Great Meadow International — Full results and story, see page 18
July 11, 2018
Our 201st year
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Vol. 201, No. 28
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www.Fauquier.com
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$1.50
Rep. Tom Garrett talks about dealing with alcoholism, moving on By Leland Schwartz Times Staff Writer
After telling the world he’s an alcoholic and dropping his re-election campaign for Virginia’s 5th District congressional seat, you might think Rep. Tom Garrett would be pretty bummed out. Hardly. Instead, Garrett (R) seems suspended in a whirlwind of relief, excitement and optimism about starting a new — and sober — life at age 46. “It’s nothing I can’t handle with the help of God and a support group,” he said in a recent interview. Garrett, who is finishing up the last few months
of his first term in office, said his decision to leave Congress wasn’t driven by news reports that he used his staff to run personal errands, charges he called “antithetical to the truth.” Rather, he said he’s leaving because of the introspection that followed those reports, which made him consider “what matters.” The soul searching, Garrett said, led to a different question: If “they said something about you that burned, not because it was false, but because it was true, what would that be?” Certainly, he said, it would be his alcoholism. “So where am I going to tell the world this darned secret?” he asked himself.
Garrett chose the Virginia Civil Rights Memorial at Virginia’s Capitol Square in Richmond as a backdrop for the Memorial Day video in which he made his announcement because the memorial is “about freedom,” he said. The monument celebrates Barbara Johns, the young Virginian whose protest against her underfunded and overcrowded black Farmville high school led to a lawsuit that eventually became part of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, the landmark Supreme Court case that outlawed school segregation.
See GARRETT, page 5
‘A heart as big as the whole outdoors’
TIMES STAFF PHOTO/LELAND SCHWARTZ
Candlelight vigil held to remember 19-year-old killed in Friday crash Friends of Steven Michael Kendall, a 19-year-old killed in a crash Friday night, gathered at Liberty High School Sunday night to remember the Bealeton teen.
See story, page 8 INSIDE Business.............................................19 Classified............................................43 Communities......................................35 Faith...................................................42
Health & Wellness...............................25 Libraries.............................................40 Lifestyle..............................................29 LFCC..................................................41 Opinion...............................................10
Obituaries...........................................11 Puzzles...............................................14 Real Estate..........................................34 Sports.................................................15
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NEWS
Fauquier Times | www.fauquier.com | July 11, 2018
Sgt. Franz Mahler retires after three decades with the state police Sgt. Franz Mahler, a veteran member of the Virginia State Police serving in Fauquier County, recently concluded a 31-year career in law enforcement. Mahler, 55, moved up the ranks in the VSP since he was assigned to Area 12 as a trooper in December 1989. He officially retired June 1. Mahler, of Sumerduck, began his law-enforcement career in 1987 after earning a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in New Jersey. His first job was as a special police officer for the Lake Monticello Home Owners’ Association outside of Charlottesville. While working there, he attended the basic police academy in Waynesboro. Mahler was hired by the VSP in May 1989 and began training at the
FAUQUIER FOCUS state police academy in Richmond. That was followed by six weeks of field training in Area 45 in Arlington and graduation from the 85th Basic School in December 1989. Trooper Mahler was then assigned to the Area 12 office in Warrenton, which covers Fauquier and Rappahannock counties. He spent the rest of his career here. In 2001, Mahler was promoted to senior trooper, and in 2004, to sergeant. He earned additional certification as a crime-prevention specialist and was a CPR/first aid instructor.
During his time on the Tactical Field Force, Mahler was assigned to three presidential inaugurations, several civil unrest situations, search and rescue missions and the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001. As a member of the VSP, Mahler made lasting friendships with several troopers and supervisors he met, including personnel serving on the command staff in Richmond and the new VSP Superintendent, Col. Gary T. Settle. “Sgt. Mahler has been a great leader, supervisor and example of what a ‘trooper’s supervisor’ is supposed to be,” said his colleague, Senior Trooper Derek Mabie. “He always had our best interests, asked about and cared about our families.” Sgt. Mahler plans to remain in the area and is looking forward to a promising future and new job opportunities. Sgt. Franz Mahler
— By John Toler
State VFW commander visits Warrenton
Virginia state VFW commander Ken Wiseman shares a laugh with with Geoff Lyster and Tim Nosal during the Star Spangled First Friday Warrenton on July 6.
No ‘surprise inspections,’ just chance to meet vets
PHOTO BY RANDY LITZINGER
By James Ivancic Times Staff Writer
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Ken Wiseman, newly elected state commander of the VFW in Virginia, took in First Friday activities in Old Town Warrenton during a weekend visit that took him to VFW posts in the region. The July 6 First Friday featured a parade of veterans down Main Street. After spending Friday in Culpeper and Warrenton, Wiseman visited the other posts in VFW’s District 8 in Morrisville, Fredericksburg, Manassas and Manassas Park. Visits like the one he made to Warrenton allow the state commander to “engage the community” about what the VFW — Veterans of Foreign Wars — is all about and to meet fellow veterans. “I don’t have any hidden motives
— no surprise inspections,” Wiseman joked. “As a state commander you get to see a lot of extra stuff,” said Wiseman, 34, a Navy veteran who worked his way up through VFW’s ranks before becoming state commander in June. He spent three years on the national legislative service staff in the VFW’s office in Washington. In that capacity, he testified to Congress on behalf of the VFW. There are more than 32,000 VFW members in Virginia. The organization helps veterans in filing claims and securing benefits that they’ve earned. Individual posts are also active in their communities. Locally, financial assistance is given to the Fauquier Free Clinic and to the homeless. Military service runs deep in his family, Wiseman noted. He has ancestors who fought in the American Revolution. While he was born and raised in North Carolina, he said his family first settled in Virginia in 1715. Reach James Ivancic at jivancic@ fauquier.com
Community Editor Anita Sherman, 540.351.1635 asherman@fauquier.com ISSN 1050-7655, USPS 188280 Associate Editor John Toler, 540-351-0487 Published every Wednesday by jtoler@fauquier.com Piedmont Media LLC Staff Writers How to reach us James Ivancic, 540-878-2414 jivancic@fauquier.com ADDRESS: 41 Culpeper Street Jonathan Hunley, Warrenton, Virginia 20186 jhunley@fauquier.com PHONE: 540-347-4222 Leland Schwartz, 540-351-0488 FAX: 540-349-8676 HOURS: 8 a.m. 5 p.m. weekdays, lschwartz@fauquier.com 24-hour answering service Sports Editor Peter Brewington, 540-351-1169 Publisher pbrewington@fauquier.com Catherine M. Nelson, 540-347-4222 Sports Staff Writer cnelson@fauquier.com Jeff Malmgren, 540-874-2250 jmalmgren@fauquier.com NEWSROOM Editor in Chief ADVERTISING Christopher Six, 540-212-6331 Ad Manager csix@fauquier.com Kathy Mills Godfrey 540-351-1162 kgodfrey@fauquier.com Managing Editor Jill Palermo, 540-351-0431 Classified Sales Consultants jpalermo@fauquier.com Jeanne Cobert, 540-878-2491 Web/Copy Editor jcobert@fauquier.com Amanda Heincer, 540-878-2418 Evelyn Cobert, 540-878-2492 aheincer@fauquier.com ecobert@fauquier.com
Chairman Emeritus George R. Thompson To place Classified and Employment ads: Call 540-351-1664 or fax 540-349-8676, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday — Friday or email fauquierclassifieds@fauquier.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Call 540-347-4222 Help with your subscription? Call 540-878-2413 or email CirculationFT@fauquier.com Missed your paper? Call 540-347-4222, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays Subscription: $69.68 per year within the United States. POSTMASTER: Send address 41 Culpeper St., Warrenton, VA 20186. Periodicals postage paid at Warrenton, Va. and at additional mailing offices
NEWS
Fauquier Times | www.fauquier.com | July 11, 2018
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Highland teacher enters race to unseat Vogel By James Ivancic Times Staff Writer
Ronnie Ross, a teacher, administrator and athletic coach at Highland School in Warrenton, has announced he’s running for the Democratic nomination in the state Senate’s 27th District. If he’s nominated, he likely would face incumbent Republican Jill Vogel, who said she will run for another four-year term. Vogel hasn’t faced a Democratic challenger since 2011. The election is in November 2019. Ross said he’s among people “stepping up” to run for the first time “because the stakes are too high” not to do so. Ross also believes “everyday working people should run for office” and “not just the wealthy and the lawyer class.” Vogel is a lawyer.
Top issues: schools, economy, environment, health care
Ross said more can be done in the areas of education, the economy, the environment and health care. While the recent state budget funded a 3-percent pay increase for teachers next year, they are still behind when figures are adjusted for inflation, he said. Class sizes also are too large, and too many schools are overcapacity, making the job of teaching effectively more difficult, Ross said.
Ronnie Ross “Research says the biggest a class size should be before it negatively affects education is 25 students,” he said. The ability of a teacher to bond with students is hampered when classes are too large, he said. “Teachers are working their butts off” just to keep up, Ross said. Ross supports universal preschool to give young students a good start, as well. Regarding the economy, he said, “We need to address the wage gap.”
Not everyone has benefited from an improved economy. Wages are mostly stagnant, Ross said. An indication that households are still struggling can be seen in the fact that 60 percent of Winchester’s public school students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, he said. The 27th District includes Fauquier, Frederick and Clarke counties, Winchester, and parts of Loudoun and Culpeper counties. The Democrat said expanding
broadband to rural areas could boost economic growth, providing jobs where people live so they wouldn’t have to move elsewhere or commute long distances, he said. Ross has filed a statement of organization with the Virginia Board of Elections and will start collecting the required number of signatures from eligible voters to qualify for the ballot in January. The 31-year-old lives near Middleburg. He’s been teaching at Highland School for 10 years and is currently chairman of the English department and dean of the freshman class. Ross and his wife, Josie, have a son, Ronnie Jr. Vogel, who lives in Fauquier County, has represented the 27th District since 2008. She currently serves on the General Laws and Technology, Rules, and Finance committees, and she chairs the Privileges and Elections Committee. Vogel was the Republican Party’s nominee for lieutenant governor in 2017 but was defeated by Democrat Justin Fairfax. In a text message, she said, “I love my job and love serving our community, doing the constituent service and the legislation serving the needs of our area. I do plan to run again.” Reach James Ivancic at jivancic@ fauquier.com