlimited texts as part of their plans, including text to 911.

--The solution is available for customers who use the SMS provided by Verizon Wireless. It is not available for third party text messaging applications that can be downloaded to the phone or for applications that do not use SMS technology.

--The texting function should only be used for emergency situations that require an immediate response from police, fire or emergency medical services. Non-emergency issues should still be communicated to the York-Poquoson-Williamsburg Emergency Communications Center through its non-emergency line at (757) 890-3621.

About the SMS Solution

The Verizon Wireless SMS911 National Gateway has three text to 911 delivery options: a web browser solution known as GEM911 for PSAPs (public safety answering points) with Internet access and web browser capability; a Direct IP solution for next-generation IP-enabled PSAPs with call taker workstations that have integrated text handling software; and an SMS to TTY solution for legacy PSAPs.

The York-Poquoson-Williamsburg Emergency Communications Center is the first PSAP to use the new SMS911 gateway; a significant step in making text to 911 available for PSAPs more broadly. The deployment follows the announcement earlier this year from Verizon Wireless and TCS to make available a national text to 911 solutions.

# # #

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Thursday, December 6, 2012

FW: PVWC Christmas Gathering - 2012 - F

V-Dubbers,
We need to get a final head count for the
PVWC Christmas Gathering.
So...please pass us your name and numbers again at this time.
Also...what do you plan to bring for the table.
Thanks.
Rufus and Steve

_____

From: RBurney [mailto:rburney1@cox.net]
Sent: Sunday, December 02, 2012 6:02 PM
Subject: PVWC Christmas Gathering - 2012

V-Dubbers....

Wow!!! If you were not there,
the Williamsburg Christmas Parade
was beautiful as usual!

As for the
PVWC Christmas Gathering
Again, due to conflicts, it has been
rescheduled one day to the right!
It is now scheduled to be
Sunday, 16 December @ 4pm
at the
Running Man Clubhouse
in Yorktown off Big Bethel Rd.

http://runningmanrec.com/rental.html

Thanks to Steve and Libby (our hosts), we have it from 4-8 pm and
can get in about 2 pm to set things up!

Steve and Libby plan on roasting a turkey
and Samantha and I plan to have the ham.
--- Both families will handle the plates, cups, utensils, ice,,,etc. ---

The Gathering

The gathering will be the same as last year.
It will be a potluck and a Chinese gift exchange.
So don't forget to bring a dish and a gift.

With that being said, please let us know what you plan to bring
so we don't have a table full of cookies.
(Don't worry...I will eat them all if you do but please don't tell my wife I
said that.)

For those who want to participate in the gift exchange, please consider a
$10 limit on your gift.

As for the address location and directions:
800 Running Man Trail
Yorktown, VA 23693

Basic Directions:
From the Interstate;
Take Victory Blvd exit towards Poquoson
Continue on Victory until the road turns into a 2 lane.
At the next stop light, turn right on
Big Bethel Road (Fire Station on your Left)
travel 3/4 mile and turn left onto
Running Man Trail.
Clubhouse is about 1/4 mile on the right.

From Hampton;
Proceed on Magruder Blvd (Hampton Hwy)
to Big Bethel Rd.
Turn right on Big Bethel Rd
and travel 1/4 mile and turn right onto
Running Man Trail.
Clubhouse is about 1/4 mile on the right.
------------------------
If you have questions, give me a call.
And...we hope to see yall here.

Rufus, Samantha, Steve, and Libby

Rufus
(757) 254-8320

For additional details on this and other events,

come to the PVWC Meeting at 7 pm, Sunday, 2 Dec 12 at

Steve & John's Steak House

(757) 877-5230

12835 Jefferson Ave
Newport News, VA
<http://www.urbanspoon.com/zip/35/23608/Hampton-Roads-restaurants.html>
23608
(The PVWC meetings are usually held the first Sunday of the month...)

Rufus Burney
President, Penisula VW Club
(757) 254-8320 cell
(757) 223-7636 home

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

York County Holiday Schedule

December 5, 2012

FOR RELEASE AT WILL

York County government offices and courts will be closed the following days:

Location Christmas Closings New Year's Closings

County Offices	Monday, December 24 and Tuesday, December 25	Monday, December 31 and Tuesday, January 1
York-Poquoson Circuit Court	Monday, December 24 and Tuesday, December 25	Monday, December 31 and Tuesday, January 1
General District and Juvenile & Domestic Courts	Monday, December 24 and Tuesday, December 25	Monday, December 31 and Tuesday, January 1
York-Poquoson Social Services	Monday, December 24 and Tuesday, December 25	Monday, December 31 and Tuesday, January 1
Virginia Cooperative Extension	Monday, December 24, Tuesday, December 25, and Wednesday, December 26	Monday, December 31 and Tuesday, January 1
York County Libraries	Monday, December 24 and Tuesday, December 25	Monday, December 31 and Tuesday, January 1
Waste Management Center Administrative Offices	Monday, December 24 and Tuesday, December 25	Monday, December 31 and Tuesday, January 1
Transfer Station, Recycling Drop Off Facility	Monday, December 24 open from 7 a.m. – 12 p.m., Closed Tuesday, December 25	Tuesday, January 1
VPPSA Compost Facility	Monday, December 24 open from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m., Closed Tuesday, December 25	Tuesday, January 1

The 2012 Beautiful York County calendar erroneously listed County offices as closed on Friday, December 21. York County government offices will be open from 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. on that day.

There will be no curbside garbage or recycling collections on Tuesday, December 25. Garbage collections normally scheduled for Tuesday will occur on Wednesday; Wednesday's collections will be Thursday and so forth until all collections are completed on Saturday, December 29. Recycling collections scheduled for Tuesday, December 25 will occur on Saturday, December 22. All other recycling collections will occur on the regularly scheduled day.

There will be no curbside garbage or recycling collections on Tuesday, January 1, 2013. Garbage collections normally scheduled for Tuesday will occur on Wednesday; Wednesday's collection will be on Thursday and so forth until all collections are completed on Saturday, January 5. Recycling collections scheduled for Tuesday, January 1 will occur on Saturday, December 29. All other recycling collections will occur on the regularly scheduled day.

For more information, call the York County Public Information Office at 890-3300. York County wishes everyone a safe and happy holiday season.

If you no longer wish to receive this notice, please unsubscribe here.

This notice was sent via a server that does not accept emails. DO NOT REPLY.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

PVWC Christmas Gathering - 2012

V-Dubbers….

Wow!!! If you were not there,

the Williamsburg Christmas Parade

was beautiful as usual!

As for the

PVWC Christmas Gathering

Again, due to conflicts, it has been

rescheduled one day to the right!

It is now scheduled to be

Sunday, 16 December @ 4pm

at the

Running Man Clubhouse

in Yorktown off Big Bethel Rd.

http://runningmanrec.com/rental.html

Thanks to Steve and Libby (our hosts), we have it from 4-8 pm and

can get in about 2 pm to set things up!

Steve and Libby plan on roasting a turkey

and Samantha and I plan to have the ham.

--- Both families will handle the plates, cups, utensils, ice,,,etc. ---

The Gathering

The gathering will be the same as last year.

It will be a potluck and a Chinese gift exchange.

So don't forget to bring a dish and a gift.

With that being said, please let us know what you plan to bring

so we don't have a table full of cookies.

(Don't worry...I will eat them all if you do but please don't tell my wife I said that.)

For those who want to participate in the gift exchange, please consider a $10 limit on your gift.

As for the address location and directions:

800 Running Man Trail

Yorktown, VA 23693

Basic Directions:

From the Interstate;

Take Victory Blvd exit towards Poquoson

Continue on Victory until the road turns into a 2 lane.

At the next stop light, turn right on

Big Bethel Road (Fire Station on your Left)

travel 3/4 mile and turn left onto

Running Man Trail.

Clubhouse is about 1/4 mile on the right.

From Hampton;

Proceed on Magruder Blvd (Hampton Hwy)

to Big Bethel Rd.

Turn right on Big Bethel Rd

and travel 1/4 mile and turn right onto

Running Man Trail.

Clubhouse is about 1/4 mile on the right.

------------------------

If you have questions, give me a call.

And...we hope to see yall here.

Rufus, Samantha, Steve, and Libby

Rufus

(757) 254-8320

For additional details on this and other events,

come to the PVWC Meeting at 7 pm, Sunday, 2 Dec 12 at

Steve & John's Steak House

(757) 877-5230

12835 Jefferson Ave

Newport News, VA 23608

(The PVWC meetings are usually held the first Sunday of the month…)

Rufus Burney

President, Penisula VW Club

(757) 254-8320 cell

(757) 223-7636 home

PVWC Christmas Gathering - 2012

V-Dubbers....

Wow!!! If you were not there,
the Williamsburg Christmas Parade
was beautiful as usual!

As for the
PVWC Christmas Gathering
Again, due to conflicts, it has been
rescheduled one day to the right!
It is now scheduled to be
Sunday, 16 December @ 4pm
at the
Running Man Clubhouse
in Yorktown off Big Bethel Rd.

http://runningmanrec.com/rental.html

Thanks to Steve and Libby (our hosts), we have it from 4-8 pm and
can get in about 2 pm to set things up!

Steve and Libby plan on roasting a turkey
and Samantha and I plan to have the ham.
--- Both families will handle the plates, cups, utensils, ice,,,etc. ---

The Gathering

The gathering will be the same as last year.
It will be a potluck and a Chinese gift exchange.
So don't forget to bring a dish and a gift.

With that being said, please let us know what you plan to bring
so we don't have a table full of cookies.
(Don't worry...I will eat them all if you do but please don't tell my wife I
said that.)

For those who want to participate in the gift exchange, please consider a
$10 limit on your gift.

As for the address location and directions:
800 Running Man Trail
Yorktown, VA 23693

Basic Directions:
From the Interstate;
Take Victory Blvd exit towards Poquoson
Continue on Victory until the road turns into a 2 lane.
At the next stop light, turn right on
Big Bethel Road (Fire Station on your Left)
travel 3/4 mile and turn left onto
Running Man Trail.
Clubhouse is about 1/4 mile on the right.

From Hampton;
Proceed on Magruder Blvd (Hampton Hwy)
to Big Bethel Rd.
Turn right on Big Bethel Rd
and travel 1/4 mile and turn right onto
Running Man Trail.
Clubhouse is about 1/4 mile on the right.
------------------------
If you have questions, give me a call.
And...we hope to see yall here.

Rufus, Samantha, Steve, and Libby

Rufus
(757) 254-8320

For additional details on this and other events,

come to the PVWC Meeting at 7 pm, Sunday, 2 Dec 12 at

Steve & John's Steak House

(757) 877-5230

12835 Jefferson Ave
Newport News, VA
<http://www.urbanspoon.com/zip/35/23608/Hampton-Roads-restaurants.html>
23608
(The PVWC meetings are usually held the first Sunday of the month...)

Rufus Burney
President, Penisula VW Club
(757) 254-8320 cell
(757) 223-7636 home

Friday, November 30, 2012

[Peninsula-Patriots] Fw: ALERT Groundwater Management/Groundwater Withdrawal Permit Proposed Rules

Received today from friends in Essex and Middlesex Counties.

Subject: FW: ALERT** Groundwater Management/Groundwater Withdrawal Permit Proposed Rules**

Hi All,

Please read the entire email below.

All of Virginia is not affected! Counties east of Interstate 95 are being targeted for their water resources [and OUR private water resources].

To clarify, here are all the counties/towns affected/soon to be affected:

"The following localities are currently included in the Eastern Virginia Groundwater Management area:
the counties of Charles City, Isle of Wight, James City, King William, New Kent, Prince George,
Southampton, Surry, Sussex, and York; the areas of Chesterfield, Hanover, and Henrico, counties east of
Interstate 95; and the cities of Chesapeake, Franklin, Hampton, Hopewell, Newport News, Norfolk,
Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, and Williamsburg."

"The following additional localities are proposed for inclusion in the Eastern Virginia Groundwater
Management Area: the counties of Essex, Gloucester, King George, King and Queen, Lancaster,
Mathews, Middlesex, Northumberland, Richmond, and Westmoreland, and the areas of Arlington,
Caroline, Fairfax, Prince William, Spotsylvania, and Stafford counties east of Interstate 95.
All of the localities listed above are localities particularly affected by the regulations."

Here is information on the second DEQ meeting on these proposed regulations:

Dec 4,2012
Tuesday
2:00 PM
Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ):

PUBLIC HEARING on Proposed Expansion of the Eastern Virginia Ground Water Management Area (Section 9 VAC 25-600 in the Virginia Administrative Code) to Expand this Management Area to Include the Counties of Essex, Gloucester, King George, King and Queen, Lancaster, Mathews, Middlesex, Northumberland, Richmond, and Westmoreland, and the areas of Arlington, Caroline, Fairfax, Prince William, Spotsylvania, and Stafford counties east of Interstate 95.
http://townhall.virginia.gov/L/viewaction.cfm?actionid=2966&display=stages.
and
PUBLIC HEARING on Proposed Amendments to the Ground Water Withdrawal Regulations (Section 9 VAC 25-610)
http://townhall.virginia.gov/L/viewaction.cfm?actionid=2965&display=stages

Period ends January 11, 2013 The Public Comment.

CONTACT: Melissa Porterfield: melissa.porterfield@deq.virginia.gov
or
629 East Main Street
P.O. Box 1105
Richmond, 23218
(804)698-4238 FAX: (804)698-4346
Spotsylvania County
Holbert Building
Board of Supervisors Meeting Room
9104 Courthouse Road Spotsylvania, VA 22553

Betty
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From: dakotasky109@aol.com [mailto:dakotasky109@aol.com]
Sent: Friday, November 30, 2012 9:07 AM
Subject: Groundwater Management and groundwater withdrawal permit proposed rules

This is a lengthy message, but one I hope you'll read. You may think you won't be affected because you do not withdraw 300,000 or more gallons of water per month. But, think about future consequences of all this...the potential for ownership of all the groundwater by the government, the requirement that we would have to pay not only to have a well permitted and drilled, but also pay to withdraw the water. Where would it end?
Trudy

Rules are being proposed by Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to amend and further regulate groundwater withdrawals and management of groundwater for those entities withdrawing 300,000 or more gallons per month in certain counties east of I-95.   Among the counties included are Middlesex, Mathews, Essex, King and Queen, Gloucester and King William.
The DEQ began receiving public comment on these proposals Oct. 22, 2012 and will be closed January 11, 2013. Comments can be posted online (see links below) or given at public hearing. The next public hearing will be Tuesday, Dec. 4, at 2:00 p.m. in Spotsylvania at the Holbert Building, Board of Supervisors meeting room, 9104 Courthouse Road.

You will note when you see the entire list of counties to be impacted by these regulations that neither of the public hearings are being held at a central location in the counties, but rather OUTSIDE the counties, which makes travel time and taking time from work to testify significant issues. Also, publicity about the proposed rules/amendments has been extremely limited (not published to my knowledge in any newspaper among the counties listed.)

I managed to get information published in the Southside Sentinel yesterday about the Dec. 4 hearing only because Tom and I quickly wrote and submitted a Letter to the Editor following our participation in the public hearing held Monday in Williamsburg, Nov. 26. Editor Tom Hardin plans to do a full story on the proposed rules/amendments and the consequences in next week's issue.

Tom and I testified at the first public hearing (of which we were aware). Our testimony is below. We were the only "public citizens" at the hearing. Middlesex County's Administrator Matt Walker testified on key issues and also asked that the comment and hearing time be expanded to allow more public input. He asked for a hearing to be held in a central location in our counties, such as Tappahannock.

For more information go to the MPPDC Website or: http://www.townhall.virginia.gov/L/viewchapter.cfm?chapterid=1445or http://townhall.virginia.gov/L/Forums.cfm

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Groundwater Testimony                26 November 2012
I am Tom Feigum, Middlesex County.
Thank you for the opportunity to give my thoughts on proposed regulation of groundwater in Middlesex County.
Having found out about this hearing at the last Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission meeting less than two weeks ago, it is interesting that basically all political representatives to that body were deeply concerned about additional intrusion into their local jurisdictions.
For example, one county has been waiting for over two years to get approval for a groundwater well for a business that wants to relocate to their Virginia County. Two years later they are still waiting. Inquiries have been futile. Jobs are needed everywhere. The company could easily choose another state.
Our Delegate to the General Assembly attending that meeting expressed concern about the extended period of time needed for all paper flow at the Commonwealth level.
In our residential development we had application for two replacement wells approved, the wells drilled, pumps and piping with restrictors installed to reduce water flow, completed, and still over one year passed before we could get approval to put the water wells on line. The only reason for the replacement wells was the mineralization of two original wells thus reducing flow below the groundwater withdrawal level originally permitted and needed.
One question I have is the timing of this hearing. If a person has a concern as a tax paying resident of Middlesex County, you have to take a full day from work, sacrifice your pay, to try and save your property right of water under your property. That property right has been approved by the General Assembly twice and voter approved in the last election by a 75% margin. And yet I fail to see anyone identified here representing me the tax-paying citizen.
I would also mention that all information in the Middlesex County Comprehensive Plan relating to groundwater is a dozen years old or more, copied verbatim from the 2001 County Plan which was probably a year or more old in 2001. It's hard for me, as a citizen, to know what is current fact and what is a wild guess.
It was obvious to President Jefferson that errors had been made during the early settlement years of the 13 colonial states or commonwealths. With acquisition of the Louisiana Purchase he felt a need to correct those errors as much as practicable. One of those errors was water rights, another was mineral rights. No such action was taken regarding those rights in the 13 original states. It just might be a little late to start correcting that error in this proposed manner.
If the Commonwealth has yet to figure out that power lines can be buried, thus eliminating power loss to residences caused by falling trees, maybe this water management proposal is a tougher decision than you are properly ready to address.
As one of the many taxpayers in this country, we don't need another scheme to take more of our money and our rights away from us. We already have Social Security, Medicare, Post Office, and many more that as taxpayers we are expected to bail out. My concern is that those of us in the proposed management area will find ourselves without water unless we pay a high premium for it. That will destroy the value of our property. Then we are going to be forced to move to large metropolitan areas where government can assure us of an allotted amount of this precious liquid.
Maybe, just maybe, you need to give a lot more thinking to this proposal to make sure it serves the needs of the taxpayer, not the perceived need of Government.
What geologist, engineer, hydrologist was hired by the state to investigate, support and represent the position opposite to yours; i.e., that statewide, government management of groundwater is necessary?
My voice here is small. But, I and many like me are the ones who foot the bill for all this. I oppose these proposed regulations.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Trudy Feigum, citizen taxpayer
Hartfield District
Middlesex County, VA

Public Hearing: Expansion of Groundwater Management Area

I wish first to state that I believe the quantity and quality of groundwater is of the utmost importance for the future well-being of Middlesex County. I am responsible. I want to and try to be a good steward of the environment.

The purpose of these proposed regulations appears to be in one sentence: "Groundwater levels in[the] undesignated portion of Virginia's Coastal Plain are continuing to decline."

According to the Middlesex County Comprehensive Plan, adopted December 1, 2009, and revised April 20, 2010, "The Coastal Plain Physiographic Province, which underlies Middlesex County, stores more groundwater than any other geologic province in Virginia."

Further, "There are seven water-bearing aquifers underlying the County." "Groundwater flows very slowly. According to the United States Geological Survey, water within aquifers below the land surface in Middlesex County has been underground for an average of 2000 years." We know the groundwater fluctuates in times of drought and that it's rechargeable.

The county's comp plan goes on to state, "The continued withdrawal of large quantities of water has resulted in a steady decline of groundwater levels." In particular, "Zone D groundwater level declines have occurred as a result of significant groundwater pumpage by the … paper mill at West Point. The paper mill withdraws over 20 million gallons of water PER DAY from the ground. …As a result, the directional flow of groundwater, which naturally flows from southwest to northeast, has been reversed in Zone D where it now travels towards West Point."

Otherwise, it appears and is reported that Middlesex County's groundwater availability is adequate. If this is the case, why is the Commonwealth of Virginia not requiring an alternate water source for the paper mill? Why is it that if, as it is stated in these proposed regulations that the aquifers are all interconnected, must all citizens in Tidewater be negatively impacted, even penalized by this large user of groundwater? Why wouldn't this be the case in other nearby counties?

According to the DEQ, "groundwater levels in proposed management areas are continuing to decline two to four feet per year." Is the scientific research available to prove this, or has DEQ relied on computer models with their highly questionable estimated outcomes?

Middlesex County's adopted Regional Water Supply Plan states, "Middlesex County's groundwater is sufficient and rechargeable from rain. In 50 years this county will be using but 50% of its available groundwater."

Middlesex County's comp plan also states, "The Code of Virginia…permit(s) local jurisdictions to create groundwater protection area overlay districts in which land use regulations specifically designed to protect groundwater can be applied."

I believe these proposed DEQ regulations will remove governance from our elected officials in Middlesex and place more governance in the hands of faceless government employees.

Stated in the purpose of the proposed regulations is, "There are no disadvantages to the public from managing the groundwater resources." In almost the next sentence the statement is made, "All withdrawers of groundwater, unless exempted by statute, are required to obtain a permit, which places additional regulations on withdrawers of groundwater occurring within the management area."

In our housing development, a permit was obtained to drill two replacement wells due to mineral build-up and subsequent lack of flow. The permit was issued in a short span of time and work commenced. But, once the wells were completed and ready for use, it took over a year for DEQ to grant permission to withdraw water! Lack of adequate staff to complete the permitting process is a big disadvantage to me, the public. Now, due to further regulations on withdrawers, more time will be needed for the permitting process. At the same time, I see the proposed economic impact of results in an estimated increase of six employees at an estimated cost of $240,000. I am a taxpayer. This will directly impact me! After all is said and done, will I be assured a more timely response?

There will be further impact--how about the:
*Compliance cost on regulated users, application fee of $1200, and after 10 years, subsequent permits of $6,000?
*Aquifer test between $10,000 and $25,000?
*Geophysical log $1,200? Camera survey $1,000 to$2,000?
*Monitoring wells $50,000 to $100,000?
*Unknown costs to develop alternate water sources?
*Additional employment of six people @$40,000?
*Government entities paying higher costs passed along to their end users—that would be me!
*Pre-application meetings/more information required?

And you say there will be no impact on the citizens of this area? I beg to disagree!

I'm also concerned about "After 10 years current users may be required to
reduce their withdrawals or no permit will be issued in the future."

This tells me it is more than likely that the housing development where I live, although permitted for 500,000 gallons per month, based on the number of current residents and potential residents, may find itself able to withdraw less than what is currently being used. This begs the question: with government management will it be determined the groundwater is needed elsewhere and allowed to be diverted?   Am I saying I believe the government wants to take full ownership of the groundwater in my county and this country? Yes, I am!

The potential economic impact of these proposed regulations left me scratching my head. There will be more government employees and potentially less "private" economic development. Am I to believe this is good?

It is stated, "There is insufficient data to accurately compare the magnitude of the benefits versus the costs." Verbiage goes on that benefits by far outweigh the costs. Then comes the statement, "Groundwater is a valuable economic resource due to its many beneficial uses."

Who better to determine its economic value than the government? And who better to benefit from the sale of this water than the government?

"Permit fees and compliance costs may reduce the use and value of private property in the proposed expansion areas." Who's representing me in this "acquisition of my property rights?"

I am a citizen. I own private property. That is what makes the United States different from any other country in this world—the right of our citizens to own private property! These regulations suggest that as valuable a resource as groundwater is to every single one of us, there could be a negative impact on private property with expanded management by the government. There is no way I could ever support the reduction—planned or accidental—of private property rights. I am, therefore, not in support of these proposed regulations to expand the DEQ's groundwater management area.

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