Mid January 2014 Warren and Frederick County Report

Page 1

Warren FREE County Report WarrenCountyVA.com

Volume IX, Issue 1 路 Mid January, 2014

2013 The year in review

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Middletown

Community comes together to support veterans

On Tuesday, January 14, 2014, Lord Fairfax Community College Workforce Solutions will host a “Veteran’s Hiring Event & Conference.” To register for this free event, go to www.lfccworkforce.com or call (540) 868-7021. Ms. Stuby can be reached at (540) 535-2874 or by email at Carrie.Stuby@vec.virginia.gov By Sue Golden On Tuesday, January 14, 2014, Lord Fairfax Community College Workforce Solutions will host a

“Veteran’s Hiring Event & Conference,” in conjunction with the office of the Disabled Veterans Outreach Program of the Virginia Employment Commission and Post 18 of the

American Veterans (AMVETS). The event will take place from 9 am to 3:30 pm at the LFCC Corron Community Development Center on the Middletown campus. All veterans

are welcome to attend. According to Carrie Stuby, director of the Virginia Disabled Veteran Outreach Program, “we need to come together as a community to

help our vets meet their basic needs, like medical and housing. Too many times the vet is thrown out into the ‘real’ world, without any idea of where to go to tap into the benefits that he or she is entitled to.” A veteran herself, Ms. Stuby is passionate about finding help for every vet she can. Recently an 81 year old vet, who served from 1952 to 1960, found his way to Ms. Stuby. According to the airman, he and 15 other men were given “a swim cap, a pair of shorts, tennis shoes and a Geiger counter.” They were then sent out into the desert after atomic bombs were set off multiple times. Twice the gentleman was burned. Instead of being treated, he was sent “in” for “observation.” (The men were sequestered in their own barracks.) He could not speak of what he endured until the Atomic Program was declassified. He has a 40% disability rating. At 81, this disabled vet is trying to find a job to support himself and does not know where to turn. The upcoming event is designed to See LFCC,

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Loving Arms Assisted Living presents:

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Howard Paine Howard Paine is considered something of a visionary in the world of design, but he has a practical side too. Of his career as an art director, he once said, “You could call art basically four wheels and an engine to get you where you want to go.” Paine’s talent for blending inspiration and practical application served him well during his more than three decades as art director of the National Geographic Society. During his tenure there, Paine worked with astronauts and archeologists, botanists and volcanologists, oceanographers and historians. He helped convert abstract ideas into the pictorial splendor for which the Society’s magazine, National Geographic, is world famous. “When I got there,” Paine recalls of his early days at the National Geographic, “they had a lot of people and a lot of word people, but they had never had a design person.” His principal assignments when he joined the Society in 1957 were to redesign National Geographic magazine; to develop the children’s magazine, National Geographic World , and to design the Society’s Explorers Hall. Paine also has designed National Geographic Atlases, among other books, and created the popular parlor game, “Global Pursuit.” He retired in 1990, but continues to serve as a consultant for the National Geographic Society. Since 1979, Paine has been a member of the citizen’s stamp advisory committee of the U.S. Postal Service where he has supervised the design of more than 400 stamps. He has art-directed nearly 100 portraits of American musicians, 50 stamps commemorating major events of World War II and 75 of the Celebrate the Century series. He designed the catalog for the first ever exhibit of postage stamp art, which has been on display at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Massachusetts. A popular figure on the lecture circuit, Paine has appeared on the campuses of Yale and New York University, among others, and has presented programs for such groups as the National Park Service, the Smithsonian Institution, the American Trial Lawyers Association, and Schindler Elevator Corporation. He also occasionally gives enrichment lectures aboard cruise ships in various parts of the world. Paine has served on the board of the Greenwich Workshop, the premier publisher of limited edition art prints. He has taught design at George Washington University and is often asked to judge art shows and design competitions. He earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy and his doctorate in fine arts from American International College. - Written by Capital Speakers, November 2003

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Page • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid January, 2014

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072 or Angie Buterakos at angie@warrencountyreport.com • 540-683-9197

Middletown LFCC, from try to help veterans of all ages and all stages of the process, from Iraqi and Afghanistan vets to World War I and everyone in between. There will be both a federal government resume workshop, as well as a general resume workshop, conducted by Michael Barnes of the Virginia Employee Commission in Charlottesville. The Wounded Warriors Project will have representatives available to discuss the project, whose goal is

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to “honor and empower wounded warriors.” The project works through four quadrants: mind, body, economic empowerment and engagement. Part of the Wounded Warriors’ goal is to help veterans make the most of their benefits and successfully transition to “life after injury.” They help advise warriors on their benefits, as well as with navigating their access to benefits within the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Administration. The project also works to help family members and caregivers. The Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitation Services will have a workshop regarding the benefits that the department can bring to vets and how to qualify and apply. Some of the services provided by the department include brain injury services, case management services, prescription drug assistance and assistive technology assistance. Diane McBride of the department will lead this workshop. Hiring representatives will be in attendance from area corporations, including, but not limited to, Navy Federal, Aerotek, Fed Ex Ground, Kelly Services, American Woodmark and Home Depot. Vets can chat with the business representatives about

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employee opportunities. In turn, the businesses will receive information on some of the benefits of hiring vets, like tax credits. AMVETS’ goal is to enhance and safeguard entitlements for all veterans who have served honorably and to improve the quality of life of the veteran, his or her family, and their community through leadership, advocacy and service. The local AMVETS chapter is based in Stephens City.

“We are very excited to bring this multifaceted event to our local vets” said AMVET Commander Walter Jagiello. We have veterans in our organization in every spectrum of the process. We have vets that are looking for employment. We have vets caught up in the disability rating system. We have vets trying to work their way through the Department of Veterans Affairs systems and procedures. We know the help that is needed by all of our proud veterans

and we are ready and willing to do everything we can to help. To register for this free event, go to www.lfccworkforce.com or call (540) 868-7021. Ms. Stuby can be reached at (540) 535-2874 or by email at Carrie.Stuby@vec.virginia.gov

Send your brief news items to briefs@warrencountyreport.com

A new year, a new life – JR finds a home By Roger Bianchini & Malcolm Barr, Sr. From our perspectives, this is another feel-good seasonal story – whether Santa and Christmas wrapping were directly involved or not. The friendly, black, part-Pit Bull Terrier JR, whose story we reported in our previous edition, has found his new home. As readers may recall, JR had been taken to the Julia Wagner Animal Shelter shortly before the holidays, a lonely 3-year-old guy with soulful brown eyes who’d seen nothing much of life experience except the inside of a too-small outdoor pen. However, after his first frightened days at the shelter – he’d rarely seen a human, never mind 40 barking dogs, before – he adapted quickly. JR, like others of his breed and species, showed that essential resiliency of spirit and will to make the best of things moving forward. JR took to his new environment, settled into the shelter routine, was given his shots, accepted his neutering with doggie aplomb, and looked forward with spirit. Privacy rules prevent us from learning who took JR in. But we express to his new owner the New Year’s wish that this lovely dog set-

Pre-adoption JR - I’ll bet that smile on his face is permanent now tles into his new life happy, secure and a welcome addition to your family. In fact, we wonder if you might like to help us write a final chapter to our “JR series” beginning with our page 5, Late December edition story “Rescued and hopeful - JR, like his friends, needs a home” and would send us a family photo (with or without ID and for publication or not, as you wish)? Regardless, give him a treat and

tell him it’s from his doggie friends, Luda and Lola, who’d love to meet him for a sniff and romp at the Warren County Dog Park off Luray Avenue extended, at the riverside Eastham Park in Front Royal. An appointment could be scheduled, as well as a JPG photo destination, by contacting the writers (Lou and Lola’s chauffeurs) at rogerb@ warrencountyreport.com Happy New Year, JR and family!

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New Warren County Board Chairman Dan Murray By Roger Bianchini Warren County Report There was no way I was going to get out of bed on Jan. 7 for a 9 a.m. meeting of the Warren County Board of Supervisors with temperatures hovering near zero and gusting winds whipping them even lower (if the weather was very cold, the agenda was very dry). However, from the relative warmth of my home office I did inquire later about the passing of the chairman’s gavel in the wake of Archie Fox’s recent announce-

ment he would not seek re-election to the chairmanship he has held for six years. The result of that inquiry to board Clerk Janice Standridge was that North River Supervisor Dan Murray is now chairman. That unanimous election came after the nomination of Murray by South River Supervisor Linda Glavis, with a second by Richard Traczyk. Glavis was then unanimously reelected vice chair on a nomination by Fox, also with a second by Traczyk. Now, we’ll see if Murray, in the

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third year of the first term of his first elected office, has any better luck than his predecessor in leading his board to improved relations with the Front Royal Town Council (see Year in Review section). Judging from conversation at the town council meeting of the previous evening, getting the town permitted to build its new Riverton Electrical Substation off Strasburg Road (Route 55 West) after what the town believes has been an inordinate delay might be a good start. “It bothers me that over a half acre or less Warren County is dragging its feet. We’re being dragged through the cornfield – held hostage in my opinion,� Town Councilman Eugene Tewalt commented of the delay in getting the necessary county permitting to begin construction of the town utility electric substation. According to the town staff summary for the Jan. 6 council work session agenda, the town approved funding for the substation in its FY 2011 budget and acquired property for the project in May 2013. An application to permit the construction on county land off Strasburg Road was then submitted and a county planning commission public hearing was held six months ago (June 12). But with no subsequent action by the board of supervisors since, council is hesitant to begin contracting work. At immediate issue for the town is acceptance of a low bid from Lantz Construction for below-grade site work. Bids were received in November but staff has recommended a contract not be signed until the county approves permitting for the project. One concern is a potential breach of contract were the county not to issue a permit or delay it beyond contract parameters. Another concern cited by Town Finance Director Kim Gilkey-Breeden are delays that could

require a second RFP to be issued. Town Planning Director Jeremy Camp commented that some additional time had been required due to VDOT asking for info to allow input on construction traffic requirements in and out of the site. Mayor Tim Darr also noted county concerns about visual screening from the road, which he did not indicate any town issue with. “It’s about the size of this table when done,â€? Mayor Darr commented of the substation property and permitting dynamics. Town Director of Energy Services Joe Waltz told council the town’s last substation construction was also on county land off Shenandoah Shores Road – “But we didn’t run into any issues like on this one.â€? Council later emphasized inclusion of substation permitting for the Jan. 16 town-county liaison meeting. – “Underline BOLD – we definitely want to talk about that,â€? the mayor commented of the proposed agenda item “Riverton Substation (WC Plan Review Update)â€? on the January liaison agenda. So, we may get a read on Murray’s potential on municipal relations, in this perhaps most difficult aspect of his new leadership position, by Jan. 17. Good luck, Dan ‌

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Fighting to survive – Mental illness continues to be an issue in today’s military: The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates 22 veterans commit suicide every day, about 8,000 annually.

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During his battle with depression, U.S. Navy Capt. Todd Kruder - shown here with his wife, Sharon - attempted suicide three times. Photo courtesy of Capt.Todd Kruder. By Brandon Goldner Capital News Service U.S. Navy Capt. Todd Kruder and his wife, Sharon, had a joyous 2012: The couple marked 25 years of marriage, their oldest son was married, and their second son was commissioned into the Marine Corps. But Kruder almost didn’t get the chance to celebrate that year with his family because on three different occasions, he attempted suicide. “First time I tried, I thought about suicide, I chickened,� Kruder said. “The second time, my son interrupted. So I had to come up with a different way.� The different way, he explained, was

to over-exercise himself to death. “It was the perfect solution to the problem I had, which was I didn’t want the stigma of suicide,� Kruder said. Kruder’s over-exercising, together with his 17 hour-a-day job as an executive assistant to a three-star admiral, were taking its toll. It was all part of what Kruder, 47, called his “master plan.� But what he didn’t expect was his family and friends becoming concerned about his 60-pound weight loss as well as his personality changes. Then, one morning in 2011, Kruder hit rock bottom. We were probably days, hours

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maybe, away from breaking the marriage up,� Kruder said. Despite the near constant fighting, Todd and Sharon Kruder had kept their wedding rings firmly on their fingers. In their 24 years of marriage, they rarely, if ever, took them off until that day. “He took his wedding band off, and threw his wedding band,� Sharon Kruder said. He threw it right at her. “There’s too much memory behind them, and for him to take off something that I hold that dear to me, it hurt,� she said. “When you see a woman that you’ve married for 25 years, love very much; when you see her crumpled in a ball against the wall, crying because of what you did, because of who you were ... that was enough,� Todd Kruder said. “That was enough for me to know that I had to fess up to myself; I had to fess up to others.� What he had to “fess up� to was his severe depression, the result of what Todd Kruder said were several events throughout his life, including being deployed to Iraq for nine months from 2007 to 2008. Mental illness continues to be an issue in today’s military: The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates 22 veterans commit suicide every day, about 8,000 annually. U.S. Navy Capt. Anthony Arita, director of the Defense Department’s Deployment Health Clinical Center in Northern Virginia, said many service members don’t seek help for mental illness because of perceived stigma. Service members might believe

“That somehow it would be adverse to your career,� Arita said. Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America surveyed members last year and found 40 percent declined to seek help for their mental illness because of that perceived harm to their careers. In order to encourage soldiers to seek help for mental illness, the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury started a multimedia campaign called “Real Warriors�, to assist service members and veterans. Todd Kruder said it was the stigma of mental illness in the military which pushed him to the edge. “I didn’t want people to know. I didn’t want my career affected. I didn’t want my name to be associated with depression, a weakness that I felt was there,� he said. “And I was willing to die for that.� Todd Kruder is better now thanks to medication and therapy, but the battle goes on for fellow veterans. So he is waging a new fight, to eliminate the shame of mental illness. “It almost killed me, that stigma, and what I’d encourage folks to do is put it away,� he said. Todd Kruder said he is now writing a series of books that can be found on Amazon that document his battle with depression. “It’s about putting a face out there that says severe depression affects anyone, everyone, and it doesn’t matter,� he said. His wife said they still have work to do, but for now life is a lot smoother. “I think it takes a huge amount of courage [for Todd] to be able to come

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out to tell people ‘This is what I’m dealing with. This is what I’m going through,’ � Sharon Kruder said. “Yeah [we] had some bad times with everything that went on, but the final outcome is happy,� she added. “I have more good than bad in my life. I really do.� (CNS editor’s note: Brandon Goldner writes for the CNS University of Maryland affiliate)

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26,000 and growing Press releases should be emailed to: briefs@warrencountyreport.com Publisher & Editor-in-Chief: Daniel P. McDermott editor@warrencountyreport.com Roger Bianchini To Be Determined... (540) 635-4835 rogerb@warrencountyreport.com Reporter: Sue Golden Copy Editor: Laura Biondi editor@warrencountyreport.com Feature Writer: Carol Ballard crawford0905@gmail.com National & Agency Advertising: Alison Duvall: (540) 551-2072 editor@warrencountyreport.com Advertising Sales Representatives: Alison Duvall: (540) 551-2072 alisond@warrencountyreport.com Angie Buterakos: (540) 683-9197 angie@fredcoreport.com Billing Coordinator: Pam Cole: billing@warrencountyreport.com Graphic Design & Layout: Jeff Richmond layout@warrencountyreport.com Contributors: Malcolm Barr Sr. Ryan Koch, Cartoonist Extraordinaire Kevin S. Engle, Humor Columnist Leslie Fiddler, Writer If you are interested in contributing articles to our paper, please e-mail: editor@warrencountyreport.com

This publication is proudly printed on 100% recycled paper with soy-based ink.

Mid January, 2014 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Angie Buterakos at angie@fredcoreport.com • 540-683-9197 or Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072 Service with a smile EDITOR: On the coldest night of the winter, Jan. 6, a pump went bad and our furnace fuel ran out. Thanks, Quarles’ technicians. You arrived about 10 p.m. with the temperature at 9 degrees F. That was the guy from Front Royal. He filled us up with 400 gallons; then summoned the guy from Winchester so we could use the replenished fuel. He arrived within an hour, about 11 p.m. with the temperatures now measuring 4 degrees, replaced the defective part and had us comfortable and warm before midnight. Now that’s service, and it came with two smiles. Thanks again, guys! Malcolm Barr Rockland

Bald Eagle Release EDITOR: In reference to building the bridge across the river at Morgan’s Ford: I have several questions to ask those in favor of this bridge and those building this bridge? Has anyone given a thought to those souls that will be affected by additional human encroachment? Has an environmental study been done on the cause and effect of building this bridge in respect to the habitat of the wildlife who call this area home? The stresses alone of humans in the area for the time taken to construct this bridge, could possibly cause fish to die or become so stressed they succumb to disease. In turn, the depletion of this food source may result in disease and or starvation of the native wildlife. This will cause a decline in the population of our beloved eagles as they fight for territory and fight one another for their disappearing food supply. During the winter they resort to carrion as their diet when

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their food supply dwindles. We have seen all over the area, wildlife struck and killed. When the eagle swoops from the sky many have been killed or severely injured by vehicles when scavenging for their food. With the human encroachment as it presently stands, is this not the reason this majestic bird, the symbol of our nation, was in the care of the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center? As the number of eagles and other wildlife are forced to resort to carrion for survival, the numbers of severely injured or killed wildlife will rise considerably. Sadly, the building of this bridge will be the beginning of another struggle our nation’s symbol will have for survival as they scavenge enough food to feed their young and themselves. The result of this will be more orphans of all species and the decline of a diverse population of species dependent upon this area for survival. As of this date, the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center needs to expand to care for such cases. The Wildlife Center of Virginia has at least 20 orphaned bear cubs. We as humans were responsible for the near extinction of this majestic bird. They have rebounded do to our understanding of the catastrophic use of pesticides and the protection from further human encroachment of their native habitats. On the first of January, 2014, I stood in awe and watched the powerful river flow across the existing submerged bridge. I felt Mother Nature in her glory was telling us, “Enough,” as cleansing water from the river flowed before me. A hope for renewal of lives and a new beginning comes in the New Year. A renewal of life came as I watched this beautiful bird soar above our heads. His strength and fortitude should be an example to us all not only in our country but to the world. The renewal of his life gave hope for the continuation of the rise of his species and the natural order and balance of the environment he rules from the skies. The destruction of this balance is catastrophic. The eagle is one link in the circle and chain of life. When one link is destroyed eventually it will unravel to us. As I recall Gandhi’s quote: “The greatness of a nation and its moral

Letters to the Editor are welcome but must include the author’s name and town and should be emailed to: editor@warrencountyreport.com

Opinion progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”: a quote to be taken to heart. Perhaps for our own future survival? Eileen K. Goodman Fredericksburg, Virginia (You can see video of the eagle release at WarrenCountyVa.com)

Taxes & Utilities EDITOR: I just read 2 articles in the Late December 2013 edition of the Warren Country Report with interest, one with respect to taxes and the other about utility fees. My comments below address the utilities that we all pay as residents of the Town of Front Royal. Or don’t pay, as the case seems to be. It appears that the Town of Front Royal has had to write off as bad debt $848,191.11 due to unpaid electric bills, over a period that appears to date back to 2001, to enhance the Town’s credit rating. While this covers a period of about 12 years, the total amount represents a significant dollar amount amount. With a recommended budget for FY 2012-2013 allocating $16,000,241 to the Electric fund, it is a significant percentage of the total budget to “forgive and forget” about to include in the FY 20132014 budget. It’s almost a million dollars. Why is this happening? The State Code of Virginia allows for Front Royal to place liens on real estate specifically for water and sewer bills, which should also extend to the electric utility which is provided by the Town of Front Royal. Unlike other towns, Front Royal provides the electric utility as compared to a third party such as an electric cooperative such as Novec. Neighboring jurisdictions use procedures such as attaching the State income tax returns of deadbeat owners, and placing liens on the real estate. When real estate is sold to a new owner, it might appear that making the new property owner pay a previously unpaid utility bill is unfair; however, this is not the case. It is the responsibility of the new owner to make sure ANY outstanding debt on your new property is satisfied when you sit down at the settlement table. You buy the assets AND liabilities. This is the case with real estate taxes, and can also be the case with utility bills, if enacted into the Town Code. The article continues to describe the “heartless rule” about suspending electric and water service for non payment of bills. There is nothing unfair or “heartless” about this policy, either. The article details someone being out of town when a cutoff

date came due, and the resident came home to find the Town of Front Royal utility staff disconnecting the utility service. While it is unfortunate that this resident either forgot or overlooked the due date, it is a fact of life that we all have bills due on certain dates. It should come as no surprise that if the bill isn’t paid, the service is going to be shut off. Don’t pay for your phone? It gets shut off. Don’t pay for your car? It gets repossessed. Don’t pay your rent? You get evicted. So, if you know you’re going to be out of town when the bill comes due, the obvious action is to pay the bill BEFORE you go out of town. The number of situations where - as the article details - a customer relies on electrically-powered, life-critical medical equipment is a very small percentage of these situations, and there are certainly provision that can be made if done PRIOR to the cutoff date. But that isn’t what I’m talking about here. The significant amount of money involved here has an impact on EVERY resident and business in the Town of Front Royal. The Town develops a budget, and is bound by law to stick to it. If the Town has to write off almost a million dollars in lost revenue, this has to be made up elsewhere. I am not familiar enough with the Town of Front Royal budget process, or how the departments handle their budgets, to speak knowledgeably in detail. But generally speaking, this lost revenue is typically made up from within that department’s budget. If this is the case, then this has to result in higher electric bills for everyone to cover the loss. I - for one - am not agreeable to paying higher electric bills because the Town does not aggressively go after deadbeats that don’t pay their bills. I am not agreeable to paying more at a business for goods and services because that business has a higher electric expense that has to be passed along to their customers. The Town of Front Royal needs to investigate the way other local jurisdictions handle this. For instance, if you move into a house in the City of Manassas Park, you don’t get your water turned on until the previous bill is paid. You buy that liability when you buy the property. It dramatically decreases the amount of bad debt that has to be written off. The Town of Front Royal needs to place liens on the property, or attach the state tax returns of the individuals owing the outstanding bills, and become far more pro-active and aggressive in collecting these debts. The days of allowing people to sell properties and move out, knowing they can owe back utility bills without recourse, must stop. Geoffrey Peterson Front Royal

Page • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid January, 2014

Front Royal dining

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Customers enjoy recent changes at Front Royal Diner Family Restaurant Down-home Country look and food keep satisfied clientele coming back

Cassandra Gonzalez, co-owner of Front Royal Diner Family Restaurant

New decor at Front Royal Diner Family Restaurant By Carol Ballard Gone is the formal Classical look at Front Royal Diner Family Restaurant. It’s been replaced by warm, familyfriendly, country décor and in keeping with the season, right now is fully decorated for Christmas. Located at 865 John Marshall Highway at the entrance to the Food Lion Plaza, the restaurant has been under the management of Cassandra and Edmundo “Mundo” Gonzalez since last April. “The business is doing well, and the last few days the parking lot has been packed during lunch-time,” Cassandra said happily. She also wanted everyone to know that a special event is taking place on Saturday, Dec. 21. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be there to welcome everyone for a “Breakfast with Santa” from 9 to 11 a.m. Every child will get a goody bag and a chance to talk to the jolly pair. This is one way they fulfill their goal of being children-and familyfriendly. Another is to make gift bags for the kids at every major holiday. Two boys and two girls receive one if their names are drawn. Gift bags are in evidence around the room, and the Christmas drawing is open until December 23.

They and their 12 employees have made it a point, however, to outdo themselves all year to make the best possible meals for old customers and new. “We didn’t know when we came here that Front Royal was such a tourism town, with events like the Festival of the leaves and places like Skyline Drive,” Cassandra said. She and Edmundo’s experience in the food industry adds up to about 40 years. Their standards are high, so their food is fresh. “Everything that comes out of the kitchen, we’ve made ourselves,” she said. The simplified menu includes traditional American food like steaks, meatloaf, Prime Rib, seafood (including fish) turkey and chicken dinners as well as selected Italian and Mexican dishes. There’s a wide variety of salads, sandwiches and wraps. Some of the dishes people come back for are: Reuben sandwiches; chicken quesadillas; beef and chicken gyros and lobster bisque soup. Requests to make special dietary changes are accommodated and the regular menu includes vegetarian variations. Their children’s menu has six kinds of meals and all come with a small drink. All meals are very reasonably priced. The couple relocated here about

Front Royal Diner Family Restaurant sign a year ago. They are enjoying the slower pace of Warren County, after working in New Jersey and New York City. “We like the quiet of a small town and the people are really nice,” Cassandra observed. One thing they both agree on is the idea of giving back to the community. For Thanksgiving, they teamed up with the Salvation Army to feed the homeless and other people who needed it from 3 to 5 p.m. They also bought the makings of full turkey dinners and had a drawing. Their sign at the register said “Think of someone who gives all year and never asks for anything”. They were able to give several full dinners away to deserving families. Other ways they help specific groups are: giving a fifty-per cent reduction in the price of a meal to Fire and Rescue, military and law enforcement personnel if they are in uniform; offering a 10 percent discount to seniors; and creating a Loyalty program, which allows a person

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to earn a $10 meal for free after ten meals are stamped. “We like to give back to the community because without them we wouldn’t be here,” Cassandra noted. Their business philosophy is pretty simple. “My husband and I get up every morning and know we are doing what we want to do. We also look at it like this; we don’t put down anyone who is in competition with us because in this life, if there was no one to be in competition with, it wouldn’t be any fun any more,” she said with a laugh. Cassandra says she welcomes feedback and doesn’t always know if something is wrong. If customer has a problem, she wants to fix it so

they’ll come back and be a regular customer. To that end, she likes to walk through the restaurant and talk to people to get a feel for how well it’s all going. And they do have many regular satisfied customers. “When I come here, I get my money’s worth and never leave hungry. In fact, I feel like I need a little help to get to my car because I’m so full,” one man jokingly told her. And one of her female diners offered to donate her kitchen stove to the restaurant because, she said, “Since you’ve opened, I eat here every night, and use my oven to store my Christmas sweaters.” The restaurant provides takeout service and its banquet room seats up to 120 people. Several clubs and organizations meet regularly for meetings and parties in the restaurant’s remodeled banquet room. Reservations are available, but walk-ins are always welcome and if a large party comes in, they’ll do everything to make enough food for all. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served all day, from six a.m. to nine p.m. every day except Christmas. Front Royal Family Restaurant is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. For information, call 540-636-2270, or visit them on Facebook.

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Mid January, 2014 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page

“I hope this document doesn’t go away, that this is a living process, not another document that gets put on a shelf and is forgotten.� – Front Royal businessman Craig Laird

Front Royal

Newest town vision presented – now what? By Roger Bianchini Warren County Report

On Jan. 8 the Front Royal Town Council and Planning Commission sat down together to discuss visions – not THAT kind – an even more elusive sort of vision than that of mystics or others of altered states of consciousness. The vision at issue for these town officials, elected or appointed, is that of the future of the community they govern and plan ahead for. After a power point summary of the process of community outreach last year by contracted consultant the

Renaissance Planning Group, a draft of the four-sentence Visioning Statement was presented. Each sentence addresses one of four basic themes gathered from several months of citizen input. Those themes are: 1/ “a vibrant townâ€? serving as “a well-connected hub to the county and surrounding regionâ€? ‌ “focused on arts and cultural amenitiesâ€? featuring “a diverse economyâ€? and benefitting “from continual collaboration between the Town and Countyâ€?; 2/ “a preserved historic characterâ€? (also mentioned in # 1) with preserved, restored and rehabilitated “historic buildings and natural envi-

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ronment�; 3/ a “popular and unique tourist and travel destination� utilizing the surrounding geographical and historical features and state and federal parks (even though they are in the county); 4/ “a lifelong community� for both rich and poor with quality job opportunities, small business growth “and attractive and affordable housing�; And how much did the town pay for this small-town American fairy tale that sounds mysteriously familiar? - $37,500 of your taxpayer money, that’s how much – or $9,375 per vision category: “vibrant� (chaching), “preserved� (cha-ching), “popular� (cha-ching) and drum roll please, “lifelong� for one and all (chacha ching). Like I said in reflecting on surviving my heart attack a year

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ago, in my “next life� I’m going to be a consultant. Lying heavy over the discussion of what the next step would be was the town’s track record on past visioning studies and statements – I believe the count is six, maybe seven over 12 years if you include the SRI Community Visioning Study contracted through the town-county Economic Development Authority that the town refused to contribute funds to, though its result encompassing both the county and town’s futures was available to the town upon its completion. The track record is zero, nada, zilch – no meaningful action on any past visioning study. The specter of that track record was expressed by a town businessman involved in the current process, Craig Laird, owner of Royal Oak Computers on Front Royal’s East Main Street. “I hope this document doesn’t go away, that this is a living process, not another document that gets put on a shelf and forgotten,� Laird told town officials. “It won’t be on the shelf while we’re all working on it,� Town Planning Commission Chairman David Gushee offered, adding, “The difficulty is, once completed how to maintain a process to proceed down the road this [vision statement] leads to.� And perhaps the seeds of trouble or typical governmental inertia were already subtly rumbling as the town pondered this new roadmap to a future vision of Front Royal as a good place to live, work, visit and run a business. After suggesting a town-wide focus on things that can be accomplished by municipal government, Councilman Daryl Funk added, “But I don’t see us raising taxes to fund it.� And there lies the rub, as Shakespeare once wrote of the human di-

lemma. More than a process, where will the town council find the political will to achieve the latest contracted vision of its future – the will to more than listen, suggest and dream; but rather the will to guide and facilitate this most recent small-town American dream? For without proactive efforts, including governmental oversight, mandates and financial investment when necessary, where else is there for this latest vision to lie other than a shelf collecting dust next to a long line of its taxpayer-bought and paidfor predecessors.

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Page 10 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid January, 2014

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Community

Discovering Warren County: Shenandoah Confections comes to town

By Ken Thurman Warren County Report Main Street Front Royal’s newest store features a warm inviting atmosphere that is hard to pass by whether stopping for a brisk cup of gourmet tea or to indulge in some of the finest chocolates and fudges I have ever tasted. Sheron Smith and her daughter Danielle Dombrowski have created a charming boutique where one can sit and relax, play a game of chess, or just enjoy the flavors of the day. And, oh what flavors. Think sea salt caramel, creamsicle, and chocolate peanut butter. Imagine tasting black raspberry fudge with 99% pure Belgian chocolate with a ribbon real raspberry fruit puree and a creamy texture that melts in your mouth. And, because the chocolate is so pure they use 50% less sugar! Sheron, who lives locally, owns her own landscaping business in Alexandria in addition to the store, so I asked her why chocolate and why Front Royal? She told me that she wanted to back off of the 5 hour commute and 10 hour days of her landscaping business and wanted to work close to home. But, most importantly, she was taken by the warm friendly welcome she received on Main Street , Front Royal. Now as

to why chocolate, it was an evolution of the Sweet Time candy shop that a friend of hers was looking into buying. Sheron wanted to do something more exciting with the idea and to strive for product and service excellence. She tasted dozens of teas in her pursuit of excellence and sorted through literally hundreds of chocolate candy brochures and until she found a simple three fold brochure that caught her attention: “The Art of Fudge�. She contacted Christopher Warman who had been making fudge and novelty chocolates since 1989. I spoke with Christopher and was impressed with his passion for making fine fudge. He spoke of pure and natural ingredients, of producing micro batches of fudge 60 pounds at a time, of hand –stirring copper kettles

over an open flame to create just the right combination of flavor and silky smooth texture. He uses 99% pure cocoa liqueur imported from Belgium and real fruits in his purees in his nationally recognized creations. Think, featured at the White House, and voted best fudge in America by the Hershey management and others. Christopher creates a wide range of decadently soft and creamy fudge flavors for Sheron which are sold by the Âź pound (Buy 3 get one free or about $15/pound), fudge bars sold 3 for $5, which are hand painted with cocoa butter and feature a hard shell with a fudge Grenache center (whipped fudge) or pureed fruit, explosions (bite sized versions of the fudge bars), and pretzels gone wild (pretzels covered in chocolate with caramel and pecans). Sheron also plans to introduce Front Royal and our visitors to “High Teaâ€? and tea parties. The aromas and tastes of the teas she has selected are intoxicating while relaxing and comforting. For Valentine’s Day she plans to introduce special gift baskets and three new flavors of fudge bars (Passion Fruit, French Kiss, and Valentine Champagne).

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So, let’s sum it up. Hand-made, gluten free, 50% less sugar, zero trans-fats, imported Belgian chocolate creations that has been voted best in America combined with fine teas and gift baskets in a warm and inviting setting all on Main Street in downtown Front Royal. I think I am going to be a regular ď Š If you are looking for that special gift for your chocolate/fudge lover on Valentine’s Day or just to say you care, or to find out more visit the store at 126 East main Street, call them at (703) 856-8398, check them out on Facebook (www.facebook. com/Shenandoah Confections) or email them at ShenandoahConfections@gmail.com. Open daily from 10am – 6pm. You won’t be disappointed.

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Mid January, 2014 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 11

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Community

Sans reindeer, Santa makes an early local air drop Christmas Eve morning landing for a family and boy with a BIG heart

Let’s just say Martiez and his family, including brothers Leon and Zachariah, sisters Kameryia, Faith, Trinity and Grace and parents Gary and Kentia have seen a lot. But one thing they hadn’t seen until Christmas Eve 2013 was Santa descending from the sky with gifts with their names on them (the old guy’s usually pretty sneaky about that stuff ). But for this occasion and with a little conspiratorial help from PHI Air Medical’s FRR-based staff and others (which allowed Santa’s normal mode of transport reindeer fleet to remain at rest in neutral along their normal world tour route), Santa made a fairly public Christmas Eve morning landing in southern Warren County just for the Bradshaw-Rowell family. Lucky for us, we had an agent on the scene, camera in hand to record the event – thanks, Carol. And Merry Christmas and a VERY HAPPY New Year, Martiez and family – you ALL are my heroes, but especially you, Martiez – keep that heart a pumpin’!!!

Santa with Martiez Santa arrives sans reindeer - Courtesy Photos Carol Vorous

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Of course the beard’s real, Zachariah … By Roger Bianchini Warren County Report As we reported in our Christmas edition, the Santa issue was resolved with the help of local public school youth presenting the Macy’s play “Yes, Virginia” in this December run up to the holiday. But if you weren’t YET convinced, this ought to do it!

On Christmas Eve morning at the Community Tabernacle Assembly of God at 7655 Stonewall Jackson Highway on Route 340 South, Santa took an early detour from his traditional worldwide route – with the assistance of a locally-based air medical helicopter – to drop off some gifts to a local Warren County family. The recipients were local miracle-boy

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surgery. Needless to say, the physical, emotional – not to mention fiscal – strain on Martiez and his loved ones is the kind of things novels are written about. And from this perspective, a novel should also be written about how this community rallied around the family to help with transportation needs while Martiez was hospitalized for extended periods in Philadelphia around his last surgery, as well as other basic needs as parents took time off from work to be with their son in his life and death struggle. Perhaps most prominent among those offering assistance was the local building community and one local “Santa” identified recently on these pages, who helped refit the family’s home to the particular physical needs Martiez faced in his recovery from his two major heart transplant surgeries and complications he faced at such a young age.

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Page 12 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid January, 2014

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Community

Mat Cats need support from community for worth-while sport Warren County’s youth wrestlers have fun, learn family values

Members of the returning group 3rd to 4th year kids. Back row: l-r, Alex Lahners, Tommy Wayland, Zach Asher, Anthony Carter. Front row: l-r, Ethan Asher, Keagan Judd By Carol Ballard The Warren County High School gym was full of young boys and girls, tumbling, doing basic wrestling stances and working on the best position for the moves they were practicing, when I visited on December 18. The 15-20 kids there that nightparticipants in the Warren County

Mat Cats wrestling program-were excited that our newspaper had sent someone to watch and to write about them. Parents, grandparents, coaches and friends stood or sat around the sides of the room, attentively watching to see how the kids were doing. The little wrestlers looked like they were playing, but when the coach asked them to line up and get their picture taken, they were intent and

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respectful, smiled into the camera, and then kids who had been in the program for 3-4 years agreed to talk about wrestling.

“We practice at home and do drills. Sometimes we know the moves, but still have to practice,” said one, and others filled in the spaces with, “we learn good sportsmanship, and get to wrestle kids from other states like Michigan and Maryland. Another boy added, “We get stronger and loosen our muscles up. We learn how to tackle and can use it in other sports like football.” The 57 kids in the program, which is in the Mason-Dixon wrestling league, range in age from 4 to 14 years old and are placed into these categories: Bantam, for eight years and under; Midget-eight-to-nineyear-olds; Juniors include ages 10 and 11: and finally, Intermediates who are 12 through 14 years old. “This program strengthens communities, not just ours. Kids start at all ages from four different counties,” said Scott Asher, head coach of the youth program, whose sons Zach and Ethan were participating that evening. The program, which is affiliated with Warren’s Parks and Recreation Department, includes Warren, Frederick, Shenandoah, and Clarke counties, and is managed by Warren County High School’s head coach, Matt Wadas.

“We have a hard time saying no. We take anyone who is interested,” added Assistant Coach Jeremy Lahners, whose son Alex is on the team. Scott also emphasized the family-friendly nature of the group and noted that many of the families go on summer vacations together, their kids do homework together, and if one of the families is in need, others will help them. Shenandoah County, for example, doesn’t have a middle school wrestling program, so kids come here to hone their skills, and the parents help with that. And this program is a feeder system into the high school programs. “Winning is not everything, but it is fun. They play together, sweat together, if one needs anything, they have a partner to help,” Scott said, with pride. “And if we get people who can’t afford registration, we’ll try to help with the cost,” he added. But as much as the parents and team support members try, there is still a big monetary difference to be made up. Scott along with six-to seven assistant coaches, volunteer parents and grandparents, attend the practices; take kids to out-of-town meets, held in places like Maryland, Pennsylva-

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Mid January, 2014 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 13

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Angie Buterakos at angie@fredcoreport.com • 540-683-9197 or Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072 nia and Richmond. “Ethan Asher and Keagan Judd will be going to the Nationals in Richmond,â€? said Scott. Besides the $500-a-year registration fee, parents are responsible for travel expenses, quick snacks, water and wrestling gear. So much positive energy and enthusiasm deserves support and help from the community. “The wrestling team has a big need for sponsors to help with equipment, like headgear and shoes, and the costs of singlets (uniforms),â€? said Jeremy. “Some of the parents can buy logo singlets for their kids, but all others have plain ones. It (logo singlets) makes a good impression when competing at meets,â€? he added. The registration fee covers only entrance fees, t-shirts and the use of plain singlets. It takes about five weeks to get an order, so the goal is to have all the kids fitted out with them by a major Mason-Dixon meet in March, and if not then, at least by the end of June for the summer session. “We would like to have a more uniform look for the kids, and to be able to pay the entrance fees for the kids who can’t afford it,â€? Scott said. “When money runs low, some of the older kids drop out,â€? he added. To have suits by March, the order will have to be placed soon. The cost of a singlet with a team logo is $65 each. Paula Wayland, grandmother of wrestler Tommy Wayland, who calls herself a “Team playerâ€?, says she has checks to pick up from sponsors from several Warren County business people and companies next week, but even with that there will still be a need for more. “We would like to provide each child with a packet of snacks and water,â€? she said. The kids need quick snacks like granola bars, chips and fruit to eat between classes along with bottled water. The group would also love to have

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Community

Members of the Beginners/novice class present on Dec. 18 Warren County Mat Cats practice in Warren County High School gym, First year kids, Back row, left to right: Kaleb Davis, Marcus Turner, James Ramey, Brennan Komelasky, Isaiah Frame, Memphis Rice, Elijah Frame, Daniel Athey Jr. Front row: l-r, Alyssa Thornberg, Ethan Bare, Dalton Binnix, Nate Downs, Benjamin Bryzinski, Brandon Houde, Andon Mikels more community support for their three home meets per year. The first home meet will be held at the WCHS gym on Jan. 12. “We’d like people to know we’re here,� said Melanie Thornberg, team mom, who does public relations work

for the group, takes photographs and provides support. Her daughter, Alyssa, is in the beginners group, and she has an older son who has aged out of this program and is on a Warren County high school wrestling team.

All kids will be going to the first meet, to be held on Sunday, Jan. 5 in Hagerstown. Md. Jeremy’s wife, enthusiastic team mom Allison, described all that she and the other parents take on as a “big undertaking�.

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Page 14 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid January, 2014

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Community Public safety

Now that’s what I call a snowman, I mean girl! By Roger Bianchini Warren County Report

We were visiting a friend on East Main Street in Front Royal the first week of 2014 when the best snowman – OOPS, snowgirl we were soon informed – we’d seen this winter caught our eye. From that stylish hat and scarf, I should have known it was a snow-she. A little research identified Kristina Davis, age 7, as the maker of “Miss Frostyâ€?. And how does a girl so young, make such a great old-school snowgirl with coal eyes, carrot nose and properly proportioned stick arms and hands? Maybe dad offered some good advice – OR, maybe once her mouth was done, Miss Frosty offered some snowgirl structural and fashion advice herself – MAYBE ‌ However it happened – GREAT JOB, Kristina!

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Mid January, 2014 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 15

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Front Royal

More Than We Bargained For Town water lines suffer in extreme temperatures The newspaper ad transported me back in time. The year? 1990. My wife and I had only been married a few months. Other than my college days, neither of us had ever lived away from home. Until now. Winter was here. We needed to get out of the apartment. We needed some exercise. We needed to meet new people. “Let’s join a volleyball league,” I suggested. “It’ll be fun.” My bride agreed. We both enjoyed playing as kids. I made a few calls and hit the jackpot, or so I thought. “Every Tuesday night,” the person said. “It’s a recreational league. You’ll like it.” Remember the volleyball games you played in gym class? Or at your family reunion? The kind where everybody had fun and nobody got hurt? That’s what I was looking for, but not what I found. We realized that the moment we walked in the gym. It was packed and everyone was practicing. Blocking and spiking drills. I don’t remember doing that in gym class. And definitely not at the family reunion where everyone was happy just to get the ball over the net. Obviously, my definition of ‘recreational’ was a bit different than the person I spoke with on the phone. These folks were serious. After the blocking and spiking exercises, we divided up and the games began. Four at once. I quickly learned an important lesson. To be a good blocker, you don’t jump as high as you possibly can to stop an oncoming ball. Not unless you want to do it with your face, a strategy I wouldn’t recommend. A good blocker jumps just high enough to put his or her arms above the net and let them take the punishment. My wife, who had more sense than me, already knew that. It didn’t matter though. Her arms were black and blue after that

first night. “I don’t want to go back,” she said as soon as the car doors closed. “Come on, it wasn’t that bad,” I lied. “Really?” It wasn’t that bad. It was worse. Maybe I’d misunderstood. Maybe the recreational volleyball was Thursday night. The following Tuesday, when it was time to go again, Judy wasn’t too enthused. “Let’s give it another try,” I said, trying to convince her. “It’ll be better this time.” I’m not sure who I was kidding. We were both black and blue. We never went back, retiring after just two outings. If we wanted to meet new people, it would be somewhere else. As I was changing channels the other night, something caught my eye. A women’s volleyball match on ESPN. “Remember when,” I began as my wife looked up from her laptop to see what was on. “Yes!” she said emphatically, knowing what I was about to say. We thought back to those two nights and laughed. Sort of. Was it really that bad? Hell yeah. But we did get out of the apartment. Twice. And we got some exercise. If you count ducking, dodging and other acts of self-defense. And we met new people. The doctors and nurses at the Urgent Care were very nice. Now, some twenty plus years later, when I come up with a “great” idea, I do one of two things. Keep my mouth shut or take a nap and hope I forget about it by the time I wake up. Today, when he wants to go someplace, the author tunes in to the Travel Channel. When he wants to meet new people, he ‘likes’ them on Facebook. And when it’s time for exercise, he visualizes it. – kevinengle456@comcast.net

By Roger Bianchini Warren County Report The extreme temperatures of early January have likely exacerbated the problem of broken water lines in the Town of Front Royal. Notable was a repeat breakage from last winter on Sixth Street at the intersection with Virginia Avenue. That break was reported by the town at 10:07 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 7. By 8:30 p.m. that night traffic patterns were still impacted by the work, as noted

in an update on the situation: “Virginia Avenue between 6th and 7th Streets has been re-opened to traffic; however, 6th Street from Royal Avenue to Virginia Avenue is now closed. The water in the area is still off until further notice. Motorists are requested to use extreme caution in this area as the water break has created icy road conditions. Salt is being placed on the streets, to assist with this issue.” Crews working to fix the break were impacted by temperatures fore-

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cast to dip to 3 degrees Fahrenheit that evening with strong winds whipping wind chills to below zero. With the temperature climbing into the low 20s, another water line break was reported on Wednesday, Jan. 8, at 12:20 p.m., this one on John Marshall Highway. A press release stated, “The Town’s Water/Sewer Crew has the westbound lane of John Marshall Highway closed from Richmond Road to Robinhood Lane. Westminster Drive at John Marshall Highway is also closed to traffic. Flaggers are directing traffic. The water in this area will be off periodically throughout the day as the repairs are being made. Water outages and low water pressure will affect a large portion of the Town that includes not only the John Marshall Highway area, but the Happy Creek Road area as well. Motorists are asked to use extreme caution in this area as the roads may become icy.” A deadline day update on Thursday, Jan. 9, indicated the problem continuing – at least the temperatures had risen to the mid-20s with a forecast high around 30 degrees for the day and a Saturday high of 61 forecast. For more information on these or other breaks or service impacts in your area contact the town Department of Environmental Services at (540) 635-7819. – rogerb@warrencountyreport.com

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Page 16 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid January, 2014

Year in review

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The 522 North Corridor and town-county boundaries A different economic future looms for Front Royal and Warren County

Don’t tell them this is the wrong Devil Rays game – or that we’re knocking them out of playoffs in four. By Roger Bianchini Warren County Report Perhaps the biggest local political and economic story of the year stems from a universal and age-old theme – territory and the wealth generated by territory. Our version’s players are both county municipalities, the Town of Front Royal and Warren County governments. It involves a long-standing dispute over relative expenditures and economic benefit from commercial and industrial development of the Route 522/340 North Corridor. That development and its commercial tax base helped bring the entire community out of a deep economic recession dating to the late 1980s and early 1990s. That recession coincided with the gradual decline and eventual closing by state authorities in 1989 of the Avtex (formerly American Viscose and FMC) rayon and synthetic fibers manufacturing plant. That plant, built in 1940 in preparation for the world war looming at America’s doorstep from Europe, had been the major employer and commercial tax base in Front Royal and Warren County for fourplus decades. From 1989 to 2013 it has been a 467-acre environmental disaster area, and a major, federally-funded environmental and economic reclamation project (maybe that latter aspect will be our major Year in Review story of 2014 – or not). In order to attract new industry and commercial retailers and their multi-faceted tax revenues and employment opportunities to the community, a first-of-its-kind agreement was reached between Front Royal and Warren County in 1998 and authorized by the state in 1999. That agreement allowed town central wa-

ter and sewer utilities to be expanded into the county without what would have been a bitterly fought annexation of the 522 North Commercial Corridor into the town limits. In order to avoid that annexation battle, a three-judge state panel approved an arrangement in which the Town of Front Royal would be compensated for potentially lost tax revenue from those businesses attracted to north corridor county land by the availability of municipal central water-sewer utility service by fees attached to corridor utility bills from the town. So, in addition to county taxes, businesses locating in Warren County’s 522 North Corridor would pay PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) fees to the Town of Front Royal in order to receive the central water and sewer service those businesses needed to exist. Enabled in 1999, those PILOT fees as originally agreed upon had a short life span once big-box retail commercial development arrived in the corridor in 2007.

By 2009, the PILOT fees were legally challenged by a trio of chain restaurants – Cracker Barrel, TGIFriday’s and Applebee’s – leading to a court ruling against the town’s collection of a significant portion of those fees. Due to the lost 2009 lawsuit the town lost its PILOT fee equivalent of a 4-cent meals tax, estimated at the time as a $600,000 to $700,000 annual loss that was estimated at 80 percent of the town’s corridor PILOT fee revenue as Riverton Commons and The Crooked Run Center commercial centers swung toward full operation. The court decision was based on two factors: First, flaws in the town’s wording of its utility contracts with corridor businesses. The court agreed with plaintiffs that a meals tax was not a tax on the business, but rather a pass-through tax on customers. Second, the judge prefaced his decision by observing that the tax landscape in the corridor had changed since the 1998 agreement was approved by the state. That change was the county’s implementation of its own 4-percent meals tax in 2002. After four fiscal years of inaction in the wake of the court decision devastating the town’s PILOT fee revenue stream, the county agreed to pick up the town’s portion of operational funding of the EDA and the public library, a total of about $125,000 annually, beginning in Fiscal Year 2014. My favorite of a series of stories on this town-county dispute (plus I loved the baseball themed lead and art) came from a September 30 town council discussion of a proposal from the county tied to splitting its own 4-percent corridor meal tax revenue with the town in order to end all future annexation talk. Based on the county’s current revenue stream,

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after the first year’s transition at a 25/75-percent town/county split to a 50/50 split thereafter, that would be a $300,000 annual payment to the town of the county’s current annual collection of $600,000 from its 4-percent meals tax. In order to facilitate that offer, the county decided to tie a town promise to end, not only any future annexation of the corridor, but any discussion of such a move as well. But I’ll let myself tell the story as reported in our “Early October� 2013 edition under the headline and subnheadline: Town rejects corridor ‘hush-up’ offer from county After four years here’s 2/5s of your lost revenue – now shut up & go away Just when I was poised to leave a Sept. 30 Front Royal Town Council Work Session for greener pastures – a TV tuned to the American League Wild Card play-in game between the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Texas Rangers – I was knocked down

(figuratively of course) by a sharplybreaking curve ball. That unexpected pitch was tossed by a council consensus to keep what had been scheduled to be a closed session discussion of an offer from the Warren County Board of Supervisors regarding the 522 North Commercial Corridor, open to the public. So as the 7 o’clock evening hour turned to 8 p.m., instead of playoff baseball it was the game of municipal politics and legal maneuvering that kept this reporter riveted for the next few innings. And heck with the Rays and Texans, this was pretty good stuff. What led to an unusual, if somewhat uncomfortable unanimity among council regarding a four-year impasse over changed expenditure and revenue circumstances from the 522 Corridor was a proposed 11-point Memorandum of Understanding from the county that would block, not only any action toward annexation of any portion of the 522 Corridor and its ever-expanding commercial and industrial tax

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Mid January, 2014 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 17

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Angie Buterakos at angie@fredcoreport.com • 540-683-9197 or Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072 base, but also council’s collective silence about the matter as long as such payments were being accepted by the town. And breaking the rules, including initiating a future study of annexation options, would lead to a penalty flag – oops, wrong sports analogy – in the form of an immediate three-year payback likely to total around a million dollars. And I thought playoff baseball would be exciting. Condition Four of the county proposal states that as long as the county is offering and the town accepting money to compensate it, at least in part, for lost PILOT fee revenue related to the 2009-10 corridor restaurant lawsuit, “the Town will not publicly discuss or commence annexation proceedings concerning any portion of the 522 Corridor” … Before council even got to the legal and ethical ramifications of such a de facto gag order and municipal handcuffing, exactly how much “hush money” they would actually be getting for their promise of collective silence and action leapt out.

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Mayor Tim Darr pointed out that, as worded, the county appeared to be offering a miniscule amount of money – “one percent” for one year, then “two percent of the meals tax collected by the County in the 522 Corridor” annually. “There’s a big difference between one percent and two percent and 25 percent or 50 percent,” Darr noted … But heck, even if they hadn’t noticed the percentage versus cents wording snafu, I would have given you even money council would have figured it out after that first four-figure (instead of a six-figure) payment came in. That out of the way, more or less, council work session discussion moved back to the implications of the conditions suggested in exchange for an eventual $300,000 in annual compensation for its lost meals taxbased PILOT fee revenues dating to a 2009-10 court decision …

… As for the two primary MOU conditions of promising no action and silence on the potential of annexation, Town Attorney Doug Napier told council he did not believe they could enter into any such agreement for a variety of reasons. Of the ban on action or discussion of corridor annexation in return for financial compensation, Napier wrote council in his notated critique of the draft, “How can a legislative body agree to not allow itself to discuss matters of public concern that are expressly within its statutory jurisdiction? Town Council must be allowed to discuss, at any time, whether this or another revenue sharing arrangement is in the best interests of its inhabitants, because circumstances of both the Town and County will inevitably change in the future.” Napier also questioned the legality of the town entering into an agreement that would not only limit its ability to address the future best interests of its citizens, but also de-

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Year in review

Both the Tampa Bay Rays and the Front Royal Town Council had a lot to think about on Sept. 30. mand a nearly million dollar punitive payment for performing its future due diligence as a governing body. “It would be very bad public policy, indeed possibly malfeasance, for the town to agree it had to refund the last three years worth of shared revenue,” Napier noted, adding, “That would be grossly unfair to Town taxpayers” … Three camps of two Ensuing discussion indicated three distinct camps within council I labeled “we’re in the legal right, let’s don’t get pushed around”; “I’m sick of talking about it, let’s take the money and run”; and the “whatever the county says – mostly – is cool with me”. Camp One (negotiate from a position of strength): Vice-Mayor Shae Parker suggested that rather than sign a new and independent document, the town and county approach amending the original 1998 Agreement … Hrbek agreed with Parker that amending the original agreement was preferable. Hrbek also suggested establishment of specific criteria for future boundary adjustments into town of concentrated commercial or residential development on county land … As has been breached in previous discussions, Hrbek pointed to arrangements in Culpeper and Shenandoah County that avoid such individually contentious situations between counties and towns, the latter with its central utilities usually targeted for concentrated development in most planning models. Camp Two (This is giving me a headache and I don’t want to deal with it anymore): Hollis Tharpe agreed the wording and extreme conditions needed to be removed from the language of the MOU. But he suggested that moving toward an equal split of the county’s corridor meals tax revenue would be “a good deal.” “I agree with Hollis,” Gene Tewalt began, adding, “We need to get

that garbage out of the MOU that shouldn’t be in there. I worked for two years to get that two cents (of county meals tax money) and I want to get it done but I don’t want all those strings attached.” Camp Three (What the county says is okay with me, mostly): Even with one eye on the 2015 county board election from his Shenandoah District home, Tom Sayre agreed the MOU wording should be changed, “keeping it simple enough to keep annexation out of it” … Daryl Funk, a Pond-Athey-Pond attorney pumped up by county Republican Committee Secretary Mary Kay Clark as an eventual supervisors candidate before he even won his initial political campaign for council in 2012, seemed to straddle all camps … Not as written?!!? “I’m done with it,” Darr said in some frustration of the result of his months of one-on-one negotiations with County Board Chairman Archie Fox to reach a compromise, adding, “So, I’ll tell them we’re not interested in it …” “Did I hear ‘not interested,’ ” Tharpe quickly injected. “As written, if you’d let me finish” Mayor Darr completed his sentence, shooting Tharpe a sharp glance. “I believe four members of council agree with the principal of the MOU. I don’t know if you want to say ‘not interested,’ ” Funk quickly took Tharpe’s back. “Are you interested in it as written?” Mayor Darr asked Funk. “No,” Funk replied hesitantly. “Then you’re not interested in it as written,” the mayor repeated pointedly to Funk … Tharpe then rebounded to suggest the mayor and town staff be very careful in how they worded the rejection of the draft MOU – “You don’t want to make them mad … you know how they are, they’ll take it wrong.” …

Page 18 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid January, 2014

Year in review

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Difficult movement toward a ‘win-win for town and county’ Both sides agree to east side annexation of 604 acres of county land rizes that story: Trudging toward a decision on FRLP boundary adjustment Is slow pace on one related to potential litigation on another boundary?

By Roger Bianchini Warren County Report In a way, this story relates to our number one political story of 2013, the territorial dance between Warren County and Front Royal around the Route 522 North Corridor’s land

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and/or tax revenue distribution. On another side of the town-county boundary (east) the two municipalities were able – likely after some behind the scenes teeth gnashing – to agree that another boundary adjustment was in both their best interest. Excerpts from two stories summa-

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At a June 21 work session the Front Royal Town Council met with Front Royal Limited Partnership (FRLP) principal David Vazzana and members of his planning and legal team to discuss the status of Vazzana’s citizen-initiated annexation filing with the state. On Sept. 20, 2012, Vazzana notified the town and county of his intention to file the annexation request on 604 acres to the state Commission on Local Government (CLG). He filed his annexation request to bring the land into the town limits later that week. Nine months later that status is – let’s get another extension of pending deadlines for action in order to talk some more about details of bringing the area adjacent to existing town central-utility supplied residential development into the town limits (where logic might indicate it belongs) ‌ The extension agreed upon was 60 days ‌ Councilman Bret Hrbek

said he thought it was to the town’s advantage to bring the property, long earmarked for development, into the town limits. “Let’s bring the property into town and then invite the county to the table,â€? Hrbek said. He added that his primary concern was that the developer be legally committed to build an east-west connector road in development plans dating back to Centex’s efforts to develop the land around 2006-07. Hrbek’s positive perspective echoed Shenandoah District Supervisor Richard Traczyk’s comment from over nine months earlier – “To me, this is a win-win for the town and county,â€? Traczyk said at an Oct. 2, 2012 supervisor’s work session. But you know how it is – always easier said than done with these guys ‌ within two days (June 17-18) both the town and county went behind closed doors to discuss “specific legal matters ‌ specifically, Annexation,â€? in the town’s case; and “probably litigationâ€? and “the litigating position of the public body; such matter being the Route 340/522 North Corridor.â€? On June 17, there was council concern that the developer was in separate discussions with the county over proffers to cover impacts on county

services of what is now planned for development of 818 residential units with some commercial and park components ‌ The town and county currently have an agreement to negotiate proffers for each other on development on their land that would impact services provided by the other municipality ‌ But some councilmen worried any independent proffer agreement with the county could limit FRLP’s ability to meet town proffer requirements when rezoning actually was on the table ‌ The now-county land along Mary’s Shady Lane off Happy Creek Road was once targeted for residential development of between 2,400 and 1,862 units by regional developer Centex between 2004 and 2007 ‌ FRLP boundary adjustment taken under advisement State Commission on Local Government hears all the arguments After three hours of tours and give and take about the economic, infrastructure and growth dynamics between town and county officials and the Commission on Local Government (CLG) in the afternoon, it was the public’s turn to weigh in on the

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Mid January, 2014 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 19

Year in review fell afoul of more extreme elements of the Republican Party over concerns about property rights to develop any land, anywhere, in any manner to the exclusive and maximum profit potential of land owners. In fact, some opponents addressing local government characterized Urban Development Areas as part of a UN-fueled international conspiracy against American property owners. At the county supervisors meeting the following day, County Attorney Blair Mitchell told the board he felt the county, town and FRLP case for a Voluntary Settlement Agreement bringing the land into town had been

well received by the commission members. “It was a long, tiring day with a lot of give and take ‌ but from the feedback I think we will be treated very favorably,â€? Mitchell said. Apparently the UN’s tentacles are everywhere.

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Celebrate Your Day the D’Vine Way &RPSOLPHQWDU\ 7DVWLQJV 7KXUV )UL ‡ 5-7pm proposed Front Royal Limited Partnership boundary adjustment the evening of Nov. 18. And after another hour, the CLG took all that they had heard under advisement. Chairman John Kines Jr. said a Public Comment period will remain open till December 2. A report will then be assembled and should be available by the end of January 2014, at which point the commission will schedule a meeting to present its findings and recommendation on the advisability of the friendly town-county annexation from a state perspective. Information on submitting further input is available on the CLG website or may be mailed to: The Commission on Local Government, 600 East Main St., Suite 300, Richmond, VA 23219 ‌ As for the dynamics and opinions

involved, voiced by five citizens at the Nov. 18 CLG Public Hearing – well, you’ve heard it all before on these pages over the past year ‌ Local opposition has largely come from long-time residents of remote neighborhoods off Mary’s Shady Lane between the FRLP property and the Shenandoah River. The argument – this is beautiful, rural, Agricultural land buffering us from the slings and arrows of the modern world, and we’d sure like it to stay that way – was expressed by three of five speakers, Dan McCarty, Mike Challis and Ramona Bowden, at the Nov. 18 public hearing ‌ [and] Stan Brooks wondered at plans for large swaths of new development controlled by outside developers and the nature of small-town Front Royal being lost in the mix. McCarty and Brooks also criti-

cized the concept of “growth zonesâ€? that was part of the rationale for moving the FRLP land into town as a prime target of future residential and commercial growth. Brooks called growth zones “one of the most intrusive state mandates in some time.â€? Urban Development Areas, or growth zones, were specified for future development due to their proximity to existing development and utility infrastructure. They were designed to funnel future clustered growth toward towns and city residential centers, giving rural, county land a chance to remain agricultural and head off patchwork, spot development ‌ (and were a bipartisansupported state law until repealed by the Republican-controlled state legislature last year.) In recent years the idea of UDAs

Dear Stewart,

tree, should be immediately addressed by a certified arborist. Also look for any branches hanging down but not fallen. These are very dangerous and should also be professionally removed. Look too for broken off branches. Jagged breaks should be retrimmed so they are neat cuts which are much easier for the tree to cover over. Look for the branch collar, an enlarged area that encircles the branch where it connects to the rest of the tree. Cut the branch off cleanly just at the edge of this collar. If the wound extends into the trunk of the tree, just clean it as much as possible to remove jagged edges and leave it alone. Don’t use any wound paints or sprays to coat any of these breaks. These often prevent the tree

I’ve had so much damage from the recent winter storms. How can I repair my trees from this breakage? – Concerned in Front Royal Dear Concerned,

Ask Stewart

Oh, I hate those awful storms. My neighbor’s leaf nest blew right out of their tree last week. And I was worried last winter my hole was going to split with all the snow and ice. After a storm, walk through the yard and examine each tree. Make sure the form looks like it did before the storm. A shift could indicate branch splits or weak trunks and, if discovered in a large

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from covering them over and worsen the damage over time. I also want to point out that much repair work actually begins before the storm happens. If you have large trees, it is a really good idea to have a certified arborist come out and take a good look at them. They don’t charge for this service and they can locate weak areas and either prune them out or install cables to provide extra support. And, if you have new trees, start pruning them while they are small so as to provide the best structure. In this way, as the tree grows, it will be as strong as it can possibly be. This will make a big difference for how the tree survives bad weather.

- Stewart

The Front Royal/Warren County Tree Steward program began in 1997 with volunteers dedicated to improving the health of trees by providing educational programs, tree planting and care demonstrations, and tree maintenance throughout the community. The group now consists of over 30 active members with several interns working toward becoming certified tree stewards from our annual “All About Trees Class�. Each month Stewart will answer a question from our readers. Please forward it to “Stewart� in care of: frwctreestewards@comcast.net and we may publish it in a future issue. Please visit our website at:

www.treesfrontroyal.org

Page 20 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid January, 2014

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“It’s been a very emotional time for all of us. Some are still adjusting to the new reality of it, I guess. Right now, we’re all just trying to figure out where to go from here and what we’ll be doing after this.” – Wayside acting intern Daniel Westbrook (Robert in “Boeing, Boeing”)

Year in review

The play is no longer the thing – Wayside closes Sudden decision to not make weekly payroll shocks many, strands some

Artistic Director Warner Crocker bids an emotional farewell from the stage he directed for 15 years, following opening of “Boeing, Boeing.” By Roger Bianchini Warren County Report As a longtime fan of the regional theater this was a hard story to write, as I’m sure it was a hard story for many to read. Besides the cultural loss, the long-term economic dominoes of the regional theater closing

may still be tottering for the Middletown economy. Now what is this I hear from neighbors about materials from the theater building appearing to be hauled away by the truckload over recent weeks? Anyway, here is the news as reported this summer: While Wayside Theatre’s 52nd

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VHAT DO YOU MEAN WE ARE CLOSING EARLY?!!? ‘Boeing, Boeing’s’ German stewardess-dominatrix Gretchen (Theresa McGuirk), left, may have said in reaction to the news. Photo by Westervelt season opened with two comedies, it turns out its final show was a tragedy directed by and starring its board of directors. That final performance was a show that left no one laughing – but was it inevitable? Whatever your perspective, now it is all over but the crying – and there is likely to be plenty of that to go around from cast members and interns; to patrons, supporters and professionals with ties to the theater; not to mention Middletown businesses likely to feel the crunch from

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lost theater traffic. Maybe the Middletown Council should have been a little more proactive in efforts to save the theater than they appear to have been over the past two years. On Aug. 7, five days before the second show of the season was scheduled to complete its run on Sunday, Aug. 11; less than five months after it was announced a $90,000 fundraising goal would be met (eventually surpassed) allowing new and innovative marketing and fundraising techniques to be undertaken to keep

the theater afloat; and just five weeks after the sudden, perhaps forced June 28 resignation of its long-time artistic director Warner Crocker, Wayside Theatre has been officially closed for good by its Board of Directors. The decision, effective immediately and reported as a unanimous one – at least of those present or not resigned since June 28 – came at a suddenlycalled Aug. 7 meeting of the Wayside Theatre Foundation Board of Directors. Ironically, it was the same day a press release went out from recently hired Wayside Marketing Director Joyce Kernodle announcing the August 25 opening of what would have been the theater’s third offering of the season, “I Love You, You’re Perfect – Now Change”. It should have been “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Get Out of Town.” In fact, that is essentially what happened to “I Love You” guest director Rebecca Calkin and two actors brought in from out of town for that show just two days in to rehearsal. That trio and other cast members were told by Board Chairman Byron Brill and several others that their play, and the 52-year-old theater itself, were history and their services no longer needed soon after the board vote of Aug. 7. Brill had been positive in the immediate aftermath of Crocker’s sudden resignation of June 28. In our July 2 edition, reporter Malcolm Barr Sr., himself a former Wayside board member, wrote, “Generally, Brill looked positively and with enthu-

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Year in review

‘Boeing, Boeing’ cast embrace departing artistic director Warner Crocker and actress Thomasin Savaiano (Crocker’s wife) following opening of Wayside’s final (adult) production, also Crocker’s final day on the job. siasm to the regional, professional theater’s future … Brill said the theater ‘will work with guest directors for the next few months’ while a search is launched for a fulltime artistic director to succeed Crocker … Meanwhile, Kernodle will handle bus tours and marketing, Brill said, indicating her responsibilities would be expanded upon in the future.” Apparently they weren’t expanded enough to give her a heads up, to head off that Aug. 7 press release announcing the scheduled Aug. 25th opening of “I Love You, You’re Perfect – Now Change” … It appears the board’s Aug. 7 vote

was actually to dissolve the Wayside Theatre Foundation. However, as those board members apparently “acting” without the advice of legal counsel found out by the next day, such a board vote to disband the foundation was not legal. So, at a meeting the next day board members present told actors, interns and staff that while the foundation might still legally exist, the theater, its scheduled performances, rehearsals and other activities did not. A slight reprieve occurred when Youth Summer Ensemble Acting Camp directors implored the board to allow a recital scheduled for Friday after-

Wayside Theatre – gone (and gutted?) but not forgotten noon, Aug. 9, to go on as planned so the children could perform for their parents and others … Explanation? Board Chairman Brill called the decision to close IMMEDIATELY “unfortunate” but necessary due to an inability to make a weekly payroll

expanded from $6,000 to $10,000 by the arrival of the director and new cast members of the planned next show “I Love You”… “Ten days ago, Tuesday (Aug. 6), we thought we would have the money to make payroll that week. But that was partly due to a miscommunication with bookkeeping and the promise of a $10,000 donation we had been told

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would “come around July” not arriving, and being defaulted on … He said a failure at the box office of the theater’s last three shows, “Boeing, Boeing”, “Church Basement Ladies” and “Putnam County Spelling Bee,” had created a $45,000 shortfall that had proved fatal. He called them all good and entertaining shows that for some reason had failed to draw crowds. Brill confirmed a total Wayside debt of a million dollars plus, split $540,000 to BB&T Bank and the remainder, about $460,000, to him personally. We asked in retrospect if he regretted those personal loans … He said, no, he had grown up around the theater and done what he could to try to help Wayside survive a regional and national economy “that went crazy” right at the time a $790,000 debt for renovations to the theater was taken on in 2007-08 … He also said he did not regret a $10,000 investment by the Wayside Foundation in the Winchester-based “Community Foundation of the Northern Shenandoah Valley” whose board he also has a major role on. “That’s the way it is these small communities, you wear a lot of hats and you disclose and go on and do what you think is best … “It is disappointing – there are so many fond memories here. But perhaps someone can find a way to redefine and reopen a theater here. There are people, maybe smarter ones than me, working on that already. I hope it happens,” Brill concluded. THE END (curtain falls, lights dim – exit, stage right …)

Page 22 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid January, 2014

Year in review

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We welcome these “Dreamers� to our shores and our county. We hope their dreams are an example of the human concern, compassion and vision all our dreams should contain.

Library’s ‘English as Second Language’ program takes off Surprising world of ethnic diversity springs up right here in River City

Mapping the class – Nell Miller’s students have pinpointed their homelands on a world map. By Roger Bianchini Warren County Report This is one of my favorite community stories of the year, primarily because it reflects that the changing face of America, the great melting pot, is still changing and expanding – even here in River City. Our New Year’s wish is that these new arrivals successfully move toward their goals and dreams as a part of the American tapestry – and that we ALL embrace them as a great addition to our nation and our community: When I first heard about the ESL (English as Second Language) program at Samuel’s Public Library in Front Royal I made an inaccurate assumption that it would be largely populated by foreign Randolph-Macon Academy students. Boy was I wrong. Rather, an astonishingly ethnically diverse community of adults was revealed to be living in our community ‌ I’ll admit I was taken aback when Samuel’s Library’s ESL teacher Nell Miller told me, “I am still amazed about what an international group they represent. As of early October students come from El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Latvia, Russia, Afghanistan, The Philippines, Honduras, Uzbekistan, Peru and China.â€?

WOW – it sounds like a block on embassy row in Washington D.C. And perhaps it is our proximity to the nation’s capital about 60 miles from our eastern county line that at least partially explains that cultural diversity ‌ And why the library as ground zero for helping recent arrivals assimilate to their new home? “For many immigrants the American dream starts at their library. Libraries are among the first institutions immigrants turn to for help, in learning how to read, write, and speak English and Samuels Library is no different. “Years ago immigrants wrote letters home to their families to keep in touch and now immigrants write email and send photos online. They learn about American customs and language at the library. The library is open to all ages and backgroundsâ€? ‌ “I try to weave a bit of American history and geography into the lessons now and then,â€? class instructor Nell Miller continued. â€œLast night we talked about the anniversary of the March on Washington, what that was all about and the impact of Martin Luther King’s â€˜I Have a Dream Speech’. Following the discussion I asked them about their dreams and they each wrote down one dream they have for themselves and their families, and even one that they have for the world.â€?

It seems these class members have dreams not so different from our own, especially if we too had been driven to relocate to foreign shores by poverty, war or extremist politics. We Have Dreams By The Samuels Library ESL Class I have a dream that one day I will see my parents. I have a dream that one day my family will come live with me in the U.S.A. I have a dream that one day my son will go to school. I have a dream that one day I will go to school in a classroom. I have a dream that one day I will go back to my own country. I have a dream that one day my wife and daughter will come to the U.S.A. and my daughter will go to school.

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Mid January, 2014 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 23

Year in review

“Unfortunately, Virginia’s approach to local government means many local matters end up in Richmond. Once the bill I was asked to sponsor went into the legislative process down in Richmond, it was pushed and pulled in directions I could not totally control even if I tried.� – Mike Webert

The Front Royal Town Charter electoral flim-flam Mike Webert’s Richmond magic act: You want this? How about this?

Apparently Mike Webert doesn’t like and can’t keep up with the responsibilities of constituent representation. But judging from the district vote count in this November’s election, who cares? By Roger Bianchini Warren County Report After what some proponents of change thought was far too long a study period, which included pondering the result of a citizen survey through one election cycle, the Front Royal Town Council forwarded proposed changes in its Town Charter

to its state representatives. Primary among those changes was codifying the long-standing principal of nonpartisan elections and moving town elections from traditionally lowturnout stand-alone May to evenyear November dates. After passing through one of the county and town’s three state delegate’s hands – Todd Gilbert, 15th R

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‌ it ended up under the sponsorship of first-term 18th District Republican Michael Webert. Under We-

bert’s sponsorship and in committee, somehow the two primary changes mysteriously morphed into opposite proposals: odd-year November and codified partisan elections. The latter would have eliminated the ability of independent incumbent Mayor Tim Darr to seek re-election due to Hatch Act restrictions stemming from his federal employment as a Pentagon security officer. Asked about these changes and his role in them by e-mail prior to this November’s election, Webert said, “Getting involved in how Front Royal voters run their own elections was never a goal of mine. Unfortunately, Virginia’s approach to local government means many local matters end up in Richmond. Once the bill I was asked to sponsor went into the legislative process down in Richmond, it was pushed and pulled in directions I could not totally control even if I tried. I think this experience once again proves that, generally, local towns passing local ordinances is the best way to handle these kinds of decisions.� Had Webert shown up at this October’s Warren County Candidate’s Forum, perhaps the opportunity to ask obvious follow-up questions would have presented itself. From this reporter those questions would have been: 1/ Do you understand that a charter change at state level was sought by the town to prevent the issues of election dates and non-partisan elections from becoming political footballs, changeable at the whim of every new council majority? 2/ If you don’t like the responsibilities of constituent representation or understand the dynamics of bill sponsorship, why on earth do you want to be a state representative? But alas, having raised the ire of even

Republicans in town government, Webert avoided pre-election public appearances here like the plague. So, no such opportunity ever surfaced prior to Nov. 5, 2013. In the end, council resorted to other means (potentially less permanent local ordinance) to achieve the desired electoral ends of a majority of its citizens and elected officials: Despite delegate hocus-pocus, non-partisan nominations passed into law Despite a final April 15 work session push to seek a consensus on a change to odd-year, November from the originally submitted even-year, November Town of Front Royal elections, on April 22 the town council voted along familiar 5-1 lines to move its future elections from May to November in even years. That electoral cycle will intersect with high-turnout (60 to 70 percent of registered voters) presidential elections every four years. And even in off-presidential year November election, county voter turnouts have See Webert, 24

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Year in review Webert, from 23 averaged over double (30 to 40 percent) that of stand-alone May town elections (15 to 20 percent) in this century. The rationale of supporters of the change from May to even-year November elections is to facilitate increased voter turnouts in order to keep small, special interest cliques from controlling town politics. Perhaps related, is a new legal prohibition on partisan nominations for town office Regarding the ban on partisan nominations, town tradition for over a century has been nomination by petition containing a minimum number, currently 125, signatures of eligible town voters. That non-partisan method allows federal employees, including incumbent Mayor Darr, to run for town office. The Hatch Act bars federal employees from running in elections with partisan political nominations. Front Royal and Warren County are about 70 miles west of the federal capital city of Washington, D.C., with a significant number of federal employees living here ‌ The move to the changes by ordinance was necessitated by the failure of the same changes to the Town Charter to get through the Virginia General Assembly in a recent session

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‌ While under Webert’s sponsorship in Richmond the changes sent by the town took a 180-degree turn in committee to odd years and codification of, rather than a ban on, partisan nominations. After a council-citizen uproar extending to Richmond ensued, 15th District Del. Todd Gilbert withdrew the altered charter changes from consideration by the General Assembly. Political double talk? As he did in the first reading vote of April 8, Daryl Funk was the lone dissenting vote ‌ Funk has repeatedly explained his opposition on three essential points: • that highly partisan national presidential election campaigns will spill increased partisanship into town campaigns; • that if the reason for the move from May to November is increased voter turnout, all town officials should face election during the highest, presidential-year turnout cycle every four years; • and that the partisan-nominating prohibition may not stand up to a legal challenge. With the public hearing having already occurred, 2012 town mayoral

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What the? Front Royal Mayor Tim Darr and Vice-Mayor Shae Parker were among those wondering what in the world goes on behind closed committee doors in Virginia’s House of Delegates. candidate Tim Ratigan took the opportunity of earlier public comments to question the consistency of Funk’s stance. While lauding Funk’s words on partisan concerns, Ratigan noted that the first-term councilman had

run a highly partisan 2012 council campaign, promoting himself as “The Republican Candidate� in campaign fliers, which Ratigan also observed sported campaign photos with state Republican officials including Gov. Bob McDonnell and Lt. Gov. Bill Bol-

ling. “I have come to the conclusion that Mr. Funk’s claim he wants to keep town elections non partisan is disingenuous at best,â€? Ratigan stated ‌ – rogerb@warrencountyreport.com

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Mid January, 2014 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 25

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Angie Buterakos at angie@fredcoreport.com • 540-683-9197 or Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072 Friday, January 10 Forecast 46° | 34° Saturday, January 11 Forecast 59° | 41° 11am - 4:30pm “Bring Your Own Device” Workshops. Bowman Library, Stephens City. Area residents with tablets, smart phones or other mobile devices can now download library apps! Access to free library resources is available 24/7, and cardholders can manage library accounts on the go with these library apps: Overdrive Media Console app for downloading library free e-books and e-audiobooks directly to your device. Zinioapp allows cardholders to read the library’s e-magazines on their device. The library’s Find It VA app searches the catalog, places holds, and renews items instantly. From 11 a.m. till 12:30 p.m. will be the workshop for Kindle Fire/Fire HD. From 1 p. m. till 2:30 p.m. will be the workshop for iOS Device (iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch) From 3 p.m. till 4:30

p.m. will be the workshop for Android Tablet and Smart phone. If you have questions about this workshop, contact Adrienne Davis atadavis@handleyregional.org or call (540) 869-9000, ext. 203 to register. Workshops are free, but registration is required. 10:10am - 11:55am Books and Barks. Samuels Public Library, Front Royal. Come to the extremely popular monthly program that gives developing readers the chance to read and relax with a trained therapy dog. For beginning readers and up. Please register. Sunday, January 12 Forecast 48° | 32° Monday, January 13 7pm - 8pm Council Meeting. County of Warren Government Center. Tonight is a regular Town Council meeting at 7:00pm held in the Warren County Government Center. For an agenda please look under the “e-services” www.edwardjones.com

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Calendar

tab of this website. Tuesday, January 14 9am - 3:30pm Veterans Hiring Event & Conference. Lord Fairfax Community College’s Corron Community Development Center in Middletown. There will be workshops on multiple topics, hiring representatives, representatives from the Wounded Warriors Project, the Virginia Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services, the Virginia Employment Commission and AMVETS, among others. To register for this free event go to www.lfccworkforce.com or call (540) 868-7021. 10am - 11am English as a Second Language. Samuels Public Library, Front Royal. This class is for anyone who wants to learn English. 12:30pm - 1pm Tourism Tuesdays. 95.3 - the River radio station. Hear the latest tourism related news and events every Tuesday at 12:30! If you can’t listen live check out the podcasts at http://www.theriver953online. com. 4:30pm - 5:30pm Big Kids Story Time. Samuels Public Library, Front Royal. Story time for Kindergarten and up. Join in for a monthly STEM story time. STEM story times highlight Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. This STEM program is

all about snowflakes. Explore the incredible variety and beauty of snowflakes with images and fun facts. Afterwards paint a snowflake with a soothing palate of watercolors. 7pm - 7pm BAR Meeting. Town Administration Building, Front Royal. Wednesday, January 15 10am - 11am Books and Beyond. Samuels Public Library, Front Royal. New members are always welcome in the Library Book Club. This month’s book is “Gift from the Sea” by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. 10am - 11am Wired Wednesday. Samuels Public Library, Front Royal. Join in for a computer club where talk is about a new topic every week. Bring your questions! This week’s topic is using the new library catalog. 10:15am - 11:15am Toddler Story Time. Samuels Public Library, Front Royal. Join in for a monthly STEM story time, STEM story times highlight Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. This STEM program is all about snow. Learn how a snowflake forms while creating a beautiful craft. Enjoy a snowy story as well. Siblings welcome. 11am - 12pm Preschool Story Time. Samuels Public Library, Front Royal. Join in for a month-

ly STEM story time, STEM story times highlight Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. This STEM program is all about snow. Learn how a snowflake forms while creating a beautiful craft. Enjoy a snowy story as well. Siblings welcome. 7pm - 8pm Planning Commission Meeting. County of Warren Government Center. Thursday, January 16, 2014 10am - 11am English as a Second Language. Samuels Public Library, Front Royal. This class is for anyone who wants to learn English. 10:15am - 11:15am Toddler Story Time. Samuels Public Library, Front Royal. Join in for a monthly STEM story time, STEM story times highlight Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. This STEM program is all about snow. Learn how a snowflake forms while creating a beautiful craft. Enjoy a snowy story as well. Siblings welcome. 11am - 12pm Preschool Story Time. Samuels Public Library, Front Royal. Join in for a monthly STEM story time, STEM story times highlight Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. This STEM program is all about snow. Learn how a snowflake forms while creating a beautiful craft. See CALENDAR, 26

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Page 26 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid January, 2014

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072 or Angie Buterakos at angie@warrencountyreport.com • 540-683-9197

Calendar CALENDAR, from 25

Enjoy a snowy story as well. Siblings welcome. 5pm - 8pm Third Thursday Art Walk. Downtown Front Royal. Friday, January 17 7pm - 10pm History and Hauntings. Valerie Hill Vineyard & Winery, Marlboro Road, Stephens City. Join us for History & Hauntings at Valerie Hill! Enjoy a buffet dinner, a glass of your favorite Valerie Hill wine, and a detailed tour of the manor house that is sure to answer your questions about the history - and hauntings - of our 205 year old manor house! SPACE IS LIMITED! Call (540) 869-9567 for reservations. $49 per person. Wine Club members $39 per person. Saturday, January 18 7am - 11am Pancake Breakfast. North Warren Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company #10, Front Royal. Pancakes, Biscuits, Sausages, Sausage Gravy, Scrambled Eggs, Baked Apples, Coffee, Juice, and Hot Tea. Adults $7.00; 4 to 12 years old $3.00; under 3 free. 2pm - 3pm Chess Challenge. Samuels Public Library. Front Royal. Meet other kids and teens who enjoy the challenge of a good Chess game. Ages 8 and up. Please register. 2pm - 3:30pm Kindle Workshop for e-readers. Handley Regional Library, West Piccadilly Street, Winchester. There is no fee for this workshop, however registration is required. Space is limited. To sign up of find out more, call the Handley Reference/ Information Desk at (540) 662-9041, ext.19 2pm - 5pm Hollywood on the Potomac. Handley Library, West Piccadilly Street, Winchester. The Magic Lantern Theater and the Friends of Handley Regional Library will present an illustrated talk, “Hollywood on the Potomac� by Washington film critic Mike Canning. Using film clips and stills, Mr. Canning will discuss how Washington, D.C. has been portrayed in American feature films. His book of the same

Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com

title will be available for sale and for signing. The event is free and open to the public; For further info, link to www.magiclanterntheater.org, email info@magiclanterntheater.org or call (540) 678-0963. 3pm - 5pm 2012 Palestinian drama film, “The Attack�. Barns of Rose Hill, Chalmers Court, Berryville. The Magic Lantern Theater will screen the 2012 Palestinian drama film, “The Attack�. The film concerns the unexpected aftermath of a suicide bombing; the LA Times calls it “a subtle and disturbing film about love, loss and tragedy.� In Arabic and Hebrew w/English subtitles. Doors open 30 minutes early with wine, snacks and other refreshments available. Admission is $8 (MLT/ MSV Members: $5). For further info, link to www.magiclanterntheater.org, e-mail info@magiclanterntheater.org or call (540) 678-0963 Sunday, January 19 6:30pm - 9:30pm History and

Hauntings. Valerie Hill Vineyard & Winery, Marlboro Road, Stephens City. Join us for History & Hauntings at Valerie Hill! Enjoy a buffet dinner, a glass of your favorite Valerie Hill wine, and a detailed tour of the manor house that is sure to answer your questions about the history - and hauntings - of our 205 year old manor house! SPACE IS LIMITED! Call (540) 869-9567 for reservations. $49 per person. Wine Club members $39 per person. Monday, January 20 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. All Town Business Offices will be CLOSED. Trash/Recycling Collection has been rescheduled to Wednesday, January22. There will be Yard Waste Collection on Wednesday and will not resume until March 2014. Christmas Trees will be picked up on Wednesday, but will be the last day for this collection. 10am - 3:30pm Winter Warm-Up for Baseball & Softball. All Star

Don’t wait to list - housing inventory is low. It is a great time to sell!

Batting Cages, Berryville Avenue, Winchester. Hitting/Fielding Session 10:00-12:30 and the Pitching/Catching Session1:003:30. Cost is $50 per session or sign up for both sessions for $90. This is an excellent camp to enroll and get a head start on the other players in your league. Tuesday, January 21 10am - 11am English as a Second Language. Samuels Public Library, Front Royal. This class is for anyone who wants to learn English. 12:30pm - 1pm Tourism Tuesdays. 95.3 - the River radio sta-

See CALENDAR, 27

tion. Hear the latest tourism related news and events every Tuesday at 12:30! If you can’t listen live check out the podcasts at http://www.theriver953online. com. 3:30pm - 5pm “Living with Alzheimer’s: Caregiving�. Willows of Meadow Branch, 1880 Harvest Drive, Winchester. “Breaking the stigma� and recognizing Alzheimer’s is a critical first step toward preparing both a senior and their family for the process of living with the condition. Nancy Nicewander from the National Capital Area chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, will speak

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Mid January, 2014 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 27

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Angie Buterakos at angie@fredcoreport.com • 540-683-9197 or Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072 CALENDAR, from 26

on “Living with Alzheimer’s: Caregiving� This forum is open to the public. 4:30pm - 5:30pm Big Kids Story Time Where: Samuels Public Library, Front Royal. Come in and enjoy a story all about things that are hidden secrets. Afterwards make a mysterious craft. 7pm - 8pm BZA Meeting. County of Warren Government Center. 7pm - 8pm Council Work Session. Town Administration Building, 102 E. Main St. Tonight the Town Council will have a Work Session in the Town Administration Building located at 102 E. Main St. For an agenda please look under the “e-services� tab of this website. Wednesday, January 22 10am - 11am Wired Wednesday. Samuels Public Library, Front Royal. Join in for a computer club where talk is about a new topic every week. Bring your questions! This week’s topic is searching the internet. 10:15am - 11:15am Toddler Story

Time. Samuels Public Library, Front Royal. Do you like Bill Martin Jr.? Come join in for stories highlighting his talent. Siblings welcome. 11am - 12pm Preschool Story Time. Samuels Public Library, Front Royal. Do you like Bill Martin Jr.? Come join in for stories highlighting his talent. Siblings welcome.

ment Center. 6pm - 8pm “Little Lions�. Middletown Elementary School, Middletown. “Little Lions� free for children 3-5 years old with their parents. We prepare prekindergarten children to succeed in kindergarten through stories, games, music, crafts and snacks Middletown Lions Club. For more information, contact Jean Turner at (540) 409-4134.

Thursday, January 23

Friday, January 24

10am - 11am English as a Second Language.. Samuels Public Library, Front Royal. This class is for anyone who wants to learn English.

7pm - 10pm Front Porch Style Pickin’ Party. Warren County Senior Center, 1217 Commonwealth Ave. All levels of talent are welcome. Acoustic instruments only.

10:15am - 11:15am Toddler Story Time. Samuels Public Library, Front Royal. Do you like Bill Martin Jr.? Come join in for stories highlighting his talent. Siblings welcome. 11am - 12pm Preschool Story Time. Samuels Public Library, Front Royal. Do you like Bill Martin Jr.? Come join in for stories highlighting his talent. Siblings welcome. 4pm - 5pm Anti-Litter Council Mtg. Warren County Govern-

New Beginnings Community Greetings

8pm - 10pm US Army Jazz Ambassadors. Armstrong Concert Hall, 702 University Drive, Winchester. The Jazz Ambassadors— America’s Big Band is the official touring big band of the United States Army. This 19-member ensemble, formed in1969, has received great acclaim both at home and abroad performing America’s original art form, jazz. Concerts by the Jazz Ambassadors are designed to entertain all types of audiences. Custom compositions and arrangements highlight the group’s creative talent and gifted soloists. Their diverse repertoire includes big band swing, bebop, Latin, contemporary jazz, standards, popular tunes, Dixieland, vocals, and patriotic selections. Admission: FREE.

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Calendar keep us down! Come in from the cold and browse all the tables of a broad selection from crafters, vendors and more! Find those must-buy items at after-Holiday prices. Clothes, kids’ toys, gardening items for spring, collectibles, jewelry, hand-made items, some yard sale items and great food, courtesy of the Ladies of the Rescue Mission (all food sales benefit the Mission). Come and support our local businesses and the community! 11am - 12pm Family Story Time. Samuels Public Library, Front Royal. Bring the whole family to the cozy jellybean green room for an assortment of exciting stories with Miss Tamara. A perfect way to spend an enjoyable Saturday morning. 1pm - 2pm Local Author Fair. Samuels Public Library, Front Royal. If you want advice about getting published or are interested in meeting local authors, this is the event for you. Presented by Samuels Library, Royal Oak Bookshop and Page Master Books. Sunday, January 26 12pm - 4:30pm The Blue Ridge Winter Bridal Marketplace Show.

Millwood Station Special Event Center, 252 Costello Drive, Winchester. The Blue Ridge Winter Bridal Marketplace Show covering the Shenandoah Valley and Northern Virginia will showcase leading wedding venues, accommodations, and wedding professionals. Attend the Bridal Show with your friends! Register online for the Silver Suitcase Giveaway or register at the door. Early Registration price is $6.00 for One and $10 for Two online. We have the finest wedding professionals in the Blue Ridge and northern Shenandoah Valley ready to meet YOU! If you do not want to wait in line, register today. By pre-registering you will not have to wait plus the first 80 brides receive a special VIP Bag just for them filled with great gifts from our exhibitors. 1pm - 4pm Open House. The Inn at Vaucluse Spring, Stephens City. The Kernstown Battlefield Association will be having an open house at the Inn at Vaucluse Spring. The open house includes historic tours of the 1758 Manor House, refreshments and live music. Recommended donation is $10. For more information contact Sue Golden at (202) 3029129 or Gary Crawford at (540) 931-4033. briefs@warrencountyreport.com

Warren County

Parks and Recreation Department -- Now Accepting Registration --

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Boys & Girls currently 4 years of age and older Various levels and times available 20 participants per class $82/participant includes uniform

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For more information call 540-635-1021

Page 28 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid January, 2014

Year in review

Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072 or Angie Buterakos at angie@warrencountyreport.com • 540-683-9197

Like it or not - he’s back from that 2012 New Year’s Eve surprise

Not to be egocentric, but it’s got to be the biggest story of the year for me – I survived to see it! That survival of a Dec. 31, 2012 ventricular fibrillation was largely due to the efforts of pal Paula, with me here at my birthday party three and a half months later (April 17) at Vino 124 on Front Royal’s East Main Street.

Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com

Mid January, 2014 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 29

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Angie Buterakos at angie@fredcoreport.com • 540-683-9197 or Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072

2013 Lost friends

2013: Lost friends

While yours truly survived 2013, many friends of this community did not – they will be missed. So, a final public farewell from us to:

Patricia Windrow

Walter Duncan

R-MA Dean Craig Porter

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Page 30 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid January, 2014

2013 Lost Friends

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To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072 or Angie Buterakos at angie@warrencountyreport.com • 540-683-9197

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Mid January, 2014 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 31

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Angie Buterakos at angie@fredcoreport.com • 540-683-9197 or Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072

2013 Lost Friends

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Page 32 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid January, 2014

Year in review

Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com

If the partial facts, off-point generalizations and one Georgia murder over 76 years of hiking the AT are the basis for the fear expressed by hostel opponents, one can only wonder how any of them ever brings themselves to leave home to venture into Front Royal – or anywhere for that matter.

No county for Appalachian Trail Hikers Hostility and hysteria aimed at hikers

Short-term memory loss? – While he and a board majority accepted a negative stereotype of AT hikers, voting no in April to hiker hostels as a use by permit in Warren County, Board Chairman Archie Fox (background laughing) participated in welcoming Wounded Warrior vets hiking the AT as part of their post-war healing just two months later. By Roger Bianchini Warren County Report Unfortunately, the below-described electoral pandering to the slanted perspectives and semi-hysterical paranoia of a vocal minority of county residents speaks for itself. Excerpts from two stories are included under the headline they were originally published under: County trails to you, until we meet again …

Hiker hostel application runs afoul of neighbors, county supervisors On April 16 the Warren County Board of Supervisors was presented with the dilemma of potential dangers presented by hikers of the Appalachian Trail versus a proposal to provide an option for up to five hikers to take a $20-a-night-or-two break from sleeping on the ground. At issue for the board was approval of a proposal to add “hiker hostel” to

uses allowed by a Conditional Use Permit on Agriculturally-zoned land. Approval would have then enabled a vote on the specific application to open a 5-bed “hiker hostel” on what is known as the “Mountain Home” property lying on 3.69-acres just off Remount Road (522 South) in the vicinity of the sprawling National Zoo’s Conservation and Research Center property – and unfortunately for the

More people begin and end their day with us

applicant, the entrance to the rural Lake Front Royal community … The board’s dilemma stemmed from overwhelming opposition from nearby residents versus the fact the Appalachian Trail runs through Warren County; and its major municipality was designated an “AT Community” last year. It is a designation implying Warren County and the Town of Front Royal as friendly places to land for the occasional break for amenities by weary AT hikers. Despite a unanimous recommendation of approval from their planning commission; the observation of the applicants, Scott and Elizabeth Jenkins, that they are not creating the presence of AT hikers in the area, simply offering a new, limited and supervised amenity for them; as well as the support of one respected local businessman, Apple House owner George McIntyre, on April 16 the Warren County Board of Supervisors just said NO! Richard Traczyk’s motion to approve the CUP ordinance change met only silence and was withdrawn by its maker due to the inability to even garner a second for discussion. Traczyk’s consequent motion to deny, enthusiastically seconded by South River Supervisor Linda Glavis in whose district the Mountain Home hostel would lie, passed 4-1, with only Traczyk dissenting … Lions & tigers & bears, oh NO

But what the county supervisors appeared to say NO to, wasn’t just a change in county codes to allow “hiker hostels” to be added to uses on Ag-land by specific Conditional Use Permit application, but to the notion that AT hikers passing through this community is a safe or desirable situation at all. Several public hearing opponents, as well as a so-called “Background Paper” submitted to the board with a 78-signature petition against the Jenkins hostel, referenced dangers from squatters, transients and hikers themselves, characterizing one, the other, or all three groups as potential serial killers, rapists or child kidnappers and rapists. The board majority’s apparent acceptance of the stereotyping of AT hikers as a potential source of, or magnet for such perverse and violent criminal behavior seemed a strange message from the elected officials of a county through which the historic trail not only runs; but in which the Town of Front Royal recently received its “AT Trail Community” designation … (implying the town and county as) friendly places to land during hiker journeys of physical, personal and even spiritual self discovery … We asked Glavis about her no vote and the rationale that a hostel presented an increased threat to nearby residents.

Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com

Mid January, 2014 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 33

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Angie Buterakos at angie@fredcoreport.com • 540-683-9197 or Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072 “My constituents’ concerns are my concerns,â€? Glavis replied. So, you buy into the notion that AT hikers are too often bad people presenting a clear and present danger to communities their activities straddle, we asked? “That’s not what I said, I said I am concerned with the safety and welfare of the South River District,â€? Glavis clarified, “Don’t put words in my mouthâ€? ‌ We asked Glavis why she thought there was such a differ-

ence of opinion between her board and the county planning commission, the latter of which unanimously recommended approval of both the enabling ordinance change and the Jenkins’ specific application. Glavis replied that she believed the planning commission “didn’t have all the information we had� at the time of their respective votes. However the applicants said to their knowledge the only “new information� from one public hearing to

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the next was the so-called “Mountain Home Hostel Background Paperâ€? ‌ Public safety or public hysteria at root of hostel fears Mountain Home Hostel Background Paper – truth or dare (to mislead) ‌ That paper attached to a 78-signature petition against the Mountain Home Hostel, and its “backgroundâ€? appeared to play heavily on the minds

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of opponents and the four supervisors who voted on April 16 to kill both an individual hostel application and the idea of permitting a use such as “hiker hostelâ€? anywhere in Warren County ‌ Six reasons are listed in that “background paperâ€? as the basis for denial of the Jenkins’ application and hostels as a business ‌ beginning with “1/ Numerous hostels and shelters comprising the AT network have become magnets for squatters and criminals, some of whom actually set up housekeeping in a particular hostel.â€? However, in 11 ensuing paragraphs of support of this contention NOT ONE EXAMPLE of such a criminalsquatter hostel housekeeping operation is cited ‌ The background paper continues in a related point 3 quoted from above, that since the Mountain Home hostel might only be open the six prime hiking months of the year, it too will become “a haven for squatters or worse.â€? However, this argument ignores the fact there have been two, unattended and unused structures on the Mountain Home Property for some time, including the recently renovated, proposed 5-bed hostel building. The other is a much larger building dating to the pre-Civil War era already permitted as a Bed & Breakfast, which is the Jenkins plan for it pending more extensive renovations ‌ “I have never in my life encountered a higher set of ethics or more kindness than I experienced on the Appalachian Trail and in its host communities,â€? Carlborg told us, adding, “The irony is that I was most

scared at the beginning of our hike, in Warren County – not for good cause, just because I was fearful of the unknown.â€? And it would seem the basis of most opponents’ fears of the proposed Jenkins and other hostels are just that – the unknown. And unfortunately, those opponents seem satisfied to feed those fears with questionable generalizations and partial or conveniently-edited facts. However, the “Mountain Home Hostel Background Reportâ€? does plunge into one alarming fact – the 2008 kidnapping and murder of a female AT hiker in Georgia. The murder was committed by a man described as homeless and “a 61-yearold career criminalâ€? alleged to have “spent months migrating up and down the trail.â€? But again, nowhere does the background paper state any connection between a hostel and this murder. And that unfortunate 2008 incident is the lone “background paperâ€? example of such a serious criminal act occurring along the 2,080-mile, 14-state, 280,000-acre land base of the Appalachian Trail; a trail that has been a major national hiking destination for 76, 62 or 45 years, depending on whether you count from: • 1937 – when the AT first became a 2000-mile continuous hiking destination; • 1951 – when the AT was re-established as such, post-World War II and post-repair of wartime unattended hurricane damage, or; • 1968 – when the AT was designated as part of the national park system.

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EMPLOYMENT Frederick County Report is seeking sales representatives in Winchester and Frederick County. Email: dan@areaguides.com

Page 34 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid January, 2014

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072 or Angie Buterakos at angie@warrencountyreport.com • 540-683-9197

News briefs Pick a Dog Show winner to help Humane Society The Humane Society of Warren County has announced the 2014 Westminster Dog Show Raffle fundraiser. For a donation of $10 participants get a chance to win $350. Each ticket will be randomly assigned an AKC dog breed. If your breed wins Best in Show you win the prize. Breeds will be posted on our Facebook page http:// facebook.com/HumaneSocietyWarrenCountyFrontRoyalVA. Winners will be contacted on February 12th. Tickets can be purchased at the shelter located

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at 1245 Progress Drive in Front Royal, VA. The shelter is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. , six days a week. The shelter is closed only on Wednesdays. Zumba Classes Are you ready to party yourself into shape? Forget the workout, just lose yourself in the music and find yourself in shape at the original dance-fitness party. Zumba® classes feature exotic rhythms set to high-energy Latin and international beats. Before you know it, you’ll be getting fit and your energy levels will be soaring. As we say in Zumba®, shrink EVERYTHING but your SMILE! Class Schedule: Tuesdays: 7:30p8:30p, Wednesdays: 7:30p-9:00p, Sundays: 10:00a-11:00a. Cost is $5.00/class/person. Classes are held at the RES Youth Center (Warren County Parks and Recreation Building). For more information contact Liz Lewis at

(540) 336-4385 or zumba.lizi@ gmail.com or visit on the web at http://lizlewis.zumba.com. Winter Heating Safety As the temperature outside drops, Frederick County families take to the indoors to keep safe and warm. What they may not realize is that turning up the heat can increase the risk of home heating fires. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), half of all home-heating fires occur during December, January, and February. Heating related fires peak between 6:00p.m. and 11:00p.m., with associated deaths peaking between midnight and 10:00am.m. The latest NFPA research shows that heating equipment was involved in 64,100 reported U.S. home structure fires in 2006, with associated losses of 540 civilian deaths, 1,400 civilian injuries, and $943 million in di-

rect property damage. NFPA and Frederick County recommend some simple home heating safety tips, so residents can help keep our community safe and warm this winter. · Space heaters need space. Keep all things that can burn, such as

paper, bedding and curtains, or furniture, at least 3 feet away from heating equipment. · Turn portable heaters off when you go to bed or leave the room. · Plug power cords only into outlets with sufficient capacity and never into an extension cord.

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Mid January, 2014 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 35

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Angie Buterakos at angie@fredcoreport.com • 540-683-9197 or Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072 · Inspect for cracked, frayed or broken plugs or loose connections. Replace before using. · Make sure fuel-burning equipment is vented to the outside to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. · Always use the proper fuel as specified by the manufacturer. · Have your chimney inspected each year and cleaned if necessary. · Use a sturdy fireplace screen. · Allow ashes to cool before disposing. Dispose of ashes in a metal container. · Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home. For the best protection interconnect all smoke alarms

throughout the home — when one sounds, they all sound. Test smoke alarms at least once a month. · Install and maintain a carbon monoxide alarm in a central location outside each sleeping area. · Never use an oven to heat your home. FCPS Establishes 2014 General Assembly Web Page With the 2014 General Assembly session convening on January 8, Frederick County Public Schools is providing students, staff and members of the community with a simple way to follow the bills that could impact the school division. A Web page

has been added to the Frederick County Public Schools’ website that provides up-to-date information about all of the education-related bills that have been introduced in this year’s General Assembly. The information can be accessed through the “2014 General Assembly Bills” link on the Frederick County Public Schools’ homepage (www.frederick.k12.va.us). Schools Superintendent David Sovine says, “There will be hundreds of bills considered in this year’s General Assembly and dozens of them have the potential to impact public education. The School Board and our leadership team monitor these bills annually and share our perspectives with state legislators. It’s also important to provide citizens with information about the legislation that could impact our schools so that those interested in sharing their views with their legislators may do so.” Individuals who visit the Frederick County Public Schools’ 2014 General Assembly Bills Web page will find basic information about the General Assembly, the process by which a bill becomes a law and a brief synopsis of the bills proposed in the 2014 General Assembly which may impact public schools. By clicking on any of the bill numbers listed on the Web page, visitors can receive additional information about the bill and its current status. Sovine says, “This is the fourth consecutive year, Frederick

Call in a tip on a crime and you may Receive a reward of up to $1,000 *You will remain anonymous* www.crimesolvers.us

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News briefs County Public Schools has maintained a Web page focused on education-related bills under consideration in the General Assembly. The page has proven to be a valuable resource for staff and members of the community interested in sharing their views about legislation that could impact our schools. The page also offers our students an opportunity to learn more about the legislative process and how proposals work their way through the legislative process in Richmond.” Community Strength Training Program for Women and Men Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) will be offering Strong Women, Strong Bones, an 8-week strength training program for middle-aged women and men beginning February 4, 2014. Classes meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the MidAtlantic Farm Credit Building, 125 Prosperity Drive, Winchester and focus on performing strength training exercises correctly and safely. The Strong Women, Strong Bones program is based on research that shows how strength training and proper nutrition improve the health of women and men of all ages. The program was developed by Tuft’s University researcher Miriam Nelson, PhD. “Strength is a critical factor in living healthier, more active lives. Our research shows that a

CRIME OF THE WEEK

Frederick County Crime of the Week - December 23, 2013 This week’s Crime Solvers crime involves an attempted burglary at Monkey Joes located at 114 Market Street. On November 4, 2013, Deputies were dispatched to that address for a motion detector going off. In checking around the business, it was discovered that unknown suspects had broken a light fixture and attempted to forcibly enter a door. No entry was gained and no items were reported missing. If you have any information regarding a suspect or suspect vehicle in this incident, please contact the Crime Solvers Hotline at (540) 665-TIPS (8477). Information leading to the arrest of a suspect may result in a reward of up to $1,000

Death notices

Reverend Rogers Staton Laudermilk Reverend Rogers Staton Laudermilk, 76, of Stephens City, formerly of Covington, VA, died Tuesday, December 24, 2013 in Front Royal. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Little Mountain United Methodist Church Handicapped Lift Fund, c/o Mrs. Mary Borror, 710 Cedar Grove Road, Winchester, VA 22603. June Marie Berry June Marie Berry, 80, of Winchester, Virginia, died Wednesday, January 1, 2014, in Luray, Virginia. Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of your choice in memory of Ms. Berry. Clifford M. Stiffler Clifford M. Stiffler, 101, of Winchester, Virginia, died Friday, December 27, 2013, in a local nursing facility. Contributions to honor the memory of Clifford Stiffler may be made to Blue Ridge Hospice, 333 W. Cork Street, Suite 405, Winchester, Virginia 22601, or to the Shriner’s Hospital for Children, Office of Development, 2900 Rocky Point Drive, Tampa, FL 33607. Beatrice S. Shade Beatrice Sarah Estis Shade, 92 of Winchester, Virginia, died Monday, December 23, 2013, at her home. Memorial Contributions may be made to: Project HOPE, PO 250, Millwood, Virginia 22646 or Blue Ridge Hospice, 333 West Cork Street, Suite 405, Winchester, Virginia 22601. Harry Lee Stine “Mustang” Harry Lee Stine “Mustang”, 58, of Frederick County, VA, went to be with his heavenly father on Monday, December 30, 2013. In Lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Blue Ridge Hospice, 333 West Cork Street, Suite 405, Winchester, VA 22601. George H. Garber George H. Garber, 84, passed away on December 24th at his home. Memorial contributions may be made to Blue Ridge Hospice, 333 W. Cork Street, Winchester, VA 22601or to Christ Episcopal Church, 114 W. Boscawen Street, Winchester, VA 22601. Dena K. Kent Dena K. Kent, 54, of Frederick County, Virginia, died peacefully Thursday, January 2, 2014, at Winchester Medical Center after a valiant fight with cancer. She passed with her loving family and close friends at her side. In lieu of flowers, Dena requested memorial contributions be made to Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum, 54 South Loudoun Street, Winchester, Virginia, 22601, Frederick County Education Foundation, 1415 Amherst Street, Winchester, Virginia, 22601 or the Winchester Medical Center Foundation, 1840 Amherst Street, Winchester, Virginia, 22601

Page 36 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid January, 2014

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072 or Angie Buterakos at angie@warrencountyreport.com • 540-683-9197

News briefs program of strength training not only improves bone density but reduces falls, improves arthritis symptoms, and increases flexibility and strength,” according to Dr. Nelson. The program is designed for midlife women and men, sedentary or active, who are interested in improving their strength, balance and flexibility; however, it is appropriate for all adults. The exercises work all of the major muscle groups using a combination of dumbbells, adjustable ankle weights and body weight. Research shows that while strength training improves muscle mass and bone density, it also decreases risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and arthritis. The cost is $35 for the 8-week

Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com

session and participants must supply their own weights. The program is led by Rebecca Davis, VCE Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent. For more information on the program, email rdavis58@vt.edu or visit http://offices.ext.vt.edu/ frederick/ for registration information. Pre-registration is required and health forms must be completed at least one week prior to the first class. Children’s Events at the Library It may be cold outside, but inside the library it is the perfect temperature for this year’s lineup of children’s events for January and February. All events are offered at no cost and are open to

the public. Penguin Appreciation Day. Celebrate and appreciate one of the few natives of Antarctica through stories, interesting facts, and Penguin games. No registration is required. Saturday, January 18, 11a.m. to 12p.m. at Bowman Library, 871 Tasker Road, Stephens City. Call (540) 869-9000, ext. 215, or email Donna Hughes at dhughes@handleyregional.org for more information. It’s Classic! “Mingling with Mythology” and “Mythology Story: Athena and Arachne” presented by Tashi Treadway. Find connections between ancient myths and contemporary life, and create a classical pottery painting project. Registration is requested. Saturday, January 18, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Bowman Library, 871

Shenandoah – one among many impacted national parks

Tasker Road, Stephens City. Call (540) 869-9000, ext. 215, or email Donna Hughes at dhughes@ handleyregional.org for more information. Chess Workshop. Volunteers from Shenandoah Valley Westminster-Canterbury Chess group will offer a beginning chess workshop in the Benham Room at

Handley Library. Questions about the program can be directed to Jennifer Sutter at 540 662-9041, ext. 21, or jsutter@handleyregional.org. Saturday, January 25, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Handley Library, Benham Room, 100 West Piccadilly Street, Winchester. briefs@warrencountyreport.com

Classifieds AUTOS

MISCELLANEOUS (Cont.)

1994 Chevrolet Van, 3/4 ton high top conversion. 350 V8. Runs Great $1000 Call 540-459-1748

Masonic ring with two .4 caret diamonds, ruby with mason emblem. 14k gold. Appraises at over $7,000. Asking $4000.00. Call 540-6629023

For sale by owner: 2003 chevy Silverado pickup. Z71, Ext. cab,shortbed,4x4, auto, 5.3lt., new inspection, pwr w/l/d/m, ac/am,fm, runs great, vgc, tow pkg, 139k, highway miles, good interior. Only $9500. Call 540-551-2072 2004 Nissan Frontier pickup truck. EC, VE, V6, 4WD, AT, PL, PW, New tires, AC, CC, Recent tune-up, One Owner. 110K. Asking $8600.00. Call (540)551-2756 EMPLOYMENT Frederick County Report is seeking sales representatives in Winchester and Frederick County. Email: dan@areaguides.com

Old glass jars, blue & white with glass lids, pints & quarts 4.00 ea. 100 yr old wooden headboard $100.00. Old wicker baby stroller $100.00. Cookie jars, some McCoy, various prices. 540-662-9023 RENTAL FOR RENT In Town Strasburg, 479 N.Massanutten St., 3 BR, 2 bath, nice yard, new appliances, will consider pet $1000 mthly plus security deposit.Log Cabin on 150 ac.farm, 1 BR,1 bath, wood stove, wrap around porch, all yard maintenance included,85 Fort Valley Rd. $1150.00 a month plus security deposit, Call Susie 540-974-1484

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Need we say more about the real-world impacts of anti-federal partisan intransigence in the U.S. House of Representatives this past October?

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Wedding decorations for a fall wedding. 6” and 8” tall stem glass votive holders and battery operated votives decorated with wine colored flowers. $.40 each. 50 of these for sale. 6 - Yankee Candle 12” tall cyclinder glass candle holders with candle insert at top - $7.50 each. Large Fish bowl decorated with wine, green and pink colored flowers - makes nice centerpiece. $15.00 540-869-4872 Outer Banks Beach Condo SeaScape Beach & Golf Villa, Mile Post 2 1/2 Kitty Hawk, NC. April Week 16 or October - Week 412 Bedrooms, 2 Bath Sleeps 6 ( has hide-away bed) Price $1,500.00 540-667-2031 Boys School / Church Clothes Shirts, Sizes 6,7,8,10 & 12, $2.00 each. Excellent ConditionWinchester 540-667-2031

Your business listed here. 6 lines only $35.00 for 4 weeks. Ad prepayment required. Email: classifieds@fredcoreport.com or call Angie @540-683-9197 Bookkeeper available. Specializes in small business. Resonable rates. Call Lisa at 540-465-8302 Julie’s Cleaning Service. 15+ yrs exp, quality, value & service in Warren County & surrounding areas. Julie Shenk, owner/operator. 540635-3366, 540-671-0983, nogoodcowboys@yahoo.com

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To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Angie Buterakos at angie@fredcoreport.com • 540-683-9197 or Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072

Mid January, 2014 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 37

YearDiversions in review

Academy Drive Black Walnut survives, E. Main trees not so lucky

Some trees, like this sprawling Black Walnut, got lucky in one Tree City USA this past year – others like these Bradford Pears along East Main Street, not so much …

The weather outside is dreadful – or not … It seems like every year a part of looking back must include some comment on the weather – of all kinds in all seasons. A sage observer told me about two decades ago, ‘There’s only one season now – variable.’ This shot of giant rotating and rapidly moving cloud bank was taking in the middle of Front Royal on Aug. 1 – got my attention!

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Page 38 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid January, 2014

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072 or Angie Buterakos at angie@warrencountyreport.com • 540-683-9197

Winchester K-9 Officer Injured in the Line of Duty The Winchester Police Department has received a tremendous outpouring of support from communities near and far after K-9 Officer Kota was injured in the line of duty. We would like to thank everyone who has sent and posted messages in support of Kota and our department. We have received a number of inquiries about where donations for Kota’s treatment may be sent. Checks may

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be mailed to: Winchester/Frederick County Law Enforcement Foundation, 231 East Piccadilly Street, Winchester, VA 22601. Please indicate on the check that it’s for Kota. On Friday, January 3, 2014 officers responded to the 900 block of Franklin Street just after 9 p.m. in reference to a security check. Officers were told that two people were seen walking through a back yard and flashing lights were seen moving through a house. It was known that the owner of the house was not home because earlier in the week he was arrested by the Winchester Police Department. An officer found a door to the house that was open and

requested that a K-9 officer respond to the scene. Corporal B. N. Kotynski-Neer responded with K-9 Officer Kota. The suspects were hiding in a crawl space and as Kota was assisting in apprehending one of them, he fell through the floor to the first floor of the residence. Kota sustained a broken leg from the fall. Even after his

injury, Kota showed his dedication to his work and his fellow officers by attempting to continue to assist them. He was taken to a veterinary clinic and will be undergoing surgery. “We are thankful to Kota and for his heroic service in protecting our officers and the community. He and the officers with him faced a challenge and

risk similar to those officers face every day and performed in a manner that makes us proud. The members of the WPD will do whatever it takes to make sure that the team of Kota and Cpl. Kotynski-Neer get to return to duty together as quickly as possible,” says Chief Kevin Sanzenbacher.

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Mid January, 2014 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 39

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Pets Page

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Please ask about our low cost spay and neuter program. Please be sure your pets at home are spayed/neutered and up to date on vaccinations. Dog adoption available on Sat. 10 -2 at Petco • Cat adoption available on Sat. 10 - 2 at Southern States • Dogs and Cats available on Sat. 10 - 2 at Helmuth Builders Roxy – Female, Pitbull, Gray and white, 9 years. Roxy may be older but she still has plenty of energy and love to give. She is a very sweet girl and she is good with cats.

Lady – Spayed female, yellow lab mix, 10 years. Lady is a sweet old girl that is house trained, crate trained, and good with children.

Rufus – Male, Hound, Blue tick, 6 years. Rufus is a handsome old man that loves to be outside. He is also good with cats and children.

Kelly – female yellow lab, 7 years. Kelly is a very friendly dogs that loves people. She is good with children and she is house trained.

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With your help we have been able to place thousands of animals in good homes. Contact Alison @ 540-551-2072 if you would like to become a pet sponsor too!

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Car

#1

t Family owned - so we treat you like family. t Our Technicians have combined over 80 years of technical experience. t Serving The Shenandoah Valley for over 65 Years. t New extended hours to serve you better. t Our Own Exclusive Service Rewards Plan. t Complimentary car wash on most services. t Rental car available on site t Shuttle service available.

IS CO LD !

FREE!

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Factory Recommended Scheduled Maintenance Discount Special

-HHS &RPPDQGHU 6SRUW 4 dr. SUV, 3.7L V-6, Auto. 93K Miles Stock #13R4223A

TAX, TAGS & TITLE FEES NOT INCLUDED. $289 PROCESSING FEE not included. $OO YHKLFOHV VXEMHFW WR SULRU VDOH $35 ÂżQDQFLQJ LV VXEMHFW WR DSSURYHG FUHGLW DQG OLPLWHG WR DQG QHZHU PRGHO \HDU YHKLFOHV $35 IRU PRQWKV UHVXOWV LQ PRQWKO\ SD\PHQW HTXDO WR SHU WKRXVDQG ÂżQDQFHG =HUR GRZQ RQ DSSURYHG FUHGLW

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