Opinion
Open Letter to Chairman Vicky Cook of the Warren County Board of Supervisors
Good Afternoon, Ms. Cook,
My name is Savanna Ritenour McCoy, I live in the Fork District of Warren County with my husband and 2 children (ages 3 and 7). I moved to Front Royal when I was 12 years old after having spent my life, up until then, in Winchester, VA – so I have always been a citizen of this beautiful valley that we call home. I graduated from Warren County High School in 2004, my father graduated from that same school in the 70s, and my husband graduated from RMA in 2003. I start with this because I feel it’s important to demonstrate that I am not someone who has moved here from DC for college or from anywhere else. The Ritenour’s are an old family in the valley, and I’ve always been extremely proud of this fact.
I was in attendance during last night’s board of supervisors meeting, and I must say – I walked away more alarmed than when I walked in there. Unfortunately, even though I arrived at the government center at 3 p.m., I was unable to sign up to speak. Understandably, this topic is incredibly sensitive, and both sides desired representation- which is why I was so disappointed to find that individuals had arrived as early as 9 a.m. and that the pro-funding citizens of the county would not be permitted to speak more than 3-4 times. Hence, my desire to write to you as my fear is that a small, overwhelmingly loud group of extremists in our town has completely run amuck with their narrative.
I spent a lot of time going to the library as a child. My family didn’t have the funds to send me to do the activities I am now able to send my children to do. But the library was free and was a wondrous place to broaden my imagination. Initially, I was a proud card-carrying member of Handley Library in Winchester, VA. I was completely spoiled by a massive catalog of books and activities to choose from. I admit that when I moved to Front Royal, I was completely dismayed by the smaller size of Samuel’s. My 12-year-old mind thought that surely, I’d either read everything in it or that there wouldn’t be anything for me in this town. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
For the next 24 years, the catalog and tireless work of the staff at Samuel’s Library has continued to surprise me in the best way. The collection that our small-town library has built up is one that I would be proud to walk any out-of-towner through. The inclusivity shown within the content provided gave me hope that our small town could be a leader in inclusion and a guiding star for other small towns in showing acceptance, support, and loving thy neighbor (even when they are different than you). I am completely disgusted by the unfounded accusations of “porn” in the children’s section of the library.
Unlike many who were in the room last night, I have read many (admittedly not all, as it’s a long list I’ve got to work through) of the books submitted for removal and the forms submitted with them. When comparing those books to the forms, I felt that my intelligence was being insulted – not only was there no “porn” in any of the books that I’ve read but many of them are written on the basis of family values that I hold dear. Love people who are different than you, support those struggling with finding their footing in this world, and stand up for those who need someone to stand with them. The targets of these ban requests are some of our most vulnerable families. I urge you to please fund Samuel’s Public Library in full and without passage of the MOA presented by the BoS.
I’d like to close this letter with the conversation that I had with my 7-year-old daughter, Nora when I returned home last night. Nora had stayed up and waited for me because I read to her every single night before bedtime. When I got in, she had a million questions about the meeting that I went to, and I answered all of them as honestly as I could without dissolving her childhood innocence.
She asked, “What was the meeting about that you went to?” I replied, “Well, there is a group of people in our town that would like some books from the library removed. They don’t like what they have to say, and they don’t want children your age reading them.” Nora asked, “Why? Are they scary? Why can’t I read them?” I honestly replied, “No honey, they aren’t scary. They show families in different ways. Some of these books have 2 mommies or 2 daddies. Or are families that don’t look the same as you.” She was rightfully confused, so she asked, “Why is that bad?”
I never expected to have THIS conversation with my child so early. She is 7. However, I fully believe in showing her the world as it is so that she can be prepared for it. So, I replied, “Unfortunately, honey, there are people who feel strongly that you should only have a mommy and a daddy. I want you to know that your mommy and daddy do not feel that way. We loved you the moment you were born, we love who you are today, and we love who you will be tomorrow. And I promise that I will love whomever you bring home, boy, girl, black, white, it doesn’t matter to me or daddy. Or even your Nan, Nana, Papa, and Granddaddy. We only care that they love you and that you’re happy. But there are people in this world and in this town that want to tell you that that isn’t okay. That mommy and daddy are wrong for feeling that way. And they want to remove books from the library that show families like that.”
She said, “I have a kid in my class with 2 mommies. Why is that bad?”
I replied, “It’s not sweetie. They love their kiddos, and they will always be welcome at our table.”
Now, I’ll wrap up with her response: “It would be so sad for my friend to go to the library and not be able to find a book about his family. That’s not fair.”
A 7-year-old can see how discriminatory this is. Can the board??
Thank you for your time in reading this admittedly lengthy email. Thank you for your consideration. I hope that the board’s decision reflects the will and needs of ALL families in your district.
Sincerely,
Savanna Ritenour McCoy
Warren County
Opinion
Backing Crystal Cline: A Veteran Sheriff’s Endorsement for Warren County’s Future
I am writing to support Crystal Cline in her pursuit of the office of Sheriff of Warren County. Crystal has demonstrated all of the qualities needed to be a Sheriff, including respect for her peers, honesty, and an ability to analyze the needs of her community.
All of these are necessary traits, but I recently discovered, by mistake, a trait I had never experienced. Crystal is a very thoughtful person.
In the past week, Crystal and I have exchanged text messages as she has sought advice. During our exchange, she sent me a text that was intended for someone while she was following up on a difficult family issue. She demonstrated to me in a text that she exhibits a wonderful personal touch.
Sheriffs, I believe, need to exhibit compassion and empathy. We respond to assist people at the toughest of times. Even potential defendants need to be shown respect. Crystal is obviously a person who can do this. If I have learned anything during my 45-year law enforcement career, being approachable is so important. I know she will be, and I believe she will be a wonderful Sheriff.
Anthony Roper
Sheriff of Clarke County
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Opinion
Republican Trojan Horses
Under the cloak of non-partisan endorsements, the local Republican committee continues to recommend and support candidates for seats in both the Town Council and School Board elected offices.
Each year, these endorsed candidates are placed on the sample ballot along with other Republican party-nominated candidates for the County, State, and National offices. This is “trojan horse” politicking, not only confusing but a violation of the rules as outlined by the Town and State charters. Many of my fellow residents ask why the Republican party is even involved in non-partisan elections.
The problem with this violation is that it results in a stacked deck, offering a well-funded, unfair advantage against truly non-partisan candidates. Republican support and manpower are given to their endorsed candidates running for the same offices in the five districts.
The Virginia Founding Fathers felt that non-partisan elections at the Town and School Board level would help keep the focus on local community issues and not national partisan self-interests.
The promotional slogan that we should “Keep Warren Red” has nothing to do with the challenges facing the Town and County. Winning is not the objective. Rather, it’s improving our quality of life. Clearly, this is the reason why the Founding Fathers put into place rules to help ensure non-partisan officeholders who will be dedicated to local issues.
We now have candidates running who have not been endorsed yet and are very conservative by our high community standards. For one reason or another, there wasn’t a meeting of the minds with the Republican party, but they still feel driven to run for office. Seek them out.
Let’s elect the best people for the job who will work for the citizens. Let’s break the cycle that we have been stuck in for the last several years and elect the most qualified candidates instead of “Red” being the goal.
Let’s elect concerned citizens instead of Trojan horses.
Michael Graham
Front Royal
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the letters published on this page are solely those of the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Royal Examiner’s editorial team, its affiliates, or advertisers. The Royal Examiner does not endorse or take responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or validity of any statements made by the authors. The statements and claims presented in the letters have not been independently verified by the Royal Examiner. Readers are encouraged to exercise their own judgment and critical thinking skills when evaluating the content. Any reliance on the information provided in the letters is at the reader’s own risk.
While the Royal Examiner makes every effort to publish a diverse range of opinions, it does not guarantee the publication of all received letters. The Royal Examiner reserves the right to edit letters for clarity, length, and adherence to editorial guidelines. Moreover, the Royal Examiner does not assume any liability for any loss or damage incurred by readers due to the content of the letters or any subsequent actions taken based on these opinions.
In submitting a letter to the editor, authors grant the newspaper the right to publish, edit, reproduce, or distribute the content in print, online, or in any other form.
We value the engagement of our readers and encourage open and constructive discussions on various topics. However, the Royal Examiner retains the right to reject any letter that contains offensive language, personal attacks, or violates any legal regulations. Thank you for being a part of our vibrant community of readers and contributors, and we look forward to receiving your diverse perspectives on matters of interest and importance.
Opinion
Community Kindness Shines Through in Warren County Amid Division
Even though our Country and our County seem to be in turmoil and divided, there are still wonderful and helpful people here. On Labor Day, I was working in my yard, stumbled, and fell backward, unable to get on my feet. I was lying on the grass, and two ladies, mother and daughter, were driving past, saw me, turned their car around, helped me to my feet and to my porch, and got help for me.
Many thanks, Mary! Also, thanks to my Rivermont Baptist Church Family for the food and cleaning assistance, especially since I cannot use my right hand due to the broken wrist.
Sylvia Dawson
Warren County
Opinion
Power Grabs, Parental Guidance, and Public Libraries: A Front Royal Reflection
I am a prior citizen of Front Royal, VA. My husband and I raised seven children in our home there. As our family grew with the addition of grandchildren, several of them also lived and attended schools in Warren County, VA. Due to family obligations in North Carolina, we moved from Front Royal two years ago. We all have fond memories of our growing years in Front Royal, and those recollections include our trips to Samuels Public Library. It was with some consternation that I read an article in The Washinton Post regarding the challenge to the library via withholding funding for the library in an effort for “concerned citizens” to exercise control over the governing management of the library.
It is ironic that we relocated to a county in NC that is facing similar challenges in our local school district over school libraries and their content and availability. This challenge is also led by a group of citizens deeply engaged in their religious faith, which they strongly believe is guiding them in this process. The only difference is that extortion is not a tool available to the concerned citizens in NC against the School Board.
For the record, my children who graduated from high school in Warren County include six children who went on to college and received degrees; three have received their master’s degrees, many graduated with dual degrees, and all are successful members of their communities and in their professions. Their careers include work in the field of education, social service work to assist and support the homeless and disenfranchised, work for the Federal Gov’t directly and indirectly, and those who own/have owned their own businesses. I feel very confident making this assertion; the trajectory of a child’s life does not hinge on the content of any single book but is essentially reliant on the character of their parents or parental authorities in their lives. Allowing your children to grow into adulthood with guidance and honest conversation is so much more impactful than sheltering them from the things the parents find offensive or harmful.
I am not taking issue with someone’s concern about any content in any reading material, it is as much your right to be concerned as it is mine to feel that exposure to all aspects of society helps a child refine and develop their own sensibilities as they become adults. It seems the library has put in place a system to help parents limit their child’s exposure by allowing parental controls on their child’s access to the materials they have concerns over. That these parents feel that they need to control any other parent’s rights can be interpreted as nothing less than a desire to control more than their own child’s access and to assume control of all taxpayers in Warren County. This is not democracy, and it is not faithful supplication to God. It is nothing more than a power grab in a performative act of assumed high morality.
Furthermore, the publication of individuals’ names is nothing more than a bullying tactic hoping to incite vindictive rhetoric against those individuals. That the Board of Supervisors didn’t hold the line at the bullying “conservative activists” and then joined their ranks by withholding their funding and offering the MOA makes me question their suitability to be Supervisors. They were elected to be leaders of sorts for their districts to seek consensus in untenable challenges.
I am happy to see the Board did reach approval for funding for the library. The Town of Front Royal and Warren County are fortunate to have this institution, its friendly and helpful staff, and its commitment to the community. I was born and raised in the close suburbs right outside of the Washington DC line. When my first husband passed away, I was left with four young daughters, just reaching their teen years. I had a demanding job that kept me from keeping a normal nine-to-five routine. I felt it was critical to move to a community where we had neighbors that would look out for us and where the girls could participate in sports and after-school activities without needing transportation from me. I chose Front Royal, and although it lacked some of the benefits they had in Fairfax, it brought them a multitude of benefits that helped shape them into the adults they became. Front Royal has always had factions that didn’t see eye to eye on certain issues, but I never experienced the excessiveness that has begun to permeate the social climate in Front Royal. I hope this incident gives everyone pause to regain common civility and respect for their neighbors and allow the differences to create the best of the community and enhance the future of its upcoming generations.
Barbara Price
Hickory, NC
Opinion
County Board Chair Cook Reminded of Campaign Promises
There never seems to be any shortage of controversy in our little (but growing) community. While election season heats up, the current library distraction diverting attention away from the issues that impact ALL members of the community, and not just the whims of a local faction whose agenda appears to be ramming their opinion of morality down the community’s throat is somewhat disturbing. I don’t agree with some of the literature that is being presented in our public library, but I also believe there are freedoms that take precedence over these objections where a common ground can be achieved.
Frequently, I am reading and hearing remarks on the Fork District and Board Chairman Vicky Cook. Vicki has always been cordial, open, and non-judgmental in my professional dealings with her. However, I would like to remind her of her campaign platform, as reported in 2021. These paraphrased quotes from a written publication are worthy, in my opinion, of reprinting:
“What I bring into the mix is to have a little more critical thinking. I’m really into common sense solutions that’s gonna benefit everybody”. Continuing in this same vain, “I’m really big into integrity and transparency and accountability”.
Finally, Cook wants to “bring unity” to the community. (Warren County Supervisor Candidate Offers Management Skills, NV Daily, July 18, 2021).
Chairman Cook, I hope you continue to exercise these tenets that you publicly stated and committed to when you knocked on my door asking for my vote.
Gregory A. Harold
Warren County, VA
Opinion
Defending Samuels Public Library: A Plea for Reason and Inclusivity
Dear Mrs. Cook:
It is with a heavy heart that I write to you regarding the unconscionable withholding of funding for Samuels Public Library, which will very likely result in its imminent closing.
Our library is the jewel of Warren County. How can the Board of Supervisors allow a tiny group of fanatical interlopers – many of whom didn’t even own a library card – dictate how our library is managed?
Shame on the BOS for allowing the situation to devolve to the point where our beloved Library Director, Michelle Ross, felt compelled to resign. Shame on you! How will we ever attract accomplished, educated and enlightened applicants to fill her vacant position when the BOS allows an obtuse, misinformed and manipulative minority to control an institution which is the pride of our town. It is heartbreaking to reflect on the disrespect, contempt and lack of support which the BOS has shown toward Ms. Ross and her earnest staff. Shame!
My family has lived in Warren County for 40 years. My sister was on the Board of Trustees when the library transitioned from its previous in-town location to Criser Road, where it has become a cherished hub for ALL citizens of Warren County. I have donated countless hours to the library as a past Friends of Samuels Library board member and as a volunteer shelving books, working at community events and manning the Epilogue Bookstore. Will any of the group of library dissidents contribute any time, effort or money towards the care and feeding of our treasured library? Doubt it!
Everyone in the world has members of the LGBTQ+ community as dear friends and much-loved family members – whether they wish to acknowledge that or not. A strictly heterosexual world has never existed – neither within the human species nor within the wider natural world. To deny their existence, both within our community and within the vast literature of our culture, is to oppose reality. Same-sex families are everywhere. Come out from under your rock, open your eyes, and join the 21st Century.
The BOS and their legal team should be embarrassed at the wording of the current MOU as submitted to the Samuels Board of Trustees. Beyond the question of how the county will find the funding to pay library staff county wages and benefits, how will the county find volunteers to perform the myriad tasks which keep the library functioning as an active community center when the BOS seems bent on allowing a group of religious zealots to destroy our library as we have come to know and love it. Clearly there is no longer separation of church and state within Warren County.
In closing, as a young girl taught by Ursuline nuns in the 1960’s, one of my favorite activities was walking downtown with my friends to our beautiful Ferguson Public Library where I was allowed to take out any book I desired. When it came time to choose a confirmation name, the nuns brought my class to the much tinier Catholic library run by the Knights of Columbus to read children’s books about the lives of the saints. I would encourage the religious activists of our community to invest the time and effort required to establish their own non-secular library and to cease their undesired meddling in our honorable Samuels Public Library.
Sincerely,
Margaret E. Thursland
Fork District
Front Royal, Virginia
