Inside A5 Teen leaders train for 4-H Camp 2022
Powhatan, Virginia B1 Johnson relives title run
Vol. XXXV No.. 36
March 9, 2022
Supervisors mull future of social services board By Laura McFarland Managing Editor
POWHATAN – The Powhatan County Board of Supervisors recently found itself weighing in on the issues of another local board and will now be considering the future of how that group will function moving forward. Two heavily debated topics at the supervisors’ Feb. 28 meeting related to the makeup and duties of the Powhatan County Social Services Board. The supervisors needed to appoint two members to the social services board, and new members Connie Thompson and Lynne LaPierre were chosen. Their appointments came after the first person nominated, thenchair Mike Smith, failed to be reappointed. His nomination failed in a 2-3 vote, with David Williams, District 1, and Bill Cox, District 4, voting for him. Chair Mike Byerly, District 3, Steve McClung, District 2, and Karin Carmack, District 5, voted against. The discussion about the past, present and future circumstances of the social services board actually started during the board appointments and then contin-
ued on as its own agenda item, a lengthy debate about whether to proceed with a move to change the social services board from administrative to an advisory board. The board ultimately voted 3-2 in favor of moving forward with consideration of the change and holding a public hearing at the supervisors’ March 28 meeting to allow citizens to weigh in on the matter. Williams and Cox voted against. The decision to move forward with a public hearing was also a rejection of a request by the voting social services board members (Carmack is a non-voting member) to hold a workshop to discuss the issue with them before proceeding with a public hearing. While the social services board’s recent history has been complicated, some of the problems brought up surrounding the board within the last few weeks included communication errors among them and staff; criticism of former director Sharon Rochelle; board members’ attendance issues; questions about whether the board was fulfilling its full duties; the department’s overall performance, and whether Powhatan citizens would be better served having an advisory or administrative board in place.
Social services board
The five-member administrative social services board is charged with learning about social services’ many programs, partnerships and initiatives “designed to embrace, engage, educate and empower our citizens and neighbors,” according to its handbook. The board also is supposed to be involved in strategic and financial planning and monitoring, personnel and workforce management, programs and services, community events, fundraising, branding and marketing. During the last social services board meeting held Tuesday, Feb. 22, then-chair Mike Smith and fellow board member Neil Stout raised several concerns about recent happenings revolving around the board. Smith, who did a great deal of research on several issues between the board’s January and February meetings, raised many concerns. Among them was total confusion about when the four-year terms of board members ended, with several members with time to serve being told incorrectly that their term had ended, as well as vacant positions going unfilled. Smith put the see SOCIAL SERVICES, pg. 3
Town hall focuses on senior issues PHOTO BY LAURA McFARLAND
Judy Cain-Oliver speaks to a large group of people who attended a town hall held by the Senior Action Committee of Powhatan to look at the issue of getting a senior center in Powhatan. The group is leading a grassroots effort to get a senior center in Powhatan.
IMAGE COURTESY OF POWHATAN COUNTY
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Powhatan County recently launched a new tourism website.
By Laura McFarland Managing Editor
POWHATAN – A grassroots effort is trying to gain momentum to bring a permanent senior center to the county to improve life in Powhatan for older generations. The recently formed Senior Action Committee of Powhatan held a town hall meeting on Sunday, Feb. 27 to address the issues they have found are needs in Powhatan that could promote and support healthy aging and to suggest possible ways forward. About 45 people attended the event at the Village Building. The committee, which is made up of volunteers interested in senior issues, was formed to define and understand the needs of the aging population and to advocate for more services and a permanent space to deliver those services, said Judy Cain-Oliver, a local licensed clinical psychologist who helped start the ac-
tion committee. She pointed out that the 2020 U.S. Census identified 17% of Powhatan County’s population as seniors, which is slightly above the national senior population of about 16.5%. According to national statistics, nearly one fifth of the U.S. population will be 65 and older by 2030, she added. The purpose of the town hall was not to tell local seniors there is an issue and present a definite solution but to identify what problems exist and try to find a way to solve them together, Cain-Oliver said. “I want you to think of a piece of string. Each of us is a piece of string – each of us has a usefulness and a strength about us,” she said. “But now think about a piece of tapestry. If you weave all those threads together, you can create something very beautiful, very strong, very meaningful. And that is what I think we can do here.
County updates tourism website By Laura McFarland Managing Editor
POWHATAN – Powhatan Economic Development recently launched a refreshed tourism website to let the world know what the county has to offer. The website, which is now located at www.visitpowhatan.com, is a refreshed glimpse at some of the county’s key selling points to attract tourists – and by extension tourist dollars, said Roxanne Salerno, economic development manager. The new site, which was designed inhouse by Salerno and fellow employee Carla Neidigh, places a big emphasis on gaining a visitor’s attention through images of Powhatan’s different offerings. “We know tourism is all about capturing
see TOWN HALL, pg. 8
see TOURISM, pg. 5
Elementary students read their way across America By Laura McFarland Managing Editor
POWHATAN – Powhatan’s three elementary schools took a nod from Read Across America’s title this year for their theme, encouraging students to explore the nation through the written word. The national program that aims to get students excited about reading is traditionally associated with Dr. Seuss, since it is usually centered on the March 2 birthday of author Theodor Seuss Geissel. But while there was plenty of Seuss fun to be found see READ, pg. 6 PHOTO BY LAURA McFARLAND
Powhatan Elementary fifth graders Kayla Carnahan, from left, Peyten Proper and Isabella Ball read selections from the Read Across America book list.