What Were They Thinking?

In the 19 June 2013 issue of the Courier-Record, it was reported that on 17 June, Governor Bob McDonnell announced that 24 cities and counties in Virginia would be able to provide school resource officers due to a grant from the Criminal Justice Board. Funding for the grant originated in a $1.3 million appropriation requested by McDonnell and approved by the General Assembly. That $1.3 million will fund salary and benefits for 41 resource officers at elementary, middle, and high schools across Virginia. The localities receiving funds, including Amelia County, are required to match the state's funding, with the amount to be based on the Department of Education's Composite Index of Local Ability to Pay. In total, 37 localities sought a combined $2.6 million in funding. Nottoway County Public Schools did not submit a request.

The decision against seeking funding for a school resource officer raises a number of important questions.

Why was the decision made by Dr. Daniel Grounard and the Nottoway County School Board against seeking state funding for a school resource officer?

What was included in the decision making process? Did either Dr. Grounard or the School Board seek input from administrators, faculty, and staff at each of the county’s schools? If input was sought, to what extent was it taken into consideration during the decision making process? If input was not sought, another valid concern is raised. Considering how infrequently the Superintendent and members of the School Board visit each of the county’s schools; why would the people who are in the schools every day not be asked for their opinions regarding the funding of a resource officer? Did either Dr. Grounard or the School Board seek input from parents? If input was sought, to what extent was it taken into consideration during the decision making process? If that was not the case, why were parents left out of the decision making process?

Who made the final decision against seeking state funding for a school resource officer? Was the final decision a collaborate effort between Dr. Grounard and the School Board? If that was not the case, why was the School Board whose members are elected by the citizens of Nottoway County to represent them, either overruled or ignored?

What were the major issues that factored into the decision against seeking state funding for a school resource officer? Does the budget for Nottoway County Public Schools not have enough funds to match the state’s funding, despite the fact that the amount would be based on the Department of Education's Composite Index of Local Ability to Pay? If that was the case, was the Nottoway County Board of Supervisors unwilling to appropriate funding to the School Board for the purposes of a school resource officer? If so, what was the reasoning behind that decision? If not, why did Dr. Grounard and the School Board not accept the funds? Do Dr. Grounard and the School Board believe that applying for and receiving state funding for a resource officer would give the impression that they have been overseeing an unsafe school system? Considering Dr. Grounard’s history of being on record as a frequent critic of Governor Bob McDonnell; although highly unlikely, is it a possibility that he did not want to accept funding from the Governor for political reasons?

Virginia State Capitol: Part Two

The public area surrounding the Virginia State Capitol was originally filled with weeds, nearly void of trees, and contained only informal footpaths. The first formal landscape plan for Capitol Square was developed by Maximilian Godefroy in 1816. His plan was reminiscent of 18th Century French gardens and included walkways, public fountains and trees planted in geometric precision. In 1850, John Notman was hired to redesign the landscape of Capitol Square. His plan made Capitol Square one of the first major urban parks in the nation designed in the English picturesque style and included winding paths, additional public entrances and new plantings of trees in scattered groups. As a planned urban park, Capitol Square is older than Central Park in New York City.

On the twelve acres that comprise Capitol Square, are monuments and memorials to a number of significant Virginians. The Virginians who fought for civil rights, Dr. Hunter Holmes McGuire, General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, Governor William Smith, Governor Harry Flood Byrd, Edgar Allan Poe, and George Washington are honored.

The Virginia Civil Rights Memorial was unveiled on 21 July 2008. The eighteen figures on the Memorial sculpted by Stanley Bleifeld represent the 1951 student walkout at Moton High School in Prince Edward County in protest of the conditions at their school. The walkout led to a lawsuit, which joined with four other cases to become the Brown v. Board of Education case. In 1954, segregated public schools were declared unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court. Featured on the Memorial are students from Moton High, including Barbara Johns, along with their lawyers Oliver Hill, Sr. and Spotswood Robinson III. Also featured on the Memorial is the Rev. Francis Griffin. The granite and bronze Memorial cost $2.6 million and was privately financed.

Hunter Holmes McGuire was born Winchester, Virginia on 11 October 1835. McGuire was an 1855 graduate of the Winchester Medical College. His further medical education in Philadelphia was interrupted by the beginning of the Civil War. McGuire also taught at Tulane University before joining the Confederate Army in 1861. He attempted to join the Confederate Army as a private in the infantry; however, it was determined that his value as a doctor far exceeded that of an ordinary soldier. He was then made a brigade surgeon under General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson. In 1862, McGuire was promoted to the position of chief surgeon for Jackson’s Corps. Following the Civil War, McGuire returned to Richmond to become the chair of surgery at the Medical College of Virginia. He was also the president of the American Medical Association and the American Surgical Association. McGuire founded St. Luke’s Hospital and Training School for Nurses, helped found the Medical Society of Virginia, and started the College of Physicians and Surgeons. Hunter Holmes McGuire died on 19 September 1900.

The Dr. Hunter Holmes McGuire statue was unveiled on 7 January 1904. The inscription on the statue reads: "Hunter Holmes McGuire, M.D., L.L.D. President of the American Medical and of the American Surgical Associations; Founder of the University College of Medicine; Medical Director, Jackson's Corps, Army of Northern Virginia. An Eminent Civil and Military Surgeon and Beloved Physician; An Able Teacher and Vigorous Writer; A Useful Citizen and Broad Humanitarian, Gifted in Mind and Generous in Heart, This Monument is Erected by His Many Friends."

Thomas Jonathan Jackson was born on 21 January 1824, in Clarksburg, Virginia (now West Virginia). In 1842, Jackson enrolled at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Following his 1846 graduation, Jackson was sent to fight in the Mexican War. Following the war, he left the military to accept a teaching position at the Virginia Military Institute. Following Virginia's seccession from the Union in 1861, Jackson joined the Confederate Army. His Confederate military career includes the Valley Campaign of 1862 and his service as a corps commander in the Army of Northern Virginia under Robert E. Lee. During the Battle of Chancellorsville, Jackson was hit by friendly fire. Following the amputation of his left arm, he died from pneumonia eight days later on 10 May 1863.

The General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson Statue was unveiled on 26 October 1875. The inscription on the statue reads: "Presented by English Gentlemen as a Tribute of Admiration for the Soldier and Patriot Thomas J. Jackson and Gratefully Accepted by Virginia in the Name of the Southern People. Done A.D. 1875. In the Hundredth Year of the Commonwealth."

William Smith was born on 6 September 1797 in King George County, Virginia. In 1818, Smith was admitted to the bar and began practicing law in Culpeper County, Virginia. He established a line of United States mail and passenger coaches through Virginia in 1827, and subsequently expanded the business into North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Smith served in the Virginia Senate from 1836 to 1841, when he resigned to run for Congress. He won and served there from 1841 to 1843. Between 1846 and 1849, Smith was the Governor of Virginia. He returned to Congress, serving from 1853 until 1861. Smith was appointed Colonel of the 49th Virginia Volunteers in 1861 and was promoted to Brigadier General after the Battle of Antietam. Following Gettysburg, he resigned his commission and received an honorary promotion to Major General. Smith served as governor from his resignation from the Army until the end of the Civil War. Between 1877 and 1879 he served in the House of Delegates. William Smith died on 8 May 1887.

The Governor William Smith Statue was unveiled on 30 May 1906. The inscription on the statue reads: "William Smith. Virginia. Born Sept 6, 1797. Died May 8, 1887. 1836-40, 1841-42. Member of Virginia Senate. 1846-49. Governor of Virginia. 1841-43, 1853-61. Member of United States Congress. 1861-62. Member of Confederate Congress. 1861-62. Colonel 49th Virginia Volunteers. 1862-63. Brig General Confederate States Army. 1863-64. Major General Confederate States Army. 1864-65. Governor of Virginia."

Harry Flood Byrd was born in Martinsburg, West Virginia on 10 June 1887. Byrd’s family moved to Winchester, Virginia soon after his birth. He became the publisher of the Winchester Star in 1903. In 1906, Byrd became president of the Valley Turnpike Company, serving in that capacity until 1918. He served in the State Senate from 1915 to 1925. He was the Governor of Virginia from 1926 to 1930. In 1933, Byrd was elected to the United States Senate, where he served until 1966. During his time in the Senate, Byrd served on the Committee on Rules, the Committee on Finance, the Joint Committee on the Reduction of Nonessential Federal Expenditures, and the Joint Committee on Internal Revenue Taxation. Harry Flood Byrd died on 20 October 1966.

The Governor Harry Flood Byrd Statue was unveiled on 10 June 1976. The inscription on the statue reads: "Harry Flood Byrd. June 10, 1887. October 26, 1966." The inscription on the accompanying plaque reads: "Harry Flood Byrd. State Senator 1916-26. Governor 1926-30. United States Senator 1933-65. The General Assembly of Virginia on March 24, 1974, authorize this memorial to Harry Flood Byrd, of Winchester, Virginia, declaring that "The sum total of this one life has had a larger and more lasting effect upon the history and destiny of Virginia and her people than any other in the twentieth century; established personal integrityand fiscal responsibility as first principles of public life and public service; and exemplified the highest traditions setablished by the outstanding statesmen produced by this great Commonwealth during its long history."

Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston on 19 January 1809. He moved to Richmond after being taken as a foster child by the Allan family, following his father’s abandonment of the family and his mother’s death. Poe attended the University of Virginia in 1826, but could not afford to return the following year. He enlisted in the Army in 1828, and served until 1829 when his foster father secured a commission to West Point for Poe. He was dismissed from West Point in 1831 for failure to perform his duties. Following his departure from West Point, Poe focused on writing. Some of his best known works include The Raven, The Cask of Amontillado, and The Gold Bug. Edgar Allan Poe died on 7 October 1849.

The Edgar Allan Poe Statue was unveiled in 1958. The inscription on the statue reads: "Presented to the People of Virginia by George Edward Barksdale, M.D. and Gratefully Accepted by the Commonwealth of Virginia as a Tribute of Admiration for Poe's Scholarly Genius as an Eminent and Vigorous Writer and Poet. A.D. 1958."

The George Washington Equestrian Monument was unveiled on 22 February 1858. In addition to George Washington, six other Virginians who played significant roles in the Commonwealth's history are featured. They are Andrew Lewis, Patrick Henry, George Mason, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Nelson, and John Marshall.

Andrew Lewis was born in County Donegal, Ireland on 9 October 1720 and moved to Virginia in 1732. He spent much of the time prior to the French and Indian War as a surveyor in southwestern Virginia. Lewis was also a Captain in the Augusta County militia. He served as a Colonel in the Virginia militia during the French and Indian War and as a Brigadier General during the American Revolution. He is most famous for his 1774 victory in the Battle of Point Pleasant in Dunmore's War. Andrew Lewis died on 26 September 1781.

The Andrew Lewis Statue on the George Washington Equestrian Monument represents Colonial Times.

Patrick Henry was born in Hanover County, Virginia on 29 May 1736. Following an unsuccessful career as a planter, Henry was admitted to the bar in 1760. He was elected to the House of Burgesses in 1765. Henry is most known for his "Give me Liberty, or give me Death!" speech in favor of sending Virginia troops to fight in the American Revolution. He served as the Governor of Virginia from 1776 to 1779. Following the Revolution, he was the Governor of Virginia from 1784 to 1786. Henry served as a representative to the Virginia convention of 1788, where he argued against ratifying the Constitution, because he felt that it gave too much power to the federal government. He was also a key figure in the adoption of the Bill of Rights. Patrick Henry died on 6 June 1799.

The Patrick Henry Statue on the George Washington Equestrian Monument represents Revolution.

George Mason was born in Fairfax County, Virginia on 11 December 1725. In 1759, he was elected to the House of Burgesses. Mason served at the Virginia Convention in Williamsburg in 1776, during which he authored a majority of both the Virginia Declaration of Rights and the Virginia Constitution. He also attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Mason opposed the signing of the Constitution due to the lack of a statement of rights. Following insistence from Mason, the Bill of Rights was ratified on 15 December 1791. The Bill of Rights was based primarily on George Mason's Virginia Declaration of Rights. George Mason died on 7 October 1792.

The George Mason Statue on the George Washington Equestrian Monument represents the Bill of Rights.

Thomas Jefferson was born in Goochland County, Virginia on 13 April 1743. Following his studies at the College of William And Mary, Jefferson was admitted to the bar in 1767. He was a member of the House of Burgesses between 1769 and 1775. In 1776, Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. He was also a member of the Continental Congress and minister to France from 1785 to 1789. Jefferson served as Secretary of State during the Washington administration and as Vice President during the John Adams administration. Subsequently, he became the third President of the United States. Jefferson was the founder of the University of Virginia. Thomas Jefferson died on 4 July 1826.

The Thomas Jefferson Statue on the George Washington Equestrian Monument represents Independence.

Thomas Nelson was born in Yorktown, Virginia on 12 June 1738. Following his education at Cambridge, Nelson was elected to the House of Burgesses in 1761. He was a member of the Continental Congress between 1775 and 1777 and was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Nelson was appointed commander of the Virginia militia in 1777 and remained in command until 1781. He returned to the Continental Congress in 1779 and was Governor of Virginia in 1781. Thomas Nelson died on 4 January 1789.

The Thomas Nelson Statue on the George Washington Equestrian Monument represents Finance.

John Marshall was born in Fauquier County, Virginia on 24 September 1755. After the outbreak of the American Revolution, Marshall was appointed as a Lieutenant in the Culpeper Minutemen and later became an officer with the Continental Army's 3rd Regiment of Virginia. He left the military in 1780 to study law. Following his attendance of a series of lectures by George Wythe at the College of William and Mary, Marshall was admitted to the bar. In 1782, he won a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates, where he served until 1789 and again from 1795 to 1796. In 1788, Marshall was selected as a delegate to the Virginia convention responsible for ratifying or rejecting the United States Constitution. In 1799, he was confirmed as Secretary of State in the John Adams administration. Marshall was nominated for the United States Supreme Court and served as the Chief Justice from 1801 to 1835. John Marshall died on 6 July 1835.

The John Marshall Statue on the George Washington Equestrian Monument represents Justice.