There’s a very important election coming up in November, particularly for Rappahannock County, our Board of Supervisors and Piedmont District. While I am unable to attend many of the meetings in person, I keep up with the videos of the meetings, and let me tell you, they are a real eye-opener.

Thanks to Richard Brady for his sensible response to the skewed article in the paper (“County real estate taxes are inequitable and comparatively high, yet vital to preserving Rappahannock’s identity,” Sept. 9). The fact is that even though we have the highest composite index and we have no chain or box stores for extra revenue our tax rate is about the same as all our neighbors except Fauquier

I live in the Piedmont District, and I will be enthusiastically voting to re-elect Christine Smith as my representative on the Board of Supervisors. I hope you will, too. In a time when we have been thrown a lot of curveballs with COVID-19, Christine has led the county through tough situations.

According to last week's news, chiropractor Mattie Leto attacked school board member Rachel Bynum, declaring the health of school children is “none of her business.” He couldn’t be more wrong. Health and safety are critical components to be considered in the operation of a school district.

Rod Osborne is a highly likable, gregarious citizen with a background that reflects on discipline and continuing education for adults. In talking with him regarding his daughter’s attendance in Rappahannock County High School, you get a sense of his strong interest in being involved in the education system. 

Quite a few years ago, when I was participating in a seminar, the really excellent instructor halted me in the midst of my presentation because I was getting a bit wound up. “Stop!” she quietly stated, then continued when that got my attention (!), “take a deep breath through your nose, hold it 5 seconds, and blow out through your mouth. Do this 5 times to calm down.” 

Recently I met Rod Osborne who is running to represent the Stonewall-Hawthorne District for the School Board. I was impressed with his enthusiasm and candid demeanor.

On Nov. 2, the people around Sperryville and in the Piedmont district will vote for our representative on the Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors. I’m asking you to vote to reelect Christine Smith because her leadership has made a real difference for our part of the county.

Like many others, we are recalling our experiences on September 11, 2001, twenty years ago. We were living in both Northern Virginia and Rappahannock County. Kathy was working as the Assistant Superintendent for Arlington Public Schools, and Larry was working on our farm in Woodville.

Some thoughts on last week’s letter from Robert Russell: I believe that Russell's interpretation of the "Respect Rappahannock" sign is totally backwards. No matter how witty and creative the sign may be, the sentiment of the sign is outright intolerant.

I write in response to last week’s editorial, “Christine Smith deserves your vote,” written by a Sperryville Main Street neighbor whom I respect for her and her family’s contributions to this community. As mentioned in the editorial, “we can disagree without being disagreeable.”

As the remnants of Hurricane Ida moved closer to Rappahannock County, members of our local Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) team worked quickly to remove a large debris dam from the Rush River, which could have resulted in a significant flash-flood event in Harris Hollow and areas downstream.

Complacency is rarely a good thing. In recent conversations I’ve heard here, some people acknowledge that our population has diminished, that fewer and fewer children attend our schools each year, and that we have a population with more and more older folks. 

People of the Piedmont District, folks that vote in Sperryville, please take the bull by the horns, and if you vote early, vote to reelect Christine Smith.

It is afternoon. I am sitting at my desk trying to write. It is not going well. The temperature is 100 degrees on the deck and the humidity not far behind. The air conditioning is not adequate for the day. 

Some Rappahannock News readers seem to take umbrage to the wit and creativity of the “Respect Rappahannock” sign. In this polarized political climate we are now living in, it is so common to demonize anything someone else says, writes or does.

After two years on the Board, she was elected Chair which shows what her colleagues thought of her abilities. She served on the Planning Commission, and was instrumental in getting the Comprehensive Plan updated.

The family of Olivia Grace Clatterbuck would like to express our thanks and appreciation for the act of kindness to friends, relatives and church family for their cards, food, phone calls, emails, letters and prayers during our tragic loss.

The family of John M. Clark, Jr., would like to express our thanks and appreciation for the many acts of kindness and expressions of sympathy shown to us during our recent loss.

Our schools struggle to become safe, and our community sits at the highest threat level available for the COVID-19 virus. The good news is that we know how to fix this. We know what to do, and it will not be expensive.

In recent weeks the Virginia legislature passed the 2021 budget to spend the proceeds of the American Rescue Plan (HB 7001). This budget provides funding for salary raises for law enforcement officers, replenishes the unemployment fund, increases funding for college education and mental health services, supports access to high speed internet for all Virginians by 2024 and other projects improving the quality of life for all Virginians. With all this, it still ends up with a budget surplus.

The “Respect Rappahannock Welcome” sign that has appeared here and there in the county is nonsense for at least three reasons:

It must be heartening for our anti-mask crowd to see this school year unfold according to the non-factual opinions freely expressed at our latest meetings, in emails, and on Social Media:  Most students and staff were not masked for school’s start, despite our written School Board policy to "strongly encourage" masking.

I’m so enjoying our summer visit to Sperryville, and I just want to make one gentle suggestion about the “Respect Rappahannock Welcome” signs. They’re so long. Perhaps just “up yours!” would be more efficient and equally threatening.

What a stark contrast between two writers in last week’s Rappahannock News. Thoughts danced across the pages as joyful poetry by the immeasurable words of Ted Pellegratta who’s chosen to enrich our lives as refreshingly as the cool lemonade that quenches our thirst on these sweltering summer days.

Reading about the discussions at the recent School Board meeting about whether to mask children or not makes you realize how hard the decision is. On the one hand it brings genuine anguish to consider sending children to school in masks that inhibit the socialization that is so much a part of their learning. Yet worrying about them getting very sick is also scary. 

This budget bill passed with significant bipartisan support; more than half of the Republican caucus voted in favor. Unfortunately Michael Webert, the delegate from our 18th District was among the minority who voted against this excellent legislation.

Recently, a young friend told me that she won't get the COVID-19 vaccine. She is intelligent and educated, has a young family, but no, she doesn't trust the vaccine nor the government. She's read up on it and checked out the media. It undermines the immune system and it could affect her DNA and she wants to have another baby. In fact, she has doubts about having her children take any shots.

Now that Rappahannock Electric Cooperative’s annual election is over, REC’s public relations staff will be working overtime to ensure that REC members know that Eric Paulson was chosen by member-owners to be the next Region VIII board member (Hanover and Goochland Counties). In fact, it was REC’s incumbent board that selected Paulson as the winner, not really the co-op’s member-owners.

We elect people to office expecting abeyance to the Constitution and common sense actions. As such, school board members have some measure of autonomy in working with the state government.

Letters to the editor reflect the opinion of the writer(s), not the Rapp News. Comment below or by writing a letter to the editor: editor@rappnews.com.

If you have friends who aren't vaccinated or know individuals you would like to visit misfortune upon, consider the following strategy: Discourage them from getting the vaccine. Tell lies. I'll list some examples here, but check Fox News for more, or make up your own. There is no law against telling lies. 

It’s a wondrous thing to arise in the Blue Ridge Mountains, have a grand cup of fine coffee from the Rappahannock roasters, and sit out on the deck and watch nature put on its never ending show. The simple blessings are indeed the best.

In the July 15 Comment section of the Rappahannock News, there was a commentary about Rush River Commons that denigrates and insults a comment writer in a prior week’s edition of the newspaper.

Letters to the editor reflect the opinion of the writer(s), not the Rapp News. Comment below or by writing a letter to the editor: editor@rappnews.com.

Also, these are the primary reasons the application should be denied. It would set a dangerous precedent to approve an application based on a vision instead of proffers. That would set such a low bar that most anything could pass. Then goodbye rural Rappahannock! 

While I often don’t agree with the views of Mr. Brady, I don’t skip over many of his columns. In the last issue, I truly appreciated the suggestion of Richard’s for anyone who has not been vaccinated against the COVID virus to reconsider and make the small effort to get vaccinated.

The proposed Mt. Airy Field rezoning just doesn’t fit the goals of our county’s comprehensive plan, which says, “Discourage residential strip development along public roadways that might create traffic hazards and detract from the overall scenic value of the county.”

Beginning July 1 member-owners of Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) will vote to elect directors to the REC Board of Directors. You will have three ways to vote: online at www.myrec.coop, by mail-in proxy, or live at the remote annual meeting on Aug. 11. 

It has been a great joy to see the Free Shack reopen and to watch so many people take advantage of it.  Those who have diligently volunteered their services to keep it tidy deserve our heartfelt thanks.

Affordable housing is mentioned and tugs at the heartstrings, but the applicant makes no promise that affordable housing will be built. Without a promise, it is just a buzzword.

A clarification, important for our future here in Rappahannock County: The term “affordable housing” has been in many conversations for quite awhile. Many of these have not really shown any actual knowledge of what affordable housing is, particularly here in Rappahannock. 

In a strong community certain things hold true. Rappahannock has a sense of togetherness that persists through time. There is a proud tradition here of helping your neighbor, coming together in celebration and of helping those in need.

It sure is heartening to see the King Canute Society so well represented in Rappahannock County. King Canute, you may recall, was the mythical king who put his scepter in the sand and futilely ordered the tide not to come in. 

To our dismay, the owner of 35 acres in our Woodward Road neighborhood has applied to change the zoning from five acre to two acre lots so he can build more houses. Virginia Department of Transportation estimates show 130 vehicle trips would occur from this proposed development on a daily basis. The thought of this additional traffic and other impacts is alarming.

We, the family of Florine Baldwin, wish to acknowledge and express our appreciation to all our neighbors, friends and family for the many acts of kindness they have shown to us during the loss of our mother.

Profuse thanks to Henry Gorfein for making Ron Maxwell’s case. In his letter to the editor (“The future most of us want,” June 10) Mr. Gorfein brings our attention to lower-priced homes currently on the market. 

If Mr. Maxwell could see through the mist from his ridgetop castle on Fogg Mountain or if he left this castle and spent time in the lowlands of Rappahannock County he may well find people less fortunate than himself that needed housing and local employment opportunities. 

I have fallen victim in recent months to the impression that people in general are self-serving and uncaring. I am humbled to say that residents of the Washington/Sperryville area have proven this narrative false and renewed my faith in the goodness of people.