Chemical Trespass Ordinance A Line Of Defense

A call to an American Revolutionary ideal - consent of the governed - is key in citizens’ battle to protect Southside’s environment, Ben Price, project director with the non-profit Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF), told a crowd at a forum Thursday night.
The forum’s speakers focused on a proposed uranium mining operation near Chatham..
“Consent of the governed” and the community’s responsibility for its future were at the heart of Price’s call to action.
Price and Shireen Parsons, CELDF’s community organizer in Virginia, urged citizens to take action.
During a three-hour forum Thursday night, Parsons described the hazards of uranium byproducts, the failure of federal and state regulatory agencies to protect human health and the environment. She also challenged any economic benefit forecasts.
Price concentrated on one option, a chemical trespass ordinance the Town of Halifax is considering in challenging the proposed uranium mining operation.
Virginian Uranium Inc. is currently drilling core samples at the Coles Hill site near Chatham, and legislation is in the General Assembly seeking a study regarding uranium mining in the state. Virginia Uranium President Walter Coles has said the company hopes to mine and mill the estimated $10 billion ore deposit located on his family’s and the Bowen family’s land.
The Virginia legislature passed a moratorium on uranium mining in the early 1980s.
Price described the core idea driving a proposed Town of Halifax Corporate Mining, Bodily Trespass and Community Self-Government Ordinance to approximately 160 attending the forum at the high school.
Through the ordinance, he said, corporations and governing officials permitting those corporations will be held liable to the people of Halifax for chemical trespass. Also, under the ordinance, corporations will not be recognized as persons under the law.
“It empowers the community,” Price said. “It is a first shot across the bow to let them know the people have the right to govern.”
The town’s planning commission will hold a public hearing on the proposed Chemical Trespass ordinance at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Town Hall. Halifax Council will hold its hearing Feb. 7.
Price said that similar ordinances have been enacted in Pennsylvania to stop a variety of actions, including factory farms, and also the spreading of sewage sludge “laced with lots of industrial waste, medical refuse” and other components on fields.
He warned that under the 14th Amendment, corporations are protected as though a living human being.
In calling for consent of the governed, Price urged citizens to stand together.
Rosa Parks broke federal, state and local law and corporate policy when she refused to leave her seat on the bus, recalled Price. “If people had not stood with her, it would still be going on,” he said of the segregated seating policy.
“We have a responsibility,” he said. “We have kids, we have an environment that is being destroyed.”
Price also challenged “the illusion of protection” by regulatory agencies, saying regulators are not protecting, they are creating an illusion of protection.
“The issue is not uranium,” said Price, “but who decides whether uranium will be mined, and who decides whether you and neighboring communities will have it. Who is going to make the decision on whether this happens?”
Price warned that “regulatory agencies were created as barriers between corporations and the people.”
He asked the audience if they thought a study would help protect them.
“It is not government at the consent of the governed. Do not turn over governing decisions to anyone except the community,” he said.
“Will (deceased Judge) Dillon make the decision of whether uranium mining will happen?” asked Price, referring to (former Iowa Justice John F Dillon). Dillon argued for the rights of a railroad corporation, winning his case and creating the framework for the Dillon Rule. In 1886, corporations were given the same rights as persons.
Virginia is a Dillon Rule state, as is Pennsylvania, which means municipal governments only have the powers that are expressly granted to them by the state legislature, those that are necessarily implied from that grant of power, and those that are essential and indispensable to the municipalities existence and functioning.
“Well-settled law, well-settled tyranny! How dare we go against precedent?” Price asked.
There are grounds to break well-settled law and precedent, he said.
Why go to communities and towns instead of seeking state or federal laws for protection? “Because that is where the people are and people are the real governing authority. The living today need to take on the responsibility of what is going to happen ....”
The community has rights equal to corporate board rooms, challenged Price. “Unjust laws can be changed.”
Citizen Comment
One county resident warned, “You are mistaken to think you live in a democracy.”
Ten years ago, he said, opponents “fought tooth and claw” against location of an industry near Crystal Hill. Although citizens protested, he said supervisors approved the plant. “If the planning commission and board of supervisors says they will do it, you can’ stop it,” he said. “This is the most horrendous thing that could be done to this county,” he said of the proposed uranium mine. But, he added, he thinks “100 to one, it will happen.”
One Halifax County native suggested a broad-based response to the mining proposal, including contacting legislators statewide regarding the issue. She expressed concern about the (uranium) bill’s provisions.
Halifax Attorney John Greenbacker questioned the effectiveness of the CELDF ordinance against established precedent in the law. “Passing a law that is unenforceable,” he questioned. “I think you need to tailor it (the ordinance) specifically, to narrow to a small focus,” he said. Then, he said, support could be sought up and down the river.
Price said the Legal Defense Fund has worked with a number of communities in different states, including New Hampshire and Pennsylvania, and that there have been only two challenges. He said one ordinance has been challenged and went to a judge, and he said the Attorney General of Pennsylvania is suing over the sludge law.
“This (Halifax) ordinance puts the burden of proof on the miners, not on Halifax residents,” he added.
“The (uranium mining) study is going to happen,” predicted Parsons. “And it will say it can be done safely.”
“It is eye opening to go to Richmond,” said Dunavant. “Clarke Hogan is a wonderful representative. He is honest as the day is long, but we are fighting a bear, a big corporation. It is all about that greenback dollar bill, but we can stop it. But if we don’t fight it, it won’t be stopped.”
The SCC chairman said, “You have to start somewhere. Halifax is the first line of defense ... I hope this freedom train ignites.”
“You are the cavalry,” said Price. “In the end, it is the people in the communities that rescue it.”
“Following the meeting Dunavant said that he was pleased with the program, but had hoped for a larger turnout.
Virginia Uranium Inc. investor and spokesman Henry Hurt, who attended the Thursday evening meeting, offered the following comment: “It’s utter nonsense to urge people to disobey laws they feel are unjust. In our system, thank goodness, people who refuse to obey laws wind up in jail. The alternative is anarchy.”

Plan Calls For M&S Center To Get 18 Months Rent Free

Dr. Carole C. Inge, executive director of the proposed Modeling and Simulation (M and S) Center of Excellence, has modified her request to the Halifax County Industrial Development Authority (IDA) for space at Riverstone.
After the Virginia Tobacco Commission approved a $1.2 million grant to create the M and S Center at Riverstone earlier this month, Inge has reduced her earlier request of 11,600 square feet of space to 7,250 feet which includes office space already occupied by the M & S Center, confirmed IDA Executive Director Mike Eades.
This space is available on the first floor at Riverstone.
Eades confirmed Friday the IDA currently plans to have a five-year lease with Virginia Tech and Tetra Tech, with the first 18 months being rent free.
Last month, Inge along with Wayne Human, vice-president of Tetra Tech and Jackie Cassada of Front Line Testing (FLT) told IDA members initially they would be willing to locate “short-term” in rent-free upstairs Riverstone office space with plans to eventually move downstairs to more appealing upfitted office space once the two companies become “paying tenants.”
“We can make it work upstairs for 18 months with the idea that the downstairs will be redesigned,” she said, suggesting together she and the IDA could go to the board of supervisors and other grantors to identify funding opportunities for upfitting the downstairs.
However, since receiving the $1.2 million tobacco grant earlier this month, Inge has requested less space, but all space on the first floor.
According to the plan, Virginia Tech will continue paying for the space currently occupied on the first floor of Riverstone, Eades said, while Tetra Tech has agreed to sign a five-year lease as soon as IDA confirms the amount of rent to be paid.
After the first 18 months rent free, Tetra Tech is slated to pay rent for three and a half more years.
“Tetra Tech also has agreed to help us with some of the architecture work,” Eades added.
He estimated rent costs would be comparable to the $13 per foot current occupants Virginia Tech and Mid-Atlantic Broadband are paying for space in Riverstone.
Virginia Tech currently occupies 1,400 square feet and is requesting an additional 5,853 square feet of downstairs space for a total of 7,253 square feet.
“Actually it will be more than that when you factor in the common area,” he explained.
Front Line Testing, who also has expressed an interest in locating at Riverstone, would probably sub-lease space from Virginia Tech, Eades said.
“We estimate it will cost $450,000 to upfit that space, and we agreed to go out and seek grants, whatever is necessary, to get that $450,000,” Eades said.
Grant opportunities targeted include the Center for Innovative Technology and Housing and Community Development funds.
Other grants are available from the Governor’s Opportunity Fund, additional Tobacco Commission grant funding, CIT and appropriations from the federal government, Inge told IDA board members last month.
“Hopefully we will get at least half of that $450,000 in grants, and then the IDA will go borrow the remainder,” Eades said. The IDA director is anticipating getting a loan for the $225,000 from the Lake Country Development Council at a four percent interest rate.
“We need to get grants as quickly as we can because they’re working to order equipment now,” he added.
The day she received the $1.2 million grant, Inge said she was ready to order $1 million worth of equipment for use at Riverstone, equipment that will be owned by Virginia Tech.
“There is a stipulation though, that this equipment will have to remain in Southside,” Inge said.
And if the IDA is unable to get the grants to upfit the downstairs space, Eades said, “I don’t know what we will do.”
While grants are being applied for, the M & S Center is ready to move into implementing its marketing strategy.
Inge said the $1.2 million grant will provide “a main strategic focus” for Riverstone – one that the technology task force has been working on for this community and region over the past six months.
In addition to the M and S Center at Riverstone, the technology focus will be directed at the Last Mile Broadband, E-Learning, Economic Gardening (an entrepreneurial alternative to the traditional economic development practice of recruiting industries) and Quality Assurance.
At first the initial focus of the center will be on areas such as energy and the environment as well as technology related projects.
Tetra-Tech, the center’s first client, is working toward growing its California-based corporation that currently employs 7,500 providing $1.4 billion in services a year.
Now that the grant application has been approved, Inge said she is ready to start working with Tetra-Tech on moving people here to work in the Riverstone facility.
“They’ve got their bags packed,” she said indicating Tetra-Tech has committed $250,000 to direct costs of settling in at Riverstone.
In addition, she plans to focus her energy on attracting other businesses in the engineering and technology fields to Riverstone by enhancing the services afforded to regional engineering firms seeking to compete on a larger scale.
The M and S Center will serve as a catalyst to attract new business enterprises to Riverstone, she believes.
Creating a cluster of potential partnering companies and organizations in Riverstone in cooperation with the Modeling and Simulation Center is Inge’s top priority.
She explained the M and S Center is expected to employ 18 people during its first year of operation, with an additional dozen to be hired in year two, and nine more in the third year for a total of 39 employees over 36 months at an average salary of $65,000.
Once the center is up and running at Riverstone, Inge said she envisions collateral businesses springing from these high tech businesses

Supes Prioritize Goals For 2008-09

Halifax County Board of Supervisors has set a dozen goals to be accomplished during the 2008-09 fiscal year.
The priority list was conceived during the board’s annual retreat held at Riverstone Thursday and Friday following meetings with county department heads, school board members, school administrators and county Industrial Development Authority directors.
Topping the list of 12 goals is the disposition of vacant schools which includes Volens, Wilson Memorial, Halifax, Turbeville, South of Dan and C. H. Friend elementary schools.
Next on the list is completion of the solid waste transfer station to be built off Plywood Trail.
J. Harman Saunders Construction has offered the low bid of $1,847,000 for the 180-day project.
Architectural drawings call for the 10,000 square-foot two-level pre-engineered metal building featuring three bay doors to be fully enclosed.
Once constructed, the transfer station will primarily be used by the county and towns that provide commercial use garbage collection, and will not be available for use by individual residents.
The transfer station will operate from 7 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 7-9:30 a.m. on Saturdays, ending its day in time to make the last haul to Mecklenburg before the regional landfill closes.
Six to eight tractor-trailer loads filled with between 100 to 140 tons of trash are expected to pass through the transfer station each day with a typical tractor hauling an average 20 tons per load to the regional landfill.
Supervisors are expected to award the contract for the transfer station at their Feb. 4 meeting.
The following 10 other goals also are included on the supervisors priority list:
n Having centralized convenience centers in place to do away with single green box sites by July 1, 2009;
n Controlling spending by exploring various ways to consolidate services within county governmental offices;
n Implementing a centralized accounting system;
n Renovating the courthouse exterior;
n Evaluating space needs;
n Eliminating vehicle decals;
n Evaluating land use value assessments for an agricultural, and forestry district;
n Approving a countywide budget by April 1;
n Reviewing the semi-annual real estate tax collection process; and
n Updating the fairgrounds, creating a user policy and master plan for the fairgrounds as well as hosting a county fair in October.

Obituaries

Sally Stevens Smith
Sally Stevens Smith, 89, of Rosehill Drive, South Boston, died Jan. 24, 2008, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
She was born in Halifax County on July 29, 1918, a daughter of the late Daniel Jacob Stevens and Mamie D. Owen Stevens, and she was married to the late Manuel Cooper Smith.
She was retired from Craddock & Terry and was a member of Bethel Baptist Church.
Mrs. Smith is survived by two granddaughters, Debbie Woltz and husband Stephen of Virgilina, and Danette Mitchell and husband Cabell of Danville; one grandson, Donald Clyde Burton and wife Sherry of Bremerton, Wash.; one sister, Elizabeth S. Bane of Madison Heights; one brother, Frank Stevens of South Boston; and five great-grandchildren.
In addition to her parents and husband, Mrs. Smith was preceded in death by two daughters, Helen Smith King and Betty Jean Smith; one sister, Nellie Glass; six brothers, Daniel Jacob “Jr.” Stevens, John Stevens, Walter Stevens, James Hagood “Doc” Stevens, Charlie Stevens and Millard Stevens.
A graveside service for Mrs. Smith was held Sunday at Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery with the Rev. Bill McEntire officiating.
The family is receiving friends at the home of Debbie and Stephen Woltz, 11080 Bill Tuck Highway, Virgilina.

Billy J. Oakley
Billy Joe Oakley, 46, died Jan. 23, 2008. He was born in Greensboro, a son of Annie Stewart Daniel.
He was an employee of ATC Panels in Franklin, Va., and he attended Black Creek Baptist Church.
In addition to his mother of South Boston, Mr. Oakley is survived by one son, Clay Oakley of Sedley, three sisters, Pam Durham of Danville, Penny Oakley and Melanie Ruholl, both of Monroe, N.C.; four brothers, Andy Oakley of Greensboro, N.C., Todd Oakley of New Jersey, Lee Oakley of Monroe, and Chris Baucom of Lawndale, N.C.
Funeral services for Mr. Oakley will be conducted Monday at 11 a.m. at Black Creek Baptist Church, Franklin, with the Rev. Greg Kitts and the Rev. Jack Stewart officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family suggests memorials be made to Black Creek Baptist Church, 34163 Vicksville Road, Franklin, VA 23851.

Janie Kate Barker Kaywood
Janie Kate Barker Kaywood of South Boston died Jan. 25, 2008, at her home.
She was born in Rogersville, Tn., on Feb. 5, 1920, and was 87 years of age. She was the daughter of the late Eddie Barker and May Brooks Barker and was married to the late Henry E. Kaywood.
Mrs. Kaywood was of the Baptist faith.
She is survived by three sons, Kenny Barker and wife Norma of Ashland; Elbert Junior Kaywood and wife Lucy of South Boston, and Danny Lee Kaywood and wife Glennis of South Boston; one daughter, Janie Louise Smith and husband Robert L. of South Boston; 16 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services for Janie Kate Barker Kaywood will be held Monday at 11 a.m. at Powell Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. William Coghill officiating. Burial will follow in Oak Ridge Cemetery.

Helena Anne Motley Cox
Helena Anne Motley Cox, 89, of Halifax, formerly of Danville, died Jan. 24, 2008, in Halifax.
She was born in Chatham on Jan. 4, 1919, a daughter of the late Lee Ackle Motley and Minnie Anne Shelton Motley and was married to Samuel P. “Sam” Cox.
Mrs. Cox was a retired secretary from the former Coates Elementary School in Danville, and she worked over 35 years with the Girl Scouts of Danville and Pittsylvania Co.
She was a member of Fairview United Methodist Church, Danville, and was an associate member of Halifax United Methodist Church.
In addition to her husband, Mrs. Cox is survived by one daughter, Doris Anne “D.A.” Powell and husband Douglas of Halifax; three grandchildren, Daniel W. Powell and wife Katina of Powhatan, Donald W. Powell and wife Karen of Roanoke, and Deanne P. Shaw and husband Kelly of Halifax; five great-grandchildren; two nieces and two nephews.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by one son, Samuel R. Cox, two sisters and four brothers.
A graveside service for Mrs. Cox was held Sunday in Danville Memorial Gardens with the Rev. Randall Williams, Linwood Daniel and the Rev. Bob Gochenour officiating.
A memorial service will be held Monday, Jan. 28, at 2 p.m. at Halifax United Methodist Church.
The family is receiving friends at the home of Doris Anne and Douglas Powell, 1074 Lakeshore Drive, Halifax.

Naman Bradley
Funeral services for Naman Bradley, 70, of Nathalie were held Sunday at the Second Buffalo Baptist Church with the Rev. Sandy Palmer officiating. Burial followed in the church cemetery.
Mr. Bradley died Jan. 23, 2008, in South Boston. He was the son of the late Charlie Bradley and Priscilla Black Bradley and was married to Elnora Bradley.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by four sons, Alan and wife Polly of Clinton, Md., Walter and wife Peggy of Naruna, Naman Fitzgerald and wife Denise of Rustburg, and Vincent and wife Shela of Goldsboro; two daughters, Deborah Miller and husband Gideon of Java, and Agnes Wright and husband Edmond of Temple Hills, Md.; 12 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; three sisters, Alice Robertson and husband Jessie of Landover, Md., Minnie Hamlett and husband Jessie of Brookneal, and Dorothy Boyd of Wilmington, De.; one uncle, Ocie Black and wife Sarah of Baltimore; one aunt, Mary Black of Nathalie; his mother-in-law, Evangelist Ada Tucker; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Hallie Bradley of Nathalie, Mary Lena Fields and husband Bishop Allen, Jeannette Saunders, Diane Tucker, Gracie Scales, Evangelist Alice Fields and husband Earl, Joyce Snow and husband Robert, Virginia May and husband Jeff, John Tucker, Walter Tucker and Robert Earl, all of Wilmington, Del.; and a number of nieces, nephews and other relatives.

Leslie Bernard Shields
Leslie Bernard “L.B” Shields of Berry Hill Road, South Boston, died January 26, 2008, at his home.
He was born in Halifax County on March 10, 1925, and was 82 years old. He was the son of the late Luther Shields and Nanny Sue Shields and was married to Doris Royal Shields.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Shields is survived by one son, Kenneth D. Shields of South Boston; two daughters, Carol S. Robertson of Asheville, N.C., and Cathy S. Simpson of South Boston; two grandchildren, Rhonda Rbginnis of Asheville, and Jason Simpson of South Boston; and by one great-grandchild.
A graveside service for Mr. Shields will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 29, at Oak Ridge Cemetery with the Rev. Don Bryant officiating.
The family will receive friends at the home, 326 Berry Hill Road, South Boston.

Comets Face Key Week

By Joe Chandler
Sports Editor
Having lost to Patrick Henry at home Friday night in the battle for fourth-place in the Western Valley District standings, Halifax County faces two games this week that will have a big impact on their post-season fortunes.
The first of those games comes Tuesday night when the Comets host Franklin County. Friday night marks the second of the games, a road game against E.C. Glass, the only team the Comets have defeated thus far in district play.
This week’s games will be key games for the Comets as they launch the final half of the Western Valley District schedule. Standing 1-4 and in fifth-place in district play, the Comets have three of their final five district games at home, the first of which comes Tuesday night against third-place Franklin County.
Friday’s game against E.C. Glass, which stands last in the district, is one of the two home games. After that, the Comets will face district leader GW and second-place William Fleming here before finishing the season with a road game against Patrick Henry in Roanke.
“We’ve got a tough road ahead,” Comets head coach Lynn Ramage pointed out.
“With the loss to Patrick Henry, we need to steal wins on the road from E.C. Glass and Patrick Henry and win at least one of the last three home games if we hope to finish in the top four and get a home game for the first round of the district tournament.”
Ramage said he feels badly for his team in the wake of Friday night’s tough 41-38 loss here to Patrick Henry but that the team needds to pick up and move ahead.
“I feel for the kids because I’ve been through this before,” Ramage pointed out.
“But, we can’t be feeling sorry for ourselves. We don’t have time for that. We’ve got to forget about it and move forward. We’ve got to snap back. You get a win and celebrate it that day. You get a loss and you feel bad that day but tomorrow is another day.”
Franklin County, the third-place team in the district standings, will pose a formidable challenge for the Comets. Using its potent perimeter shooting, Franklin County sank the Comets with a barrage of three-pointers early in the game in their previous meeting in Rocky Mount and downed the Comets 89-63.
“They (Franklin County) are going to be no joke coming in here,” Ramage said.
“They’re going to come in and play hard. They’re going to shoot a lot better than Patrick Henry did.”
Ramage said Franklin County ran the “flex” offense when the two teams met earlier in the season. He noted that he was able to see what his team did wrong.
“From looking at the tape, it shows we didn’t communicate defensively and our intensity level didn’t meet their intensity level,” he pointed out.
In Friday night’[s game, the Comets will be looking to pul l off a sweep of its two meetings against E.C. Glass. The Comets defeated the Hilltoppers 48-45 here on January 8. A win over E.C. Glass Friday night will keep the Comets out of the bottom spot in the district standings for the present time.
Despite the importance of this week’s pair of games, Ramage says he isn’t feeling any more of a sense of urgency.
“I’m not going to put any sense of urgency on anything I do this year,” Ramage said.
“It’s a rebuilding year for us. We’re going to play to win every game, like we do every time. If we lose, we’ll go back to the drawing board, think about it, and find a way to correct our mistakes.”

PH Gets ‘Gift’ With Win Over Comets

By Joe Chandler
Sports Editor
Halifax County gave a gift to Patrick Henry High School here Friday night and the Patriots were only too glad to accept it.
The Comets blew a 14-point lead in the final 12 and a half minutes and allowed Patrick Henry to escape with a 41-38 win.
Friday night’s loss dropped the Comets (10-7 overall, 1-4 district) to fifth place in the district standings and allowed Patrick Henry (9-8 overall, 2-3 district) to gain sole possession of fourth-place in the district standings.
“It was Christmas in January,” said Comets head coach Lynn Ramage.
“This was a very winable game that we gave away.”
Halifax County led 14-5 at the end of the first quarter, was up 27-17 at halftime and led 31-17 after Kejuan Mayo hit a basket with 4:45 left in the third quarter.
Then, the Comets’ bid to take sole possession of the coveted fourth spot in the district standings, the final spot that will guarantee a team a home game in the first-round of the distri Óct tournament, came unraveled.
The Comets committed a number of fouls, missed several open shots and, finally, victimized themselves several times with poor shot selection.
After having scored 27 points and having shot 33 percent from the floor in the first half, the Comets scored only 11 points in the final two quarters. The Comets hit only three of their 19 shots from the floor for a miserly 15 percent shooting effort. Of the 19 shots the Comets took in the second half, eight of them were from three-point range. None of the three-point shots connected.
Still, the Comets led 34-29 at the end of the third quarter and held an eight-point lead at 38-32 when Pierre Brandon connected with 3:39 left in the contest.Brandon’s basket was the final basket the Comets would score the rest of the game.
A three-pointer by the Patriots’ Melvin Henderson with 2:48 left tied the game. The Comets’ Deshon Dabbs missed the front end of a one-and-one opportunity at the free throw line with 1:02 left that could Ëhave put the Comets back in front.
Patrick Henry took the lead for the second and final time at 40-38 when Gerald Payne made both ends of a one-and-one opportunity at the free throw line with with 24.5 seconds left.
The Comets had an opportunity to score on their ensuing possession but shots by both Mayo and Brandon missed their mark. Patrick Henry’s Terrell Wilson grabbed the rebound from the second missed shot and was fouled.
Wilson, with two shots at the charity stripe with 6.2 seconds left, missed the first shot but canned the second one to put the Patriots up 41-38.
Halifax County had one last stab at tying the game but Durrell Chandler’s three-point attempt at the buzzer missed, leaving the Comets shouldering a disappointing three-point loss.
“It’s a tough loss,” Ramage said.
“It was a game we gave away. We put ourselves in the position to lose the game and it happened.”
Ill-advised fouls and poor shot selection were at the root of the Comets’ downfall in the second half.
“We started fouling them fifty feet away from the basket, just bailing them out,” Ramage pointed out.
“We get open looks but didn’t knock them (the open shots) down or we took quick shots. We opened the second half with a barrage of three-pointers like we were behind and needed to force them. We don’t have to take bad shots when we’re ahead. They (PH) were the ones that were struggling. They (PH) started trying to trap us and everything but that didn’t bother me. We made some bad passes. We made poor decisions with the basketball as a team.”
While the Comets struggled in many facets, Ramage said he was pleased with his team’s overall defensive effort.
“I thought, as a team, we looked better defensively,” Ramage remarked.
“I thought we guarded the ball well.”
Michael Ferrell led the Comets in scoring with 13 points with all but four of tem coming in the first half. Chandler and Mayo followed with six points each.

Lady Comets Drop Game At Patrick Henry 48-40

By Doug Ford
G-V Staff Writer
The Comets varsity girls basketball team dropped to 1-4 in the Western Valley District and 9-8 overall with a 48-40 loss Friday at Patrick Henry.
The loss left the Lady Comets in fifth place in the district standings, one game ahead of E.C. Glass (0-5), while Patrick Henry (3-2 WVD, 12-3 overall) forged a tie for third in the district with Franklin County.
Tiffany Wilson and Miyisha Younger led the Comets with 11 points apiece, while Whitney McCargo finished with seven and Destiny Betts six points.
Melyse Brown and Brittany Roberts chipped in two points for the Comets, which were five of ten from the foul line as a team.
Lesha Walker scored a game-high 16 points for the Lady Patriots, while Bianca Jones added 14 and Sarah Williams six points.
Patrick Henry was six of 13 from the foul line for the game.
Younger scored three points, and Brown, McCargo and Wilson had field goals for the Comets in the first quarter, but Walker had six and Williams four to help give Patrick Henry a 16-9 advantage.
Halifax saw its deficit grow to 31-21 by halftime, despite four points each by Betts and Younger along with baskets by McCargo and Wilson in the second quarter.
Jones held the hot hand for the Lady Patriots in the second period with eight points, and Walker finished with eight in the third quarter as Patrick Henry outscored Halifax 14-4 to take a 45-25 lead.
McCargo and Younger were the only Comets to score in the third quarter, but Wilson scored seven points and Betts, Roberts and Younger two apiece in the fourth quarter.
Those points, along with a made foul shot by McCargo, helped close the gap at the end, with Patrick Henry held without a field goal in the fourth quarter.
The Lady Patriots made three of six foul shots in the final period and that proved to be enough to hold on for the win.
Halifax has a tough task ahead of it with its next four district games on the road, beginning with Franklin County Tuesday.