Late May 2016 Warren and Frederick County Report

Photo by Ken Thurman • Design by Don Capone

Page 2 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late May, 2016

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Strasburg museum celebrates 46th year Show features antique tractors, Long Rifles, tractor pulls and a “trail ride”

Long Rifles were widely believed to be a largely unique development of American rifles. Some of the rifles to be displayed on May 28th in the Strasburg Museum were made by local craftsmen George Washington Fisher and his son, and very likely his apprentice, Uriah Fisher. There will be free admission for the event.

Antique tractors like this one will be on display in the Strasburg Museum for Mayfest on May 21st from the Massanutten Antique Tractor and Gas Club. There will be free admission for the day.

By Sue Golden Warren & Frederick County Report The Strasburg Museum is celebrating its 46th year. As part of its celebration, the Museum will have free admission for Mayfest on May 21st.

The Museum also will be free on May 28th during the Museum’s antique tractors and long rifle display.

The antique tractors will be provided by the Massanutten Antique Tractor and Gas Club. The local club loves to show off their pre-1959 tractors. Club members recently rode their tractors in the Apple Blossom parade. They have their annual show at the Conicsville Fire Department during the second weekend in June.

The show includes tractor pulls on

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Saturday and a “trail ride” on Sunday.

For the event at the Strasburg Museum, club president Jim Stup expects about a dozen tractors. Jim is bringing his 1942 Oliver 70. The club often brings tractors dating from the late 1920s and early 1930s. The majority of the tractors tend to be John Deere tractors. Club members love to argue about which tractor brand is the best. According to Jim, the restored tractors are often in better shape than when they were new. If they are not restored, they are still in their “work clothes.”

The club loves to show off their tractors to older folks who remember using these tractors on their farms.

Jim says he can always tell which person used which tractor because they often point it out to their friends.

As Jim points out, these farms fed us when they were in use and have a proud history here in the Shenandoah Valley.

The club meets at the Edinburg Fire House at 7:30 p.m. on the last Wednesday of the month. If you share the distinction of having an old tractor, feel free to join them. But be sure to check them out at the Strasburg Museum!

John Adamson, vice president of the Strasburg Museum, will be displaying some of his long rifle collection on May 28th. Long rifles were hand made during the period of 1760 to 1860 by skilled craftsmen who often wrote their names on the rifles.

Also known as Kentucky Rifles, the rifles have a longer barrel than what was used in the “old country.” John believes that the long rifles are arguably the first American invention.

The rifles were immeasurably important to people on the frontier and to those moving west. The rifles were so important that many of their owners embellished their rifles with folk art and they were considered family heirlooms.

Some of the rifles to be displayed on the 28th were made by local craftsmen George Washington Fisher and his son, and most likely his apprentice, Uriah Fisher, in their shop which was on a lot across from the Hotel Strasburg. John is curious as to whether any of their descendants are still in the area.

John will have the rifles on display

and will be answering questions on the 28th. He said his favorite thing is when people exclaim that they didn’t know the rifles were so pretty, so don’t let him down!

The Strasburg Museum is located at 440 East King Street in Strasburg.

They are open from May 1st to October 31st. Admission is normally $3 for adults, $1 for teens and $.50 for children. The Museum’s collection includes Strasburg pottery, Na-

tive American artifacts, a genuine caboose to be toured, Colonial and Victorian rooms, Civil War articles, local art and more. The Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The gift shop carries apple butter, books, pottery, shirts and other things. The gift shop does not take credit or debit cards. To contact the Strasburg Museum call (540) 465-3175. You also can go to their website at www.strasburgmuseum.org.

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Front Royal resident calls for Bebhinn Egger’s resignation Comments from the community at council meeting centered on support for the police department

George Cline, Front Royal resident and husband of a Front Royal police officer expresses his displeasure at what he terms selfish and self-centered comments made by Town Councilwoman Bébhinn Egger.

By Timothy Ratigan Warren & Frederick County Report Several Front Royal residents spoke in front of the Front Royal Town Council in defense of the Front Royal Police Department (FRPD), and most of the comments included demands for a public apology from Councilwoman Bébhinn Egger, with one call for her resignation.

The first speaker set the tone for the evening.

“I’m here to speak about some comments made by a councilperson at last week’s work session. I’m also here as a husband of a Front Royal police officer and quite frankly, I am appalled at the comments made about the department and the very

officers who serve and protect us each and every day,” said George Cline.

Cline was talking about the comment Egger made at the last council work session regarding traffic stops involving two-to-four back-up units.

Egger’s comment had been, “Don’t those officers have anything else to do?”

Cline asked the council, “Are you serious? I mean really? Each one of these officers has a family, whether it be mother, father, wife, husband or children that they go home to at the end of their shift. Every time they get out of their cruiser and walk up to whatever the call may be, the risk increases by 50 percent that the call could be fatal. So if it takes two, three, four or five officers to make that stop, so be it. On that traffic stop did you even go in to see what

Council member Bébhinn Egger listens to comments directed at her during the Front Royal Town Council meeting on May 9. the particulars of that call were? That call could’ve been drugs or anything.”

He said that as a 47-year resident of Front Royal, he has never heard a councilmember disrespect or downgrade the Front Royal Police Department officers, their families and citizens in such a manner.

“These were selfish and self-centered comments and, quite frankly, way out of line,” he said.

Cline also touched on the removal of security cameras from the Gazebo on Main Street and said that manhours have been added to solving a crime or crimes that might happen.

If cameras are present, the crime could be solved with one viewing.

Without cameras there, the officers are forced to use more man-hours in an investigation. He stressed that the cameras were not intended as an invasion of privacy but a tool to protect the citizens of Front Royal, and touched on Egger’s assertion that it is

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not the government’s duty to protect the citizens.

He reasoned that if Eggers assertion is true, maybe the FRPD should stand on its own.

“In order to have a perfect conviction you have to have perfect evidence. In closing, I am very disappointed in the whole council and the administration that they would let a fellow member downgrade and disrespect fellow officers that protect and serve the very ground you walk and live on…. I would expect that a public apology be given and I would personally like to see that particular councilmember’s resignation no later than Tuesday evening, May 10, 2016.

R. Wayne Sealock added his complaint to the others. Sealock, a retired law enforcement officer started off by accusing Egger of being anti law en-

forcement.

“I really feel deep down after serving in law enforcement for 40 years, at this point Ms Egger is anti-law enforcement. In her campaign literature she said, ‘let’s not build a police department’. The town is paying over $3,000 a month in rent for the building the police department uses.

“That’s $36,000 a year, and that could be going to pay for this $8 million police department we need to build. That is why the sheriff ’s office was moved out of that building. It’s not conducive to a law enforcement facility,” he said.

He asked the council why Eggers questions of the truthfulness of the budget request from the FRPD couldn’t have been discussed at a closed session instead of in a public setting such as the council work session. He challenged Eggers’ continued assertion that it is not the responsibility of the town government to protect its citizens, and referenced the Town Charter Chapter 3 11-A. “Yes, it is the town’s responsibility,” he asserted. He also said that around budget time, the fire and rescue and police department are always the first to be cut, and asked the question, “When you are in trouble who are the first people you are going to call?”

He closed with mentioning that he taught felony traffic stops, then added, “Those two, three or four officers had something to do when they pulled in behind the first car. There is no normal traffic stop anymore.

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Late May, 2016 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 5

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mentor and leader of our town.”

Arlene Balough, owner of Brooklyn’s Market Place on Main Street submitted a citizen petition to the council with over 100 signatures.

She said that the merchants on the Main Street did not go street to street seeking the signatures but instead, citizens and visitors came to them, and that merchants had an additional 100 or more signatures ready to be turned in to the council tomorrow (May 16).

“We like to think of ourselves as partners with the police department.

We support them and we think they do a great job. And I personally feel that there is an apology in order by everybody on council regarding the comments made at the last work session,” she said.

During the reports from councilmembers Councilman Bret Hrbek rose to defend Councilwoman Egger.

“I supported taking the cameras down and the reason I did so was, one: no one knew they were there to begin with, so it certainly wasn’t a deterrent to criminals. I didn’t even know they were there. They were hidden up there in the Gazebo. They were not authorized by the council so I would think that the citizens would want to have their legislative representatives be the ones to make the determination whether or not there should be surveillance cameras anywhere in town. According to the police department when asked, those cameras never helped secure a conviction anyway. The cameras that did help with securing convictions were located on private property at the pawn shop. I’m happy to have that conversation again if someone wants to bring it up. I will have to be convinced that it is necessary. The other thing I wanted to point out is that I’ve been working with Ms. Egger for almost two years now and I don’t think she is anti-law enforcement. I think, besides Mr. Parker, she is probably one of the most thorough on the budget and she asks questions and she wants justification on the expenditures. There is a substantial increase in overtime pay. It is a legitimate question as to why those were necessary and I think that was the heart of what Ms. Egger was going for. We did get some answers. We got data to back up the requests and we will have that conversation further. You are getting this information second hand through the press.

At the heart of it, Ms. Egger was

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

asking for justification on how the taxpayers’ dollars are being spent. I do not feel that there is any need for an apology from the council. I thank Ms. Egger for all the work she does in combing through the budget,” he said.

Councilman Eugene Tewalt asked the town manager when discussion on the cameras at the Gazebo would be taken up at a work session. Burke said it was scheduled for the next work session on Monday, May 16.

Egger reminded Tewalt that since he was on the losing side of the issue, he would not be able to move to put it back on the council agenda, and he responded that he knew that, but he could have it put on a work session agenda.

Councilman John Connolly addressed the council as well.

“Mr. Mayor, I am one voice among six and that is all that it’s worth but I would like to say, the extent to which the cameras help enforce our laws is debatable. We can certainly have that debate. I’m a little saddened by the rhetoric and I am upset that we have come to this point. I don’t really agree with the philosophy that it’s not the government’s job to protect its citizens. If it’s not the government’s job to protect its citizens what is its job to do? I feel quite strongly that protecting our citizens is job number one, even before building roads and maintaining them. I feel that when I look at these questions that come before council, we are working for the most appropriate avenue to help us serve the people, protect the people and allow our law enforcement officers to do what they need to do. I think we have an excellent Chief. He is a man of integrity, and I am very much convinced that he is holding back on some of his requests because he is trying to be a good steward of public funds with money that comes from the citizens,” he asserted.

He also said he believes the increase in requests for overtime pay is a red flag indicating that the police department is understaffed, because the only other reason would be that there’s gross negligence in the management in the department, which he doesn’t see. Connolly also mentioned that Front Royal is the seventh largest town in the state of Virginiaonly 1,500 citizens smaller than the town of Vienna-and yet order is maintained with what he considers excellent police officers.

When it was Egger’s turn for comments, she went on the record to say that she is not anti-law enforcement.

She thanked Hrbek for his opinion

R. Wayne Sealock, Front Royal resident and retired law enforcement officer, accuses Councilwoman Bébhinn Egger of being anti-law enforcement. on that, and chided the press for putting things in the newspaper in order to make it a good read. She again stated that the police department is the biggest department in the general fund.

“I spent a lot of time going over their budget because they get the largest percentage of the general funds. My concerns I brought up at the work session were because council was given documents that were misleading to us as a council. We are not able to do our job if we do not have all the facts in front of us. Fact number one, the police department budget has never been cut for the last 20 years. It has increased every year. In relation to the detective division, the document said that they carry a case load of 10-15 cases each, but the data revealed that wasn’t the case. This is why I brought this up.

We were given things that didn’t jive.

Two plus two does not make five.

This is also the reason I asked for numbers regarding the overtime. If we are understaffed, I want to know that because it is my job to give them money or not give them money,” she said.

She also said that the police department was growing faster than the town was growing, and she had done research on other towns. She learned that if more than 60 percent of the time is spent on calls, then it’s too much time, but if it’s too far below that number, then overstaffing is the problem.

“We are doing our job as a council.

Our job is not to be yes men and to approve a budget that is presented to us just because there are some hard questions that need to be asked,” she said and added that she’s not on the council to offend anyone and that she

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speaks her mind at the work sessions because she needs to. She also advised that it’s hard to get the whole story from newspaper stories.

She closed with an apology, “That was not my intention. I’ve spoken to the Chief since then and I love talking to the Chief and I hope that the Chief doesn’t think that I am antilaw enforcement because the Chief and I have had a great relationship, at least in my opinion. I am sorry if I offended anyone. That was not my intention. My intention was to get to the bottom of how we are spending our money and I don’t think we are at the bottom of this yet so we will continue to have this conversation, and I welcome anyone to come to our next work session.”

The next work session is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Monday, May 16, at the town administration building on Main Street.

– tim@areaguides.com Rep. Bob Goodlatte Editor: On Sunday May 8th the families of St. John the Baptist Church filled a very large truck with their donations of food for the benefit of other local families. Meanwhile, our Congressman Bob Goodlatte was emailing his constituents about “Iran’s Bad Behavior.” As usual his letter dwells on some matter of interest to some Washington lobby but which is far removed from the needs of his constituents. For example, he has been very “hot” to arm the Ukraine for action against Russia. Also, as usual, his letter whines to us about something the Obama Administration has done. I’ve made a habit of replying to his emails as follows: The people elected majority control of the Senate and the House to the GOP. Instead of whining to me, why don’t you girly men act on your election promises?

Yours truly, Thomas L. McFadden, Sr. Front Royal

Page 6 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late May, 2016

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“Doesn’t that cop have anything better to do?”

Town Councilwoman Bébhinn Egger asks at council budget work session regarding police officers on duty

Police Chief sits in stony-faced silence as Eggers demands answers for budget requests by the FRPD for additional overtime and staff.

By Timothy Ratigan Warren & Frederick County Report May 2nd promised to be a quiet evening at the Front Royal Council Work session, at least it appeared that way in the beginning of the meeting.

The Council was meeting to for its final budget discussions for Fiscal Year 2016/17 and Mayor Timothy Darr went around the table seeking councilmembers’ input, suggestions or statements regarding the budget.

“Ok, time to open that spare can of Mountain Dew,” I thought, “going to need the extra caffeine boost.”

Then it was Councilwoman Bébhinn Egger’s turn to speak. She wasted no time tearing into the Front Royal Police Department’s (FRPD)

budget requests for FY 2016/17.

“I was reading through the documentation from the police department about the new positions that they would like. They all start out by saying that the police department had to cut their budget in the early 2000s and I looked up the old budget and that information is absolutely false. My problem is more of the fact that we were given this information.

I’ve gone over all this information and even in years when the overall budget has decreased, the police budget has gone up for the last 20 years. I am not happy that we were presented with false information,” she said.

She also pointed to one specific budget request, the one requesting a Detective Division Office Assistant,

Councilwoman Bébhinn Eggers challenges requests from the Front Royal Police Department, which she claims are misleading, during budget discussion. which is a new staff position. During the recession of the mid to late 2000s the police department was obliged to reduce staffing levels in order to decrease budget spending. During this process, the full time administration assistant assigned to the detective division was eliminated. If the FRPD is allowed to hire this Detective Division Office Assistant, a few of the duties listed include: Answering calls from visitors, victims and taking messages for the detectives working cases.

Distributing reports to Social Services, Court Victim’s Services, Probation and Parole, Juvenile Intake, Town and Commonwealth’s Attorneys and other agencies involved in joint investigations or quality of life issues.

Creation of wanted posters, identification posters, stolen item “hotsheets”, information to be released through the media or internal communications.

Research of pawn or other potential stolen items.

Follow-up with victims to obtain descriptions or technical data on stolen property.

In the budget request from the police department, it stated that the detectives within the department carry between 10-15 active felony cases

each at any given time. It was this fact that Egger took exception to.

“We have five detectives so that means that if each one had 10-15 cases a month there would have to be at least 50 cases open over month. And we never have a month where there are over 50 cases open. I can’t justify this because what the detectives are saying and what the numbers actually are, are not the same. I also asked for some information over a week ago about calls for service and I haven’t received any information on that so I can’t justify approving the amount of overtime they want. It’s so much higher from last year. I need to know calls for service, and the amount of time they take before I feel comfortable approving that amount of money,” she said.

Councilman Jacob Meza asked for clarification whether the pending approval was just for overtime or something else. Egger replied that her issue with approving that amount of money was with all the police department requests, new staff request and overtime.

“For the positions they are requesting I feel very upset that we were given false information. But as far as the overtime? I am willing to look at it if I can get the data I requested. As of right now I have nothing to go on. I was told that they need the overtime

Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com but I was also told that their budget decreased but that is not true. And I have numbers from the budgets because I’ve looked them up,” Egger continued.

At this point, Mayor Timothy Darr asked Egger a question.

“Did you receive the proposed

budgets and the approved budgets?” asked Darr.

Egger responded that she had all the approved budgets.

She also mentioned that the police department had decreased their staffing by one and then turned right around and hired that staff position back the

next year. Egger continued to hammer away with her assertion that the town council was given wrong information and that was the reason she was extremely upset.

Town manager Steve Burke reminded Egger that the information she is requesting is not easy to pull up, as well as being very time consuming. Egger then demanded to know if the police department had special software for that task. Burke replied that the software was available, but Egger had also asked for the number of responding officers on each call as well.

“So we don’t know who responded to these calls?” Egger asked.

“We would have to provide you with a copy of each and every call,” Burke replied.

To which Egger fired back, “I understand but I didn’t hear anything back, crickets was all I got.”

Darr added to the overtime discussion and reminded Egger that a police officer at the end of his shift who has a car pulled over, is not going to say, ‘I’m out of here my shift is over,’

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Late May, 2016 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 7 and then leave that car sitting on the side of the road.

“This overtime-we’ve budgeted it to be used. They don’t always go over it and they don’t always go under it. And they have to come back if they need more. That doesn’t mean that they have to use that amount,” he continued.

Egger replied that the numbers they are requesting for overtime is much higher than before and if the council approves the requested numbers, it opens a bigger door than the council has ever opened before.

“We as a council need to have that data in hand before deciding this,” she argued.

Meza mentioned that the two primary reasons for the department to be requesting overtime is because, one, the department is completely understaffed, or two, the department is grossly mismanaged. He also asked Egger if she was fixated on the dollar amount. Egger replied that it was part of it, but also had to do with manpower.

Vice Mayor Tharpe added that with overtime, two or three officers may be needed at the previously mentioned stop right after they finish their shift and that their time would be overtime.

“I am sure that the police department is running the leanest department they can possibly run without costing the taxpayers because those guys are taxpayers also and what the Chief needs and what his wish list is, I am sure this wish list is out the door. He has a bare bones minimum budget,” Tharpe added.

Egger immediately retorted that the police department takes out more money from the general fund than any other department, and went on to say that the council can do whatever it wants to, however, when it comes to her, when she is given information that is misleading it upsets her and then she is less likely to approve the request.

The Mayor then asked the town manager about the state funding the

police department normally gets every year.

Every year the police department receives funding from the state, but for the past several years that funding has been decreased and has only recently begun to slowly increase as the economy improves.

Councilman John Connolly added that he too would like to see more information on the overtime spent due to the fact that the police department may be understaffed.

Egger replied that she wanted the information for that as well.

“I’m not a police officer, but when I see traffic stop, there are always at least two units there, sometimes three, sometimes four. And I don’t know what is going on when that is happening but I just say, me as a citizen, ‘doesn’t that other cop have something else to do?’”

Meza immediately referenced a ride along he had done with a police officer and had been at a stop where the officer felt uncomfortable about it, and requested additional units because he didn’t know all the details of the stop.

Egger insisted that she needed to see some numbers stating that, “yes, we do need this much overtime or no, we don’t”. She made it clear that she wasn’t accusing anyone of deliberately misleading the council but that she looked at the numbers and they didn’t add up.

She closed her comments with, “I feel as a council that we should all be offended by this. This slipped through the cracks somehow and was handed out to us as fact when in fact it was not fact and I had to look up the budget and see for myself that the numbers we were given were not fact. Now every piece of paper that comes to me I am going to be wondering do I need to double check this?”

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Page 8 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late May, 2016

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Value of FRPD not about numbers Officers go above and beyond the call of duty to take care of community

A Front Royal police vehicle sits ready to respond to whatever comes next.

By Timothy Ratigan Warren & Frederick County Report In recent weeks, local news sources have had stories about the big battles taking place in the Town Council over the budget and more than a few of them center around what is necessary for the operation of the police department.

One of the first battles was about how the Town would fund the new police station. That battle was waged both in work and council sessions with neither side giving an inch.

When it was all said and done the tax rate was set at 62 cents per $100 assessed value of real estate. Councilman Eugene Tewalt fought a valiant battle for a four cent instead of a three cent increase to earmark the extra cent for the construction cost of the new police department, but his attempt failed.

It appeared like it was the end of it; that the one big battle that always takes place during budget season had happened and it was clear sailing now. But that was not the case.

Less than two weeks later, Councilwoman Bébhinn Egger was accusing the Front Royal Police Department (FRPD) of providing her and council with inaccurate numbers in their 2016/17 budget requests. Specifically, overtime requests and one administrative staff request were at the center of her complaint. Over the last two weeks the Warren & Frederick County Report and others have provided the public with a blow by blow account of the fallout from Egger’s famous, “Don’t the cops have anything better to do?” remark regarding the number of officers present at traffic stops.

In order to move on, and not dwell on that aspect of the police department story any longer, it is my intention to show another side of the story.

When I realized I was going to do this story, I arranged a “sit down” with the Front Royal Chief of Police,

Norman Shiflett. On Wednesday May 11, I parked my car at the rented offices of the police department and headed into the building for my interview with the Chief. I had in my hands and in my mind a list of questions that I wanted answers to.

The week before, I requested the same information that Egger had reviewed, and spent quite a bit of time looking over the numbers. I, like her, assumed that the numbers were incorrect. The numbers didn’t show a 10-15 case load per detective. I wondered if perhaps a word had been left out.

With that in mind, the first question I asked the Chief was about the case load. Was the number that was on paper the actual number or was it an average?

“That number is the average number of cases a detective is currently working on for that particular month, and a case load can carry over from one month to another. It

really depends on what we are investigating. If the case is a death case, that case could be carried over because in an unexplained death case, the body would have to be taken to the medical examiner’s office and we have to wait for their final analysis.

That process can take sometimes up to two months. If we are investigating an arson fire, we will have many players that are involved in the investigation. If not just one investigator is brought in, we can have upwards of three to four investigators working on an arson case. In an arson case, samples have to be taken to the state lab and in some cases a recreation of the fire and the circumstances have to be recreated in order to help solve the case. We draw upon many other resources when dealing with an arson case. The fire at the Veterans of Foreign Wars lodge took place last summer and we are still investigating that fire,” he replied.

The Chief reminded me that even with the cases that are carried over from month to month the department still has to deal with new cases that come in on a day to day basis.

“So yes, that number is an averagein fact that number is actually a little bit higher than what you see on paper,” Shifflett said.

We then moved on to how many hours a detective works.

“Usually the detective is scheduled a Monday through Friday eighthour-a-day shift however they can and have worked 12 or 16 hour shifts.

Our detectives are also subject to be on call during the weekends and off hours on a rotating basis. Or if something goes down, they can all be called in if need be. We are talking about a lot of man hours, and all of our detectives including our patrol-

man are on an hourly pay scale. Captain and above are on a salary basis,” he continued.

Then we briefly discussed the types of cases detectives handle. The Chief explained that they handle all felony cases and on rare occasions, if requested, they will assist on a misdemeanor case. They have also been known to assist other agencies as well.

“We will send out assistance to other jurisdictions, such as in a sexual assault. We will send out a female if it is requested and that other agency doesn’t have a female detective available. We also help the sheriff ’s office here in Warren County and they help in return,” he said.

The next question I asked was

whether a case is ever transferred to another detective.

“It would be a very rare occurrence for a detective to hand off one of his/ her cases. They usually will stay on a case until that case is solved,” replied Shifflett.

Remembering the reason for the questions regarding the case load, I was able to obtain from the Chief some additional information regarding the duties of the Detective Division Office Assistant, a new position that the police are requesting. He said it’s not even full time, and will be shared with the Town Attorney.

We then touched on pull overs.

At the work session, Councilwoman Egger took exception to the number of responders needed for an

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Sadly, in today’s world, a police officer can walk up to a pulled over vehicle for something as small as a busted light and end up in a fight for his or her life where gunfire is exchanged and lives are lost. I wanted to get a better understanding of what an officer goes through when he or she pulls a vehicle over, leaves the safety of their own vehicle, and approaches the other one.

“It is not a policy but in these times in the climate we are now in, it is strongly encouraged that there will be a backup. If the officer who makes a traffic stop lets the other officers know that everything is fine, the other patrolman may just proceed up the street a little ways and park and that is just to make sure that the traffic stop is safe. There are times when another officer will hear the traffic stop and he/she may know the person who is being pulled over and will respond as well because of past dealings with the person being pulled over. This is all done for safety, safety

for the officer to make sure that he/ she goes home to his family at the end of his/her shift and for safety of the occupant/s of the vehicle that was pulled over. The number of officers on a scene of a pull over may be a deciding factor for the occupant to run or attempt to fight the officer who pulled him/her over. When you are pulling over a vehicle, the one thought that goes through a patrolman’s mind, is safety first, because we don’t know what we are going to be approaching and we have to keep that in the back of our mind. They could be harmless but at the same time we could be stopping a felon or a wanted man or woman or stopping someone who just committed a crime. So there is always the feeling that in a split second a routine traffic stop could suddenly go horribly wrong. You have to be always ready for the unexpected…always,” Shifflett explained.

By the way the occasional ribbon you see stretched across the badge of a police officer? In case you are

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wondering, that ribbon is known as ‘shrouding your badge’ in honor of a fallen officer. Sadly, even in our area we are seeing more and more shrouded badges.

We also touched briefly on how crowded the police department currently is. I wonder how many of our readers know that the FRPD is divided up into two separate buildings. If you turn onto the street where Comcast is located early in the morning and look at the parking lot right behind the building, you will see four to five silver Chevy Impalas lined up.

Those vehicles are part of the FRPD fleet, and are used by detectives while on duty. They share building space with Comcast, and since the building is owned by the town, there’s no cost to the taxpayers to house them.

We finally touched on the subject of over time, and the Chief responded.

“The overtime comes primarily from the holiday pay, your mandatory state training, special events downtown such as the Wine and Craft Festival, Festival of the Leaves, Christmas Parade and more recently the Battle of Front Royal Reenactment. We do not pull patrol officers on duty to cover those special events. We call in off duty officers for the special events,” he said.

When asked if he was requesting additional patrolmen in this budget cycle, I was answered with a very simple and one-word answer. “No.” He added that in the future he will be requesting additional patrolmen.

“We are growing. You have the Avtex site growing and we will someday have the new housing development out on Mary Shady Lane. So yes, it is on the wish list in the future,” he said.

My next target was Sergeant Robbie Seal. I was on a mission to reveal just what else the police department does when they’re not pulling people over, handing out tickets, working those long 12-hour shifts and keeping us safe. Believe it or not, there is a softer/fun side to our police department as well.

Just some of our men and women in blue helping keep us safe at a special event.

You just have to know where to look.

I was told that Sergeant Seal was the person to see. I walk into his office and took note that it was full of banners and boxes loaded with community outreach material. Officer Seal was seated behind his desk in full uniform-something else that we weren’t used to seeing when I was kid. Even though Seal is in charge of community outreach you will never see him without a bulletproof vest.

Sorry folks, those days are long gone.

Ok, I promised the softer side, so here it is. I knew that the police department was responsible for one particular project that is close their hearts. Something that is called Blue Christmas. This program, according to Seal, is a partnership with Social Services, the Elks, Toys for Tots and, of course, our men and women in blue and it is designed to bring some Christmas joy to some of our needier children. On a day in December, a group of needy children sit down at the Elks Lodge with some of our police officers, share a meal and receive a special gift-all courtesy of our police department.

Officer Seal outlined some of the things he does.

“I am responsible for coordinating

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all the permitted special events that are held downtown, and this includes special events that people want to hold at the Gazebo. One of the biggest things we do is conduct police department tours and we coordinate those through the local schools. Another program we have is a partnership with 7/11 and the police. When we see a child doing something right such as picking up litter or helping someone, we’ll do a turn around, come back to him or her, compliment them and give them a coupon for free Slurpee. I mean, what kid doesn’t want a free Slurpee? A lot of our officers are involved in community service where they will go and have talks about safety and scam prevention,” he said.

Officer Seal also informed me that he does monthly talks with the Warren County Senior Center. Again, those talks center on safety issues and scam prevention. We also touched on another side project the police department is involved with. Did you know that our police department is in the habit of going up and down Main Street and our other shopping districts pulling on the doors to ensure they are locked and secured?

Every place of business they stop by they always leave a card in the door saying that they were there to ensure the place is secured.

I would like to close this article with a simple statement.

Our police department serves an area roughly the size of Vienna, and with just over 20 patrolmen on staff.

Each one of those officers goes out into the world with a uniform that could be considered a target. In addition to their uniform they put on a not so light bullet proof vest and they protect and serve. I ask that you remember the next time the news is on and they are reporting that a police officer has been gunned down in the line of duty, pause and say a simple prayer.

St. Michael the Archangel is the Patron Saint of law enforcement officers. I end each night and I will end this article with this simple request.

St. Michael the Archangel watch over and protect our men and women in blue.

– tim@areaguides.com

Page 10 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late May, 2016

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Ride-hailing services raise questions about safety ers’ safety.

“It creates a new, more flexible regulating scheme to appropriate and regulate ridesharing services in the state of Maryland,” Ferguson said.

“Ridesharing is enormously popular and has been even when they were operating in more of a gray area,” the lawmaker continued. “(The bill) was a fiercely opposed bill for two years and last year we spent a lot of time working with all the stakeholders taxis and limos to thinking with insurance regulators and companies and by the end of session last year ... almost everybody was in favor of it.”

Virginia laws, also enacted in 2015, are similar, requiring more in-depth driver background checks - though not fingerprinting, which both Uber and Lyft are fighting in some areas and the possession of insurance policies.

An Uber ride in Bogotá, Colombia. Visible on the dashboard is a phone running the Uber app.

Photo by Alexander Torrenegra from Secaucus, NJ

Uber is not a taxi and vice versa

By DAN RUSSO and MAGGIE DeBLASIS Capital News Service

If anything, the new laws and incidents in the Washington region underscore the general uneasiness toward ride-booking in the industry across the United States, according to critics.

“What we’ve typically seen with Uber is that they have really only done the bare minimum as required by law when it comes to important issues like safety, background checks and insurance,” said Harry Campbell, an Uber and Lyft driver who quit his job as an engineer to run his blog, TheRideshareGuy.com.

Campbell has also written articles on the ridehailing industry for outlets such as Buzzfeed, the New York Times, and Huffington Post Live.

Most recently, Uber agreed to pay Los Angeles and San Francisco a $25 million settlement in a lawsuit brought by the cities’ district attorneys. TechCrunch reported that the lawsuit claimed the company was “charging a $4 fee for passengers being collected from or going to California airports (and prosecutors) found that the ‘toll’ wasn’t being passed on to the airports…”

As a part of the settlement, Uber has also pledged to stop using certain

WASHINGTON -- In many parts of the country - and indeed, around the world - a ride-booking service is as close and easy to use as launching an app on a smartphone.

But after nearly unimpeded growth in an industry that didn’t exist a decade ago, around 30 U.S. jurisdictions have passed new ride-hailing regulatory legislation, all in the hopes of making services like Uber and Lyft safer for passenger use.

The murders of six victims in Kalamazoo, Mich., in late February, while uncommonly tragic, magnified uncertainties that have faced the ride-hailing industry throughout its meteoric growth. At the top of the list is the safety of its passengers and drivers.

Ride-booking services like Uber and Lyft insist their technology, driver background checks, and two-way rating systems keep their patrons safe, but critics consider those factors and the insurance coverage - or lack thereof - to be the ultimate concern.

Of all the issues facing the ridebooking industry, as well as its competitor, the taxi and limousine services, safety is the paramount concern.

In a national poll of 3,000 riders, 81 percent said safety was the chief factor when using either a taxi or a ride-hailing service like Uber or Lyft.

The survey was conducted for a taxilimousine trade association, but the data was collected by FrederickPolls, an Arlington, Va., firm.

SurveyMonkey data found that riders found ride-booking “makes lives easier, but can be seen as expensive and unsafe.”

But industry defenders see the safety issue as overblown.

“There is little evidence that the sharing economy services are more dangerous than traditional taxis,” Matthew Feeney, a policy analyst with the Cato Institute, wrote last year. Cato is a Washington-based libertarian think-tank that generally advocates less government regulation.

“In fact,” Feeney said, “the ridesharing business model offers big safety advantages as far as drivers are concerned. In particular, ridehailing’s cash-free transactions and self-identified customers substan-

tially mitigate one of the worst risks associated with traditional taxis: the risk of violent crime.”

Empirical data, however, is lacking.

Tracking incidents involving ridebooking drivers or passengers is difficult: not all law enforcement agencies collect information the same way and many do not specifically track crimes or incidents related to ride-hailing services.

February’s Michigan murders involving an Uber driver was a rare deadly case. But several less serious incidents have occurred in the District of Columbia-Maryland-Virginia area within the last three years, according to local police records and news reports examined by Capital News Service.

Maryland passed a law in July that essentially sets the same requirements for taxi services and ridebooking companies on insurance, licensing, and the handling of complaints by passengers.

The sponsor of the law, Sen. Bill Ferguson, D-Baltimore City, said it represented a compromise between state limo and taxi services and ridebooking companies that allows for innovation without risking consum-

language claiming that their background checks were top-tier.

“We’ve agreed not to use terms like ‘safest ride on the road’ or describe our background checks as ‘the gold standard,’” the company said in a statement.

At the epicenter of the ride-hailing controversy lie three clear, but intertwining issues: the fundamental difference between ride-booking and the taxi industry; the ride-hailing company’s accountability for their drivers’ and passengers’ safeties; and the uncertainty surrounding the ride-booking platform’s sustainability as a business model.

Uber even has a disclaimer at the bottom of its Greater Maryland website that might surprise a lot of its users: “Uber is not a transportation provider.”

The difference at a basic level is that taxi companies usually own their vehicles and employ their drivers, whereas services like Uber and Lyft merely provide a platform for riders and drivers to match and meet up.

“Certainly when I teach, I say Uber is a platform and they are a matchmaking service to make sure that people who want rides and people provide rides can find each other,” said Joe Bailey, a professor in the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.

“But (Uber and similar services are) not the ones who own the vehicles or (are) providing the transportation service,” he said.

Ride-booking industry defense In an effort to address demands from federal, state, and municipal agencies for information about its operations, Uber, the leading ridehailing company, released its first transparency report on April 12.

The report detailed the scope of data that state and federal agencies and law enforcement requested in the second half of 2015, which included information on 50 Uber drivers in Maryland.

Uber, a privately-held company, said it hoped that its report would

Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com open “a public debate about the types and amounts of information regulated services should be required to provide to their regulators, and under what circumstances.” Uber alleged that information requests of digital companies often exceeded those of their offline, more traditional counterparts.

“In many cases [agencies] send blanket requests without explaining why the information is needed, or how it will be used,” Uber said in a statement. “And while this kind of trip data doesn’t include personal information, it can reveal patterns of behavior -- and is more than regulators need to do their jobs.”

Uber and the entire ride-hailing industry believe that they are being

backed into a corner, attempting to balance the requests of regulatory agencies and public demands for improved safety features, while protecting customer privacy.

According to Uber’s website, all Uber drivers undergo a pre-screening process, including a review of motor vehicle and criminal records, in order to become certified and get paid. The company also maintains a code of conduct for both drivers’ and passengers’ safeties.

Uber spokeswoman Kaitlin Durkosh said that all transportation has its risks, but Uber offers technological safety features that its competitors don’t.

“I think what people often forget is that, just a few years ago, being able

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to wait safely inside for your ride, knowing who your driver was and when your ride was arriving, didn’t really exist,” Durkosh said. “Furthermore, if you wanted to get somewhere in that moment of time, you probably had to go outside and either hail down a taxi or walk to find a bus or a Metro stop.”

Aside from Uber’s background checks, its technological safeguards include a GPS locator that tracks the service’s car, communication with drivers that don’t require users to provide their phone numbers, and the rider’s ability to share the location, route, and estimated time of arrival with a friend or family member. The company’s app also provides the driver’s first name, photo, license plate number, and rating.

After both the driver and rider rate each other, Uber’s 24-hour safety team reviews each report and looks into any incidents, Durkosh said, though the company’s code of conduct insists that, in case of an emergency, the proper authorities be contacted first.

However, those safety measures don’t always prevent incidents.

The Washington Post reported in July 2014 that Ryan Simonetti, CEO of New York-based Convene, said he was “kidnapped” by an Uber driver in the nation’s capital. According to his Twitter account, Simonetti said he was “held against (his) will, and involved in a high speed chase across state lines with police #Crazy.” An Uber representative confirmed to The Post the driver no longer drives for the company.

In September 2014, the Courthouse News Service reported a Washington, D.C., man sued Uber after being stabbed six times by his

Late May, 2016 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 11 driver the previous September.

An off-duty Uber driver admitted to having been drinking in June 2015 when he veered from his side of the road and ran into an oncoming car, killing a Gaithersburg, Md., woman driving, according to Washington’s WJLA-TV. Those are only three of at least 10 accounts of Uber drivers endangering or allegedly endangering their passengers in the Washington area since 2013, according to police and media reports. Most occurred in Northwest Washington, a handful were recorded in Northern Virginia, and six were reported in Annapolis in 2015, the first year the company serviced the city.

In late February, the Baltimore Sun reported that a convicted drug dealer on supervised release regularly used Uber to transport heroin in Southeast Baltimore. Drug Enforcement Administration agents said in a search warrant they believed the passenger to be moving “10 to 20 kilograms per month.”

Kalamazoo and its effect on business The Michigan Uber driver, 45-yearold Jason Brian Dalton, was charged with 16 counts at his arraignment, including six counts of murder and one count of attempted murder of a minor.

Despite the horrific violence Dalton is allegedly responsible for, local police confirmed he had no prior criminal record.

“If the person doesn’t have a criminal record, then no background check is going to raise any flags,” Uber’s Durkosh said. “So, as that case has shown, past behavior may not accurately predict how people will behave in the future and that’s where we think our technology features that we have in place can help ensure safety before, during, and after a ride in ways that other transportation options cannot.”

Even with that technological advantage, Campbell said Uber could and should be doing more to spearhead improved safety features.

“As a $60 billion company and a

leader of the on-demand economy, I feel they should actually be leading the charge when it comes to these types of issues, instead of taking a backseat,” Campbell said.

Despite safety concerns, Uber’s growth has been spectacular. The company rose from a startup in 2009 to a platform revolutionizing the transportation industry in a short seven years.

Bloomberg Business reported Dec. 3 that the company is valued at $62.5 billion.

The University of Maryland’s Bailey said it is difficult to measure how bad publicity will affect the company’s worth because Uber is not yet publicly traded and its stock cannot be tracked.

“With privately-held companies, it’s very difficult to ascertain kind of what their market capitalization is going to be at any given time,” Bailey explained.

The future While Uber has been mostly compliant with the wave of new legislation and in some cases has championed technological safety features, the glaring question of accountability persists for both investors and the public, according to Bailey.

Bailey said venture capitalists will look at the events in Michigan as a “stress test” for Uber’s leadership and how they respond.

The long-term effects of the shooting in Michigan are still being felt now, with ride-booking legislation being passed in all but four states as of early April.

But for a company looking to become publicly traded some time in 2016 - the exact date remains unknown - Bailey said one question should be asked: “(Does the Kalamazoo shooting) somehow make the business model that Uber has completely unviable? Or is this a terrible tragedy, but ultimately not the responsibility of the platform like Uber?”

The public’s perception of Uber’s accountability, Bailey said, may “matter more than (the disclaimer) on their website.”

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Page 12 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late May, 2016

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Myths about rape perpetuate ‘rape culture’

By Kyle Taylor and Rachel Beatrice Capital News Service

“Rape Culture is an environment in which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence against women is normalized and excused in the media and popular culture. Rape culture is perpetuated through the use of misogynistic language, the objectification of women’s bodies, and the glamorization of sexual violence, thereby creating a society that disregards women’s rights and safety.”

– Marshall University Women’s Center To many people, especially men, the term “rape culture” may seem like hyperbole. But anti-rape activists say it’s an apt description of the everyday reality faced by women and some men.

Women’s rights activists say rape is prevalent because society condones sexual violence against women. They maintain that rape culture is perpetuated by myths about rape.

Fatima Smith, assistant director of Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence, Stalking and Advocacy Services at the Wellness Resource Center at Virginia Commonwealth University, says it’s important to challenge problematic thinking and commentary about rape.

“Not confronting individuals who laugh at rape jokes, or not correct-

ing people that say seemingly harmless statements like ‘that chair is so gay,’ are things that contribute to the problem of rape culture,” Smith said.

“When we don’t interrupt the group thought that it’s OK to let people get away with joking about the serious reality of sexual assault, rape culture continues. The ongoing acceptance of this group mentality builds the foundation of a culture of violence.”

To raise awareness of the reality of rape and rape culture, here are 10 of the most common myths about sexual assaults.

Myth 1: Rape survivors are “asking for it” with suggestive clothing or word choice.

Fact: No one asks to be raped.

Rape is a violent crime, and no woman’s behavior or dress gives a man the right to rape her. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network states that it’s the perpetrator who selects the victim; the victim’s behavior and clothing choices do not mean that they are consenting to sexual activity.

Myth 2: A person cannot sexually assault their partner or spouse.

Fact: Nearly one in 10 women has been raped by an intimate partner in her lifetime, according to the 2011 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Myth 3: Sexual assaults most often occur in public or outdoors by a

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Fact: The study “Female Victims of Sexual Violence, 1994-2010,” done by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, found that 55 percent of rape or sexual assault victimizations occur at or near the victim’s home, and 12 percent occur at or near the home of a friend, relative or acquaintance.

According to research by the organization Rape Crisis, “only around 10% of rapes are committed by ‘strangers’ and around 90% of rapes are committed by known men, and often by someone who the survivor has previously trusted or even loved.”

“One of the largest misconception about sexual assault is that the rapist is a stranger that jumps out of an al-

ley,” said Liz Canfield, a rape survivor and assistant professor in the Department of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University.

During a recent discussion on sexual assault awareness at VCU, panelists noted that a large majority of rape survivors know the perpetrator and that this contributes to survivors not wanting to press charges.

Myth 4: Rape does not happen that often.

Fact: The National Crime Victimization Survey (2009-2013), conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice, found that an average of more than 293,000 people age 12 or older are raped or sexually assaulted each

year. This means a sexual assault occurs every 107 seconds in the United States.

Myth 5: If two people have had sex with each other before, it’s always OK to have sex again.

Fact: If a person is in a relationship with someone or has had sex with them before, they still can be sexually assaulted or raped by that person.

Consent must be given and received every time two people engage in sexual contact.

On its website, the VCU Wellness Center notes that “consent on a prior occasion does not constitute consent on a subsequent occasion and the existence of a prior or current relationship does not, in itself, constitute

Virginia Provides Model for Testing Rape Kits

By Rachel Beatrice and Kyle Taylor Capital News Service More than 140,000 untested rape evidence kits are collecting dust in crime labs throughout the country – denying justice for rape survivors waiting for the results and allowing rapists to commit more sexual assaults.

Virginia has joined a handful of states that have taken legislative action to end the backlog by adopting a law to ensure that the commonwealth’s untested kits will be processed quickly beginning July 1.

That’s when Senate Bill 291, sponsored by Sen. Richard Black, R-Leesburg, takes effect. Under the legislation, the more than 2,000 untested rape kits in Virginia must be tested immediately. In addition, after a doctor examines someone who has been raped and collects evidence of the crime with a rape kit, the kit must be tested for DNA within 60 days.

When Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed the legislation into law, the ceremony was attended by a rape survivor whose handwritten pamphlet prompted the General Assembly to act. Natasha Alexenko said she hopes other states will follow suit.

“This initiative will change America,” she said.

In 1993, Alexenko, then a 20-yearold college student in New York, was violently raped and robbed at gunpoint by an unknown assailant while returning to her apartment.

She underwent a rape exam but would wait nearly 10 years for the results.

New York had a backlog of nearly 17,000 untested rape kits in 1999, according to the website EndTheBacklog.org. New York authorities then worked on the problem and cleared the state’s backlog entirely in 2003.

While waiting for the results of her rape exam, Alexenko become

a vocal advocate for sexual assault awareness. Among other things, she made informational pamphlets and distributed them wherever she could.

In 2014, one of Alexenko’s pamphlets, which highlighted the national backlog of untested rape kits, found itself on Black’s desk.

Black admitted he was surprised to learn about the backlog.

“I thought, ‘What are you talking about – untested rape test kits?’ ” To understand the status of the issue in Virginia, Black initiated a statewide audit in 2015, with permission from the governor and conducted by the Virginia Department of Forensic Science. The audit revealed that Virginia had nearly 3,000 untested rape kits sitting in forensic labs – some dating to 1988.

Rape exams are physically intrusive and taken at a time when the victim typically is traumatized, Black said. “It’s an undertaking for a woman to undergo it, and then to have it (the evidence kit) just sit up on a shelf is a terrible thing.”

Compounding the ordeal is that, before undergoing the exam, rape victims must refrain from bathing, showering, using the restroom, changing clothes, combing hair and cleaning the area where the assault happened, according to the Rape Abuse Incest National Network.

A rape exam can take hours as a forensic practitioner collects hair, oral, anal and vaginal samples, in addition to taking photographs for visual evidence, explained Eileen Davis, who has worked as a forensic nurse in Virginia.

She said the failure to test rape kits not only is an insult to the rape survivors but also has allowed more rapes and other crimes to happen, Davis added. According to EndTheBacklog.org, a project of the nonprofit Joyful Heart Foundation, there are at least 144,000 untested rape nationwide, including 20,000 in Texas and more than 10,000 in

Michigan, Florida and Ohio.

When evidence goes untested, predators are not identified and arrested, Davis said. DNA from a rape kit taken in 1998, for example, often matches DNA from more recent exams.

Alexenko’s case reflects that reality. Victor Rondon, the man who raped her in 1993, roamed free until he was arrested on assault charges in 2007 in Las Vegas. In 2008, Rondon was found guilty of eight counts of violent assault and two counts of rape, Black said. Rondon was eventually convicted and sentenced to 44 to 107 years in prison.

Serial rapists pose the greatest danger, Black said. “Not only for rape, but some of these people flip over into murder, as we have seen with the Hannah Graham case.”

Graham was a University of Virginia student who disappeared in 2014. In March, Jesse Matthew, a 34-year-old Charlottesville man, pleaded guilty to her murder. Previously, Matthew had been accused of sexual assault at two other Virginia colleges.

Serial rapists are repeat offenders, Black emphasized. To prevent future crimes, he said, it is critical to test rape kits for the perpetrator’s DNA quickly.

At the bill signing, McAuliffe said the state budget will provide $900,000 annually to clear the backlog of untested rape kits and to ensure that from now on, kits are tested within 60 days after the rape exam has been performed.

Attorney General Mark Herring, who attended the signing, said, “Once we get the backlog cleared out, this new bill should ensure that Virginia never finds itself in that situation again.”

“It is our responsibility,” McAuliffe said, “to provide certainty and ease the pain for women who are haunted by the fear that their attackers could still be out there and could still be free.”

Late May, 2016 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 13

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Engle’s Angle: “The British Are Coming!

The British Are Coming!”

By Kevin S. Engle They’re not really British. I don’t think so.

Some friends are coming over, for dinner.

And we have to get ready.

It’s their first time to the house.

And we want to make a good impression.

If it’s someone who’s been here before, you don’t care as much.

But first timers?

You don’t want them to think you’re slobs.

Not that we are, but we’re not always as neat as we should be.

And that’s why we’re in clean up mode.

We have been for the last few days.

Do you know what the worst thing is about having people over to the house?

It’s getting ready to have people over to the house.

It’s exhausting.

Cleaning and dusting and vacuuming. Mopping the basement floor. Shaking the floor mats. Picking up stuff and putting it away. Stuff that shouldn’t be where it is. The stack of newspapers and catalogs on the floor. Three days of mail on the kitchen counter. Shoes scattered about in the basement. Coupons on top of my dresser instead of in my dresser.

All that and we still have to make dinner.

I’m worn out before they ever get here.

I shouldn’t complain. My wife does most of the work. But I do anyway. I’m good at it.

I help, some, but not enough.

I don’t mind vacuuming, and I actually like to wash windows, but I’m not big on dusting. Or cleaning the commodes.

She gets that job.

And when she’s done in the spare bathroom, which also includes putting out the nice decorative towels that never see the light of day any other time, she has a warning for me.

“Stay out!”

I’m not even allowed to look in that bathroom let alone use it.

But it’s my favorite.

There’s a window next to the commode. On a sunny day, I can sit there and read without even turning on a light. It’s a great place to go when you gotta go.

Much better than in the master bathroom where the commode is stuck back in a dark corner.

Once the house is clean enough, we turn our attention to the food.

We decided on the menu a few days ago and I picked up everything from the store.

We’re not great cooks, but we can put together a decent meal.

During the week, if it’s just us and we want something quick and easy, we’ll throw frozen dinners in the oven or microwave. Food in a bag or fish in a box as I like to call it.

But not for company.

You want to go that extra step and actually make something for them. Something that requires a little more effort.

And hope they like it.

And aren’t allergic.

Yeah, having people over is a lot of work.

We’d be better off if the British were coming.

We could do takeout. Fish and chips from Long John Silvers.

That’s quick and easy.

Just the way we like it.

The author likes Long John Silvers. His wife? She’s not a big fan.

– kevinengle456@comcast.net

consent.”

Myth 6: It’s only rape if someone is physically forced into sex and has the injuries to show for it.

Fact: Sometimes people who are raped sustain internal and/or external injuries and sometimes they don’t. According to Rape Crisis, “rapists will sometimes use weapons or threats of violence to prevent a physical struggle or sometimes they will take advantage of someone who isn’t able to consent, because they are drunk or asleep for example. Many people who are sexually attacked are unable to move or speak from fear and shock. Just because someone doesn’t have visible injuries doesn’t mean they weren’t raped.”

Myth 7: People often lie about being raped because they regret having sex with someone or out of spite or for attention.

Fact: Disproportionate media focus on false rape allegations perpetuates the public perception that lying about sexual violence is common when in fact the opposite is

true. Rape Crisis found in its studies that “false allegations of rape are very rare. The vast majority of survivors choose not to report to the police.

One significant reason for this is the fear of not being believed.

Myth 8: A healthy person can resist being raped or sexually assaulted.

Fact: According to the CDC, one of every six adult women has been a victim of rape, and about 92,700 men are raped in the U.S. each year.

Healthy and strong people are raped every day. Rape victims include lawyers, doctors, military personnel, students – anyone and everyone could be vulnerable to rape or sexual assault.

Myth 9: Men are not victims of sexual violence.

Fact: According to the research by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1.5 percent of all men have been raped, and 47 percent of bisexual men have experienced some form of unwanted sexual contact in their lifetime.

Molested by his uncle at age 11, a sexual assault survivor who wishes

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to remain anonymous said he never told anyone because he didn’t think anyone would believe him, especially because his uncle “was a strong member of the church.” Not even the victim’s mother knows the story.

“I think it’s a little messed up that everybody thinks that it’s only women being raped – especially with all the reports of priests molesting little boys. But a lot of unreported stories come from little boys who get molested by family members – but no one wants to put their family member out there.”

A related myth is that men who are raped by another man are gay or weak. This misconception keep many male rape survivors from getting the physical and emotional support they need after a sexual assault.

“It’s harder for men to admit they have been molested or raped or sodomized or anything like that because it makes a man feel less powerful,” said the Charlottesville man who had been abused by his uncle. “They may think that [others may think], ‘Oh, he must be gay now because he was raped as a little boy.’ It’s definitely tough – it is not easy.”

Myth 10: There is nothing we can do to prevent sexual violence.

Fact: According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, “there are many ways you can help prevent sexual violence including intervening as a bystander to protect someone who may be at risk.” RAINN is the nation’s largest organization helping prevent sexual assault.

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Page 14 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late May, 2016

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Battle of Front Royal fought again on Main Street Townsfolk flocked to witness Brother against Brother at Civil War reenactment

Doug Bechtel, Captain of the 8th Virginia Confederate reenactors, inspects his troops before the reenactment of the Battle of Front Royal. Courtesy photoNathan BrownEagle

By Carol Ballard Warren & Frederick County Report Friday, May 23, 1862, was a sad day for Union forces, who lost the Battle of Front Royal, but the crowd gathered along the streets at the first downtown reenactment of the battle

on last Saturday, May 7, was jubilant.

As the Confederate troops, with their rifles ready to fire, marched to the beat of a drum down Main Street, they let out the traditional Rebel Yell, and 154 years later, Confederate fans, many wearing Confederate battle flag-inspired clothing, yelled along

with them, some screaming and waving their arms in support as if the war had never ended.

The historical fight took place in our town, on the blocked off streets of Main and Chester. No matter which side they were cheering for, a huge number of local and out-of-

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town folks came to witness the first commemorative reenactment of the battle.

Hearing the shots fired, seeing children protecting their ears, smelling the smoke billowing over and through the street, sometimes obscuring the dead and wounded, it

was easy to imagine being a part of it.

Although it’s impossible to know what it was like from this point in time, the following from a witness, who wrote about it in her diary, tells us a lot.

“There was heard the quick, sharp report of a rifle, and another and an-

Late May, 2016 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 15

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Rebels fire at advancing Yankee troops in downtown Front Royal, recreating the battle that was fought from door to door.

The Laing family shows their support for the South at Saturday’s reenactment of the Battle of Front Royal. Brandi, Nate, Hayden, 9 and Hunter, 7 pose with their Rebel dog Diesel. other in rapid succession. Going to the door we saw the Yankees scampering over the meadow below our house and were at a loss how to account for such evident excitement on their part until presently Miss B. White rushed in with purple face and disheveled hair crying – ‘Oh my God! The Southern Army is upon them – the hill above town is black with our boys!’” recorded Lucy Buck, who lived at Bel Air, a home that still stands on top of a hill above South Commerce Ave. in Front Royal.

Another account came from Sue

Richardson of Rose Hill, whose only son William, had died at Williamsburg a few weeks before the Battle of Front Royal.

“We all worked hard and fed hundreds of soldiers that night…there was scarcely a spot in our house where there was not a bed or soldiers lying on the floor. Several wounded and many sick were brought in,” she wrote in her diary.

On the day of the actual battle, Federal troops were stationed in town under the command of Col. John R. Kenly and their advanced pickets just

south of town. The Confederate advance stopped at Asbury Chapel, approximately two miles south of town down Rt. 340 South. By the time the 1st Maryland’s troops, and shock troop Louisiana “Tigers”, who had been ordered via courier to lead the attack by General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson, marched to the front of the army, the time was close to noon, the temperature was close to 80 degrees, and troops sweltered in their battle gear.

But last Saturday, it was a cloudy, but comfortable, 70, when a considerable crowd of civilians followed the advancing Confederate troops as they made their way to the Warren County Courthouse to confront the Union troops camped there.

The Confederate reenactors were led by Warren County resident and Chief Reenactor Captain Doug Bechtel, of the 8th Virginia Infantry Company, and Union soldiers by Captain James Van Lays of the 87th Union Pennsylvania, portraying both 1st Maryland infantry divisions.

Originally the 1st Maryland was all one unit of the US Army, but when the Civil War broke out, they were divided into Union and Confederate.

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It was the only time in United States military history that two regiments of the same numerical designation and from the same state have engaged each other in battle. Friends and family were now enemies.

It was literally “brother against brother” in this battle, because when it was all over, Captain William Goldsborough of the1st Maryland Infantry, CSA (Confederate States Army) captured his brother Charles Goldsborough of the 1st Maryland Infantry, USA, and took him prisoner. According to the story, he also lifted him onto his horse, and gave him a ride back to camp.

“After the battle, the victorious First Maryland CSA Infantry and the 1st Maryland Infantry, USA.…Nearly all recognized old friends and acquaintances, whom they greeted cordially, and divided with them the rations which had just changed hands,” related J. J. Goldsborough, who chronicled the history of the Maryland Line in the Confederate Army.

The Union forces lost 904—killed, wounded and captured. The Confederates lost 36—killed and wounded.

Although Front Royal was described as a small “village”, it was im-

portant in General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson’s Valley Campaign. To understand how the battle came to be fought there, some background information is helpful.

“If the Valley is lost, Virginia is lost.” said General Jackson in the spring of 1862 describing his responsibility as the Commander of Confederate forces in the Shenandoah Valley.

He was facing the fact that Union Forces under the command of General Nathaniel Banks controlled the Northern Valley with a strong defensive position at Strasburg and a supply base in Winchester.

To cover his left flank, Banks sent 1,063 men under the command of Col. John R. Kenly to Front Royal and they were ordered to guard the railroad and bridges over the North and South Forks of the Shenandoah River, north of the town. Jackson, unlike Banks, somehow knew that the Valley’s key city of Front Royal was completely indefensible, and his plan was to seize it quickly and prevent a warning from reaching Banks.

Concealed from Federal pickets, Jackson halted his men, (about 16,500 men) one and a half miles from the village. Nineteen-year-old Confederate Spy Belle Boyd arrived to report on Union troop dispositions and to urge an immediate attack on Front Royal.

When the troops were ready, Jackson ordered the 1st Maryland and Wheat’s Louisiana battalion out in advance, (about 3,000 men) and at approximately 1:45 p.m. they attacked Kenly’s Marylanders who were seeking cool relief from the heat. After more fighting, with retreating soldiers attempting to burn the bridges and failing, the eventual outcome was a win for the Confederacy.

According to historians, the Battle of Front Royal was a rare example of urban combat during the Civil War, because the fight took place in the streets, and fighting was done from house to house. The usual scene of

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Page 16 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late May, 2016

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BATTLE, from 15 the larger battles and skirmishes was in open fields or woods.

Saturday’s event was a combined effort of the Town of Front Royal and the Warren Heritage Society. Town Manager Steve Burke, Patrick Farris, executive director of Warren Heritage Society, and Tim Smith, director of the Front Royal Visitors Center, spoke about how the reenactment came into being.

“I was the one who put everyone together and got it rolling. We had talked in the past how Front Royal didn’t have it, so we thought it would be a good idea and we put it together with Doug Bechtel,” said Burke.

(Bechtel is a Warren County resident and chief reenactor as Captain of the 8th Virginia Infantry Company F & I reenactor group Farris added, “This is a chance for people to learn about life during the Civil War. In the summer of 2015 Steve Burke, Tim Smith, and I got together to see if it was a good idea.

We thought we’d give it a try and see what happened. Doug Bechtel had a mutual friend who had been doing this for decades. The stars aligned so we could work with these people and our local reenactor.”

It’s the first time in the history of Front Royal the reenactment has taken place in the streets of the town. (A reenactment was done at Randolph Macon Academy in the 1960s) Farris explained that there were several reasons why it hadn’t been done in the past. In an urban setting the loud noise from blanks bouncing off buildings in the confined space of a street and the large quantities of smoke produced, need to be taken into consideration. Also, streets have to be blocked off and a police presence is necessary.

“It is very important to us at the Heritage Society and always has been, to commemorate, not celebrate, the battle. It was devastating to the town, in lives and property. It is a reminder of war, especially in Virginia and this part of it.

“A tradition called “Flower Strewing” was begun on the anniversary of the battle early on and continued until World War I, with veterans from either side, coming in by train to commemorate the battle. It was scaled back when the older veterans began to die. This first reenactment builds on that tradition. We were fortunate this year to have enough reenactors to do this. They have a lot of commitments and their schedule doesn’t make it easy to add to it,” con-

Yankee troops march toward the battle at Saturday’s reenactment of the Battle of Front Royal.

Confederate soldier Paul Bushell, looks a little too pleased to be dead.

tinued Farris.

He credited the Town and County governments for their support and said the Front Royal Police Department worked “above and beyond” with the Heritage Society to help make it not only educational, but also safe.

Doug Bechtel said that the 8th Virginia Infantry Company F & I reenactor group is composed of soldiers from Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland South Carolina, and has about 35 members.

“It’s family oriented, with about 25 soldiers, and the rest are wives and children. On Saturday, we’ll have about 20 rifle carriers, a drummer

thing for the city to recognize what happened here.

“I’m excited about it. It highlights the history of Front Royal in that tragic war. Many towns have a rich

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and about 10 civilians, who will wear outfits of the time,” he said the week before the battle.

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Bechtel, who has participated in

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Late May, 2016 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 17

Al Avery, Confederate Scottish descendant reenactor fires his weapon as the troops march past the Gazebo.

The crowd follows the battle action down Main Street at Saturday’s reenactment of the Battle of Front Royal.

many battle reenactments over the last ten years, had several stories concerning the war, and spoke about people who come from other countries to participate in mock battles.

“There’s an 8th Virginia Company “G” in Germany, and one man from England comes here regularly to reenact the battles. He was recently here for the 150th anniversary of the Appomattox Courthouse battle and the 150th Battle of Gettysburg. He

His son had already been buried, but the father was treated so well by the folks of Front Royal, he wanted to show his appreciation of their hospitality. He was Catholic and noticed that the town had many churches, but not a Catholic Church. He donated money to help build one, and it stands today, St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church on West Main Street. A memorial plaque dedicated to his son, “Soldier Jenkins” is in the

was snapped by an AP photographer, and achieved national notoriety from the photo of him scaling a wall.

“It’s cool because on the third day of the battle, the 8th Virginia was part of Pickett’s Charge,” Bechtel said.

He also told the tragic story about a father who came to Front Royal from Baltimore, Maryland with a wagon looking for his Confederate son who had been killed in the battle.

foyer of the church.

Before the event, Tim Smith, director of the Front Royal Visitors Center, gave a rundown on Saturday’s events.

There would be a Confederate camp on Heritage Society grounds and the Union encampment at the Courthouse, with the battle starting from the Courthouse and rolling down Main Street to the Gazebo, then down Chester Street.

He said that events on Saturday, May 7 would include: Bebhinn Egger’s music classes presenting violin and fiddle music at the Gazebo;

BS

music by a Brass band at the Warren Heritage Society; the battle reenactment at 1:00 p.m.; and music at the Warren Heritage Society at 2:00 p.m.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., tables were set up for people to buy Civil War History books and reenactors walked around in uniform and answered questions. It was the first day of the Farmer’s Market summer season and booths were set up in the parking lot behind the Gazebo, with a musical accompaniment.

Civil War Encampment demonstrations were held at the Warren County Court House and Warren Heritage Society on Saturday and Sunday.

For information, call the Front Royal Visitor Center, located at 414 East Main Street, Front Royal, at (540) 635-5788 or (800) 338-2576, or visit discoverfrontroyal.com. To witness the Battle as it unfolded on May 23, 1862, the Battle of Front Royal enhanced CD is available at the Front Royal Visitors Center. Call the Warren Heritage Society at 101 Chester Street, Front Royal, at (540) 6361446. Visit www.shenandoah.org for more information on the Shenandoah Battlefields Foundation.

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Page 18 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late May, 2016

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

More about the Battle of Front Royal

Warren Heritage Society Executive Director Patrick Farris discusses the 1862 Battle of Front Royal. Visit the Warren Heritage Society to learn more about the history of Front Royal and Warren County, Virginia. They are at 101 Chester Street in Front Royal. You can call them at 540-636-1446 or visit them on the web: http://www.warrenheritagesociety.org/ You can view a video of the reenactment and this interview at: http:// bit.ly/BoFR2016

By Dan McDermott Warren & Frederick County Report

video of the reenactment and this interview at: http://bit.ly/BoFR2016

Following the May 7, 2016 reenactment of the 1862 Battle of Front Royal I spoke with Patrick Farris, Executive Director of the Warren Heritage Society. You can view a

Q: Please tell us about this reenactment.

A: Well this is significant because we’ve never done an attempt at a

reenactment of the Battle of Front Royal. We have led battlefield tours on the day of the battle. We have done commemorative ceremonies.

We’ve done exhibits. We’ve never done a reenactment of the battle.

One of the reasons for that is there are logistical issues which must be addressed. Unlike the Battle of Cedar Creek and the Battle of New Market, which took place for the most part out in fields, this battle took place in a town so to reenact that battle we have to use the town—its streets, its buildings—and for that we had to work with the police department and with the Town of Front Royal.

The town and the Front Royal P.D. were excellent to work with I might say, not only blocking the streets but having a police presence to maintain safety and order. I think we had a wonderful event today for that reason. I also might stress that what we did today was a commemoration of the event. We try to avoid using the word “celebration.” Sometimes people say that in reference to the Civil War but as people have might gotten the idea by watching this reenactment today, the war was a horrible event. If you can imagine being a civilian in this town during that battle, not just the sights and sounds but the idea that those bullets don’t get stopped by houses. If you are in your home you are not safe during a battle that takes place on your street. We really wanted to impart the feeling of the battle and I think we accomplished that here

today.

Q: Let’s get to that issue. What would have happened May 23rd, 1862?

What time of the day was it? Do you know what day of the week it was?

A: It was around noon on Friday.

When it began the Confederate pickets lined up on the south end of town on the hill overlooking the downtown. When they swarmed, when they first came down they came to take over the courthouse and the

confederate hospital complex, both of which were being used by federal soldiers just to sleep in. When those soldiers woke up to see confederates lined up on the south end of town they started firing at them from those buildings. So the battle actually began just about where we began the reenactment today, at the courthouse because the First Maryland Confederate and the Louisiana Tigers were ordered by Jackson to rush in and take those buildings and when they did they were flushing out

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Late May, 2016 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 19

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union soldiers from the courthouse and the fighting progressed from that point eastbound on Main Street and southbound on Chester Street.

That’s exactly what happened today so we repeated the battle almost exactly in the footsteps of the soldiers who fought it in 1862.

Q: And this building is from 1788?

A: The Balthis House was built in 1788 so this house was standing exactly where it is standing now and looked remarkably like it does today.

Q: So those lead balls would have gone right through this thing? This is kind of a look at the construction?

A: This is clapboard post and beam construction however inside the walls this house is lined with brick on the bottom floor. That was done for insulation. So if you were in a house like this you might have had a little bit more protection however bullets are still going to go through

windows. We do know from accounts of the battle and after the battle that as it began–and everyone here today could hear how loud the gunshots were–there was nobody in town who did not know what was going on when it started. After it started a lot of adults, mainly women but a lot of adults, men and women were grabbing children that they could find, whether they were their children or not and throwing them down into root cellars because that was the safest place to be and then they would go down into the root cellars. A lot of civilians did that. There was a teenage boy named Ashby who actually ran toward the sound of the guns. Had he been a soldier that would have been proper behavior but he was a kid. So he ran toward the sound of the guns and then found himself in horrible trouble because there were bullets flying around. He didn’t know what to do. He crouched down and a confederate soldier grabbed him as the confederates were moving

through the town and threw him down next to a large tree and told him, you stay there.” He wrote a memoir as an adult. That’s how we know all this. He stayed there until the battle had passed him and he eventually found his way home. His mother was none to happy with him because of course she hears the commotion of battle, she sees what’s going on and she doesn’t know where her kid is. Of course her kid is being a normal teenage boy and went out to watch the battle. The other thing to consider is the battle is excitement. The battle is noise. The battle is yelling and screaming and bullets flying. After the battle is a mess. The union contingent guarding the town was about 1,100 men. Records show that about 21 at most got away. The majority of union casualties are captured. There are wounded and there are killed but the majority are captured, close to 800 men.

Q: Where would they have been held?

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A: They were held here. They were taken back to the courthouse and held in an open pen. The walking wounded and the unwounded were held down there.

Q: For how long?

A: They were held there for a couple days for processing. In addition though you had a lot of wounded.

Union wounded and confederate wounded. Wounded that could be transported were sent with other union prisoners south to Richmond to Libby Prison. Union prisoners who were grievously wounded and could not be moved were kept in local homes, churches, etc. So you had union wounded who were left here for a long period of time. For confederate wounded it was the same.

Confederate wounded were comparatively light, fewer than 100 men.

Q: What about the guys who got injuries. There was no penicillin in 1862. What was the survival rate?

Infection really the main killer, right?

A: Yes it was. If you were shot in an extremity, if you were shot in your arm, your leg, your hand or your foot, the usual treatment for that was

amputation, unless the wound was a light wound. Even a light wound can cause an infection. But if it was a grievous wound in an extremity they just amputated. They didn’t take a chance. Even with amputation you run the risk of infection but less of a risk. The great risk of infection comes from the lead. If you are shot with a lead ball and you get blood poisoning you’re going to get gangrene, tetanus. So your extremities were expendable. If you were hit in the torso or anywhere in the head and it didn’t kill you instantly they did the best to make you comfortable but you were probably going to die.

For more information about Civil War regional history visit the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation at http://www.shenandoahatwar.org/ Also, visit the Warren Heritage Society to learn more about the history of Front Royal and Warren County, Virginia. They are at 101 Chester Street in Front Royal. You can call them at 540-636-1446 or visit them on the web: http://www. warrenheritagesociety.org/ – editor@warrencountyreport.com

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Page 20 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late May, 2016

TRIO Graduate Celebration at LFCC Lord Fairfax Community College (LFCC) will hold its fourth annual TRIO Graduate Celebration on Friday, May 6, at 6:00 p.m. This event will take place in the Corron Community Development Center at the Middletown Campus and will recognize 41 members of the TRIO Student Support Services program who are graduating in the 2015-16 academic year.

The TRIO Student Support Services program is a federal grant program funded through the U.S. Department of Education which serves 160 lowincome, first-generation students and students with disabilities each year.

TRIO Student Support Services provides one-on-one academic advising, tutoring, transfer planning, career services, financial aid assistance, and financial literacy education.

During the celebration, each graduate will be recognized with a certificate of completion, as well as a Congressional Certificate, presented by a member of Congresswoman Barbara Comstock’s staff. The guest speaker is local attorney and former foster youth, Nancie Williams. She will give the students words of encouragement

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and advice for their future endeavors.

David Harrison will be recognized as this year’s “Outstanding TRIO Graduate.” Harrison is a 57 year-old student graduating with his Associate Degree of Nursing.

Many TRIO students have experienced significant financial, personal and academic hurdles while pursuing their education. Graduating from LFCC can be life changing for them.

Some are ending the cycle of poverty and becoming the first person in their family to graduate from college.

For more information on the TRIO Student Support Services program, contact Sarah Williams at swilliams@lfcc.edu.

Author Releases New Local History Arthur Pope, a southeastern CTbased author and historian recently published “Carry Me Back: An American Journey in Time and Place,” a book about seeking ancestry and the bond and mystery of time and place.

The book begins in the 1950s during the author’s childhood in New Haven, Connecticut. During that time period he was beguiled by emotional family stories and the contents of an old trunk in his attic. These

Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com told of his family’s roots in the town of Berryville, Virginia and in Clarke, Frederick and Warren counties For almost 50 years he searched for the meaning of these legends, a journey that took him through centuries from Germany to Virginia, to the American South, the Confederacy and its heroes to many present day American struggles revealing not only his personal family history, but a world that belongs to us all.

One chapter of the book, for example, tells of the life of Esther Lee Pope (middle name for Robert E. Lee) 1868-1890. She was a beautiful young woman whose letters from Front Royal detail the lives and interests of a typical young woman in post-Civil War Virginia, not to mention the country itself.

Part of the author’s mission is to inspire others to seek out their own family stories. He says in his book, “Sometimes memories get twisted and sometimes the past is illusive, but to live again it its enclosure can be one of the most enriching and enlightening experiences that life has to offer.” In his talks he touches on the mechanics of research and the surprising ease of publication. Pope is always happy to share his knowledge with others “Carry Me Back may be previewed and purchased at amazon. com or signed at a discount rate at Stonewall’s Picking Place, 5445 Main Street, Stephens City. Pope is available to do book signings and to speak at libraries, historical societies, and other organizations both in Ct and Va. He may be contacted at apope721@gmail.com.

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Town Winchester for a day full of fun and education for KidzFest presented by Valley Pediatric Dentistry! This all day event, which takes place May 14th, features more than 60 interactive exhibits highlighting education, art, music and sports and includes a car seat check. The event will be held on the Loudoun Street Mall and at the Taylor Pavilion.

KidzFest will feature performances on the Taylor Pavilion Stage throughout the day, as well as interactive activities for children of all ages. Free activities and engaging exhibits ranging from musical instrument demonstrations to gymnastics will line the Mall. Sports inflatables and games will add to the level of fun!

Friendly competitions of soccer ball juggle, free throw shooting, football tossing and more will also be offered.

Reptiles Alive, a wildly exciting and educational show featuring live animals, will be present, while Horn’s Punch and Judy Puppet Show provides slapstick comedy that is sure to incite gales of laughter. Children’s music artist Oh Susannah!, dedicated to sending positive messages and encouraging expression through music, will also make an appearance. Oh Susannah! was the recipient of the coveted iParenting Media Award and was nominated for Best Children’s Album by the Washington Area Musician’s Association.

Kids will get a chance to get their hands on various arts and crafts activities and musical educational exhibits. Schools and summer camps are invited to participate as vendors

to showcase their curriculum.

This is a great family friendly event for downtown businesses to showcase their family atmosphere and for parents discover fun summer activities!

For more information on KidzFest visit: http://oldtownwinchesterva. com/events/major-events/kidz-fest.

Goodlatte applauds passage of bills to protect Law Enforcement Officers’ lives The House of Representatives today approved two bills to protect law enforcement officers’ lives by reauthorizing the bulletproof vest program and by ensuring officers are able to defend and protect themselves on and off-duty. Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) praised the passage of these bills: “This week, we honor our nation’s law enforcement officers who paid the ultimate sacrifice. As officers put their lives on the line every day for their fellow citizens, we must ensure that we provide them with resources to protect them as they serve communities across the United States.

The bills approved by the House today reauthorize a critical bulletproof vest program that is proven to save police officers’ lives and ensure federal law enforcement officers can carry their government-issued firearm on and off-duty. I am pleased the House has passed these important bills. We cannot thank law enforcement officers enough for their work to keep Americans safe.”

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

Late May, 2016 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 21 The Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2015 (S. 125), approved by the House by voice vote, reauthorizes the bulletproof vest program fund at $25 million per year and extends the authorization through Fiscal Year 2020.

Based on the latest data collected and recorded by the Department of Justice, in Fiscal Year 2012, protective vests were directly attributable to saving the lives of at least 33 law enforcement and corrections officers in 20 different states. S. 125 is supported by all major law enforcement organizations and was approved by the Senate in May 2015. It now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

The Federal Law Enforcement Self Defense Protection Act (H.R. 2137), sponsored by Representative Doug Collins (R-Ga.) and approved by the House by voice vote, ensures that officers are able to defend and protect themselves on and off-duty. Because

federal law enforcement officers face potentially dangerous situations on a daily basis whether on duty or off-duty, they are permitted to carry their government-issued firearms even when they are not on duty.

However, during the government shutdown in 2013, at least three federal agencies prohibited their law enforcement officers from carrying their government-issued firearms or credentials during the furlough.

This decision potentially endangered these officers’ lives by putting them at unnecessary risk and prevented these highly trained officers from being prepared to respond to a critical incident or threat. The Federal Law Enforcement Self Defense Protection Act remedies this problem by allowing all covered federal law enforcement officers to continue to carry their government-issued firearms during a furlough or lapse in federal appropriations. It is supported by the See FREDERICK, 22

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540-665-TIPS

CRIME OF THE WEEK

Winchester City Crime of the Week - May 6, 2016 This weeks Crime of the Week involves vandalism at a Winchester business. On Friday, April 29, 2016 around 2:00 a.m., officers with the Winchester Police De‑ partment responded to a report of vandalism at Bells Clothing Store on 122 North Loudoun Street. Someone shattered a glass window at the businesses, along the Loudoun Street Walking Mall. A witness reported seeing a group of men leaving the area after hearing a shattering sound.

If you have any information regarding a suspect or a suspect vehicle in this inci‑ dent, please call 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 #16017590 Frederick County Crime of the Week - May 9, 2016 Investigators are trying to determine who cut the break line and vandalized a patrol cruiser. On April 22, 2016, a deputy was attempting to stop a vehicle on Route 37 when his brake pedal went all the way to the floor. Upon examination, it was discovered the brake line had been cut. The Deputy had just answered a call in the 100 block of Scarlet Maple Drive. It is believed the vandalism to the patrol vehicle had occurred while the Deputy was on that previous call.

If you have any information regarding a suspect or a suspect vehicle in this incident, please contact the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office or Sergeant Steve Moore at (540) 662-6162, or Crimesolvers at (540) 665‑TIPS (8477). Information leading to the arrest of a suspect may result in a reward of up to $1,000.

Incident #16002077

Page 22 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late May, 2016 FREDERICK, from 21 Fraternal Order of Police, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, and the National Association of Police Organizations.

Upcoming Reenactment The Kernstown Battlefield Association welcomes Co. F, 4th Virginia

Infantry reenacting unit to the battlefield on Saturday and Sunday, May 14th and 15th.

On Saturday, the unit will do an infantry demonstration at 10 am. At 11 am, the unit will do a presentation on civilian life. The public is welcome to join the unit in camp for lunch at noon. There will be a presentation on Co. F, 4th Virginia Infantry and the Valley campaign at 1 pm. At 2

Civil War Paddle explores the Rapidan River

FREDERICKSBURG – Join Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR) and National Park Service Supervisory Historian Greg Mertz Saturday, June 11, for a daylong canoe trip, highlighting many of the Civil War sites along the Rapidan River. We’ll float from Germanna Ford to Ely’s Ford, through rapids, past eagle nests and have lunch on a sandbar.

Bring a bag lunch, sunscreen and plenty of water. Meet at the Ely’s

Ford boat ramp at 8 a.m., 4.5 miles north of Route 3 on Route 610. We will arrive back at Ely’s Ford at approximately 4 p.m., depending on water flow. This trip fills FAST, so register early. Minimum age is 12 years and this is a strenuous event. Backup date: next day. The cost is $50 individual/$150 family ($40/$120 for FOR members).

Please pre-register at: riverfriends.org/eventspage

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Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com pm, there will be a demonstration on civilian life. The infantry will do another demonstration at 3 pm. There will be a camp meeting at 6:30 pm in camp. The battlefield will remain open for the camp meeting.

On Sunday, the schedule will be the same, with the exception of the camp meeting.

The museum and gift shop will be open as usual both days. The normal Saturday battlefield tours will take place at 11 am and 1 pm. Please meet at the Visitors Center.

Co. F, 4th Virginia Infantry fought at the 1st and 2nd battles of Kernstown and at the 2nd battle of Win-

chester.

For more information, call (202) 302-9129.

Let’s Party - for a Great Cause!

Pampered Chef is supporting fundraising for BRCTH by donating 25 percent of the proceeds from this party. Your purchase will help provide scholarships for persons with special needs who are benefited through their interaction with horses and ponies. Your purchase will also help in the care and feeding of our equines throughout the year.

Pampered Chef offers a variety of

top-quality and unique products for your kitchen and cooking pleasure!

There are two ways to shop: come to the party on Saturday, May 21, at 3:00 p.m. at 150 Orchard Dale Drive, in Clear Brook. (RSVP to Joan Kibler, (540)722-2581 by Wednesday, May 18.) Or shop online at www.pamperedchef.com/go/BRCTHfundraiser until May 31st!

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Warren County Report

VDOT to study Route 55 east of Front Royal The Virginia Department of Transportation Staunton District was awarded a Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solutions (STARS) grant to study a portion of Route 55 in Warren County. The STARS grant is a competitive VDOT administered program to facilitate transportation road planning.

Using the Warren County Comprehensive Plan, the study area focuses on Route 55 from the Front Royal Corporate Limits to 1.82 miles east of this location. The study will evaluate the reconstruction of Route 55 to reduce hills and curves and widen the road to four lanes. As identified in the comprehensive plan, Route 55 will be a divided highway with a 16-inch

raised median with crossovers and turn lanes. The proposed work will increase roadway safety, improve driver visibility, and improve drainage.

The study will include input from citizens, local officials and local business interests. Meetings and displays will be available for citizen comment as plans are developed.

Upon the study conclusion, the results will be provided to Warren County to strengthen their application for potential House Bill 2 funding consideration.

The STARS Program objective develops comprehensive, innovative transportation solutions to relieve congestion bottlenecks and solve critical traffic and safety challenges throughout the commonwealth. The program, led by the VDOT Transportation and Mobility Planning Divi-

sion, brings together planners, traffic engineers, safety engineers, roadway design engineers and maintenance specialists, along with local stakeholders, to jointly identify cost-effective measures aimed at improving safety and reducing congestion.

Royal Trolley to make new stop at Appalachian Trail The Town of Front Royal, Virginia Regional Transit, and Front Royal/ Warren County Appalachian Trail Community™ committee announce a new seasonal stop for the Royal Trolley. During peak hiker season, May 15-July 15, the trolley will make two daily stops at the Appalachian Trail crossing on Remount Road/ Route 522, across from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

Fare will be fifty cents per passenger, schedule as follows: Weekdays: 9:50am and 2:20pm at the trail crossing; Saturdays and Sundays: 2:20pm and 5:20pm.

Financial Education Volunteers Ready for Service Ten volunteers recently participated in the Master Financial Education Volunteer training offered through Virginia Cooperative Extension in Middletown and New Market. Shir-

Late May, 2016 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 23 ley Fleharty of Luray, Allison Gregg of Woodstock, Paulette Jennis of Winchester, Keith Leggett of Middletown, Missy Mattingly of Winchester, Dennis Myers of Stephens City, Eunice Myers of Stephens City, Sherry Ritenour of Strasburg, Patricia Snyder of Mount Jackson, and Sue Teal of Stephens City are now volunteering their time to teach financial management classes, provide individual and family financial mentoring, and serve in other volunteer roles with the Northern Shenandoah Valley Financial Education Program.

Volunteers received 30-hours of training to enhance their own financial management knowledge and develop their abilities to present information to individuals and groups.

Training topics included budgeting, credit, banking, insurance, and debt management, as well as communications skills, group facilitation, community resources, and more. In return for the training, volunteers commit to serve in the program for at least 50 hours during the year following training.

Extension Agent, Karen Poff, says of the training, ”Our volunteers make a huge difference in the lives of the people they work with, strengthening personal finances through individual and group sessions.” The program welcomes volunteers from all walks of life, whether or not they have previous experience or education. bi-lingual volunteers are especially needed. Our Spring 2016 training will be held beginning May 19th on Thursday evenings from 6:00-9:00 p.m. in Woodstock. To receive a volunteer application and training details, contact Karen Poff at (540) 635-4549 or kpoff@vt.edu, or by calling your local office of Virginia Cooperative Extension.

If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services, or other accommodations to participate, please contact Karen Poff at (540) 635-4549 or through your local office of Virginia Cooperative Extension to discuss accommodations at least five business days prior to the event. Virginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

Vice Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff General Paul J. Selva to speak at R-MA Graduation Randolph-Macon Academy’s graduating class is able to proudly claim a 100% college acceptance rate once again. The class of 2016 is comprised of 70 seniors and five postgraduate Falcon Scholars who will be celebrating their graduation on Saturday, May 28th at 10:00 a.m. in Melton Memorial Gymnasium. Joining the class of 2016, their families, and their friends, as the commencement speaker, will be General Paul J. Selva of the U.S. Air Force.

General Selva is the Vice Chairman

of the Joint Chiefs of Staff making him the nation’s second highest ranking military officer. He serves directly under the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense as a military advisor. For Selva’s outstanding service to his country, he received the “Defense Distinguished Service Medal.” This medal is awarded to senior officers who exceptionally execute their duties involving matters of national security at the greatest levels. It is the highest peacetime defense award offered by the armed forces and can only be awarded by the Secretary of Defense.

Selva was commissioned in 1981 after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy where he received his Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering. He has also earned two Master of Science degrees in Political Science from Auburn University and Management and Human Relations from Abilene Christian University.

General Selva’s previous assignments include Commander of U.S. Transportation, Commander of U.S. Air Mobility, and Vice-Commander of Pacific Air Forces at Joint-Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. He is a command pilot with more than 3,100 flying hours.

Randolph-Macon Academy May Open House Randolph-Macon Academy will host a community-wide open house on Monday, May 30, at 11:00 a.m.

Students interested in attending the Academy for the summer programs or the 2016-17 school year are encouraged to attend with their parents.

Attendees will receive a tour of the campus and meet with admissions counselors, teachers, and students.

Appointments are required. For more information or to RSVP, please call (540) 636-5484, e-mail admission@ rma.edu, or sign up online at www. rma.edu/open-house. $5,000.00 Cash Prize from Local Travel Soccer Club After five successful years, the FRSA ROX Travel Soccer Program will be hosting a spring cash party at the Front Royal Moose Lodge, 1340 John Marshall Highway, Front Royal, on May 21st, 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm. This fundraiser will be open to the public for $50 per ticket, offering a $5,000 cash prize, pull tabs, silent auction and 50/50 raffle. A BBQ dinner and drinks are included. You must be 21 years old to attend and able to show a valid ID. Tickets must be present to win.

The purpose of this event is to raise money for the growing U-8 through U-19 youth travel soccer program.

“We hope to raise money to keep all fees at a minimum for our players, provide scholarships, equipment, field expenses, and professional training,” says co-founder, Allan Jakobsen. He adds, “ All of our coaches are local volunteers that spend their time and money helping to develop a strong travel soccer program.”

Started in 2011 by David Brown and Allan Jakobsen, ROX has pro-

See WARREN, 24

Page 24 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late May, 2016 WARREN, from 23 vided community children with a physical outlet to promote teamwork, build friendships, develop discipline, tenacity, and an overall love of the game. “ Many volunteer hours have been spent to ensure that these kids are offered the same opportunities that a big city team would have,” says David Brown, founder. “We hope to have a great turn-out, so that we may continue to offer this opportunity to even more children, “ He adds.

Tickets may be purchased in advance by contacting Allan Jakobsen at (540) 219-7033, Tana Hoffman at (540) 671-1994, Craig Clatterbuck at (571) 921-2449, or Emily Bryant at (540) 660-5728.

Lane closures and lane shifts The Town will be prepping and performing utility work at the intersection of Water Street, Happy Creek Road and Commerce Avenue for the installation of push button pedestrian crosswalks during the weeks of May 9 and May 16, 2016 from 7:00am – 3:00pm Beginning Wednesday, May 25 – Friday, May 27, 2016 crews will begin night work from 9:00pm – 6:00am at this intersection.

Beginning Tuesday, May 31 – Friday, June 3, 2016 from 7:00am – 3:00pm, crews will complete sidewalk and asphalt repairs at this intersection.

All work is pending weather and will be rescheduled if needed.

Motorists are asked to use caution while driving in this area as there will be lane closures and lane shifts. Work zones will be in place.

Rising 5th and 6th Graders Asked to Write About “A Book That Shaped Me” The Library of Congress is sponsoring a summer essay contest in conjunction with public libraries in the Mid-Atlantic region encouraging rising 5th and 6th grade students to reflect on a book that has made a personal impact on their lives. Samuels Library in Front Royal, Virginia is a participating library.

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The “A Book That Shaped Me” Summer Writing Contest is administered as part of summer reading programs at participating public libraries in Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Prizes will be awarded and top winners will be invited to present their essays during a special presentation at the Library of Congress National Book Festival taking place September 24 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. Students entering 5th and 6th grades in the fall of 2016 are eligible.

Essays should be one page in length and must be submitted with an entry form in person at participating public library locations. The deadline for entries is Monday, July 18, 2016. Children’s librarians at Samuels Library are available to provide guidance to students preparing essays for contest entry.

“A Book That Shaped Me” will award prizes to five finalists and one winner per state, and to three overall grand prize winners. The three grand prize winners will be selected by a panel of judges assembled by the Library of Congress including educators, children’s authors, and Library of Congress staff.

Submission forms are available at Samuels Library, 330 E. Criser Road, in Front Royal, Virginia. The full list of participating libraries in the Mid-Atlantic region, more information, and program updates will be available at www.loc.gov/bookfest/kids-teachers/ booksthatshape/.

Launched in 2012 with DC Public Library, “A Book That Shaped Me” has since expanded throughout the MidAtlantic region with the help of public libraries in Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. More than 350 public libraries are registered to participate in this the fourth program year.

May events at Samuels Public Library English as a Second Language: register and attend the English as a Second Language course. This course will be every Tuesday and Thursday from 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. The ESL course is completely free. Learning English will not only enhance your quality of life but open many doors and present new opportunities.

General Education Development: register and attend the General Education Development course. This course will be every Tuesday and Thursday from 10:00 A.M-12:30 P.M (except on school holidays or closings). The GED course is completely free. Let this course be the stepping stone to your success.

Fifteen Minutes of Fame: Andy Warhol and the Pop Art Phenomenon: join guest speaker Ben Glenn for a three-part lecture series. Ben Glenn will be exploring the art of Andy Warhol and the Pop Art counterculture phenomenon on Tuesday, May 10th, 17th at 6:30 P.M. Advance registration required.

FOSL Bi-Annual Book Sale: attend the Bi-Annual Book Sale! This huge

Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com book sale offers a large variety of different books for affordable prices.

The special preview night for Friends members will be Thursday, May 12th at 5:00 P.M. You are encouraged to become a Friends Member at the door.

The book sale will be open to the general public on May 13th, 14th & 16th from 10:00 A.M. to Closing. Monday, May 16th is Pick-Your-Own-Price day!

Books and Beyond Book Club: attend the Books and Beyond Book Club! On Wednesday, May 18th at 10:00 A.M., One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn will be discussed. First published in the Soviet journal Novy Mir in 1962, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich stands as a classic of contemporary literature. The story of labor-camp inmate Ivan Denisovich Shukhov, it graphically describes his struggle to maintain his dignity in the face of communist oppression. An unforgettable portrait of the entire world of Stalin’s forced work camps. This unexpurgated 1991 translation by H. T. Willetts is the only authorized edition available and fully captures the power and beauty of the original Russian.

Alzheimer’s Association: Effective Communication Strategies: join Bob Bell for an educational program on Effective Communication Strategies.

As people with Alzheimer’s disease & other dementias progress in their journey & the ability to use words is lost, families need new ways to connect. Join us to explore how communication takes place when someone has Alzheimer’s, learn to decode the verbal & behavioral messages delivered by someone with dementia, & identify strategies to help you connect & communicate at each stage of the disease. Find out more on Wednesday, May 18th at 6:00 P.M. Registration is required.

Vibes at the Libes: Front Royal UMC Men’s Choir: enjoy a free lunch time concert of old time hymns, spirituals, and more. Join us for a special musical lunch break with the Front Royal UMC Men’s Choir. Bring your lunch, tell a friend and spend some time listening to some tunes on Friday, May 20th at 12:30 P.M. Introduction to Android Devices: Tired of hitting the wrong buttons on your Smart Phone? Are you constantly coming across things on your phone that you have no idea how to use? Samuels Public Library invites you to learn the ins and outs of your Android device with one-on-one assistance for all phone carriers on Wednesday, May 25th at 5:30 P.M. During the course for beginners, you will learn email setup, use of the play store, sending pictures and videos, and much more! Registration is required and don’t forget to bring your Android device.

Local Author releases new book Local fiction writer, Michael A. Durney, has just released his newest novel, The Red Canoe, a mystery romance story packed with modern-day suspense and Civil War drama. One thing that makes this story unique is that it takes place entirely in Front

Royal, on the Shenandoah River. The reader will immediately recognize local establishments and landmarks from today and yesterday.

Over a hundred fifty years ago, a Civil War Union payroll wagon and a river barge crash in an unrecorded history of arrogance and pride, sacrificing lives and forfeiting a longawaited payday for three thousand men. Two sides of the same legendary story and the same lost treasure of that long-ago war awaken modernday treasure hunters when new evidence is exposed, lending credibility to family lore. An old red canoe harbors the most important clue, initiating an unfriendly race to find its meaning and expose the prize that awaits. Derrick Nolen, a photojournalist on assignment in Front Royal, is swept up into the pursuit when a chance encounter with the red canoe and the MacGregor sisters hijacks his assignment, luring him into their adventure.

The Red Canoe is Michael A Durney’s fourth novel. He has also published Pearls for an Infidel, The Adventures of Mary Winston, and Daydreamer Extraordinaire, all available currently through Amazon and Kindle. More information is available at www.michaeladurney.com. Durney is a marketing consultant who owns his own business in Northern Virginia and writes fiction in between helping retail businesses retain customers through loyalty marketing.

Book signings are scheduled for May 28th at the Desert Rose Winery in Hume, Virginia and Joe’s Steakhouse in Front Royal, June 4th.

Memorial Day commemoration The Warren Rifles Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy will again lead the annual Confederate Memorial Day commemoration at Front Royal’s Prospect Hill Cemetery, May 23rd at 6:30 p.m. In an ancient ceremony, the Daughters will strew flowers at Soldiers Circle, holding the graves of the over 270 Confederate soldiers whose remains were gathered from within Warren County.

Our speaker, Mr. Harry Sontag, will make a presentation on Dr. Hunter McGuire of Winchester, Stonewall Jackson’s surgeon and Medical Director of the Army of Northern Virginia.

Bring your children, grandchildren, friends and neighbors; this is a wonderful opportunity, especially for the young, to be in touch with their Civil War and regional heritage.

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.

Note; no classes will be held during

the month of July 2016.

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.

Cize Live Warren County Parks and Recreation is excited to now be offering CIZE LIVE ®. This class is “the end of 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. Note; no classes will be held during the month of July 2016.

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, by calling (540) 635-1021 or via email at wcccinfo@warrencountyva.net

Late May, 2016 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 25

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

VIRGINIA Manassas Homeowner and Battlefield Park Go Green

By Sterling Giles Capital News Service Mike Freeland made history last year. In August, he became the first Manassas resident to install solar panels on his home.

This was something Freeland had always wanted to do. But he repeatedly got sidetracked and kept putting the eco-friendly initiative on the back burner.

One day, while perusing his church’s website, he saw a post about Interfaith Power and Light, a co-op devoted to green initiatives. Freeland decided to join the co-op for various reasons.

“I wanted to decrease my carbon footprint, and also the price was affordable,” Freeland said. “I also get a 30 percent tax credit for solar panels.”

Interfaith Power and Light was started in 2000 in San Francisco. Its mission is to respond to global warming by promoting energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy. The co-op has helped inform thousands of congregations nationwide about these issues.

Through the co-op, Freeland contacted Edge Energy, a green government contractor that operates in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., to install solar panels on his home. “The installers were good at what they did, and they were also friendly,” Freeland said. “I would definitely recommend them to relatives and friends.”

Freeland had a total of 16 panels

installed on his home. The 4.3-kilowatt electric meter on the side of his house monitors how much energy is needed and how much energy the panels generate.

Despite the eco-friendly benefits of the solar panels, Freeland ran into a dilemma during his first winter with the panels. Due to the shorter days and longer nights, the panels weren’t able to harness enough energy to power his home. On average, the panels produced about 250 kilowatts per hour each month during the fall and winter. So far this spring, they are producing about 350 kilowatts per hour.

Fortunately, Freeland is connected to the city’s power grid, which made up for the energy deficit. He can thank good timing that the power grid is his backup energy supplier.

Before March 2015, the city had not implemented a net metering policy.

Essentially, alternative power users had no access to the city’s power grid if their own alternative power sources did not generate enough sustainable energy.

“If this net metering policy wasn’t in place, I would have wasted the energy that I generated and I probably wouldn’t have wanted to go through with this [system],” Freeland said.

Freeland is not the only one in Manassas pursuing eco-friendly initiatives. Just down the road, the Manassas National Battlefield Park is doing much of the same – on a far larger scale.

It’s part of a $29 million project launched by the National Park Service in October 2014. The Energy Saving Performance Project promises to reduce the carbon footprint and the energy and water expenditures of

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13 national parks in the Washington, D.C. area. Officials say the project will pay for itself – by reducing energy and water bills.

Siemens, a world leader in engineering and technology automation, was contracted for the project. Officials say the project will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 4,000 tons, water usage by 74 million gallons and energy usage by nearly 6 million kilowatt-hours over 23 years, the length of the contract. Besides solar panels, energy-efficient light bulbs and water sprinklers will be installed in the Washington region’s national parks.

As part of the Energy Saving Performance Project, solar panels are being installed at the Manassas National Battlefield Park. The panels are located on top of two of the park’s buildings – its headquarters and ranger’s office. The panels are projected to generate more than 35,000

kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.

To put that in context, that is approximately the energy consumed by three homes annually. The panels are projected to produce 65 percent of the electricity for the two buildings.

In the process, the park will save more than $3,500 in electricity costs.

Freeland is excited about the growing interest in eco-friendly initiatives in Manassas and beyond. He has persuaded several family members and friends to go greener.

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like solar panel installation. I want to continue do anything to educate the public on ways to be green,” Freeland said.

School Discipline Falls Harder on Some Students

By Jason Fuller, Ashley Jones and Rarione Maniece Capital News Service RICHMOND – The phrase “kids will be kids” pardons some misbehavior; however, certain kids seem to get called to the principal’s office a lot more often than others.

Black students were at least three times as likely as white students to be suspended or expelled from school, according to an analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights. Nationwide, for example, 15 percent of AfricanAmerican students received out-ofschool suspensions – compared with 4 percent of white students.

The analysis focused on the 201112 academic year, the most recent data available from the department’s Office for Civil Rights.

In several states, the disparities were especially wide: Wisconsin suspended 26 percent of its black students but just 3 percent of its white students. In Minnesota, Connecticut, Iowa and Nebraska, AfricanAmericans were six times as likely as whites to be suspended from school.

Virginia’s statistics were similar to the national numbers: 14 percent of the commonwealth’s black students received suspensions, vs. 5 percent of white students.

Expulsions are far less common than suspensions, but the pattern was the same. Nationwide, fewer than two of every 1,000 white students were expelled from school in 2011-12 – compared with five of every 1,000 African-American students.

Again, some states had much bigger disparities. Minnesota, for instance, expelled 11 of every 1,000 black students but only about one of every 1,000 white students. Tennessee expelled 24 of every 1,000 black students but just three of every 1,000 white students. Oklahoma expelled 40 of every 1,000 black students but only six of every 1,000 white stuSee VIRGINIA, 26

Page 26 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late May, 2016 VIRGINIA, from 25 dents.

In Virginia, about two of every 1,000 African-American students were expelled, vs. one of every 1,000 white students.

Other journalists also have looked at the U.S. Education Department’s Civil Rights Data Collection. The Center for Public Integrity, for example, focused on the number of students who were arrested at school or referred to police.

The center found that Virginia had the highest rate in the United States for calling police on students: Of every 1,000 students in the commonwealth, almost 16 were arrested or referred to law enforcement in 201112, the center reported. Nationwide, the figure was about six of every 1,000 students.

Virginia’s tendency to call the cops on kids has raised alarms with Gov. Terry McAuliffe. In October, at an NAACP conference in Richmond, McAuliffe announced an initiative called “Classrooms not Courtrooms.”

He said state officials would work with local school systems to reduce

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

student suspensions, expulsions and referrals to law enforcement.

As part of the initiative, the Virginia Department of Education also is seeking to address “the disparate impact these practices have on African-Americans and students with disabilities.” The goal is to disrupt what some educators call the “school-to-prison pipeline” that tags certain students as troublemakers and channels them into the criminal justice system.

During its 2016 session, the General Assembly also considered the issue. Sen. Don McEachin, D-Richmond, sponsored a measure – Senate Bill 458 – to require the Virginia Board of Education to “establish guidelines for alternatives to shortterm and long-term suspension for consideration by local school boards.

Such alternatives may include positive behavior incentives, mediation, peer-to-peer counseling, community service, and other intervention alternatives.”

The legislation passed the Senate on a 31-9 vote. However, it was defeated in the House, 43-55.

The data show racial disparities for when police get involved with students. In Virginia, for instance, about 25 of every 1,000 African-American students were arrested or referred to police; that compared with 13 of every 1,000 white students.

School districts in Virginia varied considerably in the data on how they discipline students. Greensville County Public Schools, for example, suspended more than half of its students in 2011-12. The Greenville school system suspended 64 percent of its black students, 25 percent of its Hispanic students and 30 percent of its white students.

In contrast, the Prince George County Public Schools did not suspend any students, the data showed.

Some school divisions had large racial disparities regarding suspensions. In Arlington County, for instance, 7 percent of the black students were suspended – but just 1 percent of the white students. And in Bland County, 50 percent of the African-American students got suspensions vs. 8 percent of the white students.

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www.thomasfamilydentistry.com Dear Stewart: What caterpillars are spinning webs in the trees all over town?

– Emily Hey Emily!

Ask Stewart

Those pesky webs sure do get in my way!

Eastern Tent Caterpillars and Fall Webworms both form silken nests in trees. Because of this they are often confused with one another.

Eastern Tent Caterpillars: They make their tents in the spring and prefer fruit trees. Rarely seen moths lay the eggs in June or July forming brown varnish-like masses around a twig. The eggs hatch the following spring and the larvae together build the web nest in the crotches of branches, leaving the nest only to feed on the leaves and returning at night.

The Eastern Tent Caterpillar is a very noticeable black caterpillar with a white stripe down its back; on either side of the stripe are blue dots and a reddish yellow stripe. In the final larval stage, or instar, the caterpillar, no lon-

Web or tent of Eastern Tent Caterpillar taken by Greg Hume in Cincinnati, OH on April 20, 2006

ger feeding, leaves to pupate. In about three weeks the adult moth will emerge and the cycle repeats. There is one generation per year.

Little damage occurs unless heavily infested.

Trees may be weakened if more than half the tree is defoliated for several years in a row.

What Can Be Done? They have natural enemies including birds, stinkbugs, wasps and flies. Pruning the infested branch(es) if feasible or manual removal of the webs is effective, as long as the caterpillars are in the

Disparities also were evident in expulsions. In Roanoke, 13 of every 1,000 African-American students were expelled, vs. 1.3 of every 1,000 white students. And in Fairfax County, 5.5 of every 1,000 black students were expelled, compared with 1.3 of every 1,000 white students.

Many advocates of school reforms, as well as parents, have expressed concerns about such patterns.

Daniel Losen, director of the Center for Civil Rights Remedies, conducts research on this topic. In the publication “Discipline Policies, Successful Schools, and Racial Justice,” he reported that in 2006, more than 3 million students were suspended at least once – about 7 percent of all students enrolled in primary and secondary public schools.

Losen recommended that school districts with high rates of suspensions and expulsions should receive

assistance on how to manage students’ classroom behavior.

Evandra Catherine, 32, has a son with a disability enrolled in the Richmond Public Schools. She said she is concerned that her child could be the target of harsh disciplinary practices.

“I am aware of my son’s school district’s financial plight when it comes to managing normal students,” Catherine said. “So I have to be extra vigilant of his treatment because of the lack of resources in play which may recommend discipline instead of accommodating him.”

One possible solution is to apply school discipline on a case-by-case basis. That is what Dr. Russell Houck, executive director of student services for Culpeper County Public Schools, advocates. He believes mild and moderate violations should receive mild and moderate levels of punishment.

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540-622-6900 nests. Be sure to put the nests in a bucket of hot soapy water, or spray nests with old vegetable oil or SAFELY burn them. Never torch the nests in the tree as this can cause damage to the tree. Insecticides on the young larvae will work, but won’t penetrate the nests. The safest product to spray for caterpillar control is Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Bt works well to kill caterpillars if applied while the caterpillars are in the early smallest stages of development. Sprays are best applied in the early morning or late afternoon. Direct the sprays onto the foliage around the nests, as these leaves will likely be their next meal.

Bt is the safest product to use and only kills caterpillars. It will not affect birds or beneficial insects that may be in the trees to feed on the caterpillars.

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!!

- Stewart

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

www.treesfrontroyal.org

Late May, 2016 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 27

Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com “We work really hard to give students help, not punishment,” Houck said. “For kids who have a chronic history of disruption, we have a students’ assistance program where they can receive counseling and stay in school.”

Houck said this framework allows students to stay in school and prevents them from falling behind in class.

“It’s all about finding a different way to discipline them, because discipline in my world means to teach.

So we need to find new ways to teach them coping skills in order to get to the root of the problem, both behaviorally and instructionally.”

Obama Discusses College Affordability with Student Reporters

By Sarah King Capital News Service WASHINGTON – White House press secretary Josh Earnest was

answering a Fordham University student’s question regarding sexual assault reporting on her campus when an obnoxious screech filled the White House Briefing Room.

“That’s never happened before,” Earnest told the approximately 50 college reporters staring bug-eyed at him, a momentary social-mediaceasefire taking hold as the noise tapered off.

In the aisles flanking the student reporters, members of the White House press corps let out a chuckle; the seasoned journalists had donated their highly coveted assigned briefing room seats to their younger counterparts for this occasion.

“I hear there’s some hotshot journalists here,” said President Barack Obama, striding into the briefing room for a surprise appearance to conclude the White House’s firstever College Reporter Day last week.

During the inaugural event, student reporters representing schools across 28 states convened in Washington, D.C., to engage with senior

administration officials on issues pertinent to college campuses, including student loan debt and Title IX initiatives.

“I heard you guys were around today, so I wanted to stop by and say hello,” Obama said, flashing a smile at the crowd. “I also have a bit of breaking news for you.”

At the ensuing press conference, Obama announced that his administration is aiming to enroll 2 million more people in Pay As You Earn, a program that caps the amount borrowers repay on their student loans to 10 percent of their monthly income, by April 2017.

Nearly 5 million student borrowers are now enrolled in income-

driven repayment plans like Pay As You Earn – up from 700,000 in 2011, according to U.S. Secretary of Education John King.

In a press call the day before, Richard Cordray, director of the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, said about 43 million Americans have student loan debts. In Virginia alone, there are more than 350,000 federal student loan borrowers – totaling more than $10.5 million in outstanding debt.

Nationwide, the volume of outstanding federal student loan debt has doubled in less than a decade to about $1.3 trillion.

“That is more, in fact, than any other category of consumer debt in

America except mortgages,” Cordray said.

That’s partially why the U.S. Department of Education created StudentLoans.gov/repay – an online system intended to help borrowers better understand their repayment options in a “consistent, accurate, actionable and transparent” manner.

King also spoke with the students at Thursday’s College Reporter Day and reminded them of the value of a four-year degree.

He said that over a lifetime, an individual with a bachelor’s degree can earn up to $1 million more than someone with only a high school degree.

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Page 28 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late May, 2016 VIRGINIA, from 27 “It’s debt that pays you back,” King said. “I know personally, because although I was recently sworn in as secretary of education, I am still paying off my graduate school loans that helped me to get here.”

King said that since 2008, the Obama administration has doubled investments in grant and scholarship aid through Pell grants and tax credits and created repayment programs such as Pay As You Earn. Such initiatives have helped more than 1 million more African American and Hispanic students go to college, he said.

At the press conference, Obama said college affordability is one of his priorities.

“I’m proud of the work we’ve done in education to make sure that millions of kids who previously couldn’t afford to go to college can,” he said.

The president also discussed his initiative to provide federal funding to help states make the first two years of community college free for “hardworking” students.

“This is something achievable,” Obama said. “Now, Congress has not moved on our proposal. But what we’ve also seen is that there have been 27 jurisdictions around the country that have taken us up on this challenge and are doing it themselves – are figuring out ways to make this happen.”

One such jurisdiction is Tennessee, where Republican Gov. Bill Haslam launched the Tennessee Promise program last fall. It has provided thousands of students with a free two years of community college or technical education out of high school.

“If there’s a Republican governor in the state of Tennessee who can make this program work in his state, why shouldn’t Democrats and Republicans work together in Washington to give that opportunity to every American?” Earnest asked in the press briefing before Obama took the podium.

Obama said it will be hard to sustain these initiatives if the cost of college “keeps on going up as fast as it’s going up.”

Earnest said too many state governments, “in their zeal to cut government spending,” are reducing support for public colleges and universities.

“That is a really poor choice,” Earnest said. “And what many college administrators legitimately say is, ‘Look, I’m getting less support from the state government, and if I want to continue to provide a high-quality education to the student body, I’ve got to get that money from somewhere.’”

For Obama, college affordability is more than just another domestic policy.

“Probably the thing I’m most proud of is – mainly as the assistant

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Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com to Michelle Obama – I’ve raised two daughters who are amazing and I’m really, really proud of,” Obama told the college journalists. “And being able to do that while still focused on my job, I think, is something I’ll look back on and appreciate.”

Three days after hosting College Reporter Day, the White House announced that Malia Obama, who is graduating from high school, has decided to attend Harvard University beginning in fall 2017. Malia, 17, is the older of the Obamas’ daughters.

She has opted to take a gap year before leaving for college.

to Parks Day on May 21. Visitors that day also receive a coupon for a free return visit to any Virginia State Park.

Now in its sixth year, National Kids to Parks Day is sponsored by National Parks Trust. Founded over concern that children are not spending enough time in nature, the event encourages families to get outdoors, lead a more active lifestyle, and foster an appreciation for nature and public lands.

“It’s so important that children get outdoors and get active,” said First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe.

Va. Supreme Court Rules Law on Cohabitation Applies to Same-Sex Couples The Supreme Court of Virginia has ruled in favor of a Fairfax County man seeking to stop paying spousal support after learning his former wife was living with and engaged to another woman.

Representing its client Michael Luttrell of Fairfax County, the ACLU of Virginia had argued that state law pertaining to spousal support must be applied equally to same-sex relationships now that Virginia recognizes legal marriage of same-sex couples. The Supreme Court’s decision reverses that of an appeals court that had ruled that Mr. Luttrell could not cease his payments because “cohabitation” could only occur between a man and a woman.

“The court made the correct ruling in this case, which is to recognize that all laws regarding marriage must be applied equally regardless of the gender of the individuals involved,” said Gail Deady, the ACLU of Virginia’s Secular Society Women’s Rights Legal Fellow. “Marriage equality means marriage equality.”

Mr. Luttrell had paid monthly spousal support since his 2008 divorce from Samantha Cucco. He filed suit in 2014 after discovering his exwife had been cohabitating with and was engaged to be married to another woman for more than a year.

Visit a Virginia State Park on National Kids to Parks Day and the next visit is free All 36 Virginia State Parks will feature kid friendly programming in conjunction with National Kids

Blowing Smoke on E-Cigarettes Down through all the millennia that mankind has smoked tobacco, no one would have believed (or even imagined) that a battery-powered contraption with no tobacco would one day be considered a tobacco product.

We’ve long had smokeless tobacco; now we have tobaccoless tobacco.

This conceptual breakthrough is the work of federal bureaucrats who are bringing the regulatory hammer down on e-cigarettes in a misbegotten extension of the war on smoking.

The Food and Drug Administration has issued new rules so onerous that they will likely suppress the manufacture of e-cigarettes and kill off small companies making them. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell hailed the action as “an important step in the fight for a tobacco-free generation” — never mind, of course, that e-cigarettes are tobacco-free.

It is a strange country that is simultaneously moving to legalize marijuana and to crack down on vaping.

But here we are.

There is no doubt that cigarettes are a great cause of human misery; they kill almost 500,000 people a year in the U.S. This is why e-cigarettes, with their potential to diminish smoking, could be a boon to public health.

They deliver nicotine without the truly harmful part of cigarettes, the tar and chemicals.

The FDA is evidently operating on the basis of a regulator’s reverse Hippocratic oath: First, do harm to a bur-

“Virginia State Parks offer countless opportunities for young people and families to learn about nature in engaging and safe ways. State park rangers are committed to helping people experience and enjoy nature, and that’s why I encourage all Virginians to join me in a Virginia State Park on May 21.”

Many programs are great for firsttime visitors and offer basic training in popular outdoor activities, including fishing, camping, hiking, astronomy and more.

Visitors may use the free pass any time before Dec. 31. geoning industry — then hope to find some evidentiary justification for it at some later date.

The new rules are crafted so that every vaping product currently on the market will have to go through an onerous FDA review process. Any new products will have to do the same.

The American Vaping Association maintains that submitting an application will cost more than $1 million and take more than 1,700 hours. The regulatory burden will swamp small companies that lack the resources to pour into compliance costs. (The big tobacco companies, in contrast, will be fine.)

The small firms have driven innovation in e-cigarettes. The products have gotten better, with more variety, since their introduction in 2007. That’s manifestly a good thing. The more satisfying e-cigarettes are, and the more they replicate the real smoking experience, the more likely it is that smokers will switch over, or at least use fewer cigarettes.

The highly respected Royal College of Physicians in Britain gets the logic. It issued a report emphasizing the enormous promise of e-cigarettes, which it estimates are 5 percent as dangerous as the real thing. An authority who worked on the report explained to The New York Times that e-cigarettes “have the potential to help half or more of all smokers get off cigarettes. That’s a huge health benefit, bigger than just about any medical intervention.”

The U.S. is rejecting that common-sense approach to harm reduction. It is against vaping no matter how safe it is or how many people it might coax into giving up smoking.

The famous line attributed to Mark Twain is that nothing is as easy as quitting smoking — he’s done it thousands of times. Of course, Twain didn’t have the option of vaping. If the FDA has anything to say about it, neither will anyone else.

Rich Lowry is editor of the National Review. © 2016 by King Features Synd., Inc.

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Saturday, May 14 8am - 1pm Flea market/Yard Sale.

Stephens City UMC. Vendors Needed – call (540) 869-2348.

1pm - 2:30pm Family Film. Bowman Library, 871 Tasker Road, Stephens City. Join us Saturdays at the Bowman Library for a Family Picnic and Movie event. Families are encouraged to bring a picnic lunch to the show. Popcorn and lemonade will be served. The movie showing is free.

May 14: Soccer Dog. 2pm - 4pm Winchester Frederick County Historical Society. Lecture co-sponsored with Winchester Frederick County Historical Society and

Friends of HRL. 6:30pm - 9:30pm Bingo. North Fork Resort Associates, 301 North Fork Road, Front Royal. Doors open at 4:30. Early birds at 6:30. Food available for purchase. Door prizes, progressive games, queen of hearts, progressive pull tab, and brand new electronic pull tab games. Find us on Facebook. (540) 636-7152. Must be 12 to play. No smoking.

Sunday, May 16 1pm – 5pm Youth Outdoor Day. Izaak Walton Park. 3364 Gooney Manor Loop, Browntown. Sponsored by the Warren County Chapter Izaak Walton League and Northern Shenandoah Valley Trout Unlimited.

Free for everyone and open to the public! Activities for children from 3 to 15 years old. Fishing will start at 3:00 for those 15 and younger only.

There will also be archery, nature

walks, fly tying and casting, turkey calling, shooting sports, face painting, bird watching and identification.

The Blue Ridge Wildlife Center will be open. There will be free hot dogs and drinks available. Please join us!

Mon May 16, 2016 11am - 11:30am Toddler Time.

Bowman Library. For children three and under. A lively story time program of stories, songs, finger plays, flannel boards and movement.

4pm - 5pm Lego Club. Bowman Library. Calling all elementary and middle school Lego builders! Design and construction themes are different each week. Free! No registration required.

5:30pm - 6:30pm Coloring Club.

Bowman Library. Join us for coloring enchanting designs that feature hidden objects and fun mazes. Discover the magic! This program is designed for our tweens and teens, but is fun for the whole family. Coloring sheets and colored pencils are provided.

You may bring your own coloring book.

5:30pm - 6:30pm Manga Art Club.

Bowman Library. Bring your sketch book to create your manga drawings.

Get tips from other artists and share your work. For tweens and teens.

Tue May 17, 2016 10:30am - 11am Preschool Story Time. Clarke County Library. Hear great stories and fun with Mary!

Clarke For ages 3 and up.

12:30pm - 1pm Tourism Tuesdays.

95.3 - the River radio station. Hear the latest tourism-related news and events every Tuesday at 12:30!

6pm - 7pm eMagazines Workshop.

Bowman Library. Learn how to find, select, download, and read your favorite magazines through Zinio, the library’s eMagazine service. Find out how to navigate the Zinio app and take advantage of Zinio’s interactive features. Please bring your library card and any mobile devices. Registration required.

Late May, 2016 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 29

6pm - 6:30pm Twilight Tales. Bowman Library. A story time event for families at Bowman Library. Stories, music, finger plays, movement and a craft.

7pm - 8pm BZA Meeting. Front Royal Administration Building, 102 E Main Street, Front Royal.

Wed May 18, 2016 10:30am - 12pm Women’s Club.

Opequon Presbyterian Church. The Winchester Area Newcomers Club is a social club for women. Please join us for our meeting. For more information: email winchesterareanewcomersclub@gmail.com.

11am - 11:30am Preschool Story Time. Bowman Library. Best for ages 2-5. A lively 30-minute program of stories, puppets, dancing and songs.

4:15pm - 4:45pm Spanish with Angela. Bowman Library. Using games, songs, puppets and picture books children and their parents will learn the Spanish language.

6:30pm - 9:30pm Bingo. North Fork Resort Associates, 301 North Fork Road, Front Royal. Doors open at 4:30. Early birds at 6:30. Food available for purchase. Door prizes, progressive games, queen of hearts, progressive pull tab, and brand new electronic pull tab games. Find us on Facebook. (540) 636-7152. Must be 12 to play. No smoking.

7pm - 8pm Planning Commission Meeting. County of Warren Government Center.

Handley Library. Toddlers, Preschoolers, & their grown-ups are welcome to boogie down!

5:30pm - 8pm Game Night. Bowman Library. Get Your Game On! Gamers can rotate throughout the electronic, card and computer games until 8:00 p.m. This program is intended for middle school and high school students. It is free with no registration required.

Sat May 21, 2016 Rally for Reading for Summer Reading. This event launches a summer of reading and learning for all See CALENDAR, 30

Thu May 19, 2016 11am - 11:30am Baby Time. Bowman Library. For children from birth to 15 months. A program of songs, stories, clapping and tapping. Bowman Library Children’s Room.

5pm - 8pm Third Thursday Art Walk. Downtown Front Royal.

7pm - 8:30pm Apple Valley Ringers. Bowman Library. Popular Hand Bell Choir concert.

Fri May 20, 2016 10:30am - 11am Dance Party!

Does your cat or dog need spay or neutering?

Contact Spay Today, our area's non-profit, reduced-priced spay and neuter program.

CHOOSE: MANY vets over a WIDE area!

NEW vets added!

Contact Spay Today: www.baacs.org or call 304-728-8330

We thank you as we start this new year.

Your help and support in reaching so many is appreciated by them -- and by Spay Today!

With many thanks and the best of wishes for you in 2016.

Fran Barker

Volunteer for Spay Today

Page 30 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Late May, 2016 CALENDAR, from 29 ages. Register to be part of this summer’s activities at any library branch and participating organizations.

7am - 11am Country Breakfast. North Warren Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company 10, 89 Rockland Road, Front Royal. Join us for pancakes, biscuits, sausage, bacon, sausage and chip beef gravy, scrambled eggs, baked apples, coffee, juice, and hot tea. Adults $8, 4-12 years old $4, under 3 free.

10am - 11:30am Chess Club. Bowman Library. Become a chess champ!

Develop another winning move!

Learn and play! Led by members of Shenandoah Valley Chess Club for all ages and all skill levels.

1pm - 2:15pm Paws for Reading.

Bowman Library. Read a favorite book to a reading tutor. It is Paws for Reading! These canine listeners are patient and love kids. Come meet our certified therapy dogs.

1pm - 2pm Tour. Handley Library.

Staff members and volunteers will give tours of Handley Library, concentrating on the architecture and

© 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.

Mon May 23, 2016 11am - 11:30am Toddler Time.

Bowman Library. For children three and under. A lively story time program of stories, songs, finger plays, flannel boards and movement.

4pm - 5pm Lego Club. Bowman Library. Calling all elementary and

middle school Lego builders! Design and construction themes are different each week. Free! No registration required.

6pm - 7pm Anime & Mochi. Bowman Library. For middle and high school students. Join us for an evening of anime. May 23: Sailor Moon.

6:30pm - 7:30pm Teen Advisory Board. Handley Library. Would you like to join? Middle school and high school students are welcome.

7pm - 8pm Council Meeting.

County of Warren Government Center.

7pm - 8pm Council Work Session.

Town Administration Building, 102 E. Main St. Tue May 24, 2016 10:30am - 11am Preschool Story Time. Clarke County Library. Hear great stories and fun with Mary!

Clarke For ages 3 and up.

12:30pm - 1pm Tourism Tuesdays.

The Oak Club King Features Weekly Service

• It was 19th-century Dutch post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh — one of the most popular artists of all time — who made the following sage observation: “Conscience is a man’s compass, and though the needle sometimes deviates, though one often perceives irregularities when directing one’s course by it, one must still try to follow its direction.”

• Those who study such things say that penguins are so well insulated that, in general, they have a harder time staying cool than they do staying warm.

• You’ve probably never wondered how to categorize the dill pickle, but some people have. Is it a fruit? Hard to say. The cucumber is, technically, a fruit — part of the gourd family — so it would seem that a pickle is, too.

• You’ve almost certainly heard of the Rock of Gibraltar — as a metaphor for strength and solidity, if for no other reason. This famed monolith of limestone on the European side of the Strait of Gibraltar, that narrow connection between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, makes up only half of the Pillars of Hercules. On the African side of the strait is Jabal Musa, and this southern half of the Pillars is twice as tall as its more famous partner to the north.

• Many people don’t realize that the popular name Renee means “reborn.”

• The state of Delaware was named for Delaware Bay, which in turn was named for the first English governor of the colony of Virginia. His name was Thomas West, but his title was Baron De la Warr. Ultimately, his title is derived from the Old French term “de la werre,” which means “of the war.” *** Thought for the Day: “Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.” — Mark Twain

history of the library. The tours will take you behind the scenes to all floors of the library, including the famous glass floors and the well under the stage. The tours are free, but making reservations is helpful.

6:30pm - 9:30pm Bingo. North Fork Resort Associates, 301 North Fork Road, Front Royal. Doors open at 4:30. Early birds at 6:30. Food available for purchase. Door prizes, progressive games, queen of hearts, progressive pull tab, and brand new electronic pull tab games. Find us on Facebook. (540) 636-7152. Must be 12 to play. No smoking.

May 16, 2016

By Samantha Weaver

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

We Believe.

We believe the best people in the world work right here. And we believe you could be one of them.

Working Here We believe the words “Welcome to McDonald’s” should apply to our employees just as much as our customers. We’re proud of our food, and we’re just as proud of the jobs we create.

Benefits We strive to hire and keep the brightest and the best. And to do that, we’ve put together perks designed to make you smile - even before you pick up your paycheck. From flexible schedules and competitive wages to management training. Our benefits let you know you’re a valued part of our team.

Apply Online www.mcvirginia.com/12132 or www.mcvirginia.com/2075

Our best seller at lunch comes with chips, salad or fresh cut fries for just $5.95.

So what’s it going to be?

White or wheat?

The Oak Grill in Front Royal

$5.95

All Sports...

All the time

Front Royal Little League & Washington Nationals Baseball

Commerce Ave. across from Southern States Front Royal, Va. 540-635-FOOD

Plus the award-winning News At Noon & Valley Today, local news & sports updates throughout the day and up-to-date weather from local meteorologist Kemp Miller Serving Front Royal and Warren County since 1948

www.facebook.com/SportsRadio1450WFTR

Late May, 2016 • Warren & Frederick County Report • Page 31

Read full issues FREE on www.WarrenCountyVA.com & www.FrederickCounty.com 95.3 - the River radio station. Hear the latest tourism-related news and events every Tuesday at 12:30!

6pm - 6:30pm Twilight Tales. Bowman Library. A story time event for families. Stories, music, finger plays, movement and a craft.

4:15pm - 4:45pm Spanish with Angela. Bowman Library. Using games, songs, puppets and picture books children and their parents will learn the Spanish language.

4:30pm - 7:30pm Chess. Handley Library. Open chess games. 1-on-1 instruction for new players. At 5:30 PM a lecture is available on Chess Basics and Strategy. All ages and skill levels are welcome to come and play.

Bring your board or just yourself.

This event is FREE and open to the

Wed May 25, 2016 11am - 11:30am Preschool Story Time. Bowman Library. Best for ages 2-5. A lively 30-minute program of stories, puppets, dancing and songs.

540-635-4734

public.

6:30pm - 9:30pm Bingo. North Fork Resort Associates, 301 North Fork Road, Front Royal. Doors open at 4:30. Early birds at 6:30. Food available for purchase. Door prizes, progressive games, queen of hearts, progressive pull tab, and brand new electronic pull tab games. Find us on Facebook. (540) 636-7152. Must be 12 to play. No smoking.

Thu May 26, 2016 11am - 11:30am Baby Time. Bowman Library. For children from birth to 15 months. A program of songs, stories, clapping and tapping.

4pm - 5pm Anti-Litter Council Mtg. Warren County Government Center.

Sat May 28, 2016 1pm - 2:30pm Family Film. Bowman Library, 871 Tasker Road, Stephens City. Join us Saturdays at the Bowman Library for a Family Picnic and Movie event. Families are encouraged to bring a picnic lunch to the show. Popcorn and lemonade will be served. The movie showing is free.

May 28: Karate Kid. 6:30pm - 9:30pm Bingo. North Fork Resort Associates, 301 North Fork Road, Front Royal. Doors open at 4:30. Early birds at 6:30. Food available for purchase. Door prizes, progressive games, queen of hearts, progressive pull tab, and brand new electronic pull tab games. Find us on Facebook. (540) 636-7152. Must be 12 to play. No smoking.

Fri May 27, 2016 10:30am - 11am Dance Party!

Handley Library. Toddlers, Preschoolers, & their grown-ups are welcome to boogie down!

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

Acoustic instruments only.

Humane Society of Warren County

540-635-4734

Monday thru Sunday 10 am to 4 pm - Closed Wednesday • 1245 Progress Drive, Front Royal, VA • 540-635-4734 • humanesocietywc@gmail.com

HSWC’s Memorial Day BBQ Bash Raffle. $1.00 to win a BBQ basket valued at $100. Winner drawn Friday May 27th Oliver is a 9-11 month old male hound mix. Oliver has done great with other dogs and children here at the shelter. He is a very playful boy that would love to find a wonderful home to call his own!

Diamond is a 3 year old female Pit Bull Mix. Diamond loves to get out in the play yard and wrestle around with all her shelter doggy friends. She is house trained and knows some basic com‑ mands.

Maggie is a 6 year old spayed female English Mastiff.

Maggie is a laid back girl that can be a little shy when meeting new people.

She would like to be the only fur baby in the home. She is a wonderful girl that bonds closely with the people she knows.

Oliver’s ad sponsored by:

Maggie’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

Hugo is a 1 year old male Border Collie Mix. Hugo is a big sweetheart that loves to snuggle up with his people! He has got‑ ten along great with other dogs in his previous home, is house trained, crate trained, and knows some basic commands.

Hugo’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 May, 2016

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