TUESDAY 1/7: Special Election for State Senate
Tuesday, January 7, is the Special Election for the Senate of Virginia 6th District seat between B. Wayne Coleman and Lynwood W. Lewis, Jr. [Read more…]
LETTER:
Congratulations to ALL Candidates for a Clean Race
November 7, 2013
DEAR EDITOR,
I’d like to congratulate all the candidates in the local elections on running such a clean, respectable race. Despite sentiments running high on a number of issues, there was no mudslinging or backbiting, nor were accusations made by any of the candidates.
Whether they won or lost, our local candidates can be proud of the first-class manner in which they conducted their respective campaigns.
Thank you, candidates, for setting such an excellent example for others to follow!
DAVID BOYD
Letters to the Editor are welcome, and a diversity of opinions is encouraged. Send submissions to [email protected].
Granville Hogg Defeats Willie Randall for Supervisor
Granville Hogg and Willie Randall outside District 1 polling place Tuesday. The two are back-door neighbors in Butler’s Bluff. (Wave photo)
CAPE CHARLES WAVE
November 6, 2013
A wave of voter discontent propelled Granville Hogg’s victory yesterday over incumbent Willie Randall as District 1 Supervisor for Northampton County. The preliminary count was 517 votes for Hogg and 400 for Randall, with absentee votes still to be tallied.
The results were vastly different from four years ago, when Hogg and Randall ran in a three-way race where Hogg received only 87 votes to Randall’s 272.
Voter turnout Tuesday on a picture-perfect day was a whopping 62 percent higher than 2009 when Randall first won his Supervisor’s seat. Now running not only as an incumbent but also as Chairman of the Board, Randall had to face voter dissatisfaction over issues such as the impending loss of the County’s only hospital, failing schools, and higher tax rates on declining-value properties.
District 1 voters clearly were also unhappy with County plans to create a special sewer tax district for commercial properties on and near the Route 13 traffic light between Cape Charles and Cheriton, which Hogg opposes. The issue may have precipitated Hogg’s candidacy after the Board of Supervisors removed him from his seat on the Public Service Authority in retaliation for his opposition. [Read more…]
EDITORIAL: Voting Suggestions
A CAPE CHARLES WAVE EDITORIAL
November 4, 2013
Tuesday’s election is the most important in modern times for Northampton County. For the first time, voters have a chance to elect their School Board, which until now has been appointed.
Two of the Board’s seven seats are at-large, voted on throughout the County. For the four-year-term seat, Randall Parks is running against Delores Lindsay. Both candidates have decades of experience teaching in Northampton schools. Mr. Parks has the distinction of being the driving force behind the petition and referendum that resulted in an elected Board. His opponent, Ms. Lindsay, is currently an appointed School Board member. Voters happy with the current Board will want to retain Ms. Lindsay, while the rest have an opportunity to cast their ballots for Mr. Parks.
The other at-large seat is between Jo Ann Molera, who with her husband ran a Montesorri school in Nassawadox for many years, and Nykia Robinson, who graduated from Northampton High six years ago. We commend Ms. Robinson for her civic spirit, and also appreciate that a Board member not long removed from the student side of the classroom could contribute a unique perspective. That said, the current perilous state of County public schools cannot afford the luxury of on-the-job training, and thus we support Ms. Molera.
District 1, where Cape Charles residents vote, is contested by Shannon Dunham, an Eastville attorney and graduate of Northampton High, and Tamsey Ellis, a retired teacher with decades of local experience. The two candidates’ personal styles differ dramatically – the former feisty, the latter folksy – but we believe that either choice would make a good Board member.
The other District 1 race is for Board of Supervisors, where Granville Hogg is challenging incumbent chairman Willie Randall. We appreciate both candidates’ willingness to serve – especially since the incumbents in District 2 and District 3 are running unopposed.
In District 1, Mr. Randall is running on his record, while Mr. Hogg has raised serious issues with County policies. We note that Mr. Hogg served on the Public Service Authority until this year, but when he opposed the PSA proposal to nearly double property taxes for selected commercial properties to fund a sewer pipe, the Board of Supervisors replaced him.
District 1 voters (and only District 1 voters) have the opportunity tomorrow to send a message to the Board of Supervisors. If they agree with the direction the Board has taken over the past four years, they can vote for Mr. Randall. If they disagree, they can vote for Mr. Hogg.
LETTER: Why I’m Voting Granville Hogg for Supervisor
November 3, 2013
DEAR EDITOR,
I am supporting Granville Hogg in the upcoming Board of Supervisors election. Granville takes a sincere interest in all aspects of his community, and is always willing to give selflessly of his own time to better the community.
I have worked extensively with Granville on testing water quality in Kings Creek for a state and EPA mandated study. His extensive knowledge of local history, the physical terrain, and real, hands-on engineering contributed greatly to this study. His willingness to learn whatever aspects of the study he didn’t already know, and his devotion to give as much of his time as necessary to gather the data needed for an informed decision, were unparalleled.
Granville doesn’t take a government recommendation at face value. He questions the methodology of the study, the data used, and the assumptions. If necessary he will collect his own data, run the necessary tests, and do his own analysis, as he and I did in the Kings Creek study. [Read more…]
LETTER: District 1 Needs Granville Hogg as Supervisor
November 3, 2013
DEAR EDITOR,
There are many people that meet the call for public service. Granville Hogg is one who has a long track record of initiating actions for the safety and benefit of the County to improve the community.
The residents of the Townfield Area, with Granville’s assistance, were able to get a posted speed reduction on Townfield Road toward Cherrystone Campground to 40 mph.
Granville observed a traffic safety problem at the median crossing between Shore Bank and Food Lion. He delivered a petition signed by 200 citizens to the Board of Supervisors to improve the level of safety at this dangerous intersection. VDOT responded by insisting that the current speed limits be enforced. Since then, there has been a significant speed enforcement increase on Route 13.
When the EPA made claims that the residential septic systems around Kings Creek were polluting the creek, a group of citizens, with Granville as one of the leaders, met with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. The group conducted a bacteria survey on Kings Creek to determine sources of pollution that was restricting shellfish harvesting. It was determined that the Bayview trash collection site was a major contributor to the problem. Granville presented the facts to the County, but to date, the County, under Chairman Willie Randall, has not taken any action to correct the problem.
Granville learned that VDOT was in the process of replacing the steel stoplight poles and replacing guardrail supports at the Cheriton intersection but ignoring the potholes there. Through his efforts, VDOT fixed the potholes as the other items were being addressed. [Read more…]
Cape Charles Town Council Candidate(s) Statement(s)
Steve Bennett
Dan Burke
EDITOR’S NOTE: Last week the Wave asked both Cape Charles Town Council candidates in person to write something about themselves to assist the voters.
The suggested topic was “Why I’m Running for Town Council.”
Both candidates agreed to submit a statement. The Wave regrets that despite two reminders, only one candidate has provided a submission.
In giving each candidate an opportunity to speak for himself, the Wave’s intent was to provide unbiased coverage. But now we have had to choose between printing only one candidate’s statement, or printing nothing at all. Since we had already promised both candidates that we would print whatever they wrote, without edits, that is exactly what we have done below.
WHY I’M RUNNING FOR TOWN COUNCIL
By DAN BURKE
November 5, 2012
In case the reader is interested and has not seen one of my brochures or attended any of the meetings I have had around Town, I have included a career background summary at the end of this article.
My wife and I are full-time residents. We purchased a house in the Historic District in July of 2011. Like most Cape Charles residents we were attracted by the water-oriented lifestyle and all it has to offer. We love living here and have encouraged our family and friends to consider investing in Cape Charles.
I have three principles that will guide my conduct if elected to the Town Council.
1. Fiscal Accountability
2. Transparent, open government
3. Common Sense
I place fiscal accountability number one. It is the single, most important aspect of local government. We are a small town of approximately 1,000 residents and as such we are the foundation upon which Cape Charles operates. As property owners in Northampton County we are subject to a relentless barrage of taxes for businesses, houses, automobiles, boats, trailers and other personal property. As property owners in Cape Charles we see more of the same. My main goal, if elected, is to address the upward spiral of ever increasing taxes, water fees and assessments in Cape Charles. [Read more…]
Election Day in Cape Charles Presents Historic Complication
Only Cape Charles voters will see a fourth screen (ABOVE) to select a replacement member of Town Council.
By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
November 4, 2012
Tuesday is believed to be the first time in Cape Charles’ history that a Town Council election will be held concurrent with a Presidential election.
And it’s not just a matter of adding an additional page (or screen) to the voting machine.
What complicates matters is that when voters walk into Trinity UMC Fellowship Hall on Tazewell Avenue, some of them will be eligible to vote in the Town Council election and the rest will not.
District 1 covers most of the lower third of Northampton County, extending all the way south past Kiptopeke, and everyone in District 1 has to come to Cape Charles to vote.
About 1,800 voters reside in District 1. Only about 700 of them live in the Town of Cape Charles.
Further complicating the procedure is that all the voting machines will be programed to accept both residents of Cape Charles and non-residents.
Northampton Registrar Terrence “Terry” Flynn told the Wave that dedicating a machine to Cape Charles voters risked creating delays for non-town voters.
Kind of like seeing a long line at the ladies restroom, with no waiting for the mens room. [Read more…]
