We’re sorely missing that right now, with the prevailing attitude seeming to be set by Vice Mayor Frank Lucente’s Herbert Hoover-like laissez-faire approach having the city get out of the way to let private entrepreneurs who obviously aren’t flocking to Waynesboro do whatever they’re not going to do.

The NV in its editorial pushed for Mayor Tim Williams to take the economic-development ball and run with it. It does seem appropriate to have the mayor playing that kind of role, and I’d back him wholeheartedly if he wanted to take it on. Same as I’d back Lorie Smith or Nancy Dowdy if they were to try to create for themselves a bully pulpit to push development in Waynesboro.

I’d even jump on the Lucente bandwagon if he’d steer it in the direction of having the city be an active player in the development game.

One thing that’s for sure is that the current strategy that has had us operating in the economic-development sphere without even an economic-development director on staff for going on a year now is not working and shouldn’t be expected to work in the future. That mindset is akin to staking your personal economic future to playing the lottery in hopes of taking home the big jackpot and then neglecting to even buy the ticket.

Yep, we’re a couple of biscuits short of breakfast as it is now, in a manner of speaking, and it’s only going to get worse before it gets better, because while we’re sitting our asses on our hands waiting for manna to fall from heaven, Staunton is out recruiting new business and industry and doing what it can to retain and grow its existing business and industry, and Charlottesville is doing the same, and Harrisonburg is doing the same, and you get the picture.

This is one thing conservatives and progressives and liberals should all be able to agree on. Economic development isn’t a partisan pursuit.

- Column by Chris Graham

But something funny happened on the way to the hardline takeover. I wouldn’t say it was that the fiscal-conservative Williams changed colors overnight, as the NV seems to be suggesting, but rather that we have been able to get a fuller picture of where Williams stands with the shifting of ideologies on City Council from last year’s city elections.

“I am limited government, lower taxes. That’s my philosophy,” Williams told NV reporter Jimmy LaRoue in an interview for today’s front-page story. “I’m not anti-government, but I am pro-citizen, and I don’t feel I’ve strayed from that at all. I know some people feel I’ve strayed from that, but I haven’t strayed from that at all,” Williams said.

I can back that up from my perspective on where Williams falls on the ideological fault line. He’s much more in the political center than he had appeared to be even when he was running unopposed for re-election last spring. Running as an independent in a city where candidates on the right and left run as independents in deference to longstanding city tradition, Williams, a lifelong Republican, aligned himself with fellow Councilman Frank Lucente and candidate Bruce Allen to form the de facto Republican ticket in the May ‘08 elections, even endorsing Allen, the 2003 Republican nominee for clerk of court who also received the endorsement of Republican State Del. Steve Landes.

Prior to that, Williams and Lucente had formed an effective minority conservative bloc on City Council from 2006-2008 that had some success politically in keeping the center-progressive grouping of Tom Reynolds, Nancy Dowdy and Lorie Smith at least somewhat in check even with the numbers being what they were.

It stood to reason, then, that Williams, Lucente and Allen, dubbed “The Three Amigos” in the local press, would steer City Council hard to the right, the first piece of evidence to that effect being the sacking of former city manager Doug Walker due to what were said to be differences of opinion between the troika and the city manager on the future direction of the city.

It’s hard to get a gauge on when exactly it was that the power trio began to drift apart from each other, and what it was that might have precipitated it. The NV in its editorial today noted the move by Williams to propose a pay increase for City Council members late last year as a key moment. I would agree and disagree in part. The paper’s rendering hinted to the pay-raise issue as being an indication that Williams was moving away from his self-stated conservatism. I look back at that time and see more pure politics at play, remembering the run of letters to the editor engineered on behalf of Lucente and Allen distancing those two from the political fallout from the controversy over the pay-raise proposal.

I even said at the time that I didn’t think it was wise of Lucente and Allen to be throwing Williams under the bus as publicly as they were doing it, because politics, well, politics is a weird beast, and you never know how what you’re doing today can impact what you want to do tomorrow.

I have to wonder if the more emboldened Williams that we’ve seen in the wake of the pay-raise controversy is just a coincidence. Whatever the case, Williams has come out from under the shadows of Lucente and Allen in the time since, most notably siding with Dowdy and Smith on the city tax rate, voting with the center-progressive minority to keep the rate at 70 cents per $100 assessed value.

This isn’t to say that Williams is now tending toward being a political progressive, or liberal, if you hew to the NV’s characterizations of the Dowdy-Smith faction on City Council, even as that Dowdy-Smith-Reynolds grouping that had been in power through last July 1 had presided over a city government that slashed the property-tax rate 30 percent as the city economy nearly doubled in size from 2002-2008.

Williams is also not the hardline conservative that Lucente is or Allen might be, if he were to decide at some point in his tenure to speak for himself on the issues of the day.

It might be hard for the hardliners to get this given their tendency toward hardheadedness, but conservative doesn’t mean not spending money. It means when you spend money, you do it wisely. That’s how you run a business and how you run a government. As Williams told the NV, you have to “look at the whole picture.”

I have to say, I was among those who publicly questioned the move to install Williams as mayor when it was first broached to me in a conversation with Lucente after the elections last spring. I can say now that I think Williams has clearly proven me wrong in that respect, and I think he’s well on his way to joining the likes of Tom Gorsuch and Chuck Ricketts and Tom Reynolds among our more effective leaders of the past 30 years.

One thing you might notice when I mention him among that class of leaders - they all had a pretty good independent streak to their ways as well.

- Column by Chris Graham

In Northern Virginia, VDOT will suspend all lane closures on interstates and heavily traveled primary routes beginning noon Thursday, July 2, through noon Monday, July 6.

VDOT is advising motorists that there will still be delays possible in pockets across the Commonwealth over the three-day holiday weekend.

Bristol District

Interstate 77 and Interstate 81 overlap (Wythe County) – Historically high traffic volumes could slow or stop vehicles in this eight-mile stretch.

Interstate 81 northbound at mile markers 43 and 47 (Smyth County) – Bridge repairs will cause northbound lane closures in Marion area.

Culpeper District

Interstate 64 eastbound at mile marker 108 (Albemarle County) – One lane closed on bridge over Stockton Creek because of deck rehabilitation. Open lane is restricted to 11 feet. Wider vehicles should use alternate routes.

Hampton Roads District

Interstate 64 Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT) – Motorists traveling to Virginia Beach are encouraged to use the Interstate 664 Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel (MMMBT) as an alternative to the HRBT. To Virginia Beach, take I-664 south to the MMMBT and then the Portsmouth/Norfolk exit (exit 15A) to Interstate 264 east to Virginia Beach.

Interstate 64 exits 289-291 (Chesapeake) – The Battlefield Boulevard project is in the final phase of construction. All eastbound lanes are open, including the new braided ramps. Motorists can visit www.i64info.com for the latest project information.

Travel to the Outer Banks – Motorists going to the Outer Banks should use Interstate 664 and the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel to save time. From I-664 south, take Interstate 64 west to exit 292, Chesapeake Expressway/I-464/Route 17. Keep left to continue to the Chesapeake Expressway (Route 168), and take Nags Head/Great Bridge exit 291B to the Outer Banks.

The Jamestown-Scotland Ferry summer schedule is in effect through Labor Day. The ferry schedule is at http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/ferry-jamestown.asp.

Lynchburg District

Route 29 Business over Williams Creek (Town of Amherst) – Bridge rehabilitation will cause lane closure. Signal will assist motorists through work zone.

Route 29, Carter Glass Bridge over James River (Amherst County) – Painting will cause a permanent southbound lane closure and temporary northbound lane closures.

Route 15 over Route15/360 Bypass (Charlotte County) – One lane controlled by signal for bridge rehabilitation.

Route 92 over Staunton River (Charlotte County) – Bridge closed indefinitely at Charlotte/Halifax county line.

Route 45 between routes 611 and 614 (Charlotte County) – There is a 35 mph speed limit in the work zone. There will be one lane only 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday with flaggers and pilot vehicles assisting during construction.

Route 631 between routes 640 and 668 (Pittsylvania County) – Road closed until September 4 for bridge removal and replacement.

Route 707 (Charlotte County) – Road closed because of fire that destroyed bridge.

Northern Virginia District

VDOT’s lane closures will be suspended from noon Thursday through noon Monday, July 6 throughout Northern Virginia, including on the following major highway projects:

- Interstate 95 widening between Woodbridge, exit 160 (Route 123), and Fairfax County Parkway, exit 166 (Route 7100)

- Interstate 495 high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes

- Interstate 66 widening at Route 29 in Gainesville

Interstate 95/Interstate 395 high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes – Restrictions will be lifted on all HOV lanes on Friday, July 3.

The I-95/I-395 HOV lanes will be southbound at the following times:

- Thursday, July 2, from noon until 9 p.m.

- Saturday, July 4, from 9:30 p.m. until Sunday, July 5 at 1 a.m.

The I-95/I-395 HOV lanes will be northbound at the following times:

- Thursday, July 2, from 11 p.m. until Saturday, July 4, at 8 p.m.

- Sunday, July 5, from 3 a.m. until Monday, July 6, at 11 a.m.

Salem District

Interstate 81/Route 100 (Montgomery County) – Repairs to the I-81 bridge over Route 100 have closed two ramps at exit 89. Northbound Route 100 traffic should use Honaker Road to enter southbound I-81 at exit 86. To exit southbound I-81 onto southbound Route 100, motorists should take exit 92 and use Kirby Road.

Interstate 77 (Carroll County) – Speed limit is 45 mph because of bridge work on northbound and southbound I-77 at mile marker 23.6 near Poplar Camp. Two lanes are open in each direction. The left lane is restricted to 11 feet. Large vehicles and wide loads must use right lane.

Route 11 (Montgomery County) – Bridge replacement over Plum Creek near Radford has reduced traffic to one lane. A temporary signal is controlling traffic.

Route 58 (Carroll County) – Speed limit is 35 mph because of construction on bypass that has reduced traffic to one lane in each direction just west of Hillsville.

Route 220 Business (Henry County) – Bridge replacement has closed road to traffic between Route 639 and Mica Road. The bridge is near the Route 87 intersection in Ridgeway. Motorists should seek alternate routes around the closure.

Route 220 (Franklin County) – Exit ramp from northbound Route 220 onto northbound Route 220 Business is closed for bridge work. The ramp is just south of Rocky Mount in the Doe Run area. Detour signs advise motorists to use Route 40 exit.

Route 221 (Bedford County) – Road widening has reduced traffic to one lane in each direction west of Forest. The speed limit is 35 mph.

Staunton District

Route 613, Clover Hill Road (Rockingham County) – A parade will close the road from Route 732 (Coopers Mountain Road) to Route 743 (Union Springs Road) on Saturday, July 4, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Route 774, Cline River Road, northbound and southbound (New Hope, Augusta County) – Work to replace a bridge over Middle River has closed Route 774 between Route 608 (Battlefield Road) and Route 775 (Craig Shop Road). Northbound motorists should take Route 608 to Route 778 (Knightly Mill Road) to Route 775 to Route 774. Southbound traffic can reverse the northbound detour.

Route 794, Sangers Lane, eastbound and westbound (Augusta County) – Work to replace a bridge over Christians Creek has closed Route 794 between Route 792 (Basley Road) and Route 642 (Barren Ridge Road). Westbound motorists should take Route 792 south to Route 250 east (Jefferson Highway) to Route 642 north to Route 794. Eastbound traffic can reverse the westbound detour.

Dr. A. Stanley Link, Jr., Chair of the Board of the WWPL, said, “We are pleased that Pete has agreed to serve as Honorary Chair and that Steve, Haskell, and Reed are joining the Board. Along with the leadership of Don W. Wilson as our incoming President, Pete and these new Trustees will provide expertise and experience to the Foundation and will ensure that there are exciting times ahead for the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum.”

Peter deVaux served as Chair of the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library from 1999 to 2007. His career included senior financial executive positions at two advertising firms, Young and Rubicam in New York and Chiat/Day in Los Angeles, before he retired to Augusta County. After he completed his service as Chair of the Foundation, he and his wife, Paula, moved to British Columbia, Canada.

Stephan Milo is a partner in the Staunton office of Wharton Aldhizer & Weaver, a Harrisonburg, Virginia-based law firm. His areas of practice include the law governing nonprofit organizations and the law governing wills, estates, and trusts. He is a graduate of Bridgewater College and Seton Hall University School of Law and has been named one of “Virginia’s Legal Elite” and one of the “Best Lawyers in America” by Virginia Business magazine.

Haskell Rhett is President Emeritus of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. He has served as President of The College Board, Director of the Educational Testing Service, and Assistant Chancellor of Higher Education for New Jersey. He has a Ph.D. and Master’s degree from Cornell University and completed fellowships at Harvard University and the University of London.

Reed Whitaker is Regional Administrator of the National Archives at Kansas City. He is a professional archivist with degrees in history and political science and was co-chairman of the 1990 Eisenhower Centennial. He has served under six Archivists of the United States, including incoming WWPL President Don Wilson.

Mr. deVaux succeeds the late Dolores Lescure, who served as Honorary Chair for 13 years beginning in 1993. The late Dr. Arthur S. Link, a famous Wilson scholar, was the Foundation’s first Honorary Chair. The three new Trustees are replacing retiring Board members Hampden H. Smith, III, of Lexington; Rita M. Smith of Richmond; and Wilson F. Vellines, Jr., of Staunton; who were appointed as Associate Trustees of the Foundation.

New Directions in Staunton will get $542,623 in state funds associated with the federal stimulus monies toward its domestic-violence programs. New Directions serves the Greater Augusta region.

Also listed in the release was $204,155 in state monies to the City of Staunton under the category Community Corrections and $19,504 in federal and matching local funds to Augusta County for programs under the Violence Against Women Recovery Act.

Charlottesville’s Sexual Assault Resource Agency will get $190,464 in federal stimulus dollars for its programs. Another $103,905 will go to Charlottesville under the category Community Corrections.

It is being launched in an effort to promote awareness of and support for Valley-based forests, wood products and services. It may be found on the Shenandoah RC&D Council’s website at: www.shenandoahrcd.org/CommForestryLocalWoodProducts.htm.

The Shenandoah Valley includes more than a million acres of public and privately-owned forests and woodlands. Trees are a renewable resource that help protect water and air quality, mediate temperature, provide wildlife habitat, recreation, natural beauty, and a wide variety of products used in our daily lives. The Valley’s forests and forest products are important contributors to our local economies, as well. There are many untapped opportunities to increase “value-added’’ local wood products that could help ensure the continuation of privately-owned woodlands.

The new website was developed in partnership with local representatives from the Virginia Department of Forestry and Cooperative Extension Service and other volunteers who serve on the Shenandoah RC&D Council’s Forestry Committee. The website features links to a wide variety of sources for wood-related categories, ranging from technical assistance in woodlot management, furniture makers and flooring vendors to state and national parks and forests and wood art vendors. It is intended to provide a readily accessible directory for Valley residents. The website will be updated at least annually.

Shenandoah Valley-based wood product vendors and service providers who would like to be included should contact: Lorraine Cormier, Shenandoah RC&D Council, P. O. Box 60, Verona, Va. 24482, Phone: 540.248.3321, 540.248.5502; e-mail: shenandoahrcd@yahoo.com.

The Shenandoah RC&D Council is a non-profit organization that sponsors and promotes projects and programs that improve the quality of life and sustainable use of natural resources in the Shenandoah Valley through volunteer leadership, technical resources, and financial assistance.

County awards janitorial-services contract

Augusta County has awarded a janitorial-services contract to White Owl Cleaning Service in Waynesboro. The award was made on Monday, June 15.

Jail authority seeks bids on uniforms

Augusta County, acting as fiscal agent for the Middle River Regional Jail Authority, is accepting sealed bids, subject to the cond.itions and instructions on the attached hereof, at the following location until, but not later than, 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 1, 2009 and then publicly opened and read aloud for furnishing the Middle River Regional Jail Authority with uniforms.

Where to submit bids:

Central Accounting Office

Jennifer Whetzel, Finance Director

18 Government Center Lane

P.O.. Box 590

Verona, Va. 24482-590

Requests for information relating to the Invitation to Bid or services may be obtained by contacting:

Jennifer Whetzel, Finance Director

E-mail: jwhetzel@co.augusta.va.us

Telephone: 540.245.5741 Ext. 6

Fax: 540.245-5742

Meetings on the schedule

All meetings at the Augusta County Government Center, U.S. 11, Verona

Tuesday, June 23, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Board of Equalization

Tuesday, June 23, 7:30 p.m. Agriculture Industry Board

Thursday, June 25, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Board of Equalization

In one of the e-mails in the exchanges, which related to the Special Report in the June 2009 edition of The New Dominion Magazine, “The ’secrecy thing’: Did ‘done deal’ appointment skirt law?,” Downs discussed another potential candidate for the job, an Albemarle County assistant registrar who is a resident of Waynesboro, and related to Wooten that all she knew about the candidate was that she “just votes absentee by mail and that’s about it.”

State Code § 24.2-444 requires registars to maintain registration records and make the records available for public inspection, but a preceding section, § 24.2-406, limits access to records related to when individuals vote in primaries and elections to candidates for political office, elected officials and political-party chairmen, “and to no one else.” That code section further states that “(s)uch lists shall be used only for campaign and political purposes and for reporting to constituents.”

It would appear, then, that the discussion of the prospective candidate’s absentee votes cast by mail could very well be in violation of the State Code because the only information that a registrar could legally share with a member of the general public about a particular voter would be whether or not that voter was a registered voter.

- Story by Chris Graham

Monday, June 22, staff briefing:

S/B-01 Report by VDOT

S/B-02 Discuss Community Development’s recommendation to adopt resolution for acceptance of the following street into the secondary road system in accordance with VDOT request - 1. Harriston East, Section 6 (Middle River District)

S/B-03 Discuss (A) recommendation of Parks and Recreation Commission to award a grant to the New Hope Ruritan Club in an amount not to exceed $29,225 for improvements to ball field; and (B) approval of Grant Agreement

S/B-04 Discuss (A) proposal to construct restroom/concession project; (B) approval of Grant Agreement, related to proposed Riverheads High School ballfield improvements.

S/B-05 Discuss contribution to Middlebrook Fire Department to assist with purchase of “Life Pak” in an amount not to exceed $6,788.15 (50 percent)

S/B-06 Discuss request for funding to assist the Swoope Fire Department with equipping newly purchased fire apparatus in an amount not to exceed $35,500.

S/B-07 Discuss retaining Waynesboro Development and Housing Authority as the County’s Indoor Plumbing/Rehabilitation Loan Program Administrator

S/B-08 Discuss State Code provision regarding Comprehensive Plan designations for urban service areas and urban development areas.

S/B-09 Discuss Agriculture Industry Board endorsement for submission of a grant request from the Shenandoah Valley Beef Cooperative to USDA to conduct a planning and feasibility study to better market Shenandoah Valley beef products.

S/B-10 Discuss supplemental funding for additional start-up costs associated with new facility at the Middlebrook Book Station.

S/B-11 Discuss Library Board request to proceed with bidding of Library Renovation Phase II.

Monday, June 24, business meeting

Resolution - Wilson Memorial High School girls tennis team

Resolution - Riverheads High School track team

6-09 Matters to be presented by the public

6-10 Consent Agenda - minutes of Wednesday, June 10, 2009, business meeting

6-11 Matters to be presented by the board

6-12 Matters to be presented by staff

6-13 Closed session

1. Call to Order/Pledge of Allegiance

2. Consent Agenda (any item placed on the consent agenda shall be removed and considered as a separate matter, if so requested by any member of Council, otherwise all items will be voted on with one (1) motion).

a) Second consideration/adoption of the Annual Appropriation ordinance for the year ending June 30, 2010.

b) Second consideration/adoption of an ordinance re-appropriating funds for certain Fiscal Year 2009 expenditures, previously appropriated in accordance with Ordinance 2008-50 City of Waynesboro Annual Appropriation Ordinance and subsequent Budget amendment Ordinance 2008-93 to a Reserve for Fiscal Year 2009 Encumbrances for the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2009.

c) Second consideration/adoption of an ordinance un-appropriating FY09 budgeted revenues and expenditures in the Landfill Post-Closure Fund, re-appropriating said budgets in the General Fund, and establishing a designated reserve for Landfill Post-Closure expenses in the General Fund in the amount of $1,002,647.80, the funds for which are currently accounted for in the Landfill Post-Closure Fund for the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2009.

d) Second consideration/adoption of an ordinance appropriating $20,684.98 of investment income earned on the balance of the 2007B GO Bond issue from the General Fund to the Special Projects Fund for placement in a reserve for the future funding of Capital Projects as determined by Council for the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2009.

e) Second consideration/adoption of an ordinance amending Ordinance 2008-73 (Introduced September 8, 2008) to Un-Appropriate the full amount of said ordinance and appropriating anew the year-to-date reimbursement funds, totaling $6,910 from a State DMV Mini-Grant for the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2009.

f) Second consideration/adoption of an ordinance appropriating Fiscal Year 2009 State and Federal Asset Forfeiture Funds received by the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office in the amount of $9,409 to the General Fund for expenditures related to the attendance of the Commonwealth’s Attorney and three Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorneys at the Virginia Association of Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Spring Institute, as well as a transfer to the designated reserve, for the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2009.

g) Second consideration/adoption of an ordinance appropriating a grant award from Augusta Health Care, Inc. in the amount of $6,000 to the General Fund for the creation of a designated reserve for the future purchase of traffic signal control pre-emption devices for the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2009.

h) Second consideration/adoption of an ordinance appropriating $1,748 of additional FY09 State Categorical $4-For-Life Funds from the General Fund for pass-through to the WFAC for the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2009.

i) Second consideration/adoption of an ordinance appropriating Court Security Fees in the amount of $1,500 to the General Fund for expenditures related to handling charges assessed by the Commonwealth’s Department of General Services for the acquisition of Rapiscan X-Ray Machines for the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2009.

j) Second consideration/adoption of an ordinance appropriating a $211 reimbursement from the Commonwealth of Virginia Supreme Court to the General Fund for expenditures related to prisoner extradition for the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2009.

k) Second consideration/adoption of an ordinance amending the General Fund Budget in an aggregate amount of $843,851 for the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2009.

3. Planning Matters: Consider appointing viewers in response to a request from South River, Inc. to close and vacate portions of 12th Street, 13th Street, Race Avenue, and portions of an adjoining alley, legally known as Tax Map 55-2-A, 55-1-13-1, 55-1-14-1, 55-1-14-5, and 55-1-15-31, to assist with the redevelopment of surrounding properties in conjunction with the Mill at South River Planned Unit Development (PUD). This amends an earlier request approved by City Council.

4. Consider the following ordinances:

a) Establishing the Disability Services Board as a board of the City of Waynesboro, Virginia.

b) Repealing Section 2-520 of Chapter 2 of the Code of this City and Creating a Flood and Stormwater Control Commission.

c) Amending City Code Section 2-250, “Commission for the Elderly” name change to “Waynesboro Senior Advocacy Commission”.

5. Consider an appropriation ordinance recognizing the receipt of funds from the Department of Housing and Community Development, Community Development Block Grant, in the amount of $16,710 and making additional appropriations to the General Fund for the following expenditures as specified.

6. Citizen Comment Period.

7. Communication, Correspondence and Calendar.

8. Consider holding a Closed Meeting under Section 2.2-3711 of the Freedom of Information Act, Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, (a) (1) regarding the assignment, appointment, promotion, performance, demotion, salaries, disciplining, or resignation of specific public officers, appointees, or employees of any public body; more specifically to discuss the employee evaluations for Charter Employees.

9. Adjourn.