Inside A3 Keep the Wreath Green
Powhatan, Virginia B1 BSH opens season on back-to-back wins
Vol. XXXIII No. o. 24
December 11, 2019
County announces winners of Process Innovation Grant contest
Flat Rock Elementary holds coat drive for Christmas Mother
By Laura McFarland Editor
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Prsrt. Standard U.S. POSTAGE PAID Powhatan, VA Permit No.19
OWHATAN – Powhatan County asked its employees for good ideas, and it got them. The county recently announced the winners of the new Process Innovation Grant (PIG) contest, which was held to promote innovation and creativity among staff and hopefully find ways to improve the services offered by the local government. County administrator Ted Voorhees announced on Thursday, Dec. 5 that the winner of the new contest was the building inspector group, whose members – David Dunivan, Mark Casteel, Steve Shaw, and Rick Adams – submitted a recommendation called the “Happy Contractor” project. The project seeks to initiate use of PayGOV. US, a free service for localities, for use as a method of online payment for a permit, re-inspection, and other fees, so that contractors can avoid time-wasting trips to Powhatan County government offices to pay in person. Any re-inspect fee must be paid prior to scheduling inspections and this will allow them to pay over the internet prior to the county’s 3 p.m. cut off time and still maintain their schedule. Dunivan said he knew about the service because it is already in use in Cumberland County, where he
PHOTO COURTESY OF POWHATAN CHRISTMAS MOTHER
County administrator Ted Voorhees, center, congratulates the Process Innovation Grant contest winners, Mark Casteel, from left, Steve Shaw, David Dunivan, and Rick Adams.
lives. When he learned the counties who use this service do not incur any fees, he and the other three men on his team thought it would be a great resource for Powhatan and collaborated to create a proposal and presentation. “We look forward to implementing it. It is going to make a lot of contractors happy, and it’s going to make everybody’s life a bit easier,” he said. And the best part about the Happy Contractor pitch – adding the service to the county wouldn’t cost any money. This led the PIG committee to name a second-place winner, Alyson Oliver’s “Zoning Hub” project, which was awarded a $1,000 grant. Her idea suggested setting up and implementing an all-in-one zoning information platform for Powhatan County through Zoning Hub (zoninghub. com). The purpose of the PIG
CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
Powhatan Christmas Mother 2019 Betsy Blandford visited Flat Rock Elementary School to meet students and collect coats for the 2019 coat drive. See more photos on Page 8.
Ted Voorhees presents the check to secondplace contest winner Alyson Oliver.
contest, which was announced in the fall, was to create improved workflow through out-of-thebox thinking and concepts that break the typical mold, Voorhees said. The grant is a one-time allocation of funds to be awarded to projects that show process improvement methods to better serve the citizens and save staff time or money. These projects must be completed within the fiscal year and allow for measured results of greater service. The funding does not cover projects for typical budget funding
requests. The innovative entrants were required to fill out an application and to participate in an in-person interview to explain their project. They had to explain how the project would be an improvement to workflow or the customer service experience and include a proposed budget. “It was a lot of fun and I think it shows we’ve got a great staff. As long as we give them opportunities to be creative, they will shine,” Voorhees said. He added that he loved see WINNERS, pg. 8
PHOTOS BY LAURA McFARLAND
Dan Niccolucci, left, and Roseleen ‘Spud’ Rick speak about the achievements of Habitat for HumanityPowhatan during the nonprofit’s annual meeting.
Habitat for Humanity focuses on critical repairs By Laura McFarland Editor
POWHATAN – When Habitat for Humanity – Powhatan’s critical repair team comes into a house with major problems, they are not looking to create a
dream home. They are there to make sure local residents have at least the basic acceptable standard of living. But that doesn’t mean that when they take the time and effort to help local people in need who are experisee HABITAT, pg. 6
Christmas Parade to roll through Village Dec. 14 By Laura McFarland
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Editor
POWHATAN – Holiday cheer will soon be filling the streets of the Village area as crowds gather to watch the Powhatan Christmas Parade roll through. The parade, which benefits the Powhatan Christmas Mother program, will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14 along the stretch of Old Buckingham Road from Mann Road to the courthouse area. Organizers are pulling together several hours of fun for the whole family, starting with craft and food vendors filling the Courthouse Green and continuing as different community groups work together to put on a great parade for everyone, said Mary Harrison, Christmas Mother 2006 and one of the parade announcers, along with her husband Roy. Parade sponsor C&F Bank reported last week that it already had close to 40 parade entries and 15 craft and food vendors with the expectation that more would come in by the deadline on Thursday, Dec. 12, Harrison said. They will represent local churches, nonprofit organizations, youth activities groups, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, businesses and emergency services personnel. This year’s grand marshals will be 2018 Powhatan Christmas Mother and Father Pat and Larry Lyons. The Christmas Mother Everyday Committee has decided it will be an annual tradition to have the previous year’s Christmas Mother as the grand marshal to keep the focus on Christ-
POWHATAN TODAY FILE PHOTO BY ANJIE KAY
Santa will be available for photos from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec. 14 on the courthouse steps before joining the Powhatan Christmas Parade.
meet your neighbors, enjoy a cup of hot cocoa mas, Harrison added. Also front and center will be 2019 Christ- on a cold day, see your children and loved ones and neighmas Mother bors celebrating Betsy BlandChristmas on ford, who will Powhatan Christmas Parade floats and with be joined by dance and song, many previous 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14 as well as supChristmas Old Buckingham Road from Mann Road port the true Mothers. meaning of The commuto the courthouse area. Christmas with nity just emthe Christmas braces the opMothers, come portunity to join us on Dec. 14,” Harrison said. have a slice of Americana, begin the holiday The parade entries will line up at noon on season, be with their friends, and have a good time, Harrison said. As always, she is expect- Mann Road and start traveling down Old ing a great turnout and a fun festive atmo- Buckingham Road into the Village area at 2 p.m. Spectators are encouraged to bring chairs sphere for the annual event. “If you want to have a jolly good time, to see PARADE, pg. 7