Dispatches from Wharf Hill
Groupspeak is ill-advised ‘protocol’
Perhaps the most overrated goal in governance is unity. That’s not to endorse the partisan toxicity that grips today’s Washington, D.C., where Democrats and Republicans ...
Steve Stewart, Author at Smithfield Times
Dispatches from Wharf Hill
Could blue wave hit red Isle of Wight?
Wouldn’t it be something if Isle of Wight County, perhaps the reddest of Tidewater localities, was represented entirely by Democrats in Richmond and Washington, D.C.? ...
by Steve Stewart, Tuesday, January 11, 2022 4:46 pm
Dispatches from Wharf Hill
Redistricting map a mixed bag for Isle of Wight
Gerrymandering, a word inspired by a Massachusetts governor (named Gerry) who once drew political boundaries so creatively that a particular district resembled a salamander, has ...
by Steve Stewart, Tuesday, December 14, 2021 3:35 pm
Dispatches from Wharf Hill
IWCS critics might get more help from guv than board
An overhauled Isle of Wight County School Board, which will have seen four of its five seats change hands by January, is unlikely to appease ...
by Steve Stewart, Tuesday, December 7, 2021 3:50 pm
Dispatches from Wharf Hill
Thankful for hometown merchants in IW, Surry
This robust week of holiday commerce reminds us again of the importance of shopping at home. Despite the many reasons we hear from consumers for ...
by Steve Stewart, Tuesday, November 23, 2021 4:51 pm
Dispatches from Wharf Hill
Let’s talk about something other than politics
When you read these words, the 2021 election will be over and the outcomes known unless, heaven forbid, a race is so close that it ...
by Steve Stewart, Tuesday, November 2, 2021 4:07 pm
Dispatches from Wharf Hill
Gerrymandering won’t die an easy death
Turns out that hyperpartisan citizens are no better than hyperpartisan legislators when it comes to ending gerrymandering. Two-thirds of Virginia voters last fall took the ...
by Steve Stewart, Tuesday, October 19, 2021 5:00 pm
Dispatches from Wharf Hill
Carrsville school board race is a bellwether
Is the uproar over Isle of Wight County Schools’ equity and inclusion movement the product of a few disgruntled parents and taxpayers? Or a much ...
by Steve Stewart, Tuesday, October 5, 2021 5:36 pm
Dispatches from Wharf Hill
Dressed-down Smithfield shines as movie set
Smithfield acquits itself quite well as a movie set for the comedic drama “Mary 4 Mayor,” streaming now on Amazon Prime, YouTube, Roku and several ...
by Steve Stewart, Tuesday, September 14, 2021 5:04 pm
Dispatches from Wharf Hill
Longing for the unity that once healed a nation
Twenty years on, 9-11’s enduring image for this pundit is the unity that soothed a wounded nation. If, heaven forbid, terrorists launched an assault of ...