stepping it up
party like it’s 1774
have a seat
The king george wrestling program is looking to take it to the next level. Page 5
Stratford hall will host a holiday-themed event that will take you back in time. Page 10
Area man builds post-pilot career by handmaking windsor chairs, settees. Page 4
T he
POSTAL CUSTOMER
King George
Volume 38, Number 50
Wednesday, December 10, 2014 50 Cents
helping you relate to your community
County hopes rebar firm spurs growth Phyllis Cook County officials hope their deal with Commercial Metals Company is just the beginning of the expansion of the county-owned industrial park. On Dec. 2, the King George Board of Supervisors OK’d a $12 million investment by Commercial Metals Company to relocate its manufacturing operations to the county. “As we continue to attract new businesses like CMC to our industrial park, it raises the visibility and also sends a message to other potential businesses they might want to consider our park. Success breeds success,” said Joe Grzeika, the board’s chairman. “Our strategic investment to have broadband,
water and sewer, and gas in the future at the park, which already has rail service capability, all make the industrial park more attractive to businesses. “As we populate the park, I expect we will see some support-type companies like suppliers, niche process or development firms and others also look for spots to site their operations.” Since signing a preliminary agreement in May with CMC’s subsidiary, one of the items on the county’s to-do list was to bring fiber-optic cable to the industrial park. That project with Metrocast Communications is now complete. “As electricity was in the early 1900s, the addition of fiber to the park is critical for businesses to operate today and should open the doors for new
As we continue to attract new businesses like CMC to our industrial park, it raises the visibility and also sends a message to other potential businesses they might want to consider our park. Success breeds success,.
Joe Grzeika, King George Board of Supervisors chairman
opportunities for the county moving forward,” said Linwood Thomas, director of economic development for the county. “Today, corporations and companies alike are looking for site-ready land. The infrastructure improvements the board is making to our industrial park, including fiber, water, sewer, rail, and eventually gas,
will allow King George to compete for additional investments by companies both nationally and internationally.” Thomas said efforts are ongoing to bring a high-pressure gas line to the industrial park. Columbia Gas is projecting to begin construction in early 2015 on the Spotsylvania Loop line. That plan will bring a pipeline across
the Rappahannock River to property in Stafford near the King George county line. “We hope to coordinate with Columbia to have gas to the industrial park within 24 months of the start of the Spotsylvania Loop, though this timeline remains fluid,” Thomas said. Water and sewer service has been available to existing lots in the industrial park from the beginning. Those lines are being extended to service the property adjacent to the park along Route 3 where Commercial Metals Company will be located and incorporated into the park. The expansion of the industrial park is possible because the county has a purchase option on 343 acres adjacent and
Ho-Ho-Holiday fun for all
Christmas Festival ‘a new tradition’
The King George County Historical Society hosted its first annual Christmas Festival Dec. 7 outside the courthouse. The society’s museum was open throughout the afternoon, and the event took place on the courthouse lawn, wrapping around to the parking lot and the Revercomb Building portico. It featured games, face painting, crafting, small live animals, various vendors, photos with Santa and a hot chocolate stand, which proved very popular on the sunny, but very cold day. Jean Hudson, the group’s president, said they want to do it again next year. “It’s small. But this is really nice,” Hudson said. “It’s the beginning, perhaps, of a new tradition.” County resident Koontz Campbell agreed and talked about the good feeling it embodied. “It’s community – an event to pull everyone together,” Campbell said. The county’s annual lighting of a Christmas tree on the front lawn of the courthouse by county officials capped the event. Student musicians were on hand, and the lighting was preceded by Christmas music by a brass ensemble from King George High School. Phyllis Cook
fronting Routes 3 and 605. For the Commercial Metals Company deal, 43 acres is being purchased by the county from the Mount View Family Limited Partnership, with 30 acres being resold to the rebar company. While congratulating county staff’s team effort during last week’s meeting, Grzeika also praised the goodwill of the local landowners as an integral part of the planned and future expansion of the industrial park. “This is another good news story,” he said. “They have been a partner in this whole process, making it possible and successful. We really do have a great operation here working with folks, and it makes it easy to bring this project to conclusion.”
Officials oppose Dahlgren Road fix Phyllis Cook
Phyllis Cook photos
Above- The event included the traditional Christmas tree lighting, the King George High School brass ensemble and holiday goodies. At right- Santa and Mrs. Claus pose with a young girl at the King George County Historical Society’s First Annual Christmas Festival.
Women’s Club of King George thrills children with Annual Santa Land
Richard Leggitt photos
With her cookie and crayon, Santa Land’s Little Miss, Don’t stretch your Holiday Budget! Cheyenne Day, 2, of King George, left, was one of the stars of Make your list, count it twice. Borrow just what you need the Christmas event sponsored by the Women’s Club of King for the holidays! Don’t max outGeorge. thoseMarcy highMorris, rate credit cards!was one of the founders above center, of Santa Land 19 years ago. She is flanked by elves Chloe Prunczk, right, and Bianca Cooper, both of King George.
The Women’s Club of King George hosted its 19th Annual Santa Land event Dec. 6 to the delight of more than 100 children. “It’s our biggest project of the year,” said Marcy Morris, one of its organizers. This year’s Santa Land featured favorites from years past -- Santa, played by Terry Brennan of King George, who has performed in that role for 16 years; the 2014 Snow Princess, who this year was Samantha Roberts of King George High School; and food, fun and activities for the dozens of children attending. “People come to us every year and thank us for hosting Santa Land,” Morris said. “We do it for the community.” In addition to Santa and the Snow Princess, who read stories to children, the event featured King George Teen Queen Alexis Sheehan and her sister, Pre-Teen Queen Lauren Sheehan, as well as King George’s Little Miss, 2-year-old Cheyenne Day. There were gifts and baked goods on sale, a Santa Land Cookbook and Christmas decorations. And, of course, there was Santa and Mrs. Claus posing in the Throne Room for photos with excited children like Mya Peters, 4, who was beaming as she told Santa about her Christmas wish list. Richard Leggitt
The King George Board of Supervisors objected to the Virginia Department of Transportation’s latest recommendation for improvements to Dahlgren Road, this time for the Indiantown (Route 610) intersection. At a Dec. 1 meeting, Northern Neck residency administrator David Brown discussed options for a traffic signal or a roundabout at the intersection, with the roundabout recommended. Supervisors nixed that idea, saying they wanted a downsized traffic signal option. Supervisors want the project put on hold until they get a more reasonable, cost-effective plan to fix the problem of accidents at the intersection and not cause unintended consequences by creating new congestion. They objected to the length of the right-of-way for dedicated turn lanes along Dahlgren Road, its impact on landowners and cost. Both options would require widening Dahlgren Road and impact access into the corner convenience store. The traffic light option would impact 12 parcels and require the acquisition of 32,700 square feet of right-of-way and 17,400 square feet of easement, estimated to cost about $3.8 million, including engineering, right-of-way and construction costs. Brown’s recommendation for a roundabout would impact five properties, and about 42,100 square feet of right-of-way and 17,600 square feet of easement and would cost about $2.35 million total, with construction in 2019, if money became available. See DAHLGREN, page 4
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