Setting the record straight

I would first like to thank the Times-Democrat for running the story about Cedar Run and Lee District (The Heartland) town hall meetings at 7 p.m. on the second Wednesday. of each month starting in February.

Second, I want to state that I don’t feel picked on by the paper for all of the negative and derogatory-style articles. They write them so they can stir up interest and try to create controversy. Most everyone knows that is what sells papers.

I understand that due to a couple of factors, that the numbers for the Times-Democrat’s distribution have fallen off over the these last few years. One being the new age of the Internet and the other being that the Times-Democrat is a very biased, one-sided and a steering type of periodical.

As I have stated publicly many times, my plan was to help make Fauquier County be more prosperous by bringing more businesses here and to help the ones that are here grow and be more prosperous.

If by using my name and actions they can stir up enough interest and controversy to help sell a few more papers, then I have in a small way started toward my goal.

I myself do believe that more people would appreciate a local “community” paper being a little more toward the center and reporting facts and getting out information so that the people could make a decision for themselves.

During my “walk abouts” as my wife called them, I met a great many people who were of a great intellect and were capable of thinking for themselves. I didn’t feel that any of them needed a periodical telling them how to feel about any situation.

They did express a want and need for information about the things happening in their community. I will go out on a limb and guess that they preferred factual information.

I also want to be factual. If the person who wrote the editorial, “…in with the new “ in the Jan. 20 paper had actually read the well-written and factual article by Don Del Rosso in the Jan. 18 paper, he would have known that nowhere in that article did I estimated there would be “two hundred, perhaps 300 people crowding into the Lions Club on a Wednesday.”

I did, however, state that the Remington Lions Club probably could hold 200 to 300 people.

I also stated “I would love to see standing-room only”

We have had a lot of interest and support for our town hall meetings. I do hope the people show up and participate. It won’t work without participation.

I also believe that editorial writer could benefit from the meetings. It seems obvious to me that he doesn’t understand how the government of Fauquier County works, for him to suggest that it would be more beneficial for supervisors to go to the other districts and find out what the residents there want, rather than be concerned about what their own constituents care about.

The supervisors are supposed to represent the people of their district.

I will try to notify the editor when we have a meeting that explains all of this for him. He may be the only one there. I think most others have that one figured out.

It seems that he would like all to believe that if you already know how your government works, you will not benefit from this.

Some may think that our government could use a little fixing and needs some ideas from the people.

Chester [Stribling] and I still want the input, ideas, suggestions, and concerns of the people.

Perhaps the local paper does not care about how you the people of Cedar Run and Lee districts feel, but we do.

It is my humble opinion (and a few others that have called me) that the paper seems to be concerned that the people of Cedar Run and Lee districts will have a voice in this county and how it, the county, continues forward.

It was also very insulting to many of us that the paper thinks that the only way to get a large group of people together in Cedar Run and Lee districts is to have kegs and live music.

I am not sure who they are referring to when the paper says “we think” or we feel.”

Who is “we?” How many people does it take to write one article that insults the local people.

The “we” obviously does not understand who it is that pays money to purchase “their” paper.

It is time the people of the Heartland had a voice in our county. Now you will. I promise you that if you show up, the only thing that will be stale, will be the chips that I picked up over a month ago at the after-5 party at the Times-Democrat. They were fresh when I put them in my truck, but I forgot they were there. The really great shrimp I got there never made it to the truck.

The paper will be the only one that will need coffee. It won’t be needed to get through the night. It is needed to wake up, so it can really see what is going on, all around, not just on the left.

I hope this will clear up a little of the bull being spewed around. See you on Feb. 8.

Lee Sherbeyn, supervisor

Cedar Run District