Page 2 CLINCH V _ALLEY "I~IMES, St. Paul, VA, Thursday, June 16, 2011
d ships..and sealing wax..by Young Gregory
A grim milestone
The day° Xvas beautifully sunny, and the
temperature bi'gke 90 degrees, in spite of the fact that
the calendar proclaimed that summer had not yet
officially arrived. Outdoors, everything was calm, and
appeared to be about perfect.
Inside, however, the mood was totally different.
The day was Fri ¢, and the date, June 10, the closing
day of school •in Wise County. For St. Paul High
School students, it was a particularly difficult day to
face, and it bed ariae more so causing tears to flow.
The day was'the last that area teenagers would
attend St. Paul"'High School as students. While it's
true that they might one day re-enter the building, it
will not be used as St. Paul High School again. For
the past four orm0re years, the prevailing majority on
Wise CountyY'School Board :has evidently been
determined for iwahatever reasons to split the county
and initiate consolidation of the county's public
schools, in spit 6/" what many of the county's citizens
had to say. Of course, there were some who favored
consolidation--their reasons seemed to center on
saving money. So'me mentioned that a wider curricula
could be offered, to students--not true, since the
castlewood and St. Paul children play Little League
together, go to church together, shop with their
parents together--we're really one big community.
The Wise County School Board just this week
voted to ask the Board of Supervisors to fund a $60
million building program--for a $25 million school in
Wise, the same in Powell Valley, and a $10 million
addition to Coebum. This is being proposed after the
fact--the student populations of the three smaller
schools are to be crammed into the existing larger
schools without benefit even of renovation, much less
new buildings• And until the Supervisors approve of
the expenditure of $60 million, the proposed building
program is nothing but an idea.
Meanwhile, here in St. Paul, we're going to be
without our high school• I've been assured that all the
school's yearbooks and Videos are safely retained by
the Town, and the huge collection of trophies--athletic
and academic--are now under the ownership of the
Town. They will be collected and safel stored. The
ideal situation would be, as one dedicated SPHS
alumna suggested, an Alumni House to use as a sort
of St. Paul High School museum, as well as a meeting
Bristol YMCA approves
affiliation with Russell County
The Bristol Family YMCA. areas that the Y targets when
Board of Directors has approved providing programs: Youth Dev-
the process of establishingelopment, Healthy Lifestyles and
YMCA program services to Rns- Social Responsibility.
sell County. As reported inThe community is invited to
November 2010, the Friends of attend upcoming information
Russell County Wellness and
Fitness, Inc., after receiving val-
uable community input and per-
forming extensive research,
-voted to affiliate with the Bristol
Family YMCA. This decision
began a process in which the
Bristol YMCA, the YMCA USA,
and the Board of Russell County
sessions with the YMCA steer-
ing committee and representa-
fives from the Bristol Y (days
and times to be announced). You
will have an opportunity to ask
questions, discuss specific pro-
grams that will be offered
initially, and learn more of the
vision for future development
Wellness and Fitness, Inc., enter- not only of Y programs but of a
ed negotiations to determine facility that can house these
whether a relationship between programs and serve our
our county and the YMCA could
be established. On April 7, the
Bristol Y Board of Directors
approved affiliation with Russell
County, allowing us to move
forward in bringing services to
residents' health and wellness
needs.
For this exciting opportunity
to come to fruition, we will need
the input and support of our
entire county. Dr. Melton en-
the county that will target the courages Community support and
wellness and fitness of all 0wiae --fi]p of this effort, stating,
residents. "Whether it be through church,
What exactly does affiliation
with the Y mean for our county?
Chris Ayers, executive director
of the Bristol Y, explains.
"The relationship between
school or work place, every
individual in Russell County is
involved in his or her com-
munity. The Russell County Y-
will only succeed if we can col-
Bristol and Russell County will laborate with community organi-
be the same as hundreds of other zation and develop partnerships
communities across the country, that benefit all involved. If you
We will be one association serv- like the idea of a Russell County
ing two separate communities ---
Internet can Woi'k its magic to offer any class, place for school-related groups, under one umbrella. As one Y' talki-t up. When you are-
associati -, - approached about becomin a
, • t on, we are aole to serve o
containing two students or two hundred, any subject. I ve been told that the St. Paul lawsmt was a larger population while sharing member of our Y, joinus!"
Wise County, in'fact, helped Virginia to pioneer the dropped because of the emotional drain which has certain costs like HR respon- 1 Again,_ please be on the
concept of the de'ctronic classroom. I understand that already taken its toll on St Paul's students, and would sibilities, public relations, print- °ut for upcoming infer-
• ~ - " ed materials, etc The Bristol meett° s r abg u mgo
puouc
today, one may earn a college degree online--surely continue to do so if the case dragged on, as was Familv YMCA will be able to " g ur new
high school students can manage to learn geometry or predicted, until late July or early August Such a delay provide support and share ex- affiliation, w!th the Bristol Y; "
Spanish II from'agood online class! would wreak more havoc among students who are i aP l nrC ogrea hed nv°Pe .,,tmg v o teUn l U sSUPtP n
Research Cari'ied on by a member of Voice for having a hard time adapting to the idea of atten-di-ng The mission of the Bmtolprocess.
Community Schools, St. Paul's 501(c)(3) effort to - - - - , • - , Family YMCA (echoing that of xxr t~ __ -
another school--and since they re reqmred to ao so-- the YMCA of the USA) is "To wise t.;ountv
combat consolidation, provided the information that which one. In addition, historicallyl judges tend to put Christian principles into . "
practice through programs that
in West Virgirfi , which has made a push through the make decisions in favor of school boards, which (at .... " ......... Shenff' s Report
. . ouna nemmy,, sptr mma ann The Wise r'oUntv
past few years to-consolidate nearly the entire state, least now) are elected bodies chosen to do the Deo- body for all To achieve this .... J ........
that neither the numbers of administrators in the ' .... -- miss i0n the fi Office reports the following
le s b ocuses on three
p usmess as far as public educaUon is concerned, mum et are activities for the period of
central office 'were .reduced by consolidating the Personall I' " • " g as: youth devel-
y, m convinced that the change m many onment h nithv lif .etwl .... ,4 5/30/2011
through 6/05/2011.
schools, nor weft: school budgets reduced. To the Virginia school districts to elect rather than at)t)oint social "res'ponsi-'bili'+'. A'#s" Ay'Ue Wise Cent l Dispatch.received
a,
contrary, m0st;.sL)ent more money than they had • -" pin ,, • ... totmoILatscmlsrortmsseven-;
school board members is the reason for the nroblems p ts out, Socml responslbihty day neriod f .q
• - is aoout servlno nrn~re l~en., r • O the total call_
anticipated spending when the schools were still x day. Ea h district, by the way, voted as viding services in Russell Cou- . ..........
which e istto c ...... ~' ........... " received 396 were dispatched to'
maintained in the qarious communities. - • n rovides th me nenr s umce. tot,at
to whether or not it would elect its school boards. _otYrtunP. _ . e .Y the op- number of Domestic calls for this
Another serious problem which surfaced in the " . , . p rtunlty to reacn mto a new ....
While the system works in some places, I m sure. it ': ~,,,~,,,,,,in, ann ,,,,-,,,, f, tt,, u,h,, period was 25. Cnmmal Process.
- - ................. for the same period served 25<
research on cOnsolidation is t t,, some students-- does open the door for citizens to run for office toe never had the, opportunity . ~..t .... ~r .....,:, ~,:..~^
ursue .... v .......... ,, ,.
particularly those ho are termed at risk," virtually . . . . toex,~,,,; .... ,h.v r~,ou~, ,~aJtaa~, v, ,vunuc-
p a personal pohtlcal goal rather than to provade YMCAs offer a wide. var;, tv meaner Warrants, 2 DUI Arrest
slipped througl ." .the cracks, so to speak, and were lost the best possible education for the district's children, of programs- t--o- aciaieve'-the"(r worked 2 Traffic .Accident; -
.......... , ..... pals of aidih'-"'outh devel^-- lVlJ process mr mls penoa:
as far as com tihity-school nurturing could haveAfter all, the cluldren are what it s all about in the . .s •. ., up-- served "iv:' ""-:--
menr nromotin~ n,'~l*h,, !;¢,. aua ~ n rap~. L~mm~
taken them to graduation. " first place. I've repeated, probably ad nauseam as far styles ~md encouraging' "q'u's socml'*:" this . seven-day period. 26
• res onsibili These gro s~ additional Criminal mvesti-
In addition to" abandoning the best interests of the as some people are concerned, that education has Pl . ty.. gram .........
..... . ..... torea to me specific needs : ........ ....
community's students, consolidation has destro3>ed .... ....... aretal ' • o.,,.
never been a bargmn basement item m a school ,,,a ,¢ ,h,, .... ;,;,,, !
what I've alwaSt ?considered to ' hea i'0f !St,i district'S budget, and, that,'• ermore, Public ;in-'Vwh'ich '"]hey &' 30
Paul--its high school. Everyone in the town and many .......... 'Hu-"es Melton current chairof man-hours ot Court Room
education is probably the most n-nportant Rem that theVl~ussell County y gto.o.rlno Security for the three courts and
in the surrounding area have sent their children to the taxpayers fund, considering that its effectiveness ."Committee (formerl'ay the'Bo the courthouse. _ --
St. Paul schoolsi-' aey now have to make the decision determines the future " , of Russell County Wellness and neriff's Office tran-
• . :" Fitness Inc a emnh*i-,'- )h,. sported 0 adult in state, 0 adult
to send their cl'i]ldren 12 miles away to Eastside High We've lost our school--and our students, as have benefits of "such nVro a" °min"' out of state, 3 mental patient, and
• ....... -. ..... ~---~ ....... ~' 9 juveniles'for a total of 12
School (Coebm ,; renamed), or to take them two miles Appalachia and Pound. The school board and the for our
residents. ..........
su enn " ° •
to Castlewood'/-I ,h School. Although in another • - The Y i ......... ;,, a,.; u'ansports, mvo~vmg~z.anours.
p tendent have caused a grievous loss to all of ven organization As the citizen.q The Shenff's Office unlocked
• ' '~ " ----- 4 vehicles and escorted 8 funeral
county, CastlewSod is the more logical place for St. W se County s three small communities--their hearts of Russell County enoaoe with
Paul children--it's obviously much closer, and their students and their economie well-being.. ' the Y,
they will de.te a e what dunngthisseven-daypenod.
• " -- : ........ ~ '~r ~'~ " :'''.'"X ' "--" "1" " -- " ' ' Programs
me Y WUl otter. Ires
Let ters b the.t 2 ~k:;:L~i~'d/'/~;:: :onso ...... ' ................... . . proceSSCounty,sW,lly progrmnsenSure tlaat Russellfocus on // ~~~., '~" :\ ' " ':~-
• our areas of greatest need. While , [~~~,,°" 3~
hda
o ment is proposing a 35% sewer completed, the rates will be so-" of youth development, healthy i~[ ~- ~a~
