By Ed Simmons, Jr.
cpreporter@lcs.net
Water problems at Caroline Pines and the schools' cutting Special Resource Officers were high on the list of community concerns at Supervisor Maxie Rozell's Reedy Church District Community Meeting last Thursday evening, held at the Dawn Progressive Center. About 15 attended. Rozell's special guest was Delegate Chris Peace.
Delegate Peace, currently up for re-election and a familiar face in Dawn, told how his interest in community service was kindled by his mother, Judge Nina Peace, who took him along as a young boy to public meetings and on visits to Caroline which she spoke glowingly of.
Peace spoke of addressing Virginia's budget crisis and his part in advancing charter schools, virtual schools, school uniforms, single-gender classrooms and college lab schools. He told how Fredericksburg multi-millionaire Doris Buffett, who read an article about his lab schools initiative, called his office to offer a $3 million donation to the project.
In community concerns, Caroline Pines resident Jamey Lewchanin held up a plastic water bottle of Caroline Pines tap water the color of murky ice tea, urging Rozell to move ahead with bringing county water to the development of 1,000 people. "We have water capacity to sell," answered Rozell, giving his support. Another Caroline Pines resident, John Rutledge asked for a timeline on bringing in county water. County Administrator Percy Ashcraft said he expected estimates in the next four to six weeks, after which the supervisors will decide whether or not to proceed and call for bids.
In a second community concern, school bus driver Patricia Richardson appealed to Sheriff Tony Lippa that SRO's not be cut, as called for in the School Board's budget. "We really appreciate having uniformed deputies," said the driver of Bus 39, and she told of students trying to get on her bus wearing gang colors. The sheriff said he didn't want them cut either, and urged her and others to call the school superintendent, Dr. Greg Killough, and make their feelings known. Rozell said the original agreement between the schools and the county was for the Sheriff's Office to supply equipment and cruisers, while the schools paid the SROs' salaries.