DOWN MEMORY LANE

Jan. 27, 1999

A new physician — all six foot four inches tall — recently joined the staff at the Rappahannock Medical Center following the retirement of Dr. Warner Krebser July.

His name is Dr. John McCue, but everyone calls him Jack. “Its an old Irish Catholic habit of calling John, Jack,” he said. McCue, 43, also works as an Emergency Room doctor at the Fauquier Hospital, a job he has had since 1994.

A music lover, he plays the piano and guitar. In fact, his guitar was propped in the corner of the office, and he said he plays it whenever he has a break. However, he said his passion is biking, and he frequently hitches his bike to his car so he can go for a ride during his lunch break.

Jack lives in Warrenton with his wife, Susan Hotelling, and two children, seven-year-old Ian and 12 year-old Christina. Susan is a social worker for home health service associated with Fauquier Hospital.

The staff at the medical center was complimentary about McCue’s abilities. “He’s patient-oriented,” nurse Virginia Miller said.

“If only I had his energy,” Peggy Eubank, office manager, commented.

Janet Moore, the pharmacist, said he is humorous, conscientious and easy to work with, “but I can’t keep up in with him.”

Meanwhile, it’s good to have friends in faraway places — at least if you like to travel.

That’s what Vinnie Deluise and Heidi Morf, owners of Our and Twenty Blackbirds in Flint Hill, discovered when they were invited to Singapore.

A friend of theirs, Shelly Robbins, who lived in Bangkok, was helping Dr. Chye Peng organize a trendy American style charity dinner for World Alzheimer's Day.

The Flint Hill couple was chosen to prepare the $500-a-plate dinner for 475 people. The money raised was given to facilities that care for Alzheimer’s patients in Singapore, Deluise said.

The dinner was served at the same time from three food stations in narrow hallways surrounding the hotel’s ballroom. The seven course meal was coordinated by using runners, since the hotel didn’t have walkie-talkies.

Amazingly it all came together, mostly due to their organizing skills. The couple plans to return for a repeat performance in the year 2000.

Feb. 14, 1980

In response to threats of legal action made six months ago by the state Department of Housing and Community Development, the Rappahannock supervisors finally took steps at last Thursday’s board meeting to provide a building inspector as required by state law.

The Rappahannock supervisors authorized Carr and Hyde agent Dick Bowan to conduct a liability insurance study for the county.

Carr and Hyde currently carries the fire insurance policies on county buildings, due to expire at the end of March.

“I understand you don’t have liability insurance,” Bowan told the board members. He explained that liability insurance would cover the county against suit in the event that a person was injured in a county building as well as protecting the supervisors against possible suit as individuals or an entire board arising from their actions as board members.

Bowan noted that three members of the Fauquier County Board of Supervisors are currently being sued by a developer for failure to approve subdivision plans.

Supervisor chairman E. P. Luke asked if elected officials in Virginia held immunity from suits arising from official action.

“That immunity has eroded over the years,” Bowan replied. He added that costs of defense “can be considerable” even if the supervisors won such a suit.

“I worry about us regarding fire insurance,” Luke continued. “We don’t have a fire escape on the second floor of this building.”