THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 1, 1996 TAG: 9604300111
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: Decision '96
SOURCE: BY ALLISON T. WILLIAMS, CORRESPONDENT and BY JODY R. SNIDER, STAFF
WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 343 lines
The influx of newcomers in Isle of Wight and Surry counties in search of a simpler, more relaxed lifestyle has its rural towns suffering from growing pains.
In all of these localities, town council candidates are offering remedies that they think will help cure their community's ailments, such as annexation and town/county cooperative agreements.
On May 7, voters in Smithfield, Windsor, Surry, Claremont and Dendron will be electing the town councils that will lead their communities into the next millennium. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in each of these towns.
Four people are running for three town council seats in Smithfield, where incumbent Dr. Alvin Rogers is being challenged by political newcomers Richard K. MacManus, Kaye H. Brown and Ron York.
Council members Helen G. Barrett and Carter Williams will be stepping down from Smithfield Town Council.
Incumbents H. Cecil Eley, Marvin Crocker Jr. and Wesley R. ``Ray'' Holland are running unopposed to keep their seats on Windsor Town Council.
Because election terms are not staggered in Surry, Claremont and Dendron, voters in these communities will be electing their mayor and entire town council next week. SMITHFIELD TOWN COUNCIL Sole incumbent council member faces 3 challengers
Smithfield's population has grown faster than the town itself, and annexation might be the best way for the town to meet its citizens' needs most effectively, Dr. Alvin Rogers says.
``We are in the midst of tremendous growth ... and with so much development coming in all around us, annexation is the big thing now,'' said Rogers, a retired veterinarian who has served on Smithfield Town Council since 1992.
Rogers is the only incumbent seeking re-election. Four people are running for three town council seats in Smithfield. In addition to Rogers, the candidates are political newcomers Richard K. MacManus, Kaye H. Brown and Ron York.
``We need healthy growth to keep our taxes reasonable,'' Rogers said. ``If we continue growing into a bedroom community for urban Tidewater, the costs of providing services like schools, water, sewer, waste disposal, fire and rescue will become exorbitantly high.''
The town council and county Board of Supervisors have been talking about expanding the town's boundaries for the last three years in executive sessions, Town Manager Peter Stephenson said. He refused to name specific areas being considered for annexation at this time.
Rogers believes his Smithfield Town Council has helped bring several positive changes in the town over the last four years, including:
The long-awaited sewer service via the Hampton Roads Sanitation District. The town's largest employers, Smithfield Packing Co. and Gwaltney of Smithfield, already have hooked up; the rest of the town will be connected within the next two months.
Renovation of the town's Jersey Park community. Using a $1.2 million Community Development Block Grant, the town destroyed old buildings, built new streets, built bathrooms and ran water lines to houses. The town is about to embark on a similar project in Pine Wood Heights.
Completion of the first phase of the Main Street Revitalization Project. A federal grant paid for the burying of power, telephone and utility lines, and building new brick sidewalks, as well as street resurfacing in Smithfield's historic district. The second phase of the project is about to get under way.
To accommodate the growing number of tourists and shoppers in downtown Smithfield, the town is investing $50,000 in a 32-space parking lot. Construction is under way.
Rogers wants voters to look at his accomplishments in office and his past campaign promises.
``When I came aboard in 1992, I made certain promises ... and I've lived up to all of those promises,'' Rogers said. ``If the people of Smithfield vote me in for another term, I won't let them down.
``I'm very dedicated to this beautiful community. One of the main reasons I want to serve on the council ... is to protect the charm, beauty and way of life we have in this town.''
Rogers, a New York City native, moved to Isle of Wight County in 1947 to open his veterinary practice. He retired 14 years ago and now works as coordinator of Paul D. Camp Community College's Smithfield campus.
Rogers and his wife, Shirley, have four children who are now scattered up and down East Coast: Paul, a cardiologist in Pennsylvania; Steve, a veterinarian in Northern Virginia; Louis, a lawyer in Richmond; and Janice, who works in hospital administration in Boston.
Rogers always has been active in Smithfield's civic community. He is a founding member of several organizations, including the Isle of Wight Volunteer Rescue Squad and the Smithfield Little Theater. MacManus opposes annexation
Annexation is not the best solution for the town's growth problems, says Smithfield Town Council candidate Richard K. ``Rich'' MacManus.
MacManus, 40, does not support plans proposing the town annex property from Isle of Wight County. Before proceeding with discussions on annexation, the town needs to look at possible alternatives that would accomplish the same goal, he said.
MacManus, a nuclear engineer working for Virginia Power, said annexation accomplishes two things for a municipality: increases its revenue and gives it more control over the property's use.
He believes both can be accomplished in Smithfield - without annexation.
``I just don't see any evidence to support the need for it at this time,'' MacManus said. ``I think we can achieve the same results without annexation.
``I think the Town Council and Board of Supervisors need to work closely together planning for the future. Communication is the key here.''
Smithfield's town council and planning board need to work hand-in-hand with their county counterparts to develop revenue-sharing ideas that will benefit both parties, MacManus said.
He also wants to see representatives from these county governing bodies attending town meetings regularly and vice versa.
His strong communication and organizational skills will be an asset to Smithfield Town Council, MacManus said. These skills were instrumental in 1991 when he co-founded Christian Outreach Program, a coalition of more than 20 diverse churches united to serve needy people in the community.
He believes those skills will prove invaluable in helping the town successfully tackle issues vital to its future: growth, both in the county and the town; GTE Telephone rate changes; tourism; and businesses geared toward entertaining local youth.
``I feel I can provide the town with a good, common-sense leadership approach,'' MacManus said. ``I have the ability to bring parties together for a common cause . . . and I feel it is my responsibility as a citizen to offer this service to the community.''
MacManus and his wife, Tina, have three daughters: Megan, 11; Connie, 10; and Jane, 5. The family has lived in Smithfield for the last eight years, when MacManus was transferred to the community from Richmond.
MacManus is active in county schools, where he has served as president of Hardy Elementary School's PTA and on the executive board of Smithfield Middle School's PTA.
He is also active in Christ Episcopal Church, where he is chairman of both the finance and outreach committees. Plan and control growth, York says
Smithfield Town Council candidate Ron York believes the town will benefit from his 20 years as a Realtor in one of the country's fastest growing areas, North Carolina's Research Triangle Park.
York, 54, moved to Smithfield nearly five years ago when his wife, Dr. Jane York, was named superintendent of Isle of Wight County Public Schools.
The growing migration of people moving into Isle of Wight County now is similiar - albeit, on a much smaller scale - to the massive influx of people and businesses that have moved into the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area over the last two decades, York said. That area wasn't equipped to serve the unexpectedly large wave of people that flooded into the cities at the time, York said.
``They didn't do any advance planning before this growth occurred. They retrofitted the infrastructure to what was already on the ground,'' York said. ``Growth has started here and we're just beginning to get ready for it.
``I've always loved this area,'' the Richmond native said. ``What I saw happen in North Carolina has given me insight that will help prevent the same problems here.''
York, a Realtor in William E. Wood & Associates in Smithfield's office, believes the town's future will be determined by how Smithfield Town Council handles five vital issues: economic growth, population growth, historic preservation, utility infrastructure and more cooperation between county and town government.
``The growth is beginning to happen now . . . and we have the foresight to plan for and control that growth,'' York said. ``Proper planning and precautions can prevent hidden problems, such as exhausting the local water supply and inadequate roadways, from arising later.''
York also believes the town needs to hire its own economic development staff to work with Lynn Harris, the county's economic development coordiantor. ``The town has unique, specific needs from the county,'' he said. ``The two working together would be a win-win situation for the town and county.''
Like MacManus, York believes there are other options besides annexation to handling Smithfield's growing pains.
``Nobody has attempted cooperative efforts, such as zoning or revenue sharing ventures, that may eliminate the need for annexation,'' York said.
York, who attended Virginia Commonwealth University, and his wife, Jane, have one son, Michael. He is attending Hampden-Sydney College. Activist Brown wants larger role
Although Smithfield Town Council candidate Kaye H. Brown has never run for political office, she has been active in the town's government for the last six years.
Brown, one of four candidates running for the three seats open on Smithfield Town Council, has served on the Smithfield Planning Commission since 1991. That board is charged with hearing zoning and development requests from the community and making recommendations for action to the town council.
If Brown is elected, the council will appoint another citizen to complete her unexpired planning commission term.
``The main reason I'm running for election is that I want to make a difference in this community,'' Brown said. The retired Newport New Public School French teacher has lived in Smithfield for 33 years.
``I have the education and the experience of serving on the Planning Commission,'' Brown said. ``That has given me invaluable insight on running the town's operations.''
Growth - both business and residential - is the most important issue Smithfield Town Council will deal with over the next four years, Brown said.
``We are already having a lot of development in town,'' she said. ``We particularly need to encourage some sort of youth-oriented recreational businesses to come here.''
This would serve the dual purpose of giving local youth the option of local entertainment and attracting a different market of tourists into town: young families with children who are not as interested in Smithfield's historic shops as their parents.
Brown and her husband, James Brown Jr., have two children, Monica and James III. Monica works as a special education coordinator for a Maryland school system while James, 18, will be graduating from Smithfield High School this year.
The family is active in their church, Main Street Baptist. Brown is active in several civic organizations, including the Pilot Club of Isle of Wight and Isle of Wight Democratic Committee. WINDSOR TOWN COUNCIL WESLEY R. "RAY" HOLLAND
Farmer Wesley R. ``Ray'' Holland of Windsor isn't interested in only watching peanuts, cotton, corn, soybeans and wheat grow on his 1,000-acre Windsor farm.
He wants to see Windsor grow, too.
In the past eight years, as a member of the Windsor Town Council and now as Windsor's vice mayor, Holland has been able to contribute to the Windsor's growth.
Holland, 43, is running unopposed for another four-year term on Windsor council. He also serves on the Isle of Wight Planning Commission.
``I want to see the progress of the town move along,'' Holland said. ``And it is moving along. We're in the process of studying boundary adjustments that would increase the size of the town, adding to the tax base and bringing in more of the populated areas around Windsor.''
With that in mind, in late 1997 or early 1998, an HRSD sewage line is scheduled to be completed in Windsor, allowing for both residential and business growth in the town.
``The HRSD line will bring in some businesses and services that we haven't been able to have because we haven't had sewage. But in order for the town to tap into the main HRSD line, we will have to build a collector system that hooks into the main line.''
Holland said one of council's future goals is to get that system built for Windsor.
The council has made several strides in the eight years that Holland has served.
Bigger water lines have been installed to improve the water system in Windsor. A new fire station and a public library have been built. The town supplied the land for the library and guided the building of it. A part-time policeman also has been hired to patrol the town.
``I've always been interested in politics and being able to make things happen, solving problems through the political system,'' he said. ``In general, if a problem comes up, and you work within the political system, you're able to straighten things out. I like to be in a place where things get done.
``But it's a tricky game because there are so many issues and so many people to deal with. You always have to do what's best for the entire community. You have to let your conscience be your guide. That's the job.'' H. CECIL ELY
H. Cecil Eley never has thought of himself as a politician.
But in January he became one.
Eley, 58, a semi-retired auto salesman, was appointed to the Windsor Town Council when former Mayor Robert C. ``Bobby'' Claud was elected to the Isle of Wight Board of Supervisors in November.
Before his appointment, council members asked Eley if he would be willing to run for re-election in May. The answer was yes.
``They wanted to get someone who would be in office more than five months,'' he explained. ``They wanted someone who would stay on.''
He is running unopposed in the May 7 election for the Windsor Town Council.
Eley is a Windsor native who left the town to join the Marine Corps in 1957. In 1987, when he and his wife Melissa were living in Virginia Beach, they decided they wanted to escape the congested city and move to the country in Windsor.
Eley accepted his January appointment because he wanted to serve the town and its people, he said.
``I want to be able to take any problems people have and find a solution that will make them happy,'' he said. ``I'm a very opened-minded person.''
Eley said the critical issues facing Windsor in the future will include linking the planned HRSD line to Windsor and improving the water system.
``When the HRSD line comes in late 1997 or early 1998, it's going to require some hard thinking and a lot of work,'' he said. ``Choices will have to be made on fees that will be charged to residents in order to hook into this system. And somewhere in the future, we will have to look at improving the water system. I believe water will determine the growth of Windsor.''
Currently, all of Isle of Wight's water comes from deep wells.
``This is a new role for me,'' Eley said. ``I've devoted a lot of time to listening to the people and their everyday concerns.
``We had a lot of street problems this year with all the snow that we had, and chemicals used for snow removal caused the asphalt to come up. People are concerned about that.'' MARVIN CROCKER JR.
The town of Windsor hasn't changed much since Marvin Crocker Jr. began serving his first council term four years ago.
The population is still about 1,025 people.
The community is still tight-knit, a place where neighbors help each other and problems get solved because people care.
When Crocker, a 52-year-old product planner for Newport News Shipbuilding, ran for town council four years ago, he did so because he wanted to help make Windsor a better place to live, he said.
Crocker, 52, is seeking re-election in the May 7 election.
``When I came on to council, the new firehouse was being built, and I got to be a part of some changes that were made in that,'' he said. ``We expanded a room in the firehouse to make it a meeting room.
``At that time, the building of the library had also been in the works for about 15 years. We voted to contribute money toward that. We also added playground equipment to Robinson Park, located next to the Windsor Library.''
In the past, change has come slowly to Windsor. But the town could be headed for its greatest change with the HRSD line scheduled for completion in late 1997 or early 1998. The town also is looking at expanding its boundaries, pulling in residential areas just outside of the town limits.
``Everybody's talking about growth,'' Crocker said, ``but it needs to be controlled growth. We'd like to remain a small town, but at the same time, we need some necessary growth to be a viable community.''
``So we have to ask ourselves what kind of growth we want. There's no room to expand until we have sewage because there's some places in town that won't perk. So you can't build houses in those places if you can't install a septic system.''
Crocker said the annexation issue is now in the preliminary stages of study to determine where lines ought to be drawn.
Crocker said the town, chartered in 1903, never has been through the annexation process.
``It may have been talked about, but I don't know that it's ever been tried,'' he said. ``I represent the citizens in all this. And I hope that any decision I make would reflect the citizens who elected me.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos
Alvin Rogers
Retired veterinarian
Richard K. ``Rich'' MacManus
Nuclear engineer
Ron York
Realtor
Kaye H. Brown
Retired teacher
Wesley R. "Ray" Holland
H. Cecil Eley
Marvin Crocker Jr.
KEYWORDS: WINDSOR TOWN COUNCIL RACE SMITHFIELD TOWN COUNCIL RACE
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