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WarrenCounty Report* Volume 3, Issue 9 · Mid May, 2008 *

Advertising: Visit warrencountyreport.com/adinfo or call (540) 636-1014

14

A community tragedy- Major fundraiser planned

1228First responders struggle to cope

Where do they stand?

Humane Society drama update 8

Page � • Warren County Report • Mid May, �008

For Sale by BuilderMLS# WR6582148

Looking for that special Mountain Estate or Weekend Getaway? Buracker Construction LLC

Custom Homes540-636-1879 or 540-671-3388buracker-construction.com

Come tour the “Lodge” in scenic Bentonville, VA382 Jennings Lane, Bentonville, VA 22610

Situated on 9 scenic acres with views of the Shenandoah National Park and George Washington National Forest, this cedar log siding home is loaded with extra’s. Exterior framing consists of 2” x 6” walls and R-19 insulation. The roof is a 50 year, standing seam metal roof. The wrap around porch could virtually hold 100 rocking chairs. Inside, the Master Bedroom is located on the Main Floor and has a cathedral ceiling, stone fireplace and walk-in closet. The Master bath boasts a 4’ x8’ walk-in tile shower with 2 shower heads and body sprays. The kitchen features Prestige Rustic Hickory Beadboard Cabinets and granite counters. A 48” JennAir Cooktop with grill is in the center of the island. The Great Room features another stone fireplace and cedar posts with carved Bear Heads. The loft features a mural of a Virginia Wildlife scene. The two large upstairs bedrooms each have their own full bath. Farm-house style oak trim and 8’ oak doors. Want to come see for yourself? Buy this house before the end of May 2008 and get a free Rinnai Tankless Water Heater!

Price Reduced to $699,999!Directions from Front Royal: Take Rt. 340 South 9 miles to Bentonville. Turn left on Bentonville-Browntown Road and go 2.2 miles. Turn left on Jennings Lane. Go ½ mile to house on right. You can’t miss it!

Mountain Brook EstatesHave you been looking for that special piece of land to build your full time, weekend or vacation home? If so, Mountain Brook Estates may be just what you’re looking for.

Located in scenic Bentonville, VA this new mountain community of 10 lots rang-ing from 5 to 11 acres has something for everyone. Lot 2 has views and a pond and several lots have a stream going through them. High speed DSL Internet will be available! For additional information, call Buracker Construction LLC, 540-636-1879 or visit our website @ mountainbrookestates.net. Prices start at 159,999 up to 229,999. Bring this ad and receive $5,000 off through May 08. Directions from Front Royal: Take Rt. 340 South 9 miles to Bentonville. Turn left on Bentonville-Browntown Road. Go 1 mile and turn left on Lockhart Lane. At the end of Lockhart Lane, turn right. Subdivision begins at sign. Lots are marked. For an ATV tour please call for appointment.

Looking for a builder? Call Buracker Construction LLC 540-636-1879

or visit buracker-construction.com

The deals are out there and are coming on the mar-ket daily but they are not staying on the market long. For a list of homes, please give me a call.

There are also many build-ing lots available. From 1-20 acres. Call me for a list.

Christi Boies (540) 671-6494 [email protected]

This 3x1.5” full-color ad will reach about 17,000 readers. It costs $42.21. Give your busi-ness the boost it needs with an ad in Warren County’s most popular newspaper by calling Christi at 540-671-6494 • [email protected] or call Dan at 540-636-1014 • [email protected]

Mid May, �008 • Warren County Report • Page �

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1982 - 2000 Chevy Gas Truck 4x4

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AC Performance Check$20


FREE TOWINGUp to 25 miles w/ major repair

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The Browntown Community Cen-ter Association in conjunction withBuracker Construction LLC will behostingthe1stAnnual“DoubleEagle”GolfTournamentonFriday,May23rdatShenandoahValleyGolfClub.Thistournamentisbeingheldtoraisefundsfor the Miriam “Cam” Tillemans Me-morialPicnicSheltertobeconstructedonthegroundsoftheBrowntownCom-

munity Center in scenic Browntown,VA for the benefit of the residents ofBrowntown. Construction of the 50’ x 20’ picnicshelter will be donated by BurackerConstructionLLCandfriendsandwillbecompletedpriortothecommunity’sannual July 4th Celebration. Fundsraisedbythetournamentwillbeusedtopurchasethematerialsforthepicnic

shelter. Anyoneinterestedinenteringateammaypickupa formatBurackerCon-structioninBentonville,O.J.RudacilleGen.MdseinBrowntownorbycallingMarthaBuracker636-1879orbysend-ingane-mailtoburacker@comcast.net.A team of 4 will be $300 per team, or$75per individual. AnyonewhogetsaHoleinOneonthe#2(BlueCourse)

will receive a 2008 Chevrolet CobaltfromJackEvansChevroletandCadil-lac! The tournament committee is stillactivelyseekingTeeSignSponsors. Ifyouhaveabusinessandwouldliketoadvertiseatthegolftournamentpleasecontact Christi Boies at 671-6494. TeeSignsare$100each.

1st Annual Browntown “Double Eagle” Golf TournamentShenandoah Valley Golf Club • Friday, May 23rd

Advertising: Visit warrencountyreport.com/adinfo or call (540) 636-1014

Page � • Warren County Report • Mid May, �008

Obituaries Please e-mail obituaries to [email protected]

WarrenCounty Report

Readership: 17,000 and growing.Warren County’s leading newspaper.

122 W 14th Street, Box 20Front Royal, VA 22630

(540) 636-1014(540) 636-1042 fax

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must include the author’s name and contact information.

Published in a secret location in the greater metropolitan area of Limeton.

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief:Daniel P. McDermott

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Managing Editor and Reporter:Roger Bianchini(540) 635-4835

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Contributors:Ryan Koch, Cartoonist ExtraordinaireCassidy Custis, Entertainment Writer Tony Elar, Cartoonist Extraordinaire

Paula Conrow, Features WriterKevin S. Engle, Humor Columnist

Leslie Fiddler, WriterJim Smithlin, Writer

Mary Ellen South, WriterTimothy R. Thompson, Writer

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Circulation:Leslie Bennett

If you are interested in contributingto our paper, please e-mail:

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Warren County Report is looking for additional advertising sales folks. Please e-mail [email protected]

Madison Taylor Cook

Madison Taylor Cook, age 8, of Front Royal, died Thursday, April 17, �008 at her home. Funeral services for Madison, her sister and father were held on Saturday, April �6, �008 at �:00 p.m. at the Dynamic Life Praise and Worship Center, John Marshall Highway, Front Royal with Pastor Carlson officiating. Interment followed in Panorama Memorial Gardens in Waterlick, VA. Madison was born in Win-chester on October �9, 1999, a daughter of Steven C. J. and Me-lissa Moore Cook. She was in the second grade at Hilda J. Barbour Elementary School. She wanted to be a singer, like her favorite singer Hannah Montana, and she enjoyed music and dance. She was active in Brownies, loved the Redskins, and anything with the U. S. flag. Outgoing and smart, she wanted to take care of ev-eryone, especially her little sister, Stevie, she had a hug for every-one. Madison was her Daddy’s little girl but her Momma’s baby. She was spoiled by her Grand-dad and Nanna but still stayed sweet. She would talk to every-one and would spend hours on the phone. Madison especially enjoyed watching her Aunt Som-mer cheerleading. In addition to her mother, Madison is survived by her half-brothers, Justin Lee Cook and Joseph Andrew Wilkins; her pa-ternal grandparents, Steven R. and Janie Stanley Cook; her ma-ternal grandparents, Andy and Betty Rosenberry; and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her sister, Stevie, on April 17, �008 and her father, Steven, passed on April 19, �008. Arrangements were by Turn-er-Robertshaw Funeral Home, 1�00 N Shenandoah Ave., Front Royal VA ��6�0. In lieu of flow-ers memorial contributions may be made to the Loyal Order of Moose Lodge # 8�9, 1��0 John Marshall Highway, Front Royal, VA ��6�0

Steven Charles Joseph Cook

Steven Charles Joseph Cook, ��, of Front Royal, died Saturday, April 19, �008 in Washington Hospital Center, from injuries sustained in a house fire.

Funeral services for Steven and his daughters were held on Sat-urday, April �6, �008 at �:00 p.m. at the Dynamic Life Praise and Worship Center, John Marshall Highway, Front Royal with Pas-tor Carlson officiating. Interment followed in Panorama Memorial Gardens, in Waterlick, VA. Steven was born in Manassas, on September 18, 1975, a son of Steven R. and Janie Arlene Stanley Cook. He was a loving husband, father, brother, friend and family man. He was a hard working man, he was the Gen-eral Manager of the family busi-ness, Manassas Transfer. Steven considered everybody a friend and had a good sense of humor. Steven attend the Royal Chris-tian Academy before attending and graduating from Randolph Macon Academy in 1995. He was known as “Duke” to most and “Bumper” to a select few. Always the athlete, he played little league, and Babe Ruth baseball, he played football and was team captain for RMA and also played baseball and basketball. He played college football for Shepherd College. Steven attended the Dynamic Life Praise and Worship Center, and was a member of the Moose Lodge. Being the oldest child he was the family peacemaker, as a husband and father her was the caretaker of the family. He gave his life trying to save his precious daughters. In addition to his parents he is survived by his wife, Melissa Jean Moore Cook; his two step-sons, Justin Lee Cook, and Joseph An-drew Wilkins; his brother, Wesley Richard Cook and wife Christine of Front Royal; his sisters, Ash-lea Jo Tobin and husband Wade of Sevierville, TN and Sommer Arlene Cook of Kodak, TN; his uncles, Charles E. Cook, Joseph Hamilton, and Bobby Hamilton; his aunts, Pearl A. Cook Shockey, Carolyn Hall, Grace Stanley Mul-lins, and Shirley Meadows. Steven was preceded in death by his daughters, Madison Tay-lor Cook and Stevie Racheal Cook; his paternal grandpar-ents, Charles K. and Annabelle P. Cook; his maternal grandparents, Joseph C. and Dollie I Stanley; his uncle Victor Stanley; and his aunt Margaret Stanley. Pallbearers were Roger Keener, Hunter Price, Tom Rushing, Ray Ballard, Javier Chavarren, Paul Bell, Bradley Hall and Brian Hall.

Arrangements were by Turn-er-Robertshaw Funeral Home, 1�00 N. Shenandoah Ave., Front Royal, VA ��6�0. In lieu of flow-ers memorial contributions may be made to the Loyal Order of Moose Lodge # 8�9, 1��0 John Marshall Highway, Front Royal, VA ��6�0

Stevie Racheal Cook

Stevie Racheal Cook, age �, of Front Royal, died Thursday, April 17, �008 at her home. Stevie was born in Winchester on November �9, �00�, a daugh-ter of Steven C. J. and Melissa Moore Cook. Strong willed, she had a big beautiful smile and would bat her eyelashes to get her way. She looked pretty in pink, her favorite color. Stevie loved to sing and Hannah Mon-tana was her favorite singer and she sang “Best of Both Worlds” all the time. She also liked the movie “High School Musical”. Stevie looked up to her big sister, Madison, and her brothers, Justin and Joe. Very talkative, she’d talk even if you could barely under-stand what she was saying. In addition to her mother, Stevie is survived by her half-brothers, Justin Lee Cook and Joseph Andrew Wilkins; her pa-ternal grandparents, Steven R. and Janie Stanley Cook; her ma-ternal grandparents, Andy and Betty Rosenberry; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. She was preceded in death by her sister, Madison, on April 17, �008 and her father, Steven, passed on April 19, �008. Arrangements were by Turn-er-Robertshaw Funeral Home, 1�00 N Shenandoah Ave., Front Royal VA ��6�0. In lieu of flow-ers memorial contributions may be made to the Loyal Order of Moose Lodge # 8�9 1��0 John Marshall Highway, Front Royal, VA ��6�0

Betty Lockhart Maugans

Betty Lockhart Maugans, 7�, of Westminster, Maryland died Fri-day, April �5, �008 at Hope Hos-pice in Ft. Myers, Florida. Born August �0, 19�� in Ben-tonville, Virginia, she was the daughter of the late Miller O’Farrel Lockhart and Mamie Stinson Lockhart. Before her illness she was the Executive Director of CSSE and

prior to that time was employed by Campbell’s Soup Company and Western Auto in Reister-stown. She was a member of the Bentonville Baptist Church, Tau Phi Lamda Sorority, Westminster Elks Lodge #��77 Lady Elks and the Women of the Moose Chap-ter 897 in Westminster. She and her husband owned and operated the El Rancho Apartment House in Ocean City, Maryland as well as being involved with the management of rental properties in Carroll County. She is survived by her hus-band Edward “Pete” Maugans Jr., daughters, Julia O’Farrel Mau-gans of Westminster and Alice Buchanan Maugans of Ft. Myers, Florida, sister and husband, Vir-ginia O’Farrel Cianelli and Wil-liam L. Cianelli of Hagerstown, Maryland, sisters-in-laws, Chris-tine Maugans, Becky Maugans, Betty T. Lockhart and Brenda H. Lockhart, brother-in-law, David Maugans, grandchildren, Ashton O’Farrel Hemphill, Tara Eliza-beth Hemphill, and Sean Jackson Hemphill, nephews, Thomas J. Lockhart, David Maugans, Wil-liam A. Cianelli and Anthony A. Cianelli, and nieces, Teresa Lock-hart Lamb, Kathy Schleifer, Eliza-beth Yute, Jennifer Aurand, Terry Maugans and Kelly Maugans. She was predeceased by her brother, Miller Jackson Lockhart. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Friday, May �, �008 at the Fletcher Funeral Home, P.A., �5� E. Main Street., Westminster. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 7:00 to 9:00 P.M. on Thursday, May 1, �008. Graveside services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, May �, �008 at the Bentonville Baptist Church Cemetery, in Bentonville, Virginia. Arrangements in Bentonville were handled by the Maddox Fu-neral Home, Inc. of Front Royal, Virginia. Memorial contributions may be made to the Bentonville Bap-tist Church c/o William O. Mor-rison, Treasurer, 5�� Lou-Will Lane, Bentonville, Virginia ��610 or the Audubon Society, ��000 Wells Point Road, Bozman, Maryland �161� Online condolences may be made to the family at www.fletch-erfuneralhome.net

Mid May, �008 • Warren County Report • Page 5

Local newsPlease e-mail your briefs and news items to [email protected]

April 29, 2008

Firefighter collapses at Shenan-doah Farms structure fire

On Tuesday, April �9, at 6:57 p.m. Engine Companies 6, �, 1, Tankers �, 5, and � were dis-patched to 71 Youngs Drive in the Shenandoah Farms area of War-ren County for a structure fire. At 7:06 p.m. Firefighter Harlan “Bud-dy” Cook from the Shenandoah Farms Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department arrived on the scene first, initially reporting a shed well involved threatening two residential structures. Firefighter Cook completed a size-up of the situation and directed operations for incoming apparatus and per-sonnel until the arrival of County Fire Chief Richard Mabie. On ar-rival of Chief Mabie, Firefighter Cook met face-to-face with him giving a current situation report and operations to this point. The fire was declared under control at 7:1� p.m. At approximately 7:1� p.m. while at the Command Post, Fire-fighter Cook suddenly became stiff, collapsed, and was found to be apneic and pulseless in car-diopulmonary arrest. On scene volunteer and career person-nel quickly assessed the downed firefighter, initiated cardiopul-monary resuscitation (CPR), de-fibrillated the patient one time, and initiated basic and advanced life support procedures. After ap-proximately five minutes of CPR and one defibrillation, person-nel found that Firefighter Cook’s pulse returned and he became combative. Firefighter Cook then became awake and oriented to his surroundings. Firefighter Cook

was flown by helicopter PHI Air-care � to Winchester Medical Center where he was scheduled for an emergency cardiac cather-ization. On April �0 Cook was listed in stable condition at Winchester Medical’s Critical Care Unit. On scene volunteer and career personnel continued to conduct overhaul operations and place apparatus in service after the transport of Firefighter Cook to Winchester Medical Center. The cause of the fire was a juvenile firesetter playing with gasoline and a lighter. According to department of-ficials Firefighter Cook is not re-lated to the Cook family that suf-fered the devastating fatal fire on Anderson Street on April 17.

Police foundation announces upcoming graduation and in-troduces Diesel, the tracking dog

The Front Royal Police Founda-tion is pleased to announce that Officer Jason Bates and his new partner Diesel will graduate from training on May 9, �008. Diesel is pictured below. The Front Royal Police Depart-ment advised the Police Founda-tion that there was a need for a tracking dog and the Foundation took this information and raised money to purchase a tracking dog and provide training for Of-ficer Bates and the dog. Officer Bates started training on April 7, �008 at which time he met his new partner, Diesel. The Foun-dation was attempting to raise $10,000.00 to pay for the pur-chase of Diesel, training for Of-ficer Bates and Diesel as well as enough money to purchase a kennel and food for one year.

The Police Foundation would like to thank the public for their generous donations. They have received forty seven donations from individuals and businesses in Front Royal, Warren County and the surrounding areas. “We have achieved 85% of our goal

thanks to the support and gener-osity of the public. We have not raised enough money at this time, but we will continue our efforts” states Chairman Jim Kenney. “The support of this community and the surrounding communi-ties has been absolutely amazing and we know that without these wonderful citizens and their con-tinued generosity we would not have been able to add this valu-able asset to the Front Royal Po-lice Department and the citizens they support”. The Front Royal Police Foun-dation, Inc. is asking for your support in raising the additional funds needed. They welcome your participation, and as a 501 c � organization, your donations are tax deductible. Please send your donations to:

Front Royal Police Foundation, Inc. �� W. Main Street Front Royal, VA ��6�0 c/o Captain Mark Werner

For more information please visit: www.frontroyalva.com/po-lice

John Marshall Highway inter-section & sidewalk improve-ments

The Town of Front Royal will begin construction of the inter-section and sidewalk improve-ments along John Marshall Highway from Jamestown Road to Westminster Drive beginning April �0, �008. This work will in-clude the widening of Jamestown Road to provide for both south-bound left and right turns, a new left-turn lane on John Marshall Highway at Jamestown Road, and the continuation of a pathway from Jamestown Road to West-minster Drive. Construction will require in-termittent closure of the east-bound travel lane on John Mar-

shall Highway between the hours of 9:00 am and �:�0 pm. Traffic will be detoured around the con-struction site to allow construc-tion to continue Motorists are requested to be aware of the traffic control devic-es and drive slowly through these work areas. Our crews are work-ing to make the streets of Front Royal safer for everyone. We apologize for the inconve-nience this presents to our citi-zens. If you have any questions about this project, please contact the Department of Environmental Services at (5�0) 6�5-7819.

Journey Through Hallowed Ground bill clears last hurdle - Bill now awaiting President’s signature

The measure to establish The Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area cleared its final legislative hurdle today and now only awaits the president’s signature before be-coming law. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10) said language creating the heritage area, which will tie together all the rich historical and cultural sites along U.S. Route 15 from Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Charlottesville north through Fauquier, Prince William and Loudoun counties to Gettysburg National Military Park in Penn-sylvania, was included in the Consolidated Natural Resources

Act of �008 that was approved in the House by a vote of �91-117. “By designating this corridor as a national heritage area, the route will be celebrated, honored and shared with our children, grandchildren and generations to come,” said Wolf, who intro-duced the legislation to establish the heritage area in April �006. The Journey Through Hallowed Ground is modeled after the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District, which Wolf helped create in the late 1990s. Designation of this cor-ridor as a national heritage area will create a partnership between federal, state and local govern-ments, as well as businesses and civic organizations, to conserve and promote the historic and cul-tural resources along the route, Wolf said. “The natural and cultural heri-tage within the proposed bound-aries are unparalleled,” Wolf said. “In addition to 1� national park units, the corridor is also home to 1� national historic landmarks, two World Heritage areas and more than 1 million acres of land already listed on the National Register. “ America ’s history can liter-ally be traced along this corridor,” Wolf continued. “The Monroe Doctrine, the Marshall Plan and the Camp David Accords were penned right here in our back-yard.”

Cook Family BenefitMay 10, 2008 - 7-10 pmPlease attend a concert to help Missy Cook in her hour of need at the Warren County Fairgrounds. The performers will include Danny Figgins as Willy Nelson, Robbie Limon as Hank Williams Sr. and Buddy Holly and Richard Parker as Elvis Presley. All Proceeds will go to the Cook Family. For information, please call 540-635-1302.

DonationsThose wishing to contribute to the Cook family may do so through the Front Royal Moose Lodge 829, 1340 John Marshall Highway, Front Royal, Va. 22630, 540 636-6355; or The Dynamic Life Praise and Wor-ship Center, 1600 John Marshall Highway, Front Royal, Va. 22630, 540 636-9595 or 636-8455.

Page 6 • Warren County Report • Mid May, �008

Local news Please e-mail your briefs and news items to [email protected]

April 23, 2008

Chief Ronald A. Williamson announced today that a second body has been recovered from the fire scene at 1�5� John Mar-shall Highway. The body will be transported to the Northern Vir-ginia State Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy and identi-fication. The Front Royal Police Depart-ment is continuing to work with a number of local law enforcement and fire agencies to determine the cause and origin of the fire.

April 22, 2008

Wayside Theatre’s 2008 Stu-dent Playwriting Festival pre-sentation

Middletown- Artistic Direc-tor, Warner Crocker announced today that the Wayside Theatre’s Student �008 Playwriting Festi-val is Monday, May 5 at Skyline High School in Front Royal, VA The Staged Reading styled per-formance is on the Skyline High School’s mainstage at 7:00 PM

and the admission is Free to the public, with a “Talk Back” with the author. The Playwrighting Festival is sponsored by First Bank, BB & T Bank and Vir-ginia Commission for the Arts. According to Crocker, “We are able to recognize four students First Place is Ms. Tyler Tharpe of Front Royal, VA, Second Place is Ms. Jessie Copher of Front Royal, VA and an Honorable Mention to Daniel Russell of Edinburg, VA for the T. Carter Fussell Award in Playwriting.” Alison Bingham of Winchester, VA was First Place winner in the Middle School Di-vision. Ms. Tyler Tharpe will re-ceive a staged reading of her play, “You’re Special”, as well as $100 Saving Bond from First Bank. Miss Tyler Tharpe is a sopho-more and attends Skyline High School. We hope the public will attend and see what opportuni-ties Wayside Theatre Education in Action programs has to offer the children in our regional area. The admission is free to the pub-lic and a great way to introduce children to viewing their peers’ accomplishments.”

Also, Crocker stated, “To ex-pand these student opportuni-ties, we need the public’s support and investment to the Capital Campaign for Phase II of Way-side Theatre’s expansion project. The expansion would include of-fice space, dressing rooms, shop, costume shop and a smaller 99-seat theatre which will be used by the student classes, performances and productions, which will allow the Education Programs to grow providing more opportunities for more students to participate.” Thomasin Savaiano, YPW Co-ordinator, stated, “We are excited about staging a new play and new work from a local student. Way-side Theatre is staging the read-ing of Tyler Tharpe’s play “You’re Special” on Monday, May 5. I am enjoying working with Tyler as she participates in the several re-writes and preceding production meetings, prior to the casting and rehearsals necessary. The experi-ence will be a great developmen-tal skill process and educational creative writing for the stage for Tyler and her future plans in col-lege and life”

The Wayside Theatre Reader’s Theatre performance of “You’re Special” is Monday, May 5 at Sky-line High School at 7:00 PM and is FREE to the public. There will be a “Talk Back” with the author at the conclusion of the perfor-mance.

April 17, 2008

Chief Ronald A. Williamson announced that the Front Royal Police Department responded this morning to a house fire. The fire was reported at approximate-ly �:�� a.m.. Upon the arrival of officers at the scene, they found a two-store house, located at 1�5� John Marshall Highway, engulfed in flames. Fire units then arrived on the scene and began efforts to extinguish the fire. It was determined that there were a total of eight occupants in the house at the time of the fire. Two of the occupants, Melissa Cook, �0 years of age, and Steven Cook, �� years of age, were flown by helicopter to the Washington Hospital Center. Both individu-als are listed in stable condition at

this time. Two other occupants, Brandi Hartman, �0 years of age, and Justin Cook, age unknown, were treated and released from Warren Memorial Hospital after receiving smoke inhalation and minor abrasions. Two additional occupants, Jacqueline Morton, �0 years of age, and Lillie Jenkins, 11 years of age, escaped without in-jury. The remaining occupants, Madison Cook, 8 years of age, and Stevie Cook, � years of age, are unaccounted for at this time. One body has been recovered from the scene but has not been identified. Investigators are con-tinuing the search for the other occupant. Fire units from Front Royal, Linden, Rivermont, North War-ren, and Strasburg responded to the scene. The Front Royal Police Depart-ment is currently investigating the cause of the fire and is being assisted by the Warren County Fire and Rescue Department, the Warren County Sheriff ’s Office, the Virginia State Police, and the Loudoun County Fire Marshall’s Office.

Authorized by Shae Parker, Candidate


By Roger BianchiniWarren County Report

As a new Executive Director is poised to take over the day-to-day leadership of the Front Royal-War-ren County Economic Develop-ment Authority (see related story) we’d be remiss not to acknowledge the most recent reactions to and explanations of the Front Royal Town Council’s move for more di-rect control of EDA operations. On April �� the Warren County Board of Supervisors held a sec-ond work session to discuss the town resolution on asset redistri-bution and funding and appoint-ment changes. The only differ-ence in the resolution since the county board first met to try and figure out what is going on was the candy-colored coating put on what is now a request, as opposed to an “instruction” to redistribute EDA cash assets. The rewording complies with Virginia law, which gives municipalities no authority over EDA assets unless previously agreed upon.

The rewording isn’t really that sweet, the EDA is told it “should” redistribute what Councilman Stan Brooks has called an unprec-edented – $�.5 million – amount of cash on hand for an EDA. At its April �5 meeting, town EDA board appointee Steve Sill asked if a point-by-point EDA re-sponse to the Resolution was ex-pected by the town. Board Chairman Patty Wines re-plied no, pointing out the EDA had yet to receive a copy of the resolu-tion from the town. The town has thus far only sent its resolution to the county board of supervisors for review and feedback. The town resolution calls for the re-appro-priated EDA cash to be put into a joint town-county account. The county currently funds 7� percent of the town-county split of EDA operational funding. Past splits have ranged from 50-50 to 80-�0, county-town in the past. With a May 6 town election on the horizon that will put three new councilmen and a new mayor in office there seems to be no rush

by the supervisors to move in any way on the town initiative. How-ever, Board Chairman Archie Fox has expressed some support for the town move.

Point

“I would be in support of the funds coming into a joint account where the town and the county would have to be in agreement on any capital expenditures,” Fox said during a break in the Town Candi-date Forum on April ��. Fox said such an added layer of municipal control could prevent misunderstanding such as the one over funding of the SRI consul-tant’s contract in the current fiscal year. “When the EDA determined its support of the SRI Roadmap they took funding up front for that. And then when they came to the coun-ty for more funding I understood that the town was in support of it. Later on as it turned out the town did not support it. So, at the time I gave my support to it I was under the impression that the town was on board and that didn’t happen. If there would have been something in place ahead of time that insured that we were both in agreement to move forward on such projects that wouldn’t happen again.” Fox said that rather than create a system that cripples the EDA’s ability to do business, he supports mechanisms in place that would assure consensus on projects, rather than assume them or offer unsubstantiated conclusions as happened on that occasion.

Counterpoint

However, Shenandoah Dis-trict Supervisor Richard Traczyk seemed to speak for the board majority when he said, “I think the town council resolution baffled the board of supervisors. That’s why I stated ‘there seems to be a discon-nect between the Town Council and the EDA.’ They all said the EDA is not broken, its doing a great job and then went into a dis-sertation that basically attempts to dismantle the organization, and wants the supervisors to support the idea of restructuring,” he says. “Council members who support $�00,000 for operating expenses

suggests that any other expendi-tures would require Board and Council approval which only cre-ates another level of bureaucracy and is no way to run any business successfully. “The issue seems to be the $1.5 million to $�.5 million the EDA has in the bank. The interest from that savings pays for operating expense and allows for local busi-ness loans, and pays the debt ser-vice. If the money is put back into the taxpayers pocket as the coun-cil suggests, it would not take long before the requests for funding to support EDA activities would re-quire direct taxpayer dollars if the activity were approved, making it a political football trying to get the two bodies to agree,” Traczyk said. Traczyk also said the town focus on disbursement of EDA land as-sets for cash returns is problem-atic at best. “The remaining prop-erty that the EDA holds is mostly a white elephant. It has about �00 acres in town, over half of that at the Avtex site, which seems to be an unsellable piece of property that the EDA has been working on for years to market. The other sites have infrastructure problems and will be difficult to market but not impossible.”

Common ground?

However, Traczyk acknowledges that it may be time to re-explore the EDA’s structure, funding splits and board makeup. “The EDA spent much of its time in the past several years de-veloping the county’s 5�� corridor, concentrating on creating indus-trial type jobs and did a great job as that was their mission. With prime property no longer avail-able and for other reasons their mission has changed focus to the SRI, and the Town including the Avtex site. The 7� percent county contribution to the EDA probably needs to be revisited looking at today’s requirements. “I see the Town and County EDA needs changing, down the road I feel the EDA should be revisited by both Town and County and perhaps incorporated into the Town/County Government keep-ing only the IDA for the purposes of acquiring Bonds as needed by both Town and County. Once the

balance of the property has been either sold off or is some way dis-posed of, the SRI process complet-ed and the existing bond debt paid off the Town and County leader-ship needs to sit down and deter-mine what is best for both entities. This needs to be looked at in de-tail, planned and made ready for execution, and not an off the wall resolution.” Brooks, a major mover along with Bret Hrbek, of the council ini-tiative on the EDA says the intent is not to destroy the EDA’s ability to do business, but rather reign in a town-county entity that has grown increasingly autonomous in the wake of past successes that have brought too great a degree of financial independence. “That was never what the intent was,” Brooks said of eliminating the EDA’s ability to conduct busi-ness. “That would be what some-one would say who basically didn’t want to see any change. Change is difficult and people’s first reaction is usually a knee-jerk reaction and not necessarily a pleasant one. But generally after everybody starts to calm down and really look at it and consider it, you can come around to some consensus. And I think that’s what’s going to happen here. “I think that I understood and I think council understood it was a working document, it was a start-ing point,” Brooks says of town resolution. “I was under the im-pression, and I think it’s accurate, that we kind of were the one to get it started and we did. And the de-bate will go on and the discussion will go on. These things don’t usu-ally end up just like they start. But I expect at the end of the day there will be some agreement between the town and county. And hope-fully those things we can agree on we’ll move forward and those we can’t we can keep working on … and I’m hopeful at the end of the day that we’ll achieve what I know our resolution was meant to achieve, which is to reestab-lish some connectivity between the citizens and the EDA – direct connectivity through the govern-ing bodies.”

EDA $$$“I think the town council resolution baffled the board of supervisors. That’s why I stated ‘there seems to be a disconnect between the Town Council and the EDA.’ They all said the EDA is not broken, it’s doing a great job and then went into a dissertation that basically attempts to dismantle the organization.” – County Supervisor Richard Traczyk

Elect

Tom Conkey Town Council

Now is the time toprepare for the future!

Elect T.E. “Tom” Conkey on May 6 for a fresh

perspective.

• A Proven Problem Solver with 38 years business experience working for you to make a better Front Royal.

• Together we can protect our natural resources and keep Front Royal beautiful.

Authorized by Tom Conkey, Candidate

What’s going on with the EDA’s money?Supervisors, EDA tread water, Brooks says resolution a work in progress


Humane Society?“You’re not interested in the truth – you’re evil. We have a standing order no one is to talk to you … why don’t you print that?” – Humane Society Board President Doug Scott to this reporter

From the Department of Evil: ‘you all must be neutered’County meets with Humane Society amidst budget, operations questions


All right, I’ll admit that head-line is confusing combining ref-erences to an old political farce in the satirical “Onion” newspaper (From the Department of Evil: You All Must Die), Humane So-ciety President Douglas R. Scott’s April �0 verbal characterization of this reporter (“you’re evil”), and Humane Society animal shelter adoption policies (St. Francis of Assisi, that isn’t an un-neutered dove on your shoulder is it?). That said – officials from War-ren County met behind closed doors with Warren County Hu-mane Society Board President Douglas R. Scott on April �0. Two staffers from this paper were denied entry to the work session on the grounds it was not a meet-ing of the elected board and was thus closed to the public.

A work session with Scott and county staff has been in the works for several weeks in the wake of the Humane Society’s request for a �7 percent ($60,000) increase in county funding for the coming fiscal year. The county contribut-ed $1�6,000 to the private, non-profit organization for operating expenses for the Julia H. Wagner Animal Shelter in the current fiscal year. The society’s shel-ter serves as the county’s legally mandated public “dog pound.” The fact that the huge opera-tional funding request comes at a time relations are strained be-tween the Humane Society and Warren County Sheriff ’s Office complicates what is also a con-tract year negotiation. The Hu-mane Society’s three-year con-tract with the county, which is believed to contribute over 50 percent of the society’s budget, expires on June �0.

Fair & balanced?

Messages requesting informa-tion on the Humane Society’s budget and membership over the past three years left on both Scott and the shelter’s answering ma-chines have not been responded to in the past week. Messages left at both land and cell phone num-bers for Scott (5�0 6�6-91�0 and �0�-0�00) prior to publication of last issue’s Humane Society cover stories also were not responded to. In two in-person encounters, on April �� and April �0, Scott refused to discuss shelter poli-cies or specific issues raised in our “Late April” (April 17) cover stories. “Why? You wouldn’t print the facts. You have no integrity dat-ing back to that first story,” Scott said after introducing himself during a chance April �� encoun-ter in front of the Warren County Courthouse. It is believed Scott’s “first story” reference was to a year-old story on the ouster of four board members and resigna-tion of a fifth in May �007 when Scott assumed the board presi-dency. Scott also denied attempts had been made to contact him prior to our April 17 publication and alleged three factual inaccu-racies in that edition’s stories. Asked what those alleged inac-curacies were, Scott did not reply as he drove off. Asked again if he would dis-cuss various issues with this re-porter both prior to and after the closed April �0 county work ses-sion, Scott tersely replied, “No we can’t.” Questioned further about the alleged inaccuracies in last issue’s stories, Scott replied as he con-tinued walking away from this re-porter, “You’re not interested in the truth – you’re evil. We have a standing order no one is to talk to you … why don’t you print that?”

Put on a happy face

Attending the April �0 work session with Scott were County Administrator Doug Stanley, Deputy County Administrator

Richard Magnifico, County At-torney Blair Mitchell and Sheriff Daniel McEathron. All deferred to Stanley for comment on the county’s perspective on the work session results. Stanley said progress was made toward resolving operational is-sues that may have contributed to the recent conflicts with sher-iff ’s office. Those conflicts led to the WCSO’s removal of puppies seized in a late February bust of an alleged puppy mill from the Julia Wagner Shelter and their subsequent adoption through the Middleburg Humane Foundation. Both McEathron and FRPD Chief Ronnie Williamson confirmed a March 6 call from unidentified society or shelter personnel re-questing the town police arrest WCSO animal control officers for trespassing at the Wagner Shelter. Stanley said potential legal is-sues revolving around the shelter director and society board’s re-fusal to return the dog Nadia to its owner following a fifth escape over a year and a half from a ru-ral South River District property were not directly addressed. “The purpose of today’s meet-ing was to talk about the agree-ment and what will be in the agreement,” Stanley said in reply to a question about potential legal action against the Shelter

and Humane Society Board be-ing looked into by the WCSO for theft of property in the case of the dog Nadia. “From our side that’s what we want to spell out – exactly what our responsibilities are and the society’s responsibilities are in the contract to make sure that they are in conformance with the current rules and regulations of the State of Virginia. We just expressed our concerns with cur-rent issues,” Stanley said in re-sponse to a question about Nadia the dog’s status in the contract negotiations. “We don’t have an answer yet as far as the financials and what the contract amount’s going to be,” he added of the society’s bud-get request of $186,000 from the county. “But we were able to ex-press some of our concerns about some of the information that had been presented and we’re also doing a little bit of due diligence as far as what other jurisdictions pay for animal facilities – we’re doing the homework ourselves.” Stanley deferred to Doug Scott for any comment on shelter or board personnel issues related to the contract discussion. “I told you – no we can’t,” Scott said of a second April �0 request to discuss his perspective of any aspect of the work session or shelter and society policies.

Humane Society President Doug Scott attempts to distance himself from evil in wake of April 30 closed work session with county staff over funding and oth-er issues.

“When we get behind closed doors, and we turn the lights down low ...” - the media was reduced to hum-ming Charlie Rich’s country classic outside the WCGC caucus room as county staff met with Humane Soci-ety President Douglas R. Scott on April 30.


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Local ebay whiz makes selling your stuff a breeze

By Dan McDermottWarren County Report

You’ll know Scott Valdez when you see him. Or at least you’ll recognize his Toyota Highlander with its colorful “I $ELL FOR YOU ON ebay” stickers. That is, in a nutshell, what Val-dez does. But he had a few delays getting started. Not that he is complaining. “One was a girl and one was a boy,” says Valdez, local ebay sell-er and the proud father of two youngsters who arrived shortly after he conceived the idea of be-ing a middleman between wary

ebayers and the increasingly complex and risky world of on-line auctions. “I started selling stuff on ebay almost ten years ago. About five years ago I decided it would be a good business idea to help others sell online. Then I had a daughter and then my son. So I have finally found the time to get this idea rolling.” And roll he does..to your home or business where he evalu-ates the potential of your salable items, photographs them and lists them on ebay. Then Valdez sells them online and ships them for you. Valdez collects a listing

fee and pays ebay. “You end up getting 75% of the price an items sells for. If it doesn’t sell you pay nothing,” he says. One of the reasons that Val-dez can make that guarantee is that he is pretty good at know-ing what does and does not sell on the site. Historically, some of the hotter items are electronics, pottery/glass, jewelry, dolls, toys, coins/money, artwork, cars, car parts, any antiques, collectibles, musical instruments, tickets to any concert (especially sold out events) and sporting event tick-ets. Heavy items may not sell well due to the higher shipping cost. An anvil might be a bad choice. But Valdez has had good luck with cars. “I am currently listing a souped-up 19�0 Ford Model A.” Valdez recently sold a $10,000 bulldozer to a collector in Alberta, Canada. (Yes, Valdez confirmed, there apparently are bulldozer collectors.) Valdez says his biggest find was a painting he bought at a local yard sale for $�. He later sold it on ebay for about $�00. “I was hooked,” he said. To reach Scott Valdez, call him at 5�0-6��-�10� or 571-��-797� or you can visit his website at iS-ellForUonline.com

Why is the Redbud Pink?Every spring the same question comes up when the beautiful redbuds grace our landscape- why is the redbud called redbud when, in fact, the buds are fuscia or pink? So question in my mind, I visited the local library and found the following in-formation: Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) is a small, short-lived decidu-ous tree found throughout the eastern United States. Redbud is also known as Judas-tree. According to legend, Judas Iscariot hanged himself from a branch of the European species Cercis siliquastrum. Eastern redbud is a strikingly conspicuous tree in the spring because it flowers before other tree leaves form. The wood is heavy, hard, and close-grained, but because of the small size and irregular shape of the tree it is of no commercial value as a source of lumber. This tree is most valued as an ornamental and is extensively planted. Rosy pink flowers appear in April. Reddish-purple leaves change to dark green, then to yellow. It forms a spread-ing, graceful crown. A lot of information but still no answer to my question. I checked many arboretums on line- even our own Blandy Farm. There is just no information about why the redbud is called a redbud so I’ve come up with my own theory. Because it has a “coat of many colors” pink in the spring, reddish purple in the summer, and then yellow in the fall- if you blend all of those colors, you do indeed find that red is the prominent color. So there you have it- next spring when the redbuds bloom, I will no longer wonder.

- Photo and story- Mary Ellen South


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Page 1� • Warren County Report • Mid May, �008


A Candlelight Vigil for three lo-cal family members who died in or as a result of a house fire in the early morning hours of April 17 drew several hundred people to the Front Royal Moose Lodge the evening of April ��. Eight-year-old Madison Cook and her four-year-old sister Ste-vie died in the blaze that quickly engulfed their three-level home. Their father Steven died two day later in the Washington Hospital Center from injuries sustained in the fire. At the vigil one week after the fire Steven Cook was re-membered for trying to save his daughters despite the severity of his own injuries. The presence of Steven Cook’s widow, Melissa, who survived injuries suffered in the fire – and other family members, friends, Lodge members and well wishers created an emotionally charged atmosphere that left even strang-ers to the Cook family in tears. The charred remains of the Cooks’ Anderson Street home lies within plain sight of Front Royal Moose Lodge 8�9 where the Cooks were members. Per-sonal messages, condolences, flowers and other gestures of concern began appearing along the neighborhood fence line off John Marshall Highway within days of the fire. The candlelight vigil was or-ganized by 18-year-old Caitlyn Caputo, a waitress at the Moose Lodge, with the help of other Lodge officials. Caputo said she had waited on the family about a week prior to the fire and felt some gesture of caring by the Lodge toward the family was appropriate. However, Caputo said she never expected the huge April �� turnout extending well beyond the Lodge membership.

An age old question

Jim Bunce, pastor of the Mar-low Heights Baptist Church, ad-dressed the emotional impact of one family’s tragedy on an entire community. Bunce reminded the crowd that “since Cain killed his

brother Abel” in the first Bibli-cal generation the world has been a harsh place in which to live. Bunce noted that while that harshness is often lost in our day-to-day lives – “when it happens in our community, in our town – it becomes personal.” While the question of why bad things happen to good people is one that has haunted mankind throughout history, Bunce said we are left to cling to our faith and our hope that in Eternity the seemingly unanswerable will be resolved. Bunce referenced the Biblical story of Job and his afflictions. While the Marlow Heights min-ister said Job never received the answer to why such things are visited upon the innocent the experience made him view the world in a new and fresher way. “Look at what’s happened here already,” Bunce told the crowd

gathered for the Cook fam-ily Candlelight Vigil. “In this last week we’ve been reminded of the value of human life. Our family members and our friends are not to be taken for granted. Instead, every day is a day to love them more and let them know that we love them. “We’ve been reminded over these past seven days how pre-cious today is – because this is the only day that we’re guaranteed to have. And we need to make the most of this day because there might not be a tomorrow.“And we’ve also been reminded that as a community we have a responsibility to each other.”

News or intrusion?

As a reporter working a “story” at the April �� memorial event I found myself wondering wheth-er I had crossed the line of re-

sponsibility as I took pictures of grieving family members. These were, after all, not celebrities or those seeking a spot in public life. They were thrust into the public eye tragically and involuntarily. But the thought that the face of tragedy might stimulate the com-munity response to fundraising efforts for the family’s surviving members overcame that guilt. The following day I discussed the Candlelight Vigil with WZRV/WFTR News Director Mario Retrosi during the station’s News at Noon broadcast. Asked what I had taken from

the event, I told Retrosi, “I think as Reverend Bunce said – when the everyday tragedies of the world that we so often take for granted hit close to home it be-comes personal. And in a small town community, which to a large extent Front Royal still is, that sense of personal grief and desire to help can reach out be-yond a neighborhood across an entire community. “And I think that’s what we saw developing last night at the Moose Lodge and my hope is that that

ElectChris HollowayTown Council

Issues

• Increase council’s role in improving recreationalopportunities for all our citizens; particularly ouryouthandseniors

•Mustimprovetownandcountyrelationsthroughproper,professional,constructivecommunication

•MakeFrontRoyalabusinessfriendlytownbynotoverregulatingourcitizens.Governmentisheretohelpusnothurtus!

Ifyouhaveanyquestionspleasecallmycellphoneat540-771-7653

Vote May 6th for Chris Holloway

Authorized by Chris Holloway, Candidate

“Born and Raised in Front Royal”ELECT Hollis L. Tharpe Mayor“A man who talks straight, treats people right and will bring strength back to the Mayors office”

Experience 4 Years on town council 36 Years small business owner Residential and Commercial building Integrity Strong work Ethic Sense of Fiscal Responsibility Strong Character Values Member of American Legion-- 5 years Loyal order of Moose-- 16 years Benevolent and Protective order of Elks--14 years Past Military Service United States Marine corps

IF ELECTED MAYOR I will work hard with council and staff:

To reduce real estate taxesFind new or improve our present water sources

Improve traffic flow thru consistent speed limits and Synchronized traffic signals

I WILL SUPPORT Continued Tax- Relief for the Elderly Public Safety The Comprehensive Plan Balanced Controlled Growth

Thank you for considering me as your Mayor and I ask for your Vote

on May 6th

“ I WILL NOT VOTE FOR ANY TAX INCREASE ” - Sincerely, Hollis

Authorized by Hollis L. Tharpe,

Candidate for Mayor

En memoriam“In this last week we’ve been reminded of the value of human life. Our family members and our friends are not to be taken for granted. Instead, every day is a day to love them more and let them know that we love them … And we’ve also been reminded that as a community we have a responsibility to each other.” – Pastor Jim Bunce

As one family suffers, a community offers supportLoss of father, two young children mourned at Candlelight Vigil

See Vigil, next pg.

Mid May, �008 • Warren County Report • Page 1�

AUTHOR:RACHELVASSELForewordbyMichaelEricDy-son

Downthroughtheages,muchhas been documented regard-ingthedistinctiverelationshipbetweenfathersanddaughters.WhetheritbeaShakespeareanreference(suchasLearandhisCordelia) or the accounts ofdignitaries and their familiesintheWhiteHouseorabroad,thissubject isnotarevelation.However,inDaughtersofMen,we are presented with someremarkable portraits of whatone might consider ‘ordinary’fathers and their extraordi-narydaughters. However,theconclusion that one is able todrawafterreadingthisbookisthat these fathersare,orwere,far from ordinary and perse-vered to bless their daughterswith ‘gifts’ that could only bereceivedthroughtheirveryex-ceptionalstylesofparenting.

Thecontentcontainedwithin these forty-oneessays (along withsomeexceptionalvisu-als) eloquently dem-onstrates the fact thatalthough each is veryindividualandunique,the two elements thatseemed to be reiter-ated time and againwere guidance andlove. These qualitieswere constantly pres-entandafforded thesewomenthefoundationwhich inevitably en-abled them to becomeaccomplished in theirchosen endeavors.Words that substanti-ated these standards,suchas integrity, faith,honesty, strength, hu-mility,sacrifice,arejusta few that prevailed through-out this book and became thetorchbearers, so to speak, for

these women as they gainedtheirplaces in theworld. Thebookalsounderscoredthefactthatthiskindofloveanddedi-cation iscolorblindand that itmattersnotwhatyoulooklikebutwhoyouare,whatyoube-

comeandwhatyougivebackinthislifethatcounts. An excerptfrom the book, APurpose DrivenLife by Rick War-ren, seems to sum-marize the codethese fathers livedby:Thebestuseoflifeislove.Thebestexpression of loveis time. The besttimetoloveisnow.This message mayseemsimplisticbutthemagnitudeofitsimplementation issoprevalentinthisbook and some-thing,itisbelieved,thatcanberespon-dent to countlessfathers….of whom

many have had the privilegeandhonorofknowingandlov-ing.

SheilaLamonzs/Reviewer

(The Front Royal Women’s Re-source Center and Royal Oak Bookshop donate books to Samu-els Public Library that are by or about women. The complete list of 89 books placed in the Library is available at the Bookshop or Library, and at www.frwrc.org. “Daughters of Men” was a recent donation and is available for checkout.)

Literature

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emotion will continue into the type of support this family will need in the coming weeks and months. “It sort of reminds me of the way this community responded to the Iraq war injuries of Sgt. Arthur “Bunky” Woods – that response helped the family re-fit a home and provide a vehicle that has allowed Sgt. Woods to return home and pick up his life despite his injuries and pa-ralysis. In fact, he’s now taking classes at LFCC and is truly home again. “And I think the best we can hope for is that the surviv-ing Cook family members are made aware that this commu-nity will stand behind them emotionally and with material support as available. “And in the end I think that is the attraction and advantage of small-town America – it can remain personal for an entire community in a world that of-ten seems too large, and too impersonal to make a differ-ence in.”

Donations

Those wishing to contrib-ute to the Cook family may do so through the Front Royal Moose Lodge 8�9, 1��0 John Marshall Highway, Front Roy-al, Va. ��6�0, 5�0 6�6-6�55; or The Dynamic Life Praise and Worship Center, 1600 John Marshall Highway, Front Roy-al, Va. ��6�0, 5�0 6�6-9595 or 6�6-8�55.

Vigil, from 12

DAUGHTERS OF MEN Portraits of African-American Women and Their Fathers

Page 1� • Warren County Report • Mid May, �008

Front Royal Front Royal voters will elect three town council members and a new mayor on Tuesday, May 6, �008.

FR candidates find a foe – the bailing incumbentsSparring mayoral opponents highlight sparsely attended Candidates Forum


On April �� at the only “official” public gathering of all candidates for office in the May 6 Front Roy-al Town elections one opponent finally appeared to surface from the mire of make-nice politick-ing characteristic of the race thus far – the incumbent council and town leadership. Council candidate Shae Park-er’s opening comment – “Front Royal needs to get better marks on working and playing well with others” – seemed to strike a gen-eral consensus among four coun-cil and two mayoral candidates

that business as usual among the incumbent office holders has been less than satisfactory. However, with no incumbents running for reelection – who benefited most from that con-sensus remains to be seen. And it was hard to judge winners and losers from a crowd of about 50 gathered in the spacious Warren County High School auditorium for the April �� event. Parker joins former Council-man Carson Lauder, building contractor Chris Holloway, and current town planner Tom Con-key in a race for three town coun-cil seats being vacated by Stan Brooks, Eileen Grady and Vice

Mayor Tim Darr. Throw in a mayor’s race be-tween current and former Coun-cilmen Eugene Tewalt and Hollis Tharpe … not to mention council write-in candidate Robert “Rob-bie” Tennett … and you have a race for office that has been less than volatile thus far in defining substantive differences between the candidates. However, those heard from April �� in a Forum sponsored by the Local Chamber of Commerce, NAACP and Women’s Resource Center, appeared to distance themselves collectively from re-cent council initiatives that have distanced the Front Royal Town government from both the War-ren County Board of Supervisors and the town-county Economic Development Authority. All six ballot-candidates indi-cated a belief relations with the county government have suffered unnecessarily in recent years – “we need to get away from pride and work with the county” may-oral candidate Hollis Tharpe said, catching the general candidates’ mood of the evening. Neither did any of the can-didates react very positively to

council’s current Resolution seeking a redistribution of Eco-nomic Development assets into a joint town-county account. Mayoral candidate Tewalt – the only incumbent councilman to vote against the town’s EDA Resolution – drew only agree-ment from his opponent, when he stated – “I am 100 percent in favor of leaving the EDA as it is. I’d give them a pat on the back, I think they’ve done a great job.” “Is the system broke? – Abso-lutely not. I one hundred percent support leaving the EDA as it is,” Tharpe said.

Mayoral head butting

If there was substantive oppo-sition expressed it finally came in the mayoral comments of Tewalt and Tharpe. While no one opposed studying the idea of a unification of town

and county governmental func-tions, Tewalt separated himself from the field by stating outright support for the idea of consolida-tion in the long run. “Everyone could prosper if it was done properly … it could be the best of two worlds with one governing body,” Tewalt said an eventual union of town and county governments. Tharpe, like the four coun-cil candidates, said looking into consolidation couldn’t hurt but that bringing two very disparate municipal functions together was likely some time away from seri-ous consideration. Tewalt stood by his vote with the council majority to include the town in a 50-year commit-ment to coal-fired power plants to be built in Illinois and Ohio. He cited the reality of coal pro-duction in the present and the advantage of the AMP-Ohio

From left, Front Royal Town Council candidates Chris Holloway, Shae Parker, Tom Conkey and Carson Lauder chat with Warren County Builders Association Chairman Larry Andrews after addressing a March 26, 2008 Builders Association meeting at the Warren County Government Center.

Front Royal Mayor hopefuls Eugene Tewalt and Hollis Tharpe enjoy a cordial moment before addressin a March 26, 2008 meeting of the Warren County Build-ers Association.

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Front RoyalFront Royal voters will elect three town council members and a new mayor on Tuesday, May 6, �008.

Council write-in candidate Robert M. Tennett, center, has mayoral candidate Hollis Tharpe in his sights as council forum begins without him.

project to build two coal plants financed in part by municipal partners looking to lock in lower electric prices. However, Tewalt said the town should aggressively pursue cleaner alternative sourc-es to fill out its long-term energy portfolio. The AMP-Ohio coal contract is forecast to provide �0 to �0 percent of the town’s future energy needs at locked-in lower costs. “I don’t like coal-fired power – coal is dirty,” Tharpe countered. “We talk about going green and commit to coal at the same time – it doesn’t fit. I understand it’s cheaper and China is going that way … but I do not like coal pow-er.” Tewalt also said the town should explore piggy-backing funds for crucial road improve-ment projects like Leach’s Run Parkway to an anticipated $�0-million bond issue that will be required to build a new state of the art and federally mandated wastewater treatment plant. Tewalt noted that Leach’s Run

Parkway connecting Happy Creek Road to John Marshall Highway has been on the drawing board for decades without available funding. He said the possibility of acquiring some financial help from private interests looking to develop commercially in the area, along with additional bond revenue could finally bring the project forward. Tharpe disagreed on mixing utility and road funds in a single bond issue. “I don’t think commingling funds is a good idea,” Tharpe said. “[The town] is in the water busi-ness, not in the road business.” He suggested any bond issue for roads should be done separately from required utility upgrades.

Council hopefuls & EDA

“If you take everything away from an organization how does it function? Taking the EDA’s mon-ey is unproductive,” Lauder said in response to a question about the current council Resolution

on the EDA. “If I’m elected I will work with the EDA … on devel-opment of the Avtex site and oth-er initiatives.” Holloway said he did not agree with a move to reduce the EDA’s assets and mission – “I think they’ve done a good job,” Hol-loway said, adding that his only complaint was that some devel-opment initiatives, like Royal Phoenix, seemed to be progress-ing slowly. “You can’t pull the plug mid-stream,” Parker said of EDA func-tions. “In general I think they should be allowed to continue their current mission.” Parker added that he did not oppose ex-ploring some changes in the ex-isting format of EDA operations. Only Conkey, a current town planner appointed by the in-cumbent council, acknowledged potential issues of accountability with the EDA. Conkey agreed the EDA required some autonomy to continue its mission of spurring community-wide economic de-velopment, which he called vital. However, he added that council’s concern appeared to be that the EDA used public funds without always serving the public inter-est. “The EDA must be in tune with the citizens and I’m not sure that is always the case,” Conkey said, echoing concerns expressed by

council incumbents Stan Brooks and Bret Hrbek in forwarding the Resolution seeking redistribution of a majority of the EDA’s cash as-sets directly to town and county municipal control.

As a pre-election follow-up to the forum, Warren County Report submitted several questions to the candidates. Their responses follow are reported on following pages.

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Candidates Q&A Front Royal voters will elect three town council members and a new mayor on Tuesday, May 6, �008.

Questions

Eugene Tewalt for

mayor

Hollis Tharpe for mayor Tom Conkey for council

What sets you apart from the other candidate(s), why vote for you?

I have been on the Town Council for six years, which give me the insight on the problems within the town. I retired as Director of Pub-lic Works/Engineer for the town, this help me to know the town in-frastructure and the needs. I also am retired so that I can spend more time with the needs of the town.

My challenger for the mayor’s seat supports using coal, which is the dirtiest fossil fuel you can use. That is a detriment to the environment. To power a power plant in Ohio to produce electricity at a lower cost to us today without thinking about the ramifications it will cause tomorrow; saving a few dollars today on electricity and spending millions in years to come cleaning the environment is not a sound decision. He thinks borrowing $35 to $40 million for the upgrade of the water treatment plant and piggybacking road construction funds, maybe another $15 to $20 million for a total of $50 to $60 million debt is okay – do I need to go further? Yes I do – a bond of that magnitude would equate to about an 18-cent increase in real estate taxes. Can you afford him as mayor? I say not.Why vote for me? I support total tax exemption for the elderly; the Comprehensive Plan, balanced and controlled growth, public safety and last but not least, no new taxes.

Several things set me apart from the other candidates: 1. I have experience managing budgets on the scale of the an-nual budget for the town and much larger ones. 2. I am a problem solver and trained negotiator. I find that ego is almost always the biggest hurdle that needs to be overcome to get two people (groups, or whatever) to come to a workable action plan. I am far more interested in solving the problem than in showing that I was right or even getting my way. 3. My business experience enables me to work with large groups of people. One-on-one communication is important but most of the other candidates have limited experience and understanding of the processes that need to be brought to bear to get consensus within a disparate group. Without consensus, the group is ineffec-tive. 4. I will bring new ideas to the Town Council. Electing me to the town council will ensure that this Town Council is effective and doesn’t just do what has always been done. Tradition is a good thing, but it’s almost always better if a group has new solutions to consider.

There seemed to be a con-sensus at the forum that something is amiss in the way the current council deals with other entities like the county and EDA. Do you agree & to what do you at-tribute that breakdown in good relations and what would you do to fix it?

I believe that the EDA is doing a good job, but we need more in-teraction with the EDA. We need to talk more about the problems that we have with the county, this will bring us closer together as one body.

I do agree this counsel has had horrible relations, and I use the word relations lightly, with the board of supervi-sors. Whether it was over water and development one could only speculate. The possibility of losing a power struggle between the two entities may also weigh in on the issue. It may have been that some members of the counsel couldn’t see past the town limits.First, as mayor I would consult with counsel and at that stage I would meet with the chairman of the board of supervisors, give him a firm handshake and assure him that the new sitting council is ready to get down to business.

Each of the other groups you mentioned is made up of people who have different ideas and different agendas. The one thing all the people have in common is that they all want to do a good job. In order to get the other groups to work with the Town Coun-cil (and the Council with them) we need to identify the common ground and build on that. We absolutely have to have honest, open communication between the parties. People need to know that they can and sometimes must give up a little to accomplish a lot. We need to have regular meetings that are open and honest exchanges of ideas and concerns. These meetings are probably best at a committee level because it is almost impossible to get a large group of people to achieve consensus on the best approach to solve a problem.

Can a happy medium be reached between lower utility costs, electric in par-ticular, and “green” initia-tives like alternative energy sources? If clean is more ex-pensive should municipali-ties bite the bullet and raise taxes to cover the costs to protect the environment and reduce greenhouse gas emissions?

With the cost of fuel continuing to rise, the cost of electricity will continue to rise. The public needs to know that 85% of all electric-ity is generated by coal. We are trying to buy into a hydropower generation plant at the present, this will be one clean source of power. The public needs to begin to preserve electricity [as part of] the “green” initiative.

There is never a happy medium between utility cost and green initiatives. With the cost of fuel skyrocketing daily with no end in sight we have no choice by to buy it. Electricity on the other hand, is a commodity that with experienced help can be purchased by bids. How do you deal with the powerful electric companies? You hire someone that knows the ins and outs, is known and respected in the electric business. That person we needed was employed by the Town of Front Royal at one time. Too bad the town’s pride got in the way of hiring this person to deal with the electric companies. What does council really know about buying electricity without the help of an expert in that field?Moving on to green initiatives, I believe the state and federal government should lead the charge and fund efforts to protect the environment and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Municipalities on the other hand shouldn’t just bite the bullet and raises taxes for environmental issues. They already have too many things to deal with now.

Green initiatives take lots of different forms, but most involve an investment. Sometimes the investment is small like the decision to install compact florescent lights or motion sensors in the lights in a conference room or office, and sometimes the investment is a lot bigger. As stewards of the taxpayers’ money, we need to en-sure that we invest their money wisely. We always need to look at the return on the investment. At what point does the investment cross over from being a liability to become an asset? We might decide to invest in a wind farm. It will cost money, but at some point it will pay for itself and then start making money. There are indeed some green initiatives that don’t pay for themselves in dollars. We need to look at those investments and understand what the trade-offs are. I’m not sure the people of Front Royal are ready to see their taxes used purely for the sake of some nebu-lous goal, but there are lots of things we CAN do that will either pay for themselves in reduced energy costs or in real benefits to the town. There are so many things that we can do that return a benefit that maybe we use those returns to fund the initiatives that return something more ephemeral.

How high a priority is im-proving transportation in-frastructure, ie: Leach’s Run Parkway and other Happy Creek area improvements to facilitate economic devel-opment in that area? How should those improvements be funded?

Transportation is the top of my priority list. We need to work with the EDA, Warren Memorial Hospital, to design and build the Leach’s Run Parkway and con-nector roads. The town will have to take a transportation bond to fund these projects.

Not being the highest priority but a much needed road – the Leach’s Run Parkway has been and was moved back in 2003 because council believed it would be better to acquire the needed right of ways through proffers from developers to avoid condemnations and that would save millions of tax dollars paying for the needed right of ways for the Leach’s Run Parkway. Who should fund this someday needed crossroad from John Marshall Highway to Happy Creek Road? – Maybe VDOT. They are in the business of moving traffic. Maybe they can incorporate this project with the Happy Creek Road improvements. Also, keeping in mind Leach’s Run Parkway would mostly serve county residents such as from Shenandoah Shores, Shenandoah River Estates, Shenan-doah Farms and the hundreds of homes along Happy Creek Road maybe the county could join the town with a funding formula along a 25/75 percent ratio. That possibility could come about if we as a strong counsel would work side by side with the board of supervisors. Always keep in mind that with a positive attitude many things could evolve between the town and county and that would be a win-win for all of us.(We threw a bonus question Mr. Tharpe’s way due to his no new tax statement.) Is it realistic to make a blan-ket “no tax hike” statement with the town facing a $35-$40 million mandated wastewater plant construction expense and other vital transportation infrastructure upgrades?Absolutely one can make that statement and stick to it. When you give your word to the voter not to raise taxes, that’s exactly what you do – it’s that simple. You don’t go back on your word. If you do all that trust that was built between you and the voter is lost and you’d never be trusted or believed in again. Hopefully the present council has already made a decision before construction on how to pay for this improvement of the water treatment plant expansions. You don’t spend $35-$40 million tax dollars without first knowing where and how you are going to pay the debt. That would be an insane way to do business.

I believe that building Leach Run and enhancing Happy Creek Road are vital if we are going to allow development in that area. If we allow housing to be developed in the Leach Run Planning District and do not build Leach Run Parkway, it would be a huge mistake. My biggest concern is that with significant development in the area and without Leach Run Parkway, neighborhood streets will become commuter avenues and truck ways and some kid is going to get hurt or worse crossing what should be a quiet neigh-borhood road. Leach Run Parkway will alleviate the strain on Commerce Avenue and provide needed access from the area to John Marshall Highway. I would like to see proffers from builders and developers offset the cost to build the Parkway, but I think the Town needs to build the road however it can, including float-ing a bond to pay for it. Happy Creek Road also needs to be improved but most of that road is under VDOT’s jurisdiction. The town has already done just about as much as it can by repaving and opening up several of the intersections so that they are safer for large-vehicle traffic.


Candidates Q&AFront Royal voters will elect three town council members and a new mayor on Tuesday, May 6, �008.

Chris Holloway for council

Carson Lauder for council Shae Parker for council Write-in candidate Robert M. Tennett for council

I’ve been a part of this commu-nity for over 40 years. I want to see Front Royal be a community that we all can be proud of. I promise that I will work with my fellow council members as well as the board of supervisors.

I bring experience as a former Front Royal Town Councilman and Vice Mayor. I was a Councilman when Front Royal pur-chased the rights to the water from the McKay Springs. The value of that significant water supply will serve our citizens in the future. I currently represent the town on the Northern Shenandoah Valley Regional Executive Committee. That position gives me a background on environmental issues including clean air and water, on controlled growth, and trans-portation. As a Christian family man; I have raised my own children in this town. I have learned the importance of being a positive role model, constantly focusing not only on today but the future. The decisions we make or neglect to make on a daily basis do indeed impact the lives of our children, grandchildren and our future generations.

Just as our citizens come from a wide array of backgrounds and have dif-ferent views on the issues, so do the candidates for Town Council. What sets any citizen apart from another? To the question of why vote for me? I want to be representative of all the citizens of Front Royal, and not ap-proach this with a pre-established agenda. I’ve noticed that what really concerns the citizens is not always what the media focuses on. I’m listen-ing to our residents and their concerns and want to be their voice on the Town Council.

Other than the fact that I’m a life long resident of Front Royal – born and raised here – I’m a listener and I believe in honest dialogue between the voters and candidates. I have no political or business related agenda. My sole purpose for running and why the good citizens of Front Royal should vote for me is simple: I have a desire to serve my community. I feel it is the duty of every American sometime in their lives to step forward and help out and serve their community. And this is the way I choose to do so.

There is a huge perception that this council does not work well with oth-ers. I do not know if it’s personalities or a complete lack of understanding the issues. The goal should be that we work with others for the bet-terment of our community, not for some politician’s ego. I vow that I will always look out for the best interests of the town citizens, while remembering that we all are county residents.

Problems often occur because of breakdowns in communi-cation and turf concerns. I’d suggest joint meetings of the full Town Council and Board of Supervisors three times a year. These meetings scheduled throughout the year would provide planned opportunities to sit at the table and talk. I think we need to focus on win-win outcomes as we work through issues that affect all of our citizens: water, develop-ment, alternative energy, redevelopment of the old Avtex site, traffic control and the comprehensive plan. New members on the town council and a new EDA Executive Director create the opportunity for a fresh start.

I think that all of our citizens of the Town & County would agree that rela-tions can always be improved. I’m not sure I would point the finger at the current council, anymore than I would point the finger at any other board or member thereof, assigning blame will not remedy the situation. I think we need to look at the future of the community as a whole. The appointed and elected officials need to stay open minded and focus on the good of the community and not any individual entity, we need to leave the ego’s at the door and collectively pool the resources and ideas to create the model community I believe everyone wants to become. We are all working towards the same goal, however sometimes some individuals want all the credit, and are not willing to share in the greater good.

Yes, there is something wrong in the way the current council deals with other entities like the county and EDA but it is important to point out that all parties hold part of the blame and should take ownership for their part in the problem. It is not the fault of one party. The lines of communication have broken down between the parties. What is the cause of this break down? Quite simple, greed and the age-old syndrome of “too many chiefs” have got in the way. The town wants the money the EDA has amassed returned to the town and county coffers and only leave $200,000 in the hands of the EDA to do its job. And some members of the Town and Coun-ty Government want to tell the EDA how to do business. The only problem with that is that the EDA already has a very good handle on how to do run the EDA. The EDA has done a good job and should be allowed to continue to do so the way they have been doing it. Now what do we do about this infighting between the parties involved? Quite simply all three parties need to sit down with a mediator and come to the conclusion that the EDA is fine the way it is and should be left alone. To do any less would do a great disservice to the taxpayers of Warren County and Front Royal.

First and foremost, I will not raise taxes on our citizens. In light of the current economic climate we cannot put more burdens on our citizenry. The town government should take the lead in finding ways to cut en-ergy expenses through conserva-tion and alternative energy sources. But we should always consider the costs involved. It won’t do us much good if we go totally green and no one can afford it.

The Town Council is beginning to explore alternative energy and has already made some decisions to control the costs of producing electricity. If alternative energy is more expensive, it will be in the start-up phase. It may be possible to borrow funds and find grants to offset the initial higher costs for al-ternative energy. I would never choose to raise taxes if there were any other way.

I believe with enough research, lower cost alternative energy sources can be found. It’s just a matter of doing the homework, researching the options and finding what is best for the community. As for the Town raising taxes to provide lower cost utilities, I don’t believe that is even an option. The general fund which taxes are used for is separate from enterprise funds. Your utility bill pays for utilities (refuse, water/sewer, electricity) property taxes pay for services (police, public works, etc). Just as we shouldn’t use income from the electric department to offset the general fund, we should not use taxes to pay for utilities.

A happy medium? – Simply put no. Someone once told me that it is al-ways cheaper to eat unhealthy and more expensive to eat healthier. I have found this to be true. Such is the case with creating a healthier environment. Take coal for example. Most of us will reluctantly agree that coal is a necessary evil. However, we now live in a time when we can now decide just how evil that coal has to be. The plan we are participating in to bring lower electrical rates into Front Royal with AMP-Ohio is going to use a new system of Cleaner Burning Coal Plants. Is this good? No. But better than the old coal burning plants? Yes. Baby steps people; it is all about baby steps. Going green is going to be a very expensive and an ongoing process. Should municipalities raise taxes to pay for going green? Raising Taxes is never a fun thing to talk about when running for office. Should we raise taxes if the need arises? Is going green to save our environment for our children and grandchildren and for the future generations a good reason to raise taxes? If, the key word being “if”, there is no other way to raise the money needed to go green and if raising taxes will not put undo hardship on the Citizens of Front Royal than the answer, reluctantly would have to be yes. But before we jump in and raise taxes let’s pause and explore all other ways in which to raise the money. And the process of going green should be a gradual process. Doing it overnight could result in bankrupting Front Royal.

Improving our infrastructure is very important. By building Leach’s Run Parkway we can accomplish two very important goals: first, we can keep a lot of traffic from going through town just to reach Happy Creek Road; and second, we can open up the industrial park out there and create jobs and expand our tax base. The funding could be accom-plished by floating a bond.

Prior to American Viscose, then Avtex and now Royal Phoenix, there was very little infrastructure around Front Royal. It was only after the announcement that an extremely large textile plant (rayon) was coming and construction started that Front Royal began to grow. Then, the sleepy town needed more roads, new schools, a new hospital, and more new homes. Over 60 years since the first big business came to town, increased planning and oversight are needed to bring busi-nesses and roads to develop Leach’s Run Parkway, the Happy Creek Area, and to complete the development of the Royal Phoenix. Funding for roads follows planning and need. Whatever it takes – a new site for a federal agency, a new hospital building, and other large and medium sized employers- the town, county and EDA need to work together to plan and act to leverage transportation dollars.

Improving the transportation infrastructure is extremely important. How-ever we can’t just undertake a major project such as these without study. If a parkway is constructed what effect will it have on the connector roads, if Happy Creek Rd. and John Marshall Highway east of town are improved is there a need for a parkway? What type of traffic do you anticipate on these roads, are the adjoining intersections adequate? All of this has to be taken into account, but this can’t be 10-year project. We need to focus on our current and future needs. I like to compare our current situation to the late 1880’s in Front Royal. The Front Royal & Riverton Improvement Company looked to market the towns as the Twin Cities, and produced a map of what the town would look like, where the streets would be, etc.We need to have an overall vision map of where these new roads should go, and what the next era of Front Royal will look like. As for paying for these improvements we need to look at who will benefit. If it is for econom-ic development, perhaps the EDA can share in the funding, if it benefits county residents outside of the town limits perhaps the county can help fund it. We need to rely on all of these partners to accomplish this and many other tasks, because one thing is for sure, and that is that the state is not going to allocate the funds and build the parkway for us.

I happen to think that having safe roads on which to travel on is a high priority. Happy Creek Road has seen a very large increase of 18-wheelers and other large vehicles. Happy Creek Road was not designed to carry that kind of traffic. Safety of our citizens and other travelers must take priority. So I do believe that improvements to the Happy Creek area need to be a priority. Economic development is sometimes a good thing. So that should also be taken into account when considering making these much needed changes. This is where the Town’s Comprehensive plan comes into play. I support the Town’s Comprehensive Plan and should refer to it when making these types of decisions. The same answer applies to the Leach’s Run Pkwy. It is needed and yes it is a high priority. Now, on to the question as to how to pay for it – I believe in this case bonds are a good way to go. Another way is possibly getting the new businesses that want to come into the Happy Creek area to pay for some of the cost of the improvements in the form of proffers.


Jennifer McDonald“I think that after sitting down with the town and better understanding their goals and vision for the EDA that all involved will be able to work together on making this a positive transition.” – Soon to be EDA Executive Director Jennifer R. McDonald

McDonald takes helm of EDA at crucial juncture Former intern and project manager returns to hometown EDA


We don’t know whether to con-gratulate hometown girl Jennifer McDonald for her appointment as Executive Director of the Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority or warn her – careful what you wish for, you might get it. McDonald’s professional wish was realized following an April �5 EDA board closed session. Her appointment was approved unanimously. McDonald was appointed from a field of seven applicants, including five locals, several of who also had previous connections to the EDA. A Front Royal native, 1995 graduate of Warren County High School and 1999 graduate of

High Point University in North Carolina, McDonald will take over the Executive Directorship of the EDA on June 1. And bar-ring some Divine intervention, McDonald’s two-year contract will begin at a time of some tur-moil between the EDA and its municipal partners. The county government and EDA board are both currently pondering a Front Royal Town Council Resolution seeking both reorganization of the municipal funding and ap-pointment mechanisms for the EDA, as well as a redistribution of a bulk of the EDA’s cash assets and any future revenues from land sales. While the EDA is under no le-gal obligation to comply with the town requests, the future rela-tionship between the community economic development authority and the town government would appear to be pivotal at this point in time. That is because the focus of much EDA activity over the past two decades – the attraction of industry and commercial de-velopment to the county’s north-side corridor – appears poised to switch to development of land assets within the town limits of Front Royal. Current Interim EDA Executive Director and former board chair-man Michael South has pointed out that �10 of the EDA’s cur-rently owned �88 acres of land lies within the town limits – 160 acres at the Royal Phoenix/Avtex

Superfund Business Park site and 150 acres in the Happy Creek In-dustrial Park area. The economic development of that town land will be tied to millions of dollars of road infrastructure improve-ments the funding source of which has yet to be identified. But despite the challenges she faces, McDonald is thrilled at her new position and the example her appointment can hold for the community’s youth. “I hope that being from here, going away to school and return-ing to receive this appointment will illustrate that professional opportunities are opening up that will allow the youth in this community to go away to school and come back to this town and be successful,” she says. According to an April �9th EDA press release, McDonald was first hired by the EDA as a project and property manager in 1999 after her graduation from High Point. Prior to that McDonald had in-terned at the EDA for three sum-mers. She served under the Executive Directorships of both Stephen Heavener and Paul Carroll prior to her departure into the private sector locally in �005. McDonald also worked with current Interim Executive Director South when he was on the EDA board. South’s interim appointment will overlap McDonald’s tenure during the month of June. McDonald also served with Marla Jones as Co-Interim Ex-ecutive Directors of the EDA for a year before Carroll was hired to replace the departed Heavener in July �00�. We asked McDonald if she is jumping into the frying pan of a sometimes politically volatile job or just coming home? “I applied for this job because I enjoy the work the EDA does for this community. And being from this community I like being a part of the successes the EDA can help bring here,” she said. “I bring the experience of working at the EDA from an internship to the project manager of the organization. I believe that hands-on experience, combined with certifications and continuing education in the field

and knowledge of this communi-ty made my application success-ful. “Have things changed in three years? There are a few differences in how things are done now but the mission of the EDA always re-mains the same – increase the tax base and create jobs,” McDonald said in response to a question. “I feel a lot of time will be spent on the Royal Phoenix project since it is the largest project this com-munity has at the present time. But that doesn’t mean that time will be taken away from all of the other ongoing projects that face the EDA. The EDA is a multi-fac-eted organization that can handle multiple projects at one time and that’s what I intend to do.” Perhaps giving a clue to her perception of another flash point in EDA relations with the town government, McDonald said of the pending third year, second of implementation, of consultant SRI International’s Community Roadmap designed to plot out a comprehensive growth strategy for the next �0 years, “SRI added some insight on the future road-map of this community. How-

ever, I also feel that the EDA is at a place now to implement this roadmap with the help of the town, county, and stakeholders groups.” And as for that tricky little reso-lution on the EDA’s structure and assets the town has presented to the county, if not yet to the EDA, McDonald employed a little po-litical savvy in response. “I think that after sitting down with the town and better under-standing their goals and vision for the EDA that all involved will be able to work together on mak-ing this a positive transition.” McDonald said she majored in Political Science and Sociology with a minor in criminal justice and psychology – that should help in this job – at High Point University. McDonald’s two-year contract includes scheduled annual per-formance reviews. She begins at a salary of $90,000 per year with benefits, the same salary South is being paid as interim execu-tive director. Carroll was mak-ing $110,000 with benefits at the time of his sudden departure at the end of October �007.

Jennifer McDonald, left, and EDA Administrative As-sistant Sharyn Mills catch up on some EDA business as McDonald prepares to return to familar ground.

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Page �0 • Warren County Report • Mid May, �008

By Leslie FiddlerWarren County Report

Charlie Buracker introduced his friend and colleague Jose Abreu of Cambiando Vidas around Warren County in late March. Abreu was in the U.S. networking with Cambiando Vidas’ Ameri-can community, building support for its work in the Dominican Re-public. Locally he met students at Christendom College and the Belle Meade Farm School, where he described his society’s work. Cambiando Vidas (Building Communities, Building Hope) is an American non-profit founded to improve lives through educa-tion in the isolated fishing village of Chacala, Mexico. Supported by Rotarians and American retir-ees, Cambiando Vidas has built a library, learning center and com-puter lab; provides student schol-arships and created local jobs. The earliest students are now at-tending university, sponsored by American and Canadian citizens. The society has expanded its operations to the Dominican Re-publican villages of Las Charcas and Paraiso; remote farming com-munities whose residents need hurricane proof housing, educa-tion, health and jobs. The society has responded with a housing program, replacing shacks with concrete block houses at a rate of one a month. The homes, supplied with in-door plumbing and electricity, are built in a week. Cambiando Vidas provides the materials; home owners are chosen by their ability to mobilize friends and family. � and � generations of vil-lagers turn out. School children come too, receiving a practical education. Says Abreu “We change the lives of the people who help us. They work side by side with the community. It is total cultural immersion.” Buracker further de-scribes “At the end of the week you don’t want to leave. You’ve made really good friends.” Buracker is impressed by the respect shown to the village el-ders. “An 18 year old boy took me to his home to meet his grand-mother. He values her wisdom

and love.” As well as maintaining the

building program Abreu wants to develop pre-school, wellness and microfinance programs. He is looking for volun-teers, people who are looking for in-volvement and the chance to improve others’ lives. Buracker and his sons Aaron and Drew are par-ticipating in their

fourth Cambiando Vidas build at

the end of May. Volunteers and support are welcome. For more information contact Charlie Buracker at 6�6-9�10 or via email

at [email protected]

People

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Warren County, VAApply for a Habitat for Humanity house.

Families wishing to apply must:• be Warren County residents for at least 1 year; • be currently living in inadequate or unaffordable housing;

and• have a total family income between 30% and 60% of the HUD medi-an, adjusted for family size. (Ex.: $19,200 - $38,400 for family of 4).

The family selected will enter into partnership with Volunteers from Warren County Habitat for Humanity to build the family’s new, afford-able, 2 or 3-bedroom home (as appropriate for family size) in Warren County.

For application materials, please come to the Meeting Room at Samuels Public Library, 538 Villa Ave., Front Royal, at one of the following times:

Sunday, May 4, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.Thursday, May 8, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

For further information, please call:John Long, President, 1-540-868-1328,

Michael Laing, 635-8751, orBruce White, 635-0415

Warren County Habitat for Humanity adheres to the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. Selection of families will not be based on race, sex, color, age, handicap, religion, national origin, marital or family status, or the fact that income may be derived from any public assistance program.

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Local builders network to improve lives in Third World‘Building communities, building hope’ – Ciambiando Vidas

Cambiando Vidas director Jose Abreu and builder Charlie Buracker.

Mid May, �008 • Warren County Report • Page �1

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Page �� • Warren County Report • Mid May, �008

By Kevin S. EngleWarren County Report

As if paying bills and balancing a budget aren’t stressful enough, I’ve got to add to it. You see, I’m a little on the obsessive-compulsive side. Ok, it’s more than a little. Whenever it’s time to pay what’s due, I go through this routine that drives me nuts, but I have to do it for my own obsessive-compulsive peace of mind. After writing out all the checks that I need to, the routine goes something like this. Did I sign them all? Did I put the right date on them? The right year? Did I spell the numbers cor-rectly? Do they match the actual amount due? Did I put the right check in the right envelope? I don’t want to send my Visa payment to the pro-pane company. Does the return address on the bill show through the window? Is it right side up? And of course, once I’ve actual-ly put the check in the envelope, I have to double and triple check that I’ve signed it. That’s because there’s a very real possibility that my signature may have somehow mysteriously disappeared once inside. Did I put the stamp on the cor-rect side of the envelope? Is it upside down? That envelope flap isn’t sticking very well. I’d sure hate all that work to go to waste if my check fell out and my pay-ment were lost. I’d get hit with a late charge and a finance fee. I’d have to call the credit card com-pany, explain what must have happened, and then send them another check. I better put a piece of tape on the envelope just to be sure. Ok, if I mail this bill one week before it’s due, it should get there on time right? But what if the post office goes on strike? Then what? What if the tractor trailer carrying my bill is in an accident, and all the mail in the truck is scattered to the wind? I’ve seen those stories on the news. It hap-pens. What if a rabid Chihuahua attacks the postal carrier who’s delivering my payment, forcing him or her to drop the mail bag

and high tail it for safety? My wife says I should pay on line. This is the �1st century after all. Get with it. It sounds good. I wouldn’t have to write any checks. That would save me �1 cents in postage, at the current rate, another dime or so for the check itself, plus whatever the envelope costs. Ok, so I could save about 60 cents by paying on line, but what’s my time worth? If

I pay on line, how long will that take? And you know I’ll have to verify and re-verify my Visa ac-count number 15 times to make sure I input it correctly. And how much electricity does my computer use? I’d have to print out a paper confirmation of my payment, plus there’s the cost of printer ink. This is getting com-plicated. I could set up automatic pay-

ments each month. I wouldn’t have to write checks or pay on line. Everything would be auto-matically charged to our cred-it card or deducted from our checking account each month. Great! Or is it? What if there’s not enough money in the check-ing account at the right time to pay that bill? Or what if the post-ing to our credit card puts us over

our limit? Then what? All this stress is giving me a headache. Maybe I should talk to my doctor about it. Does he take Visa? No, cash only. Cash, what’s that? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh-hhhhhhh!!! The author is resting comfort-ably in a nice padded room.

Kevin S. EngleOk, if I mail this bill one week before it’s due, it should get there on time right? But what if the post office goes on strike? Then what? What if the tractor trailer carrying my bill is in an accident, and all the mail in the truck is scattered to the wind?

“I come to you. I do the work. You get the cash.”

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Del. Clifford L. “Clay” Athey, Jr.18th District House of Delegates

Serving Fauquier, Frederick, and Warren County

Stacey & I thank you for the opportunity to serve.

If I can be of any help, please contact me at (540) 635-7917, in Richmond at: (804) 698-1018, by E-Mail at: [email protected], or by mail at: PO Box 406, Room 510 Richmond, VA 23218

The Check’s in the Mail. Or is it?

Mid May, �008 • Warren County Report • Page ��

By Timothy R. ThompsonWarren County Report

With the rising cost of gas this season, many of us are changing our travel plans. Sure the prices are out of control but don’t let that stop you from having a good time. There are many different activities that you can do and it won’t cost the proverbial “arm and a leg.” Do you like camping? Warren County has many different campgrounds that offer many different activities. You can camp at some of these places for less than $25.00 per night. You can take a vacation and not even leave Warren County.

Campgrounds & parks

To start there is Gooney Creek, Front Royal RV and Poe’s South Fork to start a solid list of Warren County camping sites.

What about a nice day at the park, there are some fantastic town and state parks in the area that offer everything from playgrounds to picnic grounds. Pack your lunch and make a day of it, take a good book to read while the kids play. Don’t for-get about the Caverns, Front Royal is the home of Skyline Caverns. Here you can browse the gift shop, tour the beautiful and amazing caverns, take a mini train ride and get lost in the mirror maze. When you are done just drive a little ways down the road to Raymond Guest State Park to finish off the perfect day. And don’t forget about Lu-ray Caverns, they have just the thing for the antique car enthusiast.

Play ball

That’s right, while the high school base-ball seasons are winding down the Front Royal Cardinals MLB Developmental Summer League for college players is fast approaching. So, why not plan on going to see one of our teams this spring and summer. Both Warren County and Skyline High’s varsity baseball teams play at the new and improved “Bing” during the spring semester and the Cards help pick up the slack in the summer. Here is a plan, take the kids to Dinosaur Land early in the day, from there go to the park and let them play and have a picnic lunch. Next thing you know it is game time. Enjoy a night at Warren County’s state of the art youth ball-park.

Breathtaking views

Then there is my own personal favorite – a day on Skyline Drive. There is so much

to see and do on the drive. The entrance fee is $15.00, that may sound high but it gives you a seven-day pass. The Drive has many hiking trails, campgrounds, lodge and many family and educational activities. There are even stables that of-fer horseback riding. I have found that the best way to enjoy the Drive is to take your time, enjoy the many overlooks that boast fantastic views of the valley. Before you go on the Drive remember the concessions are a bit pricey, but if you do it right it will not cost you a car or house payment. Make sure you gas up your car before you go, pack food and if you are going to stay the night, take a tent. There is something about camping in a tent that can just bring the family closer together. Cooking hot dogs on a stick over the campfire, roasting marshmallows and when you are done just sit back and talk to each other. You can truly make this a priceless time, and just before you turn in look up at our beautiful sky, it’s an amaz-ing view. And don’t forget about Andy Guest Shenandoah River State Park, one of the newer jewels in Virginia’s state and river parks system. As with the Drive, some of the views are breathtaking and the river, well it’s right there – fitting after all for “the Canoe Capital of Virginia.” And if you don’t have your own check out Downriver or Front Royal Canoe Companies – they’ll get you downriver and back again.

For granted

Right now you are probably thinking, “I live here, why do I want to vacation here.” I have thought the same thing at times,

but when you actually think about it we live in an amazing area with so much to do. Take your time and look around, see the things you have missed. Take a slow stroll down Main Street, let your impulses be your guide and go into some of the shops you never knew existed. Try food you never knew the town had. We have so many festivals, fairs and events in the area our weekends should never be empty. And

we have enough Flea Markets to keep you busy all weekend. So don’t let the gas prices get you down and destroy your weekend or vacation plans. Take your vacation at home, park your car and use public transportation to get around town. Just take your time, relax and enjoy, you can make this a season to remember.

Timothy ThompsonWhat to do?Gas prices crimping your style – look around your county

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Town politics“You know the thing you need to stress is here at the local level is where you can really make a difference with your vote because just a few votes can make a world of difference.” – WC Electoral Board Chairman Helen Brinkman

Write-in rules – what’s in a name?Are ‘Roger B’ and ‘Mandy the Cop’ enough ballot info for a vote?


I was discussing our late War-ren County Report write-in ticket for mayor-council with Mandy the Front Royal Police manne-quin during a late-April speed trap stakeout along John Mar-shall Highway near Westminster Drive. Mandy approached me about a joint political ticket sponsored under the banner of the ever-popular Warren County Report after seeing my somewhat sub-tle write-in announcement for mayor at the end of the “Write-

in candidate barred from Candi-dates’ Forum” story on page 16 of the “Late April” edition of this paper. “Mandy, what is your last name? I don’t know if writing in Mandy by itself will do,” I told her. My rather taciturn ticket-mate just glared at me from under the brim of her police cap, the sultry odor of coffee and donuts strong in her marked FRPD police cruiser. “It’s bad enough I’ve got to try and get people to type in BI-ANCHINI, much less ROGER in front of it. But I don’t even know how to spell MANNEQUIN without the help of spell check.

“Maybe ‘FRPD MANDY’ would do?” I suggested of one strategic tack – and ROGER REPORTER for me.” Mandy the strong, silent type continued to glare. “I know, I know – they couldn’t even figure out who people were trying to vote for on the presi-dential ballots in Florida in �000. Circles, checks, hanging chads, intent or none. What chance do we have here in little old Front Royal – a cop mannequin and grizzled local reporter?” That said, I realized Front Roy-al and Warren County can have no chads, hanging or otherwise. We’ve got state of the art elec-tronic voting machines – and not the kind made by that com-pany that only counts Republican votes. “Maybe we’ve got a shot,” I said excitedly to my Independent running mate, pulling Mandy’s hand away from her holster. “NO, I didn’t say I wanted to get shot. “Why don’t we drive over and ask somebody at the Registrar’s Office, they’re the local electoral enforcers. They should know,” I suggested gently. Having grown tired of watching thoroughly in-timidated drivers creep along John Marshall Highway at �� mph for several hours, Mandy agreed, threw her cruiser into fourth

gear, peeling up Richmond Road rubber burning, brakes scream-ing and the speedometer nailed at �5. “You’re good,” I said. As we detoured up East Main off Commerce, Mandy clipped a pedestrian who flopped gen-tly onto the cruiser’s hood. “Hey Tom, do you know anything about election laws and write ins,” I asked clinging incumbent

and not up for reelection coun-cilman and defense attorney Tom Sayre struggling to maintain his balance on the police cruiser’s hood. Mandy gestured if she should drop him at Chester Street near the remains of his office recent-ly bulldozed by a wayward cab. Sayre signaled no, that he was headed to the courthouse, giving us time to continue the conversa-

tion. “It is my understanding that in order for a write-in vote to count, the name of the candidate must by typed ‘so that the intent of the voter is clear.’ See Va. Code Section ��.�-6��,” the councilor said citing state law. “Therefore, should one want to vote for a particular write-in candidate, the voter should try to spell the first and last name of the write-in can-

didate as best as possible,” Sayre concluded as Mandy stopped suddenly in front of the court-house allowing the counselor to slide softly to the street on his feet. Sayre thanked Mandy for the ride and added, “A 1971 Attorney General’s Opinion states in part that ‘the misspelling of a name should not invalidate a write-in vote otherwise properly cast, nor

Two new candidates have recently announced write-in campaigns for town council.

When she isn’t campaigning door-to-door for the Bi-anchini-Mannequin write-in ticket for town council, Mandy works hard to keep Front Royal streets safe from dangerous speeders.

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Town politics“It is my understanding that in order for a write-in vote to count, the name of the candidate must by typed ‘so that the intent of the voter is clear.’ See Va. Code Section ��.�-6��. Therefore, should one want to vote for a particular write-in candidate, the voter should try to spell the first and last name of the write-in can-didate as best as possible.” – Tom Sayre explaining write-in law

should the failure to set forth in a write-in vote the full given name of an individual invalidate such vote. If the judges of election or a majority of them are satisfied as to the identity of the person for whom the vote has been cast, it should be counted.’ ” Sayre con-cluded, citing - 70-71 Va. AG 185. “But Mandy doesn’t really have a last name and mine is virtually unintelligible to normal people,” I yelled out the window as Mandy turned right at Royal Avenue. If I got a response I couldn’t hear it as the counselor hurried into the historic Warren County Court-house and we proceeded north on Royal Avenue. Mandy pulled out her cell phone, dialed and handed it to me. I recognized Warren County Electoral Board Chairman Helen Brinkman’s voice at the other end. “Helen, I need some advice – you know I’m sort of running for mayor and my friend Mandy the Front Royal Police mannequin is running for council. But neither of us is on the ballot and we need to know how accurate write-in names have to be to count.” “Well, I didn’t know that,”

Brinkman replied of our under-ground campaign. But to answer your question, we take into ac-count misspellings if it is pretty clear who the write-in vote is for. Someone was asking the other day if initials would count and I said I don’t think so – I mean how many people have the same initials out there? I don’t think we could count that though we haven’t met yet to discuss those parameters in this election yet.” “So, if someone wrote in R BI-ANCHINI, would that count?” I asked. “Yes, I think we could count that. However, we don’t count Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck,” Brinkman said. “Well, Mandy doesn’t really have a last name, so if they spelled MANDY right or MANDY the COP, could that count or if they really butchered my last name like BINCINI?” “You know you’re pushing it there – that’s awfully close to Mickey, or perhaps more appro-priately Minnie Mouse and Don-ald Duck,” Brinkman said sternly. “What, MANDY or BIANCHI-NI?” I countered defensively. “Both,” Brinkman said. “You

know the thing you need to stress is here at the local level is where you can really make a difference with your vote because just a few votes can make a world of differ-ence, especially when not that many people turn out. If you only have 15 or �0 percent of the eli-gible voters turn out, which is too often the case, versus 90 percent, a couple of votes can make a huge difference. “It is at the local level where it is easier to see your vote really count. There aren’t millions of votes being cast like in a presi-dential election, so it is easier to visualize the importance of your vote when only a thousand or so are being cast. Yes, it is extremely important to vote in national and state elections, but it is here at the local level where an election may be decided by just a couple of votes,” the Warren electoral board chairman said, steering the conversation into more serious channels. “I remember Scott Weinberg winning by about 1� votes in South River a few years back and who was it, Dr. McNeill that lost a county election by a few votes back in ‘96. And there was a com-

missioner of the revenue race a few years ago that �5 votes cast the other way would have altered the decision – yea, I guess you’re right, Helen,” I said looking for a soft landing. “The best laid plans of men and mice,” Brinkman concluded. “Or reporters and mannequins,” I quipped. CLICK! “She hung up. I’m not sure – I think I got a mixed message there,” I told Mandy. “But I think our low-profile campaign strat-egy – no official announcements, no press releases, no public ap-pearances, no signs and no com-ment – could pay off. Our poli-tics may be a mystery but whose isn’t? I mean ‘mom, apple pie and an ear to the ground’ – jeez, what does that mean? It’s all high dollar Madison Avenue, or at least East Main Street image making any-way. This way people can create their own illusions about us and we don’t have to pay the advertis-ing guys the big bucks for their trouble. – But are we subverting the very nature of the Republic, a democratically-based system of government by running?” I asked Mandy.

“That is a complicated ques-tion, Roger,” Mandy broke her si-lence in reply. “On one hand what can be more serious than seeking electoral office? After all, the au-thority of those elected ultimately determines the nature and qual-ity of the lives of the governed – even those who don’t bother to vote. And at the local level that is often most immediately appar-ent through issues that most di-rectly impact the daily lives of the governed – the roads they travel, the services they receive, the cost and very nature of those services. Even at the national level govern-mental leadership reaches down into every precinct. Didn’t some sage philosopher once say that in the end all government is local – $�.50 a gallon and climbing, re-cord profits for the oil companies and private federal contractors – ‘the rich get rich and the poor get …’ – how does the rest of that old Depression era song go? “But on the other hand, why not – who’d vote for us anyway, a police mannequin and a nos-ey, cynical, old dirt buzzard like you?” Mandy laughed as she set up another speed trap on ��0, just north of the bridges.

Warren County High School presents the musical Once Upon a Mattress.This fairytale is a musical comedy of the real story behind the princess and the pea. Prince Dauntless is searching for a princess to marry, but everyone he finds must pass an impossible test that is thought up by his mother, Queen Aggravain, to see if she is a true princess. Until a true princess if found no one in the castle may marry. Sir Harry finds princess Winnifred, who is their last hope, but she must first pass the impossible test. Performances will be May 8th, 9th, and 10th at 7:�0 in the WCHS auditorium. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. For more in-formation, please email [email protected]�.va.us

Above, back row from left: Moriah Bacon, Jessica Reel, Zack Hall, Zack Noland, Robert Werner, Kelly Kinyon, Caitlin Murray, Torri Baker. Middle row: Keelia McCaffrey, Jordan Higgs, Ash-ley LeBlanc, Trevor Proper. Front: Jus-tin Thurston, Amber DeMedici, Amanda Werner, Travis Hines

At right, Kelly Kinyon and Zack Noland

Far right: Director Chris Whitney, Vocal Director Beth Whitney


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Cover story“It’s a horrible feeling because we couldn’t do what we were trained to do, which is save lives. But there was no two ways around that because of the fire condition when we got there. I mean it sucks just sitting there knowing there is nothing you can do and it’s something I hope nobody in the world ever has to go through.” – Volunteer Firefighter Richard Cooper

Firefighters encountered inferno minutes after 911 callsIt is an extended family that is struggling with the aftermath of fatal April 17 fire


For many members of Warren County’s Fire and Rescue De-partment, both young and old, the fatal Anderson Street house fire of April 17 was an emotion-ally wrenching experience. When the first 911 calls, none of which are believed to have originated in the burning house of Steven and Melissa Cook, began pouring in at �:�0 a.m. the reports were of a house in flames. When the first units began ar-riving within five or six minutes, firefighters encountered the main portion of the house fully en-gulfed in flames with casualties and reported occupants trapped inside. The fact those trapped were reported to be young chil-dren increased the urgency felt by all personnel. From experi-enced fire and police chiefs to �0-year old volunteers, the morning of April 17, �008 will remain a gut-wrenching experience that will be hard to leave behind. “We got there and it was veri-fied, the chief told us, Chief Ma-

bie, that we have two people, a four year old and an eight year old, two children on the second floor. So of course we were mak-ing any and all attempts to gain access wherever we could to get to the second floor,” �0-year-old Volunteer Firefighter Richard Cooper said. “The only part that wasn’t well involved was the ga-rage … because we knew that the children were on the second floor we were going to try and make entry on the second floor on the backside of the garage facing the Moose. But with our [pumper engine] water plus the hydrant water we couldn’t knock the fire down enough to be able to even attempt to gain entry – it just wasn’t feasible.” The photos accompanying this story verify what the firefight-ers describe. Cpl Steve Mauck of the lead investigative agency, the Front Royal Police, estimates all the fire photos shown here were taken within the first 15 minutes of response. What is pictured is surely as close as any of us would ever want to get to hell. “It’s a horrible feeling because

TIMELINE4:30 a.m. – 911 calls begin reporting house in flames off John Marshall Highway4:36 a.m. – two units from Front Royal Company One arrive, total of 14 firefighters and chief at scene4:41 a.m. – decision to pull back from entry attempts as signs of structural collapse appear4:44 a.m. – all WC Fire & Rescue Companies and manpower paged and staff called to duty4:48 a.m. – chief sounds alert pulling units further back as more structural collapse occurs5:01 a.m. – Company Two ambulances arrive and assess condition of injured5:09 a.m. – Call for 2 evac helicopters to scene, landing area cleared on Moose grounds5:09 a.m. – call for Strasburg Co. 51 rescue units5:33 a.m. – Air Care 4 from Winchester arrives, en route to Washington Hospital Center burn unit with Steven Cook at 5:58 a.m.5:49 a.m. – Air Care 3 from Leesburg arrives, en route to WHC Melissa Cook at 6:15 a.m.7:00/7:15 – fire declared under control from spreading beyond building of origin11 a.m. – Release of some units at scene begins


Cover story“It’s just devastating, a first time thing for me, for most people that were on the scene – just devastating is all I can say.” – Volunteer Firefighter Mark Ramey

we couldn’t do what we were trained to do, which is save lives. But there was no two ways around that because of the fire condition when we got there,” Cooper con-tinued. “I mean it sucks just sit-ting there knowing there is noth-ing you can do and it’s something I hope nobody in the world ever has to go through.” Despite the experience, Front Royal Company One Volunteer Cooper, like his fellow firefight-ers, has no plans to give up their very special brand of community service. “I’ve been doing this since I was 1�, it’s all I know,” Cooper says of firefighting. Like Cooper, who arrived on the first Front Royal Company tanker on the scene, Mark Ramey and Jordan Dylan were among the first to arrive within six min-utes of the first 911 calls. “I’ve been a fireman now for right around �-1/�, three years. I’ve been with Front Royal the whole time, dealt with a couple fairly large fires, Chester Street, things like that. But never really dealt with any with fatalities or

even with really, severe burns for that matter,” Ramey said. Ramey description of what he encountered upon arrival at the Cook home matches Cooper’s. “When I got there the house was pretty well involved. We got a report of two children trapped on the second floor. I was probably on the third piece in, like I said it was pretty well involved. I saw the father when I first walked in, he was burnt fairly bad. The reac-tion on his face was pretty much devastating. I came in on the ambulance and had all my gear on ready to go fight the fire. And actually the guy that was with me, his name is Jordan Dylan, dealt directly with Mr. Cook, he was his EMT, his patient care, he dealt directly with him. I actually did walk by Mr. Cook and asked him if he was okay. He had his face covered when I encountered him and took his hands down and was burned, I’d say over 80 percent of his body. “They did try to do a second-floor attempt to make entry into the house to see what they could get in there and do about saving

the girls but the chief wouldn’t let them. It seemed like forever before we got the fire knocked down.” “It’s just devastating, a first time thing for me, for most people that were on the scene – just devastat-ing is all I can say,” Ramey trailed off. Asked about the emotional im-pacts from such an experience, Warren County Fire and Rescue Chief Richard Mabie began by empathizing with his firefighters but almost involuntarily wan-dered toward his own role in the events. “It absolutely does take an emo-tional toll on them,” Mabie said of his firefighters. “It’s kind of like there’s a little bit of we haven’t done our job there – you know the firefighter’s supposed to come there and you’re supposed to res-cue people. So all these things have been going through these guys’ heads. “While we’re growing this is still a fairly small community. And I think in this case the commu-nity was so devastated if you will – this isn’t a big urban environ-ment where you’re accustomed to these things, this is more the exception than the rule – and I don’t know how to deal with it. Like I said, we’re not, I’m not used to making those kind of decisions where you go in and you’re mak-ing a call on somebody’s life, is really what your saying. You’re put in a position where you have to say there’s no life that can be saved from this incident, so we’re not going to jeopardize any more people by putting them in this en-vironment. It’s the kind of thing we train on and you read about and we train on some more but it’s not the kind of active decision making that you make every day.” Mabie said it is the time after that brings reflection to firefight-ers. “Firefighters are action oriented anyway. And I’ll speak for myself as an incident commander that I think it was a lot easier to make that decision when you are there and you see it and you know right then that that’s the proper de-cision. I think afterward when you’ve got your downtime that you start wondering if that was the right decision to make; or I

On-scene photos cour-tesy Warren County Fire and Rescue Department


wonder if we had gone two win-dows over and started our attack rather than at this window here. So the down time is what’s been the hardest, I think, for most of the guys. “And it’s still carrying on some of them. You still go over to the firehouse and the guys aren’t playing and joking and doing the kinds of things they were do-ing before this fire. Will it come back? – Absolutely it will, but it’s going to take some time.”

Meaningful gestures

Mabie said support has been expressed to his department not only from the community but by others in the firefighting commu-nity as well. “I’ve gotten countless phone

calls from other chiefs that say ‘you all did what you could do’ and that kind of helps. I think one of the most important ones for me was an e-mail from a complete stranger to me, some-one that lived down the street on Anderson. And evidently the sirens woke them up. They came outside and saw the house on fire. And they must have read some of the comments maybe that were made in other newspapers about why we didn’t go in, this, that and the other. This guy researched the fire department enough to find out how to find my e-mail and sent an e-mail pretty much say-ing ‘you made the right decision, I’ve never had a need to respect the fire department like I do now’ – those kind of things certainly help out a lot. But I still sit here sometimes and think about if we could have got the call five min-utes earlier. You know we were there in six minutes at �:�0 in the morning and that’s an excel-lent response time for a rural fire department, to get out of a total sleep, get dressed, get on the ap-paratus and be there in six min-utes. “And I’m going to say this for one reason only – that was a com-bination of career and volunteers that were on those two vehicles that came out of Front Royal [first on scene]. So, that response time wasn’t great because it was paid guys; it wasn’t not great because it was volunteers on the truck; it was combination and that was a good response time – six min-utes.” Six minutes here, five minutes there – eventually the hours, weeks, and months will soften the reflections about lost sec-onds, alternate routes and deci-sions … and the lives of firemen will continue generally under the radar until another cataclysmic event – a rural neighborhood house fire, a 9/11 terrorist attack, a war that comes home. And then for a moment the rest of us will remember who the real heroes are, paid or unpaid, who is important to the fabric of life in this or any community of any size … and maybe then for a second we’ll stop and reflect on what is important in our lives, in our community, and in the world at large – and we’ll stop by the closest firehouse some day when we’re not in a hurry just to say thanks.

Cover story“You’re put in a position where you have to say there’s no life that can be saved from this incident, so we’re not going to jeopardize any more people by putting them in this environment. It’s the kind of thing we train on and you read about and we train on some more but it’s not the kind of active decision making that you make every day.” – WC F&R Chief Richard Mabie

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Horoscopes/HistoryMay 5-11, 2008

ARIES (March 21 to April 19)You’ve set a fast pace for yourself. Butas you approach your goal, you mightwant to slow down a bit in order to taketime to reassess your situation andmake changes while you can.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20)Patience continues to be a virtue forthe Divine Bovine. So as eager as youmight be to get things moving, remem-ber that time is on your side. Makegood use of it.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20)There’s a wee bit of uncertainty in theearly part of the week. But things clearup as more facts come to light. Spendquality time this weekend with familyand friends.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Anold friend’s return could open newpossibilities for both of you. But don’tlet yourself be rushed into anything.There could be some factors youhaven’t yet explored.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) Thisweek offers a challenge you’re raringto take on. And while eager to get start-ed, do so slowly so that you can focusthose sharp Cat’s Eyes on every detail.

VIRGO (August 23 to September22) Put your skepticism aside and lis-ten to advice from colleagues who’vebeen where you are now. What theysay could be helpful as you get closer

to a decision.LIBRA (September 23 to October

22) A family matter might againrequire your reassuring touch. Handleit, as always, with kindness and fair-ness, even if some of your kin prove tobe especially difficult.

SCORPIO (October 23 to Novem-ber 21) Your ability to tackle even themost intricate details of a project islikely to impress some very importantpeople. A relative shares news laterthis week.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 toDecember 21) The Archer’s aim mightbe focused on the big picture thisweek, but don’t overlook checking forthose details you might have missed.

CAPRICORN (December 22 toJanuary 19) You might feel awkwardasking for assistance, but who wouldrefuse the charming Goat’s request?Do it, then go ahead and enjoy a musi-cal weekend.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to Febru-ary 18) Pour some cold water on thatsimmering misunderstanding before itboils over. The sooner things settle, thesooner you can move ahead with yourplans.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20)You’re in a highly productive period,which you feel can go on forever. Butyou could be courting exhaustion.Take time out to relax and restore yourenergies.

BORN THIS WEEK:You can com-bine a sense of adventure with a pen-chant for practicality. Have you con-sidered a travel-related field?

© 2008 King Features Synd., Inc.

—15—

• On May 10, 1749, the 10th andfinal volume of Henry Fielding’s“Tom Jones” is printed. The novel tellsthe humorous story of the attempts ofthe illegitimate but charming TomJones to win his neighbor’s daughter,despite her father’s objections to hisuncertain parentage.

• On May 7, 1789, President GeorgeWashington attends a ball in his honor.The event provided a model for thefirst official inaugural ball. Since1809, formal inaugural balls have beenheld to celebrate new presidentialterms.

• On May 6, 1937, the airship Hin-denburg, pride of Nazi Germany,bursts into flames while attempting tomoor at Lakehurst, N.J., probably aftera spark ignited its hydrogen core.Rapidly falling 200 feet to the ground,the hull of the airship incinerated with-in seconds.

• On May 5, 1945, in Lakeview,Ore., six people are killed whileattempting to drag a Japanese balloonout the woods. The explosive balloonwas one of a handful of Japaneseattacks against the continental UnitedStates, which were initially conductedby Japanese submarines and later byhigh-altitude balloons.

• On May 9, 1950, Ron Hubbardpublishes “Dianetics: The ModernScience of Mental Health.” Hubbard’sbook introduced a branch of self-helppsychology that morphed into a beliefsystem boasting millions of sub-scribers: Scientology.

• On May 8, 1988, Stella Nickellbecomes the first person to be foundguilty of violating the federal Anti-Tampering Act when she is convictedon two counts of murder. Nickell putcyanide in Excedrin capsules in aneffort to kill her husband.

• On May 11, 1997, chess grandmas-ter Garry Kasparov resigns after 19moves in a match against Deep Blue, achess-playing computer developed byIBM. Kasparov, conceding defeat forthe first time in his career, said of hisdecision, “I lost my fighting spirit.”


Horoscopes/HistoryMay 5-11, 2008

ARIES (March 21 to April 19)You’ve set a fast pace for yourself. Butas you approach your goal, you mightwant to slow down a bit in order to taketime to reassess your situation andmake changes while you can.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20)Patience continues to be a virtue forthe Divine Bovine. So as eager as youmight be to get things moving, remem-ber that time is on your side. Makegood use of it.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20)There’s a wee bit of uncertainty in theearly part of the week. But things clearup as more facts come to light. Spendquality time this weekend with familyand friends.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Anold friend’s return could open newpossibilities for both of you. But don’tlet yourself be rushed into anything.There could be some factors youhaven’t yet explored.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) Thisweek offers a challenge you’re raringto take on. And while eager to get start-ed, do so slowly so that you can focusthose sharp Cat’s Eyes on every detail.

VIRGO (August 23 to September22) Put your skepticism aside and lis-ten to advice from colleagues who’vebeen where you are now. What theysay could be helpful as you get closer

to a decision.LIBRA (September 23 to October

22) A family matter might againrequire your reassuring touch. Handleit, as always, with kindness and fair-ness, even if some of your kin prove tobe especially difficult.

SCORPIO (October 23 to Novem-ber 21) Your ability to tackle even themost intricate details of a project islikely to impress some very importantpeople. A relative shares news laterthis week.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 toDecember 21) The Archer’s aim mightbe focused on the big picture thisweek, but don’t overlook checking forthose details you might have missed.

CAPRICORN (December 22 toJanuary 19) You might feel awkwardasking for assistance, but who wouldrefuse the charming Goat’s request?Do it, then go ahead and enjoy a musi-cal weekend.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to Febru-ary 18) Pour some cold water on thatsimmering misunderstanding before itboils over. The sooner things settle, thesooner you can move ahead with yourplans.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20)You’re in a highly productive period,which you feel can go on forever. Butyou could be courting exhaustion.Take time out to relax and restore yourenergies.

BORN THIS WEEK:You can com-bine a sense of adventure with a pen-chant for practicality. Have you con-sidered a travel-related field?


—15—

• On May 10, 1749, the 10th andfinal volume of Henry Fielding’s“Tom Jones” is printed. The novel tellsthe humorous story of the attempts ofthe illegitimate but charming TomJones to win his neighbor’s daughter,despite her father’s objections to hisuncertain parentage.

• On May 7, 1789, President GeorgeWashington attends a ball in his honor.The event provided a model for thefirst official inaugural ball. Since1809, formal inaugural balls have beenheld to celebrate new presidentialterms.

• On May 6, 1937, the airship Hin-denburg, pride of Nazi Germany,bursts into flames while attempting tomoor at Lakehurst, N.J., probably aftera spark ignited its hydrogen core.Rapidly falling 200 feet to the ground,the hull of the airship incinerated with-in seconds.

• On May 5, 1945, in Lakeview,Ore., six people are killed whileattempting to drag a Japanese balloonout the woods. The explosive balloonwas one of a handful of Japaneseattacks against the continental UnitedStates, which were initially conductedby Japanese submarines and later byhigh-altitude balloons.

• On May 9, 1950, Ron Hubbardpublishes “Dianetics: The ModernScience of Mental Health.” Hubbard’sbook introduced a branch of self-helppsychology that morphed into a beliefsystem boasting millions of sub-scribers: Scientology.

• On May 8, 1988, Stella Nickellbecomes the first person to be foundguilty of violating the federal Anti-Tampering Act when she is convictedon two counts of murder. Nickell putcyanide in Excedrin capsules in aneffort to kill her husband.

• On May 11, 1997, chess grandmas-ter Garry Kasparov resigns after 19moves in a match against Deep Blue, achess-playing computer developed byIBM. Kasparov, conceding defeat forthe first time in his career, said of hisdecision, “I lost my fighting spirit.”


HumorMay 5-11, 2008

—16—

• It was author and Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist Dave Barry whomade the following sage observation:“Although golf was originallyrestricted to wealthy, overweightProtestants, today it’s open to any-body who owns hideous clothing.”

• If the paint on your house is start-ing to peel or fade and you’re dreadingthe expense and trouble of repainting,you might consider yourself lucky ifyou remember this: When it comestime for the exterior of the WhiteHouse to get spruced up, it takes 570gallons of paint.

• The oldest woman on record togive birth was 65 years old when shebecame pregnant.

• For more proof that the Germanshave a word for everything, consider“weltschmerz,” a word used todescribe the feeling of melancholythat comes from reflecting on the stateof the world. A more literal translationis “world pain.”

• You’re almost certainly familiarwith duct tape, that ubiquitous silveradhesive that comes in giant rolls andsometimes seems capable of fixinganything. It was originally developedas a waterproof sealing tape forammunition cases in World War II,but was later used to seal heating andair conditioning ducts — whence itsname. Ironically, experts now say thatwhile duct tape has many uses, itdoesn’t actually work very well toseal ducts.

• Have you ever felt like your petwas really communicating to you —almost talking? Well, a company inJapan wants to help you understandwhat your cat is saying. It invented adevice called the Meowlingual, whichpurportedly translates the meows of acat into human language.

***Thought for the Day: “The differ-

ence between genius and stupidity isthat genius has its limits.” — AlbertEinstein


By Samantha Weaver

The State of MotherhoodWe’re in a hurry, and I shut the

pantry door a little too hard on the wayout. The clock that hangs next to thepantry falls off the wall and the glasstrim around the clock breaks into afew hundred pieces. The face of theclock is turned up and amazingly isstill working. The kids have three min-utes to get to school.

I know that when I return I have thekitchen floor to clean, as well as atleast five loads of laundry, a few per-mission forms to sign, a dog and catthat need their vaccinations and dead-lines of my own.

Will it all get done? Well ... what doyou think?

When I was a rookie mom, a day thatstarted out rattled and rushed wouldhave been a bad day. I wanted a cleanfloor and control of my kids’ rest timeand playtime. God, did I ever wantcontrol.

The State of Motherhood today inmy house is this: I keep my sanity if Ilearn to roll with the interruptions(broken glass and a dirty, sticky floor),the changes in the kids’ social andschool calendars, and their neverend-ing growth spurts.

Not too many years ago my daughterwent into her room looking like thethen 12-year-old that she was, andminutes later came out looking like a21-year-old (she was dressed for acostume party). I went into my bed-

room and cried.That event was so symbolic of what

it feels like to be a parent — your chil-dren burst into your life as little bun-dles of energy and joy, you think theyare here to stay, but they are really ontheir way out as soon as they are hand-ed to you.

So maybe that’s why the State ofMotherhood in my home today is soimportant. I’m learning to mellow andget to know the preteen and teenagerin my home rather than try to keepthem as the children they once were(as if they’d let me do this anyway).

In a way, this stage of motheringfeels like becoming a new parent allover again. I’ve never parented theseages, so I’m once again reading all thebooks. Ann Pleshette Murphy calls thepreteen and teen years the “gray zone”in her book, “The 7 Stages of Mother-hood.”

“It takes an ego of steel to navigatethe preteen years, because one dayyour kid is going to wake up uncom-fortable in her own body. And whenshe stands with one foot in childhood,the other in early adulthood, andstruggles to maintain her balance, theperson she will grab onto with a des-perate, clawing intensity is you,” shewrites.

Parents of preteens and teens willtake affection anyway we can get it.

If I’ve learned anything from myyears as a mother, it’s this: No one cando it perfectly, and don’t get too usedto how things are going because theState of Motherhood is always chang-ing.

Taprina Milburn, a wife and motherof two children ages 12 and 15, writesabout appreciating and accepting theordinariness and quirkiness of familylife. Write to her in care of King Fea-tures Weekly Service, P.O. Box536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.

(c) 2008 King Features Synd., Inc.

New Feature!

HumorMay 5-11, 2008

Be an Armchair Travel Writer

One of the main reasons campingremains popular is that it allows peo-ple to put their daily routine behindthem — to become reacquainted withnature, to leave behind the trivialitiesof modern life and to enjoy the simplepleasures of high speed Wi-Fi Internetaccess.

That’s right. Wi-Fi access is becom-ing standard in many of our nation’sstate parks. You may still have troublewith critters sneaking into your food— many animals, unfortunately, con-tinue to roam the parks like they ownthe place — but at least you won’thave to miss the latest YouTube clips.

Camping first became popular in theearly 1900s, before the Internet,which meant that people sat around alot getting on each other’s nerves.What people actually did on thosecamping trips remains a mystery, andnot one today’s researchers are eagerto solve.

Even today, with Wi-Fi becomingmore common, trouble and eventragedy can strike campers searchingfor ways to while away the hours. Inone extreme case, a father was caughtin the act of attempting to lead his kidsin a round of campfire songs, whichhe claimed was a “fun family activi-ty.” Fortunately, the authoritiesstepped in before any harm came tothe children, who had protected them-selves by listening to their iPods.

But this example shows the dangersof traveling, which is why I was gladto read about a new book coming out— this is true — entitled “Do TravelWriters Go to Hell?”

Apparently not. In fact, they don’tnecessarily go anywhere. Here’s thesensible approach that Thomas Kohn-

stamm, a travel writer for the popularLonely Planet guidebooks, took toone South American assignment.

“They didn’t pay me enough to go toColombia,” he writes. Instead, hesays, he wrote the guide in San Fran-cisco, gleaning information “from achick I was dating.” (According to theTravel Writers’ Code of Ethics, thiswould have had to have been aColombian chick.)

He also claims to have plagiarizedand made up large sections of hisbook.

This is great news because I like theidea of being a travel writer, but not somuch the travel itself, especially tocountries where people can’t be both-ered to learn English properly. (Traveltip: If speaking English louder doesn’twork, try talking with an accent —any foreign accent will help.)

It’s not that I’m against travel. It’sjust that if I’m writing about the jun-gles of the Amazon or the mountainsof Tibet, I’d prefer doing it in a placelike San Francisco, where I can enjoygood restaurants while I look up thebasic information on Wikipedia.

Following a good meal, I’ll be readyfor the hard work of travel writing —making stuff up. Do you know whichcountry has the last remaining herd ofunicorns? You will if you read myforthcoming travel book, though Ihaven’t decided yet which countryI’m “visiting.”

I could even write about Katmandu— wherever that is — while staying inan American campground, as long asit had high-speed Internet access.

Write to Don Flood in care of KingFeatures Weekly Service, P.O. Box536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, orsend e-mails to [email protected].


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Home and GardenMay 5-11, 2008

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• On Sale in May: Gardening sup-plies, jewelry (specifically silver jew-elry), outdoor furniture, televisions,mattresses, luggage and home-main-tenance items.

• “To remove scratches from CDsand DVDs, use plain white toothpaste(Pepsodent works great). Buff outscratch with a very soft cloth, such asa cloth used to clean eyeglasses.” —L.W. in Michigan

• “If you use canned shaving cream,you can keep rust from staining yourporcelain counters in the bathroom bycoating the bottom with clear nail pol-ish.” — J.C. in Florida

• “Put three or four Alka-Seltzer intoa clogged drain with a cup of vinegar.Wait 15 minutes and run hot water.You will be amazed.” — F.F. in Col-orado

• “If you do a lot of bead work orhave children who collect rocks, saveyour old pill bottles with the labelspeeled off to hold beads, rocks, but-tons, etc. The pill bottles are clearenough to see what’s inside, and[you’ll] save money on pricey, specif-ically designed bottles.” — A.H. inTexas

• “Pull out your plugs on toasters,microwaves, etc., when not in use.They still use power.” — C.S.R. inFlorida. (Great tip, C.S.R. This onecan be a safe-kitchen tip, too, sincetoaster ovens and toasters, in particu-lar, can be set off accidentally by, say,setting a bag on the kitchen counterthat brushes up against the on/offswitch.)

Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip,c/o King Features Weekly Service,P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL32853-6475 or e-mail JoAnn at [email protected].


HumorMay 5-11, 2008

Be an Armchair Travel Writer

One of the main reasons campingremains popular is that it allows peo-ple to put their daily routine behindthem — to become reacquainted withnature, to leave behind the trivialitiesof modern life and to enjoy the simplepleasures of high speed Wi-Fi Internetaccess.

That’s right. Wi-Fi access is becom-ing standard in many of our nation’sstate parks. You may still have troublewith critters sneaking into your food— many animals, unfortunately, con-tinue to roam the parks like they ownthe place — but at least you won’thave to miss the latest YouTube clips.

Camping first became popular in theearly 1900s, before the Internet,which meant that people sat around alot getting on each other’s nerves.What people actually did on thosecamping trips remains a mystery, andnot one today’s researchers are eagerto solve.

Even today, with Wi-Fi becomingmore common, trouble and eventragedy can strike campers searchingfor ways to while away the hours. Inone extreme case, a father was caughtin the act of attempting to lead his kidsin a round of campfire songs, whichhe claimed was a “fun family activi-ty.” Fortunately, the authoritiesstepped in before any harm came tothe children, who had protected them-selves by listening to their iPods.

But this example shows the dangersof traveling, which is why I was gladto read about a new book coming out— this is true — entitled “Do TravelWriters Go to Hell?”

Apparently not. In fact, they don’tnecessarily go anywhere. Here’s thesensible approach that Thomas Kohn-

stamm, a travel writer for the popularLonely Planet guidebooks, took toone South American assignment.

“They didn’t pay me enough to go toColombia,” he writes. Instead, hesays, he wrote the guide in San Fran-cisco, gleaning information “from achick I was dating.” (According to theTravel Writers’ Code of Ethics, thiswould have had to have been aColombian chick.)

He also claims to have plagiarizedand made up large sections of hisbook.

This is great news because I like theidea of being a travel writer, but not somuch the travel itself, especially tocountries where people can’t be both-ered to learn English properly. (Traveltip: If speaking English louder doesn’twork, try talking with an accent —any foreign accent will help.)

It’s not that I’m against travel. It’sjust that if I’m writing about the jun-gles of the Amazon or the mountainsof Tibet, I’d prefer doing it in a placelike San Francisco, where I can enjoygood restaurants while I look up thebasic information on Wikipedia.

Following a good meal, I’ll be readyfor the hard work of travel writing —making stuff up. Do you know whichcountry has the last remaining herd ofunicorns? You will if you read myforthcoming travel book, though Ihaven’t decided yet which countryI’m “visiting.”

I could even write about Katmandu— wherever that is — while staying inan American campground, as long asit had high-speed Internet access.

Write to Don Flood in care of KingFeatures Weekly Service, P.O. Box536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, orsend e-mails to [email protected].


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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED – 22nd ANNU-AL VIRGINIA WINE & CRAFT FESTIVAL

The 22nd Annual Virginia Wine & Craft Festival is Saturday, May 17th from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. The Chamber is looking for volunteers to help with set up, gates, and take down. If you are interested in vol-unteering please contact Pam at 635-3185 ext. 2 or [email protected].

MAY BUSINESS AFTER HOURS

Join us on Wednesday, May 14th from 5:30-7 p.m. at Samuels Public Library for Food, Fun, and the Power of Network-ing. RSVP to the Chamber at 635-3185 or [email protected]

MOVING YOUR BUSINESS FORWARD!

Attention Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs – you are invited to attend the Entrepreneur Express on Wednesday, May 28 from 8:30-11:30 a.m. at the Eco-nomic Development Center located at 400 Kendrick Ln. Register at www.vastartup.org or by calling 635-3185. Entrepreneur Express is a series of FREE workshops offered throughout Virginia that provide interactive discussions and exercises cov-ering key elements of business practices, hosted by your Virginia business part-ners. Segments will include How To Start and Operate a Business, Growing Your Business/Marketing Strategy, Financing/Managing Resources, and Available Re-sources & Resource Fair. Presented by: VA Dept. of Business Assistance, Virginia Tourism Corporation, Virginia Cooperative Extension, and Lord Fairfax Small Busi-ness Development Center. Sponsored by: Front Royal-Warren County Chamber of Commerce and Front Royal-Warren Coun-ty Economic Development Authority.

63RD ANNUAL DINNER

Join us for a Black & White Gala “Awards and Movie Night” on Thursday, June 19th at the new Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites in the Presidential Ballroom. Social Hour be-gins at 6 p.m. with Dinner at 7 p.m. Semi-Formal (Black & White attire encouraged) Look for your invitation in the mail!!!

TRADEFEST 2008 PLANNING UNDER-WAY

Mark your calendars now! Tradefest 2008 is scheduled for September 9 & 10 at Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites. There are many new and exciting events planned for Tradefest 2008. If you would like to par-ticipate in the planning of Tradefest 2008 by serving on the committee or for more information contact Pam at 635-3185 or [email protected].

MEMBER NEWS

Jean’s Jewelers is celebrating their 10 year anniversary in May! Stop by 407 E. Main St. or call Jean at 622-6166 to add your name to their mailing list for all sorts of wonderful deals. Congratulations Jean!

First Citizens Bank is offering a fan-tastic deal on their Home Equity Lines of Credit. They are offering Prime-1% on loans over $50,000 with no closing costs or no prepayment penalty! Call Joe Can-nerella at 635-7112 or stop by the branch at 307 E. Main St. for more details. The Front Royal Police Department will hold a “Bike Safety Rodeo” on Satur-day, May 3rd, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Front Royal Fire Department. There is no cost to participate. Remember to bring your bike and helmet! For more information contact Janice Hart at 631-2763. Please be advised that starting May 5th, all of the horse trails will be closed in Shenandoah River State Park due to construction. Contact Donna Smith at 622-6840 for additional information. Rapid Rehabilitation will be hosting the 6th Annual Women’s Health Forum on Thursday, May 8th, 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Riverton United Methodist Church. The topic “Menopause: New Beginnings” will be presented by a panel of physician speakers discussing diagnosis, treatment, medications, HRT, self care strategies, ex-ercise, and more. The event is free and open to the public. Please call 540-636-3500 to make your reservation. Royal Plaza Shopping Center will host Alcohol Awareness Day on May 10th from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. There are several events scheduled to bring attention to our youth and community of the dangers of alcohol including a MADD Booth, DARE Booth, face painting for the young ones, Hometown Heroes will be performing from 1-2:00 p.m., there will be a course set up to walk through wearing goggles that simulate the affects of drinking and much more. Also, the free summer concerts will begin on May 31st from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the grassy area in front of the Daily Grind. The Beatnik Night Band will be performing and they are sponsored by All Star Check Cashing and Liberty Tax. No alcohol or pets permitted Bring your lawn chairs and blankets for a night of fun! Belle Grove Plantation will host their 13th Annual ‘Of Ale & History” Beer Fes-tival on Saturday, May 10th from noon-6 p.m. Enjoy a walk through history, as well as tastings of fine imported beers, hand-crafted ales, and great food at Belle Grove Plantation. Advance tickets are available through May 9th at Belle Grove and area Handy Mart stores for $20. Tickets may also be purchased on line at www.belle-grove.org for the advance price. Tickets are available at the gate for $25. Also available are Designated Driver tickets for $5. Blue Ridge Opportunities will spon-sor a Plant Sale and Chicken BBQ on May 10th from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. at their location 37 Water Street. Money raised supports vital members of your community who have disabilities. Contact 636-4960 for more information. The 2nd Annual Bob Traister Invita-tional Golf Tournament to benefit the Samuels Library Foundation will be held on Thursday, May 15th at Jackson’s Chase at Pine Hills Golf Club. The event will begin with a luncheon at noon. Sign up today for

a day of golf and fun to honor the memory of an outstanding community leader, or to be a sponsor of the event. Contact Kathy Gilliam or Eileen Grady at 635-3153 to pledge your support. The Rotary Club of Linden will be hav-ing their 1st golf tournament on Friday, May 23rd at Jackson’s Chase Golf Course. Lunch will be at 11:30 and shotgun at 1 pm. Teams are $260 and if you would like more information you can email Katie Tewell at [email protected] A majority of the funds raised will be going to the 1st ever Linden playground as well as many other town and county special projects. Thanks to Jim Stutzman for our hole-in-one vehicle! Thanks also to United Bank, Sisk Mortgage, Warren Memorial Hospital, and The Apple House for being Corporate Sponsors. We still have spon-sorship opportunities available so please contact Katie today! Downtown Front Royal is pleased to announce that they will be holding the Spring Dancin’ Downtown on Sunday, May 25th. The gates will open at 6pm. The Robbie Limon Band will perform from 7:30-10:30. At this time they are seeking volun-teers for the event. If you can assist with this event please contact the DFR office at [email protected], or 540-631-0099. Patti Baggarly is chairing the event so you may contact her at [email protected]. Patti is seeking some-one to coordinate the volunteers for this event. If you are able to take on this task please contact her at your earliest conve-nience. Thank you for your continued sup-port of Downtown Front Royal, Inc. The Warren County Choral Arts Sup-port Team (CAST) presents its Third An-nual Broadway Dinner Show Friday, May 30th at 6:00 p.m. at the North Warren Celebration Hall, 89 Rockland Road, in Front Royal. Tickets are $50 per person and are available by calling 540-622-7779 or emailing [email protected] by May 23rd. Proceeds benefit the choral music programs in Warren County Public Schools. A great Mother’s Day gift! Limited seating available – buy your tickets today! Blue Ridge Opportunities is in search of Educators and Trainers willing to con-tribute their attention and skills to a very special service – the Blue Ridge Job Readiness Academy. The Academy is dedicated to providing job readiness skills to those needing an extra boost in “Work-force Preparation” in order to successfully enter the “Workforce.” If you are a sea-soned or retired educator or trainer want-ing to use your experience/knowledge to help those in the most need, contact Blue Ridge Opportunities at 37 Water St. 636-4960. The Lord Fairfax Small Business De-velopment Center will be offering the fol-lowing seminars: 5/8 Th Middletown Courts 30 Taxes and Licenses For Small Business Brian Davet 6 - 8:30 pm; 6/5 Th Middle-town Courts 30 Setting up Your Business Books Angela Rudolph 6 - 8 pm; 5/13 Tu Middletown Campus ** QuickBooks I (part one of a two part class) Angela Rudolph 9 am - 4 pm; 5/15 Th Middletown Campus **

QuickBooks ll (part two of a two part class) Angela Rudolph 9 am - 4 pm; 6/10 Tu Mid-dletown Campus ** QuickBooks I (part one of a two part class) Angela Rudolph 9 am 4 pm. For more information on these semi-nars contact Carolyn Majors in Middletown (540) 868-7093 or at [email protected]. Chamber members receive a discount on our seminars. The Warren County Fair Association is proud to announce two major “Concert Events” to be held at the Warren County Fairgrounds this Summer! On Friday evening, July,11th, 2008 at 8:00 PM, Country Music’s deep voiced, rising sen-sation “Josh Turner” will appear on the Concert Stage located at the Fairgrounds in Front Royal, Va.. with gates opening at 5:00 PM. In addition, the WCFA is proud to announce the return of the Coal Miner’s Daughter “Loretta Lynn” on Saturday eve-ning, August 2nd, 2008 at 8:00 PM. The 2008 Warren County Fair runs Mon., Aug. 4th through 9th featuring The Hubcaps, Ricochet, Twisted K Rodeo & Bull Riding, Chesapeake Dock Dogs, 2 Demo Derby’s, Paul Bunyon Lumberjack Shows, Ama-teur ATV races, and a Truck/Tractor Pull. Reserve tickets for both concerts will go on sale Saturday, May 10th at 8:00AM at the Warren County Fairgrounds, Route 522/340 in Front Royal, Virginia. General Admission tickets are available immediate-ly on the Fair’s website: www.warrencoun-tyfair.com The Warren County Fair ticket office accepts Cash, Checks, and Major Credit Cards. General Admission Seats are available for purchase immediately and can only be purchased via our Web-site until Saturday, May 10th. There are no additional fees. Tickets will be mailed as orders are received. Reserve tickets will be available online and via the phone on Saturday, May 10th, 2008 at 10:00AM - af-ter the “In Person” sale has commenced at 8:00 AM. Please note - there are artist presales of Reserved Tickets available on some Fan club websites.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

The Mimslyn Inn (Accommodations): Victoria Thomas, 401 West Main Street, Luray, VA 22835 • 540-743-5105 • www.mimslyninn.com

Wal-Mart (Retail): Michael Quilliam, 10 Riverton Commons Drive, Front Royal, VA 22630 • 540-635-4140 • www.walmart.com

Mary Kay Cosmetics (Cosmetics): Sandra Liptau-Davis, 55 Stonewood Court, Ben-tonville, VA 22610 • 540-636-4660 • [email protected]

Linking You (Website Design): Teresa Henry, P.O. Box 4, Front Royal, VA 22630 • 540-636-0073 • www.linkingyou.com • [email protected]

Credit Union Mortgage Association, Inc. (Mortgage): Barbara Stoffelen, 126 S. Royal Ave., Front Royal, VA 22630 • 540.636.1405 • [email protected]

Play N Trade (Video Games): Will Law-rence, 50 Riverton Commons, Front Royal, VA 22630 • 540.631.7529 • [email protected]

Royal Horseshoe Farm (Commercial Riding Stable): Charles Asper, 601 Mor-gan Ford Rd., Front Royal, VA 22630 • 866.636.5608/fax 772.382.0214 • [email protected] • www.royalhorse-shoe.com

TOWN COUNCIL

May 12 at 7 p.m. at Warren County Gov-ernment CenterMay 26 at 7 p.m. at Warren County Gov-ernment Center

Board of Supervisors

May 6 at 9 a.m. at Warren County Govern-ment CenterMay 20 at 7 p.m. at Warren County Gov-ernment Center

UPCOMING EVENTS

May 2: Education Committee, 7:30 a.m. at the ChamberMay 6: Wine & Craft Festival Committee meeting, 8:30 a.m. at the ChamberMay 6: Women’s Business Council “Pow-er of Golf”May 7: Valley Business Today on The River 95.3 FMMay 9: Anytime Fitness Ribbon Cutting, 10 a.m. & Quizno’s Ribbon Cutting, 10:15 a.m.May 13: Downtown Business Council, 9 a.m. at the ChamberMay 13: Women’s Business Council, “Power of Golf”May 14: Chamber Board of Directors, 4 p.m. at the ChamberMay 14: Business After Hours, 5:30 p.m. at Samuels Public LibraryMay 17: Virginia Wine & Craft Festival, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.May 20: Women’s Business Council, “Power of Golf”May 26: Memorial Day – Chamber Closed

- frontroyalchamber.com

Front Royal-Warren County Chamber of Commerce

This ad will reach about 17,000 readers.

It costs about 20 bucks.

Give your business the boost it needs with an ad in Warren County’s most

popular newspaper.

Call Christi at 540-671-6494 • [email protected]

or Dan at 540-636-1014• editor@warrencountyre-

port.com


OpinionLetters to the editor are welcome should be e-mailed to [email protected] and must include the author’s name and contact information.

Opinion:

Republicans leading effort to better manage growth

By Clifford L. Athey, Jr.

Virginia has not altered its ap-proach to transportation and land use planning since 19��, when FDR was first elected and Ford introduced the Deuce Coupe. The Byrd Road Act in-stituted state responsibility for local transportation construc-tion and maintenance while counties retained control over land use decisions. As Virginia’s population has more than tripled since that time, revisiting the dynamic between land use decisions and transportation is long overdue. Virginia is one of only four states that maintain secondary roads. Encouraging greater local re-sponsibility for transportation improvements and maintenance will allow the government clos-est to the people to make better decisions for their residents. Over the past several years, Republican legislators led the ef-fort to better link land use and transportation decisions. After successfully implementing ini-tial incremental adjustments, Republican leaders recognized that to bring Virginia’s transpor-tation system out of the 19�0s and into the �1st Century, larger changes were necessary. Un-bridled sprawl was fast becom-ing the major cause of traffic congestion and the broken link between land use and transpor-tation needed to be fixed. With the Comprehensive Transportation Funding and Reform Act of �007, Virginia Republicans unveiled the broad-est land use reforms in the Commonwealth since the intro-duction of zoning. House Bill ��0� included two significant components that for the first time brought the transportation paradigm into alignment with reasonable growth measures. The first piece requires 67 fast-growing localities to adopt Com-prehensive Land Use plans that focus growth in locally identi-fied, but pre-determined “Urban Development Areas.” Targeting growth in and around already

urbanized areas of a county maximizes existing public in-frastructure. This component of Republican authored Land Use reforms also promotes open space and rural land conserva-tion while reducing stress on Virginia’s transportation system. By concentrating growth in ur-ban development areas, prefer-ably existing towns and cities where locally maintained water and sewer systems, sidewalks, street lights, parks, roadways, biking and hiking trails already exist, we will foster the creation of livable communities through-out the Commonwealth with adequate residential densities to support public infrastructure at a reasonable tax rate. To better manage growth, those same localities now have the authority to set road impact fees on by-right development outside of their designated Ur-ban Development Areas. This change helps pay for transpor-tation improvements resulting from any new by-right devel-opment, encouraging localities to focus growth and address mobility needs as development occurs. Road impact fees also discourage large lot residential growth in rural areas on agri-culturally zoned land by making developers pay for the impact of increased traffic on rural roads. These increased costs to develop large lots in rural areas should help preserve the scenic vistas and natural beauty of the re-maining rural areas within these fast growing counties for all of our citizens. The second land use provision in HB ��0� provides large exist-ing urban counties the flexibil-ity to assume responsibility for maintenance of their local roads within an “Urban Transporta-tion Service District.” By ending the separation of land use deci-sion-making from the responsi-bility for road maintenance, this much needed change is a crucial first step towards devolution of state responsibility for second-ary roads that serve only a local function to the local govern-ments whose land use decisions create traffic congestion on these local roads. To encourage localities to ac-cept this added responsibility, in addition to state payments, those counties would be authorized to

assess full impact fees in areas outside the designated urban development areas to help pay for additional public facilities like roads, parks, public safety and schools. This new growth management tool will encourage coordination between local land use and transportation decisions because localities will have to address the transportation im-pacts resulting from their own poor land use decisions. Because these two reforms adopted last year represent a paradigm shift in Virginia’s land use and transportation relation-ship, I introduced HJ 178, es-tablishing a joint subcommittee to study development and land use tools. The two-year study will monitor the effectiveness of existing incentives to channel development into Urban Devel-opment Areas, and determine if additional legislation is needed to help localities cope with ur-ban sprawl. In addition, the study will focus on whether our current proffer system should be gradually replaced with a full impact fee system to further dis-courage large lot residential de-velopment in the rural areas of counties. By ensuring stability in our homebuilding industry and promoting new urbanism concepts within defined urban development areas, Republicans believe we can accomplish our goal of having over one million acres across Virginia dedicated to open space and parkland. Clearly Virginia has taken an enormous step forward, but work remains to ensure those changes accomplish the task of improving our transportation network. Unfortunately, while Governor Kaine and fellow Democrats see our transporta-tion challenges and reflexively demand higher gas taxes despite record prices at the pump, Re-publicans understand that the traffic congestion problems fac-ing commuters cannot be solved by simply pouring more money into a broken system. Building on the historic land use reforms approved last year, Republicans are committed to continuing to offer solutions that improve the quality of life for all Virginians.

The author is 18th district rep-resentative to the Virginia House of Delegates

Closing Night and Closing ThanksEditor:

When the curtain came down after yet another standing ovation for Wayside Theatre’s smash hit production of Driving Miss Daisy on Saturday, April �6, it also unfortunately meant that it was time to turn out the lights on Wayside Theatre’s continued presence at the Royal Phoenix site in Front Royal. Our time at the Royal Phoenix and in Front Royal was certainly as entertaining as it proved challenging. To say we are sad to be leaving the Royal Phoenix is an understatement. It was our hope to be able to maintain the Royal Phoenix venue as a second performance venue for Wayside Theatre, once we returned to Middletown this summer. We admired, agreed, and assisted in creating the vision of using the valley’s oldest professional arts organization as a key building block for the future development of the Royal Phoenix site. But as we said all along, Wayside Theatre’s always tenuous financial status would require additional funding to make that two performance venue a reality with Wayside Theatre’s participation, especially during this time of renovation. Unfortunately that funding was not forthcom-ing. While this year saw stellar productions of Forever Plaid, the world premiere of Shadow of the Raven: Stories of Edgar Allan Poe, It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, Smoke on the Mountain Home-coming, and Driving Miss Daisy, much of our focus has been on things like a new roof and new plumbing for the facility in Middle-town, in addition to new seating, and really sexy things like storage and water lines. It is a testament to the creativity and the talent of Wayside Theatre artists that during this year of relocation and construction, they continued to offer the high standards of work on the stage for which Wayside Theatre is known nationally, while all of this literally swirled around them during rehearsals and perfor-mances. And let us not forget that in the end, that is what this is all about, the art, the artists, and the communion that is formed each night with each new audience. We are looking forward to renewing that, once again, in Middletown. So, it is time for us to leave, and it is time for us to return home. As we move forward with our plans to return to Middletown on July 1� for the opening of the Wayside Theatre’s �7th Season of profes-sional theatre, we want to thank our many friends and supporters who followed us to Front Royal, and those who live there for their continued support. We also want to acknowledge those who may have discovered Wayside Theatre for the first time. We hope all of you will be in the audience for our season opening production of Always Patsy Cline, as we unveil the renovations we have completed in Phase I of our expansion plans and a new season. We also want to thank the Front Royal/Warren County EDA for working with us at the Royal Phoenix and helping to provide us with a temporary performance space closer to home during this past year. Please take this opportunity to immediately call our box office (5�0) 869-1776 for season tickets, to make your pledges to our an-nual campaign (your $150 or more entitles you to join the Wayside Foundation for the Arts “Patron’s Society”), or just to chat and wel-come us home. We look forward to hearing from you, our support-ers and friends. In behalf of all of us at Wayside Theatre, we look forward to seeing you in July and beyond.

Sincerely,

Wayside Foundation for the Arts Board of Directors & the Wayside Theatre actors and staff


Puzzles Watch out! Your boss is coming around the corner!

PuzzlesMay 5-11, 2008

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GamesMay 5-11, 2008

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GamesMay 5-11, 2008

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Bo Kane

By Bo KaneWarren County Report

The liar’s punishment is not that he is not believed, but that he cannot believe anyone else.

- George Bernard Shaw Mr. Kane: I have a question for a man who seems to take the truth seriously, so I ask you: what would you do if you determined that your son had been lying to you and your wife? Not a young son, but a son who has a wife of his own. In the latest episode, my son told us that he was far too busy to see us one day, that he had to go in to the of-fice even though it was a Satur-day. We said fine, but later were talking to our niece who said she spent most of that day with he and his wife. This upset my wife greatly, and I will talk to him about it, but I don’t want to bring him to such a state that he won’t talk to us, fearing that we will al-ways check up on him, nor do I want the fibs to continue. What would be your approach?

Joseph

Joseph:

Direct, like the one you were probably thinking about tak-ing. Don’t involve your wife or his; this is better left to the two of you. I presume that you’ve doubled checked the story and know for sure that he was ‘fib-bing’, so: Look him in the eye and tell him he HAS to tell you the truth. ‘Even if you think it’s going to hurt me, or hurt our feelings, I GUARANTEE you that it will no-where near hurt me as much as knowing that my son may be ly-ing to me. Now promise me that you will tell me the truth from now on, whether you think I’ll like it or not. And I promise I will always do the same for you.’ No need to do a sob story about how much it hurts your wife or that you thought you brought him up better…that will all be hanging in the air anyway, so leave it unsaid. Just do the best you can to make sure it doesn’t happen again. And Joseph, I’m glad you didn’t

take to blaming his wife, but for anyone reading who might be thinking ‘it’s probably HER fault’, I don’t believe it’s a good idea to force a guy to make a choice be-tween his parents and his wife. And if father and son shake on it, even if it IS her fault, the next time she asks him to “just tell them we’re busy” he’ll tell her “I won’t lie to my dad.”

Mr. Kane:

I have a fiancé who was all promises and full of love when he thought that he might lose me, but now he can’t or won’t finish his commitment. And I don’t be-lieve for one minute that (bunk) about “commitment phobia”. It’s not a disease. We have been en-gaged for over a year and we still don’t have a date set. Will you tell him that a “real man” would have the guts to honor the commit-ment he’s made?

Haley

Haley:

No.

Pain nourishes courage. You can’t be brave if you’ve only had wonderful things happen to you.

- Mary Tyler Moore Have you felt ‘less than healthy’ lately? Not up to par, like maybe you didn’t get a fair shake in the genetics department? Like even though you can visualize yourself soaring like Mike, someone tied an anvil to your gut? I can sym-pathize. When I turned 50 I started feel-ing all kinds of aches and pains. The middle-age kind, and the in-jury kind…. torn ligaments in my ankle and bone spurs in my heel, self-inflicted from attempts to re-capture my youth. Inadvertently I found a quick way to stop feeling sorry for my-self. I spent a week working with young people who should have it made, who should be heading off to the shopping malls, gyms and cafés without a care in the world. But they all have one big concern. They were an inch away from buying the farm, and heading off

to that great café in the sky. Last week I had the good for-tune to get a job interviewing cancer and heart attack/stroke victims. Not patients on their deathbed, but survivors who are walking around with a smile on their face like they’re the luckiest people on earth just to be alive. Lynn is a cancer patient in her mid �0’s. When I met her she had just come from chemo, and was a little loopy. Sweet young girl with a bright smile, wear-ing a stocking cap though it was warm out. I asked her to tip her hat, and her dome shone brightly in the lights. She laughed at her look, maybe because it seemed like someone else. Lynn doesn’t spend a lot of time feeling sorry for herself, she feels sorry for the other patients she met in the cancer ward who don’t have the army of family and friends helping them through it. So she helps them, sits with them, consoles them, and she’s set up a network to get other former pa-tients to help. John is an athlete who’d run marathons on one lung, not knowing he had a tumor grow-ing in his chest pushing on and then collapsing the other lung. He just thought he was getting winded too early, and pushed even harder. He showed me his scar; they removed a volleyball-sized tumor from his chest. Not softball. Volleyball. He’s back in the gym. Marie found out about her breast cancer on her honey-moon. Keith was in shape, a smart, happy guy who’d just found a new girlfriend … when he had a heart attack. He was �� and had complete blockage in two arter-ies. Genetics. None of these people smoked, or drank heavily. None of them did drugs. They just had to play the hand they were dealt. And they played it with courage and sympathy. Caring and guts. One young beauty, about �8 with perfect skin and watery blue eyes, was so happy that she got her hair back after a year of being bald, she wanted to dance. And so she did. I could’ve danced too. My an-kle suddenly felt just fine.

Bo Kane is a former newscaster in Charlottesville and a graduate of the University of Notre Dame.

You can reach him at:[email protected]’s Eye View

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Com

men

taryM

ay 5-11, 2008

The Underside of HopeBarack Obama was caught saying

something he believes.At a San Francisco fundraiser, away

from the prying eyes of the press,Obama reflected on why small-townvoters in Pennsylvania and the Mid-west seem resistant to his appeal. Hesaid those areas had lost jobs for 25years. Therefore, people “get bitter,they cling to guns or religion orantipathy to people who aren’t likethem or anti-immigrant sentiment oranti-trade sentiment as a way toexplain their frustrations.”

Obama has apologized for his phras-ing while defending the substance ofhis statement. And why not? He wasretailing an article of left-wing ortho-doxy going back centuries: that theworking class is distracted by religionand other peripheral concerns fromfocusing on its economic interests andembracing socialism.

At bottom, this is a profoundlyinsulting point of view. Consider Oba-ma’s formulation. He makes it soundlike no one would be a hunter or aChristian absent economic distress,that economic circumstances drivepeople into such atavistic habits. Hashe considered that some people sim-ply enjoy hunting? And view the rightto bear arms as a guarantor of Ameri-can liberty?

The assumption is that only liberalattitudes are normal and well-adjust-ed: If only these small-town peoplecould earn more income, get anadvanced degree and move to a majormetropolitan area, they could shedtheir chrysalis of social conservatism.

Obama prides himself on his civility,but it has to go much deeper than dul-cet rhetoric. A fundamental courtesyof political debate is to meet the otherside on its own terms. If someone sayshe cares about gun rights, it’s rude toinsist: “No, you don’t. It’s the mini-mum wage that you really care about,and you’d know it if you were moreself-aware.” But Democrats have anuncontrollable reflex to do just that.Since the McGovernite takeover oftheir party, they have struggled towork up enthusiasm for Middle Amer-ican mores. (Since 1980, only BillClinton managed it, which is why hewas the only Democrat elected presi-dent in three decades.)

When the liberal reflex is coupledwith a Ivy League-educated candidatewho seems personally remote anduncomfortable with everyday Ameri-can activities, it’s electoral poison.

Obama brings a special measure ofarrogance to the standard liberal cri-tique of Middle America. His candida-cy has always been characterized bytwo paradoxes. How can he be sohopeful at the same time he and hiswife, Michelle, portray America as asink-pit of despair? And how can heclaim to be a uniter when he’s anorthodox liberal who has risked littleor nothing for bipartisan outreach?

Now, we know. Obama defineshopefulness as liberalism, specificallyliberalism as embodied by himself.Only with Obama’s election willAmerica be redeemed from its har-rowing false consciousness. We willbe unified, not by Obama reaching outto conservatives to hammer out com-promises, but by conservatives shed-ding their bitterness and becomingObama liberals.

This is the underside of hope: arro-gance fading into a secular messian-ism based on the fallenness of every-one who disagrees with Barack Oba-ma. And it’s small-town voters whoare deluded?

Rich Lowry is editor of the NationalReview.

© 2008 by King Features Synd., Inc.

What Comes After“Enforcement First”?

“Enforcement first.”It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? I

mean, with all those illegal immi-grants running around, the last thingwe want is enforcement last ... right?

The phrase sounds so forcefully no-nonsense that 10 Republican senatorsrecently formed something called the“Border Security and EnforcementFirst Caucus.”

The group wants to “let Americansknow that some in the U.S. Senate arecontinuing to make sure that the lawsalready on the books will be enforced... push for stronger border securityand interior enforcement legislation,and work together in the U.S. Senateto defeat future legislation that offersamnesty.”

That’s not “enforcement first,”which even in its law-’n’-orderishbluntness implies there’s somethingthat comes second. No, what theseguys want is enforcement only.

And that is going to fail. Significant-ly, none of the founding members isfrom a border state. That’s because alot of people near the border know thatbuilding fences and raiding restaurantkitchens are not going to solve theproblem. Only comprehensive immi-gration reform, combined with sensi-ble enforcement, can significantlylower the number of illegal entries oreven begin to do anything about themore than 12 million people illegallyliving and working in the U.S.

The fence, in particular, is a colossalwaste of money. Like New Mexico

Gov. Bill Richardson has said, “Ifyou’re going to build a 12-foot wall,you know what’s going to happen? Alot of 13-foot ladders.” That’s whatpeople do when they can earn far moremoney to feed their families on theother side of the fence.

Yet the Bush administration, whichsupported comprehensive reformbefore going weak in the knees aftertoo many punches from the right,insists on spending nobody-really-knows-how-much on a border wall.The nonpartisan Congressional Bud-get Office last year estimated it wouldcost $2.1 billion for 700 miles, andmore recently the nonpartisan Con-gressional Research Service saidmaintenance over a projected 25-yearlife span of the fence could run $49billion. And that’s for just 700 miles;the border is nearly 2,000 miles long.

The rush to squander that money hasreached such a frenetic pace that lastmonth Michael Chertoff, the Home-land Security secretary, waived anyand all laws that might slow “theexpeditious construction of barriers,”claiming that Congress gave him theauthority to ignore any regulation hedoesn’t like, including those that pro-tect the environment as well as thosethat protect private property.

So, the United States governmentwill disrupt wildlife, tramplelandowners’ property rights, andmake itself look like an East Germanyin reverse, all to spend untold billionson a border wall most would-be illegalimmigrants will get past anyway. Andthat’s to say nothing of people whoentered through legal means thenoverstayed their visas — borderfences will have zero effect on the 40percent of illegal immigrants expect-ed to come in like that.

If somebody can point to a domesticpolicy that is more fraudulent, pleaselet me know. At least it’s a good timeto invest in companies that make 13-foot ladders.

Roger Hernandez is a syndicatedcolumnist and writer-in-residence atNew Jersey Institute of Technology.



Activities and events Please e-mail brief calendar notices in this format to: [email protected]

Apple Blossom FestivalApril 25 to May 4

Winchester, VA (540) 662-3863 E-Mail – [email protected] website www.thebloom.com

National Day of PrayerMay 1 - 6:30pm

Front Royal Community Prayer Ser-vice - at the Gazebo 622-5181

Police CarnivalMay 2 - 12

May 2-12 (Except Sunday May 6) Fraternal Order of Police Carnival – Bing Crosby Stadium - Times TBA – (540) 636-6166

Book signingMay 3 - Noon - 2 pm

Meet regional author Larry Buttram at A Novel Idea at 413 F South Street, Front Royal • 540-631-9323

Election DayMay 6

You are encouraged to get out and vote for Town Council today. If you are not sure where you are supposed to vote please call Voter Registration at (540) 635-4327.

Art ExhibitMay 9 - June 21

Local artist Danny Mulvena will be showing his latest paintings at Sun Studio May 9 - June 21. This exhibit entitled “Recent Yellow Works” docu-ments the machinery used to excavate and build our new shopping center at the north end of Warren County. Ev-eryone is invited to attend the open-ing reception Friday May 9, 7-9 p.m. Please call (540) 636-6511 for ques-tions and or directions.

Antique Auto ShowMay 9- 11

Hudson-Essex-Terraplane Club An-tique Auto Exhibit & Hudson Parts Flea Market – Ends w/Skyline Cav-erns 8 AM to Noon (or at Front Royal VFD in event of rain). Remainder of Schedule TBA – 703-392-6870May 10 – Corvette Club Spring Cruise8:30 AM to 11 AM - Jack Evans - Lot Main St. & Commerce Ave. Cruise on Jackson Street – (540) 837-2931

Cook Family BenefitMay 10, 2008 - 7-10 pm

Concert to help Missy Cook in her hour of need at the Warren County Fairgrounds. The performers will in-clude Danny Figgins as Willy Nelson, Robbie Limon as Hank Williams Sr. and Buddy Holly and Richard Parker as Elvis Presley. All Proceeds will go to the Cook Family. For information, please call 540-635-1302.

Disaster Response Classes5/10/2008 - 9:00am - 4:30pm

The Front Royal Warren County American Red Cross will hold disas-ter response classes at their office, 128 N. Royal Ave. The classes are Fulfilling Our Mission, Mass Care and Shelter Operations. Classes are free and open to the public. Call 635-2333 to register.

3rd Thursday Art WalkMay 15 - 5pm - 8pm

Downtown Front Royal on Historic Main Street. enjoy & collect art!

Virginia Wine & Craft FestivalMay 17 - 10am - 6pm

Live Entertainment, crafts, kiddie games, good food - Main Street and Chester Streets Gazebo area. Spon-sor – Front Royal-Warren County Chamber of Commerce - (540) 635-3185

R-MA Open HouseMay 18 - 2 pm

Randolph Macon Open House – Cam-pus tours available 540-636-5200

Confederate Memorial DayMay 23 – 6:30 pm

Warren Rifles Chapter #934, United Daughters of the Confederacy Me-morial Day service commemorating the 146th anniversary of the Battle of Front Royal will be held at Soldiers’ Circle, Prospect Hill Cemetery, Front Royal at 6:30 PM on May 23, 2008.Call 636-6982 for more information.

“DANCIN’ DOWNTOWN”May 25 – 5:30pm - 11 pm

Main Street at the Gazebo – Down-town Business Association– 622-2577

Delaplane Stawberry FestivalMay 25-25- 10am - 5pm

Sky Meadows State Park – Admission – 540-592 3556

Broadway Dinner ShowMay 30 - 6 pm

The Warren County Choral Arts Sup-port Team (CAST) presents its Third Annual Broadway Dinner Show at the North Warren Celebration Hall, 89 Rockland Road, in Front Royal. Tick-ets are $50 per person and are avail-able by calling 540-622-7779 or email-ing [email protected] by May 23rd. Proceeds benefit the choral music programs in Warren County Public Schools. A great Moth-er’s Day gift! Limited seating available

– buy your tickets today!

Main Street MelodiesMay 31 - noon - 3pm

By Wired for Sound – with Local DJ Mike McLean- Jazz oldies, big band and classics - at the Gazebo

Indoor Yard SaleJune 6 & 7–8 AM to 2 PM

Front Royal United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall. 1 East Main Street – (540) 635-9613 E-Mail [email protected] www.frontroyalumc.org

Relay For LifeJune 7 & 8

6 PM Friday to 6 AM Saturday

Warren County Middle School - Spon-sored by the American Cancer Society - (800) 227-2345

Open HouseJune 8 – 2pm

Randolph-Macon Academy Open House – Campus tours available 540-636-5200

Gazebo Gatherin’June 6

Town Square – Sponsored by the Blue Ridge Arts Council – (540) [email protected] www.blu-eridgearts.org

Gazebo Gatherin’June 13

Town Square – Sponsored by the Blue Ridge Arts Council – (540) [email protected] www.blu-

eridgearts.org

“Wired for Sound”April 26

by Main Street Melodies – with Local DJ Mike McLean- Jazz ,oldies, big band and classics at the Gazebo - 12 Noon to 3 PM.

“Goodstock”June 14

Youth Music Festival At the Gazebo – 10 Am to 6 PM Sponsored by Street-wise Ministries (540) 981-5972

Thursday Art WalkJune 19 - 3rd

Downtown Front Royal on Historic Main Street. enjoy & collect art! - 5PM to 8PM


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GamesMay 5-11, 2008

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GamesMay 5-11, 2008

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Church Notices

Warren Charge Services - All Wel-come! • Bennett’s Chapel - Rivermont Drive: Sunday School 10:00AM - Ser-vice 8:45AM • Asbury UMC - Route 340 south of Front Royal: Sunday School 9 & 11AM - Service 10:00AM • Limeton UMC - Buck Mountain Road: Sunday School 10:00AM - Service 11:15AM

Please e-mail brief notices in this for-mat to:

[email protected]

ClassifiedsPlace your classified ad in the most widely-read newspaper in Warren County by calling Melissa Barnett at (5�0) 6�5-�5��.

Didn’t finish High School?You need your GED!Want to get it FREE?

FREE GED Practice Tests & Classes Blue Ridge Technical Center & Samuels Library

(540)667-9744 or (800) 435-5945www.frederick.k12.va.us/djh/adulted

Must be 18 or older to participateNorthern Shenandoah Valley Adult Education

LNORRIS

jb

6.421 x 8” (4c process)

ATL015211B 4/3 & 4/17 2008

Retail

WLMART00011

WARREN COUNTY REPORT

Work Smart. Live Better.

Wal-Mart will not tolerate discrimination of employment on the basis of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, religion, disability, ethnicity, national origin,marital status, veteran status or any other legally protected status.

New Wal-Mart Supercenter Coming Soon to Front Royal!With excellent opportunities for advancement, it’s no wonder over 75% of our current managers started

off as hourly Associates. Wal-Mart is the smart choice for living and working.

As an Associate with Wal-Mart, you will receive competitive wages and may be eligible for a variety of

traditional and non-traditional benefits that enhance your career, compensation, home and life. Below

is just a sample of positions for which we are currently accepting applications, additional positions not

listed are also available.

To apply or for more information about career opportunities with Wal-Mart,

please visit our hiring site at the address below:

MBH Settlement Group1516 North Shenandoah Avenue, Suite D

Front Royal, VA 22630(540) 635-5098

Hiring Center Hours:Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, from 8am to 5pm

Wednesday, from 8am to 12pm

GROCERYBakery, Deli, Meat, Produce

FRONT ENDCashiers, Customer Service Desk,Cart Pushers, People Greeters

SALES FLOORAssociates/Supervisors for all departments

RECEIVINGUnloading and Stocking

APPLIANCES FOR SALE

HOUSESFOR RENT

HOUSESFOR SALE

PERSONALS

PETSFOR SALE

SERVICESAVAILABLE

SPECIALNOTICES

WORKAT HOME

NEW GAS OVEN! GENERAL ELECTRIC. 4 burners. Black and White. NEVER BEEN USED. Everything in-side still wrapped in plastic. $200/BO. 540-671-1319.

FOR RENT: Spacious 1 bedroom apartments $625 per month. Water & sewage included. Extra storage available. Coin operated laundry room in bldg,2 bedroom 1.5 bath townhouses $775 per month. Includes water and sewage. Private decks and yard space surrounding complex. Coin operated laundry on site.Pets accepted in both locations. Quiet neigh-borhood located corner of West 6th St. and Virginia Ave.Ask about our 1 month free rent special. Quali-fied applicants may receive a discounted secu-rity deposit.For more information please call 540-665-1611.

FRONT ROYAL. 2 Bedrooms, 1 1/2 bath duplex. In town. Range, refrigerator, washer/dry-er hook-ups. No dogs. $800 plus 1 month se-curity. 540-636-8731.

Seeking long lost cousin, JANET MA-RIE DAVIS. Please call Jeannie Davis at 304-897-5860.

FRONT ROYAL. 2 Bedrooms, 1 1/2 bath duplex. In town. Central AC. New 30 yr. roof. $139,900. 540-636-8731.

Puppies for Sale. CHIHUAHUA, PUGS, BEAGLES, MINIA-TURE SCHNAUZER, MINIATURE PIN-SCHERS, MINIATURE POODLES. Health guarantee, registered, de-wormed. CASH. 540-778-3314, 540-631-7652.

WeirdVirginiaRoyal Oak Bookshop

540-635-7070207 S. Royal Ave.

www.royaloakbookshop.com

CONTRACTOR YARDS

Large or SmallEquipment - Materials

RV - Trailer - BoatWARREN COUNTY

540-974-3537

PLUMBING. Repairs and services. Reason-able rates. Free esti-mates. Over 30 years experience. 540-683-6103.

PAGEANT DRESSES FOR SALE. CALL 540-667-2927.

Advertise here. Call Melissa at 635-4542.

TOYS, TOYS, TOYS.Earn free toys. Amy Yowell, Discovery Toys Educational Consultant. 540-689-0125.www.busybabies.net

CLASSIFIED ADS THAT WORK!

Call Melissa at 540-635-4542 [email protected]

Classified Text Ads(5 line minimum)Open rate $1 per line6 consecutive issues $.92 per line12 issues in same year $.88 per line12 consecutive issues $.85 per lineFull year-24 issues $.62 per line

Classified Display AdsOpen rate $6.50 per column inch6 consecutive issues $6.00 per col. in.12 issues in same year $5.75 per col. in.12 consecutive issues $5.50 per col. in.Full year-24 issues $4.00 per col. in.


JOHN’S SMALLLANDSCAPING

SERVICENo job too small !If you can’t do it,

I CAN !Weed pulling, grass

mowed, flower planting, veg. garden

planted, etc.

540-683-1093


PERSONALS

SWM SEEKS for mate or friendship. Interests are traveling, garden-ing, arts& crafts, lan-guages and education, etc. 540-868-2098.


APC STORAGE

SERVICESAVAILABLE

LAWNS MOWED540-683-6811


Over 80 ITEM Chinese Buffet!Szechuan, Hunan and Cantonese Style Chinese Foods

TOPS CHINA BUFFETNext to K-Mart in Front RoyalSun - Thu 10:30am - 9:30pm • Fri & Sat 10:30am - 10:30pm

DINING ROOM BUFFETDinner $9.99 • Lunch $6.25 • *Seniors 10% Off*

CARRY OUT BUFFETLunch $5.95 • Dinner $7.95 (per box)

Phone 540-635-2288Plenty of room for meetings and parties!

10% OFFDine-in Only With This Coupon at Tops China Buffet,

Front Royal, VA (expires 5/31/2008)One coupon per person.

Mother’s Day BuffetTreat

Mom to an incredible feast

this Mother’s Day.We’re even featuring crab legs on our best

buffet ever! Just

$11.99

Crab legs

Salmon Ribs

Documents

FREE TOWING