In a press release dated March 5, it was announced by Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Commissioner Charlie Kilpatrick that Marcie Parker, P.E. has been named as the agency’s new Fredericksburg District Administrator. The Fredericksburg District includes Northumberland and neighboring counties on the Northern Neck. Parker, who was appointed Acting District Administrator this January, will oversee construction, maintenance and operations for 11,500 miles of state-maintained roads in the 14-county Fredericksburg
The Potomac River Fisheries Commission office last Thursday was packed with watermen, residents and conservation agencies who came together to partake in the first-ever Water Quality Information Exchange concerning the tidal Potomac. Representatives from the Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources and Virginia Dept. of Environmental Quality disclosed recent water quality trends in the river while also fielding questions from the audience. Margaret McGinty of the Maryland DNR’s Fisheries Habitat and
Most of the Northumberland Association for Progressive Stewardship’s annual meeting at Heathsville Methodist Church Saturday, Feb. 22 was devoted to the oyster industry. Richard Harding of Purcells Seafood in Burgess, Dudley Biddlecomb and Lynton Land discussed commercial oystering and oystering for private consumption. David Rowe, who conducts “eco-tours” that explain the local waters, talked about tonging oysters, an arduous job that he lets his eco-tourists try. Harding noted that his
The Northumberland High School Forensics team captured first place Conference honors this past Tuesday. Washington and Lee High School earned second place honors. The top three competitors from each team will travel to the Regional competition at West Point on Saturday, March 1. Earning honors at the event were the following-Storytelling: Joshua McKinley (1st place); Impromptu: Cathleen Harp (2nd place); Poetry: Joey Gaskins (1st place) and Casey Gaskins (2nd place);
The 2013-2014 indoor track season closed last week with a flurry of newly-established and broken school rcords. Coach Eddie Barnes said several student athletes worked out this year with the track team, but most were doing so for the conditioning for spring sports. On the ladies’ side was freshman Trinity Bea, who established school records in the 500 and 1,000-meter races. She took fourth in the 500 in the 1A
Wednesday night’s winter sports further highlighted the success that Northumberland students earned during this past 2013-2014 season. And the most popular award of the night wne to retired basketball and baseball coach Jimmie Jett for his 208 career varsity basketball wins. Jett was introduced by longtime assistant coach and friend Donn Belfield. After saying what an honor it was to present the award, Belfield observed what he felt where the
The Northumberland girls varsity basketball team made the long journey Tuesday to face the Altavista Lady Colonels. They left empty-handed as they lost to Altavista, 43-38 to close what was a strong overall performance in the 2013-2014 basketball season. They were two games shy of returning to state-level competition. The game opened with the Colonels getting the ball inside to their tall, six-foot-one center Sydney Morris. Northumberland countered with a
It was a lively Friday evening at Henderson United Methodist Church where people enjoyed warm spaghetti with cheese and meatballs coupled with salads, Italian bread with butter, desserts and a choice of iced tea or lemonade as part of a Boy Scout fundraising Spaghetti Supper. With family, friends and fellow scouts of the Callao-based Boy Scout Troop 250 helping put the supper together, Patrick McKenney spearheaded the event to raise
Northumberland County’s entire elementary school spent February reading “The Day of the Iguana” as part of the annual “One school, one book” program. This year, the book involved the arrival of baby iguanas into a disassembled TV cable box but also involved the arrival of a six-foot iguana at the elementary school. The school’s iguana involved high school art teacher Eddie Barnes… —Pick up the March 5 issue of the
Part of the mission of the Northern Neck Orchestra is to encourage the development of talented music students through mentoring and performance opportunities. On Feb. 23, in a concert celebrating “Youthful Gifts,” the spotlight will be on three young performers and on the works of great composers whose musical gifts were also apparent in their youth. The concert will begin at 3 p.m. at Northumberland High School. The program will
When Steve Weddle’s novel “Country Hardball” hit the bookstands on Monday, Nov. 18, it was a date that served a dual purpose. It marked the beginning of Weddle’s career as a published novelist, but the end of a long journey of reflection and perspiration. “People ask me how long it took to write, and I tell them that we sold the book when I was 42, so it took me
More than a hundred people showed up in Heathsville for the “Super Raffle” drawing by the Friends of the Library Sunday afternoon. The event, accompanied by a special drawing for a large doll house that was raffled by the Northumberland Public Library’s board of trustees and a silent auction went on for two hours as guests partook of a wide array of snacks and potables. The Boys and Girls Club
The Potomac River Fisheries Commission office last Thursday was packed with watermen,
Most of the Northumberland Association for Progressive Stewardship’s annual meeting at Heathsville
The 2013-2014 indoor track season closed last week with a flurry of
Wednesday night’s winter sports further highlighted the success that Northumberland students earned
It was a lively Friday evening at Henderson United Methodist Church where
Northumberland County’s entire elementary school spent February reading “The Day of the