DELIVER TO: Postal Patron Mechanicsville, VA 23111
Vol. 27, No. 11 | Richmond Suburban Newspapers | July 14, 2010
STOPS AT EVERY HOME IN TOWN
Tomato still draws crowds
Tomato Festival ‘a very successful event’ By Melody Kinser mkinser@mechlocal.com “It was a very successful event” is how Greg Sager, director of the Hanover Parks and Recreation Department, described the 2010 Hanover Tomato Festival. “Given the weather, and the uncertainty of the weather, we were really pleased with the attendance,” he said Monday morning. Rain fell on Pole Green Park around 10:30 a.m. and clouds filled the skies most of the afternoon. After a record-breaking attendance of
By Shannon Rice For The Mechanicsville Local
More photos on Community, page 9 ----Photo gallery at www.mechlocal.com
42,000 in 2009, Saturday’s festival welcomed “just under 25,000.” That figure, Sager said, is the unofficial estimate. Situated in the center of the park is a large tent with the item of the day: Hanover Patrick Dobbs for The Local Tomatoes. Due to the drop in attendance, sales also suffered. “Tomato sales are down from Jonathan Dzielak agreed with the majority when it comes to the
New principals
PRSRT. STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Mechanicsville, VA Permit No.141
see FESTIVAL, pg. 4 `
Hanover Tomato Festival — it’s all about the tomato. Overcast skies and some rain didn’t diminish the excitement of the event.
The Hanover Tomato remained the biggest attraction for locals and travelers at the 32nd Annual Hanover Tomato Festival on Saturday at Pole Green Park. With the tomato taking center stage, the event also featured food, vendor, games and entertainment. When asked what brought them to the festival, the answer see FESTIVAL, pg. 4 `
Hanover receives SPQ Award County recognized for Commitment to Performance Excellence
Photos submitted by Dale Theakston
Vincent D’Agostino, left; Jennifer Cohodas, center; and Carol Moore, right; have been appointed to new roles for the 2010-2011 school year by the Hanover County School Board. D’Agostino, formerly the principal of Atlee High School, will serve as the principal at The Hanover Center for Trades & Technology. Cohodas, a former assistant principal at Lee-Davis High School, was appointed principal of Atlee High School. Moore, who formerly served as assistant principal at Monacan High School in Chesterfield County was appointed principal of Lee-Davis High School.
Hanover County has become only the second county government in Virginia to receive a U.S. Senate Productivity and Quality Award (SPQA). Hanover is this year’s only recipient of the SPQA Certificate for Commitment to Performance Excellence. “Recognition at this level is provided to organizations that have demonstrated, through their commitment and implementation of effective management principles, notable progress in building sound processes,” Virginia SPQA noted in a press release from Bob Bowles, executive director. U.S. Senators Jim Webb and Mark Warner serve as honorary program chairs for the Virginia SPQA. In the
press release they noted that since the a stronger Virginia,” Webb and Warner founding of Virginia SPQA in 1983, said. “We are proud of this program and the 2010 award recipient, Hanover County government.” “Not only does this A non-profit, all-volunteer organizaprocess show that tion, Virginia SPQA administers the we have done a lot Commonwealth’s version of the national of things well, but it Malcolm Baldrige Program, which is shows us how we can used by many top public and private organizations as a proven business continue to improve.” model. CECIL R. ‘RHU’ HARRIS JR. Hanover government departments County administrator underwent a rigorous application process, including a site visit from SPQA hundreds of organizations have been Board members this spring. Only 79 private, public and nonevaluated and their performance anaprofit businesses in Virginia have lyzed. “The benefits ultimately translate to see SPQ, pg. 4 `