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Vol. 7 No. 8 | Richmond Suburban News | October 20, 2021
Hargrove receives Patrick Henry Leadership Award Historical Society honors Clerk
School board plans to vote in November
By Jim Ridolphi For Ashland-Hanover Local
By Jim Ridolphi For Ashland-Hanover Local
H
anover Clerk of the Circuit Court Frank Hargrove Jr. was honored last week as the recipient of the Hanover Historical Society’s Patrick Henry Leadership Award at a meeting at the Coach House at Hanover Tavern. Hargrove is the 2021 recipient of the prestigious award, established in 2010 to honor those who have worked to preserve and enrich the history of Hanover County. Society president Art Taylor said Hargrove’s efforts in digitalizing most of the county’s historical court records more than qualify the Hanoverian for the recognition. “Normally, when I present this award, I have to tell you why Frank deserves it,” Taylor said. “After what we’ve seen tonight, I can’t think of anybody better than this. He’s been the Clerk of the Court since 2000, and that also speaks highly of the community’s confidence in Frank.”
Transgender policy revisions considered
Jim Ridolphi/The Local
Frank Hargrove, Jr. was honored as this year’s recipient of the Patrick Henry Leadership Award presented by the Hanover Historical Society annually. He is pictured accepting the award from Society President Art Taylor.
Taylor was referencing a documentary film produced by Hargrove that had just made its debut earlier in the meeting. The film investigates details surrounding a 1976 murder case in Hanover County. “I vaguely remembered Commonwealth vs. John Paul Stevenson and the Richmond Newspapers case, but my interest was heightened when I came across the case files – which contained transcripts, exhibits, police reports – when preparing to move our records from the old courthouse to our new courthouse,” Hargrove said prior to the screening.
He said the project had humble beginnings and his intentions to document the record for posterity evolved into a professional videographer presentation. “It all changed in 2018 when Art told me about Bob Szabo and his many talents,” Hargrove said. “I reached out to Bob and he was enthusiastic about this project, and, suddenly, I was tapped to produce the documentary.” In 1976, John Paul Stevenson was convicted of killing Lillian Keller at the Holly Court Motel in Ashland. Keller was found stabbed to death in her apartment at the see HARGROVE, pg. 5
School districts across the Commonwealth have amended policies on the treatment of transgender students since the General Assembly approved legislation requiring the changes last year. Many of Virginia’s 132 school districts have accepted or are considering the new guidelines that require school systems to amend documents to reflect the preferred gender of the student and provide for the confidentiality of those records and then allow transgender students to use the bathroom of the gender with which he or she identifies. At a workshop meeting last month, Hanover School Board members began the difficult task of amending current policies in the county that do not comply with the new Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) guidelines. While the new law does not require districts to wholesale adopt the policy, it does require systems install policies that meet or exceed those required goals.
Jim Ridolphi / The Local
A full capacity crowd attended last week’s School Board meeting where revisions to the District’s current Transgender Student Policy were reviewed. The board has scheduled a vote on the amended policy next month.
The Hanover School Board received public comment at last week’s meeting, filled to capacity with concerned parents and residents, the majority of them opposed to the policy revisions. Sabrina Civils said she respects everyone but asked board members “not to enact such a huge issue at the expense of those who are male or female and go to the appropriate bathrooms.” “I understand the law where the state is forcing the school board to make policies
regarding transgender bathrooms and for those using certain pronouns to utilize the appropriate bathroom,” she said. Civils said her daughter has expressed that she is “not ok” with the new policy and “does not want to share a bathroom with them. My daughter does not use the restroom at school because she dosen’t want to deal with a male student invading her privacy.” She urged board members to not comply with the VDOE see POLICY, pg. 2