COMMUNITY
GOVERNMENT
Antiques at the Tavern to get underway with Friday reception
Local court reporter named Registered Professional Reporter
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Vol. 5 No. 44 | Richmond Suburban News | July 15, 2020
Ashland Train Day has been canceled due to COVID-19 Downtown Ashland Association looks ahead to 2021 By Melody Kinser Managing Editor ASHLAND – The coronavirus (COVID-19) has prompted the cancellation of another one of Hanover County’s favorite events: Ashland Train Day. Maggie Beal Longest, director of the Downtown Ashland Association, said that the organization “sadly reports that Ashland Train Day 2020 is canceled. This was a difficult decision for the Board of
Directors, but one we feel is a necessary precaution in the face of COVID-19.” But, the change in plans does not dampen the excitement of the board, as well as town residents and train enthusiasts from all directions. “We look forward to hosting a stellar Ashland Train Day event on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021,” Longest said. She also encouraged train fans to “Mark your calendar!” “Meanwhile,” she added, “we will
Chip England named director of General Services HANOVER -- Charles B. “Chip” England of Mechanicsville is the new director of General Services for Hanover County. England replaces Marvin Fletcher, who retired May 29. England is a former deputy director of Hanover County Public Works and has served in leadership positions for several local governments in Virginia during his 25-year career in public service, including most recently as director of the ENGLAND Henrico County Department of Public Utilities. As director of Hanover County General Services, England will oversee a department of 35 employees. General Services provides services for county departments and includes a facilities division, a fleet division and a risk management division as well as see ENGLAND, pg. 5
be publishing virtual highlights from Downtown Ashland for rail fans of all ages. Please stay tuned to our website, ashlandvirginia.com, and social media channels (Facebook and Instagram) for updates.” Speaking on behalf of the board, Longest concluded by saying, “Thank you to our Ashland community for making Photo by Joel Klein/Ashland-Hanover Local the past 17 years of Ashland Train Day so What would Train Day be without a train? CSX rolled through much fun. We look forward to our eigh- the town during the 2019 Ashland Train Day as the town celebrated the annual event. This year’s Train Day has been teenth event in 2021!” canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Ashland Economic Development Authority approves another $35,000 to support local business Contributed Report news@mechlocal.com ASHLAND – The Ashland Economic Development Authority (EDA) recently approved a second round of $35,000 in funding for the Safety Enhancement Grant program, allowing the program to continue to meet local businesses’ safety needs as phased reopening
continues. “This is a critical time for many small businesses here in town, and we want to step up and support our business community as they navigate this challenging environment,” said Tim Shelton, chairman of the town’s Economic Development Authority. “With town council’s consideration to dedicate CARES Act funds to support this effort, we
are able to take this additional step to make sure our businesses have the resources they need to safely open their doors to the public again.” Established by the EDA in May of this year, the Safety Enhancement Grant program assists local businesses with the costs of reopening after closure or impact due to the see BUSINESS, pg. 8
TRIVETT
Four Hanover County schools achieve Exemplar status ASHLAND – The Virginia Board of Education recently named four Hanover County Public Schools as recipients of the 2020 Exemplar Performance School Awards. Pearson’s Corner Elementary School in Mechanicsville earned the Board of Education Highest Achievement Award. This award recognizes schools that achieved a state accredita-
tion rating of Accredited and demonstrated high levels of success across all school quality indicators, including success in narrowing achievement gaps. Schools earning this award also had to meet the following criteria: Level One accreditation benchmark for reading, mathematics, and science based
on the student pass rate, not including growth or progress on assessments taken by English language learners; No more than a 5% achievement gap, for schools with two student groups, or a 10% gap, for schools with three or more student groups, between the lowest-performing group see EXEMPLAR, pg. 2