Alison Walden, school counselor, speaks to club

Tracing the history of aggressive behavior from Ancient Sparta to modern-day Locust Grove, Alison Walden, school counselor at Locust Grove Middle School, assured those who attended the club’s May 16 meeting that Orange County Schools take bullying very seriously.

“We tell our students and our parents that if anything like that goes on, we want to know about it,” Ms. Walden said. “We feel we have a responsibility to our children to make sure they feel safe at school.”

She defined bullying as “unwanted, repeated aggressive behavior by a person or a group which makes a child feel powerless to defend himself or herself.” She explained that not all conflict is bullying and that children can’t be protected from all conflict, but that bullying is never appropriate.

Bullying is categorized into four categories, she said: physical, verbal, emotional and cyber.

The Orange County school division uses components of a bullying-prevention program called Olweus, named for Dr. Dan Olweus, a professor of psychology at the University of Bergen in Norway.

Among the preventative measures undertaken at Orange County Schools, she said, are student surveys about bullying, assembly programs on bullying, an “I Am Unafraid” bulletin board, video reminders during morning announcements, an anonymous box to report bullying at the school and a “Bullying Stops Here” link on the school’s Web site that permits students and parents to report incidents of bullying.

In addition, she said, faculty and staff at the school are trained regularly on how to handle complaints of bullying and every complaint is treated seriously and investigated.

As a result of the school system’s efforts, Ms. Walden said, the reported instances of bullying has been reduced by as much as 75 percent. In a student survey conducted in September 2013, 54 percent of students answered “no” to the question “Have you ever been the victim of bullying. Less than 1 percent said they had been bullied frequently.

Bullying — persistent, aggressive behavior among school aged children — has received considerable public attention recently after several high-profile cases resulted in the deaths of young victims.

The Lake of the Woods Democratic Club will examine this troubling social phenomenon at its meeting at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, May 16, in the lower level of the LOW Clubhouse.

Alison Walden, school counselor at Locust Grove Middle School, will talk about bullying in Orange County Schools and describe what is being done locally to address the issue.

The Orange County School Division uses components of a bullying-prevention program called Olweus for about five years. The program, which was developed by Dr. Dan Olweus, research professor of psychology at the University of Bergen in Norway, works to build positive relationships among students and involves all students, not just those who are being bullied or who are bullying others. The importance of support from parents and guardians, faculty and staff and members of the general public in preventing bullying is also addressed.

Orange County Schools’ Web site states “The staff of Orange County Public Schools is committed to creating a safe school environment, free of bullying and harassment.”

Ms. Walden, who lives in Charlottesville, has been a school counselor for 22 years and has been at Locust Grove Middle School since it opened. Prior to that she taught 6th and 4th grades at Prospect Heights School for 14 years.

She has four degrees, including a master’s degree and an educational specialist degree from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and bachelor’s degrees from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg and Hollins University in Roanoke.

Ms. Walden is a sustaining member of the Junior League in Charlottesville, a member of the Martha Jefferson Hospital Foundation and is an elector of Grace Episcopal Church in Keswick.

Guests are welcome.

For more information, please follow the links below:

• Locust Grove Middle School
• Olweus Bullying Prevention Program
• stopbullying.gov
• Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center

Traci Dippert speaks to LOW Democrats

Traci Dippert, candidate for the House of Delegates from the 30th District, warned LOW Democrats and guests March 21 that citizen rights will continue to deteriorate unless they support new leadership in next fall’s election.

“Like me I know a lot of you are not happy with what happened last year in Richmond in regard to restriction of voter rights, assault on women’s rights and reproductive rights,” she said. “It happened again this year with the relentless, underhanded attack again on voter rights, the Electoral College and gerrymandering districts.

“Who would have thought that by us staying home in 2011 would have caused all this, but make no mistake, it did.
We cannot allow this to happen again.”

Ms. Dippert said that the current representative of the 30th District had been complicit in the General Assembly’s efforts to erode women’s rights, voter’s rights and civil rights.

“I see a future where Virginia leads in attracting new industries and entrepreneurs and helps existing businesses succeed without sacrificing our environment. A Virginia where farming can again be a sustainable way of life, and a future where there’s a quality job for every Virginian and our families stay strong and independent,” she said.

“I see a future where teachers like myself have all the necessary resources to prepare your children and grandchildren with a well-rounded education to face the challenges of the 21st Century. We must continue to lead the country in the talent pool and we must do so without guns in the classroom.”

Ms. Dippert, who teaches music to elementary school students at Rappahannock Elementary School, said “Every Virginian must have the opportunity to succeed whether a junior citizen in school or a senior citizen in retirement.”

“I need your help to secure that vision for Virginia,” she said. “This region has incredible untapped potential and deserves a representative who has the vision to move District 30 and all of Virginia forward.”

Dippert for Delegate campaign Web site

Lori Haas

Lori Haas, a representative of the Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, urged a crowd of about 80 people at the Lake of the Woods Clubhouse Feb. 24, to dial up pressure on their elected representatives to address gun violence in our country with significant reforms that include universal background checks, an assault weapons ban, limits on the size of magazines and strong penalties for gun trafficking.

“We have immense momentum on this issue, immense momentum,” Ms. Haas said. “Do we need more? Absolutely!”

She urged citizens to call the offices of their state and national representatives, but not just once.

“Make the call over and over and over again,” she said. “If they hear from you 30 times, that’s OK.”

“Call every single day or two times a day or five or 10, as many times as you can. It will have an impact. I promise it matters. I promise it will help.”

Even though the polls show that 92 percent of Americans support background checks for gun purchases, legislators hear more often from the highly vocal members of the National Rifle Association and its highly funded lobbyists, she said.

“We can and we have regulated fully automatic machine guns in this country. It’s illegal to own them. So we’ve done it with one piece of hardware, I think we can do it with another,” Ms. Haas said.

But a ban on assault weapons is not enough, she said. “We want the full package … because we believe that will have the greatest effect on the gun violence that is just ripping our country apart.”

Ms. Haas, whose daughter Emily was wounded in the deadly attack at Virginia Tech in 2007, said the NRA wants to feed a climate of fear to boost the sales of guns and ammunition. In order to accomplish their goals, they are taking advantage of a “resurrectionist mentality” among some people. “These are people who think that the Second Amendment says it’s OK to overthrow your own government or to arm youselves so the government can’t tell you what to do,” she said.

Ms. Haas said it has been proven that strong gun laws work. She cited a difference of 3.6 gun deaths per 100,000 population in states with strong laws, compared to 10.85 in Alaska, the state with the weakest laws.

Ms. Haas said she will keep the club informed of progress as the effort to control gun violence goes forward.

•  CPGV Action Alert for Feb. 17, 2013

Traci Dippert

Traci Dippert, a Rappahannock County elementary school music teacher who is seeking the Democratic nomination for the 30th District seat in Virginia’s House of Delegates, will speak to the Lake of the Woods Democratic Club at its March 21 meeting.

Ms. Dippert, who live in Culpeper, offers a fresh alternative to Ed Scott of Madison, who has held the 30th District seat for nearly a decade.

The club meeting will be held at 1:30 p.m. in the lower level of the Lake of the Woods Clubhouse. Members of the public are welcome without regard to political affiliation.

Ms. Dippert is chairman of the Culpeper County Democratic Committee and has been a teacher for 16 years, previously in Culpeper and in upstate New York, where she grew up.

“I would like to be your delegate because I believe Virginia and the 30th District can do better,” Ms. Dippert said on announcing her candidacy earlier this year. “In the past, our district has supported delegates who were moderate. Although Ed Scott started out as a moderate, over the years and especially the last two sessions of the General Assembly, he has moved drastically to support the extreme right wing of his party.”

“I believe this area has incredible untapped potential, and deserves a representative with vision to move the 30th District and all of Virginia forward,” Ms. Dippert said in announcing her candidacy. “The potential is great, the opportunity is here and the time is now. I am ready to be your voice in Richmond.”

The candidate holds an undergraduate degree in music education from the State University of New York at Potsdam and a master’s degree in general education from Elmira College.

Ms. Dippert filed her paperwork with the Virginia Board of Elections Jan. 11 to run in this year’s election. If there are other Democratic applicants for the 30th District seat, a primary will be held June 11.

The election for the state office is Nov. 5, at the same time as those for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.

The 30th District covers Orange and Madison counties, and most of Culpeper County.

Lori Hanky Haas

Finding ways to prevent the tragedy of gun violence in America will be the topic of a special program sponsored by the Lake of the Woods Democratic Club at the LOW Clubhouse on Sunday, Feb. 24.

Lori Haas, a spokesman for the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence will speak at 1 p.m. in the Lower Level of the Clubhouse. Everyone is invited to attend, regardless of political affiliation.

Ms. Haas has been an advocate for more effective gun policy since her daughter Emily was shot and injured in the massacre at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg in April 2007.

She works on legislation at the state and federal levels and promotes responsible gun laws in an effort to prevent gun violence. Since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., on Dec. 14, 2012, Ms. Haas has appeared in several national forums, including an appearance with parents of Sandy Hook victims.

The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence is a small non-profit organization that has worked on gun violence prevention for more than 20 years. She is a board member of that organization.

Ms. Haas has worked with the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, the Virginia Center for Public Safety, Protest Easy Guns and Mayors Against Illegal guns. She has lobbied on Capital Hill in Washington and before the Virginia General Assembly for responsible gun laws numerous times. She promotes awareness of the issue by speaking to various groups from her perspective as a family member of someone who has survived gun violence.

Ms. Haas graduated in 1976 from Saint Gertrude High School and attended Virginia Tech for two years. After a successful career in real estate, Lori volunteered for many neighborhood, church, school and civic organizations. She was born and still lives in Richmond.

She is married and has three children: Emily lives in Madison and teaches at the Grymes Memorial Day School; her son, Wyatt, is a junior at William & Mary in Williamsburg; and her son, Townley, is a sophomore at Benedictine College Prepatory School in Richmond.

View the video below to hear Ms. Haas’ personal testimony.

• Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Web site
• Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Facebook page
• Video interview with Lori Haas from Newtown, Conn.

Kerry Sipe, publicity chair, and Chris Carr, historian, unveil the portrait of the president the club hopes will be displayed in the Presidents Room at the LOW Clubhouse.

The Lake of the Woods Democratic Club celebrated the second inaugural of President Barack Obama by donating a framed portrait of the president the club hopes will be displayed in the Presidents Room of the LOW Clubhouse.

The portrait, a handsomely framed and matted photograph of the president with the U.S. flag, was unveiled at the club’s meeting on Jan. 17.

The club has applied to Clubhouse Manager Joey Welsh for permission to display the portrait among the other portraits of presidents on the walls of the Presidents Room. The room now features portraits of the eight Virginia presidents, plus Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Theodore Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan and a group photo of Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama.

Club members used the first meeting of the new year to participate in an exercise in which each member listed “new year’s resolutions” for the club for 2013. The resolutions included support for the President’s gun-control initiative, electing a Democratic governor in November and supporting club member Ken Martin as he assumes the chairmanship of the county Democratic Committee.

Club member Mary Berger has prepared sample letters to our state delegate and senator, urging them to support continuation of the statewide ban on uranium mining.

Copies of the letters are available at the links below.

You may mail these letters directly to the representative to whom each is addressed. Mary will also have printed copies at our monthly meeting on Jan. 17.

Uranium mining is a threat to the health and safety of every Virginian. Stand up and be heard on this important environmental issue.

• Letter to Del. Edward Scott

• Letter to Sen. Bryce Reeves

Leading the LOW Democrats during 2013 are (left to right) Lois Powell, Kerry Sipe, Jan Moore, Norma Lanier, Diane Sibley, Shirley Pfile, Gary Sibley, Mary Berger and Chris Carr.

The new club officers for 2013 were introduced at the annual Christmas luncheon at Bonefish Grill on Dec. 4.

Shirley Pfile will serve another term as chair. The other officers are: Pat Drake, secretary; Gary Sibley, treasurer; Mary Berger, membership; Nancy Arnold, programs; Jan Moore and Norma Lanier, community projects; Chris Carr and Lois Powell, special events; Diane Sibley, issues of concern; Kerry Sipe, publicity; and Chris Carr, historian.

Linda Muller, chair of the Rappahannock Group of The Sierra Club, urged club members to oppose lifting the 30-year ban on uranium mining in Virginia.

“What we need to do is say, ‘Stop! No! We don’t want this!’”

That was the advice of Linda Carr Muller, chair of the Rappahannock Group of The Sierra Club, who cautioned members of the Lake of the Woods Democratic Club at its Nov. 15 meeting, that highly funded industrial interests are determined to undermine Virginia’s 30-year-long ban on uranium mining.

“Virginia is for lovers of a clean environment, a healthy environment,” Ms. Muller said. She warned that approval of uranium mining is a threat to the quality of air, land and water throughout the Commonwealth and would be detrimental to farm products, fishing and tourism.

Almost all of Virginia’s local governments, including Orange County and the Town of Orange, have passed resolutions to oppose lifting the ban.

The uranium mining ban went unchallenged until recently, when the cost of uranium began to rise and the uranium industry began to lobby state legislators to allow mining operations.

Twelve thousand acres of land from Orange County north through Fauquier County have been identified as potential mining sites.

“It’s a very serious issue,” Ms. Muller said. “This represents one of the gravest environmental exposures that we have.”

She urged citizens to call and write their state delegates and state senators to demand that they oppose lifting the ban on mining.

Since 2008, Ms. Muller said, Virginia Uranium Co. has donated $364,000 to members of the General Assembly in the form of campaign contributions or travel and gifts. The purpose of these donations, she said, is to influence the decision of whether the ban should be continued. The issue is expected to come before the session of the General Assembly that convenes in January 2013.

“People like you and other organizations have said, ‘You know what? We don’t want this here! We value our health; we value our land; we value our water!’ ”

Ms. Muller urged club members to become better informed on the issue by visiting the following Web sites:

• Keep the Ban – A group of state and local environmental organizations supporting the ban on uranium mining
• Piedmont Environmental Council — Covering the regions of Albemarle, Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock
• Southern Environmental Law Center – Environmentally focused legal advocacy covering the states of Virginia, North Careolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama
• Virginia Chapter Sierra Club – Part of the National Sierra Club, the oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization
• Virginia Conservation Network – More than 100 environmentally focused nonprofit and community groups
• Virginia League of Conservation Voters – The Virginia organization part of the League of Conservation Voters
• National Academy of Science “Uranium Mining in Virginia” study
• Uranium Working Group – Established by Gov. Bob McDonnell in January 2011