The Mathews County Board of Supervisors held three public hearings during its Oct. 25 board meeting at Mathews High School. The hearings were on the establishment of two no wake zones, adoption of an ordinance governing livestock running at large, and changing the name for the Chesapeake District polling location from Lee-Jackson to Mathews Elementary School.

No wake zones

Requests by local residents to place “no wake” signs at the entrance to two bodies of water—Callis Creek off Stutts Creek and Mill Creek off the East River—was the genesis of the first hearing. The requests were approved by a 3-2 vote, with supervisors Paul Hudgins and Jackie Ingram dissenting.

During board discussion, Hudgins asked such questions as the length and breadth of the creeks, how many people live on them, how many violations have been reported, whether there have been any damaging wakes, and how many people had complained and why. Reading from a prepared statement, he said if no wake signs were ...