Monday, May 17, 2004

School Budget, W/S Top Supes’ Meeting Agenda
Supervisors Expected To Adopt School Operating Budget At Tonight’s Meeting

Supervisors are expected to adopt a $52,558,986 school operating budget following tonight's joint meeting with the towns.

The action takes place as supervisors and the town councils meet at 6 p.m. in the Mary Bethune Complex in Halifax.

School system officials are requesting a $13,710,007 contribution from the county for fiscal year 2004-2005.

During supervisors' May 3 public hearing on the school budget, only one person spoke on the subject.

Sandra Rister, who serves as vice-chair of the School Board, questioned the reasoning behind the removal of $822,549 in proposed capital improvement funds that had been earmarked to repair the aging roofs at several county schools.

"The only question I have is we've been told that our roofs need fixing, so we put it in the budget," Rister said, speaking in favor of the plan. "I'd like to know why you took it out."

At the conclusion of the public hearing, Finance Committee Chairman Doug Bowman told Rister that while supervisors understood the need for the capital improvements the budget under consideration is for school operations.

"We're certainly well aware of the need for roof repair," he said. "But we felt the capital improvement budget for the schools was the right place (to consider the funding).

"Hopefully, (the capital improvement budget) will include more than just roof repairs," Bowman added.

County Administrator Joe Morgan pointed out that he had spoken to school Finance Director Bill Covington and determined that the school capital budget has a surplus in excess of $1 million.

Supervisors are expected to adopt a resolution of support for a moral obligation bond for the Halifax County Industrial Development Authority for Riverstone Building I and Building II financing.

"Supervisors are giving the moral obligation to the lender that the money will be paid back," Morgan said.

Details that will determine the amount of the bond are currently being studied, according to the county administrator.

Joint Meeting

Morgan is expected to present supervisors and councilmen with a list of recommendations for improvement of water and sewer infrastructure.

Included will be a proposal to conduct an engineering review of options that will increase the capacity of the Town of Halifax system and would allow the extension of water service outside town limits.

Administration officials are expected to address the county's general fund investment in the improvement of the water and sewer system throughout the county.

Included in the recommendations is expected to be the option of phasing operational transfer of small county systems to the towns, a preliminary step toward the eventual goal of a regional water and sewer authority.

The option includes the transfer of operation and routine maintenance for the system, transferring the capital held by small county systems to the authority and the transfer of billing operations.

Members of the joint boards are expected to receive an update on cooperative economic development efforts with the Town of South Boston.

Board members are set to hear a report from Morgan on the Southside Regional Public Service Authority for joint solid waste collection and/or disposal with Charlotte, Mecklenburg and/or Lunenburg counties.

Public hearings are planned for June on the creation of the regional authority.

Supervisors and councilmen will receive an update on higher education offerings in the county by community college presidents Carlyle Ramsey and John Cavan and Southern Virginia Higher Education Center Director Amy Lammerts.

David Whitehurst and Jeff Trollinger of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries are expected to present an overview of the VDGIF birding and wildlife trail and its economic impact for Halifax County and rural Southside Virginia.

Larry Clark, chairman of the Halifax County War Memorial Commission, will present the commission's final report to the board.

Clark is expected to announce the closure of the commission's checking account and the establishment of a separate maintenance fund account for the memorial. He will also address the uses of the park and future oversight of the facility.

Local Leaders Gather To Honor Military Personnel
Armed Forces Day Celebration Underscores Need To Support Troops

For those gathered in Constitution Square in recognition of the United States' military personnel on Saturday the message was clear: Honor and support the men and women who defend America.

"A top priority of this nation must be the adequate funding of our military," said U. S. Representative Virgil Goode. "We must not forget our veterans."
That message was repeated in varying forms by speakers throughout the event.

South Boston Town Manager Ted Daniel, a retired B-52 pilot, warned that current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan were becoming politicized similar to the Vietnam conflict.

"Fifty-eight thousand did not complete that one year tour," he said, asking those gathered to be more supportive of today's troops.

"Many of them will have killed someone during their time over there," said Daniel. "They need to know that we know it is not their fault.

"Let us be there to help them through their anguish," he added. "We have already lived as a nation through this once."

Vietnam Veteran Al Weed agreed, quoting the Vietnam Veterans of America's slogan: "Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another."

He questioned whether the troops in Iraq were being adequately supplied.

"Especially when troops are in combat, we must be prepared to support them in ways that might even cause us at home to give up something," he said.

"We must ask, can we afford to give tax breaks to the very wealthy but not armored vehicles to soldiers in combat?

"Troops are being shortchanged by our unwillingness to face up to the cost of this war," he continued. "I have a son who will be serving in Iraq or Afghanistan by year's end, and before my son comes home in a box I want to know that America supports this war.

"I want to know that we are willing to pay its costs and that soldiers will not bear the brunt when politicians duck the tough questions."

Support of the nation's military is especially important following the 9/11 attacks, according to Goode.

"With the increase in terrorism the United States realized that we had felt triumphant too soon, and that to remain free we must be strong militarily," said Goode. "To the men and women who are in Afghanistan and Iraq, we owe tremendous thanks and gratitude.

"The primary theater of engagement is now in the Middle East and not on the shores of our country," he added.

Virginia Delegate Clarke Hogan and Senator Frank Ruff honored Halifax County native Lt. Col. William Watkins III who died in Iraq last spring.

"We thank those who came before us," said Ruff. "The freedom we have is because of them."

Hogan presented a Virginia General Assembly Resolution remembering Watkins to Tucker Watkins and Lousie Moore, Watkin's aunt.

Event organizer Al Darensbourg said he was very pleased with the quality of people who attended.

"I wish we had had more people there, but ones we had were really receptive to it," he said.

The event raised an estimated $1,000 for the Tri-Rivers Chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America, according to Darensbourg.

"It will be used for our scholarship program," he said.

Civil Rights Heritage Trail Marker To Be Unveiled Today
Four Sites In County Are Recognized On Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail

Community officials and church leaders will unveil the Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail marker at the Mary Bethune Complex today at 5:30 p.m. in Halifax.

The unveiling comes as the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education is recognized throughout the state.

On Friday, Gov. Mark Warner joined local, state and federal officials at Robert Russa Morton Museum in Farmville for the official grand opening of the trail.

Halifax County has four sites on the 300-mile driving trail which passes through Petersburg and 13 Southern Virginia counties.

The Halifax County sites are Mary Bethune High School (now a county government building) in Halifax, Washington-Coleman Elementary School at 1927 Jeffress Blvd. and Mizpah Church at 308 Ragland Street, both in South Boston, and Meadville Community Center on Route 57 (Chatham Road).

The trail is described by its founders as "the first memorial trail of its kind in Virginia dedicated to commemorating the African-American, American-Indian and women's struggle for equality."

The following are the four Halifax Heritage sites as profiled for the tour.
Mary Bethune Complex

The Banister Baptist Association built a private African-American training school in 1827, originally consisting of four wooden buildings and a dormitory.
This school year was six months, and the grades went only as far as the ninth.

Because of transportation difficulties in a county as large as Halifax, the school was primarily a boarding school. Board was $200 a year, which was prohibitive for most blacks at the time.

In 1920 the school was rebuilt as the Halifax Training School to house African-America high school students. Later it was upgraded and renamed the Mary Bethune School.

By 1950 it was the state's largest rural black high school, according to a Heritage Trail press release.

While there was no running water in labs, little money for equipment and supplies, and no transportation, a national magazine reported that 27 of the 64 seniors went on to college, far above the national average of 20 percent at that time.

In 1956, in order to meet "separate but equal" standards and stave off integration in the face of court decisions, the county erected the present building, officially named the Mary M. Bethune High School of Halifax County.

(W.C. Edwards served as principal of both Halifax Training Center and Mary Bethune High School from 1934-1966.)

Despite the county's efforts, the school was the hub of the local integration movement in 1969. After integration in 1970, Mary M. Bethune became a junior high school. All county high school students - black and white- attended Halifax Senior High School.

The original Mary M. Bethune High School building has subsequently been renovated. It still provides services for the community under the new guise of the Mary M. Bethune Government Office Complex, School System and Child Care Center.

Mizpah Church

Many churches in the second half of the 19th century and early part of the 20th century helped fill African Americans' need for schooling. Frequently the church would raise funds to build the school, with county governments occasionally offering some limited financial assistance. Parents donated much of the building labor and materials. They were also largely responsible for land and building maintenance once the school was built.

The Mizpah Presbyterian Church, founded in 1890, is an example of such a collaboration. In 1901 the Mizpah School was constructed on the land where the church still stands. The school served local black children in grades one through seven. Teachers were poorly paid, often living with students' parents and moving from one family to another. For their board they were expected to keep up the maintenance of the school building by sweeping, applying oil to the floors to keep the dust down, shoveling coal or putting wood in the stove, and simultaneously supervising the children. There were, however, highly respected in their community and looked to for leadership.

Because the school was connected with the church, students not only studied the "three r's" but also memorized Bible verses and sang hymns and songs. Many families relied on their children to work the fields with them, though, so the school year was seldom more than four or five months long, and absenteeism was high.

In 1935 the Mizpah School was converted to a community day care facility, one of the first at that time in Southside Virginia. (The Honorable William A Kent (1914-1993) served for many years as church elder and clerk of the session. He became the first African-American elected to public office in South Boston when he joined the city council in 1969. He served eight years as vice-mayor and four years as mayor. He retired in 1990 as mayor. He was the owner/operator of Kent's Funeral Service in South Boston.)

Washington-Coleman Elementary School

Determined to provide elementary education for young African Americans, the Rev. Parham B. Ragland started a school in his backyard some time around 1875. Though the "Backyard School" was private, Rev. Ragland was able to garner financial support for his project from the town of South Boston, thus representing the first known public support of black education in Halifax County. The one-room school grew and led to the establishment of a public black grammar school in Bloodfield (also called Mayfield). The school was eventually named the M.H. Coleman Grammar School. Though it was damaged by fire in 1937, it was repaired, reopened and operated until 1948, at which time it was moved to the former Booker T. Washington High School building.

Booker T. Washington High School had been built for the black high school students who had been attending classes in unsatisfactory quarters above a store at 1811 North Main Street in South Boston. By 1932 funds raised by the black community were joined with those from the South Boston School Board to build this four-room school with library, multi-purpose rooms and a central office. Although the building was well equipped, it was a small school and limited in curriculum. In 1948 Washington High was merged with the Halifax Training School to provide a centralized black high school with an expanded curriculum. In 1969 Halifax high schools were integrated, and all black and white high school students went to the Centerville High School. The former all-black high school was then renamed Washington-Coleman Elementary School and still serves as an active part of Halifax's educational community. (Matthew Hale Coleman, teacher and first principal of the first publicly funded grammar school for black students in the City of South Boston.)

Meadville Community Center

Caleb Robinson was born in Jamaica in 1864 and educated at Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia. In 1893 he formed the McKinley Institute on land he purchased in the Meadville section of Halifax County. He imported northern teachers to train African-American girls in reading, writing and industrial arts at the school. On his deathbed Professor Robinson gave the land to the school's executive board. He had expressed to them his dream of an African-American gathering place to enhance and educate the community, but at the time, the community was a poor one, and his idea lay dormant for a quarter of a century. Then in 1975, three African-American Baptist organizations, along with local leaders, formed an organization chartered as the Meadville Community Center. Through determined community efforts, they financed and built the present Center, which was dedicated October 10, 1978. Dr. Martin Luther King Sr. was the guest speaker at that occasion. The building left the association in debt for over $90,000, but through sales and raffles, personal gifts, church assessments and school children's pennies, the debt was paid and the mortgage burned in 1991. Today the Center, which seats 400-500 people, is a significant educational and community focal point, enriching the lives of the residents of Halifax County and its neighbors. (Three men who were instrumental in creating the Center were the Rev. E.G. Williams, first president of the Board of Directors; Vattell Coleman, treasurer and construction supervisor who donated his services to build the Center; and Lazarus Bates, chief fundraiser and board member.)

The Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail tour was established by Old Dominion Resource Conservation & Development Council.

The trail is managed by Virginia's Retreat, a tourism marketing consortium comprised of the counties of Amelia, Appomattox, Brunswick, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Halifax, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway and Prince Edward and the City of Petersburg.

The Department of Transportation provided funding for the trail with $250,000 grant, some of which was allocated for the 41 markers.

Comets Face ‘Must Win’ Situation
HCHS Faces Amherst Co. Here Tonight And Then Faces Franklin Co. On The Road Tuesday In A Key Western Valley District Contest

By JOE CHANDLER | G-V Staff Writer

The Halifax County High School varsity baseball team was unable to help itself Friday night in its bid to land second place in the Western Valley District standings and a home game for one of the two district tournament semifinal games.

Patrick Henry couldn’t help either.

Now, the Comets are finding themselves in a “must win" situation.

The Comets have one more chance to nail down second place in the Western Valley District standings, that coming when they hit the road Tuesday night to face Franklin County in the district’s final regular-season game.

Halifax County’s 2-1 loss to GW Friday night, coupled with E.C. Glass’ 5-3 win over Patrick Henry, thrust the Comets into a situation in which they must now defeat Franklin County to secure second place in the district standings and a home game for one of the two district tournament semifinal contests.

A loss by the Comets (14-4 overall and 4-3 in district play) will drop them into a tie for second place with E.C. Glass (8-9 overall and 4-4 in district play), putting them in jeopardy of having to go on the road for their district tournament opener.

With the Comets and E.C. Glass having split its two regular-season contests in close games that were decided by one run, the likelihood is that a coin toss will decide second place.

GW had already clinched the regular-season district title and one of the district’s two berths in the Northwest Region Tournament prior to Friday’s game against the Comets.

The Comets don’t have much time to prepare for the contest as they will square off here tonight at 6 p.m. at Comets Field against last year’s Group AA state champion Amherst County. That contest is a makeup game from a rainout earlier this season.

While the Comets want to play well and get a win over the Lancers here tonight, it is Tuesday night’s game against Franklin County that has their attention.

“Our minds are on Franklin County,” said Comets coach Kelvin Davis.
“We know what we have to do. We have to go up there (to Rocky Mount) and take it to them and get second place and the home field for the first district semifinal game.”

Franklin County has only one district win and occupies last place in the five-team Western Valley District field.

Davis says Franklin County is a better team than its record may indicate and that the Eagles play well at home.

“They’re a good ballclub,” Davis said.

“They’ve been in almost all of the ballgames they’ve played and they play well at home. We’ve just got to go out and play. Hopefully, if we can bring a good game like we played against GW, we won’t have a problem.”

The Comets had a good game against the Eagles in their previous meeting but Davis says he feels this will be a different game.

“It’s like us and GW between our first game and the second,” Davis pointed out.

“We know Franklin County is capable of playing much better ball than they did here at our place. We’ve just got to stay focused, go up there and concentrate on bringing back a win.”

Obituaries

Clifton Hankins Sr.

Funeral services for Mr. Clifton Hankins Sr., will be held today, May 17, with services at the Berry Hill Baptist Church.

The Rev. Tommy Crews will officiate.

Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

Mr. Hankins, of River Road in South Boston, died Friday, May 14, at his residence.

He was 72.

Mr. Hankins was born in Washington, D.C. on June 30, 1931, the son of the late Charlie Hankins and Bertha Edmonds Hankins.

He was married to Joyce Ragsdale Hankins and was a member of the Berry Hill Baptist Church.

Mr. Hankins is survived by his wive, one daughter, Claudette H. Lipscomb of Halifax, one son, Clifton Hankins Jr., of South Boston, three grandchildren, Brittany Jackston of South Boston, Briana Hankins of Clarksville and Deion Lipscomb of Halifax, one daughter-in-law, Peggy Hankins of South Boston, two sisters, Alemetia Hamilton and husband J.J. and Lavern Sawyer, all of Washington, D.C., two brothers, Clyde Hankins of New York, New York, and Bernard Hankins and wife Judy of Houston, Texas. He is also survived by four sisters-in-law, five brothers-in-law and a host of neices, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Mr. Hankins was preceded in death by two brothers, Micky and Willie Hankins.

The family will receive friends at the River Road residence.

Gloria Gene Martin Langford

Mrs. Gloria Gene Martin Langford of Scottsburg, died Saturday, May 15, at the Richmond International Raceway in Richmond.

She was 56.

The daughter of the late Thomas Martin and Evelyn Buchanan Martin, she was married to Thomas Langford Jr.

Mrs. Langford was a member of the Fork Baptist Church and was a secretary at the Halifax County Treasurer's Office.

She is survived by her husband, two sons, Stanley Thomas Langford and Robert Gene Langford and wife Tina, all of Scottsburg, one daughter, Tamra Lee Langford of Salisbury, Maryland, two brothers, Thomas Martin and Bobby Martin, both of Clover, five grandchildren, Caleb Thomas Langford of Salisbury Maryland, Hunter Gray Langford and Grace Langford, both of South Boston, Robert Gene (Bobby) Langford Jr., and James Lucas Langford, both of Scottsburg.

Mrs. Langford was preceded in death by one son, Benjamin Douglas Langford.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be announced at a later date.

Alexander Wheeler

Funeral services for Mr. Alexander Wheeler will be held Wednesday, May 19, at 2 p.m. with services at the Sunflower Baptist Church.

The Rev. Robert Tucker will officiate.

Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

Mr. Wheeler, of Nathalie, died Friday, May 14, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
He was 51.

Mr. Wheeler was born in New York, New York on June 19, 1952, the son of Willie Wheeler Jr., and the late Rena Barbour Wheeler.

He was married to Mrs. Miris Palmer Wheeler and was a member of the Sunflower Baptist Church.

Mr. Wheeler is survived by his wife, one son Willie Palmer, both of Nathalie, his father, Willie Wheeler Jr., of New York, New York, five sisters, Floretta Ross of Nathalie, Yvonne Wheeler, Joan Showell and husband Kenneth and Angelique Wheeler, all of New York, and Patricia Bennett and husband Arthur of California, three brothers, McKinley Jennings and wife Joanne of Hampton, Virginia, Robert Wheeler and wife Mary and Mark Wheeler and wife Maryanne, all of New York, New York, one uncle, John W. Jones of Nathalie, one aunt, Rodie Granger of Nathalie, four sisters-in-law, three brothers-in-law and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.