Distributed Free On Fridays For 11 Years! June 19, 2020 www.pcpatriot.com Locally Owned And Operated Seniors' photos, scholarship and award winners and more. See page B1. Making a call? Changes on way with new 826 area code RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Consumers in south- instead of seven. west Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley may soon The commission said the 540 area code will run receive a new area code when they are assigned out of numbers by 2022. new phone numbers. All usable 540 numbers will be exhausted before The State Corporation Commission said Wednes- 826 numbers are issued. The commission approved day a new 826 area code will be created and overlap a 13-month transition period to orient customers to with the existing 540 area code. the switch to 10-digit dialing. WEEKEND WEATHER The overlapping area codes allow people with ex- The 540 area code was created in 1995 and in- isting 540 numbers to keep them. But new numbers cludes the Winchester and Fredericksburg areas Saturday Sunday issued in that territory will carry the 826 code, and as well as southwest Virginia and the Shenandoah Mostly cloudy, with a high near Partly sunny, with a high near the overlap will require customers to dial 10 digits Valley. 80.Chance of precipitation is 84. Chance of precipitation is 70%. 50%. Saturday Night - Mostly Sunday Night - Mostly cloudy, cloudy, with a low around 61. with a low around 65. Chance of Burcham named interim precipitation is 30%. Chance of precipitation is 60%. town manager in Pulaski From Town of Pulaski istration from Virginia Commonwealth University, along with a Bachelor of Psychology degree from Following the resignation of Town Manager the College of William & Mary. In addition Ms. Shawn Utt, Pulaski Town Council Members have Burcham attended both the Federal and Senior Ex- chosen to contract with The Berkley Group to pro- ecutive Institutes in Charlottesville, which provide vide interim Town Manager assistance. training and professional development for local Effective July 1st, Darlene government leaders and manag- Burcham will serve as the Inter- ers. im Town Manager for the Town Her professional career can be of Pulaski. traced back well before her ten- Ms. Burcham is currently ure as the City of Norfolk’s Dep- serving as Town Manager for uty City Manager in 1995, where Clifton Forge, Virginia but is she remained until 1999. After joining The Berkley Group as a leaving Norfolk, she served as member of its Executive Man- the City Manager for Roanoke agement Team, which provides City from 2000 until 2010, where proven management services for a multitude of improvements to localities that have an executive the city’s operations and com- vacancy or require organiza- munity strategy were achieved tional assistance. with stellar results. Following a Ms. Burcham has an extensive list of qualifica- decade of success in Roanoke, she then accepted a tions and experience, with over 40 years spent hon- position as Town Manager for the Town of Clifton ing an array of skills in community development Forge, Virginia, where she continues to drive pos- and personnel management. She received her Masters of Social Work Admin- See BURCHAM, page A2 JOBS! JOBS! JOBS! 27 Immediate Openings 11 Immediate Openings Pulaski/Dublin area Hillsville/Galax area All Shifts All Shifts Pay $10.50 - $14.00 hour Pay $10.00- $11.00 hour Classifieds CNC Lathe Operator - 1st shift - $15 per hour DOE EEO/Drug Free FREE Valleystaffingjobs.com Valley Staffing Inc. Call 540-808-3949 Wright Ave., Dublin, Va. 540-674-3103 SOMETHING TO SELL? TO SOMETHING We've Got Got We've Locally Owned & Operated Page A2 - The Patriot - June 19, 2020 Northam seeks to make Juneteenth a state holiday Will give state history, and we will celebrate it together. This is a step toward the workers this Friday Commonwealth we want to be as off, propose we go forward.” “This is a big display of prog- legislation to make ress and I am grateful for Virgin- state holiday ia for leading the way,” said per- forming artist Pharrell Williams, permanent a Virginia native, who participat- ed in the announcement. “From R IC H MON D — G ove r no r this moment on, when you look at Ralph Northam Tuesday an- the vastness of the night sky, and nounced that he intends to mark you see those stars moving up Juneteenth as a permanent paid there, know that those stars are state holiday, starting by giving our African ancestors dancing. state employees a day off this Fri- They are dancing in celebration day, June 19. Virginia has long because their lives are acknowl- marked Juneteenth by issuing a edged.” proclamation, but the date has This announcement comes not previously been considered a days after Governor Northam state holiday. announced the state will remove Juneteenth is the oldest known the statue of Confederate General commemoration of the end of Robert E. Lee located on Monu- slavery in the United States. It ment Avenue in Richmond, Vir- marks the day in 1865 that en- ginia. Earlier this year, Governor Photo courtesy of Gary Cox slaved people in Galveston, Tex- Northam also successfully pro- as, the last of the former Confed- posed ending a state holiday that Splash Of Patriotic Color On Main Street erate states to abolish slavery, celebrated Confederate generals finally heard that the Civil War Thanks to Jeff Back and David Slomka of the Elks Lodge in Pulaski, Main Street sported a patriotic splash and making Election Day a state of color this week.According to the Elks, the red on these flags are from patriot's blood. had ended, and learned that the holiday in its place. Emancipation Proclamation had “State holidays are a statement made them free nearly two years of dates we think are important earlier. to all people,” said Speaker of NRCC announces nursing “Since 1619, when representa- the House of Delegates Eileen tive democracy and enslaved Af- Filler-Corn. “Making June- rican people arrived in Virginia teenth a state holiday raises its within a month of each other, we significance and will help edu- program accreditation status have said one thing, but done an- cate Virginians on the meaning New River Community Col- as determined by ACEN profes- nursing and other faculty, and other,” said Governor Northam. of Juneteenth in the history of “It’s time we elevate Juneteenth lege has announced that the col- sional staff review of the nursing staff during our pursuit of this our country and our Common- lege’s associate degree nursing program’s candidacy presenta- initiative.” not just as a celebration by and wealth.” for some Virginians, but one ac- program, which prepares stu- tion addressing select accredita- Candidacy status is the first “Juneteenth is a time for reflec- dents for registered nurse (RN) tion standards and criteria. step in earning full accredita- knowledged and commemorated tion, conversation, and action,” by all of us. It mattered then be- licensure, has achieved candi- “Achieving candidacy status tion by the ACEN. When full said House Minority Leader dacy status by the Accreditation by the ACEN is a great achieve- accreditation is achieved within cause it marked the end of slavery Charniele Herring. “A Juneteenth in this country, and it matters now Commission for Education in ment for our nursing program two years of achieving candida- state holiday is an important step Nursing (ACEN). and demonstrates our potential cy status, it will be retroactive to because it says to Black commu- toward affirmation of Black his- nities, this is not just your his- ACEN is a nationally recog- to meet the standards required June 2020. tory—this is everyone’s shared See NORTHAM, page A3 nized, specialized accrediting for accreditation,” said Lor- For more information about agency that recognizes nursing rie Coe-Meade, NRCC direc- NRCC’s nursing program tra- education programs that have tor of nursing programs. “Our ditional option or the advanced been found to meet or exceed program will continue to be placement option for LPNs, in- standards and criteria for educa- strengthened as we proceed with cluding how to apply, contact an tional quality. Candidacy status efforts to achieve accreditation NRCC student services advisor is granted after a nursing pro- by the ACEN for the first time. I at [email protected], 540-674- gram is deemed to have potential appreciate the collective support 3609, or visit www.nr.edu/nurs- to achieve ACEN accreditation of our college administrators, ing. Burcham Continued from Page A1 itive change and impactful deci- sions from 2010 to 2020. Ms. Burcham will now be using her long list of qualifica- tions and background of success to guide the Town of Pulaski as we initiate the search for a per- manent Town Manager. We look forward to welcoming her to our Town, and we’re incredibly ex- cited to bring her into the fold of our ongoing community de- velopment projects. We have no doubt that the Town of Pulaski will succeed under her leader- ship and guidance. If you have any questions re- garding Interim Town Manager Darlene Burcham or our recruit- ment process for a permanent Town Manager, please contact our offices at 540-994-8600. Remember Your Loved One On A Special Day With An In Memoriam Notice In The Patriot Call 540-808-3949 The Patriot - June 19, 2020 - Page A3 County budget: No tax increases or staff cuts Editor's note: County Administrator Jonathan Sweet budgets by up to 3% provided this in-depth look at the proposed Pulaski County Board of Supervisors 4. Continue our non-essential spending freeze through FY-21 Budget, which he presented Monday night prior to a Chairman Joe Guthrie issued the October 1, 2020 public hearing on the budget proposal.