Inside Thank you to Powhatan veterans on Veterans Day
Powhatan, Virginia B2 Hunters recall annual trip from Powhatan to Hayden, Colorado
Vol. XXXIV No. o. 19
November 11, 2020
Powhatan sees 85 percent voter turnout By Laura McFarland
of the individuals who selflessly volunteered to work as election officials during this high-pressure, tense election of this magnitude during these turbulent times,” Alexander said. “We are also extremely appreciative of all of the voters who exhibited patience and grace during a time when we were really having to work on the fly and learn as we go because these were waters we had never navigated before.”
Editor
P
OWHATAN – Powhatan County saw an 85.42 percent voter turnout for the 2020 General Election with more than half of residents making their voices heard via in-person early voting or a mail-in ballot. While President-elect Joe Biden is being projected as the 46th president of the United States and issues with voting counts and challenges to results are still raging across the country, Powhatan County logged its final tallies without incident after the canvass and final receipt of mail-in ballots ended on Friday, Nov. 6. Karen Alexander, director of elections, has described this election as one of the most stressful and complicated she has ever seen but said she was pleased that Powhatan came through 45 days of early voting and Election Day with relatively few issues. “My staff and I are very grateful for all
Results Powhatan saw 19,811 ballots cast in the 2020 election out of the potential 23,158 total registered voters. With these numbers, the county surpassed the 2016 numbers, when 17,039 people voted in the General Election out of 20,944 registered voters, which was an 81.4 percent total voter turnsee ELECTION, pg. 5 PHOTO BY LAURA McFARLAND
Sarah Selz votes on Election Day while her children, Emma, Abby, and Phillip, watch. Selz said having her children exercise her civic duty is a family tradition. PHOTO BY LAURA McFARLAND
Nuckols family spreads joy with seasonal pond display By Laura McFarland Editor
POWHATAN – A driver is travel-
DELIVER TO: Postal Patron Powhatan, VA 23139
Prsrt. Standard U.S. POSTAGE PAID Powhatan, VA Permit No.19
ing down Anderson Highway going west on a beautiful fall day in Powhatan County.
About a minute after passing Academy Road, there is a break in the trees. Maybe the driver knows it is coming or maybe it is a total surprise. But she looks to her right, and there on a platform in the middle of a pond is a tall wooden cross surrounded by hay bales, pumpkins, and bright mums. Nearby, a mahi-mahi is frozen in time in the arc of a jump and a fierce shark looks ready to take a bite out of someone. It’s visible for only a few seconds, but it was enough – she smiles. That right there is the ideal scenario for Nathan and Heather Nuckols of Powhatan – bringing someone a moment of unexpected joy in the midst of his or her day without receiving anything in return. They have only owned the 22-
The Nuckols family is shown here with a seasonal fall display Nathan Nuckols started in fall 2019 on a pond bordering Anderson Highway. He plans to change to a Christmas display by December.
acre property, which includes the 4-acre pond, for about 18 months, and Nathan started building his first display on the pond in fall 2019. But even in such a short period of time, the displays have become a regular sight for commuters, adding to a long Powhatan tradition. And as the displays have continued into 2020, they have come to mean even more to some people, he added. “We had a lot of people reach out during the pandemic with everything going around saying they love that it is uplifting and a message of hope,” Nathan said. The displays aren’t over-thetop, grandiose affairs fueled by an endless budget, although Nathan has made some significant improvements since he started with
Residents share voting experiences PAGE 3A
Firefighters receive grant for almost $600K
PHOTO COURTESY OF POWHATAN FIRE AND RESCUE
New SAFER firefighters learn about the basics of fire suppression in a firefighter class.
By Laura McFarland Editor
POWHATAN – The Powhatan County Fire and Rescue Department was so successful in the last four years at recruiting and retaining its volunteer firefighters that it was recently awarded almost $600,000 to keep those numbers trending upward. For the second time, the department has been awarded a Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant. This fouryear grant worth $594,012 is aimed at helping the county attract new firefighters to its volunteer force and retain both them and firefighters already actively see GRANT, pg. 8
see POND, pg. 6
Winiecki ready to help local Habitat for Humanity grow By Laura McFarland Editor
POWHATAN – For her first few months as executive director of Habitat for Humanity-Powhatan, Susan Winiecki was a sponge soaking up all the information she could get. After starting her new position on July 6, Winiecki said she spent a great deal of time listening and gathering data. She wanted to learn about the local Habitat, which is a cause close to her heart, and that meant meetings with the board of directors, getting to know volunteers, studying the budget, examining previous builds, and familiarizing herself with the Habitat store. But understanding the organization also meant getting to know the community it serves. So that is what she did.
PHOTO BY LAURA McFARLAND
Susan Winiecki spent her first few months as executive director of Habitat for Humanity-Powhatan learning about the organization and county. Now she is excited to look to the future and help the nonprofit grow.
She began looking at the demographics and trends of the county; traveling around to familiarize herself with the
landscape; reaching out to other community groups, civic organizations, and businesses; reviewing the county’s
comprehensive plan; attending community events such as the Powhatan Farmers Market, and meeting with local officials. “I just want to say thank you for everyone who has taken time to welcome me, to sit down and talk with me, to fill me in on history, to share their hopes with me about the county. It has all been so valuable and it will help Habitat Powhatan serve even more people going forward,” she said. Throughout those visits, she has been repeatedly asking an important question – what else can Habitat be doing to help the community? Winiecki said she felt like she was in a great position coming into the job because of the strong foundation set by Habitat for Humanity-Powhatan under the leadership of see WINIECKI, pg. 6