Caroline Student Chosen to Serve as House Page

On January 13, Delegate Christopher K. Peace (R-Mechanicsville) will welcome RayQuan Smithers to service as a Page in the Virginia House of Delegates during the 2010 General Assembly session.

RayQuan Smithers, 14, is an 8th grader at Caroline Middle School who is actively involved in his church youth group. In school, RayQuan works hard and is on the Honor Roll; his favorite subject is math. He loves and respects all of his teachers, but has a special place in his heart for his math teacher, Coach Kartson, who is also his football and basketball coach.

RayQuan has been playing football since the age of 5 where he started playing flag football with the Ashland Vikings. He has since participated in football, basketball and track in middle school. He is currently the manager of the Caroline Middle School Basketball Team.

As for being chosen to represent the 97th District, RayQuan mentioned "I enjoy spending time with my family. I am going to miss my school friends but can't wait to start working for the General Assembly.”

"RayQuan is a smart young man with a bright future," said Peace. "I want to give him every opportunity to have this once in a lifetime experience. With a few members who were once pages, I wouldn't be surprised to see him in the legislature one day."

Delegate Christopher K. Peace was elected to his third term representing the 97th District of the Virginia House of Delegates. The District includes parts of Hanover, Caroline, King William, King and Queen, Henrico, Spotsylvania Counties and all of New Kent County.

The Capital Region Caucus of the General Assembly Elects New Co-Chairs

At last week’s meeting, the Capital Region Caucus, made up of General Assembly members from the Richmond region, elected Senator A. Donald McEachin (D-Henrico) and Delegate Christopher K. Peace (R-Mechanicsville) as its new co-chairs for the 2010 and 2011 calendar years. The two new co-chairs succeed outgoing co-chairs Senator John C. Watkins (R-Midlothian) and Delegate Jennifer McClellan (D-Richmond). “Delegate Peace and I are excited about our opportunity to lead the Caucus,” stated Senator McEachin, adding “In what may prove to be the most difficult budget year in a generation, it will be critical for our region to present a united voice on issues that are critical to the wellbeing of our community.”

Delegate Peace stated, “Senator McEachin and I intend to use the Capital Region Caucus’ strong presence in the General Assembly to work on behalf of our community.”

Gary Rhodes, the Chairman of the Greater Richmond Chamber stated, “I am very pleased to have these two great regional leaders co-chairing our Caucus in the General Assembly. I know they will work in the best interests of our region on issues such as education and transportation.”

Robert Crum, Executive Director of the Richmond Regional Planning District Commission, asserted, “Senator McEachin and Delegate Peace have great working relationships with our local elected and appointed leaders, and the RRPDC looks forward to working with our new Caucus co-chairs.”

The Capital Region Caucus will meet weekly during the 2010 General Assembly Session. Meeting times have not yet been set because General Assembly committee assignments and meeting schedules have not yet been set. All meetings will be open to the public, and interested parties are encouraged to attend and participate.

Delegate Christopher K. Peace was elected to his third term representing the 97th District of the Virginia House of Delegates. The District includes parts of Hanover, Caroline, King William, King and Queen, Henrico, Spotsylvania Counties and all of New Kent County. ###

Delegate Peace urges Development of Virginia’s Off-Shore Energy Resources

-- Supports Pending Virginia Lease Sale 220 -- Central Virginia – In a letter to Ken Salazar, U. S. Secretary of the Interior, Delegate Christopher K. Peace (R-Mechanicsville), joined House Speaker William J. Howell, in expressing strong support for the development of energy resources off the coast of Virginia and the pending Sale 220 scheduled for 2011.

According to their website, the Minerals Management Service (MMS) is a bureau in the U.S. Department of the Interior; the Federal agency that manages the nation's natural gas, oil and other mineral resources on the outer continental shelf (OCS). MMS has initiated the first step for a potential lease sale offshore Virginia. The sale will be held no earlier than 2011.

The area covered is about 2.9 million acres offshore Virginia in the Mid-Atlantic Planning Area, and is at least 50 miles offshore. The MMS estimates that this area may contain 130 million barrels of oil and 1.14 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

Peace stated in his letter, “A study by ICF International estimates that developing Virginia’s offshore energy resources could result in nearly $19.5 billion in federal, state, and local government revenues. In these challenging fiscal times, the economic impact of the Lease Sale can not be downplayed. Delaying the opportunity for Virginians to benefit from the development of oil and natural gas resources would subsequently delay the opportunity to bring critical jobs to Virginia, and threaten the potential for future revenue sources.”

“Last year, I was pleased to see Congress lift the federal moratoria on offshore exploration. This action brings with it tremendous opportunity for our nation to begin investments that will reduce reliance on foreign sources of energy, while also helping to strengthen our economy,” continued Peace.

Delegate Christopher K. Peace was elected to his third term representing the 97th District of the Virginia House of Delegates. The District includes parts of Hanover, Caroline, King William, King and Queen, Henrico, Spotsylvania Counties and all of New Kent County.

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Please Take Del. Peace's 2010 Legislative Survey

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As we begin the 2010 legislative session, I hope you will take a few moments to share with me your thoughts on some of the issues facing the General Assembly. Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete this questionnaire. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of assistance. Click the link below to take my 2010 legislative survey. 2010 Legislative Survey

Delegate Peace Appointed to McDonnell Transition Education Work Group

-- Delegate Peace Asked to Serve as Advisor -- Central Virginia – Governor-elect Bob McDonnell recently appointed Delegate Christopher K. Peace (R-Mechanicsville) to serve as a part of his transition team. Peace will serve as a transition advisor on the education work group. The work group is tasked with making policy and legislative recommendations to the Governor-elect related to K-12 education.

"I am honored to be entrusted by the Governor-elect with this responsibility and opportunity to work to ensure that Virginia continues to move our educational system forward, work to reform charter school laws, and embrace the use of new technologies in the classroom," Peace said. "I look forward to working with my colleagues, transition staff and the Governor-elect to develop sound education policies that will increase positive educational outcomes for students and families across the Commonwealth."

Through previous legislation, Peace has been focused on the educational needs of the state. He successfully championed legislation to amend the definition of textbook to include digital textbooks. Seperately, he introduced legislation to clarify the manner in which school boards may establish single-gender classes or schools in a school division to improve the learning environment for boys and girls. Faced with a gender gap in test scores, Acquinton Elementary School in King William, Mechanicsville Elementary in Hanover, Laburnum Elementary in Henrico, and Woodbridge Middle School have formed single gender classrooms testing the growing school of thought that boys and girls are hard wired to learn differently.

Additionally Peace successfully introduced legislation to give at-risk students who are not succeeding in the traditional school setting another educational choice. HB 1945, passed during the 2009 session, allows a student to be administratively assigned, by the division superintendent, to a regional alternative education program if there is space available. It further allows parents or caregivers the option of requesting a regional alternative education placement for their child. Virginia's regional alternative education programs were established in 1993 to provide options for students with disciplinary problems who have been expelled, suspended on a long-term basis or are returning from a juvenile correctional center. Peace's legislation also enables students, who have not been suspended and expelled, access to these very effective programs.

Delegate Christopher K. Peace was elected to his third term representing the 97th District of the Virginia House of Delegates. The District includes parts of Hanover, Caroline, King William, King and Queen, Henrico, Spotsylvania Counties and all of New Kent County

Peace Elected Vice Chair of Commission on Youth

Commission Centered on Needs of Youth Central Virginia –Recently elected by his colleagues on the Commission, Delegate Christopher K. Peace (R-Mechanicsville) will serve as the Vice Chair of the Virginia Commission on Youth (COY). COY is a standing legislative commission of the General Assembly which, by mandate, provides a legislative forum in which complex issues may be explored and resolved.

“I look forward to continuing to work with Commission members and staff to examine issues which effect the youth of our Commonwealth. Developing sound policies which impact the provision of services to our next generation of leaders and their families is imperative to continued successful outcomes,” asserted Peace.

The Commission was enacted in 1989 and began operations in 1991. The Commission is bipartisan with twelve members (six Delegates, three Senators, and three citizen members). According to the Code of Virginia, the role and function of the Commission is to study and provide recommendations addressing the needs of and services to the Commonwealth’s youth and families.

COY monitors the development of laws and policies in federal, state and local governments which impact youth and their families and contribute to the General Assembly’s ability to make sound policy decisions based on well-studied and reasoned recommendations.

Delegate Christopher K. Peace was elected to his third term representing the 97th District of the Virginia House of Delegates. The District includes parts of Hanover, Caroline, King William, King and Queen, Henrico, Spotsylvania Counties and all of New Kent County.

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Delegate Peace Announces Grant from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Grant to afford new support for public librariesSupport to provide increased broadband access

Central Virginia – Delegate Christopher K. Peace (R) proudly announces the awarding of $3.4 million in grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to bolster Internet connections for libraries in just five states. Earlier this year, the Librarian of Virginia Sandy Treadway invited Del. Peace to join a select task force as its only legislative member. The Summit Advisory Group was assembled to author the Gates grant application and organize a statewide broadband summit. Along with local librarians and local elected officials, Peace assisted in the grant process and served as an expert panelist for the broadband conference. As a result of his efforts, Virginia will receive approximately 1/3 of Gates funding nationally or $977,468 in foundation funds to execute statewide plans to improve and maintain Internet connections in local libraries. Funding will likely impact internet services at 7 of the 10 branches in the Pamunkey Regional Library system covering large portions of the 97th district.

"Investments in connecting libraries to broadband are important steps toward realizing the vision of increased broadband access in rural areas and I am proud to have played a role in delivering this needed technology," asserted Delegate Peace. "When libraries have access to broadband, they can effectively deliver critical educational, employment, and government services for residents that lack Internet access elsewhere."

Peace continued, "It is critical that current efforts to expand broadband access in Virginia include strong support for public libraries so they can continue to serve as thriving, vital community technology hubs; Broadband is every bit a part of infrastructure that roads are and it is an integral part of economic development."

“The Pamunkey Regional Library Board of Trustees is excited to learn of the recent Gates Foundation award to improve broadband connectivity in Virginia and optimistic that state and local financial support of library service will be maintained to allow the library to participate in the grant," affirmed Tom Shepley, Director, Pamunkey Regional Library (PRL).

Shepley continued, "Preliminary information indicates that seven of the ten PRL branches may be eligible to benefit from this grant. Many residents in the library's service area of Hanover, Goochland, King and Queen and King William counties do not have access to broadband at their home and rely on their local public library for Internet access." Nationally, libraries report that patron demand for high-speed Internet access is growing faster than their ability to provide increased bandwidth. A recent American Library Association study reports that 60 percent of all libraries say their current Internet speed is insufficient. In most communities (70 percent), the public library is the only provider of free Internet access available to residents.

"The libraries eligible to receive grant monies are those in the Commonwealth that currently do not have 1.5 MBps broadband connectivity. Our hope is that this grant will enable the eligible libraries to reach that level -- and possibly go even higher. As the Gates grant includes a local match component, we realize that this is a challenge in these tough economic times -- but the Library of Virginia stands ready to do all that we can to assist Virginia's eligible libraries in making this happen," stated Sandra Treadway, Librarian of Virginia.

The five states receiving Gates Foundation grants to implement local broadband improvement plans have partnered with the foundation since early 2009 to develop strategies for upgrading and sustaining Internet connections in libraries, as well as raising federal E-rate participation rates among libraries. Virginia was selected to receive foundation grants because we have a high number of libraries without high-speed Internet access that are struggling to increase their bandwidth for patrons.

Delegate Peace has been focused on access to broadband services for economic development in rural Virginia. He was successful in the passage of HB 1329 a measure which requires state agencies to lease or convey their communication towers to broadband service providers to supply service to areas that do not currently receive adequate service. By making State owned property available to companies through opportunities to lease space in an expeditious and economical manner and not having to build out the infrastructure, internet service providers may be able to "piggy-back" in un-served areas to provide new services.

Peace asserts, "Increasing wireless and broadband internet service to un-served areas in the 97th District is a great priority of mine and important to my constituents. Not only will residents benefit, but so will small or at home businesses. Economic development directors will now have another tool to draw businesses to our localities."

Delegate Christopher K. Peace was elected to his second term representing the 97th District of the Virginia House of Delegates. The District includes parts of Hanover, Caroline, King William, King and Queen, Henrico, Spotsylvania Counties and all of New Kent County

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Delegate Christopher K. Peace to hold Telephone Town Hall on Monday, December 7

Central Virginia – On Monday, December 7th, Delegate Christopher K. Peace (R) will host a telephone town hall for the registered voters in the 97th District. Because of the size of the district, parts of seven counties, Del. Peace will initiate this town hall by calling households throughout the district starting at 7 PM. With this virtual town hall voters from across the region will have the opportunity to hear from Delegate Peace directly and ask questions about matters of importance to them and the District. Delegate Peace will discuss the challenges and opportunities for the upcoming General Assembly session. Participants will be able to respond to poll questions posed during the call. "A telephone town hall is a wonderful tool to communicate with a large number of residents across this central Virginia district," stated Peace. "Virginians that choose to take part in the interactive conference call will do so from the comfort of their own home. Constituents will have the opportunity to ask questions of me and listen as I answer questions of others."

Delegate Christopher K. Peace was elected to his second term representing the 97th District of the Virginia House of Delegates. The District includes parts of Hanover, Caroline, King William, King and Queen, Henrico, Spotsylvania Counties and all of New Kent County.

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Happy Thanksgiving from Delegate Chris Peace and Family

While President Washington declared a National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789, Thanksgiving has been an American tradition officially celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November annually since 1863. Our federal holiday was not formalized until 1941. As Virginians we can take great pride in the fact that our ancestors arrived on the banks of the James River at what is now Berkeley Plantation in 1619 and gave the first thanks to God for His provisions. I write to you to extend the very best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours.

Ashley, Camden, Chris and the Peace family dogs

Thanksgiving Day Prayer for your Family

Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we beseech thee, faithful stewards of thy great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Book of Common Prayer.

GOVERNOR KAINE ANNOUNCES 5,900 JOBS CREATED OR RETAINED BY RECOVERY ACT SPENDING

~ Stimulus has brought more than $5 billion to Virginia so far ~ RICHMOND – Governor Timothy M. Kaine noted today that state agencies have reported more than 5,900 jobs created or saved from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds flowing through the State Treasury. To date, more than $5 billion in ARRA contracts, grants and loans have been awarded in Virginia , with more than half in the form of direct aid to localities and organizations outside of state government.

“President Obama’s Recovery Act was intended to get the economy moving again and in Virginia we are beginning to see that occur,” Governor Kaine said. “These funds have allowed us to begin construction on infrastructure projects that we would not have been able to build, keep our Medicaid plan funded, improve our schools and in some cases build new ones, and expand unemployment benefits to those most affected by the economic crisis.”

As part of the first Recovery Act reporting period, 34 state agencies submitted 415 spending and job reports to the Recovery.gov website. Those include 130 formula grants -- where federal rules dictate the distribution -- and 285 competitive grants and contracts. Of the approximately $2.2 billion awarded through these actions, about $150 million has been spent. Including distributions not included in reporting requirements to date, such as Medicaid and unemployment benefits, Virginia state agencies have received and disbursed more than $1 billion to citizens, local governments and businesses.

The Governor's Recovery Act team submitted its data by the October 10 deadline set by section 1512 of the Recovery Act. The vast majority of spending information to date, including Virginia ’s reports, is scheduled to be posted on the federal Recovery Act website today.

The State of Virginia is expected to manage $4.8 billion in ARRA funding by 2011. Some of the larger areas funded include:

$984 million to the fiscal stabilization fund for education programs with another $500 million flowing to local school divisions;

$620 million for Medicaid reimbursement to date, with the remaining of the $900 million allocated to be drawn down as needed;

More than $399 million in new transportation infrastructure projects to date, with more than $700 million allocated;

More than $100 million in new clean water and wastewater infrastructure projects;

$33 million in weatherization funding obligated to 22 regional agencies, with a total of $94 million allocated;

$38 million for child care programs administered by local social service departments;

$268 million committed to transit capital, including Metro;

$11 million to combat homelessness.

Additionally, Virginia has authorized $71 million in Qualified School Construction Bonds to eight K-12 school construction projects while another $119 million in similar competitive bonds is open to all school divisions for energy efficiency renovations and retrofits.

Virginia ’s institutions of higher education have won competitive grants including $40 million to the University of Virginia , $35 million to Virginia Commonwealth University and $24 million to Virginia Tech to date.

Attorney General-elect Ken Cuccinelli Announces Transition Team

Transition Team

Attorney General-elect Cuccinelli also announced the leadership for his transition team. Chairing the Transition are:

Richard Cullen is a former Attorney General of Virginia, former United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and now Chairman of the law firm of McGuireWoods LLP;

Pat McSweeney leads the law firm of McSweeney, Crump, Childress and Temple; he has served as Chairman, Republican Party of Virginia; Executive Director of Commission on State Governmental Management; and Acting Assistant Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice; and

Andy Miller is former Attorney General of Virginia and is now with the law firm of Hunton and Williams.

In addition, Bernie McNamee will serve as the transition's executive director. Bernie has served three previous Attorneys General: as Chief Deputy to Attorney General Judy Jagdmann; Chief Counsel to Attorney General Jerry Kilgore; Deputy Attorney General to Randolph Beales. Bernie is currently a partner at McGuireWoods.

Ken Cuccinelli was elected Attorney General of Virginia on November 3, 2009. He will take the oath of office on January 16, 2010. He has served in the Senate of Virginia since 2002.

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FREE WORKSHOP: "Identifying Elder Fraud"

Please join JFS, Henrico County, Clearpoint, and SunTrust Bank for a free workshop and discussion on ways to identify and combat Elder Fraud. Included in the presentation:

* Preventing Elder Abuse

* Warning signs of financial exploitation

* Elder Fraud & banking institutions

* Community resources available for families & seniors

* There will also be time for questions and answers.

Date: Tuesday, October 27th

Time: 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Location: Weinstein JCC, 403 Monument Avenue

Facilitators:

Cathy Thomas - JFS Bill Pay Coordinator

Susan Umidi, Henrico County Adult Services Supervisor

Andrew Grasso, Clearpoint Credit Counseling Solutions

Barkely Higginbotham & Christy Gauvin, Suntrust Bank

Refreshments provided by Heartfields Assisted Living.

For reservations and information please call 282-5644 ext.0 or visit Click to visit website

Low-cost transportation available, please call Shari Menlowe-Barck at 545-8611 or sbarck@weinsteinjcc.org