Powhatan Today – 04/29/2020 by Powhatan Today

Inside A3 Powhatan couple weds despite COVID-10

Powhatan, Virginia B1 Powhatan football’s Carroll receives first college offer

Vol. XXXIII No. o. 44

April 29, 2020

PCPS evaluates progress of distance learning By Laura McFarland

meeting held on Tuesday, April 14 about the progress that has been made with distance learning since the closings, the challenges they still face, and how they continue to evaluate and readjust. Dr. Tracie Omohundro, assistant superintendent for instruction, talked about educators transitioning from review and enrichment-based activities in the first few weeks of the closures, which she called Phase 1, to launching Phase 2 on April 14, after students returned from Spring Break. Phase 2 involves providing new content for students to learn and work being graded on a pass/fail basis. Continuity of instruction is important because, at some point, most students will return to the classroom, and educators need to make sure they are ready for that future learning, she said. Staff has worked to identify the essential skills students would be missing during this timeframe “so that when they return to our classrooms, they are ready to pick up where they left off or we have a plan in

Editor

POWHATAN – For Powhatan County Public Schools, transitioning to a distance learning model in the last six weeks has been all about constant re-assessment. When Dr. Eric Jones, superintendent, initially made the decision on March 12 to close the schools in light of growing concerns about COVID-19, it was for two weeks. He was just as surprised as many in the county when Governor Ralph Northam made the call on March 23 to keep schools closed for the remainder of the school year. In the intervening weeks, school staff has spent countless hours trying to figure out the logistics of making a distance learning model work for Powhatan, especially in light of how many families struggle with poor or no internet connectivity. Staff gave a presentation to the Powhatan County Board during their virtual

see DISTANCE pg. 4

Parents share trials, triumphs of teaching from home Editor

DELIVER TO: Postal Patron Powhatan, VA 23139

Prsrt. Standard U.S. POSTAGE PAID Powhatan, VA Permit No.19

see PARENTS, pg. 6

Duncans fight off COVID-19 By Laura McFarland Editor

ramp up, the Duncans flew to Orlando to celebrate Sandy’s 60th birthday at Walt Disney World. When they arrived, they found out their trip would be cut short because the park would be closing. So they crammed five days of activity into three and still had a wonderful time together. However, when they were on their way home and were eating dinner at the Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, a man behind David

POWHATAN – Just as Dr. David Duncan was recovering from one of the worst weeks of his life, his wife Sandy was about to start hers. Over about two weeks at the end of March and the beginning of April, the Powhatan couple fell victim to COVID-19, which has seen 13,535 people test positive for the disease in Virginia and killed 458 as of Monday, according to the Virstarted coughing and was ginia Department of making no move to cover It is not a Health. his mouth. While he can’t hoax. It is not The couple, who be positive, in retrospect, are both now back to that is where David thinks fake news. It is work at Powhatan he was probably exposed. real, and I can Family Physicians, After arriving home, agreed to share how the doctor went back to understand they suffered on March 18 and why people are work through and surtwo days later was asked dying from it. vived the virus in to evaluate three cases of part because they suspected COVID-19, believe too many one of which ended up Sandy Duncan people are still not testing positive. He was taking it seriously. fine for the next few days, While obviously only a small percentage of patients and nothing was amiss when he who tested positive have died, living worked a full day on Monday, March through full-blown symptoms is like 23. nothing they had ever experienced beBut that night, he developed a fefore. ver, chills, sweats, and a nonproduc“It is not a hoax. It is not fake tive cough and realized he immedinews. It is real, and I can understand ately needed to go into quarantine. why people are dying from it,” Sandy David said he was finally able to prosaid. “And while I understand the eco- cure a COVID-19 testing kit two days nomic climate and that we need to get later. But that Thursday, he realized people back to work, there is also the he also had a tick embedded in him situation of there are folks on the front and he had to start treatment for Lyme lines that are risking their lives and disease. their families’ lives to take care of While all of the symptoms were people.” horrible, what most shook David, who is a cancer survivor with no spleen, was how much trouble he had First exposure breathing for one 12-hour period, Back in March, when national at- which Sandy would also find later. tention on the disease was starting to see DUNCANS pg. 8

“

By Laura McFarland POWHATAN – Just as in a normal school setting, distance learning during a pandemic in Powhatan County hasn’t been a one-size-fits all process. Every household is a little bit different and may be dealing with their own challenges – internet access, working parents,

PHOTO BY ANJIE KAY

Dr. David Duncan and his wife Sandy sit outside their home in Powhatan. The couple shared their individual experiences of suffering through COVID-19 back-to-back in March and April.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Freshman Brigham Wiedrich works on his school work in the library parking lot because he cannot get an internet signal at home while his sister Heidi works in the front seat.

Powhatan woman killed in two-vehicle crash Contributed Report A Powhatan woman was killed on Friday afternoon in a two-vehicle crash after a truck hauling a trailer hit her car head-on. A preliminary Virginia State Police investigation reveals that at about 4:30 p.m. on Friday, April 24, Jason Talbott, 19, of Powhatan was driving a Ford F-550 hauling a trailer with a skid-steer loader westbound on Huguenot Trail (Route 711). Talbott braked to avoid striking a vehicle in front of him and then veered left, crossing the center of the highway and into the eastbound travel lanes near the intersection of Route 711 and Judes Ferry Road, state police said. A Volkswagen SUV driven by, Rebecca M. Wolf, 56, of Powhatan was see CRASH, pg. 7

”

Families share their porch time By Laura McFarland

Porches of Powhatan

Editor

OWHATAN – Welcome back to the Porches of feature Powhatan. In a world where series life usually seems to be going a mile minute, porch time is a world Photos by Anjie Kay of its own. And at time when the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic is changing the way Americans live and interact, that time has never been more important. Beginning with the April 15 edition of the Powhatan Today, we introduced our readers to a new feature series called the Porches of Powhatan. Inspired by freelance photogra-

pher Anjie Kay’s portraits of local families, the series offers snapshots of Powhatan families doing the best they can to live their daily lives in extraordinary times. Last week, you met a doctor feeling the effects of wanting to protect his family while still upholding his calling, a grieving mother finding solace in painting rocks to help remember her late daughter, and an outgoing business owner missing the hugs of friends and customers. They talked about how their families are coping in hard times, the necessary adjustments to their everyday routines, and the comfort they find in their time together with family. While “porch time” isn’t the same for all of them, they all agreed they have come to fully appreciate the value of their relationships and the time they are spending together. This week, several more local families agreed to share their stories, which are simultaneously unique and ordinary. So once again, we invite you to come spend a little time with some of your neighbors and take a look at a worldwide pandemic through the lens of the Powhatan experience. See stories Pages 5A and 6A.

Powhatan Today, April 29, 2020

Page 2A

O B I T UA R I E S HAROLD GREGG Harold Clark Gregg, 98, of Powhatan, a proud Army survivor of World War II who received a Purple Heart in the battle of Siegen, Germany, passed away on Thursday, April 23, 2020. He is survived by his wife, Polly Nasser Holland Gregg; four sons, Michael Gregg (Gwen) of Florida, William L. Gregg (Claudia) of Midlothian, Arthur Holland Jr. of Maryland, James Holland (Christine) of Washington; daughter-in-law, Carol Lee Gregg of Powhatan; sister, Margarett Gregg of Midlothian; 11 grandchildren, Donnie, GREGG Scott, Jason, Brad, Brianne, Jenny, Kim, Arthur III, Benjamin, Greg, Abraham; 12 great-grandchildren; one special niece, Andrea Berger; a host of other nieces and nephews; a brother-in-law, Mike Nasser (Evelyn); and a sister-in-law, Dorothy Khoury. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Emarose Gregg; one son, James D. Gregg; and a grandson, Jeremy M. Gregg. Mr. Gregg worked for 35 years for the Veterans Administration Hospital system as the fiscal officer at several locations, including Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Hospital in Richmond. Mr. Gregg was a member of Mt. Pisgah United Methodist Church since 1984, where he served as treasurer, Sunday school teacher, sang in the choir, and was a member of the men's group. He was a member of Midlothian and Powhatan Ruritan Clubs, where he served as District Governor and Treasurer. As a Ruritan, he enjoyed

making Brunswick stew, distributing dictionaries to thirdgraders, selling Christmas trees, and participating in many other community projects. He was an honorary member of the Midlothian Garden Club. He delivered Meals on Wheels until this January. He was a Jack of all trades and a quiet, kind, gentle, unselfish giant of a man. The family would like to recognize the loving care provided by his granddaughter, Ami, and great-granddaughter, Kailee, during his final days. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to Mt. Pisgah United Methodist Church, 1100 Mt. Pisgah Drive, Midlothian, VA 23113 or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (stjude.org). Services will be private. A memorial service to be held at a later date. Online condolences may be made at bennettbardenfh.com.

DELILAH O'NEIL Delilah Shaver O'Neil, 71, of Powhatan, passed away peacefully in her home after a tough battle with Alzheimer's on Sunday, April 19, 2020. She was preceded in death by her beloved parents, Rufus and Frances Shaver; two brothers, Jerry and Charles Shaver. She is survived by her three children, Sarah Stroud, Shannon O'Neil (Kelly Turner), Casey O'Neil (Amy); and one grandson, Tristan O'Neil. She was lovingly cared for O’NEIL by her daughter, Sarah and wonder-

ful caretaker, Karen Hill. The family gives her their warmest and greatest gratitude. Delilah will be loved and missed by all. We ask that everyone live by one of her favorite quotes, "Always be kind to others, you never know what they might be going through." Services private. Online condolences may be made at bennettbardenfh.com.

ANGIE SLAYBAUGH Angie Slaybaugh, 86, of Powhatan, was called home by her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Tuesday, April 21, 2020. She is survived by her loving husband of 60 years, Billy; daughter, Michelle Robbins (Ray); grandson, Ethan Rose; granddaughter, Kelley Loveluck (James); and two great-granddaughters, Hadleigh Rose and Harper Loveluck. Angie retired after a 36-year career with Dominion Resources and subsequently started a SLAYBAUGH second career that lasted 24 years at Powhatan Family Physicians. Other than her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, her true passions in life were reading and donating. Angie never met a charity or organization she would not support, particularly the local organizations. Services will be private. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to American Heart Association (www.heart.org). Online condolences may be made at bennettbardenfh.com.

Feeding Powhatan schedule

Kindergarten registration opens

Contributed Report

With school facilities closed, the registration process for students starting kindergarten with Powhatan County Public Schools this fall will be online. While this is the preferred method at this time, paper copies are available upon request. According to Virginia law, a child must be 5 years old on or before Sept. 30 of the upcoming school year to enroll in kindergarten. To find out which school your child will attend – Flat Rock Elementary, Pocahontas Elementary or Powhatan Elementary – verify the attendance zone for your address by following the link listed on the registration information page, http://www.powhatan.k12. va.us/groups/66663/student_ services_and_interventions/ kindergarten_registration. Register through the division’s website beginning Thursday, April 30. The three schools will become active links to an online registration form on April 30. This form will allow you to register at your child's appropriate school. After registering, you will be contacted by school personnel to complete the process, share information, and answer any questions. Registering your child requires specific documentation. Plan to have the following available when your school’s registrar contacts you: Your child’s original birth certificate and a parent’s photo ID (must also be brought to the school once schools reopen); Evidence of Powhatan County residency (see details below); Student physical and immunizations Commonwealth of Virginia School Entrance Health Form is linked on the website.

Feeding Powhatan is open every Wednesday from 1 to 5 p.m. to give out meals to the community. The nonprofit’s timeline starts at 10 a.m. with food trucks being unloaded and set up, meals are packed from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the food pantry is open to give out meals from 1 to 5 p.m. at 2408 New Dorset Circle, Powhatan, VA 23139. The food pantry has a huge need of medium sizes boxes or new paper bags to pack food in, but boxes are best. Food items needed include eight-pack hot dogs, chicken nuggets, frozen pizzas, mayonnaise, tuna and chicken helper,

hot dog buns, and bread. The nonprofit has a huge list of shopping items volunteers are looking for at FeedMore, however there are many items they can’t get there. Assistance is greatly appreciated. Feeding Powhatan wants to address a few questions/concerns they have gotten regarding donations: They cannot accept used plastic or paper bags due to cross contamination of possible food bacteria. The nonprofit operates by the motto, “If it’s not something you would feed your family, please don’t donate it.” If something is so expired or possibly compromised that you wouldn’t

feed it to your family, they ask that people please don’t donate it. They want families to stay healthy but also leave the food pantry with a sense of love and dignity. Feeding them something that should be thrown away is not helping with the goal and showing the community love in this tragic time. The food pantry is open at 10 a.m. each Wednesday to accept donations. They also have amazing volunteers who have offered to porch pick up or store pick up donations and bring them to the food pantry, to keep you safe at home. Visit us on Facebook at Feeding Powhatan or call 804303-6431.

Statewide Virginia Network launches to assist communities to advance local bills of rights Contributed Report The Virginia Network for Democracy and Environmental Rights (VNDER) announced its official launch on April 10. The purpose of the network is to assist environmental, labor, public health, and social justice community groups in advancing municipal laws focused on expanding environmental, labor, and justice rights. VNDER will operate through two nonprofit organizations – one dedicated to education and training around democracy and environmental issues and the other dedicated to assisting with community campaigns and other advocacy activities. The board of directors for both organizations was recently selected and includes community organizers from across the state’s different regions. VNDER recently hosted a training for those board members

through an online workshop facilitated by the national Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights (CDER). Victoria Ronnau, the executive director of VNDER, explained that “for so long, community groups working on environmental and social justice issues have labored under a system of government that hasn’t recognized their existence. Today is the beginning of the long climb towards assisting those communities to begin to use municipal laws to drive forward environmental, public health, and human rights that those groups have been focused on for decades. Through a combination of workshops and trainings, and direct assistance to groups on the ground, we hope to drive a new debate which asserts that the role of municipal governments should be to advance and pursue these interests.” VNDER’s development builds on the work of several

hundred communities across the United States that have drafted and adopted “rightsbased” laws that seek to leverage municipal law against a system of state and federal law that oft-times favor large commercial interests over the interests of the community. Thomas Linzey, senior legal counsel for the national Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights (CDER) applauded the launch of VNDER, declaring that “we are proud to partner with VNDER as they assist communities to seize their own lawmaking processes, push off the power of the state and federal government to bully them, and expand human and environmental rights at the municipal level.” VNDER is located at www. vnder.org. For those community organizations that wish to access VNDER’s assistance, they can contact vnder.org@gmail. com.

Contributed Report

PCPS Health Form is linked on the website. A copy of any custody orders (if applicable) To register, children need to have the following immunizations: diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP or DTP), Hepatitis B vaccine, measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, polio vaccine, and varicella (Chickenpox) vaccine. For information on immunizations, the Virginia Health Department Immunization Requirements are linked on the website. Proof of Powhatan County residency is necessary for enrollment. Begin with this initial question: I am a homeowner or a renter OR I am someone who resides with another Powhatan County resident. If the parent or guardian is a homeowner or rents their home, they must provide the following: monthly mortgage statement, deed, or sales agreement OR a current signed and bonafide lease; AND one of the following: land-line telephone bill, cable or satellite bill, gas bill, electric bill, water bill, driver's license, voter registration, or payroll stub with current address, vehicle registration, or tax document (income tax return, W-2 form, a receipt for personal property taxes). If the parent or guardian lives with another Powhatan County resident, you must provide the following: Notarized PCPS Residency Form linked on the kindergarten registration website or available from your child's school registrar. Two documents that provide proof of homeowner’s residency or renter’s residency (Please see homeowner/renter list for details). A current bill with your name at that address (within 60 days of moving in).

COMMUNITY CALENDAR Editor’s note: Eﬀorts were made to update any listings that may have been canceled in an eﬀort to slow the spread of COVID-19, however some listings may not have been updated. Call to check. Wednesday, April 29

To help limit the spread of COVID-19, the Powhatan County Public Library will be closed to the public until further notice. This includes meeting room reservations. While the library is closed, the book drop will also be closed. Fines accrued during the closure will be waived. Library WiFi and e-branch resources are available 24/7. Contact Powhatan County Public

Library at 804-598-5670 or library@powhatanlibrary.net.

Powhatan County Public Library will hold Facebook Storytime at 10:30 a.m. on the library’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/pg/ powhatanlibrary.

Feeding Powhatan will hand out meals for children in coming weeks while schools are closed. The nonprofit food pantry will hand out meals from 1 to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays during the school closures at 2408 New Dorset Circle (next to Community Life Church). Income guidelines apply. Visit us on Facebook at Feeding Powhatan or call 804-303-6431. Pre-register at https://docs.google.com/ forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf9VL8V DTKVkjnTvSjnSbjkYUUSmn rm9TSJ4F1DwohdHeH_HQ/ viewform.

The Free Clinic of Powhatan, located at 3908 Old Buckingham Road, Powhatan offers health services (medical, dental, mental health, women's health) free of charge for uninsured and low income residents of Powhatan County. Administration hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. On Thursdays, lab services are from 9 a.m. to noon and patient hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Mondays, registration for new patients is from 5 to 7:30 p.m. and patient hours are from 4 to 8:30 p.m. All patient visits are by appointment. For more information, contact 804-5985637.

Thursday, April 30

With school facilities closed, the registration process for

students starting kindergarten this fall at Powhatan County Public Schools will be online. Details and required documents for registration can be found on the Powhatan County Public School website www.powhatan.k12.va.us. Online registration forms will be available on the division and school websites starting April 30. After registering, you will be contacted by school personnel to complete the process, share information and answer any questions. Welcome Class of 2033!!

In response to the economic and social impact of the COVID-19 virus, Passion Community Church’s “Do Good” ministry has opened a food pantry at the Powhatan Campus to support local families. Operating hours during the COVID-19 Event

(for both donations and pickup) will be: 4 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 3 to 5 p.m. on Sundays. The food pantry will currently be open through June 14 but the date is subject to change. suggested items for donation: rice (especially whole grain), oatmeal, pasta (especially whole grain), diced tomatoes, jar or canned pasta sauce, canned vegetables, cooking oils (such as olive oil or canola oil), canned tuna or salmon, canned chicken or other meats, canned beans, dried beans, canned soups and stews, peanut butter, nuts, canned chili, trail mix, and non refrigerated juices. Donations NOT accepted: personal care items, junk food or sodas, items that require refrigeration, and perishables such as breads.

The Powhatan Food Pantry is open from 10 a.m. to noon on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Tuesdays and 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursdays at 2500 Batterson Road. Contact the pantry at 804-372-9526 or powhatanvafoodpantry@gmail. com.

Virginia Career Works is offering virtual, call-in workshops through the Virginia Career Connect program. Sessions will be held at 3 p.m. every Thursday and 11 a.m. every Tuesday. The call in number is 1-978-990-5000, access code 335922. Learn about careers in healthcare, logistics, manufacturing, professional services, transportation, energy hospitality, and construction.

The original Powhatan AA meets from 8 to 9 p.m. every see CALENDAR, pg. 3

Page 3A

Powhatan Today, April 29, 2020

Kates Day canceled Couple moves up wedding The 78th Annual Kates Day scheduled for May 6 at the Virginia Correctional Center for Women (VCCW) in Goochland is canceled due to a Commonwealth of Virginia mandate related to the coronavirus. The annual meeting of The Elizabeth Kates Foundation will be rescheduled. Many in the community know Kates Day for its plant sale, bake sale, and crafts sale of goods made by offenders at VCCW. Many VCCW offenders have been working for months to prepare for this year’s Kates Day by raising beautiful plants, designing unique crafts and planning for the bake sale and dinner. The sales of plants, crafts, baked goods and dinner tickets enable the Kates Foundation, an all-volunteer nonprofit

501(c)(3) charity, to help support the horticulture program, to provide college scholarships for onsite and correspondence classes, and support other educational programs at VCCW. The horticulture program is an educational opportunity for offenders to obtain certificates in landscape and nursery care. This program and other programs supported by the Kates Foundation improve offenders’ chances for a successful reentry into the community. Visit the foundation’s website, theelizabethkatesfoundation.org, for more information and to donate. A copy of the Kates Foundation’s financial statement may be obtained from: The Virginia Office of Consumer Affairs, P.O. Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23218.

By Laura McFarland Editor

POWHATAN – The festivities were a little bit smaller and simpler than originally planned, but David and Erin Murphy still treasure their wedding day. The couple married on Friday, April 17 on the lawn of the Powhatan County Courthouse surrounded by a small group of family and friends. Erin Stepko and David Murphy originally planned to wed on June 12 at the courthouse, but with so much change and uncertainty abounding right now, they decided not to wait. “We've been together for nine years and just wanted to make it official, and being it was a second marriage for the both of us, we wanted a intimate civil ceremony,” the new bride said. So they moved up the date and pared down the guest list. Erin’s oldest son, Nick Stepko, his wife Pamela and son Ethan were there, along with her son Danny Stepko. Also in attendance were David’s son Jason Murphy, his girlfriend Angie Taylor, and her daughter Haley. His son Casey and family live in North Carolina and couldn’t attend. “We were limited to 10 people, so with the officiant, that made 10. I had three friends from work surprise me by being there. They stayed on the sidewalk and watched and cheered from there,” Erin said. The guests stood 6 feet apart to maintain social distancing guide-

Free Clinic advises people to wear face masks Contributed Report

METRO CREATIVE

wash your hands with soap and warm water (or hand sanitizer) for 20 seconds, before handling the mask. Then hold the mask with both hands if possible to your face to avoid touching your nose or mouth. If it is a surgical type mask, the colored side of the mask should face outward. If the mask has ear loops, hold the mask by the ear loops, and put each loop around an ear. If using a surgical mask with ties, then put the mask up to your nose, pinch the metal strip to your nose. Put the ties over the top of your head, and tie the strings in a bow. Tie the bottom strings securely in a bow near the nape of your neck. Pull the bottom of the mask down over your mouth and chin, making sure the mask is snug on your face. He also reminds us not to touch the mask once it is on your face. If the mask gets wet or dirty, replace it with a new one. Either wash the mask or, if using a disposable mask, throw it away. While experts vary in how many times we can wear a reusable mask, the most common number given is two times then wash it. When you are ready to take the mask off, take it off at your ears. Do not pull it off or down from the front of the mask. Always wash your hands (or use sanitizer) before and after handling your mask. These simple techniques help reduce transmission of any respiratory virus and are particularly important now. When we must go out, we need to be mindful of the risks we pose to others. To the recommendations of social distancing and frequent hand washing, add wearing a mask properly.

lines, and Erin said it was “sad that no one hugged each other. I could tell everybody wanted to, but we followed the rules and didn't,” she said. The original plan was to go for a fancy dinner with family and friends after the ceremony, which was no longer possible. “After the ceremony, we took some pictures, and we sadly went our separate ways. David and I went to Food Lion with our masks on to buy a six pack of Corona for a funny picture to mark the day. The check out girls said we made their day,” she said. For lunch on Friday, the newlyweds drove to Texas Roadhouse to order cheeseburgers via curbside pick-up, drove over to a mall parking lot, and ate on the trunk of Erin’s car. “That evening we shared a bottle of champagne on our deck and danced in the kitchen,” she said.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

Officiant Robert Wood performs the wedding ceremony of David and Erin Murphy on the Powhatan Courthouse lawn.

The couple had to postpone an earlier trip they had planned to Florida to see Erin’s family, so that will probably be their honeymoon. There will be a party or two when re-

strictions are lif lifted, i i d she h said. Laura McFarland may be reached at Lmcfarland@powhatantoday.com.

School division equips buses with Wi-Fi Contributed Report Powhatan County Public Schools announced on Friday, April 24 that it has found five locations to park school buses that will give Wi-Fi access to students who need it. The Wi-Fi enabled school buses are part of the school district’s plan to help families with poor connection to the internet

as they work to continue the 2019-2020 school year while distance learning. The five locations of the school buses are: Little Zion Baptist Church, 5680 Cartersville Road; Muddy Creek Baptist Church, 3470 Trenholm Road; Deep Creek Volunteer Fire Departmnet (Company 5), 5631 Anderson Highway; Providence Presbyterian

CALENDAR

Tuesday, May 5

Continued from pg. 2

Thursday in the Powhatan Village Building.

Awaken to Hope Al-Anon meets at 7:30 p.m. every Thursday at St. John Neumann Catholic Church.

Friday, May 1

The American Red Cross has an ongoing critical need for blood donations amidst coronavirus uncertainties. A blood drive will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Powhatan High School gymnasium. Make an appointment at www. redcrossblood.org.

Saturday, May 2

The 25th annual Relay for Life of Powhatan scheduled for May 2 has been postponed. Organizers hope to reschedule the event later in 2020. Visit www.relayforlife.org/ powhatanva.

Powhatan AA meets at 8 p.m. every Saturday at Manakin Episcopal Church on Huguenot Trail.

Monday, May 4

A Powhatan Hope Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meeting will be held from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Monday at PCC Church, 4480 Anderson Highway, Powhatan, Room 102. It is an open discussion meeting. Wheelchair accessible.

The new Bridge of Reason AA meeting is held at 7 p.m. every Tuesday at Powhatan Mennonite Church, 3549 Old Buckingham Road, Powhatan. It is an open, decision and literature meeting for Powhatan, Goochland, and Cumberland counties. AA meets at 8 p.m. every Tuesday at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church on

Church, 1950 Ridge Road; Powhatan Volunteer Rescue Squad Sub Station, 5901 Old Buckingham Road, and Macon District Volunteer Fire Department (Company 3), 6377 Old Buckingham Road. The school division is ordering solar panels to put on the roof of the buses to keep the batteries charged.

CRIME R E P O RT Arrests

Huguenot Trail.

Ongoing

Although the 25th annual Relay for Life of Powhatan originally scheduled for May 2 has been postponed, organizers are still hoping to put it on later in 2020.. As part of the 25th anniversary celebration, organizers want to honor the volunteers who started this wonderful event. In 1996, a spirited group of Powhatan

• One male was charted on April 15 with profane swearing/public intoxication (Misdemeanor). • One male was charged on April 16 with assault and battery of a family member (M). volunteers held the first Relay For Life of Powhatan. They worked together to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Some were cancer survivors or cancer patients, and many others were friends or loved ones of people who had suffered with cancer. Organizers are trying to reach the volunteers from that 1996 Relay to show their appreciation for the great event that they founded and passed see CALENDAR, pg. 7

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Have you heard the new pandemic hit, “Put on Your Mask”? This rewrite of one of Gloria Estefan’s popular songs, found at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=ygiDoiu4U08, reminds us to don a mask every time we go out of the house. This is the current recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state officials. Wearing a mask is important to protect those around us from us! And, there is a technique to doing it. We now know from recent studies that a significant portion of individuals with coronavirus lack symptoms (“asymptomatic”) and that even those who eventually develop symptoms (“pre-symptomatic”) can transmit the virus to others before showing symptoms. This means that the virus can spread between people interacting in close proximity – for example, speaking, coughing, or sneezing – even if those people are not exhibiting symptoms. In light of this new evidence, the CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies). The cloth face coverings we need to use are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators. Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance. Whether we purchase a mask or make one, they likely don’t have a tight seal and usually are porous. But, they do serve to trap any large respiratory droplets anyone can transmit by speaking, coughing or sneezing. In addition, the mask can prevent us from touching our faces near our noses or mouths. Dr. Don Sanders of the Free Clinic of Powhatan’s medical staff advises that to be effective, masks must be used properly and worn properly. He offers these steps to putting on and taking off masks. First

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Persent at the wedding of David and Erin Murphy on April 17 were, from left, Haley Taylor, Jason Murphy, Erin Murphy, David Murphy, Angie Taylor, Nick Stepko, Pamela Stepko, Ethan Stepko, and Danny Stepko.

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Contributed Report

Powhatan Today, April 29, 2020

Page 4A

DISTANCE Continued from pg. 1

place to transition students who may not have been able to access everything.â&#x20AC;? At the same time, the school division has to ac-

knowledge that this is a stressful time for families, who all have unique situations and challenges. They are dealing with barriers to learning related to demographics, lack of internet access, and not being able to have face-

Face To Face

Genesis 33:10 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jacob said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;No, please, if now I have found favor in your sight, then take my present from my hand, for I see your face as one sees the face of God,...â&#x20AC;? When Jacob saw that Esau held no grudge, his fears were dissolved. Forgiveness unites people. There is no substitute for sweet brotherly fellowship. Drive-in and TV â&#x20AC;&#x153;churchesâ&#x20AC;? fail because of the impersonal nature of them. We, the church, need each other. Come visit us. â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;Świth great desire to see your face.â&#x20AC;? (1 Thess 2:17) â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;Śearnestly that we may see your face,â&#x20AC;? (1 Thess 3:10) â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;Śbut I hope to see you shortly, and we will speak face to face.â&#x20AC;? (3 John 14)

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re interested in further study of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s word, meet with us Wednesday evenings at 6:30. Details on our website.

Old Trail Church of Christ oldtrailcoc.com | oldtrailcoc@gmail.com

Hi Everybody my name is Ralphie, and I have been featured before. As of now I am at a trainers, and learning some new things. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m really hoping that when I return to the shelter that I will have a home to go to. I am neutered, and up to date on shots. I get along with other dogs, I just need time to adjust to a new fur family member. If you are interested in me, Please contact 804-598-5672 to schedule a meet and greet. I really look forward to meeting you. If you would like to help the animals in our care, You can do so by donating to our medical fund at Claws and Paws 4313 Anderson Hwy, Powhatan, Va 23139.

If you would like to help the animals in our care, you can do so by donating to our medical fund at Claws and Paws, 4313 Anderson Hwy., Powhatan, VA 23139 Powhatan Sheriffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office | Division Of Animal Control Phone: 804-598-5672 | Fax: 804-598-5109

to-face time with students. For those students with barriers to learning, schools will be working on individualized plans to help them overcome some of those challenges.

Workload Elementary schools are issuing weekly calendars for students with learning activities based on identified essential skills from their teachers. The work will now be sent out on Monday nights and needs to be completed by the following Monday using the Seesaw program. The goal with student workload at the elementary level is to have students doing reading/writing, math, science, and social studies for 15 to 30 minutes each day. The work should not exceed two hours per day for kindergarten through second grade and should be two to three hours for third through fifth grades. At the secondary level, teachers will also be sending out a calendar of activities on Monday for students to complete by the following Monday using Schoology. These plans will look different depending on the level and content area, but teachers have been told to assign a maximum of two to three hours of work per class per week. This is a maximum of 15 hours per week per student. Teachers are supposed to provide a suggested work time for how long each assignment should take to finish so that if it is taking significantly longer, families should provide feedback and adjustments can be made, Omohundro said. Personalized instruction is being set up as needed. The schools also have set up Google Voice for the counselors so they can make and receive personal calls to students.

The counselors may be a resource in a variety of situations. A social worker has compiled an exhaustive list of resources for families. Operation School Supply also donated school supplies that will be available during meal pickups in the coming weeks.

intendent, said there was no guidance from the state on grading, but in discussion with other divisions in Region 1, most are following this model of grading. Division staff is working on additional information for teachers to pass on to families.

Reaching out Grading The goal of the new grading system is to befair and thoughtful about the different challenges students and their families may be experiencing. For the third quarter, grading closed on March 13. At the elementary level, any outstanding assignments will be excused. Any makeup work for grades six to 12 must be completed prior to May 4 in order to be graded and counted into a studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grade. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Teachers are working individually with students for that, and that will be completed by May 4. Then we will update grades for marking period three,â&#x20AC;? she said. The fourth quarter began on April 14. Activities are being assessed based on effort and completion with a final pass/fail designation, Omohundro said. Teachers are supposed to enter information into the grading program to provide feedback to students so they know how they are progressing and grasping a subject. The grade for yearlong courses will be an average of the first semester (67 percent of grade) and third quarter (33 percent). Any student who was failing a course at the end of the third nine weeks will have the opportunity to complete new work during the fourth quarter for a number grade to be averaged with the rest of their term grades in an effort to pass the course. Dr. Eric Jones, super-

The schools are regularly reaching out to families to see if more support is needed. The division recently did a survey of almost 500 families who had not been accessing technology with regularity. Of those, 78 families responded they needed help, and the division reached out to provide personalized plans, Omohundro said. Another 79 families said they did not need extra help, but 312 didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t respond. Last week, administrators reached out to those families, Omohundro said Friday. By April 22, only about 75 students had not been reached to assess their needs and help where needed. By Friday, they got it down to 11 students. Dr. Lynn ClaytonPrince, director of special education, said the division is also working with the parents of students with special needs, including making sure they have equipment they need and delivering paper packets with permission. Staff is working with parents of post graduate students who stay in the special education classes until they are 22 to share what resources are available to them, and students in outside placement situations at other facilities to hold them accountable for providing for the students.

Moving forward Omohundro said the first two weeks of Phase 2 would be monitored to see where adjustments are needed. Staff has received

CHURCH DIRECTORY

St. Lukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Episcopal Church SUNDAYS 8AM Holy Eucharist (Quiet Service) 9:15AM Christian Formation (Sunday school for children & adults) 10:30AM Holy Eucharist All are Welcome

For more information visit www.stlukespowhatan.org Route 711 at Three Bridge Road 794-6953

The Bridge The Church of Genito Jesus Christ of Church Presbyterian â&#x20AC;&#x153;Building a Bridge of Hopeâ&#x20AC;? Latter-day Saints

Church

Isaiah 58:12

2910 Genito Rd. Powhatan, VA

598-2086 Worship with us this Sunday Church service @ 9:30 AM Sunday school @ 10:30 AM

EVERGREEN COMMUNITY CHURCH (PCA) Proclaiming & Practicing the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Worship service at 9:30 AM Meeting at Flat Rock Elementary School

598-4970

598-8844

Located 1950 Ridge Road (Rt. 627) 2/10th of a mile north of Rt. 13

Rev. Robert Barnes

! " # $ %

Meeting Sundays in Amelia, Farmville, Fork Union, Midlothian, Powhatan and Online. Visit pccwired.net for services times & locations. 598-1174 pccwired.net

Powhatan United Methodist Church Living As Christâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Disciples Within Our Hearts and Beyond Our Doors 2253 Rosson Rd.

Just off Rt. 13 in the Village

598-4438

Worship: 8:30 & 11 a.m. Sunday School: 9:45 a.m.

www.powhatanumc.us Weekday Preschool (ages 2-5)

598-6090

Mount Calvary Baptist Church 2020 Red Lane Road

Powhatan, VA 23139 1801 Huguenot Trail Sunday School 9am Pastor, Larry B. Collins Sunday Worship 10am Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Wednesday Bible Study 6:45pm Sunday Worship 11:00 a.m. Wednesday Bible Study Bryan M. Holt, Pastor 7:30 p.m. 378-3607 www.EmmausChristianChurch.org Office 804-598-2398

Powhatan Christian Fellowship Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 a.m.

Worship Service 11:00 am Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Sunday School 10:00 am Wednesday Night 7:30 p.m.

www.EvergreenPowhatan.com

Community Church Dr. Cavell W. Phillips, Pastor Where there is Unity, there is always Victory. A church â&#x20AC;&#x153;Where you are welcomeâ&#x20AC;? Wednesday: Bible Study Join Us For Sunday Worship 6:30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7:30pm ( 60 Minute 11:00AM â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 12:30PM Warm Up To Sunday ) Powhatan Village Building 3910 Old Buckingham Road ucc4me.org Powhatan, VA 804-256-4411

Advertise in

1957 Capeway Rd., Powhatan, VA

804-403-3963 Sundays: Morning Worship 10:00 AM Patrick Conner, Bishop Wednesday: Sacrament Service â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 10 am - 11 am Family Life Night 7:00 PM Gospel Doctrine â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 11:10 am 2480 Academy Road Priesthood/Relief Society â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 11:10 am 598-7159 Located off Route 60 at Lower Hill Rd. Pastor: Johnathan M. Whichard

Providence Presbyterian Church

some feedback but encourages parents having struggles to reach out to their teachers and explain the problem. If the teachers cannot find a solution, take the issue to the division level. The division has been working on a distribution plan for technology support, such as 200 hotspots ordered for students and teachers with internet connection issues, she said. The division is developing additional support plans for those studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; with limited access. One big focus moving forward will be planning for Phase 3, which is how the division will address gaps in student learning as Powhatan transitions back to regular instruction, such as summer school and the beginning of the next school year. School board members stressed the need to make sure that everything possible was being done to help families with internet connectivity issues so students in those families werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t being left behind. Rick Cole, who represents District 1, said he is happy to hear staff is working with families with issues. Equity of learning is a challenge he has been the most concerned about, he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What I am hearing is we are doing everything we can to try to make this fair to students and at the same time trying to challenge them and give them work so they will be prepared for next year,â&#x20AC;? Cole said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are in a time where there are no easy guidelines and no easy right and wrong answers. We are kind of inventing this as we go along, so I suspect we are going to learn something from this. I appreciate the flexibility and the hard work that our staff is doing to try to make this happen.â&#x20AC;?

3308 Pleasants Road, 1/4 mile off of Route 711 Russ Cress, Pastor 598-0733

St. John Neumann Catholic Church Rev. Walter G. Lewis, Pastor Saturday - 5 p.m. Sunday - 8:30 a.m. & 11 a.m. 598-3754 www.sjnpowhatan.org Located behind Flat Rock Village Shopping Center

Church Directory.

Call 804-746-1235 ext. 2 for details.

Page 5A

Powhatan Today, April 29, 2020 Mary and Sam Revels relax in the yard of their Powhatan home. The couple had fun with the porches photo shoot with Sam riding his lawnmower and Mary holding a wine glass.

Porches of Powhatan feature series

Photos by Anjie Kay

Mary and Sam Revels

elf-isolating at their home in Powhatan wasn’t exactly how Mary and Sam Revels planned on spending their 37th wedding anniversary last week. They would normally do something special like going to the beach for a day trip or having a family dinner at a nice restaurant. Of course, the extra time at home for the retired couple, who normally are pretty socially active, has meant both more time together and doing things they had been planning to do for years. Repainting the dining room was the first project crossed off the list, Mary said. And now husband and wife are working together to build a patio as an anniversary gift to each other. Before they started isolating at home, Mary said they were on the go doing their own things at least four days a week, although they kept the week-

ends for each other. She went to the gym at least two to three times a week and met with friends, while Sam liked bowling and playing cards. The possibilities for a fun time out of the house have shrunk drastically in the last few weeks, she said. Outside of going for walks in public parks, there isn’t much to choose from, she said. “I drive into town and I go through Chick-fil-A. Then I just go sit in the middle of Westchester (Commons) and get some sun, get on the phone so I can stay in touch with some people, and feel like I am out of the house. There is not really much you can do, but it helps me mentally,” she said. The couple has their daughter and grandson staying with them right now, and they are all being mindful of social distancing guidelines. It is less out of fear and more out of caution to protect themselves and others that they have tried to be as good as possible about social distancing, she said. “If you are not taking it serious for you, you should take it serious for other people you may come in contact at the grocery store or wherever. We didn’t make the rules but let’s follow them for other people as well,” Mary said. The couple misses being around

other people. They find themselves texting, phoning, and video chatting more than ever before to stay in touch with loved ones. Of course, there have been some unintended positives out of that. Mary recalled a recent conversation she had with her brother in Georgia who is in his 80s and has been in isolation since March 1. “Simply because we had more time, I told him stories and he told me stories. Whereas before we might talk five or 10 minutes and that would be it,” she said. Mary said she also feels like she has gotten closer to her husband simply because they have more time to talk and be together. Usually they are running around, so the isolation has focused them inward. That said, they are both looking forward to when the restrictions are lifted and they can get out more, even if they still need to wear

Smith family

1033686-01

he end of the school year tends to be Powhatan High School teacher Brooks Ann Smith’s favorite part. As a government teacher whose students are mainly seniors, this time of year is always full of tradition for the seniors, many of which she gets to help make a reality for them. Last week they would have attended prom. Then there’s the senior trip, the scholarship applications, the college applications and acceptance letters, and making plans for graduation and what comes next. “That is the hard part. We are really at the light at the end of the tunnel where they really get to enjoy a lot of the blessings of their hard work. Not being able to do that for them is really difficult,” she said. “It breaks my heart. I love teaching kids, but I really love

SECOND ANTIOCH BAPTIST CHURCH

The Smith family includes Zach, from left, Brooks Ann, Hayden, Brynne, Tim, and family pet Wrigley. The family is balancing work and school work and has become closer during the pandemic.

Sunday School 9:45-10:45 Sunday Morning Worship will begin at 11:00 a.m.

GREENBRIER BAPTIST CHURCH

Holly Hills Baptist Church

“God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. We walk by faith and not by sight” – Pastor Darnell Carruthers

www.HollyHillsBaptist.org

(Independent Bible Believing)

Randy Blackwell, Pastor Sunday School - 10:00 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship - 11:00 a.m. Youth Ministry 6:00 p.m. Adult Bible Study 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Prayer Meeting 7:30 PM

379-8930 1659 Anderson Highway 3½ miles east of Flat Rock

5680 Cartersville Road Powhatan, Virginia 23139 Pastor Gregory L. Beechaum Sr. “The church where Jesus is Alive” 9:00 a.m. ---- Sunday School 9:45 a.m. ---- Prayer & Praise 10:00 a.m.--- Sunday Morning Worship 5th Sunday at 11 a.m. Hour of Power 7:30 p.m. ---- Tuesday Night Worship & Bible Study

804-375-9404

Hollywood Baptist Church “A Church Where Love Never Fails!” Pastor Otis B. Lockhart, Jr.

SUNDAYS AT 10AM 1348 ANDERSON HWY POWHATAN VA 23139 RISENCHURCH.US

BAPTIST CHURCH 2591 Ridge Road Powhatan, Virginia 23139 804-598-2051 Rev. Bryan Stevens, Pastor 11 a.m. – Worship Service 9 a.m. – Church School Wednesday Bible Study 10 a.m. & 7 p.m.

Graceland Baptist Church

Contemporary – 8:30 a.m. Sunday School – 9:45 a.m. Worship – 11 a.m. Children’s Worship – 11 a.m. Prayer/Bible Study – Wed. 6:30 p.m. 2095 Red Lane Road Children’s Worship (all ages) – 1/2 mile off Rt. 60 on Red Lane Road Wed. 6:30 p.m. 804-598-2455 New Generation Praise & Worship – www.redlanebaptist.org Sunday 6 p.m. Worship Service 9:00 a.m. Lighthouse Youth – Wed. 5:30 p.m. Small Groups 10:30 a.m. Miracles of God Sp. Needs Service: 2 p.m. the 2nd Sat. of each month Wednesday Night Classes for all ages at 6:15 598-3481 • 975 Dorset Road Dr. James Taylor, Pastor www.gracelandbc.org

Praise and Worship Service

MOUNT ZION

see SMITH, pg. 5

Dr. Ronald Wyatt, Jr., Pastor

Reverend Mark A. Divens, Sr. Pastor

4731 Bell Road, Powhatan, VA 23139 804-598-5491

celebrating kids. It has always been part of the job I have done here. To not be able at this point to get them all the way to the finish line and not watch them cross that finish line is tough.” It might be hitting a little harder because she is watching her oldest daughter go through something similar. Brooks Ann and her husband Tim, have three children: Zach, 14, Brynne, 16, and Hayden, 21. Hayden is missing the end of her senior year at Campbell University and had her business internship cut short, and her mother knows how hard it is hitting her. Brooks Ann said it is hard to watch her disappointment at the loss of those final traditions, just as it is difficult to see Zach’s frustration at not experiencing the junior varsity baseball season and Brynne missing her friends and a vacation she and her mom were going to take to Europe this summer. Despite the disappointments, they are trying to stay positive and busy. They all

CHURCH DIRECTORY

1059 Dorset Road Powhatan, VA 23139

Sunday School: 10:00-10:45 a.m. Worship Service: 11:00 a.m.

masks. “I don’t think the world will come together real quickly by any means, but I think as soon as we can get out and do things we will. That is what we do. It is easier to keep weight off and to stay in shape when you can go out and move,” she said. When Anjie Kay came to photograph them, she told them they could be creative with the shoot if they wanted. They have a small front porch and spend more time on their back deck, but they decided to embrace the fun of the situation. Sam was photographed on his riding lawnmower, which he loves, and Mary got to wear a straw hat and hold a glass of wine. “It was just funny. We laughed all day long about that because Anjie came late in the afternoon. It just gave us something to do that was out of the norm and fun,” she said.

Advertise in Powhatan Today’s Church Directory. Call 804-7461235 ext. 2 for details.

OLD POWHATAN BAPTIST CHURCH 3619 Huguenot Trail Powhatan, Virginia 23139 www.finecreekbaptist.org Sunday School: 9:45 a.m. Worship Service: 11:00 a.m. Traditional Rev. David A. Simpson, Pastor

Brad Russell, Pastor 598-4241 First Worship 8:30 am Bible Study for all ages 9:45 am Second Worship 11:00 am Wed. Family Ministry 6:30 pm

2202 Old Church Road www.powhatanbaptist.org

Family Worship Center “Your Community Church”

598-2763

2901 Judes Ferry Road Powhatan, Va 23139 804-379-8223

Sunday School at 9:30 am Morning Service at 11:00 am Bible Study Every Wednesday Night at 6:30 pm 3964 Old Buckingham Road

Sundays 10:00 AM Wednesday 6:30 PM Experiencing the presence, power and person of Jesus Christ

Loving, Investing, Fulfilling, Empowering Senior Pastor Justin Wilson Sunday Service 10:30am 2410 New Dorset Circle www.Communitylifechurchpowhatan.org Feeding Powhatan Open 3rd Wednesday of the month

Muddy Creek Baptist Church

FIRST ANTIOCH BAPTIST CHURCH

Sunday 10am, 11am & 6pm

Sunday School - 9:45 am Worship - 11 am Wednesday Bible Study & Prayer Service - 7:00 pm

3920 MAIDENS RD., POWHATAN

Wednesday 7pm

Pastor Jeff Beard, MA, MBA 3470 Trenholm Road www.muddycreekbaptist.org

375-9212

804-598-2301 Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Sunday Morning Service 11:00 a.m. Wednesday Mid Day Bible Study 11:30 a.m. Evening Bible Study 7:00 p.m.

Travis L. Keith- Pastor Church Office: 794.7054 1530 Cook Road (Rt. 636)

www.glbcpva.org

Just Across from South Creek Shopping Center!

Powhatan Today, April 29, 2020

Page 6A

Sherry said she has missed work desperately in the weeks she has been shut down. The salon has been open for 18 years, and some of her clients have been coming to her to get their hair done for that long. “What has been one of the hardest things on a daily basis is to not have communication with my clients. After doing a lot of their hair for 18 years, it is not just communication; they are like my family. So to not have them be part of my day has been very difficult,” Sherry said. Meanwhile, her husband Ron works for Altria and has been working remotely since restrictions began. He said it has been a challenge because he is so used to interacting with people. “You feel a little more isolated, but we are making it work,” he said. For both of them, one of the huge saving graces in the last few weeks has been the home gym they hurriedly set up in their garage when they realized gyms would likely be closing soon. Ron uses it for regular workouts, but Sherry competes a few times a year in 100-percent raw power lifting competitions and wants to at least maintain her fitness level so she is ready to start training seriously when competitions start up again. Before the pandemic, she would spend three to four days a week working out at the gym; now she has bumped her routine up to five to six days a week. But it is not just the need to exercise that is driving her. Sherry said doing her Bible study in the morning and wor-

shipping God while she is working out are what has always sustained her before she took on the challenges of the day. “When I work out, I worship. That is my very first thing I need to do in the morning for myself before I get involved with anything else that might go south throughout the day,” Sherry said. Sherry is also filling some of her time by continuing her Sinaroll Ministry, which she started about eight years ago. She makes and sells cinnamon rolls throughout the year, and uses the proceeds to help people when she learns of a need. Supplies shortages have made weekly deliveries impossible, but when she finds supplies she does as much as she can. “It is just a way to give back. It allows me to do something I love, which is bake, but even more, I love to give. It allows me to give back to people in need. And need doesn’t always mean ‘I have lost my job’ or ‘I can’t afford to pay my house payment.’ It could be you need to be blessed today and God has put your name on my heart, so I am going to bless you with something from my Sinaroll Ministry,” Sherry said. Having been trapped in the house for six weeks because of social distancing and the stay-at-home order, Sherry said there have been some real highs and lows. While the weekdays are busy, they have carved out the weekends to spend more time together, whether it is grilling on the deck, making a nice meal sitting by the fire pit, or working in the yard. Ron added that he feels they have grown closer as they take the time to be together and lean on each other. They also have had some great family video chats that made them feel a little less isolated. But regarding the low moments, Sherry couldn’t help but compare it to the feeling of hopelessness and helplessness she experienced when Ron, who was in the Navy reserves, was activated after 9/11. “But I’ve got to say this pandemic

has impacted us so much more than that. We have struggled with our good days and bad days. After a busy schedule is halted like it was with this pandemic, everything that we knew as normal, everything that we knew as operational of what we did in a day came to a stop, and that did impact us,” she said. They miss not seeing other people and they have definite concerns about their grown sons, who are both in the military. Sherry said there have not been many cases where her son Hunter, 24, is stationed with the U.S. Air Force in northern Japan, but her older son Gavin, 29, a U.S. Navy diver, is stationed in Guam. Thousands of sailors aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt were evacuated after the aircraft carrier pulled into Guam on March 27 with a COVID-19 outbreak that has seen at least 678 crew members test positive for the disease as of last week. As long as he doesn’t become sick, Gavin leaves May 2 for his next duty station in Florida, and Sherry said she is waiting and praying for the day he heads back stateside.

pastime for all of them. While his family is busy at home, Tim is still going to work as a physical therapist in Dillwyn. Brooks Ann said he has seen decreased patient numbers, and with elective surgeries like knee and hip replacements being rescheduled, the numbers are likely to go down more, which is worrisome. Despite the negative aspects of selfdistancing, Brooks Ann said the family has been getting along shockingly well. Everyone has their own spaces to go to when they need alone time, but she said

she has been grateful how willing they have been to come together most evenings for quality family time. “For all of us, every child’s schedule and every adult’s schedule was just so busy, we weren’t sitting on the porch like we should probably,” she said. “It has been really nice to get to know our kids and see some different things out of our kids because we have had that time to sit on the back porch and eat a meal, gather around the table, or just sit around the fire pit and ask each other questions. I have a question app on my

phone that has deep-thinking questions or get-to-know-you better questions, and it has been interesting to listen to the kids’ answers to those.” Largely because of her faith, Brooks Ann believes life will work out in its own way after the pandemic subsides and lead to many unexpected positives. “I do hope it teaches us a lesson about what a new normal should look like in terms of how we all need to slow down and get back to some of this quality family time. I think that would be an important thing to learn,” she said.

Porches of Powhatan feature series

Photos by Anjie Kay

Rowe family

hen Sherry Rowe made the decision on March 19 to close her home hair salon, Designer Rowe, because of growing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic, some questioned her decision. Governor Ralph Northam hadn’t yet issued Executive Order 53, which he would do on March 23, temporarily placing temporary restrictions on restaurants, recreational, entertainment, gatherings, and non-essential retail businesses starting at midnight on March 25. In those days before the official closing, she fielded questions from clients who didn’t understand why she would take that step and was feeling like she was letting them down. But between trouble finding salon-grade cleaning products, social distancing being impossible when she was doing someone’s hair, and just the sheer level of unknowns surrounding the disease at that point, she felt she had made the right decision for her business. “For me, closing my salon was like losing a limb. One of the most difficult things I have ever had to do in my life was to tell people I could not open up and do their hair because of this pandemic and the potential sickness that they claimed could take a life,” she said. “It was a difficult decision to have to be made and it was much simpler on my heart when they government officially closed us down. Because then it wasn’t me telling you I could not take you; it was the government saying I could not take you. As sad as that is, that is the way I felt.”

SMITH Continued from pg. 5

still have their school work to complete, and Brooks Ann said she is grateful they are mostly independent about staying on top of their assignments so she can focus on her work and students. Hayden and Brynne have also done some babysitting for critical care nurses. Their dog Wrigley has been a shared joy for the family, and training him, teaching him tricks, or just throwing the Frisbee for him to catch it is a favorite

PARENTS Continued from pg. 1

children struggling to adapt to learning at home and understand new content, technology, not understanding the grading system, and so much more. Some local Powhatan families recently shared their experiences with distance learning in the last several weeks – both the highs and lows. Even the ones highly stressed by the situation said they recognized that Powhatan County Public Schools staff members are trying their hardest, but that doesn’t always mitigate how stressful some situations are for their families. For some learning from home is literally bringing them to tears while others have had a much smoother transition.

Wiedrich family For Powhatan High School senior Heidi Wiedrich and her younger brother Brigham, a freshman, the No. 1 hurdle to their education in the last few weeks has been lack of internet access in the western part of the county, said their mom, Melissa Wiedrich. With more people using the internet during the day now, the limited access they had before is almost nonexistent. “Brigham was able to do

some work a couple different nights, but not until after 12 a.m., and that is not ideal for him to be doing schoolwork,” she said. So almost every day, she and her teenagers sit in the Powhatan County Public Library parking lot to use the internet and finish their work. Sometimes they can do a few downloads and other days it means several hours sitting in the car together. It is close quarters, and when they have to listen to a video or record a video for an assignment, it can get pretty comical, Wiedrich said. She has been driving them to the library because the family doesn’t have a third car, but she is worried how they will handle it when she heads back to work at a local dentist’s office in May. Heidi is heartbroken to be missing the end of her senior year but is coping with her classes fine. Brigham is in the Advanced College Academy and Wiedrich worries how the flow of that course of study work would be impacted. “I just hope that when it comes down to it, the ACA classes still count. They are on track to get their associates before they graduate high school, and I hope this doesn’t mess that up,” she said.

Shown left are Sherry and Ron Rowe of Powhatan. She runs her own hair salon, which is closed, and he is working from home for Altria. To fill her time, Sherry is working out faithfully and baking for her Sinaroll Ministry.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

Cameron Glidewell, from left, practices ways to make 100 during a day of distance learning at home. Avery Williams, center, works on her reading lesson for the day. Joe Fuller learns about counting and money in his lesson.

Williams family For Ashley Williams and her husband, Josh, the experience of distance learning with their firstgrader, Avery, has been a disaster. On top of having extremely poor internet access, the Williams are both working full-time as a medical assistant and firefighter, respectively, and struggling to find childcare every day. They wanted to pick up one of the hotspots offered by the school system to see if that would help with getting their assignments turned in but have struggled to get there during the distribution window, when they are both at work, Ashley Williams said.

Avery doesn’t understand why she isn’t in school, why she has to stay with different people when her parents go to work, or why she is expected to do school work at home, so it has all been very confusing for the little girl, her mom said. Williams said she has reached out to Avery’s teacher, who has been fully understanding and gets back to her in a timely manner. But she and her husband feel like they are still under a great amount of added pressure. While they definitely want their daughter to continue learning, they feel added subjects such as music and art aren’t as essential right now as focusing on math, sight

words, or reading skills when sending out assignments. “It is stressful, it is overwhelming. My first-grader does not do well outside of her normal routine. She thinks she is on summer break, and unfortunately one of us can’t just stay home and continue that school schedule every day to try to keep her on that routine because we are essential workers,” she said.

Newland family While internet can sometimes be an issue for the Newland family, the really tricky part for mom Jennifer is helping students in see PARENTS, pg. 7

Where would you like to see local officials focus their budgetary priorities? E-mail answers to editor@powhatantoday.com or share them on the Powhatan Today’s Facebook page.

April 29, 2020

Page 7A

Have your say in local government spending By Laura McFarland Editor

n a time of prosperity, it is still important to pay attention to how you spend your money; in a time of scarcity, it is critical. Regardless of whether any of us likes it, a discussion about money and how we spend it today is going to be 100 percent different than a conversation we might have been having in early March. It seems insane to think about how much has changed with our economy in such a short period of time, but the fact that it is inconceivable doesn’t make it any less real. And because it is real, we are having these hard conversations about money – in our homes, our businesses, and our government. The Powhatan County Board of Supervisors and the Powhatan County School Board, along with the county and school employees advising them, will be faced in the weeks ahead with making those hard decisions, and I don’t envy them. On April 14 and 16, the school board and board of supervisors, respectively, met to start talking about the very real problems they are going to face in the weeks ahead with creating a balanced budget for this county. And the first real hurdle: lack of information. Right now, the two boards are faced with balancing multimillion-dollar budgets despite the very real problem of not knowing how much revenue will be coming into the coffers. On the county side, there are huge

PARENTS Continued from pg. 6

three different grade levels. Sean Farmer is a 10th-grader at the high school while Kaitlin Farmer, is in seventh grade, and Caleb Newland, in sixth grade at Powhatan Middle School. When they first started doing the work on their Chromebooks, the trickiest part for the youths was skipping around the subjects each day in their devices. They finally solved the problem by deciding to do one subject per day, completing all of the assignments for that week in one go in a threeto four-hour session. “It is time-consuming but they are not at school all day. If we’ve got to do something one day, we can definitely change the times,” she said. Jennifer is home with their children right now, so she tries to help them if they have questions. If she can’t help, her husband Kenneth Newland tries when he gets home from work. If they still have questions, they reach out to the teachers, who have been really responsive, she said.

Fuller family Like many other families, the Fullers’ main struggle with completing schoolwork for their four children is tied to internet. They actually have two internet providers, but with dad Mike working from home right now, he gets first dibs on the internet bandwidth, his wife Lizzy Fuller said. Together, the couple has four children in PCPS: Evie, 10th grade, Maggie, eighth grade, Gracie, seventh grade, and Joe, kindergarten. When Mike isn’t using the internet for work, the high schooler and middle schoolers have to negotiate their plans for Zoom meetings, watching videos, and uploading any work, Fuller said. “Unfortunately, my youngest

question marks regarding how severely the pandemic and a possible recession will impact sales tax revenues, personal property tax revenues, state funding levels, and tax collection rates. The school board has to worry about state funding decreases, lost income from fees for the remainder of the school year, and how all of those decreases on the county side will impact the size of the school transfer. Because of all of those unknowns, the two boards are trying to wait as long as possible to make lasting decisions to give them more time to gather better data. The board of supervisors has until the end of June, but the school board is on a tighter leash with a May deadline. Watching those mid-April meetings online, it seemed pretty obvious from the discussions that anything except absolutely essential changes involving increases may be off the table – although the language used by the school board was less austere than that of the supervisors. If you go back and watch the meetings online, you will see supervisors cautioning the schools that not only are increases unlikely, they need to be looking hard at reductions. As supervisor Bill Cox put it, “These are really painful things to talk about, but we are in painful times, and I don’t think anybody expects to get out of the year of the pandemic without some pain.” As we know from the last recession, that can mean reducing services, putting projects on the backburner, or cutting department budgets. That also can mean cutting employee positions or reducing their salaries.

misses out on most of the online books, games, and videos. We just don’t have high enough speeds to share. For him, we do assigned work in bursts and incorporate as much as we can in our daily routine,” his mom said. Fuller said she feels the schools have been supportive and the teaching staff has been really accessible, especially at Pocahontas Elementary. For her middle schoolers, even “not really techie” teachers have been prompt at responding to emailed questions. Distance learning takes a great deal of patience and being willing to walk away from a lesson, take a break, and revisit it later, even if “later” is the next day, Fuller said. Her experience being a PCPS substitute teacher has come in handy because she has learned songs from different classrooms to use as teaching aids. “I’m not overly worried about our students falling behind. It definitely helps to know that we are all in the same position, nationwide. I think I would be more worried if my oldest was a junior with ACT and SAT exams getting canceled. Ultimately, I think we will all be alright. I really hope things get back to normal before fall,” she said.

Glidewell family Distance learning for the Glidewell family has been a different experience for each of their children, mom Katherine said. For her oldest son, Christian, who is a junior, the transition has been pretty seamless. This is helped by the fact that they don’t have issues with internet and the teenager is pretty self sufficient. She said her son misses school and the social interaction but is willing to do the work. “He is able to prioritize and he is motivated to get it done. But he does miss the classroom experience. He said today, ‘I can’t wait 8460 Times Dispatch Blvd., Mechanicsville, Va 23116 Phone: 804-746-1235 Toll Free: 877-888-0449 Fax:804-344-8746

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until we go back to school,’ This is hard to have to teach yourself,” Glidewell said last week. The majority of her time each day is taken up with Cameron, a first-grader at Flat Rock Elementary School who is on the autism spectrum. The family had a tough transition period at first because he didn’t understand why he was expected to be doing school-related activities at home. “I don’t know what it is like for other parents trying to explain to a 7-year-old that doesn’t have special needs what is going on in the world, but trying to explain to a 7-year-old with autism that the world is sick and he can’t go to school has been difficult for me,” she said. Cameron has four teachers altogether – general education, special education, speech therapy, and occupational therapy teachers – and they have been a wonderful resource for Glidewell and her husband, Timothy, as they have adjusted to the changes. She admitted she dreaded distance learning at first because she does not have the specialized skills of his teachers, but they have given the family some good resources and pointers that have definitely helped, as has getting him on a regular routine. “I really don’t know how parents who work two full-time jobs come home and have school on top of it. I cannot imagine it. I am very thankful that I can be here to help and that I have family who can help, too,” she said.

Schmitt family Kimberly Schmitt said she and her husband, Joseph, have actually found the distance learning experience with their third-grader, Emma, enlightening. There have been struggles along the way, but Schmitt said she has been happy with how they are overcoming them between teamwork with her husband and the wonderful help

These kinds of changes have lasting impacts on both the employees and services offered in the county with fewer people. And while there have been attempts to improve pay scales and compression issues by the county in the last few years, I recently spoke with one Powhatan teacher with more than 20 years of experience who said the salary for her position (with comparable years of experience) is still not back to what it was before the 2008 recession. There are possibly some hard decisions ahead, and I don’t think anyone who will be in the position to make them would enjoy the job. But as they are making them, I hope they are doing so not only with hard numbers but with plenty of input from residents. That means people taking a look at the budget documents or the summary presentations at the board meetings. That means paying attention to proposed changes and letting your school board member or your supervisor know your spending priorities as a taxpayer by reaching out to them by phone, by email, or speaking during the public comment period of a meeting. There are generally two public comment periods at every meeting, and while the lack of people who speak on something as important as the county and school budgets every year doesn’t shock me anymore, it still dismays me. Local government is where people have the most power to influence their elected leaders, who are literally their neighbors down the street, and way too few people recognize how much power their words may hold.

of Emma’s teachers. To start with internet was a struggle. But the school division purchased hotspots and the family applied for and received one. Doing the schoolwork became much easier after that. Schmitt, who is a supervisor in the Powhatan emergency 911 communications department, said she initially had some frustration trying to figure out the Seesaw program her daughter was using to turn in assignments. “I had a struggle uploading the assignments. I work on six or seven computers in dispatch, and for the life of me, I could not figure out Seesaw. She just said ‘Mama, this is what you do,’ and she taught me how to do it,” Schmitt said with a laugh. Part of what has been so enlightening for the couple is that they have used it as a trial run for the family. The Schmitts were already considering homeshchooling but weren’t sure how it well it would work. While they know the current distance learning is different than a regular homeschooling curriculum would be, the biggest surprise has been how well Emma has taken to it. “Part of the reason she is so excited is because she does not work well with a lot of distractions – just the normal classroom distractions and she can’t focus. She said she loves it. It is easier for her. We have her own little office set up in her bedroom and it is very quiet,” she said. The experience was also a trial for her parents and seeing how they could work together in a homeschool setting, Schmitt said. If Emma became frustrated doing an assignment with her mom, they would take a break. If s Schmitt had to go to work for the evening shift before they got back to it, her husband would pick up where they left off and try a different approach. So far, she said, the trial run is going well.

CALENDAR Continued from pg. 3

down. If you participated in the first Relay For Life of Powhatan in 1996, contact Carol Beach at cmasten01@hotmail.com. Visit www.relayforlife.org/ powhatanva.

No health insurance? Goochland Cares will offer free medical care for adults living in Goochland, Louisa, Columbia, Fluvanna, and Cumberland counties. Goochland Cares is at 2999 River Road West, Goochland, VA 23063. Visit www.goochlandcares.org or call 804-556-6260.

AARP Tax-Aide service has been suspended until further notice. For status updates and current information, visit the AARP Site Locator Tool: aarpfoundation.org/taxhelp.

Ride Assist Services is now accepting ride requests. Powhatan county ambulatory seniors age 60+ can call 804698-0438 or email RAServices. PVA@gmail.com to be registered as a rider in the program. They will then be able to request transportation by volunteer drivers for medical appointments, grocery needs and personal business such as banking.

CRASH Continued from pg. 1

traveling eastbound when she was struck head on by the truck. Wolf was wearing her seat belt but unfortunately succumbed to her injuries and died at the scene. Talbott sustained minor injuries and was not transported to the hospital. A male passenger in the Ford was not injured. Talbott has been charged with reckless driving and driving suspended, state police said. The crash remains under investigation with the assistance of the Virginia State Police Crash Reconstruction Team and the Safety Division Motor Carrier Unit.

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Powhatan Today is published weekly on Wednesday with offices located at 8460 Times Dispatch Blvd., Mechanicsville, Va 23116. Periodical Postage paid at Powhatan, Va. 23139. USPS # 000-035 POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to: Powhatan Today, 8460 Times Dispatch Blvd., Mechanicsville, Va 23116. Subscription Rate: $23.50 per year. © 2020 by Richmond Suburban Newspapers. All advertising and editorial matter is fully protected and may not be reproduced in any manner without the permission of the publisher. CAC Audited Circulation: 11,026.

Powhatan Today, April 29, 2020

Page 8A

Eagle Scout Alexander Davis Contribuetd Report

lexander Davis is a senior at Powhatan High School and a member of Troop 1823. On Jan. 29, he achieved his goal of Eagle Scout, the highest honor awarded by the Boy Scouts of America. His Eagle Court of Honor was held on March 7 at Powhatan United Methodist Church. Davis, who is the son of Katherine Romero-Davis and Anthony Davis, has been an active Scout with the BSA since he was 7 years old. He completed cub scouts and joined Boy Scouts in Springhill, Florida with Troop 442. He participated in the National Youth Leadership Training. He has earned 43 merit badges, including the 13 badges required for Eagle rank. He officially earned his Eagle Scout rank on Jan. 29. He has served a variety of positions within the

DUNCANS Continued from pg. 1

“Let me tell you, the coronoavirus can make you mentally challenged, can give you uncontrolled diarrhea and throwing up, and can make you extremely short of breath when you exert yourself,” David said. After starting treatment for Lyme disease, David’s fever, chills, and sweats abated. By March 30 – the same day his test came back positive for COVID-19 – David was meeting the Virginia Department of Health’s provider criteria for going back to work, which was 72 hours of no fever, chills, or sweats and seven days from the onset of the symptoms. Because of a mix-up with the health department, he actually started back to work the next day. “Since that Tuesday, I have been back to work seeing patients. When a patient presents with a respi-

troop, including junior assistant scout master, senior patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, and troop guide. As part of his Eagle Scout project to serve the community, Davis built two animal wildlife cages for the Alliance of Wild Animal Rehabilitators and Educators (AWARE) program. The wildlife pens measured approximately 4 feet wide by 3 feet deep by 6 feet tall. These cages serve as temporary pens for local injured wildlife needing care. Davis will be graduating from Powhatan High School this year as a straight-A student. He is a member of the Robotics First Club. Davis has also been involved with the Computer Science and Science Honor Societies by assisting with the yearly Road Show, STEM Night and elementary science lessons for several years. He has decided to attend Virginia Tech next year. He hopes to pursue a degree in chemical engineering.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Alexander Davis built two animal wildlife cages for the Alliance of Wild Animal Rehabilitators and Educators program as part of earning his Eagle Scout rank.

ratory illness, they are met by me outside. Since I have the antibodies and had the disease, I can’t transmit it and I can’t get it again, so I am perfectly immune at this point,” he said.

Second exposure Unfortunately, the end of her husband’s personal journey with COVID-19 marked the beginning of Sandy’s experience as she started to exhibit symptoms of the disease on PHOTO BY ANJIE KAY March 30. She had gone Dr. David Duncan and his wife Sandy of to work several days as Powhatan are back to work but say their bodies the director of practice are still exhausted from fighting COVID-19. management at Powhatan Family Physicians and ma, psoriasis, and psoriatic ally lost 19 pounds in one cared for her husband in arthritis. Sandy experi- week. They don’t talk the evenings, taking pre- enced many of the same about the uncontrolled dicautions along the way. In symptoms her husband arrhea and vomiting on addition to David, two had and couldn’t believe TV,” she said. other staff members had the toll they took on her Then there was the diftested positive, although body. She didn’t hold back ficulty breathing. At her one was asymptomatic. when describing the expe- worst point, which came Having seen what Da- rience, saying she basical- the night of April 8, it was vid went through, she was ly spent about three days unimaginable. Sandy said already worried since her in bed or on the toilet with she has had bronchitis, immune system is com- her head in the trashcan. H1N1, and has even been promised – she has asth“While I had it I actu- hospitalized with pneu-

monia, but “never in my life have I had to take a break in the middle of a shower because I was so exhausted. … This is the worst I have ever felt.” “I will be honest, the evening of April 8, I literally thought I was going to die,” she said. It was only her fear of being exposed to something worse and becoming sicker that prevented her from giving her husband the signal to take her to the hospital. Fortunately, she turned a corner the next morning and her fever started to go down. Speaking last week, Sandy had been back at work since April 14 and said she is still dealing with physical exhaustion from the toll the illness took on her body. It aggravated her asthma, but that too has been improving. “Everything mentally you can usually do takes twice as long, probably because you are just so

exhausted from how sick you have been,” she said. In a way, it is good that the Duncans contracted the virus back to back instead of at the same time so they could take care of each other and not risk their parents’ health, too, Sandy said. Like her husband, she hopes people will continue to take the precautionary measures seriously until the pandemic runs its course. “If they went through what I went through, they would be praising God they were still alive, because that is what I am doing every single day. I am a firm believer I was kept alive for a reason, and now I wake up every single day with excitement as to what plan does He havefor me that he kept me and got me through this,” she said. Laura McFarland may be reached at Lmfarland@ powhatantoday.com.

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