Amy White understands challenges the county faces
Editor:
Buchanan residents may be wondering why so many political signs have appeared over the last few weeks. These relate to the Republican Firehouse Primary, which will be held on Saturday, May 1 from 9 a.m. to noon at Buchanan Elementary School. This primary is being held to determine the Republican candidate for the general election that will be held in the fall.
I am writing this letter in support of Amy Stinnett White, who is currently running in this primary race for the Buchanan District seat on the Board of Supervisors. It should come as no surprise that I support Amy, but I would like to take this opportunity to explain why I encourage all of you to support her in this primary run. It is imperative that you come out and support her, because winning this primary is the only way to ensure that she will be able to run for the office this fall.
Amy has a plan that is rooted in her strong work ethic and impeccable character. She is a Botetourt native, and a fifth-generation farmer. She understands the challenges that the county faces, as we struggle with 21st Century problems like broadband and applied approaches to teaching our students the skills they will need to support Botetourt County as a viable location for business.
Amy understands that economic growth needs to be viable, sustainable and intentional. As the Dean of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) program at Virginia Western Community College, she has experience in policy-making, budget preparation and strategic planning. She possesses excellent communication and leadership skills, and brings a different perspective to our formerly all-male board.
Amy is approachable and engaged. She is focused on the long-term and is devoted to her family, her community and Botetourt County. Please consider supporting Amy on Saturday, May 1, by voting for her in the Republican Firehouse Primary.
Ray Sloan
Buchanan
Supports Will Smith for supervisor
Editor:
I read in the April 7 edition of The Fincastle Herald that Will Smith has entered the Board of Supervisors race for the Buchanan seat. I first met Will at the former ITT Night Vision, now ERSA Night Vision, in 1999 and we have been friends ever since.
I agree with Will’s positions stated in the article regarding transgender curriculum requirements, high taxes, and revisions to American history. His promise to “interpose on behalf of We the People” comes at a time in America where both Washington and Richmond elected officials pledge oaths to support, uphold and defend our state and federal Constitutions, yet legislate and talk as if it did not exist. Local governments must defend the state and federal Constitutions and Will Smith will do that.
He believes what the Declaration of Independence says; that governments are formed to secure our Creator endowed inalienable rights. Secure in our liberties, “We the People” can enjoy the blessings of liberty with our families and friends. In my opinion, a constitutionally strong local government is essential to keep the tyrants and despots at bay. Therefore, I support Will Smith for the Buchanan seat on the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors. I encourage everyone in that district to support him also.
Don Beheler
Blue Ridge
Supports Smith for Buchanan supervisor
Editor:
I want to express my support for Will Smith as a candidate for the Republican nomination for the Buchanan seat on the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors. I met Mr. Smith while searching for a liberty-minded individual to run for the seat. His research on George Washington sparked enormous change in his life and is an exciting story. He founded the Botetourt Tea Party in 2008. He was involved in the Roanoke Tea Party, taking part in a nationwide movement to hold government accountable, limit government spending, and preserve citizen freedoms.
History has so many crucial lessons to teach us, lessons that we cannot learn if revised and redacted.
One of our supervisors recently spoke with The Roanoke Times on the monument issue. One of our supervisors asserted that the county legislative body is more capable of “an enlightened decision” on the monument issue than are Botetourt voters! He then referred to a potential 49% minority in a likely ballot referendum on the subject while completely ignoring the vast majority of the monument issue comments. Those comments state to “leave the monument alone.”
The board ignores a significant percentage of people’s wishes. The only way to be more condescending to Botetourt voters, We the People, would be to state that voters are too stupid to make the right choice. When government takes the attitude that it knows better for its citizens than the citizens themselves, the need for change has arrived—or even passed! Buchanan needs someone on the board who will not automatically march in lockstep with all the projects already in motion. Someone who will say, “Wait a minute, is this Constitutional? Is this what my district’s voters want?”
As a voter, I have appreciated the county’s efforts, spearheaded by supervisor “Mac” Scothorn for years, to provide greater Internet service access. Broadband is a public utility. Scothorn has led the charge on the broadband commission bringing this utility to rural areas of the county. This issue, without government support, would continue to be ignored since the cost would continue to outweigh the financial benefit to the provider for years. Many of these rural areas are in the Buchanan Magisterial District.
Another district issue affecting many Buchanan voters is the upcoming installation of 14 windmills, each over 600 feet tall, on North Mountain. I heard many voters over the last year express staunch opposition to the Apex/Rocky Forge project. In contrast, none of the sitting five supervisors have expressed meaningful opposition to the monstrosities that will tower over the skyline for miles. I wonder if the county government’s financial incentive is the primary reason the supervisors are ignoring the people’s wishes.
One of the critical factors enabling liberty is economic freedom. Botetourt County government is increasing its budget. At the same time, the population of Botetourt remains essentially stable, which is alarming. The average Botetourt household is responsible for over $9,000 in government debt, based on current government spending and county demographics! I believe many families are overburdened with taxes, given the latest real estate assessment. When families are overburdened with taxes, they have the less economic freedom to take advantage of better options in other areas of their lives.
Companies like Ballast Point–greatly supported by the Board of Supervisors with public money–are not held accountable for the corporate welfare they receive. The backs of Botetourt families bear the financial burden of governmental fiscal mismanagement. I have seen little pushback from anyone currently on the board to the out-of-hand government spending in this county. Families will not move to Botetourt when the county is floundering in crushing debt.
The county government’s responsibility is to make Botetourt a place where businesses want to move to because those businesses can achieve independent success, not because they will receive fat subsidies for (re)locating in Botetourt. I believe that Will Smith would defend the economic freedom of Botetourt residents by questioning each request for corporate welfare before the board, asking, “Is this the function of government?” If a business fails, it doesn’t take tax revenue, only that business’s resources.
This is the liberating fact for the Board of Supervisors about the government, not over-involving itself and tax revenue in corporate welfare. The county can promote a business-friendly environment by lowering tax rates, reducing restrictions, and abstaining from boondoggle projects like the butterfly field and the Exit 150 redesign fiasco. Time will tell whether Munters will become the next Ballast Point with its $36 million price tag.
Buchanan is at a decision point. Friends and neighbors, the people we meet at the boat launch in the summer or who sit a few pews away at church, must make these tricky decisions. Still, Buchanan can continue with the status quo in which the voters had and have little or no say-so, or we can put a fresh face selected from the people on the board.
I live in the Buchanan District; I attended the November 2019 2nd Amendment sanctuary meeting. I spoke to the board, as did scores of other concerned Botetourt citizens. The following year, I didn’t care for the tax rate shenanigans the county government played with my real estate taxes. The county motivated me to pay better attention to how tax revenue gets spent in this county by attending the regular monthly meetings as frequently as possible. I’ve gotten accustomed to seeing some recurring faces in the audience during those meetings. I don’t recall seeing Ms. White in the audience once. It’s anyone’s guess how one goes from not attending monthly Board of Supervisors meetings to being on that board representing a district; but in Botetourt, that can happen.
On May 1, between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. at Buchanan Elementary School, I’ll be voting for Constitutionalist Will Smith, and I know he’d appreciate your vote, too.
Leigh Martell
Buchanan
Supports Clinton for supervisor
Editor:
It is an honor to write this letter in support of Steve Clinton to become the Amsterdam District’s candidate of choice on May 1 to vie for and return to the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors in November.
I have known and worked with Steve on a number of projects for many years. What has impressed me the most about him as a politician – to put it simply – is his value system. Here is just a sampling:
Duty to All: He fully comprehends and exercises his elected commitment to both the citizens of the Amsterdam District and to the entire county. Despite the time demands of serving the citizens in his own district, if needed, he will make extra time to take on additional cross-district issues in a lead role that impact all citizens.
Courage: He has the backbone to face and deal with controversial situations or make unpopular decisions because he is committed to serving the people in the best way he knows how, versus protecting his political stature.
Balanced Decision-Making: His vote on an issue is derived from the facts provided, with additional time and research undertaken by himself, to be able to make the most unbiased and factually-based decision possible.
Trustworthy: When he says he will help or take on a cause, no matter how complicated or politically uncomfortable it might become, he sticks with it.
In preparing this letter, and thinking about the leadership qualities exhibited the past four years by current Board of Supervisors member Steve Clinton, I offer this question: Are these not the values that we Christians, and people of other faiths and religions, should be trying to live every day, including our politicians?
Peggy W. Crosson
Fincastle
Reader has concerns about county’s broadband connectivity
Editor:
After reading an article in The Fincastle Herald by you (Vol. 156 No. 13) I thought it would be worth reaching out to you to express some concerns I have. I have emailed Lumos Networks several times in the past and recently with my concerns. I have also spoken with the Craig-Botetourt Co-op group that is installing fiber in parts of both counties.
For all the hype surrounding just how connected Botetourt is, there is still a large under-served community or sections of Botetourt. Even though there have been great efforts to expand the connectivity options across the county and lots of articles written about how it is helping police and firefighters and some of the town folks in Fincastle, there is still a long way to go.
It rubs me the wrong way hearing all this positive IT speak about the strides that have been made while I see very little actual progress toward connecting the last mile users. I am an IT professional that has worked at Virginia Tech for the last 36 years. I have a great amount of IT infrastructure knowledge and understand the challenges of last mile connectivity.
What bothers me is that all the positive talk skews the viewpoint of where IT connectivity really stands for the county. I’m sure the providers such as Lumos Networks, who provides my DSL connectivity, are enjoying all this positive press, but this leaves out those of us who really need better connectivity to effectively perform our work duties from our homes these days. The folks that live up Timber Ridge Road, the Buchanan section, are left out of these fiber projects to improve our Internet connectivity.
We were actually contacted by Lumos about placing some equipment on our property a couple of months ago, which we agreed to, but nothing further has transpired. More frustrating is that I can see where fiber has been run to the Fincastle parts of Timber Ridge Road but has not made it up to where we are located. As an IT professional who has to perform 95% of my work from home since the pandemic, I have greater Internet needs than can be serviced by the current DSL bandwidth speeds I have access from Lumos Networks.
Bottom line for me is this: If you want to talk about your great Internet connectivity options and successes, find the most remote users connected to talk to about it instead of who is connected in the populated areas. Connecting people in the Town of Fincastle hardly qualifies as last mile connectivity users. Take a ride through the county, the hard connectivity options may not be able to be solved with fiber optics alone, strictly due to build out costs.
There are wireless options and other innovative ideas that should be explored to help supplement the fiber optic infrastructure build out. There are needs that exist and are not being met by these somewhat politically motivated connectivity options being hyped.
Brian E Jones
Buchanan
Clinton serves Botetourt County
Editor:
My wife and I came to Botetourt County in 1995, attracted by its natural beauty, convenient location, and high quality of life. Previously, we had lived in a county in another state – a county characterized by an indifferent government with dysfunctional processes, resulting in it advancing the political interests of a privileged few. Somewhat jaded, we expected more of the same in Botetourt County. But then we met our Botetourt County supervisor, Steve Clinton, at a town hall meeting a few years later.
We were immediately impressed and reassured by Steve’s approachability, knowledge, and willingness to serve us as his constituents. That was more than 20 years ago. Since then, we have participated with Steve on many community and local government activities, including local ordinance reviews, community hikes, and area site cleanups. In our experience, Steve retains the same qualities of approachability, responsiveness, and quiet persistence that so impressed us 20 years ago.
Amsterdam residents, please vote for Steve Clinton on May 1. Continue his tradition of good and effective local government.
John Goss
Fincastle
Vote for Amy Stinnett White
Editor:
As a district resident, local business owner and, first and foremost, father to two young girls, I would like to recommend Amy Stinnett White for the Buchanan District seat on the Board of Supervisors. Mrs. White’s family’s experience as local small business owners, progressive agriculturists and education background provide the kind of character we need to guide our district forward.
Mrs. White understands what it takes to make ends meet at home and as a business owner in the community. I have no doubt she will be a leader in progressing our district toward the things we need without the cost of our identity.
If you are involved in agriculture, a local business owner, a parent or just a resident concerned about your area, I encourage you to get out and vote for Amy Stinnett White.
David Watts
Buchanan
Donations needed now for Fincastle’s July fireworks
Editor:
Last year’s Fourth of July fireworks had to be cancelled because of COVID-19. Fincastle Town Council has decided to have it this year because things are getting better.
Even though it is April, we still have to start collecting donations for the Fincastle Fourth of July fireworks display. The fireworks display will cost $5,000 because Willie Simmons retired from doing the fireworks and we had to hire a professional fireworks company.
Donations are needed by the end of May. Donations may be taken to the Fincastle Town Office or mailed to Town of Fincastle, P.O. Box 250, Fincastle, 24090. You also can call the Town Office at 473-2200 and use your debit or credit card to make a donation.
Let’s make the 2021 Fincastle Fourth of July fireworks display the best show of the year.
Paige Ware
Fireworks Committee
