New Citizens
0Taking the Oath of Allegiance is the final path to become a naturalized citizen. For many, it is a long road and a pricy one, nearly $1,000 from start to end. For some it can take years. “People think it is an easy process, but it’s not,” said Soutsada Sourinphoumy, a native of Laos. Sourinphoumy has been in the States for 16 years. She drove from Tappahannock for her final path to citizenship. Her application was accepted in March and she attended her first interview July 6. “They initially told me they did not know when I would have…
Dogpound going to the birds
0Hello and welcome back to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. I went down to the basement yesterday and I was hit with a terrible smell. I mean it was bad. I did a quick search for the dead bodies, but the smell was so prevalent I could not zero in on a specific location for the smell. Not finding anything, I gave the basement a full barrage of Febreze and let it sit for a day. The next day was no better, so I opened up the basement patio doors and turned the furnace fan on to try and…
Bulls Eye
0It’s a split decision: the 1,675 proposed Megasite in Chester is liked by some, but not so much by others. And that also depends entirely on where people have put down roots. Chesterfield County Public Schools held a meeting on Thursday last week September 14. Carrie Coyner, Bermuda School Board Member, extended Harrowgate Elementary School’s back to school night to cover the issue of the East-West Freeway. “The meeting went well,” Coyner told the Village News. “We announced that Harrowgate Elementary School is directly impacted by the preferred location of the new thoroughfare road. Harrowgate was slated for a major…
Proposed construction plan creates consolidated Matoaca Middle, site for replacement Matoaca Elementary
0Parents of Matoaca Elementary and Matoaca Middle students got their first look this week at a new construction plan that would unite the currently split Matoaca Middle campuses and provide a construction site for a replacement Matoaca Elementary. “I’m excited to share with the community this new plan, which is efficient in that it not only creates better learning environments for our K-8 students, but it also shows that we are being good stewards of our taxpayers’ investment in public education,” Matoaca District School Board member Rob Thompson said. The proposed plan calls for a new wing to be built…
Vacationing in Ireland
0Mark and Kathy Rich of Chester stand in front of the church where Kathy’s grandparents were married in 1902 located in the village of Killeevan, Ireland. Mark and Kathy recently visited Ireland to meet several of Kathy’s cousins for the first time.
Final Thoughts
0For my final column, I decided it was time to write about organic gardening. The term “organic gardening” at its simplest is avoiding using synthetically produced fertilizers and pesticides. Taken to the next level by many gardeners who are organic only, more “rules” are applicable. Rules include feeding the soil and not the plant, placing the right plant in the right place, scout your garden constantly for insects and disease presence, and avoid planting too many of the same plant instead having plant diversity. Let me say this early on, these are good gardening principles and not organic principles. I…
Class of ’67 celebrates 50 years
0The Thomas Dale Class of 1967 celebrated their 50th class reunion over the weekend of Sept. 9-10. with the celebration beginning Friday night at Howlett’s Tavern in Village Green. Approximately 80 were in attendance, with classmates coming from as far as Oklahoma, Texas, Massachusetts, Tennessee, and Alabama! The weekend celebration continued Saturday night with dinner and dancing at The Reserve at the Highlands with over one hundred attending and reacquainting with old friends. The dinner was absolutely delicious. Afterwards, there were many hitting the dance floor getting down to music from the ’60s from DJ Brad Beazley. The TDHS Class…
Recently Deceased
0Blackburn, Mr. Hughie Daniel Sr., 86, of Chester, husband of Evelyn Blackburn. Gascoyne, Ms. Elizabeth “Betty” Ann Muro, 69, of Chesterfield. Golding, Ms. Charlotte Ann Leake, 69, of Chester. Harrah, Mrs. Linda Lou Barney, 74, of Chesterfield, wife of Gaylord “Gabe” Harrah. Johnson, Mrs. Rachel Rediker, 79, of Chester, widow of Albert C. Johnson Jr. Ray, Mr. James “Mike” Scott, 66, of Chester. Trimmer, Mr. Lawrence “Irvin,” 78, of Chesterfield. Turner, Mrs. June Narron, 88, of North Chesterfield, widow of J.V. Narron and Bud Turner. Wheatley, Mr. Leon “Pop” Sr., 90, of North Chesterfield, a World War II Navy veteran, widower of Barbara P. Wheatley.