INSIDE School Board hears budget presentation > page 2
Volume 57, Number 2 • January 13, 2011
Supervisors select leaders By Ken Odor jodor@goochlandgazette.com
Photo by Ken Odor
The Department of Corrections announced last week that the James River Correctional Center will close April 1.
Goochland prison to close in April But work center will remain open By Ken Odor jodor@goochlandgazette.com
James River Correctional Center employees learned last week that the center, located on Route 6 just west of
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Crozier, would close April 1 this year, said Department of Corrections Director of Communications Larry Traylor last week. The center houses about 450 inmates and employs around 160 people. The James River Work Center agribusiness and dairy operations, with about 270 inmates, will remain open, said Traylor. All DOC employees were informed Friday morning of the decision by DOC
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Director Harold Clarke in a statement, who said the agency, faced with the need to cut $10.9 million from its 2012 budget, decided to close the main compound at James River, while continuing the James River Work Center and agribusiness operations. “We will be implementing strategies to
SPORTS Goochland wins first game > page 9
see Prison > page 8
Goochland supervisors held there first meeting of the year last week, electing a chairman and vice chairman as they always do. But some folks were not happy with the result, which gave District 2 member William E. Quarles Jr. a second year at the helm and retiring District 5 member James W. Eads another year as vice chairman. When time came to vote on Quarles’ nomination for chairman District 4 member Malvern R. “Rudy” Butler spoke up. “I’m going to vote no and I’m going to state this as part of my no vote,” said Butler. “We agreed to rotate this years ago and we did rotate it. It’s not fair to other people in other districts not to have somebody as chairman.” said Butler. “We’re not equally represented on this board by a chairman and I’m sorry it’s that way. Both Quarles and Eads won on 3-2 votes, with District 1 supervisor Andrew Pryor joining the two in securing their positions to lead the board for another year. District 3 supervisor Ned S. Creasey joined with Butler in the
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no vote. Creasey had nominated Butler for chairman but his bid was defeated 2-3 by the same split. Butler nominated Creasey for vice chairman but there was no second. The lack of rotation of power did not sit well with several observers, who voiced their displeasure in the public comment period. Ann Rockecharlie spoke first. “I’ve been attending these meetings since 1997,” said Rockecharlie. “In 2000, some of you pushed very hard for a rotation of leadership,” she said. “We sitting out here thought that was wonderful.” “I can only wonder why Mr. Quarles, Mr. Pryor and Mr. Eads choose to close out Butler and Creasy from county leadership. Could it be that Butler and Creasy opened the door to open government? Hasn’t this county had enough of deals such as the one we’ve witnessed here today?” asked Rockecharlie. Two other speakers echoed her sentiments. David F. Ligon III said, “We felt that we were going to get see Supervisors > page 5
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west SERVING EASTERN GOOCHLAND AND WESTERN HENRICO
Legend of the Poinsettia at the Cultural Arts Center