Editor, Gazette-Journal:

“The people win.” That was the headline for the editorial that appeared in the May 1, 2003 edition of the Gazette-Journal. That article extolled the virtues of an earlier board of supervisors that had the integrity and the backbone to stand up for the rule of law on behalf of the citizens of Mathews.

The long-fought case pitted the county, and its citizens, against a few property owners who blocked a century of established road access to a waterfront parcel of public land on the North River, thus denying rightful access to the general public. Determined to stand up for the voters, the former board took this case all the way to the Supreme Court of Virginia, which ruled in favor of the county and its citizens.

The editorial continued with …. “The county did the right thing in seeking a final resolution. And it promised more access to local waters in years to come.”

Flash forward more than a decade to today’s board of supe...