Friday, March 3, 2006

 

VIR Water Rate Set For Monday Airing

The Halifax County Service Authority is expected to hear from VIR Co-Owner Connie Nyholm Monday regarding her proposals to cover utility costs at the motorsports park.
The Authority is expected to meet in the public meeting room of the Mary Bethune Complex in Halifax immediately following the regular monthly meeting of the Halifax County Board of Supervisors.
Supervisor Doug Bowman, who serves as chairman of the Finance Committee, said shortly after an earlier meeting on the subject that the flat rate of $5,000 VIR is currently paying is insufficient to cover the $15,600 the county is currently paying.
Authority members, consisting of the Board of Supervisors, first addressed the issue during their meeting in February.
During the meeting, Assistant County Administrator Jerry Lovelace told the Board that Nyholm had “several proposals she wanted to discuss,” but she was detained out of town and was unable to attend the meeting.
Supervisors voted to double the rate the facility is paying following the earlier meeting, but have agreed to let Nyholm offer alternatives.
Shortly after the February meeting, County Administrator Bryan Foster said that the $5,000 rate was initially set following a meeting with Nyholm.
“When this issue came up last summer, we met with Connie and (she) suggested a flat rate in the interim until we could set the rates,” he said. “(The $5,000/month rate) was her decision and we said okay.”
Foster said that prior to the earlier meeting, supervisors had “crunched the numbers.” “The idea is the rates paid should cover the total costs of the system.”
According to Bowman, the annual debt service on the $1.6 million loan is around $135,000, with operating expenses totaling about $60,000 annually.
“We’re looking at $195,000 the service authority needs from VIR to cover its debt service,” he said yesterday.
Foster said that the $5,000 voluntary payment totals $60,000 annually.
The county administrator told the Authority that it will “take time” to set a rate structure for the park.
The move will take approximately three months to complete because a public hearing is required and notification of the affected parties.
In order to hold a public hearing, the Authority will need a proposed rate to advertise and that rate would have to be more than $20 per 1,000 gallons, “which would shock users.” He said that amount is more than five times “what it ought to be.”
Because the rate would be so high, Bowman said supervisors have held off on setting a concrete rate for the park, allowing them instead to pay a flat rate until additional customers are available to offset the expense to VIR.
Bowman said that if the Authority’s request for a $10,000 monthly payment is not honored, they could look into setting a rate structure for the park.
During the February meeting, supervisors appropriated $250,000 from the county’s general fund to cover the debt service for this year’s payment on the loan.

 

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Hearing Set On School Bonds

County May Borrow Up To $37.5 Million To Fund Construction Of Elementary Schools

A public hearing on the proposed issuance of bonds to fund the two new elementary schools highlights the agenda when the Halifax County Board of Supervisors meets for its regular monthly meeting Monday.
The meeting gets under way at 6:30 p.m. in the public meeting room of the Mary Bethune Complex in Halifax. The public hearings are scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Following the hearing, supervisors are expected to vote on the issuance of bonds not to exceed $37.5 million to fund the construction of the schools. Officials are seeking the bonds through the Virginia Public School Authority.
Contacted yesterday, County Administrator Bryan Foster said administration officials don’t yet know the interest rates the county will receive on the bonds.
“We’ll know the rate once they’re sold, but the expectation is the rate will be between 3.5 and 4.5 percent,” he said.
Foster said the two schools, planned for South Boston and the Cluster Springs community, have been let for bids.
“The bids are due on Tuesday,” he said.
According to the county administrator, the schools are being funded as a single project and the bonds will fund both schools.
School Superintendent Paul Stapleton said yesterday that he was afraid an increase in the costs of materials as a result of Hurricane Katrina could affect the overall cost of the project.
“I just hope it’s a minimum amount,” he said. “I think we’re going to have a competitive bid, but we’re very concerned that the bids will go over budget after what happened at the middle school.”
The middle school project was up around 20 percent over projections, he pointed out.
But Stapleton said the interest shown in the project is a good sign.
“We know that we had six construction companies pick up the bid packets and at the pre-construction meeting on February 22, five of them were there,” he said. “We’ll see what happens on March 7.”
A public hearing is also set on a conditional use permit filed by Eddie Austin to relocate Austin Excavating to the former Volens weather station on Route 501.
The final public hearing scheduled for Monday is on a conditional use permit filed by Cingular Wireless for a cellular tower on the northwest corner of the intersection of U.S. 360 and Clover Road.
Prior to the public hearings, supervisors are expected to authorize public hearings on the following for their April meeting:
• An application filed by SBA Network Services for a conditional use permit and rezoning application to rezone nearly 42 acres from residential to agricultural. If passed, the move will allow the construction of a 199-foot cellular tower near the intersection of Routes 360 and 729. Ronnie and Joyce Green are seeking the rezoning.
• An application for a second 199-foot cellular tower filed by SBA Network Services at the intersection of Routes 607 and 360.
• An application to rezone 14.2 acres from agricultural to manufacturing at the west side of Riverstone Technology Park. The Halifax County Industrial Development Authority is seeking the rezoning.
• An application to rezone 10 acres on Route 58 near Wilkins Road from agricultural to business. Allan Cassavant is seeking the rezoning.
• An application for a conditional use permit for a cross-country motorcycle race to be held in September. Lone Rider Productions is seeking the permit.
• An application for a conditional use permit filed by SBA Network Services to locate a 199-foot cellular tower on Sandy Beach Road near the intersection of Furges Trail.
• An application for a conditional use permit filed by SBA Network Services for a 199-foot cellular tower located on Newton Farm Road near the intersection of Route 501.
• An application to rezone approximately three-tenths of an acre on Memorial Drive from agricultural to business. Charlie Betts is seeking the rezoning.
Foster said that while no formal announcement has been made, the move by Cingular Wireless to construct towers in the county would indicate they plan to offer their services in the area.
“Obviously, Cingular is obtaining permits so they can put in towers in the county,” he said. “That would indicate to me that they’re planning to move into the area. I don’t know what their timeline is for offering services, but they’re obviously moving into the community.”
Following the open portion of the meeting, supervisors are expected to convene in closed session to discuss pending litigation and the acquisition or disposition of property.

 

Comets Eye Success In State Indoor Track Meet

Eight Members Of The HCHS Indoor Track Team Will Compete Today In The State Group AAA Indoor Track And Field Championships

Halifax County High School may not have the numbers to win the state Group AAA Indoor Track and Field Championships which open today at George Mason University, but Comets coach Ralph Robinson is expecting good results.
Six members of the Comets boys indoor track team, David Anderson, Patrick Terry, Travis Word, Corey Jackson, Jeremy Clauden and Jamond Edmonds, will be in the competition today along with two members of the girls indoor track team, Juanita Kincy and LaDonna Canada.
That group has served as the core group of the Comets indoor track program this season and is a group that has the potential to place in this weekend’s state meet.
“I don’t know if we can go up there with this number of participants and win the state championship,” Robinson said.
“I don’t think that will happen, but I think they will do a very good job representing Halifax County High School and the community. I think they will do a good job.”
Two members of the Comets boys team, Anderson and Terry, will enter the state competition with a high ranking in both the state and national rankings. Anderson is ranked in the top six in the country in the triple jump and is ranked number one in the state. Terry is ranked in a tie for fifth in the state in the 55-meter dash and is ranked in the top 12 in the nation.
Anderson will be at something of a disadvantage this weekend in that he is still nursing a groin injury that has hampered him in recent weeks.
“You can only do so much,” Robinson said of the injury Anderson is nursing.
“Other than rest, it’s not going to heal completely. I know he’s going to give it his best. We’re going to let him rest and we’ll stretch him out real good and ice him and do things to try to help him.”
Anderson finished sixth in the event in last year’s state outdoor track and field championship.
Terry, Robinson said, should be at full song this weekend.
“In the state, they have him listed in a tie for fifth,” Robinson noted.
“The times from first to tenth-place are so close. They’re within a tenth or two tenths from bottom to top. I explained to him (Terry) that in 55 meters you have no room for error. All of those guys have about the same speed. It’s the technical part that is going to get you through it. Nobody will catch the first man out of the blocks because everybody’s speed is about on the same level. Patrick has been working on some of the technical things and he should do well.”
Word placed second in the 55-meter hurdles and Jackson placed second in last week’s Northwest Region Meet, setting the stage for the possibility of a good outing in this weekend’s state meet.
Jackson, Word, Anderson and Terry have participated in state competition in indoor as well as outdoor track, a factor Robinson says should play well into their hands this weekend.
“That experience will help them a lot,” said Robinson.
“I know last year they went and it was fun. It was like going to the Super Bowl or to the championships for the first time. Once you get there, it’s a relief and you say ‘I’m going to have some fun with this.’ The older you get and the more experience you get, it becomes more serious.
“They want to win,” the Comets coach added.
“They’re not going up there just because it’s the state championship. This year they have legitimate chances to win these events and they are taking it seriously.”
Word and Jackson, Robinson said, have a good shot at placing in the competition.
“Travis has a legitimate chance,” Robinson noted.
“He’s getting faster and faster every time he runs the hurdles. Corey Jackson has really come on of late and is throwing the shot put really well. If he can throw over 50 feet he has a legitimate chance to break into the top eight.”
Clauden and Jamond Edmonds are going to making their first appearance in state competition. Clauden placed fifth in the triple jump in the Northwest Region meet and Edmonds placed fifth in the long jump in the regional competition.
“They are not very high on the rankings list,” Robinson said, “but, my motto with the kids who jump is that it only takes one. If you hit that one right jump it can take you pretty far. If they get that one rhythm and one jump and hit it, anything can happen.”
As far as the girls go, Kincy did not place with her seventh-place finish in the high jump in the Northwest Region meet. However, she had met and surpassed the state meet qualifying standard prior to the Northwest Region meet, thus qualifying her to compete in this weekend’s state championships.
“If she can maintain a five foot, two inch or 5-3 jump, she has a legitimate chance at placing in the high jump,” Robinson noted.
Canada had a solid outing in the Northwest Region meet, placing second in the shot put.
“LaDonna will have to throw really well in order to place,” Robinson said.
She’s a first-time state participant also. She was good enough to qualify for the state, so she has a chance.”
Regardless of the outcome in the state meet, Robinson said the indoor track program has had a successful season.
“Coming into the season we knew we had some good kids,” Robinson said.
“These are some of the same kids that I came in with when I came into the program two years ago that have worked and worked. Boys and girls track is on the rise in Halifax. I want to emphasize to some of the other kids and even to the kids that we have on the team now, these hallways (at HCHS) are full with just as many athletes as we have now. We’re still recruiting and trying to get others kids out and be a part of the program.”
The success of the indoor track program this season makes a good lead-in for the spring outdoor track season.
“We’ll have quite a few more participants,” he said.
“I think the success we’ve had has generated more interest. I’m looking forward to seeing who comes out Monday (for the opening day of outdoor track practice) and seeing how hard they’re willing to work.”
Many of the participants on the indoor track teams that will compete during the spring outdoor track season are already at work preparing for the official start of workouts on Monday.
“Our (track) programs don’t start until Monday, but we have so much interest in track right now that a number of them have bene working out on their own,” Robinson pointed out.
“We gave the girls a week off, but they didn’t take it. They want to work to get better.”

 

Brandon Named Freshman Of The Year In Big South Conference

Former Halifax County High School track and field standout Shemelia Brandon has continued her winning ways on the collegiate level.
Brandon, who competes for the Radford University indoor track and field team, has been named as Big South Conference Freshman of the Year based upon the votes of conference coaches.
If Brandon qualifies to compete in the NCAA Championships, she will become the first freshman from Radford University to do so.
The NCAA Championship Meet will be held next weekend in Arkansas.
Brandon scored two second-place and two third-place finishes in last weekend’s Big South Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships held at Clemson University.
The former Comets track standout set a new school record in both the long jump and triple jump with her second-place finish in both of the two events. Brandon jumped 19 feet and 2.75 inches in the long jump and hit a mark of 40 feet and 8.25 inches in the triple jump.
In addition, Brandon placed third in the 60-meter race with a time of 7.76 seconds and placed third in the 200-meter race with a time of 25.36 seconds.
Brandon was also a participant on the radford University 4x400-meter relay team which placed third with a school-record time of three minutes and 53 seconds.

 

Invitational Tourney, Home Track Meets Highlight HCMS Spring Schedule

The Halifax County Middle School spring sports schedule features something old and something new, with the Lions again hosting its annual baseball/softball invitational tourney, and the Lions track teams hosting the Southside Middle School Conference Championship meet.
All four teams are coming off successful 2005 campaigns, the baseball and softball teams both going undefeated in winning conference titles, while the track teams each recorded runnerup finishes in their championship meets.
Both the Lions baseball and softball teams open the season March 16 with games at Franklin County, while the Lions track teams open their season March 21 with a tri-meet (GW/Martinsville) at Martinsville.
This year’s baseball/softball invitational tournament promises to be one of the best ever, with Martinsville, Franklin County and Powhatan supplying the competition on the baseball side, and Dinwiddie, Franklin County and Powhatan on the softball side.
The tournament is scheduled for March 18, with the Lions baseball team taking on Martinsville at 9 a.m. and the softball team facing Dinwiddie at 10 a.m.
In addition to Southside Middle School Conference foes Bluestone, Park View, Russell and E.W. Wyatt, the Lions baseball and softball teams travel to Stanford March 24, while the baseball team travels to Martinsville April 19.
A special Saturday home date on April 8 has the Lions baseball and softball teams each squaring off against Wyatt in a pair of doubleheaders, with the action scheduled to start at 1 p.m.
The conference tournament for both baseball and softball is scheduled to start May 12 and conclude May 13, with the sites for semifinal and final games to be announced.
The middle school boys and girls track teams open away March 21 against GW and Martinsville, and have two additional away dual meets, Bluestone/Nottoway at Nottoway March 22, and Bluestone/Powhatan at Powhatan March 28.
They return home for three straight meets, starting with GW March 30, followed by tri meets with Powhatan and Park View on April 4 and Amelia and Russell on April 24,
The Lions will host the conference meet at the Tisha Waller Track and Field on April 29.

 

Obituaries

William James Delaney
William James Delaney, 87, of 4189 Chatham Road, Halifax, died February 26, 2006.
Mr. Delaney was born September 28, 1918, in Thomasville, Ga. to the late Governor Delaney and Mary Delaney and was married to Carrie Delaney. He was a United States Army Veteran and was a member of New Vernon Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, two daughters, Jean Hadley and Shelley Dance; three sons, Robert Evans, William Delaney Jr. and Kenneth Delaney; one sister, Refair Hobbs, his in-laws, Josie Delaney and Julia Delaney, Brady Owens, Mitchell Womack, Thelma Goode and Arthur Goode; three daughters-in-law, Candy Evans, Rose Delaney and Robin Delaney; two sons-in-law, Robert Hadley and Leander Dance; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Funeral services for Mr. Delaney will be held tomorrow, March 4, at 11 a.m. at New Vernon Baptist Church with the Rev. Dr. Roger Ford officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family is receiving friends at the home.

Hilda Trickey Clayton
Hilda Trickey Clayton, 68, of Roxboro, N.C., died March 1, 2006, at her home.
Mrs. Clayton was born in Halifax County, the daughter of the late Walter and Lera Morris Trickey, and was married to Bennie E. Clayton. She was a member of Theresa Baptist Church, was a retired manager of Village Gate and formerly worked for Cato’s and Carney’s ladies clothing stores.
Survivors include her husband; two children and their spouses, Donald E. and Tonya Clayton and Laurie C. and Marvin Wilson, all of Roxboro; two brothers, Junior Trickey of Alton and her twin brother, Howard Trickey of Bahama, N.C.; three sisters, Lois Salley, and Gladys Salley, both of Halifax, and Nancy Pixley of Ft. Walton, Beach, Fla.; and two grandchildren, Jacob Clayton and Megan Wilson.
Funeral services for Mrs. Clayton will be held tomorrow, March 4, at 11 a.m. at Theresa Baptist Church with the Revs. Herbert Brown and Jay Dagenhart officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends this evening, March 3, from 6:30 until 8:00, at Brooks & White Funeral Home in Roxboro.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Theresa Baptist Church Building Fund, 3919 Chub Lake Road, Roxboro, 27574, or Home Health & Hospice of Person County, 355A S. Madison Blvd., Roxboro, or Home Health Professionals of 807 N. Madison Blvd., Roxboro.

Edward Coleman Jr.
Edward Coleman Jr., 82, of Greensboro, N.C., formerly of Halifax County, died February 26, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mr. Coleman was born October 30, 1923, in Halifax County to the late Edward Coleman Sr. and Kittie Tucker Coleman and was married to Annie M. Coleman. He was a United States Army Veteran.
Survivors include his wife; one daughter, Carolyn C. Coleman of New Haven, Conn.; four sons, Sam Edward Coleman Jr., William Larry Coleman, Theodore R. Coleman and Ernest F. Coleman, all of New Haven; 22 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren. Two sisters, Theresa Ferrell and Bessie Powell preceded Mr. Coleman in death.
Funeral services will be held tomorrow, March 4, at 3 p.m. at St. Matthew Baptist Church with the Rev. Dr. Whitfield Scott conducting the service. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

Roger Greenwood Crews
Roger Greenwood Crews, 87, of Clarkton Road, Nathalie, died March 1, 2006, at Halifax Regional Hospital. He was the husband of the late Eva Hamlett Crews.
Mr. Crews was born in Charlotte County January 7, 1919, son of the late Minor Henry Crews and Mary Florence Trent Crews. He was a member of Staunton River Baptist Church and was a retired farmer.
Survivors include one daughter, Vivian C. Sweeting and husband, Tom, of Nathalie; one grandson, Bill Crews and wife, Tricia, of Nathalie; one great-grandson, Cameron Edward Crews. One son, Elbert William Crews; four brothers, Lewis, Joe T., Leonard and Roy T. Crews; and two sisters, Gracie and Alma Crews also preceded Mr. Crews in death.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. today, March 3, at Henderson Funeral Home Chapel in Brookneal by the Rev. Shelton Miles. Burial will follow in Staunton River Baptist Church Cemetery.

Ryland Wayne Daniel
Ryland Wayne ‘Hacksaw’ Daniel, 68, of 3155 Green Valley Road, Clover, died February 26, 2006, at his home.
Mr. Daniel was born in Mecklenburg County the son of the late Wayne Gooch Daniel and Helen Bernice Yancey Daniel and was married to Dorothy H. Daniel.
Survivors include his wife of the home; his children, Laura Mae, Rusty and Eileen Peffer, all of Clover. Two brothers, Troy and Roy Daniel preceded Mr. Daniel in death.
Funeral services will be held today, March 3, at 2 p.m. at Powell Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Vance Midgett officiating.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Halifax County Cancer Association, P.O. Box 875, South Boston, 24592, or Halifax Regional Hospice, 2204 Wilborn Avenue, South Boston.

Charlie Thomas Davis
Charlie Thomas ‘CT’ Davis, 53, of 1019 Davis Trail, South Boston, died February 27, 2006, at his home.
Mr. Davis was born September 3, 1952, the son of Annie Catherine Williams Davis and the late Moses Davis and was married to Martha Powell Davis. He was a member of Union Grove CME Church.
Survivors include his wife of the home; two daughters, Chancie P. Wagner and husband, Harry, and Shanice Davis; one son, Sectric Powell, all of the home; his mother of South Boston; two sisters, Annie P. Davis and Donna D. Mosley and husband, Ray, of South Boston; five brothers, Harold Ragsdale and wife, Martha, of Nathalie, Moses M. Davis of Md., Henry L. Davis, Harvey L. Davis and Melvin L. Davis; a devoted niece, Sherry Ager; and a devoted friend, Erica Buster.
Funeral services for Mr. Davis will be held tomorrow, March 4, at 11 a.m. at Union Grove CME Church with the Revs. A. Donnelly and A. Jamal Reed officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service, and other times at the home.

Willie Coles Davis
Willie Coles Davis, 68, of Danville, died March 1, 2006, at Danville Regional Medical Center.
Mrs. Davis was born in Halifax County on July 7, 1937, to the late Frank Coles and Virgie Mosley Coles, and was married to Beverly Davis. She was a member of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church.
Survivors include her husband; one daughter, Tonya Davis of Danville; two sisters, Mary Davis of Halifax and Lucinda Coleman of Nathalie; and one brother, Frank Burch of Fort Washington, Md.
Funeral services for Mrs. Davis will be held March 5, at 2 p.m. at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church with the Rev. Ronald Claiborne officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the Chapel of Jeffress Funeral Home tomorrow evening, March 4, from 6:00 until 7:00.

Rev. Lawrence Thomas Graves
Rev. Lawrence Thomas Graves, 58, of Halifax, died February 26, 2006, at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church.
Rev. Graves was born in Halifax County on October 3, 1947, the son of the late Alonzo C. Graves and Leola Easley Graves and was married to Doris G. Graves. He was a member of Banister Hill Baptist Church in Halifax.
Rev. Graves was a graduate of Mary M. Bethune High School, Hosley Cobb Institute with a Bachelor of Arts degree, BED Institute of Theology in New York with an AAS degree in Pastoral Ministry, and Virginia University of Lynchburg with a Master of Divinity degree. He was pastor for St. Felix Baptist Church of Christ in Brooklyn, N.Y., New Hope Baptist Church in Metuchen, N.Y., and Second Providence Baptist Church in N.Y.
Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Irma Ramos of Queens, N.Y. and Sadarhi Graves of Denver, Colo.; two stepdaughters, Shari T. Moore and husband, Ronnie, of Raleigh, N.C. and DeLisa J. Moore of Queens, N.Y.; one stepson, Harry T. Moore Jr. and wife, Roberta, of Washington, N.C.; six brothers, Forest L. Graves and wife, Kim, of Seattle, Wash., J. Gregory Graves and wife, Angela, of Stamford, Conn., Don B. Graves of Halifax, Dean B. Graves and wife, Ruth, of Clinton, Md., Bishop Alan B. Graves and wife, Joseline, of Stamford, and Napoleon G. Graves and wife, Gladys, of Woodbridge; two sisters, Sharon C. Graves and husband, Richard, of Halifax, and Karen Graves-Medley and husband, Bill, of Stamford; one granddaughter, Cheyenne A. Jones of Denver; three step-granddaughters, Bianca Carr, Kaitlyn Moore and Courtney Moore, all of Washington, N.C.; one grandson, Shaheem Spears of Denver; and one step-grandson, Durell ‘Ki’ Simpson.
Rev. Graves was preceded in death by a brother, Alonzo Dwight Graves.
The family will receive friends this evening, March 3, between 5 and 8, at Banister Hill Baptist Church.
Funeral services for Rev. Graves will be held tomorrow, March 4, at 11 a.m. at Banister Hill Baptist Church. Burial will follow in Halifax Memorial Gardens.