Warren FREE County Report WarrenCountyVA.com
Volume X1, Issue 8 路 Late April, 2016
FrederickCounty.com
Page • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late April, 2016
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Discovering Warren County: The Humane Society of Warren County Achieves No-Kill Status!
HSWC Team from left are HSWC Board of Directors, The Canine Team, Director Lavenda Denny and Chairman Amy Thurman, and the Cat Team By Ken Thurman Warren County Report The Humane Society of Warren County (HSWC) gathered Tuesday night to celebrate their 2015 year. For the first time in it’s long history the HSWC achieved NO-KILL status! To qualify an animal shelter must achieve a live release rate of 90% and the HSWC achieved 92.4%! This remarkable turnaround started nearly five years ago when the shelter had a live release rate of 31.1% for cats and 87.3% for dogs. The dedication, drive, and hard work of the individuals pictured above from Lavenda Denny the director, to the board chaired by Amy Thurman, to the award winning Cat Team and Dog Team and the nearly 400 members have made this meteoric rise possible and I salute them all.
2015 also marked the first time the shelter income exceeded expenses! Contributions from the County, Individual donations, fund raising events and grants turned the tide. Events like Friday’s Barks and Bags, the Dragon Boat Race in August, and the Tails and Ales in November have continued to thrust this visionary group forward. The shelter also introduced a calla-head appointment system to better understand pet owners circumstances before taking a pet into the shelter. This lets the shelter determine whether or not they can help the pet owner keep their pet by providing potential solutions before a pet is surrendered. The HSWC also capped off this remarkable year with its own Christmas miracle, when on Christmas Eve 2015, after waiting 639 days, Roscoe
finally found his forever home. Roscoe was raised as a puppy and had a stable home until he was two years old. Roscoe’s owner had a change in circumstances and had to re-home Roscoe. When the original owner went to check on Roscoe he was devastated to learn that Roscoe had been brought to the shelter. Roscoe needed a home where he could be an only dog and new owner with lots of love and patience to give. Roscoe watched as other dogs were adopted and he was overlooked. Roscoe became
a community and shelter favorite. One person in particular developed a special bond with Roscoe and visited him often to bring him toys and individual attention. He also had a HSWC volunteer who served as his ‘Good Buddy’ and gave him extra one on one time and obedience training so his time in the shelter would be productive and positive. Roscoe’s resiliency paid off when a very special family met him and decided to give him a second chance. The Humane Society of Warren County is grate-
ful for everyone who played a role in keeping Roscoe happy and healthy while he waited so patiently. An animal shelter is only as good as it’s support system and Roscoe is alive today because the system of support worked together to save him. To see how you too can join this special team of individuals call (540) 635-4734 or check out www.humanesocietywarrencounty.org or just stop by for at visit at 1245 Progress Drive, Front Royal, VA 22630
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Join us for a morning of health and wellness and take advantage of free and low-cost screenings, including comprehensive blood work for just $45 (12-hour fast required) • Free screenings, including hearing and vision, breast exams, body composition and vouchers for free mammograms • Kids’ activities, including Teddy Bear Clinic, Healthy Lifestyle Challenge and Scavenger Hunt (with cool prizes) • Free heart healthy breakfast • More than 70 exhibits For more information, visit valleyhealthlink.com/wmhexpo
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Late April, 2016 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page
Page • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late April, 2016
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A doctor’s letter to young people—on drugs By Dr. Frank F. Hyatt Altmed Center, Inc.
There’s an epidemic sweeping America, an epidemic worse than any I’ve seen in my 50 years of medical practice, one which is rotting the foundations of this country—the epidemic of addiction to narcotics. I hope you don’t become part of it. Previously an emergency doctor, I’ve gone into clinic work, some of which involves a program for narcotic addicts, treating them with an expensive but tremendously helpful medicine. Suboxone, which, taken twice a day allows them to go about their lives like normal people, with no more
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craving for Narcotics. By government regulations doctors are only allowed to treat 100 of these folks a month, and to date, most Virginia doctors have filled their quotas. Talking with my patients, I’ve learned that about a quarter of addiction is from some doctors prescribing pain medicines long after the safe time limit. The other three-quarters started on their own, for fun, as teenagers. Here’s what they’ve told me. Frequently starting with Marijuana in their early or mid-teens, “running with the wrong crowd”, or trying to fit in with a group, they discover the “high” of Oxycodone – “Roxies” – or Percocets, narcotics stronger than morphine which artificially stimulate the pleasure center of the brain, leading them for a short time to an artificial peace and happiness. They’re not addicts yet, but when something makes us very happy, we want to repeat it. “Hey man, we’re getting high this weekend on Jim’s mom’s Roxies. Wanna buy in and join the party?” At this point, all my addict patients tell me they thought they could control it, though “getting high” did get more frequent-until one morning about a month later, their brains now
hooked, they wake up and realize they NEED Roxies just to feel ok and get through the day. From then on, they tell me, there are no more highs-just a constant never-ending struggle to get increasing doses of narcotics, often now the cheaper heroin, to avoid the horrible pains of withdrawal-muscle cramps, sweating, vomiting, fear and inability to sleep, lasting over a week, prevented by almost daily trips to DC or Baltimore to buy heroin from people who despise them, sometimes holding them up at gunpoint. One of my female patients told me she was once carjacked and didn’t even get her heroin. How to pay for this $200-a-day habit? First by stealing what they can from their parents (who soon realize they are also in for a long expensive nightmare); then from strangers; or prostituting themselves, basically becoming slaves to evil men who
own place in the world, that you can pick your friends and don’t need to be “popular”. You’ll likely get married and have kids-a great joy- and be reasonably happy and content in your life. Unless… Unless, taking your chances von “just an occasional Roxie” you become a junkie, enslaved by and enriching your drug dealer, living every day from morning ‘til night with only one thought: how soon can I make the pain go away? Where can I get my fix, and the money to pay for it? You’re made for better than that. Don’t be a fool, a loser. Don’t take the first sip of that poison.
Dr. Frank F. Hyatt graduated from the Louisiana State University School of Medicine at New Orleans in 1962. He works in Manassas, and at Altmed Center, Inc. in Front Royal. He specializes in Family Medicine.
Beyond Transparency, We Need Accountability
By Lee H. Hamilton Hours: Mon - Fri 5 9:30am to 5pm
despise and abuse them. One way or another, many go to prison, some for up to 10 years. My patients tell me it all starts with two mistakes: taking that first Roxie; and thinking they can have an occasional high without getting hooked. Like many other kids in school you may be especially at risk if you’re not “popular”, if you’re not part of the “in crowd”. As a person in high school who didn’t fit in, who had few friends and plenty of kids who ridiculed me, I can tell you: IT’S GONNA GET BETTER. Make some definite goals for your future success (in today’s world, studying hard is key); try to ignore your critics, and single-mindedly pursue your goals. In my experience, one day you’ll look back on that painful shyness and self-doubt you once had and ask “What was that all about?”, knowing you’ve found your
Over more than three decades in Congress, I had the chance to question a lot of federal officials. Most of the time I wasn’t after anything dramatic — I just wanted to understand who was responsible for certain decisions. Want to know how often I got a straight answer? Almost never. It was easily one of the most frustrating aspects of trying to ensure robust oversight of the government. Our representatives’ job, after all, is to help make government work better. And you can’t do that if you don’t know whom to hold accountable for important decisions. I don’t want to be unfair to officials in the executive branch, many of whom are dedicated public servants who work long hours to serve the rest of us. But they have raised to an art form the ability to dodge responsibility. This is a problem. Accountability is essential to good governance. I’m not just talking about “transparency” — that is, citizens’ ability to know what’s being done in our name. That’s important, but equally important is holding accountable those who made the decision to do it: ensuring that they are accountable to policy-makers, adhere to their obligations, follow the law, and that their actions are appropriate and responsive to the needs of the country.
This may be part and parcel of good governing, but it’s elusive. Accountability requires that officials step up and take responsibility for their decisions, and not try to shift that responsibility to others or to some ill-defined group. It requires unambiguous performance standards, clear codes of ethics, timely reporting, and acceptance of responsibility, especially with regard to budget or spending decisions. It’s sustained by procedures that encourage responsible stewardship of public funds and a focus on correcting inefficiencies and poor performance. And above all, it rests on robust oversight and review of officials’ performance, not only within the executive branch, but also by Congress and the media. So how do we get there? The first step is to make information available to the public, especially when it comes to budgeting. Government performance rests on how it spends the public’s money. Yet making sure that people see and hear what government is doing only promotes transparency. It’s taking the next step, and ensuring that there’s a clear command and control structure, that promotes accountability. Without clarity on who’s in charge of what and who’s responsible for which decisions, it becomes too easy for officials to remain unanswerable for their actions. Clear lines of authority mean nothing unless the deciding officials are identified and measured against what actually takes place. No official, in other words, should be without accountability for his or her decisions, which means that executive agencies and Congress alike need to perform regular and robust oversight. Regular audits focused on inefficiencies, waste, and poor per-
formance are critical. Officials need to give a full account of what they do and the decisions they make. As a nation, we face a growing issue on this front when it comes to federal contractors — that is, the private workforce doing jobs for federal agencies. The government itself doesn’t know how many contract employees it has, but the Washington Post reported last year that federal spending on contracts grew 87 percent — or about 5 percent a year — between 2000 and 2012. This is a problem because it creates an accountability vacuum. There are very few mechanisms for holding contractors responsible for their errors, abuses and missteps. Which is why I noted above that the media is as important as Congress and internal government overseers. We as citizens depend on the media to tell us what’s going on in the entire system: within the bureaucracy, in the behavior of contractors, and among legislators who ought to be overseeing both but often don’t. This is a key public responsibility, and the press needs to be staffed and have access to the resources to do a good job — which, these days, is increasingly rare. Accountability, in other words, is key to good government. All I wanted to know in those congressional hearings was who made the decision about the public’s business. Is that too much to ask? Lee Hamilton is a Senior Advisor for the Indiana University Center on Representative Government; a Distinguished Scholar, IU School of Global and International Studies; and a Professor of Practice, IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years.
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Late April, 2016 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page
GOP shouldn’t disenfranchise the voter By D. Nelson Hill Special Contributor, Warren & Frederick County Report
Don’t voters have rights in America? I thought we do because we have a Constitution. If I’m wrong, then maybe the laws need to be changed. I’m no lawyer, but it seems to me that the Republican Party’s well-reported shenanigans and political maneuverings in the race for the GOP nomination for president, where declared candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, even if they get the most delegates, could be dumped at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July and a new candidate pulled in by the party’s elite or by the last one in the race, John Kasich of Ohio, just reeks. It is morally wrong if not legally. The process as widely reported is definitely out of control. To make matters worse, the party’s rules could be changed shortly before the convention to shut out Trump or Cruz even though the voters have favored both so far in primaries and caucuses at the local and state levels. Like a lot of people I talk to I’m a bit naïve about politics; I’ve never been interested until this race brought me out of my laid-back blue collar status to actually watch what the heck is going on. I’m still mystified by it all. But then if you read the rules governing the GOP primary process and national convention, you almost have to be a political scholar to make sense of it. It’s kind of like being an average Joe trying to understand the U.S. Tax Code. All the evidence of backroom par-
ty dealings and the events that have transpired so far including the upcoming potentially changing of party rules at the last minute should be challenged by the voters. Perhaps an online petition by America’s voters in the GOP primaries could be launched and someone, perhaps either Trump or Cruz if they are defeated, could run with it in court. My friend and I have not found much research online on the constitutional issues that seem to arise with the primary and national convention process for president. Again, it’s an arcane process that allows the disregard of the voters’ choice. However, these two articles in the U.S. Constitution give me hope that things down the line will change. They are worth exploring by someone smarter than me: The Ninth Amendment states that the list of rights enumerated in the Constitution is not exhaustive, and that the people retain all rights not enumerated. The Tenth Amendment assigns all powers not delegated to the United States, or prohibited to the states, to either the states or to the people. I found these explanations on whitehouse.gov, and though I don’t like interpretations, these are in line with other websites that offer insight into the U.S. Constitution. These amendments seem to talk about the people’s rights when they are not explained elsewhere. So therefore, couldn’t they be used in court to protect the voters if they ultimately are denied their choice even though they have diligently spent
months following the campaigns, going to the polls and voting for their favorite candidate? Any attempt by the GOP establishment and delegates to pick someone other than the candidate who gets the most delegates going into the convention—whether it’s the magical 1,237 number or even if it’s less than that—should be outlawed then and there; if not then, then later, if the fractured GOP wants to continue to survive. Some worry about brawls and riots that have dominated conventions in the past, but voters can have their biggest effect in court, or by contacting the Republican National Committee as well as their representatives in Congress. What is happening now is an absolute disgrace. We live in a democracy, not in some Third World country where the rich and powerful and/or the awful dictators call the shots and control the elections and their outcome. We are better than that! Right? Right. The primary and national convention process comes across to many voters as elitist, corrupt and unfair on its face. To be a delegate in the first place, there are reports it costs a person $3,000 to $5,000. So therefore, who is able to afford that price tag? Only the rich, or the special interests or their friends. None of the media gurus on the networks have addressed any constitutional problems with the cur-
rent state of affairs to my knowledge with one exception. Cokie Roberts on ABC News on Sunday in a media roundtable discussion, said in the discussion of how the GOP voters’ choice could be ignored, mentioned in passing that it’s not addressed in the Constitution. Is she a constitutional scholar? I don’t think so. Perhaps someone “qualified” will weigh in on this subject. The Republican Party may be in disarray; and Trump may be undignified, but forget about “party unity” - that meaningless catch phrase touted by Republicans including possible wanna-be president Speaker of the House Paul Ryan in a video on the subject. But if the GOP is to survive it shouldn’t disenfranchise the voter. That may be the last straw.
Letters to the Editor are welcome but must include the author’s name and town and should be emailed to: editor@warrencountyreport.com
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Page • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late April, 2016
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Public speaks out on proposed real estate tax hike Supervisors hear supporters for schools, library and opponents of their spending plan By Timothy Ratigan Warren & Frederick County Report
The board room filled up quickly for the April 12 public hearing on the County’s proposed real estate tax increase
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The boardroom of the Warren County government center was filled to capacity with local citizens who came to voice their support or opposition of the proposed real estate tax increase at special meeting held by the board of supervisors. Subject of the public hearing was to get input on the proposed 3.5 cent increase to help make up the $4 million shortfall for the fiscal 2017 budget. The proposed tax increase if passed would increase the tax rate from 59.5 cents to 63 cents per $100 of the assessed value on real estate. The tax rate on personal property and other levies would remain unchanged under the proposal. Before the opening of the hearing
County Administrator Doug Stanley gave a power point presentation that proposed a total fiscal 2017 budget of $102.22 million. This reflects an increase of $4.04 million or 4.12 percent over the current budget of $98,17 million. His presentation outlined the reasons for the spending plan. When he was finished, county resident Jim Irre spoke. He compared how much use Samuels Library and the Front Royal Golf Club each get. He explained that approximately 65 percent of the county’s population use the library compared to less than one percent who use the golf course. He asked the county to look at the golf course’s funding and consider whether it warrants it based on its usage and ability to support itself.
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Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com Joan Richardson, president of the Friends of Samuels Library, spoke next and thanked the county for its previous support of the library. “I am asking tonight that the Board of Supervisors support the library’s current request. Samuels Public Library works hard to wisely use the dollars given to them. To stretch those dollars further the library routinely partners with other community organizations to serve the residents of Warren County,” she said. She was one of many speakers who spoke out on behalf of additional funding for the library. Robin Laird commented on the county’s pay-as-you-go policy, but it affects her as well when it increases how much it spends every year. “The county needs to live within its income much in the same way as I live within mine,” she said. Dennis Willingham informed the board that he understands why the county is getting raises, but that he didn’t receive a raise in his social security monthly payment this year. “This means I will have to live within
my means. And by you (the board) raising my taxes I am going to have to readjust my budget with what money I’ve got coming in unless I can pass the hat and maybe get some money from you. I see a lot of things such as parks and golf courses. I believe in beautification but can we afford it? That’s the next question. If we can’t afford it, I think we need to do away with it somehow or work around it. Where is our money going? That is my big question,” he challenged. Skyline High School student and avid supporter of the Samuels Library Sarah Chichester, gave a passionate presentation of support for the library. She recalled her childhood in Denver, Colorado and the many evenings spent alone while her mother worked in assisted living jobs. She said she was thankful for the library services that they provided in Denver and also how thankful she is for the library here in Warren County. She urged the county to continue to fund and support the library. Schools Superintendent Greg Drescher, brought school systems budget
request to the board. He noted that the division needs to start offering a competitive wage, and explained that the current three percent increase wouldn’t put salaries in the middle range but would keep the division from falling further behind. He also pointed out a 19.7 percent increase in health insurance costs and noted that the budget doesn’t include additional personnel, technology or other items that the school system constantly needs. Local volunteer and county resident Jim Naccash pointed to the turnout at the public hearing and said it was obvious that the community wants the county government to continue to fund the library. He said that the library supports volunteer and civic groups in their efforts to serve the community. “We’ve already invested in it. Let’s keep it alive and strong for everybody in the community,” he added. Warren County Democratic Chairman Tom Howarth also addressed the board. “Thank you for your public service.
Late April, 2016 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page
Tom Howarth spoke about the importance of making affordable work force housing available to county teachers help them set down roots in the community It is a great contribution to the community. President Kennedy said that a rising tide lifts all boats. Perhaps the tide hasn’t risen sufficiently for some of the things you would like to do that the community needs. Salaries are a very important factor in retaining teachers…. but salaries may not be the only reason that teachers come here and then leave. The other question that comes to mind is the availability of affordable work force housing. Because if you are going to set down roots in a community then you ought to have some place to call home. You have $100,000 in recordation taxes coming in. I would recommend that you take a portion of those receipts and place them in a trust fund for affordable work force housing. $100,000 wouldn’t buy you much right now but looking into the future and hopefully a robust future people will be coming in and developing,” he said, and continued, “There are two things I love in life. I love books and I love sports I do not mind paying more taxes if it means enhancing and improving the quality of our library. I also from time to time tend to play golf and I play at the Front Royal Golf Club. I don’t
mind paying more fees or more fees to have a golf cart. Even people who are on social security like to play golf. So I suggest we allow people who are of limited or medium income to continue to enjoy that facility even with slightly higher fees.” Linda McDonough of Shenandoah Farms spoke about how she did not support the tax increase and criticized the county for moving forward on many projects it couldn’t pay for. Former candidate for the Shenandoah District Supervisor race Dee Schools, also spoke against the proposed tax increase and the increase in the property owners’ fees. She urged the board to bring the spending under control and to consider limited the number of road projects and urged the board to consider the senior citizens living on fixed income. With no other speakers, Chairperson Linda Glavis announced that she expects the board to act on the budget and tax rates at its regular meeting next Tuesday. She then adjourned the special meeting. – tim@areaguides.com
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Page • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late April, 2016
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It’s 2016 and the “Tax Man Cometh”
Warren County Board of Supervisors are still working hard to try to overcome a $4 million shortfall By Timothy Ratigan Warren & Frederick County Report Early April is the time of year when citizens of Warren County flood into council chambers at the Warren County Government Center to voice their opinions to the board of supervisors’ budget, and this year the $4 million shortfall that the county is facing is likely to be foremost in their minds. A public hearing on the proposed tax increase scheduled for April 12 will reveal what county citizens think about the proposed 3.5 cent tax increase, and how much of it will fall on the shoulders of the taxpayers. Before touching on this year’s proposed budget, it seems like a journey through time will be helpful to understand the process. To start things off, I want to look at late April and early May, 2015 and remind readers how elected supervisors dealt with and felt about the tax issue last year, note comments from the public regarding those tax issues and compare them to this year’s. Shenandoah District Supervisor Tom Sayre has no record on taxes with the county so some of his questions will be a little different. Comments from board members regarding last year’s tax issues: Last year’s budget of $98.17 million was passed at the board’s April 21, 2015 meeting. North River Supervisor Dan Murray made several comments during the discussion period. “The hardest thing is to raise taxes,” he said early on. Later in the meeting, he commented, “There is a cost that
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we have to assume and that’s something that people have to understand when we finalize where we’re at.” He closed his comments by issuing a challenge for county residents to become part of the budget process for the next year; 2016. “If you don’t become part of the process, you don’t have a right to complain,” he declared. “We’re not spending unjustly, maybe right now we’re being too conservative, maybe in a couple of years, we could be looking at a four or five cent tax increase, but that’s reality,” he said in closing. Prior to Murray’s 2015 comments, this reporter, a citizen activist at the time, called upon the board to establish a citizen’s committee specifically designed to assist and advise the board on the annual budget. This was offered before his challenge to the citizens. As of April 5, 2016, no board member has moved to make the committee a reality. Will Murray make the same plea this year and then turn around and ignore the answer to that plea again for the 201718 fiscal year? That is, of course, if the offer is extended again. During that meeting, Happy Creek District Supervisor Tony Carter asked a question regarding the 2015 budget. “Have you been to Ressie Jeffries lately?” he asked. He was pointing out that Ressie Jeffries and E. Wilson Morrison still did not have central air conditioning.
“Nobody likes to raise taxes at all, but I don’t think they really like five, six, or seven cent increases.” Those were two board members’ comments regarding last year’s budget proposal they passed on April 21, 2015. Fast forward to 2016. This year the county has had to deal with an over $4 million shortfall and a long list of organizations associated with the county plus outside organizations that have asked for a share of the funds. The county also has to keep fire and rescue and sheriff departments running and fully staffed. There is also the difficult task of overseeing the all of the nine county schools. Salaries have to be paid, as well as employees’ benefits, with Warren County being one of the top employers in the county. As was mentioned earlier, outside agencies ask for funding from the County. Here’s the list of budget presentations from outside agencies: Lord Fairfax Community College; Warren Coalition; Samuels Library; Blue Ridge Opportunities; Big Brothers-Big Sisters; St. Luke’s Community Clinic; Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum; Concern Hotline Inc.; Lord Fairfax SBCD; Resolutions, Inc.; Blue Ridge Arts Council, Inc.; Browntown Community Center, and Phoenix Projects. The following budget requests from outside agencies were not represented at the budget work sessions. They are: Winchester Regional Airport; Middletown Volunteer Fire and Rescue; ARC of Warren County; Front Royal Children’s Center; Lord Fairfax EMS Council; Help with Housing; Northern Virginia 4-H; Skyline CAP Head Start; Access Independence Inc.; House of Hope; Blue Ridge Legal Services Inc.; Friends of the Shenandoah River; Lord Fairfax Soil & Conservation District and Blue Mountain Sanitary District. In addition to outside agencies request-
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ing funding, the county also deals with agencies inside the county. Agencies requesting funding for FY 2016-2017include: • Warren County Health Department-$331,685-an increase of $4,100, or 1.2 percent over the 2015-2016 budget. • Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority (EDA) - $117,264, with no increase. The Leach Run Parkway portion is $224,948 and the capital debt service is $134,065. • The Northwestern Community Services’ Executive Director Michael F. Elwell’s budget request asks for the County to contribute $288,855, which is a 5 percent increase above last year’s $275,100. • Shenandoah Area Agency on Aging-$54,000, no increase. In addition to those requests, the Supervisors must keep the local general government administration operating, and the following numbers for those proposed budgets are: • Board of Supervisors’ - $219,471 • County administration - $674,934 • County Attorney’s office - $318,398 • Commissioner of Revenue $661,576 • Treasurer’s Office - $528,486 • County’s elections - $293,363 • Warren County Sheriff ’s office $4,130,096 • Emergency 911 system - $528,187 • Volunteer Fire and Rescue services - $943,210 • Warren County Fire and Rescue department - $2,459,998 • Public works department, streets and highways - $26,000 • Refuse collections/disposals/transfer stations - $3,287,054 • For the Health and Welfare department, including Social Services, the county expects expenditures of $4,054,864. The items listed above are just the tip of the iceberg for Warren Coun-
ty’s FY 2016-2017 $102.22 million budget, with $49.04 million for general government and $53.17 million for public schools. The one question on this reporter’s mind is, “will there be any citizens in the audience who will offer the county assistance to deal with this $102.22 million budget, or can we expect another tongue lashing from North River Supervisor Dan Murray on the lack of help from the citizens of Warren County? One quote that sticks out in this reporter’s mind during this process from Murray, was voiced during a Board of Supervisors work session on March 16 of this year. “I’ve racked my brains over this. I’ve taken a lot of phone calls over this with different agencies wanting money that almost bordered on harassment. To me we need to look at what is best overall for everybody in the county, all the citizens. We have to do a paradigm shift in thought and really look outside the box and see what is going to work. And whatever works bests for all the citizens of the county is what we should do,” he said, as well as, “Question it to the point. Because that is the only way we can get to the answer. No question is outlandish; everybody’s idea is great, but try to bring something to the table to either be a jogger to make something happen. This is a tough situation that our staff has worked excessively hard on, and probably more hours than in a long time. I’ve lost a lot of sleep over this because it affects everybody. It’s got to be noted that this isn’t just something we do to do, this is part of our life and we take it to heart. “So if we bring something up, people have to understand that we are speaking from the heart and if we are not then we don’t belong in this chair,” said Murray. – tim@areaguides.com
Late April, 2016 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page
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Future police station at center of fight on proposed 14 cent tax rate Town holds first reading and public hearing to vote on setting FY 2016-2017 hike
Councilman John Connolly holds firm on his decision to keep the tax rate at 13 cents per $100 assessed value of real estate despite the looming $8 million police department project
Councilman Bébhinn Egger refuses to give an inch and votes no on the proposed 14 cent tax rate hike while condemning the council for not planning to fund the new police station
By Timothy Ratigan Warren & Frederick County Report
we saw an increase of cost to any twostory configuration that we brought to that project,” he said. “We will continue look for ways to move that project forward without any tax increases and also by not occurring additional costs by going with the two-story option,” he continued, clearly stating his intention to not vote for any tax increase. Town Council clerk Jennifer Berry introduced the motion to increase the Front Royal town tax rate from 13 cents to 14 cents per assessed $100 value on real estate. The additional penny would be slotted for the debt service for the new police department, and the penny increase rescinded at the completion of the debt
Once again the future multi-million dollar police department was at the center of the battle over setting the Fiscal Year (FY) 2016-2017 tax rate with both sides refusing to give an inch up until the last minute. At the April 11 town council meeting with Mayor Timothy Darr absent and Vice Mayor Hollis Tharpe presid-
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ing over the meeting, Councilman John Connolly set the tone of the meeting. “We’ve had a lot of discussion about different options to save costs. Something that has come up multiple times is changing from a single story structure, to two buildings or whether it is a two-story building, single building or a two-story two building. We did get some numbers back from the town manager and the architects and
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service. This motion was a first reading public hearing, but no speakers signed up for the public hearing and no one came forward at Vice Mayor Hollis Tharpe’s invitation. The instant the motion was seconded by Councilman Eugene Tewalt, Councilman Bébhinn Egger started the discussion. “I am going to vote no on this. I do think that we need to think long and hard as a council. I personally voted no on this, but as a council we have decided to take steps of building an $8 million police department and I think it is really important to think about how we are going to pay for that. It is true that we don’t need any more money in this year’s budget to
pay for it. But if we think down the road a little bit, let’s say in 2018, we have seven brand new people sitting up here and they will be required to keep going on with the building of the $8 million police department because of actions that we took,” she said. Egger has already committed to voting no on raising taxes to fund the new police department, but she has also said, “If we don’t raise taxes for them to build this police department they are going to have to raise the taxes then. Now I would be pretty upset if someone on council before me had decided to build a big building that was going to cost millions of dollars and didn’t have a way to pay for it, because that makes me having to raise taxes just to pay for a building that the previous council decided that they wanted. So that is what we are doing right now as a council. We as a council have decided that we want to build an $8 million building but we as a council don’t want to raise taxes.” She continued with this statement of intent, “So I am voting no on this because I also voted no on the building. But as a council we have to make sure we are being consistent.” “Mr. Vice Mayor, I am not a knee jerk “let’s raise taxes person” by any stretch, but I think this building is important. This is why we are doing this-to set aside the funds to build this. I think this will be allocated to a specific project. The average house is $250 thousand so we are looking at a $25 tax increase. No elected of-
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Page 10 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late April, 2016 FRONT ROYAL, from ficial wants to raise taxes but we are going to see a tangible building that will be part of infrastructure and part of what our government is supposed to be doing as a result of this,” added Councilman Bret Hrbek. Councilman Eugene Tewalt, who is the primary pusher of the penny tax increase, added his opinion. “I proposed this at the last meeting and we didn’t get a positive vote on it. I am in favor of raising taxes a penny just to pay this off quicker so that we don’t have to go back later and add three or four cents in one year to the taxpayers. I am more in favor of raising taxes a little bit at a time. It won’t hurt anybody all that much. I would like to see us vote on this tonight,” he declared. Councilman Jacob Meza stated his unique position on the topic. “I have a few thoughts on this. Number one, we talked a lot about the police station and we have talked about the police station as the sole reason for raising taxes and I think there are lot of other items in the budget that are to be taken under consideration, not just the police station. It is one large part of the discussion and what it is going to look like in the future. “It is hard to sit here and say, ‘yes we are going to raise taxes’ and at the same time make some major changes-whether to raise taxes in regards to personnel or purchases for the town budget this coming year and at the same time raise taxes and say that we are building a police station. I’ve heard comments tonight about making the commitment to building the $8 million police station which I don’t think is entirely correct. We are moving in that direction and I think it is ok to vet out the possibilities of what it is going to look like in the future. At the same time, I believe we can look at it and decide that it is not in our budgeted means. In light of our recent budget discussions I still believe we can do this with our original tax rate, and not increase it
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to cover the cost. And I don’t like the comments of let’s raise taxes now and if we don’t need it, we can lower it later because I think we should be making good decisions now and forecasting what that should look like in the future and not going back to our citizens and saying ‘Oh we overshot a little bit this time and now we are going to reduce it a bit to offset that’. I think we should make a good decision now and not look back on it. And I also don’t like that statement of ‘let’s put a little aside for a rainy day’. “For those reasons I am still inclined to hold the tax rates where it is at and make good fiscal decisions moving forward,” he said. At this point, the Tharpe reminded councilmembers that it would need a super majority in order to pass. The vote was taken and the measure failed on a 4-2 vote. Hrbek and Tewalt were the only two voting in favor of the 14 cent tax rate. The vice mayor then asked for another motion on the floor. Council
Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com clerk then made the motion to hold the tax rate at 13 cents per $100 assessed value of real estate. The discussion was fast and furious during this round as well. Connolly said, “The town staff came to us with a budget this year and we are still in discussion on that budget. I agree with some people that a lot can still be cut out of that budget. The police department is important. I feel that the police department project needs to move forward in a responsible fashion that will serve the community for a long time; not a building that will be immediately too small for the department as it grows in the future. That being said, staff have taken the cost into consideration. They don’t believe we need money to get started immediately that will require a raise in tax rates. If we feel that there is anything that can be cut out of this budget that will help the police department project or any of our other projects I feel that needs to come first before we take more money out of the pockets of our
taxpayers.” Hrbek pointed out later that it would take a lot of trimming of the fat in the budget to come up with $4 million for the police department. This could include putting some of the raises for town employees on the
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chopping block. The final vote for this motion was to keep the tax rate the same at 13 cents per $100 assessed value of real estate at a 5-1 vote. Hrbek cast the lone vote against the motion. – tim@areaguides.com
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Late April, 2016 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 11
New Aldi grocery store to open in Riverton Commons Plaza Grand Opening April 28 adds market to growing list of locations for local and Northern Virginia shoppers
Aldi, a German-based discount grocery store chain will hold its Grand Opening at the new Front Royal store in the Riverton Commons Plaza on April 28 By Teresa Brumback Warren & Frederick County Report A German-based discount grocery store chain will hold its opening day for its new Front Royal store in the Riverton Commons Plaza on April 28, according to the store’s website. The store will be located at 134 Riverton Dr., Front Royal, off US 522 in the shopping center where Wal-Mart is located. Along with Wal-Mart, Aldi joins the list of local stores selling groceries, including Target across US 522, as well as Martin’s and Food Lion in the Town of Front Royal. Local shoppers who hail from Northern Virginia and visit Front Royal retreats on weekends are also accustomed to shopping at Giant, Harris-Teeter, Whole Foods and Wegmans in Northern Virginia, and Smart Shopper in Winchester, or Save-A-Lot in Mount Jackson, though no plans have been announced for any of those stores opening in Front Royal or Warren County. Opening day will feature food samples, prizes, and savings, store officials say. Erika Scott of Culpeper, who hails from Germany, loves the Aldi stores, which she says are as common as 711 stores here in Virginia. As a loyal shopper at the Culpeper store, she says she enjoys sales on pork loin, at $1.89 recently, and chicken thighs and legs at just 49 cents a pound. A passionate, wonderful home chef in her own right who at 80 years old, enjoys cooking bratwurst and pork schnitzel for big crowds of up to 250 in the American Legion and VFW, she says she gets most of her ingredients including the meats, sauerkraut, German dark breads and red cabbage apple salad at Aldi’s. The German chocolate there is affordable and delicious, she says, and one of the many
things that remind her of her native country. Aldi sells both German and American products with many of them under the Aldi brand. “Aldi is the number one store in Germany,” says Scott. “Everyone goes there.” She enjoys shopping there at Christmas and Easter because, as she says, she’ll get a bargain on Easter baskets and German tortes and other Christmas desserts. For her parties she also selects from an assortment of low-cost German and American wines and beers. The store offers a wide range of German sausages, with several varieties of knockwurst and bratwurst. Scott’s all-time favorite bratwurst is the Nürnberger bratwurst, from a “secret recipe” as she explains, that hails from the war-torn village where she grew up in WWII, near Nuremberg. Sausages were a treat during food shortages where cabbages and potatoes supplied much of her diet. Braunschweiger or liverwurst, is another German meat sold at Aldi. A favorite way of serving it is to mix it with sour cream, fresh minced onions and a bit of marjoram, then serve it on crackers or Pumpernickel toast points. Both Wegmans and Whole Foods have big ovens where they bake a huge assortment of breads, cookies and pizzas in front of mouth-watering crowds. Wegmans’ rosemary and olive oil bread with sea salt comes thinly sliced, perfect for ham and cheese sandwiches or a variety of Italian meats found in the deli. Free samples are available there and at the cheese counter with cheeses from around the world, along with expert advice on what to pair with any particular cheese. They both have international salad and entree bars with food sold by the
pound. Wegmans also is popular for its fresh, ready-made entrees to go from $7 and $8, with a home-cooked entree and two side vegetables. Gretchen Whittman of Front Royal, mother of six grown children, says she typically sees savings of around 50 percent when she goes to Culpeper’s Aldi. She is excited about the new store coming to Front Royal. “It’s really great. It’s my favorite grocery store. I love the organic produce section,” she adds. In an unusual twist, the store charges shoppers a quarter to rent a grocery cart and also sells reusable grocery bags; however, shoppers can bring their own bags. But Whittman says it’s no big deal. “You just pile everything in the cart and unload it to your car if you don’t want to pay for bags.” The closest Aldi store to Front Royal is in Winchester, in the shopping center where Alamo movie theatre is located. While the store is rather small it offers a wide selection of reasonably priced meats, produce, seafood, dairy products, dry goods and more, as well as some oddball items such as end tables at just $6.99 as shown on its website, patio umbrellas, rugs, and more. Store hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday; and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays. The chain was launched in 1914 with a store in Essen, Germany, and spread from there. It opened its first store in the U.S. in 1976 in southeastern Iowa. The store says it is able to offer up to 50 percent savings than most national brands because it is both a distributor and retailer. It now has 1,300 stores in the US and 4,000 stores worldwide. Aldi is another discount grocery store chain joining Sharp Shopper in Winchester and Save-A-Lot in Mount
Jackson, the difference being many German products offered at Aldi. Those stores won’t feel any competition at the moment from Northern Virginia stores that many commuters and weekenders enjoy including Wegmans and Whole Foods. Both are pricier but they offer, in addition to a large organic section in the case of Wegmans and organics and natural health care products dominating Whole Foods, eating areas inside the stores where everything from fresh seafood and burger dishes, salads, beer and wine are served up. Weg-
mans has movies on its top floor for families while Whole Foods offers a wide range of food-related seminars, cooking demos, a sports bar, a wine bar and more. Both Wegmans and Whole Foods are the equivalent of Disney World for adult foodies. At both stores, shoppers can rest from the doldrums of shopping at the food bars and tables, and sample things at no charge before they order them. – brumback@areaguides.com
Page 12 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late April, 2016
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Faster than Fast Food: The Lazy Cook’s Book Recipes that won’t win a prize, but maybe some praise By Teresa Brumback Warren County Report
I will never win any cooking contests. Ingredients are not spelled out in my recipes. They are whatever I happen to have around at any given time or whatever I happen to pluck in the fields or forests or in my garden in any given season. And measurements are never EVER allowed--one of the few rules in my kitchen. You go by feel, by texture and by common sense. As anyone who watches cooking shows on television knows, recipes and ingredients can often be overwhelming and intimidating. I don’t even measure the flour that winds up on the refrigerator, the doorknobs or the floor. My knowledge of kitchen utensils, cookware and other accoutrements are confined to one big metal pot that has been in my family since I was a kid
(I just hope it doesn’t have lead in it) and a really deep black iron skillet that’s been around since my greataunt. Everything else, whether it’s a measuring spoons, a whisk or a food processor, a zester or a biscuit cutter, has no place in my kitchen. I have one fancy kitchen gadget that I would dearly love if I could just find it: a hefty hand-held Martha Stewart dual potato masher/ricer that pulverizes potatoes while putting them through little holes/ for the best and fluffiest mashed potatoes I’ve ever had in my life. It was under $10 as I recall. Despite my unconventional ways around a basic non-convection oven,
my family and friends tell me I’m a great cook. I would have to agree. My meals are faster and probably more nutritious than that of most drivethrus at the lunch or dinner hour. Seriously. Move over Rachel Ray and your “30-Minute Meals” television show as well as similar ones that have popped up on the Food Network. I can make many a great meal in five minutes or less, with no more than 3-4 ingredients. Here are a few of my favorite thrown-together hints honed over more than three decades of meal and snack making. There’s also a few of my ready-made favorite things
picked up from a store like Costco or Sharp Shopper, both in Winchester. The first one is pricey; the second one is a discount grocery where I can get a carload of groceries for about $100. Savings are around 40 percent but can be much higher. My recipes and shopping tips are aimed at filling the belly fast but not leaving you high and dry in the pocketbook. After all, like many residents and commuters in Front Royal and Warren County, I’m a busy working woman. Now an empty nester, I was once a single working mother usually with one full-time and part-time jobs going simultaneously while taking extra classes to eventually earn my
four-year college degree. To get really good meals, you must get to know some preferably old country farm women. They really know how to cook, and they know the little tricks, the little details of a simple dish turned great that you never read in any cookbook. One is to put water into the cavity of a turkey or chicken before you bake it, so that it’s real moist inside. It just falls apart it’s so moist. Another thing they know about is all kinds of gravy and how a little butter added to simple pinto beans or green beans, sometimes mixed in with a little milk and flour for added texture instead of a watery broth, is just as good if not better than any ham hock.
tor of the state’s first newspaper and spread his enthusiasm for trees to his readers. His fellow pioneers also missed the trees from their home states. They quickly realized how important trees were as windbreaks, shade from the sun, for fuel and building materials. Mr. Morton encouraged individuals to plant trees, but he encouraged civic organizations and groups to do the same. It was Mr. Morton’s birthday, April 22nd, which was chosen for the permanent observance date for Arbor Day. The most common date for the state observances is the last Friday in April, but other Fridays are used for scheduling activities and to coincide with the best tree planting weather. Today, as I think about the first Arbor Day Celebration I’m awed by what was possible from one man’s enthusiasm and courage. Trees are the answer!!
The Front Royal/Warren County Tree Steward program began in 1997 with volunteers dedicated to improving the health of trees by providing educational programs, tree planting and care demonstrations, and tree maintenance throughout the community. The group now consists of over 30 active members with several interns working toward becoming certified tree stewards from our annual “All About Trees Class”. Each month Stewart will answer a question from our readers. Please forward it to “Stewart” in care of: frwctreestewards@comcast.net and we may publish it in a future issue. Please visit our website at:
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This year we are all celebrating the official part of Arbor Day on Saturday, April 23th, at 9:00 a.m. at the Gazebo/Visitor’s Center on Main Street. Mayor, Tim Darr, will read the Arbor Day Proclamation. The Department of Forestry will present Front Royal with the 17th “TREE CITY USA” designation and the Growth Award for the 16th year for demonstrating tree care efforts above and beyond the Tree City USA requirements. The Town, the Urban Forest Advisory Council, the Horticulture Department, and the Tree Stewards work really hard to make this
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happen. At 9:30 a.m. we will then walk to the Happy Creek Arboretum for our annual tree planting near the creek at Prospect Street and Front Street. This year’s tree will be the weeping willow (‘Salx babylonica’). Tables will also be set up around the Gazebo from 10 – 2 for events and information relating to Arbor Day and Earth Day. The Chamber of Commerce will be holding a Garden Event as well. We welcome all public officials and interested citizens and their children to attend and help us celebrate our achievements and say hello to “Stewart” our mascot. Did you know that Arbor Day started in Nebraska back in April of 1872. Prizes were offered by the State Board of Agriculture and the result was more than ONE MILLION trees were planted in Nebraska that first year! One of the pioneers moving into the Nebraska Territory was J. Sterling Morton from Detroit Michigan who became the edi-
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Late April, 2016 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 13
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Engle’s Angle: “New Shoes and Nimbus Clouds” By Kevin S. Engle I bought a new pair of running shoes the other day. I didn’t really want to but my wife made me. She said I need to take better care of my feet. Throw away my old worn out shoes and get good ones. She and her brother have been having these conversations about feet and shoes and getting older. According to them, your feet change as you age and you need shoes with more support. Whatever. I’m sure they’re right, but if it meant shelling out a lot of money for new ones, I wasn’t too excited. But that’s exactly what she made me do. More than I’d ever spent before. My previous max had been about 40 bucks. Tell someone that today and they’ll laugh at you. I guess you can’t get very good athletic shoes for 40 bucks these days. And when I was a kid, they were all called ‘tennis shoes’ whether they were for tennis or not. The young lady helping me said they should last 300-500 miles. And since I’ll be walking in them, not running, maybe more. For what I paid, I hope so. There’s gel in the soles to support my feet and that’s supposedly a good thing. I’ve had toothpaste with gel, but not shoes. A friend of a friend recommended this particular brand. She’s a foot doctor so I guess she should know. I went to a foot doctor once. He said I had mini-bunions, whatever they are. I wasn’t too wild about a guy touching my feet, but they’d been bothering me so I went. It was a weird appointment. He took x-rays and then disappeared into his basement to read them. He was gone a long time. It was strange. I never went back and for the most part ignored what he told me. My feet have been pretty much ok since then. Anyway, in the store I was looking at different styles with names like Quantum and Cumulus. I went for the Gel Nimbus-17, not
the 18. The 17 was a few bucks cheaper than the newer 18. Those words, cumulus and nimbus, sounded vaguely familiar. And then I remembered why. They’re clouds. Those white things you see up in the sky. Not the places where computer companies store our files these days. I guess when you wear these shoes, it’s like you’re walking on a cloud. Really? And how would they know? I looked at the company’s website today. They have different shoes for just about every sport out there. Running, walking, training, wrestling, volleyball, golf, and yes, even tennis. And there were words I’d barely heard before, words you probably only say in foot doctor’s offices and shoe stores. Strange terms like over and underpronators and shock attenuation. Turns out overpronation means flat feet. I have heard of that. When I told the sales associate I was getting soreness in my foot and showed her where, she said that was the ball of my foot. Ok, I probably should’ve known that. She said my new Gel Nimbus17 running shoes would be good for the balls of my feet. I hope so. What I do know is I paid a lot of money for them and won’t be satisfied unless I’m walking on a cloud. And I don’t care what kind. Nimbus, cumulus or even a stratus.
The author always thought you had to kick the bucket before you walked in the clouds. Turns out you just had to go to a shoe store first. Who knew? – kevinengle456@comcast.net
And for pies, anyone knows that the best pie crusts are made not with Crisco, but real lard, from a home butcher if you’re lucky enough to know one. Store-bought lard is okay. The lard makes for the lightest, flakiest and most flavorful crust. If the thought sickens you, use Crisco but cut it with some butter or cream cheese depending on the type of filling you are making. A cream cheese crust works great for those little pecan pie appetizers served at fancy receptions. So without further ado, following are some of my favorite meals to whip up when you’re famished and don’t feel like standing in front of a stove for very long:
Fried Egg Sandwich Actor Tom Cruise was in a great movie, “The Firm,” where he played a good-guy lawyer on the run who ordered a fried egg sandwich from his office. The sandwich came in a bag with a secret message inside the bag. “The receipt’s in the bag,” co-star Holly Hunter kept repeating, pointing to the bag. The fried egg sandwich is simple, pure and filling. To make a great one you need a farm-fresh egg or two for they yield the biggest, brightest yolks. Fry and lay gently between two pieces of buttered toast and serve. If, and only if, you have a homegrown fresh tomato, slice one up and put some in the sandwich.
turned out. Here is mine: To a couple cups of flour add a little baking powder, some salt and mix. Cut in with cut-up, cold butter, then add some milk or cream. Fold in chopped cranberries that you smoosh with your hands, some chopped nuts and add some orange juice or zest (too much trouble to make zest; go for the juice). Make sure mixture isn’t too wet. If it is, add some flour (Duh!). Form into biscuits (forget rolling it out and cutting it into the pretty little triangles; too much work) while holding hands over mixing bowl. Plop on greased sheet pan and bake at 375 for about 20 minutes or so. Incredibly delicious. Great breakfast snack on-the-go.
Avocado BLTs
Scones
One-Pan Meatloaf and Potatoes
Use the pre-cooked bacon at the store. Put on hearty whole-grain toast slathered with a little mayo, a fresh tomato, iceberg lettuce and slices of avocado. If you don’t have bread use a flour tortilla that you’ve browned first in a griddle or fry pan on top of the stove (no oil in pan).
They sound fancy, and their price tag is even fancier at $2.50 a scone and up. A scone is a fancy word for a biscuit with tasty bits of things added to it. I threw some things together and made cranberry-orange scones, using what I thought would work. It did and it was great. I called my friend Cathy, a former catering queen later, to see what her actual recipe was. Mine was just about the same as it
Slice potatoes with the skins on (the skins have the most nutritional value anyway, plus you are too tired to peel them) and layer quickly on the bottom of an oiled pan. Make meatloaf however you make it and lay on top, then bake in a 350 oven for about an hour or until it’s done. My meatloaf is made with ground beef or venison, or a mixture of both,
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Page 14 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late April, 2016 RECIPES, from 13 oats, whole grain bread, a couple of eggs, ketchup, green peppers, onions, a little mustard and garlic. You can add pickle relish if you have it for extra zing. The meat drippings soften and bake the potatoes. Due to the starch in the potatoes, there’s a little gravy that comes with this dish as a side benefit. No-Bake Lasagna There’s a recipe floating around out there for this, related to me by a friend and fellow working woman, but I’ve tweaked it up a bit by making it even easier. Instead of frying the ground beef and Italian sausage beforehand, just mix some of each up with some cut-up onions and garlic and layer in between layers of raw, uncooked lasagna noodles, ricotta or cottage cheese mixed with some mozzarella and parmesan cheese, and homemade 10-minute tomato sauce (Mix a can of homegrown tomatoes or store-bought crushed tomatoes with fresh or powdered onions, garlic and Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar for a few minutes, until it tastes good. It’s so much better, and cheaper than store-bought spaghetti sauce. Keep
layering noodles, meat, cheese and sauce, then top with cheese and sauce and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for at least an hour. Check and see when it’s done and serve. Noodles will be soft. Delicious, hearty meal. Steamed Mussels Get a big pot, add some mussels and put some water in it. It doesn’t have to cover the mussels. Cook on top of the stove, stirring mussels if needed so they all get cooked, or put on a lid if you can find one. Add some butter, white wine if you have it, garlic and parsley if you have it. If you don’t have those just steam them in water and squeeze a lemon over them. If you don’t have a lemon just steam them in water. They are done when they pop open. Discard the ones that don’t. It’s one of my favorite meals and nothing is faster--probably five minutes or less. You can get some big crusty French bread for dipping in the sauce. Serve with melted butter. Steamed Shrimp Throw them in boiling water into which Old Bay seasoning has been added. If you like you can add a little vinegar. If you don’t have Old Bay just
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use whatever you have in the cupboard, such as pickling spices, mustard seed, paprika or garlic salt. Serve with cocktail or barbecue sauce.
crushed nuts, cornflakes, or cocoa powder or coconut and put in fridge.
Chicken and beans
Mix a thing or two of raspberry or cranberry jello mix (just the powder) with fresh cranberries, nuts, fresh oranges and peels without the seeds, and walnuts. Put in food processor if you have one, or a hand-crank version, and chop until it’s fine. Put in fridge. Jello will make it firm up.
There are many newer varieties of these potstickers that are coming out, but so far the original chicken and vegetable ones with the picture of the Panda on the bag, are the best I’ve found, for around $10 a bag. Steam a few in a pan with a little water, then add some oil to brown them up a bit and serve with the teriyaki sauce that’s included. Add to a readymade salad for extra nutrition.
Indian Pudding
Fancy, no bake chocolate mousse
For exacting cooks, the recipe is on the back of the yellow cornmeal bag with the picture of a Native American chief on it. It goes something like this: On top of the stove, over low heat, cook some cornmeal into some evaporated or regular milk and beaten eggs, a tiny bit of sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, some molasses and two cans of unsweetened pumpkin. It’s a thick, delicious and nutritious treat especially for children in the fall and winter. I used to make it all the time, more often than peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for my son when he was growing up.
Add Hershey’s chocolate syrup and a splash of coffee liqueur to whipped cream (either store bought or that you’ve made); fold together lightly and serve. Garnish with Girl Scout cookies.
Confetti Cranberry Jello Salad
From the leftover pot of white, black or pinto beans that you made the day before, add a Costco rotisserie chicken that you’ve pulled the meat off by hand. Add the drippings for extra flavor along with some onions. Heat and serve. Wild Springtime Morels If you’re lucky enough to find them, these wild, meaty tasting mushrooms are best dipped in flour with salt and pepper and fried in hot oil with a little butter added so they turn golden brown. If you don’t know what they are, never mind. The wrong mushrooms can kill you, so you don’t want to die trying. Peanut Butter Roly-Poly Balls Mix peanut butter with some confectioner’s sugar and a little cream cheese and roll into balls. Roll in
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Late April, 2016 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 15
Dinosaur Land is not extinct The “Quirkiest Place on Earth” is as much a part of the tourism tradition as Skyline Caverns and Skyline Drive The Quirkiest Place on Earth
This battle pits dinosaur models made by noted Virginia fiberglass sculptor Mark Cline By Mario Orlikoff Warren & Frederick County Report It’s an attraction. Um, no, it’s an atrocity. It’s kitschy. Um, it’s tacky. The dinosaurs are amazing. I truly don’t understand people who rant about the condition of the dinosaurs or upkeep. Um, the dinosaurs need a paint job. And what’s up with the purple octopus, the giant praying mantis and King Kong? It is a certified, old-school, amazing, roadside wonder. Um, I’m not sure why this place is still open. You can do some amazing selfies there. Um, I would have taken photos, but I didn’t want a record of my being there. You can re-enact the raptor taming scene from Jurassic World. Um, I felt like I was trapped in one of the old Godzilla movies.
And you should see the gift shop! That alone is reason enough to go. Um, I have seen it, and more. Imagine every grandmother in America having a yard sale and this is what you’ve got to look through – complete with the odd smell. Oh, come on! The gift shop is free and the dinosaur park costs six bucks - five for children under 11. Um, that’s still too much. The conversations go back and forth and all over the place when it concerns Dinosaur Land in White Post, near Winchester. Some laugh at it. Some laugh with it. Some love it. Some hate it. Some love to hate it. So is it a cool, lovable roadside attraction, part of American postWorld War II folklore and possessing an eclectic history all its own? Or is it an absolute embarrassment, poorly maintained and bordering on neglected, even dangerous in certain
A Brontosaurus and a Tyrannosaurus rex made by renowned dinosaur replica designer James Q. Sidwell have beckoned for decades on the side of Stonewall Jackson Highway places? Um, of course the reality lies somewhere in between, depending on each visitor’s personality and general take on life. One Yelp reviewer, Caren B. of Winchester, perhaps put it best: “If you don’t have a sense of humor, skip it.” Well, that’s all I had to read. The first visit to Dinosaur Land was past due anyway – I had driven by the three dinosaurs on the side of Stonewall Jackson Highway many times, always thinking for at least a second or two, “I wonder what it’s like in there?” So it was the right time and I was in the right place mentally to go and view more than 50 renditions of history’s most dominant terrestrial vertebrates. It was time “to step into the world of the prehistoric past, turning back the pages of time to the Mesozoic era, when dinosaurs were the only creatures that roamed the
earth,” as Dinosaur Land’s web site stated. On the next available day, I would set off to gather data so that I could write the three-millionth article on Dinosaur Land and all of its quirky quaintness. Whether it’s extinct or not – get it? - whether it’s a trip back into prehistoric times or more like a trip back into the early 1970s, whether they really do sell racially insensitive stuff in the gift shop, that kind of thing. The next available day turned out to be Saturday, April 9. It was snowing in the morning, and the forecast called for temperatures in the 30s with wind. Plus, the third round of The Masters was set to unfold, and I had a fire going. … Hey, how cool would it be to visit Dinosaur Land on Sunday, when it’s expected to be sunny and in the 50s?!
As I pulled into the Dinosaur Land parking lot on Sunday morning, it was easy right from the start to figure out a couple of things that influenced the park’s creator, Joseph Geraci, back in the early Sixties. The “Dinosaur Land” sign in front is an obvious take-off of Disneyland. The dinosaur mouth-and-teeth-photo-opportunity at the entrance to the gift shop is another take-off – this time of Florida’s Gatorland. And as I walked past the first set of dinosaurs outside in the back, there stood a 20-foottall, not-so-great-ape version of King Kong, inspired by Geraci’s trip to the movie theater in 1976 to see Dino DeLaurentiis’ movie, King Kong. It’s obvious that Dinosaur Land’s creator did not sweat the small stuff, or the gigantic stuff, in terms of historical accuracy, consistency of themes or stepping on toes. Mixed in with the dinosaurs are Kong, a 70foot-long purple octopus (crouching in front of a giant cactus?), a 14-foottall praying mantis, a 16-foot-tall cobra, and a 60-foot-long shark, inspired by, and I’m just guessing here, the movie Jaws. But so what? This place doesn’t need to make perfect sense. It doesn’t need to make any sense at all. Is the octopus supposed to be in the desert or is the cactus supposed to be in the ocean? Not a concern, because it doesn’t really matter in this alternate universe. This is Geraci’s Allosauras in Wonderland. It’s not a museum. It’s not a fossil site. It could indeed be considered an “educational” prehistoric forest, as the sign out front proclaims, because signs beneath the dinosaurs indicate the name, pronunciation and characteristics. But more than anything, it’s a playground in the style of the Flintstones, a place for the kids, which was obvious even on this unseasonably cool spring Sunday. At least a dozen children were running around from dino to dino, having a good time while continually pestering their parents to take them to the toys in the gift shop. This place also seems to be for those adults who have developed the ability to transform into part-kid for an hour or so. Sure enough, many of those gifted grown-ups were wandering around, watching their kids have a blast in the contained environment while joking and doing silly things themselves. Over by the Iguanodon, I bumped into Cari Jones and her two children – four-year-old Brooks and one-yearold Maeley. The Joneses, from Caroline County on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, were making Dinosaur Land part of their Shenandoah Valley tour – along with Skyline Caverns and Skyline Drive, which are 12.6 See DINOSAURS, 16
Page 16 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late April, 2016
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DINOSAURS, from 15 miles or 22 minutes away on Stonewall Jackson Highway. “I bet your son is really loving the dinosaurs.� “Oh, yeah,� Cari said. “But really, she’s the one. She walks up to each one of them and starts roaring.� Maeley, who was wearing a pink jump suit with a hood adorned by cat ears, was trying to either scare or impress these cousins of Barney, all as she continued to perfect the skill of walking. And it was an impressive sight, every bit as epic as the nearby Titanosaurus versus Tyrannosaurus rout. That encounter alone made the $6 admission seem like the deal of the Cenozoic era. The daughter remembers Geraci’s youngest daughter, JoAnn Leight, sent me this e-mail, which is as good an account as you’re going to read anywhere on the making of Dinosaur Land: “My dad, Joseph C. Geraci, opened a small gift shop around 1962-63 and called it Rebel Korner, now the present location of our shop. Every winter, he and my mom would go to Florida for four to six weeks. One day while he was in Florida, he noticed some dinosaurs at a putt-putt golf attraction. He met the man who made them, Jim Sidwell, and thought they would be something to draw attention to his gift shop. So he ordered five and Jim made them and brought them to White Post the following fall. At first he only had them out to the side of the shop, but vandals kept stealing parts off them. So he decided to put them inside a fence and make a “park.� He named the park Dinosaur Land. He ordered a couple more and every few years added more. The dinosaurs are made of fiberglass and are pretty sturdy, except for the toes, fingers, etc. Jim Sidwell died a few years after my mom and dad did, and we did not buy any more dinosaurs. My dad was a man who could do
One of the violent encounters out back: Mama Triceratops protects the baby against T. rex almost anything - plumbing, wiring, laying brick, etc. So he did most of the work building and designing the park. He had many interests and later in the late Seventies, he became interested in growing grapes and making wine. My mom worked the shop while my dad was building a winery business in Middletown. In 1981, my mom passed away and Dad was trying to work and run both the winery business and Dinosaur Land. My dad passed away in 1987 and my three sisters and I took over the business. We have many visitors who came here as a child and they are bringing their children. They are surprised we are still here. Forty-five years for a roadside attraction is almost unheard of these days. The business is run by my two sisters - Barbara Seldon and Grace Newman - and myself. My oldest sister, Gloria, died in 2001. We have great people work for us and each summer we have school kids work.� Dino-might? I wonder if all of the great dinosaur movies – from the Jurassic Park series to Dinotopia - in recent times have helped or hurt Dinosaur Land. Are people just too spoiled by computer-generated imagery, high-defi-
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nition screens and 3-D IMAX? Or do all of the technological and artistic advances just add to the never-ending fascination? I wondered that as I walked through the collection before saying to myself: “What are people talking about? This isn’t bad at all. It’s, it’s ‌ cool ‌ and charming ‌ and refreshingly unreal.â€? These Dinosaur Land replicas don’t deserve the bad reputation they get from some of the snarky reviewers on the Internet. Many of the older ones were designed by the man Leight refers to as “Jim,â€? also known as James Q. Sidwell, a renowned dinosaur replica designer at Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History. Many of the newer, vivid and violent ones were created by noted Virginia fiberglass guru Mark Cline, a Dinosaur Land devotee as a kid, who works out of Natural Bridge. (Cline is famous, or infamous depending on who you to speak to in the Lexington area, for Foamhenge, a full-size replica of Stonehenge made of styrofoam that stands in Natural Bridge, with the pieces in astronomically correct positions unless the wind has blown some over recently. Cline is known for a lot of other things, too. His work from Enchanted Castle Studio can be seen around Virginia and the rest of the country outside various dining
This version of King Kong, inspired by a trip to the movie theater in 1976 by Dinosaur Land creator Joseph Geraci, stands strong despite some blemishes spots, gas stations and car lots.) Leight provided insight on the dinosaurs: “In the past 25 years, we have added 18 more dinosaurs. These were made by a man from Lexington named Mark Cline. The dinosaurs he makes seem to be interacting with the environment and not just a statue. A Triceratops is sticking its horns into a T. rex. A Megalosaurus is taking a bite out of an Apatosaurus, etc. It is very noticeable which ones Mark made and which were the original ones from Jim Sidwell.� Well, it wasn’t that noticeable to me. The Spinosauras and Velociraptor appeared to me to be Cline productions, but an employee at the front desk corrected me and explained that they were “made by a
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company.� Whatever their origin, the newer ones are impressive, vividly colored, and would appeal to visitors who prefer their dinosaur replicas to be paleontologically-correct. But the other creations – the Stegosauras, the Megalosauras, the Coelophysis, the Gigantosauras, the Triceratops, even the four different designs of the Tyrannosauras rex – also work well within the preposterous, fantastical, hilarious and ultimately forgiving confines of the Prehistoric Forest. As for King Kong, it appears that his right cheekbone has been gouged, perhaps from a fight with one of the carnivores after the forest had closed for the night. More likely, however, in this case, ’twas the elements that injured the beast. The tiny bi-plane he snared and once held in his right hand is gone, stolen so many times that it’s probably pointless to replace it. (They even reportedly stole a miniature Cessna!) Despite all of those indignities, Kong is still a big draw, especially for people who want a photo of themselves or loved ones perched in his left hand. A woman on TripAdvisor said that she was proposed to in that left hand. The gift shop After walking among the fiberglass for around an hour, I did what most people, especially people with kids in tow, do: hit the gift shop. A lighthearted excursion started absolutely floating as I checked out an impressive array of action figures, toys, accessories, apparel and just about anything else you could think of related to dinosaurs. I mean, these people have the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods covered! There was much, much more than just dinosaur stuff on display in the
Late April, 2016 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 17
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A Spinosaurus is one of the first theropods visitors find on the unguided tour
Cari Jones of Caroline County, Md., enjoys the forest with her son, Brooks, and daughter, Maeley gift shop. The place had a flea-market feel, and that figures considering that a big one is situated right across the street. For example, and you may not have known this, Dinosaur Land is a showcase dealer for Fenton fine glass. Many designs, limited editions and seasonal glass products are available. And yet there was not a Triceratopsin-a-china-shop refrigerator magnet to be found near that merchandise. Another example: Dinosaur Land stocks all the items you need to get started with home-brewing or winemaking. But there’s no Ale-O-Saurus Brew Kit. The point being - not everything has to be so linear at Dinosaur Land. Not everything has to fit so neatly into the dino-theme. And, for someone who lived in Orlando for seven years and avoided the heavily-programmed, numbing Disney
and Universal experiences as much as possible, that was refreshing. As was the case out back with the dinosaurs, praying mantis, giant sloth, mammoth, cobra and octopus, there’s plenty of everything for everyone. I merrily walked down each aisle, either impressed, amused or befuddled, but most of all, entertained. But I wasn’t repulsed by anything. Then again, I hadn’t yet walked past the Confederate flags and memorabilia/ Civil War display area (which didn’t necessarily bother me), to the front right-hand corner of the gift shop. There I saw something more horrible than any creature or unsightly encounter depicted out back. This set of merchandise was literally segregated from the rest. The figurines depicted black people, dressed in clothes that looked to be from the
mid-1800s, doing a variety of things, from playing musical instruments, to sitting in church, to sitting in a chair with a rifle, to carrying a tray of muffins, to sitting in a chair and holding a knife to a chicken’s throat. I would be relieved to report that the only thing they weren’t doing was picking cotton, but there was one depicting a woman toting cotton. The figurines of the babies with exaggerated eyes and lips finally made me turn away. What could be the justification? Was I missing something? Reviews on Yelp and TripAdvisor were similar to my gut reaction. One of them reads: “Yes, this is a silly, kitschy slice of Americana that, situated on Stonewall Jackson Highway, comes with some of that old, ingrained American racism. Check out the gift shop for Confederate flag magnets and statues of black ‘folk’ in traditional roles. Collect the whole minstrel set! Then stop at a Bojangles for lunch to complete your tour of old, odd, weird, white America.” Understand that those questionable-in-my-mind figurines were the last things I wanted to see on this otherwise delightful romp. The subject of whether something is racially
insensitive not only interrupted my flow, but, more importantly, it would interrupt the flow of my story. In the e-mail correspondence with Leight, I didn’t feel like it would have been fair to ask her for information and good anecdotes, only to spring a Detective Columbo on her at the end: “Oh, before I go, one more thing …” But that’s exactly what I did in the end. And to Leight’s everlasting credit, she responded: “These black people only represent how lives were long ago. We have had them for many years, have had good/fair/like/dislike comments about them. We mean no disrespect toward anyone – the same with the Confederate items. We also have people complain we sell stuff made in China. “We want our shop to be a clean, family shop and hope we do not offend anyone.” Survival of the fittest My final take, after reading thousands of words, interviewing dozens of people, and visiting twice: Dinosaur Land is certainly as much a part of the tourism tradition in this re-
gion as Skyline Caverns and Skyline Drive. Sure, these aren’t the glory days before the Va. Route 522 bypass took away a lot of cars. Sure, there are flaws and chips in the paint, chinks in the dinosaur armor. Let’s face it: Less tourists, less maintenance. It’s not Disney perfect; never was. But the fact that Dinosaur Land still draws and stays in business is significant. After all, it’s the last of the holy triumvirate of dinosaur parks featuring Sidwell’s creations. Unlike the prehistoric forests in Michigan and Ohio, which are abandoned and part of spooky urban lore, Dinosaur Land is most certainly not extinct. And because of that longevity and the Geraci daughters’ ability to survive tourism’s equivalent of a meteor hit, it still means something to people. Dinosaur Land is still there, the same as when you were a kid or when you were last there with the family 15 years ago. The dinosaurs are still the same, frozen in their poses and battles. The only differences are that you’re bigger and the trees are bigger and now offer more shade. Geraci’s creation ranks right up there with the Gemini Giant in Wilmington, Ill., the world’s largest totem pole in Foyil, Okla., the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas, and all of the other uniquely American roadside attractions along the old version of Route 66. Dinosaur Land is a fine place for children, and there can never be anything wrong with that. It’s a fun experience for just about anyone, well worth the admission price. My biggest reason for a thumbs-up: The predominant reaction I got when I asked random people about Dinosaur Land was a knowing chuckle. As a newly converted D-Land devotee, I have but two requests or suggestions for Leight and her sisters. 1. Please consider giving poor Kong a facial make-over. 2. And please consider giving the front right-hand corner of the gift shop a make-over. – mario@areaguides.com
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Page 18 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late April, 2016
Middletown Virginia’s Annual Fourth of July Celebration Middletown, Virginia’s annual Fourth of July committee is seeking crafters for this year’s annual 4th of July celebration to be held on Monday, July 4 from 1pm till dusk. Set up by noon and tear down at dusk. Cost for a 10x10 space is just $25. For more information, contact Tammy Batcha at 540-550-1971. Spring C-CAP Benefit Concert Kumc Symphonic Winds Spring Concert To Benefit C-CAP April 24, 2016 7:00 PM. Come and enjoy an evening of fine music at Kernstown United Methodist Church, 3239 Valley Pike, Winchester, Virginia 22602 540-667-7298. www.kernstownumc. org Pastor Aaron Fitch 540-5329493 afitch@kernstownumc.org Book Drive The Little Helpers 3rd Annual Book Drive! This year’s recipient is The Traveling Books which was started by 2 Frederick County elementary teachers. Our book drive runs NOW through May 31. We are asking for new/ gently used books for children from birth to teen. We have
2 drop box locations this year, United Bank at Sunnyside & United Bank on Front Royal Pike (in front of Costco). Drop boxes will ONLY be at those 2 locations. Shenandoah Valley Master Gardeners Offer Plant Advice to Homeowners The Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardener Association offers free help to area homeowners through its Green Help Lines and Help Desks. Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteers are available to answer gardening questions and diagnose plant problems. Homeowners are encouraged to contact their counties by phone, email, or in person to get help identifying plants and diagnosing plant diseases and/or pests. Volunteers also advise on the latest researchbased care of lawns, trees, shrubs, and vegetables and promote safe use of pesticides and fertilizers in their recommendations to help protect water quality and the environment. Homeowners in the following counties can contact: Clarke County: 540-955-5164, Drop off questions Monday through Friday, 8:30am – 5pm, at the VCE
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Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com Office, Clarke County Government Building, 101 Chalmers Ct, Second Floor, Ste B, Berryville, VA 22611. Frederick County: 540-665-5699, GreenHelpLine.FrederickCo@gmail. com. In-person hours are Fridays 9am – 12pm, Apr – Oct at the VCE Office, 107 North Kent Street, Winchester, VA 22601. Page County: 540-778-5794, aprilang@vt.edu. Drop off questions Monday through Friday, 8am – 5pm, at the VCE Office, 215 West Main Street, Ste C, Stanley, VA 22851. Also find them at the info booth at the Farmers Market, 9am – 12pm, on the third Saturday of the month, May – Oct. Shenandoah County: 540-4596140, greenhelpline@gmail.com. Inperson hours are the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month, 9am – 12pm, Apr – Oct at the VCE Office, Shenandoah County Government Center, 600 North Main Street, Ste 100, Woodstock, VA 22664. Also find them at the info booths at the Strasburg Farmers Market, 9am – 12pm, on the first and third Saturday of the month, Apr – Oct and the South Street Barn Market in Woodstock, 8am – 1pm on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays, Apr – Oct. Warren County: 540-635-4549, In-person hours are Mondays 9am – 12pm, Apr – Oct at the VCE Office, Warren County Government Center, 220 N Commerce Ave, Ste 500, Front Royal, VA 22630. The Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardener Association (www. nsvmga.org) serves the counties of Clarke, Frederick, Page, Shenandoah, and Warren. Extension Master Gardeners are volunteer educators who work within their communities to encourage and promote environmentally sound horticulture practices through sustainable landscape management, education, and training. As an educational program of Virginia Cooperative Extension, Extension Master Gardeners bring the resources of Virginia’s land-grant universities, Virginia Tech and Vir-
ginia State University, to the people of the commonwealth. Wheaton College (Ill.) StudentAthlete Andrew Wade Recognized by College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Andrew Wade, a member of the men’s soccer team at Wheaton College (Ill.) was recognized by the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) as Academic All-Conference during the fall 2015 semester. Wade, of Winchester, Va., is a graduate of Sherando High School in Stephens City, Va. The Wheaton men’s soccer team posted a 15-4-3 overall record in 2015. The Thunder won their 4th consecutive CCIW Championship this fall and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division III Soccer Tournament. Local Residents Inducted into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi The following local residents recently were initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Sarah Valentine of Winchester was initiated at Shepherd University. Rachel Dixon of Stephens City initiated at Radford University Amanda Dixon of Stephens City initiated at Radford University Hillary Buhl of Stephens City initiated at Radford University These residents are among approximately 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors, having at least 72 semester hours, are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate
degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction. Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine and headquartered in Baton Rouge, La., Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline honor society. The Society has chapters on more than 300 college and university campuses in North America and the Philippines. Its mission is “To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.� Dental Hygiene Program at LFCC Middletown, VA. Lord Fairfax Community College (LFCC), in a joint venture with Virginia Western Community College, offers a five semester Associate Degree of Applied Science in Dental Hygiene. About 18 students are selected every two years for the program. Dawn Southerly, Coordinator of Dental Hygiene for the college says, “Students that are selected for the cohort have a compassion for helping others as well as a good G.P.A.� The program is both competitive and rigorous, with a typical day consisting of six to eight hours of combined clinical, laboratory and classroom instruction. Homework constitutes about two hours per night. By the second semester of the program, students begin assessing oral health and cleaning teeth for friends, relatives and community members. Appointments may last up to three hours during the learning phase. On average the clinic at LFCC donates approximately $222,111.00 annually in pro-bono dental services to nearly 373 residents. The students participate in health fairs, a “mission of mercy event,� and Head Start dental outreach initiatives. They also undertake two clinical site rotations at Shenandoah Free Clinic and UVA medical center. Ninety-four percent of those en-
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Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com rolled in the 2012-2014 class graduated with a 100% employment rate after receiving their license. The average salary range in this community is about $30-$35/hour depending on the location of the practice and benefit package. According to RDH eVillage, the average hourly rate for a dental hygienist in the United States is $42.01. The Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) will perform a site visit at the campus in October 2016. “This review happens every seven years,” says Southerly. CODA is one of 11 councils of the American Dental Association, which accredits dental schools and dental education programs as well as schedules and oversees site visits. Southerly, currently working on her Masters of Dental Hygiene at ODU, has taught in the community college setting since 1999. Before joining LFCC, she was the Acting Assistant Dean of Dental Hygiene at Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC). Six of her students are now instructors at NVCC. Last year, Dr. Ben Hanson of LFCC’s Curriculum Advisory Committee, donated $5,000 cash and a dental camera used for taking oral pictures to the program. The money is being used for a laser machine, which helps in the treatment of gum disease. Dr. Willard Lutz and Dr. Dandridge Allen are dentists at LFCC’s clinic who oversee the administration of anesthesia, read x-rays, and make referrals. The student hygienists can provide the following: Full dental assessments Periodontal assessments X-rays Cleanings Fluoride treatments
Sealants Instructions for oral hygiene Nutritional counseling Instructions for tobacco cessation Administer anesthesia Southerly boosts, “We do this free of charge, not all teaching programs do.” For more information regarding the Dental Hygiene program at LFCC or to make an appointment at the clinic, telephone 540-868-7062. Maryland Man Sentenced on Federal Heroin and Cocaine Charge A Maryland man, who authorities said was responsible for selling heroin that led to at least six overdoses in the Winchester, Virginia, area, three of which were fatal, was sentenced today in federal court, United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. announced. Christopher Rojuan Giles, a.k.a. “C” and “Charlie,” 28, of Randallstown, Maryland, previously pled guilty to a one count Information charging him with conspiracy to distribute more than 1,000 grams of heroin, which resulted in six overdoses, more than 280 grams of cocaine base (“crack”), and powder cocaine. Giles admitted that between February 2013 and October 2014, he and other members of the conspiracy conspired to distribute these drugs in and around Winchester, Virginia, and elsewhere, including West Virginia. In the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Harrisonburg, Giles was sentenced to 25 years in Federal prison. “Heroin is destroying families and communities all across the Commonwealth and only through the type of cooperative law enforcement we are
seeing in places like Winchester and up and down the Shenandoah Valley will we in the law enforcement community begin to make progress in putting an end to this tragic epidemic,” United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. said today. “This case is an example of what can be accomplished with the cooperative efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Northwest Virginia Regional Drug and Gang Task Force, and the United States Attorney’s Office,” Virginia State Police Supervisory Special Agent Jay Perry, coordinator of the Task Force, said. “The hundreds of investigative hours that were put into this case resulted in multiple convictions of heroin dealers both locally and from the Baltimore, Maryland area. Tragically, this investigation, like many others, began with a fatal overdose. Through the diligent efforts of investigators and prosecutors we were able to identify and target the larger scale dealers from Baltimore that were supplying our region.” “The sentencing of Mr. Giles today ends a tragedy that played out in our communities in Western Virginia, affecting dozens of families and loved ones of his victims. Mr. Giles will now face the consequences of his actions. Prescription opioids like OxyContin and hydrocodone are fueling the demand for heroin. This addiction is tearing the fibers of communities, of our families, apart. This investigation is just one of many that exemplify drug law enforcement’s efforts to investigate and dismantle drug trafficking organizations, like Mr. Giles’ organization, responsible for fueling heroin addiction and overdose deaths,” said Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of
Late April, 2016 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 19 the Drug Enforcement Administration, Karl C. Colder. According to evidence presented at previous hearings by Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth G. Wright, Giles, who operated in various locations in and around Baltimore, Maryland, was a major source of heroin for lower-level dealers and heroin users in the Winchester area. Evidence presented also proved that the heroin Giles distributed led to at least six heroin overdoses, including three fatal overdoses. The overdoses include the death of T.R.C. on November 17, 2013, the death of R.F.L. on March 19-20, 2014, the overdose of J.H.H. on March 21, 2014, the overdose of B.D.W. on April 5, 2014, the overdose of G.R.F. on September 5, 2014, and the death of B.E.W. on October 10, 2014. As part of his plea, Giles specifically admitted he provided the heroin that led to the non-fatal overdoses of J.H.H. and B.D.W. and the fatal overdose of R.F.L., as noted above, in March and April 2014. Three other defendants, Colin Patrick Butler, 31, of Cross Junction, Virginia, David Josueh Medina, 35, of Cross Junction, Virginia, and Eric Keith Pennington, 33, of Middletown, Virginia, have previously been sentenced in federal court based upon the overdose of J.H.H. Two other defendants, Stephanie Diane Alkire, 23, of Winchester, Virginia, and Donna Jean Jenkins, 37, of Winchester, Virginia, have previously been sentenced in federal court based upon the overdose of B.D.W. Two other defendants, Scott Matthew Pierce, 45, of Stephens City, Virginia, and Brandy Dawn Kelly, 37, of Stephens City, Virginia, have previously been sentenced in federal court based upon the overdose of R.F.L. One other defendant, Warren Evans, Jr., 39, of Windsor Mill, Maryland, has entered a plea of guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than 1,000 grams of heroin, more than 280 grams of crack, and powder cocaine, and conspiracy to distribute heroin
that resulted in the fatal overdose of R.F.L. At sentencing, Evans faces a statutory penalty of between 20 years and life in prison. The investigation of these cases was conducted by the Northwest Virginia Regional Drug and Gang Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration, Winchester Resident Office. The Task Force includes law enforcement from the counties of Frederick, Clarke, Shenandoah, Warren and Page as well as the cities and towns of Winchester, Front Royal and Strasburg, and the Virginia State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth G. Wright prosecuted the cases for the United States. LaSala Named Dean of Nursing at Shenandoah University Winchester, VA – Kathleen LaSala, Ph.D., RN, PNP, CNE, associate dean of academic affairs and professor of nursing at the University of South Carolina College of Nursing in Columbia, South Carolina, has been named Shenandoah University’s next dean of the Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing. Dr. LaSala will begin her new position on June 30, 2016. LaSala was selected after a lengthy and rigorous search process; her appointment was strongly supported by both the search committee and the university community. She will succeed Kathryn Ganske, Ph.D., RN, who will retire from Shenandoah at the close of the academic year after 22 years of service to the university. “We are delighted to have Kathleen LaSala join the Shenandoah University community in June, and are confident that she will continue the strong leadership we have had in the school of nursing,” said Vice President for Academic Affairs Adrienne Bloss, Ph.D. “Her collaborative style is a good match for us, and her extensive experience in program development and community relationships is particularly important for our current initiatives.”
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Page 20 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late April, 2016 FREDERICK, from 19 “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to join Shenandoah University’s faculty and administration team,” said LaSala. “As a native of the Shenandoah Valley, I see this as a ‘coming home’ experience and my heart feels so comfortable knowing I will be serving those in a region that means so much to me. “Shenandoah University is wellpositioned to influence nursing and respiratory care education for the region and beyond,” she added. “The school of nursing’s commitment to reach out and partner with key health care organizations, veterans groups and community partners has been a key factor in its success. Multiple campus sites allow students from various geographic regions to benefit from Shenandoah’s educational programs in their home area, while meeting regional needs for nurses and respiratory care providers. This is an exciting time to be joining the campus community.” LaSala is a native of Harrisonburg, Virginia, and held prior academic positions at the University of Northern Colorado, Radford University, and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. She looks forward to working with a team to enhance and grow nursing and respiratory care education programs that meet the needs of both students and their future patients. “I am committed to keeping the Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing a student-centered educational experience, while reaching out to our community to address health care issues,” said LaSala. “As a global society, we are facing rapid changes and challenges in health care, including economic, access and quality issues. Educators and students must be highly adaptable and knowledgeable, while playing a key leadership role in addressing the challenges. We must continue to expand interprofessional education and practice, use technology wisely and efficiently, and remain a caring profession that consistently
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focuses on those we serve.” LaSala notes that the Institute of Medicine’s report, “The Future of Nursing: Leading Change and Advancing Health,” in 2010 was a monumental call to nursing to transform health, and she believes that Shenandoah University’s school of nursing will be a leader in the future of nursing. “I am excited about the next chapter of the school’s history and working with students, faculty, administrators and the community to meet the challenges,” LaSala said. LaSala has extensive teaching experience, teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels and supervising clinical courses as well as thesis, capstone and dissertation projects. She has also completed research focused in several areas, including nursing and health care workforce issues, nursing education and tobacco cessation. Her research has appeared in peer reviewed publications, her abstracts in national and international conferences and professional meetings, and her tobacco research in governmental publications.
Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com In addition to her academic service roles, LaSala has served as chair of the South Carolina Action Coalition for the Robert Wood Johnson/AARP Future of Nursing Campaign. She has held numerous leadership roles in Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society, including board member of the research and scholarship committee and president and vice president of regional chapters. She was a board member for the Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence, and has served on the Colorado Council of Nurse Educators as president-elect and Colorado Association of Nurse Educators as chairperson. LaSala has served as a state governmental liaison for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and rural health consultant for two governors (Virginia and Pennsylvania), and on the tobacco research board for the governor of Colorado. She has also been active in her community through activities with American Heart Association, American Cancer Association, church and children’s group work. LaSala earned her bachelor’s in
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nursing from Radford University in Radford, Virginia, completed her master’s in nursing and received her Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Certificate at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia, and received her Ph.D. in nursing with an emphasis on nursing administration and public policy from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. She has practiced in obstetrics, acute/primary/rehabilitation pediatric care, and in public policy arenas, and has served as a registered nurse and pediatric nurse practitioner. REC Members Improve Their Communities Through Operation Round Up Each month, over 7600 members of Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) voluntarily allow the Cooperative to round up their electric payment to the nearest dollar with the extra change donated to Operation Round Up® (ORU). The donated money is then dispersed to local charitable groups that are making a difference in their communities. The governing board responsible for dispersing the donated money recently selected programs to receive support for their community-focused efforts. Several local charities were awarded funding this month from Operation Round Up dollars, including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Virginia to support the BigTIME program which provides food, crafts, recreation and academic supplies for program participants in Frederick and Clarke counties and Special Love, Inc. to provide transportation to and from “Camp Fantastic,” a one-week adventure camp for young cancer patients. Other organizations receiving funds from the program include the Louisa County Fair, Lake of the Woods Living Independently In our Community, Western Hanover Wood Ministry, Western Hanover Emergency Action Team (WHEAT), FISH of Clarke County, Skyline Community Action Partnership, The disAbility Resource Center of the Rappahannock Area and Friends of the Rappahannock. Sterling F. Schoonover, REC’s manager of member services says, “REC is very proud and fortunate to have members who are willing to donate a small amount each month to make a large impact on their communities. We thank each of them for their generosity and encourage them to tell their friends and neighbors about REC’s Operation Round Up program.”
REC members who are not already enrolled are encouraged to join the ORU program. Once enrolled, the extra change from their electric bill will be dedicated to charitable causes. Members can sign up by visiting thepowerofchange.org or by calling 800552-3904 for more information. Organizations seeking funding will be able to access applications during the next application period beginning July 6, 2016. REC provides electric service to over 161,000 connections in parts of 22 Virginia counties. With its general office in Fredericksburg, Va., the Cooperative operates and maintains more than 16,000 miles of power lines through its service area, which ranges from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the tidal waters of the Chesapeake Bay. For information about REC, please visit www.myrec.coop. Follow REC on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. Shenandoah University to Host 18th Annual Nursing Research & Scholarship Symposium Winchester, VA – On Friday, April 22, Shenandoah University’s Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing and the Rho Pi Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), the international honor society of nursing, will host a research and scholarship symposium, “Raising the Bar on Health Care Delivery: Developing Ethical Nursing Practices that Embrace Comprehensive Care for Vulnerable Populations.” This symposium is for clinicians, academicians and researchers interested in nursing research. The event will be held in the Brandt
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Late April, 2016 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 21 Student Center, Ferrari Room, on the campus of Shenandoah University. Registration begins at 8:15 a.m. The morning program will start at 9 a.m. and includes a keynote address by Dean of the Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing Kathryn Ganske, Ph.D., RN, titled “A Culture of Ethical Practice.” The afternoon keynote speaker is Jacquelyn Campbell, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, Anna D. Wolf Chair and professor at The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, who will speak at noon on “The Role of Nursing in Addressing Family Violence.” The symposium also includes poster displays and dialogue with nurse
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researchers, afternoon breakout sessions, door prize drawings and a silent auction. Nursing contact hours (5.5) are available, and this continuing education activity is provided by Shenandoah University, an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Virginia Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. The registration fee is $100 through Friday, April 8. Fee includes contact hours and lunch. For more information, please contact the School of Nursing at 540/678-4374 or via email at rlewis3@su.edu.
CRIME OF THE WEEK
Winchester City Crime of the Week - April 7, 2016 The Winchester Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating a fire – now suspected to be arson - that occurred on Sunday, March 27, 2016. The fire was first reported by a passing motorist at 8:59 p.m. An unknown suspect(s) ignited combustible materials on the loading dock of the Salvation Army Thrift Store located at 320 Weems Lane in Winchester. The fire, which damaged the building and contents, also damaged a box truck and a trailer that were parked at the dock. Damage estimates are not available at this time. If you have any information regarding a suspect or a suspect vehicle in this incident, please contact the 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. Incident #16012424 Fire Marshal Jeremy Luttrell
Page 22 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late April, 2016
Warren County Report 30th Annual Virginia Wine & Craft Festival – May 21, 2016
Wine lovers unite! The 30th Annual Virginia Wine & Craft Festival will be held on Saturday, May 21st in historic downtown Front Royal, Virginia from 10 am – 6 pm. Join us for a fun filled day of shopping, live music, delicious food and of course, wine tasting. The festival gates open at 10am with activities and live entertainment throughout the day until 6 p.m. Come and enjoy tastings from nearly 20 Virginia wineries. Covering more than seven blocks and featuring over 100 vendors, artists and crafters from all over the east coast, there won’t be anything you can’t find to fit your style, mood or need. Fine handmade jewelry, hand painted wine glasses, hand crafted musical instruments, pottery and ceramics, clothing, original paintings and artwork, antiques, the list goes on. Not to be outdone by the wineries and crafters, the food vendors are coming out in full force. With over a dozen to choose from, deciding whether to have funnel cakes, fresh roasted nuts, crab cake sandwiches, steak-n-cheese, shish kabobs, or just burgers and dogs may take you the whole day. Festival goers are encouraged to visit the many unique shops and restaurants along Main Street during the event as well. There will be entertainment for everyone throughout the day at either end of Main Street and along Chester Street. At the Gazebo: Gold Top County Ramblers a string rock band (new grass-esque, bluegrassish) will perform from 10am – 1:30pm and back by popular demand Back To Zero from 2 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. which is an exciting versatile party band based out of Arlington, Virginia. Back To Zero was nominated “best band in the Washington, DC Area” in the WUSA 9 A List competition. On the Courthouse Lawn: The Church Street Project will perform a mix of rock and soul from Noon – 2pm. On Chester Street: No More Chili will perform from 1pm – 4pm. Coming all the way from the rolling sand dunes of Tatooine is a high energy cover band that brings the rock!
Featuring songs of Faith No More, Red Hot Chili Peppers, 311, Sublime, and many more. Festival admission is $25 in advance or $30 at the gate for those who wish to wine taste or purchase bottles of wine. There is no general admission fee. Advance tickets can be purchased in a number of ways; you can visit the Chamber of Commerce at 106 Chester Street, Front Royal, Front Royal Visitor Center at 414 E. Main Street or you can visit our website at www.wineandcraftfestival.com . So, come to Front Royal for the Wine & Craft Festival, but stay an extra day to enjoy all this beautiful area has to offer. With five golf courses, museums, a theatre and the Skyline Caverns you can certainly relax; Shenandoah River State Park, Shenandoah National Park and the George Washington National Forest offer opportunities for canoeing, hiking, fishing and camping. So, whether you like to take it easy or stay on the move, Front Royal-Warren County is the perfect destination. Special Thanks to our Presenting Sponsors: Alcova Mortgage & Morris & Co. Realty Thanks to our Chamber sponsors: Warren Memorial Hospital, Main Street Daily Grind, Shenandoah Ford, Shotton Design, Holiday Inn & Suites Front Royal, Apple House, Blue Ridge Shadows Golf Club, Houlihan’s Restaurant, 99.3 The Fox, Q102, KISS FM 98.3, Aire Serv Heating & Cooling, Shenandoah Buick GMC, Winchester Printers, The River 95.3 FM, and Northern Virginia Daily. The Virginia Wine & Craft Festival is an event by the Front Royal-Warren County Chamber of Commerce.
Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com For more information contact the Chamber of Commerce at 540-6353185, https://www.facebook.com/ vawineandcraft or visit our website www.wineandcraftfestival.com or follow us on twitter @VAWineCraft.
PM at Samuels Public Library in Front Royal. Get your tickets now at the Library or online. Check out the full details of A Taste for Mysteries at SamuelsLibrary.net
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Annual Kids Trout Fishing Day To Be Held At Happy Creek In Front Royal
Cars And Trucks Welcome ∙ Rain Or Shine $15.00 Per Hand ∙ Join Us For Breakfast Sign In Starts: 10:00 Am Knotty Pine Restaurant First Bike Out: 11:30 Am Last Bike Out: 12:30 Pm 1st Place 15%, 1st Card- Knotty Pine Front Royal, Va. 2nd Place 10%, 2nd Card- Lone Oak Tavern Boyce, Va. 3rd Place 5%, 3rd Card- Joe’s Pizza Marshall, Va. 4th Card- Fat Tuesday’s Warrenton, Va. Final Card- Hooters, Manassas, Va.
The Northern Shenandoah Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited is hosting an Event for Kids & Families on April 23rd, 2016. “Free event” (Donations are appreciated) The Northern Shenandoah Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited in co-operation with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, and the Warren County Department of Recreation are hosting their ninetenth (19th) annual day of “trout fishing for kids”. Community children are invited to come out with their fishing poles, tackle boxes and bait for a day of Trout Fishing on Happy Creek in Miller Park (Bing Crosby Stadium). The event kicks off at the parks’ #3 shelter, NSVTU members will be there to provide rules and information on the day of the event. On April 23rd, fishing begins at 9:00 AM and continues until 3:00 PM or whenever the kids get tired of fishing! Children ages 3 thru 15 may fish with minimal assistance of a responsible adult or sponsoring adult. Licensed adults who want to fish are asked to yield this day until the children are finished and we open the stream. TU-Loaner rods and tackle available for any angler that does not have their own. The Northern Shenandoah Valley Chapter Trout Unlimited has a strong commitment to the community’s youth, and is proud to host a memorable day of fishing for the kids and their families. “Spending the day fishing with a child will create memories to last a lifetime,” said Mike Swauger, “Besides being a wonderful experience for children, Kids Day is a great way to make new friends in your community,” added Mike. For more information please contact: Eve Zimmer, Chairman 540-636-
Friends at Samuels Do you know these two rascals? Could they possibly be members of our Friends group? You can wine and dine with Prof. Plum and Col. Mustard, and all the other Clue characters, as Samuels Public Library’s annual fundraiser on April 16 takes a mysterious turn. The Library will be reconfigured as the 1920’s era mansion from our version of the game of Clue. If you can solve the mystery of who stole the valuable portrait of Dr. Samuels you will have a chance to win big. This will be a fabulous, fun evening of food and beverage. Join your Friends and neighbors - Saturday, April 16 at 6
8882 evmjzimmer@yahoo.com Mike Swauger 530-636-6016 swauger@embarqmail.com Or visit the Northern Shenandoah Valley TU’s web site at www.nsvtu.org Front Royal Kiwanis Club holding two events in May to benefit area youth The Kiwanis Club of Front Royal is sponsoring two fundraisers during the month of May to benefit area youth. On Wednesday, May 4, the club will sponsor a Spring Social and fundraising event to raise money to replace dilapidated seating at E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School auditorium. The event will be held from 4 p.m. until 7:30 at the Blue Wing Frog at 219 Chester Street in Front Royal. Admission to the social will be $25 per person. The social will feature a buffet meal, beverages, entertainment, a 50/50 raffle, silent auction and prizes. Proceeds will help the elementary school replace crumbling seating in the auditorium. Advance tickets to the social/fundraiser can be purchased from any Front Royal Kiwanis member. (Call Wayne Barber at 540-252-2137 or Barbara Tringali at 540-622-6312). On Saturday May 21, local runners and walkers should plan to participate in the annual Front Royal Kiwanis 5K to benefit the Warren County Special Olympics. The event starts and ends again this year at the Warren County Health & Human Services Complex at 500 15th Street in Front Royal. This is one of the less expensive 5K events around: Advanced registration (postmarked by May 9) is only $13 per person. Regular registration is only $15. Race day registration and check-in starts at 8 a.m. and the race starts promptly at 9 a.m. Mail advance registration fee/ consent form to Front Royal Kiwanis 5K, 197 Foxfire Court, Front Royal, VA 22630-5628. Proceeds from event go to assist Special Olympics of Warren County. For more race information, contact Terry Leckie (tleckie@comcast.net) or 540-660-2378.
Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com Rotary Club of Front Royal Annual Community Service Grant Application The Rotary Club of Front Royal announces its Annual Community Service Grant competition. Grant applications from NOT FOR PROFIT organizations whose activities promote and enhance the quality of life of the citizens of Front Royal/ Warren County are now being accepted by the club. The winning grant could receive up to $8,500. Application forms may be obtained by: 1. Writing to the Rotary Club of Front Royal at PO Box 85, Front Royal, VA 22630. 2. Emailing debra.morfit@bankatunion.com 3. Visiting http://frontroyalrotary. org Applications will be accepted until April 20, 2016. Poetry Contest Winners to Read on April 23 Front Royal, VA—Selah Theatre has chosen teen and adult winners of the Front Royal Voices Poetry Contest. Winners will read their poems on Saturday, April 23 at Selah Theatre to celebrate National Poetry Month. The event, which starts at 7 PM, will include a poetry open mic, a musical guest, and two featured poets—Rich Follett and José Padua. Rich Follett is a high school English, theatre, and mythology teacher who has been writing poems and songs for more than 35 years. His poems have been featured in numerous online and print journals, including BlazeVox, The Montucky Review, Paraphilia, Leaf Garden Press and CounterExample Poetics, for which he is a featured artist. Three volumes of poetry, Responsorials (with Constance Stadler), Silence, Inhabited, and Human & c. are available through NeoPoiesis Press (www.neopoiesispress.com). He is also a professional actor, singer/songwriter, playwright and director. José Padua has published poetry, fiction, and nonfiction in Bomb, Salon.
com, Exquisite Corpse, Another Chicago Magazine, Unbearables, Crimes of the Beats, Up is Up, but So Is Down: New York’s Downtown Literary Scene 1974-1992, and many other journals and anthologies. His poem Seven and Seven Is won the 2014 New Guard Poetry Prize and his poetry manuscripts have been finalists or semi-finalists for the Brittingham, Crab Orchard, Felix Pollak, and Autumn House poetry prizes. He writes the blog Shenandoah Breakdown at https://shenandoahbreakdown.wordpress.com Contest winners are: Teen Category First Place: Daniel Kurzenknabe for “Memory Lane” Second Place: Emma Schneider for “Where I Go, the Crow Goes” Third Place: Darach Cook for “Society” Adult Category First Place: Kristin Zimet for “Jigsaw Puzzle” Second Place: Maggie Stetler for “The Room” Third Place: John Berry for “The Source” First Runner Up: JoEllen McNeal for “The Visit” Second Runner Up: Catherine Wolniewicz for “Memorial Day” Third Runner Up: Kim Hazelwood for “Winter Geisha” Best Fit for “Where I’m From” Theme: First Place: Melissa Yoder Ricks for “I am from Freshly Sharpened Pencils” Second Place: Mary Rose Olin for “I’m from Teacups, Life Cereal, and Manhattan Cocktails” Third Place: Sally Toner for “Back to Mayflower Road” The $5 admission fee will benefit Backpacks for Buddies, a program of the Front Royal Presbyterian Church that provides healthy snacks and quick meals for kindergarten through 5th grade students and students in the Head Start and Sure Start programs at E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School. Selah Theatre is located at 30 E. 8th Street, Front Royal, VA (http://www. selahtheatreproject.org). For more information, contact Heather Davis at
hdavis67@gmail.com. The mission of Selah Theatre Project is to empower, educate, and enlighten our community with theatrical opportunities that encourage conversations and have a positive impact. Each year, Selah reaches more than 650 children and families through main stage productions, arts education, and youth development programs. Selah Theatre Project produces original theatre productions and provides theatrical training and youth development through the Selah Youth Theatre Ensemble, inschool residencies, and after-school programs.
Late April, 2016 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 23 Randolph-Macon Academy April Open House Randolph-Macon Academy will host a community-wide open house on Sunday, April 17, 2016, at 2:00 p.m. Students currently in grades 5-11, who are interested in attending the Academy for either the summer programs or the regular school year, are encouraged to attend with their parents. Attendees will receive a tour of the campus and meet with admissions counselors, teachers/administrators, and students. RSVP appreciated, walk-ins welcome. For more information, call 540-636-
5484, e-mail admission@rma.edu, or sign up online at www.rma.edu/openhouse. Randolph-Macon Academy (R-MA), founded in 1892, is a college-preparatory, coeducational boarding school for students in grades 6 through 12. Students in grades 9-12 participate in R-MA’s 91st Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC). R-MA is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and is one of seven Falcon Foundation Schools in the U.S. The Academy is located in Front Royal, VA.
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Page 24 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late April, 2016 WARREN, from 23 5K JROTC Run April 23rd Come help celebrate the 100th JROTC Anniversary with a 5K Fun Run Event on April 23, 2016 on the Randolph-Macon Academy campus! As part of a worldwide commemoration of the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) 100th Anniversary, the run event is unique in that participants around the world start and run/walk simultaneously. Registration is open now and the public is encouraged to participate to support JROTC. The event begins at 11:00 a.m. at Randolph-Macon Academy. Please visit bit.ly/JROTCrun for details and registration. This event is open to the public! The run is free for JROTC cadets; all others are $24 per registrant. Route 624 In Warren County Closing April 18 For Bridge Replacement Part of Route 624 (Morgan Ford Road) in Warren County is scheduled to close Monday, April 18, for replacement of a low-water bridge over the Shenandoah River. This closure is from the intersection of Route 643 (Howellsville Road) and Route 661 (Fairground Road), but homeowners on either side of the bridge will have access to their properties. Contractors have begun tree cutting and trimming in the area of the project, and drivers can expect flaggercontrolled traffic from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily until the road closure. Beginning the morning of April 18, signs will direct motorists on one of the following detours:| Drivers south of the bridge will turn right on Route 643 (Howellsville Road), which changes to Route 603 and then to Route 638 in Clarke County. Drivers will then turn left on Route 17/50 (John Mosby Highway) and left on Route 624 (Red Gate Road/Milldale Road) to reach the end of the detour. Drivers north of the bridge will follow Route 624 (Milldale Road/Red Gate Road) north and turn right on Route 17/50 (John Mosby Highway) in Clarke County. Drivers will then turn right on Route 638 (Howellsville Road), which changes to Route 603 and then Route 643, to reach the end of the detour. The existing one-lane Morgan Ford bridge will be replaced by a two-lane structure located at the existing location following the existing alignment. Approximately 480-feet long, the new bridge will have 22 feet of travel width. The roadway approaches on either side of the bridge will vary from 22 to 24 feet of paved width. Ditches will be provided where needed. On January 29, 2016, the Virginia Department of Transportation awarded a $4,886,508.07 contract to Orders Construction Company Inc. of Saint Albans, West Virginia. The project has a contract completion date of June 1, 2018. More information about the project, including a list of frequently asked questions, is found on the Morgan Ford Road project page at this link: Warren County – Route 624 (Morgan Ford Road) bridge replacement. The VDOT Staunton District serves Frederick, Shenandoah, Clarke, War-
ren, Page, Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, Rockbridge, Alleghany and Bath counties. Traffic alerts and traveler information can be obtained by dialing 511. Traffic alerts and traveler information also are available at 511Virginia.org. For other assistance call the VDOT Customer Service Center, available 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week. Citizens can dial 1-800-FOR- ROAD (1-800-367-7623) from anywhere in the state to report road hazards, ask transportation questions, or get information related to Virginia’s roads. The Staunton District Twitter feed is at @VaDOTStaunton. VDOT can be followed on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube. RSS feeds are also available for statewide information. The VDOT Web page is located at www. VirginiaDOT.org. Justifiable Use of Force Class The Warren County Parks and Recreation Department and Defensive Firearms of Virginia LLC will be holding a Justifiable Use of Force Class for those interested on Saturday, May 14, 2016, from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at the Warren County Community Center, 538 Villa Avenue, Front Royal, and VA 22630. This class is open to anyone 10 years of age and older; those under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. This class deals with the laws of self-defense and the use of deadly force. This class will help you understand about the use of force in self-defense with hands, knives, and firearms. The cost is $35.00 per participant and is limited to 35 participants; preregistration is required. For more information about the course contact Rex King at DFV357@ yahoo.com. Registration information can be obtained by contacting the Warren County Community Center, Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m., Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m., Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. at (540) 6351021 or via email at wcccinfo@warrencountyva.net
Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com “Learn to Play” Mah Jongg Mah Jongg is a four person table game played with Chinese tiles. 13 tiles are dealt and are used to create hands with runs and sets similar to rummy. In this class players will learn the names of the tiles, procedures of the game and the creation of winning hands as determined by the National Mah Jongg League. This program will be held Wednesdays, May 4, 2016 through May 25, 2016, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. The cost of the Mah Jongg “Learn to Play” program is $15.00 per player, which includes a player card. ($6.00 if you are already in possession of your own player card). This program will be held at the Warren County Community Center, 538 Villa Avenue, Front Royal VA 22630. For more information about the game of Mah Jongg, please contact the instructor at (540) 252-4252. Registration information can be obtained by contacting the Warren County Community Center, Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m., Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Saturday, 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at (540) 635-1021 or via email at wcccinfo@ warrencountyva.net Mah Jongg “Players Club” Players will play several hands of Mah Jongg against skilled opponents. This club meets on Tuesdays, May 3, 2016 through May 31, 2016, from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at the Warren County Community Center, 538 Villa Ave., Front Royal VA 22630. The cost for the club is $6.00 per player and players must bring their own players card. For more information about the Mah Jongg “Players Club”, please contact instructor at (540) 252-4252. Registration information can be obtained by contacting the Warren County Community Center, Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m., Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m., Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. at (540)
635-1021 or via email at wcccinfo@ warrencountyva.net Take Award Winning PhotosSeminar In this seminar, you will learn in clear and concise photographic terms the tools you will need to take award winning images to submit for photo competition, publication purposes and for yourself. These principles that will be explained will apply to both film and digital photography. You will obtain professional advice on the equipment you will need such as camera, lenses, etc. that will help you in fulfilling your creative endeavors. This seminar will be offered, Saturday, May 14, 2016 and May 21, 2016, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at the Warren County Community Center, 538 Villa Avenue, Front Royal VA 22630 The cost of the seminar is $35.00 per participant and is limited to 25 participants; pre-registration is required. The class is open to anyone 12 years of age and older; please bring any equipment you may have. Registration information can be obtained by contacting the Warren County Community Center, Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m., Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Saturday, 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at (540) 635-1021 or via email at wcccinfo@ warrencountyva.net Tiny Tykes Play Day Warren County Parks and Recreation Department is offering a play program for those children ages 2 to 5
years of age, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, May 3, 2016 through September 1, 2016; 9:00 a.m – 11:00 a.m. at the Warren County Health and Human Services Café. Don’t miss out on this opportunity for a few hours of fun, blowing bubbles, playing with Legos, enjoying story time, finger painting and many other activities with children their age. The cost is $2.00 per participant every date of attendance. For more information contact Tiffany Walker, AFO; Recreation and Aquatics Coordinator at (540) 6351021 or via email at twalker@warrencountyva.net. Registration information can be obtained by contacting the Warren County Community Center, Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m., Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at (540) 635-1021 or via email at wcccinfo@warrencountyva.net Miami Marlins vs Washington Nationals Bus Trip to Nationals Park, Washington D.C. The bus will leave from the Warren County Community Center; 538 Villa Ave., Front Royal, Virginia, at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 14, 2016, game time is 7:00 p.m. The cost is $70.00 per reservation, includes admission ticket and transportation. Seats are located in Section 110. Tickets are limited to six (6) tickets per household, with only 38 tickets
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Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com available. Registration information can be obtained by contacting the Warren County Community Center, Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m., Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at (540) 635-1021 or via email at wcccinfo@ warrencountyva.net Sand Volleyball League Warren County Parks and Recreation Department is offering a sand volleyball league for those 16 years of age and older age as of June 1, 2016, on Mondays, beginning in June 2016. Games will be played at Lions Parks, Burrell Brooks Park and Gertrude E. Miller Park Sand Courts, first match will start at 6:00 p.m. The cost is $50.00 per team; first match will start at 6:00 p.m. Registration deadline is May 27, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. For more information contact Tiffany Walker, AFO; Recreation and Aquatics Coordinator at (540) 6351021 or via email at twalker@warrencountyva.net. Registration information can be obtained by contacting the Warren County Community Center, Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m., Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at (540) 635-1021 or via email at wcccinfo@warrencountyva.net Pick-Up Pickleball Pickleball was created with one thing in mind: fun. It was designed to be easy to learn and play whether you are five, eighty-five or somewhere in between. Pickleball is all the fun of tennis with none of the running. Playing on a badminton sized court makes the game much more strategically based. This program will be held on Wednesdays, beginning May 4, 2016, at the Bing Crosby Tennis Courts, 50 Stadium Drive, Front Royal, VA 22630, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. for those ages 55 years & up. This program is free to all participants. Additional information can be obtained by contacting the Warren County Community Center, Monday
through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m., Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at (540) 635-1021 or via email at wcccinfo@warrencountyva.net Senior Gaming At any age, playing games is healthy for the mind and body. Games can help keep the brain active, involved social interaction and are a good, inexpensive form of entertainment. Studies have shown that playing games may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The program will be held on Mondays, May 2, 2016 through August 29, 2016, from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and on Fridays, May 6, 2016 through September 2, 2016, from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the Warren County Community Center, 538 Villa Ave., and Front Royal VA 22630. There is no cost to come out and play; players must be 55 years or older to play. This is a drop in program; no preregistration is required. For more information about the Senior Gaming program, please contact Tiffany Walker at (540) 6351021 or via e-mail at twalker@warrencountyva.net. Registration information can be obtained by contacting the Warren County Community Center, Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m., Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m., Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. at (540) 635-1021 or via email at wcccinfo@ warrencountyva.net 55+ Senior Bus Trip Maryland Live Casino Enjoy a day trip to Maryland Live! This Casino features over 4,000 slots and over 170 live-action table games. If gambling is not for you, then you can enjoy a day of shopping at Arundel Mills Mall, Maryland’s largest shopping outlet, featuring over 200 stores. There will be plenty of gambling, shopping and dining options to choose from on this trip. The trip will take place Wednesday, May 11, 2016. The bus will depart from the Warren County Community Center, 538 Villa Ave, Front Royal, VA 22630, at 8:00
a.m. and will depart from Maryland Live! at approximately 6:00 p.m. This trip is for those ages 55 years & older. The cost is $35.00 per participant; and seating is limited to 38 participants. Registration information can be obtained by contacting the Warren County Community Center, Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m., Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 7:00p.m., Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at (540) 635-1021 or via email at wcccinfo@ warrencountyva.net Ladies Summer Kick Off Thursday, May 19, 2016 Join us for a ladies only event to kick off the summer of 2016. At this event we will be having a painting class with local painter Kelly Walker. She will lead us in painting a summer inspired piece that each participant will take home with them. While painting light snacks will be provided. This event will be held at the Warren County Community Center, 538 Villa Avenue, Front Royal, VA 22630, from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. The cost is $30.00 per participant. Registration is limited to 30 participants; pre-registration is required. Registration information can be obtained by contacting the Warren County Community Center, Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m., Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Saturday, 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at (540) 635-1021 or via email at wcccinfo@ warrencountyva.net Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu This program covers the basics of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the world’s premier grappling martial art. Your child will learn basic self-defense skills in a kid friendly environment, while learning life lessons such as self-discipline and respect. The program is held on Saturdays at the SUP Riverbend BJJ Academy, 213 E. Main St., Front Royal, VA. 22630, from 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., for those ages 4 – 12 years. The cost of the program is $135.00 (includes gi) per participant for 10 consecutive classes. This program is on-going and starts the first week you register.
Registration information can be obtained by contacting the Warren County Community Center, Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m., Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at (540) 635-1021 or via email at wcccinfo@warrencountyva.net Zumba Are you ready to party yourself into shape? Forget the workout, as this class will allow you to lose yourself in the music and find yourself in shape at the original dance-fitness party. Zumba® classes feature exotic rhythms set to high-energy Latin and international beats. Before you know it, you will be getting fit and your energy levels will be soaring. Classes are held on Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.at the RES Youth Center, 200 E. 8th Street, Front Royal, VA 22630. The cost is $5.00 per participant (this is a drop in program). For more information regarding class instruction, please email zumba. lizi@gmail.com . Registration information can be obtained by contacting the Warren County Community Center, Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m., Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at (540) 635-1021 or via email at wcccinfo@ warrencountyva.net Karate Program This program will encompass the usual stances, kicking, punching techniques along with stretching, weight lifting (2 to 4 lbs.), and an overall history and review of martial arts. Sensei Drago emphasizes the attitude of working with each other not at each other. The program is held on Saturdays at the Front Royal Karate Club, 7 Kidd Lane, Front Royal, VA. 22630, from 12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. for those ages 5 – 16 years. The cost of the program is $110.00 per participant for a 10 consecutive classes. This program is on-going and starts the first week you register. Registration information can be obtained by contacting the Warren
County Community Center, Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m., Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at (540) 635-1021 or via email at wcccinfo@warrencountyva.net JAZZERCISE at the Warren County Parks and Recreation Department Burn up to 600 calories in one fun and powerfully effective 60-minute total body workout. Every Jazzercise group fitness class combines dancebased cardio with strength training and stretching to sculpt tone and lengthen muscles for maximum fat burn. Choreographed to today’s hottest music, Jazzercise is a fusion of jazz dance, resistance training, Pilates, yoga, and kickboxing. Start dancing yourself fit and change the shape of your body today! Classes are held at the RES Youth Center, 200 E. 8th Street, Front Royal, Virginia 22630, Monday through Thursday at 5:15 p.m. All ages, fitness levels and sizes welcome so come join us today! For more information or to register, please contact Karen Hattenback at (540) 323-6492 or khattenb@su.edu. For worldwide class information, go to jazzercise.com or call (800) FIT-ISIT Fencing Classes at the Warren County Parks and Recreation Department This class covers the traditions and rules of fencing, physical conditioning and beginning blade work and bouting, for foil and epee. Classes meet weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:00 p.m. – 9:15 p.m., at the WC Health & Humans Services Complex Café, 465 W. 15th Street, Front Royal, Virginia 22630. Classes are offered for those 10 years of age and older and adults are welcomed. For more information regarding price or to register, please contact Royal Swords Fencing via email at royalswords.info@gmail.com CIZE LIVE Warren County Parks and Recreation is excited to now be offering CIZE LIVE ®. This class is “the end of
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Page 26 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late April, 2016 WARREN, from 25 exercise”, as it takes dance fitness to a whole new level with pop/hip hop music focus. Each routine is broken down step-by-step and built into a full dance sequence in just 60 minutes. So, while you are mastering the dance moves, you will also be burning fat and calories! Classes will be held, Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at the RES Youth Center, 200 E. 8th Street, Front Royal, VA 22630. The cost is $5.00 per participant (this is a drop in program). For more information regarding class instruction, please email zumba.lizi@ gmail.com. Registration information can be obtained by contacting the Warren County Community Center, Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m., Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. You can also contact staff by calling (540) 635-1021 or via email at wcccinfo@ warrencountyva.net. These are the programs scheduled for the month of May in the Youth Services department of Samuels Public Library Tuesday, May 3 – 11:00 Time for Baby. What do books, scarves, puppets, music, and babies have in common? They are all part of Time for Baby. Join us as we use all of our senses to explore the world around us. Meet with your baby up to two years of age. “Playful Puppies” will be the theme. Siblings welcome. 4:30 Big Kids Story time for Kindergarten and up. This week at story time we will have a STEM program about bugs! Wednesday, May 4 – 10:15 Toddler
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Story time. Our stories and craft will be all about moms with our Mother’s Day theme. 11:00 Preschool Story time. Our stories and craft will be all about moms with our Mother’s Day theme. Thursday, May 5 - 10:15 Toddler Story time. Our stories and craft will be all about moms with our Mother’s Day theme. 11:00 Preschool Story time. Our stories and craft will be all about moms with our Mother’s Day theme. Saturday, May 7 - 10:10 Books and Barks. Come to our extremely popular monthly program that gives developing readers the chance to read and relax with a trained therapy dog. For beginning readers and up. Registration begins April 2. 2:00 Discuss This. Are you inspired by good books, articles, movies and art? Do you write, draw, or enjoy playing music? If so, come in and share those things that have inspired you recently. Meet others who are also passionate about all the cool things out there! For ages 12 – 19. Tuesday, May 10 - 4:30 Big Kids Story time for Kindergarten and up. Librarian’s Favorites is the theme of story time this week. She hopes her favorite stories will become your favorites, also! Saturday, May 14 – 11:00 Think Spring! Garden Program. Please join us as we add some wonderful springtime blooms to our children’s garden. Afterwards we will go on a butterfly hunt armed with magnifying glasses and butterfly guides. See how many butterflies you can identify! For ages 6 and up. Advance registration required. Wednesday, May 18 – 10:15 Toddler Story time. What is that buzzing sound? It is the sound of insects, the theme of this STEM story time. 11:00 Preschool Story time. What is that buzzing sound? It is the sound of insects, the theme of this STEM story time. Thursday, May 19 - 10:15 Toddler Story time. What is that buzzing sound? It is the sound of insects, the theme of this STEM story time. 11:00 Preschool Story time. What is that buzzing sound? It is the sound of insects, the theme of this STEM story time. Saturday, May 21 - 2:00 Children’s
Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com Writing Workshop. Do you like to write? Are you aged 6 and up? If so, please bring something you have written and share! Enjoy writing exercises, special readings and the comradery of new friends. Registration begins April 21. Tuesday, May 24 – 4:30 Big Kids Story time for Kindergarten and up. There is so much to learn by going on field trips! We’ll have stories and a craft about this fun way to learn.
Wednesday, May 25 – 10:15 Toddler Story time. We will celebrate all the names we have, and see if we can find them in our books. Siblings welcome. 11:00 Preschool Story time. We will celebrate all the names we have, and see if we can find them in our books. Siblings welcome. Thursday, May 26 - 10:15 Toddler Story time. We will celebrate all the names we have, and see if we can find them in our books. Siblings welcome.
11:00 Preschool Story time. We will celebrate all the names we have, and see if we can find them in our books. Siblings welcome. Saturday, May 28 - 2:00 World of Lego. Children ages 5 and up are invited to explore all the amazing things you can do with Legos. Tuesday, May 31 – 4:30 Big Kids Story time for Kindergarten and up. Please join us for a fun story time about hair and hats!
Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com
Late April, 2016 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 27
VIRGINIA
New Owner of Jackson’s Corner Café and Coffee House in New Market Welcome a new owner for a great business When a death of an owner happens, the community often wonders what will happen to a business, especially one that has become a staple of the community. We are happy to announce that Kevin Fox has bought Jackson’s Corner Café and Coffee House ensuring that this business will stay on the corner of 11 for a long time to come. Kevin has also purchased Cabin Creek Roasters and continues to fulfill orders for this remarkable coffee blend. The Shenandoah County Chamber will
be hosting a ribbon cutting to welcome Kevin on Tuesday, April 19th at 5:30pm. Jackson’s Corner Café and Coffee House has been open for over two years supplying a much needed coffee house to New Market. They also offer sandwiches and light fare to those looking for a convenient lunch in a quiet atmosphere. With a foundation of amazing customer service, the staff as Jackson’s Corner is always eager to please. Since Kevin has taken over, Jackson’s Corner has changed the menu up a bit and is now offering sweets to go along with your lunch. April Business After Hours at 9386 S Congress St, New Market, VA 22844 April 19, 2016, 5:30pm
Co-Sponsor of this event is F & M Bank. F & M Bank has been a catalyst in helping small businesses expand and grow in the Shenandoah Valley. They are happy to welcome Kevin Fox as well ands plans to be available to him for many years to come. The Shenandoah County Chamber is happy to help with local economic development and loves when a business is able to succeed after tragedy. The original owner Monty Ruckman was an amazing man who had a dream of creating a place to roast Virginia coffee. Shortly after this dream came to fruition, Monty passed away. Come on April 19 to help us welcome Kevin with a warm embrace. Shenandoah County Chamber holds BAH every third Tuesday. Our next one will be May 17 at Cornerstone in Mount Jackson.
basics (including set-up), how-to’s and content management, as well as take an in-depth look at analytics (Facebook Insights) and advertising on Facebook. We start with Facebook 101 which allows you to learn the absolute basics of Facebook for business. If you are unsure if your business should be on Facebook or even how to start with Facebook, then this is the class for you. For class descriptions and to register, visit www.JavaMediaMarketing.com. Classes are $35, but there is a discount if
you sign up for all 4 classes. Shenandoah County Chamber, 103 South Main Street, Woodstock, VA April 13, 2016, 1:00pm The Shenandoah County Chamber is hosting this event. It is part of the Chamber’s mission to continue to provide educational opportunities to our business partners. If you are unable to make the April series, stay tuned for our May series which will concentrate on Google.
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Mountain Mystic Trading Company
Queen Street In Strasburg Closing April 18 For Bridge Replacement Part of Queen Street (Route 1201) in the town of Strasburg in Shenandoah County is scheduled to close while contractors replace the bridge over Town Run. This closure is scheduled to begin Monday, April 18, and continue until work is complete in November 2016. All work is weather permitting. Queen Street will be closed to through traffic between South Massanutten Street and Holiday Street, and detour signs will be posted. Drivers will have access to homes and businesses on both sides of the bridge. On December 21, 2015, the Virginia Department of Transportation awarded a $1.1 million contract to Fielder’s Choice Enterprises Inc. of Charlottesville, Virginia. The project includes a wider bridge and roadway approaches, as well as sidewalk and drainage improvements. Facebook for Business Educational Series Shenandoah County Chamber is teaming up with Java Media to offer 4 Facebook for business workshops starting Wednesday, April 13 from 1-3pm at the Shenandoah County Chamber Office, Woodstock. Get social media savvy with this series of hands-on Facebook (for Business) workshops. We will focus on Facebook
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Page 28 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late April, 2016 VIRGINIA, from 27 The Shenandoah County Chamber will be partnering with the Town of New Market to provide a whole new series of workshops in New Market starting Tuesday, May 2nd from 6-8pm at Shenvalee Golf Resort handling tourism with both social media and non-traditional marketing. The New Market series will start with Facebook 101 adding Email Marketing and Facebook Management. We are very excited to be able to bring these workshops to the southern end of the county and in the evening to better work with our many entrepreneurs. Strasburg Museum Opens for Season # 46 The opening of the Museum for our 46th season, Sunday, May 1 10-4 every day 540-465-3175 Small admission charged Gift Shop on site: variety of items, including apple butter made on the Museum grounds Model Train will run every Saturday(other days by appointment) Looking for volunteers to serve as docents (call 465-5281 or 465-3728 May: Hilary White’s art display---all month Free admission to Mothers on Sunday, May 8---Mother’s Day (same will be true in June for Father’s Day, Sunday, June 19) Free admission on Saturday,May 21 (Mayest Festival) Free admission on Saturday, May 28, 10-4; Antique Tractors (Massanutten AntiqueTractor Club) and Long Rifle displays/deomonstrations Mud Dog Run First Annual Mud Dog Run at the Shenandoah County Fairgrounds Mud Dog Run is a fun, high intensity, obstacle course run around one of Virginia’s great fairgrounds. The Mud Dog Run will encompass 5 Kilometers of very tough terrain. The course will contain obstacles such as, climbing walls, cargo nets, mud pits, and other fun but challenging obstacles. This race is not for the faint of heart. If you like a challenge and some food topped off with a (or a few) Jailbreak beer(s) at the finish, then the Mud Dog Run is just your type of race. Join us on April 16th, 9am at the Shenandoah County Fairgrounds, Woodstock. This Race benefits an our Veterans who
are in need and suffering from PTSD. We have teamed up with Platoon 22 to help raise money and bring awareness to this epidemic! Platoon 22 is a non-profit organization that exist to combat against the number of service member suicides taking place within our nation. Every day 22 service members succumb to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and seek to end the pain by taking their own lives. This must change, and in order to do this we will launch a three-pronged attack to combat this silent enemy. Through this three-pronged attack our goal is to ultimately help our soldiers in need and defeat PTSD. www.platoon22.org When signing up for the race, please consider making an additional donation to their great cause! Mud Dog Run is at 300 Fairground Drive, Woodstock, VA The Muddy 5k Obstacle Run is April 16, 2016, 9:00am. The Shenandoah County Chamber is co-sponsoring this event with partial beverage proceeds going to help to continue economic development initiatives. Register at http://muddogrun.com/woodstockva-april-16th-2016/ Blue Ridge Chorale’s Big Yard Sale Come to the Blue Ridge Chorale’s Big Yard Sale! Saturday, April 23rd from 7:00 am to 2:00 pm, at 14445 Glen Verdant Drive on Rt 229, the Rixeyville Rd, north of Culpeper: at the second right past the Emerald Hill Elementary School. This is a big and very special sale! It will be made up entirely of items which have never been used, or have only very gently been used. Also, local authors Alex ter Weele and Rob Stone will be there to visit with you about, and sign their books. Proceeds of the sale will help support the Blue Ridge Chorale, your community chorus. Come to look, enjoy and buy! If you’re interested in participating in the Yard Sale with your table, or if you have quesitons, contact us at info@brcsings.com. We hope we’ll see you on the 23rd! Backyard Woods Workshop Small woodlots, such as the one you may have in your backyard, are a big deal. The vast majority of “forestland owners” own less than 10 acres. Woodlots, large or small, are a vital resource for all. While the majority of Virginians don’t give “woods” a second
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Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com thought except when the brilliance of fall colors force a second glance, tree covered ground is the single best land use for providing clean water. Additionally, woods provide a myriad of other benefits such as carbon sequestration, improved air quality, wildlife habitat, biomass opportunities, recreational outlets and more! Owners of even just a few acres can make a positive difference in their environment through planning and implementing simple management practices. Please join us for one of the four offerings of the Backyard Woods Workshop: Fauquier Workshop Friday, May 6, 2016 9:00 AM-2:00 PM Location: Fauquier VCE Classroom 24 Pelham St. Warrenton, VA 20186 Frederick Workshop Friday, May 13, 2016 12:00 PM-5:00 PM Location: Alson H. Smith Jr. AREC 595 Laurel Grove Road Winchester, VA 22602
email address as long as the names are unique. Prizes begin with a special 80th anniversary acorn stress ball after 10 visits. At 20 activities the prize is a waterproof smart phone case. A carabineer pocket knife is the prize at 30, and visitors checking off 40 experiences receive 10,000 loyalty program points. Visitors who achieve 40 or more items on the list during 2016 will be entered into a drawing for a $500 Virginia State Park overnight stay gift certificate. Visitors may also participate in the Virginia State Parks Trail Quest program to earn unique hiking pins for visiting parks. Find out more about Trail Quest at http:// bit.ly/VSPTrailQuest. Virginia State Parks are managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. For more information about Virginia State Parks activities and amenities or to make a reservation for one of more than 1,800 campsites or 300 climate-controlled cabins, call the Virginia State Parks Customer Care Center at 800933-7275 or visit www.virginiastateparks. gov.
Blue Ridge Chorale The Blue Ridge Chorale and Youth Chorale will perform their Puttin’ on the Ritz Concert of Irving Berlin favorites on Friday, May 6th, at 7:00 pm at the Warrenton Community Center,430 E Shirley Ave, in Warrenton, and on Saturday, May 7th at 7:00 pm at the State Theatre, 305 S Main St, in Culpeper. This is a fun, bright and entertaining program of songs by one of Americas most-loved composers. Come, join the fun! See our website www.brcsings.com for more information, or call 540-223-5462. Berlin really knew how to “Say it With Music,” and you’ll love the message! Virginia State Parks celebrates 80th anniversary with new contests offering prizes, $500 drawing (RICHMOND) – A new contest celebrating the 80th anniversary of Virginia State Parks is offering the opportunity to win a $500 gift certificate for an overnight stay at a Virginia State Park. Other prizes include a waterproof smart phone case and a carabineer pocket knife. The new “80 Things to Do in Virginia State Parks” serves up a bucket list of experiences that celebrate the diverse and significant offerings of Virginia State Parks. The 80th Anniversary Collectors Issue of the Virginia State Parks color booklet includes an outer cover with the “80 Things to Do” ready to check off. Pick up the booklet at any park or find the list here: http://bit.ly/80thingstodo. Guests earn prizes by logging experiences on the contest webpage: http://bit. ly/80thingscontest. Multiple family members may participate and use the same
Bei Bei Plays, the Crowds Keep Coming to National Zoo By AUBURN MANN Capital News Service WASHINGTON -- The National Zoo continues to receive large crowds in response to the newest member of its marquee exhibit: Bei Bei, the giant panda cub. The zoo has seen more than 346,000 visitors since the January unveiling of the surviving twin of mother Mei Xiang and father Tian Tian, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park. Eighty percent of the National Zoo’s 2.3 million annual visitors visit the David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat, which is the centerpiece of the park’s Asia Trail. There are slightly more than 1,600, pandas remaining in the world, with almost a quarter of them residing in zoos and preservation facilities, according to the Smithsonian. The animals are native to the mountain ranges of Central China. However, due to continued deforestation and other human industrial activities, the species is endangered.
Even among zoos, giant pandas are a rarity. The National Zoo is one of only four in the United States to feature the species. This scarcity only contributes to the pandas allure. “The fact that we are one of the only zoos in the country to offer giant pandas definitely helps with our popularity,” said zoo spokesman Devon Murphy. A group of eighth-graders from Seaside and Los Arboles Middle Schools in Monterey County, Calif., were part of a sea of tourists recently. The students made the trip across the country especially to see Bei Bei and the other giant pandas. “I looked forward to seeing the pandas, that was the most exciting part,” said eighth-grader Oakley Pelton. “It was so cute and cuddly, I wanted to take it home,” said her classmate, Amaya Valenzuela, whose arms were wrapped around a stuffed panda souvenir she purchased at the nearby gift shop. The irresistible appeal of pandas has a scientific explanation, according to Dr. Simon Rego, director of psychology training at Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. It’s all about evolution, he said. “The leading theory suggests that we tend to find most appealing the animals that have characteristics - a large head and eyes, small nose and mouth, protruding cheeks and forehead, etcetera - that are similar to our own infants,” Rego said. “We are biologically programmed to respond to with a nurturing reaction. This automatic reaction is hypothesized to be so powerful that it can be activated by other species with similar traits.” Those who can’t make it to the National Zoo, can follow the activities of Bei Bei and his family through the zoo’s webcam, which provides live stream footage of the animals. “The National Zoo is conducting a behavioral study on panda development for the first few months of Bei Bei’s development,” the zoo’s Murphy explained. There are two cameras in the habitat, with one always on Bei Bei and Mei Xiang. “We want to monitor how much time they spend together and away from each other, how close they get, how and when they communicate,” Murphy said. Bei Bei, whose name means “precious treasure” in Mandarin, was named by both First Ladies Michelle Obama and Peng Liyuan of China last September when China’s first family came for a state visit. The presence of giant pandas in Washington is rooted in international diplomacy. Originally given to the United States as a goodwill gesture from China during the restoration of relations between the two nations in the early 1970s, the current family of giant pandas remain here on
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Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com long-term loan. After negotiations, the lease on Tian Tian and Mei Xiang recently was extended until 2020. Any of the pair’s offspring are required to be sent to China upon reaching age four. Bei Bei is scheduled to be sent to China in 2019 to join his older siblings, Bao Bao (who is scheduled for relocation from Washington when she turns four years old in 2017) and Tai Shan, who currently resides at the Dujiangyan Panda Base. Governor McAuliffe Vetoes Legislation Interfering with Local School Board Policies RICHMOND – Governor Terry McAuliffe today vetoed House Bill 516, which would require schools to identify materials as “sexually explicit” and notify parents if teachers plan to provide instructional material containing such content. The legislation would also require teachers to provide alternative instructional materials if requested by a parent. The Governor’s full veto statement is below: April 4, 2016 Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto House Bill 516, which would require schools to identify materials as “sexually explicit” and notify parents if teachers plan to provide instructional material containing such content. The legislation would also require teachers to provide alternative instructional materials if requested by a parent. Open communication between parents and teachers is important, and school systems have an obligation to provide age-appropriate material for students. However, this legislation lacks flexibility and would require the label of “sexually explicit” to apply to an artistic work based on a single scene, without further context. Numerous educators, librarians, students, and others involved in the teaching process have expressed their concerns about the real-life consequences of this legislation’s requirements. We have long entrusted curriculum management to our local school boards. School boards are best positioned to ensure that our students are exposed to those appropriate literary and artistic works that will expand students’ horizons and enrich their learning experiences.
School boards are also most knowledgeable about those materials that will best position our students to succeed in Advanced Placement and other college preparatory programs. The Virginia Board of Education has been examining this issue recently and has been engaged in lengthy and substantive conversations with school boards, teachers, parents, and students about existing local policies and potential state policies to address these concerns. Because the Board of Education is already considering this issue in a broader and more complete context, I believe House Bill 516 is unnecessary. Accordingly, I veto this bill. Help Virginia State Parks and make a difference during Earth Week, April 16-24 RICHMOND – Earth Day, April 22, is intended to help people focus on the health of the planet. Virginia State Parks offer a week of activities and events where you can get involved and make a difference. All 36 Virginia State Parks will offer educational programming and volunteer opportunities April 16-24, many of which are part of the biannual Stewardship Virginia campaign. Registered Stewardship Virginia volunteers will receive a certificate of appreciation signed by Gov. Terry McAuliffe. A list of state park programs and projects can be found here: http://bit.ly/ VSPEarthWeek2016. Park entrance fees are waived for visitors participating in volunteer projects. Some projects require advanced registration, so visitors are encourage to contact parks for additional information. Projects and programs include an alternative energy demonstration at Westmoreland State Park, the annual plant sale and workshops at the Southwest Virginia Museum, and a special Earth Weekthemed program on both Saturdays at Holliday Lake State Park. While tree plantings, pollinator gardens and cleanups are common, unique programs include Caledon’s Annual One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s Art contest where volunteers clean up the beach and create art from the collected trash. At Leesylvania State Park, visitors can help build a 48-square-foot greenhouse out of
two liter bottles. In celebration of the 80th anniversary of Virginia State Parks, six parks will host a BioBlitz: Chippokes Plantation, Hungry Mother, Natural Tunnel, Powhatan, Sky Meadows and York River state parks. A nationwide event supported by National Geographic, in a BioBlitz, teams of volunteer scientists, families, students, teachers and other community members work to find and identify as many species of animals, microbes, fungi and other organisms as possible. Virginia BioBlitz 2016 is being conducted in partnership with the Virginia Geographic Alliance [https:// php.radford.edu/~vga/?page_id=7032] Virginia State Parks are managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. For more information about Virginia State Parks activities and amenities or to make a reservation for one of the more than 1,800 campsites or 300 climate-controlled cabins, call the Virginia State Parks Customer Care Center at 800933-7275 or visit www.virginiastateparks. gov. McAuliffe Vetoes Bill Stopping Localities from Hiking Minimum Wage By Margaret Carmel Capital News Service RICHMOND – Gov. Terry McAuliffe has vetoed Republican legislation preventing local governments from raising the minimum wage, an issue that has been debated across the country. McAuliffe last month vetoed House Bill 1371, which states, “A locality shall not enact by ordinance, resolution, or otherwise any policy that requires an employer within the locality to provide an employee with a wage or employment benefit that exceeds the requirements of state or federal law. Any such local policy shall be unenforceable.” “This legislation attempts to restrict wage growth and impedes future labor agreements,” the Democratic governor said in his veto message. “Virginia’s efforts should be focused on increasing wages, which will improve the lives of our families and aid our efforts to build a new Virginia economy, rather than placing artificial restrictions on their future growth.” The General Assembly will reconvene on April 20 to consider overriding this and more than 30 other vetoes issued by McAuliffe. It takes a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate to override a veto. That is unlikely to happen with HB 1371, which easily passed the House, 65-34, but barely cleared the Senate, 21-19. Both votes were along party lines. Democrats generally favor raising the minimum wage. The Democratic governors and legislators in California and New York recently approved bills to raise the minimum wage there eventually to $15 an hour. Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have set their minimum wage above the federal level of $7.25 per hour, according to the National Employment Law Project, which supports a higher
Late April, 2016 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 29 minimum wage. Virginia adheres to the federal minimum wage. On Thursday, advocates for raising the minimum wage are planning to protest at 300 locations worldwide, including in Richmond, to demand $15 an hour. “Fast-food workers will go on strike in Richmond and join local home care and child care workers for a massive protest,” according to the advocacy group Progress Virginia. Many business groups have opposed increasing the minimum wage, saying it would cause higher prices. Measures preventing local governments from raising the minimum wage are popular with both multinational corporations and small business owners across the country. Oklahoma enacted such a law in 2014. Virginia is a “Dillon Rule” state, meaning localities can do only what the state government gives them permission to do. This legal principle keeps policies standard across the commonwealth and makes it easier for businesses to operate, said Del. Jackson Miller, R-Manassas. He is the chief sponsor of HB 1371. “This bill prevents different localities from having different requirements,” Miller said. “The less red tape you give them, the easier it is to do business.” Opponents of HB 1371 say it would keep people in poverty. “This bill systemically prevents localities from choosing to pay workers enough so they can raise their families with dignity,” said Anna Scholl, executive director of Progress Virginia. McAuliffe agreed. In his veto message, he said, “A number of localities have enacted wage policies designed to allow the employees of contractors performing services for those localities to generate enough income to allow them to live and raise a family in the area. Companies not inclined to participate at these wage levels need not contract with the localities. House Bill 1371 would undermine these laudable policies to no apparent advantage.” Miller said he doesn’t oppose a higher minimum wage. But he wants to wait for the federal government to raise it. “By sticking with the federal requirements, we’re helping the pro-business environment we have here in the commonwealth,” Miller said. During the past legislative session, Democratic lawmakers introduced three Senate bills and five House bills to raise the minimum wage; all were killed in committee.
the following Virginia counties are eligible to apply: Albemarle, Arlington, Caroline, Clarke, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, Frederick, Greene, Henrico, Highland, King George, Loudoun, Louisa, Madison, Page, Patrick, Prince William, Rappahannock, Shenandoah, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and Warren; as well as the independent cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Manassas, Manassas Park and Winchester. Examples of eligible noncritical PNP organizations include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges. “PNP organizations are urged to contact their local Emergency Manager to obtain information about briefings. At the meeting, PNP representatives will need to provide information about their organization,” said Frank Skaggs, director of SBA Field Operations Center East in Atlanta. The information will be submitted to FEMA to determine eligibility for a Public Assistance grant or whether the PNP should be referred to SBA for disaster loan assistance. The SBA offers low-interest disaster loans to PNP organizations for physical losses up to $2 million. Applicants may be eligible for a loan amount increase up to 20 percent of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements may now include a safe room or storm shelter to help protect property and occupants from future damage caused by a similar disaster. Additionally, PNPs can obtain loans for unmet working capital needs. To be considered for this assistance, PNPs need to apply by the deadline. Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. Disaster loan information and application forms may also be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or by sending an email to disastercustomerservice@sba. gov. Applications can also be downloaded from the SBA’s website at www.sba.gov/ disaster. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155. The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is May 6, 2016. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Dec. 7, 2016.
SBA Disaster Assistance Available in Additional Areas for Private NonProfit Organizations in Virginia; Physical Deadline May 6 ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that additional areas have been added to the Presidential declaration for Public Assistance and of the May 6 deadline to submit disaster loan applications for physical damages caused by a severe winter storm and snowstorm on Jan. 22 - 23, 2016. Private NonProfits (PNPs) located in
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Virginia Cave Week to focus on sinkhole management, education Virginia’s rich cave and karst heritage will be celebrated during Virginia Cave Week, April 17-23. At least 27 Virginia localities have landscapes where caves, springs and sinkholes are found. This year’s theme is “The Hole Truth about Sinkholes.” Sinkholes are natural depressions on the land surface. They are common in karst regions where mildly acidic groundwater has dissolved rock such a limestone, dolostone, marble or gypsum. Sinkholes can serve as a natural catchment area where surface water enters the subsurface to recharge a karst aquifer. Thousands
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Page 30 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late April, 2016 VIRGINIA, from 29 of Virginians rely on these aquifers for drinking water. Trash and debris dumped into sinkholes can pollute groundwater. “Proper sinkhole management and sinkhole cleanout projects can help protect drinking water and result in the preservation and restoration of sensitive biological resources in karst regions, both above and below ground,” said David Ek, Virginia Cave Board chairman. Virginia Cave Week is part of activities coordinated by the governor-appointed Virginia Cave Board. The board was established in 1979 to conserve and protect the state’s caves and karst landscapes, and to advocate the wise use of cave-related resources. In addition to significant karst features, Virginia also supports more than 4,000 caves. They provide habitat for rare, threatened and endangered species, such as the Virginia big-eared bat (Virginia’s state bat) and the Madison Cave isopod. More information, including free lesson plans for teachers, is available at www.vacaveweek.com Disgraced Journalist Jayson Blair Apologizes for Plagiarism that “Damaged the Profession” By ALANA PEDALINO Capital News Service COLLEGE PARK -- Jayson Blair returned to the University of Maryland’s journalism school to discuss ethics Wednesday for the first time since his 2003 plagiarism and fabrication scandal rocked the nation, resulting in his resignation from The New York Times. “It kills me personally that (my plagiarism and fabrication) damaged the profession,” Blair said when prompted by university lecturer Sharon O’Malley. “The part that really kills me are the people that I hurt in my personal and professional life who had done absolutely nothing wrong. I’m definitely sorry about it.” Blair was invited by senior American studies and journalism major Shannon Gallagher as part of a project for her journalism ethics class. “I was assigned plagiarism as my (presentation) topic, and I think that’s one of those topics that as journalists we take for granted, like ‘yeah, yeah, of course I’m not going to plagiarize,’” Gallagher said. “Jayson Blair, who went (to the journalism school), obviously had the connection
and (I thought) it would be a really good education experience to bring in someone who’s done that,” she explained. “He was in our shoes one time and of course he told himself ‘I’ll never break these ethical rules,’ and ended up (doing that).” Throughout the question-and-answer session with students and faculty, Blair answered questions about his motives for plagiarizing, his turbulent time as editor in chief of the independent student newspaper, The Diamondback, during his college years and how his life changed postscandal. Blair also worked for Capital News Service in its Annapolis bureau in the fall of 1995. CNS is operated by Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism and also has student-staffed bureaus in College Park and Washington. Currently working as a life coach in Centreville, Va., Blair said he initially got into journalism because he saw its healing power and ability to educate, entertain and add value to people’s lives. He also said he became conscious of his plagiarism at The New York Times when pressure and exhaustion on the job led him to
Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com take a quote from The Associated Press and pass it off as his own. “Once you cross that ethical line again and again … it becomes a lot easier to do it,” Blair said. He added that he always felt a sense of panic the moment he submitted his story to his editor, worrying he would be caught each time. But he said there’s probably nothing his editors could have done. “Journalism relies on implicit trust,” Blair said. “Editors can only get so far.” “People would love to have a bulletproof way to ferret out what I did … but people who do what I did are just like everyone else,” he said. Blair also denied fabricating or plagiarizing during his time at The Diamondback, but acknowledged that his management style “left much to be desired.” He said he did not consciously plagiarize until he was at The New York Times. At The Diamondback, he said his coworkers noticed his self-destructive tendencies during his tenure as editor in chief. “I have a special gift for rubbing people the wrong way sometimes,” he said.
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Late April, 2016 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 31
Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com In 2013, The Diamondback published a three-part series that chronicled Blair’s stormy tenure as editor in chief, punctuated by what the paper said was sloppiness, carelessness, missed deadlines, “questionable ethics” and lying. He left the paper before his term was up after he
published an erroneous story speculating about the cause of a student’s death. Blair never graduated from Maryland. Carl Sessions Stepp, a professor at the journalism school who knew Blair, listened to his remarks Wednesday. “I thought he did a good job of showing that he understood how much damage he had done and showing contrition for the people he had hurt and showing concern for trying to turn his life around and I respected him for coming, for taking everyone’s questions and answering tough questions,” Stepp said. “As to whether he was being truthful or not, I don’t know
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what’s inside his head, but I appreciate him being there and saying what he had to say.” In spite of his failed journalism career and ethical violations, Blair said he has no problem finding clients in his current field and that he “look(s) at the good things that came out of it,” including being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and gaining senses of empathy and humility. “It’s kind of easy to just see this whole thing as he was a bad person,” senior journalism major and discussion attendee Elaine Hunt said. “I thought it was really interesting how he was able to come to
terms with it and separate it from himself as a person … like ‘this is where I am now in my life and it’s ok, it happens and that’s life.’”
as possible have a voice in the democratic process. Making voter registration accessible and convenient for younger voters will ensure that democracy in the Commonwealth is truly reflective of all of our citizens.” The proclamation comes as the result of a partnership among the Secretaries of Administration and Education, the Department of Elections, Department of Education, and other interested parties to increase voter registration among qualified high school students. “We know that the earlier someone votes, the more likely that person is to become a lifetime voter,” said Secretary of Administration Nancy Rodrigues. “With this registration week, we are hoping to shape the next generation of voters by inspiring students across the Commonwealth to register.”
Governor McAuliffe Announces Virginia High School Registration Week RICHMOND – Governor McAuliffe today issued a proclamation to officially recognize April 24-30, 2016 as Virginia High School Registration Week. The purpose of the week will be to encourage high school students and teachers across the Commonwealth to conduct voter registration drives at their schools. Speaking about the proclamation, Governor McAuliffe said, “It is important to reach out to young people early to get them interested and engaged, as government works best when as many citizens
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
Walt Disney World Passes & 24” Olaf Raffle 4 one-day hopper passes to Walt Disney World Resort in Central Florida Proceeds benefit the Humane Society of Warren County’s Hand in Paw Fund Only 100 tickets will be sold! Chances to win are $10 each, winner announced no later than May 4, 2016 River is a 2 year old neutered male hound mix. River loves to play outside and go for long walks in the woods and smell all the interesting smells. He is house trained and a very intelligent boy!
Anna is a 1 and a half year old spayed female pit mix. She is a very intelligent girl and works hard with her good buddy everyday and has learned lots of new tricks! Anna is house trained and does well with other dogs!
Allie is a sweet 13 year old Jack Russell mix looking for her perfect home to spend her golden years in. She does well with cats and most dogs, and would like a home with older children only. She is an affectionate senior that bonds closely with the people she loves.
River’s ad sponsored by:
Allie’s ad sponsored by:
Hot Tub Heaven Vacation Cabins
Hillbilly’s Junkyard
Dog Friendly!
540-636-1522
HotTubHeaven@yahoo.com
http://www.hottubheavencabins.com
Tana Hoffman Realtor, SFR, CMRS, CRS, Licensed in VA
540-671-1994
111 East King St. • Strasburg, VA 22657 www.sagerrealestate.com
Hillbilly has what you NEED! 4381 Stonewall Jackson Hwy Bentonville, VA • 636-2671 hillbillysjunkyard.com
Kimba is a gorgeous 7 year old spayed female Chow Chow. She is a mild mannered laid back girl. She would like to be the only fur baby in the home, she likes to keep all the love to herself!
Kimba’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 32 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late April, 2016
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