01/13/2016 Colonial Beach / Westmoreland Journal

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news

sports

New antique outlet opens in Port Royal Page 8

Foxes fly in indoor track & field meets

Virginia viewpoints Va. governors should have term options Page 2

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POSTAL CUSTOMER

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Colonial Beach • Westmoreland

Volume 40, Number 2

Wednesday, January 13, 50 Cents

helping you relate to your community

Unexpected death of Swamp De Wamp leader casts pall Linda Farneth

Fans of Gig Michaels, lead singer of the band Swamp De Wamp, were shocked to hear of his death Jan 3, just a day before the singer’s 52nd birthday. Friends and family are still grieving the loss.

Phioti by Linda Farneth

Gig Michaels belts out a tune at the second annual Bike Fest in Colonial Beach in June. Michaels died Jan. 3

Swamp da Wamp has fan clubs all over the world in the Netherlands, Italy, Russia, Brazil, Sweden, India, France and the UK. Their music can be heard on over 65,000 Touch Tunes jukeboxes across the U.S. Several songs have been licensed for use in video games by the gaming giant Xbox. Michaels contracted bronchitis in October 2015. While undergoing treatment he fell, injuring his knee in mid-December, limiting his mobility. It is believed he caught the flu during this time which further complicated his recovery. According to a press release issued “All of these events combined to cause the perfect storm and right before Christmas, Michaels was admitted into the hospital for treatment for pneumonia. On the 2nd day into his hospital stay he was admitted into the ICU for respiratory distress from the pneumonia and later diagnosed with advanced [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]. After fighting for 12 days in ICU, and fight he did, his

body was just too weak to go on.” Despite being a world-famous band, Swamp De Wamp has performed for many small localities. Colonial Beach, a town of roughly 5,000, was blessed to have Gig Michaels and his band perform for two years, kicking off the new annual Colonial Beach Bike Fest. Swamp De Wamp also returned to perform at High Tides in Colonial Beach several times throughout the last two years. At the Second Annual Colonial Beach Bike Fest, Michaels announced plans to return to Colonial Beach for a 2015/16 New Year’s Eve Party at High Tides. During his visits to Colonial Beach, Michaels became good friends with Bryan and Vickie Coffman, owners of High Tides. Bryan Coffman recalled many visits when he and Gig just “hung out.” Coffman said he and Michaels never went fishing but loved to hang out. “Gig was our icon for the BikeFest. He was the home guy. He played two times at High tides during the summer. He was scheduled for Memorial day and July 30, 2016. There were plans for a New Year’s Eve party, but he got sick.” Coffman said.

But Michaels was more than a famous singer, he was a down-to-earth good friend to many who knew him.

“I met him at the first Annual Colonial Beach Bike Fest.” Coffman said he was “not at all” intimidated by his fame and describes Michaels as a big gentle giant. “You didn’t feel intimidated around him. I’ve had people tell me they have had conversations with him, wondering who he was, then he was up on stage.” Coffman said he and Michaels had a good relationship. “We’d talk on the phone. He would come down and see us a lot when he wasn’t playing.” Coffman added, “Everybody who met him, he touched very deeply. He would give the shirt off his back for you, even though he couldn’t wear yours.” Coffman said he knew Michaels was sick but “I didn’t know it was that bad. None of us knew he was that bad. I’m still hurting inside.” Amanda Miller Dyer, Swamp De Wamp’s band manager, says the band is like family. As is everyone Michaels became friends with, according to those close to him. Dyer said, “His family and friends meant everything to Gig. If you are one of the lucky ones who fall into either of those categories, you knew it because he loved you relentlessly.” See Michaels, page 8

School board sues Trinity Construction over contract dispute

The Colonial Beach School Board and the Colonial Beach School System have filed a lawsuit against Trinity Building Company LLC for breach of contract. Trinity Builders contracted with Colonial Beach Schools in July 2014 to oversee the installation of

modular classrooms at Colonial Beach High School . The modular classrooms were necessary to house elementary school students who were displaced from their campus on Douglas Avenue after a fire rendered one of the buildings a collapse hazard.

CB planning panel kicks off new year Linda Farneth At the Jan 7 Colonial Beach Planning Commission meeting, commissioners voted to reinstate Robin Schick as Chairwoman and Maureen McCabe as Co-Chairwoman. The commission then reviewed the Capital Improvement Plan, prioritizing projects to make recommendations to the Colonial Beach Town Council. The council plans to hold a special meeting at 10 a.m. Jan 20 to discuss town priorities and goals. The commission hopes to have their final recommendations to the council prior to the Jan 20 meeting. Some of the items that made the list of top priorities are new, improved or repaired public restrooms, water system replacement along Irving, Lossing and Bancroft avenues on the point and walking/bike path from Irving Avenue to Boundary Street. Although the bike path improvements are part of the comprehensive plan, the commission discussed providing upgrades to the existing bike path from 12th Street to the Meadows. The priority of many of the school items listed in capital improvements will coincide with building the new elementary school. Not all of the items are covered under the school bond, but are needed either before or after the new school has been built. Some of these items include playground and basketball court equipment and resurfacing of paved areas, crosswalks and sidewalks on First Street. One of the high priorities recommended by the commission is the paving of the rear driveway and installation of sidewalks with a safety rail between the two.

The CIP covers improvements planned for the next five years and the commission will continue to update it each year. One of the other items not listed but discussed was addressing unpaved roads in Colonial Beach including the Meadows area. In order to pave these road they must be brought up to Virginia Department of Transportation standards in order to be placed in the streets and road budget provided by the VDOT. Schick said, “I think it would do a disservice to a large part of our community if we don't put addressing unpaved roads on the CIP.” The group also agreed that revitalization efforts not covered by the revitalization grants should be a high priority as well. A revitalization grant of $750,000 has been awarded to the town by the Department of Housing and Community Development o enhance the downtown area around the boardwalk and a VDOT grant of $500,000 has been approved to install a spray park and pedestrian plaza at the end of Colonial Avenue. DHCD looks favorably on localities that continue to revitalize with public and private money after revitalization grant money is utilized, commission staff stated. The commission also discussed filling one of the two remaining vacant seats with a town council member. Schick said she recently learned during her commissioner certification training that many planning commissions make it a practice to include council members on their boards. Anyone interested in applying for a seat on the planning commission may visit town hall at 315 Douglas Ave. to fill out an application.

The complaint was filed in the Westmoreland Circuit Court on Dec. 22. The complaint alleges that Trinity Builders was obligated to pay all subcontractors involved in the project as part of the agreement. According to the complaint, Mobile Modular, the subcontractor

that supplied the modular units has not been paid. Mobile Modular asserts that they are owed a total of $17,540.00 for instillation charges. Colonial Beach School system stated in the complaint, “Despite Trinity’s prior assertion that it had paid its subcontractors and suppli-

ers, after Trinity received the Board’s demand that it pay Mobile Modular, Trinity asserted unspecified and previously undisclosed objections to Mobile Modular’s work as a reason why Mobile Modular had not been paid.” The Board also asserts that as of

Dec 17, Trinity has not provided specifics describing Mobile Modular’s performance issues, as requested. As of Jan. 10, 2016 no response had been filed with the court by Trinity Building Company LLC.

US pageant winner gets modeling shoot at Grove Belle Grove Plantation, the historic, luxury King George bed and breakfast that was the birthplace of President James Madison, has become an elegant setting for weddings, meetings and patriotic events since it opened for business more than two years ago. “When we opened Belle Grove Plantation, one of our goals was to get the word out about this historic site and home as well as to bring visitors to King George County from around the world,” said Michelle Darnell, who along with her husband, Brett, operates the increasingly popular venue. “Belle Grove Plantation has been featured on two national television shows and has earned some impressive awards and recognition,” said Michelle Darnell. “Many people are beginning to recognize Belle Grove Plantation as more than a bed and breakfast, more than a historic site and more than a special event venue.” That increasing recognition last week brought Miss United States, Summer Priester of Aiken, S.C., to Belle Grove for a four-day modeling shoot. “It is an amazing place,” said Priester, who was at Belle Grove modeling beautiful wedding gowns for advertising photos for My Dress Bridal and Prom of Fredericksburg before she returns to Columbia, S.C., for her last semester at the University of South Carolina. Priester, 21, was crowned Miss United States in July in Washington, D.C., in a philanthropy-based pageant that focuses on the goals of young women seeking to help others. “It is an excellent opportunity Photo by Finch & Carrington for me to promote my platform, Summer Priester, Miss United States, recently modeled wedding fashions at Belle Grove. which is helping feed the hungry,” Priester said. And her visit to Belle Grove ture provided Priester an additional ion,” Priester said. “My big goal is to where she was able to model wed- opportunity to advance her interest move to New York and work in the ding dresses against a backdrop of in fashion and merchandizing. “I have always had a sense of fashnatural beauty and historic architecSee Grove, page 8

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