Stafford Magazine | April/May 2023

MEET VIRGINIA’S TOP ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

HOW WRESTLING CHANGED STAFFORD MAN’S LIFE

A HOME RUN

IS THERE GOLD IN THEM THAR WOODS?

Minor-League Franchise Is A Hit In An Area Hungry For Baseball

Seriously. Get it checked.

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VOLUME 4, ISSUE 2

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Stafford High earns state

Does Stafford have

stash of lost gold?

ON

A late summer Fredericksburg Nationals home game drew a big crowd as the minor-league baseball team wrapped up its 2022 season. Photo by Bill Kamenjar

A Love of Learning

Assistant principal at Stafford High School earns state honor

BY TRACY BELL

Benjamin Diggs always knew that school would be the canvas of his career.

As a child, he dreamed of being an educator.

As a brother, he spent childhood days playing “school” with his sister – and they both grew up to become teachers.

As a high-school student, Diggs’ senior superlatives identified him as most likely to become a teacher or principal.

And he did.

Diggs, who began his career as a teacher, has been an assistant principal at Stafford High School since 2020. Earlier this school year, he was chosen as the 2023 Outstanding Secondary School Assistant Principal of Virginia.

“My students are my life,” Diggs said. “This honor is truly a reflection of the hard work they put in every single day. I am also proud to be surrounded and supported by other incredible leaders who share the same goals – to make life better for our students.”

The Principal Awards Committee, a panel of Virginia school leaders tasked to represent the Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals, chose Diggs for the honor.

The association seeks to recognize exemplary performance among middle and high school assistant principals in the state, said its executive director, Randy Barrack. “It’s exciting when we can identify and showcase administrators like Ben Diggs in school

Benjamin Diggs has been a Stafford High School assistant principal since 2020, and he occasionally volunteers to drive a school bus.

administration.”

A longtime Stafford resident, Diggs lives in White Oak with his husband, Deuntay Diggs – a well-known lieutenant with the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office.

Benjamin Diggs first came to Stafford as a child, moving with his family from Rhode Island in 1996. He attended Hampton Oaks Elementary School starting in the third grade, then H.H. Poole Middle School and finally North Stafford High School, where he graduated in 2006.

“I had incredible educators all throughout my childhood, a majority of them from Stafford County Public Schools,” said Diggs, who will be formally recognized in June at the Virginia Middle and High School Principals Conference & Exposition and in July at the 2023 National Principals Conference.

At the start of his career, Diggs taught business, but more recently served as an instructional technology resource teacher and department chair at North Stafford.

As an assistant principal, Diggs brings enthusiasm, reliability and professionalism to the job, as well as boundless energy and a work ethic that comes from his belief: “Whatever it takes…you do the hard work.”

Stafford Schools Superintendent Thomas Taylor said the school system is proud of Diggs.

Whether dressing as a turkey as part of a school fundraiser (with student Shaun Jones, left) or helping to supervise a football game with another assistant principal, Natasha Neagle, Benjamin Diggs brings energy and enthusiasm to his job.

me,” he said. “It’s a philosophy. I truly love my students and want the best for them. I hope that they will show the same love and compassion as adults in all that they do and accomplish.”

Outside of school, Diggs’ interests and hobbies include cooking, trying new foods, traveling and new experiences.

“I absolutely love amusement parks and riding roller coasters,” he said. “I love thrills and taking in the world around me.”

He also often spends time in the community with Deuntay, who is running for the George Washington District supervisor seat and whose claim to fame stems from viral social-media videos of his dancing to music by Beyonce. The couple has been together for more than 13 years and married in 2017.

“Mr. Diggs embodies the spirit of our learning community,” Taylor added. “He is an exceptional leader, strong administrator and sincere role model for students and staff. In addition to supporting others, he continually seeks personal growth opportunities in our school system."

For Diggs, who enjoys interacting with students, education is all about building relationships and helping others be the best version of themselves. He wants his students – more than 2,200 at Stafford High – to care about others and improve the community.

Diggs said it’s his honor to serve and help them, and if he could give his students life advice, he’d tell them to “never stop learning” and “always show others love.”

“My students always hear on my morning announcements, ‘If no one has told you today, let me be the first one to tell you: I love you; we love you at Stafford High School.’ That line means so much to

Diggs’ job as an assistant principal has also included an unexpected role as a bus driver.

He earned his commercial driver’s license as a transit bus driver while a student at Virginia Tech and worked for Blacksburg Transit. It came in handy when he once filled in for a school bus driver who became ill, taking over the route to drive 66 elementary school students home. Other times, he has volunteered to drive the bus for school field trips, after-school needs and special events.

And the best is yet to come.

“The best part of my role as an assistant principal,” Diggs said, “is seeing how much students grow into the amazing young adults they will become over a four-year period.”

Tracy Bell is a freelancer who lives in Stafford County.

Art, Art, Leroy Brown

Marine veteran turns love of painting into a business

BY CAMERON DELEAN

Alocal Marine Corps veteran and lifelong artist has made a name for himself selling his paintings.

Leroy Brown, who lives in Stafford County, has combined his artistic skills and entrepreneurial spirit to sell his original paintings, prints and commissioned custom pieces. However, Brown’s passion for art sparked long before he started his business.

“Anything that involved art, I was doing it,” he said. “That fire started in me when I was a young kid.”

After graduating from high school in 2000

in his hometown of Natchez, Miss., Brown joined the Marine Corps. Five years into his career, he took an art history class and a studio painting class while stationed in New Orleans to maintain his passion for art.

“I always wanted to be an artist and considered myself an artist, but I didn’t think it was possible to do it full-time,” Brown said. “I never let go of that dream of being an artist whenever I was deployed or wherever I was stationed.”

Brown’s dedication to creating art continued through his time in the Marine

Corps, even as he traveled around the country and overseas. He sold his first piece in 2008, the same year he began to take art seriously. After retiring as a gunnery sergeant at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Brown pursued painting full time. His business, Leroy Brown Art, was established in 2021. He creates original and commissioned pieces that he sells on his online storefront and social media, as well as at local events.

Cynthia Hall of Woodbridge saw Brown’s work at a vendor booth in the Veterans Growing America pop-up shop at Potomac Town Center in Woodbridge in November. She commissioned him to paint a portrait of her husband stationed in Afghanistan as a surprise for him.

“He is a former Marine, and my husband is a former Marine, so it meant a lot to have him do it,” Hall said.

Brown connects with his customers and travels to different vendor events around the country, transporting, setting up, packaging and selling his paintings himself.

Now, Brown is creating original pieces of artwork and running a business while working toward a degree in entrepreneurship at American Military University to help

Leroy Brown’s works include realistic paintings of the Beatles (far left), Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and a military officer, as well as the piece entitled “Marketplace” (above).

expand and develop his business. After serving with the Marine Corps, Brown believes he has the skills and work ethic he needs to pursue his aspirations.

“When I went through boot camp I was away from home for the first time and I was told to do everything faster, smarter and harder… I would describe Marine Corps boot camp as the hardest challenge I’ve ever experienced, so any time I’m creating artwork I utilize that, mentally pushing myself like my drill instructor was pushing me,” Brown said. “If I’ve already accomplished the hardest thing I’ve ever done in life, I can do anything else I put my mind to.”

Cameron Delean is a reporter for InsideNoVa. She can be reached at cdelean@insidenova.com.

MORE ART

See more examples of Leroy Brown’s work at LeroyBrownArt.com

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Uniting Branchesthe

Veterans

Ball

BY TRACY BELL

offers fun and fundraising

Agroup of friends with military connections gathered at Applebee’s in north Stafford for a free Veterans Day meal eight years ago.

Little did they know that their conversation that day would spark an idea that led to creation of a new nonprofit.

Stafford resident Ozzy Ramos took the suggestion and turned it into reality, founding the American Veterans Ball in 2015 to bring all military branches together for an evening of fun and fundraising.

The organization ultimately became its own 501(c)3 nonprofit and will hold this year’s American Veterans Ball on May 12 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center at National Harbor in Maryland.

“It’s a unique event of camaraderie and connection,” said Ramos, who is retired from the U.S. Marine Corps. “It’s a way

Lissette and Ozzy Ramos at last year’s American Veterans Ball.

to reconnect post-active service – and the unique thing is it’s the only one in the country.”

First held in Fredericksburg, the annual ball has grown in popularity, said Ramos,

who lives with his family off Andrew Chapel Road in the Aquia District.

The veterans ball is “his baby,” said Ramos’ wife, Lissette, who was among those at Applebee’s that day when the idea was born. None of her immediate family served in the military, so she counts her husband as her first real connection to military life.

The couple hails from Brooklyn, N.Y., but met in Virginia when Ramos was stationed at Quantico. They have lived in Stafford since 1999. Ozzy Ramos retired in 2006 from the Marine Corps, where was a program coordinator for presidential support programs.

Their blended family includes four grown children – Tony, Alex, Luis and Amanda – and a 12-year-old daughter, Izabella, who attends Stafford Middle School.

Tony and Amanda graduated from Brooke Point High School, while Luis, who also served in the U.S. Marine Corps, lives with his own family in Stafford and is a cofounder of the American Veterans Ball.

Ozzy Ramos said the American Veterans Ball event will include an elegant dinner, music and dancing in the spirit of celebratory comradeship and patriotism. The ball provides all veterans of the Armed Forces the opportunity to participate in an annual service ball similar to the military balls they cherished when in active service. It’s a way to reignite and

reconnect, but also to advocate for those who struggle to find the camaraderie they once knew. Ramos acknowledged that losing military veterans to suicide is an ongoing struggle.

“Over the past decade, we’re losing 22 a day to suicide,” Ramos said. “That’s a big problem. We could do 22 pushups, situps, walks or runs to honor fallen veterans – but we can’t bring them back.”

So, he said, the focus could be on the flip side – those who remain. Once service members leave active duty, Ramos said, life happens – both the good and the bad.

“We go through life events – separation, divorce – we aren’t invincible; we no longer feel like warriors,” he said. “Some gravitate toward drugs and alcohol.”

There’s an immediate disconnection from the loss of that military family, Ramos said, and that can be jarring.

So, the all-inclusive veterans ball will welcome every branch of the military – veterans, active-duty, reserves, those separated or retired from the military and their guests, civilian and military alike.

The event will include a VIP reception and a JROTC color guard ceremony. Entertainment will be provided by

comedian impressionist Sylvia Traymore Morrison, U.S. Navy veteran and recording artist Dave Bray USA and local singing group Voices of Service, a finalist on “America’s Got Talent.”

Ramos said funds raised from the ball are generally divided four ways – with a quarter of the proceeds going to JROTC and youth leadership camps and another quarter going to a veteran’s individual initiative or organization. Another 25% is used to support the following year’s ball, and the final 25% is used to cover operational and administration costs.

Ramos ran a separate youth humanitarian nonprofit called HOME (iwannagohome. org) before starting the ball.

Last year’s American Veterans Ball drew 850 people and raised $20,000, Ramos said. This year, it cost $190,000 to put on the ball, and Ramos expects more than 1,000 people representing every branch to attend.

Tracy Bell is a freelancer who lives in Stafford County.

AHOME RUN

Minor-League Franchise Is A Hit In An Area Hungry For Baseball

BY DAVID FAWCETT | PHOTOS BY BILL KAMENJAR

It’s a quiet, rainy morning in midFebruary outside Virginia Credit Union Stadium in Fredericksburg. The temperature hovers around 50 degrees. About 20 cars fill the parking lot.

But inside the Fredericksburg Nationals executive offices, there’s plenty of activity. Team employees are the move, dealing with everything from fielding inquiries about tickets to closing sponsorship deals.

Now that football season is officially over and Opening Day is less than two months away for the Washington Nationals’ Low-A minor-league baseball affiliate, preparations for the upcoming season enter overdrive.

It’s that time of year. And for the next two months, it’s the norm.

“With the end of the Super Bowl, it’s a passing of the torch,” said Nick Hall, the Fredericksburg Nationals’ executive vice president and general manager. “It’s baseball’s turn.”

For Hall and his 25-member staff, that means fulfilling their usual preseason checklist, while finding ways to expand on a fan base that has grown since the franchise moved from Woodbridge after the 2019 season.

COVID wiped out the entire season

in 2020. And restrictions kept interaction limited during the FredNats’ first season in 2021. But with fewer restrictions in place last year, the FredNats saw improved changes inside the stadium as fans and players could mingle more through a friendly conversation or an autograph.

The turnout reflected the uptick in interest. There is, for example, a waiting list for sponsorship deals on outfield billboards. Those who did have billboards are increasing their reach through other marketing opportunities the FredNats

The fans are coming out as well.

Fredericksburg finished second overall last year in attendance among all 60 Single-A franchises. The only team that drew more fans was fellow Carolina League member Augusta (Ga.) –by an average of just 25 fans per game (4,096 to 4,071). Overall, Fredericksburg drew 260,546 fans last season, which ranked No. 54 out of the 120 Major League-affiliated franchises. “There’s no bitterness about that,” the 32-year-old Hall said as he smiled about narrowly losing out

“It is what it is. It gives us a great

Above: Mason Denaburg (20) was among the Fredericksburg Nationals’ pitchers during a game late in the 2022 season.

A NEW START

Three-quarters of Fredericksburg’s fan base comes from Fredericksburg and neighboring Stafford and Spotsylvania counties. But season-ticket holders come from as far east as King George County, as far west as Orange and Culpeper counties, as far south as Caroline County and as far as north as Prince William County.

“This community had the makings of a minor league market,” Hall said. “They are showing that was right. They craved a hometown team.”

Once in a while, fans will even attend games wearing Potomac Nationals’ gear, an ode to the franchise’s past. Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge had hosted a minor-league team since 1984 before current owner Art Silber moved the team south.

For years, Silber had tried to find a new stadium in Prince William. He eventually

Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center and Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center. But questions arose about funding, and the Prince William Board of County Supervisors rejected the proposal. Instead, Silber found a new home in Fredericksburg, where a $35 million stadium was built near Central Park off Interstate 95. The Fredericksburg City Council helped underwrite the deal by agreeing to pay $1.05 million to the team for 30 years, an amount that covered about 40% of the park’s financing. In return, the city can use the stadium for events. The city also has a suite to entertain and network, as well as a billboard ad in the outfield and kiosk in the stadium.

Bill Freehling, director of economic development and tourism for the city of Fredericksburg, said the partnership is working well. The city is recouping its investment through sales, meals and admission taxes,

“They are essentially hitting the numbers we expected them to,”

The 5,000-seat stadium is helping the area attract other

In August, the stadium hosted the final rounds of the 13- to 15-year-old Babe

With pandemic restrictions lifted last season, fans were able to obtain players’ autographs, explore the FredNats’ team store and enjoy the antics of the mascot, Gus.

Ruth National Tournament. That in itself brought enough people to fill 1,000 hotel rooms in the city and around 1,200 overall for the area. Stafford County hosted the first rounds of the tournament. The Babe Ruth organization was so pleased with the results they are coming back this summer.

“We want to attract more of these types of things,” Freehling said.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS

In addition to the stadium, Hall noted other selling points that bolster interest in the team. One is the part-time jobs the FredNats provide for those looking to make extra money over the summer. Hall said their primary part-timers are teachers. The team held a job fair in February. Anyone 16 and older can apply.

Themed nights on Saturdays are big hits. This season, Fredericksburg will have 10 immersive theme nights, including fan favorites like Star Wars Night.

Affordability helps as well, with singlegame tickets ranging from $10 to $22.

“Even if you are not into baseball, you can still have the time of your life here for two to three hours,” Hall said.

Fredericksburg’s affiliation with the Washington Nationals is a big draw as well. Starting in 2021, all minor-league clubs signed 10-year player development licenses

TALKIN’ BASEBALL WHO?

The Fredericksburg Nationals are a minorleague affiliate team of Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals. They play in the Low-A Carolina League (minor league baseball goes from Low-A to Single-A to Double-A to Triple-A).

WHERE?

The FredNats play their home games at Virginia Credit Union Stadium, 42 Jackie Robinson Way, next to the Fredericksburg Expo & Convention Center in Fredericksburg.

WHEN?

The team was scheduled to open its season Friday, April 7, at home against the Lynchburg Hillcats. Games continue throughout the spring and summer, with the last regular-season home game scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 3.

MORE DETAILS: For a complete schedule and ticket information visit frednats.com.

with major-league clubs.

Of Washington’s four full-season affiliates, Fredericksburg is by far the closest to the capital. The 47-mile distance is a big reason why Fredericksburg’s stadium served as the alternate site during 2020 for players not on Washington’s active major-league roster as well as some minor leaguers, because there was no minorleague season.

Not surprisingly, Fredericksburg’s two highest attended games last season were rehab appearances by pitcher Stephen Strasburg, the MVP of the Washington

Nationals 2019 World Series championship. “They trust us,” Hall said. The chance to see future big leaguers is appealing.

James Wood, the top prospect in the Nationals’ organization, according to Baseball America, came through Fredericksburg late last season as part of the Juan Soto trade with San Diego, as did right-hander Jarlin Susana. Susana generated enough interest that Nationals’ principal owner Mark Lerner and Mike Rizzo, the team’s president of baseball operations and general manager, came

down Aug. 31 to see Susana hit 103 mph on the radar gun.

Wood and Susana, along with others, helped Fredericksburg become the only one of the Nationals’ four full-season affiliates to have a winning record (75-55) and reach the playoffs.

“Those types of things make an immediate impact,” Hall said.

With players unable to interact with fans outside the stadium due to COVID restrictions, the FredNats’ mascot, Gus, has become the main attraction for outreach events. Hall said Gus does at least four appearances each week and over 200 altogether in 2022. It helps that Gus has more flexibility in his schedule. Even if players could do it, they are still limited with their own schedules.

“He’s the main focus of our branding,” Hall said.

To build rapport with the incoming coaching staff, Hall spent a week this March at the Nationals’ spring training facility in West Palm Beach, Fla.

It gave him a chance to connect with the coaching staff and see what they are interested in and available to do inside the stadium when the season starts. The return of Jake Lowery as manager will provide a familiar face as Fredericksburg establishes a broader footprint in the region.

“You can’t walk through downtown Fredericksburg without seeing merchandise,” Hall said. “That tells a huge picture.”

David Fawcett is Sports Editor of InsideNoVa and lives in Stafford County. You can reach him at dfawcett@insidenova.com.

James Wood, the top prospect in the Washington Nationals’ organization, played in Fredericksburg last season.

Manager Jake Lowery

Loud and Clear

First wrestling, then new hearing aids, turned around life for Stafford man

BY TRACY BELL

Roger Stewart was born deaf – but he didn’t let that stop him.

The North Stafford resident developed an interest in wrestling in high school, where the sport became his outlet – an escape from the difficulty of living in a hearing world.

Today, he lives in Embrey Mill with his wife and stepchildren and coaches wrestling at Louisa County High School in Mineral. His job is made easier thanks to modern hearing-aid technology that’s improved his

quality of life – a far cry from the struggle he felt growing up. Born premature with a hearing impairment, Stewart often felt isolated and alone. His parents, siblings and virtually everyone around him could hear, and he could not.

“My stepchildren learned at a very young age to accept disabled people and to ‘listen with their eyes and see with their ears,’” Stewart said. “Having a dad with a hearing impairment has been good for them, especially for my son, who has a speech impediment. Together, we learned how to overcome obstacles and find ways to communicate with each other.”

It wasn’t always that way for Stewart, who could communicate only through sign language and lip reading. He started wearing hearing aids at age 6 and was able to pick up some sounds, but his hearing and speech deteriorated. He recalled bouncing from school to school, relying on sign language and lip reading. His hearing aids became a nuisance instead of being much help. Stewart said he couldn’t hear those subtle sounds important to conversations, so he became frustrated

and desperately wanted to live a vastly different life.

Enter the 1990s, when Stewart attended high school and was introduced to wrestling. It was at Woodbridge High School, where he graduated in 1997, that his life would turn around.

At the Prince William County school, he discovered that his struggles with sound disappeared while he was on the wrestling mat. The muffled background noise vanished, too. And because hearing aids are not allowed in wrestling competition for safety reasons, removing them allowed him to zero in solely on wrestling, which served as a strength.

For the first time, being deaf didn’t matter. It had no effect on what he did on the mat.

“It actually turned out to be an advantage,” Stewart said. And although he couldn’t hear the whistle that ended a wrestling match, that one negative paled in comparison to what wrestling did for him.

Stewart continued to struggle with his hearing outside of wrestling, though he

went on to attend Norfolk State University and Old Dominion University.

He never let go of his love for wrestling, competing and coaching. Stewart even competed on the U.S. wrestling team in the 2022 Deaflympics in Brazil.

The Deaflympics – an International Olympic Committee-sanctioned event –brings elite deaf and hard of hearing athletes together from all over the world to compete in various sports. The athletes also develop a camaraderie with each other.

Stewart also was recently selected to

to hear sounds in bits and pieces, and they were muffled and unnatural, when he heard anything at all. Now, he’s hearing clearly, and even taking in too much noise, at times – which is a blessing.

Stewart’s wife, Raichael, recalled the first time her husband put in his new hearing aids.

“His reaction after putting them in was priceless,” she said. “The look on his face was as if he was hearing for the first time.”

What he heard far surpassed what he was accustomed to – so much so that he eventually partnered with the company to tell his story as a spokesperson.

Stewart explained that he can communicate with everyone around him better, including his family – which has enjoyed a tighter bond – and his wrestling team, through a sport he’s still passionate about after all these years.

compete in two world championships: the Deaf Senior Greco-Roman & Freestyle Wrestling Championships in September in Kyrgyzstan and the Veteran World Championships in October in Greece.

Eventually, Stewart learned about Widex Moment hearing aids after talking with his audiologist, who thought they might benefit him. They did.

After wearing the same hearing aids for 10 years, Stewart discovered a whole new world thanks to newer technology. He used

Stewart also can connect better with his students at the high school, where he works as an assistant teacher of American Sign Language. Communicating on car rides, at medical appointments, on evening walks, at social events, during the family routine, and, of course, at wrestling matches, he said, are easier all around.

Stewart said he hopes to help others with similar struggles by sharing his experience. But it’s the subtle nuances and clear tone of his stepchildren’s voices, and the chance to communicate with his wife on a different level – those are the things Stewart truly cherishes.

“I’m able to hear sounds I’ve never heard before,” he said.

Tracy Bell is a freelancer who lives in Stafford County.

Stafford resident and wrestling coach Roger Stewart with some of his mentors and friends, including (left to right) Jeff Humphries, his first wrestling coach in high school; Gray Simons, his first college coach; Keith Lowrance, a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, and Buddy Lee, a U.S. Olympic wrestler.

Roger Stewart has represented the United States in several competitions for deaf athletes.

Mountain View senior finishes second in state oratorical contest

Hopeful update for child in need of bone marrow transplant

Apotential donor match has been found on an international registry for a 5-year-old Stafford girl in need of a bone marrow transplant.

Elliott Domaleski’s family and friends, with the help of Be the Match Registry, held a series of donor drives for her over the winter, hoping to find a potential match after she was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia, an aggressive blood disease, in November.

Since then, Nora Domaleski, her mother, said a potential match was ultimately found. No new local drives are scheduled after the latest news, she said, but they’re taking a wait-and-see approach because a slight improvement has recently been noticed in Elliott’s test results.

A transplant may not be necessary, depending on how she responds to current medical treatment, but for now, Elliott is scheduled for a transplant this spring, her mother said.

Initially, no matches were identified for Elliott in the Be the Match Registry, a system that works to more easily find matches for patients in need. Then later, the international match was discovered.

On March 8, Elliott’s Cub Scout troop and local members of law enforcement and fire and rescue departments threw a dinosaur parade of vehicles for Elliott, who adores dinosaurs. During the event, people dressed as dinosaurs or just waved from their vehicles as they drove past her home.

Her mother said Elliott “absolutely loved it.”

According to a GoFundMe set up to cover medical expenses insurance does not, Elliott has been unable to attend school or Cub Scouts in several months.

Severe aplastic anemia results when a person’s body stops producing blood cells. That results in potential infections, anemia, bleeding and other issues. Elliott has had to endure frequent hospital visits and medical appointments, medications and blood transfusions.

In addition, her household and nearby grandparents have had to quarantine to limit the chance that she will develop infections or be exposed to viral infections that could be deadly for her.

– Tracy Bell

For updates or to contribute, visit gofundme.com/f/help-elliott-fight-aplastic-anemia

Mountain View High School senior John Hatzis, who won an American Legion Post 290 oratorical contest and a district competition over the winter, moved on to prevail in the Northern region and then finished second in the state last month.

“It was a very close contest,” Erin Fox, chair for the local and district competitions, said of the state event, held in Portsmouth.

The American Legion’s oratorical contests, geared toward high school students, seeks to develop a deeper knowledge of the U.S. Constitution. Contestants also develop leadership, public-speaking and think-on-your-feet skills along the way.

Hatzis earned $1,400 in scholarship money from the American Legion for winning the local and district competitions, as well as additional scholarship money for winning the Northern region.

Along with an eight- to 10-minute prepared speech, Hatzis faced a three- to five-minute assigned topic speech on the first section of the 14th Amendment. He has been weighing numerous college and scholarship offers and plans to study liberal arts with a focus on law and policy.

American Legion Post 290 will hold its Family Day on Saturday, April 29. The public is invited to visit for food, fun and information on the post's activities and youth programs. For more information, visit staffordpost290.org.

– Tracy Bell

Stream restoration begins at St. Clair Brooks Memorial Park

Stafford is beginning work on a stream restoration project in St. Clair Brooks Memorial Park, in the Falmouth area, to better prevent pollutants from reaching the Rappahannock River and the Chesapeake Bay. The project will restore a 1,500-foot unnamed tributary, decreasing erosion and promoting natural habit. The effort will reduce the amount of runoff, sediment and pollutants and make the stream more sustainable.

Impacts to Brooks Park should be small. The project should not affect the paved walking trails. However, disc golf holes 12, 13, 14, 16 and 17 will be temporarily closed during construction. The project is estimated to be completed in August.

County updates strategic plan

Stafford County recently reevaluated and updated its Strategic Plan for 2024-2029 to reflect the needs of the growing county and the results of its first community survey.

Stafford developed its first strategic plan in 2018, with that plan’s initiatives ending in 2022. The new plan focuses on transportation, a vibrant community, educational and wellness partnerships, public safety, economic diversification, excellence in governance and growth management.

“The latest Strategic Plan shows the priorities for Stafford constituents, which reflect those of the respondents in the 2022 Community Survey and the many challenges and opportunities important to the Board," said Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Pamela Yeung of the Garrisonville District.

The seven priorities for 2024-2029 include the following:

• Develop a multimodal infrastructure and transportation system

• Engage in partnerships to provide quality educational and wellness opportunities

• Economic diversification

• Growth management for community sustainability that channels growth into targeted areas and protects the county’s natural and historical resources

• Vibrant community through the arts, recreation, culture, history and tourism

• Dedicated and responsive public safety team

• Excellence in governance with transformational leadership that provides a responsive, customerfocused experience and delivers common sense approaches to policies and services.

The full plan is online at www.staffordcountyva.gov/2040.

John Hatzis (center) with American Legion officials after one of his oratorical competitions.

intoSpringFun

As the weather warms up, a number of events and activities are planned around the region. Here are just a few; for a complete calendar and regular updates visit insidenova.com/calendar.

SPRING CARNIVAL

April 29, 3-6 p.m.

Rockhill Elementary School, Stafford staffordschools.net

SIPPING UNDER THE STARS

April 29, 7-10 p.m.

Potomac Point Vineyard & Winery potomacpointwinery.com

THE GREAT TRAIN RACE 1-MILER, HALF-MILER & CABOOSE RUN

May 7, 7:30 a.m.

For children under 18 years old

Lot behind Fredericksburg Train Station, Fredericksburg runsignup.com; gtr.runfarc.com

BEER & BUSINESS NETWORKING: FREDNATS

May 10, 4 to 5:30 p.m. Highmark Brewery, Fredericksburg Free, registration required gostaffordva.com

SPRING FEVER 5K & KIDS’ HALF-MILER

April 15, first race starts at 8 a.m.

Stafford Hospital campus springfever.mwhc.com

UMW PHILHARMONIC SEASON FINALE

April 15, 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Dodd Auditorium

University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg umw.edu, umwphilharmonic.com

BLOOD DRIVE

April 20, 12:30-6:30 p.m. Porter Library, Stafford redcrossblood.org

STAFFORD STARS VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS SHOWCASE

April 22, 7 p.m.

Mountain View High School, Stafford staffordschools.net

COMMUNITY HEALTH & WELLNESS FAIR

April 22, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Colonial Forge High School 550 Courthouse Road, Stafford staffordschools.net/healthandwellnessfair

ART AFTER HOURS

April 27, May 25 & June 15, 6-8 p.m.

Gari Melchers Home & Studio at Belmont, Falmouth garimelchers.org

WATER SAFETY WORKSHOP

May 10, 6-7 p.m.

Colonial Forge High School, Stafford staffordschools.net

MOTHER’S DAY YOGA RETREAT

May 13, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Jeff Rouse Swim & Sport Center, Stafford Rousecenter.com

BREWWORKS

May 20, Noon-6 p.m. Workhouse Arts Center, Lorton www.insidenovatix.com

RUN FOR VALHALLA 5K, 10K & VIRTUAL RACES

May 29, 7:30 a.m.

Suicide Awareness Fundraiser

John Lee Pratt Park Memorial Park, Stafford runforvalhalla.com

BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL

June 2-4, 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. daily Fredericksburg Fairgrounds

2400 Airport Ave., Fredericksburg

www.rappahannockareacsb.org

STARGAZING

April 21, 8-10 p.m.

Curtis Memorial Park, Fredericksburg staffordparks.com to register

WINE & FOOD EXPO

April 29, 11 a.m. – VIP / noon – general public

Fredericksburg Expo & Conference Center

Tickets ($35-$75) at eventbrite.com

BUY TICKETS HERE

The Great Aquia Train Robbery

Does Stafford have a stash of lost gold?

criminally inclined, decided to rob a Richmond Fredericksburg and Potomac (RF&P) train. This wasn’t a spur-of-themoment undertaking. They had word that this passenger train was pulling an American Express car with gold and cash.

BY DAVID S. KERR

Our history in Stafford County is rich. The Patawomeck Indians, John Smith, the Iron Works of George Washington’s father, and, of course, our founding father’s boyhood home. The list goes on. But, among all the happenings, my favorite is the “Great Aquia Train Robbery.”

It’s a good story, but with the passage of time and a few snippets – not quite facts – the tale only gets better. Not only was there a western style, ButchCassidy-and-the-Sundance-Kid train robbery, but there also might be some stolen gold still in the woods in Brooke.

Let me qualify that statement by saying that the prospects of there being any lost gold – let alone finding it 129 years later – in the extensive woods along the rail line are extremely thin. The suspicion is based primarily on some unanswered questions and a 121-year-old newspaper story. Other than that, there isn’t much to go on. But when has that gotten in the way of a good lost treasure story?

Let’s rewind the clock a little. It’s 1894, and Charles Jasper Searcey and Charles Morganfield, short on cash and

They boarded the train in Fredericksburg and began moving forward. Shortly after the Brooke station, they made their move. They took control of the train and made it stop. One of the duo kept a gun on the passengers and crew, while the other used a stick of dynamite to blow open the American Express car. They got their loot. Just how much is in question, but they had horses waiting for them and took off.

However, before they left, in a bit of criminal genius, they disconnected the steam engine, opened the throttle and jumped off. The engine shot off in the direction of Quantico, leading to a warning along the line, probably issued at Widewater Station, that a train was out of control. The engine got as far as Chopawamsic Creek, where it turned over. But the rail line had been too distracted by the out-of-control train to take immediate notice that it had been robbed.

Searcey and Morganfield pulled another fast one. To the passengers, it appeared as if they were escaping to the east, toward the water. But they doubled back and went west. Was that a ruse or did they have a mission in those woods – like ditching most of the loot?

That became a part of the lost gold legacy.

It seemed possible the

two train robbers might get away. For several days there was no trace of them. They were pursued by Pinkerton detectives combing the region on horseback, but the trail seemed cold. But then a merchant in Culpeper noticed a man spending money a bit too freely. Based on that tip, the two were apprehended and taken to Stafford to stand trial.

Searcey got eight years and Morganfield 20. What’s more, according to a 1902 article in the Richmond Times, Searcey, thanks to good behavior and “turning towards religion,” was freed a year early. According to the Times article, after leaving jail, he went to Stafford Courthouse to visit with the attorney who represented him during the trial.

Notably, the article notes that locals saw him searching the woods east of the rail line close to the water. Shortly after that, he disappeared.

One curious aside to this story is that apparently American Express never said how much money and gold was stolen. Some loot was found on the two robbers, but it wasn’t by any means all the missing money. Was there more somewhere else? After all, the

passengers and train crew saw the robbers riding east. Both robbers drifted into history, never to be heard from again. But what of the gold and the cash? Is it buried in the woods? Or along the creek? Or has it long since been recovered by the original thieves? Or was there never that much in the first place?

The story, like all good treasure sagas, has a high degree of implausibility. However, there are still enough unanswered questions to wonder if it’s still out there.

David Kerr is a Stafford resident and an adjunct professor of political science at VCU. He worked on Capitol Hill and for various federal agencies for many years.

“Both robbers drifted into history, never to be heard from again. But what of the gold and the cash?”