Wednesday, June 14, 2006

 

 

Debate Over Class Photos Turns Racial
Citizens packed the public meeting room at the Mary Bethune Complex to voice their concerns over the fate of 15 senior-class photos recently removed from Halifax County Middle School, but the debate quickly turned racial.
Before any citizens addressed the Board, Chairman Mac McDowell told citizens that some of the information circulating around the community was not accurate and that the photographs were taken out of the school for safekeeping during the building’s renovation.
McDowell also said that he had asked three trustees, Joe Bailey III, Sandra Rister and Kelly Hill, to form a committee that will examine what is best for the pictures and listen to citizen input.
No action regarding the pictures can be taken right away because the renovation to the school will continue on well into 2007, he said.
Bunny Propst, speaking in place of Cecile Ford, said that the photographs were an important part of her history in Halifax County and they should be returned to the school’s lobby when the construction there is completed.
“It was a comfort to know so many had survived high school in Halifax County,” she said. “They belong in that building.”
Dot Carr, a member of the class of 1966, then addressed the Board. She said she was going to ask the trustees to form a committee to oversee the photos and was glad to see they had already taken the initiative.
She asked that a member of each class also be allowed to serve on the committee with the three trustees.
Carr told the Board how close several members of her class still are.
“Our class has met every five years,” she said, noting class members will often gather to have dinner together. “We believe in Halifax County and know that you are going to do the right thing.”
Martha Coates also addressed the Board pointing out that the pictures are not the only things that need saving.
“Trophies and pictures from other schools have been tossed,” she said. “Smaller pictures are floating around, these 15 pictures need to be conserved as a group.”
Several black speakers then took the podium to address a different set of photos, ones from the formerly black high school, Mary Bethune.
“I’m going to speak about some pictures that have been lost,” Walter Potts said. “There are no Mary Bethune pictures for our children to look at.
“No one took the time to preserve those pictures,” he said. “Those pictures were not taken care of.
“I’m mad at myself, because we should have thought about this a long time ago,” Potts said. “My proposal is that we do something to rectify this, get as many back as we can.
“I ask that you try,” he added. “I’m glad to hear the pictures (Halifax High School) are safe, too bad that didn’t happen with the Mary Bethune pictures.”
Reverend Roger Ford took a harder line.
“I have a real problem because I keep hearing the words heritage and history,” he said. “For we have been robbed of our history and our heritage.
“We keep opening the wounds of Jim Crow and slavery,” he added. “The African-American kids see all those pictures and don’t see any kids who look like them.
“They don’t see anything of their heritage,” Ford said. “To bring everyone together, everyone has to give up something.
“We need to think seriously to make right some of the wrongs,” he said.
Edward Womack then addressed the Board in opposition to replacing the pictures in the middle school.
“I stand in opposition to putting those pictures back on the walls as an African-American student,” he said. “Halifax County is not an all-white community and the school is not an all-white school.”
Trustee Arthur Reynolds said he had received several calls and it was his understanding that there were some pictures from Mary Bethune High School around. Committee member Bailey struck a conciliatory tone.
“I don’t like to see our county divided like this,” he said. “I think we can make a compromise.”
Propst spoke again saying this should not be a racial issue.
“Somehow this has turned into a black and white issue,” she said. “There are black students in those later pictures and this is to honor them as well.”

Happy Birthday State Parks

Staunton River State Park To Celebrate With 70th Birthday Bash Tomorrow

A campfire, bluegrrass music, children’s games and a movie under the stars beckon.

Boat tours, children’s games, Goodie the Clown, wagon rides and nature hikes are part of the packed agenda Thursday when Stanton River State Park celebrates its 70th anniversary.
Events will get under way at 10 a.m. with games ending at 4 p.m.
The swimming pool will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday only.
The evening schedule includes a campfire from 5-7 p.m. and from 7-8 p.m. bluegrass music by the Wolftrap Ramblers.
A movie under the stars – “Homeward Bound” – will begin at 8:30 p.m.
Admission will be 10 cents each – the admission fee in 1936 - all weekend. as Staunton River State Park joins other state parks in celebrating the system’s anniversary
As a special treat for guests, parks with snack bars will sell a hotdog and drink combo for only .70 cents during the anniversary
weekend. Staunton River State is among those offering the special price throughout the weekend.
All state parks will celebrate with a birthday cake on Saturday, June 17, from 1-3 p.m.
On June 15, 1936, Virginia simultaneously opened six state parks, Douthat, Westmoreland, Hungry Mother, Fairy Stone, Staunton River and Seashore, now First Landing. The parks had a general admission fee of 10 cents for people over 10. Children under 10 were admitted free.
Virginia was the first state to open an entire park system on the same day. The new parks offered modern outdoors recreational facilities while protecting areas with significant natural resources.
The award-winning Virginia State Parks are operated by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.
For more information about Virginia State Parks or to make reservations in one of the more than 1,600 campsites or 200 cabins,
call the Virginia State Parks Reservation Center at 1-800-933-PARK or visit www.dcr.virginia.gov .

Three Teens Are Charged With Knife-Point Robbery
Three teenagers are in custody following a knifepoint robbery at the Fas-Mart Convenience Store on Philpott Highway (Route 58) Monday morning, according to Captain Larry Fears of the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office.
James Wyatt, 19, of Willow Street in South Boston, Tony Cooper, 19, of Watkins Avenue in South Boston, and Terance Dixon, 19, of L.P. Bailey Highway in Halifax were charged with the robbery, Fears said.
At approximately 2:30 a.m. Monday deputies were called to the store where it was reported that two men got out of a gray vehicle parked next to the entrance and robbed the night-shift clerk with a knife, Fears said.
A third man stayed in the vehicle, according to the report.
An undisclosed amount of cash was taken from the store’s register, Fears said, and an all-points-bulletin was issued for the suspects.
Shortly after, South Boston Police Sergeant Randy Redd stopped a vehicle with three individuals matching the description on Old Halifax Road, according to Fears.
The three men were charged with the robbery, Fears said.
They are being held without bond in the Halifax Regional Jail.
In other police business, Christopher James Whitlow, 30, of Wolf Pit Road in Oxford, N.C., was charged Thursday with grand larceny and eluding police.
The alleged offenses occurred Thursday.
Deputy J.M. Burton issued the summonses.

 

Obituaries

Donnie Gray Anderson
Funeral services for Donnie Gray Anderson, 56, of Turbeville Road, Alton, will be held at Powell Funeral Home Chapel at 2 p.m. on Thursday with the Rev. Liz Buxton officiating. Burial will follow at Oak Ridge Cemetery with military rites.
Visitation will be held today from 7:00-8:30 p.m. at Powell Funeral Home and at other times at the home of his mother, Mrs. Anderson, at 1221 Watkins Avenue in South Boston.
Mr. Anderson died Thursday, June 8, at his home.
He. was born August 14, 1949 in Halifax County, a son of the late Archer Acken Anderson Sr. and Lucille Snead Anderson.
He was employed by Goodyear and was a Vietnam-era Army veteran.
Mr. Anderson is survived by one daughter, Angela A. Reaves and husband Ray of South Boston; two sons, Mickey Allen Anderson Sr. and Travis Scott Anderson, both of South Boston; his mother, Lucille Snead Anderson of South Boston; two sisters, Georgia A. Sizemore of Halifax and Penny Lee A. Phillips of South Boston; one brother, Archer Acken Anderson Jr. of South Boston; and four grandchildren, Mickey Allen Anderson Jr., Daniel Keith Anderson, W. Cody Reaves and Amanda Marie Reaves, all of South Boston.
He was predeceased by his father, Archer Acken Anderson Sr.
James Otis Young
James Otis Young, 90, of Clarksville died June 11, 2006 in Halifax Regional Hospital. He was the widower of Elizabeth Newton Young.
Mr. Young was born in Virgilina. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corp during World War II, and retired from Burlington Industries.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. today, June 14 at Clarksville Baptist Church where he was a member with the Rev. Henry Lovelace officiating. Burial will follow in Oakhurst Cemetery.
Survivors of Mr. Young include one son, James Otis Young Jr. of Winston-Salem, N.C.; daughters, Joyce Y. Womble of Nashville, N.C. and Phyllis Y. Knapp of Durham, N.C.; and sisters, Annie Laura Brooks and Marion Critcher, both of Oxford, N.C., and Mary Lou Jones of Roxboro, N.C.; grandchildren, Craig Womble, and Jeff and Daniel Knapp; and a special friend, Alma Terry.
You may express condolences at www.wclfh.com.

Post 8 Downs Martinsville In Opener
A Five-Run Seventh-Inning Rally Lifted South Boston Post 8 To An 8-2 Win Over Martinsville Post 421
There is no better way to start the season than with a win, especially with a win at home.
The South Boston American Legion Post 8 baseball team had a big opening night Monday night, downing Martinsville Post 421 8-2 in its home opener.
Post 8 will attempt to add to its win total tonight when it faces Lynchburg Post 16 in a 5 p.m. doubleheader here at Halifax County High School.
Post 8 had a good night all around in Monday’s season opener, showing a good combination of pitching, hitting and defense.
South Boston’s four hurlers, Kyle Long, Jake Shelton, David Lacks and Justin Jacobs combined to hold Martinsville to four hits while yielding only five walks between them.
Lacks fanned three batters, Long struck out two and Jacobs struck out one batter.
Offensively, Post 8 had eight hits with Justin Bagbey leading the attack with a 2-5 night that included three RBIs and Kaleb Long having a big 2-4 effort as they accounted for half of the team’s hits.
Ryan Gieselman and Daniel Wilborn were both 1-3 at the plate with Eric Brandon having a 1-4 night that included 1 RBI and Blake Waller also having a 1-4 effort.
Post 8 had a good night defensively as well. Catcher Kaleb Long logged five outs on his own by throwing out four Martinsville runners attempting to steal bases and picking off one runner. And, Post 8 turned a nice double play in the closing innings with Luke Griles, Brandon and Bagbey combining for the double dip.
Martinsville Post 421, a team coached by former Halifax County High School baseball standout Chris Parker, took an early 1-0 lead, scratching up a run in the first inning with the help of a leadoff walk and run-scoring single from Jessie Morrison.
The visitors did not score again until they added a run in the top of the eighth inning with the help of back-to-back hits from Greg Cassidy and Matt Duffy.
In the meantime, Post 8 scored a run in the bottom of the second inning to tie the game and added another in the bottom of the third inning to take the lead.
Bagbey walked to start the Post 8 half of the second inning but was erased at second base when Gieselman hit into a fielder’s choice. A hit from Kaleb Long and a walk to Lacks loaded the sacks for Post 8. Gieselman scored the tying run when Kyle Long was put tout on a ground ball to second base.
In the home half of the third inning, Brandon smacked a double with two out and scored when Bagbey singled to put Post 8 up 2-1.
The scores stayed that way until South Boston exploded for five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Dale Trent walked with two out and a hit from Wilborn and a walk to Waller loaded the sacks. Trent scored when Brandon walked to put Post 8 up 3-1. Bagbey followed with a two-RBI shot to make it 5-1. Two runs scored when Griles reached base on an error to make it a six-run Post 8 lead.
Martinsville added a run in the top of the eighth inning to make the score 7-2 but South Boston answered with a run in the bottom of the eighth inning when Trent walked and later scored when Waller hit into a fielder’s choice to make the final 8-2 score.

Burton Wants To Return To Racing
Ward Burton Says He Still Has The Desire To Race And Is Working To Try To Get Back Into NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Racing
Ward Burton still has the “itch” to race.
Burton, a former Daytona 500 winner, has been on the sidelines since being released by Hass CNC Racing with two races left in the 2004 season and is trying to get back into NEXTEL Cup racing.
He has been talking with some possible sponsors, has recently been visiting racetracks and talking with car owners and, on Sunday night, made an appearance on the live call-in television show “Wind Tunnel” with host Dave DeSpain on SPEED Channel.
“That itch is what got me to agree to do this interview tonight,” Burton said following his live appearance on SPEED from South Boston Speedway,
“I do have the urge. I feel like I have not accomplished what I’m capable of. I’ve never been with a stellar, top-notch supported race team.”
Burton’s name has been tossed around in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series rumor mill as a possible candidate to get into Dale Jarrett’s seat at Robert Yates Racing. Jarrett is leaving the team at the end of the season to join Michael Waltrip Racing and the Toyota camp.
With Toyota not yet having completed its team lineups for next year, there has been some speculation that Toyota may possibly be interested in an experienced driver like Burton to bring a measure of experience into its camp.
Burton emphasized that nothing solid has happened with regard to those possibilities or any other possibilities he is exploring.
“Nothing concrete has happened,” Burton pointed out.
“I’m still talking. I’ve got another meeting on Wednesday (today) talking with a company we’ve been entertaining.
“We’ll just see if an opportunity arises,” Burton added.
“ If it does, I’ll give it a hundred percent like I always did. If it doesn’t, I can live without it.”
Burton said that if gets back into the sport it is going to be in a situation that he feels will provide the right “fit” for him.
“When I say that, I don’t mean only being competitive on the track,” Burton said.
“ I enjoy the sponsor relationship. For me to really get excited about it, it would have to be some kind of a close tie that would be a fit for me, whether it was something in relation to Fry,Jordan & Wilson, something with the outdoors or be a company or corporation that fits what I believe in.
“One of the companies we are talking to is that kind of company,” continued Burton.
“Whether that would happen or not, some dominoes would have to fall.”
As far as a possible ride with Toyota is concerned, Burton said, “I’m not actually pursuing that, but if the right situation happens, it’s possible.”
Burton said he had no real interest in returning to racing during the first year he was out of the sport.
“The first year I was out, it would have taken a heck of a situation for me to go back,” he pointed out.
“ I had gotten a bad taste from the (Bill) Davis deal and the people with the O (Haas CNC Racing) car. I needed that year. Once it got to be February this year, I was ready to be in Daytona. I had that itch.”
Burton said the time away from the racetrack has been fruitful in many ways.
“I’ve had time to sit back and enjoy things I have worked really hard on, particularly my family,” he noted.
“ I’m enjoying the time I’m spending with Tabitha and my children. Our conservation program has some exciting things getting ready to happen. I owe a lot of that to racing and to the publicity that has come to me from it and some of the things it has allowed me to do and the opportunity to be involved with people that have asked me to be involved with them.
“I feel very lucky to have been able to have done what I’ve been able to do and to have had the opportunities I’ve had in racing,” Burton added.
“It (racing) has afforded me the opportunity to do many different things I feel like I’ve been able to make a difference on and to support my family. I owe a lot to racing and I will always feel that way.”

Fathers Honored Saturday At SBS
NASCAR Racing Returns To SBS Saturday With The Dad’s Night Out 150
All fathers will be honored Saturday night when South Boston Speedway hosts the Dad’s Night Out 150 NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series racing program on the eve of Father’s Day.
All fathers will be admitted for the discounted price of $5 for the event, which will be highlighted by a 150-lap race for the Barkhouser Late Model Stock Car Division.
The Strutmasters.com Limited Sportsman Division will also be in action on June 17 for a 50-lap race.
Other events slated that night on the four-tenths mile asphalt oval include races for the Budweiser Pure Stock Division, the Grand Sportsman Division and an event for the touring INEX Legends Series.
Pit gates will open Saturday at 1 p.m. and practice for all divisions will be held from 2:15 p.m. until 3:45 p.m. Grandstand gates will open at 5 p.m. and qualifying time trials will get underway at 5:15 p.m.
Adult admission for the race will be $8 up to 6:30 p.m. and $10 after that. Youth, ages 10-15, will be admitted for $5 and children under the age of 10 will be admitted free with a paid adult.
For more information, visit the speedway’s website at www.southbostonspeedway.com or phone the track at (434) 572-4947 or toll free at 1-877-440-1540.