Poe joins EDA civil defendants in motions to nullify civil liability verdicts; Tran counsel granted additional time to file their motion to overturn jury verdict
WCPS works to prevent suicide ‘every day’
Threats of school violence found to be made up
FR-WC EDA finalizes $5.7-million sale of Baugh Drive warehouse to Shahi Foods
School Board OKs amended operating budget, digital mapping grant, stipend for CNAs
Broadband service expansion timeline, costs presented to supervisors prior to Closed Session, including discussion of ‘abolition’ of a sanitary district and non-annexation agreement with Town
Town to spend nearly $33,000 on new compensation study
McFadden cites Town Code to question legal authority of mayor regarding Town personnel matters – But does it really matter?
McFadden reacts to council move to fill his vacant seat – and considers paths forward
Claude A. Stokes, Jr. Community Swimming Pool closes for season
Town Talk: A conversation with Tony Carter, Archivist – Warren Heritage Society
Town Talk: A conversation with Michelle Ross, Michal Ashby and Erin Rooney – Samuels Public Library – September Activities
Town Talk: A conversation with Lorne Fyfe, Rivermont Baptist Church – Fall Festival on September 10, 2022
Town Talk: A conversation with Sgts Terry Fritts and Roger Vorous, Warren County Sheriff’s Office, TRIAD
Town Talk: A conversation with Michal Ashby and Erin Rooney – Samuels Public Library
Hometown Faces: Meet Scott Reid
Hometown Faces: Meet Suzanne Silek
Hometown Faces: Meet John Marlow
Hometown Faces: Meet Harry Bowen – soon to be 100
WATCH: Faces of Our Valley – Selah Theatre Project, Glory Bea!
Local Republican James Bergida enters race for Virginia Senate District 1
Meet the Candidates: Delores R. Oates, Virginia House of Delegates, District 31
Meet the Candidates: Merritt Hale, US Congress, 6th District
Lance Allen announces candidacy for Virginia’s First Senate District
Meet the Candidates: Robert Hupman announces for Virginia Senate seat in new District 1
Join us for WildFest 2022 – September 10, 2022
John Jackson Piedmont Blues Festival returns
Happy Cat Month Adoption Event at the Winchester SPCA
Suicide Prevention Ride and Awareness Event to be held in the area on September 18th
SAR Color Guard presents colors at Veterans Tribute in Clarke County
Skeletal remains found in suspicious circumstance identified as Shannon Lee Fox
Ressie Jeffries Elementary School placed in lockdown
Front Royal Police respond to brandishing incident at Royal Plaza
Local bank robbed at gunpoint, public’s assistance requested
Warren County Grand Jury of August 8, 2022 indictments
POLICE: 7 Day FRPD Arrest Report 8/29/2022
POLICE: 7 Day FRPD Arrest Report 8/22/2022
POLICE: 7 Day FRPD Arrest Report 8/15/2022
POLICE: 7 Day FRPD Arrest Report 8/8/2022
POLICE: 7 Day FRPD Arrest Report 8/1/2022
Legal Notice: Hydroelectric application has been filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection
EDA: Request for Qualifications for the provision of debt collection legal services
EDA: Invitation to bid; roof replacement
Special Commissioners Sale Saturday, October 5, 2019: Two adjoining tracts 42 & 41 acres
Front Royal Town Council accepting resumes for vacant council seat
UPDATE: Paving continues on North Royal Avenue
Town Notice: Road closure – North Commerce Avenue, 6th Street to Royal Avenue; paving continues
Town Notice: Road closure – North Royal Avenue and 6th Street
Town Notice: Paving on North Royal starts July 18
Poe joins EDA civil defendants in motions to nullify civil liability verdicts; Tran counsel granted additional time to file their motion to overturn jury verdict
FR-WC EDA finalizes $5.7-million sale of Baugh Drive warehouse to Shahi Foods
Warren County EDA tackles multi-faceted August meeting Action Agenda
EDA Board Chairman Jeff Browne reacts to July civil litigation results ordering total of over $13.35 million paid to the County Economic Development Authority
Jury awards WC EDA $11.9 million-plus in civil compensatory claims against ITFederal and Truc ‘Curt’ Tran
EDA Board Chairman Jeff Browne reacts to July civil litigation results ordering total of over $13.35 million paid to the County Economic Development Authority
Jury awards WC EDA $11.9 million-plus in civil compensatory claims against ITFederal and Truc ‘Curt’ Tran
EDA civil liability defendant ‘Curt’ Tran on witness stand for over 4-1/2 hours as trial heads into final day
EDA vs. Tran/ITFederal civil liability and counterclaim trial heads into third day with defense poised to call final series of witnesses
First day of $11-million EDA vs. ‘Curt’ Tran civil liability trial concludes
Chamber welcomes Kells Belles to Front Royal
Chamber welcomes Garcia & Gavino to Front Royal
Local Senior Center reopens with new location and new name
Quality Title moves to a new home in Front Royal
Grand re-opening & ribbon cutting at Royal Cinemas
Warner & Kaine celebrate Inflation Reduction Act becoming law
Warner & Kaine announce more than $2.1 million in funding to address COVID-19 in rural Virginia communities
Kaine, Murkowski, Sinema, and Collins introduce legislation to codify Roe v. Wade
Sixth District Perspectives with Congressman Ben Cline – July 29, 2022
Kaine statement on Senate passage of bill to boost domestic chip manufacturing
In Washington, British embassy becomes focus of Queen Elizabeth II tributes
U.S. House members raise doubts about Manchin environmental permitting deal
Maryland residents receive first shots of new COVID-19 vaccine
Virginia War Memorial to host Commonwealth’s Patriot Day Ceremony
Business continues to grow as Port processes heavy imports and sets volume record for July
Governor Glenn Youngkin cremonially signs Veterans Tax Cut legislation
Labor Day weekend traffic crashes claim 6 lives – juveniles account for 4 lives lost
Statewide Buckle Up/Slow Down Initiative kicks off this week aiming to curb startling increase in teen driver fatalities
Virginia lawmakers fail to reach deal on SCC pick
First Lady Suzanne S. Youngkin announces September 2022 Spirit of Virginia award recipient
Playoff Game 2 : Front Royal Cardinals vs Woodstock River Bandits – July 27
Rescheduled: Front Royal Cardinals vs Strasburg Express – Monday, July 25
Front Royal Cardinals vs Purceville Cannons – Thursday, July 21
Front Royal Cardinals vs New Market Rebels – Sunday, July 24
CANCELED: Valley Baseball League: All Star Game at the “Bing” – Sunday, July 17th
WCHS JV Football: Warren County vs Strasburg – September 8
WCHS vs Hedgesville – Varsity Football – September 2
WCHS vs Sherando – Girls Volleyball – August 29
WCHS JV Football: Warren County vs Clark County – August 24
WCHS vs Strasburg – Girls Volleyball – August 23
Skyline High School Graduation – Saturday, May 28, 2022
Skyline High School Class of 2021 Graduation Ceremony
Baccalaureate service for graduating seniors
Skyline vs Independence High School, February 12, 2021 at 6 PM in the third round of the Region 3B Basketball Tournament
Skyline vs James Monroe High School, February 9, 2021 at 6 PM in the second round of the Region 3B Basketball Tournament
Warren County Middle School vs Skyline Middle School – Girls Basketball, October 4, 2021
Warren County Middle School vs Frederick County Middle School – Girls Basketball, September 27, 2021
Warren County Middle School vs Daniel Morgan Middle School – Girls Basketball, September 23, 2021
Warren County Middle School vs Admiral Richard E. Byrd Middle School – Girls Basketball, September 20th, 2021
Warren County Middle School Academic Honors Ceremony – 8th Grade
Warren County Middle School vs Skyline Middle School – Girls Basketball, October 4, 2021
Skyline Middle School Academic Honors Ceremony – 8th Grade
Skyline Middle School Academic Honors Ceremony – 7th Grade
Skyline Middle School Academic Honors Ceremony – 6th Grade
Skyline Middle School vs Daniel Morgan, June 3rd – Girls Volleyball
Hilda J. Barbour Elementary School – 5th Grade Graduation Event
WATCH: E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School – 5th Grade Graduation Parade
WATCH: Ressie Jeffries Elementary School – 5th Grade Graduation Parade
WATCH: Leslie Fox Keyser Elementary School – 5th Grade Graduation Parade
Should you buy an existing home or build new?
The pros and cons of refinancing your mortgage
Buying a home within your means: what does it mean?
Virginia home prices still climbing, but cooling market brings moderation
Ask the expert: What are contingencies in a real estate deal?
OPEN HOUSE: 159 High Point Court, Front Royal – This Saturday, April 2nd
House for sale: 159 High Point Court, Front Royal
House for sale: 104 Foam Flower, Lake Frederick
Property for sale: 425 N Royal Ave, Front Royal – Watch the tour!
House for sale: 361 Walnut Drive, Front Royal – Watch the tour!
Start your day with a smile
Start your day with a smile
Start your day with a smile
Start your day with a smile
Start your day with a smile
Steak Night: The Great Beefsteak Raid of 1864
History in Perspective: ‘Don’t call it a Comeback’ – The culmination of a Civil War chess match: Bloody Antietam
New to the job? You are at risk
Hunting: What’s in a hunter’s survival kit?
To Censor or not to Censor, that is a Difficult Question
The Cracked Acorn: The Un-Truth
The Cracked Acorn: Time Wings
The Cracked Acorn: 2 or more
Should I Choose Passion or Duty?
Why we should be ‘Babyish’ in Love
The School of Life: How to Stop Playing Games in Love
The School of Life: How You Can Be Too Clever
Looking Back: A Mothers Revenge – Hannah Duston
Ben Franklin and his miraculous lightning rod
The Year Without A Summer : “Eighteen Hundred & Froze To Death”
America’s veterans remembered and honored for their service across the years
How much do you know about Veterans Day?
5 meaningful ways to celebrate Veterans Day
5 ways to celebrate Veterans Day
The 11hour of the 11th day of the 11th month – Veterans Day 2020
Real Estate and Community News (July/August 2022) with Jen Avery, REALTOR
Donations to aid Kentucky still accepted at Aders Insurance Agency
Rugged Terrain Crossfit takes home the trophy at the Waggin’ for Dragons 2022 race
Community groups and businesses donate almost 500 backpacks
2022 YES Conference | Finding Your Balance for our high school students
The Rotary Club of the Northern Shenandoah Valley hosting blood drive
Help replenish the blood supply after holiday weekend
Community Blood Drive to be held this Wednesday, March 3rd
Santa Claus is coming to Town, Warren County!
A “COVID Christmas” message from Santa
Warren Heritage Society announces the publication of their newest book, “Coming Together”
Send bracelets to quarantined residents of Commonwealth Assisted Living in Front Royal through WeAreSPACE.org
Warren’s Heritage: Native American History-Part 10
Warren’s Heritage: Native American History-Part 9
Warren’s Heritage: Native American History-Part 8
Breakfast with Barry Lee – Dishing out ample servings of positivity, humor, and community spirit.
Cloud computing: the environmental impact of the virtual world
How buying local can help your business
Before Amazon, Sears disrupted retail
Canning history: How canned food revolutionized society
Leaders: Peter Thiel looks to future
Immigrants: transfer your skills to boost your career
Thorough preparation makes all the difference
Experience is worth its weight in gold
How to safely handle and cook poultry
Wine and sauced pasta: a delicious combination
How to safely handle and cook poultry
Vilsack: America’s voluntary approach to agriculture is better than Europe’s mandates
The table is set for the harvest season!
Overview of the main types of diabetes
How to treat eye injuries
Good dental hygiene starts early
The ‘good life’ is hidden in the portion size
Lovely red vines hold poison
How to choose a smoke alarm
Debt: there are ways out
Which lock should you choose for your front door?
Bullying and harassment at school: an appalling problem
Alcohol consumption as a senior: 3 risk factors
10 ways for seniors to keep busy
5 ideas for a dream retirement vacation
4 symptoms you shouldn’t ignore
Do you know Louis Braille?
5 tips for camping in your backyard
3 ways to have fun with soap bubbles
How well do you know your summer sports?
Nature quiz: find the odd one out
Preventive care: How to keep cats and dogs healthy
5 tips for driving with your pet this summer
What you need to know about head pressing in pets
Can you teach your dog to speak?
Adopting a pet duck: what you need to know
5 ideas for a dream retirement vacation
How to prepare for a solo trip
5 good reasons to book your cruise early
Today’s economy dictates a new way of driving
One flaw made Tesla’s autos easy to steal
Quiz: Match the 12 car parts with what they do
What to do with a recall
How to safely handle and cook poultry
Independence Day quiz: patriotic quotes
Why Independence Day is celebrated on July 4
The Declaration of Independence: What Does it Say?
The vast forest of dwarf cypress, pine and hardwood hammocks of the Florida Everglades had long intrigued my retired wife and I who have often vacationed in the Sunshine State. We had driven through via County Road 94, better known as Loop Road Scenic Drive, a quiet dirt byway off of the Tamiami Trail, and had planned to come back for an extensive guided tour of the area, seeking a little more than the typical Florida road side attraction.
During our latest trip in late January, we left Pine Ridge Road in Naples for an Everglades adventure, traveling 48 miles inland where we found Captain Steve and his swamp buggies deep in the Big Cypress National Preserve. Steve is a sixth generation Glades-man (family has been living in the Everglades since the 1870s) who loves the Big Cypress National Preserve, the largest subtropical swamp in the United States. Steve’s great grandfather, Captain Charlie Boggess, was the first to operate a tour in the Everglades National Park.
Mark G and Captain Steve somewhere in the middle of the Big Cypress Swamp. Photos courtesy of Mark Gunderman.
Captain Steve’s Swamp Buggy Adventure is motored by a six-person, all-terrain vehicle outfitted with tractor tires and an elevated viewing platform. We were fortunate to have a private 3.5-hour tour of the 1.5-million-acre wetland. We arrived just after a frost advisory. Big Cypress was calm, peaceful, and untroubled; a little glimpse of what Heaven on earth might look like.
Captain Steve is a physically big man; he’s cheerful, charismatic and a natural storyteller. His outgoing nature invites a day of lunch and socialization. Steve explained to us that he would stop anytime for photo opportunities or quickly jumping off the buggy to amble around and more closely observe any unusual aspect of a particular habitat. Being a professional, Captain Steve not only shared wonderful experiences, but made sure that we had bug spray, sun block and binoculars.
Steve began the tour by explaining that although Florida is experiencing tremendous population growth and urban development, Big Cypress remains a wilderness, inhospitable and mysterious, the domain of countless creatures of both tooth and claw. The exotic waterscape features a delicate landscape with open grassy vistas, pinelands and dense islands of hardwoods. The swamp is a rich and varied biological preserve.
We came across a large tree that exhibited deformed growth and a distinctive bend in a vertical plane. Steve identified it as a directional tree or marker tree. Historically, these unique trees were commonly known as Indian Trail Trees. Proponents of trail tree lore claim these unique forms were modified by Native Americans and used to mark trails, river crossings or important locations. Native Americans would bend young trees into shapes that were not found in nature, such as right angles. Bent trees were originally saplings that were purposely bent in the correct direction for accurate trail navigation. The bend of the tree was secured with items such as sinew, bark, rawhide, or vines. Alternatively, the saplings were weighted down with dirt or rocks.
Native Indian marker or directional tree exhibited a distinctive bend in a vertical plane.
Early in the tour Captain Steve pointed out some cut timber remaining from the days of logging cypress. When the timber industry began to operate in the area, it built railroads and cut and hauled out most of the cypress ecosystem’s old growth trees. Jerome and Copeland were logging towns and the Jerome lumber mill once was among the most productive in the United States. During the 1940s, loggers cut and finished 100,000 board feet every day. The Lee Cypress Railroad, built in the 1920s, transported cypress trees for more than 40 years, ending in the 1950s. By the time conservationists became concerned about the Big Cypress in the late 1960’s it had already been logged. About three hundred sixty million board feet of Cypress were logged from the Big Cypress before it became a preserve.
Steve briefed us on the fascinating wading birds of the Big Cypress. The Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, the Great Egret, Snowy Egret and White Ibis are the most commonly spotted birds in the swamp. One other bird that captured our attention was the prehistoric looking Anhinga, present here in large numbers. The Anhinga has a minimal coating of oil that repels water. The oil allows them to be less buoyant and better able to dive and catch prey. In order to dry off after fishing, they must sun themselves on high perches with their wings outstretched.
American alligators are commonly seen in the preserve during the winter dry seasons when water is scarce. We observed an eleven-footer basking in a canal and some baby gators near a gator cave. Other reptiles in the swamp that can be observed include cottonmouth and rattle snakes, skinks, geckos, turtles and lizards.
Steve informed us that Big Cypress is home to 35 species of mammals, the most popular being the Florida panther, black bear and manatee. An endangered species since 1967, about 150 panthers live in Big Cypress. Panthers are strictly carnivores, with white-tailed deer and feral hogs making up most of their diet. They will also hunt smaller animals such as raccoons, rabbits, armadillo, birds and young alligators. Black bear males can weigh up to 450 pounds and are omnivores. Their diet consists of plants, insects, and scavenged meat. Manatees, Florida’s most beloved mammals, can live in fresh, salt or brackish water and reside in Florida’s springs, rivers, estuaries and coastal areas. Manatees spend eight hours a day eating aquatic plants. Adult manatees are around 9-10 feet in length and females can weigh an average of 1,000 lbs.
The swamp buggy adventure is not, generally speaking, an animal safari. It is more an in-depth look at the Big Cypress habitats spectacular scenery. Captain Steve introduced each fascinating habitat as the tour motored through them.
The Cypress Swamps are dominated by bald cypress trees. Many types of woody plants are found here. Growing on the trunks and branches of the cypress trees are epiphytes or air plants. Steve said epiphytic plants attach themselves to other living plants, in this case the cypress trees. Instead of having their roots in the soil, they wrap around the cypress tree to stay securely in place. Well known epiphytes in the Big Cypress are bromeliads and orchids. Epiphytes use photosynthesis to create their own food and obtain moisture from humidity, like fog and rain.
Cypress trees grow in water filled solution holes which are depressions in the limestone bedrock. The roots of the cypress are able to break through the bedrock and take hold to grow. In a cypress dome, the tallest trees grow in the deepest water and the smaller trees grow along the edge in the shallower water. The center of the domes have no trees, and often ponds are found here. This type of open dome is inviting to the alligator flag plant and coastal plain willow tree that can tolerate deeper water. As these deeper solution holes almost always hold water year-round, they are an important refuge for alligators.
Pinelands are mostly saw palmetto, South Florida slash pine and mixed grasses. The slash pine is very tolerant of fire. Pinelands are part of a stable stage community and depend on fire to help clear out the grasses, shrubs and other trees that will crowd out the slash pine over time and possibly change the habitat. The slash pine is a very hard wood and extremely resistant to termites. This has made it a very desirable wood for building houses resulting in the logging of the old growth trees in Florida. Steve said the term “slash” comes from the practice of the early timber workers extracting its sap by cutting diagonal slash marks in the trunk, draining the sap from the cuts and using it to make turpentine.
Morning landscape reveals saw palmetto and Florida pine trees.
Cypress Prairies are dominated by ground cover like muhly grass or saw grass. Dwarf bald cypress trees are common in these prairies but seldom attain a large size. This is partly because the limestone caprock that is a common component of substrates here is close to the soil surface and inhibits the establishment and growth of cypress trees. Prairies usually burn once during a five-year period. Without fire, woody plants would push out the prairie plant species. Steve said this would in turn cause prairie mammals and birds to lose their habitat.
Hardwood hammocks are found on slightly elevated bedrock areas. Hammocks look a bit like a tropical forest due to the rich diversity of ferns, epiphytes, lichens and vines that grow in their sheltered interior. Oaks, wild tamarind, cabbage palms, maple and saw palmetto are also found here. The densest part of a hardwood hammock is in the canopy overhead, making it hard for plants at ground level to find enough light to grow. The Florida panther likes to lounge in the shade of the tall trees during the day and the Florida black bear likes to forage for saw palmetto berries and swamp cabbage palm hearts.
Estuaries and mangrove swamps are located along the southwest edges of the preserve, where the freshwater from the swamp meets the saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico. Estuaries are very productive ecosystems. They are often referred to as “nurseries of the sea” because marine mammals such as dolphin and manatee give birth to their young here. Fallen leaves from the mangrove trees are broken down in water and form debris. Debris decomposes and becomes nutrients and food for thousands of organisms. The red mangrove’s roots hold and traps the nutrients making this a safe haven for all types of marine creatures, like shrimp, crabs, snails and small fish. Steve believes marine fish such as snook, trout, mullet, jack, grouper, redfish, silver perch, spot, catfish and spiny lobster also rely on this area for sustenance.
The swamp is an everchanging environment that experiences dramatically fluctuating water levels. The casual drive through this pristine otherworld enriched our bond with nature and assisted us to better understand the unique and sometimes misunderstood ecosystem. The delightful and educational tour ended in the early afternoon and before we exchanged goodbyes, the captain provided us with some great recommendations for other Big Cypress area tours and restaurants in Everglades City.
Change the law on outdoor video surveillance on your private property
I received a bit of a surprise via email late last week. An RFP for a downtown master plan was addressed specifically to me. This was a surprise because I don’t expect to receive such things, blame it on the fact that I am pretty vocal about my opinions on community plans. I have my masters in planning, I believe in planning, I believe most of us would have better lives if we did a little more planning, but I don’t think planning is the solution that most towns need, it’s just what they think they need. It’s what city leaders have been told time and time again that they have to have.
A little bit of background here for the uninitiated, RFP stands for request for proposals. This is a municipality’s way of announcing that they are seeking out firms to respond to a project- kind of like a casting call. They are asking qualified firms to submit a proposal for the work as described in the RFP. There are a number of inherent problems with the RFP process, but let us set that aside for now. This particular community that sent me an email is seeking out planning firms to put together a proposal for a downtown plan. Then a committee or project team working on behalf of the municipality will review proposals, select a few firms to interview and award the contract to one of those firms.
The idea behind a plan is solid. To put a guiding document in place which helps inform future decisions so a community has an opportunity to realize the outcomes it wants. In essence, decide where a town wants to go and then plot out how to get there. This makes perfect sense, but there is a problem. A plan rarely addresses the underlying issues plaguing most towns.
I stopped replying to RFP’s years ago. It is a flawed system that wastes too much money and time, but since this town sought out me out, I might as well provide my opinion. So here goes…
Dear Municipal RFP Team, Thanks very much for inviting me to participate in the RFP process for your community. While I am flattered that you consider me qualified, I have to respectfully decline to participate in the process as set out by your request. I cannot, in good conscience, give you a price to perform work that I do not believe would make a meaningful difference to the health of your city. While I do not know the specific details of your community, I am confident in saying that I understand the underlying challenges, because nearly every town shares them.
Most towns suffer from a lack of engagement, a lack of pride, and a lack of attachment. Nearly every town is dealing with rampant apathy and the struggle to make people passionate about the place they call home. These are the real issues at hand, and while planning has a role to play, if apathy and engagement are your problems (as they are with most) a plan will not provide the solution. Nearly no town suffers from a lack of planning, if anything there has been too much planning. There are too many expensive documents sitting on too many shelves that were never enacted…plans that allow someone to say something was done, but that allows for nothing to ever get done. These un-utilized plans only help to foster more apathy. People will (rightfully) say, “We spent a lot of money for a plan, but then nothing ever changed”. This only breeds more apathy because it delays action and fosters the idea that progress is not possible.
Plans are great, if your community is suffering from a lack of direction, but I doubt that it is the case. Most cities already know where they want to go, but have no clue how to get there. Will another round of public input change anything? If your town has asked residents what they want dozens of times and you haven’t done anything with that information, why should they bother?
Another plan is likely to confirm what you already know- that people want a pretty town to call home, they want to feel safe, they want places to go hang out with their friends. Residents want to live in a town they can be proud of and a place where they don’t have to see the best and brightest move away. They want to be able walk their kids to ice-cream or a park without fear of being run-over They want to have a relationship with their town and experience a strong sense of community. They want all these things, because this is what everyone wants, everywhere, they just don’t know how to achieve it. The problem with the planning process is this – it addresses a problem you don’t have while ignoring the problem you do. At some point cities have to stop asking people what they want and start delivering it to them.
Most plans will provide a clear picture of where a community should go, but lacks an explanation on how to get there. A destination without a route is just wishful thinking and, quite frankly, hope is no strategy.
Plans don’t address civic apathy and community engagement, but THIS is what you are trying to overcome. Plans will not make anyone love your community or keep a single person from moving away. Plans will not convince someone that your town is worth emotionally investing in. Comprehensive plans were not built for this and therefore, cannot accomplish it.
It has been my experience that the heart of the matter is one we are unwilling to talk about, and therefore unwilling to address because it might be painful to admit. Most residents do not care about their community. This is the reality that we avoid dealing with, so it inevitably remains. Tourism, economic development and planning all have their role to play, but do very little to make residents care more about their community. Those organizations were not created with that goal in mind. No one has a mission of making a town better for the people that call it home, so the work remains undone and residents have no attachment to their town.
As local ownership has declined and the condition of the downtown has deteriorated, as car trips have replaced walks and social opportunities have faded, people have grown less engaged in their community. As our pattern of development has changed and spread us further apart, there is less for residents to care about in their place and the natural response is for them to care less. This is the issue that must be addressed before pursing another plan. Municipalities have to focus on growing attachment and building civic engagement. City leaders have to stop wishing that people will begin to care about their town in its current condition and instead, start providing them with reasons to care.
I appreciate the consideration, but I question the value of participating in the planning process when so few plans are ever implemented. This would be a poor use of my time and the community’s valuable resources. I am confident that it is possible to achieve a significantly greater benefit in far less time and for far less money by focusing on implementation. Instead of asking residents what they want, again, determine how to make it happen… remove the roadblocks, overhaul the processes, throw out what isn’t working. Let there be no sacred civic cow perpetuating status quo. Accept that no matter how efficiently you can perform a process, if it is the wrong process, nothing will improve. It is time for a different approach.
A plan cannot combat apathy, only action can. Only progress has the power to make residents believe. In giving people reasons to be engaged, a city can begin to foster engagement. City leaders have to move beyond WANTING residents to care and instead, PROVIDE them with reasons to do so. We keep repeating the mistake of thinking that if we just build enough consensus, people will be supportive of improvements, but this is backwards thinking. A city has to be willing to make improvements and be confident that residents will support the results. A city must be willing to change, grow and progress, knowing that this will win citizens over in a way nothing else can. Improvement builds pride. Success builds engagement. Action fosters passion and we need residents to be passionate about their town.
If a plan is still what you believe your community needs, consider yourself lucky. There are hundreds of qualified firms that will be able to provide you with a comprehensive quality downtown plan. You are in good hands.
If you believe issues of apathy and engagement plague your community, I would be more than happy to have that difficult discussion. Through my work at Revitalize, or Die. I focus on combating apathy by fostering pride and helping municipalities build back healthy relationships with residents. This work is generally carried out in five primary areas: improving aesthetics; increasing local ownership; raising standards; creating an identity; and building a sense of community.
While I am an independent consultant, I work with a number of other individuals and small firms that would be well suited to address issue specific community concerns. This includes specialists in the fields of branding, communications, business development, real estate development, marketing, and organizational development.
Plans are what cities are told they should want, but rarely do enough leaders stop to ask if this is what they need. I am not interested in convincing city leaders what they want, but to ask them what their community really needs. Please consider what residents are desperate for and what they have lost. Whether or not your community sees fit to follow up with me- please ask yourself the following questions before continuing down the current path.
-Will this plan make residents lives better and make them happier? -Will this plan build civic pride and increase community engagement? -Will this plan help increase residents’ emotional attachment to their community?
Residents are desperate to see their town experience progress, they want to know that improvement is possible and that their community’s best days are not in the past. Citizens would love to fall in love with their town if they were only given reason to, but cities must stop talking and start acting. They must stop planning and start doing. There are no silver bullets in this field and no short cuts. The simple truth is this, real revitalization will only come about by committing to relentless incremental improvement. The path forward is slow and steady and requires just one thing…getting a little bit better every day.
Thanks in advance for your consideration and best of luck in your process.
Regards, Jeff Siegler Revitalize, or Die.
As I said in my last article, few decisions have been as controversial as the recent overturn of Roe v. Wade. As such, I could not cover everything in one article. Last time I discussed the courts and politicians, but the new ruling has also set off the Internet warriors who have spewed their hatred towards anyone who might disagree with them.
The problem with abortion is that it is a moral issue. We argue plenty over things like economic issues, but those we can compromise on. We tend to reserve hate for moral issues, where we can see no compromise. What is interesting about this particular debate is that a second moral issue is occurring simultaneously, that of mass shootings and gun control. The interesting part is that both sides are making their arguments for or against abortion and gun control by using abortion and gun control as evidence of their superior position. Historically speaking, this concept is not new. During the 19th Century, the biggest moral issue was slavery, yet slaveholders justified their practice by attacking the moral practices of northern industrialists.
Since the announcement of the change in abortion laws, assigned talking points seem to come from both sides. When the left attacks the right over abortion, one of their talking points is to ask if the right is so concerned about babies, then why do they not pass gun control laws to protect children? Yet, at the same time, the right makes just the opposite argument when discussing gun control. They ask if the left is so concerned about protecting lives, then why do they support killing the unborn? Both sides try to hold the moral high ground on one issue by showing moral superiority on the other.
In the past, a similar argument started in 1794 with the invention of the cotton gin. With this new technology, cotton and the slaves who grew it became a vital part of the American economy. Suddenly, slave owners could no longer afford to look at slavery as the “necessary evil” that it was called during colonial times. Beginning in the 19th century, slavery became a positive good, according to the South. The new reliance on cotton was not the only change. The growth of a new anti-slavery element known as abolition also grew. An anti-slavery element in the U.S. had always been present, but many people saw slavery as harmful to Whites. This new abolitionist movement saw slavery as morally wrong for both Whites and Blacks and called for its immediate eradication. Slaveholders now had to dig in their heels and show why slavery benefited everyone, including the slaves.
Slavery presented a difficult moral stance for slaveholders, but they found ways to support it. They argued that the Bible supported it, the ancient Greeks and Romans condoned it, and science proved that Blacks were inferior. However, a favorite talking point for slaveowners was basically people in glass houses should not throw stones. Instead of having to defend slavery, slaveholders instead attacked northern industrialists and the treatment of their workers. With the birth of industrialization, the condition of a growing urban population severely declined, leaving many to live in absolute squalor. It was easier for slaveholders to tell northerners to mind their own business, solve their own problems, and leave slavery alone. Many even went as far as saying slaves were better off than northern workers. Slaves received food and shelter their entire lives, no matter how they worked. Could northern bosses claim the same about their workers?
A similar argument today has come from the pro-abortion side. An Internet post shows a graphic showing all the children who are in foster care in each state with text that suggests if anti-abortion supporters care so much about kids, why do they stop caring once they are born? While this is a strong argument, I am sometimes asked by students if some slaves had it better than some northern workers. I always give the same answer. In some rare cases, that may be true, but how many of those northern workers would switch places with a slave and give up their freedom? As for today, while the foster care argument holds some validity, how many of those kids do you think wish their mothers had made a different choice?
Dr. James Finck is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha. He is Chair of the Oklahoma Civil War Symposium. Follow Historically Speaking at www.Historicallyspeaking.blog.
Based on the past voting records of our community, 72% of our citizens are conservative and Republican. Also, based on history, most of the candidates running for the Town’s offices are conservative.
Why does the local republican party feel the need to endorse anyone in Town elections for positions that were established as nonpartisan in the Town charter?
If other conservative candidates don’t agree with the positions of the local party and do not receive the local endorsement, they work at a great disadvantage, fighting against the resources provided by the local party machine. Maybe if these endorsements are eliminated, we might elect quality conservatives who focus more on what’s good for our community instead of catering to the self-interest of the local party bosses.
We now have an opportunity to replace members of the Council and the mayor this election cycle with conservative candidates campaigning without the party’s endorsements.
Maybe this is the opportunity to change the focus of elected officials to serving the needs of our community instead of being indebted to the few in control.
If you want to succeed, you need to have integrity. That means you need to stand behind everything you say. In fact, it’s one of the best things you can have when you’re working online.
The only thing worse than lying is not being honest. You should always be honest because that’s the only way to earn trust and respect from others.
I will share with you some of the best tips I’ve learned over the years about how to succeed online.
If you implement them all into your life, you will start to see results.
Integrity is one of the most important things in life.
It’s the ability to say “no.”
It’s being able to walk away from situations that are wrong.
It’s sticking to your word.
It’s making sure that your actions align with your words.
It’s not being afraid to make a decision that may seem wrong.
Integrity is one of the things that makes a good leader.
You can be a great leader and still not have integrity, but you cannot be a great leader and have no integrity.
Saying “no” is something that most people have to work on. They tend to be overly polite and try to make everything just right for everybody else.
However, saying “no” is a very important part of your life and needs to be done with care and thoughtfulness. In fact, you should be able to tell yourself the right reasons why you should say “no” before you even consider it.
This isn’t an excuse to just ignore or disrespect people, though. Rather, you want to make sure that your reasons are valid and justified in order to do so and that you have no ulterior motives behind it.
Saying “yes” to things you aren’t entirely sure about can be a waste of time and energy. It’s a big part of life, and it’s something that you’ll need to practice in order to do it successfully. The sooner you get used to it, the easier it’ll become.
The biggest thing you want to think about when it comes to saying “no” is that there’s no reason for you to have to say it in the first place. There’s no need to put people on the spot or to have them pester you to the point where you’ll be forced to say “no.”
Many people will try to guilt you into doing things or trying to pressure you into something. Instead, you need to look at the situation from the perspective of whether it’s in your best interest and whether you can say “no” without causing any harm.
Having a healthy balance in your life is always good, so it’s important to be willing to say “no” at the right times. It doesn’t mean you have to avoid saying “yes” altogether, but it’s just as important to distinguish between the two.
Successful people are often willing to walk away from a situation where it’s clearly not the right thing to do. You might think that you’re in control and can make anything work, but the truth is, the situations you’re in are largely influenced by the environment around you.
You may think that it’s impossible for you to control the environment, but you can, especially if you’re willing to make the effort to do so. You should always strive to be in control, but if you can’t, then that’s okay.
For example, you might think that you’re in a great place, but that’s not the case at all. It’s simply because you’re in the right place at the right time. If you were stuck somewhere else, you might have been able to turn your situation around in a flash.
It’s easier said than done, but if you’re willing to put in the effort to make that happen, then you can. In order to do this, you need to be able to recognize when the environment is not conducive to your goals, and it’s always better to be proactive than reactive.
The key here is recognizing that you’re not in control of your environment and that you need to be willing to walk away from situations where it’s clearly not the right thing to do. This is because you’re essentially giving up on your goals when you stay in those situations.
Sometimes, we may find ourselves in a situation where our word is all we must rely on. If someone tells us something will happen, it usually does, but that’s not always the case.
If you’re working with other people, then you may find yourself in situations where you have to back up your word. Whether you’re talking to an investor or a customer, it’s important that you stay true to your word and that you don’t let other people get the better of you.
Sticking to your word is a sign of respect and honesty, and there’s a good chance that it can turn a bad situation into a good one.
People often make promises without having the means to follow through, but when you’re able to keep your word, it shows that you’re trustworthy and reliable. You can give your word to people and expect them to do the same.
However, if you’re able to give your word and then break it, that’s not really much of a deal because you would have been dishonest, to begin with. You should be able to keep your word, and that’s an important part of being trustworthy.
If you’re working with someone else and you give your word that something will be done, then you must ensure it is. If you promise your boss that you’ll finish that report by 5 pm, you need to show up with it by then.
That’s just the bare minimum. You’ll need to keep your word because you don’t want to hurt the relationship. If you can’t be trusted with your word, then how can you be trusted with anything else?
The thing is, when you’re dealing with other people, you should always be aware of their reputation. When you keep your word and are honest with them, it creates a good reputation, and that’s how you get ahead.
If you can show that you’re trustworthy, then you’ll always be able to get ahead in your life.
Do you ever find yourself thinking one thing but doing something completely different? When you start to think about it, you realize that you’re thinking one thing while doing another.
This is an example of cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is when two different thoughts are happening inside your head simultaneously. For example, you might be saying one thing but doing something completely opposite.
You might also be thinking about one thing but doing something else entirely. This happens to everyone from time to time, and it’s actually quite common.
The problem with cognitive dissonance is that you can end up making bad decisions because of it. If you want to avoid this from happening, you must ensure that your actions and words align.
One simple way to do this is by always being honest with yourself. Don’t hide anything from yourself. This might seem a little weird at first, but once you do it, you’ll realize that it becomes easier to live a truly honest life.
If you do something that you think is bad but later realize that it was actually good, you won’t suffer from cognitive dissonance. You’ll realize that you were wrong and that you need to change your ways.
If you do something you think is good but later realize it was bad, you won’t suffer from cognitive dissonance. You’ll realize that you were right and need to keep doing what you’re doing.
One of the most common things you hear people say is that they don’t make decisions.
It seems they would be the type to make decisions because they can choose the right one for themselves. They may even make the right choices that others don’t make, and it’s hard for others to understand why they make them.
That said, that’s a myth that we’ve all been told since we were little. The truth is, it’s much easier for people to make decisions than they think.
Why is that? Because if you’ve made a decision you regret, you will not try to undo it. You’ll just live with the consequences and try to figure out a solution to the problem.
This can happen whether it’s something small, like choosing to stay home from school when you wanted to go out, or it’s a large, life-altering decision, like marrying someone that you’re not compatible with.
People will tell you that it’s a bad decision and that you’re making it for the wrong reasons. But in reality, you’re making it for the right reasons, and you know it.
If you’ve made the decision and feel it’s the right one, then you need to keep it in your mind. You’ll never really be able to change your mind, and there’s no reason to try to. You’re probably going to make a new decision in the future, and you’ll be able to make the best decision then.
So, instead of being afraid of making decisions, be proud of the fact that you’re able to do it. It shows that you have strong character and is also a sign that you’re self-aware. If you’re not making decisions, then you’re probably unaware of what you’re doing, which is usually dangerous.
Last week, a court in Virginia Beach was asked to find two books depicting sexual activity obscene and ban their sale at a Barnes & Noble store to people younger than age 18.
The court declined, largely sidestepping the question of whether the content was legally obscene and instead deconstructing the anachronistic state obscenity law dating to 1950 under which the complaint was brought.
To be clear, this was litigation undertaken with an eye toward election year politics. It was filed by Del. Tim Anderson, a conservative lawyer, on behalf of fellow Republican Tommy Altman. At the time of the filing, Altman was running in the GOP 2nd Congressional District primary, attempting to run to the right of state Sen. Jennifer Kiggans, the eventual nominee.
The complaint sought to have the court declare “Gender Queer” and “A Court of Mist and Fury” obscene and ban their sale to minors unless they had the consent of their parents. Had the court ruled in Altman’s favor, any subsequent sale of either book or even the lending of them from one person to another anywhere in the commonwealth could have subjected the seller or lender to criminal penalties, contends the ACLU.
“Gender Queer” may ring a bell. Maia Kobabe’s graphic novel memoir was published in a format similar to a comic book with illustrations depicting sexual contact, masturbation, use of a sex toy and, according to the Washington Post, an erotic scene of a man and a boy on what appears to be a Grecian urn.
The book became the most contested of 2021, based on an American Library Association survey that tracked 729 challenges to library, school and university materials and services.
In Virginia, it generated raucous debates at school board meetings, notably in Loudoun County but also in other localities, as outraged parents demanded the book’s removal from school libraries. Republican Glenn Youngkin’s successful gubernatorial campaign seized on the issue, and it gained traction, notably in Democratic-voting suburbs, as he championed the rights of students’ parents.
In a way, Anderson and Altman were piggybacking on Youngkin’s success a year ago with the litigation, claiming that their lawsuit was intended to give parents oversight of what their minor children may purchase. Parental prerogatives make for potent and resonant politics, as former Gov. Terry McAuliffe learned the hard way after a televised debate with Youngkin.
But attempting to use a wobbly, antiquated law that trial Judge Pamela Baskervill noted would allow the government to exercise unconstitutional prior restraint against speech or expression is not the way to do it. The retired jurist, presiding for Virginia Beach judges who recused themselves because of the involvement of a lawmaker in a state where legislators appoint judges, also found the law unworkable because it could make criminals of people who sell or even lend books unaware that a judge in a locality hundreds of miles away had ruled the material obscene.
In comments to journalists after Tuesday’s hearing, Anderson and Altman pondered the prospect of appealing the ruling to the Virginia Court of Appeals.
In support of the intent, the men note the existence of age-based restrictions such as those that apply to movie theater admission and assert that similar systems should apply to books. Anderson said he is considering legislation for next winter’s General Assembly session that would establish such a system in state law.
Movie ratings, however, are not imposed by law. They are voluntary, a regimen put in place in 1968 by the Motion Picture Association of America that assesses the appropriateness of films for children and teens and designates them accordingly on a scale from G, for all audiences, to NC-17, forbidden to all under 17. Nobody risks arrest, a day in court or jail time if a 16-year-old watches an NC-17 flick.
But even arguing in 2022 over archaic constructs from the final third of the previous century is a fool’s errand – a doomed finger-in-the-dike approach to holding back oceans of digital content that children are far more adept at accessing than their parents. And much of what dwells online is more harmful than any book ever placed on the shelves of a library or bookstore.
It’s also mystifying why efforts to restrain expression focus so obsessively on sexuality, especially LGBTQ issues, with far less regard for mind-warping, gratuitous violence including interactive, immersive bloodlust fantasies and how-to kits for building bombs and firearms. A creative kid with a credit card number can access a gambling portal and squander untold sums in seconds. All of those arguably carry more potential for ruin than words or illustrations that explore one’s sexual awakening.
Sure, there are safeguards intended to deter children from abusing online venues they have no business visiting, and some of them have real teeth, but any kid worth his username can easily defeat them if left to his or her own devices absent parental supervision.
Ah! There’s that word again that Anderson, Altman, Youngkin and other Republicans have leveraged politically with varying degrees of success: “parental.” And credit them: they’ve rightly underscored for the political world how essential and difficult parenting is.
Both of my sons are grown and have long since ventured out on their own. The eldest has a child, and I worry about the world in which he and my daughter-in-law must raise him. The job that they have is much tougher than it was when my sons were children, with many of today’s threats unfathomable then. But sexual content – some of it explicit, even obscene – isn’t among those threats; it was around even before my long-ago childhood.
Unfair as it may seem, those heightened risks and the hard work of neutralizing or minimizing them resides first with parents. But it’s also incumbent on society and our communities to better aid and empower them. The most effective solutions are the least expensive and intrusive, and they needn’t involve government – three virtues that should gladden any conservative’s heart.
Communities owe it to young families to police themselves for situations that compromise the safety of children and call out habitually bad actors. Neighborhoods – and neighbors – owe it to them by being connected, mindful and watchful for one another and all the children in their midst.
Those concepts work, or at least they did in a simpler, less riven America. The term “it takes a village” was around for ages before Hillary Clinton appropriated it as the title for her 1996 book. The “village” approach accomplished far more than the heavy hand of government ever can.
I don’t know if villages of that sort are possible in the collection of quarrelsome tribes that our culture has devolved into over the past decade or so. That’s a shame because it leaves only inflexible legislation, exorbitant appropriations and still more divisive litigation as a sorry substitute.
But as poor an option as legislation and litigation are, those are easier for guys like Anderson to tout on 2023 re-election campaign materials than a genuine – even quixotic – appeal to the common good and the better angels of our nature.
by Bob Lewis, Virginia Mercury
Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sarah Vogelsong for questions: info@virginiamercury.com. Follow Virginia Mercury on Facebook and Twitter.
I would like to invite all Republicans and conservatives to visit the new Warren County Republican Committee HQ, which will be opening Labor Day weekend.
In anticipation of the upcoming elections on November 8, 2022, members of the Warren County Republican Committee, for which I serve as public relations chairman, will be available to discuss political issues, hand out candidate information and merchandise, and accept volunteers for a variety of events and activities.
The HQ will be open on Saturday, September 3, from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Sunday, September 4, from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM, and Monday thru Friday, September 5-9, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
Please stop by and learn more at 119 Water Street, Front Royal, VA, 22630, where you can hear about the Republican Committee’s goals and discover how you can help elect people with conservative values that will help make America Great Again.
Steve Heise WCRC Public Relations Committee
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