DOWN MEMORY LANE
Oct. 18, 1984
About one hundred friends and relatives gathered last Friday evening for a surprise birthday/retirement party for Clarence Baldwin, owner of Baldwin’s Grocery and member of the Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors from Hampton District. Mr. Baldwin turned 61, and plans to retire the second week of November.
The party was arranged by his daughter, Susan Atkins, of Washington. Cecil Baldwin donated floral arrangements for the gathering, which was held at the Sperryville fire hall. Music was provided by Larry LeHew and the Royal Flush.
Unfortunately, the celebration was cut short when Mr. Baldwin had to be taken to Warren Memorial Hospital in Front Royal, the victim of an apparent heart attack.
Camille Harris, founder and executive director of The Child Care and Learning Center of Washington has resigned from the post effective December 1. The Center’s 12-member board of directors accepted the resignation October 14.
Harris founded The Child Care and Learning Center, first known as Sursum Corda, in 1976. At the time, the Center had 10 children enrolled, an $8,000 budget and held classes in a basement. Today the Center boasts a $130,000 budget, 45 preschool student population, 45 more children and adults enrolled in enrichment classes and plans to build in 1985 a new 4,300-square-foot facility.
The Center withstood tough times this year, including problems meeting rear setback requirements of the Rappahannock County zoning ordinance. The Center also had to raise more than $200,000 in gifts and grants to make the proposed new building possible. Both hurdles have been jumped, and Harris said she is confident the organization can become the true “community” school she envisioned. “It’s been almost nine years. I need to at least take a break from it,” Harris said.
Sept. 5, 2002
Mary Kay independent beauty consultant Pat Giles of Washington is on the road to success. This month Mrs. Giles earned the use of a new Pontiac Grand Am. In keeping with the company’s quest to maintain its preeminence as a leader in providing women with an unparalleled business opportunity and desirable business incentives, Mary Kay continues to elevate its image by continually upgrading the options available to its star performers. In addition to the Grand Am, Mary Kay also offers the pearlized pink Cadillac and the Pontiac Grand Prix as part of its notable career car fleet.
Mr. Giles took possession of her new Grand Am car at Shenandoah Motors in Front Royal on Wednesday, Aug. 28. The Mary Kay product line includes more than 200 premium products in eight categories: facial skin care, color cosmetics, nail care, body care, sun protection, fragrances, men’s skin care and men’s and women’s dietary supplements. Today there are more than 850,000 Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultants serving customers in 33 markets worldwide.
“Everyone is worried.” Bob Anderson member of the Board of Supervisors representing Stonewall-Hawthorne, could have been speaking for all of the supervisors and all members of the school board and all of the state agencies which serve Rappahannock. Helen Williams, interim Superintendent of Schools, said, “of course we’re worried.” She said it didn’t sound like there would be cuts in this year's school budget, which is set. The cutting would be next year’s problems — the 2003-2004 biennium.
“Local governments, local citizenry are certainly going to feel the pain,” stated Senate Finance Committee Chairman John H. Chichester (R-Stafford).
The growing deficit in Virginia has Governor Mark Warner and leaders of both political parties in the General Assembly talking about very visible cuts in services. Seven months ago in January the new Governor and the General Assembly began working to close the $3.8 billion budget shortfall (insufficient revenue to pay for spending commitments).
They were able to balance the budget with cuts of seven and eight percent on state agencies and programs, the elimination of 3,000 state employees, tuition increases on students attending our state colleges and universities — just to name three of the hundreds of areas.
There are many people in Rappahannock who are employed by the state or who work in offices which are funded in part by the state. These offices and people provide services to citizens of Rappahannock; those services will certainly be cut unless other sources of revenue are found. All five of our elected constitutional officers and their offices will be affected; Diane Bruce, Clerk of the Court, Beverly Atkins, Commissioner of the Revenue, Peter Luke, Commonwealth Attorney, Frances Foster, Treasurer, and Larry Sherertz, Sheriff. They are all state employees.