DELIVER TO: Postal Patron Mechanicsville, VA 23111
Vol. 35, No. 13 | Richmond Suburban News | August 1, 2018
STOPS AT EVERY HOME IN TOWN
JSRCC president to retire Sept. 1 By Jim Ridolphi for The Mechanicsville Local HANOVER -- Over the years, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College president Dr. Gary Rhodes has become a familiar face at meetings of the Hanover County Board of Supervisors. For more than a decade, Rhodes has appeared annually to update members on the happenings at the Parham Road campus that serves thousands of county residents. Last week, Rhodes made his last appearance at that podium and thanked the board for that long and cooperative relationship, and bid farewell to colleagues whom he referred to as friends. After 16 years at the helm, Rhodes and his wife are retiring, headed to a small town near Hilton Head, South Carolina, to enjoy some well deserved time off. “I will not get up a 5 o’clock in the morning any longer and text my vice presidents and ask questions like ‘So how much snow did you get in Glen Allen?’ and decide what we are going to do about the college,” Rhodes said. “Today’s a little of a nostalgic experience because I sort of feel like we’ve been brothers and sisters for my 16 years,
Jim Ridolphi for The Local
Dr. Gary Rhodes has served as president of J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College for 16 years. He is retiring on Sept. 1.
and I’m going off to college,” Rhodes said. “It’s been a wonderful experience here.” Rhodes and his wife owned a home on Hilton Head for several years and recently sold it to move inland to a townhouse just off the island. Anne Marie Lauranzon also will be departing after two terms as Hanover’s representatives on the JSRCC board of directors. Stephanie Chalkley has been selected to assume that position on the board, serving alongside incumbent Marc Creery. “Thank you for Anne Marie and Mark. They’ve see JSRCC, pg. 7
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Atlee extension project may offer new twist By Jim Ridolphi for The Mechanicsville Local HANOVER -- An ongoing road construction project on Atlee Station Road in Mechanicsville may provide more headaches for Hanover County motorists than originally anticipated. Director of Public Works Mike Flagg told the Hanover County Board of Supervisors last week that the Atlee Road extension project might require the closing of Atlee Station Road for up to 30 days. Motorists have endured a number of detours and reroutes as the project progressed, but officials had hoped to avoid any closures of Atlee Station Road, a major Jim Ridolphi for The Local thoroughfare. A construction project along Atlee Road may require additional road closures this summer. Neighborhoods that could Officials are concerned about a one month closure for Atlee Station Road to allow the see ATLEE, pg. 9
contractor to complete work on the project. No final decisions have been reached.
Canadian firm buys Bear Island; former owner will resume operations of facility for 27 months By Jim Ridolphi for The Mechanicsville Local DOSWELL — It’s official. As reported earlier in The Mechanicsville Local, Bear Island Paper Mill is reopening its Hanover plant under new ownership. Cascades Inc., a Canadianbased manufacturing company specializing in the recovery and manufacturing of green packaging and paper tissue
operations last year products, pur— costing employchased the propees about 165 jobs erty for $34.2 — efforts to market, million, and is retool, and reopen investing $275 the plant began. million toward Plants like White transforming the Birch often sit vacant former White for years, and offiBirch Mill into a cials wanted to avoid lightweight recyTHOMAS that situation. cled container “From the board operation. Since the mill closed moment our department
heard White Birch was shutting down in May of 2017 our office has worked tirelessly with numerous potential prospects globally who were interested in the facility,” said Hanover County Economic Development director Linwood Thomas. It was all hands on deck regarding the search. “You cannot land these see BEAR ISLAND, pg. 3