new-look offense
wounded warriors
Washington & lee continues to score points with abAndon. Page 5
despite mishap, veterans are honored in colonial beach. Page 4
POSTAL CUSTOMER
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Colonial Beach • Westmoreland
Volume 38, Number 37
Wednesday, September 10, 2014 50 Cents
helping you relate to your community
CB school board OKs $1.8M insurance deal Money will help pay for repairs to high school, elementary move
going to happen.” Tracey Tunstall, director of federal The Colonial Beach School Board programs for the division, said the has voted to accept an insurance building was insured for about $2 settlement offer of $1.8 million to million. The settlement will cover cover fire damage to the two-story a large portion, and possibly all of building on the former elementary the costs of the elementary school relocation to the First Street campus, school campus. School Board Chairman Tim Triv- repairs to the high school and the ett proposed accepting the settlement, replacement of lights at the football and the board unanimously agreed it field, reducing the amount of money would save time and taxpayer money. needed from the town. The board will honor an agreement “I just think things are going in the right direction, and it is going up,” with the town to transfer ownership Trivett said. “I’m happier than I have of the property at the old elementary been since I have been on this board. I campus to the town. The Colonial Beach School Board think that some good things are really Linda Farneth
already was in negotiations with the council to provide money to relocate the elementary school on Douglas Avenue to the high school campus on First Street when a fire broke out Jan. 5 in an unused building. The campus was a mix of brick buildings, trailers and modular classrooms. Many of the trailers were more than 20 years old and had safety issues, school officials said. Those defects were discovered after several storms and an earthquake damaged a one-story addition to that building. The fire displaced the students for the remainder of the school year, and the Oak Grove Baptist Church allowed the school to have classes there as a temporary solution. In addition, the school also requested money from the town to perform repairs to the high school
Advantages to settling n Litigation could stretch for up to two years, with no guarantee of winning. n Will not tie up staff in litigation. n The school will save a minimum of $187,000 in attorney’s fees, saving tax dollars. n The bond amount will be reduced for the town, requiring less tax dollars to pay off. n A faster resolution for making the site safe. and to replace four football field lights that are in danger of falling. In response to the school’s request, the council decided to seek a bond to pay for the repairs, as well as a few of the town’s needs. In return for the money, the division agreed to give the elementary school property to the town within 45 days of a resolution with the insurance company.
The deal stated the property would be marketed and sold by the council. Any money from the sale would go toward paying back the bond, with any leftover money going toward building a new school. The council has set a Sept. 11 public hearing for the bond issue. Although the settlement will more than cover the originally requested amount of
$1.2 million from the school, the board has encountered some additional expenses for the elementary relocation. Trivett said at a Sept. 2 meeting the board hopes to have updated figures for the relocation ready for the council at the Sept. 11 meeting. However, Tunstall said they could not tally all the expenses until the move is completed. If figures from the school are not ready by the hearing, the council may have to delay voting on a bond amount. The town advertised the bond amount not to exceed $1.975 million. Town Manager Val Foulds told the council early payments could not be made on the bond, and it clearly must detail on what the money will be spent, and the town cannot deviate from that list.
Ex-chief sues town for $400K
Reviving a landmark
Richard Leggitt
Richard Leggitt
The historic Inn at Montross has been many things throughout its history. It found new owners and a new life in 2010 and was honored by the Northern Neck Historical Society last year as an “outstanding restoration or renovation to a property and/or historical interest.”
Inn at Montross has new lease on life Richard Leggitt
The historic brick building at 21 Polk St., Montross, has been many things. The original building, constructed on the site in the late 17th century, first was Minor’s Ordinary and then Spence Tavern, a way stop for weary Northern Neck travelers. Throughout the centuries, and decades of disrepair, reconstruction and remodeling, the three-story building has served as a hotel, a restaurant, private residence,
apartments, a schoolhouse and a tavern again. In the early 1800s, it even served as a temporary Westmoreland County courthouse for a brief period. Today, the historic building flourishes as the Inn at Montross, a luxury bed and breakfast. The current owners, Montross residents Rod and Beth Parker, Rhys and Nancy Weakley, and Ken and Cindy Syndergaard, began a massive 16-month restoration and expansion in 2010 that has turned the inn into an historic showplace.
After the building’s interior was redesigned, guest rooms were restored and the exterior was given a facelift, the bed and breakfast and restaurant was honored by the Northern Neck Historical Society last year as an “outstanding restoration or renovation to a property and/or historical interest.” The inn features five guest rooms, a tavern and a gourmet kitchen to serve brunch and dinner to its guests and other visitors. The dining room is open to the public Thursday, Friday and Saturday
evenings and for a Sunday brunch buffett, offering entrees like lemon-kissed catfish and jumbo sea scallops and grits. Before her marriage, Cindy Syndergaard owned the inn for seven years, beginning in 1997, falling in love with the historic building and the village. While she was in Montross at that time, one of her guests was a woman painting a mural at the nearby Coca Cola plant. “She was from my hometown in
See INN, page 4
Former Colonial Beach Police Chief Kenneth Blevins, Sr. has filed suit in Westmoreland County Circuit Court seeking $400,000 in damages from the town in a breach of contract claim. The suit alleges Blevins had a valid employment contract but “resigned under duress” as a result of pressure from the Colonial Beach Town Council. Colonial Beach Mayor Mike Ham said he would not comment on the lawsuit. Blevins Sr. The suit, which was filed Aug. 28 by Warsaw attorney James Monroe, says Blevins was terminated in violation of the terms of his employment contract despite the fact the mayor and town council did not cite any grounds for unsatisfactory performance by Blevins. Named as defendants in the suit, in addition to the Town of Colonial Beach, are Ham, current town council members Lloyd Edwards, Gary Seeber, Jim Chiarello and Wanda Goforth and former council member Timothy Curtain, who was on the council when Blevins resigned last year. According to the lawsuit, Blevins performed his duties in an exemplary manner and was paid $60,000 a year for his services after he was hired by the town in 2011. The suit includes copies of Blevins’ performance reviews to support his claim. Despite Blevins’ good work, the suit alleges he received notice at a town council meeting Jan. 10, 2013 “that sufficient grounds existed to terminate his employment for cause.” The suit alleges the council, however, did not advise Blevins “with any reasonable specificity” what grounds for termination existed. The suit alleges Blevins was told during a closed-door council session that to avoid termination, he would have to resign immediately and sign a separation agreement. Blevins says he asked for time to review the documents and consult with an attorney, but was told he had five minutes to respond or be terminated. Blevins resigned at the time, but now in the lawsuit, he is saying he was terminated unlawfully in breach of his employment contract terms because he actually was forced out under duress. The suit seeks a trial by jury. No date for the trial has been determined.
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