Town of Haymarket Community Site - Potomac News

Town Accepts Vice Mayor's Resignation

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 21:52:22 -0400

Town accepts vice mayor’s resignation
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By Keith Walker

Published: March 16, 2008

Haymarket’s Town Hall was a busy place Thursday night.

The town council voted to accept the resignation of Vice Mayor John C. Cole, who is in Iraq as a civilian employee of the a U.S. Department of Defense.

The council also scheduled a public hearing for April 7 to discuss Gerry Kennedy’s resubmitted proposal to build the Haymarket Towne Centre.

Two People Stabbed in Haymarket

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 19:41:34 -0400

Two people stabbed in Haymarket
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By KEITH WALKER
kwalker@potomacnews.com
Thursday, July 5, 2007

Two people were stabbed at about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday at a gas station in the 15300 block of Washington Street in Haymarket, said Officer Erika Hernandez, Prince William police spokeswoman.

Police charged Larry Lexus Carter, 37, of 3321 Short St. in New Orleans, with two counts of aggravated malicious wounding after they said he stabbed a 32-year-old Haymarket man in the back and a 25-year-old Fairfax woman in the chest.

Haymarket Police Follies Must Stop

Wed, 09 May 2007 21:53:00 -0400

Haymarket police follies must stop
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Opinion by the Potomac Newspaper!!!

Potomac News
Wednesday, May 9, 2007

There's something rotten in the state of Denmark. Oh wait ... no, that smell is coming from the town of Haymarket ... once again.

During the past two years, the shenanigans at the Haymarket Police Department have been a source of embarrassment and concern.

LEGAL NOTICE - Meals Tax

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 21:34:22 -0500

NOTICE OF INTENTION TO CONSIDER AND/OR ADOPT ORDINANCE KINDLY TAKE NOTICE
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NOTICE OF INTENTION TO CONSIDER AND/OR ADOPT ORDINANCE KINDLY TAKE NOTICE that the Town Council of Haymarket, Virginia will hold a public hearing at its regular meeting on February 5, 2007 beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the Town Hall of Haymarket, 15000 Washington Street, Suite 100, Haymarket, Virginia 20169, on an ordinance to impose a tax on food and beverages sold for human consumption by restaurants of four percent of the amount charged for such food subject to certain exceptions as set forth in the ordinance. A meals tax is authorized by the provisions of Section 58.1-3840. A complete copy of the proposed ordinance is available for public inspection during normal business hours at the Clerk's Office of the Town of Haymarket at the address set forth above immediately upon the advertising of this notice. All are invited to attend the public hearing at the time and place aforesaid and present their views. The hearing is being held in a public facility believed to be accessible to persons with disabilities. Any person with questions on the accessibility to the facility should contact the Town Clerk at the above address or by telephone at (703) 753-2600. TOWN COUNCIL TOWN OF HAYMARKET, VIRGINIA By: John C. Bennett Town Attorney January 22 & 29, 2007

Haymarket Hires Town Manager

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 21:22:48 -0500

Haymarket hires town manager
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By JACLYN PITTS
jpitts@manassasjm.com
Friday, February 2, 2007

Haymarket has hired its first-ever town manager, a Centreville man who brings with him more than 25 years of management experience.

Gene Swearingen, 60, said he's always been interested in local government and is looking forward to working in the one-square-mile town of about 1,000.

Swearingen, who is originally from Winston-Salem, N.C., said some of his duties will include overseeing town functions, serving as a zoning administrator and aiding in financial management, among other responsibilities.

Swearingen began his new job Jan. 16 at an annual salary of $60,000. He already has a full plate of things to get accomplished.

One of the first things the mayor and Town Council requested Swearingen to focus on is zoning issues, he said.

Swearingen said the town has never had a zoning administrator and hasn't been able to keep up with zoning enforcement, so he plans to focus on finding and correcting zoning violations in the town.

Swearingen said he also plans on streamlining the town's policies and procedures - which has been one of the town's goals for several years - including revamping the town's comprehensive plan.

He said he also wants to focus on securing long-term financial well-being for the town and hopes to create reserve funds for future town improvement projects.

"I'd love to be able to get the town on a sound financial footing so we can.......

Haymarket hires town manager

Haymarket Baseball

Sat, 22 Jul 2006 00:34:36 -0400

Man on a Mission
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By MARK STANYMYRE
Mstanmyre@potomacnews.com
Thursday, July 20, 2006

The man trying to save baseball in Haymarket is exhausted, and the game is still more than an hour away.

His face is flushed and a thick slather of sweat has built up on his cheeks. In the past few hours he's replenished the concession stand with hot dogs and hamburgers, filled out his team's lineup card and thrown batting practice for almost an hour. He still has to drag the infield, greet the umpires and set up the announcer's table. Then there's the whole coaching part, too.

"Sometimes I almost look forward to playing on the road," smirks Mark Keagle, Haymarket's 30-year-old manager and owner. "That way all I have to do is hop on a bus."

Keagle's Senators, the Valley Baseball League's most surprising team this summer, host Harrisonburg in about 70 minutes at Battlefield High School on a sweltering Tuesday evening. Few people seem to know; the bleachers are desolate and lonely, and the hot dogs and hamburgers Keagle bought earlier are getting cold in the concession stand.

Keagle's too busy to worry about attendance figures right now.

"This is my full-time job," he says. "It's been a very demanding, time-consuming endeavor."

Keagle is the man burdened with keeping baseball in Haymarket, and the person charged with .....

Man on a Mission

Haymarket Approves Chief's Plan

Thu, 13 Jul 2006 08:48:52 -0400

Haymarket approves chief's plan
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By JACLYN PITTS
jpitts@manassasjm.com
Thursday, July 13, 2006

Haymarket's police department has had its share of changes over the past few months, including the indefinite suspension of its reserve officer program.

After nearly six months of suspension, as of Monday, the Town Council officially approved Police Chief Jim Roop's actions to establish a revamped reserve program.

Roop appointed and swore in three new reserve officers June 20, according to the resolution.

Roop is permitted to appoint up to six reserve officers, which would boost the police department to 10.

The town has eight officers total, with five full-time and three reserve.

The Town Council suspended the department's auxiliary officer program in January to...

Haymarket approves chief's plan

Former Auxiliary Officer Sues Haymarket

Sat, 29 Apr 2006 12:07:26 -0400

Former auxiliary officer sues Haymarket
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By JACLYN PITTS
jpitts@potomacnews.com
Saturday, April 29, 2006

After nearly a year of trying times for Haymarket, the town is facing a new challenge -- a lawsuit.

Former town auxiliary police officer Charlie Proffitt filed a lawsuit Friday in Circuit Court against the town and Mayor Pam Stutz.

The lawsuit stems from a Freedom of Information Act request Proffitt submitted to the town via e-mail on April 12.

Proffitt wanted a copy of the lease between the town and the last tenant of the old post office building, also known as The Red Rooster.

He also requested a list of all lease payments and any other fees paid to the town from the same lessee, in addition to any correspondence between the town and lessee.

Proffitt did not receive any response from the town's attorney until April 21 via facsimile, according to the lawsuit.

The Act requires a response from the request's recipient within five work days.

.......

In an e-mail to Proffitt from Stutz dated April 27, Stutz notes that Proffitt's request was not filed by the town until April 13.

If that were the case, the town's response would have been within the five work day period.

However, Proffitt's original request was stamped April 12, a town clerk confirmed Friday.

.......

Proffitt said he doesn't think he'll get the information until after Election Day. He thinks that was done on purpose.

Proffitt said he initially wanted the information because he had heard Stutz, who owned The Red Rooster, had fallen behind on lease payments during her ownership and while serving as a council member.

He said he wanted to see if that rumor was true.

"If I got the information [that it was true], I would probably have let the other candidates know," he said. "I think if the mayor is going to accept money from the town as a paid council member and owe the town money, I don't think it's fiscally responsible."

Stutz could not be reached at her workplace or her home for comment Friday.

Although Proffitt is going to ...

Former auxiliary officer sues Haymarket

Prosecutor Doubted Chief's Honesty

Sat, 22 Apr 2006 00:57:14 -0400

Prosecutor Doubted Chief's Honesty
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By ROB SEAL
rseal@potomacnews.com
Saturday, April 22, 2006

A Haymarket prosecutor resigned last month because she doubts the town police chief's honesty, according to a copy of her resignation letter posted on a controversial Web site.

The public airing of the letter - which would normally be kept confidential - underscores bitter political divisions in Haymarket and has some town officials hinting at legal action against the Web site's operator.

The resignation letter appears to have been written by Cynthia A. Dupray, an attorney the town retained to prosecute some misdemeanors and traffic tickets issued by Haymarket's small police force.

The letter was posted Thursday on townofhaymarket.info, a privately owned Web site that isn't affiliated with the town's government.

In the March 29 letter, Dupray writes that she can no longer prosecute cases for Haymarket because she believes Police Chief James E. Roop misled a reporter for the Manassas Journal Messenger and Potomac News.

During an interview for a March 7 story, a reporter asked Roop about rumors that a town police officer left court early to attend a college class, causing several cases in which he was the arresting officer to be dropped.

Roop denied the allegations, the News and Messenger reported.

In her letter of resignation, Dupray wrote that a Haymarket officer indeed left court early to.....

Prosecutor Doubted Chief's Honesty

Haymarket store to get new concept

Wed, 05 Apr 2006 15:24:21 -0400

Haymarket store to get new concept
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By JACLYN PITTS
jpitts@potomacnews.com
Wednesday, April 5, 2006

Haymarket's Food Lion grocery store might soon be "blooming" into something new.

The Haymarket location is one of the North Carolina-based chain's test locations for its new concept store, called Bloom.

One of the first steps in the store's transformation was the Town Council's approval at Monday night's meeting of the store's sign change.

Food Lion's goal was to create an upbeat brand that offers hassle-free shopping, according to the Bloom Web site.

Bloom stores feature wider aisles, shorter shelf heights, a variety of checkout options and more organic and natural food.

The stores also feature information kiosks where customers can scan an item and the screen will show recipes, complementary foods and .......

Haymarket store to get new concept

Three Charged in Murder Conspiracy

Tue, 04 Apr 2006 11:13:11 -0400

Three charged in murder conspiracy
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By KEITH WALKER
kwalker@potomacnews.com
Tuesday, April 4, 2006

Prince William police uncovered a murder conspiracy and arrested three people over the last several days, said Sgt. Dennis Mangan, Prince William police spokesman.

On March 31, police learned that a 37-year-old Haymarket woman planned to murder a woman who lived in Culpeper and paid $1,000 to a 17-year-old girl she knew to find someone to do the killing, Mangan said.

Police arrested Deborah Lynn Curtis, 14980 Cheyenne Way of Haymarket, and the 17-year-old girl between 1 and 2 p.m. Monday, Mangan said.

Police said the girl found a Fairfax man who was willing to commit murder for hire and gave him ......

Three charged in murder conspiracy

Hey Watchdog Ask aLL sEEing Eye

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 15:23:36 -0500

Looks like you don't know all or see all as you are probably the last person in town to find out about the space heaters or the drug bust. Probably don't know about the other recent drug busts either. Curious since you seem to know all about PD expenditures.

Haymarket Police Suspends Two - Cont:

Sat, 11 Mar 2006 18:02:58 -0500

This Forum was continued to this new section since I felt that the other section was getting too crowded/confusing. Please continue to post comments/exchanges in this section.

Enjoy!

Haymarket PD suspends two
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By LILLIAN KAFKA
lkafka@potomacnews.com
Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Haymarket's police chief and a sergeant have been suspended from their duties for six weeks following a confidential internal investigation.
The Town Council suspended Chief Jim Roop and Sgt. Greg Breeden without pay last week.

Officials would not disclose the nature of the investigation......

Roop stands up for Haymarket police

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 19:09:09 -0500

Roop stands up for Haymarket police
(Click above link to read full article.)

Excerpt:

By JACLYN PITTS
jpitts@potomacnews.com
Tuesday, March 7, 2006

Haymarket Police Chief James E. Roop said he's through with the town's "shenanigans."

Roop hand delivered a letter to all town residents and the Town Council on Friday that says he's had enough.

"For approximately one and a half years, the Haymarket Police Department and the majority of its employees have been under attack by vicious power-hungry men," Roop's letter began.

He explained how the alleged attacks have impacted not only him and his family's lives, but also the lives and performance of his fellow officers.

Mayor Pam Stutz said she's glad Roop wrote the letter.

"I'm actually pleased to see he wants the town to know the truth," she said. "I think there's a lot more to be done in this town than this [issue]."

Councilman Bob Weir agrees.

"I'm personally glad he's finally standing up," Weir said. "The Town Council has spent far too many hours on a problem that really doesn't exist."

"Do you want a professional police department and town with a good reputation?" Roop asked in the letter. "Or do you want a soap opera?"

At Monday night's Town Council meeting........

Haymarket Officer Hoffman catches police impersonator.

Fri, 10 Feb 2006 19:40:48 -0500

Former deputy pleads no contest to impersonation charge
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By DANIEL DREW
News & Messenger
Friday, June 4, 2004

A former Prince William County reserve sheriff's deputy pleaded no contest to impersonating a law enforcement officer in General District Court on Thursday.

Christopher Gobie, 46, of 5 Shenandoah Commons Way, No. 203, in Front Royal, was stopped on Interstate 66 in Haymarket in April.

When officers approached Gobie's car, he showed them his badge and credentials and said that he works for the Prince William sheriff's office.

But the officers noticed that the ID had expired years before. They also knew that Prince William's newly-elected Sheriff Glendell Hill had only appointed a handful of reserve deputies.

Gobie was appointed by former Sheriff E. Lee Stoffregen III.

By pleading no contest, Gobie did not admit guilt, but acknowledged prosecutors have enough evidence to convict.

He will perform 100 hours of community service, a recommendation made to prosecutors by ......

Former deputy pleads no contest to impersonation charge