by Neil Richard
Introduction
The basic idea behind this interview series is to interview local leaders that live, work, or have an important impact on King George County. We have asked various citizens for recommendations on who they see as a local leader. Additionally, we feel that everyone has a story and it deserves to be told. So we want to know their story. As you can see with the questions below, we want to share their story with the rest of the citizens in King George County. If you have somebody you would like to nominate for a future interview, please contact us.
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| Mike Muncie, Director of General Properties |
Editor's Note:
Much like my earlier interview with Don Smith, Mike Muncie is one of those people that you can sit down and talk to all day if time allowed. I found myself sharing some of my own stories with him during our conversation but have removed them from the article in an effort to focus more on Mike's answers. I also removed some personal information that wasn't pertinent to the questions asked. We also spent some time discussing what type of restaurant King George needs which was also committed. One final note for readers, Mike's interview is very "stream of consciousnesses" in style and therefore may jump around a little.
Basic Biographical Information
Born in Quantico and lived in King George my whole life other than when I was stationed elsewhere in the Air Force. Education, I graduated from King George High School in 1978. Had pre-enlisted in the Air Force before I graduated. Got out in 1983 and did two years Reserve after that. Some schooling throughout that career. Never did get a degree as far as an Associates or BS. Right now I'm in the second year of a four year apprenticeship for my Journeyman's License in HVAC [Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning]. And then eventually I'll test for my Master's.
Certifications I still hold all of my certifications to inspect in the State of Virginia. Combination Inspector. Plumbing, Electrical, and structural. Erosion and Sediment Control. Never have sat on any Boards or any Committees.
Personal Questions
What do you remember about your grandparents?
Not too much about my dad's side of the family. My dad died when I was five. He was from Terre Haute, Indiana and his father from what I remember, I never remember him but my dad's mother, we weren't around her that much so I don't remember much about her. I know she died when I was in the service.
My mom's father and mother were both from Georgia. We lived with them, because my mom was a single parent after my dad died, so we moved back from Indiana. When my dad got sick, he had a brain tumor, so we went out there for about six months. Then mom had my grandmother come pick us up and we stayed with them. When dad passed away, my mom settled the estate out there and we moved in with my grandparents. We lived there until I was about 12 right there in Dahlgren. Mom worked on the base. Everybody in the family worked on the base except for me.
Both of them, on my mom's side, were from Georgia, lived on farms close to each other, got married when my granddad was 18. He enlisted in the Marine Corps. My grandmother was one of nine children and the matriarch of our family. She was the oldest daughter.
My great-grandmother had nine kids and her husband died so all of the kids had to help out and work the farm. She always instilled that work ethic in us. I used to hate it as a kid but she always said "hard work never killed anybody." We had chickens when we were there in Dahlgren and had a big garden. She'd make you get out there and weed. My granddad worked on the Main Range but he was a like a jack of all trades. He could do anything. But he was a man that didn't show a lot of love. He did but he didn't tell you that he loved you. He showed it in a different way. He'd always be messing round with fruit trees and grafting them. He'd let you help him cut the angles with the pocket knife. It was just a different way of showing you he loved you. He'd take you fishing. He was a great man. He taught me a lot.
What historical events influenced your life the most?
It's kind of hard but the one that sticks out for me is when the Columbia exploded, the Space Shuttle. I remember working in Fredericksburg, I remember when it happened, it was almost like 9/11, you just kind of....I don't know. How it changed my life, I really couldn't tell you but it just made me feel more patriotic I guess. Just glad to be a part of it. It's kind of hard to explain. It impacted my work that day, I can remember what we were doing, and we all just stepped back and the whole day you're talking about and thinking about. I didn't know them but it felt like family. I don't know how to describe it. I don't know if it made me step up my game or not. Shortly after that I went from Carpenter to Lead Carpenter and then to Supervisor. I didn't know anybody but it felt personal. I was in downtown Fredericksburg at the old Princess Anne Hotel remodeling it and was cutting out a doorway to turn it into a reception area. I was shoring up the floor joists to install a beam and that's when I found out.
9/11 was big too. I remember what I was doing when that happened. I was working at Doc Stone in Stafford and had three jobs going up there. I was on top of the Staples, on the roof, with the welder when I heard about it. I kept seeing all these planes flying low and wondered what in the world was going on and finally found out. Heard there was an attack on the Twin Towers.
Outside of work and home, what is your favorite place in King George?
Summertime, I'm out on the river. The Potomac. Usually we go to Betty Lou's Island in Machodoc Creek. We have on Facebook the Machodoc Creek Yacht Club. We'll go out on weekends and sit there and talk and have a good time in the sun. Then we go down to Dockside to have dinner or go to Maryland.
Usually if I'm not doing that I'm at the gym. My son Connor just bought a house so I haven't been to the gym much lately. I've been helping him fix things up there. But at the gym I workout. Do some cardio. At one time I was thinking about entering a competition for weight lifting. I was working towards that but now it's just to maintain and stay off medication.
What person, place, or thing do you think is the most underappreciated in King George County?
It used to be Howard's.
The one that comes to mind right now is Wilmont Landing. We used to go there a lot growing up in high school. Just sit there and party, light a bonfire, you know. But at that point is where three Counties meet. There's King George, Caroline, and Westmoreland. We used to go duck hunting in there too. To me, it's just a real pretty place. I'm sure it has a lot of history. The old brick mill used to be there. There was a brick kiln right there where they'd make the bricks and a barge would come up there. Used to be able to go down there and find a whole brick and it would say WILMONT on them. A lot of them are brittle and broken up but every once in a while you'd find one that's whole.
That's my second answer next to Howard's. I wish we could get a decent restaurant.
Professional Questions
Who is your inspiration or mentor?
I had an answer for that and now I'm just drawing a blank. I would have to say my grandmother. She's no longer here but, you know, she was a very strong woman. Very hard working. Instilled a lot of good things in me I feel. Before we moved out, I think I was about 10, and it was summer time and we wanted to go to the pool on base and she said "come on in here and help me cook." I'd say "Granny I don't want to cook" and she'd say "you're going to need it one day. You're going to be out on your own one day." Stuff like that. And now, to this day, I was married for 19 years and I think I cooked just about every meal. Same thing now. I enjoy cooking. But like I said, she instilled a work ethic in me that's why I do what I do today.
She was always big about education too. She graduated but a lot of her brothers didn't because they had to work on the farm. She wanted all of us to have a better education. She wanted all of us to go to college and Connor was the first. Wish she could be alive to see that. She would have been very proud of him. He was six months old when she died. I should have went to college. I started to do it again when I was married before Connor was born. I started back and my ex-wife Nancy was going to school too and I was going to school and it was just crazy. Finally I just had to give it up. But now nothing's going on so I take a class two nights a week for three hours a night. I get out of class at 9:30pm and get back here by 10:30pm and you're tired but you can't go right to sleep and you get up at 5am.
What is your ideal vision for King George County in the future?
Oh man. I'd like to see it remain somewhat rural like it is now. But I'd like to see the conveniences that we have like the Walmart and a few other places. I think infrastructure is a big one. And I'd like to see some people start building some more schools because I think we're going to be overwhelmed when these approved subdivisions are actually filled up. I don't think we're preparing enough for that.
By infrastructure I mean the roads, especially around and by the Courthouse. Water and sewer. The roads. Some of these roads, you know like 206 [Dahlgren Road] is unreal. Very scary. I try to avoid it as much as I can. Another fire station. And I would love to see General Properties, one day, have more skilled employees. Instead of outsourcing all the stuff like HVAC and plumbing, which we do a lot of plumbing in house, but something big. Electrical, we try to maintain in house but again, if it's big like feeder work. But if I had the licensed people, then I could actually do the in house work. I know that's how Spotsylvania operates but that would be a big budget item. Salaries would have to go way up. But I really think in the long run you would save money.
What do you feel are the top 3 issues to address in King George?
Service Authority. I think they do a good job with what they're given. All the other issues, the debt, how it was accumulated. I'd like to see us get out from under that.
Probably 206 [Dahlgren Road]. That's terrible.
The bridge [Highway 301 over the Potomac River] and the traffic but we don't have any control over that.
What do you feel are the top 3 successes in King George?
I know a lot of people will disagree with me but the dump. It's a big money maker for the County. I know one day it's going to shut down but I think it's helped the County a lot as far as revenue. I mean, look at the fire trucks. All the rescue equipment and the Sheriff's office, all of their stuff is top notch. When I came out of the Air Force in 1983, I joined the volunteers and everything we did up there we worked for. Yard sales, fund drives, we never got money from the County. So I think that's a plus.
Another one people may not agree with is Walmart. It's definitely eliminated a lot of trips to town. But there again, it brings a lot of riff-raff from across the bridge. I've heard this several times, "if you build a Walmart, they will come," meaning other businesses. Which would be good for the County as far as tax base. I think you could concentrate all that growth in one spot and you're all right. You start spreading it out all around the County and you start loosing site of what you really like, the rural nature. I think once the bridge goes in, the corridor through there will blow up.
I think the new field house that we built at the high school is another one. I think the County needed it. I know there was a lot of talk about using The Pit but I think it was something that was well needed.
What person, place, or thing do you think we lack in King George?
A home cooking style restaurant. I would say a competitive gym, something other than the YMCA. There's Anytime Fitness but it's not a full one. But it's not for somebody that wants to come in and do some heavy lifting. And I know they have a Cross Fit up there but it's not the same style as what I'm talking about. Usually a body builder would do lighter weights and more reps but at some point you have to lift heavy. So the YMCA is about it right now.
Going back to the home cooking restaurant, my go-to for a home cooked meal for breakfast is fried eggs, sausage, grits, biscuits and gravy. Lunchtime would be fried chicken, mashed potatoes. Dinner would probably be meatloaf, greens. But it's the comfort foods.
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