Wednesday, May 19, 2004

County Real Estate, Personal Property Tax Hike Proposed
The Estimated Deficit In Next Year’s Budget Is $1,579,933; Hearing On Proposed Budget Set For June 21

The finance committee of the Halifax County Board of Supervisors will present a 4-cent real estate tax increase and a 24-cent personal property tax increase for the next fiscal year to the full board of supervisors next Monday.

The increases would mean a real estate tax rate of 35-cents per assessed $100 (after the rate was lowered due to reassessment) and a personal property tax rate of $2 per $100, up from the current $1.76 rate, according to County Administrator Joe Morgan.

The proposed budget is expected to be advertised by June 14 for a June 21 public hearing.

Morgan told the Finance Committee yesterday that the county is estimating total general fund expenditures of $27,119,658, compared to estimated income of $25,539,725.

The estimated deficit in next year's budget is $1,579,933, according to county staff.

"We're suggesting a tax increase of $1.7 million to be split between a 4-cent real estate increase and 24 cents on personal property," Morgan said.
An increase in the county's real estate tax, if approved, will generate an estimated $1,108,784 additional income, according to county officials.

The personal property tax increase will create around $663,768 in additional revenue for the county, according to Morgan.

In the operating budget, Morgan said county administration recommends funding the following requests:

• $50,000 in pay hikes for the county's general employees. The increases represent a 3 percent increase comparable with that received by state employees.

• $50,000 to hire a grants coordinator.

• $25,000 in tax relief for the elderly/disabled.

• $125,000 to switch to a more frequent property reassessment.
• $300,000 investment in water/sewer infrastructure.

• $5,000 in funding for the YMCA.

The recommendations on funding the new requests total $555,000.

The committee is also considering recommendations totalling more than $1,590,000 million in capital improvements, Morgan said.

These include:

• $1 million in school building improvement funds.

• $50,000 in funding for a county history permanent exhibit at the museum.
• $15,000 to fund a tourism brochure.

• $100,000 for solid waste convenience centers.

• $200,000 to replace sheriff's office vehicles.
• $25,000 for field staff vehicle replacement.

• $150,000 for public works vehicle replacements.

• $10,000 to fund maintenance at the Halifax County War Memorial.

Halifax Celebrates Civil Rights Heritage With Bethune Marker
Harvey Dillard Calls Event ‘Memorable Day In The History Of Halifax County’

"This says a lot about Halifax County," Board of Supervisors Chairman Willian Fitzgerald said. "You can measure the worth of a people by the deeds they do and this was a great thing for Halifax County."

Fitzgerald was among the local government officials, church leaders and those celebrating equality as they commemorated the 50th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education at the unveiling of the Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail Monday.

A little rain didn't dampen the spirits of the speakers at the 5:30 p.m. ceremony.

"This trail is more than a sight-seeing tour," the Rev. Frank Carr said. "It's a tour that travels on the hearts and minds of every person that went through the civil rights movement."

Carr complimented the teachers for their conscientious efforts to educate African-American students throughout the county.

"The teachers at this school took an interest in every student and wanted to see them do their best.

"Many leaders, teachers and doctors have come out of this school," he said. "It was a joy to be here at Mary Bethune."

Harvey Dillard, a teacher and former assistant principal at the school, called the event a "memorable day in the history of Halifax County."

"My experience in this building and on these grounds was wonderful," he said. "I worked here and walked these halls many days.

"I'm sure the great woman for whom this building is named is peering over the balconies of Heaven smiling," he added.

Dillard encouraged the youth of Halifax County to learn the history of the facility.

"The children of Halifax County need to know. They need to know the origin of this building and find out who that great woman was," he said.

According to literature presented during the ceremony, the Banister Baptist Association constructed a private African-American training school in 1872, originally consisting of four wooden buildings and a dormitory.

In 1920, the school was rebuilt as the Halifax Training School to house African-American high schools, according to the handout.

"Later it was upgraded and renamed the Mary Bethune School.

"By 1950, it was the state's largest rural black high school.

"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 Bethune High School of Halifax County.

"Despite these contrary efforts, the school was the hub of the local integration movement in 1969," the handout reads.

Halifax Town Manager Carl Espy, who was instrumental in placing the location on the CREHT, said many people worked to make the marker a reality.

"I'd like to thank the Old Dominion RD&C for TEA-21 funding, funding of the entire project, site markers and trail guides Dave Roberts, Carlyle Wimbish and Sue Adams," Espy said. "

He also acknowledged the Halifax County staff Joe Morgan, Brenda Pulliam and Robert Love, for the preparation of the program materials.

Espy also thanked Bill Wolfe and the grounds crew and Assistant County Administrator Jerry Lovelace for the grounds preparation at the site and county tourism director Linda Shepperd and Chamber of Commerce President Nancy Pool for coordination with the Virginia Tourism Corporation and additional contacts necessary to make the site a reality.

Broadband Grant Is Awarded To Region
Riverstone Technology Park Will Be One Beneficiary

A $6 million federal matching grant to help install fiber-optic cable in Southside from Emporia to Martinsville has been approved.

The U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant was jointly announced Monday afternoon by Sen. John Warner, R-Va., Sen. George Allen, R-Va ., Congressman Virgil Goode, R-5th, and Congressman Randy Forbes, R-4th.

The EDA funds will match the $6 million grant awarded by the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission to build an open-access 144 strand fiber optic backbone.

The fiber optic backbone will extend over 300 miles and serve 35 current business, commercial and industrial parks in Southside Virginia.

Specifically, the project will assist businesses along U.S. Route 58 from Patrick County to Greensville County, U.S. Route 220 from Martinsville to Rocky Mount and U.S. Route 360 from Halifax to Keysville.

The Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative, a nonprofit entity formed to deploy broadband services such as high-speed Internet in Southside, will administer the EDA funds.

"We are pleased the EDC has been willing to partner in this initiative," said Delegate Clarke Hogan, chairman of the Tobacco Commission's technology committee.

Hogan said the federal piece will help with the link into Prince Edward and another toward Rocky Mount.

"The whole project is $20 million and we are trying to minimize the impact on the Tobacco Commission," he added.

"We have committed the resources through the Tobacco Commission to build the rest. We are working hard. It is a good project for our community."

The delegate estimated the network would be running in less than 24 months.

"There may be pieces online significantly before then, but the full network deployment will take about 24 months," he said.

Since the Tobacco Commission launched the project, Hogan said the Commission's plan has been to leverage its resources with others, whether federal, private or local dollars.

"This federal match is the first fruit of those efforts," he added.

Congressman Goode lauded the technology effort.

"It will tie in with what you are doing at the Southern Virginia Higher Center and Riverstone," Goode said in a telephone interview following the Washington, D.C. announcement.

"South Boston will be right in the center," added the Congressman. "It is something the Tobacco Commission has worked on and Clarke Hogan has been a diligent fighter for.

"It is the largest EDA grant in the country this year," added Goode, speculating the area's tobacco and textile loses played a part in the grant award.

"Our point of presence is inside Riverstone," said John Cannon, chairman of the Halifax Industrial Development Authority.

"It's terrific," added Cannon. "It will put us on the information highway.

"It will make us more competitive because businesses and industries will be able to get the best Internet access by having the Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative," said Goode.

"They can work with local industry and businesses and the communities and the industrial parks and it won't cost so much. We will be in the ball park with Northern Virginia and urban areas," he added.

Sen. Allen's forecast included jobs.

"This empowering grant is projected to create 1,560 new jobs and $70.2 million in new wages from the $143 million in projected new investments," said Allen in a prepared release.

"The technology-based job that will be created carry wages that are 54 percent higher than the average wage rate in Southside Virginia. In the process, 52 new technology-focused businesses are anticipated to be established in the 35 business locations along the affected routes."

Allen, too, commended the Virginia Tobacco Commission "for their efforts in developing and expanding broadband in the Commonwealth."

Western Valley District Remains Intact
Pulaski County High School Will Remain In Group AA Under Proposed VHSL Alignment

By JOE CHANDLER | G-V Staff Writer

Halifax County High School and its fellow Western Valley District members have gotten their wish.

The Virginia High School League Redistricting and Reclassification Committee, at its Monday meeting, placed Pulaski County High School in Group AA for the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 seasons.

That, said Halifax County High School Athletic Director Don Thompson, is good news.

"Our best course was for Pulaski County to fall below the line (the cutoff number between Group AA and Group AAA schools)," said Thompson.
"That's what happened, so, they (Pulaski County) ended up in Group AA."

While the action of the Redistricting and Reclassification Committee is a big step, final approval won't come until September when the Virginia High School League Executive Committee takes action on the R&R Committee proposals.
Earlier, there had been a possibility that Pulaski County High School, with an enrollment figure of 1,490 students, could have made the cut and been placed in Group AAA and into the Western Valley District.

The cutoff enrollment number between Group AA and Group AAA ended up Monday at 1,553 students.

The prior possibility of Pulaski County being included in the Western Valley District was so strong that the district's principals and athletic directors association had forwarded resolutions to VHSL officials opposing any move that would bring Pulaski County into the district.

The Halifax County School Board jumped on the bandwagon at its last meeting and had School Superintendent Dennis Witt send notification to VHSL officials that the School Board also opposed the inclusion of Pulaski County into the district.

Pulaski County High School, which had once been a member of the Western District, now known as the Western Valley District, was also opposed to being moved up to Group AAA.

No changes to the makeup of the Western Valley District were made by the R&R Committee.

That means that Halifax County, GW, E.C. Glass, Franklin County and Patrick Henry will continue as the schools comprising the district.

While there were no changes in the Western Valley District, there were changes in the makeup of three other districts in the Northwest Region which the Western Valley District is part of.

Four new schools have been added to the region with Fauquier and Chancellor moving up from Group AA and new schools Freedom and Battlefield opening up.

Culpeper County is moving from the Commonwealth District to the Cedar Run District and Potomac is moving from the Cedar Run District to the Cardinal District.

With the shifts, the Cardinal District will be composed of Forest Park, Freedom, Gar-Field, C.D. Hylton, Potomac and Woodbridge.

The Commonwealth District will be composed of Albemarle, Brooke Point, Chancellor, Colonial Forge, Massaponax, North Stafford and Stafford.

Schools in the Cedar Run District will include Battlefield, Culpeper, Fauquier, Stonewall Jackson, Osbourn and Osbourn Park.

Northwest Region representatives, noting a concern about travel, cited opposition to the inclusion of Loudon County schools in the region.

Also on Monday, the R&R Committee voted 9-3-1 on a motion that the VHSL split up its schools into four classifications beginning with the 2007-2008 season.

An attempt was made to get the R&R Committee to endorse the four classification move for 2005-2006 but it was defeated by a 4-8-1 vote.

A proposed move for going to a four classification system for 2005-2006 had already been voted down by the Virginia High School League Executive Committee.

Northwest Region representatives noted the region does not support four classes but does support an eight-region alignment.

Obituaries

Russell Amos Bonker Jr.

Russell Amos Bonker Jr., 80, of Nathalie died May 16 at Halifax Regional Hospital.

Born to Russell and Edith Bonker in Sparta, N.J., Mr. Bonker moved to Nathalie 12 years ago.

He was an Army Veteran of WWII and worked for Herbert I. Wein Scrap Metal Dealership and then worked as a laborer for the N.J. Laborers Local #913 in Dover, N.J. before retiring.

Mr. Bonker was married to the late Bertha E. Bonker and was a member of Johnsonburg Hunting Club, Moose Lodge and Newton VFW.

Survivors include two daughters, Joann Bonker and Rose Bonker, both of Port Jervis, N.Y., and 52 grandchildren. He was also preceded in death by three brothers Jack, Raymond and Burton Bonker; and one sister, Alice Pierce.

A funeral service for Mr. Bonker will be held tomorrow, May 20, at 11 a.m. at Ferguson Funeral Home in Sussex, N.J. Burial will follow at Deckertown-Union Cemetery.

Janis Motley Boyles

Janis Motley Boyles, 52, of Danville died May 17 at Danville Regional Medical Center.

Born May 8, 1952, in Danville, she was the daughter of Bill Burch Motley and Mary Doreen Watson Motley, and was married to Ronnie L. Boyles.

Mrs. Boyles was a member of Abundant Life World Outreach Church. She was a graduate of Averett College, and was principal of Abundant Life Christian Academy. Prior to joining the Academy, she had worked with the U.S. Postal Service, and taught at the former Danville Christian School and Westover Christian School. She was awarded the Teacher of the Year award in May of 2004.

In addition to her husband of the home, and her parents of Danville, she is survived by one daughter, Ame Boyles Vasser and her husband, Brian, of Danville; one son, Joseph Boyles of Danville; one brother, Pastor Bill Motley II and his wife, Sharon, of Danville; one sister, Linda Gail Motley Greer and her husband, Scott, of N.J.; and two grandsons, Landyn Vasser and Cameron Vasser.

A funeral service for Mrs. Boyles will be held at 2 p.m. tomorrow, May 20 at Abundant Life World Outreach Church with Pastor Bill Motley II officiating. Burial will be in Danville Memorial Gardens.

The family will receive friends 7 to 8 p.m. today at the church on Mount Cross Road, with a time of remembrance 8:00 to 8:30 p.m., and other times at the home of her parents, 406 Kemper Road.

Gloria Gene Martin Langford

Gloria Gene Martin Langford, 56, of 3090 McDonald Road, Scottsburg died May 15 at Richmond International Raceway. She was the daughter of the late Thomas Martin and Evelyn Buchanan Martin and was married to Thomas Langford Jr.

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

Survivors include her husband; two sons, Stanley Thomas Langford and Robert Gene Langford and his wife, Tina, all of Scottsburg; one daughter, Tamra Lee Langford of Salisbury, Md.; two brothers, Thomas Martin and Bobby Martin, both of Clover; five grandchildren, Caleb Thomas Langford of Salisbury, Hunter Gray Langford and Grace Langford, both of South Boston, Robert Gene 'Bobby' Langford Jr. and James Lukas Langford, both of Scottsburg. She was preceded in death by one son, Benjamin Douglas Langford.

A funeral for Mrs. Langford will be held today, May 19, at 11 a.m. at Fork Baptist Church, Scottsburg with the Rev. Jason Murray conducting the service. Burial will follow in Oakland Cemetery, Scottsburg.

Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the Gideons International or the Memorial Fund at Fork Baptist Church.