March 2016

TOWN OF GROTTOES
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March 2016
Inside this issue:
Mayor’s Corner
Camp Out Flyer
2
Manager’s Message
3
Park Place
3
Library News
3
Grand Caverns 5K Flyer
STOP! THIEF!
I know it’s hard to believe
but Spring is almost here. It
hasn’t been a very hard winter but we have had to survive some recent snow
storms. With the tireless effort of our Town Staff, they
have been able to keep the
roads clear and water pipes
flowing. Please join me in
thanking our Town staff for
their long hours and hard
work.
We are close to making it
through another winter in
our great Town, with that in
mind I would like to remind
everyone that the debris site
on the road to the Town
Park will be open for brush
and tree clippings the first
Saturday of each month
from 8:00am – 2:00pm.
It should also be time to start
planning for the upcoming
Spring and Summer Months.
If you need to reserve a shelter at Grand Caverns or
Mountain View Park for a
family reunion, company
picnic, birthday party, etc.,
now is the time to make
those reservations. You may
do so by calling the Grand
Caverns at 249-5705.
We have an announcement
concerning Town Employees. Please join me in welcoming Tyler Stoner to our
Town as a new Part Time
Tour Guide at Grand Caverns Park.
In other news, I would like
to welcome Samit Patel as
the new owner of Herby’s
and Rodney Herndon as the
new owner of the Dogwood
Avenue Carwash. Please
welcome these guys and
continue to support our
local businesses.
4
5-6
From the Chief’s Desk...
5
Grottoes Fire Dept.
5
Grottoes Rescue Squad
5
Calendar Events
6
Grottoes Town Officials
6
If you have any questions or
concerns for me, please contact the Town Office and
leave a message. I will be
glad to get back with you.
Thank you
Berton Austin
Grot toes Swim Team
The weather may still be cold, and it is only March, but summer planning has begun! The Town
of Grottoes is excited to announce that Grand Caverns has its very own competitive swim
team! The GRAND CAVERNS KRAKEN will practice and compete beginning May 30 through
the end of July. Weekly swim meets will be held on Tuesday evenings and daily practices will
be held to develop skills, different swim strokes, and speed for each swimmer’s PERSONAL
best. We welcome swimmers with any and all experience levels, so come out and join us as we ‘RELEASE THE KRAKEN!’ Mark your
calendars!! Registration will be at Town Hall on Friday, April 15 from 5:30-7:30 pm and April 16th from 10am – 12 pm. Meet and greet
our coaches- Michelle Higdon and Kameron Tucker who have over 20 years of experience in aquatics, 10 years of experience as team
coaches, and Collegiate level coaching experience. At registrations we will have practice and meet schedules, team colors, swimsuit
information, as well as an opportunity to order team T-shirts. Each team member will receive a team swim cap as a part of their registration. So, ‘GET KRAKEN!’
Registration Fees:
Ages: 6 – 18 years
First swimmer: $60 Additional swimmers (from the same immediate family) $55/each
Junior/Developmental Swimmer (cannot swim the length of the pool without assistance) $40 (will assess this the first week of practice)
Please contact us at [email protected] with any questions!
Ada Hale
M a n ag e r ’ s M e s s ag e . . .
I know everyone is starting to look
forward to warmer temperatures but
I’m sure winter is not totally ready to
leave us just yet. I would like to thank
Shannon Clem and the entire Public
Works Department for working so hard
this winter in keeping our streets clear
especially during the massive snow
storm of 24” inches in late January. We
have heard so many comments on how
well our streets were maintained during
this time and the guys really do appreciate the kind words everyone has said. I
hope everyone saw the recent reports
in the newspapers about Grottoes being listed as one of the Top 5 Safest
Cities and Towns in Virginia. This is a
reflection on our entire Town, the people that live here, and the Police Department that does a great job in protecting
our property. We should all be very
proud of this recognition. Everyone
should have gotten the new 2016
Town Events card and we hope you will
refer to it for all of our upcoming events
this year. New this year is the Grand
Caverns Swim Team which is being
organized by Ada Hale. We are excited
to have the swim team return to Grand
Caverns and hope anyone interested in
becoming a better swimmer and competing in local swim meets will sign up.
Ada is putting together a great team of
coaches that really enjoy working with
kids and teaching them the proper
techniques of swimming.
The Town Council has had citizen
requests to add UTVs (Utility Vehicles)
to the golf cart ordinance and allow
them to be driven on Town streets. This
change to our golf cart ordinance was
recommended by the Planning Commission and approved by the Town
Council. Town Staff is currently working
to update the ordinance which is expected to take effect this spring. A UTV
is the same type vehicle as what the
Town uses to read water meters. ATVs
(All-Terrain Vehicles) will not be allowed
to be driven on Town streets as part of
this change to the ordinance.
As always, if you have any concerns
feel free to give me a call at 249-5896 or
drop by Town Hall anytime during office hours.
Jeff Nicely
Town Manager
Pa r k P L AC E
As we approach spring and our busy
time, we would like to take the time to
remind you that Shelter Reservations for
both Grand Caverns and Mountain View
Parks became available March 1st. Please
give us a call to reserve as these make
great places to have birthday parties,
family reunions and most any gettogether.
Our annual Easter
Egg Hunt will be at
Grand Caverns Park
again this year on
March 26th with the
hunt beginning
promptly at 10:00
am. This event is
open to children
from toddlers to 5th grade. We hope to
see you there! Eggs are being stuffed as
you read this!
enjoy a fun-filled evening in the park
and then sleep under the stars! We will
have many activities planned such as
games/crafts, dinner (with s’mores!),
and a movie at the end of the night.
Please see the registration sheet enclosed and mail it back to Grand Caverns by May 6th.
The next Grand Caverns Signature 5k Race
will be on Friday April 29th. The 5k will
begin at 6:30pm and the 1 mile Fun Run
will begin at 6:35pm. Please remember
that proceeds from this go to benefit our
park with the fitness trail equipment that is
being installed. To register for this certified
race, please go to www.Active.com and
use Keywords Grand Caverns Signature
5K or you can stop by the Stone Lodge to
get the registration form.
We are looking forward to a wonderful
season with you and we hope you
come out and enjoy our beautiful parks!
Nathan Garrison
Tourism and Parks Director
Lastly, coming up in May we have the
Grand Caverns Campout. Mark May 13th14th on your calendars and come out and
Library News M-F 1-6 pm 540-434-4475 option 3
January was Puzzle Month. Thanks, Pam
Stoneback, for donating six lovely puzzles!
Patrons of all ages put them together in
short order—and then we repeated a few
from last year to finish out the month.
In February we made library valentines to
display at the circulation desk. Here are
some of the things people said: At the
library it is sweet to hang-out with friends.
At the library it is sweet to make your
own books. At the library it is sweet to
read the paper.
March is Seuss Month. Funsheets are
available throughout the month for Seuss
fans of all ages. On March 31st @ 4 pm
there will be a Seuss reading with Mark
Keeler, a longtime aficionado. Free Seuss
books for all kids who attend. And stick
around to do a Seuss puzzle or two!
April is Poetry Month, with sidewalk po-
ems for your viewing as you walk in, and
Poem in Your Pocket Day on Thursday,
April 21st. Stop by to choose a poem for
your pocket. There may also be a poetry
reading, open to people of all ages, who
wish to share their favorite poem. Let me
know if you are interested; more info to
follow.
One more thanks: to Laurie Dawe for
donating framed stamps of Peter Rabbit,
Winnie-the-Pooh, Wind in the Willows
and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
They are on display in the library.
www.mrlib.org
Please call or check our website for more info on these
ongoing programs:

Brown Bag It : 1st Tuesday @ noon

Crafty Kids: 2nd Thursday @ 4 pm

Lego Club: 4th Thursday @ 4 pm
Family Fun Storytime: Wednesday @ 1 pm
Cheryl Keeler
Grottoes Branch
Manager
Massanutten Regional
Library
S to p ! T h i e f !
Think organized crime, mass shootings,
and IADs are modern problems? Think
again!
In the pre-Shendun days, other than the
occasional pair of overalls stolen from a
clothesline, the only significant crime was
horse thievery. The first precursor of a
police department emerged when area
residents organized the "Mt. Meridian
League to prevent and punish horse
stealing" in 1867. The League offered a
standing reward of $150 for the arrest
and conviction of anyone stealing a member’s horse, and members vowed to immediately form posses to pursue and capture
horse thieves. A similar club formed in
Churchville.
Along with the success of the boom
towns in the Shenandoah Valley came the
elevated attention of professional thieves.
Burglars forced open the rear door of the
Eutsler Brothers construction company the
night of July 21, 1891 and blasted the safe
open with explosives. They netted $10 in
cash and $2 worth of stamps. They also hit
the Shendun Post Office, making off with
$12 or $14 of stamps, a commodity they
seemed to be partial to. Several other cities
up and down the Shenandoah Valley
were plagued by similar crimes. Within a
few days of the Shendun heist, the burglars were apprehended in Philadelphia
and Richmond, and returned to Virginia
for trial. They received sentences of 10 to
15 years.
(Continued on page 6)
F ro m t h e C h i e f ’ s D e s k . . .
Spring is just around the corner and with warm weather you will see more pedestrians, children playing, and bicyclists. Please remain alert while driving and always wear your seat belt.
Chief Charlie’s Kid’s Fish Day is on Saturday, May 7th. The event will be held at Mountain View Park,
rain or shine. There will be fishing, food and drinks, rides, and plenty of activities for the children. Fishing will be limited to children 3-15 years of age. This event is free due to contributions from local individuals and businesses. If you are interested in making a donation for this event, please contact the
Grottoes Police Department at (540)249-5707.
*All children must be accompanied by an adult while participating in the activities at Chief Charlie’s
Kid’s Fish Day. We hope to see you there!
As always, if you have any concerns, please contact me or any of our officers at (540)249-5707.
Be safe and buckle up!
Chief J. E. Painter
G rot to e s Vo lu n t e e r F i r e D e pa rt m e n t
Relations and Activities Coordinator,
Board of Directors - David Bradley, Bill Mar- Emily Holloway, did an awesome job
tin, Rilo Michael, Jeff Morris, Tim Morris, and planning and hosting a night dedicated
Wanda Rittenhouse.
to “Celebrating our SuperAdministrative - President Linda Kegley, Vice Heros,” including a thank you to family
and friends for supporting every member
Pres. Megan McDaniel, Secretary Rebecca
in the many hours given to our commuAcker, Treasurer Scarlett Shirey, Gaming
Treasurer Cindy Martin, Chaplin Wanda Rit- nity. Award recipients were:
tenhouse, Historian Jeanne Kirby.
Firefighter of the Year: Ben Brown
Line Officers - Chief Andrew Holloway, Assis- Associate of the Year: Wanda Rittenhouse
tant Chandler Harding, Captain CJ Chandler, Chief’s Award: David Bradley
1st Lieutenant Ben Brown, 2nd Lieutenant
President’s Award: Cindy Martin
Daniel Wonderley, EMS Officer Mike ArMost Calls Run: Joel Bradley
baugh, Health/Safety Officer Rilo Michael.
Most Training Hours: C.W. Stephenson
On February 6th our GVFD family joined toVolunteer of Year Award: Calvin Floyd
gether to celebrate a successful 2015. Public Community Service Award: Greta Cook
2016 Officers
Robby and Brenda Raines were welcomed
as our newest honorary members for their
many years of support. They have volunteered their time and served as the DJ’s for
our annual banquets for over a decade.
Numerous community individuals were
recognized for their support in making
2015 successful.
Emily Holloway and Libby Tobin were recognized for their 10 years of service as Vice
President and Secretary, respectively. Jolene Powell presented a video,
“2015 Year In Review” which captioned
many memories of 2015.
G rot to e s R e s c u e S qu a d
Greetings from Rescue 20!
If one of your goals for 2016 is to lose
unwanted weight or to include more
exercise into your weekly plan, keep
reading....
We are proud to open our doors three
nights a week to give our community
some healthy opportunities, right here in
Grottoes! Tuesdays and Thursdays come
Zumba with Gina from 6:00 p.m.-7:00
p.m. (Call Gina at 540-820-2938 for more
information). New for 2016, we will be
hosting TOPS meetings on Wednesdays
starting on March 2nd; weigh-in 6:00
p.m.-6:30 p.m. and meeting from 6:30
p.m.-7:30 p.m. TOPS stands for "Taking off
Pounds Sensibly" for more information on
their organization you can contact Joyce
at 540-241-4383. Please park in the back
parking lot, as these activities are held in
our training room.
March 19th and we will have our yummy
BBQ chicken for sale at the station. Our
Chicken is typically ready by 10:00 a.m. and
sells out fast, so make sure you get yours
early! Our Spring Fund Drive will kick off
May 1st, be watching your mailbox for our
yearly flyer! Last but not least, save the date
for our 2016 3rd Annual Car, Truck, and
Motorcycle Show October 8th!
We are excited to announce a few fundraisers we would like you to be aware of:
As always, we are extremely thankful for
your continued support!
Our 2016 Chicken BBQ will take place on
Jodi Johnson, President
TOWN OF GROTTOES
Golf Cart Registration
601 Dogwood Avenue
P.O. Box 146
Grottoes, VA 24441
In order for golf carts to be driven
on Town streets they must be registered with the Town each year.
New decals are now available at
Town Hall with the expiration date
of April 15, 2017. All golf cart owners that wish to drive on Town
streets will need to fill out a new
registration form that includes a cart
inspection, proof of insurance, and
current driver’s license.
Phone: 540-249-5896
Fax: 540-249-5726
www.ci.grottoes.va.us
Spring - May 14th
7:00 am - until
Grottoes Ruritan
Club Meetings
To add your address to
our directory please call
249-5896… must live in
Town limits
are held on the third
Thursday of every
month. If you are interested in attending a
meeting or joining the
club, Call Mark Keeler at
249-5988 or email him at
[email protected].
Grottoes Community
Little League
Opening Day
APRIL 9TH
9:00 AM
MOUNTAIN VIEW PARK
STOP! THIEF! (Continued from page 5)
With the safe cracking gang safely in the penitentiary, Shendun let its guard down, only to be
doubly shocked when two months later, safecrackers blew open the safe in the offices of the
Grottoes Company.
The Rockingham County Recreation Department Senior Citizens
BINGO for the Grottoes area is
held at the Grottoes Town Hall in
the community room on the
fourth Monday of each month
from 10:00 a.m. until noon.
ERMA Food Pantry
Grottoes United Methodist Church
located at 300 4th St.
(corner of 4th St & Cherry Ave)
Every Monday
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
For more information call
249-5893
(Food Bank is closed on the 5th Monday
and major holidays)
In September of 1892 the W. H Harris Nickle Plate Show (circus) setup camp in Shendun for a
few days. Special policeman T. E. Rix was assigned to maintain order at the show and had a
lively time with Whit Raines, a “mountain boy” who had a little too much mountain dew and
was cursing and insulting people as they left the circus. When Rix tried to arrest him, Raines hit
Rix with a rock. Rix returned a blow with his billy club, only to have a gang of Raines’ friends
return the attack. Many guns were drawn, and quite the fusillade ensued until all parties ran
out of bullets. Despite being within 100 yards of the crowd, the only person injured was
Raines himself, who was shot in the heel. Dr. Henry Mohler, brother of the cave’s owner, Abraham Mohler, removed the ball and bandaged him up.
Another shooting incident occurred in 1907. While minding his store near Staunton, Shendun resident Samuel W. Kaylor was seriously injured when one of his customers, apparently
angered by a dispute over a bill, shot Kaylor in his store. The gunman was immediately apprehended and removed to Harrisonburg to prevent a lynching, Kaylor was taken by train to the
Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He eventually recovered.
(Tales of the police and Grottoes’ jails to be continued next time)
My book on the history of Grottoes is still in the works. Please contact me if you have any relatives who spent time in the jail, or have tales or pictures of early Grottoes days.
Thanks!
Jim McConkey,
[email protected],
443-921-9200.
Grot toes Town Officials
Town Council
Planning Commission
Board of Zoning Appeals
Berton Austin, Mayor
Stephen Morris, Chairman
Margie Mayes, Chairwoman
David Raynes
Jim Justis
Don MacDanel
John Funk
Justin Neitzey
Justin Neitzey
Mark Sterling
Jen Smith
Ellen Showers
Marjorie Funk
Mark Keeler
Timothy Leeth
Emily Holloway
Rebecca Holloway
Mark Keeler
Dinah Watson
Town Council meets the 2nd Monday
of the month at 7:00 pm in the Council
Chambers of the Town Hall.
The Planning Commission meets the
last Tuesday of the odd months at 7:00
pm in the Council Chambers of the
Town Hall.
The BZA meets the third Tuesday of the
month (when needed) at 7:00 pm in
the Council Chambers of the Town Hall.