INSIDE Two Goochland students attend National Young Leaders State Conference > page 2
Volume 59, Number 32 • August 15, 2013
Legal fight continues as Benedictine prepares for opening
ON TAP FOR PARKS & REC W Thanks to a $30,000 donation from CarMax, an amphitheatre planned for Tucker Park at Maidens Landing should be completed by mid-September.
The renovated courthouse complex will be open on Aug. 31, the first day of youth football. Planning for bigger crowds at next year’s Fourth of July celebration. Attendance has grown each year with no additional marketing.
By Ken Odor Special Correspondent
A Goochland County Circuit Court judge last week denied a request to halt work on road improvements at the site of Benedictine College Preparatory School’s site on River Road. Attorney Patrick M. McSweeney had asked the court to order the Virginia Department of Transportation and Benedictine to halt any further work until the Goochland County Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) reviews the school’s Plan of Development (POD) at a scheduled Aug. 26 meeting. Judge Timothy K. Sanner dismissed the petition, calling the series of legal challenges to Benedictine’s move “extremely frustrating” and an inefficient use of the court’s time. “It’s kind of hard to enjoin work that’s already been done,” Sanner said. “All we’re asking is that no more work be done,” replied McSweeney, who has consistently maintained that no work should see Benedictine > page 4
Photo by Jim Ridolphi
‘IT HAS A LIFE OF ITS OWN NOW’ On heels of Fourth of July celebration’s record-breaking success, county parks director busy planning for future projects
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By Jim Ridolphi Staff Writer
Goochland County Parks and Recreation director Derek Stamey told the Goochland County Board of Supervisors last week that the attendance at the Fourth of July fireworks celebration was a record-breaker. The overflow crowds filled all of the county’s designated parking areas, and spectators spilled over to other courthouse venues. Stamey said the celebration has steadily gained in popularity since its inception. “We’ve seen the numbers steadily increase for the past five years.” More than 15,000 people attended this year’s festivities, and Stamey said the event con-
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tinues to increase in popularity with no additional marketing. “Our marketing efforts have been the same for the past five years,” Stamey told the supervisors at their regular monthly meeting on Aug. 6. He said courthouse businesses that stayed open and took advantage of the large crowds enjoyed significant Stamey increases in business. “Most of them saw between a 10 and 400 percent increase in sales for that evening with most seeing about a 30 to 40 percent increase in sales,” Stamey said. see Parks > page 3
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