Local News
UPDATE: Front Royal poised to join National Park fee hike critics
A Trump Administration plan to raise weekly entrance fees in 17 national parks, including Shenandoah National Park, by 150 to 200-percent is drawing a cloud of criticism from at least one national park watchdog group, as well as Virginia Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine.
Following work session discussion on Monday, November 6, it appears the Front Royal Town Council is poised to join in that criticism. A vote on a resolution critical of the proposed fee increase’s potential negative impact on Shenandoah National Park visitation was placed on the agenda of the November 13 council meeting.
That resolution cites the large percentage of park visitors who also stop at the town visitor center. While there, the resolution points out of the 116,000 vehicles entering Shenandoah National Park at Front Royal’s “Mile 0” north entrance in 2016, they are informed of amenities the town has to offer in the way of dining, shopping and overnight stays.
“… the proposed significant increase in entrance fees during the peak season for visitors to Shenandoah National Park could jeopardize tourism and much anticipated revenue to the Town of Front Royal,” the resolution states in alerting the National Park Service of the mayor and council’s concern over the proposal.
We asked Town Attorney Doug Napier about his perception of the fee hike proposal. Napier questioned both the logic and impact of the plan. He observed that while Shenandoah National Park is one of 17 parks targeted for huge fee increases, Great Smokey Mountain National Park one state to our south is not. And that North Carolina park gets even more visitors than Shenandoah, the town attorney observed.
“There’s no logic to it – and it’s mean, it’s just mean spirited,” Napier said, adding, “National parks are places where relatively non-affluent people can get away to wonderful destinations … And a lot of those trips are for one day – how many people can afford $70 just to get into the park for one day; or if they do pay the fee what does that leave them to spend for a meal or souvenir they might buy in town?” As illustrated in the chart below, at Shenandoah the proposal would raise the weekly pass, which is for 1 to 7 days, for vehicles from $25 to $70.
According to the Trump Administration, which is charged with administering the National Park Service (NPS) through the Department of the Interior, the fee hikes will serve to address an $11.3 billion maintenance backlog. However, as National Parks Conservation Association President and CEO Theresa Pierno, Warner and Kaine point out, the plan places undue responsibility for infrastructure improvements on the shoulder of those who visit national parks.
“We should not increase fees to such a degree as to make these places – protected for all Americans to experience – unaffordable for some families to visit,” Pierno said of the plan.
Pierno pointed to the Trump Administration’s budget proposal that includes a major cut to the National Park Service. “The solution to our parks’ repair needs cannot and should not be largely shouldered by its visitors. The administration just proposed a major cut to the National Park Service budget even as parks struggle with billions of dollars in needed repairs. If the administration wants to support national parks, it needs to walk the walk and work with Congress to address the maintenance backlog,” she said in a release.
Senators Warner and Kaine, both former governors of the commonwealth, issued a statement stating, “These fee increases, many of which are two-to-three times that of current levels, could price out many of our constituents and other individuals and families across the country from visiting these national treasures …we do not believe that shifting the burden to our park visitors in the form of significant fee increases is an appropriate or practical way to reduce the deferred maintenance backlog.”
Parks targeted in the fee hike proposal include Shenandoah, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Arches, Glacier, Grand Teton, and Rocky Mountain.
Current passes at Shenandoah National Park (SNP) are priced:
- Weekly (which serves one to seven days):
- $25 vehicle (private);
- $20 motorcycle;
- $10 bike or walking;
- Annual, $50;
- Lifetime (62 or older), $80.
At other parks the current 7-day entrance fees vary from $30 at Yellowstone and Yosemite; $25 at Glacier and as little as $10 at Arches National Park.
Proposed fees during peak season at the selected parks are:
- Weekly passes:
- $70 vehicle (private) (180% increase at SNP);
- $50 motorcycle (150% hike at SNP);
- $30 bike or walking (200% hike at SNP);
- Annual pass $75 (50% hike at SNP).
Warner and Kaine pointed to alternative bipartisan legislation introduced earlier this year as a counter-solution to deal with the long-time national park maintenance backlog, as stated above now estimated at $11.3 billion.
“The National Park Service Legacy Act would help eradicate the maintenance backlog at the Park Service by directing existing revenues from mineral royalties toward high-priority deferred maintenance needs of the National Park Service, including investing in critical NPS infrastructure like Arlington Memorial Bridge.
“This bipartisan legislation would help repair and restore the aging and deteriorating infrastructure of our national parks and ensure that these treasure are preserved for future generations to enjoy. It would allow the Park Service to reduce its maintenance backlog without having to significantly increase the cost of admittance for visitors of our national parks,” Virginia’s senators said.
If the Trump budget cuts and new fee structure for the national park system are approved, Trump Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke would oversee implementation. As a Montana delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives, Zinke was known for his support of the transfer of federal lands to individual states, as well as opposition to many environmental regulations. Under state control, individual state legislatures would have further authority to disperse former federal land into the private sector for profit-generating endeavors.
One is left to wonder at the endgame of the proposed National Park System restoration plan – budget cuts and user fee hikes. One might ask if that endgame is designed to fix a maintenance backlog or begin a dismantling of the National Park System.
Right man for the job?
Interior Secretary Zinke recently found himself at the center of controversy over a $300-million contract granted to Montana company Whitefish Energy Holdings on October 19. That contract for the restoration of power lines in Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria’s devastation of that island’s infrastructure was given to a two-year-old company based in Zinke’s hometown of Whitefish, Montana.
Not to worry, right? – Other than according to multiple media sources, including Fox News, it is a company that had just two full-time employees when Maria hit Puerto Rico on September 20.
Zinke has denied exerting any influence in the contract, awarded by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (Prepa). The interior secretary released a statement denying his or anyone in his office’s advocacy for the company, adding of one e-mail he received from Whitefish Energy after the contract was awarded, “I received a single email from the company, on which I took no action.”
However, there was a bipartisan call for an investigation into the contract once details emerged. On October 29, just hours after Puerto Rico’s Governor Ricardo Rosselló, initially a defender of the Whitefish contract, called for its cancellation, it was after 10 days of intense scrutiny, cancelled.
In covering that cancellation The New York Times noted that, “… government officials in Washington and San Juan have argued over how a company from Whitefish, Montana, with connections to the secretary of the interior but only two full-time employees secured an emergency contract that requires the work of thousands of people …”
Maria hit Puerto Rico – an island surrounded by lots of water as President Trump has pointed out in explaining delays in federal assistance to the American territory – on September 20 as a Category 4 hurricane. Maria’s direct hit knocked out electricity to the entire island. Six weeks later less than a third of the island has power restored.
Whitefish had contracted outside workers for the job and according to The Wall Street Journal had put about 300 people on the island in an effort to accomplish the power grid restoration. The company expressed disappointment at the cancellation of its contract.
However, that contract remains the focus of bipartisan federal scrutiny. Bloomberg News reported that on October 31 (trick or treat) FEMA Administrator Brock Long testified to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs that his agency “didn’t know about a $300 million no-bid contract to rebuild Puerto Rico’s electrical grid until after it was awarded, and likely wouldn’t have approved it.”
Long also told the Senate committee, “There’s no lawyer inside FEMA that would have ever agreed to the language that was in that contract.”
Bipartisan investigations, hmm – maybe we can get a bipartisan investigation of this National Park System fee structure and budget cut plan …
Local News
POLICE: 7 Day FRPD Arrest Report 4/28/2024
Front Royal Police Department’s arrest report for the past 7 days:
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.