Gloucester VA Links and News

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Tracking Government Employees - What Gloucester, VA Needs Now

My9 New Jersey

By Jacki Murray, My9TV.com Producer -

In an effort to reduce the abuse of city-owned property, Jersey City implemented a new program for public employees who use city-owned vehicles for their job. Now they are able to track those vehicles with a smartphone app while they are both on and off the clock to see where the vehicles are.

The app uses a GPS tracking system that is installed in the city-owned vehicles to keep track of their locations at all times. Mayor Steven Fulop says, “We can track where they go, how long the ignition has been on for or off for, what the stops are, how long they’d been at each stop, so it creates another measure of accountability.”

The city wants to make sure that public employees are doing the job they’re supposed to be doing. They are tracking vehicles stops, joy rides and after hour usage to see if this device can help save the city money.

Before this app was implemented a public employee was caught after hours using a city vehicle to pick up a prostitute.

The mangers of the city’s Public Works Division are the ones responsible for monitoring these vehicles in real time to make sure employees are where they are supposed to be.

A private company is paying for the pilot program in Jersey City.

http://www.my9nj.com/story/23453378/tracking-jersey-city-employees

Link back to Fox TV 9 in New Jersey where this story originated.

COMMENTS:

This looks like just what is needed here in Gloucester. We have been reporting on local abuses for months now and county officials can not get it under control or are incapable of doing so or have no intention of doing so. We don't know what their excuse is, but that is all it would be, an excuse.

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Man Found Alive Days After Motorcycle Crash

By Catherine Rogers

Gloucester, Va. (WAVY) - A man was found alive on the side of a Gloucester highway Monday after crashing on a motorcycle days before.

Virginia State Police was contacted Monday by the Gloucester County Sheriff's Office to investigate the discovery of a motorcycle crash, according to Corinne Geller with the VSP.

A 2002 Kawasaki motorcycle had been traveling west on Hickory Fork Road when it left the right side of the roadway and overturned about 20 feet from the wood line. The motorcycle slid several more feet into underbrush and struck several trees.

The motorcycle's operator, 28-year-old Daniel G. Cain of Gloucester, was found with broken bones and bug bites about 15 yards away from the highway. He was flown to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Cain's mother, Victoria Jurgensen, told WAVY.com last Wednesday night was the last time she'd seen him, as he left home on his motorcycle to grab a sandwich at a nearby Wawa.

"It's not like him, so we thought he went, saw a girl, he overslept," Jurgensen said. "We waited for him to call, no call, didn't call his boss, didn't call my husband, didn't call me."

Cain, an army reservist, didn't show up for duty over the weekend either.

"The military is his first love, and I knew something was wrong," said Jurgensen.

So she filed a missing persons report with the Gloucester County Sheriff's Office.

"I thought they would start looking for him, did they? No," she said.

Jurgensen took matters into her own hands and enlisted family and friends to search for her son. They searched over the weekend with no luck, but on Monday, family friend Kellie Green and Katrina Welch searched on foot down Hickory Fork Road -- the road to Cain's home. While walking -- and Green saw something.

"So I seen the shoe and I started walking a little further and I saw a pack of cigarettes, and then right here in this area I saw something shiny, and I picked it up and it was a mirror to a motorcycle," Green said.

Green and Welch went into underbrush and found Cain alive and his motorcycle, completely out of view from the highway.

"I was putting up fliers when I got the call from my husband: 'They found Daniel. You need to get back to Hickory Fork Road' ... 'he's alive,' that's all I could think," Jurgensen said.

Geller said the crash happened several days before Cain was found, but it is still uncertain exactly which day.

Jurgensen said her son is still recovering from his injuries.

The crash is still under investigation.

http://www.wavy.com/news/local/man-found-on-roadside-days-after-crash

Link back to WAVY TV10 where story originated.

Comments:

Comments from area citizens about the local county sheriff's office involvement are rather comical. Where was the local concern?

Were they all out having donuts and just didn't want to be bothered? In all honesty, there are mixed reviews about local law enforcement. There are some really good people with the department and there are some really bad ones. So guess it depends on who you talk to when you ask for help. If you get one of the bad one's, what do they care? If you get one of the good one's, you can never thank them enough as they have shown to go out of their way for local residents. Plus anyone can have an off day. Not an excuse, but it still happens.

It's a shame that these folks had to experience the bad side of local law enforcement. Thank God this guy was found still alive and our prayers go out to him and his family. Looks like the local Sheriff's office has some community repairs to make to their image now.

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Ann's Family Restaurant, Health Inspection Status

English: Seafood soup (shrimp and squid) at a ...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A new feature we are bringing you is one we have learned from other areas around the state. What you should know about businesses you may frequent and whether they are worthy of your continued business. So we are going through all kinds of inspection information that is public information that no one ever thinks to look at or probably do not even know exists.

We are beginning withe the restaurant industry and looking at local restaurants. We are starting this in an alphabetical order. Ann's just happens to be first on the list in this area. So let's look at the health inspection status of Ann's Family Restaurant and see how they fair.

Ann's Family Dining

Facility Location:
14761 GWMH
Saluda

Facility Information:

Facility Type:	Full Service Restaurant
Phone Number:	(804) 758-3031
# of Critical Violations on Last Inspection:	1
# of Non-Critical Violations on Last Inspection:	3

Definition of critical and non critical violations

Facility Inspection History:
Click on an inspection link below to see additional details

Inspection Type	Inspection Date	Violations
Routine Inspection	28-May-2013	1 critical
Routine Inspection	21-Feb-2013	1 critical
Routine Inspection	4-Oct-2012	1 critical
Routine Inspection	4-Jun-2012	1 critical
Routine Inspection	3-Jan-2012	1 critical

Okay, let's see what the recent violations are.

nspection Information:

Facility Type:	Full Service Restaurant
Inspection type:	Routine
Inspection date:	May 28, 2013
Number of critical violations:	1
Number of non-critical violations:	3

Definition of critical and non critical violations

Violations:

A summary of the violations found during the inspection are listed below.

Code	Observation / Corrective Action
0820 A 2	Corrected During Inspection Critical Repeat Steak, hamburger, meatloaf, etc. cold holding at improper temperatures Relocate food to a refrigeration unit that is capable of maintaining food storage at 41°F or below.
0810	Food containers for cooling food are arranged so as not allow for maximum heat transfer. Arrange the food containers in the refrigeration equipment to provide maximum heat transfer through the container walls. Loosely cover or uncover the food if protected from overhead contamination during the cooling period to facilitate heat transfer from the surface of the food.
3180	Floor in the kitchen noted in need of cleaning. All floors, walls, and ceilings must be cleaned as often as necessary to keep them clean. Cleaning of the physical facilities is an important measure in ensuring the protection and sanitary preparation of food. A regular cleaning schedule should be established and followed to maintain the facility in a clean and sanitary manner.
3170	Repeat Floor in the kitchen is not maintained in good repair Maintain physical facilities in good repair. Poor repair and maintenance compromises the functionality of the physical facilities.

Comments:

None

Finished with copy:

Well despite the above, overall that is not bad. Just because there are violations does not mean that the place is bad or risky. The repeat above is not a major deal in our own minds. Repeats could be an issue, but not always. Some places will be better than others while others will be worse. Even the best places have off times.

What is a concern is that on each health inspection, there has been found at least one critical concern of the inspector. Now that is something to worry about. At least it is not a repeat offense on the critical area.

Our overall position: As long as you like the food, the service, the people and or the atmosphere, there is no reason to stop going there. We are just reporting the public information on these businesses.

Liberty's Kids 16, One Life to Lose - Battle of the Hook Pre Show

Liberty's Kids episode number 16, One Life to Lose. These are the events that occurred and led to the Battle of the Hook in Gloucester, Virginia which was part of the battle strategy for the siege of Yorktown, Virginia where we won the major victory of the American Revolution. In October there is a commemorative American Revolution re enactment that will be held in Gloucester, Virginia. We are doing everything in our power to promote this event. It is shaping up well above even our own expectations of what the event will recreate for period surroundings and engagement.

The planning committee has done one of the most outstanding jobs we have seen in producing this event and are all to be commended for their efforts. We will be showing just how extensive a job they have been doing soon. In the mean time, we will show you how to get to this event.

Gloucester, Virginia Crier, Battle of the Hook Directions from Chuck Thompson

Look up your directions on Google maps and print them out early and place them where you will find them when the time to come to the event is at hand.

Here is a new promo video that is well done. (Just wish the rider was crying that the British were coming, but that was Paul Revere so I understand why it was not done).

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Antifederalist Paper 15 – RHODE ISLAND IS RIGHT!

Normally we port in a slideshare version of the particular paper. Today we have posted the entire paper here as it was a short one. We have the usual version on our slideshare site and it can be ported onto other sites or downloaded as usual.

Anti Federalist Papers No. 15

Rhode Island Is Right!

This essay appeared in The Massachusetts Gazette, December 7, 1787, as reprinted From The Freeman’s Journal; (Or, The North-American Intelligencer?)

The abuse which has been thrown upon the state of Rhode Island seems to be greatly unmerited. Popular favor is variable, and those who are now despised and insulted may soon change situations with the present idols of the people. Rhode Island has out done even Pennsylvania in the glorious work of freeing the Negroes in this country, without which the patriotism of some states appears ridiculous. The General Assembly of the state of Rhode Island has prevented the further importation of Negroes, and have made a law by which all blacks born in that state after March, 1784, are absolutely and at once free.

They have fully complied with the recommendations of Congress in regard to the late treaty of peace with Great Britain, and have passed an act declaring it to be the law of the land. They have never refused their quota of taxes demanded by Congress, excepting the five per cent impost, which they considered as a dangerous tax, and for which at present there is perhaps no great necessity, as the western territory, of which a part has very lately been sold at a considerable price, may soon produce an immense revenue; and, in the interim, Congress may raise in the old manner the taxes which shall be found necessary for the support of the government.

The state of Rhode Island refused to send delegates to the Federal Convention, and the event has manifested that their refusal was a happy one as the new constitution, which the Convention has proposed to us, is an elective monarchy, which is proverbially the worst government. This new government would have been supported at a vast expense, by which our taxes-the right of which is solely vested in Congress, (a circumstance which manifests that the various states of the union will be merely corporations) — would be doubled or trebled. The liberty of the press is not stipulated for, and therefore may be invaded at pleasure. The supreme continental court is to have, almost in every case, “appellate jurisdiction, both as to law and fact,” which signifies, if there is any meaning in words, the setting aside the trial by jury. Congress will have the power of guaranteeing to every state a right to import Negroes for twenty one years, by which some of the states, who have now declined that iniquitous traffic, may re-enter into it-for the private laws of every state are to submit to the superior jurisdiction of Congress. A standing army is to be kept on foot, by which the vicious, the sycophantick, and the time- serving will be exalted, and the brave, the patriotic, and the virtuous will be depressed.

The writer, therefore, thinks it the part of wisdom to abide, like the state of Rhode Island, by the old articles of confederation, which, if re-examined with attention, we shall find worthy of great regard; that we should give high praise to the manly and public spirited sixteen members, who lately seceded from our house of Assembly [in Pennsylvania]; and that we should all impress with great care, this truth on our minds-That it is very easy to change a free government into an arbitrary one, but that it is very difficult to convert tyranny into freedom.

For all the latest news, please click on the Home button towards the top of this site.

Have a news story? Submit it above.

Some of Gloucester's most incredible history is found on this site in detail.

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We cover what no one else will.

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Become a member of this site.

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Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Tracking Government Employees - What Gloucester, VA Needs Now

Man Found Alive Days After Motorcycle Crash

Ann's Family Restaurant, Health Inspection Status