INSIDE Family of late deputy awards scholarship in his honor. > page 6
Volume 61, Number 36 • September 22, 2016
ROAMING CHARGES
For livestock on the lam, change to ordinance is good news. See page 4
BOS approves borrowing plan for operations center, towers Project offers much-needed space for coordination of emergency response efforts By Roslyn Ryan Editor
Goochland County Supervisors voted unanimously on Sept. 9 in favor of borrowing just over $9 million to fund a new emergency operations center, new emergency communication equipment and six radio towers located throughout the county. According to County Administrator John Budesky, who presented the resolution to the board, the county had considered spending existing funds on the project rather than borrowing the money. Budesky said that the county’s financial advisor has suggested that they borrow, however, because the new operations center and towers would be considered a long-term asset. They were also advised that dipping into reserves would Budesky put unwanted pressure on the county’s fund balance ratios. District 1 Supervisor Susan Lascolette pointed out on Tuesday that this is the first time the current board has made the decision to borrow money to fund a project. The interest rate of 1.8 percent they were able to secure from Bank of America made the decision somewhat easier, Lascolette said, also see Funding > 1
Photo by John Beebe
History, food, fun . . . and corn Children enjoyed playing in a bin of corn kernels during last weekend’s annual Field Day of the Past. The event, which began in 1992, draws tens of thousands of history lovers annually to its dedicated grounds off Ashland Road. For more photos from this year’s event, see page 9.
Gathering draws former Christmas Mothers taurant in Goochland. There, gathered in the restaurant’s banquet room, were 25 former Goochland Christmas Mothers, one Christmas Father, and a handful of the program’s dedicated volunteers. They were there to be honored By Roslyn Ryan for their service to the Christmas Mother Editor program, an annual effort that helps make sure Goochland families in need are able to It may have been only the mid-September, enjoy the holiday. but the spirit of Christmas was most certainly To Cindy Valentine, who served as the alive last Thursday at Bella Sicilia Italian res- Christmas Mother in 2008 and now serves as
Luncheon offered as a way to ‘thank you’ for nearly 60 years of service
President of the organization, the event was a way to honor the women for all that they have done for their community. “I think what we realized was that we have had the program in Goochland for 57 years, and we never really found a way to say ‘thank you,’” Valentine said, explaining that every effort was made to find as many former Christmas Mothers as they could. In the end some were unable to make it, “but I think we see Christmas Mother > 3