The Rapp for May 18 | The Rapp

The Rappahannock County Buildings Committee will meet today (Thursday, May 18) at 10 a.m. in the Visitor’s Center to discuss the project. County officials hope the event will help members of the Board of Supervisors and residents reach a consensus on a new courthouse design to move the project forward. 

The Supervisors have yet to vote on a design concept needed to move forward with construction, and members of the public have been critical about the proposed designs.

Engineers hired by the county from Racey Engineering are using wooden stakes, color-coded tape and balloons to illustrate the height and general perimeter of a new building. Residents will be able to visualize the perimeter of a new courthouse building, the driveway and the retaining walls, as well as the height. There will also be maps and blueprints available for a self-guided tour.

The annual series will now for the first time run May through September. This year’s lineup includes returning and new top local bands to the Sperryville stage in the River District, at 6 p.m. every third Thursday each month, with rain dates every fourth Thursday.

The concerts are located near the confluence of the north and south branches of the Thornton River, at 7 River Ln. (accessed from Water Street) next to Copper Fox Antiques and Copper Fox Distillery. 

The Rappahannock County Democratic Committee is holding its annual Blue State Bluegrass Brunch at Mountain View Farm this Saturday, May 20, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The event, located 86 Botts Ln in Woodville, is free and open to all. Candidates for county office will attend, as well as special guests Larry Jackson, Tawana Campbell and Elizabeth Melson. Music will be performed by The Bentwood Rockers.

“Once again the Pantry Dinner sold out within weeks of ticket sales opening!” reports Anne-Marie Stacey, secretary of Rappahannock Food Pantry’s board of directors. “The Pantry Dinner is always such a heart-warming event to be a part of. The kindness and generosity of the people and businesses in our Rappahannock community is just amazing.” 

John and Tracie Jacquemin (who also hosted the Pantry’s 2019 dinner), are once again opening their beautiful home and property in Castleton for Saturday’s event. The dinner has 54 individual sponsors; 42 Rappahannock restaurants and businesses that are donating food, wine and items for a raffle. 

Pantry Dinner Committee members Mimi Forbes, Penny Kardis, Ava Krogman and Shauna Volmrich spent countless hours since February orchestrating the event, according to Stacey. “It’s all a beautiful reminder that we truly are One Rappahannock. Caring. Sharing. Together.”

With an almost scoreless half, Wakefield Country Day School forward Lilly Vargas of Culpeper hit her target and put a goal on the scoreboard in the first-round match of the VISAA State Finals Tournament.

The remainder of the half was a back-and-forth between the WCDS Owls and Fredericksburg Academy Falcons. After the half-time break, the Owls took the field with a renewed vigor, and with 32 minutes left in the half, Sarah Johnson of Woodville scored the second goal, bringing the Owls lead to 2-0. A handball was called against a Falcon defender and Johnson took the penalty shot, bringing the Owls lead to 3-0.

In the next Owl possession, Sam Thomas of Culpeper assisted and crossed to Johnson who shot again, and with a hat-trick brought the score to 4-0. With 24 minutes left in the half, Vargas ran the ball down the field and scored, 5-0 WCDS.

The teams traded sides for much of the remainder of the game, and with 5 minutes left, the Falcons finally put a goal on the board, bringing the game to 5-1 WCDS. With just minutes left in the half, Arella Nagle of Flint Hill made the coup de grace, and sealed the win for the Owls with a shot to the top corner; 6-1 final.

Right the Record, an African American history program, will honor Union Civil War veterans at The Carver Center, 9432 James Madison Highway, in Culpeper on Saturday, May 20, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Right the Record and partners will honor 321 men who wore the blue uniform and the insignia of the United States of America during the Civil War. These 321 men were born in either Culpeper, Madison, Orange, or Rappahannock counties, and some living descendants will be present.

On May 22, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln authorized the founding of the Bureau of Colored Troops allowing the enlistment of men of color into the United States Army (and Navy) as soldiers and sailors. “It is long overdue that we express our gratitude for these brave veterans and their families,” the press release said. Hear their names read and watch as the Honor Guard of the Culpeper VFW Post recognizes them with full military honors.

Admission is free but seating is limited, so bring a lawn chair. There will be light refreshments. Those with questions should contact Zann Nelson at 540.718.3465 or [email protected].

Rappahannock was “All Shook Up” (in a positive way) over the high school Drama Department’s recent performances.

The cast, crew, and pit orchestra delivered two dynamic shows of “All Shook Up!” School Edition on May 6-7 under the direction of Elizabeth Seeley and musical direction by Kalia Page, with assistance from Ms. Tanya Cox (choreographer/costume design) and Ms. Jordyn Beard (choreographer/ stage coordinator), the students entertained the audience with comedic wit, music, and lively dance moves.

“I am so happy to have been the director for both the pit orchestra as well as the vocal director for our show All Shook Up,” RCPS Band Director Kalia Page said in a statement. “None of my band students have ever experienced what it was like to be a part of a pit orchestra so I am overjoyed that I was able to give them this opportunity. We made so many fond memories that neither the students, nor I, will ever forget.” Page added, “Congratulations to our seniors and I am so very excited to see what next year brings!”

The cast included J. Switzer, Maeve Ciuba, Elijah Lowe, Liberti Sell, Savannah Loving, Elias Genho, Faith Beck, Gabby Moreno, Erica Beck, Luke Ubben, Hayden Watson, Natalie Campbell, Lilly Grimsley, and Abigail Atkins. The pit orchestra, which played throughout the entire production, featured the talents of Payton Cillo, Nicholas Plaksin, Angelle Campbell, Ryan Campbell, Nathaniel Lowe, Hayden Milam, Isaac Plaksin, John McKelvey, Sam Reed, Declan Perrot, Alex Bailey, Rhys Milam, and special guests: Nathaniel Sullivan, Luke Cronin, and Katherine Hicks.  Additionally, the hard-working crew was comprised of Daniel Garcia, Quinn Sanborn, Michael Newman, Allison Wharton, Camden Shanks, Laina Moore, Gabby Porras, Emily Gillespie, Samantha Roberts, and Taly White.

“The cast, crew, and pit orchestra for ‘All Shook Up’ did an outstanding job this weekend.  Months of hard work and preparation paid off,” Seeley said in a statement. “On behalf of all of the directors, thank you to the students, alumni, and volunteers who made this production possible. You should all be very proud. We are going to miss the graduating seniors dearly and wish them luck as they head out into the world. There is always a home for you in the RCHS Drama Club.”

French Conversations | Tuesday, May 23, 10:30 a.m. | Rapp Library: Speak with friends in French about some topic of interest. 

Walk and Talk | Every Wednesday, May 24, 10:30 a.m. | Parking in front of Washington Schoolhouse on Mt. Salem Ave.: Easy walk around Little Washington. Contact Nancy at [email protected]

The Stitch Clique | Every Thursday in May, May 25, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. | 87 Ballina Lane, Amissville: Knit, crochet, sew or quilt your current project in conversation with others. RSVP limited space.

Tennis Clinic | Monday, May 22, 9 a.m. | County Park: Learn to play or improve your game with tennis instructor, Hunt Harris, a local tennis professional and a former national champion in the United States and Wales. The clinic will cover the basics of the game and include drills. Balls will be provided and racquets on request. 

Rapp at Home is a non-profit organization serving the health, safety, and social needs of Rappahannock seniors so they can live independently in the homes they treasure. It is open to seniors 50 and over. To join as a friend at no charge, go to rappathome.org

• A story in the May 11 edition should have included Dee and Chuck Akre as sponsors of the Shenandoah National Park Trust’s Shenandoah Soirée.

• A May 4 story incorrectly characterized restaurateur Todd Eisenhauer’s affiliation with the Griffin Tavern. He once was the chef.