The Journal
www.journalpress.com
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
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Foxes indoor track & field finish 9th, 12th at state meet Staff reports Although the Foxes girls’ and boy’s indoor track team completed the 2015-2016 with a number of all-state performances, at the VHSL State 4A Indoor Track & Field State Championship at the Liberty University Tolsma Track Center in Lynchburg they placed out of the top teams. The Foxes girls finished 12th, while their male counterparts finished ninth. E.C. Glass and Liberty Christian placed first for the girls and boys respectively. As for the Foxes girls, Heidi Colwell, and Briana Green both finished with All-State honors, as Colwell finished second in the pole vault with a leap of 12’, and Green finished seventh with a leap of 9’6”. Green also tied for third in the high jump with a leap of 5’.
Aubrey Wingeart held on to finish eighth in the 1600 meters with a time of 5:26.83. Wingeart and her 4x800-meter team of Hannah Koepfinger, Molly Desque and Brooke West finished sixth in the 4x800-meter relay. On the boys side, Ezugo Aguolu finished scond in the 500 meters with a time of 1:06.59. Aguolu also supported a leg of the following relay teams: 4x400-meter relay (Jordan Aley, Brian Greeley, Ryan Davidson) 5th, 3:32.09; and 4x200-meter relay, (Jordan Aley, Kyle Buchanan, Jacob Ditomaso, and Ezugo Aguolu) 1:32.00. Aley, a member of each of the AllState teams, finished eighth in the 300 meters with a time of 36.24. Aley’s teammate, Kyree Garrett placed eighth in the triple jump with a leap of 41’9.25.
Fox athlete Heidi Colwell finished second in the pole vault event at the VHSL State 4A Indoor Track & Field Championships, in Lynchburg.
Photo by Leonard Banks
Hull new chairman of King George Economic Development Phyllis Cook
The King George Economic Development Authority elected officers for the 2016 calendar year at a meeting Feb. 11, with Jim Hull snagging the top position as chairman. Dreda Newman was elected vice chairperson. Hull is new to the EDA, voted in at his second meeting. He was nominated for chairman by Bob Fuscaldo, another new atlarge member appointed by the Board of Supervisors in January on nominations from Chairwoman Ruby Brabo. A third new member is Ted Haenlein, appointed in late December from Shiloh. Along with Vice Chairman Newman, the other members are Rick Ballenger, Monika Philbrick and Jeanne Fraysse. “I would love to serve the position of chairman,” Hull told his new colleagues. “I’ve been in a lot of leadership positions.” He said he had been a long time leader with the Boy Scouts and had
been in the military. He was in the Army Reserves for 24 years, including three years active duty at Fort Bragg, and also serving with reserve units in Virginia. He also told The Journal he is current chairman of the King George TEA Party with his term expiring in April. “That will enable me to redirect my interests to focus specifically on the issues that confront King George citizens,” Hull said. He wants to see a re-energized relationship between the EDA and the Board of Supervisors. That is likely, with Brabo and two new supervisors, John Jenkins and Richard Granger, all campaigning last fall for a strategic economic development plan to be developed for King George. Hull agrees. “A high-quality strategic plan requires a significant amount of work as it is designed to capture a longterm perspective for the county’s future,” Hull said. He wants the EDA to start addressing that soon, saying he would encourage the county’s residents to
provide input. “The plan will also serve annual budgeting efforts by providing the foundation for financial decisions,” Hull said. He also pointed to a desire by the majority of supervisors to run a water line from to the Route 3/US 301 intersection and to also extend an existing sewer line at the intersection to a site planned for Tractor Supply Company. “The new water/sewer lines to the Highway 3/301 intersection is expected to serve as the foundation for new investment,” Hull said. Supervisors will get cost estimates soon for engineering proposals for running a water line from east of Purkins Corner to Route 3/US 301. County administrator Travis Quesenberry told The Journal those estimates would include costs for investigating whether the existing Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) easement, which also contains the Service Authority’s sewer line, is wide enough for construction of a water line. The VDOT easement in question
is located along the north of Route 3. Quesenberry told Supervisors during a budget meeting on Jan. 26 that question must be answered before they can come near finalizing any cost estimate, which currently stands at about $950,000. At that January work session, Quesenberry also said it might be necessary to use eminent domain. “If this project moves forward and the board does commit to building a water line, and if there is a need to acquire easements, and those property owners are not willing to convey, then the board would have to go to eminent domain to get the property,” Quesenberry said. “That’s something you need to know as you move forward in this process.” Supervisors asked for cost estimates for easement acquisition, if necessary. “You definitely would be paying more if you go to eminent domain,” Quesenberry said. Richard Granger asked to be supplied with a ‘worst case scenario’ in regard to acquisition costs. “How much would it cost us, like
if every property owner says ‘nowe’re not going to do it,” Granger queried. Quesenberry said with a utility project, the county could ‘take’ it first and settle up with the landowner later. “It may be a year or two before you go to court,” Quesenberry said. “But when you do go to court, you have a board of commissioners that decides the values. So we may say the value is $2,000 and they may say, noyou’re going to give them $50,000.” Brabo gave her opinion. “But looking at the properties along that route, for the majority of them, they would see it as an improvement to the value of their property,” Brabo said. That late January meeting was the last public discussion of potential costs for the acquisition of easements for those properties currently zoned residential. The rest of the discussion has taken place during closed-door sessions with legal counsel concerning a proposed Tractor Supply agreement, saying discussion in an open
session would adversely affect the bargaining position or negotiating strategy of the county. The Journal asked Quesenberry for cost scenarios for easements requested by supervisors. “Chris Thomas previously stated the cost of the water line extension is $950,000. Eric (Gregory-county attorney) told me I could not disclose cost information that was provided to the Board in closed session,” Quesenberry said. Brabo subsequently agreed, saying that information is confidential since it would reveal the county’s negotiating terms. Regular meetings of the EDA are held at 5 p.m. on the second Thursdays of the month in the groundfloor board room in the Revercomb Administration building, behind the King George Courthouse on Route 3. EDA members will also meet at the King George Industrial Park at 10 a.m. Friday, March 4 to tour it. It has been announced no business of the EDA will be conducted or transacted during site the visit.
King George school calendars approved for two upcoming years with mid-August starts Phyllis Cook The King George School Board approved student attendance calendars for each of the next two school years at its meeting on Feb. 22. The two calendars for 2016-17 and 2-1718 are similar, with start dates in mid-August. They both complete the first semester prior to the start of the Christmas holiday break with new courses at the high school starting up in January. Both calendars have spring final exams and end the school year prior to Memorial Day, which starts summer vacation. The approved calendars are available on the division’s website: <http://www.kgcs.k12.va.us/ home>. The School Board approved one of three different calendars on a vote of 4-0, with member Mike Rose abstaining. Rose provided comments. “I abstained from voting because I disagreed with the process and the way it was done,” Rose said. “I was hoping we would have learned from our mistakes, but we
pretty much followed the same pattern as we did last year.” The calendar committee had posted its first survey to receive input without prior notice to school board members in December. “I didn’t know about it until I started hearing people complaining about it,” Rose said. Nonetheless, Rose said he agreed with the selection of the approved calendar. Other School Board members commented. “One thing I know for sure is that the school division staff and school board members are making decisions based on what is best for the education of our students,” Tammy Indseth said. When she was making the decision she considered which calendar option had the most potential for meeting the educational needs of students. With that in mind, she said she reviewed all the survey comments, emails from the community, public comments at meetings and student input. “Option B, with a school date of August 15, has the most potential for meeting the educational needs of our students because of increasing instructional time prior to SOLs, AP tests, final exams, benchmarks, and industry certification,”
Indseth said, along with several other reasons. Gayle Hock said she knew people had concern about the process. “We truly want to base these decisions on academic support for our students and support for our staff,” Hock said. “I think the process is important and if you have comments about it, I think we all would benefit from those.” Chairman T.C. Collins said they had sought feedback in many ways on the three calendar options presented. “The feedback I received had the majority for calendar B and that is my choice.” Kristin Tolliver said she didn’t get a lot of feedback from folks in her district, but the input she received went in favor of the calendar B, the one selected. “We are charged with making decisions that are based on the instructional academic needs of our students and I think that is the best option for them,” Tolliver said. She said some people complained that school starting in mid-August would shorten their summer vacation, yet each of the three calendar choices provided 9 weeks of summer vacation.
Maryland man to finally be sentenced for robbery Richard Leggitt King George Circuit Court Judge Patricia Kelly will finally sentence a Maryland man, who was convicted of two counts of robbery in connection with a brutal 2014 incident, on March 31. The resolution of the charges against Anthony Goodman of Upper Marlboro, Md., has been repeatedly delayed as Goodman has filed vari-
ous motions in the case. Goodman entered guilty pleas last year to the charges related to the April 2014 slaying of King George County resident Ronell Johnson. But before he was supposed to be sentenced last October, Goodman wrote a letter asking Judge Kelly to allow him to withdraw his pleas. Goodman claimed that his attorney at the time had given him false information and pressured him.
Judge Patricia Kelly heard evidence in connection with Goodman's motion last week and reminded Goodman that before he pleaded guilty he was asked a series of questions prior to having his pleas accepted. Kelly said Goodman's responses made it clear that his pleas were voluntary and she denied the motion to withdraw the guilty pleas. Johnson was shot and killed and another King George man was
wounded in a drug deal that turned violent. Also arrested and convicted were Andre Michael Clinton, 29, of Bladensburg, Md., and Tennase Michel Shanks, 45, of Colonial Beach. Clinton pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and other charges and is serving a 45-year prison sentence. Shanks, the woman who drove the men to Johnson’s King George home, is serving a 10-year prison sentence.
Colonial Beach to hold budget hearing March 10 The Colonial Beach Town Council will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. March 10 at town hall on $1.5 million in budget amendments. No new money has been obtained or will be spent. The amendments are needed to document the funding of the new elementary school. When the budget was created the new loan for the school had not been ap-
proved so in order to legally appropriate (receive) and spend that money these amendments must reflect the new school funding in the 2015-16 fiscal year budget. The budget will be amended to record the new elementary school loan funds in the amount of $890,733. The budget will transfer $685,481 from
money in the Capital Improvement Funds to the General Fund. Allowing the town to spend money on recently approved capital projects. If approved the amended budget will be $17,333,446 for the school's budget and would increase the town's budget for the current fiscal year from $6,852,804 to $7,743,537.
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