Mid March 2015 Warren and Frederick County Report

Warren FREE County Report WarrenCountyVA.com

Volume X, Issue 5 · Mid March, 2015

FrederickCounty.com

Warren County counter offer on 522 Corridor 18

1st Annual WC Government chili cook-off 2 The fall of Brian Williams - What can be learned? 8-10 Builders query town on Subdivision Code changes 11-13 Gold’s Gym ‘Hunger Games’ Challenge 32

Page • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid March, 2015

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 fcrwcr@gmail.com • 540-671-8707

Chili Cook-off

Deputy takes first Annual WC Government Chili Cook-off Glavis holds off Hayes and McIntosh as Janice, Dave & Matt close fast

By Roger Bianchini Warren County Report

From left, the top 3 – Hayes (2), Glavis (1) and McIntosh (3) indicate their relative places. Courtesy Photos/Matt Wendling

County Planning Director Taryn Logan and event organizer Shelley Hayes prep the competition.

The first annual Warren County Government Center Chili Cook-off was held on February 26. Stumbling into it by accident after attempting to attend a Regional Jail Finance and Personnel Committee meeting that unbeknownst to me had been cancelled, I took the opportunity to mix guest judging and a free lunch opportunity – you know how reporters on the run can be.

Six crock pots presenting a range of chili styles loomed out before me for a blind tasting – and boy, was it tough to pin down a favorite for this chili connoisseur. I was forced to make my way through the line in various directions, several times repeatedly cleansing my palate between

Exceptional Lawn Care, Affordable Prices, Dependable Service!

A1A LAWNCARE

A1A HOME IMPROVEMENT LLC ~ Complete Professional Lawn Services Chamber of Commerce member

0RZLQJ /DQGVFDSLQJ /HDI 5HPRYDO %REFDW 6HUYLFHV 3DWLRV 'HFNV :DONZD\V 0XOFKLQJ 6SULQJ )DOO &OHDQ XSV 2YHU 6HHGLQJ $QQXDO &RQWUDFWV $YDLODEOH

A1AHomeImprovement.com

/,&(16(' ,1685(' &200(5&,$/ 5(6,'(17,$/

A1A Home Improvement LLC

STORE CLOSING SALE AFTER 24 YEARS IN BUSINESS 20%-40% OFF

Entire jewelry inventory will be liquidated for just pennies on the dollar!

20%-40% OFF

FREE

Fixtures & Jewelry Cases for Sale!!

Sale Opens March 5th

Genuine Colo re Gemstone to d Faceted th e FIRST 100 Customers th at bring in th is Ad Mon, Tues, & Wed , March 9, 10 Limit 1 , & 11 per custome r w/ad. Must be 18 or older to qualify

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

“Honestly, I don’t about expanding the format other than including cornbread. This was my first time organizing anything like this, but I hope to make it bigger and better next time. Staff has expressed a desire to do something in the summer – BBQ maybe?� – Shelley Hayes

County Building Official and participant Dave Beahm does a little sampling of his own.

'R <RX 4XDOLI\ )RU 9HWHUDQV %HQHILWV" 3OHDVH MRLQ XV IRU DQ LQIRUPDWLRQDO SUHVHQWDWLRQ E\ -HUHP\ 6KLSS RI +DUERU (VWDWH 6HUYLFHV RQ SURSRVHG FKDQJHV WR WKH 9$ $LG DQG $WWHQGDQFH EHQHILW

4XDOLILHG YHWHUDQV FRXOG UHFHLYH XS WR PRQWKO\ VXUYLYLQJ VSRXVHV XS WR PRQWKO\ IURP DQ RIWHQ RYHUORRNHG EHQHILW 7KXUVGD\ 0DUFK 30 30 &RPPRQZHDOWK DW )URQW 5R\DO 0RXQW 9LHZ 6WUHHW )URQW 5R\DO 9$ 5HVHUYDWLRQV 5HTXLUHG IRU WKLV )5(( (YHQW

5693

samplings. Unfortunately, without the availability of beer, even of the non-alcohol variety â&#x20AC;&#x201C; now THEREâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S an idea for next year, non-alcohol beer to cleanse the palate, maybe â&#x20AC;Ś At any rate, we congratulate all six competitors for their efforts â&#x20AC;&#x201C; especially Janice for the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Care Packageâ&#x20AC;? take-home cup with some of her leftovers. The six contestants were: Shelley Hayes, Dave Beahm, Jeannie McIntosh, Matt Wendling, Janice Standridge and Mike Glavis.

And the top three positions in the blind, more or less, bean counting vote were: Mike Glavis â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1st place; Shelley Hayes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2nd place; Jeannie McIntosh â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3rd place.

We asked event organizer Shelley Hayes how the First Annual County Government Center Chili Cook-off came about. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was having a conversation with Tony Carter (Happy Creek supervisor), we always talk food, and he had told me about his wifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s workplace having a chili cook-off. Since Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m the foodie of the building, I approached Doug Stanley about holding one at the Government Center and he agreed. Since February 26 was National Chili Day I chose this day for our chili competition. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I sent an email inviting all County employees to register. There was no limit on entries and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve received feedback from some who have expressed interest in participating next time. I was pleased to have six competitors as you never know with an inaugural event how many youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get. I hope to do it annually and perhaps include a cornbread bakeoff. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The response from staff was great! Everyone enjoyed the morale booster and we got a very good response of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;tastersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to come out and vote,â&#x20AC;? Hayes concluded.

After a conversation with winner Mike Glavis, who made a point of informing us his chili represented the Warren County Sheriff â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office, we asked Hayes if she might consider

Mid March, 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Warren & Frederick County Report â&#x20AC;˘ Page

Chili Cook-off

Mystery judge and media oversight expanding the event next year, possibly to include earlier rounds, say pitting county and town departments, schools, whoever, to narrow down the National Chili Day Championship Round to a more manageable number of finalists â&#x20AC;Ś hmm, free chili for a month â&#x20AC;&#x201C; better make BIGGER pots next year, contestants. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Honestly, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know about expanding the format other than including cornbread. This was my first time organizing anything like this, but I hope to make it bigger and bet-

ter next time. Staff has expressed a desire to do something in the summer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; BBQ maybe?â&#x20AC;?

Barbeque competition in the summer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; yea, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the ticket: â&#x20AC;˘ Outdoors (Bing Crosby) or â&#x20AC;Ś; â&#x20AC;˘ Friday afternoon with a skeleton crew of upper management left behind indoors, iced-down buckets of canned beverages to cleanse the palate â&#x20AC;Ś YEA, I can see that, Shelley, better start organizing now!!! â&#x20AC;&#x201C; rogerb@warrencountyreport.com

Page • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid March, 2015

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 fcrwcr@gmail.com • 540-671-8707

Opinion

Letters:

A VDOT-supervisor sham; Traczyk: Who is shamming who? money saved from the more expensive bridge and build an indoor swimming pool, another outdoor pool and a rock climbing wall for kids would that be an accomplishment everyone in the county could enjoy.

James Harper Rockland, WC Traczyk replies Editor,

High and wide – Shenandoah County’s twin to the originally proposed VDOT replacement bridge at Morgan’s Ford.

A VDOT sham Editor, I would like to say my county supervisor has stopped by my home and asked my input regarding the Morgan’s Ford Bridge or for that matter any issue in the county but that has not happened. I’ve met our Congressman Bob Goodlatte more often in Rockland than my neighbor and county supervisor. I asked my neighbors if they have ever had our supervisor stop by and ask their opinion and they said the same thing…no.

I attended the meeting at the fire house from 5 PM to 5:40 PM and was surprised to find over twenty VDOT workers. I asked a VDOT supervisor from Richmond why so many of his employees, was this a good used of taxpayers money or was this intended to intimidate. All he would say was he was just supporting the bridge project.

In my opinion this was a Sham and done deal.

When someone goes out of their way with such a strong opinion on any issue I ask myself “Does he/she

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

have a vested interest. I haven’t been able to come up with anything other than my county supervisor has been a rubber stamp for large county spending projects. My supervisor was a strong supporter of the new regional jail and how has that turned out? A prime piece of real estate that will never generate any tax revenue and if he had waited two years he could have had an almost free one from the state located near Double Tollgate.

The jail superintendent didn’t last a year, project was over budget and they still have staffing problems.

Our local supervisor also blamed the bridge for several bad accidents – not sure how something that doesn’t move could have caused the accidents. If you don’t pay attention while driving on our new bride then accidents will happen there as well.

My supervisor rubber stamped expanding Leaches Road Parkway so that a new middle school, hospital, and a new road connecting Happy Creek Road to Route 55. For those of us who have traveled route 55 in the early morning or late afternoon that’s all we need is more traffic and congestion on that road. Instead of working tirelessly for twenty years to replace a landmark maybe he should have worked harder on a better solution and that would be a new interchange off of I-66 near Christendom College.

Nobody is arguing that we do not need a new bridge but why spend millions more dollars when the alternative does the same thing for less money and that’s providing a safe alternative.

Our supervisor is in favor of a

Opponent strategy – Ride it till it falls or counter-propose till hell floods over? new hospital off of the new connector road in a congested area. Fairfax and Loudoun Counties are building new hospitals on major highways so everyone can have easy access but I guess he knows better than his counterparts in those counties. My point is his terrible decision making. He forgets how the state gets its money

and that is thru raising tax dollars.

I appreciate all of the county supervisors volunteering their time but there is more to being a supervisor than just saying yes to any spending project that the county administrator puts before them.

Just a thought, what if we build the less expensive bridge and take the

In response to a letter to several local papers by a Rockland resident questioning my job performance, to say the least, it is inaccurate, including on basic assertions.

It is true that unlike a professional politician like Mr. Goodlatte, I do not stop by the homes of all my constituents to solicit opinions on issues brought before the Board. I have already publicly responded to several commentaries about the recent public VDOT meeting on the Morgan’s Ford Bridge and vast majority of support we received from the community for the project.

This neighbor and letter writer questioned if I had a vested interest

Frederick

Mid March, 2015 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page

County Read full issues FREEReport on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com

Warren Frederick

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Angie Buterakos at fcrwcr@gmail.com • 540-671-8707 or Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072

Opinion

County

Report County Report

Frederick County

Report

Warren & Frederick County Report 122 W 14th Street, PMB 20 Front Royal, VA 22630

Member Virginia Press Association

Readership: 30,000 and growing Press releases should be emailed to: briefs@warrencountyreport.com Publisher & Editor-in-Chief: Daniel P. McDermott editor@warrencountyreport.com General Counsel: Georgia Rossiter, Esquire (540) 535-2001 Roger Bianchini, Senior Writer (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 alisond@warrencountyreport.com Advertising Sales Representatives: Alison Duvall: (540) 551-2072 alisond@warrencountyreport.com Angie Buterakos: 540-671-8707 fcrwcr@gmail.com Billing Coordinator: Pam Cole: billing@warrencountyreport.com Graphic Design & Layout: Jeff Richmond and Bugsy Cline layout@warrencountyreport.com Contributors: Malcolm Barr Sr. Ken Thurman 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.

in the project – and the answer to that most certainly is yes! I treasure life and my interest is in the safety and well being of our citizens.

The fatal accidents in recent years still might have happened, but deaths would have been prevented by a new and safer bridge with guard rails.

And to suggest that the bridge has no role in the fatalities because it does not move is ludicrous.

My neighbor suggested I supported the regional jail here, which is not true. I supported the concept but that it should be located in another County. I never supported its location in Warren County. One of the first things the jail task force looked into was the White Post location, but the state would not give up the property.

Leaches Run Parkway was on the Town road improvement plan for longer than I can remember and has been supported by the Town and County for years; and yes, I did support that project as do both municipalities and what appears to be a vast majority of citizens.

The hospital – I have no idea where that notion came from. The idea of new Warren Memorial Hospital complex on boundary-adjusted land on the town’s east side is so far into the future I have expressed no opinion on it.

I worked tirelessly on many projects to help our community. The bridge is one that I have spent about three years on, not 20. Again, I suggest people who write letters to the papers need to get their facts correct.

The I-66 interchange is a state and federal issue with laws that determine where they are placed, it is not a local Board member’s decision.

Yes, I put a stamp of approval on a lot of projects such as the corridor development, the schools, the library – the list is long and many of my constituents have supported my decisions and I stand by them. In the political world there are always opponents and naysayers who are unhappy about everything, and I understand that. A new indoor pool was considered years ago, however, the construction and operating cost was astronomical, so the idea was rejected.

Over the years I have always been

concerned about the understanding and education of my constituents relative to projects and issues of the running of Warren Country, as is the case with this letter taking me to task.

Sincerely, Richard H. Traczyk, Chairman WC Board of Supervisors Partisan town politics Dear Editor, January 26, 2015 will go down in history as the day when the Republican Party of Warren County officially took control of the Non Partisan Town Council of Front Royal. The WCRC (Warren County Republican Committee) attempted to take over the town council through a very innocent sounding agenda item on the council’s agenda. “Resolution to compromise on corridor pilot issues” and for the most part was successful.

I have always believed that a Town Councilman is elected to the position by the people to look after what is best for the people of Front Royal.

It is a most sacred trust that should never be broken. Over the last few years I have had the honor of watching a young and vibrant and intelligent Councilman. He is probably one of the most, hard working men who has ever sat on the seat of the Town Council. January 26, 2015 I watched this dedicated public servant rise to the occasion once more. And sadly at the same time I watched a Freshman Councilman who ran for council with the promise of making and keeping Front Royal a wonderful place for families and the children of Front Royal turn his back on his campaign promises and embrace partisan politics in front of his obligation to the people of Front Royal. It was a refreshing moment and a sad one at the same time.

Councilman Bret Hrbek struggled to protect the town’s ability to effectively negotiate with the County on vital issues such as the possible annexation of the 522 Corridor and to annex other areas where town services are extended. One of his statements he made really rang to true to me and made me realize how serious this issue to the future exis-

Warren County Report Angie Buterakos Advertising Sales

Cell: (540) 671-8707 fcrwcr@gmail.com

tence of Front Royal really is. To fully understand just what is at stake it is important to see the part of the compromise that will do serious harm to the future of Front Royal.

Item Number 10 of the proposed Compromise agreement: “the Town will not pursue any annexation legal filings, and the County will not pursue any consolidation legal filings.

Should either body pursue legal filings, the MOA will be deemed null and void.”

Now here is Councilman Hrbek’s take on this part of the compromise.

“If we pass this MOA as is, and the county would agree to it, we have now defined, permanently, the boundaries of Front Royal and we will not be able to grow. If you cannot grow, you will die.”

It is obvious to any reader what this document is meant to convey to the county. Mayor Timothy Darr, Vice Mayor Hollis Tharpe, Councilman Funk and Freshman Councilman John Connolly are prepared to move this town forward to a point where the Town of Front Royal is willing to roll over like a submissive dog and offer it’s belly to the county to be rubbed and the town is to be thankful for the scraps that the county may or may not give it. The scrap that the county is willing to give to the town is the empty threat of consolidation, so the county has nothing to really loose. In fact, if one takes a good look at Freshman Councilman Connolly’s arguing statement against Veteran Councilman Hrbek’s statement against item number 10 of the compromise, you see real quick just how far-reaching the reach of the County truly is.

This is Freshman Councilman Connolly arguing statement that clearly shows where his true loyalties lie: “My opinion is that this plan that was proposed was meant to move us beyond just the 522 Corridor, to provide a framework for us to work with the county in other areas to allow for expansion in the future. By limiting this down to just the 522 corridor I think this opens the door, again, that this problem is just going to rear its head wherever else growth begins.”

Going back to item number 10 on the compromise, it is clearly written that the town will give up any and all attempts to annex any part of the

county where Town Services have been extended to service those areas. Councilman Hrbek is clear in his opposition to this item – If we cannot annex those areas where we are providing town services, then we will not grow and our borders will be forever defined and the Town of Front Royal will die!

Now Councilman Connolly states very clearly that this compromise, if implemented, will provide a framework for the town and county to allow for expansion in the future. He is correct. With annexation off the table the County can continue to demand water and other town services from the town and continue to expand with very little compensation or benefit for the town.

With annexation off the table, the town’s resources will continue to go to the county and the town citizens will continue to foot the bill and our real estate taxes and personal property taxes will continue to rise and the COUNTY will grow – Not the Town!

So, while Front Royal Tax Dollars are going to pay for Freshman Connolly’s salary, Connolly continues to push a pro-county growth plan that will do serious damage to the Town and its ability to support its citizens and the future prosperity of this town.

It is my opinion that if Mr. Connolly truly wants to push a pro-county growth agenda, then Mr. Connolly should resign from the Town Council and run for the County Board of Supervisors.

Timothy P. Ratigan Front Royal, VA (Note: we apologize to Mr. Ratigan for misplacing his letter dated Jan. 31, 2015. We checked with him and he assured us he felt it still relevant as written, particularly as counterproposals are made back and forth in an attempt to resolve the 522 Corridor revenue impasse with an updated Memorandum of Agreement)

Winchester Area Sales Manager Needed. Email:

dan@AreaGuides.com

Warren County Report Alison Duvall Advertising Sales

Cell: (540) 551-2072

alisond@warrencountyreport.com

Page • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid March, 2015

Entertainment

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

It used to be that late winter, spring and early fall were considered theatrical dumping grounds, but the success of “Sniper” and “Fifty Shades,” as well as such hits as “Gravity” ($716.4 million worldwide) and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” ($714.8 million) has removed the stigma.

What’s behind the recent box office hot streak?

Novak shares an industry insider look at box office dynamics

Movie marquees across the nation reflect moviegoer viewing habits. Perhaps such independent, local businesses should be valued, rather than bullied on second-hand information and hysteria.

By Roger Bianchini Warren County Report We received an industry article from Royal Cinemas owner Rick Novak as a follow up to his explanation of why he chose to show “50 Shades of Grey” despite some community opposition. He sent us the NATO – NOT that one, the National Association of Theater Owners – article with this introduction: “Hollywood typically has a history of releasing big box office draws only in the summer months and during the holidays at the end of the year. Occasionally, they break out of this thinking to give their pictures a better chance to succeed. You saw this recently with “American Sniper” and “Fifty Shades of Grey”, a few years ago the same strategy applied to “The Passion of the Christ”. It is difficult during the summer months with so much competition to remain number one at the box office for more than the first week. So when we get rare opportunities to play blockbusters during what has been considered the off season it is important to book those movies. It may be the difference between making a small profit that year or losing money in a small town.”

What’s Behind the Recent Box Office Hot Streak Brent Lang Senior Film & Media Reporter-NATO

It could have been a very bleak January and February for the movie business but for the arrival of “American Sniper” and “Fifty Shades of

Grey.”

The two box office Atlases have lofted ticket sales and admissions up roughly 10% above the same period a year ago, silencing industry sages who expected the year would get off to a rough start. “American Sniper” has generated $307.7 million since opening in wide release last month, while “Fifty Shades of Grey” became the biggest debut in February history when it bowed to an astounding four-day total of $93 million.

In the process, the pair have proved that big movies come in many stripes, reconfiguring the DNA of the typical blockbuster.

That’s good news for films such as “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Furious 7,” which are steering clear of the crowded summer in favor of spring.

“Our business can succeed year round,” says Dan Fellman, domestic

Rick Novak discusses the dynamics of the movie theater business in a quickly changing technological environment. distribution chief at Warner Bros., the studio behind “American Sniper.”

“Almost every time we place a big movie in what is traditionally called an off period, we’ve been pleased with the result.”

It used to be that late winter, spring and early fall were considered theatrical dumping grounds, but the success of “Sniper” and “Fifty Shades,” as well as such hits as “Gravity” ($716.4 million worldwide) and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” ($714.8 million) has removed the stigma. That flexibility is going to become increasingly important, with Disney and Warner Bros. scheduling their superhero tent poles years into the future, monopolizing prime release dates.

Part of the reason “American Sniper” and “Fifty Shades of Grey” were able to break out in such dramatic fashion is that they cater to parts of the movie-going public that are sometimes neglected. The patri-

otic elements of “American Sniper” resonated in red states, while “Fifty Shades” made for a perfect girls night out or Valentine’s-date picture.

“They appeal to very distinct segments of the audience,” says Gerry Lopez, CEO of AMC Entertainment.

Meanwhile, “Paddington” and “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water” pulled in family crowds, while “The Wedding Ringer” and “Taken 3” offered something for comedy fans

and action lovers.

“The lesson for success is always the same,” notes National Assn. of Theatre Owners’ spokesman Patrick Corcoran. “You’ve got to have a mix of movies.”

Even though business is booming, observers caution that the road ahead looks rocky. March brings a live-action “Cinderella,” a sequel to “Divergent,” sci-fi adventure “Chappie” and DWA’s “Home.” But last year’s March releases included $100 million-plus grossers “300: Rise of an Empire,” “Noah,” “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” and the first “Divergent.”

Says Chad Beynon, a media analyst with Macquarie Securities, “It all comes down to some fairly untested franchises.”

So, take it or leave it – but some in this community value Mr. Novak’s efforts to present a balanced choice of films that by most rational standards is non-pornographic and nonencouraging of abusive or criminal behavior. And by every first-hand report I have received from those who HAVE actually seen the movie in question, “50 Shades of Grey” fits easily into those community-friendly standards – at least for thoughtful and MATURE adults.

Warren County Parks and Recreation Department currently accepting registrations for

Adult Summer Softball Leagues Men’s & Women’s $450.00 per team Co-Ed $400.00 per team Registration deadline is Saturday, March 28, 2015 @ 10pm Registrations are only being accepted at the Warren County Community Center 538 Villa Ave. Front Royal, VA 22630 Monday - Saturday, 8am -10pm and Sunday, 1pm -9pm For more information, call 540-635-1021 or email Justin Norman at jnorman@warrencountyva.net

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

Mid March, 2015 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page

“I have dedicated much of my professional life to serving the residents of Front Royal and Warren County and would be honored if the citizens were to afford me the opportunity to do so again as the Clerk of the Circuit Court. – Rhonda North

Warren County

Former town clerk Rhonda North enters court clerk’s race

Rhonda North is the first to expand the Circuit Court Clerk’s field beyond one but will she be the last?

Rhonda S. North announced that she will be a candidate for the position of Warren County Clerk of the Circuit Court in the upcoming November elections. Due to her current position with the Town of Middleburg, Mrs. North will be seeking the office as an independent.

North joins Front Royal Town Councilman and Pond-Pond-Williams attorney Daryl Funk in the race.

North has twenty-five plus years of experience in management/administrative support for municipalities and private organizations; in records management; in budgeting and in

supervising personnel, both paid and volunteers. From 1987 through 2005, she held various positions with the Town of Front Royal, serving mostly as its Clerk of Council but also as its Acting Town Manager. Following that North served as the Executive Director of the Front Royal Downtown Business Association while also operating her own consulting business, “North of Downtown”. She is currently serving as the Town Clerk for the Town of Middleburg, a position she has held since 2007.

North has been a member of the International Institute of Municipal Clerks, as well as the Virginia

Municipal Clerks Association, since 1988. She is also a member of the Rotary Club of Linden, having served as a Member-At-Large on its Board of Directors and as former Chairs of both its Fundraising and Service Committees. North has also served on the Police Chief ’s Citizen’s Advisory Board and the Front Royal/Warren County Economic Development Authority’s Retail Committee. She was a member of the Regional III Virginia Municipal Clerks Association until 2005, during which time she held the positions of Secretary, Vice President and President. Mrs. North was honored to be chosen as Region III VMCA’s Clerk of the Year in 2003.

North is a lifelong resident of Front Royal, having graduated from Warren County High School in 1982. She graduated cum laude from Lord Fairfax Community College with an Associate’s Degree in Management. In 2002, North earned the designation of Master Municipal Clerk (MMC) from the International Institute of Municipal Clerks. At that time, she joined two hundred forty-five clerks worldwide to have achieved this designation. North is also a graduate of the Front Royal-Warren County Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class of 2005.

“I have dedicated much of my professional life to serving the residents of Front Royal and Warren County and would be honored if the citizens were to afford me the opportunity to do so again as the Clerk of the Circuit Court. It is very important to me to be a part of the community and to provide community service” North said.

Such service is evident most recently through her participation in the Linden Rotary Club’s project to help construct the playground at the Dismal Hollow Park, in initiating the Club’s purchase of a van for the Shenandoah Area Agency on Aging’s WelTran Program, in her participation in the Club’s project to construct

a green house for Blue Ridge Opportunities and coordinating the Club’s project to expand and upgrade the playground equipment at the E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School.

Mrs. North resides in Front Royal with her husband, Steve.

(From an authorized release by Rhonda S. North)

John Kovac harpist/harp maker • Harp lessons • Guitar lessons • Harps for sale

Playing at weddings is my specialty!

Walk-ins welcome for our $6 nail trim! www.ShearElegancePetBoutique.com

Call 635-2534 or

visit web site: johnkovac.com

540-622-8085

918 John Marshall Hwy, Front Royal (in front of UPS)

Truck, trailer & RV Parking @ FRVFD

Call Gary

$100 mthly or call for info on long term lease, parking discounts!

221 N. Commerce Ave. Front Royal, Va

540-635-2540 540-636-9875 and 540-683-1045

BeyondMeditation:

SpiritualExperiences

A Free Introductory Talk Past lives, dreams, soul travel – What adventures would you like to have?

Questions? eckwinchester@gmail.com Virginia Satsang Soc., an affiliate of Eckankar

Monday, March 9th 6:30pm - 7:30pm

BowmanLibrary,ConferenceRoom 871 Tasker Road, Stephens City, VA

On the Road Driving School, LLC Garland T. Williams, Owner

Piccadilly’s Public House &Restaurant

St. Patrick’s Day Party!

Tues. March 17th 7pm-11pm DOWNTOWN WINCHESTER Va.

5336 Water Street, Stephens City, VA 22655 Ph: (540) 869-6105 Cell: (540) 247-3197 www.ontheroaddrivingschool.com Driver Education Class Driver Improvement Clinic March 8, April 12 and May 10 8am-4:45pm Classes at Holiday Inn Express 142 Foxridge Ln. Winchester, VA 22601

April 27-June 2

Tues./Thurs. 5:00pm - 6:45pm Saturdays 8:00am - 11:30am Classes at 153 Narrow Ln.

Mt. View Christian Academy Stephens City, VA

WE HAVE ONLINE DRIVER IMPROVEMENT CLASSES

Page • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid March, 2015

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 fcrwcr@gmail.com • 540-671-8707

Opinion

Brian Williams: teachable moments for all of us Honesty in journalism – what can we learn from NBC anchor’s fall?

Photo provided by Jerry Aumente, second from right with Brian Williams center, during 2005 visit of Arab journalists to NBC studios. The group was guest of the State Department and Meridian International Center as part of program Aumente directed.

By Jerome Aumente Special to WC Report Brian Williams, who has fallen from his lofty perch at NBC Nightly News as the nation’s most watched news anchor will know by August whether his six-month suspension for fabricating details about his Iraq war experiences marks his return to the air waves or a tragic end to his career.

The suspension cost him dearly:

$5 million dollars, half of his $10 million dollar annual salary (part of a five year, $50 million contract he had only recently signed with NBC).

More importantly it severely damaged his journalistic credibility – the oxygen the news media breathe to survive.

Money aside, his long journey from obscure, small television stations to the loftiest position in the United States television news hierarchy is a tale of Horatio Alger gone wrong –

CARPENTRY GENERAL CARPENTRY / CUSTOM CARPENTRY WINDOWS & DOORS / CUSTOM WOODWORKING HANDY MAN SERVICE

WAYNE KITE 540-303-9477

Wayne_Kite@comcast.net

Homemade pulled pork BBQ sandwiches ~ weekends only (weather permitting)

twofatbutchers.com 239 C. South Street Front Royal, VA 22630

Phone: 540-635-6900 • Fax: 540-635-1900

the needless squandering of a reputation because of untrue, unnecessary embellishments to his reporting career. His ride in a military helicopter during the Iraq war in 2003 was dramatic enough without his adding the untrue claim that it was struck by a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) and forced to land.

As he now confers with a close circle of advisors on how to best spend the six-month suspension in ways that can restore his tarnished reputation the tragedy presents “teachable moments” for journalists, educators and the general public puzzling over what this all means.

There is much that can be salvaged from this sad situation. While Williams has ample detractors, there are many who also are rooting for his successful return to the airwaves by the fall. His decades-long career is marked by solid reporting and anchoring, delivered in a plain spoken, humane, yet authoritative way that won him millions of viewers and made him number one among the competing national news networks.

Williams’ boss, Steve Burke, the CEO of NBCUniversal , said in announcing the suspension: “This has been a painful period for all concerned and we appreciate your patience while we gathered the available facts. By his actions, Brian has jeopardized the trust millions of Americans place in NBC News. His actions are inexcusable and this suspension is severe and appropriate.

Brian’s life’s work is delivering the news. I know Brian loves his country, NBC News and his colleagues. He deserves a second chance and we are rooting for him. Brian has shared his deep remorse with me and he is committed to winning back everyone’s trust.”

Over the years, I have conducted numerous programs for international journalists visiting the United States.

One of our most valuable stops was at NBC where we held substantive discussions with correspondents, editing staff and top administrators of the news. These in-depth, candid discussions only reinforce my understanding of how hurtful the Williams missteps have been to the NBC news staff, who pride themselves in meeting the highest professional standards of ethical journalists.

As for the “teachable” moments, let’s examine a few possibilities: The circumstances of his tragic downfall are sparking needed review and soul searching among the print,

broadcast and digital news media and journalism educators. Are current ethical codes sufficient to prevent this from happening again? Most disasters, whether a catastrophic Gulf oil spill or journalistic malfeasance, require close examination and policy changes to prevent their happening again.

Williams sought an Indiana Jones swash buckling image when a staid Walter Cronkite approach might have served him better. Williams took to numerous late night talk shows and

other forums to boast about his dangerous exploits and in the retelling left a trail of dubious claims that are now undergoing microscopic evaluation by NBC. The findings will decide if he can return to the network. Besides the Iraqi half- truths, his other alleged claims about dangerous personal encounters covering Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans are under challenge.

When the findings are disclosed journalists and the general public must decide if they justify redemp-

YOUR NEW HOME FOR 2015! $264

,900

Spacious split foyer, OPEN floor plan w/vaulted ceilings in the living, dining & large kitchen complete with island and hardwood floors! 12 x 12 back deck, granite counters and a finished basement. 3 bedrooms, plus 3 full baths! Family room could be used for 4th bed. Tile floors in baths w/granite marble tops! COMPLETE AND READY TO MOVE IN!

Tana Hoffman

Realtor®, SFR Sager Real Estate Cell: 540-671-1994 tana@sagerrealestate.com 111 E. King St.

SagerRealEstate.com

Strasburg, VA 22657

AVALONIA WEEKEND SERVING ONE HEART *ONE EARTH * ONE LIGHT At

MOUNTAIN MYSTIC COMPANY 215 South St. • Front Royal

Sat. MAR 14• 10am - 5pm. (Snow date 28th) Sun.MAR 15 12pm - 5pm (29th)

Experience the stores great atmosphere and gift yourself to Inspiring Services from CRYSTAL CONNECTIONS, AURA PHOTOGRAPHY TOA VARIETY OF CONSULTATIONS, SPIRITUAL, CELTIC CROSS,ANGEL READINGS & MORE. Details at the Store or Call us!

540-635-6318 • 540-636-7798

facebook.com/avaloniahealing • www.Avillion.org

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

Mid March, 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Warren & Frederick County Report â&#x20AC;˘ Page

We all live down river from this torrent of news and information pouring from our laptops, desktops, tablets and â&#x20AC;Ś our smart phones â&#x20AC;Ś If we can learn to better identify the sources of news pollution, both large and small, then as informed consumers we are all healthier and better off. tion and forgiveness, or banishment.

At the very least, they remind us that news anchors have a special responsibility as managing editors to be trusted guides of the evening news menu.

The anchors are under tremendous pressure to gild their images in the

endless race for the highest audience ratings, and it may be time to shout â&#x20AC;&#x153;enoughâ&#x20AC;?. Just give us the news without the happy talk, the claims of derring-do exploits, false patriotism and a craven appeal to younger audiences just to satisfy advertiser desires for

100% Financing Available!

112 East 6th Street Front Royal, VA

Office: (540) 635-1112 Apply Online!

www.cbmmortgage.com Company NMLSR #282839 â&#x20AC;˘ www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org

Front Royalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Fussell Florist

Your Hometown Florist

Wishing Everyone a Happy St Patrickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day!

ZZZ IURQWUR\DOVIXVVHOOĂ RULVW QHW Â&#x2021; ZZZ IXVVHOOĂ RULVW QHW

635-1334 â&#x20AC;˘ 635-4193 Commerce Ave. Across from the Front Royal Fire Dept.

202 E. 2nd St. Front Royal, VA

high target advertising demographics.

The daily audience for the national evening news is still about 27 million with the big three--NBC, ABC and CBS--- garnering eight to nine million each, and with advertising revenue in the hundreds of millions of dollars. But the audience is half what it was just a few decades ago.

The Internet has reshaped the media landscape with traditional news media experiencing drastic change. The speed of the Williams downfall was stunning--- about a week after former American helicopter crew members took to Internet social networks to challenge Williamsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s version of the events, the NBC anchor apologized on the air, and a few days later was suspended.

A â&#x20AC;?teachableâ&#x20AC;? moment for students and teachers of the media in schools and universities will be to examine the Williams situation closely, and use it as an entryway into a broader discussion of what we require of quality news media; better use of the power of the Internet and social networks to expose improprieties, and how to engage citizens in a national dialogue over what they expect of their news outlets, both the traditional â&#x20AC;&#x153;legacyâ&#x20AC;? media such as the TV networks or major newspapers and the flood of newly emerging Internet websites.

As for Brian Williams, how he chooses to spend his six months suspension presents some intriguing possibilities. It will require more than a single shot ,â&#x20AC;&#x153;mea culpaâ&#x20AC;? television appearance. What if he set off on a journey to town hall forums, schools, colleges and universities throughout the United States and engaged in frank, open discussions about what he did, what lessons he has learned from all of this, and most impor-

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Serving The Valley with High-tech Dentistry and Old-fashioned Serviceâ&#x20AC;?

Thomas Family Dentistry, PC

General Dentistry & Orthodontics

1(: /2&$7,21

Less than 1 mile IURP , Dr. Stephen J. Thomas DDS Dr. Kenneth J. Thomas DDS 1(: 3$7,(176 :(/&20(

$OO 3KDVHV RI 'HQWLVWU\ ,QFOXGLQJ Â&#x2021; &OHDQLQJV $QG ([DPV Â&#x2021; ,QYLVDOLJQ Â&#x2021; 2UWKRGRQWLFV Â&#x2021; ([WUDFWLRQV Â&#x2021; 3DUWLDOV $QG 'HQWXUHV Â&#x2021; ,PSODQWV

Patient Friendly Payment 3ODQV $YDLODEOH

+2856 Mon. Wed. Thurs. 7am - 5pm 5VFT r 'SJ (every other)

See Our Website for Monthly Promotions

540-465-3980

2OG 9DOOH\ 3LNH 5W Â&#x2021; 6WUDVEXUJ 9$

www.thomasfamilydentistry.com

Opinion

Retired Rutgers media professor and department head Jerry Aumente, who manages to stay busy in the industry. tantly, how we can use his extensive knowledge of the field to make things better for future journalism?

He could do this in personal appearances and also by harnessing the power of the Internet via Skype and other online discussion outlets to engage millions of people in the United States and worldwide in the broader conversation of what this flood of news and information is all about, and how it can better foster media literacy and healthier, informed media consumption.

In simple terms, we all live down river from this torrent of news and information pouring from our laptops, desktops, tablets and increasingly our smart phones. We must demand higher standards and ethical performance by journalists entrusted

IS YOUR HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE GIVING YOU A

to gather, process and distribute news regardless of the platform. If we can learn to better identify the sources of news pollution, both large and small, then as informed consumers we are all healthier and better off.

(Jerome Aumente is Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Rutgers University School of Communication and Information. He was founding chair of the Department of Journalism and Media Studies and founding director of the Journalism Resources Institute.

The JRI has offered training and programs to thousands of journalists in the United States and overseas. Professor Aumente has been overseas more than two hundred times conducting journalism programs. He can be reached at e-mail: aumente@ rutgers.edu)

Wedgie?

Most homeowner insurance policies have an automatic inflation adjustment that causes the value and your cost to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;creep up.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; In case you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t noticed, we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have too much inflation and wages arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t going up. Therefore, the cost to rebuild your home should not be going up.

We can fix that!

We can run a replacement cost estimator, that is based on local wages and local material costs to estimate rebuilding costs. Then we can place the policy with a company that will guarantee the replacement!

We have great rates on car insurance too!

Visit or call us today to schedule an appointment

Page 10 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid March, 2015

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

Whether we like it or not, what is considered “news” for internet, cable or airwave consumption will depend, NOT on the reality of the situation, but rather on ratings and what advertisers see as “news” and what consumers will consume.

Opinion

Same Old, Same Old: Brian Williams, Bill O’Reilly go on The Big Winners – The Media!?

By Charles P. Lickson Special to WC Report Like so many of us, I found myself wondering about the “news” on network and cable television when I heard pundit assertions about Brian Williams of NBC and Bill O’Reilly of Fox News. Yes, like many Americans I get some news on cable and some on the internet. As has been said many times before: “news is not news anymore, it is entertainment.”

Many outlets are vying for my attention. Frankly, I don’t know what or whom to believe any more. Almost every day, my wife Bryane and I scour the media for hard news.

Just this morning at breakfast, all I wanted was news, but instead I got to hear opinions about everything from “American Spy”, the Second World War and gains of ISIS. Whether the “punishment fits the crime” in the Brian Williams/NBC

case or if Bill O’Reilly never gets reprimanded because he is a big money maker for Fox News, it is sad that we who consume the news should have to beware of what we are hearing or seeing (“Caveat Emptor”).

Part of the problem is that “news” personalities have become TV, Cable or Internet “personalities”. We never really know whether the commentator is qualified to talk about the subject. Sometimes we even get mocking or facial expressions of judgment from these personalities. It seems that no-one simply “reads” the news, even on BBC (as they once did).

Add to this dilemma “political correctness” and the poor observer/consumer is starved for the “truth”. No doubt that too often political correctness has been forgotten in the past, but should PC be an end in itself? I, for one, don’t think so. If a news story is not politically correct, but is news, so be it. It is up to us as consumers to decide what is politically correct or not.

We have a saying in mediation that the quest is not for truth, but for resolution. In broadcast news, the quest is no longer for the truth but for big-

ger ratings for advertisers.

So opinions, assertions and the debate will continue and talking heads and pundits of all stripes will have their say, but we can be assured of one thing – as long as ratings are UP, the function of “broadcast news” will continue “as is” on our airwaves, cable and the internet.

Whether we like it or not, what is considered “news” for internet, cable or airwave consumption will depend, NOT on the reality of the situation, but rather on ratings and what advertisers see as “news” and what consumers will consume.

nessman, teacher and author. He is a former political science associate professor at Shenandoah University. His talks on the U.S. Presidents and First

Ladies are available to a wide audience in our region including Samuels Public Library. His “opinions” appear occasionally in the Report.)

(Charles P. Lickson of Front Royal, VA is a retired attorney, mediator, busi-

Congratulations!

Eddie and Tracy Lawson are the winners of our first annual Project Love Campaign. They will receive a brand new 14 seer, energy efficient heat pump donated by our friends at Diakin. American Services Group out of Winchester has partnered with us to provide additional duct work as needed to provided the correct amount of air flow for a more comfortable and healthy environment for their son.

Thank you to everyone who voted, liked and shared our campaign on Facebook. Without you this would not have been a success.

In response to the overwhelming amount of requests from our incredibly caring customers, we at Aire Serv Heating and Cooling created this fundraising page to give everyone the opportunity to warm the hearts and homes of our final contestants in our Project Love Campaign. All donations will be used to install new heaters in the homes of these families.

We are blown away by your generosity and are so thankful to live in such a caring community!

http://www.gofundme.com/hvacprojectlove Aire Serv of Bull Run, 223 N. Royal Ave. Front Royal

540-551-8312

www.AireServ.com/bullrun

Mid March, 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Warren & Frederick County Report â&#x20AC;˘ Page 11

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

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Angie Buterakos at fcrwcr@gmail.com â&#x20AC;˘ 540-671-8707 or Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com â&#x20AC;˘ 540-551-2072

Front Royal

Front Royal will revisit new subdivision code changes Following buildersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; critique, council unanimously tables vote to April

By Roger Bianchini Warren County Report

Chris Ramsey questions the usefulness and logic of some proposed code changes.

EXPERT PLUMBING SERVICES Mark Manno, Master Plumber

No job too big or too small!

OVER 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE 5HDVRQDEOH UDWHVÂ&#x2021;)5(( (67,0$7(6Â&#x2021;6HQLRU 'LVFRXQWV )DXFHWV 6LQNV :DWHU +HDWHUV :HOO 3XPSV 6KRZHUV $OO ZRUN JXDUDQWHHG /LFHQVHG ,QVXUHG

After some pointed criticism, primarily from two major residential sub-division developers and local planning and real estate professionals that have worked extensively with one of those developers, on February 23 the Front Royal Town Council delayed a vote on proposed changes to its Subdivision and Land Development ordinances.

The vote on Daryl Funkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s motion to table action to councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s April 13 meeting, seconded by Bret Hrbek, passed unanimously. The sevenweek delay will allow additional work session discussion of points made in opposition to the proposal, including allegations of environmentally counter-intuitive requirements on additional paving negatively impacting storm water and pollutant run off into the Shenandoah River watershed, which is part of the now federally and state-protected Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Speaking against sections of the proposed changes primarily applying to subdivision road widths and elevation requirements on new home con-

EXVLQHVV 540-636-2098 FHOO 540-305-5973

Winchester Foreign & Domestic Auto Repair SIMPLY THE BEST!

struction related to centerline street elevations, were local builder Chris Ramsey and Front Royal Limited Partnership principal David Vazzana, as well as local real estate agent Bill Barnett and planning consultant Joe Duggan. Both Barnett and Duggan have worked extensively with Vazzana on FRLP subdivision plans.

Introducing himself as a consultant to FRLP, Barnett noted that the town and county recently boundary adjusted 604 FRLP acres into town in anticipation of the development of up to 818 residential units on that land, adding to an already approved rezoning for up to 320 units on another 150 acres of FRLP land, also on the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s east side in the Happy Creek area.

And while the two developers and the two planning/real estate consultants portrayed some of the proposed changes as needlessly over-reaching, illogical and environmentally counter-intuitive, the major proponent of those changes, Councilman Gene Tewalt, claimed they were necessary and protective of the public interest.

to accommodate, not only two way traffic, but school buses and fire and rescue vehicles as well. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think we can have too-narrow streets,â&#x20AC;?

Challis told council.

However, of the developersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; arguments about negative environmental implications of wider subdivision streets, Challis added pointedly, â&#x20AC;&#x153;If weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re real worried about water runoff we could leave the farms as farmland and then we might not have to worry about the runoff.â&#x20AC;?

And while that VERY wide turn toward a possible solution, a conversational turn requiring a VERY wide public hearing â&#x20AC;&#x153;street widthâ&#x20AC;?, may present a best-of-all-possible-worlds scenario for environmentalists and nearby neighbors, it does not coincide with the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own guidelines for its future development or approaching population realities, particularly in the Happy Creek-Shenandoah Shores area of town earmarked by both the town and county to accommodate a bulk of future community growth, with access to town central water-sewer utilities.

No roads, no problems

Back to reality

And the one citizen not involved in the building industry who spoke at the public hearing appeared to support Tewaltâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s line of demarcation on dueling interests. Longtime Shenandoah River Estates homeowner Eva Challis supported wider street widths

So, with decisions on road widths, rather than their absence, being a likely outcome, Tewalt pointed to issues with too-narrow subdivision streets in nearby Lake Frederick over See CODE, 12

$15 per person Unlimited bowlingincluding shoes.

Come out & play in the dark!

Friday & Saturday â&#x20AC;˘ 11pm â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1am

RENT-A-LANE $15

Sun. 10am - Noon 2 HOURS UNLIMITED Bowling Up to 8 people per lane!

"-- 5ZQFT PG 4FSWJDF BOE 3FQBJST 6UJMJ[JOH UIF -BUFTU JO 5FDIOPMPHZ 1FSTPOBM "UUFOUJPO XJUI 0O 5JNF 4FSWJDF 'SJFOEMZ 1SPGFTTJPOBM 4UBGG :PV "VUIPSJ[F #&'03& XF 1FSGPSN 3FQBJST PS .BJOUFOBODF $PVSUFTZ 4IVUUMF "WBJMBCMF $MFBO 'BNJMZ 'SJFOEMZ XBJUJOH BSFB XJUI 'SFF SFGSFTINFOUT 8F PGGFS B NPOUI NJMF XBSSBOUZ PO BMM QBSUT BOE BVUP SFQBJS TFSWJDFT

4IBXOFF %S 8JODIFTUFS 7" t

IUUQ XXX XGEBVUP DPN

Plan Your Party with US!!

Lanes available MOST days & times!

Call ahead for details!

PGG BOZ TFSWJDF

430 Remount Rd.

XJUI UIJT DPVQPO

royalfamilybowl.com

540-636-3113

3 Bedroom 2 Bath Ranch Style House With Full Walkout Basement For Rent In Front Royal. Washer/dryer Hook Ups. Kitchen, Living Room, Den & Deck. No Smoking.

No Pets. $1,250.00 Per Month.

Call 540-635-2097 or 540-635-6470

Page 12 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid March, 2015

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

“We do require curb and guttering on our streets in Front Royal according to our subdivision ordinance and when you require curb and guttering you need wider streets.”

– Councilman Gene Tewalt in support of wider subdivision road standards

Front Royal CODE, from 11 the county line to the north to support a subdivision road width standard greater than VDOT’s for comparable traffic numbers. He pointed out that state roads often did not have on-street parking, while subdivision neighborhoods invariably do.

“You can see that you can hardly get a car through there because the streets are so narrow and people park on both sides of the street,” Tewalt observed of Lake Frederick’s predicament.

Tewalt also noted the Front Royal council’s increasing preference for curb and gutter requirements throughout town, a factor that further impacts street width and sidewalk right of way.

“If we narrow streets down to 29 feet according to the state standard (from the town’s existing 32-foot standard), the state is in a rural area and does not require curb and guttering. We do require curb and guttering on our streets in Front Royal according to our subdivision ordinance and when you require curb and guttering you need wider streets.” Tewalt did acknowledge the potential impact of “roll-back curbs” in reducing width requirements, but noted that the town does not currently allow such

485 South St. 540-636-3400

goldsgym.com/frontroyalva

ADayatClem’sGarage

roll-back curbing that has a softer grade that can be driven over “without a big bump”.

In arguing to raise the town’s existing code standard from 32 feet to 36 feet on subdivision roads, Tewalt asserted that with on street parking on two sides, two-way driving lanes would be reduced to about “20 feet – and even that gets pretty tight.”

Road width comparisons Au contraire, licensed landscape architect and land-use planner Joe Duggan, another member of the FRLP team, said of Tewalt’s assertions on road widths. To make his point, Duggan made some comparisons to existing downtown streets.

On First Street where he lives in an old residential area, Duggan stated that with two-side parking and two-way traffic, the street width was just 20-feet-6-inches; on East Main Street across from the Gazebo, 31feet wide; and Chester Street, 31 to 32 feet wide.

“These are commercial streets that are 31, 32-feet wide and they seem to be doing fine,” Duggan told council of those last two examples.

Road width counterpoint And Councilman Bébhinn Egger added another perspective in opposing implementation of a wider subdivision road standard. After thanking the planning commission for its work on the code changes, most predating her January 2015 arrival on council, Egger said, “I think my biggest concern is with street widths. I think the Chesapeake Bay Act is something that we really need to look at – but from my perspective the real reason that I had an issue with widening all the streets is because it really doesn’t

help your community. Narrow streets are safer streets for pedestrians, for children playing. And I think it’s time we stopped making everything so automobile-centric and started making it more person-centric.”

Egger then pointed to a classic case of self-fulfilling prophecy, calling wider streets more conducive to sprawling development, which in turn leads to that increased vehicular dependence requiring wider streets.

“It’s kind of a vicious cycle that I think we have an opportunity to try and diminish somewhat,” Egger concluded of engineering some subdivision requirements down, rather than up.

She concluded by noting that if a lower width standard like VDOT’s 29-foot one were adopted, it would not prohibit wider street designs from being submitted, whereas adopting Tewalt’s preferred 36-foot standard would preclude narrower streets being allowed.

Municipal overreach?

It was local builder Ramsey who opened the public hearing salvoes at sections of the code he described as over-reaching, counter-productive and at times illogical. In fact, Ramsey suggested that some of the changes proposed on height elevations extended the town’s authority beyond land development protections into the realm of simple preferences on house construction standards.

“I am confused about why the town is determined to extend its authority beyond right-of-way – it’s actually getting into the house construction business,” Ramsey contended. “I understand when house construction or any land development activity happens and potentially has adverse effects on adjoining property own-

ers. Then we’re getting into the idea of the health, safety and welfare of adjoining properties and there’s an interest to mitigate the impacts on neighbors – and I understand the interest in that. But I don’t find that this requirement meets the litmus test of that particular aspect.”

Rather, Ramsey suggested the proposed elevation requirement of “two feet above the centerline grade of adjoining streets” appeared to be arbitrary in nature and presented “an undue hardship on anyone seeking a permit to build where the lot is not flat.” And Ramsey observed, “We don’t have flat lots in this town, or very few, and they tend to have existed [developed] for many years.”

So, of the proposed requirement in a building environment almost entirely comprised of sloping land, Ramsey said, “So, basically we’re dealing with sloping areas and when you take that and tie it in to elevations and try to establish and legislate where a house is to be located it isn’t always in the best interest.”

The consequence of tying street elevations in sloping neighborhoods to construction parameters on individual lots will be soaring costs and delays in permitting, Ramsey told council. Ramsey presented photos of what he said was a recently constructed home (not by him) that illustrated the height elevation problem he was describing in the new proposal. Noting a condition on corner lots that tied the proposed height requirement to adjoining streets, Ramsey said the Ewell Street home pictured would have to have been raised an additional five-plus feet under the proposed code. That requirement would have increased the grade of the home’s driveway from the street to its garage from 5.7 percent to 17plus percent.

“So, my point is there are examples which create hardships and difficulties that are totally unnecessary in my view. And this is an aspect we should look at as we review this ordinance and make it compatible with what makes sense and makes for a nice community,” Ramsey concluded.

Cross those Bay ‘bridges’ when we come to them Tewalt defended the need for roadcenterline height elevation standards but did admit some proposed changes might need re-wording tweaks, particularly concerning corner lot house elevations related to multiple centerline street heights.

“The two feet above the street grade is something we’ve had a major

OPEN FOR TANNING! available NOWON

DVD

New Releases!

Hunger Games Mockingjay Foxcatcher The CAPTIVE Innocence the LAST OF ROBIN HOOD the HUMBLING Black November Big Hero 6 Horrible Bosses 2 Beyond the Lights

DVD OVERSTOCK

SALE!!!

over 1,000 DVDs $2.99 Each Shenandoah VIDEO & TAN

445 South St. Front Royal • 636-1400

Shenandoahvideo.formovies.com

Pomeroy’s

ByDougDellinger

Small Engine Repair, LLC

WORLDLAWN Equipment Parts * Chainsaws Sales * Service Handheld Equipment

Clem’s

Garage 5170MainSt. StephensCity 540-869-1595

SNOW THROWER 22” 24” 26”

540-635-4208

COBRA

525 Main St. • Front Royal • Email:pser03@gmail.com

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

Mid March, 2015 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 13

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Angie Buterakos at fcrwcr@gmail.com • 540-671-8707 or Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072 problem with since I’ve been in Front Royal, even when I was in charge of zoning and public works,” Tewalt observed, adding, “I think that wording in the ordinance does need to be changed because Mr. Ramsey pretty much hit the nail on the head – you can’t have one and the other [elevation] at the same time.” Tewalt elaborated that the elevation guideline should apply to the front of a corner lot house, not the side impacted by an adjoining street.

A long-time critic of unfunded state or federal mandates on municipalities, particularly as they have applied to the Chesapeake Bay Act, Tewalt brushed aside potential problems related to storm-water runoff and pollution of the Shenandoah River as part of the Bay watershed.

“I know there are problems maybe down the road with the Chesapeake Bay Act on the storm water but I’m looking out for our community, not for the developers,” Tewalt said, appearing to create a perhaps questionable “anti-town” alliance of builders, state and federal authorities.

But despite admitting a need for wording tweaks and looming problems related to water runoff and pollutants entering the Shenandoah’s watershed, Tewalt called for support

of the ordinance changes as presented that night. “In my opinion we’ve got a good ordinance here; I think it needs to be updated and I think it comes up to a standard where we are protecting the property owners. And with that I will vote in support of the subdivision ordinance as it stands,” Tewalt concluded.

But from the developers’ point of view, it was more than wording tweaks at issue. Rather, it was the premise upon which some of that wording was based. As for conflicting interests, injecting additional time and costs adding up to Ramsey’s estimated $30,000 to $50,000 increase in new home construction costs will eventually be a common interest of builders and the citizens they will be selling new homes to.

Going in circles?

Part of those increased costs cited by Ramsey involved a proposed condition allowing builders to seek exemption permitting on the new requirements. This essentially creates an additional permitting step to get back to where builders and the town currently are or would like to be. That requirement of a permitting exception to newly-implemented

standards is exactly the kind of useless redundancy leading to the added time and some of the additional costs Ramsey cited as prohibitive to the building process.

Responding to a question from Councilman Bret Hrbek, Town Manager Steve Burke did acknowledge the new code exception process related to Planned Neighborhood Developments. PNDs focus on a tradeoff of more clustered subdivision development with access to central utilities in return for the inclusion of open and park spaces, and often mixedcommercial uses conducive to local neighborhood needs.

PNDs, in part, led to the idea Urban Development Areas (UDAs) which were once state-mandated guidelines directing new development toward population centers with access to central water-sewer utilities. The UDA process was seen as a tool to preserve rural farmland from sprawl development, and protect groundwater sheds from depletion and pollution by an overreliance on well and septic – hmm, that sounds familiar.

Despite the support of planning professionals and, initially, politicians from both sides of the political aisle, including former Front Royal

Front Royal

As staunch proponent of the new code changes Gene Tewalt looks on, Bébhinn Egger proposes council take a new, more pedestrian-friendly direction on subdivision development. mayor and 18th District Republican Delegate Clay Athey, Virginia repealed UDAs as a state-mandated legal standard* of urban development several years ago. However, UDA and PND guidelines may still be and often are implemented at the local level. * Footnote: The repeal of the state mandate on UDAs came in the face of scathing criticism from self-proclaimed property rights advocates.

Many of those critics cited the UDA model’s promotion by the United Nations, primarily in the Third World (UN Agenda 21), as part of an international conspiracy to strip Americans of their property rights; though perhaps more accurately it might have been described as a “conspiracy” to strip venture capitalists of their right to exploit natural and community resources for individual profit.

Page 14 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid March, 2015

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

“We firmly believe that to create great neighborhoods, it begins with great streets. There are plenty of studies that say 36-foot streets are the most dangerous [subdivision] streets … [and] are designed for 15,000 vehicles per day.” – FRLP developer Dave Vazzana

Front Royal

Developer: more paving, more water pollution issues Is the town cutting off its developmental nose to spite its economic face?

Dave Vazzana asks council for more consistency between Comp Plan direction and the proposed code changes on subdivision standards.

By Roger Bianchini Warren County Report Part of the arguments against passing updates to Front Royal’s Subdivision ordinance as presented to council on February 23, were stormwater runoff and pollutant issues that could eventually run the town afoul of Chesapeake Bay Act standards.

In order to comply with those standards, the town is finally poised to begin state and federally-mandated

upgrades to its wastewater treatment facility to the tune of $50 million.

Those improvements are designed to remove pollutants, largely human-created, being dumped into the Shenandoah River, which is part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

So, would the town be cutting off its nose to spite its face were it to include a subdivision road width standard of 36 feet, seven feet above the Virginia Department of Transportation standard for comparably-trav-

elled streets, and four feet above its current standard?

According to one developer and two local planning consultants who have worked extensively with him on subdivision plans and design elements on 754 acres of town land already earmarked for as many as 1168 residential units with corresponding mixed-use commercial and recreational space, very possibly.

With those numbers, sure there is an aspect of self interest involved; however, does that invalidate their arguments?

You be the judge.

One primary issue addressed by FRLP principal David Vazzana and his consultant and local real estate agent Bill Barnett were potential impacts of mandating wider subdivision streets than they believe local traffic requires. And they say VDOT agrees, though the major council proponent of the wider road standards, Gene Tewalt, explained why that argument

might be comparing apples and oranges (see related lead story).

Barnett on H2O Barnett warned that this code change, while in some respects largely a well-conceived housekeeping update, also included some more profound changes that buck trends designed to preserve local water resources, particularly in areas feeding into the Chesapeake Bay as the Shenandoah River does.

“The problem [with this proposal] is it has major, major changes that you and this town will have to deal with for decades to come,” Barnett began. After acknowledging Chris Ramsey’s specific criticisms of height elevation standards, Barnett continued, “The other problems have to do with the design standards for roads and sidewalks.”

Of the Shenandoah River as the destination for the town’s storm wa-

R-MA Middle School Interact Club thanks Mayor Darr

Warren County Parks and Recreation Department

Easter EGGstravaganza RES Youth Center

Saturday, March 28, 2015 Hunt begins at 2:00pm, door opens at 1:50pm

Cost: $8.00 per child (includes picture) Limit: 50 children Pre-registration recommended

For more information, please contact WC Community Center at 540-635-1021 www.warrencountyva.net

ter system coming under increased regulation designed to save the pollution-threatened billion-dollar Chesapeake Bay fishing industry, Barnett observed, “As everybody knows these areas are coming under very, very strict water abatement standards. This is not unique to the Chesapeake Bay, this is occurring all over our nation, cleaning up our waterways … And because of this the trend in development in towns and cities throughout the nation are to less impervious surfaces.”

As for the implication on subdivision development, Barnett told council those standards mean movement toward “less wide, boulevard streets” and to smaller streets designed to accommodate a closed, local traffic system. – “And what do we have Front Royal proposing but to increase what are already among the widest street standard around (32 feet) to even wider at 36 feet and increase our sidewalks from four to five feet.”

Mayor Tim Darr accepts honorary membership in R-MA’s Middle School Interact Club, along with a T-shirt. From left, are Ishmael Bobbitt, Josiah Herring, Aman Atwal and Alan Williams.

By Roger Bianchini Warren County Report At the February 23 Front Royal Town Council meeting, members of the Randolph-Macon Academy Middle School Interact Club presented Mayor Tim Darr with an honorary membership for his past support.

Following is the presentation speech of Aman Atwal: “Thank you for allowing us to speak to you this evening. The Randolph-

Macon Academy Middle School Interact Club was formed in the fall of 2011, with the help of the Rotary Club of Linden, Virginia. The purpose of Interact is to instill within us a mentality of Service Above Self. Since our beginning, we have had the privilege of contributing over 3,000 hours of community service, and have raised over $7,000 for others in need, through a variety of activities and fundraisers. Most notably, our Roadside Clean Up efforts along Kendrick Lane has been

a true ownership effort among our group. – Not bad for a group of 60 kids.

“Last year, Mayor Darr took time out of his busy schedule to help us.

All Mr. Williams, our advisor, asked of the Mayor was that he show up, thank us for our efforts, and let us take a photo. Mayor Darr did much more, to include helping us pick up trash. The comments from my classmates ranged from “Remind me who that dude is” to “That was really cool of the mayor to do that with us.”

“Recently, Mayor Darr wrote a letter of support of us to the Governor of Virginia, in support of an effort to help our club receive recognition among the Governors Community Service Ambassadors.

“This year, when we created our Interact T-shirts, several of us suggested that we have one made for our Mayor, and make him an honorary member of our Club, as a more proper way of thanking him for his leadership by example.

“As such, on behalf of the Interact Club of The Randolph-Macon Academy Middle School, it is my honor and privilege to make Mayor Darr an honorary member of our club. Mr. Mayor, thank you for your kindness, your support and your leadership by example.”

Mid March, 2015 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 15

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

Front Royal

“I hear a lot of talk in town about economic growth, ‘our own building inspection department … – let’s get people coming to town.’ I’m telling you from people I talk to in the architectural community, people are not going to recommend people coming here.” - architect-planner Joe Duggan

Engle’s Angle: It’s Dirty Out There

By Kevin S. Engle Warren County Report First stop, the dry cleaner. I have a few items to pick up.

I hand the woman behind the counter my credit card and she swipes it through the machine.

When the transaction processes, she places my card on the counter.

I wish she wouldn’t do that.

The counter doesn’t look all that clean. Couldn’t she just hand it to me?

I pick up the card, wipe it on my pant leg and put it back in my wallet.

Next stop, Lowe’s. We need some air filters for the furnace.

As I’m headed to the correct aisle, I spot a penny on the floor. It’s my lucky day.

Or is it?

When I bend down to pick it up, something flashes through my brain.

I wonder where it’s been?

I already know where it is right now.

On the floor. Where people have been stepping on it for who knows how long.

I hesitate for a second, but pick it up anyway. It may be dirty, but it is money.

Now where do I put it?

Hmm. I consider my options and shove it in my jeans rear pocket, one that I hardly use.

When I get back to the car, I squirt hand cleaner on my fingers. That should take care of any germs.

Third stop, Costco® Wholesale Club. I’m thinking about joining.

A half hour later, after checking out the place, I’m ready to leave. Before I do, I head to the bathroom.

As I’m taking care of business, my sunglasses case falls out of my jacket and on to the floor.

Wonderful.

You don’t want to be dropping anything in a public restroom. They’re not always the cleanest places.

When I’m done, I carefully pick up my sunglasses case and head to the sink. I rinse the case with water and then wash my hands. I’ll scrub it with cleaner when I get home.

Where do I put it in the car?

Another dilemma.

I stick it on the floor mat. It’s dirty too.

Next stop, the library. My cousin suggested a book and I’m looking forward to reading it. I find it and go.

When I pull in my driveway, I stop the car and get the mail out of the box. The gritty grimy mailbox that I only rinse out once or twice a year.

No mail goes upstairs until I’ve wiped it off in the laundry room. House rule #17.

The next day, while reading the book, I make a discovery.

An unpleasant one. There’s a dried speck of something stuck to the page.

My best guess? Food of some variety.

Fantastic.

This is exactly why my wife doesn’t get books from the library.

I go upstairs to my office and look in the garbage can.

The one I only use for ‘clean’ garbage. No food. I retrieve a piece of paper and go back downstairs where I use it to scrape the dried speck of food into the kitchen garbage can.

I enjoyed the book, but not all of the other discoveries I made while reading it.

Gross.

It’s dirty out there folks.

Be careful.

The author doesn’t think he has OCD, although he may lean that direction.

–kevinengle456@comcast.net

The implication of adding a total of five to six feet of paved space throughout a subdivision road system five miles long is the addition of 3.6 acres of paved surface, Barnett asserted.

“And all the water falling on that must be managed. The more you do as a council to mitigate the amount of water in new subdivisions, the less retro-fit you’re going to have to do to existing town facilities,” Barnett said of the potential of revisiting the new standards if state and federal guidelines on water abatement become law.

Waddaya doing to me, guys?

Vazzana then addressed what he perceived as a lack of consistency between some of the proposed changes and guidelines in past town Comprehensive Plans that he and his staff have been dealing with as they have moved forward with the town planning department on developmental plans on his properties. He noted that many of those plans reflected not

Landscape architect and design consultant Joe Duggan asks if the town is not cutting its own economic throat by proposing what he sees as counterproductive, anti-environmental developmental standards. only past and existing town Comp Plans, but public input on citizen wishes for the future developmental look of the community.

“Water is really, I believe, one of the biggest issues of the 21st Century.

Don’t forget to ‘Spring forward’ … … At 2 a.m., Sunday, March 8th, when Daylight Saving Time begins.

We’ve been addressing and working with town staff, with the planning commission for almost eight years on this, guys, and we’ve finally gotten to this point and we’re appreciative to be here but … the Comprehensive Plan doesn’t really mean much if you can’t implement what’s in it,” Vazzana observed. “So, we’ve got the 1997 and 2007 Comprehensive Plans that say See TOWN, 16

Tired of Rising Heating Costs?

Outdoor Wood Furnace

Hours: Mon - Fri 5 9:30am to 5pm

100% Wood Heat for your home, water, shop

540-722-8005

Arnette Landscapes, Inc. Winchester, VA

Longaberger Basket Bingo Sunday March 15th, 2:15 P.M. Front Royal Volunteer Fire and Rescue 221 North Commerce Avenue Doors open 1:30 P.M. Advanced tickets: $20 At the Door: $25 ONLY 200 tickets will be sold, cash only Light refreshments will be sold No Smoking No children under 12 admitted For tickets please email: betarhoadk@gmail.com Benefits the Beta Rho A∆K Scholarship fund

<PM ;]KKM[[ aW]¼^M JMMV [MIZKPQVO NWZ Q[ I XPWVM KITT I_Ia

$20 OFF your first lesson!

when you sign up for one month of lessons (discount applies w/ coupon)

Page 16 â&#x20AC;˘ Warren & Frederick County Report â&#x20AC;˘ Mid March, 2015

â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;Ś if the town stands here and says weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to do it our way; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the builder, the developer that pays the price. But theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not going to pay the price â&#x20AC;&#x201C; theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re just not going to come.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Joe Duggan

Front Royal TOWN, from 15 we need to update these codes, make these changes and here we are eight years later and all of the changes that are in this, not one of them are the changes that are recommended in your guyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Comprehensive Plan â&#x20AC;Ś and from a starting point of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to get some more environmentally-friendly techniques,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re moving â&#x20AC;Ś in the opposite direction of the way we should be dealing with water.

These codes give no design flexibility or creativity to developers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this is the way we should NOT be developing.â&#x20AC;?

Vazzana then told council his team would be applying for variances to â&#x20AC;&#x153;most of theseâ&#x20AC;? proposed changes that seem counter-intuitive to environmentally-friendly standards that have been on the table through eight years of work with town staff. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We firmly believe that to create great neighborhoods, it begins with great streets. There are plenty of studies that say 36-foot streets are the most dangerous [subdivision] streets â&#x20AC;Ś there are plenty of planning organizations that say that 36-foot streets are designed for 15,000 vehicles per day; and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re putting that standard on a neighborhood street.

In my opinion, it is not an issue about safety, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an overreach â&#x20AC;Ś lastly, to echo something else Mr. Ramsey said, we feel some of the regulations are too broad and too vague. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a number of them about requiring sub-dividers to do right of ways to build additional street sections; and that essentially puts town staff in a position to require sub-dividers to do things that are against Virginia and federal law as what a municipality is allowed to require of a sub-divider.â&#x20AC;?

Vazzana asked for the opportunity for the FRLP team to sit down with town officials and review the conflicts between the new code proposals and past Comp Plan directions he thought FRLP had been pointed toward as developmental guidelines.

Vazzana called the increased road widths an infrastructure requirement that would not only be costly on his front end, but also the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s back end of maintenance of a larger town road and sidewalk system than is really necessary by accepted subdivision design standards.

He then returned to the issue of

Matthews Auto Center

: 'XFN 6WUHHW Â&#x2021; )URQW 5R\DO

(540) 636-7567 Complete Auto Repair and Maintenance $6( 0DVWHU 7HFKQLFLDQ Â&#x2021; 9$ 6WDWH ,QVSHFWLRQV Between the bridges!

When Quality counts

Count on Us!

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

storm-water and pollutant runoff on the local watershed ultimately feeding into the Shenandoah River. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The science is clear these days on the impact of impervious surfaces on the environment and we should really be working to minimize this impact. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re really going in the wrong direction as far as sidewalks, streets, right-of-way widths â&#x20AC;Ś that is directly in contradiction to the 1997 and 2007 Comprehensive Plan.â&#x20AC;?

Vazzana ended with a philosophical reflection on the ongoing back and forth with the town planning commission. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve really enjoyed it.

I think weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve asked them for five or six things and I think theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve said â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;noâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to every thing weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever asked them for. But I promised Chairman Gushee I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give up on this stuff; and I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really important â&#x20AC;Ś Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been designing communities the wrong way for too long and we need to change those things.â&#x20AC;?

Digging a deeper hole?

Licensed landscape architect and land-use planner and FRLP consultant Joe Duggan took the final shot at convincing a council majority that key elements of its new Sub-Division Code proposal need re-tooling, primarily because it is counterproductive to the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own developmental and economic interests. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All these things with the Chesapeake Bay watershed, they are not really a choice anymore for us â&#x20AC;Ś Now itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coming down from the EPA, the federal government to the state.

The bottom line on all this is economic development,â&#x20AC;? Duggan stated, perhaps coincidentally raising the specter of another delayed decision on building standards looming before council this month (creation of a town building inspection department). â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we go the opposite way of most other towns and most other counties, who are addressing these environmental concerns, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re making it harder for builders and developers,

On Feb. 23, the mayor and council bid a fond farewell to Planning Commission member William T. Kline, who is moving to Washington state. whether they are a retail institution, commercial, whatever. If you go in and [require] wider streets, wider parking lots â&#x20AC;Ś if you make us put in that football field of concrete that Mr. Barnett was talking about, the town is forcing us to create a bigger mess and the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s saying, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Now youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to go back and clean it up.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x153;No other county, no other town is doing this. I hear a lot of talk in town about economic growth, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;our own building inspection department, our own this, our own that â&#x20AC;&#x201C; letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s get people coming to town.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m telling you from my viewpoint, from people I talk to around the water cooler in the architectural community, people are not going to recommend people coming here â&#x20AC;Ś if the town stands here and says weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to do it our way; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the builder, the developer that pays the price. But theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not going to pay the price â&#x20AC;&#x201C; theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re just

Donahoeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Florist Planning your wedding?

Let us help you make your wedding beautiful!

Call today for your consultation.

not going to come.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you want your share of the pie and not have it all going to the county, you need to be on the same field

they are â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re on a different ballfield that the county is,â&#x20AC;? Duggan told council.

$319,900

Spacious Colonial in Wakeland Manor with gorgeous NLWFKHQ KDV KDUGZRRG Ă&#x20AC;RRULQJ LVODQG WLOH EDFNVSODVK &RULDQ FRXQWHUV 6HSDUDWH IRUPDO GLQLQJ OLYLQJ URRP )DPLO\ URRP Z EHDXWLIXO JDV ÂżUHSODFH EHGURRPV IXOO EDWKV RQ XSSHU OHYHO DQG KDOI EDWK RQ PDLQ 0DVWHU EHGURRP Z DWWDFKHG EDWK GRXEOH VLQNV VHSDUDWH VRDNLQJ WXE VKRZHU &XUE DSSHDO Z ORYHO\ SRUFK ODQGVFDSLQJ LQ IURQW %DFN GHFN Z 6XQ6HWWHU DZQLQJ VSDFLRXV \DUG SHUIHFW IRU HQWHUWDLQLQJ ÂżQLVKHG VTXDUH IHHW ZLWK SDUWLDOO\ ÂżQLVKHG EDVHPHQW

Sheila Pack 540-247-1438 Cell

540-635-2815 1-800-806-5182

RE/MAX Team Realty, 440 W. Jubal Early Drive, #200 :LQFKHVWHU 9$ Â&#x2021; 2IĂ&#x20AC;FH

250 South Royal Ave

www.sheilapack.net Search like the Realtors do!

Jean Rudacille, Owner

donahoesflorist.com

(DFK 2IĂ&#x20AC;FH ,QGHSHQGHQWO\ 2ZQHG $QG 2SHUDWHG

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

Mid March, 2015 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 17

Front Royal

Narrower street widths help reduce the amount of stormwater, which can reduce some of the costs for developers. In contrast, if we narrowed streets too extensively it can lead to other problems … such as access for emergency vehicles…and some people are not comfortable driving…on very narrow streets.

Town Planning Director responds to developer criticisms

By Roger Bianchini Warren County Report

We asked Front Royal Planning Director Jeremy Camp to reply to assertions on increased paved surface requirements and home elevation requirements addressed in the February 23 public hearing covered elsewhere in this edition. This is what he had to say about the points raised by developers calling for changes to the proposed Subdivision Code changes: Question 1 – Jeremy, can you respond to the developer comments on the counter-intuitive nature of requiring increased paved surfaces in future town neighborhoods, as it applies to stormwater and pollutant

runoff into the groundwater-shed that may lead into the Shenandoah River, as it applies to increasing restrictions related to the Chesapeake Bay Act? Jeremy Camp – The statement that the pavement widths are increasing is misleading at best. The current code requires a pavement width of 40 feet for all streets designed for more than 500 ADTs (Average Daily Trips). Roads with less traffic are required to be at least 32 feet wide. The proposed draft amendment would still require a pavement width of 40 feet, but not until roads reach an ADT of 2000. That is actually a pavement reduction for most streets.

However, roads with less traffic than

2000 ADTs under the draft code amendment would have to be 36 feet wide as currently drafted.

Due to regulations associated with the Chesapeake Bay Act, developers may indeed incur higher development costs in the future associated with mitigating the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus that leaves their development projects from stormwater runoff. Mitigation strategies include the use of varying engineering strategies, typically referred to as Best Management Practices (BMPs). Narrower street widths help reduce the amount of stormwater, which can reduce some of the costs for developers. In contrast, if we narrowed streets too extensively it

Always Call 811 Before You Dig Allow required time for mArking respect And protect the mArks e x c AvAt e c A r e f u l l y If you are planning to dig in your yard, be sure to call 8-1-1 (formerly Miss Utility) at least three days in advance (not counting weekends and holidays) to have your underground utilities marked.

can lead to other problems for the Town and community, such as access for emergency vehicles, parking, snow removal, and general street maintenance. Some people are also not comfortable driving and parking on very narrow streets.

The Planning Commission evaluated the draft Chapter 148 with members of the development community for over a year. Numerous changes were made to the original draft, including many changes recommended by the development community. In terms of road widths, the Planning Commission did recommend a 32foot wide road category for roads with less than 1000 ADTs, but this was removed by Town Council. The Planning Commission also included a provision that allows developers to propose alternative design standards on a case by case basis when appropriate to protect water quality. This gives developers much more design flexibility, but not until specific information has been presented to the Town for review.

Q 1b – A follow-up question on how the above-cited ADT/road width requirements and recommendations relate to VDOT standards was not replied to by publication.

Q 2 – What is the rationale &/or justification of the increase to a 36foot subdivision road width?

Camp – With the standard 8’ wide parallel parking on the side of the road, a 36-foot wide street leaves two 10-foot travel lanes. Reduction below 36 feet requires one vehicle to stop and wait for the other vehicle to pass when there is parking used on both sides of the street.

Q 3 – Was the 36-foot street width change based solely on the input of Councilman Tewalt?

Camp - Councilman Tewalt originally proposed the change that eliminated the 32-foot wide street category that was proposed by the Planning Commission. By consensus of Council it was included as a draft modification.

Q 4 – As for Chris Ramsey’s cri-

tique of the height requirement related to centerline street elevation, what is the rationale and purpose of that home height building requirement?

Camp – A house that is below the street grade is vulnerable to damage from stormwater runoff from the street. Town Council has discussed making a change so this would not apply to both streets on a corner lot, only the front.

Q 5 – Also, as for corner lots, Councilman Tewalt admitted a wording “tweak” might be necessary to fix varying connecting street elevations – could that be accomplished without a re-advertising of the proposed code changes?

Camp – Whether or not there will be another public hearing will be considered by Town Council at the upcoming work session.

So, there you have it – an alternate perspective on the nature of the proposed changes to Front Royal’s Subdivision Ordinance as they apply to necessary road widths for adequate traffic and safety considerations and perhaps approaching changes at the state and federal level related to environmental concerns from the consequences stormwater runoff from paved surfaces.

Winchester Area Sales Manager Needed. Email:

dan@AreaGuides.com

Stover Insurance Agency Superior Service with an Independent Price

Insurance needs for YOUR Small Business!

Offering: Commercial Auto, General Liability and Business Owners Coverage

Rafe Ruggiero

www.stoveragency.com • 540-252-4617

Judy’s Hair Designers Family Hair Care Certified Redken Colorist Walk-ins welcome!

477-D South Street Royal Plaza Shopping Center Front Royal Virginia

540-635-8106 judyhill10@yahoo.com

Page 18 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid March, 2015

Warren County

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 fcrwcr@gmail.com • 540-671-8707

County presents 522 Corridor counter proposal A reduction on meals tax split and expansion ban limited to corridor

Let’s just tear it up and start over – or something …

By Roger Bianchini Warren County Report Following a Closed Session during its March 3 meeting, the Warren County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a counterproposal to a draft Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on changes to the Route 522 Corridor Agreement presented by the Front Royal Town Council following a January 23 review of the county’s initial proposal.

Primary changes presented by the county are a lower across the board split to the town of the county’s

meals and lodging tax revenue and agreement that a prohibition on town boundary expansion during the life of the MOA apply only to the 522 Corridor and the adjacent, planned Crooked Run West commercial development.

At issue for a majority of town council in January was a condition that the town not expand in any direction during the life of the MOA in return for a promise the county would not pursue consolidation of the town and county governments.

Of that condition, Bret Hrbek stated that to prohibit growth in any direc-

tion as future development occurs was tantamount to a death sentence for the town.

A council consensus suggested that the ban on town expansion through annexation or boundary adjustment be limited to the 522 Corridor where the revenue dispute with the county is centered.

The county response seemed to acknowledge that concern, changing the wording of the draft MOA to state “For the duration of the MOA, the Town will not pursue any annexation legal filings within the Rt. 522 Corridor Agreement Bound-

aries and the area of the County envisioned as future Crooked Run West.”

However, glaringly absent from that section was inclusion of the originally-submitted prohibition on county pursuit of consolidation of the two governments during the life of the MOA (we’re sure that was just a wording oversight, probably).

How about 25% across the board The other major change proposed by the county was a blanket 25-per-

cent split to the town of the county’s meals and lodging tax revenues, rather than a 50 percent split on all corridor businesses arriving from 2010 on.

The town’s proposal described its desired split of county tax revenues generated in the corridor as: • from corridor town water-sewer utility customers operating under the original, pre-lawsuit PILOT fee contracts, the county will pay the town 25 percent of the county’s collected meals tax and 50 percent of its lodging taxes collected from those businesses.

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

Mid March, 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Warren & Frederick County Report â&#x20AC;˘ Page 19

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Angie Buterakos at fcrwcr@gmail.com â&#x20AC;˘ 540-671-8707 or Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com â&#x20AC;˘ 540-551-2072 â&#x20AC;˘ on corridor town water-sewer customers operating under the updated, post-law suit PILOT fee contracts, the county will pay the town 50 percent of both the countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collected meals tax and lodging taxes collected from those businesses. â&#x20AC;˘ on future corridor water-sewer customers operating under the updated, post-law suit PILOT fee contracts, the county will pay the town 50 percent of both the countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collected meals tax and lodging taxes collected from those businesses.

The countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s counter offer states: â&#x20AC;˘ For all existing and future commercial water and sewer utility customers operating under any Town water and sewer utility contract, the County will appropriate and provide funding to the Town through the Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s General Fund Revenues for the equivalent of twenty-five percent (25%) of the Meals Tax collected by the County and the equivalent of twenty-five percent (25%) of the Lodging Tax collected by the County during the previous fiscal year to be remitted to the Town in bi-annual payments to be made not later than December 31 and June 30 annually, beginning December 2015.

Numbers, more numbers â&#x20AC;Ś With a county estimate it currently realized $800,000 in meals tax revenue and $70,000 in lodging taxes annually, primarily from the corridor,

a 25-percent across the board split would realize the town $217,500.

And while a 50-percent split across the board is significantly higher at $435,000, factoring in the original, pre-2010 corridor utility contracted businesses at 25 percent would significantly lower that $435k number, perhaps by $100,000 to $150,000.

Couple the $122,000 the county has assumed in library and EDA funding with the proposed $217,500 of county meals and lodging tax revenue and the county would be compensating the town a total of $339,500 annually under its current proposal â&#x20AC;&#x201C; if, and it may be a BIG if â&#x20AC;&#x201C; our number estimates are ballpark.

The county acknowledges that the planned Crooked Run West development will also be a part of the meals and lodging tax revenue split, so as that development occurs if the countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s corridor meals and lodging tax revenues increase, so will the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s share.

And so to facilitate that new north side commercial development and increased tax and PILOT fee revenue streams, the countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s draft MOA also urges both municipalities to expedite, as is reasonable, rezoning, conditional use permitting, site plan review, subdivision plats and utility applications for that Crooked Run West development.

The remainder of the draft MOA appears largely unchanged, noting that the town will not implement its

own meals and lodging tax-based PILOT fees during the life of the MOA and essentially continue its water-sewer utility business as it has, to new businesses in the Corridor and the Crooked Run West development. County businesses falling under the PILOT fee Corridor Agreement receive in-town water-sewer rates, rather than the normal double rate to out of town utility customers.

Rationale The MOA update of the 17-yearold Corridor Agreement is an attempt by the town and county to resolve a six-year impasse on corridor revenue disbursement following the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s loss of an estimated 80 percent of its corridor PILOT fees revenues in the wake of the lost 2009 lawsuit brought by three corridor chain restaurants, Applebeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Cracker Barrel and TGIFridays. The restaurants claimed the meals-tax based PILOT fees were not taxes on their businesses, as authorized in the corridor agreement, but rather on their customers. Unfortunately for the town, due to the wording of the original water-sewer utility contracts the PILOT fees were attached to, the court agreed.

Subsequent town utility contracts with corridor businesses since 2010 have included language the town believes enables the meals and lodging tax PILOT fees to be applied. The

Warren County current negotiations on an updated corridor agreement rose out of town consideration of beginning implementation of meals and lodging taxes on post-2010 corridor businesses. And while seen as an imperfect solution in that it would NOT apply to the original town corridor utility contracts, including the three restaurants that sued to eliminate the meals tax component, as Bret Hrbek said late in 2014, the town â&#x20AC;&#x153;felt its back was against the wallâ&#x20AC;? in recouping what had accumulated to an estimated $2.4 million corridor revenue shortfall for the town since 2010.

Early corridor revenue statistics (2007-09) estimated a $600,000 annual PILOT fee take by the town, 80 percent generated by meals and lodging taxes. So, since 2010 the town has lost a minimum of $480,000 of PILOT fee revenue it had anticipated each year. And with the county having agreed to pick up a total of $122,000 of annual town expenses phased in over the last two years on shared enterprises ($95,000 in Samuels Public Library funding and $26,855 in EDA operational funding), some on council felt some alternative solution had to be pursued.

And since to nobodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mind, the idea of charging only post-2010 corridor businesses a meals and lodging tax-based PILOT fee was a good idea, that discussion jump-started the current round of town-county negotiations.

Perhaps ironically with the above corridor issues back on the table, at a post-meeting work session the supervisors discussed a town request

Physician Supervised Weight Loss Center

- Phentermine Program -

First phentermine appointment for $199 Cost includes all bloodwork, ekg, vital signs, office visit with provider to get the prescription, and 4 weekly Lipo-B12 injections and body composite analysis.

Total value of this package is approx. $600!

Phentermine Patient must mention code (Phent123). Offer good through3/27/2015

842 N. Shenandoah Ave. Front Royal, VA 22630 540-636-9100

8712 Sudly Rd. Manassas, VA 20110 703-579-0650

www.VaMedWeightLoss.com

Artistically Framed, LLC Custom Framing & Art Specializing in the Usual & Unusual Work of Local Artists, Art Lessons

Economic cooperation

Ask about our other Weight Loss programs!

to fund construction of a northsouth access road through the Avtex-Royal Phoenix Business Park property through the town-county Economic Development Fair Funding Formula.

That formula was devised to split developmental costs on infrastructure projects tied to mutually beneficial economic development projects. As County Administrator Doug Stanley reminded the board, that split is 66-percent county share, 34 percent town share.

However, since the proposed road would be in town, accessing an intown commercial development project, some supervisors may wonder if there is sufficient common interest to justify that kind of a funding split.

However, Stanley noted that a joint economic project might free up additional state revenue sharing and grant funding options, reducing costs overall that could make the project cost effective for both municipalities.

So, the item was added to the agenda of the next town-county liaison meeting scheduled for March 19.

255 Fairfax Pike, Suite 2 4UFQIFOT $JUZ t

SAVE 10% WITH THIS AD!

Is a slow drain, running toilet or leaky faucet driving you crazy?

Call me for a free estimate.

JP Plumbing

540.683.6103

All Types of Repairs and Services: Hot Water Heaters, Disposals, Faucets, Toilets, Drains, Repiping, Small Remodeling Jobs Over 30 Years Experience â&#x20AC;˘ Dependable & Reliable Virginia Master Plumber/Master Gas Fitter Licensed & Insured

Reasonable Rates NO EXTRA CHARGE FOR EVENINGS AND WEEKENDS

plumbing1@embarqmail.com

Page 20 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid March, 2015

Warren County

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 fcrwcr@gmail.com • 540-671-8707

Rivermont-Fortsmouth VFD merger sought by county Or else – Fortsmouth Company 8 could face loss of county funding

By Roger Bianchini Warren County Report According to Warren County Fire and Rescue Chief Richard Mabie there is opposition to a planned consolidation of two volunteer fire companies under one new roof. At the March 3 Warren County Board of Supervisors meeting, Mabie presented the plan to consolidate Rivermont Company 2 and Fortsmouth Company 8 with the succinct observation, “At this time the leadership of Company #2 is ready to move forward with the plan as proposed and the leadership of Company #8 does not wish to move forward.”

Mabie pointed out the idea of future consolidation of the two companies was endorsed in a consultant review of county emergency services conducted by Springsted in 2009.

The current plan would fund con-

struction of a new joint facility on county land now owned as part of the Front Royal-Warren County Airport off Route 619.

The move is fueled by deterioration of the aging Company 2 station house and staffing and location problems with Company 8. Company 2 is located at 714 Rivermont Drive, not far from the airport. Company 8 is located at 53 Lower Valley Road, with a Strasburg mailing address.

Stemming from a February 17 work session discussion, Mabie noted a county Resolution in support of the consolidation including the observation, “that it is the current intent of the Board to cease funding Company #8 in four years if they chose not to merge with Company #2 as part of the new station.

That the Fortsmouth Company leadership has four years to come around to the idea before the axe falls

New and Refurbished Notebooks, Desktops & Accessories.

FREEevery

ith set up w r purchase u p m te New co

203 E Main St - Front Royal, VA 22630 (540) 635-7064 - www.RoyalOakComputers.com

is facilitated by a projected four-year timeframe – two of planning and preliminary engineering and two of construction – to realize construction of a new station to house the two west-side county volunteer fire companies.

However, comments Chief Mabie made in response to a question from Happy Creek Supervisor Tony Carter indicate four years may be a tad long to realize the change, at least from Company 2’s perspective.

“What is Company 2’s current station status?” Carter asked.

Mabie replied that Company 2’s membership was nervous about bringing someone in to inspect the station at this point, “because they are afraid they would close it today.

There is a lot of work to do and it is not viable to fix this building that is 60, 70 years old,” Mabie told the supervisors.

Background information indicated the Fortsmouth station, constructed in the 1970s, with an addition in the late 1990s is in considerably better condition than Company 2’s station.

However, it was stated that Company 8’s location relatively close to Strasburg’s VFD created a situation that “does not add significantly to

coverage for the County system as a whole.”

Shortages on active volunteers and response time problems with Company 8 were also cited in background on the proposed consolidation.

“Fortsmouth is a fully volunteerstaffed station. Fortsmouth currently has 16 volunteers of which five are deemed active. Unfortunately, out of five active volunteers, only one lives in the company’s first-due area,” the background summary stated, adding, “The volunteers struggle to get out and when they do it is typically driver only. Their on-time response rate for 2014 was 24 percent and no response rate was 47 percent, with late at 29 percent.”

Comparatively, while housed in a deteriorating building considered too small for current needs, Company 2 was said “to have 50 current volunteers, of which 17 are deemed active/responding.” The Rivermont station is staffed from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and the background summary stated, “The volunteers do a good job of response in covering the evenings and weekends.”

A summary of costs indicated an annual savings to the county of $65,000 for operational funding of

only one station if the consolidation is achieved. Were Company 8 to opt out of the county system, the county would move forward at the time the new station is completed utilizing only the operational assets of Company 2.

Preliminary cost estimates for the new fire and rescue station range from $2.5 million to $3.5 million.

“There is no question we should support a Rivermont Station fix,” Fork District Supervisor Archie Fox told Mabie, adding, “but there is some concern from constituents about closing Company 8.” The Fork supervisor did not elaborate on the number or nature of those concerns.

Fox then made a motion to table a vote on whether to endorse the Resolution in support of the consolidation plan. After a second from South River District Supervisor Linda Glavis the motion to table for further review passed by a unanimous roll call vote. The delay will allow further discussion of citizen and Company 8 concerns about the merger as the clock continues to tick on an already lengthy timeframe to achieve construction of a new fire station for the area.

636-2008 973 Buck Mt. Rd, Bentonville, Va 10 minutes South of Front Royal 15 minutes North of Luray

#1 in Listings Sold for Weichert - VA, Maryland and DC

“Thinking of selling in the spring?

Call us NOW to start strategizing to get ahead of the competition!”

Lead Agent & Owner Top Office Producer Team Waller provides its local community with educated and experienced real estate professionals who focus on value, expertise, 2007-2014 #1 Agent in Sales and results while maintainingtrue relationships with their clients.

Join us in doing it the Waller Way! & Sold Listings

Beth Medved Waller

540-671-6145

824 John Marshall Hwy Front Royal, VA Licensed in Virginia

beth@teamwaller.com • www.TeamWaller.com FindmyvideoonWarrenCountyVa.comkeywordREALTOR

Hidden Springs Senior Living is the best choice around for senior living. Where else can you move and feel like you are still at home. Our staff at Hidden Springs Senior Living is very compassionate, loving and caring. From nursing, dining, activities and housekeeping each resident is given special attention.

While we have availability, come see the difference we can make in your retirement living.

www.hiddenspringsseniorliving.com

Mid March, 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Warren & Frederick County Report â&#x20AC;˘ Page 21

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

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Angie Buterakos at fcrwcr@gmail.com â&#x20AC;˘ 540-671-8707 or Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com â&#x20AC;˘ 540-551-2072 Victims of Virginiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Forced Sterilization Program to Finally Receive Compensation After several years of Delegates Marshall, Hope and Cline introducing legislation to compensate victims of Virginiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s forced sterilization program which ran from 1924 to 1979, the Virginia General Assembly included in its budget funding to compensate these victims. Â Delegate Marshall made this statement at a press conference: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Because no member of the General Assembly objected to the inclusion of public funds in the 2015 budget for the Virginia victims of forced sterilization, it is the unanimous judgment of the representatives of the people that those Virginians who were forcibly sterilized by prior actions of the Commonwealth receive something from the people of Virginia in acknowledgement of the profound wrong done.

The appropriation of money today will not undo the past wrong and will necessarily fall short as a restorative

remedy for the injustice of stealing from fellow Virginians the gift of the ability to have children.  Failing to act at all would bring moral censure to those of us who can do something. It is my prayer and hope that these actions today will serve to deter similar future injustices.â&#x20AC;?

Friends of the Shenandoah River Park The Shenandoah Astronomical Society will join us on March 10 to speak with FOSRP regarding star gazing and to educate people about the need for protecting Virginiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dark sky natural resource. The Shenandoah Astronomical Society is a non-profit astronomy club

serving the northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. The purpose of SAS is to promote astronomy as an educational and recreational activity. The club organizes one or more star parties in the Park each year.

After the presentation, participants will be able to look through provided telescopes, or bring yours and we can show you how to use it. Due to this exciting opportunity for us all on Tuesday, March 10, we will be shifting our monthly meeting in March. Our meeting will be on March 10 at 7pm at the Visitors Center.

NRA Fundraiser

Briefs nual fundraiser on March 14th at the Blue Ridge Shadows Holiday Inn north of Front Royal on Rte 522. Join other champions of the Second Amendment for dinner, raffles, auctions, and fun with a chance to win exclusive NRA guns, gear, decor, and collectibles! Net proceeds benefit youth and shooting sports programs in our communities. NRA membership is not required to participate.

Reservations are required and seat-

Showtimes: 622-9997

The Northern Valley Friends of NRA will be hosting their 22nd an-

www.royal-cinemas.com * Birthday Parties! *

New Comfortable Seating!!

Now Showing Chappie

14 Hour Behind The Wheel Program: Only $325

Featuring our convenient and easy to use Online Scheduling Tool: Schedule2Drive Now offering a 8-Hour Adult Re-Examination class Now offering Private Drivers Lessons

(DVW -DFNVRQ 6WUHHW Â&#x2021; )URQW 5R\DO 9$

540-622-6900

A Group of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Naughty Girlsâ&#x20AC;? set out to inspire a National Movement Recently, the Naughty Girls Donuts Shop in Front Royal was at the See BRIEFS, 22

County Social Services stalwart announces retirement

Offering: Â&#x2021; 6WXGHQW &ODVVURRP Â&#x2021; 5H ([DPLQDWLRQV

Â&#x2021; %HKLQG WKH :KHHO Â&#x2021; (DV\3D\PHQW 3ODQV Main Street â&#x20AC;˘ Front Royal, VA

ing is limited. Go to www.friendsofnra.org for more information or call Dick or Dolly Mason at (540) 6359424.

The Warren County Department of Social Services recently announced the retirement of Betty Grove after 40 years of service with the department. Director Beth Reavis said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are both happy for Betty and sad that we are losing such a wonderful employee.â&#x20AC;?

Mrs. Grove, nee Lee, began her career at Social Services on March

1, 1975 as a clerk typist/receptionist. She was promoted to accounts clerk in 1977 and to office assistant in 1982. In 1984 she was promoted to Office Manager and in 1997 became the Administrative Manager.  She handles all administrative fiscal matters, develops and monitors the budget with the Director, handles all human resource matters, and administers payroll and benefits.

Betty, along with her husband Dennis, is a long time Warren County resident. They have two grown children, Jennifer Grindle of Warren County and Eric Grove of Morrisville, North Carolina and two grandchildren, Brently and Weslee Grindle.

County Administrator Doug Stanley added, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Forty years of service is a rare feat these days. Through the many changes experienced by Warren County DSS over the past four decades, Betty has remained one constant presence. We wish her nothing but the best in her well-deserved retirement.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; From a release

$ 6RXWK 5R\DO $YHQXH )URQW 5R\DO 9$ ZZZ VDPVQHDGUHDOW\ FRP Â&#x2021; )D[ Â&#x2021; 7ROO )UHH

Now Showing

540-635-9808

Kingsmen: The Secret Service

%52:172:1 52$' Â&#x2021; )5217 52<$/ 9$

Coming Soon Cinderella

New Price!

$225,000 Listing Agent: Sam Snead

One of the best view properties on the market ! Full panoramic views all year round! Heal away your day with these views from every window of the Massanutten Range, Shenandoah Natâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;l Park and the Valley. Blend of old & new. Historic farmhouse with 2007 addition. 3 bed 2 baths on 2 open Agri acres. Bring your animals. Fronts Browntown Rd for easy access.

MLS# WR8182253

150 Ridgemont Rd. Middletown, VA Green Beer and Irish Stew on Saturday March 14th and Sunday March 15th

www.backroombreweryva.com

Find us on line at Untappd, Virginia beertrail.com, Virginia.org/breweries, Tripadvisor, Yelp, Beeradvocate, Ratebeer, Virginiabreweries.com

540-869-8482 Wed-Sun, 10am - 8pm

Page 22 â&#x20AC;˘ Warren & Frederick County Report â&#x20AC;˘ Mid March, 2015

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com â&#x20AC;˘ 540-551-2072 or Angie Buterakos at fcrwcr@gmail.com â&#x20AC;˘ 540-671-8707

Briefs BRIEFS, from 21 center of a huge controversy. Certain locals felt that the name of the shop gave the wrong impression, and set out to boycott the store and shut it down, inadvertently causing widespread support of the shop and its high-school aged owner, Tiana.

This incident in Tianaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shop inspired an idea. Tiana is asking her customers and followers to think about anyone they may have hurt over the past year, with unkind words or other wounding or dismissive behavior. At 12 noon on March 20, people will be asked to post on social media an apology to the person they hurt, with the hashtag #NGDSMANUP. Tiana hopes the idea will catch on nationwide and lead to recovery for both the bullied and the bully. Each person will be challenged to share their own story or donate $100 to free2luv.org.

One video will be posted each day until the day of the event. We are asking that if you have been hurt or may have hurt someone to please aid in this effort by making others aware of our outreach.

Tiana Ramos, Founder of Naughty Girl Donuts is a young American Entrepreneur. Her contribution to business in the US as a teen has been an inspirational story making National News over the last year. Tiana has currently signed for the creation of her first book and is now in a development deal for a possible reality series. Tiana has a commitment to future leadership and has created programs inside her business for the teens she employs that will later support them in their own business ventures and places a considerable investment in community by supporting many local charities , events and projects driven to help others Tiana and her staff are leading the way by posting videos at www.naughtygirlsdonutshop.com, apologizing to those they have hurt. One video will be posted every day through March 20. Check out the videos, and let the healing begin.

For more information, contact

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

Natalie Ramos, check out Naughty Girls Donut Shop or the Naughty Girls Donut Shop Website, as well as the Free2Luv Website, check out #NGDSMANUP Videos, or call (540) 849-9784. Naughty Girl Donuts is located at 70 Riverton Commons Drive, Front Royal, VA 22630.

Shenandoah University Students Competing for $5,000 Campus Kitchens Project Grant Shenandoah University is one of

four institutions nationwide competing in a video competition to secure a $5,000 grant through the Campus Kitchens Project, a national organization that empowers student volunteers to fight hunger in their communities.

The competition, sponsored by the Sodexo Foundation, runs from noon (ET) Monday, March 2, through 11:59 p.m. (ET) Monday, March 9; during that time, individuals can vote for the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s video once per device per 24 hour period at http://www.cam-

New Front Royal tap house & grill gearing up for business

French exchange student at WCHS reports on leadership conference

By Malcolm Barr, Sr. WC Report

Foreign exchange student Blandine Colas of France briefs Front Royal Rotarians Feb. 13 along with (left to right) Jacob Dodson (Randolph-Macon Academy), Richard Vo and Chelsey Butler (Warren County H.S.) on Rotary Internationalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Youth Leadership Conference at Virginia Tech. Blandine is attending WCHS this year and was the first foreign student to represent Warren County schools at the annual event. Photo by Bret Hrbek.

Borrow up to $3,000 at

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The PaveMint Taphouse and Grillâ&#x20AC;? in the old Jack Evans used car dealership building at 9 South Commerce Avenue, Front Royal, plans a â&#x20AC;&#x153;softâ&#x20AC;? opening later in March (lunches only) prior to a gala weekend celebration late April or May. PaveMint springs forth from the operatorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; now defunct Vino e Formaggio wine and cheese bar around the corner on East Main Street.

Rachel and Christian Failmezger are putting the finishing touches on the hostelry they have built â&#x20AC;&#x153;from the ground upâ&#x20AC;? on the site of a used car lot, and aim to serve lunches only 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Thursdays thru Mondays (closed Tuesday-Wednesday), opening in late March (no specific date yet set), then wait until they obtain full (liquor) licensing for a â&#x20AC;&#x153;major openingâ&#x20AC;? later in the spring.

The â&#x20AC;&#x153;major openingâ&#x20AC;? will feature three days of celebration, Friday through Sunday, featuring a full menu including beer, wine and liquor. Seating will be limited by regulation, so make your reservations now by calling (540) 252-4707.

Hours at that time will be 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day except Tuesdays.

The â&#x20AC;&#x153;softâ&#x20AC;? opening in the next week or two necessarily will be confined to lunchtime meals - no alcohol served. It will serve as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;shake down periodâ&#x20AC;? for staff, the owner/operators say, as well as a chance to see how theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve turned an old garage into a high-end bar and grill.

On March 10-11, there is an â&#x20AC;&#x153;open callâ&#x20AC;? for those interested in employment at the PaveMint. For interviews, call and/or just drop by. To follow the progress of PaveMint, including dates of openings, go to Facebook.

Mountain Mystic Trading Company

3.25% apr*

for 30 months Call or stop by for details.

540-635-7133 MASTERS OF ALL THINGS

HARDWARIAN

*Rate subject to change without notice. Membership required DQG TXDOLĂ&#x20AC;FDWLRQV DSSO\ 2QO\ RQH ORDQ VSHFLDO SHU VHDVRQ SHU PHPEHU ,I \RX ERUURZ DW $35 IRU PRQWKV \RXU DSSUR[LPDWH PRQWKO\ SD\PHQW ZRXOG EH H[FOXGLQJ LQVXUDQFH $35 $QQXDO 3HUFHQWDJH 5DWH 0HPEHU 1&8$ 1 5R\DO $YH 6RXWK 6W )URQW 5R\DO 9$ ZZZ IURQWUR\DOIFX RUJ

Find the right tools and supplies for your projects, plus expert, local advice.

FRONT ROYAL Ramsey True Value Hardware 703 North Royal Avenue â&#x20AC;˘ Phone (540) 635-2547 Open Weekdays 7A.M. to 7 P.M. Saturday, 7:30AM-5:30PM & Sun 9AM-4:30 PM

Our Mystique Has Grown!

Offering a wide variety of sterling silver and gemstone jewelry, chimes, rock and mineral specimens, books, cards, journals, relaxing and meditative music, tapestries, candles, incense, fragrance and essentials oils, stickers, and so many more one of a kind items!

215 South Street â&#x20AC;˘ Front Royal â&#x20AC;˘ 635-6318 Open everyday from 10-6, except Satruday 10-5 & Sunday from 12-5 Closed on Wednesdays

Mid March, 2015 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 23

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

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Angie Buterakos at fcrwcr@gmail.com • 540-671-8707 or Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072 puskitchens.org/2015/02/shenandoah-university/.“Liking,” “tweeting” and “sharing” on social media from the university’s video page are great, but please note that the only way to vote for Shenandoah’s video is to

click on the gray and orange “Vote Now” button. Shenandoah’s competition includes Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, Virginia), Merrimack College (North Andover, Massachusetts) and University of Houston (Houston,

Office@prosperitylandscaping.com www.prosperitylandscaping.com

540-869-2004

Briefs

Texas). View the overall leaderboard at http://www.campuskitchens.org/ sodexo. The top three schools with the most votes at the end of the voting period will win a $5,000 grant sponsored by Sodexo Foundation to launch their own Campus Kitchen, providing free, healthful meals to those in need by using donated food that would otherwise go to waste.

In order to qualify as a finalist for the competition, students from across the country submitted a vid-

eo explaining why their community would benefit from a Campus Kitchen. Freshman nursing major Shelby Ellis and Center for Public Service and Scholarship Graduate Fellow and Shenandoah University graduate student Lauren Flanigan spearheaded the video project for Shenandoah.

“As chair of Alpha Kappa Psi’s Service Committee, I wanted to find a volunteering project for AKPsi that would aid the Winchester community,” said Ellis. “It is the least we can do,

FREE ESTIMATES in time for Spring 2015 installations!!

Landscape and Hardscape Design and Installation!

Patios, walkways, concrete overlays, outdoor lighting, kitchens, seating/retaining walls. Create or rejuvenate planting areas, seeding, sod, grading or drainage issues.

0M P[ PZ V\[ZPKL ^L JHU OLSW ^P[O `V\Y WYVQLJ[ MYVT Z[HY[ [V ÄUPZO

considering Winchester welcomes Shenandoah students into their community while we attend college.

Campus Kitchens at Shenandoah University will assist in the fight against food insecurities of many low income families in the surrounding area. This grant will assist in launching our Campus Kitchens Chapter here at Shenandoah in order for us to start working within the community immediately.”

Center for Public Service and Scholarship Director Karen Schultz, Ph.D., and Dining Services General Manager Peter Labrecque serve as sponsors of the Shenandoah project.“We are thrilled that Shenandoah University’s video was chosen to be part of this contest,” said Labrecque. “Our team of students is anxious to get the Shenandoah University Campus Kitchens project off the ground and provide much-needed assistance and outreach to the communities that surround the university. To receive this prestigious grant would greatly increase our chance of success with this project.”

In addition to recovering food that would have gone to waste on campus and providing more meals in their See BRIEFS, 24

Sweet Frozen Treats GRAND OPENING!!

415-a South St, Front Royal Va Across from Martins Grocery Royal Plaza Shopping Center

Sweet Frozen Treats

YOGO BOGO! Buy one get one FREE of Equal or lesser value

Valid only at the 415-a South St, Front Royal location Expires March 31

Please present coupon in store

Page 24 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid March, 2015

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072 or Angie Buterakos at fcrwcr@gmail.com • 540-671-8707

Briefs BRIEFS, from 23 communities, student-led Campus Kitchen chapters create replicable programs that address the root causes of hunger specific to their community. At each of the 42 Campus Kitchens nationwide, students lead efforts to combat food waste and hunger by collecting surplus food from on-campus dining halls, community gardens, restaurants, and grocery stores and transforming it into healthy meals.

In the last academic year, Campus Kitchens across the country rescued more than 823,549 pounds of food and served 293,963 meals to 12,006 clients. Since 2001, Sodexo and Sodexo Foundation have supported The Campus Kitchens Project in its mission to share high school and college on-campus kitchen space, recover surplus food from cafeterias and empower student volunteers to prepare and deliver meals to millions of community members.

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

Consumers who purchased this product are welcome to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund, or to contact Mrs. T’s Pierogies at 1800-743-7649 from 8am to 4:30pm EST Monday through Friday.

United Way gears up for another “Day of Caring” The United Way of Front Royal/ Warren County announces the opening of the planning for the 2015 Day of Caring for Front Royal and Warren County…and we need your help to get clients!!

This year’s event will be held on

FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015, from 8am to 4 PM, and is currently looking for good clients who might need a bit of help.

As with every year, the hardest part of this project is finding qualified individuals to work for. All clients must meet the following criteria for acceptance: Live in Warren County or Front Royal; own the home that will receive the repairs (or familyowned); and be low-income and unable to complete the work.

If you are aware of anyone needing some help to stay comfortable in their homes, PLEASE have them See BRIEFS, 26

for Your Money

Service. Value. Trust.

We deliver that—and then some. Savings up to 30%* when you place your home, auto and life coverage with us. Benefits like first accident forgiveness and the expert advice of a trusted agent.

Ateeco, Inc., Maker of Mrs. T’s Pierogies, Issues Voluntary Regional Product Recall of Mozzarella, Tomato & Basil Pierogies Due to Plastic Contamination On February 27, 2015, Mrs. T’s Pierogies, of Shenandoah, PA, announced the voluntary recall of specific lots of its Mozzarella, Tomato & Basil variety of pierogies, due to safety concerns. The affected product was distributed to a limited number of retail customers and is being recalled due to plastic contamination in the product which may be a choke hazard. The specific product in question is the 16-ounce box of Mrs. T’s Mozzarella, Tomato & Basil Pierogies (UPC 4116400042), sold in retail grocery outlets in New England, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia and Illinois, and that have the following Best By information: Product with “Best By 05/20/16” Product with “Best By 07/15/16” To date, Mrs. T’s has not received reports of any adverse events associated with this issue for this lot and no other varieties or lots of Mrs. T’s Pierogies are impacted by this voluntary recall.

The recall was initiated after plastic was found in the filling of the product during production by a Quality Assurance check.

The company notified the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and is cooperating fully with the agency.

Mrs. T’s Pierogies has taken immediate action to voluntarily recall this product in order to ensure the safety of its consumers. Mrs. T’s Pierogies is dedicated to providing the highest quality products, and the safety of our customers is our number one priority.

Get the Best Joseph McGreevy McGreevy Insurance Agency Inc 986A John Marshall Hwy Front Royal, VA 22630-4518 Fax: 540-635-3291

540-635-3107

S944c Not all companies are licensed or operate in all states. Not all products are offered in all states. Go to erieinsurance.com for company licensure and territory information. *Savings vary by state and policyholder.

WCDS Students at Arlington National Cemetery

Kat Carter, Anna Clarke and Lucy Clarke salute during playing of “Taps” after placing a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Max Lilburn, Mrs. Mary Ann Cowherd, Lucy Clarke, Anna Clarke, Kat Carter and Shane O’Heir at 2nd Lt. Leonard Cowherd’s gravesite at Arlington National Cemetery

On Tuesday, March 3rd several students from Wakefield Country Day School will travel to take part in the Honor Guard Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. This event will include placing a wreath on the Tomb, and being a part of the presentation at the Tomb.

WCDS students participating in the event include Kat Carter, Anna and Lucy Clarke, Shane O’Heir,

parents established the scholarship in his name. Students will also visit his gravesite while at Arlington National Cemetery.

Lucy and Anna Clarke’s grandfather, served in the United States military and was a part of the Guard at the National Cemetery as part of the Honor Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The other students attending this event are part of the “We the People” Academic

Monica Marciano, Becca Paulisch, Rahmet Rahimi, Abe Nolan, Max Lilburn, Joe Dowell, and Aaron Corbett. Kat Carter, and the Clarke sisters will represent WCDS as part of the Honor Guard.

Carter is the recipient of the Leonard Cowherd Memorial Scholarship. Second Lieutenant Cowherd, a graduate of Wakefield Country Day School, was killed in action in the conflict in Afghanistan. His

Team that represented WCDS at the Virginia State Finals several weeks ago.

“Although the day was cold and sleeting, the students were touched by the power of the ceremony. Surrounded by grave stones of so many men and women who have fought for our liberties was certainly an emotional feeling at Arlington National Cemetery,” school official Brian Bosworth said

Page 26 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid March, 2015

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072 or Angie Buterakos at fcrwcr@gmail.com • 540-671-8707

Briefs BRIEFS, from 24 contact us here at the United Way. Last year we had more volunteers than we could possibly use….please help us find some good clients to help out this year.

The United Way will consider ALL applications that meet the above criteria; however, preference will be given to individuals who have NOT received assistance in prior DOC events.

Last year, more than 24 projects were completed with more than 150 volunteers from our community giving of their time and money to make it happen. Projects from yard work to carpet replacement, window repair to plumbing fixes all happened on Friday with the help of these wonderful people from all over Warren County.

Please let your United Way know if you are aware of any homeowners that could use our assistance, or if YOU need assistance yourself. Call the United Way office at 635-3636, or visit our website at: www.frontroyalunitedway.org for an application.

Deadline for receipt of these applications is: March 31, 2015.

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

cal information quickly in a variety of emergency situations.

Emergency messages will come from: (540) 662-9851 Non-Emergency message will come from: (540) 662-9850 Text messages will come from: 89361 We encourage you to save the 89361 number on your mobile phone as “Winchester Alert”.

You can also choose to subscribe to the following non-emergency alerts: Refuse/Recycling Collection Changes Non-Emergency Law Enforcement Info City Facility Closures Snow Plan Activation/Deactivation Non-Emergency Fire & Rescue Info Special Events-Public Safety

You will receive time-sensitive messages wherever you specify, such as your home, mobile or business phones, email address, text messages and more. You pick where, you pick how. Only addresses with 22601 can register. Questions? Call the City’s Public Information Officer at (540) 667-1815.

Residents without Internet access can register by calling 540-545-4739 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

United Way recognizes outstanding volunteer support The United Way held its Annual meeting on Thursday, February 19, at LFCC-Corron Center. Nadine Pottinga, United Way President and

Register Today to Receive Community Alerts Register today to receive notifications about emergencies and other important community news by signing up for our Emergency Alert Program. This system enables the City of Winchester to provide you with criti-

Watch Out for These Tricky Tax Scams

Tax season is upon us. While the process can go smoothly, scammers are out in full force targeting unsuspecting tax filers. The Better Business Bureau serving Metro Washington DC and Eastern PA is urging taxpayers to be aware of these common tax scams: Watch out for CALLS claiming to be from the IRS. Unless you initiate the call, the IRS will never demand immediate payment of taxes owed by phone without having first mailed an official notice to you.

Watch out for callers who claim to be employees of the IRS. These con artists can sound convincing when they call, using fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. They may know a lot about their targets, and they usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling. Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and that it must be paid promptly through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. If the victim refuses to cooperate, they are then threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license. In

many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting. Sometimes the caller may even say a refund is due to try to trick the victim into sharing private information. In either event, just hang up. If you know or think you might owe taxes, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. IRS workers can help you with a payment issue.

Be wary of E-MAILS purporting to be from the IRS. In many cases, these emails direct you to “update your IRS e-file immediately.” The emails may mention USA. gov and IRSgov (without the dot between ‘IRS’ and ‘gov’). The most important thing to know is the IRS does not initiate taxpayer communications through email. Taxpayers who get these messages should not respond, open attachments or click on the links as you may compromise your computer with malware or open yourself up to identity or other theft issues. Instead, forward the fake emails to the IRS atphishing@irs.gov.

Do your RESEARCH before selecting a tax preparer. Be wary of tax preparation services that prom-

ise larger refunds than the competition, and avoid tax preparers who base their fee on a percentage of your refund. Some unscrupulous tax preparers encourage consumers to claim income that was not earned or expenses that were not paid in order to secure larger refunds.

Check your return thoroughly and make sure you are not receiving any deductions or credits to which you are not entitled. Ideally, your tax preparer should either be a certified public accountant, a tax attorney, an enrolled agent, or a certified e-file provider. Either way, they should have a preparer tax identification number (PTIN) if they are going to be compensated for preparing or assisting taxpayers with any U.S. federal tax return, claim for refund or other tax form submitted to the IRS. Check out bbb.org for free reviews on tax preparers.

For more tips you can trust, visit bbb.org/washington-dc-eastern-pa and for the latest, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

– From a Better Business Bureau Public Service release

Non-paying, cross-state Wal-mart shopping spree

On February 23, 2015 at approximately 3 a.m., the Warren County Sheriff ’s Office responded to a suspicious activity call at Walmart located at the Riverton Commons Shopping Center. Employees reported a male subject in the store who appeared to be attempting to leave the store with a cart full of high value merchandise worth approximately $3,400. Employees also reported a vehicle circling the parking lot.

When deputies arrived the vehicle was seen leaving the lot through the rear access road. Deputies stopped the vehicle while other deputies stopped the subject in question. The rear of the vehicle, a pickup truck, had several large electronic items and plastic totes full of clothes in it with shipping labels from a Walmart in Dayton, Virginia. The Dayton Walmart was contacted and they confirmed that the vehicle and its occupants had been to their store and the items located in the bed of the truck had been stolen from their store.

Three subjects were taken into custody and warrants were obtained by the Warren County Sheriff ’s Office for Conspiracy to

Commit a Felony and Possession of stolen property for the following subjects: • Gene Baker, age 34 of Madison Heights, VA - held on a $2000 Bond • Marcus Jerome, age 32 of Oceanside, CA - held on a $3000 Bond • Christopher Miller, age 27 of Madison Heights, VA - held without Bond Rockingham County obtained a warrant for Christopher Miller for Grand Larceny for the items taken from the Walmart in Dayton. That warrant was served by Warren County Sheriff ’s Office deputies.

According to Sheriff McEathron the good work and quick attention in notifying the Sheriff ’s Office assisted in the arrest of these individuals suspected of committing these crimes. The investigation continues and the Warren County Sheriff ’s Office is working with the Rockingham County Sheriff ’s Office. Anyone with any further information related to this or other crimes should contact Sergeant Phillip Henry at (540) 635-7100.

– From a release

Have I got a deal for you! Online shopping gone wrong

On February 20, 2015 Front Royal Police took a report of an armed robbery. The robbery allegedly occurred when the victim responded to a Craigslist ad for an iPhone that was for sale. The victim met with an unknown male in an attempt to purchase the cellular device. At some point during the purchase the suspect allegedly pulled a handgun from his waistband and pointed it at the victim. The suspect then took the cash meant for the cellular phone purchase and then fled the area on foot.

Chief Shiflett advised on Monday, February 23, 2015 detectives made contact with the suspect and set up an encounter with the suspect. Members of the Front Royal Police Criminal Investigations Division, Warren County Sheriff ’s Office and the Front Royal Emergency Services Team prepared and executed an operational plan to safely apprehend the suspect who was then identified as a 17 year old male juvenile. Follow up interviews with the juvenile produced sufficient information, which led to a search warrant being executed in

the 600 block of Randolph Avenue.

As a result of the search warrant, a black BB gun with the orange tip removed was recovered in the suspect’s bedroom. Also within the bedroom was an undisclosed amount of cash and the suspect’s identification.

The suspect was held on a Juvenile Detention Order and charged with Felony Robbery, Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony and Grand Larceny.

The Front Royal Police would like to remind members of the public to always meet unknown people at a place that you know and are comfortable with when engaging in selling or buying personal items from the internet. Choose public places with plenty of people around and always meet in a well-lit area during normal daylight business hours.

If anyone has any additional information regarding this case please contact Detective Lethcoe with the Front Royal Police at (540) 636-2208 or jlethcoe@frontroyalva.com.

– From a release

Mid March, 2015 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 27

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

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Angie Buterakos at fcrwcr@gmail.com • 540-671-8707 or Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072 Chief Executive Officer, reported that the United Way Annual Meeting is an opportunity to highlight 2014 accomplishments, recognize outstanding campaign achievements, honor a Volunteer and Youth Volunteer of the Year and have some fun.

Dennis Kellison, Assistant Professor and Acting Director of the School of Education & Human Development at Shenandoah University was honored as volunteer of the Year for his 14 years of service with United Way of Northern Shenandoah Valley and Brooke Souders, a senior at Millbrook High School was recognized as Youth Volunteer of the Year.

The United Way of Northern Shenandoah Valley voted in new officers for 2015 Dr. Cheryl Thompson-Stacy, President, Lord Fairfax Community College was elected Chairman of the United Way Board of Directors. Dr. Thompson-Stacy will provide the volunteer leadership important in insuring that the organization works to identify and impact human care needs in the Northern Shenandoah

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker belongs to an embattled minority that happens to be most of the population.

The root of this paradox is that Walker is an outlier among the political class in not having graduated from college, at the same time that a solid two-thirds of the country lacks a fouryear degree.

Such is the domination of not just college grads, but specifically Ivy League grads, at the upper echelons of our government that the nation’s political competition can be seen as one big intramural battle at the Harvard or Yale Club.

And here comes Scott Walker, who dropped out of Marquette in 1990.

For all that we celebrate the do-itmy-own-way pluck and creativity of the nation’s great entrepreneurs who didn’t graduate, we tend to consider a four-year degree an indispensable stamp of respectability and capability.

It shouldn’t be.

Walker’s example stands for an important point: Success in America shouldn’t have to go through a B.A. This is something that the nation’s elite has trouble grasping. Howard Dean expressed the liberal id on this question on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” Discussing the flare-up over Walker ducking a question on evolution, Dean said: “The issue is how well-educated is this guy? And that’s a problem.”

The Washington Post ran a piece headlined “As Scott Walker mulls

WPD working to improve relationships with minorities The Winchester Police DepartWhite House bid, questions linger over college exit,” although no questions linger over his college exit. He left to take a full-time job with the American Red Cross. Mystery solved.

The dirt, such as it is, from the Post report is that Walker “had trouble showing up on time for French” and was bored in “a class on the politics of the Third World.” The Post characterizes Walker’s failure to graduate as one of “a string of defeats” he suffered at the time, yet the defeat was simply getting on with his life.

As a practical matter, Walker used college as vocational education for what was his true passion: politics. He took up political science, but studying political science has about as much bearing on becoming a politician as studying marine biology does on becoming an Olympic diver.

Politics is something you learn by doing. Walker ran for student office repeatedly at Marquette, then for real office almost as soon as he left school, building a career that has made him more successful and influential than world-class political science Ph.D.s.

We shouldn’t overlearn from Scott Walker’s example, of course. For many people, it’s better to graduate from college than not. But not for everybody. It would make more sense if we had a postsecondary system that had ways of training and credentialing young people that wasn’t so overwhelmingly dependent on a four-year degree, which is controlled by a lazy, inefficient and tuition-hiking academic establishment.

If Scott Walker wins the Republican nomination, Democrats will of course attack him as anti-education, but they will be falling into a trap if they make his lack of a degree an issue. When it comes to college, Walker is a representative of the 68 percent, and a symbol of all that is possible even without a diploma hanging on a wall.

Rich Lowry is editor of the National Review. © 2015 by King Features Synd., Inc.

ment (WPD) is taking a proactive approach to improve relationships with minorities in our community.

This past Wednesday, City Councilman John Hill and Winchester NAACP Chapter President Gwen Walker got together with WPD officers and discussed how minorities may feel when being pulled over. The presentation also included a brief history of racial segregation and the feelings that may still exist among African Americans following these historical events.

Police Chief Kevin Sanzenbacher is also leading a group that is planning activities for local youth. The first event was held earlier this month and included a DJ from Shenandoah University’s Black Student Union, games, pizza, dancing, and door prizes. About 30 local youth ages 1418, primarily from the city’s north end, attended the free event at the Douglas Learning Center. Those in attendance had to opportunity to interact with police officers, who were not in uniform. This was the first of many events that will be planned to improve the relationships among police officers and Winchester’s youth population.

King Features Weekly Service

© 2015 Bob Franken Distributed by King Features Synd.

The Education of Scott Walker

speaker and a guest lecturer at numerous universities. She is author of A Live Controversy, a book about autism and inclusive education.

Laura Hartmann will describe her experiences growing up with her brother Mark, who has autism and is non-verbal. She will ground her talk with general research on siblings and autism, personal anecdotes, and concrete advice for parents who have neurotypical and neurodiverse children.

Attendees must register at online at MountainLaurelMontessori. org There is a $50 fee. Professional development certificates will be awarded. The event will take place at the school at 155 Biggs Drive in Front Royal. For more information, contact info@mlm-school.org or call (540) 636-4257.

March 9, 2015

is a true Christian or loves America and gets ridiculed in the press for not answering, he scores positive points on the right. When he rails against the reporter “gotcha questions,” he taps into another hatred.

Even more than labor unions, conservatives despise media — except for Fox News and a few people who call themselves journalists but who are really advocates for right-wing politics. Those guys insist they are the exception to the rule that most of us are liberal hacks with a double standard, who go around harassing God-fearing conservatives with abominable “gotcha questions.”

It’s a funny thing about gotcha questions: Politicians and their supporters can’t stand them. Unless, of course, they’re being asked of their enemies.

Another funny thing about “gotchas”: they’re one of the ways the newsperson does his or her job.

We’re supposed to throw out the tough, skeptical question, as opposed to simply regurgitating whatever position statement the candidate is selling on any particular day. That candidate’s job is to give an answer, preferably not one that embarrasses. And if one of them doesn’t do well, we pounce.

What’s the point, you ask?

The answer is that running for election is partly a trial by fire. The high-office wannabe should demonstrate how he or she would respond to the withering pressures of the job if chosen by the voters.

If a few gotcha questions are a problem, imagine trying to deal with the likes of Vladimir Putin or Benjamin Netanyahu, or others who are always lurking and trying to get their way with America. Of course, to be fair, Walker’s point is that he’s shown he’s no slouch when it comes to toughness.

Let’s see how he stands up when the other Republican candidates start playing gotcha with him.

King Features Weekly Service

There are a few reasons Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is flying high right now in the early Republican presidential sweepstakes, but none is mightier than his record of sticking it to organized labor. This is the man who, after all, staved off a recall election once he was successful in changing state law to severely restrict the negotiating power of public-employee unions even after thousands and thousands of protesters raised a ruckus at the Capitol in Madison.

Nowadays, when he isn’t running for the White House prize, he’s back home again supporting a law that would make Wisconsin the 25th right-towork state. That would end a worker’s requirement at an organized company to join the union or at least pay dues.

Labor despises right to work; conservatives love it. Most hold nothing but contempt for unions. So when Walker answers a question at the Conservative Political Action Conference about how he would handle ISIS and says, “If I can take on 100,000 protesters, I can do the same across the world,” the right’s true believers were ecstatic.

When his spokeswoman later added a clarification that he wasn’t comparing union members to terrorists, she didn’t need to bother.

Walker is definitely the Republican flavor of the month. He’s made a couple of really red-meat speeches, and even when he refuses to say whether he believes that Barack Obama

On Saturday, March 14, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the Mountain

Laurel Montessori School will host a lecture and discussion on autism for parents and educators. Topics will include opportunities and challenges faced at home and school by caregivers and teachers working with children on the spectrum and effective strategies for success and contentment.

The event will include a Q&A session with specialists and families.

Conference speakers include keynote speaker Roxana Hartmann and family member Laura Hartmann. Roxana Hartmann is a disabilities rights advocate and autism consultant with twenty-five years of experience focused on autism. Her mission of seeking education in the least restrictive environment for her son Mark took her all the way to the United States Supreme Court (1997). She has been featured on The Today Show, Jim Lehrer’s PBS News Hour, CBS This Morning, and in The New York Times, People Magazine and by AP International. She is an international

March 9, 2015

The Rules of Gotcha

Valley.

The following officers will work with Dr. Thompson-Stacy in 2015: 1st Vice Chairman – Scott Harvard, First Bank Treasurer- Ted Troxell, Belk Secretary- Darcus Breneman, BB&T Wealth President/ Chief Executive OfficerNadine Pottinga The United Way of Northern Shenandoah Valley has a mission to increase the organized capacity of people to care for one another. The organization serves the communities of Winchester City and Clarke Frederick and Shenandoah Counties.

Individuals wishing to receive more information can contact the United Way at (540) 536-1610 or email uway@visuallink.com.

Mountain Laurel Montessori to Host “Gaining Perspective along the Spectrum: A Conversation about Autism”

Briefs

Old Town seeks Farmers’ Market Manager Be a part of the revitalization of Old Town Winchester through creating a dynamic downtown farmers’ market!

The City of Winchester is seeking a Market Manager (an individual or business) to develop and manage all aspects of a Downtown Farmers’ Market to be held Saturday mornings mid-May through August. The Market Manager will select vendors and collect and retain vendor fees and promote the market. No salary or adSee BRIEFS, 28

Mozart joins Front Royal Oratorio April shows The Front Royal Oratorio Society presents Mozart’s choral masterwork “Requiem” on Saturday, April 11, 7:30 p.m. at the Braddock Street United Methodist Church, 115 Wolfe Street, Winchester) and Sunday, April 12, 4 p.m., at the Front Royal Presbyterian Church, on Luray Avenue in Front Royal.

The program lasts about an hour and is accompanied by visiting guest artists and a chamber orchestra.

The concert is free and open to the public. Children are welcome.

For further details visit our website frontroyaloratoriosociety.org or call us at (540) 635-4842.

Page 28 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid March, 2015

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 fcrwcr@gmail.com • 540-671-8707

Briefs BRIEFS, from 27 ditional compensation is offered. The market will be located in the newly built Market Pavilion behind the Taylor Hotel Building.

Interested parties should contact Jennifer Bell, Downtown Manager, at (540) 535-3660.

Wear Your Green and Get Ready for Some Irish Fun on St. Patty’s Day at Veramar Vineyard There’s a rumor afoot, based on sightings of Leprechauns at the winery, that there will be great Irish fun at Veramar! Spin the Lucky Wheel for discounts or prizes! Wearing of “The Green” is recommended as you enjoy a fun afternoon of great wines

and live music.

Boondock Saints at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Celebrate St. Patty’s Day with a screening of the 1999 cult classic, featuring two Irish brothers, set in Boston.

City of Winchester Pipes & Drums Enjoy a green beer at one of many local bars and pubs that will be hosting this group of traditional bagpipers. They will be touring the area on Saturday, March 14, and Tuesday, March 17. See their Facebook page for more information.

Nana’s Irish Pub Experience a taste of Ireland in the Shenandoah Valley. Celebrate Irish culture with authentic food and live music. See their Facebook page for more information.

King Features Weekly Service

ing, at 102 E. Main St., Front Royal.

1) A draft ordinance amendment of Section 175-106.A.9.e., of the Town Code, as recommended by the Planning Commission after referral

by Town Council, and referred to under the title “Sandwich Board Signs.”

The draft would allow for the Zoning Administrator to allow one (1) additional sandwich board sign for businesses under certain specifications, and other minor changes to the sign regulations.

2) As authorized by § 58.1-3851 of the Virginia Code, a draft ordinance amendment is proposed that would establish three (3) tourism zones in the Town. These zones are proposed for the purpose of promoting business growth in the Town by offering incentives that will encourage economic development that will attract visitors, increase tax revenue, and enhance the general welfare of the public. The proposed incentives would be added to Section 75-74 of the Town Code. The draft amendment also proposes the addition of Section 75-75, where the incentives for historic district rehabilitation would be relocated from Section 175-97.

3) Approval of an ordinance to adopt Policy Guidelines pursuant to

By Samantha Weaver • It was a wise man, Will Rogers, who observed, “Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save.”

• Cleopatra’s husband was her brother, Ptolemy.

• Melanie Roberts, a 41-year-old Ohio woman, was forced to have her left leg amputated. Shortly thereafter, while still recovering, she was shocked to receive a $600 bill for the funeral of her leg. Evidently, she was supposed to pay for the limb’s burial — and the bill was even broken down into the separate costs for the plot, the minister, the hearse and the gravediggers.

• The name “Alice” means “noble kind”; “Amy” means “beloved”; “Angela” means “messenger of God”; and “Amanda” means “lovable.”

• During the Muslim feast of Al-Adha, a sheep was to be sacrificed on top of a four-story building in Cairo, Egypt. In a fit of terror or anger, the doomed sheep rushed the executioner, who then lost his balance and fell to his death.

• Ever wonder why so many coin banks are shaped like pigs? Here’s the story: In ancient times, a lump of clay was called a “pygg.” A clay bowl formed from this lump would often be used to hold loose change, and it was called a pygg bowl bank. According to legend, at a later point in history, a potter unfamiliar with the term received an order for several of these pygg bowl banks. Instead of the bowls, he made coin banks shaped like pigs; they became such a hit that they’re still around today.

• The Puritans wouldn’t allow the singing of Christmas carols. *** Thought for the Day: “’A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.’ That is why so many persons don’t fool with it.” — Dan Kidney © 2015 King Features Synd., Inc.

March 9, 2015

Notice of Public Hearings

The Front Royal Town Council will hold the following Public Hearings in the Warren County Government Center at 220 N. Commerce Ave., Front Royal, on Monday, March 9, 2015 beginning at 7:00 p.m. In the event of inclement weather and the hearings are postponed, it will be held the following Monday in the Front Royal Administration Build-

The Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act of 2002 (the “PPEA”), which grants responsible public entities, such as the Town, the authority to create public-private partnerships for the development of a wide range of projects for public use if the public entities determine there is a need for the project and that private involvement may provide the project to the public in a timely or cost-effective fashion.

4) Consider the Real Property Tax rate at $0.13 per $100 assessed val-

ue, which represents an increase of $0.0025 per $100 assessed value from the current year’s rate associated with the average increase in property values from the reassessment of properties completed by Warren County; the Personal Property Tax rate at $0.64 per $100 assessed value, which represents no increase over the current year’s rates; the Machinery and Tools Tax rate at $0.64 per $100 assessed value, which represents no increase over the current year’s rates; and the Mobile Homes Tax rate at

Stimmel spearheads 5th consecutive county Finance Award

All lines of insurance: Auto • Health • Business • Life • Home

•

Insure with us with confidence!

11 Water Street Front Royal, VA

(540) 635-8401

FRONT ROYAL GOLF CLUB

Come play the best 9 hole course in the Valley!

Front Royal Golf Club brings back the 4-hour round of golf. It’s a fun and excellent test of golf you’re sure to enjoy. Conveniently located just off I-66 at Exit 6, on Country Club Road in the beautiful and historic Shenandoah Valley.

Warren County Residents Discount Warren County residents receive a 10% discount on greens and cart fees. Bring your driver’s license or other proof of residency for discount. $20.00/18 holes include cart & green fees, Friday after 3:00pm.

Monday through Thursday

(540) 636-9061

www.warrencountyva.net

Now’s the time to buy! Best Prices!

Lowest Interest Rates!

Your key to great homes at great prices with great financing

Contact me for availability of homes and land starting under $200,000 100% Financing for qualified first-time buyers

Hardwood Floors; Master Suite with deluxe bath; open floor plan; fireplace; deck.

540-551-2162

conniesmallwood@mris.com www.conniesmallwood.com

Connie Smallwood

John Munch, second from left, presents Board Chair Richard Traczyk with ‘Distinguished Budget Award’. From left, County Administrator Doug Stanley, Munch, Traczyk and County Finance Director Carolyn Stimmel.

By Roger Bianchini Warren County Report Way to go, Carolyn!!!

At the March 3 Warren County Board of Supervisors meeting the county was presented with its 5th Annual “Distinguished Budget Award” from the Government Finance Officer Association.

John Munch, President of the Virginia Government Finance Officers’ Association and Fauquier County’s finance director, told the supervisors that each budget year presented new and unique challenges to municipal finance departments, making the 5-year streak an impressive one for both the county and its Finance Department headed by Carolyn Stimmel.

According to a county press release on the award, it represents a significant achievement by the department and municipality reflecting, “… the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, the entity had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed

to assess how well an entity’s budget serves as: a policy document; a financial plan; an operations guide; and a communications device.”

To receive the award, budget documents must be rated “proficient”, not only in all four of these categories, but the fourteen mandatory criteria within each of those categories.

In the county release, Finance Director Carolyn Stimmel said, “I am extremely pleased that we have received the GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the fifth year in a row. I believe that, through this process, we continue to provide the citizens of Warren County with much more information about the budget and the various County departments. I very much appreciate the assistance of Connie Oden and Mr. Stanley’s leadership and support as we worked on this project.”

In accepting the award, Board Chairman Richard Traczyk acknowledged the role of Finance Director Carolyn Stimmel in leading her department. Unfortunately for the county, he also noted that Stimmel’s retirement is looming in the not-too-distant future.

Mid March, 2015 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 29

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

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Angie Buterakos at fcrwcr@gmail.com • 540-671-8707 or Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072 This group is a curriculum based group. Each participant will receive their own copy of “Moving Beyond” a workbook that will help you move past the abuse.

To register contact Tammy at (540) 635-2302 or by e-mail at tammy@ phoenix-project.org. Space is limited so please register today.

Support Group now forming

Potomac Riverkeeper Network welcomes new directors to protect the Potomac Watershed

If you are experiencing abuse or have experienced it in the past, this group is for you. Please join us in a safe, confidential, judgment free atmosphere as we journey beyond the abuse. Meetings will be every Tuesday from March 10 through April 14 at the Phoenix Project Office from 2pm-3pm.

Every Friday night doors open at 5pm Bingo starts @ 7pm Progressive games: Jackpot = $1,000 Queen of Hearts = $5,211 Treasure Chest = $2,100 1st Progressive = $1,400 2nd Progressive = $800 3rd Progressive =$1,400

Front Royal VFD Inc.

221 N. Commerce Ave. Front Royal, Va 22630

On March 4th, 2015, Potomac Riverkeeper, Inc. officially changed its name to Potomac Riverkeeper Network. This change reflects the formation of three individual Riverkeeper branches under one umbrella organization, centralized in Washington, DC. A member organization of Waterkeeper Alliance, Potomac Riverkeeper Network is home to Upper Potomac Riverkeeper Brent Walls, Shenandoah Riverkeeper Mark Frondorf, and Potomac Riverkeeper Dean Naujoks. In addition to new hires Frondorf and Naujoks, Phillip Musegaas joins staff as the new Legal Director to lead the organization in its legal advocacy initiatives.

Potomac Riverkeeper Network (PRKN) is the only regional nonprofit using legal advocacy to protect the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, and all their tributaries within the Potomac Watershed. The Potomac Watershed sustains over six million residents across Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC. The mission of PRKN is to protect the public’s right to clean water in our rivers and streams, stopping pollution in order to promote safe drinking water, protect healthy river habitats, and enhance public use and enjoy-

ment. Potomac Riverkeeper Network combats major water quality threats through direct assessment, legal advocacy and enforcement, as well as provides educational, recreational, and volunteer opportunities to local communities.

On March 1st, Mark Frondorf took the place of Jeff Kelble, now President of PRKN, as the new Shenandoah Riverkeeper. Frondorf ’s intimate knowledge of the Shenandoah River will allow him to see the organization’s current actions through, and develop its work in the Shenandoah Valley. For over 20 years, Frondorf served as a fishing guide on the Po-

March 6.Blues Condition 7.The Shockers 10. Vaughan Brothers 11. Rooster Johnson 12. Tim Walls 13. Shortness of Breath 14. Dry Town 17. Mark Clay 18. Ralph Fortune 19. Rooster Johnson 20. Knob Creek

Open

Tues.-Sat. at 11am Sat. at 1pm

Most extensive beer selection in the Area!

Daily Lunch & Dinner Specials

LIVE MUSIC !

EVERY NIGHT INFO@luckystarlounge.net

www.luckystarlounge.net

Shop LOCAL! FRIBA IBuyWarren.com

www.facebook.com/luckystarlounge

WE CATER!

540-635-5297

205-A E. Main Street, Front Royal

expand catch and release regulations.

He also played an instrumental part in achieving revisions to the Code of Federal Regulations to permit wade fishing on portions of the Potomac See BRIEFS, 30 al Parks.” The 104-page books are loaded with information: color-coded maps, pre-visit information, illustrations and photographs, free map and guide to the park system. At each spot you visit, stamp your book to record your visit at the cancellation station.

Not all parks have this, but most do.

National Parks Pass Is Summer Bargain The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass can form the basis for numerous trips and adventures this summer, and it’s a bargain at $80.

Not all of the national parks are natural wonders. Some sites are museums, islands, vintage buildings, lighthouses, canals, forts, homes of former presidents, national battlefields, historical parks, monuments, recreation areas, scenic rivers, preserves, wildlife refuges and memorials. Activities at national parks can include but aren’t limited to camping, hiking, fishing, climbing, diving, boating, skiing, swimming and photography.

What your pass covers: One year of entrance for each passenger in your non-commercial vehicle, to include the pass owner and three adults age 16 and older (kids are free). You’ll need a photo ID. Note: Some sites charge per vehicle, and some per person. Ask in advance.

If you’re military, get your free pass by showing your military ID at most parks that charge a fee. Best bet: Get your free pass in advance.

If you’re a senior, get your lifetime pass at a park site that issues them. It will cost you $10.

No trip will be complete without a copy of “Passport to Your Nation-

selections?

Downtown’s Favorite Live Music Venue

tomac and Shenandoah, as well as several other Mid-Atlantic rivers.

As former president of the Potomac River Smallmouth Club, he successfully lobbied both Virginia and Maryland officials to implement and

Each book is $8.95, but spring for the annual commemorative stamp sheet for $3.95 to add to your pages. Each year has different stamps to promote a different park in each region. If you have kids, consider adding the “Kids’ Passport to Your National Parks Companion” for $5.95. Each one contains a field journal, list of Junior Ranger programs and checklists to go along with the Passport book. Order at www. eparks.com.

Google “national parks passport” and click Images to see photos of Passport pages.

Learn about the National Park Service at www.nps.gov. For specific questions about what the pass covers for each park, call 1-888-275-8747, option 3.

This year, the fee-free dates are April 18-19 (opening weekend of National Park Week), Aug. 25 (National Park Service Birthday) and Sept. 26 (National Public Lands Day). © 2015 King Features Synd., Inc.

March 9, 2015

$0.13, which represents no increase over the current year’s rates.

More Information on the above public hearings may be obtained by contacting the Clerk of Council, Jennifer Berry at jberry@frontroyalva. com or (540) 635-8007. All interested citizens are invited to attend these hearings to express their views.

Briefs

Page 30 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid March, 2015

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072 or Angie Buterakos at fcrwcr@gmail.com • 540-671-8707

Briefs BRIEFS, from 29 River.

Frondorf offers over 25 years of experience as a think tank senior policy analyst, tackling some of the most vexing issues facing our nation. Additionally, he was the principal investigator and author of a federal study that examined issues, challenges and potential solutions to the dumping of U.S. chemical weapons into oceans.

Dean Naujoks also joined Potomac Riverkeeper Network as the new Potomac Riverkeeper, expanding community outreach, initiating hands-on research and monitoring, and creating relationships with local communities to spread awareness on key issues facing the Potomac. Naujoks previously served as the first Upper Neuse Riverkeeper for over seven years, and later became the first Yadkin Riverkeeper in 2008, where he also served as Executive Director until 2014. As a river advocate for over 20 years, Naujoks has worked on issues similar to those faced in the Potomac Watershed, including municipal stormwater issues, wastewater violations, erosion and sediment control regulation, and fracking.

During his tenure as Yadkin Riverkeeper, Naujoks established the annual Tour de Yadkin, a river sojourn

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

that raised funds to protect the Yadkin River as well as to provided recreational opportunities for more than 1,800 residents in North Carolina. Naujoks also established and led the Muddy Water Watch Project, a statewide construction stormwater runoff campaign. Muddy Water Watch Project has been recognized

by EPA as a model training program for citizen engagement on issues such as sediment and stormwater runoff, and has been adopted by Waterkeeper programs in six other U.S. states. In 2009, Naujoks was awarded River Network’s National River Heroes Award, an accolade that honors those who provide leadership and inspiration in protecting our Nation’s most treasured rivers.

In addition to two new Riverkeepers, Phillip Musegaas joins Potomac Riverkeeper Network as Legal Director, recreating the role of former in-house General Counsel. Musegaas will oversee legal matters across all three Riverkeeper branches and expand conservation efforts into the Lower Potomac. For the past 10 years, Musegaas worked for Hudson Riverkeeper, the first Riverkeeper group to come into existence, which sparked the international Waterkeeper Alliance movement. At Hudson River-

keeper, he held positions including Program Director and Senior Attorney, and was responsible for the development and implementation of litigation and policy campaigns, leading a team of four attorneys and independent consultants.

At Hudson Riverkeeper, Musegaas led many successful legal actions against polluters in violation of the Clean Water Act. Among his successes were actions taken against ExxonMobil for its historic 17 million gallon Greenpoint oil spill, as well as numerous concrete companies, scrap yards, and other waterfront sites whose operations violated federal laws. Musegaas also worked to ensure passage of a New York state law requiring public notification of sewage discharges, and served as a citizen advisor on two task forces convened by Mayor Bloomberg to address climate resiliency challenges in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

Potomac Riverkeeper Network is excited to introduce these new staff members as well as launch its new graphic identify. For more information, please visit www.potomacriverkeepernetwork.org.

CPR Class The Community CPR course is designed to provide lay rescuers the fundamental skills and confidence to perform CPR on adult, children, or infants. This hands-on skills training prepares you to respond to breathing and cardiac emergencies. This class will also teach the skills and knowledge needed to provide care for victims of sudden cardiac arrest through the safe us of an automated external defibrillator (AED).

This course will be held, Saturday March 14, 2015 beginning at 9:00am at the Warren County Community Center for those 12 years of age and

older. Cost is $70.00 per participant.

Pre-registration is recommended.

For more information please contact the Warren County Community Center at (540) 635-1021, Monday through Saturday, 8:00am – 10:00pm and Sunday, 1:00pm – 9:00pm.

Easter EGGstravaganza Come join the staff of the Warren County Parks and Recreation Department for an afternoon of Easter fun! Participants will play games, make crafts, hunt for eggs and even get the chance to meet the Easter Bunny and have their picture taken.

Program will be located at the RES

Georgia Rossiter Ivy Lodge Attorney At Law 31 South Braddock Street

3KRQH )D[

Gift Shop 101 Chester Street

Front Royal, VA (540) 636-1446 Open Mon-Fri 9:30 am - 4 pm

Great Gift Ideas, including: Books, Affordable Gifts, Locally Handcrafted Gift Items, Appalachian Glass & Much More 3URFHHGV EHQH¿W WKH :DUUHQ +HULWDJH 6RFLHW\

&RQFHQWUDWLQJ ,Q )DPLO\ /DZ 'LYRUFH &KLOG &XVWRG\ 6XSSRUW

%,1*2 at NORTH FORK RESORT

301 North Fork Road, Front Royal Virginia 22630

Every Thursday and Saturday at 6:30PM Saturday: 2 - $400 Jackpots

2 Progressive Games Treasure Chest

Queen of Hearts Raffle Progressive Tab Game

PAYOUT BASED ON ATTENDENCE

No outside food. No smoking. Must be 12 to Play. Info : (540) - 636 - 7152

Early Birds 6:30PM. Door Prizes!

Recently renovated Country House for Rent in Bentonville, VA. $1,300.00 per month. The house features an open floor plan, wood, tile & carpeted floors, appliances, front porch. It consists of two levels with a full bathroom on each level. No smoking. No Pets.

Call 540-635-2097 or 540-635-6470

Call for the best service rates and the best prices on any and all installs

Mid March, 2015 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 31

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

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Angie Buterakos at fcrwcr@gmail.com • 540-671-8707 or Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072 Youth Center on Saturday, March 28, 2015 starting at 2:00pm; doors will open at 1:50pm. For children of all ages; those under age 6 must be accompanied by an adult. $8.00 per child; includes picture with the Easter Bunny. Program is limited to 50 children.

For more information contact the WC Community Center at (540) 635-1021, Monday through Saturday 8am-10pm and Sunday 1pm -9pm.

Visit us on the web at www.warrencountyva.net.

Gone “Batty”

BS

Black Bears of Virginia Learn from a Shenandoah River State Park ranger about the largest mammal in our area. See what bears like to eat, what kind of trees they like to nest in and where they hibernate.

This course will be instructed by an Educational specialist from the Shenandoah River state Park and is being held on Friday, March 27, 2015 from 7:30pm -8:00pm at the Warren County Community Center. Course is recommended for ages 10 years of age and older; adults are welcome.

The course is free of charge.

Registration information can be obtained by contacting the Warren County Community Center at (540) 635-1021 or via email at wcccinfo@ warrencountyva.net.

Youth Volleyball Program The Warren County Parks and Recreation Department will be offering a Youth Open Gym - Volleyball Program on Thursday evenings, 6:30pm -8:30pm beginning March 19, 2015.

This program is open to those 12

BUILDING, REMODELING & HANDYMAN SERVICE

Replacement Windows • Siding Decks & Porches • Roof Repair Additions Finished Basements • Fine Carpentry • Ceramic Tile Interior & Exterior Painting • Floor Covering Tree & Yard Work • Power Washing

Call Buck (540) 551-2673

- 16 years old and will be held at the Warren County Health and Human Services Gym. Cost is $3.00 per participant.

For more information contact the Warren County Community Center, Monday through Saturdays, 8:00am10:00pm and Sunday, 1:00pm – 9:00pm, at (540) 635-1021.

Next Level Wrestling Club Warren County High School The Warren County Parks and Recreation Department in conjunction with Warren County High School will be sponsoring the Warren County Next Level Wrestling Club for grades 6th through 12th, at Warren County High School Wrestling Room, Monday through Thursday, 3:45pm-5:00pm. Club will begin March 9, 2015 and run through November 19, 2015. Club is FREE of charge.

For more information contact Coach Wadas at (540) 635-4144 ext. 44179 or via email at mwadas@ wcps.12.va.us. Registration forms are available at the Warren County Community Center, 538 Villa Ave. Front Royal, and the Warren County Parks and Recreation Department, 200 E. 8th Street. Front Royal.

Financial Empowerment Training for Agency Staff Virginia Cooperative Extension is offering an eight-hour financial empowerment training for staff members of organizations who work with people who have low or moderate incomes. The tool kit allows staff to access financial information as needed based on their client’s goals.

The training is designed to give staff financial tools to share with clients, without becoming a financial expert.

20% OFF

Training dates are March 20 in Woodstock, March 24 in Stanley, March 27 in Berryville, April 1 in Winchester, and April 6-7 in Front Royal. The registration fee for the training is $15.00 with lunch and $5.00 without. For more information, call the Warren County Office of Virginia Cooperative Extension at (540) 635-4549 or visit our website at http://tinyurl.com/nsvfinancialeducation.

Junior Master Gardener Home School Program Offered The Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardener Association offers its Junior Master Gardener Program for Homeschooled Students, beginning March 10, 2015, in Winchester, Virginia. Contact the Frederick County, Virginia, Cooperative Extension Office at (540) 665-5699 to sign up.

The Junior Master Gardener Program for Homeschooled Students allows children to learn about horticulture, gardening, vegetables, soils and bugs, and much more. Students will take classes Tuesday mornings, 10:00 to 11:30, from March 10, 2015 through June 6, 2015. After classes end, students will plant a vegetable

Calvary Episcopal Church 132 North Royal Avenue Front Royal, VA 22630 Phone: 540-635-2763

Welcoming All as Neighbors

Sunday Services 8:00 a.m.

10:30 a.m. www.CalvaryEpiscopalChurch.org

540-868-0025

3343 Valley Ave. Kernstown, VA

MSRP

On ALL in stock MTH RailKing Trains!

www.mariostrains.com

Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10am to 6pm Friday 10am-8pm

garden on N. Kent Street and Sharp Street. They will garden and continue their learning throughout the summer and get to donate the produce they grow to CCAP in Winchester, which provides food through its pantry to people in need.

This wonderful program is free to all homeschooled students in third, fourth, and fifth grades. Contact Tammy Epperson at the Frederick County, Virginia, Cooperative Extension Office at (540) 665-5699 to sign up or for more information.

See BRIEFS, 34

March 9, 2015

Join a ranger from the Shenandoah River State Park for a children’s program designed to teach kids all about bats, a wonderful creature of the night, and why they are in trouble.

This course will be instructed by an Educational specialist from the Shenandoah River state Park and is being held on Friday, March 27, 2015 from 7:00pm -7:30pm at the Warren County Community Center. Course is recommended for those 5-12 years of age. The course is free of charge Registration information can be obtained by contacting the Warren County Community Center at (540)

635-1021 or via email at wcccinfo@ warrencountyva.net.

Briefs

• On March 24, 1765, the British Parliament passes the Quartering Act, outlining the locations and conditions in which British soldiers are to find room and board in the American colonies. The New York assembly refused to comply with the law.

• On March 28, 1774, upset by the Boston Tea Party and other blatant acts of destruction of British property by American colonists, the British Parliament enacts the Coercive Acts, which included closing the port of Boston and giving immunity to British officials in criminal prosecution.

• On March 26, 1804, President Thomas Jefferson attends a public party at the Senate and leads a crowd in consuming an enormous loaf of bread. The giant bread was baked to go with the remnants of an enormous 1,200-pound block of cheese given by a group of Baptist women two years prior.

• On March 25, 1958, Sugar Ray Robinson defeats Carmen Basilio to regain the middleweight championship. It was the fifth and final title of his career. Robinson is considered by many to be the greatest prizefighter in history.

• On March 23, 1962, Pakistan’s governor, Ayub Khan, gives first lady Jacqueline Kennedy a horse named Sardar because of their common interest in horses. In her memoirs, the first lady referred to Sardar as her “favorite treasure.” She nicknamed the jet gelding “Black Jack.”

• On March 27, 1973, Marlon Brando declines the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in “The Godfather.” American Indian actress Sacheen Littlefeather attended the ceremony in Brando’s place, stating that the actor could not accept the award, as he was protesting Hollywood’s portrayal of Native Americans in film.

• On March 29, 1982, the University of North Carolina wins the NCAA men’s basketball championship with a 63-62 defeat of Georgetown University. With 15 seconds on the clock, Georgetown point guard Fred Brown accidentally threw the ball to Carolina’s James Worthy, mistaking him for a Georgetown teammate. Worthy dribbled out the clock. © 2015 King Features Synd., Inc.

Page 32 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid March, 2015

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 fcrwcr@gmail.com • 540-671-8707

Community

Gold’s Gym “Hunger Games” challenge provides food for C-CAP Teams compete to get fit and give away good food for Front Royal’s hungry

By Carol Ballard Warren County Report Healthy food for the community, healthy competition among participants and physical fitness goals have been the challenges for teams at Front Royal’s Gold’s Gym for the last six weeks.

It has sparked members of the gym, which is located in the Royal Plaza Shopping Center, to donate food for C-CAP (CongregationalCommunity Action Project) and to keep themselves in shape while participating. Teams will find out which one scored the most points in the program called the “Hunger Games” on Saturday, March 7.

Marcia Harmon and Holly Scott, both employees of Gold’s Gym in Front Royal, took the time to talk about how much more the gym is than just a place to get fit.

Gold’s General Manager Casey Cope has a long history of using the gym as a place where local organizations can base their charitable activities and needed someone to coordinate the various projects.

“Casey has always wanted to do a lot for the community so he hired me to organize the programs,” said Community Outreach Coordinator Holly

Holly Scott and Maria Harmon pose in front of the donation boxes featured in Gold’s Gym’s recent “Hunger Games” challenge.

NOW OPEN

TOBACCO STORE

Located in Martins Plaza Stephens City, VA

Buy 5 Cigars, any brand and get 1 Acid Blondie FREE!!

Spend $45 on Merchandise and get a FREE Bic Lighter!!!

NEW INVENTORY NOW IN STOCK 218 Elizabeth Drive Stephens City, Va (540) 869-8070 Open Monday to Sunday 10am to 9pm

Scott.

Group Fitness Manager and Personal Trainer Maria Harmon, also spends a lot of her time volunteering for the community outreach programs at the gym and played a

big part in the recent Hunger Games challenge.

“We were trying to find some way to promote healthy eating,” said Maria.

They came up with a three-part

Motivated class members pose for a picture after one of Maria Harmon’s group fitness class called BodyCombat.

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

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Angie Buterakos at fcrwcr@gmail.com • 540-671-8707 or Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072 plan.

Teams competed to bring food for the donation boxes, while collecting points toward physical fitness goals.

This would serve the purpose to get food to local people in need as well.

They also wanted people to stay fit during the winter months.

“There’s usually a lull in physical activity from New Year to Easter. This fills that void. We wanted to get people into classes, because when people take classes, they feel accountable to others. They can also get points for shoveling snow or other movement activities if they can’t make it to gym because of weather,” Maria explained.

Holly said there wasn’t a specific dollar or amount of food goal, but the members always exceed what they expect, and are always willing to help, mainly because everything goes right into the local community. Team members encouraged their friends to drop in and bring food for the boxes too.

“We’re always working on a project.

When that one is finished, we move on to the next,” Holly explained.

Each team chose a community service project, which, along with the CCAP donations, included helping the Multiple Sclerosis organization, and Warren County Humane Society’s animal shelter.

Holly herself volunteers to walk the animals at the shelter, and her 7year-old daughter, Aurora Scott, goes with her and plays with the cats, who need exercise and love to interact with people.

Mid March, 2015 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 33

Community

One of Gold’s Gym teams put on a drive to raise money for a Multiple Sclerosis walk, and proudly raised $630 for the cause.

Past efforts have included: donating to the House of Hope, the local Men’s shelter; sponsoring a MS walk; holding pet adoption days with Warren County’s Humane Society; and participating in a 5K run for Skyline’s Track and Field fund. They also do a quarterly blood drive with the Red Cross.

“We have a full array of classes, with something for everyone,” said Maria.

As an added bonus, anyone who is interested in joining a class can get a 7-day pass for free classes if they mention this article.

Along with the huge variety of classes and exercise equipment,

February’s classes include: Yoga, Tae Kwon Do, TRX Suspension training PiYo, Gold’s Gym Martial Arts; Barre Booty Camp.

Future plans include having a pet adoption day on March 14 from 10 a.m. to noon at the gym.

“If someone doesn’t want to adopt a pet, they can buy one of the Shelter’s 2015 calendars or donate money,” Holly offered.

The gym will also be sponsoring a Multiple Sclerosis Walk in May. “Our members like being part of the gym, it’s a family atmosphere, Holly said, and Maria added, “We’re a gym with a heart.”

540-551-8312

Gold’s Gym Community Outreach Coordinator Holly Scott’s daughter Aurora Scott, volunteers at Warren County’s Humane Society to play with lonely cats, providing them with exercise and interaction with people.

Page 34 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid March, 2015

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072 or Angie Buterakos at fcrwcr@gmail.com • 540-671-8707

Briefs BRIEFS, from 31 Flint Hill Public House to change course with new menu and staff

a consulting chef to help facilitate a smooth transition to the new menu that will be in effect March 23rd. Marie Mulhern, a classically-trained chef with 30 years of restaurant and menu experience, is serving as a consultant on the changes and will assist Swaner and King in the makeover. “We are in a hybrid geographical region of sorts, with a mix of local customers and visitors from Washington DC,” Gruber said. “So we decided to start our fourth year by making major changes to the menu.” “‘Lowcountry’ dishes will feature coastal seafood with similarities to Creole and Cajun flavors,” Swaner said. The new menu is in testing now and will be rolled out March 23rd.

In addition to the kitchen changes, long-time Rixeyville resident and Public House Restaurant & Inn supervisor Theresa Baldwin has been elevated to Director of Catering and Sales, according to Gruber, replacing current director Tammy Layne, who is taking another position with the parent company.

Baldwin is a graduate of Fauquier County High School and Strayer College, and retains her real estate license, but found working in the hospitality industry more challenging. As a longtime server, hostess and supervisor at the Public House, Gruber says, “promoting Theresa was one of the easiest things I have ever had to do. She has been a great asset for our property and our customers.”

Baldwin has extensive experience in the food industry, including previous work at Culpeper restaurants, plus customer service and organizational skills honed as office manager at Integrated Logistics of Manassas.

Baldwin will work with Layne for a smooth transition, as the Public House already has several 2015 events scheduled, including weddings, receptions, rehearsal dinners, birthdays, anniversaries and its own 2015 Backyard Tasting & Music Festival on June 13th.

The Public House is buzzing with excitement, according to Gruber. The team is excited to start the fourth year off with new challenges, and is looking forward to presenting the new changes to their customers.

FR Oratorio Society Presents The Front Royal Oratorio Society presents Mozart’s choral masterwork “Requiem” on Saturday, April 11, 7:30 pm (Braddock Street United Methodist Church, 115 Wolfe Street, Winchester) and Sunday, April 12, 4:00 pm (Front Royal Presbyterian Church, Front Royal.) The program lasts about an hour and is accompanied by visiting guest artists and a chamber orchestra. The concert is free and open to the public. Children are welcome. For further details visit our website frontroyaloratoriosociety.org or call us at (540) 6354842.

Warren County and Front Royal Memorial Planning Please join us in the process of planning and creating a memorial for Warren County and Front Royal. An organizational meeting will be held Sunday, March 29 from 2pm – 4pm at the Town of Front Royal Administration Building located at 102 E. Main Street. For more information on this meeting please contact Darryl Merchant at heritage@measuremap.com or contact Bill Henry of the Blue Ridge Heritage Project at (434) 985-7905 or onarock01@yahoo.com.

There will be a short presentation and refreshments will be available afterwards. The Blue Ridge Heritage Project is a grassroots effort to honor the sacrifices made by the people of the Blue Ridge Mountains when Shenandoah National Park was established.

Watch Out for These Tricky Tax Scams Tax season is upon us. While the process can go smoothly, scammers are out in full force targeting unsuspecting tax filers. The Better Business Bureau serving Metro Washington DC and Eastern PA is urging taxpayers to be aware of these common tax scams: Watch out for calls claiming to be from the IRS. Unless you initiate the call, the IRS will never demand immediate payment of taxes owed by phone without having first mailed an official notice to you. Watch out for callers who claim to be employees of the IRS. These con artists can sound convincing when they call, using fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. They may know a lot about their targets, and they usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling. Victims are told

they owe money to the IRS and that it must be paid promptly through a preloaded debit card or wire transfer. If the victim refuses to cooperate, they are then threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license. In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting.

Sometimes the caller may even say a refund is due to try to trick the victim into sharing private information.

In either event, just hang up. If you know or think you might owe taxes, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. IRS workers can help you with a payment issue.

Be wary of emails purporting to be from the IRS. In many cases, these emails direct you to “update your IRS e-file immediately.” The emails may mention USA.gov and IRSgov (without the dot between ‘IRS’ and ‘gov’). The most important thing to know is the IRS does not initiate taxpayer communications through email. Taxpayers who get these messages should not respond, open attachments or click on the links as you may compromise your computer with malware or open yourself up to identity or other theft issues. Instead, forward the fake emails to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov.

Do your research before selecting a tax preparer. Be wary of tax preparation services that promise larger refunds than the competition, and avoid tax preparers who base their fee on a percentage of your refund.

Some unscrupulous tax preparers encourage consumers to claim income that was not earned or expenses that were not paid in order to secure larger refunds. Check your return thoroughly and make sure you are not receiving any deductions or credits to which you are not entitled.

Ideally, your tax preparer should either be a certified public accountant, a tax attorney, an enrolled agent, or a certified e-file provider. Either way, they should have a preparer tax identification number (PTIN) if they are going to be compensated for preparing or assisting taxpayers with any U.S. federal tax return, claim for refund or other tax form submitted to the IRS. Check out bbb.org for free reviews on tax preparers.

For more tips you can trust, visit bbb.org/washington-dc-eastern-pa and for the latest, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Paving project: streets closed; no parking The Town will have contractors paving the following streets beginning March 16 (weather permitting).

W. 17th Street at Happy Creek Road from Braxton Road to Manassas Avenue; Manassas Avenue from Happy Creek to Braxton Road; and Braxton Road from Manassas Avenue to Happy Creek Road. Sections of the

streets will be closed and parking will be restricted. Department of Environmental Services (540) 635-7819.

Southern States Local Annual Meeting Set Southern States Cooperative will review its operations at a series of local annual meetings, including the upcoming meeting for members of Southern States Front Royal Cooperative, Inc. “Fiscal 2014 was a challenging year in several ways for Southern States Cooperative and its’ members” says President and CEO Thomas R. Scribner. “The winter was much colder than normal which presented petroleum supply issues – this situaSee BRIEFS, 36

March 9, 2015

The Flint Hill Public House Restaurant menu will soon undergo a major overhaul with a focus on southern cuisine, according to Chef Marvin Swaner. “Being south of the MasonDixon line, we decided to create more selections from our area’s rich heritage, typically identified as ‘comfort food’ with a lot of emphasis on ‘down home’ or ‘lowcountry’ dishes.”

The change in the menu is supported with the recent arrival of Tony King as sous chef. Hailing from Virginia’s Westmoreland County, true southern living is in his DNA. “With 250 miles of shoreline, and surrounded by farms, ‘lowcountry’ cooking is a way of life. Amazing fresh ingredients always at your fingertips,” King said. King is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of Virginia and previously served as sous chef at a Norfolk restaurant, along with training at many DC fine dining establishments.

“The addition of Tony will afford us an opportunity to expand our specials and desserts each week,” Swaner said.

“However, our main menu will shift towards southern cuisine, including pan-fried chicken, catfish and pork chops with gravy, chicken fried steak, country ham, field peas and all sorts of greens, along with other foods associated with the south.”

“That includes buttermilk biscuits, cornbread, homemade preserves, barbeque, okra and tomatoes, mustard greens and beets. And of course, plenty of beans: butter beans, pinto beans and black-eye peas,” Swaner said. “No one will leave hungry,” he said. “Not to worry, a few of our popular southern items will stay, but the preparation and presentation will be new.”

In addition to King, Managing Partner John Gruber has brought in

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

• When you make a meringue, be sure to spread it all the way to the crust on all sides. If you do, it will not shrink.

• Newspaper bags are handy hand covers in many situations. Keep them close if you are painting, doing a DIY art project, working in the shop with sticky or greasy materials, or baking and working with dough. If you’re interrupted, simply slip a bag over your hands to answer the phone or door, etc. It’s much quicker than washing and drying your hands, and you can go right back to it once you’ve dealt with the interruption. — W.A. in Oregon • To clean burned-on bits from your cast-iron skillet, scrub with a plastic scrubbie and salt as an abrasive. Dry immediately and rub with oil to keep moist. — R.T. in Ohio • Metal shower hooks can be used in the sewing basket to hold safety pins.

They can be used in a jewelry box to corral costume rings as well.

• Line the edges of a plastic shower curtain on both sides with duct tape.

Then snip out a few holes through the tape edging. You can use the holes to tie the plastic stretched out between trees for a windbreak or as a quick shelter from the rain. You can tie bagged sand to the corners and use as a car cover, or stake it to the ground under your blanket to avoid ground moisture. There are lots of possibilities. — F.C. in Georgia • After your dishwasher has run its course, open up the door and let the dishes air dry. On cold days, there’s the added bonus of humidifying the house with the steam that escapes.

Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. © 2015 King Features Synd., Inc.

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

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Angie Buterakos at fcrwcr@gmail.com • 540-671-8707 or Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072

Mid March, 2015 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 35

Winchester-Frederick Diversions

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

540-665-TIPS

CRIME OF THE WEEK

Frederick County Crime of the Week - March 2, 2015 This week’s Crime of the Week is a burglary, vandalism and arson that occurred in the 300 block of Bobcat Trail. The victim reported on December 10, 2014, he arrived at the residence and discovered unknown suspect(s) had forcibly entered the premises and taken some of the supplies used to renovate the home, including paint, painting supplies, a ladder, a utility heater and miscellaneous tools. The Frederick County Fire Marshal’s Office is also investigating a suspicious fire that occurred at the same address on February 22, 2015 between the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m If you have any information regarding a suspect or suspect vehicle in these incidents, please contact the Crime Solvers Hotline at(540) 665TIPS (8477). Information leading to the arrest of a suspect may result in a reward of up to $1,000.

Incident #14006928 Investigator Holmes D. Smoke Assistant Fire Marshal Mark Showers Winchester Crime of the Week - February 23, 2015 The Winchester Police Department is investigating a grand larceny that occurred in the 100 block of Tevis Street between 8 p.m. February 5 and 6 a.m. February 6, 2015. A significant amount of used cooking oil was stolen from TGI Fridays, and it was intended to go to Valley Proteins. The suspect(s) is possibly driving a cargo van or box truck.

If you have any information regarding a suspect or suspects in this case, 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. You can remain anonymous.

Officer Stefanowicz, Incident # 15004960

Winchester Police Investigate Burglary The Winchester Police Department is investigating a burglary that occurred at Olde Towne Realty located in the 1800 block of Valley Avenue. On Monday officers responded to the business around 9 a.m. for a reported burglary and forced entry. Sometime between Friday, February 20th around 5 p.m. and Monday morning someone had broken into the business and taken an undisclosed amount of money.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked call the Crime Solvers HOTLINE at 540665-TIPS. Individuals who are able to provide information that leads to an arrest in this case could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

Fire calls Residential Structure Fire – 721 Old Charles Town Rd, Stephenson, VA At approximately 2:00a.m., March 2, 2015, Frederick County Fire and Rescue responded to a residential structure fire located at 721 Old Charles Town Road in Frederick County. When crews arrived they found fire showing from the residence. Due to the large volume of fire it took approximately one hour to control. Fire department personnel remained on scene until approximately 5:30a.m.for salvage and overhaul. At the time of the fire there was one person at home in the residence, who sustained minor injuries from the fire. Damage estimates are not available at this time No firefighter injuries were reported. Fire and Rescue units from Clear Brook, Millwood Station, Greenwood, Round Hill, Middletown, Frederick County Battalion 10 Duty Officer and assistance from Winchester City and Clarke County fire departments all responded to the incident. The fire is under investigation by the Frederick County Fire Marshal’s Office. The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office and VDOT assisted with traffic control.

Residential Structure Fire – 396 White Oak Road, White Post, VA At approximately 1:00pm on March 2, 2015, Frederick County Fire and Rescue responded to a residential structure fire located at 396 White Oak Road in Frederick County. When crews arrived they found fire showing through the roof of the residence. The bulk of the fire was extinguished in approximately 35 minutes. Fire department personnel remained on scene until approximately 4:00pm checking for hot spots and for salvage and overhaul. After completing their investigation the Fire Marshal’s Office has determined the fire started due to a deterioration of the chimney assembly. Damage estimates are not available at this time. No firefighter or civilian injuries were reported. The family cat was located and survived. Assistance from the Red Cross was not needed. Fire and Rescue units from Stephens City, Middletown, Round Hill, Clear Brook, Frederick County Fire and Rescue Operations Chief and assistance from Winchester City and Clarke County fire departments all responded to the incident. The Frederick County Fire Marshal’s Office also responded. The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office assisted with traffic control. No further information is available at this time.

Page 36 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid March, 2015

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072 or Angie Buterakos at fcrwcr@gmail.com • 540-671-8707

Briefs BRIEFS, from 34 tion was followed by supply issues with baler twine and animal health products, and finally an unusually wet spring delayed the application of fertilizer until late in the season, creating even more supply challenges.

Our employees at all levels did an outstanding job of working through these issues, as providing inputs for our farmers is of utmost importance.

As we continue in Fiscal 2015, we will learn from this past year and continue to focus on the entire customer experience for our customers, and are confident it will be a great year.”

Southern States Front Royal Cooperative, Inc. will hold their annual membership meeting on Thursday, March 19, 2015 at North Warren Fire Station, 89 Rockland Road, Front Royal, Virginia. The business meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m.

The Cooperative’s management will use the meeting to report on both local and company-wide operations, as well as projected budget results for next year. Local board members will be elected and retiring board members will be recognized.

Nominees for the board include David T. Jenkins, III and Mike Mendell.

“The annual meeting is the best single opportunity to outline our plans for the future to our membership and discuss our progress in meeting our financial goals,” notes Allen D. Taylor, manager of Southern States Front Royal Cooperative. The Board of Directors, management and employees of Southern States continue to be thankful for your business and dedication.

Founded in 1923, Southern States now has more than 200,000 farmermembers. As one of the nation’s

Call Gary

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

largest agricultural cooperatives, the Richmond, Va. based firm provides a wide range of farm inputs, including fertilizer, seed, livestock feed and pet food, animal health supplies and petroleum products, as well as other items for the farm and home. The Cooperative serves its members and non-member customers through some 1,200 retail outlets.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy celebrates 90 years of protecting and managing the longest hiking-only footpath in the world Today the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) celebrates 90 years of protecting the Appalachian Trail (A.T.). A long-standing partnership with the federal government, Trail maintaining clubs and thousands of volunteers has enabled the organization to preserve and manage the longest hiking-only footpath in the world.

The ATC was founded in 1925 by volunteers and federal officials working to build a continuous footpath along the Appalachian Mountains.

A unit of the National Park Service, the A.T. ranges from Maine to Georgia and is approximately 2,185 miles in length. The Trail goes through fourteen states along the crests and valleys of the Appalachian mountain range from the southern terminus at Springer Mountain, Georgia, to the Trail’s northern terminus at Katahdin, Maine.

The A.T. has over 2-3 million people visit the Trail every year and about 2,500 people attempt to “thruhike” the Trail. People from across the globe are drawn to the A.T. for a variety of reasons: to reconnect with nature, to escape the stress of city life, to meet new people or deepen old friendships, or to experience a simpler life.

The A.T. was completed in 1937 and is a unit of the National Park System. The A.T. is managed under a unique partnership between the public and private sectors that includes, among others, the National Park Service, the USDA Forest Service, an array of state agencies, the ATC, and 31 local Trail-maintaining clubs.

“This year marks a milestone for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy,”

said Ron Tipton, the ATC’s executive director/CEO. “The Conservancy is widely respected and recognized for its historic role in managing and protecting the Appalachian Trail, and we are committed to preserving this wonderful hiking experience for future generations to enjoy.”

With central offices in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, a quarter-mile from the Trail since 1972, the ATC currently includes more than 43,000 members, 6,000 volunteers, a full & part time staff of about 50 in six locations and an annual budget of $7.9 million and total assets of about $15 million.

The ATC celebrates its 90th anniversary in the midst of its implementation of a new 5-year Strategic Plan.

The plan, launched in early 2015, identifies five key goals: Proactive Protection, Engaged Partners, Effective Stewardship, Broader Relevancy, and Strengthened Capacity and Operational Excellence. Together, these goals not only reinforce the idea that the Trail can be enjoyed by a variety of users in multiple ways, but also that the A.T. should be readily accessible to all who wish to be a part of the experience.

For more information about the ATC’s 90th anniversary, including ways to give back, visit www.appalachiantrail.org/90th Officials Toast New Distillery in Petersburg

By Matt Leonard Capital News Service RICHMOND –With help from a state grant, a malting facility and craft distillery will open in Petersburg and use large quantities of Virginiagrown feedstock in making alcohol, officials announced Wednesday.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Petersburg Mayor W. Howard Myers joined the owners of Big Trouble Malting and Spirits at an event in Petersburg to make the announcement.

“The demand for malted barley is huge, and the market is vastly underdeveloped,” said Tony Kvasnicka, co-owner of Big Trouble. “Our goal is to support Virginia craft brewers and create an operation where growers can confidently raise barley and other alternative crops for the craft

Classifieds AUTOS

RENTALS

2013 Toyota Corolla for sale, 4-cyl, dohc 16 valve, 4sp-auto, AM/FM/CD/Bluetooth, Magnet grey/bl int., 16” spoke alloy wheels, $15,000/Neg. 540-636-0490 or 540-6310539 leave message

110 N. Massanutten Street, Strasburg, Va. Commerical space. $750 per side. Call 202302-9129

1994 Chevrolet Van, 3/4 ton high top conversion. 350 V8. Runs Great $1000 Call 540459-1748

MISCELLANEOUS 1981 C30 1 ton Dually 350ci 4sp 75220 org miles, mechanics bed & top, runs needs some work--540-660-2913 EMPLOYMENT Current Job Openings. Contact the VEC for additional information at 540-722-3420 or 540-535-2875 or Winchester@vec.virginia. gov. Please enter “Employer Services” in the subject line and job number and title when you inquire about the position: Job Number / Title 536014 / Police Officer I 535693 / Structural Engineer 535506 / Detention Specialist I (Male) 535238 / Upscale Security Officer/Security Guard Front Royal / 535215 Medical Billing, Charge Entry Specialist, II / 534767 / General Laborer - Traffic Controller Winchester, VA 535043 / Equipment Manager 535117 / Food Service Workers Part Time 535170 / Supervisor, Electronic Services 535089 / Unarmed Security Officers 535147 / Asst. Store Manager II 535120 / Tradesman 534603 / Restaurant Manager 534542 / Field Technician 534393 / Operations Supervisor - CTB 95959 534426 / Machinist 534306 / Senior Safety Specialist- Warren County Power Station- Front Royal, VA 534146 / Licensed plumbers needed WV & Winchester areas JOB FAIR AT THE VEC, WINCHESTER OFFICE 100 PREMIER PLACE, 540 535-2875 Harbor Freight Tools Tuesday, 10 March and Wednesday, 11 March 2015 from 10:00am2:00pm. Entry level Retail Clerks, Cashiers, Warehouse Supervisor $8.25-10.25ph.Bring Resume. Please ensure you are registered on the Virginia Workforce Connection (www. vawc.virginia.gov) prior to the job fair JOB FAIR: Labor Ready, A true blue company, we put people to work. At the VEC, Winchester office. 100 Premier Place, 540535-2875. Monday March 9, 10am to 3pm.

Laundry workers. Bring resume. Please ensure you are registered on the Virginia Workforce Connection (www.vawc.virginia. gov) prior to the job fair. Job #.536618 Sales representatives needed for Winchester/Frederick County area. Contact dan@AreaGuides.com

540-636-9875 and 540-683-1045

“Introducing Your Business to New Homeowners in our Community”

Looking for Nail Tech Instructor/ Nail Tech willing to teach. For more info.. visit Star Beauty School Tuesday-Friday 10 am to 6 pm at 2263 Valor Dr. Winchester, VA.

P.O. Box 1025 Front Royal, VA 22630 540 635-8660

Sales Manager needed for Winchester/Frederick County area. Contact dan@AreaGuides.com

New Beginnings Community Greetings ***

Temporary Housing, Front Royal, Mountain Lodge, furnished, 2BR,2BA, Avail.Dec.10, $2,400/mo. Includes all utilities/maid. Call 703-860-2711

York piano for sale. Weaver piano company. #70766. Made between 1915 and 1930.

Must go by March 31st. Needs some work. $200 or best offer. call 540-671-8707. can send pictures. You must pick up.

North Fork Resort Charter Membership.

FREE. You pay transfer fees. Call 540-6672735.

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

Call 540-662-9023 Mercury outboards; 20 hp $800.00, 10 hp $500.00, Prentice vise “old 108” 6” jaws $1000.00, Helen Jean Smith 1987 framed Edinburg print $400.00, John J Pershing 1927 signed photo to General Passaga $1600.00, Antique Oak Ice box, 3 door org wheels $1200.00; Aluminum Light Poles 12’ tall x 4” od, square anchor, call 540-6602913 Honeywell R22 tank with about 25 to 27 lbs of freon left. Only used to charge one heat pump. Will sell remaining for $325, price is negotiable. Call 540-671-8707. Located in Front Royal.

Cookie Jars, Aunt Jamima and others, assorted prices. Old wicker baby stroller, $100.

Big ceramic owl, $50.00. Canning jars $4 each. Old Schwinn girls bicycle, $50 and need tires.

Long Time Collections for sale: Carnival Glass, Pottery; E. Texas, Roseville, Depression glass (green and pink), Jewelry from the 50’s and forward. Call 540-635-1612

Your business listed here.

6 lines only $35.00 for 4 weeks. Ad pre-payment required.

Email: classifieds@fredcoreport.com

or call Angie

at 540-671-8707

Mid March, 2015 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 37

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

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Angie Buterakos at fcrwcr@gmail.com • 540-671-8707 or Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072

Death notices

William “Bill” Hubert Lemarr, age 61, of Middletown, Virginia, passed away on Wednesday, March 4, 2015, in Chippenham Hospital, Richmond, Virginia. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Omps Funeral Home, 1600 Amherst Street, Winchester, VA 22601 to assist with funeral expenses.

Robert Clay “Bob” Wilson, 69, of Frederick County, Virginia, died Saturday, February 28, 2015, at Winchester Medical Center. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, 4301 North Fairfax Pike, Suite 530, Arlington, Virginia, 22203 or Heritage Baptist Church, 2040 Martinsburg Pike, Winchester, Virginia 22603.

Joan Catherine Michael Shiley, 78, of Stephens City, Virginia, died Saturday, February 28, 2015, at Winchester Medical Center. Memorial contributions may be made to C-Diff Foundation, 6931 Ian Court, #14, New Port Richey, Florida, 34653, www.cdifffoundation.org.

Robert Allen “Bobby” Coontz, 86, of Winchester, Virginia, died peacefully at his home on February 27, 2015, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Blue Ridge Hospice, 333 W. Cork Street, Suite 405, Winchester, VA 22601.

The Reverend Dr. Conrad Johan Christianson, Jr., 79, of Frederick County, VA died Friday, February 27, 2015, at the Blue Ridge Hospice Inpatient Care Center. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Bethel Park Scatter Garden, c/o Bethel Lutheran Church, 2077 N. Frederick Pike, Winchester, VA 22603.

Aileen Whittaker Cutshaw, 88, of Stephens City, Virginia, passed away on Thursday, February 26, 2015, at Amerisist in Stephens City with her family by her side. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Word of Life Ministries World Missions Fund, P.O. Box 52, Stephenson, Virginia 22656.

Thomas Christopher Gruenther, 54, of Frederick County, Virginia, died Wednesday, February 25, 2015, in Frederick County. Memorial Contributions may be made to the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center, P.O. Box 326 Millwood, Virginia, 22646 and/or Opequon Presbyterian Church, 217 Opequon Church Lane, Winchester, Virginia, 22602.

Joyce Ann Alexander Webber, 66, of Winchester, died Friday, February 20, 2015 in Winchester Medical Center. Memorials may be made to the SPCA, 115 Featherbed Lane, Winchester, VA 22601 or to Blue Ridge Hospice, 333 W. Cork Street, Winchester, VA 22601.

beer industry.”

McAuliffe approved a $50,000 grant from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund to assist the City of Petersburg with the project. Big Trouble has agreed to buy more than 40,000 bushels of barley, wheat, rye and fruit from local producers.

“Big Trouble brings together multiple aspects of economic development – agriculture, entrepreneurship, manufacturing, tourism, and community revitalization – in one operation and is another excellent example of leveraging some of the commonwealth’s greatest assets to build a new Virginia economy,” McAuliffe said in a press release.

State Sen. Rosalyn Dance, D-Petersburg also spoke at the event. She said that agriculture is Virginia’s largest private industry and that the state should support it.

“I am also pleased with the company’s commitment to our region’s farm

families,” Dance said. “Thanks to this announcement, we have another business utilizing Virginia-grown products and providing more opportunities for our farmers for years to come.”

Barley farmers could use the help.

Casey Engle, chief information officer of Engle Family Farms in Henrico, said his operation has decreased production of barley over the past few years because of low prices.

“It sells for about half the price of production,” Engle said.

He said he would welcome the opportunity to sell barley to brewing or malting operations – something his farm has not done before. Engle said he has been talking with a malting facility in North Carolina that was offering significantly more for barley than previous buyers.

Elaine Lidholm, the director of communications for the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, said the barley used

Diversions Briefs in alcohol production is different from barley used for feed or other uses. She said grain purchases by Big Trouble would benefit the state’s farmers.

“We’re interested in helping farmers diversify, and that’s what a project like this does,” Lidholm said.

When the craft brewery scene emerged a few years ago, Lidholm said, many brewers had to import most of their grain from out of state.

Now, more of those resources are being grown in Virginia, she said.

At the announcement in Petersburg, Todd Haymore, Virginia’s secretary of agriculture and forestry, said the growing production of alcoholic beverages in the commonwealth has been a focal point for the McAuliffe administration.

“With more than 260 wineries and cideries, 100 craft breweries and 20 craft distilleries, Virginia is quickly emerging as a significant craft beverage player on the East Coast,” Haymore said. “In addition to jobs created, investments made and tourism generated by craft beverage makers, they are providing new production and revenue streams for local producers.”

Big Trouble plans to invest about $1 million and create nine jobs as part of its operation in downtown Petersburg.

General Assembly Finalizes Ethics Bill

By Benjamin May Capital News Service RICHMOND – The results are in.

EXCELLENT SCENIC RIDES

Front Royal Warren County Airport

Cass Aviation (540) 635-3570 •

CFI WANTED

WARREN COUNTY AIRPORT/FRONT ROYAL

Airplane Rides Year-round!

20 Minute Scenic Flights - $65 Per Person GIFT CERTIFICATE AVAILABLE, Intro Flight Training $99,

See Gliders every weekend!

• Group Discount • Flight Training • Aircraft Rentals • Photo Flights

• Glider Club • Charter Flights • New Hangars • Tie Down Avail. *LIW &HUWLÀFDWHV • New Taxiway

All of the General Assembly’s work on ethics reform in the 2015 session came to an end Friday with the passage of a 98-page bill that lawmakers hailed as a significant accomplish, but some critics said it still needs work.

The issue of ethics has been a joke for some legislators, but House Speaker William J. Howell said on the first day of the session that it is the responsibility of the General Assembly to gain Virginia’s trust back.

The week before the session started, former Gov. Bob McDonnell was sentenced to two years in prison for corruption – and toward the end of the session, his wife Maureen was given a prison term of one year and a day. The McDonnells are appealing their 2014 felony corruption convictions. Their case sparked a debate on what is appropriate conduct at the Capitol and in the offices of public servants across the state.

On the final day of the session, both the House and Senate unanimously passed a bill – SB 1424 – that incorporated ideas from several pieces of legislation. Among other things, the bill puts a $100 caps on gifts that public officials can receive. (The current cap is $250.)

The bill, which also addresses officials’ travel and the Ethics Advisory Council’s makeup, now goes to Gov. Terry McAuliffe to be signed into law.

After adjournment, lawmakers cited ethics reform as one of the session’s highlights.

Howell and other members of the House Republican leadership issued a statement saying their chamber had “led the effort to enact stronger ethics laws that will improve transparency in government.” The Senate Republican leadership put SB 1424 on its list of achievements. And McAuliffe said the bill was a move in the right direction.

“This session brought much-needed reforms to Virginia’s ethics laws.

The newly passed $100 gift cap will reduce conflicts of interest and increase public confidence in state government,” the governor said in a statement.

Now Hiring Winchester Sales Reps

dan@AreaGuides.com

Spay Today Need to get your cat or dog spayed or neutered?

Contact Spay Today, our area’s non-profit, reduced-price spay and neuter program. At the time of surgery, initial shots and tests can also be obtained at lower rates.

Chose from MANY vets over a WIDE area!

NEW vets added!

Contact Spay Today: www.baacs.org or call 304-728-8330

Page 38 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid March, 2015

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072 or Angie Buterakos at fcrwcr@gmail.com • 540-671-8707

Calendar Friday, March 6 Forecast 28° | 10° 1:30pm - 2:30pm Education Committee. Front Royal Chamber Office.

Saturday, March 7 Forecast 44° | 33° 9am - 12pm Used Book Drop Off Day. Bowman Library, 871 Tasker Road, Stephens City; and Handley Library, 100 W. Piccadilly St., Winchester. Bring your books, DVDs and CDs for donation to the library. This month donors may drop off these items at either Handley or Bowman libraries. Volunteers will be there to assist with unloading donated items.

Books and other donations received will be used for the Spring Used Book Sale. The semi-annual sale benefits youth services and other programs at Handley Regional Library. Contact Barbara Dickinson at (540) 662-9041 x31 or email friends@handleyregional.org for details.

3:30pm - 4:30pm Poet’s Church.

Handley Library Auditorium, Winchester. A new opportunity to express faith is coming to Winchester.

This truly different kind of worship experience contains none of the standards one might expect. There is no sermon, no corporate singing and no offering. The format is one of simple sharing from the participants who are encouraged to express their original (or not) works of poetry, music, dance or artwork. The service is the brainchild of local resident Todd Strader and is not affiliated with any particular church. The service is open to all.

6:30pm - 9:30pm Bingo. North Fork Resort Associates, 301 North Fork Road, Front Royal. Doors open at 4:30pm, early bird games begin at 6:30pm. Food and drinks are available at the North Fork Resort Cafe.

Progressive games, raffles, queen of hearts. Tonight has 2 jackpots at $400 each. Benefits the North Fork Shenandoah River Restoration Foundation. Payouts based on attendance.

Must be 12 to play. More information call (540) 636-7152.

Sunday, March 8 Daylight Saving Time starts Forecast 48° | 30° Monday, March 9 4:30pm - 7:30pm Chess Instruction. Handley Library, West Piccadilly Street, Winchester. The chess program is open to all ages and abilities, from beginners to more advanced players. This program is cosponsored by the Shenandoah Valley Chess Club. Visit their website at: http://www.winchesterchess.com.

Contact Jennifer Sutter at (540) 6629041x16 or email jsutter@handleyregional.org for more information.

7pm - 8pm Council Meeting.

County of Warren Government Center.

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

8:30pm - 9:30pm Books and Blocks. Bowman Library, Tasker Road, Stephens City. Books and Blocks is a STEM* inspired afterschool program that encourages reading and imagination, coupled with fine motor skills through the use of Lego™ building blocks. Each week leaders will introduce a new topic based on library book displays and challenge youth to build something new. Contact Donna Hughes at (540) 869-9000 x215or email dhughes@ handleyregional.org for more information. Themes for March: March 2: Sky’s the Limit (building skyscrapers); March 9: Finding a way over (building bridges); March 16: Setting Up Camp; March 23: All Things Military; March 30: Cloud Busting Towers *Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Tuesday, March 10 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.

7pm - 7pm BAR Meeting. Town Administration Building, Front Royal.

Wednesday, March 11 12pm - 1pm Winchester-Frederick County Artisan Trail Lunch & Learn event. Location to be determined.

Get on the Trail Today! The ACV Artisan Trail Network with its community loops is designed to connect businesses and attract visitors to artisan/artist studios, agri-artisan farms and local arts/craft venues, while creating opportunities for participating and supporting businesses. In addition, supporting sites such as locally owned lodging, restaurants and recreational and cultural points of interest are welcome to become participants on the trail. Like the Facebook page for updates! (540) 886-1684 or www.artisantrailnetwork.org.

3:30pm - 5pm Chamber Board Meeting. Front Royal Chamber Office.

6:30pm - 8:30pm Medicare and Healthcare Options. Handley Library Auditorium 100 W. Piccadilly St. Winchester. John Clawson from Waddell and Reed Financial Inc. will discuss current Medicare and heath options. This educational program is open to the public. Sponsored by Friends of HRL. Contact Barbara Dickinson at (540) 662- 9041 x31 or

email friends@handleyregional.org for details.

7pm - 11:30pm Apple Blossom’s Got Talent! Third Audition. Brightbox Theater, North Loudoun Street, Winchester. Apple Blossom’s Got Talent! This is the third and final preliminary Audition for the 2015 “Car Credit Nation: Apple Blossom’s Got Talent!”.There will be 80 G/A seats upstairs and 120 G/A seats downstairs at each event. Audition ticket cost is $5.00 for Upstairs(Screen View Only), and $10.00 for Downstairs (Live View), which, due to the complexities of ticket-handling, can only be purchased at the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival® headquarters located at 135 N. Cameron St., Winchester. Contestant Online Registration is now available! Be sure to carefully read the Rules & Guidelines before filling out the registration form as there have been some updates for 2015.

Thursday, March 12 6:30pm - 9:30pm Bingo. North Fork Resort Associates, 301 North Fork Road, Front Royal. Doors open at 4:30pm, early bird games begin at 6:30pm. Food and drinks are available at the North Fork Resort Cafe.

Progressive games, raffles, queen of hearts. Tonight has 2 jackpots at $400 each. Benefits the North Fork Shenandoah River Restoration Foundation. Payouts based on attendance.

Must be 12 to play. More information call (540) 636-7152.

of Lego™ building blocks. Each week leaders will introduce a new topic based on library book displays and challenge youth to build something new. Contact Donna Hughes at (540) 869-9000 x215or email dhughes@ handleyregional.org for more information. Themes for March: March 2: Sky’s the Limit (building skyscrapers); March 9: Finding a way over (building bridges); March 16: Setting Up Camp; March 23: All Things Military; March 30: Cloud Busting Towers *Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Tuesday, March 17 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.

7pm - 8pm BZA Meeting. Front Royal Administration Building, 102 E Main Street, Front Royal. Today is the Board of Zoning Appeals meeting to be held in the upstairs Conference Room of the Front Royal Administration Building. Agenda are available in the Planning/Zoning Office located

All Sports...

All the time

Saturday, March 14 6:30pm - 9:30pm Bingo. North Fork Resort Associates, 301 North Fork Road, Front Royal. Doors open at 4:30pm, early bird games begin at 6:30pm. Food and drinks are available at the North Fork Resort Cafe.

Progressive games, raffles, queen of hearts. Tonight has 2 jackpots at $400 each. Benefits the North Fork Shenandoah River Restoration Foundation. Payouts based on attendance.

Must be 12 to play. More information call (540) 636-7152.

Monday, March 16 7pm - 8pm Council Work Session.

Town Administration Building, 102 E. Main St. 8:30pm - 9:30pm Books and Blocks. Bowman Library, Tasker Road, Stephens City. Books and Blocks is a STEM* inspired afterschool program that encourages reading and imagination, coupled with fine motor skills through the use

Winchester Area Sales Manager Needed. Email:

dan@AreaGuides.com

Front Royal Little League & Washington Nationals Baseball Plus the award-winning News At Noon & Valley Today, local news & sports updates throughout the day and up-to-date weather from local meteorologist Kemp Miller Serving Front Royal and Warren County since 1948

www.facebook.com/SportsRadio1450WFTR

Mid March, 2015 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 39

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

To advertise in Warren & Frederick County Report, Contact: Angie Buterakos at fcrwcr@gmail.com • 540-671-8707 or Alison at alisond@warrencountyreport.com • 540-551-2072 at 102 E Main Street (540)635-4236.

Wednesday, March 18 7pm - 8pm Planning Commission Meeting. County of Warren Government Center.

Thursday, March 19 5pm - 8pm Third Thursday Art Walk. Downtown Front Royal.

6:30pm - 9:30pm Bingo. North Fork Resort Associates, 301 North Fork Road, Front Royal. Doors open at 4:30pm, early bird games begin at

Pets Page

6:30pm. Food and drinks are available at the North Fork Resort Cafe.

Progressive games, raffles, queen of hearts. Tonight has 2 jackpots at $400 each. Benefits the North Fork Shenandoah River Restoration Foundation. Payouts based on attendance.

6:30pm. Food and drinks are available at the North Fork Resort Cafe.

Progressive games, raffles, queen of hearts. Tonight has 2 jackpots at $400 each. Benefits the North Fork Shenandoah River Restoration Foundation. Payouts based on attendance.

Must be 12 to play. More information call (540) 636-7152.

Must be 12 to play. More information call (540) 636-7152.

Saturday, March 21 9am - 4pm Commemoration of the First Battle of Kernstown. Kernstown Battlefield, 610 Park Drive, Winchester.

6:30pm - 9:30pm Bingo. North Fork Resort Associates, 301 North Fork Road, Front Royal. Doors open at 4:30pm, early bird games begin at

Send your events to: briefs@warrencountyreport.com

Gordy Weimaraner

Adult • Male • Large Email: dcweimrescue@gmail.com for details!

Home without cats • House trained • Spay/Neuter • Current on vaccinations Adsponsoredby:

7726 Main St. Middletown

SPCAofWinchester,Frederick&ClarkeCo. 115 Featherbed Lane Winchester, VA 540-662-8616 To sponsor a pet contact Angie at fcrwcr@gmail.com or 540-683-1847

540-508-0678

540-635-4734

Humane Society of Warren County

540-635-4734

Monday thru Sunday 10 am to 4 pm - Closed Wednesday • 1245 Progress Drive, Front Royal, VA • 540-635-4734 • humanesocietywc@gmail.com

HSWC Kitten Shower • April 19th, 2015, 1-3pm

Kitten Season is coming and HSWC needs your help to care for all the teeny kittens headed our way. Join us at the Kitten Shower and help us gather the items needed to care for all the kittens. Bring a donation and spend an afternoon decorating cupcakes and visiting with Hello Kitty. Learn how you can be a lifesaver by joining our foster program.

Rusty - 5 year old neutered male boxer mix. Rusty has recently earned his Bachelors degree in our My Dog Has CLASS (Canine Life and Social Skills) program at the shelter. Rusty does need a home without children and an experienced dog handler.

Rufus - 10 year old golden retriever/ chow mix. Rufus can be a little shy at first but is a very sweet boy when he gets to know you.

The poor fellow has spent most of his life outside but would love a home with a warm bed to sleep in.

Blackie - 10 year old neutered male JRT/Mn Pin mix.

He is house trained, spunky and gets along with most dogs and some cats. A true terrier-type, he has plenty of energy and loves to cuddle. He loves long walks ,rides well in cars, and is good on the leash. Blackie is currently in foster care, so please call before coming to visit.

Rusty’s ad sponsored by:

Rufus’ ad sponsored by:

Blackie’s ad sponsored by:

Trevor & Lorena Lipton of

Hillbilly’s Junkyard

Hot Tub Heaven Vacation Cabins

LUCKY St r l o u n g e

And Oscar Too! 540-635-5297 205-A E. Main Street, Front Royal

www.luckystarlounge.net

Hillbilly has what you NEED! 4381 Stonewall Jackson Hwy Bentonville, VA • 636-2671 hillbillysjunkyard.com

Dog Friendly!

540-636-1522

HotTubHeaven@yahoo.com

http://www.hottubheavencabins.com

Chewy - 1 year old male chow/ golden retriever mix. This adorable fellow is very friendly and playful. He also gets along with other dogs and children.

Chewey’s ad sponsored by:

Wanda Snead

Property Management

Serving the area for 20 years!

Sam Snead Realty • 540-635-9753

SamSneadRealty.com

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!

Page 40 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Mid March, 2015

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

Shenandoah Ford’s Winter Specials

“Griff’s Deals of the Week” p1046c

2001 FORD FOCUS ZX3 auto, air

auto, air, good gas mileage

3,900

$

$

p1025a

2000 FORD MUSTANG V6

auto, air, just in time for spring

5,900

$

p1080a

2006 CHRYSLER 300 TOURING auto, air, leather, loaded

4,900

$

t1501a

4x4, regular cab

11,900

3,900

p1058a

auto, loaded, glass top, nice car $

11,900

t7497b

2005 HYUNDAI ELANTRA GLS

auto, air, gas saver, only 80k miles

5,500

t4401b

auto air leather

13,900

auto, air, sunroof, nice clean car

13,900

2519a

2010 FORD FUSION SE

auto, air, loaded

8,900

$

14124a

2006 CHEVROLET COLORADO LT

extended cab, 4 door, 4x4 $

2010 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SXT $

p1074a

2007 HONDA ACCORD EX $

1996 CHEVROLET CORVETTE

$

2010 TOYOTA TACOMA $

p971a

2002 MAZDA PROTEGE LX

6,900

4 door, nice clean car, loaded $

15,900

t9302a

auto, air, certified

12,900

Big Enough to Deliver . . .

Small Enough to Care!!!

14128a

2008 FORD FOCUS SES

5 speed, air, clean car $

2465a

2004 TOYOTA COROLLA LE

4 door, loaded $

4 door, auto, air

8,900

$

2013 DODGE AVENGER SE 4 door, auto, air

4x4, auto, air

5,900

$

14118a

12,900

14108a

2007 SATURN ION 3 4 door, auto, air

4 door, auto, air, clean car $

4,900

p1067

t8423b

2007 CHEVROLET IMPALA 3.5L LT

2008 FORD FOCUS SE

4,900

p1034a

2011 HYUNDAI SONATA LIMITED

$

CERTIFIED 2013 FORD FOCUS SE $

1470a

2011 FORD TAURUS LIMITED

6,900

$

3,900

enififyou v e s r a c n y e u v b e e omusu.s WeWbudyonc’tarbsyufyrofrm yoduon’t bu

(540) 636-2901

Just Down the Road! Rt. 522 South •9135 Winchester Rd.,Front Royal, Va.

www.shenandoahford.com