DELIVER TO: Postal Patron Mechanicsville, VA 23111
PRSRT. STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Mechanicsville, VA Permit No.141
Vol. 29, No. 17 | Richmond Suburban Newspapers | August 29, 2012
STOPS AT EVERY HOME IN TOWN
County reviews new and refreshed website By Jim Ridolphi for The Mechanicsville Local
Updating and rebuilding Hanover County’s official government website is a complicated and time-consuming process, but officials took the first step last week in beginning that effort. The Board of Supervisors also received an update of the county’s role in J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College.
As for the web improvements, the board endorsed a project outline presented by Kirk Baumbach, the county’s IT coordinator, that will take the initial steps that begins a process that could take up to two years. Getting it right is more important than rushing through the process, he said, and the test and revise stage of the process is critical. The county’s current website homepage is too crowded,
according to Baumbach, and requires too many clicks. While the new system is updated manually, the new system would allow authorized administrators to add or delete information. With more than half of its users accessing the site with SmartPhones and the like, Jim Ridolphi for The Local Baumbach said the new edition J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College board members, from left, Mark Creery, left, and Anne should be “mobile friendly.” Marie Lauranzon accompanied JSRCC president Dr. Gary Rhodes to the podium as they provided Virginia Interactive will the Hanover County Board of Supervisors with an update on the school’s role in the county see WEBSITE, pg. 4 `
during last Wednesday’s regular meeting.
Newspaper Local Lions named Melvin Jones Fellows rejuvenated with purchase Photo submitted by Eugene Truitt
Jay Bumgartner, left, and Fran Hodges of the Mechanicsville Lions Club have been named Melvin Jones Fellows by Lions Club International Foundation in recognition of commitment to serving their community. They received a commemorative plaque and lapel pin acknowledging their dedication to the foundation’s humanitarian goals. As Fellows, they become part of the growing network of individuals committed to improving the quality of life for people around the world. Named for the founder of Lions Club International, Melvin Jones Fellowship is one of the foundation’s highest recognitions, honoring the commitment to humanitarian service. Lions Club International Foundation is the charitable arm of Lions Club International. Established in 1968, LCIF is committed to providing humanitarian services to those in need, including providing disaster relief, saving sight, supporting youth and combating disability. The Mechanicsville Lions Club meets at 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month at Shoney’s in Mechanicsville. For more information, contact Eugene Truitt, club president, at 804-746-4734.
By Jim Ridolphi for The Mechanicsville Local With a recent change in ownership, the Richmond Times-Dispatch and its community weeklies are poised for a bright future in the print and digital media arena. That was the message delivered by T-D president and publisher Tom Silvestri at Thursday’s meeting of the Greater Richmond Chamber’s Hanover Business Council at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland. “The big news for the Richmond Times-Dispatch is this purchase [by World Media
Jijm Ridolphi for The Local
Tom Silvestri, president and publisher of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, addressed the Hanover Business Council last week.
Enterprises],” Silvestri said. “It’s nothing short of amazing what has happened,” Silvestri, a 30-year employee of Media General, added. The sale represented a sense of rejuvenation for a company that had encountered financial see NEWSPAPER, pg. 21 `