DOWN MEMORY LANE

Dec. 23, 1998

Hackley’s Store will close for business on Christmas Eve, ending 64 years of continuous operation for the general merchandising store in Amissville. However, the Hackleys said it will likely reopen in March under different management.

The store’s closing will mark the end of three generations of the Hackley family business, which is like a mini-Wal-Mart, selling take-out food, groceries, clothing, boots, tools, gas and propane.

“It’s going to be a sad day,” said owner Ron Makela about the closing.

Makela and his wife, Janet, have run the store for the past eight years. She is the daughter of former owner Emmett Graham Hackley, commonly known as “E.G.” Formerly a captain in the Virginia Beach Fire Department, Makela said he met Jan when she was working as a teacher in Virginia Beach. She now works for the school system as the volunteer coordinator. Except for being definite about staying in Amissville, he said his plans are otherwise uncertain.

Lt. Larry Sherertz joined the sheriff’s office here just six short months ago after almost 24 years spent with the Fairfax County Police Department. Last week he was named sheriff by the panel of Circuit Court Judges in the wake of Sheriff Gary Settle’s resignation.

“I threw my hat in the ring because I think I have the best credentials, best experience, best training and best leadership capabilities to move forward,” he said. “And, I genuinely care about the community and county residents and am responsive to their concerns. I will take time to address the issues they bring to me.”

Sherertz was up for the office against former sheriff John Henry Woodward. Woodward ran against Settle in the last election and said he will run again in 1999 whether selected by the Circuit Court judges or not.

Woodward was sheriff for 12 years, beginning in 1984 and said he feels he lost the last election because “I didn't get out to visit enough people during the election campaign. Rappahannock is still a small community and they like to see their candidates.”

Oct. 14, 1976

Rappahannock County High School will lose its designation as a fully accredited high school and will instead be “accredited and advised” once the new state standards go into effect, reported assistant to the Superintendent T. A. Fleetwood at Tuesday’s School Board meeting.

Fleetwood attended a special meeting on accreditation standards, at which state education department representatives explained that the number of deficiencies allowed to a school in the fully accredited category have been dropped to zero.

Once one deficiency exists, the school will automatically be advised. No response to this advisement is required, according to Fleetwood. He added that 75 to 80 percent of the schools in the state would fall in this category.