Abbs a District 1 supervisor candidate

To the editor,
My name is Shannon Clore Abbs. I am a candidate for the District 1 seat on the board of supervisors. I am the daughter of Bob Clore of Somerset and Joan Ford of Richmond. I am married to James Abbs, the son of the late Ray Abbs of Somerset and Gloria Abbs, now of Manns Harbor N.C. James and I live in Somerset, with our son Jacob.
For me, growing up in Somerset was a wonderful experience. I cannot imagine a greater place or better people to share these fond memories. We lived the simple county-style life. Most importantly there was a true sense of community among all the families that lived here. I could not have had a better place to grow up or to raise my own family. I want Orange County to continue to be the wonderful place that it is today.
I have been interested in public matters since I was in high school. My aspiration then was to become an U.S. government teacher. But life circumstances did not allow for that to happen and my formal education was interrupted. In 2002 I re-enrolled at Piedmont Virginia Community College where I received my associate of science degree. In the fall of 2005 I was accepted to the University of Virginia with a full scholarship. Last May (2008) I received my bachelor of interdisciplinary studies degree with a concentration in the social sciences.
I do relate with working families in Orange County. My layoff in March from Ridgid Products and my unsuccessful attempts at finding employment in Orange County have forced my family, like many other Orange County citizens, to seriously adjust our way of living. I am excited about the opportunity to use the knowledge that I have obtained from my higher education, along with life circumstances, blended with my deep local roots to serve Orange County by representing the citizens of District 1.
I believe that sometimes less is more; however I do not think that we as a society should ever skimp on education, health, or public safety. It saddens me to see our taxes increase, while county services continue to diminish. I would like to find viable options to lessen the tax burden on struggling county residents, instead of strapping tax payers with bills that we just can not afford and at what undetermined future cost to the county.
Orange County will continue to change. I am not opposed to growth. Actually, I believe that moderate growth is needed to maintain the vitality of our county. I believe that our current comprehensive plan vision to sustain our rural quality of life and improve the well being of our citizens is a realistic guideline. Orange County is special and it is time that we start treating it as such. It is our duty to be good stewards of the land that we were given.
We should emphasize our strong points such as agriculture and tourism as well as continuing to seek businesses that provide better options for our citizens. We already have a viable tourist industry that we should continue to support. Four of the top tourist destinations in Orange County are located in District 1: Barboursville Winery, Horton Winery, The Exchange Hotel and Civil War Museum, and Montpelier. These attractions provide employment opportunities for county residents as well as much needed tax revenue.
James and I own our home in Somerset. Our son Jacob is an up-and-coming freshman at Orange County High School. James owns and operates a business (along with his brother who resides in Gordonsville) in Orange County. My family and I are fully vested in Orange County. I want to be part of the solution to preserve our country way of living, while finding options that allow all our citizens to prosper.
I look forward to meeting and visiting with the citizens of District 1 over the next several months. I am asking for your support and I welcome your views, concerns and questions. Please email me at shannonabbs@yahoo.com or feel free to call me at 672-9077.
Shannon Abbs
Somerset