ANNOUNCEMENTS
Manchester High's Koste selected as top principle

Koste

Manchester High School Principal Pete Koste has been named Chesterfield's 2008 Principal of the Year by the R.E.B. Foundation and the Community Foundation. The award recognizes principals "who create an exceptional learning environment." Koste was one of 16 principals under consideration, including fellow finalist and Carver Middle School Principal Don Asburn.

Koste receives $7,500 personally, and another $7,500 goes to Manchester.

The other Chesterfield nominees were Steve Cunningham (Matoaca High), Sarah Fraher (Falling Creek Middle), David Joyner (Gordon Elementary), Robin Morgan (Bellwood Elementary), Anne O'Toole (Robious Elementary), Alice Rose (Perrymont Middle), Kathy Sefrin (Grange Hall Elementary), Marlene Scott (Watkins Elementary), David Sovine (Monacan High), Patrick Stanfield (Midlothian Middle), Rob Stansberry (Thomas Dale High), Bruce Tetlow (Bon Air Elementary), Christine Wilson (Midlothian High), and Linda Wood (Harrowgate Elementary).

Debbie Phelps and her dog, Peg, practice obedience training during a recent visit to CJW Medical Center's Johnston Willis campus. Peg and others are in training as part of Canine Companions for Independence, which provides companion dogs to people with disabilities.

In other announcements:

Rob and Wanda White's Rainbow International franchise was recognized as the May 2007 Franchise of the Month during the company's annual roundup meeting last month. Rainbow International offers a range of fire, water, and smoke damage restoration and cleaning services to residential, commercial and insurance industry customers.

Midlothian High School student Michael Hammond recently signed scholarship papers for Virginia Tech. He will play for the college's cross-country and track team.

Barnes

The Chesterfield TRIAD Senior Day will be held May 7 from 8:30 a.m.-noon at the Victory Tabernacle Church, 11700 Genito Rd. During the event, seniors and their caregivers can interact with local businesses that offer aging-related services. Last year's attendance exceeded 1,300 people. For more information, call 717-6266 or e-mail taylora@chesterfield.gov.

Bon Secours HealthPartners Laboratories has opened its newest Patient Care Center at 2366 Colony Crossing Place, just a mile from St. Francis Medical Center. Bon Secours Home Health and the Bon Secours Diabetes Treatment Center have also opened offices at this location. Call 287-3510 for information.

Andrew Elias Brown of Chester is one of 32 Virginia artists and art students to be awarded a 2008 Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Fellowship. He won for mixed media.

Richmond Christian School in Chesterfield was one of 16 teams, representing 14 Virginia high schools, to compete in the 11th Annual Blue Crab Bowl. This academic contest, held at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, tested the students' knowledge of the oceans. The Blue Crab Bowl is the Virginia regional competition of the National Ocean Science Bowl.

Teacher Lee Latham and students from Chesterfield Community High School admire the plated food at Fort Lee's Annual Culinary Competition.

Attorney General Bob McDonnell recently traveled to Chester Middle School to highlight the success of three Internet safety video games provided free to Richmond area schools. McDonnell was joined by Mike Gallagher, CEO of the Entertainment Software Association, which funded the effort to get the games into Richmond area schools, and Judi Westberg Warren, president of Web Wise Kids, the organization that distributes the games. In addition, Katie Canton of California, who serves as an ambassador for Web Wise Kids, told her personal story about how one of the video games played a crucial role in protecting her from a likely sex predator.

Megan Wunderlich (right) and other members of Brownie Troop 719 make crafts during "Thinking Day." The Sycamore Service Unit Girl Scouts hosted the event last month, which brought more than 200 scouts together to raise awareness of endangered species around the world. This year's theme was "This Place is a Zoo."

Matoaca High School students Terrell Kittrell, Arial Vital and Brittany Toney have been participating in iDiscover's Workforce Educational Partnership Program. Through the program, the students use Adobe Captivate to develop e-learning courses for Dominion Virginia Power. The students received free technical training before beginning their jobs with Dominion.

Edward D. Barnes, a family lawyer in Chesterfield and the founding chair of the National Center for Family Law at the University of Richmond, has been named the 2008 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the Virginia State Bar's Family Law Section.

Meredith Snyder, a student at Clover Hill High School, has been selected by the National Art Education Association (NAEA) to receive this year's Southeastern Region Secondary Art Educator of the Year Award. The award goes to selected NAEA members of all grade levels, art museums, major colleges and universities nationwide and in 66 foreign countries.

Bryant & Stratton College's campus in Chesterfield has successfully placed 93 percent of its 2006-2007 graduates in jobs related to their academic fields of study.

County resident Wade Randolph recently gave a presentation on leadership at the District 7600 Rotary Internal Youth Leadership Conference in Wakefield, Va. Sixty youth leaders, ages 15-19, attended the three-day conference.

The Chesterfield Health District has received a grant from the March of Dimes Virginia Chapter to provide preventative dental services to women of childbearing age and increase preterm labor risk reduction education. "We will use the March of Dimes grant as seed money toward meeting our objective of reducing infant mortality in Chesterfield County," said Dr. Bill Nelson, director of the health district.

James B. Herring, a lieutenant in the Chesterfield Police Department, has been awarded the Police Star and the Medal of Valor for his service in the U.S. Army National Guard for duty in Iraq.

Sergeant Lonnie Ott has retired after 33 years in the Chesterfield Police Department.

Edward James has retired from the Chesterfield County Purchasing Department after serving 36 years.

Jim Daniels, J. Carl Morris, Skip Wallace, John Cogbill and George Emerson have been reappointed to three-year terms on the Preservation Committee.

Eric Carroll of Dale District has been appointed to serve on the Sustain Our Communities Committee until Dec. 31, 2010.

Earlier this month, Chesterfield Community High School catering students attended Fort Lee's Annual Culinary Competition. This American Culinary Federation approved competition is open to members of the Armed Forces, including the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard. The students are members of Chef Thomas Sears' catering class.

Joyce Ann Hudson, Ph.D., has founded the Center for Personal and Relationship Enhancement, which holds seminars and discussion groups on personal and relationship growth. For more information, call 739-6719 or visit www.center4pre.com.

River's Bend Family Practice, located at 13038 River's Bend Rd. east of Chester, will hold a free cholesterol/glucose screening and blood pressure check on Sat., Apr. 5, from 9 a.m.-noon. Refreshments will be provided. For more information, call 414-0204.

The Cosby Titan Band earned a "unanimous superior" rating at the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association State Concert Festival on Mar. 8. In its first year, the band captured this top rating, the highest of band ratings that are awarded to schools in the state.

Joseph C. Kelly of Troop 175 has attained the rank of Eagle Scout.

Ree Hart, former Democratic candidate for Bermuda supervisor, has given the remainder of her campaign funds to the Jeff Davis Association Streetscape Project, the Chesterfield County Community High School Student Fund and the Bensley-Bermuda Rescue Squad. Hart was recently appointed to the Chesterfield Electoral Board to replace retiring member Jack Clifford.

For the second consecutive year, Logistics Specialist Terry Martin has been selected as VHI Transport's Employee of the Year for 2007. The honor is conferred on an employee who best represents the standards of quality and service set for VHI employees. As the Employee of the Year, Martin receives a oneweek stay at a resort condo in Massanutten, Myrtle Beach, Orlando or the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania.

Allison Needham, a fifth-grade teacher at Watkins Elementary School, won a Vernier Technology Award from the National Science Teachers Association. Only one elementary award is given nationally each year. She has been invited to an awards dinner during the National Science Teachers Association conference later this month.

James River High School is one of 25 schools in the country selected as a model school for 2007 by the International Center for Leadership in Education. The school was recognized for excellence in helping students transition from middle school to high school and for efforts in seeing students graduate within four years while attaining high levels of participation and rigor.

The Richmond Area Reading Council honored Linda Wood, principal of Harrowgate Elementary School, as Outstanding Administrator for Reading and recognized Diane Connell, reading specialist at Swift Creek Elementary School, as Reading Teacher of the Year.

Announcements can be e-mailed to news@chesterfieldobserver.com, faxed to 744-3269 or mailed to Chesterfield Observer, Attn: Announcements, P.O. Box 1616, Midlothian, VA 23113.