INSIDE Boatwright, Webster earn 2022 Goochland pageant crowns > page 5
Volume 66 Number 24 • June 16, 2022
For Alvarez, it’s farewell once again Former District 2 supervisor wrapping up tenure as acting county administrator
Lawn mowers linked to two structure fires
A place to
Goochland fire chief urges residents to use caution, let mowers cool before storing
By Roslyn Ryan Editor
By Roslyn Ryan Editor
As the county prepares to welcome new county administrator Victor Carpenter next week, county supervisors took a few moments during the June 7 board meeting to bid farewell— for now—to acting county administrator Manuel Alvarez. The meeting was the last one Alvarez will attend as acting county administrator —a position supervisors appointed him to after the sudden departure of then county administrator Kenny Young last July—and marked the end of a productive 10-month tenure during which ALVAREZ the former District 2 supervisor played a key role in advancing several major county projects as well as helped lead the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. “When we began thinking about an interim county administrator, someone who we needed to stand in the gap, Manny checked all the boxes,” said board
It’s a warm weather ritual for millions of people, but for two Goochland homeowners the simple task of mowing the lawn almost ended up costing them dearly. On May 30, Goochland County FireRescue responded to Rockcastle Road for a lawnmower on fire inside a garage. Fortunately, in that instance, crews were able to move the lawn mower outside and damage to the garage was minimal. Just a few days later on June 4, however, Fire-Rescue responded to Tabscott Road for a lawnmower on fire inside an attached garage. This time the fire had spread throughout the garage and would eventually consume the entire home. To Goochland County fire chief Eddie Ferguson, both fires should serve as a warning to residents of the dangers lawnmowers can pose, even when they are not running. Ferguson said his department has answered similar calls for house fires caused by lawnmowers before, but he can’t recall ever seeing two such incidents in one week. Ferguson said the most common
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Local parents, Parks and Rec look to revitalize neglected county skateboard park By Roslyn Ryan Editor
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t’s been over a decade since Rylee Jennings spent long summer hours perfecting his skateboarding skills, but his mother Kim doesn’t have to look far to be reminded of those days. Back in 2008, Kim and her husband Arthur helped spearhead a drive to create Goochland’s very own skate
park, a place where local kids could gather and skate without worrying about running afoul of the many “no skateboarding” signs posted around the county. Together with the Goochland County Parks and Recreation Department and the Goochland YMCA, the Jennings see Skate park > page 3
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