Golfing with Daddy and Grandpa ...

This young lady scooped up in a dash to the next hole.

Our City Council does not see nor do they want to see the diverse recreation opportunity that Countryside Golf Course provides. Our City Council's absolute refusal to pay attention to this "treasured asset" in our community smacks of discrimination. Yes, while the campaign promise to build an amphitheatre "anywhere" must be fulfilled before the next election we suffer from lack of - let's face it "influence" and "money". I guarantee you if we were BIG contributor's lining the pockets of politicians there would be valet parking for us all!

Who is speaking for us?

I attended the Downtown Roanoke Inc. public meeting last night. Earlier in the day as you might have read two Councilman held a press conference to propose valet parking service to alleviate downtown parking issues.

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Tell me, do you remember any Councilman holding a press conference to support Countryside remaining a golf course? The answer is "no". Those of you who were actively supporting the tickets that supported Countryside last year recall who did openly support us.

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I know most of the Countryside neighborhood assumes that we have some support on Council. It is time for these members to come out of the closet and declare their support publicly. If not let us look to those who will support us.

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Politicians are gearing up for the next election and jockying for position. I also see us being left out in the cold. It is time for us to show we are a voting block to be recognized and wooed.

Willow Walk - the abandoned development

Just a few blocks from Countryside across from the Catholic Church approaching Peters Creek Road is an abandoned development that was started by Blackstock Inc., on Starkey Road in Roanoke. This is what happens when a developer runs out of money. The City requires a bond from the developer and the City is protected. However, the citizens that have to look at this eyesore from their back yards are out of luck. This eyesore reflects on the entire community being that it is so highly visible from Cove Road.
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Is this the example that Roanoke City touts to us at Countryside when they tell us "we can control what goes here". Remember that Toll Brothers and Joyce Graham were required to submit a Request for Qualifications ( RFQ). A RFQ discloses their financial ability to tackle a large project to avoid exactly what happened at Willow Walk.

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Since Toll Brothers dropped the Countryside project Roanoke City decided to loosen the process and give ANYONE a shot at developing Countryside. By not requiring Mike Morgan Engineering, Victor Foti, Triangle Development, and other members of the team to submit an RFQ puts us in jeopardy of having another Willow Walk.

Demand that this development team submit a RFQ. We could be looking at this from our backyards where green fairways and trees now grace the beautiful sunset.

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The picture of mounds of red clay looks like the beginning of the colonization of Mars. The picture of the retention pond surrounded by yellow tape is a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

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Beware - there have been sightings of the "Creature from the Black Lagoon". I could come up with a few names here but I will behave. Picture top left I can only guess is a periscope from a sunken submarine? All I can say is - pray and pray real hard. Click on the pictures to enlarge if you dare.

Institute for Justice

This 12th green view will be backs of retail!

Roanoke City amenities are good for some at the expense of others. Ask the Mayor, Vice-Mayor and Council members, "what value do you place on amenities in our taxpaying community".

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Institute Mission:
Through strategic litigation, training, communication and outreach, the Institute for Justice advances a rule of law under which individuals can control their destinies as free and responsible members of society. IJ litigates to secure economic liberty, school choice, private property rights, freedom of speech and other vital individual liberties and to restore constitutional limits on the power of government. In addition, IJ trains law students, lawyers and policy activists in the tactics of public interest litigation. Through these activities, IJ challenges the ideology of the welfare state and illustrates and extends the benefits of freedom to those whose full enjoyment of liberty is denied by government.

Institute for Justice Property Rights Commercial - Click HERE

Another Deadline Date Looms

The deadline for the development team to respond to the May 9th letter is August 1st. Consideration will then be given to extend or not extend the operating agreement with Meadowbrook following the August 1st deadline. That is assuming that this is a serious deadline as we have had so many dealines extended now I have lost count. This information did not come directly from the City Administration. The questions asked at City Council Monday evening, June 18th, have not been answered as instructed by City Council. I have been informed that Ms. Burcham is on vacation. I would have thought that Mr. Townsend, the assistant manager would have responded in her stead. I submitted a Freedom of Information Request to Chris Chittum and City Attorney, William Hackworth yesterday - No response as of today. You would have thought we would have been informed of the new date.

June 18th City Council Meeting

The City Council Meeting last night yielded at a minimum exposure for us. We are getting attention. I know it does not seem like we make any progress but we do. EVERYTHING we do is exposure. As we who worked Juneteenth learned our issue is still not understood or known at all by some people.

We wholeheartedly support the name change to Roy Stanley Memorial Golf Course. The questions regarding the status of the property, the airport land swap, the lease of the Runway Protection Zone for the 9 holes of golf were directed to the City Manager to answer. The last answers I received after speaking to City Council were very “cryptic” so I am expecting the usual – a lot of words that give no answer at all. Councilman Lea's proposal for Roy Stanley Memorial Golf Course name was on Channel 7. Channel 10 interviewed me but I think it was for future story. Both channels are very interested in what happened

Thanks to all who attended wearing T-Shirts. I know some of you rushed in last minute and your efforts did not go unnoticed. I thank you VERY much. This is the best idea for advertising we have done to this point. WEAR THEM EVERYWHERE. People come up to you and ask what is going on because they don’t know. I am going to the Wine Festival at Hotel Roanoke Saturday and wear my shirt and take the petition. Anyone wanting to join me for a “nip” please call me.

At the Council Meeting last night we noticed before it began, Councilman Dowe whispered to Ms. Burcham signaling toward Joyce Graham the developer of Colonial Green then to me. I knew something was up though as some of you received Dowe’s response he denied it. Poor unsuspecting Joyce Graham and the Progressive builder were called upon to give an update on Colonial Green. It backfired when the builder said “we have only sold 8 units” – this is in two years time. By the way on GIS I tracked one purchaser and found he is a member of the Progressive builder’s team.

At an open house I attended at Colonial Green some time back this builder took me around the models. I remarked how close together the units were and he told me that the City wanted it this way though he did get some concession in the number of units on the property. His preference would have been fewer units. Then again the City sold the land for only $35.

Joyce Graham was the other bidder on the Countryside property at the same time Toll Brothers submitted their Request for Qualifications. They denied Ms. Graham in favor of Toll Brother which turned out to be a poor decision. Roanoke City should not be in the Real Estate business with our tax money.
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Everyone keep working on those petitions. We need everyone’s efforts!

Juneteenth Pictures

Ken and Rosanne Saunders

Mike Higgins (middle)

Councilman Sherman Lea, Sr.

Jeff Artis and Congressman Bob Goodlatte
City Manager Darlene Burcham and Jeff Artis

Mac McCadden

Chinese Prayer

Those who attended and helped gather signatures were Ken and Rosanne Saunders, Mike Higgins, Al Steele, Cecelia Burks, and Carolyn Word.

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We gathered about 120 signatures and our T-Shirts were instrumental in drawing the crowd. Congressman Goodlatte signed our petition as well as Councilman Sherman Lea, Sr.

Events like this really get the word out. We had a line at times to sign the petition. We had eager signers and those who did not know about the situation.

Sorry for our arrogant attitudes

The Virginian-Pilot © June 12, 2007

Here are two words we ought to hear from Norfolk City Council but probably won't: "We're sorry."

Sorry for our arrogant attitudes.

Sorry for our profoundly undemocratic instincts.

Sorry for wasting thousands of tax dollars in a heavy-handed effort to stifle the taxpayers.

Perhaps you heard that the Bay Oaks Park Committee - armed with nothing more than an excellent pro bono lawyer and a righteous cause - won a decisive victory Friday in the Virginia Supreme Court over the city and its silk-stocking attorneys.

The commonwealth's highest court ruled that the petition drive to put the future of a chunk of East Ocean View land to a vote was legal after all.

Game, set and match to the citizens.

Hallelujah.

In the end, what played out in Norfolk was a heartening morality tale. A case of the little people against the power brokers.

Populism against paternalism.

At the center of the bitter battle are 21 acres dotted with oak trees near the bay, the sort of undeveloped parcel that makes developers salivate.

Two years ago, the City Council cleared the way for the Redevelopment and Housing Authority - I give thanks daily we don't have such a body in Virginia Beach - to litter the land with about 85 houses.

A band of underfunded but determined citizens tried a seldom-used petition process - a people's veto, actually - to force the council's decision to a vote.

The underlying issue was whether most of the land would be a sprawling neighborhood park or just another housing development with about eight or nine acres of park land. The petition asked the courts to set a referendum to address the council's actions.

When City Council members got wind of the grass-roots movement, they were shocked and offended. Scared, too.

No matter what they say publicly, the politicians clearly feared they'd lose at the ballot box.

To keep that from happening, City Hall set its lawyers to work looking for legal loopholes and technical flaws in the petitions. Anything to keep the issue away from the voters.

"Is that the role of city government?" asked Andrew Sacks, the Norfolk lawyer who represented the citizens. "To spend several hundred thousand dollars when all the citizens wanted was to be heard?"

Good question, counselor. The answer is no.

When I talked to Mayor Paul Fraim on Monday, he predicted that in light of the high court's ruling, the council would act quickly to reverse its 2005 zoning ordinances, which would render the court-ordered referendum "moot."

"No one wants that sort of divisive" action, he said.

After fighting the city for almost two years, Sacks said Monday that Norfolk officials have a tendency to behave with what he calls "benevolent despotism."

"There's a severe disconnect between the government and the people it serves," he said.

Sacks, incidentally, represented the Bay Oaks folks essentially for free. He charged them just 90 bucks for some copying costs.

By contrast, The Pilot reported Saturday that Norfolk spent at least $140,000 on outside lawyers to fight the folks who brought perfectly legal petitions to the city. That figure may rise as legal bills are tallied.

It was institutional arrogance that fueled Norfolk's misguided - and hugely expensive - attempt to silence its critics.

Time to apologize.

News researcher Kimberly Kent contributed to this column.
Kerry, (757) 446-2306,
kerry.dougherty@cox.net

Demanding more picnic pictures?

These cool kids really had it together!
Millie Steele does her own thing!

Jeanette Taylor, the Barci's and the cool kids!

More Picnic Pictures as Promised

Our DJ - Mac McCadden
Our Gang
Eddie Johnson defends his door prize!

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There is mystery surrounding the Countryside Operating Agreement extension. Until further information and confirmation comes forth you can expect the agreement to end October 1, 2007.

More Picnic Pictures - Y M C A

This is definitely a "Y" - so easy!

The Keeton's are wondering

if the Barci's have an "M" or are imitating a lobster!

The Barci's win the spelling Bee with a "C"!

Still looking for the "A". I don't think we ever figured how to make an "A".

Banner is Missing - Banner Found!

About eight of our members came to the Forum sponsored by the Roanoke City Democratic Committee on Saturday morning, June 2nd. Al, Virginia, and myself came early to hand out fliers to attendees and have them sign our petition. Councilman Lea and WIshneff had accepted the invitation but were a "no show". All signed except Bill Bestpitch and Bill Carter. We had a "lively" exchange about the property during the forum. It seems they have a misconception that the golf course was/is not profitable. They learned this during their tenure in City Council in 2000. Susan Hall asked the two Bills "WHO" told them that and they looked at each other and fumbled on the question. I think I know what Susan was getting at. I then explained that I was in possession of FOIA material regarding the finances of the golf course along with a letter from Meadowbrook to the City in 2003 stating that the course being one of their most profitable.
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Those who signed were Don Caldwell, Granger MacFarlane, Bill White, David Bowers, and our esteemed Virginia State Senator John Edwards. Senator Edwards expressed his dismay of our plight and signed the petition.
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As second speaker I spoke about our vision for the Countryside property. I displayed the map and repeated the need for parks and recreation in NW City as demonstrated by the consultant who was hired by the City to update the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. I emphasized the pride we had in having this golf course in our community and that it brings guests from the airport hotels and all over the State and country. I have met many golfers from Wisconsin to Alabama and more on the 12th fairway.
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The forum was very successful and as I understand there will be another in August. Channel 7 was the only media who covered the forum - see the video here: CLICK HERE then on the Video.
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UPDATE - Banner was taken down temporary and it will be back up tomorrow:
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The "SAVE COUNTRYSIDE" banner is back up at the pavilion as we received permission from the GM and Corporate Headquarters to leave it there permanently. See the picture in previous post of the banner. The GM has also allowed us to leave a petition for golfers to sign. It is on the bulletin board with a bright yellow attention getting sign.
UPDATE:
I thank the Saunder's for hosting our meeting this evening and it was VERY productive. We will be thinking about what we discussed and have already made some decisions. Our regular meeting will still be Monday, June 11th at 7:00 PM at the Holiday in on Frontage Road (look for the meeting signs). I will have some copies of the FOIA material available to those who did not receive them in email. Below I am posting the more detailed map of the developer's plan:
****Update: Though I contacted all of Council - none had a clue what I was talking about in the rezoning of the William Fleming parcels. I sent this map and included the tax numbers ... I thank our member, Becky, for bringing it to my attention but I'm sorry they did not get it. It had NOTHING to do with Countryside.