Inside A5 Powhatan prepares to celebrate Earth Day
Powhatan, Virginia B2 BSH’s Heldmann goes on unforgettable trip
Vol. XXIX No. 15
April 13, 2016
Gannon elected chair of Powhatan Republican Committee By Laura McFarland News Editor
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OWHATAN – Jean Gannon was elected the new chairwoman of the Powhatan Republican Committee last week in a vote that her opponent has already promised to challenge. Gannon, of Powhatan, won the election 131 votes to 99 votes in a victory over incumbent chairman Pat McSweeney, also of Powhatan. The vote was held during the committee’s mass meeting on Tuesday, April 5, at Powhatan High School.
After a meeting that lasted several hours, Gannon said she was relieved and excited to hear her name announced as the victor, both for herself and the party. She said the party needs to immediately concentrate on the 2016 presidential election and doing what they can to get a Republican elected. “I think we’ve got a really good opportunity here to grow the party and get more of our people elected. It is time to start winning again,” she said, adding she wants to make the party more visible in Powhatan. She will serve a two-year
Temporary chairman controversy
JEAN GANNON POWHATAN REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE CHAIRWOMAN
term and is set to take over her new position starting with the group’s next meeting at 7 p.m.
The election came at the end of what Gannon and others described as a contentious meeting filled with too many delays. Kirby Burch, who was elected at the meeting as temporary chairman of the mass meeting, cited issues with delays in registration and challenges made in the meeting as well as attempts to circumvent the Republican Party of Virginia’s party plan.
By Laura McFarland News Editor
Staff Report
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Prsrt. Standard U.S. POSTAGE PAID Powhatan, VA Permit No.19
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SUBMITTED PHOTO
Some of the members of the Powhatan YMCA’s Expresso team show off the trophies they have won on their stationary bikes.
11 first place monthly challenges, beating out teams from across the Unites States as well as France and Australia and earning trophies they display with pride. “Right now, there are a lot of teams who want to beat the Powhatan YMCA.
The Australians in their Facebook page said ‘Come on, we need everybody we can get to take down the mighty Powhatan YMCA in America!’ They don’t know we are a dinky little YMCA,” see RIDERS page 3A
Understanding Powhatan’s debt By Laura McFarland News Editor
POWHATAN – The Powhatan County Board of Supervisors has less than three weeks before its members are scheduled to make a final decision on the fiscal year 2017 Five Year Capital Improvement Program (CIP), which carries the potential of adding up to $54.5 million in possible bonds to the county’s current outstanding debt of $73.5 million. The board is scheduled to vote on Monday, May 2 on the CIP, as well as the FY 2017 budget, real estate tax rate, and revenue fee schedule. During the same meeting, which will be held at 6 p.m. in the Village Building, the board will authorize bonds and budget and appropriate the bond projects and the FY 2017 CIP projects. As the county looks forward to funding needs related to schools, public safety and transportation, county administrator Pat Weiler helped shed a little light on the existing debt that the board of supervisors may soon choose to increase.
The past history of interest and principal paid on bond projects is good data to have, Weiler said, but she cautioned that it is not necessarily used to make the decision as to whether or not to issue new bonds. “The decision to issue new bonds is based on your existing debt service, analysis of your future debt service and can you afford that future debt service,” she said. “The projects that would be funded with the bonds are a decision the board makes based on the needs for those projects, not whether or not there were similar projects in the past.” Still, county administration recognizes the importance of that information and Weiler, who was hired in 2013, and Charla Schubert, the director of finance hired in 2014, are slowly compiling the data that shows how and why the county’s existing debt came about and how it has been handled. The records that county staff has and that it has received from Davenport & Company LLC, the county’s investment firm, show the principal that is owed and the interest that is see DEBT page 9A
HORT PUMP – Richmond Suburban News’ Sports Department proved to be successful with two first place awards in the Virginia Press Association’s 2016 Annual Conference. Dave Lawrence, sports editor of The Mechanicsville Local, The Hanover Local and The King William Local, and Mike Schoeffel, former sports editor of Powhatan Today, The Goochland Gazette and Cumberland Today, were recognized Saturday evening at the Hilton Richmond Hotel & Spa/Short Pump. Also capturing awards for the Advertising Department were Susan Marannano, Karyn Heebner and Jessica Bahlman, second place; Sarah Suttles and Ethan Ireland, second place; and Sarah Suttles, Robin Liss and Dwayne Carpenter, third place. Lawrence’s first place honor was bestowed due to his Online Slideshow or Gallery category entry of the Richmond 2015 UCI Road World Championships. Schoeffel, a Powhatan native who moved to Texas last year, took first place in the Sports Column Writing category. In advertising, Marannano, Heebner and Bahlman received second place in the Education and Churches category. Suttles and Ireland captured second place for Single-Sheet Inserts, Wraps, Flexis, Adhesive Notes for The Kid’s Local. Suttles, Liss and Carpenter were awarded third place for Professional/ Technology Services for Hanover Your Pet. “We are very proud of our news and advertising team members and the awards they received. We strive to bring the best in local news, sports, information and advertising to the communities we serve. Congratulations to our winners for outstanding work on behalf of our readers and advertisers,” Publisher Joy Monopoli said.
April 15 ~ Flashback Band
7pm-10pm
3920 Marion Harland Lane PowhatanChamber.org 270991-01
DELIVER TO: Postal Patron Powhatan, VA 23139
see GANNON page 6A
RSN staff wins VPA awards
P OW H ATA N R I D E R S A F T E R WO R L D D O M I N AT I O N
OWHATAN – The lead members of Powhatan’s YMCA Expresso team freely admit they are competitive, and they have the trophies to prove it. Each month, a dedicated few whip members of the Elizabeth Randolph Lewis Powhatan YMCA into a frenzy about finishing first in competitions involving the gym’s stationary bikes, which combine virtual reality with fun, competitive programming. The machines can track individual riders’ statistics, combine them with others on their team, and put them in competitions with other riders across the United States and around the world. One month they are trying to be the team that burns the most calories. Another month, they are trying to beat their personal best performances on a particular race to gain points for their team. Their goal: world domination. And surprisingly, they are doing quite well, said Tom Walton of Powhatan, one of the driving forces behind the team’s competitive spirit. The team has won
Burch, who is a Gannon supporter, said he read a call for a mass meeting but did not read a paragraph that he said had been added by McSweeney at the end to give the current chairman the right to appoint the temporary chairman for the meeting. The role is important, Burch said, because the temporary chairman runs the meeting and election and appoints members of the nominations, rules and credentials committees, which handle the election. That statement in the call for the meeting, which is a “legal
on Thursday, April 14, at Rosa’s Pizza Restaurant.
Raffle Prizes: 8x5 Trailer, Full Size Yeti Cooler, 4 Tickets to Play Golf at Mill Quarter, Professional Teeth Whitening, and Cornhole Boards. Proceeds to Benefit The Powhatan Food Pantry.
Donations accepted for
THE POWHATAN FOOD PANTRY
Sponsored by