INSIDE County officials remember 9/11 > page 2
Volume 57, Number 35 • September 8, 2011
County mourns loss of two key employees By Ken Odor jodor@gooclandgazette.com
Photo by Ken Odor
Richard Melito designed the Freedom Flag just a few weeks after the 9/11 attacks. Now he is raising money to build a monument based on the flag’s design at the corner of Quioccasin and Parham Roads in Henrico County.
Flag creator wants to build monument to 9/11 memory By Ken Odor jodor@gooclandgazette.com
A Goochland man who designed a special flag to commemorate the events of Sept. 11, 2001 hopes to unveil a monument based on the flag design next year on 9/11. Richard Melito was spurred to design his Freedom Flag when he heard a television commentator say after 9/11 that the country should get back to normal. Melito disagreed.
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“We should never forget,” said Melito in a recent interview. “I created the flag to remind people of what happened.” Since creating the flag barely two weeks after the terrorist attacks, more than 1,800 have been distributed to schools across the nation. Another 2,500 have been distributed to individuals. Several years after creating the flag he began see Monument > page 4
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Goochland County government suffered a double loss last week, when two key county employees died Friday. Deputy County Administrator Don Charles died after a battle with cancer and Debra Pierce, Director of the Goochland CSA/Office on Youth died of an unexpected heart attack. County Administrator Rebecca Dickson invited employees to gather in the Parks and Recreation gymnasium Tuesday to remember and honor Charles and Pierce. “This is a very sad time for Goochland County and for our Goochland family,” said Dickson Monday. “The organization is devastated. To lose two such wonderful, talented, vibrant people who cared so much about those around them and who gave their lives to public service and making this community a better place, is sad beyond belief. We intend to celebrate and honor their lives. We are all thankful that their lives touched ours. Simply put, our lives will not be the same without them.” Charles came to work for Goochland in 2005 after a long career as a city planner, landscape architect, and engineering administrator with the City of Richmond. “He’ll be hard to replace,” said District 3 supervisor Ned S. Creasey of
Charles. “He was one of those who believed in doing the right thing.” “It was shocking to the county to have two deaths in one day,” said District 4 superCharles visor Malvern R. “Rudy” Butler. “We’re going to miss Don and Debra.” Pierce had worked for Goochland County since 1996. CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) Director Ann Casey credited Pierce with the creation of CASA in Goochland. “She worked tirelessly to establish CASA in Goochland,” said Casey, who praised her for her devotion to helping children. A memorial service will be held for Pierce at Bliley’s Central Chapel, We d n e s d a y , Pierce September 7 at 2 p.m. A memorial service for Charles will be held on Thursday, September 8 at 2 p.m. at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 6000 Grove Avenue, Richmond.
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