EXPERIENCE MATTERS WILLS, TRUST & ESTATES 804-758-2244 WAKE BUXTON, JD, LL.M., MBA Estate Planning Since 1978 848 GLOUCESTER RD., SALUDA, VA 23149 GLOUCESTER-MATHEWS THURSDAY, JULY 22, 2021 VOL. LXXXIV, no. 29 NEW SERIES (USPS 220-560) GLOUCESTER, VA. 23061 | MATHEWS, VA. 23109 three sections 76 pages 75 CENTS Mathews rallies behind Aug. 3 is deadline for Coast William Scott Smith BY SHERRY HAMILTON Guard station comment A chance dive into the wa- BY SHERRY HAMILTON Blue said in an email that November, and two each in ters of the East River by a the reason for the limited March and May. There were Mathews man earlier this Public comment is being notification was that the sta- no search and rescue cases month could have resulted in taken until Aug. 3 on the pro- tion is not being consolidat- in February 2020. a tragedy, but the quick think- posed reduction from full- ed with another station, and Public comment on the pro- ing of friends helped avert di- time to seasonal status of the therefore won’t be closed posed downgrade of Station saster. U.S. Coast Guard’s Station completely. The plan is to Milford Haven may be made And, in the days that have Milford Haven. redistribute boats to other online at www.regulations. followed, the community has The proposed seasonal stations, she said, “which will gov/docket/USCG-2021-0238. rallied behind the young man status was made public in a increase training opportuni- Coast Guard statement left injured to help him and Gazette-Journal article last ties for personnel, improve “The Coast Guard remains his family with mounting med- week, and Lt. Cmdr. Kather- proficiency, and enhance op- confident in our ability to ical costs. ine M. Blue, Public Affairs Of- erational readiness.” respond year-round while Mathews resident William ficer at U.S. Coast Guard Mid- Blue provided a chart with incorporating the plan to sea- Scott Smith was out on his Atlantic Region, Portsmouth, the number of search and sonalize Station Milford Ha- 25-foot skiff on July 11 when said the Coast Guard did not rescue operations Station ven,” Blue said. “The Coast Blue said that when Sta- he came up alongside some provide notice about the Milford Haven conducted last Guard is committed to the tion Milford Haven is closed friends and spontaneously de- planned downgrade in the year, a total of 47. There were safety and well-being of all for the season, the local area, cided to dive into the water. Federal Register and contact- six cases each in the months those who use the nation’s including the Piankatank and Among the friends who were ed only one Mathews official of June, July, August, and De- waterways and did not make Rappahannock rivers, will also out on their boats were William Scott Smith is currently in about it, Mathews County cember; five in October; four the decision to seasonalize be covered by Station Cape Brandon and Lindsay Hay- Sheppard Rehabilitation in Atlanta, Board of Supervisors’ chair- each in April and September; STA Milford Haven without wood. The two said they and Georgia, undergoing rehab man Mike Rowe. three each in January and serious consideration.” SEE MILFORD HAVEN, PAGE 11A other friends were immedi- ately concerned when Smith came up to the surface face- partment personnel from down in the water. They said a Mathews Volunteer Fire De- Cases on Gloucester author garnering number of people quickly got partment were the first to in the water and rolled Smith arrive on the scene. Ricky over, finding him responsive Tomlinson had brought a but dazed. He said he couldn’t backboard with flotation de- upswing worldwide attention move. vices from the station, and BY SHERRY HAMILTON Lindsay called 911 and ran he and Stevie Shaw helped to Poplar Grove Road to flag place William Scott on the once again Gloucester resident down the rescue squad while backboard, and a group of Shawn Cosby’s career as Brandon and others support- people helped place him BY SHERRY HAMILTON a writer got some major ed Smith in the water, making into Tomlinson’s truck, boosts recently, as he re- sure to hold his neck straight which was the only vehicle With the COVID-19 Delta ceived yet another award and keep him still. They float- that could back down to the variant now the dominant for his last novel and re- ed some life jackets under shoreline. strain in the United States, leased his newest novel, him to help with support. cases of the virus are again which was reviewed in A fire truck and fire de- SEE WILLIAM SCOTT SMITH, PAGE 7A on the upswing nationwide, major newspapers and including Virginia. The state mentioned on The Tonight is now averaging 336 new Show. cases a day, nearly triple the “It’s been an incredibly A century ago, fires 120 cases/day reported just a exciting week,” said Cosby month ago, when restrictive in a telephone interview. measures were still in place “I’ve had a lot of unexpect- and vaccinations were on the ed good news.” destroyed many rise. International Thriller According to Dr. Richard Writers, an association of Williams, Medical Director over 4,500 thriller authors historic properties of the Three Rivers Health in 49 countries, named Cos- District, cases are increas- by’s novel “Blacktop Waste- BY ELSA VERBYLA Gloucester Gazette of Feb. ing across the Three Rivers land” the Best Hard Cover 3, 1921: “Another historic Health District, as well. On Fiction Novel of 2021 two Local author Shawn Cosby is getting some major boosts recently following the Many landmarks in old Gloucester mansion June 21, Williams reported release of his latest novel, “Razorblade Tears ” Gloucester and Mathews was destroyed by fire when that the new case rate in the SEE SHAWN COSBY, PAGE 11A burned to the ground during ‘The Shelter’ burned to the district was just one to two the 12 months of 1921. Fire ground early last Thursday per day for all 10 jurisdic- leveled the Gloucester Audi- morning. The origin of the tions, or between seven and torium. It burned a large part fire is not known to a cer- 14 cases over a seven-day pe- From the Jubilee to fighting of Mathews Court House. It tainty, but it is believed to riod. In contrast, there were destroyed historic homes. have been incendiary. The 60 new cases in Three Rivers The fiery destruction of building was completely de- last week, he said. 1921 stands out in chronicles stroyed, together with all The same holds true for fires, it’s all about community of a century ago, although its contents, including some Gloucester, which saw an in- BY TYLER BASS big fires at that time were by valuable antique furniture crease of 29 cases during the no means unusual. which Mr. John T. Seawell past week, from 2,295 cases Nick Bonniville of Glouces- One common factor was intending to remove to last Wednesday to 2,324 cases ter, is a Master Medic/Fire- also stands out. Neither his home in Newport News this Wednesday. Mathews has fighter with Hampton Fire Gloucester nor Mathews this week.” The Gazette had only one additional case and Rescue. When he’s not had much, if any, firefighting noted that the old home had during the past week, for a to- at the station, Bonniville equipment; certainly noth- recently been sold to a local tal of 606 since the pandemic spends his down time ac- ing strong enough to combat lumber company. began, but Middlesex had 11 tively participating in volun- a big fire, save neighboring Note: The Shelter was lo- new cases, for a total of 589. teer work in the community. properties, and attack a fire cated near Gloucester Court Between July 5 and yester- Bonniville comes from a in an organized manner. House, at the end of present- day, Gloucester, Mathews and family of firemen with his In fact, not until a genera- day Route 619, and was the Middlesex each lost two ad- grandfather, father and oth- tion later did volunteer fire- homeplace of a well-known ditional residents to COVID, er family members having Nick Bonnivile, second from left, and his wife Fran, far right, are two of the Guinea fighting companies appear novelist, Molly Elliott Sea- for a total death count in the served as firefighters. Bon- in our counties. Those first well. It was said in legend to counties of 51 for Gloucester, niville said he first volun- Heritage Association members helping to plan this year’s upcoming Guinea Jubi- lasting departments began have been used as a hospital 14 for Mathews, and 22 for teered at Abingdon Volun- lee They are shown here with their sons, from left, Chase and Colton to get organized in 1946. in the Revolutionary War, Middlesex. teer Fire and Rescue Squad Chronology according to the Gazette ar- Hospitalizations have not in 1996. niville said that the different his peers. He said the added Here are notes on some of ticle. been greatly affected, with This last year, COVID-19 ways the virus affected peo- caution they had to take set the largest fires of 1921: Gloucester remaining at added extra layers of diffi- ple and the potential sever- them back when it came to re- The Shelter, from the SEE FIRES OF 1921, PAGE 7A culty to those who work in ity of contracting it played SEE COVID-19, PAGE 7A emergency services. Bon- mind games with him and SEE COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT, PAGE 7A INSIDE THIS WEEK TO REACH US: Phone: 804-693-3101 Gloucester 2A Coming Events 11A Variety 5B Are You Prepared? Fax: 804-693-7844 Mathews 4A Schools 12A Days Past 6B Get prepared for everything, from hurricanes and health issues to saving Gloucester Point 5A Sports 13A-14A Business 7B money for retirement in this week’s special section See pages 1C-48C Arts 9A Community News 1B Public Record 8B On the web Obituaries 10A Church News 3B-5B Classifieds 9B-12B www.gazettejournal.net *The Wells Fargo Home Projects credit card is issued by Wells Fargo Bank N.A., an Equal Housing Lender.