Martinsville Bulletin, Inc.
P. O. Box 3711
204 Broad Street
Martinsville, Virginia 24115
276-638-8801
Toll Free: 800-234-6575
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Sunday, December 16, 2007
Patrick Henry Community College got an early Christmas present on Thursday when Gov. Tim Kaine included a new building for the Henry County campus in a proposed $1.65 billion bond package for higher education.
The plan is for construction of a 35,000-square-foot motorsports and work force development center, costing almost $8.72 million, for PHCC. The motorsports aspect of the building would serve the growing program at the college. Next year, a motorsports degree program at the New College Institute will be launched, sharing about 20,000 square feet of space in Arrington Manufacturing’s plant in the Patriot Centre industrial park with the motorsports program already offered by PHCC. Fifty to 60 students are enrolled in that program now.
The rest of the building would be used for work force training, which is in keeping with Gov. Kaine’s focus on that service at the community college level with this bond issue.
This is not a done deal. The bonds, which would fund 75 construction projects throughout Virginia, must be approved by the General Assembly and then by voters in a general referendum. If the legislators OK the plan in their winter session, it could go to voters in November and projects could begin just as those funded in a 2002 bond package are completed.
State officials say bond packages traditionally have been approved by legislators and voters, and we hope that is the case again this time. Patrick Henry Community College is a gem in this community, providing education and training close to home and at affordable rates for area students. Its continued growth is in the best interests of this area and the commonwealth, and we are glad Gov. Kaine recognizes that. |
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