Two sides spar at public hearing over how to handle school budget
By James P. Gannon
A public hearing held Monday evening on the proposed budgets of Rappahannock County and its school system was a mostly polite affair without fireworks, but with an undercurrent of deep division over how much influence the Board of Supervisors should exercise over school spending.
At issue is whether the Rappahannock County School Board should have complete flexibility in how to spend its proposed $11.6 million budget, or whether the supervisors should approve the budget category-by-category, to insure that money meant for one purpose is not spent on another.
The hearing on a rainy evening attracted about 50 county residents to the high school auditorium, where the Board of Supervisors sat on stage listening to the views of the public as well as the School Board. The supervisors made no decisions Monday, but are scheduled to decide on the level of school funding and whether to approve it as a lump sum or by category at its monthly meeting next Monday, May 3, at 2 p.m.
Retiring School Superintendent Robert Chappell kicked off the session with a comment reflecting his weariness with annual budget battles. “After 15 public hearings over a period of 15 years, this is my last one. I am here to say, ‘Hallelujah!’”
School Board members followed the superintendent in urging the supervisors to approve their proposed 2011 budget, which calls for county funding of $8,509,098–the same level as the current year. They also made clear that they oppose approval of the budget by category. Read more…
A new life for the old church? Stonewall Abbey owners hope so
The 109-year old former Episcopal church of Sperryville has taken on a lot of different lives in its long history, not only as a church but as an antique and gift shop, a bookshop and an Internet cafe and local hangout.
Looking for The Next Big Thing
But the much-modernized building has been dark and quiet for the past two months following the closing of the Stonewall Abbey Cafe, which expired after two-plus years in business in the village. A severe recession, a harsh winter and the labor-intensive demands of running a coffee shop and gathering place proved too much for the Compton family to overcome.
Owners Dave and Donna Compton have no plans to sell the property, which they substantially renovated for their cafe. But they are hoping to lease the Main Street property to new operators with the next best idea and the vision and passion to get it back in business. Read more…
From E-Cow to Tree-Cow: Planners OK Greg Williams’ move to former store
By James P. Gannon
Greg Williams of Flint Hill easily won unanimous approval of the Rappahannock County Planning Commission to move his tree and landscaping business from his home property on Ben Venue Road to the former site of gourmet food vendor E-Cow on Route 211.
From E-Cow to trees and shrubs
At their Wednesday evening meeting, after hearing no opposition to the move, the commissioners voted 6-0 to recommend approval of Williams’ move to the highway location, where he plans to run a small farmers’ market as well as house his tree and landscaping business and his extensive array of vehicles and equipment. Read more…
Car lovers flock to Sperryville to see vintage cars, hot rods, old pickups
By James P. Gannon
Nearly 150 antique and classic cars, hot rods, customized pickups and other vintage vehicles gathered Saturday on the sunny grounds of the Sperryville fire hall to compete for trophies and bragging rights at the third annual Spring Car and Truck Show sponsored by Reynolds Memorial Baptist Church.
Field of dreams for car lovers
The scene was a car lover’s dream: the rolling grounds around the fire hall were packed with vintage cars of all eras from the Roaring Twenties through the Chrome-heavy Fifties and the muscle-car Seventies to the present–a colorful, shining, highly-polished tribute to all that Detroit could conceive and all that car hobbyists could imagine in customizing those vehicles.
Saturday’s event was the third annual vehicle show put on by the Sperryville Baptist church as a fund-raiser. It drew collectible car and truck owners from Rappahannock, Culpeper, Fauquier, Warren and Page counties and beyond, plus vehicles from Maryland and West Virginia. Read more…
America’s Quiet Anger: Tax Day protests are only a tip of the iceburg
By James P. Gannon
The news today, on tax day, will feature coverage of anti-government protests sponsored by the many independent arms of the Tea Party movement. The media likely will focus on the most outrageous and extreme forms of protest, the most vile signs, etc.–some of them now known to be organized by opponents of the Tea Party people, hoping to discredit the movement.
But most Americans who are upset at the leftward drift of Washington’s ruling Democrats will not be out on the streets today. They will be at their jobs or taking care of the kids or just staying home. They are no less angry at what’s happening in government today.
Why are they angry? I gave my view on this question in a piece I wrote recently for The American Spectator’s website, Spectator.org. I share it here with my Rappvoice readers in hopes that it may help explain why those people are out marching in the streets, and why there are millions more, unseen, who agree with them.