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Delegate Ken Plum's Virginia E-News – November 23, 2005 COMMENTARY Traditions of Virginia Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum
Happy Thanksgiving! In spite of what you may read in the liberal media or on Hallmark cards, there is indisputable historic evidence that the first Thanksgiving was held in Virginia – not in New England. If you do not believe me, consult the official history of Berkeley Plantation where the first Thanksgiving took place on December 4, 1619, near present-day Charles City, Virginia, The Great Plantation: A Profile of Berkeley Hundred and Plantation Virginia from Jamestown to Appomattox by Clifford Dowdey. As Dowdey explained it, “before the religious dissenters called Pilgrims ever set out from England, the ancient custom of a thanksgiving celebration was introduced in the New World by that cross section of Britishers who founded a plantation in Tidewater Virginia.” Unfortunately, the settlers at Berkeley Plantation were not able to keep the Thanksgiving tradition going as they were massacred by the Indians in 1622. In 1958 a group of business, religious, and civic leaders organized a non-profit group, Virginia Thanksgiving Festival, Inc., “to gain appropriate recognition for Virginia’s documented claim to the first official Thanksgiving in America.” Virginians are that way – holding onto tradition regardless of the way the rest of the world goes. In January we will have a young governor leave office with some of the highest approval ratings among governors in the Nation and certainly among Virginia governors. A tradition that we have written into the state constitution prevents a governor from succeeding himself or herself. That tradition goes back a long time in the state’s history. As a royal colony, Virginia suffered under the sometimes harsh rules of the chief executive in the form of the king. The newly freed colony of Virginia after the American Revolution wrote in its first constitution in 1776 that the governor was to be elected by the General Assembly for one-year terms. No governor could serve more than three consecutive terms or be elected again until an interval of four years. Patrick Henry, the first governor, served three one-year terms from 1776-1779 and came back in 1784 to serve until 1786. In 1830 the term was changed to three years with no eligibility for immediate re-election. The constitution of 1851 lengthened the term to four years and to a popular election. We will be trying again in 2006 to pass a constitutional amendment to allow the governor to serve for two consecutive, four-year terms. But as recent experience has shown, tradition is not easy to change in the Commonwealth. Both sides are right from their perspectives on the beginning of Thanksgiving. What is most important is that we remain mindful of the many blessings we share as a nation, state, and community.
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Delegate Ken Plum’s Weekly “Virginia Report” on Comcast Channel 28
Wednesday, November 23 at 10:30 p.m. – Maria V. Zimmerman, Reconnecting America – “Integrating Our Transportation Systems and Communities”
Tuesday, November 29 at 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday, November 30 at 10:30 p.m. – George Barker, Health Systems Agency of Northern Virginia – “New Medicare Prescription Drug Plans – Choosing the Right One for You” * * *
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Governor Mark Warner invites you to the Forward Together website, www.ForwardTogetherPAC.com, a new federal leadership PAC for which he is the honorary chair. Check out the information about what he has been working on in Virginia and join the discussion of where the country needs to head in the coming months and years.
Volunteers are needed to help low-income families file income taxes. The Fairfax County CASH (Creating Assets, Savings and Hope) program is now recruiting volunteers to help meet the goal of getting $2 million back into the hands of low-income residents by helping them claim the Earned Income tAx Credit (worth up to $4,000 a family). To volunteer or for more information, contact Tom Meagher at 703.324.5139 or tom.meagher@fairfaxcounty.gov or contact Mredith Eisenberg at 703.324.5194. Visit the Office of Partnerships Web page at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/partnerships.
Making good on a campaign promise to make transportation his first priority, Governor-Elect Tim Kaine has scheduled a series of Transportation Town Hall meetings between now and his inauguration as Governor. Over the next eight weeks, Kaine will travel around the state, holdimg meetings with transportation experts, elected officials, business men and women, and citizens to begin addressing the transportation challenges facing the Commonwealth. Join Tim Kaine on Tuesday, November 29 at 6:30 p.m. at the Manassas Airport Main Terminal, 20400 Terminal Road in Manassas for our region’s Transportation Town Hall. Contact Amy Reger, amy.reger@gmail.com, with questions about the meeting.
The Dulles Corridor Rail Association (DCRA) will hold its Annual Meeting and Reception on Tuesday, December 6, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Oracle Corporation, 1910 Oracle Way in Reston. DCRA will honor Senator John W. Warner for his leadership in support of the Dulles Metrorail Project andin particular his successful efforts to include the project in the recently signed surface transportation reauthorization legislation, as well as the previous reauthorization act. DCRA will also honor Katherine K. Hanley, former Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Member of the Commonwealth Transportation Board and Chairman of the Tysons Corner Special Study Coordinating Committee for her leadership in advancing the Dulles rail project at the state and local levels. Please join in honoring these two important leaders. Email dcra@dullescorridorrail.com or call 703.716.5750 for event and sponsorship information.
Learn more about the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project by attending a Public Information Session on Thursday, December 8, 6:00 to 8:30 p.m., at Spring Hill Elementary School, 8201 Lewinsville Road, McLean. The session is hosted by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation and will feature a project overview, latest engineering plans, station locations, a timeline, and a funding update. Call 703.288.7000 with questions or visit www.dullesmetro.com for additional information.
The Reston Transportation Implementation Committee wants your input. Do you have an idea that might improve traffic flow or pedestrian safety or otherwise make things work better in our intersections or on the roadways in Reston? If you do, the Reston Transportation Implementation Committee (RTIC) would like to hear from you. RTIC was created at the urging of joint resolutions of the Virginia House of delegates and Virginia Senate and consists of state legislators and transportation officials, the Hunter Mill Supervisor and Fairfax County transportation staff, and representatives of community organizations. The Committee identifies priority transportation needs in the Reston area with the help of residents and seeks to focus state and county agencies on addressing the priorities. If you have a suggestion for a low-cost improvement, please send the following information: (1) brief description of the problem; (2) exact location of the improvement you propose; (3) precise and concise description of the proposed improvement; (4) the benefit you would expect if proposal is implemented; and (5) your contact information (telephone number, email address) so you can be reached for further information if needed. Send the suggestion to: RTIC, 11437 Washington Plaza West, Reston, VA 20190.
I will be speaking at the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce’s Regional Policy Update held prior to the General Assembly session. This year’s pre-session Update will be held on December 9 at the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce offices, 1763 Fountain Drive, Reston. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m.; continental breakfast is available. If you are a Chamber member, attend this information packed event to find out how election results will change the dynamics of the session and the future of the Commonwealth.
Super Sunday is a special day each year in which the Jewish community comes together for one day to raise funds that support and enrich the quality of life for Jews locally, in Israel, and around the world. This year Super Sunday is on December 11, 2005, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia, 8900 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax, VA. Volunteer to make calls or answer the phone. Learn more at www.supersunday2005.org.
Fairfax County has organized a Hunter Mill Special Study Task Force to determine the public’s vision for the Hunter Mill Road area. Remaining meetings of the Special Study Task Force are scheduled for November 30 and December 14, both at 7:00 p.m., at Lake Anne Elementary School, 11510 North Shore Drive. These meetings are open to the public, and all are encouraged to attend.
***************** Authorized and paid for by Kenneth R. Plum.
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