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Colonial Beach • Westmoreland
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Volume 38, Number 9
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Wednesday, February 26, 2014 50 Cents
CB School Board moves forward with relocation tasks The Colonial Beach School Board met on Feb. 18 in the high school cafeteria to approve upcoming tasks for the relocation of the elementary school campus to the high school, including negotiating prices for a relocation engineer and approval of the return of the mod pods still at the elementary campus. The elementary students are currently being housed at the Oak Grove Baptist Church since a fire ravaged
the vacant two-story building, rendering many of the other buildings and a majority of the campus unsafe. To date, the School has not received any word from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) or Virginia State Police, who are investigating the cause of the fire to determine if it was arson or accidental. The school board has held off on the approval of hiring a site engineer
Dr. Walsh temporarily suspending practice at Mid-Rivers Cancer Center Dr. Christopher Walsh, the popular oncologist at the Mid-Rivers Cancer Center in Montross, is temporarily suspending his practice due to personal health concerns. The well-known treatment center, which has been providing state of the art care to cancer patients throughout the area for almost 10 years, announced the temporary suspension Tuesday. “Due to health reasons, Christopher S. Walsh, M.D., announces that he is suspending the operation of his radiation therapy practice at MidRivers Cancer Center in Montross effective the end of business Feb. 28, for at least four to six weeks,” the announcement said. “Staff will be available to assist patients during the six weeks of cessation of the practice. Patients or their authorized representatives who desire to pick up a copy of their records, or would like to have a copy transferred to a licensed health care
provider of their choice, may do so by calling (804) 493-8880 or sending a written request to the Mid-Rivers Cancer Center, attention: Records, 15394 Kings Highway, Montross, VA 22520,” according to the center’s announcement. “Absent a decision to reopen the center, the office is expected to remain open for record requests until March 31, 2014, at which time, the remaining records will be transferred to storage, and will only be available by written request to the above address,” the announcement declared. Dr. Walsh has practiced in Virginia since 1989. A former chief resident of radiation oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Walsh served as the medical director of the Cancer Center of Virginia in Fredericksburg before opening his own practice in Westmoreland County. —Richard Leggitt
to oversee the move of the elementary school campus, to discuss negotiating a lower price. The RFP (request for proposal) officially closed on Feb.18, with only one response from Jeff L. Howeth Engineering from Tappahannock. During her Superintendent’s Report, Kathleen Beane asked the board for their approval to secure his services in the amount of $30,000. Half will cover engineering survey-
ing, and the other half for construction management. Howeth would be responsible for all procurement compliance for all phases of the project, as well as obtaining permits, writing bid documents and coordinating sub-contractors within the construction project. School Board Chairman Tim Trivett stated that although the approval was on the agenda, he wanted to wait until after the Executive Session to
A Westmoreland County woman was killed in a crash that occurred on Cople Highway, when a Dodge Ram pickup collided with her Subaru Legacy. Virginia State Police identified the woman as 79-yearold Barbara W. Haught. According to State Police Sgt. Thomas Molnar, officers responded to the two-vehicle crash just after 8 p.m. Saturday night. The collision occurred on Route 202 (Cople Highway), west of Route 611 (Zion Church Road) in Westmoreland County. Haught was pronounced dead at
Leonard Banks
Amid cheers, and jubilation, Washington & Lee varsity boys basketball head coach, George Hunter receives a lift from his team, as they celebrate the first ever 1A East Conference 43 Tournament Championship victory. The Eagles defeated Colonial Beach, 58-52. See coverage of tournament action on the sports pages.
Linda Farneth
Superintendent Kathleen Beane and staff recognize the Colonial Beach School Board with baskets for their hard work and long hours. Beane said she appreciates the long hours, the late nights, the phone calls and the conference calls. “We’re trying to keep our school division running smoothly, efficiently and effectively. They really spend an inordinate amount of time for minimal money, but they do it because they love our school division.”
Lady Drifters are champs
Scout Sunday Services and Blue & Gold Banquet Pack 258 was formed in Sept. 1987 by the Colonial Beach Baptist Church and has remained there ever since. This year’s Blue & Gold Banquet was their 27th annual celebration, and they are still going strong with 23 boys registered and 12 adult volunteers. February is the birthday month for scouting, and this is why they celebrate with the Blue & Gold Banquet. Their troop was established in May of 1998, and is also sponsored by the Colonial Beach Baptist Church. The pack and the troop have worked together, side by side, and have helped each other’s units in terms of growth of both members and volunteers. Cub Scouts are from 1st grade (or 7 years old and up) to 5th grade; at which time they move up to the troop after finishing the 5th grade. The Boy Scout Troop See Scouts, page 4
staff to begin the removal of supplies from the mod pod units. Despite the mod pods being located within the collapse zone, the School has obtained permission to enter the buildings, but only under the supervision of fire officials. The mod pods are tentatively set for removal on March 1, although the School will have 30 days from See Tasks page 4
Hague woman killed in weekend crash
Champions
Thank you to the school board from superintendent beane
Cub Scout Pack 258
approve. Trivett said he felt that there was a legal issue the board needed to discuss. After returning from closed session, the board made a conditional approval, based on negotiating a lower contract price. In the meantime, the board has approved the return of the mod pods, which will save the School around $10,000 a month in rent and utilities. This action opened the door for
the scene. She was wearing her seat belt. The 48-year-old driver of the Dodge Ram, who was not wearing a seat belt, was flown to Mary Washington Hospital with serious non-life threatening injuries. He was identified as Rodney Corbin, 48, of Hague. An investigation is continuing into the cause of the collision. Route 202 was closed for approximately four hours to allow for the ongoing state police investigation. So far, officers have not filed charges in connection with the crash.
W&L principal due in court on April 28 Washington & Lee High School Principal Andrea Michelle Roane is due back in Westmoreland County General District Court on April 28 to face charges of driving while intoxicated. A special prosecutor has been selected to try the case. Roane appeared briefly in court last week after being arrested on DWI charges, as well as two other charges. The 39-year-old W&L principal was charged and held in jail overnight after the Nissan Altima she was driving skidded off the road during a snowstorm just before midnight on February 12. One of Westmoreland County’s highest paid officials, Roane was initially charged with DWI, reckless driving and use of a handheld device while driving. In General District Court last week, prosecutors dropped the reckless driving charge. Westmoreland Commonwealth’s Attorney Julia Sichol announced that she had requested a special prosecutor to handle the DWI charge and the charge of using a handheld device while driving. “I have requested a special prosecutor for the case,” Sichol said. “Ms. Roane and I have worked closely on several matters relating to the School, and I did not feel I could
be unbiased in the prosecution of her case. Jane Wrightson, Northumberland County’s Commonwealth’s Attorney, will prosecute the case.” On Feb. 12, Westmoreland County Sheriff ’s Office Deputies Kim Simon and Rafael Torres responded after Roane’s car skidded off the road at the corner of Templemans Road and Neenah Road near the intersection of Route 3 and Route 202. The arrest of a high school principal with the charge of driving while intoxicated is rare, and Westmoreland County School Superintendent Rebecca Lowery said that she is conferring with the Westmoreland County School Board about what action to take following the charges filed against Roane. “We will confer, and we will act in the best interests of the children,” Lowery said. Roane, a native of Westmoreland County who graduated from W&L in 1993, was named principal of the high school at the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year. Previously, she was the principal of Essex Intermediate School in Tappahannock, where she also served as assistant principal for three years. —Richard Leggitt
Burn restrictions in effect
Leonard Banks
Drifter forward, Kenzie Cox (right, #1) attempts to box out a Northumberland player during the 1A East Conference 43 Tournament Championship, in Lancaster.
With spring approaching, residents may want to clean up leftover fall leaves, fallen branches and unwanted brush debris that is best controlled before the growing season takes hold. However, when disposing of these items through burning, there are certain laws pertaining to burning that citizens should be aware of, and precautions should be followed. During the period of Feb. 15 through April 30 of each year, Virginia State code § 10.1-1142 restricts the burning of any brush, leaves, grass, debris or field containing dry grass or other inflammable material capable of spreading fire, located in or within 300 feet of any woodland, brushland, or field containing dry grass or other inflammable material, except between the hours of 4 p.m. and midnight. Sate law also requires when burning any woods, brush, logs, leaves, grass, debris or other inflammable material, precautions must be taken to prevent the spread of fire. The law requires that these items be cut and piled, and the land around the debris to be burned
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carefully cleared. In the Town of Colonial Beach, the following restrictions apply, “no person shall, within the town, burn any rubber tires, asphaltic materials, crankcase oil, impregnated wood or similar materials which, when burned, produce excessive smoke or nauseous odors, nor shall such prohibited items be used as ‘starter fuel’ for any open burning.” Westmoreland County Sheriff ’s Office asks that anyone within the county limits, including within the towns of Montross and Colonial Beach, call the sheriff ’s office nonemergency phone number-- 804493-8066 to inform them of any planned burns. You will be asked to give the address of the planned burn, a contact name and a contact phone number. You will also be asked to call back and advise when the fire has been extinguished. —Linda Farneth