Powhatan Diamond Classic to showcase choral talents

CONTRIBUTED REPORT

The Powhatan High School Choral Program is excited to showcase the 2023 Powhatan Diamond Classic, one of the area’s premier high school concert and show choir competitions, from March 23 to 25.

The Diamond Concert & Show Choir Classic will host middle and high school concert and show choir performance groups from throughout the region during the three-day event. The show is made possible through the hard work of the PHS Choral Boosters, PHS Choirs (One Voice, Radiance and Resonance); Show Band Rev’d Up; and PHS choral director Terrell Dean.

Only with the generosity of supporters can they ensure an outstanding competition. By supporting the Classic through sponsorships and attendance, the community helps to provide an opportunity for all members of the visiting concert and show choirs to perform and grow in their musical expertise and experiences. Students will be able to view the talents of other groups as well as have the opportunity to be critiqued by renowned judges. The goal is that being a supporter of the Classic will prove to be a tremendous benefit to both spectators and participants.

Tickets are on sale now online through GoFans: https://gofan. co/app/school/VA7834?activity=Performing%20Arts or scan

BSH INVITES COMMUNITY TO SOLVE WHODUNNIT?

the QR code to access tickets. Cost is: three-day VIP Passes are available for $30; Thursday StandAlone Choir Passes for $5; Friday Univoice Show Choir Passes for $15; and Saturday Mixed Show Choir Passes for $20. Tickets are first-come, firstserve online through Wednesday, March 22. Any tickets still available after that date will be sold at the door the days of the show, March 23 to 25. Organizers hope the community will join the

PHS Choral Program to see which of the choir groups competing will take home the title of Grand Champion. For more information, contact the Powhatan Choral Boosters at choralboosters@powhatanchoirs. com.

ONLINE: Use the QR code to purchase tickets for the 2023 Powhatan Diamond Classic.

PHOTOS

Contributed

Backpacks Of Love Seeks

Donations To Feed Children

Matt henke, the new executive director for Backpacks of Love, and his son return from picking up food that will be distributed to area schoolchildren in need. when food is received, it is organized in the pantry and then community volunteers come out and pack bags for children at the schools. Volunteer drivers deliver them every thursday. the food the Powhatan-based nonprofit receives is paid for using donations from grants, community donors and businesses. this order was over $3,000 and it will last BPoL close to two weeks. over two thirds of the nonprofit’s budget is spent on food to feed the children in need each year. Backpacks of Love is currently in the middle of a Peanut Butter drive. For more information on how to donate or be a collection spot, contact 804-350-1127.

Blessed sacrament huguenot drama is inviting everyone to see if they can figure out whodunnit? when they present “cLUe!” onstage at 7 p.m. Friday, March 31 and again on saturday, april 1. adult tickets are $10 and students are $5 at the door. Production location is the stage at Parker Gym, the Blessed sacrament huguenot school, 2501 academy road, Powhatan. the production features Victoria sweeney as yvette, annie huynh* as Mrs. white, dorian Page* as Professor Plum, Berkley roudabush* as Miss scarlett, nathan rober ts as ensemble Man 2(cop), Parker Gill as Mr. Boddy/chief of Police, Grant howerton as wadsworth, Katie Book as ensemble woman 1(cook), Lilly hickey as Mrs. Peacock. not shown: david Mann* as colonel Mustard, tanner wood* as Mr. Green, Justin Johnson* as Motorist (* denotes Bsh senior).

period, circuit court clerk

Teresa Dobbins once again pushed for a salary change for her chief deputy clerk, Rene Holy. Dobbins has been making the request for several years, arguing Holy is the “lease paid No. 2 in the county.” She noted previous tensions between her office and county administration that may have resulted in her employees being penalized.

Karin Carmack, District 1, asked staff to look for money for the increase for Holy, noting it has been requested for many years.

Chair Mike Byerly, District 3, and Steve McClung, District 2, both showed support for this suggestion. David Williams, who represents District 1, asked staff to work out cooperative agreements with constitutional officers that the board could consider and also asked to see information from human resources on the matter, adding that salary changes made outside of the handbook procedures are why the county is currently redoing its employee compensation and classification plan.

„ Building department – Requested increase of $137,586 includes adding a new position of a com- mercial inspector; funds for certification pay; salary and benefits increases; and operations. Williams questioned the new position in the face of a possible impending downturn in the economy effecting new businesses. The board asked for better numbers on the department to understand the need for another employee being added. The board also talked with staff about cross training employees and incentives for employees to increase certifications/expertise.

Building official David Dunivan talked about the challenges of high numbers of cases being handled by the office; they have struggled with newer employees still learning the different roles of the office and difficulty in recruiting qualified employees now.

„ County administrator’s office – Requested increase of $92,183 that includes a $50,000 grant writer position, and other salary and operational increases. The board discussed the grant writer position and whether that person would justify the salary. Staff pointed out the grants the county has received largely because of people outside county government bringing them opportunities or department heads taking the initiative. However, filling out grant applications takes them away from their main function.

Williams questioned how much time it would actually save departments as the grant writer would still be requesting information from them and generally wanted assurance that the position would have a positive cash flow for the county. Schardein said there was no real trigger for adding the position now, but whenever it is added, it will be useful to the county.

„ Parks and recreation – Requested increase of $66,886 related to a new recreation coordinator and operating increases related to program development.

Finance director Charla Schubert said the previous recreation manager position is being split into two positions, an athletic director (recently hired) and a recreation coordinator. Bill Cox, District 4, asked to have the board of supervisors do a workshop with parks and recreation to determine where it is going in the future and wanting everyone to be in sync.

„ Commissioner of the revenue– Requested increase of $122,340 for a Deputy Clerk II position related to adding a DMV Select to the office’s functions; stipends for current employees related to taking on additional DMV Select duties; changes in salaries and benefits and operational costs.

Vo pointed out the county is budgeting $200,000 in increased revenue from the DMV Select once it is operational. This is not a firm number but based on estimates of Powhatan residents taking their DMV business to an office in Goochland. Commissioner of the revenue Jamie Timberlake also talked about some construction needs that will be necessary to get his office ready to take on DMV Select duties, but he added they hope to handle that with in-house staff.

„ Planning and zoning

– Requested increase of $166,417 related to a new position of a transportation manager (funded with CVTA dollars), a stormwater manager (net of environmental coordinator position), and increases in salaries and benefits and operations.

Schardein pointed out hiring a stormwater manger still has steps to take before that change could happen.

He recommended having a new planning director in place but looking to add that position in the future.

It would be offset by increased revenues from fees and moving projects along faster.

Please see BUDGET, Page A4

Calendar

From A2

ARRESTS one male was charged on March 7 with dUI 2nd/3rd offense within 5-10 years (Misdemeanor). one female was charged on March 7 with embezzlement (M). one male was charged on March 9 with carry handgun in bar/under the influence (M), profane swearing public intoxication (M) and reckless handling firearms (M). one male was charged on March 10 with driving a motor vehicle while intoxicated (M). one male was charged on March 11 with drinking while driving/open container (M) and profane swearing public intoxication (M). one male was charged on March 12 with underage possession of marijuana (M). one female was charged on March 12 with profane swearing public intoxication (M). one male was charged on March 13 with petty larceny (M).

Budget

From A3

„ Information technology –Requested increase of $123,697 related to a new IT technician; two position changes/promotions, increased salary and benefits and operational increases of maintenance and service contracts and software licensing.

„ Fire and rescue– Requested increase of $97,200 related to salary and benefits decreases offsetting operational increases. Vo noted inflationary increases for gear apparatus, bus garage parts, uniforms and increased volunteer benefits.

„ Assessor’s office – Requested increase of $49,020 primarily comes from a personnel increase and an operational increase. No questions were asked.

„ Library– Requested increase of $39,660 related to changing two part-time positions into one fulltime librarian. Library director Chandra McPherson talked about the professional quality this new position would bring to the library’s programming and the increased safety checks related to someone who will be interacting with youth.

„ Economic development – Requested increase of $35,495 for salaries and benefits and operational increases. Schardein explained that the Economic Development Authority has depleted its funds as it funds different programs and initiatives. The board wants increased funding to continue looking at new ways to increase economic development. Cox said this is “essentially a block grant” and that he would prefer to hear about and approve individual projects as they emerge and Williams supported that sentiment.

„ Finance – Requested increase of $21,970 related to increased health insurance costs and operational increases.

„ Permit center – Requested increase of $15,203 related to certification pay and operational costs tied to a temporary worker assisting with scanning. Cox talked about how much this new department was hyped when it was added and the board not having any idea how it is doing. He requested information on the department and what it is handling.

„ Human resources – Requested increase of $9,685 related to a personnel increase and operational increases.

„ Extension service – Requested increase of $8,760 for operational increases for state approved funding for Extension Agent compensation.

„ Commonwealth’s attorney–Seeing overall decrease of $1,173 in the office. Cox raised the issue of how the sheriff’s office adding body cameras for his deputies would affect commonwealth’s attorney Rob Cerullo’s office. Cerullo said it would be a massive impact given the staff he would need to review all footage and the storage the county would have to pay for to store the footage. Dobbins noted it would impact her office’s budget as well because of computer system needs.

E vergreen C ommunity C hurch (PcA) Proclaiming&PracticingtheGospelofJesusChrist WorshipServiceat10:00AM Meetingat2210BattersonRoad,Powhatan.

Pastor NickKrauss ECCPCA .ORG 598-8844

SundaySchool 10AM

WorshipService11AM

PastorJohnEngle 603-933-0141 3540OldBuckinghamRd. www.pmchurch.net

1801HuguenotTrail

SundayWorship10am

BryanM.Holt,Pastor 804-378-3607 www.EmmausChristianChurch.org https://www.facebook.com/2emmaus/ next Generation 4-h youth Market is a youth-led maker and growers market for young entrepreneurs ages 9 – 17. the goal of the market is to cultivate young entrepreneurs by gaining life skills needed to develop and operate a business. Weekly workshops take place after school where they learn about funds handling, communication, building a business plan and more. Workshops will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. april 28, May 4, 11, 18 at the Powhatan extension office. next, youth are given the opportunity to sell their products monthly from June to september. all products sold at the market must be made or grown by the young person. For more information, contact cathy howland at chowland@vt.edu. Powhatan county Public Library has an action-packed spring program lineup for 2023. Part two of the Library of Virginia’s Genealogical seminar series, Freedom of Information act, will be held april 25 from 1-2 p.m. allen Gernhardt will go over what kind of information is accessible, how to request information and an overall introduction of the FoIa. For details, contact Powhatan county Public Library at 804-598-5670 or library@ powhatanlibrary.net. the 17th annual spring Garden Fest will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. saturday, april 29 at reynolds community college 1851 dickinson road, Goochland. a free, family-friendly event that is a celebration of all things related to gardening so stop to see: the GPMGa Plant sale will offer a wide variety of plants at great prices; ask the Master Gardener booth will offer free gardening help and advice; and gardening vendor booths will have lots of fun items to delight gardeners. attend a full day of classes and tours for a one-time $35 registration fee (additional materials fee for workshops). classes include Growing trees in harsh environments, Propagation of native Plants, Plant it and Forget it, Planning your home Landscape, native alternatives to Invasives, designing the small Garden, exploring Butterflies, and Insects in the Vegetable Garden. tours of the college gardens will include reynolds campus, herb Garden and rain Garden. hands-on workshops will be create your own Mosaic art Pot, oyster Mushroom cultivation and create a Fresh Flower

Plan

From A1 emerging versions of the strategic plan language, and ultimately the school system is responsible for realizing the strategies and the goals of a plan. So the school system’s involvement is really important, and that typically happens through work groups,” he said.

Having that diversity of perspectives is important not only for what the individuals bring to the table but for the transparency of the process, Teigen said.

“I think a big part of it is the transparency of this – what we tiara. classes, tours and workshops fill up quickly, so register early for the best selection. complete descriptions and online registration is available at www. gpmga.net or by contacting the Goochland extension office at 804-556-5841. an upcoming craft fair is looking for vendors. the fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on april 29, rain or shine, at st

John neumann catholic church, 2480 Batterson road, Powhatan. the cost is $20 for an outside parking space and $30 for inside the church’s hall with an 8-foot table. For more information or to purchase a space, email amanda Mcdonough at amandamcdonough72@yahoo.com. the Powhatan high school Leftovers c lub will c ontinue its efforts to fight against cancer with the color-a-cure Fun run/Walk at 9 a.m. at the high school football field, 1800 Judes Ferry road. check in by 8:45 a.m. this is a FUn 5K featuring several color stations where each participant (dressed in all white) will be doused with color each kilometer. e ach color represents a different type of cancer and the fight against it! For more information, visit http://coloracure.weebly.com/.

ONGOING agricultural lands in Goochland and Powhatan counties continue to be eligible for conservation assistance funds from Monacan soil and Water conservation district (sWcd) for stream exclusion fencing, establishing rotational grazing fields, developing water resources, wells, springs and stream access points, reforestation of critical areas and establishing or enlarging buffer areas along waterways. Funds are also available for nutrient management plan development and implementation, cover crops and numerous other conservation practices. Monacan encourages producers to explore options now since program options have recently been revised and significantly improved for the producer. the district has highly skilled employees who are well trained in both the technical aspects of conservation management and program delivery. staff members assist producers in developing conservation plans that work for their operation and navigating program opportunities. not all programs are created equal and staff members assist applicants in understanding the options and choosing the program that suits their farm’s needs. anyone interested in are saying we are going to do and reporting out consistently throughout the year, year after year, on where we are on progress and the community and parents being able to hold us accountable for what we said we were going to do,” she said.

A good plan, whether it is for a school division, nonprofit, local government or corporation, has to be clear, measurable and remain flexible, Fodchuk said.

“It really boils down to the strength of the relationship between the community and the school system, because when things do change and course corrections are inevitably required, is the school system acting in tan- exploring the many benefits of conservation planning can contact district conservation specialists Betty Mccracken at (804)556-0935 or colton sullivan at (804)556-0143. the coalition of Powhatan c hurches has available resources to help people who would like assistance in learning to manage their finances. If you know of anyone who needs or would like to have this service, or to get more information, call robin cupka at 804-801-9851. Backpacks of Love, a nonprofit committed to eliminating hunger in school-age children by providing nourishing food for their weekend, needs help. BPoL is looking for delivery drivers that would be available to deliver on thursdays. they are in immediate need of a driver to deliver to cumberland county and or amelia county. these are great jobs for students looking for community hours. always accepting food donations of single serve raviolis, spaghettios, apple sauce, cereal, cookies, crackers and more. contact Kevin hardy at 804-350-1127 for more information. young people in the 4-h community learn leadership, citizenship, and a vast array of life skills that benefit them for the rest of their lives. through schoolbased, after-school, and community clubs as well as camp settings, 4-h members pledge to build a better community, country, and world. the new 4-h year starts oct. 1 and runs through sept. 30, 2022, so this is a great time to join a 4-h club! In Powhatan county, 4-h sPIn and project clubs include the following designed for youth ages 9-18: Livestock, archery, equine, dairy Judging, and shooting education (waiting list). For our younger youth, ages 5-8 years old, we’re seeking new club leaders interested in starting a second cloverbud 4-h club in Powhatan. 4-h school enrichment programs are also available for homeschool groups. reach out to cathy howland, Powhatan 4-h extension agent, at 804-598-5640 or chowland@vt.edu for details about the 4-h opportunities listed, and/or information on starting new 4-h clubs or programs. Powhatan Food Pantry is currently seeking volunteer drivers who can pick up food from the local Food Lions on different days between 8:30 and 10 a.m. and transport them to the nonprofit at 2500 Batterson road. contact the pantry at 804-372-9526 or powhatanvafoodpantry@gmail.com. dem with the community and are they working together,” he said.

Based on his experience, Fodchuk said he has found through the work done so far that, “Powhatan is operating from a position of strength, so there is a good balance between strategy and culture in this community.”

The results of the committee and staff members’ work will come before the school board for approval and include a public hearing to gain feedback from the entire community. Teigen said she hopes it will have final approval in August.

Laura McFarland may be reached at Lmcfarland@powhatantoday.com.

MountCalvary

BaptistChurch

2020RedLaneRoad Powhatan,VA23139

Pastor,LarryB.Collins SundaySchool9:45a.m.

Sunday Worship 11:00a.m.

WednesdayBibleStudy

7:30p.m. Office804-598-2398

Providence Presbyterian Church

“WorshipingandWitnessing inWesternPowhatan since1825” WorshipService11:00am AllAreWelcome! 598-4970 Located1950RidgeRoad (Rt.627)

LivingAsChrist’sDisciplesWithinOur HeartsandBeyondOurDoors

SundaySchool10:00a.m. WednesdayNight7:30p.m. 3308 PleasantsRoad, 1/4mileoffofRoute711 RussCress, Pastor 598-0733

St.John Neumann

Catholic Church

Rev.WalterG.Lewis,Pastor

Saturday -5p.m.

Church Director y. Call 804-746-1235 ext. 2 fordetails.

2253RossonRd. JustoffRt.13intheVillage 598-4438

Worship: 8:30&10:30am www.powhatanumc.us WeekdayPreschool(ages2-5) 598-6090

Sunday -8:30a.m.&11a.m. 598-3754 www.sjnpowhatan.org LocatedbehindFlatRock VillageShopping Center

This is the third time the school division has participated in the Sodexo Future Chefs Contest, selecting recipes from students at all three elementary schools to compete in an in-person cooking contest. This year’s competition was once again held at Powhatan High School, where the participants put together a wide array of dishes to try to tickle the judges’ taste budges.

Lanie was competing against five fellow young chefs: Ryan Fletcher, a fourth grader at Flat Rock Elementary, who won second place; Thomas Golden, a third grader at Powhatan Elementary, who placed third; Cora Burgos, a fifth grader at Pocahontas Elementary, who won Best Chef Hat; Kaia McClure, a fifth grader at Flat Rock Elementary; and Aiden Marcum, a fifth grader at Pocahontas Elementary.

Ryan Fletcher made zucchini fritters for his side dish, which was also popular with everyone at the event. He chose it because he thought people would like it and practiced making the fritters at home ahead of the competition.

Ryan said he was really happy with his second place win because “everybody else, their food was good, too.”

The division received 26 initial entries between all three elementary schools, and two finalists were chosen from each school to prepare their dishes, said Dorothy Kohler, general manager of Sodexo Food Services. She noted that this year’s competition saw the highest number of entries to date, and Pocahontas Elementary alone had 19 entries.

Kohler said she loved bringing back the competition for a third year because she knows the students get excited about it.

“These kids work on this for weeks. We roll this out three months in advance, and I get phone calls from parents, I get students that stop me in the schools wanting to talk to me about their recipe, I get parents telling me how they are sick and tired of the recipe because they have eaten it every weekend,” she said with a laugh.

“It is not just a one-time thing; it is something lasting.”

PHS culinary instructor Mark Robertson said it is great to see young people who have an interest in culinary arts, talk to them about what motivates them and see what skills they have even at this young age.

Robertson praised all of the competitors, not only for entering the competition but for preparing their dishes in front of a large

MOUNTZION BAPTISTCHURCH

2591RidgeRoad

Powhatan,Virginia23139 804-598-2051

Rev.BryanStevens,Pastor 10a.m.–WorshipService 8:30a.m.–ChurchSchool crowd. This year, in addition to school staff and contestants’ family members, some PHS students were invited to come watch and even voted on their favorite chef hat, which the competitors decorated ahead of time.

“We are not trying to add pressure to the competitors, but I think it is neat that they are getting to show their skills in front of more than just their helpers and their parents, as they normally would. I think it is great for the high school students to see this because I don’t think this existed when they came through,” he said.

In addition to tasting their dishes, a panel of five judges asked the competitors about themselves, their dishes and their inspirations.

This year’s judges were school board members Susan Smith, Valarie Ayers and Kim Hymel; although they didn’t win, competitors aiden Marcum, from left, cora Burgos and Kaia Mcclure impressed everyone with their skills. helping them out were assistants Zoe Lucas, Kaitlynn Gordon and Milo Ivey.

Robertson; and culinary student Christian Stephenson.

“If you think about this, an adult gets nervous doing this out in front. Think about how awesome these kids are to do this,” Kohler said.

Kohler also praised the helpers who were assigned to each student, with each one being assisted by either a Sodexo employee or PHS culinary student.

Each student also had a chef helper there for an extra pair of hands and to maintain a safe cooking environment. Three were Sodexo employees – Kaitlynn Gordon, Mary Smith and Suzanne Johnson – and three were PHS Culinary students – Kaylee Munford, Zoe Lucas and Milo Ivey.

Laura McFarland may be reached at Lmcfarland@powhatantoday.com.