Barely 24 hours after learning of impending plans to close their school, Virgilina Elementary parents and students were mobilizing to keep the doors open to the century-old town landmark.
Two Virgilina residents, Joyce Howerton and Ronnie Bowen, both parents of Virgilina Elementary students, are urging "parents, grandparents, alumni and patrons of Virgilina Elementary School to attend the Halifax County School Board meeting on Monday at 7 p.m."
In a letter to Virgilina residents, Howerton and Bowen wrote that "Mr. Witt [Halifax County Superintendent of Schools Dennis Witt] is planning to present a proposal to close Virgilina Elementary School.
"All interested parties need to attend the meeting to hear the proposal.
"Virgilina School is the backbone of the Virgilina community and we need your support to keep it open. Please come to the meeting."
Virgilina town residents had already expressed their anger over the potential closing at a Tuesday night meeting of the Virgilina Elementary School PTO.
That meeting was attended by G.C. Ratliff, the ED 7 representative on the Halifax County School Board, who gave an overview of the proposal to a packed house, including the parents of many of the students affected.
That proposal calls for the closing of Virgilina Elementary and Wilson Memorial Elementary schools, and for renovating Cluster Springs, Turbeville and South of Dan to accommodate 350 students in grades K - 6.
Ratliff admitted that he did not have enough information to commit to a position on the subject, needing to "pick this apart further."
It is clear that both the students attending Virgilina Elementary and their parents will not sit idely by while their hometown school is closed.
Zachary Loftis, a sixth-grader and president of the SCA at the school, led an effort yesterday to create a Valentine's Day banner signed by his classmates showing their love for their school.
"It should stay open because its been here so long and because it's a good school," Loftis said.
"My classmates have told me it should stay open - every teacher here and the principal have always been good to me."
Loftis added that his grandfather Don Loftis, his father, Andy, and his brother, Michael, attended school here.
Joyce Howerton, mother of current student Casie and also a graduate of Virgilina Elementary, reflected on the long history of the school.
It's a small school and excellent people have come from here. It may need a few repairs, but what doesn't in this day and age?"
Virgilina Mayor John E. Youngk took note of the intense feelings of Virgilina residents at Monday's meeting.
"There is a lot of passion in Virgilina to keep Virgilina Elementary School open," Youngk said.
"I think that's good. We need to grow the town for our own concerns here as a town. It's good to see so many people with so much passion."
Lottie Nunn, former school board member and currently the ED - 7 representative on the Halifax County Board of Supervisors, spoke at the meeting as well.
Nunn, a Virgilina resident, said "We have the best parents, the best students, and the best teachers. I'm proud of this school and I'm proud of this community.
"I think I know what you want."
Both civic leaders have already seen the groundswell of local support for the school, and have promised to fight for it, Youngk with hoped for support from Virgilina Town Council, and Nunn with the direction and approval of her constituency.
Howerton, for one, is saving her "good stuff" for the Monday nights School Board meeting.
"I want to see a copy of the proposal before the meeting so that the parents can be prepared," said Howerton.
According to Howerton, saving money shouldn't be an issue in this case, stating that if some people can pay large amounts for concert tickets, they can, and will, pay to keep their school open.
"Money shouldn't be the issue - children are the issue."

Virgilina Elementary School and Wilson Memorial Elementary School are targeted for closure under a proposed Phase II of the county school system's capital improvements program.
In conjunction with that, South of Dan Elementary School, Cluster Springs Elementary School and Turbeville Elementary School will each be renovated to accommodate approximately 350 students in grades K-6.
Halifax County School Board member G.C. Ratliff was slated to pass that news on to the Virgilina Elementary School PTO when it met last night.
The school trustee said yesterday he planned to present the meat of the plan and some of the numbers for the Virgilina parents to examine.
Ratliff stated that preliminary figures from school system officials show the closing of the two schools will save the county approximately $676,000 a year.
"I am not taking a position on it yet," said Ratliff who represents the Virgilina community on the school board.
"I'm just out there to be the bearer of bad tidings. I'm just there to state the facts. I want to give the residents of Virgilina as much time as possible to give their imput."
Halifax County School Superintendent Dennis Witt is slated to pitch the Phase II capital improvements proposal to the Halifax County Board of Supervisors Friday during a planning retreat being held by the county's governing body.
Witt declined yesterday to discuss the specifics of the Phase II plan, saying only "Phase II might very well include discontinuing use of more very small schools."
Witt is slated to present the Phase II proposal to the Halifax County School Board when it meets Monday night.
Ratliff pointed out, however, that the proposal that Witt will present to the School Board Monday night may be an altered version with some altered figures, depending upon the feedback received from the Board of Supervisors.
"What he (Witt) is proposing is, in a majority of opinions, what it will take to bring Halifax County closer with what our neighboring counties are doing," Ratliff stated.
The basic proposal, Ratliff said, is to close Virgilina and Wilson Memorial and renovate South of Dan Elementary School, Cluster Springs Elementary School and Turbeville Elementary School.
All three of those schools would then serve approximately 350 students in grades K-6 and will closely mirror what Clays Mill Elementary School, Sydnor Jennings Elementary School and Scottsburg Elementary Schools will become when renovations and additions to those schools are completed later this year.
Peculiar to the Cluster Springs-South of Dan situation, Ratliff said, is a proposal to construct one activity room/gym facility between the two schools to serve both, and eliminating a kitchen at one of the two facilities.
The remaining kitchen would serve both school cafeterias.
If that is what is done, Ratliff said, "it would almost, in effect, be one school."
Ratliff said that under the proposed plan, students from the closed Virgilina Elementary School will attend South of Dan and Cluster Springs Elementary schools.
In order to alleviate a potential overcrowding situation at the two Cluster Springs facilities, approximately 60 students in the current Cluster Springs-South of Dan zone would be moved to the renovated Turbeville Elementary School facility, which will take in the students from the closed Wilson Memorial Elementary School.
Ratliff said that the proposed closing of Virgilina and Wilson Memorial will not result in any employees losing their jobs.
The positions will be absorbed through the natural course of attrition, he pointed out.
Money, Ratliff said, is the bottom line in the picture.
"The question is what can we afford to do?" Ratliff said.
"Our funding from the state keeps getting cut back every year from the year before. We still have to pay our teachers and employees, we still have to pay our bills and we have to provide a certain level of service to both our students and the taxpayers.
"If we can afford this and give our children a better education and a better experience in school, why don't we do that?" added Ratliff.
Closing the two schools and consolidating some of the operations will create a positive impact on the school system budget, Ratliff stated.
"I feel like when I show them (the parents and PTO members) the numbers, it's going to be hard to argue with."
The school system is in the heart of its Phase I program with renovations underway at Sydnor Jennings, Clays Mill and Scottsburg.
Clover Elementary School and Volens Elementary School will be closed when the renovations to the three schools are complete.

Facing a July 1 VDOT deadline for action on historic Clarkton Bridge, supervisors from Charlotte and Halifax counties appeared to reach a consensus yesterday: Advertise for a new owner.
Formal action will be taken at the supervisors' next meeting.
Joe Barkley II, VDOT resident engineer, told the joint boards that VDOT would pay $225,000 of Clarkton Bridge's estimated demolition cost to an accepted new owner.
The engineer will began crafting an advertisement for "a willing recipient of the bridge for ownership, either to adapt its use or remove it, and to assume liability."
The ad is expected to run in regional and state publications, as well as to be posted on the Internet.
Barkley told supervisors that ads advertising bridges had run in the state before, but without success.
Still, the option to save the bridge was one supervisors from both counties wanted to pursue.
"We are at a point of decision," Barkley told supervisors yesterday.
And acknowledging VDOT wanted to settle the bridge's fate and free itself from liability, the resident engineer said that he was "there to trade."
He also acknowledged that "the right hand did not know what the left hand was doing" when a TEA-21 grant to repair Clarkton Bridge was approved, explaining that "the VDOT bridge people did not know about it."
Because of the confusion, Barkley said VDOT agreed to take the bridge down.
"That is a pretty good deal," he said.
Not only will VDOT remove the bridge, the counties will each get to keep the $80,000 that they had put aside for the bridge.
Included on the VDOT option menu:
· VDOT would consider building a new Clarkton Bridge to link Charlotte and Halifax counties at the same site, but the new bridge must meet current standards.
· VDOT will demolish the current bridge at no cost to the counties. The estimated demolition cost is $225,000 and the two counties were obligated to split the cost prior to yesterday's VDOT offer,
· VDOT will give the bridge away and pay the estimated $225,000 demolition cost to the new owner.
"I would like to see the bridge open again with a 3-ton limit," said Charlotte County Supervisor Haywood Hamlet prior to the meeting yesterday.
The supervisor said that he was interested in the bridge "for traffic more so than historical preservation as a pedestrian bridge."
The traffic count was 70 cars per day when the bridge was closed, according to Hamlet. And just before the bridge closed in 1998, a new boat landing - with a 20-year lease - had been established near the bridge on the Charlotte County side of the Staunton River.
When the bridge closed, Hamlet said that he not only got calls about the bridge from his constituents, but that he also got calls from Supervisor R.E. "Dickie" Abbott's constituents in Halifax County.
"I don't think that anyone on our board wants to see it torn down, but the county doesn't want the county to have liability," said Joe Satterfield, chairman of the board.
Supervisor David Martin, noting the state "is going to destroy it," advocated advertising the bridge.
Hamlet suggested advertising the bridge with a May deadline and "see what happens." The supervisor also suggested the two boards meet in May and make a decision.
Supervisor James Edmunds, as did Satterfield and Charlotte County's supervisor, stressed investigating liability issues associated with the bridge's removal.
"We have done everything we can to save the bridge and our hands are tied," said Hamlet, noting VDOT's stance.
Supervisor R.E. "Dickie" Abbott, whose district touches the bridge, said that he felt the Richmond central office had been opposed to keeping the bridge open when they met here last year.

Tobacco industry and political heavyweights promise to bring tobacco growers a view from their perspective on Saturday at the 10th annual Virginia Tobacco Conference and Trade Show at Halifax County High School.
Activities begin with the Trade Show in the school gymnasium from 9:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. From 1:00 - 3:30 p.m., the Tobacco Conference will take place in the gym.
Speakers include U.S. Senator George Allen, Rep. Virgil Goode, State Delegate W.W. "Ted" Bennett, Mike Farriss, Philip Morris vice president, Rob Rosebro, Universal Leaf vice president-leaf director , Arnold Hamm-Stabilization assistant director, Chris Cook, Virginia Farm Bureau, Don Anderson, Virginia Tobacco Growers Association and Larry McPeters, Virginia Cooperative extension specialist.
Discussion topics include federal legislative tobacco issues, Phase I and Phase II updates, contract production and Stabilization's role and the 2002 flue-cured tobacco quota.
Representatives of approximately 45 manufacturers and suppliers of tobacco products will be available to provide the latest information to growers.
The annual meeting of the Virginia Tobacco Growers Association will also take place Saturday along with the presentation of the Virginia Tobacco Growers Leadership Award.
Tobacco producers have been especially encouraged to attend and become updated on production, marketing, and legislative issues associated with tobacco.
The events are open to everyone and a Dutch Treat luncheon is available in the school cafeteria.

Will contract purchasing between producers and tobacco companies:
·End the auction system?
·Bring an end to the price support program and the tobacco- grading system?
· Destroy the grower-owned stabilization system that has received, stored and resold support level tobacco since 1946?
· Pass tobacco company liabilities on to contract-farmers?
By Doug Loftis
These and other concerns by tobacco growers and officials with the farmer-owned Flue-Cured Tobacco Cooperative Stabilization Corporation have the industry in an almost unprecedented upheaval.
The future of tobacco marketing, particularly the tobacco auction system, and the outlook for farmers in 2001 will be the lead topics at the Flue-Cured Tobacco Cooperative Stabilization Corporation's 43rd annual District 10 meeting in South Boston on February 20.
The session will begin at 2 p.m. at the American Legion Building at 1710 Jeffress Blvd.
"Our marketing system could be very different in the future," said Lioniel S. Edwards, Stabilization general manager. "It is important that flue-cured tobacco farmers attend this meeting. The tobacco farmers own this cooperative and they are our reason for being," said Edwards.
Arnold Hamm, Stabilization's assistant director, told The Gazette-Virginian yesterday that he sees the tobacco price support system as being seriously threatened by contract purchasing.
Absent in contract purchasing are USDA graders and some companies , said Hamm, have problems with the integrity of the grading system. "They have lost confidence (in it)," said the Stabilization official.
For the program to remain in tact, "there must be a place to apply price support," said Hamm.
Hamm is also concerned with the logistics involved in handling in excess of 400 million pounds of tobacco expected to be sold this season.
Last year, a total of 148 warehouses were involved in the sale and handling of 516 million pounds of leaf. Warehouses, said Hamm, serve as intermediary holding stations.
At present, Hamm said that there are only 36 receiving stations for contracted tobacco. "Imagine 400 million pounds and try funneling that through 36 receiving stations!" he said.
"This thing has the potential for being a nightmare this season!" Hamm noted.
The assistant director said that Stabilization officials continue to examine contracts being offered growers for what might be "shortcomings." There is concern for grower liability. Should a tobacco company be sued, could that liability be passed on to contract growers?
"Who would want to be a part of that and face the risk?" he asked.
Hamm said that his organization is finding that a relatively few tobacco growers have actually entered into contracting. "It seems awfully unfair. They don't want contract, however, if they don't (contract), they feel they'll be left out."
For that reason, many growers are simply waiting, "in a holding pattern," said Hamm.
Stabilization has approximately 74 million pounds of tobacco. That amount is actually below the reserve level according to officials.
Officials with Stabilization will be talking about the tobacco program as it applies to individual farmers and its important to the industry at the District 10 meeting in South Boston.
Data from the 2000 tobacco season and projections for the 2001 tobacco season will be presented by representatives of Stabilization, Tobacco Associates, Inc., and the U.S. Department of Agriculutre's Tobacco Division.
Following the regular meeting, advisory committee members will be named from each of the District 10 flue-cured producing counties in Virginia. Flue-cured producing states include Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Alabama.
Flue-Cured Tobacco Cooperative Stabilization Corporation is a farmer-owned organization that administers the USDA flue-cured tobacco price support program.

By MICHAEL A. PAIGE
Two dynamic freshmen were leading the Halifax County High School girls' varsity basketball team against the number-one team in the state.
Although the home loss to GW High School this season was inevitable, the two 14-year-old starters kept the Lady Blue Comets competitive and showed a glimpse of what potential Halifax has in the coming years.
Point guard Zakiya (Kiki) Sydnor and Stephanie Witko, are among the starting five who have given the Comets new life after several discouraging seasons.
Although Halifax (0-4) remains without a win in Western District play, the Comets are 7-6 overall and are poised to have a brighter path in the conference with the emergence of Sydnor and Witko.
"We've won more games this year than they won the last two years together," Sydnor said.
Sydnor is averaging 16 points per game while Witko has contributed as the Comets leading rebounder and shot blocker. Witko also scores an average eight points per game.
Both Witko and Sydnor were part of the championship teams of Halifax County Middle School under coach James Smith, teams that had never experienced a loss during those years.
However, given the opportunity to enter the high school varsity level as freshmen under new coach Clarence Davis, Sydnor and Witko were aware of a team that had only two wins the previous year.
"We came from the middle school where we had won something like 30 games straight and coming here I expected to keep winning," Witko said.
"But after learning of the varsity's one or two wins last year, it was, well maybe we'll just hope to do better this season," added the six-foot center.
Both players had to adjust to playing among 17- and 18-year-old teammates and learning the new more complicated plays.
"In middle school we had easier plays and coming over here we have five or six offensive plays for each type of zone defense," Witko said.
"I thought I would be a point guard that just passed the ball and have a high percentage of assists, not shooting," Sydnor said.
Both players have exceeded all expectations.
"I was just hoping to be on the varsity team. That was one of the things I was thinking about all season but I wasn't sure. And I never thought I'd be starting. That was a complete shock to me," Witko said.
While Witko was nervous in her first game, she said she looked over at Kiki and Sydnor did not look nervous at all.
Coach Davis said both girls had a great start, which impressed him very much.
"They're not intimidated by the seniors," Davis said.
"The girls on the team are really nice and everyone supports each other," Witko said.
" And if I make a mistake in a game, Branda (Best) or someone will come over and tell me what I did wrong and I have to correct it," Witko added.
Both players said Best, the team's leading senior, is a good leader and has taught them how to stay in the game.
"Branda has taught me different ways to get open for the shot," Sydnor said.
"Ciji (Moore) is the other center and she's been helping me with low-post moves and getting me use to the physical game," Witko said.
"I wasn't use to being so physical in the games with other girls, so she told me when I came in here, you've got to be rough at practice and its okay if you want to push me around because we've got to do it in the games," Witko added.
Sydnor, who started the season at five feet seven inches, has grown an inch and a half. And she has the opportunities of shifting to the shooting guard position as well as playing the point.
Both players intend to play in the summer camps to improve on their game and each have aspirations of playing basketball in college.
"I'd like to see Kiki improve on the dribble and work on her control of the ball," Davis said.
"And I want to work on improving Stephanie's speed and outside shooting," Davis added.
Davis has several camps in mind for the summer in Roanoke, Brookville and possible High Point , N.C.
Both girls feel that Davis has done a good job with the team.
"He likes to play team ball instead of depending on one person," Sydnor said.
"So it's more about teamwork," Sydnor added.
"The program is being rebuilt so hopefully next season we'll be able to get some conference wins, although we did better in nonconference games this year," Witko said.
As for conference games, both girls are aware of the competition.
"You have to play harder when you play against a conference team and we feel proud when we get close to a win," Sydnor said.
"The first half, when we played against GW at home, that's the first time that we had played up to our best and we really made progress in our season because we held with them (GW) and they were the number one team in the state," Witko said.
Next Friday, both girls will face their greatest challenge when they meet GW in Danville in the final game of the regular season.
How will they do?
"They love the game and the challenge," Davis said.
Such confidence in the young and talented freshmen gives Halifax County a glimmer of light for the varsity girls.
It's evident in Sydnor's stroll along courtside, bouncing a basketball and making a casual 25-foot shot that was nothing but net and telling the jayvee squad afterwards, "You can take that with you."