Brandy Station Battlefield endangered

The upcoming data center is proposed to have negative effects.

BY Maria Basileo

A Virginia nonprofi t classifi ed a Culpeper battlefi eld as threatened or endangered by recent developments in allowing a rezoning request for a data center to move forward.

In an announcement May 10, Preservation Virginia, a private, nonprofi t organization seeking to engage the public and sustaining Virginia’s historic places, listed Virginia’s Most Endangered Historic Places for 2022, which included Brandy Station Battlefi eld. "Local county governments passed separate rezoning actions to allow for construction of mega data center complexes, which would irreparably alter the adjacent historic landscapes associated with these battlefi elds, local farmland, and the areas’ rural character," the announcement read. "Locating data centers within technology corridors and away from culturally sensitive areas would convey how local governments value and support the preservation of their irreplaceable historic resources."

Despite e orts from community members, historical and environmental groups to deter them, the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors voted on April 5 to pave the way for Amazon to construct a data center on Route 3 in Stevensburg.

Woodbridge-based development fi rm Marvell Developments LLC, a subsidiary of Amazon Data Services, submitted a rezoning request for 20420 Germanna Highway - currently the location of Magnolia Equestrian Center LLC - from an A-1 (Agricultural) to LI (Light Industrial) in order to construct two data center buildings, totaling over 400,000-square-feet on approximately 230 acres.

On March 28, representatives from The Germanna Foundation, American Battlefi eld Trust, Piedmont Environmental Council and Journey Through Hallowed Ground took members of the public as well as some supervisors on an over two hour tour of Salubria and Hansbrough Ridge, which lie in close proximity to the site, in order to outline the potential negative impacts.

Other endangered sites includeWilliam Fox Elementary School in Richmond and Preston-Crockett House in Smyth County. maria@culpepertimes.com

CulpeperFest returns on June 10

CulpeperFest returns to Eastern View High School’s Cyclone stadium for its 42nd year.

CulpeperFest will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. on June 10.

“We’ve heard how much businesses, nonprofi ts, and the community love the format," said Culpeper Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Je Say. "It gives them a chance to connect, to learn about our community and to have fun.”

Claim your FREE Ticket in advance at www.culpeperfest.com. Tickets will be $5 at the door.

There will be one entrance and one exit with a steady fl ow of tra c around Eastern View High School’s track.

For more information go to culpeperfest.com or follow the event at faceook.com/CulpeperChamber.

Watch for the Winners’ Section in the Culpeper Times!

COMING NEXT ISSUE May 26, 2022

SPONSORED BY BE A LOCAL CULPEPER

➤ Lawyers, from Page 4

your questions about your legal rights and responsibilities.” The 31-page publication is presented by the Virginia State Bar’s Conference of Local and Specialty Bar Associations.

The panel included: Amanda Rieman of AC Rieman Law, which primarily handles uncontested divorces, premarital agreements and other matters, Sam Walker of Clark & Walker PLLC, which primarily handles real estate matters, wills and probate matters and other civil law matters, John “Butch” Davies of Davies, Barrell, Will, Lewellyn & Edwards, PLC, who primarily handles zoning and land use law, business law and other matters, Culpeper County SPONSORED BY Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Russ Rabb and former prosecutor turned Virginia Deputy Secretary of Public Safety Maggie Leary.

Following introductions, students asked questions ranging from how to get out of a tra c ticket to how the attorneys keep their personal opinions out of doing their job.

Durrer advised students he wouldn’t tell them how to “get out of” a ticket but rather to follow tra c laws to begin with in order to avoid being ticketed.

Davies previously worked as a defense attorney, but after discovering his passion to run for public o ce, decided to shy away from defending those charged with violent crimes.

He served for eight years in the state legislature.

Durrer explained from his perspective, he is charged with applying laws passed by the legislature to cases whether they coincide with his personal beliefs or not. maria@culpepertimes.com

➤ Free, from Page 3

began to do her own research and advocacy in the human tra cking prevention and awareness space.

“Stephanie has done a really good job of pulling people like our agency in, pulling law enforcement in (to) really have conversations that (comes) full circle,” said Executive Director of SAFE Cindy Hedges. “She’s not just trying to be one combating it on her own because it does take a village.”

While trying to speak generally about the issue as to not better inform abusers how to continue their exploits, Hedges said it is di cult to recognize human tra cking because it regularly is intertwined with other forms of abuse.

As Hedges explained, while victims typically hail from vulnerable populations such as children in foster care, the homeless population or those with disabilities, anyone can be coerced into tra cking.

While detailing telltale signs may be di cult, Hedges gave examples such as children having a new phone parents are not paying for or having unexplained cash reserves. Both technology and money are used to manipulate victims into and continuing in the tra cking scheme.

Exploiters, she continued, are typically known to the victim, be they family members or otherwise.

In some instances, exploiters meet victims online in other countries and bring them to their location under false pretenses.

Minter said the ministry is working on implementing technology that would scan the internet for posting o ering sexual exploits with local phone numbers listed as a contact.

The technology would rip the phone number, handing it over to the ministry to reach out with resources to a potential victim on the other end of the phone.

Minter concluded with the help of law enforcement the puzzle pieces that make an environment an ideal circumstances for tra cking are present in Culpeper thus the chances of it occurring currently is likely.

“We as a community can work together in order to prevent it from becoming a major issue for our community,” Minter said. maria@culpepertimes.com Culpeper Times • May 12-25, 2022

Fostering serves greater purpose

BY Patty Werick

Love animals and want to make a di erence? Fostering is a crucial component of a home-foster-based rescue organization. They serve as halfway houses between the Shelter and their furever home. When you foster you: • Save lives, protecting pets from diseases and stress • Conserve space and resources at the Shelter • Provide a healthier and happier environment, with more love, care and support • Prepare them for homelife through socialization and development • Present new and bigger pools of adopters; fosters can give a trusted assessment of the personality and needs of the individual pet

Fostering helps pets but also o ers you a wealth of rewards. Fostering is: • Emotionally rewarding • Financially Friendly; rescues provide pet food, medical care, and other amenities • A learning opportunity; learn from experienced volunteers, teach your kids empathy and responsibility • Rewarding; It’s a great feeling to know you’ve helped develop a shy dog into a secure one, a sick kitten into a healthy rascal.

Yes, with the joys come sadness when they leave you for a new life. You’ll probably ugly cry, but we tell ourselves, it’s not about us. Your role as a Foster is to o er temporary refuge, acting as a launchpad to their furever home. Your goal is to say good-bye, knowing that you have succeeded, proud of your accomplishment, ready to save more.

There is an urgent need, today, for kitten fosters. They are the most vulnerable group at the shelter, especially the pee wee kittens (4-8 weeks old), and this is Kitten Season, the most critical time of year.

Check out your local rescues. All are looking for kitten/cat fosters at this time of year. Find one that is a good match for you. Culpeper Humane Society has a great foster program, providing resources, training, and support. Submit a foster application at www.culpeperhumane.org.

Patty Werick

Patty Werick is the President of the Culpeper Humane Society

The future is yours

BY Randi Richards-Lutz

The Class of 2022 has been on a journey that no one could have possibly predicted. They have navigated high school through a worldwide pandemic and overcome a public health crisis like none of us have seen in our lifetime. Simply put, they have learned lessons that cannot be measured by an end of the year exam and they were not simple lessons to learn.

Some students began working during the pandemic to help their families, while others lost loved ones or dealt with being sick themselves. These were the hardest lessons learned while trying to balance a new normal as time marched on. Our students certainly did not envision this when they entered high school.

Other lessons learned and attributes gained have included perseverance, resilience, adaptability, a change in interaction with others, and incredible strength. While the pandemic may have slowed things down, it did not stop these seniors from working, taking care of family members, completing school work, playing sports, and balancing everything thrown their way by the world. Schedules were constantly changing from not being in school, to being online, to being back in school or choosing to homeschool. When a student became discouraged, others rallied around them with support and care. They persevered.

The Kentucky Derby’s latest winner came from the back and out of nowhere to win. I have watched the race on repeat as many of you have reading this because it feels good to hear the excitement and see the determination in that horse and jockey. I have never compared high school to a horse race before, but I see the similarities now. Class of 2022- you are o cially in the home stretch about to cross the fi nish line into your future. You have earned your diploma like no other. Hold your head high and know that we celebrate you. The future is yours! Go blaze a new trail knowing that Culpeper is proud of you.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Randi Richards-Lutz

Randi Richards-Lutz is the Career and Technical Education Director at Culpeper Technical Education Center.

Thank you Fauquier, Culpeper, Madison and Rappahannock counties!

Thank you for another fantastic Give Local Piedmont! Your support on May 3 celebrates the generosity of this community and the service our local nonprofi t agencies provide. Because of your generosity, $1,090,787 was donated for 186 nonprofi ts from 2,693 donors! This four county event promotes charitable giving to support nonprofi t organizations in the northern Piedmont region. The totals for each county do not refl ect $27,000 in Prizes or the Bonus funds: • Culpeper $140,004 - 52 organizations • Fauquier $459,711 – 82 organizations • Madison $50,519 – 10 organizations • Rappahannock $313,552 – 42 organizations

A hearty thank you to our program sponsors, businesses, organizations and donor fund holders with NPCF. Your support lays the groundwork for the program and prizes and without it, we simply could not do it. And, because of the PATH $100,000 bonus, every nonprofi t makes more than the donations they receive. Our donors generously covered almost 90% of the fees associated with an online giving event.

As we conclude our 9 th annual Give Local Piedmont, we are humbled by the support in our communities. Thanks to all of you!

Jane Bowling

CULPEPER

TIMES

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Celebrating older Americans

BY Ellen Phipps

Every May, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) leads the nation’s observance of Older Americans Month (OAM). In 2022, ACL will be focusing on aging in place – how older adults can plan to stay in their homes and live independently in their communities for as long as possible. The 2022 theme is Age My Way, an opportunity for all of us to explore the many ways older adults can remain in and be involved with their communities.

This year Aging Together is excited to highlight the importance of OAM with our region’s own communities. The Counties of Culpeper, Madison and Orange each have responded with proclamations declaring May as Older Americans Month, drawing attention to their commitment to the wellbeing and value of older adults.

With the support of our local governments, we go a long way toward eliminating ageism and the stereotypes that negatively impact older adults. And we think together about how we are doing to increase the possibilities for everyone to age in place and remain active. We are thankful for their response.

One way that Aging Together keeps the celebration of older adults alive in May is with their signature annual event, “5 Over 50”. This event, aligned purposely with Older Americans Month, honors one person from each of the region’s fi ve counties who makes a positive impact.

This year’s 5 Over 50 event honors Charles Jameson in Culpeper, Renee Younes in Fauquier, Kevin McGhee in Madison, Bill Hager in Orange and Joyce and Mike Wenger in Rappahannock.

Diverse communities are strong communities. Ensuring that older adults remain involved and included in our communities for as long as possible benefi ts everyone.

For more information, contact Ellen Phipps, or view www. agingtogether.org.

Ellen Phipps

Ellen Phipps is the Executive Director of Aging Together.

On the Bookshelf | Novel about pandemic proves timely

The Meek Shall Inherit is a timely, chilling and compelling novel about K-Pox, a deadly pandemic that sends the world into utter collapse. In the face of starvation and chaos, a few survivors learn to trust each other and survive. Their struggle is also a head game that challenges their belief in a God who allows such misery, writes authors Cindy Siira and Julia White. The book is written in a letter writing format from the points of view of two teenage girls, Meg and Ashleigh.

If you think the story line is too close to COVID to be enjoyed, you might be surprised to read the reviews. One Amazon reader calls The Meek “brilliantly immersive and captivating!! Crazy similarities and mirroring to current events – even though it was written well before. Truly an amazing piece of work.”

Another says: “The concept is great, the storytelling superb, and the ending -- WOW! I can’t wait for the next one.”

You can borrow a copy of The Meek Shall Inherit from the Culpeper Library in the Local Authors section. In the process, you might bump into the author, Cynthia Siira.

Cindy is a woman of many talents. She loves quilting and textile painting, as well as writing. She is also the coleader of the Windmore Publishing Discussion Group.

A professional educator in earlier years, she met her co-author Julia White when both worked in northern Virginia helping students with disabilities prepare for life after high school.

Both women were writers and their unique experiences led them to choose the letter-writing format which is unique to The Meek Shall Inherit. They are working on a sequel, even though Julia now lives in Illinois. Miles are no deterrent in the age of technology, but Cindy is Culpeper’s own literary star. We plan to keep you informed about their next book.

On the Bookshelf

On the Bookshelf is a series of columns written about local authors and their available books at the Culpeper Library.

BY Marshall Conner

Nearly every year since the 1990s I have written at least a column on the springtime spawning run of the Hickory and American Shad. The fi rst shad of spring always brings joy to the heart before fi nding its way into my landing net.

I haven’t kept a shad in years, I just take a few selfi es with them and release them to complete their journey. Along the shore of the Rappahannock River people and wildlife converge after a winter that is still trying to hang around. Ospreys circle overhead and dive with precision to snatch fi sh. Bald Eagles try to muscle them o their catch. This is the annual spawning run for the anadromous shad—a notable Virginian that deserves respect.

This brings me to the angry, sad point of my column. On a recent fl y-fi shing trip to the Falmouth Flats just across from downtown Fredericksburg my brother walked upon a scene that clearly illustrated the darkness of the human mind. On the sandy island between Falmouth Beach and the Old Mill Park someone had built a fi re and impaled three or four shad on sharpened sticks. The fi sh were burnt and left like some sick memorial to cruelty infl icted on the natural world. My brother posted photos and questioned why something like this could occur.

The fi sh were not eaten. Were the fi sh tortured? Where were wildlife conservation o cers?

Hundreds of people were within sight, sound, and smell of this scene, yet it still occurred.

The disrespect for our natural resources symbolized by this grisly scene really angered me. I wonder if the people who did this realize what a shad must endure to get to its annual spawning run.

The shad, both the Hickory and American varieties are historic, beloved, and even political. The poor man’s tarpon as it has been called, is usually the fi rst fi sh to knock the dust o your fi shing reel in the spring. On a fl y-rod it fi ghts admirably. A shad has a tenacity that most freshwater fi sh lack. One can instantly tell that a shad has endured the harsh realities of the sea.

A shad returning to the river was born there a couple years ago. It returns to the ocean in maturity and returns to its birth river repeating the cycle of life. The shad’s journey coincides nicely with the fi rst outbreaks of spring fever. The annual shad run in Fredericksburg has consistently inspired workdodging and school-skipping for hundreds of years. These fi sh must dodge all the ocean’s predators, nets, river predators, aerial attacks from raptors, stabbings from Great Blue Herons, spin fi shermen jigging darts, poacher’s cast nets, pollution, and habitat destruction just to procreate.

The shad tortured by this subset of humanity should know that these fi sh were within the last few miles of a lifelong journey—so close to completion. People who toss trash, kill for fun and poach do not possess empathy or perspective for nature.

One of the many benefi ts of being a fl y-fi sherman is the skill of observation, the Buddhists refer to it as mindfulness. Simply put it is the ability to observe what is literally underfoot, in sight or within reach. It is an acquired skill. It is a discipline that sees the natural world as an integral part of a larger experience, not just as a background for your fi sh selfi e.

“If you’re interested in catching hickory shad, they arrive when the shadbush and the dogwood bloom. If anglers had the time to spend in the wild all day and study this stu , they wouldn’t need fl y-fi shing books or newspaper columns, because everything in nature reveals itself. That is my job: to take the time to see nature revealed and pass along what I learned to people who could not be there,” wrote fl y fi shing legend Bernard “Lefty” Kreh, in his autobiography.

The Rappahannock River fl ows 187 miles total from Chester Gap to the Chesapeake Bay. The river and its tributaries fl ow through 18 jurisdictions in its journey to saltwater. Miles of the river fl ow through Culpeper County. It is part of a forever cycle, moving rock and land. Our lifetimes are a simple fl ick of the match in geologic time, yet our moments on a river still add us to its story.

If we respect our waters and natural resources, we are rewarded with generations of experiences.

Historic accounts state that troops on both sides in the Civil War took pause from blowing each other’s heads o to catch a few shad. The shad run was powerful enough to pause warfare.

The late Gene Mueller, a local outdoor columnist described the shad run well in 2009.

“Fishermen stand near a couple of sandy islands, sloshing about and fi ring their small lures into the river, fully aware that the law of averages was on their side. Sooner or later one of the shiny-scaled fi ghters had to be swimming past them on its way to suitable spawning pools and along the way look at a shad dart. Shad are very democratic that way. If something irritates or interests them, they often instinctively take a swipe at it,” he wrote.

Nature always keeps its promises. Humanity must overcome the small percent of idiots in our midst.

The disrespect for our natural resources symbolized by this grisly scene really angered me. I wonder if the people who did this realize what a shad must endure to get to its annual spawning run.

Marshall Conner

Marshall Conner is a contributing columnist.

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WHITNEY LYNNE MEREWETHER

Whitney Lynne Merewether, 54, of Lewisburg, WV died Monday, April 25, 2022 in Morgantown, WV surrounded by her loving family and a few very close friends.

She was born January 8, 1968 in Providence, RI, a daughter of Patrick Merewether, Sr. and his wife Margaret Steinbock of Culpupper, VA, and Carol Merewether of Warrenton, VA.

In addition to her parents, Whitney is survived by her brother Patrick Merewether, Jr. (partner Lynn Shaner) of Charleston SC; her sister Courtney Mills (husband Rodney) of Culpeper VA; nephews and nieces Joshua Merewether, Ryan Merewether, Hannah Merewether, and Briana Shaner; stepsisters and stepbrother Colin Smith (spouse Alison Smith), Rebecca Rex (spouse Tammy Rex), Jennifer Metz (spouse Timothy Metz); many cousins and friends; and her beloved cats Rumpleteazer (Rummy) and Kali.

Whitney graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Virginia in 1990. Whitney had 20 years of service at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg, WV as the Administrative Assistant in the Registrar's Office.

Whitney will be remembered for knowing how to bring people together. She gave the best hugs and had a contagious smile. She was full of life, loved to laugh and had a quick, witty sense of humor. She loved nature - hiking, waterfalls, flora and fauna, and the great gingko tree in Lewisburg.

"Every blade in the field, every leaf in the forest, lays down its life in its season as beautifully as it was taken up." - Henry David Thoreau

A gathering of family and friends to honor Whitney's life and legacy will be held at the Mountain Run Winery in Culpepper, VA on Sunday, May 22, 2022 from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

In lieu of flowers, kindly make a donation to the Cancer Research Institute - https:// www.cancerresearch.org/en-us/join-thecause/donate.

Smith Funeral & Cremation Care of Morgantown, WV provided care and guidance to the family, and condolences may be offered at www.smithfcc.com.