Performances of “The Parsons’ Cause: Prelude to Revolution” will be presented July 4 at 11 a.m. at the historic Hanover Courthouse, U.S. 301 and Hanover Courthouse Road. A court case known as The Parsons’ Cause took place in 1763 at the courthouse and thrust a young attorney named Patrick Henry into the spotlight with his challenge to the authority of the Church of England and the king of England.

On March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry addressed his fellow delegates at the Second Virginia Convention. History remembers the moment as the “liberty or death” speech whose philosophical sentiments and rhetorical excellence inspired the Revolution. The message echoes even now. During a Monday NPR broadcast, Garrison Keillor commemorated the event. He vividly described the scene as Henry spoke with his fellow members of the House of Burgesses. Many listeners likely inferred the speech occurred in Williamsburg. Virginia’s political leaders, however, had left the Colonial Capitol and had convened in Richmond instead.

Given that, I propose we make smoking all tobacco products illegal. Such bans have worked well in the case of forcing people to give up smoking marijuana and partaking of other designated unhealthy substances. Next, implement a statewide 5-miles-per-hour speed limit on all roads. That should eliminate all deaths and injuries caused by automobile accidents, thus providing great benefit to the state’s effort to solve the national health care challenges.

The Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts will delay its opening by a year. The board of the city’s first charter school notified the Richmond School Board this week that it would take an option provided in its contract to extend its opening date to July 2010.

Before sending his Mills Godwin Eagles onto their home floor last night to play Patrick Henry, Mark Seidenberg wrote the keys to success on the team-room blackboard for all to see. “Stop the guards, push the ball, attack the boards at both ends,“ explained the veteran coach who’s back on the basketball sideline after an eight-year hiatus. “That was the plan.“ SLIDESHOW: Mills Godwin-Patrick Henry

DEEP RUN 75, PATRICK HENRY 53
DEEP RUN (2-0) Simmons 6, Jackson 2, Chambon 2, Pericle 0, Dosh 12, Wood 0, Johnson 9, Clarke 14, Sudol 0, Peaden 6, Folliard 18, Valentine 0, Exum 6, Molnar 0. Totals 27 16-21.
PATRICK HENRY (0-2) Morris 10, V. Derricott 2, Hooker 16, M. Derricott 2, D. Derricott 21, Overstreet , Harmon 0, Morris 10, Schools 2. Totals 18 12-14.
Deep Run————————————- 19 14 19 23—75
Patrick Henry————————————- 10 10 17 16—53

A performance of “The Parsons’ Cause: Prelude to Revolution” will be presented Saturday at 11 a.m. at historic Hanover Courthouse on U.S. 301 and Hanover Courthouse Road.