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May 22, 2019
Our 202nd year | Vol. 202, No. 21 | www.Fauquier.com | $1.50
‘Army Green’ colonel turns 100 this weekend By John Toler
Associate Editor
Then-Lt. Col. Tom Cox (right) retired from the U.S. Army in 1967. Among his decorations was the Legion of Merit, presented by Lt. Gen. H. C. Donnelly, head of the DASA.
Respect for America’s “Greatest Generation” runs deep, especially for succeeding generations with strong family connections. This is especially true for Warrenton real estate broker Becky Miller, who regards the life of her grandfather, retired U. S. Army Lt. Col. Charles T. “Tom” Cox, as exemplary. Born May 26, 1919, Cox will celebrate his 100th birthday on Memorial Day weekend. His military career was from 1935 to 1967, spanning World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War and ending with the Vietnam War. “My grandfather has spent his whole life serving others,” noted Miller. “We can’t imagine the changes he has witnessed — a young kid going overseas in the 1940s, going from
farm fields to battlefields.” Cox began his military career with the North Carolina National Guard in 1935, serving with Battery A of the 113th Field Artillery, based in Greenville, North Carolina. He was underage when he enlisted. — only 16 — and lied about his age to get in. “It was during the Depression and being paid 75 cents a drill was big money back then,” he recalled. “I thoroughly enjoyed being a guardsman.” Discharged from the National Guard in 1939, Cox was recalled in September 1940 when his unit was mobilized. He notes that his records at National Guard headquarters in Raleigh didn’t show that he had been discharged. He had to sell his service station business in Greenville and spent the next year in training.
See ARMY, Page 4
Retired U. S. Army Lt. Col. Charles T. “Tom” Cox
Warrenton Council considers a move to Main Street Visitor Center could be part of the new ‘one-stop shop’ By Robin Earl
Times Staff Writer
Town of Warrenton officials will soon decide whether to move town hall from one former bank building to another. Town offices — overcrowded and outdated — are currently located at 18 Court St., originally built for the Fauquier National Bank and purchased by the town in 1973. After 40 years there, town council members are entering into negotiations to buy the former BB&T building on Main Street. “We’ve been here 40 years,” said Town Manager Brandie Schaeffer. “We have squeezed everything we can out of this building. We’ve reached a breaking point, twisting ourselves into a pretzel trying to make it work.” She added that if the sale goes INSIDE Business.............................................11 Classified............................................35 Communities......................................30 Faith...................................................28
TIMES STAFF PHOTO/ROBIN EARL If Warrenton does buy the BB&T building, the Visitor Center, now located on North Calhoun Street, could be relocated to the Main Street address. through, there are several townowned properties that could be sold and leasing agreements that could be canceled. The building on Court Street would be sold, as well as some Health and Wellness............................19 Horse and Field Sports........................18 Lifestyle..............................................23 Opinion.................................................8
smaller plots of land and possibly, the Warrenton Visitor Center, currently at 33 N. Calhoun St. Schaeffer said she envisions moving the Visitor Center into the BB&T
space. “It would be a real plus to have the Visitor Center right on Main Street,” she said.
Obituaries...........................................33 Puzzles...............................................10 Real Estate..........................................29 Sports.................................................13
See MOVE, Page 6
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NEWS
Fauquier Times | www.fauquier.com | May 22, 2019
Primary candidates making final pitch to voters By James Ivancic Times Staff Writer
The June 11 primary election is fast approaching, and candidates are making their final pitches for votes. In Fauquier County, voters who pick the Republican ballot can choose between two candidates running for county sheriff and two vying for county commissioner of revenue. Voters choosing the Democratic Party ballot can vote for one of two candidates running for the 18th District House of Delegates seat and between two seeking the 88th District House seat. There is no Democrat primary in precincts 101 (Kettle Run), 102 (Catlett), 103, Casanova), 502 (New Baltimore) and 504 (Vint Hill). As per Va. Code §24.2-530 all registered voters are allowed to vote in the primary, however, a voter shall only vote for the candidates of one party, not both. Winning candidates will be on the general election ballot on Nov. 5.
Sheriff
Bob Mosier, in seeking a second four-year term, faces a challenge from Chris Cochrane, director of facilities and security at Highland School in Warrenton; he is a retired captain with the Fairfax County Police Department. Mosier said he’s been received warmly at campaign events. “I’ve had positive comments in all parts of the county,” said Mosier, who defeated three-term incumbent Charlie Ray Fox in 2015. He said that residents seem to appreciate the town halls he regularly holds throughout the county. During the meetings, he provides information and listens to the concerns of citizens. “We keep the people informed and provide transparency” into the workings of the sheriff’s office, Mosier said. Mosier said he believes those under his command have done a “stellar job.” If returned for another four years, he wants to continue working on professional development opportunities for his staff, recruiting new hires, retention of officers, technical upgrades and reaccreditation.
Far left, commissioner of revenue primary candidate Carl Wiberg talks to potential voters at Saturday’s Spring Festival in Warrenton. Left, opponent Eric Maybach also uses the Spring Festival as a chance to connect with voters. TIMES STAFF PHOTOS/ JAMES IVANCIC
See next week’s Fauquier Times for a look at Democratic primaries for the 18th and the 88th districts Mosier secured accreditation for the sheriff’s office from the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission during his first term. Mosier said he also wants to reduce criminal recidivism and to expand the school resource officer program. Opponent Chris Cochrane feels the incumbent has politicized the office while promoting himself. “I have different views on how to run the department,” said Cochrane. “I really think I have to be a statesman rather than a politician.” “Every time the sheriff goes to a school, he takes a picture of it. That comes across as insincere,” Cochrane said. “When I win this election, you won’t see me at fundraisers. I’ll be a working sheriff.” On his website, Cochrane questions the money Mosier has spent for drone units and new hats for officers. He also objects to the money the sheriff allocated to the accreditation process and the recurring costs resulting from it. He notes that more traffic tickets have been issued under Mosier’s leadership and he wonders whether more time and effort should be spent addressing crimes of a more serious nature. Cochrane said he would have an “open door” policy as sheriff, give
staff flexibility in their equipment and uniform choices, and provide a wellness program that would address the physical, psychological and financial health of sheriff’s office employees. Cochrane has been an active campaigner — appearing at community events as well as gatherings in private homes. He has hosted three Facebook Live events, “Coffee with Chris” gatherings and he’s been knocking on doors to reach constituents.
Commissioner of revenue
In the commissioner of revenue race, two challengers are seeking the office left open by longtime commissioner Ross D’Urso’s retirement. Eric Maybach and Carl Wiberg are on the Republican primary ballot. The commissioner of revenue is the chief tax-assessing official and serves a four-year term. The office maintains property-tax and business-tax records. The commissioner also provides tax revenue projections to the county. Maybach has experience in financial services going back 15 years, starting as area sales manager for Capital One Auto Finance. He is currently a vice president and branch manager for Regional Acceptance Corp., a national auto finance company. Maybach points to his management experience in the private sector. “I love finance and dealing with numbers,” the candidate said. “There’s also my attention to detail and my
compliance training through the American Bankers Association.” The latter involves keeping professionals up-to-date on regulations, safeguarding personal information, and the like. If elected, he said one of his duties will be to provide revenue projections to the county board of supervisors. He said he will be prepared to provide accurate information to assist them in their decision-making. Wiberg has been an assessor for Loudoun County for the past five years. Prior to that, he did property appraisal work for 13 years as a contract employee, traveling the state. Wiberg says he’s been knocking on doors, using social media and attending public events like the May 18 Warrenton Spring Festival. “I’m doing a lot of explaining of what the office does — the different activities and responsibilities. People don’t know. I think part of the reason is that Ross has done it so quietly for so long,” said Wiberg. D’Urso has endorsed Wiberg’s candidacy. Wiberg said he’s also picked up endorsements from counterparts in Loudoun, Clarke, Essex and Mathews counties who know of his work ethic. “As a contractor I was working as an extension of those offices,” he explained. He said that the job required a knowledge not just of real estate tax, but taxes of all types. Reach James Ivancic at jivancic@ fauquier.com.
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NEWS
Fauquier Times | www.fauquier.com | May 22, 2019
Middle school students at the Boys and Girls Club enjoyed a visit on Monday, May 20 from WARF fitness instructors Beth Howser and Dee Dee Call. The traveling exercise classes, called WARF on Wheels, are sponsored by the Town of Warrenton. TIMES STAFF PHOTO/ VINCENT SALES
Warrenton challenges families to get moving The Town of Warrenton is hosting an eight-week wellness party, and all Fauquier County residents — adults and children — are invited. The Warrenton Wellness Challenge will begin June 3 and will feature pop-up events, outdoor fitness classes, a healthy eating initiative and other health-focused contests and gatherings. Catherine Zimmer, assistant director of Warrenton’s Department of Parks and Recreation, explained that a social media campaign will keep participants apprised of both planned and surprise events. Pop-up events — like a friendly water balloon fight (featuring 1,500 water balloons) or a spontaneous kickball game — will be announced on the ToWWellnessChallenge Facebook page just 24 hours in advance. Participants will have to keep an eye on the page to make sure they don’t miss any wellness opportunities, Zimmer said. Every other Tuesday, the page will feature a trivia quiz about health and wellness. All those who post the correct answer(s) will be entered into a random drawing to win WARF passes or a free week-long membership. (Only Warrenton residents are eligible for Wellness Challenge prizes.) WARF staffers will lead wellness walks on the WARF trails twice each Wednesday, at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Zimmer said throughout the challenge, the emphasis will be on fun activities that promote wellness. “We want to challenge the community to work on their mental and physical health and nutrition. We’d like to encourage residents to be the best version of themselves.” She said she and her team have been working on the project since last November, and that their job was simplified when the PATH Foundation offered to underwrite the project. The grant for $7,500 will cover equipment, prizes and staff time. “We were going to have to try to get sponsorships, but PATH was generous enough to cover our costs,” said Zimmer. One of the entries on the Ticket to Health is Rady FIT, a town-sponsored series of fitness classes at Rady Park, held most Fridays at 9 a.m. and several Tuesdays at 6 p.m. The ses-
Register for the Warrenton Wellness Challenge Participants in the Warrenton Wellness Challenge who attend eight out of 11 events listed on the Ticket to Health registration form will be entered in a grand prize raffle for $500. (Event attendance must be verified by a signature from a Parks and Rec staffer.) Only Warrenton residents are eligible for Wellness Challenge prizes and participants must be at least 16 years old to enter a ticket in the raffle. The winner will be announced at a community picnic for participants at the WARF on Saturday, July 27 at 6 p.m. A movie will follow the picnic at dusk. Those who would like to register for the challenge may pick up a form at the WARF. More information may be obtained by following the program’s Facebook page at ToWWellnessChallenge or by emailing twwc@warrentonva.gov.
sions will introduce participants to barre, kickboxing, Zumba, tai chi, and more. All ages are welcome, but children under 12 years old must have an adult present. Another opportunity to get some exercise is geocaching at one of the town’s five parks — Eva Walker Park, Rady Park, Sam Tarr Park, Academy Hill Park or the WARF. Geocaching is essentially a treasure hunt using GPS technology. A geocaching brochure explaining the process may be found at: http://cms.revize.com/revize/warrenton/WARF/ Geocaching%20Brochure_2019.pdf. Although many of the Town of Warrenton Wellness Challenge activities will focus on movement and exercise, nutrition will also be a part of the program. Fauquier Hospital will present a healthy cooking demonstration at the WARF, reported Zimmer. A Taste of Wellness Week will be held July 15 to 19. Local restaurants will feature healthy items during the week, and will offer specials and discounts on certain menu choices. Details may be found on the challenge Facebook page or on the Town of Warrenton Parks and Recreation website (http://www.warrentonva.gov/government/departments/ parks_and_recreation).
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