Inside A8 Powhatan High School holds PhotoProm
Powhatan, Virginia B1 Powhatan softball walks-off 12-11 over James River
Vol. XXXIV No. o. 45
May 12, 2021
PHS parents throw prom block party By Laura McFarland
“We wanted for them to have an all senior function – a senior memory. If they had to look back on this whole debacle of a year for their senior year, what memory could we give them to wash away all the bad stuff,” she said. In total, the event saw 178 students and guests attend the prom, which included a dance floor under a tent with a DJ, cornhole boards on the courthouse lawn, ice cream and snacks, and photo opportunities. The dress code was simply “dress to impress.” Overall, Tester said the students were very appreciative. Senior Brianna Tribble said, “The prom was my first experience at a high school dance, and I had a great time and thought it was a great way to experience a classic senior moment in these weird times.” Senior Emmalee Lawson said, “I thought the senior prom was perfect! It was only the
Editor
POWHATAN – Powhatan High School seniors recently had a Footloose moment of their own when the Courthouse Village area was turned into their dance floor. When it became obvious that continued COVID-19 restrictions meant the school system could not hold a traditional prom this year, parents of PHS seniors banded together in recent weeks to do it on their own. The result was An Evening Under the Stars, an outdoor prom block party held on Friday, April 30 in front of the Powhatan County Courthouse. The event was aimed at giving members of the Class of 2021 a little taste of normal on a year that has been anything but, said Jennifer Tester, mom of twin seniors, Jackson and Davis Tester.
see PROM pg. 6
PHOTO BY LAURA McFARLAND
Powhatan High School seniors dance together in the tent set up in front of the Powhatan County Courthouse for their prom block party on April 30. PHS parents planned the party.
Board holds public hearing on budget
Admins pucker up for Tucker
School funding, adding library positions dominate discussion By Laura McFarland Editor
By Laura McFarland Editor
Prsrt. Standard U.S. POSTAGE PAID Powhatan, VA Permit No.19
POWHATAN – Powhatan Elementary Schools’ principal Constance Deal and assistant principal Isabella Worrell made a promise to their students. If at least 50% of the student body registered on FunRun.com as part of a PTO-sponsored fundraiser, the two administrators would kiss a pig. The students did more than their part – over 65% of students signed up – which is why Deal and Worrell found themselves on
PHOTO BY LAURA McFARLAND
Powhatan Elementary administrators Isabella Worrell, left, and Constance Deal kissed Tucker the Pig on May 5 as the prize for high student participation in a PTO fundraiser.
the afternoon of Wednesday, May 5 heading out to the front of their school to meet and greet Tucker the Pig with a kiss and a few back scratches. Worrell was thrilled before and
after Tucker’s visit, even after one of his snorts turned out to be a little bit wetter than she anticipated. The animal lover had fun petting the 250-pound plus Kunekune see KISSES, pg. 5
Secretary of Education Atif Qarni visits Pocahontas Elementary By Laura McFarland
DELIVER TO: Postal Patron Powhatan, VA 23139
Editor
POWHATAN – Virginia’s Secretary of Education Atif Qarni recently visited Pocahontas Elementary School as part of an effort to recognize Teacher Appreciation Week at schools around the state. Qarni and several staff members visited the Powhatan school on Thursday, May 7, stopping by several classrooms and interacting with students and teachers along the way. Qarni said that he and others in the state government, insee QARNI, pg. 8
PHOTO BY LAURA McFARLAND
Virginia Secretary of Education Atif Qarni greets Samantha Morton’s virtual fifth grade class during a visit to Pocahontas Elementary on May 6.
Powhatan Farmers Market opens for season More photos on page 5A
POWHATAN – The Powhatan County Board of Supervisors held its public hearing on the fiscal year (FY) 2022 operating budget last week, but it was not only a meeting about numbers. The public hearing was held during the board’s meeting on Monday, May 3 in anticipation of the final vote, which was expected to take place during its meeting on Monday, May 10. That meeting occurred after press time. Up for discussion was the FY 2022 operating budget, which the board advertised at $100,170,484 without transfers. The proposed budget represents an increase of 16.5% from the FY 2021 adopted operating budget, which the board took a very conservative approach with when they adopted it in June 2020 before anyone knew how the pandemic might impact November 2020 tax collection rates. The bulk of the $14.2 million increase in the proposed budget over the FY 2021 budget comes from $9.1 million in capital projects. The county did not originally budget any capital projects at the
Photos by Laura McFarland
start of the current fiscal year. But during the meeting, two main topics got the spotlight, and it wasn’t always about the numbers. The two most discussed issues related to requests for additional library staff members and a few matters that could result in the board of supervisors reducing the county’s transfer to the school division. Library request Five of the seven people who spoke during the public hearing asked the supervisors to consider granting Powhatan County Public Library the additional staff it requested to fill its needs, citing how important the library is to the community. The current proposed budget includes 14.3 full time equivalent (FTE) positions spread over a variety of departments. However, none of them are in the library, which requested three positions totaling $93,765 in the FY 2022 budget. Some of the speakers pointed out that the library currently has 6.75 FTEs. This is below the staffing level recommended by the Library of Virginia based on the county’s population, see BUDGET, pg. 4
Above, Stephanie Howell buys produce from Crazy Farm’s tent at the Powhatan Farmers Market on May 6.