The Rotary Club of Front Royal elected its 2024-2025 president when retiring president Ken Evans handed over the gavel at a luncheon ceremony on Friday, June 21. She is Holly Rhodenhizer, a relative newcomer to the community, who joined the local 97-year-old club just five years ago, becoming a club board member a year later, in 2020. She has been a Front Royal resident for nine years, moving here from Fairfax and working mostly from home.

A dozen past presidents dating back at least a few decades lined up to welcome their new leader in an age-old ceremony that included a group swearing-in of Holly and her new board by past President Evans.

Retiring Rotary President Ken Evans ‘pins’ his successor during swearing-in ceremony. Below, Holly Rhodenhizer makes her maiden presidential speech before Front Royal Rotarians. – Courtesy Photos FR Rotary

“My goals for the year are to have a more engaged club, through growth and service, engage in social-service projects during meetings, as well as traditional service projects, and have a great time doing it!” she told the assembled group of Rotarians, adding, “I have a passion for people with disabilities as that has been my work for over 20 years. So, I hope we can find some opportunities to engage with that population locally.”

An admitted “fun lover” — her main hobby is hiking — she added, “So, I hope we can do a project or two for hikers and/or the state and national parks, and to incorporate fun into much of what we do.”

The Front Royal Cardinals are back in action, ready to face the Purcellville Cannons on June 23, 2024. The game will take place at Bing Crosby Stadium, with the first pitch thrown at 7 p.m. Gates will open an hour earlier at 6 p.m.

Don’t miss this exciting matchup as the Cardinals continue their home season. Come out and support your local team for an evening of thrilling baseball!

Regular admission is $5, with special rates of $3 for military personnel, kids aged 7-12, and seniors 60 and above. Kids 6 and under get in free. For those who can’t make it to the stadium, all home games are live-streamed on the Royal Examiner, starting at 6:45 p.m.

June 22-23 marks the 2024 ARRL Field Day! This amateur radio event is both an open house for ham radio and a chance for the amateur community to unite and practice operating under unique conditions. Our publisher, Mike McCool, sat down with Greg Butler, the leader of Warren County EmComm, to learn more about this annual event. Greg shared insights into the importance and operations of their amateur radio activities.

“Today is Amateur Radio Field Day,” Greg explained. “It’s an event that encompasses all of North America, including Canada and the U.S. It’s always held on the fourth full weekend in June. The idea behind Field Day is to set up your station in a more austere environment than the comfort of your home and demonstrate to the public how you can serve the community by being able to set up a station quickly and operate.”

As Greg and Mike chatted, the air was filled with excitement as radio enthusiasts aimed to contact other stations across the U.S. “The goal today is to see where we can reach with our humble setup,” Greg said. “We’ve already contacted California and Colorado. Earlier, we heard a station in Croatia, though we couldn’t connect with them. Our primary focus is to serve Warren County and Front Royal. If emergency communications are degraded or destroyed, we can use our radios to communicate across the county and even down to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management in Richmond.”

Greg Butler, who many consider the leader of this group, describes himself more as a choreographer. “I coordinate our efforts for the county,” he said. “I am the primary liaison to the fire department, to whom we report.”

The group is an official county communicator team. “Every member has to be licensed by the FCC with an amateur radio license and express an interest in public service. They complete a formal application with the county fire department and undergo a fingerprint-based background check. We also take a class in criminal justice to ensure we can operate within the emergency operations center and dispatch areas where sensitive information is displayed.”

To ensure readiness, the team conducts weekly tests. “Every Wednesday morning, we test the emergency operations center radios to ensure they’re working properly. In the afternoon, we test the radio station at the hospital. Our portable station can be deployed anywhere the county needs us. We have a permanent antenna at Warren County Middle School, which can be used as a shelter during severe weather, and another at the Front Royal Police Station. We can be operational in about ten minutes.”

As they walked through the event, Greg introduced some team members. “This is Tom Blicharz, whose call sign is KR4DO, and Sam Cheshire, KQ4RIV. Today is a contest, so they’re trying to contact other stations nationwide. Sam logs each contact as proof.”

The organization has about 15 or 16 active members and is always looking for new recruits. “Not everyone is retired like me,” Greg noted. “If something happens at 2 PM on a Tuesday, we can activate two or three people immediately. We can figure out shift coverage if an emergency extends overnight.”

Mike inquired about the relevance of amateur radio in today’s world of cell phones. Greg explained, “Everyone has a cell phone until the system goes down. The cellular system relies on many towers. Weather, extended power outages, or major events can take them down. Amateur radio operates on specific frequencies that don’t rely on that infrastructure, allowing us to communicate when other systems fail.”

Greg highlighted the versatility of amateur radio equipment. “The FCC gives us segments of the radio spectrum, allowing us to communicate locally, regionally, or even globally, depending on atmospheric conditions and our goals.”

For those interested in joining, Greg advised, “We have a Facebook page called Warren County EmComm. People can message us there or contact the fire department, who can connect them with me. We’re always looking for new members, though we want to ensure they’re genuinely interested. There are plenty of amateur radio activities outside of emergency communications.”

Mike thanked Greg for his dedication and the team’s hard work. “Your crew looks intense, concentrating on making good contacts. It’s great to see such commitment.”

As the day progressed, the sun matched the warmth of the community spirit, with amateur radio enthusiasts demonstrating their vital role in emergency preparedness and communication.

Warren County EmComm Prepares for Emergencies with Annual Field Day

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
Mile marker 0 to 8, eastbound and westbound – Right shoulder closures, including westbound exit 6 off-ramp for utility work, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Friday.

Mile marker 7 to 10, eastbound – Right shoulder closures for utility work, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. through July 31.

*NEW* Mile marker 12 to 15, eastbound – Overnight alternating mobile lane closures for pavement marking operations, 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Tuesday night.

INTERSTATE 81
Mile marker 299 to 300, northbound – Right shoulder closures for utility work, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Friday.

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.

PRIMARY ROADS
Route 340/522 (Winchester Road) – Southbound right shoulder closures of on-ramp to westbound I-66 for utility work, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. through Friday.

SECONDARY ROADS
Route 638 (Howellsville Road) – Stop and proceed with traffic control 24/7 just south of Route 685 (Patty Tract Lane) intersection to replace the bridge over Venus Branch. Estimated completion: August 8.

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 www.511Virginia.org.

WASHINGTON — The Democratic National Committee has taken a significant step toward formally designating Joe Biden as the party’s presidential nominee before the Democratic convention in August — a move that’s necessary to place him on the Ohio ballot for November’s election, States Newsroom has been told.

DNC members finalized their vote Thursday to move forward with an all-virtual roll call vote after 360 members voted in favor, two voted against and five abstained, according to a spokesperson.

In addition, the DNC will offer an online portal for Democrats to say what they want to see included in the national party platform as it is constructed ahead of the convention.

DNC Chair Jaime Harrison wrote in a statement that during the first term of the Biden-Harris administration, “we’ve seen the incredible outcomes that can result when democratic ideas are put into action.”

“I’m excited to announce that this year, through our testimony portal, we’ll be able to hear from more Americans and receive more input than ever before as we chart the road to the 2024 Democratic National Convention,” Harrison wrote. “We’ll build a platform that is rooted in the collective experience of Americans and mobilize people to vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in November.”

Virtual roll call

In order to nominate Biden and Harris before the Ohio deadline, the DNC’s Credentials Committee and the Rules Committee will next need to adopt their reports to allow the virtual roll call, which will formally nominate Biden and Harris, to take place before the convention.

The DNC Convention is scheduled to begin in Chicago on Aug. 19, but the state of Ohio requires that presidential candidates are formally nominated at least 90 days before Election Day.

The DNC is also moving forward with plans to hold some version of the traditional roll call during the convention, though the party is looking to “build on the success” of the roll call vote held during the all-virtual 2020 presidential nominating convention, necessitated by the pandemic.

The DNC spokesperson told States Newsroom that the goal for this year’s convention-week nomination is to pull in more Americans beyond the delegates who are in Chicago at the United Center.

Democrats, the spokesperson said, are looking to revive elements of the 2020 roll call vote, which they called “Roll Call Across America.”

The all-virtual nomination during the 2020 convention featured Democratic delegates voting from historic and sometimes quirky locations.

Those included the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama, the Joseph R. Biden Jr. Railroad Station in Delaware, a cornfield in Iowa, an art studio and community center in Louisiana, a field of grazing cattle in Montana, Biden’s childhood home in Pennsylvania and a beach in Rhode Island where a chef held a plate of fried calamari.

Democratic platform

In addition to working toward the nomination of Biden and Harris, the DNC is preparing to build the official Democratic platform in the weeks ahead.

The DNC planned to open the online portal Friday that will allow all Democrats to fill out a form detailing what they want to see in this year’s party platform, the spokesperson said.

There will be a version in English as well as one in Spanish.

The first Platform Committee meeting will be July 16, followed by the Rules Committee meeting on July 19 and the Credentials Committee’s first meeting on July 21.

Those meetings will be held the same week that Republicans gather in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to hold their convention and formally nominate Donald Trump as their presidential candidate.

All the DNC’s committee meetings will be virtual and streamed online for anyone to watch. Each committee includes about 200 people from the 57 states and territories.

The DNC on Friday also announced the 15 members of the platform drafting committee.

That list includes Chair Louisa Terrell, former director of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs; former Labor Department Secretary Marty Walsh; Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison; Ted Kaufman, who worked in Biden’s U.S. Senate office before serving as the U.S. senator from Delaware; Jeremy Bash, who previously worked as the chief of staff at the CIA and the U.S. Department of Defense; Rebecca Brocato, who previously worked as a special assistant to Biden and as the National Security Council senior director for legislative affairs; Marla Blunt-Carter, who worked as the projects manager and director of constituent services in Biden’s Senate office as well as the senior adviser and political strategist for U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester; Joelle Gamble, former deputy director of the National Economic Council; Josh Hsu, former counsel and chief legal adviser for Vice President Harris; Angela Kelley, the chief adviser for policy and partnerships at the American Immigration Council and at the American Immigration Lawyers Association; former South Carolina state Sen, Marlon Kimpson; Rohini Kosoglu, former deputy assistant for Biden and domestic policy adviser for Harris; Lori Lodes, executive director at Climate Power, a political organization focused on addressing climate change; Jeff Peck, who worked for Biden on the Senate Judiciary Committee as general counsel and staff director in the late 1980s and early 1990s; Bharat Ramamurti, former deputy director for the National Economic Council; and Hilda Solis, secretary of labor during the Obama administration.

The drafting committee’s first meeting will be July 11. It will be held virtually and available for anyone to watch on the DNC’s YouTube page.

Democratic National Convention Committee Chair Minyon Moore wrote in a statement that during the “final sprint to the 2024 Democratic National Convention, we look forward to drawing upon our party’s rich diversity and hearing from Americans from all walks of life as we chart the course for the next four years under the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris.”

“The Democratic Party’s strength is our diversity and, together, we will build a platform that reaffirms who we are as Democrats and sets us on the path to victory once again this November.”

by Jennifer Shutt, 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 X.

Richard William Smelser Sr., 82, of Front Royal, Virginia, passed away at his home on Friday, June 21, 2024.

Funeral services will be private.

Mr. Smelser was born in Front Royal on February 7, 1942, to the late Bennie and Clara Mathews Smelser.  He was also preceded in death by his wife, Margaret Smelser; three brothers, Lloyd Smelser, Roger Smelser, and Lee Smelser; grandson, Chad Smelser; and granddaughter, Stacey Prechtel.  He retired from Perry Engineering.

Survivors include his son, Richard William Smelser Jr. (Vanessa Van Meter); two daughters, Joyce L. Smelser (Tommy Jenkins) and Jeanne A. Smelser (Jason Brittain); Brother, Larry Smelser (Marsha); sister, Lorraine Brannon; four grandchildren; numerous great grandchildren and his dog, Buddy.

In place of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Blue Ridge Hospice, 333 West Cork Street, Winchester, Virginia 22601.