Community

Baxter Perkinson Center for the Arts and Education management team from left: Pete Stith, development consultant; Marly Fuller, executive director; Jon Shelley, production manager; Heather Miles, office manager.

It’s Showtime!

By Elliott Fausz on December 3, 2020 Art, Community, Events

Leadership team at Perkinson Center ready for their first act The new Perkinson Center has been a dream in the hearts of hundreds, if not thousands, of Chesterfield citizens for over two decades. When something so grand comes to fruition after such time, the mind tends to embellish details that reality can end up disappointing. That is certainly not the case for this county gem. Final touches are being completed, the paint has dried, theater seats are installed, and the Perkinson Center staff is growing. In October, the Chesterfield Cultural Arts Foundation (CCAF) – managing board for the Perkinson Center…

Legislators reflect on 1-day session

By Caleb M Soptelean on December 3, 2020 Politics, State News

Cox, Morrissey criticize rush to judgment for the VMI superintendent Two of Chesterfield’s state legislators reflected last week on the Nov. 9 special session. State senators gathered at the Science Museum of Virginia while state representatives met virtually to consider amendments to bills proposed by Gov. Ralph Northam (D). In an email to constituents, Del. Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights) said Northam had his chief of staff, Clark Mercer, call Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III to ask that he resign following claims of racism last month on the campus of Virginia Military Institute in Lexington. Peay resigned Oct. 26. Cox said…

Teachers express frustration with return of final group of students

By Caleb M Soptelean on December 3, 2020 Chesterfield Government, School Board

Early Childhood Academy approved for old Harrowgate Elementary Several teachers questioned and criticized the school board during a Nov. 10 meeting that followed Chesterfield County Public Schools bringing some students in grades 6 through 12 back to buildings Nov. 9. “Many staff members are leaving, and they should be,” teacher Todd Gasparello said. “I am staying to fight because I’m younger. I am tired. There are no subs. Bus drivers rarely get a break to use the [restroom] after several hours of driving. I’m tired because administrators are now becoming substitute teachers.” Nick Oyler, coordinator of student health services, explained…

Briefs

By VN Staff on December 3, 2020 Announcements, Community

Chester Baptist Church is offering a “To-Go” lunch on Thursday, December 3. You can pick up your meal between 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. A reservation must be made by November 30 Call 748-2939, to RSVP your “to-go” lunch. This is open to the community. There will only be one meal offered in December. Maiya Pencile is one of 22 Shenandoah students recently selected for the Shenandoah University chapter of the Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honor Society. The society recognizes juniors, seniors and graduate students who excel in both academics and leadership. Four area teachers received a $750 grant as…

Relief Fund for very small businesses established

By Press release on December 3, 2020 Business

LISC Virginia and Chesterfield County are pleased to announce the launch of the Chesterfield County Microenterprise Relief Fund. This fund will provide small businesses with five or fewer employees grants up to $10,000 to pay for payroll, rent, utilities, vendor bills, and COVID-19 related expenses. Small business owners can apply through the LISC Virginia webpage. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until all the funds are disbursed. Funds will be disbursed on a first-come, first-serve basis. These grants will provide rapid relief to small businesses, helping them remain operational, retain employees and continue offering vital goods and services…

Keep bright outlook, says 104-year-old

By VN Staff on December 3, 2020 Announcements, Community

Carrie “Evelyn” Samuel celebrated her 104th birthday this month. Born Nov. 3, 1916 in the mountains of Kentucky, she lived through the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. The 1937 flood of the Ohio River claimed the city of Cincinati and left her family to be rescued from the family barn by row boats. Samuel saw the introduction of many inventions and said the most important for her was the washing machine. “I needed it for all the clothes, bedding, and towels my children used,” she said. She has also adapted to social media. “I enjoy the fact that I can have…

30-year-old COVID survivor shares his story

By Amanda Creasey on November 11, 2020 Community

On Aug. 10, Scott Prichard fell asleep, or so it seemed to him. When he woke up, it was mid-September. “I didn’t know I was in a coma,” he latered reciunted. “I woke up and didn’t know what time it was or what the date was. I thought I had just been in the hospital for a few days, and it had been a month and a half.” The nightmare scenario that Prichard is still living began in late July, when he woke up one morning with a sore throat and stuffy nose. “I didn’t think twice about it,” he…

School district’s health panel votes to bring grades 6-12 back Nov. 9

By Caleb M Soptelean on November 11, 2020 School Board

Two of five school board members in opposition By a split decision, the Chesterfield County Public Schools’ health panel decided to move forward with Project Restart by bringing Cohort 4 back into school buildings. The decision – which was announced at the school board’s Oct. 27 meeting – will allow any sixth- through ninth-graders who weren’t already attending school in-person to begin doing so two days a week on Nov. 9. In reaction to the panel’s decision, two members of the five-person school board voiced their objections: Clover Hill member Dot Heffron and Midlothian member Kathryn Haines. Nick Oyler, the…

Raising police, fire salaries would take $22M, study says

By Caleb M Soptelean on November 11, 2020 Board of Supervisors

Public hearing set for regional transportation authority budget A study projects that Chesterfield County needs $22 million to fund salary and benefits increases for police and fire personnel. Commissioners received study results during an Oct. 28 work session presented by Evergreen Solutions LLC of Tallahassee, Fla. The study calls for $5.87 million in salary and benefits in Phase I and $16.5 million in Phase II. County administrator Joe Casey said the timing of the study is “perfect” as the county begins preparing for the Fiscal Year 2021-22 budget. He noted that $22.38 million would be a “base injection plus a…

Perdue Cemetery located off Osborne Road in Chester.

Cemeteries and those who care for them

By Linda Fausz on November 11, 2020 Community, History

The celebration of Halloween originated from a Catholic festival named All Hallows’ Eve, which was the day before All Saints’ Day. It was a Christian celebration to commemorate all those who died in the faith. All Saints’ Day, Nov. 1, was the day to decorate gravesites of the faithful. Over the years, cemeteries and ghosts have become synonymous with Halloween, and scary stories of cemeteries are as traditional as costumes and trick-or-treating. During the remaining 364 days, our cemeteries are places of peace and beauty, of spiritual contact between the living and the dead. Chesterfield County has a wealth of…

Browsing: Community