INSIDE Bella one of several local shelter pets in need of forever home > page 2
Volume 66 Number 13 • March 31, 2022
Goochland supervisors adopt revised electoral district map Changes to districts are required by law to coincide with release of decennial census MCGEE
By Roslyn Ryan Editor
After several months of intensive work on the part of the county’s redistricting team, Goochland’s newly revised local voting districts have now been finalized. County supervisors voted unanimously to adopt the new electoral map on March 15, bringing a close to a process that officially kicked off last December. As county attorney Tara McGee
explained to board members during her initial presentation, the changes to local election districts and polling places was based on 2020 Census data and required by Article VII, Section 5 of the Virginia Constitution. In keeping with state law, localities must undergo a redistricting process every 10 years, coinciding with the decennial U.S. Census.
Byrd Elementary celebrates D.A.R.E. graduation
Requirements for the new districts included that they would be substantially equal in population, be contiguous and compact, not use race as a predominate factor, have clearly observable boundaries, and consider state election districts in their creation.
see Redistricting > 2
Group taking aim at local litter problem By Roslyn Ryan Editor
Photo courtesy of the Goochland County Sheriff’s Office
The Goochland County Sheriff’s Office celebrated the graduation Friday of its final elementary school D.A.R.E. class at Byrd Elementary School for this year. The fifth grade students completed the 10-week program with their instructor, deputy Michael Donithan, right, who applauded their 100% participation. During the ceremony, Goochland County sheriff Steven Creasey, left, and Donithan presented the students with their certificates, acknowledging their ability to make safe and responsible decisions and their commitment to being good citizens.
Goochland resident John Festa doesn’t mind talking trash. And for those concerned about keeping the county’s byways litter-free, that’s a good thing. As a founding member of the recently renamed Clean Goochland Council (CGC)— formerly the Goochland Anti-Litter and Recycling Council — Festa and a small but dedicated group of like-minded residents are set on addressing the amount of trash that can be seen along county roads. The group is citizen-led, explained Festa, but does list District 2 Supervisor Neil Spoonhower and the county’s director of general services Scott Foster as advisory members to the council. And while in years past the group maintained a focus on recycling as well as litter cleanup, efforts have now been shifted primarily to the latter. “Though we certainly support recycling,” see Litter > 5
