GLOUCESTERMATHEWS THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2020 VOL. LXXXIII, no. 34 NEW SERIES (USPS 220-560) GLOUCESTER, VA. 23061 | MATHEWS, VA. 23109 two sections 30 pages 75 CENTS Walter Reed CC experiences COVID-19 outbreak BY SHERRY HAMILTON indicating that fewer than fi ve people have been infected. Dr. A COVID-19 outbreak was Richard Williams, director of reported by the Virginia De- the Three Rivers Health Dis- partment of Health to have oc- trict, said that an outbreak is curred at Walter Reed Conva- reported when two or more lescent Center in Gloucester people who either work or on Saturday, Aug. 15, the fi rst reside at a nursing home-type such outbreak reported in the facility test positive for the vi- county. rus. No number of cases was listed for the nursing home, SEE COVID19 UPDATE, PAGE 15A Gloucester board approves $520,618 for distance learning CHARLIE KOENIG / GAZETTE-JOURNAL BY TYLER BASS county CARES Act funds to Kamilah Turner, at left, led the e ort to change the name of Lee-Jackson Elementary School. On Tuesday, the Mathews County School Board sided with her. purchase needed equipment The Gloucester Board of for distance learning. Supervisors voted unani- The total amount requested mously to fund a request from by the schools was $520,618 Gloucester County Schools which will cover two areas during its Monday work ses- of need for the schools. More School board removes Lee-Jackson name sion. Gloucester County Su- than half of that amount, BY CHARLIE KOENIG schools in Mathews were perintendent Dr. Walter Clem- $282,541, will be used to pur- closed and consolidated into ons approached the board chase 1,267 Samsung Gal- The name Lee-Jackson El- the present institution. with a request to use more ementary is now history. Attempts to change the than a half million dollars in SEE GLOUCESTER SUPERVISORS, PAGE 5A By a 4-0-1 vote Tuesday name in 1974 and 1995 proved night, the Mathews County unsuccessful. This most re- School Board voted to re- cent attempt had been led move the name from the by Kamilah Turner of Cobbs school, putting off a deci- Creek, a 2001 Mathews High Gloucester board gets sion on selecting a new School graduate, who mo- name for the school until bilized community support, the end of the year. with a large contingent at- Mathews County has had tending the July 21 and Tues- remote learning update a Lee-Jackson School since day night’s school board BY KIM ROBINS auditorium and a seventh at- 1916 when the high school meetings, many of those tended virtually via Zoom. in the Mathews Court wearing orange “Get Into The Gloucester County The update included infor- House area (one of several Good Trouble” T-shirts this School Board heard an up- mation on what assistance high schools throughout time around. A smaller group, CHARLIE KOENIG / GAZETTE-JOURNAL date Tuesday on the school will be provided for families the county at that time stationed at the front parking division’s “GCPS Learns Any- that need either electronic de- serving white children) was lot of Mathews High School Among those speaking out against the name change on Tuesday night was Bobby where” remote learning frame- vices or better internet con- given that name in honor and waving Confederate ban- Dobson of Cobbs Creek, who said a letter threatening legal action by the Mathews work that will be in place this nectivity for remote learning. of Confederate Gens. Rob- ners, stood for keeping the County NAACP is what spurred the school board into this decision. He was among fall. The school board received ert E. Lee and Thomas J. Lee-Jackson name. several who said the matter should have been decided by a voter referrendum. This was the fi rst in-person over $600,000 in CARES Act “Stonewall” Jackson. The About an hour and a half meeting the board has held funding, much of which will school eventually became at the start Tuesday’s meet- devoted to citizen comment One other potential speaker, since April. Six members at- be dedicated to supporting an elementary school, and ing, which was held in the over the name change. A total Joey Taylor of Gloucester, rep- tended the meeting in the the name retained even as Harry M. Ward Auditorium of 26 residents spoke, with 16 T.C. Walker Education Center SEE REMOTE LEARNING, PAGE 5A all the other elementary at Mathews High School, was of those favoring the change. SEE LEEJACKSON, PAGE 5A From NASA’s top doc to fi ghting COVID-19, Dr. Williams has seen a lot BY SHERRY HAMILTON have been discovered about it—its immediate and long-term effects on the respiratory sys- r. Richard Williams used to think tem, its ability to attack other organ systems, that when he retired and looked its deadly silence in some people that allows it to spread even when no symptoms are pres- Dback on his 40-year career in med- ent—but also for the things that aren’t yet icine, his most signifi cant contribu- known. Can it morph inside the body, the way tion would have been his stint at the that chicken pox can return many years later helm of NASA’s astronaut program. in the form of shingles? Can it cause chronic disease and continue to attack the body for After all, as Chief Health and Medical Offi cer years after the initial outbreak, as HIV, herpes, for the entire space program, both nationally and Hepatitis C have been shown to do? and globally, he was responsible for a lot of “We have so little experience with it,” he lives in an environment that represented an said, “and it isn’t dying out.” apex human achievement. For those reasons, Williams is working as But these days, Williams thinks he might hard as he’s ever worked in his life, spend- have been mistaken. Currently the director ing 12 to 15 hours a day working with staff on of the Three Rivers Health District, Williams testing and contact tracing to try to contain fi gures he might now be engaged in the most the virus, on researching the disease to stay consequential fi ght of his life. informed about the latest developments, and “Helping people get through this pandemic on working with the 10 health departments, is probably more important than anything county governments, and school systems of else I’ve ever done,” he said at his Saluda of- the Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck to SHERRY HAMILTON / GAZETTE-JOURNAL fi ce on Tuesday. try to provide the soundest advice possible Dr. Richard Williams, who retired after a career that included being NASA’s Chief Health and Medical O cer, nds himself on Williams said that COVID-19 is a frightening the front lines in the battle against COVID-19 as director of the Three Rivers Health District. disease, not just because of the things that SEE DR. WILLIAMS, PAGE 10A INSIDE THIS WEEK TO REACH US: Phone: 804-693-3101 Gloucester. .4A Coming Events . .8A Variety . .6B Back to school Mathews. .5A Schools. 11A12A Days Past . .7B New employees reported Monday to Mathews County Public Schools, with Fax: 804-693-7844 Gloucester Point. .6A Sports . .13A14A Business . .8B all teachers and support sta returning on Tuesday for the 2020-2021 Editorial . .7A Community News . .1B Public Record . .9B school year. See story on page 11A. On the web Arts. .8A Church News . 3B5B Classi eds . 10B14B www.gazettejournal.net *The Wells Fargo Home Projects credit card is issued by Wells Fargo Bank N.A., an Equal Housing Lender. Special terms apply to qualifying purchases charged with approved credit. The special terms APR will 0% FOR continue to apply until all qualifying purchases are paid in full. The monthly payment for this purchase NO A/C? 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All sales must be PURIFICATION SYSTEMS! to homeowners in the United States. Void where prohibited. Y M C K 2A GLOUCESTER-MATHEWS GAZETTE-JOURNAL THURSDAY AUGUST 20, 2020 Gloucester GleaninGs Bay Aging breaks ground on Daffodil Gardens Phase II Bay Aging recently broke ground on a new income- restricted senior apartment building in Gloucester County. The 40-unit complex will pro- vide needed affordable hous- ing for seniors in Gloucester County and complements the 10 existing Bay Aging senior rental housing communities across the region, a release stated. DRAWING BY dBF ASSOCIATES “This effort has been years An architectural rendering of the front of Daffodil Gardens Phase II, Bay Aging’s newest senior housing project which recently in the making,” said Joshua broke ground in Gloucester.