Local News
Traffic everywhere – SNP update observes leaf-season visitation influx
Front Royal and Warren County residents venturing out of their neighborhoods the weekend of November 2nd through the 4th may have noticed some “slight” traffic congestion on major thoroughfares heading toward and through Front Royal.
The culprit – we didn’t really need to tell you, did we? – was a combination of pleasantly warm, sunny and NOT raining weather, coupled with a rather late peak fall leaf-changing season in Shenandoah National Park (SNP).
The result according to Shenandoah National Park Superintendent Jennifer Flynn in a November 7 report to the Warren County Board of Supervisors was 6,000 cars entering the valued regional tourist attraction at its northern Front Royal entrance on Saturday and Sunday, November 3rd and 4th alone. Those 3,000 cars per weekend day traveling through Warren County and Front Royal to access the national park were part of 17,346 vehicles traveling through park entrance stations those two days.
“Are you sure it was only 6,000?” County Board Chair Tony Carter asked Flynn of the two-day local traffic count.
And for those of us who ventured a trip across town that weekend to try and access South Street food or shopping outlets, it seemed a valid question. – Because it appeared there might be a thousand cars backed up on and across the Route 55 East (John Marshall Highway/South Street) and South Commerce Avenue intersection at any given time. This intrepid driver gave up on Royal Avenue when the backup was at a standstill two-plus blocks from the East Main Street intersection traffic light.
That traffic equated to 8 to 9 cars per minute checking in at the park’s north entrance off Route 340 South during peak hours, Flynn observed. The first-weekend-of-November traffic jam was impacted by a perfect storm of circumstances, Flynn noted.
As alluded to above, those factors included an exceptionally late leaf-changing season due to myriad factors from an early-fall continuation of an exceptionally rainy spring and summer; and a beautifully warm, dry and sunny fall weekend to accompany the late peak leaf-turning that led to D.C. Metro area broadcasters trumpeting the first weekend of November as “the optimum time” for a visit west out I-66 to see nature in all its fall glory.
Park Director Flynn addressed this year’s weather’s impact on park visitation in her report to the county government:
“This has been a challenging weather year for Shenandoah and our area. As you know, it has not stopped raining for months. Our most recent rainfall measurement at Big Meadows was 81-inches through October. Our prior record rainfall was 76-inches in 2003 for the entire year; and our records at Big Meadows go back over 30 years,” Flynn said.
And while the wet year has meant fire dangers have been low – boy could California use some of our excess rain!!! – the impact on visitation has been negative.
“We are a weather dependent park as it relates to visitation,” Flynn observed, noting a 14% drop in visitors through September compared to 2017 when a total of 1.46-million visitors were counted for the year. Well, those 17,346 vehicles checking into Shenandoah National Park with mom, dad and the kids hopefully sparked a late-season comeback in those numbers.
And we grin and bear the fall leaf season traffic influx annually – even celebrate its coming with the tourist-welcoming Festival of the Leaves – because all that traffic also means some of those family-bearing cars are going to stop to shop, eat or even sleep locally, beefing up local business and municipal revenues.
“As much as these busy weekends challenge the patience of our neighbors, having a national park as a neighbor is a good thing,” Flynn reminded county leaders, adding, “Every year the National Park Service commissions a study of the economic impact that parks have in their surrounding communities:
a/ In 2017, visitors spent $95.8 million in surrounding communities;
b/ Their spending supported 1200 jobs in the local area; including 300 DNC jobs and 300 park jobs (for those of you wondering as did this reporter, Flynn explained to Royal Examiner that in this case DNC stands for park concessionaire Delaware North Corporation, not the Democratic National Committee).
Flynn lauded Front Royal and Warren County’s past working relationship with Shenandoah National Park. She pointed to both municipal governments’ participation in region-wide municipal opposition to an effort of the Trump administration to hike park fees to a level that would have made park access less affordable to many mid-to-lower income families for whom national parks have long been an affordable and easily accessible regional mini-vacation destination.
“Warren County has long understood the value of this relationship. Your county was vocal in the opposition to the proposal for a very large fee increase that could have reduced visitation to the park. A fee increase did go through, but it was only a $5 increase. I appreciate your commitment to helping protect access to Shenandoah National Park,” Flynn told county officials, adding, “Warren County has been a strong partner for the park in many areas: your county has been a strong advocate for park values; you have valued and protected park view sheds; and you have been proactive about developments like large scale solar by addressing these issues in the comprehensive plan. We appreciate your partnership and your support in protecting what makes our community so special.”
And as if to illustrate that appreciation, Flynn told the county supervisors of plans to upgrade the north entrance to Shenandoah National Park and the Skyline Drive in a way that might help mitigate the seasonal traffic impact.
“We appreciate the close working relationship the Town of Front Royal, the county and the park have in managing the impacts to the community this traffic brings. This year we are beginning the planning to build a new entrance station at Front Royal and looking for design solutions for the congestion issues will be part of that project,” she said.
Other projects in the works for the coming year include: complete restoration of the public restrooms at Dickey Ridge; completed connector trail to the Front Royal Greenway; construction of public parking at Old Rag in Madison County in 2019; and release of a park app and 3-D imaging of visitors centers.
And while publication of this story is too late to do you any good on this one, Veterans Day, Sunday, November 11 was a fee-free entrance day for Skyline Drive and Shenandoah National Park.
Of fee-free days in the coming year, Flynn said, “We do not have the national fee free days for 2019 announced yet, but we do have our park-specific fee free day in June. The 3rd Saturday is always “park neighbor day” – for 2019 that will be June 15.”
“Write that date down, mom – I wanna get out of town and see what’s going on in the park for FREE the end of next spring!!!”
Local News
VDOT: Warren County Traffic Alert for May 6 – 10, 2024
The following is a list of highway work that may affect traffic in Warren County during the coming weeks. Scheduled work is subject to change due to inclement weather and material supplies. Motorists are advised to watch for slow-moving tractors during mowing operations. When traveling through a work zone, be alert to periodic changes in traffic patterns and lane closures.
*NEW* or *UPDATE* indicates a new or revised entry since last week’s report.
INTERSTATE 66
*NEW* Mile marker 0 to 15, eastbound and westbound – Overnight alternating lane closures for pavement marking installations, 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. Monday and Tuesday nights.
*NEW* Mile marker 0 to 2, eastbound – Right shoulder closures for utility work, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. through May 31.
*NEW* Mile marker 8 to 7, westbound – Right shoulder closures for sign work, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Mile marker 9 to 7, westbound – Overnight right lane closures at Shenandoah River bridge for utility work, 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Thursday night.
INTERSTATE 81
*UPDATE* Mile marker 299 to 300, northbound – Overnight alternating lane closures for overhead sign repairs, 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. Monday night.
Mile marker 299 to 300, northbound – Right shoulder closures for utility work, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. through May 31.
Mile marker 299 to 300, northbound and southbound –Overnight lane closures and traffic-lane shifts as needed, 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. through December 2024. Shoulder closures 24/7. Work zone speed limit: 55 miles an hour. Work is related to southbound acceleration ramp extension and bridge widening, with estimated completion in late 2024.
PRIMARY ROADS
*NEW* Route 55 (John Marshall Highway) – Flagger traffic control between Front Royal town limits and Route 647 (Dismal Hollow Road) for guardrail upgrades, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday (May 2) and Tuesday (May 7).
*NEW* Route 340 (Stonewall Jackson Highway) – Flagger traffic control between Route 674 (Limeton Church Road) and Route 607 (Rocky Lane) for pipe replacement, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 7 – May 14.
SECONDARY ROADS
Route 658 (Rockland Road) – Closed to through traffic between Route 340/522 (Winchester Road) and Route 705 (Fishnet Boulevard) for the construction of a bridge over Norfolk Southern Railway. Estimated completion December 2025.
Vegetation management may take place district-wide on various routes. Motorists are reminded to use extreme caution when traveling through work zones.
Traffic alerts and traveler information can be obtained by dialing 511 or at www.511Virginia.org.
Local News
VSP Investigating I-81 Dump Truck/Sheriff’s Vehicle Accident
The Virginia State Police are investigating a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 81 in Shenandoah County. The crash occurred Friday, May 3, at 5:46 a.m. at the Route 646 overpass at the 292-mile maker of I-81.
A 2005 Kenworth dump truck was traveling north on I-81 when the driver accidentally engaged the dump bed, which raised it and caused it to collide with the bridge overpass. The collision caused the dump bed to detach from the truck, slide backward, and land on a northbound 2022 Ford Explorer, which was driven by a Frederick County Sheriff’s deputy.
The dump truck driver, Gaylon R. Miller, 71, of Toms Brook, Va., was not injured in the crash. He was wearing his seatbelt.
The sheriff’s deputy suffered minor injuries and was transported to Winchester Medical Center for treatment.
Miller was charged with reckless driving.
(From a Release by the Virginia State Police)
Local News
WCSB Approves New LFK Principal; Accepts Scholarships for Baseball, Softball Seniors
The Warren County School Board unanimously approved the appointment of a new principal who will take over at Leslie Fox Keyser (LFK) Elementary School starting this summer and accepted baseball and softball scholarships being offered by the Front Royal Cardinals for four seniors attending Warren County Public Schools (WCPS).
Board chair Kristen Pence, vice chair Antoinette Funk, and board members Andrea Lo, Thomas McFadden, Jr., and Melanie Salins, during their regular meeting on Wednesday, May 1, voted 5-0 to have Jennifer Cameron appointed as the LFK principal effective July 1.
“Ms. Cameron is an experienced educator and leader in Warren County,” said WCPS Superintendent Christopher Ballenger in recommending her appointment to the School Board.
Previously, Cameron has taught as a fourth- and fifth-grade teacher and has experience as a literacy coach who supported grade-level teachers in her school building, Ballenger said, adding that as an administrator, Cameron has served as the dean of students and as an assistant principal.
“During her years of service, Ms. Cameron was selected as the Rotary Teacher of the Year in 2008 and was the [WCPS] Elementary Teacher of the Year in 2015-2016,” he added.
As a leader, Ballenger also said that Cameron has been integral in transforming E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School and has served as the chair for the division’s Attendance Committee for the past two years.
“Ms. Cameron is a great fit for LFK, and I know that her skill set will continue to move LFK forward,” said the superintendent.
Following the board’s vote, Cameron told board members she was honored to accept the LFK principal position and said she’s excited to rejoin the Lil’ Cat family.
“Thank you for entrusting me with this opportunity to nurture young minds and to foster the continued excellence of LFK,” she said. “I look forward to working with you to continue the path to excellence at Warren County Public Schools. I’m truly humbled at this huge responsibility that you have entrusted to me, and I look forward to the coming school year and this new adventure that awaits me.”
In other action items, the School Board unanimously accepted four scholarships with gratitude from the Front Royal Cardinals and approved the donation of auditorium seating from E. Wilson Morrison (EWM) Elementary School.
Donna Settle, president of Front Royal Cardinals Baseball, a nonprofit organization that is part of the Valley Baseball League, said that as part of the group’s fundraising activities, the board will sponsor Little League for both girls and boys and will give back to the WCPS baseball and softball programs.
“This year, our board has voted to bring scholarships back to Warren County,” Settle told the board. “I know we’re a little late in the season, but we have enough money set aside for the scholarships for the 2024 student-athletes.”
There are four new $500 scholarship opportunities beginning with the Class of 2024 that are available for a Skyline baseball and softball senior who plans to continue their education and for a Warren County baseball and softball senior who plans to continue their education.
The School Board also voted 5-0 to permit two auditorium seats to be donated to Robert MacDougall, founding principal of Transform Development, a commercial landlord and developer based in the Shenandoah Valley.
Seating in the EWM auditorium, which is being renovated to provide an indoor facility for students and staff, has been removed and is set to go to auction. MacDougall offered a facility to store the auditorium seating until they could be auctioned.
With the School Board’s blessing, WCPS will now donate two seats to MacDougall, who will display them in the theater once its renovation is completed.
Regarding a request to have the Warren County Board of Supervisors (BOS) appropriate the fiscal year 2022 School Operating Fund Surplus, the School Board voted unanimously to table the item to a work session and FY2025 budget resolution.
Ballenger explained that the total fiscal year 2021-2022 school operating surplus is $973,098, and said it was being requested that the Warren County Board of Supervisors (BOS) appropriate $300,000 of the surplus to the School Transportation Fund that is held by the County and the remaining $673,098 to the School Capital Improvement Fund that is also held by the County.
The $300,000 designated for the Transportation Fund was originally included in the FY2025 Proposed School Operating Budget to purchase replacement buses and vehicle(s) but has since been removed contingent upon the funding appropriated to the Transportation Fund, he said.
Of the $673,098 requested for the County’s School Capital Improvement Fund, $40,000 was originally included in the FY2025 Proposed School Operating Budget to cover the repair/replacement of the chiller at Hilda J Barbour Elementary School and to upgrade the HVAC management systems at several schools. The remaining balance ($633,098) being requested for the Capital Improvement Fund would be requested at a future date for other capital priorities, such as the replacement of the tennis courts at the high schools.
As the budget process continues unfolding for both WCPS and the BOS, the School Board members agreed to work more on the item before taking action.
During the School Board’s community participation portion of its meeting, Leslie Mathews (above), a parent with two children attending Skyline Middle School, said that some of the School Board members are using the concerns expressed through emails by parents as “a crutch” for their own political motives. She called it a disgrace.
“I and we parents are only given three minutes a month [during School Board meetings] to get up here and express our concerns to you, or we’re told we can email you,” said Mathews. “But I no longer trust that method of emailing.”
Mathews, who last fall unsuccessfully challenged School Board incumbent Pence for the South River School Board seat, said “it’s such a disgrace for you as a public servant to go and encourage others to FOIA the concerns of parents who are not like-minded as yourself.
“So, therefore, our concerns are going public,” said Mathews, who didn’t name names. “If we want more positive in Warren County Public Schools, then we need to start at our leadership.”
Chamber News
Front Royal Welcomes CBM Team of Supreme Lending with Enthusiasm and Optimism
Front Royal, Virginia, celebrated a significant business merger that marks a promising future for local economic development. The CBM Team, a longstanding local business entity, has officially joined forces with Supreme Lending, expanding its reach and capacity to serve the community more effectively.
Nike Foster, Executive Director of the Front Royal/Warren County Chamber of Commerce, and Mayor Lori Cockrell welcomed the CBM Team to our community. The event underscored a vibrant community spirit and the potential for economic growth. Byron Biggs, Chairman of the Chamber, highlighted the merger as a symbol of positive evolution in the local business landscape. It is now poised to extend its influence beyond Virginia.
Mayor Cockrell shared personal anecdotes, reflecting on the profound local ties and the exceptional character of the individuals involved, particularly noting the entrepreneurial spirit of Cory Michael, a former student of hers and now a regional manager for Team CBM. Her words painted a picture of a community that values deep personal connections and collective growth.
The merger promises substantial benefits to Front Royal, bringing enhanced services and opportunities for home ownership that were previously out of reach for many residents. This union is a merger of two companies and a fusion of cultures and aspirations, aiming to enrich the local community while maintaining the cherished CBM brand identity.
Attendees left the event with a sense of excitement and anticipation for the future, confident in the continued prosperity and communal strength of Front Royal.
Local News
Congratulations to Warren County High School Seniors – Class of 2024
Royal Examiner presents the Warren County High School Class of 2024. Congratulations to these wonderful seniors on their hard work and deserved accomplishments! We wish you the best in your next big endeavors. Photos courtesy of Victor O’Neill Studios and Tolliver Studios, LLC.
If your Warren County senior is not listed, please send in their Name and Senior Picture to news@royalexaminer.com.
Local News
Fairfax Police Officer, Son of WC Deputy Jim Williams One of This Year’s Fairfax Valor Awards Recipients
At the Thursday, April 11 Fairfax County Valor Awards ceremony, Fairfax County Police Officer Cody Williams, son of Warren County Sheriff’s Office Deputy and Bailiff Jim Williams, and two colleagues were among the 2023 honorees. We asked proud father Jim about the incident late last year that led to his son and fellow officers’ recognition. This is what he told us:
“On December 25th, Christmas Day, at 9 p.m., members of the Fairfax County Police Department Reston District Station responded to a shot person call. According to his wife, the homeowner had accidentally shot himself while cleaning his handgun. Officers Cody Williams, Andrew Craven, and Anthony Galindo arrived on the scene to find the homeowner unresponsive. The gunshot wound was to the victim’s left calf, resulting in an extreme loss of blood. Williams and Craven applied two tourniquets, and Galindo performed CPR. The victim was transported to the local hospital. He was able to make a full recovery.”
We were also informed of comments by Fairfax Police Chief Kevin Davis, who made an analogy to his officers’ Christmas Day call and the 1947 Hollywood movie classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” starring Jimmy Stewart. As fans of that great and timeless film will recall, it had its own Christmas day event of a somewhat miraculous nature involving a Guardian Angel. And indeed, it will be “a Wonderful Life” for the injured man and his family moving forward due to the prompt actions of their “guardian angels” Officers Williams, Craven, and Galindo, among others at the scene.
We found this background on the Fairfax Valor Awards website:
“The Fairfax County Valor Awards recognize the remarkable achievements in service of our community’s dedicated first responders. Since 1979, members of our police, sheriff, fire and rescue, and public safety communications have been honored for exceeding the call of duty with their lifesaving acts. The Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce is proud to host this prestigious event.” In attempting to get photos of the Christmas Day “guardian angels” from even sponsor the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, we were informed individual shots were not taken due to the number of recipients from the past year. This year, a total of 240 awards were presented, including 84 Lifesaving Awards, 131 Certificates of Valor, 22 Bronze Medals of Valor, and 3 Silver Medals of Valor.
Congratulations to Officers Williams, Craven and Galindo for a Christmas Day first response well done, and one that at least two Reston residents may remember as their very own Christmas miracle, circa 2023.
And thanks to our own WCSO Deputy Jim Williams for alerting us to this nearby Happy Ending Christmas story. And also a nod toward our own first responders in Warren County and the Town of Front Royal for all they do daily for us. You’re ALL Valor Award winners to us!!!