School Email Issue Spills Over Into Council Meeting by MIKE WILLIAMS Riod of Tuesday’S Meeting
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Distributed FREE On Fridays For 12 Years July 9, 2021 www.pcpatriot.com Locally Owned And Operated Insuring You & Yours School email issue spills over into council meeting By MIKE WILLIAMS riod of Tuesday’s meeting. Radcliffe said he could get his The Patriot Radcliffe said comments made copy of the letter and council in the emails by Siers were, members could support it if they The ongoing local ruckus over “Comments everyone here should chose. comments made in several emails have taken offense to.” “I am supporting the Board of from Pulaski County School Su- He said he supports the state- Supervisors, my great sheriff and perintendent Dr. Kevin Siers to ments made last week by the great sheriff’s office,” he said. Karen Tuggle Brad Alley Lynn White state Department of Education of- Pulaski County Board of Super- “May I ask a question Jamie,” ficials spilled over into Tuesday’s visors in response to Siers’ com- asked Councilman Michael Reis. meeting of Pulaski Town Council. ments. “What exactly did he (Siers) Home • Auto • Life • Business The comments were discovered He called on his representative say that was wrong and insulted recently through a Freedom of In- on the school board, Becki Cox of the sheriff’s office,” Reis asked. formation Act request and were the Massie District, to “pull that “He personally called out the made public via local media and microphone down and take care sheriff in his comment,” Rad- social media pages and at public of that problem.” cliffe replied. meetings of the School Board. Radcliffe promised he would be “In what comment,” Reis Some of Siers’ comments were going to school board meetings asked. seen by many locally as being dis- “from this day forward until the “In the comment he made paraging to county citizens and next election.” about…,” Radcliffe began to an- the Sheriff’s Office. Councilman Greg East asked if swer. 611 East Main Street Councilman Jamie Radcliffe, Radcliffe was looking for a motion Reis interrupted, “I’ve looked Dublin, VA 24084 • 540-674-4678 a member of the Pulaski County in support of the Board of Super- at the emails and I don’t see any Sheriff’s Office, raised the subject visors’ letter to the School Board reference to (Sheriff) Mike Wor- www.insurancecenterofdublin.com during the council comments pe- concerning Siers’ comments? See COUNCIL, page A2 WEEKEND WEATHER Pulaski Council sets new Saturday Sunday Mostly sunny, with a high near Mostly sunny, with a high near fines for parking violations 86. Chance of precipitation is 84. Chance of precipitation is By MIKE WILLIAMS 50%. 60%. The Patriot Saturday Night - Mostly Sunday Night - Mostly cloudy, PARKING VIOLATIONS, FINES with a low around 67. Chance cloudy, with a low around 65. Parking violations in downtown of precipitation is 60%. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Pulaski now carry stiffer penal- ties, following action Tuesday by Pulaski Town Council. Council approved its amended ordinance governing parking vi- olation penalties after town staff re-worded the list of violations and adjusted the penalty amounts. A vote on the ordinance was ta- bled last month after Councilman Celebrating 141 Michael Reis noted some of the years of service, wording for violations contained and family owned. in the ordinance was confusing – Traditional services to the point citizens might not un- with traditional derstand exactly what they were values. being ticketed for. Accepting It was also noted that fines for pre-arrangements nearly all the individual violations from other were only $5 and had not been ad- Council approved the re- parking space as a handicapped funeral homes. justed for years. worked ordinance, however, zone. Financing for Staff returned this month with Councilman Lane Penn noted that The new ordinance is effective funerals available an ordinance featuring clearly handicapped zones must be prop- now. stated violations and increased erly marked or illegal parking in Tribute to Polly Mitchell 414 N. Jefferson Avenue • Pulaski, Va., 24301 fines with most being $25. them can’t be enforced. Council adopted a resolution The biggest fine on the list is Proper marking for a handi- honoring the life of Pauline Gate- S. Todd Bruce, Manager/Owner for a handicapped parking zone capped zone includes on the street wood “Polly” Mitchell. 540-980-1700 violation, which carries with it a markings, but also above grade The resolution states Mitch- $250 fine. signage as well that designates the See PARKING, page A3 GREAT PAY. GREAT JOBS! NOW IS THE TIME TO GET THAT PAY AND JOB YOU DESIRE. STARTING PAY $11.50 TO $17.00 PER HOUR Classifieds UNSKILLED POSITIONS AT $12.00 AND $13.00 PER HOUR ALL SHIFTS – SIX COUNTIES FREE CALL OR COME TO OUR OFFICE TODAY! GO TO WORK TOMORROW! Valley Staffing Inc. Call 540-808-3949 Wright Ave., Dublin, Va. SOMETHING TO SELL? TO SOMETHING 540-674-3103 We've Got Got We've EEO Apply Today At www.valleystaffingjobs.comDRUG FREE Page A2 - The Patriot - July 9, 2021 support that.’ to have to guard what their chil- Council “I don’t see in any of the crit- dren are taught in the school en- icisms of Dr. Siers anywhere ac- vironment, they’re going to have Pulaski obtains Continued from Page A1 knowledgement of those issues. protect their children from things And so, I want to say, since it’s you find offensive, then people rell in any of them.” been brought up, there are crit- are going to be passionate. That’s Radcliffe responded that Siers icisms of certain emails that Dr. what this country is about – being $4.5 million in didn’t mention Worrell by name. Siers has sent. I think he’s apolo- passionate. More people need to Reis replied, “You said he gized for those, but I think at the be passionate about these issues. (Siers) personally called him end of the day we ought to be ad- And quite frankly, I find Critical (Worrell) out.” American Rescue dressing these issues because the Race Theory (CRT) to be com- Radcliffe argued that “if you quality of the education our stu- pletely offensive. talk about the sheriff’s office, dents are receiving effects their “What part of it,” asked Reis. you talk about him (Worrell).” success in life and effects the suc- “It’s divisive,” East responded. Reis continued, “Here’s the Plan Act funds cess of this town and this county.” “What part…,” Reis asked. thing that I see. There was a re- By MIKE WILLIAMS ground equipment might be in- Reis added that “if we’re only “I’m not going to argue, I’m go- port issued five years ago that The Patriot terpreted that way,” she added. arguing about whether somebody ing to make this statement,” con- said black students in this county “We’re spending a lot of time said something that was offensive, tinued East. “It’s divisive, and the were two to four times more like- Thanks to the American Res- on Zoom meetings and reading then we’re missing the point.” part that is divisive is everybody is ly to be suspended, that students cue Plan Act (ARPA), the Town of reams of paper on regulations. He noted that the outcome is not very aware of what color they are. from poor socio-economic and Pulaski now has some $4.5 mil- “We have a couple years to use “whether or not we get a new su- I think that is extremely unfortu- minority backgrounds are under lion in grant funds to be used for this money and actually this is perintendent, the outcome is if we nate. Children aren’t racist by na- performing in state standards particular purposes as outlined by the first of two appropriations. don’t address these issues the state ture. So, teaching young children on reading and other state tests. the federal government. We’ll receive a second one of – our regulator – comes in and to be very aware of skin color and And you might disagree with Dr. Town Manager Darlene Bur- the same amount about this time takes over and no one wants that you’re either the oppressed or the Siers – his methods, but I don’t cham told council on Tuesday that next year,” Burcham told coun- to happen. We all want to run our oppressor is a destructive philoso- see anything in any of the criti- the federal government has been cil. own schools and our own school phy and teaching. cisms of Dr. Siers – besides the very specific about the uses of “We’re not in a rush to spend board, and we have to measure up “CRT basically undermines fact that he wrote some emails the money, which is being made it all at once. We want to be very to some minimum standards.” everything that this country is that people didn’t like – actual- available in response to eco- thoughtful about how to spend it East said he’s watched numer- founded on. Our founding docu- ly addressing these underlying nomic disruptions caused by the to put our community in the best ous hours of school board meet- ments are called into question in issues. COVID-19 Pandemic. position for the future.” ings [on YouTube recordings] and CRT. That to me is disgusting. “The county should have a She noted the funds are not part Burcham said there is “strict he said he’d never seen anything “So, to sit here, and I realize goal, and the town should have of the town’s operating budget, accounting and reporting that during the meetings that resem- this isn’t our issue as a board, a goal of increasing our popula- but will be appropriated as a sepa- will be required and justification bled a Klan meeting.