News Virginian
Published: March 13, 2008

How well will you really know the candidates for Waynesboro City Council- At best, you might get a minute or two with a candidate standing on your doorstep to ask for your vote. At the least, you either head to the polls on May 6 knowing what you have read about the candidates in the newspaper or knowing the name of the same candidates from a campaign sign.

I think you have a right to know more about the people who want to represent you on the City Council than our names and what color our campaign signs are. And I know that you're watching our local government-access channel. I hear from people every day that they're watching, and taking notes about how business is being done at City Hall.

Our campaign made inquiries about the possibility of using the city's government access channel to televise a council candidates forum ("Chamber says no to TV forum," March 13). Disappointingly, some have tried to turn this logical event into a political football.

I look forward to the day when we can get to the point of actually debating the issues that matter to voters, and get past the matter of the particulars of how that debate will be structured.

Chris Graham

Waynesboro

Graham is a candidate for the City Council's Ward B seat.

The most rewarding part of my years working with the public has been the pleasure of meeting and building relationships with many wonderful people. Chris and Crystal Graham are one such couple. It is rewarding when a young person gets involved in our political process. So when I was invited to attend Chris' campaign announcement, I gladly did so. The media took a picture of my congratulating and wishing him well, as I would any candidate. However, I have not made it my practice to endorse a candidate while serving on the City Council.

Crystal Graham did plant the seed with a hypothetical question regarding televising a forum and it was then positively discussed in an open council meeting. I asked City Attorney Robert C. Lunger to look into the legalities and logistics in order to ensure everything would be done legally and fairly, to which Mr. Lunger has responded to us all on several occasions. The allegations of the Council being "blindsided" by the discussion at Monday's meeting is surprising and baffling.

Televising the forum would serve the same purpose as televising the meetings. We have many citizens who are unable to attend and this would give them an opportunity to see the forum first hand. If run properly, as we intend, no candidate would have an unfair advantage over another.

Accusations are often made without merit or basis and once out there are believed. I have learned that people have different agendas and believe what they choose to believe. I also now understand why so few dedicated people desire to serve in local politics.

I would like to thank every citizen who does care and gives back to our community — whether you stopped to pick up a piece of trash off the street today or serve on our committees and commissions — thank you!

Vice Mayor Nancy M. Dowdy

Waynesboro

Augusta Expoland's board of directors absolutely made the correct decision for themselves and the surrounding area by denying an extreme sports park on their property ("Goodbye 'moto' park," March 12).

Expo's many other activities would have eventually been lost due to lack of attendance. Expo has always been a good neighbor to the community. I salute them for wanting to keep it that way. Present and future neighbors and businesses accurately predicted what kind of problems would have been created by an extreme sports park at Expoland.

I have always been suspicious of the numbers used by the developers to support their project. For example, at the last board of zoning appeals meeting, they complained about spending $20,000 to put on a demonstration for the board. Have we been exposed to funny math-

Paul Harper

Fishersville