08/31/2016

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Inside A5 Southern Belle Rocks encourages young girls at tea party

Powhatan, Virginia

B1 BSH falls short to Covenant in opener

Vol. XXIX No. 35

August 31, 2016

PHS chiller failure to cost thousands By Laura McFarland News Editor

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OWHATAN – No matter which way they look at it, Powhatan County Public School officials are facing spending thousands of dollars in emergency funds after it was discovered a key chiller at Powhatan High School was breaking down two weeks before the start of the 20162017 school year. Dr. Eric Jones, superintendent, and Russell Wilson, director of facilities, informed the Powhatan County PHOTO PROVIDED BY RUSSELL WILSON School Board at its meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 23 that Malfunctioning circuits in a chiller at Powhatan the massive 370-ton chiller that cools the school’s High School will cost the county thousands of common areas has had two of its four circuits go out dollars.

as a result of damage caused by a leak. Officials have been faced with the question of trying to repair the chiller or replace it altogether, a decision that could represent an estimated $180,000 difference in cost, Jones said. However, with either choice likely taking at least eight weeks to have a solution and the start of school only a week away, school administration has already had to make the decision to bring in a rental chiller at an expense of about $23,000 a month. “I think what we would do is move forward with a rental and then that will give us more time to look at the repair option and see whether it is feasible and whether it is a good investment or not before we move see CHILLER page 3A

Adcock receives presidential award Republican state committee By Laura McFarland

The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) News Editor are the highest recognition that a kinOWHATAN – As waitdergarten through 12th grade matheing periods go, two years matics or science teacher may receive was a pretty long time, for outstanding teaching in the United but it was all worth it States. The program rotates between when Powhatan County teacher recognizing teachers for grades kinBarbara Adcock received news dergarten through sixth one year and this month that she had been choseventh through 12th the next, and up sen as a recipient of the Presidento 108 teachers are honored annually. tial Award for Excellence in Rather than being notified in spring Mathematics and Science Teach2015, when she was originally told the ing. winners would be announced, both the Adcock, a STEM (Science, 2014 and 2015 national recipients BARBARA ADCOCK Technology, Engineering and were revealed on the same day this Mathematics) Coach at Pocahontas Elementary year, Adcock said. She was one of 213 mathematSchool, was one of three science teachers named ics and science teachers from all 50 states, the DisVirginia state finalists in July 2014 in the presiden- trict of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Territories, tial awards, which recognize educators who de- and the Department of Defense Education Activity velop and implement high-quality instructional schools to be chosen to represent their state or loprograms that improve student learning, she said. see ADCOCK page 2A

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Nonprofit aims to buy, preserve Belmead By Laura McFarland POWHATAN – The men and women behind Belmead on the James, a new nonprofit organization formed to help preserve the historic Belmead property in Powhatan

News Editor

POWHATAN – The Republican Party of Virginia’s state central committee voted this weekend to overturn a district committee’s decision about the mass meeting held in April by the Powhatan Republican Committee, leading to the reinstatement of Jean Gannon as the local group’s chairwoman. On Saturday, Aug. 28, the state central committee, which is the state party’s top governing body, voted 45-34 in favor of overturning the 7th Congressional District Republican Committee’s July 16 ruling, which had invalidated the results of the local mass meeting. The district committee’s decision had resulted in the Pow-

hatan Republican Committee (PRC) reverting back to the leadership that was in place before the April 5 mass meeting, which meant Pat McSweeney, who was chairman, and three other officers were placed back in charge of the Powhatan group. The state central committee’s decision means that the April 5 mass meeting election results that saw Gannon winning the chairmanship 131 votes to McSweeney’s 99 votes are once again valid, and she and three other officers elected at or following the mass meeting meeting are back in charge. Gannon, who had appealed the district committee’s decision to the state central commitsee APPEAL page 2A

Principals ready to roll

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Belmead on the James Inc. has formed with the goal of buying and preserving the history and legacy of the historic Belmead property.

County and its legacy, are aware they probably have an uphill battle ahead of them. The group was created to preserve as much of the 2,265 acres of land owned by the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament as possible to protect its cultural, historical, spiritual, ecological, and educational legacy, said Demetrius Venable, a professor at Howard University who was elected president of the board. The Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament announced on May 3 that the order intends to sell the property, then known as FrancisEmma Inc., and use

funds from the sale for caring for the order’s retired sisters and exploring new ministry and mission opportunities. The ultimate goal would be for Belmead on the James Inc. to gather the funds or resources to purchase some or all of the property, but given the challenge in raising enough money for that purpose, that is not the only course of action the nonprofit will pursue, Venable said. “We would like to see the land stay intact, all 2,200 acres, as a single unit, but we recognize that is a real challenge,” he see BELMEAD page 10A

ith the Powhatan County Public Schools’ 20162017 year set to start on Tuesday, Sept. 6, the district’s five schools are gearing up to welcome students. The six principals at the helm of the three elementary, one middle, and one high schools took time out of their busy back to school preparations to offer some insights into the coming year.

FLAT ROCK

POCAHONTAS

POWHATAN

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

TANJA ATKINS-NELSON, PRINCIPAL

THOMAS SULZER, PRINCIPAL

CONSTANCE G. DEAL, PRINCIPAL

POCAHONTAS POCAHONTAS

POWHATAN

MIDDLE SCHOOL

MIDDLE SCHOOL

HIGH SCHOOL

DR. LYNN CLAYTON-PRINCE, CO-PRINCIPAL

JASON S. TIBBS, CO-PRINCIPAL

DR. MIKE MASSA, PRINCIPAL

“You have better things to do”

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Powhatan County Public School

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reinstates Gannon as chair


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