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http://www.starexponent.com/cse/news/local/crime/article/almost_official_guns_ok_in_town_parks/15267/
By Allison Brophy Champion
Published: May 11, 2008
Nearly three years after the controversial issue initially surfaced, the town of Culpeper is getting around to changing its ordinance that lifts the ban on guns in town parks.
At its meeting Tuesday, Town Council will consider a recommendation from the Ordinance Committee to delete “firearms” from its list of activities and items that are “strictly prohibited” in town parks.
That’s because state “preemption laws” enacted in 2004 by the General Assembly supersede most local gun laws, including the town’s prohibition of guns in its parks.
Richmond-based Virginia Citizens Defense League, a gun rights activist group, brought the gun law change to the attention of the town of Culpeper in 2005, at which time park signs were changed to remove firearms from the list of prohibited items.
But not before former Town Manager Brannon Godfrey, now Winchester city manager, exchanged a series of interesting e-mails with VCDL about the gun debate — and the age-old debate of state law vs. local law.
According to Philip Van Cleave, president of the organization, any law-abiding Virginia citizen can carry a gun openly (with no permit) or concealed (with a permit) into any local park, he said in an e-mail to the Star-Exponent in October 2005, when the issue came to a head.
It was around this time, and following a multi-month “letter-writing campaign,” according to Godfrey, that the former town manager fired off an e-mail to VCDL member Mike Stollenwerk of Fairfax County — in German.
Here’s what it said: “Mr. Stollenwerk — many thanks for serving as our moral conscience. Culpeper would be lost without the patronizing guidance of the people like you in Northern Virginia. Long live the state! Sincerely, Brannon Godfrey.”
Godfrey later admitted his “attempt at subtle humor was unprofessional,” saying the last part was a reference to “a dictatorial state,” a la the Nazis.
“I closed with ‘Long live the State,” a rather obvious reference to our lack of local autonomy to make our own park rules,” Godfrey said in an e-mail to the Star-Exponent Oct. 4, 2005.
Three years later, the town attorney has prepared the proper ordinance amendment to put the town code in line with state law in regards to guns in parks.
The recommendation made its way out of the Ordinance Committee this week, and it comes before Town Council at its meeting Tuesday for adoption.
If adopted, “firearms” will be removed from the list of items prohibited in town parks, as shown in Sec. 15-4.
Also prohibited are: alcohol, drugs, gambling, littering, loud noise, glass containers, vandalism, swimming in town lakes or ponds, motorized vehicles, skateboarding or biking without a helmet, commercial activities, horses and dogs running at large.
Allison Brophy Champion can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 101 or
abrophy@starexponent.com.
http://www.starexponent.com/cse/news/local/crime/article/almost_official_guns_ok_in_town_parks/15267/
By Allison Brophy Champion
Published: May 11, 2008
Nearly three years after the controversial issue initially surfaced, the town of Culpeper is getting around to changing its ordinance that lifts the ban on guns in town parks.
At its meeting Tuesday, Town Council will consider a recommendation from the Ordinance Committee to delete “firearms” from its list of activities and items that are “strictly prohibited” in town parks.
That’s because state “preemption laws” enacted in 2004 by the General Assembly supersede most local gun laws, including the town’s prohibition of guns in its parks.
Richmond-based Virginia Citizens Defense League, a gun rights activist group, brought the gun law change to the attention of the town of Culpeper in 2005, at which time park signs were changed to remove firearms from the list of prohibited items.
But not before former Town Manager Brannon Godfrey, now Winchester city manager, exchanged a series of interesting e-mails with VCDL about the gun debate — and the age-old debate of state law vs. local law.
According to Philip Van Cleave, president of the organization, any law-abiding Virginia citizen can carry a gun openly (with no permit) or concealed (with a permit) into any local park, he said in an e-mail to the Star-Exponent in October 2005, when the issue came to a head.
It was around this time, and following a multi-month “letter-writing campaign,” according to Godfrey, that the former town manager fired off an e-mail to VCDL member Mike Stollenwerk of Fairfax County — in German.
Here’s what it said: “Mr. Stollenwerk — many thanks for serving as our moral conscience. Culpeper would be lost without the patronizing guidance of the people like you in Northern Virginia. Long live the state! Sincerely, Brannon Godfrey.”
Godfrey later admitted his “attempt at subtle humor was unprofessional,” saying the last part was a reference to “a dictatorial state,” a la the Nazis.
“I closed with ‘Long live the State,” a rather obvious reference to our lack of local autonomy to make our own park rules,” Godfrey said in an e-mail to the Star-Exponent Oct. 4, 2005.
Three years later, the town attorney has prepared the proper ordinance amendment to put the town code in line with state law in regards to guns in parks.
The recommendation made its way out of the Ordinance Committee this week, and it comes before Town Council at its meeting Tuesday for adoption.
If adopted, “firearms” will be removed from the list of items prohibited in town parks, as shown in Sec. 15-4.
Also prohibited are: alcohol, drugs, gambling, littering, loud noise, glass containers, vandalism, swimming in town lakes or ponds, motorized vehicles, skateboarding or biking without a helmet, commercial activities, horses and dogs running at large.
Allison Brophy Champion can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 101 or
abrophy@starexponent.com.