March 30, 2023

Page County poultry house catches fire

By KELLEN STEPLER

For The Page News and Courier

A poultry house in the Stanley area is damaged following a fire Monday morning.

At 0 a.m. Monday morning, Stanley fire crews were dispatched for a poultry house fire at 3 0 Pine Grove Road, about four miles southeast of Stanley, according to Fire Chief Terry Pettit. Pettit said when firefighters arrived on scene,

the middle of the 42 foot by 00 foot building was on fire and was spreading toward both ends. Firefighters kept the fire in that area, but the house suffered a lot of damage, Pettit said.

The poultry house was owned by Gary Cubbage, of Stanley, who grows for Shenandoah alley rganic, Pettit said.

The house had about 15,500 chickens, Pettit said. With the loss of the chickens, damages are estimated at

around $500,000.

The cause of the fire is unknown, Pettit said, but it started in an area where gas enters the building.

It took roughly 30 minutes for crews to get the fire under control, but firefighters remained on scene for about three hours to make sure the fire was out. o injuries were reported.

Contact Kellen Stepler at 574-6279 or kstepler@dnronline.com | Follow Kellen on Twitter at @KellenStepler

Dog park to open April 15 thanks to resident’s funding

From PNC Staff Reports

After 2 years of planning and construction, Page County plans to open the county’s first dog park on April 15 in Stanley. The 10-acre dog park property is located next to the town public pool at Hawksbill Recreation Park off Marksville Road.

Residents of the county had unsuccessfully lobbied mainly county seat Luray’s town council for nearly 20 years to fund and construct a dog park for the 2,000 dogs and their owners residing in Page County and nearby towns. The nearest dog parks to Page County are in Front Royal and Woodstock. Luray officials had viewed having a dog park would present liabilities to the town and claimed no interest in building a dog park, despite having ample park space in the town for the widely popular dog parks in irginia and across the ation.

Don Feliciano, a retired environmental specialist living in Luray, moved to Page County with his two dogs in 2015 and was surprised to find that no dog parks were available in the county. Feliciano had been struck by a Ford truck while crossing a street with his dog Bailey in Mercer County, ew Jersey, in 2012. He nearly died but Bailey was spared getting hit. He learned the value of dog parks while recovering from his injuries and being unable to walk and play with his dog. A friend suggested going to a dog park, which enabled him to rest while allowing Bailey to play unleashed with other dogs in the fenced parks.

A subse uent successful personal injury lawsuit provided the funds for the Page County dog park 10 years later. He decided to pay for the development of the dog park himself and to be named “Bailey’s Legacy Dog Park” in honor of his late dog who was with Feliciano in the 2012 accident. Town officials in nearby Stanley were excited by the planned dog park.

The dog park project has been delayed by slow deliveries of materials and the winter temperatures, which further slowed construction and concrete work, but Stanley Town Manager Terry Pettit and his staff in the Recreation and Public Works departments kept the project moving.

At this time, the planned opening of “Bailey’s Legacy Dog Park” is scheduled for Saturday, April 15, with the town planning on having “soft” openings on the two prior Saturdays of April 1 and , so citizens and their dogs are welcome to try out the new dog facilities. Some of the features, like a water sprayer, may not be available until the weather warms up.

Stanley fire crews responded to a poultry house fire early Monday morning.

Contributed Photo

Luray receives $50,000 grant for plaza

From PNC Staff Reports

The town of Luray received a 50,000 grant from T-Mobile in March as one of the company’s 25 new Hometown Grant recipients.

T-Mobile announced its latest 25 Hometown Grant winners, bringing the total to 1 5 small towns since the n-carrier launched the initiative in April 2021 to support rural communities across the country.

The n-carrier dedicated 25 million to fund community development projects like revitalized downtown spaces, revamped parks, building renovations and sustainability efforts — and it’s making a positive impact for thousands of people in small towns.

The cash infusion will help revitalize Ruffner Plaza a pocket park on the Hawksbill Greenway and the heart of downtown Luray. The money will help replace concrete for better accessibility and additional safety, add lighting and electrical outlets, install a shade structure, and replace safety bollards around the plaza’s parking lot.

Luray and T-Mobile celebrated the grant with a project unveiling and check presentation March 1 at p.m. at Ruffner Plaza 1 South Hawksbill Street in Luray.

Jerry Dof emyer, Luray, Mayor, and Bill Dudley, Hawksbill Greenway Foundation president, said:

“The town of Luray and the Hawksbill Greenway Foundation are honored

Contributed Photo

At this time, the planned opening of “Bailey’s Legacy Dog Park” is scheduled for Saturday, April 15.

Getting Older Doesn’t Mean Stop

By ALENA ROTS Page News and Courier Columnist

We loose our balance and our hearing and sight become limited. We are prone to illness. Does this sound like something you have been experiencing?

Congratulations, you are a member of the club.

“And what club is that,” you asked. “And why the congratulations?”

While some of the older generation — myself included — hate to admit it, those of us over 65 think that’s old. But don’t think of yourself as old. Think of yourselves as vintage.

I may be over 65, way over, but except for

some stiff body parts and the occasional pains, I refuse to think of myself as being old. I feel and think the same as I did when I was 50.

But the good new is there are a lot of thing we can do to keep us active, healthy and happy.

Searching for activities for seniors to do, I found a list of about 25 things to keep you all busy. Maybe the list won’t suit your taste, but it will get you thinking about your own situation and what you can come up with.

The first one I’ll mention is cards. There are all sorts of card games, and wouldn’t it be fun to get at least four people together and spend the after-

noon or night playing cards? When you get tired of loosing, or winning at cards, you might switch to board games. There are some interesting board games for adults that just might get you ‘hooked’ on them.

Another thing that was on the list to keep you busy was exercises. They say if you keep the body moving there will be less aches and pains. I wonder if that’s true when you are starting the exercises. All that movement and twists and turns that the body is not familiar with? I think my ‘vintage’ body needs it, so that’s something I’m going to try.

Something else they suggested was having

conversations with your family, friends and loved ones. If you love to talk, this is for you. If it is hard for you and your mind becomes blank and you wouldn’t know what to talk about, try some of these topics. If the people that are with you are younger than you, talk about your childhood, school days and the life you had back in the old days. They will love it.

If you still drive, how about day road trips? We live in a beautiful part of the country, but we have yet to see most of it. Another place I think would be great to go spend the day would be The Skyline Drive. There’s so much to do up there and you could

Winners of ‘Idol’ contest announced

stay and have a wonderful dinner. Sounds good to me.

And then there are bus trips for a day, some are longer, but you decide how long you want to be away.

Don’t forget to inquire as to if they have senior tours. They are usually great because they plan them to not have much walking involved. One of these I can recommend to you is the Sight and Sound Theatre in Lancaster, Pa. Check it out.

If it is inconvenient for you to move around, invite some people over for a movie night. You could take your pick a what kind of movie to watch from your TV, or if you can’t decide, rent a movie or perhaps

you have your own. Invite them for dinner or serve light snacks. It will be fun, I guarantee it.

Then there are arts and crafts, sewing, quilting, writing, piecing puzzles, reading, listening to your favorite music, or playing the piano. There’s a lot of other things on the list, but by now you have thought of what you would like to do. Go for it!

I’ll be bringing you this column weekly, mostly informative, but I want to know what subjects you would like to hear about. You can email me at community@pagenewspaper. com.

Till next time. Have a great week!

From The Chamber

Chamber Events

Monday, April 10th.

Contributed Photo

Hawksbill Idol competition winners were announced. Hawksbill Idol Third Place — Garrett Cook, Second Place — Mandy Rivera, and winner for First Place — Francesca Shanks! Everyone did a great job, and the residents had so much fun! Thank you to everyone that participated at Hawksbill Assisted Living.

Ongoing Community Events

Tax Help

TaxAide offers free tax preparation for low-and-moderate income taxpayers of all ages. All volunteers are certified by the IRS. This year, TaxAide volunteers will be helping taxpayers prepare

their taxes at the Luray Church of the Brethren, 11 Berrey Blvd., Luray. To make an appointment, call 540212-9460. Taxpayers must bring ID and Social Security cards for every member of their family, as well as all tax

information and forms for 2022. If schools are closed because of inclement weather, TaxAide services will also be closed.

Cruz-In Fridays

The Town of Shenandoah has

planned its 2023 schedule for Cruz-In Fridays on First Street. Sponsored by the Shenandoah Heritage Center, CruzIns are planned from 6-9p.m. as follows:

Card ShowersCommunity Events

Betty Hoak will be celebrating her birthday on Tuesday, April

4. Please send birthday greetings to her at:

Skyview Springs

Nursing Home

Betty Lou Hoak

North Wing

Luray, VA 22835

“Thinking of you” greetings can be sent to veterans residing at local nursing homes.

The list includes:

• At Skyview Springs (formerly MontVue), 30 MontVue Dr., Luray, Va.

22835 are: Howard Beahm, Army; and Roger Stead, Marines.

• At Hawksbill Assisted Living, 122 N. Hawksbill St., Luray are: David Honeycutt, Army; Garland Meadows, Navy; and Donna Rogers, Army.

Birthday, anniversary and get-well card showers are published free of charge in the Page News and Courier. Submissions should be sent by e-mail community@pagenewspaper.com.

Reunions

The Page County High School Class of 1963 will hold its 60year reunion on Saturday, April 15, at the Stanley Fire Hall. Social hour begins at 5p.m., with a buffet meal catered by the SVFD Auxiliary at 6p.m. Cost is $18; checks should be made

payable to the Class of 1963. Classmates planning to attend are asked to RSVP by April 3. To attend, contact Roger Hilliard at 540778-2204 or Margie Frye at 540-246-8529. Send any reunion notifications to community@pagenewspaper. com.

March 30

Riverview independent Gospel Church, Thursday, March 30, at 7 PM. Great night of bluegrass, gospel singing with Pastor Tony Cubbage, and family and friends. Come out for a great night of bluegrass gospel singing. 259 Wampler Dr., Stanley, VA 22851. 540-478-2731. Pastor Jeff Lucap.

March 31

Colonial Williamsburg will be offering CW Lights, a special limited-time evening event, from March 31 through April 22 in the world-class Governor’s Palace Gardens! The iconic gardens, normally unavailable to the public after 5p.m., will be transformed into an illuminated open air experience. Visitors will be able to enjoy an immersive walking tour

accompanied by different 18th century music performances each night, with lights creating different colors, patterns, and effects throughout the grounds. This magical family-friendly event is a great way for Colonial Williamsburg visitors to explore the outdoors and the Gardens’ springtime blooms. Event tickets are available for purchase on the official CW website www.colonialwilliamsburg. org/events/cw-lights/.

It is located at 101 Visitor Center Drive, Williamsburg.

April 1

The Luray Ruritan Club will hold a chicken barbecue on Saturday, April 1. Cost is $5.50 per half and will be ready for pick up at 10a.m.

Wednesday, April 12, from 5:30–7:30 p.m., is the Page County Wedding Forum. Join us for our annual Wedding Forum on Wednesday, April 12, from 5:30–7:30 p.m.! We’ll be hosting a round table discussion on the local wedding industry at Stoneyman Valley Ranch, 283 Pollock Road, Stanley. This is the perfect time for all businesses in the wedding industry to get together and discussion hot-button topics, network with other businesses, enjoy drinks and light refreshments, and get new ideas for the upcoming wedding season. This is a free event that will be open to all wedding businesses that service the Page County area. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to events@luraypage.com or (540) 743-3915 by

Featured Businesses

Shenandoah National Park Association, 2097 US Highway Business 340, Luray is an educational organization that offers information on the Shenandoah National Park. They supply books and maps of the National Park for visitors. Learn more at http://www.nps.gov/ shen, (540) 999-3581, or snpa@shentel.net. Sunset Lodging & Property Management, Luray, is a local lodging and property management business. The offer a vacation rental with an indoor swimming pool along with hot tub. They also offer housekeeping/cleaning services for cabin/and lodging owners. You can learn more at https://www. staylurayva.com/, (540) 244-2547, courtneyshenklee24@gmail. com.

Grant

From Page A1

to have been selected as a T-Mobile Hometown Grant recipient. Partnerships like this

Ongoing

From Page A2

May 26, part of the Memorial Festival; June 9 (rain date June 16); July 7 (rain date July 14); Aug. 4 (rain date Aug 11); and Sept. 15 (rain date Sept. 22). All makes, models and years are welcome; no registration fee required. The evening also includes door prizes and a 50/50 drawing. For more information, contact 540742-1141.

Food drive

Thanks to the success of the Page Public Library’s food drive for Luray’s Page One, the collection drive will continue. The collection box for non-perishable food items will be available at the library at 100 Zerkel Street in Luray. Any donation would be greatly appreciated.

Members needed

The Twirling Medallions has opened its group to new members. For those interested in joining, practices are held from 6–7 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Elkton Middle School gym. The group is in need of twirlers, color guard members and drummers for the new year. Formed in 1970, the Twirling Medallions attend local pa-

will help allow us to continue to improve Ruffner Plaza and all our parks so that they continue to be a welcoming place for residents and visitors alike. On

rades and perform at numerous community events throughout the year. For more information, call Tina Hughes at 540-578-0511 or Melissa Stum at 540-8201930.

Library activities

The Shenandoah Community Library offers “Fantastic Family Fun” beginning at 11 a.m. every Tuesday, with free story time and crafts for children of all ages. The event is also held at 10 a.m. every Monday at the Page Public Library in Luray.

“Tremendous Toddlers” is held every Thursday from 10:30–11 a.m. at the Page Public Library. This activity is for 2–3 year olds and their caregivers. The story time includes nursery rhymes, songs and crafts designed to strengthen early literacy development.

Library hours

The Kibler Library in Stanley is open from 10 a.m.–6 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. on Tuesdays, and from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. on Thursdays. The “Time for Rhythm and Rhyme” children’s program is scheduled for 10 30 a.m. on the first and third Tuesday of every month. Story time is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. each Wednesday, with a

behalf of Luray, thank you to T-Mobile for this award and assisting small towns throughout the country.”

T-Mobile’s Hometown Grants initia-

different program each week. Curbside service is available by calling ahead at 778-1605. For more information, patrons may check out www.kiblerlibrary.org.

Page Library programs

The Page Public Library in Luray has planned several activities for patrons over the next few months. A series of gardening programs for young patrons are scheduled from 4-5 p.m. on the third Monday of each month, now through Oct. 16. Each “From Seed to Harvest” program will cover a different topic to introduce children and parents to the world of gardening.

‘Movies on Main’

The Page Theater in Luray will be offering free movies as part of “Movies on Main.” Free popcorn will also be provided for the first 25 people. Movies will be shown at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays as follows: April 11, May 9, June 13, July 11, Aug. 8, Sept. 12, Oct. 10, Nov. 7 and Dec. 12.

SNP Status Alerts

Subscribers to SHENALERTS will get emergency notifications and significant event texts. These alerts will include hazardous situations, road closures on

tive is just one way the Un-carrier is supporting small towns. Beyond plans and new devices, T-Mobile’s network is upending home broadband, delivering an al-

Skyline Drive, wildland fires and other significant incidents that may affect visitors’ time in Shenandoah National Park. To subscribe, text SHENALERTS to 888777. Subscribers may opt in and out at any time. No subscriber information is retained and text content will be specific to the channel they choose. Skyline Drive status can also be tracked via the park Facebook and Twitter feeds, or by calling 540-999-3500, option 1, option 1. A separate information channel has been established that allows subscribers to track campground availability. To subscribe, text SHENCAMP to 888777. On weekends, subscribers will receive an early afternoon text about the number of available campsites at each campground. An additional text will be sent when each campground fills. Subscribers may opt in and out at any time.

Free concerts

Cooter’s in Luray will hold free drive-in concerts on Saturdays from 1–3 p.m. with Ben “Cooter” Jones and the Cooter’s Garage. For more information, contact 540-843-2517, visit them on Facebook or email info@cootersplace. com.

‘Call-Care’ program

The Luray Police Department offers a “Call-Care” program for handicapped or elderly citizens. Registered citizens will receive regular telephone calls from the police department to

ternative to traditional internet service providers (ISPs) and helping bridge the digital divide.

Just two years since its commercial launch, T-Mobile 5G Home In-

check on their well-being. Luray citizens may print the application to apply for this service. To apply, applications should be submitted to the Luray Police Department at: 45 East Main St., P.O. Box 629, Luray, Va. 22835.

Veterans van The Veterans Transportation Network (VTN) van travels to the Martinsburg VA Center weekly, offering transportation to veterans with scheduled morning appointments. VTN is in need for volunteer drivers to transport area veterans. Persons interested in volunteering are asked to contact the Transportation ffice at 30263-0811, ext. 3732, or 1-800-817-3807, ext. 3732.

Mementos needed

The Trustees of the Mauck Meeting House are in need of donations, pictures, mementos and any memories of Mauck Meeting House. This information will be used to update and replace the interpretive marker in front of the building.

All pictures and mementos will be noted and returned to the sender. Items may be sent to: Mauck Meeting House, in care of Cathy Mauck, 2552 Old Forge Rd., Luray, Va. 22835, or call 540-742-3905.

Veteran banners on sale

The town of Stanley is again selling banner sponsorships to honor area veterans and active-duty service members. Banners are $79 and will be available for purchase March 1–31. Checks should be made payable to the Town of

ternet is now available to more than 50 million households — a third of them in rural America which previously had limited or no access to broadband options.

Stanley Veteran Banners and can be mailed to Christi Bosley Baker, P.O. Box 190, Stanley, Va. 22851. For more information or to purchase a banner, contact her at 540-742-9124. Banners will be displayed in conjunction with Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

Clogging performances

The Shenandoah Valley Cloggers will be performing at Skyline Resort for 2023 on a new night. Performances are planned from 7:30–8:30 p.m. on Thursdays as follows: April 13, May 11, June 8, July 13, Aug. 10, Sept. 7, Oct. 5, Oct. 12, Oct. 19, Oct. 26, Nov. 2 and Nov. 9. Shows are free and open to the public.

Activities scheduled

The Rec Center, 630 W. Main St., Luray, offers a variety of activities each week. The fitness program NWF is held from 4:30–6:30 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Yoga is scheduled from 4:30–6 p.m. on Thursdays. For area youth, the 2G guide and grow program is held from 4:30–6:30 p.m. Mondays and Fridays; “Looney For Legos” 4-5 p.m. Tuesdays; Youth Leadership from 4:30-5:30 p.m. on Thursdays; and Mentorship from 4:30–6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. Under the leadership of PACA and Choices, crafts and activities are offered from 4:30–5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. For more information, contact the center at 540-6600501. The Rec is always in need of volunteers to help at the center. For more information, email Dmendez@livinglegacyluray.org.

Poppy’s Barber Shop celebrates one year in downtown

From PNC Staff Reports

The Luray-Page County Chamber of Commerce had the honor of celebrating the one year anniversary of Poppy’s Barber Shop. “New businesses and new people investing in our downtown are what helps to thrive. Poppy’s Barber Shop not only offers the people of our community a place to get a quality haircut, but has helped to bring commerce to downtown. We hope that they have plenty of success in the years to come”, said Regina Hilliard, president of the Luray-Page County Chamber of Commerce.

Lisa Huffman, owner of Poppy’s Baber Shop, origi-

nally hails from Lexington. She got her start as a stylist working for a decade in hair salons, before switching over to strictly barber shops. Huffman was the first female barber to cut hair at the history Charlottesville Barber Shop in 1998. Poppy’s offers haircuts at a at rate of 15 for both men and women, with a reduced rate of 10 for children under 10.

Huffman can do shampoos and trim beards, but she does not offer any chemical services or treatments.

“I’m the only person in Luray that will come in any hour to give a haircut,” Huffman said. During the ribbon cutting ceremony, we were honored to be joined by President of the Lu-

Big Country 3yr

Male(N) Vacs. DSH

Big Country will croak his way into your heart with his cute, raspy meows!

At first glance, Country may look like a rough-and-tumble kind of guy and he certainly has some battle scars, but this big lug couldn’t be any sweeter! He’s so sweet, even the vet wanted to take him home!

Big Country

ray-Page County Chamber of Commerce Regina Hilliard, town of Luray Mayor Jerry Dof emyer, and Page County Supervisor Allen Louderback.

Poppy’s Barber Shop is located at 302 West Main Street, Luray. Their hours are Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 00 am-5 00 pm, Wednesdays from 8 a.m. – 6p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. 2p.m. For more information on their services, call (5 0) -0 30, or email them at ldawnhuffman@icloud.com. For more details on the ribbon-cutting, contact the Luray-Page County Chamber of Commerce at events@luraypage. com.

Izzy

Izzy 3yrs Female(S) Vacs. DSH Izzy is a loving housecat who had her world turned upside down. It has taken a few months for Izzy to come out of her shell in this environment, but since she was moved to our window room, she has been thriving and loves when people stop by to say ‘hello!’

Chance

Chance 4yr Male(N) Vacs. Pit mix This great, big lug is a great, big cuddle bug! When he’s not running around the yard with his favorite toys, he can be found right by your side! Despite his size and somewhat intimidating looks, this boy is the biggest baby you’ll ever meet!

Miles 1yr

Male(N) Vacs.

DSH Miles is the handsome chatterbox who always has something to tell you! He tends to startle if you move too quickly, but he loves attention. He always has to go say ‘hi’ to his friends, Hochie and Jasper!

Miles Annie

Do

suited for a home with a large yard.!

Becca 1yr Female(S) Vacs. DSH After she was abandoned in freezing weather on the day after Christmas, Becca was found hiding in the back of our truck. Becca has a sweet side and an independent side. Some days she wants to be sweet and snuggly and the next day she is perfectly content sitting in the window to watch the birds.

Jaxxs 8yr

“Be kind to all pets and animals because they will be kind back to you.” – Wesley Porter

People who love animals have compassionate hearts!

“Animals are reliable, many full of love, true in their affections, predictable in their actions, grateful and loyal. Difficult standards for people to live up to.” –Alfred A. Montapert

Male(N) Vacs.

Pit mix Despite the gray hair, this boy is still full of energy and excitement! He loves to play and will even play fetch with you. Jaxxs could stand to learn some leash manners, but he’s quite food motivated, so training should be a breeze!

Chip 6mos Male(N) Vacs. DSH Chip and his brother Dale came in together after they were abandoned on someone’s property. Chip is the shyer one of the two, but he loves to be scratched on his cheeks and is so cute when he rolls around!

Dale 6mos Male(N) Vacs. DSH Dale is more confident than his brother Chip, but Dale is a little more subdued when it comes to expressing himself. Dale prefers to look at you lovingly while he purrs, while Chip prefers to roll around in a comedic style to get your attention!

Dale

Athena Becca

Contributed Photo

Huffman was the first female barber to cut hair at the history Charlottesville Barber Shop in 1998.

Contributed Photo

Students used various instruments to perform several different procedures, receiving instant feedback on their performances.

Laurel Ridge Surgical Tech students receive high-tech training

From PNC Staff Reports

Laurel Ridge Community College Surgical Technology students participated in several mock laparoscopic surgeries, including appendectomies, hysterectomies and cholecystectomies (gallbladder removal) as part of the demonstration of the LAPSIM® surgical simulator at the Fauquier Campus on Friday.

Surgical Technology instructor Lisa Day organized for two simulators to be brought to campus by a representative of the LAP-

Stanley Elementary School Artists

Contributed Photos

SIM®’s supplier, Surgical Science. A colleague from a college in Tennessee brought a third simulator, a portable one, for students to also use.

With the simulators providing a laparoscopic view of human anatomy, students used various instruments to perform several different procedures, receiving instant feedback on their performances.

“No community college in Virginia has this simulator,” Day said. “It’s state-of-theart technology which

Pet Resort &

Students present at Bridgewater College’s ASPIRE

From PNC Staff Reports BRIDGEWATER — Bridgewater College recognized academic achievement during A Celebration of the Arts, Scholarship, Performance, Innovation and Research Excellence (ASPIRE). This year’s celebration ran from March 27 through March 29 with activities dedicated to showcasing excellence.

All ASPIRE events are free and open to the public. For a detailed schedule, visit bridgewater.edu/aspire. Students from the area that presented at ASPIRE include:

Bryce Ancell of Luray, Va. (22835): Student Research Poster Presentation titled “CIA: Corruption in America: The Inhumane Human Experimentation on African

Americans Conducted by the CIA During the Cold War”

Rachel Cubbage of Stanley, VA (22851): Student Research Poster Presentation titled “Worldbuilding & Adventure Design in Table-Top Role-Playing Games”

Grace Knighton of Shenandoah, Va. (22849): Student Research Poster Presentation titled “Effects of

Art In The Community

Gallery Information: Arts & Artisans Fine Art Gallery, 4 East Main Street, Luray, Va. 22835

Open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 12-5 pm, or by chance or for an appointment, call 540-578-4756.

Operated by the

Page Valley Arts Council, a 501 C3 non-profit, graciously accepting donations. Warehouse Art Gallery, 3054 US Hwy 21 West, Luray 22835, lurayart@gmail. com, 540-742-3620. Opening in May.

Artwork at the Artisans:

a Moderate Caffeine Dose on Sign- and Goal-Tracking in Male Mice” Bridgewater College is a private, four-year liberal arts college located in the Central Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Founded in 1880, it was the state’s first private, coeducational college. Today, Bridgewater College is home to approximately 1,450 students.

Great selection of paintings by Wes & Eileen Porter, Jean Moyer, Gary Saylor, KC Werner fi ve other regional, & national artists. Beautiful pottery by artists Jim Lieb, Reese Miller, & Cathie Miranda, sculptures by

Lis Sabol & Victoria Britto, linocut/prints by Charmaine Shaw. Wonderful selection of clothing by Charleen Johnston & jewelry by Susan Latta & Susan Rocke. Very nice selection and price range of artwork throughout the Gallery.

Stanley Elementary School shared some of its students’ artwork.

‘Business After Hours’

At American Legion Post

From PNC Staff Reports

The American Legion Post hosted a Luray-Page Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours networking event. The purpose of the event was to introduce the local business community of the facilities available for rent. About 50 business owners and representatives were in attendance.

Post Commander Rich Worrell gave a presentation noting the types of business uses for which a merchant

Students

teaches the students the techniques and principles of minimally-invasive surgery.”

Surgical technologists help prepare the operating room and surgical instruments prior to surgery; ensure the operating room remains sterile, pass instruments to the surgeon and first assistant and provide other assistance during the operation; and following the procedure, may apply dressings to

Events

From Page A2 across from The Rec Center on West Main Street and at Dollar General on East Main Street in Luray. Proceeds benefit the Ruritan Club’s community projects.

The Town of Stanley has planned a combined outdoor event for children 12 and younger on Saturday, April 1, at the Hawksbill Recreation Park. Trout fishing, sponsored by the Stanley Police Department, is scheduled from 11a.m. — 3 p.m. An Easter Egg Hunt will get under way at noon, with face painting and other activities planned from noon — 3p.m. For more information, contact the Stanley Town ffice at 540-778-3454.

April 2 Graves Chapel Cemetery Association in Stanley will hold its annual association meeting at 3p.m. Sunday, April 2, at the chapel. The meeting

Letter to the editor

might be seeking a venue.

Worrell also described the capabilities of the American Legion building, which sits unused during most weeks of the year, emphasizing its uniqueness for adaptivity.

He went on to say that the veterans organization relies a great deal on weekend private party rental income, member’s annual dues and donations from local citizens and the business community. There were hand-

the patient and count the instruments used.

“We are an integral part of the surgical team,” Day explained.

Understanding all aspects of the operating room is essential for a surgical technologist to be successful, said Dr. Craig Santicola, dean of the School of Professional Programs at Laurel Ridge.

“This simulator provides a realistic laparoscopic environment and allows students to train safely and gain confidence before heading

is open to all lot owners and relatives of lot owners masks are optional.

April 8 A Free Community Easter Egg Hunt will take place 1p.m. at Big Gem Park 736 Fourth Street, Shenandoah. The event is sponsored by Christ United Methodist Community Focus Group.There will be areas in the park designated for certain age groups to hunt eggs. Please bring your own basket/bag.

Another Free Community Easter Egg Hunt will have groups for ages 0-2, 3-7 and 8-12. Prizes for each age group will be available and refreshments will be served. Shenandoah Moose Lodge #2176 1675 US Hwy 340 S, Shenandoah.

The Luray Pentecostal Church Easter Bake Sale will be held in front of the Old Dollar Tree from 9 a.m.–1p.m. All proceeds benefit the church building fund for needed repairs.

MaryEllenWood

outs containing the information Worrell spoke about that he suggested the merchants refer to when planning their next business meeting or celebration. Light refreshments were catered by The Main Street Bakery. At the end of the gathering, door prizes were given out to guests whose business card was randomly selected. Worrell encouraged each attendee to contact him by phone at 540-843-2565 to have questions about facility rental answered.

into the operating room,” he said. “Having a simulator like this would be a tremendous benefit to our students, as its use has been shown to improve overall student learning and psychomotor skills. I know the students benefited from the time training with it, and we look forward to possibly purchasing one in the future.”

First-year and second-year students from both the Middletown and Fauquier campuses were able to practice on the simulators, which

April 9

Luray Singing Tower, Easter sunrise service will begin 7 a.m. April 9, with guest speaker Pastor Timothy Scott. The service is sponsored by Luray Commandery 19. In case of rain service moves to Main Street Baptist Church.

The Stanley Volunteer Fire Department and Luray Boy Scout Troop 100 will hold a fishing tournament from 8a.m. — 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 29, along the Hawksbill Greenway, at the

Honor the ‘Stars and Stripes’ and all it represents

I wanted to write because of the number of “unserviceable”

United States Flags, “ le Glory”, ying on the many ag poles around Page County. It really causes a pain in my heart when I see those tired, worn-out national banners apping their pieces in the breeze. ur ag is the symbol of our country. It tells the world that freedom and liberty survives within our boundaries. It shows the displayer’s respect for the men and women who have fought, and the great

cost about $170,000 each.

“I think it is so much fun to actually have something that simulates what it really looks like in surgery,” said first-year student Haley Farmer, a 2022 Clarke County High School graduate. “I love Laurel Ridge’s Surgical Technology program. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made.”

Annie Logan, a second-year student at the Fauquier Campus, said she applied for a job as a surgical technologist

SVEC parking lot. Early registration at a cost of $30 is set from March 1 through April 14; from April 15-29 registration is $40. For registration information, contact the Stanley fire hall. In case of high water, event will be rescheduled for May 6. Proceeds will benefit both groups.

Stanley Community Easter sunrise service will be held at Stanley Baptist Church on April 9 at 8 a.m. Pastor Jason Powell of Stanley Baptist Church and Pas -

In Loving Memory SHANE LEGGETT

11/08/1976 to 3/30/2001

In our Hearts You will always be. Your Love. Your Voice. Your Smile. Forever in our Minds and Hearts. Dad and Jackie

many that have given their lives, to protect all that our ag represents.

When a tattered, torn, or faded Stars and Stripes is allowed to be on display I think of all those who have sacrificed themselves, some to the death, to protect all that it stands for. I would like to encourage people to remove their worn-out ag and drop it off in the used ag collection box located just outside the front of our building. The Post collects unserviceable U.S. Flags and gives them a solemn and retirement when a sufficient number of them have been collected.

To close, I’d like to remind everyone that

not realizing a degree was required. That’s how she ended up at Laurel Ridge.

“When I found this place, I knew I had to do it,” Logan said. “The next step for me is training to become a first assistant. I would love to go to medical school. This simulator is really, really helpful. I want one for our program.”

The simulators remained at the college on Saturday for an annual meeting and workshop for more

tor Steve McMillon of Stanley United Methodist Church and their congregations extend a warm welcome to everyone to join us in celebration of our risen savior.

May 27

New to this year’s Memorial Festival, hosted by the town of

“Flag Day” will soon be upon us. It happens every year on June 14th, which is dedicated as National Flag Day. Families and businesses seeking to replace their worn-out banner can contact our American Legion Post to purchase their next U.S. Flag. Interested persons can call me, Rich Worrell at 540843-2565, and speak to any member. The Post has a small catalog to assist interested persons with their selection and purchase, and their new ag can be ordered through Post #22.

Richard Worrell, Commander Miller-CampbellBaker Post #22 The American Legion, Luray

than 100 members of the Virginia Commonwealth State Assembly of the Association of Surgical Technologists. Day is the state assembly’s secretary and past-president. She also serves as chair of the State Assembly Leadership Committee at the national level.

The median salary for surgical technologists in the region is $26 an hour. Learn more about the Surgical Technology program at laurelridge.edu/ surgtech.

Shenandoah, will be a craft show and yard sale on Saturday, May 27. Spaces are available for $10 (10x20), with a $35 charge for food vendors. To register or for more information, contact Bobbi Jo Good at 540-8106113 or email Brenda Haggett at efgva@yahoo.com.

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CharlesLeonardWeakley

MaryEllenWood,76,of

Fairfax,passedawayon

Wednesday,March22, 2023,atVirginiaHospital CenterinArlington.

ShewasbornonDecember 23,1946,inLurayandwas adaughterofthelateFrank MarionKeyserandLucy AnnaViandsKeyser. MaryEllenwasamember ofthePageUnited MethodistChurch.

OnJanuary22,1966,she marriedLarryDouglas Wood,whodiedonJanuary 10,2022.

Sheissurvivedbytwosons, AllenWoodandwifeLisa ofSouthRiding,andBrian WoodandwifeJessicaof Austin,Texas;adaughter, SherryFugateandhusband RandyofCentreville;two sisters,BonnieSueJuddand husbandKenny,andAnna M.Mimsandhusband Bobby,allofLuray;two grandsons,JacobFugateand NicholasFugate,bothof Centreville;three granddaughters,Olivia FugateofCentreville, AshleighWoodofSouth Riding,andAudreyEllen WoodofAustin,Texas;and asister-in-law,AnitaKeyser ofLuray.Shewaspreceded indeathbyabrother,Frank MarionKeyserJr. Afuneralservicewas conductedat2p.m.on Monday,March27,atthe BradleyFuneralHomeby theRev.LauraSchultz,with visitationonehourpriorto theservice,from1-2p.m. BurialwasintheBeahm's ChapelCemeteryinLuray. Memorialcontributionsmay bemadetothePageUnited MethodistChurch.

HowardLynwoodBeahm, 89,ofLuray,Va.,passed awayonSaturday,March 25,2023,atSkyview SpringsNursingandRehab inLuray. HewasbornonAugust1, 1933,inTacomaPark,Md., andwasasonofthelate JosephTurnerBeahmand LauraCatherineYoung Beahm. Howardwasa1952 graduateofLurayHigh SchoolandattendedGeorge WashingtonUniversityand theMetropolitanSchoolof InteriorDesign.Heworked forKimelFurnitureinFalls Churchfor10yearsandalso ownedandoperatedHoward BeahmAssociates.Hewasa

veteranoftheUnitedStates Armyandamemberofthe TrinityChurchinRileyville. Havingtraveledto38 countries,Howardhad friendsfromalloverthe worldandspokeoftenofhis adventures. Heissurvivedbyaniece, MarthaJonesandhusband TheoofUniversalCity, Texas;hisnephews,theRev. RayBeahmandwife RebeccaofOakland,Md., ClydeBeahmofHumble, Texas,andFredBeahmof MorraBay,Calif.;aswellas manyothernieces,nephews andfriends.Heisalso survivedbyhisdearfriend, DorisRobbinsSmithof FrontRoyal,Va. Hewasprecededindeathby foursisters,Barbara Jenkins,BrendaK.Aleshire, EvelynSealandMargaret Hill;abrother,ArthurW. Beahm;hisstepfather, ThomasLyndonJudd;anda nephew,NormanBeahm. Heisgone,butwillneverbe forgotten. Arrangementsprovidedby TheBradleyFuneralHome. AsperHoward'swishes,no serviceswillbeheld. Inlieuofflowers,memorial contributionsmaybemade toacharityofchoice.

CharlesLeonardWeakley Sr.,88,ofStanley,passed awayonThursday,March9, 2023.HewasbornonJune 28,1934,inSilverSpring, Md.,andwasasonofthe lateEllisWeakleyandEthel Weakley.

Charles,alsoknownas Leonardbyhisfamilyand Charliebyhisfriends, workedasanelectrician, retiringin1996.Hewasa proudmemberofthe InternationalBrotherhoodof ElectricalWorkersLocal Union24inBaltimore,Md., sinceNovember1961.

Heissurvivedbyseven children,DeborahMaier (Gary)ofMountAiry,Md., DianeOzmer(Gary)of Knoxville,Md.,Charles WeakleyJr.(Jackie)of

Gettysburg,Pa.,Gregory Weakley(Heather)of Frederick,Md.,Bryan Weakley(Tracey)of Charleston,S.C.,Dorothy Ward(Danny)ofYucatan Peninsula,andNormaJo Agnew(Kelly)ofNaples, Fla.;twosisters,Thelma MurphyofLuray,and LawanaDustinof Westminster,Md.;asisterin-law,DollyWeakleyof Luray;21grandchildren; and35great-grandchildren. Also,themotherofhis sevenchildrenandlife-long friend,NormaStevens (Gus);and hisbrother-inlaw,JimLauerofStanley. Hewasprecededindeathby abrother,CliffordWeakley. HewasanavidNASCAR fanandenjoyedhisweekly cardgameswithhissiblings andfamily.

Afuneralservicewas conductedat2p.m.on Monday,March13,atthe BradleyFuneralHomeby PastorDannyWard.Hewas laidtorestintheBethlehem CemeteryinStanley. Memorialcontributionsmay bemadetoBlueRidge Hospice,333WestCorkSt., FourthFloor,Winchester, Va.22601;ortotheMichael J.FoxParkinson’s Foundation.

HowardL.Beahm

FOR DARKNESS IS AS LIGHT

We’ve o en heard it said “it is darkest right before the dawn”. Yet, we have faith that the light of day will appear. Why? Because it never fails…there is always a new dawn. God never fails to bring a new day. You will see light in the darkness when you have faith in the power of your Heavenly Father. Psalm 139:12 proclaims, “…even the darkness will not be dark to you, the night will shine like the day; for darkness is as light to you.” Learn of God’s limitless power over darkness, visit His House this week.

Bethlehem Christian Church, Stanley, GRIT (Godliness, Responsibility, Integrity and Truth) Conference March 18, doors open at 9 a.m., event starts at 10 a.m., speakers include Evangelist Dr. Byron Foxx, Pastor Andy Seastrom and Pastor Matt Caton, lunch will be provided, free men’s event.

Blue Ridge Pentecostal Church, Stanley, Wednesday and Saturday services 7 p.m. and Sunday worship 10 a.m.; homecoming-reunion service 7 p.m. April 1, featuring music by David Cave and Joyful Noise, everyone is welcome.

Compton Old Country Church of Jesus Christ, services at 7 p.m. Friday and at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. For more information, contact Pastor Frazier at 540-2449267.

Ida Grove Gospel Chapel, 135 Ida Hollow Rd., Luray, Sunday services at 11 a.m., as well as a drive-in service, where attendees can listen to the service from their vehicle on 106.3 FM. For more information, contact Pastor Pete Campbell at 540-743-3045.

Leake’s Chapel Church of the Brethren, Sunday worship 11 a.m. For more information, contact Pastor Keith Higgs at 540-271-2978 or the church office at 540-778-4151.

Luray Church of the Brethren, Sunday services 9:45 a.m. For more information, contact the church at 743-5563 or email LurayBrethren@gmail.com.

Luray United Methodist Church, contemporary service 8:30 a.m. with traditional Sunday worship at 11 a.m.; Lenten Recital Series, noon March 16, free event featuring musicians from the church, everyone is welcome; traditional St. Patrick’s Day meal 5-7 p.m. March 17, free-will offering to benefit mission projects (call 540-743-6540).

New Direction Community Church, 52 Cave St., Luray, Sunday worship 10 a.m. For more information, contact 540-843-2558 or 540-253-5296 (Belvoir Assembly).

Page United Methodist Church, Luray, Sunday worship 11 a.m. For more information, contact the Rev. Laura Schultz at 301-748-9362.

Rocky Branch Regular Baptist Church, 141 E. Rocky Branch Rd., Luray, Sunday worship at 11 a.m., everyone is welcome. St. George’s Episcopal Church, 3380 Pine Grove Rd., Stanley, indoor worship 11 a.m. Sundays, third Sunday is Holy Eucharist, all other Sundays are morning prayer. For more information, contact 540-560-9422.

Stanley New Hope Pentecostal Church beginning April 2 the church will offer two morning worship services 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m., evening service continues at 6 p.m.; Easter camp meetings “Pentecost Again” begins Easter Sunday, April 9, at 10:30 a.m. with Pastor Randy Miller, nightly services at 7 p.m. April 10-13, with guest speakers Evangelist Drew Gibbons, Dr. Ron Phillips, Pastor Brett Gardner and Bishop Tim Hill.

Historic First Baptist Church, Washington, VA installs 13th Church

Pastor in April 2023

The Officers and Members of the First Baptist Church, Washington, VA are excited, pleased and thankful to announce the Installation of its 13th pastor of the church, Rev. Brevetta Jordan, on Saturday, April 29, 2023, 2 p.m., service to be held at the church on Main street in Washington, VA. Not only is First Baptist celebrating a new pastor, but also the 150th Anniversary of the church this year. In its 150 year history, Rev. Jordan has the distinction of becoming the first female pastor to lead the congregation. Details about the church anniversary celebration are being finalized to include a traditional homecoming service on Sunday, August 6, 2023 and banquet to follow one week later.

Rev. Jordan is originally from Front Royal, VA where she currently resides with her mother. She graduated from Warren County High School, received a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Hampton University, Hampton, VA and a Master of Urban Planning from the University of Illinois. She is a certified City Planner through the American Institute of Certified Planners and has built her career in various local governments and non-profits. Accepting the call to teach and preach the gospel, she continued theology studies through the Fellowship of Covenant Ministries International and Life Christian University, Northern Virginia Extension, Culpeper, VA.

Rev. Jordan is a lifelong member of the Mt. Vernon Baptist Church, Front Royal, where she is serving as an Associate Minister. From her youth, she served in the helps ministry and in various church leadership positions in local churches. She is an anointed teacher in the Body of Christ with the Kingdom assignment of equipping the saints for the works of the ministry.

Since being selected as Pastor-elect of First Baptist last fall, Rev. Jordan has already become involved with the Rappahannock Clergy Association, the Wayland Blue Ridge Baptist Association’s Women’s Auxiliary and the Ministers’ and Deacons’ Union. She is thankful for her journey and gives all glory to God the Most High. (see photos on the next page)

The public is invited to the Installation Service and celebration on April 29th at 2 p.m. For questions or more information, please feel free to contact any of the persons listed below:

Gail Blaker, Church Clerk and Advisor, Pastoral Search Committee Phone: 540-675-2670 Email: jamesblaker1@gmail.com

William Carter, Chairperson, Pastoral Search Committee Phone: 703-501-5640 Email: Bcarter570@aol.com

Nan Butler Roberts, Advisor, Pastoral Search Committee Phone: 540-661-2013 Email: nb_ roberts@msn.com

Rev. Brevetta Jordan, Pastor-elect Phone: 540-636-9642 Email: jbrevetta@ hotmail.com

Dayton Market celebrates Agriculture Week

By LAURA BOAGGIO For The Page News and Courier

Tractors sat beneath a gray sky Saturday, as goats bleated and children dressed up as farmers. While it felt like a day on a county farm, it was none other than the Dayton Market.

The Dayton Market held its Celebrating Agriculture event on Saturday, where community members came out to celebrate and learn about producers in the area. The daylong event consisted of a tractor display, petting farm animals and a cow-kissing contest.

Monte Heatwole, a farmer from Cub Run Dairy in McGaheysville, brought out New Holland Agriculture tractors for the event. Parents picked up their kids and placed them in the seat of the tractor, snapping some photos. The Dayton Market encouraged people to dress as a farmer or a farm animal, and several kids donned annels, boots and overalls.

“They’re having fun climbing up there and pretending they’re driving it,” Heatwole said. He stood nearby the crowd to answer questions. Heatwole said a lot of folks asked how much horsepower the tractors have and what duties the machinery is used for.

While Heatwole brought the tractors, Taylor Heishman brought the goats.

Heishman, 16, showed off some of

her Boer goats Saturday, and allowed people to pet the animals and ask questions.

Heishman said she buys runts of the litter and bottle-feeds them — about 15-20 goats have come through her house. Two are show goats Heishman brings out for the Rockingham County Fair.

The Dayton resident also brought out a baby goat that was wrapped up in a blanket.

Several families took part in the outdoor farm activities and wandered through the Dayton Market afterward. Cynthia Shif ett brought her grandchildren Rowan, 6, and Laney, 3. Rowan said her favorite part was “pet-

ting the cows and goats.” While the children enjoyed petting the animals, it wasn’t their first time seeing them up close — Cynthia Shif ett owns a few farm animals at her property in Harrisonburg.

Inside the market, Frank Will from Mt. Crawford Creamery was handing out samples of milk and cookies to folks.

Will said his farm sits next to a store on Old Bridgewater Road in Mt. Crawford.

“You can come out to the farm, we have a store right there. Chip comes all the time,” he said, nodding to a man who had also stopped for samples.

Around 1 p.m., a crowd gathered by the

Frederick-Page 4-H Summer Camp Opens

From PNC Staff Reports

Frederick-Page 4-H

Summer Camp will be held June 25–29. Join us at the Northern Virginia 4-H Center in Front Royal for a week of fun. 4-H Camp offers hands- on learning experiences and allows youth to build life long friendships. Campers can choose from a wide variety of classes such as canoe-

Luray man charged in sting targeting solicitation of kids

From PNC Staff Report

Front Royal authorities arrested a Page County man on Monday in an undercover operation targeting online solicitation of children.

tective, the release states.

ing, high ropes, archery, swimming, tie dye, arts and crafts, and much more! 4-H Camp is open to all youth that are at least nine as of September 30 and have not reached the age of 14 as of January 1. The cost for the week of camp is $300, which includes meals, lodging, all activities, and a t-shirt.

The kick-off registration day is April 6,

from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and registrations will be taken on a fi rst come, fi rst served basis. It is encouraged to complete the camper’s registration forms with your camper prior to registration day. Registration packets are available at the Extension ffi ce and you may request a packet by calling 540778-5794 or emailing meg21@vt.edu.

Crews Contain Wildfire At Shenandoah National Park

BY LAURA BOAGGIO

For The Page News and Courier

Crews tackled and contained a fire that broke out at Shenandoah National Park Thursday afternoon, according to park spokesperson Claire Comer.

A SNP trail crew reported smoke around 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Comer said.

The fire affected about 13.5 acres between the Rapidan Camp and Skyline Drive, Comer said. Crews fully contained it around 9 p.m. Thursday.

The cause of the fire has not been determined, and park staff are still investigating, Comer said.

Rapidan Road and several Big Meadow trails were closed Friday as crews conducted mop-up operations and looked for hot spots, Comer said. All roads and trails are back open, according to SNP.

A power line in the area of the fire necessitated a temporary power outage, but power was restored Friday afternoon, according to a National Park Service press

release. Big Meadows Wayside, campground and picnic grounds, as well as the Lewis Mountain area, are back open.

Comer said crews

with the U.S. Forest Service assisted NPS crews to tackle the fire.

Contact Laura Boaggio at 574-6278 or lboaggio@dnronline.com

Spring is just around the corner!

Now is the time to get your heating and cooling system serviced!

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farm animals as Joseph Guthrie, Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services commissioner, kicked off the Kiss-ACow contest. And yes, four people gave the cows a smooch.

Guthrie said he was happy to come out to Dayton to celebrate National Agriculture Week with the folks of Rockingham County. He said the VDACS had recently read through thank-you notes from students to farmers and so many of them involved cows — milk, cheese, ice cream. “I mean, why wouldn’t you want to kiss a cow?” Guthrie said.

Contact Laura Boaggio at 574-6278 or lboaggio@dnronline.com

Allen Joseph Bright, 35, of Luray, stands charged with two counts of using a communications system to solicit a child under the age of 15 for sexual purposes, according to a Front Royal Police Department media release.

Front Royal police have now arrested 11 people since March 23, 2022 as a result of the undercover operation with assistance from other law enforcement agencies.

Front Royal police detectives initiated an undercover investigation on March 20 into the solicitation of juveniles for sexual purposes in the Warren County area, according to the release. An adult male, later identifi ed as Allen Joseph Bright, 35, of Luray, started soliciting a detective who he believed to be a girl under the age of 15, the release states. Bright sent sexually explicit material to the undercover de-

Detectives went to Bright’s workplace in Luray on Monday and apprehended him on warrants charging him with the two felonies, the release states. Police took Bright to the Page County Jail where a magistrate ordered him held without bond. Bright is scheduled to appear in the Warren County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court on April 20. Virginia State Police also arrested Bright on two additional charges of the same nature, according to the release.

The Front Royal Police Department is an active member of the Northern Virginia/DC Metro Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, coordinated by the state police.

Front Royal police ask that anyone with more information about this case contact Detective M.R. Ramey at 540-636-2208 or by email at mramey@frontroyalva.com. Anyone with information about the solicitation or exploitation of children is asked to contact the department. Contact Alex Bridges at abridges@nvdaily.com

Daniel Lin / DN-R

Matt Wilt, of Singers Glen, tries to bottle feed a goat with help from Brooke Shiflet, of Dayton, at the Dayton Market Saturday.

Griffith, Weaver toss combined no-hitter for Luray

By CODY ELLIOTT

For The Page News and Courier

Trever Griffith and Cameron tossed a combined no-hitter as Luray earned an impressive 5-1 victory over winless Central in Bull Run District baseball action at Bulldog Field on Thursday.

Griffith, a senior, got the start and lasted four innings, giving up one unearned run on no hits and five walks while striking out five.

In relief, Weaver, a junior, tossed three shutout innings of his own, walking one, giving up no hits, and striking out five.

“Having two pitchers throw a combined no-hitter is an excellent accomplishment,” LHS head coach Charlie Shephard said.

At the plate for the Bulldogs, junior infielder Christian Lentz led the charge with a 3-for-4 effort that included a key double.

Josh Richards, a sophomore catcher, was 2-for-4 with an RBI for Luray, while Weaver had an RBI single of his own in the win.

Other key contributors for the Bulldogs included Griffith, junior infielders Landon Vile and Jacob Shenk, and outfielder Addison Thomas, another junior, with one hit apiece at the plate.

While plate production was nonexistent for the Falcons, sophomore Isaac Barb did impress in a relief role, striking out five across 3.2 shutout innings, giving up just two hits and a walk.

“This was a good bounce back after not playing well Tuesday,” Shepherd said. “We were better offensively and defensively.”

After getting blanked by rival Page County in a five-inning rout earlier in the week, Luray (2-3, 1-1 Bull Run) looked much more like itself against Central and will host East Rockingham in a big one Monday. Meanwhile, the Falcons (0-6, 0-3 Bull Run) return home on Tuesday for a game against Rappahannock County.

Page County Panthers suffer first loss of the season

By CODY ELLIOTT For The Page News and Courier

Samuel Vandrey, a senior, tossed a complete-game, one-hit shutout, walking two and striking out 12 as Rappahannock County handed Page

County its first loss of the season with a 5-0 shutout in Bull Run District baseball action at RCHS on Thursday.

Senior catcher Everett Foltz had a triple for the Panthers, and that served as the lone hit of the

evening for the visiting team.

County

3-1 Bull Run) is back in action Monday with a big non-con

ference rematch on the road at Warren County.

the mound. — RC: S. Vandrey, PC: Foltz. TB — RC: Brown, Phillips (2), Marcus, S. Vandrey, PC: Foltz (3). HBP — RC: Martz, S. Vandrey, W. Vandrey, PC: Short. LOB — RC: 6, PC: 6. Contact Cody Elliott at 540-574-6284 or celliott@dnronline.com | Follow Cody on Twitter: @VTCody

Young Gobblers impress early

By CODY ELLIOTT For The Page News and

BROADWAY — It’s the fourth head coach in as many years for Broadway, but that hasn’t slowed the team down early.

Led by first-year head coach Phillip Ewell, who was an assistant for two years

before this, the Gobblers have opened some eyes early this season with a couple of non-district victories.

Gone for Broadway is last year’s Valley District Player of the Year, forward Brayan Cruz, who finished with 11 goals and eight assists.

Other departures included defender Sam Witmer (one goal), and pair of midfielders

in Catcher Box (two goals), and Cade Meredith.

But there are three returners for the Gobblers, and Ewell made it clear that the trio will be relied on heavily with a young squad.

Sophomore Leyden Mongold returns as a midfielder for Broadway after scoring seven goals and dishing out six assists a year ago.

Seniors Marco Murillo and Drew Kauffman also are back. Murillo had a goal and two assists last year and was a versatile weapon for the Gobblers, while Kauffman is back from a torn ACL.

That trio will bring leadership to a team that is otherwise young.

See GOBBLERS, Page B2

Hornets down Gobblers for third straight win

By JOHN BREEDEN For The Page

News

Courier

and

BROADWAY — Af-

ter pitching a complete game against Spotswood on Thursday, there wasn’t much time for Wilson Memorial senior righthander Finn Irving to sit back and relax.

the

multi-sport standout threw 5.1 innings and struck out nine batters three days after his performance against the Trailblazers.

With Irving’s contributions and nine runs on 10 hits, the Hornets propelled themselves to a 9-5 non-district baseball win over Broadway on the road, salvaging a season

split in the series. WMHS veteran head coach Rodney Cullen said Irving told them he was ready to go on Monday, so they put him up to the challenge.

While Irving got fatigued toward the end, Cullen was happy with his performance overall.

“He’s a senior, so

we kinda trust their judgment a little bit in how they feel and what they’re doing,” Cullen said. “He looked good [against the Gobblers] and pitched really well.”

With three days to prepare, Irving took time to unwind and have fun before Monday’s game.

“I don’t really ice my

arm or anything like that,” Irving said. “I just rested. MLB The Show came out this weekend, so I played a lot of video games. I just laid off my arm to get ready. They’re a good team. I knew I was going to have to pitch well, throw a lot of strikes and execute

Daniel Lin / DN-R

Broadway’s Drew Kauffman moves up the field as Turner Ashby’s Patrick Sullivan provides pressure during a game last season at Turner Ashby.

Eagles earn first win of season

By CODY ELLIOTT

For The Page News and Courier

Freshman Brandy Cabrera scored twice amd semopr Chernoh Jalloh, senior Isaac Frye and sophomore Jose Cortez added one apiece as East Rockingham earned its first win with a 5-2 Bull Run District boys soccer victory over Luray on Monday in Elkton.

Frye also dished out two assists for the Eagles (1-1-1, 1-1-1 Bull Run) in the victory, while junior Christian Nicholson and junior Riley Ziegler each finished with one apiece in the home

Could NCAA women’s tourney move to neutral sites?

win.

For the Bulldogs, who have dropped two straight in league play, seniors Connor Cubbage and Noah Lawson each scored a goal.

East Rock is now off until April 4, when it hosts district foe Rappahannock County, while Luray (1-2, 1-2 Bull Run) was right back in action Tuesday with a home game against Strasburg.

Contact Cody Elliott at 540-574-6284 or celliott@dnronline. com | Follow Cody on Twitter: @VTCody

Gaskins, Panthers remain unbeaten

By CODY ELLIOTT For The Page News and Courier

Standout junior pitcher Bailee Gaskins continued her electric start to the 2023 season as she tossed another complete-game shutout, giving up two hits and a pair of walks while striking out six for unbeaten Page County in a five-inning 10-0 non-district softball victory over Warren County on Monday in Front Royal.

Gaskins also had an RBI single at the plate for the Panthers, while sophomore catcher Emma Lucas had two doubles and an RBI, and senior third baseman

Jocelyne Rinker also had two doubles.

Savannah Shifflett, a junior, had a two-run double for Page, while junior Adryn Martin had a pair of singles and an RBI, and Emme Baugher, another ju -

Gobblers

From Page B1

Junior defender

Kenley Miller is one name to watch for Broadway, while other key newcomers include

Hornets

From Page B1

my off-speed pitches. I was able to until I got a little tired at the end, but that happens.”

Irving allowed five of Broadway’s seven hits in the game. Right fielder Hunter Deavers led the Gobblers with three hits and an RBI.

BHS first-year head coach George Laase, who is all too familiar with the Wilson Memorial pitcher from his time in the Shenandoah District as the Staunton head coach, said the game’s story was how well Irving got ahead in the pitch count.

“He’s a warrior on the mound,” Laase said. “He attacks with the fastball and he mixes in his off-speed stuff. When we put the ball in play, they made plays. When they put the ball in play against us, defensively, we had a little bit of a hard time. The best

By SHANE METTLEN

For The Page News and Courier

Kenny Brooks got to see how the other half lived a week ago.

A 20-year head coaching veteran at James Madison and now Virginia Tech, Brooks made his 1 th postseason appearance this season with the Hokies earning a o. 1 seed in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament. And for the first time, Brooks coached a team playing for the Sweet 1 on its home oor.

The Waynesboro native had more than once coached his team in the biggest game of the year on the opposition’s home court, facing a hostile crowd. In 2014, for instance, while still coaching JMU, the Dukes took on Texas A&M for a spot in the Sweet 1 in College Station, Texas. The game was close at halftime before 7,095 fans cheered the Aggies on to a 1 -point victory.

nior, finished with two hits and two RBIs.

Arianna Roudabush, a junior outfielder, had a tworun single in the win, while sophomore shortstop Karleigh Austin singled. The Panthers (50) were right back in action Tuesday with a Bull Run District contest against winless Mountain View at home.

Last week, Brooks’ Virginia Tech squad, which was scheduled to face Ohio State for a spot in the Final Four on Monday night in Seattle — advanced to the Sweet 1 in Blacksburg by beating South Dakota State in front of 8,925 fans.

But the question posed at multiple NCAA Tournament venues this season was this: has the women’s game grown so that non-neutral site games in early rounds are no longer necessary?

Contact Cody Elliott at 540-574-6284 or celliott@dnronline. com

“I probably have a better understanding after [last] weekend,” Brooks said. “What I do know is the crowd that we had this past weekend was fantastic for women’s basketball. The crowd that we had this past weekend was fantastic for women’s basketball. Even South Dakota State said the same thing even though the 9,000 wasn’t rooting for them. It’s definitely an unfair advantage, but it’s also a wonderful environment for these kids to be able to play in front of and it’s a memory they’ll always remember.”

Unlike the men’s tournament, which plays every

sophomores Caleb Wyant, Calvin Mitchell, Caleb Estep, and freshman Ranko Saleh. The Valley District, meanwhile, is a league loaded with talent.

Harrisonburg is a

part about baseball is there’s always another day.”

Knowing he pitched a complete game a few days prior, Laase said the game plan was to work through Irving and get to the Wilson bullpen.

They did so when Irving came off the mound in the fifth, but Laase credited the bottom of Wilson Memorial’s lineup for putting the ball in play.

“There’s a couple of times it was infield singles where you can’t defend it when you put it in places like that,” Laase said. “They hustle out of the box. Wilson Memorial is one of the better teams on our schedule that we’re going to face this year, and they’re really going to push to make a run late when they get everybody healthy.”

Aiden Podgorski closed the game on the mound for Wilson Memorial (3-2), notching four strikeouts in 1.2

Class 5 school that has shown early on how good it is this season, while Spotswood is the annual favorite.

Turner Ashby, meanwhile, continues to make a steady climb,

innings pitched. Sophomore standout Sy Crider, a West Virginia commit, threw four innings with four strikeouts for Broadway.

Cullen said it was vital for his team to pick up the three runs in the top of the seventh because Broadway (42) never gave up and rallied with two runs in the bottom half of the inning.

Yet, it would be too little too late.

“They’re a scrappy team, and they’re wellcoached,” Cullen said. “They have a lot of really good players, and they’re not going to give up. We knew that, so getting those three runs in the top of the seventh was big.”

Blake Rodgers led the Hornets with three runs and four hits.

Jaden Rose and Ryan Mundie each drove in two RBIs, while Irving, Jayden Saunders, and Wyatt Wood each tallied an RBI of their own.

Associated Press

Virginia Tech’s Elizabeth Kitley (33) celebrates with Hokies fans after a second-round college basketball game against South Dakota State.

game on a neutral oor, women’s top four seeds host the first and second rounds. For years, that was considered necessary to sell tickets and generate interest.

But the women’s game has grown in popularity. The 2022 NCAA Tournament saw its TV ratings increase 1 percent to average 3 ,000 viewers per game, and when the Hokies traveled to take on Tennessee in Seattle in the Sweet 1 , more than 10,000 fans attended.

However, the women’s tournament largely lacks the huge first-round upsets that turned the men’s tournament into one of the most popular and unpredictable sporting events in the world and generated the March Madness nickname. This year, every team seeded No. 4 or better, and thus playing on its home oor, won in the opening round.

Nowhere was the difference highlighted stronger than In Columbus, Ohio, where JM led a firstround game against No. 3 seed hio State by 1 in the first half before the Buckeyes rallied to win with nearly 7,000 fans behind them.

A night earlier, across town, men’s No. 1 seed Purdue was upset by No. 1 Fairleigh Dickinson. While nearly half of the 20,000 fans inside Nationwide Arena in downtown Columbus supported Purdue, almost everyone in the building quickly adopted the underdog and cheered on FDU.

Many around the game

and even Rockbridge County has taken significant strides recently.

Despite those challenges, Broadway is already showing progress.

Irving has pitched many times when the game’s tight, and while he can do it, he said it’s more enjoyable when they’re leading.

“You can pitch a lot more freely that way,” Irving said. “I feel like every pitch isn’t quite as magnified as it is in a tight game, so it’s a huge help.”

Now riding a threegame win streak, Irving hopes they can return home and defeat non-district opponent Turner Ashby on Tuesday. The Knights beat the Hornets -2 on March 1 in Bridgewater.

“We knew we had a lot of talent coming into the season,” Irving said. “The first two losses knocked us down a peg and made us hungry to get some wins. We’ve been delivering recently, so hopefully we’ll keep riding out the momentum.”

The Gobblers travel to Skyline on Thursday for non-district play.

are like Brooks, intrigued by the idea of neutral site games but wary of potentially sterile environments in early rounds.

“This crowd is awesome,” JMU head coach Sean O’Regan said after losing to Ohio State. “If this game is being played in Topeka, Kan., with the same teams, the crowd is not going to be as good, right. That’s the fact of it. Now it’s a distinct advantage, of course, for Ohio State, but the crowd is good. I don’t know the answer for women’s basketball in general. I know that the atmosphere is a good basketball atmosphere. I enjoy that. That to me is fun. It didn’t get in my bones. It’s like, this is fun. This is what it’s supposed to be. I would rather that over an empty gym any day of the week.”

Others have pointed out that the current system also adds value to the regular season. As O’Regan pointed out, the Dukes likely could have avoided playing the home team in the first round by avoiding some bad Sun Belt Conference losses to teams such as Coastal Carolina and Marshall.

North Carolina forward Alysa Utsby had mixed feelings, even before the Tar Heels lost by two in the second round to Ohio State on the Buckeyes’ home oor. The chase for a top-four seed and the right to host was a significant motivator throughout the season, but many players have expressed their desire to see the same setup as the men.

“It’s a true road game

And as the season progresses, that’s all Ewell can ask for this year. “We are a young team and have a bright future,” Ewell said. “I am looking forward to

Monday’s loss ended Broadway’s four-game win streak.

Laase was happy with his team’s willingness to fight on Monday and said he wouldn’t want to coach any other group. After the loss, he noted that he was already looking forward to helping his team make adjustments moving forward.

“That’s the parody early on in the season,” Laase said. “You don’t know how everything’s going to play out. You’re learning about your strengths and weaknesses; we’re trying to feel everything out right now. I’m still happy with our guys’ fight and the upperclassman’s good leadership.”

Cullen said he feels good about his team thus far and believes they’ll feel even better once healthy.

“When those guys get back, I think it’s going to make us even stronger,” Cullen said.

when we play Ohio State,” Utsby said. “I still think that it’s pretty cool to have the opportunity to host, that’s just another thing you want to strive for throughout the season, but I think having a neutral site would be a really great step.”

The NCAA has shown an ability to think outside the box for changes to the women’s tournament. This season four regional championships were placed in two neutral sites, Seattle and Greenville, S.C., allowing for media and fans to travel to one location and see more games.

Some ideas have been tossed around for how to move to neutral first and second rounds and still attract fans and media.

O’Regan pointed to the success of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, which put both the men’s and women’s events in Pensacola, Fla., at the same time.

Columbus, which has two arenas capable of holding at least 18,000 fans, demonstrated certain cities might be able to handle hosting men’s and women’s games at the same time. O’Regan also said the women could benefit from permanent tournament locations, similar to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., so fans can plan ahead to attend and local fans will embrace the event.

Others have pointed to the setup that was forced upon the NCAA in 2021 due to COVID-19, playing the entire tournament in one city or region. Locations such as Indianapolis, San Antonio-Austin, Texas, the Research Triangle in North Carolina, Las Vegas or Tulsa, Okla., could be among places with enough arenas and hotels to handle becoming a permanent host for the entire women’s tournament.

“I think that’s maybe your next step if you’re going to go neutral,” O’Regan said. “It has to be consistent. it can’t be bouncing around.”

Contact Shane Mettlen at 540-574-6244 or smettlen@dnronline.com. | Follow Shane on Twitter: @ Shane_DNRSports

seeing what this team will accomplish.”

Contact Cody Elliott at 540-574-6284 or celliott@dnronline. com | Follow Cody on Twitter: @VTCody

“We have guys stepping up and filling roles that at the beginning of the year, they didn’t think they were going to fill. They’re getting some at-bats and getting some time. When we get a couple of guys back at full-strength, I like our chances to be successful this year.”

Panthers earn shutout of county rival Luray

By JOHN BREEDEN

For The Page News and Courier

LURAY — It was a classic battle between two county rivals that consistently bring out some of the best crowds high school sports can offer.

Page County only needed five innings to finish the job, though, quickly defeating Luray 10-0 in a Bull Run District baseball victory held at Bulldog Field on Tuesday.

The Panthers scored six runs across the second and third innings and added four more to their lead in the top of the fifth to secure the victory.

Page County head coach Wayne Comer said his relatively young team continues to improve, and they showed up to Luray On

Tuesday and did what they had to do to win a rivalry contest.

“They came out to play in this rivalry [game],” Comer said.

“We just came out and took it to them. That’s all I can say.”

Comer has seen his team grow in many areas of the game through their first three games.

“We’ve been improving on defense and we’re controlling the bats better,” Comer said. “[We’re] putting the ball in play when we have to. [We’re] swinging the bat well when we have runners in scoring position. I give them all the credit.”

Panthers senior center fielder Hayden Plum came through with a run and two RBIs.

Plum said they put the bat on the ball in

an all-around great team effort in the victory.

Plum said he feels the team is starting to come into its element, but something that’s maintained throughout is the team’s energy.

“We haven’t gotten down once this year,” Plum said. “It’s just a good feeling to come in here and everyone’s got your back.”

The Panthers scored 10 runs on 13 hits. Plum, Adam Short, Sean Cave, and Jacob Williams all racked up two hits each for Page County.

The Bulldogs (13, 0-1 Bull Run) had three hits and were struck out eight times by Page’s Colby Cave, who tossed a complete game.

Luray head coach Charlie Shepard had a message for his team after the game.

Four-run ninth lifts Hawks over Gobblers

By CODY ELLIOTT

For The Page News and Courier

Skyline scored four runs in the top of the seventh and held on late, leaving Broadway stunned with a frustrating 7-4 loss in non-district softball action on Tuesday at BHS.

Freshman ace Lilah Deavers was steady, striking out 10 in 6.2 innings of work before running into trouble late. She finished with

eight hits, three walks allowed, and four earned runs.

At the plate, sophomore infielder Savannah Janzen was 1-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI double, while junior Iris Kline also had an RBI single, and sophomore Ashlyn Spitzer added a hit.

Jasmine Gett, a junior outfielder, added a hit and a run scored for the Gobblers, while Deavers chipped in with an RBI as well.

Broadway (2-2) re-

turns to action Saturday against Fluvanna County in a non-district afternoon game at BHS at

“We’re better than this,” Shepard said. “Tonight, we didn’t do any phase of the game well. I challenged the guys to make that commitment to get better individually to make the team better.”

Landon Vile saw the most mound time for Luray, pitching three innings and fanning six strikeouts. Colby Cave pitched the entire game, facing 19 batters and allowing only one walk.

Cave said his fastball and belief in himself were his biggest weapons on the mound.

“That’s my best pitch for right now,” Colby said. “I like mixing it in every once in a while, [but] just having confidence is the main thing.”

Comer said that Colby’s effort on Tuesday was just the latest example of why the junior

is shining as the team’s top pitcher this year.

“He pitched last year and did a good job, and it’s carried over into this year,” Comer said. “He’s just a tremendous athlete. I let him go and throw as many pitches as the rules will let you.”

The Panthers (3-0, 2-0 Bull Run) host Rappahannock County on Thursday in non-district action. The Bulldogs travel to Central on Thursday for a second district clash.

Shepard hopes his team takes Tuesday’s experience and uses it as motivation rather than fall victim to dwelling on the past.

“You need to let this burn like a fire on the inside, but you’ve got to turn the page,” Shepard said. “The sun will come up tomorrow [and] we’ve got work to do at practice. … The

only people that can fix tonight are us.”

Any time Luray and Page County meet on the field, a level of bragging rights comes with whoever wins, and that remained true Tuesday.

Plum was happy that they were the ones victorious.

“It’s a great thing,” Plum said. “It’s fun beating these other teams, but especially when you beat your county rival. It’s one of the best feelings.”

Gobblers win third straight, down Skyline

By CODY ELLIOTT For The Page News and Courier

Broadway picked up its third straight victory Tuesday, holding off a seventh-inning rally to defeat Skyline 3-2 in non-district baseball action at home on Tuesday.

sistant] coach [Steve] Reid were really on the same page tonight,” said George Laase, the first-year Broadway skipper. “It really feels good to see players reap the benefits of hard work.”

two outs, Hensley, the West Virginia University commit, hit a triple off the fence to get the lead back in favor of the home team.

or

Broadway earns walk-off win over Fluvanna

By CODY ELLIOTT

For The Page News and Courier

Senior infielder

Jacklyn Williams hit a double into deep center field and Fluvanna County committed a crucial infield error as two runs came home and Broadway earned a thrilling 3-2 walk-off non-district softball victory at home on Saturday.

Freshman Lilah Deavers impressed again, tossing 5.1

shutout innings in relief, giving up just one hit and zero walks while racking up 13 strikeouts to earn another victory.

Deavers also had a productive day at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double, while sophomore infielder Savannah Janzen also had two hits and Williams finished 2-for-3 with a double, a triple and an RBI for the Gobblers, who have now won two straight. Junior outfielder

Jasmine Gett also had a hit for Broadway, while junior infielder Taylor Suters continued her strong start to the year, going 1-for-3 with a double and a run.

The Gobblers (32) are back in action Monday at home against Wilson Memorial.

Contact Cody Elliott at 540-574-6284 or celliott@dnronline. com | Follow Cody on Twitter: @VTCody

Setting the tone was the Gobblers’ starting pitcher, Mason Lynn, who threw six strong innings with nine strikeouts to just one walk, allowing five hits and no earned runs.

“We have really put a lot of work in this offseason at Next Level with Mike [Martin] and Spenser [Davis] to find a consistent release point, and my guys made some big plays behind me tonight,” Lynn stated. “It means a lot to have our coaches here believe in me and give me an opportunity to be a starter.”

Lynn, who is a lifelong sidearm pitcher, benefitted by staying ahead in the counts and forcing the Hawks to try and hit pitches from a different arm slot than most high school hitters are used to.

“We are really proud of Mason and I thought he, [catcher] Sy [Crider], and [as -

Skyline took the lead at the top of the first with an unearned run from two Gobbler errors. Sam Barber hit an infield single, moved over on the first error, and later scored on a throwing error/

Broadway started to drive baseballs off Skyline starter Ian Talbot, who went five innings, striking out five and walking three, but early baserunning mistakes kept them off the scoreboard. The Gobblers finally scored in the bottom of the third inning when Lee Slater hit a single, moved up on a Bransen Hensley single to right, and scored on a hard hit up the middle by Conner Michael, a junior off to a strong start.

After Skyline scored their second run in the top of the fourth on a throwing error, the Gobblers put the tying and go-ahead runners on with back-to-back walks by Shea Kushner and Eli Hall. With

“What a huge atbat with two strikes for Bransen,” Laase emphasized. “Big-time players make big-time plays and he thrives in those situations.”

“He came back with an inside fastball, and there was no way I was going to let my teammates down,” Hensley added.

Conner Michael came in to close the doors in the seventh, picking up his first save of 2023.

“We certainly can learn a lot from the mistakes we made today, but for our players to keep grinding out close baseball games shows a lot of heart. It’s a tribute to their families and this community,” Laase said.

The Gobblers (31) will host Fluvanna County on Saturday, with a first pitch slated for 2:00 PM.

LEFT: Page County infielder Tyler Shifflett fires a throw across the diamond toward first base on Tuesday against Luray.

RIGHT: Page County’s Hayden Plum prepares to steal a base during Tuesday’s game at Luray.

We are looking for a few community minded individuals to join our team! We are in the process of rebuilding our team and our local, community newspaper. In order to do this, we need some good, community minded people to help us along the way!

We are currently hiring for the following positions: Full-Time General Assignment Reporter

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Legal Notices

LEGAL NOTICE TOWN OF STANLEY

PUBLIC HEARING VARIANCE REQUEST

Notice is hereby given that the Stanley Board of Zoning Appeals will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, April 12th at 7 p.m. at the Stanley Town Office, 278 East Main Street for the purpose of considering the following request.

A request from Lucas Homes LLC, for a variance of five feet on one side yard setback and a reduction in the minimum lot size requirement that if approved would allow the separation of one lot into two sperate lots. The property is zoned Medium Density Residential and is located on Reed Lane with tax map number 71A5-8-4.

The property is bounded on the North by Stanley Milton LLC, Mr. an Mrs. Terry Pettit, and the Stanley Methodist Church, on the South by Mr. and Mrs. David Foltz and Raymond J. Stacey and Lynne Comer, on the West by the County of Page and on the East by Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Somers.

Citizens of the Town of Stanley are encouraged to attend this hearing and express their views and comments. Anyone unable to attend the meeting may leave written comments at the Stanley Town Office during normal business hours or by email at tpettit@townofstanley.com. Also, anyone with special needs who wishes to attend, please contact the Town Office at least 48 hours prior to the public hearing.

Terry A. Pettit Town Manager/Zoning Administrator

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

of the Code of Virginia, as amended, that Luray’s Planning Commission shall hold a public hearing on April 12, 2023 at 7 p.m. The public hearing shall be conducted in the Luray Town Council Chambers located at 45 East Main Street in the Town of Luray, Virginia.

Public comment may also be submitted until 5:00 pm on April 12, 2023 through any of the following means: Email: sburke@townofluray.com; Mail: Luray Planning Commission, Attention: Steve Burke, Post Office Box 629, Luray, Virginia, 22835; Hand delivery: Place in the exterior DROP BOX in the alcove located at the front of the Town’s offices facing Main Street; or Phone: (540)7435511. All comments will be read aloud at the hearing. These hearing will be live-streamed on the Town’s Facebook Live page. All normal Rules of Procedure will be followed. The purpose of the hearing is to receive public comments and to consider the following:

1. SUP 23-07

The applicant, Sharon C. Rodriguez, has requested a Special Use Permit to operate a lodging house at 210 Allison Drive in the Planned Neighborhood Development (PND) Zoning District. The subject dwelling is roughly 1,500 square feet with two bedrooms and is located on one parcel that is roughly 0.04 acres in area. The subject parcel is further identified on Page County Tax Maps as 42A17-1-80. A Special Use Permit is required to operate a lodging house in the PND Zoning District per Town Code Appendix A, Article IV, Sec. 409.13.D.2.

2. SUP 23-08

The applicant, Edward Dumitrache, has requested a Special Use Permit to operate a lodging house at 170 Allison Drive in the Planned Neighborhood Development (PND) Zoning District. The subject dwelling is roughly 1,500 square feet with two bedrooms and is located on one parcel that is roughly 0.04 acres in area. The subject parcel is further identified on Page County Tax Maps as 42A17-1-86. A Special Use Permit is required to operate a lodging house in the PND Zoning District per Town Code Appendix A, Article IV, Sec. 409.13.D.2.

3. SUP 23-09

NEED LADY TO shower,dolaundry,grocery shop,anddriveto appointments.Ladymustbe veryhonest,withexperience, matureandpleasant.Prefer retiredladyorsomeonewith lotsofavailableandflexible time.Call540-360-3634. Leavemessagedetailing workexperience.

TOWN OF STANLEY

EmploymentOpportunity: Lifeguards

StanleyParksandRec.is nowacceptingapplicationsfor thepositionofLIFEGUARD forthe2023poolseason. Applicantsmustbeatlast16 yrs.ofageandhavelifeguard certificationorabletoobtain certificationbeforeseason starts.Deadlinefor applicationsisApril12that5 p.m.andcanbepickedupat theStanleyTownOffice278 EastMainStreetduring normalbusinesshours.EOE

TOWN OF LURAY

Solicitation of Interest

VARIOUS CONTRACTING & SERVICES

Job Order Work

The Town of Luray is soliciting interested contractors who can provide the listed services. Such contractors must be licensed in the State of Virginia, be insured to a level meeting Town criteria, have suitable experience and equipment, and provide safe, quality work at a reasonable price.

Asphalt Milling, Patching & Paving Pavement Marking & Curb Painting Concrete Work

Excavating & Hauling

Mowing & Clearing Work Tree Trimming, Removal & Chipping

Grading & Seeding

Interested contractors can contact the Town by April 14, 2023, for a Job Work Order breakdown of services expected, a Submittal Work Sheet, and to express any questions. The information required and the date for submission will be on the Work Sheet.

Please contact Bryan Chrisman at bchrisman@towno uray.com, or call (540) 743-5511.

Carriers Wanted For Harrisonburg & Rockingham Co.

We are looking for carriers for the Harrisonburg & Rockingham Co. areas to deliver the Daily News-Record during early morning hours.

Call Robin at 540-671-1743 or come into our o ce at: 231 S. Liberty St. Harrisonburg, VA 22803

COUNTY OF PAGE, VIRGINIA

AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 105 (TAXATION)

TO THE PAGE COUNTY CODE

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: That the Board of Supervisors of the County of Page, Virginia shall hold a public hearing on April 17, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. in the Board Room of the County Government Center, 103 South Court Street, 2nd Floor, Luray, Virginia 22835, for the purpose of a public hearing on the proposed ordinance to amend Chapter 105 (Taxation), Article XI (Business and Professional Occupation License Tax), of the Page County Code, changing the winery license fee from $150 to $50 per annum.

The full text of the proposed amendment to the Ordinance may be reviewed and inspected at the office of the County Administrator, 103 South Court Street, Suite F, Luray, Virginia 22835.

The public is invited to attend this public hearing to express their views thereon.

The Notice is given pursuant to § 15.2-1427 of the Code of Virginia (1950), as amended.

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS COUNTY OF PAGE, VIRGINIA

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

PAGE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS REZONING REQUEST

NOTICE is hereby given pursuant to Section 15.2-2204 of the Code of Virginia, as amended that the PAGE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS shall hold a public hearing at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, April 17, 2023, in the Board of Supervisors Meeting Room, located in the County Government Center, 103 South Court Street, 2nd Floor, Luray, VA, to receive public comments and to consider the following request:

Economic Development Authority (EDA) of Page County, Virginia has led an application to rezone the following parcels located o Goodrich Road, Stanley, VA, and further identi ed by:

•Tax Map Number 72-(8)-1 containing 38.67 acres;

•Tax Map Number 72-(11)-1 containing 14 acres;

•Tax Map Number 72-(11)-2 containing 3.079 acres; and

•Tax Map Number 72-(11)-3 containing 3.404 acres. e above listed parcels are currently zoned as Industrial (I-1). e applicant is requesting that all parcels be rezoned to Agriculture (A-1). If approved, the parcels will be used for agricultural purposes. e density range in the surrounding area is medium.

Copies of the request, the Page County Zoning Ordinance, and the Page County Comprehensive Plan may be reviewed in the Planning & Community Development O ce, 103 South Court Street, Suite B, Luray, VA, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. ey may also be reviewed on the County’s website at www.pagecounty.virginia.gov.

NOTE: Hearing impaired individuals who need an interpreter must notify the o ce at least seven (7) days prior to the hearing.

By: Tracy Clatterbuck, Zoning Administrator County of Page

The applicant, Munish Khanna & 2K Group LLC, has requested a Special Use Permit to operate a lodging house at 158 Allison Drive in the Planned Neighborhood Development (PND) Zoning District. The subject dwelling is roughly 1,500 square feet with two bedrooms and is located on one parcel that is roughly 0.04 acres in area. The subject parcel is further identified on Page County Tax Maps as 42A17-1-89. A Special Use Permit is required to operate a lodging house in the PND Zoning District per Town Code Appendix A, Article IV, Sec. 409.13.D.2. Copies of the Special Use Permit applications and the Town’s zoning ordinance are available at the Town of Luray’s Office, 45 East Main Street, Luray, Virginia. These items may be viewed between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday –Friday, and may also be found online at the Town’s website www.townofluray. com. Questions may be directed to the Town by calling 540-743-5511, or by emailing sburke@townofluray.com

COMMISSIONER’S SALE OF VALUABLE REAL ESTATE Pursuant to Decrees of the Circuit Court of the County of Page, Virginia entered in the cases specified herein, the following real estate will be sold at public auction on Thursday, April 6, 2023 at the Page County Circuit Courthouse, 116 South Court Street, Luray, VA 22835 at 1:00 p.m., to-wit:

vs JOHN O.

NO. 39B1-1-D24

HIGDON

D-24, SHENANDOAH FOREST PARCEL 12: PAGE COUNTY vs CAROLYN S. HOLMES

NO. 96A2-1-C37 LOT 37, SECTION C, LAND OF SHENANDOAH

PARCEL 13: PAGE COUNTY vs GLADYS VIRGINIA LAM MAP NO. 90-A-11B ON LUCAS HOLLOW ROAD

All that parcel of land in Shenandoah Iron Works District, Page County, Virginia, being 1.00 acre, more or less.

PARCEL 14: PAGE COUNTY vs VERNON L. LEE, JR.

MAP NO. 30A2-2-13 LOT 13, SECTION II, RIVERVIEW ESTATES

PARCEL 15: PAGE COUNTY vs GOLLIE MUNDY/GOLDIE MUNDY MAP NO. 42A3-A-55 OFF HILLTOP LANE

All that parcel of land in Page County, Virginia, in the western suburbs of Luray, near the road leading from the Slater Restaurant to Bixler’s Ferry, containing 0.50 acre, more or less.

PARCEL 16: PAGE COUNTY vs GOLLIE MUNDY/GOLDIE MUNDY

MAP NOS. 42A3-A-45 AND 42A3-A-46 ON HILLTOP LANE

All that parcel of land in Page County, Virginia, containing 0.50 acre, more or less, being Lot 6 and Lot 7, Yager’s Addition, shown on a plat in Deed Book X, page 365.

PARCEL 17: TOWN OF SHENANDOAH vs CONRAD NEUF, III

MAP NO. 102A1-6-4 208 N FOURTH STREET

All that parcel of land in the Town of Shenandoah, Page County, Virginia, shown as Lot 4, Block 7, in Plat Book 7, page 148.

PARCEL 18: TOWN OF SHENANDOAH vs ROBERT JAMES SOUTHERS

MAP NO. 102A6-1-89-1

ON FIRST STREET

All that parcel of land on First Street in the Town of Shenandoah, Shenandoah Iron Works District, Page County, Virginia, being Lot 1, Section 89, Subdivision 2 on the plat of Shenandoah Land & Improvement Company, recorded in Deed Book 21, page 40. The terms of sale shall be cash or a deposit of 25% of the bid price with the balance due in ten days. Additional terms will be announced at the sale.

Each sale shall be subject to confirmation by the Court.

JAMES W. ELLIOTT Special Commissioner 7100 U. S. Route 17 Yorktown, VA 23692 (757) 898-7000 www.vataxsale.com

Valley Interfaith Action launches

transportation campaign

By KELLEN STEPLER For The Page News and Courier BRIDGEWATER

—

In an effort to improve life for Valley residents, area leaders crossed political divides Tuesday to kick off campaigns to address gaps in childcare and transportation.

At Bridgewater Church of the Brethren, more than 500 people launched Valley Interfaith Action, a volunteer-led, nonpartisan organization. Local and state officials and corporate leaders pledged they would begin work to address transparencies in childcare and transportation in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.

Along with leaders from religious institutions, daycare centers, immigrant and neighborhood associations, local elected and corporate leaders committed to work with Valley Interfaith Action to bring door-to-door demand response transit to the county, and to create 250 new, quality Pre-K spots and increase wages for early education teachers to $50,000 per year in Harrisonburg.

They also committed to working with Valley Interfaith Action to try to secure $10 million so that all three and four year olds from families making less than $55,000 per year could have access to quality childcare.

“A demographer in Texas told us that of anywhere in the United States, there were no two adjacent jurisdictions that had as divergent presidential election results than Harrisonburg and Rockingham County,” said the Rev. Adam Blagg, of Otterbein United Methodist Church. “We’re building an organization that brings together ordinary people across city-county, political, race and faith divides so we can engage corporate and elected power players in the Valley around our priorities.”

Childcare

Sandra Richie, a teacher at Spotswood Elementary and a parent of the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Child Day Care Center, gave testimony that it took her a year-and-a-half to find childcare for her child.

She realized that she wasn’t the only one — in fact, far from it — going through the same struggle.

Helen Momoh, from Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, said that through conver-

sations from parents, grandparents, childcare workers and area employers struggling to retain and hire workers, members of Valley Interfaith Action heard how the lack of affordable, quality childcare hurts families and holds the economy back. Momoh said currently, only half of 4 years olds in the city and the county have ac cess to a quality pre-K program, and only half of three and four year olds. If parents can find a spot in a uality childcare center, costs are about an average of $400-500 per month, she said.

Director of Roberta Webb Early Education Center Angela Rouse gave the organization’s proposal, which was that every three and four year old from a family making less than $55,000 per year can have access to qual ity pre-K, and that all pre-K teachers earn at least $50,000 a year, and assistant teachers earn at least $15 an hour.

In Harrisonburg, the goal is to create 250 new pre-K spots and sustain the current 250 spots at quality pre-K programs by securing $7 million maximizing federal, state and local funding.

For the county, that would entail 300 individual meetings over the next six months, with county parents,

grandparents, providers, school staff and employers to determine interest in expanding pre-K access and before and after-school care in the county, Rouse said.

Transportation Nadia Dames, who owns a small business in Dayton, shared a story where one of her employees needed to walk a couple miles on

matched with a driver, route, and appropriately sized vehicle.

Sa’adum said such services exist in places like Albemarle and Greene counties, and southwest Virginia.

To pay for it, 70% would come from long-standing federal and state fund, and a 30% local match can come from private or

a Refounding Action launching the Valley

public sources.

Levi Fuller, of The Church of the Incarnation, and Nancy Hopkins-Gariss, of Trinity Presbyterian Church, proposed a first step of applying for a feasibility study with the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transit, which would produce a needs analysis and a recommendation

for service.

The application requires a letter from the county board of supervisors endorsing the study.

The organization also said it will partner with the ride system in Albemarle County, called JAUNT, to demonstrate door-todoor demand response transit.

a reservation to get picked up at their house and be driven to their destination. The rider is

Sentara RMH Medical Center lifts masking requirement

By KELLEN STEPLER

For The Page News and Courier

Effective Tuesday, Sentara RMH Medical Center will no longer require masking in its facility.

Hospital officials on Monday announced that after much consideration, they believe that it is safe and appropriate to relax its masking requirement.

“Currently, health systems across the country are seeing a steady decrease in COVID-19, RS , and u patients — the three respiratory

viruses that triggered a surge in emergency department visits and hospitalizations last fall,” officials said in a statement.

As of Tuesday, Sentara patients, visitors and employees will no longer be required to wear a mask at all times.

However, patients seeking treatment for a viral illness like C ID-19 or the u should continue to wear a mask to prevent spreading the virus to others, and healthcare workers treating patients with a suspected or confirmed case

COVID-19 must also wear personal protective equipment.

“While we continue to evolve our COVID-19 policies, our priority remains the safety of our team members, patients, and community,” Sentara officials said. “Masks will continue to be an important tool, along with vaccinations, to keep people healthy and safe. Masks will still be available to patients and visitors who enter our facilities. Additionally, our healthcare colleagues can still wear a mask if they choose to do so.”

Bridgewater Church of the Brethren pastor Jennifer Scarr welcomes guests to

Interfaith Action.

We are o ering on Tuesday through ursday each week from 3pm-6pm 8 pieces of Fried Chicken for ONLY $5.98! You SAVE over $2.00 per 8 pieces!