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JULY 8, 1, 2016 | NORTHERN VIRGINIA MEDIA SERVICES
Romanello School board to leave Stafford saves thousands County position on copier service
FARMERS’ MARKET
TRACY BELL
S T
tbell@insidenova.com
tafford County Administrator Anhe Stafford County School Board thony to leave his agreedRomanello Tuesday toplans a $588,000 fourcurrent position to become a deputy year contract with Ricoh USA of county manager administration Chicago for copierfor services beginning in Henrico County, according to discussion fiscal 2017. onThe his initial resignation Tuesday at proposed contracta Staff was ord for County Board of Supervisors meeting. $650,000. “Wecompeting are really Xerox exA representative cited and think Anattended four school board meetings this thony urging will be the a great spring board to consider using addition to our team,” the lowest bid. Xerox, which produced Henrico County ManStafford County Public Schools used ager John Vithoulkas Ricoh for the past 10 years and has used told the Henrico CitiXerox zen. in the past. School board members did not choose Stafford’s adminisXerox, but 2008, thanked trator since Ro- its representative for saving schools $250,000 over manello alsothe served as ANTHONY ROMANELLO four years based onadits lower bid and for the deputy county providing that2003 helped the ministratorinformation in Stafford from to 2007. board He’llsave startmoney. his new job in mid-September, replacing latest county adS cho ol bHenrico’s o ard memb ers and ministrator, Joe Casey. leftexpressed days ago, Superintendent Bruce Casey Benson accepting a countyinadministrator disappointment the way theposition school in Chesterfi eld County. system handled the matter, but said it Romanello and his graduatwould cause them to wife, look Diane, more closely at ed from high school in Henrico, where he future business dealings. once worked. They have four children and “I think we could’ve been clearer in our currently live in Falmouth; the Romanellos communication with our vendors,” said have family in Henrico County. Benson. In a resignation letter dated July 5, RoIn April, the“…I board a decision manello said: havedeferred been asked to join on which copier company to use and another team of amazing professionals in decided to further its options. Henrico County. Thisreview opportunity excites There were my spirit. …” five bidding companies involved. Early this year, There, school board board of supervisors members Patricia Laura Sellmember Healy, ROMANELLO SCHOOL PAGE 13 PAGE 13 ers, R-Garrisonville R-Rock Hill, challenged
Government and private funding could move the congestion at Interstate 95 and Garrisonville Road south of Stafford County. PHOTOS BY ALEKS DOLZENKO | INSIDENOVA
I-95 bottleneck moving farther south Stafford seeks funding for 100 body cameras
Locally harvested produce gets prime display as crowds browse and shop the stand operated by C&T Produce at the North Stafford Farmers’ Market. This year the total number of vendors has increased to around 30 at the same location, the parking lot of the Stafford Medical Pavilion on the Stafford Hospital campus. The market is open Sundays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. until November. ALEKS DOLZENKO | INSIDENOVA
JILL PALERMO
jpalermo@Insidenova.com
major new federal transportation grant to unlock the Interstate 95 corridor came TRACY BELLas welcome news to tbell@insidenova.com Stafford County officials this week even if they remained short’s he Stafford County Sheriff on details Office about has where or when applied for a the U.S. promised road and rail work would Department of Justice grant begin. that could fund 100 of its Stafford County Board of Superdeputies with a body camvisors Chairman Bob Thomas (Rera. George Washington Dist.) said he was If received, full by funding of the pleasantly surprised Gov. Terry grant would allow deputies in the McAuliffe’s announcement Tuesday fieldhad operations thatoffice’s the state received division $165 mil-to the FASTLANE cameras. lioncarry in new money that sheriff office for wouldThe be used, in’spart, to applied extend the the grant aftertoll thelanes Stafford County high-occupancy 10 miles to Supervisors gave itsto stamp U.S.Board 17, a of project that promises relieve the infamous bottleneck created
when the lanes were extended to Garrisonville Road in 2014. “Back when the original HOT project was announced we all thought, uh oh, we’re going to be the new Dumfries,” Thomas said, referring to the of approval. The grant works astermia 50 congestion-plagued previous percent with local funding nus of thematch HOV lanes. from thesurprised county. The cost tothis Staf“What me about was fordquickly is $400,000 a yearrealized for five that years. how everyone we Stafford County Sheriff can’t wait another 15 years to fiDand a vid solution, Decatur” told InsideNoVa that a new he added. “It’s almost implementing a body-camera prodream come true that this is becomgram is a vast ing a reality. ” undertaking. The goal ofThthe program is to achieve a high omas said the board of supervilevelreceived of transparency with the county comsors a briefing from munity while protecting thefew rights staff Wednesday but heard speofcscitizens and deputies he cifi about when and howalike, the work said. begin. McAuliffe’s office has would of having said“…The some ofbenefit the projects couldvideo begin prosecution, training, asfootage early asfor next year. Plans were already in the works to
extend the I-95 Express Lanes about two miles farther south to relieve the congestion at Garrisonville Road (aka Va. 610). That project is already in its initial stages and is expected to continue, Thomas said. internal investigations and comThe southward extension is only plaints significant, ” Decatur said. part ofis what the McAuliffe admin“Body-worn are as a psychoistration hascameras promised the overall logical deterrent to misbehavior plan for the corridor, which theyonhave both sidesthe of“Atlantic the lens.Gateway. The benefits dubbed ” exceed the drawbacks McAuliffe said the associated $165 million with thegrant cost would and time to managewith federal be combined the program. ” about $710 million in state money and Usingmillion the technology the de-pro$565 in privateinmoney, partment’s field of operations division viding a total $1.4 billion for road would allow for the most to immediand rail improvements the corriate and expansive contact with the dor, which the Texas A&M Transporcommunity served, tation Institute hasDeranked the most catur said. in the U.S. CAMERA congested PAGEI95 13 StAmong af ford key C ounty road PAGE 13 projects included in
STAFFORD COUNTY SUN
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