Thumbs up to Interim Lynchburg Registrar Carolyn Sherayko, her staff and an army of volunteers who helped pull off the City Council at-large elections on Tuesday without a single hitch.
We’re especially grateful to them for the work they do because, when voter turnout is as low as Lynchburg’s was Tuesday — 12.2 percent, the greatest skill of all is patience as they wait for voters to trickle in to the polls.
Voting began Tuesday bright and early at 6 a.m. and continued until 7 p.m. Poll workers were busy setting up Monday night and were on site well before 6 on Tuesday to welcome voters. And even after polls close at 7 p.m., their job’s not done as they break down the site and transmit results to Sherayko’s office.
Voting is the keystone of democracy. Citizens select their representatives to govern on their behalf, rather than submitting to the will of a dictator or monarch. It’s what has made America such a beacon to the oppressed people across the globe for more than two centuries.
And the men and women who faithfully work the polls year after year and election after election make doing our duty go that much smoother, especially here in Lynchburg and throughout Central Virginia.
We thank you and remain in your debt.
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Thumbs up to Martha Eagle, who was named last week as the new superintendent of the Nelson County Public Schools, replacing outgoing schools chief Jeff Comer.
Eagle is no stranger at all to public education circles in Central Virginia. She’s currently the director of instruction and human resources for Amelia County Public Schools, but her career includes stops in Amherst and Appomattox counties. Most recently, from 2011 to 2015, she was the principal of Appomattox High School and was key to leading the school to achieve full state accreditation.
She received her undergraduate degree in business administration and marketing education from Virginia Tech, a master’s in administration and supervision from Longwood University and her doctorate in education leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University. She’ll begin her duties in Nelson County on July 1.
Welcome home to Central Virginia, Ms. Eagle.