Inside A3 Transitional house seeks donations
Powhatan, Virginia B1 Powhatan, BSH football teams shut out weekend opponents
Vol. XXXIV No. o. 35
March 3, 2021
Division administration questions feasibility of full in-person return for secondary students By Laura McFarland Editor
P
OWHATAN – Powhatan County Public Schools administrators made it clear last week that a full return to in-person learning for secondary students is not in the best interest of the school division during the current school year. During the school board meeting held on Tuesday, Feb. 23, Dr. Tracie Omohundro, assistant superintendent for instruction, presented the findings of a committee that was recently formed to investigate the feasibility of allowing a four-day, in-person week for students currently on the hybrid model at Powhatan High School and Powhatan Middle School. The work group was formed after Governor Ralph Northam sent a letter to school divisions on Feb. 5 saying that every school division in Virginia needed to make in-person learning options avail-
able to their students by March 15. The governor and the Centers for Disease Control also released additional guidance about face-to-face learning. Powhatan County has been providing in-person instruction since the beginning of the school year with an average of 80% of students choosing to attend classes in person rather than virtual only. But while the elementary school students have been attending classes five days a week since the fall, middle and high school students on hybrid are generally only in class two days a week. Dr. Eric Jones, superintendent, said he had the committee form to look at the question of what PCPS would have to do to accomplish bringing back the secondary students for four in-person days of instruction, with Wednesdays still kept as student support days. He asked for the information in case the school board wanted or the state mandated a full return before the end of the school year. While the presentation gave over-
PHOTO BY LAURA McFARLAND
Dr. Tracie Omohundro gives a presentation to the Powhatan School Board about the challenges of returning secondary students to full-time, in-person instruction.
whelming reasons why a full return for middle and high school students wouldn’t be in the best interest of the school division, Jones said that the rea-
son the committee was formed was his hope that the opposite was true. He said he gave Omohundro clear instructions to work with the committee members to find a way that it could be possible and, if barriers arose, present ways to overcome them. “I felt like this is something that we needed to do. We have talked about this and we really want to do this,” Jones told the board. But while the committee was able to find potential solutions for multiple problems that would surface if a full-return was decided upon or mandated, it would be cost-prohibitive, time consuming for staff, present increased health concerns, and severely disrupt the schedules and routines of teachers and students, Jones said, casting serious doubt about whether it was actually achievable. If, despite the recommendation see SCHOOL, pg. 5
Supervisors approve new solar facility By Laura McFarland Editor
PHOTO COURTESY OF PCPS
A mural created by Powhatan High School students and Richmond artist Hamilton Glass now hangs in the school hallway. The painting couldn’t have an official unveiling due to COVID-19.
DELIVER TO: Postal Patron Powhatan, VA 23139
Prsrt. Standard U.S. POSTAGE PAID Powhatan, VA Permit No.19
School murals bring pop of color By Laura McFarland Editor
POWHATAN – The murals are extra splashes of color in a gray cinderblock landscape. Walking down the main hall of Powhatan High school, just past the cafeteria, a glance to the right takes the viewer by surprise. A mural celebrating colorfully rendered students set against a rural background hangs alone, without explanation, on the cinderblock wall. At Powhatan Middle School, an explosion of energy and movement in paint can be found on the second floor hallway, overlooking the glass windows providing a view down in to the library – and now up to the painting. The mural includes seemingly disjointed images – a basketball, a paint brush,
a beaker, a violin – but the gray ribbon that runs through it ties them all together as being offerings at the school that are special to students. The murals went up in late 2020 without any fanfare or explanation, another side effect of restrictions caused by COVID-19. But those involved in creating them hope the students and staff who see them – right now visitors to the schools are restricted – find joy in them and maybe even a little of themselves. Just about a year ago, these murals were still taking shape as middle and high school students ranging from sixth to 12th grades collaborated with Richmond artist Hamilton Glass to create something wonderful for each of their respective buildings. see MURALS, pg. 8
POWHATAN – The Powhatan County Board of Supervisors recently voted to unanimously approve a conditional use permit for a new 20-megawatt solar farm, but discussion surrounding the project showed the supervisors might be rethinking where these kinds of projects really fit into the county moving forward. During the board’s meeting on Monday, Feb. 22, the supervisors voted 4-0 in favor of granting the conditional use permit (CUP) to North Ridge Powhatan Solar LLC. When built, the project could generate enough electricity for approximately 3,500 to 4,000 homes each year. The project will be located on the north side of Anderson Highway (Route 60) northwest of its intersection with Rocky Oak Road near Flat Rock Lake Shawne is to the north and east of the project. Few issues were raised related to this particular project, which the supervisors seemed to agree had one of the more com-
prehensive presentations and plans that had been presented to them. There were also no comments from residents during the public hearing. But one board member, District 4’s Bill Cox, took issue with the location of the project in an area that is designated as Rural Preservation on the county’s 2019 Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map. Rather than the misnomer of “solar farm,” Cox characterized this project and others like it that the board of supervisors in the past have approved as an industrial-grade electrical generation, electrical transmission, electrical storage facility, which is not mentioned as an appropriate use in the Rural Preservation description in the comprehensive plan. Cox said his purpose in raising the issue was not to denigrate the North Ridge project but to point out the disconnect between what the board is saying it wants for the future of the county and what it actually has in the comprehensive plan, which is supposed to be a guide for the future of the see SOLAR, pg. 3
Valentine Gala surpasses goal with online fundraiser By Laura McFarland Editor
POWHATAN – The eighth annual Valentine Gala looked and felt extremely different this year, but even without getting to dress up for the ball, two Powhatan nonprofits got their Cinderella moments with the results of the annual fundraiser. The gala, which benefits the Free Clinic of Powhatan and Habitat for Humanity – Powhatan, is usually a black tie dinner, dance, and auction held at the Mill at Fine Creek. But because of COVID-19 restrictions,
organizers switched gears to hold an online campaign in February 2021 to raise money and awareness for the two nonprofits. The effort was successful, with the fundraiser raising a few thousand dollars in excess of its $70,000 goal, with proceeds to be split evenly between the two, said Terry Sanders, who is president of the Habitat board and co-chair of the gala committee with Connie Moslow. Everyone involved was elated with the results, Sanders said, but from what they have heard see GALA, pg. 8
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Terry Sanders, left, and Connie Moslow draw prize winners in relation to the Valentine Gala fundraiser.