03/10/2011 by Goochland Gazette

INSIDE Rotary volunteers warm community hearths > page 2

Volume 57, Number 10 • March 10, 2011

Deputies discover county man dead Roommate arrested on drug charge By Ken Odor jodor@goochlandgazette.com

A Goochland man was found dead Sunday night and his roommate has been arrested on a drug charge, said Goochland Sheriff James L. Agnew Monday. Deputies went to a home in the 12900 block of Holly Lane in Manakin-Sabot to check on the welfare of Eric William Amman, 22, after a friend called from

Chesterfield County saying he was concerned about Amman. Amman’s roommate, Andrew C. McKenzie, 32, was uncooperative with the officers, saying that he didn’t know what the deputies were talking about. As deputies were verifying McKenzie’s identification, McKenzie closed the door and refused to allow deputies to enter. McKenzie then called see Death > page 5

File photo by Ken Odor

Budget outlines GES principal Stacey Austin takes additional cuts School transfer position in Chesterfield County still a major Goochland Elementary School Principal Stacey Austin leads students on the first day of school last fall. Austin announced last week he has accepted the principal’s job at Robious Elementary School in Chesterfield.

By Ken Odor jodor@goochlandgazette.com

Goochland Elementary School principal Stacey Austin has announced that he will be leaving his current job at the end of the current school year.

INDEX

Calendar Classifieds Letters LEW

Austin will start his new job as principal of Robious Elementary School in Chesterfield County beginning in July he said in a Feb. 22 letter addressed to the Goochland Elementary School Community. In his letter, Austin called

14 15-19 6 E1

Opinion Politics Sports TV Listings

6 4 10 12-14

the change an “unbelievable opportunity for me to grow as a professional in a larger school district.” Austin, who has worked for Goochland Schools for the past 15 years, said he looked forward to “continuing our fight for educational excel-

SPORTS Baseball and Softball previews > page 10-11

lence in Goochland. However I will soon be a member of the parent group by your side pursuing our goals for the school system,” he wrote. Austin, who had served as principal at Randolph see School > page 4

get numbers last week and they showed another decrease, as the county continues to face declining revenues. Deputy County Administrator John Wack told the board that the budget was By Ken Odor based on a 3.8 percent decline jodor@goochlandgazette.com in taxable real estate assessments Goochland supervisors got with a further 2 percent decline the county administration’s see Budget > page 4 recommended FY2012 bud-

question

INCIDENT REPORTS from the Sheriff’s office > page 9

Thursday

FEATURE: The Lives We Lead

March 10, 2011

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Rotary volunteers warm community hearths By Jim Ridolphi news@goochlandgazette.com

The Goochland Rotary Club takes its role as a service provider in the community very seriously. Conducting numerous programs throughout the year that assist the community, the group doesn’t take time off when cold weather arrives. As usual, the club identi-

fied a need and found a way to fill it. About five years ago, Ennion Williams came up with the idea of donating wood to county families who needed the supplies to heat their homes. “Knight Bowles coordinated the effort for several years and this past year, Lowe Lunsford directed the project,” said club member and publicity direc-

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tor Rich Costanzo. Lunsford is also president-elect of the club, and John Wright is the current president. The Goochland Free Clinic and Family Services identifies families who need the firewood and supplies the addresses for the deliveries. With this year’s colder than usual winter, requests were up for the vital service, and the Rotary responded. “The Rotary Club delivered more than 100 loads of wood to needy families,” Costanzo said. Club members gathered on Saturday mornings to cut the wood, all of it donated by residents of the county. Over the past few years, club members put in hundreds of man hours on Saturday morning, cutting trees, splitting wood, loading their own pickup trucks and delivering to locations throughout the county. Excess wood is sold to coun-

ty residents and those proceeds go to support other Rotary programs. For example, funds raised are used to pay for the holiday meals delivered to residents, contributions made to the Christmas Mother, scholarships awarded to Goochland County High School seniors, and many other worthwhile causes supported by the Goochland Rotary Club. The woodchuck program is just one of many programs sponsored and run by Rotary members. Some sponsored projects include Meals on Wheels, Adopt a Highway, Lend a Hand home repairs, Habitat house, holiday meals and the Christmas Mother. Members also engage in reading to elementary students through the Rotary Reads programs, and also support the county’s Tiny Tots program. The group’s main fundraiser is the annual concert by the

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Rotary members cut wood for the needy

Richmond Symphony. Those funds, approximately $20,000, go to support GFCFS. The Rotary Club meets weekly and the gatherings are “non-political and non-religious and open to all cultures, races and creeds.” With winter coming to an end and woodcutting almost finished, the club is moving on to other missions and projects. “The main objective of Rotary is service in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world,” Costanzo said. Lunsford said the woodchuck program is another in a long line of successful projects the Rotary has undertaken. “As far as the woodchuck story goes I would sum it up as a win-win situation,” Lunsford said. “There are many families in Goochland County who heat their homes with wood (either partially or completely). Most of the people who heat with wood exclusively have limited incomes, are elderly, disabled, or disadvantaged in some fashion,” he added. Current Rotary president John Wright said the wood cutting efforts are typical of the dedication displayed by Goochland Rotary members

year round. “ “The members of the Goochland Rotary Club like to marry ‘sweat equity’ with charitable giving as much as possible. While this project doesn’t involve any monetary giving, we feel that it does impact the community as much as any gift we could make,” Wright said. Wright added that the rewards of community service are clearly evident when volunteers deliver the final product. “This project, through the years, has been very popular among our membership. It’s a great way to see the impact of our efforts on the smiling faces of those with whom we come into contact.” This year’s Rotary officers include: John Wright, - President, Don Lee, - Past President, A. Lowe Lunsford, III, President-elect, Joy Kline, - Secretary, Jack Martin, - Treasurer, John Kendig,Sergeant-at-arms, George Gill, - Director of Club Administration, John O’Connor,- Director of Club Membership, Paul Miller, - Director of Club Rotary Foundation, Richard Costanzo, -Director of Club Publicity, Jim Barden, Director of Club Service.

Thursday

March 10, 2011

NEWS: Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Going on in Goochland County

Wild horses threatened with extinction says advocate By Ken Odor jodor@goochlandgazette.com

â&#x20AC;&#x153;You ought to be upset as a taxpayer,â&#x20AC;? said Ginger Kathrens last month as she waited to speak to the Three Oaks Equine Client Education Seminar last month at Hermitage Country Club. For 16 years Kathrens has been battling the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in its program of rounding up wild horses and burros on public lands. Kathrens, who has become well-known through her series of documentaries on Cloud, a stallion in the Arrowhead Mountains of Montana, claims BLM is losing money in its wild horse management programs. Taxpayers should be angry that the agency is losing money in its land management while reducing the number of wild horses and burros she maintains. But BLM claims that more wild horses are roaming public lands now than in 1971, when the 1971 Wild FreeRoaming Horses and Burros Act was passed. Whatever the truth is, no one can doubt Kathrensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; passion for the animals to which she has devoted the last 16 years of her life. Kathrens claims that the BLM aims to reduce the number of wild horses and burros because they compete with commercial livestock for limited forage on public lands in 10 western states, such as Montana, Nevada, Arizona and Colorado. She fears that other pressures, such as oil and gas exploration and water removal motivate the agency to reduce the number of wild horses. But the BLM claims that the current count of about 38,000 wild horses and burros exceeds by about 12,000

the number of animals that can be supported by their environment. Kathrens calls the BLM numbers inflated, claiming there are only about 18,000 animals left and that they are being â&#x20AC;&#x153;managed to extinction,â&#x20AC;? with herds being reduced to levels where they are no longer genetically viable. The BLM on its web site calls the â&#x20AC;&#x153;manage to extinctionâ&#x20AC;? charge a myth. According to the BLM, it rounded up and removed about 10,000 animals in 2010 and adopted out about 3,000. In this highly charged debate, Kathrens said she is optimistic, particularly because the BLM recently halted a roundup in Antelope Valley, Nevada. She advocates a stop to the roundups and releasing some of the horses that have been rounded up back into

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Photo courtesy of The Cloud Foundation

Makendra Silverman of The Cloud Foundation on Rain, a wild horse adopted by Goochland resident Lisa Friday.

the wild, maintaining that the herds have as much or more revenue producing potential as grazing fees for commercial livestock. Kathrens envisions ecotourism as a revenue producer. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To many people they represent unbridled freedom,â&#x20AC;?

said Kathrens. To find out more about the question of wild horses and burros and their management, visit the Cloud Foundation web site at www.thecloudfoundation. org and the Bureau of Land Managementâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s web site at www.blm.gov.

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POLITICS: Government, Elections

March 10, 2011

Budget continued from > page 1

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expected next year. The budget incorporates expected declines in other revenue sources, such as sales taxes, business licenses, building permits, and interest earnings. It is based on retaining the current 53 cent per $100 real estate tax rate. A savings of $800,000 expected to be generated in this fiscal year is included in revenue for FY2012. Some major changes in the FY2012 budget are an increase in the Correction and Detention budget for adult jail space in

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the Henrico Jail of $277,800, a transfer to Capital Improvement Program for Parks Development of $200,000 and an increase transfer to County Utility to support recurring debt cost after reserve is gone of $250,000. Emergency Communications reflects inclusion of $148,000 in E911 operating costs, previously shown separately from General Fund. Wack said the total requests from departments for funds was $41.3 million, while the proposed budget is $39.2 million, tied to available revenues. Some notable examples of increases in requests that were not included in the proposed budget were $500,000 more from the Sheriffs Office for five additional positions, and $69,000 more from Fire/Rescue for an additional full-time position and operating funds. The largest discrepancy between requested funds and the proposed budget was the slightly more than $1.4 million requested by schools. The board voted 4-0 to advertise the proposed budget for public hearing on March 29 with District 4 supervisor Malvern R. “Rudy” Butler abstaining. “We should meet with the county departments before we hear the county administrator’s

budget,” said Butler. The advertised tax rates, in addition to the unchanged 53 cent real estate tax rate, include substantial increases for general water and sewer and for the Tuckahoe Creek Service District (TCSD). Ad valorem tax rates for the TCSD would also increase. In the public comment period before the evening session in which the budget and tax advertisements were approved, a number of citizens spoke in favor of fully funding the schools’ budget request. “I would ask the board fund the school board budget for the coming year,” said Elizabeth Nelson-Lyda. “It’s the minimum standard I would see the children of Goochland County have.” “I am advocating that you actually increase the tax rate,” said Jo D. Hoskins. Angela Carter said, “I am begging the board of supervisors to make the right decision. Please help prevent further deterioration of our county and schools. Our schools have been asked to do so much with so little and it’s really taken its toll and it’s really starting to show.” But John Harper said the county needs economic growth. “We need to make sure we’re not taxing ourselves out of the hole we’re in. We were promised

an economic development plan a year or two ago, where is it?” he asked. Penny Palen said she would “personally welcome an increase in the tax rate,” and asked the county to consider a moratorium on tax assessments. She then displayed a check for $53 payable to the Goochland Free Clinic that she said represented the tax loss on her property due to the decline in its assessment and urged other citizens make similar donations. John Wright noted that the $693,000 decrease in the county transfer to schools was based on an estimated 4 percent decline in real estate assessments, which in reality turned out to be only 3.8 percent and asked that the schools’ transfer be adjusted accordingly. He also asked that VRS reserve fund money be used this year to fund increased school retirement liabilities. But Kevin Heft urged the board to keep the current tax rate “or even lower it.” Heft asked the board to hold the school board accountable and to cut the “fat and bureaucracy,” rather than raising the tax rate.

School

ents mounted a petition drive and letter-writing campaign against the move. Austin’s decision to move to Chesterfield prompted mixed feelings in at least one GES student parent. “It’s kind of bittersweet,” said Dennine Michel, who has two daughters at GES, one in first grade and one in fifth grade. “I’m happy for him but sad for us. He was a great influence on the children,” said Michel, a PTA board member. “He’s in tune with the kids and gets them excited.” Elizabeth Nelson-Lyda, who has two children at GES, called Austin’s leaving “a huge loss to Goochland. Mr.

Austin is a wonderful principal,” adding that she understood he had to take advantage of the opportunity in the Chesterfield system. “This is absolutely a loss for Goochland,” said Underwood Monday of Austin’s departure. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for him and we wish him all the best.” Underwood said the position would likely be posted by March 14 for two or three weeks to seek internal and external candidates to fill the GES principal job and that GES students’ parents would be included in the interview process.

see Budget > page 5

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continued from > page 1 Elementary School for six years, was reassigned to GES in a controversial move last June in which he and GES principal Dianna Gordon switched jobs. The switch prompted opposition from some parents and criticism of the way it was announced. Goochland School Superintendent Linda Underwood said at the time that the move had been under consideration for some time and was designed to match each principal’s skills to their new schools. Nevertheless, some par-

Thursday

March 10, 2011

Budget continued from > page 4 After the budget presentation several supervisors weighed in with criticism of the schoolsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; budget, although it was revealed that supervisors had not been provided with the final schoolsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; budget document due to an oversight by county administration. District 1 supervisor James W. Eads called the school information â&#x20AC;&#x153;not professional and not comprehensive,â&#x20AC;? adding that the school system is in denial about the retirement system. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sustainable this year and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not going to be

NEWS: Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Going on in Goochland County

sustainable next year.â&#x20AC;? Eads said he doubted taxpayers would continue funding health care and retirement plans for school employees better than their own. District 3 Ned S. Creasey called the school budget information â&#x20AC;&#x153;suspect.â&#x20AC;? But Goochland School Superintendent Linda Underwood said later in the week that she had discovered that the supervisors had not been provided with copies of the schoolsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; budget before the Tuesday evening meeting, a fact corroborated by an email from county administrator Rebecca Dickson to the supervisors on Wednesday acknowledging the oversight.

The deadline for interim treasurer applications for Goochland County has passed. Goochland asked the court to appoint an interim treasurer on Feb. 15, that step being made necessary by the resignation of Deputy Treasurer Cynthia Parker on that same day, according to Deputy County Administrator John Wack.

Interested parties had until last Friday to submit their names and resumes to Circuit Court Judge Timothy K. Sanner. No information was available as to when an appointment might be made. Meanwhile, Goochland Registrar Frances Ragland said Monday that several persons have picked up paperwork to run for treasurer for the November election. Filing deadline is August 23 at 7 p.m., said Ragland.

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Deputies continued from > page 1 911 and requested an ambulance for Amman saying that Amman was bleeding from the nose. Moments later, McKenzie placed Amman on a wheeled office chair and pushed it to the front door which he then opened for deputies. Amman was bleeding from the nose and he was unresponsive. Deputies began CPR until Goochland Fire and Rescue units arrived. Deputies and Goochland Fire and Rescue personnel were unable to revive Amman, who was pronounced dead at 10:20 p.m. Sunday night. During their efforts to revive Amman, deputies saw drug paraphernalia in the residence and obtained a search warrant. They confiscated 145 marijuana plants, numerous pipes and other smoking devices, syringes, pills, grow lights, scales, baggies, a razor blade with residue and a jar of what appeared to be mushrooms. McKenzie was arrested and charged with manufacturing marijuana, a class 6 felony and transported to the Henrico County Jail where he is being held without bond. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for

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March 28 and additional charges are likely to be filed, said Agnew. Agnew said McKenzie told investigators he intended to plant the marijuana plants and later pick them up and sell them. Ammanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s body was transported to the Medical Examinerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office to determine a cause of death.

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Thursday

OPINION: Editorial, Letters to the Editor

March 10, 2011

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The numbers Numbers are what it’s all about in the end and that’s what the Goochland Board of Supervisors spent some time talking about after being presented the county’s proposed FY2012 budget March 1. The budget summary page shows a marked decline from the actual FY2010 to proposed FY2012 from almost $47 million to $39.2 million, illustrating the tough times that have fallen on the county during the current economic downturn. The proposed FY2012 budget is based on maintaining the property tax rate of 53 cent per $100 of assessed value. Unlike last year, when the board advertised a possible rate increase of up to four cents, this year the board gave itself no such flexibility in this area, most folks attributing this reluctance to the upcoming fall elections. Don’t want to be called a tax hiker when one’s name is on the ballot in a few months!

Some observations: Board members were quick to jump on the schools’ proposed budget Tuesday night, a curious fact, since none of the supervisors had been provided a copy of the schools’ budget to peruse. Due to a snafu acknowledged the next day by county administrator Dickson, the schools’ budget had not been transmitted to board members before Tuesday evening’s budget presentation. Hard copies that had supposedly been delivered, according to superintendent Underwood, had also not been provided to the supervisors.

That did not prevent several from delivering strong criticism of the schools’ figures. The situation was rectified later in the week but one is troubled that the oversight occurred and even more surprised that evidently none of the supervisors felt the need to contact county administration to inquire about it, given all the attention that has been directed toward the fact that schools have requested about $1.4 million more from the county than it is inclined to contribute. Board members said later in the week that they now had hard copies of the schools’ budget but they wanted still more data, to wit: line items for each and every person employed with salary numbers for the same. To those of us outside the accounting world the difficulty of providing that information is hard to evaluate but assuming it can be done it should be done. On the theme of flexibility, it’s been noted in this space previously that the schools might have done something along what the county did last year, that is providing the supervisors with different versions of the schools’ budget, including one that accommodated the administration’s proposed almost $700,000 lower county transfer, with an illustration of the cuts that would have to be made to accommodate it. Then the supervisors might have had a clearer picture of the effect the lower county transfer might have on the quality of public education in Goochland.

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Alternative energy sources are the answer One day, without expecting it, we could run out of energy. We wouldn’t be able to turn on a light, drive a car, or have air conditioning. This day could be any day. We don’t have enough nonrenewable resources to last the rest of earth’s time. However, if we use renewable energy we will have enough energy to last us lifetimes. As much as we would like to

Joy Monopoli Ken Odor Charlie Leffler Pam Sanders Stephanie Childrey Cindy Grant

believe, coal, oil, and natural gas will not last forever. We use oil the most today and it is going to be the first resource to run out. The population is steadily increasing which results in us using more energy, which is then going to run out sooner. In only about fifty years, oil and natural gas will not be able to form quickly for us to use. If you include all the spills and leaks that occur every year, then we will run out even sooner. The United States buys half the oil it needs from other countries.

Power plants run by coal produce half of the energy of the United States. Twenty-five percent of the world’s coal is in the United States. This shows how much we rely on nonrenewable energy. There are many alternative energy sources such as the sun, water, wood, waste, geothermal, and wind. We already use solar power for many things. In California and other sunny states, there are many “solar farms.” For see Letters > page 7

CONTACT THE GOOCHLAND GAZETTE Publisher Interim Editor Sports Editor Sales Manager Sales Executive Classifieds

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see Editorial > page 7

Letters to the Editor

Thursday

OPINION: Letters to the Editor

March 10, 2011

Editorial continued from > page 6 Of course, not only did the school board not accommodate the requested lower county transfer proposal, they added about another $700,000 onto their request, an action that was sure to stir up the supervisors. Now it appears the school

Letters continued from > page 6 every minute the sun shines on Earth, it provides a year’s worth of energy to meet all the human needs. Hydropower is the number one used renewable resource today. Biomass is the second but it does have some pollutants. It would take onethird of the plants in the world to produce enough energy for the United States. There are more renewable energy sources than nonrenewable. Most alternative energy sources do not have pollutants. They don’t have the radioactive waste like nuclear energy. We won’t have to destroy animals’ habitats quite as severely like we do with coal and oil plants. We won’t have to set up oil rigs. The people who have jobs to do that could then

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board will study possible ways to bridge the gap, since the posted agenda for the March 8 school board meeting has an action item labeled Reduction in Force, but at the time of this writing, without any enclosure to explain what this item may include. Guess we’ll find out Tuesday night. - Ken Odor build solar farms. People who work in coal mines won’t be in danger of anything. Acid rain may no long exist. Green energy is cleaner and is better for the environment. Others have a different opinion. They say green energy is too expensive. In Europe, electricity from coal is half the cost of wind energy. Solar power is almost twenty times more expensive than coal. To determine the real cost of energy you have to consider the external costs, such as human health and the economy. However, the European Union has done a study to determine what the “real” cost is. The study shows that consumers are being charged twice the amount it takes to produce electricity see Letters > page 8

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Thursday

OPINION: Letters to the Editor

March 10, 2011

Letters

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continued from > page 7 from coal. Wind energy has few external costs and it costs almost the same amount, so it is actually cheaper than coal. The cost of energy varies throughout different countries. We must start using alternative energy sources before the nonrenewable energy sources run out completely. With nonpolluting factories and cars, we could stop global warming. The people who now have jobs to build the coal and oil and other power plants could start building the green ones. Renewable energy would help the economy as well as the environment. The price of green energy has actually stayed the same or gone down. The cost of coal and oil has gone up. Overall, alternative energy resources are the best and only option we have for the future. Kathryn Reynolds Maidens 7th Grade Goochland Middle School

rassed with the news coming out of our county government over the past several years. Earlier this week, I received my county’s bill for the 2011 Vehicle License Fee, showing a payment due date of 03/15/2010. Were these bills prepared one year late, or is this yet another inadvertent error by the folks who are handling our money? I read down further on my bill and notice the following in bold blue print: “VEHICLES THAT ARE EXEMPT FROM THE LICENSE FEE MUST BE IN WRITING OF WHICH VEHICLE IS EXEMPT FOR VERIFICATION”. Can someone please translate for me? Perhaps the better question is whether anyone is paying attention? K. Marshall Cook Manakin-Sabot

Mr. Mattox and reality

School Board Chairman Ivan Mattox, in his guest column in the March 3, 2011 Goochland Gazette: “To the I’ve lived in Goochland citizens of Goochland”, seeks County since 1978 and, like the support of the community many; I’ve been quite embar- and the Board of Supervisors

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in funding the 2011 – 2012 school budget. While the concern for quality public education is paramount in the minds of county citizens, the majority of county residents have voiced their discontent with the conduct of the presiding school board members and the wisdom of their decisions. This is evidenced by the overwhelming constructive criticism leveled at the school board by the majority of speakers at school board meetings and workshops, and in the press. The chairman said: “The schools have done their part over the past two years” to meet difficult economic times and asked several rhetorical questions that speak to low per student expenditure in Goochland compared to other localities and severe cuts to teaching positions and to central office staff. While this is true, the public perception is that school budget cuts were lopsided to preserve administrative positions at the expense of educating our children, who lost the most important people in their academic life, their teachers. For the past two years, parents and concerned citi-

zens provided school board members and the superintendent, individually and by public forums, with reasonable alternative measures to trimming the school budget preserving quality instruction without losing teachers. Savings were shown by tackling waste, redundancy, lowering maintenance and transportation costs, etc. All their hard work seemed to have fallen on deaf ears in the 2010 – 2011 budget cycle and not addressed adequately in 2011 – 2012 budget deliberations. This apparent arrogance eroded public trust in Goochland Public Schools leadership. Now, chairman Mattox is seeking the support of the same people he and his school board members shunned repeatedly only a few months ago. Indeed, our children deserve quality public education, and our community expects that rightfully. For that to happen, we need our public school officials to provide leadership worthy of public trust and support. At the end, I hope the board of supervisors will act with the best interest of our children, their parents, and the tax payers. Adeeb Hamzey Goochland

OBITUARIES: Death Notices Amos Malcolm W. Amos, “Mac”, 88, of Goochland, passed away on March 3, 2011, after a brief illness. He was an active life member and recently named “Elder Emeritus” of Springfield Christian Church. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Helen Holzbach Amos. He is survived by his wife Dorothy Sheppard Amos, and her children. His two sisters, Joyce Berryhill and Shirley Schulze and her husband Al. His nieces Elizabeth Brockman (Mike) and

Joyce Ann Forturne (Cochise) and his nephews, Bill (Jean); Charles (Margaret) and Thomas (Claire) Berryhill along with their children. He is survived by many cousins including devoted cousins Jeff and Bubba Salmon, Ernie Amos, Jr. along with their families. Mac served 29 years in the Goochland County Treasurer’s office and was Treasurer from 1968 to 1987 when he retired. He enjoyed his time as Treasurer, but his passion was farming and he managed his 130 acre cattle farm for over 60 years where he was

also born and raised. He loved traveling with his wife, Dot, and they enjoyed many adventures including cruises, road trips and Sunshine Tours trips throughout the US and several countries. A person committed to his community, Mac was voted Grand Marshall of the Goochland Day Festival in 1988. He was a former member of the Goochland and Rockville Ruritans. He was very devoted to Springfield Christian Church and was a trustee of the cemetery fund for over 50 years and also a Trustee and Treasurer for the Church

for many years. A true country gentleman with a soft voice and steady smile, he will be missed by all who knew him. The family received friends at Norman’s funeral home in Goochland on Saturday, March 5, 2011. Funeral services were held at Springfield Christian Church on Sunday, March 6, 2011. Graveside services followed in the Church cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to the Springfield Christian Church Cemetery Fund, 18285 Vontay Road, Rockville, VA 23146.

Thursday

SHERIFF REPORTS: Incidents

March 10, 2011 X

March 1 X

Victim was assaulted by suspect at location on Redeye Ct.

Suspect cited for inspection violation at location on Hockett Rd.

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intersection of Fairground Rd. and Hawktown Rd.

Suspect cited for speed March 4 limit violation at location on X Suspect cited for unsafe Pouncey Tract Rd. X Suspect obtained money equipment on Whitehall under false pretenses on X Suspect cited for Rd. Goodluck Rd. inspection violation at X Suspect cited for location on River Rd. W. X Suspect damaged property speed limit violation on at location on Broad St. X Suspicious person reported Fairgrounds Rd. Rd. at location on Broad St. X Suspect cited for speed Rd. X Suspect obtained drug by limit violation on River Rd. fraud at location on Briggs Dr. X Suspicious person reported March 3 at location on Broad St. Rd. X Suspect cited for reckless March 5 driving at location on Oilville Rd. X Victim was involved in March 2 domestic dispute on Davis X Suspect cited for speed Mill Rd. X Victim involved in hit and limit violation at location on run at location on Pony River Rd. W. X Suspect obtained alcohol Farm Rd. under the age of 21 on X Suspect cited for speed Maidens Rd. X Suspect involved in hit and limit violation at location on run at location on Broad River Rd/Blair Rd. X Victim’s property was St. Rd. damaged at location on I-64. X Accident occurred at

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March 10, 2011

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SPORTS: Youth, High School, College, Recreational, Professional www.goochlandgazette.com HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL PREVIEW

Bulldogs have high hopes while Cadets look for repeat BY JIM RIDOLPHI Special Correspondent

The Goochland Bulldogs return to the diamond this year with a fair amount of uncertainty after losing all but one starting infielder and four top pitchers to graduation. But Coach Wes Farkas is playing the cards he’s been dealt and he sees great potential for this crop of Bulldogs. “We have a lot of new faces on this year’s team,” Farkas said. “Although we may be lacking a lot of varsity innings played, we have some guys we feel will be able to grow and develop as the season progresses. We hope to finish in the top half of the district.” Although the squad features few of the players that took third in the Jefferson District a season ago, some returnees will play key roles in this year’s lineup. The Bulldogs’ leading hitter from last year, Scott Ragland, returns to the infield and will also see time behind the plate. Likewise, senior Ben Swecker will anchor a young Bulldog outfield. “He is our most experienced outfielder from last year’s team, will also see some time behind the plate.” What remains is a depleted pitching staff that will depend on youth to fill the gaps.

Left-hander Austin Goyle will occupy a starting role for the Bulldogs, and transfer Wes McGuire will also be in the rotation. Another transfer, Chase Brookman will see time on the mound and play middle infield. Farkas is cautiously optimistic about the pitching prospects. “After our first scrimmage it appears that our staring pitching has a lot of potential,” he said. However, the first outing also revealed some troubling signs on the other side. “Our defense still needs some work,” Farkas said. “I see a weakness at the beginning of the year being our ability or lack of ability to ‘gel’ as a team and learn each other on the field…we just need some time to gain some team chemistry. I already like what I have seen, but I know that we have a lot to work on still.” Farkas feels the formula for success is simple. “We need to get quality starts from our pitchers, and with that we need to play solid defense behind them,” he said. “If we can gain confidence in the field with our team and build on team chemistry we should be very competitive. We need to take advantage of runners in scoring position, with the possibility of less power numbers due to bat changes.” As Goochland prepares for its final

run in the Jefferson District, Farkas knows it won’t be easy. “Most teams in the District will be dealing with replacing their best pitcher or pitchers from last season as well,” he said. “With that said, I think that if a team gets hot early and can pick up key wins, confidence may build and momentum could put any team in the top spot.” Last year’s third place Jefferson finish will be a tough act to follow, but not out of the question. “We should be very competitive in the district,” Farkas said. “We will have our work cut out for us this season to repeat last season’s success, but if we develop as quickly as I think we can, we’ll be right in the mix.” About a dozen miles to the east, Benedictine is preparing to defend its VIS title and returns a wealth of experience. It’s almost an embarrassment of riches for Cadet coach Sean Ryan, who views the upcoming campaign with cautious optimism. “We have a really nice core group back from last year’s state title team, but we will need to replace our middle guys - our catcher, shortstop and center fielder,” Ryan said. With that said, the team’s goals remain unchanged. “Each year, our goal is to finish in the top eight of our division, to have the opportunity to play for a state

File photos by Jim Ridolphi

Above from left: Goochland head baseball coach Wes Farkas, Scott Ragland and Ben Swecker look for success despite losing a majority of thier infield to graduation. Below from left: Benedictine pitchers Andrew Woods and Zach Joseph will be part of a one-two punch for the Cadets in their efforts to defend last season’s VIS State championship.

championship. We play a demanding schedule in the hopes that it will prepare us for the state tournament,” Ryan said. The Cadets chances for a repeat look good as last year’s All-Metro player Zach Joseph returns for his senior season on the mound. “Zach was nearly unhittable down the stretch last year. He should be able to keep us in games no matter who we play,” the coach said. Andrew Woods joins Joseph in the starting rotation and Brooks Snead, Zach Matthews and Jake Wood will contribute. “Andrew is the perfect complement to Zach, and we’re just beginning to see how great a pitcher he can be,” Ryan said. “Because we play three games a week most weeks, we’re going to hand the ball to three seniors - Brooks Snead, Zach Matthews and Jake Wood - a lot.” Leadoff hitter Colton Konvicka also returns and David Geary will move from third base to shortstop. The team will also count on offense from Woods, junior Michael Childress

and Matthews. Even with the strong group of returning players, Ryan knows the path to the title won’t be easy. “Coming off of a state title, we know that we’re going to get everyone’s best shot,” he said. “How we deal with adversity is going to be important because we know there are a lot of really good teams on our schedule. Last year was very special, but it’s a new year.” The Cadets schedule features some of the region’s best, and Ryan said that’s exactly the way he wants it. “We feel we play as demanding a schedule as anyone. Not only will we face some of the best private teams in the state, but we also will meet some of the best public teams.” Putting its 21-7 record on the line, the Cadets are hoping the 10 returners will add up to another championship. “Many of the players who helped build a strong foundation are gone, but we have a solid group of returners who are shaping their own identity. And we hope to be in a position to defend our state title.”

Thursday

March 10, 2011

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HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL PREVIEW

Different year, same challenges for local softball teams BY JIM RIDOLPHI Special Correspondent

Most softball teams in the area have been conducting conditioning for the past several months, but all are now on the field preparing for the upcoming season. Goochland High School, St. Catherine’s and Collegiate will all play home games in the county. Goochland- The Lady Bulldogs face the biggest challenge this season, returning only one senior from last year’s squad. The team returns for its final year of Jefferson District competition and hopes to improve on last year’s fourth place league finish. “We expect to finish higher in the rankings this year,” Coach Amy Henneberger said. Orange will be the Bulldogs major obstacle, and it’s the story of two teams on the move next year. “They will move up to triple A next year and Goochland will move to single A next year,” Henneberger said. “Orange will probably be one of the top teams in the Jefferson. They have two great pitchers,” she added. Callie Alvis is the only returning senior and will anchor a young, but not inexperienced squad. “She has great leadership skills,” which Henneberger said will be needed. “We have such a young team.” After several weeks of practice, Henneberger is pleased with the early efforts. “The players are really practicing hard,” she said. I’m really looking forward to working with this group of young ladies. They have been conditioning for softball since midNovember.” St. Catherine’s - The Saints are looking for more consistency from this year’s squad. The team started slow last season,

but Coach Tara DiGiacomo is looking for things to step up. “I feel like the team this year has improved leaps and bounds from last year,” DiGiacomo said. “The returning players have returned with confidence and are eager for the season to begin. We lost five starters from last year’s squad but the returners put in lots of hours in the off-season,” the coach added. Junior Raven Baytops returns to anchor this year’s Saints and looks to build on last year’s All-State performance.

“Raven is the foundation to the team,” DiGiacomo said. “She brings athleticism and lots of energy to our team.” Audrey Fain returns for her senior season, and her leadership will be a key element in this year’s campaign. “Audrey can help the team at the plate and also in the field this season,” DiGiacomo said. “She leads by example.” The Saints will count on freshman Molly Phillips for duty on the mound. “With a year under her belt, I look forward to watching Molly control the batters at the plate. Molly can also put up some numbers at the plate,” the coach said. The team will play a large portion of their schedule against out-of-conference schools. “Some of the tougher

matchups will be Colonial Heights, Brunswick Academy, and Nansemond-Suffolk,” DiGiacomo said. “We are playing a 19 game schedule this season and playing lots of teams out of the LIS.” DiGiacomo feels his Saints are prepped for a good year. “Last year, we started slow and then

made huge strides towards the end of the season,” she said. “I feel that we will be very competitive against all our matchups this season.” Collegiate – The Cougars are short on seniors but long on experience as they prepare to begin the 2011 season. “I really like the group that we have out,” said head coach Robby Turner. “We do not have any seniors, but we do have seven returning players that all saw a decent amount of playing time last year. They are hard workers and have impressed me so far.” Sophomore Mallory Knighton will return behind the plate for the Cougars. “She batted .426 last year with 16

Photo Illustrations by Charlie Leffler

RBI’s,”

Turner said. “Mallory played first base and caught for us last year but she will be our primary catcher this year. She is tough behind the plate and a very smart batter (only 6 strikeouts last year).” Caroline Cheatham returns at centerfield and covers a lot of ground for the Cougars. “She tracks the ball very well and has nice speed,” Turner said. “She batted .299 last year with 20 RBI’s.” Emily Flippo, a junior cocaptain, will start at third base

and might see some time on the mound. “Emily has a nice glove and is not scared to make the tough plays,” Turner said. “She batted .312 last year with 26 RBI’s.” Turner said the key to this year’s team success is defense. “We have to be able to make the routine plays and give our pitchers solid support. Our pitching will develop as the season progresses, but we will be young on the mound and we will need to take some of the pressure off of our pitchers.”

T h e team finished 195 last year with a loss to arch rival St. Margaret’s. “We lost a tough game to St. Margaret’s in our league final so we will be working hard to take back the LIS title this year,” Turner said. Turner said the schedule is packed with top competitors, both in and out of the LIS, but expects his team to do well. “I am very excited about this group of girls! I want to see them develop as a team and continue to grow every time that we step on the field. I want them to work hard, play hard and have fun. If we do those things, the winning will take care of itself.”

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