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Dreaming of Nationals
Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013
3
Sealston Elementary Reflections Winners
With competition in less than two months, The Studio’s Junior and Senior Ensemble teams are hard at work rehearsing. The award winning teams will compete at the Dance Makers Inc. competition in January, with the hopes of qualifying for Nationals, which are held in Myrtle Beach in June 2014. While the students are busy in the studio rehearsing, the parents are busy as well, fundraising for Nationals. They are coordinating such events like a silent auction for Holiday wreaths created by the dancers, and a Nutcracker Tea Party, where dancers can enjoy a traditional tea party alongside Nutcracker characters, and then learn a few dances from the ballet. All proceeds go to the Ensemble teams to help cover National expenses. To find out more about this party and other fundraising events, visit www.thestudiokg.com or send an email to contact@thestudiokg.com.
Bonds: For Terra Products From page 1 establish the company at Dogue, where it will produce about 12 varieties of sand and gravel products in 40-50 pound bags to be sold at garden centers and home improvement stores. The company will also manufacture small concrete products, including pervious ‘pavers,’ along with blocks, wall blocks and stone veneer products, with its intention for startup in 2014. The EDA had held a public hearing on Nov. 14 and then unanimously approved a resolution endorsing the proposed issuance of bonds for Terra Products LLC. Last week on Nov. 19, the Board of Supervisors provided formal approval of a resolution for the issuance to go forward. There is no liability for the EDA nor for the county for the bond issuance and the financing through the EDA does not constitute a debt or pledge of faith or credit by the EDA or by the county. It is up to the company to obtain the financing for the bonds and to also pay the costs for advertisement of the public hearing held earlier this month, along with all other costs and expenses of the EDA, including the EDA’s bond counsel fees with respect to the application. The EDA will receive each year receive an administrative fee equal to 1/8th of 1 percent of the outstanding principal balance on the bonds. In May, Terra Products LLC had received unanimous approval by the King George Board of Supervisors for a rezoning and a special exception permit to operate the business for sand and gravel processing inside vacant buildings at an industrial site near Dogue owned by Steve DeBernard. The DeBernard property to be purchased contains several existing industrial buildings formerly
occupied by White Packing that have been vacant for over a decade. The new company will be located adjacent to 700+ acres of existing Industrial zoning where sand and gravel mining and processing is taking place. The company will purchase extracted materials from the adjacent mining operation to produce commercial and home improvement products by processing sand, gravel, and stone to create various bagged aggregates and to manufacture concrete products used as ‘pavers.’ The entire manufacturing process will take place inside the buildings. The 25.641 acre industrial property at 15240 Cleve Drive (Route 692) was the site of the former White Packing factory. The property contains a large building of about 65,000 square feet, a 14,000 square foot attached office area, an attached metal warehouse building of about 10,000 square feet and four other concrete buildings totaling another 12,000 square feet. The property is served by an existing private waste water treatment facility and private well. TERRA PRODUCTS’ PLANS Once Terra Products is established, the company plans to employ 40-60 people, including a staff of about 12 sales people, with an average salary of $48,000. The company is estimating its annual payroll at about $2,880,000 with annual sales of $40 million. Bagged products will consist of several grades, sizes and colors of different gravels and sands. The products will have been washed, screened and graded off-site, and will be ready to be dried and bagged when delivered. Prior to commencement of business activity, site plan approval is needed along with all building permits and any other state, local, and or federal permits as required.
Internet: Citizens look for broadband service options From page 1 also spoke at last week’s Wireless Authority meeting, talking about Northern Neck Wireless operating in Northumberland and Lancaster, saying it had plans to expand service to the rest of the Northern Neck. Veazey said the county needed to update its ordinances, saying that the company’s website notes that those with older zoning make it difficult for co-locating their equipment on cell towers. King George’s ordinances require those seeking to construct a cell tower to apply for a special exception permit whose conditions require allowing co-location of other companies’ equipment as part of the permit. In fact, King George was one of the first localities in the state to take advantage of legislation in 2003 by the state’s General Assembly to enact the Virginia Wireless Service Authority Act. The law provided the legal authority for localities to establish an entity to bring in wireless, if the communication service is not
generally available from at least three providers in the geographic area. Being a Dillon Rule state, localities in Virginia only have authority expressly granted to them in state law. If it’s not specifically addressed in state law, localities do not have the authority to take action. And the county had contacted Northern Neck Wireless only last year after it had sought a private partner for the second time around to provide high speed internet for the un-served and underserved areas of the county. The company responded saying, “We have determined it is not in our interest to pursue extending broadband services to King George County at this time either in conjunction with our USDA RUS Rural Broadband Loan application or independently on our own initiative and at our own cost.” The first time the county attempted to get a private company to partner with it didn’t work either, but it cost the county money and a lawsuit and effort to recover a loan to Virginia Broadband is ongoing, with the company having filed for bankruptcy.
The Journal publishes the King George Parks & Rec brochure Look for the next issue at the beginning of 2014. Call 540-775-2024 to advertise in the brochure
Comments: Authority members look at the costs of service From page 1 they could see exactly what we had to deal with.” Dale Sisson said that was not the answer. “I think we do have a responsibility to provide an accurate assessment of reality. The role of the Wireless Authority is not to make sure that everybody in King George County has high speed internet. The role of the Wireless Authority is to manage a set of assets that the Code of Virginia says that we can manage as an Authority. So that gives us permission to use right-of-ways, county towers, and other county property for that purpose without additional charge to the residents.” Sisson added, “The Wireless Authority has no jurisdiction over cable tv service, or any other
professional private business. So I would be against turning over control of those assets to anyone other than the county which manages those assets.” He also said, “The problem is this is being taken out of context. We are all very much supporters, with whatever hat you want to put on – whether it’s Board of Supervisors or this Wireless Authority, in trying to create opportunities for our citizens to have high speed internet. What we’re not promising is that you’ll get it as cheap as anyone who lives anywhere in the country, in the middle of a city, or wherever. It may be more costly to have wireless internet in the country, in a rural area. You’re paying 53-cents on $100 valuation tax rate. That may be five times that, 10 times that, in
“I think we do have a responsibility to provide an accurate assessment of reality. The role of the Wireless Authority is not to make sure that everybody in King George County has high speed internet. The role of the Wireless Authority is to manage a set of assets that the Code of Virginia says that we can manage as an Authority. —Dale Sisson an area where it might be cheaper for internet service. I’d ask you to compare th e difference. With that said, I am
as committed as anyone to working this. I’ve been very involved with it. The business case just has not supported that to happen here.”
Fracking: Info meetings scheduled From page 1 ordinances in regard to fracking. At last week’s meeting of the board on Nov. 18, Supervisor Joe Grzeika asked when the board could expect to hear Gregory’s report. Chairman Dale Sisson agreed, saying the date needed to be “nailed down.” He directed Gregory to bring a report back to the second meeting in January, which would be Jan. 21. Since that time, new technology, including hydraulic fracturing, has provided the ability for drillers to recover natural gas more economically if it is available in commercial quantities. Environmentalists say the fracking process consumes huge amounts of water and that the chemicals used can pollute aquifers. King George’s entire water supply is dependent on wells fed from underground aquifers.
WE BUY GOLD In King George
Top Prices Being Paid United Recovery and Refiners, LLC 7183 Kings Highway (Rt. 3, next to Pern’s Market/Citgo Station) Open Every Monday - Friday 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
On weekends just call for appointment
540-645-8022
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