Letters to the Editor

This past Sunday afternoon I had the pleasure and delight of attending the Castleton Festival’s production of Puccini’s “Il Trittico” at the festival tent in Castleton. The term “awesome” is overly used to the point of becoming meaningless, plus I am too old to use this popular term. However, it was awesome, exceedingly awesome....
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I feel very strongly that the Hazel River should be designated a Scenic River. I worked for many years with landowners and county environmental groups to have the Hazel made a Tier III river. That would mean there would be no new sewage treatment plants, ever, on the river. The Culpeper County supervisors sent...
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In the Rappahannock News two weeks ago, there was a letter stating that the Rappahannock Food Pantry would like more volunteers. Having just retired in April after 38 years in the meat department at the Giant Food store in Warrenton, I felt it was something good for me to do. So I called the...
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Walter Nicklin, publisher of the Rappahannock News, poses the following questions in his editorial : “How could it possibly have happened that such sparsely populated 13 colonies 234 years ago could produce the truly gifted and courageous individuals that signed the Declaration? Where are such individuals today?” Mr. Nicklin then presents...
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Several weekends ago at the peak of the bloody hot lunch hour I went to Burgers ‘N Things for a sandwich with my beloved beagle, whose tongue was wrapped around her paws. I asked for a cup of tap water for my dog and received what can only be described as an angry response...
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Following the earthquake in Haiti earlier this year, the Flint Hill, Sperryville and Willis Chapel United Methodist churches responded by providing financial support and health kits. These health kits contained basic hygiene necessities: towel, washcloth, soap, toothbrush, comb, nail clippers and bandages. Candy Lamma, a member of Flint Hill UMC and a guidance counselor...
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My mother shares her newspaper with me and I enjoyed reading your “Rapp Facts” column about the musicologists who traveled to Rappahannock County. You mentioned Henry Whorton in your article. He was my paternal grandfather and the photograph taken by these two gentleman while he was playing the guitar was in the...
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I’ve experienced some very special Fourths of July. I grew up in small-town Hannibal, Mo., where the Fourth is the centerpiece of National Tom Sawyer Days. With its parade, fence-painting contests, Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher lookalike pageants and raft races, no wonder my sister calls it “Americana on steroids.”
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RappCats, a volunteer organization working to help homeless cats in the county, is seeking the community’s assistance. We need to understand and document the magnitude and scope of the stray cat problem. This information will help us to plan on long-term strategies to care for homeless felines. We ask that individuals who are aware...
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What happened to our peaceful, idyllic county? We have seen an increase in home invasions, drugs and now an attempted murder as a result of an armed robbery. My friend and neighbor Jack Dillinger did not deserve to be shot by a criminal looking for a quick heist. Whatever he wanted all he had...
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Hear ye! Hear ye! Come hear the very stirring words written by our forefathers that marked our independence as a nation from the tyrannical rule of King George III. The reading of the Declaration of Independence is a great way to start celebrating the festivities of July 4th here in our special county. WHERE:...
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At its June 8 meeting, the Rappahannock County School Board approved one of my last acts as superintendent: a recommendation to encourage Rappahannock County veterans of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War who were unable to finish high school due to service in those wars to seek honorary high school...
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Pam and John Kiser would like to express their great appreciation to Larry Grove, Richie Burke and the Sperryville Fire Department volunteers for their great and gracious help at our Antique & Garden Show this past weekend. Thank you. Pam and John Kiser Slate Mills
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We, the members of the Culpeper Minute Men Chapter, NSDAR, would like you to know how much our beloved Rappahannockian lady, Cathryn W. Kneupfer, contributed to our organization. We are a service organization and she lived a life of service in so many ways. As a young lady she served her country as a...
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On May 24, at the Town Hall, Washington, family and friends celebrated the life of Nona Nielsen Genebach. It was what it was supposed to be, a lighthearted gathering with funny stories and humorous incidents from her past. She would have loved it. Nona died June 1, 2008. Larry Genebach Front Royal
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As many in our county know, it takes an incredible amount of effort to organize a successful fundraiser. A great number of folks and businesses made a difference in this year’s Rappahannock Evening View, sponsored by the Rappahannock County Conservation Alliance (RCCA).
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Like many Rappahannock residents, we first met Ester Settle at the store. It was hard to fill the car with gasoline without also filling the children with snacks. And the vehicle you bought from Settle’s was not official until Ester had led you through the paperwork. It didn’t take her long to find out...
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Your story on kayaking on local waters was misleading. To read the article, you would think that you could just take the kayak that you used running the rapids on the Rappahannock to floating on a pond or a lake. But there are really two different kinds of kayaks — river kayaks and flatwater...
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Attending Claybert Smoot’s funeral and reading Ben Jones’ letter in last week’s Rappahannock News brought a strong reminder to me that old Rappahannock is passing, especially in the Town of Washington. As I sat in the Baptist Church, I was surrounded by friends who had been in the county for years. Ben Jones is...
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The entire family of Ester Settle would like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation for the outpouring of love and support. Thank you for joining us to pay a special tribute and to celebrate the life of a beautiful lady who touched so many. Our special thanks to the Settle’s employees for their...
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Reading this past week’s Rappahannock News was an emotional experience for me. It made me sad, made me mad, and it made me smile. I guess that means the paper is doing its job. A couple of stories made me sad. I had not heard about the passing of Claybert Smoot until I read...
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How can I express the loss of one so special as Ester Settle? I could tell how she loved her family with a passion. How she felt that she had experienced things in her life that so many of us have never experienced (or hope to) like traveling from coast to coast seeing the...
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On behalf of my family and the Poe family we would like to say thank you for all of your support, concern and love over the loss of “our icon.” Over the years and through its many eras Lombardy Restaurant had at times developed an improper name for itself even though it had been...
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“He was struck by a cannon ball, taking both legs nearly off between the body and the knees.” So reads the memorial of my 31-year-old Great (three times) Uncle David Christian Hite, whose body was never recovered from the Third Battle of Winchester in September of 1864. A member of the Stonewall Brigade, a...
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What has happened to Rappahannock County? My family moved here in 1991. Initially I was a “city” girl and hated the “stinkin’ fresh air.” I had just graduated from Chantilly High School and my parents moved out here that very weekend. As the years moved on and I got older, I started to enjoy...
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How splendid that Blue Rock has again opened with its new owner and management team. My husband and I have already enjoyed a fabulous Sunday brunch, last evening, the first of what I know will be more superb meals. What a splendid addition to Rappahannock County, again in the truly gorgeous location. We wish...
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Have you received your April Allegheny Power Co. bill? We did and what a total shock. We live in Amissville in a very small 1,000-square-foot home. We have a brand new energy-efficient heat pump with propane back-up, an Energy Star television, clothes dryer and no dishwasher. Our April electric bill from Feb. 8 through...
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On Saturday (April 24), the “Across the Years” Reunion was held at the Link for the graduates of Rappahannock County High School. What a wonderfully planned event it was; the food was delicious, expertly prepared and served with wide smiles and friendly faces. It was truly heartwarming to see so many of my former...
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In the April 8 edition of the Rappahannock News, Robert Alcott of Washington wrote a most appropriate letter to the editor regarding the trash along Rappahannock roads. Kudos are in order for his thoughts. Praise also goes to Nick Riedel, a 13-year-old student, who wrote an article on March 18...
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The recent exchange between Ron Maxwell and Christopher Moyles caught my eye for a couple of reasons. First, in my view, Mr. Maxwell’s analysis of the impact of illegal alien labor on wages is sound, and so is his view of the humanitarian rhetoric that camouflages so much government waste. Second, the “response” to...
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