On July 20, Supervisors agreed to give the go-ahead for a formal review of draft rules to address the use of outdoor wood boilers in King George.
    To be clear, the proposed ordinance would have no effect on wood stoves operated inside homes, since regulations are already in place for them.
    Outdoor wood boilers are also called outdoor wood furnaces.  They are freestanding units that provide heat and hot water for residences.  They heat water by burning wood or other fuel stuff, 24 hours/day, some in use every day of the year.
    (See related article in the 9-1 Journal Paper.)
    Earlier this month on August 10, the Planning Commission reviewed the proposed ordinance change for outdoor wood furnaces.

Engineer says OK for now, remediation for erosion is needed

The professional opinion from Draper Aden Associates next states a disclaimer, saying, “Our opinion is based exclusively on the conditions observed during our site visit, and we cannot guarantee future stability based on the unpredictable nature of erosion progression.”

The Aug. 24 Draper Aden report came through County Administrator Travis Quesenberry, who had requested the evaluation from county-contracted engineers. See the evaluation report here.

The engineering evaluation was based on its site visit to Hunter Field on Aug. 11.

King George County is prepared if weather conditions require opening evacuation shelters. The primary shelter locations are the King George High School and Citizens Center. Citizens are asked to bring photo ID, special care items, medications, some food, pillows, board games, etc.  Additional shelters would be opened on an as needed basis.
King George also has an animal/pet shelter operations plan. Only service animals are allowed in the human shelters. The animal pound and King George Middle School are pet shelters and would open on an as needed basis.
Citizens will be notified by KGALERT and local media on locations and other instructions about shelter openings.

Tips for King George County Residents to prepare for a hurricane

“According to the latest forecasts, King George County could experience hazardous weather from Hurricane Earl Friday into Saturday.” Said Lt. Steven Lynd, Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator, King George County Department of Fire and Rescue and Emergency Services “We encourage everyone to monitor the local media and make preparations in case the storm track changes”.

Things that King George County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services  is doing to prepare for the storm

1. Monitoring weather reports and long range forecasts
2. Provide briefing to county department heads, constitutional officers, and elected officials
3. Participating in any Virginia Department of Emergency Management conference calls
4. Implement hazardous weather plan if necessary. 
5. Ensure all emergency equipment and personnel are ready for the storm
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$26K lawn mower under ‘Instruction’ in June spending

The King George Board of Supervisors was given some preliminary end-of-year projections for unspent budgeted funds leftover at the end of the 2009-10 year that ended on June 30.
The news was provided by Deputy County Administrator Donita Harper at last week’s meeting on Aug. 17.
Calling the numbers, “very, very preliminary,” Harper said she was projecting surpluses for both the county and the School Board.

The canning class was a great success! Here is a firsthand account from participant Michelle Clark, this week’s guest contributor:
There is a row of 12 crimson glass jars on my shelf that I am very proud of. I learned to can this year thanks to Jane Van Valzah at Friendly Cottage Farm, who recently taught a community canning class. We helped her dispose of her large tomato crop and we will be enjoying it through the dark days of winter. The class was an excellent opportunity to practice canning with a pro, have great conversation over boiling pots, and make some new friends.
My new canning friend, Miriam, and I decided to practice our new skills together. We bought a bushel of peaches from “the peach guy,” Billy Bowler. He had a bumper crop this year and these peaches are some of the best I’ve had.
A friend asked me, “why bother canning for yourself when you can buy things cheaply at the store anytime?” My first response is: “It tastes better!”
But I have other reasons. Food in glass jars is free of plasticy chemicals present in canned food (there is a plastic lining inside the can), grocery store fare is often shipped from some faraway place, and as a consumer you have no idea how the food has been processed or what chemicals have been used. As a young wife, I have been increasingly interested in the health of my family. In my quest for a yummy and healthful diet, I have been avoiding processed or “fake” food and pursuing a traditional diet. The rewards have been great.

Remaining four county schools miss the mark for No Child Left Behind requirements

King George Elementary School is the only county school that met or exceeded all federal accountability objectives during the last school year.  
That’s according to national Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) ratings released last week for 2010-11 by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) indicating the progress being made toward the goals of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001.
For a school, a school division or the state to make AYP, it must meet or exceed 29 benchmarks for student achievement including participation in statewide testing.
Missing a single benchmark may result in a school, a school division or the state not making AYP. The main focus is for schools to meet benchmarks for proficiency in reading and math.  
The AYP announcement for 2010-12 was made last week on Aug. 12 by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE).  At the same time, it posted information on each of the schools and divisions across the state.  To see the complete listing of AYP for each school in the state as a pdf, click here.
Additional information about each school can also be found at the VDOE website in the School Report Card section, https://p1pe.doe.virginia.gov/reportcard/.

Four pricey options range between $7.4 & $9.6 million for renovations

An assessment report for Potomac Elementary School was presented at a joint meeting of the Board of Supervisors and School Board last Tuesday.
The price tags for the four options presented by the Crabtree Rohrbaugh & Associates study were higher than expected.
The presentation on Aug. 3 took about 40 minutes and left the Board of Supervisors and School Board members with little to say on the topic.
Earlier this year, County Administrator Travis Quesenberry indicated to Supervisors during a budget work session that the price tag to renovate Potomac could be upwards of $5 million. 

The assessment provided four options for renovations, some with an addition, with the cheapest at $7.4 million and the most expensive putting it at $9.6 million. 
The study indicated the current replacement value of the school at $12.92 million.
(tell us which renovation option you think is best - press the read more button)