Halifax United Way On The Ropes

A May 1 deadline stands between life and death for a community stalwart.
The United Way, which helps fund 13 area agencies, will cease to exist next month unless ten community leaders are willing to commit the next three years to recreate the agency and serve as its board, according to United Way President Ryan Garrett.
“With a very heavy heart I wish to inform the community that unless a miracle occurs in the next week or so, we will begin the process of shutting down the United Way in our community,” writes Garrett in an open letter to the community.
“If there is a time for a miracle it is now,” he added.
Garrett is hosting a Tuesday, May 1, meeting at his conference room, 539 North Main Street, South Boston, for anyone interested in keeping the United Way alive.
The United Way president’s complete letter follows:
“With a very heavy heart I wish to inform the community that unless a miracle occurs in the next week or so, we will begin the process of shutting down the United Way in our community.
We have tried many different avenues to keep the United Way viable, including valuable insights and advice from our neighbors in Pittsylvania County. Patrick Jenks and the United Way board in Danville were a great source of inspiration to keep us going and looking for some way to keep our United Way alive. However, in the end they could not do the work for us. My most sincere thanks go to them for being passionate friends while we tried to find a way to make this work.
I also want to thank all the people who have served on the United Way boards over the years. Although this is a sad ending, you all did great work over the many decades that the United Way served our community. A special thanks to the directors, both part-time and full, who spent many more hours than they could possibly have been paid for to help make the United Way great for so many years.
A very special thanks to Reverend James Crowder who along with me has been the last two board members who just felt like it was our duty to try and keep this alive until some sign was shown to us to do something differently.
Our community is an amazing place to live! We should be very proud of all of the things we have accomplished as a community. If we don’t have a United Way, I know that our community will step up with some other idea to help all the great agencies that have depended on this funding to help our community. Please keep the following agencies in your prayers as they begin to work through the challenge of replacing the funding that they did receive through the United Way:
n American Red Cross
n Association for Retarded Citizens
n Blue Ridge Mountain Council Boy Scouts
n DOVES
n Halifax 4-H Clubs
n Community Action Agency
n Mentor Role Model
n Salvation Army
n Legal Aid Society
n Mental Health Association
n Volunteer Literacy Program
n Virginia Skyline Girl Scout Council
n YMCA
If there is a time for a miracle it is now. That doesn’t mean it has to be the United Way, however, I do believe that we need a “united way” in which to help all these agencies who ae doing such valuable work in our community.
I will host a meeting on May 1 at 6 p.m. at my conference room, 539 North Main Street, South Boston, for anyone who would be interested in keeping the United Way alive. If ten community leaders are willing to commit the next three years to recreate the United Way and serve as its board, then maybe that is the miracle that will take place May 1. If that is not the right thing for the community, I know we will come up with the perfect answer. Halifax County is an amazing, progressive place to work and live. I know that the right answer is just around the corner.
Thank you again to all who have contributed in some way to the United Way over the years.
Sincerely,
Ryan Garrett
President

VEC Closing Opposed

Concerned citizens and government officials from Emporia to Martinsville filled the conference room at Riverstone Technology Park in South Boston Thursday to address the potential closing of their area Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) field office.
The VEC is holding town hall-style meetings throughout the state to address budget cuts and the closings that will follow.
Southside’s meeting Thursday was the first of 11 scheduled meetings and roughly 140 people turned out, many making the case to Dolores A. Esser, the state employment commissioner, that their area office should not be closed.
County resident James Glass, who has used the VEC’s services, said that asking unemployed residents to drive 40 or 50 miles to a VEC field office would be detrimental.
“That long drive takes money out of people’s pockets,” Glass said.
Esser said she understood people’s concerns.
“There is a segment of the population who still want to come in and see someone,” Esser said. “They’re not going to be able to do that anymore.”
The VEC has two call centers, in South Boston and Grundy, to service customers over the phone, and has a website where all claims can be filed.
But several speakers said that older, undereducated workers in Southside wouldn’t be able to benefit from the technology like their unemployed urban counterparts.
“Self-service could work with low unemployment and a higher educated workforce,” said Margaret Caldwell, a caseworker with the VEC office in Martinsville. “Many who come in our office are functionally illiterate and many have never touched a computer.
“They need face-to-face contact and direction,” she added.
Southside’s state representatives also said the offices should remain open.
Del. Clarke Hogan said the VEC must recognize that Southside’s communities face “long term unemployment” with the closure of major employers throughout the region.
“Northern Virginia is not the world we live in,” Hogan said. “We have a long way to go to have a healthy community economically.
“We have to retrain our entire workforce,” Hogan said.
State Sen. Frank Ruff said at first glance the VEC funding cut is a good thing because it means the state’s unemployment rate is low.
But he added, upon closer inspection it is obvious that all the regions of the state are not equal.
“Urban areas are different than ours,” Ruff said. “We need the VEC to get people into jobs. There is a different dynamic in Southside.”
Esser said the reason for the cuts is that Virginia only receives about 30 percent of the Federal Unemployment tax collected from Virginia employers back from the federal government.
That’s the second lowest rate of return in the nation, she said.
Alaska gets 200 percent of their FUTA dollars back from Washington, a speaker said.
What the VEC is seeking from the federal government is a 50 percent rate of return on Virginia’s FUTA funds, Esser said. That would enable the VEC to maintain its services.
One speaker asked what Southside’s residents can do to stop VEC offices from closing.
Esser said because of her position she cannot lobby, but reiterated that this is a federal issue that will only be solved by action from Virginia’s congressman and senators in Washington.
Without federal action the VEC is expecting to lose $20 million in funding next fiscal year, Esser added.
Currently there are field offices in South Boston, South Hill, Farmville, Emporia, Danville and Martinsville.
All but a few offices statewide would likely be closed, but Esser said that no decisions on closings have been made.
Carolyn Leslie, the VEC office manager for South Hill and Farmville, said if the funding cuts happened she didn’t want to see one office or community pitted against another.
Esser agreed, but said unless changes are made soon, the closings are coming.
“It pains me,” Esser said of the potential closings, “but I have to be up front with you.”

 

Obituaries

Lada Mae Whitlow Tussey
A memorial service for Ms. Lada Mae Whitlow Tussey will be held Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the Brooks Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Jack Stewart officiating.
Visitation will be tonight from 7:00 – 8:30 at Brooks Funeral Home and at other times at the home of Carolyn Rickmond, 4063 Asbury Church Road in Vernon Hill.
Ms. Tussey, 62, died Saturday, April 21, at South Boston Manor.
She was born on April 11, 1945, in Halifax County and worked at Golden Skillet as kitchen manager and cook.
Ms. Tussey is survived by two daughters, Tina Tussey of Raleigh and Carolyn Rickmond of Vernon Hill; two brothers, Jessie Whitlow of South Boston and Gene Whitlow of Chase City; two sisters, Helen Francis and Catherine Robertson, both of South Boston, and four grandchildren, Troy Tussey, Kelsey Pulliam, Dena Rickmond and Ronald Lee Rickmond Jr.
In lieu of flowers the family requests memorials to the Halifax Regional Hospice, 2204 Wilborn Ave., South Boston, Va. 24592.
Online condolences may be sent to brooksfh@earthlink.net.
Louise Patterson Slayton
A funeral service for Louise Patterson Slayton of South Boston was held Sunday at Trinity Episcopal Church with interment in Oak Ridge Cemetery. The Rev. Dr. Dale Custer and the Rev. Dr. Martha Conner officiated.
Mrs. Slayton, 87, died Friday at The Woodview.
A South Boston native, she was a daughter of the late John Gilmore Patterson Sr. and Hannah Sutor Patterson.
Mrs. Slayton was a retired bookkeeper for Beth Car Baptist Church, Halifax County Community Action, Powell Motor Company, Maddox Oil Company and South Boston-Halifax County Museum.
She was a member of Trinity Episcopal Church, a charter member and past president of the Ladies Auxiliary of VFW Post 8243 and a member of the Ladies Bridge Club.
Mrs. Slayton is survived by two sons, William H. “Willie” Slayton Jr. and Samuel S. “Bo” Slayton, both of Richmond, one daughter, Sally Llewellyn Slayton, also of Richmond, and grandchildren Tommy, Michelle, Hunter, Erin, Charles and Ashley, and four great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by three brothers, John, Von and Sam Patterson.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the South Boston-Halifax County Museum, 1540 Wilborn Ave., South Boston, Va. 24592.
Online condolences may be sent to brooksfh@earthlink.net
Edward Parker Snead
Mr. Edward “Ned” Parker Snead, 83, of South Boston died Saturday, April 21, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
He was born in Halifax County, a son of the late Harry Snead and Virginia Bomar Snead and was married to the late Sally Coleman Snead.
Funeral arrangements, incomplete at press time, will be announced later by Powell Funeral Home.

Clark Pitches No-No In Rout

By Doug Ford
G-V Staff Writer
The Comets varsity softball team pounded out 19 hits in support of a no-hitter by pitcher Stephanie Clark in a 14-0 rout of GW in Danville Friday.
Halifax improved to 2-0 in the Western Valley District and 12-0 overall with the win, all the Comets’ runs coming in the final four innings to break open a scoreless game.
Emily New and Heather Hudson (double) led the Comets with four hits each, New finishing with three RBIs and Hudson with one, while Ally Thompson had a double, two singles and four RBI’s.
Betty Rose (triple) and Liz Trickey also finished with three hits, Rose with two RBI’s and Trickey with one, while Amber Bowman added an RBI single.
Clark had the other hit for Halifax, which had five hits and no runs the first three innings before breaking through in the fourth.
Trickey and Hudson had a hit in the first and second innings, respectively. New, Trickey and Rose singled in the third and Lashunda Davis later reached on an error, but a flyout got GW out of the jam.
Four runs on four hits gave the Comets a working margin in the fourth, Hudson and Thompson starting the rally with consecutive one-out doubles.
New followed with an RBI single and Trickey reached on a two-out error before Rose’s RBI triple gave Halifax a 4-0 lead.
The Comets made it 9-0 with five more runs an inning later and added four more in the seventh for the final margin.
Paige Rickman walked and Hudson reached on an error to start the fifth inning, before back-top-back singles by Thompson and New produced three runs. Clark reached on an error and back-to-back RBI hits by Trickey and Rose added the final two scores.
Halifax struck for five more runs on five hits in the seventh to make it 14-0, Clark singling to lead off the inning.
Rose and Davis reached base, Rose on a fielder’s choice, and Bowman hit an RBI single. Shayna Oakes walked, Davis scored on a passed ball, and Hudson, Thompson and New hit consecutive RBI singles to end the scoring.
That proved to be more than enough run support for Clark, who hurled a perfect game with nine strikeouts and no walks, the Comets’ defense backing her with an error-free game in the field.
The freshman pitcher went to a 3-2 count only twice in the contest, once each in the first and second innings.

Defensive Miscues Kill Comets

By Joe Chandler
Sports Editor
A recent spate of defensive woes is taking a toll on the Halifax County High School varsity baseball team.
Error-plagued performances had cost the Comets wins in two of the three games they played prior to Friday night’s matchup against arch-rival GW in Danville.
The Comets committed only one error Friday night, but their inability to make plays in key situations left them hanging on the short end in a 6-3 loss to the Eagles.
“We didn’t play well,” Comets coach Kelvin Davis said after the loss that dropped his team to 8-5 overall and 1-1 in Western Valley District play.
“I don’t think we were mentally in the ballgame on some of the plays that we made - just bonehead plays. This is varsity baseball. We’ve got to know the situation and what to do when a particular situation arises and we didn’t do it tonight.”
Poor defensive play dearly cost the Comets after they had rallied with three runs in the fourth inning to cut GW’s four-run lead to one at 4-3.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, with Daniel Wilborn on the mound in relief of starter Jacob Vest, GW managed to get runners on first and second base with nobody out.
The Eagles’ Andrew Lippert followed by laying down a bunt to move the runners. Wilborn fielded the ball cleanly but there was nobody on the bag at first base to take the throw.
Justin Jacobs came to the mound to relieve Wilborn but GW continued the rally as Nevada Watlington dropped in a bloop single just over the infield to score a run and give GW a 5-3 lead.
With the bases still loaded, GW (11-1, 2-0 district) went back to the well again with Zach Harrelson putting down a squeeze bunt. Again, the Comets had nobody cover the bag at first base and another run scored to give GW a 6-3 lead it held the rest of the way.
The pair of bunts came as no surprise to anyone, especially the first one that came with runners at first and second base with nobody out.
“Everybody up here knows we’re going to bunt,” said GW head coach Scooter Dunn.
“That’s no surprise. That’s my game. That’s the way we’ve got to do it. We’re not flashy. We just go at it and play base-to-base. We play small ball.”
GW shot out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning after taking advantage of a leadof single and a pir of walks from Vest.
The first run scored on a fielder’s choice as a great play by Billy Joe Garrett got the Comets their first out of the inning. A two-RBIsingle by the Eagles’ Chris Payne made it a 3-0 GW lead. A single by Lippert scored Payne to give GW the four-run cushion.
The Comets cut the GW lead to one run with a three-run rally in the top of the fourth inning. Garrett walked to kick things off and Justin Bagbey singled to put runners at first and second base. Jacobs singled with one out to load the bases. A double by Kaleb Long plated Garrett and Michael Ferrell who was inserted into the game to run for Bagbey to make the score 4-2. Kaleb Long scored when Kyle Long grounded out to the shortstop to bring the Comets to within one run.
Halifax County failed to get a runner past second base after their three-run rally in the fourth inning.
Dunn said afterward he knew that a four-run cushion would not be enough for his team.
“Four runs is never enough against Halifax County,” he remarked.
“It’s not only here, it’s at Halifax. Down there (at Halifax) is a launching pad. We got a cushion and I know the big sticks in their lineup and I said we’ve got to keep the guys in front of them off of the bases.
“One swing of the bat by two of those guys (Bagbey and Allen Stephens) and it’s over that Budweiser sign (in centerfield),” Dunn continued.
“I’ve seen them. That’s basically what we tried to do- not let their big guys beat us. Fortunately they didn’t get anybody on when they came to the plate to hurt us too bad and we went right at them.”
The Comets had six hits in the game but GW held the top four batters in the Comets’ lineup, Tony Barbour, Garrett, Bagbey and Stephens to just one hit between them with that one hit coming from Bagbey.
Jacobs and Patrick Currie had two hits each and Kaleb Long had the other hit for the Comets.
GW had 12 hits in the game with Lippert getting three hits and Watlington, Payne and A. Walker chipping in two hits each.
Despite the loss, Davis said he feels his team is the overall better ballclub.
“If you look at us and look at them, I still think we’re the better ballclub,” Davis said.
“But, as I told the guys, you’ve got to play it between the lines and we just didn’t play it between the lines tonight. We’ll meet GW again and hopefully we can play a lot better baseball than we did tonight.”

Barker Staves Off Cook To Win Craftsman 150

By Joe Chandler
Sports Editor
Some say the wins come easier once you’ve broken the ice.
That appeared to be the case for Adam Barker of Hurt in Saturday’s Craftsman 150 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Stock Car race at South Boston Speedway.
Barker had his way with the field for much of the 150-lap event. He did, however, have his work cut out for him at the end, having to fend off Rodney Cook of Reidsville, N.C. in a pair of late-race dashes, the last of which kicked off a two-lap green-flag sprint to the finish.
His margin of victory over Cook was .838 second or about three car lengths.
“This one was easier, but none of them are easy here at South Boston Speedway with the great competition that is here,” Barker said after posting his second straight win and his second career win in NASCAR Late Model Stock Car Division competition.
“The best of the best is here at South Boston and it’s hard to win every night.”
Barker’s Chevrolet appeared stronger on this night than it had when he had scored his first win at the track on March 31.
He set a new track qualifying record in winning the pole for the race and, with incidents and mechanical problems knocking contenders such as David Triplett Jr., Jon Denning, Jonathan Cash and Justin Johnson, he was able to create a good cushion over his closest challengers.
“I was taking it easy pretty much the whole race,” Barker said.
“I wasn’t trying to push the issue or anything like that and take a chance on wrecking the car. Lapped traffic was pretty bad tonight. I just tried to tip-toe by everybody.”
Still Barker sliced his way easily through traffic and, when it came down to crunch time, Cook, who had battled his way up through the field from his tenth starting slot, was the only driver that could challenge him.
A pair of late-race crashes, the first of which came in the wake of a three-car mishap with seven laps left in the race set up green-white-checker finishes and allowed Cook to close up behind Barker.
The first restart came on lap 152 but a the field completed only one lap before a spectacular six-car crash on lap 154 created another caution period. One driver, Leigh Caruthers, whose car was slammed in the rear and lifted off of the ground, was sent to Halifax Regional Hospital for examination. That incident stopped the race and created a second green-white-checker sprint that stated on lap 158.
Barker got the upper hand on the final restart and was inching away from his challengers as he took the checkered flag.
“It was kind of nerve-wracking there the last couple of restarts,” Barker said.
“ Still, I knew I had a little bit better car than them on the short runs.”
While Cook had to settle for second place, he was elated to be in contention for the win at the end of the race.
“This is like a win to us,” Cook said.
“I wish we had stayed under the green. I didn’t need the cautions at the end. I think I could have been a little better at the end if we could have had a long run. Before the last couple of cautions came out I was running Adam down. I was faster but I didn’t know if he was sandbagging or not. I got him in sight and stated closing and then the cautions came. At the end, I was just trying to hang on. The last couple of laps I was just trying to guard second place.”
Wayne Ramsey of Amherst, who had won the track’s season opener, rallied from his eleventh-place starting spot to finish third.
“I was off tonight,” Ramsey remarked.
“ I’m extremely lucky to come out of here with a third-place finish because my car wasn’t that good at all. I felt the first two races I had a car that was just as good as Adam’s. Tonight I wasn’t anywhere near that good and it showed on the racetrack.”
Eddie Johnson of Midlothian, Va. and C.E. Falk III of Virginia Beach, Va. rounded out the top five finishers and were the only other drivers to finish on the lead lap.
Jason Dickerson of Ruckersville, Richard Storm of Partlow, Scott Turlington of
Richmond, Matt Lofton of Timberlake, N.C. and Owen Miller of Emporia completed the top ten finishers. They all finished a lap down.
Barker averaged 51.910 mph in the race that was slowed by five caution flags and one red flag.