Concerns about firing range

I view as a real threat to our safety the Virginia State Police Plans to build a firing range in Powhatan County off of Old River Trail just across the James River from my home.

The noise will be bad enough, but the real danger in is the orientation of the 300-yard rifle range and its close proximity to homes in Goochland.

Errant rounds are common on a firing range because that’s why they go there to begin with, to practice.

It is aimed directly at our Rivercliff Subdivision in Maidens and anyone else who happens to be riding along State Route 6 in this area, or perhaps trying to enjoy the James River.

They plan to share this range with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and the FBI.

The State Police contracted an out-of-state firm to compile an Environmental Impact Report to justify this location. The report lists no threat to the Little Brown Bat in the air, the Southern Leopard Frog on the ground or the Eastern Mosquitofish in the river, but most importantly it does not mention the possibility of a boater in the river or a child walking to the school bus or maybe you, just riding down the highway.

It states that the location is rural and low density and is 25 miles west of Richmond.

Not mentioned is the fact that it is also 8000 feet from the border of Goochland County, beginning at the southern bank of the James River, and 9200 feet from the first home in Goochland.

The firepower of law enforcement rifles would be much greater than what I can buy in the sporting goods store and those rounds are capable of 2.5 to 4 miles easily.

It is disappointing and saddening, not to mention irresponsible, that law enforcement has no better judgment than to build a firing range this close to the citizens it is sworn to protect.

The first rule of the range in law enforcement is always be aware of what is beyond your target; do not fire your weapon until it is safe to do so. 

Thomas Ford
Maidens

Frustration with superintendent’s salary

In last week’s Goochland Gazette, (staff writer Ken Odor’s) editorial stated, “sometimes you can manage to almost be at two places at the same time.” 

(Odor was) referring to the regularly scheduled meeting of the Goochland School Board and an organizational meeting for a possible Goochland chapter of the Richmond Tea Party, both of which were scheduled for June 8 at 7 p.m. 

Since I work fulltime during the day, I opted to attend the School Board meeting, knowing its proclivity for providing more drama and entertainment than the day time television shows I cannot view.  I was not disappointed.

Underwood’s girlishly giddy explanation of her newly revised organizational chart had the attendees’ eyes spinning!  Despite having our high school auditorium’s state-of-the-art overhead and on-stage audio visual resources at her disposal, not to mention a stand- alone projector and screen, Underwood waxed prosaically in bubbly bureaucratese. 

Since only the School Board had copies of the revised chart, Underwood’s “smoke-and-mirrors” performance did little to hold my attention.  Obviously I was not the only “bored” member attending, as Andrea Erard, our School Board’s Legal Counsel, found Underwood’s presentation so enthralling, she (Erard) was visibly sharing BlackBerry images with Diane Bennett, our School Board Clerk.

In 1979, A&M Records released Joe Jackson’s “Look Sharp” album containing the single, “Sunday Papers” whose chorus went -

“Sunday papers don’t ask no questions
Sunday papers don’t get no lies
Sunday papers don’t raise objection
Sunday papers don’t got no eyes”

Last Sunday, in The Gazette’s “parent publication,” the Richmond Times-Dispatch, a front page Special Report headlined “Compensation largely flat for officials” contained a golden nugget of information - Underwood’s pay in relation to like sized school districts.  Say it ain’t so, Joe!

Using the article’s salary data and dividing each superintendent’s salary by Virginia Department of Education 2009-2010 enrollment data, I calculated each school district’s superintendent’s salary spend per student. 

From Chesterfield’s $3.88 to King and Queen’s $159.33, this statistic follows a predictable progression, with usual and expected minor statistical aberrational variances. 

Putting Underwood’s outlandish pay in perspective does not take a statistical wizard. 

Looking at her pay in relation to like-sized districts and using “superintendent’s salary $’s per student” as an index, there is a glaring anomaly to what would otherwise be a beautiful curve.

To this point, New Kent - 2854 students, $42.05; Goochland -2453, $62.87; King William - 2233, $56.85; Amelia - 1844, $74.33; and Cumberland - 1531, $87.01.  Goochland’s number should be between New Kent’s $42.05 and King William’s $56.85. 

Our $62.87 is more odorous than Goochland Elementary’s “mystery smell.”  Perhaps our School Board’s “silent supporters” will publicly comment on this?

Moving forward to the School Board’s June 22nd meeting another informational morsel got my attention -
XII. Board Meeting Facilities (Information Item)

Information will be presented regarding School Board meeting facilities.

(Enclosure 7)

A broken clock is right twice a day.  Since the summer solstice just occurred, the “longer days” might favor the taxpayers for a change!  Memo to Goochland Tea Party: Don’t schedule Tuesday meetings.  We mere mortals can’t be in two places at the same time…

Michael M. McDermott
Maidens

Appreciation

The family of Helen Mae Thurston would like to express their appreciation to all for their care and concern, phone calls, cards and food through out this most difficult time.
A special thank you to the faculty, staff and her students at Goochland High School.

Myrtle Thurston and family
Goochland