Friday, April 30, 2004

Tobacco Growing Season Begins In Halifax County

Halifax County tobacco producers are expected to plant 14 percent more acreage this year than last, according to Kevin Bohon of the Halifax County United States Department of Agriculture office.

But don't expect the increased acreage to be the beginning of a trend, he cautioned.

Bohon said yesterday that the effective allotment of 5,760 acres is the result of a carry-over from last year's poor growing season.

"The reason they're up this year is because of the undermarketings from the bad season last year," he said. "Less tobacco was produced so it got carried over to this season.

"Technically, we got a cut in quota," Bohon added. "This is just the result of the rainy weather and bad growing season last year."

Currently there are 416 individuals or entities sharing in the production of tobacco in Halifax County.

Across the county, there are 784 farms holding quota, with 5070.55 acres of allotment, Bohon said.

The 2004 quota allotment for Halifax County is 10,362,259 pounds.

This year's warm weather has led some growers to start planting a week early.

Vance Bowen and his son Steven are among the Halifax County farmers getting a head start on the tobacco growing season this week.

"This is really a week earlier than we normally plant," said Bowen. "But when the weather is right you need to plant."

Bowen, 53, said he has been growing tobacco in Halifax County all of his life.

He said he harvested his first crop when he graduated from high school at the age of 19.

Since then, Bowen said some things had changed in how tobacco was planted.

The most recent change has been the use of carousel planters, which can plant two rows at one time.

"It really simplifies labor management," said Bowen.

Buying tobacco seedlings from greenhouses has also simplified the process, according to Bowen.

He said with his current process he can plant seven to eight acres a day.

Bowen said that he and his son are planning on planting a total of 70 acres this year.

Trustees Define Capital Priorities
Middle School Improvements Lead School Board List

A $14 million renovation of the Halifax County Middle School heads the list of an estimated $37.5 million school capital improvements package adopted Wednesday by the Halifax County School Board.

The Phase II package, which was adopted in a unanimous vote, also includes a new K-6 elementary school in South Boston and renovations and additions to Cluster Springs and South of Dan Elementary Schools.

Last on the priority list for the four-item package was an $822,000 school roof repair package.

School system officials will draw up an outline of the package adopted by the School Board and forward it to the Board of Supervisors for consideration.

The top three components in the capital improvements package adopted by the School Board were included among the recommendations of the Halifax County Advisory Committee On Educational Improvements.

That panel, chaired by former Del. W.W. "Ted" Bennett, was appointed by the Board of Supervisors to review and assess the school system's capital and educational program needs.

Bennett aired the report February 9 at a joint meeting of the School Board and Board of Supervisors.

Earlier estimates had pegged the cost of the middle school project at $10 million.

However, the School Board upped the estimate to $14 million in anticipation of including renovations to the former vocational education building on the middle school campus.

That facility, according to Halifax County School Superintendent Dennis Witt, could be used for the establishment of a technology center that would offer related arts courses for eighth-grade students.

The Advisory Committee had included the establishment of an Applied Technology and Career Exploration School for eighth-grade students among its recommendations.

School Board members listed an estimated $14 million expenditure for the construction of a new K-6 elementary school in South Boston to serve approximately 650 students as its second-highest priority item.

The consolidated school would house students now attending Washington-Coleman Elementary School and C.H. Friend Elementary School.

School system officials have long advocated a new school to replace Washington-Coleman Elementary School.

They, and engineers who have studied the building for possible renovation, have said it would be more feasible to build a new school than to renovate the existing facility.

Building a consolidated school will also free C.H. Friend Elementary School for renovations and use as a magnet school.

The construction of a consolidated elementary school in South Boston and the transformation of C.H. Friend into a magnet school were also among the recommendations of the Advisory Committee.

According to the school system's March 31 figures, 364 students are attending C.H. Friend Elementary School and 299 students are attending Washington-Coleman Elementary School.

Witt suggested that while the new elementary school is being constructed, a task force be formed to develop a curriculum for the magnet school.

The renovations at C.H. Friend, Witt suggested, should fit the curriculum and programs that would be offered there.

"Those are things you absolutely can't go wrong in doing," Witt said of the middle school renovations and the new South Boston school.

An $8.5 million package of renovations and additions to Cluster Springs Elementary School and South of Dan Elementary School, an item that had been included in previous proposals, was the third item adopted as part of the package.

South of Dan Elementary School currently has 357 students and Cluster Springs Elementary School has 280 pupils.

Sandra Rister, who represents that school district, told her fellow School Board members that citizens in the southern end of the county are disappointed that those schools had not been renovated like Clays Mill, Scottsburg and Sydnor Jennings in the northern sector of the county.

Many people, she said, prefer seeing a new school in the Kingswood area.
"It all goes back to not having the support of the two Supervisors from the southern end of the county," pointed out School Board member D.H. McDowell Jr. "That hurts."

Noting previous attempts to sell a capital improvements plan to the Board of Supervisors that included the two southern elementary schools, School Board member Steve Anderson said, "We tried to provide what they wanted and we gave them (the Board of Supervisors) the figures."

Last on the School Board's list in the priority order was the $822,000 in roof repairs and new roof construction.

The School Board had included that money in its request for $14,532,555 in local dollars from the Board of Supervisors to fund its proposed $53.38 million 2004-2005 school budget.

Supervisors later cut the $822,000 from the local appropriation, thus reducing the school budget by that amount.

Good News For Southside Workers
Region Reported Across-The-Board Drop In Jobless Rates

Southside's unemployment rates dropped across the board in March, according to figures released Wednesday by the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC).

Halifax County's jobless rate fell seven-tenths of a percent in March, to 8.4 percent from a February rate of 9.1 percent.

This compared to an 11.7 percent rate in March, 2003.

The county reported a labor force of 17,587, with 1,470 people looking for work. In February, 1,611 people were out of work, according to the VEC.

Mecklenburg County reported 7.7 percent unemployment, down seven-tenths of a percent from February's rate of 8.4 percent.

Mecklenburg County reported a labor force of 13,550, with 1,040 people looking for work.

Charlotte County's jobless rate fell four-tenths of a percent in March, to 4.6 percent.

Charlotte County listed a civilian labor force of 6,308, with 290 people unemployed.

Pittsylvania County's rate fell three-tenths of a percent, to 6.8 percent from a February rate of 7.1 percent.

The county reported a labor force of 33,654, with 2,300 people out of work.
Henry County continues to struggle with double-digit unemployment , falling one-half of a percent to 12.8 percent.

Out of a labor force of 26,193, 3,353 people were out of work in March, the commission reported.

Another bright spot in Southside's economy was the City of Danville, reporting a 8.9 percent unemployment rate down from a February figure of 9.2 percent.

The city listed 2,098 people unemployed out of a labor force of 23,568.

Although Martinsville reported a drop in its unemployment rate of nine-tenths of a percent, the city still holds the state's highest jobless rate at 15.2 percent, according to the VEC.

Virginia's unemployment rate fell two-tenths of a percent in March, to 3.4 percent.

Comets Soccer Team Notches Seventh Win
The HCHS Varsity Girls Soccer Team Hit A Big Milestone, Picking Up Its Seventh Victory Of The Season In A 5-0 Shutout

By JOE CHANDLER | G-V Staff Writer

It has been a long time since a Halifax County High School varsity girls soccer team has won seven games in a season.

The Comets reached that big seven-win milestone here Wednesday night with a 5-0 shut out of neighboring Person High.

"This is the first time we've had seven wins at this point since I've been coaching," said Comets head coach Sid Young.

"It just as easily could be nine wins," added Young, referring to a couple of games his team could have won if things had gone a little differently.

The Comets left little in doubt on this night.

Halifax County dominated the contest from the outset, controlling the ball and pinning the ball down on Person High's end of the field much of the night.

So dominant was Halifax County's effort that Person High managed to get off only one shot at the Comets' goal.

On the Comets' side of the ledger, it was a completely different story.

Halifax County relentlessly pounded the ball at the Rockets' goal, getting off 23 shots on the night and having seven corner kick opportunities.

Attie Poirier and Julia Rogers provided most of the Comets' offensive punch with two goals each.

Morgan Young scored the other goal for the Comets.

Poirier started the scoring for the Comets, kicking in the first goal at the 21:52 mark of the first half.

Young accounted for the Comets' second goal on a penalty kick at the 34:56 mark of the first half to give the Comets a 2-0 lead at halftime.

Poirier made it a 3-0 lead for the Comets with a score off of a corner kick at the 21:21 mark of the second half.

Rogers completed the scoring for the Comets, scoring her first goal of the game at the 22:33 mark of the second half and adding the final goal with just over five minutes left in the contest.

One of the goals Rogers cashed in came on a shot from the corner on a breakaway.

"That was a college-level or professional shot," said Young.

"She was on a breakaway. In that type of a situation, there is usually little the keeper (the opposing goalkeeper) can do."

Young called the win a good one.

"It was a good win," he said.

"I didn't think we played as we did against Dinwiddie. Against Dinwiddie, we passed the ball well, moved the ball well and were getting people open.

"Still, I felt it was a good effort," he continued.

"We made some good passes and put together some good passing combinations."

Young got everybody into the action and virtually everyone saw a good amount of playing time.

"I was pleased with the effort of everybody that went into the game," he noted.

The Comets are facing a big game tonight, going on the road to face Franklin County in a Western Valley District contest.

Halifax County enters tonight's contest 0-2 in district play with losses to E.C. Glass and Patrick Henry.

The Comets need a win tonight against Franklin County, 1-3 in district play, to stay in contention in the regular-season title chase.

Halifax County has two district contests on tap next week, one here
Wednesday night against GW and a road game a week from tonight against Patrick Henry.

Obituaries

Irene Gravely Cook Clarke

Irene Gravely Cook Clarke, 67, of Danville died April 27 at her home.

Mrs. Clarke was born in Danville on July 9, 1936, the daughter of the late Bennett Cook and Thelma Eanes Warren and was married to the late Louel Lee Clarke. She was a member of Melville Avenue Baptist Church and was a homemaker.

Survivors include three sons, Dale Clarke of Danville, Barry Lee Clarke of South Boston and Ben Clarke of Roanoke; one daughter, Vickie Clarke of Greensboro, N.C.; and three grandchildren, Tyler Clarke of South Boston, Kristin Clarke and Michael Clarke, both of Danville.

A graveside service for Mrs. Clarke will be held today, April 30 at 2 p.m. at Highland Burial Park in Danville with the Rev. Billy Scearce Jr. officiating.

Barbara Logan Scott

Barbara Logan Scott, 56, of Camden, N.J., formerly of South Boston, died April 23.

Mrs. Scott was born in South Boston on May 4, 1947, the daughter of the late Albert Logan Sr. and Edna Mae Carver Logan and was married to Larry Scott Sr. She was a member of First Baptist Church.

Survivors include her husband; two daughters, Bridget Scott of Willingboro, N.J. and Babette Bernice Quick of Camden; one son, Larry Scott Jr. of Camden; one sister, Geanea Logan Coleman of Scottsburg; three brothers, Albert Cooley Logan Jr. of Fayetteville, N.C. Alonzo Tyrone Logan of Philadelphia, Pa. and George Samuel Logan Sr. of South Boston; four grandchildren; and one God-son, Jamar Jones.

Funeral services for Mrs. Scott will be held May 1 at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church, Ferry Street, South Boston, with the Rev. William Dixon officiating. Burial will follow in Rose Garden Cemetery.

The family will receive friends at the home of Geanea L. Coleman, 4133 Dryburg Road, Scottsburg.