Bruce Monroe, president of the Orange County African American Historical Society, and Jason Ford, candidate to represent District 28 in the Virginia State Senate, were guests of honor at the LOW Democratic Club’s annual summer picnic on June 10. About 60 people enjoyed good food, good company and good politics at the the event held in the LOW Community Center. Sandy J. Harrington, candidate for the Orange County School Board, also attended to meet voters and answer their questions.
The annual Lake of the Woods Democratic Club picnic starts at 12:30 p.m., Saturday, June 10, in Marion Pronk Hall at the LOW Community Center.
Speaker at the event will be James Bruce Monroe III, president of the Orange County African American Historical Society.
Bruce Monroe
Monroe, a retired Air Force senior master sergeant, was raised in the Freedman’s Village of Little Petersburg and attended Orange County Public Schools. He earned his business management degree from Piedmont Virginia Community College, and is a graduate of the U. S Air Force Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Academy.
He brings many years of dedication and experience to sharing the history and stories of Orange County’s African Americans.
Admission to the picnic is $17.50 per person for a picnic lunch, including sides, soft drinks or bottled water and dessert.
Tickets to the picnic must be purchased in advance no later than June 1. They are available by credit card online by clicking the “Pay Now” button below or by mailing a check for $17.50 to LOW Democratic Club, P.O. Box 1351, Locust Grove, VA 22508. Mailed checks must be received by the deadline date.
The deadline for reservations has passed
For more information about Orange County African American history, click the link below:
JoAnne Speiden, president of the Virginia Electoral Board Association, will speak to the April 12 meeting of the LOW Democratic Club, answering questions about election procedures and the role of the Electoral Board in keeping elections fair and legal.
The program will begin at 1:30 p.m. and will take place at a new location — the lower level of the LOW Clubhouse. (Please note the change.) A 30-minute social period will proceed the presentation.
JoAnne Speiden
The Virginia Electoral Board Association is a non-partisan association of the 133 independent electoral boards in the Commonwealth.
Speiden has previously served as secretary of the Orange County Electoral Board. She was born in Alexandria and spent her career as a physical education teacher of disabled students in Charlottesville schools. She has lived in Orange County for 16 years.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in U.S. government and education and a master’s degree in special education.
She has served in various offices in VEBA, including district director, second vice president, first vice president and now president.
She is eminently qualified to answer questions about the changes in local representation brought on by redistricting following the 2020 U.S. Census, which moved Lake of the Woods from the old 30th State House District to the newly drawn 63rd House District and from the old 17th Senate District to the newly drawn 28th Senate District.
Changes in district lines as a result of the 2020 U.S. Census will greatly affect how Lake of the Woods is represented in the Virginia General Assembly beginning in January 2023. Here, in a nutshell, is a description of the changes.
House of Delegates — LOW is currently part of the 30th House District, represented by Del. Nick Frietas, a Republican. The 30th District includes all of Orange County.
Under the newly redrawn map, LOW will be in the 63rd House District. The new district bisects Orange County and includes western Spotsylvania County. (See illustration above.)
Del. Phil Scott, a Republican who represents the current 88th District, lives in new 63rd and intends to run for re-election here. At present no Democratic candidate has announced an intention to oppose him.
Western Orange County will be in the new 62nd District, where Democrat Sara Ratcliffe of Greene County has announced her candidacy to succeed Frietas, who is not a candidate in the new district.
The new 63rd District is slightly less conservative than the old 30th District, but still skews heavily Republican, according to the Virginia Public Action Project.
State Senate — Sen. Bryce Reeves, a Republican, who has represented the old 17th Senate District, has announced he intends to run for re-election in the newly redrawn 28th Senate District. He will be opposed in the June primary by Republican Mike Ellers. To date, no Democrat has announced for the seat.
The new district is considerably more conservative than the old, according to VPAP.
Joanne Speiden, a member of the Orange County Board of Elections, is scheduled to speak to the Lake of the Woods Democratic Club on April 12 to explain these changes in detail and to answer questions. Make plans now to attend.
More information about the changes is available from VPAP by following the links below.
J. Bryan Nicol, a member of the Orange County Planning Commission, will speak to the Lake of the Woods Democratic Club on March 8. Nicol, who represents District 5, which includes Lake of the Woods, will address the pending Wilderness Crossing project rezoning.
J. Bryan Nicol
The meeting will take place in Classroom 2 of the LOW Community Center. A social hour will begin at 1 p.m. and the program will start at 1:30 p.m.
Nicol will discuss the status of the Wilderness Crossing project, which would have major implications for our neighborhood, affecting traffic and water use among other things. The project has also raise environmental issues related to mining operations on the site long ago.
KEG III Associates has proposed rezoning more than 2,600 acres of land across Route 3 from Lake of the Woods in order to construct a large residential, commercial and light industrial development. The property is currently zoned for agricultural, industrial, residential and commercial use. The applicant has asked that it be rezoned in the category of planned development — mixed use.
The total timeframe for the project is intended to be from 30 to 40 years and would be broken up into phases, including up to 4,750 residential units, commercial retail, financial institutions, offices, hotel, medical or assisted living facilities, and/or light industrial.
It was the first major planned mixed-use development project proposed under the Greater Wilderness Area Plan, planned to sit north of Route 3, west of the Route 20 intersection, wrapping around the Locust Grove Post Office and behind Locust Grove Shopping Center across from Lake of the Woods.
Nicol and his wife, Traci, have been homeowners in Lake of the Woods for almost 15 years. He is a former deputy attorney general and commissioner of transportation in Indiana and currently serves as chief strategy officer for an architecture, engineering, and consulting firm.
All are welcome to attend the meeting and presentation. If you can’t attend in person the presentation will be streamed live on Facebook.
