In a packed Board room, Virgilina Elementary School (VES) supporters
sought help from supervisors Monday night in "a fundamental
government issue," and presented petitions bearing over 660
names supporting Virgilina and community schools.
The School Board voted last month to close VES.
Monday night, supervisors listened but took no action during that
session.
Virgilina Mayor John Youngk told supervisors that county residents
are in conflict with a governmental entity that "is not responding
to the community."
"It is a county that does not agree with consolidation and
closing of perimeter schools," said Young.
"We are here to win your support for Virgilina and community
schools," he added.
The Mayor said that Virgilina's supporters did not expect a single,
quick vote to decide the issue. Instead, he called for an extended
process to right the situation.
"We want a long-term solution worked out that does not leave
out people on the perimeter," said Youngk, mayor of a town
along the North Carolina border.
Board of Supervisors Chairman David Martin told Youngk that supervisors
were eager to work for children in all areas and said there would
be some action soon.
The Case For Virgilina
Youngk told supervisors that VES enjoys the best SOL scores in
the county for the year. He also said the school's enrollment
has grown from 81 to 101, with a pre-registered enrollment for
next year at 124.
He said that projected operating cost for 124 enrollment was $4,680
per student.
With a 24.7 percent growth rate, Youngk said the school would
have 133 students and less-than-average operating costs per student
by February 2004, without adding the debt load.
Youngk also said that the town has received a $50,000 SERCAP Grant
and that Country Side Estates project is progressing again.
He said the community had "worked feverishly" to recruit
the needed school zone enrollment.
Youngk also charged the School Board with sabotaging its efforts
by telling new students that the school would close, and he described
tuition and some transfer requirements for new students as "unique
to Virgilina School."
However, the School Board, in a 5-3 vote May 19 voted to close
the school, apparently questioning some Virgilina Elementary registrations.
Youngk said the Board breached their agreement, and suggested
the Board made the agreement with no intention of honoring it.
Virgilina Is Seeking
Youngk sought the following from supervisors:
· Reinforce our county's commitment to community schools
· Halt all county tax funds and loan obligations for all
capital programs.
· Reduce the 2003-04 operating budget by $200,000 per Superintendent
of Schools Dennis Witt's estimate of savings from closing VES.
· Put the School Board on a monthly operating budget until
such time that the Board can demonstrate its representation of
the county's public interests.
Supervisor James Edmunds who, along with C.W. Rorrer, was absent
from Monday night's meeting had issued a written response.
"As a matter of public record, I do not support the further
consolidation of schools," wrote Edmunds. "I do support
a low pupil to teacher ratio, such as that at Virgilina."
Edmunds said that while low pupil to teacher ratios and shorter
bus rides are much better for the children, they often come at
a higher price and that someone has to pay.
"As the chair of your Finance Committee, I can tell you that
we have some tough times ahead and difficult decisions to make,"
wrote Edmunds. "Funding smaller schools, such as Virgilina,
will require additional funds for operation.
"With that understanding, I will support a resolution to
keep all of our community schools open, including Virgilina, as
long as you realize that all taxpayers will have to pay for it,"
Edmunds wrote.
"We're going to get them," Christopher Johnson said
Monday. "They just don't know it yet."
Johnson, a Virgilina resident, filed a petition against Halifax
County School Superintendent Dennis Witt Monday, trying to force
the School Board to turn over all meeting records for the past
five years.
Johnson also seeks an injunction to enjoin (prohibit) the defendant
from closing Virgilina Elementary School.
He filed the Petition and Affidavit For Good Cause/ For Injunction
For Mandamus under the Freedom Of Information Act in Halifax County
General District Court.
In the petition, Johnson seeks "the statute and law that
gives the School Board the legal power to shut Virgilina Elementary
School down."
"They're supposed to let me know a reason (statute) in the
books to legally close the school," Johnson said Monday.
"They don't have anything."
The Virgilina resident also seeks "all back meeting notes
and attachments of meetings, public and private, for the last
five years."
Johnson claims that Witt denied him access to the records by "not
doing anything. (He) just ignored it."
"I've been requesting the records of all the meetings and
they haven't given me anything," he said. "With no legal
right to close the school and (not) telling me why violates my
rights of the Commonwealth of Virginia and (those of) my kids
and my family."
Contacted yesterday, Virgilina Mayor John Youngk said he was aware
of instances where community residents were denied access to records.
"They had asked for information and gotten negative response
from the administration of the school," he said. "I
know the law says they have to either give them the information
or tell them why not within five days."
But School Board Chair Patricia Nelson emphatically denied that
anyone has been denied access to records.
"I don't know all the legal stuff that's going on,"
she said. "But we're not denying someone the rights to public
records. That's public information."
Nelson said the School Board would "wait and see what the
attorney's say."
Youngk said he didn't think Johnson's action would be the last
against the administration.
"We're getting to the point that we've given up and are asking
for regime change," he said. "I wouldn't be surprised
if there wasn't some effort to remove some people from office
before the end of the year."
The petition also asks the court to issue a writ of mandamus and
the injunction "to stop the decision made... May 19 to close
VES."
Commonwealth's Attorney John Greenbacker said yesterday that a
writ of mandamus is essentially a court-ordered directive to a
public official requiring them to take certain actions under the
law.
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) issues can be enforced under
mandamus action, the commonwealth's attorney said.
"The plaintiff is claiming that Witt's inaction isn't in
compliance with the law," Greenbacker said. "In this
instance, any citizen has the right to obtain the records of public
meetings."
But he said it was unlikely that Johnson's petition can stop the
impending closure on its own.
"If someone wanted to stop the action of closing the school,
they might file for injunctive relief," he said. "But
it wouldn't be under FOIA."
Contacted yesterday, Witt declined to comment on the petition.
"It is a legal issue and will have to be resolved by the
judges and attorneys," he said.
The School Board's attorney, Glenn Pulley, didn't return calls
to the Gazette-Virginian yesterday.
Members of the South Boston Town Council pondered an increase
in water and sewer rates for out-of-town customers Monday night,
but backed off at the last minute when they couldn't reach an
agreement on the amount of the increase.
During the work session for the two standing Council committees,
Town Manager Ted Daniel brought up the potential hike.
Councilman Ed Owens was not present for the meeting.
"When we first brought the budget forward, our projected
revenues were based on budget projections," Daniel said.
"A five percent increase in-town is the equivalent of four
percent across the board."
The proposed increase comes less than a month after the 2003-2004
budget, with no out-of-town increase, was approved on first reading.
A source who chose to remain anonymous said yesterday that any
proposed increase would mandate another public hearing before
the increase could be approved.
"A number of those EPA grants that the town has received
require a public hearing before any rates are increased,"
they said.
No one spoke up during the May 12 public hearing on the budget.
"This budget balances," Daniel said in announcing the
figures prior to the May public hearing. "The budget proposes
no increases in real estate, personal property taxes or licenses.
"The water/sewer fund is based on a five percent in-town
rate increase and no out-of-town increase," the town manager
added.
But Monday night, Daniel pointed out that the water/sewer fund
was $1.9 million in the red.
"There are pluses and minuses to everything," he said.
"A six percent increase across the board would cover all
of the projections.
"With no increase (either in or out-of-town), we end up $40,000
to $50,000 in the hole and make everyone happy."
Councilmen Chris Elliott and Mayor Glenn Abernathy agreed that
out-of-town rates should be increased in next year's budget, set
for approval next week.
"I'm still against going up in-town and not out-of-town,"
Elliott said.
"I agree," Abernathy said.
He cited accusations by out-of-town customers of the town being
inequitable to them.
"They don't want to pay for half of what they use,"
the mayor said. "When we talk about inequality, there are
a lot of ways to talk about it.
"I don't pretend to sit here and think there are easy answers
to it, but I don't want to say that we're looking out for the
interests of industry and out-of-town people, but don't care about
the people in town."
But Councilman Coleman Speece said he felt an out-of-town increase
at this time would be unfair.
"I favor not doing the out-of-town increase," Speece
said. "It's out of line. We're putting more burden on those
people that we should. It's (the town's fiscal problem with water
and sewer funding) not their fault and we're penalizing them.
"I don't for a minute subscribe to under-taxing to cover
expenses, but we're putting more burden on those people than we
should," he added.
Councilman Eric Roberts said that if Council was going to increase
in-town rates but not out-of-town, they needed a clear plan.
"If we're not going to raise out-of-town rates, we're going
to need to have a target in mind of where we are going,"
he said. "If we don't have a clear plan, we're doing the
same things every other council has done in the past that got
us here."
"I think we're going to need a plan," Speece offered.
"But we're going to have to offset it somewhere."
"We can set a rate differential," Daniel said. "We
can fix it. All we need to know is what you want to do and we
can set it for you.
"Water and sewer is extremely valuable to the people outside
of town," he continued. "Because we're the only ones
who can provide it for them."
Daniel said that the town was still financially reeling from decisions
made by previous Councils.
"We're living with mistakes that were made 25 years ago,"
he said. "Halifax County never stepped forward to provide
it (water/sewer service) for them. "
With Council members grappling with trying to determine a figure
to charge out-of-town customers, Speece asked Daniels for his
advice on what he thought would be equitable.
"I think all through Virginia, there are localities that
choose a rate differential," he responded. "It's a subjective
thing. I can't give you a target."
But Council wouldn't commit to any specific increase amount, and
agreed to leave the proposed budget as it stands.
Billboard Issue
A proposed amendment to the town's billboard ordinance was sent
back by members of the town's Current Issues Committee to the
planning commission to clarify the intent and wording.
The amendment would have allowed existing billboards to be altered
and modified by special exception of the Board of Zoning Appeals.
Roberts, who serves on the planning commission as well as on Town
Council, said that the amendment sent to them was ambiguous, and
would open a Pandora's Box if adopted by Council.
"The wording allows, carte blanche, for them to do what they
would like to do with the billboards within the town," Roberts
said. "There's no basis in the (comprehensive) plan for us
to expand services to billboards."
The councilman said planning commission members looked at the
wording proposed and "you could really go to any size (billboard)
and there's nothing in there to say 'no'," he added.
"Tell the planning commission what you want and we'll come
up with a plan to do it," Roberts urged. "But the language
here is simply dangerous."
Daniels said he didn't feel the language was vague but, "if
the planning commission wants more objective criteria for the
Board of Zoning Appeals, we could put it in."
Roberts maintained that, as written, the amendment was "poor
language."
"We're looking at a special interest group that is very small
and has no economic benefit to the town," he said.
But Councilman Carroll Thackston took exception to Roberts' statement.
"I disagree with that," he said. "The purpose of
a billboard is to get people to spend money in town. I don't see
anyone who can say billboards aren't good for business."
Other Business
In other business, the Current Issues Committee discussed two
appointments to the South Boston Industrial Development Authority.
Both Scott Erle and Robert Hollister's terms expire June 30.
Daniel told the committee that Erle was appointed to fill a vacancy,
and was eligible for another term.
Committee members suggested that Hollister, who is not eligible
for another term, be replaced by Tommy Elliott.
In addition, Barbara Speece is eligible for re-appointment to
the South Boston Library Board of Trustees.
The three appointments will be on the agenda for the full Council's
June 9, meeting.
Members of the town's Finance Committee also placed the adoption
of the FY 2003-2004 budget on the agenda for the June 9 meeting.
Committee members reviewed next year's taxes and fees list, and
placed the approval of the items on the agenda for the June 9
meeting.
The Clarkton Bridge Demolition versus Preservation
saga has taken an interesting twist, with potential tourism development
pivotal in finding a reason for VA Dept of Transportation Secretary
Witt Clement to grant a 120 day reprieve from imminent demolition
of the bridge.
Thanks to the vigilance of Charlotte County residents, including
P.K. Pettus and many others who founded the grassroots organization
Friends of the Staunton River, citizens from both counties are
now rallying around the opportunity to preserve the historic structure
as a bridge for future economic development.
The potential adaptive reuse of the National Historic Register
eligible structure include: provide a destination for Charlotte/Halifax
County and the Central Virginia Birding Trail as a pedestrian
bridge and access point to a "blueway" (a canoeing trail
system which would not encumber private land) along the Scenic
Staunton River at the Charlotte County boat landing.
Ms. Pettus, a native of Keysville, now serves as a consultant
for Philanthropic Organizations, and is assisting Loudon County
in its historic preservation and heritage tourism planning.
"The effort to save Clarkton Bridge is an outcome of a meeting
I hosted in Keysville on April 1 to discuss possible stops in
Charlotte County for a driving loop on the Virginia Birding and
Wildlife Trail," she said.
"Fifty four people attended that meeting and another 21 called
me later to describe their interest in the trail. Many people
suggested the Clarkton Bridge as a stop for the birding and wildlife
trail," she added.
After contacting Charlotte County supervisor Haywood Hamlet, she
learned that demolition was imminent. Hamlet had long endorsed
efforts to save the bridge.
"He was glad to hear that the birding trail provided a new
reason to save it and encouraged my efforts see if there might
be something we could do," she said.
In his e-mail response to the Pettus letter dated May 19, Secretary
Clement granted the 120 secession with the following proviso:
"It must be clearly understood that whatever proposal or
potential partnership that you have in mind or that you might
craft must be based on the fact that VDOT not have any future
liability or responsibility-legal, financial or otherwise- of
any kind as to the continued existence of the bridge."
Halifax County Bridge supporters are marshalling the troops back
to the banks of the Staunton River.
Douglas Powell, along with Agricultural Director Linda Wallace,
assisted private landowners in Halifax with nominating VA Birding
Trail sites last fall as well as identifying public venues at
area State Parks.
Powell, who was instrumental in establishment of the Wilson Kautz
Virginia Civil War Trail marker across from the Halifax Courthouse
and War Memorial, also represents Halifax County on Virginia's
Retreat, the Southside Virginia tourism consortium.
Recently Powell hosted a gathering of local supporters to develop
a successful strategy to secure the bridge while the feasibility
of a new use can be studied."It can be a key site for ecotourism
in our county and in Charlotte County," Powell told the bridge
supporters.
For the next 30 days, volunteers in Halifax and Charlotte counties
will network with local participants and elected representatives
in addition to researching successful joint private/public ventures
throughout the country which have adapted historic truss bridges
for pedestrian as tourism destinations.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has an engineering
department solely dedicated to stabilization and reuse of historic
bridges and, according to Pettus, they are in contact with her
office.
Dan Shaw, who serves on the Halifax County Chamber of Commerce
Tourism Advisory Board representing the Town of Halifax, has digitized
the Clarkton Bridge site in addition to dozens of driving tours,
historic homes and locations throughout the county.
Town of Halifax Planner Carl Espy sees the tremendous potential
for linking the Prizery Welcome Center and the Halifax Courthouse.
both in the center of Downtown revitalization activity, as the
logical springboards for county wide tourism.
"Dan's efforts to host website virtual tours' throughout
the county will play an important role in marketing the area's
historic, cultural, scenic and natural assets to the world,"
Espy speculated. "Also his interactive map will prove to
be a commanding exhibit of how many of our tourism-related activities
would serve the Clarkton Bridge preservation cause in economic
terms, generating dollars for the community," he added.
To view the Halifax County Virtual Tour map type
http://www.halifax.com/county/historic.htm
or go the Halifax County Chamber of Commerce site @ http://www.halifaxchamber.net/
Virginia Tourism Corporation's new President & CEO, Alisa
Bailey will be hosting a brief "Meet VTC" gathering
at Berry Hill Conference Center on Wednesday, June 4 at 3:00 PM
in Classroom C.
The meeting is part of a tourism tour through Central Virginia,
including the Town's of Halifax and South Boston, and has been
coordinated by Wirt Shapard Confroy, Halifax County native and
Director of VTC's Electronic Marketing division.
So far, a determined group of citizens in Charlotte and Halifax
have illustrated to state authorities how the historic structure
will serve as a bridge to a brighter economic future.
By preserving & adapting the past, Charlotte/Halifax Counties
can build upon their under-utilized historic infrastructure, connecting
the region with some of the fastest growing economic sectors in
the state, including heritage tourism, outdoor recreation &
nature excursions (birding, biking, boating, fishing, hiking,
& horseback) and agri-tourism (visiting and working on family
farms).
The next test will be finding a suitable interim owner to relieve
the Department of Transportation of its liability and expense.
Local preservationists will cross that bridge.
By JOE CHANDLER
Work began this week on an athletic facilities project that
will include a new track and tennis courts for Halifax County
High School and a revamping of the girls softball field at Halifax
County Middle School.
Crews from the J. Gray Walker Construction Company of Nelson began
work Monday at the site of the new track Monday, removing trees
and stumps from the path of the track that will serve both Halifax
County High School and Halifax County Middle School.
Larry Roller, Director of Operations and Maintenance for the county
school system said a substantial completion date for the $744,000
project has been set for the end of September.
The final completion date has been set for the end of October.
"What they (the work crews) are doing right now is removing
the trees and stumps that have to be taken out," Roller said.
"Once they finish doing that, they will begin stripping the
topsoil and start on the grading."
The new track will have a rubberlike surface such as those used
at virtually all high school and college tracks in the country.
It will include jumping pits for the high jump as well as for
the long jump and triple jump.
In addition, a protective screen will be installed for the discus
throwing area.
Roller noted that one of the nice pluses that will evolve from
the project is a good playing field inside of the track itself.
That field will be used by the high school football teams and
soccer teams as a practice field.
"We're going to have a heck of a nice field there,"
Roller said.
"It will have an irrigation system and we will put turf on
it."
Roller said there will be field space adjacent to the track about
half the size of a football field that can be used as additional
practice space for football and soccer teams.
Roller also pointed out that as part of the project, a paved walkway
will be installed that will run from the track facility to the
girls softball field.
"This will provide better access to the facility for the
high school's physical education classes," said Roller.
"Having the walkway will allow the students and teachers
to be able to walk to and from the facility without having to
walk in the access road."
The new tennis facility that will be built behind the teachers'
parking lot and adjacent to the rear entrance of the cafeteria
at Halifax County High School will feature six lighted tennis
courts.
Roller said the six courts will be built side-by-side and that
all of the courts will be on one level.
"It was felt that with tennis courts on two separate levels
that it may be difficult for physical education teachers to keep
an eye on all of their students at one time," Roller said.
Fans attending tennis matches will park in the school's faculty
parking lot, Roller said.
There will not be an access road from the tennis courts out to
Route 129.
The project at Halifax County Middle School involves relocating
the girls softball field from its present location beside the
access road leading to the county school bus garage and maintenance
office to a site adjacent to the restroom and concession stand
facility located near the tennis courts.
Roller said the backstop for the softball field will be located
adjacent to the Project IDEA mobile units.
Relocating the softball field will offer advantages for the school,
its players and fans attending games there.
The move will put players closer to the dressing facilities in
the physical education locker rooms.
Fans attending the games will be able to park in the school's
faculty parking lot near the tennis courts, putting them closer
to the field and giving them more parking space than they currently
have.
In addition, fans will be much closer to restroom facilities and
will have much easier access to the concession stand.
No lights will be installed on the field.
Robert Frank Adams 'Sterling', 80, of Randolph
died May 29 at his home.
Mr. Adams is survived by his wife, Clara Marie; one son, Roger
and his wife, Mary, of Nathalie; one grandson, Dantavias Adams;
three great-grandchildren; two sisters, Emma Adams of Naruna and
Esther Hill of Baltimore, MD; two brothers, Willie Roger Adams
of Baltimore, and Samuel Adams of Naruna.
Funeral services for Mr. Adams were held June 3, at 1 p.m. at
the New Shiloh Baptist Church in Nathalie, with burial in the
church cemetery.
Detra Hill, 22, of Washington, DC, died
May 25.
Miss Hill is survived by one son, Donovan Hill; her father and
mother, Leo Hill and Annie Barbour, all of Washington; one sister,
Arlene Brooks; her grandparents, B.C. and Roxie Barbour of Nathalie;
and other relatives and friends.
Funeral services were held May 31 at the United House of Prayer
for All People in Washington. Burial followed in the Barbour Family
Cemetery, Nathalie.
Theodore Edward Perkins of 4149 Mountain
Road, Halifax, died June 3 at Halifax Regional Hospital.
He was born in Halifax County, the son of Joseph Perkins and Mamie
Simmons Perkins and was married to Mattie C. Perkins. Mr. Perkins
was a member of Centerville Baptist Church, the American Legion,
VFW, and a Veteran of WWII, having served on the USS Missouri.
Survivors include his wife; one daughter, Deborah P. Roark and
husband, M. Stover Roark Jr., of Halifax; three brothers, Thurman
Perkins and Wesley Perkins, both of Halifax, and Lawrence Perkins
of Cluster Springs; and one sister, Bernice Spencer of Crystal
Hill.
Funeral services for Mr. Perkins will be held Friday, June 6,
at 11 a.m. at Centerville Baptist Church with the Revs. Richard
Saunders and Ralph Neal officiating. Burial will take place in
Halifax Memorial Gardens with Military Rites.
The family will receive friends at Powell Funeral Home Thursday
evening from 7:00 until 8:30, and other times at the home.
Joyce Hamlett Royster, 81, of 1018 Bass
Trail, South Boston, died June 1 at The Woodview.
Mrs. Royster was born in Halifax County on March 14, 1922, the
daughter of Tommy Hamlett and Pearl Williams Hamlett, and was
married to Robert A. Royster. She was a member of Mason Chapel
Baptist Church.
Survivors include her husband; one daughter, Angela Michelle Royster
of Danville; three sons, Robert Leon Royster of South Boston,
John Thomas Royster of Alton, and Willie McKinley Royster of New
York, NY; six grandchildren; and one brother, Elbert C. Hamlett
of Danville.
Funeral services for Mrs. Royster will be held June 6 at 2 p.m.
at Mason Chapel Baptist Church with the Rev. Ronald Claiborne
officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the home.
Ellen Medley Faulkner Yancey, 79, of 1020
Tabernacle Trail, Halifax, died May 30 at Medical College of Virginia,
Richmond.
Mrs. Yancey was born in Halifax County on February 14, 1924, the
daughter of Ernest Medley Sr. and Margaret Crews Medley. She was
married to the Rev. William Yancey, and was a member of First
Baptist Church.
Survivors include her husband; one daughter, Florence Stewart
of Baltimore, MD; six grandchildren; six great-grandchildren;
one sister, Katie Williams of Oxon Hill, MD; one brother, Ernest
Medley of South Boston; 10 step-children; 26 step-grandchildren;
and 26 step-great-grandchildren.
Services for Mrs. Yancey will be held tomorrow, June 5, at 1 p.m.
at First Baptist Church with the Rev. Frederick Kelly officiating.
Burial will follow in Peaceful Tabernacle Baptist Church Cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the home.