Ashland-Hanover Local – 10/27/2021

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COMMUNITY

ANIMAL CONTROL

The Guild is celebrating 20 years of service at Covenant Woods

Rabies vaccination clinics begin Nov. 6 PAGE

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Vol. 7 No. 9 | Richmond Suburban News | October 27, 2021

County mourns Hargrove passing By Jim Ridolphi For Ashland-Hanover Local

By Jim Ridolphi For Ashland-Hanover Local

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wo names are synonymous with Hanover County. One is Patrick Henry and the other is Frank Hargrove Sr. Hargrove passed away last weekend at age 94, and Hanoverians are grieving the loss of one of the county’s most recognized and respected leaders, a sort of Renaissance Man who made his mark in many different areas. Hargrove passed away on Oct. 16, but the memories and contributions he left behind will likely endure for many generations. Hargrove attended Thomas Jefferson High School in Richmond, where he was a standout on the football team, and joined the U.S. Army

Council finalizes ARPA spending plan

Contributed photo

Frank Hargrove, Sr., center, is pictured on the floor of the General Assembly with fellow Hanover representatives Del. Buddy Fowler, left, and Del. Christopher Peace in 2016.

when he graduated, serving in occupied Japan following World War II. By that time, the young Hanoverian had already made

an unaccompanied tour of the Southland, and learned to fly an airplane while in his teens. The love of flying accompanied him for the remainder

of his life, and he eventually bought the plane from his college days and flew it regularly from his Cool Water home. see HARGROVE, pg. 5

After weeks of planning and discussion, Ashland Town Council adopted the final version of a plan that would distribute more than $8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding for various projects throughout the town. Last month, council members approved the first part of the spending plan, a Tier 1 list that included a round of funding for the hiring of a community engagement manager, the replacement of accounting systems, and an updated Ashland Police Department phone system for a combined cost of about $637,000. Approximately $219,000 would be allocated for new HVAC systems at the Ashland Police Department and the Dominion Innovation Center.

Tier 1 approved spending also included a plan to provide a public Wi-Fi system in downtown Ashland and replenish funds cut from the previous budget for municipal broadband. That project would require $676,000 of ARPA funding. Also included are major investments in stormwater management to meet Chesapeake Bay environmental requirements and replenish the previous year’s budget cuts in the area of capital improvements. Total cost of that item is $2.4 million. That project would also bolster programs such as residential improvements, the Vaughan Road extension, drainage, vehicles and strategic property acquisition. Also included is the addisee ARPA, pg. 8

Ashland Theatre plans concerts, plays and movies Landmark comes back to life after COVID-19 By Jim Ridolphi For Ashland-Hanover Local

Jim Ridolphi/The Local

The Ashland Theatre is ready for a full season of movies, activities and events.

The Town of Ashland and its residents have established a long and lasting relationship with the small movie theatre that has occupied a prominent space on England Street since 1948.

But, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic threatened that existence, and since March of 2020, the Ashland Theatre has offered a limited schedule of pop-up events. This month, the landmark reopened with the airing of two first run movies, the latest James Bond adventure and the new Adams Family animated movie, and the theatre is gearing up for a full season of activities and events. Theatre Manager Courtney Caldwell came on board in July and said a series of upcoming events is the perfect way to re-introduce the beloved land-

mark to an appreciative public. “The entire Town loves this building and they really want it to succeed, and that’s awesome,” Caldwell said last week. “We are so lucky that the Town supports this building. They provided a small but steady stream of revenue during the pandemic by renting out our front marquee for messages.” The theatre reopened in 2018 following a yearslong effort to restore the facility that originally see THEATRE, pg. 4


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