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2020 SESSION

20108651D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 326
Offered February 25, 2020
Commending Adrian J. O'Connor.
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Patrons-- LaRock, Collins, Delaney, Gilbert, Gooditis, Subramanyam and Webert; Senator: Vogel
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WHEREAS, after more than 25 years with The Winchester Star, Adrian J. O’Connor, a distinguished journalist and generous community volunteer, retired as editor of the newspaper’s editorial page on January 24, 2020; and

WHEREAS, a graduate of Randolph-Macon College and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Adrian O’Connor worked for several newspapers in Southside Virginia, including the Danville Register & Bee, where he wrote for the editorial, features, and sports pages; and

WHEREAS, Adrian O’Connor joined The Winchester Star on December 7, 1992, and earned admiration for his fair-mindedness, elegant prose, and impressive vocabulary, while providing a conservative voice on the editorial page; and

WHEREAS, since 1997, Adrian O’Connor had written the weekly “Valley Pike” column, an engaging collection of stories about the people and places of the Shenandoah Valley; and

WHEREAS, throughout his career, Adrian O’Connor earned several awards and accolades from the Virginia Press Association for his stories, columns, and photography; and

WHEREAS, possessed of a servant’s heart, Adrian O’Connor volunteered his time and leadership with the Knights of Columbus, the Rotary Club of Winchester, the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival, and the Honor Flight Network; and

WHEREAS, Adrian O’Connor supported young people in the community as an official for high school sports, a Little League baseball coach, a longtime member of Big Brothers, Big Sisters, and a mentor to students in the gifted program at Frederick County Public Schools; and

WHEREAS, Adrian O’Connor left a legacy of excellence to his colleagues at The Winchester Star, and he will seek new opportunities to continue serving the community in his well-earned retirement; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Adrian J. O’Connor on the occasion of his retirement as editor of the editorial page at The Winchester Star; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Adrian J. O’Connor as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for his contributions to journalism and service to the Winchester community.