Supervisors, Trustees Still $1 Million Apart

During a budget work session Wednesday the Halifax County Board of Supervisors tentatively agreed to give the school system an additional $250,000 for its 2007-08 operating budget.
As proposed, there was a $1.2 million gap between what the school system’s budget requested in local funds and what County Administrator Bryan Foster proposed in the county’s budget.
Supervisors said the additional funding is a show of support for the school system, but the School Board and staff will still have to trim nearly $1 million from the school budget.
Board Chairman William Fitzgerald said he did not want to see supervisors “micromanaging” the school system.
Discussing the number of administrators the school system employs and if the number is appropriate, Fitzgerald said, “The elected School Board should be the watchdog for these types of things.”
Supervisor Wayne Conner said his constituents are asking about it.
“School enrollment has been going down over the last five or six years,” Conner said. “What has happened with the school system’s staff over that period?”
Other Board members acknowledged that they have heard similar concerns from their constituents.
“The inference is that they’re top heavy,” Supervisors James Edmunds said. “How many fluff positions they have I don’t know.”
Supervisor Doug Bowman said that many of the school system’s positions had recently been re-categorized giving existing employees new titles.
Bowman said he supported the additional funds for the school system in the hopes that the money would be used to fund key programs like adult education.
“We need the GED program big-time,” Bowman said, noting funding from the state for adult education is in limbo. “I would not want to pull the rug out from under it.”
The same goes for other adult education programs offered in the county, Bowman said, noting the programs have gained traction and are getting strong results.
“They can manage if we do the $250,000,” Bowman said of the school system. “I think they will do the right thing.”
Fitzgerald agreed.
“Stapleton has indicated he wants to keep the GED program,” Fitzgerald said.
The additional $250,000 is slated to be pulled out of the county’s roughly $10 million in reserves, according to Foster.
Even with the additional funds, the school system will likely have to close two more elementary schools, supervisors agreed.
Turbeville Elementary with less than 90 students and Wilson-Memorial Elementary are the likely choices, they said.
Edmunds said that the school system should turn the properties over to the county so they can be marketed and sold to replenish the reserve funds the county is dipping into to fund this year’s budget.
If the school system needs space for programs Edmunds said they should use the “less marketable” properties.
Following the school budget, supervisors turned their attention to the county budget.
“Nine cents has been advertised,” Bowman said of the proposed real estate tax increase. “I want to come in less than that.”
Bowman said there were several opportunities to save money, like having county agencies, like the Sheriff’s Office, lease vehicle instead of purchase them.
“I have some ideas to see if we can get down to eight cents as a good faith effort,” Bowman said, noting on Jan. 1, county property owners will get their new reassessments. “Some are going up a lot.”
Edmunds also reiterated that he would like to see a solid waste disposal fee tacked onto residents’ utility bills rather than raise property taxes to pay for the new expenses associated with taking trash to the new regional landfill in Mecklenburg County.
Edmunds pointed out that a lot of county residents aren’t landowners, so they will not pay their fair share for their waste disposal.
In order for the county to be able to charge a waste disposal fee, the county must have enabling legislation passed by the General Assembly and work out an agreement with area utilities, like Dominion Virginia Power and Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative, to put the fees on their bills, Foster said.
Edmunds said he favors paying the $650,000 in waste expenses included in 2007-08 budget out of county reserves, thus trimming two more cents off the proposed real estate tax increase, and paying the expenses next budget year with the utility fee.
Supervisors also discussed changing the schedule for billing real estate taxes, changing from billing once a year on Dec. 5 to billing semi-annually on June 5 and Dec. 5.
The year the county makes the switch it will have a $7 million windfall, Bowman said, and that money can be put aside to fund capital projects, like the construction of a solid waste transfer station, or assist the county with school funds if the school system’s composite index changes dramatically in 2010.

Slates Slow To Fill In November Elections

A race appears to be brewing for the ED-7 School Board seat held by Sandra Rister, who is seeking re-election.
Stuart Comer has qualified in that race, Halifax County Registrar Judy Meeler said yesterday.
Four election packets have been picked up in ED-4, the seat held by school trustee Joe Bailey, according to Meeler. Bailey has announced his re-election bid.
However, at least two School Board trustees will not seek re-election in the Nov. 6 general election, and one other seat’s fate remains unknown.
Trustees Kelly Hill, ED-8, and Douglas Fisher, ED-1, have announced they will not seek re-election in the fall.
Election packets have been picked up by one resident in ED-1, four in ED-4 and two in ED-7, according to the registrar’s office.
School Board trustee Nancylee Bagwell has yet to declare her intentions in ED-5.
The last day to file for the November General Election is Tuesday, June 12, at 7 p.m.
“I encourage everyone to get the forms and petitions in several days early in case there’s a problem,” warned Meeler. “That allows time to address any problem prior to the deadline.”
As of Thursday, the following candidates have already qualified in their election bids:
Sheriff - Stanley Noblin and Jeff Oakes
Halifax County Clerk of Court - Robert “Bobby” Conner
Commonwealth’s Attorney - Kim White
Halifax County Treasurer - Linda Foster
Commissioner of the Revenue - Brenda Powell
Supervisors, Doug Bowman, ED-4, and Lottie Nunn, ED-7
In announcing his decision not to seek re-election as a school trustee in ED 1, Douglas Fisher said yesterday that other commitments were the main reason. “And my only grandson, who is two and one-half years old, is moving to Roanoke this week and I want to spend time with him,” added Fisher.
Of his term on the School Board, Fisher said that he was pleased with the way School Board members cooperated. “There were five new members when I went in,” he recalled. The trustee said that his recent vote to oppose the closing of Halifax Elementary drew some criticism, but more praise. “I tried to support the people in my district, their feelings,” he said.
Supervisors seeking re-election include R.E. “Dickie” Abbott, ED-1; Doug Bowman, ED-4; James Edmunds, ED-5; Lottie Nunn, ED-7; and Bryant Claiborne, ED-8.

Obituaries

Eugene Douglas Martin
Eugene Douglas ‘Doug’ Martin, 84, of Turbeville died May 30, 2007, at his home.
Mr. Martin was born in Halifax County on July 18, 1922, the son of the late Douglas Vincent Martin and Ethel Lou Martin, and was married to Hilda Barksdale Martin. He was a member of New Harvest Assembly of God Church, South Boston, where he was active and served as a deacon. He was also a former longtime member of Cross Roads Baptist Church in Turbeville.
Mr. Martin was a farmer and won Farmer of the Year in 1962, was on the Board of Supervisors of Soil and Water Conservation where he was awarded the Outstanding Achievement in Soil and Water Conservation. After retiring from farming, Mr. Martin worked as a security supervisor for Southern Processing and Imperial Tobacco Company and was awarded several achievement awards from the company.
Survivors include his wife of the home; one daughter, Vickey Martin Shelton; a granddaughter, Stephanie Elliott-Park and husband, Tony Park; a great-grandchild, Zachary Paul Park; his sisters, Meria Harris of Scottsburg, Rosalea Lacks of Clover, and Bea Mingo and husband, Danny, of Seal Beach, Calif; and his sister-in-law, Elizabeth Martin of Halifax.
Three brothers, Fred Jr., Clarence Elmer Martin and Marshall Lee Martin; and three sisters, Bertha Mae Martin Doran, Ruth Martin Cockman and Loraine Martin Matthews, also preceded Mr. Martin in death.
The family will receive friends at Brooks Funeral Home this evening, June 1, from 6 to 8, and other times at the home.
Services will be held tomorrow, June 2, at 11 a.m. at Brooks Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Russell Irby officiating. Burial will follow in Halifax Memorial Gardens.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider New Harvest Assembly of God, 1009 Berry Hill Road, South Boston, 24592.

Esther Snead Wilmouth

Esther Snead ‘Puddin’ Wilmouth, 78, of 1048 Wolf Trap Road, South Boston died May 30, 2007, at her home.
Mrs. Wilmouth was born in Halifax County February 8, 1929, the daughter of the late John Ellis Snead and Esther Dismuke Snead and was married to the late Henry Joseph Wilmouth Sr. She was a member of Fork Baptist Church.
Survivors include three sons, Ronnie Davis Wilmouth of South Boston, Buck Wilmouth and wife, Phyllis, of Scottsburg, and Christopher Lynn Wilmouth and wife, Pat, of Halifax; one sister, Faye S. Newton and husband, Henry, of Halifax; seven grandchildren, Valerie A. York and husband, Jeff, of San Antonio, Texas, Misty W. Meade and husband, Tony, of Nathalie, Kim W. Priest and husband, Regan, of Woodbridge, Melissa W. Poteat and husband, Erik, Stephanie Wilmouth, and Chris Wilmouth II, all of Halifax, and Mary Beth Wilmouth of Scottsburg; and eight great-grandchildren, David Von York, Kaitlyn Marie York, and Grey Andrew York, all of San Antonio, Kirstyn Paige Meade and Mason Gray Meade, both of Nathalie, Noah Jackson Priest of Woodbridge, Jacob Fears and Kamryn Poteat, both of Halifax.
Five brothers and three sisters also preceded Mrs. Wilmouth in death.
A funeral will be held today, June 1, at 2 p.m. at Powell Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Jason Murray officiating. Burial will follow in the Fork Baptist Church Cemetery.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Fork Baptist Church Building Fund, 5208 Falkland Road, Scottsburg, 24589, or Halifax Regional Hospice, 2204 Wilborn Avenue, South Boston, 24592.

Lady Comets Snare State Tourney Berth

By Joe Chandler
Sports Editor
There is still plenty of work ahead, but don’t blame the Halifax County High School varsity softball team for launching an early celebration.
Halifax County earned its first berth in the Group AAA state softball tournament in 17 years Wednesday with a 1-0 win over Battlefield High School in Haymarket in the semifinals of the Northwest Region Tournament.
The win thrust the Comets into tonight’s Northwest Region Tournament championship game where they will face Osbourn High School in Manassas in a 6 p.m. contest.
It’s very sweet to go on Friday (and face Osbourn) and try to win the Northwest Region Tournament,” said Comets coach Melanie Saunders.
“To go to the state tournament is really awesome.We’re playing from heart. That’s all we’re going from right now. We’re playing as deep down in our hearts as we can and are seeing how far we can go. Nobody thought we would be here.”
The Comets have, indeed been playing from heart.
After downing North Stafford 3-0 in 10 innings on the road Monday, the Comets went back on the road Wednesday and pulled off the thrilling one-run win over Battlefield High School, the Cedar Run District Tournament champion.
For the second time this week and the third time in a row dating back to last week’s Western Valley District Tournament championship game, Comets sophomore hurler Paige Rickman went the distance and spun a shutout.
Rickman, who has now pitched 24 consecutive scoreless innings over the course of the last three games, yielded five scattered hits, did not walk any batters and fanned five Bobcats batters in Wednesday’s game.
The Comets sophomore said she will be ready to go to the mound again today if called upon to do so.
“I can do it,” Rickman said after her team’s win.
“I’ve got a whole lot left.”
Saunders said she went with Rickman against Battlefield because Rickman has the hot hand.
“She’s on her “A” game right now,” Saunders pointed out.
“She has good ball movement.”
While Rickman did an outstanding job on the mound, it was junior Lashunda Davis that gave the Comets their one big break of the ballgame.
In the top of the second inning Davis sent a long ball to left field for a hit. Battlefield left fielder Shannon Files misplayed the ball and Davis was able to scamper home for what would be the game-winning run.
“I looked out there as I rounded first (base) and saw she had missed the ball,” Davis said.
“I took off running and Miss Saunders waved me home. I knew I had to get there somehow and I did. I was kind of scared but I made it. I’m glad I did.”
Halifax County had an opportunity to secure an insurance run in the top of the fifth inning when Key Ferrell kicked off the inning with a hit. Ferrell moved to second base when Rickman grounded out to the third baseman for the first out. A hit by Heather Hudson moved Ferrell to third base and Hudson stole second base to put runners on second base and third base with one out.
Unfortunately, the Comets were unable to score as Amber Bowman went down on strikes and Liz Trickey grounded out to end the inning.
The Comets had one other opportunity in the top of the seventh inning when Davis led off the inning with a walk. She moved to second base on a sacrifice groundout by Ferrell but was stranded there as Rickman and Hudson went down on strikes.
On the defensive side of things, the Comets used the pitching of Rickman and a solid defensive effort to keep Battlefield off of the scoreboard.
The Comets turned back three threats by the Bobcats, the big one coming in the bottom of the second inning when pitcher Brittany Black kicked off the inning with a hit. She was erased at second base when Brittany Clendenny hit a one-hopper back to Rickman on the mound and Rickman made a toss to Hudson at second base for the force-out.
Megan Sutphin singled to put runners on first base and second base with one out. The Comets got out of the inning when Rickman fanned Jenny Galliher and Melanie Turner flied out to Trickey in left field.
Battlefield managed to scrape up a hit in both the third and fourth innings but was unable to advance the runner beyond first base. A Comets error with one out in the sixth inning gave the Bobcats another base runner.
The Bobcats tried to make one last bid when Sutphin came up with a hit with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning but the Comets forced Battlefield to strand her there.
Battlefield hurler Brittany Black, like Rickman, threw a solid game. She yielded three hits, one each to Davis, Ferrell and Hudson, the number four, five and seven batters in the Comets’ lineup. Black walked one batter and fanned 10 Comets batters.
Halifax County stranded three runners on the sacks. Battlefield stranded four runners.

South Boston 150 A Special Race For Sellers

By Joe Chandler
Sports Editor
Saturday night’s South Boston 150 NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch East Series race here at South Boston Speedway will be a special event for Peyton Sellers.
Sellers, the 2005 South Boston Speedway and NASCAR Weekly Series national champion will be returning to his hometown track to tackle a field of drivers that will include experienced veterans and hot young drivers.
“It’s a race that will hit a special spot in my heart,” said Sellers.
“It will be great coming back to my home track and letting those guys in the Busch East Series see my name up on the grandstands and see where I’m from, see this great place and all of the fans that are here.”
Sellers, who has a track championship and numerous wins at South Boston Speedway under his belt, says he doesn’t necessarily feel that he has a distinct home track advantage for Saturday night’s 150-lap, 60-mile race.
“I don’t feel I have an advantage on the track because all of those guys in the Busch East Series have really good equipment and they have a lot of experience,” Sellers pointed out. “A lot of the guys in that series have been here and raced. We have a home fan advantage, not a home track advantage.
“I have fan support and that’s what it’s all about” added Sellers.
“My family will be here, all of the people in the stands with the orange shirts will be here. That means a lot.”
While Sellers has already enjoyed a taste of success in the Busch East Series starting with a fourth-place finish in the season-opener at Greenville-Pickens (S.C.) Speedway, the season has been a tough one.
Last season Sellers signed on with Richard Childress Racing as a development driver and competed in the NASCAR West Series, driving for Bill McAnally Racing. Sellers won in his sixth start, finished fifth in the series points standings and won the series’ Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award.
In addition, he raced in four NASCAR Busch East Series races, recording a best finish of seventh at New Hampshire International Speedway.
“When you look back at the way we ran, maybe not the results, but the way we performed all year, last season was top-notch and I had a good car everywhere I went,” Sellers remarked.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned and Sellers found himself without a ride with Childress for this season. With nowhere else to turn, Sellers came back home to search for a means to compete in the NASCAR Busch East Series.
“It’s a bittersweet thing for me because I got to come back home to family and friends and they’re supporting me a lot right now,” Sellers said.
“There have been a lot of lonely nights wondering what happened and did I do anything wrong. It has worked hard on my confidence all winter but I’m back positive now.
“I just put all of my confidence and faith in The Lord,” added Sellers.
“There’s a plan out there for Peyton Sellers and I’m just trying to be patient. It’s good to know that if you keep the faith something good will happen.”
With no prospect of being picked up by another team, Sellers and his family formed their own team and are tackling the Busch East Series with one car and a limited budget.
Sellers and his family purchased a former ppc Racing chassis that had been used by John Andretti in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, put a new body on it and equipped it with a new spec engine. The family team is trying to make the full Busch East Series schedule.
“There are a lot of good cars and a lot of well-funded teams in that series,” the former South Boston Speedway champion pointed out.
“We’re taking a one-car race team and making the most out of it. I have every single member of my 2005 national championship team helping me again. They’re sacrificing a lot of time and a lot of hours away from their wives and family. Everybody is working really hard.”
Sellers said it is tough having to compete against a lot of the well-funded teams on the series that have large full-time crews and the best of equipment.
“It’s kind of like a David Vs. Goliath deal that we have going on in the Busch East Series,” Sellers explained.
“We’ve just got to take it one race at a time. We’ve been fortunate enough to get a little sponsorship for that weekend through Strutmasters.com. Clarence (Clarence Pickeral, owner of Clarence’s Steak House in Martinsville) is still helping me on the the hood. A lot of good people are staying with us.”
Sellers and his family team have fared well thus far. The former South Boston champion finished fourth in the series opener at Greenville, S.C., finished sixth at Elko, Minn. and then hit an obstacle as an engine failure left him with a 40th-place finish in the May 20 race at Iowa Speedway.
Sellers, who stands eighth in the series points standings, said he is hoping for a good night in Saturday’s race.
“I hope we can have a good run,” Sellers said.
“We’ve been down to South Boston Speedway a time or two and shaken the car down. We’re just going to give it all we’ve got and hopefully come home with a win.”

Cash Hoping To Get On Track In South Boston 150

By Joe Chandler
Sports Editor
Jonathan Cash didn’t get off to the kind of start he was hoping for when he attempted to make his NASCAR Busch East Series debut at Greenville, S.C.
Cash failed to make the field fort that race, a tough setback for a young driver trying to take his first step at the next level of racing.
“We just weren’t prepared to go,” Cash said.
“It was a lack of preparation.”
Cash, who is under contract with the Wood Brothers as a development driver, originally had planned to tackle the Busch East Series with the help of the Wood Brothers, However, Chip Lofton, the owner of Strutmasters.com, the firm that had been sponsoring Cash’s Late Model Stock Car racing efforts, purchased two Fords from the Wood Brothers and is fielding a team for Cash.
“I’m still under contract with the Wood Brothers,” Cash said.
“We’re just running this Busch East team out of our Strutmasters shop. Maybe if we do well enough, maybe next year I’ll be back at the Wood Brothers doing something different.”
The change in circumstances has made things tough for the Strutmsters.com team.
“It’s been real difficult just getting all of the parts and pieces that you need,” Cash said.
“It’s hard enough to start a Late Model Stock Car team but when you go to doing a Busch team where you’ve got to have fulltime crew of three or four guys, it’s a lot to purchase (cars and equipment) and keep going within two weeks.”
While the experiences of the first half of the season have been frustrating, Cash says he feels he and his team have done the right thing.
“I was hoping we would be a little further down the road than we are right now,” he pointed out.
“Not making the race at Greenville was a real setback. I think we’ve done the right thing. Everything is difficult when you start a new team and a new year. We were going to go to Minnesota (for last week’s two Busch East Series races) but decided that we weren’t prepared so we laid off a week.
“If we had gone to Minnesota and not run well, everybody would have been down,” continued Cash.
“Maybe we can come to South Boston and have a good run and everybody’s spirits will be high and we can keep going.”
Saturday night’s South Boston 150, a 150-lap, 60-mile NASCAR Busch East Series race, is a good place for Cash to try to get himself and his team on track.
“I’m familiar with South Boston Speedway,” said Cash, last year’s runner-up in the track’s NASCAR Late Model Stock Car Division points standings.
“I’m not going somewhere that I don’t know. We’ve had time to practice here. The comfort of knowing that you’re at somewhere you know means a lot. We started off on a bad note. We want to make the best of it here. I definitely want to run good at South Boston Speedway in front of the hometown crowd.”
Cash said he has faced and will continue to face a lot of pressure this season.
“I had a lot of pressure on myself at the beginning of the year,” he pointed out.
“Driving for the Wood Brothers and having an opportunity to maybe do something different next year is a lot of pressure. I talked to Peyton (Sellers) and he’s helped me a lot. He’s been there already and gone through this.
“I took a lot out on myself when we didn’t make the race at Greenville but maybe I can come back here to South Boston and have a little more confidence and get back that confidence we need,” he added.
Cash said the team has revamped its schedule and will attempt to run a combination of NASCAR Busch East Series and USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series races.The team has a Chevrolet to race in the Hooters Pro Cup Series and the two Fords for the Busch East Series races.
“We’re looking at about five races in the Busch East and five in the Hooters Pro Cup which will give us about 10 races to run,” Cash said.
“We will do a lot of testing before going to the races so it’s not going to be a thing where we decide on Thursday to go on Friday or Saturday. We’re going to do a lot of testing everywhere so we can go and have a chance at making a decent showing.”
Cash pointed out that he and his team have no chance to win or make a real solid showing in the points standings in either the Busch East or Hooters Pro Cup Series, making it possible to move back and forth between the two series.
“We’re out of the points in both series so we’re going to do a combination and race, learn and have fun,” Cash explained.
“Next year, if I’m not anywhere else, we’ll concentrate on one series or the other.”
Cash said that while he will be racing in only about 10 events the rest of the season, he does not plan to compete in the NASCAR Late Model Stock Car Divison’on a regular basis.
“I’m hoping to run the Late Model race at Martinsville,” Cash pointed out.
“That will probably be the only one I’ll attempt to run. I want to move up and if you’re going to move up you need to be in a Hooters Pro Cup or Busch East Series car, something with a little more horsepower and a little more weight. I’m going to concentrate on that for now.”