The Goochland Gazette – 04/21/2022 by Goochland Gazette

INSIDE Animal shelter looking to find new homes for several guinea pigs > page 3

Volume 66 Number 16 • April 21, 2022

After years with local organization, Creasey is named Christmas Mother Dedicated volunteer has also held key roles with fire and rescue, taught ESL Contributed report

Photo courtesy of Goochland County Fire Rescue

Firefighters battle Bells Road blaze, 20 acres burned On Thursday, April 14, Goochland County Fire-Rescue and emergency service crews responded to a massive brush fire on Bells Road in central Goochland. All six of Goochland’s Fire-Rescue companies responded to the scene, with Louisa and Fluvanna providing mutual-aid support and coverage. The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) estimated the blaze to have covered 18–20 acres, and reminded residents to refrain from burning during this dangerous fire season. Virginia’s 4 p.m. burning law is in effect through April 30.

‘Shocked and disappointed’: County boards grappling with school project sticker shock By Roslyn Ryan Editor

It was supposed to provide a path forward: a redesign of the county’s planned new Goochland Elementary School, one that would help bring down a price tag that has soared nearly 15% in recent months from the originally projected $39 million to $54 million.

Instead, as county supervisors learned during an April 12 joint workshop held with the school board, the new compact design of the school—which included changing the exterior from metal to brick and stacking classrooms in a two-story design that would maximize plumbing and HVAC efficiency-managed to shave off only about $1 million from the total projected cost of the new school.

“It was shocking to us all,” said Goochland County School division superintendent Dr. Jeremy Raley during the meeting, the second workshop the two boards have held on the new elementary school plan this year. What followed was a frank, and at some points tense, discussion between the two boards, with supervisors pressing school board members for clarity on how they

see School > 2

The Goochland Christmas Mother Association has announced that Grace T. Creasey has been selected to serve as Christmas Mother for the 2022 campaign. A long-time Goochland resident and volunteer, Creasey and her family are committed to serving the community. The work of the Christmas Mother will kick off early this year with participation in Goochland Day on May 7. The Christmas Mother will be a part of the parade, as well as having a spot in the booth area. “I am so excited to be asked to serve as Christmas Mother for 2022,” said Creasey. “I have volunteered with this organization for many years and it is such a wonderful part of making Christmas happier for so many in Goochland!” Supporting the Christmas CREASEY Mother is a family affair for Creasey. The Creasey family established an annual family holiday tradition many years ago of serving others in need by assisting the Goochland Christmas Mother’s distribution efforts on delivery day. Last year, Creasey played a vital role in enrolling needy families into the Goochland Christmas Mother program, and her language skills were integral in assisting Goochland’s needy Spanish-speaking families so they could more easily access the benefits see Creasey > 3

Thursday

NEWS: What’s Going on in Goochland County

April 21, 2022

Spring Fair set for Friday Contributed report A Spring Fair will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Friday, April 22 at Walton Park in Mineral, offering attendees the opportunity to celebrate the season and help protect local rural communities. This Earth Day event, which is being hosted by the Goochland, Louisa, and Orange Dems, and Louisa United, will feature upcycle crafts; exhibits on farming, gardening, 4-H, bees and beekeeping; a turtle sanctuary, representatives from the Piedmont Environmental Council and more. The SandTopia Food Truck will be on site serving food, and a raffle will be held with proceeds benefitting the people of Ukraine.

Serving Goochland County Since 1955

Goochland History Revealed SPORTS

Photo courtesy of Goochland County Historical Society

Nearly eight decades ago, egg hunt was already beloved tradition By the looks of this photo, a wonderful hunt for Easter eggs was about to begin on a warm spring Virginia day in 1939. Behind the children stands Brackett’s Garage. Brackett’s stood near the Courthouse where Marsh Oil/Tom’s Auto is today.

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School continued from >1 planned to move forward on the project and whether it was possible to do so without asking county taxpayers to come up with the extra funds. “Two years ago, when we started doing the referendum meetings, we were very, very excited, and we had the citizens’ support, and now we are very, very disappointed,” said board of supervisors chairman Neil Spoonhower, though he stopped short of taking the possibility of providing more funds off the table. “If you’re saying that this is the site, this is the project we want to go with, then the one thing we need to do is go back to the bank. And our bank is our citizens,” Spoonhower said. School board members, for their part, admitted they had only received the new numbers that day, and had been left reeling by the fact that redesign had done little to bring down the

cost of the new school. Much of the cost increases have come from work that will need to be done to the site, which meant that changes to the building design itself did little to move the needle. “I thought we would be getting three times the savings,” said District 1 school board member John Wright. Raley also pointed out that a number of other school divisions in Virginia that have built new schools over the past year have been reporting final costs that came in around 30% over budget. Some supervisors expressed frustration that options such as finding an alternative site or renovating the existing school had not been more thoroughly explored, but school board leaders cautioned that many of those scenarios wold involve incurring even more costs. “We’re going to talk about it and assess the numbers we have, but at this point this is where we’ve landed,” said school board

chairman Michael Newman. “They are not the numbers we were hoping for based on our redesign, so we could keep talking to [designers] about different designs, less classrooms, no preschool, no gym, bag lunches maybe—I don’t know.” However, he cautioned, “none of that is going to serve us well in the end, and we’ll regret that later, I feel, 100%.” Raley said that the school board had decided against pursuing a new piece of land for the project—one that would involve fewer site costs—nor do school board members favor a plan that would simply renovate the existing Goochland Elementary School. Instead, said Wright, the school board was prepared to “do the same thing you would do in your household. When you can’t afford to do something, you go out and you try to find a way to spend less money somehow and get things done in a way that doesn’t cripple every other decision that you make.”

Epic comeback fuels Bulldogs PAGE 7

Calendar ................................ 4 Classifieds ......................13-14 Letters .................................... 6 Opinion .................................. 6 Sports .................................7-9 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 Laura McFarland Managing Editor (804) 363-1577 Roslyn Ryan Editor (804) 339-7956 Robby Fletcher Sports Editor (804) 380-0497 Cindy Adams Classifieds (804) 775-4616 Fax: (804) 344-8746 Denine D’Angelo Production Manager (804) 775-4624

Thursday

Pet of the week

Contributed report

The Goochland Animal Shelter, located at 1900 Hidden Rock Lane in Goochland, is looking for homes for a few guinea pigs now being housed at the adoption center. All are just a few months old and the shelter has both males females available. They are also used to being held, which would make them a great addition for someone looking for a new furry friend. For more information on these animals, 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.” The shelter’s hours are Tuesday and Wednesday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Thursday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Friday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. -2 p.m. Anyone wishing to make a monetary donation to the shelter is asked to make donations payable to Goochland Animal Protection.

nity members about how to use Narcan to save those suffering from opioid overdoses. Additionally, Creasey volunteered in Goochland’s immigrant community teaching English as a Second Language to adults. Creasey is a lifelong member of Second Baptist Church, where she also served for over five years as a teacher and the coordinator of the church’s adult ESL program. Holding a bachelor’s degree in government and a master’s degree in educational administration, Creasey began her career in education in 2001. While she started her career teaching high school, Creasey taught civics and U.S. History at Goochland Middle School for eight years before moving into her current role in education policy and administration

ily. For more information on adoptions, inquire by e-mail: info@goochlandchristmasmother.org or call the Christmas Mother Hotline at (804) 556-3411. Check the Christmas Mother’s Facebook page to keep abreast of activities and to find helpful links such as online contributions and other tools. facebook.com/goochlandchristmasmother. Donations to this year’s Christmas Mother fund can also be sent via check to: Goochland Christmas Mother, P.O. Box 322, Goochland, VA 23063 or through PayPal on the web site. Go to www.goochlandchristmasmother.org for more information about the Goochland Christmas Mother program.

Photos submitted by Sydney Warren

continued from >1 provided by the Goochland Christmas Mother. “We are delighted to have the unique skills that Grace brings to the role of Christmas Mother this year”, said association president Joy Kline. “We are getting out there early this year to help bring greater awareness of the program to the community.” Creasey is no stranger to volunteer commitments, having long served key roles in the fire and rescue community in Goochland. An auxiliary member for eight years, Creasey currently serves as the president of Goochland Fire-Rescue’s Company 2 Auxiliary. Creasey is a REVIVE! Instructor, a program to educate commu-

as the executive director of a private, nonprofit educational association. Born in Henrico County, Creasey moved to Goochland when she was 9 years old. Creasey has been a resident of Goochland County for nearly 35 years, living in Crozier for the last nine years with her husband, Sheriff Steven Creasey, their daughter, and two dogs. The Goochland Christmas Mother Association has been adding joy to the Christmas season for those in need in the county since 1959. The organization is operated by dedicated volunteers and relies on the support and generosity of the community to meet the need every year. Families, churches, civic groups and businesses are encouraged to adopt a fam-

Since 1955

High school FFA chapter will be honored for work in community The Goochland High School Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter will be honored as a Superior Chapter at the Virginia State Convention in July, to be held in Blacksburg, Virginia. The GHS FFA Chapter has 20 active members, and GHS Teacher and FFA Sponsor Danny Allen said chapter programs and involvement in community activities are the basis for the Superior Chapter designation. “We’ve participated in community service events, including picking up trash, working with Christmas Mother, holding fall and spring plant sales, and volunteering with Goochland Cares,” Allen said. These activities, plus opportunities to compete and participate in career development events where students can focus on areas of interest, help students learn about agri-

Creasey

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April 21, 2022

culture and build leadership skills both in and outside of the classroom. “FFA is a program that teaches students about leadership through agriculture education,” Allen said. “It’s neat to stand back and see students grow into young adults and become leaders. When you take a child to their first competition or first state convention or first FFA Leadership Camp, they come back another person. They become leaders.” FFA is the premier youth

organization preparing its members for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture. The FFA National Chapter Award Program is designed to recognize FFA chapters that actively implement the mission and strategies of the organization, according to the group’s website. Chapters that improve chapter operations by growing leaders, building communities and strengthening agriculture are annually recognized at state conventions.

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April 21, 2022

NEWS: What’s Going on in Goochland County

Serving Goochland County Since 1955

County students take part in mock interview event Contributed report

Interviewing can be very stressful – especially if it’s for college admission or a first job after high school graduation. A recent Mock Interview event at Goochland High School gave participating students an opportunity to reduce some of those anxieties, practice their interviewing skills, and receive immediate feedback. “It’s a nerve-wracking experience for them,” said Goochland High School prin-

cipal Christopher Collier. “But it’s really cool to watch them walk out of their interviews with smiles on their faces because they learned something from this valuable experience.” The GHS Media Center was packed with interviewers with varied experiences in business, nonprofit, education and local government. Andrew Storey, director of operational support at Luck Stone Corporation, said par-

0 Three Chopt Gum Spring Rd, Gum Spring, Va

ticipating in the event was a good way to give back and help support the next generation. “I think it’s great that the school is trying to connect with local businesses and industry because there are a lot of aspects of the working world that school doesn’t necessarily cover. Events like this where they can see what the real world might look like but in a school environment is a really good thing.” Dan Rieck, superintendent

at Allan Myers Inc., said he’s looking for more than work experience when he interviews for an opening at his company. “We really want people who have a desire to succeed, who want to win and be a part of a great family-owned organization,” he said. “We want employees who get along with others and like to work as a team. This was a great opportunity for companies to see students where they’re at in their learning and how ready they are to take the next step.”

Students answered prepared questions and then benefited from immediate, constructive comments from their interviewers. Zion Stoltz, a student at GHS, thought the mock interview was a good experience for him. “It’s good to hear some feedback and actually have somebody help you learn a good way to do an interview, because when you actually go and do an interview you don’t get that feedback right away.” Interviewers were

impressed by the students who participated. “I really am amazed at how forward-thinking they are and how prepared they are, considering they’re still in high school,” said Goochland School Board Vice Chair Sandra Barefoot-Reid said. “Some of the questions they asked me were very mature.” To view a short video of the mock interview event, visit the GCPS YouTube channel at https://tinyurl.com/ GCPSYouTube.

Let Me Run program seeking volunteer support

FOR SALE! 10 Acres Wooded / Dividable!! / 1 mile from Rt 64, Gum Spring Exit / Louisa County Great Opportunity / Great Location / No Restrictive Covenants $175,000 Debra Hoffman, Associate Broker

Contributed report This week marked the start of Let Me Run at Goochland Elementary School, and volunteers are needed to support the program. Let Me Run is designed for fourth and fifth-grade boys and inspires boys through the power of running to be courageous enough to be themselves and to live an active lifestyle. “Running is a big part of the program,” Ashby Pond, program sponsor and a fifth-grade teacher at GES, said. “But

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Debra Hoffman, Associate Broker

OFFICE: 347-3878 debra.hoffman@penfedrealty.com

it’s more about building relationships.” Let Me Run will meet twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, for seven weeks. The program starts at 2:30 p.m. and ends at 3:45 p.m., and volunteers are needed to assist division staff on each meeting date. “At the end of the seven weeks, the students will participate in a 5K run,” Pond said. “You don’t need to be a runner to volunteer. We’re looking for people in our community who can support the program’s mission,” she said.

Volunteers help trained coaches combine exercise with fun activities and lessons to help boys learn teamwork, build relationship skills, create friendships, grow emotionally, amplify their self-esteem, empower themselves and others, and live an active lifestyle. The program nurtures and celebrates every aspect of what it really means to be a boy, and then we let them run! To volunteer, contact Ashby Pond at apond@glnd.k12.va.us.

Library Calendar held at the Goochland Branch 16600 Pouncey Tract Road for Library from 11 a.m. – noon. more information. “College: Getting There Call (804) 556-4774 or visit From Here” will be held at the the library at 3075 River Road Saturday, May 21 Cochrane Rockville Branch West for more information. Library from 6 - 7 p.m. for “Meditative Painting: those ages 18 & up. Justin Sunflower” will be held at the Saturday, May 14 Williams of Edward Jones Cochrane Rockville Branch Financial will shares the fea“Meditative Practice: Library from 1 - 2 p.m. for tures and benefits of 529 col- Crochet” will be held at the those ages 14 and up. Follow lege savings plans and sav- Cochrane Rockville Branch along to create a beautiful ings strategies to help you Library will be held from 2 - Sunflower painting. No art reach your goals. Registration 3 p.m. for those ages 12 and experience needed! Call (804) required. Call (804) 749-3146 up. Crochet a simple, repetitive 749-3146 or visit the library at or visit the library at 16600 pattern and allow your mind to 16600 Pouncey Tract Road for Pouncey Tract Road for more drift. All supplies will be pro- more information. information. vided, no experience needed. Finished pieces will be disTuesday, May 24 played in the library to spread Friday, May 13 Goochland Mystery Book the peace and joy! Call (804) Friday Book Group will be Group will be held at the 749-3146 or visit the library at

Tuesday, May 10

Goochland Branch Library from 10 – 11 a.m. Call (804) 556-4774 or visit the library at 3075 River Road West for more information.

Take & Make Programs Remarkable Bookmarks Pickup begins Monday, May 16 at the Goochland Branch Library for ages 18 & up. Create bookmarks with affirmative words using craft paper and magnetic strips. Activity includes titles with affirmative thoughts. Available while supplies last. Call (804) 556-4774 or visit the library at 3075 River Road West for more information.

Thursday

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HOME: Ideas, Tips and Advice

April 21, 2022

Since 1955

In The Garden

Smaller lawns a win for homeowners, the environment By Cathy McCarthy Contributing Writer

Large turf grass lawns first started their rise to popularity in the 1950s. As power tools became readily available, families did not need a team of servants to have areas of short grass surrounding their houses. A post war trend of owning your own small home in the suburbs coincided with the ability to afford the maintenance of a front lawn. However, over the last 60 years ecologists have identified t h a t the status symbol of a g large lawn i s n ’ t great

for the planet’s health. Fortunately, there are several ways to reduce the size of a lawn, help the environment, and make it easier on the homeowner through reduced maintenance. It’s always nice when a landscape practice can be a triple win. Why is a smaller lawn a good idea? Researchers at the University of Delaware estimate that turf grass lawns cover 62,500 square miles of ground in the United States alone. That’s a large portion of the total country’s land mass. Positive things that pp when lawns are made happen smaller include: p Less air pollution. Ac c o r d i n g to the E PA , gasol i n e powered law lawn equipment in the U.S. eemits 20.4 million tons of carbon d dioxide per year ma maintaining those miles mile of grass. That’s mor more than 5% of total U US air pollution. Less harmful lawn chemi chemicals. Lawn chemicals h have been

tied to both higher pet and higher human cancer risk. Reduced ecological ‘dead zones’. Turf grasses are not native plants and cannot support biodiversity. For example, pollinators and other beneficial insects can’t use turf grasses as a host plant for their young. As more than 80% of songbird species exclusively feed their babies young insects, lots of grass means a lot less baby birds. Less maintenance work by the homeowner. Native trees, shrubs, and perennials are adapted to the local conditions and don’t have to be mowed. “Oh please, let me spend many more hours mowing each weekend,” said no one ever. So how can a homeowner achieve all these benefits from a smaller lawn? Convert an area to trees and shrubs. Select a section of your lawn that doesn’t serve much of a functional purpose. If it’s not a pathway, play space, or outdoor room, that area of your lawn is ripe for conversion to a bed of shrubs or an area of tree cover. Select native species that will support biodiversity and plant woody plants at recommended spacing so

they can stay in place as they grow and mature. Plant groundcovers instead of grass. Especially in areas that are hard to mow or shadier spots where full sun loving grasses are never happy, replacing grass with a groundcover can be the answer. Visit the University of Delaware’s recommendations on appropriate substitutions at http:// www.ag.udel.edu/udbg/sl/vegetation.html Use non-grasses as your grass substitute. This idea should work even in areas that are used for functional purposes like a pathway. Nongrasses that can serve functional purposes include clovers (both red and white varieties). The University of Maryland Extension office recommends the following article about clover lawns: https://learn. eartheasy.com/articles/howto-establish-a-clover-lawn/ If you are ready to completely stop mowing (or completely stop paying exorbitant money for someone else to mow), the University of Delaware has set up an example of a lawn free home landscape on their campus that you can read about here https://canr.udel.edu/udbg/

gardens-plants/garden-areas/ south-greenhouse/ . Because Delaware has many of the same environmental conditions as Central Virginia, their plant recommendation list can be useful for Goochland gardeners. Shrinking the size of a lawn means less time mowing, less air pollution, and a lot less expense for lawn care. Three

cheers for a landscaping triple win. Cathy McCarthy is a certified Master Gardener through the Virginia Cooperative Extension and a member of the Goochland Powhatan Master Gardener Association. If you are interested in learning more about how to become a master gardener, please visit gpmga. org.

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Open House - Sunday April 24, 2-4

Program goal: Helping achieve healthier lawns Contributed report Want to improve your lawn? The Goochland Extension office is offering a lawn evaluation and best practices program called SmartLawns. Master Gardener volunteers will schedule a visit to your lawn to measure the total lawn area, evaluate the existing lawn and take a single soil sample. Soil samples will be analyzed at the Virginia Tech Soil Testing lab. Based on the results of the soil analysis and the on-site evaluation, you will be provided with a

lawn maintenance and nutrient application plan to help achieve a healthy and attractive lawn. To enroll in this program, please contact or stop by either the Goochland Extension office to obtain an enrollment form and a home owner lawn pre-survey. Applications will be accepted until Friday, May 13, 2022. Return the completed enrollment and survey forms to either Extension office along with a check for $30 payable to the “Treasurer of Virginia Tech.” Please pro-

vide a survey plat or a hand drawing of your lawn area along with the completed enrollment forms. Additional soil tests for specific areas of your lawn may be requested for $10 per sample. You may hand deliver or mail your completed form, check and survey plat/drawing to the Goochland Extension Office, 2748 Dogtown Road, Goochland, VA 23063. Once they are received a date and time will be scheduled for your site visit. For more information, call the Goochland Extension office at (804) 556-5841.

FOR SALE!!! Wildlife Twenty Farm. 2208 Fairfield Rd, Goochland, VA 23063 20 Acres. Great Location! 20 m to Short Pump/Rt 288 Brick Cape / 1st Floor Living / Expandable Upstairs / Covered Porch / 3 Car Heated Brick Garage / In-Ground Pool / Aisle Barn w/3 Stalls-12x12 (Space for 2 more Stalls) & Tack/Feed Room / 3 Board Fencing - 3 Pastures / Large Level Area for Riding. $925,000

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Thursday

April 21, 2022

OPINION: Editorial, Letters to the Editor

Nightly walk offers new perspective By Roslyn Ryan Editor

As the glorious spring weather has arrived in our neck of the woods, I’ve once again been enjoying an evening walk through my neighborhood a few times a week. No, I’m not breaking any speed records, but I’ve found that keeping a steady but gentle pace allows me to see my own little corner of the world in a whole new way. As I may have mentioned, my neighborhood (which is near Goochland but not quite in Goochland), is the sort of place that some might describe as “eclectic.” We are a charmingly diverse mix of ages and backgrounds, with plenty of both come-heres and always-been-heres. People wave to each other when they pass on the street and offer to help when someone gets stuck in the snow. We have no Home Owners Association, no rules about what color you can paint your front door, and an ad hoc policy on lawn maintenance that goes something like this: If you want to mow your lawn, great. If not, well, it’s your lawn. As one might guess, walking through my neighborhood can yield plenty of interesting sights if one is willing to look. One day a few years ago I walked past a

woman walking a pig on a leash as nonchalantly as if it were a French poodle. Another time I saw a couple installing what looked like an old clawfoot bathtub in their front yard (I later learned they were using it as a planter). I love seeing renovation projects get underway, as families tear down, add on or fix up various parts of their property. One family a few blocks east of my house, possibly tired of entertaining friends and family inside their tidy but relatively modest home, added on a new deck that was bigger than the house itself. A few streets down, a retired Army colonel spent almost a year building a two-story colossus next to his home that his neighbors began calling the Garagemahal. Of course, there are plenty of things to wonder about when you happen to be wandering around in this way. Did the homeowner at the end of that one street paint his house neon green to tick off his neighbor? Was the antique fire engine sitting in front of the little white ranch decommissioned after helping save hundreds of lives? Did the man who likes to sit on his back deck and pick his guitar on summer afternoons ever dream of packing up, leaving our little corner of the world, and heading to Nashville? Who knows. But I like to think someday

he might. Perhaps my favorite spot on my walk these days is a house up the street that was vacant for almost a year before a new family moved in. While the property had looked dull and sad before, it wasn’t long before the new owners began making it their own. Within a week or two a boat appeared in the yard. Than another. A bevy of trucks and tractors, a camper, then a trampoline and a play set. A few weeks later, a hot tub appeared next to the front porch. Now this set up might not have been appreciated in some neighborhoods, and it certainly would draw the ire of most any HOA. But each time I happen to walk by and see the kids playing outside or the family working in their garden, it’s hard not to be happy that they found their own little slice of heaven. As for me, I still enjoy living where I do some 20 years after we first moved in. It isn’t grand and it isn’t perfect, but I love it for all its oddities and quirks, its pigs on parade and unusual paint colors. Would I turn down a trip to some exotic locale or an adventure an ocean away? Probably not. But after all my wandering and wondering, my own wonderfully weird little corner of the world is still my favorite place to be.

Letters to the Editor Churchill’s phrase still fitting as war continues in Ukraine

God Bless them forever for II: Henceforth, do not say their courage. that the Ukrainians fight like To partially quote Winston Jack Agnew heroes. Say that heroes fight Churchill during World War Gum Spring like Ukrainians. Dear Editor,

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Since 1955

Over a century later, tale of tragic voyage still intrigues many By Jim Ridolphi Contributing Columnist

Every year near this time in April, the world stops for a second to remember the anniversary of the wreck of the Titanic and the hundreds who perished in one of the most horrific maritime disasters in recorded history. More than a century after the world’s most luxurious ocean liners met its watery fate, the tale of the Titanic still intrigues and mystifies. The ensuing decades have yielded a multitude of studies, books, movies and documentaries seeking to provide answers to questions that are most likely unanswerable. Even today, professional investigators and research experts spend lifetimes studying new aspects of the sinking, poring over ancient manuscripts of survivor accounts. Our family had its own Titanic story. My grandfather returned to Corsica and Italy in 1911 to visit relatives. At the time of his scheduled return in 1912, he’d settled in Montgomery, Alabama, started his own small lunch counter in the business dis-

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.

Laura McFarland lmcfarland@powhatantoday.com Roslyn Ryan

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trict, and was married with four small children. As a child, I have no memory of my grandfather discussing his experience with the famous ship, but I did often hear aunts and uncles and my grandmother retelling the story after his death. My cousins even claim to have seen the unused ticket purchased by my grandfather. He was delayed on his journey by train from southern France to Cherbourg, where he was scheduled to board the Titanic, so he missed the departure date. Devastated at the time, the stroke of luck more than likely saved his life. I’ve tried to research the story, but have only discovered bits and pieces that don’t equate to any level of authenticity. There are records of his return on another liner in late April 1912, so the timing does correlate with the story. That family connection began a lifelong fascination with the tragedy. Like many of my generation, the discovery of the wreck deep below the Atlantic was big news. What we had pictured in our minds sitting on the bottom of the dark, deep Atlantic was transformed to reality. The discovery was followed by numerous scientific expeditions, and new details regarding the Titanic are being discovered with each passing year. Thousands of artifacts have been retrieved from the wreck site. Although my Papa’s story still receives an infrequent retelling, it’s not the account regarding the sinking that intrigues me the most. Isidor and Ida Straus spent the winter of 1912 in the south

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April 21, 2022

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Epic comeback fuels Bulldogs By Robby Fletcher Sports Editor

The Goochland Bulldogs seem to have mastered the art of the comeback. Heading into the bottom of the third down 7-0 to the Charlottesville Black Knights on April 12, the Bulldogs looked inward in a moment of true adversity and responded with a comeback of epic proportions, battling back to win in a 13-12 stunner at home for their second win of the season. It was familiar territory for the scrappy Bulldogs, who won their first game of the season with a comeback from a 5-1 seventh inning deficit against Nottoway on March 22. Coming back from one big lead is one thing, but to do it twice in one season has shown that the Bulldogs, no matter the score, are always in the game. “That’s the great rallying cry out in the dugout, that we’re never out of a game,” head coach Wes Farkas said. “As long as we can piece together some runs and play some solid defense, we can come back.” The momentum that sparked the comeback can be traced back to that third inning, where the Black Knights scored three runs at the top of the third to build that seven-run lead. The run started with an RBI single by junior Reese Vincent, whose pop fly to centerfield sent in junior John Summit for the team’s first run of the day. Vincent was the next to score after getting to third on a double by junior Riley Hite and home on a single from sophomore Corey Mullins. Both Hite and Mullins reached home at the next at-bat by pitcher Chase Breedlove, who nailed a double on a fly ball toward left field. Breedlove also pitched five

innings, recording two strikeouts on the evening. “It just helps bring everybody’s spirits up,” junior Mason Gregory said. “When we’re down 7-0, it’s hard to not be flat, but then you score four runs and it’s 7-4 and you feel like you can come back and win. If you can score four, you can score four more and you’re up.” The Black Knights created a little bit more distance with a run in the fourth inning, but the Bulldogs earned that one back to make it 8-5 in the fifth inning after junior GrahamMichael Fletcher-Mintz hit a single toward the shortstop that scored Breedlove in. In the sixth inning, the Bulldogs saw two changes on the mound that resulted in Gregory tossing the ball for the next inning. The junior, who closed as pitcher and made a crucial triple late in the Nottoway win, was massive down the stretch for the Bulldogs yet again, helping allow just one run with loaded bases to get the Bulldogs back on the offensive. “He’s a very hard-working kid and it shows on the field,” Farkas said. “He’s a very disciplined hitter, and he’s one of our most steady fielders. He’s the kind of guy others just follow.” From there, the hitting momentum exploded for the Bulldogs. With Summit on second and Gregory on first, a bouncy grounder from Hite that sent the defense into a panic brought both runners home to cut the deficit down to 9-7. Hite and Mullins then reached third and first and found themselves booking it for home after junior Nikolai Cotner hit a beautiful line drive near second for a triple that tied the game up. More big hits came from

Photos by Robby Fletcher

Above, junior Riley Hite winds up for a pitch in the top of the seventh inning in Goochland’s come-from-behind 13-12 victory over Charlottesville High School on April 12. Hite delivered a strikeout and a ground out in the seventh to close the game and deliver a Bulldogs victory. Right, junior A.J. Condrey keeps his foot on first base as he waits to catch the third out during the top of the fifth inning. The catch left the Black Knights scoreless as the Bulldogs prepared to storm back late in the game.

Fletcher-Mintz, Summit and Gregory to earn four more runs to wrap-up a miraculous eight-run inning that gave the Bulldogs a 13-9 lead and left the Knights completely stunned. The Bulldogs were just three outs away from capping

off an incredible comeback, but the Black Knights wouldn’t go down without a fight. After Gregory struck out the first batter, Charlottesville had three straight singles to pave the way for a run off an error and two runs off consecutive walks to

cut the lead down to 13-12. With the newfound lead slipping, Gregory handed pitching duties off to Hite, who finished the game with a strikeout and a quick ground out on his two batters to close out the game and give the Bulldogs an

incredible victory in front of the home crowd. The Bulldogs hope to use this momentum in their matchup against Orange County on April 21. The Hornets currently sport a 2-2 record so far this season.

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April 21, 2022

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Goochland softball routs Charlottesville By Robby Fletcher Sports Editor

It was an eventful week for Goochland’s softball team, who had their biggest win of the week and stood strong against one of the top teams in the Jefferson District. On Tuesday, April 12, the Bulldogs hosted the Charlottesville Black Knights and completely took over the game from the first pitch. The 16-0 win was the largest scoring difference of the season for the Bulldogs, who won their third game of the year. Two days later on April 14, the Bulldogs traveled to Monticello High School for a matchup with the 7-2 Mustangs, who boast the second best record in the district. The Bulldogs kept the game close with tremendous defense that spanned across all seven innings, though the Mustangs were able to pull away with a 2-1 victory. Kicking off their matchup with the Black Knights of Charlottesville, senior Abrielle White started the scoring early with a double in the first

Photo by Robby Fletcher

Senior Abrielle White heads for home after a wild pitch flew out of the hand of the catcher in Goochland’s dominant 16-0 victory over Charlottesville High School on April 12. The win gives Goochland a 3-4 record on the season.

inning that saw her slide into second, steal third and round the bases for an early run. Then, senior Karsyn Martin scored a run after getting an RBI on a hit of her own and later crossing home

plate thanks to a hit by senior Jasmine Price. The first inning runs didn’t stop there, with junior Madison Duke advancing from third base after junior Laura Lee Baldwin smashed

a ball down centerfield for a triple. When all the dust was settled and the Black Knights finally earned their third out, it was already a 5-0 Bulldogs advantage. After Price threw out all

three hitters at the top of the second inning, the Bulldogs offense continued its dominant stretch of hitting, scoring five more runs to add to their total. Junior Jayden Staton started things off with a terrific in-park home run that shot down centerfield, leaving the defense struggling to get the ball back near the bases. By the time they did, Staton was already rounding third to make it 6-0. Price then decided to bounce off her teammate’s incredible play with a tworun home run of her own to make it 8-0. By the end of the second, the Bulldogs built up a 10-0 lead. The team never looked back from there, building up an impressive 16-run lead to end the game early with the mercy rule. In their game against the Mustangs, sophomore Chelsey Farthing was on the mound for the entirety of the game and delivered a fantastic performance in her six innings pitched. Allowing just eight hits and two runs, Farthing kept

the game close with the help of her outfield by limiting mistakes and avoiding any major hits into the outfield. As a batter, she also recorded a hit. The Mustangs opened with a run in the first inning off a single, but were held scoreless all the way until the seventh inning when they earned the game-winning run. The lone run for the Bulldogs came at the top of the fourth, when a sacrifice bunt by junior Brookelyn Green scored in Martin to tie up the game. The defense-heavy game ultimately went in Monticello’s favor, but this past week of softball proved to everyone in the district that the Bulldogs are a team that can battle in any type of game, whether that be a high-scoring offensive affair or a close defense-first finish. The Bulldogs will be back on the field to continue their strong season with a matchup on Thursday, April 21 when they travel to Orange County to play the 7-0 Hornets. Robby Fletcher can be reached at rfletcher@powhatantoday.com.

Goochland girls soccer fights, but falls short at home By Robby Fletcher Sports Editor

The Goochland girls soccer team faced a tough battle at home on April 14, taking on the 3-1-1 Monticello Mustangs. While the Bulldogs lost 3-0 against a talented Mustangs team, they played tough defensively to keep the game close for the entirety of the match.

Monticello controlled the possession game during the match, but Goochland’s defense held strong despite a few quality goal-scoring chances. Twelve minutes into the first half, the Mustangs finally got onto the board with their first goal of the game. They would double the lead as the shot sailed and dropped into the back of the right corner of the net to make it a 2-0 game

with four minutes to play in the half. In the second half, the Bulldogs defense continued to step up to keep the Mustangs advantage down to just two, with multiple saves out of the net leaving the Mustangs without a second half goal until more than halfway through the half, when a penalty kick made it a 3-0 game. On the offensive end, the Bulldogs moved the ball well,

but the chances in front of net were few and far between against a powerful Mustangs back line. The Bulldogs are still searching for their first win of the season, and have a chance to earn that win when they travel to Louisa County for a district matchup against the Lions on Monday, April 25. Robby Fletcher can be Photo by Robby Fletcher reached at rfletcher@powhat- Senior Erla Thorkelsdottir toes the sideline with the ball at her antoday.com. feet against Monticello High School on April 14.

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April 21, 2022

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Goochland boys tennis faces adversity in losses By Robby Fletcher Sports Editor

It was a tough week on the tennis courts for the Goochland boys tennis team, with losses against Charlottesville and Monticello pushing their season record to 2-2, but even through defeat, they still found ways to draw positives from the matchups. Junior Evan Bernstine, the team’s one-seed singles player, battled through injury in his matchup against Charlottesville’s Luke Frank on April 12, but it didn’t seem to impact his performance, as the star player was quick to take control of the pace of the game. Despite a convincing 8-1 set win, Bernstine consistently found ways to motivate himself to not only win, but dominate the competition. The junior responded to a match won by Frank by ramp-

ing up the energy, spraying shots all over the court that left the Black Knights opponent gassed by the end of the match. In Bernstine’s doubles match, he partnered up with five-seeded Elijah Isom due to two-seed junior Alex Peskin not being available to compete. Isom, who lost his singles match in a close 8-6 finish, held his own in the doubles competition, with Bernstine completely taking over and nearly pulling out the upset win in a thrilling 8-6 set. Despite the loss, it spoke to Goochland’s depth that Isom could step up against advanced competition and contribute with a solid performance. Aside from Bernstine’s singles win, the Bulldogs had two other victories in the 6-3 loss, with junior Charlie Alston winning in his singles match

against junior Cole Neal in a close 9-8 set. The other victory was by default for Alston and junior Ryan Bowers. Against Monticello on April 14, the Bulldogs again fell 6-3, with Bernstine yet again impressing with an 8-1 win. Pairing with Peskin this time around in doubles, the one-two combo impressed with a convincing 8-3 win that was Goochland’s second win in doubles, with the second being Bowers and Alston shutting out the competition with an 8-0 result. Despite the overall result tilting in Monticello’s favor, it was a solid day of tennis for Goochland and head coach Thomas Webb, who will continue progressing through the season with the regional tournament still a month away. The Bulldogs play again on Thursday, April 21 when they travel for a matchup against the Orange County Hornets.

Photo by Robby Fletcher

Goochland junior Evan Bernstine, the tennis team’s one-seed player, sprints to the net to send back a ball against Charlottesville junior Luke Frank in their singles competition on April 12. Bernstine won his singles matchup with an 8-1 set, while falling in his doubles match alongside Elijah Isom, 8-6.

Benedictine baseball closes out game over Collegiate By Robby Fletcher Sports Editor

Building up a 9-4 lead entering the seventh inning, the Benedictine Cadets held off a furious late rally by the Collegiate Cougars to pull out a 9-7 victory at home. The game on Wednesday, April 13 saw the Cadets (8-3) record nine hits and eight RBIs to build that five-run lead, with Jorden Olivera leading the way with two hits and three RBIs on four at-bats. On the mound, pitcher Derrell Fletcher-Knight led the Cadets with a stellar effort in his five innings pitched, tossing out

four strikeouts while allowing 11 hits. While the Cougars had success hitting, it resulted in only a few runs early on while the Cadets ran up the score with a terrific offensive showing. The Cougars built an early 2-1 lead entering the top of the second inning, but three quick outs paved the way for a great second inning on offense for the Cadets, with Wil Moore hitting a line drive double to right field that scored in Dalton Rocke. Moore then scored after a dropped third strike allowed him to reach home base. Later in the third, Olivera’s double on a grounder to right field scored another Cadet in to make it 4-2. In the fourth,

Moore once again stepped up to the plat and delivered with another line drive double that sent Samuel Saunders home to make it 5-2. Moore again scored once he reached base by earning a run off an Ethan Loucks ground out. That momentum transitioned into their performance on the defense, with FletcherKnight striking out a batter to start on a 2-2 count, and then seeing two consecutive ground outs leave Collegiate emptyhanded. Collegiate made things interesting with a strong tworun sixth inning to make it 6-4, but Benedictine responded well to create a five-run lead after

another Olivera double and a Daniel Lingle single adding three runs to the team’s total. Olivera’s hit was a grounder toward left field that sent the defense into a frenzy while Lingle and Collin Clarkson scored to bring it to 9-4. While the Cougars made things interesting with three consecutive runs on three atbats at the top of the seventh, the Cadets caught two pop outs and earned the game-ending third out from pitcher Jagen Ratlief to give them a hardfought victory. The Cadets play again on Friday, April 22 as they travel to Atlantic Shores for another league matchup.

Photo by Robby Fletcher

Benedictine pitcher Derrell Fletcher-Knight delivers a pitch in the second inning of the Cadets’ 9-7 win at home over Collegiate on April 12. The win pushes Benedictine to an 8-4 record this season.

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