Sept. 25, 2003
Rappahannock County dodged Hurricane Isabel only to be hit with relentless rain and flooding earlier this week that left three motorists in jeopardy, one clinging for life on a telephone pole.
Isabel caused the county little damage except a power outage that left many residents in the dark, some for days.
But then out of nowhere came another storm Monday night, one that residents worried little over until, according to the National Weather Service, it dumped an additional 3.45 inches of rain in some parts of the county overnight, with five inches having already fallen last week.
It was then that Rappahannock saw the flooding it had braced for only five days earlier, as rivers swelled from their banks, with flooding in several locations in the county. This storm, said Rappahannock Sheriff Larry Sherertz, left one motorist stranded and three vehicles inoperable.
For the past ten years Bob Darby of Woodville has been offering $5,000 to any senior at Rappahannock County High School intending to pursue a career in math, science or engineering.
There is a problem, though. Darby is having trouble finding a taker.
Last year no one was selected by the five-person scholarship committee to receive the Rappahannock County Public Schools Math, Science and Engineering Scholarship, and of the nine individuals who have earned it in the past, only two met the requirements to keep the gift all four years.
This scholarship has the potential to be an annual award for the first four years of a recipient’s college career, with individuals receiving $1,250 a year contingent upon maintaining a 2.7 Grade Point Average their freshman year and a 3.0 the following two years. Darby also requires that students do not change from a major in the areas of math, science or engineering.
Darby, who addressed the School Board at its meeting earlier this month about the lack of applicants, feels these areas of study are vital to society.
“We want to point students towards careers in math, science or engineering. There’s a need for people with skills in these areas,” said Darby.