When considering your vote, please weigh the importance of administrative skill, intellect, common sense, good humor, and a sincere concern for one’s neighbors. When such a person was born and raised in our senatorial district, and that person has added a successful professional career of public service, our choice for state senator is quite simple. This is our chance to act on our commitment to law enforcement. It is our chance to support the local sheriff. And yes, it would be really nice to have a Washington helping to run Virginia again.
Paul Bevins
Lake Monticello
Peake has conservative values
I agree with the recent letters to the Fluvanna Review. Ryant Washington was very popular as our sheriff and well-liked. But on Jan. 10 when we vote, it is more important that we keep Virginia’s Senate in the hands of Republicans and that is why I am voting for Mark Peake and urge other voters to do the same. Mark is a conservative with conservative values.
Esther Kilianski
Lake Monticello
Washington proven public servant
Oh, my. So the worst thing anyone can say about Ryant Washington is that he rented a school bus. Following established School Board policy. With the approval of the superintendent of schools. At a profit to the county. Oh dear, oh my.
Sheriff Ryant Washington is a dedicated, proven public servant. He is a man of integrity. He knows Fluvanna well, and will represent Fluvanna well in the state senate. He deserves your vote in the Jan. 10 special election.
Kathryn Hunter
Lake Monticello
Peake’s policies will better community
I grew up in Fluvanna County and graduated as a Fluco in 2005. I went on to study at Liberty University and am now a gospel radio show host and pastor. I endorse Mark Peake because he is the candidate that I am most confident in supporting and voting for policies that will better our community.
Make sure that everyone gets to the polls on Jan. 10 to vote for Mark J. Peake!
Alexander Howard Burruss
Henrico
Washington will move Virginia forward
The upcoming special election offers a unique opportunity for the 22nd District to show that we need consensus builders not partisan politics. The legacy of 2016 is that far too many people feel disenfranchised by their elected officials. I believe this is due to the growth of extremes in the political parties fueled by gerrymandering and news that is tailored to specific ideologies. Legislation, in practice, is the art of listening, compromise and keeping your eye on the future. Ryant Washington is an exceptional leader who demonstrates these skills.
As sheriff, repeatedly during budget sessions, I would hear him argue of the importance of balance in all of our core services, rather than simply promote his budgetary needs. One example was with regard to the need for additional counselors, job training and drug education at the high school and in the social services department. The logic was clear and simple. The cost of remediation for youth is much higher than the cost of prevention. Identify at-risk youth before they develop negative patterns.
His accomplishments and legacy as sheriff are also exemplary. His department was well run on a tight budget. He was on the National Commission for Forensic Science and served as president of the Virginia Sheriff’s Association. He has always been deeply involved in the community. Whether at fairs, high school ball games, Chamber of Commerce events, the Fluvanna Leadership Development Program, TRIAD, or a Board of Supervisors meeting, Ryant Washington is ever present, building relationships, protecting the county, and making the sheriff’s office approachable.
His role as special policy advisor working with the ABC board has allowed him to collaborate closely with the governor’s office and state legislators, allowing him to quickly bring his leadership and experience to build those critical bridges that are necessary for Virginia to move forward.
Tony O’Brien
Lake Monticello
Support Peake
I am excited to ask you to join supporting Mark Peake for Virginia Senate. There will be a special election Tuesday, Jan. 10 at your regular polling place. Sometimes elected officials worry about who will assume their seat when they leave their position, that is not the case here. I have complete confidence that Mark will continue to provide the same solid, principled conservative leadership that I am proud to have provided during my five years as your state senator. Mark is a strong free market supporter who will take care of working Virginians while ensuring that our job creators operate on a level playing field free of excessive government intervention and regulation. He and I agree, it’s hardworking Virginians who create jobs, not legislators and bureaucrats in Richmond. Mark is unwavering in his defense of your Second Amendment rights and of the lives of the innocent unborn. Mark knows that all of our rights grow out of our First and Second Amendment rights to speak, worship, assemble and defend our families as we see fit. A strong Constitutionalist, Mark Peake will defend your property rights and fight government overreach which would infringe upon our privacy and the due process of law. These fundamental ideas are the bedrock upon which our great Commonwealth was built, and Mark Peake will fight to defend them. Mark understands the appropriate role of government. You can rest assured that I will fight federal overreach. On Jan. 10, the only candidate who we can trust to do the same in Virginia is Mark Peake. Mark is a fiscal conservative who will stridently protect the fruits of your labor while fighting to roll back a bloated budget and an overreaching government. We simply cannot afford to cede control of the Virginia Senate to the radical agenda of Terry McAuliffe and his tax-and-spend cohorts. Simply put, control of the entire Virginia Senate hinges on you and your friends coming out to support Mark Peake on Jan. 10. On the heels of a resounding Trump win last November, let us continue the momentum here in Virginia in one week.
Tom Garrett, Jr.
5th District Congressman
Thanks for uplifting reflections
What an uplifting moment it was for me to read “Students reflect on new year” in the Dec. 29 issue of the Fluvanna Review. Cheers and thanks to teachers Melody Morgan and Theresa Osani for encouraging their fifth graders to be able to compose their thoughts and write them down so beautifully. These students are well on their way to academic success. The ability to write well will always be important. And they can brag, “I’ve been published.”
Angela Bergeron
Lake Monticello
