As the ship of 2016 sails out of the harbor for who-knows-what destination, this once reporter and now correspondent takes a peek back in the logbook of last year’s voyage. Whether residents see that chronicle as an inexorable run toward prosperity or as a series of wrong turns, all can undoubtedly agree: 2015 was a stormy one.
Politics
With every public and constitutional office up for election in November, political hardball started early in 2015. Members of the Board of Supervisors became noticeably prickly, with disagreements breaking out over seemingly innocuous issues and meetings stretching well into the 10 p.m. hour and beyond. (One six-hour monstrosity in May sparked the midnight comment from exhausted Western Caroline Supervisor Jeff Black: “That was the worst meeting I’ve ever been to.”)
Campaign season kicked off early, with sheriff challenger Chris Wooldridge planting the first political signs around the Fourth of July. By Election Day, every major county road bristled with signage urging voters to support any of the 30 local candidates. More than one citizen told this reporter that the election season was one of the ugliest they had ever seen—an impression only reinforced by an aggressive last-minute bid by Tony Spencer to keep the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s seat from going to candidate John Mahoney, whom Spencer had previously endorsed.
Ultimately, Mahoney overran Spencer by more than 2 to 1, but others weren’t so lucky. Long-time Board of Supervisors veterans Wayne Acors and Calvin Taylor both lost their seats, Acors to newcomer Clay Forehand and Taylor to Port Royal mayor Nancy Long, the first woman to be elected to that body.
Business
Although the year began with the Supervisors squashing a proposal to construct a landfill 10 miles south of Bowling Green, 2015 ushered in a host of new businesses to Caroline.
Although the most anticipated was the as yet-unapproved Ladysmith Walmart—expected to yield 300 jobs and net $25 million in investment—the largest business development of 2015 was the Harris Teeter distribution center off Cool Water Drive in Carmel Church, approved in October. With plans showing a staggering footprint of 1.5 million square feet, the $95 million distribution center at full capacity should employ 450 people.
Receiving less fanfare, but still of significant import for the county, were the opening of the CVS/pharmacy in Ladysmith and the John Rock Sawmill in Sparta, and the ongoing development of Belmont Professional Village, which will include a branch of Germanna Community College, the first higher education institution in Caroline.
Schools
Caroline County Public Schools’ leadership shifted this year after then-superintendent Gregory Killough announced in January that he had accepted a position with Roanoke County Public Schools. Six months later the School Board appointed Dr. George Parker,
previously with Virginia Beach City Public Schools, to the seat. Parker’s arrival, and particularly his open communication style, was met with widespread enthusiasm.
The School Board suffered a major loss in October when Western Caroline representative Mary Anderson tragically died. John Copeland was appointed to fill out the rest of her term before beginning his own, but Anderson’s steady and cheerful presence was greatly missed in the closing months of the year.
An icy winter led to frequent school closures this year, and much of the early months of 2015 was occupied by wrangling over the budget. Although the School Board ultimately received only about 25 percent of the extra funds it requested, it was able to increase teacher and support staff salaries and clean up its haphazard salary scale.
A new wave of optimism swept CCPS in the summer as the long-delayed renovations of Caroline High School and Madison Elementary School began to move forward. An initial round of bids that came in far above budget led to a paring down of both projects before the awarding of an $18.3 million contract for CHS to Southwood Building Systems in June and a $4.1 million contract for MES to Haley Builders in July. Construction began in September.
Other notable highlights of the year include the graduation of 260 seniors in May, the completion of the Bowling Green Elementary School renovations, and a visit by a delegation from the Korean Embassy to the 38th Parallel Memorial Garden at CHS. A school bus accident outside CHS in October left 28 students injured, five seriously, but luckily produced no fatalities.
Sports
Sports in 2015 were marked by uneven records and several milestones. Caroline Middle School added a co-ed soccer program. CHS’s newly formed swim team participated in its first meet in January. The CHS marching band got new uniforms after an aggressive fundraising campaign. The track team continued to rack up accolades at numerous invitational events.
In basketball, the CHS boys’ team made it to the first round of regionals before losing a nail-biter to King’s Fork, and the Lady Cavs wound up their season with an impressive 15–5 record. The baseball team racked up an 8–12 record and the softball team went 7–12, while the ever-game football team brought up the rear with a disappointing 0–10 record.
Crime
In March, Caroline was shaken by its first homicide in years when 15-year-old Ahmad Goodall shot fellow teen Elijah “Buck” Ball outside the Caroline Family YMCA. Although not connected with any gang activity, the tragedy sparked an increased focus on youth violence in the community. Goodall pled guilty to second-degree murder in September.
Also in September, a disturbing homicide–suicide by the son of a former state senator involving an abduction and a high-speed chase down I-95 left many wondering where their familiar sleepy Caroline had gone.
Otherwise, the CCSO kept busy this year, carrying out major drug busts in March and April. “Operation Trident” in particular led to more than a dozen arrests for charges related to marijuana, heroin, cocaine and prescription pills.
Local Life
Port Royal spent much of the year struggling over whether to sell its troubled water system or maintain control of it. While the issue hasn’t been decisively resolved, vigorous efforts yielded $800,000 in financial assistance from the Virginia Department of Health and a handful of grants, indicating that the system may remain publicly owned for the present.
In May Port Royal received statewide attention when it was designated one of Preservation Virginia’s seven “most endangered” sites of 2015, a dubious honor that will hopefully bring heightened tourism and opportunities to the town.
Down the road, Bowling Green played host to a series of high-profile events this year. The first-ever John Cephas Blues Festival in June drew visitors from cities as far north as Washington, D.C. (and one couple from Ontario!) and as far south as Virginia Beach. A month later, more than 1,000 people flocked to Town Hall for a casting call for the major motion picture “Loving,” and in October, the film crew drew crowds when it transformed Main Street to its 1950s appearance.
Elsewhere in the county, April celebrated the 150th anniversary of John Wilkes Booth’s capture with tours, talks and other gala historical events. In September thousands of people around the globe got a glimpse of Caroline when the UCI Road World Championship bike race rolled through six miles of Dawn. And despite a looming hurricane that clipped the event short, the State Fair in September and October brought visitors from around the state to Meadow Event Park.
Looking forward
As the new year dawns, change is in the air. New business is coming in, a new county website went live Dec. 31, and a new Board of Supervisors is poised to write a fresh chapter in Caroline’s history. Whatever unfolds in the coming days—whether expected or out of the blue—the Progress will be here to cover it.
By Sarah Vogelsong CP Correspondent
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