The Goochland Gazette – 06/24/2021 by Goochland Gazette

INSIDE Good Neighbor Fund continues to help care for county pets > page 3

Volume 66 Number 24 • June 24, 2021

Creasey: Pay increase will help to draw officers here

Songbird Lane project receives OK from Planning Commissioners

By Roslyn Ryan Editor

The Goochland County Planning Commission gave its unanimous stamp of approval on June 3 to a plan that could bring 130 new homes to an area located on Songbird Lane and Hockett Road in the Eastern end of the county. During the June Planning Commission meeting, commissioners heard a request from Towne & Country Realty Partners, LLC and Joy-Scott LLC to rezone 65 acres from an agricultural zoning classification to Residential Planned Unit Development. The county’s Comprehensive Plan designates the area as appropriate for lowdensity, single family residential use. As has been the case with a number of recent residential development projects, those living near the site of the proposed subdivision had no shortage of concerns about the impact the plan would have on the surrounding area. A community meeting held in March

While running any law enforcement operation involves its share of headaches, Goochland County Sheriff Steven Creasey has been facing a particularly vexing challenge since taking office in 2020: how to keep from losing his sworn officers to other departments, particularly those where the starting salary is higher than it is in Goochland. Fortunately, he thinks he may have found a solution. On June 1, the Goochland County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to amend the recently approved budget in order to provide all sworn officers in Goochland with a 12 percent pay increase, raising the starting salary for a Goochland County deputy to $53,066. In making his request to the board, Creasey said the change would be all but see Raise > 2

By Roslyn Ryan Editor

Double the triumph

Photo by Nick Vandeloecht

In a matter of one hour, Goochland High School Class of 2021 multisport standout Chris White (seen competing in the Class 3 state boys 4x100-meter relay) became a two-time state champion by winning the Class 3 outdoor track and field state titles both in the boys 300-meter hurdles (39.83 seconds) and in the boys 200-meter dash (22 seconds even). See the full story on page 8.

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Thursday

NEWS: What’s Going on in Goochland County

June 24, 2021

Property Transfers 7420 Aldeby St., Glen Allen; Eagle Construction of Virginia LLC to Nelson C. Johnston, $532,289. 7432 Aldeby St., Glen Allen; Eagle Construction of Virginia LLC to Marianne D. White, trustee, $503,018. 1860 Autumn Breeze Place, Oilville; Brandon K. Davis to Jarrett Dangerfield, $515,000. 12306 Beech Hill Circle, Manakin Sabot; Eagle Construction of Virginia LLC to Robert L. Wiley Jr., $664,959. 2519 Bucknell Lane, Maidens; Paul Harden to Matthew D. Stewart, $445,000. 1101 Dover Road, Manakin Sabot; Sydna R. Street to Molly Weston Bance, $825,000. 3255 Hazel Lane, Goochland; Melaine Lynn Kliewer to Kristi E. Pettis, $320,000. 12 Lower Tuckahoe West Road, Goochland; WHWH LLC to James L. Ferrara, $450,000.

15772 Mosaic Creek Blvd., Richmond; Style Craft Homes Inc. of Virginia to Peter B. Miller, $481,855. 14012 Mosaic Nook, Richmond; HHHuntHomes LC to Donna M. Kurtze, $391,940. 7447 Park Village Blvd., Glen Allen; Eagle Construction of Virginia LLC to Ching-Yi Chen, $468,629. 3759 Riddles Bridge Road, Goochland; Morrison 3 Family Land Trust to Ryan T. Sapp, $240,000. 3009 Royal Virginia Parkway, Louisa; Patrick W. Hickman to Marian Crawford, $355,000. 12350 South Crossing Drive, Manakin Sabot; Eagle Construction of Virginia LLC to Stephen B. Brant, $632,254. 364 Swinburne Road, Manakin Sabot; Boone Homes Inc. to William C. Wood Jr., $642,215. 3551 Whitehall Road, Sandy Hook; Delta Deck Co. LLC to Richard Cain, $349,000.

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Serving Goochland County

Pets of the week

Since 1955

SPORTS

Photos submitted by Julie Lawrence

The Goochland Animal Shelter, located at 1900 Hidden Rock Lane in Goochland, has the following pets available to a good home: Neutered male Lab mix, about 2 years old; neutered male Beagle, about 2 years old; and a lemon/white neutered male mixed breed, about a year old. The Goochland Animal Shelter is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The facility has many lost dog and cat fliers posted. For more information on these pets, as well as the many more still in need of homes at the Goochland Animal Shelter, call (804) 556-5302. You also can visit the shelter on Facebook at “Goochland County Animal Control.”

Development continued from >1 saw 27 residents attend, with many sharing fears about increased traffic, the impact on local schools and public services, and the threat to the quality of life those living in the area currently enjoy.

Raise continued from >1 guaranteed to send “a shockwave” through the area law enforcement community and make Goochland far more attractive to job seekers. “This will ensure that we have the best qualified candidates looking at Goochland,” Creasey said, “and it will mean that Goochland is leading from the front.” As Creasey shared with supervisors during the meeting, a recent anonymous survey conducted within the Sheriff ’s Office found that around 62 percent of the office’s current sworn officers

According to information presented by County Planning staff, the development will significantly impact service at two intersections — Hockett Road and Centerville Parke Drive, and Hockett Road and Tuckahoe Creek Parkway — and those impacts will need to be addressed with new turn

lanes. In order to be developed, the land in question must also be admitted to the county’s Tuckahoe Creek Service District, another issue for some residents opposed to the plan. A decision on that is expected by the Board of Supervisors in July.

have been actively recruited by another locality. Given that it costs the County over $47K over the course of three years to train a new deputy, Creasey said, that is a significant investment lost with each person who transfers out. It isn’t just the loss of training costs, however, but also the vacancies left behind. “I don’t know about the people in this room, but if 62 percent of our staff gave two weeks notice tomorrow we would be in big trouble,” Creasey said. According to Barbara Horlacher, Deputy County Administrator for Administrative Services, the

increase in pay will mean adding a $425,000 appropriation to the Sheriff’s Office to the FY22 budget to cover the cost of salary and benefits, but would not mean a tax increase for residents. The salary increase will take effect July 1. Commenting on the matter before the vote was taken, several supervisors made clear they felt providing the pay increase was money well spent. “For us to be special we have to do special things,” said District 2 representative Neil Spoonhower. “And this sends a signal to all that Goochland County really does support law enforcement.”

GHS boys soccer ends season 11-1 PAGE 9 Calendar ................................ 4 Classifieds ......................13-14 Letters .................................... 6 Opinion .................................. 6 Sports .................................8-9 TV Listings ......................10-12

CONTACT US Toll Free - (877) 888-0449 Office - (804) 746-1235 Joy Monopoli Publisher (804) 775-4614 Fax: (804) 819-5529 Melody Kinser Managing Editor (804) 775-4622 Fax: (804) 344-8746 Roslyn Ryan Editor (804) 339-7956 Nick Vandeloecht Sports Editor (540) 728-0549 Cindy Adams Classifieds (804) 775-4616 Fax: (804) 344-8746

Thursday

June 24, 2021

Serving Goochland County

NEWS: What’s Going on in Goochland County

Since 1955

Second Union Baptist Church to host Car Show on Saturday Second Union Baptist Church will be hosting a Car Show from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 26, at the church, located at 2843 Hadensville Fife Road. The proceeds from the event will go toward families that the church has adopted, as well as the Bishop Younger Academy in Pakistan, which offers a safe educational space for Christian children persecuted for their beliefs. This event will feature plenty of food and fun for the whole family, and there are a few spots remaining for vendors and those who would like to enter the car show. For more information, or to register, visit www.subcgoochland.org.

Contributed photos

Above, volunteers with Goochland Pet Lovers celebrate another successful clinic, during which they were able to help local pet owners keep their animals healthy. Below, a volunteer sees to a four-legged patient during the clinic.

Good Neighbor Fund continues to provide care for county pets Contributed report

Goochland County residents received preventative care for their pets through Goochland Pet Lovers’ Good Neighbor Fund on Saturday, June 14. Ten families with 15 pets were served with the following services, as needed, provided by Capital Home Veterinary Care: Spay or Neuter Flea and Tick Prevention Distemper/Upper Respiratory and Rabies Vaccination for cats DH(L)PP and Rabies Vaccination for dogs Vet visits for puppies until they reach 16 weeks of age Medical Grooming Deworming Minor medical issues Dog License Implant Microchip

(Paid for through the GPL Microchip Fund) Collar, leash, and/or carrier as needed and available To participate in the event, applicants must have been pre-approved. Goochland Pet Lovers is currently accepting applications for the next Mobile Vet event date, Sept. 11, 2021. For more information, please visit www.goochlandpetlovers.com. The Good Neighbor Fund was established by Goochland Pet Lovers in September 2020 and launched in February 2021. The program strengthens families and individuals by offering assistance and coordinating low/no-cost vet care to allow Goochland families to keep their pets healthy and in their homes. In addition, Goochland Pet Lovers held its first No Empty Bowls Drive-Thru Pet

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$549,500 Food Drive to benefit pets of GoochlandCares customers. “We are so happy to be able to provide these services to our Goochland County residents and their pets,” said Goochland Pet Lovers Executive Director Jennifer Myers. “Our goal is for Goochland families to keep

their pets healthy and in their homes.” For more information about Goochland Pet Lovers, visit www.goochlandpetlovers.com, or contact them on Facebook @goochlandpetlovers, or Instagram: goochland_pet_lovers.

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June 24, 2021

GRC hosting ‘Grand Old Picnic’ The Goochland County Republican Committee is hosting their 1st Annual Grand Old Picnic on Saturday, June 26, 2021. The event is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. located at the beautiful setting of Rassawek, 6276 River Road West, Columbia 23038. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.goochland. gop or at the event. All proceeds benefit local Republican Candidates and the Goochland Republican Committee. Kitchens/Baths Patios/Decks New Construction Doors/Windows Sidewalks/Pavers Remodels/Additions

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Local lending program finding success Contributed report The Shrine of the Black Madonna Sanctuary, Inc. (SBMS) is proud to announce that its Hardship Lending Program has been successful. Currently, a few of our Goochland residents have taken advantage of this program that is designed to financially assist individuals who demonstrate a financial hardship, i.e., a lack of money. The Hardship Lending Program operates on principles that differ from a traditional lending institution. One of the requirements for receiving the loan is budget counseling. This aspect provides individuals the opportunity to learn nec-

essary money management skills such as budgeting and debt repayment. Other benefits of Hardship Lending Program are: a) access to credit for individuals who would not typically qualify at a bank or credit union b) prevent individuals from falling into high interest rate pay-day loans c) short-term repayment plan d) one-time fee instead of interest. The Hardship Lending Program provides individuals the opportunity to borrow from $299 to $599, interest free. Individuals who demonstrate an urgent need to borrow are eligible for the loan.

Since funds are limited, applications are processed on a first-come, first served basis. For more information about this program, please contact Sekou Shabaka, President and Founder of the SBMS, at (804) 363-7578 or vasbmsinc@ gmail.com. The efforts of the SBMS, in conjunction with the support of the Goochland County community and private donors, will continue to deliver services that are essential for improvement of the economic welfare of low income and marginalized families. Program leaders say they look forward to a long and productive team effort.

Library Calendar

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Creating Backyard Habitat Wednesday, July 7, 2 – 3 p.m. Beth Farmer, owner of Garden Gate Landscape & Design, shows how even a small yard can be landscaped to be a good wildlife habitat with a combination of native trees, shrubs, perennials, and grasses to provide shelter and food. Registration is required at https:// pamunkeylibrary.libcal.com/event/7822545. This program is hosted virtually through Zoom and the meeting link will be sent to the email used for registration 1 day before the event occurs. If you don’t receive your reminder email on Tuesday, July 6, please contact the Ashland Branch Library at (804) 798-4072. For more information or if you have a special physical or communication need, please contact ask@pamunkeylibrary. org. UKW Virtual Book Club Saturday, July 10, 11 a.m. - noon.Join us as we discuss Love and Ruin by Paula McClain. Registration is required at https:// pamunkeylibrary.libcal.com/event/7808640. This program is hosted virtually through Zoom and the meeting link will be sent to the email used for registration 1 day before the event occurs. If you don’t receive your reminder email on Friday, July 9, please contact the UKW Branch Library at (804) 7693731. For more information or if you have a special physical or communication need, please contact ask@pamunkeylibrary.org. Atlee Virtual Book Club Wednesday, July 14, 11 a.m. - noon.

This month’s title is Island of Sea Women by Lisa See. Registration is required at https:// pamunkeylibrary.libcal.com/event/7822685. This program is hosted virtually through Zoom and the meeting link will be sent to the email used for registration 1 day before the event occurs. If you don’t receive your reminder email on Tuesday, July 13, please contact the Atlee Branch Library at (804) 559-0654. For more information or if you have a special physical or communication need, please contact ask@pamunkeylibrary. org. Animals of Legend and Lore with the Virginia Living Museum Thursday, July 15, 2 – 2:30 p.m. Grades K-5. Gather around and listen to the lore behind some of your favorite spooky animals. Visit with the animals of Virginia Living Museum and hear of the legends and learn why these animals are spectacular, not scary! Registration required at https:// pamunkeylibrary.libcal.com/event/7656528. This program is hosted virtually through Zoom and the meeting link will be sent to the email used for registration 1 day before the event occurs. If you don’t receive your reminder email on Wednesday, July 14, please contact the library. For more information or if you have a special physical or communication need, please contact ask@ pamunkeylibrary.org. Kids’ Lego Club Friday, July 16, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. Grades K-5. Meet other Lego fans and

talk about your current creations. You can show off what you’ve made and ask questions, too! Registration required at https:// pamunkeylibrary.libcal.com/event/7687557. This program is hosted virtually through Zoom and the meeting link will be sent to the email used for registration 1 day before the event occurs. If you don’t receive your reminder email on Thursday, July 15, please contact the Atlee Branch Library at (804) 559-0654. For more information or if you have a special physical or communication need, please contact ask@pamunkeylibrary. org. 3D Printing at the Library Tuesday, July 20, 2 – 3 p.m. Learn about tools to teach yourself how to design 3D objects, download free 3D files, and how to get them printed at the library. Registration required at https://pamunkeylibrary.libcal. com/event/7822637. This program is hosted virtually through Zoom and the meeting link will be sent to the email used for registration 1 day before the event occurs. If you don’t receive your reminder email on Monday, July 19, please contact the Atlee Branch Library at (804) 559-0654. For more information or if you have a special physical or communication need, please contact ask@pamunkeylibrary.org. Leave It, Roll It, Move It, Take It Tuesday, July 20, 6 – 7 p.m. Learn how to handle your 401K or other retirement plans with Justin Williams with Edward

see Calendar > 12

Thursday

NEWS: What’s Going on in Goochland County

June 24, 2021

Serving Goochland County

In The Garden

Strawberries: Ripe for the growing By Virginia McCown Contributing Writer

The strawberry’s first blush spells a happy time every spring. There is joy in new beginnings — especially this year. Winter in Westeros is long, but not as long as ours was. When I became fully vaccinated for Covid-19, I shouted out, “Hope is alive once more!” Well, no... actually, I didn’t. Yet the sun sure seemed brighter; my sky, bluer. Our Game of Thrones winter was no more. That was then. Fast forward in time. My back hurts, and I dread knowing it’s time to go and pick the berries.. AGAIN, day after day after day. What happened? Well, do you think maybe it’s because I chose the wrong kind of strawberry to plant? The four types of strawberry plants June Bearer: Produces all its fruit at once in June. In Central Virginia that’s May. Everbearing: Produces two crops. The first starts in May in Central Virginia. Then the second is in late summer. Neither crop is large. Day Neutral: These plants bear all season and are less sensitive to the length of the day. Expect a steady supply of berries but not a tsunami as with June bearers. Primarily grown in northern gardens. Alpine: Similar to wild strawberries but of European origin. They do not grow in runners like June bearers, day neutral or everbearing strawberries so they are easier to contain and manage. They bear fruit all season. Sounds complicated? No, not when we realize the June bearing strawberry we enjoy today is basically a native plant. Native plants are tough. They’ve developed an endurance to disease, temperature fluctuations, and a score of other issues. Fragaria virginiana better known as the wild strawberry, grows native throughout the U.S. and Canada. Just like its cultivated cousins, wild strawberries begin flowering in April in Central Virginia. The flower has white petals surrounding many small yellow stamens. Don’t confuse Fragaria virginiana with Indian Strawberry or Duchesnea indica. Their leaves are similar, but the India Strawberry’s flowers are yellow; its fruit, bitter. Fragaria virginiana wraps up fruit bearing in mid-June.

Wild Strawberries are disease resistant, hardy and delicious. So why don’t we encourage these natives in our strawberry patches? The answer is easy. Wild strawberries are small. We like our strawberries large and luscious. Our ancestors learned that cultivating strawberries to give consumers what they want could be challenging. With increased size, sweetness and flavor might be lost. Fragaria virginiana’s natural disease resistance was impaired as well. Never daunted, we humans like to mess with Mother Nature. Yet we managed to come up with some very good cultivars. Popular June-bearing varieties include ‘Earliglow,’’Honeoye,’ ‘Sunrise,’ ‘Sparkle,’ ‘Blakemore,’ and ‘Surecrop.’ ‘Chandler’ and ‘Sweet Charlie’ grow well in southern states but may not survive a severely cold winter. Everbearing varieties include ‘Ozark Beauty,’ ‘Ogallala’ and ‘Quinault.’ Day neutral varieties are ‘Tristar’ and ‘Tribute.’

Planting Choose a site that receives at least eight hours of sunlight per day. The soil should be well drained. Raised beds at least six inches deep are ideal. The pH should be slightly acidic-- 5.5 to 6.4. Planting is usually done in the autumn (around September or October) in Central Virginia. Generally, plants are purchased bare root or as plugs. They will grow throughout the winter, and fruit will be ready for harvest the following spring. In nature, Fragaria virginiana sends out its runners shortly after it completes bearing fruit for the season. This is true for cultivated strawberry plants as well. I confess, I’ve successfully planted new strawberry patches during summer drought and extreme heat. It can be done—it’s just not recommended. Whatever method of planting you choose or whatever plants you choose to plant, always set the plants in the ground the same way with the roots spread out but pointing downward. This is done by digging a cone-shaped hole with a smaller cone of soil in the center. Drape the roots over this second cone. Be careful to place the crown (where the roots join the stem) at the soil’s surface. If the crown is below the surface level, the crown will rot. If it’s too high, the roots will dry out. Try growing your own fresh strawberries. It’s

fun if you opt to buy bare roots or plugs from a nursery or simply clip fresh runners from an established patch.

Common problems for new strawberry growers It’s true. I graduated from the Universal School of Hard Knocks. Here are some of my mistakes. Learn from them. Don’t bury the crown! Although they can get tiresome, I’m not suggesting we harm any member of the British royal family. As previously written, the crown is the base of the strawberry plant. If the crown is covered during initial planting, the strawberry plant itself can rot and die. To mulch or not to mulch? Mulching around newly planted strawberry plants is critical. But just how much mulch to use can be a touchy subject. If it’s a wet season, don’t mulch. Mulch tends to harbor slugs and other critters that bring disease to your strawberries. If it’s a dry season, mulching is vital. This is where you have to use your common sense. Watch the weather. Observe your patch. During berry season, check your plants and pick the berries at least every three days (or so). Runner! In the 1970s movie Logan’s Run, it meant exterminating humans over the age of 30 — sometimes referred to as runners. In our strawberry patch, it’s not really as brutal. After the main berry-bearing season winds up, the central plant or main plant creates runners which create baby plants. Energy from this main plant is sapped when these baby plants — or runners — start emerging. What to do? It’s recommended that one mother plant have no more than three baby plants. This shouldn’t affect their future productivity. However, these baby plants can be culled or removed to start new strawberry patches or given as gifts to growers interested in starting their own patch. Warning: if you start your own patch using runners, make sure these runners come fromyour desired strawberry cultivar: June bearer, everbearing, or day neutral. Here are some great resources to guide you on see Strawberries > 7

Since 1955

Goochland will host a July 4th fireworks event Contributed report

Goochland County has announced plans to hold a July 4th Fireworks Celebration this year, after postponing the celebration in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The July 4th Fireworks Celebration is Goochland County’s largest event put on by Goochland County Parks & Recreation. Goochland residents can park and watch the show in the Courthouse Village from the County Administration complex, Goochland Elementary School, and the Goochland Middle/ High School Complex. This year’s fireworks presentation will be located at the Goochland Sports Complex (1800 Sandy Hook Road, Goochland, VA 23063). The show will start at 9:00 p.m. The Rain Date is Monday, July 5. No alcohol allowed! Consumption of alcohol will not be tolerated in public or on county property. Please be prepared for extensive traffic delays before and after the event. Local road closures will be enacted based on traffic conditions and event parking capacity. Please check and follow Goochland County Parks & Recreation’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook. com/GoochlandParksandRec/ for up to the minute parking announcements. For more information, please contact Goochland County Parks & Recreation at (804) 556-5854.

Have an idea for a community news story? Send news tips to Roslyn Ryan at rryan@ goochlandgazette.com or call (804) 339-7956.

Thursday

OPINION: Editorial, Letters to the Editor

June 24, 2021

Legacy of ‘saucer sighting’ remains with us By Roslyn Ryan Editor

o on, admit it: At some point over the course of your life, whether you admit it or not, you’ve thought about UFOs. Maybe not the kind that you see in the movies — the ones that hover over suburban backyards or densely populated cities and ferry in hordes of green-tinged beings with strange voices and varying degrees of English proficiency. Maybe you are not one of the true believers who are sometimes interviewed on television news programs, or someone who claims to have personally witnessed an Unidentified Flying Object with your own eyes. Maybe you don’t binge-watch shows about beings from other planets or religiously record documentaries about government cover-ups. Even still, do you ever wonder if there may just be other intelligent life out there…somewhere? For Kenneth Arnold, the idea that humans are not the only forms of intelligent life in the universe was not just an odd personality quirk. In Arnold’s case, at least for a time, it made him a household name. It was on this day, in 1947, that the respected businessman and private pilot reported the first UFO sighting in modern American history, inadvertently helping to coin the term “flying saucer” (he claimed he was misquoted by a reporter and never used those

exact words) and galvanizing a loose-knit group of believers across the nation. In Arnold’s case, his report of seeing a string of bright, convex objects in the sky near Mt. Rainier in Washington State would go on to bring both scorn and admiration, with several investigations ultimately attributing his sighting to everything from wind-blown snow on the mountain to raindrops on his plane’s window. While Arnold maintained initially that the United States Army was most likely responsible for whatever he had seen — and was choosing not to release the information— he reportedly went to his grave with the conviction that something extraterrestrial had been responsible for the unidentified objects. These days, nearly 75 years later, the question of UFO sightings still receives plenty of attention: In just a few weeks, in fact, members of the U.S.

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intelligence community are expected to take the extraordinary step of delivering an unclassified report on the subject to Congress. The truth, as the characters on the cult hit television show “X-Files” used to say, is out there. But until we do know for sure whether or not we are alone, many of us will continue to gleefully indulge in alien-themed movies and consume tabloid stories about women who claim their children were fathered by extraterrestrials. We’ll also continue to glance up at the night sky on warm summer evenings, keeping an eye out for anything that seems out of the ordinary. You know, just in case.

WE WANT TO PUBLISH YOUR ISSUE-DRIVEN LETTERS The Local welcomes your signed letters to the editor on topics of interest to Goochland residents. Letters must include your address and a daytime telephone number. We reserve the right to edit letters. We do not guarantee that every letter received will be published. Letters reflect the opinions and positions of the writers and not The Goochland Gazette. Send letters to: The Goochland Gazette 8460 Times-Dispatch Blvd. Mechanicsville, Va. 23116 Fax: 344-8746 E-mail: editor@goochlandgazette.com © 2021 by Richmond Suburban Newspapers. All advertising and editorial matter is fully protected and may not be reproduced in any manner without the permission of the publisher. CAC Audited Circulation: 8,014.

Serving Goochland County Since 1955

Failure, fear and Frisbees By Jim Ridolphi Contributing Columnist

After years of covering high school graduations, I’d come to believe that I’d heard every imaginable speech delivered on every conceivable subject by some outstanding students in a variety of venues. All of them delivered a message of encouragement and hope for a promising future that begins with a simple walk across a stage followed by a handshake. Last week, I attended a graduation as a parent and took my seat with hundreds of other parents as Douglas Freeman celebrated its 65th graduating class that included my daughter Sophia, a year that school principal John Marshall described as like no other. He outlined a year filled with uncertainty, unimagined challenges and a fair number of disappointments. Marshall noted the efforts of this special group of graduates and how they endured what none of the previous 64 classes had experienced, and came out on top. I thought the emphasis was appropriate and well deserved. While we’ve heard much about school officials, teachers and health officials and the massive effort displayed by all of them, we’ve heard little about the students who endured those trying months. The principal’s words were poignant and spoke to what this group of parents and students had achieved in the most difficult of circumstances. But, the true inspiration of the day was delivered by a student who described himself as the least likely candidate to deliver a graduation message to his fellow students. Selected by his fellow seniors to

see Graduation > page 7

Thursday

June 24, 2021

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OPINION: Editorial, Letters to the Editor

Since 1955

County seeking anti-litter volunteers Contributed report

Contributed photo

Goochland Rotary marks 25th anniversary Goochland Rotarians, as part of their 25th Anniversary Celebration, recently gathered around and honored their charter members, who are shown here seated, from left to right: Sam Smith, Marian Elam, Gerald Hagan, David Greenberg, John Kendig, Marc Jones and Ennion Williams (not pictured Frank Wentzel). The event was held on Thursday, June 17 at the Richmond Country Club.

Cooperative Extension: virginia Virtual Class: Fauquier.ext.vt.edu. Main menu of publications from continued from >5 Programs/FarmtoTable Virginia Tech: www.pubs.ext.vt.edu Publications: Get Growing: Strawberries in the your way: www.ext.vt.edu/news-1/2021/1/28/ Garden www.growforit.ces.ncsu.edu Strawberry Growing Resources: Native Plant Database, Lady Bird Berry growing advice from the learn-the-abcs-of-growing-berries-in-

Strawberries

Graduation continued from >6 deliver the graduation message, Jacob Taylor began his speech by telling the assembled crowd at RIR that this was probably the scariest moment of his young life, made even more challenging by a fear of public speaking. As he spoke, his self-deprecating humor and honest observations gained the attention of the thousands who listened. He explained that he had been advised to include references to challenges in his life

and how he had approached and overcome those obstacles, and, more importantly, dealt with the reality that perfection is sometimes unattainable. His speech was entitled “Now is the time to fail”. Its message was far more optimistic than the headline of impending doom indicated. The senior said he thought long and hard about going after a goal but coming up just short and related an incident that exemplified that message. He told his fellow seniors he once entered a ice cream eating contest and after filling himself with a morbid amount of the

frozen delicacy, found out he’d come in second. First prize was a t-shirt, and the runner-up walked away with a Frisbee. Jacob Taylor told his classmates it worked out better in the long run, and he had gotten much more use from the Frisbee than if he had won the t-shirt. His message was refreshing in a time when our children are undergoing increased pressures in their young lives, and, sometimes, they are made to feel that their best effort is not enough. “While we shouldn’t seek out failure, we will all face it

Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas at Austin, www.wildflower. org/plants/result.php?id_plant=FRVI USA Phenology Network— Observing Plants and Animals www. usanpn.org/Fragaria_virginiana.

in our lives,” the senior class president said. “It is a constant. If we live in constant fear of it, we will find ourselves evading our goals rather than evading failure itself, so I implore you to take the risks.” But Taylor reminded us that the beauty is sometimes found in the journey, and finishing first doesn’t always indicate a winner. I walked out of the racetrack with other parents, full of pride in their students accomplishments, and how what seemed like the most impossible of years thankfully ended in a most traditional manner.

To the Class of 2021, congratulations on your accomplishments and your victory over the adversity of the unknown. As you move forward in a life filled with hope and opportunity, shoot for the moon, aim high and don’t settle for anything less than your best. It’s that effort that will ensure real success in your relationships, careers and lifelong happiness, and realize that shooting for the top is admirable, but giving it your all is more important. And, in the words of Jacob Taylor, “You might get a Frisbee.”

Goochland County and the Goochland Anti-Litter and Recycling Council (GARC) are currently recruiting new members to help keep Goochland litter free. GARC is a community organization made up of local residents interested in promoting and developing anti-litter and recycling programs throughout the county. The primary focus of the Council is keeping Goochland clean and litter free. Once the Council has been fully formed, members will be expected to attend quarterly meetings. Our members are involved in organizing educational activities and contests, road and river clean ups, and special recycling events throughout the year. For more information about GARC, please contact Dwayne Jones at (804) 657-2025 or email djones@goochlandva.us. Goochland County is an active member of the Don’t Trash Central Virginia and Don’t Trash Goochland County campaigns to ensure Central Virginia is litterfree! Individuals interested in supporting the campaigns are encouraged to visit www. DONTTRASHCENTRALVA. ORG for more information and to request a sticker or magnet promoting the campaigns.

Advertise In The Goochland Gazette! Call 804-746-1235 for details.

Thursday

June 24, 2021

SPORTS: Youth, High School, College, Recreational, Professional

Serving Goochland County Since 1955

Chris White becomes two-time state champion! By Nick Vandeloecht Sports Editor

LYNCHBURG -- As Chris White and his fellow competitors powered their way through the final set of corners in the Class 3 state boys 300-meter hurdles, Western Albemarle junior Henry Sullivan began to pull ahead of White and into a narrow lead. White knew that Sullivan had somewhat of an even stride with him. “So at the beginning, I just tried to stay at equal distance,” White said, “but when he started to pull up, I just tried to keep my head level and not really panic too much.” It paid off. As they rounded onto the front straightaway, a stumble set Sullivan back, and White leaped into a clear lead. He hit all of his marks on his final hurdles to lead the field to the finish line and claim his first state title in 39.83 seconds. “I tried to focus on my form,” White said, “and just finish the race.” And he was just getting started. The Goochland High School Class of 2021 graduate and multisport standout closed out Friday’s individual outdoor track and field events at Liberty University by outpacing the pack in 22 seconds flat to win the Class 3 state boys 200-meter dash and become a two-time state champion in a matter of an hour. White started competing in track and field as a sophomore. He had no prior experience in the sport, and he was also playing baseball during his first year of running track. But despite only attending four or five track and field practices, he ended up placing

Nick Vandeloecht/Goochland Gazette

Goochland’s Chris White sprints to the finish to win the Class 3 state boys 200-meter dash at the outdoor track and field state championships on Friday.

eighth in the 300 hurdles at the Class 2 outdoor state meet in 2019. And while his junior outdoor season ended up getting

cancelled because of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, White ran with the AAU travel team Central Virginia Track and Field and learned from

coaches including Anthony “Coach Cutt” Callicutt and Lamont Bowles. “They helped me a lot; they put out top athletes like

Michael Bourne, Jayson Ward, Both the 300 hurdles and Britton Wilson,” White said. “I 200 dash came naturally to ran with all of them through- him, but he thought: “If I realout the summer, and I really think it helped me this year.” see Track and Field> page 9

Thursday

June 24, 2021

SPORTS: Youth, High School, College, Recreational, Professional

Serving Goochland County Since 1955

Goochland boys soccer concludes season on 11-1 record By Nick Vandeloecht Sports Editor

GOOCHLAND -- A stellar season came to a close for Goochland’s young varsity boys soccer team in Wednesday’s Class 3, Region B semifinals. And while the final score on the board wasn’t the desired result, the Bulldogs, despite being young, and also despite being down three starters, helped limit visiting Independence to 2 goals in the Tigers’ 2-0 win. “I’m so proud of them; I really am,” Goochland head coach Marshall Lindner said of his players. He added of Independence: “Those guys were very, very good, and we just gave it everything we had, and I’m so proud of the guys.” Despite the loss, rising junior Braedon McKeown played a standout game in goal, catching several direct saves and highpointing one strong shot from Independence to keep it out of the net in the second half. He also had a first-half jumping catch, and rising junior Drew Meiller kept another strong ball away from the goal in the

Track and Field continued from >8 ly put work into this, how good can I actually be?” In Friday’s state 200, he tried to start off pretty quickly, and then he saw his opponents were picking up speed pretty quickly. “I just try and match the speed of people around me,” White said. “My coach is always yelling at me for not running as hard as I can, because, in the region, I apparently didn’t run as hard as I could in the (300) or the 200, so I just tried to put it all out on the track and see where it took me.” Running near the outside in the seventh lane and com-

Nick Vandeloecht/Goochland Gazette

Goochland assembled an unbeaten 2021 regular season and finished the year 11-1 with an appearance in the regional semifinals.

game’s latter stages. Goochland persevered through three corner kicks by Independence in the first 10 minutes of the game, and rising junior Connor Doersch stonewalled one shot from the Tigers during the second corner. “Individually, Independence was so good that it was pressure on our defenders, pressure on offensive players, and guys never backed up,” Lindner said. “They stayed and they hustled and they cleared the ball.” Goochland reached Wednesday’s semifinals by powering past James Monroe

4-0 in last Monday’s regional quarterfinal round. Lindner praised the great pass that Class of 2021 graduate Charlie Flammia made to Doersch, and the great free kick that Doersch landed for 1 of his 2 great firsthalf goals in the game. “It was a pretty darn even game, but we scored 2 great goals in the first half, and then we played a lot of defense, and we were able to counterattack on 2 more” goals, Lindner said. “That was just two outstanding goals that gave us the lead, and then we could sit back and play a lot of defense

and hope for a couple of counterattacks, which we got.” Rising sophomore Yoshi Da Silva and rising junior Gintas Putinas each added a goal in last Monday’s win. All but one of the players who competed on the field in Wednesday’s semifinal game are projected to return to Goochland’s varsity soccer team in 2022, and the game against Independence, who is jumping up to Class 5 next school year due to increased enrollment, should help the Bulldogs in their preparation for a new district schedule that

ing around the corner, White felt like he “had to kick it into that second gear because they were gaining on me.” “And you do have to put in, I feel like in my opinion, a lot more work to get into the position you want on the track.” White stayed ahead of the field, edging out his closest pursuer, Petersburg’s Isreal Watkins, by .08 of a second for the triumph. White also concluded his high school baseball career earlier this week when the Bulldogs lost to Brentsville District on Monday. “It really gave a sour feeling in my mouth because I just wanted to finish on a strong

foot,” White said, “and I just wanted to take home at least one state championship...” He ended up taking home two. “It feels amazing,” he said. “I want to thank God for it.” White and Goochland rising junior Tyler Black led the Bulldogs in placing sixth overall in the Class 3 outdoor track and field boys state meet. Black, who earlier this season won the Class 3 indoor state championship in the pole vault, improved on his own school record by clearing the bar on a leap of 13 feet, 6 inches in the outdoor meet. Black placed runner-up in the Class 3 outdoor pole vault to Lafayette Class of 2021 gradu-

ate Nate Benson, who crushed the state meet record with a mark of 15 feet, 9 inches. White also joined teammates Gabe Liptak, C.J. Towles and William Hoffler in placing sixth in the boys 4x100-meter relay in 44.76. In the boys 4x400-meter relay, Liptak and Class of 2021’s Jack Hoffler, Jaydon Edley and John Williams ran a collective time of 3:41.18. Also representing Goochland in Friday’s Class 3 state meet were Williams in the boys 400 (54.5 seconds), Ben McCray in the boys 110meter hurdles (18.14) and Leilani Burgess in the girls triple jump (30 feet, 4 1/2 inches).

will feature teams from the Charlottesville area and surrounding counties. “I think you just have to remember that you have to try to raise your game throughout the season, and I think we did that,” Lindner said, “and just keep raising your level of play, because you’re always going to run into some team like this; at the end of the day, you’re going to face somebody that tough in the playoffs.” Wednesday marked the end of Charlie Flammia’s standout varsity soccer career. Since 2019, he and his Goochland

boys soccer teammates went 28-2, assembled two unbeaten regular seasons and reached the regional semifinals on victories in the quarterfinals in both 2019 and 2021. “Charlie is an outstanding player,” Lindner said. “He had a great season both as a player, but also as a team leader. I think he really did shine as a team leader, too.” Lindner spoke to enjoying the season so much, and not only because they had such a good record (11-1), but also because Goochland’s players, he said, “are nice kids.” “I enjoyed their company,” Lindner said. “I enjoyed being with them, and that’s what keeps you coaching. You feel like these guys are giving everything they have, and I said all along: just go out there, respect your teammates, respect your opponents, respect the officials, give it everything you have, and they did that tonight. “I’m very, very proud of the way the season went,” Lindner said. “The guys are really good guys, and hopefully will all be back next year.”

Nick Vandeloecht/Goochland Gazette

Goochland High School rising junior Tyler Black competes in the Class 3 outdoor track and field state boys pole vault.

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