16 IN A ROW: Fauquier had its moments, but Liberty won another Bird Bowl. Page 18 u
November 7, 2018
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Riggleman beats Cockburn in 5th, Wittman holds onto the 1st By James Ivancic and Karen Chaffraix Times Staff Writers
PHOTO BY RANDY LITZINGER Sen. Tim Kaine greets the crowd at the “Blue Wave Rally” at Prince William fairgrounds on Sunday, Nov. 4.
Kaine wins big in Virginia
Democrat incumbent wins 56 percent of vote to dismiss Republican Stewart By Jill Palermo
Times Staff Writer
Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine was declared the early winner of his race against Republican Corey Stewart. Major news organizations called the race soon after the polls closed at 7 p.m., even as thousands remained in line at polling places across the state. Kaine, 60, campaigned vigorously across the state until the last days of the campaign. He made numerous joint appearances with Democratic candidates for Congress in Virginia, his name appearing on campaign signs more commonly with other candidates than by itself. INSIDE Business.............................................13 Classified............................................42 Communities......................................34 Faith...................................................38
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big wins in Virginia in 2017. “Now, another year later, we’ve turned that flicker into a bright shining beacon of hope,” Kaine added, thanking his supporters across the state. With 98 percent of the unofficial vote tallied by 10 p.m. Tuesday night, Kaine had garnered 56 percent of the vote statewide, while Stewart received just under 43 percent. More than 400,000 votes separated the two candidates, with Kaine winning the support of 1.7 million voters, while Stewart racked up 1.2 million votes.
In a statement Tuesday, Kaine called the race “a really special campaign” and quite a contrast to two years ago, in 2016, when he lost his bid for the vice presidency; he was on the ballot with Democrat Hilary Clinton. Kaine noted that things brightened for the Democrats with See KAINE, page 3 Libraries.............................................37 Lifestyle..............................................27 Looking Back......................................23 Opinion.................................................8
Republican Denver Riggleman defeated Democrat Leslie Cockburn in the race for the open 5th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, while incumbent Rep. Rob Wittman held his 1st District seat against Democratic challenger Vangie Williams. The 5th District includes most of Fauquier County while the 1st District includes the Fauquier precincts of Lois, Catlett, Morrisville and Bealeton. Riggleman carried Fauquier as well as Cockburn’s home county of Rappahannock in unofficial results Tuesday. Riggleman said he was “very grateful and humbled” by his win. “These five months have been the most awful and incredible” since he became the Republican nominee, he said.
See CONGRESS, page 3
TIMES STAFF PHOTO/CHRIS SIX White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders made a campaign stop in Warrenton Friday, Nov. 2 in support of Denver Riggleman, the GOP nominee for the 5th District congressional seat.
Obituaries...........................................39 Puzzles...............................................12 Real Estate..........................................33 Sports.................................................17
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Fauquier Times | www.fauquier.com | November 7, 2018
Warrenton officials to launch search for new town manager Town council voted Oct. 30 to part ways with Godfrey
“I would think there would be a lot of applications. It’s a good job and sought after.”
By James Ivancic
COUNCILMAN ROBERT KRAVETZ Ward 4
Times Staff Writer
Warrenton Town Council could initiate a search for a new town manager soon following last week’s vote to release Brannon Godfrey early from his contract after three years of service. “I would think there would be a lot of applications. It’s a good job and sought after,” replied Councilman Robert Kravetz (ward 4) when asked if he thought council would have a difficult time filling the position. “The search could either be for an interim or a permanent or both may happen simultaneously,” Kravetz said Monday. Kravetz supplied one of the five votes to release Godfrey following a closed-door meeting on Oct. 30. Councilmen voting with Kravetz included Sean Polster (at large), Alec Burnett (ward 2), Brett Hamby (ward 3) and Kevin Carter (ward 5). Councilmen Renard Carlos (at large) and Jerry Wood (ward 1) voted against the move to termi- Brannon Godfrey nate. In an interview Tuesday, Burnett said the council and Godfrey had areas of disagreement. Godfrey “is enormously talented. There’s no question. There was no one cause that preceded our action,” Burnett said. “These things happen. I’m grateful to Brannon for his years of service. I have no doubt he’ll find success shortly. He has a number of accolades he can stand proudly on. “I would write Brannon a letter of recommendation right now,” Burnett added. But Burnett said it was felt someone other than Godfrey is needed to fulfill the council’s vision for improvements in town’s economic viability, public safety and infrastructure, Burnett said. “We need to have our eye on the future, and we need leadership who agrees with that,” Burnett said. “That ability exists. We have outstanding department heads. It’s not a question of day-to-day management.” The town manager “needs to see our vision and have a strategy” to achieve it, Burnett said. That person also “needs to be a step or a step in a half” ahead in achieving it, he said. Burnett said council spent “hours and hours and hours” in discussion before the majority felt that releasing Godfrey was “the right decision for Warrenton.” Warrenton Mayor Carter Nevill, in statement released the day after the vote, said council “has decided to pursue a different direction in our executive leadership.” “We are grateful for the dedication
Mr. Godfrey showed to our town during his tenure and sincerely appreciate his efforts in the community,” the statement continued. Kravetz wouldn’t discuss the reasons for discharging Godfrey beyond what was stated in the press release.
Move comes amid search for new police chief, investigation
Town council had recently put a hold on the search for a new town police chief after receiving a letter from Commonwealth’s Attorney James P. Fisher criticizing the way the search was being handled. The letter noted Fisher was asked for his input as the search was nearing an end and the field of candidates had been winnowed. Fisher was also critical of the town’s handling of a September incident at a Warrenton bar involving off-duty Warrenton police officers that resulted in a young woman suffering a broken nose. The Virginia State Police is still investigating the incident. Wood said he didn’t think Fisher letters were “a big thing” that factored into the decision to end Godfrey’s contract early. “It was coming to a head,” Wood said. “That’s my personal view. [Godfrey] was supposed to notify us in August about renewing his contract. But council has a responsibility to follow up with him. Council has a responsibility to ask the town manager for information and remind us. We worked on the budget between January and June. Nobody on
Opioid addiction summit planned for Nov. 17 Staff Reports
The League of Women Voters of the Prince William Area will sponsor a summit on opioid addiction on Saturday, Nov. 17, at the Manassas Park Community Center. This all-day event, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., will include three sessions. The program will begin with a discussion on the basics of the opioid-addiction epidemic and will include a showing of “Chasing the Dragon: the Life of an Opiate Addict,” a documentary produced by the FBI featuring the stories of real-life addicts from Northern Virginia. After the screening, a panel of addiction experts, including someone in recovery, will discuss the effects of the opioid addiction crisis in Northern Virginia, Prince William and Fauquier counties.
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the finance committee or council brought up the 360 review.” Wood was referring to the “350-degree performance review” the council had agreed to conduct on Godfrey. In October, the council advertised a request for proposals from consultants to conduct the evaluation, which would include interviews with town staff members whom he supervised. In January, the council extended Godfrey’s contract for a year and added a provision for a performance review. Funds for the review weren’t included in the budget approved by council last spring, though. “This was everybody’s responsibility. If I were under scrutiny, I might not put it in the budget either. If they don’t remember to do it, why should I?” Wood said. Before the Oct. 30 vote, Wood spoke up on behalf of Godfrey, who didn’t address council himself and chose not to comment about the vote afterward. Wood listed what he considered to be Godfrey’s numerous accomplishments during his three years with the town, including the successful financing of an expansion of the town’s water and sewer system, the opening of the new dog park, the completion of several sidewalk projects and the sale of the John Mosby house. Wood called Godfrey “accessible” and a “very good ambassador” to the community. “He’s provided the council with a wealth of sound information, so we can make sound policy,” Wood said at the meeting. “Our town manager is a really good person. … I know he can’t be everything to all people. It’s a tough job, but he has my respect and I’m glad to call this guy a friend of mine.” Reach James Ivancic at jivancic@fauquier.com
William Simpson, MD
ISSN 1050-7655, USPS 188280 Published every Wednesday by Piedmont Media LLC How to reach us ADDRESS: 41 Culpeper Street Warrenton, Virginia 20186 PHONE: 540-347-4222 FAX: 540-349-8676 HOURS: 8 a.m. 5 p.m. weekdays, 24-hour answering service Publisher Catherine M. Nelson, 540-347-4222 cnelson@fauquier.com NEWSROOM Editor in Chief Christopher Six, 540-212-6331 csix@fauquier.com Managing Editor Jill Palermo, 540-351-0431 jpalermo@fauquier.com Web/Copy Editor Amanda Heincer, 540-878-2418 aheincer@fauquier.com
Session two will begin at noon with a presentation on “Virginia law and its impact on this family disease.” State Del. John Bell, D-87th, will discuss what state lawmakers are doing to combat the crisis. The summit offers an opportunity for open discussion with knowledgeable panelists from the FBI, the George Mason University College of Health and Human Services, Prince William County first responders, representatives from local hospitals and the Prince William County jail. All will talk about what is being done in the community to help addicts and support them as they transition into recovery from substance-use disorder. To register for the summit, visitpwcopioidepidemic.eventbrite.com. The Manassas Park Community Center is at 99 Adams St., in Manassas Park. Community Editor Anita Sherman, 540.351.1635 asherman@fauquier.com Associate Editor John Toler, 540-351-0487 jtoler@fauquier.com Staff Writers Karen Chaffraix kchaffraix@fauquier.com James Ivancic, 540-878-2414 jivancic@fauquier.com Jonathan Hunley, jhunley@fauquier.com Sports Editor Peter Brewington, 540-351-1169 pbrewington@fauquier.com Sports Staff Writer Jeff Malmgren, 540-874-2250 jmalmgren@fauquier.com ADVERTISING Ad Manager Kathy Mills Godfrey 540-351-1162 kgodfrey@fauquier.com Classified Sales Consultant Jeanne Cobert, 540-878-2491 jcobert@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
FROM PAGE 1
Fauquier Times | www.fauquier.com | November 7, 2018
TIMES STAFF PHOTO/CHRIS SIX Leslie Cockburn, Democratic congressional candidate for the 5th District, met with potential voters Thursday, Nov. 1 at a “Party Before the Polls” event at Happy Creek Coffee & Tea in The Plains. She was joined by Ronnie Ross, left, who is running for the Democratic Party nomination in 2019 for the 27th District state senate seat now held by Sen. Jill Vogel.
Riggleman beats Cockburn in 5th, Wittman holds onto the 1st CONGRESS from page 1 “Their camp never quit,” he said of the Cockburn campaign. “They went all in and I can respect a campaign that goes all in.” Riggleman won the district with 54 percent of the vote to Cockburn’s 46 percent. In Fauquier County, he garnered 57 percent of the vote to Cockburn’s 42 percent. Riggleman said he believes the fact that he “works here, lives here and plays here” resonated with voters who saw him as a “radical, commonsense guy.” Riggleman, 48, served in the Air Force and previously had a government contracting business before opening a distillery in Nelson County with his wife. Riggleman touted his business experience, military service and lifelong residency in Virginia (He was born in Manassas). Less government is better, in Riggleman’s Rep. Rob Wittman view, a belief that led him to deride his opponent’s expansionist position on health-care insurance as costly and unwise. Cockburn, an investigative journalist, advocated for Medicare-for-all to allow people under the age of 65 to buy into the public health-care option and for efforts to protect the environment from the impact of climate warming, pipelines and uranium mining. She spent about a year and a half traveling the district talking to people. Both had high-profile supporters campaigning for them. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was the special guest at a rally in Warrenton on the Friday before the election. Riggleman also received the endorsements of President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. Cockburn was endorsed by U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine and U.S. Sen. Mark
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Warner, plus former U.S. Sen. John Warner, a Republican. Her daughter, actress Olivia Wilde, campaigned for her mother.
Turnout strong in Fauquier, Prince William
Voting in Fauquier was heavy, as was the case in Prince William County. A total of 1,000 people had voted in Marshall as of 1 p.m. Marshall is within the 5th District. Connie Chintall, in charge of The Plains precinct, where voters cast ballots at Grace Episcopal Church, said that 850 people had voted as of about 12:30 p.m. Chintall said there were 33 people waiting when the polls opened. Bob Zwick, vice chairman of the Fauquier County Electoral Board, said problems on election day at the polls were “run of the mill – running out of [“I voted”] stickers, we had to send more ballots because there were more people voting. There were hiccups, but nothing that has caused Alex to resign to move to the islands,” he said of Alex Ables, the county registrar.
Wittman wins a seventh term
Wittman claimed victory with 56 percent of the vote and earned his seventh term. Williams finished with 43 percent, with 95 percent of precincts counted. In a statement, Wittman said he’ll continue his work supporting veterans, improving education, providing seniors with a secure retirement and ensuring constituents have access to a health care system that offers quality and choice. Williams was vying to be the first black woman to represent Virginia in the U.S. House of Representatives. She spoke optimistically of her chances during stops at the polls.
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PHOTO BY DOUG STROUD Republican nominee for U.S. Senate Corey Stewart is interviewed by reporters Monday after his election-eve rally in Haymarket.
Kaine wins big in Virginia KAINE from page 1 Fauquier County bucked the statewide totals, with 55 percent of voters picking Stewart over the Democratic incumbent. Stewart won 17,792 votes in Fauquier County, while Kaine received 13,724 votes. Two Warrenton voters who turned out to Stewart’s election eve campaign rally in Haymarket said they agreed with Stewart on nearly every issue, especially his stance against abortion and his support for strong borders. “I think Corey Stewart is more pro-Trump. That’s why we support him so much,” said Georgene Clark. “It’s not about immigration. We’d love to have everyone come as long as they come legally.” But Stewart would go on to lose big in Prince William County, where he has held the top elected post since 2006. In his home county, Stewart was about 29 percentage points behind Kaine at 10 p.m., garnering just 34 percent of the vote to Kaine’s 63.8 percent. Kaine drew a crowd of more than 300 to the Prince William County fairgrounds for a “blue wave rally” Sunday. He called for not only a blue wave across Virginia but a wave of “character, compassion, community and love” across the country. He cited the need to counter the sharp campaign rhetoric that critics of President Donald Trump say sparked a wave of domestic violence before Tuesday’s election. Kaine was joined at the rally by four Democratic candidates for Con-
gress. Only one – Vangie Williams – lost her race. Democrats Jennifer Wexton and Reps. Gerald Connolly and Don Beyer cruised to easy victories. Stewart, by contrast, campaigned mostly on his own. Dogged by his past associations with white supremacists during his 2017 campaign for governor, Stewart managed to raise only $2 million for his campaign, compared to Kaine’s more than $20 million. As a result, Stewart had less to spend on the airwaves and relied mostly on social media and radio ads. During an election-eve rally in Haymarket Monday night, Stewart promised to crack down on illegal immigration if elected. He echoed Trump, who repeatedly hit on the need to “build a wall” to keep out the migrant caravan and other illegal border crossers. Kaine’s campaign was largely a polar opposite of Stewart’s, as he spoke often of building “a Virginia that works for all.” Turnout was heavy across the state on Tuesday, despite the gray and rainy weather. During his concession speech Tuesday, Stewart thanked his supporters and said his loss was a result of “the swamp not giving up yet.” “We always knew the midterm elections were going to be very, very tough,” Stewart said. “But I want to let you know, what happened in 2016 was just the beginning. …Tonight, we hit a speed bump.” Reach Jill Palermo at jpalermo@ fauquier.com Voters line up to get a ballot inside the church hall at Grace Episcopal Church in The Plains. Precinct chief Connie Chintall said more than 30 people were outside when the polls opened at 6 a.m. As of about 12:30, 850 had voted. TIMES STAFF PHOTOS/ JAMES IVANCIC