Fun, Sun, Fund-Raising At North Halifax VFD

North Halifax VFD Nets $26,500 At Annual Marathon Saturday

The annual North Halifax Volunteer Fire Department marathon was a “huge success”, according to North Halifax Department Chief L.C. Fisher.
The Saturday event raised a total of $26,500 for the department, the chief said.
Pledges and donations accounted for $12,548, surpassing the department’s goal of $10,000, and the North Halifax Ladies’ Auxiliary raised $17,650 selling food and raffle tickets, netting roughly $14,000 after everything was paid for, Fisher said.
Brianne Anderson of the Hermosa Community was the lucky winner of the ladies’ auxiliary quilt, according to the chief.
Fisher said the department was extremely grateful to both the volunteers who helped at the marathon and the people who came out to support the organization.
“I’d like to thank the volunteers, the ladies’ auxiliary and everyone who came out to support us,” he said.
Fisher estimates 1,500 people attended the Saturday event, which was once again blessed with good weather.
At the event, people were treated to entertainment by singer Josh Moore from Appomattox County, The Liberty Band, and performances by several local youngsters.
Not to mention the food.
There was also an inflatable and tractor ride for the kids.
In keeping with tradition North Halifax held its annual fire department competition featuring four county departments.
Halifax VFD won the overall competition and three individual events, the one-man hose, fill’er up and water battle, Fisher said. Triangle VFD finished second overall capturing the four-man ladder and bucket brigade events. Scottsburg and Liberty VFDs also put in strong performances, rounding out the field.
In all, Fisher said everyone was very pleased with the results of the marathon.
“We had a very good day Saturday,” he said. “Everything went very smoothly.”
Except for one hitch.
“We ran out of stew,” the chief added. “I apologize for that.”

 

South Boston Town CouncilPublic Hearings To Focus On Inspections

One of Three On SoBo Agenda Tonight

South Boston Council will hold a public hearing on a proposed Town Code amendment to establish rental inspection districts within blighted areas - with North Main Street designated the first district - during tonight’s meeting.
Council meets at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers at 502 Yancey Street.
Also on the agenda, a public hearing on a special use permit application from Southside Tower Service for a 350’ wireless communications facility at the intersection of Farm Road and River Road. The Planning Commission recommended approval with conditions.
Councilmen are also holding a public hearing on a request for a special use permit from the Halifax County School System to allow construction of major additions and entranceways to the Halifax Middle School.
Council is expected to take action on a proposed addition to Town Code to allow minors 16 or older to participate in Fire Company activies and training.
South Boston Fire Chief William Murray told councilmen during their August work session that allowing the teenagers to train helped the department and provided new recruits. However, Murray said the South Boston Fire Department does not allow the trainees to fight fires until they are 18 years old.
Council is also expected to take action to delete a portion of Town Code that is now obsolete. The ordinance addressed the town’s payment of the Rescue Squad personnel’s health insurance costs, a cost the county now carries.
Council is also expected to take action on a request by Sullivan Antiques, 234 Main Street, to allow a projecting sign over a public sidewalk. However, Council sought restricting the approval to the existing business.
Also on tonight’s agenda, a resolution consenting to transfer the cable television franchise to Time Warner/Comcast Communications.
Council will also address adoption of Housing Rehab Program design guidelines for the Church Hill CDBG Project.
Lake Country Development Corporation appointments are also on the agenda.
Representatives on the LCDC are Councilmen Coleman Speece and Eric Roberts, Town Manager Ted Daniel and Town Planner Lee Pambild. Terms for three, Speece, Daniel and Pambid, expire Sept 30, 2005, with Speece and Pambid eligible for reappointment. Daniel is ineligible for reappointment, having served three terms.
Council is requested to reappoint Speece and Pambid and to designate either Speece or Roberts to the Board. Speece currently serves as South Boston’s representative on the LCDC Board of Directors. Council will also need to appoint one new representative.

 

Town Road Upgrades To Be Suggested

Town Will Also Hold Public Hearings At Council Meeting Tuesday

Renowned transportation engineer Michael Wallwork, P.E., will present ideas to upgrade the town of Halifax’s roads during a transportation workshop on Tuesday in Halifax Town Hall on Main Street.
The workshop will be broken down into two 90-minute sessions from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. and 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
The public is encouraged to attend and participate in the workshop that will open with an introduction and a short update of the town’s Comprehensive Plan by Hill Studio representative Evie Slone.
The guest engineer, a former district traffic engineer in Melbourne, Australia, is now president and transportation engineer of Alternative Street Design P.A. in Florida. He works as a consultant to communities hoping to improve their roadway infrastructure.
Wallwork is also a recognized expert in the area of roundabouts and alternative street designs. He has done extensive work with towns and counties in Virginia.
After hearing from the engineers the public will have the opportunity to break into workgroups and prepare their own transportation plans for the town. They will then get to present their ideas and discuss them with the experts.
Council Meeting
Following the workshop, Halifax Town Council will hold its regular monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. in Halifax Town Hall.
Two public hearings are scheduled, one for a special use permit request and another for a rezoning request from two town businesses.
Residential Property Appraisals, a home-based business located in an R-1 Residential zone, is requesting a special use permit to allow home occupation.
The business is located at 343 Canterbury Drive.
Also, Anderson Reality is requesting that a one-acre property, 5201 Halifax Road, be rezoned from R-1 Residential to R-2 Residential.
Water Issues
At their Thursday work session Draper-Aden engineers Gary McCollum and Bill Aden informed Council and members of the joint towns and county water/sewer committee, Doug Bowman and Coleman Speece, of potential options to upgrade the town’s water service.
Halifax has four options, according to McCollum: upgrade its existing plant to meet future demands and environmental regulations, fully incorporate into South Boston’s water system, supplement supply with bulk purchases from South Boston or purchase all water from South Boston, but still maintain its own system.
The four options offer varying rates to Halifax customers. McCollum estimated rates from anywhere between $4.79 per thousand gallons to $8.66 per thousand depending on the option Halifax, chooses and also depending whether the town extends its lines up Mountain Road and to Banister Shore.
South Boston’s water treatment plant has the capacity to produce 3 million gallons per day, McCollum said, and they are currently only utilizing 1.6 million gallons of their capacity.
Halifax’s water treatment plant can currently produce 288,000 gallons per day, according to the engineer.
A report from the town has been requested by the Virginia Department of Health by the end of the month outlining its plans for water system improvements.
“The town needs to consider the options and set a course of action,” McCollum said, noting the report could help the town meet the VDH request.
He also said the Halifax County water and sewer master plan would allow officials from both towns and the county to review opportunities for further consolidation of water and sewer systems into a single entity, a Halifax County Service Authority (HCSA).
Master plan recommendations are scheduled to available by the end of 2005, McCollum said.

 

Obituaries

Susie Conner Jones

A graveside service for Mrs. Susie Conner Jones of Oak Level Road will be held Tuesday, Sept. 13, at 11 a.m. at Halifax Memorial Gardens. The Rev. Andy Patterson will officiate.
Mrs. Conner, 75, died Sunday at her home.
She was born January 17, 1930, in Halifax County, a daughter of the late Thomas Edward Conner and the late Mary C. Conner and was married to the late Johnny Kent Jones.
Mrs. Jones was a member of the Mountain Road Baptist Church.
One daughter, Arlene J. Stephens of Chase City, and three sons, Johnny E. Jones and wife Wanda of Sutherlin, Daniel T. Jones and friend Penny of Halifax and Cecil K. Jones and wife Tammy of Halifax survive her.
Other survivors include three sisters, Elsie Conner of Halifax, Nettie Conner of South Boston and Louise Brooks of Climax, one brother, Hunter Conner of Clover, 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. A daughter, Shirley A. Jones, preceded her in death.
The family will receive friends at the home of Cecil and Tammy Jones, 1005 Halls Trail, Lot #40, Halifax.

Olivia Dennis

Olivia Dennis, 79, of Nathalie died September 7 in Lynchburg.
She was the daughter of the late Mary Jackson Dennis and the late John Jasper Dennis.Ms. Dennis was preceded in death by three sisters, Mildred Wilson, Lorraine Rogers, and Bernice Forest.
Survivors include one devoted friend, Catherine Davis; two Godsons, Antonio ‘Ray’ Jackson and Henry Johnson.
Funeral services were held September 10, at 2:30 p.m. at the Christian Tabernacle Baptist Church in Nathalie with burial in the church cemetery. Condolences may be emailed to Jeffressfh@aol.com.

Evelyn Copley Hupp

Evelyn Copley Hupp, 94, of South Boston died September 8 at her home.
Mrs. Hupp was born in Durham, N.C. on February 27, 1911, the daughter of the late Charles O. Copley and Bessie Clements Copley, and was married to the late Gable Jackson Hupp Sr. She was a member of First Baptist Church of South Boston.
Survivors include three sons, Norman C. Hupp and wife, Becky of Garner, N.C., Douglas C. Hupp and wife, Pat, and Dale S. Hupp and wife, Vivian, all of Richmond; one daughter, Elaine Hupp Motley and husband, Nelson, of Virgilina; one daughter-in-law, Mary Ellen Hupp of South Boston; eight grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Doris Clarke of Richmond and Irene Jones of South Boston. She was also preceded in death by two sons, Robert Charles Hupp and Gable Jackson ‘Jack’ Hupp Jr.
Funeral services were held September 11, at 2 p .m. at Powell Funeral Home with the Rev. Tim Cannon officiating. Burial followed in Oak Ridge Cemetery.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider First Baptist Church, 815 North Main Street, South Boston, 24592, or Halifax County Cancer Association, P.O. Box 875, South Boston.

Beverly Franklin Reese

Beverly Franklin Reese, 69, of Danville died September 8 in Danville Regional Medical Center.
Mr. Reese was born in Halifax County on January 8, 1936, the son of the late Harvey Melton Reese and the late Rosa Seamons Reese, and was married to Frances Wade Reese. He was a member of Glenwood Memorial Baptist Church and retired from Dan River Inc.
Survivors include his wife of the home; two sons, Duane F. Reese of Danville and David Keith Sadler of Greensboro, N.C.; two daughters, Susan Reese Wilson of Blairs and Deborah Sadler Duff of Danville; four brothers, Henry Reese of Kinston, N.C., Wayne Reese of Chase City, James Reese and Ronnie Reese, both of Oxford, N.C.; two sisters, Geraldine R. Clay and Faye R. Clayton, both of Roxboro, N.C.; six grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. He was also preceded in death by two sisters, Wilma R. Lacks and Kathleen Reese.
Funeral services for Mr. Reese were held September 11, at 2 p.m. at Glenwood Memorial Baptist Church with the Revs. Averette Witcher and Chad Branch officiating. Burial followed in Hitesburg Baptist Church Cemetery in Virgilina.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Danville Cancer Association, 2323 Riverside Drive, Suite J, Danville, 24540, or the Alzheimer’s Association (Central & Western VA.), 1225 West Main Street, Danville, 24541.

Flarrie Boyd Rhea

Flarrie Boyd Rhea, 88, of 621 Berry Hill Road, South Boston died September 8 at Berry Hill Nursing Home.
Mrs. Rhea was born in Halifax County on January 22, 1917, the daughter of the late John Edward Boyd and the late Ethel Mae Cumbie Boyd, and was married to the late Byrd Lewis Rhea. She was a member of Grace Baptist Church and the WMU, the VFW Ladies Auxiliary and the Town & Country Senior Citizens. She was owner/operator of Rhea’s Rest Home.
Survivors include one son, Conway Hudson of Kerhonkson, N.Y.; one sister, Beulah Lynch of Richmond; and one granddaughter, Patricia Hudson Sander of Norwalk.
Funeral services were held September 11, at 2 p.m. at Brooks Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Jack Stewart officiating. Burial followed in Oak Ridge Cemetery.

 

HCHS Comets Make It Two Wins In A Row

Patience, Defense Key For HCHS In Friday’s 41-6 Road Win Over Dinwiddie

A week ago, Halifax County put up big numbers with a series of quick strikes.
This week, the Comets showed their offensive patience with a series of long, time-consuming drives.
Combining its potent passing attack with its best showing on the ground thus far, the Comets rolled over Dinwiddie 41-6 Friday night to rack up its second win in as many games.
“We feel good about where we are,” said Comets coach John Lacy Harris.
“I felt like we did what we had to do offensively. We got a lot of good plays from a lot of different players.”
That, the Comets did.
Six different Comets players scored in the game and the Comets scored on six of their eight possessions in the contest. Everyone on the team that was dressed and able to play, saw a decent amount of playing time, giving everyone a hand in the victory.
For the second time in as many weeks, the Comets racked up big numbers, piling up 469 yards of total offense, 237 yards of which came on the ground with the remaining 232 yards coming through the air.
Quarterback Bobby Owens hit 21 of his 30 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns and Rodale Pippen hit one of his two throws, a 20-yard strike for a touchdown. Six different players caught passes with Mark Ferrell leading the way with 76 yards on four catches, one for a touchdown.
On the ground, the Comets were led by Michael Barnes who had 88 yards on eight carries and one touchdown and Owens who ran for 70 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown.
The patience of the Comets on offense and a renewed sense of urgency on defense were the shining stars of the team’s effort on this night.
Offensively, the Comets wore down the Generals with four of the team’s six touchdowns resulting from drives that each took a minimum of four and a half minutes off of the clock. Using a series of screen passes and short, quick-hit passes, the Comets’ air game flourished.
“They (Dinwiddie) dropped back into (deep) coverage a lot,” Owens pointed out.
“We didn’t really have a very good chance of throwing the ball deep very often. We just had to be patient. The screens to the wide receivers worked very well. They (the receivers) did a good job of catching the ball.”
The ground game opened up for the first time this season with six different runners chipping into the mix. Barnes logged most of his yardage late in the second half as he carried the ball on each of the six plays in the Comets’ final scoring drive of the game.
Defensively, the Comets’ injury-riddled defensive unit rebounded from a somewhat disappointing showing last week in which they gave up 41 points to Rustburg by holding the Generals to six points and 163 yards of total offense.
“The biggest thing we did was adjust our attitude,” added defensive coordinator Ralph Robinson.
“We had been playing well up until last week and Rustburg got hold of us a little bit. But we bounced back the way I anticipated we would, even with people hurt. I can’t say enough about the guys that had to fill in for the injured players. They fought and they fought and they fought. That’s what good defenses do.”
The Comets opened the game by driving 68 yards in 10 plays for a touchdown with Owens doing the honors on a 3-yard run with 7:07 left in the first quarter.
After Dinwiddie missed a 37-yard field goal attempt, the Comets mounted a 13-play, 80-yard drive that consumed six minutes and 46 seconds to score their second touchdown. A 17-yard pass from Owens to Ferrell with 6:47 left in the first half and Chris Rorrer’s second extra-point kick in as many attempts put the Comets up 14-0.
A turnover in the form of a Dinwiddie fumble gave the ball right back to the Comets. They needed only 20 seconds and three plays to add another touchdown, this one on a 10-yard pass from Owens to Pippen. That score and the extra point put the Comets up 21-0 with 6:12 left in the half.
The Comets scored on all three of their second half possessions and put the game out of reach with their first score of the half. A 3-yard touchdown run by Willie Stephens with 1:12 left in the third quarter that completed a lengthy 11-play, 61-yard drive coupled with a kick from Rorrer put the Comets up 28-0.
That score came after the Comets’ Lavell Tucker intercepted a Dinwiddie pass to thwart an 11-play drive by the Generals to open the second half.
Dinwiddie’s only score of the game came after the Generals’ Resean Jones returned the ensuing Comets’ kickoff 70 yards down to the 9-yard line. The Generals scored on the third play on a 4-yard run by Kevin McClaughlin that came with 11:55 left in the game to make the score 28-6.
Halifax County added two more scores, one on a 20-yard pass from Pippen to Shawn Anderson with 7:05 left in the contest and the other on a 1-yard run by Barnes with 57.6 seconds left in the game to seal the 41-6 win.

 

Comets Varsity Spikers Win First Match Of Season

Halifax Takes Three Of Four Games At Martinsville

BY Doug Ford
dougford@gazettevirginian.com

The Halifax County varsity volleyball team showed off its depth to win its first match of the season Thursday at Martinsville.
Halifax took three of four games against the Bulldogs, winning the first game 27-25, and losing the second game 25-23, before taking the final two games by 30-25 and 25-22 margins.
Comets coach Kassie Myers said depth was the key to the Comets getting their first win, the lineup changing the first three games.
Halifax, now 1-1 on the season, played at Person County Friday night, and will return to Comet gym Tuesday for its home-opener against Magna Vista, with match time at 7:30 p.m.
Match Stats And Coach’s Comments
Amber Bowman: Five service points
Caroline Clements: Six service points; one kill; ten assists
Holley Conner: One service point; several good passes
Lashunda Davis: Two service points; seven assists; two strong sets
Emily Kavanaugh: One service point; six assists
Deelynn Leigh: One service point; three kills; ten assists
Jessica Morris: Four service points; two aces; one kill; good setting
Jasmine Parker: Six service points; good setting
Betty Rose: One service point; several good assists; good setting
Kemper Russell: One service point; two kills; six assists
Melissa Sims: Three service points; one kill; good setting
Whitney Stanfield: Two service points; one kill; five assists
Mandy Toombs: Ten service points; ten assists
Gina Zanarini: Two service points; one kill; seven assists
Mandy Watts: One service point; nine assists
Shannon Bird: Two service points; six assists

 

Jayvee Football Team Loses 12-6 Decision To Dinwiddie

Comets’ Turnovers, Generals’ Passing Key In Game

BY Doug Ford
dougford@gazettevirginian.com

If Canadian football rules applied to the Halifax County-Dinwiddie jayvee football game, the Comets would have probably claimed their first win of the season here Thursday night.
Unfortunately, American football allows an offense four downs instead of three, and Dinwiddie scored touchdowns on two fourth down passes in the third quarter to defeat Halifax 12-6, spoiling the Comets’ home opener.
Comets coach Jay Cole said he will take the blame for both Dinwiddie touchdown passes, after switching his team’s pass coverage scheme at halftime.
“I take the blame for both touchdowns,” said Cole. “I wanted to go to a different pass coverage and I put the defensive secondary in a bad spot.
“I should have stayed with the defense the kids were used to playing, right or wrong.”
Halifax held the upper hand through most of the first half, but turnovers eventually proved costly as the game wore on.
An interception in the end zone stopped a Comets’ touchdown threat on its first possession of the game, but the Comets used a quick four-play drive midway through the second quarter to take a 6-0 halftime lead.
A 17-yard run by Reggie Mabbins and a 27-yard strike from quarterback Stanley Thomas to Key Wells helped put the Comets in a second and goal situation from four yards out.
Thomas finished the drive with a quarterback keeper, but an attempted two-point conversion run was stuffed, leaving the score at 6-0.
Dinwiddie opened the second half with an 11-play drive to tie the score, the touchdown coming on a fourth down pass from the Comets five-yard line. The attempted conversion kick was short, but the Generals were back in business shortly thereafter.
A Halifax fumble, one of four turnovers for the game, gave the Generals the ball at the Halifax 30-yard line.
It was fourth and long from the Halifax 24-yard line after a sack by Comet linebacker Lucas Guthrie, but Dinwiddie connected on a touchdown pass to make it 12-6, the conversion failing.
That was it for the scoring, Halifax failing to get the equalizer to its final two possessions of the game.
A five-play drive from the Halifax 35 to the Dinwiddie 33-yard line ended with a fourth down incompletion on the first possession, and Dinwiddie moved to the Comets’ 38-yard line on its subsequent drive.
The Comets’ Travis Coleman thwarted that drive with a fourth-down interception at the Halifax 15-yard line, one of three Dinwiddie turnovers for the game. Halifax defensive back Lemark Walton intercepted Dinwiddie’s first pass attempt of the game, and Comets’ defensive lineman Jeremy Foster recovered a fumble to stop a Dinwiddie threat at the Halifax 15-yard line at the end of the first half.
After Walton’s interception, Halifax could get no farther than its 22-yard line and punted to Dinwiddie, the Generals using a seven-play drive to run out the clock, sticking to the ground for all but one play.
Unofficially, Thomas was three-for-five for the game, with 37 yards passing for the Comets, and rushed for 25 yards. Comets running back Mabbins rushed for close to 100 yards, including runs of 31, 25, 23 and 17 yards.
After a slow start, Dinwiddie completed an unofficial total of 12 passes in 21 attempts, with close to 160 yards passing, including two touchdowns.
Cole said that the coaches would emphasize the turnover issue in practice before the team’s next game, as well as pass defense and offensive line play.
“The turnovers are killing us, we need to address that,” noted Cole. “We’re going to find a pass defense scheme this week the kids are comfortable with. Offensively, we’re going to work with the offensive line to get the quarterback more protection so we can throw the ball more.”
The Comets travel to Roxboro Thursday to play Person County. Game time is 6 p.m.