GLOUCESTERMATHEWS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020 VOL. LXXXIII, no. 47 NEW SERIES (USPS 220-560) GLOUCESTER, VA. 23061 | MATHEWS, VA. 23109 two sections 30 pages 75 CENTS Board stays with original Hole in the Wall alignment BY SHERRY HAMILTON director of the Middle Penin- sula Planning District Com- The Mathews County Board mission, told board members of Supervisors held a brief, that several challenges had all-electronic November meet- arisen regarding dredging ing on Tuesday, postponing the Hole in the Wall channel, employee recognitions and which connects Milford Ha- three public hearings until ven and the Chesapeake Bay. December. According to a After conducting a grant- memo, the decision to meet funded study on the project, electronically was due to re- Lawrence said, the Virginia cent restrictions put in place Institute of Marine Science by the governor’s offi ce. has determined that an alter- Hole in the Wall channel Lewie Lawrence, executive SEE MATHEWS BOARD, PAGE 5A Money allocated for school buses, Chromebooks BY TYLER BASS ing expenditures, such as PHOTO BY MIKE CUNNINGHAM Gloucester’s business recov- The Gloucester Board of ery program and the meal Fishing at sunrise Supervisors allocated nearly program through Bay Aging. $1.4 million in CARES Act Gloucester’s Superintendent An angler and his catch are silhouetted as the sun begins to rise in the early hours near the Coleman Bridge on Veterans Day. funding to county schools of Schools Dr. Walter Clem- to purchase new buses and ons approached the board Chromebooks during an on- with the qualifying request Closings begin line meeting Tuesday. for $1,397,332 to pay for 12 COVID-19 cases surge nationwide This year, the board re- new buses and 250 Chrome- ceived $6,575,280 from the Wednesday for BY SHERRY HAMILTON According to Dr. Richard tral and Southwest regions of state to spend on qualify- SEE GLOUCESTER BOARD, PAGE 7A Williams, director of the the state. Altogether, since The United States is expe- Three Rivers Health District, March, 208,833 Virginians Thanksgiving riencing a pandemic surge, COVID-19 cases in Virginia have contracted the virus, All courts and county with all the ICU beds in Utah have also accelerated, with a 13,707 have been hospital- New statewide COVID-19 offi ces in Gloucester and being used up, worsening daily case count of 1,594 on ized for it, and 3,860 have Mathews will close at noon conditions in the Dakotas, Monday, a seven-day moving died from it. on Wednesday, Nov. 25 and and the threat looming that average of people hospital- There has been an uptick in measures take e ect remain closed Thursday health care systems in other ized for the virus up to 1,283 the Three Rivers Health Dis- and Friday, Nov. 26 and 27, areas of the country will be statewide, and community New statewide measures to as strengthened enforcement for the Thanksgiving Day overwhelmed, as well. transmission high in the Cen- SEE COVID19 CASES, PAGE 7A curb the spread of COVID-19 of the statewide mask man- holiday. went into effect Monday amid date. Schools in both coun- a surge in the virus in states While the state’s case ties will be closed Wednes- Dr. Williams expresses frustration with people’s response to virus across the country and con- count per capita and positiv- day through Friday, Nov. cern over holiday gatherings. ity rate remain comparative- 25-27, although teachers Dr. Richard Williams, di- refusing to wear masks and grows worse,” said Williams. Gov. Ralph Northam an- ly low, all fi ve health regions in Gloucester will have a rector of the Three Rivers social distance. “People in close contact with nounced the new actions on are experiencing increases in staff day for half a day on Health District, expressed “Week after week as I write each other, with no respira- Friday, which included de- new COVID-19 cases, positive frustration in his weekly re- this pandemic update, the creasing public and private SEE CLOSINGS, PAGE 10A port of Nov. 16 about people situation across the country SEE FRUSTRATION, PAGE 7A in-person gatherings, as well SEE STATEWIDE MEASURES, PAGE 10A Doctoral candidate studying Gloucester’s Black schools BY TYLER BASS Colleen Betti has been spending her summers at school, coming to Gloucester since 2018 to work on her dis- sertation. The PhD student from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill has been working with the Fairfi eld Foundation on archeological digs at three historic schools in the county. Betti has spent her time at the Woodville Rosenwald School, the Bethel School, TYLER BASS / GAZETTE-JOURNAL and the Dragon School. The common theme among the Colleen Betti, left, and her colleague Quinn Eury, right, clean up one of their dig sites is that they were all Afri- units at the Dragon School located at Glenns. At the Dragon School site, Betti and can American schools during Eury have found broken glass, combs, and pieces of old desks that were used by the time of segregation in the the students of the African American school. TYLER BASS / GAZETTE-JOURNAL country. As of writing, she is currently working at the Drag- rounded by private property. ing it to where they believe Veterans Day on School site, also known as To get to the dig site, Betti and the school was. the Glenns School. colleague Quinn Eury have to The school, built in 1883, The Marine Corps League of the Middle Peninsula held a small Veterans Day ceremony at American Legion Post 75 on The Dragon School is no park across the street, climb was open until 1929. Betti said Wednesday, Nov. 11. A number of wreaths were presented and then placed around the ags in front of the building to longer standing. The building over abandoned tires down that the school closed due honor those who have served. After the nal wreath was placed, from left, John Seltzer of the Marine Corps League, Senior was located off a road that into the abandoned road, and Patrol Leader Joshua Pinder of Boy Scout Troop 133, and MCL and Legion Post 75 member Rick Ward gave one nal salute is no longer there and is sur- then climb a hill before mak- SEE ARCHEOLOGICAL DIG, PAGE 15A in respect. The gathering was smaller than in years past due to COVID-19. INSIDE THIS WEEK TO REACH US: Phone: 804-693-3101 Gloucester. .2A Coming Events . .10A Variety . .5B New electives at GHS Mathews. .3A Schools. 11A12A Days Past . .6B The Gloucester County School Board unanimously approved the addition of Fax: 804-693-7844 Gloucester Point. .4A Sports . .13A14A Business . .9B African American History and Native American Studies classes as electives Neighbors . .5A Community News . .1B Public Record . 10B at Gloucester High School, starting in 2021-2022. See story on page 11A. On the web Editorial . .6A Church News . 3B5B Classi eds . 11B14B www.gazettejournal.net *The Wells Fargo Home Projects credit card is issued by Wells Fargo Bank N.A., an Equal Housing Lender. Spe- cial terms apply to qualifying purchases charged with approved credit. The special terms APR will continue to COZY UP TO HOME COMFORT apply until all qualifying purchases are paid in full. The monthly payment for this purchase will be the amount that will pay for the purchase in full in equal payments during the promotional (special terms) period. The APR THIS FALL for Purchases will apply to certain fees such as a late payment fee or if you use the card for other transactions. Locally owned and trusted since 1955 For new accounts, the APR for Purchases is 28.99%. If you are charged interest in any billing cycle, the mini- Upgrade to a Trane system today mum interest charge will be $1.00. This information is 0% FOR 72 MONTHS* or accurate as of 8/1/2020 and is subject to change. For before the chill and get peace of current information, call us at 1-800-431-5921. Offer Call (804) 642-6163 expires 11/16/2020. **See your independent Trane UP TO $1200 REBATE** Dealer for complete program eligibility, dates, details mind, increased comfort, and lower or visit pha4u.com and restrictions. Special financing offers or rebates up on qualifying systems to $1,200 valid on Qualifying Equipment only. Offers utility bills! vary by equipment. All sales must be to homeowners in the United States. Void where prohibited. Y M C K 2A GLOUCESTER-MATHEWS GAZETTE-JOURNAL Gloucester GleaninGs THURSDAY NOVEMBER 19, 2020 Nautical Gifts & Flags Library to reopen without 10%-30% off Forty Winks appointment restriction Mattress Store Where you Sleep Better for Less The Gloucester Public Li- Services. “In order to pro- community back inside. Lowest Price in Town brary, which had been open vide a safe environment for However, restrictions on the Mattress Sale by appointment only as a the community, patrons and number of people allowed Queen Sets $ result of the pandemic, will staff, modifications have in each building at any one set remove that restriction be- been made to services and time will remain in place. as low as 499 ginning Saturday, according hours. We will get through The libraries will have COURTHOUSE ANTIQUES to Gloucester County Admin- this health crisis and we ask hand sanitizer stations read- Rt. 17 South Bypass, Saluda istrator Brent Fedors. your continued assistance ily available. Floor markers Monday-Saturday 9:30-4:30 The library’s Main and by washing your hands fre- will also be in place to indi- 804-758-4861 Point branches will operate quently, practice social dis- cate appropriate distancing under modified hours and tancing, wear a face cover- in queue lines and at public with capacity limits in place ing and stay home if you’re service desks.