Legislative Update – by – Delegate Brent Boggs - House Majority Leader - 06.18.12
Last week entailed logging several hundred miles of commutes between work, the Capitol and legislative work in the district. I was glad to spend a productive weekend working at home and at the farm, but we all certainly need some meaningful, soaking rain for the gardens. Most importantly, I was glad to spend part of Father’s Day with my Dad and Mom. If you’re blessed to have your father living, I hope you were able to take time to call or visit. It is important that we honor and remember fathers of all generations by our words and actions.
Thanks to the Flatwoods-Heaters Lions Club for inviting Jean and me to their meeting last week. We very much enjoyed visiting, the great food and a wonderful, scenic setting at the Bulltown picnic area.
Likewise, the dedication of the “Lucille Stalnaker Bridge” in Gilmer County was the culmination of years of work, planning and persistence by Ms. Stalnaker and numerous neighbors and concerned citizens. This new structure will provide unfettered access to residents for decades to come. I appreciate DOH working with our delegation and local officials to see the project to completion.
West Virginia has wonderful history of support of our military men and women in times of war and peace. One of our own, Jamie Summerlin, a 39 year-old former Marine from West Virginia, started a 100-day cross country run on March 26th to support his fellow military members through the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) and other Veteran’s organizations.
From their website, WWP’s mission:
• Works to raise awareness and enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members
• To help injured service members aid and assist each other.
• To provide unique, direct programs and services to meet the needs of injured service members.
Jamie, who grew up in Burnsville, enlisted in the Marines after high school. He met his wife Tiffany - a fellow Marine - during his service. They reside in Morgantown with their two children, Nicholas and Shayna - except for the last few months as they’ve been making their home in a RV as they make their way across the U.S. He started in Coos County, Oregon, where his wife is from, and will finish on July 04, 2012 in Annapolis, Maryland. The entire journey will be just over 3,300 miles.
You can read more about Jamie’s run and follow his progress on his website at www.runforwwp.com/ and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/runforwwp.
On Saturday, June 23rd, Jamie is hosting a 5K benefit run in Burnsville.. It was recently announced that Wirt County native and former POW Jessica Lynch will be in attendance to support Jamie’s efforts. I encourage you to participate in this event - either as a runner/walker, by volunteering or being present to show your support. To find out more information about the race, you can visit the website or contact Jamie’s mother, Brenda Conley, at 304.853.2774.
I’m excited and proud of Jamie’s journey. I am pleased that Jean and I will be able to attend this event and encourage each of you to bring your family and friends to support Jamie and honor all of our nation’s veterans.
How to Contact
Please send address your inquiries to the Capitol Office at: Building 1, Room 226-M, Charleston, WV 25305. Or, call the Capitol office at 304.340.3220 or my Assistant to the Majority Leader, Mr. Tom Bennett at 304.340.3262 or fax to 304.340.3213. If you have an interest in any particular bill or issue, please let me know.
For those with Internet access, my e-mail address is “Boggs34@aol.com”. You also may obtain additional legislative information, including the copies of bills, conference reports, daily summaries, interim highlights, and other information from the Legislature’s web site at www.legis.state.wv.us/. If you write or leave a message, please remember to include your phone number with your inquiry and any details you can provide. Additional information, including agency links and state government phone directory may be found at www.wv.gov and on the Facebook site of the West Virginia Legislature.
Conclusion
Remember to thank a veteran for their service to our nation and continue to remember our troops - at home and abroad - and keep them and their families in your thoughts and prayers. Until next week – take care.
Congratulations to Hunter Ashley for getting a 2nd place in the Discus throw. He may be a Freshman, but he can definately out throw a lot of sophmores, Juniors and seniors. Way to go Hunter. Practice always pays off. Proud of you.