READY TO SPRING: The Fauquier Times previews the Fauquier High boys soccer team. Page 19
March 7, 2018
Our 201st year
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Vol. 201, No. 10
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www.Fauquier.com
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Drugs seized in traffic stop. Page 3
TIMES STAFF PHOTO/JOHN TOLER During last week’s wind storm, two large pine trees in the front of Debbie Ogden’s home on Beverleys Mill Road in Broad Run came down. One glanced off the corner of the house, damaging the trim and siding, and taking down a satellite dish and her husband’s ham radio antennas. The other came down on her carport, demolishing the structure and crushing her vehicle. “We’ll have to get the rest of tree and the carport off my car before the insurance adjuster can come to see it,” she remarked.
Wind storm wreaks havoc across Fauquier
MIKE AND MOLLY: The farmers, not the sitcom couple. Page 10
13,000 lose power; first responders field nearly 2,000 calls for help By Hannah Dellinger and Leland Schwartz Times Staff Writers
Fields burned, trees fell onto roofs and power lines, a few people got stuck in elevators or trapped in collapsed buildings and more than 13,000 homes and businesses were left in the dark. All were among the effects of the wicked winds that blew into Fauquier County over the weekend with the arrival of a nor’easter Dominion Energy said ranks among the top five storms since 1999 in terms of overall customer impact. Only the derecho of 2012 and Hurricanes Isabel, Irene
and Floyd beat this storm in power outages, which continued to plague parts of Fauquier long after the 70 mph wind gusts subsided. As of Tuesday morning, more than 1,000 households across the county were still without electricity. The number was far reduced from the height of the storm Friday afternoon, when more than 13,000 Fauquier homes and businesses were without power. But progress was slow over the last few days as crews went about replacing nearly 200 individual power poles that had snapped in wind.
Neighbors skeptical of Blackthorne Inn plan. Page 9
See WIND, page 4
Old Town Warrenton group regains accreditation, charts path forward By Leland Schwartz Times Staff Writer
The organization charged with reinvigorating Old Town Warrenton has won back the accreditation its predecessor lost and has plotted a strategy to up the voltage in the Main Street district. Experience Old Town Warrenton earned its accreditation this week from Virginia Main Street, which is part of a national program that links towns and their collective knowledge to reignite core community centers. INSIDE Calendar.............................................23 Classified............................................27 Communities......................................24 Farming..............................................10
Warrenton’s Old Town district encompasses at least 100 merchants and professional service providers. EOTW’s predecessor, Partnership for Warrenton, lost its accreditation two years ago when it fell victim to embezzlement. Its reinstatement means EOTW can apply for state and federal grants to help it fund and execute its proposed solutions. “I am thrilled our community regained our accreditation through the National Main Street Center,” EOTW Chairman Amelia Stansell said after getting the news. “This is a big deal for
Libraries.............................................15 Opinion.................................................8 Obituaries...........................................17 Politics..................................................7 Public Safety.........................................3
Old Town because we now have access to the vast resources the National and Virginia Main Street programs have to offer.” Stansell, who is vice president and community executive of Middleburg Bank, said those assets include access to email listservs to share information with other successful programs; opportunities to network with like-sized towns to learn what has worked with them; and access to grants for things such as financial feasibility studies and downtown investments.
See GROUP, page 5
Puzzles...............................................18 Real Estate..........................................23 Religion..............................................16 Sports.................................................19