14 The Hampton Roads Messenger


Volume 7 Number 4


RG3 Named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month


The National Football League


announced recently that Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month for November. His selection marks his second of the season (September) and makes him the first player in team history on either side of the ball to earn multiple Rookie of the Month honors.


Griffin III is the first player since


Rams quarterback Sam Bradford (2010) to win multiple Rookie of the Month awards in a season. He is the first member of an NFC East team to win the award multiple times since former Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey won Rookie of the Month twice during the 2002 season.


In only


three games in November, Griffin III completed 57-of-82 passes (69.1 percent) for 726 yards with eight touchdowns and a passer rating of 124.3. In addition, he


Transportation FROM PAGE 6


telling whether further involvement by the General Assembly, which has to approve of the governor’s appointments anyway, would make the process any less political or any more transparent.


“This is why you have a


Commonwealth Transportation Board set up, to take at least a lot of the politics out from the issue,” Chase said. “I don’t know that the end result would be any different.”


Chase said that, whoever does


the selection for the board, “it all comes down to the caliber of people who are appointed, and there are no guarantees.”


CTB members are largely business


leaders, lawyers and former legislators, although a few members do stand out for contributions to McDonnell’s political campaigns.


John Matney, an executive at


Rapoca Energy Co., a coal mining company in Big Rock, donated more than $26,000 to McDonnell’s gubernatorial campaign, $2,500 to McDonnell’s PAC, and $3,000 to his attorney general campaign, not to mention roughly $200,000 to other, largely Republican, Virginia leaders, according to data from the Virginia Public Access Project. Board member Gary Garczynski, a homebuilder and developer in Woodbridge, gave $10,500 to McDonnell’s campaign,


also added 29 carries for 166 yards rushing. In his last two games, both against divisional opponents, Griffin III completed 33-of-42 passes (78.6 percent) for 504 yards with eight touchdowns. His passer rating of 146.3 in the past two weeks – now adjusted to include a recent scoring change that altered a Griffin III first-quarter pass to Pierre Garçon in Week 12 at Dallas to a seven-yard run – is the highest two-week rating by a rookie with at least 40 attempts in league history.


For the season, Griffin III has completed 205-of-304 passes (67.4 percent) for 2,497 yards with 16 touchdowns and a 104.6 passer rating. His totals for pass completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns are all team rookie records, and his 642 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns are both team records by a Redskins quarterback of any experience level.


◄ Robert Griffin III


according to VPAP. Looking ahead to the 2013


session that kicks off Jan. 9, Watkins said he couldn’t speak for any of his colleagues as to whether they intend to file PPTA-modifying bills — but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.


“I have not seen anything that has


been filed along those lines,” Watkins saud. “Anecdotally I’ve heard some people say that they were (going to).”


In the end, the PPTA discussion


circles back to how the state funds transportation in the first place. It’s sure to be one of the hot topics in the upcoming session. Watkins has proposed legislation that would impose a 5-percent sales tax on gasoline and use the money to levy more dollars for road, highway and rail infrastructure.


“If we had adequately dealt with


transportation five or six years ago, we probably wouldn’t be in the situation we’re in right now,” Watkins said.


Legislators can’t rely on P3s for


more than 10 percent to 15 percent of highway infrastructure in the state, Chase said, so, they’ll have to come up with other funding in the near future.


“The whole secondary road


system, all the maintenance, thousands and thousands of miles of roadway in the commonwealth is not remotely a candidate for this sort of thing,” said Chase. “I think that some politicians, either through wishful thinking or just lack of knowledge, think that this is a long-term solution.”


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Job Searching


FROM PAGE 10 out on opportunities not only to find job postings, but also to introduce themselves to potential employers, recruiters and fellow veterans who may be able to help in their search. Most jobs today are found through social networks, so veterans should create social media profiles to connect with friends, former colleagues and potential employers.


By creating social networks before


exiting the military, connections can be leveraged closer to separation to find a job. No time is too early to start and grow networks. Follow relevant hashtags on Twitter to find alerts to new job openings and follow Twitter accounts posting jobs for veterans. Joining groups and participating in discussions on LinkedIn can increase visibility and open up doors for more in-person networking opportunities. Reach out to high school friends, former colleagues and fellow veterans for job leads or additional contacts who


Green Holiday FROM PAGE 2


and utensils when entertaining. If you have to use paper products, make sure these are made from recycled paper and plastic.


In the Kitchen • Don’t use the garbage disposal.


It does chop up organic matter, but bits and pieces of food particles still pass through, which can clog up your drain.


• Don’t put food particles


directly down your sink either! Use a strainer in your sink drain to catch food scraps, then toss in the trash or compost.


• Remember, never put kitchen


fats, oils or grease down the drain. Stay clog-free for the holidays!


• If you have gallons of fryer


oil to dispose of, recycle it at your community’s transfer or recycling center. Check here for a list of local fryer oil recycling locations.


December 2012


may be able to help. Seek additional education or


experiences. If veterans have not found a job by the time they come home, they should identify the holes in their skills to see where they can improve. Seek additional certifications and technical training depending on the field of work being sought or even an associate's or bachelor's degree, if necessary. Attending seminars, conferences and networking events are also excellent ways for veterans to show their commitment to professional development and put in much needed face time with professionals in their industry. While social media is a great tool for networking, it cannot substitute face-to-face interaction and relationship building.


In addition to training and


professional development, veterans can volunteer with organizations that align with their interests or career goals to avoid a gap in experience. Volunteering can boost a resume and avoid difficult conversations about long bouts of unemployment in interviews.


• Be a greener cleaner by using


a vinegar and water solution instead of harsh cleaning products.


The Tree and all the Trimmings


• Fill your house with the fresh scent that only a live tree can deliver.


• Decorate with fewer lights


or put your lights on a timer. Replace older lights with energy efficient LED strands.


• After Christmas, reuse your


naturally grown Christmas tree by taking the decorations off (including tinsel) and placing it in a quiet corner of your yard as a wildlife habitat area. Or, recycle it. Check back with www. askHRgreen.org for a list of pickup times and drop-off locations in each locality for naturally grown Christmas trees.


• If you’re thinking of getting


rid of your artificial Christmas tree, but it’s still in good shape, donate it to a good cause.


You’ll find a wealth of more green


tips to implement any time of year at askHRgreen.org.


Our Faith


By Rev. Dr. Gregory Headen “Continuing in Fellowship!”


For fifteen years,


God has favored my church to come to Friends and Family Day. Our congrega- tion has changed over those years. So many faces we miss because they are no longer with us. We must never


cease to thank God for their contributions and labors of love as they walked among us. It has changed also because others have moved on to lead and support other ministries in our town and beyond. It has changed because our children grew up, married, and have children of their own. It has changed because so many new fac- es have joined us that we did not know fifteen years ago. We can believe that as the years continue to roll by, the con- gregation will continue to change. I am aware that one day the pastor will change, and that person will not be Greg Headen. Let’s bless the Lord that today we are the ones to celebrate Family and Friends Day. This fifteen year old church has people of all ages. The church as God’s fellowship will likely outlive us. The faces of the people may change, but God sustains His church. Those of us who are still here are indebted in two directions. First, we


are indebted to those who have passed on because they helped to make us who we are. We must never disrespect them. We are also indebted to those who will come after us. We owe them the same chance that we have had. What we do today is determining what type of world they will live in. If we drop the ball, we will be robbing them of opportunity. I do not have the words to describe the profound importance of family and friendship. It means so much to belong, to have a place, to count for something. I remember years ago when I watched Michael Jackson and other star entertainers come together and sing the song “We are the World; we are the Children”. To see all of these talented celebrities singing together was inspiring. How much deeper and stronger should the fellowship be when we who believe in the same Lord come together? This day is about being connected. It is about belonging. It is about understanding that we are not in the world without a father and mother, without a sister or brother, without a friend. The “New Creation” means that we have peace with God and fellowship with each other. At times this reality seems so fragile. We have to keep reaching out and taking it, claiming it for ourselves, walking in it and sharing it with others.


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