The city is one of fewer than 20 Certified Crime Prevention Communities in Virginia and the first in the Rockbridge area. The state’s criminal justice department awards the certification to towns, cities and counties that meet a series of standards.

Cpl. Joshua Guttmann, community resource officer for the Buena Vista Police Department, oversaw the application process. He said the application was officially approved in June. A representative from the Department of Criminal Justice Services presented the certification to Buena Vista at a City Council meeting on July 16.

“We wanted to ... present it to City Council because it’s not a Buena Vista police department thing,” Guttmann said in a conversation with The News-Gazette. “It’s a city of Buena Vista thing.”

Tina Sumpter, accreditation coordinator for the DCJS, told Council on July 16 that getting the certification requires community-wide support.

“This isn’t an easy task and takes a tremendous amount of dedication, not only from the city of Buena Vista Police Department, but from your whole community,” Sumpter said. “This is an accomplishment that the police department and your community should be very proud of.”

Guttmann told The News- Gazette that he started the application process after a conversation with then-Police Chief Wayne Handley about a year and a half ago.

Since then, Guttmann has completed the documentation to show that Buena Vista meets the certification’s 12 core elements. The city also had to achieve the standards of seven optional elements chosen from a longer list.

The 12 core elements are creating a community safety council, employing a DCJScertified “crime prevention specialist,” supporting a neighborhood watch initiative, engaging in “community policing,” distributing safety information, performing security checks on some residential and business areas, using data to analyze crime, performing standard school safety checks, working with businesses through a council or Business Watch program, providing access to a program that helps crime victims and witnesses, overseeing a “delinquency prevention program” for young people who meet certain risk factors, and pursuing either national or state accreditation.

Buena Vista has met the standards for the following optional elements: educating students about the law through the “Virginia Rules” curriculum, participating in a TRIAD program to help senior residents, holding a National Night Out, providing school resource officers to schools, keeping track of potential speakers or presenters through a “Speakers Bureau,” offering a program to help domestic violence victims and entering into crime prevention or safety agreements with nearby communities.

Some of the core and optional elements were already present in Buena Vista, Guttmann said. It was just a matter of formalizing or documenting programs and practices.

For example, Guttmann said the police department was already offering presentations for the community about safety topics. But the department started keeping track of attendance, feedback and other details so that the talks could count toward certification.

The Speakers Bureau was made formal in 2026, according to a briefing from the police department.

Other elements of the certification were met using brand-new programs. Earlier this year, BVPD worked with law enforcement in Lexington and Rockbridge County to establish a regional branch of TRIAD, which seeks to protect and improve life for older adults.

To help Buena Vista receive the certification, Guttmann also put in at least 120 hours of training to become his department’s crime prevention specialist, according to the police department’s briefing. Guttmann said he’ll have to continue to receive training for Buena Vista to stay certified.

But he said he wasn’t the only one who made participation in the program possible.

“It takes buy-in from the whole community,” he said.

Jen Carpenter, executive director of Main Street Buena Vista, told The News-Gazette she’s seen a “doubledown initiative” by the police department in how it engages the community.

“I didn’t know that they were working toward something like this, but I am not surprised in the least that they qualified for something like this,” Carpenter said. “Not only do I see them everywhere, but they’re finding any opportunity that they possibly can to bring about positivity to the community.”

Carpenter said Guttmann and the department have gotten involved with the community in several ways — including by offering safety checks and trainings to Buena Vista businesses — over the past year and a half.

“There’s been so much that they’ve actively been engaged in,” Carpenter said.

DCJS will provide Buena Vista with signs recognizing the community’s new status. Guttmann said the certification could help residents get lower insurance premiums and might give the city a boost when it applies for some state grants.

The certification lasts for three years, Guttmann said.

In his interview with The News-Gazette, Guttmann repeatedly used the word “proactive” to describe the city’s efforts. He said the certification is about thinking ahead.

“Police work ... you get a call, you go answer it. You go, you get a call, you go to answer it,” he said. “We are trying to be preventative. We are trying to be proactive.”

During a special called meeting last Thursday, Lexington City Council voted to appoint Sigler as interim mayor in a 6-0 vote, and he was sworn into office Friday morning. He will serve in that capacity until the special election on Nov. 3 to fill out the remainder of the term, which expires in 2028.

Sigler told The News-Gazette last week that he intends to run in the special election in November. At Thursday’s meeting, Council member Nicholas Betts also stated that he is considering running in the election, initially abstaining from the vote to appoint Sigler and citing that as a potential conflict of interest. He also noted that Sigler had previously abstained from the vote to increase the compensation for the mayor and city council positions. Sigler clarified that he abstained from that vote due to having “a financial interest in the decision greater than $5,000.”

Betts changed his vote to vote in favor of Sigler’s appointment so there would be “not procedural defects,” and noted that he had voted in favor of putting Sigler for- ward as a candidate for the interim mayor position so that there would be “continuity of government.” However, he maintained his opinion that “if you’re actively considering running for mayor it could potentially be a conflict [of interest].”

After the vote, Vice Mayor Marylin Alexander, who had assumed the duties of mayor in the wake of Frank Friedman’s death, thanked Sigler for being willing to take on the role.

“This isn’t going to be an easy task for anyone who does it, whether it’s for three months or three years or more,” she said. “Thank you for doing this, and thank you to your family in advance.”

“And if you need help, let us know,” Council member John Driscoll added with a smile.

Council then discussed steps for filling the remainder of Sigler’s term on City Council. Upon taking the oath of office, Sigler effectively resigned from his seat on Council. Council will need to appoint someone to fill the vacancy through the end of the term, which expires at the end of the year.

Following a brief discussion, it was decided that they would begin accepting applications from qualified city residents to fill the Council seat as soon as the seat was vacated as soon as possible.

Applications will be accepted through noon on Aug. 6 and Council will publicly announce the names of individuals who are being considered for the position at that evening’s Council meeting. Council will appoint someone to fill the seat from among that pool of candidates at its Aug. 20 meeting.

Eligible Lexington residents who wish to apply for the interim appointment to City Council can do so through the city website at https://www.lexingtonva.gov/ government/forms-applications/board-orcommission- membership-application.

Lexington residents interested in running in the special election for mayor are encouraged to speak to the city registrar and have until Aug. 14 to file the necessary paperwork to get their name on the ballot.

A public hearing will be conducted by the Lexington City Council at 7:00 P.M. on Thursday, August 6, 2026 in the first floor meeting room of the Rockbridge County Administrative Offices, 150 South Main Street, to allow persons to appear and present their views in response to a Conditional Use Permit application submitted by Francis O’Roark. The application is a request for a Conditional Use Permit to allow portions of the building, located at 25 W. Washington Street (Tax Map #16-1-50) and owned by Ewing Properties, LLC. to be used as a Tattoo Parlor and/or Body Piercing Salon. A copy of the application, case number CUP 2026-01 is available for public review and examination between 8:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. in the Planning and Development Department located on the second floor of Lexington City Hall, 539 East Nelson Street. Arne Glaeser Director of Planning and Development aglaeser@lexingtonva.gov

BUENA VISTA PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING AUGUST 11TH 2026

Pursuant to Code of Virginia Section 15.2-2204 and the City of Buena Vista Land Development Regulations, notice is given that the Planning Commission will hold a public hearing to receive comment on the following matters.

1) Conditional Use Permit for construction of two (2) two-family dwellings, and reduction of minimum front setback of these twofamily dwellings from 30’ to 10’ for Tax Map IDs 47-1-1-27-1, 47-1E—-A, and 47-1-1-27-6 through 10, collectively known as the 600 block of Magnolia Avenue. This project includes four single-family homes also. The Public Hearing will be held in the City Council Chambers located in the Municipal Building located at 2039 Sycamore Avenue in Buena Vista during the regular monthly Planning Commission meeting at approximately 7:00 PM on Tuesday, August 11th 2026.

A draft of the ordinance, staff reports, and a copy of the Comprehensive Plan, are available from the Director of Community Development, Thomas Roberts, 2039 Sycamore Avenue, Buena Vista VA 24416 or (540) 261-8607 or tom.roberts@buenavistava.gov.

ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS

Notice is hereby given per Section 15.2-2204 of the Code of Virginia and Chapter 30, Article VIII, Sections 30-77(3)(4) and (9) of the Rockbridge County Code (the Code) that the following public hearings will be held by the Rockbridge County Planning Commission on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at or after 7:00 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors Meeting Room in the County Administration Building, 150 South Main Street, Lexington, Virginia 24450 to consider the following applications:

1. New Beginnings Church, dba Castle Christian School, PO Box 41, Fairfield, VA 24435, has made an application for a special exception permit to develop and operate a private school in the Agricultural and General Uses (A-2) zoning district. The property is identified as TM# 39-A-21B (4.23 ac. – per tax records) and is located on the north side of N Lee Hwy (Rt. 11), 0.16 miles northeast of the intersection of N Lee Hwy and Jonestown Rd. (Rt. 707). The property is owned by Paul W. Chittum Jr. and Priscilla F. Chittum and is located in the A-2 zoning district. Per Chapter 30, Article VI, Section 30-38D(21) of the Code, private schools are a use by special exception in the A-2 zoning district. The property is in the South River Magisterial District.

2. County of Rockbridge, Virginia, 150 South Main Street, Lexington, Virginia 24450, Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) to modify Chapter 30, Article III, Sec. 30-12 (Specific Definitions) of the Code to update the definition of “Agrivoltaics.” The full text of the draft amendment can be obtained by contacting the Office of Community Development (contact information below).

3. County of Rockbridge, Virginia, 150 South Main Street, Lexington, Virginia 24450, Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) to modify Chapter 30, Article VII, Sec. 30-62 (Manufactured Homes) of the Code to modify the regulations pertaining to manufactured homes. The full text of the draft amendment can be obtained by contacting the Office of Community Development (contact information below).

4. County of Rockbridge, Virginia, 150 South Main Street, Lexington, Virginia 24450, Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) to modify Chapter 30, Article VII, Section 30-72 (Solar Facilities) of the Code to modify the regulations pertaining to solar facilities. The full text of the draft amendment can be obtained by contacting the Office of Community Development (contact information below). Information on these applications are available in the Rockbridge County Office of Community Development, 150 South Main Street, Lexington, Virginia, by phone at 540-464-9662 or by email at cslaydon@ rockbridgecountyva.gov By: Chris Slaydon Director of Community Development

Ashton Harrison, director of finance, and Chris Slaydon, director of community development, will share these duties when Suter, county administrator since 2012, steps down in September. Suter announced his pending retirement in June.

The county made the announcement in a press release issued Tuesday. The Board of Supervisors, which held a closed session after its regular meeting Monday night, “has reviewed options to fill the role on an interim basis, until the position can be filled on a more permanent basis. The Board reviewed several potential options, and has determined that two current departments heads, [Harrison and Slaydon], will act as a team to fulfill the interim role.”

Slaydon has worked for the county since 2003, serving as assistant director of planning and zoning and zoning administrator before assuming his current post. Harrison has been the county’s finance director since 2022, with prior service as county administrator in neighboring Bath County, and as county administrator in Montezuma County, Colo.

Suter provided the Board with options for the interim appointment and recommended the staff team approach. “The combination of skills and experience that Ashton and Chris bring to the table made our decision very easy for us,” said Board Chairman David Mc-Daniel. “We have full faith and confidence in them, as well as in our full staff team.”

Slaydon and Harrison will shadow Suter through August, acclimating themselves to standard tasks commonly assigned to the administrator position.

“It was really a very easy recommendation for me to make,” said Suter. “We already operate in a close knit, team environment, so this should be a fairly seamless transition for the interim period. Reporting relationships of department heads will be divided between the two, and they will closely coordinate on decisions that I would normally make.”

The Board has retained the Berkley Group LLC, based in Bridgewater, for the executive search for the county’s next administrator. The position advertisement is expected to be posted in early August, with initial applications accepted through the first of September, after which the Board will narrow the field and conduct interviews. Depending on the final selection, the position could be filled as early as November.

Luis Eduardo David-Avila, 25, for one felony count of taking indecent liberties with a minor, one felony count of solicitation of a child under the age of 15 and one felony count of carnal knowledge of a 13-14-year- old without the use of force between Feb. 1, 2026, and April 30, 2026.

Yonaiker Pulido-Patino, 21, for three felony counts of rape of a child under the age of 13 and three felony counts of taking indecent liberties with a minor between May 1, 2025, and Jan. 31, 2026.

Karl Stephen Davis, 49, for one felony count of abduction by force or intimidation on April 27, 2026.

David Jason Fix, 48, for one felony count of grand larceny and one count of larceny with intent to sell on March 26, 2026.

Joshua Decoada Taylor, 37, for one felony count of possession of a schedule I or II drug (methamphetamine) and one felony count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute on July 25, 2025.

Logan Joseph Thomas, 20, for one felony count of destruction of property on June 18, 2026.

Matthew Precott Hemmings, 22, for one count of possession of a schedule I or II drug (methamphetamine) on Dec. 24, 2025.

--- The following indictments were handed down by a Buena Vista grand jury on Jan. 28 and were sealed until June 5: Abagail Hostetter, on four felony counts of making a false application for public assistance, two felony counts of failure to notify of a change in circumstances, two felony counts of fraudulently obtaining $1,000 or more in public assistance, one felony count of forgery of a public record and one felony count of falsely uttering a public record.

July 28, 1976

In a survey, a majority of Lexington merchants favored two-way traffic on Main and Nelson streets. - Residents from Rivermont Heights subdivision were considering requesting annexation by Buena Vista if the county failed to provide a better water system and road improvements. -A fragment of a soft-leaded bullet, probably from a .22 caliber pistol, was found inside the Buena Vista News office. Police Chief Erskin Campbell said the bullet apparently shattered when it hit the heavy plate glass window in the front of the building.

Eugene Williams, a 1974 graduate of VMI, recognized early in his cadetship that many high school aged males could benefit from the VMI style of training, even if they could not meet the requirements to become VMI cadets. So in 1985, with the support of others, Williams founded COW. In 1987, the first contingent of 12 students from Virginia, New York and New Jersey arrived to VMI.

This year, 30 students from nine states participated in the program that taught them to overcome obstacles through intense physical training and classroom instruction in mathematics, English, public speaking, financial literacy and career exploration. The students engaged in choral music, improved their swimming skills, completed an obstacle course as a team-building exercise, engaged in community service activities and learned firefighting and lifesaving skills with the Lexington fire and rescue team. They were challenged to overcome their fears by scaling both the indoor climbing wall in the Corps Physical Training Facility and the pamper pole, a 25foot tall wooden pole which participants attempt to climb, stand atop, then leap to grab a trapeze, on North Post; responding to powerful animals as they rode horseback; and learning the fundamentals of boxing. They also enjoyed kayaking, canoeing, camping and hiking House Mountain.

Williams, who currently serves as the executive director, stressed that COW is not a summer camp, but a transformational experience. “We take these young fellows who have promise, but have failed to achieve their potential, and coach them out of their comfort zone. Our philosophy is, ‘You can’t sharpen steel with cotton. You have to sharpen steel with steel,’” he said.

The students heard from many notable guest speakers who shared their life experiences and imparted knowledge of how they overcame adversity and life challenges to successfully attain their goals. Providentially, Frank Friedman, the recently deceased mayor of Lexington, spoke with the COW students about financial planning June 30. Later that night, Friedman suffered a medical emergency which led to his death. Williams shared how he broke the tragic news to the students, “I reminded them that they were the last group of people to have interacted with Frank before he started his journey down that long, ‘Valley of the Shadow of Death,’ and that I hoped they left an impression with him that would lift his spirit as he traveled to heaven.”

A celebratory 40th anniversary reunion picnic was held at Crockett Farm in Collierstown July 11. In attendance were COW students; staff; board of director members; supporters; friends; and alumni; including U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Kendall Clarke, a COW student in 1989 and 1990; and Marvin Adames, assistant vice president for student retention and dean of students at Kean University in New Jersey.

Adames, a COW student in 1988, shared stories from his troubled youth and how the COW program provided hope. “I grew up in Newark, a tough place. When I was about 8, I saw a person die for the first time in my life. It was a violent death. … Later, I witnessed people stabbed and others who overdosed. I saw someone in a stolen car flip the car and die in front of me. I was their age,” he said, pointing to the COW students.

He told of the deprivations he went through growing up, but how his mother always told him that “through education, despite the poverty we were suffering, despite what I was seeing outside of my window, I could be anything in this country. So, I did my very best in school, but I still had to walk day after day through the drug dealers and the gun slingers.” Adames described how the COW program gave him a chance to experience something different. “I had the opportunity to actually believe and to dream about the possibilities. My mother believed in me, and now other people believed in me too. The words spoken and the actions displayed by Gene Williams really were definitive. They made a difference. I left the COW program and went back to my neighborhood, understanding where I was headed. It was because of individuals like Gene who gave me a chance to see something very, very different.”

Over the life of the program, approximately 75% of participants go on to attend college. From that percentage, 3% have attended VMI. The other 25% have attended trade schools, entered the military, or worked in other civilian pursuits.

Information on how to submit an application for participation in the program, or to make a donation, can be found at the website, cow4life.org.

Editor’s note: This editorial is from a story submitted to The News-Gazette by Marianne Hause of the VMI communications department.

Jan Hathorn and Laura de-Maria became the new owners of Cocoa Mill Chocolate Company.

- Melanie Falls was named principal at Effinger Elementary School and Rebecca Jarvis was tapped to be the next principal at Fairfield Elementary. Both women were educated at area public schools. - Rockbridge Area Tourism joined forces with the Roanoke Valley Visitors Bureau to produce a brochure promoting motorcycle rides in and around Rockbridge, Roanoke and points in between.

Last Saturday I went to Walmart to stock up on some essentials when I saw the banner with the words that spell the end of summer – “Back To School.”

It’s hard to believe, but in just about two weeks’ time school will be starting again in Rockbridge County.

There was a time when those words would cause me a great deal of anxiety knowing that the upcoming school year was near but now I actually feel relieved to know summer’s end is imminent and my favorite season, fall, is not far behind. Already I’m getting reels in my Facebook feed about fall and Halloween projects requiring just a few items from the dollar store.

Though going back to school was low on my list of things I liked about fall, I did enjoy the shopping aspect of classes resuming. Stacking a cart full of new notebooks, pencils, pens and paper took away a bit of the sting of summer’s passing. I received a new Trapper Keeper each year and it didn’t take long before the pad of paper that came with it became the place where I wrote my countdown to Christmas break.

July has always been about the time that stores begin beckoning shoppers to come in for new school clothes. On Monday I looked back at some of the ads in News-Gazette issues from July 1986. I would have been preparing for my sophomore year in high school then.

Leggett was a department store in downtown Lexington. It operated for many years in the building where the County Administration building is now. Leggett was a loyal advertiser with The News-Gazette. It also had the first back-to-school ads that year beginning mid-July. Fashions from that period were typically bright and colorful so it was hard to convey the styles in the store in the black and white block ads. Leggett promised that a full color back to school circular would soon appear in mailboxes everywhere. For girls the look that fall was oversized sweatshirts paired with skirts, slacks or leggings. Boys were encouraged to wear oxford shirts, chinos and fleece jackets.

Back then the legendary Buena Vista boutique Becky’s was not only the source for formal wear, but also for casual wear. In 1986, Becky’s alerted young women that the look for fall was all about lace and denim. In a series of block ads, Becky’s featured young college women from the area modeling the fashions of the time.

Burris was still in business then. In its ads, Burris showcased the women’s footwear fad of laced ankle boots in black or bone leather. Izod shirts were still in vogue and Burris had them in assorted colors.

Shoe Show, the shoe store whose sign often had both S’s on the fritz making it look as though Lexington has a shop called Hoe How, advertised “wise buys for school,” specifically drastically reduced prices on ballet flats and loafers. Kids were encouraged to go back to school in KangaROOS, an American brand of athletic shoe with a built-in pocket for small personal belongings. The aerobics craze was still in high gear so Reeboks were a popular choice for women.

Radio Shack did not take out back to school ads, but it did advertise its electronics which all must have seemed really high tech at the time. The store sold pocket calculators that had the BASIC computer program installed.

Caper’s, a hair salon on north Main Street, was offering back-to-school perms at 10% off. As a young woman who had her share of perms in the early 1980s, I could practically smell that rotten egg odor of perm solution just looking at that ad – no scratch and sniff sticker necessary.

I did not start my sophomore year in high school with a perm, but I always started a school year with new shoes and new clothes. I remember my mother’s uncle Charlie took me back-to-school shopping at Lord & Taylor in Washington, D.C., that year and I thought the black and white striped long-sleeved shirt and black skirt he bought for me made me look like a French girl. I was walking down the stairs at Lexington High School thinking that I looked very chic when I heard someone calling my name. I thought I was going to be complimented on my stylish appearance. Instead, the person told me discretely that my skirt was not zipped up.

If I had shopped locally, the oversized sweatshirt at Leggett would have covered up my unfortunate wardrobe malfunction.

Our thanks to Kamryn Bradshaw for providing our musical accompaniment for this past Sunday’s worship service Oxford’s men’s fellowship will meet Saturday, Aug. 8, at 8 a.m. in the fellowship hall. Breakfast foods and coffee will be provided. All are welcome.

Mark your calendar now for Oxford’s final summer worship in the park on Sunday, Aug. 16. A covered-dish picnic will follow the service. Hot dogs and drinks will be furnished. Bring a covered-dish or dessert and share in some summer fellowship with your friends and neighbors. All will be moved indoors if the weather is bad.

The headstone cleaning project at Oxford Cemetery is making great progress. Approximately 500 headstones have been cleaned and about 200 remain to be done. Tentative dates for the next cleanings are Tuesday, Aug. 11, and Thursday, Aug. 20, from 8 a.m. to noon Volunteers are welcome for any amount of time and donations to help cover the cost of cleaning supplies are also welcome. Donations may be mailed to Oxford Presbyterian Church, 143 Oxford Lane, Lexington, VA 24450 The Effinger Community Revival is slated for Aug. 27 beginning at 6 p.m. This annual revival service is sponsored by the area churches and will be held at the Lake Robertson Pavilion. Randy Smith will be speaking and music will be provided by Dorsey Hostetter. Light refreshments will be provided Oxford is a collection point for The Neighborhood Grocery and the focus for donations during July is on condiments. Personal hygiene items are always welcome. Donations may be left in the basket located in the narthex.

1.) How much extra water have we put in for usages above and beyond the amount that we now use?

A very important question! If we say we have enough for data centers and something else comes up – then where are we?

And the same thing is true for our electricity What do you get from these data centers?

A little extra money and a shortage of water and electricity.

We also have to put in water and electricity for forest fires. Have you thought about that?All for just a little money and not our safety!

2.) Did you know that backup generators will definitely be needed? They run on gas.

3.) Trash that these data centers make – where are we going to put it?

4.) Where to build? Build on unstable ground or in a seismically active zone – equivalent to constructing a house of cards “seismology” branch of science concerned with earthquakes and related phenomena.

Who decides? Not the company who wants to build these centers.

5. Who will it affect? What do we want from our country?

You just can’t sit back and let those in charge decide, as we think they know best. But is that the case?

We are all responsible! We need to know exactly how data centers are going to change things – the good, the bad and the ugly!

I know we are all responsible. If we do nothing, then you can’t blame anyone but yourself.

NANCYCUZZIMANO Glasgow

More military dead helps the bigoted Republican federal bosses know how to influence a sundowning president on how to retain male and white supremacist autocrat power. The more military people who die over Iran, the more MAGA can be manipulated to support a revenge war that should not have started in the first place. Plus, antiwar protest can be turned into false claims of terrorism, creating more excuses to interfere in our country’s already safe elections. And some others can cynically think, go ahead Trump: you only improve our chances to win a congressional majority in November.

So sad. Time to recommit to a civics that helps thwart corrupt uber-capitalist war power that profits by tearing up the earth, blowing things up, and killing. MARYHELEN BRAINARD Buena Vista

This law is about more than changing takeout containers. Expanded polystyrene is one of the most common forms of litter found along our roads, streams, and rivers. It breaks into thousands of small pieces that are nearly impossible to clean up and can persist in the environment for generations. Wildlife often mistake these fragments for food, and researchers continue to find evidence that plastics break down into microplastics that contaminate our waterways and ecosystems.

Fortunately, businesses across Virginia have already shown that practical alternatives exist. Many have transitioned to recyclable, reusable, or compostable containers with little disruption to customers.

As consumers, we can help make this transition successful by showing patience, bringing reusable containers when practical, and thanking local businesses for doing their part to reduce waste.

Reducing plastic pollution won’t happen through one law alone, but this is a meaningful step toward cleaner rivers, healthier wildlife, and a more beautiful Virginia.

Rockbridge Conservation applauds the General Assembly for passing this legislation and thanks the many local businesses already embracing more sustainable practices. Together, we can keep unnecessary plastic out of our landfills, streams, and communities. JAMIE GOODIN Executive director Rockbridge Conservation

I encourage the City Council to finish the job by granting the permit and welcoming the new venture to the downtown community. Messrs O’Roark and Martin appear to have verifiable success and good reputations on their side. I wish them well and look forward to saying hello and perhaps being allowed a gander at how they do what they do.

Establishments serving the wearers of body art remain subject to negative stereotyping. This condition, I imagine, is only perpetuated by forcing them to the low-rent margins of whatever community they seek to serve. I would hope to see the O’Roark/ Martin presence downtown help turn that around and enhance our cultural vitality. GEORGE KOSOVIC Lexington

Every morning I wake up and find that, incredibly, over night, Trump has pulled yet another thread of decency from the fabric of our nation and our democracy, which by now, with the Supreme Court’s blessing, is nothing but a rag.

Today marks the end of the Temporary Protection Status for some 330,000 Haitian immigrants, who came to the U.S. to escape violence, poverty and chaos, and to live productive lives. For decades, they have been doing just that. They have been working, legally, at jobs Americans don’t want. They have been the janitors and roofers, garbage collectors, cooks, cleaners - an estimated 1,300 are nursing assistants, caring for over 65,000 patients a day.

Rounding them up, destroying their families and sending them back to Haiti will prove to be a death sentence for many of them. It will leave gaping holes in the American workforce and it will be a very expensive project that American taxpayers will be forced to fund.

And we can’t afford to fund it. We’ve already wasted over $100 billion on the stupidest war in the history of man, and God knows how much on ICE and detention centers and private prisons and Trump’s trips to Maralago and his shiny new jet.

So why is Trump doing this now? The administration will provide many justifications that will not include keeping attention off the Epstein files. But the fundamental reason is simple: Hate. Racially motivated hate, and hatred in general for everything good and decent that once made this a great nation. PHILLIPWELCH Rockbridge County

With the Balfour Declaration (1917), Zionists needed to figure out how to achieve a Jewish homeland while working with the British (the Mandate Palestine 1917 to 1948). From its start in 1918, the Zionist Commission had as its goal “an independent Jewish Palestine,” although the public stance was a willingness to work with the Arab population. (At no point did all Jews support the Zionist Commission.)

Colonial and political Zionism needed more Jews in Palestine to win elections. This meant jobs, land, and security for Jewish immigrants - and that meant a lack thereof for Arabs. Palestinians understood the ruling Zionists were pushing them aside and off the land. As Israeli historian Tom Segev states, “Realizing the Zionist dream would lead to pushing the Arabs out of the country …” There was widespread Arab nationalist sentiment at this time, and Arab nationalist organizations, but no effective Arab nationalist movement was organized.

While some British administrators and Zionists favored a democratic approach – with a Jewish and Zionist majority – the powers that prevailed were unabashedly racist and efforts to gain a majority were calculated and cold, even nefarious. When the state of Israel was created, the policies and goals prior to statehood continued. Way before the British left Palestine in 1948, it was clear to everyone that violence and not democratic politics would decide who had land and who made the laws. The Zionists and then the Israeli government were – and are - fine with that.

I understand this letter prompts many questions. I hope others will help answer them. SARAHWILSON

As work continues on Prasnicki-Ross Field at Veterans Stadium at Rockbridge County High School, the RC athletic department is hopeful that the field will be ready in time for football season at the end of August.

The field, which the Wildcats also use for lacrosse and soccer, will have a brand new artificial turf surface, built to professional-grade standards and designed to handle the heavy use that has worn down the school’s existing grass field over the years.

RC athletic director Anthony Marasco said the hope is to have the field finished by mid-August. The RC football team is scheduled to open the season at home against local rival Parry McCluer on Friday, Aug. 28, at 7 p.m.

Looking forward to the Wildcats’ athletic teams playing on the field, Marasco said, “We are thrilled. I come from a school that has a turf field. It makes it really easy when it rains. Most schools have to cancel their practices.”

Construction on the field started in early June, delayed by about a month due to lastminute stormwater management concerns raised by a third-parting engineering firm. In preparation for construction, the Wildcats’ lacrosse and soccer teams played their last few games of the spring season on the turf field at Southern Virginia University in Buena Vista. Over the summer, crews have been working on the field in the daytime heat. The project is following a timeline of roughly eight to 12 weeks, broken into several phases.

The artificial turf project is being contracted through LandTek using a product called Pivot, a non-infill turf system that doesn’t use crumb rubber or sand. With no loose infill material, there are no rubber pellets tracking into the players’ cleats, uniforms or school facilities, unlike in the case of older turf systems that have drawn scrutiny over safety concerns related to crumb rubber. The technology is similar to systems used at collegiate and professional venues, Dr. Phillip Thompson, the superintendent for Rockbridge County Public Schools, told The News-Gazette in early June.

The project is costing about $1.7 million. The Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors has committed $1.25 million from the county general fund to the school capital fund. Lexington, which sends students to RCHS under a 1989 consolidation agreement, is contributing a share of the turf field cost, estimated to be $267,888, and the remaining $178,172 will come from the School Board’s capital improvement escrow account.

Marasco said he’s confident that the field would be “the best facility in the district. We always want to give our kids the best.”

During the nomination period, News-Gazette readers are encouraged to nominate businesses and organizations in over 100 categories. You may submit as many nominations as you want, and it only takes one nomination to put that business or organization into the contest.

CornerStone Bank is our contest sponsor, and The News-Gazette appreciates greatly their enthusiasm for helping us bring Best of Rockbridge to the area.

So, how does the Best of Rockbridge contest work?

The contest starts with a nomination round, where readers can propose businesses, organizations and people for all sorts of categories. Those wishing to nominate can go to thenews-gazette/bestof, which is where you would also go to vote one the voting round begins. It takes only one qualified nomination for a nominee to move to the voting round. Readers can make as many nominations as they like, and there’s no cost at all to nominate. Nominations can be made up through August 19.

Voting begins on August 26. There is only one voting round, and the businesses, organizations and people with the most votes in each category will be crowned Best of Rockbridge, and highlighted in the winners guide. Nominees receiving the second- and third-most votes will be declared Finalists. Readers can vote once in each category once a day, and most vote in three different categories for votes to count. Voting ends September 23.

The winners will be announced in The News-Gazette on October 14. All winners and finalists will receive a certificate.

There are 114 categories in which to nominate, and to cast votes when the voting begins in August. All nominations and voting is done on line.

Some fun categories include Best Local Band, Best Personal Trainer, Best Family Dining, Best Hair Salon, Best Pizza, Best Dog-Friendly Business, and many more.

Categories are divided into groups thirteen groups: Arts and Entertainment, Automotive, Body and Soul, Dining Out, Finance, Food and Drink, Health, Home Improvement, Kids and Education, Pets, Real Estate, Services, and Shopping.

Besides our contest sponsor, Corner-Stone Bank, we have group sponsors helping to make the contest possible. Alcove Mortgage, Spencer Home Center, Magic City Ford of Lexington and Collins and Hepler, Attorneys at Law are also partnering with the newspaper to bring Best of Rockbridge to the area.

Full contest rules are available at https://bit.ly/4wsOaSf.

While the contest focuses on local businesses and organizations, national and regional chains will be considered on a case-by-case basis. However, the contest is fundamentally about celebrating and supporting great Rockbridge area businesses and organizations. Have fun and get your nominations in!

The Collierstown Presbyterian Women’s annual Church World Service “Kids Kit” campaign has gotten underway with the goal of filling 250 canvas tote bags with 11 basic school supplies for distribution to needy students in the United States and around the world.

The community is invited to help the PW reach this year’s goal by giving a financial gift to buy supplies or by filling the canvas tote bags with the 11 school supplies needed. Tote bags and the required supply list can be obtained by calling the church office (540) 4635918. T hose w ishing t o make a financial gift to the school kit campaign should designate the gift for school kits and mail it to Collierstown Presbyterian Church, 31 Church Drive, Lexington, VA 24450. PW members will gladly purchase the needed items and prepare the kits for those donating to this effort. Filled bags are to be returned to the church by Aug. 16 for distribution. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Leading the worship service at the Collierstown Presbyterian Church on Sunday, July 26, was Elder Duaine Fitzgerald. Following the service, the church family enjoyed fellowship and “lemonade on the lawn.” On Sunday, Aug. 2, Pastor Bob Shilling will lead the 11 a.m. worship service.

The Effinger Volunteer Fire Department would like to thank all who supported the barbecue chicken and raffle drawing held on Saturday, July 25. T he department sold all 683 chicken halves that were prepared. All proceeds will be used by the fire department to support the community.

The Union View Advent Christian C hurch w ill h ost Irwin and Rowena Cabrizos on Sunday, Aug. 2, at 3 p.m. The Cabrizos are visiting Advent Christian missionaries from the Philippines that are affiliated with Agape House Ministries. They will share the work they are doing in the Philippines with those in attendance. A freewill offering with be taken to assist in this mission effort. U nion V iew A dvent Christian Church is located at 4574 Turnpike Road.

The Effinger Community Revival will be held on Aug. 27 at 6 p.m. at the Lake Robertson P avilion. T he g uest speaker will be Randy Smith. Music will be provided by Dorsey Hostetter. A time of fellowship and refreshments will follow the evening program. T he E ffinger C ommunity Revival is sponsored by the Collierstown Baptist Church, Union View Advent Christian Church, Rapps Mill Church, Collierstown and the Mount Horeb United Methodist Churches and the Collierstown and Oxford Presbyterian Churches.

The sale of the 2027 Effinger community birthday calendar is underway. The cost of the calendar is $4. Birthday, anniversary and memorial listings are 35 cents e ach. C alendars a nd listings may be purchased by contacting an Effinger Ruritan Club member. The 2027 calendar will be the 50th edition. C alendar purchases may be made through Aug. 31.

The annual Palmer Ice Cream Supper, sponsored by the Effinger Ruritan Club, will be held on Saturday, Aug. 15, from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Palmer Community Center. Volunteers are needed to help with the event. Contact any Ruritan Club member to volunteer.

The Effinger Ruritan Club and the Palmer Community Center are seeking donations of photos and other memorabilia that relate to the history of Palmer School and Community Center. Those with items to share should call Effinger Ruritan Club President Chris Cartwright at (540) 461-0113 for more information.

Many people go their entire lives without watching an opera. But not Timothy Gaylard – he’s seen 1,000.

According to Gaylard’s records, Charlottesville Opera’s performance of “Barber of Seville” on July 17 was the thousandth live opera he’s attended. It marks the completion of Gaylard’s personal goal and the end of a decadeslong journey that began with his first opera viewing more than 55 years ago.

But he said his love for music started even earlier than that.

“Way back, being a child, I always had an interest in music,” he said.

Early on, he said his main interest was in playing piano. Opera was something he came to appreciate later, mainly because of his self-admitted “obsession” with the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

“I think Mozart was the gateway for me to like opera,” Gaylard said, “because he’s written some really fine operas.”

His first opera was by Mozart: “Don Giovanni.” Gaylard watched the Canadian Opera Company perform it on tour in his hometown of Ottawa in 1970. But he said he wasn’t hooked on the genre immediately.

“I wasn’t particularly interested, but I was getting interested,” he said.

Gaylard started to become really invested in college. He studied math and music at Ottawa’s Carleton University. He said he had friends who sang in the chorus for operas at Canada’s National Arts Center, which gave him one reason to attend shows.

But he said he’s seen the most operas at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, which accounts for 365 of his 1,000 performances. He started going to the Met consistently when he came to Columbia University as a graduate student in 1977.

“Because I was a poor grad student, I would get what’s called standing room tickets,” he said.

Standing room tickets only cost about $4 or $5, Gaylard said. But they allowed him to see famous performers like the Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti.

“When I heard some of these great singers live, it was just a revelation, you know, why they were as famous as they were,” he said.

Gaylard became a music professor at W&L in 1984. He retired in 2020 after 36 years of teaching.

Now, he’s seen operas in Richmond, Philadelphia, Sarasota and Washington, D.C. He’s traveled abroad to Austria, the Czech Republic, England, Italy and Spain and watched performances in those countries as well.

Many of the operas he’s seen are repeats. The 1,000 performances he’s watched account for 292 different operas.

But Gaylard said “Don Giovanni” remains one of his favorites. He’s watched it live 46 times – more than any other opera.

He said his other favorite is Giuseppe Verdi’s “Don Carlos,” which he’s seen 35 times. Verdi is Gaylard’s most watched composer at 187 operas, followed by Mozart with 165.

Though Gaylard has been watching operas since 1970, he said his goal wasn’t always to watch 1,000.

“As I got close to 500, I thought, ‘You know, maybe I can make a thousand.’” he said. “So I started to make a thousand my goal. I didn’t know how long it would take.”

The COVID-19 pandemic slowed things down, he said. The shutdowns and social distancing caused by the pandemic limited him to only 11 total shows between 2020 and 2021.

But he made up ground in 2025, when he saw 46 operas. That surge helped him reach 1,000 just a couple weekends ago.

Gaylard said he was joined by his wife, his three daughters, and one son-in-law for his milestone opera. Before the performance, he got a special shoutout from the opera’s artistic director.

“She mentioned my name and had me stand up, and the audience ... gave me a little applause,” he said.

Gaylard said he still isn’t tired of watching operas, and he isn’t going to stop at 1,000. But he did say he won’t try to watch 46 in one year again – apparently, even the biggest fan has his limits.

Twenty-five years ago, a small group gathered in David Cox’s living room in Lexington and gave away $1,500 to three local organizations. That was the first grant round of what is now the Community Foundation for Rockbridge, Bath, and Alleghany Counties.

This year, the Foundation will distribute more than $400,000 to nearly 100 organizations.

In June, its assets passed $10 million — a goal set last year for the Foundation’s 25th anniversary.

To mark the anniversary, it is giving away $25,000 more.

Beginning Aug. 1, CFRBA will award $1,000 a day for 25 straight days to 25 nonprofit organizations serving the region — $25,000 in total, distributed through a campaign the Foundation is calling “25 for 25.”

Every recipient is an organization that holds a permanent agency endowment fund with the Foundation — all 25 of them, with none left out. Some established their funds years ago; others only recently. “What they share is a decision to place a portion of their resources in permanent trust — choosing patience over immediate spending, and betting on their own longevity,” said Lori Turner, executive director.

Recipients will be announced one per day on the Foundation’s social media channels.

The campaign is designed as much to spotlight the region’s nonprofit sector as to fund it.

“Twenty-five years ago, Dan Vance and Woody Sadler decided that local dollars ought to stay local and do local good, permanently,” said Turner. “Everything we are today grew out of that one idea. So, when we started talking about how to mark 25 years, a banquet never really crossed our minds. The right way to celebrate this Foundation is to do the thing this Foundation exists to do — put money in the hands of people who are already out there feeding neighbors, sheltering families, assisting the elderly, nurturing youth and answering the phone at midnight. For 25 days, that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

FromAShared Vision To $10 Million

The Foundation traces its beginning to Vance and Sadler, two local leaders who believed this community could invest in itself — that a gift made here should stay here, and should still be working generations from now.

Their vision became the Rockbridge Area Community Foundation, established in 2001 as an affiliate under the umbrella of the Foundation for Roanoke Valley. For its first decade, the organization operated under that partnership, building its first funds and proving that a rural region could sustain serious, permanent philanthropy.

In 2011, the Foundation stood on its own. It became a fully independent community foundation, expanded its service area to include Bath andAlleghany, took the name it carries today, and hired Turner as executive director — a role she has held for all 15 years since.

“We didn’t have much of a plan in 2001, and we certainly didn’t have any money,” said Sadler. “What Dan and I had was a conviction that the people here would give if you gave them a good way to do it — and that whatever they gave ought to be protected and put to work forever, not spent in a year and forgotten. Twenty-five years later, I’d say the community answered the question. This was never our foundation. It was theirs from the first day.”

“People always assumed a place like this was too small to sustain a real endowment — that permanent philanthropy was something for big cities,” said Vance. “We never believed that. What we needed was a structure, so that a person who loved this place could leave something behind and trust it would still be doing good long after they were gone. What surprised me was how many people around here were just waiting to be asked.”

What Vance and Sadler started with an idea is now one of the region’s most significant philanthropic organizations.

Today the Foundation stewards 87 individual donor funds and more than $10 million in charitable assets. Over the past 15 years, it has granted more than $4.6 million to local causes and supported over 150 nonprofit organizations across the region. It holds another $14 million in planned giving already committed — bequests and legacy society gifts from donors who have chosen to leave a permanent mark on their community.

Those dollars have funded the COVID-19 Pandemic Fund, the Walker Entrepreneurship Program, and the Rockbridge Recovery HOPE House for Men and Women, among many others.

Because those funds are endowed, the giving does not stop. The Foundation distributes 4 percent of a three-year rolling average of its total corpus each year — currently more than $400,000 annually — while the principal remains invested and intact. A fund created in 2001 is still making grants in 2026, and will still be making grants in 2051.

“What makes a community foundation different is patience,” said Greg Madsen, chairman of the board. “We are not here to make a splash and move on. Every dollar entrusted to this foundation is invested to serve this region in perpetuity. Twenty-five years in, we’re seeing gifts made by people who are no longer with us still paying for scholarships, still keeping the doors open at organizations they loved. That’s the promise we make to donors, and I’m proud that this board and this staff have kept it. Lori put $10 million on the board as the mark for our 25th year, and this community got us there.”

What CFRBADoes

The Foundation serves three roles in the region:

For donors — CFRBA makes charitable giving simple and permanent. Individuals, families, businesses, and organizations can establish a named fund — designated, donor-advised, field-of-interest, scholarship, or agency endowment — with the Foundation handling investment management, due diligence, grant administration, and compliance. Donors get the impact of a private foundation without the cost or the paperwork, explained Turner.

For nonprofits — CFRBA awards competitive grants each year to organizations in the communities they serve. It also holds and manages endowments on behalf of local nonprofits, giving small organizations access to professional investment management and a stable annual income stream.

For students — the Foundation administers 15 scholarship funds, awarding more than $50,000 each year to graduates from across the region pursuing college, trade, and vocational education.

Beyond grant-making, CFRBA convenes. The Foundation regularly brings together nonprofit leaders, local government, funders, and residents to identify unmet needs and coordinate response — work that has proven especially valuable in a rural region where organizations are small, staff are stretched, and duplication is expensive, said Turner

How 25 For 25 Works

There is no application and no competition. The Foundation currently holds agency endowment funds for exactly 25 organizations — a coincidence of arithmetic that made the campaign design itself. Every one of them receives an award.

The $25,000 is underwritten by a gift from the Derrick Family Foundation Fund, a donor-advised fund held at the Community Foundation — an example of the campaign’s own premise, a fund created here doing work here years after it was established.

An agency endowment works like this: a nonprofit places funds with the Foundation permanently. CFRBA invests and manages them, handles the administration and compliance, and returns an annual distribution to the organization — calculated at 4 percent of a three-year rolling average, so the payout stays steady even when markets do not. It gives a small nonprofit access to professional investment management it could never afford alone, and it gives that organization’s donors a way to make a gift that outlives all of them, explained Turner.

Each of the 25 awards is unrestricted, on top of the organization’s regular annual distribution. Recipients may use the funds wherever the need is greatest.

“Unrestricted is the point,” Turner said. “These are organizations we’ve walked alongside for years. They know their needs better than we ever could. This funding fills the gaps.”

One announcement will be made each day for 25 consecutive days on the Foundation’s social media channels — follow along on Facebook at facebook. com/cfrba. Community members are encouraged to share the recipients’ stories and consider giving directly to the organizations featured.

LookingAhead

With the $10 million goal met, the Foundation has set its next: reaching 100 endowed funds by 2030 — 13 more than it holds today — and continues to accept new funds from donors at any level.

“Somebody in 2001 made a gift that is still working today,” Madsen said. “The best thing any of us can do in our own 25th year is give the next generation something to work with.”

To learn more about establishing a fund, applying for grants, or supporting the 25 for 25 campaign, visit cfrba.org or contact Turner at (540) 4142674 or lori.turner@cfrba.org.

Orders must be placed by 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 2, with pick-up from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Walkers Creek firehouse located at 3964 Walkers Creek Road, Middlebrook. There is a second pick-up location at Middlebrook Mercantile at 3 p.m.

For information and to place orders, call (540) 348-5105. Leave a message, and you will receive a callback to confirm your order.

The library will resume its normal operating hours on Wednesday, Aug. 5.

Multiple organizations are combining resources to offer a single-stop location where families can pick up school supplies, shoes, coats, and books, grab a meal, and let kids burn off energy in a bouncy house – all in one morning, all at no cost.

The event brings together Buena Vista Pentecostal Holiness Church, Calvary Brethren Church, Unity4Kids and Rockbridge County public schools as lead organizers, with support from the Rockbridge Regional Library Bookmobile, Project Horizon, Rockbridge Area Community Services and the Rockbridge Area Health Center Community Health Team. The Buena Vista Police Department and Buena Vista Fire Department will round out the lineup, giving families a chance to connect with local first responders.

“By pooling their networks in unity, these organizations provide families with a single, comprehensive hub of wrap-around support and community resources,” said Tammy Reid, executive director for Unity4Kids.