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Delegate Plum’s Virginia E-News – April 6, 2005
Today the General Assembly will meet in its annual Reconvened or “Veto” Session. The session that has never lasted more than one day is provided for in the state constitution to allow legislators to review actions of the governor on legislation sent to him for signature. Any vetoed bill can be reconsidered by the legislature and if passed by a 2/3 vote can become law without the governor’s signature. The governor can offer amendments to bills also, and such amendments most often are technical changes. Announcements Reston Association’s huge, family Yard Sale will be held on Saturday, April 30, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Reston Association parking lot, 1930 Isaac Newton Square. Rain date is May 1. RA advises this is a great place to find bargains for home or college dorms and asks that we pass this information on to family, friends, and fellow citizens. The 2005 Governor’s Conference on Greenways, Blueways and Trails will be held May 1-4 at the Omni Hotel in Downtown Richmond. This year’s topic is “Building Active Communities.” For more information, please call 757.229.0507 or email info@bikewalkvirginia.org. The first draft of the six-year improvement program that allocates funding to transportation projects in Virginia is available for public review. The program will be modified because it is a working draft before the final program is adopted by July 1, 2005. Go to www.VDOT.Virginia to review the working draft of the Six-Year Improvement Program for Fiscal Years 2006-2011. The six-year program allocates funding for rail, public transit, bicycle, pedestrian, and primary and interstate highway improvement projects. Each year, the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) updates the program to reflect the latest budget situation. The CTB will hold a public hearing on the working draft of the six-year program starting at 5:00 p.m. on April 19 at VDOT offices. For a list of locations and public comment opportunities, go to www.virginiadot.orgn/infoservice/news/newsrelease.asp?ID=CO-0507. The public may also provide comments online. Calendar Wednesday, April 6, Noon – Reconvened session of the Virginia General Assembly, Richmond. Wednesday, April 6, 10:30 p.m. – Delegate Ken Plum’s Virginia Report on Reston Comcast Channel 28 – “2005 General Assembly Actions” with Senator Janet Howell. Tuesday, April 12, 7:30 p.m. and repeated on Wednesday, April 13, 10:30 p.m. – Delegate Ken Plum’s Virginia Report on Reston Comcast Channel 28 – “Greenways, Waterways, and Trails” with Doug Pickford. Saturday, April 9, 6:00 p.m. – Hunter Mill District Democratic Committee’s Annual Lasagna Dinner at Reston Community Center at Hunters Woods. Enjoy great food, music, and live/silent auction. Call Ellen Graves at 703.264.2091 for more information. Sunday, April 10 – National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s 17th Annual MS Walk at Reston Town Center. Arrive and check-in between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. followed by the walk. Saturday and Sunday, May 21-22 – American Cancer Society Relay for Life at South Lakes High School. If you would like to join a team, call Delegate Ken Plum at 703.758.9733. No physical activity required in the Relay – just a willingness to help raise money for an important cause. Commentary Towards a Healthier Virginia Based on a national survey, Virginia has a higher percentage of persons who are obese than any other state in the nation. According to the Virginia Department of Health, 58% of Virginia’s adults are overweight or obese; this trend is also true for Virginia’s children and adolescents. A 2003 sample of 12 fourth grade classes in Virginia revealed that 17% were in the “at risk for overweight” and 28% were in the “overweight” categories. The obvious reasons for obesity in Virginia and elsewhere – diet and inactivity. Governor Mark Warner recognized the problem some time ago and set about a campaign, Healthy Virginians, to emphasize the importance of physical activity and proper diet. The Governor has led various walks and other activities to emphasize the importance of healthy living. Visit his website at www.healthyvirginians.virginia.gov for more information. The Virginia Department of Health has a campaign, CHAMPION (Commonwealth’s Healthy Approach and Mobilization Plan for Inactivity, Obesity, and Nutrition.) Visit the website at www.vahealth.org/wic/champion.htm. The Governor’s Conference on Greenways, Blueways and Trails scheduled for May 1-4 in Richmond has as its theme, “Building Active Communities.” In addition to discussion groups on maintaining and expanding Virginia’s greenways and blueways to improve the quality of life in our communities, participants will be able to take part in various “excursions” and “mobile workshops” to experience the opportunities available in the capital city region for outdoor activity. For more information on the conference, visit www.bikewalkvirginia.org. My television show, “Virginia Report,” on Comcast Reston Channel 28 on April 12 at 7:30 pm is a discussion of the Conference. The show will be repeated at 10:30 p.m. on April 13. During the taping I learned that a blueway is a trail taken in a boat or canoe in a body of water. Obesity is of major concern nationally. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health in studies that are now a couple of years old estimate direct and indirect costs associated with obesity at $107 billion per year nationwide. The cost of obesity in Virginia is estimated at over $1.6 billion or 5.7 percent of Virginia’s total Medicaid expenditures. Public officials are being encouraged through a campaign called Active Living Leadership to support safe, pedestrian-oriented transportation alternatives; active living land-use planning and development; healthy school sites, facilities, and policies; recreation facilities, parks and trails. Evidence of the success of this effort can be seen in the increase in trails in Fairfax County and the pedestrian crossing lights at intersections and in the number of bills passed in recent sessions of the General Assembly supporting safety for bikers and pedestrians. For more information on this campaign, visit www.activelivingleadership.org. Of particular concern is the health of our children. While the surgeon general recommends that adults have at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity each day, the recommendation is that children engage in at least 60 minutes of activity each day. Physical education programs in the schools, community sports programs, and neighborhood trails and playgrounds enable children to reach the needed level of activity. Reston is the ideal healthy living community in which to live and work. Robert E. Simon’s vision of including a trails network and community spaces demonstrates again the wisdom and farsightedness of his plan. See you on a trail soon. **************************** Unsubscribe to this newsletter by emailing kenplum@aol.com and indicating “unsubscribe” in the subject line. |