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Colonial Beach • Westmoreland
Volume 40, Number 40
helping you relate to your community
Wet weather doesn’t deter Montross Fall Festival fans Richard Leggitt
Photo by Richard Leggitt
Scouts from Troop 252 in Montross raise the flag during a downpour at Montross Fall Festival. From left are scouts James Gilhuly and Jackson Sichol of Montross. Wet weather couldn’t keep the residents of Montross down, as hundreds braved the pouring rain to have a good time at the annual event.
After receiving a midweek weather forecast that indicated clearing for the weekend, organizers of the annual Montross Fall Festival decided to stay on schedule for the popular weekend event. Unfortunately, the weather forecast was incorrect, and participants in the festival events were drenched. "The weatherman wasn't particularly honest with us, but we made the best of it," said Montross Town Manager Patricia Lewis. "I know the rain kept some away, but it was so much fun watching the people who embraced it." "We are here and we are going forward," said Montross Mayor Joey King. "Nothing is going to stop us." Town officials noted the festival was postponed because of weather last year and they were determined
Wednesday, October 5, 2016 50 Cents
County judge orders Hicks back on job Firing of voter registrar ‘highly likely’ not based on duties of office Richard Leggitt Westmoreland County Circuit Court Judge Herbert Hewitt has ordered that the Westmoreland County voter registrar, who was fired by members of the Westmoreland County Electoral Board just weeks before the important fall general election, be reinstated. Ruling after a two-hour hearing
See Festival, page 2
was held In his court on Sept. 21, Hewitt ordered that Kris Hicks, who has served as county voter registrar and director of elections for over 27 Hicks years, be reinstated to her post immediately. Judge Hewitt said Hicks "has acted in her position for 27 years and in each year except the last she has received glowing performance reSee Hicks, page 2
‘High energy’ Inge dynamic from start as new teacher Patty Kelly Long
Westmoreland County Public Schools
Photo courtesy of Westmoreland County Public Schools
Washington & Lee High School history teacher Jacob Inge poses with some students, and a couple of famous faces. Inge has made a big hit as a new teacher at the school.
New teachers have a plethora of activities to address from their first teaching day till the end of the year. In addition to their own classrooms, teachers have responsibilities outlined by the district and school administrators, district guidelines, an incredible amount of mandatory training, state mandated documentation requirements, in-school volunteering, and the never ending curriculum development. It takes a strong soul to become a teacher. Last year’s intense focus on recruiting yielded a new addition of delightful and talented teachers to our staff. See Inge, page 2
Westmoreland Sheriff’s deputies recognized
Four Westmoreland County sheriff's deputies were recognized last week at an awards luncheon at Stratford Hall sponsored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Rappahannock Area Alcohol Safety Action Program. The Friday luncheon recognized regional law enforcement personnel who excel in the enforcement of drunken driving legislation. Westmoreland deputies recognized were Senior Deputy Darrel S. Johnson, Deputy Toni M. Moles, Senior Deputy Robert M. Morris and Deputy Antwan X. Smith. A total of 22 Virginia law enforcement officers were recipients of the prestigious awards including seven sheriff's officers, one police officer and officers from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and Virginia State Police. "I am extremely proud of the deputies that were recognized at the awards luncheon. Their dedication and commitment to saving lives through their efforts in DUI enforcement doesn't go unnoticed and is to be commended," said Westmoreland County Sheriff C.O. Balderson. Pictured are Moles, left, Johnson, Morris, Diane Williams Barbour of the Rappahannock Area ASAP), Smith, Patrol Sergeant Eric J. Molinares and Jan Withers, National president emeritus of MADD.
Bunche film premieres at college to acclaim Phyllis Cook
A documentary film telling the story of gradual school desegregation in King George drew more than 150 viewers to its first public showing on Sept. 25. at the Dahlgren campus of the University of Mary Washington. The film screening took place immediately prior to a King George School Board meeting whose location had been transferred to the UMW-D auditorium to accommodate the expected crowd. The 26-minute video, “The Road to School Desegregation in King George County,” is the result of a partnership between the Ralph Bunche Alumni Association and King George County Public Schools. That fact, and its premiere taking place in conjunction with a School Board meeting made the screening itself a historic event. That’s because Ralph Bunche High School opened in 1949, after the School Board and then-Superintendent T. Benton Gale were sued by African-American residents. Plaintiffs won their case which fought the ‘separate but equal’ doctrine, allowed under school segregation, resulting in the construction of Ralph Bunche. Kristine Hill, King George division Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction, and Claudette Jordon, President of the Ralph Bunche Alumni Association, introduced the film.
Hill talked about how the film came about and pointed to the eight panels arranged on either side of the stage. They measure about 7 ½ feet high and 32 inches wide, and like the film, provide the historical context of African-American education in King George from early oneand two-room schools, to the legal fights for equal facilities and teacher compensation, and the construction of Ralph Bunche High School toward school integration finally achieved in 1968. Hill related how the panels were unveiled in April 2015 at UMW-D, after their creation by Dr. Cristina Turdean’s museum design & interpretation spring semester class at the University of Mary Washington’s Department of Historic Preservation, at the request of the Ralph Bunche Alumni Association. Turdean’s students recorded oral histories, researched books, articles and court cases about the era and obtained photos from local people, the Virginia State University Library, Library of Virginia and the Library of Congress. All research materials, along with the panels, were turned over to the Alumni Association to preserve the heritage of the Ralph Bunche High School and be incorporated into future displays intended for the former school building when it becomes the Ralph See Film, page 2
W&L High School ends football series with King George after 60 years Richard Leggitt
Photo by Phyllis Cook
King George School Superintendent Dr. Rob Benson and Ralph Bunche Alumni Association President Claudette Jordon share a hug after the premiere.
Washington & Lee High School Athletic Director Malcolm Lewis announced this week that the Westmoreland County school is ending its 60-year long home and home varsity football series with King George high school. "When I played football at W&L in the 70s and 80s, King George was our biggest rival," said Lewis. "We both were District 1 schools and our enrollment was 515 and theirs was 530. Our games were extremely close." "But today King George is District 4 and has an enrollment of almost 1,400, while we are going back to District 1 and our enrollment is 430," Lewis said. "They beat us this year 72 to 0. Because of the size difference, we are just not competitive with them in football any longer." "The way things are now, it is not
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doing either school any favors to continue these games," Lewis said. "We will continue to play them in basketball and baseball, and maybe someday if we are able to build our football program back up to a competitive level we might seek to get King George back on our schedule." "I am disappointed that we will not be playing them anymore," said King George Athletic Director Alex Fisher. "We are not happy about it. It's a community thing. We have been playing them since the 60s and our older alumni like that we play each other. It's been our opening game and always drew a good crowd whether we were playing in King George or Montross. I hate to see it end."