comeback kids
family life
go fish
W&L rallies to win overtime thriller versus king george. Page 5
group seeking changes to state laws aimed at protecting children. Page 10
This is the month to hit your favorite saltwater spot. Page 7
POSTAL CUSTOMER
T he
Colonial Beach • Westmoreland
Volume 38, Number 36
Wednesday, September 3, 2014 50 Cents
helping you relate to your community
Montross eyes moving election day
remembering the ‘cracker box’
Hopes switch to November would attract more voters Linda Farneth
Gym home to 102 years of memories Leonard Banks Today, the facility sits silently behind fences and yellow tape. It’s a far cry from the raucous scenes that played out for 102 years of Drifters’ pride that occurred at the former Colonial Beach High School. Retired Drifters’ coaches and sports icons Steve Swope and Wayne Kennedy spend their professional lives at the school. Their dedication to the Drifters’ sports programs has resulted in numerous championships, as well as basketball battles that still are the
center of conversation among high school historians to this day. As a student, teacher and coach, Swope remembers the unique distinction of playing in the “Cracker Box.” Those memories are even more evocative since the school was damaged by fire Jan. 5. “Nobody wanted to play us in there,” he said. “We had our own distinct home-court advantage. It had a huge psychological effect on the opposition.” The first thing visiting teams See GYM, page 4
Courtesy of Colonial Beach High School (top)/Leonard Banks (above)
The Colonial Beach Elementary School’s gym, affectionatley known as the “Cracker Box,” top, when it was the town’s high school, was a place in which oppenents hated to play. The school, above, was damaged by fire in January.
Montross Town Council discussed moving May elections to November at their Aug. 26 meeting. The move would have several benefits for town residents and would save taxpayer dollars. Currently, to elect council members, registered voters in Montross vote at Town Hall, biannually in May. For county, state and federal elections held each November, Montross voters report to W&L High School. In her 25 years in office, Westmoreland Voter Registrar Kris Hicks does not ever recall a referendum on the Montross ballot. During the meeting, Town Manager Brenda Reamy asked the town council to consider moving the May town council elections to November. She reported that voter turnout for town elections has been very low in the last 4 elections. In 2008, the town of roughly 350 residents had 23 voters That number declined to 17 in 2010; 16 in 2012; and 17 this past May. Hicks reported the cost of last May’s election to be $1,210.80, which breaks down to roughly $72 per voter. Out of that figure, the town was charged $122.45 for paper and sample-ballot printing. Hicks said that if town elections are moved to November, the county would pick up the rest of the tab, and only these printing costs would be charged to the town. Hicks estimated future election printings would not cost more than $200, at most. Hicks said that the May elections showed a 7% turnout of Montross residents, and the previous November election showed a 37% turnout of 3rd District residents. Although the exact percentage of town residents in that 37% figure is very difficult to determine, Hicks believes moving elections would result in higher voter turnouts. “Citizens are used to voting in November and tend to forget to vote in May.” Hicks said that one concern for May elections is that immediately following any election, voting machines are put under lockdown for a period of time. If a June primary follows a May election, this could result in too few machines being available to conduct the primary voting. In retrospect, May elections put more focus on local candidates, and ballots are more compact, Hicks told the council. “However, voter turnout seems to outweigh those advantages.” Hicks added, “Some authorities think that partisan politics might begin to play a part with town elections being held in November, but from everything I’ve read, other registrars in small towns with November elections say, ‘No, it’s not an issue.’” Council expressed some concern that the county-resident voters would be able to vote on town elections or matters. Hicks explained that officials would check each voter’s address and determine their residency. The electronic voting machines have separate ballot screens, allowing voters to see only on what they are eligible to vote, which voting officials set with one switch, prior to voters entering the booths. Mayor R. David O’Dell motioned to allow the Town Manager to begin researching what actions are needed to carry out the move. Reamy feels confident the town could carry out the process in time for the 2016 elections.
‘Project Lifesaver’seeks to help missing elderly Linda Farneth When people hear the term lifesaver, some think of the little ring of candy with the fruity flavors. Others may think of saving someone from drowning, administering CPR or applying a tourniquet to stop lifethreatening bleeding. Very few think about the life-saving efforts put into finding a lost loved one. Especially an adult who after years of being the caregiver to their family suddenly becomes mentally impaired through disease or injury. Many people with Alzheimer’s or brain injuries sometimes wander off and lose their ability to find their way back home. There are numerous reports of
tragedies involving elderly loved ones wandering away from their home, only to be found dead days or even months later from lack of food, shelter or medication. To help combat this, law enforcement agencies all over the country are participating in “Project Lifesaver,” a search-and-rescue operation that helps locate people with all types of mentally impairing conditions. It aims to help anyone who might have an issue with wandering and not being able to communicate to rescuers about getting home. Those enrolled in the program wear a small, personal transmitter around the wrist or ankle that emits an individualized tracking signal. If an enrolled client goes missing, the
If you need help To get more information on “Project Lifesaver” or to sign up for this free program, contact: Westmoreland County: Major John L. Hoover III or 1st Sgt. Vanessa Schoch at 804-4938066. King George County: King George Sheriff’s Deputy Jeff Stonehill at 540-775-2049 caregiver notifies their local “Project Lifesaver” agency, and a trained emergency team responds to the area. Most people are found within a
few miles of their home, and search times have been reduced from hours and days to minutes, officials said. Recovery times for “Project Lifesaver” clients average 30 minutes — 95 percent less time than usual in such cases. The project isn’t just for Alzheimer’s patients. Projectlifesaver.org lists more than 800 rescues performed using the locating transmitters. Patients with dementia, autism, Alzheimer’s, brain injuries and the mentally challenged all have been saved using the system, the website said. Both sheriff ’s offices in Westmoreland and King George counties are participating in the program. The service is designed to assist families with loved ones
suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia disorders, as well as families with children afflicted with Down syndrome, autism, traumatic brain injuries or cognitive impairments. Such people may be prone to wander from home and become lost or confused. The King George Sheriff ’s Office has been involved with the program since 2007. Jeff Stonehill is one of the deputies trained in conducting active searches. “We have five certified operators, and most of the deputies have some training in the program. I have nine active clients right now, and I have had as many as eleven at one time.” Most of the King George clients are Alzheimer’s patients, but a couple are
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children with autism. Westmoreland County recently began participating in the program and currently serves four clients. “We have not had any calls or have used the system for a rescue, fortunately,” Stonehill said. Westmoreland County Sheriff C. O. Balderson added: “We are grateful to be able to offer the program to citizens and hope that anyone who can be assisted by ‘Project Lifesaver’ will contact the sheriff ’s office for assistance.”