Honoring a classmate

Artist donates tapestries to HPL

Whether in the old Heritage Public Library building in Providence Forge or either of the two newer branches, somewhere along the way a patron may have seen the work of Lucy Sawyer. A resident of New Kent for 18 years, Sawyer continues to provide an array of artwork for the library. Her work, along with that of her students, has become décor to make patrons at the library feel welcomed. Sawyer donated four silk tapestries to the library last Saturday, just another addition from the versatile artist. Among other contributions are a variety of paintings and all of the window…
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Briefly… For March 28-April 10, 2013

Former NK School Board member dies Cynthia L. Gaines, a member of the first elected school board in New Kent County, died Sunday, March 17. The Rev. Dr. Gaines, 61, served three terms on the New Kent board starting in 1995 when Virginia made the change from appointed to elected boards. That year, she defeated Will Wallace 579-273 in the race for the District 3 seat. She won reelection in 1999 and 2003, running unopposed both times. While in office, she served several one-year terms as the board’s chairman and vice-chairman. In January 2007, she announced plans to retire, but…
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Campaign targets distracted truck, bus drivers in NK

Truck and bus drivers be warned: you had better think twice if you are holding your cell phone while driving in New Kent. DRIVE SMART Virginia, in partnership with the New Kent County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), will be conducting a distracted driving education and enforcement campaign this spring. Beginning April 8, truck and bus drivers traveling along Interstate 64 in New Kent will come across a serious message: Phone Down. Just Drive. The New Kent Sheriff’s Office will be enforcing the FMCSA regulation that restricts the use of hand-held mobile telephones by commercial…
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Goodwill accepting donations at New Kent Envirothon

Goodwill and New Kent County are partnering to provide the New Kent community with a convenient, free, and tax-deductible way to get rid of gently used household items, including computers and peripherals. Area residents can bring items to the fourth Annual Envirothon/Earth Day event on April 13. The Big Blue Goodwill truck will be parked at the Old Courthouse parking lot. Goodwill donation attendants will be on-hand 9 a.m.-2 p.m. to accept donations, answer questions, and provide donation receipts. Goodwill accepts clothing and accessories, desktop and laptop computers (working or not, any brand), shoes, printers, housewares, collectibles, cell phones, small…
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Former NK School Board member succumbs

Cynthia L. Gaines, a member of the first elected school board in New Kent County, died Sunday, March 17. The Rev. Dr. Gaines, 61, served three terms on the New Kent board starting in 1995 when Virginia made the change from appointed to elected boards. That year, she defeated Will Wallace 579-273 in the race for the District 3 seat. She won reelection in 1999 and 2003, running unopposed both times. While in office, she served several one-year terms as the board’s chairman and vice-chairman. In January 2007, she announced plans to retire, but changed her mind and submitted voter…
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Upcoming highway work on Interstate 64, Route 33

Over the next few days, motorists can expect traffic problems on Interstate 64 and Route 33 through New Kent County. VDOT has scheduled the following projects: –Monday-Friday, March 18-22, 9 p.m.-5 a.m. motorists can expect closures on the eastbound right lane of I-64 for pothole repair. –Tuesday, March 19, 9 p.m.-5 a.m. the ramp from Route 249 to I-64 westbound at the 205 mile marker (Quinton/Bottoms Bridge interchange) will be closed for pavement repairs. Motorists seeking to travel west toward Henrico/Richmond should use Route 60. –Wednesday, March 20, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. shoulders on both eastbound and westbound lanes of I-64…
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Close to $1.5 million shortfall in $28.1 million school budget

As New Kent School Board members mulled over a 16-page document consisting of justification sheets for budget requests, it became evident by the silence in the room– tough times lie ahead. School finance director Ralph Westbay and superintendent of schools Rick Richardson presented the document and fielded questions from board members during Monday’s budget work session. Discussion over balancing a proposed $28,127,900 FY2013-14 budget, that includes a two percent across the board pay hike for employees, became keen. The bottom line results in a net revenue shortfall of $1,463,656 that board members may have to face. In a recap of…
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Charles City school officials ask supervisors for money

Charles City’s School Board made its first budget request to county supervisors during supervisors’ quarterly work session on March 6. School board chairwoman Barbara Crawley asked supervisors to assist in making up a $485,041 shortfall that schools are facing for fiscal 2013-14. That amount has been trimmed from the previous $987,702 deficit schools originally faced. (School officials have since reduced the deficit to just over $155,000. See story on page 1.) The amount requested by Crawley is to cover the county’s share of a two percent pay raise for teachers being offered by the state, textbook funding to help with…
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Supervisors, committee at impasse over CC library

Charles City’s Library Campaign Committee has been pursuing a goal of establishing a physical building in the vicinity of the county’s government offices. But with an apparent stalemate between committee members and Charles City’s Board of Supervisors, committee members are taking other steps toward their goal. Committee vice-chairman Alton Washington presented two resolutions for supervisors’ consideration during the board’s March 6 work session. Both aim at constructing a new facility that will host both a library and the county’s Center for Local History. Charles City is the only county in Virginia that does not have its own library. The first…
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