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Vol. 37, No. 23 | Richmond Suburban News | September 15, 2021
STOPS AT EVERY HOME IN TOWN
Twenty years later, Hanover still remembers 9-11
Smiles tell the story as students return to school By Jim Ridolphi The Mechanicsville Local
I
t’s been a busy week for Hanover school superintendent Michael Gill. After visiting 17 campuses on the first two days of school, he completed his opening day tours with a visit to an additional eight schools as the week progressed. “It’s the same story in every building,” Gill said. “The kids, perhaps more than any other year, are just happy to be back around each other and learning, so it has been a very positive start.” Gill said the smooth opening was assisted by a staggered schedule that welcomed transitional students who were arriving at a campus for the first time or students returning from online instruction a day early in an effort to acquaint
Jim Ridolphi/The Local Joel Klein for The Local
Laura Scearce, math coach and Julian Rieder, behavior coach greet students getting off of the bus for first day of school at Cold Harbor Elementary School. See community page 15 for more first day of school photos.
them with campus layouts and classroom locations. The practice began last year when officials weren’t sure what to expect on the first day
of school, and principals were concerned regarding social distancing requirements. It was a plan that gained wide praise from parents, teachers and stu-
dents in its initial year, and officials decided to keep the plan in place for this opening. see SCHOOL, pg. 18
Members of Hanover’s Fire/EMS rang a bell three times signaling the end of service for those who died on Sept. 11, 2001.
By Jim Ridolphi The Mechanicsville Local Hanover County never forgets. County administration, elected officials, staff and public safety workers gathered last
American flags in honor of 9/11 victims Photos Hanover County Public Schools
Left, in partnership with VFW Post 9808, students in the NJROTC program at Mechanicsville High School placed 2,977 American flags in front of the high school to honor the victims of September 11, 2001. Students finished placing the flags on Friday, the day before the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. Right The flags, which face Route 360, have garnered a positive reaction from onlookers, with many drivers honking their horns in support and some stopping to take pictures of the memorial. The 2,977 flags represent the 2,977 victims of the attacks.
week to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice on Sept. 11, 2001. It was a poignant ceremony reflecting on those who sacrificed that eventful day that was held in front of the old see 9-11, pg. 9
