THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009

ome November, the five-member Rappahannock

County Board of Supervisors will feature two new V-/ faces - as those of Chairman Robert Anderson, a longtime fixture on the county board, and Piedmont District Supervisor Eddie Wayland, will no longer be up at the head table in the county courthouse. As always, it is the voters of Rappahannock County who'll decide which faces - and whose viewpoints, opinions and experience - wind up at that table.

Though two of five isn't a majority, the results of this year's supervisors' race will nonetheless bring a significant change to the county board's makeup. And the change will come at a time when development is knocking on our borders, budgets for schools and services are getting leaner, from the federal down to the local level, and when crucial decisions that affect the continued economic health of rural communities - and the farms and tourist dollars that support them - will need to be made with foresight and good judgment.

In the spirit of helping voters themselves make similarly well-informed decisions, the Rappahannock News is working on two fronts:

First, last week's profile of Tom Junk and this week's interview with Mike Bimek, both of whom arc running for Wayland s seat, will be followed in the wee is to come with profiles of Stonewall-Hawthome District candidates Chris Parrish and Terry Dixon.

And second, next month the Rappahannock News will sponsor a Rappahannock County Candidates’ Forum, at which all four supervisor hopefuls will have a chance to speak and to answer questions from the public given ahead of time to moderator John Sullivan.

We invite residents to submit questions to the Rappahannock News. Email mkuhn@timespapers.com.

The forum is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 26 at the Theatre in Washington, 291 Gay Street.

All those in favor of good government - not more government, or less government - are welcome.

Candidates’

Forum