Work on arts center to begin in the spring, director says
0The county plans to begin building the Chesterfield Center for the Arts next spring. That’s the word from Garrett Hart, Chesterfield County’s Economic Development director. Hart made the comments at the county’s Sept. 20 Economic Development Authority meeting. In other news, EDA treasurer and board member Harril Whitehurst said the organization plans to begin investing some $6.47 million of arts center funds with Wells Fargo Bank in the near future. The county’s fiscal services coordinator, Debbie Baicy, said the plan is to invest $3 million in a six-month certificate of deposit at 2 percent interest and $1.4 million in a…
County department prepares for natural disasters
0ABOVE: From left, Jess Robison, Sherri Lafoon and Emily Ashley Dillon make up Chesterfield’s Emergency Management Department. Emily Ashley Dillon is into disaster preparation. The Kansas City, Mo., native has been Chesterfield County’s emergency management coordinator for seven years. The three-person emergency management department, which is housed with the county fire department’s administrative office, helps the county’s 50 departments prepare for any large-scale emergency or disaster. The department is also responsible for response, recovery and mitigation, the latter which involves reducing danger before and after an event. “It’s our job to create a community of resiliency,” she said. This includes helping…
Chesterfield a part of region’s booming tourism: Chester brewery may add to the mix
0ABOVE: Dancing Kilt Brewery plans to open in the brick building next to Rosa’s early next year. Breweries and restaurants are the top driver for tourism in the Richmond region, and Chester could begin to cash in on the trend if a brewery slated to open on Old Stage Road comes to fruition. Jack Berry, president and chief executive officer of Richmond Region Tourism, an entity that includes Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico and Powhatan counties, along with the town of Ashland and the city of Richmond, said the area has been rated the No. 1 region in the country for various tourism…
Parade of Homes starts Oct. 6: Tours will be held each weekend of the month
0The Richmond Parade of Homes is the premier scattered site home showcase. The self-guided tour, begins Oct. 6, and it will run all four weekends of the month: Oct. 6-7, 13-14, 20-21 and 27-28. Tour hours on Saturdays and Sundays in October are from noon to 5 p.m., and admission is free. Seventy-three new homes built by 30 builder members are in this year’s show, and well over half are decorated models. The homes are located throughout the Greater Richmond area including the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico, King William, New Kent and Powhatan. The tour offers an opportunity to…
ChesterFest 2018 a success
0ABOVE: Gale Rowland walks with Snickerz, a 2-year-old Labradoodle, during ChesterFest. The 18th ChesterFest, held Saturday on the Chester Village Green, was the largest ever. Some 200 vendors displayed their wares while children played, a dog show was held and eight people participated in the pie-eating competition. “What a great event! [Chester Community Association] did such an awesome job, and the Thomas Dale kids were so helpful and friendly,” Ben Dunham said. “My son, Hugh, keeps saying he wishes ChesterFest was every month!” Tracey Walker, patient care manager at Centralia Animal Hospital, organized the dog show. “I enjoy seeing the…
Handcycling clinic coming to Pocahontas State Park
0ABOVE: Kenneth Holman and members of the Paralyzed Veterans of America’s Mid-Atlantic chapter. A life-changing event at Pocahontas State Park is attracting veterans from all across the country. They will handcycle through the wooded trails from Friday, Sept. 28, through Sunday, Sept. 30, as part of a handcycling clinic. “Watching them being out there with family and friends outdoors doing what they love, that’s what it’s all about … things we build that are accessible and inclusive makes for a better community,” said Jennifer Purser, executive director of Paralyzed Veterans of America’s Mid-Atlantic chapter. Among the participants is…
Struggling with change
0Hello and welcome back to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. I am typing this on my new laptop, not by choice; I was forced to because my laptop started doing these unscheduled “dumps.” I would be typing along, and suddenly I am looking at a blue screen saying that my system went into an emergency “dump” and was going into a recovery mode. Fortunately, at least so far, it was no harm no foul, just a delay while the system went through a five-minute reboot, but there was always that chance that it would not be successful the next…
Community Emergency Response Team course begins Oct. 2
0CHESTERFIELD — Are you interested in training that will better prepare you for disasters and emergencies? Chesterfield County’s popular Community Emergency Response Team training is scheduled to begin Tuesday, Oct. 2. The initial training course teaches basic emergency response skills that are essential in the critical moments after a disaster, before first responders arrive. Classes are held each Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for eight weeks. Registration is available at chesterfield.gov/CERT. If unable to enroll online or have questions, email [email protected] or call 804-751-CERT (2378).