Gloucester VA Links and News

Friday, June 27, 2014

Gloucester, VA Planning Commission and BoS Meeting Video, June, 2014

Do we mention the funny thing that happened to the BoS after their meeting with the microphones left and and with who said what about whom? Nah. Let's skip that, it's just not a nice thing to repeat. But for those of us who know, it was very telling to say the least.

Mr Meyer's Notes from this meeting that he would like to convey to everyone in the county. Sorry again for the massive delay on getting this up.

Fellow Citizens,

I want to thank those of you who were able to turn out Thursday night and

especially those who were able to voice their opinions on the Highway

Corridor Overlay District. I was impressed with the reasoning and clarity

in the citizens' oral arguments - for and against limiting or eliminating

the HCOD.

I wish the Board and the Planning Commission had been as well prepared as

the citizens were. It became clear that the two bodies had two different

concepts as to what the purpose of the meeting was. Despite the resulting

inelegance, the outcome was pretty clear. The BOS wants a severely reduced

version of the HCOD, and the PC will provide their opinion as to what they

think that should be.

To me, the underlying principle is property rights. I think we've gotten a

little too enamored with telling our neighbors what they can or cannot do

with their property. In this case, the 1998 Planning Commission decided

that they knew best what businesses on Hwy 14 and 17 should look like, and

thereby imposed their aesthetic standards on the people who actually own the

property. I don't believe such government heavy-handiness is warranted.

The debate is still open until the end of the month, so it's not too late to

make your opinion known. If you feel strongly about some aspect, or all

aspects of the HCOD, please write your District Supervisor and/or Ashley

Chriscoe and I. We want to know what you think.

Thank you,

John Meyer

Gloucester, VA Board of Supervisors Video, June, 2014

We apologize for the extreme delay on us getting this up. We have been very tied up with research on our new Unleashing Histories Mysteries series that it has put us way behind on a great deal of information we have been working on. Most all of that is now caught up these days.

York Herald, Gloucester, VA June 2014 7 from Chuck Thompson

Information from Mr Bazzani, BoS, York District.

Now regarding Parks and Recreation division and Woodville Park. Who might benefit from water and sewer going to that park from route 17? Well let's look at what the county public info tells us.

The following property is located directly across Bray’s Point Road from the entrance to Woodville Park.

RPC: 41829, PEEBLES INVESTMENTS LLC, Map#: 045-521 Acres: 1.92, Assessed: $23,100.00, Farm, Sale Price: $0.00, Grantor: David L. Peebles, Sale Date:12/20/2012

RPC: 41828, Name: PEEBLES INVESTMENTS LLC, Map#: 045-520, Acres: 1.00, Assessed: $2,200.00, Farm, Sale Price: $0.00, Grantor: David L. Peebles, SaleDate: 12/20/2012

RPC: 41830, Name: PEEBLES INVESTMENTS LLC, Map#: 045-522, Acres: 19.77, Assessed: $9,900.00, Farm, Sale Price: $0.00, Grantor: David L. Peebles, SaleDate: 12/20/2012

RPC: 30195, Name: PEEBLES INVESTMENTS LLC, Map#: 045-519, Acres: 11.45, Assessed: $7,500.00, Farm, Sale Price: $0.00, Grantor: David L. Peebles, SaleDate: 12/20/2012 

The following property connects to the Peebles Investments property and is divided by Glass Road.

RPC: 32797, Name: GREAVES, NELLIE D &, GREAVES MARITAL TRUST, Map# 46-14, Acres: 362.30, Assessed: $1,140,900.00, Farm, Sale Price: $0.00, Grantor: GREAVES, NELLIE D &, Sale Date:10/28/2013

Woodville Park Area, Gloucester, VA, Overlay Map from Chuck Thompson

The above map overlay with properties that would benefit from water and sewer being extended down to the park at taxpayer expenses. Rather interesting. Let's hope our BoS's have enough sense to see the issues here and not vote in favor of this. The alternatives sounded much better and are more sound for county tax payers.

Presidential Proclamation -- AGOA

English: Seal of the President of the United S...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

TO TAKE CERTAIN ACTIONS UNDER THE AFRICAN GROWTH AND

OPPORTUNITY ACT AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

- - - - - - -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

1. In Proclamation 8468 of December 23, 2009, I determined that the Republic of Madagascar (Madagascar) was not making continual progress in meeting the requirements described in section 506A(a)(1) of the Trade Act of 1974 (the "1974 Act") (19 U.S.C. 2466a(a)), as added by section 111(a) of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (title I of Public Law 106-200) (AGOA). Thus, pursuant to section 506A(a)(3) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2466a(a)(3)), I terminated the designation of Madagascar as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country for purposes of section 506A of the 1974 Act.

2. Section 506A(a)(1) of the 1974 Act authorizes the President to designate a country listed in section 107 of the AGOA (19 U.S.C. 3706) as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country if the President determines that the country meets the eligibility requirements set forth in section 104 of the AGOA (19 U.S.C. 3703), as well as the eligibility criteria set forth in section 502 of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2462).

3. Pursuant to section 506A(a)(1) of the 1974 Act, based on actions that the Government of Madagascar has taken, I have determined that Madagascar meets the eligibility requirements set forth in section 104 of the AGOA and section 502 of the 1974 Act, and I have decided to designate Madagascar as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country.

4. Section 506A(a)(3) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2466a(a)(3)) authorizes the President to terminate the designation of a country as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country for purposes of section 506A if he determines that the country is not making continual progress in meeting the requirements described in section 506A(a)(1) of the 1974 Act.

5. Pursuant to section 506A(a)(3) of the 1974 Act, I have determined that the Kingdom of Swaziland is not making continual progress in meeting the requirements described in section 506A(a)(1) of the 1974 Act. Accordingly, I have decided to terminate the designation of the Kingdom of Swaziland as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country for purposes of section 506A of the 1974 Act, effective on January 1, 2015.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including but not limited to title V and section 604 of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2461-67, 2483), and section 104 of the AGOA (19 U.S.C. 3703), do proclaim that:

(1) Madagascar is designated as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country.

(2) In order to reflect this designation in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), general note 16(a) to the HTS is modified by inserting in alphabetical sequence in the list of beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries "Republic of Madagascar (Madagascar)." Further, note 2(d) to subchapter XIX of chapter 98 is modified by inserting in alphabetical sequence in the list of lesser developed beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries "Republic of Madagascar."

(3) The designation of the Kingdom of Swaziland as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country for purposes of section 506A of the 1974 Act is terminated, effective on January 1, 2015.

(4) In order to reflect in the HTS that beginning on January 1, 2015, the Kingdom of Swaziland shall no longer be designated as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country, general note 16(a) to the HTS is modified by deleting "Kingdom of Swaziland" from the list of beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries. Note 7(a) to subchapter II and note 1 to subchapter XIX of chapter 98 of the HTS are modified to delete "Swaziland," from the list of beneficiary countries. Further, note 2(d) to subchapter XIX of chapter 98 of the HTS is modified by deleting "Swaziland" from the list of lesser developed beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries.

(5) Any provisions of previous proclamations and Executive Orders that are inconsistent with the actions taken in this proclamation are superseded to the extent of such inconsistency.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-eighth.

BARACK OBAMA

PROGRESS REPORT: President Obama’s Climate Action Plan

The Nesjavellir Geothermal Power Plant in Þing...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Today – one year after the President laid out his comprehensive Climate Action Plan – the White House released a new report detailing progress towards cutting carbon pollution and protecting our communities and public health.

In the year since the President’s speech at Georgetown University, the Administration has announced new efficiency standards, permitted renewable energy projects on public lands, and proposed carbon pollution standards for new and existing power plants. Alongside state, tribal, local, and private sector partners, the Administration is taking steps to make our communities more resilient to the effects of severe weather and is working with other countries to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases internationally. In fact, when fully implemented, the policies put forward just in the past year since the President’s Plan was released will:

Cut nearly 3 billion tons of carbon pollution between 2020 and 2025, an amount equivalent to taking more than 600 million cars off the road for a year;
Enable the development of 8,100 megawatts of wind, solar, and geothermal energy, enough to power nearly 2 million homes;
Train more than 50,000 workers to enter the solar industry;
Save consumers more than $60 billion on their energy bills through 2030;
Improve the energy efficiency of more than 1 billion square feet of city buildings, schools, multifamily housing complexes, and business across the country, an area the size of 17,000 football fields; and
Protect the health of vulnerable Americans, including children and the elderly, by preventing 150,000 asthma attacks and up to 3,300 heart attacks.

Letter from the President -- War Powers Resolution Letter regarding Iraq

iraq (Photo credit: The U.S. Army)

TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

AND THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE SENATE

June 26, 2014

Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)

As I reported on June 16, 2014, U.S. Armed Forces personnel have deployed to Iraq to provide support and security for U.S. personnel and the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

I have since ordered further measures in response to the situation in Iraq. Specifically, as I announced publicly on June 19, I have ordered increased intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance that is focused on the threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). I also ordered up to approximately 300 additional U.S. Armed Forces personnel in Iraq to assess how we can best train, advise, and support Iraqi security forces and to establish joint operations centers with Iraqi security forces to share intelligence and coordinate planning to confront the threat posed by ISIL. Some of these personnel were already in Iraq as part of the U.S. Embassy's Office of Security Cooperation, and others began deploying into Iraq on June 24. These forces will remain in Iraq until the security situation becomes such that they are no longer needed.

This action is being undertaken in coordination with the Government of Iraq and has been directed consistent with my responsibility to protect U.S. citizens both at home and abroad, and in furtherance of U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct U.S. foreign relations and as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive.

I am providing this report as part of my efforts to keep the Congress fully informed, consistent with the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148). I appreciate the support of the Congress in these actions.

Sincerely,

BARACK OBAMA

Letter from the President -- FY 2015 Budget Amendments

Seal of the Office of Management and Budget of the US Government (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 26, 2014

Dear Mr. Speaker:

I ask the Congress to consider the enclosed Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 Budget amendments for the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of State and Other International Programs (State/OIP) to fund Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO). These amendments would provide $58.6 billion for DOD OCO activities, which is $20.9 billion less than the $79.4 billion placeholder for DOD OCO in the FY 2015 Budget. It would also provide $1.4 billion for State/OIP OCO activities, which is in addition to the $5.9 billion for State/OIP included in the FY 2015 Budget. Overall, these amendments would decrease the total OCO funding requested for FY 2015 by $19.5 billion.

Final decisions about the number and activities of U.S. forces in Afghanistan after December 2014 had not yet been made at the time the FY 2015 Budget was submitted. As a result, the Budget included a placeholder for DOD FY 2015 OCO funding equivalent to the amount requested in the FY 2014 Budget. The Administration noted in the FY 2015 Budget that after determining required force levels in Afghanistan, a Budget amendment updating the OCO request would be submitted to the Congress. The enclosed amendments include the necessary updates to the OCO request in order to fund military operations in Afghanistan, a significant portion of the U.S. military presence around the Middle East, the Administration's proposed Counterterrorism Partnerships Fund and European Reassurance Initiative, and State/OIP peacekeeping costs in the Central African Republic.

The details of these amendments are set forth in the enclosed letter from the Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Sincerely,

BARACK OBAMA

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

140 px (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Christopher Hart – Chairman, National Transportation Safety Board
John W. Leslie, Jr. – Member, Board of Directors of the African Development Foundation, and upon appointment to be designated Chairperson

President Obama also announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Donald L. Pereira – Commissioner, United States Section of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission
Douglas L. Stang – Commissioner, United States Section of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission

President Obama said, “These fine public servants bring a depth of experience and tremendous dedication to their new roles. Our nation will be well-served by these individuals, and I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come.”

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Christopher Hart, Nominee for Chairman, National Transportation Safety Board

Christopher Hart is currently a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), where he has served since 2009. He is also Vice Chairman of the NTSB, a position he held since October 2013 and previously from 2009 to 2013. Prior to joining the NTSB, Mr. Hart was the Deputy Director for Air Traffic Safety Oversight at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from 2005 to 2009 and was the Assistant Administrator for System Safety at the FAA from 1995 to 2005. From 1994 to 1995, Mr. Hart was Deputy Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. He was a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board from 1990 to 1993. He was Managing Partner at Hart & Chavers from 1981 to 1990 and Associate Attorney at Dickstein, Shapiro & Morin from 1979 to 1981. Mr. Hart served as the Deputy Assistant General Counsel for Environmental, Civil Rights, and General Law at the Department of Transportation from 1977 to 1979. Mr. Hart was an attorney in the Office of the General Counsel at the Air Transport Association of America from 1976 to 1977 and an Associate Attorney at Peabody, Rivlin, Lambert & Meyers from 1973 to 1976. He is a licensed pilot with commercial, multi-engine, and instrument ratings. Mr. Hart received a B.S.E. and M.S. from Princeton University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

John W. Leslie, Jr., Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the African Development Foundation, and upon appointment to be designated Chairperson

John W. Leslie, Jr. is currently Chairman of Weber Shandwick, a position he has held since 2001. He has also served as a Member of the Board of Directors of the African Development Foundation since 2003 and as its Chairperson since 2009. From 1985 to 2001, Mr. Leslie was President of Bozell Sawyer Miller. Previously, Mr. Leslie was Chairman of the Board of the United States Association for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and a participant in UNHCR Missions to Afghanistan in 1998, Kosovo in 1999, and Tanzania in 2001. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Chairman of the U.S. Agency for International Development Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid. Mr. Leslie received a B.S. from Georgetown University.

President Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Dr. Donald L. Pereira, Appointee for Commissioner, United States Section of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission

Dr. Donald L. Pereira is Chief of the Section of Fisheries at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, a position he has held since 2013. He has held various positions at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources since 1983, including Fisheries Research and Policy Manager, Fisheries Research Program Supervisor, and Senior Fisheries Research Biologist. He was a Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant at the University of Minnesota from 1987 to 1991. Dr. Pereira joined the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission’s Council of Lake Committees in 2007, and served as its Vice Chairman from 2011 to 2013 before becoming Chairman. He also served on the Great Lakes Fishery Commission’s Board of Technical Experts from 2009 to 2013. Dr. Pereira received a B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Vermont and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Fisheries from the University of Minnesota, St. Paul.

Douglas L. Stang, Appointee for Commissioner, United States Section of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission

Douglas L. Stang is Assistant Director for Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, a position he has held since 2007. He has held multiple positions at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation since 1985, including Chief of the Bureau of Fisheries, Supervising Aquatic Biologist, and Senior Aquatic Biologist. Previously, he was a Research Associate at Iowa State University from 1982 to 1985 and a Graduate Research Assistant from 1980 to 1982. Mr. Stang began his career as Fisheries Technician at the Virginia Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries in 1978. He is a Life Member of the American Fisheries Society and served as President of its Fisheries Administration Section from 2003 to 2005. Mr. Stang received a B.S. in Forestry and Wildlife from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and an M.S. in Fishery Biology from Iowa State University.