Mike McCool sat down with Avery Harper and Susan Hrbek from the Phoenix Project to discuss the organization’s impactful work. Despite its significant contributions, the Phoenix Project often flies under the radar. The organization provides essential support for survivors of domestic and sexual violence in Front Royal and Warren County.

In July 2023, the Phoenix Project achieved professional accreditation from the Department of Criminal Justice Services, signifying its commitment to high standards in administration, crisis intervention, advocacy, and community engagement.

The Phoenix Project has a 24/7 hotline for survivors and collaborates with local police to immediately assist those in need. The organization offers transportation services for clients needing to reach various locations, including courthouses and medical facilities. It also provides language and interpretation services to non-English-speaking clients.

The top reasons people contact the Phoenix Project include crisis intervention, counseling, criminal justice information, and referrals to other services. The organization maintains strict confidentiality, and its website features a quick exit button to protect the privacy of those seeking help.

The organization relies on grants and fundraising to operate. One notable fundraiser is a Mother’s Day basket raffle, with tickets available online or at their office. The Phoenix Project also hosts a popular wine pull event.

The Phoenix Project will celebrate its 10th anniversary in May with a public event. The organization has provided shelter for many survivors, including women, children, and men, who face domestic or sexual violence. Their work highlights that such violence affects people from all walks of life.

In January 2023, the Phoenix Project expanded its services to include a sexual assault program, with a dedicated advocate providing support and education.

The Phoenix Project’s services are free and confidential, helping survivors of all genders. The organization encourages anyone in need of assistance to call, whether they are experiencing physical violence or other troubling relationship dynamics. The Phoenix Project is a vital resource in the community, offering support and safety to those in need.

For more information, please visit their website.

Town Talk is a series on the Royal Examiner where we will introduce you to local entrepreneurs, businesses, non-profit leaders, and political figures who influence Warren County. Topics will be varied but hopefully interesting. Let us know if you have an idea topic or want to hear from someone in our community. Send your request to news@RoyalExaminer.com

Andrew Carnegie’s journey from rags to riches is a quintessential American success story. Born in 1835 in Dunfermline, Scotland, Carnegie hailed from a poor working-class family that lived in a cramped one-room weaver’s cottage shared with another family. In 1848, seeking a better life, the family emigrated to Pennsylvania. Carnegie, then just a boy, started his American life with humble beginnings.

Initially, Carnegie worked for pennies as a textile worker and later as a telegraph messenger. However, his hard work and determination paid off. By the age of 24, he had climbed the ranks to become the Western Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad superintendent, earning a remarkable $1,500 a year, roughly equivalent to $50,000 today. This role was a stepping stone, propelling him into a significant position within the burgeoning railroad industry.

During the American Civil War, Carnegie was appointed the superintendent of the Union’s military railways, a prestigious position that put him at the forefront of a vital industry. During this time, he began investing in railway projects and oil companies, recognizing the booming potential in these sectors.

After the war, Carnegie focused on the steel industry, rapidly expanding due to the demand for rail lines and bridges. He fully embraced the Bessemer process, which refined pig iron into lighter, stronger, and cheaper steel. This innovation revolutionized the steel industry, and Carnegie Steel became the largest producer of pig iron, steel rails, and coke.

Carnegie’s success reached its zenith, making him the richest man in America when he died in 1919. However, despite his immense wealth, Carnegie firmly believed that “the man who dies thus rich dies disgraced.” True to his philosophy, he gave away 90 percent of his fortune to philanthropic causes, including founding Carnegie Mellon University and establishing over 2,500 public libraries.

Carnegie’s life story is a testament to the power of hard work, innovation, and philanthropy, illustrating how one man’s determination can shape industries and benefit future generations.

After attempting to ban the products in previous sessions, the Democratic legislature passed a bill Republican Gov. Glenn Younkgin signed that bans the sale of pavement sealant containing a set of chemicals environmental groups say seep into the environment, causing health issues for wildlife and humans. The ban begins July 1.

House Bill 985 prohibits the sale of the sealant used for driveways and parking lots that use certain concentrations of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, or PAHs, chemicals commonly found in coal tar.

“PAHs are definitely toxic. There isn’t a question about that,” said Joe Wood, senior scientist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, a major backer of the bill. “When organisms — whether oysters, mice, or fish — are exposed to these products in research studies, they have caused negative health effects.”

But groups that use the pavement sealers, primarily the Pavement Coating Technology Council, pushed back against the bill during the session, saying they shouldn’t be stopped from using the PAH-heavy sealants because other sources of the chemicals release them into the environment.

“We’re concerned that small businesses across Virginia will get snarled by these violations and penalties and not have anywhere to turn to remedy that situation,” said Alex Thorup, a lobbyist on behalf of the PCTC.

Other sealers felt differently. Michael Jones, owner of Jones Striping and Sealcoating LLC, said the PAH ban shouldn’t be a problem, given the health benefits his employees experienced after switching to an alternative material and that his company has still found work.

“We learned, of course, first hand, that [the coal tar] is toxic, and it does burn the skin also,” Jones said in a Feb. 27 committee testimony. “We [switched] because of the health of our clients’ employees and, of course, protecting the environment.”

The chemicals and how often they are used

The PAH chemicals naturally occur in coal, crude oil, and gasoline. The PAHs in pavement sealants come from coal tar, a byproduct of coking, or heating up coal to make it a higher quality.

The pavement sealant uses coal tar to fill cracks and provide a smooth finish on top of asphalt. From there, the pavement’s dust is kicked up into the air by the wind, washed away by stormwater runoff, or knocked loose from abrasive tires on roadways.

A study from the U.S. Geological Survey found that house dust in areas around where coal tar seal coating was used had a PAH concentration of 129 milligrams per kilogram. The seal coat itself had a PAH concentration of 66,000 milligrams per kilogram. Coal tar comprises about 20 to 35% of the product.

Conversely, non-coal tar sealants — such as asphalt emulsion, usually made up of asphalt water and soap — produced lower PAH concentrations in house dust, as little as 5 milligrams per kilogram. The asphalt emulsion product itself typically has concentrations of 50 milligrams per kilogram.

“Asphalt and asphalt-based seal coat products have much lower concentrations of PAHs,” USGS stated.

The environmental health harm

Several different research papers point to the chemicals causing harm to ecosystems, though some of the research is disputed.

The USGS research found that people living near coal tar sealants were 38 times more likely to have an “extra risk” of developing cancer than those living near unsealed pavement. In the Elizabeth River, the PAH chemicals from a nearby wood treatment plant were found to be a “plausible link” to cancer in killifish.

The presence of PAH from leaking petroleum storage tanks in Lewis Creek led the Department of Environmental Quality to create a total daily maximum load limit, or TMDL, in 2006 to reduce the amount of pollution runoff.

“With successful completion of implementation plans, Virginia will be well on the way to restoring impaired waters and enhancing the value of this important resource,” the TMDL plan stated.

However, the Pavement Coating Technology Council has pointed to errors in the USGS research, stating invalid modeling was used. The group also called out PAH pollution research done in Austin, Texas, which has waterways with more of a rock-based bottom that soil washes away from instead of East Coast waterways with dirt bottoms that collect soil over time.

The Austin research sampled soils in the waterway in 2005, 2008, and 2023 and didn’t find an accumulation of PAH chemicals, said Robert DeMott, a toxicologist with environmental engineering firm Ramboll, in a Feb. 27 committee testimony.

“We found that the ban did not yield a noticeable reduction in PAH levels across all of those creek systems,” said DeMott. “A narrowly targeted approach of focusing on only one source is unlikely to change the environment at large substantially.”

DEQ Director Michael Rolband added testimony on the bill saying the PAH chemicals are toxic, but linking their presence in the environment with pavement sealants was questionable.

A 2018 DEQ report summarizing research on the topic stated: “Land-use analyses have found that PAH concentrations do not correlate well with impervious surfaces if roadways are included. However, if roadways are separated out, PAH concentration correlates weakly with roadways and much more strongly with other types of impervious surface (i.e., parking lots).”

What the bill does

The bill creates a new section under the Environmental Emergency Response Fund statute, which is used for cleaning up environmental hazards.

Del. Kathy Tran, D-Fairfax County’s legislation sets a ban on selling pavement sealers with a PAH concentration of more than 1% of the product weight after July 1.

There’s also a provision that lets businesses in Virginia with the product in stock sell their inventory, but no one will be able to use it after July 1 of next year. Violations of the bans would result in a $250 penalty; those funds would then be deposited into the Environmental Emergency Response Fund.

The changes shouldn’t be a problem, Tran testified in committee testimony, considering that most large retailers selling gallon buckets of the sealant for homeowners to use on driveways are no longer doing so.

Jones, whose business deals with practical aspects of the product, including applying it to the ground, added compliance shouldn’t pose a challenge, considering his business transitioned away from the coal tar product years ago.

The change may have resulted in a 5 to 10% cost increase for him. However, his company’s portfolio of smaller projects is still active, evidenced by a 450-square-foot parking lot he recently did in downtown Richmond, which used 350 gallons of low-PAH sealant for the job.

“The quality is the same if not better,” Jones said, adding that his work is “a drop in the bucket” compared to the size and number of projects in the rest of the state.

National sealant distributors, like SealMaster, which has several locations in Virginia, have endorsed the pivot away from coal tar sealants with higher PAH concentrations in favor of “environmentally friendly” sealers.

For Jones, the health and safety of his workers outweigh any cost increases from the alternative sealants he uses now.

“They were coming [to work], but they weren’t as happy,” Jones said of his employees who may have been injured by coal tar sealant and previously had to wear long sleeves and facemasks in the outdoor heat as a precaution.

This story was updated to correct that the year DEQ’s report came out was 2018 and the concentrations of PAH in a coal tar sealant product.

by Charlie Paullin, Virginia Mercury

Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com. Follow Virginia Mercury on Facebook and Twitter.

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.

These photos indicate what a close call this deputy appears to have had. – Photos by Virginia State Police who authorize their publication.

(From a Release by the Virginia State Police)

Here is a photo and video feature of this year’s “A Taste for Books: British Invasion” themed fundraiser for Samuels Public Library at the library on Saturday evening, April 27. We wondered if the 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. or so “invasion” was as successful as it appeared to be, as well as fun for all involved. So, we reached out to management at the library for details. We heard back from Library Board of Trustees President Melody Hotek, who told us that while final numbers hadn’t yet been tabulated, “This was a stellar year in attendance, Table Hosts, and Silent Auction items, so I am anticipating that we will surpass our goal of $25,000.

“Over the next week, pictures will be posted and final numbers will be tallied, but on this Monday, the Library wants to say a great big Thank You! We are grateful for each and every contribution and the overwhelming support of our wonderful community. No way around it, “A Taste for Books” is always the best party in town!” Hotek enthused, rightfully so it would seem this past Saturday.

Piped in by Gene Schultz and John Taylor of the Winchester Pipes and Drums group to begin a good-natured and often costumed ‘British Invasion’ culturally and musically. And let’s have a ‘JOLLY GOOD TIME’ as suggested at check-in. – Royal Examiner Still Photos Roger Bianchini

We also asked about the “British Invasion” theme’s origin. “Each year the theme is decided on by the committee made up of the Library managers and staff. British Invasion was our 11th year and my 7th year helping to coordinate the event. Next year’s theme will be “A Taste for Books: Movie Magic”.

But how could it be more magical than this year’s “British Invasion” which included references to Stonehenge, Harry Potter, and the historically long running Brit TV sci-fi series “Doctor Who” — not to mention the rather musically magical British Invasion of the rock & roll, pop music scene of the 1960s and ’70s?!? I guess time and a borrowed TARDIS from Dr. Who will tell.

For us sci-fi fans from the BBC classic ‘Dr. Who’, the TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension In Space) time-and-space machine disguised as a Bobby’s police call box – Don’t forget, it’s bigger on the inside than on the outside.

The Library Trustees President also wanted to be sure to acknowledge all the Table Hosts, local business Sponsors, and awards winners. And we will accommodate that request, beginning with the Table Hosts of which Ms. Hotek observed, “Table Hosts provided all the wonderful appetizer ‘tastes’ for the guests and we are so grateful to them. This year we had a lot of new and returning organizations and businesses.”

Those Table Hosting businesses included, with acknowledgements as awarded: Garcia & Gavino, *Penny Lane Hair Co. – Best Table Decoration, Shenandoah Valley Music Festival, *Main Street Geek – Best Food Award, *ARC of Warren Co. – Best Costume, Warren County Retired Teachers, Randolph Macon Academy, *Warren County Heritage Society – Best Table Decoration, *Front Royal Warren Co Chamber of Commerce – Best Table Decoration, *Stone Branch Center for the Arts – Best Food Award, Warren-Front Royal Appalachian Trail Committee, *Beautification of Front Royal Committee – Best Food Award, *Front Royal Warren County Tree Stewards – Best Costume Award, Friends of Samuels Library (FOSL), Epilogue Bookstore, City of Winchester Pipes and Drums, additional food provided by Apple House & Ledo’s.

Pictured from the Penny Lane Hair Co. winning food decoration table, Salon owner Mallory Deinert, Sue Laurence as The Beatle lyrically referenced ‘Walrus’, and Nichole Turpin, apparently as the real walrus in a human costume. Below are some of “British Music Invasion” Beatle/Liverpool-themed Penny Lane Salon decor with what we recall as a Yellow Submarine character reference in the third photo. Courtesy Photos Parson Brown

Separate Prizes were awarded to guests for Best Costume, Hotek observed, “Dressed as Monty Python characters were Jessica and Will Cahill, Diane Schmiedicke was ready for an Equestrian horse race and the Queen was represented by Mary Bennett.”

As to musical accompaniment, as noted in the opening caption the event’s grand opening was kicked off by two bagpipers from the City of Winchester Pipes and Drums group, Gene Schultz and John Taylor. And in one area of the building British Invasion band music was piped in and in the main section guests were treated to a string trio by Annabelle, Georgia and Kelby Grady.

Hotek also told us, “We are extremely grateful to Hot-Shots Photography for sponsoring and photographing the guests. This year our guests had their Royal Portrait taken and went home with a souvenir bordered by the British flag.

“Many other local businesses, wineries, theaters, and artists donated gift cards and items for the Silent Auction and game prize drawings making this a ‘Jolly Good’ evening all around. Fifteen of our guests went home with a grab bag worth between $40-60 for playing our British Icons game,” Hotek noted.

Excitement began peaking as winners of silent auctions and other prizes were announced.

We will conclude this with a “Thank you” to Samuels Public Library and all of its supporting patrons and businesses for making this year’s fundraiser a memorable one.

Some more photos will follow this list of Sponsors, as noted by Hotek “vital to the success of the event.” Those sponsors include: First Bank, Target, Royal Examiner, Northern Virginia Daily, Mountain Home Bed & Breakfast, Front Royal Dental Care Dr. Frederick Broadhead and Dr. Daisy Broadhead, Mountain Laurel Montessori School, Total Wine & More, the Ambrose Family, and the Samuels Library Board members, past and present.

And let’s try to get those London and Liverpool accents right, along with all those in between. That shouldn’t be a problem for this trio, who don’t need to be in costume – three real Brits, from left, our own Malcolm Barr Sr., Susan O’Kelly, and Chris Laurence.

Two ‘British Invasion’ fans sandwiched between posters for the musical variety to their right, and the ancient astronomical knowledge front as hinted at, at Stonehenge, pictured to their left. And speaking of ancient knowledge, there is Harry Potter sneaking into a food table display below, just in front of the Garcia & Gavino table snacks.

We followed this Colonially garbed couple into the deeper reaches of Samuels Public Library to see what other British Invasion fronts we could find, and we discovered another musical invasion option of a more classical nature provided by Annabelle, Georgia and Kelby Grady, one of whom appeared to be on break when we arrived. Seems there was a little something for everyone. And a final look at the winning food decoration table of the Penny Lane Hair Salon, well just because we like well-decorated food and The Beatles.

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.

School Division Superintendent Christopher Ballenger (right), on May 1, introduced School Board members to Jennifer Cameron (left), the new 2024-2025 principal at Leslie Fox Keyser Elementary School.

“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.”

Click here to watch the School Board’s May 1 meeting.