| Published Date: Friday
9th May 2008 |
Pairet Clips
Wings
Of Competitors In
At-Large Election
Thompson Wins
Ward B: Whitus
Reelected To 2nd
At-Large Seat
By KEN
WOODLEY
FARMVILLE—Then the campaign signs were gone and all the incumbents
remained.
Wednesday dawned in Farmville with all four incumbents—two of them
unchallenged—returned to their seats on Town Council, where they will be joined
by newcomer Thomas M. ‘Tom’ Pairet.
In an unusual race, which saw both of the Town’s At-Large seats
voted on and two special elections to fill unexpired terms, slightly less than
30 percent of the town’s registered voters cast ballots on a gorgeous election
day; 1,021 people voted.
At-Large incumbent David E. Whitus came out the winner in a crowded
four-person field. His 454 votes placed Whitus more than 200 votes ahead of Carl
U. Eggleston, who had 245 votes, Abbey H. O’Connor, who won 177 votes, and Jack
E. Houghton, who garnered 108 votes.
Pairet bested a field of three candidates vying for the unexpired
two-year term in the other At-Large race. Pairet won with 377 votes, topping
Robert M. Glenn, Jr.’s, 262 votes and the 224 votes won by Houghton.
In the two-person race to fill the unexpired two years remaining in
the Ward B term, Sally B. Thompson’s 105 votes put her in office over the 55
votes cast for R. Rhodes Martin, Jr.
Ward D incumbent Donald L. Hunter, with 155 votes, and Ward E
incumbent Otto S. Overton, who had 118 votes, were unchallenged.
‘A Humbling Experience’
Pairet’s triumph in his first bid for elected office saw him seated
with Town Council during its work session the day after the election. . . . . .
.
Middle School Prepares For SOLs
By MEGAN
HARRIS
CUMBERLAND — The Cumberland County Public Schools last day of
classes is just a few short weeks away and with that comes the end-of-the-year
Standards of Learning (SOLs) tests. Last week, with the tests just a few days
away, students in the Cumberland Middle School celebrated and learned new and
refreshing ways to study and prepare for the important tests by having a little
fun and showing their school spirit.
The Middle School students participated in a spirit week where they
celebrated the theme, “Do the blue, go for the gold.”
The “blue” stood for early in bed, lose the stress, use your head,
and encourage others as a way to prepare for those all-important SOLs.
The spirit week concluded with a pep rally and a volleyball game
where several students from each grade played against their teachers and several
members of the Middle School faculty.
Throughout the week, students wore their pajamas as a way to
represent that rest is important during the SOL testing week.
The students also released a little stress by showing off their . .
. . .
Is Approved With
A
Pay Hike For Staff
By ROB
CHAPMAN
PRINCE EDWARD — The board of supervisors didn’t chip in as much as
the school board had asked for, but, with a tweak here and there, many funding
initiatives are still in place.
The school board, following the recommendation of Division
Superintendent Dr. Patricia Watkins, approved a revised budget Wednesday that
includes $28,924,916 in operating funds, $630,537 in construction funds, and
$1,085,800 in school cafeteria funds.
County supervisors, who considered the County Administrator’s
proposed budget that factored a slight reduction in county contributions and
additional state funds, in their final budget work session last week provided an
additional $206,324 which would provide enough funds to give all school
employees a three percent pay raise beginning July 1.
Essentially, however, school funding is $306,639 less than what was
originally requested in local funds.
The cost for the three percent salary increase—$573,065—will come
from additional state funds ($331,027, based on an average daily membership of
2,500 students), plus the additional $206,324 from the board of supervisors, and
$48,500 leave payment to the former superintendent. (Payments are to be
completed June 30, which is still in the current fiscal year. “It was still in
the budget,” Division Superintendent Dr. Patricia Watkins later explained, “so
we went ahead and took it out.)
Because they are using state funds, they will also look to cuts.
Specifically, the final budget factors:
*Cutting the purchase of two buses, saving $156,229. That would
mean no bus purchases for the budget year, but school officials hope to make one
purchase before the end of the fiscal year June 30.
*Cutting two teacher positions at the middle school through
attrition. “…Based on the numbers at the . . . .
Board Hopes To
REAP Success
By ROB
CHAPMAN
PRINCE EDWARD — The County’s Middle School will have a new
six-period schedule next year.
County Middle School Principal Michael Earl presented a plan for a
flexible school schedule last month that would offer what he cited is a
“rhythmic pace and rigor within our school environment” for the coming year.
Board members met Wednesday and approved the middle school’s course of study
that will do exactly that.
Specifically, the plan is designed to help students who need it get
up to speed with remediation, encourage other students in the academic journey,
and encourage collaboration between teachers.
“As you know, the middle school has made tremendous progress
this year,” noted Division Superintendent Dr. Patricia Watkins in last month’s
school board meeting. “Progress in culture of the school, discipline has . . . .
.
By KEN
WOODLEY
FARMVILLE—A new pre-fab building isn’t the only game in town for
Farmville’s blossoming department of recreation.
Town Council has changed its recreation building plans, opting to
use an existing structure, the house on Wilck’s Lake island, and add on to it
later as the Town’s recreation program, led by its director Carol Hurley,
continues to grow.
Council had decided in January to get architectural plans for a new
building at Wilck’s Lake but believes the change of direction will save money
while still providing the recreation department with its own home base.
“We have that building out at Wilck’s Lake island,” Town Manager
Gerald Spates told council during its April work session. “And it would make an
ideal building for our recreational program to start off with. We’ll clean
everything out of there…and let Carol use it as a rec. building.”
Farmville officials then discussed moving a Town-owned 40-foot by
60-foot modular building to the island as an add-on to the house.
The Town will allow the modular building to be used as a
construction office this summer while the Immigration and Customs Enforcement
detention center is being constructed and will then move it to the island.
“I think it would save us a lot of money, initially,” Spates said
of the two-building Wilck’s Lake island plan.
The Town has not ruled out new construction in the future, should
the recreation department need it. “And then, as the program develops, we need
to . . . . .
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