For the third year in a row, Community Works 4Page and the Friends of the Shenandoah River are organizing community river clean-ups in partnership with the Shenandoah Riverkeeper’s Trash Free Shenandoah campaign.

Local residents are invited to roll up their sleeves and help protect one of the region’s most treasured natural resources.

Two clean-up events are planned this month:

• Shenandoah Landing and River Park — Thursday, April 9, at 2 p.m.

• Alma Boat Landing — Saturday, April 11, at 9 a.m.

(Rain dates are 4/12/2026 for Alma and 4/14/2026 for Shenandoah)

Volunteers will also have the opportunity to learn about river science and water safety.

The Laboratory and Program Director of the Friends of the Shenandoah River will demonstrate water quality testing methods used to monitor the river, including equipment used to test for E. coli bacteria.

Previous spring clean-ups have removed truckloads of trash from river landings and banks — everything from tires and plastic debris to fishing line, and even a toaster —collected and taken to the Battlecreek Landfill for proper disposal.

The Page Valley News video series “Page Valley Livin” highlighted Community Works’ and Friends of the Shenandoah River’s first river clean-up in 2024; view it HERE.

The Friends of the Shenandoah River (FOSR) is a nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to protecting and stewarding the aquatic ecosystems of the Shenandoah and Potomac River watersheds.

Our work supports clean water, resilient ecosystems, public recreation, and the preservation of the region’s natural and historic heritage.

To learn more about the Friends of the Shenandoah River, contact Karen Andersen at friendsofshenandoahriver@gmail.com.

Community Works 4Page continues to grow its volunteer base across Page County, now numbering more than 100 people who partner with local civic, church, and nonprofit organizations to strengthen our community and restore neighborliness, regardless of political differences.

Initiated by the Rural Urban Bridge Initiative and implemented by local Democrats, Community Works 4Page volunteers span the political spectrum — including Republicans, Independents, and people disengaged from politics — tackling local concerns, and bringing people together.

For more information about the clean-ups and Community Works 4Page, contact Local Coordinator Sara Finn at PageCommunityWorks@gmail.com.

Sara Finn
Luray, Va.

RELATED STORIES

EDITOR’S NOTE: Littering is illegal under Virginia Code § 33.2-802.

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editor@shenvalleytimes.com

Q: Do you live in Virginia? Or do you live in the United States of America?

A: Yes.

This is at the center of whether to vote YES or NO on the referendum to temporarily redistrict the voting map for U.S. congressional elections.

If you think strictly in local terms, you may favor voting “No.”

If you realize that you, your neighbors, your town, and our state are part of a larger nation, you will vote “Yes.”

President Trump urged states like Texas, Missouri and North Carolina to change their voting maps in order to tilt the November 2026 national elections in favor of Republicans.

Those state legislatures obeyed his order to “nationalize” the elections, even without putting the matter to voters through a referendum.

This is highly unusual; to the extent maps are redrawn, that’s typically only every ten years, after the national decennial census.

So now, because of the tactic of the President of the United States and several states, we in Virginia face the question: whether to think solely in local terms or in national terms.And in this state, the General Assembly has put the question to us voters, rather than imposing it from on high.

The power of the federal government is unmatched and overwhelming; no single state so dominates our daily lives.

The power to declare and wage war, enacting and enforcing (or deciding not to enforce) laws that protect our food, air, and water; managing international relations, deciding which medicines and vaccines are available to us; funding and operating federal programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid; funding and operating agencies that govern our taxes, our civil rights, airplane travel and security, border control, immigration, deportation.

You are a Virginian, but if you are an American First, you may realize that voting YES on the referendum means voting to maintain the integrity of national elections and our national government.

Tom Ford
Luray, Va

Page County, Virginia Election Information

April 21, 2026 - Special Election

November 3, 2026 - General Election

Information for Early Voting & Election Day

April 21, 2026 Special Election - Proposed Constitutional Amendment

Notice: The Commonwealth of Virginia, including Page County is having a special election that will take place on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 with Early Voting beginning on Friday, March 6, 2026.

The ballot will only consist of a single proposed constitutional amendment that voters may vote “Yes” or “No” on.

Ballot Question

Question: Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections, while ensuring Virginia’s standard redistricting process resumes for all future redistricting after the 2030 census?

More information on the proposed constitutional amendment can be found by visiting the Virginia Department of Elections website.

Early Voting

Please note that if you would like to vote in-person during the Early Voting period, you can cast your vote at the Voter Registration Office, 103 South Court St, Luray, VA 22835. If assistance is needed please call 540-743-3986. The ballot drop-off station will be open during the Early Voting period, in the Early Voting Office. If assistance is needed call 540-743-3886.

Early Voting Hours/Ballot Drop Off Hours

Monday, March 6, 2026 - Friday, April 17, 2026; 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Saturday, April 11 & April 18, 2026; 8:30 am - 5:00 pm

Election Day Voting, note change for Districts 101 and 401

If you choose to vote in-person on Election Day, you must vote at your assigned polling place.

Please check your voter registration card or visit the Virginia Department of Elections website to locate your designated polling place.

**Voters in District 101 (Springfield) will be voting at the Page United Methodist Church. Voters in District 401 (Newport) will vote at the Stanley Fire Department. (Schools are in session and are not available for voting.)

Election Day Voting Hours: 6:00 am 7:00 pm

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editor@shenvalleytimes.com

I was surprised to read recent comments suggesting that the county is somewhat hysterically blaming so-called “come here’s” and the short-term rental (STR) industry over rising property values.

I, personally, have reached out several times to elected officials and county staff to share my views on short-term rental regulations. They have been responsive, engaging and welcoming to the research I’ve shared with them.

All in all, they seem to be taking a thoughtful approach to a very complicated problem. A problem that has needed to be addressed for some time.

For context, I’m both a “come here” and a short-term rental owner (owner-occupied, just one property).

I benefit directly from STR income. And precisely because of that, I believe we need reasonable, balanced regulation.

The reality is that when short-term rentals grow rapidly without guardrails, housing becomes harder to find and more expensive for the people who live and work here full time.

In Page County, more than half of STRs are owned by out-of-town individuals or corporations.

When outside investors purchase homes, convert them to vacation rentals, and send the profits elsewhere, those houses are no longer part of the long-term housing supply.

The community gets occupancy tax revenue, sure, but it also absorbs the cost of reduced housing availability.

This isn’t about blaming newcomers or small, owner-occupied rentals. It’s about scale and impact.

Rural communities near national parks across the country have seen the same pattern: as investor-owned STRs multiply, local workers and families struggle to find homes they can afford.

We would be wise to learn from that.

A simple but important question is this: Who should benefit most from housing in Page County? Local residents who live and work here year-round? Or outside investors maximizing return?

I believe short-term rentals can be part of a healthy local economy. But they need thoughtful limits to ensure they don’t crowd out the very people who make this community what it is.

Recent tax reassessments combined with unchecked STR growth have intensified affordability challenges.

Ignoring that connection doesn’t make it go away.

I moved to Austin, Texas about 10 years before the STR industry took off there, unchecked. I saw firsthand what happened next: housing costs rose 126 percent over the following 13 years.

I was lucky enough to own my own home so that sounds like a win but not so much — now the city is so expensive my adult kids and their friends struggle to afford homes of their own.

Definitely not a win and not a situation I’d like to see repeated in Page County.

Will regulating STRs solve every housing issue? Nope. But doing nothing guarantees the problem gets worse.

Reasonable regulation is not anti-business, and it’s not anti “come here.” It’s pro-community. It’s about protecting balance and making sure Page County remains a place where teachers, service workers, young families, and retirees can all afford to live.

As a side note, I want to say that as a “come here,” I’ve been genuinely touched by the welcome I’ve received from Page County residents. I’ve met so many thoughtful, caring, and intelligent people.

Sure, I get razzed once in a while by my “native local” buddies — and I probably deserve it — but I’ve never felt disrespected or pushed aside.

There’s no denying that I wasn’t raised here, and I can’t fully know the deep history, challenges, and traditions that longtime residents have experienced. But I’m grateful to now call this place home.

I’m listening, I’m learning, and I’m doing my best to be a positive part of this community.

Krista Ernst
Luray, Va.

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editor@shenvalleytimes.com

Page County is truly a beautiful place to visit and live.

From the adjacent national park to the mountain views, to the creeks and the river, to Lake Arrowhead — and of course our giant natural wonder under Cave Hill.

But sadly, Page County also has a litter problem.

Drive on many of the main highways or country roads in this county and you will see miles of trash along both sides of the roadway.

It’s more than an eyesore. It can destroy ecosystems.

Tired of seeing so much roadside litter, I recently filled five garbage bags full of trash from a half-mile stretch of Cave Hill Road between the caverns parking lot and the intersection of Cave Hill Road and General Drive (including the gaping hole in the ground where the pond used to be, and the drainage areas at the intersection).

Some of the litter could have blown off trucks, but I suspect much of it was carelessly tossed out of vehicles.

I counted at least 20 empty boxes of McDonalds, Burger King, and Taco Bell items (three fast food places near this stretch of road), several plastic Big Gulp cups, about 30 soda, energy drink, and beer cans and bottles, about 25 discarded candy wrappers, empty cigarette boxes, and plastic lids and straws. There was one plastic water bottle that was capped, only not containing water — but some other yellow liquid.

The most disconcerting thing was all the plastic. And not just plastic bottles and plastic grocery store bags, but all sorts of microplastic material, including construction material, clogging the ditches that lead into the creeks and the river. There was also a substantial amount of Styrofoam.

Like plastic, Styrofoam cannot be absorbed into the ecosystems — leading to choked and unsightly wetland habitats normally enjoyed by fish, frogs, turtles, ducks, and other birds.

If there are not enough police resources to monitor and enforce the county’s anti-littering laws, roadside signs warning that “Litter Laws Strictly Enforced — Fines Start $1000” (as there are in other counties and states) could at least increase awareness.

Another option could be programs that allow day workers from the county jail to clean up the litter.

Residents can help too, by bringing reusable grocery bags (which only cost between $1 and $2) to Food Lion and WalMart, and which, in addition to being more eco-friendly, are more durable and hold more items compared to those flimsy plastic bags.

More businesses and county groups could adopt highways to have bi-annual cleanups, as groups like The Shenandoah National Park Conservation Association, Community Works 4Page, and Page County Democrats do.

We are rightfully proud of our county and everything it offers.

Being more mindful of littering will go a long way in preserving the beauty of Page.

David Rossé
Luray, Va

EDITOR’S NOTE: Littering is illegal under Virginia Code § 33.2-802.

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editor@shenvalleytimes.com

Premium subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) have helped millions of Americans—including my husband and me — maintain health insurance on the ACA exchange.

These subsidies have helped family farmers, small business owners, and community service non-profit employees and others who don’t have access to employer-sponsored healthcare plans.

Congress enacted the subsidies years ago but recently let them fizzle out.

Now, nearly 5 million people are expected to lose coverage this year alone, simply because (according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, KFF) they can no longer afford it.

Millions of others who somehow can still afford coverage are suffering dramatically higher premiums — like my husband and I — who live in Page County.

We live in Luray and our combined income is modest, so we’ve previously qualified for the ACA subsidies.

With cuts to federal government operations over 2025, I lost my job working for a federal contractor, and was fortunate to snag a new job, but without employer-provided health insurance.

As a 55-year-old cancer survivor, it’s just too risky for me to go without health insurance, so we have no alternative but to find the money to continue paying for it.

The problem is that now, without the ACA subsidy, our insurance premiums have jumped 80% — from about $1,000 per month last year to $1,800 this year.

That’s an annual increase from about $12,000 to $21,600.

We are not the only Page County residents suffering this problem.

More than 1,000 Page residents face it as well, as estimated by a Virginia nonprofit healthcare navigator.

This is not just our problem as individuals, but a collective problem.

Healthcare costs will only continue to rise as the numbers of uninsured people rise. They will still need healthcare; hospitals are mandated to provide care.

As they treat the uninsured, their costs go up as well as the cost of healthcare and health insurance for those who have insurance.

I urge fellow county residents to reach out to Senator Tim Kaine and Senator Mark Warner to ask they continue fighting for affordable healthcare and an extension of the ACA tax credits.

For anyone in Page County who finds their out-of-pocket healthcare costs impossibly high, one possible resource is the PAN Foundation.

PAN is an independent, national nonprofit organization that provides critical financial help for treatment costs, advocates for policy solutions that expand access to care, and delivers education on complex topics.

To learn more about their work, including their grassroots advocacy campaign urging Congress to reinstate the enhanced premium tax credits, visit their website, at panfoundation.org.

Sincerely,

Denise Wales
Luray, VA

FROM THE EDITOR:

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editor@shenvalleytimes.com

We all have heard the continuing stream of stories about people struggling to put food on the table. The news is often bleak — rising grocery prices, cuts to the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), food banks overstretched as demand grows from hungry families. But I’m personally involved with one welcome bright spot – an example of local residents helping others, regardless of differing political views.

It’s the “Soup 4 Seniors” program run by Community Works 4Page, and I’m a volunteer.

Community Works 4Page initiated the program almost a year ago, and since then it has provided a quart of soup, fresh baked rolls, and a desert each month, made from scratch and easy to re-heat, to dozens of seniors across Page County.

Fortunately, Soup 4 Seniors is not only continuing into 2026, but is even expanding.

Many different groups and individuals coordinate to make this possible.

We’re very thankful for the Moose Lodge’s generosity, allowing us to use their kitchen for food prep. And we appreciate the county residents who do the cooking and others who deliver the meals.

The needs of senior residents have increased.

We began in February 2025 delivering 24 meals each month, but now we’re up to 40 and even that will increase further.

During October 2025 — amidst the government shutdown and concern over cuts to SNAP — more seniors asked to join the program and we know of roughly 20 more.

Community Works 4Page was started in mid-2023 by a small team of local Democrats and has now spread to some 125 volunteers from across the political spectrum—Republicans, Independents, Democrats, and people otherwise disengaged. So it’s especially encouraging to see county residents teaming up to help others in need.

Soup 4 Seniors is just one example of many programs and projects of Community Works 4 Page.

If you want to get involved with Community Works 4 Page on projects that interest you, or if you would like to donate to the Soup 4 Seniors program, please contact the local coordinator, Sara, at pagecommunityworks@gmail.com.

Mike Mudd
Rileyville

[Follow Community Works 4Page on Facebook @CommunityWorks4Page].

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editor@shenvalleytimes.com

As a registered nurse on the Medical-Surgical floor at Page Memorial Hospital, I have the privilege of caring for individuals at some of the most vulnerable and uncertain times in their lives.

Our rural community depends intensely on the presence, skill, and commitment of nurses, yet much of our work remains unseen.

While nurses are often recognized for bedside care, the true scope of our responsibilities extends far beyond what most people witness.

The past several years have revealed how essential nurses are to the stability and resilience of health care, and it is more important than ever that our voices are heard.

In the Med-Surg environment, every day presents new challenges.

I may support a patient recovering from a surgical procedure, help stabilize someone experiencing acute respiratory distress, or teach a family how to manage diabetes, heart failure, or post-operative wound care at home.

This variety requires critical thinking, clinical judgment, emotional intelligence, and the ability to shift priorities within seconds.

These experiences highlight why nurses are often described as the backbone of patient care.

We are the ones who coordinate with physicians, therapists, case managers, and families to ensure everyone understands the care plan and that the patient’s needs are consistently met.

However, nursing is much more than tasks or medical interventions. It is advocacy — speaking up when a patient cannot articulate their concerns or when a discharge plan is not safe.

It is education — explaining medications, symptoms, and treatments in ways patients can understand.

It is emotional support—listening to fears, calming anxieties, and providing comfort during challenging moments.

It is leadership — guiding newer staff, improving workflows, and identifying gaps in patient safety.

These are the roles highlighted in “From Silence to Voice” by Buresh and Gordon, which encourage nurses to speak honestly and confidently about the true nature of their work.

Their message inspired me to share my own perspective, because silence diminishes not only the profession but the public’s understanding of what nurses contribute.

Rural hospitals like Page Memorial are lifelines for their communities, yet they face unique challenges, including workforce shortages, limited resources, and increasing patient needs.

Nurses step into these gaps every single day. We adapt, innovate, and find ways to ensure patients receive the highest-quality care possible.

Our work directly impacts health outcomes, especially for people managing chronic illnesses who rely on nurses to teach them how to prevent complications and remain independent at home.

I hope this letter helps illuminate the essential, complex, and profoundly human work nurses perform each day.

To strengthen our health care system, we must continue recognizing and supporting the critical role nurses play — not only in hospitals but in every corner of the community.

When nurses are empowered, valued, and provided the resources they need, our entire community benefits.

Keirsten Griffith, RN - Luray, Va.

I’m sure that many in the Page County community are aware of the housing development being built on the old Henry Kauffman farm on Kauffman’s Mill Road.

I recently learned that the builders have given the development a name — “The Overlook at Kauffman’s Mill.” They have also registered the web domain kauffmansmill.com to redirect visitors to their own website - an inventory of house layouts and available plots. This is all very misleading.

Kauffman’s Mill and the Kauffman family have nothing to do with this housing development. The new houses will not even be near, much less “overlooking,” the historic mill site.

I reached out to the builders directly to share my concerns and to ask if they would consider alternatives to using “Kauffman’s Mill” in their brand.

Their response was brief and professional, but dismissive of my concerns.

One can only assume that they opportunistically latched onto the name of a nearby historic landmark to invoke a sense of charm and nostalgia in the naming of their housing community.

The perceived association between our family’s name and this project really bugs me. If you know me, or knew my parents or grandparents, then you know how much the Kauffman’s Mill Homestead and our family’s history means to us.

My ancestors left an amazing trail of history down that little dirt road, from milling operations starting in the 1770s to dances at the Riverview dance hall in the 1920s -1950s. That’s our family’s mark on Page County — not this housing development.

I created a Kauffman’s Mill Facebook page. Feel free to follow it HERE. Not much there now, but I will be adding more content to it.

Greg Kauffman
Luray, Va.

[EDITOR’S NOTE: According to the Figueroa Homes website, “The Overlook at Kauffman’s Mill” will be “perched above the Shenandoah River in an exclusive 20-home community.”

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editor@shenvalleytimes.com

It’s well known that teachers often spend hundreds of their own dollars each year on classroom supplies - about $450 in Virginia on average during the past school year.

What often goes unrecognized is the tremendous time and energy teachers and staff spend securing grants that bring vital funds into our schools.

This year, Page County Public Schools staff and teachers secured roughly $2 million in multi-year grants supporting STEM (Science/Technology/Engineering/Math) education, school safety, students who struggle in school and students from low-income families, summer meals, and community schools, as explained at a recent school board meeting.

These efforts are especially important now because large federal funding cuts and severe staff cuts at the Department of Education, pose serious challenges for our schools. These staff cuts include personnel responsible for supporting not only the many programs listed above, but also after-school programs, students with disabilities, and teacher training. Those cuts will be a big blow to our schools.

Thanks to the tremendous effort and dedication of our teachers and staff, the grants they secured bring a near two-million dollar boost for Page County schools. This demonstrates the commitment of our educators to provide excellent opportunities to our students - despite the federal funding cuts.

Sincerely,

Kathleen White
Luray

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editor@shenvalleytimes.com

Thanks to Community Works 4Page for putting on the October 15 informational session about the impact on Page County of recent federal cuts to healthcare. More than 70 people attended the session at the West Luray Recreation Center (“the REC”).

The first of three panelists was Dan Sullivan — a “navigator” with the non-profit “Enroll Virginia,” that helps people get and keep health insurance under the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid.

Mr. Sullivan explained that passage of the ACA and Virginia’s expansion of Medicaid enabled more people to be insured and helped reduce medically caused personal bankruptcy by more than 50%. These gains are now in jeopardy.

Mr. Sullivan expects that Congress’ cuts to ACA subsidies will push up premiums on Virginia’s ACA exchange next year as much as 500%, which will lead many people to drop their insurance.

With recent changes to Medicaid coverage — including more paperwork to demonstrate eligibility and more bureaucratic burden on individuals, employers and the local Department of Social Services — fewer people will keep Medicaid coverage. And with fewer people covered, nursing homes can expect reduced revenues, forcing some to close.

More broadly, beyond the ACA and Medicaid, he projects people with other health insurance will face significantly higher premiums (on the order of +20%), higher deductibles, and more out of pocket expenses.

Dr. Jeffrey Feit, Chief Population Health Officer of Valley Health, explained that the hospital system treats all people regardless of ability to pay, but as fewer people retain insurance coverage, the system’s revenues will fall.

Valley Health estimates that the recent federal cuts will leave a projected hole of $60 to $70 million annually.

How Valley Health (including Page Memorial) manages that challenge remains to be seen; it’s difficult to imagine how to avoid reduced services.

Dr. Feit also noted that a number of Valley Health’s medical staff are in the U.S. on H1-B visas. The Administration’s proposed $100,000 fee for these people will make recruiting much more difficult and expensive.

Nicky Fadley, Executive Director of the non-profit Strength In Peers, explained that her organization provides peer recovery services to individuals who are struggling with substance use and mental health challenges. They also partner with the Page County Sheriff Office to provide individual and group peer support to inmates at Page County Jail as part of their larger reentry recovery program.

This year has been a “rollercoaster,” with the sudden termination of multiple federal grants which required cutting more than half the staff who serve Page County and reducing the number of people who can receive services.

The organization has been successful at obtaining new grants from Valley Health and the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to rebuild its peer support and outreach capacity. However, reliance on grant funding is becoming increasingly risky for nonprofits.

Before writing this letter, I reached out to the Local Coordinator for Community Works 4Page — Sara Finn — to learn whether the healthcare panel discussion was recorded.

It was (via Page Valley News) and is available for viewing HERE

[Editor’s Note: Video also available below].

Thanks again to Community Works 4Page for providing us such valuable information and helping us understand how the healthcare system really operates.

Denise Wales
Luray, VA

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editor@shenvalleytimes.com

If you were in Congress representing Page County, would you have voted for recent federal laws that gave tax breaks, especially to high income earners, but cut funds for food and healthcare for many Page County residents?

One of the law’s biggest causalities of the federal cutbacks is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

More than 2,000 households in Page County (about a quarter of all households in our County) depend on this program to put food on the table.

SNAP also gives people a chance for a better life, like the woman who could still feed her family so she could complete nursing school and pursue a career in health care. (Note: Fraud and abuse account for only 1% of the program outlays, contrary to what critics’ claim.)

The federal program that helps pay for free and reduced-price school lunches (National School Lunch Program) is being cut as well.

In this county, a huge number of our school children (55% to 60%!!) depend on this program to grow up healthy and be alert in school. What kind of future will they have without this program?

A third set of program cuts hurt local food banks.

The Page One Food Pantry has been serving the Page County community for 46 years. It serves over 3,000 of our residents (13% of our population).

According to Feeding America, a nonprofit network of food banks, some of the hardest hit areas in the country are in our valley.

One additional reality is that federal cuts shift the burden onto state and local governments, so we can expect more of our tax dollars will go to food programs.

Meanwhile, 60% of the law’s tax relief goes to the top 10% of earners in the country — people who make at least $170,000 a year.

So back to the original question: To give high earners tax breaks, would you take food from hungry school kids, parents and grandparents?

Jackie Bowers
Luray

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