10/08/2014

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Powhatan, Virginia

The hometown paper of Mary Beauchamp

Vol. XXVII No. 40

October 8, 2014

Forbes has open dialogue with county By Laura McFarland News Editor

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steady stream of question and answer flowed between U.S. Rep. Randy Forbes, R-4, the Powhatan County Board of Supervisors and about a dozen members of the public at a special board meeting on Friday, Oct. 3. The event was one of the local meetings Forbes tries to have with constituents in each of his 16 localities every year or two to answer any questions they might have.

It became a special board meeting when four supervisors were present for a quorum: chair Carson Tucker, who represents District 5; Jason Moore, District 2; vice chair David Williams, District 1, and Barry Hodge, District 3. Supervisor Bill Melton, District 4, could not make it. Tucker gave introductory remarks as he called the meeting to order, but said the session was going to be an informal gathering without a “gatekeeper.” The floor was open for anyone who had questions.

Forbes started with a question pertaining to the public perception that Congress is gridlocked and whether there is any hope for moderation. He said that Virginia’s Congressional delegation works to find common ground to help move the state forward and shouldn’t be lumped in with the rest of the nation’s representatives. The Virginia members have lunch together once a month and are willing to work together on isPHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND

see FORBES page 3A U.S. Rep. Randy Forbes, R-4, speaks in Powhatan.

Intersection improvement progresses

Belmead on road to beautification By Laura McFarland News Editor

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he Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament are jubilant over a $200,000 grant that is letting them continue to restore Belmead Mansion in Powhatan County into a beautiful and functional building. The sisters, who own the

former plantation turned school, were tasked with raising $200,000 in a year to be eligible for a matching grant from the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation, Sister Maureen T. Carroll, executive director of FrancisEmma Inc., said. Although they had until mid November, Carroll set the goal of raising the see BELMEAD page 3A

By Laura McFarland News Editor

PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND

The Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament will use part of a $200,000 grant to restore and rebuild 110 of Belmead Mansion’s windows.

Local photographer’s international exhibit By Laura McFarland News Editor

Powhatan photographer Sharon Younce’s photo, “Softly Unfolding,” was accepted into the Merit and Loan Collection of Professional Photographers of America’s 2014 International Photographic Competition.

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owhatan photographer Sharon Younce recently was accepted into the Merit and Loan Collection of Professional Photographers of America’s 2014 International Photographic Competition. Younce, owner of Artful Images in Powhatan, had one of her photographs chosen to be published in

SUBMITTED PHOTO

see EXHIBIT page 4A

The Powhatan County Board of Supervisors got a glimpse last week into how an intersection near Powhatan State Park could become safer and more efficient despite cost restrictions. During a workshop on Tuesday, Sept. 30, board members heard a presentation from Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) personnel on changes that have been made to the redesign of the intersection of Route 522 and Old River Trail (Route 617). Chairman Carson Tucker had told the board at a meeting on Thursday, Sept. 4 that a cap of $2.7 million was put on the project, which was $1 million less than previously planned improvements would have cost. He said then that VDOT staff were going back to the drawing board to figure out a way to do the safety improve-

CHAPMAN

ment to the intersection, which is near the entrance to Powhatan State Park. Representatives with VDOT presented the revised plan at the Sept. 30 workshop. Scott Chapman, project manager for VDOT, described changes that had to be made to the project to make it fit into the $2.75 million budget that was authorized by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. The main concerns with the project were addressing improvements to the intersection and sight distance there for drivers turning from see PROJECT page 2A

C O U R S E S P R E PA R E S T U D E N T S F O R C A R E E R S By Laura McFarland News Editor

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hether students are headed to college or into the workforce, the goal of Powhatan High School’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) program is to make sure they have good possibilities when they graduate. Principal Tracie Omohundro gave a whirlwind tour of the school’s extensive CTE offerings during the Powhatan County School Board’s meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 23. Walking from one part of the school to the other, she had teachers in most of the nine major categories

of CTE programs talk about the classes they offer and how students are leaving high school with marketable skills. The high school has about 1,500 students currently in the wide variety of CTE classes, but only 1,425 students enrolled at the school, Eric L. Jones, superintendent, said. That shows many students are taking multiple courses, which is revealing about the role the program plays in the curriculum. “It certainly demonstrates this county’s commitment to career and technical education and to making sure that students are both college see COURSES page 5A PHOTOS BY LAURA MCFARLAND

Ed Olsen’s small engine repair class works on a tool identification unit. Inset: Jessi Yates, right, uses Rebekah Ditaranto to practice for the fantasy nails category of the Skills USA competition at the Virginia State Fair. The girls are seniors in Pat Butler’s Cosmetology II class. Both classes are among Powhatan High School’s Career and Technical Education offerings.

Inside A8 4-H’ers honor their history while working toward future

Sports

Index

B1 Indians defense feasts on punchless Lions offense

Calendar A7 Classified B6-7 Crime Report A4 Letters A6 Obituaries A7 Opinion A6 TV Listings B4-5


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10/08/2014 by Powhatan Today - Issuu