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vowed to replace the Hampton school board member Charles Eldred and reaffirm Eastham’s appointment from Wakefield if the trustees were forced to admit their mistake.
We ignored the repreated warnings, we continued to fight in this newspaper for adherence to the law, believing that we had an obligation to resist coercion. After all the controversy stirred by Eastham, we didn't believe the trustees could justify reappointing him and removing Charles Eldred, a man who has demonstrated a commitment to quality education during his year on the board.
We were right. The trustees didn’t justify their actions. Granville Eastham and Ned Johnson pulled it off without giving a single reason.
In an unmatched display of arrogance and the abuse of power, they tied a gag over the voice of the people by reappointing Robert Eastham to the school board. They ignored the pleas of 265 Wakefield residents and listened to 29.
Then the two delivered another kick in the teeth to democratic principles and fair play by dumping Charles Eldred for Newbill Miller who already wears two local government hats as a planning commissioner and mayor of the town of Washington.
At the meeting, sixteen persons spoke in Miller’s behalf compared to 12 for Eldred. The incumbent, however, had petitions in his favor signed by 81 residents of Hampton District, a substantial mandate by any standard. One of the basic functions of public schools is to prepare young people for their role in a democratic society. They must learn the principles of democracy if they are to perpetuate our system of government. The trustees certainly set a poor example for our young people Friday night. What are the trustees holding for us in safe keeping? Certainly not the educational system of Rappahannock County. If we needed a reason for voting yes in the referendum on June 17, Johnson and Eastham gave it to us last Friday. Changing the power of appointment of school board members from the electoral trustees to the board of supervisors can only be a change for the better. Things can’t get any worse.
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