The long and winding road

The long and winding road

A meeting on the update of Goochland County’s major thoroughfare plan (MTP) filled the board meeting room on March 27. Attendees included developers, land owners, and mostly  citizens concerned about burgeoning congestion, especially in the county’s northeast.

Letters circulated implying that the county would use its power of eminent domain to obtain rights of way along the south end of Hockett Road to widen it to four lanes after the approval of a rezoning application to build approximately 500 homes was granted on March 6. Improvements to Hockett Road were never part of the Mosaic rezoning application.

Some of the citizens were angry, most, at best, confused. Todd Kilduff, Deputy County Administrator for Community Development and Public Utilities explained that the purpose of the session was to present in formation about the MTP and gather citizen input on the work so far. Kilduff made it clear that the MTP contains no specifics about precise location of possible road improvement;  a timeline for construction; or any guarantee that a  conceptual road will be built. No decisions about any items in the MTP have been made.

The goal of the MTP is to ensure that roads are able to handle expected growth. It is also a “living” document that will be revised as conditions on the ground change.

Carl Tweksbury, an engineer with the consulting firm of Kimley Horn, which was retained by the county to update the MTP, discussed some of the “modeling”  used to craft the plan. Kilduff said that Kimley Horn are the “numbers” people and they need to hear about real world conditions from those who travel the roads.

Long term road improvements listed for Goochland include four laning Rt. 250 throughout the county, bicycle lanes, and better walkability in some areas.

County administrator John Budesky said that this plan is very long term and the road improvements mentioned might not happen for 20 or more years. He said that the county’s 2035 comprehensive land use plan (http://www.goochlandva.us/250/2035-Comprehensive-Plan) shows that 85 percent of the county will remain rural. The other 15 percent, however, mostly in the east end, is targeted for growth and development.

Citizens asked for a recap of the data used to craft the MTP in a form that any person can understand.

Goochland is growing. At certain times of the day, many of our roads are at capacity. Spillover from Short Pump that floods roads in the east end, especially the poorly designed Board Street Road/Rt. 288 interchange, which is the most dangerous intersection in the county, according to Sheriff James L. Agnew, makes things worse and is beyond our power to control.

Improvements to this intersection, which are fully funded, will not be built before 2021.

Immediate attention is  on the Hockett Road corridor. Its level or service, an  indication that traffic flows freely, is already in the failing range due to works in West Creek avoiding congested ramps on Rt. 288. In addition to Mosaic, Readers Branch, another large subdivision roughly opposite The Parke at Centerville, is seeking approval. This would make things even worse on Hockett Road at rush hour. Improvements to fix this include a right turn lane at  Hockett and Broad, which would consume most of the  parking lot of a successful business there.

Dan Zodun of Centerville suggests that building right turn lanes at  the north and south ends of Hockett Road would reduce rush hour congestion without  widening the entire road.

A second community meeting on the MTP will be held in the next few months, hopefully incorporating  citizen feedback. The supervisors plan a work session in early June after which the MTP will be referred to the Planning Commission and back to the supervisors for another public hearing and final adoption in August.

The widening of Rt. 250 between Ashland and Manakin Roads took a long time for a short, straight stretch of road on flat ground. The poor initial design of the turn lane onto southbound Manakin Road, which often trapped large trucks like moving vans and horse trailers trying to negotiate the corner, does little to inspire confidence that future projects, which will be built by VODT—the state agency whose motto is “Oops!”—will fare any better.

A pending roundabout and extension of Fairground Road to connect with Route 6 west of Courthouse Village is on the approved list, but will not happen before 2021. Even adding traffic signals to congested intersections is a long, complicated, and expensive process.

Odds and ends

Thanks to a community wide outpouring of support—and  big time harassment of our Congressional delegation in Washington—the Marine  Corps Junior ROTC program at GHS will now be fully funded by the United States Marine Corps.

This is good news for the program’s participants and the community as a whole. The MCJROTC instills many positive values in its participants even if they choose not to pursue military service.

At it March 6 meeting, the Goochland Board of Supervisors renewed the conditional use permit for Dover Hall to continue to operate as an event venue for ten years. Owner Kevin Brandt explained that he believes that the 30,000 square foot “castle” provides a unique setting for weddings and other special experiences.

Brandt and his catering team all live in Goochland and pledged to be respectful of the neighbors and its location in the Deep Run Hunt Country. Violations of the CUP could result in its revocation.

A public hearing on improvements to the  Rt. 288/Broad Street Road interchange will be held at the Centerville Company 3 Fire-Rescue Station on Wednesday, April 11 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Maybe we will learn why it will take three or more years to fix this dysfunction junction.

A rabies clinic will be held on Sunday, April 8 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the corner of Fairground and Sandy Hook Roads in Courthouse Village near the Food Lion. The fee s $10 per animal and proceeds go to the Goochland animal shelter.

Administrative Services Manager Paul Drumwright presented an update on the 2016 session of the Virginia General Assembly. The local impact of Medicaid expansion is still unknown. It could add as many as 300 additional cases to the workload of the county Social Services Department.

Drumwright also reported that there is a great need for foster home sin Goochland County. Keeping children in troubled situations close to home so they do not need to change schools  reduces the trauma of their situation and is less expensive for the county.

Sally Graham, Director of Goochland Cares thanked the Board for its continued support of the organization, which recently consolidated all of its operations into one facility on River Road West.

This will make space used by the Free Clinic, a component of Goochland Cares, on the ground level of the administration building, available for county use.

Counting the beans

Good stewardship of public funds involves ensuring that every cent of tax money is spent in an approved manner.  The annual budget is a spending plan, the certified annual financial report (CAFR) shows, in great detail, where the money went, and how it got there.

Best practice fiscal policies include robust internal controls and accountability standards to discourage theft and abuse and avoid waste. Back in the bad old days, Goochland fiscal policies were vague at best. Math is hard and numbers are boring, so the supervisors let outside auditors handle the books. As long as the economy was good and enough money  came in to pay the bills, little notice was paid.  Budgetary matters were managed more with magical thinking than sound practices. The investigation of uncashed checks in the utility department led to a change in outside auditors who discovered that the county books were a mess.

Fast forward a few years to today. Thanks to  a massive overhaul of policies and personnel, Goochland County has a firm grasp on its finances. Among the steps taken to achieve this was retention of outside auditors to perform the Certified Annual Financial Report (CAFR) and make recommendations to refine and improve policies and procedures.

The complete contract extension for PBMares is included in the March 6 board packet, available on the county website, beginning on page 60. The amount for the FY2018 CAFR is $86,500. This includes the county, schools, Department of Social Services, and Goochland County Community Services.

PBMares is an accounting and business services company based in the  mid-Atlantic. The company was retained by Goochland several years ago to perform annual audits and recommend improvements to financial procedures to ensure the highest level of compliance with all policies and accounting standards.

To ensure impartial financial review, changing auditing firms is considered a best practice. This year, the county’s audit committee, comprised of representatives from the Board of Supervisors, county and school staff, issued a request for proposals for auditing firms going forward. After careful consideration PBMares RFP was deemed best suited.

PBMares will deploy a new auditing team to Goochland to ensure that new, entirely impartial eyes look at county operations.

County Administrator John Budesky said that the audit committee was sensitive to concerns about retention of PBMares going forward, but it believes that the continuity of past audits will allow for continued success.

In addition to regular audit functions, PBMares will assist with the implementation of the county’s new electronic financial reporting system and, during the estimated 26 month transition period, will test old and new data at no extra charge.

Budesky said that the new financial system represents a “huge change” to the daily work load of the county, but will be well worth it in the end.

County CAFR documents  for  the past six years are available in their entirety on the county website http://goochlandva.us/Archive.aspx?AMID=43. Take a look at them if you want to see how the county manages your tax dollars.

Carrying on

A simple spray of white flowers in front of an empty seat marked the void left by the passing of Ned Creasey at the March 13 meeting of the Goochland Board of Supervisors.

Board Chair Ken Peterson District 5 offered words of tribute. “Ned’s leadership and counsel,  as well as insight and foresight, will be sorely missed.” A moment of silence was followed by an invocation led by Pastor Zac Zbinden of Salem Baptist Church.

(A special called meeting of the Board of Supervisors will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 20 at the Fife Company 4 fire-rescue station on Hadensville-Fife Road to determine the steps in the succession—Ned Creasey cannot be replaced—for the District 3 seat.)

Then the remaining supervisors got down to business. The sole purpose of the meeting was a presentation and public hearing on a rezoning application filed by HHHunt to create a 55 plus residential community, called Mosaic, on about 200 acres along the western edge of West Creek.

After three hours of presentations, public comment, and discussion, the supervisors unanimously approved the application. Susan Lascolette District 1 moved for approval and Manuel Alvarez, Jr., District 2 seconded.

Deferred in December until after the Board adopted a capital impact model (CIM), the Mosaic zoning case proposes 179 townhomes and 341 single family homes. Residents under the age of 19 are not permitted, so it will have no impact on schools. It is expected to increase the population of Goochland by 899 over an estimated build out period of eight years, depending on market conditions.

Cash proffered for each home—a major complication on residential rezoning cases since the Virginia General Assembly changed the proffer law in 2016—was $4,937, in line with the product of the CIM formula.

The main objections to Mosaic were:  West Creek was never intended for residential use; density—Mosaic will be the largest subdivision in the county—and traffic.

Owners of property to the south of Mosaic, which is not part of West Creek, seem to have circulated  inflammatory letters among people living along the south end of Hockett Road implying that, if Mosaic were approved, the county would soon exercise its power of eminent domain to seize frontage along Hockett Road and widen it to four lanes to accommodate increased traffic generated by Mosaic. The residents of the southern stretch are justifiably upset about burgeoning rush hour traffic that threatens their safety and peaceful enjoyment of their property.

A deeper dive into the traffic issue painted a different picture.

Turns out that the widening of Hockett was included in the county’s 2005 major thoroughfare plan, created long before Mosaic was ever envisioned. The traffic issues in the Hockett Road corridor are caused more by failing intersections than lack of road capacity. Fixing those choke points is complicated. A plan to reroute the north end of Hockett Road to connect with Ashland Road would have helped this issue, but lack of community support pulled it off of the drawing board.

(The county is currently in the process of revising this plan to reflect actual development and welcomes everyone to express opinions and concerns about local roads at a public meeting in the county administration building on Tuesday, March 27 from 6 to 8 p.m.)

No changes to the south end of Hockett Road were made in the last 13 years. Given the glacial pace of road improvements by VDOT—the state agency whose motto is “Oops!—it seems unlikely that much will happen in the next 13 either. The supervisors, however, took careful note of the opposition of residents to a four lane Hockett Road.

The goal of the southern property owners seems to have been to use the Mosaic rezoning case to pressure the county to support creation of both north south and east west connectors between Hockett Road and Route 288 or West Creek Parkway through privately owned West Creek, perhaps by invoking eminent domain there.

Kim Kacani, president of the HHHunt Communities Division, contended that Mosaic, and the revenues it will bring to the county are a part of solution to its problems. She dismissed the claims of the southern property owners contending that Mosaic will not interfere with construction of connector roads at some point in the future.

The southern property folks may have shot themselves in the foot, however. Bob Minnick District 4, noted that building the conceptual connector roads would increase the development in the area,  exacerbating rather than remedying the traffic problem over the long term. Minnick also pointed out that widening Hockett Road was never a part of the Mosaic rezoning case. As all of the southern property must be rezoned to accommodate development; the supervisors will now look long and hard at the consequences of rezoning those any of those parcels.

Director of Community Development Jo Ann Hunter said that, while the county’s recently adopted 25 year capital improvement plan includes a $26 million “placeholder” for Hockett Road improvements between Tuckahoe Creek Parkway and Route 6 in fiscal year 2026, no actual plans, or specific locations, exist. She said that although the  2035 Comprehensive Land Use Plan mentions connector roads, they are not identified on any map.

After some discussion, it was ascertained that the “background”  traffic that clogs both the north and south ends of Hockett Road during morning and afternoon rush hour is generated by employees of CaptialOne and CarMax looking to circumvent extreme congestion on Route 288 ramps. Mosaic is expected to add very little, if any, peak hour traffic. Perhaps the remedy for rush hour congestion is staggered work hours rather than more paving.

In addition to the CIM cash proffer, HHHunt also offered to pay its share of capacity costs to signalize the Hockett and Tuckahoe Creek Parkway intersection. One Hockett Road resident took great umbrage with the small amount offered for signalization claiming it was an insult. Goochland County Attorney Tara McGee explained that, under the existing state proffer law, HHHunt may legally only contribute an amount proportionate to the amount of traffic it adds to an intersection.

Objections to residential uses in West Creek cite its creation as a magnet for corporate headquarters. The death knell for that notion was rung more than a decade ago when MeadWestvaco, now WestRock, located its new headquarters in downtown Richmond rather than the counties. Indeed, to attract millennials,

both CapitalOne and CarMax recently expanded in Richmond rather than in West Creek.

Minnick said that the proposal represents a downzoning of property and a transition from large lot residential in Kinloch to commercial use of CapitalOne and that there are still 2,600 acres of West Creek left to develop.

District 2 supervisor Manuel Alvarez, Jr. opined that Mosaic will let older residents, no longer willing or able to maintain large homes and acreage, to remain in the county.  Now, they are invited to leave. The  increase in real estate tax revenue generated by Mosaic at build out will be the equivalent of a three cent tax rate increase.

He also said that the addition of these rooftops might encourage Hospital Corporation America to expand the West Creek emergency center into a full hospital. That could trigger construction of the bridge connecting Ridgefield parkway in Henrico with Tuckahoe Creek Parkway, and Rt. 288, which could reduce congestion on Broad Street Road.

Alvarez pointed out that if developed as intended for business use, the 207 acres of Mosaic, would dump even more rush hour traffic onto Hockett Road.

McGee said, in response to comments that approval of Mosaic would set a precedent so the board could not reject future dense residential projects, that, under the law, each parcel of land, each zoning case and its circumstances, is considered to be unique and has no bearing on other cases.

At its March 6 meeting the Board approved a rezoning application to increase the number of lots for the Swann’s Inn subdivision in Courthouse Village to 30 lots and rejected another application for Broad Branch on Hermitage Road.

Peterson contended that Mosaic is the highest and best use of land that might be difficult to develop for business use, and would therefore generate lower tax revenues.

Kacani estimated that the first Mosaic homes will be occupied in mid-2020. The supervisors have two years to ensure that there are adequate numbers of deputies and fire-rescue personnel to serve all citizens.

Speak softly, but never back away from a fight

The passing of Ned Creasey, District 3 Supervisor on March 10 is a sad day for Goochland County. Since taking office in 2008, after handily winning a three person electoral contest, Ned began the arduous task of turning the ship of Goochland government from a course toward the rapids of dysfunction into the calm seas of excellence.

Ned Creasey celebtating on election night 2007

Ned was an unassuming presence and a man of few, but important, words. He listened, watched, and was unafraid to ask embarrassing questions. Those who underestimated him did so at their peril.

He lived a life of service. First in the United States Navy, then as a police officer before going into construction. After moving to Goochland with his wife Diana and five children, Ned devoted his spare time to saving lives  as a fire-rescue volunteer. His devotion to and respect for those who leave the safety of home and hearth to go in harm’s way to help others was evident in his time in elected office. He understood the challenges faced by those who work in public safety to service the public and pay bills with often limited income.

Two of Ned’s sons, Shawn and Steven, have been Goochland deputies for many years.

In addition to his fire-rescue and American Legion Post 215 affiliations, Ned was an enthusiastic amateur radio operator. He insisted that the new county emergency communications center have dedicated space for the Goochland Amateur Radio Team. Ned knew that when the fan turns brown,  ham radio operators save the bacon.

Ned took great pride in his Goochland Volunteer Fire-Rescue life member status of Courthouse Company 5

Goochland County government has changed so much since Ned first took office that it is difficult to remember the bad old days.

Ned ran for office because he believed that Goochland was a jewel and could be the best jurisdiction in the Commonwealth if only local government served the people, instead of the other way around. He was  appalled at the way citizens were treated when they interacted with the county.

When he first took office, Ned was the odd man out on a Board of Supervisors that had been running things a certain way for years. He demanded accountability for uncashed checks discovered in the drawers of the utility department and insisted  that “as built”  diagrams of the locations of the pipes in the Tuckahoe Creek Service District be made.

Honesty and common sense coupled with hard work and a determination to do the right thing were among Ned’s prized values. He contended that “if you always tell the truth, you don’t have to remember what you said.”

Ned never understood why the county seemed unable to do things right the first time and lurched from crisis to crisis instead of planning for the future. He voted to approve the 25 year capital improvement plan, a long term spending plan for Goochland County at one of his last meetings as a supervisor. 

After four years of being a lonely voice in the wilderness, voters gave Ned the support he needed to transform county government in 2011 when the other four supervisors and entire school board were replaced by new faces.

The new board worked as a team, each bringing differing gifts and backgrounds to the task of solving the county’s problems. An unprecedented era of collaboration between the supervisors and the school board replaced decades of contention for the benefit of all.

When he announced his intention to run for reelection in 2011, Ned  disclosed that he had been diagnosed with cancer. He did not let illness keep him down, and in recent months,  participated in Board meetings electronically from a hospital bed.

In spite of daunting circumstances, including embezzlement of public funds by a former county treasurer and severe decline in county revenues due to the economic downturn, Goochland earned a AAA bond rating in 2015, virtually unheard of  for a county of our size. The accolades and accomplishments of county government since 2012 are too numerous to mention here.

Ned had faith in the intelligence of Goochland citizens and believed that government should operate in the open. “Sunlight is the greatest disinfectant,” he would often say to ensure that county matters were discussed in public forums instead of behind closed doors whenever possible. He was an early advocate for putting the county—and later the school—checkbook and credit card statements online for all to see, and question.

Ned leaves behind a Goochland County that is far, far better than it has ever been and a moral obligation for those who follow to build on those improvements.

Goochland owes thanks to Ned for his service and to the entire Creasey family for sharing him with us.

Rest in peace Ned in the eternal sunshine of a job well done.

(Visitation - Thursday March 15 2:00-4:00 and 6:00-8:00 at Salem Baptist Church, 1701 Cardwell Rd, Crozier

Funeral Service - Saturday, March 17 10:00 at Goochland High School followed by procession to Greenwood Cemetery.)

Eagles hatch anew

It was most fitting that a ribbon cutting to mark the opening of the first parts of the renovation of Central High School into the Central High School Museum and Cultural Arts Center happed on an almost spring day.

Central High School 

A good sized group of people, many “seasoned citizens” who are alumni of Central High ignored rain mixed with hail to walk the corridors of their memory.

The building, surplus property after the school year ended in May, 2007, sat empty and neglected for far too long. Mold and vermin took over the hallways and classrooms and vandals had their way.

While first campaigning for office in 2011,  constituents told District 2 Supervisor Manuel Alvarez, Jr. that they would like to see Central High School saved and put to good use. He recalled being puzzled at the request, because it seemed to be a symbol of discrimination and segregation.

The late Patricia Keel, one of many community members who worked to save Central High, explained to him that Central High represented a victory. It was the first time a school for African American children in Goochland had been built with tax dollars. It provided local educational opportunities that helped its graduates move on to successful and productive lives.

Yearbook photos show students engaged in learning activities

Alvarez, and former County Administrator Rebecca Dickson began a community dialogue about the future of the venerable building, which was constructed in 1938 and added onto over the years. Options ranged from tearing the whole thing down, to total renovation. The county had set aside $500 thousand for the project. The question” if it costs that much to tear it down, what can we do to fix it with that money?” was asked, and creative juices began to flow.

A committee of engaged citizens was formed to craft a plan for the next life of Central High. Committee members are: Gloria Turner Chair; Sekou Shabaka Vice chair; Keisha Carroll; Bonnie Creasy; Rebecca Dickson; Sally Graham; Peter Gretz; William Henson; Calvin Hopkins; Theresa Howell; Kimberly Jefferson; Ruth Johnson; James Lane; Jennifer Layton; Debra MacKay; Virginia Robinson; and Derek Stamey. As the county was strapped for cash due to the economic downturn, things proceeded slowly.

Renovating the gym, the first step, to ease a shortage of recreation space breathed new life into the abandoned site. In 2016, the county’s Department of Community Development operated out of the main section of Central High while its space in the administration building was reconfigured.

The ultimate goal is to create a place that is not only a museum to the past, but a place for community ventures from preschool to senior citizen activities. Parks and rec expect to offer programs there. The business plan created by the committee expects fees generated y programs and space rental to make Central High self-sustaining.

In addition to the gym, a warming kitchen can accommodate catered events. The centerpiece of the ribbon cutting was the auditorium, a comfortable well-lit flexible space.

Derek Stamey, Deputy County Administrator for Operations, said that the project came in on time and under budget. He said that the contractors who transformed plans into reality made the project a labor of love. They put finishing touches on the  project during the power outrages of the previous weekend.

Contractor Leigh Gordon, took great pride in the auditorium mill work. The simple, yet elegant classic trim on the windows and around the stage signals that it is a very special place. A stylized eagle, the mascot of Central High, keeps a watchful eye on the proceedings from the rear wall.

The classical trim in the auditorium adds an elegant touch to this important space.

Gloria Turner declared that “God is above everything. Prayer and faith helped us to accomplish this as a place where all people can come together. Central High School will always stand.”

Goochland County Administrator John Budesky welcomed the assemblage “back to your Central High School.” He said it is remarkable what happens when the community comes together to make things happen.

Sekou Shabaka, Committee Vice Chair, regretted that Becky Dickson was not at the event. He envisions Central High becoming a hub of community activity in the near future.

Classrooms have been transformed into recreation spaces. An interactive screen in the hallway provides a means to browse electronic scans of Central High year books. An open house is planned for April.

May the next generation of eagles hatched at Central High rise out of the dark days of the past into the bright light of the future.

The eagle is watching!

On goodness

The rural character that everyone wants to preserve is more attitudinal than physical, and has little to do with cows and horses tastefully deployed on open space.  Self-reliance, neighborliness, and pitching in to help out define a community.

On February 27,Goochland lost a man, Garland N. “Pete” Gregory, Sr., longtime resident of Hickory Haven in Centerville, who personified rural character.

Pete lived according to the Ten Commandments, Golden Rule, common sense, with  a bit of mischief thrown in for good measure. He loved his family, neighbors, Centerville Volunteer Fire-Rescue Company 3, and St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church. He derived great joy from everything he did.

After moving to Goochland with Joyce, his wife of 63 years, in 1966, Pete soon joined Centerville Volunteer—then fire only—Company 3. Last fall, he was sworn in as an honorary chief of the department to commemorate more than 50 years of extraordinary service to fire-rescue and the community.

Family was Pete’s priority.  His moral compass was locked on true north. He lovingly set clear rules and boundaries for his kids and grandchildren that guided them well along life’s path.

He took great interest in his neighbors and was fondly known as “the mayor of Hickory Haven.” Pete helped out whenever and however he could from fixing  things to keeping an eye out for the safety of older people living alone.

A service to honor Pete’s memory filled St. Matthew’s on March 3. Old Glory flew from the ladder truck of Goochland Fire-Rescue, which joined Company 3 apparatus “staging” outside to honor him.

Goochland's ladder truck displays flag outside of St. Matthew's.

L. Franklin Wise, Jr. the last volunteer Chief of Goochland-Fire-Rescue, who joined Company 3 with Pete, shared memories of his old friend. Wise painted a picture of an organization that was a second family to its members, who united to serve the community they lived in and loved. They worked hard, performed a vital service, and had fun in the process.

Back then, the volunteers bought and maintained their own equipment. Pete used his mechanical ability and creativity to craft work-arounds to keep apparatus on the road, or rebuild pumps when they lacked to resources to have them fixed professionally. They sometimes combined mechanical aptitude with ingenuity to keep engines with faulty radiators from overheating on the way to fires.

Pete loved showing off Centerville fire trucks in parades and would often spend weeks polishing, painting, and preparing them to compete. The gracious plenty of trophies at the Company 3 station attest to his efforts.

Pete was a volunteer firefighter; a founder of the Centerville rescue squad; president of the Goochland Volunteer Fire-Rescue Association Board; and guiding star for Company 3. He participated in several station renovations and built bunkbeds for Centerville and other stations.

A  granddaughter recalled that one of  his favorite tasks was cooking for Company 3’s annual Santa breakfast on the first Saturday of December, which also became a Gregory family ritual.

Cooking for the annual Company 3 Santa breakfast was an annual ritual for Pete Gregory

As the congregation recited the 23^rd Psalm, its words “…the valley of the shadow of death…” seemed to reference the workplace of firefighters. Current Goochland Fire-Rescue members in dress uniform lined the walls during the service, paying homage to a colleague, friend and role model.

D. E. “Eddie” Ferguson, Jr., Deputy Chief EMS for Goochland Fire-Rescue read The Firefighter’s Prayer:

When I am called to duty, God,

wherever flames may rage,

give me strength to save a life,

whatever be its age.

Help me embrace a little child

before it is too late,

or save an older person from

the horror of that fate.

Enable me to be alert,

and hear the weakest shout,

quickly and efficiently

to put the fire out.

I want to fill my calling,

to give the best in me,

to guard my friend and neighbor,

and protect his property.

And if according to Your will

I must answer death's call,

bless with your protecting hand,

my family one and all.

Current Goochland Fire-Rescue Chief Bill MacKay conducted the “tolling of the bells” ceremony used by the fire service to mark the passing of a firefighter.

Rest in peace Pete, may you dance with the angels forever.