Letters to the Editor

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

Your local American Red Cross has been very busy over the summer.

With your financial assistance, human suffering was alleviated for six families who found themselves victims of house fire disasters. Because of dedicated volunteers, your American Red Cross was able to immediately respond to and assist in alleviating these victims' suffering by providing food, clothing and shelter.

Also with your support, your American Red Cross is now better equipped to respond to emergencies as we have just purchased and stocked two disaster trailers. These trailers have cots, blankets and other essential items to open up disaster shelters when needed.
Your American Red Cross has continued to help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. We continue to provide first-aid and CPR classes and continue to prepare new volunteers with disaster training.

Your American Red Cross is part of a worldwide movement that is led by volunteers to promote mutual understanding, friendship, cooperation and lasting peace among all peoples.

And I thank you for everyone's assistance over the past several months.

Debbie Mintiens
Program Director
American Red Cross
314 S. Main St.
Woodstock
Sept. 18, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

After the Town Council meeting on July 14, I was appalled about what I read in the Northern Virginia Daily: Our town manager, Kevin Fauber, was fired.

I don't understand why the town and the council let this happen. I hope Sarah Mauck is satisfied. Her agenda was to get Kevin out. She has been trying to get this done since she was elected to the council. That was her intention all along. She wanted her brother in and Kevin out. In my opinion, Sarah Mauck should be fired and the others who were in on it with her should be fired. Sarah, you haven't followed through with your job either, but you were not fired.

Kevin is a good man. He was a good town manager. He knew the ins and outs of this town. He was blamed for everything that didn't go right. Kevin was under the direction of the council. He couldn't do anything without its permission.

Sarah, I don't know how you sleep at night for the things you have gotten away with.
About three years ago we had a public hearing about not firing Kevin. I spoke in favor of Kevin. I wanted to slam Sarah Mauck then. I wanted the town to know what she was up to, but Kevin would not let me do it. The citizens of Strasburg wanted that change and they go it, but it wasn't for the better.

EDITH R. WALLACE
414 Alsbery St.
Strasburg
Aug. 16, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

Richard Morin and the Page-Shenandoah Newspaper Corp. should be ashamed.
The destruction of the almost 200-year-old John Ignatius Effinger house (Sept. 23 issue) shows a callous disregard for the historic integrity of Woodstock and community values.
Obviously, there was no appreciation for the history of this structure nor any serious attempt to learn about it.

Ownership of historically or culturally significant property carries with it a responsibility to at least maintain that property. Those who are unable or unwilling to accept such stewardship should avoid putting themselves in this position or should convey the property to someone who is. Demolition of the home of a former Hessian soldier who served as a member of George Washington's personal guard (built using logs from Peter Muhlenberg's original church!) because the interior was "trashed" by a tenant is an affront to the community.

This incident shows that Woodstock and other local communities need to adopt meaningful historic preservation ordinances. Otherwise, our common legacy will disappear bit by bit, sacrificed to the god of "property rights."

Bill Warren
Diane Warren
407 W. Court St.
Woodstock
Sept. 27, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

Oct. 1, 1975, was officially proclaimed Peter Muhlenberg Day by the Shenandoah County Board of Supervisors. On that date, the Peter Muhlenberg Plaza was dedicated, with the unveiling of a marble plaque honoring him by Gov. Mills E. Godwin. This was a project of the Shenandoah Garden Club. This was a grand day of celebration with many patriotic events.

Then on Oct. 1, 1988, a handsome bronze bust on a granite pedestal was dedicated by a descendant of Gen. Muhlenberg. The bust was sculpted by Caroline Muhlenberg Hufford Anderson. It was underwritten 100 percent by residents of Shenandoah County through the Narrow Passage Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. It was placed on county property in front of the historic Shenandoah County Courthouse a short distance from the meeting house where the Rev. John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg gave his famous call to arms sermon in January 1776.

For details of this memorable event please take time to attend the 35th annual presentation of the drama by Michael Cooley portraying Rev. Muhlenberg, and members of Narrow Passage Chapter in costume, on Sunday, Oct. 3, at 3 p.m. in the historic Shenandoah County Courthouse in Woodstock. The public is invited. Free admission.

CAROLE COFFMAN
Chairman
Peter Muhlenberg
Committee
Narrow Passage Chapter
Daughters of American Revolution
818 W. Spring St.
Woodstock
Sept. 24, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:
I soon hope that Apple Blossom time comes to the city so we can get the dressed-up feeling in the city. I think that it is a shame to do all the work done at this time to make a false statement of our clean and up-kept city streets and roadsides. I hear all the input on "malfunction junction," but has anyone noticed for the whole year that the median at the interstate all the way down to the intersection looks like it has never been touched?

Even where I live in the county just off Senseny Road it only looks good because a resident takes his time and money to keep it mowed. We used to see them mow in here several times a year, but now it grows all summer and then they come when the grass is gone for a little cleanup, so you don't get hit by a deer coming from the high grass in the median of the subdivision. My hat is off to the person who does this for our subdivision. I would be sending a bill to our local government, and he should.

Do we have a maintenance department in this city or county? Everything I see getting done around here comes from other parts of the state, like Richmond, and that can't be cheap because it is always being done on a Sunday or weekend. We apparently pay people in our city to watch for the repairs needed but no capability of doing the work ourselves with our skilled labor being paid to let other companies do their work.

We can all rest better knowing that our city and county residents are paying their wages and retirement so they can live comfortably. We all should have good-paying jobs like this with the benefits to run our city and county poorly in these bad times. Time for our local government to step up to the plate and earn their over-paid salaries for the pay scale in this area and stopped increasing everything they can -- even their wages.

Lee Willey
112 Haven Terrace
Winchester
Sept. 27, 2010