James City County won a national transparency award for its government website. The James City County Police Department will offer two free firearm safety classes; one this month and one next month. The Annual Spring Cleanup will take place over three Saturdays in April and registration is due by March 25. The State Board of Elections is offering campaign and finance training. Read on for more.
JCC Wins Sunny Award
James City County has been award one of 250 Sunny Awards for having a transparent government website.
The Sunshine Review, a national nonprofit organization, is dedicated to government transparency and has awarded the fourth annual Sunny Awards.
“James City County knows the importance of promoting transparency in everything we do. We are honored to receive a Sunny Award and will continue to empower citizens by providing the necessary information to keep them informed on the actions their government is taking on their behalf,” said County Administrator Robert Middaugh in a press release.
Editors at Sunshine Review looked at more than 1,000 government websites and graded each for transparency using a 10-point checklist. Websites were graded on what information was available versus what should be available: budget and meeting information, lobbying, financial audits, contracts and more. The winners of the Sunny Awards each received an A.
For information on Sunshine Review, contact Meghan Tisinger by email at Meghan@TKOCommunicationsLLC.com or by calling 703-965-1145.
Firearm Safety Class
The James City County Police Department will offer free firearm safety classes for adults from 7 to 9 p.m. March 16 and April 9 at the Law Enforcement Center at 4600 Opportunity Way.
Basic safety, handling and storage will be covered. Hands-on training will not be included and personal firearms should be left at home in a secure location.
The class sizes are limited and pre-registration is required by calling Officer McDowell at 757-603-6026.
Grant funding was used to purchase class materials and gunlocks. Free gunlocks are available at the class or by calling Sgt. Steve Humphries at 757-603-6022.
Annual Spring Cleanup
The James City County Commission’s Annual Spring Cleanup will be held April 6, 13 and 20. The annual event is a litter cleanup and beautification program open to James City County civic, youth and neighborhood groups and organizations.
Registered groups or organizations can take litter to the Jolly Pond Transfer station at 1204 Jolly Pond Road. Participants receive safety vests, litter bags and free disposal.
Applications are due March 25 and are available at the county’s website, at any county convenience center, or by calling the James City Clean County Commission at 757-565-3664.
Any group needing help identifying a cleanup location should contact the county’s Environmental Coordinator Dawn Olesky at 757-259-5373 or email dawn.olesky@jamescitycountyva.gov.
Candidate and Campaign Finance Training
The State Board of Elections is offering Candidate and Campaign Finance Training in preparation for the 2013 General Election campaign. Participants will learn how to get on the ballot and comply with petition laws and regulations, as well as law information on campaign finance reporting and compliance.
Training dates and locations:
- March 21: Radford
- March 22: Virginia Beach
- March 25: Richmond
- March 27: Charlottesville
For more information, visit the Voter Registrar’s website.