Friday, March 4, 2005

Vaughan Wants EDA Panel To Be Dissolved

Supervisor Ronnie Vaughan Wants To Put An End To The Newly-Created Economic Development Authority

Just days after a contract was signed to hire a new Executive Director for the Halifax County Economic Development Authority, at least one supervisor is expected to call for the disolution of the marketing body.
In an e-mail sent to members of the Halifax County Board of Supervisors, Supervisor Ronnie Vaughan said he isn’t inclined to “meet and negotiate with the IDA (Industrial Development Authority) board and the EDA board.”
“It has become apparent to me that there is a group that wants to control the future economic development of Halifax County, excluding the Board of Supervisors and other economic development groups,” Vaughan wrote.
To that end, Vaughan told supervisors in the e-mail that he intends to offer a motion during Monday night’s meeting to:
•Request the EDA board submit a resolution to dissolve the body.
•Halt any funding for the EDA.
•Hire Mike Eades as the executive director of the board created when the existing IDA changes its name to EDA.
If Vaughan makes the motion during Monday’s meeting, it will come just days after Eades signed a three-year contract to head the EDA.
The new executive director signed a contract Wednesday to take the helm of the new board.
He will initially be paid an annual salary of $95,000 and will be eligible for review after six months, at which time he could receive a $5,000 salary increase.
“I have made a mistake in not speaking out against creating a new layer of government called the EDA,” Vaughan wrote. “That was not the intent of this board or the IDA board. The intent was to change the name of the IDA to EDA (and) appoint two members from the South Boston IDA to the Halifax County IDA."
Contacted late yesterday morning, Halifax County Administrator Bryan Foster said that while Vaughan has the right to make the motion, any consideration of the issue will be up to supervisors.
“The board isn’t taking a position such as Ronnie is proposing, but it’s his prerogative as a Board member to make that motion," he said. “That’s an issue the board will have to resolve."
But Foster said it was his understanding that Vaughan still intends to offer the motion.
“He indicated that he will do this at the board meeting on the 7th and I don’t have any information to the contrary," he said yesterday afternoon.
After several months of consideration by supervisors and the town councils of Halifax and South Boston, supervisors voted in September, 2004, to create the EDA.
Supervisor R.E. “Dickie" Abbott cast the lone dissenting vote.
During the May, 2004 joint meeting between the county and the towns, Supervisor Doug Bowman advocated the formation of the new body, suggesting the new body would focus on marketing, existing business support and project management.
The current configuration for the board mandates it be comprised of five at-large members from the county and two at-large members from South Boston.
Bowman said earlier that the primary focus of industrial development authorities is asset ownership and business expansion financing, and the EDA will focus solely on marketing the county to prospective businesses.
Staff from the current town and county IDAs will work for the new board.
Foster sent an e-mail to supervisors clarifying the duties of the two authorities.
“The new EDA director and the EDA staff will work with and support both boards," he said. “Both the new EDA director and staff understand this.
“We want to keep everything each Board is working on moving forward," Foster continued. “The IDA will also receive staff support from the county as county employees will be performing maintenance tasks on IDA properties and buildings.
“In the eyes of the Board of Supervisors, both boards will have equal status, but different functions," he added. “The EDA focuses on marketing while the IDA focuses on ownership and management of properties."
Suggesting that the reality of the EDA is not living up to the intentions when it was created, an attachment to Vaughan’s e-mail questioned the efficacy of the move to form the new body.
“What was the intent of (the) IDA resolution?" Vaughan asked in referring to board minutes from December, 19, 2002. “The intent was to combine/merge the South Boston IDA with the Halifax County IDA and to name the new joint/unified entity the Economic Development Authority of Halifax County.
“What has taken place? The (Board of Supervisors) has set up a new layer of government," he continued.
Referencing a February 11 report from attorneys Sands, Anderson, Marks & Miller, Vaughan contends that one authority can’t legally “take over" the staff and funds from another authority. “They are independent authorities," he wrote.
Contacted yesterday, Vaughan declined to comment on the matter.

 

INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE – EDA and IDA officials met yesterday in front of the former Georgia-Pacific site to announce plans to purchase the property using $175,000 in economic development funds from the Tobacco Commission. Pictured (from left) is IDA member Larry McPeters, who spearheaded efforts to complete an environmental study on the property. Joining McPeters is IDA Chairman John Cannon and EDA Chairman Rick Harrell. Once purchased, the property will be turned over to the EDA to be marketed to prospective industry. (G-V Photo/Keith Strange)

IDA Seeks Purchase Georgia-Pacific Site

Would Be Purchased With $175,000 In Tobacco Commission Funding And Turned Over To EDA

Following a year of testing to ensure the site doesn’t pose any environmental threats, the Halifax County Industrial Development Authority (IDA) is prepared to purchase the former Georgia-Pacific property off U.S. 360, Board Chairman John Cannon said yesterday.
Cannon said that after three comprehensive environmental tests, Board members are now convinced the site poses no threat to the environment.
“We had our own (environmental) assessment done, gave the results to Georgia-Pacific who had their assessment done and got a letter from DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) saying the site is ok,” he said. “Our concern is we didn’t want to get involved with a site with contaminates on it.
“We wanted to do due diligence and make sure the site was environmentally sound before moving to purchase the property.”
The IDA is now ready to move forward with the purchase of the 106-acre property with $175,000 in funding from the Tobacco Commission, Cannon said. Once the site is cleaned and the existing structures on the property have been demolished, the site will be marketed to prospective industries.
“(The funding) is already in our checking account from the Tobacco Commission,” he said. “We’re already funded to purchase the property.”
Cannon added that the move on the property is an example of the county’s two economic development boards working together.
“This is a perfect example of partnering between the EDA and the IDA," he said. “The IDA is acquiring this property and will be turning it over to the EDA for marketing to prospective businesses."
Existing structures on the site will be demolished to allow any industries locating in the site to custom build a facility to their needs.
“We’re going to turn it from a brown site to green,” Cannon said. “We’ll have a 106-acre industrial park site with utilities run to the site ready for development.
“It’s a fantastic site with great road access to (U.S.) 360 that will be ready for development,” he added.
Patsy Vaughan, who served as interim executive director of the IDA prior to being reassigned to the Economic Development Authority, said yesterday that the site will fill the need for marketable locations for prospective industries.
“We think the site will be a premium location for any businesses seeking to locate in Halifax County," she said. “We need to have a product to market for industrial job prospects with Riverstone being restricted to technology companies."
The IDA had taken out an option on the property while the site was inspected for environmental concerns.
In a report written to Georgia-Pacific officials, DEQ manager Michael Sexton said he is confident in the results of the tests and feels the site doesn’t merit any additional scrutiny.
“Based upon a technical review of this report, the State Water Control Board, acting through the DEQ… believes that the site does not warrant further investigation or corrective action," he wrote.
Cannon said the IDA board wants to move to purchase the property as soon as possible.
“We want to take action to buy the property immediately," he said. “What we’re doing right now is they (Georgia-Pacific) are giving us another option and we need to take action to buy the property.
“That’s a beautiful site that could be marketed for just about anything."

 

Higher Ed Funding Opens New Positions

BY Beth Robertson
G-V STAFF WRITER

What will $1.2 million in state funding mean to the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center?
Seventeen new positions, new programs and possible expansion (about 30,000 sq. ft. of the existing 70,000 sq. ft. is currently utilized), according to Amy Lammerts, SVHEC director.
“The 15-member Board of Trustees to be appointed by the Governor will hire an executive director for this site,” explained Lammerts.
“We’ve operated on a shoestring budget for a long time,” she added, recalling that following the move from the old facility to the new one there was left about $200,000 to operate.
“ It was then associated colleges pooled resources to help the Center pay its bills,” added the director. “They came through for us.”
“Del. Clarke Hogan was able to get some additional funding in the next General Assembly session so we didn’t have to go back to the other colleges, but it still wasn’t enough to operate the Center, until now. So this is a very good thing,” she said of the General Assembly’s $1.2 million budget funding.
“Already, a needs assessment has been completed so some of the work has been done,” added Lammerts.
The assessment revealed calls for more bachelor degree and technology programs.
“We would like to see more technical programs so that students can walk right out and get a job in Halifax County,” she added.
One facet of the Center already under way is a new workforce lab.
“We just started training this semester,” said Lammerts. “We want to better meet the needs of existing businesses. We have some electrical and heating and air conditioning classes,” she added. “We hope to be able to expand the basic trades programs and we also hope to do more specialized training with nurses.”
In the technology realm, the Center recently started Microsoft Cisco computer-based programs.
“We hope to expand informational technology,” said the director. “We have the opportunity to offer a bachelor and master’s program from Radford University in informational technology. We see that as a positive tie-in with Riverstone. Riverstone will open up more technological jobs and we need people in the area who can take those positions.”
Currently, Mary Baldwin offers seven bachelor degrees. Baldwin also offers master’s degrees in education, science engineering and science in public health leadership.
SVHEC also provides certifications for nursing assistants and licensed practical nursing, truck driving, cosmetology and a general maintenance technician program.
Professional development courses for teacher license and license renewal, contract, workforce development and special interest and credit enrichment courses as well as various academic resources are available.
The Center also houses the Longwood Small Business Development, the Literacy Program and a Southside Regional office for the Virginia Tobacco Commission.
“I think we’ve been at a threshold of change since we moved into the new facility (in South Boston),” Lammerts added. “We have over 800 students and we had to take this opportunity. We could either continue to go along as we have or make a change, and although transition is difficult, the final goal is worth it,” she added.
Lammerts lauds the community for creation of the Continuing Education Center program 18 years ago.
“It’s been amazing the community is so supportive,” added the director. “I don’t think there are many communities that can do what this one has done. I think people here really care about the community and we have very good leadership making things happen.”
The General Assembly’s 1.2 million budget proposal for SVHEC is now before Governor Mark Warner.

 

 

Gladys Kirby Davis

Gladys Kirby Davis, 64, of Berry Hill Road, South Boston died March 1 at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mrs. Davis was born in Halifax County on September 2, 1940, to the late Izetta Kirby and was married to the late Willie Melvin Davis. She was a member of Union Grove CME Church.
Survivors include one son, Lawrence Davis of Halifax; two sisters, Sarah Kirby and Katie Royal, both of South Boston; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Funeral services for Mrs. Davis will be held tomorrow, March 5, at 1 p.m. at Union Grove CME Church with the Rev. Jamal Reid officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family is receiving friends at the home of Katie Royal, 66 Poplar Creek Street, South Boston.

Anna Pearl Ray Hess

Anna Pearl Ray Hess, 75, of 3025 Winns Creek Road, Halifax died March 2 at her home.
Mrs. Hess was born March 1, 1930, in Russell County the daughter of the late Taylor S. Ray and Carrie Mae Null Ray and was married to Emanuel Edward Hess Sr. of Halifax. She attended Centerville Baptist Church.
Funeral services will be held at Brooks Funeral Home Chapel tomorrow, March 5, at 10 a.m. with the Revs. Patrick Ray and Richard Saunders officiating. Burial will follow in the Hess Family Cemetery.
Surviving Mrs. Hess are her husband; four daughters, Mary H. Cole and Dixie Lynn Hess, both of South Boston, Evelyn Joyce Hess of Halifax, and Barbara H. Clay of Scottsburg; two sons, Emanuel Edward Hess Jr. of Vernon Hill and Donald Raymond Hess of Halifax; one brother, Charles Ray of Williamson, WV; 10 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by one granddaughter, Teresa H. Peregoy; seven brothers; and three sisters.
The family will receive friends this evening, March 4 from 7:00 until 8:30, at Brooks Funeral Home, and other times at the home.

Lena Ferguson Toombs

Lena Ferguson Toombs, 89, of 1160 Grubby Road, Halifax did February 28 at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mrs. Toombs was born in Halifax County on February 28, 1916, the daughter of Lonnie B. Ferguson and Kate Chaney Ferguson and was married to Thomas Clifton Toombs. She was a member of Union United Methodist Church where she sang in the choir for many years.
Survivors include two nieces, Kate M. Eley and husband, Forest, of Myrtle Beach, S.C. and Betty M. Lewis and husband, Bill, of Chesterfield; two nephews, Charlie Wayne Ferguson and wife, Nancy, of Vernon Hill, and Lonnie Henderson of Ennis, Mont. Mrs. Toombs was preceded in death by two sisters, Frances F. Henderson and Louise F. Moore; and one brother, Felix Ferguson.
Graveside services were held March 2 at 2 p.m. at Halifax Memorial Gardens with the Rev. Phillip Showers officiating.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Union United Methodist Church.

Mary Sterling Saunders Wilborn

Mary Sterling Saunders Wilborn, 95, of South Boston died March 2 at The Woodview.
Mrs. Wilborn was born in Halifax County on July 30, 1909, the daughter of the late John S. Saunders and Sara Lou Wallace Saunders and was married to the late Jessie Phillip Wilborn. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Millstone.
Survivors include three grandchildren, Joan Hackney of Wilmington, N.C., Deborah Adcock of South Boston, and Earl Phillip Wilborn of Halifax; five great-grandchildren; six great-great-grandchildren; and one sister, Lacy Saunders Guthrie of Altavista. Mrs. Wilborn was preceded in death by one son, Earl T. Wilborn and one great-grandson, Michael Wagstaff.
Funeral services will be held today, March 4, at 2 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Millstone with the Revs. Bob Watts and Bruce Hagy officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the American Diabetes Association, 1701 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria 22311.

 

 

Halifax Comets Baseball Team Continues To Make Progress

HCHS Players Move Ahead Despite This Week’s Bout Of Winter Weather

BY Joe Chandler
G-V STAFF WRITER

This week’s bout of snow, ice and cold temperatures is not all that unusual for this area for this time of the year.
But it was an unwelcome sight for coaches of spring sports teams who need more moderate temperatures and dry weather to continue at full speed with their preseason preparations.
With schools having been closed for two days and teams having been forced indoors, preseason drills have continued and progress has been made – albeit not at the pace coaches would have liked.
“I think we’ve been out on the (baseball) field three times,” said Comets head baseball coach Kelvin Davis.
“We’re kind of behind. You get behind when you don’t have the opportunity to go out onto the field and do the things you need to do. Practicing inside in a gym is not like practicing on a field. The length of the throws the guys can make and the distances between the bases are not the same. But, I guess just about everybody in the state is in pretty much the same situation right now.”
For Davis, his coaching staff and the 17 players that make up the Comets’ baseball roster, it has been a matter of doing the best they can with the situation that rests in front of them.
“We’re doing the best we can with the facilities we have,” he noted.
“ We have multiple teams in the gym at the same time. It’s tough on everybody.”
While that may be the case, the situation facing the Comets baseball team as it has been herded indoors isn’t a total washout.
“We have been able to work on individual drills with the individual players,” Davis pointed out.
“Different guys need work on different skills. Being that we’ve been doing individual work, we have been able to see what it is we need to work on. When we see something we can pull a player aside and work with him individually on the particular thing he needs to work on.
The Comets coach says he is pleased with the progress that has been made and the effort the players are giving.
“I’ve seen some good things,” Davis said.
“We’re fortunate to have some good players returning from last year. The experience they had last year and the work they have done in the off-season has helped them tremendously.
“I’m really impressed with the attitude of these guys,” continued Davis.
“I realize that it’s early in the season and the guys are hungry trying to earn a starting spot but I’m impressed with the work ethic these guys have shown. I hope it continues that way all season.”
All of Halifax County High School and Halifax County Middle School’s teams are fast approaching their first tests of the season.
The first of the preseason scrimmage contests are scheduled for today, weather and field conditions permitting, with the Comets varsity girls softball team going on the road to face neighboring Dan River High School.
Also today, the Comets jayvee girls softball team is scheduled to host a scrimmage game against the Dan River jayvees.
After a brief timeout Monday afternoon for the annual media photo day activities preseason scrimmage contests are scheduled to resume on Tuesday with the Comets varsity girls softball team hosting Chatham and the Comets jayvee softball team traveling to Chatham.
The Halifax County Middle School Lions baseball team has an early regular-season opener, that coming on Wednesday, March 9, with a 4 p.m. home date against Holmes Middle School.
Also on Wednesday, the Comets varsity and jayvee girls soccer teams go on the road to face Heritage in scrimmage games.
The Comets varsity and jayvee baseball teams are scheduled to play their first scrimmage games on Thursday, March 10, with the varsity team going to Lynchburg to face Heritage High School and the jayvees hosting the Heritage jayvees.
On Friday, March 11, the Comets girls soccer teams will host Brookville in scrimmage contests.
Then, on Saturday, March 12, the Comets varsity baseball team hosts Brookville at 1 p.m. in scrimmage game while the Comets jayvee baseball team travels to Brookville.
Also on Saturday, the Comets varsity and jayvee boys soccer teams go to Danville to participate in soccer jamboree at GW.
After that, it’s on to the start of regular-season play the following week.

 

Priest Off To Hot Start At Campbell

Former Comet Has Blasted Five Round Trippers

BY Doug Ford
G-V STAFF WRITER

Former Halifax County High School baseball standout Michael Priest is off to a hot start at Campbell University this season, with four home runs for the 7-2 Camels, a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference.
The Florida Atlantic Conference currently includes Belmont, University of Central Florida, Georgia State, East Tennessee State, Florida Atlantic University, Jacksonville, Gardner Webb, Troy State, Kennesaw State, Lipsocomb, Mercer, North Florida and Stetson.
Through the first nine games of the season, Priest, a junior first baseman for the Camels, has a .421 batting average. He has collected 16 hits, including five homers, five doubles, 12 RBIs and 10 runs scored. Priest currently has a slugging percentage of .947.
Campbell opened the season with a big 9-1 win over North Carolina State, Priest hitting two doubles and collecting an RBI in the first game of a doubleheader.
In the second game, an 8-6 win by the Wolfpack, Priest slugged a two-run homer and he homered for the second consecutive game as Campbell picked up an 8-4 win over Coastal Carolina.
Priest was three for five with the home run, an RBI and two runs scored against Coastal Carolina, and continued his hot streak against Ohio University.
He hit a two-run homer in the first of three games against the Bobcats in an 18-17 win, finishing the game five for six with a homer, two doubles, four RBIs and four runs scored.
Campbell beat Ohio University 6-4 and 3-1 the next day to sweep the three-game series, Priest recording a multi-hit day in the two games.
Priest hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning in game one of the doubleheader, and added another multi-hit game on Tuesday in his team’s 10-2 win over Barton.
Priest is coming off a solid 2004 season, during which he led the Camels with nine home runs and 39 RBIs, while posting a .302 batting average.
In 55 games last season, Priest had a fielding percentage of .989, committing only five errors in 464 chances.
Camels head coach Chip Smith characterizes Priest as a hard worker, and one who plays as hard on every play as anyone he’s seen.
On the defensive side, Priest is not afraid to step us and catch a ball thrown up the line, according to Smith, who thinks Priest may have a chance of becoming conference player of the year if he plays up to his capabilities.

Open Practice Day Set Sat. At South Boston Speedway

Drivers In South Boston Speedway’s Four Racing Divisions Are Gearing Up For March 12 Season Opener

BY Joe Chandler
G-V STAFF WRITER

The opening of the 2005 racing season at South Boston Speedway is right around the corner and area drivers will get an opportunity Saturday to find out how their stand in their preseason preparations.
South Boston Speedway has set an Open Practice day for Saturday, opening the doors of the four-tenths of a mile oval to area drivers to give them a chance to shake down their cars.
Practice will begin Saturday at 10 a.m. with the first session going from 10 a.m. until 12 noon. After a one-hour lunch break, there will be an afternoon session that will go from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m.
The track will close at 5 p.m.
Not only will Saturday’s Open Practice be a boon to area drivers, it will also be a good day for area racing fans.
Area racing fans wishing to come out and watch the action on the track and get their first look at the new cars and drivers and new looks for the 2005 season may do so free of charge.
Fans will be admitted to the grandstand area only.
Saturday’s Open Practice Day will actually be the second of two practice dates this week.
Speedway officials opened the track late yesterday afternoon and evening for the season’s first Thursday practice session.
Yesterday’s practice session was the first of many Thursday afternoon-evening practice sessions that will be held throughout the course of the season.
Each month, South Boston Speedway officials have set aside the first Thursday of the month for open practices.
The 2005 racing season at South Boston Speedway will get underway on Saturday, March 12 with the South Boston Spring Shoot-Out.
All four of the track’s regular racing divisions will be featured on the season-opening program which will be headlined by a 150-lap race for the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series Late Model Stock Cars.
The Limited Sportsman, Pure Stock and Grand Stock divisions will also see action on March 12.
Grandstand gates will open at 12 noon on March 12 with the first race getting the green flag at 2 p.m.