Friday, April 29, 2005

Riverstone Is Said Key To New Economy

BY Keith Strange
strange@gazettevirginian

With construction on Riverstone Technology Park’s Building I around 80 percent complete, Industrial Development Authority Executive Director Mike Eades said the park will be a “springboard into Halifax County’s new economy.”
It will house the Network Operations Center for the 700-mile Regional Broadband Initiative, employing approximately 20 people. In addition, Virginia Tech has signed a contract to put their Southside regional offices in Building I.
Eades says he feels the technology park will work hand-in-hand with current initiatives like the STEM Academy in the school system to create a symbiosis of economic development in the county.
“You can’t do that with just real estate,” he said. “But (Riverstone) is part of the bigger picture and will be a true asset to the community.
“Not just the buildings, but the park itself,” Eades added. “It’s been well-designed and is going to be an attractive place to do business.”
The 165-acre park is designed to meet the needs of information technology, biomedical, small manufacturing, telecommunications and technical manufacturing and will offer both manufacturing and corporate office facilities.
In addition, the park design incorporates expansive green areas and four miles of walkways.
Building I is a 67,000 sq. ft. building with 10,499 sq. ft. of lab space, 14,346 sq. ft. of office space and 11,700 sq. ft. of high-bay space. It will offer companies multiple broadband Internet options and wireless connectivity, and common areas including conference rooms, corporate boardrooms and exercise facilities.
Eades said yesterday that a certificate of occupancy could be issued as early as July.
He added that Riverstone will offer something rarely seen in smaller communities.
“I think this is a unique product we have to market that you don’t find in communities this size in this part of the country," he said. “It’s not a traditional shell building in the historic sense of the word.
“This is really a combination of a business incubator as well as a facility available to be occupied by a variety of companies, from high-tech manufacturing to research and development as well as office-type functions," Eades added.
Building II, the site of the Virginia Employment Commission call center, is already being used as a training site for the center’s approximately 100 workers.

 

Prizery Is Promoted For Award

Armed with a stellar endorsement by one of the nation’s historic preservation experts, South Boston is seeking the National Preservation Honor Award for The Prizery.
Community Development Coordinator Tamyra Vest submitted the application yesterday.
“What was really wonderful was the support letter from Kennedy Smith,” said Prizery Executive Director Chris Jones. “It said all of the things we are hoping The Prizery will be and said it beautifully.”
Vest agrees.
“Kennedy Smith is one of the leaders in revitalization across the United States and to have her write such an incredibly specific support letter is tremendous,” said the community development coordinator. “Most applications have form letters and the fact that Kennedy Smith’s letter is so genuine is major.”
“What struck me is having an outside perspective, having someone who has dealt with historic preservation around the country, having those positive comments from her simply reinforces our own feelings about what we are doing,” said Jones.
In her letter to the Preservation Honor Awards selection committee, Smith said she was “absolutely astonished” when she visited The Prizery.
“I have visited hundred of historic communities over the past two decades, both during and since my years at the National Trust’s Main Street Center, and I cannot think of more than one or two other projects I would consider to be even remotely as remarkable as this one,” she wrote.
“In an economically depressed region in which vacant, historic tobacco warehouses are commonplace and in which few new uses for them have been found, South Boston’s town government and a strong corps of committed volunteers have pulled off the remarkable feat of rehabilitating a beautiful, historic brick warehouse and making it a vibrant arts and community center, with facilities and amenities that rival those in communities ten times South Boston’s size: a theatre, conference/banquet facilities, art studios, museum and even showers for people biking and hiking along the nearby Dan River trail,” said Smith.
She also found the project’s financing unique, documenting the financing tools from federal and state funds, tax credit equity investments and private contributions to put together a $7.5 million rehabilitation project.
It is The Prizery’s connection to South Boston’s Revolutionary War history that Smith views as making the project “particularly worthy” of the award.
When General Greene crossed the Dan River with his men, escaping Cornwallis’ pursuit, many historians feel the tide of war was turned.
“South Boston is deeply committed to interpreting this significant historic event and to preserving the site at which it occurred, and The Prizery embodies this history. The community’s strong commitment to preserving and reusing The Prizery is a tangible and dynamic symbol of its connection to its history.
“I have spoken with merchants and property owners throughout South Boston, and I have never before heard such a strong sense of excitement about a community’s future. In my 20-plus-year history with the National Trust, I have never felt more certain of a site’s worthiness of the Preservation Honor Award,” concluded Smith.
Smith is considered one of the nation’s foremost experts on downtown revitalization and small business development.
She joined the staff of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s National Main Street Center in 1985 and served as its director from 1991-2004. She has participated in a number of landmark land use decisions, providing economic impact analyses and expert testimony on the effect of various types of development on historic commercial centers.
In 2000, Fast Company magazine named her to its first-ever list of “Fast 50 Champions of Innovation,” recognizing “creative thinkers whose sense of style and power of persuasion change what our world looks like and how our products perform.”
In 2004, Kennedy Smith received the National Trust’s prestigious President’s Awards in recognition of her leadership in making the Main Street program one of the most successful economic development and historic preservation programs in the United States.
Smith is now a principal in the Community Land Use and Economics group, LLC, and executive director of the League of Historic American Theatres.

Ark Builders Look For Rainbows
Ship Will ‘Sail’ To Mercy Seat

Barring bad weather, Noah’s Ark II is expected to make its maiden voyage next week.
“From up here, you can sail anywhere in the world,” said First Presbyterian Church Minister Dr. Russell Lee.
Lee made the slow climb up a stepladder to the main deck. From the captain’s bridge of Noah’s Ark II, a sailor can see for hundreds of feet in every direction.
To the west and south lie Broad Street, Main Street Methodist, Trinity Episcopal and the post office.
To the east stands First Baptist Church.
From this vantage point, you can even smell the pizza from nearby Domino’s.
“We’re looking for rainbows,” said Lee. “Rainbows that tell us God loves us.”
Just a few more details, a trim piece or two, and Noah’s Ark II will be ready to sail.
It’s destination; Mercy Seat Presbyterian Church on Wooding Road in Sutherlin.
Rather than seaworthy, this 2,000-lb. “ship” must be roadworthy in order to make the approximate 15-mile journey without breaking up.
Her builders are confident she will make it.
Her sister ship in the shadows, Noah’s Ark I, is approaching her 10th anniversary and, except for a few “leaks”, can weather the worst of her stormy “passengers”.
Noah’s Ark I was built in Amish country, brought to the playground of First Presbyterian Church and assembled. It was a gift to the church from J.J. (deceased) and Carol Lawson.
Because the children of the church enjoyed the playground centerpiece so much, the idea of building a replica, as a mission project, surfaced.
Young and old alike, many of whom are retired, set out to build Noah’s Ark II as a gift to Mercy Seat Presbyterian Church, a small, but growing church in the southwestern Halifax County community of Sutherlin.
“Hopefully, the ark will bring other kids to their church,” said Lee
Desiring to be a part of the mission, folks from Mercy Seat joined those of First Presbyterian, mostly in the mornings, to build the “ark”.
The building of the ark has been a fellowship experience that none is likely to forget.
This Saturday, the First Presbyterian Church is preparing a stew for the enjoyment of those attending both churches and the community alike.
There is no charge to enjoy the food and fellowship.
Mercy Seat Presbyterian is planning to return the favor.
The building of Noah’s Ark II has attracted the attention of passersby as well as some neighbors.
“Ya’ll know something we don’t know?” one neighbor said as the ark began to take on an obvious appearance.
“It’s about reaching out to other people,” said Lee.

Obituaries

Loviel Everett Cardwell

Loviel Everett Cardwell, 40, founder and president of BCS Technology, Inc. died April 25, at his home in Washington, D.C.
Funeral services will be held tomorrow, April 30, at 1 p.m. at Elkhorn Baptist Church, 1010 East Elkhorn Road in Nathalie.
The family will receive friends at Dunn & Sons Funeral Home, 540 North Main Street, Halifax, this evening, April 29, from 6 to 9.
A memorial service will be held May 4, 7 p.m. at the Ark of Safety Christian Church in Upper Marlboro, Md.
Mr. Cardwell was born on July 14, 1964, in Halifax to the late Thomas Lee Sr. and Levoid Waller Cardwell. He is an alumnus of both Howard University and Southern Illinois University where he received a Bachelors of Science degree in Engineering in Industrial and Manufacturing Technology. He was a member of the United States Navy where he qualified and served in the Nuclear Submarine fleet. After serving as the Deputy Information Services Director for the Democratic National Committee under the Clinton Administration, he founded BCS Technology, an information technology services firm.
Survivors include three children, Crystal Monique of New York, Loviel Everett Jr. and Jasmine Michelle, both of Calif.; his former wife, Carla Sims-Cardwell of Calif.; four brothers: Thomas, Kevin and Timothy, all of Washington, D.C., and Aaron of Woodbridge; two sisters, Tresa Cardwell Dunn of Temple Hills, Md. and Karen Cardwell Abebefe of Plano, Texas; two sisters-in-law, Valerie Cardwell of Washington, D.C. and LaDonna Cardwell of Woodbridge; two brothers-in-law, William Penn Dunn of Temple Hills and Dr. David Abebefe of Plano; a special friend, Jasmine Carter, of Alexandria; and his grandfather, Lorenzo Cardwell of News Ferry.

Ralph Burton Lacks

Ralph Burton Lacks, 77, of 2130 Easley Crossing Trail, Scottsburg died April 27 at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mr. Lacks was born in Halifax County on July 22, 1927, the son of the late Charlie Henry Lacks and Nannie May Seamons Lacks. He was a member of Mt. Laurel United Methodist Church.
Survivors include one brother, Roy H. Lacks of South Boston; one niece, Lisa L. Blanks of South Boston; and two nephews, Timothy D. Lacks of Farmville and David W. Lacks of Scottsburg. He was also preceded in death by one sister, Lois Lacks Hatcher.
Graveside services for Mr. Lacks will be held at 11 a.m. tomorrow, April 30, at Clover Cemetery with the Rev. Rudolph Jacobs officiating.
The family will receive friends this evening, April 29, from 7:00 until 8:30 at Powell Funeral Home.

Mabel Ragland Shelton

Mabel Ragland Shelton of 702 Easley Street, South Boston died April 27 at The Woodview Nursing Home.
Mrs. Shelton was born in Halifax County on January 19, 1909, to the late Rev. Simon Ragland and Carrie Ragland, and was married to Raymond L. Shelton. She was a member of Mt. Olive Baptist Church, was employed in New York as an interior designer and dressmaker, and was a member of the Negro Women’s Business Association.
Survivors of Mrs. Shelton include her husband of the home; a sister-in-law, Florence Slade of Gardena, Calif; and other relatives and friends. Other than her parents she was preceded in death by one son, Raymond Shelton Jr.
Funeral services will be held May 2, at 11 a.m. at Crawford House Chapel in Halifax with the Rev. Dr. James M. Crowder officiating. Burial will follow in Floral Hills Memory Gardens in Danville.
The family is receiving friends at the home.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Mt. Olive Baptist Church Building Fund, c/o Jeffress Funeral Home, 2000 North Main Street, South Boston.

Comets Down Magna Vista; Face FC Tonight

HCHS Defeated Magna Vista 8-4 Wednesday And Will Face Franklin County Tonight In A Key District Contest

BY Joe Chandler
G-V STAFF WRITER

The Halifax County High School varsity baseball team will be looking to grab sole possession of second place in the Western Valley District standings when it concludes a big week of district contests with tonight’s road contest against Franklin County in Rocky Mount.
Tonight’s contest will be the third district game of the week for the Comets who opened the week with a loss to GW, a win over Patrick Henry here Tuesday and downed Magna Vista 8-4 here Wednesday.
And, it will be a big one.
The Comets will enter tonight’s game sporting an 11-3 overall mark and a 2-1 mark in Western Valley District play. Franklin County is 10-4 overall and 1-2 in district play and is tied with E.C. Glass (8-3 overall) which is also 1-2 in district play. Patrick Henry is in the cellar in the district standings with an 0-3 mark in district action.
Halifax County will need a win tonight to stay out of a logjam with Franklin County and E.C. Glass and to stay in the thick of the race for the regular-season district title with GW which has not yet lost in district play.
Comets coach Kelvin Davis said tonight’s road game will be a big test for his team.
“It’s never easy playing there," Davis s aid of Franklin County.
“Playing up there at Franklin County is totally different than playing here. We’ve got to jump on them early. Those guys are playing really good baseball right now. We need to jump on them early. We can’t let them hang around."
The Comets will have some momentum in their favor heading into tonight’s game, having rebounded from Monday’s disappointing 12-5 loss to GW with a 9-1 win Tuesday over Patrick Henry and Wednesday’s 8-4 triumph over Magna Vista.
“Getting the momentum going again and getting thes e guys a boost of confidence going into this game is a big plus," Davis pointed out.
With the Comets having already played two games and facing tonight’s district game, Davis gave everybody ample playing time in Wednesday’s game against Magna Vista and looked to senior Justin Armistead to give the team some help on the mound.
Armistead, an almost unnoticed and unheralded hurler, gave Davis and the Comets a complete game, giving up six hits while yielding only one walk and fanning seven batters.
“We used a lot of our pitchers the beginning of the week and we have a big game Friday and we needed somebody to step in," said Davis.
“ I thought he did a great job of doing that. We knew he was going to go out there and throw strikes. He threw a lot of good off-speed pitches for strikes. I’m tickled to death."
Not only did Armistead give the Comets’ mound staff a much-needed break, he helped his own cause with his bat.
Armistead was 2-3 at the plate including a run-scoring triple in the third inning.
“He’s been big for us," Davis said.
“He’s hitting the ball all over the field. He knows what it takes to be successful. He’s a very hard worker."
The two hits Armistead had in the contest were among the 13 hits the Comets had in the contest.
Clyde Brooks and reserve second baseman Scott Gieselman also had two hits each. Bobby Owens had one hit, a three-run homer in the fourth inning, and David Lacks, Blake Waller, Marcus Humphrey, Willie Stephens, Tyler Clarke and Ryland Clark all had a hit each.
The Comets got off to slow start but came alive with a four-run third inning with Armistead’s run-scoring triple, a run-scoring single from Lacks, a run-scoring double from Brooks and hit from Waller that produced another run.
Two hits by Magna Vista in the top of the fourth inning scored a run and made it a 4-1 score. But, things didn’t stay that way long.
Owens’ three-run homer in the top of the fourth inning put the Comets up 7-1 and gave them their biggest cushion of the night.
A walk and a runs-scoring double gave Magna Vista another run in the top of the fifth inning to make the score 7-2. The Comets tacked on their final run in the bottom half of the inning when R. Clark hit a double with one out and scored on Gieselman’s hit.
Halifax led 8-2 before seeing Magna Vista chalk up a run in the top of the sixth inning and a run in the top of the seventh inning to make the final 8-4 score.
“We really needed this game to get everybody relaxed and comfortable," Davis said.
“ Some of our guys needed a boost on some of their batting averages. We needed this boost of momentum to help us get ready for Friday night."

HCHS Comets Get Back On Track With Win Over PH

HCHS Picked Up Its 10th Win Of The Season With A 9-1 Win Over Patrick Henry Tuesday

BY Joe Chandler
G-V STAFF WRITER

It’s almost amazing what a difference a day can make.
After having displayed one of its worst performances of the season here Monday against GW, the Halifax County High School varsity baseball team turned its fortunes around in a big way here Tuesday against Patrick Henry.
The Comets jumped up top early and pitcher Tyler Clarke yielded only four hits and a walk while fanning five batters as the Comets rolled up a 9-1 win over the Patriots in a Western Valley District contest.
Tuesday’s win lifted the Comets’ record to 10-3 overall and 2-1 in Western Valley District play and kept the Comets in at least a share of second place in the district standings.
The performance by the Comets was a complete turnaround from Monday’s debacle against GW, a game in which the Comets committed four errors, had five passed balls and had instances where they failed to make the routine plays.
“What a difference a day can make," said Comets coach Kelvin Davis.
“The mental part of this game of baseball is so important. Mentally, we came ready to play. You could see from our performance we were a totally different team than we were Monday."
That, the Comets were.
Halifax County had eight hits in the game with Clyde Brooks and Jeremy Jeffress leading the offense with both players having a 2-4 day at the plate. Both players had one extra-base hit. Jeffress had three RBIs and Brooks logged one.
Chris Conner, David Lacks, Blake Waller and Willie Stephens each had one hit in the game.
“We had several timely hits and some of the guys that got them needed them to boost their confidence," Davis noted.
While the Comets got the job done offensively, Clarke, the team’s senior hurler, got the job done on the mound, spinning a four-hitter and allowing only one walk while he and his teammates set the Patriots down in order in five of the seven innings.
“Tyler threw a heck of a ballgame," Davis said.
“ He had them off of their front foot all night long. He’s working really hard and he was real successful tonight. He had only one walk. We have to concentrate on throwing strikes and not letting those guts get on base (with walks) and Tyler did a good job of that."
The Comets opened up on the Patriots quickly with a two-out single from Jeffress, the designated hitter for Clarke and a single from Lacks. Jeffress scored when Brooks reached base on the first of five errors that Patrick Henry would commit in the game and put the Comets on top 1-0.
Halifax added three more runs in the bottom of the second inning when Marcus Humphrey, Conner and Justin Armistead walked in succession after the Patriots had gotten two out in the inning. Jeffress followed with a double that scored three runs and put the Comets up 4-0.
Three Patrick Henry errors allowed the Comets to add a run in the bottom of the third inning. Waller singled, moved to third base on an error and scored when Miles Thomas reached base on an error to give the Comets a five-run cushion.
Two hits that included a leadoff double, allowed Patrick Henry to score its run in the top of the fourth inning and cut the Comets’ lead to four runs.
But, the Comets tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning which started with a single from Conner and a walk to Armistead. A sacrifice by Lacks scored Conner and Armistead scored on a single from Brooks to put the Comets up 7-1.
Halifax added a run in the bottom of the fifth inning when Thomas reached base on an error that allowed him to reach second base. A sacrifice by Matt Conner moved Thomas to third base and Thomas scored on a sacrifice fly to centerfield by Humphrey to make it an 8-1 score.
The Comets added their final run in the bottom of the sixth inning when Brooks reached base with a two-out double and scored on a hit by Stephens.

HCHS Varsity Softball Gets Another Big Road Win

Halifax Defeats Patrick Henry 5-2 In District Contest

BY Doug Ford
G-V STAFF WRITER

Tracy Nelson went two-for-four with two RBI’s and scored two runs, and Amanda Rogers was 2-3 with two runs scored, as the Comets varsity softball team collected its third straight Western Valley District road win Tuesday with a 5-2 decision over Patrick Henry.
Lashunda Davis was 2-4 with an RBI and two runs scored, Lori Reeves and Jasmine Parker each had an RBI hit, and Key Ferrell (run scored) and Cari Clark each collected a hit for the Comets, who improved to 3-0 in the district and 6-3 overall with the win.
The Comets have followed the same formula for success to win its last two district contests, coming out aggressively at the plate to score early runs against GW last week and Patrick Henry on Tuesday.
That, in addition to back-to-back complete game wins by pitcher Beth Throckmorton, hasn’t escaped the notice of Comets coach Melanie Saunders.
“The girls again came out aggressive in the beginning, and Beth pitched another good game, striking out five and walking none,” said Saunders.
The Comets scored two first-inning runs and added another in the second for a 3-0 lead, before adding two insurance runs in the last inning to back the two-hit pitching of Throckmorton.
“The bats were very aggressive in the beginning, kind of flattened out in the middle, but then came alive with much needed hits and runs in the seventh inning," noted Saunders.
“Patrick Henry is a good team – they are very scrappy and fought the entire game with scattered hits and scoring runs in both the third and sixth innings."
A two-out rally gave the Comets the lead in their first at-bat, Rogers lacing a single and advancing on an error, before Nelson plated her with an RBI single. Davis followed with another hit to score Nelson for a 2-0 lead.
Halifax used its short game to score another run in the second inning, Ferrell drawing a leadoff walk, advancing to second on a sacrifice by Clark and scoring on an RBI single by Parker.
Patrick Henry cut the advantage to 3-1 with a base hit, Comets miscue and RBI groundout in the third inning, and the Comets had base runners in both the fourth and fifth without adding to its lead.
In the fourth, Ferrell hit a one-out single and stole second before Clark’s hit, both runners advancing on Jessica Lewis’ sacrifice, but a groundout got Patrick Henry out of the inning.
Halifax led another scoring opportunity slip away in the fifth inning, Rogers reaching base on an error, Davis lacing a single, and Reeves walking to load the bases with two outs, but a fly ball out ended the threat.
The Patriots used three Comets errors to plate its final run in the sixth inning, but Halifax recovered to add some insurance in the top of the seventh, Rogers starting the rally with a one-out base hit.
Nelson followed with an RBI single, advanced to second after an error on the play, and scored the Comets’ final run on a two-out single by Reeves.
Patrick Henry was retired in order in the bottom of the seventh to end the game, giving the Comets three road wins in its first three district contests, and setting up a crucial game here today at 5 p.m. against Franklin County. The Comets and Eagles are both 3-0 in the Western Valley District.
“We all have to prepare for the game against Franklin County," said Saunders. “We all know they are tough and we have to be both mentally as well as physically focused."