Taking it on the road

The last of Goochland County spring town hall meetings, for Districts 4 and 5, was held on Wednesday March 27. Sessions for District 1 and District 2 and 3 were held earlier in the month. The county “slides” for all meetings are available at http://goochlandva.us/921/Annual-Reports-Presentatons-County-Data. Scroll down to town hall presentations.

District 4 supervisor Bob Minnick presented a Goochland Challenge Coin to Wayne Dementi for his work with Goochland Pet Lovers. This non-profit (https://www.goochlandpetlovers.com/) works with the county in a public/private partnership to enhance the new pet shelter with adoption and veterinary care areas.

“It’s been quite a journey,” Dementi said of his involvement with Pet Lovers. “It’s been delightful working with John (Budesky), (Deputy County Administrator) Derek Stamey, and (Director of Animal Protection) Tim Clough. This is really about the Goochland Citizens, who responded to the challenge (of raising $1.5 million for the animal shelter.) We are so blessed to live in Goochland. That kind of generosity is a rare thing.”

Designs for gateway signs were available for consideration. Attendees were asked to express a preference for the county seal or logo and several display options including ground or post mounted. There will be more opportunities to weigh in on the signage before decisions are made. The sign will be deployed at county line “gateways” on Broad Street Road, Route 6, and other major thoroughfares.

Should the county logo (l) or county seal (r) be used for gateway signs?

  

As has become customary, the county budget for the 2020 county fiscal year, which begins on July 1 was the focus of the sessions. Budget details, discussed by County Administrator John Budesky include retention of the 53 cents per $100 of valuation tax RATE, which actually represents a tax increase.

As the revenue generated by the 53-cent tax rate, based on the 2019 assessed valuation, increased more than one percent over the 2018 amount, it must be advertised as a tax increase. This means that the 53-cent tax rate for calendar year 2019 will be an effective tax increase of six percent. When property values rise, tax bills increase even if the rate remains the same.

Budesky explained that the assessment process is separate from the political process and that the supervisors have no say in property valuations.

The public hearing on the FY 2020 budget, the 2019 tax rates, and other fees, will be held on Tuesday, April 2 at 7 p.m. in the county administration building. This is literally, a time when the Board of Supervisors” hears the public” speak about these subjects. The final vote will occur on April 16.

Commercial growth, said Budesky, has been robust. To encourage small business activity, revenue thresholds for business license have been increased.  A five cent per $100 of valuation reduction for personal property tax and elimination of the dreaded “sticker fee” are part of the proposed budget as is tax relief for the elderly and disabled veterans.

He touched briefly on the capital improvement plan (CIP), which is a road map to fund items such as buildings, and equipment with a long operational life that cannot be paid for in a single budget cycle. A new elementary school to be built on property near the high school/middle school complex and fire-rescue station were mentioned, but not a court building. Budesky reiterated that no sites for any other future facilities have yet been identified and rumors to the contrary have no basis in fact.

In response to a query about the dangerous mess at Rts. 250/288, the site of yet another fatal crash, Budesky said that improvements there have been approved and funded by VDOT but will not be in place much before 2021. “That cannot be done soon enough for the county,” he said.

Budesky also stated that the county does not have to approve additional new homes and their cash proffers for revenue. Cash proffers may be used only for capital costs that result from increased need for facilities.

District 5 Supervisor Ken Peterson touted county’s sound financial condition as evidenced by its excellent bond ratings from both Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s. These will help Goochland borrow money to fund items in the CIP at the lowest possible rates.

Beth Hardy, who represents District 4 on our school board, explained that when the current board took office in 2012, it wanted Goochland County Public Schools to be “a beacon for education in the Commonwealth. We’ve done that,” she said. “The great partnership with the board of supervisors has been a tremendous point of pride and I am grateful for our proactive engaged citizens.”

Superintendent of Schools, DR. Jeremy Raley said that the school division has been a good steward of the tax dollars invested in education, which has paid the dividend of putting Goochland schools in elite company.”

Not content to sit on its laurels, Raley said, the school division regularly examines all of its expenditure and makes strategic abandonments to better use funds for the school division’s core business—instruction.

When asked if teachers leave Goochland for higher pay elsewhere, Raley contended that Goochland pay scales are competitive. “We’re Alabama. People want to be part of the awesomeness of Goochland schools. We’ve created a supportive environment that lets teachers take chance to do what is best for their students.” Hardy added that participates in exit interviews and found that people tend to leave because they are moving out of the area, or for personal and family situations, not money.

 Raley played the delightful video about a day at Goochland High School (see GOMM Aligning Goals) and announced that one of the students featured has a heavy equipment operator job lined up with a nice salary after graduation, another student earned a full ride to UVa, just to mention a few success stories.

He shared a long list of accolades and achievements of our students, faculty,and other members of Team Goochland. Go to http://goochlandschools.org/ and click around to see what’s going on in your school division.

Concrete discussions

On Tuesday, March 12, an occurrence rare as hen’s teeth among Virginia local governments, took place. The Board of Supervisors and members of the School Board sat down together for a cordial, yet hard conversation. The importance of the congenial relationship between the supervisors and school board cannot be over emphasized.

Collaboration between the Supervisors and School Board enables constructive discussions.

This environment, said School Superintendent DR. Jeremy Raley, “allows us to unpack our thinking and have a difficult discussion about a whole bunch of money in an amiable way.”

The topic was the county capital improvement plan (CIP), which includes estimated costs for long-lived items, including buildings, systems, and equipment, that cannot be fully funded in one budget cycle, and establishes a schedule to purchase or build and pay for them.

In 2017 Goochland crafted a 25-year CIP, an almost unheard-of task, used to create a capital impact model tool for evaluating land use decisions. As part of the annual budget process, a more detailed five-year CIP is approved.

A big part of 25-year CIP is the needs of the school division, which completed its own long-term CIP that included three enrollment projections based on high, moderate, and low growth rates. The out-year numbers were based on best guesses. The 2017 projected cost for a new Goochland Elementary School (GES), planned for FY2023, was based on moderate growth. District 2 School Board member Kevin Hazzard said attendance boundary adjustments will be made to take pressure off of Randolph and Byrd elementary schools until they too are replaced. Hazzzard also observed that using a four-season school year, which is NOT under consideration, could reduce school capacity to 75 percent.

When attendance projections were updated this year, it became clear, according to Raley, that actual growth is far more robust. (Note to supervisors, remember this during residential rezoning decisions). Instead of a 500 student GES, the March 12 proposed schools’ CIP included a 650-student school. Raley contended that enrollment at the 500 student GES would exceed capacity on opening day. The price tag for the larger school was estimated at $31.9 million versus the $24 million used in 2017. Raley predicted that enrollment will increase for each of the next ten years at every grade level; capacity is a division-wide issue.

"Education cottages" at Randolph Elementary School

Also included in the county long-term CIP for approximately the same time frame, the 2023 fiscal year, is a new $25 million combined courts building. The venerable Goochland Circuit Court building has been in use since 1827—Thomas Jefferson died in 1826—and is long overdue for replacement. A county space study conducted last year found that the existing court buildings will soon become inadequate for daily operation. At its March 5 meeting, the Board approved $620,000 to build a security screening addition for the Circuit Court building providing a bit of time flexibility on the court project.

District 5 Supervisor Ken Peterson quipped that the schools get points for the courage to ask for a $12 million CIP increase, and the supervisors get points for not covering their ears at the request.  “Courthouse security is a big issue, and schools have a greater need than they did only a few years ago. It’s helpful to go through the numbers to know how we got here,” said Peterson.

Adding up a more expensive than anticipated school, the courthouse, and other crucial items, the county will need a lot of money in the next five years. This will require borrowing. No decisions on the CIP have been made yet. It will be discussed at the current round of Town Hall meetings; a public hearing on April 2, and, perhaps before the board votes to adopt the budget and CIP on April 16. As the 53 cent per $100 of valuation has been advertised, the tax RATE will not increase for calendar year 2019.

The cost of the courts building, and new GES alone is roughly equal to the FY2020 general fund revenues for the entire county.

Last year was good for county revenues, which rose about nine percent due to higher property assessments, new construction, bank stock taxes, and earning a bit of interest on county money. Long term projections use a more conservative three per cent annual growth rate.

Stewardship of public funds and land use decisions are the most important duties of the supervisors. The ill-conceived Tuckahoe Creek service District, which almost swamped Goochland, is a cautionary tale, one these supervisors will not repeat.

Unlike their predecessors, who lacked the financial sophistication to understand the risk that borrowing a huge sum of money based on unsubstantial projections of seven percent annual growth forever, this board worries about what is over the economic horizon. Taking office when Goochland property values were declining—something virtually unknown for decades—this board understands what happens when there is too little revenue to fund core services. That is why funds are allocated every year to a “rainy day” account to smooth out the bumps of the next economic downturn.

The Commonwealth of Virginia does not restrict the amount of debt a locality can issue, so bad local financial decisions can lead to big money problems solved with higher taxes. To further protect the county coffers, this board adopted a policy limiting the amount of debt the county can incur relative to its general fund expenditures to a target of 10 percent with ceiling of 12 percent.  Current conditions fall well below the target. (See http://goochlandva.us/DocumentCenter/View/4422/Goochland-Financial-Management-Policies-Effective-May-1-2018 for the entire policy.)

According to the county capital impact study, “Cash proffers are a small part of an overall funding strategy and should not be regarded as a total solution for infrastructure financing needs. Therefore, other strategies and revenue sources are needed to offset the impact to infrastructure from new growth.”

This board wants to wait until existing debt other than the TCSD is retired before taking on more. They are committed to keeping the real estate tax RATE steady at 53 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. Note, burgeoning real estate valuations last year resulted in a tax increase, because the flat rate generates more revenue. (The more of the one hundred dollars you have, the more 53 cents you pay.)

For the past several years, the county budget has included CIP appropriations for the new GES and Courthouse. In essence, saving up for a down payment to reduce the amount borrowed, which in turn, reduces the debt service.

Finding balance between “we need it now” and let’s not get too deeply into debt is a tricky maneuver. County Administrator John Budesky suggested options, which include delaying the courthouse project a few years

Other factors are in play. Budesky observed that borrowing for this CIP will occur in about three years, when another board will be in place. Understanding how money works and the consequences of taking on debt is a vital skill for anyone seeking elected office this year. Sadly, few candidates bother to attend these sessions and listen to substantive discussions on the subject.

Why not just float a large bond issue to fund all the things in the CIP at once? The east end of the county is growing like a weed increasing real estate tax revenues to service the debt. Goochland has two high bond ratings to help get better interest rates, so what’s the problem?

The good times will not roll forever. If the county incurs more debt than it can comfortably handle tax rates will rise, for everyone.  If we use the reserves as a larger down payment, the county’s metaphorical cupboard could be left bare in case of another economic downturn, or a “Black Swan” event that comes out of the blue, like the 2011 earthquake that destroyed two schools in Louisa.

Aligning goals

Aligning goals

Today’s high school students have more career opportunities than ever; many of them will have satisfying employment in jobs that do not yet exist. Businesses struggle daily to find qualified applicants for existing job openings. Fixing this mismatch is complicated.

On Wednesday, March 6, Goochland County Public Schools held its latest business roundtable workshop with local employers and high school students to learn where the needs of business and aspirations of students intersect.

GHS students mingled with local business people to learn what  employers are looking for in their workforce.

View https://youtu.be/qpaSxL7chV0 to learn about some of our students.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jeremy Raley began the session, which included representatives Goochland County economic development; Chamber of Commerce; Reynolds Community College; and many local businesses, large and small.

“We’re developing a workforce for you,” Raley said. He contended that a well-trained sustainable local workforce will buy houses and cars, pay taxes, and contribute in many ways to a vibrant community well into the future.

“Our Bulldogs are doing awesome things every day, but we want to hear from you about what kinds of readily transferrable skills they need to prepare for success in their careers,” said Raley.

Dr. Steve Geyer, assistant superintendent for instruction gave a brief overview of the Profile of a Goochland Graduate  Please take a look at http://goochlandschools.org/hendron/Profile2.html . “Goochland takes a harder, and more personal, path,” said Geyer. “We want to know what you—employers—want from our students beyond content mastery. Ours (standards) are not measured by the state accountability system and are hard to evaluate. We want our graduates to leave school prepared to be successful in life.”

Dr. Paula Pando, president of Reynolds Community College—J.Sarge was dropped a few years ago—said she is still transitioning to her new position after a move from New Jersey and described herself as “a little bit Yankee, a little bit y’all” as she began her remarks.

“We are in the fourth industrial revolution,” Pando contended. “Jobs are going away but new jobs are being created in their place that require some sort of post-secondary credential.” The Virginia Community College system is working to find affordable ways to help employees train to fill those job vacancies with better prospects.  One of the challenges, said Pando, is that federal programs like Pell grants, fund degrees that are not in high demand. (Unlike student loans, these grants, available to qualified low income candidates, do not saddle recipients with debt.) There are no federal fund programs for developing programs in high demand skills, she said.

Beginning this summer, RCC will offer a commercial driver’s license (CDL) program costing approximately $1,500, which could be as little as $450 for those with financial need. “These in demand jobs pay $60,000 and up right out of the gate. That can be life changing for a family,” Pando said. “I had a Daddy who put three kids through college driving a truck.”

Pando said that the partnership with Goochland Schools whereby qualified students can earn an associate’s degree before they graduate from high school—Reynolds commencement falls earlier in the year that GHS graduation—and start college as academic juniors has been successful. This gives students a head start on college success and eases the financial burden on parents.

There are the other students who do fine in the classroom who may struggle with homelessness and never finish their programs. They need extra support to find their place in the world of work.

Reynolds Goochland Campus will host an open house on Thursday, April 25 beginning at 5:45 p.m., which will include recruiting for the initial CDL class cohort. See http://www.reynolds.edu/who_we_are/outreach/pdf/Reynolds-Open-House-Agenda-GC-EC-final.pdf for more information.

Raley then asked the attendees for their input to help students contemplate their lives outside the classroom. “We need your help because we value your experience and insight.” He asked for volunteers to help with mock interviews to help student better prepare for the real thing.

Breakout sessions followed where representatives from local business discussed their challenges finding employees with the skills they need. A group of seniors listened attentively.

The feedback followed common themes. Many reported difficulties in finding employees with requisite licensure in a particular field. Others commented on the dearth of “soft skills” among young people who would rather text than deal with clients face-to-face.

One group lamented the lack of early emphasis on trades. The current fashion of parents shaming each other if their children do not go to college does not reflect the reality that people can be successful in many ways. (The recently revealed college entrance cheating scandal gives credence to the absurdity of this.)

Lack of personal skills, the ability to interact with customers and fellow employees were common complaints. The ability to define and solve common problems; be properly respectful; basic leadership; good phone skills; and being well-rounded were described as desirable traits in employees.

Stan Corn, proprietor of Alarms, Inc. commended the Career and Technical (CTE) programs offered by GCPS. He is on its advisory committee, which provides business people a place to be heard about what they need in employees. Corn also offered sage advice to young people, who, he contended, must be taught how to work. “Be willing to work. Stay out of trouble and keep your fingerprints out of the FBI database. Background checks look at social media. You’re killing yourself with your stupidity.”

Stan Corn of Alarms, Inc. offered common sense advice to young people.

Everything in life, Corn contended, is about selling. “You need to know how to present a concept and get others to accept what you have to offer.”

Even first graders in Goochland schools get a taste of CTE programs. Expanding the universe of career opportunities is key to matching talents with skills and fulfilling the division’s goal of maximizing the potential of every learner.

March Board Highlights

March Board highlights

The Goochland Supervisors’ March monthly meeting was less contentious than anticipated. The Board will address the rezoning application for Tuckahoe Bridge, an up to 147 home subdivision, on property between Manakin and Rockville Roads on June 4, and the rezoning application for Reed Marsh, a 67-lot subdivision on land next to the library on May 7.  A public hearing to amend an ordinance dealing with video monitoring on school buses was also deferred to June 4.

Spring Town Hall meetings re just around the corner. The District 2 and 3 meeting is scheduled for Wednesday March 13 at Central High School Educational and Cultural Center on Dogtown Road. The District 1 meeting will be on Monday, March 18 at the Fife Company 4 Fire-Rescue Station on Hadensville-Fife Road. Districts 4 and 5 will meet on Wednesday March 27 at the Hermitage Country Club on Hermitage Road. All meetings begin at 7 p.m. and are open to all. The format will explain the budget for fiscal year 2020, which begins on July 1 and other topics of local and countywide interest.

A rabies clinic will be held on Sunday, April 7 in the lower parking lot near the intersection of Fairground and Sandy Hook Roads from 2 to 4 p.m. The fee is $10 per animal. This is a good time to make sure your four-legged children are protected.

The supervisors approved a resolution of appreciation for Past Chief of the Department of Fire-Rescue Bill MacKay. He led our intrepid first responders from June 2010 until retiring on January 31. MacKay thanked the Board for its support during his tenure in office and said that the strides the department made were the result of the hard work of hundreds of people. He also thanked the Goochland Sheriff’s Office and the School Division for their partnership in public safety activities.

Marshall Winn, VDOT Ashland Residency Manager, reported that improvements for the Rt. 288/Broad Street Road interchange are on schedule for advertisement in January 2020 but could be moved up. Construction should start about three months later.

In response to a question from Ken Peterson, District 5, Winn said he will send Deputy County Administrator Todd Kilduff, a schedule of planned roadwork. We hope this helps avoid a repeat of the mess caused last year when these was no warning about the resurfacing of Broad Street Road west of Oilville.

Winn told Bob Minnick, District 4, that repairs to roads in the Parke at Centerville are due next year.

The supervisors authorized County Administrator John Budesky to execute a real estate purchase agreement for a building owned by Goochland Cares at 2948 River Road West in Courthouse Village. The purchase price of $450,000 is in line with the current assessed valuation of $449,500. A lease in place with the medical practice of Dr. Bain’s Goochland Family Practice will remain.

The county will purchase this property from Goochland Cares.

Authority was also granted for Budesky to execute a contract for $620,000 to construct a security screening building for the existing courthouse. Currently, a tent serves this purpose. The Veteran’s Memorial will be relocated on the Courthouse green. This 1,047 square foot building will include both indoor and outdoor spaces and ramps to bring it into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. The structure was designed with input from the Sheriff’s Office; Circuit Court Clerk; Historical Society; and approval from the Virginia Department of Historical Resources.

An addition will provide better Courthouse security than this tent. The memorial to the left will be relocated.

The county long term capital improvement plan includes a replacement for the existing circuit house, which was built in 1827—no that is not a typo—and has served Goochland well, but cannot meet contemporary security challenges.  The new courthouse is expected around 2024.

A policy to create road service districts was adopted. This creates a mechanism for the county to collect private funds to bring existing roads up to state standards and   be conveyed to VDOT for maintenance. Please see the board packet for March 5 on the county website http://goochlandva.us/ for details. This policy will address the road situation in the Bridgewater subdivision, but may be applied to other unpaved roads throughout the county. Goochland does not build or maintain roads, that function is handled by VDOT.

The supervisors approved petitioning the circuit court not to hold a special election to fill the office of Treasurer and to vest Chief Deputy Treasurer Pamela Duncan with the powers to perform all the functions of that office. Current Treasurer Pamela Johnson announced her intention to retire at the end of the current fiscal year, June 30. As this is a local election year, county treasurer, a constitutional office will be on the ballot; incurring the expense of a special election does not seem warranted.

Under housekeeping matters, the Board authorized the refund of an erroneous business license payment made on February 11. Policy requires refunds in excess of $2,500 to be authorized by the supervisors after having been verified by the Treasurer.

The school budget was presented to the supervisors and will be discussed in a separate post.

Stop hot car baby deaths

Last summer, a horrifying occurrence hit far too close to home. A 17-month-old baby was discovered dead in his car seat on the top floor of a parking deck at the Capital One campus in West Creek. His father, for whatever reason, did not drop the child off at daycare before heading to work on a hot August day. When a call from the daycare alerted the father to the situation, it was too late for the baby.

Everyone who heard about the event wondered how it could happen. Midlothian teenager Hannah Rhudy rather than casting blame, channeled her sadness to devise a simple way to help parents remember to check for babies on board before leaving their cars.

Hannah Rhudy and Goochland Sheriff James L. Agnew display baby in baby out hang tags.

 

Goochland Sheriff James L. Agnew, who responded to the West Creek scene and has young grandchildren, introduced Hannah at the March 5 Board of Supervisors’ meeting to tell her story.

“Always look before you lock,” is the slogan emblazoned on simple hang tags, lime green on one side, bright pink on the other, designed for display from a rear-view mirror.

“We want to make checking the back seat before locking cars as much of a habit as wearing seatbelts to ensure that the precious cargo of a baby is not forgotten,” Hannah said.

A video, narrated by a local pediatrician, explained why hot cars are so dangerous for youngsters. A child’s body overheats three times faster than that of an adult;  heat stroke begins when the child’s body reaches 104 degrees; death can occur at 107 degrees; the internal temperature of  a locked car can increase up to 20 degrees in ten minutes; cracking car windows or parking in the shade does not slow the heating process; and an average of 37 children die each year according to statistics from the safety organization Kinds And Cars (www.kidsandcars.org).

Hannah plans to distribute the free hang tags at locations around the Richmond area. She brought a bundle of them for Sheriff Agnew to hand out at his office. Hannah hopes to work with tech students to create an app with a heat sensor alert for parents.  Visit her website at www.babyinbabyout.org for more information.

Hidden in Plain Sight

On Wednesday, February 27, the Rural Substance Abuse Awareness Coalition held a daylong seminar to raise awareness of substance abuse at the Central High School Cultural Arts Center and help curb this scourge on our society. Hallmark Youthcare, a residential treatment facility in West Creek

The program was sad and depressing, yet hopeful that the knowledge participants carried away with them could begin to address the problem of substance abuse.

“Hidden in plain sight” refers to the many ways that drugs and alcohol are concealed in everyday objects and emphasize the fact that addicting substances are everywhere today.

A display created by the Culpepper Police Department was shocking in its ordinariness. An innocent bag of gummy bears—the candy kind, not those laced with controlled substances—could be soaked in vodka and taken to school as a seemingly innocent snack. A highlighter that comes apart to reveal marijuana pipe; containers for things like suntan lotion and soft drinks made to hold hidden compartments are readily available on the internet.

This highlighter hides a marijuana pipe

Compressed air, used to clean computer keyboards, is sometimes “huffed” by kids with deadly results. Opening a seam in the back of a beloved teddy bear creates a hidey hole for a pill bottle. A pocket concealed in the crown of a baseball cap could be a handy place to store keys while jogging or secrete an illicit substance.

Dangerous cargo hidden in Teddy Bear

While the skyrocketing death rate from the opioid addiction epidemic is getting lots of attention, more “traditional” addiction, to street drugs and alcohol ruins lives of young people and adults.

Two videos put the issue into human terms.  The first-person story of a woman who became addicted to opioids following an injury and served time in prison, not for addiction, but for crimes she committed to feed her habit.  She told of attending open houses to steal drugs from medicine cabinets. “I knew I was going to end one of two ways, “she recalled. “I was either going to overdose or get shot by someone whose home I broke into.” She got clean and works every day to stay that way.

A heart-rending recollection of a mother who lost her daughter to an overdose segued into the informational portion of the day.

Brian C. Moore, a special agent with the Virginia State Police assigned to the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Drug Enforcement Section for District 5, presented a terrifying overview of the issue.

Virginia State Police Special Agent Brian C. Moore

Drug addiction causes heartache; increases criminal activity and kills. Addicts come in all shapes, sizes, ages. They could be the person next door, Moore said. “Pain pills are so easy to get that some people pop them like Skittles. When they can no longer obtain them with prescriptions, they turn to street drugs, like heroin, which is a more affordable alternative when you’ve been hooked.”

Moore told of a colleague who used pain medication recovering from an injury and progressed to hard drugs. He spent all of his money, including a second mortgage on the family home, to feed his habit before he got help.

Illegal drugs, including high quality meth, heroine, and the deadliest of all, fentanyl, are being made in China and flooding into America from Mexico and Canada, Moore said. Fentanyl, intended to relieve severe pain for advanced cancer patients, is 80 to 100 times more potent than morphine. Sometimes, explained Moore, heroin is “cut” with fentanyl with deadly consequences. The substance is so toxic, that law enforcement officers carry overdose reversing Narcan with them in case they accidentally come into contact with fentanyl, which could kill.

the size of a deadly dose of fentanyl

“Home cooked meth” can be made almost anywhere, also with deadly outcomes. “If you suspect you are around a meth lab, turn around and run the other way,” he said. The process can be very volatile causing burns and inhalation injuries. People have been known to cook meth in soda bottles while driving down the road and toss them out the window if they begin to explode, creating deadly roadside litter.

“We don’t want to put addicts in jail, we want them to get treatment and get back into society,” said Goochland Commonwealth’s Attorney Mike Caudill. “Addicts go to jail for the crimes they commit to feed their habit. If you sell and distribute drugs, you will go to prison.”

Michael McDermott of Maidens, who works with the McShin Recovery Resource Foundation said that addiction is a human problem.  McShin (www.mcshin.org) which offers same day no charge service. “There’s no reason not to get help. No more obituaries,” said McDermott.

Michael McDermott (l) with the McShin Foundation and Goochland Commonwealth's Attorney Mike Caudill (r)

Other local sources of funded treatment are the Goochland Powhatan Community Services Board(http://www.gpcsb.org/), and the Rural Substance Awareness Coalition (http://rsaac.org).

“Drug addiction is an affliction I would not wish on my worst enemy,” said Caudill. He urged those present to keep a watchful eye on the activities of their children to prevent addiction and get help if needed.