July 31, 2013

36th District

Reston, Virginia

 

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Delegate Ken Plum's
Virginia e-News  
Commentary
    

Much Remains to Be Done         

Delegate Kenneth R. "Ken" Plum

I grew up in my early years in a racially segregated Virginia. The State Constitution had a provision stating, "Mixed schools prohibited. White and colored children shall not be taught in the same school." I did not know any African American children when I was young in rural Virginia because the several children I might have gotten to know were bused past the school I attended to a separate school a dozen miles away. It took forty law suits after Brown vs. Board of Education to overcome massive resistance and to desegregate public schools in Virginia. By that time I had left my hometown in the Shenandoah Valley and had enrolled in the Norfolk College of William and Mary later to become Old Dominion University. The City of Norfolk had a racially mixed but segregated population and had been one of the most challenging places to accomplish racial integration. I lived in an apartment on 48th Street that was the dividing line between black and white housing. The college I attended was predominantly white; the black students in the city attended Norfolk State College. The workplaces in Norfolk were segregated. As a white college student I could get easy part-time jobs. The black people did the really strenuous work. These early experiences strengthened my resolve to work for racial and economic justice because I saw from first-hand observation that it was the moral and right thing to do. From my political science classes I came to understand that it was also the constitutional and legal thing to do.

 

When I came to Fairfax County in the mid-1960s I joined the Fairfax County Human Relations Council to work for racial harmony and against discrimination. The efforts of the Council led to the establishment of the Fairfax County Human Rights Commission that took over our work in an official way to deal with discrimination. I felt that progress was really being made in the community as Reston was advertising its housing as being open to all persons. I remember when my youngest son introduced me to his new best friend in elementary school after telling me about him for several weeks. Never once did he indicate that his friend was black; it clearly wasn't something he thought was important to mention. In previous times a person's minority status was too often among one of the first things that was said about someone.

 

Old Dominion University has gone on to become one of the most racially and ethnically diverse schools in the Commonwealth. One of my grandsons started at ODU but completed his studies at traditionally black Norfolk State University with never a mention of that fact about the college. I believe some of the issues that were of concern to others in the past are appropriately not even a thought for younger generations.

 

As we have seen through the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman matter, however, we still have a long way to go on race relations. The task of reaching racial equality and harmony is far from complete. I agree with President Obama when he said, "I don't want us to lose sight that things are getting better. Each successive generation seems to be making progress in changing attitudes when it comes to race."

 

It may seem discouraging, but from my long-range perspective we are making progress. Knowing about the past is important as we go forward, but there is still much to be done. We must stay the course.  

Virginia Report on Comcast Channel 28

 

Virginia ReportTune in to Ken's weekly television program, Virginia Report, on Reston Comcast Channel 28 for public service programming. Ken interviews state and local leaders who are making news by making a difference. Watch these upcoming programs:

 

TONIGHT - Wednesday, July 31 at 10:30 p.m. - Mark Emery, Virginia Partnership for Out-of-School Time   

  

Tuesday, August 6 at 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday, August 7 at 10:30 p.m. - Cynthia Sebian-Lander, Every Child Matters, "Strong Kids, Strong Virginia"  

 

"Virginia Report" is also available online at www.rctv28.com/virginiareport.html for viewing on your computer or iPad.     

 

Bulletin Board

August Sales Tax Holiday for School Supplies and Clothing:
This year's tax holiday for school supplies and clothing will take place August 2-4. During this three-day period, purchases for qualifying school supplies selling for $20 or less per item and purchases of qualifying clothing and footwear selling for $100 or less per item will be exempt from sales tax. Retailers may also choose to absorb the tax on other items during the holiday period, but they are responsible for paying the tax on those items to the Department of Taxation. For more information, go to August Sales Tax Holiday.

The Summer edition of disAbilities Celebration Connection 
is available to view at www.celebratingspecialchildren.org.The mission of Celebrating Special Children, Inc. is to provide the necessary information to ensure that individuals with disabilities realize their fullest potential of development, independence and quality of life.   

Texting and Driving...it can wait: This initiative focuses on educating people - especially teens - about the dangers of texting and driving. The message is simple, yet vital: When it comes to texting and driving, it can wait. For more information and to take the pledge to never text and drive, visit itcanwait.com.    

  

State Board of Elections Launches Online Voter Registration:  

Eligible citizens of the Commonwealth will now be able to submit a voter registration application or update their registration information online. In order to complete the application process online, citizens must provide their Virginia DMV customer identifier number, which is displayed on DMV issued identification cards or Driver's Licenses. Citizens who do not have a Virginia DMV customer identifier may still fill out the registration application online but will be required to print and return the completed application to the appropriate local voter registration office. Voters will also be mailed a new or updated voter registration card once the appropriate general registrar accepts the application or update. Additional information is available at  www.SBE.Virginia.gov.

 

New Position to Coordinate Virginia's Dementia Services: 
Charlotte Arbogast is joining the Virginia Department for Aging
and Rehabilitative Services as the Commonwealth's first dementia services coordinator. As coordinator, she will
review existing programs and work with agencies to more effectively deliver services to Virginians with dementia and
identify gaps and reduce duplication in those services. In addition, she will coordinate and support the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Commission's activities and evaluate the
Commonwealth's services for individuals with dementia and their caregivers. She will also support the "No Wrong Door" initiative,
Virginia's approach to delivering convenient and efficient access to health and human services for older adults and adults with disabilities. The Virginia Department for Aging and
Rehabilitative Services, in collaboration with community partners, provides and advocates for resources and services to improve the employment, quality of life, security, and independence of older Virginians, Virginians with disabilities, and their families. For more information, visit www.vadars.org. 
 
Volunteers Sought for "Works Sunday 2013." For the 18th year in a row, "Works Sunday"--a cornucopia of charitable projects-- will be taking place on or about Sunday, August 18, aimed at helping the hungry, the hurting and the homeless in the Reston/Herndon area. A remarkable example of successful interfaith cooperation at the grassroots level, "Works Sunday 2013" is sponsored by some 20 local congregations--Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Buddhist--as a celebration of shared ethical values and a demonstration of their strong commitment to community service and social justice. A reflection of that welcoming spirit is that "Works Sunday" is open to all. Volunteers need not belong to a sponsoring congregation--or any congregation--in order to participate. For more information (including guidelines on the participation of children ages 12 and under and teens unaccompanied by an adult) or to volunteer for specific projects, visit www.workssunday.org or call Christopher Wist at 703-964-6874.

 

Calendar of Events       

 

Fairfax County Crime Solvers 5K Run to Fight Crime, Sunday, August 4, 8:00 a.m., Fairfax Corner Shopping Center. Early Bird Registration $30 by July 15; July 16-August 2 registration $35; packet pick-up & race day registration $40. For details and to sign up, visit Crime Solvers 5K Run. For more information about Fairfax County Crime Solvers, go to Fairfax County Crime Solvers. 

  

Monday, August 5, 8:00 a.m.-8:30 p.m. The Governor's K-12 Education Reform Summit at the Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles, 14750 Conference Center Drive, Chantilly.  Register at govk12summit. More information about the initiative is at allstudents.virginia.gov.   

  

Reston Community Orchestra Summer Reading Session, Monday, August 5, 7:30-10:00 p.m., at Sunset Hills Montessori School, 11180 Ridge Heights Road, Reston. Sign up and information at www.restoncommunityorchestra.org.

 

Tuesday, August 6, 5:00-7:00 p.m., Community Cookout at Lake Newport Pool, 11601 Lake Newport Road. For more information contact Kevin Danaher at 703-390-6166 or kevin.danaher@fairfaxcounty.gov.   

  

On August 11 at 8:00 a.m. the YMCA Fairfax County Reston and Reston Association will be holding the third annual Reston Kid's Triathlon. The event is intended to be a fun opportunity for youngsters to stay active through the summer and learn about the fast growing sport of triathlon. All net proceeds from this event will be used for the Y and RA youth scholarship programs. For more information, including road restrictions during the event, visit www.restonkidstri.org or contact Joe O'Gorman at irishtri@verizon.net or Larry Butler at lbutler@reston.org.     

     

Sunday, August 11 at 4:30 p.m., Virginia Ballet Company's summer performance "Precedence" will be held at the Ernst Community Cultural Center on the Northern Virginia Community College Annandale Campus, 8333 Little River Turnpike, Annandale. All seats are reserved; tickets are $20 plus a $3 processing fee for each ticket and may be purchased online at www.virginiaballetcompany.org. Call 703-249-8227 for further information. 

        

Reston Community Orchestra Summer Reading Session, Monday, August 12, 7:30-10:00 p.m., at Sunset Hills Montessori School, 11180 Ridge Heights Road, Reston. Sign up and information at www.restoncommunityorchestra.org.  

      

Secure Document Shredding, Saturday, August 17, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the North County Human Services Center, 1850 Cameron Glen Drive, Reston.   

 

Electric Sunday, August 18. Recycle your old unwanted electronics (televisions, computers, keyboards, speakers, stereos, etc.) along with unbroken fluorescent lights. Event runs from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the I-66 Transfer Station 4618 West Ox Rd., Fairfax.        

 

Sunday, September 8, 9/11 Unity Walk; Registration begins at 12:00 pm at Washington Hebrew Congregation, 3935 Macomb St. NW at Massachusetts Avenue. For more information, visit 9/11 Unity Walk.   

 

Governor's Transportation Conference, December 4-6, 2013, at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, 403 North Third Street, Richmond. Visit www.vatranscon.com for further information and to sign up to receive conference updates. 

    
In This Issue
Commentary..."Much Remains to Be Done"
"Virginia Report" on Comcast Channel 28
Bulletin Board
Check Your Calendar
Delegate Kenneth R. "Ken" Plum
Delegate Ken Plum's Virginia E-News
703-758-9733 * kenplum@aol.com * www.kenplum.com 
 
Delegate Ken Plum's Virginia e-News is authorized by Kenneth R. Plum
 and paid for by Friends of Delegate Ken Plum.