October 2003

Are the Walking Paths in jeopardy?

Recently I found myself reflecting on why I decided to run for the Board of Directors,

2 years ago. Encouraging the feeling of community in the Harbour was a major part of that decision. In fact my signs had a tag line that read "A Community United." I wanted to continue the progress that the Harbour was making on many fronts. One of those items was the walking paths. In the years prior to my joining the Board the decision was made to pave a path that extends from Channel Cove near the Stables in Section One, all the way to Aquia Park on Aquia Drive in Section Two. A bridge was built over the Creek for pedestrians and the paved cart paths on the Golf Course opened for pedestrians as well. In short, significant time and money has been dedicated to this effort. The walking paths offer:

1. Safe paths to travel while biking, walking or jogging
2. Often Scenic views of the Harbour
3. Easy access to some of our amenities without a car
4. Access to the different sections of the Harbour without a Car

In my opinion the Walking Paths truly join our neighborhood together and make it a community. You're wondering why I am making the case for paths. At our last Board meeting, the Board voted to abandon this concept, due to the cost and not having enough time to complete an engineering study. The previously agreed upon concept for the walking path construction was to add walking paths as we re-paved our roads. One of the roads in dire need of paving is Aquia Drive at Foresail Cove. We have known for several years that this stretch of road was in bad shape, and would need to be repaved. There has been enough time to conduct an engineering study, and there is a budget established for paving our roads. We are planning to pave that section in the coming months. I therefore fully expected the road to be paved, and expanded to allow for the Walking Path. Now this is not a small endeavor, this part of Aquia drive is a very poor section of road.

I am writing this because we need, as a Board, feedback from our community.

In the past, I have been contacted by many residents, and told that they feel walking paths are important in our community. If you feel that expanding walking paths is an important amenity in Aquia Harbour, please contact A. H. Board members and the Office at

659-3050, and express your views. You can also reach me at john@reinboldt.com.

Community Policing

Another important part of our community is our Police Department. Frankly the Police Department with a gated Community is the reason I moved here. We have always found our police officers to be friendly and helpful anytime we had the opportunity to interact with them. For example, they have been a our Fourth of July parades, they held a bike roundup at a Fall Festival, and I'm sure they have directed more than one of our visitors who have gotten lost in Aquia Harbour. Our police walk a fine line when it comes to Community Policing. You certainly want to be able to wave hello when you're passing them, have them keep and eye on your house when you're on vacation and know that they're there in an emergency. But they also have the responsibility to make sure that our roads are safe, this where the greatest amount of conflict arises. Often we find it frustrating to get a warning or a traffic ticket from one of "our police officers." When the topic comes up, I have heard our police officers referred to in derogatory terms like, "rent-a-cop" or "security guards." I assure you, that these terms are NOT justified in any way. Our police officers are highly trained, professional law enforcement officers. They are as well trained as Stafford County Deputies or State Troopers. To further support this statement over the next couple of months, I am going to highlight our officers' backgrounds, starting with our Chief of Police.

Chief Ronald Normandin has been our Chief of Police since June. He came to us via the Stafford Sheriff's Department, where he served for 3 years. Chief Normandin served in the United States Secret Service 1974 to 1999. During his tenure in the Secret Service, Chief Normandin was Captain of the Foreign Missions Branch, a Watch Commander protecting our President, and the Commanding Officer for the Vice President's Residence. Chief Normandin is a highly trained professional Police Officer. Chief Normandin's training has included his being a Firearms Instructor, Hostage Management, Disaster Preparation, and Counter Terrorism.

My point is this; our Police Department has changed dramatically over the years. Chief Normandin is an example of how we have progressed. Please show our police officers the courtesy and respect they deserve. Remember, we are a friendly, caring Community, and our police officers are part of our Community.

As always I am interested in what you think. Please feel free to email me on any subject at, john@reinboldt.com.