2011 is a year that will likely be talked about for many years to come around the county, after an historic election, the conviction of a constitutional officer for embezzlement, and a host of other memorable events.

Here’s our list of the top 10 stories of the year.

1. The election
2. Treasurer convicted of embezzlement
3. Benedictine granted CUP to move to the county
4. Goodwill rezoning denied
5. Deaths of Don Charles and Debra Pierce.
6. Bulldogs play for title.
7. School budget battles.
8. TCSD.
9. Kwamane Davis verdict
10. UDAs DOA at Planning Commission.

1. The election

The election of 2011 brought nine new faces to the two boards that make the decisions that most directly affect Goochland citizens.

In an election billed by many as the most important in decades, 46.5 percent of Goochland’s 15,588 registered voters cast ballots according to unofficial results, changing the face of Goochland County government.

Only one incumbent candidate up for re-election, District 3 supervisor Ned Creasey, was victorious.

Goochland’s new School Board line up is: Mike Payne, Kevin Hazzard, John Lumpkins, Beth Hardy and John Wright. Three incumbents, District 1 James Haskell, District 2 Raymond Miller and District 3 Ivan Mattox were defeated.

Incumbent supervisors in three districts also went down to defeat.

In District 1 Andrew Pryor lost a close race to Susan Lascolette by 48 votes. District 2 saw Republican challenger Manuel Alvarez defeat two-term incumbent and current Board of Supervisors Chairman William Quarles with 61 percent of the vote. Ken Peterson won the supervisor’s seat in District 5 in an uncontested race.

Only one GOP backed candidate for the two boards lost, District 4 incumbent Rudy Butler, but by the narrowest of margins. Challenger Bob Minnick took the seat by six votes, 844 to 834. The initial margin was eight but the Wednesday morning canvass turned up two provisional votes for Butler.

A recount petition by Butler was intitially granted but then thrown out by a three-judge panel because of a procedural error by Butler.

The new boards convene next week for their organizational meetings.

2. The Grubbs arrest and trial

Perhaps no single event roiled the county as much as the arrest in February of Goochland County Treasurer Brenda S. Grubbs for embezzling county funds and wiring them overseas to a person identified as “Bobby Johnson.”

The case wound on throughout the year, reaching resolution just this month, when the former treasurer was sentenced to four years in prison for embezzling a bit more than $180,000.

The county has recouped its money from the bond it had on Grubbs,  but she must still repay the state of Virginia the entire amount, to date having paid about $100,000.

But beyond the hard to believe sequence of events that caused Grubbs to act as she did was the damage done to the county’s fiscal reputation, bringing some to question whether the very structure of the government ought to be changed.

Outgoing District 5 Supervisor James W. Eads repeatedly called for the consideration of a change to a county manager form of government, where the functions of the Treasurers Office would be handled by county administration.

But the most powerful impact was likely a strengthening of the feeling among many Goochlanders that it was a time for a change in government, leading to the turnover on the Board of Supervisors.

3. Benedictine granted CUP

Easily the two most heavily attended public hearings of the year were those concerning whether or not Goochland should grant a Conditional Use Permit to Goochland College Preparatory School to locate at the Abbey site on River Road.

Initially callling for fast action, proponents of the move got approval from the Planning Commission in July.

But at the scheduled September public hearing at the Board of Supervisors meeting, convened at the high school auditorium to accommodate the crowd, Benedictine’s attorney asked for a 90-day deferral, moving the decision to Dec. 6,  a month after the elections.

That prompted discussion of whether a so-called “lame duck” board should vote on such an important rezoning case or leave it to the incoming board to decide.

In the end, after a second lengthy public hearing, the board did vote and approve the CUP, with the outgoing three incumbent supervisors casting votes for it.

4. Goodwill zoning denied

But when it came to granting Goodwill Industries a rezoning request to build a retail outlet in eastern Goochland County, the BOS bowed to a powerful effort mounted by the residents of Bellview Gardens and turned the company away.

Goodwill was never able to convince a significant number of residents that its store and the attendant traffic would not adversely affect the property values of their homes, not to mention bringing even worse problems to the area, such as crime.

The Planning Commission voted unanimously against the request and the company withdrew its application. Later in the year the BOS went so far as to change the neighborhood’s designation on the county land use map to discourage development there.

5. County loses two key employees

Goochland County government took an emotional body blow Sept. 2, when Deputy County Administrator Don Charles and Director of the Goochland CSA/Office on Youth Debra Pierce died on the same day.

County Administrator Rebecca Dickson invited employees to gather in the Parks and Recreation gymnasium Tuesday to remember and honor Charles and Pierce.

“This is a very sad time for Goochland County and for our Goochland family,” said Dickson at the time.  “The organization is devastated.  To lose two such wonderful, talented, vibrant people who cared so much about those around them and who gave their lives to public service and making this community a better place, is sad beyond belief. We intend to celebrate and honor their lives.  We are all thankful that their lives touched ours.  Simply put, our lives will not be the same without them.”

Charles died after a battle with cancer. Pierce died of an unexpected heart attack.

6. Bulldogs play for state title

The Goochland football team nearly completed the perfect season in their return to Group A play. The Bulldogs return to the James River District could not have been scripted better as the league title came down to the final regular season games. GHS defeated Buckingham 26-24 on their home field then handed Amelia their first loss of the season 8-6 to lock up home field advantage in the playoffs.

In post season play, Goochland continued to roll and eventually knocked off their second undefeated foe, King William 16-12.

In the state semifinals, the Bulldogs ran past Wilson Memorial 47-21 and earn a state championship berth. Facing rival Gretna for the state title, Goochland (14-1) suffered their first loss of the season 21-16 but the Bulldogs still went into the record book when senior kicker Colby Cooke connected on a VHSL playoff record 51-yard field goal.

7. School budget

Hearings seemed to go on forever as the Goochland County School Board and the Board of Supervisors and county administration jockeyed to come to agreement over a budget for the 2012 fiscal year.

When it was all over, the county transferred a little over $17 million to schools, but with strings attached. It required the schools to provide additional data without which $500,000 of the transfer could be withheld, and established new reporting requirements for next year’s schools budget.

8. TCSD

Conversation over the debt structure created to fund the Tuckahoe Creek Service District likely also figured in the number one story this year, as the BOS heard a report from Davenport and Company in September on options to improve the situation.

One option presented involved committing revenue from county-wide property taxes to accelerate paying off the debt.

Concern about the apparently over optimistic growth projections for the county when the original debt was incurred may have been a factor in the defeat of the three incumbent supervisors this November.

9. Kwamane Davis verdict

Kwamane G. Davis of Cumberland County was sentenced in December to five years in prison for the September, 2010 slaying of Dwayne Richard Hardy of Goochland.

Davis, 22, shot Hardy after seeing his cousin Alvin Daniels shot in the back three times at a late night party more than a year ago in western Goochland County.

In retaliation, he picked up a shotgun and pursued the shooter, Hardy, killing him with a shot to the back of the head.

It was the only homicide case tried in the county in 2011. A second degree murder charged against Davis was plea bargained down to voluntary manslaugther.

10. County drags its feet on UDAs

The Goochland Planning Commission delivered a strong message by denying a recommendation to update the county’s Comprehensive Plan by including designated areas for state mandated Urban Development Areas (UDAs).

There was no support at the November meeting for a plan prepared by the Planning Department at the request of the Board of Supervisors. During several community meetings, opposition had been united in its objection to what has been described as new urbanism.

By tossing the UDA concept back and forth between the BOS and the Planning Commission, Goochland has essentially put off making a decision in the hope that the General Assembly will make the whole concept optional.