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Red or blue, what will Stafford do?
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Public library critical to community
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North Stafford volleyball tops Colonial Forge VOL. 28 | NUM. 26
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SEPTEMBER 9, 2016 | NORTHERN VIRGINIA MEDIA SERVICES
BOS votes against rail bypass
ROAD OPENING
TRACY BELL
tbell@insidenova.com
he Stafford County Board of Supervisors voted 5-2 on Tuesday against a potential high-speed rail bypass. Supervisors Paul Milde, RAquia, and Meg Bohmke, RFalmouth, cast the dissenting votes. Each wanted more time to consider the issue. The board specifically voted against the eastern Fredericksburg bypass option for the proposed high-speed rail project, which would run 123 miles from Richmond to Washington, D.C. The proposed bypass would use two tacks adjacent to Virginia Railway Express in Spotsylvania, through Caroline County and along Route 3 in south Stafford. The bypass is one of three options the department has considered as part of the Southeast High-Speed Rail project. In mid-August, the board expressed its concerns about the option in a letter to Pete Burrus, chief of rail at the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. The letter stated that the bypass option would mean significant consequences for residents located near the rail corridor, including excess noise, traffic and reduced property values. The project would also affect George RAIL Washington’s boyhood PAGE 13
Another year of educating and socializing the youngsters of Stafford County got off to a mostly painless and smooth start on the day after Labor Day as thousands of students made their appearance at 31 schools in a county that covers 280 square miles. The students represent 103 countries of birth and speak 47 native languages, according to the division. If anything like last year, the students are 52.6 percent white, 18.7 percent black, 17.4 percent Hispanic, 7.7 percent multiracial, 3 percent Asian and less than 1 percent Native American or native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. For a glimpse of some faces of our future, SEE PAGE 8. SUBMITTED
Bee business buzzing as sun sets on summer TRACY BELL
tbell@insidenova.com
A
n apiary that houses 300 bee hives may not be expected in the suburbs of North Stafford, but a trio of beekeepers works steadily to keep the business abuzz. A father-son duo from a beekeeping family got the business, Honeycomb Heroes, off the ground. They just couldn’t bypass a chance to keep the family business going. Garrett McWilliams, 23, and his father, Jimmy McWilliams, run the company with the help of Garrett McWilliams’ girlfriend, Honey Distribution Manager
Amanda Turner. Honeycomb Heroes is located on five acres in North Stafford. “I believe my first memory was in a bee yard with my grandparents,” said Beehive Manager Garrett McWilliams, who was 12 when his grandfather passed away in 2005. His grandparents owned 800 hives and he learned the beekeeping basics from them. “There was no one able to carry on the business but later, equipment would be put back to use from a honeybee-loving high school graduate and a supportive father,” Turner explained.
Jimmy McWilliams is a Marine Corps veteran and Florida native. He jumped onboard as the pollination coordinator when his son suggested continuing the beekeeping business. Honeycomb Heroes sells honey and beeswax products at local craft shows and farmers’ markets. The trio also travels with their bees to different locations for pollination services. In the winter, the bees are moved to Florida for a solid nectar source. “We love that BEE our job helps inPAGE 13 crease the honeybee
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