THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 17, 1995 TAG: 9503170742
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 07 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Long : 203 lines
Photos
Mr. Nony is a businessman.
Ms. Dockery is an attorney.
Ms. Miles is co-owner of Madison Miles Ltd.
Mrs. McClanan is a civic activist.
Last Friday, Editorial Page Editor Beth Barber invited the
nominees for the Council seat vacated by John Moss - Nony E.
Abrajano, William J. Cashman, Judith Dockery, Harold Heischober,
Reba McClanan, Delceno Miles and Jody Wagner - to tell readers why
they want the job. Here are the responses received. City Council
will interview the nominees today.
DELCENO C. MILES
I want the opportunity to make a difference in my hometown of
Virginia Beach. I am proud of the great education I received during
my years in Virginia Beach public schools. That experience prepared
me for Stanford University, where I received a full academic
scholarship - a belated thank you to all of my teachers, coaches and
coun-selors!
The Virginia Beach public schools and the Stanford experience
gave me the tools and leadership ability to start a business. I know
what it is to balance a budget and to manage people. I am a business
owner right here in Virginia Beach, thereby contributing to the
economy.
I truly care about this fine city, like the other 420,000
citizens who call Virginia Beach home. I demonstrate that care by my
actions. I volunteer my time and talents to several community
efforts, such as the Boy Scouts, the Urban League, the Hampton Roads
Chamber of Commerce, the Society for the Aid of Sicle Cell Anemia,
the STOP organization as well as Clean the Bay Day.
I bring vision, new ideas and prove communication and management
skills. I think it is time to have more progressive leadership on
Council. The current Council is headed in that direction. I simply
want to complement that trend of new and progressive thinking on the
Council.
I support redistricting but not wards. I still have many
questions concerning the Agriculture Reserve Program (ARP). I
certainly support our education - our kdis should always be a
priority. Crime is an issue that must be a communitywide concern. We
must partner with our law-enforcement agencies to have the safe
communities we want, although Virginia Beach has been named the
safest city for our size.
I certainly will do my part as a member of Council to develop
strong and effective strategies for economic development. I believe
we should make our process much more user-friendly for new
businesses considering Virginia Beach as a place to locate. Tourism
is a major part of our economy and we must continue to provide good,
family entertainment for our visitors and residents.
However, wemust e competitive. We must market Virginia Beach as
the premier tourist attraction that it is - not just sun and surf.
We are taking steps with such efforts as the Neptune Festival and
the American Music Festival.
Additionally, we should develop support for existing businesses
to help them to expand, thereby creating new economic opportunities
for Virginia Beach. Virginia Beach, along with other Hampton Roads
communities, must take a serious look at mass transit. We are the
largest city in the commonwealth of Virginia, and we are without an
identifable plan for future transportation needs.
I am a planner. I believe the Council must plan the kind of
Virginia Beach that we all expect. The plan should be long-term, yet
transcend political meddling.
JUDITH DOCKERY
I believe that I am qualified to serve on City Council because of
my education, career, experience and extensive community service. I
have been practicing law in the city of Virginia Beach for 15 years
and have been an attorney mediator for 10 years. In addition, I have
served as a special justice (hearing officer) for mental commitment
hearings for the General District Court of Virginia Beach since
1986.
In each of these roles, it is my responsibility to retain a sense
of objectivity as I listen, analyze and problem solve. Being able to
see both sides of an issue and attempting to resolve the difference
in a manner satisfactory to both sides are talents I possess that
would be valuable attributes as a member of City Council.
My service to the community and city includes, but is not limited
to, the following: Planning Commission for eight years and vice
chairman for six years, Founding Board of Contact of Virginia Beach,
Founding Board of Virginia Beach Health Clinic, Board of Tidewater
Pastoral Counseling Services Inc., Virginia Beach Tomorrow, Mayor's
Committee on Economic Development, Governor's Task Force on Back
Bay/False Cape and numerous environmental projects and activities.
As evidenced by these past activities, it is obvious that I have a
broad range of interests, and that I am dedicated to serving the
community.
During the years I served on the Planning Commission, many
important and far-reaching projects were successfully undertaken by
the commission, such as two updates of the Comprehensive Plan,
conditional zoning, the landscape ordinance, and the revision of
the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance. Each of these projects demanded
considerable work and the cooperative effort of the commission
members, yet another example of my ability to work well with others
for the benefit of the city.
I have been a resident of the city of Virginia Beach since 1970
and I am committed to Virginia Beach and its future. I am convinced
that I have the character, experience and skills to be an effective
member of City Council and to responsively serve the citizens of
Virginia Beach.
NONY E. ABRAJANO
Virginia Beach is one of the most promising cities in the
country. In the last 30 years of its existence, it has developed and
achieved so much in the areas of economic development, education,
reduction of crimes, better delivery of service to its citizens,
well-maintained roads, environmental awareness, and in the promotion
of tour-ism.
This positive image of our city can only be maintained through
our vision and proper planning.
As your future City Council member (that is, if given the
opportunity to serve you), I am a result-oriented individual. I am
opposed to inaction and waste of our tax dollars and other
resources.
Therefore, the following are my platforms:
1. Find better ways to reduce crime especially youth crime.
Currently, I am involved with the Fourth Police Precinct for the
past three years and appointed to the city's newly formed Youth
Services Coordination Council.
2. More improvements in our public-school education system. I
will work closely with the School Board and with Dr. Sidney
Faucette, superintendent of public schools.
3. More aggressive approach toward economic development. This
will result in more employment, increase the business tax base and
higher quality of life.
4. Bring the government closer to the people. Monthly ``town
meetings'' to be formulated to meet with our citizens in their
respective subdivisions, which will be published in advance for more
citizen par-tic-i-pa-tion.
5. To establish a bridge to link our multiculturally diverse
community. As one of the founders of the Minority Roundtable, which
is an organization representing eight culturally diverse ethnic
communities of Hampton Roads, I believe that there is a need for a
better understanding and harmonious relationship of these ethnic
groups (i.e., cultural exchanges, sharing of ideas and working
together on common problems).
My experience is in management, leadership, administration,
organization, advisory roles, mediation, planning, marketing,
customer service, assessment, counseling, public speaking. I have a
business and military background. I am highly motivated and
committed to serve all the citizens of our city with excellent
communication and organizational skills. A consensus builder,
hard-worker, a good listener and a well-balanced decision-maker, I
can be an asset and an outstanding member of the City Council of
Virginia Beach.
REBA McCLANAN
The most important factor in selecting or electing a Council
member is to find the person who will do the best job possible for
the city. This involves analyzing experience, background,
commitment, knowledge, common sense, caring about the city, openness
and objecvtivity, as well as freedom from control by special
interests. I try to exemplify these characteristics.
I worked my way through college and received my B. S. degree from
Berea College in Kentucky and a Master's Degree from Virginia Tech.
I have been active and involved consistently in the community. I
have served as president of the Friends of the Library, president of
the Virginia Beach Council of Civic Organizations, president of
Plaza Elementary PTA, president of the Virginia Beach Council of
Garden Clubs and several other organizations. I served three terms
as a member of the Virginia Beach City Council and one term as vice
mayor.
I have and shall continue to be a strong supporter of quality
public education. I have and shall continue to support emphasis on
quality in every regard, whether it be aesthetics, education,
employee performance, safe neighborhoods or any subject related to
the best quality of life we can provide for our citizens and city. I
am a fiscal conservative and believe in proper stewardship of the
city's resources with strong Council oversight and control.
I support sensible land-use planning. I am very proud of having
been a leader in the development of sign and landscape legislation,
as well as visual pollution control. I plan on continuing my
advocacy for strong, safe neighborhoods as well as economic
development that encourages new industry and business and strives to
retain existing retail and commercial. Quality development which
enhances the tax base is essential unless we are willing to pay
higher taxes.
I believe these strengths and beliefs will enable me to serve the
citizens of the city in the most qualified manner possible.
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA BEACH CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES by CNB