Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023

Chesterfield Creating Destination

Softball Complex at Daniel Park

To continue expanding Chesterfield’s facility offerings beyond rectangular field usage, while also enhancing the user experience for both residents and visitors, the county has crafted a plan for the development of new venues and refurbishment of existing public facilities.

The first project to be undertaken as part of that initiative is the creation of a six-field destination softball complex at Harry G. Daniel Park at Ironbridge.

At its September meeting, the Board of Supervisors approved the use of $4.1 million in surplus transient lodging tax revenue to fund the project.

Learn more about the planned improvements in the Chesterfield On Point blog. 

Watch Video of NDMS Exercise at County Airport

Did you know that the Chesterfield County Airport is part of the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS), which supports hospitals and medical facilities that have been impacted by disasters?

Last Saturday, Chesterfield Fire and EMS, Police and Emergency Management participated in a full-scale exercise along with state and federal agencies. The purpose of the exercise was to stage, roleplay and evaluate the county's NDMS response during a disaster.

Click on the video above to learn more about the exercise.

Thank you to all those who volunteered their time, to all the state and federal agencies, and to all Chesterfield employees who participated.

Come Out to Fire Prevention Week Event, Meet Sparky and Maybe Even Win a Pumpkin

In observance of Fire Protection Week, Chesterfield Fire and EMS is holding a community event this Thursday, Oct. 12 at Beulah Recreation Center, 6901 Hopkins Road.

The event runs from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and includes the Fire and Life Safety House, fire truck tours, games and fun, as well as an opportunity to meet Sparky the Fire Dog. You'll even have a chance to win a pumpkin!

Mark your calendars and come out to meet Sparky and friends!

Learn More About Youth Vaping During

Thursday Workshop at Thomas Dale High

Join Chesterfield County Public Schools this Thursday, Oct. 12 for an in-person workshop to get informed, be prepared and take action to prevent vaping and other substance use.

The program will run from 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. at Thomas Dale High School.

It will cover the following:

*Health risks of substance use during adolescence and young adulthood

*Myths, trends and concerns about vaping and marijuana use in young people

*Information and resources needed to address this issue with children

Additional resources for families are online, including a CCPS video featuring Sarah Birckhead of the Virginia Department of Health.

For more information and to register, visit the event website.

Take a Haunted Woods Tour Through

Mid-Lothian Mines Park on Friday the 13th

The Chesterfield Police Activities League (CPAL) is hosting the 2023 Haunted Woods and Fall Festival Presented by LifeStyle Home Builders this Friday, Oct. 13 at Mid-Lothian Mines Park. This event is possible thanks to CPAL’s continued partnerships with local vendors, dedicated volunteers and Chesterfield Parks and Recreation.

The family-friendly Halloween festival will run from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. and is appropriate for attendees of all ages. There will be food trucks, balloon animals, face painting, photo ops, a DJ, an appearance from the Midlothian High School drumline and more!

Haunted Woods tours, which are PG-13, are scheduled to begin every 10 minutes from 7:50 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Chesterfield police officers, sheriff’s deputies and volunteers will be on hand to assist with Friday’s festivities. 

Sign up by visiting the event website.

Movie Night at the Chesterfield County Airport Features Showing of 'Top Gun: Maverick'

Do you feel the need for speed?

Join us for Movie Night at the Airport, featuring a free showing of "Top Gun: Maverick," this Saturday, Oct. 14 at the Chesterfield County Airport, 7511 Airfield Drive.

Gates open at 5:30 p.m. Visit an open house with aircraft and displays prior to the show, which will begin at 7:30 p.m. You can also purchase items from food trucks on site.

Please feel free to bring chairs or blankets to sit on; however, no pets or outside food or beverages are permitted.

In case of rain, the movie will be postponed.

THURSDAY

Richmond City School of the Arts at Monacan, 7

FRIDAY

Meadowbrook at Thomas Dale, 7

Cosby at James River, 7

Manchester at Clover Hill, 7

L.C. Bird at Huguenot, 7

Midlothian at Powhatan, 7

Matoaca at Hopewell, 7

Woodlake Animal Hospital's Fall Festival

Benefits Chesterfield Animal Services

Come out and have fun this Saturday while supporting a good cause!

Woodlake Animal Hospital is hosting its annual Fall Festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 6511 Woodlake Village Parkway.

The event features live music, food trucks, vendors, a kids zone and a raffle and silent auction, as well as a petting zoo. Pet adoptions will also be available on site.

All proceeds will benefit Chesterfield County Animal Services.

Tour Pleasant View School

During Open House This Saturday

Join Chesterfield Parks and Recreation and the Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia for the annual open house at Pleasant View School, 18431 River Road, this Saturday, Oct. 14 from noon to 4 p.m.

Scheduled activities will promote enlightenment, understanding and appreciation for what education was like in segregated African American schools during the early 20th century.

Learn about the typical school day in the model classroom. Docents will inform about other uses of the school and tours will be ongoing throughout the day. Concessions also will be available for purchase.

VSU's Homecoming Celebration

Concludes Saturday with Football Game

Virginia State University's 2023 Homecoming festivities, themed "The 1882 Experience," continue throughout this week culminating with a home football game Saturday at 2 p.m. against Bluefield State.

View a schedule of Homecoming events on the VSU website.

In a new article posted to the Chesterfield On Point blog, you can learn more about county firefighter Carl Coppedge.

Coppedge, a Chesterfield native, began hanging around Bensley Fire Station 3 when he was 9 years old and equally awestruck by the brightly painted apparatus and larger-than-life firefighters.

Rather than patting him on the head and sending him away, the first responders welcomed the boy and took him under their wing as he grew into a teenager.

Coppedge is 40 now, a husband and father who is 16 years into a rewarding career with Chesterfield Fire and EMS, and he still remembers and appreciates the advice, discipline and life lessons he learned from those firefighters.

Chesterfield’s Constituent and Media Services Department is sharing his story in recognition of National Fire Prevention Week, which runs through this Saturday, Oct. 14.

On the latest episode of Chesterfield Behind the Mic, we take stock of the ongoing high school football season around the county and see where things stand for our 10 teams midway through the 2023 fall campaign. 

Early Voting Under Way for

November's General Election

In-person early voting has begun at the Chesterfield Registrar's Office for the November general election.

Early voting is available from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the General Registrar’s office, 9848 Lori Road. The office will also be open on the two Saturdays (Oct. 28 and Nov. 4) preceding the general election from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Early voting ends at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4. The general election will take place Tuesday, Nov. 7.

To find more information about the 2023 general election in Chesterfield, including sample ballots and candidate information, visit www.promotethevotecfield.org. 

Voters Must Adhere To New State Law Before Casting Absentee Ballot 

Registered Chesterfield voters planning to cast an absentee ballot need to meet new requirements before returning their ballot either by mail or in a dropbox (located at all open polling locations),

Recent legislation (HB1948) removed the witness requirement for absentee ballots. Voters are now required to provide the last four digits of their social security number and their year of birth on the ballot envelope.

As stated on the Ballot Return Envelope, your ballot will not be counted if you do not fill in the Statement of Voter on the envelope completely.

Absentee ballots requested by registered Chesterfield County voters are currently being mailed to their respective residences.

The deadline to request an absentee ballot for this year's general election is Oct. 27.

View more information about changes to absentee ballot return, and other information regarding the November General Election, at the Chesterfield General Registrar’s webpage. 

Enjoy an Afternoon of Golf on Oct. 23

and Support the Christmas Mother

Share the magic of Christmas! Register today to play in the Merry Links Golf Classic and support the Chesterfield-Colonial Heights Christmas Mother Program.

The event takes place Monday, Oct. 23 at The Country Club at The Highlands, 8136 Highland Glen Drive. Registration starts at 10 a.m. and golf begins with a shotgun start at noon.

The cost is $125 for an individual, which includes range balls, boxed lunch, 18 holes of golf with cart, two beverages and a post-round banquet with dinner and awards.

Not playing golf? You can still register for the dinner and bid on great auction items. Do some Christmas shopping and help provide Christmas for our neighbors in need.

For more information and to register, visit the event website.

Show Off Your Halloween Costume

Oct. 24 at Trunk or Treat

One of Chesterfield's most popular annual events returns in two weeks!

On Tuesday, Oct. 24, Chesterfield Parks and Recreation and event sponsor Virginia Credit Union will host a free Trunk or Treat from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Chesterfield County Fairgrounds, 10300 Courthouse Road.

There will be candy, music and food vendors on site. Parking will be available in school lots adjacent to the fairgrounds.

Show off your Halloween costume at this family-friendly event and go trick or treating from trunk to trunk.

In case of inclement weather, the rain date is Wednesday, Oct. 25.

For more information, visit chesterfield.gov/parks.

Stay Updated on Final Phase of Otterdale

Road Drainage Improvement Project

The final phase of the Otterdale Road Drainage Improvement project is moving right along at the crossing of Otterdale Branch. Check out these recent progress photos.

To stay up to date on project improvements, visit the project website.

Chesterfield Opens Seven New

Community Recycling Centers

Chesterfield residents are now able to drop off recyclable materials free of charge at Community Recycling Centers located in seven different county parks.

The new centers at Harry G. Daniel Park at Iron Bridge, R. Garland Dodd Park at Point of Rocks, Ettrick Park, Goyne Park, Irvin G. Horner Park, Huguenot Park and Rockwood Park accept drop-off recycling from dawn to dusk when the parks are open.

These sites, which were chosen in order to maximize geographic coverage and bring drop-off locations closer to residents’ homes, accept glass, paper, and plastic as a single stream of recycling, meaning users won’t have to separate the materials. That work is performed by staff at a privately-owned material recovery facility, which continues to process all recyclables collected in Chesterfield.

The opening of these seven Community Recycling Centers coincides with the restoration of seven-day operations at the county’s northern and southern convenience centers planned for this fall.

Visit Chesterfield's website for more information about recycling.

Say hi to Smiley Wiley!

He is around 2 years old and could be a Pittie mix, although among staff, we jokingly call him a coyote/hyena mix.

Smiley Wiley is a unique looking dog with a very unique talent! He is very submissive and will often smile as he army crawls up to you.

Smiley Wiley loves to play with toys and despite his calm submissive demeanor, also loves to run zoomies in the play yard and "talk" to you. He is already house-trained and leash trained.

If you are interested in meeting this pet, please contact Chesterfield County Animal Services at 804-748-1683, option "2," to schedule an appointment. Office staff are available by phone 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. Our shelter is located at 9300 Public Works Road.

Adopt-A-Spot Provides Opportunities

to Keep Chesterfield Beautiful

Young entrepreneur

Congratulations to Anne S., a junior in Meadowbrook High School's Academy for Developing Entrepreneurs! She was the only high school student accepted this fall into the Shelfie Program of VCU’s da Vinci Center for Innovation and Shift Retail Lab.

Anne’s startup business, Glass Memories, offers painting kits for children and teens. As part of the Shelfie Program, Anne set up an interactive display at Shift Retail Lab, attended Shelfie boot camp, practiced her business pitch and earned micro-credentials in business

Nominate outstanding principals for R.E.B. Award by Nov. 2

In partnership with the R.E.B. Foundation, the Community Foundation invites nominations for the R.E.B. Awards for Distinguished Educational Leadership. This annual initiative recognizes principals who go beyond the day-to-day demands of their position to create an exceptional educational environment. Parents, students, teachers, volunteers and community members are encouraged to nominate outstanding principals by the deadline Thursday, Nov. 2 at 5 p.m.

Details and the nomination form are here. The awards will recognize one principal each from Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico and Richmond. Each winner will receive $30,000: a $20,000 grant for school-based initiatives and a $10,000 unrestricted grant. 

Learn about gifted education opportunities

Chesterfield County parents are invited to learn about gifted education possibilities during Glimpse Into Gifted. The free event is for parents whose child has been identified as gifted and those who wonder if their child is gifted.

Glimpse Into Gifted will take place next Thursday, Oct. 19 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Beulah Recreation Center, 6901 Hopkins Road. Register here for the event, which includes pizza.

Information booths will feature programs offering enrichment and support, and breakout sessions will address these questions:

• How do I know if my child could be gifted?
• How does the process work to identify my child for gifted services?
• Can my child be identified as gifted and still receive special education or English language services?
• How can I better understand my gifted child?
• How can I help my child deal with stress and anxiety?
• What can I do to nurture my child's gifts and talents?