Letters to the Editor

Time to Contribute to Rescue Squad

Dear Residents of Charlotte County:

The Charlotte County Volunteer Rescue Squad will hold their Annual Fund Drive from May 1through August 31, 2016. With the difficult economic times that are upon us and the increased cost of operations, once again, as in the past, we ask our friends and neighbors of Charlotte County for your support. Without your generous contributions we would not be able to provide the high quality of emergency medical services for the residents of Charlotte County.

Last year our providers responded to 1575 emergencies throughout our county and traveled approximately 108,210 miles. Our career staff and volunteers provided 7520 man hours to the citizens of Charlotte County. These hours do not include the numerous hours of training and additional duties that the men and women of our organization perform throughout the year. Your donations are used for supplies, training, and the operation of our emergency vehicles.

We continue to operate three stations in Charlotte County: Station 1in Keysville, Station 2 in Wylliesburg and Station 8 in Phenix. These locations improve the response times of our providers responding to emergencies throughout our county.  Along with the cost  of operating three stations  we  are also  experiencing an  increase in the cost of training for our personnel and the operation of our vehicles. Our ability to continue to provide high quality emergency medical services depends upon your support,  so  please  contribute any  amount you can  afford to our fund  drive.

Thank you for your support in previous years and please give generously so we may continue to provide emergency medical services for the residents of Charlotte County.

Thank you,

Bill Mayhew, Captain

Charlotte County Volunteer Rescue Squad

Crossroads Leadership Questionable

Dear Southside Messenger and Citizens of the Crossroads Community Service Area,

This evening (April 26) I attended the monthly CCS Board meeting as a concerned citizen since the mental health clinical division, which treats more than 1000 diagnosed severely mentally ill patients (SMI) in seven counties of Southside Virginia, has recently lost some integral services and is at risk of losing many more.  Unfortunately, I left that meeting with many more concerns than when I arrived.   After more than 14 years of working as a Clinical Microbiologist at UVA and 20 years as an educator, I have had the pleasure of working on many committees and Boards.  Never have I witnessed anything like the CCSB meeting in my career.

Prior to the six Crossroads Clinical care employees registered to speak of their concerns being heard, the Chairperson dictated to them they had three minutes to speak and he would be timing them and there would be no questions allowed afterwards.  He was true to his word, by calling out loudly, “30 seconds” each time the clock ticked down.  Going into this meeting, I had neither seen nor met any of the speakers or the Chairperson of the Board.  I truly feel I can give a non-biased opinion of the atmosphere of this meeting.  The hostility and disrespect from the Chairperson was so egregiously targeted toward the speakers it is little wonder not one of the board members from any of your counties dared to say anything or risk asking questions.

This was in and of itself shocking, since those speakers represented collectively more than 100 years of mental health care expertise and experience.  Two of the five are licensed psychiatrists with collectively 39 years working experience at Crossroads.  It was more shocking when the content of their pressed three minute deliveries uncovered such topics ranging from requests by their Director to breach medical ethics, perform illegal services and unanimously they gave specific evidenced details of feeling threatening work place hostility.  Every one of the speakers spoke with eloquence, sincerity and a true desire to see their clients have uninterrupted services and quality of care.  Several of them offered working overtime without pay to ensure services would be continued to their clients.  Even with all of these accusations and specific time-lined details of alarming at best, criminal most likely, incidences, the board members remained deafeningly silent.

I was told after the meeting by a board member they were not allowed to ask questions.  Boards are in place to govern; to govern effectively there must be a willingness to invest oneself by being educated and in tune to the needs of the governed body.  The toxicity of this board comes from its leadership.  I saw this as I witnessed not only his narcissism and megalomania interplay with the staff, but also how his leadership bled to another board member who used physical intimidation to silence a concerned citizen.  A coalescence of understanding happened for me when the Chairperson’s manipulative personality presented itself in how he handled a request from a board member just as the meeting was to be adjourned.  The Chairperson made an announcement of a later starting time for the monthly meetings beginning in June, one Charlotte County board member spoke up (first member to speak in open session after 3 + hours, other than the one who rose to intimidate) to ask that the meetings start earlier since he has over an hour to drive to return home.  One would have hoped after such an incendiary list of failings by their appointed Director, the member would have been more concerned with those than when he could arrive home; nevertheless, the Chairperson responded with a rigid magnanimous offer of a 15 minute earlier time.  The tone and language used for this seemingly innocuous exchange was such a textbook power play of manipulation and control the requesting member’s face turned bright purple red, he definitely got the message, declined the offer and was shut down.  Bullying 101.

Please Southside citizens, reach out to your other community members and join together to advocate for our mentally ill residents who depend on these services for their very lives.  Mental health is one of the biggest crises in our country right now; services must be at a local level to have sustainable benefits.  Contact Crossroads Director, Susan Baker or the Chairperson of CCSB, Sid Smythe, Lunenburg County, with any questions or concerns.  Now that the meeting is over, maybe they will answer questions.  A good place to start would be why are all of the psychiatrists quitting?

Melissa Dunn Back

Asst Professor of Biology

Southside Virginia Community College

Listen up, Longwood – course is valuable asset

April 14, 2016

Letter to the Editor of the Rotunda

In the April 6, 2016 issue of the Rotunda, President Reveley offered, for the first time publicly, reasons for closing the Longwood golf course.  I call these “reasons” specious, out of politeness.

Longwood University is in the exclusive 50 Club, with Tech and UVa, having a home golf course, Longwood’s of some eighty years standing.   2,500 institutions nationwide do not have a golf course.  Why is this fact spun to be a liability rather than a point of pride?  Because the majority don’t, we shouldn’t either.  Herd mentality is not worthy of an academic institution.

The president states that having a golf course is a “diversion from the focus of the university.”  Longwood’s students and “citizen-leaders” apparently don’t need the self-discipline, honesty, perseverance, focus, cooperation, etc., inherent in the game of golf.  (See the list of character traits developed in the First Tee program.)

“Lawmakers and public policy makers” in Richmond and Washington surely have more pressing concerns than losing sleep over the existence of the Longwood golf course, with its modest deficit of around $40,000 (I know, finances are not at issue.),  minute compared to Longwood’s annual athletic budget of $8.2 million with only 3% of earned income (the golf course earns 37%).  What should get their attention is the $150,000 of student fee money going to the Manor golf course each year (the breakdown is: in addition to the extortionate $30,000 annual fee for each golf team to play and practice there, with the blessing of the administration, the additional $90,000 is justified as a fee subsidy for any Longwood golfers.  To justify $90,000 would require 4,500 rounds.  When pigs fly.).

These lawmakers and policy-makers, whoever they are, apparently view a golf course “as not quite being focused on the core of our public purpose.”  The Longwood golf course has the most clear and defined “public focus” of any activity on campus.  It demands involvement, not simply passively watching athletic teams.

Finally, the president describes the Longwood course as “not robust right now. It hadn’t been robust for a long time.”  I won’t question what the vague terms “robust” and “for a long time” mean in this context, but only point out the fact that neglect and decreasing budgets by the administration “for a long time” have not altered the fact that 5,000 rounds of golf are played there each year.  Not robust?

Everyone who plays at Longwood wants to know the real reason(s) for its projected closing on July 1.  If you accept those given officially, I have a bridge to sell you.  A reasonable and convincing reason would be appreciated by all.  The golfing community, as well as the community at large, deserve better.  Thank you.

Sincerely, 

James C. Kidd, Barger Professor Emeritus of Music

Hampden-Sydney College, 

Member of Longwood University Golf Course Preservation Committee