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June 9, 2021

What advice would you give to graduating high school seniors? E-mail answers to editor@powhatantoday.com or share them on the Powhatan Today’s Facebook page.

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Schools did great job honoring graduates

By Laura McFarland

Editor

One of my favorite moments in most graduation ceremonies is when students are invited to move their tassel from the right side of the cap to the left.

I love how such a small gesture can convey so much. Many of our readers, if they have given this any thought lately, would realize that the signifi cance of this moment is the students symbolically declaring that they are moving from being a student to being a graduate.

I have gotten to see that gesture several times in the last few weeks as I covered the four graduation ceremonies of three local high schools, and every single time it was still a great moment.

For a reader like me who often equates new beginnings to “starting a new chapter” this small gesture seems appropriate with that idea. I have always liked that symbology more than the idea of a fresh start anyway.

Sure, there is always some element of a clean slate when you have such a momentous shift in life. But everything they are and have done before graduation is still part of them after they are handed their diplomas. And it is those moments as much as their future potential that we celebrate with these ceremonies, and rightly so.

We celebrated the students of Cumberland High School, Powhatan High School, and Blessed Sacrament Huguenot Catholic School in this edition of the Powhatan Today and two previous issues with graduation ceremony photos, the Class of 2021 lists, and recognition of the top students.

But I also would like to add a few words here to say what an amazing job all three schools did in commemorating this occasion for these students and their families. Each school did things a little differently, and they were all wonderful in their own way.

On May 14, I attended two fantastic indoor graduation ceremonies at Cumberland High School. Rather than hold one large outdoor ceremony, the school division decided to hold two almost identical ceremonies a few hours apart in the school gymnasium.

While it was a shame the Class of 2021 couldn’t celebrate together, the school staff did an amazing job making each ceremony special for their graduates. All of the students got to hear from valedictorian Angela Finchum and salutatorian Heavenly Gass. Principal Eugene Williams Jr. shared the students’ many achievements and made it clear that the staff would always care about them and consider them as part of the Cumberland family, and there wasn’t anything they could do about it.

Powhatan High School had a truly amazing, if warm, outdoor ceremony on May 28 in James Woodson Stadium. My commendation to valedictorian Maddie Ferguson and salutatorian Isabell Torrijos, who equipped themselves well and highlighted their accomplishments and their hopes for the future. As principal Mike Massa pointed out, the Class of 2021 persevered in their senior year through unprecedented times “with grit, determination, and support of one another.”

Blessed Sacrament also had a fantastic outdoor ceremony on June 5 to honor the 23 seniors that make up the Class of 2021. Valedictorian Jessica Johnson and salutatorian Gabriela Murillo shared great memories and inspiring words for their fellow graduates. Head of School Paula Ledbetter expressed that while the last year brought challenges, it also brought gifts, and the Class of 2021 was one of them. The students lived their lives to the fullest despite the pandemic and showed they have the capacity to make a great mark on the world.

I briefl y considered ending this column with a little advice, but I decided against it, because it is the achievements of the graduates and all of the people who helped them along the way that should remain the focus if this conversation.

We celebrate not only their senior year, which undoubtedly did not play out how they would have wished in so many respects, but all of the years that led up to it as well, both good and bad. Congratulations, Class of 2021. You more than earned this. Laura McFarland may be reached at Lmcfarland@ powhatantoday.com.

Fried chicken and roadside memories

By Jim Ridolphi

Contributing Columnist

In addition to denoting one of America’s most solemn holidays and celebrating the brave men and women of our Armed Services who made the ultimate sacrifi ce for their country, Memorial Day weekend also has become the nation’s unoffi cial start of summer.

Like many families, we spent part of the weekend lounging at the pool and grilling hamburgers and hot dogs, but, most importantly, the bulk of the time was spent with the ones who mean the most to us.

Aside from the most important signifi cance the holiday represents, that accompanying concept of Memorial Day brings back a myriad of memories from past experiences and the excitement that only the beginning of summer can bring.

As a youth, we spent both the beginning and end of summer at my grandmother's house in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The old house was big enough for several families to gather and enjoy the peacefulness and solitude of rural, at that time, Maryland.

It always seemed pleasantly different, almost foreign, as we settled in, and the clean cool air was a welcomed respite from hot and humid days and nights in Montgomery, and, later in life, Richmond.

While it might seem hard to imagine today, the highlight of our weekend was always a road trip that included a picnic lunch. The destinations were foreign and exotic to me and my cousins, but the picnic lunch that always accompanied had become predictable and well-anticipated.

Preparation for the outing began the day before, as my grandmother butchered and fried dozens of pieces of chicken in a huge cast iron pan on the stove. The aroma was almost too enticing to endure, but not tempting enough for any of us to enter Nannie’s domain as she performed her magic.

That might explain why I’ve not met a single person in my family who has her recipe for fried chicken. While the chicken cooked, she prepared several pans of homemade rolls, the kind that tasted just as good cold as they did when heated.

The next morning, we carried out numerous boxes of food and loaded them into the several cars that would transport over a dozen anxious travelers on our journey.

The destinations were varied but many times included historical sites like Harpers Ferry, Antietam or Gettysburg, and also included places like Beverly Beach or Cowen’s Gap. Before we reached any of those sites, my uncle, who drove the lead car, searched and always found a wayside park, usually located beside a stream. Wayside parks were then well-maintained and clean spots to picnic.

It was there the true brilliance of Nannie’s work was fully exposed, laid out in plate to bowl fashion that fi lled the top of one picnic table. We waited impatiently for the nod to proceed and formed a small line, paper plates in hand.

Drinking iced tea from a large thermos jug or grabbing a bottle of cola from a Scotch cooler may seem like small pleasures to today’s generation, but the memories of sitting at a picnic table and eating Nannie’s fried chicken and rolls still seem like, to me, the perfect start to the season.

We would sometimes fall asleep on the ride home and would awaken as folks grabbed those boxes, much lighter than earlier in the day, and moved them back to Nannie’s kitchen where she’d gather the remains and put them on plates for a late night buffet in her large dining room.

The next day we’d ride our bikes to the small downtown area and watch the parade, a sure sign that Memorial Day weekend was indeed coming to an end … and summer was beginning.

I wish I could fry chicken like my grandmother and I also hope my children will always enjoy the peace of mind and enjoyment that a simple picnic lunch can provide.

I’m also aware that wayside parks, for the most part, no longer exist, and eating by the side of the road with strangers is probably not my kids’ idea of a meaningful outing. But, remembering those days gone by somehow documents their importance and ensures that someone will, hopefully, recall those seemingly more peaceful days of road trips and Scotch coolers.

BSH

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Coast.

Johnson said she is grateful that she pursued the entirety of her high school career at Blessed Sacrament Huguenot.

“I’ve made incredible lifelong friends, been supported and taught by the most dedicated teachers, encouraged and pushed to do my best by outstanding coaches, and have overall been surrounded by a loving group of people that I will forever consider family,” she said.

Murillo is the daughter of Yulenny Murillo and Edson Guel of Powhatan. She will be attending Virginia Tech in the fall and major in business marketing.

While at BSH, Murillo was a student ambassador; a member of the National Honors Society; and involved in Latin Club (president 11th grade), cheerleading, Drama Club, Book Club, Art Club, and journalism.

She also grew up in and was active at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Richmond and has a part-time job.

Murillo said she feels very lucky to have been given the opportunity to experience the atmosphere Blessed Sacrament had to offer.

“The teachers and students truly made every day an enjoyable experience, and the tight-knight relationships I built with everyone will be missed. I am truly honored to be the salutatorian of the Class of 2021 at The Blessed Sacrament School and can’t wait to see what the future holds,” she said.

READING

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guest performers, and more.

Page Turner Adventures features intrepid “Storyologist” Page Turner (Nadler) and Kenny, her slap-stick sidekick. Together, they transform children into “Storyologists” and send them on comic quests to collect, tell, and write stories.

Each week this summer, young viewers will journey through the “Once Upon a Time Machine” for virtual adventures based on themes such as farmyard friends, fi sh tales, pet pals, celebrity critters, safari stories, and creepy crawlies. Page Turner Adventures may be accessed online at www.powhatanlibrary.net beginning June 22.

Powhatan County Public Library’s Tails and Tales program runs June 22 to July 31. To register, visit www.powhatanlibrary.net and click the “Tails and Tales Registration” button, or stop by the library’s welcome desk. Each registered participant will receive a packet of summer activities, a new book, and a summer reading lanyard, to encourage them to “read and bead” all summer long. Packets will be available for pickup at the library’s welcome desk beginning June 22. When they check out material each week at the library, young readers will earn a special themed bead from June 22 to July 31.

Summer reading materials are made possible through the generosity of the Friends of the Powhatan Library and Powhatan County Public Schools. For more details on the program, contact Powhatan County Public Library at 804-598-5670 or library@powhatanlibrary.net. Program details are also available online at www.powhatanlibrary.net.

CALENDAR

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such as canning, freezing, dehydration and fermentation. You'll learn the science behind these techniques and receive step by step guidance on how to do them at home. After registering, you can complete the course at your own pace until Dec. 31. The cost for the course is $15. For more info and to register, go to: tinyurl.com/VCE- HomeFoodPreservation.

Volunteer dentists and hygienists are needed to staff the expanded dental services that will be available when the

Free Clinic of Powhatan moves into its new location after the New Year. Providers can

see CALENDAR, pg. 8

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Publisher Joy Monopoli jmonopoli@rsnva.com Managing Editor Melody Kinser mkinser@mechlocal.com Production Manager Denine D’Angelo ddangelo@mechlocal.com Editor Laura McFarland lmcfarland@powhatantoday.com Sports Editor Nick Vandeloecht nvandeloecht@powhatantoday.com Sales Representative Tom Haynie thaynie@mechlocal.com Classifieds Cindy Adams cadams@mechlocal.com

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