50¢
Powhatan, Virginia
The hometown paper of Floyd G. Henshaw, Sr.
Vol. XXVIII No. 29
July 15, 2015
Art student takes home gold Guild honors veterans By Laura McFarland
with Quilts of Valor By Laura McFarland News Editor
P
OWHATAN – The Country Piecemakers Quilt Guild set out to make sure several local veterans were covered with love when they presented Quilts of Valor to them this weekend. The guild presented quilts to three Powhatan County veterans at a brunch on Saturday, July 11 with a fourth made for a veteran who could not attend. Otis Duke and Snead and Raymond DeNoon all received their quilts in a ceremony at the Huguenot Volunteer Fire Department. Joe Hairfield will resee GUILD page 2A PHOTOS BY LAURA MCFARLAND
Members of the Country Piecemakers Quilt Guild thank local veterans for their service. Below, the Country Piecemakers Quilt Guild gave Quilts of Valor to Powhatan veterans Raymond DeNoon, left, Otis Duke, and Snead DeNoon.
News Editor
POWHATAN – Powhatan High School graduate David Brizendine was recently recognized for winning a national art award by bridging a classic piece of art with the modern world. Brizendine, 18, a 2015 graduate, traveled last month with his former art teacher, Stephanie Wirt, and another student to New York City to accept a gold medal in digital artwork in the 2015 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. The ceremony was held on June 11 at Carnegie Hall. The young artist has been thrilled about the award since he first found out he was a gold medal winner in April while still a senior at PHS, he said. “I never believed I would go as far as national when I submitted the photo, let alone win national. I received an honorable mention in the 2014 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards,” he said. “Now that I have received the national award, I am happy that I won it because it has shown me what my photography can achieve. This award has helped me further pursue
PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND
Before he graduated from Powhatan High School this spring, David Brizendine became the first PHS student to win a national gold medal for art at the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for his work, “Powhatan Meets Athens.”
my photography and show me what can be accomplished through it.” The win for Brizendine marked the first time a PHS student has won a national gold medal artwork, Wirt said. The last national medalist was Zach Schirelli, who won a silver medal in photography in 2005.
More than 25 hours of work went into creating the winning piece, “Powhatan Meets Athens,” which started as an assignment for Wirt’s AP 2D Design Studio class, Brizendine said. Wirt, fine arts department chair, said the “art hissee ART page 6A
Emergency services works to attract next generation By Laura McFarland News Editor
POWHATAN – Powhatan Fire and Rescue is hoping to grow a new generation of emergency responders with a youth program launching next month. The Junior Emergency Technician program will be aimed at giving 12- to 15-year-olds the chance to learn about their local fire, rescue and emergency services organizations in a safe, educational and fun way, Jamie Timberlake, one of the organizers, said. In addition to the educational aspects the program holds for the program, organizers are hoping it will serve as a recruitment tool for firefighters and EMS personnel down the line for Powhatan County, Timberlake said. “The overarching idea is to get youth involved before other things in life start distracting them,” he said. “As they get older, they get pulled in different directions, whether it’s sports, careers or school activities.” By getting them started earlier in learning about fire and rescue, hopefully that will build into a lifelong passion that could lead to a volunteer or paid career,
PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND
Caleb Whitehead, 15, plans to participate in the Junior Emergency Technician program to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, Carroll Smith, district chief of Company 1, above.
he said. The countywide program will launch with a kickoff program at 1 p.m. on Sunday, August 9 at the Company 1 Fire Station, 3971 Old Buckingham Road. The program is free and open to 12- to 15-year-olds from all parts of the county and will meet on the second Sunday of each month year round. Participants will meet at different stations and learn about different aspects of the emergency services field, Timberlake said. There are restrictions, such as not being allowed to go on ambulance calls until age 16 or work on live fire calls until age 18. Nationwide, it is getting harder to find men and women willing to volunteer with fire and rescue groups, and that trend is true in Powhatan County as well, Carroll Smith, district chief of Company 1, said. Even if people join, retention can be an issue as other aspects of life interfere or the training becomes more than what the volunteers anticipated, he said. The benefit for all of the fire and EMS stations in Powhatan from this program will hopefully be that the youth will be interested in continuing on with one of see EMERGENCY page 2A
Dobbins announces re-election for Powhatan county court clerk By Laura McFarland News Editor
POWHATAN – Teresa Hash Dobbins announced that she intends to seek re-election as Powhatan County’s Circuit Court Clerk. “My re-election campaign will be based on my record over the past year and half as clerk and the past 15 years working for and with the Virginia Court System,” said Dobbins, who has held the position since 2014. The clerk’s office is now fully staffed and has begun the pro-
cess of scanning older records for easier access to the public, Dobbins said. Staff has implemented several cost saving plans, including a reduction of more than $15,000 for the land record’s software and support. The office became certified to process passport applications by appointment and began a paperless case filing system and document sharing system that should recognize considerable DOBBINS savings over time, she said. Staff members are happy to said. This would not be possible now be recognized for providing without talented, well trained excellent customer service, she deputy clerks, many of whom
have years of experience serving the public. From the regular compliments she receives on service, the public recognizes the staff’s commitment to serve. This past year was the first opportunity since Dobbins took office to apply for grants through the Library of Virginia. The office received acceptance on two grants and is awaiting a favorable response on a third. The clerk’s office also received free restoration of four deed books and a discount for their digitization. As an elected official, Dob-
Inside
Sports
A8 Leisure and Entertainment Summer Music Fest fights world hunger
B1 Through rainouts and missing starters, Post 201 gears up for final regular season stretch.
bins said she is dedicated to serving all citizens of Powhatan and looks forward to receiving feedback concerning the clerk’s office operations. “It has been my honor to serve as your circuit court clerk, and I respectfully request that you re-elect me to this position as the experienced incumbent with a proven record of dedication, service and fiscal responsibility,” she said. Laura McFarland may be reached at Lmcfarland@powhatantoday.com.
Index Calendar
A11
Classified
B10-11
Crime Report Obituaries
A3 A2
Opinion
A10
TV Listings
B8-9