Special ‘Yappy Hour’ guest LaBella

“Yappy Hour” — a fun fundraiser for the Julia Wagner Animal Shelter – returns to downtown Front Royal’s East Main Street courtesy ViNoVa Tapas Bar and Restaurant Friday, July 10, after an absence since last March due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic emergency response closings.

Owners and operators Rachel Failmezger and Chris Kenworthy will continue to host “Yappy Hour” which features lower cost food and drink prices, a generous cut from sales during the 6-8 p.m. event, and proceeds from a traditional 50/50 raffle all donated to the Humane Society of Warren County (HSWC) for its Wagner Shelter operations.

In celebration of her release from her shelter kennel just 24 hours earlier, La Bella will be the “belle of the ball” as the rescue dog takes a bow with her adopters, Michael and Sherry Williams, at the opening of this weekly event.

Since meal and bar service has been moved outdoors into the “closed to car traffic” East Main Street, attendees are encouraged to bring their (well behaved!) dogs to join La Bella and my own rescue husky, La Diva, to the soiree. All spacing, masking and other suggested state and local requirements will be observed.

Front Royal’s original “Yappy Hour” was launched at the same restaurant site under a different name (Vino e Formaggio) by myself and Christian Failmezger several years ago, and over a two-year span raised some $12,000 for the animal shelter. It was re-launched last September with similar financial success during its first six months.

(Malcolm Barr Sr., our contributing writer, is a past president of HSWC)

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On July 4, 2020, members of the Colonel James Wood II Chapter of the Virginia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (VASSAR) joined the Culpeper Minute Men Chapter in commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The ceremony was held on the courthouse lawn in Culpeper, Virginia and involved compatriots from the Colonel James Wood II (CJWII), Colonel William Grayson (CWG), Culpeper Minute Men (CMM) and Fairfax Resolves (FR) Chapters. It was emcee’d by Charles Jameson, President of the CMM and dual member with the CJWII chapter.

Compatriots Eric Robinson, Dale Corey, Marc Robinson, Mike Dennis, Sean Carrigan and Mike Weyler.

VASSAR President Bill Schwetke provided a welcome from the State Society. Ken Bonner, VASSAR Color Guard Commander led the multichapter color guard in presenting the colors. A presentation on the creation of the Declaration of Independence was made by Benjamin Franklin reenactor Barry Stevens. Tom Hamill of CMM read the Declaration. Ken Bonner led a musket salute fired by compatriots Sean Carrigan, Mike Dennis and Eric Robinson. Also participating from the CJWII chapter were Marc Robinson and Dale Corey.

The musket squad preparing to fire: Sean Carrigan, Mike Dennis, Eric Robinson and Ken Bonner.

Later that day, the Colonel James Wood II Chapter of the Virginia Society Sons of the American Revolution participated in a the Middletown Independence Day Parade, marching with several organizations. The Chapters part in the parade was led by Chapter President Marc Robinson and Chapter Vice President Thomas “Chip” Daniel. They were followed by a tractor driven by compatriot Wayne Barringer. He provided transportation for Shenandoah Society Children of the American Revolution members Jackie, Sam and Leona Gill in colonial attire.

Marc Robinson and Chip Daniel carrying the Chapter banner, followed by the vehicle driven by Wayne Barringer with Jackie, Sam and Leona Gill riding in front.

Also riding in the vehicle were compatriot Dale Corey, Deborah Corey (John Alexander Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution) and Vangy Robinson. Following them were musket men Eric Robinson, Sean Carrigan and Erick Moore. They were followed closely by Rutherford’s Rangers, French and Indian War representatives Rocky Shores, Jeff Pennington, Steve Doss and Charles “Duck” Belding.

Reenactors Rocky Shores (Ranger), Eric Robinson (SAR/Ranger), Sean Carrigan (SAR), Duck Belding (Ranger), Jeff Pennington (Ranger) and Erick Moore (Ranger/SAR).

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Are you looking for the full movie-going experience without having to wait in the long lines that often accompany that experience? Then look no further because Royal Cinemas movie theatre is the answer. Get the whole gang together and enjoy a movie! We are continuing to practice “6 Foot Social Distancing” with 25% capacity reserved seating in all auditoriums.

Outdoor Main Street Movie is this Friday, July 10, at 8:50pm:

• Friday, July 10: “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”
• Saturday, July 11: “Grease”
• Bring your own lawn chair and enjoy the outdoors! (Weather permitting)

Here is a list of this week’s showtimes at Royal Cinemas as of Friday, July 10:

• Fri-Sun: 3:45 & 6:55
• Monday: 3:40
• Tues-Thurs: 3:45 & 6:55
Rated PG13  |  Run Time: 1 hour 43 min

• Fri-Sun: 3:40 & 6:20
• Monday: 3:30
• Tues-Thurs: 3:40 & 6:20
Rated PG13  |  Run Time: 2 hour 22 min

• Fri-Sun: 3:50 & 6:45
• Monday: 3:35
• Tues-Thurs: 3:40 & 6:20
Rated PG13  |  Run Time: 1 hour 51 min

COVID-19 Throwbacks Ticket Prices: All Seats $3.00

Other movies coming soon to Royal Cinemas:

• “Goonies”
• “Gremlins”
• “The Breakfast Club”

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UPDATE: Due to inclement weather, we are moving the yard sale back one week to Friday the 17th and Saturday the 18th. We will continue to take donations until close of business on Thursday the 16th.

It’s that time of year again! The Humane Society of Warren County’s annual yard sale is a wonderful way to find some awesome deals and support the shelter! Play the “Name your price” game and walk away with a bargain.

Donations for the yard sale will be collected at the shelter until July 16th. Donations will not be accepted during the yard sale itself. All donations are tax deductible.

The yard sale will be on Friday, July 17th, from 8am-2pm, and again on Saturday, July 18th, 8am-2pm. Click here to join the Facebook event and learn more!

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On July 5th at 2pm, Colonel James Wood II Chapter of the Virginia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution will read the Declaration of Independence at the Warren County Government Center. This event is open to the public.

Here is an overview of the Declaration of Independence taken from the National Park Service:

Looking back on the Declaration of Independence almost 50 years later, Thomas Jefferson explained that the document’s purpose was never meant to be thoroughly original; its purpose wasn’t to articulate anything that hadn’t been saying before but to make the case for the American colonies in plain terms and persuade the world to see common sense. “It was intended to be an expression of the American mind,” Jefferson explains. He goes on to claim that “[the Declaration’s] authority rests then on the harmonizing sentiments of the day.” (Jefferson to Henry Lee, May 8, 1825)

Jefferson finished his timeless defense of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” in little more than two weeks, and like most writers, he was no stranger to the revision process. Between the Committee of Five and the Second Continental Congress, there were 86 edits to the document. The Second Continental Congress removed whole sections. Jefferson was most angered by the removal of one particular clause, a clause blaming the King for forcing the slave trade upon the American colonies.

The final draft of the Declaration of Independence contains a preamble, a list of grievances, a formal declaration of independence, and signatures.

Preamble
This first part of the Declaration contains an assertion of individual rights. Perhaps the most famous line states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” This part goes on to say that if the government tries to take these rights away, the people have the right to form a new government. Jefferson also addresses a counterclaim in this section, acknowledging that “Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes…” He counters by reminding his audience of the “long train of abuses and usurpations” that makes it “…their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”

Grievances
The longest part of the Declaration begins with “He has refused his Assent to Laws” and goes on to list the unfair actions of the British king and Parliament. In their complaints, the colonists make it clear that they are angry with the British king and government for taking away their rights as English citizens. They point out that the king has ignored or changed their colonial governments, as well as their rights to a trial by jury. The colonists accuse the king of sending a hired army to force them to obey unjust laws. They say the king is “unfit to be the ruler of a free people.”

Note: The norms and structure of argumentative writing in the 18th century were different from they are in the 21st century. The list of grievances that serves as the Declaration’s evidence seems largely anecdotal by today’s standards. However, the Declaration’s claim and underlying assumption (big idea) are especially applicable to the writing standards of 21st-century classrooms.

A formal declaration of independence
The final paragraph, beginning with “We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America,” affirms that the 13 colonies are free and independent states. It breaks all ties with the British government and people. As independent states, they can make trade agreements and treaties, wage war, and do whatever is necessary to govern themselves. This formal declaration of independence ends with important words. The words tell us what the signers of the Declaration of Independence were willing to give up for freedom: “…we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”

Signatures
There are 56 signatures on the Declaration of Independence. Fifty men from 13 states signed the document on August 2 in 1776. The other six signed over the course of the next year and a half. As the President of the Second Continental Congress, John Hancock signed first. He wrote his name very large. Some of the men abbreviated their first names, like Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. All the signers risked their lives when they signed the Declaration of Independence.

Legacy of the argument
Contrary to popular belief, the words of the Declaration of Independence did not gain immediate prominence. In fact, they remained obscure for decades. And yet the spirit of the Declaration caused ripples almost immediately, most famously with the French Revolution in 1789. The Haitian Revolution followed soon after, and the subsequent decades would see many Latin American countries continuing the fight for independence from colonial powers. In 1945, Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh also invoked the document when declaring Vietnamese independence from the French colonial empire.

Within the U.S., the women’s suffrage movement adapted the Declaration of Independence for their cause, asserting in the 1848 Declaration of Sentiments that “all men and women are created equal.” Meanwhile, the country’s celebrations of independence haunted enslaved people and abolitionists like Frederick Douglass, whose 1852 speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” pondered the nation’s shortcoming despite its dedication to values like liberty. As Douglass said, “This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn.”

As World War I came to a close, leaders from Eastern Europe gathered inside Independence Hall on October 26, 1918, to sign the Declaration of Common Aims of the Independent Mid-European Nations. Those gathering in Independence Hall that day sought to bring autonomy to the nations of the former Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires. The signers pledged their mutual support and their belief that “it is the inalienable right of every people to organize their own governments on such principles and in such forms as they believe will best promote their welfare, safety, and happiness.”

After the signing ceremony, Doctor Thomas Masaryk, the first president of Czechoslovakia, read the Declaration of Common Aims on Independence Square, just as John Nixon read the Declaration of Independence on July 8, 1776.

Read more from the National Archives here.

Background of the Sons of the American Revolution

Chartered in 2007, Colonel James Wood, II Chapter has grown into one of the best chapters in the state of Virginia, being named the best chapter 8 times in 13 years and receiving numerous awards. Based in the Northern Shenandoah Valley, the Chapter covers a five-county area of Frederick, Clarke, Page, Warren, and Shenandoah Counties plus the City of Winchester.

The chapter continually supports the purposes of the Sons of the American Revolution which are patriotic, historical, and educational. They strive to ensure that the patriots who gave us the United States of America are not forgotten; to promote patriotism in support of our country and its modern-day heroes and; to support teaching the history and values of the American Revolution and our constitutional freedoms.

The Objects of this Society are declared to be patriotic, historical, and educational; to unite and promote fellowship among the descendants of those who sacrificed to achieve the independence of the American people, to inspire them and the community-at-large with more profound reverence for the principles of the government founded by our forefathers; to foster true patriotism; to maintain and extend the institutions of American freedom.

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Are you looking for the full movie-going experience without having to wait in the long lines that often accompany that experience? Then look no further because Royal Cinemas movie theatre is the answer. Get the whole gang together and enjoy a movie! We are continuing to practice “6 Foot Social Distancing” with 25% capacity reserved seating in all auditoriums.

Outdoor Main Street Movie is this Friday, July 3, at 8:50pm:

• Friday, July 3: “Ghostbusters”
• Bring your own lawn chair and enjoy the outdoors! (Weather permitting)

Here is a list of this week’s showtimes at Royal Cinemas as of Friday, July 3:

•  Daily: 3:55 & 6:35
Rated PG  |  Run Time: 1 hour 56 min

•  Daily: 4:00 & 6:40
Rated PG  |  Run Time: 1 hour 48 min

•  Daily: 4:05 & 6:45
Rated PG  |  Run Time: 1 hour 47 min

COVID-19 Throwbacks Ticket Prices: All Seats $3.00

Other movies coming soon to Royal Cinemas:

• “Goonies”
• “Ferris Buellers Day Off”
• “Gremlins”
• “The Breakfast Club”

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