In the dead of winter, when hardly anyone goes anywhere, Rappahannock County is working hard to make sure that, come spring, everyone shows up here. The Board of Supervisors Monday voted to create a Tourism Advisory Group (TAG) to help the county create and run a visitor center – which the group’s predecessor, the...
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Rappahannock County has always placed a high value on its natural resources, but now there’s a movement afoot to figure out just how rich it really is. With training and encouragement from the Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Commission (RRRC), and the support and blessings of County Administrator John W. McCarthy, the Rappahannock League for Environmental Protection...
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By Bob Lazaro and Maggi MacQuilliam Special to the Rappahannock News Rappahannock County now has almost 17 percent of its total acreage in conservation easements. That means 28,347 acres out of a total of 170,604. The numbers come from a year-end tally by the Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC), which show that Rappahannock residents added...
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An extended and extraordinary exchange among supervisors over the county’s “budget policy” at Monday’s Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting provided a public indication that the coming two months of budget season will not be particularly easy this year. “I’ve been trying to stay out of this,” said Board Chairman Roger Welch of Wakefield District...
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The Lady Panther Varsity Basketball team experienced disappointment in their away game against Wakefield the Plains last Friday. But even with a 27-49 loss, there were triumphant moments. Rapp’s opponent was a team that demanded preparation. Wakefield the Plains currently ranks No. 8 in the state for Virginia Independent Schools Division II. As Coach...
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Land is really what it’s all about here in Rappahannock County. We have no easily exploitable natural resources like coal or natural gas, no industrial base like manufacturing, no entrepreneurial incubator as in Silcon Valley, no retail mecca of big-box stores and shopping centers. Land, largely undeveloped, is all there is here, the only...
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Fine flakes of snow filled the air on Saturday, and the thermometer registered 22 degrees as I made sure that all the bird feeders and squirrel feeders were filled. The little creatures were busy eating as fast as they could while the snow was coming down. What a beautiful sight to see while it...
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Jolly de Give had a most unusual set of visitors recently. “I came home one day about two weeks ago, and was getting the mail, when a strange vehicle pulled into my driveway,” recalls de Give, who lives near Paris. “It was hauling a trailer with several deer carcasses on it.” It was a...
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A lesson learned from last week’s flooding: If water is across a road or a bridge, under no circumstances should you try to cross. Richie Burke posted photos on the Sperryville Volunteer Fire Department web site in addition to those in last week’s paper that should scare us all: someone stranded trying to cross...
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Rappahannock residents Alma Viator and Ben Jones will reprise their popular presentation of “Love Letters” by acclaimed playwright A. R. Gurney at the Theatre at Washington, Virginia, on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14 at 3 p.m. “Love Letters” traces the 50-year love affair of artist Melissa Gardner and lawyer Andrew Makepeace Ladd III from the...
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The National Park Service reports that park personnel have been involved in three winter-related search and rescue operations over the past couple of months. On the evening of Jan. 28, the park received a report of an overdue day hiker on Old Rag Mountain. The man was reported to have significant medical issues and...
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It’s time that people wake up and take an interest in what is happening in our county! We have more debt now than ever. In the near future, with the new items on the budget table and current spending, we could possibly triple out debt and need as much as a 25 percent tax...
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The newest fashions are out and I just love them! Argyles in lively reds; you will go crazy over my new jacket. It’s just the thing for the long walks on these cold winter days. There’s a whole canine line in this month’s issue of Dogue. Darling, you must see them! I’m Daisy, and...
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Usually I do not comment publicly about things I read in the local press. I have decided to provide some clarification on a couple of issues discussed at the Jan. 12 School Board meeting that were mentioned in a letter to the editor in the Rappahannock News . At the Jan. 12...
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Baby it’s cold outside, but we are warm in our foster home, even if there are dogs here (they aren’t bad, for dogs). Our antics will warm your heart. If there are spare laps for us in your home, call RappCats at 540-987-8099 and leave a message. RappCats is an all-volunteer non-profit organization that...
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The Owls Varsity Girls Basketball team won an important Delaney Athletic Conference game over Quantico on Jan. 21. The Owls’ pressure defense was the key to the 30-23 win over a young Warrior team. The girls held the top Warrior scorer to just one point! Isabelle Eastham scored 14 points and recorded another double-double...
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The Chesapeake Bay surely has its share of woes and if I was going to blame one animal for the problems, I would have to side with Mike Massie on humans over cows. Mike rightly points out that rampant sprawl development within the...
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I am writing in response to your weekly editorial in the Jan. 28 edition of the Rappahannock News concerning separate advertising inserts. As a subscriber to the Rappahannock News for many years, the ad inserts are one of the main reasons I look forward to receiving my weekly newspaper. In particular, I utilize the...
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50 years ago February 11, 1960 A nationally known garment manufacturing company is very interested in locating a plant in Rappahannock County. The company would employ from 125 to 150 people, 90 percent of whom would be women with an annual payroll of a quarter of a million dollars. A mass meeting will be...
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This year’s 4-H Day Camp will be held the week of June 21-25 at the 4-H Ed Center in Front Royal. The cost of the camp has not increased from last year; it is still $50 for the week. Campers must be 6 to 13 years old and will spend a week singing camp...
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NOTE: This event has been rescheduled due to snow to Sunday, Feb. 21 at 2 p.m. The public is invited to spend the afternoon on Saturday, Feb. 13, at the Theatre at Washington, enjoying vocal and instrumental music performed by Rappahannock County students. he annual event is sponsored by the Rappahannock Lions Club as...
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Considering last week’s op-ed by Mike Massie, which questioned the good of fencing farm animals away from streams, most folks likely agree with the author that blaming cattle in streams for water pollution all the way to Chesapeake Bay is dumb. We also probably agree that humans and housing development/practices are the larger culprit....
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It was refreshing to learn that Jackson District Supervisor Ron Frazier is advocating a more active role in the budget process for Rappahannock County’s Board of Supervisors (BOS) this year. In recent years the BOS has largely relinquished its budget responsibility to the county School Board and superintendent, resulting in limited accountability, ballooning spending...
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A front-page photo in last Thursday’s paper misidentified the high-water kayaker as Chris Moyles. It was Tyler Holtzman of Sperryville in the kayak; Moyles took the picture. Allen Lewis, aquitted of a rape charge last week in Rappahannock Circuit Court, did not testify on his own behalf, as was incorrectly stated in our account...
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Anderson is master’s grad Joshua Alan Anderson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Anderson of Castleton, graduated last month from George Mason University with a Masters degree in Computer Engineering. He received his Bachelors degree from the University of Virginia. Anderson is a 2003 graduate of Rappahannock County High School. He is currently employed...
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Flint Hill United Methodist Church invites everyone to a free movie, Saturday, .Feb. 13 at 4 p.m. The movie “Fireproof” is about a firefighter who uses a 40-day experiment known as “The Love Dare” to try to save his marriage. It is a Christian produced movie. The movie is rated PG, primarily for the...
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There’s “found art” – why not “found ad?” This flier was spotted on the bulletin board in front of the Washington Post Office. Nine-year-old Katie Bailey says she has already received several calls and resultant jobs for her pet-sitting service, according to her parents, Molly and Mark Bailey of Washington.
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Thursday, Feb. 4: the Rappahannock County Water and Sewer Authority meets at 7:30 p.m. at the Rappahannock County courthouse on Gay Street. Tuesday, Feb. 9: the Rappahannock County School Board meets, 7 p.m. closed session and 7:30 p.m. public session at RCHS band room. Monday, Feb. 8: the Town of Washington Council meets, 7:30...
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These Rappahannock County home and land transfers were recorded in the Rappahannock County Circuit Court Clerk’s office between Jan. 8 and Jan. 28. Hampton Peter H. Kramer to Kramer Building LLC, 12395 square feet, $910,000, deed bargain sale, tax map 20A-1-106 Jackson Eastern Investments LLC to Jay Steven Miller and wife, 20 acres, $155,000,...
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The Rapp Happenings section lists events sponsored only by non-profit groups. Events must be received by 3 p.m. Monday to be included in the next edition. Email Jan@rappnews.com and include name and phone number for information. All others seeking to advertise an event may contact Kimberly Dewey, kdewey@timespapers.com, or (540) 351-1161. January to May...
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