Way to go
Re “Chesapeake City Treasurer retiring at end of month amidst transfer of some duties to city” (June 13): With the recent announcement of the retirement of Barbara Carraway as the longtime treasurer for the city of Chesapeake, I am writing to recognize Carraway’s major contributions in establishing an investment pool that is today widely used by local governments across Virginia.
Ten years ago, the Virginia Municipal League and the Virginia Association of Counties convened a working committee of local treasurers and investment officers to develop a high quality, professionally managed investment pool to generate additional revenues for local governments and help reduce burdens on taxpayers. The result was the Virginia Investment Pool, known as VIP.
Carraway was a leader in this effort. At her urging, the Chesapeake City Council voted to become VIP’s first member. Subsequently, Carraway was elected VIP’s first chairman of the Board of Trustees and has served on the board ever since.
VIP offered the first fixed income investment pool owned and governed exclusively by Virginia localities. The program has grown through the years, and today has more than $2.5 billion in assets.
Local governments and taxpayers across Virginia owe a debt of gratitude to Carraway and the city of Chesapeake for the key role they played in establishing VIP. On behalf of our 170 participating local governments and authorities, we wish Carraway all the best in the years ahead.
Fred W. Parker, chairman, Virginia Investment Pool, Abingdon
Work zones
Re “Suffolk rolling out new traffic cameras near schools, work zones” (May 9): Over the past year, the construction on U.S. 58, the Holland Road widening project, has been an issue of growing concern with no easy solution. I am a resident of the Holland area of the city, and I am truly pleased to see this city push for this initiative. Many individuals do not understand the severity of stopping people from speeding through this highly congested area; however, the residents of the area such as me witness on average three to four car accidents daily.
The article indicated that the civil penalties would pay for the rollout and will go toward financing roadway improvements. The article noted that the city plans to have two work-zone cameras on U.S. 58. Based on the high traffic zone and the significant number of car accidents that occur on this highway, it would create a safer environment for the residents and drivers in our city.
Overall, this is an amazing initiative that the city has put in place to attempt to serve a dual purpose. Hopefully, it will prompt drivers to slow down and serve as a warning to those who do not.
Jade Watkins, Suffolk
Goodbye
Re “Timothy Francis McGlone” (Obituaries, June 11): I was saddened to read the report of the death of former Virginian-Pilot reporter Tim McGlone. McGlone and I met in the 1990s when he covered the courts and I served as an assistant city attorney in Virginia Beach. Our friendship developed, as so many solid relationships do, when we learned early on that we could trust each other’s word. He was a good reporter and a good man.
To my great regret, McGlone and I lost contact soon after he moved to Wisconsin several years ago to be with his family. I’m now left with the sad knowledge that I could have — should have — done more to keep in touch with him. This news is a harsh reminder that we all need to keep our friendships alive and active; that if we have something to say, we should say it now. Don’t ever put yourself in a position to have to say, “Thank you,” “I apologize” or “I love you” to a tombstone.
Rest well, my brother.
Steve Emmert, Virginia Beach
Thank you
Re “RGGI repealed: Virginia set to leave regional carbon emissions reduction program” (Your Views, June 7): First, thank you Air Pollution Control Board for getting us out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, that was nothing more than a useless tax that we do not need.
Second, it’s time for the liberals to stop complaining about what they want and cannot have; they have this stupid idea that if enough money is spent, a certain problem just goes away. Climate change, in my opinion, is just some stupid idea that liberals thought of with the idea that humans can control the weather, as if there is some knob in the sky that lets a human control what the weather does.
The “climate” changes; we have four seasons every year, and only God controls that. If money grew on trees, we would all have enough. If anyone on the left actually read what the RGGI really was, it was just another way to tax us and we really don’t need anymore taxes.
I don’t understand why liberals want more taxes to begin with; any money that we earn and get in our paychecks is ours, not the government’s. The government works for us, not the other way around.
Mike Niehaus, Portsmouth
