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Vol. 28, No. 11 | Richmond Suburban Newspapers | July 13, 2011
Tomato Festival still a successful tradition By Melody Kinser mkinser@mechlocal.com Rainy days heading into the 2011 Hanover Tomato Festival couldn’t keep 38,000 people from making their way to Pole Green Park on Saturday. And the Black Creek Volunteer Fire Department, which started the festival 33 years ago, should see a profit of $13,000 to $15,000 in Hanover Tomato sales. Last year, the Black Creek VFD made about $10,000. On Monday, Hanover County Parks & Rec director Greg Sager said the expected increase in profits to the department “is great it’s all for a good cause.” He also said this year’s festival was “probably our second largest event.” In
Patrick Dobbs for The Local
Miranda Paige Gagnon, left in the photo at left, and Sydney Waldrop smile for the camera after being crowned 2011 Tiny Miss and Little Miss Hanover Tomato Festival. They competed in the pageant on June 25. In the photo above, Pole Green Park was filled for this year’s festival. More information and photos can be found on page 8 and Community, page 9.
see TOMATO, pg. 5
Winans announces bid for re-election Deborah B. “Debbie” Winans has announced her intention to seek reelection to represent the Mechanicsville District on the Hanover County Board of Supervisors. WINANS A Lee-Davis High School graduate, Winans has been a definitely Mechanicsville resident for and half nearly 50 years. She is currently serving her
Edwards state finalist in national pageant
first term as supervisor and her first year as chair of the board. She said she is looking forward to another four years of service to Hanover County and the citizens of the Mechanicsville District. “Our county has had a rough three years economically,” see WINANS, pg. 4
Taylor Edwards will be representing her hometown of Mechanicsville as a state finalist in the National American Miss Virginia Pageant to be held on July 30 in Reston. She is a 2011 graduate of Lee-Davis High School and will attend Randolph-Macon College in the fall. She said she plans to major in psychology with a TAYLOR EDWARDS
see EDWARDS, pg. 4
It’s a dream come true for new judge By Jim Fields jfields@mechlocal.com
about” for a long time. “When I was a little girl, I used to sit in the same courtroom where I’ll try cases and watch court in session,” she said. “My mother was a paralegalandworked for Nina Peace, who was a Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court judge. I’d HOEHL come to work with
Shannon Hoehl doesn’t have to click her heels and go to Kansas to make her dreams come true. On July 1, she became a Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court judge in Hanover County District Court, and it’s something she’s been “dreaming
see JUDGE, pg. 4