|
| |
 |
Stables Chosen 2007 NAPS Distinguished Citizen
Northumberland Schools Superintendent Clint Stables was chosen NAPS
Distinguished Citizen for 2007. He has demonstrated outstanding leadership
for Northumberland County Schools during the 6 years he has held the
office of Superintendent. Not only has he encouraged a number of
innovative programs within the schools, targeting at risk students, but he
has lead the movement to replace totally two aging structures and provide
the children of our county with state-of-the-art facilities, appropriate
to the educational needs of the twenty-first century.
The award was presented during the NAPS Fall Social, September 22nd.
Stables has served the county since 1983, starting as Assistant Principal
at the Middle School and subsequently holding positions of Middle School
Principal, General Supervisor, Assistant Superintendent and
Superintendent. This year he has been honored by his peers with the award
of Regional Superintendent of the Year.
Under Stables’ leadership, the schools have implemented a number of
successful and nationally recognized programs: Reading Partners, Read
Aloud Virginia, Peer Mediation and the Northumberland High School Teacher
Advisor Program. Each of these programs aims at targeting groups of
students who are, in some way, falling behind, and assisting them to
realize their potential through early intervention. Standards of Learning
(SOL) scores throughout the school system have shown marked improvement
during Stables’ term of office, as have graduation rates and the number of
high school seniors continuing to further education. However, Stables’
most memorable achievement will be the construction of a new academic
campus for Northumberland County.
Recognizing that renovating ancient, crumbling and inefficient buildings
could, at best, represent a short-term economy, Stables pushed for the
construction of a combined high school/middle school building to serve the
community for many decades to come. Persuading all parties and the
community at large of the wisdom of this move was a major undertaking.
Leading county officials through the process of financing the undertaking
and then selecting all elements of the new buildings was an even greater
challenge. As the walls of the new schools take shape, Stables’ vision is
becoming reality, and Northumberland County can look forward to a day –
not so far away – when our children can attend classes in a building that
demonstrates the value we place on education. In addition, the
county’s citizens can anticipate enjoying those facilities which the new
schools will make available to the community at large.
The NAPS Distinguished Citizen Award is given annually to a member of our
community who has made a significant contribution to the goals of NAPS.
One of these goals is to encourage economic growth that will
promote jobs. The product of our schools is the future manpower of our
county – jobs become available in response to the presence of potential
qualified employees. Without quality educational facilities, producing
graduates with the skills to function efficiently and productively in
today’s world, a region can only anticipate stagnation or decline. The
NAPS Education Committee believes that Northumberland County will benefit
from the impact of Stables’ leadership for many years to come.
|
| NAPS recognizes the Reverend Gayl Fowler as
Northumberland County's DISTINGUISHED CITIZEN FOR THE YEAR 2005
 | for her devoted spiritual ministry among the people of
Northumberland County |
| for her outstanding leadership of the SAIF Water Committee in
providing needy families with safe potable water and indoor plumbing |
| for her relentless campaigning against unhealthy farm fertilization
practices |
| for her energetic support for the less fortunate in Mexico and
Central America |
|
|
Ed McMahon Speaks in Northumberland
“Models For Development Workshop”
A group of prominent local organizations invited
Mr. Ed McMahon, of the Conservation Fund to speak to us here in
Northumberland County. Mr. McMahon is nationally known as an inspiring and
thought provoking speaker. He is a leading authority on topics related to
appropriate land use: land use that preserves the natural beauty, culture
and heritage of the area. Mr. McMahon is Vice President and Director of
Land Use Planning for The Conservation Fund where he works to improve both
conservation and development practices through programs that balance
economic and environmental goals. Some in the county heard Mr. McMahon
last February when he spoke to these important issues at WestMinster
Canterbury. Those attending were impressed with his no-nonsense approach
to retaining the basic character and charm of an area while still
accommodating growth.
This workshop was a cooperative community effort with sponsorship by a
number of local organizations including:
Audubon Society,
Chesapeake Bay Garden Club,
Master Gardeners of the Northern Neck,
NAACP,
NN Tourism Council,
Northumberland Association for Progressive Stewardship,
Northumberland Community Center Organization,
Reedville Fishermen’s Museum,
Rice’s Hotel/Hughlett’s Tavern Foundation, and
Northumberland County Government.
Sponsorship entailed agenda support while Mr. McMahon was in town and
organizational support of an appropriate share of the Conservation Fund’s
fee of $1,500 plus expenses.
We in Northumberland County are faced with exactly the dilemma Mr. McMahon
describes. As you know, we are a small bay-coast county at the mouth of
the Potomac with a heritage of fishing, farming and logging. Our people
are honest and friendly, and the quality of country life is excellent!
Until this year, the county has not even had a stoplight. Now we have our
first stop light, building permits are up and we are faced with a future
that we believe includes intense growth. Are heavy traffic, strip malls,
and complete disruption of our way of life far behind?
As one of the most desirable development areas in Virginia, we recognize
that growth is inevitable. We are interested in approaches to tailoring
that growth to the environment that we all enjoy. Our various
organizations have but one common objective: we would like to take
advantage of Mr. McManon’s insights and experience to further unify and
focus our county in its approach to growth. His presentation provided a
part of our information base for future work. If County citizens and
County Government can develop and work from the same playbook, we will
have our best shot at retention, maybe even improvement, of our way of
life.
For notes on Ed McMahon's presentation
click this link.
|
|
2004 Fall Social
NAPS 15th Annual Fall Social
The Northumberland Association for Progressive Stewardship (NAPS) invites
the public to the fifteenth annual NAPS fall social Saturday, Sept. 25th,
from 4 to 6 p.m.
Longtime Northumberland residents may remember with great fondness
gatherings at other groves in the county, notably Marvin Grove and
Kirkland
Grove. This year NAPS wants to introduce you to a new one, the lovely and
peaceful grove at Bay Quarter Shores.
Just like other grove meetings there will be delicious food, provided by
the Northumberland Woman’s Club and beautiful decorations thanks to the
expertise of the Northumberland Garden Club. Food, fun and friends: what a
combination! A highlight of the Social will be the presentation of the
NAPS
Distinguished Citizen Award for 2004. The
Distinguished Citizen award will
be given to Audrey Brainard. Henry Bashore will receive a new award
called the
"Ambassador Award" which has the same criteria as the Distinguished
Citizen award but is intended for people who do not actually live in
Northumberland County.
NAPS dedicates itself to representing residents of the county on
environmental issues from urban planning, sludge, planting shore grasses
and sponsoring clean-up programs to eradicating non-native invasive shore
weeds like
Phragmites. NAPS also presents conservation and environmental education
programs
in the elementary school.
Proceeds from this annual social and membership dues are the only funds
collected from Northumberland citizens for all NAPS projects. If Sept.
25th
doesn’t work for you, we hope you will consider being with us in spirit by
contributing the cost of one or two tickets (or more, if you wish) to our
Angel Fund. Tickets are $15 per person and may be purchased by sending a
check made out to NAPS, c/o Judy Burgess, P.O. Box 196, Reedville,
VA.22539.
Questions may be addressed to her at
jburgess@rivnet.net or 453-3933.
|
|
2003 Fall
Social
What a blast! Even though 3 1/2
inches of rain on Friday forced us to move from the beautiful "Fish House"
on the Great Wicomico (flooded parking area, iffy forecast for Saturday) to
the Reedville Fishermen's Museum (thank you, thank you, RFM!) the day was
beautiful. Between the creative decorations by Susan Stubbs, the fabulous
flower arrangements by the Chesapeake Bay Garden Club and the red, yellow
and blue helium balloons donated by Steve Tallent the room was ready for a
party
How can you have a party without
food? Well, the NAPS members who also belong to the Woman's Club took care
of that. Organized by Sloane Kane and Barbara Hensler and managed with
professional flair by Barbara, the tables were laden with luscious food
beautifully presented
What's left? Well, a congenial
crowd (a guesstimate of 163) pleased to see one another, catching up with
old friends and meeting new, an opportunity to thank Mary Lou Butler for her
many contributions to Northumberland County and NAPS over the past years,
and the opportunity to recognize the Chesapeake Bay Garden Club on its Fifty
Year Anniversary
Capping the afternoon was the
presentation of the Distinguished Citizen Award to Luther Welch, long-time
farmer and forester in Northumberland County. He and his wife have
committed their lives to environmental and ecological measures that save
topsoil and don't harm the water. (See article on Luther Welch from the
Rappahannock Record) The Welches personify some of the very principles for
which NAPS stands. It was an honor for NAPS to be able to recognize these
two outstanding citizens
|
NAPS honors Luther
Welch from Reid Armstrong, Rappahannock Record
Lifelong farmer
Luther E. Welch said his plows are rusting, and he’s happy. Welch began
practicing no-till farming more that 20 years ago, long before anyone
else in the county had even heard of the soil conservation technique.
“I was doing it on back fields where no one else could see it,” Welch
said. A fourth generation Northern Neck farmer, he discovered the
benefits of no-till while watching squirrel digging in some soil by a
tree in his field. The earth around the tree had not been disturbed by
the plowing. He dug a little hole and discovered, “some of the blackest
topsoil I had ever laid eyes on,” Welch said. He has since pursued
soil conservation techniques and has spent the last decade on the Board
of Directors of the Northern Neck Soil and Water Conservation District.
“My family would never do anything to harm the watermen,” said Welch.
“No-tilling protects them and it protects us.” Many areas in the
Northern Neck have less than 15 inches of topsoil, said extension agent
Ginny Barnes, who nominated Welch for the award. When farmers plow,
rains wash away a lot of the loosened topsoil. While yields
decline slightly using no-till techniques, Barnes added farmers make up
for it by saving on fuel and labor expenses by not plowing. Some
day, Welch believes, farmers will only need to use nitrogen and lime on
their fields. He hopes to continue to discover ways to preserve his
farmland and the Chesapeake Bay, he said. Welch is also working to
preserve the history of farming in the Northern Neck. He has acquired,
restored, and cataloged a large collection of antique farm equipment and
memorabilia. He hopes to open his History of Farming Museum near
Kilmarnock in November, after the corn is harvested.
|
|
|
NAPS 2003
Marshgrass Planting Nears Completion
This year in the Northern Neck we have seen a
remarkable community emphasis on protecting our unique waterway resources.
NAPS, Reedville Fishermen’s Museum, Master Gardeners of the Northern Neck,
VIMS and various other organizations and individuals have all been working
to reinforce community attitudes and actions toward waterway stewardship.
The Chesapeake Bay and our numerous rivers generate a Northumberland
shoreline extending nearly 500 miles – the longest
shoreline of any county in Virginia. Hopefully during the year you have
heard at least one of us talk about building a filter between where we live
and work and our waterways -- a 500 mile long riparian buffer. Our
relationship with the Bay and its tributaries is more than casual.
Last April NAPS and the Master Gardeners of the Northern Neck hosted a
coordinated program to learn about Bayscaping and get some hands-on
experience with planting a Marshgrass buffer. The NAPS segment of the
program involved a seminar by VIMS and hands-on experience with planting
marshgrass at a nearby Demonstration Site. Of the 100 plus people who
turned out for the overall program, more than 50 attended the Marshgrass
Planting Demonstration. The Program was held at Lancaster Middle School in
Kilmarnock, and was followed by grass planting at low-tide in Barnes Creek
at the end of Bluff Point -- a remote and park-like setting. Boots and
trowels were the armor and weapons for the event. A cookout capped a
perfect day for those attending.
As a second part of the NAPS Marshgrass project, more than a dozen
waterfront property owners have volunteered as Marshgrass Pioneers. Those
applying as Pioneers had their sites reviewed by NAPS in terms of their
suitability for Marshgrass restoration. Sites with good sun, moderate slope
and modest wave action were favored. Selected sites were provided with
coconut logs, planting materials and NAPS oversight and assistance. Pioneer
activities are about 90% complete at this time. Support for much of this
year’s activity came from FishAmerica with funding
from NOAA. Our community is alive and working together to improve our
environment! The residents of Northumberland County are the ones who make
these events possible through your interest and involvement.
|
Pictures of Marshgrass Planting
2003
Click on picture to view it larger
|
2002 FALL SOCIAL -
The Northumberland Association for Progressive Stewardship (NAPS) held its
annual Fall Social on Saturday, September 21, 2002, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
NAPS celebrates its 13th anniversary this year. The Social was a
way of saying “Thank You” to all members of the community who have supported
the projects of the organization. A total of 167 people enjoyed a warm
and sunny afternoon at "Sunnyside", the historic home of Martha and Stephen
Tallent. This is the largest attendance of any Annual Fall Social and
is partly attributed to the many Williams, Jett and Haynie family members
who came to visit, once again, their ancestral home. There was also a
handful of Yates', the most recent owners from whom the Tallents bought the
home. Members and friends of NAPS provided refreshments. There was an
opportunity to meet other NAPS members and to welcome new members in a
relaxed setting. We actually received 8 new family memberships and 12
individual memberships, plus a few renewals! State Sen. John
Chichester and Supervisor Tommy Tomlin were among the honored guests.
As well as having the largest attendance, this Fund Raising event also
netted over $1500, which will be put to good use in furtherance of NAPS'
many environmental focused programs.
A highlight of the Social was the
presentation of the NAPS Distinguished Citizen Award for 2002, which was
presented to Rice’s Hotel/Hughlett’s Tavern Foundation, and included the
Tavern Rangers and the Tavern Quilt Guild. The award is given to an
individual, business or organization that has shown support for the goals
and objectives of NAPS, which are mainly the preservation and restoration of
the environment in the Northern Neck of Virginia.
|
|
Marsh Grass Planting 2002 - On Saturday, May 18th members of NAPS met at St.
Stephen's Episcopal Church in Heathsville to learn both the value of
marsh grass in the environment and the “nuts and bolts” of how to plant it.
The program started at 10:00 am. After learning the right way to plant intertidal grass, we proceeded to our demonstration planting site. This
year’s site selection was an eroded point near Olverson’s Marina -- on Lodge
Creek in Lottsburg. This was a great way for all of us to learn more about the
value of our marshes and their contribution to the well being of our
ecosystem. We installed coconut logs on part of the site at the mid-tide
mark as part of an experiment to determine their value as a buffer system
against wave action. This involved driving oak stakes on each side of the
logs to hold them in place -- great exercise. We then “scribed” the sand in
18” intervals to provide a grid for grass installation from high water down to
almost mid-tide. The grass was planted using a dibble (or stake) and a little
slow release fertilizer.
|
|
|
|
Board of Supervisors - Second Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. on the
second floor of the old court house, Heathsville.
|
|
Wetlands Board - First Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. on the second
floor of the old court house, Heathsville.
|
|
NAPS Board - Second Wednesday of each month at 9:00 a.m. at the Northern
Neck State Bank, Burgess.
|
Marsh Grass Planting 2002
Click on Picture to View It Larger.
|
